(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: GREAT VOYAGE 2023 in YOKOHAMA (Sunday March 19th, Yokohama Budokan)

Noah sailed into Yokohama today for what is one of the biggest annual events of the year, "GREAT VOYAGE IN YOKOHAMA". 1, 308 fans were in attendance to see three emotional title matches, an answer to a question (or rather an answer forced to a demand), junior chaos and championship challengers. As Daisuke Harada signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans in the lobby (very sadly, this seems to be his last Noah appearance), and fans snapped up the RATELS t-shirts, Katsuhiko Nakajima trained in the ring, and glanced at the cameras every now and again. Outside the blossoms are starting to bloom early on the trees, reminding us not to take anything for granted, as all things must change, which was very apt for tonight. 

MATCH ONE

Yasutaka Yano vs Taishi Ozawa

Taishi Ozawa called this match his "revenge" for being beaten by Yasutaka Yano before. Yano (who initially started walking to the ring, but then broke into a run) showed Yoshinari Ogawa like psychology when at one point he was on the turnbuckles, Ozawa charged towards him and Yano grabbed his head and smashed it into the turnbuckles. 

WINNER: Yasutaka Yano with the Roll Up Pin (4 minutes, 56 seconds)

MATCH TWO

The Noah Junior Regulars (Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY, Seiki Yoshioka & Alejandro) vs Kongoh Juniors (Shuji Kondo, Tadasuke, Hajime Ohara & Hi69)

The match disintegrated when Tadasuke attacked his opponents and melee brawls broke out. The Noah Junior Regulars where working together well, but there was a general feeling that now with Harada gone, Kotoge is the leader. Tadasuke felled Shuji Kondo by accident, which indirectly led to Kotoge getting the win. 

Winner: Atsushi Kotoge with The Schoolboy on Tadasuke (5 minutes)

Shuji Kondo confronted Tadasuke about taking him out, albeit by accident and the others gathered around him threatening. It's no secret he doesn't like Tadasuke, but Kondo seems to be the leader of the Kongoh Juniors, Hi69 has some simmering jealousy against Tadasuke and I guess Hajime Ohara was too terrified of Kondo to go against him. YO-HEY could see what was happening and got into the ring to protect Tadasuke by double dropkicking Kongoh out. YO-HEY then extended the hand, and Tadasuke took it. The Noah Junior Regulars got in the ring to congratulate their new member, but then YO-HEY and Tadasuke turned against them. Backstage, YO-HEY's explanation was to say, "No Comment" and leave with Tadasuke. Fans were hoping for a reunion with HAYATA, and the rebirth of RATELS. We would find out later in the evening exactly where they had gone. 

MATCH THREE

Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kinya Okada

While Kinya Okada spoke of revenge, Katsuhiko Nakajima basically ignored this match as he had better things to do (mainly involving himself) and when he did acknowledge it, it was to smirk. Okada went straight on the attack, screaming in anger. He even made Nakajima roll out of the ring, but there was no escape for him out there. When Nakajima recovered his equilibrium he challenged Okada to a kick war, it had been him who had taught him how to kick, and these echoed all over the arena. Nakajima, gaining the upper hand, choked Okada out and then broke the hold and followed it up with a kick, he savored the pin but Okada kicked out. Nakajima's eyes then began to glow and with the "prey" down, he delivered a Vertical Spike. There was no kicking out for Okada this time. 

Winner: Katsuhiko Nakajima with The Vertical Spike (5 minutes, 48 seconds)

MATCH FOUR

Hideki Suzuki & Saxon Huxley vs Mohammed Yone & Yoshiki Inamura

Saxon Huxley (Noah have given him the sobriquet "Destroyer") made his Noah debut. His size, his beard, his long hair and his ring gown all served to give him a Bruiser Brody vibe. As a hoss of 6'8 and 102 Kg, his natural rival was Yoshiki Inamura. 

WINNER: Saxon Huxley with the Neck Hanging Bomb on Mohammed Yone (7 minutes, 55 seconds)

Noah showed a promo package to advertise the upcoming next grand event, which will take place at GREEN JOURNEY 2023 in SENDAI on the 16th April; Jinsei Shinzaki will take part, a six man tag match called "LALAPALOOZA FIESTA", which will feature Alejandro, Xtreme Tiger, Lanzelot and the returning Dralístico and old Noah friends Alpha Wolf and Dragon Bane. There will also be a Joshi match between Maya Yukihi vs Sumire Natsu. This will be the first time that Noah have put a women's match on an official Noah show, before they had run them on special events so to speak to test the water. Nothing has been said about a women's GHC Championship, but it would not surprise me if one was made. 

MATCH FIVE

Takashi Sugiura vs Shuhei Taniguchi

MOTY 

Takashi Sugiura came to the ring looking weary, probably did not help that Shuhei Taniguchi was filmed staring back with his mouth open, but appearances can be deceptive, and Sugiura succeeded in provoking the monster making Taniguchi fight one of the best matches he has had for a long time. Taniguchi fought back with a scream, even shoving the ref aside once. The ref even had to haul him off Sugiura later on in the match, not something anyone has seen from him for a while. Sugiura was not going to accept any flagging on Taniguchi's part, and Taniguchi was not going to give him that satisfaction, he won the match with repeated soccer ball kicks on Sugiura's head, which echoed around the arena with a resounding thud. 

WINNER: Shuhei Taniguchi with a kick to the face (11 minutes, 43 seconds)

MATCH SIX

Naomichi Marufuji & El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr vs Jack Morris & Anthony Green

Before the match got too serious, Anthony Green offered Naomichi Marufuji a handshake, Marufuji accepted it and gave him a stiff one back with a stare. Green knew he was going to chop him, so he threw himself into a corner and told him, "Let's go! Everything you got!" Marufuji obliged and it turned into a chop war. When the war went to the middle of the ring, Marufuji even removed a few hairs from Green's notoriously hairy chest before chopping him. 

There was even a bit of comedy with catching each others kicks and putting each others feet back on the floor slowly and never breaking eye contact

WINNER: Jack Morris with The Tiger Driver on El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr (13 minutes, 23 seconds)

Jack Morris had pinned the champion, and won the right to challenge. Morris made his challenge by simply motioning to the belt before holding it over El Hijo Del Wagner Jnr, and then putting it down on him. Title match will take place on the 16th April in Sendai. 

MATCH SEVEN

AMAKUSA & Ninja Mack vs Xtreme Tiger & Lanzelot

For the Junior division, the handshakes before the match went without incident, except one minor one when Lanzelot refused to shake hands with AMAKUSA. Everyone knew what this meant, especially when Lanzelot concentrated on targeting AMAKUSA as much as he could throughout the match. 

WINNER: Lanzelot with the Broken Bomb on AMAKUSA (10 minutes, 16 seconds)

Lanzelot picked up the belt and held it high and pointed to himself before putting it over AMAKUSA. Title match has been arranged for March 26th in Aomori. 

MATCH EIGHT

GHC Tag Championship

Masa Kitamiya & Daiki Inaba vs Kongoh (Kenoh & Manabu Soya)

MOTY

Kenoh had prepared a special seat for the Managing Director of All Japan, Kohei Suwama, to sit in at ringside while he watched Kongoh defeat Masa Kitamiya & Daiki Inaba for the GHC Heavyweight Tag titles, which Kenoh said he would unify with the All Japan World Heavyweight Tag Titles, to create one championship, "The GHC World". Suwama, however, did not turn up and Kenoh said that he would never trust either Suwama or Suwama the wrestler again. 

In the event of things, Kenoh should have been glad as Kongoh were defeated, but not easily as both sides put up a tremendous and brutal fight, the champions even having to deal with the Kongoh seconds distracting the ref at one point. 

WINNER: Masa Kitamiya with the Diving Senton on Manabu Soya (21 minutes, 44 seconds)

After the challengers had left (Kenoh screaming in rage), familiar music sounded and Masa Kitamiya saw that his hated middle older brother, Kento Miyahara had broken into Noah and was heading to the ring. Or rather, dancing to the ring. Their exchange went like this;

Miyahara: When I saw you on the monitor, it said you are named differently now? You're 100 years too early to call yourself "Masa". Are you going to fight me the day after tomorrow? Decide now!

Kitamiya: I'm very aware that there's no benefit in getting involved with you guys in All Japan, but because you rushed here to summon your junior out of shame. I'll go to Ota Ward the day after tomorrow. Don't preach in the ring, idiot. Bring it on!

Miyahara left telling Kitamiya to get ready and choose two partners, he didn't care about anything else (plus everyone here thought he was a big superstar who "was involved with someone like you"). On the way out he saved Yoshiki Inamura who was at ringside a lingering glare as he passed him. The two of them were destined to meet again as Yoshiki Inamura was chosen as one of Masa Kitamiya's partners, alongside Kinya Okada. Backstage, the champions were challenged by Takashi Sugiura and Shuhei Taniguchi. Earlier, Taniguchi had asked Sugiura for "another chance", Sugi had told him to take it for himself but came back when Taniguchi appeared to challenge Kitamiya and Inaba for the titles. Sugiura once again told Taniguchi to seize it for himself. Match has been set for April 16th in Sendai. 

