Great Voyage (2022)

## The Great Voyage (2022)

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

## Information

### Date

02022-03-13-0000March 13, 2022
02022-03-31-0000March 31, 2022

### Attendance

905
697

### Venue

Yokohama Budokan
Fukuoka Kokusai Center

### City

Yokohama
Fukuoka

**Great Voyage (2022)** was a two-day professional wrestling event promoted by Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) annually since 2000. NOAH in 2022 held two events under the Great Voyage name; **Great Voyage in Yokohama** on March 13, the **Great Voyage in Fukuoka** on March 21. The first event was held in Yokohama at the Yokohama and the second event was held in Fukuoka at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

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.

## 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

The Great Voyage 2022 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.

#### Great Voyage in Yokohama

The Great Voyage in Yokohama featured a four-man tournament for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship. On February 8, 2022, M's Alliance (Keiji Mutoh and Naomichi Marufuji) announced that were going to vacate the GHC Tag Team Championship after Mutoh injured his left hip lip joint. On February 23, Hideki Suzuki returned to Pro Wrestling NOAH in a pre-taped vignette, announcing his return to Sugiura-gun to take part in a tournament for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship at Great Voyage in Fukuoka. Later that night, following a six-man tag team match, KONGOH (Kenoh and Masakatsu Funaki) confronted Daiki Inaba and Kaito Kiyomiya, with both teams advocating for a title match for the GHC Tag Team Championship. The following day, NOAH announced a single-night tournament at Great Voyage in Yokohama to crown the new champions. On February 25, Inaba also began feuding with Marufuji, who had prior did not had the best relationship, Inaba refusing to shake hands with him, before celebrating a tag team match victory in Marufuji's face.

On February 25, *Los Perros del Mal de Japón* (Eita and Nosawa Rongai) faced Daisuke Harada and YO-HEY in a winning effort, with Eita winning the match for his team by scoring a direct pinfall over Harada. Afterwards, Eita proclaimed himself as Harada's next challenger to the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. In a post-match interview, Eita stated that if "Harada wanted to stand at the top of the NOAH Juniors, then he had better get round him".

The event also featured a singles match between Go Shiozaki and Manabu Soya, after a confrontation between the two, following a tag team match on February 23.

#### Great Voyage in Fukuoka

The Great Voyage in Fukuoka was main evented by Kazuyuki Fujita defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Masato Tanaka. On February 23, Fujita defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Afterwards, Tanaka came to the ring pouring beer on Fujita's head, before challenging him to a title match. The following day, NOAH announced the title match. This match will mark the second singles match between the two with both having facing each other in a draw on December 27, 2021, during Sugiura-gun's self produced event *All Dogs Gather! 3*.

On February 11, 2022, *Los Perros del Mal de Japón* turned on YO-HEY, kicking him out of the stable. This led to Atsushi Kotoge, and the NOAH's Juniors making the save, with YO-HEY joining them. Shortly after, in a backstage interview, YO-HEY ask Kotoge to team with him to challenge for the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. On February 23, after YO-HEY and Kotoge won the vacant titles, Kotaro Suzuki and his *Los Perros del Mal de Japón* stablemate Nosawa Rongai challenged both Kotoge and YO-HEY to a title match, with NOAH scheduling the match at Great Voyage in Fukuoka.