(NOAH) EVENT RECAP "HIGHER GROUND 2020" Night 5 ~ Shinyuri Twenty One Hall, Kawasaki ~ Wednesday 19th February.

Noah returned today to the venue which has become infamously known as "The Demon Staircase From Hell". Fortunately for the ring crew there was no carrying equipment up and down the stairs, across the plaza and into the venue, as the Demon Staircase was closed for repairs. They found another route, which I think must have been easier as no one posted about it. While there was no staircase today, there was also no lottery, as all the prizes were sold out.
So...no Demon Staircase, no Lottery, and Minoru Tanaka found that he hadn't bought enough flyers for his produce, so only half the chairs in the hall got them.
There was no HAYATA either, so Daisuke Harada (in new t-shirt with purple writing which shade really suited him), substituted at the merchandise table.

Noah had a visitor from DDT today. Yumehito Imanari (who is also a wrestler) was seen before the event began at ringside. Imanari is a cameraman for DDT, plus he makes their short trailers and videos. So we could see something coming.

I am unsure of the exact attendance for today, but it was said to feel very full, and got even more so as the event progressed and people arrived from work. Because of the proximity of Kawasaki to Tokyo, fans came from the city. Although fond of Korakuen, they said it made a nice change. Many families also came with their young children. 

MATCH ONE
Nioh vs Kinya Okada

Despite the difference in both size and experience, Kinya Okada was determined to win, and apparently he came quite close, reeling out a new Blockbuster move. However, Okada was overpowered by the smaller and more experienced Nioh.

WINNER: Nioh with Trance Rave (8 minutes, 31 seconds)

MATCH TWO
Shuhei Taniguchi & Mohammed Yone vs The Anti Wrestlers Alliance (Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue)

Another staple of this venue (aside from the hellish staircase), is the appearance of what both fans and roster call "The Yone Women". These women are led by Mohammed Yone's mother, and are made up of assorted relatives (mainly elderly) and friends. They were so loud today cheering Yone (and booing Masao Inoue when he attacked Yone), that he was worried that they were a nuisance to other fans.

Speaking of Masao Inoue, he made the mistake of challenging Shuhei Taniguchi to running the ropes, and was knocked to the floor. While Inoue rolled over and went to scrape himself up, Taniguchi looked at Saito.

When Saito and Inoue were both in the ring and beat down on Yone, Yone stood up two or three times, and attacked Inoue only.

WINNER: Mohammed Yone with the Kinniku Buster on Masao Inoue (11 minutes, 57 seconds)

The Yone Women were pleased with his win, but soon they would be cheering for their new favorite (not Takashi Sugiura who was greeted as "Uncle", and who seemed quite disappointed about it)...we will return to The Yone Women later, but first they had the interval break where Yone found his table stampeded by them when he was signing autographs.

MATCH THREE
Haoh & El Hijo de Canis Lupus vs Junta Miyawaki & Dragon Bain

As he was teaming with Kongoh's Haoh today, El Hijo de Canis Lupis wore red. Japanese fans have shortened his name to "Kani"(カニ), which means "Crab", which is quite ironic as he is meant to be a wolf. Apparently, its caught on in Noah too, and Referee Nishinaga was overheard calling him it. There were no barriers to hold back the brothers today, so they went zooming into the crowd, with Dragon Bain landing on his feet after a top rope moonsault.
Despite the difference in styles and their backgrounds (Junta's is in Judo with some MMA), Junta Miyawaki worked really well with Dragon Bain, and said he really enjoyed it.

WINNER: El Hijo de Canis Lupus with the Reverse Frankensteiner on Dragon Bain (12 minutes, 31 seconds)

El Hijo de Canis Lupus (as well as having a nickname) kept up another tradition in Noah by having a big smile on beating ones brother (biological or otherwise).

MATCH FOUR
Kumaxiz (Go Shiozaki, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Hitoshi Kumano) vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura)

Its true that Kenoh doesn't think much of AXIZ (he thinks they are boring), and so he doesn't think much of Go Shiozaki either. Kenoh wore his incredulous face, which is when his eyes stare and he naturally starts swearing. They got into a brawl outside the ring in the fan seats, where Kenoh kicked Shiozaki a few times, then stamped off swearing. There was also the obligatory kick war with Katsuhiko Nakajima.
Kenoh had trapped Hitoshi Kumano in a submission, and it says a lot for the strength of the junior Kumano that he was able to get to the ropes without tapping out.

