D-Ou Doubleheader In Yokohama, Jackson Warms Up To The Ganpro Family

November 4, 2022

DDT “DDT FREE -NOVEMBER- D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA”, 05/11/2022
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Shunma Katsumata & Kazuma Sumi Vs Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Akito & Makoto Oishi Vs Hideki Okatani, Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Naomi Yoshimura (0) Vs Joey Janela (0)
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: MAO (2) Vs KANON (0)
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (1) Vs RSP (2)

There are not one but two shows filled with D-Ou Grand Prix matches taking place tomorrow in Yokohama. RSP won both of his DDT matches so far with the GTF and is looking to destroy the rest of the competition with that move. Daisuke Sasaki is coming off of a time limit draw but that can turn out to be just a minor setback if he can win here. MAO is one for two so far and still relying on creative or ingenious ways to win matches. KANON, Naomi Yoshimura and Joey Janela all need to do something to catch up because another loss for any of them will be very damaging to their chances of reaching the final.

DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 2”, 05/11/2022
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Harimao Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida Vs Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul
2. Yukio Sakaguchi Produce Match ~ 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Pokotan & Gota Ihashi Vs Saki Akai, Hideki Okatani & Kazuki Hirata
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes (0) Vs KANON (0)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (3) Vs Joey Janela (0)
5. Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Yukio Naya Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (2) Vs RSP (2)
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (2) Vs Yuji Hino (4)

By the time tomorrow is over the GP will already be around halfway done. Yuji Hino can storm ahead of the B Block if he beats Kazusada Higuchi and remain undefeated. Yuki Ueno figured out Janela but can he do the same with RSP? Tetsuya Endo is in the same situation with Sasaki because of their draw, not a bad thing as long as he wins from here on out. We’ll see if Chris Brookes has gotten over his embarassing countout loss to MAO.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW AUTUMN TOUR ’22”, 20/11/2022
Shinjuku FACE

1. Billie Starkz Vs X

The arrival of Billie Starkz in Tokyo Joshi Pro is happening sooner than expected. She will have her first TJPW match one week before she challenges Yuka Sakazaki for the Princess Of Princess Title.

GANBARE☆PRO “GIRI GIRI CHOP! 2022”, 27/12/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Kouki Iwasaki Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Last Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Kouki Iwasaki
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Hartley Jackson (c) Vs Mizuki Watase

Hartley Jackson would like to take his relationship with Ganbare☆Pro once step further and become part of the family. The roster has won him over with their fighting spirit while he defends the Spirit Of Ganbare Title against all of them. Mizuki Watase is next to challenge him, doing so one year after he himself joined the promotion. Watase’s win-loss record isn’t great but he carries the flame of Ganpro wherever he goes and wants to be the one to dethrone Jackson. If he does win and become the new champion, Watase will then personally welcome Jackson into the Ganpro family if he wants to. While all of this is going on, Ken Ohka is feeling left out in the cold. Every time he tries to confront Jackson to make a challenge, somebody else beats him to the punch.


DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 1” Results

November 3, 2022

DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 1”, 03/11/2022
Yokohama Radiant Hall
235 Fans

1. Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Soma Takao, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada when Okada pinned Kojima with the Sudden Death (9:11).
2. HARASHIMA Produce Match ~ Blindfold Breastfold Tag Death Match: Antonio Honda & Shunma Katsumata defeated HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata when Katsumata stripped off HARASHIMA’s bra (10:40).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino (4) defeated KANON (0) with a Dragon Sleeper (8:16).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya (2) defeated MAO (2) with the Back Drop (11:49).
5. RSP, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida when RSP pinned Ishida with the GTF (12:19).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (2) defeated Joey Janela (0) with the BME (10:01).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (3) Vs Daisuke Sasaki (1) ended in a Time Limit Draw (30:00).

A Block

1. Tetsuya Endo (3)
2. RSP (2)
-. Yuki Ueno (2)
4. Daisuke Sasaki (1)
5. Joey Janela (0)
-. Naomi Yoshimura (0)

B Block

1. Yuji Hino (4)
-. Kazusada Higuchi (2)
-. Yukio Naya (2)
-. MAO (2)
5. Chris Brookes (0)
-. KANON (0)

The big DAMNATION clash ended without a winner. Daisuke Sasaki worked on Tetsuya Endo’s injured ankle, weakening Endo’s aerial moves when he tried to use them later in the match. The match featured an unexpected surprise halfway through when Mad Paulie, not MJ Paul, came down to the ring while both wrestlers were down on their backs. A referee bump led to Paulie attacking Endo at first. But when Sasaki brought in a chair, Paulie stopped him from using it. Endo then gave Sasaki a Low Blow from behind. Paulie remained a neutral party from that point and the match continued. Endo gave Sasaki som Exploder Suplexes and the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb but Sasaki kept kicking out of the pins, even getting a 1 count. Endo’s ankle damage prevented him from hitting the Burning Star Press and Sasaki was able to get him into the Crossface Lock. Endo bit his hand to free himself and the two were left scrambling for the win until the time expired. After the match Endo said it’s been exactly two years since his Ota Ward Gymnasium match with Sasaki and “Charisma” is the same as he was back then. Sasaki didn’t have much to say other then ask Paulie how did he get back here from Planet Pauline? Endo said even though today ended in a draw, he is still going to win the D-Ou Grand Prix and collect all of DDT’s championships. He also wants any prize money he wins to be transferred to him as soon as possible. When he left the ring, Sasaki called BURNING a bunch of crap and Endo should be in DAMNATION T.A alongside him instead.

The DDT Universal Champion beats the DDT Extreme Champion! It was a match that left Yuki Ueno with a bloody nose from Joey Janela’s big attacks. Janela’s attempt to take things to the extreme included using an Avalanche Falcon Arrow along with trying to land moves onto the ring apron. Ueno fought back by dropping Janela onto the apron with a Facebuster. The Dropkick was the big difference maker as happens often with Ueno’s matches recently. That move left Janela in position to take the BME for Ueno to take the win. Ueno repeated his goal is to carry DDT on his back and winning the Grand Prix will help make that happen. He said Janela can pull out a lot of power at a moment’s notice and he couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Since Janela did not bring in any weapons, Ueno wonders if he was trying to prove he can win without going death match or hardcore? Janela is mad over losing his first match in DDT. He wants to go back to GCW with the D-Ou trophy as the “King Of Extreme” but now has to rethink his strategy.

Yukio Naya gets his first win of the tournament by beating MAO. The two fought out of the ring and spent a brief amount of time causing trouble in the lobby before coming back. MAO tried going for flash pins and almost won with a Hurricanrana. Naya stopped his momentum with a Knee Lift and got the win with a Back Drop. Naya is glad to win this match because MAO is an unpredictable opponent. His next opponent is Chris Brookes, a wrestler who specialises in Cradles and Roll Ups. Naya knows he needs to have a proper countermeasure ready to go against that. MAO figured that Naya studied him hard before today’s match and gives him credit for being so prepared. He got to see the Real Japan of Yukio Naya.

The B Block is currently led by Yuji Hino after today’s win over KANON. Although the two wrestlers come from different promotions, they are both connected by the having the same teacher TAKA Michinoku (Hino was K-DOJO and KANON was JTO). KANON got to lock in the Cobra Twist and apply it deep enough to take Hino down to the canvas. Hino couldn’t power out of the move so had to use the rope break to free himself. Hino then unexpectedly put KANON in a Dragon Sleeper and squeezed it tight enough to get his opponent to submit. Hino told his “brother-in-law” after the match that he can never beat him this way, but his Cobra Twist is still pretty good so they should have another match.

Blindfolds and bras were the name of the game for one of the non-tournament bouts. There was a match where everyone wore bras and were blindfolded. The goal was to win either by normal means or by stripping off their one of their opponents’ bras. There were a lot of missed attacks and accidental moves hitting the wrong people. Kazuki Hirata still somehow found a way to put on his Hirata GO! glasses and dance. HARASHIMA got his hands on Antonio Honda’s bra but was thrown down to the mat. Shunma Katsumata heard the slam and climbed the ropes. He went for the Totonou Splash but overshot HARASHIMA and missed. The two were able to detect each other and kept fighting until HARASHIMA’s bra was pulled off, giving Katsumata’s team the win.


GANBARE☆PRO “DIRTY HERO 2022” Results

November 3, 2022

GANBARE☆PRO “DIRTY HERO 2022”, 03/11/2022
Yokohama Radiant Hall
167 Fans

1. Tsuyoshi Okada defeated Yuki Kanzaki with an Omoplata (6:03).
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: Willow Nightingale & Moeka Haruhi defeated Yuna Manase & Yoshiko Hasegawa when Nightingale pinned Hasegawa with the Gutwrench Power Bomb (8:40).
3. Mixed Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE defeated Ken Ohka & YuuRI when HARUKAZE pinned YuuRI with the Fire Spear (12:03).
4. Dirty Hero 2022 Special Tag Match: Mizuki Watase & Toi Kojima defeated Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao when Watase pinned Takao with the Back Drop (13:38).
5. Kouki Iwasaki Send-Off Special Singles Match: Kouki Iwasaki defeated Shinichiro Tominaga with a Ground Cobra Twist (11:41).
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Hartley Jackson (c) defeated Shuichiro Katsumura with the Jumping Piledriver (21:50).
*V2 for Hartley Jackson.

The “Real Tiger Mask” had his hopes to become the new Spirit Of Ganbare Champion dashed in front of his home crowd. Shuichiro Katsumura tried luring Hartley Jackson into a grounded battle of submissions with some kicks inbetween. But Jackson was just too physically big for the plan to work. Katsumura could not fully apply his new Triple Three 3 Lock finisher so had to make do with a Double Two 2 Lock instead. The Ninja Choke also didn’t work and Jackson threw the challenger off of himself. A big Lariat was the beginning of the end and Jackson landed the Jumping Piledriver for the victory.

The two shook hands after the match and Jackson admitted to everyone he was pushed to the limit. When he first entered Ganbare☆Pro he thought he would rampage over everybody. Instead he found out everyone here has fighting spirit and he has come to like the place instead. Now he thinks Ganpro is like a big family and he can become a part of it. Ken Ohka came out and approached Jackson until Mizuki Watase also appeared and took the microphone from him. Watase said it’s been a year since he joined Ganpro and he kept the promotion’s fire burning everywhere he went. If he does not work for Ganpro now then when will he ever? That means he is next in line to challenge Jackson for the championship! If Watase wins then he will be the one to welcome Jackson into the Ganpro family. Jackson accepted the challenge on the condition that he gets some time to rest. He wants to be at 100% for this match so it will happen at Korakuen Hall on 27th December.

Kouki Iwasaki thanked Shinichiro Tominaga for agreeing to his selfish request for a singles match before he leaves Ganpro at the end of the year. Iwasaki only has two more matches left in Ganpro and promises to put his soul into them. He has one more selfish request and that is to team with Keisuke Ishii one more time.

Today is HARUKAZE’s mother’s birthday so she promised to win the Mixed Tag Match for her before heading out to the birthday party. She lived up to her word and did just that.

It’s understandable for a wrestler to feel down after failing to win a championship. Yuna Manase has been that way but today’s match with the Ganbare☆Joshi divison cheered her up. She’s now filled with super energy thanks to Willow Nightingale and the two have become purple friends. Yoshiko Hasegawa is happy she got to wrestle somebody from AEW and hopes to become stronger so they can fight again. Moeka Haruhi came up with cheerful nicknames for everyone in the match. Manase is Ganpro’s Sun, Hasegawa is Ganpro’s Moon and Nightingale is International Sunshine. What does that make Moeka? Ganpro’s Rainbow of course!


Spirit Of Ganbare Title Match Tomorrow, Endo And Sasaki Meet Again, Billie Starkz Coming To TJPW

November 2, 2022

GANBARE☆PRO “DIRTY HERO 2022”, 03/11/2022
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Tsuyoshi Okada Vs Yuki Kanzaki
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: Yuna Manase & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Willow Nightingale & Moeka Haruhi
3. Mixed Tag Match: Ken Ohka & YuuRI Vs Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE
4. Dirty Hero 2022 Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao Vs Mizuki Watase & Toi Kojima
5. Kouki Iwasaki Send-Off Special Singles Match: Kouki Iwasaki Vs Shinichiro Tominaga
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Hartley Jackson (c) Vs Shuichiro Katsumura

Tomorrow is Shuichiro Katsumura’s chance to win the Spirit Of Ganbare Title in his hometown. It’s a match that Hartley Jackson has been looking forward to a lot too. For an outsider champion, Jackson has been warming up to Ganbare☆Pro a lot during his time here.

DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 1”, 03/11/2022
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku Vs Soma Takao, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada
2. HARASHIMA Produce Match ~ Blindfold Breastfold Tag Death Match: HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda & Shunma Katsumata
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino (2) Vs KANON (0)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: MAO (2) Vs Yukio Naya (0)
5. Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida Vs RSP, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (0) Vs Joey Janela (0)
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (2) Vs Daisuke Sasaki (0)

It’s the first singles match between Tetsuya Endo and Daisuke Sasaki since the end of DAMNATION. We’re also getting the DDT Universal Champion against the DDT Extreme Champion when Yuki Ueno takes on Joey Janela. Over in the B Block MAO continues to look for imperfect victories while Yukio Naya is trying to convince everyone he really has levelled up. If that’s not enough there is also the first ever singles match between Yuji Hino and KANON.

“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE – BOKUTACHI 4 HANJUKU 4 I LOVE YOU! 2022”, 22/11/2022
Shinjuku FACE

0. Dark Match: Shinsetsu Gomu Ningen & Gota Ihashi (w/ Miyako Haru) Vs Yasu Urano & Yuna Mizumori (w/ KUDO)
1. Mixed Gauntlet Tag Match: Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto Vs Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) Vs Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango Vs Cherry & Gorgeous Matsuno Vs Chie Koishikawa & Shin Suzuki Vs Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama Vs Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W
2. Mei Suruga Vs MAO
3. Chris Brookes, Drew Parker & Antonio Honda Vs Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao
4. Daisuke Sekimoto Vs Masahiro Takanashi

Here are some more wacky mixed teams for the Gauntlet Match. Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura are teaming up but something seems to be up with Sakura’s appearance on the show because the letter W is attached to her name. Choun-Shiryu is also coming along to team with Lee Yoneyama. Maybe that’s Kaori Yoneyama doing a New Beijing style gimmick?

There is also now a dark match featuring the UMA Corps led by Miyako Haru along with Gota Ihashi, Yasu Urano, Yuna Mizumori and even a KUDO appearance. All of Masahiro Takanashi’s friends are here!

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “ALL RISE ’22”, 27/11/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Billie Starkz

The next challenger for Yuka Sakazaki is Billie Starkz! The American teenage wrestler has been one of the emerging talents coming out of the US indies ever since events began running again. Her win against Maki Itoh in JCW a few months ago is one of the factors that led to her being picked for the next Princess Of Princess Title match.


DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 OPENING ROUND” Results

November 1, 2022

DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 OPENING ROUND”, 01/11/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
411 Fans

0. Dark Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Toru Owashi, Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata (w/ Akito) ended in a No Contest (7:49).
1. Yusuke Okada, Hideki Okatani & Yuki Ishida defeated Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima & Kazuma Sumi when Ishida pinned Sumi with a Spinebuster (9:03).
2. Joey Janela & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul ended in a No Contest (7:39).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: RSP (2) defeated Naomi Yoshimura (0) with the GTF (8:14).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: MAO (2) defeated Chris Brookes (0) by Countout (11:53).
5. Jun Akiyama Produce Match: Jun Akiyama & HARASHIMA defeated Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada when Akiyama pinned Masada with the Exploder Suplex (11:38).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino (2) defeated Yukio Naya (0) with the World’s Best German Suplex (13:04).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (2) defeated KANON (0) with the Brain Claw Slam (18:33).
8. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (2) defeated Yuki Ueno (0) with the Burning Star Press (15:41).

A Block

1. Tetsuya Endo (2)
-. RSP (2)
3. Daisuke Sasaki (0)
-. Joey Janela (0)
-. Naomi Yoshimura (0)
-. Yuki Ueno (0)

B Block

1. Kazusada Higuchi (2)
-. Yuji Hino (2)
-. MAO (2)
4. Chris Brookes (0)
-. Yukio Naya (0)
-. KANON (0)

A minor ankle injury did over the last week does not seem to be much of a bother for Tetsuya Endo. His start to the D-Ou Grand Prix could not have gone any better. A big win over Yuki Ueno in today’s main event sent the message loud and clear. Endo is determined to win the Grand Prix and after that every DDT singles championship will be in his sights, even the DDT Universal Title held by Ueno! Endo’s next match in his block is another difficult one. He and Daisuke Sasaki have so much history together. Endo is feeling pain in his left ankle and admits he is not at his best, but he will be fine whenever he gets into the ring.

Maybe it’s not a good idea to spend so much time taunting Kazusada Higuchi. Sure, KANON got away with it once or twice heading into today’s match but here is where it all came back to bite him. KANON did show a good fight by getting a nearfall with the Sleepy Hollow. He also grounded Higuchi into the Cobra Twist but getting grabbed with a Brain Claw turned things around. Higuchi smashed him with a few Lariats and pinned him with the Brain Claw Slam. After the match Higuchi brought up KANON’s claim that he would be laughing over his corpse today. That didn’t happen and even if KANON could beat him, he would never die. Instead Higuchi is aiming for the top by winning the DDT Grand Slam! He already won King Of DDT and holds the KO-D Openweight Title. Now he just needs to win the D-Ou Grand Prix.

Friends and tag team partners Yuji Hino and Yukio Naya had to face each other in their opening block match. Naya is putting a lot of effort into convincing everyone he has taken a step up and is ready to win the tournament. He came out to new music and new ring gear to cap off a new version of himself. Unfortunately for Naya, Hino is still one of the strongest wrestlers around. There was the surprise of Naya kicking out of the Fuckin’ BOMB but he was done for once Hino hit the World’s Best German Suplex. Hino was happy to see how much his friend has grown and admitted the German Suplex was a last minute move he needed to win. Naya is not letting the loss get to him because he knows he can still reach the final if he wins his remaining matches.

In non-tournament action, the veteran team of Jun Akiyama & HARASHIMA welcomed the challenge of Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada in a battle between the generations. The youngsters gave Akiyama a Double Brainbuster and Masada followed it up with a Triangle Kick for a nearfall. Akiyama cut him off with Running Knee Strikes then shrugged off Masada’s Elbow Strikes to hit some more Knee Strikes. The Exploder Suplex then put an end to the match. Akiyama praised Masada for showing guts and wonders if he will be in the D-Ou GP next year if he continues showing progress. Koroku however might be getting pushed around to easily if Akiyama is being honest.

Back to the Grand Prix where MAO attempted to avenge last year’s tournament loss to Chris Brookes. Last time MAO was counted out in embarrassing fashion and it has haunted him ever since. Both were fighting for the countout win, oddly enough. It led to them fighting up in the balcony before racing back to avoid the 20 count. MAO got ahead and leapt over the barrier, landing on one end of a wooden plank leaning over it. It caused a see-saw effect where the other end hit Brookes right between the legs! MAO made it back to the ring in time to win by countout. He said what we just saw is his ability to win by imperfect means. He only had to put in a 65% performance and he was able to win this way. MAO faces Naya next and he thinks he will have to go 100% just to match Naya’s improved performances.

The debuting RSP put a dampener on Naomi Yoshimura’s start to the tournament. Yoshimura is Kenta Kobashi’s pick to win the tournament but couldn’t find anything to put his American opponent away. Instead RSP got the win with his GTF finisher. RSP explained afterwards that even though Yoshimura’s attacks hurt, he is used to pain and could withstand all of it. Yoshimura is frustrated to lose yet can’t help but love fighting against big and powerful foreign wrestlers.

Some of the undercard matches went out of control a little bit. Joey Janela and Daisuke Sasaki are upcoming opponents so were put in a preview tag team match. Sasaki had good ol’ reliable MJ Paul with him while Janela found himself in an odd couple with Yukio Sakaguchi. Things went off the rails from the get go when Sasaki and Janela fought outside the ring. Chairs were brought into the brawl and Janela accidentally hit Sakaguchi with one. Sakaguchi stormed off in anger, leaving Janela by himself to fight off Sasaki & MJ Paul. Janela was able to give Sasaki a Low Blow and a chair shot before the match was called off by the referee. Janela said Sasaki crossed a line and swore revenge. He later asked interviewers why isn’t Jun Akiyama in the tournament? Janela has fought many old wrestlers from the ages of 50 to 75 so he wants to add Akiyama to the list!

A mixture of DDT talent among the different stables were put together for the opener. Yusuke Okada from BURING, Hideki Okatani from Eruption & Yuki Ishida from Harimao defeated Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima from The 37KAMIINA along with the unaffiliated rookie Kazuma Sumi. Ishida pulled out a Sitout Spinebuster on Sumi to get the win.

So much for the Pheromones Subjugation Squad. Akito’s first day in charge of keeping Danshoku Dieno and his buddies under control ended in complete failure. Or did it? Toru Owashi, Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata were rendered powerless to stop them until Akito revealed he had a secret plan. It was Akito stripping himself down to his underwear for some reason. Hisaya Imabayashi called off the match and told Akito there was no point taking his clothes off because there was already too much stripping going on. However that meant Pheromones didn’t win the match so in Akito’s mind his plan kind of worked!

Kenta Kobashi led the D-Ou opening ceremony where all of the entrants were introduced to the fans. He said he was looking forward to seeing exciting fights that would be worthy of the tournament and asked the fans to show their passionate support for the wrestlers.

The day began with Sanshiro Takagi promising to announce an important piece of news about DDT. First, footage was shown of Yuki Iino spending his one day as CyberFight President as promised. After that, Takagi came out and announced DDT has begun a business partnership with Sun Music to open up more entertainment opportunities for their wrestlers. Takagi then introduced everyone to Hiroyuki Oka, the vice president of Sun Music. The goal is to give DDT wrestlers more exposure in the entertainment industry while also bringing in comedians, singers and other talent who are interested in pro wrestling. Oka got in the spirit of things by complimenting the wrestlers in the dark match for all having beautiful butts… It was a Pheromones match, what did you expect?


DDT Around The World – October 2022

November 1, 2022

October was a lighter month for DDT related matches from around the world but there is the news of DDT returning to America next year making up for it. The month has mostly been Shota continuing his excursion of the most obscure American indies I ever heard of while Joey Janela’s been defending the DDT Extreme Title and ended up getting himself his own Triple Crown of independent hardcore championships. Konosuke Takeshita is back in America but kept out of the public eye all month. Whether it’s to acclimate to his new home or just taking a well earned rest remains to be seen. Until his reemerges the monthly column will continue to focus on Shota and the Tokyo Joshi Pro talent working abroad. Oh, and Miyu Yamashita made a new friend.

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Videos


Video starts at 22:33 for the match
PWF “LIVEWIRE 19”, 01/10/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Shota Suzuki Vs Dante Leon


Video starts at 23:52 for the match
JCW “JCW VS THE WORLD”, 09/10/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Shota Vs Steve Scott


RCW “WORLD CUP 3”, 22/10/2022
Casinet d’Hostafrancs, Barcelona, Spain

1. World Cup 3 – Round 1: Sara Leon Vs Maya Yukihi


RCW “WORLD CUP 3”, 22/10/2022
Casinet d’Hostafrancs, Barcelona, Spain

2. RCW World Women’s Title – World Cup 3 – Final – 3 Way Match: Aurora Vs Maya Yukihi Vs Nightshade


RCW “WORLD CUP 3”, 22/10/2022
Casinet d’Hostafrancs, Barcelona, Spain

3. Miyu Yamashita Vs Millie McKenzie


MPX “FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS”, 22/10/2022
MPX Event Center, Bedford, Texas, USA

1. Shota Suzuki Vs Phil Shark


NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 7”, 27/10/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Clay Roberts Vs Shota Suzuki

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Results


WXW “WORLD TAG TEAM FESTIVAL 2022”, 01/10/2022
Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany

1. World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Group A: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (3) defeated Axel Tischer & Eric Young (0) when Takanashi & Brookes pinned Tischer with the Hair Of The Dog (12:12).
2. World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Group B: Robert Dreissker & Laurance Roman (3) defeated Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie (0) when Dreissker pinned Abe with the Dreissker Bomb (15:57).

The first day of the month was a busy one. It began in Germany where wXw hosted the opening day of the World Tag Team Festival. Our boys CDK started off the group stage hot by beating SAnitY with their tricky tag team stylings. Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie found themselves with opposite fortunes, losing to Amboss in the semi-main event.


PWF “LIVEWIRE 19”, 01/10/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Shota Suzuki defeated Dante Leon with a Crucifix Pin (?:??).

Shota gets his first win in America! It came real close though. Dante Leon had him beaten with a Swanton Bomb onto Shota’s back while Shota was bent over. But a lackadaisical cover allowed Shota to slip Leon into a Crucifix Pin for the surprise three count. There was good sportsmanship shown with a handshake afterwards.


WXW “WORLD TAG TEAM FESTIVAL 2022”, 02/10/2022
Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany

1. World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Group B: Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie (3) defeated Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku (3) when Abe submitted Ku with the Manjigatame (15:07).
2. World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Group A: Senza Volto & Aigle Blanc (3) defeated Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (3) when Blanc pinned Takanashi with the Tombstone Piledriver (17:58).

Day 2 of the WTTF saw Abe & Irie more than make up for their defeat the previous day. They went to war against Violence Is Forever. Poor Kevin Ku was busted open from a massive Headbutt given to him by Abe. Irie then smashed the guy with the Beast Bomber and Abe twisted him into submission with the Manjigatame. CDK suffered a setback by losing to The Frenchadors. A Moonsault out of the ring from Senza Volto wiped out Chris Brookes. That meant nobody was there to save Masahiro Takanashi from being pinned by Aigle Blanc’s Tombstone.


WXW “WORLD TAG TEAM FESTIVAL 2022”, 03/10/2022
Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany

1. World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Group A: Prince Ahura & Maggot (4) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (4) ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
2. World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Group B: Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie (6) defeated Nikita Charisma & Michael Schenkenberg (3) when Abe submitted Charisma with the Manjigatame (10:38).

The last night ended bittersweet for both teams. CDK went to a time limit draw with The Pretty Bastards while Abe & Irie beat the team known as Rot Und Flott. While those are not bad results, neither was enough for our teams to qualify for the final and fight for the wXw World Tag Team Titles.


GCW “FIGHT CLUB 2022 – NIGHT 1”, 08/10/2022
Garden Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Effy defeated Shota with the Sack Ryder (4:34).

Shota made his big debut under the bright lights of GCW during one of their biggest nights of the year. It should have been taking place at The Showboat in Atlantic City but a double booking snafu led to the show being held outdoors on the boardwalk nearby instead. Shota’s time in the ring with Effy was short and sweet with Effy getting his hand raised in victory at the end.


JCW “JCW VS THE WORLD”, 09/10/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Steve Scott defeated Shota with a Rope Assisted Fire Thunder Driver (7:23).

The next afternoon the GCW show was held inside the proper venue along with their spinoff promotion JCW. Unfortunately for him his opponent Steve Scott seemed to have an answer for everything that was thrown at him. He even took selfies while putting Shota in holds. Scott threw away Shota’s Tornado DDT then lifted him up into a Fireman’s Carry. From there Scott draped Shota’s legs over the top rope and dropped him with the Fire Thunder Driver for the win.


GCW “FIGHT CLUB 2022 – NIGHT 2”, 09/10/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. GCW Extreme Title & DDT Extreme Title: Joey Janela (DDT/c) defeated Cole Radrick (GCW/c) with a Cradle (15:42).
*V4 for Joey Janela. Cole Radrick fails in V8. Joey Janela becomes the 9th GCW Extreme Champion!

The working relationship between DDT and GCW has been growing throughout the month, hidden in plain sight while people in GCW have been constantly trolling wrestling news sites over rumours of GCW having connections to WWE. Janela is a focal point of both but let’s focus on the DDT stuff. He beat Cole Radrick in his 4th DDT Extreme Title defence and also won the GCW Extreme Title in the process. It was a wild match with chairs and doors getting broken everywhere. Radrick gave Janela a Superplex but Janela cradled him up on impact to get the three count out of nowhere.


VANGUARDIA/GCW “DEATHMATCH ELITE POR SIEMPRE PT. 2”, 14/10/2022
Deportivo 11 de Julio, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico

1. Vanguardia Extraordinario Title & DDT Extreme Title – 4 Way Match: Joey Janela (DDT/c) defeated Jimmy (V/c), Adrenalina and Calibus when Janela pinned Adrenalina with a Diving Foot Stomp through a Barb Wire Board (15:00).
*V5 for Joey Janela? Joey Janela becomes the 2nd Vanguardia Extraordinario Champion!

At the time of writing DDT has not yet acknowledged if this was an official Extreme Title defence. GCW went over to Mexico for a co-promoted show with Lucha Libre Vanguardia. During the show Janela put the Extreme Title on the line in a 4 Way Match with the Vanguardia Extraordinario Title also on the line. A barb wire board was the main weapon used in the match and Janela Double Stomped it on top of Adrenalina to win the match, taking the belt from the champion Jimmy without every beating him directly.


MSW “20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE”, 15/10/2022
Fairgrounds Indoor Building, Harrison, Arkansas, USA

1. Shota Vs Phil Shark

You never know who these wrestlers will bump into or what stories they can discover while working overseas. Take Phil Shark for example. This American wrestler is only 22 years old and he hasn’t been wrestling for long. However he spent time training in Japan for 2AW and was briefly a ringside attendant at their shows. Shota seems to like the guy after fighting him at a Mid-States Wrestling show and hopes some of the wrestling promotions in Japan will take notice of him.


RCW “WORLD CUP 3”, 22/10/2022
Casinet d’Hostafrancs, Barcelona, Spain

1. World Cup 3 – Round 1: Maya Yukihi defeated Sara Leon with a Jumping Knee (?:??).
2. RCW World Women’s Title – World Cup 3 – Final – 3 Way Match: Nightshade defeated Aurora and Maya Yukihi when Nightshade pinned Yukihi with the Neck Hanging Bomb (?:??).
*Nightshade becomes the 1st RCW World Women’s Champion!
3. Millie McKenzie defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Regal Plex (?:??).

I think this show was overshadowed by the story of Yamashita hanging out with Sasha Banks while they were both in Spain. Anyway, Yamashita had her first match against Millie McKenzie but came out on the losing end of it. Meanwhile Maya Yukihi was part of a tournament to crown RCW’s new women’s champion. She made it to the final but was pinned by Nightshade. So close yet so far.


MPX “FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS”, 22/10/2022
MPX Event Center, Bedford, Texas, USA

1. Phil Shark defeated Shota Suzuki with the Deadliest Catch (9:38).

Shota’s appearance for Metroplex Wrestling had him act as a heel which was unlike his previous matches on his excursion. It gave Shark the spotlight to be the hero and he beat Shota with a Twisting Death Valley Driver.


NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 7”, 27/10/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Clay Roberts defeated Shota with a Small Package (?:??).

Still in Texas, Shota had a match with Clay Roberts in New Texas Pro that had both on their social media afterwards full of happiness over their performances. It’s also been receiving praise from others who saw it. Unfortunately Roberts made sure to spoil the ending by giving Shota a Low Blow while the ref’s back was turned.


GLORY PRO “THE RELENTLESS”, 30/10/2022
South Broadway Athletic Club, St. Louis, USA

1. STL Vs The World Showcase: Benjamin Trust, ATM & Moses defeated Shota, GPA & Crash Jaxon when Moses submitted GPA with a Crab Hold (?:??).

Shota’s month ended with a trip to St. Louis for Glory Pro. He was part of a worldwide trio taking on three wrestlers representing St. Louis. He came out on the losing side.

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Upcoming Appearances


MPW “NIGHT FALL”, 04/11/2022
Nordhoff PL, Chatsworth, California, USA

1. Dustin Daniels Vs Shota

Shota is pleased with his excursion so far. He’s been getting plenty of bookings to keep him active and is building up more friendships and connections around the wrestling scene. Next up for him in November is a return to Millennium Pro Wrestling for a match against Dustin Daniels.


LEVEL UP “BLINDING LIGHTS”, 05/11/2022
Attitude Brewing Company, San Diego, California, USA

1. Triple Threat Match: Hunter Freeman Vs Fabrizio Vs Shota

A Triple Threat match awaits Shota when he goes to San Diego for the Level Up Pro Wrestling School. One of his opponents is Fabrizio who trained at the school. The other is “The Backwoods Brawler” Hunter Freeman. That guy has been getting attention in GCW with his death match efforts this year.


ROW “FALL FURY”, 12/11/2022
Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA

1. Shota Vs X

Shota will be part of the next Reality Of Wrestling TV taping.


EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM V – SHOW 1”, 13/11/2022
229 The Venue, London, England

1. EVE Tag Team Titles: Rhia O’Reilly & Skye Smitson (c) Vs Hyper Misao & Session Moth
2. EVE Title No. 1 Contender Match: Millie McKenzie Vs Miyu Yamashita

Uh oh. Hyper Misao’s match at EVE is a big one because she gets to challenge for the EVE Tag Team Titles. It’s a chance for a TJPW wrestler to do one better than The Uprising and take the other promotion’s tag titles. However an even bigger wild card is thrown in the mix with Session Moth Martina as Misao’s tag partner!


EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM V – SHOW 2”, 13/11/2022
229 The Venue, London, England

1. Hyper Misao Vs X
2. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

Whatever matches Yamashita and Misao will do on the second show most likely depends on what the results of the first show are. If both of them lose on the first show then don’t be surprised if they are put in the same match on the second show, maybe even against each other.


JCW “SERIES OF SURVIVALS”, 19/11/2022
Boonton Elks Lodge, Boonton, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Janai Kai

Back to the GCW circle where Maki Itoh returns. She’s popping up at JCW too for a first time match against Janai Kai.


WRESTLERAVE “IN YOUR WAREHOUSE”, 19/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. WrestleRave Title: Aaron Mercer (c) Vs Shota

Can Shota win his first American wrestling championship?


GCW “AURA”, 20/11/2022
Fete Music Hall, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Masha Slamovich

It’s been a breakout year for Masha Slamovich. Breaking through Itoh’s hard head might be her toughest test yet.


SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 1”, 24/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. SPW Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Da Butcherman & Dr. Gore

CDK have some dates in Singapore coming up. Two of them is for Singapore Pro Wrestling as they are holding a two day event to celebrate their 9 year anniversary. They have a SPW Tag Team Championship match against The Horrors. I cannot tell if these are existing tag championships, new ones or if the belts are vacant.


SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 2”, 25/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. Chris Brookes Vs X
2. SPW Southeast Asia Title – 4 Way Match: Aiden Rex (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi Vs Andruew Tang Vs Tajiri

Takanashi is in the main event 4 Way Match for the SPW Southeast Asia Title on Day 2. The champion right now is Aiden Rex but he is also defending the title on Day 1. The other challengers involved are former multi-time champion Andruew Tang and Tajiri.

Brookes is looking for an opponent and put out an open challenge for Day 2.


LLL “POD SIX WAS JERKS!”, 25/11/2022
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. Shota Vs Austin Reddick

So there’s an Oriental Theater in Denver hosting a Lucha Libre & Laughs wrestling event? Quite the mixture there. Shota takes on Austin Reddick over there and the show also has Max The Impaler on it.


GRAPPLE MAX “GOLD STANDARD”, 03/12/2022
GymKraft, Tampines Street, Singapore

1. Masahiro Takanashi Vs X

Takanashi will also be at Grapple MAX’s 6th anniversary show.


APAC “RISE”, 10/12/2022
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Round 1: Maki Itoh Vs X
2. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Round 1: Yuki Kamifuku Vs X

Malaysia in December sounds nice. Itoh and Yuki Kamifuku will be heading over there to compete in a tournament held by APAC Wrestling. It will be a four woman tournament also featuring former NXT wrestler Steph De Lander and Nor “Phoenix” Diana. This will be Kamifuku’s first time wrestling outside of Japan.

APAC “RISE”, 11/12/2022
Malaysia

1. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Final: X Vs X

The winner of the tournament will be crowned the first APAC Women’s Champion!


PRESTIGE “VENDETTA”, 21/01/2023
The Glass House, Pomona, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Athena

Now here’s a heavy hitting match! Prestige is hosting Yamashita against Athena! Yamashita is undefeated in Prestige and will look to continue her winning streak over there. January of next year looks so far away.


DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

The biggest news of all in October is DDT heading back to America! They are coming to Los Angeles during WrestleMania weekend as part of The Collective. That is GCW’s collaborative series of events with other indies. It is DDT’s first show in America since their New York show in 2019.


DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

If that’s not enough, there’s a show the next day pitting DDT wrestlers against GCW wrestlers. While GCW does have a regular core roster they could have anybody showing up repping their colours on the day.

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Cancelled Appearances


PW REVOLUTION/WEST COAST PRO “KING OF INDIES 2022”, 19/11/2022
United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco, California, USA

1. King Of Indies 2022: Konosuke Takeshita Vs X

Well so much for that. Takeshita has been pulled from the big King Of Indies tournament. It’s taking place the same day as AEW’s big PPV “FULL GEAR”. Hopefully there is something being planned for him there because I was really looking forward to seeing how he would have fared in this tournament.