NOAH “KEIJI MUTO GRAND FINAL PRO-WRESTLING “LAST” LOVE~HOLD OUT~”, 21/02/2023
Tokyo Dome
30,096 Fans
0. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Offer Match – TJPW Spark: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Rika Tatsumi defeated Mizuki, Maki Itoh, Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai when Sakazaki pinned Arai with the Magical Girl Chicken Dude (11:38).
2. DDT Pro Wrestling Offer Match – Dramatic Dream Future: MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima defeated Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada when Ueno pinned Masada with the WR (9:06).
Without a doubt the biggest wrestling show to take place in Japan this year took place today with Keiji Muto retiring at the Tokyo Dome. On the undercard there were matches put together by several companies including DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro. The DDT match presented The 37KAMIINA taking on Tetsuya Endo leading a team of DDT’s future stars in the making. For Endo the match gave him an opportunity to be on the big stage for the first time since the concussion incident at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” last June. His Burning Star Press was dodged by MAO but he was able to make up for it by hitting the Sasuke Special into an Overhead Kick later on. Takeshi Masada also stepped up to the plate and brought the fight to Yuki Ueno. That moment was stopped with a German Suplex followed by Ueno’s pinpoint Dropkick. Ueno then got the pin by giving Masada the WR to give The 37KAMIINA the victory.
Backstage Ueno told reporters unfamiliar with The 37KAMIINA that the group loves to have hot matches that transforms arenas into saunas. For Muto’s retirement at the Tokyo Dome they really wanted to have a match as passionate as the occasion. Because of that MAO admitted everybody in the match were feeling nervous. Even if they made the atmosphere even just a little bit more electric he hopes the match helped build the show up towards its massive main event. Toi Kojima had a Konosuke Takeshita shirt with him to represent Takeshita in spirit so in a way all five members of the unit were together at the Tokyo Dome. Shunma Katsumata told everyone to keep doing their best so some day DDT will have their own proper show in the Dome. Endo noted that his team was not a unit at all but everyone got to see how hard they work on a regular basis. Yuya Koroku said the match is a great source of inspiration for his future in wrestling. Hideki Okatani isn’t as positive because he felt he did not give his best effort out there. The experience will fuel him to get better though. Out of all of the wrestlers involved, the match may have left the most impact on Takeshi Masada. The rookie said he will never forget the sight of the ceiling he had to stare at after he lost the match.
The pre-show featured an 8-Woman Tag Match put together by TJPW. Everyone got their own moment in the spotlight in the centre of the ring. Maki Itoh demonstrated her hard head, Miu Watanabe did the Giant Swing, Rika Tatsumi threw some Dragon Screws, Mizuki landed the Whirling Candy, Miyu Yamashita used her Return Crash kick from the corner, Yuki Arai was able to do the Full Nelson Buster and Shoko Nakajima wiped out a group of wrestlers outside with a Topé Suicida. But it was Yuka Sakazaki who brought things to an end by pinning Arai with the Magical Girl Chicken Dude.
Everyone gave their comments backstage after the match. Yamashita said their time out there in the Tokyo Dome came and went in the blink of an eye. She is really happy that TJPW played a part on a day as historic as Muto’s retirement. Sakazaki wanted to thank Muto for allowing them to have the match because it made them love pro wrestling even more. Nakajima now wants TJPW to run the Tokyo Dome themselves and does not think that dream is impossible. Tatsumi agrees and because she wants all of TJPW to be here. Watanabe wants to spread the word and tell everyone how wonderful TJPW is. Mizuki thinks the company will grow even bigger and she will do her best to headline the Dome some day. Itoh was very happy to do the Cutest Knuckle Punch In The World at the Tokyo Dome. Arai was disappointed to lose the match but still called the experience a wonderful time with wonderful wrestlers.


Posted by JamieOD