More From Japan
AJPW Champion Carnival Finals Ratings & Joint Review
We come to the end of the Champion Carnival. A Block Winner, Triple Crown Champion Kento Miyahara and the B Block Winner, Naomichi Marufuji, face off in the main event for the Carnival Trophy.
Taking a different angle to this article, Mathew Sarpacione and I will be doing a joint review of the entire April 30th show, since the Block separation is now over. So, with everything we saw, history and quality, how does this last show measure up?
Masanobu Fuchi & Osamu Nishimura vs Takao Omori & Yutaka Yoshie
In typical Japanese fashion, the opener has some veterans that the crowd appreciates, but my rating system doesn’t. The match was what’s to be expected. A few signature spots, Fuchi gets in a few Scoop Slams on Omori…and then the finish happens. But the crowd liked it, so, at least they know their audience.
The match was harmless, but not something to write about that it was mostly slow and sloppy. The crowd loved Fuchi so I guess in a way it made them happy. – Mathew
Winner: Takao via Axe Bomber
Rating: *
3 on 3 Elimination Match: Atsushi Aoki, Hikaru Sato & Yusuke Okada vs Atsushi Maruyama, Koji Iwamoto & Yohei Nakajima
At first, they didn’t fully explain what type of elimination it was with over the top rope or pinfall/submission, but they clarified it and showed that the match was gonna be a little bit sloppy. I was impressed with Hikaru Sato mostly in the match and cared about him more than the Junior Champion. Sucks for Yusuke Okada getting injured and I hope the best for him. Curious to see Maruyama and Aoki fighting off next due to Josh being off the tour, but should be good. – Mathew
Ya basically everything Mathew said. The match was average, a few fun spots for eliminations, but Okada getting injured on his elimination is just unfortunate.
Winner: Murayama via Cradle
Rating: **
Violent Giants vs Yoshitatsu & Naoya Nomura
I’m always happy to see Violent Giants being back in the ring together are they’re one of my favorite tag teams right now. The match was solid and I keep saying Naoya was gonna be a star in the company one day and he keeps showing it recently during the Carnival, and Yoshitatsu didn’t do too bad either for himself and hopefully he goes back again. The ending is what sold it for me with Suwama refusing to let go of the Manriki Sleeper on Yoshi after the match since it adds more progression to the story since we forgot about the one with NOSAWA. – Mathew
Suwama feeling insulted during the Carnival since Yoshitatsu not only beat him, which caused him to lose the block, but also got him to submit. A little extra anger from Suwama and a lot of Ishikawa making fun of Yoshitatsu putting his hand in front of his mouth made for an entertaining match. Not a lot on the line besides pride, but still a solid match.
Winner: Suwama via Manriki Sleeper
Rating: *** 1/2
KAI & Tajiri vs Ryoji Sai & Dylan James
This match, is a means to an end. Sai and James need opponents for their Tag Team Titles, so what better way then to lose a non-title match. It would’ve been nice for the match to have been better, but the ending sequence was fun and helped the overall perception of the match.
Really not a whole lot to say about it since it was a little bit short, but felt like it would be all over the place at times, specially with the outside spots. Loved the green mist spot with TAJIRI and KAI picking up the win right after that. Also had to admit that Ryoji chasing TAJIRI down was kinda funny and hopefully the title match is better. – Mathew
Winner: KAI via Frog Splash after green mist
Rating: ** 1/4
Bodyguard, Zeus & Shingo Takagi vs Jun Akiyama, Yuji Hino & Joe Doering
Definitely my favorite tag match on this show since most of them delivered except for Bodyguard since his stuff felt so out of place compared to how well the others did. I loved the interaction between Zeus and Yuji Hino since it made me wanna see them wrestle one on one and soon, plus they both did fantastic in their respected blocks and matches, more of Yuji Hino if he’s free. Shingo is still great and not much more to say since I’ve been praising him in all of my articles and glad to see him get that well deserved respect. Joe winning was the right call since he does need momentum if he plans on getting revenge on Kento. Also the last interaction with Hino and Zeus after the match was fantastic. – Mathew
Zeus and Shingo need to be a tag team, not Bodyguard. Bodyguard is clumsy, sloppy and looks out of place in any match with upper mid card talent or better. Yuji Hino and Zeus need to have a match though, it just needs to happen. The back and forth strong style spots, the chop battles and even the way they interacted after the match, shows a lot of respect and what could be a great match.
