(NOAH) Follow Me, You Bastards! Kenoh's Column
18th December 2024 (Issue no 2332)
Q: Voting for the "Pro Wrestling Grand Prix 2024" began last week. Please give us your annual predictions! Who do you think will win the grand prize?
KENOH: This year, Noah will finally win!
Q: Kaito Kiyomiya, right?
KENOH: No! Zack Sabre Jnr! He's proud to have grown up with Noah, so I think it's fair to say Noah is the winner. There was a time when he was next to me on the tour bus.
Q: That's a good story, but since he's now a New Japan wrestler, you can't say that Noah won.
KENOH: I'm kidding of course, but I think Zack is the one who's going to win the Grand Prix. Every year, New Japan wrestlers get a lot of votes, and I think this is a natural result considering the fan base. Zack's first G1 victory and first IWGP World Heavyweight Championship reign came in the second half of the year. Basically, if you stand out in the second half of the year, you leave a lasting impression and it's easier to win the award. We haven't seen that trend in recent years, so it was refreshing.
Q: Each year the G1 champion challenges at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th of the following year.
KENOH: In hindsight, this was a big change in terms of the annual awards. In the first half of the year, Tetsuya Naito and El Desperado were also candidates, but they didn't seem to do so well in the second half. However, since the votes are likely to be split between Zack, Naito, and Desperado, Kiyomiya also has a chance.
Q: The first GHC Heavyweight champion in history to win the N-1 VICTORY, he is an absolute ace who continues to revolutionize Noah with ALL REBELLION, and I wonder how he will be evaluated for his work across the industry with New Japan, ALL TOGETHER, NTV's 70-year history of wrestling broadcasts, and DRAGONGATE.
KENOH: I'm looking forward to seeing how far Kiyomiya gets with those assholes this year. The New Japan brand is huge, but I want to see him break down their stronghold. Good luck, Kaito saaaaaaaaaaaan*.....
Q:.....Next, what's your best match?
KENOH: Minoru Suzuki vs Yoshihiro Takayama. This match reaffirmed how important storytelling is in wrestling. I was moved by the sight of Takayama crying because he couldn't move his body, and Minoru Suzuki's speech as a long term ally was also fantastic. The relationship and way of life between these two was portrayed in the ring. I was moved as a person too.
Q: Next up is your specialty, the Women's Pro Wrestling Grand Prix.
KENOH: I'd like to say AZM is the obvious choice, but there are other notable wrestlers. She'll be challenging Iwatani Mayu for the IWGP Women's Championship in New Japan at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th next year, I'd really like to say AZM is the obvious choice for then.
Q: So, who should we choose then?
KENOH: Unagi Sayaka...no, Meiko Satomura who has been active in various promotions since she announced her retirement and has been a hot topic, but ultimately I think Tam Nakano would be my favorite. There are a lot of total "Tam Fans", so she is extremely strong in this kind of voting system. I saw her on TV Asahi's "Kuriimu Nantarara" a while ago, and if she can get that far as a cutesy girl, she's got great talent. She's tough, and her match content is on average, high. She started out as an idol and struggled, so her greed to climb up is amazing. I hope that the Noah wrestlers who are just satisfied with being wrestlers, will learn from her greed.
Q: Who is the best foreign wrestler?
KENOH: Junior.
Q: Huh?
KENOH: This year saw a lot of foreign second-generation wrestlers do well, with Zack Sabre Jnr, Davey Boy Smith Jr., El Hijo Del Doctor Wagner Jr., El Hijo del Panthera and Mochizuki Jr.
Q: By the way, Zack is not second-generation wrestler, and Mochizuki is not foreign.
KENOH: Then why is he "Jnr"
Q: Apparently it was given to him by the British promotion, "NWA-UK Hammerlock", where he debuted.
KENOH: Well, I'd say Zack properly. Next up is the Rookie of the Year. That has to be Ulka Sasaki. He's won the GHC National, and has been active at a top level. He's done MMA so he's used to the big stage and knows how to sell himself. This year, we've seen Kouki Amarei and others who have switched from other genres break through at once. Kaisei Takechi is insanely amazing but has had too few matches.
Q: I see... and the last one is Best Unit.
KENOH: I'd like to say, "ALL REBELLION of course!" but Cosmic Angels, who have won the award three years in a row, are already rock solid, and with the addition of young members like Sayaka Kurara and Aya Sakura, they've succeeded in increasing their popularity even further. We in ALL REBELLION also added two new members since our formation in May, but one has vanished, and the other betrayed us and showed his true colors.
Q: The one who vanished was Cristobal, and the one who showed his true colors was Taichi Ozawa.
KENOH: In terms of creating a buzz, they are unrivaled, but it's going to be a tough year. I'm looking forward to next year, but this year, it's the Saito brothers. They're popular with people of all ages and genders, and the fact that they're former sumo wrestlers is great too. Even if they debuted in their mid-thirties, they rose to the top in a year or two, proving that pro wrestling is fun in that they can turn the industry upside down. They also have the power to communicate to the public.
Q: Thank you. I hear you have something to say before we close out.
KENOH: Yes! Last year, thanks to all of you Weekly Pro Wrestler readers, I was able to come in fifth in the "Favorite Pro Wrestler" poll. Thank you so much. This year too, I hope you will cast your honest vote for Kenoh. With your help, let's put Kenoh in first place! Thank you so much!!!!
Notes
Saaaaaan: Said in the same style as when Kenoh was stalking him.
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