Dave Finlay
After leaving NJPW, Nogami found a new home in Yoshihiro Tajiri's Smash promotion, where he worked as a member of the Smash Seikigun until the promotion folded on March 14, 2012. The following month, Nogami was announced as part of the roster of Wrestling New Classic, the follow-up promotion to Smash. On April 26, Akira defeated Tajiri in the main event of WNC's first event. As a result, Akira earned the right to face final Smash Champion Dave Finlay at WNC's second event on May 24 in a match, which he went on to lose. On June 22, Akira turned heel, first bloodying Yusuke Kodama in a singles match and then attacking Tajiri after the main event. On July 15, Akira's former Smash rival StarBuck turned on his protégé Hajime Ohara and then announced that he was joining forces with Akira. They were also joined by Syuri, with all three feeling disgruntled by the supposed changes that had taken place since the transition from Smash. The three wrestled their first match as a unit on August 2, defeating Hajime Ohara, Kana and Tajiri in a six-person tag team main event, with Akira pinning Ohara for the win. The trio continued their winning ways during the following two days by first defeating the trio of Kana, Tajiri and Yusuke Kodama in a main event in Osaka and then the trio of Hanzo, Kana and Seiki in a semi-main event in Hiroshima. On August 30, the trio main evented another WNC event in Korakuen Hall, defeating Mikey Whipwreck, Kana and Tajiri in a Barbed Wire Board Deathmatch, with Akira pinning Whipwreck for the win. Akira, StarBuck and Syuri were also victorious in a rematch the following day in Osaka, with Akira this time pinning Tajiri for the win. In the second rematch on September 1, Whipwreck pinned StarBuck for the win, ending the villainous trio's win streak in the process. On September 20, Akira defeated Kana in an intergender match at Korakuen Hall. On October 24, Akira, StarBuck and Syuri named their stable "Synapse". Two days later, Akira entered the WNC Championship tournament, defeating Adam Angel in his first round match. On November 28, Akira defeated Tommy Dreamer to advance to the finals of the tournament. On December 27, Akira defeated Tajiri to win the tournament and become the inaugural WNC Champion. In January 2013, Big Japan Pro Wrestling representative Shinya Ishikawa and Dutch wrestler Emil Sitoci became the fourth and fifth members of Synapse. However, Sitoci ended up turning on Akira on February 28 and afterwards challenged him to a match for the WNC Championship. On March 31, Akira defeated Sitoci to make his first successful defense of the WNC Championship. On April 25 at WNC's one year anniversary event, Akira lost the WNC Championship to Osamu Nishimura in his second defense. A month later, Nishimura, along with Michael Kovac, joined Synapse. Akira disbanded the stable on February 27, 2014.