(NOAH) Something the strong arm forgot - Shiozaki wins his first singles match after a fierce battle against Nagata.
8th & 15th January 2025 (Issue no 2335)
"You are ten years too late to beat me. This is Yuji Nagata at his absolute best!" (Yuji Nagata)
At the final Noah event of 2024, Go Shiozaki had an opponent he absolutely had to get revenge against: New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Yuji Nagata. As the year came to an end, he would face off one-on-one against an opponent he had never been able to beat in a singles match before.
For Shiozaki, 2024 was a year in which he raced through the new waters of "LIMIT BREAK" as the leader of TEAM NOAH.
At the January 2nd Ariake Arena event, Shiozaki announced the formation of a new unit with his comrades, with the goal of "changing Noah". Then, on February 15th at Korakuen Hall, the main event of the first "LIMIT BREAK" event was Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge vs Nagata & Jun Akiyama. It was a memorable first match of NEW FRONTIER, Nagata's main battlefield, but the result was a draw after 30 minutes. Kotoge's explosive performance really got the crowd excited, but the result left a feeling of disappointment. He then lost to Nagata in a rematch at New Japan Pro Wrestling's Togane event on October 6th. Currently, Shiozaki is repeatedly defending his title as ZERO1's World Heavyweight Champion.
Although TEAM NOAH initially seemed to be feeling their way around, they gained support with each match, and the "LIMIT BREAK" events became established. It had been a fulfilling year, taking on new challenges, and it was precisely because of this that Shiozaki felt he had to get revenge on Nagata before the year was over.
The two fought in an official G1 match in 2010 and an official Global League match in 2012, with Nagata winning both matches. This was Shiozaki's first one-on-one match in twelve years, and it was one he wanted to win at all costs.
The reason Shiozaki formed TEAM NOAH in the first place was because, while he recognized the current Ark's fighting style, he felt it still lacked the momentum it had when he was watching and when he was fighting. It was also a movement to bring back the fighting style of Noah in its heyday, when it was known as the leader of the pro wrestling world. During the time when "the old Noah" that Shiozaki aspires to be was still around, it was none other than Nagata who was the head of a rival promotion. He sacrificed himself to protect the cerulean blue mat during what is now known as the "dark ages". Time has passed since then, and the world of professional wrestling has changed dramatically, but it's hard not to feel that it was fated that these two would face off against each other.
Nagata is 56 years old and Shiozaki is 42. They are still full of energy, but of course they have aged since "those days" and the damage from their battles has accumulated in their bodies. However, the years they have spent fighting have been rewarded as experience, and their fights are becoming more profound.
The battle between the two veterans, who gave it their all, was truly moving.
In the end, Shiozaki showed his determination and achieved a satisfying victory, but Nagata, who mustered all his strength and collapsed flat on his back, was also impressive. Nagata left the ring with the elegant words "You're ten years too late to beat me," and was greeted with a huge "Nagata" chant.
After his third try was the charm and his first win in a singles match against Nagata, Shiozaki said, "I'll cherish this win and move on to the next fight," giving him the momentum for 2025.
It was a satisfying match in which both wrestlers gave everything they had, and it made both the winner and loser look forward to what's to come.
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