(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: NEW SUNRISE 2022 (Korakuen Hall, Tuesday January 4th)

With New Japan at The Tokyo Dome and it being a Tuesday evening in Tokyo just after New Year, Noah attracted 405 people to Korakuen Hall today. Compared to the dismal days of The Suzuki Army and the turbulent 2016/2017, having New Japan at the Dome or not a sold old house didn't seem any longer like an issue, the crowd was enthusiastic and people crept in after the event had started. A far cry from the old days. Noah had made a strong start to 2022 at The Nippon Budokan and with night one of two at Korakuen Hall, plus the N-Innovation starting not to mention the upcoming joint event at the Yokohama Arena, things were just getting going. 

The event was broadcast live on WrestleUniverse (English commentary available), ABEMA and the first two matches were shown on Noah's Official YouTube. 

MATCH ONE

Kai Fujimura vs Yasutaka Yano

A rare singles match, in which they were not supervised by their seniors from the apron although no doubt Yoshinari Ogawa was watching from the balcony. The two boys went straight into a lock up. Fujimura a lot more confident and a lot more aggressive in attack. He seems suddenly to have grown and to be wrestling Noah style. Fans are still wondering when and if he is going to sign with Noah. Neither boy looked like a rookie today.

WINNER: Yasutaka Yano via pinfall (6 minutes, 29 seconds) 

Yano celebrated in the same fashion as Kaito Kiyomiya did when he won the GHC Heavyweight for the first time i.e. throwing himself all over the ring and standing on the turnbuckles in celebration.

Backstage he was very humble, quietly saying to ring announcer Ally, that as it was his birthday today, he was dedicating his first win to him. In the comments booth he spoke about the New Japan singles match he was having on the 8th and how it was in the back of his mind today. He knew the techniques between New Japan and Noah were different, but he would be aiming for the win.

MATCH TWO

Funky Express (King Tany & Mohammed Yone) vs Junta Miyawaki & Kinya Okada

Even by the end of the first match there was a great atmosphere in Korakuen and the funky duo came out dancing. Mohammed Yone even posing for pictures while dancing his way out and waving a Noah flashlight. The Funky Fans were out in force too with their flashing glasses. 

Despite the yellow boa, the crown, the flashing shades, the big grin and the bling (not to mention the unlit cigar), when King Tany is in the ring the wrestlers seem to have a kind of competition to see who can take him down. Kinya Okada wore him down by kicks, and then in true Noah Junior style, Junta Miyawaki stormed the ring and the two of them double teamed him. Both Okada and Miyawaki have developed new moves; Okada a jumping roundhouse kick and Miyawaki what looks like a modified Headache. Although Okada continues to grow (as does Miyawaki) and fought according to his Kakizome (kind of like a New Year's Resolution) "breakthrough", he fell to Yone today. 

Winner: Mohammed Yone with the Kinniku Buster (7 minutes, 12 seconds)

MATCH THREE

Perros De Mal Del Japon (NOSAWA Rongai & Eita) vs Kongoh Juniors (Haoh & Nioh) 

In true Noah Junior style, Kongoh attacked the moment Perros De Mal Del Japon got in the ring. The referee calling for the bell almost immediately. Haoh looked as if he was being torn apart by wild dogs when he was set upon with the usual cheating and "foul play" as Daisuke Harada would probably term it from Perros. 

WINNER: Eita with Trauma on Haoh (3 minutes, 44 seconds)

Eita said before the match that he didn't know which was which, but it didn't matter, he would destroy them before he knew their names and he made good his promise. Nioh's bad knees where playing up as he limped wincing from the ring leaning on Haoh. Backstage Eita said he had no idea who he had beaten. NOSAWA didn't either and suggested it might have been Kenoh. That worked for Eita. Takashi Sugiura once again proved highly helpful by saying that it wasn't Hi69 (Nioh's old name). 

MATCH FOUR

Atsushi Kotoge vs Seiki Yoshioka

This was a rare singles match between two people who have had a frustrating 2021 and are hoping for a more productive 2022. For one person that did not happen. 

Seiki Yoshioka and Atsushi Kotoge know each other very well after teaming together in the now defunct unit, FULL THROTTLE. With Junta Miyawaki at ringside banging on the apron, both knew that they had to get the win to get 2022 off to an auspicious start. Yoshioka knows when to capitalize on Atsushi Kotoge and when to look for opening, as while Kotoge never gets carried away to Tadasuke proportions, he does leave a gap. Kotoge knows that with Yoshioka, it's the element of surprise that generally works. 

WINNER: Atsushi Kotoge with the Killswitch (7 minutes, 11 seconds)

Kotoge's 2022 had started with an updraft. Yoshioka's had started with a slide. 

