DDT “MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023”, 27/08/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
680 Fans
0. Dark Match – No Tag Rules: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Akito defeated Yuni & Ilusion when Iino pinned Ilusion with the Ketsugoye (8:38).
1. Minoru Fujita, KANON & MJ Paul defeated Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Rukiya when KANON pinned Rukiya with the Sleepy Hollow (8:49).
2. Saki Akai Photobook “GRACIA” Infomercial Match: Saki Akai Photobook “GRACIA” defeated Kazuki Hirata and Antonio Honda when “GRACIA” submitted Hirata and Honda with a Double Arm Lock (8:22).
3. Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol. 3 ~ Special Single Match: Saki Akai defeated Danshoku Dieno by TKO with a Face Kick (6:51).
4. Kazusada Higuchi, Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada defeated Yukio Naya, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku when Okatani pinned Koroku with the Double Arm Suplex (9:57).
5. HARASHIMA Debut 22nd Anniversary Match: HARASHIMA, Yasu Urano & Ken Ohka defeated Daisuke Sekimoto, Sanshiro Takagi & Yukio Sakaguchi when HARASHIMA pinned Sakaguchi with the Somato (14:15).
6. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Toy Kojima with the Crossface Lock (10:34).
7. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Yuki Ueno defeated Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama when Brookes pinned Irie with the Praying Mantis Bomb (19:45).
Chris Brookes returned his first big blow back at Shigehiro Irie by pinning him in today’s main event at Korakuen Hall. The early part of the tag match had Irie & Jun Akiyama in control but the tides turned with Yuki Ueno helping Brookes to stop Irie’s momentum. Ueno wore down Irie with a top rope Frankensteiner followed by the BME. After that Brookes took over by hitting the Diving Double Knee Drop and Michinoku Driver II for some nearfalls. Irie was spent after that though and was pinned with the Praying Mantis Bomb. Brookes said Irie had won all of their previous warm up matches and today is the first time Brookes beat him. Irie may want to take over the world but Brookes does not care about that. He cares about DDT because he is their champion. They have time left to get ready for the KO-D Openweight Title match on 9th September. Backstage Irie took the loss to think he is not the strong challenger he thought he was. But he won’t stop believing in himself until he makes it back to the top of DDT!
The god damn injury bug that’s been haunting DDT all year struck again over the weekend, causing a few changes on this show. The big one was MAO being pulled from the show to get checked for a suspected cheekbone fracture. He ended up being diagnosed with traumatic TMJ arthritis, putting him out of action until the 9th September show at Ota Ward Gymnasium. His match with Daisuke Sasaki meant for today was changed into Sasaki against Toy Kojima, bringing back their feud from earlier this summer. Sasaki quickly tried to end the match with an immediate Pedigree and Crossface Lock but Kojima reached the ropes. Sasaki then attacked the injured Shunma Katsumata at ringside. Kojima fought back by diving onto Sasaki and other DAMNATION T.A members outside the ring. He tried using one of Katsumata’s signature moves the Totonou Splash but Sasaki blocked it with his knees. Sasaki hit a Spear and used MAO’s Michinoku Driver II but Kojima kicked out. Sasaki then applied the Crossface Lock, making Kojima give up.
Sasaki attacked Kojima with a chair afterwards, telling him he isn’t the person he wants to join his side. Yuki Ueno ran into the ring to rescue Kojima and Sasaki stopped. He told Ueno to give him an answer for his offer. Does he want to stay in The 37KAMIINA and stay where he is for the rest of his life? Or will he join Sasaki and Konosuke Takeshita so they can all change the world together? Ueno wouldn’t except a handshake so Sasaki whispered something into his ear. Whatever it was, it made Ueno pause and think before helping Kojima to the back.
HARASHIMA put together his own 6-Man Tag Match to celebrate his 22nd anniversary in pro wrestling. He teamed up with his close friends Yasu Urano & Ken Ohka but that wasn’t all. KUDO appeared with them for their entrance down to the ring and stood in their corner. Their opponents weren’t going to take it easy on them though. Yukio Sakaguchi relished in the chance to bully Ohka again, taping his arms to his side to mock him. Daisuke Sekimoto chopped and suplexed HARASHIMA around the ring. Ohka got his revenge by giving Sekimoto & Sakaguchi separate Spears Of Fire. That put Sakaguchi in position to take the Somato from HARASHIMA for the finish. HARASHIMA said 22 years seems like a long time but it went by in the blink of an eye. He got to produce his own match with wrestlers he wanted to fight but there are still many more he wants to wrestle again. He looked at KUDO as he said that. Backstage Urano also brought up Toru Owashi as someone who’s been important for HARASHIMA’s career. Sanshiro Takagi thanked Sekimoto and Urano for gathering with DDT again to celebrate HARASHIMA. Sekimoto said he could really feel HARASHIMA’s love in the match so he had to show love for HARASHIMA in his own way.
The scheduled 8-Man Tag Match was changed around into a 6-Man Tag thanks to Kojima and Ilusion both being moved around the card due to other people’s absences. Hideki Okatani was supposed to be against Kazusada Higuchi & Takeshi Masada but now found himself teaming with them. Yukio Naya & Yusuke Okada held their own against them and it was all left there for Yuya Koroku to finish the job. He put Okatani in the Triangle Lancer but Higuchi broke it up by putting him in the Brain Claw. Masada then hit Koroku with the Triangle Kick and Okatani pinned him with the Northern Lights Suplex. Okatani described the match as a warm up for later tonight. Eruption are heading over to an All Japan show in Nagoya where they are defending the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles against the AJPW TV 6-Man Tag Team Champions in a double championship match! Eruption ended up winning that match so they are all now double crown trios champions!
No injury was going to cancel Saki Akai’s match with Danshoku Dieno given how much it meant for Akai. Dieno recently had surgery on a broken nose and wore a face guard in order to let the match take place. His injury made Akai cautious to attack, which he took advantage of. He gave Akai the Danshoku Driver but she kicked out and applied a Triangle Choke. Dieno reached the ropes but then took a Superplex. Akai again hesitated to use her kicking moveset that targets the face. Dieno told her it’s okay. He currently cannot breath through his nose but he accepted this match and this only shows the weak side of Saki Akai. A pro wrestler is not supposed to show weakness so he demanded she attack him! Akai did so and kicked him in the face over and over until Yukinori Matsui stopped the match, rewarding her the victory by TKO.
After the match Dieno admitted he never told the hospital he was doing this match. However he accepts being completely defeated and he lost today because Akai has become a stronger wrestler. He encouraged her to keep getting stronger until the moment she retires. Nobody should have the same opinion about what pro wrestling is because it’s fun to throw different opinions into the ring together. Akai promised to take what he just said and keep them in her thoughts during her remaining months as a pro wrestler. She will become stronger and get more people to know about DDT! As mentioned above, Akai later went to AJPW with Eruption in the evening to win the AJPW 6-Man Tag Titles. By doing so she has become the first female champion ever in All Japan’s history!
Akai sort of got another win in the match prior. Her new photobook “GRACIA” defeated Kazuki Hirata and Antonio Honda in a 3 Way Match created to promote said book. Honda briefly fainted when Hirata showed him some of the pages inside but the book istelf started doing wrestling moves, trapping both opponents in a Double Arm Lock to make them submit. Both Hirata and Honda wondered if the book was printed in Mexico because that would explain why something called “GRACIA” is good at submission holds.
Just like with Irie in the main event, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi suffered a setback in momentum in the opening match. KANON & Minoru Fujita along with MJ Paul beat them in a 6-Man Tag Match. Oishi tried shrugging off the result because KANON only pinned Rukiya. Hino agreed and said he doesn’t even know who Rukiya is. Backstage Ω and DAMNATION T.A signed the contract for the KO-D Tag Team Titles match on 9th September. But first KANON has to face Hino in a singles match on the 3rd.
Kazuma Sumi had to miss the show because of a fever. Ilusion took his place in the dark match. Akito wanting to team with Yuki Iino in a secret plan to infiltrate Pheromones naturally had Iino feeling suspicious. The two came to blows until Akito stripped out of his gear to reveal the costume he wore as Akito “Cochin” Nishigaki underneath! They got along from that point on until Akito tried to cost his tag partner the match. Yuni & Ilusion tried to take advantage but Iino found a way to win the match in one piece. He used the Ketsugoye, hitting Akito in the face with his groin before stuffing Ilusion’s face into his backside for the victory.
It was announced during the show that Hiromu Takahashi from New Japan will be at “ULTIMATE PARTY 2023” on 12th November! There was also a match announcement for the 18th September show in Nagoya. On that show Brookes, MAO & Honda will take on Sakaguchi, Akai & Minoru Suzuki!
Dramatic DDT 