TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 5TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT” Results

February 8, 2025

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 5TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 08/02/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
551 Fans

1. Yoshiko Hasegawa, Kaya Toribami & Chika Nanase defeated Shino Suzuki, Ivy Steele & Kira Summer when Hasegawa submitted Suzuki with the Muffler Hold (9:38).
2. Yuki Kamifuku defeated Mifu Ashida with the Famouser (7:01).
3. Raku & Ram Kaichow defeated Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko when Raku pinned Neko after the Cake Cutting Ceremony (8:10).
4. Arisu Endo defeated Wakana Uehara with the Ju no Okite (10:32).
5. Miu Watanabe defeated Uta Takami with a Batting Hammer (7:55).
6. Yuki Aino defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Venus DDT (8:27).
7. Rika Tatsumi & Toga defeated Mizuki & HIMAWARI when Tatsumi pinned HIMAWARI with the Twist Of Fate (15:22).
8. International Princess Title: Suzume (c) defeated Jada Stone with the Ring A Bell (12:29).
*V1 for Suzume.
9. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao defeated Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku when Nakajima pinned Harajuku with the Diving Senton (12:29).

It took five years for Kyoraku Kyomei to clear their quest. The last remaining team to have competed in every Max Heart Tournament to date have finally won it! The crowd in Korakuen Hall laughed when Hyper Misao told them before the match that she and Shoko Nakajima would win the final with a pure heart. Max The Impaler then attacked them before Misao could finish her promo. Misao quickly brought out the Hyper Mobile and charged into Max but Max moved out of the way and Misao crashed into Mahiro Kiryu instead. Max threw Nakajima around the room while Pom Harajuku got to reverse things by using Max as a weapon instead of the other way around. Nakajima used her surroundings to her advantage by hitting Max with a flying kick from a nearby railing. Misao then cycled the Hyper Mobile down the aisle and successfully crashed it into Max. Harajuku was left to fight Nakajima back in the ring by herself. She blocked the Locomotion Northern Lights Suplex and hit back with the Pom de Justice. But Nakajima got the better of her, getting the win with the Diving Senton while Misao got Max outside the ring with the I Am A Hero.

Nakajima told Misao after the match that ever since Kyoraku Kyomei was formed she’s had so much fun. But it was also frustrating for all of the times they couldn’t win their big matches. They finally made it to the top but she still feels a thorn in her heart. They lost to 121000000 in the Max Heart final two years ago and she still hates that it happened. She wants to get revenge by winning the Princess Tag Team Titles from them at “GRAND PRINCESS ’25”! Misao agreed and told her 121000000 will be defending the titles in Chile this weekend. Their message to the champs is if they lose the belts overseas then they are banned from returning to Japan! Harajuku told Max they weren’t able to win but thanks to this tournament Pompaler have become even closer. So in a way she already has a “Max Heart” she can cherish!

“The Spark” made her way back to Japan in the hopes of winning some gold. Jada Stone had Suzume’s moveset scouted, countering the Mikazuki Meteor Shower into a Samoan Drop and also turning the Ring-A-Bell into the Gory Special submission hold. However Suzume saw that Stone’s guard was down during the backflip that was meant to lead into the Spark Stunner so she stopped her momentum with a Dropkick to the back. From there Suzume was able to hit the Ring-A-Bell and win her first International Princess Title defence. Stone said it was a dream come true to fight in a big title match at Korakuen Hall but this is not going to be the end. She’ll be back to fight Suzume again. Stone is also still aiming to take a championship from Japan.

After the match Arisu Endo congratulated Suzume and asked her for a title shot. It just so happened that Suzume was going to nominate her Daisy Monkey partner anyway so they will have the match at “GRAND PRINCESS ’25” on 16th March! Suzume told reporters the two of them have long talked about having a championship match against each other some day. Now it is no longer going to be just a dream. Endo is the only opponent she wants to face at Ota Ward Gymnasium. Endo said they know each other so well from teaming together so it will all be about how they’re going to get through that. Endo is confident she can beat Suzume and become the champ!

A preview of the “GRAND PRINCESS ’25” main event pitted Mizuki and Rika Tatsumi against each other in a tag match. Mizuki avoided shaking Tatsumi’s hand before the bell and again when they were both tagged in for the first time. HIMAWARI attacked Tatsumi by whipping her with her hair so Tatsumi fought back by pulling on HIMAWARI’s hair. Mizuki used the Cutie Special to get rid of Toga but she was then hit by Tatsumi’s Spinning Backbreaker. Tatsumi then planted HIMAWARI with the Twist Of Fate to win. She would have preferred to directly beat Mizuki today but that just means she has more time to think about how she can get that result at the Princess Of Princess Title match. Toga feels similarly because she wants to avenge her loss to HIMAWARI in the Next Generation Tournament. Mizuki thinks Tatsumi’s love for her is very warped and isn’t really love. She doesn’t want to be hated though, so she isn’t sure how to open up to Tatsumi about the matter. It’s quite the problem because she doesn’t want to look at Tatsumi but knows if she takes her eyes off of her, she is going to lose.

Several matches on the undercard pitted the established Tokyo Joshi Pro roster against the Next Generation. The results were all straightforward without any upsets shaking up the status quo. Yuki Aino defeated Haru Kazashiro. She was in trouble when Kazashiro gave her the Fisherman Suplex but Aino kept on fighting. She ended up shrugging off some Dropkicks and pinned Kazashiro with the Venus DDT. Aino hasn’t won many singles matches in Korakuen so she is very happy with today’s result. She can tell just how much Kazashiro has grown both physically and mentally since their last singles match a year and a half ago. Kazashiro knows she can do more so she can get as strong as Aino.

Two of the Up Up Girls fought each other when Miu Watanabe fought Uta Takami in a mismatch of strength and experience. Takami wanted the match to be the culmination of her first year as a pro wrestler. She was able to catch her opponent in a Cobra Clutch and hit a Pop-Up Dropkick but other than that she had no chance. After stretching her with the Canadian Backbreaker, Watanabe then clobbered Takami with a Batting Hammer to win. She said she hopes Takami will continue to get stronger and walk her own path from here. Takami said if she had never met Watanabe she never would have become a pro wrestler. She is grateful to Watanabe for always watching over her.

Endo set herself up for her later title challenge by beating Wakana Uehara on the undercard. The result is payback for Uehara making Endo submit in the 1st Round to eliminate Daisy Monkey from this year’s tournament. She used a rope break to escape the Banana Pillow and then threw Uehara over by using the Waterwheel Drop. Uehara started a comeback but Endo stopped it with a Super Kick and then won by using the Ju no Okite. The Super Kick is particular is a move Endo said she’s been saving for the right time due to how effective it can be. Uehara said she always feel the need to chase after Endo because she was her mentor from Yume Pro Wrestling as well as her tag partner from her debut match. She thought she took a step forward when she submitted Endo in the tournament. But today she realised Endo has taken another step ahead since then.

