Robbie Eagles Holds No Ill Will In NJPW For CHAOS After Joining TMDK

As New Japan Pro-Wrestling approaches Sakura Genesis this weekend, one cannot help but notice that there's been a lot of defections from factions lately. The most prominent example has been SANADA, who ditched Los Ingobernables de Japon for Just Five Guys. Then there's also Robbie Eagles, who left his faction CHAOS for another in TMDK, and subsequently found himself in a title match, challenging IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi at Sakura Genesis. And while Eagles' move to TMDK was brought on by the frustration of his place in the CHAOS hierarchy keeping him from a Junior Heavyweight Title shot, he has no hard feelings for his former group, which he revealed in an interview with New Japan's website.

"I would say the opposite," Eagles said when asked why he departed CHAOS. "It wasn't about leaving CHAOS so much as the opportunity presented to me in TMDK. I've been open online about some things that have been strange from time to time in CHAOS ... but there's no ill will with CHAOS.

"Mikey (Nicholls) shared the same sentiments after he and Shane Haste challenged Bishamon. It's the same for me, there's no heat there, but I joined TMDK to be the main junior heavyweight in TMDK in NJPW, and that would give me a pretty much-guaranteed chance to challenge for the junior heavyweight championship." That said, he did claim he was shut out of the CHAOS group chat, with a laugh.

Should Eagles defeat Takahashi this weekend, it would give him his second career reign as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. The Australian had previously held the title from July 25, 2021 to November 6, 2021, where he lost the title to El Desperado.