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Hello r/njpw

To cap off this series, I'll be going over each of the different factions, their accomplishments, and how they stand within New Japan.

This one will be a bit different from my other posts. I purposely avoid being subjective in what I post here in this subreddit. I prefer to stick to "kayfabe" and let the results and events speak for themselves (it helps that I mostly post on tournament results). However, this time, I'll be injecting my own personal opinions here, ranking who I think are the strongest and most successful factions of the past 6 months.

Because New Japan is so faction-centric, I think it's valuable to look at how each one has performed as a whole, seeing who's standing out and contributing the most, and who's lagging behind. I find it especially fascinating to look at the younger talent. There are a lot of young guys on the roster now taking up prominent roles within the company, so their performance says a lot about how they'll do in the future, as well as how the company is doing now.

Let's kick things off with the home team.

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1) Main Unit

Current Active Members in New Japan

• Hirooki Goto
• Hiroshi Tanahashi
• El Phantasmo
• Shota Umino
• Yuya Uemura
• Boltin Oleg
• Toru Yano
• Yoshi-Hashi
• Taichi
• Tomohiro Ishii
• El Desperado
• Yoh
• Master Wato
• Ryusuke Taguchi
• Kushida
• Taka Michinoku

Achievements:

• IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
  • Hirooki Goto
    • 138 days, 7 defenses
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • El Desperado
    • 275 days, 8 defenses
• IWGP Tag Team Champions
  • Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii
    • 105 days, 0 defenses
• NEVER Openweight Champion
  • Boltin Oleg
    • 120 days, 2 defenses
• NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Champions
  • Toru Yano, Yoh, and Master Wato
    • 184+ days, 3+ defense
• NJPW World TV Champion
  • El Phantasmo
    • 250+ days, 4+ defense
• Strong Openweight Champion
  • Tomohiro Ishii
    • 268+ days, 1+ defense
• G1 Climax
  • Shota Umino
    • Quarter-Finalist
• World Tag League
  • Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi)
    • Semi-Finalist

If this list were a ranking of size, it would probably be in the same order. By far the largest group in New Japan, Main Unit continues the dominance it has had in the company since earlier this year. Since officially absorbing Chaos earlier this year, they also went on to absorb the remnants of Just 4 Guys after Dominion, further increasing their ranks.

Although they lost some of the bigger titles they held earlier this year, others have started or continued, such as with the NJPW World TV Championship and the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Let's not forget Boltin's brief run with the NEVER title as well. They've also done reasonably well in tournaments. Shota Umino managed to qualify for the playoffs of the G1 Climax, though he lost in the quarter-finals, and Bishamon did the same in World Tag League, themselves losing in the semi-finals.

Main Unit wins this year by sheer volume, having had reigns or challenged for pretty much every single title in the company. Their strongest reign in this second half has definitely been the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title reign of El Desperado, which started at this past Wrestle Kingdom and continued for over 8 months while racking up 8 defenses, the most of any title this year, closely followed by Goto's

However, now that they've lost a lot of their biggest titles, and the titles they do have are some of the lesser ones, they're at risk of dropping down come 2026. We'll see if Aaron Wolf can wrestle away the NEVER Openweight title from Evil, and if Despe can earn himself a rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title he lost when they make their appearances at Wrestle Kingdom 20. Otherwise, the faction will have to hustle if it wants to maintain its top ranking within the promotion.

Younger Talent Highlight:

• Shota Umino (28)
• Master Wato (28)
• Yuya Uemura (31)
• Boltin Oleg (32)

The young men of Main Unit have been progressing at a steady pace. The most successful of them this year has been Boltin Oleg, who captured his first major singles title in his NEVER Openweight reign, and also did quite well in the G1 Climax.

Master Wato has also been fairly successful, hopping from the IWGP Junior Tag titles to the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag titles. He and Yoh were also a hairs-breadth away from the Super Junior Tag League trophies, but alas, it was not meant to be. His focus on the tag division has also kept him away from singles action, though, but we'll see if he'll make an impact there in 2026.

The two who haven't been able to make as much of an impact this year are Umino and Uemura. Umino's been placing well in tournaments this year, and Uemura has had limited singles success, but neither man has yet to find solid footing in the heavyweight division. Perhaps that's what really brought them together in this tag team run of theirs, which has been entertaining, but has also yet to produce results. It seems 2025 was not the big year for either. Let's hope 2026 treats them better.

2) House of Torture

Current Active Members in New Japan

• Evil
• Sanada
• Ren Narita
• Don Fale
• Yujiro Takahashi
• Chase Owens
• Douki
• Sho
• Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• Dick Togo

Achievements:

• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • Douki
    • 90+ days, 0+ defenses
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
  • Douki & Sho
    • 203+ days, 3+ defenses
• NEVER Openweight Champion
  • Evil
    • 83+ days, 0+ defenses
• G1 Climax
  • Evil
    • Finalist
• Super Jr. Tag League
  • Douki & Sho
    • Winner

The now second largest faction in New Japan has been quite successful late this year, significantly more so than they were earlier this year. It looks like that recruitment drive around Dominion has been a benefit to the team, with one recruit in particular being a huge benefit: Douki. Regardless of how you feel about the tactics, Douki has been highly successful since his return from injury and his joining of House of Torture. He's been undefeated in Tag Team competition with Sho, and has had his hands on the Junior title with an iron grip.

Evil hasn't been slacking either. Managing to get to the finals of the G1 Climax is no easy feat, and capturing the NEVER title for himself has put more gold in the faction (literally, thanks to his spray paint).

The rest of the group hasn't quite been able to pick up the slack, but at least these guys have brought a bit of glory to the House.

Younger Talent Highlight:

• Ren Narita (28)

Narita has had a bit of chance to shine recently. His matches with ZSJ in the G1 Climax and for the IWGP World Heavyweight title have done well to showcase what he can do in the ring. His team with Sanada in World Tag League has also helped keep him relevant. He's still got a ways to go, I feel, but it's a step in the right direction. Hopefully his trajectory is still upward in 2026.

3) Bullet Club War Dogs

Current Active Members in New Japan

• David Finlay
• Gabe Kidd
• Drilla Moloney
• Yuto-Ice
• Oskar
• Taiji Ishimori
• Robbie X
• Clark Connors
• Gedo

Achievements:

• IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion
  • Gabe Kidd
    • 120 days, 2 defenses
• IWGP Tag Team Champions
  • Knock Out Brothers (Yuto-Ice & Oskar)
    • 98+ days, 1+ defenses
• G1 Climax
  • David Finlay
    • Quarter-Finalist
• Super Jr. Tag League
  • Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X
    • Finalist
• World Tag League
  • Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd
    • Finalist
  • Knockout Brothers (Yuto-Ice & Oskar)
    • Semi-Finalist

The return of the Knockout Brothers to New Japan has breathed new life into the War Dogs, and have been much needed reinforcements for the faction. They've brought us the first semi-stable Tag Team title run in a long time, and have shown that they are worthy players in the tag team division.

The alliance with Mushozoku/Unaffiliated has also been beneficial. Tsuji was able to get Kidd into the finals of World Tag League, and the War Dragons seems like a promising team in the tag division as well. It has seemed to be mutually beneficial to the two teams, so we may see it continue well into 2026.

Without these two, there wouldn't be that much to say for the War Dogs. Kidd's Global title reign post Dominion was fairly substantial, though it was hampered by the injury he got during the G1. Finlay making it to the playoffs of G1 and Ishimori & Robbie getting to the finals of SJTL are both neat, but really, the MVP award for the War Dogs these past few months have been the Knockout Brothers.

Younger Talent Highlight:

• Oskar (27)
• Gabe Kidd (28)
• Drilla Moloney (28)
• Yuto-Ice (28)
• Robbie X (30)
• Clark Connors (32)
• David Finlay (32)

The addition of the Knockout Brothers has once again lowered the average age of the War Dogs, with them continuing to be the youngest faction in New Japan. The younger guys have also been leading the charge. KOB are the tag champions, Gabe Kidd had his Global title reign, and Drilla Moloney continues to rise through the heavyweight division. Robbie X is also starting to make more of an impact in his tag team with Ishimori as well. Even Finlay managed some success in the G1. Connors is the only one without any accomplishments of note. He hasn't really had a spotlight on him since his Jr title challenge earlier this year.

Now, I know there have been rumors circulating regarding the contract statuses of various War Dogs. As of now, nothing is confirmed, so for now, at least, the War Dogs do have the ability to keep their trajectory upward, and if anyone does leave, well, the ones who remain should still be in good standing.

