(NOAH) "I know there will be mixed opinions..." Veteran Naomichi Marufuji reveals his true feelings about "Noah's Dark Hero" OZAWA, "If I had beaten Misawa..." and the reason for his regret

Sports Graphic NumberWeb

16th July 2025

Pro Wrestling Noah, founded by Mitsuharu Misawa in July 2000, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and is once again experiencing great excitement. 

OZAWA's dangerous behavior, which involves making one revelation after another about the outdated nature of the Noah dojo and Kiyomiya's private life, as well as his incredible athletic ability and the spectacular moves he unleashes, have sparked a lot of buzz, with this year's shows at the "holy ground" of Korakuen Hall selling out repeatedly. OZAWA's rise to prominence has also invigorated young wrestlers, making Noah one of the most dynamic pro wrestling promotions today. 

On the current, newly reborn Noah mat, the veterans who continue to shine are the former top two, Naomichi Marufuji and KENTA. As founding members in 2000, they have known Noah from it's dawn led by Misawa to its golden age, and from its difficult times to the present day. We asked the two men to look back on the 25 years of Noah and themselves.

Noah was originally founded by Mitsuharu Misawa, who separated from All Japan Pro Wrestling, under the banner of "freedom and belief." Unconstrained by the views of pro wrestling established by the late Giant Baba, All Japan's founder, Noah introduced new ideas that were in tune with the times while preserving the original appeal of pro wrestling. This approach made it a savior for the pro wrestling world in the early 2000s, when the popularity of mixed martial arts was overwhelming. Then, in 2004, their first appearance at the Tokyo Dome was a success, drawing a huge crowd of 58,000 (according to organizers), and they held a second Tokyo Dome event the following year in 2005. This time, big matches like Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi vs. Kensuke Sasaki attracted a lot of attention, and Noah came to be known as the "leader of the industry," while New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which was struggling in the martial arts route at the time, was left in their dust. However, this prosperity did not last long. In June 2006, Kenta Kobashi, the ace and most popular wrestler at the time, was forced to take a long break due to kidney cancer, and Misawa's condition deteriorated due to years of intense fighting and the demanding work of being president of the company. Other key wrestlers also suffered injuries one after another, and Noah reached a major turning point. It was at this time that Naomichi Marufuji, a star junior heavyweight wrestler in his mid-20s, emerged. Marufuji recalls his feelings at the time:

"Back then, there was still a clear distinction between the heavyweight and junior heavyweight divisions, and even for me, the top heavyweights seemed like a really high, thick wall to climb. But with Kobashi's long-term absence and the loss of a major pillar of Noah, I began to feel that I had to become one of those pillars."

At the Nippon Budokan event in March 2006, Marufuji won by pinfall against Akira Taue, one of the "Four Heavenly Pillars". Continuing this momentum, in his first attempt he defeated GHC Heavyweight Champion Jun Akiyama with a perfect necklock* at the Budokan in September, successfully seizing Noah's highest title. Nowadays, it's not uncommon for a wrestler with a junior heavyweight physique to rise to the top of a major promotion, both in Japan and overseas, but at the time it was extremely unusual. For that reason, Marufuji's achievement was not wholeheartedly welcomed by fans. 

"Back then, there was still a strong sentiment that "the real thrill of pro wrestling is when the big wrestlers clash," and I heard that sentiment a lot from fans and others. However, even in those circumstances, Noah in giving me the chance to challenge for the GHC Championship expected me to break through that situation, and took a gamble to make a difference. So, even if I was rejected or told it was impossible, I just believed in myself and went for it."

The month after his first GHC Heavyweight Championship title win, Marufuji chose KENTA, a junior heavyweight with the same build, as his opponent for his first title defense. The first-ever GHC Heavyweight title match between two junior heavyweights was a high-level, fierce battle that seemed to anticipate the future, with Marufuji winning with a never-before-seen pole shift*. The match was selected as Tokyo Sports Best Match of the Year, signaling the arrival of a new era for Noah, but ultimately failed to completely change the times. In his second title defense, held at the Nippon Budokan on December 10th, Marufuji lost the title to Mitsuharu Misawa. 

Marufuji's revolution, which broke down the barriers between heavyweight and junior wrestlers, came to an end in just three months. Becoming the GHC Heavyweight Champion in NOAH at the time required both the ability to fill the Nippon Budokan, which was held at a rapid pace of once every two months, and the name recognition which comes from the holding of events in the countryside, which were held far more frequently than they are today. Misawa's return to the GHC title was likely a decision by the company to first halt declining attendance numbers rather than invest in the future. However, this prevented a smooth transition to the next generation, and as Misawa, in his mid-40s and past his prime and injured, continued to push himself and disaster occured in June 2009.

For this reason, Marufuji still regrets that a transition to the next generation could not be achieved while Misawa was still alive.

"When I became the GHC Heavyweight Champion, I lost to Misawa after just three months, and Misawa resumed his role as champion once again. I sometimes think, "If only I had beaten Misawa there and been able to lead Noah, things might have turned out differently." After I became champion, I fought with the desire to put on a show that exceeded expectations, but at the time, Misawa, Kobashi, and the other top wrestlers were revered at a god-like level by the fans. Even though there was still a gap in popularity and overall ability, I felt like I had to somehow close that gap and catch up or surpass them, but in the end it didn't happen. However, if I had stuck to my guns a little more, I might have been able to change that hierarchy and perception, but I wasn't able to push through. I think 2006 was a turning point for me and for Noah, but Misawa always said, "There is no such thing as "what if," so I just had to keep going without looking back."

After Misawa's death, Noah faced a series of hardships. Attendance figures continued to decline, leading to the departure of key wrestlers and the retirement of Kobashi. The deteriorating financial situation led to multiple changes in structure, and rumors of Noah's survival were rife. 

"Things were very tough after Misawa passed away. The number of fans and wrestlers decreased, and sometimes only 200 people could fit into Korakuen Hall (which has a capacity of approximately 1,600). When we went to the regional venues, there were only a few rows of chairs, and even then, the audience was sparse. I tried various things to keep Noah alive, but every time I did, I was met with comments like, "This isn't Noah," or "Misawa wouldn't do this," and it was hard to bear, but I just kept trying my best to keep Noah alive."

Marufuji was known as a "genius" from a young age.

With Noah's financial difficulties looming, if he had gone freelance, there's a good chance he would have had great success in other promotions or overseas. In fact, it seems that Marufuji himself received offers from major promotions both in Japan and overseas. However, he explains why he continued to stay with Noah:

"Of course, I have ambitions as a professional wrestler, but I felt that wasn't what I needed to do at the time. Another big factor was the presence of Misawa-san and the Noah fans, ithout them, I might have been free to do something else. After Misawa-san passed away, I felt like I had received some kind of invisible baton. There was no other complicated reason, and I think it was precisely because of that simple reason that I was able to continue. I wondered what my purpose would be without doing it."

Noah's difficult times lasted for over a decade, but even so, a new generation of wrestlers such as Kaito Kiyomiya and Kenoh emerged at the end of the 2010s. Then, in January 2020, Noah was transferred to the IT giant CyberAgent. In September of the same year, it became a brand of CyberFight Inc., CyberAgent's pro wrestling subsidiary, and matches began being streamed on ABEMA. In February 2021, the mega-star Keiji Mutoh joined Noah. In the two years leading up to his retirement at the Tokyo Dome on February 21, 2023, Muto's popularity attracted even more attention. Mutoh also highly praised Marufuji's contributions during Noah's dark period.  