The honeymoon period isn’t over yet. The “Newlywed Tag Team” Of Raku & Ram Kaichow are still acting lovey-dovey together (well it is Valentine’s Day next week). So much so that it annoyed Haruna Neko into attacking them with Mahiro Kiryu following suit. Raku had also made Kaichow some Valentine’s chocolate but Kiryu took it off them and ate some of it with Daisuke Kiso to get a suger rush power up. She of course later apologised to Kaichow over it. Ram & Kaichow got revenge by beating Neko with the Cake Cutting Ceremony double chop from the second rope. Unfortunately there was no chocolate left after the match. Raku promised to make more for Kaichow because Valentine’s Day hasn’t happened yet.

Mifu Ashida is still new to TJPW so it was time for Yuki Kamifuku to put her to the test. Kamifuku couldn’t help but compliment her opponent for having a pretty face while she was holding her down with an Indian Death Lock. Ashida hit her with some high kicks but Kamifuku took over with a Brainbuster and hit the Famouser for the victory. She praised Ashida for being confident when she heard her goal is to become the best wrestler in TJPW within a year. However Kamifuku dislikes people who carry that much motivation with them. Her advice to Ashida is she should get to know TJPW a little better before she goes around bragging about wanting to be the best. Ashida understands she has a lot more training to do before she can overcome high walls such as Kamifuku. She wants fans to watch her get stronger and climb to the top.

Since Shino Suzuki was teaming with two foreigners today, she treated her triple team moves with Ivy Steele & Kira Summer as if she was guiding them on a tour across Japan and ending at the Tokyo Dome. Steele & Summer were able to get Kaya Toribami & Chika Nanase out of the ring but Suzuki struggled to finish off Yoshiko Hasegawa. Instead Hasegawa fought her way to put Suzuki into the Muffler Hold and win the match by submission.

After Match #5 Watanabe received a video message from Willow Nightingale. The two were originally meant to have a match at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’22” but visa issues prevented it from ever happening. Soon Nightingale will return to TJPW so the match can finally take place! It will happen at “GRAND PRINCESS ’25” on 16th March. Watanabe said she’s been waiting for over two years and cannot wait for Nightingale to finally come back.


Max Heart Final Tomorrow, DGC Block Stage Nearly Over, More BASARA Vs GanPro

February 7, 2025

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 5TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 08/02/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yoshiko Hasegawa, Kaya Toribami & Chika Nanase Vs Shino Suzuki, Ivy Steele & Kira Summer
2. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Mifu Ashida
3. Raku & Ram Kaichow Vs Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko
4. Arisu Endo Vs Wakana Uehara
5. Miu Watanabe Vs Uta Takami
6. Yuki Aino Vs Haru Kazashiro
7. Mizuki & HIMAWARI Vs Rika Tatsumi & Toga
8. International Princess Title: Suzume (c) Vs Jada Stone
9. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao

By the end of this weekend we’re going to find out what the Princess Tag Team Titles match at “GRAND PRINCESS ’25” is going to be. Either Pompaler or Kyoraku Kyomei are going to win the Max Heart Tournament while 121000000 are defending the belts over in Chile.

DDT “SETSUBUN MATCH 2025”, 08/02/2025
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – B Block: Yuya Koroku (0) Vs Yuni (0)
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – A Block: Ilusion (2) Vs Yuki Ishida (0)
3. Danshoku Dieno & To-y Vs Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda
4. Jun Akiyama & Soma Takao Vs Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya
5. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Kazuma Sumi
6. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – A Block: Takeshi Masada (2) Vs Keigo Nakamura (2)
7. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs HARASHIMA & Akito

The D GENERATIONS CUP is heading into its final matches of the block stage. The A Block is a three way race between Takeshi Masada, Keigo Nakamura and Ilusion.

DDT “SENDAI NEW LEGEND 2025 ~ZUNDAMOCHI~”, 09/02/2025
Miyagi Yume Messe Miyagi

1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – B Block: Yuni (0) Vs Kazuma Sumi (2)
2. Danshoku Dieno, Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Keigo Nakamura Vs HARASHIMA, Akito, Soma Takao & Yuki Ishida
3. DAMNATION T.A Vs SCHADENFREUDE International!: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul Vs Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – A Block: Takeshi Masada (2) Vs Ilusion (2)
5. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – B Block: To-y (4) Vs Yuya Koroku (0)
6. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya

The B Block is To-y’s to lose. He will likely go through to the final unless Yuya Koroku gets a lucky string of results going his way.

BASARA “BASARA 271 ~HIEN~”, 21/02/2025
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Daiki Shimomura Vs Ayato Yoshida
2. Ryota Nakatsu Vs Yuki Ishida
3. KUBITO Vs Ayumu Honda
4. Isami Kodaka & Lil’s Kraken Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Shota Kawakami
5. Iron Fist Tag Team Titles: Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura (c) Vs Ryuichi Sekine & FUMA

Another BASARA Vs Ganbare☆Pro tag match is happening later this month. Shuichiro Katsumura & Shota Kawakami are paying a visit to fight Isami Kodaka & Lil’ Kraken.

There’s also a match pitting two Harimao wrestlers against each other. Ryota Nakatsu and Yuki Ishida are going to have a match with their pride on the line.


Video – Sasadango/Akai Vs Honda/Toba Infomercial Match

February 7, 2025


DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2018 THE FINAL!!”, 28/01/2018
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,214 Fans – No Vacancy

2. Infomercial Match – Takahashi Tax Accounting Office: Super Sasadango Machine & Saki Akai Vs Antonio Honda & Thanomsak Toba


Love So Sauna, Ueno Vs Suzuki Confirmed, MatchMake & Agent, Bravern Debut, Honda’s US Dream Match?

February 6, 2025

DDT “NEPPA OVER FLOWERS 4 ~LOVE SO SAUNA~”, 14/02/2025
Shinjuku FACE

1. 120℃ High Temperature Sauna Match: Danshoku Dieno & Fuminori Abe Vs Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida
2. Totonoi ALL OUT: Shin KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Shin Shunma Katsumata Vs Akito & Yuki Iino
3. Big NeppoWER!!: Shinya Aoki Vs Keigo Nakamura
4. SeaSaunaShack Presents ~To-y Löyly~: To-y Vs Sauna Lover X
5. Ueno Nordic Presents ~Yuki Ueno Löyly~: Yuki Ueno Vs Kuishinbo Kamen Vs Kikutaro
6. BZW Tag Team Title – NELJAS Presents ~MAO Löyly~: MAO & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi

The next sauna themed show from The 37KAMIINA has its full card with a bunch of sponsorships also applied. The ALL OUT match is going to be as advertised. Akito & Yuki Iino will face new (and improved?) versions of Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata. If it turns out to be Sakura Hirota portraying both gimmicks at once then that’s wrestler of the year for 2025 already wrapped up.

Shinya Aoki has thrown his support behind Keigo Nakamura for the D GENERATIONS CUP. Nakamura might have made it to the final by the time they face off against each other on this show.

As for the 120℃ Temperature match, that sounds like something IWA Japan did for a video tape many, many years ago.

DDT “NEXT GENERATION 2025 ~KISARAGI ROMAN~”, 23/02/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. 3 Way Match: Super Sasadango Machine Vs Antonio Honda Vs Kazuki Hirata
2. “Brave Bang Bravern!” Collaboration 6-Man Tag Match ~ Bravern Debut Match: Bravern, Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Yukio Naya, Akito & Soma Takao
3. Special Tag Match: Danshoku Dieno & Koju Takeda Vs Yuki Iino & Yumehito Imanari
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – Final: Winner Of A Block Vs Winner Of B Block

How big is the mech Bravern going to be when it stands face to face with Yukio Naya? Could Akito or Soma Takao find ways to trip it down or will they be handled by Yuki Ueno & MAO?

Tetsu Inada will return to DDT as a commentator for this match. The current Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion is a cast member on the anime and has been spending his time proudly showing off the title belt to other voice actors from across the industry. There’s been a couple of title changes in that time that I’ll have to look up when I have the time. Inada is as of this writing the 1,711st champion.

BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. 20”, 04/03/2025
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa

1. Special Tag Match: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi

The next Baka Gaijin + Friends show sees CDK taking on ROMANCE DAWN. It will be a rematch of their “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA” bout from Ganbare☆Pro back in 2022. ROMANCE DAWN won that one. Can CDK get some revenge on their own home turf?

DDT “JUDGEMENT 2025 ~28TH ANNIVERSARY 5 HOUR SPECIAL~”, 20/03/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Kazusada Higuchi Return Match: Kazusada Higuchi Vs X
2. DDT Extreme Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Yuki Iino
3. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Minoru Suzuki
4. KO-D Openweight Title: Chris Brookes (c) Vs X

It’s been confirmed straight from the devil’s mouth. Minoru Suzuki will challenge Yuki Ueno for the DDT Universal Title! The championship itself does not have any particular special value to Suzuki but the fact that Ueno dared call him out for the match has him interested.

M&A “SANSHIRO TAKAGI 30TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT ~MATCHMAKE & AGENT~”, 09/04/2025
Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage

1. Special Tag Match: Yuji Nagata & Kuroshio TOKYO Japan Vs Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei

The concept for Sanshiro Takagi’s recent 30th Anniversary show worked out so well that he wants to continue doing it, once again without the need for DDT contracted talent to be involved. Thus the creation of MatchMake & Agent Pro Wrestling which Takagi is planning to hold a show once every two months at least up to the summer. He definitely has the vast amount of connections to keep the cards fresh. The first match though is coming out of the anniversary show. Yuji Nagata & Kuroshio TOKYO Japan are teaming together as a pair of “Ikemen” to take on The Brahman Brothers!

DDT “DDT GOES LAS VEGAS!”, 18/04/2025
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Special Single Match: Antonio Honda Vs Santana Jackson

The first match for DDT’s trip to Las Vegas has been revealed and it sure has left me speechless. Santana Jackson is a Michael Jackson gimmick who regularly goes viral for incorporating Michael’s spots into his wrestling matches. Apparently whenever Japanese fans find footage of him it’s DDT who get the requests to bring him over. Antonio Honda must be looking forward to the match too given how much he loves classic American pop culture.


DDT “NEXT STEP GAME 2025” Results

February 5, 2025

DDT “NEXT STEP GAME 2025”, 05/02/2025
Shinjuku FACE
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Special Tag Match: Takeshi Masada & Yuya Koroku defeated Ilusion & Yuni when Masada pinned Yuni with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (8:40).
2. Special Single Match: Danshoku Dieno defeated Soma Takao with the Gaydo Clutch (4:57).
3. Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato defeated Akito & Yuki Iino when Naya pinned Akito with The World’s Best Back Drop (11:36).
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – A Block: Keigo Nakamura (2) defeated Yuki Ishida (0) with the Modified Crucifix Pin (6:45).
5. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – B Block: To-y (4) defeated Kazuma Sumi (2) with the Kojima Impact (8:30).
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul (c) Vs Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when KANON submitted Matsunaga with the Cobra Twist 2.0 (15:09).
*V5 for DAMNATION T.A.
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & MAO defeated Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda when Ueno pinned Honda with the WR (18:04).

A Block

1. Takeshi Masada (2)
-. Ilusion (2)
-. Keigo Nakamura (2)
4. Yuki Ishida (0)

B Block

1. To-y (4)
2. Kazuma Sumi (2)
3. Yuni (0)
-. Yuya Koroku (0)

Yuki Ueno is getting what he wants but is he ready for it? After getting the winning pinfall in the main event, Ueno spoke highly of his opponents as well as his own partners. MAO told everyone the DDT Universal Title is his ex-girlfriend but seeing Yuki Ueno treat it so well makes him happy enough to cry. The good times ended all of a sudden when Minoru Suzuki made his way down to the ring! He got the message that Ueno wants to defend the Universal Title against him. Suzuki plays rough and likes to hurt people so is Ueno really up for it? He accepts the challenge for 20th March! Ueno then told Suzuki he thought he would be scared of him but it turns out he is wrong. His heart is beating fast not out of fear but from excitement! As Suzuki walked out of the room he grabbed a chair and thrusted it at Yukinori Matsui. Ueno joked that Matsui is a noble sacrifice to drag Suzuki back into DDT so he hopes the fans will look forward to the match.

DAMNATION T.A have now tied the record for the most KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Title defences in a single reign. With today’s victory they now have five successful defences, matching Team Drift’s title reign from 2015 and Eruption’s reign from 2023. It’s an achievement tained by how the team got here though. Their opponents came close to winning with HARASHIMA & Jun Akiyama both clearing the way for Tomomitsu Matsunaga to grab the glory. Had they won the titles they would have officially named their team Chuu Nen Tai (Middle-Aged Group). But Daisuke Sasaki though hit Matsunaga in the back with a chair while MJ Paul distracted the ref. KANON then picked up the pieces and won with the Cobra Twist 2.0. Sasaki told everyone that they couldn’t lose to an impromptu team and there is no other trio out there who can surpass DAMNATION T.A. They will defend the belts 10,000 more times right until somebody dies! Sasaki believes there will not be any more challengers anyway. KANON said they will hold onto the belts until fans get tired of them and no longer want to see the championship.

The D GENERATIONS CUP continued with two more matches today, one from each block. To-y looks well on the way to reach the final again when he beat Kazuma Sumi to move into first place in the B Block. He told Sumi after the match he had fun wrestling him and they can become best friends from now on. To-y is saving most of his excitement for after he wins the tournament because he badly wants to fight Chris Brookes for the KO-D Openweight Title. Sumi is still in the running but he needs to win his last group match to have a chance of reaching the final.

Keigo Nakamura had Shinya Aoki in his corner for his match against Yuki Ishida. He had to dodge the Flame Palm then trap Ishida in the Modified Crucifix Pin to win his first two points in the tournament. Later at the end of the show Ueno asked Aoki why does he have high expectations for Nakamura in the tournament? Aoki told him it’s because nobody else is expecting it and that’s irresponsible!

Normally Danshoku Dieno would gladly put a person like Soma Takao in the Lip Lock but not today! Before their match began Takao revealed the last time Dieno gave him the Lip Lock it cured him of his hangover. He spent last night drinking and is still feeling the effects of it so he wants nothing more now than for Dieno to give him the Lip Lock again! Dieno refused and resisted doing the move for the entire match. Takao then tried to do the Lip Lock himself but missed and caught Yukinori Matsui with it. Dieno was able to put Takao in the Gaydo Clutch with Matsui fast counted the three count to get some payback.

The rest of the D GENERATIONS CUP field took part in a non-tournament tag match. Ilusion had to team with Yuni even though he didn’t want to. He eventually went along with it when it was convenient for him, mainly when it meant double teaming on Takeshi Masada. He also tried to convince Yuni to use a chair but Yuni Super Kicked him instead. That may have cost him because he had to fight Masada & Yuya Koroku by himself from that point on. Masada was able to beat him but Ilusion got away scot free.


DDT “DDT MEET AND GREET AND FIGHT FEBRUARY” Results

February 4, 2025

DDT “DDT MEET & GREET & FIGHT FEBRUARY”, 04/02/2025
Shinjuku FACE
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – B Block: To-y (2) defeated Yuni (0) with the Kojima Impact (6:22).
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – A Block: Ilusion (2) defeated Keigo Nakamura (0) with the Swanton Bomb (11:12).
3. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – A Block: Takeshi Masada (2) defeated Yuki Ishida (0) with Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (8:20).
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2025 – B Block: Kazuma Sumi (2) defeated Yuya Koroku (0) with the School Boy (11:17).

A Block

1. Takeshi Masada (2)
-. Ilusion (2)
3. Yuki Ishida (0)
-. Keigo Nakamura (0)

B Block

1. Kazuma Sumi (2)
-. To-y (2)
3. Yuni (0)
-. Yuya Koroku (0)

The third annual D GENERATIONS CUP began as part of February’s “MEET & GREET & FIGHT” event. All eight competitors fought their first matches in the block stages. In the main event Kazuma Sumi kicked out of Yuya Koroku’s Fisherman’s Buster and stunned him with a Super Kick long enough to roll him over for the three count using the School Boy. Sumi said he was able to beat his toughest opponent in his first match of the tournament. He’ll beat everyone left to reach the top of the tournament. Koroku already knows he is in a bad position but thinks he can reach the final if he wins his two remaining matches.

The first tournament winner Takeshi Masada had a close call against Yuki Ishida (who had Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura lead him down to the ring). He got caught with a Leg Scoop Back Drop and then hit with the Flame Palm but Masada stretched his foot out to get a rope break. Masada then Power Bombed Ishida into the turnbuckles and won with the Chikara KOBU Mukimuki. Masada said he won the match as planned except not in the way he planned it. He admits he would have lost if it wasn’t for the rope break. This year’s tournament will be the toughest and most painful one for him yet. Ishida said he will have to switch gears for his next match.

Outright cheating was the name of the game for Ilusion. He ambushed Keigo Nakamura from behind before the bell, attacked his knee with chairshots and also by dropping him knee first on top of nearby railings. The damage seemed to prevent Nakamura from making a comeback but he pulled off a gutsy effort to keep fighting. So much so that Ilusion Dropkicked Daisuke Kiso from behind and attacked Nakamura with even more chairs. Nakamura fought back but missed a Diving Headbutt, landing face first onto one of the chairs. Ilusion continued the beatdown until Kiso recovered. That was when Ilusion hit the Swanton Bomb to finish off Nakamura. He told reporters after the match that he is going to destroy this shitty tournament just like DAMNATION T.A will destroy shitty units like SCHADENFREUDE International. Nakamura said he will get his justice when overcomes Ilusion’s foul play and gets a three count on him.

Yuni wanted to prove his worth against last year’s DGC winner To-y by fighting him shirtles and getting into a Chop battle that left his chest red. Yuni would get two counts from a Reverse Hurricanrana followed by a Dropkick as well as a Casadora Bomb. But he was done for when To-y gave him the Kojima Impact to win the match. To-y had praise for Yuni but pointed out his own chest suffered no damage from the Chop battle. His next opponent will be Sumi but the only person he is interested in fighting is Chris Brookes. Yuni is frustrated both by the result and also that he couldn’t hurt To-y with his Chops. He knows Koroku can break his arm with submissions and Sumi can pin him with the School Boy but Yuni will overcome both challenges on his path to become the youngest tournament winner in DDT history.


DDT “SANSHIRO TAKAGI 30TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMERATION EVENT ~ NEVER SAY NEVER” Results

February 3, 2025

DDT “SANSHIRO TAKAGI 30TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMERATION EVENT ~ NEVER SAY NEVER”, 03/02/2025
Shinjuku FACE
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Special Single Match: Fumihito Kihara defeated Shota with a European Clutch (8:02).
2. Special Single Match: Hyper Misao defeated Muscle Sakai with the I Am A Hero (14:40).
3. Special Tag Match: Fuminori Abe & Ippanjin Munenori Sawa defeated Yumiko Hotta & Shinya Aoki when Hotta was Disqualified for going on a rampage (9:24).
4. Special Tag Match: Dump Matsumoto & Toru Owashi defeated Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei when Shu was Disqualified for throwing powder at Referee Sanshiro Abe (0:44).
4a. Complete Conclusion No DQ Tornado Match: Dump Matsumoto & Toru Owashi defeated Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei when Dump pinned Kei with a Body Press (8:03).
5. Special Single Match: Meiko Satomura defeated Shin Sanshiro Takagi (w/ Sanshiro Takagi) with an Overhead Kick (11:04).
6. Special Single Match: Yuji Nagata defeated Kuroshio TOKYO Japan with the Exploder Suplex (1:33).
6a. Rematch: Yuji Nagata defeated Kuroshio TOKYO Japan with the Exploder Suplex (0:30).
6b. Rematch: Yuji Nagata defeated Kuroshio TOKYO Japan with the Back Drop Hold (6:11).

To celebrate 30 years in the business, Sanshiro Takagi wanted to put his connections across Japan’s wrestling scene to good use by booking a DDT show without using any DDT contracted talent. It gave him the opportunity to book many first time matches that nobody would have ever thought could happen before. In some cases there was probably a good reason why such as in the main event. Yuji Nagata waited patiently for Kuroshio TOKYO Japan to complete his long entrance and when the match finally began, Nagata beat him in around 90 seconds. Takagi asked for the match to restart but Nagata then beat Kuroshio in just 30 seconds. Takagi had to beg Nagata to have one more rematch. Kuroshio used his jacket to obscure Nagata’s vision before applying his own version of the White-Eyed Arm Lock. However Nagata fought back and pinned him with the Back Drop Hold to make it three wins in a row.

Nagata told Kuroshio he is a strange guy but he had fun today and would like to team up with him. There were some calls of New Japan coming from the crowd but Nagata quickly encouraged them to chant “Ikemen” instead. Kuroshio blamed his three losses on Takagi’s decision making but agreed to team up with Nagata. Takagi likes the idea and already has a team lined up for them… The Brahman Brothers! The match will happen on 9th April as part of Takagi’s new project that will be explained below.

Takagi had second thoughts on his choice for Shin Sanshiro Takagi when she was already hitting the canvas just from taking Meiko Satomura’s Leg Kicks. He kept telling everyone he’s not that weak while she was being bumped around the ring. He brought out the Dramatic Dream combat bike as an equalizer but Satomura took it off him and decided to use it herself! She crashed the bike into the two Takagis, hit the Scorpio Rising to the real Takagi back in the ring and then hit the Overhead Kick to Shin Takagi. Satomura then pinned both of them to win the match.

Takagi put on a referee outfit to officiate Match #4 as Sanshiro Abe. Unfortunately it was for a match featuring such rulebreakers as The Brahamn Brothers and Dump Matsumoto so he only had himself to blame when powder was thrown into his eyes. He disqualified the Brahmans over it but they demanded a rematch under Tornado Tag rules and with No DQs. Matsumoto swung her bamboo stick around and accidentally hit Toru Owashi with it. Takagi got his revenge by grabbing a bucket of water from Brahman Shu and throwing it at Brahman Kei. Matsumoto then hit Kei over the head with a Steel Can and pinned him with a Body Press.

MIO had her hands full as the referee for Match #3. Fuminori Abe couldn’t see why Shinya Aoki & Yumiko Hotta are into each other so he and Munenori Sawa kept telling Aoki that Hotta is an ugly old hag. Hotta snapped and attacked her opponents with a chain while her ringside attendant Miku Kanae joined in the assault. Once they started using the chain to hang Abe over the ring apron MIO had to disqualify them.

Two kindred spirits were pitted against each other when Muscle Sakai fought Hyper Misao. The match was held using a “personal novel” format where the match is simply a story being told while the audience listened to the inner monologues of the wrestlers involved. Through this format the fans learned that Misao could not lose to a middle aged man while Sakai simply couldn’t think of anything. Soon the inner monologues turned into insults as Sakai kept calling Misao an ugly 35 year old. Misao had enough of the insults and pulled off her mask before kicking him below the belt over and over. She put the mask back on and pinned Sakai with the I Am A Hero to win.

Fumihito Kihara worked double duty on the show as both the ring announcer as well as the opening bout wrestler. Shota was determined to beat him and told the fans that they cannot let the elderly run wild forever. However Kihara fired back and outmaneuvered Shota, pinning him with a flat European Clutch and lifting his own right shoulder up right before the three count to avoid getting himself pinned too.

Even though DDT are continuing not to announce attendance numbers for their shows this year, Takagi revealed that this show had sold out so he feels encouraged to book another event like this again. There are many more wrestlers that Takagi has ties with that he couldn’t fit on the card today. Also in the leadup to this show he received many calls from people asking why were they not invited to take part? Takagi’s solution is to come up with a new project to continue celebrating his 30th Anniversary. He is launching a new series of shows called MatchMake & Agent Pro Wrestling, or M&A Pro Wrestling for short. The first show will be held at Ueno Park on 9th April with Nagata & Kuroshio Vs The Brahman Brothers already announced. There will also a second show booked for Shinjuku FACE on 25th June.


Shin Sanshiro Takagi, Nakajima On GLEAT/DDT Show, Yoppy’s Next Stage

February 2, 2025

“SANSHIRO TAKAGI 30TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMERATION EVENT ~ NEVER SAY NEVER”, 03/02/2025
Shinjuku FACE

1. Special Single Match: Fumihito Kihara Vs Shota
2. Special Single Match: Muscle Sakai Vs Hyper Misao
3. Special Tag Match: Yumiko Hotta & Shinya Aoki Vs Fuminori Abe & Ippanjin Munenori Sawa
4. Special Tag Match: Dump Matsumoto & Toru Owashi Vs Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei
5. Special Single Match: Yuji Nagata Vs Kuroshio TOKYO Japan
6. Special Single Match: Meiko Satomura Vs Shin Sanshiro Takagi (w/ Sanshiro Takagi)

The main event opponent for Meiko Satomura has been revealed. Sanshiro Takagi is bringing in a new and improved Shin Sanshiro Takagi to face her! Satomura may have already figured out who this person is already and is looking forward for what may be her final battle against this particular opponent before she retires.

BASARA “BASARA 270 ~SOUEN~”, 10/02/2025
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Turnabout Pro Wrestling Trial: Lil’ Kraken Vs Gouma Ryu Vs Banana Senga
2. Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano Vs Daichi Kazato & Tsutomu Oosugi
3. SAGAT & Ryota Nakatsu Vs Munetatsu Nakamura & Shota Kawakami
4. Isami Kodaka, Ryuichi Sekine & Daiki Shimomura Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi
5. Union MAX Title: Masato Kamino (c) Vs Takato Nakano

It’s turning into a mixed week for Lil’ Kraken. His team won yesterday’s competition on the evening BASARA show but now he’s been called up for a Pro Wrestling Trial!

