(NOAH) Amazing 49 year old Takashi Sugiura and the "26 year age gap" confrontation with new ace rival Kaito Kiyomiya
15th February 2020
Last year, Pro Wrestling Noah created the GHC National Championship. This is an innovation that will allow title matches to be carried out at weightless class in Noah's domestic events (i.e. in Japan only), with the aim of revitalising the singles front.
Takashi Sugiura, one of Noah's top wrestlers, became the first champion. He will turn 50 this year, but he does not feel any decline. Rather, he seems to be at his peak now, defeating Michael Elgin in the first championship match at Sumo Hall in November 2019.
He was 29 years old when he came to professional wrestling, taking a step towards the Olympic from the Self Defence Forces Physical Education School. Originally starting as a junior heavyweight, he has held all of the five GHC titles. Many fans will remember that he participated in PRIDE.
He has a straight-line attack which includes elbows in the corner, judo throw outside the ring (side suplex) and other attacks. Repeatedly throughout his career, he has competed with "toughness" rather than "skill".
If you look at his lean body, everyone can see his physical strength.
Last year when Noah became a new system, he told his rival Kenoh, "To spread Pro Wrestling Noah, I am a company dog", and this heat was supported by fans.
By the way, Sugiura is actually a dog lover, and the dogs on the "company dog" goods are also his. Like his finishing move "Olympic Qualifying Slam", it is the twist in his character that gives such an appeal to Sugiura's rugged fight.
The second defense of the National Championship took place on February 24th in Nagoya. The challenger is Kaito Kiyomiya, a former GHC Heavyweight champion. On the 16th February at Korakuen Hall, a pre-match tag match between Sugiura & Kazuyuki Fujita vs Go Shiozaki and Kaito Kiyomiya will take place.
Kiyomiya wants to enhance the possibility of the National Championship as the ace that has created a new era, and because Sugiura's victory is in his strength he says, "I want to absorb that into the new scenery". "New scenery" is the slogan of the new era of Noah that Kiyomiya advocates.
In response to the challenge Sugiura said, "There is no one but him". However, he has no intention of being included in the "new scenery".
On the 4th January after his first defence at 4th January Korakuen Hall this year, he said "I don't want to lose to anyone. Not to any of Noah, or the promotion that is next door at The Dome*"
As he himself admits, he will be 50 this year, however his heart is full of a sense of crisis at fighting at the front, and a personal sense of crisis too.
Since Kiyomiya will be 24 years old this year, the age difference between them is really 26 years. It is said that Kiyomiya's mother and Sugiura are the same age. But nonetheless, they can be called rivals. Last December, Sugiura was the opponent when Kiyomiya won the GHC Heavyweight title. Last year they clashed at the Misawa Memorial Event, where Kiyomiya defended the title at the end of a fierce battle. On the 24th February, the battle will be for a brand new belt. Kiyomiya made a giant strde by capturing from and defending the GHC Heavyweight against Sugiura, defeating him this time will directly increase the value of the National Championship.
It would be the same for Sugiura, as there is a great significance in his defending against Kiyomiya, who maintained the GHC Heavyweight title last year. In the match at Korakuen Hall on the 16th February, there is no way for the young challenger to attack and the veteran champion to defend, and both have a hunger for the title match.
The expectation will rise even higher at Korakuen on the 16th.
Translated from an article by Munehiro Hashimoto
Link to original article from Yahoo Japan\ABEMA Times
Picture credit: Yahoo Japan\ABEMA Times
*New Japan
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