Time Splitters Time Splitters are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Alex Shelley and Kushida , who are currently signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling ( NJPW ) . They are currently in their second reign as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and Kushida is also a former one - time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion . History . New Japan Pro Wrestling . Formation and Tag Team Champions ( 2012 – 2013 ) . On August 26 , 2012 , Alex Shelley and A . J . Kirsch unsuccessfully challenged Forever Hooligans ( Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero ) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at a Sacramento Wrestling Federation ( SWF ) event in Gridley , California . Following the match , Kushida saved Shelley from a beatdown at the hands of Koslov and Romero . Shelley and Kushida began forming the tag team " Time Splitters " and scoring several wins over Koslov and Romero in multiple man teamed matches , after debuting their new double - team finishing maneuver , the " I - 94 " . On October 8 at King of Pro - Wrestling , Time Splitters unsuccessfully challenged Forever Hooligans for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship . On October 21 , the Time Splitters entered the 2012 Super Jr . Tag Tournament , defeating The World Class Tag Team ( Gedo and Jado ) in their first round match . On November 2 , Shelley and Kushida defeated Suzukigun ( Taichi and Taka Michinoku ) to advance to the finals , where , later that same day , they defeated Apollo 55 to win the tournament and become the number one contenders to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship . On November 11 at Power Struggle , the Time Splitters defeated Forever Hooligans in a rematch to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship . Time Splitters made their first successful title defense on February 10 , 2013 , at The New Beginning , defeating Forever Hooligans in the third title match between the two teams . Their second successful defense took place on March 3 at New Japan ' s 41st anniversary event , where they defeated Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask . On April 5 , Shelley received his first shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship , but was defeated by the defending champion , Prince Devitt . Two days later at Invasion Attack , Time Splitters defeated Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi for their third successful defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship . On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2013 , Time Splitters lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship back to the Forever Hooligans in their fourth defense . Pursuit of the Tag Team Championship ( 2013 – present ) . On June 22 at Dominion 6 . 22 , Time Splitters failed in their attempt to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship from the Forever Hooligans . On September 29 at Destruction , Shelley and Kushida defeated Suzukigun ( Taichi and Taka Michinoku ) to earn another shot at the Forever Hooligans and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship . However , on October 7 , New Japan announced that Shelley had suffered a back injury , which would force Time Splitters to back out of the title match . Shelley later revealed that he had received a severe sciatica taking a sitout powerbomb from Taichi , which marked his fourth injury in the promotion since his September 2012 return . Shelley wrestled his return match on January 4 , 2014 , at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome , where he and Kushida unsuccessfully challenged The Young Bucks for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a four - way match , which also included the Forever Hooligans and Suzukigun . Time Splitters were victorious in a non - title rematch the following day , after which they asserted themselves as The Young Bucks ' next challengers . They received their title shot on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka , but were again defeated by The Young Bucks . On May 9 , Time Splitters made their Border City Wrestling ( BCW ) debut at the New Japan vs . Border City event , defeating former TNA wrestler Petey Williams and Brent B . Time Splitters received another title shot on May 10 at Global Wars , a special event co - produced by NJPW and Ring of Honor ( ROH ) in Toronto , but were defeated by The Young Bucks in a three - way match , also involving Forever Hooligans . On June 21 at Dominion 6 . 21 , Time Splitters defeated The Young Bucks to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the second time . On July 4 , Kushida defeated Kota Ibushi to also win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship . On August 10 , Time Splitters made their first successful defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against the ROH World Tag Team Champions reDRagon ( Bobby Fish and Kyle O ' Reilly ) . On September 21 at Destruction in Kobe , Kushida lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Ryusuke Taguchi in his first defense . Two days later at Destruction in Okayama , Time Splitters made their second successful defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Suzukigun ( El Desperado and Taichi ) .