(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: N Innovation (Shinjuku FACE, Wednesday, September 21st 2022)

Dark little Shinjuku FACE hosted both the N-Innovation and the final pre matches of the junior title division. As it is his creation, Daisuke Harada (although not competing tonight due to his neck), made an appearance to sign autographs and pose for pictures. Collection boxes were out for Yoshihiro Takayama, Shinjiro Otani and for the Kumamoto Relief Fund, following the earthquake. 

You can watch tonight's event on WrestleUniverse. Please note this is static cam due to the size of the venue and there is no commentary. 

MATCH ONE

Yasutaka Yano vs Kai Fujimura

Yasutaka Yano made his return to Noah, he looks to have been concentrating on building up his body during his absence. Kai Fujimura was in control of the match pretty much. He was not the person that Yano left behind. Back then it was Yano running ahead, now he is running to catch up. Fujimura had learned a lot from STINGER, most notably Ogawa's carrot and stick tactic of letting the opponent get to the ropes and then pulling them back at the last moment.

WINNER: Kai Fujimura with The Boston Crab (8 minutes, 21 seconds)

MATCH TWO

Perros Del Mal De Japon (NOSAWA Rongai, Eita & Super Crazy) vs Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke, Hajime Ohara & Hi69)

The usual chaos broke out as a melee brawl occurred as soon as NOSAWA was announced, and even before the bell had a chance to ring. When order had settled, Kongoh used the quick tags, which STINGER used against Perros, it's a tactic that works and it must be said that Kongoh were more coordinated than Perros in attack, although Perros did use a new tandem move a powerbomb from the top turnbuckle by one member, with the other two assisting from below to add more impact to the crash.

WINNER: Tadasuke got the flash pin on Super Crazy after Eita accidentally dropkicked Super Crazy in the face (9 minutes)

Perros were left in the ring looking shocked, which gave way to arguing. Eita and NOSAWA in particular. NOSAWA shoved Eita and the two went at it. The bell rang for order and then they did the Tōkyō Gurentai thing by all making up, hugging, high fiving etc and making their way to the back as if nothing had happened. 

Backstage, NOSAWA said that he was still thinking of when "little bitch Nakajima" tried to beat him up, and he had an idea? What would Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kenoh say to a tag match against himself and Eita? He also made a comment that would inflame Kenoh, by implying that Kongoh was Nakajima's group. Kenoh and Nakajima are yet to comment. 

MATCH THREE

Kotaro Suzuki vs Shuji Kondo

Former partners but eternal rivals, there was no handshake to begin with. Not only was this match highly technical (Kotaro had his nose busted open) it was also the eye of the storm as it was the quiet before the wild five man elimination and the brutal main event.  Reversals, submissions, gut punches wore each other down to puff each other out, the end of the match came with each other trying to push each other into exhaustion by doing quick pins, but sadly neither were successful. 

Winner: 30 minute time out draw

It was frustrating, especially given their history, and they both left agreeing to do it again. 

MATCH FOUR

5 WAY MATCH

Ninja Mack vs Dragon Bane vs Alpha Wolf vs Xtreme Tiger vs Alejandro

Fans predicted that the five Luchadores in this match would hit the ceiling. They might not have done that, but bodies flew everywhere, making the crowd look like a heaving ocean as people had to get up and move and sit down again as Shinjuku is so small and everyone was pressed up against the ring almost. Naturally this was a match for bragging rights and to outdo everyone else and to further inflame the competition between them and the other Noah Juniors. 

I do not recommend this match for anyone with motion sickness.

WINNER: Ninja Mac eliminated Dragon Bane with the Ninja Bomb (11 minutes, 11 seconds)

Order of elimination

Alpha Wolf eliminated Xtreme Toger with a Brainbuster (4 minutes, 1 seconds)

Alejandro eliminated Alpha Wolf with a Swan Dive Body Press (6 minutes, 34 seconds)

Dragon Bane eliminated Alejandro with the Twister Bane (9 minutes, 48 seconds)

MATCH FIVE

ELIMINATION MATCH

STINGER (HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway) vs The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge, Seiki Yoshioka & YO-HEY) 

Up until now everything had been more lighthearted and happier, this was going to be a bitter, vicious, cruel and emotional match for everyone. 

Seiki Yoshioka was the victim of STINGER. Yoshinari Ogawa was at his cruel best, mercilessly torturing Yoshioka's arm while staring at Atsushi Kotoge and even daring him to get into the ring and do something about it. HAYATA joined in as well, while Ogawa kept the ref distracted by arguing with Kotoge. It was to be Kotoge who went out first however, and for good measure, Ogawa beat him up before throwing him out of the ring. 

Chris Ridgeway had spoken of Yoshioka's speed and now he demonstrated it by taking out STINGER in a lightning strike attack but Ogawa struck back and Yoshioka found it was now his arm and his knee that was being worked over, Ridgway even used a pipe chair. Yoshioka had a small measure of revenge for what happened over the past few weeks, by eliminating Ogawa and making the score even at two versus two. But he wasn't out of danger yet as Ridgeway loomed over Yoshioka and did not let him tag in YO-HEY, a dented Yoshioka somehow found the strength to counter him by slamming him, but in better condition, Ridgeway was able to get up and knock YO-HEY off of the ropes. Yoshioka's torture continued when Ridgeway took off Yoshioka's boot and attacked his bare foot, unable to take this torture anymore, he tapped. 

It was now one on two and HAYATA threw YO-HEY to the wolves and STINGER did those alternating tags, with HAYATA looking delighted when YO-HEY kicked out, not because he cared, but because it was a chance to hurt him for longer, especially so soon before the title match. YO-HEY hung on in there, and broke through when he tipped HAYATA out of the ring by pulling down the top rope pinned Ridgeway by the FACE G, HAYATA arrived too late to save Ridgeway, and Kotoge told him sternly to get out of the ring. 

It was now just the former "Blonde Couple". HAYATA was savage, hitting YO-HEY far harder than he ever had before. A feeling of hate and anger in each punch. YO-HEY was exhausted and dazed but he clung on. 

WINNER: YO-HEY with the Dropkick on HAYATA (35 minutes, 36 seconds)

YO-HEY had a rare victory over HAYATA, and he had won the final pre match, but could he repeat it on Sunday? As STINGER slunk off, the Noah Junior Regulars huddled together in celebration, before YO-HEY spoke on the microphone to close out the show;

"Thank you very much for coming today. Thanks to everyone's support, we were able to win the all-out war against STINGER! With everyone's support the tag titles on the 25th will be Kotoge and Yoshioka's, and the single will be YO-HEY! I am convinced that we can take them, and we will win the belts and transform this Noah Junior into something even more wonderful!"

The three of them, looking battle damaged, posed together, YO-HEY making belt motions around not only his own waist but that of his opponents. As YO-HEY admitted backstage, he was going to have upgrade before the title match. Winning today was one thing, but the title match was going to be different. 

Attendance: 360 (full)

Noah's next event: [Muto Retirement Road] GRAND SHIP 2022 in NAGOYA PRO-WRESTLING LOVE FOREVER.2 ~OUT BREAK~ (Dolphins Arena (Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium), Sunday September 25th)

GIF taken from WrestleUniverse