Go Shiozaki Finally Clinches N1-Victory Trophy in Main Event Thriller
Go Shiozaki Finally Clinches N1-Victory Trophy in Main Event Thriller
By: Thom Fain
He’s the Face of the Franchise. The Great Slambino. The Ace. It was easy to forget while he was out with injury most of 2021 with a busted shoulder, and then again from October 2022 to April this year after surgery to repair a dislocation of the right biceps tendon.
It’s no surprise that Kenoh is not amused with a man who claims “I Am NOAH!” but who can barely stay upright for more than a few months — and the former KONGO leader did everything he could to put the Ace back on the shelf. Strike after heavy strike would test Shiozaki’s indomitable will until a series of power slams and lariats would knock the wind out of both men 15 minutes into the match.
Dueling chants in the modest but faithful NOAH crowd quieted down for the two men to violently trade thundering chops and kicks, before a sit-down powerbomb by Shiozaki forced Kenoh to find an extra gear and turn the tables. An ill advised attempt at a high risk maneuver allowed Shiozaki to scratch and claw his way back in with headbutts before Kenoh walked the top ropes going “Old School” into a double stomp, seemingly zeroing in on the win for rights to challenge Jake Lee for his GHC Heavyweight Title.
Rolling cradles and small package attempts were traded before a brainbuster by Shiozaki set up a clothesline that sent Kenoh to the outside — unbelievably, Shiozaki attempted a suicida over the top rope that clearly took both men to darkness at the edge of the tournament.
The power of Shiozaki appeared to have finished off “The Rogue Fist” when a mix of short-ranged offense led to an ode to Keiji Muto with a moonsault resulting a nearfall, but Kenoh capably reversed the momentum once again. The crowd was astonished, and rightfully so – but the match continued, unbelievably, in what had to be one of the hardest-hitting finale’s of the year.
Three dragon suplex attempts into the bridge put cobwebs into Shiozaki who found enough instinct and adrenaline to kick out and make it back to his feet, just in time to catch a roundhouse kick right back to the head. That was followed by a PFS that seemed to surely put Shiozaki out of his misery, but he found his way back to his feet to again trade strikes and take the match to its 30:00 mark. Another pair of roundhouse kicks put Shiozaki onto the mat and the Ace looked to be clearly concussed, but somehow he found a way to stagger Kenoh with a pair of rolling elbows and finally an Emerald Flowsion.
Shiozaki would follow up with a second moonsault from the top turnbuckle, getting air time that perfectly mimicked prime Muto to give him his first N1-Victory trophy.
“Blood, sweat, tears and everything that goes with that,” said English commentator Stewart Fulton, “…that is why he gets the right to call himself I AM NOAH!”
The current GHC Heavyweight Champ Jake Lee came out to congratulate Shiozaki as he stood in the ring with the trophy, setting up the next big title fight on 9.24.23 at Nagoya Congress Center.
(c) Monthly Puroresu
(c) Monthly Puroresu
(c) Monthly Puroresu
Full N1 Victory 2023 Results
- 2023 N-1 Victory Tournament Final: Go Shiozaki def. Kenoh
- Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa def. Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinari Ogawa
- GHC Martial Arts Rules: Josh Barnett def. Masakatsu Funaki
- Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura & Masa Kitamiya def. Yoshiki Inamura, Yuka Yoshioka & Yuma Anzai
- GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Chris Ridgeway & Daga (c) def. Atsushi Kotoge & HIROKI
- Good Looking Guys (Anthony Greene, Jack Morris & Jake Lee) def. Saxon Huxley, Hideki Suzuki & Timothy Thatcher
- Four-Way Survival Match: Dragon Bane def. Ninja Mack and Alejandro and Alpha Wolf
- Seiki Yoshioka, Shuji Kondo & Manabu Soya def. Hajime Ohara, Junta Miyawaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima
- El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. & Lance Anoa’i def. Adam Brooks & Stallion Rogers
- Yuu, Hibiscus Mii & Hiroyo Matsumoto def. Miyuki Takase, Maya Yukihi & Sumire Natsu
- HAYATA & Eita vs. Good Looking Guys (YO-HEY & Tadasuke) — Time Limit Draw
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