Just 5 Guys

The official logo of the stable

The **Just 5 Guys** (ジャスト・ファイブ・ガイズ, *Jasuto Faibu Gaizu*) (J5G), briefly known as **Just 4 Guys** (ジャスト・フォー・ガイズ, *Jasuto Fō Gaizu*) (J4G), is a professional wrestling stable in the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).

The group was formed in January 2023, when former Suzuki-gun members Taichi, Taka Michinoku, DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru decided to form a stable named "Just 4 Guys", with its namesake referring to the four of them. The stable was renamed to "Just 5 Guys", following the addition of SANADA in March 2023, who shortly after won the 2023 New Japan Cup and then the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, with Taichi following suit and becoming the Provisional KOPW Champion in the following month.

In September, the stable for a brief period returned to the original Just 4 Guys, after Yoshinobu Kanemaru betrayed the group to defect to the House of Torture. However, he was quickly replaced by Yuya Uemura, returning to the "Just 5 Guys" name.

## History

### Background

Taichi and Taka Michinoku had their first interaction in December 2010, as part of the Kojima-gun stable, which later became Suzuki-gun, after Michinoku and Taichi turned on Satoshi Kojima and alligned themselves with Minoru Suzuki. Over the following years, Michinoku and Taichi became a tag team in NJPW's junior heavyweight tag team division holding the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, before Taichi moved to the heavyweight division in March 2018. Meanwhile, Yoshinobu Kanemaru joined Suzuki-gun in February 2016, as part of the Pro Wrestling NOAH invasion storyline, before moving to New Japan Pro-Wrestling with them in January 2017. DOUKI joined Suzuki-gun in May 2019, after being introduced to the stable by Taichi. All four remained members of Suzuki-gun until the stable's dissolution in December 2022.

#### Formation and feud with United Empire (2023)

On January 5, 2023, at *New Year Dash!*, Taka Michinoku alongside former Suzuki-gun members Taichi, DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru announced the formation of "Just Four Guys", with its namesake referring to the four of them. Michinoku also declared that the stable would not have a leader or representation. The stable's official match took place shortly after, with Taichi, DOUKI and Kanemaru facing United Empire's Will Ospreay, Francesco Akira and TJP in a winning effort. Following the match, DOUKI and Kanemaru challenged Akira and TJP to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, before a brawl broke out between both sides. The attack saw DOUKI and Kanemaru target IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Akira and TJP and Taichi targetting United Empire's leader Will Ospreay. On Febraury 4, at The New Beginning in Sapporo, DOUKI and Kanemaru unsuccesfully challenged Akira and TJP for IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Later that night, Taichi was defeated by United Empire's leader Will Ospreay.

#### SANADA's addition and Just 5 Guys (2023)

On March 5, Taichi was defeated by SANADA in the first round of the 2023 New Japan Cup. Following the match, Taichi recommended to SANADA to leave *Los Ingobernables de Japón*; this was partly due to the respect that Taichi and Sanada had shared with their days in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and in the past few months, SANADA had gotten the best of his heavyweight stablemates in most matches. Following a victory against Tetsuya Naito in the next round of the New Japan Cup on March 17, SANADA was approached by Taichi, accompanied by the rest of Just 4 Guys. As Taichi extended his hand over to SANADA, he shook it; immediately following his embrace with Just 4 Guys, it was announced that he would be leaving *Los Ingobernables de Japón* and joining Just 4 Guys*,* effectively renaming it to *Just 5 Guys.* SANADA eventually won the tournament, defeating David Finlay in the finals on March 21, and become the number one for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. On April 8, at Sakura Genesis, SANADA defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Following the match, SANADA's former stablemate Hiromu Takahashi challenged SANADA to a title match. However, before Takahashi concluded his challenge Kanemaru challenged him to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. On April 27, Kanemaru unsuccessfully challenged Takahashi for his title. Two days later, at Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni, Taichi defeated Shingo Takagi in a Takagi-style triad match to win the Provisional KOPW 2023 Championship. On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku, SANADA successfully defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Hiromu Takahashi. Later that month, Later that month, DOUKI and Kanemaru took part in the 2023 Best of the Super Juniors wrestling in seperate blocks. Both failed to advance from their blocks, finishing the tournament with a record of three wins and six losses.