Make it happen All Japan!
Winner: Doering via Revolution Bomb on Bodyguard
Rating: *** 1/2
Champion Carnival Finals: Naomichi Marufuji vs Kento Miyahara
With all the emotion and history that went into Marufuji’s match with Akiyama, one had to wonder, exactly what he had left in the tank.
Marufuji came out with a little extra pop in his step, and you could see he wanted this. Highlights of the match being a big Springboard Curb Stomp, the Crescent Kick around the post, Piledriver on the apron as well as a collision of knees, Marufuji’s Bicycle Knee met Kent’s Blackout and both men went down for a few moments.
Both men kicked out of the other’s signature moves, so Marufuji decided to bring out the homage to his friend, his trainer, nearly an adoptive father to him, Misawa’s Flowsion. After landing the Flowsion, Marufuji picks up the pinfall and the NOAH banner waves in victory at AJPW Champion Carnival.
I never thought that they would be able to top Marufuji vs. Akiyama since that match was something else, but these two have raised the bar for sure as two of Japan’s best going at it in the ring. We definitely saw shades of Kobashi, Misawa, and Kawada in Marufuji in this match and you can tell how much this Carnival meant to him and to getting this far, you knew he wanted it more than Kento.
Both of these men just click with every sequence and every move they have done to each other, the close calls, the story, the everything about this match is something that needs to be seen by everyone that is a fan of wrestling since they get that magic and spirit of puroresu in this match right here. I’m glad Marufuji won and I know they said he wasn’t interested in the Triple Crown title due to wanting to focus on the GHC title match that takes place five days after Power Series, but we get the match anyway. Also liked that he invited Kento to come work a match at NOAH if All Japan would allow it. – Mathew
Winner: Marufuji via Fisherman Flowsion
Rating: ***** 1/4
I thought the Carnival was fantastic and definitely much better than last year’s for sure. I like that the match quality has gone up ever since they announced a streaming service since they want to have more eyes on their product with more subscribers. If they can keep up this momentum and get more freelancers/partnerships, I think we can see them rising higher here and then some. – Mathew
With the increase in match quality, the increase in Carnival attendance and the electricity in the crowd for the Finals and Akiyama/Marufuji’s match a few days ago, shows a lot of good potential for All Japan. Hopefully the Power Series manages to retain this momentum instead of relying on the last few days of title matches.
Also for the record, Mathew and I guess correctly on the winner in the Uneducated Feat article. We may have gotten the pairing wrong, but Marufuji won, and much like the NCAA tournament, people only care if they guessed the winner right. Until next Carnival everyone!
About Chairshot Radio Network
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More From Japan
(NOAH) NOAH NEWSLETTER VOL.200 ~ 7TH MAY 2023
New alliances, MMA challengers and the return of a beloved tag team!
NEWS
AXIZ reunite
Go Shiozaki lost in his return match at MAJESTIC (4th May at Ryogoku Kokugikan) to Katsuhiko Nakajima’s Vertical Spike. While he was lying on the mat, with a worried Kaito Kiyomiya and Yoshiki Inamura looking on, Katsuhiko Nakajima got on the mic and said, “What is this, Go Shiozaki? This awkward state? Is this “I AM NOAH?” Where did that strong Go Shiozaki go? Shall we do it again? Stand up!”, Everyone, including Shiozaki, thought that Nakajima wanted to fight him again and so Shiozaki used Nakajima to pull himself up. Nakajima had his usual devilish smile on, and grabbed Shiozaki by the hair as if he was going to strike him.
What he actually did was offer him his hand, which Shiozaki took, and to the wild screaming of the crowd, AXIZ reformed and the two would not let go of each other.
Kenoh was outraged and demanded to know what was going on. Manabu Soya later left the ring shaking his head. Backstage, Nakajima confirmed that yes, AXIZ were back and the reason why he had left was because (and this sounds familiar) Kenoh didn’t need him, Kongoh didn’t need him, and he didn’t need them. Kenoh growled that he would destroy anyone who got in his way and that included All Japan, All Japan’s Suwama, Dragon Gate (probably the whole roster) and Katsuhiko Nakajima. Kenoh remarked that usually Kongoh didn’t punish people who left (he probably doesn’t mean the chaotic juniors), but it seems that he himself will have another singles match with Nakajima on the 31st May at Shinjuku FACE. Kenoh has also branded AXIZ as a “thief and traitor duo” and has warned elderly AXIZ fans not to make any bank transfers. He has also claimed that while he was injured, Go Shiozaki is a “salary thief” for doing nothing for NOAH during that time, and not even updating his Twitter.
Related articles
NOAH promise more women’s matches
Following the four woman tag at MAJESTIC, Ryo Mizunami hinted afterwards that NOAH will be holding more and she (and others) want to be a part of this. Nothing more has been said about the possibility of a women’s GHC Championship though.
N-1 VICTORY 2023 Announced
NOAH have announced that the N-1 VICTORY 2023 will make a return in August 2023, and as is tradition, will have the final night held in Osaka in early September. No names have been announced as of yet, but the league will head up for a couple of dates in Sapporo, Hokkaido (NOAH have not been to Hokkaido since before the pandemic when they would traditionally share a ring with Big Japan and then get drunk together over a lost weekend). No names have been announced as of yet.
Masakatsu Funaki challenges Josh Barnett
Following his victory over Shinya Aoki at MAJESTIC, Masakatsu Funaki challenged Josh Barnett, who was sitting at ringside to a match. Barnett accepted, but NOAH are yet to state the date when the match will take place. Funaki also seems to be hinting that his career is now winding down, and he wants to tie up any loose ends; such as the Aoki match and the challenge to Barnett, who he has never faced before, but seems to have always wanted to. Mutoh told Funaki to keep going until he is sixty, but Funaki, who makes no pretense about the fact that he is approaching his mid fifties, seems to think that this is unlikely.
Eita alone, Daga joins “the new STINGER”. HAYATA not welcome either.
During the STINGER vs I guess the last of Perros Del Mal De Japon, Eita and Daga, Eita caught Daga with the Imperial Uno, which meant that Yoshinari Ogawa could capitalize, and he went to pin Eita. However, Ogawa broke the pin and got to his feet slowly, dragging Eita up by his hair. He looked across the ring to Daga, and Daga turned on Eita. Eita, now utterly alone, was beaten up after the match, and no one at all came out to help him as there is now no one left. Backstage, Eita on all fours, said that from now on he would be trusting no one and didn’t believe in friends (NOSAWA posted “…..” to this) and demanded a singles match with both Ogawa and Daga. As for STINGER, Chris Ridgeway said that from now on he, Daga and Ogawa were the new STINGER. Daga gave no reason for his turning on his old friend, STINGER rarely give reasons anyway, and Ogawa said that HAYATA and Eita were no longer considered “friends”. Eita will get his singles matches on the 14th May at Korakuen Hall, and with Daga on the 21st in Kobe. Fans are wondering if Eita and HAYATA will team up, but HAYATA seems to be more preoccupied with the GHC Junior at the moment.
Ring intruder at Korakuen Hall
At NOAH’s Korakuen Hall event on the 29th April, a young woman intruded into the ring at the start of Kaito Kiyomiya, Sean Legacy & AMAKUSA vs Kongoh, and started imploring Kiyomiya to “show us a stronger NOAH” because he was “the savior of NOAH”. She was gently expelled from the ring by Referee Nishinaga, Kiyomiya and the young rookie, Taishi Ozawa. No further information has come from NOAH or any news outlets as to who this young woman was or what the consequence of her intrusion was, and it is rare in Japanese wrestling that a fan should intrude into the ring, but NOAH took the precaution to check bags at their fan event and MAJESTIC, and extra wrestlers were seen at ringside, which fans said felt like security. The very real threat was that she could have had a knife. New Japan’s Toru Yano has also spoken out about fan behavior. He didn’t mention fan invasion specifically, but more wrestlers being harassed by fans when at baggage claim at airports, at convenience stores etc. Kenoh kind of saved the situation by telling Kiyomiya that if he was stronger, then strange people wouldn’t do things like this!
