Pro Wrestling NOAH President Akira Taue announced on 12/19 what had been expected and reported two weeks ago.
Taue announced that Jun Akiyama, Go Shiozaki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Kotaro Suzuki and Atsushi Aoki would be leaving the promotion when their contracts expire at the end of the year. He said they would all appear on the 12/23 and 12/24 shows at Differ Ariake in Tokyo as their final events.
The five wrestlers were quitting the financially struggling promotion as a protest due to the decision to fire Kenta Kobashi when his contract expired at the end of the year as a cost-cutting measure. There had been a power struggle and the five wrestlers were on the losing side.
Akiyama, 43, was the company’s biggest star, the last headliner who dated back to the glory days of All Japan Pro Wrestling. Akiyama had a big year, holding the Triple Crown with All Japan Pro Wrestling as an outsider for most of the year. Aoki, 35, is his leading protege. Shiozaki, 30, was considered the best young heavyweight in the company, had been GHC champion and was expected to eventually be the company’s biggest star. Kanemaru, 36, is a longtime junior heavyweight star. Suzuki, 34, was a protege of the late Mitsuharu Misawa.
It is unknown at press time where the wrestlers will resurface, and whether they can come into one of the other promotions together doing an outsider group angle, or will have to individually get new jobs.
The 12/23 show will consist of all singles matches, with Kanemaru facing Atsushi Kotoge, Aoki facing Yoshinari Ogawa, Suzuki facing Taiji Ishimori, Shiozaki facing Takashi Sugiura and Akiyama in the main event against Naomichi Marufuji. The card the next day, the final for the group, will consist of matches drawn by lottery.
Because of Akiyama holding the Triple Crown most of this past year, before losing to Masakatsu Funaki, it is at least speculated he would wind up back with All Japan, the company he started with in 1992 and rise to stardom with over the rest of the 90s.
Taue announced that Jun Akiyama, Go Shiozaki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Kotaro Suzuki and Atsushi Aoki would be leaving the promotion when their contracts expire at the end of the year. He said they would all appear on the 12/23 and 12/24 shows at Differ Ariake in Tokyo as their final events.
The five wrestlers were quitting the financially struggling promotion as a protest due to the decision to fire Kenta Kobashi when his contract expired at the end of the year as a cost-cutting measure. There had been a power struggle and the five wrestlers were on the losing side.
Akiyama, 43, was the company’s biggest star, the last headliner who dated back to the glory days of All Japan Pro Wrestling. Akiyama had a big year, holding the Triple Crown with All Japan Pro Wrestling as an outsider for most of the year. Aoki, 35, is his leading protege. Shiozaki, 30, was considered the best young heavyweight in the company, had been GHC champion and was expected to eventually be the company’s biggest star. Kanemaru, 36, is a longtime junior heavyweight star. Suzuki, 34, was a protege of the late Mitsuharu Misawa.
It is unknown at press time where the wrestlers will resurface, and whether they can come into one of the other promotions together doing an outsider group angle, or will have to individually get new jobs.
The 12/23 show will consist of all singles matches, with Kanemaru facing Atsushi Kotoge, Aoki facing Yoshinari Ogawa, Suzuki facing Taiji Ishimori, Shiozaki facing Takashi Sugiura and Akiyama in the main event against Naomichi Marufuji. The card the next day, the final for the group, will consist of matches drawn by lottery.
Because of Akiyama holding the Triple Crown most of this past year, before losing to Masakatsu Funaki, it is at least speculated he would wind up back with All Japan, the company he started with in 1992 and rise to stardom with over the rest of the 90s.
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