4) TMDK

Current Active Members in New Japan

• Zack Sabre Jr.
• Ryohei Oiwa
• Hartley Jackson
• Kosei Fujita
• Robbie Eagles

Achievements:

• IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
  • Zack Sabre Jr.
    • 106 days, 2 defenses
• G1 Climax
  • Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Semi-Finalist
• World Tag League
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa
    • Winner

It feels wrong to put a team that was home to the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in the bottom half of this list, but really, that was their only true claim to fame these past few months. I would've even dropped them down a step had they not won World Tag League, but that success has kept them afloat. However, right now, the group is being had-carried by ZSJ. No one else has made nearly as much of an impact.

Fortunately there's ample opportunity for that in the coming days. Fujita will be fighting for a #1 Contendership to the Junior title at Wrestle Kingdom, and Zack and Oiwa will be challenging for the Tag Titles at New Year Dash. There's still much promise to be had in the coming days, so hopefully TMDK can start the year off on the right foot.

Younger Talent Highlight:

• Kosei Fujita (23)
• Ryohei Oiwa (27)

Fujita has taken a bit of a backseat these past few months after his heights in the first half of this year. He hasn't been nearly as successful, but with the 4-Way #1 Contendership match at Wrestle Kingdom, he can still get himself back on track.

As for Oiwa, well, he's finally got a major accomplishment to his name. After many failed title challenges, he managed to win World Tag League alongside ZSJ, and may be able to add IWGP Tag Team Champion to that list. He still hasn't quite broken through in the singles division, but it's a start.

5) Mushozoku / Unaffiliated

Current Active Members in New Japan

• Yota Tsuji
• Shingo Takagi
• Hiromu Takahashi
• Titan

Achievements:

• IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
  • Yota Tsuji
    • 83+ days, 1+ defenses
• G1 Climax
  • Yota Tsuji
    • Semi-Finalist
• World Tag League
  • Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd
    • Finalist

Speaking of factions being hard-carried by a single member, Yota Tsuji has been the only one to find any success among the Unaffiliated group. He recaptured the Global title, and got pretty far in both the G1 Climax and World Tag League. Now, he's got the chance to enter 2026 as both IWGP World and Global Heavyweight Champion, an accomplishment that would really put him and hi team on the map. Let's see if he can beat Takeshita.

Younger Talent Highlight:

• Yota Tsuji (32)

Among all the younger talent in New Japan, Tsuji has really set himself apart as the most successful one. Will he finally be the one to break the ceiling for the rest, leading a new charge into the future? Again, he'll have to beat Takeshita if he wants to do so.

6) United Empire

Current Active Members in New Japan

• Callum Newman
• Great-O-Khan
• Andrade el Idolo
• Templario
• Jakob Austin Young
• TJP

Achievements:

• STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions
  • TJP & Templario
    • 226 days, 2 defenses

And sitting right at the bottom of the faction list is United Empire. When your biggest success point is the STRONG Tag Team titles, you know something is wrong.

Of course, injuries have played a part. Henare has been out most of the year, and is only returning at Wrestle Kingdom, and Akira's injury a few months back has really kneecapped the teams place in the Junior division. However, those who have remained haven't done much to improve things regardless.

Things have been picking up the last few weeks though. Callum's new attitude may be the direction change the faction sorely needs, and maybe the addition of Andrade el Idolo and the other mystery partner at Wrestle Kingdom can add something to the group. It'll have to. Otherwise, they will continue to languish at the bottom of the card in New Japan.

Younger Talent Highlight:

• Callum Newman (23)

As one of the youngest wrestlers in all of New Japan, Callum Newman's ceiling is still very high. However, he hasn't quite found his footing after losing the tag titles at Dominion. Again, hopefully the Wrestle Kingdom match will help give Newman and the Empire some direction.

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So that's all for 2025. It feels like we're on the verge of a new era here in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I really hope we are, for the sake of the company. I've given New Japan a lot of slack these last couple of years, as it's felt like we've been in a two-year transition period into whatever New Japan will be next.

However, as far as I'm concerned, 2026 will have to be a "put up or shut up" year. I believe we really need to move forward and finally break the glass on this new generation, and Wrestle Kingdom should be the first step in that direction. With a sold out Tokyo Dome, so many eyes will be on the product, and if they can't impress, then it bodes ill for New Japan, but if we can finally move forward and pull some triggers, then maybe NJPW can charge forth into 2026 on strong shoulders.

It should be an interesting show.

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