NOAH EVENT RECAP: HIGHER GROUND 2022 (Thursday January 27th, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)

Just a few hours before the event began, Noah announced that Nioh had developed a fever, and had been removed from the card. The card was hurriedly shuffled with Junta Miyawaki replacing Kai Fujimura in the opening, making Daisuke Harada and Haoh a tag against Tadasuke and Aleja. Katsuhiko Nakajima is also absent today as he too has fallen ill. Despite these two absences, Noah are operating again with a full roster and the trainees (one of them at least) are back at ringside.  

The event today was streamed live on WrestleUniverse (Japanese commentary only) with the first two matches streamed live on Noah's official YouTube. You must be a subscriber to view WrestleUniverse, but the YouTube matches are free. 

Match One 

Junta Miyawaki vs Yasutaka Yano

Probably one of the only Noah Junior matches on the card which wasn't complete chaos. Junta Miyawaki took Yasutaka Yano down to the may very quickly, and kept him there. Dominant, Miyawaki went to wear him down. Yano was applauded for fighting back, as was Miyawaki for a very clever reversal and Yano for them reversing that. Ogawa knew what he was doing when he chose to debut Yano when he did. Looking for his next win, Yano went to steal the win twice with momentum pins, but Miyawaki wasn't prepared to lose to a rookie, and finished him off with the Falcon Arrow.

WINNER: Junta Miyawaki with the Falcon Arrow (8 minutes, 31 seconds)

Match Two

Masa Kitamiya, Mohammed Yone, Daiki Inaba & Atsushi Kotoge vs King Tany, Yoshiki Inamura, Hajime Ohara & Kinya Okada

Kinya Okada came speeding to the ring, and while Hajime Ohata and Yoshiki Inamura didn't exactly run, they came at a quick pace in order to avoid being seen too much with King Tany. Ohara was seen giving him a glance, but the funniest was Inamura who gave him a weary look. 

Over on the other team, I would imagine that Masa Kitamiya did not want to enter to Disco music, so Yone looked somewhat odd entering to rock. In the ring, Inamura was waiting for Kitamiya and stood with a scowl and crossed arms. Fans went wild for their Hoss fight. 

King Tany, despite being on the same team as Hajime Ohara, unintentionally teamed up against him when Mohammed Yone went to do his rope move. Kinya Okada complained to the ref, and Tany was removed with a real "What?" look on his face as Atsushi Kotoge (Ohara's teammate) took his place. Okada had to keep Tany away after that. Tany wasn't always so helpful. Yone found himself slammed by him later, but then again, he had kind of dared him to do it. 

WINNER: Masa Kitamiya with The Prison Lock on Kinya Okada (10 minutes, 26 seconds)

Yone got some Saturday Night Fever poses out of his team. Including Masa Kitamiya! 

Match Three

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. Title match will take place at Korakuen Hall on Wednesday 9th February. 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.

Match Four

Kaito Kiyomiya vs Kotaro Suzuki

The two generations of Noah Born (Kotaro Suzuki the first ever one, and Kaito Kiyomiya the leader of the new generation of Noah Born), met in the ring today in a very technical match in a very classic Noah style which you would once have seen at a summers evening at The Budokan. Kotaro looked so much like Mitsuharu Misawa, while combining an element of Ogawa and for Kiyomiya this was a precious chance to take on someone from Misawa generation in Noah, Kotaro perhaps being the only one left now he hasn't experienced like this. 

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Tiger Suplex (13 minutes, 32 seconds)

Match Five

STINGER (HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa, Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Eita, YO-HEY & Super Crazy)

No one expected this match to be anything other than something the referees probably dread i.e. a maelstrom. There was the usual fight when STINGER entered the ring and immediately attacked, Yoshinari Ogawa attacking Eita and ripping his shirt. Eita wrestled the rest of the match like this. The referee vainly tried to keep order, and while STINGER were in the ring and Perros out of it, NOSAWA kept throwing Eita in to them, Eita got his revenge and threw NOSAWA on in. It took Super Crazy to calm everyone down, as Eita and NOSAWA started yelling at each other and order was restored for a while. However, when it came to YO-HEY vs Yuya Susumu, and everyone except Yoshinari Ogawa was fighting outside the ring, Ogawa was standing on the apron when Susumu was pinned. He made no move to break the pin.

