(NOAH) CARD: STAR NAVIGATION 2023 (Saturday April 29th, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)

Tonight is the final night before the huge MAJESTIC show on the 4th May. Tonight sees the last of all the pre matches and culminates in the GHC Junior Tag Championship. Chris Ridgeway returns to Noah, as does Junta Miyawaki from Mexico. With the lead up to Ryogoku Kokugikan, tonight seems filled with electricity. 

Event will begin at 18:30 JST, with the doors opening at 17:30. Restrictions have all been lifted (except for paper tape, banners and gift giving) so fans can now cheer, wear a mask only if they choose, and can eat and drink in the hall. For those of us who aren't able to go, we can watch it on ABEMA (free broadcast, Japanese commentary, but you can only watch live) or WrestleUniverse (English commentary, subscription only). 

MATCH ONE

HAYATA & Super Crazy vs Ninja Mack & Lanzelot

I don't think HAYATA cares that he has to team with an ex member of Perros Del Mal De Japon, his focus is on beating Ninja Mack, who has said that he has beaten HAYATA twice (indirectly) in the last two pre-matches. This is HAYATA's last chance to get the win directly over him before the title match. As for Super Crazy, this is becoming a family feud with his young nephew, Lanzelot. 

MATCH TWO

Kongoh (Katsuhiko Nakajima & Hajime Ohara) vs Daiki Inaba & Atsushi Kotoge

Atsushi Kotoge hasn't had a successful time recently, either he has been on the losing side or he has been the one who has done the losing, so tonight is his chance to climb back up, although considering the team he is against that is not going to be an easy thing. 

MATCH THREE

Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway (STINGER?) vs The Noah Junior Regulars (Seiki Yoshioka & Alejandro)

If Eita has Daga (neither of whom are here tonight, but it would not surprise me if one or both showed up), then Yoshinari Ogawa has Chris Ridgeway. When we last saw Ridgeway, he was hesitating as to whether or not he wanted to team with Ogawa after his (brief) alliance with Eita. HAYATA decided that he didn't after he and Ogawa fell out, but Ridgeway seems to have more of a problem with Eita, than he does Ogawa (Eita wonders just what he has done to Ridgeway). Seiki Yoshioka said that he doesn't believe that Ogawa and Ridgeway can work well together, and so seems prepared to exploit their issues. Then again, Yoshioka who has made comments such as fans should buy the merchandise of him in his current costume, as it won't be one he wears forever, may have something new in mind, for good or otherwise. 

MATCH FOUR

Good Looking Guys (Jake Lee, Jack Morris & Anthony Green) vs Naomichi Marufuji, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura

This is Jake Lee and Naomichi Marufuji's final round before the title match next week. The two have torn into each other with a complex range of emotions; Marufuji knows that Jake Lee is the younger generation and there is a big body to get round, while Jake knows that they don't call Marufuji, "The Genius of The Ark" for nothing. Tonight sees the final step towards a match that combines both Noah's past and its future, but also Jake's roots as it was Marufuji who inspired him to become a wrestler. 

MATCH FIVE

Kaito Kiyomiya, Sean Legacy & AMAKUSA vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Manabu Soya & Shuji Kondo)

Kenoh says that tonight he and his partners (but I think mainly him) will make history as for the first time ever, Kenoh two belts (All Japan World Heavyweight Tag and DragonGate TwinGate) will be appearing with his tag partners, Manabu Soya and Shuji Kondo respectively. The DragonGate belts have already been challenged for, so I am wondering if tonight we will see some movement on the All Japan World. 

MATCH SIX

Hi69 vs Junta Miyawaki

Before he went to Mexico, and even when he came back the first time, Junta Miyawaki was seldom put (seldom to never) put so high up at Korakuen Hall show in a singles match. Junta returns from Mexico with a new look, and also bilingual. None of this however appears to impress his opponent, as Hi69 has grumbled that if Junta says he has been "sipping muddy water" (i.e. to hit rock bottom and to climb back up), then he has no idea what he is talking about. His career hasn't been long enough for him to say that, if anyone has had to sip muddy water, then it is him. Hi69 has been on a roll recently, can Junta burst his bubble? 

MATCH SEVEN

El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr, Takashi Sugiura & Shuhei Taniguchi vs REAL (Hideki Suzuki, Timothy Thatcher & Saxon Huxley)

Takashi Sugiura has made it very clear that this match is Shuhei Taniguchi's pre match, not his, but Sugi is going to be a marked man as Saxon Huxley won't let him forget that it was Sugi who ended his winning streak in Noah. El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr and Hideki Suzuki face off before the title match, and in the middle of all of this is Shuhei Taniguchi who tapped to Timothy Thatcher. This is going to be a real melting pot. 

MATCH EIGHT

GHC JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG CHAMPIONSHIP

Good Looking Guys (YO-HEY & Tadasuke) vs Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf (challengers)

As the only title match on the show, the GHC Junior Tag Championship is awarded the main event. YO-HEY and Tadasuke haven't had the greatest score in the pre matches as both have fallen before the brothers Dragon Bane and Alpha Wolf, and with time now run out, they find themselves in the title match with a dismal result behind them. Tonight will either see the belt remain in Japan with The Good Looking Guys, or heading to Mexico.

Picture credit: WrestleUniverse