(NOAH) CARD: STAR NAVIGATION 2023 - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (Thursday June 22nd)

While Noah have held a show in Osaka immediately following GREEN JOURNEY 2023 in Nagoya, nothing much seemed to happen in it, so I think tonight is the night when the real fallout happens. You can watch tonight on either ABEMA (free and worldwide, commentary is in Japanese, you can only watch live with no replays afterwards) and WrestleUniverse (normally for subscribers only, but at the time of writing, you can watch free. English commentary). For those going, doors open at 17:30 JST with the event starting at 18:30 JST. The unlikely tag team of Eita and HAYATA will be on autographs. 

Notes about tonight

- Takashi Sugiura is absent, and will be for some time unfortunately, due to an eye injury that will require surgery. 

- The participants for the N-1 VICTORY 2023 will be announced. 

- With Naomichi Marufuji announcing his own produce for his 25th anniversary in September, we may get some further hints about the card, if not his opponent. 

Current champions

GHC Heavyweight Champion: Jake Lee

Challenger: TBA

GHC Junior Champion: HAYATA

Challenger: TBA (he says he wants to look outside of Noah, or else challenge one of the other champions he teamed with at ALL TOGETHER)

GHC Heavyweight Tag Champions: REAL (Saxon Huxley & Timothy Thatcher)

Challengers: TBA (although I do wonder if THE TOUGH will re-challenge tonight, or else Funky Express will)

GHC Junior Tag Champions: Good Looking Guys (YO-HEY & Tadasuke)

Challengers: STINGER (Chris Ridgeway & Daga)

STAR NAVIGATION 2023 (Korakuen Hall - Thursday, June 22nd)

GHC National Champion: El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr 

Challenger: TBA (fans are wondering if AMAKUSA might challenge)

Card

MATCH ONE

Katsuhiko Nakajima & Seiki Yoshioka vs Kongoh (Manabu Soya & Hajime Ohara)

Katsuhiko Nakajima makes a rare appearance in the opener, teaming with Seiki Yoshioka. "Team Kick" take on Manabu Soya and Hajime Ohara, Nakajima's former unit members in Kongoh.

MATCH TWO

REAL (Saxon Huxley, Timothy Thatcher, Hideki Suzuki & Shuhei Taniguchi) and Kazuyuki Fujita vs THE TOUGH (Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura), Funky Express (Mohammed Yone & Akitoshi Saito) and Stallion Rogers

This is going to be a ten man Hoss match, some might not have the ultra-heavyweight physique (Timothy Thatcher, Mohammed Yone and Stallion Rogers), but they certainly have the size and the power. I don't know how the ring is going to be standing as this is going to be complete chaos. Two things could potentially happen here; a challenge to the GHC Heavyweight Tag Champions (Huxley and Thatcher) from either their own unit, Funky Express or a rechallenge by THE TOUGH, and perhaps Kazuyuki Fujita may join REAL. 

MATCH THREE

GOOD LOOKING GUYS (Jake Lee & Jack Morris) vs Daiki Inaba & Sean Legacy

Jake Lee is still without a challenger for the GHC Heavyweight, and with the league starting in August, this gives time for a challenge in July. We could see a challenge from Jack Morris (and the first difficulty arises in GLG) or even Daiki Inaba, or else the challenge comes from someone else on the card tonight. 

MATCH FOUR

Kaito Kiyomiya, HAYATA & Eita vs Yoshinari Ogawa, LEONA & Kai Fujimura

With Kaito Kiyomiya entering the G1 Climax 2023, he's not really getting too involved in storylines in Noah, so I guess he is in this match for Ogawa to do some teaching and assessing. Aside from an Ogawa classroom (and that includes young Kai Fujimura too), this is a grudge match between Eita and HAYATA, and Ogawa and LEONA. Leona of course jumped Eita in Yokohama, and Eita has sworn revenge. 

MATCH FIVE

Shuji Kondo vs Hi69

Hi69 faces one of his most difficult challenges when he goes up against the terrifying Shuji Kondo. Hi69 hasn't had much of a winning streak against his old unit, but winning is not what he is looking for. He's looking to clear the air before moving on to the next phase. 

MATCH SIX

El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr, Ninja Mack & Dante Leon vs Naomichi Marufuji, AMAKUSA & Atsushi Kotoge

This is going to be a somewhat high flying match as it contains a Luchadore, Ninja Mack, Dante Leon (who is not going to be outdone by Ninja Mack if he can help it), Atsushi Kotoge (who has been known to join in), AMAKUSA and Naomichi Marufuji, who likes to pull out the odd junior aerial move when he can. Fans are wondering if AMAKUSA might be the next challenger to El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr's GHC National belt. 

MATCH SEVEN

GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Championship Match

GOOD LOOKING GUYS (YO-HEY & Tadasuke) vs STINGER (Chris Ridgeway & Daga)

The champions are under no illusions about how hard this match is going to be, and no doubt Yoshinari Ogawa will be at ringside to "help". Neither of the pre matches for GLG ended well, and YO-HEY almost had his arm broken by Daga. The challengers have even threatened to send the champions to the hospital. This is going to be a very grueling match. 

MATCH EIGHT

Kenoh vs Go Shiozaki

Following Kenoh's match against Katsuhiko Nakajima, Go Shiozaki appeared afterwards and challenged Kenoh to a singles match. Since Shiozaki returned to Noah, Kenoh has repeatedly stated that Shiozaki has done nothing during the time he was injured, but laze around at home, lying on his back, while he, (Kenoh), led Noah. Shiozaki said sarcastically that since that was all he did, then he has saved up loads of energy, which he will unleash on Kenoh in this match. It may seem odd that Shiozaki should challenge Kenoh like this, neither has a belt, or even really a grudge, but I think that with the memory of their sixty minute battles in mind, Shiozaki wants to once again prove he is ready to climb back up in Noah. 

Picture credit: Noah.co.jp