NOAH N-1 Victory 2024 Night 1 A-Block Atsushi Kotoge vs Dragon Bane
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00:00And one victory, 2024, match 2 of 10, monstrous matchups on the card here today.
00:29Dragon Bane steps out. He's going to be feeling good right now just after watching his brother take the win in the first match, of course.
00:38You know, they are in both of these men in it to win it individually, but must feel good.
00:43Yeah, just seconds after watching his younger brother win, Dragon Bane is going to be in action in the A Block now.
00:50This is his first time to join the N1 victory. Dragon Bane's had 82 career singles matches with a 60% win rate.
00:58Wrestled in Dragon Gate with his brother last month.
01:02And this one was a bit of a wild card. Nobody saw this coming.
01:21Unfortunately, Hoshio Zaki had to pull out of the tournament and he is replaced by a huge fan favorite.
01:30No better replacement possible than this fantastic man, Shishiko Toge.
01:35The crowd is going to be absolutely rooting for him. Comes in on late notice as an underdog.
01:41He's going to give it his all, you know that.
01:43And he's flying the flag. He's coming in as the de facto Team Noa leader.
01:48Handpicked to be Hoshio Zaki's replacement in this tournament.
01:52Shishiko Toge joined the Global League in 2017, finishing 4th place under Ken Oh, Masato Tanaka and Katsuhiko Nakajima.
02:04He took a win over Akitoshi Saito that year.
02:07And of course that year, 2017, was Ken Oh and Shishio Zaki in the final.
02:12And I believe he joined the following year also.
02:14Yep, 2018, defeated Takashi Sugiura, Hoshio Zaki and Kaito Kiyomiya.
02:19Cannot underestimate Shishiko Toge.
02:25Just so experienced.
02:27Shishiko Toge debuted 8 years prior to Dragonbane, his opponent here today.
02:34He's had over 2300 career matches.
02:39476 singles matches.
02:42That's more matches than Dragonbane has ever had.
02:45That's incredible.
02:46He's just so dependable, isn't he, Toge?
02:48And something's been different with him this year in that Team Noa stable on the limit break shows.
02:54The fire's been lit deep inside of him, teaming up with the likes of Shishio Zaki.
02:58We've seen a different side of him.
03:00Faced Yonaki Yama even recently, the three-time GHF world champion, legend in pro wrestling, Noa.
03:06Yeah, it feels like he's really found his place in Team Noa.
03:12The former 11-time GHC junior heavyweight tag team champion.
03:21Well, he has held the heavyweight tag team championship with Hoshio Zaki back in 2017.
03:27Challenged on two occasions for the GHC heavyweight championship.
03:33He's held the junior heavyweight championship three times in his career.
03:37First time 10 years ago, then 2016, then 2021.
03:41He's just always, like you said, he's still alive, he's always been up there.
03:45He's never faded.
03:46Always there, thereabouts, so consistent.
03:49That's why he's so popular with the Noa fan base.
03:53Oh my word.
03:56Flying here, schoolboy.
04:00This is going to be a different style tonight.
04:02Not what we're going to see in this N1 tournament.
04:04We've got two junior heavyweights out there.
04:07Inviting the Noa showpiece heavyweight tournament.
04:13Togi, out here in 2024, still showing that he can hang with the best of them.
04:21Daisuke Harada will be rooting for him as well.
04:23Watching on from Osaka, I'm sure.
04:29Togi won the ITW UK junior heavyweight championship in 2019,
04:33which he actually won from Daisuke Harada.
04:37A lot of history between those two men.
04:38They had some classics over the years.
04:40Fantastic tag team as well.
04:43More so as tag team partners than opponents.
04:48Man on a mission here today, Atsushi Kotoge.
04:51Dragonbane kicks out on two.
04:57This might be just the sort of contest Kotoge needs to get into that N1 victory fold,
05:01coming up against fellow junior heavyweight,
05:03before he meets the big super heavyweights later on in the tournament.
05:07Yes, not everybody has quite as kind a first match, I have to say.
05:12Ryohei Oiwa has his work cut out for him here today,
05:15going up against WWE NXT superstar Josh Briggs.
05:20Yeah, that's an intimidating man, Josh Briggs.
05:23Yeah, I was talking to him earlier and I'm actually having to look up to him.
05:27And I'm 6 foot 5, so that tells you how big that man is.
05:32He's a legit 6 foot 7.
05:37Air traffic control have been notified through the second rope
05:40with the suicide dive, wipes out Atsushi Kotoge.
05:44Dragon is flying in Yokohama.
05:47Breathing fire while he's at it.
05:51Scorpio Dorian is looking to go 2-0 in the N1 victory.
05:56Both brothers on opposite blocks, of course.
05:59Alpha Wolf in the B block and Dragonbane in the A block.
06:05They're dreaming about meeting in the final, of course, the brothers.
06:13Oh, look at that. Kotoge got wiped out and he's still throwing insults.
06:18He's like, just in the face of Dragonbane with disdain.
06:23He's like, you're not taking me out that easily.
06:26Because he's been through some absolute wars in his time.
06:29He's taken some absolutely hellish beatings and come back to win.
06:34Yeah, especially recently Kotoge's been to the ring.
06:36He's gone through this phase of headbutts and he's been busted open so many times,
06:40especially when Shiozaki and Kotoge challenged for the DDT tag team titles,
06:45the KOD tag team titles against Burning.
06:53That was a hell of a chop right there.
06:56I think the whole of Yokohama heard that one.
07:05He smashes, sends him across, follows up immediately with the running variant,
07:09sweeps the legs away. Dragonbane off the ropes now.
07:13My word.
07:14Face with dropkick.
07:17Drags him in.
07:18Throws the legs up.
