Inoue was injured February 2007 and did not return until July of the same year where he & his mentor Koji Kanemoto lost an IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title Match against Kai En Tai.

He left New Japan for a learning excursion in Mexico and added strength (going from 185 to 208 pounds) and more of a lucharesu or technical style similar to that of Dean Malenko, who Inoue admired growing up.

The Staggerin' Blow was now a driver called the "Oracion Flame" & switched the roll that started the Triangle Lancer for a leg grapevine that would make it harder for his opponent to reach the ropes.

On May 3, 2010, at Wrestling Dontaku 2010 Inoue and Yuji Nagata defeated No Limit (Yujiro Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito) and Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) in a three-way match to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

[7] After four wins and a loss, Inoue and Nagata won their block and advanced to the semifinals of the tournament, where, on November 7, they defeated the IWGP Tag Team Champions, Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson.