GANBARE☆PRO “SANGERIA 2022” Results

August 21, 2022

GANBARE☆PRO “SANGERIA 2022”, 21/08/2022
Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
114 Fans

1. GanPro Specialty Special Mixed Tag Match: MAO & HARUKAZE defeated Onryo & YuuRI when HARUKAZE pinned YuuRI with the Flame Spear (11:27).
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: Yuna Manase & Moeka Haruhi defeated Nao Kakuta & Yoshiko Hasegawa when Manase submitted Hasegawa with a Crab Hold (10:34).
3. Australia Vs Toyama Full-Scale Battle: Hartley Jackson defeated Shinichiro Tominaga with the Jumping Piledriver (9:34).
4. Sangeria 2022 Special Single Match: Keisuke Ishii defeated Shota with the Kneel Kick (13:55).
5. GanPro Special 6-Man Tag Match: Ken Ohka, Shuichiro Katsumura & Soma Takao defeated Kouki Iwasaki, Mizuki Watase & Nobuihiro Shimatani when Ohka pinned Shimatani with the Flame Spear (18:55).

The show began with a contract signing for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title match on 3rd September. Yumehito Imanari signed the contract first after Hartley Jackson warned him the neck injury he is currently recovering from should not be taken lightly. When Jackson added his signature, the two of them exchanged words. Imanari said he’s been listening to “Lose Yourself” by Eminem everyday to find inspiration to beat his challenger. Jackson may have become a bad guy in order to get the title shot but if he pushes Imanari too far, Imanari’s bad side might show itself in the match too. The two of them then started arguing about beer and who is going to be celebrating their victory with drinks. Jackson then warned Imanari about Shinichiro Tominaga, telling him in action movies the hero’s best friend usually dies first.

Jackson went on to beat Tominaga later in the show while Imanari was standing in his friend’s corner. Jackson reminded Imanari after the match that sometimes you have to become the bad guy to get what you want. Jackson would have liked to be a well behaved foreign wrestler in Japan but screw that! Now he just wants to win the Spirit Of Ganbare Title and drink all of Imanari’s beer! Imanari admits that this match will be nothing like his title defence against Shigehiro Irie. He can sense a weakness in Jackson, perhaps he is self-conscious that he isn’t on the level of Stan Hansen or Brusier Brody.

Shota’s final match in Ganbare☆Pro before his American excursion will happen on 27th August. He’s been spending his time polishing up his abilities here in Ganpro as well as in other indie promotions. He now feels confident he is ready to go on his excursion and show everyone he will take multiple steps forward as a pro wrestler.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PERFECTION” Results

August 21, 2022

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PERFECTION”, 21/08/2022
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
180 Fans

1. Rika Tatsumi defeated Kaya Toribami with the Twist Of Fate (9:14).
2. Hyper Misao defeated Moka Miyamoto with the Hypami Returns (10:20).
3. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta defeated Suzume & Haruna Neko when Noa pinned Neko with the Blizzard Suplex (8:10).
4. Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh defeatee Yuki Aino & Raku when Yamashita pinned Raku with the Attitude Adjustment (13:20).
5. Miu Watanabe defeated Pom Harajuku with the Tear Drop (10:30).
6. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu defeated Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Arisu Endo when Nakajima pinned Endo with the Northern Lights Suplex (11:28).

Shoko Nakajima used today to bounce back from her disappointing performance at the Tokyo Princess Cup by getting the fall in the main event. From now until October, Nakajima wants to keep winning matches to show everyone she is a growing champion. Toyo Mates are aiming to follow a similar momentum for their Princess Tag Team Titles match on 4th September. For some reason Mahiro Kiryu led Nakajima and Yuki Kamifuku in a group apology to close out the show.

Miu Watanabe was in for a fright when Pom Harajuku had the room lights turned off and got haunted music to play over the speakers. Harajuku then used a wig and a torchlight to scare Watanabe in the dark until the lights were switched back on. She then hovered a piece of konnyaku hanging from a string over Watanabe’s face to put her off even further. Watanabe would win the match but didn’t expect to fall for Harajuku’s pranks like she did. Harajuku described her last few months as a summer full of trials to overcome. She hopes next year she will get to be a trial for someone else.

Hyper Misao pretended to act like Moka Miyamoto and was introduced as the “Yamato Nadeshiko Hero Who Protects Love And Peace In Tokyo Joshi Pro“. She promised to fight a graceful match against her opponent because she claims they were alike. That didn’t last and she was eventually doing her usual dirty tactics to win.

Since the International Princess Title is currently in England with Alex Windsor, it is now up to TJPW to send challengers after her in the hopes of bringing the belt back to Japan. Hikari Noa will be going on her first overseas booking to challenge Windsor for the title next month. The match will be held at an EVE show in London on 1st September. Noa said she is nervous because it will be her first time going abroad but she’ll try and bring the IP Title back in time for the 4th September TJPW show in Nagoya.

Max The Impaler returns to TJPW on 9th October for “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”.


DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” Results

August 20, 2022

DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1,250 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion defeated Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada when Koroku submitted Ishida with a Modified Strangle Hold (9:11).
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) defeated Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine and Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda by TKO after Pheromones knocked out Hirata with the Sexy Bay Bridge (12:18).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani defeated Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda when HARASHIMA pinned Yoshimura with the Somato (12:44).
4. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match ~ Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member Vs Bunkyo Ward Assembly Member: Osamu Nishimura, Makoto Oishi & Akito defeated Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao when Nishimura submitted Kawamatsu with a Figure 4 Leg Lock (14:47).
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai defeated Chris Brookes & Asuka when Akai submitted Asuka with an Arm Triangle Choke (15:21).
6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Death Valley Driver from the Ladder through the Table and Barbed Wire Board (18:56).
*V1 for Joey Janela.
7. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno defeated Masahiro Takanashi (c) with the WR (14:26).
*Masahiro Takanashi fails in V2. Yuki Ueno becomes the 8th DDT Universal Champion!
8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano defeated Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul & Minoru Fujita) when Takeshita pinned KANON with the Jumping Knee (20:41).
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) defeated Tetsuya Endo with the Brain Claw Slam (25:24).
*V1 for Kazusada Higuchi.

The DDT flag is firmly in Kazusada Higuchi’s grasp after today and there can be no denying he is deserving to hold the KO-D Openweight Title. His first defence was against the previous champion Tetsuya Endo, who vacated the belt after suffering a concussion earlier in the summer. Endo threw everything he had to try and win the belt back. Higuchi held firm and delivered his own big bombs like a Brain Claw Slam throwing Endo from the top turnbuckle onto the ring apron. Later Endo looked to be on the verge of getting knocked out only for Higuchi to demand he show his determination and get back up. Endo was able to answer the ten count but was smashed with more Lariats and collisions until he was pinned with another Brain Claw Slam.

Kenta Kobashi presented the KO-D Title to Higuchi and congratulated him after the match. He also shook hands with Endo only for Endo to collapse in front of him. While Endo was helped out of the ring, Higuchi called out to him and said after so much has happened, they both stood together in the ring. Higuchi won today but he looks forward to facing Endo again. Backstage Endo admits he was completely defeated and has now been surpassed. Higuchi is the true 79th KO-D Champion.

Higuchi was then approached by Hisaya Imabayashi. The GM told him the next KO-D Title defence is scheduled for 25th September and then asked if he would like to nominate a challenger. Higuchi did not hesitate and chose Konosuke Takeshita! He would later explain he cannot become the symbol of DDT’s strength if he cannot beat him. Takeshita walked down to the ring and simply said “Let’s fight, Higuchi” before leaving. Backstage Takeshita noted he has never fought Higuchi in a KO-D Title match. He would like to win the title again before continuing his American excursion. He sees it as bringing the KO-D Title home to him rather than taking it over to the USA. Higuchi closed out the show thanking the fans for coming out and creating a good turnout. A lot is still going wrong in the world but everyone in DDT is fighting no matter the difficulties so their fans will have the courage to stand up and push forward.

Takeshita’s return to the title picture was set up in the main event when he got the winning fall. The odds were against him and his team because DAMNATION T.A worked well teaming with Dick Togo. He and Daisuke Sasaki even moved in stereo when they both performed Crossfaces at the same time and then Pedigrees at the same time. MJ Paul and Minoru Fujita also got involved so the numbers game was in DAMNATION’s favour. Takeshita did his best to fight back by blocking Togo’s chair shot only to get hit with another chair from Sasaki. However, the difference in levels between Takeshita and KANON was soon on show when the K-Spike was blocked and KANON was smashed with an Elbow Strike. Takeshita found the opening to hit the Jumping Knee and that was all he needed to get the three count.

After the match Takeshita said he’s only been gone for four months but it’s been the hardest working four months of his entire career. DDT is his home and his goal is to become the best wrestler in the world as a DDT wrestler! He credited his partners for their work today. MAO with his high flying and Yasu Urano with his Socrates-like attitude (Urano found it funny that was all Takeshita could come up with to describe him). Sasaki admits Takeshita has gotten a little stronger by wrestling in America but cannot tell if he’s changed as a person. He also warned today is not the only time you will see DAMNATION T.A and House Of Torture working together! Whenever Sasaki and Togo team up, bad things will happen. However Togo wasn’t as dark with his thoughts and said he’ll come back to DDT at 60 years old wrestling in red tights just like Giant Baba.

Masahiro Takanashi’s hopes of taking the DDT Universal Title around the world to defend against younger generations of wrestlers has been cut short. Yuki Ueno already had youth and physical ability on his side going into the match. All he had to do was figure out Takanashi’s gameplan, which he did. He found ways to block the Takatonic but only when the champion did the move. Takanashi was able to trick Daisuke Kiso into performing it on Ueno for a nearfall. Ueno himself had trouble setting up the WR but finally hit his finisher after a well placed Dropkick to win the title.

He told Takanashi that from the bottom of his heart he considers him to be a deep part of DDT’s history. With those pleasantries out of the way, Ueno then met with Imabayashi to learn about his first title defence. Ueno will put the Universal Title on the line against Cara Noir on 25th September! Noir is an English wrestler and former ballet dancer, known for his literally dramatic ring entrances and match performances. He will be coming to DDT on 18th September before getting his title shot on the 25th. Once this match happens then maybe the title can start to be defended overseas again like it was originally meant to be.

“The Bad Boy” defeats “The Happy Boy” to keep his DDT Extreme Title! A nutty Hardcore match between Joey Janela and Shunma Katsumata delivered some crazy scenes around Ota Ward Gymnasium. Janela rode on a the Dramatic Dream bicycle around ringside and got hit with a toy block covered baseball bat. Katsumata did a balcony dive through a table away from ringside. Janela jumped off a ladder barefoot and missed a Double Stomp, landing feet first onto thumbtacks and toy blocks. The big finish saw Janela give Katsumata the Death Valley Driver from the ladder through a table with a barbed wire board placed on top of it. Janela will now go back to America with the Extreme Title but he promises he will be back. He wants to become part of the DDT family and even enter the D-Oh Grand Prix. Then once he’s finished with that, he wants to go in search for a certain “Mr. Liar”, Atsushi Onita!

The Mixed Tag Match was a new experience for Jun Akiyama. He claims he didn’t feel uncomfortable wrestling with and against the women although Asuka was determined to leave her mark by fighting him. However the match came down to Asuka against Saki Akai and a Moonsault counter completely changed the result from out of nowhere. Asuka did the move and Akai caught her with an Arm Triangle Choke, keeping Asuka trapped until she gave up. It is the first time Asuka directly lost a match to Akai. Asuka slapped Akiyama across the face after the match. Akai was thankful to team with him though and wants to learn more from him. Chris Brookes said he is not angry over the result but the next time he is in the ring with Asuka will be when they face each other in a singles match on 4th September. He is already thinking of ways to win against her. Asuka warned him she has closets full of ideas about what she wants to do against him.

The politician Shinichiro Kawamatsu made his official pro wrestling debut in his full daytime suit. Well that’s not entirely true. He removed his tie before the match began. He also received a bouquet from Eriko Imai, a member of the House of Councilors. He was able to stand toe to toe against Makoto Oishi & Akito thanks to some help from Sanshiro Takagi and Soma Takao. But the real meat of the match came from Kawamatsu’s interactions with Osamu Nishimura. The ring legend held him in a Full Nelson so Akito could grab a leg and do a Dragon Screw. From there Nishimura applied the Spinning Toe Hold before turning it into a Figure 4 Leg Lock to make his fellow politician submit. After the match Nishimura told Kawamatsu he is free to ask him about pro wrestling whenever he wants, but he will not join his political party! Kawamatsu thanked him for the match and told the fans he would like to stay active in pro wrestling. Takagi later suggested they do another match with Kawamatsu and Nishimura involved but this time hold it in Bukyo Ward. In other words, he means Korakuen Hall!

Naomi Yoshimura’s big DNA reunion was spoiled thanks to HARASHIMA pinning him with the Somato. For HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi, the result shows that their generation is still good. HARASHIMA was also so happy to be wrestling in front of cheering fans again. Hideki Okatani was also pleased to wrestle against the likes of Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda, thinking they can bring out the best in him. Today was Okuda’s first match in DDT in around 4 years and it’s been so long since he fought an opponent who wanted to kill him. Sakaguchi is that opponent. They did a fist bump after the match rather than a handshake because they don’t want to get too buddy buddy with each other. It would only ruin the dynamic they have together. Okuda would be happy to do another match like that again if DDT wants to invite him back. Umeda said the competitive spirit he felt in that match is hard to find nowadays both in DDT and elsewhere.

