6 Ups And 2 Downs From NJPW Best Of The Super Juniors 24
5. LIJ's Forgotten Junior
Los Ingobernables de Japon is professional wrestling's hottest faction. The five comrades have taken New Japan by storm, capturing every title they can get their hands on. Since late 2016 however, there has been a major shift within the group dynamic.
Vignettes aired throughout the summer of 2016 alluding to the 'Time Bomb,' eventually revealed as the returning Hiromu Takahashi. It did not take long for Hiromu to make his allegiance clear, vowing to bring the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship back to LIJ at Wrestle Kingdom 11.
I say bring it back, because prior to Hiromu's arrival, BUSHI had won and lost the title in a pair of bouts with KUSHIDA. Since winning at WK11, Hiromu is solidified as LIJ's top junior member, with BUSHI taking a backseat.
BOSJ 24 gave BUSHI the perfect opportunity to re-establish himself as a force in the junior division. Occupying a different block from his teammate, BUSHI had memorable matches with KUSHIDA, ACH, and put together a fun heel-vs-heel affair with Kanemaru.
Bushi's performance is a classic example of how to use a tournament you aren't going to win to get some much-needed momentum. An intra-faction rivalry is unlikely, but I for one can't wait for BUSHI and Takahashi to wage war together when the Super Junior Tag Tournament rolls around later this year.