The Great Voyage (2017)

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

## Information

### Date

02017-03-12-0000March 12, 2017
02017-06-25-0000June 25, 2017
02017-10-01-0000October 1, 2017

### Attendance

2,504
1,299
2,274

### Venue

Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium
Big Palette Fukushima

### City

Yokohama
Fukushima

**Great Voyage (2017)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) annually since 2000 its the longest and the biggest PPV in NOAH. NOAH until now produced in 2017 three events under the Great Voyage name; **Great Voyage in Yokohama** on March 12, **Great Voyage in Fukushima** on June 25 and **Great Voyage in Yokohama vol.2** on October 1. The first event featured eight matches each, four of which were contested for championships. The second event featured eight matches each, two of which were contested for championships.

The main event of the Great Voyage in Yokohama featured a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Katsuhiko Nakajima and the challenger Go Shiozaki. The event featured four title matches of the NOAH's championship. The event featured one title change. The main event of the Great Voyage in Fukushima featured a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Katsuhiko Nakajima and the challenger Atsushi Kotoge. The event featured one title change. The main event of the Great Voyage in Yokohama vol.2 featured a GHC Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Eddie Edwards and the challenger Naomichi Marufuji. The event featured two title changes.

## Background

### Storylines

#### Great Voyage in Yokohama

The Great Voyage 2017 featured seven 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.

On January 7 Katsuhiko Nakajima successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Takashi Sugiura. After that he was looking for a challenger. On January 11 Shiozaki pinned Nakajima during a tag team match after the match he announced his goal his to defend the GHC Tag Team Championship but then he does plan to go after the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Nine days later after a tag team match between Nakajima and Akitoshi Saito against Shozaki and Maybach Taniguchi. After the match Nakajima accepted Shiozaki's challenge. One day later Shiozaki and Taniguchi lost the belts to Masa Kitamiya and Kenoh. After they lost the titles, the title match between Shiozaki and Nakajima was made official. Later in a predule match Shiozaki pinned Nakajima with the Gowan Lariat and Nakajima would get revenge when he and Masa Kitamiya defeated Shiozaki and Taniguchi.

On January 21 Hajime Ohara made his first title defense of GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against Daisuke Harada. After the match Hitoshi Kumano challenged him for GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship which he accepted. On February 1 the match was made official. Later in a predule match, Kumano would defeat Ohara dominating Ohara throughout the course of the match.

On February 7, 2017, Noah announced a business alliance with American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). On February 14 it was announced TNA wrestler that would take part of the event would be Eddie Edwards, Moose, and James Storm. Also on February 14 it was announced that the Wrestle-1 owner Keiji Mutoh would take part of the event teaming with Naomichi Marufuji. On February 25 it was announced that Marufuji and Mutoh would face on TNA wrestler Moose and the freelance wrestler Kazma Sakamoto (originally announced as KAZMA). Also Edwards will face Atsushi Kotoge and Storm will face Kaito Kiyomiya.

On December 24, 2016 Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada defeated Gedo and Jado to regain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Two days later Harada and Kotoge vacated the titles due to Kotoge moving to the heavyweight division. Noah then started to allow more freelance wrestlers to wrestled in the promotion. The freelance wrestlers who started to wrestle in NOAH where Rionne Fujiwara, Tadasuke, Hayata and YO-HEY. Later Hayata and YO-HEY and Taiji Ishimori and Hi69 would claim that they wanted a match for the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Also Momo no Seishun Tag formally disbanded on February 14, after Kotoge defeated Harada in a singles match. On February 18 Taiji Ishimori and Hi69 defeated Hayata and YO-HEY to win the vacated GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. Ishimori and Hi69 named their team XX. After the match Tadasuke and Harada (who would form a stable with Hayata and YO-HEY) challenged them into a title match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. The title match was later announced and it was also a predule match between the four.

Also on February 18 Kenoh faced Takashi Sugiura where Sugiura came out victorious. After the match Sugiura called out a shot for the GHC Tag Team Championship with his partner being Kaito Kiyomiya. The Pro Wrestling Noah president Masayuki Uchida denied the request stating that on February 24 they would get a match against the GHC Tag Team Champions Kenoh and Masa Kitamiya in a non-title match as originally announced. Later Sugiura and Kiyomiya defeated Kenoh and Kitamiya due to Kenoh turning on Kitamiya and forming an alliance with Takashi Sugiura and, in turn, vacating the GHC Tag Team Champions. It was announced that Kenoh and Sugiura would wrestle for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championships against Kitamiya and Muhammad Yone at the Great Voyage in Yokohama show.

All of the match card for the event was announced for the event on February 25.

#### Great Voyage in Fukushima

Great Voyage in Fukushima will feature eight professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

Great Voyage in Fukushima will be main evented by Katsuhiko Nakajima will making his sixth defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Atsushi Kotoge. On June 4 Kotoge defeated Kenoh to become the number one contender to the GHC Heavyweight Championship. In a backstage interview, Kotoge stated that he aims for a chance at the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Later that night after Nakajima successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Muhammad Yone. After the match, Kotoge stepped forward to challenge Nakajima for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. The match was officially the following day.

Great Voyage in Fukushima will also feature another championship match this time for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship where HAYATA will defend the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship against Taiji Ishimori. On MAY 27 HAYATA defeated Hajime Ohara to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. After the match Ishimori confronted the new champion challenging him to a title match. The match was officially announced nine days later.

All of the match card for the event was announced for the event on June 5.

#### Great Voyage in Yokohama vol.2

On July 13 NOAH announced that The Great Voyage PPV would return this time at Yokohama being named the Great Voyage in Yokohama vol.2. With this announcement NOAH also announced that several international wrestlers would be taking part of the event. From Global Force Wrestling (GFW) will feature Eddie Edwards and Moose. Then Eric and Marshall Von Erich were announced to be making their returns to the NOAH.

Great Voyage in Yokohama vol.2 will be main evented by Eddie Edwards, making his first defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Naomichi Marufuji. On August 26 Edwards defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima to become the first gaijin to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Naomichi Marufuji challenged Edwards into a title match, which Edwards accepted.

In the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship match will feature Taiji Ishimori against Daisuke Harada. On August 6 to August 12 Harada took part of a mini-tournament to crown the 1º contender for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. Harada defeated HAYATA and Hitoshi Kumano in the first round and at the finals Harada defeated Hajime Ohara.

Great Voyage in Yokohama vol.2 will also feature another championship match this time for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, where HAYATA and YO-HEY will make their first title defense against NωA (Shunma Katsumata and MAO). On August 26 HAYATA and YO-HEY defeated XX (Taiji Ishimori and Hi69) to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. During the Global Junior Heavyweight Tag League, HAYATA and YO-HEY pinned Katsumata and MAO. On September 2 during a DDT Pro Wrestling show Katsumata ad MAO issued a challenge for the titles. Three days later, NOAH made offficial the match.

In the GHC Tag Team Championship match wil be Go Shiozaki and Atsushi Kotoge against 50 Funky Powers (Muhammad Yone and Quiet Storm). On August 26 Kotoge and Shiozaki defeated Maketa Ra Owari (Naomichi Marufuji and Maybach Taniguchi) to win the GHC Tag Team Championship. After the match, Yone and Storm challenged Shiozaki and Kotoge into a title match. Later during a predule match Shiozaki pinned Storm.

The full card of the event was announced on September 10. The event will includes outside participation from Global Force Wrestling (GFW), The Crash, Dradition, Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), Fu-ten and some freelancers. An update to the October 1 show in Yokohama as Scott D’Amore will not be able to compete due to a knee injury.

## Event

### Great Voyage in Yokohama

The first match featured a six-man tag team match between Maybach Taniguchi, Yoshinari Ogawa and Akitoshi Saito against HAYATA, YO-HEY and Rionne Fujiwara, were Taniguchi, Ogawa and Saito won. The second match featured a tag team match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship between the champions XX (Taiji Ishimori and Hi69) and RATEL'S (Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke) were XX made their first successful title defense. The third match featured a singles match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship between Hajime Ohara and Hitoshi Kumano, were Ohara made his second successful title defense. After the match Kumano asked Ohara to be his partner to go for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. In this night Kumano debuted a new attire and a new nickname "Growing Bear". The fourth match featured a match between a match an Impact Wrestling wrestler James Storm and Kaito Kiyomiya were Storm was victorious.

    The fifth match featured another Impact Wrestling wrestler and the return of Eddie Edwards against Atsushi Kotoge. Before the match started both wrestlers shook and as a show of respect. Edwards was the winner of the match. The sixth featured a tag Team match between Naomichi Marufuji and Keiji Mutoh against Impact Wrestling wrestler Moose and a freelance wrestler Kazma Sakamoto were Mutoh and Marufuji won. The seventh match featured a tag team match for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship between Kenoh and Takashi Sugiura against Masa Kitamiya and Muhammad Yone. Kenoh and Sugiura defeated Kitamiya and Yone to become the new champions. After the match Naomichi Marufuji and Maybach Taniguchi challenged them into a title match. The main event featured Kenta Kobashi on commentary. The main event was a singles match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship were Katsuhiko Nakajima defeated Go Shiozaki to make his fourth successful title defense.

### Great Voyage in Fukushima

The first match featured a singles match between Kenoh and Kaito Kiyomiya, Kenoh would defeat Kiyomiya in his last match at NOAH before going to his exurcision. The second match, was a six-man tag team match between Back Breakers (Hajime Ohara and Hitoshi Kumano) and Yoshinari Ogawa and Akitoshi Saito, Daisuke Harada and Masao Inoue, where Back Breakers and Ogawa won. Then the event featured multiple singles matches between YO-HEY and Hi69, and Cody Hall and Tadasuke, and ,Muhammad Yone and Quiet Storm. In the singles matches YO-HEY, Hall and Yone were victorius in their singles matches.

The sixth match feature a non-title match between the GHC Tag Team Champions Maketa Ra Owari (Naomichi Marufuji and Maybach Taniguchi) and Go Shiozaki and Masa Kitamiya. Maketa Ra Owari were the winners of the match. The following match was a GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship title match between the champion HAYATA and the challenger Taiji Ishimori. The winner was Ishimori who became the new champion. After the match HAYATA's RATEL'S stablemate YO-HEY challenged Ishimori for both GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship and the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, after he defeated Ishimori's partner Hi69 early in the show. The main event featured a GHC Heavyweight Championship title match between the champion Katsuhiko Nakajima and the challenger Atsushi Kotoge. The winner was Nakajima who made his sixth title defense.

## Refrences

1. ↑ *en*. *Puroresu Spirit* (2016-01-07). Retrieved on 2016-01-07.
2. ↑ *en*. *Puroresu Spirit* (2016-01-11). Retrieved on 2016-01-11.
3. ↑ *en*. *Puroresu Spirit* (2016-01-20). Retrieved on 2016-01-20.
4. ↑ *en*. *Puroresu Spirit* (2016-01-21). Retrieved on 2016-01-21.
5. ↑ *en*. *Puroresu Spirit* (2016-01-21). Retrieved on 2016-01-21.
6. ↑ *en*. *Puroresu Spirit* (2016-02-08). Retrieved on 2016-02-08.
7. ↑ *en*. *Puroresu Spirit* (2016-02-14). Retrieved on 2016-02-14.
8. ↑ Winter Navig. 2016  (in Japanese). *Pro Wrestling Noah*. Retrieved on 2016-12-24.
9. ↑ *ja:小峠がＧＨＣジュニアタッグ奪回直後にヘビー級転向を宣言* (in Japanese). *Daily Sports Online*. Kobe Shimbun (2016-12-25). Retrieved on 2016-12-25.
10. ↑ [http://noah.co.jp/news\_detail.php?news\_id=9509 *ja:「来年のプロレスリング・ノアも俺が光を照らしていきたいと思います（中嶋）」*
 12.26、中嶋選手＆小峠選手の記者会見の模様*].* Pro Wrestling Noah *(2016-12-26). Retrieved on 2016-12-26.*
11. ↑ *ja:ノアに武藤登場!　3.12横浜で丸藤と初タッグ 中嶋がGHCヘビー王座戦前哨戦で潮崎組に勝利* (in Japanese). *Sports Navi*. Yahoo! (2017-02-15). Retrieved on 2017-02-15.
12. ↑ *ja:http://puroresuspirit.net/2017/02/noah-results-for-february-18-2017/* (in english). *Sports Navi*. PuroresuSpirit (2017-02-18). Retrieved on 2017-02-18.
13. ↑ 拳王まさかの裏切りで杉浦と結託! タッグベルトはく奪! 2月24日(金)後楽園ホール大会 試合後コメント  (in ja).
14. ↑ 【2.25(土)12時～】【気になる武藤&丸藤の対戦相手は？】3.12横浜文化体育館大会GHC Jr.ヘビー級タッグ選手権試合(選手権者)石森太二&Hi69vs原田大輔&タダスケ(挑戦者)調印式及び同大会全対戦カード発表記者会見の模様をLIVE配信いたします！  (in ja).
15. ↑ *en:http://puroresuspirit.net/2017/02/news-listings-for-february-25-2017/* (in english). *BushidoRX*. PuroresuSpirit (2017-02-25). Retrieved on 2017-02-25.