MATCH NINE

GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match

Yoshinari Ogawa & Eita vs STINGER (HAYATA & Chris Ridgeway)

Considering what had happened earlier in the evening fans were on a knife-edge of anticipation as to what would happen in this match. What happened, happened afterwards, and it was more Eita's nightmare than the hoped for RATELS reunion, and it was impossible not to feel sorry for him. Anyway, all seemed normal, Eita was bandaged (HAYATA targeted his head), Yoshinari Ogawa furious, Chris Ridgeway and HAYATA emotionless, except for Ridgeway trying to shake hands with Ogawa and Ogawa batting him away and Ogawa later attacking HAYATA'S elbow. Eita had a few surprises of his own, pulling out hitherto unseen Lucha moves which took HAYATA and Ridgeway by surprise and using HAYATA against Ridgeway (dropkick from the top rope where he threw him). I think Eita too has probably been attending one of Ogawa's classrooms. Even the ref got drawn to the fight between Ogawa and Ridgeway which was fitting. 

WINNER: Yoshinari Ogawa with a Figure Four Pin on Chris Ridgeway (25 minutes, 29 seconds)

After stealing the win, Ogawa waved all the problems away, told HAYATA and Ridgeway to forget it, and extended the olive branch to HAYATA. HAYATA stood with his hands on his hips (which usually means he is thinking about something) and went to shake Ogawa's hand, but Eita caused a fuss and the champions turned on each other. Eita, having been through this with NOSAWA, whose squabbles usually lasted a few seconds, grinned, but got a sharp slap from Ogawa. HAYATA and Ogawa reunited, but Ridgeway was still unsure though and left the ring behind Ogawa and HAYATA, HAYATA turning back to look at him and telling him that things were okay, as did Ogawa. Eita was left alone in the ring, and as I said before, it was hard not to feel sorry for him. His "tag partner" had turned on him, forgotten about him and gone off with others, and Perros Del Mal De Japon were gone. He seemed so alone as he slunk backstage, feeling his cheek with shoulders down and slouched. He later posted on Twitter that he still believed in Ogawa, after all, they were the GHC Junior Tag Champions. 

MATCH TEN

GHC Heavyweight Championship Match

Kaito Kiyomiya vs Jake Lee

Fans found out just what YO-HEY and Tadasuke were up to, and there was to be no RATELS reunion. At least not at Yokohama tonight as the two appeared as part of Jake Lee's new unit, "Good Looking Guys". 

Kaito Kiyomiya found Jake Lee to be a slippery customer, even more so in the title match, using his size as both a weapon and a distraction. Kiyomiya might have been used to his size, his training overseas had prepared him for that, but there seemed to be no way to wear Jake down easily. By mid match, Kiyomiya had to get his second wind as Jake had worn him down so much he was groggy, but no matter what he did, Jake still seemed to be at the same stamina he had when he first entered the ring. This was probably Kiyomiya's hardest match to date, as unlike himself who sometimes gave the impression of futile stabs (until he discovered that Jake's weakness was his knees),  Jake was calm and collected and knew what he was doing by blocking The Shining Wizard (which he countered twice), using knees to the chest and the massive top rope suplex. Kiyomiya fought for as long and as hard as he could, but worn down, he eventually succumbed.

WINNER: Jake Lee with the Skewered Front High Kick (35 minutes, 36 seconds)

Jake had not only entered the pantheon of Noah GHC Heavyweight Champions, he also had the distinction of being the only Korean one to hold the title. However, he had no time to rest as his next challenger materialized. 

Katsuhiko Nakajima. 

"Do you know what it means when I'm here? Jake Lee, I'll show you the real Noah. I'm Noah"

Katsuhiko Nakajima left to the sound of Jake laughing. Nakajima had been one of the wrestlers that Jake said he wanted to fight and the title match will take place in Sendai on the 16th April, and he said as much on the mic. He also said that he would "take the helm of Noah" now. 

Event can be viewed on WrestleUniverse (you must be a subscriber)

Noah's next event: SUNNY VOYAGE 2023, Akita Selion Plaza, Friday March 24th (streamed at a later date)