"Even after President Misawa passed away, Kobashi retired, and many other wrestlers left, the 'Noah-ness' remained because Marufuji remained. If Marufuji hadn't been there during those really tough times, the people who had always supported Noah would have left, and the support would probably have ended there. So I think it's no exaggeration to say that "Marufuji's Noah"."

In response to Mutoh's words, Marufuji himself had this to say: "I've been with Noah for a long time, since its founding, but I'm not the only one who's supported it. I started out as Misawa's assistant, so I don't mind that image being associated with it, and that's always been my intention. Noah has survived thanks to the many other wrestlers, staff, and companies that have supported us. I'm grateful to everyone."

Now, with the arrival of OZAWA, Noah is entering a new era in its 25th year since its founding. How does Marufuji, who has continued to uphold the traditions of Noah, view OZAWA, who rose to prominence by criticizing the nature of Noah?

"I'm glad to see young wrestlers like that appear, and I think that's what we need. It's been a few years since we've seen the emergence of such a revolutionary new wrestler. Kiyomiya is a home-grown wrestler capable of being a main eventer, but for a long time there wasn't a rival of his generation. Just like how I had KENTA, rivals of the same generation are necessary. So I think OZAWA is that kind of figure for Kiyomiya, and even from the outside, their rivalry is interesting to watch. As for OZAWA, I heard a lot about him when he joined us, and I think he's someone who can express his own complexes in a good way in the wrestling ring. I'm sure there are pros and cons about the way he expresses himself, but we're no longer in the old days of "don't do this, don't do that." The slogan that Misawa put forward when Noah was founded was "freedom and conviction," and as long as he acts and speaks with free thinking and conviction, I think that's right for Noah. I think things will get even more exciting if more wrestlers like that appear".  

OZAWA may be called Noah's mutation, but his approach to pro wrestling is truly that of a Noah wrestler, even if his methodology is different. Future matches between OZAWA and Marufuji, "The symbol of Noah", are sure to be exciting.

"Strangely enough, I haven't had many opportunities to face OZAWA yet, but I'm sure we'll do it when the time is right. People say he's unconventional, but I'm not one to be cookie-cutter either. If we where to get into the ring together, I think it would make for an interesting match."

What does Marufuji believe is his mission? 

Another important element of Noah's current operations is its working relationship with WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Until then, WWE generally did not send its wrestlers to other companies, but a breakthrough came when a dream match between Great Muta and Shinsuke Nakamura took place at the Nippon Budokan on January 1, 2023, prior to Keiji Mutoh's retirement, which marked the start of the relationship. 

Last year, at the Nippon Budokan event on July 13th, former WWE champion AJ Styles appeared in Noah and faced off against Naomichi Marufuji. In January of this year, WWE giant Omos, who stands 221cm tall, participated. Furthermore, since last year, Inamura Yoshiki has been competing regularly in WWE's third brand, NXT, while still affiliated with Noah. Currently, Noah distributes match footage overseas through the video streaming site Wrestle Universe, and for this reason, its collaborative relationship with the globally popular WWE is likely to take on even greater significance in the future. Marufuji himself attended WWE's biggest annual event, WrestleMania 41, held in April at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, attracting a total of approximately 124,000 fans over two days, as a reporter for ABEMA. In addition to experiencing this massive event live, he was also welcomed by many wrestlers and other related personnel on-site.

"Many people told me things like, 'I've been watching your matches for ages.' I think the reason they say that to me, even though I haven't wrestled much in the States, is because they saw a young me in footage of Misawa and Kobashi wrestling when Noah was first launched. In that sense, I was reminded of the greatness of Noah's history, and I believe it's our mission to further develop it."

Naomichi Marufuji, known as the "Successor of the Ark," respects its history and will continue to pioneer new eras with Noah, which has now reached its 25th anniversary. 

Notes

Perfect Necklock: A move Marufuji was using at the time.

Pole shift: Otherwise known as a Fisherman's Driver

Translated from Sports Graphic NumberWeb

Picture credits: Sports Graphic NumberWeb