(NOAH) Event recap ~ 19th June 2019, Aizu Wakamatsu City Cultural Center ("NOAH the SPIRIT 2019, Night One)

"The Green Ray"
A 1986 French film.
Based on the book by Éric Rohmer. "When the sun sets on the horizon, there are times when the light turns green."
It is said that whoever sees it, gains happiness.
I looked at the young people who were shining in the ring, and I remembered the beautiful end of the movie."

The event today was held in a venue which was set up as a theater, so the audience sat in static seats facing the stage and not around it. Naomichi Marufuji called it "a unique feeling". Despite the uniqueness of the venue, and the fact that it is a weeknight, Noah managed to sell it out. There was said to be a good ("happy") atmosphere today, which I think was part caused by relief that the predicted tsunami from the earthquake that shook the Yamagata and Niigata prefectures in north at 11.30pm on the 18th June, caused only some sea swell in some areas, and no lasting damage (some households lost power though).

A trip to Aizu, however, would not be complete without both fans and Noah visiting the famous White Peacock restaurant, and eating the specialty fried pork in crumbs.

I am afraid it is one of those times when I have more information on some matches than others, but I have tried to put together a comprehensive report.

MATCH ONE 
Yoshiki Inamura vs Kinya Okada 

The growing rivalry between Inamura and Okada continued today in Aizu.

WINNER: Yoshiki Inamura with the Boston Crab (7 minutes, 27 seconds) 

MATCH TWO
50 Funky Powers (Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm) vs The Return of The Dark Agents (Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue)

WINNER: Akitoshi Saito with the Suicludees (10 minutes, 43 seconds)

MATCH THREE
Hi69 vs Junta Miyawaki

Hi69 took his revenge on Junta Miyawaki for pinning him during Global Junior Tag League

WINNER: Hi69 with the Stuka Splash (9 minutes, 48 seconds)

MATCH FOUR
Naomichi Marufuji & Stinger (Yoshinari Ogawa, Kotaro Suzuki & Chris Ridgeway) vs RATELS (Daisuke Harada, Tadasuke, HAYATA & YO-HEY).

RATELS made their first appearance in a tag all together today since YO-HEY came back, and since Global Junior Tag League finished (they will be friends until Global Junior League starts).
Ageless 52 year old Yoshinari Ogawa appeared clad in shades and a denim jacket, and flashed the "devil horns", which in no way made him look like an old man, and Marufuji's entry was said to have "changed the atmosphere of the venue."

WINNER: Daisuke Harada with the rotation variation on Chris Ridgeway (14 minutes, 6 seconds)

There was an eight man brawl after the match, with RATELS posing as Kotaro and Ogawa lay on the floor outside the ring.

In the post match interview afterwards, RATELS again once appeared all together, and the usual craziness broke out with Tadasuke yelling at, well, no one about aiming to win. YO-HEY being his usual incoherent self (he seems to think he has reached Spain)...and HAYATA just walking off without saying anything.
Despite his craziness, one fan said that Tadasuke was today's MVP

Naomichi Marufuji was reflective, commenting on Twitter that there was no place for him in RATELS or in Stinger...

IPW have also announced that their Jnr Heavyweight title (which Daisuke Harada holds) is due to be defended soon, and that Noah will announce it...

MATCH FIVE
The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura, KAZMA SAKAMOTO & Hajime Ohara) vs AXIZ\KUMAXIZ (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Go Shiozaki & Hitoshi Kumano)

AXIZ appeared wearing t-shirts with "AIZU" on them, much to the crowds delight. When AXIZ are with Hitoshi Kumano, they get known as "KUMAXIZ" (which is Go Shiozaki's play on words using Kumano's name and the team name). Hitoshi Kumano came away from what was a somewhat heavyweight dominated match inspired and saying that he is going to train to have a body that does not lose to the heavyweights, and that would cause havoc among the juniors.
KAZMA SAKAMOTO bought his Dragongate tag belt with him today
Poor Takashi Sugiura got the brunt of AXIZ today by taking both the kick\chop combo (which seems to being rapidly known as "the sandwich chop and kick") and being machine gun chopped by Go Shiozaki.

WINNER: KAZMA SAKAMOTO with Palm Bottom* on Hitoshi Kumano (13 minutes, 51 seconds)

MATCH SIX
Kaito Kiyomiya, Shuhei Taniguchi & Minoru Tanaka vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Atsushi Kotoge).

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Tiger Suplex on Atsushi Kotoge (15 minutes, 9 seconds)

After the match, Kiyomiya spoke on the microphone and of his dream of making Noah first in Japan, but for now, it was an aim to be second.

ATTENDANCE: 376 people (full house)
WITH THANKS TO: Anne da arc, Nishizawa Masatomo, Dragon, nj45  
PICTURE CREDIT: Noah GHC, PKDK, 
GIF CREDIT: Noah GHC