By: H.M. Ryan
During the heat of the main event, NOAH English announcer Stewart “Stoo” Fulton referenced the concept of kejime, a Japanese term for setting clear boundaries between contexts (public vs. private, formal vs. informal). This match – pitting The Real Rebel Kazuyuki Ozawa in his 5th title defense, against the same-aged former 2x GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya – embodies that exact tension. Kiyoyima, the once-honorable ace, stepped into Ozawa’s world of blurred lines, where respect and chaos intertwined like twin snakes, and where honor means nothing if you don’t win. Ozawa came into the event not just as the champion, but as the rule-breaker, defining a new NOAH standard. And if Kaito wanted to reclaim the Ark, he’d need to redefine himself completely.
But that’s the main event.
We’re at STAR NAVIGATION 2025 in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
The night opened with youthful energy colliding with veteran resilience. 24-year-old Daiki Odashima, his red trunks giving off the same impression as red-shirted crew members aboard the USS Enterprise, nonetheless brings high energy. His partner in this match, Shuji Kondo, is 23 years Odashima’s senior, though as barrel-chested and broad as ever. Shuhei Taniguchi and Muhammad Yone enter next, with Yone wearing funky sunglasses and a comically large fur scarf. His 30th anniversary is approaching!
Odashima and Taniguchi start. Odashima tries to move the much-taller Taniguchi but can’t outmuscle him. He utilizes his speed and slipperiness to escape the grabs and holds of the Grendel-like Taniguchi. Some catch wrestling exchanges before Odashima manages to push Taniguchi to the corner and tag in Kondo. Kondo applies a single-leg Boston Crab, and Odashima dropkicks Yone during an attempted interference. Yone retaliates by pulling Odashima outside and throwing him into the guardrail.
Kondo and Taniguchi trade heavy forearms; Kondo ends up on hands and knees. A tag to the funky Yone leads to Odashima trying to intervene before being quickly neutralized. Taniguchi and Yone hit two corner lariats on the veteran Kondo. On the third attempt, however, Kondo dodges and hits a bulldog/clothesline combination on both men before tagging in the energetic Odashima.
Odashima hits a frenzy of dropkicks on Yone and Taniguchi, then a high crossbody off the top on Yone — two count. Odashima attempts a gutwrench suplex on Yone but quickly fails, though he recovers with a missile dropkick before getting hit with a back suplex. Yone covers, but Kondo breaks up the pin, then stomps on his own partner Odashima’s chest to fire him up, which pops the crowd. After a near fall, Yone hits a musclebuster and pins Odashima.
Post-match, Kondo smirks and laughs toward Odashima as he leaves, seemingly impressed with the young man’s fire. Odashima crawls on his hands and knees to the back, no doubt spent from being crushed by his opponents and once by his partner.
Winners: Muhammad Yone & Shuhei Taniguchi
Real-life brothers Alejandro and Kai Fujimura enter first to steady rhythmic clapping from the crowd. Alejandro’s onscreen profile is notably blank: — for age, — for height, and — for weight. Truly a masked man of mystery. TEAM NOAH’s Atsushi Kotoge and Hajime Ohara follow. Kotoge wears white and pink shorts and waves a massive black-and-green NOAH flag. Ohara wears a long white robe with matching white gear.
Kotoge starts against Alejandro. The early exchanges are fast-paced. Kotoge lands a clothesline but Alejandro recovers with a high arm drag and a taunting tiger feint into the ropes, followed by a cheeky spank of his own bottom. Alejandro soon uses the Super Delfin Clutch (the signature pin of Kotoge’s upcoming singles opponent) as a little mind game, which visibly irritates Kotoge. Alejandro tags in Kai, and the brothers perform some sharp tandem offense.
Alejandro once again attempts the Delfin Clutch, but this time, Ohara breaks it up with a kick. Kotoge traps Alejandro’s neck over the ropes, stretching it for a four-count, clearly frustrated, and tags in Ohara. Alejandro slips on a rope-assisted move but recovers with a quick standing dropkick and tags in Kai. The brothers hit stereo top-rope dives to the outside.
