(Noah) Event recap - 18th August 2018, Culttz Kawasaki

"The main event was like being back in the Misawa-era"

The event was held today at a venue Noah have never before visited, Culttz Kawasaki, Kawasaki City. It was said to be a beautiful venue.
Although this was not his own production, Hajime Ohara had a big role in planning it as a native of Kawasaki (plus a student, and a volunteer Firefighter), he was asked to be part of the committee who planned the Kawasaki Sports Association 70th Anniversary. Prior to the event starting students from the University showcased traditional dance from the region, and Hajime Ohara appeared with the local Fire Brigade to report on their activities (they also did a recruitment drive).

An exercise class was also held by Ohara for the local children, with Noah trainees Yoshiki Inamura and Kimiya Okada assisting (although Okada is yet to debut due to injury and Inamura already has), both are now being included in Noah life and are let out of the dojo to attend events beyond ring attending and seconding at shows.

Mohammed Yone also celebrated an anniversary today, 23 years in wrestling, although it went largely unnoticed and uncommented on.

Noah held the GHC Junior Tag Championship match signing before the event, YO-HEY & HAYATA showed up wearing matching red soccer shirts (Urawa Red Diamonds who play in Saitama, according to my boyfriend the "Urawa Reds are one of the better teams". No idea why they wore them or chose to wear them, boyfriend says they haven't won a league or anything).

Event was said to have a good atmosphere and there was a feeling of excitement in the air (after the event there was a mad rush to the merchandise stand).

Atsushi Kotoge was on autograph duty today.

After the events confectionary sponsored by "The Leave" was handed out, along with Soy Milk & Miso bags to people of 65 years old and over and to elementary school children and under (courtesy of Hajime Ohara, who quite rightly has been called "Noah's Treasure")

MATCH ONE
Takuya Sugawara & Ikuto Hidaka vs Yoshinari Ogawa & Seiya Morohashi

Good opening match.
The two veterans, Ikuto Hidaka and Yoshinari Ogawa did not face off, fans would like them to have a singles match.
Hajime Ohara on commentary.

WINNER: Ikuto Hidaka with the Shinken Capture on Seiya Morohashi (10 minutes and 40 seconds)

MATCH TWO
"The Hooligans" (Maybach Taniguchi, Mitsuya Nagai, Cody Hall & KAZMA SAKAMOTO) vs Masao Inoue, Junta Miyawaki, El Hijo Del Pantera & Alejandro

This was the first appearance in Noah for Alejandro, he comes to Noah from Wrestle-1 as a freelancer, so combining himself and Pantera, there was a strong lucha element today, and unusually no crowd brawl between the two teams.
Sadly, Pantera was injured and stretchered off after the match after suffering a fall to the outside.

Although it is a year since Junta Miyawaki made his debut, he did not get his first victory today, but neither did he take the fall.

WINNER: Maybach Taniguchi with the Zwei Bomb on Junta Miyawaki (13 minutes and 17 seconds)

MATCH THREE
Daisuke Harada & Tadasuke vs The Backbreakers (Hajime Ohara & Hitoshi Kumano)

"The wrestler who loves Kawasaki, and is loved by Kawasaki citizens"

Naturally there was a big welcome for local hero Hajime Ohara, streamers, people calling to him, he was announced with all of his achievements and titles (plus his class number 2nd Year, Class B to which a little child in the crowd  said "What? He has been going to school with that hairstyle?"), so as you can imagine, with the amount of work that he has done, it is a pretty long list (Ohara also has been working tirelessly to promote the event, travelling the city to put up posters and doing radio ad newspaper interviews).
Noah have had quite a significant break (about ten days) since their last show (I think they didn't see there was any sense in trying to compete with New Japan), and it has given his neck time to heal. He was noticed not to have any taping today on it.

Ohara, with supreme technical skill, managed to reverse the Katayama German Suplex done by Daisuke Harada into the Muy Bien and got the pin through a clutch that way.
Daisuke Harada was furious and appealed to the referee.

After the match, Ohara (with a big smile) got on the microphone and thanked Kawasaki, he said he wants to spread sports and culture from Kawasaki in various ways, "we will make Kawasaki Mui Bien, no Japan and the world will be Mui Bien". Flowers were also presented to both himself and Hitoshi Kumano (who is from Hiroshima).

Hajime Ohara did the Muy Bien pose in the ring (Tadasuke was noted to be cheering him and imitating it from the side as he was walking to the back)

WINNER: Hajime Ohara with the Muy Bien Clutch on Daisuke Harada (15 minutes and 25 seconds)

MATCH FOUR
Elimination Match
Naomichi Marufuji, Akitoshi Saito, Masato Tanaka, Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm vs Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masa Kitamiya, Atsushi Kotoge & Kaito Kiyomiya

The match stipulation is elimination, so this can be done by pinfall, submission or knock out or by yourself or your opponent going over the top rope and your feet touching the floor.

Kenoh and Marufuji started (Kenoh had been shrieking on social media earlier about wanting a singles match).
Atsushi Kotoge rolled up to the arena with three cloaks. Someone commented that it was like seeing a washing line when he hung them over a ringpost.
Masa Kitamiya appeared to have had a trim to the hair.

Mohammed Yone made Atsushi Kotoge do the "Disco Fever" pose in retaliation for when Kotoge made him do the "Revolutionary Pose", and Kotoge, (who couldn't get to Yone to do it), made his partner, Quiet Storm do it, although the affect was not the same.

Katsuhiko Nakajima was at his evil best; gave Quiet Storm a kicking and laughed loudly.

ELIMINATIONS
Atsushi Kotoge with the Funky Buster Bomb by 50FP (after the usual cloak dive)
Mohammed Yone by Masa Kitamiya with the Side Suplex
Naomichi Marufuji by Kaito Kiyomiya (top rope elimination)
Katsuhiko Nakajima and Masato Tanaka eliminated each other (top rope elimination)
Akitoshi Saito eliminated by Kenoh via KO (Kenoh gave him a right kick to the head)
Quiet Storm eliminiated by tap out to the Prison Lock by Masa Kitamiya

Afterwards, Kenoh demanded a singles match with Marufuji (adding in usual expletives) and told him to choose the date and time of the titles match. Marufuji later posted on social media

""GHC Tag pre-match? You want a belt? You want my head?

Both?

You want a single pre-match?

The challenger doesn't have that right, you can have a single IF you take the belt from us...""

WINNER: Kenoh, Kaito Kiyomiya and Masa Kitamiya (Super New Generation Army, 29 minutes and 10 seconds), by Masa Kitamiya's Prison Lock on Quiet Storm.  

MATCH FIVE
GHC JUNIOR TAG CHAMPIONSHIP
Hi69 & Minoru Tanaka vs YO-HEY & HAYATA

The President of the Kawasaki Sports Association made the match declaration, and HAYATA & Tanaka started it off.
It was said to be a surprisingly "orthodox match", but the fans were a little disappointed with the results and the resultant challengers as Ikuto Hidaka & Takuya Sugawara from ZERO-ONE came out to challenge, Hi69 agreed to it, and Minoru Tanaka said "Same" in imitation of HAYATA.

WINNER: Hi69 with Michinoku Driver β on HAYATA (20 minutes and 20 seconds)

MATCH SIX
GHC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Takashi Sugiura vs Go Shiozaki

Go Shiozaki came out to his old theme song "Enforcer", a lot of the crowd said it gave them goosebumps, a lot of nostalgia as it was a theme he had mainly used in Noah's "Golden Era", this served to notch up the tension and anticipation, especially since his costume harks back to Misawa and Kobashi as he wears green and purple. There was a blizzard of white tape for Sugiura.

Masato Tanaka seconded Takashi Sugiura, while Kaito Kiyomiya seconded Go Shiozaki (he had done this for him the last time Shiozaki and Sugiura met in 2016).

It was a stiff as holy burning hell match, not overly technical as is to be expected, with a lot of amazing spots, Shiozaki in particular harking back to moves he has either rarely done (like a dive over the top rope) or moves he rarely does anymore (moonsaults). Sugiura attacked with unrelenting knees, elbows, knees and elbows. Sugiura's endurance to go a match described as "too intense" with a much younger man, was commented on and praised.

Afterwards, Sugiura was challenged by Masa Kitamiya, and Sugiura gave him a typically sarcastic response, asking who he was, telling him he accepted his challenge, but warning him "the old man is strong" and feels "totally refreshed."

Afterwards Sugiura thanked Kawasaki crowd, and wished them enjoyment of what was left of the summer.

WINNER: Takashi Sugiura with the Olympic Qualifying slam from the top turnbuckle (34 minutes and 22 seconds)

ATTENDANCE: 1,320

With thanks to: Metal-Noah, Abeshin, UltimateRoyale, Shishikazu, Tobi_102, Ojiitahara, Timeofai, Taichi, Takeda Kōichirō, Oshima, 

Picture credit: Noah.co.jp