SANADA Felt He Could Never Be The 'Top Guy' In NJPW If He Stayed In Los Ingobernables De Japon

WrestleMania weekend may be the biggest weekend of the year for most in pro wrestling, but the weekend after could be the biggest weekend of the career of New Japan Pro-Wrestling star SANADA. 

The New Japan Cup winner will look to finally defeat Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis, and simultaneously elevate his new stable, Just Five Guys, in the process.

Much has been made about SANADA's defection to Just Five Guys after he spent years with Los Ingobernables de Japon. In an interview with New Japan's website, SANADA went in-depth on his move from LIJ to Just Five Guys, with his main motivation being the realization, upon watching Shingo Takagi during his world title run, that he would always be stuck in the LIJ hierarchy behind Tetsuya Naito.

"[The] thing is about LIJ is that Naito brought it back from Mexico, right?" SANADA said. "And ever since then, it's been his thing. Even if I was the top guy in the company, LIJ would still be Naito's thing. Like, [Shingo] Takagi was IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and he won the MVP award. But even then, LIJ was still seen as Naito's faction. I thought that, at best, the same thing would happen to me."

SANADA is thankful for his time in LIJ, believing it helped make him into the man he is now, but also admitted he understood why former LIJ member EVIL made the move to join Bullet Club in 2020. While he conceded his breakup with LIJ was harsh, it was necessary, as he wants to make his own mark with a fresh group.

"Now I'm in a position to really grow a faction that hasn't had any results," SANADA said. "That's a clean slate."