(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: NOAH SANCTUARY (Club Citta, Kawasaki, Wednesday 15th September 2021)

"I came to see Noah's event for the first time in a long time" 

Noah opened a small show between the N-1, which felt like a fan event they used to run in the days before Coronavirus. Holding it at Club Citta gave it a real big event feeling, which was enhanced by the posters outside of the event which were alongside acts such as JILUKA (metal band), Leetspeak Monsters (goth rock) and ANGELO (who also seem to be a goth band). When the doors opened there was the usual stampede for the merchandise table, and what was described as a "procession" of people waiting to get autographs from/rare pictures with HAYATA. Aside from this the arena was lit in green, and the ring had chairs waiting inside of it for the talk between Naomichi Marufuji and Mohammed Yone. Another thing that fans noticed was the fact there were only two trainees today. Usually there are three. 

The event had been planned out to a schedule; HAYATA would sign autographs/pose for pictures for twenty minutes, Naomichi Marufuji and Mohammed Yone would then have a talk for half an hour (with Noah's photographer as the MC), Naomichi Marufuji would then pose for pictures with the Noah's Ark Fanclub members, and then the four matches on the card would begin. After this there would be a chance for more autographs and pictures, and Funky Express would be on hand to pose with their funky fans in cosplay.

Naomichi Marufuji & Mohammed Yone talk (with Wakiko Miyaki as the MC)

"There are still restrictions, but let's think of fun things to do together" - Naomichi Marufuji 

The sound was perfect, something you would expect from a venue that is a club. Noah placed the chairs in three of the four corners of the ring which fans said made it easier to see rather than everyone sitting in a circle in the middle. It didn't seem that they talked much about wrestling, except when a fan asked "Which wrestler do you wish you could turn into during a match? It could be anyone active or retired, alive or dead" and they both answered "Dump Matsumoto". Mohammed Yone told a story about shaving, Naomichi Marufuji a story about hair straightening, and Yone's sense of humor surfaced when he lay on the mat demonstrating to everyone what a man of 6'1 looks like when he tries to play with his child in a little paddling pool. After the talk they went around to all four corners of the ring doing poses - one corner got the Disco Pose, another the "I crush your head" (known as "squeezing flies" in Japan), another an idol pose and also what looked like something resembling AXIZ almost. 

After the talk, Marufuji's pictures took place in front of the entry curtain. 

The Four Matches

Today's matches were not shown on WrestleUniverse live, although the show will be uploaded (probably) at a later date. The main event was streamed through Noah's Official Twitter. As usual I have more information on some matches more than others. 

MATCH ONE

Junta Miyawaki vs Yasutaka Yano

"Level up Junta, in everything"

Junta Miyawaki has started to use a lot of joint techniques and submissions, and he is joined in his ascent as one of Noah's rising stars by Yasutaka Yano. 

WINNER: Junta Miyawaki with an armbar* (10 minutes, 33 seconds)

*A judo arm technique also known as Ude hishigi juji gatame

After the match Junta went around the ring pointing at the crowd. I didn't think this was something I had seen him do before, and fans in the club said pretty much the same. This was new. 

MATCH TWO

Funky Express (King Tany & Mohammed Yone) vs Kinya Okada & Kai Fujimura

"Club Citta has become a disco"

The Disco Ball was out and spinning as Funky Express came to the ring. The match started with Mohammed Yone and Kinya Okada slamming into each other with shoulder tackles, and as Okada is becoming Noah's tank number #2, he was not knocked down. The smaller Kai Fujimura was more of a target, but he wasn't that helpless despite his older and bigger seniors beating up on him, he did manage to return Yone's lariat at one point. Tany of course was in a club and that meant he had to dance (anyone remember the last time at Club Citta) and did his hop which Noah GHC called the "Mario Jump of Delight". 

WINNER: Mohammed Yone with the Kinniku Buster on Kai Fujimura (11 minutes, 33 seconds)

Speaking of dances and poses...fans asked if they saw right, did Tany just try to do the Maybach Taniguchi pose? 

MATCH THREE

Atsushi Kotoge & Hajime Ohara vs Perros De Mal Del Japon (YO-HEY & NOSAWA Rongai)

"Ohara's triumphant return to Kawasaki"

NOSAWA cheated to win by holding the ropes, making Junta Miyawaki get on the apron in protest. During the match Takashi Sugiura posted on Twitter that he had noticed Hajime Ohara signal to Atsushi Kotoge that he was exhausted from running, but Kotoge didn't notice. 

WINNER: NOSAWA Rongai with a roll up on Atsushi Kotoge (9 minutes, 35 seconds)

Then a war of words broke out as NOSAWA addressed the champion team,"Kotoge! It's boring! You guys are selfish and only think about your own wrestling. I hate...no sorry, I made a mistake...I hate you! Ah? New Noah Junior? What's new? Are you guys wrestling for Noah fans, who I hate the most in the world? You guys are popular with just this crowd. If you are champions then gather fans in. It's okay to quit. Quit wrestling!"

Atsushi Kotoge responded with, "Legitimately you guys, we are hot as champions! Hey! I'll make you hotter and hotter, and we will make the venue burst!"

MATCH FOUR

HAYATA vs Daisuke Harada

"This isn't Osaka, but it's amazing"

"Epoch making pre-match"

"HAYATA has become the successor to Ogawa-ism"

This technical match got going quickly. HAYATA has progressed, and now uses a lot of submissions, more than usual and which he can be very inventive with, so much so Daisuke Harada was favoring his arm by the end of the match. Needless to say, this was not the HAYATA that Daisuke Harada once knew, his face alternating between a cold sneer and sadistic smile, but that said there were still some parts that Harada was still able to predict (such as when he dodged The Headache), although he did himself admit there were parts he couldn't and would be working on new measures. Harada's vicious streak emerged by using chokes and pulling HAYATA'S arms tight around his neck. Harada had to be be both inventive and manipulative as he had to equally be winding HAYATA up so he went for the desperation moves, and fooling him into thinking he could anticipate him. Both were spent by the end of the match, physically and mentally, but neither were going to let go and give anything to the other. 

WINNER: Neither, 30 minute time limit draw 

After the match they had a stare off and held up their fingers to indicate "one" to each other, before HAYATA left the ring and slowly made his way up the stairs and to the back. Harada followed after bowing to the audience. Everyone is wondering just what will happen in Osaka. 

Autographs & Funky Photos

Blue haired YO-HEY and Junta Miyawaki came out to sign autographs and pose for pictures, YO-HEY made no comment but Junta said that he was touched by the fan support for him in the form of the signboards and the orange penlights. Fans who dressed up as Funky Express had the pictures taken with the real Funky Express for free, and a polaroid shot was offered. I guess there must have been just too much funkiness for the camera to handle as it had a malfunction and fans had to be content with Smartphone pictures. Yone told two fans that they were "more flashy than we are"

WITH THANKS TO: Fujiwara Armbar, Gong Ex, Abeshin, Ryue231, Tahtaunwa, TACK, Metal-Noah, Bakappa324. 

GIF CREDIT: Official Noah Twitter, PKDX

NOAH'S NEXT EVENT: Sunday 18th September 2021, Noah Special Arena

(As this takes place at Club Citta, fans believe that the N-1 matches taking place here were probably pre-recorded today)