(NOAH) WEEKLY NEWSLETTER VOL.29 ~ 31st MARCH 2019

CURRENT TOUR RECAP

Noah streamed the last night of "Spring Navigation 2019" live from Korakuen Hall. Sadly, the viewing figures were greater than the attendance figures.
The streaming service was not as flawless as last time sadly, there were some minor issues with lag to begin with, but these soon sorted themselves out. It was later reported by media outlets that Noah were using a new form of technology to stream the shows. I am unfamiliar with the technical aspects, but it seems that the cameras used were wireless and therefore reducing the trip factor of cables.

Hitoshi Kumano is at the stage where he can break out on his own, and start challenging for singles titles. Although the last time he faced Daisuke Harada for the GHC Junior, he did well in the pre-matches, but Harada reduced him to a whimper in the title match (after warning him he was "out of his league"), this time it will be different as after the match, Kumano challenged him for the IPW Junior Heavyweight title.

After Kinya Okada had lost the match, Mitsuya Nagai went to punish him by wrapping his chain around his fist, and going to hit him with it.
Okada was saved by Atsushi Kotoge, who came flying into the ring, and put the cloak around his shoulders.
Kotoge got on the microphone and said that chains were forbidden, as were calling women in the crowd, "old bags".
Later in their backstage interview, Nagai complained that people (Naomichi Marufuji in particular), were saying that this style of cloak made him look like a thief.
Kotoge said that when he progressed, he would get a better one.
Nagai said that perhaps Kotoge should think about waving a chain around?
Kotoge said no, he was a "Revolutionary Hero", and that kind of behavior was forbidden.

Maybach Taniguchi did a very rare thing and spoke in the ring on the microphone, (I can't actually remember the last time Taniguchi spoke on the microphone), to tell KAZMA SAKAMOTO that he was going to mess him up at Global Tag League 2019.

Masaaki Mochizuki made his first appearance in Noah.
He and Naomichi Marufuji had met at Giant Baba's Memorial Show, and from there "Mochi" made his first appearance for the promotion (he later commented on his blog that he wasn't used to being thrown into guardrails, as Dragongate didn't use them).
Nothing was said after the match about Marufuji and Mochizuki teaming together, although it was hinted afterwards when Marufuji motioned for him to get into the ring and they shook hands, and they made those pointing motions.

There was no public weighing for Hi69 (unlike for Quiet Storm when he challenged for the GHC Junior Heavyweight a few years ago), but Hi69 came to the ring holding some electric scales. Although the result was not broadcast on screen, he did get on them in front of some fans with Seiya Morohashi and Minoru Tanaka looking on.
The final weight was never states, but Hi69 did look a lot more toned.
Although the one title match of the night was unsuccessful for the challengers (Hi69 & Minoru Tanaka), it was a match that belonged very much to Hi69 with his backwards somersault from the top turnbuckle to outside the ring, and then his enormous Stuka Splash which put Kotaro Suzuki through a table.

After the match, Kotaro Suzuki took a look at Minoru Tanaka, picked up the microphone and said simply that he was going to challenge for the GHC Junior Heavyweight title.
Minoru Tanaka said sarcastically in the post match interview about Suzuki, that "well, as I guess that I cannot beat you", he could name the date, time and place. He would do it anywhere and at any time - except tomorrow.

The main event was full of tension.
YO-HEY & HAYATA didn't really feature too much in it (although HAYATA was far from impressed by YO-HEY'S messing around, and stood with his hands on his hips), and tension is building between AXIZ & Kenoh & Kaito Kiyomiya in this last match before Global Tag League begins.
Nakajima was at his evil best; walking off grinning and tagging in HAYATA against Kenoh (as he knew it would wind Kenoh up), and smirking when thrown out of the ring, which he turned into a slide. Each team pretty much ignored their partners of HAYATA & YO-HEY, and let them concentrate on each other, Shiozaki pretty much dealt with Kenoh, leaving Nakajima to take care of Kiyomiya. So at the end of the match, Nakajima stalked him, punt kicked him in the head (with a sound that everyone at home and in the arena heard), and then drove him into the canvas for the pin with the vertical spike.
After the match as Kenoh tended to Kiyomiya, Nakajima bent down with a huge grin on his face as he and Shiozaki held the belts up to them.

The two rookies, Kinya Okada and Yoshiki Inamura were very over with the crowd, with a lot of calls for both of them.

Global Tag League starts in Osaka in April 6th.  

Event recap
Final night of "Spring Navigation 2019" 
Post match interviews
You can watch the matches on Noah's official YouTube account

NEWS

N1-VICTORY
Noah have announced that the name of "Global League" will henceforth be known as "N1-Victory". Traditionally, Noah held this at the end of the year, but it will now be held in late August to early September.
It has been speculated as to what the "N" means, with PXDX speculating that it means anything from "Nippon" (Japan) to "Number One".
Personally, I think "Number One" is more likely.

GLOBAL JUNIOR TAG LEAGUE
Global Junior Tag League will return in 2019.
The tour will start from May 28th at Korakuen Hall and finish on the second of the Mitsuharu Misawa memorial nights on June 13th in Osaka.
June 13th will be the 10th anniversary of Misawa's death.

Teams to be announced.

KENOH'S COLUMN
Kenoh was back with his tri-weekly column for "Weekly Pro".
This weeks theme was a surprisingly more gentle one, in which he spoke about the event in Yokohama, and didn't spit much venom against his enemies. In speaking about Kiyomiya he was pleasant out of necessity (and he allowed his "older brother" tone to come out when he mentioned about his jacket and how he will grow into it, but he did also on the other hand call him a "three year three month old boy"), he mentions Marufuji in passing, and surprisingly, Daisuke Harada. For now Kenoh seems to be happy that he finally gets his much coveted cover, but you have to wonder how long it will last until he becomes jealous of Kiyomiya...

CURRENT CHAMPIONS
GHC Heavyweight Champion: Kaito Kiyomiya
GHC Junior Champion: Minoru Tanaka
GHC Heavyweight Tag Champions: AXIZ (Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima)
GHC Junior Tag Champions: Stinger (Kotaro Suzuki & Yoshinari Ogawa)

TOUR TIDBITS
~ It is being reported that three new boys have joined the Noah dojo. One was seen at ringside at the Korakuen Hall show. I don't have much information on the second, but the third is said to have a background in Rugby.
~ Daisuke Harada had his "Shark Smells Blood" face on during the match at Korakuen Hall.
~ Despite Marufuji not being in Global Tag League, Kenoh is still obsessed with beating him.
~ The sound of the slap that Takashi Sugiura gave Maybach Taniguchi had the audience recoiling.
~ Takashi Sugiura posted a video of his dog humping its bed, and wondered where he learned that...however, he did later post an unbearably sweet picture of himself giving it a hug and kiss goodnight.
~ Naomichi Marufuji took a rare vacation to Guam

BROADCASTS
Samurai TV will broadcast Noah's 6th April show at 10pm JST on April 14th
G+ will broadcast the 17th April show on April 20th, they will also show the 28th May Korakuen Hall show live.

LINKS
"I will return it" ~ Kaito Kiyomiya battered by Shiozaki and Nakajima
Mini Interview: Takashi Sugiura & KAZMA SAKAMOTO
Mini Interview: Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura
GHC Heavyweight Champion, "Ballerina Training" with former Takarazuka
"Champ Talk" Go Shiozaki
Green Guide to the Noah roster - 2019

Picture credits: Noah GHC, PKDX, Weekly Pro