(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: ABEMA presents N-1 VICTORY 2023 (Thursday August 10th, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)

Night three of the N-1 VICTORY 2023 rose another level, with a larger crowd tonight of 661. Friday's crowd should hopefully be even bigger, as this is not only the end of the week, but the start of the holidays (Obon). 

For fans tonight, Takashi Sugiura (looking very well and very relaxed) was on duty for the ringside fan club pictures, and Go Shiozaki was giggling his way through autographs and pictures. The event (which was a night of shocks) was broadcast on WrestleUniverse. English, Japanese and even a bit of Jack Morris, is available. 

MATCH ONE

N-1 VICTORY 2023

A BLOCK

Timothy Thatcher vs Yuki Yoshioka

Timothy Thatcher took pleasure in torturing Yuki Yoshioka, but Yoshioka proved to be slippery and kept escaping his grasp. Perhaps it would have been better had he been able to keep hold of him, but not only did Yoshioka defeat him by surprise, it didn't even take him ten minutes to do it.

WINNER: Yuki Yoshioka via roll up (8 minutes, 24 seconds)

Score: Timothy Thatcher 2, Yuki Yoshioka 4

Thatcher, humiliated, snatched up his belt and walked off angrily. Backstage, he warned every upcoming opponent who he was facing in the N-1, that he was going to take it out on each and every one of them. Therefore tomorrow, pity poor Jack Morris. 

MATCH TWO

N-1 VICTORY 2023

B BLOCK

Manabu Soya vs Yuma Anzai

Yuma Anzai put up a historic fight against the sixteen year veteran, Manabu Soya, who he towered over. A true Baba era wrestler in size. Fans were screaming for him during the submission as he crawled towards the ropes, the commentators were equally as breathless as he reached for the ropes, and increasingly irritated, Soya let him go. Anzai would not give up, and kept on kicking out, he even reversed and fought back, but while this stoked up Soya even more, it was Anzai who stole the win.

WINNER: Yuma Anzai with the German Suplex (10 minutes, 20 seconds)

Score: Manabu Soya 2, Yuma Anzai 2

MATCH THREE

N-1 VICTORY 2023

A BLOCK

Masa Kitamiya vs Jack Morris

Thanks to Jack Morris getting in the ring yesterday and confronting Masa Kitamiya (or "Kiyamiya" as he keeps calling him) this was part N-1 match and part grudge match. As Kitamiya entered the ring, Jack jumped up at the English commentary table, spoke for a while on the headset, and then using heel tactics jumped off to attack Kitamiya. 

After brawling for a while outside the ring, the referee shouted at them to get in, and got roughed up by Jack who grabbed his shirt! Kitamiya's punishment for Jack was swift, strong, calculated and he enjoyed every moment.

WINNER: Masa Kitamiya with a spear (10 minutes, 20 seconds)

Score: Masa Kitamiya 4, Jack Morris 2

Jack slid out of the ring after the match, but the row went on with Kitamiya motioning for him to get out of here.

MATCH FOUR

N-1 VICTORY 2023

B BLOCK

Saxon Huxley vs Lance Anoa'i

This was like the clash of two mighty warrior groups. It was like the Vikings and the Samoans met and did battle. By the third match, the night was well on its way to becoming a wild night at Korakuen, as both ripped up the mats on either side of the ring and then two ran around the ring and collided with a thud. 

WINNER: Saxon Huxley with the Neck Hanging Bomb (7 minutes, 13 seconds)

Score: Saxon Huxley 4, Lance Anoa'i 4

Lance suffered his first N-1 and Noah loss. 

MATCH FIVE

N-1 VICTORY 2023

A BLOCK

Jake Lee vs Adam Brooks

Adam Brooks kept mouthing off to Jake throughout the initial stages of the match (one time he said "this ain't no "Good Looking Guy"), but perhaps this may have been a cover, as his knees were still affected by the jump he had done on Masa Kitamiya yesterday, which Jake would take advantage of, although he too did come in for his share of being tortured back by Brooks. Jake's firing at Brooks had a few misfires, but he did at last pick up the win.

