Noah the Best 2019

Promotional poster for the event, featuring various Pro Wrestling Noah wrestlers

### Tagline(s)

"Battle of the Aesthetics" (Japanese: 美学のある闘い, Hepburn: *Bigaku no aru tatakai*)

## Information

### City

Tokyo, Japan

The **Noah the Best 2019** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). The event took place on November 2, 2019, at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. This was the first event under the Noah the Best name.

The show was headlined by Kaito Kiyomiya defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship against the winner of the 2019 N-1 Victory Kenoh in a rematch from the 2019 *Navigation For The Future* tour. Another high-profile match scheduled for the show featured The Great Muta against Naomichi Marufuji. Another title match for the show featured HAYATA defending the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against his RATEL'S stablemate YO-HEY.

Two other title matches included AXIZ (Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima) defending the GHC Tag Team Championship against The Tough (Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura) and Stinger (Kotaro Suzuki and Yoshinari Ogawa) defending the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against RATEL'S (Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke). Noah also crowned the inaugural GHC National Champion in a match between Michael Elgin against Takashi Sugiura, while also inaugurating the second version of GHC Heavyweight Championship by its longest reigning champion Kenta Kobashi. Wrestlers from Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Impact Wrestling – with whom Noah has a partnership – would also appear at the event. All in all, the event featured ten matches and one title change.

## Production

### Background

On January 29, 2019, Masayuki Uchida announced that he sold 75% shares of the company to LIDET Entertainment as result Uchida resigned from its position in the company and joined LIDET Entertainment as an advisor for the promotion operations and announced the relocating of its offices from Misakichō, Tokyo to Yūrakuchō, Tokyo. Afterwards, the promotion underwent a visual makeover, which included changed their logo and replacing their green ring color inspired by Mitsuharu Misawa since their formation. In March, LIDET Entertainment established a plan to relaunch the promotion as the second largest promotion in Japan, which included the announcement of the show on March 10 at Great Voyage in Yokohama, citing the complete ownership of the promotion by LIDET. On October 3, Riki Choshu announced on the behalf of LIDET Entertainment, the creation of the GHC National Championship, with the inaugural champion crowned being crowned at the event, in a match between Michael Elgin and Takashi Sugiura. It was also announced that Impact Wrestling wrestler Eddie Edwards, freelancer Super Crazy and personalities from Noah's past Mitsuo Momota and Tamon Honda would take part of the event. On November 2, it was announced that Choshu would attend the event as a special witness to the GHC National Championship match, while also presenting the championship belt to the winner of the match. On October 24, it was announced that Kenta Kobashi would be attending the event to inaugurate the new GHC Heavyweight Championship belt, while also proving commentary for the event. It was later announced that Sonico suffered an injury, leading him to be replaced by Osamu Nishimura.

### Storylines

Noah the Best 2019 featured professional wrestling matches that involved 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.

The N-1 Victory was main evented by Kaito Kiyomiya making his sixth successful title defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against 2019 N-1 Victory Kenoh. On March 10 at Great Voyage in Yokohama, Kaito Kiyomiya defeated Naomichi Marufuji to make his third successful title defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Following the match, Kiyomiya called out Kenoh and asked him to be his partner for the upcoming Global Tag League, which he accepted, declaring a united front to create a new scene for Noah, dubbing their team "KAIOH". In April, Kiyomiya and Kenoh took part of the tournament, finishing the Global Tag League with a record of four wins, two losses, and one draw, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. KAIOH disbanded on April 30, after losing to Akitoshi Saito and Masao Inoue in their last round-robin match. Afterwards, Kenoh who was jealous of Kiyomiya disbanded their team, stating that Kiyomiya had been told by LIDET Entertainment, not by Noah, while also claiming that Kiyomiya was made a star by the company, not by his own merit. Afterwards, Kenoh formed a stable named KONGOH with Atsushi Kotoge, Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura as a protest against NOAH's owner LIDET Entertainment, while Kiyomiya formed a team with Shuhei Taniguchi, leading to match on May 4, where Kiyomiya and Taniguchi defeated Kenoh and Kitamiya. On July 29, Kenoh was announced as one of the participants of the 2019 N-1 Victory, while Kiyomiya announced that he wouldn't enter in the tournament. Instead, the winner of the tournament would challenge for his title on November 2. Kiyomiya's decision drew criticism from Kenoh, who accused him too scared to take part of the tournament. On September 16, Kenoh defeated Takashi Sugiura in the finals to win the 2019 N-1 Victory. Afterwards, Kiyomiya confronted Kenoh, both claimed they would create a new scene for Noah. The title match was made official on September 20. It was also announced the creation of second version of the GHC Heavyweight Championship, which would title to replace the first version, with the winner of the match being the first wrestler to hold the new championship belt.

