Pro Wrestling NOAH kicks off the new year with a show at the Nippon Budokan! Ultimo Dragon, Keiji Muto and KENTA are kicking off the new year NOAH style!

Now I haven’t been shy in my general disinterest of wrestling, which honestly NOAH is the only brand that kept my interest, I just was generally disenchanted by wrestling in 2021. Might as well try to kick things off with NOAH’s big Budokan New Year show!

A few of the early attention grabbing highlights, Ultimo Dragon, KENTA and 4 championship matches! Do Marufuji and Keiji Muto hold on to the tag team titles? Does Go Shiozaki return to the mountain top after his injury hiatus and dethrone Katsuhiko Nakajima?

Only one way to find out!

Ratings:

• Junta Miyawaki & Kinya Okada vs Kai Fujimura & Yatsuke Yano: Miyawaki wins via Falcon Arrow @8:39 – ** ½
• Funky Express (King Tany, Akitoshi Saito & Mohammad Yone) vs KONGOH (Tadasuke, NIOH & Manabu Soya): Yone wins via Muscle Buster @8:45 – ** ¾
• STINGER (Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu) vs KONGOH (HAOH & Aleja): HAOH wins via 450 Splash @11:44 – ***
• Atsushi Kotoge, Daisuke Harada, Hajime Ohara & Ultimo Dragon vs Los Perros del Mal de Japon (Kotaro Suzuki, YO-HEY, EITA & Nosawa Rongai): Ultimo wins via La Magistral @13:51 – *** ¼
• Masakatsu Funaki & Hidaka Ikuto vs Kendo Kashin & Kazuyuki Fujita: Fujita wins via Beast Bomb @12:17 – **
• GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: HAYATA (c) vs Yoshinari Ogawa: HAYATA retains via Cradle @20:54 – **** ¼
• GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Keiji Muto & Naomichi Marufuji vs Masato Tanaka & Masaki Mochizuki: Geniuses retain via Figure Four @20:50 – **** ¼
• KENTA, Takashi Suguira & Kazushi Sakuraba vs Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura & Masa Kitamiya: KENTA wins via Go 2 Sleep @25:46 – ****
• GHC National Championship: Kenoh (c) vs Kaito Kiyomiya: Kenoh retains via Roundhouse Kick @24:42 – **** ¼
• GHC Heavyweight Championship: Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) vs Go Shiozaki: Nakajima retains via Emerald Flowsion @30:10 – *****

Results:

Starting off with a musical number, we go into a quick vignette that is shot like a classic Edo Period drama. With Shiozaki entering the evil emperor’s (Nakajima) throne room and they have a stare off before going to a few cuts of the rest of the card’s major combatants. It was a really nice touch, and gets the idea of the returning hero trying to take down the villain over beautifully.

Junta Miyawaki & Kinya Okada vs Kai Fujimura & Yatsuke Yano

Miyawaki gets the Young Boy treatment because he’s been injured for nearly a year. He was starting to get some headway before his injury, but now this is effectively a “get right” match and allows him to set the tone at the historic Budokan.

The less experienced duo of Yano and Fujimura do their best to really try to work over Miyawaki. Lots of great tandem attacks, the Midnight Express Double Drop Kick and just generally throwing the book at the returning elder young boy. Miyawaki starts his comeback with a Tornado DDT, Snap DDT, Fisherman’s Buster and a delayed Falcon Arrow that was just beautiful. Good way to show Miyawaki is back in form.

Funky Express (King Tany, Akitoshi Saito & Mohammad Yone) vs KONGOH (Tadasuke, NIOH & Manabu Soya)

Still not used to seeing Taniguchi as King Tany. It allows for him to actually show a measure of personality which he usually doesn’t, and it’s not super hard to wrap my head around…I just will always see him as the Maybach monster…and now he’s doing disco.

This goes the way most multiman Puro matches do. Each side gets their moves in, all the men get a shot to shine and then we finally start getting to the meat of the match when Yone comes back in and Tadasuke takes a hot tag and peppers Yone with some offense. Tadasuke also does his best Chris Jericho impression before hitting a Swanton and then going for his version of the Jumbo Lariat. Yone buys time with his Disco pose, then catches Tadasuke and that allows the rest of the Funky Express to get in some offense. Reverse Sitout Powerbomb from Tany, Death Sickle from Saito and Muscle Buster from Yone gives the Funky Express the win!

Is this a bad sign for KONGOH? With 3 more matches involving KONGO members, two of them being the biggest titles in the company, is this a harbinger?

STINGER (Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu) vs KONGOH (HAOH & Aleja)

Stinger starts things off quickly, as to be expected. Junior Heavyweight style doesn’t change too much over all the Puro companies, and when all four of these men are known as more classic Juniors and not mat technicians, this should be quick and striking.

When it comes to my knowledge of these teams, Susumu and Yoshioka are very accomplished as singles and together. They wrestle circles around most Juniors in the business at the moment. Aleja has potential but HAOH is usually more of a glue guy. Only time he really impressed me was his singles match with Kotaro Suzuki, but he at least has the potential to bring it.

With all that said, we get levels of cockiness from the Stinger crew, and the Kongo guys utilize their cleverness and gaps in the defense to stay in the match. HAOH does a move I’ve seen him do a few times, but it’s still cool. He feeds into the corner, jumps on the middle turnbuckle, baits the guy in, walks the ropes away, rewinds and attacks. Kongo takes that advantage and they start quickening the pace, trying to steal one. Tandem Neckbreaker/Leg Drop, HAOH goes for a Leg Twist German, but Yoshioka kicks out, HAOH hits the 450 Splash, and picks up the win!

Kongoh got a win back and it definitely came in a match where they were not favored.

Atsushi Kotoge, Daisuke Harada, Hajime Ohara & Ultimo Dragon vs Los Perros del Mal de Japon (Kotaro Suzuki, YO-HEY, EITA & Nosawa Rongai)

So the beauty in the heel group here is that EITA is known for his Dragon Gate career, but Nosawa got the okay to utilize a the Perros del Mal stable in NOAH. So the Perros have their Dragon Gate guy, and the babyfaces have, well…THE DRAGON that started Dragon Gate.

Kotaro calls out Ultimo first, and they have a decent exchange, where Ultimo gets the standing Headscissors twist off twice. Mark Pickering does a great job at showing the ties between most of the men. Ohara is Dragon’s protégé, and Dragon has faced everyone on the Perros team many times. So I do appreciate that he’s doing great keeping the story threading together. Kotoge and Harada are a tag team known as Momo no Seishun. So whatever ties aren’t present because of Ultimo Dragon, it’s because the Perros are a thorn in many sides.

The Perros really utilize the sliding and tandem dropkicks a lot. Poor Kotoge is on the receiving end of numerous kicks to the head, gets tripped in the corner, posted between his legs and then Suzuki pushes him back into the post using the ropes for added leverage. Kotoge needs to find a way to tag out and possible check to make sure he doesn’t have a concussion or an impromptu vasectomy. After some attempted stopping, Harada finally gets tagged in, evens things out and Ultimo gets his hands on Eita for a few moments.

Nosawa takes the tag from Eita, they clear house a bit and Nosawa tries to embarrass Dragon with a La Magistral, but Ohara breaks it up. Dragon tries his own, but a low blow and distracted referee gives Nosawa the chance to try and take Dragon’s mask. Kotoge makes the save, Eita tries to take out Kotoge but Kotoge keeps the advantage. Dumps Eita out, big Tope con Hilo, so the Babyfaces are rolling. Nosawa tries a few moves into a La Magistral, but Dragon counters that, and finally locks in his La Magistral for the win.

Ultimo is now 4-0 in his career in NOAH. Will he stick around? This was the best I’ve seen Ultimo look in a while.

Masakatsu Funaki & Hidaka Ikuto vs Kendo Kashin & Kazuyuki Fujita

This match went how most of us expected. Kashin got beat up quite a bit, Ikuto threw the decorations at him, Funaki stretched him but Fujita was the enforcer. Once Kashin got Fujita back in, Ikuto died. Ikuto sells the Beast Bomb as a Knockout, so much so that Funaki goes to get water and pours it on his face to wake him up.

Decent enough match, but Fujita is still very legit and when he’s motivated, his matches are impressive to watch.

GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: HAYATA (c) vs Yoshinari Ogawa

Ogawa really has had a tendency to attack his tag team partners when they hold the singles title. If this goes the way of his Kotaro Suzuki challenge, it was more just to get the challenge out of his system and then back to business as tag champions. The NOAH Junior division is always…interesting if nothing else.

Things start very quickly, Ogawa may have a longer wrestling career than HAYATA does years alive, but that doesn’t slow him down. HAYATA and Ogawa spend some time utilizing the guardrails and outside, before bringing things back in as to not risk a DQ. After some back and forth, Ogawa finally gets a hold of his strategy and keeps a Key Lock in for quite some time. Even rolling through with it, countering HAYATA’s attempted rope run comeback with a Hip Toss into more Key Lock. HAYATA manages to get out and then goes for some high risk spots landing a big Tornado DDT out of the corner, and HAYATA tries to keep things going. As he whips Ogawa into the corner, Ogawa stops himself and counters HAYATA to take back the momentum. HAYATA goes back to the arm he was working on with an Armbar, HAYATA tries to get out of it, but Ogawa transitions it into a Hammerlock and drops the knee into the wrist.

Ogawa is doing a great job keeping up with the speed and still applying his great technical prowess. MY FAVORITE OGAWA MOVE! HAYATA gets the advantage, goes for a Thesz Press from the middle rope, but Ogawa falls backwards so his knee meets HAYATA’s nether region in the most seamless counter to a move. Can’t DQ a guy when the other person drove himself into the knee. This of course gives Ogawa some solid time in control, which he uses the apron, the post, works over some joints and holds a top wristlock as the re-enter the ring and HAYATA barely escapes to the ropes.

HAYATA does manage a small glimmer of hope before posting himself and Ogawa goes back into a Top Wristlock/Camel Clutch variation. HAYATA gets Ogawa off balance, but Ogawa hits a Snap DDT, posts him again, Back Suplex and then Back Drop Driver twice; but HAYATA kicks out. So Ogawa is showing frustration as he’s going to power moves instead of his technical prowess. He goes to the well too many times, HAYATA flips through the Backdrop, hits a Lariat and then a combination of kicks ending with an Enzuigiri. DDT from HAYATA, which makes sense to soften him up for Headache, but then HAYATA goes to the Moonsault and Ogawa gets the knees up.

Both men are making dumb choices because they’re frustrated. HAYATA goes for Headache, Ogawa blocks in, tries to lock in a leg lace or Figure Four on HAYATA, but a quick Up Kick and HAYATA cradles Ogawa tightly for a 3 count! Surprise pin out of both men’s desperation, doesn’t make anyone look bad. Really clever finish.

After the match HAYATA extends the hand, but Ogawa is still hot that he lost because he got out witted and not directly beaten. So Ogawa throws down the Junior Tag title, rejects the handshake and stomps off.

GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Keiji Muto & Naomichi Marufuji vs Masato Tanaka & Masaki Mochizuki

Mochi starts things off with Muto, which makes sense due to Tanaka having a match earlier in the day for the Zero1 promotion. So this allows Mochi to get some more work against Muto and give Tanaka as long of a breather as possible.

Tanaka and Marufuji go back and forth for a little bit and Tanaka doesn’t look gassed at all. He’s crisp, going move for move and forces Marufuji to avoid the Sliding D or it could’ve been an early issue. Muto gets back in and both Mochi and Tanaka work over the Legend. Indian Deathlocks and a heavy focus on his legs is smart. Not only is Muto’s age a key factor in where to attack, the surgically replaced knees are always a target and after he pulled it back out last year, there has to be a tiny fear of the Moonsault returning.

Mochi and Marufuji square off, as we get for tag team partners teeing off. Mochi’s kicks and Marufuji’s whip like chops trade back and forth. Mochi gets the best of things, gets Tanaka in and Tanaka tries to keep the pressure up. Sliding D off the apron, a few big Brain Busters, but Marufuji keeps fighting back with KO-OHs and clever shots to keep his team in. Multiple Sliding D variations from Tanaka, Marufuji with a flurry of his own offense before Tanaka hits a Kobashi style Spinning Backfist for both to have to tag out.

Mochi and Muto go back and forth. A few great kicks and a block of the Shining Wizard almost spell disaster but Marufuji makes a save. Slingshot Backstabber from Marufuji gives Muto the opening for the Shining Wizard, but a Shotei stops Muto, Tandem Sliding D and Sliding Knee force Marufuji  in to make the save. Marufuji pulls off the 2v1, dodges a few attacks, and manages a Jumping KO-OH, Shining Wizard from Muto. Marufuji and Muto pull off some tandem offense of their own, but Mochi refuses to stay down. Mochi refuses to lose to multiple Shining Wizards, so Muto pulls out the Figure Four and Mochi is forced to tap.

The Geniuses mark their first successful defense together.

KENTA, Takashi Suguira & Kazushi Sakuraba vs Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura & Masa Kitamiya

KENTA and Kitamiya start off, KENTA continues his shenanigans of powdering early. Kitamiya then pushes his power game on KENTA and you can see small glimmers of old KENTA getting dragged back out. As they do the usual take turns approach to tag teams, Inamura comes in and gets tied in the ropes early and KENTA decides to step on the Young Bulldozer’s face. This pisses off Inamura, so even though Sugiura is the legal man, Inamura goes after KENTA and KENTA takes the old NOAH veteran approach. He no sells the offense, grabs him by the hair and this has a lot of shades of when the current vertarns were young facing Kobashi, Misawa, Sasaki and KENTA took great notes. Inamura makes it his life goal to go after KENTA. Inamura catches him by surprise, but as things break down a little later you can see KENTA isn’t playing. He’s no selling Inamura and even no sells Kitamiya’s attack, just walks off. This s really interesting. This is either NOAH KENTA doing his veteran approach, or someone really pissed him off.

WOW, Inamura charges in to break a pinfall and KENTA casually steps back and makes the younger look stupid while stepping on Inaba. This is really classic veteran match play and then Inamura blind sides KENTA. KENTA drops to a knee and stares the kid down. Kitamiya gets Suigura in the Prison Lock, KENTA walks in to break it up, but Inamura comes in and stares down KENTA. After some staring and a few words, KENTA slaps him back into 2021, and Inamura powders looks rattled. KENTA does get the hold broken, but then eats some offense by Kitamiya for his troubles.

Kitamiya and Sakuraba exchanging as things break down a little more, Inaba gets tagged in and tries to speed things up. Sakuraba blocks a Brainbuster attempt by sitting out, but Inaba continues his relentless assault. Smartly, Inamura and KENTA come in together and this was a war. KENTA does more selling for the youngster and Inamura gets some great moment in. Kitamiya might still be a little salty that about KENTA walking away from him earlier, but it paid off in a beautiful old school NOAH way. KENTA landed his offense, and punctuated the match with a Go 2 Sleep.

KENTA puts over Inamura in the post-match, Sugiura asks KENTA to fight for NOAH against the NJPW team on the 8^th.  KENTA agrees to team with Suigura and Sakuraba again and legitimately looks happy. With KENTA putting Inamura over, it’s either a clever cover that he took the Pillar approach to dealing with younger wrestlers or that was the idea that KENTA was intended to go through the pacings with the tiny tank.  

We’ve had such great matches, it’s hard to think that these final 2 still have potential to raise the bar even higher. Kaito and Kenoh have had a brotherly rivalry as have Katsuhiko and Go. So familiarity breeds contempt, and these could set the bar insanely high for the first day of a New Year.

GHC National Championship: Kenoh (c) vs Kaito Kiyomiya

Early on Kaito tries his damndest to apply his athleticism and just generally more flashy moves. Its fun to see how far Kaito has come, since I remember when he first came back from abroad and was really in a bit over his head. He was thrown into the fire and even given a yearlong Heavyweight Title reign as he was learning. Seeing a much more polished Kaito is actually really fun personally.

Kenoh starts beating the hell out of the Supernova, throws him around outside and lands pinpoint Sole Butts, Round Kicks and just general big brothering. Chiding slaps, kicks for the hell of it and Kenoh is trying to prove a point. Kaito manages a Lariat off the ropes, dumps Kenoh to the outside and then charges and does a no touch Tope con Hilo right on to Kenoh.

Kiyomiya locks Kenoh into the Stretch Plum, and it’s nice to see how he started off as channeling Misawa, and now he’s learning to reinvent and adapt other things to slowly become his own person. Kenoh fires as Kiyomiya taps into a bit of the Rainmaker cockiness, since he so desperately wants a match with Kazuchika Okada. We see a Snap Dragon Suplex from Kenoh, Okada-esque Dropkick from Kiyomiya and then Kenoh hits a PK for them to both have a breather spot.

The aggression turns up, Kenoh starts hitting some stiff strikes and looks to go to the ropes. Kenoh’s finisher is a Rolling Double Foot Stomp when he’s not knocking people out. Kaito blocks, Kenoh jumps to the ramp, Kaito tries to follow but Kenoh catches him with a fierce German Suplex. As Kaito is rocked, Kenoh hits a normal Double Foot Stomp, but between how long it takes to roll him in the ring, Kaito kicks out.

Kenoh tries to hit a PK and go back for another Professional Foot Stomp, but Kaito blocks him and starts putting some offense together. Big strikes, Falcon Arrow variations, but Kenoh kicks out. They trade counters on big moves until Kenoh pulls a little Minoru Suzuki, changes levels and tries to slow the Supernova with a Sleeper. Kaito is mostly out, Professional Foot Stomp, but only two. Tiger Suplex, Dragon Suplex, strike exchange. The aggression and frustration is palpable. Kenoh hits a thunderous Roundhouse as Kaito folds over and the referee stops Kenoh from covering Kaito and calls for the bell. Kaito got knocked out, Kenoh retains!

Happy birthday Kenoh, you bastard!

GHC Heavyweight Championship: Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) vs Go Shiozaki

Sufficed to say, these two have a lot of history. As opponents, as one of the best tag teams of the last few years AXIZ. Nakajima betrayed Shiozaki in 2020 during Go’s big title run. Go was able to stifle Nakajima’s rise in 2022, but after injuries caught up with him, Nakajima has had a chance to ascend to the top. Do we get a returning hero celebration, or will Go need more time to get back to his peak performance and fall to the Dark Side of Nakajima?

The first exchange is a kick from Nakajima, and returned with a thudding Shiozaki chop. Nakajima powders and Shiozaki goes after him. Nakajima trips up Shiozaki and sends him face first into the middle turnbuckle, kick to the pad and some nice offense from Nakajima. We then get Nakajima going from corner to corner for his 5 Second Pose on your throat. Nakajima’s personality always shines in his matches but his ability is second to none.

The smartass tendencies of Nakajima continue, and Shiozaki lands a Gowan Lariat because Nakajima is leaving himself open. Machine Gun chops in the corner, and Shiozaki is really playing the hits to prove his shoulder is in good shape. Those chops hurt my chest watching on Wrestle Universe. Nakajima catches Go with a classic Enzuigiri, and that gives him the momentum. Nakajima throws Go out, Apron PK and then just a lot of use of the outside to assist his attacks. They go to the ramp, fight back and forth and then Nakajima gets an idea.

2003 Kobashi and Misawa went through his mind, but Shiozaki blocked numerous times. Shiozaki counters, and then executes a release German Suplex sending Nakajima to the floor from the elevated ramp. Shiozaki manages to get Nakajima back into the ring before 20, goes for a larger move but Nakajima buys himself time by rolling away from it and landing a swift kick to help recollect himself. Fighting Spirit Kicks/Chops trade begins when they get up. This fighting spirit spot is a little reminiscent of the Kensuke Sasaki v Kenta Kobashi chop fest. Granted it’s both of their mentors, but it’s their version of it since Nakajima is known for his kicks.

Sick bump #2 pic.twitter.com/oRlwu28Ek3

— Pro-Wrestling Noah Eng (Hisame, 冰雨) (@Hi5ame) January 1, 2022

Go Flasher stops Nakajima’s run long enough for Shiozaki to collect himself and try to mount a comeback. Shiozaki charges with the Lariat, but it gets countered with a kick, then Nakajima kicks Go in the face and he’s rocked. Vertical Spike from Nakajima and…oh wait Go kicked out! Shiozaki dodges the punt, Nakajima tries to go after him and Shiozaki’s struggling to get up. The referee checks to make sure he’s actually okay, and apparently is. R15 returns a boot from Shiozaki, then as he’s perched, Nakajima goes for an Avalanche Frankensteiner, but Go holds on. Lifts Nakajima all the way up, Avalanche Brainbuster, stumbling and a Gowan Lariat takes Nakajima’s head off but only for 2!

Shiozaki removes the elbow pad, close range Gowan Lariat, also for just 2. Shiozaki goes for his big match move homage to Kenta Kobashi, as he goes for the Moonsault, but Nakajima moves. Punt from Nakajima gets a very weak kick out from Go. Vertical Spike number 2, with a long delay, is – AGAIN Shiozaki kicks out! Nakajima calls Shiozaki to his feet and hits him with a fusion of the Vertical Spike and Emerald Flowsion. Nakajima retains!

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Either my expectations were just insanely low, or whatever, but this show was possibly the best event I’ve seen. It flowed, the four hours breezed by and everything fed well into each other. The last 5 matches were amazing, they all had their own personality; but it was just wonderful to watch.

NOAH continues to impress me the more I watch the product, and hopefully NOAH can drag this level of quality and intrigue out of New Japan. Here’s to hoping that all 3 Wrestle Kingdom days are just as captivating, not just the January 8th event.

KONGOH ended up going 3-1 in all their matches, and the way they ended the show by declaring their intentions again New Japan and saying “WE are NOAH”, is great stuff.

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📺【ABEMA PPV】絶賛販売中🔥
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■WRESTLE KINGDOM「新日本プロレス vs プロレスリング ・ノア」横浜アリーナ
配信:1/8(土)こご5時〜
販売:2022/1/13(木)よる11時59分まで

日本向けPPV⇒https://t.co/CljBwn9F44
海外向けPPV⇒https://t.co/IUO6DhWjYk#プロレスのチカラ #njpw #noah_ghc pic.twitter.com/KoEi1ztPSr

— プロレスリング・ノア ｜PROWRESTLING NOAH (@noah_ghc) January 1, 2022