NOAH The New Year (2022)

Promotional poster for the event, featuring Naomichi Marufuji

**NOAH The New Year (2022)** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah). The event took place on January 1, 2022, at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. The event was the first NOAH The New Year event, which is Noah's biggest annual event and as their equivalent to NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom and WWE's Wrestlemania. This was the first puroresu show to be held in the New Year's Day.

The event was headlined by Katsuhiko Nakajima defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship against his former partner Go Shiozaki in a rematch from the NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 4. The second match of the show's "double main event" saw Kenoh defending the GHC National Championship against Kaito Kiyomiya in a rematch from the 2021 N-1 Victory semifinals.

Two other title matches included Naomichi Marufuji and Keiji Mutoh defending the GHC Tag Team Championship against their M's Alliance stablemates Masato Tanaka and Masaaki Mochizuki and HAYATA defending the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against his Stinger stablemate Yoshinari Ogawa. Wrestlers from Dragon Gate (DG) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) – with whom Noah has a partnership – also appear at the event. All in all, the event featured ten matches. The event also featured the return of KENTA, which marked his first appearance for the promotion in seven years.

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 and FITE TV as a pay-per-view (PPV) in both English and Japanese commentaries.

## Production

### Background

On August 15, 2021 at Kawasaki Go!, CyberFight's Executive Vice-President Naomichi Marufuji appeared in a pre-taped vignette, announcing Noah's return to the Nippon Budokan on January 1, 2022 at New Year's Day. Afterwards, CyberFight's Executive Officer Narihiro Takeda announced that Noah plan to make it an premier annual event, as their equivalent to NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom and WWE's Wrestlemania in order to gather a larger audience to the promotion. This led to the Japanese press speculating that with NOAH usually holding the event on January 1, and NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom on January 4, and other promotions holding events in during the weekend of both events, it could become the Japanese version of WrestleMania weekend, which they dubbed "Puroresu Golden Week". Noah previously promoted an event at the Nippon Budokan on February 12, 2021, the Destination 2021, which marked the return to the arena after eleven years. This announcemt led to speculating in the Japanese that with NOAH holding the event at Nippon Budokan on January 1, NJPW holdng Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome on January 4, as well as other of other promotions holding events during the month of January, it could become the Japanese version of WrestleMania weekend, which they have dubbed "Puroresu Golden Week".

On November 22, Noah announced five guests for the event; Olympic Gold medalist Japanese judoka Aaron Wolf, Funky Kato, who produced the theme song for the event, comedian Kuniko Yamada and Rina Matsuki. On November 28, at Noah The Best, KENTA who was working with NJPW, returned to Noah, after seven years, annoucing in a pre-taped vignette, his appearance at the event. In November 2021, Noah and NJPW annouced the return of their partnership, including Noah's participation at the third night of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on January 8, 2020. On November 30, Noah announced that they looked to get 5,000 fans in attendance for the show.

On December 5, Noah held a press conference to announce further details for the shows. This included the addition of 38 wrestlers to the show, including Eita and Último Dragón, from Dragon Gate, with whom Noah has working relationship. It was also announced that the GHC National, GHC Junior Heavyweight and GHC Tag Team Championships would be defended at the event in addition to the GHC Heavyweight Championship, which had previously been announced.

#### 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.

On August 16, during a interview, CyberFight's Executive Vice-President Naomichi Marufuji revealed that he intended to invite foreign wrestlers to the event, but it would be difficult due to the travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

### Storylines

NOAH The New Year 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 event was headlined by Katsuhiko Nakajima making his third title defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against his former partner Go Shiozaki in a rematch from the NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 4. The storyline behind the match dates back to December 2018, when Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima formed a team, later named AXIZ, which became one of Noah's most sucessfull teams in the promotion's history, breaking the record for most reigns as the GHC Tag Team Champions with three reigns. In January 2020, AXIZ began focusing on their singles careers, with Shiozaki holding the GHC Heavyweight Championship and Nakajima the GHC National Championship. After Nakajima lost the GHC National Championship in August, AXIZ began being further divided due to Shiozaki holding the GHC Heavyweight Championship, leading Nakajima to turn on Shiozaki on August 30 to join KONGOH, after both failed to win the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship. On October 11, Nakajima defeated Kaito Kiyomiya in the finals to win the 2020 N-1 Victory. This led to a title match, on November 23 at NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 4, where Nakajima unsuccessfully challenged Shiozaki for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

After 405 days as the GHC Heavyweight Champion, Shiozaki lost the title to Keiji Mutoh on February 12, 2021 at Destination. Shortly after, on March 15, it was announced that Shiozaki would undergo surgery, after dislocating his right biceps tendon, forcing him to be sidelined for eight months. Meanwhile, on October 3, Nakajima defeated Masakatsu Funaki and then fellow KONGOH stablemate Kenoh, in the semifinals and finals, respectively, to win the 2021 N-1 Victory for the second year, earning a shot at the GHC Heavyweight Championship. On October 10, Nakajima defeated Naomichi Marufuji to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the second time. On November 28 at Noah the Best, Nakajima faced Kenoh in a 60-minute time limit draw to retain the GHC Heavyweight Championship and unsuccessfully challenge Kenoh for the GHC National Championship. Afterwards, Shiozaki made his return from injury challenging Nakajima into a title match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship on January 1, at NOAH The New Year, which he accepted. Later that day, Noah announced the title match. On December 27, following a victory in a ten-man tag team match, where Nakajima pinned Shiozaki, he stated that if lost to him at NOAH The New Year, Shiozaki should never repeat his catchphrase "I am Noah" again. At a press conference the following day, Shiozaki agreed to Nakajima's condition of never using his catchphrase "I am Noah" again, on the condition that if he won, Nakajima would be forced to reunite AXIZ with him.

On December 5, 2021, in a pre-match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship match, Go Shiozaki, who made his return from injury, teamed with Kaito Kiyomiya and Katsuhiko Nakajima teamed with KONGOH stablemate Kenoh. Kiyomiya won the match for his team by scoring a direct pinfall over Kenoh and afterwards Kiyomiya challenged longtime rival Kenoh to a title match for the GHC National Championship. The following day, Noah announced the title match. Kiyomiya and Kenoh's rivalry started in December 2017, following Kiyomiya's return from his foreign excurison, with Kiyomiya unsucessfully challenging Kenoh for the GHC Heavyweight Championship in January 2018. Their rivalry was reignited in March 2019, with both forming a team, before Kenoh who was jealous of Kiyomiya being the GHC Heavyweight Champion turned on him, culminating in another title match between the two, on November 2 at 2019 Noah the Best, where Kiyomiya was victorious. In October 2020, Kiyomiya and Kenoh continued their rivalry, with Kiyomiya convincing Yoshiki Inamura to leave KONGOH, leading to a title match for the GHC National Championship, on November 23 at NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 4, where Kenoh was victorius.

Also on December 5, HAYATA successfully defended the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against Tadasuke. Following the match, during HAYATA's celebrations his Stinger stablemate Yoshinari Ogawa pulled the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship belt off of his shoulder, and HAYATA held on to it, before Ogawa indicated himself as the next challenger for the title by pointing to it. Afterwards, in a post-match interview, HAYATA proclaimed Ogawa as his next challenger, leading Ogawa to offer an handshake, before proceeding to attack him. The following day, Noah announced the title match. On December 25, HAYATA defeated Ogawa in a non-title match in just one minute and 10 seconds. Afterwards, Ogawa attacked HAYATA, putting him in a submission, before their Stinger stablemate Seiki Yoshioka stopped him.

At the December 5 event, following a victory from M's Alliance (Keiji Mutoh, Masato Tanaka, Masaaki Mochizuki and Naomichi Marufuji) in a eight-man tag team match, Tanaka and Mochizuki challenged their stablemates Marufuji and Mutoh to title match for the GHC Tag Team Championship, leading Marufuji and Mutoh to ask their stablemate Jurina Matsui to give her blessing for the title match, which she did, setting up the GHC Tag Team Championship match for the NOAH The New Year. The following day, Noah announced the title match.

The event also marked the return of KENTA to the promotion, after seven years. His return to the promotion was announced on November 28, 2021 during Noah the Best in a pre-taped vignette. KENTA became one of the wrestlers, who joined then-upstart Noah in 2000 following the mass exodus that led to several wrestlers leaving All Japan Pro Wrestling to form Pro Wrestling Noah. In the following years, KENTA would become one of the wrestlers that marked the promotion's junior heavyweight division, before moving to the heavyweight division in 2011. He went on to win the one-time GHC Heavyweight Championship one time, the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship and GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships in three occasions, and the GHC Tag Team Championship one time, before working his farewell match in May 2014 after signing with WWE to join their NXT brand. On September 1, 2018, KENTA as "Hideo Itami", made an appearance at his longtime rival Naomichi Marufuji's 20th Anniversary show, facing him in a losing effort. On December 5, 2021, it was announced that KENTA would be teaming with one of his longtime rivals Takashi Sugiura and his Sugiura-gun stablemate Kazushi Sakuraba in a match against Daiki Inaba, Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura. On December 27 at Sugiura-gun's self produced event *All Dogs Gather! 3*, KENTA was asked by Takashi Sugiura to join his stable Sugiura-gun, which KENTA accepted, becoming Sugiura-gun's newest member until his last appearance for NOAH on January 8, 2022.