Naomichi Marufuji Challenges GHC Champion Jake Lee, Match Set For May 4th

Since joining Pro Wrestling NOAH at the beginning of this year, Jake Lee has become undeniable atop the card of the Mitsuhara Misawa-founded company. Winning the GHC Heavyweight Champion from Kaito Kiyomiya in March, Lee successfully defended his title against KONGO's knockout artist Katsuhiko Nakajima at the Green Journey in Sendai event earlier today. 

After defeating the former GHC Heavyweight Champion in just under 23 minutes, Lee was met with yet another seasoned challenger hoping to take his belt. Right as the show was about to end, the legendary Naomichi Marufuji came out to challenge the Good Looking Guys leader to a GHC Heavyweight Championship match.

The match was officially declared for NOAH's Majestic 2023 event on May 4 and will be Marufuji's first challenge for the GHC Heavyweight Title since losing the belt to Katsuhiko Nakajima in October 2021. As one of the most decorated stars in NOAH history, Marufuji is considered to be a gatekeeper for newcomers to the promotion, making Lee a fitting target. Despite his absence from the main event scene over the past 18 months, Marufuji poses a major threat to Lee's blossoming championship reign in only his second defense.

In his hiatus from challenging for the GHC Heavyweight Title, Marufuji has remained active in the tag team division. The "Genius of the Ark" most recently challenged for the GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Championships last January when he and New Japan Pro-Wrestling's KENTA reunited for the first time in nearly a decade, falling to then-champions Satoshi Kojima and Takashi Sugiura at NOAH The New Year 2023.