In a turbulent and shocking sequence of events, Pro Wrestling Noah crowned their youngest ever Global League tournament winner, Kaito Kiyomiya. The win confirms Kiyomiya’s right to challenge for the GHC Heavyweight Championship, which will take place at Noah’s last event of the year, The Great Voyage in Yokohama Vol.2 on 16th December.
Having initially lost three of his first matches, winning the competition seemed impossible for the youngster but wins against Maybach Taniguchi, Muhammed Yone and major upsets against Go Shiozaki and champion Takashi Suguira sent Kiyomiya into the Finals of the tournament.
Originally scheduled to battle Naomichi Marufuji, Marufuji had to pull out having competed through most of his matches with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Katsuhiko Nakajima, who finished Block A with 8 points. After 18minutes 34seconds, Nakajima’s shoulders were smashed firmly into the mat by the legendary Tiger Suplex maneuver, made famous by the Icon and idol of Kiyomiya, Mitsuharu Misawa, securing the biggest moment of his career so far.
Kiyomiya is now the youngest wrestler in the history of Noah to win the round robin series (similar to that of the G1 Climax (NJPW) and Champion Carnival AJPW) having already assumed the record for youngest wrestler to win the Global Tag League, which he did alongside Go Shiozaki in April this year.
In a post-match interview the 22-year-old declared himself as the ‘Future Face of Noah’ and has formally issued the challenge to GHC Heavyweight Champion Takeshi Sugiura.
Translated by @Hisame (https://twitter.com/Hi5ame) Kiyomiya said:
“It hasn’t really sunk in that I have won yet. I don’t feel like the battle is over, battle mode is not turned off, I am concentrating on the belt as I think that is the best thing to do”.
‘Noah’s face is already Sugiura and Marufuji…I think it’s time to change those times, and so I definitely want to win the belt.
“I want to change the era”, everyone thinks that their feelings are the same. I want to “change the times”.
4-time champion Takeshi Suguira is 26-years Kiyomiya’s senior and the veteran has already defended his championship against five out of the six ‘Super New Generation’ faction, with Kiyomiya being the only opponent yet to face the champion.
While celebrating his win, Sugiura came to the ring where Kiyomiya respectfully laid down the challenge, which the champion accepted. His final words to the crowd were:
“I want everyone here to see a new look! The future face of Noah is me! Thank you very much“.
Should Kiyomiya be successful in his GHC Heavyweight pursuit, in addition to the Global Tag and Global League, he will become the youngest Heavyweight champion in Noah’s history, a record currently held by company Ace Naomichi Marufuji.
Click here to see highlights of Noah’s Global League 2018 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xql–d1RmMo