On October 3, AXIZ (Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima) faced The Tough (Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura) in a tag team match, where AXIZ teamed with Kaito Kiyomiya, while The Tough teamed with their KONGOH stablemate Kenoh. Kitamiya scored the win for his team after pinning Nakajima. Afterwards, Kitamiya challenged AXIZ to a title match for the GHC Tag Team Championship on November 2, which they accepted. Kitamiya also showed his dislike for Nakajima, when they were part of Diamond Ring. The title match was made official on October 4. On October 11, Kiyomiya was attacked by KONGOH and Kitamiya and Inamura would force Kiyomiya to his knees, with Kenoh claimed that Kiyomiya was just spoiled not strong, leading AXIZ (Katsuhiko Nakajima and Go Shiozaki) to make the save. On October 22, Kiyomiya teamed with AXIZ in a match against KONGOH. In the last moments of the match, Kiyomiya performed the *Tiger Suplex* on Yoshiki Inamura. Afterwards, Kenoh executed the *Diving Foot Stomp* on Kiyomiya, while he was pinning Inamura, leading the referee to stop the match. Following the match, Kiyomiya was stretchered out of the arena. The following day, Noah revealed that Kiyomiya had suffured a cervical sprain, leading him to be pulled from their show on October 27, but it was announced that he would be returning at Noah the Best.

In the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship match, HAYATA made his second successful title defense against RATEL'S stablemate YO-HEY. On August 25 in the sixth night of the N-1 Victory, HAYATA and YO-HEY teamed with their RATEL'S stablemate Tadasuke in a losing effort against Stinger (Atsushi Kotoge, Kotaro Suzuki and Yoshinari Ogawa. After the match, YO-HEY took the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship belt and put it on his shoulder, only to sarcastically handed it back to him. He would repeat this actions in the following nights of the N-1 Victory, and sometimes HAYATA tried to get it back, but YO-HEY refused. This led to a match on September 16, where HAYATA successfully defended the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against YO-HEY. After the match, in a post-match interview, YO-HEY challenged HAYATA to a rematch for his title, leading him to accept. The title match was made official on September 20. On October 11, HAYATA and YO-HEY faced each other in a six-man tag team match, where HAYATA teamed with Daisuke Harada and Kaito Kiyomiya in a losing effort against YO-HEY, Naomichi Marufuji and Tadasuke, after YO-HEY pinned HAYATA. Afterwards, YO-HEY stated that the result would be the same at the event and the two shook hands.

In the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match, Stinger (Kotaro Suzuki and Yoshinari Ogawa) were set to make their sixth title defense against RATEL'S (Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke). Since October 2018, RATEL'S begun a feud with Stinger. On September 23, Harada and Tadasuke challenged Ogawa and Suzuki to a title match. On October 3, Ogawa and Suzuki faced Harada and Tadasuke in a double count-out. Afterwards, Tadasuke demaned a rematch, but Suzuki denied it. However, Harada and Tadasuke's stablemate YO-HEY asked Noah's ownership LIDET Entertainment for rematch, which they accepted. The title match was made official on October 4. On October 9, RATEL'S faced Stinger in a eight-man tag team match. The match ended with Stinger getting win after Ogawa prevented Harada to get in the ring for second time. Afterwards, Ogawa accused RATEL'S of favoritism by Noah's ownership LIDET Entertainment since RATEL'S would have opportunities for Noah's junior heavyweight championships and also criticized the junior heavyweight being neglected for the heavyweight division. Leading to the match, Stinger announced that if they retained their titles against RATEL'S, they would challenge for the GHC Tag Team Championship.

The event also included a singles match between Naomichi Marufuji and Keiji Mutoh's alter ego The Great Muta. On September 20, Noah announced that Marufuji and The Great Muta would face each other at the event. The two were previously involved in a six-man tag team match, where Marufuji teamed with Masaaki Mochizuki and Shuhei Taniguchi, while Muta under his real persona Keiji Mutoh teamed with Kaito Kiyomiya and Jun Akiyama in a winning effort. Leading to the match, Marufuji would mimic Muta as well using his signature elbow drop. Also in the built-up, Marufui teased his own version of the gimmick "The Great Maru", with Marufuji claiming that he visited the "miraculous hell" after being in ritual with D. ZOMBIE in order to reveal his evil soul.