(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: REAL OVERTURE 2022 (Friday April 8th, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)

"The dawn of turmoil..."

Kazuyuki Fujita arrived in dignity, as befitted a GHC Heavyweight Champion, and handed out luxury confectionary, Ichigo Daifuku (Strawberry mochi, which are very popular in the spring) to the staff who were setting up the lobby. The iron lady on the desk got some, as did the people running the stalls, and I believe the official Noah Twitter too. 

The event today was broadcast on ABEMA, and was placed immediately after on WrestleUniverse. You must be a subscriber to view. 

MATCH ONE

Super Crazy vs Yasutaka Yano

Super Crazy started with the Perros Del Mal De Japon standard of hairpulling, which Yasutaka Yano went with the STINGER standard of complaining about it. Unless of course, they (meaning Yoshinari Ogawa), does it. Super Crazy, the veteran, walked away a few times when it was clear what move Yano was going for and let him crash land when he went for a dropkick, and later a top rope plancha. Yano got his own back though. As ever the boy put up a determined fight, but Super Crazy was too strong and too experienced. 

WINNER: Super Crazy with the Liger Bomb (7 minutes, 30 seconds)

Noah ran a promo package, giving the complete run down of the card for the Noah Junior night at Sumo Hall. It expected that they will announce the heavyweight card tomorrow. 

Ikuto Hidaka vs Kai Fujimura

SLEX vs Yasutaka Yano

Kotaro Suzuki vs Yuya Susumu

PERROS DEL MAL DE JAPON (NOSAWA Rongai, Texano Jnr & Super Crazy) vs Kongoh (Tadasuke, Hajime Ohara & Shuji Kondo)

Loser loses their name match: Haoh vs Nioh

Seiki Yoshioka vs Extreme Tiger

Noah vs Z-Brats: Daisuke Harada, Alejandro & Junta Miyawaki vs Shun Skywalker, H.Y.O and SB KENTo

3WAY Match: Dragon Bain vs Alpha Wolf vs Ninja Mac

GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Championship Match: Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge & YO-HEY) vs STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway)

GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: Eita vs HAYATA

Tadasuke had spoken in his last post match promo about bringing "that guy" to Noah. "That guy" turned out to be Shuji Kondo. 

MATCH TWO

Funky Express (King Tany & Mohammed Yone) & Alejandro vs Daiki Inaba, Kinya Okada & Kai Fujimura

King Tany once again didn't remove his crown, and it was complained about by the opposition. You would have thought that Tany would have learned after NOSAWA'S act of lese majesty. Funky Express soon had more to worry about, however than King Tany's crown, as Kinya Okada, was on fire against King Tany. Okada is coming closer and closer to that win, and Tany knows it. Speaking of Funky Express, they also have a new tandem move which involves them kicking their opponent in the face. 

Kai Fujimura and Alejandro went at light speed. 

WINNER: Alejandro with the Sky Twister Press on Kai Fujimura (8 minutes, 36 seconds)

MATCH THREE

N Innovation Road to Ryogoku ~ New Generation Battle ~

Junta Miyawaki vs H.Y.O

The crowd lit up with orange lights for Junta Miyawaki, who came out, paused and then ran to the ring. H.Y.O who had taken his time getting to it, was sitting down and he waved him away. H.Y.O later offered a handshake. I don't know how it is in DragonGate, who has a junior division just as volatile as Noah's, but Noah Juniors do not shake hands with their opponents. No one in this division trusts anyone else. 

H.Y.O, a sneaky wrestler, who made Miyawaki do moves and then grabbed his hair (which he kind of pulled Miyawaki around the ring by) dusted his hands after moves. But, it was not going to be as easy as he expected and Miyawaki's endurance training worked well. Even outside the ring H.Y.O was cheeky, striking a languid pose on the floor which looked like he was sunbathing. Miyawaki came very close to the win, but H.Y.O kicked out, prevented the Falcon Arrow and snuck the win.

WINNER: H.Y.O with the Panther Clutch (9 minutes, 29 seconds)

H.Y.O left to award Junta Miyawaki with minus three hundred points.

MATCH FOUR

THE TOUGH (Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura) & The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada, YO-HEY & Haoh) vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Manabu Soya, Tadasuke, Hajime Ohara & Nioh)

Nioh came to the ring looking determined and leading the way, a few steps ahead of the others in Kongh. As for Haoh, he and the Noah Junior Regulars banded together, half ignoring the heavyweights, and half determined to show that Miyawaki's loss did not effect their morale. Harada had also spoken of "Cohesion" coming out of their training session. But they seemed to have taken more away from it than just that, they have kind of a RATELS like tandem move and look to have incorporated the leapfrog from their training session.  

Haoh and Nioh started, both where determined to show that whoever lost their name, it would not be either of them, but following a Hoss fight between Yoshiki Inamura and Manabu Soya with shoulder tackles, screaming, butting heads and slamming into each other, everyone got into the ring and fought in a melee battle. For YO-HEY it was the start of woe as he was slammed by Soya and then beaten up by Kongoh. Kenoh even went as far to hold YO-HEY'S arm out, just out of reach, for everyone to tag in. Kongoh later formed a wall to keep the opposition team out as Ohara tortured YO-HEY, fortunately, it was YO-HEY who managed to escape and using a beautiful dropkick to knock Ohara down, he tagged in Masa Kitamiya, who took Kongoh out. 

As a melee brawl raged around them, Haoh and Nioh ended the match as they had started it, in a desperate fight to overcome the other. 

WINNER: Haoh with Tatsumaki on Nioh (15 minutes )

The Noah Junior Regulars were delighted. Kenoh naturally was furious. Haoh spoke on the microphone and said that he gave up everything to come to Noah (i.e. his real name) to become Haoh. It is not a name he will give away so lightly. He is prepared to fight for it and to make it not "Kongoh's Haoh" but "Haoh of the Noah Juniors". 

MATCH FIVE

Hideki Suzuki vs Katsuhiko Nakajima

This much anticipated match started with martial arts style lock ups. Katsuhiko Nakajima looking focused. There was even a clean rope break as Suzuki pushed him away.  In a post match interview, Suzuki had threatened to throw "100 headbutts". Well, he didn't do it, soon after saying it he said wasn't going to do it, but he did throw them. Nakajima unleashed his fury on Suzuki, his anger at everything - being absent, losing the title, the last draw with Suzuki. Go Shiozaki had said this was why he was the best opponent. As for Hideki Suzuki, I think he was a little shell-shocked when he returned to Noah from all the stresses abroad, and he began to look like himself again in this match.

The mat grappling was like releasing the wolf from the cage as Nakajima kind of retreated to the long grass and waited until his "prey" (as he likes to call his opponents) moved. When Suzuki fell outside the ring, Nakajima was seen stretching out while waiting for Suzuki to get up. 

The smirk was back on his face, he even waited in the ring with crossed legs for Suzuki to come limping over and they got into an elbow/slap exchange. Suzuki got his own back on Nakajima though, and even did his own Shutter Chance. 

Kenoh (who was at ringside to yell loudly) shook his head as the minutes started turning into seconds. There had been plenty of pins, and a submission by Suzuki which had immobilized Nakajima so much so it was torture for him to even stretch out to the ropes. But once again, this was going to be a draw. 

Result: Time out draw (30 seconds) 

Neither would have their arms raised by the ref, and snatched them away. Hideki Suzuki offered a handshake, and Nakajima took it. At ringside he motioned to Suzuki that he was watching him, so Suzuki bought the belt into play and both Kenoh and Nakajima got up on the apron. 

MATCH SIX

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 😏"

MATCH SEVEN

Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Eita & Kotaro Suzuki) vs STINGER (HAYATA, Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu)

Seiki Yoshioka returned to Noah following foot injury, and the The Hiroshima boys where reunited. Eita smirked as he held up the belt to HAYATA. He had sworn revenge for being busted open. Naturally, Eita believes he is innocent in all this. HAYATA as usual has made no comment. Eita and HAYATA started, Eita with an eye rake after tagging Kotaro in. Kotaro was not interested in HAYATA, he wanted Yuya Susumu. Just like the last tag match clash, everyone started brawling outside the ring while Kotaro and Susumu fought in it.   Eita of course had to get involved, breaking Susumu's hold, and the juniors went back to their mass brawl outside the ring when HAYATA threw him out.

Eita remembered how easy it was to humiliate Yoshioka last time, and it would have happened again a lot sooner if it wasn't for HAYATA. Yoshioka was lucky the second time, as with HAYATA knocked down from an a kick, he kicked out. Eita got Yoshioka in a sub he couldn't escape from, and with Susumu kept out of the ring and HAYATA dazed and unable to help, there was nothing he could do but tap. 

WINNER: Eita with the Numero Uno on Seiki Yoshioka (8 minutes, 8 seconds)

Afterwards, Eita bent over HAYATA and shoved the belt in his face before leaving. Fans noticed he was limping. Eita seems to be fine though, he went back to insulting fans backstage and telling them basically to "use their tiny brains" in processing the fact that he was main evening the junior night at Sumo Hall. 

MATCH EIGHT

The Sugiura Army (Kazuyuki Fujita & Takashi Sugiura) vs Go Shiozaki & Masato Tanaka

Kendo Kashin was seen at ringside getting canned drinks out of a plastic bag. He has been on a quest recently to turn the human Kazuyuki Fujita into The Beast, and tonight he may have found a way by being at ringside and offering alcohol. Kashin was also dressed like the referees, but he didn't get involved in the match.  

Go Shiozaki and Kazuyuki Fujita had their usual stare off, but this time it was only for a few minutes before the two lunged at each other. Fujita broke the rope hold cleanly. Shiozaki nodded, "So, this is how its going to be?" Fujita might have been fighting clean, but Shiozaki wasn't. He wasn't above knocking him off the apron. His chops on Fujita where like chopping a wall, knocked down by a Fujita shoulder tackle, he rolled out of the way of the soccer ball kicks. 

The Bullet Yankees love to fight as much as they love to team, their rivalry even includes not losing to each others tans! Masato Tanaka was not focused on Fujita today, only on Takashi Sugiura, who he wrenched away from Shiozaki when he and Fujita where double teaming him. 

This was truly a clash of titans.

Then Kashin, who seems to follow trouble (not the other way round), used beer to provoke The Beast. It was as if someone gave Popeye spinach laced with amphetamine, as Fujita gulped it down and then went wild. Fujita power-bombed Shiozaki, broke the pin himself and after punt kicking him in the face, pinned him by kneeling on him.

Winner: Kazuyuki Fujita with the Face Kick on Go Shiozaki (18 minutes, 37 seconds)  

"Kamaboko funeral"

Truly once again a raging beast, Fujita was like some God tearing through the heavens, the kind the ancient Greeks would have imprisoned under a volcano. He refused the ref to hold up his hand, and had to be held back by the seconds, all of whom he threw aside and from the ring. Kashin was among them. Only Yoshiki Inamura could probably take him on, but he too was shoved down. Fujita was not finished with Shiozaki and went for one final Power Bomb. Tanaka came to help but was knocked flat on his back, as was Sugiura. 

Kashin tried to placate Fujita by offering a second drink, and then his favorite food, Kamaboko. Fujita stuffed them in the mouths of Sugiura and Shiozaki, and poured beer on Shiozaki and spat it out in a cloud on Tanaka. Then he left the ring, carrying not only his belt, but also Sugiura's ZERO-1 championship. This belt is not up for being challenged for, so why Fujita took it is a mystery.

Backstage, his only comment was to scream into the camera, "I am CyberFight" and leave. 

Kashin, who had followed on behind. says it's his fault for giving Fujita Highballs by mistake. 

With thanks to: NeoWrestleOrder

Attendance: 382

Noah's next event: REAL OVERTURE 2022 (Saturday April 9th, Korakuen Hall)

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse