Great Voyage is a professional wrestling event promoted by Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) annually since 2000 its the longest and the biggest PPV in NOAH. NOAH until now produced in 2017 two events under the Great Voyage name; Great Voyage in Yokohama on March 12 and Great Voyage in Fukushima on June 25. The first event featured eight matches each, four of which were contested for championships. The second event featured eight matches each, two of which were contested for championships.
The main event of the Great Voyage in Yokohama featured a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Katsuhiko Nakajima and the challenger Go Shiozaki. The event featured four title matches of the NOAH's championship. The event featured one title change. The main event of the Great Voyage in Fukushima will feature a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Katsuhiko Nakajima and the challenger Atsushi Kotoge.
Background
Storylines
Great Voyage in Yokohama
The Great Voyage 2017 featured seven professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Go Shiozaki and the GHC Heavyweight Champion Katsuhiko Nakajima in a confrontation before their title match
On January 7 Katsuhiko Nakajima successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Takashi Sugiura.[1] After that he was looking for a challenger. On January 11 Shiozaki pinned Nakajima during a tag team match after the match he announced his goal his to defend the GHC Tag Team Championship but then he does plan to go after the GHC Heavyweight Championship.[2] Nine days later after a tag team match between Nakajima and Akitoshi Saito against Shozaki and Maybach Taniguchi. After the match Nakajima accepted Shiozaki's challenge.[3] One day later Shiozaki and Taniguchi lost the belts to Masa Kitamiya and Kenoh.[4] After they lost the titles, the title match between Shiozaki and Nakajima was made official. Later in a predule match Shiozaki pinned Nakajima with the Gowan Lariat and Nakajima would get revenge when he and Masa Kitamiya defeated Shiozaki and Taniguchi.
Hajime Ohara the reigning GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion with the title belt.
On January 21 Hajime Ohara made his first title defense of GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against Daisuke Harada. After the match Hitoshi Kumano challenged him for GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship which he accepted.[5] On February 1 the match was made official. Later in a predule match, Kumano would defeat Ohara dominating Ohara throughout the course of the match.
On February 7, 2017, Noah announced a business alliance with American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).[6] On February 14 it was announced TNA wrestler that would take part of the event would be Eddie Edwards, Moose, and James Storm. Also on February 14 it was announced that the Wrestle-1 owner Keiji Mutoh would take part of the event teaming with Naomichi Marufuji.[7] On February 25 it was announced that Marufuji and Mutoh would face on TNA wrestler Moose and the freelance wrestler Kazma Sakamoto (originally announced as KAZMA). Also Edwards will face Atsushi Kotoge and Storm will face Kaito Kiyomiya.
The GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions XX (Hi69 and Taiji Ishimori) with the title belts
On December 24, 2016 Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada defeated Gedo and Jado to regain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.[8][9] Two days later Harada and Kotoge vacated the titles due to Kotoge moving to the heavyweight division.[10] Noah then started to allow more freelance wrestlers to wrestled in the promotion. The freelance wrestlers who started to wrestle in NOAH where Rionne Fujiwara, Tadasuke, Hayata and YO-HEY. Later Hayata and YO-HEY and Taiji Ishimori and Hi69 would claim that they wanted a match for the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Also Momo no Seishun Tag formally disbanded on February 14, after Kotoge defeated Harada in a singles match.[11] On February 18 Taiji Ishimori and Hi69 defeated Hayata and YO-HEY to win the vacated GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. Ishimori and Hi69 named their team XX. After the match Tadasuke and Harada (who would form a stable with Hayata and YO-HEY) challenged them into a title match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles.[12] The title match was later announced and it was also a predule match between the four.
Kenoh and Takashi Sugiura holding the GHC Tag Team Champions, after Kenoh turned on Masa Kitamiya and aligned with Sugiura.
Also on February 18 Kenoh faced Takashi Sugiura where Sugiura came out victorious. After the match Sugiura called out a shot for the GHC Tag Team Championship with his partner being Kaito Kiyomiya. The Pro Wrestling Noah president Masayuki Uchida denied the request stating that on February 24 they would get a match against the GHC Tag Team Champions Kenoh and Masa Kitamiya in a non-title match as originally announced. Later Sugiura and Kiyomiya defeated Kenoh and Kitamiya due to Kenoh turning on Kitamiya and forming an alliance with Takashi Sugiura and, in turn, vacating the GHC Tag Team Champions.[13] It was announced that Kenoh and Sugiura would wrestle for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championships against Kitamiya and Muhammad Yone at the Great Voyage in Yokohama show.[14]
All of the match card for the event was announced for the event on February 25.[15]
Great Voyage in Fukushima
Great Voyage in Fukushima will feature eight professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Great Voyage in Fukushima will be main evented by Katsuhiko Nakajima will be making his sixth defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Atsushi Kotoge. On June 4 Kotoge defeated Kenoh to become the number one contender to the GHC Heavyweight Championship. In a backstage interview, Kotoge stated that he aims for a chance at the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Later that night after Nakajima successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Muhammad Yone. After the match, Kotoge stepped forward to challenge Nakajima for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. The match was officially the following day.
Great Voyage in Fukushima will also feature another championship match this time for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship where HAYATA will defend the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against Taiji Ishimori. On MAY 27 HAYATA defeated Hajime Ohara to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. After the match Ishimori confronted the new champion challenging him to a title match. The match was officially announced nine days later.
All of the match card for the event was announced for the event on June 5.
Event
Great Voyage in Yokohama
The first match featured a six-man tag team match between Maybach Taniguchi, Yoshinari Ogawa and Akitoshi Saito against HAYATA, YO-HEY and Rionne Fujiwara, were Taniguchi, Ogawa and Saito won. The second match featured a tag team match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship between the champions XX (Taiji Ishimori and Hi69) and RATEL'S (Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke) were XX made their first successful title defense. The third match featured a singles match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship between Hajime Ohara and Hitoshi Kumano, were Ohara made his second successful title defense. After the match Kumano asked Ohara to be his partner to go for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. In this night Kumano debuted a new attire and a new nickname "Growing Bear". The fourth match featured a match between a match an Impact Wrestling wrestler James Storm and Kaito Kiyomiya were Storm was victorious.
Katsuhiko Nakajima who successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Go Shiozaki
The fifth match featured another Impact Wrestling wrestler and the return of Eddie Edwards against Atsushi Kotoge. Before the match started both wrestlers shook and as a show of respect. Edwards was the winner of the match. The sixth featured a tag Team match between Naomichi Marufuji and Keiji Mutoh against Impact Wrestling wrestler Moose and a freelance wrestler Kazma Sakamoto were Mutoh and Marufuji won. The seventh match featured a tag team match for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship between Kenoh and Takashi Sugiura against Masa Kitamiya and Muhammad Yone. Kenoh and Sugiura defeated Kitamiya and Yone to become the new champions. After the match Naomichi Marufuji and Maybach Taniguchi challenged them into a title match. The main event featured Kenta Kobashi on commentary. The main event was a singles match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship were Katsuhiko Nakajima defeated Go Shiozaki to make his fourth successful title defense.
Results
Great Voyage in Yokohama
| # | Matches | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maybach Taniguchi, Yoshinari Ogawa and Akitoshi Saito defeated HAYATA, YO-HEY and Rionne Fujiwara | Six-man Tag Team match | 6:23 |
| 2 | XX (Taiji Ishimori and Hi69) (c) defeated RATEL'S (Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke) | Tag Team match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship | 11:04 |
| 3 | Hajime Ohara (c) defeated Hitoshi Kumano | Singles match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship | 16:32 |
| 4 | James Storm defeated Kaito Kiyomiya | Singles match | 8:35 |
| 5 | Eddie Edwards defeated Atsushi Kotoge | Singles match | 19:18 |
| 6 | Naomichi Marufuji and Keiji Mutoh defeated Moose and Kazma Sakamoto | Tag Team match | 13:50 |
| 7 | Kenoh and Takashi Sugiura defeated Masa Kitamiya and Muhammad Yone | Tag Team match for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship | 21:41 |
| 8 | Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) defeated Go Shiozaki | Singles match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship | 27:01 |
| |||
Great Voyage in Yokohama
| # | Matches | Stipulations | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenoh vs. Kaito Kiyomiya | Singles match | |
| 2 | Back Breakers (Hajime Ohara and Hitoshi Kumano) and Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Akitoshi Saito, Daisuke Harada and Masao Inoue | Six-man Tag Team match | |
| 3 | Hi69 vs. YO-HEY | Singles match | |
| 4 | Tadasuke vs. Cody Hall | Singles match | |
| 5 | Muhammad Yone vs. Quiet Storm | Singles match | |
| 6 | Maketa Ra Owari (Naomichi Marufuji and Maybach Taniguchi) vs. Go Shiozaki and Masa Kitamiya | Tag Team match | |
| 7 | HAYATA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori | Singles match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship | |
| 8 | Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) vs. Atsushi Kotoge | Singles match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship | |
| |||
Refrences
- ↑ en. Puroresu Spirit (2016-01-07). Retrieved on 2016-01-07.
- ↑ en. Puroresu Spirit (2016-01-11). Retrieved on 2016-01-11.
- ↑ en. Puroresu Spirit (2016-01-20). Retrieved on 2016-01-20.
- ↑ en. Puroresu Spirit (2016-01-21). Retrieved on 2016-01-21.
- ↑ en. Puroresu Spirit (2016-01-21). Retrieved on 2016-01-21.
- ↑ en. Puroresu Spirit (2016-02-08). Retrieved on 2016-02-08.
- ↑ en. Puroresu Spirit (2016-02-14). Retrieved on 2016-02-14.
- ↑ Winter Navig. 2016 (in Japanese). Pro Wrestling Noah. Retrieved on 2016-12-24.
- ↑ ja:小峠がＧＨＣジュニアタッグ奪回直後にヘビー級転向を宣言 (in Japanese). Daily Sports Online. Kobe Shimbun (2016-12-25). Retrieved on 2016-12-25.
- ↑ [http://noah.co.jp/news_detail.php?news_id=9509 ja:「来年のプロレスリング・ノアも俺が光を照らしていきたいと思います（中嶋）」 12.26、中嶋選手＆小峠選手の記者会見の模様]. Pro Wrestling Noah (2016-12-26). Retrieved on 2016-12-26.
- ↑ ja:ノアに武藤登場! 3.12横浜で丸藤と初タッグ 中嶋がGHCヘビー王座戦前哨戦で潮崎組に勝利 (in Japanese). Sports Navi. Yahoo! (2017-02-15). Retrieved on 2017-02-15.
- ↑ ja:http://puroresuspirit.net/2017/02/noah-results-for-february-18-2017/ (in english). Sports Navi. PuroresuSpirit (2017-02-18). Retrieved on 2017-02-18.
- ↑ 拳王まさかの裏切りで杉浦と結託! タッグベルトはく奪! 2月24日(金)後楽園ホール大会 試合後コメント (in ja).
- ↑ 【2.25(土)12時～】【気になる武藤&丸藤の対戦相手は？】3.12横浜文化体育館大会GHC Jr.ヘビー級タッグ選手権試合(選手権者)石森太二&Hi69vs原田大輔&タダスケ(挑戦者)調印式及び同大会全対戦カード発表記者会見の模様をLIVE配信いたします！ (in ja).
- ↑ en:http://puroresuspirit.net/2017/02/news-listings-for-february-25-2017/ (in english). BushidoRX. PuroresuSpirit (2017-02-25). Retrieved on 2017-02-25.