MATCH FIVE

The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura, Kazushi Sakuraba & Kazuyuki Fujita) vs The M's alliance (Masato Tanaka & Masaaki Mochizuki) & Daiki Inaba

Kazuyuki Fujita as ever was the wall, shoving his opponents down and even managing to make Takashi Sugiura look small as they stood together on the apron. Daiki Inaba got the brunt of Fujita's attacks, and you could tell while this was going on that Masato Tanaka was watching intently and figuring his new rival Fujita out. 

Daiki Inaba has made progression in his wrestling, and is starting to utilize lariats. Although it seemed to be Masaaki Mochizuki (who lit a fire in Kazushi Sakuraba when the two traded kicks) who Takashi Sugiura had a score to settle with, it came down to Inaba and Sugiura at the end. Inaba trapped Sugiura in a sudden submission, but it's going to take more than that to get him to quit. The headbutt he threw at Sugiura only made him mad, as did the kicking out after some vicious sounding elbows. 

WINNER: Takashi Sugiura with the Olympic Slam (15 minutes, 40 seconds)

MATCH SIX

Kongoh (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh, Manabu Soya, Tadasuke & Aleja) vs Naomichi Marufuji, Masa Kitamiya, Yoshiki Inamura, Daisuke Harada & Hajime Ohara.

Daisuke Harada, dressed in a gleaming white, had an intense look in his eyes. He had said prior to the match on social media that in a team of heavyweights, the juniors were not going to be outdone. Naomichi Marufuji was all business today too, a glance to Harada (they don't get along), a kind of warning to Masa Kitamiya, and a few words with Yoshiki Inamura. 

Kongoh filed out looking grim, only Tadasuke smiling and animated as he walked into Korakuen Hall as if he were the main event at a rock concern. He did the usual camera spot, but there was no one there to photobomb him. 

Naomichi Marufuji provoked Manabu Soya by flexing his pectorals at him, and got shoved down for his troubles. Tests of strengths are not a good idea either. Throughout the match Marufuji's quest (and really any match they are in, but remember this, it will be significant later) was to overcome Soya which resulted in bear hugs, lariats and being knocked over the barrier at one point after being propelled off of the ring apron. Speaking of Soya, the last time he and Masa Kitamiya were in the ring together, they managed to break the boards. It was probably for the best that today the three of them didn't have a fight together, as Korakuen would probably have come down. 

As ever the presence of the Noah Juniors in the match caused mass brawls, Tadasuke charged the ring and Ohara ended up getting their tandem elbow drops. Aleja was thrown like a doll by Yoshiki Inamura, and for all I know could have gone through the roof. There was a typical wild Tadasuke moment where he was seen headbanging in the corner excitedly as he was the only man left standing on the Kongoh team, everyone else fighting outside the ring or else knocked off the apron. He and Daisuke Harada had a lightning fast exchange. 

The end of the match came down to Masa Kitamiya and Katsuhiko Nakajima. After taking the Kongoh tandem kick, which did nothing but fire him up, he took out both Kenoh and Nakajima with lariats. Following this he gave Nakajima two massive suplex slams, a huge lariat and then a top rope bomb. Finishing with the Saito Suplex, he had won the right to challenge.  

WINNER: Masa Kitamiya with the Saito Suplex on Katsuhiko Nakajima (15 minutes, 35 seconds)

Masa Kitamiya called for the microphone and challenged Katsuhiko Nakajima for the GHC Heavyweight title

"Hey! Champion! Katsuhiko Nakajima! Don't complain, the NEXT challenger is ME! Masa Kitamiya! I am challenging you! Polish your belt and get ready!"

He added to the departing Kongoh

"I'll tell you something else, Kongoh. It's just only you, "we" are also Noah! Idiots!"

(Note, by "We" he meant the customers)

It wasn't just Masa Kitamiya who had something to say. Manabu Soya also had a challenge to make. Naomichi Marufuji had provoked him and Marufuji had something he wanted and for that matter, Kongoh wanted too. A heavyweight tag belt. 

Snatching the microphone from Kitamiya he said

"Marufuji! This is a GHC tag challenge from myself and Kenoh! What genius? Screw you!"

Backstage, Manabu Soya commented on the fact that Keiji Mutoh had once called him a "big useless tree", to which Naomichi Marufuji later commented that he was a tree with super strength. Marufuji also commented on the Nakajima vs Kitamiya title challenge. Perceptively put, Marufuji said that this title challenge contained elements that can only be understood between Katsuhiko Nakajima and Masa Kitamiya and therefore what we don't know, what we don't understand and what we may never understand, will make it more interesting. For the newer fans reading this, Nakajima and Kitamiya both came from Kensuke Office/Diamond Ring, where they both trained under Kensuke Sasaki. This gives them the "older brother/senior student" relationship. Both title matches will take place at ""BUMPER CROP 2022 in SENDAI" on the 16th January.  

