| Los Ingobernables de Japon | |
|---|---|
 Logo ofLos Ingobernables de Japon | |
| Stable | |
| Members | See below |
| Name(s) | Los Ingobernables de Japón Los Ingobernables de Japon L.I.J. |
| Billed from | Japan |
| Debut | November 21, 2015[1] |
| Disbanded | May 4, 2025 |
| Years active | 2015–2025 |
Los Ingobernables de Japón (ロス・インゴベルナブレス・デ・ハポン,Rosu Ingoberunaburesu de Hapon) (Spanish for "The Ungovernables of Japan" and often spelled without the accent asLos Ingobernables de Japon in English-speaking countries), also shortened toL.I.J. orLos Ingos, was a Japaneseprofessional wrestlingstable, based in theNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)promotion. An offshoot of the Mexican stableLos Ingobernables from theConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) promotion, the group was formed in November 2015 byTetsuya Naito,Bushi andEvil, but came to also includeSanada,Hiromu Takahashi,Shingo Takagi,Titán andYota Tsuji. Through NJPW's working relationship with other companies, they have also appeared in CMLL and in the AmericanRing of Honor (ROH) promotion.
Los Ingobernables de Japon established itself as one of the most prominent and most popular stables in NJPW. Members of the stable have held theIWGP Heavyweight Championship three times and theIWGP World Heavyweight Championship three times. As part of the stable, Naito also held theIWGP Intercontinental Championship a record six times and was the first wrestler to have held both the Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles simultaneously. The faction also held under various incarnations theIWGP Tag Team Championship,IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship andNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. The stable also won several tournaments, like G1 Climax twice, the New Japan Cup three times, the World Tag League three times. Takahashi also won the Best of Super Juniors tournament a record of four times.
In addition to working with CMLL, Bushi also held theCMLL World Welterweight Championship. Also within the company, Titán was also the first officialnon-Japanese wrestler to join the stable; overall twenty-nine title reigns took place within the stable.Tokyo Sports citedL.I.J.'s impact on NJPW as one of the main factors in the magazine naming Naito the 2016Wrestler of the Year, a feat he repeated the following year.[2]
AfterWrestling Dontaku on May 4, 2025, Naito and Bushi left NJPW, ending the unit as a stable in NJPW; its remaining members remain loosely allied, but unaffiliated to any other NJPW stable. Their final match under theL.I.J. name was atFantastica Mania Mexico on June 20, 2025.
In June 2013,Tetsuya Naito returned toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from a legitimateanterior cruciate ligament injury. Two months later, Naito defeatedHiroshi Tanahashi in the final to win NJPW's premier singles tournament, theG1 Climax. Despite being a clean-cutbabyface, Naito was soundly rejected by NJPW fans and his win over Tanahashi was booed. NJPW had pegged Naito as their next top babyface star, but seeing how the fans were reacting to him, the company changed their course of action and announced a fan vote to decide whether the plannedIWGP Heavyweight Championship match between Naito andKazuchika Okada or anIWGP Intercontinental Championship match betweenShinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi would main event the promotion's biggest event of the year,Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome. The fans voted Nakamura and Tanahashi to main event the show with Naito and Okada relegated to semi-main event. After failing to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Okada, Naito would remain a step below the top spot in NJPW.[3][4]
During the summer of 2015, Naito, through a working relationship between NJPW and the MexicanConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) promotion, worked a tour of CMLL, during which he joined theLos Ingobernablesstable.[5][6][7] Upon his June return to NJPW, Naito continued representingLos Ingobernables,[8] adopting thevillainous attitude associated with the stable,[9] using the fans' rejection of him as a catalyst for the change.[3] In the weeks leading to October'sKing of Pro-Wrestling event, Naito began teasing bringing in apareja ("partner") to witness his match againstHiroshi Tanahashi, contested for Tanahashi's contract for a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship atWrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome.[10] At the October 12 event,Takaaki Watanabe, making his NJPW return after a two-year overseas learning excursion, was revealed as Naito'spareja as he attacked Hiroshi Tanahashi during his match with Naito. Watanabe's outside interference was stopped byHirooki Goto andKatsuyori Shibata, which led to Tanahashi defeating Naito to retain his contract. In a post-match interview, Naito gave Watanabe his new ring name, "King of Darkness" Evil.[11][12]
On November 21, Naito and Evil entered the2015 World Tag League. During the opening night,Bushi, making his return following an injury, debuted as the new third member of the group,[13] which was subsequently dubbedLos Ingobernables de Japon.[1][14] Naito and Evil ended up making it to the final of the World Tag League, before losing toG.B.H. (Togi Makabe andTomoaki Honma).[15] On the day of the final, December 9, Bushi offeredMáscara Dorada a spot inLos Ingobernables de Japon. After being turned down, Bushi attacked Dorada, unmasked him and stole hisCMLL World Welterweight Championship belt.[15] This led to a title match on December 19, where Bushi defeated Dorada with help from his stablemates to bringLos Ingobernables de Japon its first championship.[16] Bushi lost the title back to Dorada during the CMLL and NJPW co-producedFantastica Mania 2016 tour on January 22, 2016.[17] On February 20, at the NJPW andRing of Honor (ROH) co-producedHonor Rising: Japan 2016 event,Los Ingobernables de Japon helpedJay Lethal retain theROH World Championship in a match against Tomoaki Honma. Following the match, both Lethal and hismanagerTruth Martini joined the stable.[18][19] While this marked Martini's only appearance as a member ofLos Ingobernables de Japon, Lethal continued making sporadic appearances as part of the group over the following months.[20][21]
On March 12, Naito, with help from both Bushi and Evil, defeated Hirooki Goto in the final to win the2016 New Japan Cup. With the win, Naito earned the right to challenge for a title of his choosing and chose to face IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.[22][23] On April 10 atInvasion Attack 2016,Sanada debuted as the newest member ofLos Ingobernables de Japon, helping Naito defeat Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[24] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2016, Naito made his first successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Okada'sChaos stablemateTomohiro Ishii.[25] Following the match, Okada, who had earlier in the event defeated Sanada, intimated that he wanted a title rematch with Naito.[25][26] Also in May, Bushi took part in the2016 Best of the Super Juniors. Although he failed to advance from his block with a record of four wins and three losses,[27] Bushi scored a major win in his final match of the tournament on June 6 by defeating reigningIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionKushida, causing him to miss the final of the tournament.[28] On June 19 atDominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall, Naito lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship back to Okada,[29] ending his two-month reign in his second defense.[30] From July 18 to August 13, Naito, Evil and Sanada all took part in the2016 G1 Climax, with Sanada wrestling in block A and Naito and Evil in block B. All three failed to advance to the final with Naito finishing second in his block with a record of six wins and three losses, while Sanada and Evil both finished with records of four wins and five losses. Naito was victorious over Evil in the head-to-head match between the two stablemates.[31] During the tournament, Naito scored a win overMichael Elgin, which put him in line for a shot at Elgin's IWGP Intercontinental Championship.[32] On August 20, Jay Lethal's association with the stable came to an end, when Naito and Evil abandoned him during a six-man tag team match at an ROH event inLas Vegas, Nevada.[33]
On September 17 atDestruction in Tokyo, Bushi received a shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, which he had earned with the win over Kushida during the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors.[34] Bushi was accompanied to the match by a new unidentified member of theLos Ingobernables de Japon, who had debuted earlier in the week. The match featured outside interference from both Naito and Michael Elgin and ended with Bushi defeating Kushida to bring the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship toLos Ingobernables de Japon.[35] On September 25 atDestruction in Kobe, the stable won another title, when Naito defeated Elgin for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.[36] Bushi lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship back to Kushida on November 5 atPower Struggle.[37] Later that same event, Evil defeated Katsuyori Shibata to become the newNEVER Openweight Champion.[37] Evil lost the title back to Shibata ten days later inSingapore.[38] The following week, three members of the stable entered the2016 World Tag League with Evil and Sanada teaming together,[39] while Naito partnered with CMLL wrestler and originalLos Ingobernables memberRush. Naito had planned a teamup between theLos Ingobernables andLos Ingobernables de Japon stables for the previous year's tournament, but the CMLL wrestlers had been busy and unable to participate.[40] Naito and Rush finished the tournament on December 7 with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance to the final due to losing to block winnersGuerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga andTanga Loa) in their finalround-robin match.[41][42] The following day, Evil and Sanada finished their block with a record of five wins and two losses, tied with block winners Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma, but failed to advance due to losing to Makabe and Honma in the head-to-head match.[43][44]
On December 10,Hiromu Takahashi joinedLos Ingobernables de Japon.[45][46] Takahashi had recently returned to NJPW from a three-year overseas learning excursion, during which he mainly worked for CMLL.[47] On the same show, Bushi, Evil and Sanada defeatedHiroyoshi Tenzan,Yuji Nagata andNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team ChampionSatoshi Kojima in a six-man tag team match, after which Bushi made a title challenge against Kojima and his championship partners David Finlay andRicochet.[45][48] On January 4, 2017, atWrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome, Bushi, Evil and Sanada defeated Finlay, Ricochet and Kojima as part of a four-teamgauntlet match, which also included theBullet Club trio ofBad Luck Fale,Hangman Page andYujiro Takahashi and the Chaos trio ofJado,Will Ospreay andYoshi-Hashi, to become the new NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions.[49][50] Later that same event, Takahashi defeated Kushida to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.[49][51] Tetsuya Naito's successful defense of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi marked a clean sweep for L.I.J., who left Wrestle Kingdom 11 holding three championships.[49][52]
Following Wrestle Kingdom 11, L.I.J. entered a rivalry with theTaguchi Japan stable over all three of their championships.[53][54][55] Naito went on to successfully defend the Intercontinental Championship against Taguchi Japan members Michael Elgin andJuice Robinson,[56][57] while Takahashi defended the Junior Heavyweight Championship against their stablematesDragon Lee, Kushida, and Ricochet.[57][58][56] Meanwhile, Bushi, Evil and Sanada exchanged the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship with members of Taguchi Japan multiple times. They first lost the title to Hiroshi Tanahashi,Manabu Nakanishi andRyusuke Taguchi on January 5,[59] then regained it on February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka,[56] then lost it to Tanahashi, Taguchi and Ricochet on April 4,[60][61] before regaining it again on May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2017.[62][63] On June 11 atDominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall, Takahashi lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to the winner of the2017 Best of the Super Juniors, Kushida.[64][65] Later that same event, Naito lost the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi.[64][66]
The following month, three members of L.I.J. took part in the2017 G1 Climax; Naito in block A and Evil and Sanada in block B. Naito won his block with a record of seven wins and two losses and advanced to the final of the tournament. Meanwhile, Evil finished third in his block with a record of three losses and six wins, one of which came over the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.[67] Sanada, who won the head-to-head match against Evil,[68] finished in the middle of the block with a record of four wins and five losses.[69] On August 13, Naito defeatedKenny Omega in the final to win the 2017 G1 Climax.[70] With Naito now fully embraced by the over 10,000 people in attendance, the win was seen as a conclusion of a four-year arc, which started with Naito's rejection by NJPW fans following his 2013 G1 Climax win and led directly to the creation ofLos Ingobernables de Japon.[71][72][73] In late 2017, Bushi and Takahashi started teaming regularly in NJPW's junior tag team division.[74] On November 12,Los Ingobernables de Japon made their first appearance in Mexico, when Naito and Takahashi returned to CMLL to team with Rush. The three were defeated in a six-man tag team match, when Rush allowedVolador Jr. to pin himself, reaffirming his previous invitation for Volador to joinLos Ingobernables.[75][76] In December, Evil and Sanada won their block in the2017 World Tag League with a record of five wins and two losses, advancing to the final of the tournament.[77][78] On December 11, they defeated Guerrillas of Destiny in the final to win the tournament.[79][80] Six days later, Bushi, Evil and Sanada lost the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship to Guerrillas of Destiny and Bad Luck Fale in their fourth defense.[81][82]
On January 4, 2018, atWrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo Dome, Evil and Sanada defeated theKiller Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. andLance Archer) to win theIWGP Tag Team Championship for the first time.[83] In the main event of the show, Naito unsuccessfully challenged Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[83] AtWrestling Hinokuni, Naito defeatedMinoru Suzuki to win theIWGP Intercontinental Championship.[84] He eventually lost the title toChris Jericho atDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall.[85] At theG1 Special in San Francisco, Takahashi successfully defended his title against Dragon Lee, but suffered a broken neck during the match, resulting in him becoming inactive and having to vacate the title.[86]
On October 8, 2018, atKing of Pro Wrestling, fourteen years-Dragon Gate veteranShingo Takagi made his surprise NJPW debut asL.I.J.'s sixth member, teaming up with Naito, Bushi and Sanada to defeat CHAOS.[87][88] Takagi would go on to compete in the Junior Heavyweight division, and would stay both undefeated in singles matches and overall unpinned and unsubmitted until June 2019; during this period, he suffered only three defeats in 72 consecutive matches, all of which were tag team matches in which a partner was pinned.[89] He would quickly form a tag team with Bushi; they competed in theSuper Junior Tag Tournament, advancing to the final atPower Struggle where they lost toRoppongi 3K in aThree-way tag team match also involvingYoshinobu Kanemaru andEl Desperado of Suzuki-Gun.[90]
