(NOAH) POST MATCH INTERVIEWS: STAR NAVIGATION 2023 (Thursday March 9th, Korakuen Hall)

TADASUKE

"The battles of Noah and the battles of the Noah Juniors are going to change in many ways, but we, the Kongoh Juniors, will be even more united than that. Unity! Thank you!"

LANZELOT

"Even if I was able to win in my first Pro Wrestling Noah, this is just the beginning. I am going to go up more and more and more from now on".

DAISUKE HARADA

HARADA: Thank you. I've been absent since August of last year, and I have had a lot of thoughts. I wanted to continue this beloved professional wrestling more and more, but I am sorry, one minute was my limit today. In the end, I couldn't hit the Katayama German, and I can't easily receive defensive techniques and I can't take them either. One minute is really the limit of time that I can do now. I am so grateful that so many people accepted and supported this one minute match, and that it was able to be held. Thank you. I have no further regrets. From now on, I will cherish this life that has been left to me by the doctors at the clinic, and everyone at Pro Wrestling Noah. When I thought I was going to cry, it was Kotoge who burst into tears (laughs). But that's okay. I'm glad I didn't cry. It was fun at the end, and I thought it would be nice if this time could last longer, I felt that there was still not enough for me. It was a professional wrestling life full of fun dreams for 17 years. Thank you very much, everyone. 

Q: How did you feel when you heard the cheers of the audience? 

HARADA: Because of the Corona pandemic, cheering was banned, and in October of last year, the ban was partially lifted from the Ariake Arena. Since that time I have been absent, and I have always wanted to hear it, and I am glad I got to at the end. 

Q: How did you feel when you went to do the Katayama German? 

HARADA: Frustrated. I wanted to throw it, but I can't. When I went to set it up, I thought "Here we go", but I couldn't. There was a conflict there, and I wish I hadn't (wry smile), I was so frustrated at that point. If I can't hit the German, then my pro wrestling is useless. 

Q: What are your thoughts on the future? 

HARADA: I haven't decided exactly what to do yet, so I can't say anything about it, but like I said at the press conference, while I still had a healthy body, I was going to stay and be involved in Noah. But, because I love pro wrestling and because I love Noah, I thought that my feelings wouldn't last, so I am leaving. This is the last time I will comment, and the final thing to do is to remove my taping. There were a lot of endings today. Today was the last time I cut myself away from my costume and take it off. From now on, I really want to continue watching Pro Wrestling Noah as a true pro wrestling fan. I want to keep watching and see what happens in the ring, and since people who watch from the outside know about it, I thought I would become a Pro Wrestling Genie from now on. 

Q: Was the last minute long or short?

HARADA: I guess it fet like it lasted a long time. I have been going to the dojo for about a week before today, and I have been imagining things, I think I was able to to fight slowly, even though I was doing in a way that was more structured than I thought.

Q: You also prepared your body

HARADA: Since this was the last time, I didn't want to go into the ring with an out of shape body, so I think it was essential for me to train my body for pro wrestling. I like training, so I plan to continue training even after I retire. I have an interview tomorrow at noon, so I am thinking about going to gym that morning. Is that okay to do? Thank you. 

ATSUSHI KOTOGE

"Harada got mad at me for crying too much. Man, today is bad. He came to make me cry. Well, whatever it is, it's over. The last match is a doctors stop, I couldn't believe it when I was first contacted. I know it sounds strange, but I wondered why God would do something terrible. Why Harada? It's a strange way of putting it, but I thought it would have been better if it had been me. Like he said in the ring, it's Harada who is having a hard time. Once again, I was reminded that the wrestling ring goes hand in hand with danger, and there are many wrestlers who are fighting with the aftereffects. I wouldn't say I have a beautiful body, but I have told myself that it would be better to leave the ring in this state. I feel sad, but I can wrestle, and so I feel sorry for him, but for the time being I want to continue to do it with a positive attitude. 

TAKASHI SUGIURA

"There's no time left for him. I'm anxious too, is he? Is it okay to stay like this? He doesn't have time. I'll train him again, it's Yokohama. I will train him again.

KAZUYUKI FUJITA & HIDEKI SUZUKI

FUJITA: Next is Kobe Sambo Hall on May 21st. Akiyama, I'll be waiting for you. 

SUZUKI: Everyone is saying things that suit them, because there have been a lot of things in February. I still wonder what's going on, I have to do many things, and I have to constantly look for new things in it. New things and new people. Yokohama is next. New people. 

KONGOH (KENOH & MANABU SOYA)

KENOH: Hey, you're here! Hey, you came! Aoyagi, the World Tag Team Champion, and who is that other guy? Name? Oh, it just came to me. That's how weak an impression Nomura makes. This is normal, we said we would challenge. We won at the Tokyo Dome next door, so what was the managing director make a fuss about over there? We will go to All Japan to win the All Japan Pro Wrestling belt. That's better than having such a weird managing director challenge you. You said that we should liven up the Pro Wrestling world, but what are you doing? Quick yes? That's fine. Aoyagi, came to Noah's ring. he knows. He knows pro wrestling, so he came here to make a challenge statement. We'll take the world tag belt from Aoyagi, and before that on March 19th, at the Yokohama Budokan, we're going to win the GHC tag belt. Soya said we were going to unify them, right? I even thought of a unified name. Listen up. The unified name is the GHC World Tag Team Championship. As the champions, we will push forward from now on. Right, Soya?

SOYA: EXACTLY! That's all. 

MASA KITAMIYA & DAIKI INABA

KITAMIYA: Humiliation!

INABA: Shit!

KITAMIYA: That's all!

YUMA AOYAGI & NAOYA NOMURA

AOYAGI: Long time no see, Pro Wrestling Noah fans. World Tag Team Champion Yuma Aoyago came to Noah today, we the World Tag Team Champions came to take on the challenge of Kenoh and Manabu Soya. It appears there will also be a GHC tag challenge before that, but hey, if you are going to challenge the World Tag Team, then make sure you bring the GHC tag belts. You said you would unify the tag belts after that, but we are going to rob you of everything, so be prepared. Yuma Aoyagi and Naoya Nomura will accept your challenge fair and square!

NOMURA: I'll take it. Hey, I'll make you regret challenging Nomuyagi. Be prepared, assholes!

HAYATA

"As you can see, I have no intention of working with Eita. Ogawa will be woken up at Radiant Hall next. Me, Chris and Ogawa are STINGER."

CHRIS RIDGEWAY

"You saw it today, right? The student beat the master. Today I beat Yoshinari Ogawa, a legend, at the truly amazing and historic Korakuen Hall. You know what this means, right?"

JAKE LEE

"I'm not denying what Kiyomiya is doing. Challenges are essential, no matter what you do. If you seek more than this, you have recognized it, right? The belt is a burden now. It's a heavy burden for him. So I don't say, "Come and see me", it's come and see Noah."

AMAKUSA

AMAKUSA: My name is AMAKUSA. Do you have any questions? 

Q: What is your impression of Hi69's fight? 

AMAKUSA: Isn't that a stupid question? This year, the flow of time is like an arrow of light and shadow. I am fulfilling each day. If it is a battle that can lead this precious treasure to the heavens, I am prepared to go to the extreme with any opponent. My future is a fate that is unknown to me, and I hope this feeling will reach the heavens.

Translated from Noah.co.jp

Picture credits: Noah.co.jp