Kai hits a corner elbow, a hip toss, and a standing swanton on Ohara for a two count. Ohara, however, soon applies a brief seated liontamer-style toe hold before Alejandro breaks it up. Ohara lands a backbreaker on Kai and tags in Kotoge. Kai soon manages to hit three consecutive brainbusters on Kotoge — near fall. Alejandro then hits a frogsplash on Kotoge, but Ohara makes the save for his partner. Kotoge dodges a top-rope move from Kai and hits a Celtic Cross — another near fall.
Kotoge follows up with a tornado DDT and a crisp forearm lariat, with Alejandro just barely saving the pin. Kotoge hits the Killswitch and finishes with — you guessed it — the Super Delfin Clutch for the win over Kai, sending a pointed message ahead of his upcoming match with the move’s namesake, Super Delfin.
Winners: Atsushi Kotoge & Hajime Ohara
Last time out, Endo and Owadasan lost to veterans Takashi Sugiura and DDT’s Jun Akiyama. Now, tension lingers between TEAM 2000X’s Endo, who seems to be flirting with the light, and his stablemates. Regardless, they enter first, the Anti-Establishment for a New Era, led by Yoshi-Tatsu (trench coat, half-painted face, lollipop). The opposing team is led out by Masa Kitamiya, wearing a baseball jersey, Sugiura the beast, and Naomichi Marufuji, who previously lost to tonight’s main event challenger, Kaito Kiyomiya, at MEMORIAL VOYAGE.
Marufuji points for Yoshi-Tatsu to get lost. He’s not having it.
Sugiura and Endo begin, having faced each other on the last show. Endo looks apprehensive to start. Sugiura offers a handshake, Endo feigns it, and the other two members of TEAM 2000X ambush the other team. Corner attacks follow, with Endo hitting a spinning cannonball on a supine Sugiura.
The 33-year-old Endo takes Sugiura to the corner and tags in Owadasan, who was also in that match last show. The Bad Boy begins to choke Sugiura with a long piece of tape before the ref takes it away. A quick tag to Daga leads to stomps on the veteran. Sugiura is trapped in the corner again. Endo is tagged back in — almost as if he’s on probation, or maybe even trial. A standing moonsault by Endo connects, then Daga is tagged back in. Sugiura maneuvers out of a suplex, bounces off the ropes, and hits a spear on Daga before tagging in the Genius of the Ark: Naomichi Marufuji.
Marufuji does a lovely cartwheel into a dropkick on Daga. The 45-year-old goes for a series of kicks, all of which Daga dodges impressively before hitting his own. The two exchange strikes until both fall.
Kitamiya tags in for his first action, and Endo is tagged in as well. Endo eats a shoulder block before dodging a senton. They begin exchanging strikes in the middle of the ring before Endo hits a Pele kick, but Kitamiya isn’t fazed. He eats a headbutt, then runs Endo coast to coast, corner to corner, hitting a facebuster followed by a successful senton.
Tagging in Sugiura, the veteran hits a running boot in the corner, then sprints back for a running knee. He suspends Endo in a delayed suplex, but Endo — knowing he’s going down regardless — grabs hold of Sugiura’s groin. This buys him a moment, and he hits a beautiful handspring kick.
Owadasan tags in, immediately knocks down Sugiura and then Marufuji, who is not happy. A neckbreaker from the Bad Boy for a near fall. He dodges a corner spear, hits a codebreaker, and taunts Sugiura, saying he could never take Endo from the dark side.
Marufuji, still angry, sneaks up behind Owadasan and hits a delightful hook kick. Sugiura recovers and hits a knee lift, followed by a running knee for a two count — but Yoshi-Tatsu pulls the referee out and bashes Marufuji with his nightstick.
Daga holds Sugiura for Yoshi-Tatsu. But Endo slides into the ring. Yoshi-Tatsu hands him the nightstick and tells him to hit Sugiura. Endo throws the nightstick out of the ring and suplexes Yoshi-Tatsu, allowing Sugiura to suplex Daga away. Endo has turned on TEAM 2000X.
Sugiura hits an Olympic Slam on Owadasan and Endo, looking down at what he’s done, watches Owadasan roll out of the ring.
Sugiura takes the mic. “If we’re going to work together, let’s aim for the top in NOAH,” he says. Endo responds: he doesn’t track with the way TEAM 2000X does things, and he’s down “to make a change.” He then tells the man 20 years his senior that they should now work together as a team to go to the top.
