Tetsuya Naito Plans To Repay His Benefactors La Sombra & AEW Star Rush

NJPW star Tetsuya Naito believes he knows how to honor those who helped him get to the place he's in today.

During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Naito revealed that he feels representing his stable Los Ingobernables de Japon around the world is how he plans to repay La Sombra (now AEW's Andrade El Idolo) and Rush for all their help earlier in his career.

"That is the best way to repay my benefactors, Sombra and Rush, who led me to Los Ingobernables," Naito said. "I want to spread the name of Tetsuya Naito and Los Ingobernables de Japon to more and more people."

At one time, NJPW attempted to push Naito as the next top babyface in the company. Fans took exception to this, and along with Kazuchika Okada's rise to prominence simultaneously, Naito's status dwindled.

Naito went on a learning excursion in Mexico, where he linked up with the faction Los Ingobernables, including La Sombra, Rush, and others like Corleone. Naito returned to Japan with a new attitude and a Japanese spinoff of the group Ingobernables called Los Ingobernables de Japon.

Earlier this month, Naito represented LIJ at Wrestle Kingdom 17 inside the Tokyo Dome. He teamed up with fellow LIJ stablemates Sanada and Bushi to take on Keiji Muto, Tanahashi, and Shota Umino. LIJ fell short in the bout, which was Muto's final match under the NJPW banner. The faction is quite busy, as all five men will face off against members of Kongo in a series of singles matches at Wrestle Kingdom in Yokohama on January 21, and Shingo Takagi will challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at The New Beginning in Osaka on February 11.