(NOAH) Youngest GHC Champion Kaito Kiyomiya's second defense, "Noah's face is now me"... Marufuji makes challenge on return.

2nd February 2019
Sports Hochi

Kaito Kiyomiya (22), the youngest GHC Heavyweight champion ever, destroyed Masa Kitamiya (30) at Pro Wrestling Noah's Korakuen Hall event on the 1st February, and succeeded in his second defense.

On December 16th last year, at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium, he broke Takashi Sugiura (48) and became the youngest champion in history.
Kiyomiya, who became the 32nd champion after 3 years of career, succeeded in his first defense against the former champion, Kenoh (34), at Korakuen Hall on January 6th this year. This time, he defended against Kitamiya, who had been the dorm leader at the start of his training.

Kiyomiya wears short tights of emerald green for Noah's founder, Mitsuharu Misawa, while Kitamiya is a bearded heel influenced by Masa Saito.
The brilliant young ace, and the brillian young heel, made a collision of contrasting personalities.
Kiyomiya was bought down by a thorough knee attack from Kitamiya. He also suffered the Prison Lock, which caused a half faint state when he was lying on his back, plus a twist. He caught up with the rolling elbow, drop kick, missile kick, German suplex and then the Tiger Suplex to finish, Kitamiya kicked out at two, and he settled for the Tiger Suplex from the Emerald Flowsion.

When the young champion was using the microphone to speak of the belt, Naomichi Marufuji (39), who was returning from left shoulder injury, came out and took the mic.
"I do not fear strength from you. I am confident that I will win. I thought of listening your answer, but your answer is only "Do this".
The challenge was expressed from a gaze.

"Marufuji, to be honest, I thought you would come, but I am Noah's face. I will do a defensive match", Kiyomiya said and accepted the challenge.
To the crowd of 1,071 people who gathered at Korakuen Hall he said, "Listening to all your voices, I think we are fighting together. That is why I want to be stronger. From now on, I will run at a gallop wherever I go. Thank you for coming today".

Link to original article from Yahoo Japan (in Japanese)
Picture credit to Sports Hochi\Yahoo Japan