NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship

### Shortest reign

*Los Ingobernables de Japon* (BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA) and CHAOS (Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano) (1 day)

### Lightest winner

Matt Jackson and Ricochet (78 kg (172 lb))

The **NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship** (NEVER無差別級6人タッグ王座, *NEVER Musabetsu-kyū 6-Ri Taggu Ōza*) is the top trios championship in the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. NEVER is an acronym of the terms "New Blood", "Evolution", "Valiantly", "Eternal", and "Radical" and was a NJPW-promoted series of events, which featured younger up-and-coming talent and outside wrestlers not signed to the promotion.

The title was announced on December 21, 2015, with the first champions crowned on January 4, 2016. The title became NJPW's seventh active championship and the second to carry the NEVER name, following the NEVER Openweight Championship, which was introduced in November 2012. Through NJPW's relationship with Ring of Honor (ROH), the title has also been defended in the American promotion. The championship is contested for by teams of three wrestlers and is the first title of its kind in the history of NJPW. The title's openweight nature means that both heavyweight and junior heavyweight wrestlers are eligible to challenge for it.

## Overview

On December 11, 2015, NJPW announced that at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2016, the Bullet Club trio of Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi would take on Toru Yano and two mystery partners. Eight days later, Yano revealed his partners as the Ring of Honor (ROH) tag team The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe). On December 21, NJPW added that the match would now be contested for the newly created NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship, the first six-man title in the promotion's history. The title's name carried the acronym NEVER, which stood for "New Blood", "Evolution", "Valiantly", "Eternal", and "Radical" and was an NJPW-promoted series of events that ran from 2010 to 2012 and featured younger up-and-coming talent and outside wrestlers not signed to the promotion. This would mark the second title to carry the NEVER name, after the NEVER Openweight Championship, which was introduced in November 2012.

On January 4, 2016, Toru Yano and The Briscoe Brothers defeated Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi to become the inaugural champions. After losing the title to Fale, Tonga, and Takahashi on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka, Yano and The Briscoe Brothers also became the first two-time winners of the title, when they regained it three days later at The New Beginning in Niigata. Later that month, the title was defended outside Japan for the first time, when new champions Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) successfully defended it against ACH, Kushida ,and Matt Sydal at ROH's 14th Anniversary Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 25, 2016, the title was vacated for the first time due to one of the champions, Matt Sydal, failing to make it to a scheduled championship defense because of "travel issues". NJPW crowned new champions that same day.

On January 4, 2017, at Wrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome, the *Los Ingobernables de Japon* trio of BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA won a four-team gauntlet match to capture the title for the first time. They then began exchanging the title with members of the Taguchi Japan stable, resulting in them becoming record three-time champions on May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2017. The quick title changes resulted in the title earning a reputation as a "hot potato", with no championship team successfully defending it more than two times. The title was also slotted on the undercards of NJPW events with some championship matches taking place as early as the second match on a seven-match show with no other title matches. BUSHI publicly criticized NJPW's handling of the title, claiming that the booking was costing the title credibility. L.I.J.'s record-setting reign ended on December 17, 2017, when they were defeated by Bullet Club's Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa in their fourth defense.

On January 30, 2019, Makabe, Taguchi, and Yano defeated Bullet Club (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori) to win the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Their reign would surpass L.I.J's record, breaking the record for the longest reign as champions at 340 days, losing the titles to *Los Ingobernables de Japon* (BUSHI, EVIL, and Shingo Takagi) on January 5, 2020, in the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 14 in Tokyo Dome. On July 11, 2020, EVIL turned on  *Los Ingobernables de Japon*, defecting to Bullet Club. Afterwards, NJPW still recognized EVIL, BUSHI, and Shingo Takagi as champions until August 1, when NJPW officially vacated the titles, announcing a tournament to crown the new champions. On August 9, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, and Yoshi-Hashi defeated fellow CHAOS stablemates Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, and Sho in the tournament final to win the vacant championships. Their reign would break the record for the longest reign as champions at 454 days and the most successful title defenses with 9 defenses, before losing the titles to House of Torture (EVIL, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi) on November 6, 2021 at Power Stuggle.

