(NOAH) Event recap: SUNNY VOYAGE 2024 (Wednesday 28th February, Shinjuku FACE)

"Wrestling and beer on the way home from work! The best!"

301 people came to Shinjuku FACE this evening for another round of The Victory Challenge Tag League. Los Golpeadores (DragonBane and AlphaWolf) where on autographs, and the queue went on for a long time. Go Shiozaki and Atsushi Kotoge were also on autographs, with the video showing Go Shiozaki giggling after a few seconds. 

Event was live on WrestleUniverse. You must be a subscriber to view.

MATCH ONE

Hajime Ohara vs Alejandro vs Junta Miyawaki

Junta Miyawaki and Alejandro were at times allies and at times rivals, with Junta being somewhat dominant. Alejandro used his small size to his advantage by pushing in on Junta, who had Hajime Ohara in a sub to try and get the win by pinning Ohara. 

WINNER: Alejandro with the Canadian Destroyer on Junta Miyawaki (6 minutes, 54 seconds)

Junta will no doubt be punished by Shuji Kondo for losing, but, the crowd were a little disappointed as they really wanted to see him win. 

MATCH TWO

Jake Lee vs Shuhei Taniguchi

With El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr out of Japan at the moment and therefore not in Noah, and ahead of his match with Kazuyuki Fujita, Jake Lee appears to have gone on a scouting mission to fight all the big guys that Noah have. Unfortunately, there aren't that many, but Shuhei Taniguchi is most definitely one of them. 

Jake made the usual dignified entry in his top hat, white gloves and monocle. He kind of reminded me of how a gentleman may have dressed when the Meiji era opened Japan to the world, and Victorian fashions from the West merged with traditional Japanese dress. Naturally, before he got into the ring, he sprayed cologne on himself. 

Shuhei Taniguchi doesn't usually get much of a chance to fight in singles matches, but when he does, he rises to the occasion. Today he bought out a submission which would have done Yoshinari Ogawa proud when he drove one knee into Jake's shoulder, which was taped, and pulled his arm back and up.  

Winner: Jake Lee with the FBS on Shuhei Taniguchi (9 minutes, 24 seconds)

When asked about his shoulder, Jake said that it would make no difference against Fujita, and anyway he was going to bring it to Nagoya in the best condition, as for today, there was no way he was tapping out to Taniguchi.. 

MATCH THREE

Good Looking Guys (Anthony Green & LJ Cleary) vs HAYATA & Ninja Mack

Prior to the match, LJ Cleary had called out HAYATA ahead of their singles match in Nagoya on the 2nd March, and said that he was going to show him what he could do when they clashed at Shinjuku. HAYATA, (who now he isn't teaming with anyone as Eita is injured, isn't speaking, and in any case says he does his talking with the ring) decided that he wasn't going to waste his time with Anthony Green, and tagged Ninja Mack in quickly, even at one point telling him to get in the ring and deal with him. Cleary, when he did get his chance against HAYATA, ended up embarrassed as HAYATA used the rope to pin him. 

WINNER: HAYATA pinned LJ Cleary by holding on to the rope (8 minutes, 25 seconds)

HAYATA smirked, tapped his head and then left dusting his hands. LJ Cleary said that HAYATA couldn't beat him, and he knew it, that was why he cheated to win today, and to be prepared for their upcoming singles.

MATCH FOUR

Victory Challenge Tag League Official Match

REAL (Saxon Huxley & Timothy Thatcher) vs Los Golpeadores (DragonBane & AlphaWolf)

REAL (Timothy Thatcher menacing G-Man on the way to the ring) started the match in usual fashion, i.e. the bell ringing was like opening the cages, and attached. The bigger AlphaWolf was taken out, leaving them with the smaller DragonBane, who they kept away from his brother as much as possible. Ironically though, the match was won by AlphaWolf getting pinned. 

WINNER: REAL with the Neck Hanging Bomb on AlphaWolf (14 minutes, 9 seconds)

REAL 4 points, Los Golpeadores 2

MATCH FIVE

Victory Challenge Tag League Official Match

Takashi Sugiura & Ulka Sasaki vs Manabu Soya & Shuji Kondo

Winner: Takashi Sugiura with the Frankensteiner on Manabu Soya (12 minutes, 42 seconds)

*Note, the official site is saying this is a Hurracanrunna

Takashi Sugiura & Ulka Sasaki 4 points, Manabu Soya & Shuji Kondo 2

Sugi then celebrated his win by posting pictures of suggestive looking food...as in suggestive of genitalia. 

MATCH SIX

STINGER (Daga & Yoshinari Ogawa) & Super Crazy vs Good Looking Guys (Jack Morris, YO-HEY & Tadasuke)

The match started in the usual way of the Noah Juniors, which is a mass brawl breaking out. When things had settled (as much as they could be), YO-HEY caught a big beating from STINGER, with Yoshinari Ogawa taking him into the stands and at one point almost throwing him down some steps. Unfortunately for YO-HEY, his teammates couldn't help him as they were trapped between the ref and Super Crazy. The match reached the crescendo when Daga (whose female fans apparently are known as "DaGirls" according to the comments section on WrestleUniverse, credit Metal-Noah) went to hit Tadasuke with the belt, but Tadasuke (who was being held by Super Crazy), dodged and snatched it from Daga and then knocked everyone on the opposition down, including the ref (to boos of the fans). Tadasuke wasn't finished with Daga and then attacked him. He had to be physically pushed off by Jack, and then held back by YO-HEY and Morris together, and then almost thrown out of the ring, and prevented from getting back in. Tadasuke was so determined to continue fighting Daga, YO-HEY and Jack had to form a wall in order to get to the back. Each time they thought Tadasuke was going to comply, he tried to get back.  

Referee awarded the win to Super Crazy, after Tadasuke attacked Daga with the belt and was disqualified (12 minutes, 32 seconds)

Between Daga's bloodying of Tadasuke and Tadasuke's vengeful attack today, both the pre matches ended in no contest. Backstage, Tadasuke swore he would win the belt, while Daga (the same Daga who had bloodied Tadasuke with the GHC Junior Heavyweight), said that Tadasuke's actions today, as in attacking him with the belt, was as "incredibly disrespectful act". 

MATCH SEVEN

Victory Challenge Tag League Official Match

Masa Kitamiya & Daiki Inaba vs TEAM NOAH (Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge)

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Strong Arm Lariat on Daiki Inaba (16 minutes, 36 seconds)

TEAM NOAH are back in the race with 2, while Inaba and Kitty sink lower with no wins after two matches

Regarding their loss, Masa Kitamiya posted a black and white picture of himself and Daiki Inaba, and wondered if their losses were due to lack of synchronisation between them.

MATCH EIGHT

Victory Challenge Tag League Official Match

Kenoh & Yu Owada vs Kaito Kiyomiya & Yu Owada

Ryohei Oiwa met Yu Owada the moment Owada entered the ring, and then backed off with a smirk. The rivalry between Kenoh and Kaito Kiyomiya is infamous, but there was no sign of it today, no shrieking from Kenoh or getting in each others faces etc. Kiyomiya's focus was on the league, while Kenoh's was more on Owada, and they left their own spotlight off, despite the big cheer that happened when they did face each other. Owada certainly hung in there, Kenoh encouraged him not to tap, and let him fight, only really getting involved to break pins and submissions, and even when it was Noah Born vs Noah Born, Kiyomiya was not going to let go and Owada was not going to give up or in. The crowd chanted for Owada all the way through. 

The match came to a time out draw at 20 minutes. This gives each team 1 point, which for Kenoh and Owada is a precious one, because Owada was directly involved in it, and it may also mean that they don't finish the league with zero.  

Kenoh was pleased because the boy had hung in there, not been pinned and not quit. Kaito Kiyomiya grabbed the mic, and then threw it down and walked off (typical Noah Born), as Kenoh took it and gave it to him. Owada (despite the chanting for him to take it) was a little hesitant, so Kenoh broke the ice so to speak and went first. 

Kenoh told Owada that he did a great job, and then pointedly told Kiyomiya that Owada was the future of Noah. Then he closed with the usual talk about aiming for the championship and telling everyone (the "fucking bastards") to hear what Owada had to say "about Noah's future". Owada was modest, saying that he didn't lose today, but then again, he didn't win either...but he would win the tag league, and he asked for the fans to support him.

With thanks to: Abeshin & Metal-Noah

Noah's next event: GREAT VOYAGE 2024 in NAGOYA (Nagoya International Conference Center, Saturday March 2nd) - Live on ABEMA & WrestleUniverse