PROLOGUE
There are few better feelings as a wrestling fan than watching a wrestler you like finally win their long-awaited first world championship. In recent months, the phrase “Finish The Story” has been used repeatedly to signify a popular star reaching their goal. The term was popularized by Cody Rhodes, the man who famously lost the main event of WrestleMania 39 to Roman Reigns, failing to finish the story he had repeatedly spoken about.
While many fans were quick to joke about Rhodes’ unceremonious loss to Roman Reigns, the climax of WrestleMania 39 was painted in an even dimmer light in the weeks that followed. The Spring of 2023 has seen countless beloved competitors finally getting their due, with plenty of stories being finished across the globe.
These winds of change blew in Japan more than anywhere else; Throughout April, new champions were crowned left and right in the land of the rising sun, much to the delight of puroresu fans. On the female side of things, STARDOM All-Star Grand Queendom saw fan favorites such as Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa, and Mayu Iwatani triumph, leaving the show with a legacy for highlighting some of the company’s top babyfaces. Furthermore, during Golden Week, Mio Momono finally claimed the AAAW Singles Championship from Chiyako Nagashima, becoming the first Marvelous-trained star to do so.
As for men’s wrestling, while the amount of triumphant babyface celebrations was not as bountiful, New Japan Pro-Wrestling played host to perhaps the most notable title change of the year at Sakura Genesis 2023. In a move thought unthinkable just a few months prior, the new god of professional wrestling, Kazuchika Okada, lost his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event to a guy named Seiya Sanada–The One At the Center of It All.
CHAPTER I: El Otro Ingobernable
To start, let me say I am fully aware that this piece comes a bit late. The dust has settled, and SANADA already has his first successful championship defense in the books (we’ll get to that later). Honestly, I just didn’t even know where to start with SANADA. The new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion was one of my first favorite puro wrestlers back when I began watching NJPW regularly in 2017, but stagnation and a lack of results left me a bit jaded as a SANADA fan. As his stablemates’ arcs ebbed and flowed, SANADA seemingly stood still for one reason or another. And while I’m not one to blame a faction for an individual wrestler struggling to evolve, it’s undeniable that SANADA’s role in Los Inogobernables De Japon was to be a supporting character. In hindsight, SANADA’s woes in LIJ can be traced all the way back to his NJPW debut seven years ago.
Invasion Attack 2016 was a show shortly before my time of actively watching NJPW, but the closing moments of that event were so monumental it was impossible to ignore. While it was merely a badass show of rebellion to fans who were unfamiliar with the company, Tetsuya Naito winning his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship and recklessly throwing it up in the air was a moment of great significance for fans of the company and the Stardust Genius himself. In the years prior, Naito had failed to reach the top of the company as a babyface, being outright rejected by NJPW fans. This led the former NEVER Openweight Champion on a path to redemption to become the living legend he is today. Naito traveled to Mexico in an effort to reinvigorate himself, joining the rudo faction Los Inogbernables in CMLL in May 2015. Upon his return to Japan later that year, Naito presented a new and improved version of himself, spawning a new offshoot of Los Ingos to aid him in his ungovernable behavior. In 2016, Naito won the New Japan Cup and triumphed in the main event of Ryogoku Sumo Hall against Kazuchika Okada. A rapid ascension to the top but a deserved one for someone who struggled to get there for so many years.
Unsurprisingly, the gif of Tetsuya Naito disrespecting the IWGP Heavyweight Championship traveled far more rapidly than the news that former TNA, AJPW, and WRESTLE-1 star Seiya Sanada dropped his first name, capitalized his last, and became Los Ingobernable De Japon’s Cold Skull on that night. And, while the former Keiji Muto protege instantaneously became a made man as a part of NJPW’s hottest new faction, SANADA struggled to put up results on his own. His loss to Kazuchika Okada a month after his debut at Wrestling Dontaku 2016 was the beginning of a rough freshman year for SANADA as a singles star in NJPW. The former TNA X-Division Champion went 5-6 in singles competition that year, with his biggest win, a G1-Climax victory over Hiroshi Tanahashi, being rectified months later at Power Struggle 2016.
While SANADA’s time in Los Ingobernables De Japon should by no means be judged by his first year, it was a sign of things to come for him as a singles performer. While he remained an eligible challenger for singles championships and even won the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships on several occasions, SANADA noticeably faded into the background as the years went on. SANADA explained how Tetsuya Naito’s odyssey as a main eventer left very little room at the top of the mountain within LIJ.
“Naito brought it back from Mexico right? And ever since then, it’s been his thing. Even if I was the top guy in the company, LIJ would still be Naito’s thing. Like, (Shingo) Takagi was IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and he won the MVP award. But even then, LIJ was still seen as Naito’s faction. I thought that at best, the same thing would happen to me.”
SANADA, 2023 via NJPW1972.com
CHAPTER II: The Shining Wizard Walks Away
2023 got off to an even worse start for SANADA, who was forced to confront his past on several occasions as the year began. The most literal instance of this came in the form of his singles match against Manabu Soya at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Yokohama Arena. As a part of a Los Ingobernables De Japon vs. KONGO crew battle, SANADA met his former tag team partner for the first time in eleven years. Soya, now a member of the Pro Wrestling NOAH roster, has remained a strong and hard-hitting competitor, though he has had very little success as a singles star since WRESTLE-1 closed down in 2020. Nonetheless, Soya secured a decisive victory over SANADA, a loss that noticeably shook SANADA and put Los Ingos at a 2-1 disadvantage going into the final bouts of the night. Ultimately, this tied SANADA and Soya up at 4-4 in singles competition, with their first seven encounters taking place from 2008-2012 in All Japan Pro Wrestling.
The other, more prevalent, case of SANADA being forced to confront his past was dealing with the end of Keiji Muto’s in-ring career. Muto, the legendary mentor of a young Seiya Sanada, decided to call it a day as his injuries continued to pile up, competing in farewell matches for nine months ahead of the Keiji Muto “Last” Love Hold Out event inside the Tokyo Dome. This retirement tour was the chance for Muto to not only put the finishing touches on his career but to interact with his several rivals and teammates over the years for one last time. That’s why it came as a surprise to me that SANADA was not selected to face Muto in a singles match during this time.
Instead, SANADA got his final shot at his mentor in a six-man tag team match at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 alongside Tetsuya Naito and SANADA’s fellow AJPW alumni, BUSHI. While the match began with SANADA meeting his mentor inside the ring, their 2 minutes and 10 seconds of head-to-head competition paled in comparison to what it could’ve been had SANADA been selected to face off against Muto one last time in singles competition. Instead, that honor was given to Tetsuya Naito.
Following SANADA’s aforementioned loss to Manabu Soya, Tetsuya Naito inevitably overcame Kenoh and won the crew battle in the main event of that show. Afterward, it was Naito who Keiji Muto challenged for his last sanctioned wrestling match at Keiji Muto’s “Last” Love Hold Out, a match that El Ingobernable slyly accepted. As for the reason that Naito was chosen to be his final opponent, Muto simply explained that he wanted to fight the most popular wrestler available to end his career with as passionate a crowd as possible. And as Naito wrestled Keiji Muto in front of 30,000 fans inside the Tokyo Dome, the spectator who stood out the most was SANADA, who accompanied Naito to the ring in a three-piece suit as he watched his stablemate defeat his mentor in the last proper match of his legendary career. As he stood feet away from the two competitors he has spent his career following to the ends of the earth, SANADA realized that he could not sit in their shadows any longer and began to mentally prepare for what was to come.
CHAPTER II.5: You Will Carry That Weight
While I’ve given you some background on SANADA’s relationship with Tetsuya Naito, the NJPW star’s bond with Keiji Muto is even more layered and detailed. As a child, Seiya Sanada watched NJPW religiously, growing a particular fondness for Keiji Muto/The Great Muta. This fondness grew, evolving to the point that even before they met, SANADA considered Muto his role model, hero, and inspiration to pursue professional wrestling. Years later, when SANADA was denied entry into the NJPW dojo and instead joined AJPW, he did so at the mercy of Keiji Muto, the head of the company at that time.
Once Seiya Sanada had become a full-fledged wrestler, he would often compete alongside Muto in tag team competitions, with the young Niigata native learning from the wrestling legend firsthand inside the ring. During his excursion in the United States, SANADA’s name was so synonymous with Muto’s that he briefly dawned facepaint and was called “The Great Sanada” in TNA. Inevitably, SANADA felt the weight of being Muto’s protege, and even in times that he did find success, it often paled in comparison to what was “expected” from the protege of Keiji Muto. Following his inability to reach the top of Muto’s WRESTLE-1 promotion, Seiya Sanada decided to leave his mentor’s side in 2016, joining NJPW and Los Ingobernables De Japon. In the years to follow, SANADA began using the Muta Moonsault to honor his mentor even after he went down his own path.
