​Noah fans travelled to a cold and rainy Nagoya today to see the fallout from the N-1 VICTORY. One local fan said he came to the venue before his night shift began, for others this was the last time they would see Noah until 2021. 
The venue itself (which was apparently rocking out to Thai POP\Rap), is situated in mall, and Kenoh was photographed shopping at 7-11. The bus was parked at the back, and fans had pictures taken in front of it. Go Shiozaki was on autograph duty. 

The event today was not streamed live, but it will be available to view from the 27th October on WRESTLE UNIVERSE. You will need to be a subscriber to view. 

I am afraid that there wasn't too much information coming out of today's show, so the report is a little thin on the ground. 

MATCH ONE
Mohammed Yone & Kinya Okada vs Kongoh (Nioh & Tadasuke)
WINNER: Tadasuke with the lariat on Kinya Okada (12 minutes, 29 seconds)

MATCH TWO
The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura & NOSAWA Rongai) vs Kongoh (Masa Kitamiya & Manabu Soya)

Kongoh managed to take out The Sugiura Army in a matter of a few seconds, however, this was on the smaller junior wrestler NOSAWA, not Takashi Sugiura.

WINNER: Manabu Soya with a lariat on NOSAWA Rongai (1 minute, 33 seconds)

MATCH THREE
Naomichi Marufuji vs Haoh

In the square up at the start, Naomichi Marufuji towered over the much smaller Haoh. Haoh naturally got chopped to shreds and finished the match with a bright red chest, and most likely a headache. Haoh, however left his mark, as Marufuji photographed himself afterwards with red bruising on his neck.

WINNER: Naomichi Marufuji with the True Tiger King (14 minutes, 21 seconds)

Afterwards Marufuji said that he knew that Haoh was a good wrestler, and if he's going to come to Noah, to aim for the top. If he's not going to, then he shouldn't have come.

MATCH FOUR
Momo No Seishun (Junta Miyawaki, Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge) vs FULL THROTTLE (Hajime Ohara, YO-HEY & Seiki Yoshioka)

Two grudges were going on in this match, with Junta Miyawaki stuck in the middle between the warring YO-HEY and Daisuke Harada, and Atsushi Kotoge and Seiki Yoshioka. 

WINNER: Seiki Yoshioka with The Crash Driver on Junta Miyawaki (27 minutes, 12 seconds)

Afterwards, Harada\YO-HEY and Kotoge\Yoshioka squared up to each other, with Hajime Ohara getting in the ring and Miyawaki rolling on the floor. FULL THROTTLE pulled their pose, with YO-HEY in usually typically crazy manner. Backstage, Seiki Yoshioka said that Momo No Seishun were "a relic of the past". 

MATCH FIVE
Go Shiozaki, Kaito Kiyomiya & Shuhei Taniguchi vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Yoshiki Inamura)

Main event looks to have started with Katsuhiko Nakajima putting his mouthguard in, and grinning at Go Shiozaki, Kenoh and Kaito Kiyomiya aware of each other (although Kiyomiya did not challenge for the GHC National), which left the rivalry between Yoshiki Inamura and Shuhei Taniguchi, Noah's monsters. Kiyomiya got "The Shutter Chance", with Shiozaki having to endure the "Endless Love" (Kongoh version)

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat on Yoshiki Inamura (26 minutes, 28 seconds)

For Shiozaki, there was a square up with Nakajima after the match. Shiozaki spoke on the mic and said loudly, "I am the GHC champion! I am NOAH!" Nakajima just grinned and left. After Kongoh had left, Shiozaki spoke to the audience saying that he was happy to be back in Nagaoka, and how (with the current Corona pandemic), they would overcome it together. He knew that the audience couldn't physically cheer, but they could in their hearts. 

WITH THANKS TO: Naomi, Dragon Saku, Kei, Fuma, Kobatsuki, Hachikoutweet
PICTURE CREDITS: Noah GHC, Naomichi Marufuji
Noah will be back on Wednesday 28th at Korakuen Hall

​"Sunday Night Fever"

Mohammed Yone had nothing but gratitude today to Noah\CyberFight being able to book out Korakuen Hall on a Sunday, which is a hard thing to do unless you want it for the whole afternoon\evening. As a result the card was only five matches, and it was a testament to Mohammed Yone as to his popularity with Noah fans. According to Abeshin (an attendee at the event), a lot of people had come directly from the New Japan event which was nearby. 

Flowers lined the lobby; Kenta Kobashi, TEENS HEAVEN, LIDET to name a few had sent them, along with associates of Yone's restaurant, Yoneya (where some fans stopped off to eat before the event). Yone also made a display of his different ringwear from his twenty-five year career. In the main hall, a disco ball was on the monitor as naturally Korakuen is not suited to hanging one from the ceiling. The new boy, Yasuta Yano, was at ringside. The next time he will be here will be in the ring. 

Mohammed Yone welcomed everyone to the show via video monitor, afro comb in hand and crazy smile. He wanted everyone to have lots of fun. The event was streamed live on WRESTLE-UNIVERSE. You must be a subscriber to view.

MATCH ONE
Yoshiki Inamura vs Kinya Okada

Like Hajime Ohara before him, Yoshiki Inamura found that this was a very different Kinya Okada than previously. The match displayed how far they had both come, especially for Okada who had dropped behind his classmate Inamura due to a couple of injuries which delayed both his debut and his early career. Okada used a combination of the echoing kicks he has incorporated, and his classical style, which included multiple elbow drops, leg hold reversal when Inamura picked up and had him on his shoulder, and a bridge to try and pin Inamura with. Crowd were applauding this next step in their rivalry. Inamura then lost his temper, and roaring in fury repeatedly slammed Okada who kicked out. 
Inamura finding he couldn't pin him, went for the submission, but the time ran out. 

WINNER: Neither, time out draw (15 minutes) 

Sadly for Yoshiki Inamura (who lay on the mat screaming in rage, and he could be heard doing the same when Okada left the ring), the elusive hunt for that first win continues. Kinya Okada said he will be training harder as he let the opportunities for victory slip.

MATCH TWO
Mohammed Yone & Alexander Otsuka vs The Anti Wrestlers Alliance (Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue)

"Nobody wants him
He just stares at the world
Planning his vengeance
That he will soon unfurl"

Alexander Otsuka, (like Kinya Okada and Yoshiki Inamura were meant to be), is Mohammed Yone's twin debut as they debuted together on both the same day and in the same promotion (Fujiwara). Kenoh would also make his debut against Otsuka. Throwing themselves back to the past, Yone and Otsuka came out to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" in their own "Love Warriors" jackets, and immediately attacked. Despite this, Akitoshi Saito was loving it. 

Usual comedy spots from Yone, Inoue and Saito; Yone's usual thwarting of Inoue, Saito yelling his instructions to Inoue, and Inoue on form, bumbling around with eye rakes etc. Otsuka even got in on the action with a bald abdominal headbutt to imitate Yone's abdominal afro headbutt.  

Then it happened....

WINNNER: Masao Inoue with the sneak win on Mohammed Yone (12 minutes, 56 seconds)

​No one at all could believe that Masao Inoue had won. "No one" also includes Akitoshi Saito, who despite being Masao Inoue's fair weather friend (well, he doesn't even pretend to be that), who is so used to Inoue losing matches, he joined in with Yone and Otsuka in protesting to the referee that it was two. Saito even went so far as to stamp on Inoue!

Alexander Otsuka spoke on the microphone afterwards, and made a small speech about their shared debut. 

MATCH THREE
THE LEAVE'S MASK 1, THE LEAVE MASK 2, THE LEAVE MASK 3 vs Kongoh (Haoh, Nioh & Tadasuke)

There was a tiny incident which caused Tadasuke to get angry when he got to the ring and found that he couldn't get into it in time for a smooth entry as his is timed with Haoh and Nioh's, and he kicked the ring apron. It was caused by either the ladder not being in place, or photographers being in the way. 

As this match was sponsored by THE LEAVE (Noah's long term sponsors), they sponsored three masked wrestlers to face Kongoh. The blonde hair under one of them, the goatee on the other (plus the fact he was enough of a dork to tuck his t-shirt into his shorts), and the smaller beard on the other was a dead give away that it was FULL THROTTLE under the mask. Suspicions were further aroused when one of them (guess which one), started messing around in the first lock up. Tadasuke, already in a bad mood, held up two screw you fingers to them as The LEAVE Masks were besting them, 

Kongoh, very little sense of humor, broke up their comedy when they messed around outside the ring and Nioh decided to unmask number 2, and the others joined in. The masks off and with the big reveal, THE  LEAVE MASKS\FULL THROTTLE started screaming and hiding their faces. 

WINNER: Leave Mask 2 (Seiki Yoshioka) with the Swanton Bomb on Nioh (14 minutes, 59 seconds)

Putting their masks back on, THE LEAVE MASKS returned backstage and unsuccessfully tried to get the President of THE LEAVE to come out, they managed to get him almost to entryway before giving up.

MATCH FOUR
Go Shiozaki, Kaito Kiyomiya & Daiki Inaba vs The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura, NOSAWA & Kaz Hayashi)

Despite his silence on social media and when he did a post a picture, his face was obscured, Kaito Kiyomiya did not have any bruising on his face today following the match with Kaito Kiyomiya. The red scrape looks to have healed. 

NOSAWA Rongai took an interest in Go Shiozaki, and told Kiyomiya to tag him in. Kiyomiya did as he was told. Shiozaki rubbed his hands together as he climbed through the ropes. NOSAWA tried to chop him, and then with a massive thud, Shiozaki knocked him to the mat. 
NOSAWA tried to tag out with Takashi Sugiura and Kaz Hayashi refusing, with Sugi telling him that he wanted Shiozaki, he fight him. 

NOSAWA then got the machine gun chops and screamed sarcastically "MORE", so Shiozaki did them again. NOSAWA got them about four times as Sugi kept telling Shiozaki to do them, and then laughing at the results. 
NOSAWA, looking very ragged, eventually made it back to his corner and tagged one of his partners in. 

Elsewhere there was an elbow war between Kaito Kiyomiya and Takashi Sugiura, Daiki Inaba did not find Takashi Sugiura easy, and Kaz Hayashi used both his experience and his bad language against Kiyomiya, saying "F U MFER".

NOSAWA had his revenge on Go Shiozaki, which involved imitating Keiji Mutoh's bad knees before a Shining Wizard. Shiozaki couldn't really believe what he was seeing, especially when NOSAWA tried to lariat him and looked as if he was colliding with a wall. Shiozaki gave him a demonstration in how it was done.

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat on NOSAWA Rongai (15 minutes, 48 seconds)
​

MATCH FIVE
Mohammed Yone 25th Anniversary Match: Mohammed Yone, Daisuke Ikeda & Ikuto Hidaka vs Naomichi Marufuji, Yuji Ishikawa & Junji Tanaka

For his 25th anniversary, Go Shiozaki (not only the GHC Heavyweight Champion, but the Chairman of the Noah Wrestlers Alliance), came out to present Mohammed Yone with flowers on behalf of the roster. They took a commemorative picture, and I am amazed that Shiozaki kept from having total hysterical laughter as long as he did. 

Mohammed Yone teamed with old friends Ikuto Hidaka and Daisuke Ikeda (both have BattlArts associations as do Yuji Ishikawa and the man who looks as if he arrived from the Edo period with only half his clothes, Junji Tanaka). Hidaka makes the rare appearance in Noah, but Ikeda hasn't been seen since 2017 when he and Kenoh teamed against Marshall & Ross Von Erich. For Marufuji, Ikeda's one night return to Noah, was a continuation of their last match in 2017 when Marufuji was on the winning team. 
As for Hidaka, Marufuji had said on social media he was going to give Hidaka 25 chops, one for each of Yone's years; it would have made more sense for Marufuji to do this to Yone as it's his anniversary, but I think that is probably why he didn't (and is probably also why he bowed to him instead of knocking him off the apron). Marufuji carried out his threat, and chopped him twenty five times. These weren't machine gun chops like Shiozaki, but his singular stinging shots which Eddie Edwards described as being able to tear you apart just by one. Yone counted along. Hidaka's revenge was short, as after ducking Marufuji's kicks, he was hook kicked in the face. 

If it can be imagined, Junji Tanaka is even worse than Masao Inoue. Inoue at least has a small grip on reality, Tanaka threw himself off the top turnbuckle to splash Yone, who was on the other side of the ring and quickly scooped him up for the win. 

WINNER: Mohammed Yone with the Kinniku Meat Buster (28 minutes, 13 seconds)

After the match, Yone was presented with more flowers by old friend Ishikawa, and then he made a speech on the microphone joking that his rushing fast into twenty-five years had caused distress to his parents, and thanking fans for giving him this day. 

With thanks to: Fujiwara Armbar, Abeshin
GIFS taken from WRESTLE UNIVERSE
Noah's next event: Saturday October 24th

​It was a grand finals in night in Osaka. The typhoon had been chased away (as one fan put it, probably by the collective will of the Noah fans), but the storm wasn't going to occur outside, what happened inside the stadium was like the few strong gusts before the heavens opened, or perhaps in this case, before Hell cracked. The event was streamed live on ABEMA (137.2K people tuned in) via a free worldwide stream. If you click on the link it will take you to the show, but you can only view it for seven days, after that it will be put on WRESTLE UNIVERSE, which is a subscription service. Jurina Matsui (rooting for Kaito Kiyomiya) and Kenta Kobashi were the special guest commentators. 

The show started with Takuma Sano's "farewell ceremony". Sano is probably not too familiar with the majority of Noah fans these days, so I will take a few moments just to tell you about him. Takuma Sano was not part of the Noah walk out (he's a New Japan Young Lion), and came to Noah in 2001. Sano stayed until 2012 when his contract expired. During that time he held the GHC Heavyweight Tag titles with Yoshihiro Takayama in 2010. He left Noah to become a freelancer two years later, and thereafter mainly worked in the MMA sphere. The lobby of the arena was filled today with flowers for him, Jushin Thunder Lyger (who had been Sano's rival), had sent a bouquet. 
Sano's generation do not like the word "Retire", and so his ceremony today was more of a transition of saying "Farewell" to wrestling but not actually closing the door on it, and Sano will now concentrate on his restaurant in Kyoto. 

​The ceremony was short and simple; Sano was presented with pictures of his career such as his GHC Heavyweight title challenge against Kenta Kobashi, and his tag team with Yoshihiro Takayama. He was then presented with flowers by Naomichi Marufuji (as the Vice President he represented Noah), Kazushi Sakuraba (representing PRIDE and probably UWF) and Keiji Mutoh (who trained him in New Japan). Yoshihiro Takayama naturally couldn't be there, so a message from him was read out. Sano made a short speech. Never good at public speaking or speaking on the mic, his hand shook as he thanked everyone for his career. Then the bell rang in the darkness, Sano was announced by the last Noah title held (the only title), and he left the ring for the last time. 

MATCH ONE 
FULL THROTTLE (Hajime Ohara, Seiki Yoshioka & YO-HEY) vs Junta Miyawaki, Kinya Okada & Seiya Morohashi

YO-HEY declared he was "Osaka peron after a long time" (don't worry, that word does not translate well) and so to prove it, stuck his purple tongue out for the ref to check. 
He didn't want to surprisingly. 
YO-HEY loved the whole match (although it was noted that he was complaining a little about not being tagged in), and although he does thrive on audience cheers and laughter, their clapping is always enough for him. YO-HEY does not always need the cheers, he just needs the crowd. 

​Kinya Okada, a local boy (there were three on the card from Osaka tonight) debuted new ring attire;which was both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate that he's developing his own look other than the standard single color of the trainee, but unfortunate that the lightning strike motif he went with was placed somewhere where it kind of curved round behind him...unfortunate choices aside, Hajime Ohara could not quite believe that the Okada he was facing today was the Okada he had fought previously, as he was knocked into the corner by him after the first lock up. 

Junta Miyawaki also displayed his growth by both outthinking and outwrestling YO-HEY at one point, although this was not to last, and Ohara twisted him like a Pretzel. 

Elsewhere in the match, Seiya Morohashi and Seiki Yoshioka worked well together (and yes, as per standard, Yoshioka flew over the barrier). FULL THROTTLE have also a tandem move, which is similar to the RATELS tandem kick, but this is a dropkick. Afterwards, Ohara briefly sat down in his school style (knees drawn up to chin with arms over his legs), which we haven't seen him do for a while.

WINNER: YO-HEY with the Super Face G on Junta Miyawaki (11 minutes, 33 seconds)

MATCH TWO
The Anti Wrestlers Alliance (Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue) vs The Kongoh Juniors (Tadasuke & Nioh)

"I'm Back OSAKA" 
(Tadasuke)

If there was a star of this match, then it was Tadasuke, who was on top form tonight. 

Rockstar Tadasuke came strolling out, who then became "Crazy Tadasuke" and made Jurina giggle wildly as with a big grin he started headbanging on the ropes and trying to gouge Masao Inoue's eyes. Akitoshi Saito, however, found nothing funny in Tadasuke's manic behaviour, and went so far to warn Nioh that he had better watch it. Saito would probably have been better off taking his own advice as Tadasuke outfoxed him by pretending to throw a punch, which made Saito duck and as this was what Tadasuke wanted, he then went for a DDT. Saito could not remain immune to the wild energy that Tadasuke brought to the ring, as he bizarrely got the ref in some kind of hold, and told off, he slid to the outside. It reminded me of when in New Japan his pants ripped, and he had to hide under the apron. 

It wasn't all in the favor of Kongoh (Tadasuke) though, Saito and Inoue were giving running elbows to Nioh in the corner, Nioh put the boot up at Inoue, Inoue was told (barked at) to do it again by Saito, Haoh went for the boot, Inoue caught it and yelled "Fool! I'm not falling for that again"

WINNER: Nioh with the Stuka Splash on Masao Inoue (9 minutes, 1 second)

MATCH THREE
THE SUGIURA ARMY (Takashi Sugiura, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kazuyuki Fujita and Kendo Kashin) vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya, Manabu Soya and Yoshiki Inamura)

Kenoh came out looking half sulky and half thoughtful. 
Kendo Kashin (who had "GLEAT" spray painted on him), came out and stole a chair on the way to the ring, which made NOSAWA Rongai (who was seconding The Sugiura Army), look as if he wanted to say "Someone stop him!". Kashin threw the chair in the ring at Kongoh. Kashin is always on a quest to try and impress Takashi Sugiura (I kind of feel that if they all lived at the dojo, Kashin would probably tidy his room and leave flowers for him), and so held the ropes open for the champions. Sakuraba had no issue with it, but Takashi Sugiura was not impressed by Kashin's efforts to suck up to him, he only got in the ring when Sakuraba joined in on the ropes. 

Kazuyuki Fujita made his return to Noah (fans once joked he lived in a cave), and after the immediate row with Kongoh with Sugiura yelling at them about the titles, Fujita was encouraged to start the match and against young Yoshiki Inamura. Inamura may lose out to Fujita in age and experience, but he can certainly match him in both size, weight and power and they repeatedly butted heads as after shoulder tackles, Fujita realised that it was going to be hard to knock Inamura down.

The match was mainly a heavyweight beast fight with the smaller lighter heavyweights relying more on kicks and mat wrestling i.e. Kenoh kicked Sakuraba around, and Sakuraba taking Manabu Soya (not a "smaller lighter heavyweight" by the way) down to the mat. Even here Kashin could not stay out the way, and he emptied a bottle of water over him. 

The match finished with Fujita botching a powerbomb on Yoshiki Inamura in which he slammed him on his neck, after a volley of slaps and some vicious kicks. 

WINNER: Kazuyuki Fujita with a powerbomb on Yoshiki Inamura (14 minutes, 14 seconds)

Fujita then left without the others as outside the ring Jurina Matsui teased Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba with the "M'S Alliance pose" (they want her to join The Sugiura Army), and everyone left without Kashin. 

MATCH FOUR
GHC JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TITLE MATCH 
STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa vs HAYATA) vs Momo no Seishun (Daisuke Harada vs Atsushi Kotoge)

This was a very stiff junior title defence. Yoshinari Ogawa started as he meant to go on, by not giving Daisuke Harada the satisfaction of starting against him, Harada paid him back in kind, and so HAYATA and Kotoge started, but it couldn't be denied that Harada wanted Ogawa, even throwing HAYATA aside to get him. His temper flaring, Harada managed to keep it under control saying earlier in an interview that he wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him. HAYATA, while not on the Ogawa level of hair pulling and leg grabbing, nevertheless took great pleasure in looking at Harada while pinning Kotoge

It came down to HAYATA vs Harada with Kotoge disposing of Ogawa outside the ring with a knee from the turnbuckle, which left them alone. Harada and HAYATA know each other very well after long years of tagging together in RATELS, but Harada did say that this was a new HAYATA, and that worked to his advantage. 

WINNER: Daisuke Harada with the Katayama German Suplex Hold on HAYATA (24 minutes, 32 seconds)

Daisuke Harada had the first taste of revenge (and as we may well see, just not against STINGER), as he held his tag belt up to Yoshinari Ogawa. Ogawa kicked the rope in anger, and then left with HAYATA. Harada had little time to savour his victory however when a new threat appeared on the horizon in the form of FULL THROTTLE'S YO-HEY and Seiki Yoshioka, who challenged for the belts. YO-HEY (being coherent despite where he was and what he was doing) said that they had nothing against Momo No Seishun, but FULL THROTTLE wanted their belts as it would be them who would make a new Noah junior. Momo No Seishun accepted their challenge, and the title match has been set for 28th October at Korakuen Hall. 

MATCH FIVE
GHC Junior Heavyweight title match 
Kotaro Suzuki vs Haoh

Haoh was seconded by Nioh and Tadasuke, but Kotaro (for whom the title match did not go the way Ogawa expected) was on his own. Haoh immediately went on the attack and for the early pin, which is always a mistake against Kotaro. Haoh had frenetic momentum, and even once used the Misawa rope dive and in the shades of old Noah, even used an apron hurracanrunna, but Kotaro remained controlled. 

Despite his earlier dismissal of Haoh as "The Weakest Challenger" and the dismal assessment of his abilities, as the match wore on and Haoh managed to reverse the Tiger Driver, Kotaro started looking scared and taking him a little more seriously. It then reached the point when Kotaro decided enough was quite enough. 

WINNER: Kotaro Suzuki with the Big Ben Edge (15 minutes, 47 seconds)

Daisuke Harada was not through with STINGER. Not content with taking the GHC Junior Heavyweight tag belts from Yoshinari Ogawa and HAYATA, he wanted the GHC Junior as held by Kotaro Suzuki. Kotaro accepted the challenge, and told Harada to chose his favorite place and then left the ring. Harada caused slight laughter by telling him to head on home by the Hanshin train. The title challenge has been set for November 8th at Korakuen Hall. 

It should be noted that Momo No Seishun were holding both the GHC Junior Tag and the GHC Junior Championship when Atsushi Kotoge broke the team and vacated the belts by announcing that he was going to the heavyweight division in 2016... 

MATCH SIX
Go Shiozaki, Shuhei Taniguchi, Mohammed Yone & Daiki Inaba vs The M'S Alliance (Naomichi Marufuji, Keiji Mutoh, Masakatsu Funaki & Masaaki Mochizuki)

The big story of this match was the rivalry that has sprung up between Shuhei Taniguchi and Keiji Mutoh, which blew up when Taniguchi started throwing Mutoh around outside the ring and erupted from there. The subplot was between Naomichi Marufuji and Mohammed Yone, ahead of their match at Mohammed Yone's "Disco Ball" on the 18th October, in which Marufuji made it very clear that he wanted Yone to fight. A disgruntled Yone pumped up his Disco Ball shape cut 'fro after their lock up. 

Daiki Inaba also came in for Marufuji's interest in anything new, and in true Marufuji style when faced with a junior wrestler, he tweaked his nose while choking him with his foot in the corner. They also finished the match by having a punch war outside. 

Go Shiozaki is looking a lot more healthy than he did during the N-1, although he is still taped. You could hear the proud tone in Kenta Kobashi's voice when talking about his pupil. The GHC Heavyweight Champion is always a target, and so Shiozaki was kicked by Masakatsu Funaki, and a chop war with Marufuji. Marufuji grinned and took Shiozaki's hand and they did the chain chop war (basically, they grip each other while chopping in order to see who falls first, but of course they can't fall). 

WINNER: Masakatsu Funaki with Hybrid Buster on Mohammed Yone (22 minutes, 24 seconds)

With Naomichi Marufuji and Daiki Inaba still fighting outside the ring, inside it Mutoh was holding Taniguchi in a figure four and wouldn't let go. It took Naomichi Marufuji to get in the ring, and gently start untangling them. Then Mutoh followed it up with some stamps on Taniguchi. Backstage Taniguchi challenged Mutoh to a singles match, Mutoh accepted and it has been set for 22nd November...which if you buy into the rumors of Mutoh challenging for the GHC Heavyweight title, the title match between the N-1 winner and the champion, will take place on that date.  

MATCH SEVEN
N-1 VICTORY 2020 FINALS
Kaito Kiyomiya vs Katsuhiko Nakajima

During Katsuhiko Nakajima's entry the camera fell over, I thought Nakajima had somehow sneak attacked him, but he was sitting on the turnbuckle looking sinister. Kenoh joined Nakajima for the match, but not to second him, rather than to sit with commentary and watch. 

Despite the big grin when he removed his mask, Nakajima behaved himself and was all business (despite there being no Shutter Chance, he still could not resist the cameras, staring straight into the lens after kicking Kiyomiya around and pinning him with one of his erotic pins). No funny business, no messing around and by doing this he worked Kiyomiya into a state of frustration, while he himself remained calm and calculated by doing things like throwing Kiyomiya outside the ring, attacking him when he lost his temper and flew back in it, and then throwing him out again. However, when things tend to go well, Nakajima gets cocky and this led to Kiyomiya getting the upper hand. 

Young Kiyomiya, despite the repeated kicks to the face and big red scrape on his cheek because of them, showed his fighting spirit and repeatedly stood or kicked out, no matter what was thrown at him (which was usually Nakajima's kicks). A high kick almost almost took Kiyomiya's head off which made the commentators scream, even the Toshiaki Kawada\KENTA veteran, Kenta Kobashi. 

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Diamond Bomb (25 minutes and 24 seconds)

​Kenoh did his only part of commentary on Nakajima's win. Using a headset (which I assume he borrowed from Kobashi), he started screaming loudly about it looking as if he was either making an underground resistance radio broadcast, or else was making some kind of angry phone call. Then, after screaming at us all, he left ringside. 

Nakajima spoke in the microphone

"It is a shame, Kaito Kiyomiya, but after all you are playing a hero, huh? And I'm the one standing in this ring right now. I'm at the top of the harsh N1, I'm the strongest man right now. What are you going to do from here?"

After Nakajima had made this short speech about winning, which probably wouldn't have looked out of place in Faust in terms of delivery as he made a snarling noise during it, as is traditional after leagues, the reigning champion gets in the ring. There was this old AXIZ intensity between them, this same darkly erotic heat, as Nakajima spoke tauntingly very close to Shiozaki, twisting his body round to look at him.  

"What are you wearing the belt for to come here? The champion who goes in circles. It can't be helped, I am the strongest, and I will take your challenge!"

Shiozaki made no comment, but silently raised the belt (he also did it very sadly as Nakajima's greatest weapon is not his feet, but his words. Nakajima knows that Shiozaki is still emotionally vulnerable to him, and Shiozaki knows it too), and then left. 

Nakajima called after him;

"Instead of saying I am Noah, isn't there one answer in Osaka?"

Shiozaki didn't look back, and Nakajima left the ring soon afterwards, staring menacingly at Kenta Kobashi on the way out. Kobashi not scared by the boy he has known since he was a child, glared back unamused.

Title challenge has been set for the 22nd November at the Yokohama Budokan. 

Noah's next show: Mohammed Yone's 25th Anniversary "Disco Ball" on Sunday October 18th at Korakuen Hall.

With thanks to: Metal Noah, ABESHIN
GIF'S taken from ABEMA
Picture credit: PKDX

​There was an atmosphere of excitement as fans made their way to Korakuen Hall today for what was to be the explosive semi final night of the N-1 VICTORY. Noah did not announce an attendance, but you could tell it was pretty much a packed house. Tickets were available on the door, but much had been pre-sold with Noah attracting new fans to the venue. 

The event was streamed live on ABEMA. You will be able to watch the stream for seven days, free and worldwide by clicking the link above. After that it will be transferred to WRESTLE UNIVERSE (a subscription service). 

During the event Noah made the announcement that they will be returning to Yoyogi 2nd Gymnasium in Shibuya, Tokyo in December (it is currently shut due to seismic damage to the building and undergoing repairs). Noah have not been here since 2004, and only ever run two shows there (there other was in 2002). To many on the roster this will be a new experience, and the last time they were there the current GHC Heavyweight champion, Go Shiozaki, was only three months into his career. It remains to be seen after the events of October, whether he will be returning there as champion. 

MATCH ONE
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Shuhei Taniguchi vs Yoshiki Inamura

This beast fight got going quick. No lock up, straight into shoulder tackle. Huge applause for Yoshiki Inamura when he knocked Shuhei Taniguchi down. When it was Inamura's own turn to fall, Taniguchi went for the head kicks, but he dodged (twice), only to be felled with a lariat. Inamura fought desperately for his last chance at victory in the N-1 and some points, but sadly it was not meant to be in this years league. 

WINNER: Shuhei Taniguchi with the face kick (4 minutes, 36 seconds)

MATCH TWO
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Kazushi Sakuraba vs Manabu Soya

The N-1 match between the powerhouse Manabu Soya and the technician mat wrestler, Kazushi Sakuraba, actually worked very well. It worked so well that by the end of it Soya was requesting a tag match. 

Manabu Soya used his power against the much smaller Kazushi Sakuraba, but when it came down to Sakuraba's level, he was able to mat wrestle. With Sakuraba tying him into knots he knew that the last place he wanted to be with Sakuraba was on the mat, Sakuraba (like the "Company Dog" he is) knew this, sunk his teeth in and kept him grounded. If Soya was to go down to that level, then he would find a way to use his advantage, which he did by using his size and power to reverse a submission and squash Sakuraba

WINNER: Manabu Soya via armlock reversal (5 minutes, 57 seconds)

With the only two obligatory N-1 matches out of the way, it was time to move on to the matches that would directly influence each other, in which the cards following on from Mochizuki vs Masa Kitamiya would be significant in terms of win or lose for the subsequent matches. 

MATCH THREE
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Masaaki Mochizuki vs Masa Kitamiya
(Masaaki Mochizuki needed to win to have a chance to head to the finals as he would have seven points, Masa Kitamiya by this time had pretty much dropped out of the league)

Masa Kitamiya might have lacked points in this years league, but he has started to establish himself as a very powerful singles wrestler, and tonight we saw that by the bucketful. Kitamiya went on the attack very quickly, using a massive Saito Suplex which knocked Mochi out of the ring. When he got back in it, Mochi started begging for a time out, but this didn't happen. However, all of this was a ploy as he was playing for time, and by luring Kitamiya outside of the ring he pounced and attacked the knee which Kitamiya was favoring early in the match (he seems to be okay though). Mocihi, however, was not the only one who could play games, and the crowd were on fire and the applause grew louder and louder as Kitamiya got up after repeated DDT'S. 

WINNER: Masa Kitamiya with the Saito Suplex (9 minutes, 23 seconds)

MATCH FOUR
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Takashi Sugiura vs Kenoh
(Takashi Sugiura who has 5 points, has a chance to advance to the finals if he wins. For Kenoh, with six points, he needs to win but his participation in the finals will rest on the result of Marufuji vs Nakajima)

Kenoh finally noticed earlier today that Takashi Sugiura had been imitating his pose at the N-1 press conference, but he also noticed that instead of a closed fist that Kenoh was waving around, Sugi had inserted his thumb between his first and second fingers, which in Japan means something along the lines of screw you. So because of this, I didn't think Kenoh was going to pose at first, but he did. Although he did keep Sugiura firmly in his sight. However, Sugiura behaved himself, coming to fight and not to play.

In all the league, Takashi Sugiura was Kenoh's last obstacle. Kenoh had beaten Takashi Sugiura once before, but could he do do it again?

​The  bitterly fought match started with a martial arts type lock up between them, with Sugi giving a clean rope break. Much to his credit, if Sugiura could do this, so could Kenoh, and as its a big match Kenoh pulled out some of his acrobatic moves (he tends to save them for big matches, he can do flips and cartwheels, he just doesn't do them often). Both then turned from punching and kicking each other to submission holds. Kenoh knows Sugiura well enough to know how to reverse the ankle lock now. As a crowded Korakuen was on fire (there were slight cheers, and I did hear some whistles), Sugiura gave up on the ankle lock when Kenoh kept escaping and went for the choke, Kenoh was not going to give up, so the referee stopped the match when Kenoh stopped responding.

WINNER: Takashi Sugiura via referee stop (16 minutes, 4 seconds)

Kenoh soon recovered and started swearing loudly. 

MATCH FIVE
NOAH JUNIOR BATTLE ROYALE

This might have been a heavyweight dominated show, but the juniors were not going to let their rivals hog the limelight, and so tonight they held the Daisuke Harada mandated Battle Royale. All fourteen Noah juniors (except the absent Hitoshi Kumano who was very very frustrated to have missed this, as was probably Chris Ridgeway), took part. The rules were traditional - one man would enter every thirty seconds, elimination was via pinfall, submission or being thrown over the top rope to the floor. One junior in particular, eliminated himself in another way, but I will get to that in due course. 

DAISUKE HARADA entered
YO-HEY entered
TADASUKE entered
HAYATA entered
~ A RATELS squabble broke out
~ YO-HEY did "GETZ" after a long time
~ Tadasuke made a beeline for Harada
~ HAYATA loved fighting with his former friends
NOSAWA RONGAI entered
~ RATELS who were having a standoff, worked together to beat up on NOSAWA. NOSAWA wisely decided to stay out of the ring until the next person entered. 
JUNTA MIYAWAKI entered
~ NOSAWA kept escaping out of the ring
YOSHINARI OGAWA entered
~ Ogawa went straight to Harada and a brawl broke out
~ HAYATA, lurking in the background, teamed with Ogawa against Harada
SEIKI YOSHIOKA entered (looking like he was wondering what the hell was going on in the ring)

​~ Yoshinari Ogawa decided that he was going to leave. He had attacked Harada, wasn't interested in anyone or anything else, and just walked off. The referee at ringside asked him what he thought he was doing and chased after him (slipping over in the process), but Ogawa, who rarely does anything he does not want to do, did not take any notice. 
KAZ HAYASHI entered 
~ By this time fights were going on both outside and inside the ring
~ Junta Miyawaki still tender at his shoulder
HAOH entered
NIOH entered 
HAJIME OHARA entered
KOTARO SUZUKI entered 
ATSUSHI KOTOGE entered (he came rushing to the ring wearing his cap, which he tossed aside at the last minute). 
~ Hajime Ohara attacked Kotoge almost on entry
~ Kaz Hayashi pulled YO-HEY out of the ring when FULL THROTTLE went to tandem kick NOSAWA
~ Kaz Hayashi eliminated Hajime Ohara via pinfall
~ Seiki Yoshioka elimited Kaz Hayashi via the top rope
~ NOSAWA pinned Seiki Yoshioka
~ Kotaro got the Kongoh tandem elbow
~ Atsushi Kotoge eliminated NOSAWA via Killswitch
~ Junta Miyawaki has a much bigger (and better) move set than before he was injured
~ Tadasuke elimited Junta Miyawaki via pinfall
~ Kongoh focused on Kotaro
~ Nioh eliminated Tadasuke (by accident after a set up by Kotaro)
~ Haoh eliminated Kotaro (this is kind of their last pre match)
~ HAYATA pinned Haoh 
~ Harada eliminated Nioh via Katayama suplex 
~ YO-HEY'S beautiful YO-HEY roll on Harada almost got the elimination
~ HAYATA eliminated both Harada and YO-HEY when they were fighting on the apron via somersault into ropes. 

The last two left in the ring were Atsushi Kotoge and HAYATA, with Kotoge winning both the pre-match and the Rumble with the moonsault. The rumble lasted 24 minutes and 32 seconds. 

Sadly, Atsushi Kotoge's speech was not very inspired as he told HAYATA that on the 11th October, he and Daisuke Harada would take the GHC Junior Heavyweight tag titles from himself and Yoshinari Ogawa. 

MATCH SIX
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Naomichi Marufuji vs Katsuhiko Nakajima
(Katsuhiko Nakajima has 6 points, and will have 8 if he wins, so even if Kenoh wins with eight points he will still advance to the finals. However, Naomichi Marufuji, who has 5 points, has the possibility if Sugiura has defeated Kenoh)

Katsuhiko Nakajima has a tendency to let his cockiness get in the way, and if it is not his cockiness it is his ego that can cost him matches. His ego was apparent today when the camera loving Nakajima pointed at it, outside of the Shutter Chance, and his cockiness was saved for the ref when he said that people were applauding him after being told off for doing the Shutter Chance. Ref told him no more, but Nakajima took no notice and did it again. 

The first lock up was naturally wary, with Katsuhiko Nakajima making things difficult and never taking his sight off of Naomichi Marufuji (or even blinking for that matter), finished it with a kick. Nakajima's kicks are his greatest weapon, but Marufuji chose to work on Nakajima's arm and not his knees or his legs. After one such attack,  Nakajima sold his arm injury outside the ring until the count almost ran out, Kuniko Yamada (at ringside commentary in an autographed Kaito Kiyomiya t-shirt) was practically telling him to get back in the ring. When he did, Nakajima got the bloodlust in his eyes after Marufuji worked on his arm, and this is when he become dangerous, as he draped Marufuji over the top turnbuckle and then proceeded to kick him off of it, which sent him flying to the middle of the ring. 

​Towards the end of the match, Nakajima had seemingly knocked Marufuji out and threw the ref off of him as he went to check on him. A knock out would not do, Nakajima wanted the pin, which he did with his eyes eerily shining through his hair.

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Diamond Bomb (16 minutes, 25 seconds)

Nakajima just walked off afterwards, and the ref had to get out of the ring to raise his arm, which Nakajima quickly snatched away. He was going to the finals, and the winner of the next match would face him in the finals in Osaka. 

MATCH SEVEN
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Go Shiozaki vs Kaito Kiyomiya

This was a match between two Noah born wrestlers from different generations, Go Shiozaki who was described as the "The Champion in the Misawa green" (which was what Eddie Edwards was also called during his GHC Heavyweight tenure), and the young idealistic Kaito Kiyomiya. Kaito Kiyomiya came out with Kuniko Yamada clapping enthusiastically along to his music, and with a new pose with his arms outstretched on entering. 

Go Shiozaki is a versatile wrestler, he is able to brawl with Takashi Sugiura and get technical with Kaito Kiyomiya, which at times got mat based. Shiozaki in the early stages of the match no sold Kiyomiya, who he sent flying half way across ringside with his chops. Kiyomiya fought back with chops of his own, but it had no effect and he had to go back to the drawing board. If strikes didn't work, then perhaps softening Shiozaki up with submissions holds would? So he locked in a sleeper, and incorporated this to work on Shiozaki's shoulder. The submission attack worked, and Kiyomiya could fight Shiozaki more on his own level, even to the point when they both faced each other with the Kobashi scream. 

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Tiger Suplex (24 minutes, 7 seconds)

On his win, Kuniko breathlessly gasped, "Kiyomiya...."

​Then even with the sound of the bell not faded from the air, and Shiozaki not even rolled out of the ring and Kiyomiya not even on his feet, Nakajima immediately appeared in the ring. He began with taunting Go Shiozaki, telling him that as a champion he had gone round in circles, first he had defeated Kiyomiya and now Kiyomiya had defeated him. 
Then in usual sarcastic way, Nakajima noticed Kiyomiya and told him that his "pretence at being a hero, was going to be over in Osaka." 
Kiyomiya got to his feet and shoved Nakajima. 
Nakajima remained grinning. 
Sadly, trash talking has never been a big part of Noah (despite Kenoh's profanity, and Nakajima's sarcasm), and Kiyomiya took great offence to Nakajima saying that this defeat of Shiozaki was only part of "going round in circles", and his momentum was as such he would defeat him for the belt. 
Nakajima left laughing. 
Kiyomiya addressed the crowd, thanking Shiozaki for the match and saying that he would make this league final one that was second to none and that proved that Noah's heavyweight division was number one. 

WITH THANKS TO: Metal Noah, Abeshin
PICTURE CREDIT: PKDX
GIFS TAKEN FROM: ABEMA, Noah GHC 

Noah's next show will be streamed live on ABEMA when the N-1 finals come to Edion 1st Arena in Osaka on October 11th. 

​Noah returned to the same venue that last August, during a six man match, Naomichi Marufuji tried to throw YO-HEY into the river that runs outside. Today they were there in late September, and due to the Coronavirus they couldn't risk going outdoors and coming into contact with any non sterilized surface , so Naomichi Marufuji (who is celebrating his 41st birthday), didn't need the "rubber ring and goggles" that YO-HEY suggested he bring next time. 

Prior to the event, a Noah promotional truck patrolled Niigata with loudspeakers promoting the show, which gave it a big match feel, which certainly true in the lobby with the busy stalls. Daisuke Harada was on autograph and picture duty, and he was joined by Atsushi Kotoge. The photographs soon ran out of stock. 
Kenta Kobashi was also at the event, but he did nothing more than sign autographs and take pictures. He was only there for that and left soon after the show began as he had to be back in Tokyo the next day as he had an engagement in the morning. With the typhoon season rolling in, he drove back in heavy rain. 

Today's show was not broadcast live on either NTV or WRESTLE UNIVERSE (the show will be available from the 29th September there), so Noah streamed some of the matches via Periscope. I don't know how long they keep these up for, but I believe it is for quite a while. You can find the links below. Because of some matches being streamed and others not, this report is going to be like the old days with more info on some matches more than others. 

MATCH ONE
The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura, NOSAWA Rongai & Kaz Hayashi) vs FULL THROTTLE (YO-HEY, Hajime Ohara & Seiki Yoshioka). 

YO-HEY with his red tongue, bought an element of wild abandon to FULL THROTTLE, which started by his pulling a crazy pose to mock Atsushi Kotoge.

WINNER: YO-HEY with the Facial G on NOSAWA Rongai (8 minutes, 43 seconds)

MATCH TWO
N-1 VICTORY
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Yoshiki Inamura

Streamed live 

Katsuhiko Nakajima immediately flew at Yoshiki Inamura, fangs bared, but Inamura bought him down. He was not going to take Nakajima's menace, and Nakajima was not going to listen to anything the referee told him; when the ref was counting him for being on the ropes during the Shutter Chance, Nakajima was making the "take a picture" motions at the camera, and when told to get back in the ring, he nodded, said "Yes" and then jumped off the apron. 

Inamura wrestled flat out to win, taking everything that Nakajima threw at him, and even kicked out of the soccer ball kicks. Nakajima couldn't believe it, and finished the match soon after. 

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Vertical Spike (11 minutes, 49 seconds)

Yoshiki Inamura has one final chance to pick up some points when he faces Shuhei Taniguchi on 4th October, and Nakajima advances with a further two points, which now puts him level with Kenoh.

MATCH THREE
Kaito Kiyomiya & Kotaro Suzuki vs Kongoh (Kenoh & Haoh)

As one fan commented, Kotaro's red made him look like a member of Kongoh, and not "The Red Comet". I don't really have too much on this match, but Kotaro was pretty merciless in his dealings with Haoh, and Kenoh and Kiyomiya tore into each other. 

WINNER: Haoh via Endless Waltz Reversal on Kotaro Suzuki (13 minutes, 51 seconds)

Kenoh stayed out of the ring as Haoh spoke on the microphone about the upcoming challenge with Kotaro. 

MATCH FOUR
N-1 VICTORY
Masaaki Mochizuki vs Manabu Soya

Streamed live (leads into the next match)

Manabu Soya used power, with Masaaki Mochizuki using technique. Mochi knew that power alone was not going to be enough, he had to use kicks to keep him down and use his brains to further keep him down, which had Soya roaring in his face and Mochi taking a step back from each one. Technique and power were so evenly matched, that it came down to a punch war while on their knees. 

WINNER: Masaaki Mochizuki with the Triangle Kick (13 minutes, 14 seconds)
​

​MATCH FIVE
STINGER (Yoshinari Ogawa & HAYATA) & Kinya Okada vs Momo No Seishun (Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge) & Junta Miyawaki

"The peach youth riot has started"

After an absence of seven months with a shoulder injury, Junta Miyawaki returned to Noah in Niigata to team with the newly formed Momo No Seishun, and get back into the endless conflict between the Noah juniors. Miyawaki came to the ring looking very different to what he did in March, no longer an affable young man with a baby face, Miyawaki hit the ring with an angular sharp face, short hair and a toned body, and got right back into the fray hitting dropkicks left, right and centre on STINGER. Elsewhere, Atsushi Kotoge was manic but controlled, headbutting Ogawa, who managed to catch Daisuke Harada out. Fast paced junior match, with a growing rivalry between Kinya Okada and Junta Miyawaki, which will be good for both of them.

WINNER: No one as with Miyawaki and Okada fighting, HAYATA and Kotoge (the legal men), Ogawa and Harada fighting on the outside the Ref declared a count out as no one at all was listening to what was going on (16 minutes and 22 seconds)

The fight continued after the match ended, as after a brief lull another fight broke out when HAYATA attacked Harada, and then the other juniors came running in from the back and more fights broke out around the ring, with HAYATA and YO-HEY briefly working together to beat up on Harada. Once order was restored, Harada and Kotoge were left in the ring. Taking everyone in and knowing that everyone wanted to fight everyone else, Harada (hair standing on end), suggested a battle royale on the 4th October at Korakuen Hall, but mostly because he wanted revenge on everyone for the mass brawl at Korakuen. Watch this space as no card for any junior has been announced at the time of writing. Once again, the turbulent Noah juniors have managed to steal the limelight from the heavyweights. 

MATCH SIX
N-1 VICTORY
Naomichi Marufuji vs Shuhei Taniguchi

Despite Naomichi Marufuji's teasing of Shuhei Taniguchi, and his pleas for him to give him a good match, it never does to underestimate Taniguchi when you are in the ring with him. Staid and expressionless he may be, but he is a monster when he wants to be. Marufuji had to bide his time, hook kicking Taniguchi through the legs and with repeated knee strikes and kicks, Taniguchi staggered but fought back with a huge lariat, but the monster was eventually worn down and felled. 

WINNER: Naomichi Marufuji with the True Tiger King (18 minutes, 21 seconds)

MATCH SEVEN
N-1 VICTORY
Go Shiozaki vs Masa Kitamiya

Brutal match with Masa Kitamiya, a determined man on a mission, working on Go Shiozaki's arms, wrapping it around the ringpost in ways arms really aren't meant to bend. Shiozaki, however, had that Kobashi moment when overcoming his pain, the accumulated damage and the repeated attacks, decided that enough was most certainly, enough.

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat (20 minutes)

Despite each fight taking a toll on Shiozaki, he was cheerful enough to give a spirited talk to the audience, and somehow walked off looking fresher than he has looked in months. 

WITH THANKS TO: Metapokokick, Kei, Shosen 
Picture credit: Pro Wrestling Noah 
Noah's next show: October 4th

Current N-1 Victory points after today

A BLOCK

Go Shiozaki: 6
Kaito Kiyomiya: 5
Masaaki Mochizuki: 5
Kazushi Sakuraba: 4
Masa Kitamiya: 2
Manabu Soya: 2

B BLOCK

Kenoh: 6
Katsuhiko Nakajima: 6
Takashi Sugiura: 5
Naomichi Marufuji: 5
Shuhei Taniguchi: 2
Yoshiki Inamura: 0

Pro Wrestling Noah held two shows today at Korakuen Hall, an afternoon show and an evening show. The evening show was by far the most explosive, but I will get to that in due course. 

The two events had completely different atmospheres; the afternoon one (which attracted more people than Noah had expected and someone had travelled all the way from Kagoshima) had what was described as a "unique" atmosphere, the evening had more of a sense of excitement. 

The event was broadcast over three channels with FITE TV (Had time differences not been such an issue between Japan and the USA, then FITE probably would have broadcast the evening and not the morning, but sadly this was not the case), WRESTLE UNIVERSE also broadcast the afternoon, with ABEMA streaming the evening. WRESTLE UNIVERSE you will need to be a subscriber to watch, and ABEMA will have the show available only for six days before it gets put up on WRESTLE UNIVERSE. I am afraid I don't know about the availability of the broadcast on FITE TV. 

The Afternoon Show 
​

​MATCH ONE
Daisuke Harada, YO-HEY & Kinya Okada vs FULL THROTTLE (Atsushi Kotoge, Hajime Ohara & Seiki Yoshioka)

Atsushi Kotoge came bouncing out with his new toy, making Seiki Yoshioka gave him a puzzled look. This is normal. It's the way most people look at Kotoge, who was particularly hyper today with an endless lariat attack on YO-HEY. Despite the rivalry between Harada and Kotoge, it was Harada and Yoshioka who seemed to have the most issues today. 

YO-HEY (who had a black tongue today) decided to make fun of Kotoge's "Brum Brum", this wasn't appreciated by Kotoge, although Yoshioka probably thought it was funny though. Kotoge later had to warn YO-HEY of the consequences of making fun of him. 

Kinya Okada put up a brave fight against FULL THROTTLE, being tied into knots by Ohara and then holding on long enough when locked into the Mui Bien to be rescued by Harada and YO-HEY, who had been outside the ring fighting with Kotoge and Yoshioka. 

The match ended in a time out draw, with YO-HEY going for a series of typically crazy pins on Hajime Ohara. He was convinced he had the three, but was overruled by the referee and both teams left frustrated. 

WINNER: Neither. Time out draw (20 minutes)

MATCH TWO
N-1 VICTORY
Kenoh vs Yoshiki Inamura

There was no handshake beforehand between the two members of Kongoh. It doesn't appear to be the Kongoh way. You could sense that any unit camaraderie had been set aside for the league, as both were focused on winning for their own purposes; Inamura to take the all important next step in his career, and Kenoh who is driven by his complex relationship with Kaito Kiyomiya, and his desire to win the league and make history. 

Throughout the whole match, Inamura refused to be cowed by Kenoh, who challenged him each time he staggered to his feet, even when used those irritating small kicks and the "hit me" pose. Inamura was not helpless however, as Kenoh went to use a submission to take Inamura down, but found himself shaken off by being squashed against the ringpost, and then later he was launched into the air by the GEKITOTZ, but the match and the points belonged ultimately to Kenoh when the match went to referee stop thanks to Kenoh's palm strikes. 

WINNER: Kenoh via referee stop (10 minutes, 26 seconds)

True to the Spartan Kongoh way, Kenoh walked off leaving Inamura beached in the ring.  

MATCH THREE
N-1 VICTORY
Masa Kitamiya vs Kazushi Sakuraba

Kazushi Sakuraba went straight into mat wrestling to keep Masa Kitamiya down, it didn't take long for him to practically wrench Kitamiya's knee from its socket, so much so, Kitamiya appeared with a limp that afternoon.  

WINNER: Kazushi Sakuraba with the Knee Cross Lock (2 minutes, 29 seconds)

MATCH FOUR
N-1 VICTORY
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Shuhei Taniguchi

So far Katsuhiko Nakajima has taken the league seriously, and not done any of the terrible things that he has threatened to do which would ruin it for everyone else, but that hasn't stopped him from winding his opponents up, which today began with Shuhei Taniguchi as he backed out of the first lock up and then went straight in with the kicks. Later, Nakajima kicked Taniguchi around outside the ring and then as the count went on, sat and waited for him to get back in. Taniguchi didn't, and after lying on his back and waiting, Nakajima got up and threw him back in. Then there was the usual irritance from Nakajima, grinding his boot into Taniguchi's face. 

The bigger Nakajima's grin, the more cocky he gets, until it ends up costing him in some way, which it did because Taniguchi got the upper hand. However, Nakajima eventually decided he had had enough, but Taniguchi was playing him at his own game, and roaring in anger as he went to kick Nakajima in the head, but Nakajima kept moving. However, it wasn't enough to give Nakajima the win. 

WINNER: Shuhei Taniguchi with the Face Kick (14 minutes, 42 seconds)

MATCH FIVE
N-1 VICTORY
Kaito Kiyomiya vs Manabu Soya

Kaito Kiyomiya came out to the ring looking thoughtful, he knew what was at stake here, and seemingly taking inspiration from Naomichi Marufuji, he used a similar hand and wrist submission, which cleverly keeps Soya away from the ropes and makes it more difficult afterwards for him to do any kind of power moves, although this did not stop Soya peeling his arms away during a headlock, only for Kiyomiya to take him back down to the mat for the win. 

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Tiger Suplex (21 minutes, 55 seconds)

Kiyomiya spoke on the microphone and said that he didn't have much left, but he managed to get out of the funk he had been in and beat Soya. He then spoke in English and thanked FITE for the broadcast, and all the Noah fans who were watching all over the world. 

The evening show
Storm clouds

Fans returned to Korakuen, to find Yoshinari Ogawa in the ring holding a class where he was teaching one of the trainees, and using HAYATA to demonstrate moves while he explained things, often sitting on his knees next to them. 

MATCH ONE
Shuhei Taniguchi & Mohammed Yone vs THE TOUGH (Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura)

Shuhei Taniguchi came out looking somewhat bruised from the match with Katsuhiko Nakajima from earlier in the day, while Yoshiki Inamura focused on him. Having lost to Takashi Sugiura, Naomichi Marufuji and Kenoh, Inamura has two matches left to prove himself in the league, and since Taniguchi is one of those opponents (the other is Katsuhiko Nakajima), this was kind of their pre-match. Kitamiya told Inamura to save himself, he would start against Yone. 

Noah's monsters (both the same height at 182cms which gets overlooked) did eventually clash however, with Inamura winning the shoulder tackle fight which got him a huge applause from the crowd, but once again Inamura's first big win would have to wait. 

WINNER: Shuhei Taniguchi with the Face Kick on Yoshiki Inamura (8 minutes, 8 seconds)

​MATCH TWO
N-1 VICTORY
Naomichi Marufuji vs Kenoh

Naomichi Marufuji came out smirking at Kenoh. Kenoh, who has very little sense of humor when it comes to Marufuji and what Kenoh imagines to be his endless backstage plots against him. Marufuji decided to wind Kenoh up, and knowing that he would attack on the rope break dodged his kick and rolled out of the ring, and then refused to get back in it as Kenoh was lurking outside. When he did get back in, Kenoh naturally couldn't wait to attack, and Marufuji couldn't wait to put him in one of his nasty submission holds. However, even after a hook kick which semi knocked him out, and with Marufuji shoving the ref out of the way who was checking on him, Kenoh was not going to give in to his mortal enemy for the sake of his "strong beliefs". 

WINNER: Kenoh with the rear naked choke sleeper hold (referee stop, 15 minutes, 5 seconds)

Naomichi Marufuji couldn't believe that he had lost to Kenoh in a second singles match, and complained to the referee who told him that the decision stood. He had a rare tantrum where he kicked the ropes as he left the ring, and threw the ice pack down as he walked off. 
 
MATCH THREE
N-1 VICTORY
Kaito Kiyomiya vs Kazushi Sakuraba

This was a new style of match for Kaito Kiyomiya, who has only met Kazushi Sakuraba in a ring outside of Noah, and that was when Sakuraba gave him some training in MMA ahead of Kiyomiya's title match when he was GHC Heavyweight Champion, against Naomichi Marufuji. Sakuraba may have left bruises where he kicked, but it was Kiyomiya's youthful frenetic and at times impulsive wrestling that worked, which was probably combined with the prior training he had been given, and Sakuraba tapped.

WINNER: Kaito Kiyomiya with the Figure Four (9 minutes, 47 seconds)

MATCH FOUR
STINGER (Kotaro Suzuki, Yoshinari Ogawa & HAYATA) vs Daisuke Harada, YO-HEY & Kinya Okada

Demon Tag

STINGER came out to the match with their own particular quirky way of wearing the junior championship belts; Yoshinari Ogawa is the only person who wears it like you are meant to, Kotaro Suzuki drapes his around his neck and shoulder under his ring robes, and HAYATA drags his on the ground. 

Yoshinari Ogawa's classroom continued in the ring with Kinya Okada, who discovered that with Ogawa, you never truly escape his web, he likes you to think you have, only to pull you back in, and naturally being the most junior in the match he got it the worst from his opponents. HAYATA, however, took the most pleasure when fighting Harada as he had his sadistic smile on. This would become ironic later on as we will see. The junior pride here was at steak as no one wanted to be overshadowed by anything the heavyweights were doing, and the juniors managed to eclipse them, but not by anything that happened in the match, more what was going to happen after it. 

WINNER: YO-HEY with the sneak pin on Yoshinari Ogawa (15 minutes, 47 seconds)

Daisuke Harada, who was lying on the ring apron, turned to the camera and held up three fingers to signify the win over the hated STINGER. He got up and joined his team in having their arms raised, when YO-HEY kicked him in the face. For a split second before YO-HEY left the ring, he seemed to look at STINGER as if he was waiting for them to do something, but nothing happened and he left. STINGER then turned and attacked Harada, and this turned into a brawl as Kongoh (Tadasuke, Haoh and Nioh) came out to fight STINGER, and then The Sugiura Army (NOSAWA Rongai and Kaz Hayashi) joined in, with FULL THROTTLE'S Hajime Ohara and Seiki Yoshioka at ringside, with Atsushi Kotoge getting in the ring to help Harada.
Once things had cooled, there was a tense face off with Kotoge and Harada staring at each other. The former friends, turned bitter enemies again turned friends, with Harada offering his hand, which Kotoge shook. Yoshioka and Ohara did not take kindly to this and demanded to know what was going on. YO-HEY got back into the mix, and more fights broke out which ended with YO-HEY aligning with Yoshioka and Ohara as the new FULL THROTTLE (YO-HEY said this wasn't quite his plan, but he would take it), and the newly reformed Momo no Seishun ("The Peaches of Youth" which was their tag team that Kotoge had broken to go to the heavyweights, leading Harada to form RATELS), challenged STINGER (HAYATA & Yoshinari Ogawa) for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Titles. Ogawa has seemingly made no argument of this and granted them their match which will take place in Osaka on the 11th October.

​There will still be a mystery man joining Harada (and now Kotoge) in Niigata at the end of the month. When asked why he came out to rescue his erstwhile enemy, Kotoge said he was compelled to. It was not something he had planned. 

With this junior tornado just passed through Korakuen, fans found it hard to concentrate on the next match. 

MATCH FIVE
N-1 VICTORY
Takashi Sugiura vs Katsuhiko Nakajima 

Takashi Sugiura knows all to well from bitter experience, just what Katsuhiko Nakajima can be like, and so he tried to stop him from messing him around too much, but ultimately couldn't prevent it. Nakajima threw him round outside the ring, the grin on his face growing bigger as he planned worse to come, and again Nakajima's cockiness cost him as Sugi locked in the ankle lock. Nakajima managed to get to the ropes and this served as a wake up call, and the smile snapped off. It was time to end this. 

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Vertical Spike (17 minutes, 42 seconds)

MATCH SIX
N-1 VICTORY
Go Shiozaki vs Masaaki Mochizuki

Masaaki Mochizuki offered Katsuhiko Nakajima a handshake before the match. He's probably one of the few in Noah that you can trust to do this. Despite this show of sportsmanship, Shiozaki's arms suffered even more damage when Mochi targeted them, even at one point luring Shiozaki into a chop war, Shiozaki went for it, but Mochi knocked him aside, and met the machine gun chops with a punch. After being knocked outside the ring, Shiozaki decided he had had enough and went very Kobashi with Kobashi mannerisms, but Mochizuki's plan which didn't work against Sakuraba, certainly worked against the increasingly battered Shiozaki. 

WINNER: Masaaki Mochizuki with the Dragon Suplex Hold (16 minutes, 21 seconds)

Shiozaki couldn't believe what had happened, and complained to the referee (they must dread leagues as they have such a rough time), and when he had gone Mochi spoke on the microphone. Acknowledging that it was not a member of Noah, or even the champion, closing out the show, he had just beaten the GHC Heavyweight champion and he would go on like this, wrestling in his own style until the end of the league, and to support him while he was here in Noah from another promotion. In a kind of cheeky by the way, he added that DragonGate would be holding a show on the 7th October. 

WITH THANKS TO: Abeshin, Fujiwara Armbar, Metal Noah
PICTURE CREDIT: PKDX
GIF TAKEN FROM WRESTLE UNIVERSE
NOAH'S NEXT SHOW: Saturday 26th, Niigata 

After today's event, Kaito Kiyomiya leads Block A with 5 points (Go Shiozaki and Kazushi Sakuraba are second with 4), Kenoh leads Block B with 6 points, with Takashi Sugiura in second with 5.

​Noah kicked off the first night of their three shows in a row at Korakuen Hall today. While the merchandise stable was stocked (and no doubt Kenoh's notorious paranoia will start whispering to him as soon as he sees how the pillows were stocked and start imagining the evil CyberFight were behind it), and Kotaro Suzuki was selling his new product at his own booth, Yoshinari Ogawa (with HAYATA) was in the ring teaching one of the new trainees. Usually Ogawa is teaching members of the roster, so it was a treat for fans to see this. 

The event was streamed free, live and worldwide on ABEMA. You will be able to watch the event for seven days after the date of broadcast. After that it will be placed on WRESTLE UNIVERSE, which you will need to subscribe to to view. 

MATCH ONE
Mohammed Yone & Kinya Okada vs Kongoh (Manabu Soya & Yoshiki Inamura)

Yoshiki Inamura and rival, Kinya Okada, started the match with the woolly mammoth sized Inamura trapping Okada in a submission between his thighs. Okada later faced the other member of Kongoh's monster team, Manabu Soya, who no sold his attacks and then later threw him to Inamura. 

Good opening match, which demonstrated both the growth of Yoshiki Inamua and Kinya Okada's potential as a monster (even if he never reaches Inamura like proportions)

WINNER: Manabu Soya with the Ballistic on Kinya Okada (9 minutes and 29 seconds)

MATCH TWO
N-1 VICTORY
Kenoh vs Shuhei Taniguchi

Having faced Shuhei Taniguchi last year in the N-1 VICTORY and won, Kenoh knew that he would have to bring out something special to defeat him this year. It was Taniguchi, however, who struck first aiming a kick to Kenoh's face. Erupting early on, Taniguchi was able to evade the much smaller Kenoh at times, and Kenoh was able to pull a few tricks of his own, such as his acrobatics which he pulls out for big matches, although rather than a somersault PFS or a moonsault PFS, he did a cartwheel evasion move on the apron. Both had done their homework on each other since their last league match, but Kenoh was the one who had seemingly done more by luring Taniguchi in and then locking in a submission, which is rare for Kenoh to use. Kenoh hung on, his arm wrapped around Taniguchi's throat and squeezed, you could see how tight he was the ref attempted to move him. Kenoh refused to let go, Taniguchi's tongue was practically coming out of his mouth. Kenoh only let go when the referee called a stop.
Short but very different and very clever match showing how versatile Kenoh is. 

WINNER: Kenoh with the rear naked sleeper hold (referee stop after 14 minutes, 32 seconds)

MATCH THREE
N-1 VICTORY
Kaito Kiyomiya vs Masa Kitamiya

Kaito Kiyomiya's N-1 woes continued against the dominant Masa Kitamiya today in a fast paced match, but Masa Kitamiya's sudden blooming cost Kiyomiya another precious point in the league as speed met experience and power, and experience and power won. 

WINNER: Masa Kitamiya with the Saito Suplex (14 minutes, 32 seconds)

MATCH FOUR
STINGER (Kotaro Suzuki, Yoshinari Ogawa & HAYATA) vs Kongoh Jnrs (Haoh, Nioh & Tadasuke)

Noah's heel group, Kongoh Jnrs, met the ultra heel group, STINGER. As he got into the ring, Yoshinari Ogawa took a moment to survey his opponents, but no matter how much he hates Tadasuke, and is indifferent to Nioh, the person with the bullseye painted on him was Haoh. A challenge to any member of STINGER marks you as a target, and their attack was relentless. Haoh was very eager to prove himself against Kotaro, and this was sometimes on the verge of desperation. Kotaro however, had nothing but contempt for him and resorted at the end of the match to use the technique of breaking the pin to torture the opponent more. Usually this backfires, but not in this case. 

WINNER: Kotaro Suzuki with the Javelin (referee stop after 21 minutes, 2 seconds)

Kotaro then spoke on the microphone and gave Haoh a vicious character assessment, telling him that not only should he start over as a wrestler, but that he was the "weakest GHC challenger ever". 

MATCH FIVE
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Go Shiozaki vs Kazushi Sakuraba

Give the impression that he was just warming up, in reality Go Shiozaki was not going to forgive Kazushi Sakuraba for making him tap in the pre-match with The Sugiura Army just before the GHC Heavyweight tag battle. Like everyone else in the league, Sakuraba targeted Shiozaki's arms in a far worse away than Katsuhiko Nakajima's kicks, wrapping them round the barriers in ways they were not meant to bend, before kicking them. This caused Shiozaki to loose power in his arms, and Sakuraba thought that he was going to avoid the chops he so much hates. Sakuraba took to taunting Shiozaki, and even pulling the front of his shirt out to look down his top, but a long fuse he might have, it's never a good idea to wind him up and Sakuraba not only got the Machine Gun Chops but also chops to the head in a flurry. 

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat (8 minutes, 35 seconds)

Shiozaki then spoke on the microphone and said that he would show a match that was second to none, and finished with "I AM NOAH". 

MATCH SIX
N-1 VICTORY 2020
Naomichi Marufuji vs Takashi Sugiura

Two most senior people in Noah (after Yoshinari Ogawa who is the most senior), hold twenty years of fighting both side by side and against each other, and no matter what it has been for, (except when Sugiura joined The Suzuki Army), it has always been for Noah. Partners, rivals, today they were united in one thing, to put on a match that would not lose out to any other league happening in wrestling at that time. 

There was shades of Baba's All Japan and the wars between Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada in the pacing of the match, with both pulling out desperation moves as time went on, with Sugiura using a rare suplex and Marufuji using his new move, which involves crushing the hand and wrist (which he used against Inamura), it's inventive as most people attack the arm. They fought until the time ran out, Marufuji being saved as the bell signalled full time as Sugiura locked in the dreaded choke. 

WINNER: Time limit draw (30 minutes)

After the match they both shook hands, with Marufuji commenting backstage that he would like to do another singles with Sugiura, but for now he had the league to concentrate on. 

WITH THANKS TO: Abeshin
PICTURE CREDIT: PKDX, Noah GHC 
GIFS taken from ABEMA
NOAH'S NEXT SHOW: 23rd September 2020 (double bill at Korakuen Hall)

​Noah travelled up to Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture today to hold the second night of The N-1 Victory 2020. The venue (which I think can be used as a rink), although pretty, light and airy was described as "slightly old" and had a glass panelled ceiling, which while this lets in the sunlight, for both the wrestlers and the fans it became like a greenhouse. The event was streamed live on WRESTLE-UNIVERSE (the show will be there when you click the link, but you must be a subscriber to view). 

Naomichi Marufuji and Go Shiozaki were on autograph duty. 

MATCH ONE
Kinya Okada vs Nioh

Nioh came out in an unsmiling manner that befitted Kongoh, and did a rare solo pose, which was just him raising his head (you can read about the symbology of Kongoh here). 

It was an opener like the old days of Noah between a veteran and a rookie. The match worked well as while they aren't level in terms of experience, Kinya Okada was able to get in a good offense against Nioh as they are roughly the same size and weight. Throughout the match Okada worked on Nioh's arm, and wouldn't let up. The veteran struck back and after a few close calls, decided enough was enough and locked in a nasty submission

WINNER: Nioh with the Camel Clutch (11 minutes, 6 seconds)

​MATCH TWO
N-1 VICTORY
Naomichi Marufuji vs Yoshiki Inamura

Naomichi Marufuji had said on Twitter yesterday that he wouldn't be letting down his guard against Yoshiki Inamura and he wasn't going to give him an inch either. Marufuji was right to be precautious, as while he has the experience that Inamura does not, Inamura has the size and the strength that Marufuji doesn't, true he's a heavyweight but he's not one of the larger ones, and Inamura managed to knock him down flat to the mat on several occasions. 

Marufuji worked out that to take Inamura down, he needed to work on his hands. Inamura's main attacks centre on lifting (Oklahoma Slam which almost got him the win today) and the Splash Mountain, so Marufuji invented a nasty move whereby he stood on Inamura's hand, crushing it while he kicked his chest. However, despite these attacks on his hands, Inamura's power could not be kept down, and he still slammed Marufuji like he weighed nothing. He also screamed at his kicks, and refused to take them. 

Inamura has also learned how to play dead, as Marufuji seemingly knocked him out with a knee at one point. Slumped in the corner and motionless, the referee was checking on him until Marufuji shoved him out of the way (the referees on the whole had a very rough evening), hauled Inamura to his feet and went for the Shiranui. Inamura however, had been luring him in...but sadly, despite the very close pins and the ring psychology, it was Marufuji picking up the points. 

