(NOAH) NOAH NEWSLETTER VOL.199 ~ 25TH APRIL 2023


NEWS

"I made you all wait", Go Shiozaki announces his return
Go Shiozaki made a surprise appearance at Noah's Sendai event on the 16th April, and announced that he would return to the ring at "MAJESTIC" at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Thursday May 4th. In an interview done soon afterwards, Shiozaki said that of course his goal was to "get my belt back as soon as possible" and naturally, his target is the current champion, Jake Lee. He is very excited about Noah now with the influx of foreign wrestlers, and of course, Jake Lee whom he knew from being in All Japan. Shiozaki's return match will be against Kongoh's Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima and Manabu Soya. Shiozaki says he will not only be fighting against his opponents, but also the younger generation of Noah, who he says are "a threat". Noah's generational wheel continues turning. 

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Junta Miyawaki returns from Mexico
Junta Miyawaki announced (bilingually as he also announced this in Mexican), that he would be returning from Ultimo Dragon's training camp, and would make his first match back at Korakuen Hall at STAR NAVIGATION on the 29th April. His opponent will be HI69, who has been on a roll recently. Before he left, Junta Miyawaki said that he would "sip muddy water", (which basically means to hit rock bottom and crawl you way back up), before he returned to Noah. HI69 was unimpressed with this statement, saying that Junta had no idea what he was talking about, but he would soon make him realize it. 

Women's matches
Noah continue to book women's matches on their bigger shows. Sendai saw Maya Yukihi and Sumire Natsu fight in a singles match, and afterwards mention was made (even fleetingly) of a woman's GHC championship. The next women's match will be a four way at "MAJESTIC" on the 4th May between 
Maya Yukihisa & SAKI vs Sumire Natsu & Ryo Mizunami. 

Xtreme Tiger concussed & Luchadore's trash the commentary table
Very sadly Xtreme Tiger sustained (probably) a concussion during the match in Sendai and was stretchered from the ring. Fortunately, he could still move as he was seen to be sitting up and sliding himself on to the stretcher. The remaining Luchadores (Doralistico, Dragon Bane, Alpha Wolf, Alejandro & Lanzelot) decided to continue the match, and as they are Noah Juniors, didn't bother to tell the ref. They just carried on and during this, Dragon Bane trashed the commentary table by moonsaulting through it. Then everyone else joined in, fighting in the wreckage. Akitoshi Saito (who had been sitting at the table) was seen looking on blankly. Later he made the comment that the table was not made of a material that was meant to be broken. 


Yasutaka Yano and Kinya Okada taken off the Sendai card at the last moment
Yasutaka Yano and Kinya Okada were announced to have been taken off the Sendai card at the last moment, meaning that Anthony Green and Akitoshi Saito (who wrestled by taking his shirt off and in his normal clothes) had to fill in for them. Noah have not announced the issue (illness, injury, etc) but fans think that they may have gone to Mexico for training, albeit why this should be so sudden is a mystery. 

Title news 

GHC Heavyweight

Jake Lee retains, Naomichi Marufuji challenges
Jake Lee retained the GHC Heavyweight against Katsuhiko Nakajima, and was challenged that same
night by Naomichi Marufuji. The nautical references continued, as Marufuji said that Jake's steering was making him "seasick" and used a term that he says he came up with before he made his challenge, by saying that "Even if it is rotten, it is Marufuji" (the full saying is "Even if it is rotten, it is still a sea bream", which basically is like saying "white cat, black cat, as long as it catches mice, then it is a good cat" i.e. quality is quality). Title match has been made for "MAJESTIC" on the 4th May. 

The two pre matches have taken place at shows not broadcasted live, Hamamatsu (which was put on WrestleUniverse on the 25th April) and Kyoto KBS Hall (which will be streamed on WrestleUniverse on the 26th April from 18:00 JST). Neither the champion or the challenger scored the direct win over the other, but Jake was seen to hold the belt over Naomichi Marufuji as he, Jake, stood on the turnbuckle and held it even higher. 

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GHC Heavyweight Tag
Masa Kitamiya and Daiki Inaba lost the GHC Heavyweight Tag Championship to Takashi Sugiura and Shuhei Taniguchi in Sendai. Shuhei Taniguchi, much to his seniors delight, got the win but there was no chance to celebrate for very long as a new fearsome tag team, who were part of a new unit (and therefore a new power in the heavyweights) appeared on the scene to challenge. Hideki Suzuki announced that himself, Timothy Thatcher and Saxon Huxley, were breaking away from The Sugiura Army, which he said was "over" (fans have long felt that the unit simply fizzled out) and the three of them were breaking away on their own. 


Suzuki challenged for the GHC Heavyweight Tag belts on behalf of his partners, whom both came across as having chemistry akin to an old school American tag team (Saxon I know is from England, but you know the vibe I am talking about). Backstage, Hideki Suzuki said their new unit was called "Real". In their first pre match in Hamamatsu, Suzuki refused to shake hands with Takashi Sugiura and Sugiura was defeated by Saxon Huxley. The next night in Kyoto, Sugiura defeated Huxley, which was Huxley's first Noah loss, with the Olympic Slam and labelled himself as "Beastmaster". There was also some slight friction appearing between Takashi Sugiura and Shuhei Taniguchi, as Taniguchi did the same "I heard you lost today?" kind of comment back to Sugiura, and once again refused to shake hands with him when Sugiura offered and just walked off when Sugi asked, "Did you win?". 

