(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: SUNNY VOYAGE 2023 - Yokohama Radiant Hall (Saturday June 10th 2023)

Noah announced that due to injury (spinal cord concussion) Junta Miyawaki would be absent and the card had to be changed. Some cards he was appearing on in the future will also be changed and sadly Junta is expected to miss "GREEN JOURNEY 2023 IN NAGOYA", but Noah expect him to be back by the time of Kenoh's anniversary in Tokushima. LEONA was therefore drafted in, and made his return to Noah a lot earlier than expected. A lot earlier, as we will see. 

Tickets sold out for the event well in advance, with Noah announcing yesterday that same day tickets and tickets for students would not be available. The final attendance was announced as 310. 

The event was streamed through WrestleUniverse, at the time of writing you should be able to view it free as the service is doing a promotion. If you cannot, you will need to subscribe. 

MATCH ONE

Seiki Yoshioka vs Eita

The two have clashed many times in tag matches, but never before in a singles match. Seiki Yoshioka's quickness caught Eita off guard, but so did Eita's sneakiness for Yoshioka. Eita being Eita was determined to win by any means, even trying to pin Yoshioka by repeated pins and then taking it up with the referee when this didn't happen, blaming him more for the slow count than Yoshioka repeatedly kicking out. Eita even tried submissions, but Yoshioka slid to the ropes. He was successful here though though, and got Yoshioka into a submission that he could not escape from. Fortunately, the time ran out. 

Winner: Neither, time limit draw at 15 minutes

LEONA, who hasn't been seen in Noah since 2018 (he was due to take part in that years Global Junior Tag League, but broke his leg) ran into the ring and attacked Eita. No one was really sure why as the two have never been in the ring before together, but perhaps it is because he's teaming with Yoshinari Ogawa. Asked why he did it he said that just the sight of Eita pissed him off and he could not help himself. Understandably, Eita has sworn revenge. 

MATCH TWO

Yoshinari Ogawa & LEONA vs Atsushi Kotoge & Kai Fujimura

LEONA (who practically went out one door and came in another) has bulked up and now looks like a tank. Yoshinari Ogawa was in one of his snitty moods and for some reason complained about what Atsushi Kotoge was wearing and then he and LEONA (who seems far nastier than I remember him being) set on Kai Fujimura and tortured him. 

WINNER: LEONA with a Figure 4 on Kai Fujimura (14 minutes, 50 seconds)

Yoshinari Ogawa threw Fujimura out of the ring and then of course Eita got back in, attacked LEONA and another fight broke out. The two beat up on Eita before leaving, and Eita left on the back of the new boy at ringside. HAYATA did not come out to help him.

MATCH THREE

Tadasuke vs Chris Ridgeway

Fans noticed that on his way to the ring, Chris Ridgeway paused on the ropes and spoke a few words to the new young trainee who was holding the ropes open for him and made him smile. When Tadasuke entered he did his run up to the apron, which is something we haven't seen since his RATELS days almost. STINGER is STINGER, and Ridgeway worked on Tadasuke's knee, not only bending it back, but also bending it forward. Tadasuke, who's knee had undergone a sustained attack, was screaming in pain and had no choice but to tap.

WINNER: Chris Ridgeway with the ankle hold (6 minutes, 44 seconds)

In true STINGER/Noah Junior style (and don't forget this is Yokohama), Chris Ridgeway attacked Tadasuke outside the ring after the match, stamping on his knee as he he held the belt above him and even shoved down Taishi Ozawa who attempted to separate them. Tadasuke left limping. 

MATCH FOUR

AXIZ (Go Shiozaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima) vs Kongoh (Manabu Soya & Hajime Ohara)

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Vertical Spike on Hajime Ohara (14 minutes, 21 seconds)

MATCH FIVE

Kaito Kiyomiya vs Sean Legacy

In the handshake before the match, Sean Legacy took Kaito Kiyomiya's hand and bowed, which earned him a big applause from the fans. This was a friendly match, but Kiyomiya fresh off of ALL TOGETHER yesterday and about to enter New Japan's G1 Climax, was looking to send a message, especially as the blocks were to be announced later today. 

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Transformed Tiger Driver (7 minutes, 27 seconds)

Backstage, Kaito Kiyomiya announced that he would not be appearing in Noah's N-1 Victory as he was appearing in the G-1 Climax, and he wanted to concentrate on being the star of New Japan's event. Noah later announced that Kiyomiya would therefore miss most (if not all) of the July Noah dates and some of the August. He would be absent from July 15th until August 27th, which is thirteen Noah events. Later New Japan announced that Kiyomiya was in Block A alongside SANADA, 

Shota Umino, Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji, Hikuleo, Chase Owens and Gabriel Kidd, which has been called "THE BLOCK OF YOUTH".

MATCH SIX

HAYATA, Daiki Inaba, Super Crazy & Stallion Rogers vs THE TOUGH (Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura), Dante Leon & Alejandro

HAYATA and Dante Leon clashed for the last time before the title match next Sunday. HAYATA looked happier to be back in Noah and amongst people he knew, and in the midst of the junior chaos, actually had some physical contact outside of wrestling moves when he slapped hands with his teammates. So while Daiki Inaba went to war with his teammates, Stallion Rogers tackled Inamura to the floor, and HAYATA and Dante Leon fought each other, Super Crazy and Alejandro tried to outdo each other in terms of ring psychology. 

WINNER: Dante Leon with the Inferno on Super Crazy (16 minutes, 51 seconds)

The pre matches ended with no direct wins by HAYATA or Dante Leon over each other. HAYATA was a little annoyed that Dante had won the last bout so to speak, and held up the belt and pointed to it before leaving. Backstage Dante said that HAYATA'S time as champion was coming to an end.

MATCH SEVEN

Good Looking Guys (Jake Lee & YO-HEY) vs Takashi Sugiura & AMAKUSA

Everything that Takashi Sugiura did today, whether it was beating up Jake Lee (or even poor YO-HEY), was to send a message to Jake that was either direct or indirect. AMAKUSA kind of backed him up on this, although he himself seemingly has no issues with Good Looking Guys. If Takashi Sugiura can strike hard and fast with the front neck lock, then Jake was just as swift to trap Sugiura in his own submission, and knock him off the apron using huge boots to the face with an accompanying sound that echoed around the hall, which was an ongoing theme between them throughout the match. Thank AMAKUSA that Sugiura was able to escape Jake's submission, but when it came to the Front Neck Lock, Jake relied on no one but himself as he used his size to his advantage to escape. 

WINNER: Jake Lee with the FBS (Face Break Shot) on AMAKUSA (14 minutes, 38 seconds)

With the pre matches over, Jake spoke provocatively on the microphone to Takashi Sugiura; 

"Sugiura, you bastard, you beat people up. Well, I can't talk for other people...but next time, I'll do more"

MATCH EIGHT

Kenoh vs Hi69

Now that he had left Kongoh, fans were interested to see what Hi69 was going to wear to the ring. I think the majority of people thought he would revert to his prior costume, but no one could have predicted that he would reach back five or even six years and come out wearing his old green camouflage gear of the tag team with Taiji Ishimori, XX. 

Kenoh arrived in the ring, looking like a school Principal who had to deal with a wayward student coming to his office. After the bell went, Kenoh offered a handshake, but Hi69 slapped his hand away. He was here to clear the air and fight, not to make up right away. Perhaps it would have been better for Hi69 to have taken Kenoh's gesture, but as it happened Kenoh kicked him round the ring shouting, "stand up!", used tactics on him like slapping him to the mat (the referee had to check on Hi69) and breaking the pin at the last moment, which he followed up with the PFS.

WINNER: Kenoh with the PFS (10 minutes, 52 seconds)

Kenoh was speaking on the mic about the match with Hi69, "the battle of men with strong convictions...", when he was interrupted by the arrival of a man who also had strong convictions, albeit usually about his own glory (or supposed slights by his Kensuke Office brothers). Kento Miyahara. 

Miyahara danced his way to the ring and in usual fashion announced to everyone that, "Kento Miyahara has come to Noah". Miyahara told Kenoh (Manabu Soya came out glaring while he spoke and joined them) that yesterday at ALL TOGETHER, he had seen how Kenoh was the face of Noah and since he, Kento Miyahara was the face of All Japan, the fans wanted to see them clash. So how about it? He and the hapless Yuma Aoyagi (the person Kenoh has forgotten existed and had to have Soya remind him of his name, and who Kazuchika Okada couldn't remember the name of and had never heard of previously), would challenge for the All Japan World Heavyweight Tag. 

Kenoh, (who probably wouldn't have cared if Giant Baba himself had come to challenge as long as someone from All Japan came), said as Kento had come here to Noah to challenge then he would accept. But, the challenge would have to take place in Noah. Miyahara was happy with that, and after saying that it was himself and Yuma Aoyagi who would take them on, butted heads slightly with Kenoh and Soya, and then left. Miyahara said later he was both "a superstar and generous", which is why he agreed to have the match in Noah.

Kenoh picked up where he had left off, asking everyone to support Hi69, who had strong beliefs, and who had left Kongoh to change himself, but that it was Kongoh who are the centre of Noah and who were leading Noah, and he and Kongoh would not only defend the All Japan Heavyweight Tag in Noah, they and he would take Noah to the top. Backstage, Manabu Soya asked Kenoh to come to All Japan tomorrow to see his match with Aoyagi and watch him defeat him. Kenoh took him up on his invite.

Noah's next event: GREEN JOURNEY 2023 in NAGOYA, Saturday June 17th (Aichi-Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall)

Picture credit: Weekly Pro