Pro Wrestling NOAH recently finished up with its Gain Control In Nagoya event. It was an event which lasted for an astounding three+ hours and featured three title matches for the event. With the GHC Jr, GHC Junior Tag Team, and GHC Heavyweight Championships each being defended on the show. Let’s get into the title changes for this event.
YO-HEY and Atsushi Kotoge capture the GHC Jr. Tag Team Championship.
In one of the first title matches of the show, Atsushi Kotoge and YO-HEY would make their tag team return, when they would challenge for the GHC Jr. Tag Team Championships. They would face off against Yuya Susumu and HAYATA. The reasoning for this match was the championships were vacant because of an unfortunate injury from Seiki Yoshioka. With YO-HEY representing NOAH’s Main Unit since leaving Los Perros del Mal de Japón.
This match ended up being a long 25+ minute war between the teams, with the result being YO-HEY and Atsushi Kotoge capturing the GHC Jr. Tag Team Championships. This marks the first time YO-HEY held the GHC Jr. Tag Team Championship since his days with RATELS in 2020. A feel-good moment for the new champions. This also begins Atsushi Kotoge’s 9th reign with these championships, a record he continues to break by being the person to hold those championships three consecutive times.
After the title match, NOSAWA Rongai and Kotaro Suzuki of Los Perros del Mal de Japón would come to challenge the new champions. As both Rongai and Suzuki are furious at YO-HEY ever since they betrayed him. There is no confirmed date for the title match, but it could potentially happen at one of the Great Voyage 2022 events in March.
Kazuyuki Fujita Defeats Katsuhiko Nakajima To Capture The GHC Heavyweight Championship.
In the main event of the evening, the GHC Heavyweight Championship was on the line between Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kazuyuki Fujita. Going into this match, it would mark Nakajima’s fifth championship defense. Nakajima was facing off against someone who could be considered KONGO’s biggest threat. Kazuyuki Fujita would defeat the leader, Kenoh in 2021 for the GHC National Championship.
Fujita would have a dominant 2021, while the reign was short-lived he had a classic match with Masato Tanaka. The match between Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kazuyuki Fujita could be described as borderline stiff. With brutal kicks, slaps, and moves that make fans uncomfortable. But after a 20-minute war, Kazuyuki Fujita would defeat Katsuhiko Nakajima to become the 37th GHC Heavyweight Championship. It marks the first time he’s held the championship and many fans were very surprised with the result.
After the match, Masato Tanaka would come out challenging the new champion. Both of these guys have a short history as both of them went to a 30-minute time limit draw on NOAH’s final event of 2021. The current date for the event hasn’t been confirmed yet, but could we predict that it’ll happen at Great Voyage In Fukuoka on March 21st. Kazuyuki Fujita would celebrate his victory by licking the championship and getting doused in beer. This would end Gain Control In Nagoya for Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Synopsis
Besides the two championship changes, multiple other things happened for the event – including the announcement that Hideki Suzuki is going to return to Pro Wrestling NOAH as part of Sugiura-Gun. Hideki Suzuki for those unfamiliar recently did a tour in NXT, where he was part of the Diamond Mine as one of their trainers under Hachiman. Gain Control ended up being one of the strangest events of the year, with two title changes; as well as one retain, with Daisuke Harada defeating Super Crazy.
Now we look forward, with the next major focus being the upcoming GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Championship tournament coming in late March. Including what title matches besides the ones that are known to come. There were hints at a potential Go Shiozaki vs. Masakatsu Funaki match down the line but nothing is confirmed for that as of yet. The only thing certain is that NOAH’s 2022 has gotten drastically more different with the crowning of the new GHC Heavyweight Champion, Kazuyuki Fujita.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
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