(NOAH) Eita gets revenge on Daga from a year ago, winning the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship for the second time!

Weekly Pro

22nd January 2025

Eita has redeemed himself after a year-long wait.

He had challenged for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship at Ariake Arena on January 2nd of last year but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Daga. Having not competed in a singles match since then, Eita had been keenly biding his time for another shot at capturing the pinnacle of the Noah junior division.

The two have a history dating back to the promotion that served as their primary battleground. They know each other inside out, and Eita was well aware that his opponent would not be easily broken down. After all, Daga captured the title for the first time in November 2023 and successfully defended it no fewer than seven times. Although he lost the title to AMAKUSA last July, he reclaimed it by winning the rematch in Osaka on September 1. Immediately after successfully defending the belt against Dragon Bane in Nagoya on January 17, Eita staked his claim for a title shot.

What set this match apart was that it was contested under Mexican-style "best-of-three-falls" rules—a format proposed by Daga, who had ambushed Eita at the Shinjuku event on December 1st. It was an unusual counter-demand from the champion, who declared, "I’m going to push you to your absolute limit."

The match unfolded with the champion dictating the pace. Daga quickly secured the first fall and kept up a relentless assault into the second. However, Eita seized a split-second opening to turn the tide and even the score.

In a high-stakes third fall where neither side could afford to lose, the match turned into a back-and-forth seesaw battle. Ultimately, Eita capitalized on the situation by placing Daga on the turnbuckle and executing the Imperial Uno. He then secured the three-count with the Salamander (an avalanche-style Casadora). This victory marked his second championship reign—his first since March–April 2022—ending a two-year, eight-month drought.

"That’s Daga for you—my former partner. Every single blow really landed. But I finally got my revenge on him. Now, I’ve truly become the face of the Noah Junior division. I’m going to make the most of this belt."

Here is another opponent that he has to defeat - HAYATA in his first defence on 25th January in Osaka. 

After the match, HAYATA appeared in the ring and quietly declared his intention to take the belt, saying, "I'm next." He immediately secured a direct victory in a pre match scheduled for the following day. Subsequently, a title match was officially set for January 25th in Osaka—a challenge Eita is more than ready to accept.

"So, it’s finally come down to this, HAYATA. It’s been a long time since I faced him with this belt on the line. I lost back then, too. This time, I got my revenge on Daga. Next, HAYATA, I’m coming for revenge against you."

For Eita, who lost the title to HAYATA at Ryogoku on April 29, 2022, this is the perfect opportunity.

Having taken down Daga, Eita is brimming with confidence.

Picture notes

~ Daga attemped a Gotch style piledriver on Eita onto a table.