In October 2008, the Osaka Pro Seikigun was broken into two camps following problems between Billyken Kid and Tigers Mask, which eventually led to Tigers Mask, Black Buffalo and Masamune breaking away from the group and forming a new villainous alliance, unofficially referred to as the "Rudo Army". On November 15, Buffalo and Tigers Mask defeated Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada, with help from the debuting Orochi, to become the interim Osaka Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champions. Osaka Pro had been forced to introduce the title, after one half of the reigning Osaka Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champions, Asian Cougar, had been injured at the hands of the Rudo Army. In December, Buffalo made it to the finals of the 2008 Tenno-zan tournament, before being defeated by Billyken Kid. On January 1, 2009, Buffalo and Tigers Mask defeated Mucha Lucha (Asian Cougar and Tsubasa) in a title unification match to become the new Osaka Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champions. They would lose the title to Asian Cougar and Great Sasuke on February 15 at Osaka Hurricane 2009, only to regain it on May 20 at Osaka Pro's tenth anniversary event. The team's second and Buffalo's sixth reign ended on July 18, when they were defeated by Sengoku (Hideyoshi and Masamune). During the summer, Yamada returned to IWA Japan, now working as Black Buffalo, for a short run as the IWA World Heavyweight Champion. Back in Osaka Pro, Buffalo's and Tigers Mask's stable, which now also included The Bodyguard, Orochi and Tadasuke, was officially named LOV in reference to Osaka Pro's original villainous alliance. In January 2009, LOV, still villains within Osaka Pro, became de facto babyfaces by starting an interpromotional storyline rivalry with the Dragon Gate promotion, starting on January 17, when Black Buffalo and Tigers Mask invaded a Dragon Gate event and attacked Cima, who had publicly been making disparaging remarks about Osaka Pro. The rivalry was mainly contested between Cima and Tigers Mask; Black Buffalo's participation culminated on July 11, when he, Tigers Mask and The Bodyguard unsuccessfully challenged Cima, Gamma and Genki Horiguchi for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship. LOV's babyface turn would be finalized on August 28, when Orochi turned on the stable, helping Asian Cougar defeat Tigers Mask for the Osaka Pro Wrestling Championship. The newly renamed Kuuga, Orochi and another LOV turncoat, The Bodyguard, would then form the Joker stable, which took over LOV's spot as the promotion's top villainous alliance. On January 29, 2011, Buffalo and Tigers Mask challenged Kuuga and Orochi for the Osaka Pro Wrestling Tag Team Championship, but were defeated, when Tadasuke also turned on them and jumped to Joker. On February 27, Buffalo was forced to join Joker, after he and Tigers Mask were defeated in a tag team match by Orochi and Tadasuke. Meanwhile, Tigers Mask kept LOV alive by recruiting Naoki Setoguchi as his new partner. On March 5, Buffalo defeated Tigers Mask in a singles match, following interference from members of Joker. After refusing to return to his villainous antics, Buffalo turned on Joker on March 13 and returned to LOV. After LOV picked up two big wins over Joker, first on April 10, when Buffalo, Tigers Mask and Naoki Setoguchi defeated Kuuga, Tadasuke and Hayata to win the 12th Anniversary Six Man Tag Team Tournament, and then, when Tigers Mask regained the Osaka Pro Wrestling Championship from Kuuga on April 29, Tigers Mask suddenly announced that he was disbanding LOV and rejoining the Osaka Pro Seikigun, along with Buffalo and Setoguchi. In June, Buffalo and Tigers Mask entered the 2011 Tag Festival. After two wins and one loss, they advanced to the finals, where, on June 26, they defeated Billyken Kid and Joker leader Kuuga to win the tournament.