(NOAH) Will Kenoh be able to face Yoshiki Inamura? A rival other than the champion looms: "I wonder when T2KX will get involved..."

Tokyo Sports

15th February 2026

Dark clouds are gathering over Kenoh (41) as he prepares to challenge Noah's GHC Heavyweight Champion Yoshiki Inamura (33).

Kenoh, who will challenge Inamura at the Yokohama Budokan on March 8th, faced Inamura in a six-man tag team match in the main event of the first part of the Shinagawa event on the 14th, but struggled as he was gradually overwhelmed by Inamura's power. In the end, he was crushed by a DIS CHARGE after being slammed with Musou, resulting in a humiliating defeat.

After the match, Kenoh roared, "Inamura...each blow is getting heavier! Is this the significance of your climb? But I'm not going to stop climbing, I'll kick you down!" However, behind the scenes, he was so wary of the dark unit "TEAM 2000 X (T2KX)" that he was unable to concentrate on the opponent before him. . In an interview, he sighed and said, "I'm always worried about when T2KX will intervene."

Looking back, Kenoh had repeatedly been obstructed by T2KX members before his challenge could be made. 

First, after winning his first title defense against Kaito Kiyomiya, Inamura was about to mention Kenoh's name as the next challenger when OZAWA, who nominated himself, snatched the challenge from him. Then the champion named his as challenger after his second and third defenses, but Kenoh was attacked from behind by Masa Kitamiya and Takashi Sugiura, who knocked him out and robbed him of his right to challenge. 

With that past in mind, in mind, even now that the challenge has finally been confirmed, Kenoh fears that T2KX will attack him and take away his title challenge. 

On the same day, Inamura also warned him, "You never know what's going to happen, Mr Kenoh. "You're a big enemy, so be careful until the day of the match." Kenoh admitted, ""There might be that fear deep in my heart".

Kenoh further confessed that the reason for his defeat that day was the shadow of T2KX.. "Shinagawa is the place where Ozawa previously committed a crime by projecting revealing photos of Kiyomiya onto the venue monitors. At the end, the monitor came into view and I was worried, 'What if it suddenly starts moving?' and then DIS CHARGE happened.." he said with a sigh.

Kenoh, who has no choice but to fight an invisible enemy, just holds his head in his hands and says, "I have a tour coming up. I have to be careful of what's behind me, both in matches and in my everyday life..."

Will he really be okay if he keeps going like this?

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credit: Tokyo Sports