Just 5 Guys

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Just 5 Guys
File:Just 5 Guys stable logo.png
Logo of Just 5 Guys
Stable
MembersSee below
Name(s)Just 4 Guys
Just 5 Guys
DebutJanuary 5, 2023
DisbandedJune 15, 2025
Years active2023–2025

Just 5 Guys (J5G) was a professional wrestling stable in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). At the time of its disbandment, its membership consisted of Taka Michinoku, Taichi, and Yuya Uemura.

The stable formed in January 2023 as Just 4 Guys, consisting of Taichi, Taka Michinoku, Douki, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru following the disbandment of their previous stable Suzuki-gun. Two months later, the stable added Sanada and took the name Just 5 Guys. The group alternated between names through membership changes.

Background

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Taichi and Michinoku first interacted in December in 2010 as part of Kojima-gun,[1] which morphed into Suzuki-gun after they turned on Satoshi Kojima and appointed Minoru Suzuki as their new leader.[2] Within Suzuki-gun, Michinoku and Taichi teamed up in NJPW's junior heavyweight tag team division in which they held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, before Taichi moved up to the heavyweight division in March 2018. Meanwhile, in Pro Wrestling NOAH, Kanemaru would join Suzuki-gun in February 2016, as part of the stable's invasion storyline, before moving to NJPW with them in January 2017. Douki joined Suzuki-gun in May 2019, having been introduced to the stable by Taichi. All four wrestlers remained members of Suzuki-gun until the stable disbanded in December 2022.[3][4]

History

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On January 5, 2023, at New Year Dash, Michinoku, Taichi, Douki, and Kanemaru formed Just 4 Guys with the aim of reaching the top of New Japan.[5][6] On February 4, at The New Beginning in Sapporo, Taichi lost to Will Ospreay in a singles match. On the same event, Douki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru challenged for Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, but lost.[7][8]

In March, Sanada, then a member of Los Ingobernables de Japon, entered the New Japan Cup. After he defeated LIJ stablemate and leader Tetsuya Naito in the quarter-finals, he left Los Ingobernables de Japón and joined the stable, changing the name to Just 5 Guys.[9][10] Sanada defeated David Finlay in the finals of the tournament and, one month later, defeated Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis.[11][12][13] Following Sanada winning the title, he was confronted by former stablemate Hiromu Takahashi, who sought a shot at the world title. Sanada accepted, however only on the basis that Kanemaru was granted a title shot at Takahashi's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, which Takahashi accepted. On April 27, Kanemaru lost to Takahashi.[14] Two days later, at Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni, Taichi defeated Takagi to win the KOPW championship.[15]

Following Takahashi retaining the title against Kanemaru, he faced Sanada at Wrestling Dontaku, where Sanada retained the World title.[16] Following the match, Sanada and the remainder of Just 5 Guys were attacked by the returning and new member of LIJ Yota Tsuji, who challenged Sanada for his title.[17][18] The day after at the event, Sanada retained his title against Tsuji.[19] Through NJPW's partnership with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Douki made his AEW debut on the June 23 episode of AEW Rampage, losing to "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry.[20] Sanada made his third title defense two days later at Forbidden Door, defeating Perry.[21][22] On September 24, at Destruction in Kobe, Kanemaru betrayed the stable and joined House of Torture. On October 1, Sanada revealed that a new member will be added at Destruction in Ryogoku to maintain the stable’s current name instead reverting themselves back to Just 4 Guys. On October 9, Yuya Uemura was revealed as the newest member of Just 5 Guys, teaming with Taichi and Douki to beat Sho, Yujiro Takahashi and Kanemaru.[23]

At Wrestle Kingdom 18 Sanada lost his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to G1 Climax 33 winner Tetsuya Naito

At Power Struggle Sanada turned on Taichi by helping David Finlay retain his IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship and left the stable to join Bullet Club's War Dogs faction, reverting the group back to Just 4 Guys.[24]

At Dominion 6.15 in Osaka-jo Hall, Douki left the group to join House of Torture, and Taichi won the IWGP Tag Team Championship with non-J4G partner Tomohiro Ishii. At a press conference afterward, Taichi and Uemura confirmed they were moving to NJPW's main unit, thereby disbanding the group.[25]

Members

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* Founding member
L Leader
Member Joined Left
Taichi * January 5, 2023 June 15, 2025
Taka Michinoku *
Douki *
Yoshinobu Kanemaru * September 24, 2023
Sanada L March 17, 2023 November 4, 2024
Yuya Uemura October 9, 2023 June 15, 2025

Timeline

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<timeline> ImageSize = width:450 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:60 top:5 right:15 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/03/2023 till:06/15/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:1 gridcolor:black start:01/01/2024

Colors =

id:member         value:black         legend:Member
id:leader         value:yellow2       legend:Leader
id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)

ScaleMinor = increment:1 gridcolor:lightgrey start:01/01/2024 unit:month

BarData =

bar:Michinoku     text:Michinoku
bar:Kanemaru      text:Kanemaru
bar:Taichi        text:Taichi
bar:Douki         text:Douki
bar:Sanada        text:Sanada
bar:Uemura        text:Uemura

PlotData =

width:11
bar:Michinoku     from:01/05/2023 till:06/15/2025       color:member
bar:Kanemaru      from:01/05/2023 till:09/24/2023       color:member
bar:Taichi        from:01/05/2023 till:06/15/2025       color:member
bar:Douki         from:01/05/2023 till:06/15/2025       color:member
bar:Sanada        from:03/17/2023 till:11/04/2024       color:member
bar:Sanada        from:03/17/2023 till:11/04/2024       color:leader width:3
bar:Uemura        from:10/09/2023 till:06/15/2025       color:member

</timeline>

Championships and accomplishments

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References

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