While only tangentially relevant to today’s story, I’d also like to point out the noticeable parallels between the story of Seiya Sanada and the story of Taichi Ishikari. In the years before Seiya Sanada stood alongside Keiji Muto, Taichi was tasked with serving as Toshiaki Kawada’s young boy and protege throughout the 2000s. Unsurprisingly, Taichi realized that the shadow of Dangerous K was too big for him to overcome directly, causing him to leave Kawada and AJPW to join NJPW in 2006.
For SANADA and Taichi, the past is ultimately inescapable, and they are forced to carry the weight of being mentored by wrestling icons. While Taichi has used this to his advantage, adding Kawada-inspired offense to his repertoire upon his permanent promotion to the heavyweight division in 2018, SANADA has often struggled to use Muto’s influence to his benefit. While the moonsault has scored him some of his most spectacular victories, his frequent indecisiveness on whether or not he should use the move has also led to some of his most devastating defeats. It was up to SANADA to forge his own path yet again, find a way to positively utilize Muto’s teaching, and stand out amongst the crowd as the 2023 New Japan Cup got underway.
CHAPTER III: They All Fall Dead
The New Japan Cup has served as a crossroads for Los Inogbernables De Japon several times in the faction’s history. Beyond being the prelude to SANADA’s debut and Naito’s triumph at Invasion Attack 2016, the New Japan Cup also served as EVIL’s ticket out of the group, winning the tournament and betraying Naito before overthrowing him as heavyweight champion in 2020. Because of this, it feels fitting that the New Japan Cup became the catalyst for SANADA’s ascension and departure from the group. However, before the tournament began, SANADA was far from the favorite to win NJPW’s Spring tournament.
SANADA went into the tournament with a difficult path to the finals on paper, with many fans assuming that he would exit the tournament in his first-round match against Taichi of JUST 4 GUYS. The new faction had not gotten off to the hot start they had promised, and it seemed SANADA would be the first notable victim of their revolutionary ambitions. While Taichi fought his friendly rival intently, he ended up falling to LIJ’s Cold Skull, who debuted a brand new finisher to get the job done against “Big Bro” Taichi.
Deadfall, a swinging DDT variation of the Reverse STO, was a new and unexpected development for SANADA, who historically stayed away from wrestling maneuvers intended to do damage to one’s head. SANADA explained in a recent interview with NJPW1972.com that he felt his own view of the wrestler he was “supposed to be” was stopping him from reaching the next level. This development was the first sign that SANADA was already beginning to evolve following Muto’s retirement, and his winning ways did not stop there; The Deadfall became the talk of the tournament and proved disastrous for each and every wrestler in SANADA’s way.
SANADA went on to narrowly defeat KENTA in the second round, winning in the 29th minute of the bout. He once again found victory with the Deadfall in another match that could’ve gone either way. Honestly, It’s hard to say that SANADA was a favorite to win the tournament after dropping KENTA, as his biggest test was still ahead of him. On March 17th, SANADA found himself inside Korakuen Hall, main-eventing that night’s show in a quarterfinal match against none other than Tetsuya Naito. While SANADA had beaten Naito in the past–the pair sat at a clean 1-1 singles record going into the event–Naito had the clear momentum advantage heading into the match. The former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions waged war against one another, but in the end, it was the Deadfall that ended Naito’s tournament, shocking the Korakuen Hall crowd.
After the match, it was Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and DOUKI who came to the ring, congratulating the semifinalist. Taichi had noticed SANADA’s change in their first-round match-up earlier in the month and believed the only thing holding SANADA back was his alignment with Los Ingobernables. Ultimately, while it was Keiji Muto’s retirement that moved the former United States Champion, Tetsuya Naito was the man who stood in his place and the man he now needed to surpass. So, with the members of both JUST 4 GUYS and LIJ gathered in the ring, SANADA announced his resignation from the Naito-led group, aligning with NJPW’s newest faction in the process.
SANADA’s membership in JUST 5 GUYS came with immediate changes for the NJPW star. Mere days following the transfer, SANADA dawned a brand new look, shaving his beard and dying his hair jet black to signify that he was ready to be the wrestler he felt destined to be. As the New Japan Cup continued, SANADA continued to utilize the Deadfall to great effect. His semifinal match saw him overcome Aussie Open’s Mark Davis to find himself in the final match of the tournament opposite David Finlay. As Bullet Club’s newest leader, Finlay experienced a similarly drastic transformation during the Spring tournament, becoming “The Rebel” and being permanently managed by Gedo. Finlay was the only competitor besides SANADA in the final four who felt like a potential tournament winner, making their meeting all the more unpredictable. However, SANADA’s monumental shift was finally ready to pay dividends, as in the final moments of the match, he used Keiji Muto’s signature Shining Wizard to set Finlay up for the decisive Deadfall, winning him his first-ever New Japan Cup.
