(NOAH CHRONOLOGY) GHC HEAVYWEIGHT JUNIOR TAG CHAMPIONSHIP: THE NOAH JUNIOR REGULARS (YO-HEY & ATSUSHI KOTOGE)
Number of title reigns as a team: 0
Number of defenses: 2
Lost: ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2022, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Friday 29th April 2022
Total number of days held: 67
Challengers
1. Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai & Kotaro Suzuki)
2. Kongoh (Tadasuke & Hajime Ohara)
3. STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway)
VS Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai & Kotaro Suzuki)
("Great Voyage in Fukuoka 2022", Fukuoka International Center, 21st March)
"GAIN CONTROL 2022 IN NAGOYA" (AICHI / NAGOYA CONGRESS CENTER EVENT HALL, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 23RD)
YO-HEY'S old teammates, NOSAWA Rongai and Kotaro Suzuki came to challenge. NOSAWA deliberately bumped YO-HEY as he got into the ring.
Kotaro's challenge (part challenge, part threat) was short and simple;
"YO-HEY, I am going to destroy you. Kotoge, I'll destroy you at the same time"
STEP FORWARD 2022 (25th February 2022, Yokohama Radiant Hall)
The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada & YO-HEY) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai & Eita)
YO-HEY, now much happier being out of Perros Del Mal and teaming with Atsushi Kotoge, came out wearing the tag belt slung over one shoulder like he did once upon a time when in the GinGin Boys. If you don't know what that was, look it up. Eita and Daisuke Harada started the match, NOSAWA Rongai was desperate to tag in and stood on the apron his hand out stretched and staring at Eita. This tactic delayed things a bit as Eita refused the tag. NOSAWA then became threatening and acted as if he was going to get in. He didn't and left them to fight, although Harada kept the eyes in the back of his head on him. As usual, Perros bought out all the old tricks; tagging in and out immediately, Eita throwing YO-HEY down by his hair and then dusting his hands, kicking him in the head, eye raking and then throwing him into the chairs, double teaming him and gouging the headwound. They even removed the turnbuckle padding. Harada was kept outside the ring, so he could not help YO-HEY much of the time. But, it was not YO-HEY who took the pin.
WINNER: Eita with Trauma on Daisuke Harada (12 minutes, 30 seconds)
N INNOVATION (Saturday March 5th, Yokohama Radiant Hall)
YO-HEY vs NOSAWA Rongai
NOSAWA was being difficult about letting the ref check him as he was more focused on YO-HEY entering. He didn't attack him though, the ref heralded that saying "Woah woah woah" as YO-HEY leapt off the turnbuckles, his music still playing, the bell not even having rung, to dropkick NOSAWA. Following a kick by YO-HEY which felled YO-HEY, NOSAWA played dead, ducked the Gamen-G and then proceeded to attack YO-HEY'S knee. Even smashing it into the concrete outside the ring. NOSAWA worked YO-HEY'S knee this during the match mercilessly. Taunting YO-HEY to hit him, making spooky hand gestures, and retaliating with knee attacks when he did.
Despite this, YO-HEY showed his grit and could still pull out dropkicks, but they cost him and he never shied away from doing his aerial moves to prove to NOSAWA that he wasn't going to stop him. But that said, in the end, YO-HEY had no choice but to quit.
WINNER: NOSAWA Rongai with a variant leg lock (9 minutes, 47 seconds)
NOSAWA wouldn't let go. The bell kept ringing, and the ref managed to remove him eventually. NOSAWA left to complain about the N Innovation, while YO-HEY rolled out and was helped to the back by Yoshiki Inamura.
Great Voyage 2022 in Yokohama (Yokohama Budokan, Sunday March 13th)
The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge, Haoh & Alejandro) & Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Super Crazy & Ikuto Hidaka)
Atsushi Kotoge exuberantly jumped over the stairs to get down them. He remains the only roster member to do so.
Super Crazy decided he would start, although Kotoge probably wanted NOSAWA Rongai, in the end Super Crazy got Alejandro (who for want of a better word, kind of spun Super Crazy about the ring), while NOSAWA being NOSAWA started complaining. In the end when Kotoge was tagged in, NOSAWA decided he didn't want to get in the ring, and Ikuto Hidaka got that honor. NOSAWA was up to usual tricks, jumping off the apron when Kotoge went to knock him down, interference, ref distracting and Perros in general ran roughshod over a team who pride themselves on not playing dirty. Kotoge finally got NOSAWA, and the others in Perros too as they travel in a pack, and when he had NOSAWA on his own, this was met with a swift pin.
WINNER: NOSAWA Rongai with Super high school class La Mahistral on Atsushi Kotoge (10 minutes, 39 seconds)
NOSAWA could make YO-HEY tap and beat Kotoge easily. It was not looking good for the tag champions. Could YO-HEY turn the tables?
YO-HEY vs Kotaro Suzuki
Kotaro Suzuki started the match by telling YO-HEY to attack him and the two got into it that way without the usual lock up. Kotaro can predict YO-HEY after periods of teaming with him and periods of fighting with him, and so outside the ring he threw him around, inside he softened him up with body jabs, knees and kicks and submissions. This time focusing on his midriff and not his knee. Humiliatingly, Kotaro stood on YO-HEY on a few occasions, even driving his knee into his chest and slapping him around. Kotaro dominated the match, but YO-HEY refused to give in even though everything he did, Kotaro turned into reversals. In the end, with YO-HEY a dazed body on the mat, Kotaro dragged him up by his hair and went for his finisher
WINNER: Kotaro Suzuki with The Tiger Driver (14 minutes, 3 seconds)
Kotaro Suzuki post match interview
"Is it the end of the dumbasses? Hey, YO-HEY. How long have you been half hearted? Dumb and dumber team up and are overjoyed to catch the belt, what are you so happy about? What is the value of that belt? That's right, it's the Regulars. Aren't the Regulars a trash can for guys leaving their teams? How do they steer the Noah Juniors? The Noah Juniors are steered by us, Perros Del Mal De Japon. Remember it well. If you have any complaints, try to resist. I will destroy all the guys who come."
...later with Perros Del Mal following Eita's GHC Junior Championship win
EITA: The traitor lost to NOSAWA and today to Kotaro. Is it my turn next? I am looking forward to it.
NOSAWA: Oh, in Fukuoka, he will be destroyed
KOTARO: You won't be able to. I have already destroyed about 80%
Final Pre-match
JUST FINE! 2022 (Sunday March 20th, Kumamoto)
The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY & Haoh) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Kotaro Suzuki & Super Crazy)
NOSAWA Rongai immediately started causing trouble, leaving the ring and demanding a three on one, he was joined by Kotaro Suzuki and Super Crazy.
It was the fans who drove them back to the ring after YO-HEY started a loud clap. Only Kotaro and Super Crazy returned at first, NOSAWA sat in the crowd. Kotaro today reminded a lot of people of Mitsuharu Misawa, especially in the way he is starting to look, his mannerisms, his facial expressions and his technique.
Winner: Kotaro Suzuki with the Endless Waltz on Atsushi Kotoge (14 minutes, 40 seconds)
The pre matches had been a disaster, Perros Del Mal had won them all, and now they had won the final one. Kotaro took the microphone and said
"You guys are weak! The title match is tomorrow, right? I swear all Noah's fans that I will do my best tomorrow and then return"
NOSAWA was not so polite. Speaking of Kotaro being like Misawa, Misawa would never have let his juniors use bad language, so Kotaro rarely does use profanity like NOSAWA;
"Just saying hello! Fucking countryside fans"
While Perros appear tough, fans are speculating that it's a fragile relationship between Kotaro and NOSAWA, just one argument will push them apart.
YO-HEY spoke too
"I'm very sorry, I am so disappointed and I am really angry. But, it's true that we lost. Definitely, definitely, tomorrow at the Fukuoka event, we will defend the belts"
Backstage the tag challengers gloated over their easy victory today, and the other easy victories they had had. Kotaro declared a tie, while NOSAWA said they could do it with their eyes closed. It would be that simple.
Great Voyage 2022 in Fukuoka (Fukuoka International Centre, Monday March 21st)
The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge & YO-HEY) vs Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai & Kotaro Suzuki)
This was going to be a tough challenge for the tag champions, given their less than stellar pre match results, but would their challengers to have eat their words as to how easy this was going to be? So easy in fact, they could do it with their eyes shut. And so at first yes the champions did well with the match starting slow, steady and methodical. Then NOSAWA decided to get involved, which gave Perros the upper hand. NOSAWA displayed the usual rough wrestling, treading on YO-HEY's head, even when the ref told him not to. Kotaro bounced YO-HEY'S head around, making him look like a pinball. NOSAWA taunted Kotoge and with the ref distracted, Kotaro also joined in. In the pre matches, the champions had stood to lose loss of face, in the title match they stood to lose even more.
After the double sub, in which the champions hung in there although Kotoge was the legal man and YO-HEY had jumped in to help, Perros found this was not going to be as easy as they expected and NOSAWA resorted to a low blow on YO-HEY. Kotoge broke the pin with literally a second to go before the ref counted three, took Kotaro out with a moonsault, did the Killswitch on NOSAWA and dragged a groggy YO-HEY to the centre. YO-HEY saved the day and won the war with Facial G finishers and a final dropkick.
WINNER: YO-HEY with a dropkick on NOSAWA Rongai (23 minutes, 6 seconds)
Kotaro left with a scowl and a warning, this wasn't over. The Noah Junior Regulars took no notice and celebrated their win. As ever in the Noah Juniors there is an air of tension as you never know what is going to happen, but happily nothing did. Backstage, YO-HEY paid tribute to Kotoge's saving him.
VS Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke & Hajime Ohara)
("REAL OVERTURE 2022", G Messe Gunma, 3rd April)
JUST FINE! 2022 (Wednesday 23rd March, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)
The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY & Haoh) vs Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke, Hajime Ohara & Nioh)
YO-HEY said this would be hitting Kongoh's beliefs with their brightness, but nothing could lighten the dark presence of Hajime Ohara, who in his anger almost tore Atsushi Kotoge's knee in half. There is still an element of bitterness between Haoh and Nioh, but on Haoh's part now it has more of a feeling of wanting to show how much better off he is.
Kotoge was screaming in the Ohara submission, but no one could help, Kotoge got to the ropes with applause. Kotoge fought back with a little help from YO-HEY, but the second time Ohara had a little help from Tadasuke, and the Muibien he trapped Kotoge in meant he couldn't go anywhere and Kongoh made sure no one could help. Kotoge tapped. He had no choice.
WINNER: Hajime Ohara with the Mui Bien on Atsushi Kotoge (14 minutes, 25 seconds)
Ohara looked demonic, and Tadasuke got on the mic and addressed the GHC Junior Tag Champions. In typical zany Tadasuke style, this also involved listening to the belt as he challenged for the titles.
"Hey, Kotoge! What is "being yourselves"? You guys have the belt, but it would be happier if we where wearing it! I can't wait! We will challenge you guys in Gunma on the 3rd April!"
There will be no pre-match.
REAL OVERTURE 2022 (Gunma / G Messe Gunma, Sunday April 3rd)
Tadasuke was dominant, even making the ref count his cocky pin on YO-HEY. Hajime Ohara was more controlled than Tadasuke with a dark air of anger and revenge. The tag champions where tortured by their opponents. In a double submission, Ohara even kicked Atsushi Kotoge to make the strain on his legs worse. YO-HEY, who was caught by Tadasuke, could only hope that either he let go or that Kotoge got to the ropes. Kotoge made a huge lunging effort after Ohara had grabbed his arm to stop him.
Tadasuke is the kind of wrestler who likes it when his opponents kicks out, as it charges him up more and channeling Kodo Fuyuki, he almost took YO-HEY'S head off. Too strong for the first Gamen-G, he caught YO-HEY in mid-air, and almost flattened him with a slam to the canvas. Kotoge did all he could to break the pin and try and keep Ohara away, but YO-HEY fought back, hit the Gamen-G the second time and then caught Tadasuke square in the face with a drop-kick finisher for the win.
WINNER: YO-HEY with the dropkick (17 minutes, 56 seconds)
VS STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway)
(MAJESTIC 2022 ~ N Innovation ~ Sumo Hall, Friday, April 29th)
STINGER have this ability to be kind of like shadows who rise from the floor, and Yoshinari Ogawa seemingly did just that when he appeared on the ring apron to challenge for the title. Ignoring Atsushi Kotoge, probably because it was YO-HEY who got the win, but then again this is Yoshinari Ogawa, so it could be for other reasons, Ogawa got in YO-HEY's face and challenged for the belt;
"YO-HEY. Next is me! I'll take my belt back."
It had not escaped YO-HEY'S notice, or any of the fans, that Ogawa had not a partner with him.
"Are you going to do it alone? Well okay. No matter what kind of opponent comes, myself, Kotoge and all of the fans will just defend together!"
Everyone knew who this partner would be. HAYATA was in the main event at Sumo Hall as he was chasing the GHC Junior singles, Seiki Yoshioka was injured (he will return on the 8th April, but no one knew that then), and Yuya Susumu had a match with Kotaro Suzuki. Yasutaka Yano is too young and inexperienced to challenge for titles. So there could only be one choice.
Chris Ridgeway.
Backstage, Yoshinari Ogawa confirmed this. He and Chris Ridgeway would challenge for the titles at Sumo Hall on the 29th April. Speaking of the challenger team, Ogawa gave them some praise remarking that he thought they were good but could be better, but "being popular with girls" was not enough to keep the belts. He also may have sowed the seeds for a possible fracture in STINGER, by commenting that he felt that Ridgeway and himself would get better results than himself and HAYATA.
JUST FINE! 2022 (Friday 9th April, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)
Naomichi Marufuji & Atsushi Kotoge vs Kaito Kiyomiya & Yoshinari Ogawa
As Chris Ridgeway is not here tonight, it was up to Yoshinari Ogawa to uphold the team. He had no problems in doing that, or even much difficulty and Atsushi Kotoge (who has probably learned from Kotaro Suzuki, just how you humiliate Ogawa), went for the quick win. Ogawa was enraged, even more so than he had been. Problem with this is, as Kotoge was to find out when his knee was almost split in half, you had better make it work.
The heavyweights tore into each other, Kaito Kiyomiya was ferocious. Marufuji is finding recently that his juniors are fighting back, and it's not possible to bring them down so easily now, but you can use what they don't have against them, the experience as a veteran. Ogawa watched their interactions intently. They are still his students, and he never stops teaching.
As you can imagine, Kotoge's knee sustained a terrible attack, but he fought through it, even though it cost him. For one moment I did think he was legitimately injured. Ogawa gave him no mercy and redoubled his efforts. Kotoge stood it for as long as he could and then understandably, tapped.
WINNER: Yoshinari Ogawa with the Figure Four on Atsushi Kotoge (17 minutes, 56 seconds)
It had been an evening of highs and lows for the Noah Junior Regulars. Ogawa ended their evening on a low by making belt motions, then kicking Kotoge and then arguing with YO-HEY (who had back pain) before leaving the ring.
Chris Ridgeway posted
"Ogawa and I will take the GHC junior tag belts at Ryogoku and we will do it the STINGER way 😏"
JUST FINE! 2022 (Saturday 10th April, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)
The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY & Junta Miyawaki) vs STINGER (HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa, Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu)
STINGER filed out looking as if they were blinking in the brightness of the arena, their darkness was in contrast to the dazzling brightness and the high spirits of the Noah Juniors. Yoshinari Ogawa was there to greet them, especially YO-HEY, who was patting the belt at him, on the ropes.
STINGER attacked right away, everyone thrown out of the ring aside from Atsushi Kotoge, who Ogawa immediately put in the Figure 4 again. The melee fight outside the ring offered him no escape. He would either have to quit, grit his teeth and wait for help, or else get to the ropes. Ogawa was not going to let go. In the end Daisuke Harada managed to escape HAYATA and break the hold. Ogawa's next act was to rip the bandage from Kotoge's knee and attack it. STINGER wanted YO-HEY fresh and in mint condition, and so he didn't get the same treatment. In any case, Ogawa was not around to do it as he took YO-HEY'S dropkick to the head.
HAYATA was worried as it took Ogawa a long time to recover and he didn't appear on the apron with them. So with Kotoge rolling around outside and Ogawa absent, it became a three on three.
WINNER: YO-HEY with the dropkick on Seiki Yoshioka (10 minutes, 43 seconds)
REAL OVERTURE 2022 in NIIGATA (Sunday 17th April 2022, Bandaijima Multipurpose Plaza Large Kama)
The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY & Junta Miyawaki) vs STINGER (HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa & Yasutaka Yano)
Yoshinari Ogawa came out wearing a long leather jacket, which looked very Matrix style (he'd be The Architect, the one who controls everyone without them knowing it). Fans said they screamed!
Atsushi Kotoge charged before the bell even rang, this did not stop the attack on his left knee. YO-HEY either had his left wrist worked on, or else felt some pain during the match. I think it may have been the latter, as a picture taken seemed to indicate he was genuinely in pain and this was not just a work. However, upbeat YO-HEY seems to be planning to turn this minus into a positive at Sumo Hall.
Kotoge got the pin, with YO-HEY at the same time covering Ogawa.
Winner: Atsushi Kotoge with the KillSwitch on Yasutaka Yano (17 minutes, 38 seconds)
Kotoge's knee is said to be not in a good way.
Title match
MAJESTIC 2022 ~ N Innovation ~ Sumo Hall, Friday, April 29th
STINGER emerged from the shadows in the dark and looking dark. Yoshinari Ogawa even came out to Chris Ridgeway's music, a high mark of respect. Ogawa took some time to give Liger a long lingering glare.
When Naomichi Marufuji had suggested that the Noah Junior Regulars change their costumes slightly, I don't think he meant that YO-HEY and Atsushi Kotoge (two naturally flamboyant people) take it to the extreme and come out in new gear such asYO-HEY in a big fluffy elaborate white coat (Fans wondered if Guts Cabaret had made it), a mask and Atsushi Kotoge wearing a chain and with new colorful ring-wear.
STINGERS expressions said it all.
STINGER did not see the funny side in their entry and Kotoge and YO-HEY soon found there was very little to dance around about. The Noah Junior Regulars may have been there to play, but STINGER weren't. Ogawa, no respecter of new ring wear, went to attack Kotoge's already fragile knee by ripping off his new boots and then flinging parts into the crowd. He even went to rip off Kotoge's bandage. Ridgeway continued the attack without mercy, doubling up slaps to the face with a bridge. YO-HEY was even used as a weapon to attack Kotoge's knees with. STINGER were waiting round every corner, every bend, every nook, every cranny. There was no escaping them, their attack was so focused, so vicious, so merciless, that Daisuke Harada did the unthinkable during a title match, and climbed up on the apron to complain. Title matches are sacred ground in Noah. Exhaustion began to set in. The Noah Junior Regulars where worn down, Kotoge was hanging on a thread. Worn down by constant physical attacks and drained by the past weeks, he tapped.
WINNERS: Chris Ridgeway with the Stretch Muffler Hold on Atsushi Kotoge (33 minutes, 41 seconds)
Next champions: STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway)
Links
Comments
Post a Comment
Spam will be deleted immediately