NOAH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER VOL.125 ~ 11TH MARCH 2021

NEWS

The AGGRESSION return

For months NOAH had been building up to an eventual Masa Kitamiya vs Takashi Sugiura showdown, which was the main story of the title match on the 7th March at the Yokohama Budokan, when THE AGGRESSION challenged The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & Kazushi Sakuraba), for the GHC Heavyweight Tag Belts. The sub-story was Katsuhiko Nakajima being a target for Kazushi Sakuraba’s “Calf Cutter”, which had won The Sugiura Army the last pre-match, and it played its role in the final stages of the match when Kitamiya had to break free of Sugiura to get into the ring and break the submission hold, which puts pressure on the area following the kick.

The final stages of the match came down to Takashi Sugiura vs Masa Kitamiya. After a Prison Lock (which Sakuraba broke, causing Nakajima to scream at Kitamiya to finish the match), a Saito Slam and a brutal punch flurry, Kitamiya locked in another Prison Lock and seeing that Sugiura was not going to quit, he delivered a brutal headbutt, which caused blood to cascade down his face, and took the pin for the win.

No challengers came forward immediately, but Kitamiya did say the next day at the traditional day after press conference, that he had had enough of what he termed as “Old Man matches” and would be looking for a young team to challenge.

“Just what did happen in Tokyo, Kenoh?” ~ Kenoh, Kendo Kashin, the infamous press conference and a new challenger. 

 NOAH has had it’s press conference fights (usually involving Kenoh), it’s non-scenical promos (YO-HEY), it’s people who don’t turn up because they don’t want to and in the end NOAH stop asking them (STINGER), but it’s never ever had anything like what happened on the 4th March.

After Kenoh had finished growling about Kendo Kashin, Kendo Kashin sent a message via Ally (the NOAH ring announcer), apologizing for not attending, and addressing Kenoh by his real name (Daisuke), he had a giant box wheeled in. Kenoh (after instructing Ally to open it, which he didn’t), went to open the box and then jumped back (with a smile on his face I might add), as a figure rose out of the box and fired a streamer. Kenoh was too distracted by this to notice a familiar figure, (Kendo Kashin in the “Cheap Pirate” or “Pirate Maru”), sneaking up behind him to attack him. The figure in the box, who turned out once again to be NOAH’s much put upon bus driver, Mr Orange, made a hasty retreat and Kenoh was left lying in the shreds of “the present”.

Kendo Kashin wasn’t through with Kenoh, and kept up his antics; attacking him dressed as one of THE LEAVE MASKS (LEAVE MASK NUMBER 4 to be exact), at the FULL THROTTLE produce. Kenoh had thought nothing of the figure wearing it and playing with his phone when he made his entry, believing it was just one of FULL THROTTLE. Later, after being jumped after the match, Kenoh was angry at the fans for not telling him that Kendo Kashin (who claimed to be Hajime Ohara), was standing behind him. Kenoh later admitted that Kashin had gotten into his head.

Fortunately for Kenoh, Kendo Kashin (and only Kendo Kashin), turned up for the title match. Enraged beyond Kaito Kiyomiya levels, Kenoh came to the ring shouting at Kashin, and then without even doing his pose, he threw aside his coat and the match began. I don’t think Kenoh has ever had a match like this, let alone such feud, as it involved Kashin grabbing some perspex from the commentary table and trying to somehow choke Kenoh with it, loosening his boot which meant that when Kenoh went for the ankle lock the boot slipped off, and the usual low blows, which had Kenoh squirming around on the mat. However, Kenoh won the match by two brutal P.F.S, and retained the title after 11 minutes and 13 seconds.

Planting his angry red boot firmly on Kendo Kashin’s chest, Kenoh got on the microphone and started looking around for a new challenger. He found him at ringside, someone as far removed from Kendo Kashin as possible, someone who wouldn’t dress up in a variety of madcap costumes to attack him. This person would make him the strongest if he defeated them.

This person was the man who further damaged Go Shiozaki’s eyesight, made one of his eardrums tear and made his hearing worse, and dislocated his jaw…Kazuyuki Fujita.

Fujita accepted Kenoh’s challenge by getting into the ring, and putting his own heavy foot on Kashin’s chest, Fujita accepted the challenge. Then they got into a scuffle, which was quickly broken up by their seconds.

At the press conference the next day, (which for Kenoh’s sake was free of the threat of strange presents or men in masks), Kenoh addressed the title match saying that he was terrified of Kashin, and had nominated Fujita as challenger for two reasons, the first being that he wanted to use the GHC National to protect NOAH and get rid of “the old men”, likening NOAH to a retirement home, and the second being that if he could defeat Fujita, he would become the strongest.

Title match has been set for Korakuen Hall on the 21st March.

Mutoh vs Kiyomiya, Go Shiozaki hints at challenge

The final pre-match between Keiji Mutoh and Kaito Kiyomiya ended in frustration, when neither pinned the other in Yokohama on the 7th March. Kiyomiya left the ring looking angry, after slapping the mat.

The match signing was held on Monday 8th March. Mutoh did most of the talking (including saying that the red light district in Fukuoka, which seemed to be more of a risk to him than Kaito Kiyomiya), but Kiyomiya did hint that he had a special move up his sleeve, and one he had been saving since he last fought Mutoh in August 2020.

