(NOAH) EVENT RECAP "HIGHER GROUND 2020" Night 6 ~ Shimada Sports Complex Sub Arena, Shimada ~ Saturday 22nd February.

This is the last night of tour before Noah head to Nagoya on Monday 24th and hold their big event there. It was a rainy day in Shimada today (a heavy downpour trapped fans in their cars in the parking lot), and inside the hall, it was all about tying up the last loose ends before the next event, with the focus on the champions and their challengers (even Shiozaki, whose wasn't here today).

Mohammed Yone celebrates his 44th birthday on 23rd February, and a cake was delivered backstage for him. It's probably good that Naomichi Marufuji With The Sweet Tooth isn't around, as Yone would probably only find half of it. When he came to the ring, fans shouted "Happy Birthday".

Takashi Sugiura was on merchandise, with Daisuke Harada and Kaito Kiyomiya at the Noah's Ark Fanclub.

MATCH ONE
The Anti Wrestlers Alliance (Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue) vs Hitoshi Kumano & Junta Miyawaki

Bumbling Masao Inoue was fooled by Hitoshi Kumano, and ended up lariating Akitoshi Saito. Junta Miyawaki (still taped), tried to attack Saito, but was no sold by him with Saito not minding Miyawaki's attacks anymore than the rainfall outside.

WINNER: Akitoshi Saito with the Sucidees on Junta Miyawaki (11 minutes, 26 seconds)

MATCH TWO
Dragon Bain vs El Hijo de Canis Lupus

"The best Lucha"

The brothers put on a typical gravity defying high flying match. It was also noted that Dragon Bain has his name written in katakana on his trunks. Another thing that fans always notice, and perhaps more than usual if the brothers are about, the fact that there are no iron railings which mean that they will be flying into the crowd.

WINNER: El Hijo de Canis Lupus with the Canis Moonsault Press (14 minutes, 3 seconds)

MATCH THREE
The Sugiura Army (Hajime Ohara & NOSAWA vs Kongoh (Haoh & Nioh)
WINNER: Hajime Ohara with rolling pin on Haoh (9 minutes, 9 seconds)

MATCH FOUR
The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & Kinya Okada) vs Kaito Kiyomiya & Shuhei Taniguchi

It has been noticed that Kaito Kiyomiya has this knack of always being able to look at everyone's camera when photographed on the ringpost during entry.

Takashi Sugiura and Kaito Kiyomiya forgot their partners to attack each other violently in the last pre-match before the title match on Monday 24th, with Kiyomiya doing a sky high dropkick from the top rope.

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Stretch Plum Facelock on Kinya Okada (11 minutes, 39 seconds)

After the match, Kiyomiya stood on the apron and pointed to the belt, as Sugiura (looking Boss with his mouthguard clenched between his teeth) held it up.

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

While Kotaro Suzuki was announced and standing on the middle turnbuckle, in the ring Yoshinari Ogawa and Daisuke Harada were squaring up (Ogawa in sunglasses and jacket), with the ref trying to get between them. Yoshinari Ogawa held up the GHC Junior Heavyweight, and pointed to Daisuke Harada's IPW Junior. Harada wants a title match, then he had better agree to Ogawa's conditions.

WINNER: YO-HEY with the Super Face G on Kotaro Suzuki (17 minutes, 49 seconds)

YO-HEY stole the tag belts and posed with them, until Atsushi Kotoge managed to get him to give them back. As YO-HEY has now pinned one of STINGER (Kotaro Suzuki) without HAYATA being present. STINGER cannot possibly say NO to their title challenge now...although this being STINGER, they will find a way out of it, which will be probably by saying that it doesn't count as Tadasuke helped with the win via lariat.

MATCH SIX
AXIZ (Go Shiozaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima) & Mohammed Yone vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura)

Go Shiozaki is looking bruised and swollen, which given the past few days isn't surprising as he's been slapped about by Kazuyuki Fujita, and then kicked by Kenoh, and while Fujita wasn't here today, Kenoh was. The fight went outside the ring with lots of chairs getting knocked over and flattened by them. However, AXIZ were to have their revenge when Kenoh got Katsuhiko Nakajima's "Shutter Chance" rope choke.

Kongoh attacked Shiozaki en masse, he managed to fight them off until the last moment with the save made by Yone. I get the feeling that Kenoh might be the next challenger for the GHC.

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat on Yoshiki Inamura (19 minutes, 29 seconds)

After the match Go Shiozaki spoke on the microphone, and said that he will prove on the 3rd March in Yokohama that "I am Noah". On the way out, Nakajima got Shiozaki to do the AXIZ pose at the entryway, it's been a while they have done it.

ATTENDANCE: Not stated
WITH THANKS TO: Susu, Kody, Chiyaozu, Sachan, Juan Casado Barton, 41, KO_HEY1118  PICTURE CREDIT: Noah Sales Team, PKDX
NOAH'S NEXT SHOW: Monday 24th February, Nagoya