NJPW's KENTA Returning To Pro Wrestling NOAH, Comeback Match Confirmed

Here's what NOAH has lined up for KENTA is his big comeback for the company.

by Andy H Murray
KENTA AEW
AEW

KENTA's Pro Wrestling NOAH comeback match has been confirmed.

The promotion confirmed yesterday that the NJPW star will team with Takashi Sugiura and Kazushi Sakuraba to face Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura, and Masa Kitamiya at The New Year 2022 on 1 January. The show, which takes place in Tokyo's historic Budokan Hall, will be headlined by Katsuhiko Nakajima's GHC Heavyweight Championship defence against Go Shiozaki.

NOAH confirmed that KENTA was heading back to the promotion where he cut his teeth during 28 November's The Best 2021 event.

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A legendary figure in NOAH, where he wrestled for 14 years prior to signing with WWE and becoming Hideo Itami, KENTA will be wrestling for the promotion under his best-known ring name for the first time since his farewell event on 17 May 2014. He worked a one-off comeback bout for the company in September 2018 (doing so while under contract), but did so as Itami.

A former GHC Heavyweight Champion who also has multiple Junior Heavyweight and Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title reigns to his name, KENTA originally joined NOAH from AJPW in 2000, continuing his mentorship under Kenta Kobashi.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.