(NOAH) CARD ~ HIGHER GROUND 2021 (31st January, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)

Noah hold their last Korakuen Hall event today before they make their return to the Budokan. The majority of the card (save the first two matches and the third) are pre-matches. Hajime Ohara has fortunately tested negative on repeat testing for Coronavirus, but will be kept off of the card for now. He has sworn he will return for The Budokan.

The event starts at 11.30 am JST and will be broadcast free and worldwide on ABEMA. Coverage starts at 11:00am. If you cannot catch the show live, you will be able to watch it for seven days afterwards. After that it will be put on WRESTLEUNIVERSE, and you will need to be a subscriber to view. At the venue, the merchandise table will only stock a limited number of items, anything else can be bought at the Noah online shop. 

At 5pm JST, Naomichi Marufuji and Noah's executive director, Narihiro Takeda, will be making an announcement on Noah's official YouTube. It is unlikely to be a cancellation of the Budokan as Noah are still continuing to sell tickets, and the roster themselves are being very tongue in cheek about what it is. It is thought the announcement will be the full card, confirmation of the start of the event, request for social distancing, and most likely the announcement of special guests. 

MATCH ONE

Junta Miyawaki, Kinya Okada & Yasutaka Yano vs The Kongoh Juniors (Haoh, Nioh & Tadasuke)

Traditional rookie vs veteran opener, with Junta Miyawaki leading the Noah born against the Kongoh Juniors. Kinya Okada (who is more a lone heavyweight than a volatile Noah junior), against Tadasuke will certainly be interesting. 

MATCH TWO

Mohammed Yone, Shuhei Taniguchi & YO-HEY vs Atsushi Kotoge, Yoshiki Inamura & Daiki Inaba

With Hajime Ohara sidelined, and Seiki Yoshioka having a pre-match in the main event, YO-HEY teams today with Mohammed Yone and Shuhei Taniguchi. Expect him to start dancing at some point. 

Yoshiki Inamura vs Shuhei Taniguchi is always good, as Noah's monsters (equally matched in size, and almost weight, if not career) will collide loudly. 

MATCH THREE

The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & Kendo Kashin) vs Kongoh (Katsuhiko Nakajima & Masa Kitamiya)

More than any match on the card, this is the one that fans are anticipating. The reason is simple - Takashi Sugiura is one half of the GHC Heavyweight tag champions, and the tag championship is the very last belt remaining which hasn't been challenged for at The Budokan. After a long period, Masa Kitamiya and Katsuhiko Nakajima are teaming together again, and fans are hoping for a revival of THE AGGRESSION, to challenge for the belts. 

Takashi Sugiura said he is not worried about his opponents, more having to team with Kendo Kashin alone. 

MATCH FOUR

STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa, HAYATA & Yuya Susumu) vs Kotaro Suzuki, Ikuto Hidaka & NOSAWA Rongai

A volatile GHC Junior Heavyweight tag pre-match, built on the current difficulties between Kotaro Suzuki and Yoshinari Ogawa, who have spent most of 2020 and so far all of 2021, falling out with each other. Added to that Kotaro's masked friend turned out to be HAYATA'S masked friend. So far, STINGER seem to be the more together team with NOSAWA not trusting Kotaro, and Kotaro feeling the same - but this could all change depending on the outcome of today. 

MATCH FIVE

Masakatsu Funaki & Masato Tanaka vs Kongoh (Kenoh & Manabu Soya)

Pre-match for the GHC National title between Kenoh (challenger) and Masakatsu Funaki. 

Funaki seems to be a challenger that Kenoh somehow likes, but that doesn't mean he is going to go easy on him. Masato Tanaka (the newest member of The M's Alliance, and who Kenoh doesn't like), will also be in the match - so expect something pretty intense between all four. 

MATCH SIX

Go Shiozaki, Kaito Kiyomiya & Daisuke Harada vs The M'S Alliance (Keiji Mutoh & Naomichi Marufuji) and Seiki Yoshioka.

This main event will see Go Shiozaki (the GHC Heavyweight Champion) face his challenger, Keiji Mutoh, Daisuke Harada (GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion), face his challenger, Seiki Yoshioka and Naomichi Marufuji and Kaito Kiyomiya face off before their matches at The Budokan on 12th February. Daisuke Harada and Naomichi Marufuji have already started their usual childishness, following Seiki Yoshioka's remark that he is "sandwiched between two geniuses", and Marufuji responding that he will support Yoshioka, and not Harada, who still doesn't follow him on Twitter. 

In their last pre-match, Go Shiozaki pinned Keiji Mutoh using the Moonsault, which is Mutoh's move. He said that in their next match, he expected more from Mutoh. He may well get it.