Shinjiro Otani
At an event held on the 6th May to help with his hospital bills, Shinjiro Otani made an appearance. Takashi Sugiura bought him some flowers and Otani thanked him for not giving up wrestling due to the injury that Otani sustained during the title match. He also warned Sugiura, that he would see him in the ring again. Sugiura said he was waiting for that day.
Voodoo Murders vs Kongoh
SUWAMA broke into NOAH’s event at Korakuen Hall on the 29th April and gave Kenoh, a massive Last Ride powerbomb. Shrieking that he was going to take the All Japan World Heavyweight Tag back to where it belonged, i.e. All Japan, he was prepared to come and have a match in NOAH (with Kono his partner) to retrieve them. There then followed a comical scene involving the infamous lifts, where a quaking old man appeared and was told by Suwama to hold the doors. The match has been set for NOAH’s Kobe event on the 21st May. The event will not be broadcast live, but I would imagine this match will be through NOAH’s official Instagram. Suwama got further revenge on Kenoh at All Japan’s show on the 7th when Kongoh and Voodoo Murders had a pre match. Kenoh was given another powerbomb, shoved into a body bag and Voodoo Murders posed with their boots on him, before carrying him backstage on their shoulders. Half in and half out of the bag and dumped on the floor, Suwama told him that now he was in hell, those titles were theirs.
TITLE NEWS
GHC Heavyweight
In a match that saw Naomichi Marufuji pull out old moves (Shiranui and Shiranui Pole Shift, plus a rope bounce that he hasn’t used for a while) and moves that he has worked on, Jake Lee retained the GHC Heavyweight at MAJESTIC. However, no challenger came forward, and fans were expecting to see Go Shiozaki come out. Jake thanked Marufuji and ran down what he had felt in his past title defenses; Kiyomiya was the future, Nakajima the strength and Marufuji the history. Jake wondered what was next and predicted that on the 14th May at Korakuen Hall, things would start to happen. Jake’s match then is himself teaming with Good Looking Guys (including YO-HEY and Tadasuke) against two NOAH Juniors (Seiki Yoshioka and Atsushi Kotoge) against Kaito Kiyomiya and Takashi Sugiura. Fans think that it will be Sugiura who challenges.
Related articles
“It’s like a dream” – Jake, “Full speed for the first time in a while”, Marufuji
GHC Junior Heavyweight
HAYATA was forced into doing some light comedy, when at the title match signing/press conference, Ninja Mack told him that he didn’t want him to be injured in their title match, and handed him a gift of bandages and athletic tape. HAYATA tried to keep a straight face. However, Ninja Mack found nothing to laugh about when HAYATA beat him and went to hand him his presents back. Apparently, HAYATA kept the bandages, as he only tried to give back the athletic tape. Ninja Mack knocked them to the floor and walked off. The GHC Junior Heavyweight is the only one with a challenger out of all the championships at the time of writing, as HAYATA has nominated Dante Leon as opponent. Dante Leon took the belt from Ninja Mack, but HAYATA feels he has to defeat everyone who held it while he was injured. Dante says he is coming back to take his belt back. Pre matches will take place, with the title match on the 17th June in Nagoya.
Related articles
GHC Junior signing ceremony: Ninja provokes the champion with first aid supplies, HAYATA “excellent”
GHC National
El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr continues to cement himself as one of the greatest GHC National Champions, by defeating Hideki Suzuki at MAJESTIC to retain in an epic match. Suzuki was even booed as he knocked Wagner Jnr down with a punch early on after Wagner Jnr had yelled “Arriba Mexico!”. Suzuki didn’t look as if he was too bothered, and fought most of the match with a cool hard expression. El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr isn’t on any cards for the rest of May 2023, so it looks as if the title will probably be challenged for some time in June.
Related articles
“Real” Suzuki emphasizes “Real Deal” to take over the GHC National, match signing ceremony
GHC Heavyweight Tag
Monster Taniguchi, which his seniors try so hard to awaken, sat dormant at the match signing as Saxon Huxley overturned the table, (which Takashi Sugiura, no stranger to trashing tables during press conferences, helped put back), but then turned his own over with a roar and made off with the tag belts. Sugi very politely helped the staff put the tables back. The team of Sugiura and Taniguchi gave very close to retaining, but they lost the belts when Saxon Huxley pinned Taniguchi with the Hanging Neck Bombs. The new champions celebrated by yelling loudly into the camera, and Huxley repeatedly head-butting his belt. Two new tags arose that night at MAJESTIC; AXIZ, and a new team of Masato Tanaka and Kazuyuki Fujita.
Related articles
Huxley and Taniguchi go berserk overturning tables, Sugiura apologizes
GHC Junior Tag
YO-HEY and Tadasuke (Good Looking Guys Unit) defended the GHC Junior Tag against Alpha Wolf and DragonBane at Korakuen Hall on the 29th April. The lucha brothers came very close to taking the titles, but YO-HEY saved the team by pinning DragonBane. No challengers have come forward, but it does seem likely that they will be challenged by the people that YO-HEY dumped to join GLG; Atsushi Kotoge and Seiki Yoshioka at Korakuen Hall on the 14th May, which is NOAH’s next event. However, Kotoge and Yoshioka may not be the most stable team, as Yoshioka did catch him with a kick accidentally.
EVENT RECAPS & POST MATCH PROMOS
- STAR NAVIGATION 2023
(Saturday April 29th, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo)
- ABEMA PRESENTS MAJESTIC 2023
(Thursday 4th May, Ryogoku Kokugikan)
ELSEWHERE IN NOAH
– Atsushi Kotoge posted a picture of himself when he came to NOAH eleven years ago. He says he is “slightly embarrassed” about seeing himself back then.
– Mohammed Yone and Super Crazy almost left via the wrong gate at MAJESTIC. The trainee standing there tried to tell them, but they seemed insistent, eventually he had to almost stand in their way before they realized.
– Xtreme Tiger returned to the NOAH ring following his concussion
– Most people down the old man VIPER tonic, Masato Tanaka opened it, poured it down his throat and chugged it.
– Keiji Mutoh told Kazushi Sakuraba that he should fight a bear on PPV. Sakuraba said no, he would be killed, and suggested that Mutoh do it. Mutoh said he was an old man who was enjoying retirement by sitting at home and watching historical dramas on NHK.
– Ray Escorpion made his NOAH debut, which involved heel tactics and stalking Dralistico.
– Jake Lee regretted his choice of costume, i.e. his gloves and cape, at the NOAH Fan Event. He said he felt like he needed an icepack under his armpits.
– Eita hid under the ring to jump Yoshinari Ogawa at Korakuen Hall on April 29th. When he crawled out he stretched and yawned, meaning that he fell asleep under there!
– Alejandro was sitting at the commentary table when it got trashed by the Luchadores at MAJESTIC.
CURRENT CHAMPIONS
- GHC Heavyweight Champion: Jake Lee
Challenger: TBA - GHC Junior Champion: HAYATA
Challenger: Dante Leon, GREEN JOURNEY 2023 in NAGOYA (Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall – Saturday, June 17th) - GHC Heavyweight Tag Champions: REAL (Saxon Huxley & Timothy Thatcher)
Challengers: TBA - GHC Junior Tag Champions: Good Looking Guys (YO-HEY & Tadasuke)
Challengers: TBA - GHC National Champion: El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr
Challenger: TBA
THIS WEEK IN NOAH
– STAR NAVIGATION 2023
Date: Sunday May 14th
Venue: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Start times: Doors 17:30 JST, Bell 18:30 JST
Broadcast: ABEMA
Birthdays & anniversaries
May 8th 1961: Akira Taue birthday (62)
May 13th 2000: Jumbo Tsuruta memorial (23)
*NOTE ABOUT ABEMA BROADCASTS
For the overseas fan a subscription to WrestleUniverse is recommended instead of a subscription to ABEMA. You can only watch ABEMA shows live (you cannot watch replays should you miss the show), but these always get uploaded to WrestleUniverse a few minutes after the broadcast finishes. I do not recommend that overseas fans subscribe to ABEMA due to the time consuming and expensive issues around finding a VPN that is compatible with their firewall, and ABEMA do not broadcast any other NOAH shows aside from the live broadcasts, they do not show much exclusive content and they do not show vintage or older events.
LINKS
26 year old wrestler Kaito Kiyomiya talks about the importance of the dojo and generational view
NOAH FROM THE VAULT
“Donmai, Donmai” – Mitsuharu Misawa’s diary….he’s being obscene!
With thanks to: Metal NOAH
Picture credits: NOAH.co.jp
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
More From Japan
(NOAH) NOAH NEWSLETTER VOL.199 ~ 25TH APRIL 2023
Lots of Championship news! Does Jake Lee have what it takes to captain the ark?
NEWS
“I made you all wait”, Go Shiozaki announces his return
Go Shiozaki made a surprise appearance at NOAH’s Sendai event on the 16th April, and announced that he would return to the ring at “MAJESTIC” at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Thursday May 4th. In an interview done soon afterwards, Shiozaki said that of course his goal was to “get my belt back as soon as possible” and naturally, his target is the current champion, Jake Lee. He is very excited about NOAH now with the influx of foreign wrestlers, and of course, Jake Lee whom he knew from being in All Japan. Shiozaki’s return match will be against Kongoh’s Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima and Manabu Soya. Shiozaki says he will not only be fighting against his opponents, but also the younger generation of NOAH, who he says are “a threat”. NOAH’s generational wheel continues turning.
Related articles
The theme of return is “New Go Shiozaki”, “Fight with five people”, thrilled by the new NOAH scenery
“I have to get my belt back”, Go Shiozaki vows to return early to the title front
Junta Miyawaki returns from Mexico
Junta Miyawaki announced (bilingually as he also announced this in Mexican), that he would be returning from Ultimo Dragon’s training camp, and would make his first match back at Korakuen Hall at STAR NAVIGATION on the 29th April. His opponent will be HI69, who has been on a roll recently. Before he left, Junta Miyawaki said that he would “sip muddy water”, (which basically means to hit rock bottom and crawl you way back up), before he returned to NOAH. HI69 was unimpressed with this statement, saying that Junta had no idea what he was talking about, but he would soon make him realize it.
Women’s matches
NOAH continue to book women’s matches on their bigger shows. Sendai saw Maya Yukihi and Sumire Natsu fight in a singles match, and afterwards mention was made (even fleetingly) of a woman’s GHC championship. The next women’s match will be a four way at “MAJESTIC” on the 4th May between
Maya Yukihisa & SAKI vs Sumire Natsu & Ryo Mizunami.
Xtreme Tiger concussed & Luchadore’s trash the commentary table
Very sadly Xtreme Tiger sustained (probably) a concussion during the match in Sendai and was stretchered from the ring. Fortunately, he could still move as he was seen to be sitting up and sliding himself on to the stretcher. The remaining Luchadores (Doralistico, Dragon Bane, Alpha Wolf, Alejandro & Lanzelot) decided to continue the match, and as they are NOAH Juniors, didn’t bother to tell the ref. They just carried on and during this, Dragon Bane trashed the commentary table by moonsaulting through it. Then everyone else joined in, fighting in the wreckage. Akitoshi Saito (who had been sitting at the table) was seen looking on blankly. Later he made the comment that the table was not made of a material that was meant to be broken.
Yasutaka Yano and Kinya Okada taken off the Sendai card at the last moment
Yasutaka Yano and Kinya Okada were announced to have been taken off the Sendai card at the last moment, meaning that Anthony Green and Akitoshi Saito (who wrestled by taking his shirt off and in his normal clothes) had to fill in for them. NOAH have not announced the issue (illness, injury, etc) but fans think that they may have gone to Mexico for training, albeit why this should be so sudden is a mystery.
Title news
GHC Heavyweight
Jake Lee retains, Naomichi Marufuji challenges
Jake Lee retained the GHC Heavyweight against Katsuhiko Nakajima, and was challenged that same night by Naomichi Marufuji. The nautical references continued, as Marufuji said that Jake’s steering was making him “seasick” and used a term that he says he came up with before he made his challenge, by saying that “Even if it is rotten, it is Marufuji” (the full saying is “Even if it is rotten, it is still a sea bream”, which basically is like saying “white cat, black cat, as long as it catches mice, then it is a good cat” i.e. quality is quality). Title match has been made for “MAJESTIC” on the 4th May.
The two pre matches have taken place at shows not broadcasted live, Hamamatsu (which was put on WrestleUniverse on the 25th April) and Kyoto KBS Hall (which will be streamed on WrestleUniverse on the 26th April from 18:00 JST). Neither the champion or the challenger scored the direct win over the other, but Jake was seen to hold the belt over Naomichi Marufuji as he, Jake, stood on the turnbuckle and held it even higher.
Related articles
The new champion gives NOAH a warning! Is it okay to stay as NOAH = Marufuji?
GHC Heavyweight Tag
Masa Kitamiya and Daiki Inaba lost the GHC Heavyweight Tag Championship to Takashi Sugiura and Shuhei Taniguchi in Sendai. Shuhei Taniguchi, much to his seniors delight, got the win but there was no chance to celebrate for very long as a new fearsome tag team, who were part of a new unit (and therefore a new power in the heavyweights) appeared on the scene to challenge. Hideki Suzuki announced that himself, Timothy Thatcher and Saxon Huxley, were breaking away from The Sugiura Army, which he said was “over” (fans have long felt that the unit simply fizzled out) and the three of them were breaking away on their own.
Suzuki challenged for the GHC Heavyweight Tag belts on behalf of his partners, whom both came across as having chemistry akin to an old school American tag team (Saxon I know is from England, but you know the vibe I am talking about). Backstage, Hideki Suzuki said their new unit was called “Real”. In their first pre match in Hamamatsu, Suzuki refused to shake hands with Takashi Sugiura and Sugiura was defeated by Saxon Huxley. The next night in Kyoto, Sugiura defeated Huxley, which was Huxley’s first NOAH loss, with the Olympic Slam and labelled himself as “Beastmaster”. There was also some slight friction appearing between Takashi Sugiura and Shuhei Taniguchi, as Taniguchi did the same “I heard you lost today?” kind of comment back to Sugiura, and once again refused to shake hands with him when Sugiura offered and just walked off when Sugi asked, “Did you win?”.
GHC National
In an epic match, El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr defended the GHC National against Jack Morris, and the two of them shook hands afterwards and patched up their friendship. Backstage, Hideki Suzuki appeared in the comments booth when Wagner Jnr was in it, clapping sarcastically and saying that he was coming for his belt. Suzuki also made a very poetic comment about the challenge.
“Because Wagner Jnr is the sun of Mexico, I will take him deep into the ocean. We will sink together, and only I will rise”
Their two pre matches so far have been inconclusive as they head towards the title match at “MAJESTIC” on the 4th May at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
GHC Junior
AMAKUSA did not do well in the pre matches against HAYATA, and HAYATA ran him into the ground in the title match in Sendai, winning in thirteen minutes and four seconds. In order to forestall anyone who thought they were going to challenge, he was picking up where he left off, and his next challenger would be Ninja Mack. Ninja Mack had challenged HAYATA in late 2022 for the belt, but he had won it when HAYATA was injured, and the belt was awarded to him. To HAYATA, he needed to defeat Ninja Mack first before dealing with anyone else. The two pre matches have not gone well for HAYATA, although Ninja Mack hasn’t got the win over him directly, he has still gotten the win for his team at one point, even if one of the matches was won by someone else, which for him counts as a victory over HAYATA.
GHC Junior Tag
Fans knew that Yoshinari Ogawa and Eita were going to fall apart. YO-HEY knew this too, but knew enough about his opponents, to be wary. In the end, a misfire by Eita, who caught Ogawa in the face with a kick, letting Tadasuke get the win, made the team implode. Ogawa might have come to the ring ignoring Eita’s very existence, but by the end of the match the two were brawling and the fight went backstage. After kicking Ogawa in the crotch, Eita announced that the only person he trusted was Daga. Daga will return to NOAH at “MAJESTIC”, with the one person who hasn’t turned on Ogawa (although he was wary of his aligning with Eita), Chris Ridgeway, who is returning to NOAH at Korakuen Hall on Saturday 29th April.
