(NOAH): The match cards for the 19th August have been decided. The theme is stop Jun Akiyama! Rikio and Kobashi team up to clash with him!

Weekly Pro
29th August 2000 (Issue No.992) 

 Noah had an astounding start with Akiyama defeating Misawa, Taue, and Kobashi in three straight matches in the first two matches of the company's inauguration. Before the excitement had even died down, the card for the Ariake show on August 19th was announced. "Akiyama had to be the center of attention, and it seemed like Rikio had asserted himself, so I decided on the card with that in mind," Misawa said. The most attention is focused on the semi-final where Akiyama will appear.
 Rikio, who defeated Akiyama in the main event of his second inaugural match, will team up with Kobashi to try to stop Akiyama. Although this match is not the main event, it is definitely the most anticipated one. Of course, attention should be paid to the interaction between Kobashi, who is seeking revenge, and Akiyama, who is fighting back, but it's also important to keep an eye on Rikio, who is attacking Akiyama. In response to Rikio's attack after the match, Akiyama commented, "I'm actually happy that he's been doing it that way," and highly praised Rikio's aggressiveness. However, he also said, "Next time, I'll have to show

him what the seniors are like, and he'll have to get what he deserves" so it looks like this will be a fight that will require a lot of determination from Rikio. He said, "If I can team up with Kobashi, I'll give it my all. I'll take this chance and get recognized". Can he grab the chance and make a big breakthrough?
 If Rikio, who debuted only three months ago, can step out, the other young wrestlers will naturally not be able to keep quiet. This match will be extremely important in terms of predicting Noah's future*. And in the main event, Izumida, who forced Omori to submit in his second match since the company's inception, will appear. Will he be able to use the momentum from his defeat of NO FEAR to take on Misawa and Ogawa? This will also be something to check out. Omori, whose arm was injured in Izumida's attack, underwent surgery to remove loose cartilage (commonly known as a "rat") on August 9th. The surgery was successful and he was released from the hospital, but the date of his return is undecided and he will be absent. Due to Omori's absence, Takayama and Asako of NO FEAR will each be challenged by their juniors in singles matches.
 In the first two matches, heroes emerged from unexpected places, such as Kakihara and Izumida, but who will shine the most in this event? In Noah, anyone has the potential to become a star.
 Following the second event, Kakihara* will also be absent. The reason for his absence has not been announced, but it is possible that he is not in good health, or is having trouble with his style. This is a cause for concern, as Kakihara made a strong impact in the inaugural show. 

Blurb notes
Rikioh, who debuted only three months ago is a smash hit
Akiyama has become the star of the show, and has been selected as number one. His potential is revealed by his pairing with Kobashi. 

Notes
Predicting Noah's future: Sadly, this would not be the case for Noah's young for a very long time. Kakihara: He would never return to Noah. 

Picture credits: Weekly Pro