Ariake Triumph 2022

Promotional poster featuring Keiji Mutoh

**Ariake Triumph 2022** was a professional wrestling event promoted by CyberFight's sub-brand Pro Wrestling Noah. It took place on October 30, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan, at the Ariake Arena. The event aired on CyberAgent's AbemaTV online linear television service and CyberFight's streaming service Wrestle Universe.

Elelven matches were contested at the event, including three on the pre-show, and all five of Noah's championships were on the line. The main event saw Kaito Kiyomiya defeating Kazuyuki Fujita to retain the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Other top matches included Masakatsu Funaki defeating Kazushi Sakuraba to retain the GHC National Championship, Ninja Mack defeating HAYATA to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, Atsushi Kotoge and Seiki Yoshioka defeating KONGOH (Hi69 and Tadasuke) to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, and TakaKoji (Satoshi Kojima and Takashi Sugiura) defeating KONGOH (Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kenoh) to retain the GHC Tag Team Championship.

## Background

The Ariake Triumph 2022 was officially announced on May 25, 2022. The event aired live on AbemaTV online linear television service and CyberFight's streaming service Wrestle Universe, with English commentary being provided by Mark Pickering and Stewart Fulton.

The event featured NOAH's return first event at Ariake Arena. Noah held their launch in August 2000 at Differ Ariake, which was adjacent to their offices at that time, and regularly held big events at Ariake Coliseum on a regular basis. The arena became known as the home of Pro Wrestling Noah, housing the promotion's offices and training dojo until 2016. However in January 2017, construction began for Ariake Arena, which replaced the Differ Ariake, as the arena was built on the complex where Differ Ariake used to stand. On October 30, 2022, Noah held their first show at the Ariake Arena.

### Storylines

The event 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 Ariake Triumph 2022 was main evented by Kaito Kiyomiya defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Kazuyuki Fujita. On September 25 at Grand Ship In Nagoya, Kiyomiya defeated Kenoh to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the second time. Following the match, he nominated Kazuyuki Fujita to be his first challenger, who in turn toasted Kiyomiya with a can of beer for his win, with Kiyomiya stating that he chose him, due to Fujita relinquishing the title due to testing positive for COVID-19. On October 7, Fujita pinned Kiyomiya before their match.

Also on October 7, TakaKoji (Satoshi Kojima and Takashi Sugiura) faced KONGOH (Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kenoh) in a eight-man tag team match. Nakajima scored a direct victory over Sugiura and afterwards, Nakajima challenged them to a title match on the behalf of himself and Kenoh.

At Grand Ship In Nagoya, Ninja Mack challenged HAYATA to a title match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, which he accepted. On October 8, HAYATA pinned Mack before their match, Mack returned the favor on October 15.

Also on September 25, after Atsushi Kotoge and Seiki Yoshioka won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, KONGOH Juniors (Tadasuke and Hi69) attacked Kotoge and Yoshika, before Tadasuke challenged for them to a title match, before attacking Kotoge again with the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship belt. On October 7, after Tadasuke pinned Yoshioka in a eight-man tag team match, in a post-match interview, Tadasuke announced that their title match would be at Ariake Triumph.