Kaito Kiyomiya Hopes Tetsuya Naito Never Says “GHC” Again After No. 1 Contender’s Match at SUMMER EPIC 2026

By: Ian McCord

On July 18th at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s SUMMER EPIC 2026, Kaito Kiyomiya is set to battle the Uncontrollable Tetsuya Naito to determine who will be the next challenger for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

At a special press conference ahead of NOAH’s biggest event of the summer, Kaito Kiyomiya expressed his excitement about facing off against Tetsuya Naito in Osaka. However, the former three-time GHC Heavyweight Champion told the press that he is unsure of Naito’s intentions for pursuing the championship. Kiyomiya said that if Naito is only interested in adding prestige to his resume by claiming another championship, then he hopes to never hear him utter “GHC” again after he defeats him on Saturday.

From Kaito Kiyomiya:

“As for whether Naito has any real attachment to the GHC Heavyweight Championship belt, I’m not really holding out much hope on that front. If his interest is merely out of curiosity—just enough to add some prestige to his career—then I hope he never mentions the word ‘GHC’ again after this No. 1 Contender’s match. However, I get to face Tetsuya Naito, a super icon of the pro-wrestling world. I get to have him all to myself. I’m incredibly excited about this situation, and I don’t think Naito has ever truly shown his fierce side in the NOAH ring yet. I’ll be fighting Naito—who has walked the path of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s history—while carrying the weight of everything Pro-Wrestling NOAH stands for.”

Naito responded by saying that in the six months he has wrestled for Pro Wrestling NOAH, he has grown attached and even feels some sort of affection towards the promotion. Naito continued, calling Kiyomiya the centerpiece of the promotion before saying that he intends to savor every moment of their match before beating him and going on to face the GHC Champion.

From Tetsuya Naito:

“It’s been half a year since I first stepped into the Pro Wrestling NOAH ring. Although I lost the GHC Tag Team Championship, it’s true that I’ve started to feel a certain attachment—or perhaps a sense of affection—for the Pro Wrestling NOAH ring. I found myself thinking, ‘I want to step into this ring more often’ and ‘I want to experience Pro Wrestling NOAH more fully.’ That’s when the GHC Heavyweight Championship came into view, and the face of Kiyomiya—who is currently the symbol and centerpiece of Pro Wrestling NOAH—immediately popped into my mind. This singles match will serve as the qualifying match to determine the next challenger for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. I intend to fully savor Kiyomiya’s style of wrestling, secure the victory, and move forward from there.”

(All English Translations via DeepL)

This will be the first singles meeting between Naito and Kiyomiya, with the pair’s only other match against one another taking place during the NEO GLOBAL TAG LEAGUE at the end of May. Kiyomiya and Harutoki got the better of Naito and BUSHI that night at Korakuen Hall, with Naito suggesting the two have a singles match in the future, setting up their match for July 18th.

Image Credit: Pro Wrestling NOAH

The winner of the No. 1 Contender’s match will go on to face the winner of the GHC Heavyweight Championship match between Shane Haste and OZAWA, on a date that has yet to be announced.

Pro Wrestling NOAH’s SUMMER EPIC 2026 will take place at INTEX Osaka Hall 5 in Osaka on July 18th. This event will stream live on Wrestle UNIVERSE streaming service.