NOAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER VOL.170 ~ 2nd MAY 2022


NEWS

"Turning crisis into an opportunity" - card change and new champion crowned, as Kazuyuki Fujita contracts COVID and has to return the belt
Noah announced on the 27th April that due to Kazuyuki Fujita testing positive for Coronavirus, the belt was to be vacated. At the press conference held, Director Takeda and Go Shiozaki met with the press to announce that Shiozaki would still fight in the main event for the vacated title, but his opponent had not been decided on yet. Kaito Kiyomiya wasn't going to wait for their decision if he could help it, and he appeared before them to put his name forward. Takeda (knowing that he was dealing with a stubborn Noah Born) told him that he couldn't decide on the spot, this issue needed a consultation with the company, and therefore there was nothing to be done, Kiyomiya would have to wait. Kiyomiya was insistent that he did not want to, and ended up being escorted out. Takeda said he would give his decision soon. Kiyomiya spent the next two days sulking and even contemplating a poll on Twitter that would force the company to do what he wanted. He need not have worried, as Noah came to the right decision, and he was put in the title match to fight Go Shiozaki for the vacant title. Kiyomiya had been scheduled to be in the semi main with the mystery "X", but this was changed to Yoshiki Inamura and Kinya Okada. 

Despite his giving it his all and fighting for his generation (Shiozaki, although in a grey area when it comes to eras and generations, is a senior as far as Kiyomiya is concerned), Kiyomiya was unsuccessful again in capturing the belt and Go Shiozaki ushered in his fifth title reign, and second time on winning the belt after it had been vacated. Shiozaki now holds the record for the most title reigns in Noah. I will discuss his next challenger in due course. 

X = Satoshi Kojima
After a lot of speculation, the mystery of the "biggest mystery partner of all time", was finally revealed. New Japan's Satoshi Kojima came out wearing a Noah t-shirt, to team with Naomichi Marufuji against Kinya Okada and Yoshiki Inamura. Kojima praised Okada and Inamura, saying that he could not believe that they were not even five years into their careers, and expressed some embarrassment at being called "the biggest mystery partner of all time". Kojima explained that his participation in Noah was not just a one off, he was going to do something that would be an "unforgettable event" in his pro wrestling life. That something was to challenge for the GHC Heavyweight title, which was won by Go Shiozaki that evening. Kojima's challenge was very simple, and almost HAYATA like, in that he simply said he was the next challenger. 


Shiozaki made no response, but the belt up. Backstage, he remembered fighting Kojima and the force of his lariats. Tokyo Sports are already calling this, "Strong Arm vs Hard Arm" with the title match being set for CyberFight Festival on the 12th June. Kojima will do some Noah dates beforehand, including a pre match with Go Shiozaki and a singles match with both Kinya Okada and Yoshiki Inamura. 

STINGER take all the junior belts
With Yoshinari Ogawa and Chris Ridgeway taking the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag belts in an utterly brutal match on the 29th April, which left YO-HEY and Atsushi Kotoge nowhere to run and hide, and which ended with a worn down Kotoge tapping to Ridgeway, and HAYATA defeating Eita for the GHC Junior on the same night, STINGER now hold all the junior belts and ended Ryogoku Kokugikan just as Yuya Susumu had predicted, "At the centre of Noah". 


Yoshinari Ogawa was enthusiastic with teaming with Chris Ridgeway, saying that he was a partner he felt far more on the same wavelength he did than with HAYATA, and he was so enthusiastic after winning the belts he said he wanted to defend them both in England and in Japan. He also echoed HAYATA (who had spoken more than just two or three words) backstage when he said that they would take on any challenger from anywhere. HAYATA had lapsed back into not speaking, and made no comment when asked a question. No one has challenged at the time of writing for the GHC Junior. 

All hell broke loose on the 30th when freed from the pressures of their own night at Ryogoku and title matches, STINGER went to all out war with Perros Del Mal De Japon. Texano Junior had bought his Bullrope with him and this was used to beat Seiki Yoshioka, Yuya Susumu and choke Yoshinari Ogawa. STINGER had their revenge by doing back on Eita. 


The match itself only lasted about nine minutes, and ended in a no contest as HAYATA kicked Eita in the crotch. Fights, melee brawls, the two teams yelling at each other continued afterwards. The referee just gave up and left, it was that chaotic. It ended with NOSAWA Rongai challenging for the GHC Junior Tag belts on behalf of Super Crazy and Texano Jnr. Noah are yet to announce a date. 

As for Yuya Susumu and Seiki Yoshioka, Yoshioka unfortunately lost his match against Extreme Tiger, while Yuya Susumu drew with Kotaro Suzuki in what was meant to settle their grudge. It did not, and Kotaro left angry and kicking the iron barrier. Which he almost got caught on. Backstage he wondered if he was the one who needed further training. 

Masakatsu Funaki retains, wants "Power Fighter" for his next challenge
Masakatsu Funaki praised Simon Gotch for their title match on the 30th April, not only for the fight he put up, but also for pulling out moves against he that took him off guard and reawakening his passion for fighting foreign wrestlers. For his next challenger he wants a "Power Fighter" and preferably a foreign one as he has been inspired by opponents who have both different styles and different power in their bodies. 

Nioh loses both hair and name
An emotional Haoh cut Nioh's hair after Nioh lost their match at Ryogoku on the 29th April. The match took sixteen minutes, and by the end of it, Nioh was once again HI69. Nioh sat in the chair bought into the ring, his arms folded and eyes shut. Traditionally, this is done when a Sumo retires as his topknot is symbolically cut off and his name retired before he takes a new one to start a new life. 


Fittingly, this had overtones of a warrior defeated in battle, and Nioh looked as if he was waiting for Haoh to slice his head off. Haoh hesitated before cutting off Nioh's ponytail and then showing it to the crowd, but there was nothing to be done, they both had to go through with this. HI69 however could not endure the head shaving, it was too humiliating, and he left. HI69 has made no comment, although Tadasuke has called him "Kongoh's HI69", but Haoh says he will never forget Nioh, even though he is now fully "Haoh of The Noah Juniors", and will carry his name with him wherever he goes. 

Z-Brats win, H.Y.O challenges Harada to a singles
After a week where the Noah Junior Regulars got their own back on Z-Brats by invading their match at Korakuen Hall on the on the 25th April (Alejandro said innocently that they only went to talk but Z-Brats caused a fight), the 29th April turned out to be a pretty frustrating evening for The Noah Junior Regulars as not only did they lose the tag belts, and have STINGER (of all people) close out the show, they also lost a closely fought match with the invaders after Alejandro was hit by a chair, and Shun Skywalker took his time in delivering his finisher and got the pin. Fans were clamoring to see Daisuke Harada vs Shun Skywalker considering the friction the two had in the match, but H.Y.O has said he will do it as he has defeated Junta Miyawaki and Alejandro so far. If Daisuke Harada can defeat him, then it ends here. Match has been set for 14th May. 

Les Mexicana's come for their vacated belts
El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr announced that their team name would represent their dual nationalities of Mexican and Canadian, when after Hideki Suzuki and Takashi Sugiura defended the GHC Heavyweight Tag Titles against Kongoh (Kenoh and Katsuhiko Nakajima), he and Rene Dupree came and challenged them. Dupree and Wagner had lost the belts during the Coronavirus epidemic, and as Dupree pointed out, they were never actually beaten for them. It was only right therefore that they came for them back. Hideki Suzuki accepted the challenge, which has been set for the 4th May at Korakuen Hall. 


On April 25th, another Noah/DragonGate interaction took place, when three masked men appeared after GOLD CLASS (Kaito Ishida, Naruki Doi, Kota Minoura and Minourita) where complaining that no one had come forward to challenge them for the titles. The three masked men, after a fight had broken out, one of them had given The Blue Destiny to Minourita after softening him up with elbows, revealed themselves to be Perros Del Mal De Japon's Kotaro Suzuki, NOSWA Rongai and Eita. Eita, who had just invaded his own promotion. Eita made the challenge, which was accepted by Ishida with the warning that he was a marked man. So far GOLD CLASS have made no retaliation. 
Title match will take place in on May 5th in Aichi. 


Kenoh invades DDT
It has become a yearly tradition that Kenoh will barge into DDT (the company he refuses to even acknowledge in his weekly columns) and complain about CyberFight Festival, which he likens to a school wrestling event. Usually demanding a singles match with Sanshiro Takagi. Takagi was not around when Kenoh barged in on DAMNATION and began his usual rant, asking the fans if they were applauding because "a real wrestler has arrived?". Daisuke Sasaki told Kenoh that wouldn't he prefer to face him? "The highest wrestler, instead of a third rate opponent?" Kenoh growled he would beat him and then left the venue. Sanshiro Takagi later commented on Kenoh's behavior. He was not going to dwell on it or even comment on it, Noah had sorted the match out and that was all there was to say. 

