Mikey Nicholls is headed back to Pro Wrestling NOAH, and the return immediately places one of the promotion’s most established heavyweight tag teams back in the championship picture.

During Pro Wrestling NOAH’s N-1 Victory final on October 4, former GHC Heavyweight Champion Shane Haste announced that Nicholls will be returning to the company. Haste made it clear that the reunited partners have a specific objective: the GHC Tag Team Championship.

The titles are currently held by Manabu Soya and Yuki Iino, meaning the champions have been put on notice by a team with substantial history in NOAH’s heavyweight division. Haste and Nicholls previously held the GHC Tag Team Titles on two occasions, making them far more than new challengers looking to make a quick impression. They return with a proven record as a tandem and a deep familiarity with the promotion’s tag team landscape.

A Major Reunion for NOAH’s Tag Division

Nicholls and Haste built their reputations together over years as members of T.M.D.K. Their connection has long been central to their identities as performers, with both men bringing complementary physical styles and a shared understanding developed through extensive time as partners.

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That history carries particular weight in NOAH. The pair spent a significant portion of their careers in the promotion before later joining WWE, and their two GHC Tag Team Championship reigns remain an important part of their legacy in the company. Their return to the title hunt is therefore not simply about pursuing a championship they have never held. It is a chance to reclaim a position they once occupied at the top of NOAH’s tag team division.

Nicholls has not wrestled for NOAH since 2016. His upcoming return ends a lengthy absence from the promotion and gives NOAH the opportunity to bring back a familiar name from an earlier era of its heavyweight scene. The time away also adds intrigue to the reunion with Haste, who has remained a visible figure in the Japanese wrestling landscape and now has a defined direction for his former partner’s arrival.

Haste’s announcement at the N-1 Victory final established the immediate goal for the team. The GHC Tag Team Championships are held by Soya and Iino, and Haste stated that he and Nicholls want those belts. No additional match details were announced in connection with the statement, but the message was straightforward: T.M.D.K.’s reunion is being framed around a championship pursuit.

Haste Brings a New NOAH Alignment Into the Reunion

While Nicholls is returning to a company he knows well, Haste enters this reunion from a different place within NOAH’s current environment. He is part of the White Raven Squad faction alongside KENTA, Tetsuya Endo, and HAYATA.

That affiliation adds another layer to the anticipated return of Nicholls. Haste’s current role connects him to a group featuring several prominent names across NOAH, while his partnership with Nicholls is rooted in the long-running T.M.D.K. bond. How those two associations coexist inside the promotion remains to be seen, but Haste has already made clear that his priority with Nicholls is the tag title chase.

For White Raven Squad, the potential arrival of Nicholls could also give the group’s orbit another formidable presence, even if no formal connection between Nicholls and the faction was announced. At this stage, the confirmed development is Haste’s statement that Nicholls is returning and that the two men want the GHC Tag Team Titles. The exact structure of Nicholls’ position in NOAH upon his return has not been detailed.

Still, the existing relationship between Haste and Nicholls gives NOAH a ready-made story. There is no need for the company to manufacture a partnership from scratch. Their history, their championship record, and their years together all provide immediate context for fans who remember their previous NOAH runs as well as those following the current roster.

Soya and Iino Have Established Targets

Manabu Soya and Yuki Iino now find themselves positioned as the champions being pursued by a returning former titleholder and his equally experienced partner. The GHC Tag Team Championship has often been a key measure of standing in NOAH’s heavyweight ranks, and a challenge from Haste and Nicholls brings both name recognition and championship pedigree to the division.

Soya and Iino hold the advantage that comes with being the reigning champions. They are the team occupying the division’s top spot, and any prospective challenger must take the belts from them. But Haste and Nicholls have their own advantage in the form of their long-established chemistry. A team that has won the GHC Tag Team Titles twice before does not have to spend months learning how to function together under pressure.

The potential matchup also presents a compelling contrast between NOAH’s present and its past. Soya and Iino represent the current champions, while Haste and Nicholls arrive with a shared history that reaches back through previous stages of the promotion. Nicholls’ first NOAH match since 2016 will consequently carry significance beyond a standard return appearance, particularly if it quickly leads toward the title picture.

Nicholls’ Return Restores a Familiar Partnership

The most notable element of the announcement is the reunion itself. Professional wrestling frequently sees former partners cross paths again, but not every reunion comes with the depth of experience that Haste and Nicholls possess. Their time as T.M.D.K. teammates was not a brief association; it was a defining professional connection that traveled through major stages of both men’s careers.

They also arrive with a record that supports their ambition. Two GHC Tag Team Championship reigns establish that they have succeeded at NOAH’s highest tag team level before. The goal Haste announced is therefore grounded in prior accomplishment, rather than being an abstract declaration of intent.

Nicholls’ extended absence from NOAH is equally important. Eight years have passed since he last wrestled for the company in 2016, and the promotion has naturally changed in that time. New alliances, new champions, and current rivalries shape the landscape he will enter. Yet Haste offers a direct bridge between Nicholls’ previous NOAH experience and his next chapter there.

That bridge could prove valuable from the moment Nicholls returns. Haste knows the present-day environment, has a current factional affiliation, and has already identified the championship destination for the pair. Nicholls brings the history of their prior title success and the significance of a long-awaited return. Together, they immediately become a team worth watching in the GHC Tag Team division.

What Comes Next

NOAH has a clear new development following the N-1 Victory final: Mikey Nicholls is returning, and Shane Haste wants to reunite with him in pursuit of the GHC Tag Team Championships. The champions, Manabu Soya and Yuki Iino, have been named as the intended targets.

No further details regarding Nicholls’ first match back, the timing of a possible championship challenge, or the status of his relationship to Haste’s White Raven Squad associates were included in the announcement. Those questions will shape the next phase of the story.

For now, the central fact is enough to make an impact. One of NOAH’s accomplished former tag teams is coming back together, with a championship goal already in place. After last wrestling for NOAH in 2016, Nicholls is set to return to familiar territory beside Haste, and the GHC Tag Team division has gained a major new threat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.