(NOAH) "Passion...Passion!" Manabu Soya breaks wood to strengthen his lariat

1st November 2024

Tokyo Sports

Noah's GHC National Champion, Manabu Soya (39) gave a public practice at the Noah dojo in Saitama City on the 1st. Soya is scheduled to face Go Shiozaki in a his second title defense at Edion Arena Osaka 2nd Stadium on the 9th. However, in the six man pre match tag at Shinjuku on October 28th, he made a blunder and was pinned directly by Shiozaki. Moreover, this was not just a loss, but it was a defeat by a lariat, which he himself uses as a finishing move called "Ballistic". 

Soya's pride was hurt, and he said breathing heavily, "On the 9th, I want to win with a lariat against Go Shiozaki, with a ballistic trajectory". He then declared to the assembled press, "I'm going to strengthen my right arm from now on". 

First he hit a tire. Explaining that this was a legendary training session held by the "Unsinkable Ship" Stan Hansen* at the Funks Dojo in Amarillo, USA, then he slammed lariats into the giant tire. His arms quickly turned red, but when he saw that, he looked satisfied and said, ""All right, finished!". 

He then boasted that he hits tires 1,000 times a day and pulled out a wooden bat, and wildly announced "I heard that the Rainmaker* broke two, so I'm gonna break THREE!" With help from the GHC Junior Tag Champions, "The Blonde Couple" (HAYATA and YO-HEY. who just happened be at the dojo), the bat was held in place, and he screamed "Passion!! PASSION!!", his whole body flushed. While YO-HEY looked annoyed, and HAYATA looked on enthusiastically, Soya swung his arm down on the three bats. 

But only one broke. 

While the atmosphere in the dojo was awkward, Soya, who didn't care, shouted his passion again, and hit the remaining bat again, breaking it at the same time. 

"That makes three in total!" he boasted. 

Afterwards, Soya, (who is also blonde), made the nonsensical claim that three of them (himself and the Blonde Couple), were "The Blonde Family", and instructed YO-HEY, who is about to face Junta Miyawaki in the first round of the junior singles "N Innovation Tournament" (2nd November, Korakuen Hall) to break his bat. 

YO-HEY made a blatantly displeased face, but broke the bat that HAYATA was holding, in half with a dropkick and said with a loud laugh, "Tomorrow, I'm going to do this to Junta Miyawaki's neck..and ultimately, Daga's neck will be like this too". 

Soya, watching the proceedings spoke passionately, "My right arm is also a blonde family member! Even if my arms get all torn up, I'll keep hitting lariats and win!" At the end he said, "Well, I'm going to practice some more now..." and continued hitting the tire with lariats. 

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credits: Tokyo Sports

Note

Stan Hansen: Hansen suggested to Kenta Kobashi that he should use the lariat, and Kobashi took up this suggestion and practiced by lariating iron poles.

Rainmaker: Kazuchika Okada