“It’s finally time to compete” is what Kaito Kiyomiya had to say recently when he was asked about New Japan Pro Wrestling recently. Kaito is a very young talent, but is quickly rising as one of the best in all of Japan, if not the world. Kaito is the youngest man to ever hold the GHC Heavyweight Championship, at only 22 years old. He is already strongly leading the company into their 20th anniversary. He is also carrying on the legacy of Mitsuharu Misawa, one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots & the creator of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
NOAH Is A Company On The Rise
As a new decade begins, a new era of NOAH storms forward. After a rough patch in the late 2010’s, and nearly being turned into NXT Japan by WWE, they have stepped up their game and are working towards being a factor once again in the Japan Wrestling Industry. At one point, they were the standard bearers, and could sell out the Tokyo Dome. They are not at those levels again just yet, but they’ve been consistently packing crowds into Kouraken Hall again. They managed to draw in 5000 fans for their biggest show of 2019, where they ran the iconic Ryōgoku Sumo Hall. Kaito Kiyomiya and Kenoh main evented as they waged a vicious battle over the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
Is Kaito Kiyomiya Being Brash?
Everything comes in time with wrestling and rebuilding a company. Kiyomiyas comment about being ready to compete with the leader of wrestling in the country is a bit brash, but has anyone in wrestling ever gotten anywhere without a drive to succeed. There are many things NOAH needs to do to succeed. They need to keep up their current quality, convert some new fans, and most importantly secure a way to get their content to more fans. They currently lack a streaming service, and their shows often end up online for free in places like YouTube as the only way to view them. Many fans would sign up for a streaming service, especially given their incredible catalog which features legends like Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa, Keiji Mutoh, and many other legends of professional wrestling.
Do you think Pro Wrestling NOAH will become a serious threat to New Japan Pro Wrestling once again, or is Kiyomiya being a bit premature in his comments? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below, and stay tuned as we will keep you informed of wrestling from around the globe, not just WWE & AEW.