Winners: Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura & Masa Kitamiya
Participants:
Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf (GHC Jr. Tag Champions)
HAYATA & Yuto Kikuchi (Passion RATEL’S)
AMAKUSA & Junta Miyawaki
Eita & Super Crazy
A non-title match between four teams of two. Super Crazy & Eita enter first. Super Crazy (age 50) debuted in 1988. 1988! He’s wearing a Mexican flag cape and an ECW-style shirt, attributed in commentary to the recent passing of ECW hardcore legend Sabu.
HAYATA & Yuto Kikuchi of Passion RATEL’S are next. Kikuchi recently called out the champs at the May 10th show. These two seem to have a psychic connection in the ring.
AMAKUSA & Junta Miyawaki enter next, and Miyawaki gives his orange armband to a young fan as always. Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf — the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions out of Mexico — enter last, leaping into the ring and throwing their shirts to the crowd. They are the largest team in the match and impressed at MEMORIAL VOYAGE.
The match starts the only way it can: chaos. Super Crazy shows great agility for a 50-year-old and ends the sequence with a backbreaker on AMAKUSA, leaving just him in the ring. He tags in Eita, and the others rotate in. Dropkicks lead to Dragon Bane facing off against Miyawaki. There are some nice combos between the two. Eita tries to sneak a win, but it’s broken up.
Miyawaki and AMAKUSA attempt to double-team Kikuchi, but Kikuchi evicts them from the ring. Unfortunately for him, Dragon Bane and Alpha Wolf are next — and they wreck Kikuchi with combo moves. Eita again tries to steal a pin.
Dragon Bane and Alpha Wolf attempt a corner attack on Super Crazy, but he escapes. The crowd is solidly behind Super Crazy.
Everyone ends up in the ring for a four-way wishbone spot, then they all sit in a circle like it’s a college lecture. After a failed pin attempt, the ring clears again and things pick up. Eita eats a double elbow, leaving Kikuchi and Dragon Bane to slug it out. Dragon Bane lands rapid-fire kicks, then they both handspring — Kikuchi wins the exchange with a handspring kick.
Miyawaki missile dropkicks Super Crazy, then planchas to the outside. AMAKUSA dives through the ropes onto another group. The Box Office Brothers perform stereo topes con hilo over the turnbuckles. Nuts!
Kikuchi takes out the champs with a dive of his own and nearly pins Alpha Wolf — but the champ DESTROYS him with a Wolf Driver. Please look up the Wolf Driver. It’s insane. 1-2-3, the champs win. Kikuchi and HAYATA stare at the belts. The champions notice.
Simply put: don’t expect the Box Office Brothers to go anywhere for quite some time.
Winners: Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf
A six-man tag match is next. At MEMORIAL VOYAGE, Daiki Inaba made his return and pleaded (through screaming and flexing) to join Passion RATEL’S. Accompanying Inaba, who hasn’t wrestled since July 2024 due to a torn meniscus, are Manabu Soya, who shakes the ropes madly, and Huxley, who is massive. NEVER BACK DOWN. Inaba flexes some more.
In their last 10 outings as a team, Kenoh, Ulka Sasaki, and KENTA — who don’t have an official name for their trio yet — have only lost once. KENTA, the Black Sun, comes out first, followed by the reigning GHC Tag Team Champions. Kenoh is in his third reign as tag champion, Sasaki’s in his first. KENTA scans the crowd for the right section to throw his rolled-up t-shirt. He milks it; the crowd gives him applause.
All three Passion RATEL’s members want to start, and the crowd chants for Inaba as Sasaki steps in. Huxley ends up starting. Huxley withstands some early shoulder blocks before wrenching Sasaki into a drop-down headlock. Sasaki is trained in MMA, but he’s never faced anyone quite as massive as Huxley. Eventually, Huxley rocks Sasaki with a shoulder and sends him rolling to the corner to tag in KENTA.
Inaba tags in now, and the crowd chants his name again. His first action in almost a year — clean-cut, shredded, sharp. No ring rust. He hits a bodyslam followed by an attempted splash combo. The first one misses; the second connects. KENTA, leaning against the ropes, gets crushed by all three opponents before they all shake the ropes — and KENTA himself.
