Destination 2022

Promotional poster for the event, featuring Satoshi Kojima and Kenoh

The **Destination 2022** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). The event took place on July 16, 2022, at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. This was the second annual event under the Destination name.

The show was headlined by Satoshi Kojima defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Kenoh. Another high-profile match scheduled for the show featured Sugiura-gun (Hideki Suzuki and Timothy Thatcher) against The Tough (Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura). The event featured another title matche with HAYATA defending the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against Seiki Yoshioka. All in all, the event featured ten matches.

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

### Backgorund

On January 1, 2022, at NOAH The New Year, Noah announced that they would promote the Destination 2022 at the Nippon Budokan on July 16, marking the second event of the year held in the Nippon Budokan. NOAH had previously made their return to the venue, after eleven years, a year prior, on February 12, 2021 at the previous year's Destination, which became a annual event.

On June 12, it was announced that former WWE and Impact Wrestling wrestler and Hall of Famer, Rob Van Dam would take part in the event. Five days later, American wrestlers Anthony Greene and Stallion Rogers were announced to take part in the event. Later that day, NOAH announced a partial match card for the event. On June 30, it was announced that Japanese wrestling legend Jushin Thunder Liger would be a guest commentator for the event. On July 5, it was announced that Chris Ridgeway would be unable to work at the event, due to a delay in the visa issuance procedure in the United Kingdom.

#### 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

Destination 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.

The Destination 2022 was main evented by Satoshi Kojima making his first title defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Kenoh. The storyline behind the match dates back to 2017, when Kenoh won the Global League tournament, with Kenoh promising that he would make NOAH return to the Nippon Budokan. However, a year prior, NOAH was in a terrible shape, the departure of Suzuki-gun contributed to a massive decline of NOAH's popularity, and a result the promotion lacking in strength, leaving a massive gap in NOAH's heavyweight division. Meanwhile, Kenoh turned to the heavyweight division in 2017. Since 2014, he began competing in NOAH's junior heavyweight division, being one of the division's main figures, however he aiming to reach the pinnacle of NOAH by winning the GHC Heavyweight Championship, thus changing division to serve as a detonated for the heavyweights, who were lacking in strength. Kenoh's move breathed new life into the heavyweight division, which had been forced to rebuild since the withdrawal of Suzuki-gun and Kenoh began impressing. Despite having good Kenoh's intentions, NOAH was in a difficult financial situation and Kenoh was aware of that.

After winning the GHC Heavyweight Championship in December 2017, while the unifying force of the promotion was declining, fans started getting behind Kenoh and subsquently he became an important wrestler who was indispensable for Noah's heavyweight division. Following his feud with Kaito Kiyomiya, Kenoh became leader of the highly popular stable KONGOH, who was remarked as of "one the brightest memories of NOAH's recent history". Following the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAH made their return to the Nippon Budokkan in February 2021, but Kenoh still was unable to take part in the main event, as he was focused on defending the GHC National Championship. Still, Kenoh reiterated his desire to wrestle in the Nippon Budokan and to main event there. After narrowly missing the chance to take part in the main event of NOAH The New Year in Janaury 2022, Kenoh still continued to persue his dream and on June 12 at CyberFight Festival, after Satoshi Kojima won the GHC Heavyweight Championship, Kenoh challenged him to a title match, which he accepted, setting up the main event of Destination at Nippon Budokan. On June 24, following a tag team match, which ended in a draw, Kojima and Kenoh then got into a argument which involved Kojima telling Kenoh to do 1000 squats, which Kenoh proved he could, before getting into a brawl at backstage. Shortly after, Kenoh continued mocking Kojima, over various exercises routines, including squats. Kenoh viewed a potential victory over Kojima not only to affirm his spot in the main event, but also as revenge against New Japan Pro-Wrestling, whose wrestlers drew the ire of Kenoh, for looking at NOAH for "curshy jobs".

In May 2020, Kaito Kiyomiya proclaimed his ambition of facing Japanese wrestling legend Keiji Mutoh. On August 10 at NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 3, Kiyomiya got his wish to face Keiji Mutoh, facing him in a losing effort. On February 12, 2021 at Destination, after Keiji Mutoh won the GHC Heavyweight Championship, Kiyomiya challenged him to a title match, resuming their feud. However, Mutoh left the ring without answering. On March 14, at Great Voyage in Fukuoka, Kiyomiya unsucessfully challenged Mutoh for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Their feud continued during the year, with Kiyomiya and Masa Kitamiya losing the GHC Tag Team Championship to Keiji Mutoh and Naomichi Marufuji on November 3. As part of "inter-promotional" rivalry between NOAH and NJPW, Kiyomiya made his debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) on January 8, teaming with Keiji Mutoh in a losing effort against Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada in the main event of third night of Wrestle Kingdom 16. On June 12 at CyberFight Festival, Mutoh announced his retirement from professional wrestling. Afterwards, it was announced that Mutoh would take part in a trial series, before his retirement, with Kaito Kiyomiya being his first opponent.

On June 8, Seiki Yoshioka decided to leave Stinger, before having a short feud with former stablemate Yuya Susumu. On June 23, after finishing his feud with Susumu, Yoshioka challenged HAYATA to a title match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, which he accepted, offered his hand. Afterwards, Yoshioka refused and attacked him, before revealing that his decision to leave Stinger was to challenge for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. Shortly after, Yoshioka began viciously attacking HAYATA after their matches, with Yoshioka posing with the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship belt.

Also on June 24, Michael Elgin, Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura faced Sugiura-gun (Hideki Suzuki, Takashi Sugiura and Timothy Thatcher) in a losing effort with Thatcher submitting Kitamiya. Afterwards, Suzuki and Thatcher challenged Kitamiya and Elgin to a title match for the GHC Tag Team Championship, which they accepted, setting up the title match at Destination. On June 23, Elgin and Kitamiya were forced to vacate the GHC Tag Team Championship, after Elgin was unable to work at Destination. Afterwards, it was announced that Yoshiki Inamura would be replacing Michael Elgin in the match for the vacant titles.