Changes: Young Lions

Revision as of 15:24, 6 June 2021

Young Lions Class — Upon graduation, Young Lions often compete primarily in the shows and excursions.

Rookie wrestlers of the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion are referred to as Young Lions. The name is a reference to the NJPW logo which features the fearsome beast.

To be considered a Young Lion one must have trained through the NJPW system.

Currently, there are three schools where an individual can train to become a Young Lion: the NJPW Dojo in Japan, its American counterpart the NJPW Dojo in Los Angeles, USA and its New Zealander counterpart the NJPW Dojo in Auckland, New Zealand.

Overview

Young Lions live in dormitories adjacent to their dojo and are expected to perform household duties such as cleaning, laundry, and cooking. Before wrestling shows a Young Lion is also expected to carry the baggage of their seniors, assemble the ring, and arrange guest seating. They are also responsible for the security of the audience, shielding them from brawls which may spill outside the ring. Shinsuke Nakamura and David Finlay are the only two wrestlers in history to win a championship title during their Young Lion days.

The Young Lion Cup

In the past, the Young Lions had their own tournament dubbed the Young Lion Cup - a successor to the Karl Gotch Cup promoted by the NJPW in the 1970s. The Young Lion Cup was held to determine the top Young Lion of the promotion.

For some wrestlers like Masahiro Chono, Manabu Nakanishi, Satoshi Kojima and Hiroshi Tanahashi it was their first taste of success. Later in their careers, they would go on to win the G1 Climax and the IWGP Heavyweight Championships respectively.

The Young Lion Cup went on hiatus in 2005 with no word on its return until 2017 when Yuji Nagata proposed a revival of the tournament.^[1] On September 26 of the same year, NJPW officially announced its return, and Katsuya Kitamura was crowned the first Young Lion Cup Champion in 12 years on December 21, 2017.

Lions Gate Project

The Young Lions in Japan have their own show called the Lions Gate Project where they face off against veteran wrestlers and rookies from other promotions in Japan. Young Lion matches mainly consist of basic moves such as entrance with full power running, elbows, body slams, and dropkicks. At the end of a match, it is customary for a Young Lion to finish with the Boston Crab or an original technique.

Lions Break Project

The Young Lions in the United States have their own show called the Lions Break Project which is the counterpart of Lion's Gate Project shows in Japan, where they also face off against veteran wrestlers and independent wrestlers from the United States.

Trainers

The list of trainers who train the Young Lions during their early days.

Japan Dojo
Super Strong Machine
Hiro Saito
Kazuo Yamazaki
USA Dojo
Katsuyori Shibata
Rocky Romero
New Zealand Dojo
Bad Luck Fale

Attire

Young Lions typically wear black fitted shorts and ring shoes. This uniform is commonly seen as a symbol of strong style. Even a seemingly benign addition to their attire like a knee pad can leave an impression; implying that the rookie is well on his way to success. ^[2] As a rookie advances and gains the respect of his peers and the audience, he may be awarded more accessories such as kick pads. ^[3]

However, some wrestlers like Katsuyori Shibata choose to keep their black shorts and ring shoes even after they become part of the main roster.

The Learning Excursion

Typically three years after their Young Lion debut, students are sent abroad to continue their training. This is often referred to as a "Learning Excursion". There are currently 3 NJPW training meccas in the world where a Young Lion might be sent: the United States, Mexico, and Europe.

Graduation

After this special training is complete and a Young Lion returns home to the NJPW in Japan they graduate and are no longer considered a Young Lion.

A special few wrestlers made their debut on the main stage before their Young Lion training was complete such as David Finlay and Juice Robinson.

List of current Young Lions

The following is a list that contains the current wrestler in their Young Lion status.

Name	Debut	Dojo	Note
Shota Umino	April 13, 2017	Japan Dojo	On a learning excursion in the United Kingdom
Ren Narita	July 4, 2017	L.A. Dojo	On a learning excursion in the United States
Yota Tsuji	April 10, 2018	Japan Dojo
Yuya Uemura	April 10, 2018	Japan Dojo
Alex Coughlin	September 30, 2018	L.A. Dojo
Gabriel Kidd	July 21, 2013	L.A. Dojo
The DKC	March 30 2018	L.A. Dojo
Yuto Nakashima	February 14, 2021	Japan Dojo

List of Graduates

The following is a list of Japanese and gaijin wrestlers who have graduated from the NJPW Dojo in Japan, along with the USA Dojo in Long Beach, California.

