The writing has been on the wall for a while, but now it is official courtesy of New Japan. After many years with the company following a move from BattlARTS, Minoru has decided to leave New Japan. Minoru became one of New Japan’s most successful juniors this decade, but in recent times his position has lessened quite a lot and he has spent much of his time mentoring Prince Devitt in the junior tag division.

Minoru will wrestle his last match for the company opposite young lion Nobuo Yoshihashi on the 1/31 Korakuen Hall show. His future plans after that aren’t known, but he plans to address the crowd on the 1/30 Korakuen show.

The Junior*Stars reunited today for Masaaki Mochizuki’s 15th anniversary special show and were victorious over very tough opposition, Mochi and Kanemoto’s old friend Shinjiro Otani. Kanemoto submitted the host of the show with an ankle hold for the win. Mochi called for all three outsiders in the main event to take part on his 1/23 show back at Korakuen, proposing he and Minoru reform the B’s, Kanemoto face a young wrestler from DRAGON GATE, and Otani battle Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa.

Buyuden “MASAAKI MOCHIZUKI 15TH ANNIVERSARY”, 12/27/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Koji Kanemoto & Minoru beat Masaaki Mochizuki & Shinjiro Otani (22:48) when Kanemoto used an ankle hold on Mochizuki.