Dramatic DDT

DDT “DDT GOES PHILADELPHIA!”, 04/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos defeated Bryan Keith & Shota when Lykos pinned Shota with the Brainbuster (8:28).
2. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo defeated Andrew “The Giant” Everett with the Burning Star Press (11:33).
3. Chiitan☆ defeated Dan The Dad with a Superplex through a Board (5:27).
4. Special Single Match: Yoshihiko defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Reincarnation (5:30).
5. DDT Universal Title – No Rules Match: MAO (c) Vs Billie Starkz ended in a Draw after a Double Pinfall (10:55).
5a. Rock Paper Scissors: MAO (c) defeated Billie Starkz when Scissors beat Paper.
*V7 for MAO.
6. Special Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada when KANON pinned Masada after the Freedom Call (7:11).
7. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Walls Of Takeshita (9:41).
8. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Mike Bailey with the WR (18:52).

We can get used to this being an annual thing, you know. DDT came back to America for another WrestleMania Week, this time arriving in Philadelphia to join in the festivities. In the main event Yuki Ueno took on an important figure from the last decade of DDT who doesn’t get to appear in Japan that often nowadays. Mike Bailey has taken on a lot of other stuff lately but getting a non-title match against the KO-D Openweight Champion just had to be fitted onto his schedule one way or another. The ring apron was used as an effective landing point for some big moves. Bailey used the Ultima Weapon and Green Tea Plunge for nearfalls and could not pull off the Flamingo Driver when needed. Ueno took a page out of HARASHIMA’s book by using the Reverse Frankensteiner and Somato to land deep hits on his opponent. The Dropkick to the face was the key to victory because that opened Bailey up to get pinned with the WR. Ueno wanted to shake his hand after the match but Bailey gave him a kiss on the lips instead. He must have really missed him.

When last we saw Konosuke Takeshita dealing with The 37KAMIINA he was showing tough love to some of his old friends followed by a personal moment to congratulate Ueno on reaching the top of DDT. Here in Philly he fought Shunma Katsumata with both wrestlers having chips on their shoulders towards each other. Katsumata attacked Takeshita during the entrances and there was a little more oompf to their attacks than usual. Takeshita blocked the Totonou Splash and got a nearfall with the Running Knee Strike. Driven to win, he then applied the Walls Of Takeshita to make Katsumata give up. He said it is always fun to wrestle him and it was their first singles match against each other in around 6 years. He is only going to get better so he will be waiting for his friend to try him again. Katsumata cannot figure out what it will take for him to finally beat Takeshita. He lost today but it has now become his goal to surpass his friend.

A reunion for Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada ended poorly when they lost to Daisuke Sasaki & KANON. Wayne was on fire leading up to a Quebrada onto his opponents outside the ring. However Sasaki kicked Masada below the belt, allowing KANON to take him down with a Lariat. The two DAMNATION T.A wrestlers then finished him off with the Freedom Call. KANON suggested to Sasaki after the match that they should invite Wayne to join DAMNATION T.A. He can clearly sense a bad side to him. If Sasaki didn’t get too drunk to forget the idea he will ask Wayne the next time he sees him.

No Rules were needed for the DDT Universal Title match between MAO and Billie Starkz. That led to a problem when all of the chaos they caused together in the ring ended in a Double Pinfall draw. A solution was needed and they quickly agreed to decide the winner via a game of Rock Paper Scissors. They tied the first two tries but on the third MAO used Scissors to beat Starkz and her Paper. MAO said he always stays one step ahead of everyone else which is why he is so universal. Although he realises he would have saved a lot of time if they just went straight into Rock Paper Scissors from the beginning. Starkz wasn’t pleased to have the result be decided that way. She hopes to return to Japan and fight MAO for the belt again over there.

A true trademark DDT match was promised and delivered to the Philly crowd when Kazuki Hirata fought Yoshihiko one on one. Hirata used all of his might to give Yoshihiko a Power Bomb from the top turnbuckle but only got a two count out of it. Yoshihiko then sent him on a ride in an unstoppable Locomotion German Suplex. Hirata kicked out of the pin in a final show of life until he was put down for the count with the Reincarnation. The two shook hands in a show of good sportsmanship afterward. It was a match Hirata always wanted to bring to America. Next time they can team up in the USA or even just a 3 Way Match would do. Yoshihiko backstage said Philadelphia was awesome.

I was going to say the above match was unlike anything else that weekend but the one before it was just as wild and unexpected. American indie wrestler Dan The Dad entered the ring demanding a match against anyone backstage. The fighter to answer the challenge was the psycho mascot Chiitan! It knocked Dan’s favorite mug out of his hand and the two brawled. A board was precisely placed on top of chairs and Chiitan Superplexed Dan through it for the victory. The mascot’s celebration was cut short when Chris Brookes suddenly attacked it from behind. It turns out Brookes still hates Chiitan to death! Dan joined in the beating causing Yoshihiko to make a rescue and chase them out of the ring. That was not the end for Chiitan’s woes during this show. At the very end of the event Takeshita knocked Chiitan out with an Elbow Strike just because he felt like doing it.

The Burning Star Press beats a giant’s Shooting Star Press. Whatever size difference existed between Tetsuya Endo and Andrew Everett was a challenge he could overcome. Endo kicked out of the Choke Slam and later countered the move into a Canadian Destroyer. He needed a giant move to put his opponent away so Endo did the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb from the top rope to set up the Burning Star Press for the victory. It is a matchup that Endo wants to experience more of whether it is in DDT, USA or anywhere else. Whenever they fight Endo wants to beat Everett with the best Shooting Star Press in the universe.

Shota’s first match as a freelancer put him in a familiar company but at an unfamiliar setting. He’s wrestled a bunch of times for DDT and GCW but it was a fresh experience getting to team with Bryan Keith to take on CCK. The tag team experience of CCK was unmatched though and Kid Lykos pinned Shota with the Brainbuster for the win. Shota is still happy with his lot in life. He is making some really great friends in wrestling such as the people he was in the ring with today. Keith is also feeling the love for DDT and wants to come back.