Sugiura-gun
Current logo of the stable (2019–present)
Stable
MembersSee below
DebutMarch 10, 2019
Years active2019–present

Sugiura-gun (杉浦軍, Sugiura-gun) is a Japanese professional wrestling stable, based in the Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah) promotion. It was founded by Takashi Sugiura in 2019 and led by him ever since.[1]

History

Formation

Takashi Sugiura and Kazma Sakamoto shared a feud after the events from the fourth night of the NOAH Navigation For Progress 2019 from February 24, where Sakamoto teamed up with "Hooligans" stablemates Cody Hall, Maybach Taniguchi, Mitsuya Nagai and Yuji Hino to face the team of Sugiura, Akitoshi Saito, Kinya Okada, Masao Inoue and Yoshiki Inamura in a loser unit must disband match. The bout concluded after Sugiura pinned Sakamoto, attracting the disbanding of "Hooligans" in the process.[2] Sakamoto wanted to take revenge on Sugiura so at NOAH Great Voyage In Yokohama, an even promoted on March 10, 2019, they faced each other in a singles match, bout which solded with the victory of Sugiura. Sakamoto however brought Nosawa Rongai to ringside with the latter not getting involved in their match. After the bout concluded, all three of them shook hands and aligned each other to found the unit which was later announced to go under the name of "Sugiura-gun".[3][4]

Under Takashi Sugiura's leadership (2019–present)

First and current leader of the stable, Takashi Sugiura.

As Sugiura was appointed as the leader of the unit, he worked to help raise the team's notoriety in the promotion. At NOAH N-1 Victory 2019 on November 2, he defeated Michael Elgin to become the first-ever GHC National Champion.[5] Earlier in the year, he made it to the finals of the 2019 edition of the N-1 Victory where he fell short to Kenoh.[6] On the finals of the 2019 Global Junior Heavyweight Tag League, Takashi Sugiura and Kazma Sakamoto defeated AXIZ (Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima) to win the GHC Tag Team Championship.[7]

At CyberFight Festival 2021, Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Danshoku Dino and Super Sasadango Machine.[8] At Noah The Best 2021 on November 28, Takashi Sugiura, Kazuyuki Fujita and Kazushi Sakuraba fell short to M's Alliance (Keiji Muto, Masato Tanaka and Naomichi Marufuji).[9]

At Noah Bumper Crop 2022 In Sendai on January 16, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kendo Kashin and Takashi Sugiura defeated Funky Express (King Tany and Mohammed Yone), Go Shiozaki and Masakatsu Funaki.[10] At Noah Gain Control 2022 In Nagoya on February 23, Kendo Kashin fought Masato Tanaka in a double count-out, Takashi Sugiura teamed up with Naomichi Marufuji to defeat Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura, and Kazuyuki Fujita defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship.[11] At Noah Great Voyage in Fukuoka 2022 on March 21, Hideki Suzuki, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kendo Kashin and Takashi Sugiura defeated Kongo (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh, Manabu Soya and Masakatsu Funaki), and Kazuyuki Fujita defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Masato Tanaka.[12] On the second night of Noah Majestic 2022 from April 30, Kazushi Sakuraba and Kendo Kashin defeated Don Fujii and Masaaki Mochizuki, El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and René Duprée defeated Daiki Inaba and Masato Tanaka, and Hideki Suzuki and Takashi Sugiura successfully defended the GHC Tag Team Championship against Kongo (Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kenoh).[13] At Noah Dream On Final 2022 on May 21, Kazuyuki Fujita defeated Kinya Okada, Hideki Suzuki and Takashi Sugiura teamed up with Masaaki Mochizuki to defeat Kongo (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Manabu Soya and Masakatsu Funaki), and El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and René Duprée dropped the GHC Tag Team Championship to Masa Kitamiya and Michael Elgin.[14] At CyberFight Festival 2022 on June 12, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., René Duprée and Timothy Thatcher teamed up with Michael Elgin and Simon Gotch to defeat Takashi Sugiura, Kazuyuki Fujita, Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba and Shuhei Taniguchi in five-man tag team action.[15] At Noah Destination 2022 on July 16, El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and René Duprée teamed up with Anthony Greene, Simon Gotch and Stallion Rogers to defeat Daiki Inaba, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kinya Okada, Masaaki Mochizuki and Shuhei Taniguchi, Kazuyuki Fujita and Takashi Sugiura teamed up with Go Shiozaki to defeat Kongo (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Manabu Soya and Masakatsu Funaki), Hideki Suzuki and Timothy Thatcher defeated The Tough (Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura).[16] At Noah Departure 2022 on August 5, Takashi Sugiura teamed up with Go Shiozaki and Naomichi Marufuji to defeat Daiki Inaba, Masato Tanaka and Satoshi Kojima.[17] At Noah Grand Ship In Nagoya 2022 on September 25, Hideki Suzuki and Timothy Thatcher dropped the GHC Tag Team Championship to Satoshi Kojima and Takashi Sugiura.[18] At Noah Ariake Triumph 2022 on October 30, El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and Hideki Suzuki defeated Masa Kitamiya and Masato Tanaka, Kazushi Sakuraba unsuccessfully challenged Masakatsu Funaki for the GHC National Championship, Satoshi Kojima and Takashi Sugiura successfully defended the GHC Tag Team Championship against Kongo (Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kenoh) and Kazuyuki Fujita unsuccessfully challenged Kaito Kiyomiya for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.[19] At Noah Global Honored Crown 2022 on November 10, Satoshi Kojima and Takashi Sugiura successfully defended the GHC Tag Team Championship against Funky Express (Akitoshi Saito and Mohammed Yone), El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Masakatsu Funaki to win the GHC National Championship, and Timothy Thatcher unsuccessfully challenged Kaito Kiyomiya for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.[20] At Noah The Best 2022 on November 23, Kazuyuki Fujita, Takashi Sugiura and Timothy Thatcher fell short against Masaaki Mochizuki, Masato Tanaka and Naomichi Marufuji, and El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. successfully defended the GHC National Championship against Yoshiki Inamura.[21]

At Noah The New Year 2023 on January 1, Kazuyuki Fujita and Kendo Kashin teamed up with Nosawa Rongai and Hiroshi Hase to defeat Kongo (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masakatsu Funaki, Manabu Soya and Hajime Ohara) and Timothy Thatcher fell short to Jack Morris.[22] At The Great Muta Final "Bye-Bye" on January 22, Timothy Thatcher defeated Masaaki Mochizuki, Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Hideki Suzuki by referee stoppage, and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Takashi Sugiura teamed up with Kaito Kiyomiya and Satoshi Kojima to defeat Kongo (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masakatsu Funaki and Manabu Soya).[23] At Noah Great Voyage in Osaka 2023 on February 12, Timothy Thatcher, Kazuyuki Fujita and Hideki Suzuki are scheduled to face Masato Tanaka, Masaaki Mochizuki and Yoshiki Inamura, and Takashi Sugiura and Satoshi Kojima will defend the GHC Tag Team Championship against Masa Kitamiya and Daiki Inaba.[24]

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2022–present)

Due to Pro Wrestling Noah sharing a business partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling, various members of the stable participated in the latter's biggest yearly event, the Wrestle Kingdom, usually on the second or third night dedicated to inter-promotional prizeless matches. At Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 8, 2022, Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba teamed up with Toru Yano to defeat Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki and Taka Michinoku).[25] At Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 21, Takashi Sugiura teamed up with Satoshi Kojima, Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi to defeat Bullet Club (El Phantasmo, Kenta and Gedo) and Naomichi Marufuji.[26]

Members

Hideki Suzuki
Kazushi Sakuraba
Kazuyuki Fujita
Kendo Kashin
Timothy Thatcher
René Duprée
El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr.
Saxon Huxley
* Founding member
I-III Leader

Current members

Member[27] Tenure(s)
Takashi Sugiura I* March 10, 2019–Present
Hideki Suzuki April 17, 2019–December 29, 2020
February 23, 2022–Present
Kazushi Sakuraba July 28, 2019–Present
El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. August 18, 2019–Present
Kazuyuki Fujita October 3, 2019–Present
René Duprée March 29, 2020–Present
Kendo Kashin June 10, 2020–Present
Timothy Thatcher June 7, 2022–Present
Saxon Huxley March 17, 2023–Present
Shuhei Taniguchi June 18, 2023–Present

Former members

Member Joined Left
Dick Togo January 5, 2020 May 9, 2020
Hideki Sekine March 22, 2020 May 9, 2020
Kazma Sakamoto * March 10, 2019 May 9, 2020
Hajime Ohara May 2, 2019 May 10, 2020
Seiki Yoshioka April 18, 2020 May 10, 2020
Kaz Hayashi June 10, 2020 December 30, 2020
Nosawa Rongai * March 10, 2019 June 27, 2021
Kazunari Murakami December 26, 2020 June 20, 2021
Daisuke Nakamura November 8, 2020 December 27, 2021
Kenta December 27, 2021 January 5, 2022

Associates

Associate Joined Left
Masahiro Chono November 23, 2020
Yoshiaki Fujiwara June 30, 2021
Toru Yano January 8, 2022
Satoshi Kojima September 25, 2022 –

Sub-groups

Current

Affiliate Members Tenure Type
Sugiura-gun International El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr.
René Duprée
Timothy Thatcher 		2020–present Tag team/Trio
Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba Takashi Sugiura
Kazushi Sakuraba 		2019–present Tag team
TakaKoji Takashi Sugiura
Satoshi Kojima[a] 		2022–present Tag team
Real Timothy Thatcher
Saxon Huxley
Hideki Suzuki
Kazuyuki Fujita
Shuhei Taniguchi 		2023–present Stable

Timeline

Championships and accomplishments

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Kojima began being an associate of the stable while holding the GHC Tag Team Championship with Sugiura.
  2. ^ Sato was not part of the stable while holding the titles with Suzuki.

