(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: THE LEAVE presents N Innovation U-CUP - Night 3 (January 10th, Yokohama Radiant Hall)
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| Happy birthday to Noah's official photographer, Wakiko Miyagi |
Noah made a last minute card change as Yasutaka Yano cannot compete today due to what they announced as "poor physical condition". This usually means an injury or he's not well and they are not sure what is wrong with him. Yoshiki Inamura who is always at ringside was his replacement. Yano will be back on the 16th in Sendai, which is Noah's next event.
Kaito Kiyomiya emerged from his disappointment to (as Shupromobile) put it, "quietly practice in the ring" prior to the event starting. A class must just have finished up, as Yoshinari Ogawa was also seen there with him.
Event was streamed live on WrestleUniverse. There is no commentary and the filming is by static cam. You must be a subscriber to view.
MATCH ONE
Kai Fujimura & Yoshiki Inamura vs Ikuto Hidaka & Daiki Inaba
Instead of putting the heavyweights on one team the card was changed so that a junior would team with one which evened them a little. Yoshiki Inamura's yell sounded very loud in a small quiet space...
The heavyweights started the match with Daiki Inaba getting Inamura in a headlock and then making the mistake of challenging him to shoulder tackles. He did manage to take him down with flying one though. Ikuto Hidaka attacked his legs with kicks.
The crowd were behind Kai Fujimura, clapping him loudly, especially since he is chasing that first big win like Yano has and went for some quick pins on Hidaka. Hidaka having once been a rookie himself and knowing the best way to deal with a situation that could turn embarrassing, locked in the Sean Capture. Fujimura made a valiant effort to get to the ropes but couldn't and tapped.
Winner: Ikuto Hidaka with the Sean Capture (11 minutes, 43 seconds)
MATCH TWO
STINGER (Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu) vs The Noah Junior Regulars (Hajime Ohara and Atsushi Kotoge)
The two technicians, Hajime Ohara and Yuya Susumu started off and finished to a loud applause at the deadlock stare off at the end. The match was very much a technical competition between them. STINGER kind of replaced HAYATA and Yoshinari Ogawa in this match due to them both being in other matches this evening, and unable to wrestle any pre matches with their challengers. Susumu it seemed recognized this as he had a plan.
With the speed of light, Seiki Yoshioka took revenge against his former unit members. One nasty move on Atsushi Kotoge involved a jump over the top rope, with foot to the back of the head driving Kotoge's face into the floor.
The match disintegrated as Noah Junior matches tend to do, but on the whole it was not as wild as they can be and it went to a time out draw with STINGER having both Atsushi Kotoge and Hajime Ohara in submission moves. Susumu and Kotoge were the legal men in the ring, and Kotoge was having his face half forced up onto his scalp with his neck yanked back.
Result: Time out draw at 20 minutes
After the match Yuya Susumu told The Noah Junior Regulars that since today came to a time out draw then he had a condition for the match in Sendai. If they lost then they forfeit their right to challenge for the titles to themselves, Susumu and Yoshioka. Susumu later wrote, "You guys want to see it, right? A STINGER showdown?"
MATCH THREE
Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, YO-HEY & Kotaro Suzuki) vs Kongoh Juniors (Aleja, Haoh & Nioh)
All out war between Noah's truly rebellious unit who act how they want and everyone else who does what Kenoh tells them. The match naturally was carnage. Haoh and Nioh thrown out of the ring, Aleja attacked when he came to help them. NOSAWA threw a chair in the ring which almost hit the ref, and after that kicked anyone who came near him from the apron. YO-HEY is loving this darkly whimsical side of his character and did his own distracting so Kongoh could be double teamed.
Winner: YO-HEY with a drop kick on Aleja (7 minutes, 26 seconds)
As Aleja wears a mask, NOSAWA ripped it off him. Aleja was lucky his teammates were able to come to his rescue as Nioh threw himself over him and Haoh was given a towel which was wrapped around Aleja's face as he was bought to the back.
MATCH FOUR
Kaito Kiyomiya vs Super Crazy
Fans clapped extra loud for Kaito Kiyomiya, and he entered with a smile. He looked happy after his meltdown to be home. I think he thought people weren't going to clap for him, and I don't think he is ready yet for people to boo him. Throwing his robe to Yoshiki Inamura at ringside (who caught it on his shoulder and jogged off with it), Kiyomiya offered Super Crazy a handshake, which Super Crazy took hesitantly not knowing if Kiyomiya was going to attack him or not. It' s okay. You can trust him.
Kiyomiya loves fighting veterans, even though Super Crazy provoked him by treating him like a child and patting him on the head. Marufuji used to pat his cheeks. It never fails to wind Kiyomiya up. When fighting Super Crazy Kiyomiya came to a realization. Super Crazy was an older, powerful style from outside of Noah, one from a different time and place, and this match was happening in Noah. Not elsewhere. He saw what he needed to do.
Winner: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Tiger Suplex Hold (16 minutes, 42 seconds)
"A story that it begins with a loss"
Kiyomiya roared from the turnbuckle after his win. This wasn't Kazuchika Okada or Hiroshi Tanahashi, but his experience with them and his experience with Super Crazy had given him clarity. Kiyomiya expanded on this backstage, a look of relief on his face. He realized that what was important to him and the world he wanted to cherish was right here at Noah. This was his home, these were his roots. The world is wide, and he would take good care of Noah within that world. But in that home, he wanted a belt. More than defeating New Japan, Okada, Tanahashi, Mutoh or any of the other veterans or companies he wanted to surpass, a belt was important for him and for the Noah he would lead in 2022.
MATCH FIVE
U-CUP Unit Shuffle Tag Match
Eita & Yoshinari Ogawa vs Tadasuke & Junta Miyawaki
This match was formed out of the Noah Junior Rumble on Night 1 of the N-Innovation with the first four people eliminated from each unit.
Eita entered with Perros and two bottles of water. Yoshinari Ogawa's music started playing and then played again and again but no Ogawa appeared. Eita walked round the ring yelling. When Ogawa did appear, Kotaro held the ring ropes open for him. Kotaro knows what will wind Ogawa up the most and this had its desired effect as Ogawa did not appreciate the sarcasm and kicked him. Then again, Kotaro was probably playing on Ogawa calling him a "dogsbody".
Ogawa was not the only victim of Eita. Rockstar Tadasuke was too when Eita stood in front of him when he went to do his pose.
Tadasuke just moved and did it again. Then, if this match couldn't get anymore strange, Junta Miyawaki appeared looking slightly worried, bounced into the ring and almost bounced on Tadasuke.
As all this was going on, Eita and NOSAWA were being snapped at loudly by Ogawa. Eita then yelled at Ogawa for getting on the apron and not even consulting him about starting the match. Ogawa kicked one of the bottles of water outside the ring, which Yoshiki Inamura very politely handed back to Eita.
Tadasuke (with loud "C'mon Baby!" and "Get up Baby!" to Eita) might have gotten on with Junta Miyawaki, on the other team Ogawa was refusing to be tagged in by Eita. Eita did eventually tag him in, with something resembling a shove. The ref was also arguing with NOSAWA while attempting to keep order, no wonder why there were two today. One ref in the ring, and another outside. Then came the moment when Eita and Ogawa started fighting and Ogawa tied Eita's leg under the ropes. Perros tried to untangle him, the ref was distracted by everything that was happening and Junta and Tadasuke in the midst of all of this were attacking Eita with NOSAWA yelling at Ogawa. Ogawa it did seem, to give him his due, okay to work a fraction with Eita, kicking Tadasuke and double teaming him. Perros couldn't believe it, but as Kotaro probably knew, you couldn't trust Ogawa and he soon turned. The team that worked together won, and Tadasuke unleashed a maelstrom by pinning Eita. But not against himself though. Against Ogawa.
Winner: Tadasuke with the lariat on Eita (6 minutes, 42 seconds)
Fights broke out with Perros beating up on Ogawa. The bell was ringing, NOSAWA was yelling loudly and Eita kicked Ogawa in the head. After this Perros dragged Ogawa to ringside where Eita got the water out and climbed on the ropes to pour it on Ogawa from high.
Seiki Yoshioka and Yuya Susumu ran out to help and the fight ended with Eita throwing his bottle on Ogawa before going backstage. The fight broke out again there and everyone in the arena could hear it through the doors. So while this was going on, HAYATA and Daisuke Harada made their way through a typically out of control division, and came out for the GHC Junior Heavyweight match.
A cooler and calmer match than the one before, naturally. Daisuke Harada worked on wearing HAYATA out, but HAYATA as ever gave nothing away. Like YO-HEY said, it is impossible to guess what he is thinking. HAYATA worked on taking out Harada's arms as this meant no throws or punches, and it would make the rolling elbow (which Harada has adopted) and the Katayama German more difficult. These were the moves that HAYATA expected Harada to do, Harada had something different in mind. HAYATA was often inventive (and merciless) in the way he attacked Harada, but no matter how difficult he made it, Harada somehow always got to the ropes. Both where aware of Harada being made to tap to HAYATA once. There where still some elements of the old HAYATA that Harada was able to anticipate, such as the dropkick to the face when he did the Handspring Elbow, but it wasn't enough he needed to both wear him down and catch him off guard. No one had ever said this was going to be an easy match, it was grueling and the fans at the arena could not help gasping at the counter of the Headache, HAYATA'S kick to face or the final unexpected ending when Harada bought out his new move after a series of desperation pins.
Winner: Daisuke Harada with the DOKAAAN!! (27 minutes, 2 seconds)
The crowd screamed. No one at all had thought the title would change on a small show at Yokohama Radiant Halls. But that is Noah for you. They will always do the unexpected. As STINGER were not at ringside, HAYATA was taken off by Yoshiki Inamura. He sat in the shadows as Harada spoke on the microphone. Although the two have been enemies since HAYATA betrayed RATELS for STINGER, Harada has grudgingly praised him for being the "Absolute Champion."
"I have caught this belt after a long time, but it has got a lot heavier since you have had it. HAYATA! Let's do it again when the value of both the belt and the Juniors rises again! In the near future, lets overturn the heavyweight and the junior positions!"
There was also the specter of another long title reign that Daisuke Harada had ended. He had been the one to defeat Taiji Ishimori too.
The Noah Junior Regulars came to the ring to celebrate with Harada. Kotoge and Ohara putting the belt on him. Harada's win was a victory for him and the unit, but again it has come with a price at the expense of his team. His victory was in a manner of speaking straightforward, no one had said to him that had he lost a pre match then he would forfeit the right to challenge. For Ohara and Kotoge, they still had another hurdle. Despite this, Kotoge was happy for Harada and gave him a High-5. No challenger has come forward yet.
Attendance: 141 people
With thanks to: Shupromobile, Gong-Ex, Metal Noah, Tack, Abeshin
Noah's next event: "BUMPER CROP 2022 in SENDAI" (Sunday, January 16th)
GIF taken from WrestleUniverse
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