#noah_ghc

Golden Week has begun. The annual week of holidays always has a lot of pro wrestling going on, so let’s just get into this special post.

Pro Wrestling NOAH

NOAH returned to action for the first time in nearly two weeks, with the first night of Majestic 2022 from Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan. This was the “N Innovation” part of the event, with a lot of outside wrestlers coming in from the USA, Mexico and Australia. Possibly the most talent from outside of Japan on a single show since the pandemic started. Jushin Thunder Liger was a guest on commentary for this show.

Majestic 2022 - 4/29/2022, Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan (ABEMA)

Ikuto Hidaka [Perros del Mal de Japon] d. Kai Fujimura (Shawn Capture, 6:37)

Slex d. Yasutaka Yano (Business Bomb, 8:37)

Kotaro Suzuki [Perros del Mal de Japon] TLD Yuya Susumu [STINGER] (20:00)

NOSAWA Rongai, Texano Jr. & Super Crazy [Perros del Mal de Japon] d. Tadasuke [Kongo], Hajime Ohara [Kongo] & Shuji Kondo [Dragon Gate] (Texano > Tadasuke, Road to Texas, 10:46)

Hair v. Hair + Loser Must Change Name: Hao d. Nio [Kongo] (Tatsumaki, 16:03)

Extreme Tiger [FREE] d. Seiki Yoshioka [STINGER] (Tijuana Lock, 11:31)

HYO, SB KENTo & Shun Skywalker [Z-Brats] d. Daisuke Harada, Alejandro & Junta Miyawaki (Skywalker > Miyawaki, SSW, 25:00)

3-Way Elimination Match: Ninja Mack [GCW] d. Dragon Bane [IWRG] & Alpha Wolf [IWRG] Order of Eliminations: - Bane > Wolf, Twister Bane, 15:47 - Mack > Bane, Ninja Bomb, 18:03

GHC Juniorheavyweight Tag Team Championship: Yoshinari Ogawa & Chris Ridgeway [STINGER] d. Atsushi Kotoge & YO-HEY (c) (Ridgeway > Kotoge, Stretch Muffler, 33:41) - Kotoge/YO-HEY fail their 3rd defense - Ogawa/Ridgeway are the 50th champions

GHC Juniorheavyweight Championship: HAYATA [STINGER] d. Eita [Perros del Mal de Japon] © (Headache, 28:08) - Eita fails his 1st defense - HAYATA is the 49th champion

Eita doesn’t even last his first defense, which makes sense, as he is not a NOAH-contracted wrestler, despite the fact there is a lot of Dragon Gate talent nowadays (Z-Brats and Eita today, Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii on tomorrow’s show). Daisuke Harada v. HYO in a singles match will happen on 5/14/2022 in Yokohama.

HAYATA declared he would usher in a new era of NOAH. I hope that’s good, what with attendances not great (1585 reported today), and everyone associated with their English social media accounts being gotten-to weirdos (to wit, getting into it with one of my oldest friends in puroresu internetting, over them misspelling it as “Ryuguku” on a meme edit yesterday).

Is this the first time Texano Jr. has appeared in NOAH? It would appear so. I know he is no longer in AAA since last year, so he is freelance as of now. Ninja Mack said he wants to become the GHC Junior champion. It’s good to have goals. Alpha Wolf is also known as Hijo de Canis Lupus.

Nio of Kongo lost his hair, and also now will lose his name, following defeat to his former Kongo stablemate Hao. Slex is an Australian wrestler; he once wrestled Kazuchika Okada in Sydney.

The GHC Heavyweight title match has now been confirmed, as Kaito Kiyomiya will in fact be Go Shiozaki’s opponent in the decision match main event tomorrow at Ryogoku. That will be on Wrestle Universe. As a reminder, an utter piece of human filth is in a featured match on this show facing Masa Kitamiya, so be warned.

- 4/30/2022, Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan (Wrestle Universe)

Slex & Kai Fujimura v. Alejandro & Yasutaka Yano

King Tany, Muhammad Yone & Akitoshi Saito [Funky Express] v. Manabu Soya, Tadasuke & Hajime Ohara [Kongo]

NOSAWA Rongai, Eita, Texano Jr., Kotaro Suzuki & Super Crazy [Perros del Mal de Japon] v. HAYATA, Yoshinari Ogawa, Chris Ridgeway, Seiki Yoshioka & Yuya Susumu [STINGER]

Kazushi Sakuraba & Kendo Kashin [Sugiura-gun] v. Masaaki Mochizuki [M’s Alliance] & Don Fujii [Dragon Gate]

Masato Tanaka [M’s Alliance] & Daiki Inaba v. Renee Dupree [FREE] & Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. [FREE]

Masa Kitamiya v. Michael Elgin [FREE]

GHC National Championship: Masakatsu Funaki [Kongo] (c) v. Simon Gotch [FREE]

Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY & Junta Miyawaki v. Dreagon Bane [IWRG], Alpha Wolf [IWRG], Extreme Tiger [FREE] & Ninja Mack [GCW]

Naomichi Marufuji [M’s Alliance] & X v. Yoshiki Inamura & Kinya Okada

GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Takashi Sugiura & Hideki Suzuki [Sugiura-gun] © v. Kenoh & Katsuhiko Nakajima [Kongo]

GHC Heavyweight Championship Decision Match: Go Shiozaki v. Kaito Kiyomiya

STARDOM

The winner of the Cinderella Tournament 2022 has been determined, on a show that also featured several title matches, including the World Of Stardom championship.

Cinderella Tournament 2022 Finals - 4/29/2022, Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

3-Way Match: Ami Sorei [God’s Eye] d. Mai Sakurai [Donna del Mondo] and Waka Tsukiyama [Cosmic Angels] (Sorei > Tsukuiyama, Brainbuster, 4:19)

Future of Stardom Championship: Hanan [STARS] © d. Hina [Queen’s Quest] (Backdrop Hold, 6:26) - Hanan succeeds her 5th defense

Cinderella Tournament 2022 Semifinal: Koguma [STARS] d. Hazuki [STARS] (Jackknife Hold, 6:17)

Cinderella Tournament 2022 Semifinal: MIRAI [God’s Eye] d. Natsupoi [Donna del Mondo] (Miramare, 8:17)

Trios Gauntlet Match: Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka [Cosmic Angels] d. Giulia, Maika & Thekla [Donna del Mondo] and Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & Lady C [Queen’s Quest] and Ruaka, Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe [Oedo Tai] and Mayu Iwatani, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo [STARS] and Saki Kashima, Rina & Fukigen Death [Oedo Tai] Order of Eliminations: - Iwatani > Lady C, 4:06 - Watanabe > Iida, 5:11 - Kid > Sayaka, 5:01 - Maika > Ruaka, 3:35 - Nakano > Giulia, 7:19

High Speed Championship: AZM [Queen’s Quest] © d. Mei Suruga [Gatoh Move] (Azumisushi, 13:06) - AZM succeeds her 2nd defense

Cinderella Tournament 2022 Final: MIRAI [God’s Eye] d. Koguma [STARS] (Miramare, 11:45) - MIRAI wins the Cinderella Tournament 2022

World of Stardom Championship: Syuri [God’s Eye] © d. Himeka [Donna del Mondo] (SyuSekai, 21:24) - Syuri succeeds her 4th defense

MIRAI wins the tournament, and afterwards challenges her stable’s leader Syuri to the Red Belt. Mei Suruga asked to form a team with AZM following her defeat in the High Speed title match.

STARDOM have a whole Golden Week Fight Tour coming up starting Sunday, with a big show on 5/5/2022 from Fukuoka Kokusai Center that will feature three title matches, as well as an elimination match between Donna del Mondo v. God’s Eye. I’d type it all up here but my day has already gotten away from me.

All Japan Pro Wrestling

The Champion Carnival 2022 Final is now set, as we had the end of B Block today.

- 4/29/2022, Aichi Nagoya Congress Center

Shuji Ishikawa & Takao Omori d. Shigehiro Irie & Ryo Inoue (Takao > Inoue, Boston Crab, 7:42)

Black Menso-re d. Konaka = Pale One [666] (5:44)

TAJIRI & Yusuke Kodama [TOTAL ECLIPSE] d. Atsuski Aoyagi & Rising HAYATO [NEXTREAM] (Kodama > HAYATO, Mad Splash, 9:41)

Jake Lee, Ryuki Honda & Hokuto Omori [TOTAL ECLIPSE] d. Shotaro Ashino, Hikaru Sato & Dan Tamura [Evolution] (Lee > Tamura, D4C, 11:50)

Champion Carnival B Block: Takuya Nomura [BJW] d. Kuma Arashi [TOTAL ECLIPSE] (Ground Cobra Twist, 11:05)

Champion Carnival B Block: Yoshitatsu d. Suwama [Evolution] (6:54)

Champion Carnival B Block: Kento Miyahara [NEXTREAM] TLD Yuma Aoyagi [NEXTREAM] (30:00)

Yuma Aoyagi advances to the Final after drawing with his stablemate (and Triple Crown Champion) Kento Miyahara, but also will face off against his former stablemate in Jake Lee. That will happen on Wednesday, 5/4/2022 from Korakuen Hall.  No other matches have been announced as yet.

Shuji Ishikawa announced he will challenge for Runaway SUPLEX’s World Tag Team Championship, partnering with Kohei Sato on 5/14/2022 in Sapporo, which will also have an All Asia tag title defense on the card.

Final Champion Carnival 2022 standings:

A Block Lee: 8pts (4W 0D 1L) ***WINNER*** Ishikawa: 6pts (3W 0D 2L) Ashino: 6pts (3W 0D 2L) Irie: 5pts (2W 1D 2L) T-Hawk: 5pts (2W 1D 2L) Honda: 0pts (0W 0D 5L)

B Block Aoyagi: 7pts (3W 1D 1L) ***WINNER*** Miyahara: 6pts (2W 2D 1L) Nomura: 6pts (3W 0D 2L) Suwama: 5pts (2W 1D 2L) Yoshitatsu: 4pts (2W 0D 3L) Arashi: 2pts (1W 0D 4L)

Dragon Gate

The Gate of Passion 2022 tour continued today.

The Gate of Passion 2022 Night 15 - 4/29/2022, Hiroshima Sangyo Hall

KAI, BxB Hulk & Diamante [Z-Brats] d. Susumu Yokosuka, Genki Horiguchi & Jacky “Funky” Kamei [Natural Vibes] (Diamante > Kamei, Vuelta Finale, 10:11)

Yosuke Santa Maria d. Konomama Ichikawa (Inside Cradle, 7:58)

Kota Minoura, Kaito Ishida & Minorita [Gold Class] d. Takashi Yoshida, Punch Tominaga & Ho Ho Lun (Minoura > Tominaga, R-201, 12:27)

Ben-K [HIGH-END] d. Shachihoko Boy (Spear, 8:08)

Dragon Dia & Yuki Yoshioka [D’Courage] d. Yasushi Kanda & Ishin Iihashi (Dia > Ishin, Double Cork, 11:07)

Kzy, Big Boss Shimizu, U-T & Jason Lee [Natural Vibes] d. YAMATO, Dragon Kid, Kagetora & Keisuke Okuda [HIGH-END] (U-T > Kagetora, Hikari no Wa, 15:04)

Jason Lee, while not getting the pin, wins in his first match as a member of Natural Vibes.

DG run shows tomorrow and Sunday as well, before the first of three livestreamed showed beginning Tuesday, a two-night stand at Kyoto KBS Hall and then Dead Or Alive 2022 on Thursday.

DDT / Tokyo Joshi

Tokyo Joshi ran the first of two nights at Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall earlier today.

TJPW Spring Tour ‘22 - 4/29/2022, Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

Yuki Aino d. Kaya Toribami (Venus DDT, 6:57)

Miu Watanabe d. Haruna Neko (Canadian Backbreaker, 7:33)

Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta d. Rika Tatsumi & Arisu Endo (Kakuta > Endo, Shidenkai, 11:20)

Miyu Yamashita d. Moka Miyamoto (Attitude Adjustment, 8:25)

Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Raku d. Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu (Sakazaki > Kiryu, Toy Story 4, 13:01)

Shoko Nakajima & Pom Harajuku d. Hyper Misao & Suzume (Nakajima > Suzume, Northern Lights Suplex, 12:45)

Nakajima accidentally unmasked Hyper Misao during a hurricanrana spot. Reika Saiki will be retiring on Tuesday from Korakuen Hall, and will have a three-minute exhibition match with former partner Arisu Endo.

TJPW runs one last show before Tuesday’s Korakuen Hall show. In the meantime, DDT held an outdoor street wrestling match, as a last preview before Sunday’s big show in Yokohama

DDT “Just Before Yokohama Budokan! Rojo Pro Wrestling In I-Canal Street” - 4/29/2022, Yokohama i-Canal Street (YouTube)

Falls Count Anywhere 3-Way Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata [The 37KAMIINA] d. Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani [Eruption] and Yuki Naya & Yuki Ishida (Katsumata > Ishida, Diving Body Press From Telephone Pole Through Table, 29:08)

DDT does the kind of match that only DDT can really do.

Other News

Osaka Pro ran today, showing off their new title belt that will be crowned on Sunday. They also announced a new Light Heavyweight title that will be determined via tournament beginning on 6/26/2022, with the champion being crowned on 7/31/2022.

Big Japan, 2AW, Michinoku Pro, Kyushu Pro, Diana, SEAdLINNNG, Colega, Sportiva, and several other produced shows all ran today.