GLEAT/DDT “GLEAT VER. & – GLEAT X DDT PRO WRESTLING”, 15/02/2025
Osaka Umeda Sky Building Stella Hall

1. GLEAT & DDT Tag Battle: Takanori Ito & Yuki Iino Vs Issei Onitsuka & Keigo Nakamura
2. GLEAT & DDT Tag Battle: Densha MICHIo & Danshoku Dieno Vs JD Lee & To-y
3. Into The G-RUSH – G-RUSH Rules: El Lindaman Vs Ilusion
4. GLEAT Vs DDT Single Battle: Junjie Vs KANON
5. GLEAT Vs DDT Single Battle: Kaito Ishida Vs Yuki Ishida
6. GLEAT & DDT Tag Battle: T-Hawk & Takeshi Masada Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Ryo Aitaka
7. GLEAT & DDT Dream 6-Man Tag Battle: HARASHIMA, CIMA & KAZMA SAKAMOTO Vs Chris Brookes, Parker Boudreaux & Yukio Naya
8. GLEAT Tag Battle: Katsuhiko Nakajima & Jay Lamrod Vs Kotaro Suzuki & Tetsuya Izuchi
9. GLEAT & DDT & AAA 6-Man Tag Battle: Takehiro Yamamura, MAO & Yuya Koroku Vs SBK, TAKUMA & Kazuma Sumi
10. GLEAT Vs DDT Premium Battle: Soma Watanabe Vs Yuki Ueno

Don’t think nobody hasn’t noticed Katsuhiko Nakajima being snuck onto the card in the only match that doesn’t involve anyone from DDT. This might turn into something awkward on the day.

“YOSHIKO HASEGAWA INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE -YOPPY’S NEXT STAGE-”, 28/02/2025
TOKYO SQUARE In Itabashi

1. Kaya Toribami Vs HIMAWARI
2. SAKI & Kakeru Sekiguchi Vs Yuko Sakurai & Rina Amikura
3. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Hikari Shimizu

This month sees the opening of a brand new venue in Itabashi dedicated to pro wrestling called TOKYO SQUARE. So far none of the CyberFight companies have a show scheduled in the building but there is something going on related to Tokyo Joshi Pro happening soon. Yoshiko Hasegawa is putting together a self-produced show in the new building featuring wrestlers from both COLOR’S and TJPW. She put this show together after she heard about Hikari Shimizu’s plan to retire this March because neither COLOR’S or TJPW were able to book a match between them for their upcoming schedules. The date of this show also happens to be Hasegawa’s birthday.

There will be one or two matches added to the card soon. Riara is booked on the show.


BASARA 268 And 269 Results

February 2, 2025

BASARA “BASARA 268 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 27~”, 01/02/2025
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Isami Kodaka defeated Shota Kofuji with an STF (9:10).
2. Takumi Tsukamoto defeated Antonio Honda with a School Boy (11:47).
3. Ryuichi Sekine & FUMA defeated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Ayumu Honda when FUMA pinned Hiroshi with the Joebreaker (11:14).
4. Ryota Nakatsu defeated Daichi Kazato with the Catching RKO (14:13).
5. Masato Kamino & Yasu Urano defeated Daiki Shimomura & Takato Nakano when Kamino pinned Nakano with the Lariat (17:03).

Masato Kamino scored a pinfall over Takato Nakano in the leadup to their Union MAX Title match on 10th February.

BASARA “BASARA 269 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 28~”, 01/02/2025
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Ryota Nakatsu & Takato Nakano defeated SAGAT & Yasu Urano when Nakatsu pinned SAGAT with a Jackknife Pin (11:43).
2. Ryuichi Sekine defeated Daiki Shimomura with the Combine (12:20).
3. FUMA, KUBITO & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi defeated Takumi Tsukamoto, Daichi Kazato & Masato Kamino when Hiroshi pinned Kazato with an STO Bomber (13:35).
4. Isami Kodaka defeated Lil’ Kraken with a Samson Clutch (11:13).
5. Lil’ Kraken Vs Masato Kamino ended in a No Contest (2:47).
6. If They’re All Going To Come Out, They’re All Going To Fight – 14-Man Tag Match: Lil’ Kraken, Takato Nakano, Ryota Nakatsu, FUMA, KUBITO, Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daiki Shimomura defeated Masato Kamino, Isami Kodaka, Takumi Tsukamoto, SAGAT, Ryuichi Sekine, Daichi Kazato & Yasu Urano when Kraken pinned Kazato with the Period. (9:02).

Lil’ Army: Lil’ Kraken, Takato Nakano, Ryota Nakatsu, FUMA, KUBITO, Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daiki Shimomura

Inoue Army: Masato Kamino, Isami Kodaka, Takumi Tsukamoto, SAGAT, Ryuichi Sekine, Daichi Kazato & Yasu Urano

The second show was built around a team challenge with Lil’ Kraken and the injured Takeru Inoue were the captains. Whichever team had the most match wins at the end would win the challenge. It came down to the last match but that got called off when everyone ran to ringside and brawled with each other. The referee Yuya Okada decided to turn the match into a 14-Man Tag Match and Kraken’s team ended up winning.


DDT Around The World – January 2025

February 1, 2025

A new year means new adventures and a fresh sense of excitement to go exploring again. Konosuke Takeshita now has work with New Japan to deal with alongside his AEW duties. It’s opened up a whole new group of opponents to fight in America as well as Japan, especially since he has a championship in each company he wants to defend often. Yuka Sakazaki had a very big month by taking part in a special retirement match and also getting a big chance to do some things on AEW TV. But now that has come and gone I worry that she’s going to vanish from the shows again. Yuki Kamifuku is continuing her series of matches with Alexis Lee across Southeast Asia. Maki Itoh went on tour across the world with GCW but sadly lost her championship along the way.

A lot more destinations are coming up in the Springtime. Chile gets to experience Tokyo Joshi Pro on their own soil, Takeshita gets a very big tag match in Australia, Miyu Yamashita gets to wrestle in Germany for the first time and all roads will be leading us towards the bright lights of Las Vegas. I know I got the tickets I want for Wrestlemania Week.

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Videos

Konosuke Takeshita In AEW Playlist


IWA Thailand/SETUP “BANGKOK NAVIGATION”, 18/01/2025
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand

1. IWA Japan World Heavyweight Title Tournament – Qualifying Match: Masahiro Takanashi Vs Jonathan Johnson

AEW “COLLISION – HOMECOMING”, 25/01/2025
Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida, USA


1. TBS Title No. 1 Contender 4 Way Match: Queen Aminata Vs Deonna Purazzo Vs Yuka Sakazaki Vs Serena Deeb


2. AEW International Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Katsuyori Shibata


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 29/01/2025
Propst Arena At Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA

1. TBS Title: Mercedes Moné (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki

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Results


NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM 19 IN TOKYO DOME”, 04/01/2025
Tokyo Dome, Japan
24,107 Fans

1. NEVER Openweight Title & AEW International Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (I/c) defeated Shingo Takagi (N/c) with the Raging Fire (11:42).
*V5 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA. Shingo Takagi fails in V2. Becomes the 47th/11th Champion!

I already wrote about Takeshita’s big weekend at the Tokyo Dome. You can read it here.