AtWrestle Kingdom 13, all five active members of the stable won titles: Naito regained the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Jericho, Evil and Sanada won the IWGP Tag Team Championship by defeating Guerrillas of Destiny and The Young Bucks, and Bushi and Takagi won theIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship by defeating Kanemaru and El Desperado and Roppongi 3K.[91] On February 2 atThe New Beginning in Sapporo, Bushi and Takagi retained their titles against Kanemaru and El Desperado, while Evil and Sanada retained their titles againstMinoru Suzuki andZack Sabre Jr., and Naito retained the Intercontinental Championship againstTaichi.[92] All five champions lost their titles during the following two months, with Evil and Sanada losing their titles toGuerrillas of Destiny on February 23 atHonor Rising: Japan 2019, Bushi and Takagi losing theirs to Roppongi 3K on March 6 atNJPW's 47th Anniversary Show, and Naito losing the Intercontinental Championship toKota Ibushi On April 6 atG1 Supercard; also at G1 Supercard, Evil and Sanada lost aWinner takes allfour-way tag team match for both their old title and theROH World Tag Team Championship, which was won by the Guerrillas of Destiny.[93][94][95]
From May to June 2019, both Bushi and Takagi took part in theBest of Super Juniors tournament. While Bushi would fail to advance in Block B with 12 points (with six wins and three losses), Takagi won block A by winning all nine of his matches and scoring 18 points; this set up a new record for most victories within the same block, as well as a new record for most points scored at the tournament (not counting the original 1988 tournament which used a different point system).[96][97][98][99] He eventually lost in the final against Block B winnerWill Ospreay on June 5, marking his first defeat in New Japan as a singles competitor. The match received considerable acclaim, withDave Meltzer giving it a rare five and three-quarter out of five rating and calling it "the best junior heavyweight match I’ve ever seen and one of the best matches in any division"; it would go on to be Takagi's final match and only singles loss in the Junior Heavyweight division.[89][100][101][102]
AtDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, Naito regained the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Ibushi, Evil and Sanada failed to capture the Tag Team titles from the Guerrillas of Destiny, and Takagi defeated heavyweightSatoshi Kojima; after his win, Takagi announced his decision to move to the Heavyweight division and declared himself an entrant for theG1 Climax.[103][104] At the G1 Climax, Evil and Sanada competed in Block A while Naito and Takagi competed in Block B, but all four failed to reach the final.[105] After defeating him during the G1 Climax,Jay White received a title match for Naito's IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Destruction in Kobe, where Naito lost the match and title.[106]
In November 2019 atPower Struggle, after Bushi unsuccessfully challengedWill Ospreay for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, Hiromu Takahashi made his return after sixteen months of absence, challenging Ospreay for a future title match atWrestle Kingdom 14, which Ospreay accepted.[107] His return match took place on December 19, 2019, during the Road to Tokyo Dome event, 530 days after his last match, with he and Bushi losing to Ospreay andRobbie Eagles.[108]Line 80:
In June, Sanada returned atDominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall, failing to defeat Will Ospreay for the vacant IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.[109] Later in the month, Takagi and Takahashi were announced to be competing atAEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, however, shortly after Takahashi was announced to be taken off of the card, due to suffering from a fever.[110] Therefore, Takagi was announced to be competing in a six-man tag-team match, teaming withDarby Allin andSting against Bullet Club'sEl Phantasmo andThe Young Bucks, in which Takagi pinned Phantasmo to win the match.[111] The following month, Sanada, Takagi and Naito entered theG1 Climax 32 tournament.[112] In the B block, Sanada finished middle of his block, with 6 points. Takagi narrowly missed out on topping the D Block, after losing to El Phantasmo, thus finishing on 6 points. In the C Block, Naito defeated Sabre Jr to top the C Block, however, lost to Will Ospreay in the semifinal round.[113] In July and September, Takahashi and Takagi made their debuts on NJPW's US show,NJPW Strong.[114][115]
On October 10 at Declaration of Power, a mystery wrestler helped Los Ingobernables de Japón defeatedUnited Empire'sWill Ospreay,TJP,Aaron Henare andFrancesco Akira. Following the match, the mystery wrestler was revealed toTitán, who requested to join the stable. The stable accepted Titán into the group, and he became L.I.J's first full-time non-Japanese member.[116] From November 22 until December 14, Naito and Sanada took part in the 2022World Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record of seven wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. Meanwhile, Bushi and Titán took part in the 2022Super Junior Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record six wins and three losses, but didn't make the final standings due to losing toLiYoh (Lio Rush andYoh) on the final day.
On January 5, 2023 atNew Year Dash!!, Takagi become the firstProvisional 2023 KOPW Champion after defeatingGreat-O-Khan,Toru Yano,Sho in afour-way match.[117] On March 5, Sanada defeatedTaichi in the first round of the 2023New 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 inAll Japan Pro-Wrestling. Following a victory against Naito in the next round of the New Japan Cup on March 17, Sanada was approached by Taichi, accompanied by the rest of hisJust 4 Guys stable (Douki,Taka Michinoku andYoshinobu Kanemaru). 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. On April 29 at Wrestling Satsuma no Kuni, Takagi lost the Provisional KOPW 2023 Championship to Taichi in a Takagi-style triad match. The following month, three members of L.I.J took part in the 2023Best of the Super Juniors with Hiromu and Titán wrestling in Block A and BUSHI in Block B. Bushi was eliminated after finishing the tournament with a record of two wins and seven losses. Meanwhile, both Hiromu and Titán entered the final day with a chance to reach the semifinals, however, in their head-to-head match, Titán defeated Hiromu, advancing to the semifinals. On May 26, Titán defeatedEl Desperado in the semifinals and then was defeated byMaster Wato in the finals of the 2023 Best of the Super Juniors. After indicating his intentions to join L.I.J.,Yota Tsuji, who recently made his return from his excursion, was accepted as the newest member of the stable on June 3.[118] From July 15 to August 9, three members of L.I.J took part in the 2023G1 Climax with Tsuji in Block A, Takagi in Block C and Naito in Block D. Tsuji and Takagi both finished tournament with a record of three wins, one draw and three losses. Meanwhile, Naito won his block with a record of five wins and two losses, advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament. On August 10, Naito defeatedHikuleo in the quarterfinals,[119] and thenWill Ospreay on August 12 in the semifinals to advance to the finals.[120]
On August 13, Naito defeatedKazuchika Okada in the finals to win theG1 Climax 33, thus earning a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship atWrestle Kingdom 18.[121] On October 28, atFighting Spirit Unleashed, Takagi defeatedTama Tonga to win theNEVER Openweight Championship.[122] In the meantime, Bushi and Titán took part in the 2023Super Junior Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record five wins and four losses, but were left behind them in the final standings due to losing to Yoh and Musashi on the final day.On January 4, 2024 atWrestle Kingdom 18, Takagi lost the NEVER Openweight Championship back to Tama Tonga. Later that night, Takahashi lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to El Desperado. In the main event, Naito defeated Sanada to win theIWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[123] On April 6 at The following day, atNew Year Dash!!, after L.I.J were defeated byJust 5 Guys, Naito was challenged by Sanada to a rematch, which he accepted. On February 24 atThe New Beginning in Sapporo: Night 2, in the match series, L.I.J and Just 5 Guys were tied in a aggregate score of 2–2, with Tsuji defeatingYuya Uemura in aHair vs. Hair match. In the main event, Naito successfully defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Sanada, thus winning the match series between both stables.[124] AtSakura Genesis, Takagi defeated Evil to win the NEVER Openweight Championship. Later that night,New Japan Cup winner Tsuji unsuccessfully challenged Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.[125] On March 13 atWindy City Riot, Naito lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Jon Moxley.[126] In May, three members of L.I.J took part in the 2024Best of the Super Juniors with Bushi and Titán wrestling in Block A and Takahashi in Block B, with all three failing to advance from their blocks. On June 9 atDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall, Tsuji, BUSHI and Takahashi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg to win theNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship,[127] before losing it back to them on June 16 at New Japan Soul; Night 1. Also at New Japan Soul, Takagi lost the NEVER Openweight Championship to Henare.[128] On June 30, atForbidden Door, Naito defeated Jon Moxley to win back the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship for the second time.[129] On August 18, Tsuji was defeated byZack Sabre Jr. in the finals of theG1 Climax 34.[130] On September 29 atDestruction in Kobe, Takagi defeated Henare to win theNEVER Openweight Championship.[131] On October 14 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Naito lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to the G1 Climax winner Zack Sabre Jr.[132]
