The Great Voyage (2018)

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

## Information

### Date

02018-03-11-0000March 11, 2018
02018-04-29-0000April 29, 2018
02018-12-16-0000December 16, 2018

### Attendance

2,412
1,200
2,145

### Venue

Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium
Niigata City Gymnasium

### City

Yokohama
Niigata

**Great Voyage (2018)** 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 now produced in 2018 two events under the Great Voyage name; **Great Voyage in Yokohama** on March 11, the **Great Voyage in Niigata** on April 29 and the **Great Voyage in Voyage vol.2** on December 16.

The first event included four matches contested for NOAH's championships, that featured three title changes. The main event was a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Kenoh and the challenger and his partner Takashi Sugiura. The second event included two matches contested for NOAH's championships, that featured one title change. The main event was a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Takashi Sugiura and the challenger Atsushi Kotoge. The third event included four matches contested for NOAH's championships. The main event featured a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Takashi Sugiura and the challenger and his partner Kaito Kiyomiya. The third event included four matches contested for NOAH's championships, that featured four title changes.

## Background

### Storylines

#### Great Voyage in Yokohama

The Great Voyage 2018 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 2018 in Yokohama was main evented by Kenoh making his third defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against his partner Takashi Sugiura. On February 2, Kenoh defeated Yuko Miyamoto to make his second title defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Takashi Sugiura who is Kenoh's only ally was at ringside for the match and congratulated him for his defense. Afterwards challenged him into a title match. Later that day, the match was announced to be the main event of the Great Voyage in Yokohama. On February 16 both lost to Atsushi Kotoge and Naomichi Marufuji, with Kotoge pinning Sugiura. Kenoh questioned if Sugiura was a worthy challenger. This led Suguira demanding a 10-minute match against Kenoh in which the match ended in a time limit draw.

On December 23, 2016 Kenoh stated that he was tired of being labeled a junior class wrestler when he knew he could compete with the likes of Katsuhiko Nakajima, Naomichi Marufuji, and even Sugiura on a singles level. In January 2017 Kenoh moved to the heavyweight division and formed a short partnership with Masa Kitamiya and the two even won the GHC Tag Team Championship. Their partnership ended when Kenoh turned on Kitamiya to form a partnership with Sugiura. This led Kenoh and Sugiura defeating Kitamiya and Muhammad Yone at last years Great Voyage in Yokohama. They would quickly lose the titles to Marufuji and Maybach Taniguchi. In mid 2017, Kenoh focused more on the singles competition after Sugiura was sidelined with an arrhythmia. After this, Kenoh would win the Global League (with Sugiura on commentary) and later defeated Eddie Edwards to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship. The two already faced before with Sugiura coming out victorious. This marks the second singles encounter between the two after a year.

In the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship Daisuke Harada was set to defend his title against his RATEL'S stablemate HAYATA. On January 27, 2018 after Harada defeated Hajime Ohara to make his third successful title defense of the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship he was confronted and challenged to a title match by Hitoshi Kumano and his RATEL'S stablemate HAYATA. On February 2 HAYATA defeated Kumano to become the 1º contender for the title. The title match was announced later that same day.

RATEL'S were formed in February 2017 by Harada, HAYATA, YO-HEY and Tadasuke. HAYATA would then win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship defeating Hajime Ohara and lost it to Taiji Ishimori. Harada then defeated Ishimori to bring back the title to RATEL'S. After this HAYATA focused on teaming with YO-HEY and the two even won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship defeating Ishimori and Hi69. They lose the titles back to them and HAYATA focused on singles competition.

In the GHC Tag Team Championship 50 Funky Powers (Muhammad Yone and Quiet Storm) were set to defend their titles against The Aggression (Masa Kitamiya and Katsuhiko Nakajima). On February 2, 2018 after 50 Funky Powers defeated Maybach Taniguchi and Mitsuya Nagai to make their first title defense, they're challenged by The Aggression into a title match. The two teams faced before during the 2016 Global Tag League where Yone and Storm were victorious.

Another title match includes XX (Hi69 and Taiji Ishimori) defending the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Yoshinari Ogawa and Minoru Tanaka. On January 27, 2018 after XX defeated RATEL'S (HAYATA and YO-HEY) to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the second time, they were challenged by Yoshinari Ogawa and Minoru Tanaka into a title match. Their match was announced on February 2.

#### Great Voyage in Niigata

The Great Voyage 2018 in Yokohama was main evented by Takashi Sugiura making his first defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Atsushi Kotoge. On February 16 Kotoge and Naomichi Marufuji defeated Sugiura and Kenoh in a tag team match, with Kotoge pinning Sugiura. On March 11 at Great Voyage in Yokohama, Sugiura defeated his partner Kenoh to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the record breaking the fourth time. After the match, Kotoge challenged Suguira into a title match and procceed to attack him. On March 31 during the Global Tag League, Kotoge and Marufuji faced Kenoh and Sugiura for a second time, with Kotoge pinning again Sugiura. The title match was made official on April 18.

In the GHC Tag Team Championship The Aggression (Masa Kitamiya and Katsuhiko Nakajima) were set make their first title defense against Go Shiozaki and Kaito Kiyomiya). From March until April, Kiyomiya and Shiozaki took part of the Global Tag League, finishing the tournament with three wins, one loss and three draws, advancing to the finals. During the tournament, Kiyomiya and Shiozaki defeated Kitamiya and Nakajima in a non-title match. In the finals, Kiyomiya and Shiozaki defeated Kenoh and Takashi Sugiura to win the tournament. After the match, Kitamiya and Nakajima and confronted Shiozaki and Kiyomiya before the title match. The title match was made official on April 18.

#### Great Voyage in Yokohama Vol. 2

The Great Voyage 2018 in Yokohama will be main evented by Takashi Sugiura making his seventh defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Kaito Kiyomiya. On November 25, Kiyomiya defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima in the finals to win the 2018 Global League and earn a shot at the GHC Heavyweight Championship. On December 7, Kiyomiya faced off in a tag team match, where Kiyomiya teamed with Daisuke Harada and Sugiura with Kotaro Suzuki. Sugiura would score a direct pinfall Kiyomiya to get the win for his team.

On January 7 2017, Kiyomiya and Sugiura made an alliance, but Kioymiya went on a learning excursion on North America. He would return in December and almost a year later on January 6 after Kiyomiya unsuccessfully challenged Kenoh for the GHC Heavyweight Championship, Sugiura turned on him ending their alliance.