For the first time in their careers, Matt and Nick Jackson have won heavyweight tag-team gold in New Japan Pro Wrestling. The brothers defeated Evil and Sanada at NJPW Dominion in Osaka this morning.
The Bucks, along with Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Michael Elgin, and Hiromu Takahashi all became new champions this morning.
Omega, the Bucks, and Kota Ibushi are now referring to themselves as “the Golden Elite”.
GOLDEN ELITE shirts now available! https://t.co/i1xtEBKEqC pic.twitter.com/OAVkWdglOP
— The Young Bucks (@MattJackson13) June 9, 2018
The new faction might not sit well with Cody. At Dominion last night, Cody teamed with Marty Scurll and Hangman Page to defeat Jushin Liger, Rey Mysterio Jr, and Hiroshi Tanahashi. So far, Cody has not commented on the Golden Elite.
The Young Bucks Championship Resume
The Young Bucks’ championship resume reads like no one else’s. The brothers first debuted for a major independent promotion in 2007 when they started with Pro Wrestling Guerilla. 6 years later the Bucks began wrestling with Bullet Club in NJPW and have been winning titles ever since.
Here is the Young Bucks’ championship history:
- 7X IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions (most all-time)
- 9 combined defenses of IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships (3rd all-time)
- 706 combined days as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions (2nd all-time)
- 3x NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions (2x with Kenny Omega and once with Marty Scurll)
- Super Junior Tag Team Tournament Winners (2013)
- 3x ROH World Tag Team Champions
- 1x ROH 6-Man Tag Team Champions (with Hangman Page)
- 4x PWG World Tag Team Champions
- 3x Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Championship Tournament Winners (PWG)
In addition to being a decorated team in storyline, the Young Bucks have received numerous accolades from the wrestling media. Matt and Nick Jackson were named the tag-team of the year in 2017 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has awarded them two 5* matches. The first was a 6-man tag from 2016 when they teamed with Adam Cole and faced Matt Sydal, Ricochet, and Will Ospreay. The 2nd 5* match in their history was against the Golden Lovers at Strong Style Evolved. They have also been awarded the tag-team of the year every year since 2014 by the newsletter.
