(DRAGONGATE/NOAH) The true value and evolution of Homare

Weekly Pro

1st January 2025 (Issue no 2334)

This match drew attention because Homare, who had only been in the business for three months, was facing two major stars of the industry, Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura, of Pro Wrestling Noah. Everyone was curious to see how well Homare would perform against these established veterans. 

This promising young star, possessing both high potential and an attractive appearance, joined the villainous faction Z-Brats immediately after his debut match. On November 3rd in Osaka, he challenged for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship, marking his first title match. However, that's only within the context of DRAGONGATE. This is his first match against wrestlers from another promotion, and those opponents are legends from Noah, a traditional and established wrestling promotion, who have a much longer career age would suggest. For Homare, this is truly a test of his mettle. 

From the very start of the match, with assists from Shun Skywalker, the two of them executed their plays flawlessly, even performing a chokehold using a T-shirt—showing off their audacious and confident style. While his strong will and determination were commendable, the difference in their abilities became clearly evident when he was exchanging chops with Marufuji. Physically, they were almost identical, but Marufuji's attacks were far more powerful and impactful. One of Marufuji's chops would cause the audience to erupt, while Homare's had no such effect. That's the kind of valuable experience and skill that comes from years of training.  The chop is a fundamental move in professional wrestling, but it involves techniques and nuances that can't be achieved simply with speed or power. Homare learned through actual combat that such things cannot be easily conveyed in words. Despite being at a disadvantage, he displayed his impressive potential by landing his signature thrust kick and a spectacular spinning shooting star press. But what surprised Marufuji and Sugiura even more was his emotional side, as he unleashed his raw energy and struck at his opponents wildly towards the end of the match.    

After the match, Sugiura gave his stamp of approval: "At first, he was using the Dragongate style, but he really pushed me, and I felt a passion that was similar to Noah's. It was fun." 

It's true, the way he threw away his cool side as a Z-Brat and went all out was truly captivating.

Normally, receiving such high praise three months after debuting would be a great accomplishment, but Homare doesn't want to just leave it at this one match, having gained significant experience. He made no comment after the match, but when I spoke to him later, he spoke with aplomb: "I'm honored to have been able to wrestle two of the biggest names in pro wrestling on such a big stage... but I don't think that's the point. I'm disappointed that I couldn't crush them today, but I stood out more than anyone else. It felt great kicking them in the face with all my might, but it's still not enough. Next time we face each other, I'm going to completely crush them and drive them into retirement."

Even if there is a gap between himself and Marufuji & Sugiura currently, his own potential for growth is limitless. His chops, which clearly showed the difference on this day, will likely change as well. I'm even more excited to see how Homare will evolve in the future.

   

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