CHAPTER IV: “Let’s Do It Again Sometime”
His New Japan Cup victory set SANADA up for an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match against Kazuchika Okada at Sakura Genesis 2023. While SANADA had never won a singles tournament in NJPW up until this year, he had plenty of experience fighting for the company’s top prize heading into the April event. Over the years, SANADA sought the IWGP Heavyweight and eventually the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on multiple occasions and walked away the loser each time. Furthermore, the subject of our story historically struggled against Okada specifically. Since joining NJPW in 2016 and immediately developing an adversarial relationship with The Rainmaker, SANADA has amassed a 1-8 record in singles matches against the CHAOS leader.
SANADA’s inability to defeat Okada led some to question whether or not the two, who had frequently referred to themselves as rivals, were in a competitive rivalry at all. Even worse, the tournament win and subsequent challenge made some ponder what would happen to SANADA if he did lose to Okada for a ninth time–His entire transformation would be for naught, and his legitimacy as a top contender moving forward would be called into question. Just moments before the match, NJPW’s English commentary team compared a potential loss for SANADA at Sakura Genesis 2023 to Hirooki Goto’s infamous loss to Okada at The New Beginning in Osaka 2016, Goto’s last major title shot in NJPW to date. Needless to say, SANADA was in a do-or-die situation heading into his match against Okada.
To further emphasize his transformation, SANADA entered the match against Okada with new music and new gear, trading in his tights for trunks for the first time in NJPW. The stars felt like they were beginning to align for the JUST FIVE GUYS member as he carried an energy of success and determination as he entered the ring, but Okada’s dominant and unbeatable energy sowed doubt into fans’ minds for the duration of the match.
The winds of change truly started to blow as the match reached its crescendo; Unlike their previous nine encounters, SANADA was heavily dictating a pace and forced a closing stretch merely 20 minutes into the match. While some may see this match as SANADA showcasing his improvement and finally rising to Okada’s level, I don’t really see it in that light. In the past, SANADA has seen his own mistakes and shortcomings as the real reason he hasn’t put up results, and once stated that his struggles against Okada were not indicative of a skill gap between the two. This match seemed to echo that fact as, in a shock to many, SANADA thrived where his game plan typically crumbles against Okada. The last minutes of the bout saw SANADA swiftly and decisively topple Kazuchika Okada in just 27 minutes with the Shining Wizard/Deadfall Combination, winning the first major championship of his 16-year career.
The win against Okada in their tenth match felt like SANADA proving that the two are on the same level and validating their ongoing rivalry. SANADA has never seen Okada as someone he must rise to the occasion against; Okada has simply been better prepared and more deliberate in their past matches. Whether it was him not trusting his moveset in key moments, allowing Okada to dictate the match’s pace, or struggling to overcome the added pressure of being nothing more than El Otro Ingobernable, SANADA’s past mistakes against Okada have cost him eight matches. However, with the focus he gained in the lead-up to their tenth encounter, and with the help of JUST FIVE GUYS coaching him from ringside, SANADA was able to throw away his past mistakes and wrestle Okada as his equal, triumphing when it mattered the most.
Following the match, SANADA’s stablemates were quick to celebrate the championship victory, displaying a camaraderie distinctly different than what SANADA had experienced during his time in Los Ingobernables De Japon. When SANADA was given a microphone to address the crowd for the first time as champion, he was quick to call out to his defeated rival. For the first time in their rivalry, SANADA was in the driver’s seat, welcoming Okada to renew their rivalry anytime he pleases, a sentiment Okada has stated to SANADA various times in the past.
CHAPTER V: The Gift of a Champion
As SANADA went backstage and got drenched in beer by his stablemates to celebrate his victory, a feeling of relief washed over me as a longtime fan of the new world champion. His victory at Sakura Genesis 2023 made me reminisce on SANADA’s long, hard road to the top, one that I had been along for the ride on for so long. I thought back to SANADA’s first shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at The New Beginning in Osaka 2018 against Kazuchika Okada, one of my favorite SANADA matches to date. Before the show, a rare interview featuring the taciturn LIJ member was released on the NJPW YouTube page, and the words he said about his drive to become IWGP Heavyweight Champion have stuck with me to this very day.
