Factions of Japan
Factions of Japan
By: Nicholas Gerts
Like Yakuza, groups dominate in Japanese wrestling. The most powerful are at their peak for a reason. Starting with our Spring edition, I’ll be bringing you fun facts and backstories on some of the factions that slay. Of course these stables add immediate credibility to a wrestler – whether he’s a young lion, or a veteran. As a storytelling device, it’s as old as time: major players swear allegiance with loyalty, only for betrayals to swerve the narrative and disrupt your tournament brackets just when you think the next Heavyweight Champ is clear as day.
NJPW lays claim to the most popular stables – in this issue, I cover Bullet Club and Suzuki-gun. Dragon Gate is the most faction-heavy promotion in the country, with nearly every wrestler having some group affiliation. Every company in Japan boasts a few stables, as the battle between rival groups is often the basis for major storylines. Here’s a look at some of the baddest factions on the planet.
BULLET CLUB
COMPANY: New Japan Pro Wrestling
MEMBERS: Jay White, EVIL, KENTA, Gedo, Jado, Taiji Ishimori, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Chase Owens, Pieter, Yujiro Takahashi, Hikuleo, Dick Togo, El Phantasmo
ABOUT: Started under Prince Devitt in 2013, Bullet Club is a faction that defined a decade and continues to shape the wrestling industry eight years after its formation. Although there have been numerous classic Bullet Club matches, pro wrestling’s most popular stable will not be remembered for what they did in the ring, but for opening the door to Japanese wrestling for many fans throughout the world. Their run is made even more impressive by the fact that the faction went through four different leaders – Devitt, AJ Styles, Kenny Omega and Jay White – and never skipped a beat. They continued to wrestle well and maintained their worldwide popularity. Recent additions of KENTA and EVIL have only solidified their stronghold in New Japan.
Photo Credit: Twitter.com/pw_photo2mass
KONGO
COMPANY: Pro Wrestling NOAH
CURRENT MEMBERS: Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Manabu Soya, Haoh, Nioh, Tadasuke
ABOUT: As a tag-team, Kenoh – the former GHC National Heavyweight champ, and “SuperNova” Kaito Kiyomiya showed a ton of promise a couple years back. Yet, promise quickly turned to jealousy after a failed run in the 2019 Global Tag League barely a month after they teamed up, with Kenoh accusing his partner of being a company-made star whose strings were pulled by then NOAH-owner, LIDET Entertainment. That paranoia brought a sudden end to their team while simultaneously ushering in one of NOAH’s best stables in recent memory: KONGO. The faction’s dominance has been felt over the past two years and continues to grow with the recent addition of Katushiko Nakajima, who has held the GHC Heavyweight, GHC National and WRESTLE-1 championships in the past five years and is the current GHC Tag Team champion along with Masa Kitamiya. Manabu Soya has yet to strike gold in NOAH, but held the WRESTLE-1 Championship twice along with the Big Japan World Heavyweight Championship. But the success doesn’t end in the ring. KONGO has produced three shows for NOAH – two coming in 2020 alone – proving they are the company’s diamond stable.
NEXTREAM
COMPANY: All Japan Pro Wrestling
CURRENT MEMBERS: Kento Miyahara, Yuma Aoyagi, Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO
ABOUT: Kento Miyahara was at a crossroads back in 2015. Following the dissolution of Xceed after Kotaro Suzuki announced his departure from All Japan, Miyahara was offered a slot in Evolution by All Japan’s Suwama. The offer was tempting, but instead of joining Evolution, Miyahara struck out on his own and formed a new group. In forming Nextream, he successfully carved out his own name and elevated Jake Lee, Naoya Nomura and Yuma Aoyagi. Lee and Nomura would eventually split from the group, with Lee forming Sweeper in 2018 and Nomura following a year later. Aoyagi and Miyahara kept Nextream alive, but the group came to a shocking end on Jan. 3, 2020 when Aoyagi turned on Miyahara before unsuccessfully challenging him for the Triple Crown a month later. The disbandment would be short-lived as Aoyagi approached Miyahara nine months later with the hopes of reforming the group for the 2020 Real World Tag League (aka World’s Strongest Tag Determination League), which the duo eventually won. The revived Nextream continued to roll into the new year as Aoyagi and Miyahara won the World Tag Team Championships on January 2, 2021 before adding two new members to the group: Yuma’s younger brother, Atsuki, and Rising HAYATO. With the Aoyagi brothers and HAYATO all under 30 and Miyahara entering the prime of his career, Nextream could become the centerpiece of All Japan for years to come.
R•E•D
COMPANY: Dragon Gate
MEMBERS: BxB Hulk, Dia Inferno, Diamante, Eita, HipHop Kikuta, H.Y.O., KAI, Kaito Ishida, Kazma Sakamoto, SB KENTo
ABOUT: R.E.D. is proof that the third time’s a charm. Real Extreme Diffusion might be one of the longest- tenured in Dragon Gate’s history, but the faction is really the third incarnation of the original VerserK stable that started back in 2015. VerserK rebranded in 2018 as Antias, but a series of losses, wrestlers leaving for other promotions and lack of interest in the second incarnation caused Eita to take control of the group, and rebrand it a third time. The R.E.D. leader righted the wrong of the second incarnation, bringing together the perfect blend of youth and veteran wrestlers to form Dragon Gate’s top heel stable and quite possibly one of the best factions in all of Japan. R.E.D. became red hot in 2020 after Eita added BxB Hulk, KAI and super rookies SB KENTo and HipHop Kikuta to the ranks. Championships abounded for the faction: Eita held the Open the Dream Gate Championship for 105 days, BxB Hulk won the Open the Twin Gate Championships with Kazma Sakamoto (January 1, 2020 – August 2, 2020) and KAI (November 15, 2020 – March 7, 2021), three different trios held the Open the Triangle Gate Championship and Kaito Ishida was the Open the Brave Gate Champion for a full year. The outstanding year was capped with an incredible ‘Losing Unit Must Disband No DQ Elimination’ match. The younger wrestlers caused a huge momentum shift within Dragon Gate after coming out victorious against the legendary Toryumon generation in a match many considered to be the best of 2020.
STRONG HEARTS
COMPANY: GLEAT
CURRENT MEMBERS: CIMA, El Lindaman, Issei Onizuka, T-Hawk
ABOUT: Originally formed in 2018 after CIMA, El Lindaman, T-Hawk and others left Dragon Gate, Strong Hearts made their presence felt throughout the wrestling scene as the ultimate freelance stable. The CIMA-led faction served as a platform for CIMA’s students in Oriental Wrestling Entertainment while gaining experience in AEW, All Japan, DDT, Big Japan, Zero1, Colega Pro, Dove Pro, 2AW and others. However, their nomad days might be coming to an end as the quartet just signed with the new upstart GLEAT in March. CIMA and T-Hawk are the most decorated wrestlers in the group, having won a combined 57 championships during their careers. CIMA boasts 41 title reigns and is the current All Japan World Junior Heavyweight Champion, while T-Hawk has won 16 titles – including the WRESTLE- 1 Championship. El Lindaman and Issei Onizuka are budding early-career wrestlers who will fit in well with the young GLEAT roster. This is a perfect signing for GLEAT, as the foursome will add instant credibility to a company in its infancy
Iwayan Setiawan, MP Art Director
SUZUKI-GUN
COMPANY: New Japan Pro Wrestling
CURRENT MEMBERS: Minoru Suzuki, DOUKI, El Desperado, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Zack Sabre Jr.
ABOUT: Born out of the ashes of the Kojima-Gun stable in 2011, Suzuki-gun has become one of the longest-running factions in Japan. The group was originally founded by then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima on December 12, 2010.
But, big losses – including the IWGP Heavyweight championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom V in 2011 – brought the group to a sudden end on May 3, 2011. After Kojima lost to longtime rival Togi Makabe, a returning Minoru Suzuki attacked Kojima before leaving the ring along with TAKA Michinoku and Taichi, who proclaimed Suzuki as their new leader while renaming the group Suzuki- gun. The group would go on to become one of the most feared stables in wrestling, winning nearly every championship in both New Japan and Pro Wrestling NOAH. They continue to dominate. El Desperado is a force in the junior heavyweight division as dual champion, holding the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship in 2021 along with the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag titles with Yoshinobu Kanemaru – a junior heavyweight legend in his own right. Zack Sabre Jr. is a wrestling wizard and one of the greats in the game today. Minoru Suzuki continues to be a formidable foe deep into his career. Add Taichi and DOUKI to the mix, and you have a faction that’s built to reign for years to come.
This article first appeared in Monthly Puroresu Issue #4