WINNER: YO-HEY with the Gamen-G on Yuya Susumu (10 minutes, 37 seconds)

YO-HEY spoke on the mic, in a growling voice, which is unusual for him. He had pinned one of the champion and therefore he had the right to challenge. Super Crazy was standing in the ring next to him, but YO-HEY nominated NOSAWA as his partner. 

NOSAWA by that time had already left, and he didn't turn up in the comment booth afterwards. Seiki Yoshioka said that if YO-HEY wanted to challenge, then his partner should at least be with him. The title match has been set for February 23rd in Nagoya. This will be the same night as the GHC Heavyweight is defended. 

NOSAWA says he has been dragged into a strange situation...this isn't HAYATA and Yoshinari Ogawa, the only tag champions he is interested in. I think YO-HEY has probably taken satisfaction in preventing Susumu and Yoshioka nominating HAYATA and Ogawa as their challengers.

Match Six

Kongoh (Kenoh, Masakatsu Funaki & Manabu Soya) vs The M's alliance (Naomichi Marufuji, Masato Tanaka & Masaaki Mochizuki)

Masakatsu Funaki debuted his new red gear, which Kenoh said he thought was cool. Naomichi Marufuji started against his old teammate. There was no Kongoh style bitterness here, and if anything Funaki remained on friendly terms with M's alliance. He said that they were people he had always wanted to fight, and he gave them the perfect excuse by joining Kongoh. Kenoh and Manabu Soya, more in the Kongoh mindset than Funaki, remained on unfriendly terms with their opponents. Masato Tanaka and Kenoh baiting each other, so much so their fight got physical and went into the ring. Kenoh had the satisfaction of kicking Tanaka out on to the apron before returning to his corner. Manabu Soya seemed more awake than ever, screaming at one point and shaking the barrier. Kenoh had lightning speed interactions with Naomichi Marufuji.

WINNER: Masaaki Mochizuki with the Dragon Suplex Hold on Masakatsu Funaki (15 minutes, 57 seconds)

Using a pin with momentum, Masaaki Mochizuki had managed to pin the GHC National Champion. Kongoh couldn't believe it. He had pinned the champion and had the right to challenge, and so Mochizuki did just that; 

"I was the champion of that belt before. Today, I won from Funaki-san in his first match in Kongoh. Can I challenge for this belt after winning?"

In a very un Kongoh like way, Funaki accepted the challenge by quietly saying "Let's do it! Double revenge". Their first singles match will take place on the 10th February. 

While Mochi and Funaki shook hands and shared an embrace, Kenoh was arguing with Marufuji about the GHC Heavyweight tag belts.

Match Seven

"Go Shiozaki's Road To The GHC"

Takashi Sugiura vs Go Shiozaki

There was a big fight feel during this match, which gave the event a stadium feel. For Takashi Sugiura this was just a match, and he had nothing to lose. For Go Shiozaki, he needed to win. You could feel the punches through the screen if you were watching ay home, with the chops sounding like gunshots. The attack between the two was so intense that at one point, Shiozaki was knocked outside the ring. He didn't move and after a while dragged himself into the ring at the count of 19. Takashi Sugiura was waiting inside to greet him with a few big boots. Shiozaki powered up Kenta Kobashi style and delivered chops. He also channeled Mitsuharu Misawa, but Sugiura blocked The Rolling Elbow. 

That wasn't all; reversing a potential Go Flasher, Sugiura locked in the Front Neck Lock. Shiozaki recovered and slammed him. A massive lariat followed, but Sugiura kicked out. Then holding on like a dog with a stick, Sugiura did the lock again. Shiozaki lifted him up, but fell to his knees with Sugiura hanging on. The referee knew that Shiozaki would never quit, he would rather be choked out, and so he stopped the match

WINNER: Takashi Sugiura with the Front Neck Lock, referee stopped the match (23 minutes, 24 seconds)

Shiozaki, bruised and frustrated, was left in the ring slapping the mat. The seconds went to help him up, but as ever he shook them away and walked to the back on his own. 

His first match in his "Road to GHC" series had ended in a loss, but at least he wasn't pinned. It would be onwards and upwards, the next person he would face would be on Wednesday 9th February, when he took on Masato Tanaka.

With thanks to: Metal Noah

Attendance: 391

Noah's next event: "HIGHER GROUND 2022" Hamamatsu Act City, Saturday 30th January

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse.