(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: PREMIUM PRELUDE 2021 - Niigata / Bandaijima Multipurpose Plaza Large Kama (Tuesday 23rd November)

Despite the unsettled early winter weather (rain, clouds, a rainbow and even a spell of sun when Noah director, Narihiro Takeda photographed some gulls on the canal), fans took the bullet train and joined the Niigata locals to create an attendance of 543, which is pretty good for a Tuesday night in or out of Tokyo. Takashi Sugiura was on autographs before the event, with YO-HEY after it. 

The event today was not broadcast live, but instead will go up on WrestleUniverse on the 26th November. You must be a subscriber to view. You can though watch the main event for free as Noah streamed it live on their official Twitter. 

MATCH ONE

Masao Inoue vs Kai Fujimura

Somehow Masao Inoue did not fall down the ramp, but he came wrapped up against the cold from the canal in a big pink boa. It's been a while since Inoue was Noah and the fans weren't the only people delighted, Takashi Sugiura was too as he had stalked him with his camera at a service station when Inoue was eating. Fortunately, Inoue managed to use the facilities in peace. Anyway, poor young rookie Kai Fujimura was no match for Inoue's tricks, and was beaten in a record time for Masao Inoue.

WINNER: Masao Inoue with the Samsung Clutch (7 minutes, 24 seconds)

MATCH TWO

Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge & Hajime Ohara) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (YO-HEY, Kotaro Suzuki & Ikuto Hidaka)

There is a situation threatening to erupt between the Noah Regulars as Atsushi Kotoge is growing increasingly angry about his losses and jealous of his teammates who are getting the wins. Daisuke Harada has sensibly said that they will concentrate on the problem at hand before they go to for the belts. That said today it was Atsushi Kotoge who started the match against Kotaro Suzuki, and after a predictably chaotic six man Noah junior match, it was red tongued YO-HEY who pinned him. 

WINNER: YO-HEY with the Face G on Atsushi Kotoge (19 minutes, 5 seconds)

MATCH THREE

Manabu Soya vs Kinya Okada

I don't have too much info on this match, but Manabu Soya won with a vicious looking headlock. Kinya Okada's head was almost twisted off.

WINNER: Manabu Soya with Ippen (9 minutes, 37 seconds)

MATCH FOUR

GHC Junior Heavyweight pre-match

STINGER (HAYATA & Seiki Yoshioka) vs Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke & Aleja)

Tadasuke had his usual camera moment, making belt gestures, cutting throat motions and typical wild gesticulations towards Aleja. HAYATA entered the ring and held up the belt to Tadasuke, who made finger pointing motions as in the "see you" double finger pointing motion. During the match HAYATA viciously attacked Tadasuke, throwing him into the barrier and hammering his knee with kicks before throwing him into the ring post. The match ended with a classic huge lariat from Tadasuke, but it wasn't on HAYATA. 

WINNER: Tadasuke with the Jidanda Lariat on Seiki Yoshioka (12 minutes, 5 seconds)

HAYATA, who had been kept outside the ring by Aleja, got up to find Tadasuke dangling the belt over the ring apron. Tadasuke then put it in the middle of the ring and did the Kongoh pose over it before leaving. 

MATCH FIVE

HANDICAP MATCH

NOSAWA Rongai vs Yoshinari Ogawa & Yasutaka Yano

Much to Yoshinari Ogawa's dismay (but to be honest, something he probably expected), Perros Del Mal De Japon where lying in wait at ringside and naturally they couldn't stay off the apron which caused both the referee and Ogawa to intervene at times. NOSAWA swung the match between taunting Ogawa and dealing with Yasutaka Yano. Ogawa, as ever, turned a crotch kick by NOSAWA to his advantage by distracting the referee so that he couldn't count the pin NOSAWA had on Yano, but again Yano (with a little help from Ogawa) was going to turn the tables and pick up his second big win.

WINNER: Yasutaka Yano with the forwards pin (9 minutes, 34 seconds)

Yoshinari Ogawa picked up the tag belts, which was like blowing a dog whistle which triggered an attack from Perros. Yano was knocked down in the melee with one of the tag belts by NOSAWA, who while Ogawa was being held back, produced a pair of scissors and made snipping motions towards him. It was thought at first that he was going to cut Ogawa's hair. but no he cut some of Yano's. HAYATA came out with a chair and chased everyone off and then checked on Yano. Ogawa threw Yano out of the ring, and he left he with STINGER as behind them NOSAWA remained snapping the scissors at their backs. When STINGER had gone, NOSAWA posed with Perros with his foot on the belts. The title match will be this Sunday in Yoyogi.

Yasutaka Yano later posted a picture of his new "haircut" on his Twitter, and has told NOSAWA that as he's the one with the wins, he will gladly have a match with him (he's one of the rare Noah Born who are cheeky), but there was to be no tag or handicap match this time, he wanted a singles. NOSAWA is yet to respond. 

MATCH SIX

GHC National & GHC Heavyweight pre-match

Kongoh vs Kongoh (Katsuhiko Nakajima & Nioh vs Kenoh & Haoh)

The match was started off by Kenoh and his self appointed challenger, Katsuhiko Nakajima. They circled each other, throwing wary kicks. Kenoh wasn't so hesitant later as he attacked Nakajima when he was on the apron, Nakajima rose to the provocation and was knocked down. Kenoh just wanted the satisfaction of knocking him down in the ring. 

The Noah Juniors may be in chaos, but if there is one thing they are all united on, it's that the heavyweights will not and never outdo them and Haoh and Nioh showed this in the match by tearing into each other with as much intensity as Nakajima and Kenoh were. 

This is a fast paced match, with a nice little taster for the title match with a sweat spraying kick match (Kenoh was spared the soccer ball kicks, and these went to Haoh). Nakajima decided that he didn't want to pin anyone but Kenoh, and when he went for the pin over Haoh, he broke it and with a big grin and eerie expression stared at Kenoh and threw Haoh into the corner so Kenoh could tag in. 

Then it was on. 

Kenoh probably would have won if he hadn't gone to run the ropes, and despite everything they threw to each other, the match ended in a draw. 

WINNER: Time out draw

As the ref handed them their belts, they squared up with Kenoh pointing between his belt and Nakajima's. Later Kenoh remarked that this would be continued in Yoyogi where he would take Nakajima's belt and go to the Nippon Budokan as the double champion. 

MATCH SEVEN

Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura & Funky Express (King Tany & Mohammed Yone) vs Kaito Kiyomiya, Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba & Yoshiki Inamura

The main event saw a veteran team take on a junior team. Kaito Kiyomiya (a dark and angry presence these days) and Masa Kitamiya were determined not to be beaten down by their seniors, Kitamiya in particular dodged or no sold Naomichi Marufuji's combo kicks or being thrown into the turnbuckle. Mohammed Yone was a little more lucky, and halted him with the Disco Fever. Disco was not wholly welcome in the veteran team though as both Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura looked as if they kind of physically withdrew when King Tany came over with the funky fist raised. Tany didn't have time to celebrate as Yoshiki Inamura (whom the bigger heavyweights such as Tany and Yone) were left to pretty much. Inamura threw his opponents around as if they weighed nothing, threw King Tany into the air on the GEKITOTZ, carried a squirming Marufuji without even noticing his escape attempt, and charged at Yone when he tried to halt him with the disco pose and then had an elbow war.  Daiki Inaba and Naomichi Marufuji's feud continued, with Marufuji giving Inaba a high knee to the corner which caused his head to snap back on the turnbuckle. 

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Tiger Suplex Hold on King Tany (28 minutes, 2 seconds)

With Niigata being the heartland of rice in Japan, it is traditional that the winners receive a bale when Noah come to town. The bale was shoved into the ring, shuffled over to the middle by the ref and then the winning team posed around it. Yoshiki Inamura, to the applause of his team and the crowd, lifted it on to his shoulder and did a couple of laps in the ring with it. Later, after Kiyomiya had closed out the event on the microphone, he hoisted it on to his shoulder and walked backstage with it as if it weighed nothing. Just like his opponents. Backstage, Kiyomiya said that the four of them would make a "new era".

With thanks to: Kei, Dragon, Sachiko and Maguro

GIF taken from Pro Wrestling Noah Twitter or official Instagram

Picture credit: Yasutaka Yano

Noah's next event: LEC Cleanup! presents NOAH the BEST 2021 - Sunday, November 28th (Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium)