(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: JUST FINE! 2022 (Kumamoto City Distribution Information Center, Kumamoto, Sunday March 20th)


Noah's three Kumamoto boys - Go Shiozaki, Daiki Inaba and Haoh did a short video prior to the event, welcoming people to the show. The event was sold out, although I do not know the number, fans who came said that because of this they were glad they bought a ticket early. They were also treated to the end of the famous Yoshinari Ogawa classrooms, where he was seen finishing up teaching two of the trainees.

Today's event was not streamed live, but it will be on WrestleUniverse from 18:00 JST on March 23rd. You can also watch the semi main and the main on Noah's official Instagram. As the event (or really parts of it) wasn't streamed live, I don't have too much information on some matches. 

MATCH ONE
Alejandro & Kai Fujimura vs Kinya Okada & Yasutaka Yano

Winner: Alejandro with the Camel Clutch on Yasutaka Yano (12 minutes, 1 seconds)

MATCH TWO
Funky Express (King Tany, Mohammed Yone & Akitoshi Saito) vs Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke, Hajime Ohara & Nioh)

Usual Tadasuke spot with Nioh looming over his shoulder to photobomb him. Tadasuke even did a quick glance over his shoulder to check what was going on. King Tany also had his own struggles. If Masao Inoue's first battle was with his t-shirt, then Tany's is with his gold chain. Mohammed Yone assisted today. 


Both teams introduced a new tandem move. Kongoh Juniors involved Tadasuke balancing on Tany's back, while the other two hold him down. Followed by an attack from all three, with a running knee from Tadasuke. Funky Express also have their own move (surprisingly non disco) which involves them surrounding their opponents and each striking and kicking in turn. Nioh stood up to this well. 

WINNER: Mohammed Yone with the Kinniku Buster on Nioh (11 minutes, 36 seconds)

MATCH THREE
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. 

MATCH FOUR
The Bullet Yankees (Takashi Sugiura & Masato Tanaka) vs THE TOUGH (Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura)

Even though it was not billed as these team names, Masa Kitamiya called this match exactly by this. I am afraid I don't have much information on this but it looks like THE TOUGH did a tandem squat/hold move on The Bullet Yankees. Fans commented on the noise this match made, in particular the noise of bodies hitting the mat. 

Winner: Masato Tanaka with the Sliding D on Yoshiki Inamura (15 minutes, 57 seconds)

MATCH FIVE
STINGER (HAYATA & Yoshinari Ogawa) & Naomichi Marufuji vs The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada & Junta Miyawaki) & Kaito Kiyomiya

"The Falcon has landed in Kumamoto"

In order to honor old friend Hayabusa, who sadly passed away in March 2016, Naomichi Marufuji wore a red falcon mask to the ring. He didn't wear it in the match, but hung it on the ring post. His entry was Hayabusa as well, doing the arm stretch pose. There was another tribute of sorts to Hayabusa as Junta Miyawaki went to do the Falcon Arrow (Hayabusa's ground finisher), but sadly HAYATA thwarted him.

Daisuke Harada and Junta Miyawaki did not wait for Kaito Kiyomiya. Harada had a permanent scowl, and Kiyomiya did not enter smiling and pointing at people. As he himself said, his "frustrating days" continue. He wrestled like he has been training, like a fury. 

WINNER: HAYATA with the 403 Impact on Junta Miyawaki (21 minutes, 6 seconds)

An angry Kiyomiya and Marufuji where fighting outside the ring, as the juniors brawled in it, especially Ogawa and Harada. Ogawa taunted Harada about his belt loss, making belt motions and even pointing to his empty waist, as outside Kiyomiya felled Marufuji. Then HAYATA tried to rescue Ogawa as he and Harada where brawling, and both where thrown out. Kiyomiya stalked off, and Marufuji left seeing all was normal in that division, as there was a standoff between Harada and Ogawa, who got back on the apron. Eita, who is teaming with Super Crazy tomorrow against Ogawa and HAYATA, hinted on social media of what he expects may happen. 

Backstage, Marufuji who was holding the Hayabusa mask, said he felt sure his "Anki" was watching from heaven. Hayabusa (who could be as much of a giggler as Go Shiozaki at times), would have probably found it amusing that Marufuji later commented he forgot to take his gumshield out of his mouth.

Note about "Anki": Like "Niisan" this means "older brother" with the difference being that while Kenta Kobashi called Mitsuharu Misawa "Niisan", Kobashi and Misawa where both pupils of Giant Baba so their relationship is more of along the lines of being sibling students. Marufuji and Hayabusa where not sibling students, so he uses "Anki" which means someone considered to be an elder, but with a closer relationship than just a younger and older person being friends. 

MATCH SIX
Kongoh (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Manabu Soya) vs Go Shiozaki, Masaaki Mochizuki & Daiki Inaba

"The wolf is back in Noah"

The two Kyushu boys, Go Shiozaki and the returning Katsuhiko Nakajima, started the match. You could tell how true Shiozaki's statement of Nakajima being angry was, and how well he knows him, with the force of Nakajima's kicks. However, this did not stop Nakajima from being irritating and 
utilizing the Misawa flash tags. Nakajima has also not lost one ounce of his cockiness since losing the belt and being injured, he actually tried to pin Daiki Inaba, with the cocky pin. Twice. There was no doubt that Nakajima was enjoying humiliating the Kumamoto boys in their hometown, Inaba was kicked around by both Kenoh and Nakajima, but the ultimate humiliation was saved for Shiozaki, and not just by Nakajima kicking out of the Go Flasher. 

Winner: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Vertical Spike on Go Shiozaki (21 minutes, 4 seconds)

If disrespecting Shiozaki all over town wasn't enough, Nakajima spoke on the microphone to taunt him some more;

"Go Shiozaki! Did you just defeat Soya when I was absent? And now it's singles with me? Don't be stupid. I'm not interested in you. What I am focused on is the GHC."

Then Kenoh spoke, telling everyone this was "the strength of Katsuhiko Nakajima" and this was "the strength of Kongoh". He told all the "fuckers in Kumamoto", that all of Kongoh including Masakatsu Funaki, would return. Funaki was absent from Noah today, and I guess Kenoh is also taking very little notice of the combined efforts of Kendo Kashin and his impish sidekick, Fuminori Abe, to get him to leave. Kongoh closed the show out with their usual pose. 

With thanks to: Hissagore, Torimind, Ggkabuki, Kixyouko0831, INGOBERNABLES9, Jyun, Mitchy and Metal-Noah

Noah's next event: GREAT VOYAGE 2022 in FUKUOKA (Monday March 21st, Fukuoka International Center)
Picture & GIFS taken from Noah Official Twitter

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