After being a mainstay for the Pro Wrestling NOAH promotion where he seized GHC Junior Heavyweight and Heavyweight gold, KENTA sought to test himself in America for five years. On his return to Japan in 2019, his long time friend Katsuyori Shibata pushed for KENTA to join NJPW, and at Dominion on June 9, he made his first appearance, vowing to be part of the G1 Climax. 

KENTA started strongly in the G1, but he was met with boos from a crowd who didn’t see KENTA as one of their own. On the last night of the G1, he was to tag with Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI against a BULLET CLUB trio of Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. Midway through the match however, he refused to tag Ishii and dropped off the apron. A Go2Sleep to Ishii later, and KENTA had joined BULLET CLUB. 

KENTA had turned his back on his past, and his best friend Shibata. KENTA would now embrace the hate of the crowd moving forward, and his new BULLET CLUB brothers, who helped him to NEVER Openweight Championship success. This all drew the ire of Katsuyori Shibata’s long time friend Hirooki Goto, who would win the gold at Wrestle Kingdom 14, but KENTA’s evening wasn’t done. Attacking Tetsuya Naito moments after he became the first double IWGP Champion in history, KENTA rocketed himself to the front of a line of challengers.