The new GHC Junior Champions, Good Looking Guy’s YO-HEY and Tadasuke, were challenged backstage by Dragon Bane and Alpha Wolf, who told them they were going to be taking the belts back to Mexico. The brothers have run riot on the junior tag champions, defeating them in the pre matches, Alpha Wolf in a singles against Tadasuke. Title match will take place this Saturday at Korakuen Hall.
EVENT RECAPS & POST MATCH PROMOS
- ABEMA presents GREEN JOURNEY 2023 in Sendai (Sunday April 16th)
- Act City Hamamatsu (Saturday, April 22nd)
- Kyoto KBS Hall (Sunday, April 23rd)
ELSEWHERE IN NOAH
– Because they were both champions facing their challengers, YO-HEY offered HAYATA a handshake in Kyoto. HAYATA reacted in usual fashion (he refused) but the two were seen to work together…
– Kongoh appeared in a short Kenoh Channel video, where each of them ate one of Shuji Kondo’s financiers and talked about the merch table. Katsuhiko Nakajima very neatly put back a packet of Naomichi Marufuji’s curry, which Kenoh had thrown.
– Although he is no longer appearing in the ring, NOSAWA Rongai was seen watching at the Hamamatsu show. He’s not a member of the audience however, as he seems to be travelling with them – Kenoh said that he was glad Go Shiozaki had returned as he could not “wait to beat the shit” out of him.
– Atsushi Kotoge has revealed his beloved Shiba is called “Chikuwa”. When he left for NOAH’s weekend shows, he told him he was leaving him as watchdog to guard the family.
– Mercedes Monet said she wanted a match with “Marufugi”. “Marufugi” said he wanted one with her too.
– YO-HEY and Yoshiki Inamura will appear on “All-Star Chorus Battle” on May 14th for Fuji TV. The premise of the show is that they will team with five other people, sing the hit songs of the Reiwa era and compete as a chorus for a championship.
– A picture taken by NOAH’s official photographer in Kyoto was captured at precisely the moment that Seiki Yoshioka was diving off the top turnbuckle. The angle of his body made him look as if he was leaping out of the stained glass behind him. Ironically, he seemed to be leaping from the roof of the Ark. Also photographed against The Ark was Yoshiki Inamura, who put a Dove above his head.
CURRENT CHAMPIONS
- GHC Heavyweight Champion: Jake Lee
Challenger: Naomichi Marufuji, ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th - GHC Junior Champion: HAYATA
Challenger: Ninja Mack, ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th - GHC Heavyweight Tag Champions: Takashi Sugiura & Shuhei Taniguchi
Challengers: REAL (Saxon Huxley & Timothy Thatcher), ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th - GHC Junior Tag Champions: Good Looking Guys (YO-HEY & Tadasuke)
Challengers: Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf, STAR NAVIGATION 2023, Korakuen Hall, Saturday April 29th - GHC National Champion: El Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jnr
Challenger: Hideki Suzuki, ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Thursday May 4th
THIS WEEK IN NOAH
- STAR NAVIGATION 2023
Date: Saturday April 29th
Venue: Korakuen Hall
Start time: 18:30 JST (doors open 17:30)
Broadcast: ABEMA (Live)
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
29th April: Atsushi Kotoge debut anniversary (2005)
29th April: Tadasuke debut anniversary (2007)
*NOTE ABOUT ABEMA BROADCASTS
For the overseas fan a subscription to WrestleUniverse is recommended instead of a subscription to ABEMA. You can only watch ABEMA shows live (you cannot watch replays should you miss the show), but these always get uploaded to WrestleUniverse a few minutes after the broadcast finishes. I do not recommend that overseas fans subscribe to ABEMA due to the time consuming and expensive issues around finding a VPN that is compatible with their firewall, and ABEMA do not broadcast any other NOAH shows aside from the live broadcasts, they do not show much exclusive content and they do not show vintage or older events.
NOAH FROM THE VAULT
“Donmai, Donmai” – Mitsuharu Misawa’s diary
With thanks to: Metal-NOAH
Picture credits: NOAH.co.jp, Pro Wrestling DX
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