NJPW/AEW/CMLL/STARDOM/ROH “WRESTLE DYNASTY”, 05/01/2025
Tokyo Dome, Japan
16,300 Fans

1. NEVER Openweight Title & AEW International Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c/c) defeated Tomohiro Ishii with the Raging Fire (13:30).
*V1 for NEVER Openweight Title. V6 for AEW International Title.

Same as above.


SPW “CHAMPIONS NEVER YIELD 3”, 10/01/2025
Foo Chow Building, Singapore

1. Queen Of Asia Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c) defeated Alexis Lee with the Diving Famouser (?:??).
V6 for Yuki Kamifuku.

As far as I know it was just the Queen Of Asia Title that was on the line for Kamifuku’s latest appearance at Singapore Pro Wrestling. Her rivalry with Alexis Lee may have turned friendly but Lee still wants to win that title back. Kamifuku was able to beat her again for another title defence. It also won’t be the last time this year they fight each other in SPW. More on that later.


NJPW “BATTLE IN THE VALLEY”, 11/01/2025
San Jose Civic, San Jose, California, USA

1. Sumie Sakai Retirement Match – Tornado Tag Match: Hiromu Takahashi, Mayu Iwatani & Yuka Sakazaki defeated Sumi Sakai, EVIL & SHO when Takahashi pinned Sakai with the TIME BOMB (14:42).
2. NEVER Openweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) defeated KUSHIDA with the Raging Fire (15:08).
*V2 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.

With a new path forged in New Japan, Takeshita went to fight for the company over in America. California was the place where his next NEVER Openweight Title defence was scheduled. KUSHIDA was his challenger in his latest attempt to take on the heavyweights. His gameplan was to start with breaking down Takeshita’s arm before switching to his legs with sweeping Leg Kicks. The plan worked in that it did weaken Takeshita’s moveset and made the match more competitive than first it looked on paper. But Takeshita was able to stand tall in the end and put away KUSHIDA. Takeshita then went ahead and called his shot. When Hiroshi Tanahashi has his final match in America before he retires, Takeshita wants to be his opponent!

If you want to watch a feel good wrestling match to get you out of the new year dumps, go seek out Sumie Sakai’s retirement bout. She teamed up with House Of Torture members EVIL & SHO because of their connections back in their American excursions days. Sakazaki was one of the many people who wanted to be a part of the match as a thank you to Sakai. She got chosen among the lucky trio that included Hiromu Takahashi from NJPW & Mayu Iwatani from Stardom. There was also a female Kamaitachi hanging around at ringside who nobody has been able to identify since (I’ve seen a few guesses it was Iyo Sky because she was in attendance and I appreciate the cheekiness of it if true). Sakazaki whacked SHO over the head with a foreign object and gave him the Tea Time. Sakai ended up fighting on her own and kept kicking out for as long as she could. Takahashi eventually kept her down for the count with the TIME BOMB.


IWA Thailand/SETUP “BANGKOK NAVIGATION”, 18/01/2025
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand

1. IWA Japan World Heavyweight Title Tournament – Qualifying Match: Jonathan Johnson defeated Masahiro Takanashi with the Swanton Bomb (?:??).

This month saw SETUP become the new bearers of the International Wrestling Association brand by launching the debut IWA Thailand show. Masahiro Takanashi went over to take part in a tournament to determine the No. 1 Contender for the IWA Japan World Heavyweight Title. He had no problem being the bad guy against Jonathan Johnson and even got some ringside help from Shota getting in Johnson’s way whenever it was convenient. However Johnson fought off the numbers disadvantage and made Shota Super Kick Takanashi by mistake. Johnson then countered the Takatonic into an Implant for a nearfall and then hit the Swanton Bomb to get the upset win, knocking Takanashi out of the tournament in the 1st Round.


GCW “THE PEOPLE VS GCW”, 19/01/2025
Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York, USA

1. GCW Ultraviolent Title & GCW Extreme Title – Doors, Ladders & Chairs Unification Match: Matt Tremont defeated Maki Itoh (E/c), John Wayne Murdoch, Drew Parker, Rina Yamashita, Brandon Kirk, Dr. Redacted and Matthew Justice when Tremont grabbed the titles (15:55).
*Maki Itoh fails in V5. Matt Tremont becomes the 10th GCW Ultraviolent Champion and 11th GCW Extreme Champion!

Maki Itoh took a big gamble and it did not pay off. She wanted to double her title collection in GCW by joining the Doors, Ladders & Chairs match where the vacant GCW Ultraviolent Title was on the line. To do that she agreed to put the GCW Extreme Title up for grabs too so both championships would end up being unified together. John Wayne Murdoch complained about her inclusion at the start of the match, causing Itoh to fake cry so everyone else would attack him in her defence. Itoh also did the ladder spin spot, hitting whoever was in her way until Matthew Justice smashed her with a chair. Her last big spot of the match was diving off a ladder onto everyone else outside the ring. She ended up getting taken out of the match when Drew Parker did the Swanton Bomb from the ladder onto herself and Murdoch through some tables at ringside. Matt Tremont ended up being the last one left to climb the ladder and pull down both belts.


BZW/GCW “ENTER THE ZONE”, 25/01/2025
Espace Isabelle De Hainaut, Rue De Saint-Quentin, France

1. BZW Title: Joseph Fenech Jr. (c) defeated Maki Itoh by Disqualification when Itoh was caught with Brass Knuckles (?:??).
*V7 for Joseph Fenech Jr.

One week later Itoh travelled to Europe with GCW for a weekend of shows in France and England. For a brief moment it looked like Itoh was the new champion of Banger Zone Wrestling when she defeated Joseph Fenech Jr. for the BZW Title. However during the match Fenech placed a pair of brass knuckles into Itoh’s gear so when he lost the match, he complained to the ref and accused Itoh of cheating. The ref inspected Itoh, found the brass knucks “hidden” in her costume and decided to reverse the decision.


AEW “COLLISION – HOMECOMING”, 25/01/2025
Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

1. TBS Title No. 1 Contender 4 Way Match: Yuka Sakazaki defeated Queen Aminata, Deonna Purazzo and Serena Deeb when Sakazaki pinned Purazzo with a Modified Crucifix Pin (9:28).
2. AEW International Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) defeated Katsuyori Shibata with the Raging Fire (13:29).
*V7 for Konosuke Takeshita.

Back in AEW, Takeshita called out an unexpected opponent to be his next challenger for the AEW International Title. He wanted a piece of Katsuyori Shibata after seeing him winning matches in ROH! It was a match that just as much existed to show everyone that Shibata can still take bumps because Takeshita Suplexed him around quite a bit. Shibata though was able to withstand the attacks and push back, fighting his way towards a possible title change. However Don Callis in a panic left the commentary booth to grab Shibata’s leg from ringside as a distraction. Takeshita then grabbed Shibata for the Blue Thunder Bomb. Shibata kicked out of that with a 1 Count so Takeshita put him away with the Raging Fire.

