(NOAH) "I don't want it to end with that alone..." Tagging with Kaito Kiyomiya, how will Daiki Inaba build his career at Noah?

15th July 2020

Yahoo.co.jp\ABEMA TIMES

Noah's next generation ace, Kaito Kiyomiya, had a strong tag partner. It's Daiki Inaba, the former WRESTLE-1 champion. 

Last year on New Year's Eve, the two teamed up as cross border champions. With W-1 folding this spring, Inaba asked Noah if he could participate and made his first studio match at "NOAH NEW HOPE" which was broadcast on July 5th. With the loss in an unexpected singles match against Kiyomiya, Inaba said "I took everything, and I lost, but it was refreshing." Inaba uses the word "shining" to describe Kiyomiya saying, "I want to feel Kiyomiya more. I want to be next to that.". 

Inaba asked to form a tag, and they immediately teamed up on the 12th at"NOAH NEW HOPE". Their first opponents were Atsushi Kotoge & Seiki Yoshioka, a talented junior combination. Yoshioka is a wrestler who also transferred from W-1 to Noah, and naturally, Inaba is aware of this. "I saw other W-1 wrestlers in the Noah ring before I was, and it was inspiring. Rivalry? After all, there is.".

This year Inaba lost the W-1 championship to Noah's Katsuhiko Nakajima, and he had the experience of slipping to rock bottom. He is now trying to go up step by step with Noah. 

"I think some people saw the match with Nakajima, and thought that it wasn't necessary to know them (Noah). That can't be helped, but it is something I want to overcome."

It's been a while since he tagged with Kiyomiya, and it was Kiyomiya who won with the Tiger Suplex. Kiyomiya says that the team was "naturally done", and Inaba agrees. 

"I understand that, and I'm happy. There was a sense of "I want you yo come here" and so "I want you to stay here". He is a reliable partner, and I felt the possibility that we can become a good tag team if we pursue this."

If he continues to be involved in the title front, the Noah mat will become more active, however Inaba is not satisfied with just being "Kaito Kiyomiya's tag partner" alone. He says, "I don't want it to end with just that. It's important now to produce results one by one, but there is also the thought..." 

Kiyomiya and Inaba are similar in their motivations and expectations, like Kiyomiya Inaba was seen as the new ace of W-1 with Kiyomiya meeting expectations with the long term defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship. 

However, Inaba has lost his promotion itself. 

"I felt my expectations were acute, and I tried hard to meet them, which added to my worries. I want to continue to evolve, and I got the chance to go to Noah and team with Kiyomiya".

There are big matches coming up. 

At Korakuen Hall on July 24th, a single match has been made with Masa Kitamiya, who is one of the top fronts. If he can get a win here, he will have a chance to move forwards. Inaba, who has entered Noah with great resolution, is about to build a new career from here.

Link to original article from Yahoo.co.jp\ABEMA TIMES 

Picture credit: Yahoo.co.jp/ABEMA Times