(NOAH) EVENT RECAP ~ GLOBAL TAG LEAGUE, EPISODE 3 (10TH APRIL 2020)

Daisuke Harada was today's special commentator, which is ironic as he doesn't get on with either Naomichi Marufuji or Kenoh (Kenoh went as far to describe their relationship as "Snake vs Scorpion"). Harada said that this was the first time in a long time he had done commentary, and he felt somewhat nervous.

BLOCK B
The Anti Wrestlers Alliance vs Muscle Toughness
(Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue vs Daisuke Sekimoto & Yoshiki Inamura)

Yoshiki Inamura (with towering Mohawk) started the match off today against Masao Inoue. The sad thing about Inoue's new ringwear is that we don't get to see him fight with his t-shirt anymore.

This was a short match (although not really a squash) in which Muscle Toughness played The Anti Wrestlers Alliance at their own game, with the bout ending with Saito desperately calling "Inoue! Inoue!" as Daisuke Sekimoto suplexed Inoue for the win, and Yoshiki Inamura prevented him from getting into the ring.
I guess Inoue is going to be thinking twice next time before he knocks Sekimoto off of the apron.

WINNER: Daisuke Sekimoto with a German suplex on Masao Inoue (3 minutes, 19 seconds)

Muscle Toughness celebrated in true fashion namely by screaming at each other in the ring, and then screaming at each other at the ring curtain.

BLOCK A 
MochiMaru vs Kongoh 
(Naomichi Marufuji & Masaaki Mochizuki vs Kenoh & Masa Kitamiya)

Kongoh came out first, Kenoh looking thoughtful instead of cross, which was surprising as he was facing one of his mortal enemies. Oddly enough Marufuji did not wind Kenoh up by getting in his face (he smirks, Kenoh growls), but then things went back to normal as Kongoh attacked as soon as the bell went, although they did not attack each other. The fight went outside the ring with Kenoh and Mochizuki fighting into the dark corners of the arena.
For Kenoh this match was much easier, he's a heavyweight but unlike the match he was in before, not one of the bigger ones.

Back in the ring, naturally Kenoh and Mochizuki got into a kick war, with one of Kenoh's kicks making a hollow sound on Mochi's back. The kicks when the arena is full can resonate to all four corners, but when it is quiet you can really hear the sound amplified, and this was going to be the case at the end of the match especially. During this exchange between Kenoh and Mochizuki, Mochizuki felled Kenoh with a kick to the head which dazed him, and as they tagged in and out, MochiMaru capitalized on this; shots to the head to keep him dazed, work on the knee and the legs to stop him being able to kick. Keep him down, keep him dazed. Marufuji was especially sadistic, twisting Kenoh's knee around.
So while they were taking care of Kenoh, they also had to take care of his tag partner. Marufuji stalked Kitamiya to keep him out of the ring and therefore unable to rescue Kenoh, even at one point sitting on him on the ring apron.
Despite all of this, Kenoh was angered by the Kawada Kicks that Marufuji gave him, and so managed to change the tide and tag in Masa Kitamiya. Evidently the thought of falling to a move done by the man who he calls "the old man in the Ramen Shop" served to power him up, but then again, he has never sold this move previously.

Masa Kitamiya stood up to Marufuji's chops, and there was an audible crack when Marufuji hit him in the face with a hook kick, however, Kitamiya still refused to go down, breathing heavily and snorting.

The end came down to Kenoh and Mochizuki, their partners doing their best to keep each other out of and away from the ring. A Kick war broke out inside between them, as outside you could hear Marufuji and Kitamiya chopping each other.
Then Kenoh really caught Mochizuki with a kick around the head making a noise that sounded brutal an an empty arena, Mochizuki dropped to the floor, the referee ran to check, and the match ended in a TKO with Kenoh holding his fist up victorious.

Marufuji was not happy, and went to complain to the ref who he backed into the corner, but no he was told it was a TKO. Kongoh had the win.

WINNER: Kenoh after referee stop due to right high kick on Masaaki Mochizuki (18 minutes, 21 seconds)

Kenoh then mocked them being the tag champions and for being beaten, he then went on an intense rant facing the camera and addressing the audience watching at home and all over the globe; they weren't going to give up, the champions couldn't stimulate Noah's ring and only Kongoh could do that. He ended with telling all you assholes to follow Kongoh.

Episode 4 of Global Tag League 2020 will return on Sunday April 13th at 8pm on DDT Universe.

Link to Episode 3 can be found here, but you will need to subscribe to DDT Universe in order to view it. The first month is free, after that you will be charged 900 yen per month.

With thanks to Abeshin