(NOAH/NEW JAPAN "WORLD TAG LEAGUE") "I want to have an unprecedented New Year" - Kaito Kiyomiya has a big ambition to win two tag titles in the first four days of the year.

27th November 2023

Tokyo Sports

Noah's Kaito Kiyomiya (27) who is participating in New Japan's "World Tag League" has announced a record-breaking New Year. 

Together with Ryohei Oiwa (25), who is currently training with Noah from New Japan, they finished the first half with two wins and one loss, and are eager to get the promotions tag belts after winning the championship. The team aims to become the first double IWGP & GHC tag champions. 

The Kiyomiya group defeated EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi of "House of Torture" at the Fujisawa event on the 25th, and has maintained a strong record of two wins and one loss so far. The loss suffered to the GHC Tag Team Champions, Jack Morris and Anthony Green at Noah's Niigata event on the 4th, has bought further evolution to the young cross-promotional tag team. 

Kiyomiya's eyes lit up as he said, "I have a sense of relief, like that loss has increased the gear by one level. Because of that frustration, we've started to communicating more now, and I feel like each time we have a match, and we're able to communicate our skills and feelings more smoothly".

The team that wins WTL is usually given the right to challenge for the IWGP tag team championship (the current champions are Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi) at the Tokyo Dome show on January 4th next year. However, Kiyomiya's aim is not just to win belts from other promotions.

"That's not the only thing we're aiming for, I think we will be in a position for return to Noah and get revenge for the GHC tag. I would like to have an unprecedented New Year by winning both the GHC tag at Ariake (Arena) on the 2nd January and the IWGP Tag at Tokyo Dome on the 4th".

We are looking forward to double challenges in the promotion's two big matches. 

The only team to hold both the IWGP and the GHC tag titles at the same time are Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson's "Bad Intentions", who once dominated the tag division in New Japan. The team lost the IWGP tag championship at the 4th January Tokyo Dome show in 2012, but if they can create this, then it will be the first feat in twelve years. Kiyomiya says, "There is no Noah wrestler who has done both, and I think this will be the first time for a Japanese wrestler, so I would like to aim for the top with Ryohei".

When he appeared in New Japan following this summer's G1 Climax, he was warned by GHC Heavyweight Champion, Kenoh, saying "If you don't get results this time, don't come back to Noah!". However, Kiyomiya has vowed to push forward and conquer WTL beforehand, "Naturally, I am only looking at winning, so I'm not even thinking about losing before starting. So, as I think this is about spreading the word about Noah, I will make sure to bring the results back."

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credit: Tokyo Sports