(NOAH CHRONOLOGY) GHC JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG CHAMPIONSHIP: STINGER (HAYATA & YOSHINARI OGAWA)
Number of defenses: 5
Lost: Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial "Forever In Our Hearts" (Monday 31st May 2021, Korakuen Hall)
Total number of days held: 191
Challengers
1. Kotaro Suzuki & Sarubahe de Oriente
1. Kotaro Suzuki & Sarubahe de Oriente
2. Kongoh (Haoh & Nioh)
3. Kotaro Suzuki & Ikuto Hidaka
4. Momo No Seishun (Daisuke Harada & Junta Miyawaki)
5. NOSAWA Rongai & Ikuto Hidaka
6. Momo No Seishun (Daisuke Harada & Hajime Ohara)
VS KOTARO SUZUKI & SARUBAHE DE ORIENTE
Kotaro Suzuki might not have made himself a nuisance during the title match (not really Noah style, although I wouldn't have put it past him to appear at ringside), but STINGER hadn't really had a chance to enjoy their victory, as Kotaro Suzuki and Sarubahe de Oriente came to the ring.
Ogawa couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
Kotaro got on the microphone and challenged for the belt saying, "Since you are weaker than Miyawaki, you can't refuse my challenge, so can you accept it?" (this phrase "weaker than Miyawaki" was used ironically by Hajime Ohara, who is one of the nicer Noah juniors, and now seems to have caught on).
Ogawa, who has probably never been so wound up by anyone or anything before, slapped Kotaro (who later complained that it hurt) and a brawl broke out that was broken up by HAYATA and Sarubahe. HAYATA then spoke on the microphone using his standard phrase, "Next...you".
Title match will take place on the 6th December at "NOAH the BEST, THE FINAL CHRONICLE 2020" at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium (No. 2 Gymnasium).
Following the Yokohama Budokan event, neither Kotaro or STINGER were on Noah's fallout show in Ibaraki (when Noah travel outside of Tokyo they don't take a full roster to smaller venues due to Coronavirus and space and travel issues), so the one and only pre-match happened at Korakuen Hall on the 1st December. It was a three man tag whereby Kotaro and Sarubahe teamed with Naomichi Marufuji (who oddly has had nothing to say about Sarubahe, and he's usually very interested in new wrestlers on the roster), against STINGER and Kinya Okada. Marufuji's loyalties were not to his esteemed teacher Ogawa, but rather to younger brother, Kotaro Suzuki, and he seemed angry with Ogawa. Sarubahe seemed happier and more relaxed second time round.
The match was won by Kotaro who pinned Kinya Okada with the Tiger Driver. Naturally, Ogawa was furious and started attacking Kotaro, HAYATA stood by for a few seconds and then joined in. NOSAWA Rongai once again came to Kotaro rescue, but it wasn't Kotaro he was really after as Kotaro had told him once to often that he didn't need his help or his partnership, and to prove his point NOSAWA had brought with him a mysterious masked man, who wore a long sleeved black jacket, and didn't speak. NOSAWA said that he didn't want Kotaro now, but he was interested in an alliance with STINGER. The ultra reclusive STINGER weren't interested in NOSAWA'S handshake or making any kind of an alliance with him, and after telling him to shove off, they left the ring.
True to form, STINGER did not turn up at the match signing, blaming a "traffic jam" for their non attendance. Kotaro's tag partner did not attend either also blaming "traffic". Kotaro shrugged it off saying that Sarubahe was his "secret weapon" and that he had "known him for a long time". He also mentioned the phrase, "Ogawa magic". Fans knew better than Kotaro as to what all of these things added up to, and it was only a matter of time before they were proved right when Sarubahe turned on him in the title match, aligned with STINGER and let Ogawa get the win following his Oriente crush.
HAYATA unmasked Kotaro's former tag partner, revealing that he was in fact, HAYATA'S former tag partner from both FREEDOMS and WrestleGate, Yuya Susumu.
VS THE KONGOH JUNIORS (HAOH & NIOH)
The title challenge from the Kongoh Juniors took place early in the New Year of 2021, when at Noah's first show of the year, Nioh pinned HAYATA using HAYATA'S momentum.
