(NOAH) ​​"Both Misawa and I wanted to entrust the future to him" - Jun Akiyama teams up with Go Shiozaki, who is celebrating his 20th debut anniversary

18th June 2024

Tokyo Sports

DDT's Jun Akiyama (54) will be celebrating the memorial of Noah's Go Shiozaki (42). Akiyama will team up to face Naomichi Marufuji (44) and Takashi Sugiura (54) at Shiozaki's 20th Anniversary Debut event (19th June, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo). Akiyama said with a firm expression, "At first, I wondered if it was okay for me to be in the commemorative match? But I was there at the turning point, so now I think it should be me, considering the twenty years since then."

On July 24th 2004, at Differ Ariake, his opponent in his debut match was Akiyama (Shiozaki & Tamon Honda vs Akiyama & Makoto Hashi). When I asked Shiozaki, "What kind of wrestler do you want to be?" he replied, ""Like Hashi-san, a wrestler who stands up even after being beaten." I also have fond memories of Akiyama scolding him after he had fallen down, saying "Don't do that. That's Kobashi!"

Akiyama had high hopes for Shiozaki. In Hiroshima on June 13th 2009, Shiozaki challenged for the GHC Tag Team Championship with the late Mitsuharu Misawa, but he passed away in an accident during the match. Furthermore, Akiyama also developed a herniated disc in his lumbar spine at the same event. He was scheduled to defend the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Takeshi Rikioh in Hakata the next day, but he relinquished the title and the match was changed to a match between Shiozaki and Rikioh to determine the new champion. It was Akiyama who nominated Shiozaki. Akiyama recalled, "All I could think about was Shiozaki. Misawa cared about him the most, and he fought alongside Misawa that day. I think Misawa wanted to entrust the future to him, and I also wanted to do the same". 

In December 2012, they both left Noah and joined All Japan Pro Wrestling. After that, Shiozaki returned to Noah and Akiyama moved to DDT, but they will meet again on the Ark mat, where Marufuji and Sugiura have just captured the GHC Tag Team Championships. Akiyama expressed his hopes, saying, "I hope that it becomes a positive thing for him, and I think it would be good if he could explode with various emotions". He also promised, "If we were to celebrate, the best present would be if Shiozaki won against the GHC Tag Champions, and we could follow up on that". 

The four people, who know the history of the Ark, will gather in the ring just after the anniversary of Misawa's death.

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credit: Tokyo Sports