(NOAH CHRONOLOGY) GHC HEAVYWEIGHT TAG CHAMPIONSHIP: THE SUGIURA ARMY (HIDEKI SUZUKI & TIMOTHY THATCHER)

Won: ABEMA presents DESTINATION 2022 - Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Saturday 16th July

Number of title reigns (as a team): 0

Number of defenses: 0

Lost: GRAND SHIP 2022 in NAGOYA PRO-WRESTLING & KEIJI MUTOH RETIREMENT ROAD - LOVE FOREVER.2 ~OUT BREAK~ (Sunday September 25th, Dolphins Arena, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya)

Total number of days held: 72

Challengers

1. Satoshi Kojima & Takashi Sugiura

VS Takashi Sugiura & Satoshi Kojima

Title match: GRAND SHIP 2022 in NAGOYA PRO-WRESTLING LOVE FOREVER.2 ~ OUT BREAK (25th September)

STAR NAVIGATION 2022 (Thursday September 15th, Korakuen Hall)

The Sugiura Army (Hideki Suzuki, Timothy Thatcher & El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr) vs The Born in 1970s trio (Takashi Sugiura, Satoshi Kojima & Masaaki Mochizuki)

This was a nice taster of Takashi Sugiura vs Timothy Thatcher in both their upcoming singles match and their title challenge. It was nice in this match to see Takashi Sugiura gradually come out of his shell a little, and doing things like looking at his opponents when fighting El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr to send a message, and of course the falling out with Satoshi Kojima. In a match characterized by brawls (and Timothy Thatcher using his granite head to counter Kojima's punches and then work in his hand), Sugiura managed to catch Kojima again by accident, and the two fell apart with Kojima shoving him, which gave their opponents an advantage. I seem to remember Noah's last dysfunctional tag team being Minoru Suzuki and SUWA. 

WINNER: Satoshi Kojima with the Western Lariat on Takashi Sugiura (15 minutes, 36 seconds)

Takashi Sugiura grumpily had his arm raised, and the ever affable Satoshi Kojima offered him a handshake. By this time, Sugi was on the apron and so, like a petulant child, Sugi gave him a finger to shake. 

STAR NAVIGATION 2022 (Friday September 16th, Korakuen Hall)

Timothy Thatcher vs Takashi Sugiura

This was like two Cyborgs meeting each other, and all I could think of was the hallway fight from Terminator 2. Timothy Thatcher was worthy of being in STINGER with his attack on Takashi Sugiura's arm. He didn't even allow the poor guy breathing space after he had collided shoulder first with the ring post before with sadistic grin, he attacked. 

WINNER: Timothy Thatcher with The Fujiwara Armbar (10 minutes)

The heavyweights had another square up when Satoshi Kojima got into the ring and squared up with Thatcher. Then a fight broke out with Hideki Suzuki joining in, and Kojima took them both out. 

Kojima spoke on the mic, with Sugi (or "Taka" as Kojima has taken to calling him), looking as if to say, "Why can't this guy just leave me alone?"

"Hideki and Thatcher! We are the world's most dangerous tag team "Taka and Satoshi!" Taka, wait!! Sorry for the delay, but as it's our GHC Tag Title (challenge) in nine days, please lets have lunch just once"

Again they did the fist & finger handshake, which seems to have become their thing. 

SUNNY VOYAGE 2022 (Yokohama Radiant Hall, Monday September 19th)

Timothy Thatcher vs Satoshi Kojima

Timothy Thatcher proceeded to tie Satoshi Kojima into knots, and slammed him around the ring. Kojima for much of the match looked as if he was trying to fight a man made of granite, or perhaps a newer and updated cyborg model, and I do wonder how much his hand stung after giving Thatcher the Machine Gun chops. Takashi Sugiura (in a Kazushi Sakuraba "Great Saku" shirt) watched the carnage from ringside, he evidently was not going to be accused of being the one who was late to help. 

WINNER: Timothy Thatcher with the Fujiwara Armbar (16 minutes, 17 seconds)

Sugiura went to shake hands with Thatcher who put him in a Fujiwara Armbar, while Suzuki slammed Kojima, the bell rang and Timothy Thatcher's drama music played in the background giving the scene a feeling of chaos (i.e. like a barfight in a movie or gunplay in a western). When the music stopped, Suzuki addressed their fallen opponents/unit member Sugiura, with his usual sarcasm;

"Sugi, no Taka, are you okay? Koji, no Koji Sato, are you okay? Next is finally the title match in Nagoya, and it appears that everyone who has come here, will come. Taka & Satoshi's playfulness makes me feel like they can't beat us, so let's do it with that goofiness". 

GRAND SHIP 2022 in NAGOYA PRO-WRESTLING & KEIJI MUTOH RETIREMENT ROAD - LOVE FOREVER.2 ~OUT BREAK~ (Sunday September 25th, Dolphins Arena, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya)

The Sugiura Army (Hideki Suzuki & Timothy Thatcher) vs Takashi Sugiura & Satoshi Kojima

Timothy Thatcher and Hideki Suzuki entered to dramatic music which was very fitting for the match. It's not many wrestlers who enter to composers like Haydn or Handel. 

This was almost as much as a test of endurance as the first match, but also added in was a test of teamwork which wasn't an issue in the junior tag, as Satoshi Kojima and Takashi Sugiura haven't always got along, albeit in a comedic way. Heavyweights aren't as wild as the juniors (even though they have had their moments recently), so the match didn't have the same air of impending chaos. 

Takashi Sugiura and Satoshi Kojima were suffering through due to the damage inflicted by Thatcher, who did use the Fujiwara Armbar, but more as a tool to wear down initially, rather than to submit. Then there was a misfire from Sugiura when Hideki Suzuki dodged and Kojima was caught in the face, fans had been waiting for this moment, but how would it play out in the match? In actual fact, the second time Sugiura managed to boot Suzuki in the face without any mishaps. 

WINNER: Takashi Sugiura with The Olympic Slam on Hideki Suzuki (18 minutes, 41 seconds)

Next champions: Taka & Satoshi