(NOAH) "I think it's probably your turn to show your magnanimity as an industry leader", Kenoh requests G1 champion Tetsuya Naito to participate in the N-1.

Weekly Pro

28th August 2023

In Noah's pinnacle league match, the N-1 VICTORY, in the final match of A Block (27th August, Kawasaki), Kenoh (38) defeated the GHC Heavyweight Champion, Jake Lee (34) to advance to the championship match on September 3rd (Osaka). Kenoh, who is on the verge of winning his third championship in four years (including the previous Global League), points out the problems in this years league, and reveals a shocking demand for the New Japan G1 Climax champion, Tetsuya Naito (41) to appear in next years tournament. 

In the big fight with Jake, who has been undefeated since joining Noah in January of this year, he overturned the disadvantage with a high kick to counter. Breaking through with a reversal, he performed the Flaming Ring (moonsault diving knee) to finish. In the championship match, he will face the first place in B Block, Go Shiozaki. Kenoh declared loudly, "I will win the championship and take Noah to the top of the pro wrestling world".

However, he is not a man who is satisfied with results alone. With the finale just around the corner, his evaluation of the tournament is harsh. "It finally started to get exciting towards the end, but I felt it was an uninteresting N-1. Last year, there were some very well-known old men, but this year it was difficult to figure out how to talk about it." While there are seven wrestlers participating for the firs time and are fresh members, main wrestlers such as Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura, did not participate. The names of veterans such as Masakatsu Funaki, New Japan's Satoshi Kojima, and Kazuyuki Fujita, who participated in last years event, have also disappeared. The most problematic thing was that last year's tournament champion, Kaito Kiyomiya, decided not to participate due to taking part in New Japan's G1. Kenoh points out that, "Last year's champion didn't appear, and the runner up (Hideki Suzuki) didn't appear, so it was quite tough. There's no doubt that there's one missing point for fans to pay attention to." Therefore, Kenoh has proposed a secret strategy for achieving greater success at next year's N-1. "I'll excite Osaka, win the championship, and show Noah's true strength. And next year, let New Japan lend Tetsuya Naito. Noah showed magnanimity and sent Kiyomiya out, so next year it will be your turn to show yours as the leader of the industry". And, as the "barter" that allowed last years N-1 champion to participate, he requested that this years G1 champion participate next year. 

Of course, Kiyomiya's participation in the G1 was his own intention, and there are no grounds anywhere to make a deal. Still, Kenoh said, "There is the 30 minute one match, two league system that he wanted. Come out to next years N-1 as the G1 champion. I think that would be better for the pro wrestling world." Kenoh went so far as to note that Naito had spoken out against the change in match times that had been introduced in this years G1, and he called out to his nemesis, who he lost to in the rivalry at New Japan's Yokohama show in January of this year. 

Anyway, Kenoh's desire to regain the industry leadership is genuine and in order to lead the promotions highest pinnacle league to even higher heights, he will first win the championship in Osaka.

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credit: Tokyo Sports