Former IWGP World Champion makes return during NJPW Wrestling Dontaku
SANADA is back in NJPW.
After Konosuke Takeshita retained the NJPW World Television title in the opening match of Monday morning’s Wrestling Dontaku event against Chase Owens, the same suited figure that appeared at Sakura Genesis was seen. The mysterious figure then laid out Takeshita with the Skull End, quickly revealing himself as none other than the former IWGP World Champion.
Once SANADA laid out Takeshita he walked away, carrying the pouch that contained the TV title.
SANADA’s indefinite leave of absence
Following his match at New Year Dash on January 5, SANADA carried a guitar with the message “goodbye NJPW, hinting at a possible departure. Soon after, NJPW announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence.
A longtime member of Los Ingobernables de Japon, SANADA left the group in 2023 to join Just 5 Guys, earning his biggest success by defeating Kazuchika Okada at Sakura Genesis to win the IWGP World Heavyweight title for the first time. The following year, he turned against his stablemates to join Bullet Club War Dogs, then left them to become a member of the House of Torture.
Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.