New Japan Pro Wrestling is home to many factions. Which group reigns supreme in NJPW?
Factions are crucial in the organisation of NJPW’s roster and schedule.
Not all wrestlers can be in their desired title scene all the time. Rather than having them twiddling their thumbs, New Japan has their competitors band together to fight for group supremacy. It allows them to add depth to their characters, forming not only a solo, but also a group identity.
Some of these groups have been more successful than others, either dominating the wrestling world, or struggling to maintain relevance. Here are NJPW’s five major factions ranked from worst, to best.
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5. Suzuki-gun
5* Talent: Minoru Suzuki; Zack Sabre Jr.
Underrated Talent: El Desperado
Minoru Suzuki is one of Japanese wrestling’s true gladiators. For nearly three decades, he has battled his way through numerous wrestling and MMA promotions. Over that time, he has gradually accrued a band of followers to help him maintain his position. Luckily for him, not many of them have grown beyond that role.
Suzuki-gun re-emerged in NJPW in January, supposedly putting the roster on notice. Suzuki set his sights on Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship; Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr. (Killer Elite Squad) focused on the Heavyweight Tag belts; while a host of Junior Heavyweights bolstered their ranks.
Suzuki failed in his initial conquest but has settled into the role of NEVER Openweight Champion. However, he and his cronies have had to throw everything at his opponents to retain his belt. In that sense, Suzuki-gun is one of the more coordinated groups in NJPW, but it only really serves to elevate their leader.
The exception to the rule is the surprise acquisition of Zack Sabre Jr. The technician is a bonafide megastar, but his part-time role in the company has limited his impact. El Desperado put on the best performance of the four Gun members in 2017’s Best of the Super Juniors. If either of these men can close out the Destruction tour with their own titles, the faction’s ranking will definitely be bumped up.
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4. Bullet Club
5* Talent: Kenny Omega; The Young Bucks
Underrated Talent: Tama Tonga; Hangman Page
The Bullet Club has grown vastly beyond its initial role in NJPW. Now one of the most recognisable factions in professional wrestling, The BC’s growth has also been its downfall. Their global expansion has left their garrison in Japan rather poorly-manned.
At the helm is ‘The Cleaner’ Kenny Omega, who is brashly making his case for ‘Best Wrestler in the World.’ However, Kenny has been accused, both by fans and his own crew members, of favouritism. Pairing himself with The Young Bucks, Kenny created The ELITE; a brand he seems far more interested in building.
Unfortunately for him, the BC members he is closest to are Ring of Honor wrestlers first and foremost. The Bucks, Marty Scurll, and Ring of Honor Champion Cody, all spend the majority of their time touring the US. Kenny meanwhile leads a depleted squad around Japan. Bad Luck Fale, The Guerrillas of Destiny, and The Tokyo Pimp don’t make for a formidable force.
As evidenced by his G1 Climax performances, Tama Tonga has become a solid number two in Bullet Club’s ranks. He has incorporated a more comedic side to his character, while still improving his in-ring skills. Hangman Page, though still young, could also blossom into a more central role, perhaps scoring himself a G1 spot further down the line.
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3. Taguchi Japan
5* Talent: Hiroshi Tanahashi; Kushida; Ricochet; Michael Elgin
Underrated Talent: Ryusuke Taguchi
Taguchi Japan was never supposed to be a legitimate stable.
Veteran Junior, Ryusuke Taguchi, was watching Okada, Omega and Suzuki making strides as leaders of their own factions. In a spark of inspiration he thought ‘hey, I can do that.’
And so he went about enlisting all of the unaligned babyfaces on the roster. It looked at first as though most of them were just humouring Taguchi, as they all retained their own personal identities while letting Taguchi think he was running the show.
Gradually however, the concept started to pick up steam. Taguchi started printing off baseball-style shirts with each of his buddies’ names on them. More importantly, the group started to accrue titles. Their headliner, Hiroshi Tanahashi, is the current IWGP Intercontinental Champion. Kushida has solidified himself as the Junior ACE, and Ricochet has become one the elite workers on the planet. In his recent NEVER Openweight Title shot, Michael Elgin had each of these guys in his corner to help fend of Suzuki-gun. It’s acts like these that make the squad seem like a legitimate unit.
The irony of Taguchi’s leadership is the greatest part of the whole thing. He has managed to persuade some of the world’s top wrestlers to join him in a team he named after himself. That said, Taguchi can often surprise us as a more-than-competent competitor, so perhaps he has earned the role he created for himself.
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2. CHAOS
5* Talent: Kazuchika Okada; Tomohiro Ishii; Will Ospreay
Underrated Talent: Hirooki Goto; Baretta
The CHAOS stable was originally the brainchild of Shinsuke Nakamura, who wanted to gather traditional wrestlers under his ‘Strong Style’ banner. The group has evolved since then, but they still work to uphold the values NJPW stands for.
Taking over in the leadership role is the New Ace of NJPW, ‘The Rainmaker’ Kazuchika Okada. His current run as IWGP Heavyweight Champion is legacy-defining, and has been a major reason behind the rapidly increasing viewership the promotion is receiving. He is flanked by perhaps the strongest lieutenant in the company, Tomohiro Ishii. ‘The Stone Pitbull’ acts as Okada’s gatekeeper, with potential challengers having to go through the no-necked bruiser first.
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CHAOS had been lacking in Junior Heavyweight talent, but that quickly changed when they enlisted the gravity-defying Will ospreay. ‘The Aerial Assassin’ is carving a new path for foreign superstars in Japan and on the independent scene as a whole.
The faction’s most recent addition, Hirooki Goto, is a terrific performer, but is still finding his role. He can do much more than just babysit Yoshi-Hashi. Baretta recently decided he will give the Heavyweight division a go. The former WWE Superstar could make some noise if he is given a chance in future feuds and tournaments.
CHAOS doesn’t have many game-changers beyond that. Rocky Romero, Gedo, Jado and Toru Yano are all serviceable veterans, but the group is truly defined by the exploits of their leader, lieutenant, and Junior sensation.
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1. Los Ingobernables de Japon
5* Talent: Tetsuya Naito; Hiromu Takahashi; EVIL
Underrated Talent: BUSHI
Being the smallest of NJPW’s five major groups, Los Ingobernables de Japon have no room for mediocrity.
Originally an extension of a Mexican team in CMLL, Tetsuya Naito completely overhauled his gimmick after being rejected by the Japanese fans. Embracing a more recalcitrant attitude, Naito turned his back on the fans and the company as a whole, and soon found other souls who liked his methods. EVIL and BUSHI would side with Naito, and Los Ingobernables de Japon was born.
Each addition since then has been stellar. The world-travelled SANADA joined the group, after losing his way in America. Then, Kamaitachi returned to Japan and quickly found a home amongst his fellow outcasts. Since then, the group has been almost unstoppable in their acquisition of both gold and fan adoration. LIJ shirts cover most of the arenas that NJPW runs, and Naito has become the star he always believed he could be.
The group have all bases covered: Naito is a main-event stalwart; EVIL and SANADA are both ready to break into that upper echelon, but could also make a formidable Heavyweight tag team if they see fit; and Hiromu is the Junior star of the group.
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That development has overshadowed BUSHI, a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in his own right. Those who have been following him will know how talented he is, as displays like the Best of the Super Juniors have shown. Hopefully, Hiromu and BUSHI will make strides in the Super Jr. Tag Tournament slated for later this year.