Yoshiki Inamura (who got the "Endless Love"), said that he was tired of this "rain" from AXIZ, but he knows that strength comes from adversity, and because he hates it, it has made him stronger.

When Inamura and Kumano faced off it actually got very technical, with Kumano (who loses out to both size and weight), relying on speed, experience and factoring in as much as he could his size.

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat on Yoshiki Inamura (18 minutes, 14 seconds)

MATCH FIVE
STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa, Kotaro Suzuki & Atsushi Kotoge) vs RATELS (Daisuke Harada, Tadasuke & YO-HEY)

The Yone Women for this match, became "The Tadasuke Women". Tadasuke has always been popular with old ladies for some reason (perhaps its not the constant getting drunk and falling over, but rather the fact he has a big grin, chubby cheeks, is known as "Okasan" and likes things like Mah Jongg). They have not forgotten his affection towards them that October in 2018. They booed STINGER when they had the offensive on him.

Daisuke Harada and Yoshinari Ogawa started the match by glaring at each other across the ring, Harada with his determined face on.

YO-HEY was spectacular today (even with the usually crazy lock up), especially with the dropkick on Yoshinari Ogawa which looked like YO-HEY had reached to Ogawa's forehead almost.
Speaking of crazy, there is "Crazy Tadasuke" and "Crazier Tadasuke". We had the latter today.

WINNER: Kotaro Suzuki with the Endless Waltz on YO-HEY (15 minutes, 7 seconds)

There was some concern about YO-HEY after the match, as he seemed to be clutching his chest, but he seemed fine and well enough to write that he tried to win like Wife did, but couldn't. He wants Wife to come back soon, but not to overdo it.

Yoshinari Ogawa said backstage that he had thought about Daisuke Harada's right to challenge, and he had a condition; if Ogawa was to put the GHC Junior Heavyweight on the line, then Daisuke Harada was to put his IPW Junior Heavyweight on the line against him. IPW is a British Promotion which has not existed since December 2019, so it looks like Noah may well keep on the belt which will probably gradually evolve into the junior equivalent of the National. Harada is yet to comment, but it is likely he will accept the challenge.

MATCH SIX
The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & Hajime Ohara) vs Kaito Kiyomiya & Minoru Tanaka

Kaito Kiyomiya has been described as being "bright like the sun" and said to lighten up the venue when he appears.

Kaito Kiyomiya and Takashi Sugiura flew at each other today with elbows and punches that didn't stop. The bell ringing was like opening the cages as they couldn't stop fighting, even when they weren't in the ring with Sugiura storming across it leaving Hajime Ohara and Minoru Tanaka to fight, knocking Kiyomiya off the apron with a punch. Sugiura was full on Terminator mode, refusing to be pinned by Kiyomiya and not accepting the Tiger Suplex. Kiyomiya also made Hajime Ohara tag Sugiura in.

Tanaka held Sugiura back on the ring apron, as he tried to get in the ring as Kiyomiya locked in the Stretch Plum.

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Stretch Plum Facelock on Hajime Ohara (19 minutes, 11 seconds)

At the end of the match Kiyomiya did something that he never would have done a few months ago, even when he was champion. Takashi Sugiura had said in his post match promo from Korakuen Hall that Kiyomiya was too scared to look him in the eyes, so today Kiyomiya bent down so they were eye level (albeit far away from each other) and made the "I am watching you" gesture.
Sugiura stared at him, looking Boss with his mouthguard sticking out of his mouth.

After the event, Kaito Kiyomiya gave a short but nice speech, he spoke about how Sugiura had said that he had seen many things in twenty years of Noah, and how he, Kiyomiya, would absorb everything even Sugiura into his new view and return with the belt to Nagoya. Then he went round the venue slapping and shaking hands.

As the fans filed out (with candy being handed out and AXIZ signing autographs), there was a good atmosphere and a good buzz among them.

ATTENDANCE: Not announced
WITH THANKS TO: Metal-Noah, Tahtauwna, Shishikazu, Miriam, Akeko, Sachan
PICTURE CREDIT: Noah Sales Team, Noah GHC, YO-HEY, PKDX, Mohammed Yone
NOAH'S NEXT SHOW: Saturday 22nd