NJPW: Why SANADA Will Emerge as the Next Superstar in Osaka

On February 10th, a new superstar will emerge in NJPW.

In 2005, at the ripe old age of 17, a young man named Seiya Sanada, alongside future stars Tetsuya Naito and YOSHI-HASHI, had a try ut to earn a spot in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s dojo. Unfortunately for the Niigata, Japan native, he was unsuccessful in that endeavor.

However, two years later he would find himself under the tutelage of The Great Muta and shortly after would make his pro wrestling debut in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Over the next six years, Sanada would have varying degrees of success within the company. He won three tag team championships, as well as a Television title, but failed to get to the next level where many people thought he was destined for.

See, the guy has it all. Good looks, physique, unlimited charisma, and a dynamic in-ring acumen that had many in the Japanese wrestling community seeing the young man as a future world champion. So when he left the promotion in 2013, most believed it was a blessing. He followed his long time mentor, Muta, to Wrestle-1 and eventually to TNA, where Sanada found his biggest success in the form of a 110-day title reign as X-Division champion.

Then, in April of 2016, now trademarked all capitalized as SANADA, he would make his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a surprise member of the Los Ingobernables de Japon stable, helping the group’s leader, Tetsuya Naito, defeat Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. And just a few months later, SANADA would get to show the world just how good he’d become when he battled Okada at Wrestling Dontaku and pushed the legend to the limits in what turned out to be a very good match.

That summer SANADA would enter the G1 Climax, and although his 4-5 record wasn’t all that impressive, the list of wrestlers he defeated was impressive. His wins over Togi Makabe, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Naomichi Marufuji, and, by far the biggest win of his career, Hiroshi Tanahashi proved that “Cold Skull” was for real.

The following year at the G1, he was impressive again. While once again 4-5, he put on a series of terrific performances against a number of stars including his tag team partner EVIL, as well as Minoru Suzuki, Michael Elgin, Juice Robinson, and Kenny Omega. Mixed in there was another brilliant battle with Okada, proving once again that SANADA was on a multi-world champion’s level.

Between his success as a rising singles competitor, SANADA has proven to be one of the better tag team workers in NJPW as well. In 2017 alone, he, along with EVIL and BUSHI, captured three NEVER Openweight Six-Man tag titles. And as if that wasn’t enough, he and EVIL battled to win the 2017 World Tag League, which propelled them into a tag team title match at Wrestle Kingdom 12, where the duo defeated The Killer Elite squad to capture even more gold.

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This has all led to SANADA’s one on one match-up for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on Feb. 10, at The New Beginning in Osaka against the man that he cannot seem to get past, Okada.

In his fourth run as champion and nearing 600 days during this reign, “The Rainmaker” defeated SANADA’s leader, Naito, at Wrestle Kingdom 12, as his historic title reign continues to impress the world of pro wrestling.

So what are the odds that SANADA pulls off the upset? Truthfully, not great. If Naito, who at the time of WK12 was the hottest superstar on the roster, couldn’t get the job done, it’s unlikely that one of his stablemates will.

Also take into consideration that SANADA is not even technically signed to NJPW, as he operates as a freelancer. It’s unlikely a superstar in that situation would win the top prize in a company that he’s not even officially signed to.

But does SANADA have to win to shock the world? The answer is no. But if he pushes Okada to the max and makes the champion have to dig down even deeper to defeat him than he did to beat Naito, SANADA may suddenly look like the next main event superstar and possible leader of LIJ. And could a stunning performance from “Cold Skull” earn him a full-time contract like the rest of his stable has? Well, he’s certainly earned it in this last year and a half.

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No matter what happens in Osaka on Feb. 10, SANADA will have proven that he’s a big time player on a global scale. In battling a guy who may already be the best wrestler in NJPW history in the main event of one of the company’s biggest shows, it’s a testament to what NJPW thinks of him. And don’t be shocked if within the next few years, SANADA is wearing IWGP Heavyweight gold. His time appears to be coming soon and in Osaka, he’ll have the biggest chance of his career to prove it.