 He was introduced by Kenzo Suzuki as a part of his rudo stable La Yakuza, thus turning Sugi heel for the first time in his career.The faction, which also included El Oriental, amassed a number of tag team wins until a match in Verano de Escándalo, where they fell to The Psycho Circus.On August 30, Sugi competed individually in a Steel Cage Match where the last wrestler would be fired; Sugi escaped safely, but he got injured upon doing a theatrical backflip from the cage to the floor.