Keiji Mutoh announced he would return to Noah at the Ota show on the 21st May. Mutoh was absent from Noah during late winter due to a left hip lip injury. 

EVENT RECAPS AND POST MATCH INTERVIEWS

Noah Junior Night - ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2022 (Ryogoku Kokugikan, 29th April 2022)

WrestleUniverse presents MAJESTIC 2022 (Ryogoku Kokugikan, 30th April 2022)

ELSEWHERE IN  NOAH
- Kenoh was seen to smile embarrassed in the ring as he and Katsuhiko Nakajima messed up their entry, He later got back into character and yelled at Takashi Sugiura. 
- Kai Fujimura was given SLEX's glasses to wear. Alejandro and Yasutaka Yano where embarrassed. Later Alejandro went to wear the glasses, but was sadly prevented from doing so. Fans want to see a Tadasuke vs SLEX sunglasses match as a result. 
- In their separate interviews leading up to Noah Junior night, the Noah Junior Regulars talked about their hobbies and each other. Junta Miyawaki likes making curry and playing computer games, Daisuke Harada has no hobbies that he can think of other than enjoying washing his clothes (and yes, he even divides socks, shirts and trousers) and cleaning his home, and everyone agreed that YO-HEY is a chatterbox, who is only silent when he is playing Dragon Quest. 


- Yoshinari Ogawa (and Chris Ridgeway) ruined a touching Noah Junior Regulars moment when YO-HEY was crying after not being able to help Atsushi Kotoge in the title match, when they burst in and Ogawa told them to "get out of the way" and then stuck the belt in Daisuke Harada's face. Harada retained the same expression until the next day when they had a match against the Lucha Tag (Alpha Wolf, Dragon Bane, Ninja Mac and Extreme Tiger) which lightened the mood. YO-HEY developed a friendly rivalry with Ninja Mack. Daisuke Harada has vowed to smash STINGER'S grip on the titles.


- The Luchadores managed to almost trash the Japanese commentary desk (twice) when Alpha Wolf did a top rope somersault, slid off his opponents and onto to the desk, narrowly avoiding taking the commentator out. No wonder with this, the vicious GHC Junior tag title match and Eita bleeding everywhere while being battered by a demonic looking HAYATA, poor Rina Matsuki was terrified.


- Masa Kitamiya and Michael Elgin have formed a tag team. 
- Two masked men calling themselves "Playful Old Man Machine No.1" and "Playful Old Man Machine No.2" dressed as Kazushi Sakuraba and with identical movements when entering the ring, defeated Don Fuji and Masaaki Mochizuki, then one of them hugged Don Fuji afterwards for the longest time (Don Fuji said he shut his eyes in rapture and the world span). Kendo Kashin says he owes the idea of the t-shirts to Kenoh! Kenoh is no doubt of the opinion that The Sugiura Army owe him royalty money, he was convinced that was the case when they used the dog motif which Kenoh claimed came from him when he called Takashi Sugiura a "Company Dog", complained loss of earnings and threatened legal action. Kashin also said that Noah may be seeing more of the duo. 


- Rob Van Dam will appear for Noah at CyberFight Festival 2022. 

CURRENT CHAMPIONS

GHC Heavyweight Champion: Go Shiozaki
Challenger: Satoshi Kojima
CyberFight Festival, Sunday June 12th

GHC Junior Champion: HAYATA
Challenger: TBA

Challengers: Les Mexicana's (Rene Dupree and El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr)
"Dream on 2022", Wednesday May 4th 2022

Challengers: Perros Del Mal De Japon (Super Crazy and Texano Jnr)
TBA

GHC National Champion: Masakatsu Funaki
Challenger: TBA

THIS WEEK IN NOAH

Wednesday, May 4th
Venue: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Broadcast: ABEMA (18:30 JST)

Thursday, May 5th
Venue: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Broadcast: WrestleUniverse (18:30 JST)

Note about broadcasts
Unless you are living in Japan or have a VPN you know is compatible with ABEMA, please do not subscribe to the service. For fans living outside of Japan, a subscription to WrestleUniverse would be better as they show more Noah shows than ABEMA, and usually the events get uploaded very quickly. ABEMA broadcasts are only in Japanese, you can only watch them live, and this is the only Noah they show. They do not broadcast old shows as these belong to Samurai TV. 

Birthdays & Anniversaries 
Sunday 8th May: Akira Taue (61)

LINKS

Noah Junior Week Interviews

Other articles from Noah Junior Week

With thanks to: Metal-Noah

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