GHC National
In an epic match, El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr defended the GHC National against Jack Morris, and the two of them shook hands afterwards and patched up their friendship. Backstage, Hideki Suzuki appeared in the comments booth when Wagner Jnr was in it, clapping sarcastically and saying that he was coming for his belt. Suzuki also made a very poetic comment about the challenge; 

"Because Wagner Jnr is the sun of Mexico, I will take him deep into the ocean. We will sink together, and only I will rise"

Their two pre matches so far have been inconclusive as they head towards the title match at "MAJESTIC" on the 4th May at Ryogoku Kokugikan.  

GHC Junior
AMAKUSA did not do well in the pre matches against HAYATA, and HAYATA ran him into the ground in the title match in Sendai, winning in thirteen minutes and four seconds. In order to forestall anyone who thought they were going to challenge, that he was picking up where he left off, and his next challenger would be Ninja Mack. Ninja Mack had challenged HAYATA in late 2022 for the belt, but he had won it when HAYATA was injured and the belt was awarded to him. To HAYATA, he needed to defeat Ninja Mack first before dealing with anyone else. The two pre matches have not gone well for HAYATA, although Ninja Mack hasn't got the win over him directly, he has still gotten the win for his team at one point, even if one of the matches was won by someone else, which for him counts as a victory over HAYATA. 


GHC Junior Tag
Fans knew that Yoshinari Ogawa and Eita were going to fall apart. YO-HEY knew this too, but knew enough about his opponents, to be wary. In the end, a misfire by Eita, who caught Ogawa in the face with a kick, letting Tadasuke get the win, made the team implode. Ogawa might have come to the ring ignoring Eita's very existence, but by the end of the match the two were brawling and the fight went backstage. After kicking Ogawa in the crotch, Eita announced that the only person he trusted was Daga. Daga will return to Noah at "MAJESTIC", with the one person who hasn't turned on Ogawa (although he was wary of his aligning with Eita), Chris Ridgeway, who is returning to Noah at Korakuen Hall on Saturday 29th April. 

The new GHC Junior Champions, Good Looking Guy's YO-HEY and Tadasuke, were challenged backstage by Dragon Bane and Alpha Wolf, who told them they were going to be taking the belts back to Mexico. The brothers have run riot on the junior tag champions, defeating them in both the pre matches, Alpha Wolf in a singles against Tadasuke. Title match will take place this Saturday at Korakuen Hall. 

EVENT RECAPS & POST MATCH PROMOS

ABEMA presents GREEN JOURNEY 2023 in Sendai (Sunday April 16th)

Act City Hamamatsu (Saturday, April 22nd)

Kyoto KBS Hall (Sunday, April 23rd)

ELSEWHERE IN NOAH
- Because they were both champions facing their challengers, YO-HEY offered HAYATA a handshake in Kyoto. HAYATA reacted in usual fashion (he refused) but the two were seen to work together...
- Kongoh appeared in a short Kenoh Channel video, where each of them ate one of Shuji Kondo's financiers and talked about the merch table. Katsuhiko Nakajima very neatly put back a packet of Naomichi Marufuji's curry, which Kenoh had thrown. 
- Although he is no longer appearing in the ring, NOSAWA Rongai was seen watching at the Hamamatsu show. He's not a member of the audience however, as he seems to be travelling with them -  Kenoh said that he was glad Go Shiozaki had returned as he could not "wait to beat the shit" out of him.
- Atsushi Kotoge has revealed his beloved Shiba is called "Chikuwa". When he left for Noah's weekend shows, he told him he was leaving him as watchdog to guard the family. 
- Mercedes Monet said she wanted a match with "Marufugi". "Marufugi" said he wanted one with her too. 
- YO-HEY and Yoshiki Inamura will appear on "All-Star Chorus Battle" on May 14th for Fuji TV. The premise of the show is that they will team with five other people, sing the hit songs of the Reiwa era and compete as a chorus for a championship. 
- A picture taken by Noah's official photographer in Kyoto was captured at precisely the moment that Seiki Yoshioka was diving off the top turnbuckle. The angle of his body made him look as if he was leaping out of the stained glass behind him. Ironically, he seemed to be leaping from the roof of the Ark. Also photographed against The Ark was Yoshiki Inamura, who put a Dove above his head. 


CURRENT CHAMPIONS

GHC Heavyweight Champion: Jake Lee
Challenger: Naomichi Marufuji 
ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th

GHC Junior Champion: HAYATA
Challenger: Ninja Mack
ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th

GHC Heavyweight Tag Champions: Takashi Sugiura & Shuhei Taniguchi
Challengers: REAL (Saxon Huxley & Timothy Thatcher)
ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th

GHC Junior Tag Champions: Good Looking Guys (YO-HEY & Tadasuke)
Challengers: Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf
STAR NAVIGATION 2023, Korakuen Hall, Saturday April 29th

GHC National Champion: El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr 
Challenger: Hideki Suzuki
ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th

THIS WEEK IN NOAH

STAR NAVIGATION 2023
Date: Saturday April 29th 
Venue: Korakuen Hall 
Start time: 18:30 JST (doors open 17:30)
Broadcast: ABEMA (Live)

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES 
29th April: Atsushi Kotoge debut anniversary (2005)
29th April: Tadasuke debut anniversary (2007)

NOTE ABOUT ABEMA BROADCASTS
For the overseas fan a subscription to WrestleUniverse is recommended instead of a subscription to ABEMA. You can only watch ABEMA shows live (you cannot watch replays should you miss the show), but these always get uploaded to WrestleUniverse a few minutes after the broadcast finishes. I do not recommend that overseas fans subscribe to ABEMA due to the time consuming and expensive issues around finding a VPN that is compatible with their firewall, and ABEMA do not broadcast any other Noah shows aside from the live broadcasts, they do not show much exclusive content and they do not show vintage or older events. 

NOAH FROM THE VAULT

With thanks to: Metal-Noah
Picture credits: Noah.co.jp, Pro Wrestling DX

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