Departure (2021)

Promotional poster for the first night of the event featuring Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura and Yoshinari Ogawa and Pro Wrestling NOAH's first logo

## Information

### Date

August 5, 2021
August 6, 2021

### Attendance

Night 1: 496
Night 2: 485

### City

Tokyo, Japan

**Departure 2021** was a professional wrestling event promoted by Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). The two shows took place on August 5 and 6, 2020, in Tokyo, Japan at the Korakuen Hall. This was the eleventh event under the *Departure* name.

The event aired on CyberFight's streaming service Wrestle Universe with second night airing on CyberAgent's Abema TV online linear television service. Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the event had some restrictions in attendance, after the Japanese Government lifted the State of Emergency.

The first night of the show was main evented by Kaito Kiyomiya and Kotaro Suzuki against Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura, while the second night of the event was main evented by M's Alliance (Keiji Mutoh, Masakatsu Funaki and Naomichi Marufuji) against KONGOH (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima and Manabu Soya).

## Production

### Background

Following the 2000 All Japan Pro Wrestling mass exodus, Mitsuharu Misawa left All Japan Pro Wrestling and formed his own promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH. Afterwards, Noah began annually the Departure event, to symbolize the anniversary of the promotion. The event aired through CyberFight's internet streaming service Wrestle Universe and second night aired on CyberAgent's Abema TV online linear television service.

#### Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

On March 30, 2020, 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.

On August 2, 2021 Noah announced that YO-HEY was going to be removed from the second night of the event after he tested positve for COVID-19 for the second time with fellow wrestlers Nosawa Rongai, Eita, Daisuke Harada, Atsushi Kotoge and Junta Miyawaki and referee Shu Nishinaga being also removed from the event after being in close contact with YO-HEY.

### Storylines

Departure (2021) 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.

## Results

### Night 2

 2
 3
 4
 5
 6

* (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
* – refers to the video of that match