(NOAH) Shiozaki's second GHC defense is against The Dark King

25th May 2020
Tokyo Sports

GHC Champion Go Shiozaki (38), who has been absent due to acute appendicitis, made an electric decision to face Akitoshi Saito in a television match on June 14th.

As Shiozaki was announcing his return in the ring during the break, The Dark King appeared with a "challenge letter". Declaring "I am here to announce my challenge for the GHC Heavyweight belt", when the announcement was made the champion responded with, "Lets have a GHC battle, that only we can do", with the title challenge arranged for Shiozaki's return match.

The match will be held on June 14th, the day after the death of Mitsuharu Misawa who died in 2009 aged 46. Eleven years ago, Shiozaki was Misawa's partner, and Saito was on the opposite team.

Saito talked about the true meaning of the challenge, "Why do it now? That is because it is Go Shiozaki. It's now or never. This is the fight of my life. Among the four people who were in the ring in that day, it is only Shiozaki and I who can fight now*. There is only one person left as an opponent.  I think there are some things that I can't avoid, and I have to move on. I want to do this fight."

The champion accepted the determination, " I accepted this heartfelt soul. With Akitoshi Saito this June, I think the significance of having the GHC Heavyweight title match is destiny. I want to show a title match between two people who have overcome everything."

Link to original article from Tokyo Sports
Picture credit: Tokyo Sports

*Mitsuharu Misawa and Bison Smith, who teamed with Akitoshi Saito, have both now passed away.