Great Voyage (2021)

## The Great Voyage (2021)

Promotional poster for Great Voyage in Fukuoka, featuring various NOAH wrestlers

## Information

### Date

02021-03-07-0000March 7, 2021
02021-03-14-0000March 14, 2021

### Attendance

1,280
1,236

### Venue

Yokohama Budokan
Fukuoka Kokusai Center

### City

Yokohama
Fukuoka

**Great Voyage (2021)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) annually since 2000 it's the longest and the biggest PPV in NOAH. NOAH until produced in 2021 two events under the Great Voyage name; **Great Voyage in Yokohama** on March 7, the **Great Voyage in Fukuoka** on March 14. The first event was held in Yokohama at the Yokohama and the second event was held in Fukuoka at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

The Great Voyage in Yokohama was headlined by Sugiura-gun (Kazushi Sakuraba and Takashi Sugiura) defending the GHC Tag Team Championship against The Aggression (Katsuhiko Nakajima and Masa Kitamiya). Meanwhile, the Great Voyage in Fukuoka was headlined by Keiji Mutoh defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Kaito Kiyomiya.

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the event had some restrictions in attendance, following the declaration of the State of Emergency in Japan. The event aired live on AbemaTV online linear television service and CyberFight's streaming service Wrestle Universe and FITE TV as a pay-per-view (PPV).

## Production

### Background

#### Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

On January 29, 2020, Noah also announced that the promotion would celebrate its 20th anniversary in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan which would be later canceled due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). On March 30, it was initially announced that some 2020 Global Tag League shows of the tournament, while the April 15 show would be held behind closed doors, being streamed on DDT Universe, due to restrictions made by the Japanese government regarding the 2019-20 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but it was later announced that the entire tournament would be held behind closed doors and the shows would be streamed on the DDT Universe under NOAH TV name. On April 22, the first show of the NOAH THE SPIRIT 2020 tour was held in an empty TV studio broadcast live on AbemaTV, and the rest of the shows would be canceled including ALL OUT ATTACK 2020 tour. On May 9, NOAH and their sister promotion, DDT started to promote shows at an empty TV studio being broadcast on AbemaTV under NOAH TV name. On July 18, Noah returned to held events with a limited number of fans in attendance at the Korakuen Hall.

### Storylines

#### Great Voyage in Yokohama

The Great Voyage 2021 featured 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.

The Great Voyage in Yokohama will be main evented by Kenoh defending the GHC National Championship against Kendo Kashin. On February 12 at Destination, Kenoh successfully defended the GHC National Championship against Masakatsu Funaki. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Kenoh was challenged by junior heavyweight wrestler Kendo Kashin to a match. The title match was announced on February 15. Afterwards, usually after Kenoh's matches, a unknown masked wrestler began attacking him claiming to be a member of Sugiura-gun and was sent by Kashin. On February 24, following an eight-man tag team match between KONGOH and Sugiura-gun, Kenoh kept attacking Kashin after their match, as a retaliation for sending masked wrestler to attack him. On March 3, during a press conference, Kenoh received a mysterious gift, which was revealed to be a impersonator of Kashin inside. Afterwards, Kenoh was attacked by a masked wrestler sent by Kashin, who had previously claimed to be Kashin Sugiura-gun stablemate Kazushi Sakuraba.

On December 26 at KONGOH self-produced event Diamond 3, Katsuhiko Nakajima and Masa Kitamiya faced Kinya Okada and Yoshiki Inamura in a winning effort. Following KONGOH's feud with Sugiura-gun, on January 31, Nakajima and Kitamiya faced Sugiura-gun members Takashi Sugiura and Kendo Kashin in a winning effort. After the match, Kitamiya and Nakajima challenged Sugiura and his partner Kazushi Sakuraba to a title match for the GHC Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Nakajima confirmed the reunion of the The Aggression.

#### Great Voyage in Fukuoka

The Great Voyage in Fukuoka was main evented by Keiji Mutoh defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Kaito Kiyomiya. In May 2020, Noah produced two events, the "New Hope" on May 24 and May 31, with Kaito Kiyomiya being the crucial figure of the event, due to being the promotion's "new ace". On the first night of the event, Kiyomiya defeated Rene Dupree in the main event. Afterwards, Kiyomiya proclaimed his ambition of having a dream match, with Japanese wrestling legend Keiji Mutoh, as a way to progress his career. On July 18, Kiyomiya teamed with Go Shiozaki in a losing effort against Mutoh and Naomichi Marufuji. On August 10 at NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 3, Kiyomiya was defeated by Mutoh. On February 12, 2021 at Destination, after Keiji Mutoh won the GHC Heavyweight Championship, Kiyomiya challenged him to a title match. However, Mutoh left the ring without answering. Three days later, Noah officially the title match.

Also at Destination, Seiki Yoshioka defeated Daisuke Harada to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. Afterwards, Harada's partner Atsushi Kotoge challenged Yoshioka to a title match, which he accpeted, before confronting him in a post-match interview. Leading to their match, on February 23, Kotoge pinned Yoshioka, during a six-man tag team match.