## Gallery

* Champions

Toru Yano and Mark and Jay BriscoeBad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Yujiro TakahashiKenny Omega, Matt and Nick JacksonHiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin and YoshitatsuMatt Sydal, Ricochet and Satoshi KojimaDavid Finlay, Ricochet and Satoshi KojimaBUSHI, EVIL and SANADAHiroshi Tanahashi, Manabu Nakanishi and Ryusuke TaguchiHiroshi Tanahashi, Ricochet and Ryusuke TaguchiBad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Tanga LoaBeretta, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru YanoMarty Scurll, Matt and Nick JacksonTaiji Ishimori, Tama Tonga and Tanga LoaRyusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe and Toru YanoShingo Takagi, EVIL and BUSHIHirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-HashiEVIL, Sho and Yujiro TakahashiHirooki Goto, Yoh and Yoshi-HashiRen Narita, El Desperado and Minoru SuzukiKazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii

## References

1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `WrestleKingdom10`
2. ↑ *ja:【WK10】来年1月3日（日）『大プロレス祭り』“公開記者会見”のスケジュールが決定！ 岡倫之選手の入団会見も実施！* (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2015-12-11). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
3. ↑ *ja:真壁＆本間　１・４東京ドームでＩＷＧＰタッグ挑戦* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2015-12-11). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
4. ↑ *ja:【WK10】1.4東京ドームの第2試合は矢野＆ブリスコ・ブラザーズvsファレ＆裕二郎＆タマに決定！ウワサの“ブリスコ兄弟”の凄さとは？* (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2015-12-20). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 ja:【WK10】1.4東京ドームは“8大選手権”！ 第2試合は初代NEVER無差別級6人タッグ王座戦！ 第3試合はROH世界選手権に！ NJランボー参戦選手も追加！ (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2015-12-21). Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved on 2015-12-21.
6. ↑ NJPW Tokyo Dome Updates – Briscoes vs. Bullet Club for new titles, more . *Pro Wrestling Torch* (2015-12-20). Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved on 2015-12-21.
7. ↑ ja:Nextジェネレーション育成 新プロジェクト「NEVER」シリーズがスタート!! (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2010-07-12). Archived from the original on 2010-12-28. Retrieved on 2015-12-21.
8. ↑ Caldwell, James 2012-10-05. News items: Velvet Sky launches clothing line, Details on Nash's next int'l tour, NJPW introducing new title . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2012-12-21.
9. ↑ *ja:【新日・東京ドーム】「ＮＥＶＥＲ無差別級６人タッグ」矢野組が初代王者に* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2016-01-05). Retrieved on 2016-01-05.
10. ↑ Meltzer, Dave 2016-01-03. Wrestle Kingdom 10 live results: Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2016-01-04.
11. ↑ 2/11 New Japan "New Beginning in Osaka" Results – Okada defends IWGP World Title, two big title changes . *Pro Wrestling Torch* (2016-02-11). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
12. ↑ 2/14 New Japan "New Beginning in Niigata" Results – Tanahashi vs. Omega for vacant IWGP IC Title, Bullet Club everywhere . *Pro Wrestling Torch* (2016-02-14). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
13. ↑ ROH 14th Anniversary  (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling*. Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
14. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2016-02-26. ROH 14th Anniversary live results: Jay Lethal vs. Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2016-02-26.
15. ↑ ja:【お知らせ】マット・サイダル選手が飛行機トラブルのため9.25神戸大会を欠場。デビッド・フィンレー選手が代打出場でNEVER6人タッグは「王座決定戦」に変更 (in Japanese). *New Japan Pro-Wrestling* (2016-09-25). Archived from the original on 2016-09-25. Retrieved on 2016-09-25.
16. ↑ Rose, Bryan 2016-09-25. NJPW Destruction in Kobe results: Elgin defends his title against Naito . *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
17. ↑ Johnson, Mike 2017-01-04. Omega vs. Okada classic, Tanahashi vs. Naito, lots of title changes & more: complete New Japan Wrestle Kingdom 11 coverage (page two) . *Pro Wrestling Insider*. Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
18. ↑ *ja:【新日１・４ドーム】NEVER6人タッグはSanada組が制す* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-01-05). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
19. ↑ *ja:“田口ジャパン”またＮＥＶＥＲ陥落…ロス・インゴが３度目戴冠* (in Japanese). *Daily Sports Online*. Kobe Shimbun (2017-05-04). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
20. ↑ Andrews, R.W. 2017-01-17. 1/5 New Japan’s New Year’s Dash from Tokyo: Takahashi, Nakanishi, Kushida, Ricochet, O’Reilly, Finlay, Cole, Elgin, Young Bucks . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
21. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (February 20, 2017). "February 20, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE financials, death of Chavo Guerrero, more". *Wrestling Observer Newsletter*. Campbell, California: 20. ISSN 1083-9593. The show was built around five title matches, with one change, the hot potato Never trios titles which went back to Sanada & Evil & Bushi, who defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi & Manabu Nakanishi.
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 *ja:【新日本】NEVER6人タッグ王者のBushiが試合順に難クセ* (in Japanese). *Tokyo Sports* (2017-02-16). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.
23. ↑ *ja:新日・制御不能軍が田口ジャパン撃破で史上最多タイのＮＥＶＥＲ６人王座Ｖ２* (in Japanese). *Daily Sports Online*. Kobe Shimbun (2017-06-21). Retrieved on 2017-08-03.