WINNER: Naomichi Marufuji with the True Tiger King (12 minutes, 23 seconds)

MATCH THREE
Go Shiozaki, Kaito Kiyomiya, Daisuke Harada & YO-HEY vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Haoh and Tadasuke)

Rockstar Tadasuke led Kongoh out, but only he, Kenoh and Haoh posed in the ring, Katsuhiko Nakajima sat on the turnbuckle looking sinister. This was a chaotic match with melee fights breaking out

You could tell how humid the venue was getting by that point as Daisuke Harada was wiping his head as he started off against Tadasuke. A few seconds later, Haoh decided to storm the ring, and this was even before they had locked up. Tadasuke paid for it as YO-HEY helped Harada pay him back in kind. YO-HEY has speed and incredible natural agility, but he does not have the strength that Tadasuke and Harada do. 

​The former AXIZ faced off. Katsuhiko Nakajima with a big evil Cheshire Cat grin as he wound up Go Shiozaki. Sliding out of the ring and wandering around, made Shiozaki (who has witnessed this behavior countless times), chase him back in. Go Shiozaki has two bullseyes painted on him at the moment, the GHC Heavyweight title and his notoriously damaged arms which Nakajima attacked relentlessly, wrapping them around the steel barriers, and aiming his kicks at them. Kongoh joined in while Shiozaki was in their corner by pressing their boots into his shoulders. Throughout the match Kongoh worked to wear Shiozaki down, with Kenoh returning the machine gun chops with machine gun kicks. Shiozaki also got the Kongoh version of "Endless Love". 
Shiozaki has been described as "more docile than Kenoh or Nakajima" by Takashi Sugiura, which he didn't take well to. But it must be said that while this is true to a point, he does have a long fuse, and when he gets wound up too much he goes go mad, the start of this was giving Nakajima a rare headbutt when he was on the turnbuckle, and then dropkicking him off of it. 

Another person who gets wound up slowly, is Kaito Kiyomiya, who Kenoh (who looked slightly bruised from Friday's match with Nakajima), kept provoking to storm into the ring and then throwing him out each time he did, and then walking off nonchalantly (Kenoh probably never forgave being drop kicked out of the ring earlier in the match). 

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat on Katsuhiko Nakajima (20 minutes, 19 seconds)

Shiozaki lost his temper, and with a wild look in his eyes, he screamed on the microphone to the motionless spreadeagled Nakajima, that if he thought the league was so crap, he would be the one to make it interesting. Kenoh said that they would finish what they didn't in Yokohama in the N-1. Kiyomiya then chimed in and said that he would break through his block to the finals, his enemies were not the only ones to be standing before him, and to Kenoh he told to make sure he was in the finals. 

MATCH FOUR
N-1 VICTORY
Masa Kitamiya vs Manabu Soya

A block A Kongoh HOSS FIGHT.

Fast paced match between two big heavyweights, who both threw each other around like they weighed nothing. Punch war, top rope slam, Kitamiya catching Soya in a headlock as he charged towards him, headbutts, backdrops, elbows, it was all there, and then Manabu Soya went for his nasty submission and Masa Kitamiya did something he rarely does, and tapped.

WINNER: Manabu Soya with the neck lock (12 minutes, 56 seconds)

Manabu Soya, usually so staid, celebrated in an enthusiastic way. 

MATCH FIVE
N-1 VICTORY
Masaaki Mochizuki vs Kazushi Sakuraba

Karate met MMA today, and while this is a non Noah match (i.e. both are freelancers appearing in Noah), it went over well with the crowd although the match was short. It was a harsh match of kicks and holds, which ended with a miscalculation by Masaaki Mochizuki, which cost him the win. 

WINNER: Kazushi Sakuraba with 39 Locks (8 minutes, 28 seconds)

After the match Mochizuki offered a bow and a handshake to Sakuraba, and they both bowed to each other on their knees. 

MATCH SIX
N-1 VICTORY
Takashi Sugiura vs Shuhei Taniguchi

Takashi Sugiura came out with his weary face on (the one he usually uses when dealing with upstarts on the roster who are younger), and Shuhei Taniguchi came out looking like Shuhei Taniguchi. Which is to say expressionless. Taniguchi gets teased a lot by the roster (mainly Sugiura, Marufuji and at times Shiozaki), for being so unanimated, and in order to prove that he wasn't Taniguchi once created a drinking club which met after practice to unwind, talk, drink, and tell jokes etc. 

Sugiura had said on Friday at the beginning of the league that as it was Taniguchi, he could safely stay in 3rd gear, there was no reason to accelerate to the top one. He was mistaken in this as during this hoss fight, Taniguchi erupted as they both tried to wear each other down, even at one point brushing the ref away. 

WINNER: Takashi Sugiura with the Frankensteiner (21 minutes, 57 seconds)

Shuhei Taniguchi was furious with the win (Sugiura pulls using the Frankensteiner out of nowhere, and it works) and shoved the ref around, but no it was a three, and rearranging his features, he stalked off angrily. Takashi Sugiura recovered from the headbutt that he had been given earlier, ("Goddamn"), and thanked everyone for coming, acknowledging how difficult it must have been for people in masks in the hothouse atmosphere of the venue. Sugi reiterated that he didn't want to lose out to any other groups who were holding their own leagues at the same time, and for people to watch to the end. 

With thanks to: Abeshin, Naoki_Slam
Noah's next show: Tuesday September 22nd, Korakuen Hall
Picture Credit: Noah GHC ​

​Noah kicked off the first night of the N-1 with a big match feel in Nagoya today. The event was streamed over WRESTLE UNIVERSE (which had technical problems for some viewers, although I luckily had no problem except for some slight lag and minor screen freezes) and Samurai TV, where Mohammed Yone was the guest commentator. Some fans travelled outside of Tokyo to see the opening night, and even some Jurina Matsui fans turned up. Noah later made the stream free for all to view. 

The opening ceremony when the wrestlers come to the ring for the official presentation, was drama free; Katsuhiko Nakajima (who came sauntering out) and Go Shiozaki stayed apart, Kenoh prevented himself from yelling at Naomichi Marufuji or Kaito Kiyomiya.

MATCH ONE
Shuhei Taniguchi, Mohammed Yone & Kinya Okada vs The Anti Wrestlers Alliance (Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue) & Masashi Aoyagi

Although it was Mohammed Yone and Masashi Aoyagi pointing at each other, it was Yone and Masao Inoue who started the match. Yone pumped up the fro before starting the match, in which we discovered that Inoue is also not a disco lover. 

Kinya Okada (young enough to be Aoyagi's grandson) did well against the old veteran, and in true Heisei style, the veterans did not let up on him in any way. Akitoshi Saito in particular sent a punch that was audible around the arena. Okada though, was able to take him down later. 

Shuhei Taniguchi, however, is not a veteran and had Masao Inoue begging for mercy. At this point Saito and Aoyagi scattered, leaving Inoue to scream "bastard!" at Taniguchi. Inoue got his revenge, however, by attacking Taniguchi's gouty toes with stamps. 

WINNER: Akitoshi Saito pinned Kinya Okada with a Boston Crab type pin (13 minutes, 13 seconds)

MATCH TWO
N-1 VICTORY (BLOCK B)
Takashi Sugiura vs Yoshiki Inamura

This is the second singles match between Takashi Sugiura and Yoshiki Inamura, and although he won, Sugiura left the match looking back at Inamura as if he was aware that he was now becoming more of a threat. 

Although Sugiura, the veteran, used Inamura's experience and momentum to throw him from the ring,  Inamura was able to throw him heavily into the barriers outside, and he won the punch war, knocking Sugi to the mat. But the veteran was not going to go down that easily, and after a last minute kick out from Inamura, Sugiura went for the choke. Inamura went to get out of that via a reversal, but Sugiura reversed and Inamura tapped. 

WINNER: Takashi Sugiura with the front neck lock (9 minutes, 11 seconds)

Takashi Sugiura said the match with Yoshiki Inamura was a "good test run", but since his next match is with Shuhei Taniguchi, he will only need to be in "3rd gear" for it. 

MATCH THREE
N-1 VICTORY (BLOCK A)
Kaito Kiyomiya vs Masaaki Mochizuki

Fast paced match, with the crowd clapping enthusiastically from the start. Mochi found Inamura a little too much, so he requested a time out. While Mochi threw his kicks, and Kiyomiya his punches, Kiyomiya had the chance to discover just how inventive Mochi can be. Mochi didn't just work on Kiyomiya's knee, he like Ogawa is not scared to be resourceful and to use what is around him, such as using kicks to get out of the Tiger Suplex, yelling and pointing at someone at ringside and then striking Kiyomiya when the ref was distracted, and so as Mochi lured him in, Kiyomiya found himself meeting both experience and mind games. But as fond as the crowd were of Mochi, they were behind the Noah born.

WINNER: Neither. Time out draw (30 minutes)

With this draw they only get one point each (2 points for a win, 0 for a loss)

MATCH FOUR
Naomichi Marufuji & Atsushi Kotoge vs The Sugiura Army (NOSAWA Rongai & Kaz Hayashi)

Mostly because he's insane, and partly because FULL THROTTLE used them for a show they will be appearing on filmed in Hajima Ohara's Kawasaki, Noah's resident nutcase, Atsushi Kotoge, came zipping out of the curtain clutching the handlebars and light of a motorcycle. Naomichi Marufuji loved it, but NOSAWA Rongai and Kaz Hayashi were not so impressed. Kotoge wasn't either when the referee told him that such things were not allowed in the ring. The match was very much junior heavy, and you could tell how much Marufuji enjoyed working with the division. 

Marufuji had said on Twitter that he was very much looking forward to chopping NOSAWA, but after a great exchange with Kaz Hayashi, Marufuji wanted NOSAWA, and then tagged Kotoge in. Who started bouncing all over and yelling "Brum Brum". NOSAWA thought he was crazy enough to accept a handshake (and who can blame him), Kotoge accepted the offer, but he's crazy not stupid, and caught the kick that NOSAWA went for. If NOSAWA didn't get chopped (Hayashi did), he had to endure Marufuji holding his mouth open so Kotoge Kotoge could rev up and kick it when bouncing the ropes. Unfortunately, this meant that Kotoge kicked Marufuji's fingers. Always one who is game to join in with anything, Marufuji did his own version of the rope bounce. 

WINNER: ATSUSHI KOTOGE with a moonsault on NOSAWA Rongai (11 minutes, 59 seconds)

Then after the match there was this...

​And Kotoge rode an invisible motorcycle backstage

​Noah held a short interval in which they announced that on the 19th December they would be heading up to Nagoya. It wouldn't surprise me if Noah's last big show of the year was combined with Takashi Sugiura's 20th anniversary (he debuted in December 2000 in Noah). Sugiura is from Aichi, Nagoya and was featured on the picture. Further details are to be announced. 

MATCH FIVE
N-1 VICTORY BLOCK A
Go Shiozaki vs Manabu Soya

Brutal power match. 
Go Shiozaki might not have been much affected by Soya's chops, but due to taping his arms and shoulders were vulnerable and Soya worked on these areas heavily, even at one point making it so he couldn't chop, but it couldn't stop him getting the machine gun chops. 

There was nothing technical in this match, as it was brutal and full of punches, kicks, chops and elbows. Soya could not ultimately overcome the GHC Heavyweight champion, but he came very close. 

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat (16 minutes, 54 seconds)

MATCH SIX
N-1 VICTORY BLOCK B
Kenoh vs Katsuhiko Nakajima

Despite his threats to wreck everything for everyone, Nakajima's act of rebellion was when the ref told him to get down from the turnbuckle, and then take off his jacket, not just his mask. The match started with Nakajima offering Kenoh a handshake. Kenoh (a man with a lot of enemies, both real but mainly imagined), was hesitant and ultimately refused. 

There was more of an emphasis on wrestling and martial arts ability initially, the kick fight came later (when Nakajima dared Kenoh), and compared to their championship match there was no feeling of hatred between them. This time you got more of a sense of Kenoh being a little unsure of Nakajima and what Nakajima was going to do, and Nakajima luring Kenoh into some sense of security. 

The match ended when Nakajima kicked Kenoh in the head, and then punched him repeatedly just to make sure that he was knocked out. He had a huge sinister grin on his face. 

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Diamond Bomb (17 minutes, 19 seconds)

After the match Nakajima bent over Kenoh. Kenoh slowly offered his hand, which Nakajima took and pulled him to his feet. Something seemed to be building as Nakajima pulled Kenoh up and they stared at each other, but Nakajima let him go and Kenoh rolled out of the ring. Nakajima went to speak on the microphone, but took his time. When he spoke, he said that this league was "rotten", and the matches before were "sluggish" (rough translation), but he would make it interesting, and for "everyone to watch me". 

WITH THANKS TO: Metal Noah
PICTURE CREDIT: Shu Nishinaga
GIFS taken from WRESTLE UNIVERSE
Noah's next event: September 20th (bell sounds at 16:00) ​

​Shu Nishinaga returned to his home prefecture of Kanazawa today, both for his 30th anniversary in wrestling (he started off a part timer in All Japan, was taken on full time by Giant Baba and has spent twenty years in Noah since walking out with Mitsuharu Misawa 2000), and for Noah's event. Flowers were sent by Kenta Kobashi, CyberFight & THE LEAVE which were displayed in the lobby.  Today would be the last event before the N-1 Victory starts on Friday.

There was a sense of a big event which was shared between the fans watching at home (event was streamed live on WRESTLE-UNIVERSE via static cam) and those who attended the event, and for those who were lucky enough to go to the arena, Naomichi Marufuji and Go Shiozaki were signing autographs, with Yoshinari Ogawa holding class in the ring with HAYATA and Kaito Kiyomiya. 

Noah's special guest today was Hiroshi Hase (former wrestler now a politician, who looks a million miles from both the picture Noah used on the poster, and his shoulder length hair and moustache from his days in the ring), who gave a speech before the event began. He evidently could not stay for long as he was not seen again, and Mutoh kind of alluded to the fact that he couldn't stick around for the whole thing when he spoke on the microphone at the end of the match. Hase was not the only notable person in attendance as Kuniko Yamada was also at ringside. 

MATCH ONE
Daisuke Harada & YO-HEY vs FULL THROTTLE (Atsushi Kotoge & Hajime Ohara)

FULL THROTTLE made "Brum Brum" motions to a little girl sitting at ringside as they came to the ring, and YO-HEY made good his promise to dye his hair at 3.30am as he couldn't sleep and was up playing computer games. Speaking of hair, one fan described Kotoge's hair (despite it being freshly pink) as being cut like "a little child in a school entrance ceremony"

​This was a fun opener between two crazy people and two sane people. Fans gave a big applause for that rare precious treat of Hajime Ohara vs Daisuke Harada which started the match, then they tagged in their insane tag partners, and YO-HEY spent a few seconds bouncing around with Kotoge. Fast paced match (which Takashi Sugiura and Kenoh were seen watching from the balcony, although not at the same time), which included one of YO-HEY'S most beautiful dropkicks on Ohara, Kotoge really catching Harada in the face with a kick and Harada vs Ohara being as beautiful and brilliant as ever.

WINNER: Time out draw (20 minutes) 

The fight went on even after the bell and ended with YO-HEY throwing Kotoge off of the turnbuckle, and then falling off it himself to the floor. Both teams left in frustration that neither could get the win over the other, and so their positions in the Noah Juniors were still stagnant. Backstage, YO-HEY & Daisuke Harada announced that they would be introducing a new member of their team on the 26th in Niigata (fans are speculating that this could be the returning Junta Miyawaki, Hitoshi Kumano which I think is unlikely, or a member of Dove). 

MATCH TWO
Mohammed Yone & Alexander Otsuka vs Seiya Morohashi & Kinya Okada

Alexander Otsuka (who took his time on entry) was Mohammed Yone's debut opponent 25 years ago. Ironically, he was also the one that Kenoh debuted against too in Michinoku Pro. In a touching sign of respect, he even held the ropes open so that Yone could get into the ring. 

Semi squash match but really for the more experienced Seiya Morohashi and ironically not the less experienced Kinya Okada, who managed to hold his own against the two veterans than Morohashi did, although Okada is still too junior in Noah to react in too much rage to Yone's Disco Rope break or try and get into the ring to break the hold when Yone held him back as Otsuka tortured Morohashi, Morohashi was completely dwarfed by Yone and thrown around by Otsuka

WINNER: Alexander Otsuka with the Alex Buster on Seiya Morohashi (10 minutes, 49 seconds)

MATCH THREE
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Seiki Yoshioka

Katsuhiko Nakajima came out to the ring using a new entry song, which he not only inspired, but was in the video for. Yoshioka had come out before him and instantly noticed Kuniko Yamada; Yamada made a joke of the incident when Yoshioka had come crashing through the announce table, by when he did moonsault and land near (not on) her during the match, by telling him to go away and get back in the ring. 

Seiki Yoshioka's sports background is in Taekwondo, and as Katsuhiko Nakajima's is in Karate, fans were looking forward to the inevitable kickfight between them. It was definitely not as brutal as the one between Nakajima and Kenoh, and while Nakajima as the heavyweight was naturally stronger, Yoshioka attacked in a flurry and managed to knock him across the ring. He also won the kickfight as Nakajima was kicked out of the ring. Yoshioka kicking out of the Soccer Ball kicks was too much for Nakajima, and his cocky smile snapped off and his eyes started to glow as they grew cold, and he pinned him with the Vertical Spike while staring into the photographers lens as the flash lit up his face.

WINNER: Katsuhiko Nakajima with the Vertical Spike (10 minutes, 50 seconds)

Shu Nishinaga was presented with flowers by fellow referee, Nakayama, for his 30th anniversary in wrestling. He was originally working part time in All Japan, when Giant Baba noticed his merit and asked him if he wanted to be a referee, after that he became full time and trained under Joe Higuchi and Kyohei Wada. He left All Japan in 2000 when Mitsuharu Misawa formed Noah, and has stayed ever since. 

MATCH FOUR
Go Shiozaki, Kaito Kiyomiya & Shuhei Taniguchi vs Kongoh (Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura)

Kongoh filed out first looking militaristic, and Kenoh lurked in the corner for his enemies to come out. Kaito Kiyomiya came out with white feathers floating everywhere from his coat, Go Shiozaki looking still sad (his arms looked better though on the surface with only one elbow support, but he is still heavily taped around the shoulders which became a target for Kongoh), and Shuhei Taniguchi, being Shuhei Taniguchi. Taniguchi is probably the only person who is low on Kenoh's list (although he is probably on it). 

Noah built up Kiyomiya vs Kenoh (which as we will see was brief), with Kiyomiya and Kitamiya starting off the match. Kitamiya has suddenly bloomed over the last few months into the powerhouse he was always meant to be, with Shiozaki not quite believing how Kitamiya stood up to him, especially the machine gun chops which he refused to take and the repeated brainbusters which he stood up from. If anything, tonight's MVP was Kitamiya. 

​Kenoh and Kiyomiya finally faced off after Kenoh provoked him, Kiyomiya even shoving the ref away to get to Kenoh. They had a brief punch war, which ended with Kenoh throwing Kiyomiya outside the ring and sauntering off. I wonder as this exchange was so short (and given Kenoh's fury this week about Kiyomiya being on the cover of "Weekly Pro", so much so he went to the offices to complain about it), if Noah are saving something for N-1 Victory. 

Yoshiki Inamura came very very close to pinning Go Shiozaki, and the venue were behind him, but Shiozaki kicked out what can't even be described as the last split second, Inamura came that close to having a very very big win.

WINNER: Go Shiozaki with the Gowan Lariat on Yoshiki Inamura (19 minutes, 44 seconds) 

Go Shiozaki spoke on the microphone, and thanked everyone for coming and thanked Nishinaga for his 30 years service to wrestling.  

MATCH FIVE
STINGER (Kotaro Suzuki, Yoshinari Ogawa & HAYATA) vs Kongoh (Haoh, Nioh & Tadasuke)

While Kongoh with Red Tadasuke might have kept it clean, STINGER did not and while their music was still playing and even before the bell had sounded, Yoshinari Ogawa decided to attack Tadasuke. Tadasuke remained the subject of his focus throughout the match, although it's hard to know exactly what Tadasuke has done recently to Ogawa, but then again it could just be a combination of them both being the leaders of their group and their past history. 

Haoh was out to prove himself today, and Kotaro wanted him to do this too. Easier than Ogawa when it comes to title matches, all Kotaro asks is that you prove yourself and you challenge, and he was determined to keep Haoh in the ring, STINGER naturally came in from time to time, but Kongoh had to be kept out. The crowd were very much behind Haoh, who got the win with a combination of speed, luck and sheer desperation. 

WINNER: Haoh pinned Kotaro Suzuki (16 minutes, 24 seconds)

Haoh rolled about the ring in almost the same frenzied manner that Kaito Kiyomiya did when he won the GHC Heavyweight, STINGER, however found nothing to celebrate and contested it to the referee. Tadasuke got in the ring clapping, practically in HAYATA'S face. Kotaro cannot say no now (although he probably will) as Haoh addressed him afterwards as he was leaving, basically saying he couldn't deny that he was the next belt challenger. 

MATCH SIX
The Sugiura Army (Takashi Sugiura, Kazushi Sakuraba & NOSAWA Rongai) vs The M'S Alliance (Naomichi Marufuji, Keiji Mutoh & Yuko Miyamoto)

As Kazushi Sakuraba made his entrance (he and Keiji Mutoh made separate entrances to their teammates), Naomichi Marufuji decided to annoy Takashi Sugiura and NOSAWA Rongai, by pointing at NOSAWA and complaining to Sugiura, and even making lunging motions at him. He was making such a nuisance of himself hanging around in the opposite corner, that in the end Sugiura told him to go away.

Kazushi Sakuraba and Keiji Mutoh started the match with Sakuraba mat wrestling him. Unfortunately this kind of looked a little clumsy on Mutoh's part; it might have worked a few years ago, but it just looked awkward. A better point of the match was their exchange later on, when Sakuraba decided to use submission moves with Sugiura and NOSAWA daring Naomichi Marufuji and Yuko Miyamoto to get in the ring. 

NOSAWA tried chopping Marufuji, it didn't work. They had a chop war which Marufuji no sold, and ended up knocking NOSAWA down. NOSAWA however had another target in mind, mainly Keiji Mutoh which he did the Shining Wizard on in usual twitchy fashion (and teasing Mutoh about his bad knees in the process), but Mutoh had his revenge and NOSAWA found himself on the receiving end as Marufuji sat imitating him, while sitting on the apron to keep Sugiura out of the ring. The next time Marufuji and Sugiura will meet, will be the N-1 Victory. 

WINNER: Keiji Mutoh with the Shining Wizard on NOSAWA Rongai (17 minutes, 54 seconds)

After posing with a sponsors sign (Nihonkai Club which sounds nice as they advertised they serve steak and beer), Keiji Mutoh spoke on the microphone. Hase evidently couldn't stay to address the crowd, so it fell to Mutoh to say that he was happy to be here, and he wanted to do his best to energize those watching pro wrestling.

WITH THANKS TO: Kei, Metal Noah, Asuka, Kosen, Abeshin 
GIF'S taken from WRESTLE-UNIVERSE
Noah's next show: Friday 18th September (N-1 Victory opening night)