Sakazaki’s AEW direction for this month centered around the TBS Championship. She was thrown into the mix of a 4 Way Match to determine the No. 1 Contender. Her chances improved when Queen Aminata and Serena Deeb fought their way out of the ring and away from ringside. She also benefitted from Deonna Purrazzo getting distracted by Taya Valkyrie being attacked by Harley Cameron. With Purazzo’s guard now down, Sakazaki cradled her into a Crucifix Pin to score the three count and earn herself a title match.


GCW “LIVE IN LONDON”, 26/01/2025
Electric Ballroom, London, England

1. Maki Itoh defeated Man Like DeReiss with a Mouse Trap (11:56).

What Itoh lacked in size against Man Like DeReiss she more than made up for it with ego and personality. She quickly reacted to DeReiss’s big entrance by telling him she’s “not scared, you pussy!” DeReiss still took her lightly, making quips on the microphone while Body Slamming her. But Itoh started a comeback while the Pokémon theme song played over the speakers. However DeReiss took a page out of Itoh’s playbook by crying crocodile tears so Itoh would go easy on him. His plan almost worked until Itoh countered a Power Slam into the Mouse Trap cradle to get the pin out of nowhere.


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 29/01/2025
Propst Arena At Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA

1. TBS Title: Mercedes Moné (c) defeated Yuka Sakazaki with the Money Maker (13:40).
*V13 for Mercedes Moné.

Remember back when Mercedes Moné would put out photos and videos on social media of her training at the TJPW dojo and hanging out with the roster? Well after all that time we finally got to see her wrestle a match against someone TJPW related. Moné and Sakazaki got the main event slot on Dynamite for their TBS Title match. Sakazaki got out of the Statement Maker by cradling it into a nearfall. She thought she had Moné where she wanted her by doing a Snap German Suplex. But Moné blocked the Magical Girl Splash with her knees and eventually pinned her with the Moné Maker.


JERICHO CRUISE “CHRIS JERICHO’S ROCK ‘N’ WRESTLING RAGER – SIX ON THE BEACH – NIGHT 1”, 31/01/2025
Norwegian Pearl Cruise Ship

1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Viva Van (?:??).
2. AEW International Title Eliminator Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Tommy Billington (?:??).

Both Takeshita and Sakazaki were a part of Chris Jericho’s annual Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager At Sea cruise. There were four days of shows but from what I could find Sakazaki only wrestled on the first day, beating Viva Van. Takeshita beat the new “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington on his first match of the cruise. It has since been promoted in AEW canon as an AEW International Title eliminator match for Ring Of Honor TV. I’ll go through the rest of Takeshita’s matches in next month’s article.

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Upcoming Appearances


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “AEX32 SANTIAGO 2025”, 09/02/2025
Estación Mapocho Cultural Center, Santiago, Chile

1. Moka Miyamoto Vs Casey
2. Aja Kong Vs Roma
3. Princess Tag Team Titles: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh (c) Vs Pandora & Sara Phoenix

The AEX Santiago convention welcomes Tokyo Joshi Pro to Chile in February. The Princess Tag Team Titles will be defended over there too, possibly changing the course of “GRAND PRINCESS ’25” if 121000000 lose the belts over there. Fans over there will also get to see Aja Kong and Moka Miyamoto in action.


AEW “GRAND SLAM AUSTRALIA”, 15/02/2025
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia

1. Will Ospreay & Kenny Omega Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher

There’s a lot of logistical confusion going around AEW’s Australia debut but it’s still working out better than that time Takeshita was booked by Sub-Zero Pro back in 2019. He’ll be teaming with Australia’s own Kyle Fletcher as the two members of the Don Callis Family face the combined wrath of Will Ospreay & Kenny Omega!


SPW “UNCHAINED”, 07/03/2025
Foo Chow Building, Singapore

1. Yuki Kamifuku & The Statement Vs Alexis Lee & Da Butcherman

Kamifuku and Lee’s rivalry remains in Singapore for the time being. This time Kamifuku will get involved in a mixed tag match for the first time in SPW. She teams with The Statement (aka Andruew Tang) while Lee will team with Da Butcherman.


WXW “16 CARAT GOLD – NIGHT 3”, 09/03/2025
Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

Some of the best wrestling weekends I’ve ever had were in Germany for the 16 Carat Gold tournament. Yamashita’s debut for wXw is only going to be for the third night though. That’s a shame because if she did the entire weekend there would have been a whole list of interesting new matches for her to do.


NJPW “WINDY CITY RIOT”, 11/04/2025
Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, USA

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi Last Match In The USA Final Road ~Kinship~: Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs KONOSUKE TAKESHITA

America gets a rematch over a decade in the making. In the 2nd year Anniversary of Takeshita’s debut match, he got to fight Tanahashi in his prime at DDT’s Sumo Hall show. He had respect for him for years afterward until 2015 when Tanahashi embarrassed DDT in the same venue. When Takeshita competed in the G1 Climax last year he brought up that situation as a reason for him to chase after Tanahashi in New Japan. Now that Tanahashi is getting ready to retire next year, there’s not a lot of time left to make this match happen. So Takeshita made the demand to be the opponent for Tanahashi’s last match in America (unless AEW gets the itch to book him on super short notice later in the year).


PANDEMONIUM PRO “THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS”, 17/04/2025
Fremont Country Club, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Maya World Vs Miu Watanabe

DDT and TJPW’s schedule for Wrestlemania Week is focused on the Friday and Saturday. However Miu Watanabe’s schedule unexpectedly starts a little bit earlier. On the Thursday she will be competing in Pandemonium Pro against the promising wrestler from Texas, Maya World.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LAS VEGAS”, 18/04/2025
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The sixteen women TJPW are planning to bring over to Las Vegas are Mizuki, Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh, Suzume, Yuki Kamifuku, Pom Harajuku, Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi, Hyper Misao, Yuki Aino, Miu Watanabe, Raku, Arisu Endo, Yuki Arai, Wakana Uehara and Shino Suzuki. There will be a few more international wrestlers taking part too.


DDT “DDT GOES LAS VEGAS!”, 18/04/2025
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The first group of DDT wrestlers coming over for the show are MAO, Shinya Aoki, Daisuke Sasaki, Yukio Naya, Antonio Honda, Ilusion, Yuni and Kazuma Sumi. A lot of the regular talent have already been advertised for DDT’s shows back in Japan the same weekend so this might be your lot outside of the guests.


DDT/TOKYO JOSHI PRO/GCW “DDT VS TJPW VS GCW”, 19/04/2025
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Tickets for all three shows are on sale now.