DDT “DDT GOES LAS VEGAS!”, 18/04/2025
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Starboy Charlie defeated Yuni with the Shooting Starboy Press (8:58).
2. 3 Way Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & Ilusion defeated Mizuki Watase & Shota and Dan The Dad & Kody Lane when Sasaki submitted Dan with the Crossface Lock (13:07).
3. Special Single Match: Santana Jackson defeated Antonio Honda with the Moonwalk DDT (9:37).
4. wXw Unified World Wrestling Title: 1 Called Manders (c) defeated Yukio Naya with the Lariat (9:33).
*V3 for 1 Called Manders.
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Nick Wayne, Shunma Katsumata & Kazuma Sumi defeated Gringo Loco, Marcus Mathers & Tyler Bateman when Wayne pinned Bateman with the Wayne’s World (13:37).
6. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki defeated Timothy Thatcher with the Aoki Clutch (9:20).
7. DDT Universal Title: Minoru Suzuki (c) defeated Yoshihiko with the Gotch-Style Piledriver (15:10).
*V1 for Minoru Suzuki.
8. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated MAO with the Raging Fire (17:24).
With all of the wrestling going on in Las Vegas this week, DDT were in the thick of it holding their latest USA show with The Collective. The lineup was not DDT at its fullest with half the roster remaining in Japan to continue running shows over there. What Vegas did get though was still a mix of the weird and wonderful you can find in pro wrestling. DDT still gave fans something they weren’t going to get anywhere else in Vegas this week.
In the main event Konosuke Takeshita returned to DDT to test out just how much MAO has grown without him. MAO has recently made a similar decision that Takeshita went through a few years ago and that is to leave The 37KAMIINA to move in a new direction. MAO’s path is a little different though and he used what tricks he could to go against Takeshita’s world class abilities. At one point he hit Takeshita square with the Iai Kick but Takeshita collapsed out of the ring. Takeshita did big damage back by dropping MAO on the ring apron with the Wicked Driver. MAO gambled it all by going for a Phoenix Splash but Takeshita got out of the way. He moved so quick that he got in position to throw an Elbow Stike at MAO in midair but the wild shot missed. It didn’t matter though because Takeshita remained on the attack and pinned MAO with the Raging Fire.
After the match MAO got to give a speech but felt bad about it because losers shouldn’t talk. However he has a dream to tell the fans and it is to “Make DDT Dramatic Again”. He invited everyone back out to end the show but had more to say backstage. He is going to follow in Takeshita’s footsteps by attacking New Japan! To give more back to DDT his goal is to win the Best Of The Super Jr. and then take the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title! Meanwhile Takeshita told reporters about all of the opponents he has fought this week with more to come tomorrow. He cannot go back on his triple contracts now. He also gave advice to MAO and that is to cherish the people who support you because they are the ones who will protect you in the end. With that, he will look forward to seeing how MAO will do in May
Las Vegas got to witness the fight of the century! In the middle of what is part of the most bizarre schedule of matches anyone has taken for WrestleMania Weekend ever, Minoru Suzuki fought Yoshihiko with the DDT Universal Title on the line. All throughout the buildup Suzuki didn’t believe in Yoshihiko’s powers and thought the match was a joke. So when the match began he had fun kicking and throwing the doll around while the audience reacted in horror to the violence put on display. Yoshihiko even produced a crimson mask, getting blood gushing from its face. However things took a turn when all of a sudden Yoshihiko grabbed Suzuki and fought back with submission holds. Suzuki was at the risk of getting outgrappled and soon found himself getting bumped around the ring. But in the end he countered Yoshihiko’s Reincarnation into the Gotch-Style Piledriver, spinning around in circles before hitting the move to make it more powerful. After winning the match, Suzuki shook Yoshihiko’s hand before throwing it out of the ring. Backstage he asked the reporters if Americans are stupide because they made such a big fuss over a doll. He then brought up his singles match with Danshoku Dieno happening on 25th May, insinuating that he wants it to be a Universal Title match. Yoshihiko made no comment backstage.
Something that was completely different from the rest of the card could be seen in Match #6. Shinya Aoki and Timothy Thatcher kept most of their match to the mat with grappling exchanges and submission holds. When the action brought them back to their feet, Aoki hit a dive out of the ring but Thatcher returned fire back inside with a Piledriver. Aoki got the better of him in the end though when he applied the Full Nelson and pulled Thatcher down into the pinning manoeuvre that is now called the Aoki Clutch. Thatcher had no answer to it and was counted for three.
People were flying everywhere in the 6-Man Tag Match. Gringo Loco threw his body around with high risk moves and Marcus Mathers did the same. Kazuma Sumi got to stretch his feet out a little bit and do some more high flying of his own than we’re used to seeing him on regular DDT shows. Nick Wayne was also chomping at the bit to get things done but at times it put him at odds with Sumi & Shunma Katsumata. That was only a blip though and the trio remained strong, ending with Wayne pinned Tyler Batemen with the Wayne’s World.
Big beefy brutes collided over the wXw Unified Title. It’s a belt that 1 Called Manders recently won in Germany and brought with him to Vegas for a few title defences. Yukio Naya got to be one of the challengers but couldn’t knock the cowboy off his throne with strikes and Choke Slams. Instead Manders took Naya’s best shot and took him down with the Lariat to keep his championship. The two earned each other’s respect and Manders raised Naya’s hand as he was heading to the back.
Anton, are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay, Anton? Antonio Honda couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Just the sight of Santana Jackson moving like Michael Jackson was enough to make his knees quiver and his mind unfocused. It must have been why he injured his knee again when trying to do a dive. Honda had the courage to tell everyone a Gongitsune story in English about the time Gone went to Vegas to see Caesars Palace but wound up at Caesars Penis instead. It was all a trick to cheap shot Jackson, who fled beneath the ring. When he returned he had become the werewolf from Thriller and he gave Honda the Moonwalk DDT for the victory.
A 3 Way Match pitted DAMNATION T.A against two teams that were very different from each other. Mizuki Watase & Shota were teaming up as a Ganbare☆Pro adjacent pair while Dan The Dad & Kody Lane were along for what sounded like a fun vacation the whole family could enjoy. Too bad Daisuke Sasaki wanted to drink beer and Ilusion kept swearing at everybody. Dan also lost his temper at Shota for standing on the top turnbuckles for too long like a bold boy. Dan & Lane hit some big moves including a Topé Suicida Doomsday Device onto a pile of wrestlers outside the ring. But Ilusion caught Dan with the Swanton Bomb and Sasaki ran in to give him the Crossface Lock for the submission win.
It was like a mirror match in the opener. Both Yuni and Starboy Charlie tried to match each other flip for flip to impress the fans. Charlie won out on the contest thanks to the Standing Corkscrew Moonsault and also the Shooting Starboy Press.
Dramatic DDT 