Textual content and Photograph solely by Tokio Tsukada. Copyrights reserved and courtesy of Professional Wrestling NOAH.
Many readers could bear in mind The Nice Muta vs. Shinsuke Nakamura from NOAH’s The New Yr 2023.
Practically two years have handed since then, and Keiji Muto (The Nice Muta) retired in February 2023 on the Tokyo Dome and is now an envoy for Professional Wrestling NOAH. Muto introduced weeks in the past that Shinsuke Nakamura would return to Tokyo on New Yr’s Day in 2025, taking up NOAH up-and-comer Ulka Sasaki.
For the approaching The New Yr match, Shinsuke Nakamura made his look at a press convention, saying:
“I’m extraordinarily honored to as soon as once more stand as champion on the Nippon Budokan on New Yr’s Day. That’s all.”
NOAH The New Yr 2025 would be the firm’ss first New Yr’s Day Budokan Corridor occasion in two years. In 2023, we noticed a miraculous match between The Nice Muta and Shinsuke Nakamura. The battle drew a lot consideration to the 2 males’s love {of professional} wrestling.
Nakamura’s opponent, Ulka Sasaki, is a former UFC fighter and blended martial artist who has labored in RIZIN and different occasions in Japan. After watching the Nakamura vs. Muta match, Sasaki was so moved that he determined to show to professional wrestling. He debuted in opposition to Takashi Sugiura at NOAH’s The New Yr 2024 present, gained expertise, and was chosen for this match.
The match might be held on the Nippon Budokan, a historic venue that has hosted many thrilling fights, from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to The Beatles’ 1966 Japan tour. It is usually a mecca of martial arts and professional wrestling.
It’s a completely becoming venue for this New Yr’s Day Tremendous Occasion.
This particular occasion might be broadcast reside solely on “ABEMA PPV” and distributed internationally. The present will be watched free of charge up till the second match of the evening. From the third match onwards, you possibly can watch ABEMA PPV.
Nakamura spoke extra about his return to NOAH and his opponent:
“I’ve been within the area of professional wrestling for over 20 years now, and I’ve been with the WWE for over eight years, however there’s nonetheless room for me to alter. Whether or not I supposed it or not, there’s a sure pleasure in feeling the modifications in each transfer, each step I take, and I’m having fun with what I’m doing at current. So, though I invited Muta two years in the past, with the ability to face Ulka this time might be a a part of the large story of my life. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was destiny, however I’m having fun with the truth that it was the catalyst for this alteration inside myself.”
The earlier Muta match was remembered fondly as one of many highlights of 2023 in Japan. This time, all eyes are on the 2 fighters to see if they’ll surpass their earlier finest match.
Within the present’s major occasion, the returning Taishi Ozawa will problem GHC Champion Kaito Kiyomiya.
Jack Morris, who will problem The GHC Tag Titles might be on the road when the group of Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura face off with Jack Morris and his shock, secret tag group companion: the previous WWE big OMOS.
The total card is as follows:
- Battle Royal Match: Shuhei Taniguchi vs. Tadasuke vs. Yuto Kikuchi vs. Harutoki vs. Yu Owada vs. Daiki Odashima vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ??? vs. ???
- GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Staff Title Match: RATEL’S (HAYATA & YO-HEY) (c) vs. AMAKUSA & Junta Miyawaki vs. All Rise up (Alejandro & Kai Fujimura)
- Atsushi Kotoge, Go Shiozaki, Hajime Ohara & Mohammed Yone vs. Black Menso-re, Kazuyuki Fujita, Shuji Ishikawa & Tetsuya Endo
- El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Galeno Del Mal
- KENTA vs. KENOH
- GHC Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Daga (c) vs. Eita
- GHC Nationwide Title Match: Manabu Soya (c) vs. Masa Kitamiya
- GHC Tag Staff Title Match: Naomichi Marufuji & Takashi Sugiura (c) vs. Jack Morris & Omos
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ulka Sasaki
- GHC Heavyweight Title Match: Kaito Kiyomiya (c) vs. Taishi Ozawa
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