Tanaka formed a short-lived tag team with Balls Mahoney, and at November to Remember on November 1, 1998 they defeated The Dudley Boyz to win the ECW World Tag Team Championships. In doing so, he became the first person to ever kick out of the Dudleys' "3D" finisher. The Dudley Boyz would regain the titles five days later, and Tanaka returned to Japan to attend the wedding of his friend Sabu in December and eventually returning to FMW in January 1999.