(NOAH) EVENT RECAP: CROSS OVER 2024 in SENDAI (Sunday February 4th, Sendai Sunplaza Hall)

Today's event was streamed live on both ABEMA and WrestleUniverse. English commentary is available, but you must be a subscriber to view. By the end of the show there was a shift in the balance in power in Noah, perhaps a rupture between partners, and also perhaps the first rupture in a unit. 

MATCH ONE

Ninja Mack vs Alejandro vs LJ Cleary

LJ Cleary led the crowd in a GLG chant. Ninja Mack, not to be outdone, got on the turnbuckle and countered with a "Ninja" one. Cleary however went for another GLG one, while Alejandro (to fans calling "Aleja!" which has remained his nickname) made Cleary's "Vogue" motions, and then the match finally started. Aside from a lighthearted exterior with lots of comedy, things grew a little more fraught with Alejandro and Ninja Mack stealing the win from each other, and Cleary tapping his head as he cleverly used one against the other. 

Winner: LJ Cleary with the Cow Killing on Alejandro (9 minutes, 34 seconds)

Ninja Mack left shrieking loudly in anger and even falling out with Alejandro, who he shoved as he left the ring (this makes me wonder if Alejandro will challenge for the GHC Hardcore). 

MATCH TWO

Manabu Soya, Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, HAYATA & Eita vs TEAM NOAH (Go Shiozaki, Mohammed Yone, Akitoshi Saito, Atsushi Kotoge & Hi69)

This match had an odd feel, as it didn't really feel very coherent. TEAM NOAH (who I don't think anyone is feeling very much), showed a bit of edge when Go Shiozaki distracted the referee so that Akitoshi Saito (with an evil smile) could beat up on Eita. Eita however managed to somehow slam him, and tag in Manabu Soya.  Soya got chopped, HAYATA took on Shiozaki, who felled him with a chop after HAYATA had managed to knock him down, and then he tagged in HI69. Now, as Anthony Green also seemed to have a similar problem, I am wondering if there was a slight problem with the ropes as HI69 was on the top turnbuckle, going to do the Stuka Splash on Masa Kitamiya, when he kind of hopped off the turnbuckle onto the apron, and then got back on. Then he did his splash (which wasn't really a splash) and tapped out to the Prison Lock. Either there was a problem with the ropes, or else someone somewhere missed their spot, but it was a very strange match. 

Winner: Masa Kitamiya with the Prison Lock on HI69 (15 minutes, 8 seconds)

MATCH THREE

Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura & Ulka Sasaki vs REAL (Saxon Huxley, Timothy Thatcher & Shuhei Taniguchi)

REAL seemed happy to be back together, and did the usual of attacking their opposition after the bounce, Shuhei Taniguchi and Saxon Huxley isolating Ulka Sasaki and leaving him in the ring with Timothy Thatcher. When order was somehow restored, Saxon Huxley challenged Naomichi Marufuji to a test of strength. As Huxley is 203cm and Marufuji only 176cm, Marufuji got round the fact that he couldn't reach Huxley's hands by climbing up on the turnbuckle for leverage. This ended with Huxley flinging him off. When they could, REAL would continue with their system of isolating Ulka, however, he fought back and got a big win.

Winner: Ulka Sasaki with the Triangle Choke on Shuhei Taniguchi (12 minutes, 43 seconds)

MATCH FOUR

Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs Yoshinari Ohawa & Yu Owada

Fans normally call matches like this an "Ogawa Classroom", whereby he puts on a public clinic. Today's lesson was about in ring psychology, when he cleverly used the ref and Ryohei Oiwa against each other. 

Winner: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Transformed Tiger Driver on Yu Owada (13 minutes, 31 seconds)

Backstage, Kiyomiya reflected that he thought Yoshinari Ogawa enjoyed the match as much as they did, but Yu Owada needed to push himself a little more and not be scared to try new things (fans have said the same) and that he himself had learnt something new. 

MATCH FIVE

GOOD LOOKING GUYS (Jake Lee, YO-HEY & Tadasuke) vs Kazuyuki Fujita, Shuji Kondo & Junta Miyawaki

Kazuyuki Fujita came out as usual, handing out a couple of Red Viper tonics to fans and the commentators, and the ref. Shuji Kondo downed his like a pro, but Junta Miyawaki's face remained scrunched for a while. Good Looking Guys made the usual entry, with Jake in feathered hat, white gloves and monocle. Fans had long wanted to see Jake Lee vs Kazuyuki Fujita, and although they didn't have too much of an interaction, by the end of the match they certainly gave the indication of more. Poor Junta, however, looked like a ragdoll in Jake's hands. 

Determined not to quit, Junta got another dose of the Red Viper tonic courtesy of Fujita, getting into the ring and pouring it in his mouth, and then giving him a pep talk. This didn't turn Junta into Popeye however (and it didn't make him go wild like Manabu Soya), but it did make him get to the ropes. Kondo and Junta would have their revenge of sorts when they did their tandem move on Jake, but Jake however, was not going to be pinned by Junta.

Winner: Jake Lee with a backdrop on Junta Miyawaki (15 minutes, 42 seconds)

This wasn't over between Jake and Fujita. Fujita even blocked the way and prevented GLG from leaving, and he and Jake had a stare-down, which ended when Jake bowed. Backstage, Jake commented that he wanted more challenges from the ultra heavyweights (like Fujita), and to keep an eye on him, as he was going to be taking the helm once more. 

MATCH SIX

GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship Match

Daga vs Hajime Ohara

Yoshinari Ogawa joined the team for commentary, but he did not challenge the winner. 

Daga had been boasting that he was going to defeat Hajime Ohara in three minutes, he failed to do this within that time, once even hiding under the apron at one point and sneaking up behind Ohara when he went to do a dive in order to pin him. Ohara taunted him that the match had gone beyond three minutes, which to Ohara meant a lot. The crowd screamed loudly (and this is saying something for Sendai as they sometimes can be quite quiet) as the action rocked up notches with Daga reversing the Mui Bien into a pin, and then as he couldn't avoid the actual move, all of the city hearing his screams, Ohara using a typically complex submission and Daga being booed as he got out of it by attacking Ohara's face. Daga was in complete danger of being humiliated after his bragging of being the greatest champion, defending one times etc, and while the lariat didn't work, the old tried and tested did...

Winner: Daga with the Diablo Wings (15 minutes, 40 seconds)

No challenger came forward straight away. Backstage, Daga spoke more on his favorite subject (himself) and said that Ohara was "nothing", while Ohara reflected that he had survived more than three minutes, and that had to mean something. He hadn't given up, and would be back to try again.

MATCH SEVEN

GHC Tag Championship Match

Good Looking Guys (Jack Morris & Anthony Green) vs Los Golpeadores (Alpha Wolf & Dragon Bane)

It is rare that Junior Heavyweights challenge for Heavyweight belts, it hasn't happened for a long time, but it has happened, the most memorable being MaruKen (Naomichi Marufuji and KENTA) challenging Yoshinari Ogawa and Mitsuharu Misawa, which boiled down to three juniors and one heavyweight. Yoshinari Ogawa spoke a few years ago about challenging for the heavyweight tag belts, but nothing came of it. 

Despite the fact that Dragon Bane was the target more than the bigger Alpha Wolf, there was amazing work in the match from Los Golpeadores. It is hard to explain (and I wish I could GIF the move), but basically Alpha Wolf threw Dragon Bane (who had dived on to Alpha Wolf's feet) onto Anthony Green's shoulders via a somersault. 

Winner: Jack Morris with the Tiger Driver on Dragon Bane (21 minutes, 46 seconds)

To the joy of the fans, there was a handshake between the two teams. This had been a good night for Good Looking Guys; they had retained the titles, won all their matches (and Jack said that he had heard a rumor of Global Tag League reappearing), but perhaps more definitely a fracture was appearing, when backstage, Anthony Green said that he too was thinking about becoming a double champion. Jack thought he meant the GHC Hardcore, but no, he meant the GHC National, as in Jack's GHC National. Jack agreed with a simple "Okay. Let's keep this belt among friends". Being both friends, tag partners who are tag champions, and having one challenge another for a belt (this will take place on the 23rd February), might be difficult to maintain...as for Los Golpeadores, they said they would be back.  

Noah later posted more details on the tag league that Jack had heard about. This was going to be the "Victory Challenge 2024" and the following teams, would compete to face the champions on the 17th March; 

Masa Kitamiya & Daiki Inaba

Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa

Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge

Takashi Sugiura & Ulka Sasaki

Manabu Soya & Shuji Kondo

Saxon Huxley & Timothy Thatcher

Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf

The matches (each match will last twenty minutes and will be graded under the usual points system) will be held from the 24th February until the 10th March in Kumamoto. The winning team (the one with the most points) will meet the champions at the Yokohama Budokan. As you can see, Los Golpeadores are back, and there are juniors entering the tournament with Go Shiozaki and Atsushi Kotoge teaming up once more.

MATCH EIGHT

GHC Heavyweight Championship Match

Kenoh vs El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr

As Kenoh is Sendai's boy (not a native, but more to do with his time in Sendai based Michinoku Pro), there was a scream the moment he appeared. Kenoh even paused on the way to the ring to raise his fist. Despite the intensity of the match (and it would get intense, especially Wagner Jnr's dive over the ropes, into Kenoh when he shoved his head back and almost snapped it off), there were some light hearted moments initially, Kenoh an Wagner Jnr imitating each other, and Kenoh taking a run up after draping Wagner Jnr on the barriers, but rather than kicking him, he screamed "cabrón" in his ear. 

Noah (especially at the moment) is limited when it comes to the GHC Heavyweight, and at times this can feel claustrophobic as it rotates amongst the same people usually, so El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr vs Kenoh was a breath of fresh air. Despite the pre matches, both were relatively unknown to the other, so the title match felt like something new. Wagner was seemingly indestructible, and Kenoh although groggy, kept kicking out.  During the match, Vinnie Massaro commented on social media that Wagner Jnr was the "SILVER KING", and this caught on among fans. 

Winner: El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr with the Moonsault Press (29 minutes, 37 seconds)

As Kenoh literally crawled off, El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr made history. He had become the second foreign champion, and the first Mexican to be GHC Heavyweight Champion. He was given little time to celebrate, however, as Jake Lee came out to challenge him. Jake had warned that tonight would be tonight when he regained the helm. He congratulated Wagner Jnr on his win, and making history, and said while it looked like they were coming out here in celebration, they weren't trying to recruit him. What Jake wanted, was that belt. The title match will take place on the 31st March at Korakuen Hall. When Jake had gone, Wagner led the crowd in "Viva Mexico" chants, before addressing them in Japanese and saying (in Spanish) that he would represent Noah not just in Japan or Mexico, but worldwide. Backstage he thanked everyone again for their support, and said that for a foreign wrestler, it was hard being away from their family, but he had stayed calm and focused and through that, he had managed to win this belt. As for Kenoh, what now? Even he didn't know. He said said that he was going to take Noah to new heights where they could see a spectacular view. 

Attendance: 1,104

Noah's next event: SUNNY VOYAGE 2024 (Thursday, February 8th - Yokohama Radiant Hall) ~ Live on WrestleUniverse.