(NOAH CHRONOLOGY) DAISUKE HARADA ~ GHC JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (5TH)

Won: "THE LEAVE presents N-Innovation" Night 3, 10th January 2022 (Yokohama Radiant Hall)

Number of title reigns: 4

Number of defenses: 2

Lost: Great Voyage 2022 in Yokohama (Yokohama Budokan, Sunday March 13th)

Total number of days held: 63

Challengers

1. Tadasuke

2. Super Crazy

3. Eita

vs Tadasuke

TITLE MATCH: "STEP FORWARD 2022", Wednesday February 9th - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

HIGHER GROUND 2022 (THURSDAY JANUARY 27TH, KORAKUEN HALL, TOKYO)

The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada & Haoh) vs Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke & Aleja)

Once upon a time not too long ago when Tadasuke did his corner camera chat, he would get photobombed by Haoh and Nioh. Today Nioh is absent and Haoh has defected, so Tadasuke used it to make threats against his former teammate. 

Haoh came out using his old name, but his costume was now white. The color of the Noah Junior Regulars, and Tadasuke attacked as soon as he got in the ring. True to his word, Tadasuke punished him. Haoh does not have Tadasuke's size or strength. Aleja also had a go, using submissions on Haoh. Tadasuke kept Daisuke Harada from entering by standing with his hands on his hips, but fortunately Haoh got to the ropes. As the match progressed, Harada became Tadasuke's target too but for now he concentrated on Haoh, who kicked out twice from a Tadasuke attack. This, however, made Tadasuke even more wild and the lariat that Haoh did not kick out from almost took his head from his shoulders. 

WINNER: Tadasuke with the Jidanda Lariat on Haoh (13 minutes, 9 seconds)

After the match in his usual fashion, Tadasuke challenged Daisuke Harada for the GHC Junior Heavyweight. He said that in Osaka he had come to a realization; as much as he hated Haoh, he hated Daisuke Harada more. But he was interested in him, namely for the belt. Asking what Harada even meant by "Noah Junior", and asking why he even had that championship belt and claiming he would crush his goal, Tadasuke challenged for the GHC Junior Heavyweight. 

Harada accepted his challenge silently, holding the belt up to him. Tadasuke has never forgiven Harada for calling him "Fourth in RATELS", and this is his chance to show him that he might have been fourth in RATELS, but he is first in the Kongoh juniors.

Title match

Tadasuke attacked with a wild scream. The more the crowd clapped, the more his strength seemed to multiply. The crowd is Tadasuke's spinach, but they can also be his Achilles Heel, and Daisuke Harada knew that all he had to do was wait for an opening. During that time Tadasuke came close, too close for Harada's liking to win. They know each other very well, so when it came to doing false moves they returned it on each other in sequence. 

I don't think Harada truly realized until now what a powerhouse Tadasuke has become, as he found it hard to bring Tadasuke down. He tried a sleeper, but Tadasuke shrugged him off, even the Rolling Elbow was kicked out of (I like to imagine that this match could have taken place at SEM, and Mitsuharu Misawa's reaction), so Harada had to be inventive and in an inventive match bounced Tadasuke off the top rope to go for the Katayama. Tadasuke kicked out, and it was time then to finally make him realize what Dokaan was. 

WINNER: Daisuke Harada with DOKAAAN on Tadasuke (11 minutes, 41 seconds)

vs Super Crazy

TITLE MATCH: GAIN CONTROL 2022 in NAGOYA (Wednesday February 23rd, Nagoya Congress Center)

Super Crazy arrived on the scene as Harada's next challenger, and made his challenge in Mexican. In a rough translation he said, "Champion, champion...please let me challenge for the belt". Harada did a good translation to the crowd, asking if everyone would like to see him defend against Super Crazy. 

STEP FORWARD 2022 (Saturday February 12th, Shimada City General Sports Center Sub Arena) 

Daisuke Harada, Kai Fujimura & Yasutaka Yano vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Kotaro Suzuki & Super Crazy)

Daisuke Harada and Super Crazy clashed in their first pre match. Harada with his eyes like flint, squaring up to Super Crazy and holding the belt up. 

NOSAWA Rongai has a huge score to settle with Yasutaka Yano after the humiliation of his pinning him, and not just once. But Yano proved how resilient he was by kicking out of NOSAWA'S pin after a soccer ball kick to the back of the head, and kicking out of a Super Crazy brainbuster. Yano and Kai Fujimura also teamed up together against Kotaro Suzuki and Super Crazy and used tandem moves. I guess if the juniors don't want to lose out to the heavyweights, then the rookies don't want to lose out to their seniors. It wasn't the rookies who were pinned though. 

WINNER: Super Crazy with The Liger Bomb on Daisuke Harada (11 minutes)

After the match, Super Crazy picked up the belt and held it over Harada. Backstage he said he would win the championship and take it back to Mexico. 

Title match

Super Crazy launched straight into attack, throwing Daisuke Harada around. Super Crazy knew he had the weight advantage (he is a junior, but borders on being a heavyweight, something Keiji Mutoh also questioned) and used this to the full which made Harada slow and stagger at time. Harada's own attacks seemed to bounce off Super Crazy. He was completely at his mercy. Being no match for his weight or his strength, Harada was going to have to come up with something quickly. Either bring him down and wear him down, or win with momentum. Harada was visibly irritated with himself each time he was caught, but he needed to end this match and he went with momentum.

WINNER: Daisuke Harada with the Huracanrana (18 minutes, 57 seconds)

vs Eita

TITLE MATCH: GREAT VOYAGE 2022 in Yokohama, Yokohama Budokan, Sunday March 13th

STEP FORWARD 2022 (25th February 2022, Yokohama Radiant Hall)

The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada & YO-HEY) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai & Eita)

YO-HEY, now much happier being out of Perros Del Mal and teaming with Atsushi Kotoge, came out wearing the tag belt slung over one shoulder like he did once upon a time when in the GinGin Boys. If you don't know what that was, look it up. Eita and Daisuke Harada started the match, NOSAWA Rongai was desperate to tag in and stood on the apron his hand out stretched and staring at Eita. This tactic delayed things a bit as Eita refused the tag. NOSAWA then became threatening and acted as if he was going to get in. He didn't and left them to fight, although Harada kept the eyes in the back of his head on him. As usual, Perros bought out all the old tricks; tagging in and out immediately, Eita throwing YO-HEY down by his hair and then dusting his hands, kicking him in the head, eye raking and then throwing him into the chairs, double teaming him and gouging the headwound. They even removed the turnbuckle padding. Harada was kept outside the ring, so he could not help YO-HEY much of the time. But, it was not YO-HEY who took the pin.

WINNER: Eita with Trauma on Daisuke Harada (12 minutes, 30 seconds)

Eita wasn't going to waste water on Harada, he went to pour his bottle but then decided against it. He asked for the mic and made his title challenge

"Hey! Do you remember, Harada? You lost to me the other day, and today you lost again! Next is a bet* on that belt. Harada, the next challenger is me, Eita!"

*Means kind of "bet my abilities"

Perros Del Mal left the junior tag and junior singles champions sprawled in the ring, and spoke some more backstage. Eita said that if Daisuke Harada wants to stand at the top of the Noah Juniors, then he had better get round him first, and he's a pretty big wall.

Title match

Eita came out accompanied by all of Perros Del Mal, while Daisuke Harada was accompanied by everyone in the Noah Junior Regulars except for YO-HEY. Eita's entry into the title match was characterized by hair pulling, hanging out outside the ring, and eye raking to provoke and distract Harada. Harada was there to wrestle, and that's what he tried to do despite Eita's behavior and his nonchalant way of wrestling, which was to attack Harada's arm, twist his fingers and bite his palm.

Things settled down, with Harada fighting hard not to hand the GHC Junior over so easily to someone who had and continued to humiliate him. But Eita was just too strong, kicking out of everything, just when it seemed Harada had clinched the victory, even Dokan. Eita used his strength to his advantage by locking in the Numero Uno. Harada was trapped, he could go nowhere. Eita put all his might into the sub and Harada tapped.

Winner: Eita with the Numero Uno (17 minutes, 28 seconds)

Next Champion: Eita

Vs Super Crazy

Title match signing ceremony