ELPIDA (エルピーダ Erupīda) is a professional wrestling stable formed by Yuma Anzai, Ryuki Honda, Rising HAYATO and Ren Ayabe in June 2024, whom they work for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW).
History[]
On May 29, Yuma Anzai made his first successful title defense of the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship against 2024 Champion Carnival winner Kento Miyahara. Following the match, Anzai, and Ryuki Honda, who were known as New Period, aligned themselves with Rising HAYATO and Ren Ayabe to form a stable. On June 24 at AJPW Dynamite Series, the new stable was named "ELPIDA" (meaning Hope in Greek). In their first official match, Ayabe, HAYATO and Honda were defeated by The Saito Brothers (Jun and Rei Saito) and Naruki Doi in a elimination match, after Doi scored a direct pinfall victory over HAYATO. This sparked a feud between ELPIDA and The Saito Brothers, with Doi challenging HAYATO to a title match for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship, which HAYATO accepted and Saito Brothers hinting that a new member would join them to even the odds against ELPIDA. On July 13, HAYATO lost the World Junior Heavyweight Championship to Naruki Doi. On August 17, Anzai lost the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship to Yuma Aoyagi. In September, Anzai, Ayabe and Honda all took part in the 2024 Ōdō Tournament. Ayabe made it furthest in the tournament, winning it, after defeating Honda in the finals. On October 13, Anzai and HAYATO defeated MUSASHI and Seiki Yoshioka to win the All Asia Tag Team Championship. From November 13 until December 1, two teams represented ELIPDA in the 2024 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, with Anzai and HAYATO wrestling in block A and Ayabe and Honda in block B. Both teams finished the tournament, with a record of four wins and two losses, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament. On December 8, both teams were eliminated in the semifinals with Anzai and HAYATO losing to Kento Miyahara and Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Ayabe and Honda to eventual winners The Saito Brothers (Jun and Rei Saito), respectively.
Members[]
| * | Founding member |
|---|---|
| I | Leader |
| Member | Duration | |
|---|---|---|
| Ren Ayabe | * | June 24, 2024 – Present |
| Rising HAYATO | * | June 24, 2024 – Present |
| Ryuki Honda | * | June 24, 2024 – Present |
| Yuma Anzai | * | June 24, 2024 – Present |
Sub-groups[]
| Affiliate | Members | Tenure | Type | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Period | Ryuki Honda Yuma Anzai |
2024–present | Tag team | AJPW |
Timeline[]
Entrance themes
- "Alive A Life" by Rica Matsumoto
Championships and Accomplishments[]
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Anzai
- World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – HAYATO
- All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – Anzai and HAYATO
- Ōdō Tournament (2024) – Ayabe