(NOAH) Kenoh ahead of the championship match three days later, "Everyone is bored. It's high tide for Shiozaki", Shiozaki "Noah's face will never give up."

31st August 2023

Pro Wrestling DX

Kenoh and Go Shiozaki, who will face off at the "N-1 VICTORY 2023" championship match at the 3rd September Osaka event, commented on Noah's official YouTube channel. As Kenoh said, "Everyone's bored. It's high time, Shiozaki" and showed that he is prepared to expel Shiozaki from the forefront, Shiozaki vowed to win the N-1 for the first time, saying, "Noah's face never gives up."

This year the N-1 completed the official tournament schedule on August 27th in Kawasaki. In Block A, Kenoh drove GHC Heavyweight Champion Jake Lee into a corner for his first Noah defeat, while in Block B, Shiozaki won the playoffs against Manabu Soya, who finished in the leading position. The two will compete for the championship at the September 3rd Osaka event. 

In the 2017 Global League, a finals match between the two was realized, which Kenoh won. Kenoh is aiming to repeat his victory from six years ago, and win the N-1 for the first time in four years since 2019. 

The fans supported Kenoh so much, that when he looked back on the match with Jake he recalled, "If it wasn't for that cheering, I might have lost. Everyone thinks Jake Lee is enough, right? That cheering is the answer, and I want Kenoh to win the N-1. That cheering is the answer." Kenoh is confident that he will live up to those expectations with his second victory.

Kenoh declared that he would show Shiozaki the light, "I wanted to fight with Manabu Soya. Wasn't that was the fuckers in the audience wanted to see? Even the cheers for Shiozaki and Soya, were louder for Soya, right? That's the answer. Even though this was an N-1 without the old men, I have the strongest feeling that it's still Shiozaki". That is Kenoh's true opinion and he spat out as he criticized Shiozaki, "Go Shiozaki, how many decades have you been at the top of Noah? I’ve been bored for a long time. The fights are always the same. He does chops, lariats, gets hurt and walks like Kenta Kobashi, making matches feel like déjà vu. We're all tired of it, aren't we? It's high tide for Shiozaki."

Shiozaki, on the other hand, is aiming for his first N-1 VICTORY. If he wins, it will be his first singles glory since his return in May this year, giving and impression of his complete comeback. 

From the opening, Kenoh has said, "Either one of AXIZ is fine. Come to the finals". As a result, Shiozaki responded, "This has become a reality, and I have a championship match against Kenoh, so I have no choice but to win. I think my N-1 was up until that point. I want to take Kenoh's head."

Shiozaki, who has been exclaiming, "I AM NOAH", said self confidently, "If I don't win, I think Noah itself won't be able to move forward". 

Exactly one year ago, he was injured in Osaka, and missed eight months before returning in May of this year. For that reason, although he says that Osaka has a rather unpleasant image for him, he intended to dispel it saying, "In order to make Osaka a better city for me, I would like to make September 3rd my anniversary, winning the championship after exactly one year."

Kenoh boasts, "This is me, the future of Noah. You bastards, from now on, instead of Shiozaki, it is Kenoh who will lead Noah, follow me." However, Shiozaki retorted to his boasts by saying, "Kenoh, Noah's face will never give up".

In the N-1 championship match, both sides are preparing for a battle, what will put "the face of Noah" on the line. The gong for the inevitable decisive battle will ring in three days.

Translated from Pro Wrestling DX

Picture credit: Pro Wrestling DX

Note: "High Tide" for Go Shiozaki is a pun on Shiozaki's surname, with "Shio" in the characters in his name meaning, "Tide". Or as Metal-Noah put it, "Go has got to go".