Minoru Suzuki Is Giving Back ”Strong Style” to NJPW

By: R. Faliani

As New Japan Pro Wrestling starts a new era, many departures such as Kazuchika Okada, Tama Tonga, and now Minoru Suzuki have been looming over the company and have been giving them a reason to worry and push the younger talent they have on their behalf. Now, Suzuki is giving back the “Strong Style” motto to the company and indicating disbandment of the group, based on the report from Tokyo Sports.

【新日本】鈴木みのる〝区切り〟宣言か「１年前に借りたストロングスタイルという名前を新日本に返すよ」｜東スポWEB https://t.co/2OpByTztLB

— 岡本佑介@東京スポーツ新聞社 (@okamotospo) February 23, 2024

“Strong Style” was the group formed by Suzuki, El Desperado, and Ren Narita, who is now in the House of Torture and going over a change of attitude, in hopes of keeping up with his contemporaries in Shota Umino and Yota Tsuji, the latter being part of Los Ingobernables de Japon. Now, as Narita advocates for chaos with the House and as Desperado just lost his IWGP Jr. Title, Suzuki is looking at these recent events with a new perspective, willing to end the group and have all three do their own thing.

But what is interesting about this is not only Suzuki’s need to disband “Strong Style”, but what comes with it as he follows a path of freedom, not wrestling under the New Japan banner since the beginning of the year. Suzuki has appeared in many promotions worldwide, and at this stage of his career, the only thing he’s looking for are challenges to overcome. If this is Suzuki’s farewell in New Japan, then he’s embarking on a road that wrestlers are choosing more as the industry evolves.