El Desperado

The mysterious masked man with a guitar in hand. Debuting for New Japan in January 2014, El Desperado displayed promise with a strong Lucha style. After competing in the 2014 Best of Super Juniors tournament, he joined Suzuki-gun and was reborn as a formidable member of the heel faction. Upon following Suzuki-gun into their invasion of the NOAH wrestling promotion in 2015, he was crowned GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with his partner Taka Michinoku. During Suzuki Gun's exodus to NOAH, the gropup signed Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and on the group's return to NJPW, Desperado and Kanemaru was an effective junior tag team. The devious duo would make the most of their considerable technical ability, and willingness to bend the rules, Kanemaru often spewing whisky into his opponents' eyes, and Desperado frequently jumping the bell to assault his opponents, and if they wore one, attempt to remove their masks. The two seized the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships at NJPW's 46th Anniversary event, and held the titles for 304 days, becoming the longest running champions in two decades. El Desperado remained a risk taking high impact singles performer as well, with a specific burning hatred reserved for Hiromu Takahashi. A June 2018 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship challenge against Takahashi was unsuccessful for Desperado, but the match was an instant classic, and proved that this devious rudo could seize singles glory at any time.