The next day at "New Year Dash!!", Tanahashi, Manabu Nakanishi and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated "Los Ingobernables de Japon" (Bushi, Evil and Sanada) for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. They lost the title back to L.I.J. on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka. Tanahashi and Taguchi regained the title from L.I.J. with new partner Ricochet on April 4. After defeating L.I.J. member Evil on April 29, Tanahashi confronted the stable's leader Tetsuya Naito and challenged him to a match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2017, Tanahashi, Ricochet and Taguchi lost the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship back to L.I.J. members Bushi, Evil and Sanada. Shortly afterwards, Tanahashi was sidelined with a ruptured biceps tendon. Though he later admitted that a surgery would have been the best option for him, Tanahashi stated that he could not take time off.