At today’s NJPW King of Pro Wrestling event in Tokyo, Japan, the sixth and newest member of the popular faction Los Ingobernables de Japon was revealed to be Dragon Gate star Shingo Takagi. It marks the first new member of the group since former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi joined the squad in December of 2016. As announced by commentator Kevin Kelly, Shingo – introduced as “The Dragon” – will not be a “replacement or fill in” until Hiromu returns, but will be a permanent member on going.
#LIJ X’s Debut!!
Watch now▶︎https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP#njkopw #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/oMojjX3NDV— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) October 8, 2018
LIJ was formed in November of 2015, following Tetsuya Naito‘s return from Mexico, where he had joined CMLL‘s Los Ingobernables faction featuring Rush and La Sombra (now Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas in the WWE). Naito’s Japanese branch of the Mexican stable began as a trio, with Naito joined by EVIL and BUSHI. They briefly had a fourth member in Ring of Honor‘s Jay Lethal, who joined the stable in February of 2016, but by August of the same year, Lethal had departed the troop. EVIL found his tag team partner in SANADA, who joined in April of 2016, and the current stable was solidified in December when the “Time Bomb” joined LIJ’s ranks.
Shingo Takagi is a 14-year veteran of Japanese puroresu, all with Dragon Gate, with whom he was the first graduate of the Dragon Gate Dojo. In 2005, he was named the Wrestling Observer Rookie of the Year, en route to becoming of the most decorated champions in Dragon Gate history – a 4x Open The Dream Gate (World Heavyweight) Champion, 7x Open The Triangle Gate (6-Man Tag Team) Champion, and 5x Open The Twin Gate (Tag Team) Champion, Shingo is also a former Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champion and GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion in Pro Wrestling NOAH. Over his 14 year career, he’s made guest appearances for the likes of All Japan, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Pro Wrestling ZERO1, and even NJPW (although his last appearance in a NJPW ring was in 2007 at NJPW Lock Up). He’s appeared in two Battle of Los Angeles tournaments with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), first in 2007 and again this past September, where he lost to Jeff Cobb in the final. At 5’10” and 212 lbs, Shingo will add to LIJ’s Junior Heavyweight presence, both as a singles wrestler and as a potential partner to BUSHI in the upcoming NJPW Junior Tag League kicking off on October 16.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IaCtIbeVC0
