Japan News: Hideo Itami Confirmed For Marufuji’s 20th Anniversary Show

In case you missed it, last week it was reported by The Wrestling Observer that WWE now has a working relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH based in Japan (which you can read here), as the company continues to develop relationships with outside promotions as we’ve seen with EVOLVE, Progress Wrestling and Insane Championship Wrestling. The Observer also noted that 205 Live Superstar Hideo Itami had been booked for NOAH for an August 29th date, but little details were given.

Our very own hisame, the host of the NOAH’s Archive podcast right here on the Chairshot Podcast Network, as well as The Chairshot’s Managing Editor Andrew Balaz (who are both about as good of sources for Japan wrestling news as you’ll find) had found the report a little suspect, believing that Itami was more likely working the Naomichi Marufuji 20th Anniversary show on September 1st, which is not a Pro Wrestling NOAH event. Today, that has now been confirmed.

Marufuji announced today that Itami (formerly KENTA) will in fact be his opponent for the September 1st event called ‘Flight’ at Sumo Hall. At this time, there are still no details on a possible working relationship between WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH:

EA’s Take: I hate to say I told you so, but…who am I kidding? I LOVE saying “I told you so”. Andrew and hisame both called it and now it’s confirmed, so what more evidence do you need to say, “They know what they’re talking about”? I’d offer my take on this, but obviously Andrew knows a lot more, so here’s what he had to say: “I feel since Flight is not a NOAH branded event and it’s Marufuji’s personal anniversary event, it was more a favor out of respect to Naomichi and KENTA/Hideo. Marufuji vs. KENTA was a big rivalry in NOAH. So it’s a nostalgic aspect.” Hisame would also echo Andrew’s sentiment, adding that Marufuji was looking to get everybody who had ever worked for him. She will also be giving a guide on all the participants on an upcoming episode of NOAH’s Archive.

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