07:20Relentless pressure now from Dragonbane.
07:23Kotoge needs to hang in there, needs to stick with Dragonbane here.
07:27Needs to fight his own fight.
07:38Five minutes in to this second match here today.
07:42N1 Victory 2024 kicking off things with a bang in Yokohama Budokan.
07:55Spicy palm strike from Kotoge, but receives an even bigger one from the dragon.
08:04Kotoge won't be anywhere near the body weight of most of the competitors in this tournament,
08:07but he is six foot tall.
08:08He has got the size in that area.
08:11And then moonsault from Dragonbane there.
08:13Kotoge kicks out on two.
08:17But he's just so durable, bro.
08:18He has shown again and again and again, he can hang with much bigger opponents.
08:24He's got so much heart, doesn't he?
08:25That's what has endeared him to the NOAH fans.
08:28Everyone loves an underdog.
08:30It's a great story, isn't it?
08:32The pink and white attack.
08:33Look at his chest already though, Kotoge.
08:35Some serious welts forming there.
08:37First of seven matches in this tournament for him.
08:41It's an orthodox submission.
08:42What has he got in store for Kotoge here?
08:44I have not seen Dragonbane do this in the pro wrestling NOAH ring before.
08:52Kotoge couldn't even tap if he wanted to.
08:53It would have to be a verbal submission.
08:56A lot of torque on that right leg of Kotoge.
08:58There's the cover for two.
09:02Dragonbane and Alpha Wolf are going to bring out so many things we've never seen from them before in this tournament.
09:08That's why they're so exciting.
09:09The box office brothers, they always have something new and fresh for the fans.
09:14Kotoge with the waist lock.
09:18He's hanging on to that though, Mark.
09:20Yes, he's still keeping the grip from the waist.
09:22This is that durability that we were talking about.
09:25Rocking!
09:27That'll do.
09:28Great response from Kotoge.
09:32A hang in there.
09:33Shiozaki said he's going to fight his own fight.
09:35He's not doing this for Shiozaki.
09:36He's going to do this for himself.
09:40He's got almost no time to prepare.
09:42Only announced yesterday, in fact, that Kotoge is joining this tournament.
09:50Bridge body attack.
09:53Signature offense from Kotoge.
09:55Dragonbane's face got planted over the pro-wrestling logo there at high velocity.
10:09Yeah.
10:14Sends him across.
10:17Handspring into the back elbow.
10:18Smash.
10:19Both legs up there.
10:21Shoulder up on two from Kotoge.
10:26Kotoge's having to dig deep now.
10:32Heel kick.
10:33And another standard moonsault from Dragonbane.
10:36Could make a three here, but Kotoge will not go without a fight.
10:41Looked like his knee connected to the face of Kotoge then as well.
10:46Forearm smashes.
10:47Kotoge not hanging around for that follow-up.
10:51Oh, flying knee from Dragonbane.
10:54Kotoge again on the attack with the cut of the maximum.
10:57Lands it perfectly.
11:00Fantastic comeback from Kotoge.
11:02Got this crowd energized in Yokohama.
11:05This is classic Tatsushi Kotoge mark.
11:202024 is the year of the dragon.
11:23How about that for a knee lift.
11:26Faces with a kick.
11:28The feint made him block and he followed up and caught him with the last one.
11:31Gonna go for the moonsault.
11:33Kotoge gets the knees up.
11:34Well scouted from Kotoge.
11:36Still experienced.
11:37He's throwing on that now.
11:47With a slam.
11:50Kotoge wants to put a period mark on this match.
11:56The height on that kick stops Kotoge in his tracks momentarily.
12:00Don't tend to see Kotoge up on the top rope so much these days.
12:07Medics changing.
12:08Forearm smashes.
12:11Kotoge on the turnbuckle.
12:14Dragonbane looking to get underneath him.
12:20Kotoge put the anchors down on that.
12:22Follows up with the headbutt.
12:24Steps through.
12:25Out the back door.
12:27Slick.
12:28At the back of Dragonbane now.
12:30That's a tight waist lock.
12:32He could do something devastating with this but Dragonbane hanging on.
12:38You know his long time teammate Harada had that Katayama German suplex.
12:44Oh beautiful.
12:46Flip powerbomb.
12:47From the second rope.
12:50Innovative offense from Kotoge here.
12:53Follows up.
12:54Knee to the face.
12:55Hooks up the leg.
12:56Can he get the three?
12:57Knock weight.
12:59Traction away.
13:03Crowd desperately urging Kotoge on.
13:09Kotoge feels it.
13:13Looking for that.
13:15Knock weight.
13:17Oh wow.
13:19Spanish fly.
13:22Dragonbane.
13:24Down he goes.
13:25Drops him to the driver.
13:26One.
13:27Two.
13:28No.
13:34Nice soft kick and a heel kick.
13:36Two shots landing on the jaw of Matsushi Kotoge as Dragonbane goes.
13:42From the top rope with the SSP.
13:47Oh my.
13:48Still not enough.
13:49Kotoge kicks out.
13:51What a titanic effort as always from Matsushi Kotoge.
13:54Absolutely love to see it.
13:57Kotoge chance now.
13:58Huge chance of Kotoge here.
14:03This is pro wrestling not at its finest.
14:11Oh hell of a knee to the jaw there.
14:12And the punch.
14:15He got it.
14:16All of it.
14:17Hooks up the legs.
14:18Dragonbane gets the three count in full and takes a win off the back of his brother.
14:24The match before in the B block.
14:26Dragonbane in the A block picks up two points.
14:29Box off his brother has gone two for two.
14:31Los Corpiadores the talk of the N1 to kick off here in Yokohama.
14:37The Mexican invasion successful so far.
14:40The boot is in the door.