After Haoh had waved for the microphone, Nioh made a title challenge in typical Kongoh style, i.e. yelling loudly. There was no Yoshinari Ogawa around to do the talking (as HAYATA was teaming with Yuya Susumu, who kind of stood in his way to stop him leaving), it was up to HAYATA to accept the challenge, which he did by going to ringside and saying one more word than usual when he used the phrase The Sugiura Army had used to wind up Kenoh, when he said, "Next...100 wrestlers". What this means is basically they are straight off of the conveyor belt, featureless and no different from the others. The best way to sum this up in English would be like calling someone or something, "Uniform" or likening them to a pen in a packet or a pile of plastic storage boxes. Title match has been set for the 16th January, with their one and only pre-match happening on the 10th.
Haoh said that HAYATA is going to pay for what he said.
Unfortunately for HAYATA, Nioh scored a second pinfall over him in the pre-match of the 10th January, when he pinned him again using the Cross Fix. Backstage Nioh let his hubris get the better of him, saying that he would take the third win and get the belts. Two victories were all that was needed to guarantee a third, but the title match on the 16th January was not that easy. Neither side were going to give in, Haoh's arm was tortured mercilessly by Yoshinari Ogawa (who at one point almost wrenched his arm out of his socket), and Nioh was as determined to pin HAYATA as HAYATA was not to be pinned. After an amazing match, in which fans said that HAYATA had become "independent" of Ogawa, and Nioh gave one of the best displays of his wrestling in years, STINGER won when HAYATA redeemed himself by pinning Nioh with "The Crossfix".
VS KOTARO SUZUKI & IKUTO HIDAKA
It is not Noah booking to interfere in title matches, so fortunately NOSAWA and Kotaro stayed out of and away from the title match. However, that didn't stop them as charging the ring almost the moment it had finished, throwing HAYATA from the ring and keeping Susumu (who had come out to second STINGER) away. After stamping all together on Ogawa, Kotaro got on the microphone and said, "The next is Hidaka and I. You can't refuse. The place is the Nippon Budokan". NOSAWA helpfully handed Hidaka and Kotaro the GHC Junior Tag belts, which they threw back the moment Kotaro had stopped talking.
As Ogawa was lying prostrate on the canvas, it was again up to quiet shy HAYATA to accept the title challenge. Not using as many words as he had done on Kongoh, he said his usual phrase of "Next...you" before throwing down the microphone. STINGER after that had nothing more to say as they left both the ring, and the venue without commenting further.
The title match has been set for the Nippon Budokan on the 12th February, the pre-match begins on the 23rd January in Osaka.
The pre-match on the 23rd January was inconclusive, in that Ikuto Hidaka got Yuya Susumu to tap out, which was not a direct victory over the champions for NOSAWA and Kotaro, who scolded Hidaka about this. The pre-match on the 31st, however, started with Yoshinari Ogawa being beaten down (while still wearing the belt), and HAYATA practically knocking out Kotaro Suzuki with the Headache. The champions then posed with their belts, holding them up to their rivals, with Yoshinari Ogawa standing over Kotaro.
The title match on the 12th February at the Nippon Budokan was a bitter nasty match, which mainly focused on Yoshinari Ogawa and Kotaro Suzuki. Ogawa knew that his main failing point was losing his temper, and there was no one who could wind him up like Kotaro could. Kotaro was also aware of these things, and so decided to goad Ogawa into seeing red and making mistakes. Fortunately, Ogawa managed to keep a check on his temper, and so Kotaro (although he did wind him up), wasn't able to exploit too much.
Ikuto Hidaka showed that while he may not be as nasty as devious as Kotaro (which Kotaro was taught by Ogawa), he could be as clever and showed some very intelligent wrestling throughout the match, especially when he made HAYATA think that he had rolled out of the ring, and then blindsided him when his back was turned. In the end though, it was Ogawa who triumphed over Kotaro Suzuki in 13 minutes and 5 seconds, with the Head Scissors Hold, to retain the belts.
VS MOMO NO SEISHUN (DAISUKE HARADA & JUNTA MIYAWAKI)
The next challengers (however unlikely) put their names forward after a tag match on the 24th February at Korakuen Hall. Normally, STINGER are a stickler for the rules that of you win, then you can challenge, but they didn't seem to make any objection after all of STINGER (HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa & Susumu) fought Momo No Seishun (Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge) and Kinya Okada, and HAYATA got the win via moonsault on Okada. After the usual Noah junior fights broke out, Junta Miyawaki got in the ring when all was quieter, and in a highly charged discussion with his teammates, Daisuke Harada challenged STINGER for the tag titles on behalf of himself and Miyawaki.
STINGER marched off (HAYATA slightly shaking his head at the challenge). Backstage, Junta Miyawaki yelled loudly, "I WANT A BELT!".
Title match has been set for the 21st March at Korakuen Hall.
