(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: "ONE NIGHT DREAM" (Saturday July 15th, Korakuen Hall)

The tickets for Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kento Miyahara flew off the shelves the moment Noah put them on sale, and by the 23rd June, Noah announced that no more tickets would be sold. A sell out crowd of 1,515 people came to Korakuen today, and created an atmosphere in which both the wrestlers and themselves fed off each other. A few years ago Naomichi Marufuji had commented during the dark era of Noah, that this had been the case when things were bleak and it had created a vicious circle, but tonight that ghost was firmly laid to rest under Kaito Kiyomiya's first G1 Climax league win, the debut of some new foreign wrestlers, the debut of a new Noah Born, and pretty much everything from the first to last bell. Amongst the 1,515 people who came, was Noah's former President, Masayuki Uchida, who must have reflected on how far Noah had come. 

Event can be viewed on WrestleUniverse. 

MATCH ONE

YU OWADA DEBUT

Kai Fujimura vs Yu Owada

Fans bought cheering boards to support Yu Owada, while in the lobby he had been sent flowers. Touchingly, Daisuke Harada had also sent some too. Owada gave signs of being highly technical. He was given low ABEMA rankings (-3 for "power"), but a high ten score for "spirit". The fans were behind Owada, screaming as he dragged himself to the ropes when Kai Fujimura went for the first submission.

WINNER: Kai Fujimura with the Boston Crab (5 minutes, 53 seconds)

Following Owada's debut, Noah made some announcements. The first was to announce the N-1 VICTORY 2023 match schedule, the second was to announce a new project that they are rolling out for a few weeks in October, called "Monday Magic". 

Basically, this series of "episodes" as they are calling the events will all take place at Shinjuku FACE for five weeks every other Monday starting in October. NOSAWA Rongai will be the assistant director, and Noah have said that these shows will be a "drama series". It remains to be seen as to whether this will be alter egos, action outside the ring (i.e. on the streets) or simply Noah wrestlers getting caught up in "dramatic" situations in the ring and backstage. Noah have had something similar a long time ago, with Masa Kitamiya trying to conquer his fear of heights, visiting fortune tellers at New Year...and The Super Violent Army playing tennis and going to a restaurant.   

MATCH TWO

Jimmy Yang, Super Crazy & Stallion Rogers vs Good Looking Guys (Anthony Green, YO-HEY & Tadasuke)

This was a very fun match in which Jimmy Yang made his Noah debut, I get the feeling that this may be his first and last, but for his daughter in the next match, there may be a different story. Everyone appeared to be having fun as no one really had much reason to be in the ring together, aside from Anthony Green and Stallion Rogers perhaps. Jimmy (despite his loose pants) bought out his aerial moves, while Super Crazy sassed YO-HEY, moving when he went for a dropkick.  

WINNER: YO-HEY with the FACE G on Super Crazy (7 minutes, 40 seconds)

After the match, YO-HEY (and Tadasuke) asked for another chance to win back the GHC Junior Tag Championship. 

MATCH THREE

Jazzy Yang & Miyuki Takase vs Hibiscus Mii & Yuu

Yuu was the definite crowd favorite as no one it seemed could knock her down, and unfortunately her partner, Hibicus Mii was often on the receiving end, albeit accidentally. 

WINNER: Jazzy Yang with a moonsault on Hibiscus Mii (9 minutes, 46 seconds)

(I think this move may have been called "Who's The Yang?" as she shouted this before she did it)

Backstage, Jazzy mentioned that it had been NOSAWA who had been instrumental in bringing herself and her father to Noah. Sadly, nothing more was said about the creation of a women's GHC belt. 

Noah then made two further announcements, one was regarding their return to the Differ Arena ("Return to where it all began") for New Year 2024 on the 2nd January (no Nippon Budokan it seems as this will be Noah's first show of 2024), and the second was to confirm/announce what everyone knew and everyone had suspected; Naomichi Marufuji's opponent for his anniversary show was indeed going to be Will Ospreay. 

MATCH FOUR

N-1 SCRAMBLE, 8 MAN TAG MATCH

Lance Anoa'i, Adam Brook2s, Saxon Huxley & Jack Morris vs THE TOUGH (Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura), Manabu Soya & Daiki Inaba

By this point in the evening, lightning could have struck the roof of Korakuen and set it on fire, and no one would have noticed as this was the general atmosphere. Outside didn't need a thunderstorm, the storm was inside. Everyone in this match is taking part in the N-1, and everyone wanted a bit of each other. Yoshiki Inamura (after a lot of hand pointing between everyone and some girls screaming which made Inamura turn around), started against Adam Brookes, while Manabu Soya targeted Lance Anoa'i, who for a man of his physique, was capable of bringing out somersaults and moonsaults. 

Winner: Lance Anoa'i with the Samoan Splash on Manabu Soya (11 minutes, 17 seconds)

Masa Kitamiya and Manabu Soya got into a small scuffle, when Kitamiya went to help him up after he had rolled outside the ring and Soya pushed him away. For the winning team, all rivals, things were not much easier, but fortunately controlling Saxon Huxley seemed to be a priority and Jack Morris and Lance Anoa'i had to be the zookeepers/gamekeepers. Backstage, Saxon said that he was unstoppable, especially since neither Timothy Thatcher or Hideki Suzuki were there to control him and you saw how dangerous it would be for him to enter the N-1 alone. However, I during the match I did hear Lance telling Saxon (who had Daiki Inaba on his shoulders) to "Use your head, idiot! Put him in the ring!". Lance himself said that he had come here to win, which is what he did today, while Brookes said (these were all separate interviews) that none of the guys he teamed with where a big deal. 

MATCH FIVE

N-1 SPECIAL TAG MATCH

Jake Lee & Kenoh vs El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr & Go Shiozaki

As this was not an AXIZ match, Go Shiozaki came out in his "I am NOAH" Green, and then silently stood in the corner and watched as Kenoh made his entry. As ever the GHC Heavyweight and the GHC National are rivals, and Jake and El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr squared up, as soon as both of them were in the ring together, their belts held up and touching. 

Go Shiozaki and El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr (both people with a more easygoing nature than Kenoh) got on well, while from the start Kenoh and Jake did not. Right from the start they had a row (which Kenoh started) by yelling and gesticulating at Jake to get on the apron as he wanted to start the match. El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr offered Kenoh a handshake, which Kenoh batted away angrily and got the 

finger in return and then knocked to the mat and thrown all over the ring. Kenoh then stood in the corner, fuming at being embarrassed by El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr, and then tagged Jake in, who was being just as sarcastic as Kenoh had been earlier. Kenoh wouldn't let this drop, and his mood fuelled by the fans (who were loving it), he mouthed off at Jake whenever he had to be near him and then practically shoved Shiozaki's face into the announce table, yelling at the female announcer, "Mitsumune! Here is your favorite, Shiozaki!". Back in the ring, Kenoh's foul mood meant that he chopped Jake to tag him in. The crowd could see where this was going, and when Jake told Kenoh to get in the ring to help double team Shiozaki,  their tag tell apart as Kenoh got physical, Jake threw him out of the ring and Kenoh in a tantrum, kicked the steel barrier. 

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat on Kenoh (16 minutes, 15 seconds)

Go Shiozaki spoke on the mic after the match, there was an expectation from the crowd that they thought he was going to challenge El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr for the GHC National, but in the event of things he only said;

"On August 6th, the N-1 VICTORY will start in Yokohama. Wagner Jnr, Kenoh, Jake and all the members let came out today, let me just say one thing, "I Am Noah", and I will take"

Backstage Kenoh (who must have known that Kiyomiya won his first G1 match today) grumbled that he had lost to someone who had spent eight months doing nothing but lazing about at home, who he termed a "salary thief". He told the "salary thief" to come to the finals, and he would take from him far more of what he stole. 

MATCH SIX

HAYATA, Ray Escorpion & Dante Leon vs Dralistico, Ninja Mack & AMAKUSA

If the heavyweights were going to be wild because of the N-1, the the Noah Juniors and the Luchadores were going to be wild simply because they were Noah Juniors and Luchadores. Added to all of this was Atsuki Aoyagi, the challenger for HAYATA'S GHC Junior, coming out to sit on commentary. HAYATA

(who seems to know him by sight, if not by name as he called him "that guy" again later) noticed but was then distracted by a fight breaking out around him. It took Dralistico about five minutes to go into the crowd. HAYATA later beckoned Dralistico into the ring when he was fighting AMAKUSA, which resulted in him (HAYATA) being double teamed and the staid unsmiling serious Heian AMAKUSA doing a special handshake with Dralistico. While this might have been unusual for AMAKUSA, it was also unusual to hear the crowd openly boo HAYATA for knocking down Ninja Mack (apron heel tactics), but HAYATA seemed to love it though, and he was good enough to join in the usual hijinks between Dante and Ninja Mack. Dralistico and Rey Escorpion were also up to theirs, which culminated in Dralistico doing a hurracanrunna from the bleachers and over the heads of the English commentary team who were sitting directly below. This was a wild match in a wild evening.

WINNER: Dralistico via La Mystica submission on Rey Escorpion (13 minutes, 29 seconds)

After the match, HAYATA jumped the rail to butt heads with Aoyagi. HAYATA didn't say much backstage, accept to acknowledge Aoyagi was here and the upcoming title match, while Aoyagi said he would win the belt, bring it back to All Japan and fight Masanobu Fuchi for it. Dralistico called Korakuen Hall his home, to which Rey Escorpion vowed that Japan would be the place he defeated him. Meanwhile, the crowd were going crazy for the promo video for the main event. 

MATCH SEVEN

SPECIAL SINGLE MATCH, NO TIME LIMIT

Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kento Miyahara

(Match of The Year)

Kento (accompanied by an All Japan Pureblood) did his usual parade around the ring, the habitual scowl clouding his face when his hated older brother's music sounded, and Katsuhiko Nakajima came waltzing out, dressed in his wolfskin. If Miyahara could parade, then so could Nakajima, who did his old jump onto the apron with the "Worship Me" pose entry. Masa Kitamiya (an impartial observer if ever there was one as he hates both his older brothers equally) was on commentary and wore the same unimpressed look from beginning until end, even when Katsuhiko Nakajima tortured Miyahara right in front of him (Kitamiya just waved them away) and even when Nakajima used The Prison Lock. As for the crowd "Katsuhiko" and "Kento" screams and chants blended into "Kensuhiko" or "Kentohiko" as Miyahara and Nakajima stoked up the match for the grand finale. 

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Vertical Spike (34 minutes, 12 seconds)

Afterwards, Nakajima pulled Miyahara to his feet but Miyahara shoved him away angrily and another fight broke out. Nakajima ended it by throwing Miyahara out of the ring. 

Nakajima sat in the ring cross legged and waiting for more and grinning. Miyahara, who stayed sitting on the apron, warned him and then left slapping the mat angrily. Kitamiya didn't get involved in any of this, but he was probably secretly enjoying it. Nakajima spoke on the mic as Miyahara was leaving;

"Kento! You've become the best wrestler...but...me...I'll never give up!"

Miyahara growled and left, as Nakajima continued; 

"Today I was able to talk with Kento Miyahara for the first time in ten years at a crowded Korakuen. To all the fans who watched at the venue, and all the fans who watched on ABEMA, I sincerely thank you. The fact that we were able to have a "conversation" tonight for the first time in a while, means there may be more in the future, but it may only be for tonight. But, in pro wrestling, you never know what will happen! Next is the hot summer, the hot summer is the N-1. This is my N-1, keep your eyes on me and on Noah."

Backstage, Miyahara accepted defeat and likened "ONE NIGHT DREAM" to being more like "TAKE THE DREAM" (which was the opening lines of Kensuke Sasaki's old music) and said; 

"Whether or not there will be a next time is up to the wrestling fans. I'll always be ready to pay you back, Katsuhiko Nakajima." 

He likened Nakajima to the person in the world he least wanted to pay anything back to, but that loan had now been taken out. 

Noah's next event: SUNNY VOYAGE 2023, Thursday July 20th (live on Wrestle Universe)

Picture credits: BBM Mobile, Pro Wrestling DX

With thanks to: Metal-Noah