El Samurai
On February 23, 1996, Yasuraoka teamed with Lance Storm to participate in a tournament for the new International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, defeating Gran Naniwa and Masaaki Mochizuki in the semi-final before losing to Gedo and Lion Do in the final. Yasuraoka and Storm defeated Gedo and Lion Do in a rematch on March 27 to win the International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, marking Yasuraoka's first championship win of his career. After making successful title defenses against Masaaki Mochizuki and Último Dragón on May 26 and El Samurai and Norio Honaga at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's "Skydiving J", Storm and Yasuraoka dropped the titles to El Samurai and Jushin Thunder Liger at 4th Anniversary Show. The following night, at "", Lance Storm, Rey Misterio, Jr., Último Dragón and Yuji Yasuraoka defeated Gedo, Jushin Thunder Liger, Juventud Guerrera and Lion Do.