Noah the Best 2021

Promotional poster for the event, featuring various Kaito Kiyomiya, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura

## Information

### City

Tokyo, Japan

The **Noah the Best 2021** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). The event took place on November 28, 2021, at the Yoyogi National Stadium Gymnasium #2 in Tokyo, Japan.

The show was headlined by Katsuhiko Nakajima facing Kenoh in a double title match for the GHC Heavyweight and GHC National Championships. The event aired live on AbemaTV online linear television service and CyberFight's streaming service Wrestle Universe and FITE TV streaming service as a pay-per-view (PPV). This is the third event under the Noah the Best name.

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the event had some restrictions in attendance, after the Japanese Government lifted the State of Emergency.

## Production

### Background

Since 2019, Noah began annually holding the event, after LIDET Entertainment took over the promotion. The event marked the second time the promotion held an event at the Yoyogi National Stadium Gymnasium #2, with the first event being held on October 22, 2004, marking the return of the promotion for the first time in sixteen years.

#### 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

Noah the Best 2021 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.

Noah the Best 2021 was main evented by Katsuhiko Nakajima facing Kenoh in a double title match for the GHC Heavyweight and GHC National Championships. The storyline behind the match dates back to September 2021, when Nakajima and Kenoh took part in the 2021 N-1 Victory, where both faced each other, in the finals on October 3, which Nakajima won, earning a shot at the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Traditionally, the winners of the tournament have earned a shot at the GHC Heavyweight Championship. On October 10, Nakajima defeated Naomichi Marufuji to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship. The following month, on November 13, Kenoh defeated Masaaki Mochizuki to win the GHC National Championship. Following the match, Kenoh challenged his KONGOH stablemate Katsuhiko Nakajima to a double title-match for the GHC Heavyweight and GHC National Championships at Noah the Best, with the winner main eventing the NOAH The New Year on January 1, 2022.

Since October 2020, Los Perros del Mal de Japón began feuding with Stinger. On November 13, Los Perros del Mal de Japón (Eita, Kotaro Suzuki and Nosawa Rongai) faced Stinger (Seiki Yoshioka, Yoshinari Ogawa, and Yuya Susumu) in a losing effort. Following the match, Stinger attacked Los Perros del Mal de Japón, before Ogawa held up the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, before stealing them. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, Yasutaka Yano returned them their titles, before challenging Eita and Rongai to a title match on behalf of himself and Yoshinari Ogawa. However, Rongai refused stating that in order to challenge them it had to be HAYATA and Ogawa, before attacking Yano.