(NOAH) CARD: MAN CRUSH 2021 (Saturday December 25th, Yokohama Radiant Halls)

Noah's last official event of 2021 takes place at Yokohama Radiant Halls, which is traditionally a place where the Noah Junior's tend to dominate the show. Tonight is no exception as they open the show, have a final pre match before the Budokan and even take the main event. If anything, the card seems to be junior dominated...and any Noah fan will tell you what that means. 

Event will start at 17:30 JST and be broadcast live on WrestleUniverse. You may view the stream after the event has ended, but you must be a subscriber. 

MATCH ONE

Akitoshi Saito, Hajime Ohara, Kai Fujimura & Yasutaka Yano vs Kongoh (Manabu Soya, Tadasuke, Aleja & Nioh) 

Akitoshi Saito breaks away from his funky disco gang tonight and gets a rare chance to do some teaching as he is teaming with Noah's young rookies, Kai Fujimura and Yasutaka Yano. This also means that with Manabu Soya on the other team, he's going to have the chance to do some hoss fighting, not to mention get involved with the junior chaos that will break out. No doubt an exciting and fitting opening.

MATCH TWO

Seiki Yoshioka vs Haoh

This will be their third singles match, and the singles win/loss ratio between them is even with one win and one loss each. Yoshioka has managed to claw his way back to a win following a long list of humiliating defeats recently, can he end 2021 on a high note? 

MATCH THREE

Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura & Funky Express (King Tani & Mohammed Yone) vs Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura & Kinya Okada

The last time Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura teamed with Funky Express, Naomichi Marufuji asked Takashi Sugiura if they should be "funky" too? Sugi said drily yes they should be so funky that Tani had no choice but to give up. 

King Tani is unconcerned by their disapproval of his gimmick (and that of Kenta Kobashi who is not impressed, Jun Akiyama who said Taniguchi (like all Noah Born) gets stubborn when you try to tell him otherwise, and Yoshinari Ogawa who booted his crown out of the ring) and is simply out to have fun in the last match of the year. For two members of the team, Yoshiki Inamura and Kinya Okada, a win here tonight is going to be a massive way to end 2021 and give a huge start to 2022. 

MATCH FOUR

HAYATA vs Yoshinari Ogawa

Tonight sees the final pre match between the feuding STINGER members, who also happen to be the GHC Junior Heavyweight tag champions. Somehow even more of a silent challenge than when Aleja (who also doesn't like to speak), challenged HAYATA, this is going to be a bitterly fought last match before The Budokan. HAYATA had better hope his joints are going to serve him well when bent into all positions and that his pain threshold is set high, because Yoshinari Ogawa is going to be out for revenge after the sudden Headache he took in the last match....

MATCH FIVE

Kongoh (Kenoh & Katsuhiko Nakajima) vs Go Shiozaki & Kaito Kiyomiya

If the match before was bitter, this one between four heavyweights and their final pre matches will get ugly. Katsuhiko Nakajima and former partner Go Shiozaki go to war before The Budokan showdown, as do Kenoh and Kaito Kiyomiya. Nakajima and Shiozaki over the GHC Heavyweight and Kenoh and Kiyomiya over the GHC National. Emotions play a large part here; Shiozaki and Nakajima are former tag partners, with Shiozaki being betrayed by Nakajima, and so as partners and rivals they know each other well. Kenoh and Kiyomiya have a complicated emotional relationship but Kenoh hasn't put Kiyomiya on blast like he normally does whenever Kiyomiya looks in his direction and Kiyomiya's new angrier personality and darker look seems to appeal to him. For whoever wins tonight, it will have major consequences at The Budokan.

MATCH SIX

Number One Contenders Match

GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Championship Number One Contender Match

Momo no Seishun (Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (YO-HEY and Kotaro Suzuki)

Whichever team wins tonight wins the right to challenge the GHC Junior Heavyweight tag champions, HAYATA and Yoshinari Ogawa (STINGER). 

But, it's not going to be that easy. 

YO-HEY is growing rapidly stronger and shedding his playful side a little, is showing a new, darker and angrier version in the ring, he has already chalked up a series of impressive wins, so much so Kotaro Suzuki acknowledged it. It should also be mentioned that YO-HEY is now using submissions, something he never did before. Kotaro too has had his share of wins, while Daisuke Harada has remained dominant throughout the pre matches. The only person who has not thrived, is Atsushi Kotoge. He has won no pre-matches, and for a while now has felt himself to be in Harada's shadow. Kotoge will be looking to redeem himself as a result, although Perros have pegged him as the weaker member of the team. 

No matter who wins, it's going to be interesting to see if the GHC Junior Heavyweight tag champions come to the ring and face down their challengers. 

Card line up taken from Noah.co.jp

Picture credit: WrestleUniverse

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse