Hiromu Takahashi is on top of the junior heavyweight division once again. However, it’s not the New Japan junior heavyweight division; it’s Pro-Wrestling NOAH’s.
The “Time Bomb” defeated YO-HEY at Korakuen Hall on the opening night of NOAH’s N-1 Victory tournament to be crowned GHC Junior Heavyweight champion. He becomes the first NJPW wrestler to hold the title since Taichi did it 10 years ago during Suzuki-gun’s invasion storyline.
YO-HEY had four successful title defenses after winning the title last May against then-champion Eita. Takahashi challenged him for the title after scoring a pinfall win over him in a tag team match last July 20, which was a follow-up to their first confrontation in a NOAH ring when Takahashi made a surprise appearance the day before.
Takahashi’s last taste of junior heavyweight gold was his fifth reign as IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion in NJPW. He held it for 365 days and had eight successful defenses before dropping it to El Desperado at Wrestle Kingdom 18 last year.
He also became the third NJPW wrestler to hold the GHC Jr. title after Taichi and the legendary Jushin Thunder Liger, who won it in 2004. Liger defended the belt both in NOAH and NJPW during his reign.
Eita Steps Up as First Challenger
After the match, three NOAH juniors surrounded Takahashi in the ring. Daiki Odashima, Atsushi Kotoge, and Junta Miyawaki all came face-to-face with the new champion, wanting a piece of him.
Eita then came out and strolled to the ring while Takahashi was addressing the three. Takahashi told Odashima, Kotoge, and Miyawaki that he wasn’t interested in facing any of them and that he wanted to face somebody else.
He then turned around and saw Eita, which prompted him to say: “Correct.” Eita declares himself the face of NOAH’s junior heavyweight division, confirming that he wants to be Takahashi’s first challenger.
There is no scheduled date for their title match yet as of the time this article was written. It will most likely be announced on NOAH’s social media accounts in the coming days.
