(NOAH) CARD: SUNNY VOYAGE 2022 (Saturday July 2nd, Fukushima Big Palette, Fukushima)

Doors open at 17:00 JST, with the event starting at 18:00. Naomichi Marufuji, Daisuke Harada and Yasutaka Yano will be absent tonight. Yano is injured, Marufuji is recovering from a knee operation and Harada is recovering from fever. Harada will return on July 10th. 

Tonight's event will not be streamed live (neither will the 3rd July or the 10th July), but will be available to view on WrestleUniverse from 18:00 JST on Tuesday 5th July. You must be a subscriber to view. 

MATCH ONE

Manabu Soya vs Kinya Okada

Kinya Okada I think has the potential to become a power fighter. Perhaps not in the hoss way that Yoshiki Inamura is, but I think tonight he has the chance to prove that he too can match Noah's ultra heavyweights in some manner. 

MATCH TWO

Mohammed Yone & Alejandro vs NOSAWA Rongai & Super Crazy

After dragging Yoshinari Ogawa out to the ring and stamping him down before Eita challenged for the GHC Junior Tag Titles, I would be surprised if Yoshinari Ogawa stayed out of this match, even if he waits until the final moments to jump NOSAWA (or screw him out of the win). Aside from that I can see Mohammed Yone and Alejandro teaming together well (and Alejandro joining in with Yone), but I am trying to imagine Noah's resident Juggalo striking a Disco pose... 

MATCH THREE

STINGER (HAYATA, Yuya Susumu & Simon Gotch) vs Seiki Yoshioka, Daiki Inaba & Kai Fujimura

STINGER are involved in some very bitter matches this evening. Seemingly one of Noah's most secure units, Seiki Yoshioka has thrown a spanner in the works by turning on old friend Yuya Susumu (who will wait patiently for him to return), leaving the unit and then challenging HAYATA for the GHC Junior. HAYATA will have his hands full with Seiki Yoshioka, Seiki Yoshioka will have his hands full with Susumu and HAYATA, Simon Gotch and Daiki Inaba go to war again and poor Kai Fujimura is stuck in the middle. 

MATCH FOUR

THE TOUGH TRIO (Michael Elgin, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura) vs The Sugiura Army International (Timothy Thatcher, El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr & Rene Dupree)

Fresh off of his Fire Festival thirty minute draw against Masato Tanaka, Yoshiki Inamura tonight goes to war in his home promotion. Timothy Thatcher, who has challenged for the GHC Heavyweight Tag Titles, has his first experience of a Noah pre match. Masa Kitamiya will be out for revenge (and he has said he will be focusing on him) due to Thatcher making him tap in their last match.

MATCH FIVE

Go Shiozaki & Shuhei Taniguchi vs The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & Hideki Suzuki)

Since Shuhei Taniguchi ditched the cigar, the big grin, the crown, the feather boa and stopped going to the Discotheque, his seniors have looked more favorably upon him. It started with Go Shiozaki, who felt that his old friend (kind of, considering Taniguchi screwed him over when they tagged last), was back started the wheels in motion and now it's Takashi Sugiura's turn to assess Taniguchi. Shiozaki had hinted following their singles match that he did want to tag again. I wonder if there will be any progression tonight. 

MATCH SIX

Yoshinari Ogawa vs Kotaro Suzuki

This match has been a long time coming. A very long time. Noah have advertised it before and one reason or another, it has never gone ahead, and fans didn't think it ever would when Kotaro "left" Noah for the second time. Kotaro Suzuki has a love/hate relationship with Yoshinari Ogawa. He is Noah's first born and therefore Ogawa's first Noah student to graduate the dojo. No one at all can drive Ogawa into the kind of rage just seeing Suzuki provokes. I don't think I need predict what the match is going to be like, but the aftermath is going to be interesting. Will we see NOSAWA make a nuisance of himself? Ogawa furthering the cracks between NOSAWA and Kotaro? The HAYATA handshake? Nothing? Who knows, but it's going to be interesting.   

MATCH SEVEN

Satoshi Kojima, Kaito Kiyomiya & The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY & Xtreme Tiger) vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Tadasuke, Hajime Ohara & Hi69) 

Big ten man main event, which the highlight is the GHC Heavyweight pre match between Kenoh and Satoshi Kojima. Yes, I do expect to see some reference to the "go home and do squats" argument, especially if Kojima or Kenoh are not the ones to win the match. With the presence of so many juniors (and Kenoh), I am expecting melee brawls, out of ring fights and maybe, just maybe, a mysterious figure on the fringes...

Picture credit Noah.co.jp