(NOAH) "Come at me you bastards" ~ Kenoh's column (#2 August 2019)

Kenoh: Is Weekly Pro Wrestling involved in collusion?
— What's this all of a sudden!?
Kenoh: This cover was definitely bought, right? How much did Lidet Entertainment give you for it? Tell me in confidence.
— There's no collusion!
Kenoh: Try telling the truth.
— There's not!!
Kenoh: No, there is. Our company president Takeda used to be with New Japan. Weekly Pro's Editor-in-Chief (Naoya Yuzawa) used to be in charge of covering New Japan, and I heard they're pretty close.
— They are close, but...
Kenoh: According to my sources, Takeda, Yuzawa and Kiyomiya were drinking together all night.
— I didn't know that.
Kenoh: Don't play dumb! So, who handled the bill?
— I'm telling you I don't know...
Kenoh: You're a stubborn guy, huh. It's more fun if you slowly let it slip, isn't it?
— I really don't know, and there's no kind of collusion going on!
Kenoh: Well then, I wonder, did they split the bill exactly, down to the last yen? Lidet probably footed the bill after all! Through the ages, wrestling promotions are in deep with wrestling magazines.
Well, that's enough about collusion. But still, what is this cover? When it's displayed in bookstores and convenience stores, it probably won't get picked up.
"Exciting champion," is it? In the first place. For Kiyomiya to be recognized as "exciting" after he's not appearing in the "N-1 VICTORY," it's just your editor-in-chief colluding with Takeda. The tournament matches have started, you know. Running away from those is exciting? You can only think that's money at work. Kongoh has to fight this entrenched corruption, don't we... I've been thinking about how I'll make Noah shine, clean, with what I do in the ring. But Lidet is trying it with money some way or another. Wrestling isn't about money. What's in the ring is everything. This cover made me think about that again.
— But there's no collusion...
Kenoh: Oh, the back cover was also Noah... well that settles it. Can it be a coincidence?
— The back cover is a Noah ad.
Kenoh: Th-- that's not Lidet, it's The Leave, isn't it? The Leave, thank you for your patronage!! All of you, bastards, if you're struggling to find a place, go with The Leave. My current home, too, The Leave brokered it for me. Truly, thank you.
— Does this mean that you want to collude with The Leave...
Kenoh: The Leave, I'm waiting for your offer to be in an ad next year! I've long wanted to be in -- hey, shut up!
— S-sorry!
Kenoh: Anyway. While you decided to put this detached, defiant smile on the cover, there was Nakajima vs. Mochizuki on the opening night. That match was intense. I'd hoped such an intense match would make the cover.
And Kiyomiya, at the N-1 finals that are being held in Osaka on September 16, he's tagging with Keiji Mutoh and Jun Akiyama?
— Yes. Befitting a big match, it's a dream trio made reality.
Kenoh: So, what, is Noah's isolation policy over with? While we're aiming for the #2 spot in the business, we've called up the symbol of rival promotion WRESTLE-1 and the general manager of All Japan. How long is our company going to coddle Kiyomiya?
Me, I wanted at any cost to be at Michinoku Pro's "Hayato Yell" show on November 27 in Shinjuku. So I went on my own two feet to Michinoku's Kitakami show and appeared in the ring.
Simply by sending a little message to Kiyomiya, the company makes its hopes a reality... they're overprotective. It seems like they're not going in a good direction.
Well, with that, this policy of total isolation Noah has been hammering on up to now is meaningless. I wanted to see the power of modern Noah alone bring Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (Edion Arena Osaka) to life, I came into the N-1 with that idea in mind. I've been attached to "Prefectural No. 1" for a long time.
— You've felt attached to it? I thought there haven't been big matches like that up to now...
Kenoh: Unfortunately, I haven't been in the main event at the top venue, "Prefectural No. 1," with this promotion, right? When I was in university, I'd reach for the main of the Nihon Kempo intercollegiate games here each time. From second year I had three victories in a row, and I was always in the main event. It was really fun to win in the main and then sing Meiji University's school song. O–oh〜, Meiji〜 ♪
— You're in good spirits!
Kenoh: In the N-1, I'm going to break through the B Block, and this time I'll certainly appear in the main event at Prefectural No. 1. And then I'll win and close out the tournament. O–oh〜, Kenoh〜 ♪

Translated from "Weekly Pro"
Picture credit "Weekly Pro"
Translation credit Purodino