Pro Wrestling NOAH’s N1 Victory Tournament Begins with a Bang
Exclusive Photo & Text by Tokio Tsukada
The world’s eyes are on Pro Wrestling NOAH as its 2024 N1 Victory tournament kicked off on August 4 in Yokohama, featuring a lineup of 16 incredible competitors. The tournament is divided into two blocks—A and B—where the top wrestlers from each block will compete in a round-robin format to determine the N1 Victory champion.
In Block A, the participants include GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya, Masa Kitamiya, Ryohei Oiwa, Jack Morris, Dragon Bane, Luis Mante, and Josh Briggs. Last year’s winner, Go Shiozaki, who is unable to participate due to injury, has been replaced by Atsushi Kotoge.
Block B features Kenoh, Manabu Soya, Ulka Sasaki, Yoshiki Inamura, Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Alpha Wolf, Titus Alexander, and Tavion Heights.
Among the competitors, two stand out as first-timers in the N1 Victory: current WWE NXT Superstars Josh Briggs and Tavion Heights.
Josh Briggs Makes His Mark
Josh Briggs, standing at 6 feet 7 inches (2 meters), is known for his incredible power and imposing presence. The 31-year-old Arizona native began his professional wrestling career after playing American football and made his debut on December 14, 2016, at the age of 23. He signed with WWE four years later.
Reflecting on his journey, Briggs said, “I saw a Pro Wrestling NOAH match about 10 years ago and this match had some amazing fights that took my breath away. I watched it over and over again and was struck by how great it was and fell in love with Japanese wrestling.”
Briggs’s signature move, the Choke Bomb, is a devastating maneuver he reserves for crucial moments. In his first match in Block A of the tournament on August 4, he defeated Ryohei Oiwa with a powerful Choke Bomb and a clothesline.
After the match, Briggs declared, “I want you to see me fight hard. I’m not going back home empty-handed. I’m going to take something from every fighter here.”
Tavion Heights Brings Olympic Spirit to NOAH
Tavion Heights, a Greco-Roman wrestler who competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and placed 7th, is another fresh face in the N1 Victory.
“It had been three years since I had been to Japan. It was right around the time of the Olympics. I still have the Olympic spirit, and even though it was a 16-hour flight, there was only one thing to do: beat everyone in B Block and be the best I could be. When I first came to Japan for the Olympics, I wanted to come out on top. I want to be at the top in Japan with even more feeling than that,” Heights said.
Though he lost his first match to Titus Alexander in Block B, Heights remains optimistic and is determined to turn things around in the remaining matches.
N1 Victory Tournament Results
In the other opening matches of Block A:
- Luis Mante defeated current GHC Champion Kaito Kiyomiya.
- Masa Kitamiya bested Jack Morris.
- Dragon Bane triumphed over Atsushi Kotoge.
In Block B:
- Kenoh defeated Manabu Soya.
- Ulka Sasaki overcame Yoshiki Inamura.
- Alpha Wolf defeated Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.
With the tournament just beginning, the competition is fierce, and the outcome remains entirely unpredictable.
