DDT “DDT TANABATA SPECIAL 2023 IN SHINJUKU”, 07/07/2023
Shin-Kiba 1st RING
305 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Toru Owashi & Kazuma Sumi defeated Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno when Sumi pinned Dieno after the Kamigoye from Yoshitomo Shimohigashi (9:38).
2. DISASTER BOX Vs BURNING!: HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata defeated Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada when HARASHIMA pinned Okada with the Somato (8:15).
3. Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Ilusion when Okatani pinned Ishida with a Running Elbow Butt (9:20).
4. KANON Debut 4th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: TAKA Michinoku & KANON defeated Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku when KANON submitted Koroku with the Ground Cobra Twist (11:12).
5. International Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Nick Wayne with the WR (14:29).
6. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Toy Kojima with the Crossface Lock (10:26).
7. Road To PETER PAN 2023! Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi defeated Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi when Hino submitted Brookes with the King Kong Sleeper (10:43).
Today saw the return of Chris Brookes to the ring after spending over a month recovering from a dislocated shoulder. He only has a little over two weeks now to get into his best condition for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”. The start of his “Champion’s Road” could not have gotten off to a rockier start when CDK took on Ω. Brookes showed some some threat to Yuji Hino by countering the Fuckin’ BOMB into an Octopus Stretch. But Hino powered his way out of the move and submitted Brookes with the King Kong Sleeper. Hino taunted Brookes after the match by pretending his opponent was an amateur making his debut today. Makoto Oishi had to remind him it’s his challenger for Sumo Hall. Backstage Brookes admitted he is lacking confidence but he will get it back and win the KO-D Openweight Title from Hino. A lot can change in two weeks.
After weeks and weeks of cheating and dirty fighting from Daisuke Sasaki towards Toy Kojima, their grudge match today went by mostly without incident. Sasaki was by himself and fought clean the entire match. Kojima almsot beat him with the Kojima In Wonderland but then missed a Totonou Splash. That allowed Sasaki to take over and submit him with the Crossface Lock. Sasaki then gave Kojima an offer to join DAMNATION T.A after the match! Kojima refused and left the ring.
Sasaki changed the subject by promising a big surprise for the fans in attendance. El Desperado’s music suddenly played but nobody came out. Sasaki then stopped the music and made fun of everyone for thinking he was going to invite him here. Desperado’s music then played again and this time he really did appear! He asked Sasaki what was going to be at stake for their match at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”? Neither of them have any championships but the match sponsor will reward the winner with a year’s supply of tequila. That’s good enough for them! On 23rd July Sasaki and Desperado will fight not for championships, not for hair, not for masks and it will not be a No DQ Match. The two of them are just going to enjoy an intense fight against each other.
A big week is coming up for Nick Wayne. His official debut for AEW back in America was announced for next week but first he had to finish off his tour with DDT today. He lost to Yuki Ueno but left a good impression on his opponent. Ueno said in his post-match comments that Wayne’s potential is not his physcial ability but his love for pro wrestling. It’s on the same level as Brookes and Konosuke Takeshita and will take him wherever he wants to go. Wayne said he learned a lot from the wrestlers on this tour professionally, physically and mentally. He thinks being able to learn stuff like that right before his AEW debut will benefit him.
KANON got to celebrate the 4th Anniversary of his debut match by teaming with his mentor TAKA Michinoku. They defeated Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku with KANON submitting Koroku. Endo doesn’t mind the result because he got to hit the Sasuke Special on Michinoku. Apparantely that was all that mattered to him today because he didn’t care it was KANON’s anniversary. Michinoku will be back in DDT on 23rd July to face MAO so he feels like he is currently standing in the eye of a hurricane. He also hopes to be brought back for KANON’s 5th anniversay. KANON suggests maybe then they can fight each other for that occasion.
The boost of momentum Yuki Ishida has gotten against Eruption lately was brushed aside by Hideki Okatani. The Dosukoi Hold Ishida’s been using to be Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai did not work here and instead Okatani pinned him with a Running Elbow Butt. Sakaguchi asked Harimao after the match what is the point of “Dosukoi”? If they care that much about it they can go eat yakitori in Ryogoku and leave the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles to them. This attitude was in contrast to the start of the show when the two teams signed the contract for their title match at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”. During that Eruption said this is their last chance to win the 6-Man Tag Titles because of Akai’s retirement at the end of the year.
Kazuki Hirata would have lost his tag match several times over if it wasn’t for HARASHIMA running in to break the pin every time. Everything Jun Akiyama did to Hirata would have been a one hit kill otherwise. HARASHIMA kept his team in the game and scored the win over Yusuke Okada with the Somato. His performance today got Hirata to ask if HARASHIMA has any weaknesses at all? It’s becoming very difficult for Hirata to think of a stipulation that will give him any chance of beating HARASHIMA when their DDT Extreme Title match takes place on 30th July.
Akito was at ringside for the entrances in the opening match with the intention of ambushing Pheromones. His goal was to eliminate them before they could reach the ring so their match would be cancelled. Toru Owashi & Kazuma Sumi agreed to look the other way and let Akito go ahead with his plan. It didn’t work. Yuki Iino & Danshoku Dieno survived Akito’s ambush and gave him a face full of Iino’s backside in front of the fans. The match went ahead as usual until all of a sudden Yoshitomo Shimohigashi interfered! He knocked out Dieno with a Bowling Uppercut followed by the Kamigoye, allowing Sumi to pin Dieno for the first time. Akito said Shimohigashi and Soma Takao are part of his Pheromones Subjugation Squad and they are going to drive Pheromones out of Sumo Hall!
Dramatic DDT 