Go Shiozaki is waiting in the wings, commenting that if Mutoh challenged then he would challenge Mutoh, if Kiyomiya won then he would challenge Kiyomiya. However, Naomichi Marufuji has also hinted that he is after a belt, and I doubt he is going to give up the chance to challenge Mutoh. Shiozaki said that he was looking forward to seeing what happened in Fukuoka, and it may well be something he was not expecting.

“Funky Express”

With a new hair and new clothes, Shuhei Taniguchi has become a disco dancing machine, complete with funky glasses, and a yellow boa. Naomichi Marufuji seems pleased with the idea, saying that Shuhei Taniguchi looks happier than he has seen him for a long while, Akitoshi Saito, however is not as impressed.

After The Anti Wrestlers Alliance had beaten Funky Express on the 8th March in Yokohama, Saito asked Taniguchi why he was wearing such clothes, to which Taniguchi said he was “Funky with Yone”. Yone told Saito that he could talk, no one wore such “Showa style” clothes as him anymore. Saito said they did. Eventually a challenge was formed, the losing team will wear the costume of the winning team, and if Akitoshi Saito is to be believed, Masao Inoue is going to be put in charge of making them. The match will take place on the 21st March at Korakuen Hall.

I get the impression that this is going to be far more than just a comedy match, it will no doubt have some repercussions.

EVENT RECAPS & POST MATCH PROMOS

Event recap: “Engine Zenkai” ~ The FULL THROTTLE PRODUCE (Saturday 6th March, Yokohama Radiant Halls)

Post match interviews

Event recap: “Great Voyage in Yokohama” (Sunday 7th March, Yokohama Budokan)

Post match interviews 

ELSEWHERE IN NOAH

~ Kenoh is refusing to discuss the CyberFight Festival

~ Junta Miyawaki will be facing Yoshinari Ogawa on the 14th March in Fukuoka. Kotaro Suzuki is not going to be the ref this time.

~ Daisuke Harada posted a video of him training in the NOAH dojo with 120kgs of Yoshiki Inamura on his back.

~ At The FULL THROTTLE produce, YO-HEY was waving around a glowstick, which Hajime Ohara took off of him, and handed it to Seiki Yoshioka…who handed it back to YO-HEY.

~ Masao Inoue’s fifty-first birthday was celebrated in traditional NOAH style. This means that he was chopped, this year by Go Shiozaki. Inoue claims he is only 40.

~ Keiji Mutoh wrestled NOAH’s Yokohama Budokan event suffering from enteritis. He says he lost 5kgs during his illness.

~ Atsushi Kotoge won the final pre-match between himself and Seiki Yoshioka.

~ After the Kongoh juniors intruded into NOSAWA Rongai’s match against FULL THROTTLE at their produce, Hajime Ohara, using untypical language for himself, declared war on Kongoh saying “Hey, Kongoh! They aren’t your only enemies! We, Full Throttle, are too! It’s a full scale war, assholes!” The issue between NOSAWA and Tadasuke has been resolved (according to NOSAWA), which leaves FULL THROTTLE to fight Kongoh.

~ Go Shiozaki appears to have found a home with his fellow NOAH born, Kaito Kiyomiya and Yoshiki Inamura.

CURRENT CHAMPIONS

• GHC Heavyweight Champion: Keiji Mutoh
  Challenger: Kaito Kiyomiya (14th March, “Great Voyage in Fukuoka 2021”)
• GHC Junior Champion: Seiki Yoshioka
  Challenger: Atsushi Kotoge (14th March, “Great Voyage in Fukuoka 2021”)
• GHC Heavyweight Tag Champions: The AGGRESSION
  Challengers: TBA
• GHC Junior Tag Champions: STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa & HAYATA)
  Challengers: Momo No Seishun (Daisuke Harada & Junta Miyawaki) (21st March, “NOAH THE INFINITY 2021”)
•  GHC National Champion: Kenoh
  Challenger: Kazuyuki Fujita (21st March, “NOAH THE INFINITY 2021”)

THIS WEEK IN NOAH

Friday 12th March: Kenoh will be the special guest on BATTLEMEN

Sunday 14th March: “Great Voyage in Fukuoka” (Starts 15:00 JST)

BROADCASTS

*Please note, unless stated it is a free stream, you must be a subscriber to WRESTLEUNIVERSE to view events. Subscription is free for first month, then 900 yen per calendar month. You can sign up from anywhere in the world. All ABEMA shows are eventually put on WRESTLEUNIVERSE.

“Great Voyage in Fukuoka” will be broadcast via the following:

~ ABEMA

Free and worldwide. Coverage starts at 2:30 JST. If you cannot catch the event at the time of broadcast, you can watch it for seven days afterwards before it gets put on WRESTLEUNIVERSE.

Japanese commentary.

~ FITE TV

The event can be purchased for $19.99. English commentary. Please check the FITETV twitter account as they often have competitions were you can win a free viewing code.

LINKS

The Sugiura Army & The AGGRESSION: GHC Heavyweight Tag Match signing

Invitation to the “young guys who think I am”, new tag champions Nakajima & Kitamiya press conference for the first title defense 

To counterattack Fujita, National Champion Kenoh declares, “Hunting the strongest old man…”

Manabu Soya ~ Press conference for match against Kazuyuki Fujita

“Switch off Kotoge”, champion Yoshioka to build a new landscape, 14th March GHC Junior match signing ceremony

GIFS taken from NOAH Official YouTube and WrestleUniverse

Picture credit: Daisuke Harada