(NOAH) "It'll probably be 9 against 1 for OZAWA's team" - Kenoh predicts a tough fight for the champions Tetsuya Naito and his team in the GHC Tag Team Championship match

28th March 2026

Tokyo Sports

Noah's Kenoh (41) offered his own opinion on the GHC Tag Team Championship match (April 12th, Nagoya) between OZAWA (29) and Tetsuya Naito (43) of "Los Tranquilos de Japon (LTJ)".

The GHC Tag Team Champions Naito and BUSHI of LTJ will face the villainous "TEAM2000X (T2KX)" team of OZAWA and Jun Masaoka in their third title defense.

Amid a war of words between the two ahead of the title match, Kenoh, who has a deep-seated rivalry with Naito—having engaged in a cross-promotional feud with him in January 2023 when Naito was affiliated with New Japan, and even facing him as a surprise opponent, at the Nippon Budokan event this January—commented on the match. Speaking to reporters, he said, "Personally, I want both teams to lose", before predicting a 9-1 victory for OZAWA's team, favoring the young charismatic wrestler.

Kenoh explained the reason, saying, "Even looking at the previous pre-match (Shinagawa on the 25th), OZAWA was a few steps ahead. (Naito) is trying to move with the timing he used to, but from a wrestler's perspective, it's clear that his body isn't keeping up." He pointed out that, "I think the peak of his (Naito's) poor condition was January 1st of this year, so considering that, he's adjusted to the Japanese ring to some extent. But he still hasn't quite recovered from the one-year break". In this match, the then-GHC Tag Team Champions, Kenoh and Marufuji Naomichi, lost to Naito's team. 

Kenoh emphasized the importance of mental health rather than skill for Naito's team to win, saying, "You need to resolve the troubles at your own company as soon as possible. I could even take over as president if necessary," referencing the bankruptcy of UNPASO Co., Ltd., where Naito served as president last November.

Translated from Tokyo Sports

Picture credits: Tokyo Sports