Is there any united force out there that can defeat Pheromones? A team of heavyweights like Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine cannot. There’s no relying on The DDT Variety Team to put a stop to them either. They’ve become unstoppable with the addition of Koju Takeda along with the return of Yumehito Imanari in their corner. That only makes them even more outlandish with their antics. Danshoku Dieno has no problem telling fans that they can blame Pheromones for everything wrong that happened today. Antonio Honda and his Gongitsune was powerless while Toru Owashi was thrown into the Triple Hell Gate. Kazuki Hirata became everyone’s last hope with the power of dance but even that wasn’t enough. Pheromones won the 3 Way Match by total destruction. Dieno then gave a victory speech telling everyone that Pheromones will rewrite DDT and turn it into a world of stupidity!

The opening match featured a mix of wrestlers from BURNING as well as the new generation of DDT. Yuya Koroku felt motivated by the atmosphere created by the crowd and it spurned him on to win the match for his team. Ilusion felt the same. Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of his debut so he wants to spend the next year wrestling more and getting stronger. Yusuke Okada thought the match was really good and did its job to get the fans excited for the rest of the show. Yuki Ishida was upset to take the fall and blames it on being a bit lax with is preparation. Toi Kojima is feeling the pressure to stand out more now that there are even more young and new wrestlers entering the company. This was Takeshi Masada’s second match and he admitted he still doesn’t know right from left while the action is going on. He thinks his lack of ability is why he was on the losing team today. He promised to train harder so his recent debut won’t be taken lightly by everyone.

LiLiCo promised everyone a big announcement for her appearance on the show. The news is DDT will be going to Tokyo Dome City Hall on 29th December for their last big event of 2022. LiLiCo will serve as the event’s special ambassador and she suggested DDT hand out full price refunds to any ticket buyer who does not enjoy the show. She also offered to take part in the Anal Explosion ceremony! Imabayashi refuses to grant her that request because it’s meant to be a punishment you do not volunteer for and he’s worried over what would happen if a woman takes part. However LiLiCo is determined to go through with it and discussions between the two parties will continue.

The D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 will be held throughout November with the final taking place on 4th December. 12 wrestlers all under the age of 40 will enter the tournament in a two block round robin format. Takagi explained that there are more wrestlers under that age competing in DDT nowadays but not been many in their 20s have competed in the D-Ou GP. Kenta Kobashi will continue his role as the chairman of the tournament committee which was established last year.


BASARA “BASARA 198 ~TAKAGARI 11~” Results

August 20, 2022

BASARA “BASARA 198 ~TAKAGARI 11~”, 20/08/2022
Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
??? Fans – Withheld

1. Jun Masaoka defeated Lil’ Kraken with the Ambitions (11:36).
2. Takumi Tsukamoto, Fuminori Abe & Thanomsak Toba defeated FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato when Abe submitted Kazato with the Manjigatame (11:46).
3. Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino defeated Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT when Nakano pinned Nakatsu with a Cradle (13:02).
4. Daiki Shimomura defeated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi with the Swanton Bomb (15:12).
5. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) defeated Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto when Oosugi pinned Kodaka with teh Tsuki no Ishi (19:23).
*V6 for Speed Of Sounds.

Isami Kodaka blamed his team’s loss in the main event over his ring gear. His usual Yankee Two Kenju costume got damaged and when he ordered a replacement costume it came in grey when he asked for them to be black. In hindsight he realized that was a bad sign he & Yuko Miyamoto were going to lose today. Both of them felt nostalgic fighting against Speed Of Sounds again so they are happy with the match despite losing. SOS agrees and would like to fight Yankee Two Kenju again but not often. Like in 20 years time.

At the end of the show Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino came out and challenged SOS for the IRON FIST Tag Titles. SOS pointed out that Aijin Tag has never beaten them before and they’ve failed to win the IRON FIST Tag Titles from them twice, once in each of their title reigns. Nakano understands that but believes he and Kamino will win the next time. Senga appreciated their courage and accepted their challenge as long as they think they can surpass their last match. The title defence will happen on 6th September.

Daiki Shimomura has made it known he wants a shot at the Union MAX Title. He’s been in a lot of singles matches this year for BASARA and they’ve been going well for him. After beating Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi he wants to use this momentum to earn himself a title match.


DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” Preview

August 18, 2022


DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
4. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match ~ Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member Vs Bunkyo Ward Assembly Member: Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao Vs Osamu Nishimura, Makoto Oishi & Akito
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka
6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo

It’s back to Ota Ward Gymnasium for this year’s edition of “WRESTLE PETER PAN”. For what is usually one of DDT’s biggest shows of the year, things don’t feel as such this time around. For DDT it’s still a big event but against the rest of the wrestling scene, I’m not feeling it as much this year. Choosing Ota Ward is a downgrade from a usual venue choice like Sumo Hall and DDT themselves have made reference to ticket sales not being that great. The company challenged its roster to sell more tickets with better quality lunches as their rewards. The last update they gave on that was they reached the “Nori Bento” level which refers to between 775 and 1,000 tickets sold. DDT wants their attendance numbers to return to what they were before the pandemic happened. That is going to stay a tough challenge for them until Japan moves past their covid restrictions. Even then it’s hard to say if DDT can grow back their audience. You can’t entirely blame the pandemic for shrinking wrestling’s popularity in Japan when a company like Stardom is growing like crazy over there under the same environment.

This show can end up becoming a turnaround in fortunes though. Through unexpected circumstances a new wind is blowing through the company as DDT’s current two top wrestlers battle over who should be carrying the flag. The man the company was built around for the last few years has all of a sudden gained a brand new global fanbase and maybe a chunk of them will follow him back to see what DDT is like. One of the most infamous wrestlers on the American indie scene has come over wanting to carve his name into the history books. A first time mixed tag match will offer something never seen before. Actual politicians will fight each other. And if that’s not enough, LiLiCo will be there with an important news update she wants to tell everyone.


1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada

Some of the youngest wrestlers in DDT gather together for the opening match. And also Yusuke Okada who is only 29 years old even though some days he looks about 42. He’s the veteran base of the match while Yuya Koroku and Toi Kojima get to bring their classmate rivalry onto a big stage. Their clashes in all of the BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA matches over the last year are fun to watch. Yuki Ishida is showing improvement with his performances and developing more fire power to make up for his lack of size. Ilusion has been used sparingly over the summer because the DDTeeeen!! project hasn’t been publicly active. The few opportunities he’s been getting are at least moving him away from his rival El Unicorn so he gets to show they are not attached by the hip. But the spotlight right now is shining brightly on Takeshi Masada. He just had his debut match after only three months of training and dazzled everyone with his performance. If he keeps in good health over the next few years (always remember that rookies break easily) DDT could have a new supernova on their hands.


2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda

Is 2022 the year of Pheromones? The DDT shows that allow cheering usually has that unit getting the most reactions. Maybe it’s because they still use the canned cheering for their ring announcements or maybe it’s because chanting “Sexy!” out loud while sticking out your pinky fingers is a lot of fun. One thing for sure is Pheromones has become more stronger with the latest and perhaps final addition to the unit. A perverted looking masked man began following the group around and was eventually revealed to be Koju Takeda. He appeared in DDT before and is a former KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion but now has a bigger presence in the company under the name Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda. He’s never been shy about showing off his physique so he is a perfect fit for Pheromones, perhaps filling in the gaps that Yuki Iino and Danshoku Dieno could not fill. Was that meant to be written as a double entendre? You tell me.

The other two teams in this match can’t help but look plain in comparison. Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya have spent over a year bonding as a tag team and working together under the ONLY WE banner. It’s given Naya the ability to finally start climbing up the ladder and reach even a little bit of the potential that others see in him. Super Sasadango Machine is an odd third man to be on that team but this is an odd match to begin with. The other trio is made up of wrestlers sometimes nicknamed The DDT Variety Team. Whenever you get Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda all in the same ring you are guaranteed to get some nonsense coming from them.


3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani

We are getting treated to a DNA reunion on the show. The developmental brand for DDT became redundant in 2018 but many wrestlers who came from it have become regular parts of several wrestling rosters. Naomi Yoshimura was a key part of DNA’s second half of its existence and he wanted to team with two men who were a constant presence around him during his time there. His rival Kota Umeda and his ally Keisuke Okuda. Umeda is a part time wrestler with some re-appearances in DDT every now and then. But Okuda’s name being brought up is intriguing. He was once under contract to DDT for two years then left the company for DRAGONGATE. Then recently there seems to be an apparent split between the two and suddenly Okuda is back in DDT by Yoshimura’s request. Maybe it’s just a one time reunion for old time’s sake.

Whether it is or it isn’t, Okuda has another reason to come back. He’s looking for a fight with Yukio Sakaguchi, thinking he is a scared old man. In response to this, Sakaguchi’s Eruption buddy Hideki Okatani is stepping in also wanting to join in the scrap the second it kicks off. Their team needs a calming presence so maybe HARASHIMA can keep things under control with his many years of wisdom under his belt. But he and Yoshimura are on course for a KO-D Tag Team Titles match in the future and they have a lot of recent history together. If the wrong guy gets provoked here then all hell could break loose.


4. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match ~ Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member Vs Bunkyo Ward Assembly Member: Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao Vs Osamu Nishimura, Makoto Oishi & Akito

I don’t have a clue about Japanese politics other than Sanshiro Takagi tried it once and it left him traumatized. It seems that the wrestling bug has bitten Shinichiro Kawamatsu from the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly after the publicity stunt where he won and defended the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title. To show his gratitude to DDT and their fans, he decided to try and have a go as a pro wrestler for real. Finding time to train in between his political duties, Kawamatsu is having his official debut match against another politician. One who knows the wrestling ring very well.

Osamu Nishimura has been wrestling for over 31 years but his main priority nowadays is his council work in his hometown of Bunkyo Ward. There is a friendly link between the two in the lead up to the match because Kawamatsu is a longtime fan of Nishimura. Kawamatsu is even focusing his wrestling training on matwork specifically because he wants to fight against Nishimura’s Muga style of pro wrestling. The soft political atmosphere of the match is inspiring Soma Takao because it is taking place in his hometown of Ota Ward. It may end up spurring him on into campaigning for a seat on the Ota Ward Council in the future. Makoto Oishi & Akito will be there to provide more challenges for Kawamatsu. They should be eager to impress Nishimura in the process too.


5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka

Jun Akiyama’s time as a coach in DDT has been invaluable to those who are learning from him. It’s worked out so well that Saki Akai asked him to team with her on this show so she can become a stronger wrestler. Akiyama accepted her request as long as she knew he will treat her no differently to any other wrestler in DDT. When it was decided they were going to get a Mixed Tag Match, Chris Brookes & Asuka was chosen to be their opponents. It will be the first time Akiyama takes part in a Mixed Tag Match. Asuka teased him at a press conference saying she has a good reputation as an opponent for first timers and she’ll be one woman he will never forget!

The whole match has Asuka feeling pretty confident. She has never lost to Akai before and is certain it won’t happen anytime soon. Still, she is encouraging her opponents to work hard together so she will get a good challenge out of them. Akai gave Asuka’s comments a lot of thought. She thinks all wrestlers walk their own paths. Akai’s path may be slower than Asuka’s or maybe it is just a detour. She isn’t going to stay feeling sorry for herself when she has a chance to learn from Akiyama. Brookes is excited about the match because it is a fresh experience for everyone involved. He has previously fought against Asuka in tag matches but they can start something brand new when they team together. Brookes even thinks a new history will begin if Asuka gets the pinfall on Akiyama!


6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata

It’s “The Bad Boy” against “The Happy Boy”! Joey Janela’s tour of DDT has been two years in the making after his constant viral wrestling matches caught Takagi’s attention. Little appetizers were put together in the meantime with Yoshihiko and the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title being sent over to America for Janela to interact with. When the time came for Janela to finally visit Japan, he wasted no time in making an impact by winning the DDT Extreme Title in the infamous IPPON Lighttube Death Match. A Hardcore Match against Shunma Katsumata was already scheduled before his title win so it is now even more important with the championship stakes being added. Katsumata has developed his own hardcore style in DDT but how different is it to anything that Janela has experienced before? The American has experienced death matches in many forms from violent to wacky. Janela’s goal is to become the greatest foreign wrestler ever in DDT. That’s a tall task given those who previously called the company their Japanese home promotion. But hey, if Janela didn’t have the guts to aim high he wouldn’t have achieved so much in his crazy career. I mean he has a match against Ernest “The Cat” Miller coming up in GCW soon. What if that ends up becoming a DDT Extreme Title match?


7. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno

The DDT Universal Title is on the line in a battle between old and new generations of DDT. When Masahiro Takanashi won the title he wanted to do two things. Travel the world with the championship because that is the original point of the title and defend it against all of the younger wrestlers who have stepped up over the last two years while he was out injured. He’s barely gotten started and already he has a high wall in the form of Yuki Ueno standing in his way. The former Universal Champion wants the belt back so he can make DDT more exciting in his own way. The build up consisted of Ueno standing tall in the warmup matches and Takanashi being in physical positions where he has no choice but to look up at his challenger. Even though Takanashi is the champion, he is coming into the match looking like the underdog. But that’s always been the story with him. He wouldn’t be Masahiro Takanashi if he didn’t have to climb up from the bottom each and every time.


8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano

Did you ever hear the saying it takes an artist ten years to become an overnight success? It kind of feels like that here. This summer the entire wrestling world fell in love with Konosuke Takeshita. In return he fell in love with America and also Cinnabon. Mostly Cinnabon. Almost entirely Cinnabon. He won’t stop eating their food. Anyway, his excursion to America for both AEW and the independent scene led to rave reviews across the board and even sparked a lot of gossip about his future. Should AEW try to sign him full time and throw him further into their murderer’s row of main eventers? Will a reinvigorated WWE poach him in their search for a new Japanese superstar to add to their roster? How never ending can the line of indie wrestlers wanting to challenge him become? All of a sudden DDT better be careful not to lose the supernova they’ve spent the last decade building their company around because he is very quickly becoming an attraction overseas. He’s back in Japan for two months before continuing his excursion so DDT are putting together some attraction matches for him while he is home.

The attraction here is the return of Dick Togo to DDT. The man has done it all in wrestling from all angles, from being revered for his skills to being despised for his role in with House Of Torture over in New Japan. It looks like Togo is coming to DDT under his normal guise but he always liked to cheat anyway. Plus he is siding with DAMNATION T.A and expecting clean play to come out of them is foolish. Togo is one of the few people who can get Daisuke Sasaki somewhat motivated to improve himself. The timing is right for that to happen here because Sasaki is going to be Takeshita’s opponent for his 10th Anniversary match next month. That’s not all. MJ Paul will be at ringside as the wild card and there is also KANON who has been really promising so far since his entry into DDT. Takeshita has MAO & Yasu Urano to make up a talented trio but can they mesh together as well as DAMNATION T.A can? If they don’t then Takeshita will wish he was back in the states tucking into another Center Of The Roll.


9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo

One slap earlier this year created a butterfly effect resulting in a new turbulent wind blowing across DDT. The main event of this year’s “WRESTLE PETER PAN” was probably always supposed to be Kazusada Higuchi Vs Tetsuya Endo but the roles they are in and how we got there is very different. In March Endo walked out of Sumo Hall as the new KO-D Openweight Champion and the man to carry DDT forward. That only lasted until June thanks to the slap heard around the world. A DDT Vs NOAH inter-promotional match at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” prematurely ended when Katsuhiko Nakajima knocked out Endo with a slap across the face after an awkward exchange where neither looked to be on the same page with the other. The aftermath was disastrous for DDT. Intentional or not, their champion was easily defeated on the big stage for the entire world to see. Even worse, Endo was now out of action with a concussion and a decision was made for him to vacate his championship while he recovered. DDT needed a new flag bearer and quickly went to work setting that person up.

DDT was at least able to get the timing right with their backup plan. The King Of DDT tournament was next on the schedule after “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” and the vacant KO-D Title was now up for grabs. Higuchi literally waved the DDT flag in Saitama Super Arena and made it clear he was the best choice to lead the promotion in Endo’s absence. He spent his 8 year career struggling to win the KO-D Title and finally achieved his goal by winning the tournament. His victory was a crowning moment both literally and symbolically because he was given the flag once more to represent his emergence as DDT’s strongest wrestler. That was when the new wind started blowing. Higuchi left his unit Eruption to form Harimao with Yoshimura. He also called out his first challenger… Tetsuya Endo!

Endo recovered from his concussion and wanted his return to the ring to be a fresh restart. He accepted the knockout he suffered counts as a loss no matter how you look at it. It wasn’t his intention to immediately return to challenging for the KO-D Title but once Higuchi called him out, he couldn’t resist. Also Endo feels the need to repay his fans for their continued support by becoming the champion again. He answered by throwing out his own title challenge to Higuchi just because it is tradition for the contender to approach the champion instead of vice versa. He went to get advice from Kenta Kobashi like he always does before his important matches. Kobashi’s advice to him was he needs to be angry more and should use the injury as fuel for that. That may be for another story to be told on another day though. This weekend Endo’s focus needs to be on Higuchi and just Higuchi. He has a winning singles record against him but only just. In their previous six singles matches together Endo has three wins, Higuchi has two and there was a Double KO between them. Whoever wins this 7th battle will carry the DDT flag from here on out!


Kakuta Replacing Takase At Ganpro, Takeshita 10th Anniversary Full Card

August 18, 2022

I didn’t think I would have time this week to write up a preview for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”. Turns out I did after all so it will be posted in a few hours time. I was going to hold out until tomorrow morning if there are any last minute changes but I can go back and edit it if that happens. The preview should be posted in the next hour or so.

GANBARE☆PRO “SANGERIA 2022”, 21/08/2022
Takashimadaira Ward Community Center

1. Sangeria 2022 Special Single Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Shota
2. Australia Vs Toyama Full-Scale Battle: Hartley Jackson Vs Shinichiro Tominaga
3. GanPro Specialty Special Mixed Tag Match: Onryo & YuuRI Vs MAO & HARUKAZE
4. GanJo Special Tag Match: Yuna Manase & Moeka Haruhi Vs Nao Kakuta & Yoshiko Hasegawa
5. GanPro Special 6-Man Tag Match: Ken Ohka, Shuichiro Katsumura & Soma Takao Vs Kouki Iwasaki, Mizuki Watase & Nobuihiro Shimatani

The main event now has Ken Ohka added to it as the replacement for the injured Yumehito Imanari. A contract signing for the upcoming Spirit Of Ganbare Title defence will still go ahead before the show with Hartley Jackson in attendance.

Miyuki Takase tested positive for covid and is off the show. Nao Kakuta hops over from Tokyo Joshi Pro to take her place. MAO is also added to Match #3 to take the spot Ohka left open.

DDT “JAPAN BAKERY MARKETING PRESENTS KONOSUKE TAKESHITA 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~NISHINARI BAY BLUES~”, 10/09/2022
Osaka Nishinari Kumin Center

1. MJ Paul & KANON Vs Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada
2. Yasu Urano, Antonio Honda & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Super Sasadango Machine & X
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Staggered Entre Battle Royal: Toru Owashi (c) Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Korku Vs Akito Vs Makoto Oishi Vs Soma Takao Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Saki Akai Vs Yuki Ishida Vs Ilusion Vs El Unicorn
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs Brahmin Brothers: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Brahman Shu, Brahman Kei & Brahman Sanshiro
5. Tokyo Joshi Pro 3 Way Tag Offer Match: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Miu Watanabe & Arisu Endo
6. Nobuyuki Onizawa’s Ochakan Radio Presents Special Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yukio Naya Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuji Hino
8. Japan Bakery Marketing Co., Ltd. Presents Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Daisuke Sasaki

The 10th Anniversary celebration for Konosuke Takeshita is bringing in a large 6-Man Tag Match of the heavyweight variety, a bonus match from TJPW, a Battle Royal for the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title and the return of the Brahman Brothers with a new member… Brahman Sanshiro?


Video – Joey Janela Vs Yoshihiko Falls Count Anywhere

August 17, 2022

DDT “JOEY JANELA VS YOSHIHIKO”, 17/08/2022
Somewhere In Chiba
0 Fans

1. Falls Count Anywhere In The Prefecture: Joey Janela Vs Yoshihiko

The impromptu match between Joey Janela and Yoshihiko was not certified by DDT. Therefore it does not count as a DDT Extreme Title defence despite Janela and Yoshihiko’s agreement to treat it as one.


LiLiCo Has News At Wrestle Peter Pan, Imanari Injured, Go Girl 3 Card

August 17, 2022

DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
4. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match ~ Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member Vs Bunkyo Ward Assembly Member: Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao Vs Osamu Nishimura, Makoto Oishi & Akito
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka
6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo

Another special guest will be showing up at Ota Ward Gymnasium this weekend. LiLiCo retired from pro wrestling five months ago and admits her body is itching to be near the action again. She has news she wants to tell everyone that will be a surprise to all.

I’ve been swamped with real life stuff this week so I’m not sure if I can write up a preview for the show in time.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PERFECTION”, 21/08/2022
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Hyper Misao Vs Moka Miyamoto
2. Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Yuki Aino & Raku
3. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Suzume & Haruna Neko
4. Rika Tatsumi Vs Kaya Toribami
5. Miu Watanabe Vs Pom Harajuku
6. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Arisu Endo

The road to “WRESTLE PRINCESS III” begins with a 6-Woman Tag match previewing the big Princess Of Princess Title match between Shoko Nakajima and Yuka Sakazaki. It’s also a big spot for Toyo Mates as they prepare for their Princess Tag Team Title shot next month.

GANBARE☆PRO “SANGERIA 2022”, 21/08/2022
Takashimadaira Ward Community Center

1. Sangeria 2022 Special Single Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Shota
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: Yuna Manase & Moeka Haruhi Vs Miyuki Takase & Yoshiko Hasegawa
3. GanPro Specialty Special Mixed Tag Match: Onryo & YuuRI Vs Ken Ohka & HARUKAZE
4. GanPro Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari, Shuichiro Katsumura & Soma Takao Vs Kouki Iwasaki, Mizuki Watase & Nobuihiro Shimatani
5. Australia Vs Toyama Full-Scale Battle: Hartley Jackson Vs Shinichiro Tominaga

Yumehito Imanari felt neck pain after his match with Shigehiro Irie last Saturday and went to the hospital for an examination. He was diagnosed with a cervical sprain and will not be able to wrestle on this weekend’s show. The above card will be changed and the new matches will be made as soon as they are decided on. Imanari will still be in attendance to give an update. He is also expected to recover in time to wrestle on the next Ganbare☆Pro show after this, which is on 27th August.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GO GIRL 3 ~WOMEN ONLY BOX OFFICE~”, 28/08/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko
2. Nao Kakuta & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Moka Miyamoto & Jurina Nagano
3. 「Go Girl」 4 Major Singles Match: Hyper Misao Vs Raku
4. 「Go Girl」 4 Major Singles Match: Maki Itoh Vs Yuki Aino
5. 「Go Girl」 4 Major Singles Match: Saki Akai Vs Hikari Noa
6. 「Go Girl」 4 Major Singles Match: Yuki Arai Vs Yuki Kamifuku
7. TJPW THE BEST Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Miyu Yamashita

The all female audience show in Korakuen Hall is getting some heavy hitters in the match department. The main event is Shoko Nakajima teaming with Daydream against The Magical Sugar Rabbits & Miyu Yamashita. Also four singles matches including the Yuki Arai Vs Yuki Kamifuku bout that was originally supposed to take place one year ago. That match was cancelled when Arai had a close contact situation with covid and couldn’t attend the show.

Kaya Toribami will not be on the show due to a scheduling conflict.

GANBARE☆PRO “PUNCH DRUNK LOVE 2022”, 03/09/2022
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall

1. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Yumehito Imanari (c) Vs Hartley Jackson

Imanari doesn’t remember Hartley Jackson entering the ring after Saturday’s main event to challenge him for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title. However he is determined to answer that challenge and will be ready in time for 3rd September. Imanari heard that Jackson loves Japanese beer. But he won’t be able to drink any after their match because only Imanari will be drinking to celebrate his victory!


Wrestle Peter Pan 2022, Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary Match, Nakajima Vs Sakazaki At Wrestle Princess III

August 15, 2022

BASARA “BASARA 198 ~TAKAGARI 11~”, 20/08/2022
Takashimadaira Ward Community Center

1. Lil’ Kraken Vs Jun Masaoka
2. Takumi Tsukamoto, Fuminori Abe & Thanomsak Toba Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato
3. Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
4. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Daiki Shimomura
5. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) Vs Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto

Some extra BASARA wrestling going on the same day as “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”.

DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
4. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match ~ Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member Vs Bunkyo Ward Assembly Member: Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao Vs Osamu Nishimura, Makoto Oishi & Akito
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka
6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo

Kenta Kobashi will be in attendance at the show to observe the main event between Kazusada Higuchi and Tetsuya Endo.

The Hardcore Match between Joey Janela and Shunma Katsumata is now for the DDT Extreme Title.

The newest member of Pheromones is Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda! The wrestler from Triple Six is no stranger to DDT. He previously wrestled here on DNA shows and once held the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles on a team representing the brand.

BASARA/DOVE PRO “R.E.S.P.E.C.T”, 25/08/2022
Shinjuku FACE

1. Takumi Tsukamoto & Lil’ Kraken Vs Fuminori Abe & Yusaku Ito
2. 5 Way Match: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs KUBITO Vs Daichi Kazato Vs Gouma Vs Rey Paloma
3. FUMA Vs Kenshin Chikano
4. Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs “brother” YASSHI & Yuji Hino
5. Ryota Nakatsu, SAGAT & Naoki Tanizaki Vs Daiki Shimomura, Mataro Aoki & Kohei Kinoshita
6. Union MAX Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Gunso

Yuji Hino joins the summer party being held by BASARA and Dove Pro.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ~NAGOYA PERFORMANCE~”, 04/09/2022
Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall

1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu

The one piece of advice Mahiro Kiryu regularly gets is to show a more assertive side of herself. She always acts so apologetic and afraid to step on anybody’s toes. So to see her challenge Reiwa AA Cannon for the Princess Tag Team Titles despite having lost matches to Saki Akai & Yuki Arai earlier this year is a step in the right direction on that front. Yuki Kamifuku knew the day would come that Toyo Mates would challenge for the titles but didn’t expect it to be this soon. However she supports Kiryu showing more confidence in herself and will stand side by side with her against the champions.

DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2022”, 04/09/2022
Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall

1. Yusuke Okada Vs Takeshi Masada
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata
3. Akito & Shinya Ishida Vs MAO & Yuki Ishida
4. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs Yuji Hino, Yuki Ueno & Makoto Oishi
5. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Asuka
6. Current Blast 6-Man Tag Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Shinya Aoki & Yukio Naya Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi

The Exploding Death Match could be getting outshined by some of the new additions to the card. Harimao have been challenged by DISASTER BOX to defend the KO-D Tag Team Titles against them. Naomi Yoshimura made fun of Toru Owashi in response to this by saying he only has good matches once every four years. Owashi however is currently the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion and the O-40 Champion. It would make his year to win the tag titles with HARASHIMA and become a triple crown champion in DDT!

DDT “STERNNESS 30TH ANNIVERSARY ~JUN AKIYAMA 30TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 18/09/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Jun Akiyama Debut 30th Anniversary Match – Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Tetsuya Endo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru Vs Yuji Nagata, Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata

Old and new generations of BURNING are being represented in Jun Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary match. Endo is from the current version of BURNING while Yoshinobu Kanemaru comes from the original and third editions of the unit. Akiyama also gave his reasons for choosing his opponents. Yuji Nagata has been an important figure throughout Akiyama’s career, Konosuke Takeshita learned the Jumping Knee Strike from Akiyama and Katsumata reminds Akiyama so much of Kanemaru.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”, 09/10/2022
Tokyo Dome City Hall

1. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki

Yuka Sakazaki winning the Tokyo Princess Cup has received a strong reaction online from fans thinking it should have been Miu Watanabe’s year to win it. No matter what, the main event of “WRESTLE PRINCESS III” is confirmed to be the rematch between Sakazaki and Shoko Nakajima for the Princess Of Princess Title.


DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN KORAKUEN ~LET’S SHOUT!~” Results

August 14, 2022

DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN KORAKUEN ~LET’S SHOUT!~”, 14/08/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
556 Fans

1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Soma Takao when Takeda pinned Takagi with the Shining Driver (8:55).
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, MAO & Yuki Ishida when KANON pinned Ishida with the Sleepy Hollow (8:00).
3. Takeshi Masada Debut Match: HARASHIMA defeated Takeshi Masada with the Somato (10:28).
4. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Battle Royal: Shinya Aoki defeated Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes, Shunma Katsumata, Makoto Oishi, Kazuki Hirata, Yusuke Okada, Yukio Naya, Hideki Okatani and Yuya Koroku (16:15).
4a. Yukio Naya eliminated Yusuke Okada with the Back Drop (6:16).
4b. Yuji Hino eliminated Yuya Koroku with the Fuckin’ BOMB (7:35).
4c. Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi eliminated Hideki Okatani by Ring Out (7:44).
4d. Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya eliminated Chris Brookes by Ring Out (12:05).
4e. Shunma Katsumata & Makoto Oishi eliminated Yuji Hino by Ring Out (12:32).
4f. Shinya Aoki eliminated Makoto Oishi with an Ankle Hold (13:26).
4g. Kazuki Hirata was eliminated by Disqualification when he grabbed the wrong envelope (13:40).
4h. Shinya Aoki & Shunma Katsumata eliminated Yukio Naya by Ring Out (14:57).
4i. Shinya Aoki grabbed the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere envelope (16:15).
*Shinya Aoki wins the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere NFT.
5. Special Single Match: Asuka defeated Saki Akai with the Shiranui (7:22).
6. Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima defeated Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda when Ueno pinned Honda with the BME (8:45).
7. DDT Extreme Title – Fluorescent Lighttube IPPON Death Match: Joey Janela defeated Akito (c) by IPPON when Akito stepped on the Lighttube (13:45).
*Akito fails in V1. Joey Janela becomes the 55th DDT Extreme Champion!
8. Road To WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022! Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama when Yoshimura pinned Akiyama with the Harai Goshi (22:55).

Next week Kazusada Higuchi and Tetsuya Endo will headline Ota Ward Gymnasium for a big KO-D Openweight Title match. Today was their last preview match, a tag bout pitting Harimao against the two strongest members of BURNING. The two cancelled each other out so the match instead came down to Naomi Yoshimura standing up to Jun Akiyama. In a massive statement made to the vocal crowd, Yoshimura flipped Akiyama over with the Harai Goshi and pinned him for the three count! He declared afterward that Harimao is the strongest tag team in DDT, which suddenly caught the attention of an unexpected trio.

DISASTER BOX heard what Yoshimura said and entered the ring to give their opinion on it. Kazuki Hirata praised Yoshimura for getting stronger but reminded him it is because he grew up in their unit. He wants DISASTER BOX to get a shot at the KO-D Tag Team Titles with HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi as the challengers. Yoshimura joked that Owashi only has a decent match in him once every four years so his next one is due. Owashi snapped back by saying he is currently a double crown champion just like Higuchi! He’ll tear the KO-D Tag Titles from Harimao so he can add them to the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title and the O-40 Title. Then he will become a triple crown champion! Yoshimura accepted the challenge then asked why Hirata came out with them when he’s not involved in the match? Everyone agreed to do the title match on 4th September in Nagoya.

Before the show ended, Higuchi was interrupted by Shinya Aoki. The new holder of the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere title shot simply climbed into the ring, walked past Higuchi and climbed back out. Higuchi shrugged him off and said he is ready to fight Aoki whenever he wants. Endo then entered the ring for one last faceoff with Higuchi. He said no matter how strong Higuchi gets, Endo will still be standing in front of him on 20th August. He pointed out that nobody from DDT was included in TV Asahi’s recent Pro Wrestling General Election poll to determine the most popular wrestlers in Japan. Both Endo and Higuchi agreed it is up to them to spread DDT to the world at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”!

The first appearance of Joey Janela in DDT turned out to be a smashing success for the American. He outsmarted Akito in the IPPON Lighttube Death Match to become the new DDT Extreme Champion! The goal of the match was to avoid breaking the lone lighttube involved in the match. That led to both Akito and Janela doing whatever they could to prevent themselves from landing on the lighttube or tricking each other into damaging it. The climactic rush of antics led to Janela sliding the lighttube across the ring while Akito charged towards him, causing Akito to step on it and break the glass everywhere. The former champion congratulated Janela and later said his sense for “Extreme” wrestling is outstanding. Janela described the finish to the media like it was something from the movie “Home Alone”.

Janela’s next scheduled match in DDT is against Shunma Katsumata on 20th August. While Janela was in the middle of a foul mouthed victory speech where he revealed his goal is to become the best foreign wrestler in DDT history, Katsumata came out to interrupt him. Neither person speaks the other’s language so a lot was lost in translation. Janela eventually figured out that Katsumata wants their match next week to have the Extreme Title on the line. Once Janela understood that Hisaya Imabayashi is the one in charge of making decisions, the challenge was accepted for 20th August. Katsumata then told “The Bad Boy” that he is “The Happy Boy”! That only confused Janela further.

Another preview match for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” was built around Yuki Ueno’s challenge for the DDT Universal Title held by Masahiro Takanashi. With Toi Kojima on his team, Ueno got the better of Takanashi & Antonio Honda on this day. He countered the Takatonic with the Gin And Tonic and then pinned Honda with the BME. While a beaten Takanashi was being carried out of the arena by Chris Brookes, Ueno got on the microphone. He said Takanashi always climbs up from the bottom but he needs to understand that DDT is no longer at the bottom! Ueno promised the fans he will win the Universal Title from Takanashi and make DDT even more lively. Backstage Kojima described how different wrestling in front of a cheering crowd is like for him. He feels completely different than usual in a good way and hopes the fans will get to continue making noise soon.

The singles match between Saki Akai and Asuka was a big meeting for both of them before their Mixed Tag Match with Akiyama and Brookes next week. The Big Boots went flying from both. Akai went for the Quetzalcoatl but Asuka avoided it and went on to win after hitting the Shiranui to her opponent. She only previously used that move as part of a double team attack with MAO. The move works so well for her she decided to adopt the regular version of it as a new finisher. Afterwards Asuka bragged about never losing to Akai and predicts the result of the Mixed Tag Match will be the same. However she also encouraged Akai to do her best when teaming with Akiyama. Akai said if she felt discouraged after today’s results then the last nine years she spent wrestling would have be in vain. She will move forward and get ready to team with Akiyama.

The Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere gimmick was brought back after being absent for a while. This year’s match was a combination Battle Royal/Ladder match, which is the usual choice for this prize. However the twist this time involved three envelopes hanging above the ring. Only one of the envelopes was the real prize that needed to be grabbed to win the match. The other two were dummy prizes that disqualified whoever would grab them. Hirata found that out the hard way when he was the first to pick a wrong envelope. As other wrestlers got knocked out of the match through normal means, Aoki and Katsumata ended up as the final two. Aoki used the ladder to pin Katsumata down to the canvas so he could climb it and grab the real prize, winning the match. Katsumata didn’t believe it so he grabbed the last envelope, just to confirm it wasn’t the right one.

It was promoted before the show that the actual prize representing the Right To Challenge title shot this year is something that has never been used before in pro wrestling. Imabayashi handed Aoki an iPad with an image loaded up on the screen. He then explained that Aoki’s prize is the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere NFT! DDT decided to create one in order to prevent the title shot from being forged or stolen. Aoki will have to create an account to claim the NFT but the rules for the title shot are the same as always. He has one year to claim his KO-D Title shot at any DDT show he wants. But if Aoki directly loses any wrestling match, the NFT and the title shot is given to whoever beats him. This continues until the title match is cashed in or the year long timeframe expires. Imabayashi asked Aoki if he has an idea of when to use his title shot. Aoki simply smiled and walked off.

The anticipated debut of Takeshi Masada lived up to expectations. With only three months of training, Masada is already receiving high praise for his performance against the backbone of DDT, HARASHIMA. A lot of his moveset in the match was kick heavy because of his Shorinji Kempo background but he also pulled out a Falcon Arrow, using one of HARASHIMA’s own moves against him. The rookie was grounded with a Crab Hold which gave him a chance to show determination by fighting for a rope break. He got back into the swing of things with a kicking exchange until HARASHIMA swept his legs from under him and smashed him with the Somato to win the match. HARASHIMA congratulated him for making his debut and said it was amazing to hear the crowd cheer for the newcomer. He also said the debut match is the weakest point of a pro wrestler’s life so Masada will only get stronger from here. Masada said the match was a great experience. He got to fight HARASHIMA so now his next goal is to pin him for the three count! He also explained his ring gear is inspired by “Saturday Night Fever” because he likes old things.

DAMNATION T.A used their match to rub it in Yukio Sakaguchi’s face that they hold the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. Sakaguchi made it literal when he pressed his face into the belt KANON held up to him to build up more tension between the two. Daisuke Sasaki got a cheap shot in by throwing a chair at Sakaguchi while he was leaning over the middle rope. MAO got one back by sucker punching MJ Paul on the ring apron. Yuki Ishida ended up getting worked on by DAMNATION T.A. He made a small comeback but fell to the numbers disadvantage and got pinned by KANON’s Sleepy Hollow. Sasaki said it is about time for KANON to give old man Sakaguchi some guidance and lead him into retirement.

The big reveal of the show was the identity of White Briefs Man. The masked man who’s been following Pheromones around showed up still wearing the costume and wrestled as such. Pheromones were without Yumehito Imanari today because he is still recovering from yesterday’s Ganbare☆Pro show. That meant nobody was there to throw opponents into Danshoku Dieno & Yuki Iino’s exposed backsides. That gave Owashi & Soma Takao the chance to clear the ring and leave White Briefs Man with Sanshiro Takagi. The mask was pulled off and the identity was revealed. It’s Koju Takeda from Triple Six! Takeda pinned Takagi with the Shining Driver and was welcomed into Pheromones as Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda! Dieno said the unit is now complete with this addition. Takagi couldn’t believe it. He remembers Takeda used to wrestle in DNA and is a former KO-D 6-Man Tag Champion. This means Pheromones is getting stronger and he does not know how to stop it!

The 30th Anniversary of Jun Akiyama’s debut match will be celebrated on 18th September. Akiyama will team with Endo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru to take on Yuji Nagata, Konosuke Takeshita & Katsumata. Akiyama said Nagata and Kanemaru are two people who were indespensible to him over the last 30 years. Endo and Takeshita are in the match because Akiyama has passed down his techniques to both of them. Finally Katsumata is involved because Akiyama predicts he will become like Kanemaru in the future.

Kenta Kobashi will be at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” to be the special witness for the Higuchi Vs Endo main event.