Soya and Iino Win GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Titles at NOAH Legacy Rise 2026
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
One of the more exciting things about Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2026 has been the imminent rise of Manabu Soya & Yuki Iino as a tag team.
Although the cagey veteran Soya is a two-time former GHC National Champion and a former GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, Iino has not been able to gain gold or a massive moment in NOAH. Once this tandem came together, it has been absolutely electric.
Getting the passionate NOAH fanbase into their matches with their “Jōnetsu” battle cry, Soya and Iino have been able to use that enthusiasm to become unstoppable.
Soya and Iino shocked the wrestling world by being the best team of Block B in the 2026 NEO Global Tag League and ultimately defeating the legendary Good Brothers of Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson to win the entire thing outright on June 16, 2026.
Nine days later at Legacy Rise 2026 on June 25, 2026 at the vaunted Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Soya and Iino received their guaranteed GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Title shot against the legendary BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito of Los Tranquilos de Japon.
BUSHI, a five-time former NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion, and Naito, a five-time former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, have been virtually unstoppable since coming into NOAH at the beginning of the year, winning the GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Titles from MaruKen of Naomichi Marufuji and KENOH at the Nippon Budokan on January 1.
In fact, Soya actually had a chance to become champions with Shuji Kondo on March 20, but Los Tranquilos found a way to retain in a hard-hitting battle. Now, with Iino as his new partner, momentum was completely on his side.
Almost immediately, you could sense that the stoic Naito was caught off guard by the fan enthusiasm for Soya and Iino, chanting “Jōnetsu” along with the Global Tag League Winners.
The match started hot and heavy for the challengers, but the wily Naito and BUSHI immediately broke it down on the floor. BUSHI even pulled off his belt and began using it at one point.
As the match continued, Soya and Iino’s double team work really began to take over. In fact, one of the more impressive moves of the match was the challengers nailing Naito with a VICIOUS stereo combination of a lariat and spear.
BUSHI pulled out all of the stops near the end, even giving Soya the dreaded BLACK MIST. Following a rollup, Iino broke up the pin, stunning the crowd. It only fueled the challengers.
After an avalanche brainbuster, Soya and Iino nailed an impactful faceplant slam/DDT combo to get the fall and the win.
Manabu Soya & Yuki Iino are the new GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champions!
Sadly, TEAM 2000 X made their presence immediately felt, as Takashi Sugiura and Masa Kitamiya attacked the new champions, stating their want and need for the gold. Once again, the rebellious TEAM 2000 X ruined another beautiful moment.
Yet, to this writer, I see Soya and Iino having something different about them. The “Jōnetsu” really resonates with the NOAH fanbase. Their passion runs through in the ring. Dare I say that the new champions really remind me of a modern day Ax and Smash of Demolition. Their chemistry is off the charts and they might very well be the best bruisers in professional wrestling in quite some time.
Check out this team in Pro Wrestling NOAH for the foreseeable future. There is something special brewing here.
Bankie Bruce