“I want to do something as champion. Every wrestler should polish any belt he holds, but the IWGP Heavyweight Championship is the one… It shines so brightly at me. If I held that belt… I know pro wrestling will exist without me, but I’d like to think it can’t. I want people to be satisfied because I’m the one in the center of it all.”
SANADA, 2018 via NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING YouTube Channel
No one wrestling star will ever be valued more than the medium of wrestling itself. Each and every wrestler will one day wrestle their last match, with their legacy being defined by how they have affected the industry and their fans. SANADA knows this fact all too well, and while some will see his statement as nothing more than typical wrestler jargon, to me, it felt like him it felt deeper than that. SANADA’s soft-spoken yet deliberate statement felt like a look into his internal desires and his passion for our great sport. Much like his mentor, SANADA has long wanted to become an eternal figure in wrestling history, and with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, I’d imagine he now feels halfway there. Now, it’s time for him to prove that he has what it takes to become that legendary figure as the undisputed top star of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Becoming the most popular star in NJPW while simultaneously feuding against Los Ingobernables De Japon is practically impossible, but it’s hard to deny SANADA’s connection with the fans regardless of his adversaries. While far from original, SANADA’s show-closing tradition highlights the positive relationship he aims to have with his fans. The “gift” of having the live crowd glow their flashlights and shower him in light is a pretty literal interpretation of SANADA’s mission statement from 2018 – As he stands in the center of the ring at the climax of an NJPW show, fans across Japan give him their recognition and acceptance as the company’s world champion. SANADA spoke briefly about that tradition and what it means to finally be able to do it as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
“Those lights in the arena are a real sight to see, and I’d like to think that as a champion I can bring a lot of different gifts to everyone that are all just as beautiful… Coming to the building and receiving that positive energy, that’s a gift I can give the people and the people can give me, too… All of us leaving with more energy than they came in is a gift we can all enjoy.”
SANADA, 2022 via NJPW1972.com
With his newfound place atop the company, SANADA’s newest goal has become positively impacting both fans and the company itself for as long as possible. His first defense, which saw him defeat his former stablemate Hiromu Takahashi at Wrestling Dontaku 2023, was unexpectedly the biggest pro wrestling event in Japan throughout Golden Week. Since defeating Okada, SANADA has felt like the face of a new era for NJPW, one not hindered by the Coronavirus pandemic whatsoever. Just ~50 days into his reign, it remains to be seen how SANADA handles the various duties expected of the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, be it appearances in the United States, participating in All Together Again, or the looming G1 Climax 33 later this Summer. However, it seems as though many fans, such as myself, are happy to see SANADA entrusted with his current role at the center of the pro wrestling world.
EPILOGUE: The Never-Ending Story
SANADA’s odyssey as a professional wrestler has been a storied one, and as he continues to strive for wrestling immortality, the more intriguing it becomes. This article, while long-winded, still left out key moments and figures from the champion’s past, present, and future, and that’s okay. However, for this last part of the article, I do feel like I should at least briefly touch on SANADA’s next challenger, the one and only Yota Tsuji.
In recent months, Godzilla-esque vignettes have played during the intermission of NJPW events, though very few fans could’ve guessed that the man behind them was former Young Lion Yota Tsuji. The 29-year-old star returned to NJPW following SANADA’s successful IWGP World Heavyweight Championship defense against Hiromu Takahashi, abruptly ending JUST FIVE GUYS’ celebration and attacking the world champion. After dispatching the entire stable, Tsuji pledged allegiance to LIJ and challenged SANADA to a world championship match at Dominion 2023.
Funnily enough, I think Tsuji’s return shared similarities with SANADA’s debut in 2017 with one key difference – The focus was put solely on the arriving star and not on the established competitor. Frankly, I imagine SANADA could’ve only wished for a debut as impactful and focused as Tsuji’s, and while his status with the Naito-led group remains unknown, it appears as though Los Ingos have already filled the hole that SANADA left when he departed from the group.
Tsuji’s upcoming match against SANADA has an element of unpredictability surrounding it that cannot be denied. If Tsuji shocks the world and defeats SANADA, not only would it be historic, it would arguably be poetic. Much like his ascent to the top this past Spring, SANADA’s first world championship reign would end up being practically identical to that of Tetsuya Naito’s 2016 title run; The then-champion won the title off the back of the New Japan Cup, defended it at Wrestling Dontaku, and let it slip out of his possession at that year’s Dominion. SANADA’s championship win might have been the climax of his story as a challenger, but at the end of the day, professional wrestling is a never-ending story – No one can stand at the center of the wrestling world forever.
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