(NOAH) Amazing! Strong arm vs Giant

Weekly Pro

11th December 2024 (Issue No. 2330)

Akitoshi Saito's Limit Break after retirement; Shiozaki defeats Ishikawa to retain the World Heavyweight title for the second time

"The hole left by Saito's departure is huge. And we don't have Ohara or Hi69 either. We have to get through this, both in the match and backstage," said Go Shiozaki. Akitoshi Saito was a reliable veteran and moodmaker for TEAM NOAH. That presence retired on November 17th in Nagoya. Mohammed Youne said that he felt a "tremendous sense of loss," and he couldn't help but feel the pain of his everyday life without him there. Furthermore, in addition to Hi69, who is on a long-term absence*, Hajime Ohara was also absent that day due to surgery for a deviated nasal septum. TEAM NOAH therefore only had three members: Shiozaki, Yone and Atsushi Kotoge. Admittedly, I did feel a little sad when I looked at the cards, but once the event was over, I can say that I didn't feel that way at all.

 LIMIT BREAK has been holding events on a monthly basis since it started in February of this year. The so-called Noah-style concept is firmly shared by all the participating wrestlers, and the sense of unity that is created with the fans who want to see such fights is unique.   

It was the main event that showed the true essence of that.

Shuji Ishikawa, who challenged Shiozaki for the World Heavyweight Championship, said on October 20th in Shinagawa, "The ideological concept of TEAM NOAH in LIMIT BREAK, is firmly shared by all the participating wrestlers, and the sense of unity that is generated with the fans who want to see such a fight is unique."

This was the main event that showed the true essence of that.

He said said on October 20th in Shinagawa, "LIMIT BREAK may be led by TEAM NOAH, but I've

been there since the first event." His strong feelings remain unchanged even though he is a freelancer.

This first match was sure to be a good one, and just as Shiozaki had said, "We were able to fight in a pro wrestling match that went beyond our limits." Both men were close to being pinned many times, but they were so tough that they never backed down, even in a tough match. Even though the 30-minute time limit was threatening a draw, both wrestlers were not concerned about the risks and increased the intensity of the fight. The match was concluded with eighty-three seconds left in a heated battle, that made you want to say "Amazing!". Applause and cheers went out to the champion who defended the World Heavyweight Championship that Akitoshi had entrusted to him in July this year, as well as to the challenger who tried his best to take the belt but was defeated.

After the match, Shiozaki sent a message to Ishikawa saying, "Let's fight as many times as we can until we've exhausted ourselves." Regarding the true meaning of this, he said, "We're not in the same promotion, but I think we're aiming for the same thing. Today, there was a unique atmosphere in Shinkiba. I'm going to fight to make the venue even more heated."

Junya Matsunaga of ZERO1 has announced that he will be the next challenger. He was the winner of last year's "Fire Festival", and in the first match of the day, he showed the solid skills and the dynamism that only a young man can have. Champion Shiozaki is enthusiastic, saying, "My fight with Ishikawa has made LIMIT BREAK and the World Heavyweight Championship even more valuable. I love big, powerful and spirited wrestlers." The title match has been set for LIMIT BREAK on December 22nd at Shinkiba. Shiozaki further declared, "There is someone I need to repay my debt to - Yuji Nagata. The venue and date doesn't matter. I want a match." Having been pinned directly by Nagata in a tag team match at Togane on October 6th in New Japan, Shiozaki has called for a rematch. The showdown is set for Noah's Korakuen Hall show on December 19th. Shiozaki intends to fill the void left by Akitoshi's absence with his own fierce fighting. 

Notes

Hi69: Knee surgery, although he often appeared at ringside during his rehabilitation.