(NOAH) CARD: SUNNY VOYAGE 2023 (Shinjuku FACE, Thursday July 20th)

The N-1 which starts in August is on the horizon for the Noah heavyweights, so it really is every man for himself to prove himself the strongest even before the league begins. Naomichi Marufuji is not taking part in the N-1 this year, but he finds himself teaming with Kenoh...and we saw how well Kenoh got along with Jake Lee. In the junior division, LEONA and Eita have their grudge match, Seiki Yoshioka and Shuji Kondo team up after Yoshioka's request to "Kon-chan", and HAYATA defends the GHC Junior Heavyweight against Atsuki Aoyagi. 

Broadcast details

The doors will open at 17:45 with the bell sounding at 18:30 JST. Event will be broadcast on WrestleUniverse. 

Current Champions

GHC Heavyweight Champion: Jake Lee

Challenger: TBA

GHC Junior Champion: HAYATA

Challenger: Atsuki Aoyagi (the challenge will take place tonight) 

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

Challengers: TBA

GHC Junior Tag Champions: STINGER (Chris Ridgeway & Daga)

Challengers: TBA

GHC National Champion: El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr 

Challenger: TBA

Card

MATCH ONE

Taishi Ozawa vs Yu Owada

Battle of the Noah Born between Taishi Ozawa who made his debut on September 15th 2022, and Yu Owada, who made his debut on July 15th 2023. 

MATCH TWO

Yoshinari Ogawa, Super Crazy & Kai Fujimura vs AMAKUSA, Hajime Ohara & Junta Miyawaki.

Junta Miyawaki makes his return to Noah tonight following an injury, he no doubt will be met with an increasingly bad tempered Yoshinari Ogawa, who has to team with Super Crazy (an ex member of Perros Del Mal De Japon) and young Kai Fujimura. Fans will be treated to technician Ogawa vs technician Ohara. 

MATCH THREE

Ninja Mack vs Stallion Rogers

Another example of the somewhat random card tonight as Ninja Mack takes on Stallion Rogers. Stallion is going to need to pin him down.

MATCH FOUR

THE TOUGH (Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura) vs Lance Anoa'i & Adam Brooks

All the heavyweights in this match are taking part in the N-1 VICTORY, and each of them have an undercurrent. Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura have had their roles reversed in their team, as the student is starting to overtake the teacher, and Adam Brooks has stated very clearly from the moment he stepped into the Noah ring, that he is here to win, not to make friends. Lance Anao'i, who made his Noah debut on the 15th July, is pretty much the same, but seemingly more willing than Brooks to work as a team. This match is pretty much every man for himself.

MATCH FIVE

Naomichi Marufuji, Kenoh & Atsushi Kotoge vs AXIZ (Go Shiozaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima) & Hi69

Kenoh has a long list of enemies and on that list, and probably near the top (if not the top or else jostling for position with Noah President Sanshiro Takagi) is Naomichi Marufuji. Marufuji is not in the N-1 VICTORY, so he doesn't really have much to prove tonight, although his "Chop Competition" with Go Shiozaki will no doubt continue, so he will no doubt try to wind up Kenoh. We saw how Kenoh worked with Jake Lee, however, Kenoh did tell Weekly Pro that he would "show something amazing" with Marufuji. 

MATCH SIX

Eita vs LEONA

Eita and LEONA's feud started not over a belt or a betrayal, but rather LEONA attacking Eita because Eita not only irritated him on sight, but also because Eita had cruised into Noah and sailed the wave that LEONA had been trying to for a long time. This match is rooted in bitterness on LEONA's part and anger on Eita's. This is a funny feud as I do wonder where it will go, and I do wonder if we will see any progression of what we witnessed on the 9th July when Ogawa wanted nothing to do with LEONA. 

MATCH EIGHT

Good Looking Guys (Jake Lee, Jack Morris, Anthony Green, YO-HEY & Tadasuke) vs Manabu Soya, Daiki Inaba, Shuji Kondo, Seiki Yoshioka & Alejandro

The heavyweights (except Anthony Green) are in the N-1, and Jake Lee will be a target for the opposite team as he is the champion. The juniors are the juniors and of course Seiki Yoshioka and Shuji Kondo have formed a new tag team. YO-HEY and Tadasuke have made a plea to challenge for the GHC Junior Heavyweight tag titles again, but Noah have not posted any response from STINGER. I wonder if this new team will try and put themselves before them? 

MATCH NINE

GHC Junior Heavyweight 

HAYATA vs Atsuki Aoyagi

This title challenge was made by Atsuki Aoyagi when he turned up at Noah's show in Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe on the 9th July to challenge HAYATA. Aoyagi had lost his World Junior Belt (All Japan) and since HAYATA had said he wanted someone outside of Noah and who had been one of the champions who he had faced at "ALL TOGETHER AGAIN", Aoyagi fit the bill. HAYATA said there would be no pre match, but this hasn't stopped the two squaring up, in particular when Aoyagi appeared on commentary at "ONE NIGHT DREAM" on the 15th and HAYATA jumped the barrier and the two butted heads. HAYATA has said that for his next challenger, he wants an overseas wrestler, which is good, as Daga has said he is interested in the outcome of this match, and as for Aoyagi he says that he will fight all the Noah Juniors, but first of all, he wants to defend against All Japan's Masanobu Fuchi.

Picture credit: WrestleUniverse