Gabe Kidd brings GHC fight to Kaito Kiyomiya; leaves empty handed

Kidd just short in Yokohama challenge

The main event of Pro-Wrestling NOAH’s Grand Ship card on June 16 in Yokohama BUNTAI saw NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Gabe Kidd challenging Kaito Kiyomiya for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

After close to a year of verbal barbs and physical attacks, the match started at a furious pace, both men trading chops and elbows before the champion Kiyomiya landed a dropkick and a wild plancha. The furious Kiyomiya kept on the assault on the floor, but this was Kidd’s element; challenger took champion into the crowd, but was bowled into the ringside seats.

At each turn, Kidd’s intentions were defused by Kiyomiya, with a dropkick from the champion disarming an attempt to use a chair from under the ring, but when Kaito tried a corner mount, he paid dearly. Kidd sent Kiyomiya face first into the ring post to open up the champion, and used repeated headbutts to cause more blood to flow. More stiff strikes followed on the floor and even ring announcer ‘G-Man’ received a brainbuster on the floor from Gabe as the GHC Heavyweight Champion was on the brink of defeat.

As Kidd demanded Kiyomiya to answer ‘is this NOAH?’ the crowd started to rally behind their champion, who traded with his challenger and uncorked a big dropkick to stop Kidd in his tracks. This time a corner mount saw a barrage of punches from Kiyomiya and a corner dropkick; Kidd battled back but barking at the crowd cost him with a poison rana.

Kiyomiya brought Kidd to the danger zone of the ring apron for further impact; the challenger fought back but was sent into the same ringpost that had split Kiyomita open. After eating a massive tiger suplex on the apron, Kidd too was bleeding badly. Yet the sight of his own blood saw Kidd fire up with furious blows and a rope hung choke before a big brainbuster for two. A backdrop suplex got a second nearfall, and after Kiyomiya resisted a piledriver, a German suplex was the audible, but the champion responded in kind; after suplexes were exchanged, Kidd landed on his feet to land a wild lariat for two.

Kidd wanted a Tombstone piledriver, but was countered into an Emerald Flowsion like move from Kiyomiya, who followed with a Tiger suplex attempt only to be met with a low blow. Once again in control, Kidd hurled insults at his champion in between strikes, but spitting on the champion was a step too far; the furious Kiyomiya swung and landed on his foe who fell to the floor only to be hit with a tope con giro.

A sensational top rope Tiger Suplex followed, but only got a near two, and Kidd shut down the follow up Shining Wizard to throw more elbows. After a flying Shining Wizard out of the corner though, Kiyomiya fired up strong. A second Shining Wizard on the mat scored for three, to finally give Kiyomiya a singles victory over the rambunctious Kidd.