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

This is the fall out from the Nagoya show on the 23rd February, and as far as the Noah Juniors are concerned, Yokohama is a place where they tend to go the most wild and there is plenty of scope for that tonight on this card. Sadly no Katsuhiko Nakajima as he has suffered a perforated eardrum, and no Akitoshi Saito, who is also absent. The card tonight sees pre matches, grudge matches, and the reunited Kenohara. 

Event will be live on WrestleUniverse, but you must be a subscriber to view. Stream starts at 18:00 JST.

MATCH ONE

Junta Miyawaki vs Yasutaka Yano

Two Noah Born open the show. This match recalls to me when Kaito Kiyomiya said about Yoshiki Inamura, that he would be the wall that Inamura would never get around. I think the same will be true for Miyawaki and Yano. 

MATCH TWO

Mohammed Yone vs Kinya Okada

With Akitoshi Saito and Masao Inoue absent this evening, and King Tany strutting his funky stuff elsewhere, Mohammed Yone goes solo and takes on young Noah Born, Kinya Okada. Their last few interactions have been increasingly brutal with kick wars. Expect this to be no different. 

MATCH THREE

Haoh & Kai Fujimura vs Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke & Aleja)

Kai Fujimura once again moves up the card and teams up with Haoh for revenge match against Tadasuke and Aleja. The last time the four clashed, Fujimura ended taking the pin from Tadasuke, which Tadasuke followed up with a huge lariat.  

MATCH FOUR

STINGER (HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa & Yuya Susumu) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (Kotaro Suzuki, Ikuto Hidaka & Super Crazy)

In Nagoya, Yoshinari Ogawa put a plan into action whereby he started provoking the discord between NOSAWA and Kotaro Suzuki. There is no NOSAWA tonight (although he may well be at ringside, not staying out of things), but there is the chance to start turning the others either against each other or against Kotaro. 

MATCH FIVE

Go Shiozaki & King Tany vs Kongoh (Manabu Soya & Nioh)

Compared to the dour Kongoh, Go Shiozaki and King Tany are a ray light. Expect comedy between Shiozaki and Tany, especially as Shiozaki probably won't be able to keep a straight face.

MATCH SIX

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

A new story arc opens for Eita as he momentarily takes a step away from fighting STINGER, and teams with NOSAWA for NOSAWA'S pre match against Daisuke Harada and YO-HEY. This will be YO-HEY'S first time facing the people who turned on him, with Eita being the same as him, a Dragon Kid. Harada and Eita will be interesting. This is also the last junior match of the night, so it could end in the usual Yokohama way. Melee fights. 

MATCH SEVEN

Naomichi Marufuji, Masaaki Mochizuki & Daiki Inaba vs Takashi Sugiura, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura

Naomichi Marufuji and Daiki Inaba have a difficult relationship. Marufuji enjoys winding him up, and Inaba has even attacked him before the bell recently. It's going to be interesting to see how they manage, or not manage as the case may be, to get along. They had better find a way as their opponents are a formidable team, and Marufuji knows better than anyone what fighting each of them is like. To put it simply, the trio of Takashi Sugiura, Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura, packs a lot of power. Marufuji, Masaaki Mochizuki and Sugiura are members of the four teams that will be fighting over the vacant heavyweight tag titles...as will be Daiki Inaba.

MATCH EIGHT

Kaito Kiyomiya & Atsushi Kotoge vs Kongoh (Kenoh & Hajime Ohara)

Part pre match and part grudge match in equal measure. Kenoh and Kaito Kiyomiya fight in a pre match for the vacant GHC Heavyweight Tag Titles (Kenoh is not going to be amused if Kiyomiya photobombs him again, then again the sight of Kiyomiya is generally enough to enrage him), and Atsushi Kotoge and Hajime Ohara fight in a grudge match over Ohara leaving for Kongoh. For fans, tonight Kenohara, the tag team from Kenoh's junior days and their days in The Super Violent Army, is resurrected. 

Picture credit: WrestleUniverse, Pro Wrestling Noah

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse.