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

With temperatures reaching 30ºC in some parts of Japan, Noah fans travelled out from Tokyo (about a three hour journey) to a very hot Fukushima and a mercifully cool venue. Because of the heat, Noah announced (something like six or seven minutes before the bell) that Shuhei Taniguchi would be absent. Taniguchi later said that this was due to mild heatstroke. Go Shiozaki was also absent today due to being in contact with someone with Coronavirus, so the card was shuffled twice. 

Satoshi Kojima was on autographs today, and fans said he was super polite, very gentlemanly and put nervous people at ease. 

Noah had last visited this venue five years ago, just before Kaito Kiyomiya went away on excursion. 

Today's event was not broadcast, but you can watch it from 18:00 JST on 5th July on WrestleUniverse. You must be a subscriber to view. As it was not broadcast, I have more information on some matches than others. I am of course indebted to the fans who attended; Voyage_0217, Kasu, Tagosaku, Abeshin, Emeraldhomepit, Kei, BIGBOSSYosshi, Takun & NJ45.

MATCH ONE

Manabu Soya vs Daiki Inaba

Fans called this a "W-1 Showdown" which was kind of apt considering the W-1 dominated early matches on the card. The two fought to a time limit draw, Manabu Soya using a devastating lariat just before the time ran out.

WINNER: Neither, time out draw (15 minutes)

Fans felt this was a bit of a waste for an opener, but it couldn't be helped. It also needed a bigger venue.

MATCH TWO

Super Crazy vs Alejandro 

The referees and ring announcers spoke in English, which Super Crazy responded to in Spanish. Alejandro moved so quickly that pictures blurred. Fun match. 

WINNER: Super Crazy with the Rojo Special (7 minutes, 51 seconds)

MATCH THREE

STINGER (HAYATA & Yuya Susumu) vs Seiki Yoshioka & Kai Fujimura

Another W-1 combination, which was overlooked by the matter of the GHC Junior Heavyweight pre match. Yuya Susumu and Seiki Yoshioka glared at each other, then Yoshioka and HAYATA butted heads. HAYATA managed to bloody Yoshioka soon after the match started, I am not sure how though, I think he might have punched in him the face. Yoshioka retaliated with a new superkick, which HAYATA was quickly introduced to. 

WINNER: Yuya Susumu with the Cross Face Lock on Kai Fujimura (12 minutes, 58 seconds)

After the match, Yoshioka attacked HAYATA after the match with the Crash Driver as they squared up over the title, which HAYATA held between them. Afterwards a wild eyed and bloodied Seiki Yoshioka, asked HAYATA how he liked his new move? 

MATCH FOUR

Kinya Okada, Simon Gotch & Mohammed Yone vs The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & Hideki Suzuki) & NOSAWA Rongai

As fans said, it's been a while since NOSAWA teamed with The Boss (Takashi Sugiura) and Hideki Suzuki. Suzuki was seen to be advising Okada throughout the match, despite Okada being on the opposite team. Then again he was fighting NOSAWA, and we have seen how The Sugiura Army seem to enjoy seeing NOSAWA get beat up. Takashi Sugiura hates disco (he's a R&B man) and kicked Mohammed Yone for pulling poses.

WINNER: Hideki Suzuki via double arm suplex on Kinya Okada (13 minutes, 15 seconds)

Simon Gotch hauled Kinya Okada onto his shoulder (to much laughter as this is what he does with any member of his team that loses) and carried him out. Backstage Suzuki addressed what he had seen of Okada, and kind of intimated that he may take him under his wing. 

MATCH FIVE

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

The venue was shaking with the heavyweight interaction, throughout which Masa Kitamiya was seen instructing Yoshiki Inamura. At the end of the match, the GHC Heavyweight Tag champions unveiled their new finisher. 

WINNER: Michael Elgin with the Double Impact Elgin Bomb on Rene Dupree (16 minutes, 3 seconds)

MATCH SIX

Yoshinari Ogawa vs Kotaro Suzuki

 "This won't end normally"

Fans were hoping for a singles match between Yoshinari Ogawa and Kotaro Suzuki, but sadly, Perros Del Mal couldn't stay out of it. Ogawa took care of that, and punched NOSAWA out of the ring, and throughout the match he did a good job in keeping Perros out. NOSAWA naturally was there not to support but to make trouble, and attacked Ogawa outside the ring, raking his eyes. Yuya Susumu (not HAYATA) came out to try and even the score, but it was three on two. 

Kotaro at one point in the match claimed he had a knee injury (which served to enrage Ogawa even more as Kotaro knows how to wind him up, other than the sight of him), but perhaps he should have claimed it was his crotch. The GHC Junior Heavyweight tag was bought into the ring at one point, and Ogawa claimed that he had been hit with it. The match was eventually thrown out when Super Crazy and NOSAWA intruded into the ring to beat Ogawa down.

WINNER: Yoshinari Ogawa via disqualification (10 minutes and 56 seconds)

Three on two in the following melee brawl, meant STINGER where on the losing end. Backstage, NOSAWA told Kotaro to write it down that he wanted Kotaro to try harder and that he was pitiful. Kotaro responded with, "So you are always saying". 

I think there is a limit as to how long Kotaro is going to put up with this. 

There then occurred a semi comical moment when Perros walked off. The camera filmed them all walking away down a corridor which had a screen erected at the end, probably as a barrier between where everyone was getting changed and the interview area. On one side was the men's room and on the other side, the side where Perros where, the ladies. I think Super Crazy must have been bursting to use the facilities, as he stuck his head in to check if anyone was in there! 

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) 

Kenoh and Satoshi Kojima started quarrelling, and this went on throughout the whole match. YO-HEY got beaten up by Katsuhiko Nakajima (who did the Shutter Chance on him to the camera), bodies flew everywhere, Tadasuke was the crafty villain and junior wars broke out around the heavyweight one. 

Hajime Ohara vs Satoshi Kojima seemed to have been something everyone had been waiting for, Ohara even put Kojima in the Mui Bien

Winner: Satoshi Kojima with the Western Lariat on Hajime Ohara (15 minutes, 56 seconds)

More arguing between Kenoh and Kojima before Kenoh left the ring. Kojima closed out the show by mentioning the title match and telling the Fukushima crowd to either way watch Noah - come to the Budokan or have fun watching on WrestleUniverse. Backstage, Kenoh once again barged in on Kojima and another argument broke out. Kenoh claimed he had done squats when he came to the arena, and so did push ups. 

Picture credit: Shu Nishinaga, Weekly Pro, Kaito Kiyomiya

Noah's next event: Sunday 3rd July 2022, Yamagata Big Wing (17:00 JST start, VOD delivery)