(NOAH) Akitoshi Saito History: "STERNESS" and Jun Akiyama, joint GHC Tag Team capture.
Hochi News
On October 11th 2000, Akitoshi Saito made his Pro Wrestling Noah debut. He teamed up with the head of Seishinkaikan*, Masashi Aoyagi, to face Masao Inoue and Naomichi Marufuji. It was a scene reminiscent of 1992, when Seishinkaikan raided New Japan. Saito, who showed no signs of being on a two year hiatus, used his signature kicks to corner Marufuji, who was in his third year of wrestling since debuting. He ended up slamming the Noah rookie with a neck breaker (later renamed the technique, "Death Sickle"). Aoyagi, who was his tag partner, expressed dissatisfaction to the press that Misawa had publically declared that this was a "test", since they had already built up a track record in New Japan and other places, but Saito took it calmly.
"I didn't have a problem with Misawa-san calling it a "test". More than that, I was very happy to be able to step into the Pro Wrestling Noah ring. I had never trained with either of my opponents, Inoue or Marufuji before, so I didn't know how it would go, and I felt a tension that I'd never felt before".
After the match, Misawa did not inform Saito of the result of the "test". However, later, an offer for the next match came through Aoyagi, and Saito, who would go on to become a regular Noah wrestler, was a wrestler that Misawa saw fit.
Until then, Mitsuharu Misawa had been a distant figure, but when he started competing regularly and he got to know him up close, the feeling he had at the first meeting, "I want to work under this guy" became even stronger.
"My impression of Misawa-san did not change even after I joined Pro Wrestling Noah. Or rather, it felt like the impression I had when we first met was being confirmed day by day. He was someone who never wavered about the future, and the atmosphere he exuded was something you absorbed. But it wasn't a welcoming one either. It was the same as Misawa-san's style in the ring. He was a deep person."
He also invited Saito out for drinks.
"Misawa-san said, "I want to know more about Saito, so I want to drink with him", so we went out drinking. Even then, Misawa-san drank at his own pace, but he never encouraged alcohol to others. He said "When you drink, you can tell a persons character". I'm sorry to say this, but I'm humble with people, so Misawa-san might have wondered, "What is the real Saito like?" I didn't change even after drinking, so I don't know how Misawa-san took it, but maybe he trusted me."
In March 2001, Pro Wrestling Noah held a tournament to decide the first GHC Heavyweight Champion. The first match was on March 18th at Differ Ariake. Misawa's opponent was Saito. In their first one on one match. Saito used his signature kicks to corner Misawa, but lost to a Tiger Driver in 12 minutes and 26 seconds. Apart from the results, he had some emotional feelings.
"I think the tournament to decide the GHC Champion was an important one for the newly launched Pro Wrestling Noah. I lost, but I was honored and happy that Misawa-san chose me for that first match."
After making his presence known in Noah, he joined STERNESS, which was led by Jun Akiyama, who was looking to take even greater steps.
"Akiyama-san had a different kind of tension to the other wrestlers in Noah. I never heard it, but I think everyone except for me was a rival and he had a policy of not wanting to get too close. That attracted me. It was the same as what I wanted from pro wrestling."
An unforgettable match from his time in STERNESS was the GHC Heavyweight Tag match against WILD 2 (Takeshi Rikio and Takeshi Morishima), held on May 6th 2002 at the Miyagi Prefecture Sports Center in his hometown of Sendai. A strange thing happened when Rikio hit him with a DDT.
"The vertical fall called my head to hit the match, and I heard a cracking sound, which could be heard even from the fourth row at ringside. For a moment I thought, 'Maybe I'm paralyzed,' but then my hands and legs started moving. I just couldn't breathe, so I went outside the ring to catch my breath. Akiyama-san probably thought I couldn't continue after seeing my condition, but I fought until the end, as I thought I couldn't cause any trouble".
In the end, Saito was defeated by Morishima's lariat at 22 minutes and 35 seconds. After the match, he was rushed to hospital.
"The diagnosis was that my cervical vertebrae were damaged, my sternum was broken in three places, and two of my ribs were broken. However, I thought that it was times like these that I should be a professional wrestler, so even when the nurse asked me "Are you okay?" I remained calm and asked, "Is there anywhere to eat after this?". The nurse laughed and said, "Amazing!" and I was like, "Look! Professional wrestlers are amazing!" and I was really pleased (laughs)".
Saito was not hospitalized and returned home via Shinkansen the day after the match. Despite his serious injury, he immediately started training and prepared for his return.
"Much to the doctors surprise, the bones had started to heal."
Saito's comeback match was on August 24th at Differ Ariake. He teamed up with STERNESS, Akiyama, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Makoto Hashi to face Scorpio, Bison Smith, Richard Slinger and IZU. Saito pinned Slinger with a Death's Scythe, marking his return after three months.
And then his chance for revenge arrived.
On September 23rd, the stage was the Nippon Budokan, and he teamed up with Akiyama again to challenge for the GHC Tag Team Championship which was held by WILD2 (Takeshi Rikio and Takeshi Morishima), by whom he had been seriously injured in Sendai. In a fierce battle that lasted 22 minutes and 47 seconds, Saito defeated Rikio with three consecutive Death Scythes and took the belts. His first championship in Pro Wrestling Noah was proof that Saito had risen to the top of the Ark's ring.
To be continued...
Notes
Seishinkaikan: International Karate-Kenpo Federation
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