(NOAH) Wrestlers felt prepared but puzzled at Korakuen Hall empty arena

30th March 2020
Hochi News

Pro Wrestling Noah held the Korakuen Hall event as an empty arena in response to the Tokyo Metropolitan Governor requesting self restraint to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. The GHC Heavyweight championship and four other GHC championships were held.

The four major championships were originally scheduled to be held at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium on March 8th, but the event was cancelled and relocated to Korakuen. In response to the request from the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, to not hold public events, it was decided to hold it as an empty arena.

The event was broadcast live on "FIGHTING TV SAMURAI" and on the video channel DDT Universe. At the venue, the audience seating was removed, and the seats for the broadcasters and the press were prepared on the south side of the ring. Everything else was carried out as usual with the screen in the hall set up the same way as a normal box office, with the VTR introducing the wrestlers before the match, and the theme song of each at entrance and their theme played on winning.

At the start of the event at 11.30am, Naomichi Marufuji came to the ring and said, "I think we have an even better event than usual conveying the intense fight over the screen, so everyone by all means thank you for your hot support."
After the second match, Kaito Kiyomiya, former GHC Heavyweight champion appeared, and said about the outbreak of the Coronavirus, "I don't know how things will turn out, and I'm scared, but I think that pro wrestlers can help in such a time. Remember us when you feel a little scared or uneasy. We are always connected to you in many ways. Everyone, lets get through this together."

Before the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship in the third match, Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura of the rebel group "Kongoh" came to the ring. Kenoh said, "I'm a little disappointed that no one is at Korakuen Hall. But, thanks to you fucking bastards, I was able to realize the importance again, and we are important to you bastards(rough). Also, we look forward to the time when you can support us at the venue. Then we will give you the fight of our lives."

On the other hand, the wrestlers who fought in the unusual empty arena arena, responded in various ways.
GHC Heavyweight champion, Go Shiozaki, beat Kazuyuki Fujita in the main event in his first defence said, "It can't be helped, it was good to have been able to have done the match in this way. However, even if there were no customers who could come today to watch, I felt today everyone was Noah. It's painful and tough, but we have to get over it. It's something you can't do on your own, so everyone is in it together. It was good to be able to notice that in an empty arena match. There was a sense of unease, and it wasn't just me. I think everyone who had a match today and everyone who was watching at home and couldn't see it live felt. I don't know how long this will last, but I want to defeat this situation and have a match in front of everyone. I thought everyone was Noah."

Takashi Sugiura, the GHC National Champion who achieved his 4th defense said, "I guess I'm not too bothered as I was concentrating on the match. I felt that Noah fans were watching me somewhere, and I felt the awareness of being watched was amazing."

YO-HEY, who teamed with HAYATA in the first match which was the GHC Junior Tag Championship title match, said that hoped that their championship would energize the audience.

Link to original article from Yahoo\Hochi News
Picture credit: Yahoo\Hochi News