 He thus headed for Mexico and Puerto Rico, where he won his first major title, the International Wrestling Association junior heavyweight title.Returning to Japan in 2002, he entered New Japan Pro Wrestling (to which he had been once before, in a Best of the Super Junior tournament), to challenge the heavyweight division, but nothing came out of it.He then headed to Taka Michinoku's Kaientai Dojo promotion, but despite being promoted as a tough-to beat heel, he was never able to win titles there.