DDT “NEW YEAR, NEW HERO. 2025 ~A NEW STORY BEGINS~”, 26/01/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Yuki Iino & Daichi Sato defeated Soma Takao & Yukio Naya when Iino pinned Takao with the Spear (9:30).
2. MAO & Toru Owashi defeated Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda when MAO pinned Honda with a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch Hold (8:29).
3. Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA & Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul when Matsunaga pinned KANON with a Sideways Cradle Hold (9:20).
4. DDT Extreme Title – Life’s Sparkle Rules: Danshoku Dieno (c) defeated Gorgeous Matsuno with an Inside Cradle (9:47).
*V2 for Danshoku Dieno.
5. Road To D GENERATIONS CUP 2025! Special 8-Man Tag Match: To-y, Yuya Koroku, Yuni & Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada, Keigo Nakamura, Ilusion & Yuki Ishida when Koroku submitted Nakamura with the Modified Triangle Lancer (12:53).
6. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno defeated Gringo Loco (c) with the WR (15:40).
*Gringo Loco fails in V3. Yuki Ueno becomes the 17th DDT Universal Champion!
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Chris Brookes (c) defeated Shuji Ishikawa with the Ground Octopus Stretch (22:21).
*V2 for Chris Brookes.
The second KO-D Openweight Title defence is in the bag for Chris Brookes. He was given a big challenge in the form of Shuji Ishikawa so he took some big risks to try and beat him. He tried attacking him with a stapler but Ishikawa did the same to him. Brookes set up a table at ringside but Ishikawa put him through it with the Fire Thunder and then attacked him with the remains to make the champ bleed. Brookes was able to deal some damage with the Somato and Praying Mantis Bomb but Ishikawa kicked out of them. Ishikawa pulled out another Fire Thunder but Brookes kept on fighting, even kicking out after he was given the Kamigoye and the Splash Mountain. An opening was badly needed to reverse him fortunes and Brookes found one when he avoided the Giant Slam. He jumped onto Ishikawa and clamped him into the Octopus Stretch, pulling him down to the mat and tightening the hold until Ishikawa gave up.
Ishikawa declined to shake Brookes’s hand after the match and left the ring. Brookes was then met with Akito who was serving as the GM in place of Hisaya Imabayashi today. Akito told him the next KO-D Title match will be at DDT’s 28th Anniversary show in Korakuen Hall on 20th March. He asked if Brookes had an opponent in mind? Brookes said there are around 10 people he would like to defend the title against but right now he cannot think straight because of the match he just had. Akito told him he has until the 23rd February Korakuen show to nominate his challenger. Brookes then decided to sing some karaoke in place of Ishikawa, singing “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. But when he reached the chorus, Ishikawa suddenly returned to the ring to join in! He then shook Brookes’s hand and left again. Backstage he promised the next time he fights Brookes he will be singing The Beatles for karaoke afterwards.
The DDT Universal Title has spent the last two months travelling around North America with Gringo Loco. Today was the first time he was wrestling in Japan since winning the championship at DDT’s Seattle weekend back in November. Yuki Ueno was his opponent of choice and the two provided a match filled with high flying and high impact moves. There were plenty of Frankensteiners, Destroyers and Spanish Flies to be seen. Loco hit the Base Bomb onto the ring apron and also gave Ueno an Avalanche Falcon Arrow. However Ueno hit back with the Dropkick to the Face, a Reverse Hurricanrana and then the WR to win the match and become the new champion! The two shook hands and Ueno told Loco he will see him next time in America.
Ueno called the Universal Title a divine belt that he won again for the first time in years. As much as he would like to spend a month going overseas to defend the belt in countries like America and Mexico, there is another idea he wants to do first. When he thinks about who he could defend the title against, one person immediately came to mind. There is a “Pirate King” he fought last year that he would like to fight again and he finally has the treasure needed to lure him back to DDT. He wants Minoru Suzuki! Akito heard his request and said he will pass it on to Suzuki. A decision over whether or not the title match can happen will depend on Suzuki’s schedule.
With the D GENERATIONS CUP about to start next month, all eight participants were eager to show what they are made of in an 8-Man Tag preview. Well, most of them were. Ilusion spent the last few days complaining about being sick and not wanting to wrestle today so he was nowhere to be seen at the start. His team had to wrestle 4-on-3 until Ilusion finally showed up to attack Takeshi Masada even though they were meant to be partners. They continued to get in each other’s way, allowing Kazuma Sumi & To-y to both get some moves in on them. Keigo Nakamura also got involved trying stop Ilusion from attacking the other team with a chair, distracting him long enough for Masada to Super Kick him. So Ilusion decided to get revenge by attacking Masada with the chair, leaving Nakamura & Yuki Ishida to spend the rest of the match fighting 2 against 4. Ishida in particular used his sumo power to fend off To-y, Yuni & Sumi. That left Nakamura and Yuya Koroku fighting each other by themselves. Koroku blocked Nakamura’s Crucifix Pin and turned it into the Modified Triangle Lancer to get the tap out win for his team.
According to Danshoku Dieno the most important thing in the world is the next second you live so his DDT Extreme Title match against Gorgeous Matsuno only needed a One Count Pinfall to win. The rule meant Matsuno needed to be at his absolute best while his back was against the wall. He constantly kicked out of Dieno’s moves before the pins could be counted but as the match went on, everybody noticed that Dieno was hesitant to use the Lip Lock on his 63 year old opponent. Matsuno saw his chance to win when Dieno missed a Moonsault. He gave Dieno his own Lip Lock, causing Dieno to wretch and collapse to the mat. Matsuno then hit the Gorgeous Superstar Elbow onto Dieno’s back. But when he rolled Dieno over, Dieno caught him with an Inside Cradle to get the one count pin and win.
Matsuno accepted defeat and shook Dieno’s hand before leaving the ring. Akito then told Dieno there is one person he would like Dieno to defend the Extreme Title defence on 20th March. It’s Yuki Iino! Akito explained it is the one match DDT has been avoiding. Their history together as Pheromones continues to cause a lot of trouble because videos of their matches recently demonetized DDT’s Youtube channel. However Akito would like Dieno and Iino to face each other before Pheromones completely disappears from everyone’s memories. Dieno argued against the decision because he wants to decide when he will fight Iino, not DDT. Iino told Dieno it was never the company’s decision to make him quit Pheromones, it was his own. He is also challenging Dieno for the Extreme Title out of his own free will, not because Akito asked him to do it. Akito ensured the two they can do whatever they want in the match as long as it results in the best Extreme Title bout ever. Dieno said he will do it but on one condition. Hisaya Imabayashi must be the referee! Akito agreed to his request and said he will take full responsibility for everything that will happen to Imabayashi.
The next challengers for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles made themselves known after they beat DAMNATION T.A in a non-title bout. Tomomitsu Matsunaga used KANON’s momentum against him and used an Arm-Trap Cradle to get the three count. Afterward he said he can sense the team of himself, Jun Akiyama & HARASHIMA are good enough to fight Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul again this time with the titles on the line. Akito agreed and booked a title match for 5th February at Shinjuku FACE. Matsunaga promised his team will turn the world upside down when they win the titles from DAMNATION T.A!
When Antonio Honda was winding up his Bionic Elbow in Match #2, MAO quickly removed his own wrestling gear to reveal he was wearing his Antonio Honda XL costume underneath. The two then did mirror spots to Toru Owashi and Masahiro Takanashi before fighting each other in a mirrored setting. MAO ended up becoming the better Honda by reversing the Japanese Leg Roll Clutch for the pinfall. They played Honda’s victory music after the match anyway.
The teenage heavyweight Daichi Sato wanted to fight Yukio Naya directly, leaving Yuki Iino to put away Soma Takao without much danger to worry about.
During the show Kazuasada Higuchi made an appearance to announce his return from injury. He had taken time off from wrestling last June to recover from several injuries including a cervical hernia. Higuchi told the fans he will return on 20th March because the ring means everything to him.
More details were announced for DDT’s collaboration with the anime “Brave Bang Bravern”. There will be merchandise of the characters Isami Ao & Lewis Smith dressed up as Yuki Ueno & MAO under the tag team name Brave Knights. Also on 23rd February DDT will host the pro wrestling debut of the Bravern, the anime’s star mecha! Bravern’s wrestling costume will be designed by the anime’s director Masami Obari.
Dramatic DDT 