From October 24 to November 2, Bushi and Takahashi took part in the 2024Super Junior Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record two wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals. On November 4, atPower Struggle, Naito proposed Takahashi to team with him for the upcoming 2024World Tag League, which he accepted.[133] On December 6, it was announced that, due to Naito and Takahashi being tied 10 points with bothHouse of Torture's EVIL andRen Narita, andToru Yano andBoltin Oleg, the three teams would face each other in a three-way match to decide the finalists of the tournament, which they won. On December 8, Naito and Takahashi defeatedBullet Club War Dogs'Gabe Kidd andSanada in the finals to win the tournament. Following the match, Naito was challenged by Takahashi to a match on January 4, 2025 atWrestle Kingdom 19 in Tokyo Dome, which he accepted.[134] At the event, Takagi lost theNEVER Openweight Championship toKonosuke Takeshita in aWinner Takes All match also for Takeshita's AEW International Championship.[135] On the same night, Tsuji defeated David Finlay to win theIWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, and Naito defeated Takahashi.[136]
On January 5, atWrestle Dynasty, Naito and Hiromu, as the 2024 World Tag League winners, failed to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship in a three-way match involvingThe Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson), who won the match, and United Empire's Great-O-Khan and Henare.[137]On January 6 atNew Year Dash!!, Naito and Takahashi challenged The Young Bucks to a title match atThe New Begeinning in Osaka on February 11.[138] At the event, Naito and Takahashi defeated The Young Bucks to become the new champions.[139] They lost the titles to United Empire'sJeff Cobb andCallum Newman on April 5 atSakura Genesis[140]
On April 16, 2025, it was announced that both Naito and Bushi would not be renewing their contract and would be leaving NJPW after fulfilling their dates at theWrestling Dontaku series the next month. Their final match was atWrestling Dontaku: Night 2 on May 4 where they teamed with Takagi and Hiromu to defeatShota Umino,Tomohiro Ishii and Just 4 Guys' Taichi and Taka Michinoku.[141][142] At the same event, it was announced that L.I.J would be ending as a stable moving forward. The trio of Takahashi, Takagi, and Titán had one final match at CMLL'sFantastica Mania Mexico on June 20, 2025 under the L.I.J. name, with Tsuji joining them for a final roll call before fully disbanding.
Dave Meltzer wrote on hisWrestling Observer Newsletter that prior to the formation of L.I.J., Naito was known as "something of a genius in the ring for his ability to lay out matches", but noted that "something didn't click", calling his reception "a combination of some fans booing, and some apathy". However, after copying theLos Ingobernables concept he had seen in Mexico, Naito, according to Meltzer, became "more and more popular for being different", with L.I.J. dress clothes, shirts and masks becoming "the cool wrestling merchandise".[143] According to formerBullet Club leaderKenny Omega, L.I.J. took over Bullet Club's status as "the hottest thing around".[144] When Naito won the 2016 MVP award forWrestler of the Year fromTokyo Sports, the magazine calledLos Ingobernables de Japon a phenomenon that had ushered in a new era.[145] Naito's win ended a five-year run in which the award had been won by either Hiroshi Tanahashi or Kazuchika Okada.[146] The following year, Naito became the fifth wrestler to win the award in consecutive years.[147]
L.I.J. also gained fans outside of professional wrestling.Teruo Iwamoto, a retiredsoccer player who had represented the Japanese national team, was a lapsed professional wrestling fan until seeing L.I.J.[148] He went on to become close friends with members of the stable,[149] was teased as a possible tag team partner for Naito in the 2016 World Tag League,[150] and was eventually given the honorary role of L.I.J.'s "public relations manager".[148]
During 2017, theHiroshima Toyo Carp baseball team releasedCarp de Japon andTranquilo de Carp shirts, both designed with an L.I.J. theme.[151][152]
| * | Founding members |
| L | Leader(s) |
| Member | Joined | Left | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush | November 21, 2015 | September 27, 2019 | Part-time member; Full-time member of the originalLos Ingobernables | |
| Jay Lethal | February 20, 2016 | August 20, 2016 | Part-time member; Mainly represented the group inRing of Honor | |
| Truth Martini | February 20, 2016 | One-off appearance; Lethal's manager | ||
| Evil | * | November 21, 2015 | July 11, 2020 | |
| Sanada | April 10, 2016 | March 17, 2023 | ||
| Tetsuya Naito | L* | November 21, 2015 | May 4, 2025 | |
| Bushi | * | November 21, 2015 | ||
| Hiromu Takahashi | December 10, 2016 | |||
| Shingo Takagi | October 8, 2018 | |||
| Titán | October 10, 2022 | |||
| Yota Tsuji | June 3, 2023 | |||
the Los Ingobernables dream team of ROH World Champion Jay Lethal and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito
