(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: WRESTLE UNIVERSE presents MAJESTIC 2022 (Saturday April 30th, Ryogoku Kokugikan)

The Heavyweights took over Ryogoku Kokugikan tonight in front of a crowd of 2077 people. The event (three title matches and on brand junior chaos), was broadcast on WrestleUniverse. Both English and Japanese commentary is available, but you must be a subscriber to view. 

The juniors seemed a lot more relaxed this evening, as I think as a division the pressure was off of them to hold their own show at a large venue and they were incorporated into a Noah show with heavyweights on the card, who took that responsibility. Keiji Mutoh, who was on commentary, confirmed he will return to Noah on the 21st May. 

MATCH ONE

SLEX & Kai Fujimura vs Alejandro & Yasutaka Yano

Kai Fujimura ran to the ring, The Business followed on behind at a more leisurely pace. Similar to King Tany's crown, the opponents had something to say about SLEX'S glasses. This time, Alejandro. SLEX offered them to Kai Fujimura, and put them on him. Older (biological) brother Alejandro and Yano where hideously embarrassed. 

SLEX kept his shades on (I bet Tadasuke wishes he could do that) until Alejandro removed them. He went to try them on himself, but sadly SLEX stopped him. When it came time for the two brothers to face off, you could tell Fujimura had a big grin. 

Very fun opener.

WINNER: SLEX with Close of Business on Yasutaka Yano (10 minutes, 22 seconds)

MATCH TWO

Funky Express (King Tany, Mohammed Yone & Akitoshi Saito) vs Kongoh (Manabu Soya, Tadasuke & Hajime Ohara)

Manabu Soya told his teammates (who where disapproving of Funky Express in usual Kongoh manner) that he would start, and he and Akitoshi Saito charged at each other. Hajime Ohara messed with Mohammed Yone's afro. It was on then with Yone defiantly pulling Disco poses, and Ohara, despite his new angry Kongoh persona, having a little fun by pawing the ground before charging. He got into a vicious slap war with the much bigger Saito, thus proving that although he has left the Noah Junior Regulars behind, he still shares some of their ideology of not being outdone by the heavyweights.  Tadasuke was loving the fight with the heavyweights, even taking them out with a top rope somersault.

More than the juniors though, it was Manabu Soya who was the thorn in the Funky Express side. 

WINNER: Manabu Soya with Ballistic on Mohammed Yone (12 minutes, 55 seconds)

Tadasuke was elated, leaving yelling "Soya! Soya! Soya!" . For Funky Express, this latest defeat was the latest in a string of embarrassments. They had lost to a team of not even three heavyweights, they had lost to the lopsided team of two juniors and one heavyweight. 

MATCH THREE

Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Eita, Texano Jnr, Kotaro Suzuki & Super Crazy) vs STINGER (HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa, Chris Ridgeway, Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu)

Perros (with a bandaged Eita) looked as if they were prepared for a fight. Eita was armed with the usual bottle of water, and Texano Jnr wielded his bullrope. STINGER got in the ring en masse as a result. Super Crazy wound Ogawa up, and then everyone started arguing, finger pointing, shoving each other, belt shoving and then a melee brawl broke out. Eita attacking HAYATA (who was still in his new coat), Kotaro Suzuki vs Yuya Susumu and NOSAWA battering Seiki Yoshioka with a stick. Eita and HAYATA eventually got in the ring, but everyone kept fighting outside of it. During the eye of the storm, Susumu said he wanted Kotaro as they still had unfinished business. During this match, Kotaro came across old friend Chris Ridgeway. Kotaro soon found out just how on the same wavelength as Yoshinari Ogawa he was. 

STINGER, Noah's most sadistic unit, enjoyed beating up on Perros. Especially for all the humiliations they had heaped on them. They might have been the champions, and therefore the most dominant unit in the Noah Junior's, but this did not stop Perros humiliating Ogawa by choking him with the Bullrope and whipping Susumu with it. It is wise not to give such a weapon to Yoshinari Ogawa, who when the tide of the match turned, took pleasure in using it on Eita. HAYATA'S sadistic smile was laid on like butter and his eyes glowed (he even looked at the camera and spoke slightly to it). This was a sensual nightmare in equal parts for himself and Perros.  

Unsurprisingly, as the match was so chaotic, it was thrown out when HAYATA kicked Eita in the crotch. The referee just left them to fight. 

Match thrown out after 9 minutes and 28 seconds

After more fights, and Seiki Yoshioka beaten up. NOSAWA did what he said he would yesterday, and that was to challenge for the tag belts on behalf of Texano Jnr and Super Crazy. Everyone was yelling in Japanese, Spanish or English at each other in a complete hubbub of noise. Noah are yet to announce the date of the challenge. 

MATCH FOUR

The Sugiura Army (Kazushi Sakuraba & Kendo Kashin) vs Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fuji

Kendo Kashin (who did not drag Tany to the ring today) came out in exactly the same clothes as Kazushi Sakuraba and the two made exactly the same movements, so no one could tell who was who.

Then the heavyweights turned into the juniors, and attacked on masse. Don Fuji taking his Sakuraba into the crowd. Eventually the jig was up, and the two where unmasked. I guess the reason why Kashin didn't kidnap Tany as usual was because it would have given his identity away, but then again Sakuraba did kidnap Toru Yano once, so you know...but now that could be himself again, it was time for Kashin to throw Mochi off the balcony or fight in the bleachers. But to do this, Kashin and Mochi had to crawl under the barriers as they had been tired together and Kashin couldn't undo it. Sakuraba meanwhile made Don Fuji tap outside the ring, as Mochi and Kashin beat the count by running back

The heavyweights can be just as chaotic as the juniors, albeit in a different way

WINNER: Kendo Kashin via schoolboy following an accidental strike on Masaaki Mochizuki by Don Fuji (6 minutes, 47 seconds)

Kashin put the Sakuraba mask back on, Sakuraba put his mask back on and the two offered handshakes to their opponents. Then Don Fuji got a huge hug, Mochi summed up the whole match by shrugging, and one Sakuraba had to pull the other off Don Fuji as he had him in a bear hug. Then like a father leading his child away, one Sakuraba had to prevent the other from running back into the ring by leading him by the head and then the arms. It was no good Mochi complaining to Ally, the ring announcer, no one at all knew what had happened in the last two matches. Backstage Mochi wondered what had just happened and summed it up as, "I don’t know what this match was. I got rolled up by Kashin following an accidental hit by Don Fuji, then Don Fuji and Kashin hugged”

MATCH FIVE

Masato Tanaka & Daiki Inaba vs The Sugiura Army (Rene Dupree and El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr)

Daiki Inaba came out with a nasty bruise on his mouth, which may well have gotten in training. He was determined to take down Rene Dupree, who he remembered from the empty arena era when he first came to Noah during the Club Citta shows. The match felt like a rivalry was born not between Inaba and Dupree, but Dupree and Masato Tanaka. Tanaka is always looking for powerful opponents to fight.

WINNER: El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr with a moonsault on Daiki Inaba (10 minutes, 51 seconds)

MATCH SIX 

Masa Kitamiya vs Michael Elgin

Masa Kitamiya said he would fight with "Yamato Soul" and even though he was thrown about the ring, and even gorilla pressed, he fought on. Very much a clash of styles of Japan vs America in which Kitamiya bounced back from this onslaught. For Kitamiya this was not only his "Yamato Soul" he was fighting with, but his Masa Saito soul too, as it echoed the matches of Masa Saito abroad. 

WINNER: Michael Elgin with the Elgin Bomb (12 minutes, 33 seconds)

Backstage, they agreed that from now on instead of fight, they would partner up. 

MATCH SEVEN

GHC National Championship

Masakatsu Funaki vs Simon Gotch

"When I heard "Gotch" for the first time in five years, I remembered Gotch-san and my spine tightened. In that sense, I want to fight this match as if Gotch-san was watching" - Masakatsu Funaki about his teacher, Karl Gotch

Match very much in the style that has come to dominate the GHC National - MMA based and mat grappling. Not as short as some of Funaki's (or previous GHC National) defenses but it did end with Funaki locking in a sleeper hold. Gotch had known that when he got in the ring, the affable looking Masakatsu Funaki would become a monster. He was never pinned however and neither did he tap out, the referee stopped the match.