Inaba’s in control until KENTA hits a brainbuster and tags in Kenoh. Kenoh throws Inaba into the corner, climbs the turnbuckle, and musses up his clean-cut hair. Double knee drop from Kenoh, tag to Sasaki, and the champs begin working over Inaba before he eats a wicked double elbow. Welcome back!
Sasaki locks in a bridging shoulder crunch before KENTA returns and starts kicking Inaba in classic KENTA fashion. The crowd chants Inaba’s name again — the second straight match where KENTA’s opponent gets the chants.
After a knee lift and more kicks, Inaba hits a flying shoulder block and crawls over to tag in Soya. The brickhouse with yellow hair hits a running bulldog from the corner, then a deadlift brainbuster on KENTA. Power on full display.
Soya eats some boots from KENTA on repeated running attempts, gets enraged, but KENTA eye pokes and hits a neckbreaker. Sasaki tags in, and the champs keep the pressure on. Soya and Sasaki trade offense — chops from Soya, kicks from Sasaki. Soya starts chopping Sasaki’s leg, and Sasaki starts kicking Soya’s chopping arm. Unique and nasty.
Soya eventually hits a flying lariat, tags in Inaba, who clears the ring and flexes for the crowd — until he’s beat down 3-on-1. Huxley reenters and starts whipping opponents into opposite corners, then whips Inaba into them like a weapon. The crowd loves it. Huxley shakes Inaba like a puppet.
Inaba hits a Blue Thunder Bomb variation. Sasaki locks in a triangle choke, but Inaba stacks him up to break it. Sasaki tags in Kenoh, who hits a back PK. Inaba wants more and gets more. He catches one of Kenoh’s kicks, sets up a spear from Soya, and hits a brainbuster in the center of the ring. Near fall.
Inaba locks in an octopus stretch. KENTA breaks it up. Huxley tosses KENTA out, and Inaba tries a second-rope elbow drop — lands on his feet, jumps, and misses.
It all falls apart. Inaba and Kenoh trade elbows before Kenoh counters with the Kenoh Special crossface. Inaba taps immediately. Kenoh, Sasaki, and KENTA win.
After the match, Inaba grabs the mic and yells a challenge at the heavyweight tag champs. Kenoh reenters, says Inaba didn’t get the result, so he can’t challenge. Inaba keeps yelling and flexing. Kenoh relents a bit — he says if Inaba shows results by the end of the month, they’ll consider it.
Inaba then begins flexing and yelling at his teammates. They stare at him for a second, then flex and yell back, and all embrace mid-flex. Inaba declares they’re bringing the passion back to NOAH.
Winners: Kenoh, Ulka Sasaki & KENTA
These two have a history.
The challenger, Tadasuke, was once a member of Passion RATEL’s before turning to the dark side of TEAM 2000X. The turn seems to be paying off, as this is Tadasuke’s first shot at a singles title on the Ark. The challenger comes out first, wielding his signature X-marked chair, threatening the camerawoman with it before laughing to himself. Once inside the ring, Tadasuke sets up the chair and sits in it, motioning that he will soon be the title holder.
The green-tongued, orange-haired champion YO-HEY of Passion Ratel’s makes his entrance for his first title defense as GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion. Tadasuke, now seated in his favorite chair in the corner, watches as The Flying Playboy kisses the belt as he poses on the top turnbuckle. Tadasuke gently places the chair flat on the mat in the corner, and we’re off.
In true TEAM 2000X style, Tadasuke tries to surprise YO-HEY with a running boot right before the bell, but YO-HEY is wise to it and dodges. The bell officially rings, and YO-HEY gets the early advantage, though not for long, as Tadasuke employs dirty tactics to choke YO-HEY with the man’s own large scarf before planting the champion with a draped DDT. Tadasuke brutally mocks YO-HEY with fake convulsions, followed by his signature “flip the bird at the camera and smack said bird against the camera lens multiple times” taunt. Lovely.
Back in the ring, Tadasuke is firmly in the driver’s seat. He wipes his behind with YO-HEY’s scarf, and though the reigning champion attempts a comeback, it’s brief. Tadasuke fakes a punch, prompting YO-HEY to duck his head, which Tadasuke happily accepts and spikes him with a DDT. A cobra clutch is applied by Tadasuke next. YO-HEY elbows himself free before tossing the challenger out of the ring and immediately leaping and flipping over the top rope, his legs hitting the metal guardrail in a gnarly spot. He’s okay, though.
Rolling Tadasuke back into the ring, YO-HEY climbs the turnbuckle and hits a high-impact missile dropkick. YO-HEY looks for a Twist of Fate but is blocked, and a small sequence ends with a wheelbarrow bulldog followed by a successful Twist of Fate. Tadasuke soon attempts to catch YO-HEY off guard, but the latter cuts off his opponent at the knees with a low dropkick, followed by a running knee attack to the grounded Tadasuke. On the top turnbuckle now, Tadasuke manages to trip up the champion, who lands unpleasantly groin-first on the top turnbuckle. The TEAM 2000X member lifts the Passion RATEL’s champion onto his shoulders and nails him with a second rope fireman’s carry slam before lifting him once more for a fireman’s carry stunner. Not satisfied, Yadasuke connects with a massive running lariat. 1-2…and just 2, in a very near-fall.
Tadasuke sets up YO-HEY for the Tadasuke Crush, a pedigree/piledriver combo, and is able to hit it. YO-HEY somehow manages to kick out, showing his resilience as a competitor once more. Panting, grinning, knowing he’s close to his first taste of singles gold on the Ark, Tadasuke counters an attempted package piledriver and, after a flurry of action, YO-HEY knocks down the referee. Like Pavlov and his dog, a referee knocked out instantly means a low-blow from behind performed by TEAM 2000X, and that’s exactly what Tadasuke does to the champion. Tadasuke then grabs his friend, the chair, but YO-HEY – in true RVD and perhaps more appropriately Sabu fashion – dropkicks Tadasuke’s own chair into his opponent’s face. What follows are two superkicks in succession and an attempted Ganmen G, but is blocked on the latter. YO-HEY, though, sets up Tadasuke just enough to properly connect with the Ganmen G. Tadasuke, after kicking out of a pin attempt, gets a very close two-count with a crucifix pin. They rise to their feet, and Tadasuke is met with a flush dropkick and a nearfall. This is a great back-and-forth contest with some great counter-wrestling.
YO-HEY then climbs to the top turnbuckle and hits a Ganmen G from the top before getting the three-count and retaining the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. Holding the belt, YO-HEY takes the mic, looks around – most likely for potential ambushes from other members of TEAM 2000X – and begins speaking. He thanks the crowd for their support and then nominates his next challenger: The Sunshine Hero himself, Junta Miyawaki. Miyawaki comes out in his signature orange baseball jersey and, after some back-and-forth quipping with the champion, with YO-HEY commenting on how shiny and squeaky clean Miyawaki is, affirming that he rocks orange better than Miyawaki before leaving the ring.
Winner and Still GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion: YO-HEY
The challenger representing ALL REBELLION, Kaito Kiyomiya, comes out in a lovely gold and silver jacket and seems to have the fans back on his side after hearing boos when he challenged Ozawa at MEMORIAL VOYAGE. They chant the 28-year-old former 3-time GHC Heavyweight Champion’s name as he makes his entrance, and he revels in the warmth.
Ozawa, who has begun receiving quite a bit of love himself recently, comes out in his signature black rope, using a black crutch as a cane seemingly for fun, and holding the GHC Heavyweight Championship. His slow wander to the ring is completely counter to how impressive and electric he is in the ring, even if his antics are immature and oftentimes crass. The same age as the challenger, The Real Rebel is in his fifth title defense of his first reign with Yoshi-Tatsu in Ozawa’s corner.
The bell rings, and Kiyomiya goes after Ozawa immediately and somewhat surprisingly, with Ozawa having to duck attempted swings before fully retreating out of the ring to get some breathing room from the challenger. Kaito, however, won’t leave him alone so easily and follows him before Ozawa tries to flee again into the ring. Ozawa finally gets some space with a vicious arm drag followed quickly by a headscissors and the biggest move of all: his signature breakdancing. Kaito plays some mind games by posing on his side on the mat, his head resting on his hand, the same pose with which Ozawa ends his breakdance.
Kaito hops atop the champion and begins bashing him with intent, prompting boos from the crowd. Then, he gives Ozawa a mean PK to the head, and now receives cheers. The crowd can’t seem to make up their minds whether ot not they like this aggressive version of Kaito. Kaito then takes a brutal-looking backdrop out of the ring courtesy of Ozawa. Members of TEAM 2000X hungrily take the opportunity to pummel Kaito outside the ring. If Kaito was feeling that bump, Ozawa slinging him into the metal guardrail most likely did not help. Back in the ring, Ozawa begins breaking down the challenger, methodically, deliberately. It’s worth noting that while Kaito is a decade into his career at this point at age 28, Ozawa is in year 3 of his own, having debuted in 2022. 2022! That’s almost as impressive as Super Crazy having debuted in 1988. 1988!
Ozawa applies a cravat on Kaito, who desperately reaches for the bottom rope, finally reaching it after some struggle. Ozawa breaks the hold but soon whips the challenger into the ropes. Kaito manages to shift momentum by hitting a running clothesline, and both men are down. Kaito soon begins his own flurry, taking control and tossing Ozawa out of the ring. Kiyomiya whips Ozawa into the guardrail not once, but twice. In a recent tag preview match between Kaito’s ALL REBELLION and Ozawa’s TEAM 2000X, the former’s Alejandro had to stop Kiyomiya from using a chair on the champion. This is a Kaito Kiyomiya who understands the lengths he might have to go and the darkness he might have to embrace to win back the championship, not just for himself, but for the sake of the Ark.
A dropkick sends Ozawa over the guardrail before Kaito loads up, sprints toward the champion, and connects with a tope con hilo over the guardrail. The crowd is eating up this more unhinged Kiyomiya. The two take the brawling into the crowd in the south stand of Korakuen Hall, Ozawa desperately trying to stay a step or two ahead of his challenger’s fists. Kaito hits a snap suplex onto the concrete floor between sections of the stands, and the crowd continues loving it. Kaito, perhaps not used to the addictive appeal of bending the rules to his advantage, smiles brightly.
Kaito leads Ozawa back toward the ring as the referee reaches an 8 count, the two shimmying around the announcers’ table before Kaito rolls the champion back into the ring. Kaito hits a gorgeous missile dropkick for a two count. Ozawa hits a desperation move that plants the challenger on his face, a facebusting reverse Russian leg sweep of sorts. On opposite corners now, Ozawa hits a brutal John Woo shotgun dropkick directly to Kaito’s face, then climbs the turnbuckle and hits his own missile dropkick. Being the wrestling chameleon that he is, he’s known to yoink signature moves from his opponents, and he does so here with the missile dropkick. Ozawa then lifts Kiyomiya and nails him with a heavy razor’s edge for a two count before Kiyomiya resists being lifted again, hitting a European uppercut. Stunned for a moment, Ozawa offers two thumbs down as judgment for this move. Another European uppercut from Kaito, more thumbs down from the champion. Uppercut, thumbs down, followed by an attempted kick that misses, uppercut, big boot, uppercut, and a sequence-ending spinning heel kick from Ozawa.
Both men are down, and mixed chants that lean slightly more towards Kaito echo in the room. The two soon rise to their feet. Kaito hits a low dropkick to the knee, then another, then another, successfully chopping down Ozawa. Kaito attempts to set up a figure-four submission, but Ozawa’s fingers find the eyes of his opponent. He rises and begins further attacking the eyes of Kiyomiya before whipping Kaito into the ropes. Kaito manages to respond with both a flying knee and his version of the Shining Wizard, known as the Shining Lancer. Kiyomiya begins setting up a dragon suplex, but Ozawa bites the hand of his challenger and hits a spinning toe kick, knocking down Kiyomiya. Ozawa chants now as the crowd truly can’t decide who they prefer here.
Ozawa lifts Kaito onto his shoulders, runs him through into the mat, and attempts a moonsault. He lands on his feet as Kaito rolls out of the way, but Ozawa is feeling the low dropkicks, his knee affected from the hard landing from the top. Kaito uses this moment to hit his own top rope move, a modified Shining Lancer followed by another, more grounded Shining Lancer. 1, 2, and Ozawa grabs the referee’s hand as it comes down for 3, saving his reign. Kiyomiya, frustrated, attempts another Shining Lancer from behind, but Ozawa ducks it, and the challenger instead takes out the referee. Like a shark to blood, the TEAM 2000X champion delivers a low blow from behind, crumpling Kiyomiya. Ozawa kips up then mocks Kiyomiya’s signature pump-up taunt before hitting a Shining Lancer of his own, landing it flush. Kaito Kiyomiya, however, rises with a demonic smile on his face, and the crowd is loving it. Ozawa begins striking Kiyomiya, who simply shrugs off the blows before hitting a Shining Lancer on the champion.
Kaito is feeling it. He hits another Shining Lancer. But he’s not done. Ozawa, on his knees, feels yet another Shining Lancer from behind. Ozawa’s TEAM 2000X stablemate Owadasan distracts the challenger, but Kiyomiya delivers a Shining Lancer to knock the Bad Boy off the ring apron to the floor. Yoshi-Tatsu, in typical Yoshi-Tatsu fashion, attempts to interfere directly with a chair, but Kaito sends him packing with yet another Shining Lancer. Kaito then takes Yoshi-Tatsu’s fallen lollipop from the mat, licks it, and carefully guides it into the mouth of the champion. Kiyomiya has lost his mind, and it might be working in his favor.
Grabbing the seat of a dismantled chair, Kaito Kiyomiya winds up, but halts himself before nailing Ozawa, ultimately opting for another Shining Lancer. Kiyomiya climbs to the top turnbuckle, but Ozawa stumbles into the ropes and knocks Kiyomiya down into a seated position. Ozawa does not hesitate and smashes the challenger with the same seat of the chair before climbing the turnbuckle and hitting a Spanish fly from the top. Still no referee in the ring, however, the initial referee having accidentally tasted the Shining Lancer of the challenger. Ozawa drags Kiyomiya into the center of the ring and searches around for a referee until one finally slides in. The champion climbs the turnbuckle and hits the Skywalk Elbow – Kaito Kiyomiya’s newly-dubbed top rope elbow drop – but Kiyomiya kicks out. Ozawa hits the Big Bad Edge, and though it’s close, Kiyomiya digs deep and kicks out. Ozawa, ready to turn it up to another gear to finish off his challenger, throws up the X, shouts to the rafters, and hits a toe touch, spinning something-or-other before pinning the challenger for a three count.
The Ark remains dark.
Ozawa celebrates with the belt and laughs as Kiyomiya crawls and stumbles to the back, refusing the help of ALL REBELLION members. Ozawa takes the microphone: “On second thought,” he begins. “It was too early for you to challenge.” He then jokingly announces that Kaito Kiyomiya is a new member of TEAM 2000X. The crowd laughs until Tetsuya Endo emerges from the back, symbolically wearing a white Pro Wrestling NOAH shirt, having been reborn on the Ark. Endo enters the ring with a microphone and, after some “Endo” chants, says he was expecting some booing. He then points to the GHC Heavyweight Championship and says that he came to NOAH not for the “zero value” that TEAM 2000X provides but to chase success.
Ozawa, either not hearing or not caring, begins to faux-cry and pleads for Endo to come back to Team 2000x, expressing to his former stablemate that the two of them are “twins.” He then breaks the act and says that he will not forgive Endo and that he is not welcome back. He then calls out Takashi Sugiura, the veteran who was pivotal in Endo’s reform. The Killing Machine obliges and walks to the ring. Ozawa says he’s decided: a survival three-way match where the last man in the ring is the victor.
Endo considers, then says that it’ll be him who will have the belt around his waist. “We are not brothers,” Endo says before putting his arm around Sugiura. “We’re triplets.” Ozawa considers this as the crowd claps, and Endo and Sugiura exit the ring. The champion shrugs off this comment, holds up the belt, and wonders aloud: “If I’m not the champion anymore, will the fans stop coming?” The crowd laughs and he has them in his palm as they chant his name. Ozawa makes it clear that he’s the man who will “keep CyberFight alive,” and that he’s the top of Pro Wrestling NOAH. Owadasan, Daga, and Yoshi-Tatsu enter the ring, and the four members of TEAM 2000X triumphantly throw up the X.
Winner and Still Champion: Ozawa
Kaito fought hard and perhaps even betrayed his own morals and values – his sense of “the NOAH way,” the very concept of kejime – to take back the GHC Heavyweight Championship from a man and a group who embrace darkness and chaos. It wasn’t enough, and the rest of NOAH must begin grappling with a new question: is Ozawa simply too good? And perhaps, a more concerning question: will he only get better?
Date:
May 22, 2025
Category:
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