(NOAH) Tell the Nova Kiyomiya, What is "new scenery"!? Noah's February 24th Nagoya Event seen by Akitoshi Saito


Noah.co.jp
14th February 2020

Monday February 24th, Nagoya International Congress Centre
During the session "Anti-Wrestlers Alliance Ultra Live Distribution", Saito gave his unique perspective in a talk about how to enjoy the Nagoya Event. We will provide a summary of the contents! Lets enjoy both Akitoshi Saito's history, and the Nagoya event many times.

~ "Nagoya made a direct appeal to President Misawa", "I want to try it under him" I thought.
~ Akitoshi Saito's 30th anniversary match on the 24th February at Nagoya
~ Impression of "Kongoh"
~ 24th February Go Shiozaki & Shuhei Taniguchi vs Kazuyuki Fujita & Hideki Suzuki
~ 16th February Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Hideki Suzuki
~ Kiyomiya, what is your new landscape?
~ 24th February Nagoya GHC National Championship, Takashi Sugiura vs Kaito Kiyomiya

~ "Nagoya made a direct appeal to President Misawa", "I want to try it under him" I thought.
24th February Nagoya: Akitoshi Saito's 30th Anniversary Match
Akitoshi Saito, Shiro Koshinaka, Masao Inoue & Masashi Aoyagi vs Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya, Haoh & Nioh


WAKIKO MIYAKI (Photographer): First of all, what kind of match are you going to make this? Director Aoyagi* first entered Noah in October 2000?
SAITO: Yes, at that time we had a test match rather than a proper match, but the current vice presidents Marufuji and Masao Inoue were opponents. Now you say "Masao", but at the time he was being assessed (laughs)
MIYAKI: Do you remember that?
INOUE: I remember the match, but I don't have that authority (laughs)
MIYAKI: What was your impression?
INOUE: It was amazing, we faced each other in the ring, scary faces with kicks. Spirit was amazing.
SAITO: At that time, I was in another promotion, but it came to an end. There were two major at that time in Puroresu, and I had inherited another. I had to go to Noah and experience everything! I really wanted to go. At that time I had to chance to meet President Misawa when he was on the radio, I said a few words, "I want to do it", but I was thinking, "Wow, I want to do it with you."
Q: Was there a fascination?
SAITO: There was nothing more to say, only one or two words and a look and a feeling was needed. At that time, I was told "Okay, a test match", and when I thought about everything, I was so excited.


~ Impression of "Kongoh"

MIYAKI: What is your impression of Kongoh?
SAITO: All the Kongoh members, including Kenoh, have something like "No, it's us!". We have something like that, do we not? I hesitate to say old and new, but I wonder if it will be a fight between the old and new spirits. In fact, it was the Nagoya International Convention Centre that triggered the Anti-Wrestlers Alliance. So, I think that it can be done with the members of the Anti-Wrestlers Alliance, and with Kongoh who are doing their best in Noah now, I think something new will be born there. The 30th anniversary has a congratulatory atmosphere, but I think this is just the starting point. From here I will evolve, and do more matches than everyone thinks.

~Shiozaki and Fujita, professional wrestlers who grew up in different environments.
24th February Nagoya Tag Match - Go Shiozaki & Shuhei Taniguchi vs Kazuyuji Fujita & Hideki Suzuki

SAITO: Shiozaki and Fujita are spitting at each other. Suzuki has such a sense of comments, but he has a strong core and that will leave his marks on Noah. Taniguchi should have the attitude that it should not be like this. I guess you know best what we want from him.
INOUE: I don't want Shiozaki to misplace his strength, and I don't want Taniguchi to run out of patience.
SAITO: It was at the last pre-match (Korakuen Hall, 30th January), where I think I saw the difference between the environments that Shiozaki and Fujita grew up in. Shiozaki "chopped" Fujita pretty hard I think, but that is pro-wrestling I think. You have to endure it by taking a number of shots, and Fujita wants to something in one, but both are professional wrestling. Shiozaki says, "Fujita, don't escape" with Fujita saying, "I'll bring you down in a single shot. I want the two of them, who grew up in such different environments, to hit each other just as they are. Either way, even if you feel a little broken with "oof", you will lose the match.
MIYAKI: Both Fujita and Suzuki avoid Saito's chops right?
SAITO: In the old days of the promotion when Kobashi fought, when the opponent attacked in foul conduct, sometimes Kobashi would nod and there would be a chop. I guess that is the popular aesthetic. I used to work with Kobashi, and tried to make him angry in various ways. I hit his face twice with my fist, two hits...I had to do it at the time, but I was looking at Kobashi when I was losing consciousness, it was frightening, but I take pride in it.


~ 16th December Korakuen Hall, Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Hideki Suzuki

MIYAKI: Hideki Suzuki was appealing to Go Shiozaki for the GHC Heavyweight championship, but the match with Nakajima was decided in a changed form.
SAITO: What makes Nakajima and Hideki Suzuki interesting is their words before the match, what are they talking about, I wonder if there is a spirit? It is not bare representation. I think it would be more fun if you watched the two of them fight, while thinking about what is behind the comments.
MIYAKI: For example, even on social media or in interviews
SAITO: Yes, then you may find out many things that you will understand. The common thing is to say is to keep an eye on Noah!


~ Kiyomiya, what is your new landscape?
Takashi Sugiura vs Kaito Kiyomiya
24th February Nagoya, GHC National Championship

MIYAKI: Why did Kiyomiya decide to challenge for the National?
INOUE: A generational struggle I guess. He wants to surpass Sugiura.
SAITO: Everyone expected Kiyomiya. He worked hard, and I think he created an era, but there is what we can do beyond expectations, and of course, there is the champion Go Shiozaki, but Takashi Sugiura said I have seen it all. Fight with Takashi Sugiura to absorb everything, and the learn the old things to create new ones. You say you want to make a new view, so think about what a new view is for you. To understand the old days, the thunder from the past, and do it with so small a career, it is your mission to tell everyone that. That is why he is fighting against Takashi Sugiura, because I think has everything, and so what does he get? This time, in order to bring out a new Kiyomiya, learn from it and let it affect the hearts of many people, and let "Go Kiyomiya" resonate. I want you to be a wrestler who can give weight to words. That is because it is something you can't. I might not be able to say it because I am not elite, but I hope my feelings resonate a little. You may be motivated.
MIYAKI: Saito's unique perspective is that it's not just old and new
SAITO: If you write anything on Twitter, something will come out of it. Of course, in interviews, matches and even at the entryway, but when you are standing on the apron, what is in your heart? What is going on? If you love Noah, I want you to look at the whole story. I want you to see it. I want you to say what you think. Professionals sometimes become too professional, and they lose sight, and so everyone says "it's not like this". If you have such thoughts, make it something that everyone can build on. So, please keep an eye on Noah.

THE NAGOYA EVENT

INOUE: I will try and make Saito-san's 30th anniversary match at the Nagoya match a memorable one, and one that will be remembered by Saito. Thank you.
SAITO: The match will start tomorrow, so I want to have one to satisfy everyone, and I think Masao Inoue's photo book will be stapled (laughs).

Link to original article from Noah.co.jp
Picture credit: Noah.co.jp 


*Karate Dojo and the International Karate Kempo Federation “Seishin Kaikan”

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