WINNER: Masakatsu Funaki via referee stop (9 minutes, 47 seconds)

I think Masakatsu Funaki did his teacher proud, especially as he choked his opponent so spit was coming out of his mouth, but as Simon Gotch had said, win or lose, it was an honor to fight in Noah's ring. He will be staying on in Noah for a further few matches in May. Funaki said he was inspired by Gotch, (who he said had pulled out a technique he didn't know), and wanted a "Power Fighter" for his next challenger

Noah announced that Rob Van Dam would be coming to CyberFestival/Noah on June 12th. 

MATCH EIGHT

The Noah Junior Regulars (Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY & Junta Miyawaki) vs Dragon Bain, Alpha Wolf, Extreme Tiger & Ninja Mac

Despite the loss yesterday, the Noah Junior Regulars showed their spirit of togetherness and I think a light hearted match like this was what they needed after weeks of STINGER attacks, gruelling training camp training, Z-Brats and of course the pressure of their own night at Ryogoku. Daisuke Harada was still wearing the same expression that he had when Ogawa shoved the belt in his face in the ring the night before, but he softened after a while. I think YO-HEY and Atsushi Kotoge where exhausted from yesterday, it also would not surprise me had they been out into the small hours with old friends.

One of the match ups fans were looking forward to was YO-HEY vs Ninja Mack. Mack caught him off guard first of all, but then tapping his purple head and sticking out his blue tongue, he got into the swing of things. If anyone was going to enjoy this match (and make a new friend) it was going to be YO-HEY, who sadly did not use the Bamboo Dragonfly, which he may well have done had this match taken place a few years earlier.  But, as much as the Noah Junior Regulars seemed to enjoy this, they also had a lot of anger to work out, Harada took everything out on them. Ninja Mack also found out that Harada hates to be outfoxed...

WINNER: Dragon Bain with the Bain Twister on Junta Miyawaki (16 minutes, 33 seconds)

The Lucha tag gave a fist bump to each of the Noah Junior Regulars and then everyone got some handshakes, which is unusual in a division who doesn't trust them. YO-HEY and Ninja Mack were butting heads in a friendly rivalry.

MATCH NINE

Naomichi Marufuji & X vs Yoshiki Inamura & Kinya Okada

Yoshiki Inamura (who debuted new ring gear) was joined by Kinya Okada after some card shuffling with Kaito Kiyomiya going into the main following Kazuyuki Fujita's absence due to COVID. Noah had teased the mystery wrestler for a few weeks, and ran a package showing a spaceman. Fans guessed right up until the last moment (even Toshiaki Kawada and Takeshi Morishima where in the running) just to who this "biggest X in all the history of X would be". It turned out to be Satoshi Kojima. 

Satoshi Kojima from New Japan, who came out wearing a Pro Wrestling Noah T-shirt. 

For the newer fans, Kojima first appeared in Noah in 2010 and then again from 2012. From 2012 he appeared in Noah until 2016. 

Kinya Okada bore the brunt of Naomichi Marufuji, who is probably trying to put these upstarts back in their place considering Kiyomiya's title challenge, and the fact that Daiki Inaba has some wins over him. Okada, who had been thrown into this overnight, held his own and wore Kojima down with kicks. As for Yoshiki Inamura, he was given Kojima's machine gun chops and he threw Marufuji around the ring as if he was one his tires. 

WINNER: Satoshi Kojima with a Lariat on Kinya Okada (15 minutes, 1 second)

Backstage, Satoshi Kojima elaborated on his participation. This was not going to be a one off thing...if it was, why would he be wearing a Noah t-shirt? He had come here today as there was something he had to do.

MATCH TEN

GHC Heavyweight Tag Championship

The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & Hideki Suzuki) vs Kongoh (Kenoh & Katsuhiko Nakajima)

Kenoh, who everyone had seen actually smiling earlier, soon snapped into his usual angry mode and got in Takashi Sugiura's face. Sugiura, who understandably has not been himself recently and looks very down (he even failed to react much to one of the masked Sakuraba's holding the ropes open), was shoved by Kenoh and then the two of them were separated by Hideki Suzuki. Sugiura told Kenoh to watch it, and yes if Kenoh wanted him so badly, then he would deal with him first. "The Jolly Old Man" who Kenoh wanted to end for the young people in Noah. Kaito Kiyomiya was no way this rude, but he and Kiyomiya were in tandem with this. 

For Katsuhiko Nakajima, his target was Hideki Suzuki. He went to lock up with Sugiura, but broke it off to stare at Suzuki, who he seemed to be stalking. Eventually, he grew bored of Sugiura, who tagged in Suzuki. Nakajima and Suzuki mat wrestled as per their backgrounds, Nakajima looked as if he were a Honshū wolf taking down his prey on the prairies of old Japan. 

 

The match had an unusual tinge to it of being not wholly about teams but also about individuals; Kenoh vs Takashi Sugiura (in an endless generational battle, which he himself will one day have to wage over younger wrestlers, who will call him an "old man"), and Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Hideki Suzuki. Suzuki has never been beaten by Nakajima, he has drawn with him and he himself has beaten him, and naturally Nakajima was taking pleasure in everything as he licked his lips and savored his prey, the taste of blood and flesh in his mouth, but his prey fought back and unfortunately for Kenoh, he was trapped by Sugiura as the tide of the match turned

WINNER: Hideki Suzuki with the Double Arm Suplex on Katsuhiko Nakajima (23 minutes, 6 seconds)

Noah fans had long suspected that the team of Rene Dupree and El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Junior, who had to give up the heavyweight tag titles due to the Coronavirus pandemic, would come for the titles no matter what team won. It turned out the winning team was their own unit. Dupree said that with all the respect in the world, they were challenging for the titles they had never lost. Hideki Suzuki accepted the challenge by speaking in English back to them. Title match has been set for 4th May at Korakuen Hall. When The Sugiura Army champions left the ring, the masked man was again on the apron waiting to hold the ropes open for them. Whoever he was (and I think it was Kendo Kashin) was practically chased backstage.

MATCH ELEVEN

GHC Heavyweight Championship

Go Shiozaki vs Kaito Kiyomiya

Kaito Kiyomiya entered wearing a new black and grey robe, there was no smiling and pointing to the crowd this time. He knew chances like this did not come up often and so he was all business. There was a handshake before the match, a lingering one which meant that neither where going to hold anything back. Kiyomiya went initially for the quick pins. These are not going to work on Shiozaki at this stage, he needs to be worn down first. Shiozaki dealt with the young man firmly, no selling his chops and countering with his own which floored Kiyomiya. Two stubborn Noah Born fighting over a title was never going to end so easily. 

This was everything you could ever have wanted in a title match - generation, drama, emotion, and even history, with shades of Misawa and Kobashi, and just like any good Misawa Kobashi match or any Four Pillars, as GHC Heavyweight titles are still run along Baba lines, you had your bump moments, your moments where you truly believed that the match would finish and your moments where you wondered what they would do next. Misawa is still here in spirit and always will be as long as Noah have GHC Heavyweight matches like this, and with him the people who gave him the tools to build The Ark. Neither Kiyomiya or Shiozaki came from that era, neither ever experienced it, but both are Noah Born and they carry the DNA of Baba era All Japan, Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu, and The Four Pillars. 

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Strong Arm Lariat (30 minutes, 2 seconds)

The fact that Shiozaki won, suggests to me that he was meant to defeat Kazuyuki Fujita. A few minutes after Kaito Kiyomiya was helped from the ring, he spoke on the microphone, letting loose his pent up cry, "I am NOAH!". Literally a few seconds after this, Satoshi Kojima came to challenge for the title. Kojima said simply, "The next challenger is me". Shiozaki responded by raising the belt. Title match has been set for CyberFight on the 12th June. Tokyo Sports are calling this challenge, "Strong Arm vs Hard Arm" and Shiozaki well remembers the force of Kojima's lariats. 

Backstage, Shiozaki said he wouldn't truly feel like champion, unless he overcame Kazuyuki Fujita, which was his original goal. 

Noah's next event: Dream on 2022 (Wednesday 4th May, Korakuen Hall)

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse