(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: ABEMA presents NOAH "THE NEW YEAR" 2022 (1st January 2022, Nippon Budokan)

"The endless sea before me is freedom

Strong beliefs will be the wind

Let's raise the sail"

The Budokan was a sea of green with blue skies above it as 3181 fans attended. Some fans were new and had never seen Noah live, others were older fans who had come to see Noah for the first time in a while. The doors opened at 3pm and within thirty five minutes, the gatcha had been sold out. There was more on offer too especially for fan club members, who could pick up polaroid pictures of the wrestlers, including a somewhat racy one of Daisuke Harada. Hopefully this was not part of Hajime Ohara's tour.

Funky Kato opened the show by performing "Voyage", the song he wrote especially for the event live as on the screen afterwards what could be termed as an Edo ghost story, was shown to tell the story between Go Shiozaki and Kaito Kiyomiya. Shiozaki in particular tonight would utilize symbolism and color in an event filled with connections of the past to the future. 

Event was screened on WrestleUniverse. English commentary is available. You must be a subscriber to view. 

MATCH ONE

Junta Miyawaki & Kinya Okada vs Kai Fujimura & Yasutaka Yano

Fans were happy to see Junta Miyawaki return to the ring, and Junta himself was displaying a new image. He seems to have suddenly grown up and shed that young boy look, he still wears white but his body is now more chiseled and his hair makes him look much older.  Junta, being the senior in this match, was not going to allow Yasutaka Yano to outwrestle him, although Yano did try and of course, he stole the show. It was also noted that Kai Fujimura has started to wrestle Noah style. 

WINNER: Junta Miyawaki with the Falcon Arrow on Kai Fujimura (8 minutes, 39 seconds)

By the end of the match there was a definite sense of a rivalry growing between Junta Miyawaki and Yasutaka Yano. 

MATCH TWO

Funky Express (King Tany, Mohammed Yone & Akitoshi Saito) vs Kongoh Juniors (Manabu Soya, Tadasuke & Nioh)

Despite what Noah's Director, Narihiro Takeda had said about having some mist spray Tadasuke when he does his pose, this didn't happen sadly. But Tadasuke did get spooked by Nioh who was standing there watching him and staring into the camera. 

With no disapproving seniors around today, Mohammed Yone told the referee to remove King Tany's golden chains, and much to Tadasuke's delight he got to start against him. Tadasuke stood up to Tany's shoulder tackles, twice, but was knocked down by the third one. The referee was not amused by the Funky Dance that Yone and Tany did, Nioh (who looks to have toned up again) had his Spartan sensibilities enraged by Yone and Akitoshi Saito was not amused by Tadasuke's rope breaks. The monster rage was provoked in Tany, who picked up and slammed Manabu Soya, and then did a long victory dance, which mercifully did not include crotch grabbing. Tany was having the time of his life.   

Friction soon began to build between the two teams, partly because Kongoh hate anything that sounds like people actually enjoying themselves, partly because Akitoshi Saito and Manabu Soya had a hoss fight which shook The Budokan, and Tadasuke using back rakes on all of Funky Express and taking Yone almost out with his lariat, but mostly because Funky Express were faced with a team in which two of their members were smaller and lighter than they were, but yet could match them. Funky Express do not have a good win/loss record, but tonight despite Tadasuke's heavyweight strength being an asset to his team and almost bringing them to their knees, the year started in a good way for them. 

WINNER: Mohammed Yone with the Kinniku Buster on Tadasuke (8 minutes, 45 seconds) 

Masao Inoue, who was lurking at ringside, was dragged into the ring by Akitoshi Saito. By his ears. Inoue should count himself lucky that this is all he got today as Naomichi Marufuji and Hajime Ohara were planning revenge on him for losing the last match of the year by beating him up in a two on one match. 

Backstage Mohammed Yone said it was time for Funky Express to seriously aim at some belts.

MATCH THREE

STINGER (Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu) vs Kongoh Juniors (Haoh & Nioh)

For everyone else, the Budokan is lit green or red or some other color. For STINGER it's purple, this is kind of the darkest color you can give to a group who are Noah's most reclusive. Unless of course you wanted to shut the lights of the arena off. 

Seiki Yoshioka had warned Aleja after defeating him at Noah's last event of the year, that he would be coming for Haoh at The Budokan. There is still a bitterness and a score to settle between them, but thanks to Haoh's inventive pin the only uncomplicated STINGER match of the evening ended in a defeat and a growing rivalry for 2022. 

WINNER: Haoh with the Firebird Splash on Seiki Yoshioka (11 minutes, 44 seconds)

MATCH FOUR

Ultimo Dragon & The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge & Hajime Ohara) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Eita, YO-HEY & Kotaro Suzuki)

Perros Del Mal De Japon came to the ring in usual fashion; in a pack, looking vaguely threatening and with a hint of sleaze. Eita waved some water at the camera, but fortunately he didn't get the chance to use it. Tonight, the Noah Junior Regulars were known as "Ultimo Army", and the Dragon himself made his own entry. And then got caught up in the typical Noah Junior chaos. He started against Kotaro Suzuki, who is a Noah Born and not one of the "Dragon Kids" (the DragonGate natives Eita and YO-HEY). 

This match as stated was complete chaos, bodies flying everywhere or fighting everywhere. Eita told off by the referee more than once, Junta at ringside complaining at Perros antics, YO-HEY trying to get Kotoge to bounce, ring invasions by both sides, Eita trampling Kotoge when walking from one side of the ring to the other, Ultimo Dragon joining in with ganging up on the other team and just like Ogawa, his contemporary in age, he can keep pace with the juniors around him. NOSAWA thought that Aaron Wolf (a Judoka at ringside commentary) might like to join in. He unsurprisingly didn't. NOSAWA hasn't given up on his quest however, inviting him to come to the ring in his judo uniform. Wolf said if NOSAWA wanted to meet him, he would do it on the Tatami mat (i.e. Judo ring).

Perros had threatened to rip off Ultimo Dragon's mask, and when Ultimo went for the La Mahistral (something NOSAWA had said that his own was better than), NOSAWA reversed it and went for a crotch shot and then attempted to reveal Ultimo's face. He came very close to it, but Atsushi Kotoge redeemed himself and came to the rescue and got rid of Eita in the process by throwing him from the ring. 

Winner: Ultimo Dragon with La Mahistral on NOSAWA Rongai (13 minutes, 51 seconds)

It had been a good night for the Noah Junior Regulars. Perros as expected where not happy with the result and they left after some complaining and finger pointing. Backstage, Atsushi Kotoge said that inspired by Ultimo Dragon's fight today, he would be looking for revenge.   

MATCH FIVE

The Sugiura Army (Kazuyuki Fujita & Kendo Kashin) vs Masakatsu Funaki & Ikuto Hidaka

If there is anyone who behaves suspiciously it's Kendo Kashin. Good behavior usually means that he's up to something, or else is going to be up to something. So today he let the referee check him, but then got funny about his mask. Stranger still he offered a handshake to Ikuto Hidaka, and when Hidaka took it, he did not try to attack. However, Kashin could not keep up the façade of good behavior for too long and he erupted by throwing things from the commentators desk out of revenge for being twisted around, and then used Shu Nishinaga's legs to drag himself to the ropes. 

Kazuyuki Fujita may have been out for revenge against Masakatsu Funaki for knocking him out of the N-1 VICTORY finals, but it boiled down to himself and Ikuto Hidaka eventually. Hidaka's fight against the much larger and more powerful Fujita was difficult and brutal, he had to rely on speed and his size which enabled him to duck blows, but in the end he could not hold out and Funaki, being trapped outside the ring by Kashin, could not help. Aside from perhaps Fujita and Funaki, no one really had any reason to be in the ring with anyone else, and so the match was a welcome break for what was coming next.

WINNER: Kazuyuki Fujita with the Power Bomb (12 minutes, 17 seconds)

Before the second half of the event began, Noah made some announcements regarding upcoming dates and big event venues such as Yokohama Budokan, Sumo Hall, Nippon Budokan in July 2022 and back to the Budokan for New Year 2023. Kenoh in particular was delighted by this. 

MATCH SIX

GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship Match

HAYATA vs Yoshinari Ogawa

There was no big lead up to this match in the way of a video package or anything, it was old school in that both came to the ring and when the bell sounded it was straight into the fight. Yoshinari Ogawa was furious in attack. He is not one who forgives easily, and when he's angry with someone, it tends to stay that way until he decides otherwise. HAYATA was going to discover this. 

Despite his countering of Ogawa, HAYATA found that everything he did was seemingly set up by Ogawa who waited for an opening and wore him down. Each time HAYATA escaped, Ogawa was round the next corner waiting for him. In Ogawa's case putting HAYATA in a constant lock and working on his hand/elbows was more than just trying to get him to submit or cause pain, although Ogawa probably enjoys that as much as HAYATA does, Ogawa knew this would wear HAYATA down and in the long run provide him with another opening. It did as HAYATA could not sustain the handspring elbow, but in the end it was irrelevant as Ogawa discovered he had created a monster as HAYATA played him at his own game when Ogawa blocked the headache and HAYATA reversed. 

WINNER: HAYATA via reversal (20 minutes, 54 seconds)

HAYATA did a very rare thing, and offered a handshake. Ogawa refused to take it and threw his tag belt at his open hand and walked off leaving HAYATA alone standing awkwardly in the ring. When HAYATA betrayed YO-HEY, he had Ogawa to turn to, but now there was no one. He had no choice but to look awkward, gather up all the belts and leave. The tag title match is on the 4th January. Fans would agree with Kotaro Suzuki's statement of having no idea how they are going to work together. 

MATCH SEVEN

GHC Tag Championship Match

M's alliance (Keiji Mutoh & Naomichi Marufuji) vs M's alliance (Masato Tanaka & Masaaki Mochizuki)

This match, unlike the match before, was fought between a unit, but it was a lot more civil even though in the thick of it unit solidarity went out of the window and both teams would do anything to win, including Naomichi Marufuji using rare apron shots on the opponents. 

Masaaki Mochizuki, who has a slight grudge against Keiji Mutoh as he lost in the pre-matches started off the match and targeted his crumbling old knees, and he was repaid in kind. Mutoh can no longer moonsault, but he and Marufuji found a slight way around his not being able to do aerial maneuvers by having Mutoh springboard a Shining Wizard off of Marufuji's back which was followed up by a tandem knee and kick to the face. 

Mochizuki, rather than Tanaka (although he took his fare share of the punishment) became the target, Marufuji chopped him and Mutoh worked on his knees. In the end, the damage done, he tapped. 

WINNER: Keiji Mutoh with the Figure Four on Masaaki Mochizuki (20 minutes, 50 seconds)

Afterwards there was a shake of hands and everyone celebrated, no belt throwing or walking off angrily here as everyone did the pose. For Masato Tanaka, it was the end of a long and exhausting (and sadly frustrating) New Year's Day. Tanaka sadly did not take the ZERO1 World Heavyweight from Takashi Sugiura, and so did not enter and did not leave a double champion. 

MATCH EIGHT

The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura, Kazushi Sakuraba & KENTA) vs Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba & Yoshiki Inamura

Before the match started, Noah put something which looked like an advert on the screen which was called "Restaurant Noah". At first I thought that Noah were opening a new business (DDT have their own food franchise), but it turned out to be a slightly corny advert for KENTA returning to Noah. I half expected afterwards to see a notice saying "Paid for by The Sugiura Army". 

KENTA did not enter with Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba, but there was a definite feeling of anticipation both at home and in the arena to see him finally come home after seven years. Takashi Sugiura took a slightly different view and made a fuss when he saw that KENTA wasn't wearing the new Sugiura Army shirt, the one that KENTA had said was "tacky". So with a grimace (usually means he's having to do something he doesn't want to), KENTA took off his fang jumper to reveal he was wearing it under it and then looking sulky, shook hands with Sugiura and Sakuraba. 

Out of their three opponents, KENTA only ever knew Masa Kitamiya and then it was only when Kitamiya was a junior, called Mitsuhiro Kitamiya and unrecognizable from the man who was in the ring now. The man who was in the ring shoved him down, knocked him down and KENTA rolled in and out of the ring before kicking Kitamiya for his troubles and then tagging Sakuraba in. Sakuraba inadvertently started the feud between KENTA and Yoshiki Inamura when after he had tried a test of strength with him (not a good idea), he took him down to the mat and KENTA stepped on his face. After this, Inamura vs KENTA stole the match as Inamura targeted him. Fans were so caught up in this that when they fought outside the ring, people barely noticed anyone else, although KENTA was more aware as Kinya Okada got in the way and underfoot. Inamura became so intrusive at times that Sugiura had to warn him to "watch it", and joined in with both KENTA and the referee at one point telling Inamura to get out of the ring. Sugi is probably partially to blame however, as he did tell them to try and crush KENTA, and being a Noah Born Inamura is polite in doing what he is told, and stubborn in doing it. Inamura's intrusion and the fact that KENTA had been a Noah Junior and therefore didn't listen to a word the referee was saying created chaos

WINNER: KENTA with the Go To Sleep on Yoshiki Inamura (25 minutes, 48 seconds)

KENTA and Masa Kitamiya were yelling at each other as Kitamiya's team sloped off, Inamura being helped out. Takashi Sugiura then spoke on the microphone and KENTA kind of had the same look that Marufuji does when Sugi speaks, a slight look of horror at what he's going to say. Sugi naturally made things difficult for KENTA by cheerfully saying that the three of them were going to crush New Japan. KENTA gave some warm praise when it was his turn to speak. He echoed Jun Akiyama, whom after a match with Inamura and Kaito Kiyomiya, had said he left Noah's future to them, by saying that Noah's future would be bright as long as they had Inamura ("that big guy"), later he said he recognized a lot of Inamura in his younger self. KENTA said it was a good night to come home to Noah, and it was fun to be back. He ignored Sugi calling him "Kobayashi-san".

MATCH NINE

GHC National Championship Match

Kenoh vs Kaito Kiyomiya

Kaito Kiyomiya made a surprise entry, not in his usual dark and angry manner, but in a red Hakama jacket and traditional Hakama pants. If you noticed the somewhat mocking look on his face, you saw it wasn't just for New Year. Kenoh too entered in new clothes, a sleeveless red robe. 

The two tore into each other with a ferocity that seemed to transcend everything they had ever done before, there was a new feeling of viciousness. Kiyomiya was no longer that dreamy young boy who Kenoh had obsessively hated and alternatively loved and worried over in his own mercurial way. He had changed, he was grown, and in a way Kenoh was angry at him for that. Angry he had grown not as a rival, but into a stranger. Kiyomiya was wild eyed and almost elemental in attack and was willing to risk anything to win, as was Kenoh.

It was a grueling match and neither would quit, Kenoh dragging himself to the ropes when Kiyomiya locked in submission, Kiyomiya kicking out following a PFS to the ramp. Kenoh resorted to chokes as pins wouldn't work and you could see Kiyomiya's difficult months flashing before him. Then it came down to quick pins, punches and those devastating slaps that Kenoh can do. Kiyomiya endured for as long as he could but the referee stopped the match when Kiyomiya fell to a right high kick.

WINNER: Kenoh by referee stop following a right high kick (24 minutes, 42 seconds)

After the usual angry ranting, Kenoh bent over Kiyomiya and stuck the belt in his face. He might not have had his dream of entering last and leaving last as GHC Heavyweight at The Budokan, but at least he was still the GHC National Champion. Kenoh later stated that Noah running the Budokan in July and again next year in January gave him his dream again, and he still had an eye on the GHC Heavyweight. 

MATCH TEN

GHC Heavyweight Championship Match

Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Go Shiozaki

Noah went with the old ways, showing the champion and the challenger backstage. This was last done at "Flight", then before that during the time of the The Suzuki Army (ironically involving Shiozaki), the colors, the setting and even the ambient lighting were startlingly similar to Misawa's long ago. A lot of the past was channeled into this match which gave it the big match a bittersweet feel combining Noah's past, Noah's present and Noah's future; Go Shiozaki's new Misawa like ring wear, the stare off that had happened when Shiozaki fought Kazuyuki Fujita (which fortunately did not go as long) which heightened the tension, and even the sick bump was recreated too.

 It was a very fitting main event for The Budokan with echoes of Misawa & Kobashi or perhaps more fittingly given Nakajima's skillset, Misawa & Kawada. 

Go Shiozaki was fighting for his version of Noah, his soul of "I am Noah" (again, very similar to Kobashi's statement about "Burning" being his life), the belt and to have Katsuhiko Nakajima back in AXIZ and fighting for Noah, not the self centered Kongoh. Nakajima was fighting for both the belt and to prove that in the title reign he was always meant to have, "I'm Noah" and Noah's future, he had no interest in AXIZ now terming it as something that happened a long time ago. Shiozaki, and perhaps only Shiozaki could do this, bought out a side of Nakajima that didn't slip easily into sarcasm, didn't play to the cameras, as a pure rage was bought out in him. Nakajima had promised a "secret trick" and he bought out it for the win, The Hokuto Bomb, otherwise known as "Northern Lights Bomb". 

Winner: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Northern Lights Bomb (30 minutes, 10 seconds)

Kongoh got into the ring to celebrate with Nakajima as Shiozaki limped out helped by the trainees. Nakajima and Kenoh both passed the mic between them. Kenoh taking the chance to rant loudly against New Japan, asking what merit they had and saying that they needed Noah's help now. Nakajima said that he would take Noah to a higher stage. Kongoh posed as streamers fell, and like Shiozaki when it was his turn, Nakajima inaugurated the title reign he should always have had in a big way. 

It had been a good night for Kongoh

Backstage, Nakajima had some further words for both Shiozaki and New Japan. Leering into the camera he said about Shiozaki;

“Go Shiozaki, as promised you can never say “I am Noah” again. Go and spend the rest of your life being out of date”. 

About New Japan;

"I am going to destroy you"

On his opponents, Takagi Shingo and Tetsuya Naito in particular, Nakajima reflected that he had nothing to say about him, he had been there, done that, defeated him, but Naito. Naito he had never defeated, and he was looking forward to it... 

New Japan vs Noah happens on the 8th January, but before that it's back to Korakuen Hall for the massive fallout from today on the 4th. Welcome to Noah 2022. 

With thanks to: Machioka, Metal-Noah, PHOTO THE LIVE!

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse