By Nathan Sartain

At one point, Roppongi 3K was at the apex of the Junior Heavyweight Tag Division. With tournament wins, consistent title reigns and even exciting solo runs, the team was rightly all the rage at a time in which New Japan’s tag team wrestling wasn’t. They were entertaining, reliable hands in a slice of the company that didn’t –and still doesn’t– stand out.

But, there was a time in which SHO and YOH had outgrown the reefs of opening bouts and undercard matchups, but in turn, had outgrown each other too. When the former turned on the latter at the culmination of their Super Jr. Tag League run last year, it felt expected, almost necessary.

How they reached that stage, a position in which the two seemingly had done all they possibly could as partners, is more interesting. It traces back all the way to the duo’s time as Young Lions.

As part of a dojo class that included main event regulars like EVIL and Jay White, as well as the current Junior ace Hiromu Takahashi, SHO and YOH could have easily had a tough time catching viewers’ eyes. That’s not to say they didn’t, though. Wrestling in time-limit draws with each other from the tail-end of 2012 and throughout 2013, it was clear that the pairing had chemistry together. Their partnership seamlessly combined the raw brawn and amateur-background infused athleticism of SHO with the technical prowess and charisma of YOH. They would soon start to trade wins as adversaries, but not before the birth of a tag-team which would end up spanning seven years.

They would have noteworthy matches against regular foes reDRagon, and also tackle the likes of TenKoji, Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto, Roppongi Vice and Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask over the next 24 months, making it evident that New Japan had a couple of undeniably hot prospects on their hands. And, when the time came for their joint excursion, fans hoped that some of that potential would soon start to materialize

Such hopes did become reality, albeit slowly, over the course of an excursion that would last a little over 18 months. First came a stint in CMLL where the two would perform as Fujin (Yoh) and Raijin (Sho) as part of the La Ola Amarilla stable – one that would also be a temporary home for Hiromu Takahashi, then known as Kamaitachi. It wasn’t the most noteworthy of runs, and after several months the two found their way to Ring of Honor, where they’d become mainstays of the tag-team division as The Tempura Boyz. There, the pair’s crowd work would improve, as well as their in-ring move-set, further cementing their joint prowess. By the time their US trip was over, SHO and YOH were more experienced, better wrestlers, and certainly ready for a step-up. And step up they did. Now known as Roppongi 3K and buoyed by the accompaniment of the charismatic, experienced Rocky Romero, the duo had become certified stars by the time they made their return to New Japan. Dispatching Ryusuke Taguchi and Ricochet on their re-debut and winning the Junior Heavyweight Tag belts in the process, they claimed their seats at the head of the table in just under 15 minutes, seats they would refuse to budge from for the next few years.

For a while, the momentum continued relentlessly. After their initial triumph, they claimed the 2017 Super Jr. Tag Tournament trophies, continuing their unbeaten streak against their division rivals. And, even when Wrestle Kingdom swiftly saw this streak broken due to the Young Bucks prying the titles away from the CHAOS members, the match quality, and stock of the pairing, continued to grow. Over the next year, such a statement would continue to ring true, even if a large portion of it was title-less. For starters, both men would have strong showings in the 2018 Best of the Super Juniors in spite of their six-point (out of a possible 14) hauls, whilst they also began displaying their solo flair on a magnified scale. Add to that a second Super Junior Tag League triumph and it was harder than ever to argue that Roppongi 3K as a team had more than hit their stride.

With that being said, while the accolades and wins kept rolling –title reigns too– by the time 2019 was well under way, one could be forgiven for wondering what this outfit would look like apart. An exceptional BOSJ for SHO, one that would steal headlines for a standout match against Shingo Takagi, did little to dispel such thoughts, and it was more apparent than ever that the two could just as easily excel independently. For now, though, they would stay together, winning a third successive Jr. Tag League competition in the process.

But soon, questions and thoughts of how either man would fare away from the other became reality. Following on from their first-ever Wrestle Kingdom triumph (which led to their fourth reign as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions), and subsequent defenses against Suzuki-Gun and the Mega Coaches, YOH would suffer an injury at the resumption of New Japan shows (the pandemic had paused them for several months) which would thrust SHO deeper into the spotlight than ever before. While there, he would put in excellent performances against rival Shingo Takagi, clash with SANADA twice, and have a solid Best of the Super Juniors tournament, which saw him end up earning 12 out of a possible 18 points.

To top it off, he scored a huge win against the eventual winner, Hiromu Takahashi. Clearly, SHO could go on to do big things. When the belts were back around their waists, Roppongi 3K didn’t feel the same. Gone were the matching ring gear, Rocky Romero, and that something special they’d always had. So when SHO made the decision to turn on YOH at the culmination of a dogged Junior Tag League tournament that the pair failed to win, there could be no argument. But it hasn’t worked out entirely that way. Roppongi 3K no longer exists, both SHO and YOH have gone their own ways, and their career trajectories have changed somewhat. SHO is now in Bullet Club’s House of Torture sub-unit (and one third of the NEVER Six-man Tag Team Champions) and relies heavily on his wrench and an underhand to score victories. He no longer looks as menacing as he did in the first bout with his former partner which ended in a referee stoppage. YOH has excelled greatly after overcoming a winless run in 2021’s Best of Super Juniors tournament to then reach the final and claim a second win over SHO at Wrestle Kingdom. Where the two go from here is unknown, but it’s clear that the plans are being set in motion for both to reach the apex of a division which is gaining plenty of momentum away from the usual favorites, El Desperado and Hiromu Takahashi. In that regard, keep an eye on SHO and YOH, you’d be a fool not to.