Name	Debut	Current Status	Note
Yoshiaki Fujiwara	November 12, 1972	Active in Japan
Gran Hamada	March 16, 1972	Active in Japan
Mr. Pogo	March 20, 1972	Died on June 23, 2017
Ryuma Go	September 9, 1972	Died on October 18, 2009
Don Arakawa	September 19, 1972	Died on November 5, 2017
Kuniaki Kobayashi	February 1, 1973	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Killer Khan	1973	Retired on 1987
Satoru Sayama	May 28, 1976	Active in Real Japan Pro Wrestling
Akira Maeda	August 25, 1978	Owner of Fighting Network RINGS
Hiro Saito	August 26, 1978	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Shunji Kosugi	Febuary 1981	Retired on April 10, 1988
Nobuhiko Takada	1981	President of Rizin Fighting Federation
Kazuo Yamazaki	May 6, 1982	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Tatsutoshi Goto	December 2, 1982	Semi Active in Japan
Jushin Thunder Liger	March 3, 1984	Retired on January 6, 2020
Masahiro Chono	October 5, 1984	Retired on April 13, 2014
AKIRA	October 12, 1984	Active in Japan
Shinya Hashimoto	September 1, 1984	Died on July 11, 2005
Keiji Mutoh	October 5, 1984	Active in Pro Wrestling NOAH
Takuma Sano	March 3, 1984	Retired
Hirokazu Hata	1984	Retired
Yoji Anjo	July 8, 1985	Retired on March 19, 2015
Kenichi Oya	April 20, 1986	Active in Japan
El Samurai	July 24, 1986	Semi Active in Japan
Hiroshi Hase	February 28, 1986	Retired on August 27, 2006
Takashi Iizuka	November 2, 1986	Retired on February 21, 2019
Ultimo Dragon	May 13, 1987	Active in Dragon Gate
Michiyoshi Ohara	June 30, 1990	Retired in 2008
Koji Kanemoto	November 7, 1990	Active in Japan
Hiroyoshi Tenzan	January 11, 1991	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Satoshi Kojima	July 16, 1991	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Osamu Nishimura	April 21, 1991	Active in All Japan Pro Wrestling
Shinjiro Otani	June 25, 1992	Active in Pro Wrestling Zero1
Tatsuhito Takaiwa	July 21, 1992	Active in Pro Wrestling Zero1
Yuji Nagata	September 14, 1992	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Kendo Kashin	September 21, 1992	Active in Japan
Manabu Nakanishi	October 13, 1992	Retired on February 22, 2020
Yutaka Yoshie	December 9, 1994	Active in All Japan Pro Wrestling
Tadao Yasuda	February 1994	Retired on February 4, 2011
Kazuyuki Fujita	November 1, 1996	Semi Active in Japan
Togi Makabe	February 15, 1997	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Hiroshi Tanahashi	October 10, 1999	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Katsuyori Shibata	October 10, 1999	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Wataru Inoue	October 10, 1999	Retired on March 3, 2013
KENSO	January 4, 2000	Active in Japan
Shinsuke Nakamura	August 29, 2002	Active in World Wrestling Entertainment
Yoshitatsu	October 12, 2002	Active in All Japan Pro Wrestling
Ryusuke Taguchi	November 22, 2002	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Hirooki Goto	July 6, 2003	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Prince Devitt	April 2006	Active in World Wrestling Entertainment	Graduated from NJPW USA Dojo
Yujiro Takahashi	July 26, 2004	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Tetsuya Naito	May 27, 2006	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Taichi	December 2, 2002	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Mitsuhide Hirasawa	January 28, 2006	Inactive
Yoshi-Hashi	July 6, 2008	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Kazuchika Okada	August 29, 2007	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
El Desperado	March 7, 2010	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Bad Luck Fale	April 4, 2010	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Tama Tonga	2008	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Hiromu Takahashi	August 24, 2010	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
EVIL	May 13, 2011	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Sho	November 15, 2012	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Yoh	November 19, 2012	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Jay White	January 30, 2015	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
David Finlay	December 22, 2012	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Juice Robinson	September 4, 2015	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Toa Henare	September 1, 2016	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Karl Fredericks	November 10, 2018	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling	Graduated from NJPW LA Dojo
Master Wato	January 1, 2016	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Great O-Khan	January 3, 2017	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Clark Connors	September 30, 2018	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling	Graduated from NJPW LA Dojo

Non-Graduates

The following is a list of notable wrestlers who have trained at the NJPW Dojo but did not officially graduate.

Name	Debut	Current Status	Note
Masakatsu Funaki	March 3, 1985	Active in Pro Wrestling NOAH	Funaki would leave NJPW in 1988 and later graduated in the UWF Dojo.
Minoru Suzuki	June 23, 1988	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling	Suzuki would leave NJPW in 1989 and later graduated in the UWF Dojo.
Akira Katayama	January 25, 1987	Retired on January 8, 1992
Poison Sawada Julie	1981	Retired on November 25, 2012	Sawada would leave NJPW in 1983 due to injury and later returned to wrestling in 1988 and later wrestled in DDT Pro-Wrestling and retired there.
Masakazu Fukuda	March 20, 1996	Died on April 19, 2000
Katsushi Takemura	July 22, 1997	Retired on January 6, 2009
Akiya Anzawa	September 21, 2003	Retired on January 8, 2006
Hiroshi Nagao	February 2, 2003	Retired on October 26, 2008
Taiji Ishimori	2004	Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
Takumi Honjo	February 25, 2016	Retired	Retired, after leaving the NJPW Dojo.
Katsuya Kitamura	March 13, 2017	Inactive	Winner of the 2017 Young Lion Cup, Four months later he left NJPW due to injury.
Tetsuhiro Yagi	May 9, 2017	Retired	Retired, after leaving the NJPW Dojo due to personal issues.
Teruaki Kanemitsu	January 1, 2016	Inactive	He left NJPW in April 2019 after being injured.

References

↑ Lion's Gate Project 7 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved on 2017-09-26.
↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/5sghbv/when_does_a_young_lion_get_his_gimmick/ddev3lf/
↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/njpw/comments/4nn7kd/are_young_lion_allowed_to_wear_kickpads/d45k0oz/

[1] Lion's Gate Project 7 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Retrieved on 2017-09-26.

[2] ttps://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/5sghbv/when_does_a_young_lion_get_his_gimmick/ddev3lf/

[3] ttps://www.reddit.com/r/njpw/comments/4nn7kd/are_young_lion_allowed_to_wear_kickpads/d45k0oz/

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 == The Learning Excursion ==
-<span>Typically three years after their Young Lion debut students are sent abroad to continue their training. This is often referred to as a "Learning Excursion". There are currently 3 NJPW training meccas in the world where a Young Lion might be sent: the United States, Mexico, and Europe.</span>
+<span>Typically three years after their Young Lion debut, students are sent abroad to continue their training. This is often referred to as a "Learning Excursion". There are currently 3 NJPW training meccas in the world where a Young Lion might be sent: the United States, Mexico, and Europe.</span>
 ==Graduation==
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 ! style="background: #e3e3e3; width: 20%;" |Dojo
 ! style="background: #e3e3e3; width: 20%;" |Note
-|-
-|[[Hikuleo]]
-|November 12, 2016
-|Japan Dojo
-|<small>On a l</small><small>earning excursion in the United Kingdom</small>
-|-
-|[[Tomoyuki Oka]]
-|January 1, 2017
-|Japan Dojo
-|<small>On a l</small><small>earning excursion in the United Kingdom</small>
 |-
 |[[Shota Umino]]
 |April 13, 2017
 |Japan Dojo
-|<small>On a l</small><small>earning excursion in the United Kingdom</small>
+|<small>On a learning excursion in the United Kingdom</small>
 |-
 |[[Ren Narita]]
@@ Line 81: / Line 71: @@
 |
 |-
-|[[Clark Connors]]
+|[[Alex Coughlin]]
 |September 30, 2018
 |L.A. Dojo
 |
 |-
-|[[Alex Coughlin]]
+|[[Gabriel Kidd]]
-|September 30, 2018
+|July 21, 2013
 |L.A. Dojo
 |
 |-
+|The DKC
-|[[Gabriel Kidd]]
+|March 30 2018
-|July 21, 2013
-|L.A.Dojo
+|L.A. Dojo
+|
+|-
+|[[Yuto Nakashima]]
+|February 14, 2021
+|Japan Dojo
 |
 |}
@@ Line 179: / Line 174: @@
 |March 3, 1984
 |Retired on January 6, 2020
+|
+|-
+|[[Masahiro Chono]]
+|October 5, 1984
+|Retired on April 13, 2014
 |
 |-
 |[[AKIRA]]
 |October 12, 1984
-|Active in [[Wrestle-1]]
+|Active in Japan
 |
 |-
@@ Line 193: / Line 193: @@
 |[[Keiji Mutoh]]
 |October 5, 1984
-|Owner of [[Wrestle-1]]
+|Active in [[Pro Wrestling NOAH]]
 |
 |-
@@ Line 213: / Line 213: @@
 |[[Kenichi Oya]]
 |April 20, 1986
-|Active in [[Cho Sento Puroresu FMW]]
+|Active in Japan
 |
 |-
@@ Line 377: / Line 377: @@
 |-
 |[[Kazuchika Okada]]
-|August 29, 2004
+|August 29, 2007
 |Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
 |
@@ Line 445: / Line 445: @@
 |Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
 |
+|-
+|[[Great O-Khan]]
+|January 3, 2017
+|Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
+|
+|-
+|[[Clark Connors]]
+|September 30, 2018
+|Active in New Japan Pro Wrestling
+|<small>Graduated from NJPW LA Dojo</small>
 |}
@@ Line 459: / Line 469: @@
 |[[Masakatsu Funaki]]
 |March 3, 1985
-|Active in Japan
+|Active in Pro Wrestling NOAH
 |<small>Funaki would leave NJPW in 1988 and later graduated in the UWF Dojo. </small>
 |-
@@ Line 524: / Line 534: @@
 == References ==
-{{reflist}}[[Category:Wrestlers]]
+{{reflist}}
+[[Category:Wrestlers]]
 [[Category:NJPW]]
 [[Category:NJPW Dojo]]