(NOAH) Moving away from mentor Keiji Mutoh as champion! Kaito Kiyomiya submits "graduation thesis" by swearing to win the N-1 for the first time.

Tokyo Sports
2nd September 2022

Kaito Kiyomiya (26), who is trying to win Noah's single league tournament "N-1 VICTORY 2022" for the first time, has pledged to submit his "graduation thesis" to his mentor. Aiming to regain the GHC Heavyweight Championship (the current champion is Kenoh) after winning the N-1, he is eager to reunite with Keiji Mutoh, who is scheduled to retire next February, as the champion. But there isn't much time left. 

Kiyomiya broke through B Block with 5 wins and 2 losses, and advanced to the championship match against Hideki Suzuki (3rd September, Osaka.) At the press conference on the 1st, he emphasized "I will defeat Hideki Suzuki and go to the top". 

Kiyomiya has been through a difficult period this year, losing to Kazuchika Okada in a tag match against New Japan (Yokohama Arena) in January. However, at the Nippon Budokan in July, he won a singles match against Mutoh. As his "reward", he inherited The Dragon Screw, The Figure 4 Leg Lock and The Shining Wizard, receiving direct instruction at the Kanazawa event in July. 

Kiyomiya, who won in league matches using Mutoh's finishers said of his challenges, "There is still a long way to go. There are times when my body can go with the flow, and there are times when I feel like I am not good enough". On top of that he said enthusiastically about a rematch on the retirement road, "Before he retires, I want him to think "I made it something." I think it's a great challenge, but before Mutoh-san retires, I want Mutoh-san to feel it when we meet in the ring." Considering that Mutoh will retire in February next year, the hurdle of Mutoh's success when active is quite high, but he intends to submit his own answer to his mentor. 

Furthermore, in order to leave Noah with a peace of mind in the future, he says with a twinkle in his eyes, that it would be ideal for him to see Mutoh off as the GHC Heavyweight Champion, the highest peak in the group. Kiyomiya said, "Having experienced so much, if I can't surpass that in the N-1, I have no future. I am fighting while thinking I have my back to the wall, so I want to meet Mutoh-san again with the belt after winning the championship."     

In order to regain the GHC Heavyweight Championship by the time limit that is approaching moment by moment, conquering the N-1 may be both the shortest distance and the last chance. "I have received all kinds of chances, and so I have no choice but to show my new wrestling, and I have no choice but to do that here." Enlightened, Kiyomiya is going straight to the top. 


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