Their first pre-match took place on the 7th March at "GREAT VOYAGE IN YOKOHAMA" at The Yokohama Budokan. Interestingly (or worriedly, depending on how you look at it), Yoshinari Ogawa had a thoughtful look on his face when he came to the ring, but nothing came of it today. It just means that Ogawa is probably planning something for the future.
Junta Miyawaki tried his hardest in the match, and did a good job in keeping STINGER out (even if Ogawa didn't want anything to do with him at first and commanded him to tag Harada in, Miyawaki didn't as Harada refused), but the veterans on the other team, namely HAYATA and Ogawa, made him pay for it. Miyawaki came very close by a momentus win of making HAYATA tap, but Ogawa broke it up. A few seconds longer, and Miyawaki would have got a huge win, but it was HAYATA who would win the match and over Miyawaki.
After the match was over, Yoshinari Ogawa took the chance to yell at Daisuke Harada, pointing to the fallen Junta Miyawaki and demanding to know from Harada if he really thought that Harada could defeat them for the titles with him? Things threatened to get physical (as they often do in the Noah Junior division at the drop of a hat), but fortunately the much calmer Susumu and the referee stopped a mass brawl from occurring.
Due to a fever (fortunately not Coronavirus), Yoshinari Ogawa was absent from "Great Voyage in Fukuoka" on the 14th March, and so it fell to HAYATA to take his place in the singles match against Junta Miyawaki and still have his own scheduled tag match with Yuya Susumu against Daisuke Harada and Kai Fujimura. This was a very different mach than it would have been with Yoshinari Ogawa, but I think that Ogawa would have found a lot to enjoy in it; HAYATA'S merciless sadistic streak that has come out since tagging with him, which has made even his former RATELS friends say that he's changed, the smile when beating up on Miyawaki, and something that perhaps has been overlooked, which this match served to highlight, just how good HAYATA is at doing reversals.
Miyawaki fought back with everything that he had, and not giving up on that arm of HAYATA'S, even once reversing a move into an armbar submission, but it was going to be HAYATA in the end who came away with the win. His new move seems to be a form of his Headache finisher which is turned into a brainbuster, so basically the opponent is dropped on high on their head. 4
After the match, HAYATA came over and pointed at Junta Miyawaki who was lying on the apron, and said what Ogawa had done, "Do you really think he is going to beat us?". Daisuke Harada (who had been at ringside), gave HAYATA a look of disgust before a brief butt of heads and then left the ring.
The tag match (the last before the title match), was inconclusive because neither Daisuke Harada or HAYATA got the win over each other, instead the match was won by Yuya Susumu using a submission on Kai Fujimura. However, the damage done to HAYATA'S arm by Junta Miyawaki earlier was significant, and Daisuke Harada capitalized on this.
Ahead of the title match at Korakuen Hall on the 21st March, Daisuke Harada and Atsushi Kotoge underwent intensive training with Junta Miyawaki in preparation, but not only in weights and reversals it seemed, as Miyawaki during the title match displayed ring psychology. Yoshinari Ogawa was seen to be watching intently during the title match, which if you take the kayfabe out of it, was more an interest in how one of his Noah born students was doing, especially as Miyawaki displayed both cunning (pretending to be dazed in order to lure HAYATA in to a submission), and a so far unseen technical skill in submissions, when he worked on HAYATA'S arm. Going back to the storyline, generally, Ogawa was furious with Harada, and insulted by being challenged by Miyawaki.
The more relentless STINGER grew, the more hungry Momo No Seishun grew. No matter what STINGER did to him, Miyawaki was not going to give up, which meant that STINGER had to pause and take stock of the situation. The match ended with HAYATA using a really nasty looking submission, in which basically used Miyawaki's own arm to choke him.
WINNER: HAYATA with the Modified Camel Clutch on Junta Miyawaki (26 minutes, 47 seconds)
VS NOSAWA RONGAI & IKUTO HIDAKA
STINGER might have been insulted by Daisuke Harada thinking that he could take the titles from them with Junta Miyawaki, but something worse and even more annoying (and spearheaded by one person who knew how to be truly annoying, and who had a history of winning matches with sudden flash pins), appeared in the ring to challenge for the titles. Yoshinari Ogawa had never made a secret of his utter contempt for NOSAWA Rongai, not only because he's part of Kotaro Suzuki's team, and Kotaro can work Ogawa into a fury like no other just by appearing in the ring, but also because like 99% of the Noah Juniors, Ogawa can't stand him.
They had come to challenge for the belts.
Ogawa doesn't speak on the microphone unless he has to, so it fell to silent HAYATA to do it. HAYATA told them "Next you guys", and soon after a fight broke out which ended with Ogawa, HAYATA and their second Susumu knocked down, as NOSAWA and Hidaka took the belts and posed with them before laying them back gently on the champions. Backstage, HAYATA found that he had to speak yet again, but all he said was "Next...NOSAWA and Ikuto", and then walked off having used up his quota of words for two events.
The title match has been set for the 29th April 2021 in Nagoya.
Taking a page out of the book "How to annoy Yoshinari Ogawa" by Kotaro Suzuki, NOSAWA did just that. However, unlike other feuds against STINGER, they this time worked on weakening Ogawa's knee, which is very rare to see. NOSAWA was up to his usual tricks, winning over HAYATA with a low blow and a flash pin, which then caused HAYATA to come to the ring during Ogawa's match later in the evening, and chase NOSAWA around the ring. NOSAWA got into the ring, as did HAYATA, the match was stopped and a brawl broke out. Another one happened backstage. Further irritating tactics included everyone leaving in the middle of the match, which meant that STINGER had the humiliating win by count out. They tried this tactic again at Korakuen on the 18th April, but STINGER refused to let them leave and after chasing them down, threw them back in and the match went on. NOSAWA can be devilish in his ingenuity, and so if he couldn't get counted out he could get disqualified and so in full view of the ref he kicked Susumu in the crotch. STINGER were once again left with a meaningless win, and NOSAWA next faces Ogawa in a singles match. I hope Kotaro, who knows Ogawa better than anyone, can give him some advice about what to do when Ogawa is really truly mad.
It turned out that NOSAWA didn't need any advice probably, his own brand of sneak win via low blow via referee distraction was enough to beat Yoshinari Ogawa in 39 seconds. NOSAWA left the ring grinning, while Ogawa threw the ref out in anger. The next match was between HAYATA and Yuya Susumu and Kotaro Suzuki and Ikuto Hidaka, and naturally NOSAWA couldn't stay out of it. HAYATA he pulled the rope away from during a submission, and then tried to get him counted out by hanging on to him on the ring apron. This triggered a response from Ogawa, who was thrown into the metal post and bounced off. As ever there was no pinfall or submission win, although HAYATA'S knee was worked on, as NOSAWA got in the ring and the referee halted the match. Ogawa took NOSAWA, Hidaka and Kotaro out with one of the tag belts, and soon after another fight broke out backstage.
When everything calmed down, NOSAWA sat down like nothing had happened and said that no matter how, he was going to get the tag belt.
The match was volatile from the moment STINGER entered the ring, and it erupted in the way most if not all junior matches do when you have more than two men in one place, in a mass brawl.
NOSAWA thankfully did not try and end this in just a few seconds with sneak attacks and quick pins, but he no doubt wished it could have been over that quickly as STINGER were both out for revenge, and to protect their titles. NOSAWA tried begging Ogawa for mercy, but that did no good. If NOSAWA was going to attack STINGER'S knees, they were going to attack his arm. They did this by keeping him away from his partner, and utilizing flash tags. HAYATA smiling watching Ogawa rip NOSAWA'S arm from its socket.
NOSAWA can be as devious as Ogawa, but he's not as clever in it, he found this out when none of the standard tricks worked and Ogawa carried himself with an air of, "What? You expect me to fall for that?" Despite this, NOSAWA did manage to pull off a few of the usual tricks, HAYATA'S knee was targeted, and a crisis situation arose whereby he almost quit (Ogawa saved him), and NOSAWA resorted to a low blow on Ogawa, which HAYATA broke the pin on. And then because everything was going so well, NOSAWA started wasting time showboating, which allowed Ogawa to get the pin.
WINNER: Yoshinari Ogawa with the reversal of the La Mahistral (18 minutes, 36 seconds)
YO-HEY & Seiki Yoshioka
If there was one thing that Yoshinari Ogawa has managed to do since HAYATA turned on YO-HEY in March 2020, and teamed with him, is to keep the two of them pretty much apart. It was with with dismay therefore that they saw FULL THROTTLE come to challenge for the titles, STINGER hate being challenged anyway, but this was different; it's not just YO-HEY wanting revenge on HAYATA, it's the fact that he is still capable of influencing HAYATA, and it's not just YO-HEY either, HAYATA and Seiki Yoshioka go back a long way, as do Seiki Yoshioka and Susumu.
After YO-HEY had said he and Seiki Yoshioka were going to challenge, and waved the microphone at them daring one of them to take it. It was snatched by HAYATA, who didn't even make his usual comment, "Next...you", and the mic was thrown on the floor before STINGER left. However, YO-HEY and Seiki Yoshioka were never going to challenge for the titles, as at Noah's show on the 2nd May, Yoshioka turned on FULL THROTTLE and aligned with his old friends from WRESTLE-1, while YO-HEY joined with NOSAWA Rongai's group.
VS MOMO NO SEISHUN (DAISUKE HARADA &HAJIME OHARA)
After the big fall out on the 2nd May, Hajime Ohara was taken in by Momo No Seishun. That same night Yuya Susumu had challenged Atsushi Kotoge for the GHC Junior, Kotoge said yes he could have a shot, but on one condition, STINGER put the titles on the line against Daisuke Harada and Hajime Ohara. Naturally, STINGER left without a word and later Ogawa made some form of protest, but he had no choice as Kotoge had them over a barrel. Title match will take place on the 30th May at the Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial show.
Yoshinari Ogawa protested the situation in an interview with Pro Wrestling DX. He didn't have a problem with Daisuke Harada and Hajime Ohara teaming up and challenging, if anything he saw a lot of merit in them as wrestlers, he just didn't see why Atsushi Kotoge should have been the one to arrange the match as it was nothing to do with him, and Harada and Ohara didn't say anything themselves. Ogawa says STINGER will refuse to do the title match, but so far Noah appear to be ignoring him, and the title match is still being advertised. Just don't expect STINGER to turn up at the match signing.
The first pre-match, that STINGER refused to acknowledge was a pre-match but saw it more as a fight against some hated rivals, took place at Korakuen Hall on the 15th May 2021. STINGER teamed with Keiji Mutoh against Naomichi Marufuji, Daisuke Harada & Hajime Ohara. Mutoh of course was having his own pre-match against Marufuji. This title challenge (which according to STINGER isn't a title challenge), pits technician Hajime Ohara against Noah's other technician, Yoshinari Ogawa, and the match ended with Ogawa making Ohara tap. Backstage Ohara apologized for his weakness, with Harada saying forcefully that it wasn't going to end like this, they would keep going and learn from today.
Hajime Ohara's troubles continued when the elimination eight man match (Atsushi Kotoge, Daisuke Harada, Junta Miyawaki & Hajime Ohara) took on STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa, Yuya Susumu, HAYATA & Yoshinari Ogawa), and it came down to HAYATA vs Ohara. Ohara had been run ragged by STINGER, who worked on him to wear him down to a stage where it was difficult for him to stand. Ohara fought valiantly against HAYATA, but fell to the Headache, which is a move that Ohara has almost been knocked out by legitimately before. Backstage, Ohara (using bad language which is unusual for him), apologized for once again losing to STINGER. Harada gritted his teeth and looking to the future repeated, "Tomorrow...tomorrow".
The last pre-match was in Niigata on the 23rd May, and ended with the referee halting the match after Daisuke Harada hit Yoshinari Ogawa with some stiff elbows, and he would have continued hitting him if he hadn't been held back. Afterwards, Harada and Hajime Ohara stole the tag belts, Harada bending over Ogawa,and Ohara facing HAYATA. Next is the title match.
The match could only start with Daisuke Harada vs Yoshinari Ogawa, Ogawa even shoved the ref aside to start with Harada as the bitterness between the two runs very deep. Harada fought with gritted teeth, and he was going to need grit as was not only Ogawa playing very clever mind games with him, making him believe that he was going to do something but not actually do it, STINGER also attacked his knee. This was something Harada expected from Ogawa, but not something he had ever seen in the HAYATA he had known, especially when HAYATA would give him his head into getting to the ropes and then drag him back at the last moment. Each time Harada fell outside of the ring, Ogawa was waiting. No matter how much they attacked his knee, no matter how close to fainting he was when Ogawa used the Figure 4, quitting would mean that Ogawa had finally won. It was not an option.
As much as HAYATA had changed some things remained the same, and it was because of this that Harada was able to turn the tide and tag in Ohara. With Harada on the outside, his knee damaged, it left Ohara alone with STINGER who he was at the mercy of. Ohara had his own plan for such a situation, and it was to make Ogawa angry, and so when Harada was able to tag in and take over, Ogawa was not in a position to be anything other than worn down by the attacks to the head and then the Katayama German Suplex for the win.
NEXT CHAMPIONS: Daisuke Harada & Hajime Ohara
Links
Vs Daisuke Harada & Hajime Ohara
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