References

  1. ^ Rose, Ashley. "NOAH: Introduction to Sugiura-Gun". twm.news. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  2. ^ Dark Angel (February 28, 2019). "NOAH: "Navigation for Progress 2019" Hooligans Disbanded". superluchas.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  3. ^ Dark Angel (March 12, 2019). "NOAH: "Great Voyage 2019 in Yokohama" 4 titles, new era". superluchas.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Sarpracione, mathew (March 23, 2019). "#Review: NOAH Great Voyage 2019 in Yokohama (3/10/2019)". prowrestlingpost.com. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. ^ Balaz, Andrew (November 10, 2019). "Andrew's Pro Wrestling NOAH The Best Ratings & Analysis: 11/2/2019". thechairshot.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. ^ "【8月18日 名古屋で開幕!】N-1 VICTORY 2019 出場者･公式戦日程決定!". Pro Wrestling Noah (in Japanese). Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  7. ^ Dark Angel (June 25, 2019). "NOAH: "Global Jr. Tag League 2019" Grand Final, Ogawa and Suzuki winners". superluchas.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  8. ^ Voices Of Wrestling Stuff (June 6, 2021). "CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2021 (JUNE 6) RESULTS & REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  9. ^ Evagood, Jeri (November 28, 2021). "PRO WRESTLING NOAH THE BEST 2021 (NOVEMBER 28) RESULTS AND REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  10. ^ David, Neil (January 17, 2022). "PRO WRESTLING NOAH BUMPER CROP IN SENDAI (JANUARY 16) RESULTS AND REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  11. ^ Rose, Bryan (February 23, 2022). "Kazuyuki Fujita wins GHC Heavyweight Championship at NOAH Gain Control Fujita defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima to win the championship for the first time". f4wonline.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  12. ^ Dark Angel (March 26, 2022). "NOAH: "Great Voyage 2022 in Fukuoka" 1st defense of Kazuyuki Fujita". superluchas.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Di Trolio, Gerard (April 30, 2022). "NOAH MAJESTIC 2022 (APRIL 30) RESULTS & REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Dark Angel (May 25, 2022). "NOAH: «Dream On 2022 Final» The return of Mutoh, new couples monarchs". superluchas.com. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  15. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (June 12, 2022). "CyberFight Festival 2022 Results (6/12): DDT, NOAH, TJPW, NJPW Talent In Action". fightful.com. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  16. ^ Flanagan, Neal (July 16, 2022). "New GHC Heavyweight and Tag Team Champions crowned at NOAH's 'Destination' event". postwrestling.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  17. ^ Dark Angel (August 8, 2022). "NOAH: «Departure 2022» HAYATA retains; Son of the Saint triumphs in his debut". superluchas.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  18. ^ Pollock, John (September 25, 2022). "POST PURORESU: Burning Spirit, Kiyomiya wins title, AJPW 50th Anniversary". postwrestling.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  19. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (October 30, 2022). "Pro Wrestling NOAH Ariake Triumph Results (10/30): New GHC Junior Heavyweight Champ, NJPW Stars Compete". fightful.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  20. ^ Carlan, Lewis (November 10, 2022). "Pro Wrestling NOAH "Global Honored Crown" Results (11/10/22), 3 Title Changes". pwmania.com. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  21. ^ Black, Ethan (November 23, 2022). "Pro Wrestling Noah The Best Results – November 23, 2022". pwmania.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  22. ^ Lindsey, Philip (November 1, 2022). "Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Great Muta Will Be Historic Moment in Wrestling, but a One-Off". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  23. ^ Fritts, Chick (January 22, 2023). "Great Muta Final Bye-Bye live results: Muta, Sting & Darby Allin trios match/Kazushi Sakuraba takes on Hideki Suzuki in a GHC martial arts rules match". f4wonline.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  24. ^ Carlan, Lewis (January 10, 2023). "Huge Title Match Set For Pro Wrestling NOAH Great Voyage 2023". pwmania.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  25. ^ "2022.01.08 Wrestle Kingdom 16 in Yokohama Arena | New Japan Pro-Wrestling". NJPW. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  26. ^ "2023.01.21 Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Yokohama Arena". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  27. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Sugiura-gun/Members". cagematch.net. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  28. ^ Wrestling Titles. "Global Honored Crown Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  29. ^ Internet Wrestling Database (IWD). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2021". profightdb.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Ruth, Sondra (September 14, 2023). "Complete 2023 PWI 500 List Revealed, Top NJPW Star Absent". tjrwrestling.net. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  31. ^ Internet Wrestling Database (IWD). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2022". profightdb.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  32. ^ Internet Wrestling Database (IWD). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2019". profightdb.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  33. ^ Wrestling Titles. "Pro-Wrestling ZERO1 World Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
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