Tatsuhito Takaiwa
On January 4, 2008 at Wrestle Kingdom II in Tokyo Dome, Taguchi teamed with Takashi Iizuka, Koji Kanemoto and Tiger Mask to face the "Alliance" of Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX's Masato Tanaka and Tatsuhito Takaiwa, and DRADITION's Katsushi Takemura and Yutaka Yoshie; the Alliance won the encounter, Yoshie pinning Taguchi. Taguchi faced Wataru Inoue in a rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on January 27, 2008, losing to Inoue once more. On February 1, 2008, it was announced that El Samurai would be leaving NJPW due to his contract expiring, effectively ending Samurai Gym. In March and April 2008, Taguchi represented NJPW in several interpromotional matches with the newly renamed Pro Wrestling ZERO1; on March 30, 2008 at "New Dimension", Taguchi and Koji Kanemoto defeated ZERO1's Masato Tanaka and Tatsuhito Takaiwa. On the following "New Japan Brave" tour, Taguchi defeated Takaiwa in a singles match. He then teamed with Kanemoto and Manabu Nakanishi in three tag team matches in late April, he and Nakanishi defeating ZERO1's Takao Omori and Osamu Namiguchi, he and Kanemoto again defeating Tanaka and Takaiwa, and he and Kanemoto losing to Tanaka and Shinjiro Otani.