#GHC heavyweight title

[thefightjournal]

NOAH - KENTA vs Yuji Nagata - GHC Heavyweight Championship match - 2013.12.7

[wrestlingmgc]

PROGRESS World Champion & GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Chris Ridgeway

[caranoirs]

TADASUKE & YO-HEY (GLG) WIN THE GHC JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM TITLES // noah new year 2024

[puroresu-musings]

NOAH "THE NEW YEAR" 2024 Review (Jan 2nd, 2024, Ariake Arena, Tokyo)

1, GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Title 3-Way Elimination Match - Alpha Wolf & Dragon Bane (c) vs. Alejandro & Ninja Mack vs. YO-HEY & Tadasuke ***3/4

2, Jake Lee, Jack Morris & Anthony Greene vs. El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Titus Alexander & Vinnie Massaro **1/2

3, Masa Kitamiya vs. Tomohiro Ishii ****1/2+

4, Go Shiozaki vs. Satoshi Kojima ****

5, Great Sakuya & Nagisa Nozaki vs. Haruka Umesaki & Miyuki Takase **1/2

6, Takashi Sugiura vs. Ulka Sasaki ***

7, Hiroshi Tanahashi & HAYATA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinari Ogawa ***1/2

8, GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship - Daga (c) vs. Eita ***

9, NOAH/NJPW vs. House of Torture 12 Man Elimination Match - Kaito Kiyomiya, Shota Umino, Daiki Inaba, Shuji Kondo, Ryohei Oiwa & Junta Miyawaki vs. EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo ***3/4

10, GHC Heavyweight Championship - Kenoh (c) vs. Manabu Soya ****1/2

11, Naomichi Marufuji vs. Kota Ibushi *

This was my first full NOAH show I've watched in forever and it was a great watch. They pulled in a great crowd of over 5K, it had very good matches up and down the card, two fantastic bouts, but unfortunately it ended with one of the worst matches you're likely to see all year...

Things started hot with the Jr. Tag Title 3-Way. You know what to expect here; lots of crazy spots, not much in the way of traditional "psychology", and 100mph action. The crowd loved this and it was a great way to kick things off. There was confusion over the elimination nature of this one, and had it ended after after the first fall, I think I'd have liked it more, but it was a great little opener with the GLG duo of YO-HEY and Tadasuke eliminating both opponents at 8:48 and 12:24 respectively to win the straps. Things cooled down a tad with the next match, which was decent enough but just your standard 6-Man, which saw the GLG were victorious again.

The next match was something of a Dream Match for me, one that's been teased for a good couple of years now as Ishii and Kitomiya, two of my favourite guys from their respective companies, had an absolute war that is a strong MOTYC only two days in! You know what to expect here, it was tsandard Ishii big match fair, which is always tremendous. They pounded each other with chops, Lariats, headbutts, forearms punches and suplexes for 15:04, before Ishii got the win with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster. Amazing. The next match too was excellent as Go Shiozaki went over ageless veteran Satoshi Kojima, in a battle of the Go-wan Lariats! This was great, and kept relatively short at 13:56. Shiozaki won after an exchange of Lariats. Go formed a new faction called Team NOAH in the post-match.

Next up we got a couple of interesting debuts. "The Great Muta's daughter" Great Sakuya (Riko Kawahata) debuted in a doubles clash which ended in a DQ after she blew the dreaded Dokukiri in poor Umesaki's face. This was very silly, and the crowd were dead for it, but whilst it certainly wasn't great, it certainly wasn't bad either. The next match was better as former MMA fighter Ulka Sasaki battled NOAH legend Takashi Sugiura in a nice little exhibition. Sasaki looked good here, and it featured some good sequences, before Sugiura naturally won at the 11 minute mark with the Olympic Yossen Slam.

After intermission we got the ZSJ/Ogawa vs. Tana/HAYATA tag match. This was really good, as you'd expect, though at nearly 18 minutes it was a little long. They teased a lot of stuff with Zack and Tanahashi for their TV Title match at the Dome tomorrow. Sabre Jr. won for his team when he submitted HAYATA with a crazy leg stretch. The GHC Jr. Title bout was decent enough, as Daga retained over Eita in exactly 13 minutes. I expected a bit more here, and it ultimatly came off as a bit of a squash as Daga dominated the whole thing, despite the crowd really wanting Eita to win. The 6 on 6 Elimationation match was actually a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. Like everyone else, I'm at the end of my tether with this HoT stuff (and don't even get me started on Narita's inexplicably asinine inclusion in this nonsense), BUT, this match proves if done right, it can be pretty great. Obviously we got all the token House silliness like the never-ending stream of low blows, interference and incompetent refereeing, but it built really well as it boiled down to Kaito and EVIL, with Kiyomiya looking like a hero as he overcame the odds and sent EVIL to the floor with a Shining Wizard at the 26:14 mark to win for the babyfaces.

The first half of the Double Main Event; Kenoh's GHC Heavyweight Title defence against former tag partner Manabu Soya came next and it was another fantastic, hard-hitting war, and another early MOTYC. We all know Kenoh's great, and I've always been a fan of Soya since his All Japan days, but he's kind of lingered in the NOAH mid-card since arriving and gotten lost in the shuffle somewhat. Well this was a coming out party if ever there were one, both guys looked fantastic here, and I was worried someone was going to get legit KO'd at points, given how hard they were hitting each other. Kenoh missed a Moonsault knee drop by a considerable margin at the end there, but recovered well by devastating the big man with some headkicks and got the submission win at 28:36 with the Kenoh Special. Excellent, excellent match. Shiozaki came out in the post match and challenged Strong Fist to a title match, which will be happening on January 13th. Count me in as these two always have great matches together. And this is where I'd recommend everyone just turn this show off...

The Marufuji/Ibushi main event *sigh*... look I'm sure everyone already knows about this match, something that once upon a time was a dream match, but in the harsh realities of 2024, was an abject nightmare. This match was all kinds of bad, as Ibushi came into this thing banged up to oblivion and physically incapable of doing... anything, really. AND IT WENT 33:26!!! Which honestly felt like a good couple of hours watching live. Ibushi announced he was working through a broken hand and foot in the days prior, and when he made his entrance with tears streaming down his face, I feared the worst. The reality is this match shouldn't have happened, or if it did, have it go like 10 minutes maximum or something. And certainly don't have it be the main event! It was total insanity to book this to go north of 30 minutes. But even then, nobody made Ibushi try to do his signature spots in this thing. The guy couldn't even get himself up to go over the ropes on a backdrop, so what made him think attempting a Moonsault to the floor was a wise move? Well, he seemingly broke his ankle doing so, and the match only descended into more of a train wreck from there. The crowd were dead, almost like they were at a funeral, the "action" was a level lower than snail pace, and watching it was a profoundly sad experience. I never thought I'd see the day when the Keiji Muto of 2023 looked more mobile and having more business being in the ring than Kota Ibushi ever. Ibushi won with Kamigoye to put everyone out of their misery, none more so than the two guys in the match, then there was a totally bizarre post match where Kiyomiya and Jake Lee came out and seemingly banished Ibushi from NOAH. Ibushi could barely stand or walk on his way to the back, and this is a match I'll never watch again in my life. I had thought about giving this a DUD, but I couldn't be that harsh given the circumstances. Also, Marufuji did try his best out there, bless him. But the fact is Ibushi needs some time away from the ring to heal. I mean, this could be the end of his illustrious in-ring career, which is beyond heartbreaking, and he's looked a shadow of his former self since he returned to wrestling last Spring, but he wasn't even the same person out there on this show.

All in all, this was a great supershow from NOAH, marred slightly by a catastrophically bad main event, for obvious reasons. But I recommend everyone check it out up the fab Kenoh/Soya match, and just pretend the Ibushi/Maru match never happened.

NDT

[are-we-really-doing-this]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated, May 2006

The Wrestling Forecaster: Samoa Joe

(@selamat-linting @scopophil here y'all go)

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2006?

Everyone is predicting huge things out of Samoa Joe. He is TNA’s breakthrough star, and the first TNA wrestler to be the subject of a PWI cover story. Joe is cutting a bloody swatch through the X division, and we predict he’ll continue to dominate that division, piling up wins over Christopher Daniels, A.J. Styles, and Austin Aries before he demands a different type of challenge. The first man to answer the rugged Samoan’s call will be Abyss, and those two big men will push one another to the limit in some of the most physical matches U.S. wrestling fans have ever seen. Joe will ultimately win that feud and then either challenge Sting for the NWA heavyweight title or go after Jeff Jarrett in another epic feud. Samoa Joe will be TNA’s top heel of 2006, but he won’t win the NWA title. That will happen in 2007 with Joe competing as a fan favorite. 

WHERE WILL HE BE IN 2011?

In five years, Joe will only be 31 years old. He will sign with WWE in 2009, but the point of contention will be his weight. Joe will be under pressure to conform to the WWE body type, in spite of the pre-existing gentlemen’s agreement that his physique would be a non-issue. With his huge fan following, Joe will be empowered to stick to his guns. WWE Creative will back down, but Joe will be forced to spend many months in the developmental system and then kept out of the top storylines. He will state in an exclusive interview with Matt Brock that leaving TNA was a mistake. (Brock would die from cirrhosis of the liver before the interview was published). By 2011, WWE, realizing its miscalculation, will concede to the fans’ wishes and push Joe to the moon. In 2011, he will take the Raw brand by storm and march inexorably toward the WWE title.

WHERE WILL HE BE IN 2016?

Joe will ultimately drop the WWE title to Carlito and then will gradually be phased out of the title picture. By 2014, he will request his WWE release and embark upon a tour of Japan, where he will quickly become that nation’s top gaijin (foreign) wrestler. In 2016, Joe will win the Pro Wrestling NOAH GHC title, beating his 2005 rival Kenta Kobashi for the honor. Joe’s incredible marketing power will even be enough to get promoters from All-Japan Pro Wrestling to agree to an inter-promotional match pitting Joe against whoever holds the Triple Crown title. Like Terry Funk, Bruiser Brody, and Stan Hansen before him, Joe will make history in Japan.

[zedxspacess]

thinking how today is the anniversary of Glory by Honor V aka the night were Bryan v KENTA and Nigel v Marufuji happened, and even though Bryan and Nigel's feud wasn't the focus, that night plays a small part in adding to the theme of Bryan constantly outshining Nigel despite Nigel's successes.

The match most people point as the MOTN is Bryan and Kenta's, with Bryan successfully defending his world championship while suffering a shoot hurt shoulder.

Then they'd say Nigel's is a close second, with some preferring it to Bryan's. It was special in that it was the first time the GHC heavyweight belt was defended in America, Nigel was the first defense of Marufuji's reign overall, and they worked a NOAH/King's Road style match in ROH. And they absolutely tore the house down. Still in second place to Bryan for MOTN though.

Later on when Nigel is world champion, he also defended his title against Kenta while suffering torn biceps. But that isn't brought up as much as Bryan's defense.

[pwrestlingxpress]

AEW Has a Problem

Everything that I type here is all in my opinion and it's something I didn't want to discuss at first but feel like it's time to say it. AEW has a problem and that problem is CM Punk.

How did this problem start, you ask? Go back to the post-media event of "All Out 2022" where just minutes after regaining the AEW World Heavyweight Championship, CM Punk lashed out at the media instead of talking about his reaction to the return of MJF (aka Maxwell Jacob Friedman) from earlier that day.

His words caused a backstage brawl that resulted into suspensions of himself and all around him including Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Kenny Omega, Brandon Cutler, Michael Nakazawa, etc. Also, due to that brawl, both the AEW World Heavyweight Championship and the AEW Trios Championship were vacated.

The Trios title ended up being help by PAC, Rey Fenix, and Pentagon until January 2023 while the AEW World Heavyweight Championship would be returned to Jon Moxley who regained the title and held onto it until November where he lost in what many can considered controversial fashion to Max Friedman.

Many people including myself were under the impression that a deal was reached where CM Punk would be let go by the company for his actions. Not the case as we learned that this Saturday (June 17, 2023) a new AEW show will premiere called "AEW Collision" and the show will heavily involve CM Punk.

Now...how did people react to his imminent return. Not very good. From everything I heard and read, the reaction was very negative with boos almost all over arenas and on social media. AEW tried to cover it up by finding those who'll cheer his return. It didn't work. Worse than that...the announcement of his return caused slow ticket sales so what happens next...let's announce his return match.

CM Punk, Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler vs. Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Samoa Joe. If you're a Jay White fan, you'd be like "yay, Jay's on AEW Collision" in an exciting way but when you read he has to face Punk in 6-man tag action you like "yay, Jay's on AEW Collision" but your excitement meter goes down.

To make matter worse for AEW, they aired a VTR of Punk last night on AEW Dynamite that got the crowd booing even more. And from the people I follow on social media, all were furious that AEW keeps on showing Punk. Some even ask "why has he not been punished yet for his actions" "why is he getting awarded when everyone got punished"

These questions I cannot answer but I can say that AEW has a problem (CM Punk). They've tried almost everything to cover up the problem and instead have made it worse. And now...I read something in which this problem AEW has with Punk is so bad, I don't know how they're going to solve it at this point. That something...an interview that apparently and/or reportedly went out of control. Read some details on it and...it's not good.

The last time I watched AEW was the week before "All Out 2022" in which I was starting to question Punk's booking at the time but was somewhat proud to see Kenny Omega back in the ring. Haven't watched AEW since then and until they release CM Punk, have no intention to watch AEW again though there'll be times I'll watch certain highlights but not a full show.

One more thing I've been reading since they've been announcing his return was a proposed match against KENTA at "Forbidden Door 2023" taking place June 25th in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. From what I read, many are thrilled about the proposed match because this could solve the one issue many have, who really owns the "GTS'. Instead, I read that Punk was "not interested". Reading that really boils me up because how in the world can you not be interested in facing a former GHC Heavyweight Champion, a 3-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, a 3-time GHC Junior Tag Team Champion, a former GHC Tag Team Champion, a former Global League winner, a former IWGP United States Champion, a former NEVER Openweight Champion, and a 2-time (and reigning) Strong Openweight Champion. Why in the world do you say "not interested" to someone is regarded by many to be the best the world has to offer. Read KENTA's response to the proposed match and...it's a interesting one because he'll only do it if it requires the money provided but if Punk is saying "not interested" then why bother.

Again, AEW has a problem that they've yet to solve and based on all I've read, based on all I've heard, and based on almost everything I've said here...are not even going to attempt to solve the problem and it's a shame that this is happening. None of this would have happened if they had just fired Punk. Instead, look where we're at right now. This (AEW Collision with Punk) is going to blow up in their face.

With that...done talking about Punk here. Again, everything I just typed right here on my Pro Wrestling Express is all in my opinion. Feel free to comment on your opinion in this ongoing problem that AEW has no attempt to solve at this time.

[sana-yan]

Hi, you mentioned having seen the Zack vs. Taichi Noah matches in your tags? Do you know where I could find them? I can't find them on the wrestle universe site. Any info would be really appreciated, thanks.

hello, thanks for inquiring :) a lot of pwnoah footage hasn't been archived properly during that time period, so it is hard to find some of the old szkg vs zsj matches.

here is the best i could do, and if anyone has the footage for their first singles match against each other (jan. 20, 2015), please i beg haha i want to see it in its entirety. i highly recommend folks to archive the footage in case this account goes down.

zsj vs taichi at noah the first navigation tag 8 (feb. 4, 2015):

context: by this time, szkg's invasion of pwnoah is in effect and the noah roster, zsj included, tries to fight off the violent and goonish baddies. both taichi and zack are competing for the ghc junior heavyweight title. a heads up to the people watching, this is peak "taichi go home" era so expect accordingly. my favorite bit is when he calls zsj "zackaroni"

for a more detailed list of taichi and zack interactions during pwnoah: here's a filtered list from cagematch!

hope you enjoy ☺️

[nickiehausen]

Kenta v. Mitsuharu Misawa (ROH Glory By Honor VI) 11/3/07

Mitsuharu Misawa’s in-ring brilliance simply cannot be understated. Widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, with a case to be made that he’s the greatest of all time, his countless classic matches against career rivals like Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi are the stuff of legend. His stints in All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH are perhaps some of the greatest runs any wrestler has had in any promotion; the same cannot be said for his brief time in Ring Of Honor. Two matches in the fall of 2007, had in a span of two days, known less so for their excellence and more so for their historical significance.

With that being said, time for a bit of background information. This match against Kenta was only Misawa’s second in Ring of Honor, the first having taken place the day prior at Night 1 of Glory By Honor VI. Before then, he hadn’t wrestled in the United States since a WLW show in 2004. The fact he was even coming to ROH was a pretty big deal. He came into the match in the midst of a third reign as GHC Heavyweight champion, and was right on the heels of crossing a full year with the belt. His opponent, Kenta, wasn’t exactly new to ROH. He had wrestled sixteen prior matches for the promotion, his first having come against Low Ki in 2005. He had unsuccessfully challenged for the ROH World title on two separate occasions in the past, but that night, his focus was on Misawa’s title.

If the quality of a match was judged solely by atmosphere, then this would be a 5-star classic. Even watching it back years later, you can tell just how amped the crowd is to just be able to see Misawa perform in Ring of Honor. It’s a spectacle to behold, hearing the crowd erupt into “This is awesome” chants only three minutes into the match. There’s true historical significance in seeing Misawa compete in an ROH ring, and that creates an unmatched energy within the audience. It’s rare to see crowds this excited just to see a match, the most recent example I can think of being Bryan Danielson v. Kenny Omega from the first AEW Dynamite Grand Slam event back in 2021. Even ignoring the actual in-ring action, the excitement of the crowd alone is tremendously captivating to hear, and for me, that makes the match a whole lot better. 

The match itself isn’t bad by any standards, but it can be a bit sluggish at times. It goes without saying that Mitsuharu Misawa was far beyond his prime by 2007. The quality of his wrestling hadn’t taken a hit, but the same couldn’t be said for his athleticism. He was forty-four years old by this point, and lacked much of the same agility he had possessed a decade prior. Simply put: he’s slower and can’t do as much, and that causes the match to, at times, hobble along. Kenta was only twenty-six at the time, and he wrestled at a far more accelerated pace, his movements and mannerisms more swift than those of the aging Ace. This creates a juxtaposition of sorts. Misawa is still able to pull out some impressive spots, though, including a dive to the outside that goes off without a hitch.

Good wrestling held back by physical restraints but elevated by a phenomenal crowd makes this match hard to judge. If I allow myself to sit back and simply enjoy the spectacle this match is, it’s very good. Though, is it fair to judge a match by its atmosphere and not its true quality? I’m not sure, but it should be noted the audience can have a sizable impact on the quality of a match.  I’ve seen many matches ruined by a crowd that's either completely dead or too busy throwing around beach balls and screaming stupid chants, so the importance of an active crowd can’t be understated. But even then, is that enough to carry a match? The short answer is no. However, does this match need to be carried by its crowd? Also no. It's still a good match, just that, if I were to make a list of Misawa's greatest matches, this wouldn't be in the top fifteen. That's less a bad thing and more an indication of his brilliance, to be fair.

All things considered, I enjoy this match. It’s flawed, sure, but it possesses great value just in terms of sheer significance and, in terms of actual in-ring quality, in no way is it anywhere remotely close to being bad. I’d personally say that their match in NOAH from 2004 is a bit better, but only by a little. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars out of 5.

[sybilius]

Sunday MaruKEN 3: So, where did we leave off? (2013-2018)

2013.7.7 - KENTA vs. Marufuji, GHC Heavyweight Championship Match

KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji vs. Takashi Sugiura & Katsuhiko Nakajima (**TOP REC**)

2018.09.01 Hideo Itami KENTA vs Naomichi Marufuji (Marufuji Anniversary Show)

Free links provided, you might be able to dig up a better quality recording with a WrestleUniverse subscription! My notes on the matches (not spoiler free) under the cut! By the way if you watch all these matches in order from this episode, you will have your heart ground up to a paste :)  (what’s this?) 

Match 1 Notes

This one is absolutely wonderful to see. This is No Mercy KENTA at full power, the ace of NOAH at this moment, finally getting to face down his rival where he has the upper hand. KENTA hit an incredibly impressive 9 successful GHC Heavyweight champ title defenses in his reign, and this one is excellent.

Match 2 Notes

God, if there’s anything to break your heart -- it’s just how over KENTA is with the crowd in this match. This is his farewell match to NOAH, and he and Maru tag for the last time before he heads off to be shackled to “Hideo Itami”. The still I picked for this is actually cribbed from KENTA’s instagram -- he highlighted this moment with the caption “I GOT YOUR BACK” to hype his upcoming reunion with Marufuji.

One thing I will say about this match (a lot TO say, I know) is that it contrasts from their Jr. Heavyweight tagging style. Kenta is in the ring lots, but it’s to showcase his skills to a crowd that loves him maybe even more than Marufuji at this point (rather than to showcase his selling to build up the drama of when Maru is going to do something crazy). He’s really come into his own here.

Nothing hurts more than the “your dream is our dream” sign for Kenta, ow ow ow.

Match 3 Notes

I would honestly make this required viewing after Match 2 but also it’s kind of painful required viewing. It’s a great match, and cholk-full of references to Maru and Kenta’s prior matches-- they may be moving slower, both carrying injuries, but they still have it.

But man, seeing Kenta soak up a crowd that loves him with a mix of relief and “god what did I ever leave this for” sure is something. Especially knowing how hard it must have been to get WWE to even cut him loose for one match for Marufuji’s anniversary, the tag partner and rival who defined his career...ugh.

In conclusion, great match! Fuck WWE forever!

Overall Notes

I feel like this part of the arc is really shadowed by the shoot reality of what a difficult time Kenta’s WWE run was (at least for me). The way the quality and style of the wrestling changes, and Kenta’s demeanour throughout really got to me. I think this is also really interesting commentary on the kayfabe he chose to go with in NJPW. Certainly watching a few Hideo Itami matches made the layers that went into that richer for me.

But to end on a positive note: wow it’s never been more clear to me that Marufuji and Kenta have defined each other’s careers. There’s an amazing mutual respect in the fact that Kenta’s farewell match was a tag with Maru -- in the fact that Maru called him back for his anniversary show so they could wrestle together in the main event. And now? They’re going to reunite again in NOAH. I’m excited to see what comes of it.

Thanks for reading this far! This concludes the “backwatch” portion of the Sunday MaruKEN series, though in all likelihood I’ll post a little review of their New Year’s show <3

[blizzardsuplex]

Super niche and very shitpost-y, but does anyone want a full copy of the legendary KENTA/Marufuji 60-minute match for both the AJPW Junior Heavyweight and GHC Junior Heavyweight titles from 2008...in less space than a single HQ GIFset (7.56 MB, to be exact)? Well, do I have the video for you...

(Yes, this is the entire match; no, this is not my video. Credit for this undertaking goes solely to my friend Jacob, on Twitter @Jackub97.)

Link if embed doesn’t work: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M11xQ-CtxuJ-oAkPuieLHNn_N-0Uildm/view?usp=sharing

[wrestlingmgc]

GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Daisuke Harada and Hajime Ohara

[blueonwrestling]

Fun little bit to come out of NOAH.

Ninja Mack accidently had to win the GHC Jr heavyweight title as mid match Hayata had a fractured elbow, causing them to change the finish and for Ninja Mack to win the belt.

He did drop it 11 days later to Dante Leon who I assume was going to beat Hayata for it anyway but yeah, funny how that happens in wrestling sometimes.

[mackdaddyofthecravate]

"And KENOH... Only listen"

Hijo Del Dr Wagner Jr. Issuing a challenge for the GHC Heavyweight title. This should be great!

[christhebrit2]

G1 Climax 33 Preview

History

The G1 Climax tournament is the most gruelling tournament in New Japan Pro Wrestling and the most prestigious. The winner of the tournament gets a IWGP Heavyweight Title match at Wrestle Kingdom. Wrestle Kingdom is the biggest show of the year for New Japan held at the Tokyo Dome. The tournament winners are a who's who of legendary Japanese wrestlers including the founder of the company Antonio Inoki, Keiji Mutoh (better known in the west as The Great Muta) the Ace of New Japan Hiroshi Tanahashi and the current face of the company and arguably the best wrestler in the world Kazuchika Okada. Only three wrestlers from the west have ever won the G1. The two biggest stars from the 1980s Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan both won the tournament in the early years when it was held under different rules. Kenny Omega is the only Western wrestler to win the tournament under its gruelling modern format.

Rules

The tournament this year is split into 4 blocks of 8 wrestlers with the top two from each block qualifying for the quarter finals. Each block match has a 20 minute time limit. Two points for a victory, One point for a time limit draw and zero points for a loss. The quarter final matches onwards are single elimination with the winner advancing to the next round.

A Block

A Block this year features the current IWGP Heavyweight champion SANADA who faces a unique challenge in that A Block is the youngest block in the tournament. It feels very much like SANADA vs the next generation of Japanese wrestling. Kaito Kiyomiya is an outsider in the tournament representing Pro Wrestling Noah and as a two time GHC Heavyweight champion will be expecting a strong showing. Hikuleo the 6’8 adopted son of legendary tough guy Haku is a prime candidate for a breakout performance in this years G1 and feels like a star just waiting to happen. UK fans have some familiar faces in this years tournament Gabe Kidd is one of 3 UK wrestlers in the tournament and Shota Umino and Yota Tsuji will be familiar to fans of Revolution Pro Wrestling.

Predictions

First place - SANADA

Second place - Hikuleo

B Block

B Block features two of the biggest stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling with Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay. Okada is the face of the company and must be considered the tournament favourite. Will Ospreay is the biggest International talent in the company and is on an incredible run of matches. Ospreay is arguably the greatest pro wrestler to ever come out of the UK and will push Okada all the way for first place. KENTA and Taichi are main stays in the company and will be looking for a strong showing in the tournament. The highflying El Phantasmo will be one to watch and should put in some spectacular performances with his match against Ospreay sure to be a highlight.

Predictions

First place - Kazuchika Okada

Second place - Will Ospreay

C Block

C Block this year is the definition of “Strong Style” and will feature the most hard-hitting contests of this years G1. Tomohiro Ishii The Stone Pitbull, The Dragon Shingo Takagi, EVIL and Eddie Kingston are sure to provide some classic “Strong Style” matches that will showcase there talents nicely. David Finlay the newly cemented leader of the Bullet Club and son of legendary Northern Irish tough guy Fit Finlay will be a force to be reckoned with and alongside his manager Gedo must be considered a favourite. Eddie Kingston is an outsider representing All Elite Wrestling and will be a big fan favourite. Kingston recently won the New Japan Strong championship and grew up a big fan of Japanese wrestling. Kingston carries momentum into the tournament but faces an uphill battle to qualify for the quarter finals against Shingo Takagi who has to be considered a favourite in this block.

Predictions

First place - Shingo Takagi

Second place - David Finlay

D Block

D Block is one of the most competitive blocks in this years G1 tournament and thus hard to predict. Hiroshi Tanahashi is the ace of New Japan and can never be over looked in these tournaments however he isn’t getting any younger and is dealing with injures and may struggle. Tetsuya Naito is one of the most dynamic performers in the tournament but isn’t on a role going into the tournament. Zach Sabre Jr is the greatest technical wrestler in the world and is neck and neck with Will Ospreay for the greatest British wrestler of all time. Hirooki Goto is a hard hitting fan favourite who tends to either excel or disappoint in these tournaments and could be a left field pick for the quarter finals.

Predictions

First place - Tetsuya Naito

Second place - Zach Sabre Jr

[cavenewstimes]

GHC Heavyweight Champion Jake Lee Nominates Takashi Sugiura For Upcoming Title Defense

Feedzy   By /Updated: May 14, 2023 3:52 pm EST Since winning the GHC Heavyweight Championship from Kaito Kiyomiya earlier this year, Jake Lee has had a massive target on his back in Pro Wrestling NOAH. NOAH’s seemingly unbeatable invader has already defeated both Katsuhiko Nakajima and Naomichi Marufuji in recent months, so when nobody stepped up to challenge him earlier this month, Lee sought…