#### Feud with House of Torture (2023)

From July 15 to August 6, two members of Just 5 Guys took part in the 2023 G1 Climax with SANADA in block A and Taichi in block B. Taichi finished his tournament with a record of three wins and four losses. Meanwhile, SANADA won his block with a clean record of seven wins, advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament. In the quarterfinals, on August 10, SANADA was eliminated from the tournament by EVIL. Following the tournament, on August 13, Just 5 Guys embarked on a feud with House of Torture. After a match between the two sides, SANADA was attacked by EVIL with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt, before being hanged by his injured bicep. Afterwards, EVIL forced ring announcer Makoto Abe to read a "company statement", which described SANADA as an inappropriate figure as champion and that he should turn his title over to EVIL, who proceeded to the steal it anyways. Meanwhile, Taichi was attacked by Sho with the provisional KOPW Championship, declaring that he would take it from its rightful holder, after pinning him in the eight-man tag team match, setting up two title matches at Destruction. On September 24 at Destruction in Kobe, Taichi lost the provisional KOPW Championship to Sho in a seconds handcuffed match, after Yoshinobu Kanemaru turned on him and Just 5 Guys and joined House of Torture. Afterwards, Taichi, who was hurt by Kanemaru's took a leave of absence, whilst the was renamed back to Just 4 Guys, before returning on September 30, demanding that he be added to the night’s action alongside his stablemates against House of Torture. On October 1, SANADA, who had been greeting fans at a special signing session, was attacked by House of Torture. Later night, after facing House of Torture in a winning effort, SANADA announced the stable would continue forwards as "Just 5 Guys" again, while teasing a potential new member to the stable. On October 9 at Destruction in Ryogoku, the stable's newest member was revealed to be Yuya Uemura, who made his return from excursion, teaming with DOUKI and Taichi in a winning effort against House of Torture's (Yujiro Takahashi, Sho and Yoshinobu Kanemaru). In the main event, SANADA defeated EVIL to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, ending their feud with House of Torture. Afterwards, in a post match interview, Uemura made it clear that he was not interested in playing "second fiddle", revealing that he accepted joining the stable, under the condition that he would face all of his stablemates in a singles match, due to losing to them before his excursion. From October 21 to November 2, DOUKI and Michinoku took part in the 2023 Super Jr. Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record two wins and seven losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. Following the tournament, Sho blamed Taichi for "infusing the belt with a weird energy", leading to a rematch on November 17, where Taichi defeated Sho to regain the KOPW Championship, where Yoshinbu Kanemaru served as the Special Guest referee. From November 25 until December 6, Tachi and Uemura took part in the 2023 World Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record of four wins, and three losses, failing to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. Following the tournament, Taichi was attacked by Yoshinobu Kanemaru, before being challenged by him to a match for the KOPW Championship. This led to a fan vote deciding the sipulation between a Whiskey Bottle Ladder match or a Corner pad removal, low blows legal match. Shortly after, it was announced that Taichi and Kanemaru would face each other in a Whiskey Bottle Ladder match, following the result of a fan poll. On December 21, Taichi defeated Kanemaru in a Whiskey Bottle Ladder match to become the official KOPW 2023 champion, ending their feud with House of Torture.

#### Feud with *Los Ingobernables de Japón* (2024–Present)

On January 4, 2024 at Wrestle Kingdom 18, SANADA lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Tetsuya Naito. Afterwards, SANADA helped Naito fending off House of Torture's attack, before reqeusted a rematch for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The following day, at *New Year Dash!*, after Just 5 Guys defeated *Los Ingobernables de Japón*, SANADA issued a challenge for a rematch, which Naito accepted. This angle resulted in a rivalry between both stables.

## Championships and accomplishments

* **New Japan Pro-Wrestling**
	+ IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – SANADA
	+ New Japan Cup (2023) – SANADA
	+ Provisional KOPW 2023 Championship (2 times) – Taichi
	+ KOPW (2023) – Taichi

## Gallery

* Gallery
* Current Members
* Former Members
* Champions
* Accomplishments

The original members of Just 4 GuysThe logo of Just 4 GuysThe members of Just 5 GuysJust 5 Guys, after being joined by Yuya Uemura

TaichiTaka MichinokuDOUKISANADAYuya Uemura

Yoshinobu Kanemaru

SANADA as the IWGP World Heavyweight ChampionTaichi as the Provisional KOPW Champion

SANADA as the winner of the 2023 New Japan Cup