What’s the story?
CHAOS members Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano and Will Ospreay took on the team of Katsuyori Shibata, Togi Makabe, Tomaoki Honma, Yuji Nigata and Juice Robinson in the co-main-event of NJPW New Year Dash. The match ended with a shock as Robinson pinned the new NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto before holding the belt aloft. What happened after the match was even more shocking. The Suzuki-Gun faction returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling and laid waste to anyone in their path.
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In case you didn’t know
The Suzuki-Gun faction left New Japan Pro Wrestling after Wrestle Kingdom 9 and went to invade Pro Wrestling NOAH. With NJPW’s relationship NOAH now over, Suzuki-Gun are back, and back with a bang, targetting New Japan’s top guy – Okada – and his faction CHAOS.
The heart of the matter
Led by former WWE Superstar Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer, members of the Suzuki-Gun faction returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling after 2 years and took out everyone in sight. They specifically targetted the new IWGP Heavyweight Tag-Team champions Ishii and Toru Yano before turning their focus to IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. Okada was trying to fight back when Suzuki-Gun leader Minoru Suzuki came out of the crowd and attacked him from behind.
What next?
It’s clear that New Japan are setting up a program between Minoru Suzuki and Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the near future. Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer will probably enter the IWGP Heavyweight Championship fray. It also looks like Juice Robinson may be challenging Hirooki Goto for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Is there any chance that Juice Robinson could join the Suzuki-Gun faction?
Sportskeeda’s Take
Many were baffled when Kenny Omega lost to Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 11 because it looked like Omega’s time had come to take New Japan into the future. However, with Suzuki returning to New Japan to challenge Omega, that booking decision makes sense in hindsight even though a lot of us may still disagree with the decision to have Okada go over.