MATCH SEVEN

Kaito Kiyomiya vs Go Shiozaki

A master and pupil match. 

With the exuberance of youth, Kaito Kiyomiya bounced back from his loss and looked ahead to 2022. He somehow looked more fresh than the dark and brooding persona he had adopted in late 2021. Go Shiozaki's Budokan outfit seems to be a regular thing and not just for big matches. I also noticed that the lining of the cape seemed to be copied from an earlier gown of Mitsuharu Misawa's too. Nakajima may have taken Shiozaki's soul from him by forbidding him to say ever again "I am Noah", but Nakajima cannot take away from him his inheritance. 

Kiyomiya, as is his way these days. He no longer waits for the bell. Wait straight into the attack by flying across the ring with a punch. He was given a grumpy chop for his troubles. Kiyomiya then went on to attack Shiozaki's arm and shoulder. 

Kiyomiya as is his way, went straight into the attack. Shiozaki gave him a grumpy chop for his troubles.

Kiyomiya attacked Shiozaki's arms and shoulder throughout the match, but he had to work on this constantly as often times he was no sold and knocked down with a brutal chop. He had only himself to blame when red welts came up on his chest and splayed finger marks were seen. 

Aside from the GHC National title match at the Nippon Budokan recently and the Sumo Hall title match where Kiyomiya believes he died for a few seconds, this was probably one of the most brutal matches he has ever had. Spit was coming out of Kiyomiya's mouth like a ribbon by the time Shiozaki was lariating him to the head, but still he managed to kick out groggily and this was following a kick out after a Go Flasher with a long hangtime. Face like a thunderstorm, Shiozaki dragged him up and went for the kill, but Kiyomiya was not trained by Ogawa for nothing. He countered and got the win

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

Go Shiozaki was not in a good way after the match as he was crouching and holding his shoulder. The referee asking him questions. Inamura had to help Shiozaki back, although as ever he shook him off and walked. Backstage, an icepack held in place, Shiozaki said he wouldn't give up.

MATCH EIGHT

GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Match

STINGER (HAYATA & Yoshinari Ogawa) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (YO-HEY & Kotaro Suzuki)

Fans had been speculating about the apparent STINGER split and wondering if Yoshinari Ogawa was even going to turn up to the match. He did. Just following HAYATA at a distance. They seemed to have patched things up at first glance, albeit with an air of coolness between them. Ogawa set the tone by kicking the ref to come and check him. 

Ogawa and Kotaro Suzuki started the match. It remained civil, which is odd as Ogawa usually sees red whenever he sees, speaks about or thinks of Kotaro. Kotaro knows how to wind Ogawa up. We see no bottles of water here. He doesn't need them. All Kotaro needed to do was humiliate him in other ways; tread on him, kick him in the head lightly, celebrate to the crowd. Perros, who were outside the ring, had other ideas. Normally in Noah title matches are sacred and seconds do not interfere. Not today when Ogawa had his legs pulled by Eita and then Perros attacking him at other intervals. Fortunately it was done in moderation and never reached Suzuki Army proportions where entire matches were disrupted constantly. HAYATA complained about this, but was kept back by the ref. I wonder if Ogawa will arrive at the conclusion somewhere down the line that he didn't come to help him? 

HAYATA nipped YO-HEY'S irritating lock up in the bud. YO-HEY was very much targeted with his arm, elbow and even his hand being worked on. HAYATA smiled as he nonchalantly walked across the ring and trod on YO-HEY'S wrist. Sadly for fans, the reunion between HAYATA & YO-HEY (or Yoshinari Ogawa and Kotaro Suzuki) did not come. At least not yet. With Ogawa and YO-HEY fighting outside the ring, it was HAYATA who got the win.  

WINNER: HAYATA with the Headache on Kotaro Suzuki (19 minutes, 47 seconds)

Neither HAYATA or Ogawa at first wanted to take their belts. They did in the end and allowed the ref to lift their arms. Perros by this time had slunk off and Ogawa left after giving HAYATA a small pat.

HAYATA was again left alone in the ring after the main event with people expecting him of all people to close out the show. Please bear in mind that HAYATA'S not wanting to speak isn't just a gimmick, he is in fact chronically shy, and so steeling himself he got on the microphone and simply said, "Happy New Year" before briefly posing with the belts (a new thing for him) and leaving. 

Noah's next event will be on the 5th January, again at Korakuen Hall and as per New Year tradition, it will be a mystery card. All sorts of possibilities stem from today. 

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse.