Chaos is a professional wrestling stable, primarily performing in the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. The group was formed in 2009, when members of the Great Bash Heel stable turned on their leader Togi Makabe and reformed under new leader Shinsuke Nakamura. Throughout the years, members of Chaos have held all seven NJPW championships.
On April 5, 2009, Toru Yano turned on Great Bash Heel (G.B.H.) leader Togi Makabe, costing Makabe his match against Shinsuke Nakamura. Throughout that month, all members of G.B.H., with the exception of Tomoaki Honma, turned their backs on Makabe, joining Nakamura and Yano. On April 23, the new group was officially dubbed Chaos with Nakamura and Yano positioned as its two central figures. The group shared the common goal of resurrecting the Strong Style, which Nakamura felt was abandoned after the departures of bearers Antonio Inoki and Shinya Hashimoto.
As Chaos originally was the only villainous group in New Japan Pro Wrestling, they feuded with every group within New Japan. Some of their feuds include Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yuji Nagata, Tiger Mask, and Togi Makabe. In 2013, Chaos started feuds with two other villanious groups, Suzuki-gun and Bullet Club, which led to the stable being portrayed in a more sympathetic way. During 2014, Chaos finalized its face turn, when the stable's two last villainous members, Takashi Iizuka and Yujiro Takahashi, jumped to Suzuki-gun and Bullet Club, respectively.
Chaos also has some allies from different promotions, including Masato Tanaka from Pro Wrestling Zero1, who had history with Jado and Gedo from their days in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and together they wrestle under the team name "The Complete Players". NJPW wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter Kazushi Sakuraba formed a tag team with Yano in mid-2014 and frequently teamed with other members as an associate throughout 2015, but became officially recognised as part of the faction when he joined other official Chaos members in bidding Shinsuke Nakamura farewell at his final NJPW match at Korakuen Hall on January 30, 2016.
During their run in the stable together, Okada and Nakamura were featured in the Japanese music video for Pharrell Williams' song "Happy", released in May 2014. In January 2017, it was announced that the Tekken 7: Fated Retribution video game would feature a Chaos shirt as an alternate outfit for all characters.
Double-team finishing moves
Anderson and Bernard
Magic Killer (Aided snap swinging neckbreaker)
Beretta and Romero
Strong Zero (Cradle back-to-belly piledriver (Baretta) / Diving double foot stomp (Romero) combination)
Koslov and Romero
Contract Killer (Inverted Death Valley driver (Koslov) / Springboard diving knee drop (Romero) combination)
Naito and Takahashi
Limitless Explosion (Wheelbarrow facebuster (Naito) / Cutter (Yujiro) combination)
Richards and Romero
Contract Killer (Inverted Death Valley driver (Richards) / Springboard diving knee drop (Romero) combination)
Anderson's finishing moves
Gun Stun (Jumping cutter)
Swivel Gun Stun (Fireman's carry cutter)
Bernard's finishing moves
Bernard Bomb (Elevated sitout powerbomb)
Bernard Driver (Reverse piledriver)
Beretta's finishing moves
Dudebuster (Cradle back-to-belly piledriver)
Black Tiger's finishing moves
Black Tiger Bomb (Sitout crucifix powerbomb)
Kneeling reverse piledriver
Tiger suplex
Gedo's finishing moves
Complete Shot
Gedo Clutch
Goto's finishing moves
Goto Shiki (Cross-legged cradle)
Goto Ni Shiki (Modified arm wrench inside cradle)
GTR (Lariat into a backbreaker)
Shouten Kai (Vertical lift sitout side slam)
Iizuka's finishing moves
Iron Finger from Hell (Throat thrust while wearing a loaded glove)
Mashō no Sleeper (Sleeper hold)
Ishii's finishing moves
Ishii Driller (Vertical suplex piledriver) - 2013
Vertical drop brainbuster
Jado's finishing moves
Crossface of Jado (Crossface)
Green Killer (Rope-hung DDT) – 2013–present
Kendrick's finishing moves
Sliced Bread #2 (Shiranui)
Koslov's finishing moves
Russian Strike (Discus elbow smash)
Low Ki's finishing moves
Dragon Clutch (Grounded dragon sleeper)
Ki Krusher (Fisherman driver, sometimes from the second or top rope)
Warrior's Way (Diving double foot stomp)
Warrior's Wrath (Diving double foot stomp to a tree of woe hung opponent)
Naito's finishing move
Stardust Press (Corkscrew moonsault)
Nakamura's finishing moves
Bomaye (Running knee strike to an opponent's head/back of the head, sometimes from the second rope)
Cross armbreaker
Landslide (Samoan driver, sometimes from the second rope)
Okada's finishing moves
Rainmaker (Wrist-lock transitioned into a short-arm lariat)
Red Ink (Kneeling cross-legged STF) – 2013–present
Ospreay's finishing moves
OsCutter (Springboard cutter)
Richards' finishing moves
Folding powerbomb
Sharpshooter
Romero's finishing moves
Diablo Armbar (Cross armbreaker)
Foreign Devil / Gargoyle (Diving double knee drop)
High speed roundhouse kick to the head of a seated or kneeling opponent
Kurayaminoten / Kurayami Piledriver (Cradle kneeling reverse piledriver)
Nomisugi Knee (Running knee strike)
Saito's finishing moves
Caribbean Death Grip (Tongan death grip)
Sakuraba's finishing moves
Sakuraba Lock (Kimura lock)
Takahashi's finishing moves
Bukko Nuki German (Bridging dead lift German suplex) - 2012–2013; used as a signature move thereafter
Tokyo Pimps (Sitout inverted front powerslam)
Tanaka's finishing moves
Dangan Rolling Elbow (Discus elbow smash)
Sliding D (Sliding forearm smash) – Innovated
Yano's finishing moves
634 (Double low blow)
Kagamiwari (Scoop brainbuster)
Multiple pin variations
Akakiri (Half nelson cradle, often preceded by a low blow)
Kuro Kirishima (Modified schoolboy)
Urakasumi (Leg hook front facelock rolled into a cradle)
Oni Koroshi (Kneeling powerbomb)
Yoshi-Hashi's finishing moves
Butterfly lock – 2016
Karma (Pumphandle half nelson driver) – 2016
Swanton Bomb (High-angle senton bomb)
Entrance themes
"Chaos Theme" by Yonosuke Kitamura
Championships and accomplishments
New Japan Pro Wrestling
IWGP Heavyweight Championship (5 times, current) – Nakamura (1) and Okada (4, current)
IWGP Intercontinental Championship (6 times) – Tanaka (1) and Nakamura (5)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times) – Low Ki
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (7 times, current) – Richards and Romero (2), Koslov and Romero (2), and Beretta and Romero (3, current)
IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times, current) – Naito and Takahashi (1), Iizuka and Yano (1) and Ishii and Yano (1, current)
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) – Yano and Briscoes
NEVER Openweight Championship (6 times, current) – Tanaka (1), Ishii (4) and Goto (1, current)
Best of the Super Juniors (2016) – Ospreay
G1 Climax (2011) – Nakamura
G1 Climax (2012, 2014) – Okada
G1 Tag League (2009) – Bernard and Anderson
New Japan Cup (2013) – Okada
New Japan Cup (2014) – Nakamura
New Japan Rumble (2016) – Jado
Super J Tag League (2010) – Gedo and Jado
Pro Wrestling Noah
GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Gedo and Jado
GHC Tag Team Championship (2 times) – Iizuka and Yano (1), Yano and Naomichi Marufuji (1)
Global Tag League (2016) – Yano and Naomichi Marufuji
Revolution Pro Wrestling
British Cruiserweight Championship (1 time, current) – Ospreay
Ring of Honor
ROH World Television Championship (2 times) – Ishii (1) and Ospreay (1)
Tokyo Sports
Best Bout Award (2011) Iizuka and Yano vs. Keiji Mutoh and Kenta Kobashi on August 27
Best Bout Award (2012) Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on June 16
Best Bout Award (2013) Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi on August 4
Best Bout Award (2014) Nakamura vs. Okada on August 10
Best Bout Award (2015) Okada vs. Genichiro Tenryu on November 15
Best Bout Award (2016) Okada vs. Naomichi Marufuji on July 18
MVP Award (2012, 2013, 2015) – Okada
Outstanding Performance Award (2014) – Ishii
Technique Award (2012) – Nakamura
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
5 Star Match (2013) Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on April 7
5 Star Match (2013) Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata on August 4
5 Star Match (2013) Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on October 14
5 Star Match (2015) Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi on January 4
5 Star Match (2015) Ishii vs. Tomoaki Honma on February 14
5 Star Match (2015) Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on August 16
5 Star Match (2016) Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on January 4
5 Star Match (2016) Ishii vs. Okada on August 6
6 Star Match (2017) Okada vs. Kenny Omega on January 4
Best Brawler (2014–2016) – Ishii
Best Flying Wrestler (2016) – Ospreay
Best Wrestling Maneuver (2012–2013) Okada's Rainmaker
Feud of the Year (2012–2013) Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Most Charismatic (2014–2015) – Nakamura
Most Improved (2012) – Okada
Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2013) Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on April 7
Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2015) Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi on January 4
Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2016) Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi on January 4
Wrestler of the Year (2014) – Nakamura
