HUGE ALL JAPAN VS. NOAH MATCH SET FOR NTV 70th ANNIVERSARY SHOW

In a huge interpromotional match, Kaito Kiyomiya versus Yuma Anzai has been announced for All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH’s co-promoted show on February 9 in Korakuen Hall, celebrating 70 years of wrestling airing on Japanese broadcaster Nippon TV (NTV).

On February 19, 1954, NTV aired the first modern professional wrestling match in Japan. In a 61-minute time limit draw, the Sharpe Brothers (Ben Sharpe and Mike Sharpe) wrestled Masahiko Kimura and Rikidōzan in a two out of three falls match for the NWA World Tag Team Championships that would change the course of Japanese wrestling history.

Mitsuhiro Momota, better known by his sumo wrestler ring name Rikidōzan, is widely heralded the godfather of wrestling in Japan, being propelled to stratospheric levels of fame for his ability to consistently defeat American wrestlers in the 1950s and early 1960s, until his murder in 1963. At the time, Japan was still occupied by America and the Japanese public needed a heroic public figure who made them appear stronger compared to foreign countries.

A later title match between American wrestler Lou Thesz and Rikidōzan in 1957 drew an 85 television rating – which, for comparison, is nearly 25 times higher than WWE’s flagship shows which struggled to draw a 3.5 television rating during the early-to-mid 2010s (and even lower now).

Ethnic and racial stereotypes have long been used as storytelling tropes in professional wrestling – regrettably in a distasteful manner in certain examples – but in the eyes of the Japanese public, Rikidōzan was exacting revenge on America for leaving Japan devastated after the Second World War through the medium of professional wrestling. As a result of Rikidōzan success, wrestling became a sign of Japanese nationalism and a defining theme for Japanese network television for decades to follow.

Following’s Rikidōzan’s passing, two of his students – Muhammad Hussain Inoki (stage name Antonio Inoki) and Shohei Baba (stage name Giant Baba) – would go on to form their own wrestling companies. The rest, as they say, is history.

As to the actual match, Kiyomiya, who is still only 27, has been positioned among NOAH’s top stars since returning from excursion at the end of 2017, with multiple GHC Heavyweight Championship and GHC Tag Team Championship reigns.

In 2023, an increased presence in New Japan Pro-Wrestling boosted his profile further, igniting a blood feud with megastar Kazuchika Okada by violently kicking him in the head (in a frankly epic moment) at the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 21, 2023, in the Yokohama Arena and participating in the G1 Climax and World Tag League tournaments.

More recently, he teamed with Alejandro to win the Open the Twin Gate Championships – lucharesu promotion Dragon Gate’s tag team championships – last month, confronted Kota Ibushi after the main event of NOAH’s show in Ariake Arena on January 2 (also kickstarting a feud with Jake Lee) and wrestled on New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 18 and New Year Dash!! shows on January 4 and 5.

Anzai, on the other hand, has rocketed up the card since debuting against Yuji Nagata on September 18, 2022, drawing considerable praise along the way as one of the best prospects in wrestling.

Merely nine months after debuting, Anzai stepped up to challenge Nagata for the Triple Crown Championship last June – a remarkable accomplishment despite the losing effort. Last month, Anzai teamed with Ryuki Honda to win the Real World Tag League tournament.

Just yesterday, Anzai faced Masanobu Fuchi in Fuchi’s fiftieth anniversary match. Fuchi, who debuted in All Japan in 1974, endorsed Anzai as the future of the company and instructed Anzai to defeat Suwama using the facelock, as he taught Mitsuharu Misawa to defeat Jumbo Tsurata.

The Saito Brothers (Jun Saito and Rei Saito) versus Saxon Huxley and Timothy Thatcher has also been announced for the show.

 

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