WINNER: Jake Lee with the FBS (10 minutes, 24 seconds)

Scores: Jake Lee 6, Adam Brooks 2

MATCH SIX

GHC JUNIOR TAG NUMBER ONE CONTENDER MATCH

Atsushi Kotoge & HI69 vs AMAKUSA and Junta Miyawaki

Tadasuke and YO-HEY took a seat at ringside to watch close up (and confront) the team they would face tomorrow for the number one contendership. The two seniors (and Atsushi Kotoge debuted a new costume which matched HI69's camouflage, only pink) kept AMAKUSA away from young Junta Miyawaki as much as they could. Although Miyawaki was pegged as a target, he fought for as long as he could. 

WINNER: Atsushi Kotoge with the Moonsault Press on Junta Miyawaki (20 minutes)

The finals would now be between HI69 & Atsushi Kotoge and Good Looking Guys, YO-HEY and Tadasuke. As AMAKUSA helped to get Junta out of the ring, the two teams squared up. Despite the finger pointing and HI69 poking YO-HEY, no fights broke out, and the two teams left to fight tomorrow to determine who would face STINGER (Daga & Chris Ridgeway) for the titles.  

MATCH SEVEN

N-1 VICTORY 2023

B BLOCK

Katsuhiko Nakajima vs El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr

El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr tonight added a black trim to his mask and to his ring wear. Unfortunately, it did not bring him luck. He started off the match by offering Katsuhiko Nakajima a handshake. Nakajima just stared at him. Wagner Jnr bowed his head, and Nakajima eventually shook at the urging of the crowd. This was one of the most hotly fought matches of the evening as Wagner stood to go to four points, which would have tied him with Go Shiozaki, and Nakajima was fighting to get back in the league as he was currently on zero. With half of the hall screaming for Nakajima and the other half for Wagner Jnr, the match went back and forth between them. Nakajima had to rely on multiple kicks to keep Wagner Jnr down, but it was the infamous knock out slap followed by the Vertical Spike that put Nakajima back in the league. 

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Vertical Spike (15 minutes)

Points: Katsuhiko Nakajima 2, El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr 2

On his way out, Nakajima grabbed a fans towel, wiped his face and then threw it back. 

MATCH EIGHT

N-1 VICTORY 2023

A BLOCK

Kenoh vs Yoshiki Inamura

MOTY 2023

"Yoshiki! Yoshiki! Yoshiki!"

Kenoh started off by treating Yoshiki Inamura like an upstart, slapping him, applauding him and mocking him. Putting Inamura on the ropes and then sliding over him and posing with his fist pose and smiling to the cameras. Kenoh worked on winding Inamura and wearing him down, but Inamura, who is not usually good against submission moves, gritted his teeth and hung in the match for as long as he could. Kenoh was not so cocky later in the match, when Inamura revealed that he was indeed approaching main event level, and he started to read his moves, reverse them or kick out of them. Kenoh had some lessons for the person he had initially seen as a Kiyomiya like intruder into the main event, and he would also later figure out a way to set them against each other when Kiyomiya returned. In the closing stages of the match, Kenoh did a PFS to Inamura's ankle, which did hamper his charge somewhat, and then went for a sub in which Inamura could either let the ref stop the match or he could submit, or he could let the time count down, but Kenoh was not to be cheated, and Inamura tapped.

WINNER: Kenoh with the Kenoh Special (28 minutes, 34 seconds)

Points: Kenoh 2, Yoshiki Inamura 0

Kenoh closed out the show...

"Inamura! You've gotten stronger. I have high hopes for you, and these bastards have high hopes for you! However, what the company expects is one focus on Kiyomiya. Inamura, you okay? Listen carefully. What the hell is this company? FUCK the company's expectations! Get up to me quickly! I've been waiting for you for a long time, so until then, don't rely on the company's help and get up here by yourself!"

Polite Noah Born that he is, and realizing that Kenoh had most likely lit the fuse of setting himself and Kiyomiya against each other, Inamura bowed and walked backstage. Kenoh carried on;

"Listen, Noah's future is bright and Noah's present is also bright, because Kenoh is here. The N-1 VICTORY is bright, because I will win. HEY, Korakuen Hall bastards, Noah with a bright future, and Kenoh, who will win the N-1 VICTORY, follow me..."

Backstage, Kenoh elaborated more on Inamura and Kiyomiya. Saying that Kiyomiya was spoiled by Noah, whom had given him too many chances. He praised Inamura more, but did reflect on something as old as time in Noah, that even with the two of them (Inamura and Kiyomiya) as his rivals, he will lead the future.

With thanks to: Metal-Noah

Noah's next event: N-1 VICTORY 2023 (Friday August 11th, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)