DDT “DDT NEW YEAR☆DOTABATA FESTIVAL 2026”, 10/01/2026 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – B Block: Takeshi Masada (2) defeated Hinata Kasai (0) with the Manburi (6:42).
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – B Block: Rukiya (2) defeated Yuni (2) with the Proto Bomb (6:52).
3. Harimao Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida defeated Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion when Ishida pinned Ilusion with the Flame Palm (7:16).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku when Honda pinned Koroku after the Somato from HARASHIMA (6:54).
5. Akito & Daichi Sato defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata when Sato pinned Hirata with the PK (11:19).
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) & Junta Miyawaki defeated Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Kazuma Sumi when KANON pinned Naya with a Cradle (12:48).
7. The 37KAMIINA Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Yuki Ueno & To-y defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Demus when Ueno pinned Demus with the Jul.2 (20:28).
It’s a difficult task to focus on two opponents at once but Yuki Ueno is trying to do just that. He doesn’t have to worry about Chris Brookes doing anything shady behind his back but Daisuke Sasaki has now become a thorn in his side again. Sasaki threw a chair at Ueno during the main event but with To-y’s help, Ueno was able to pin Demus with the Jul.2 to get the win. After the match Ueno said fighting Sasaki like this brings back memories of their previous battles together and he doesn’t like how Sasaki can disrupt his rhythm. Sasaki then mocked Ueno and said standing in front of him again reminds Ueno of the bloody trauma Sasaki gave him in the past.
Junta Miyawaki is showing interest in fighting Kazuma Sumi more often.
Today was Daichi Sato’s first time fighting Danshoku Dieno. He didn’t want to go through with it but Akito told him it is a rite of passage for everyone in DDT to have a match with Dieno. After the match Akito praised him for going through with it and even said he wants to see Sato win a championship more than anything else. Sato doesn’t trust him though and refused to shake his hand.
Two B Block matches in the D GENERATIONS CUP took place at the beginning of the show. Rukiya utilized his hometown advantage to beat Yuni and score his first points in the block. Takeshi Masada took part in his first match of the tournament, beating Hinata Kasai in a bout that coincidentally linked the end of SCHADENFREUDE International with the beginning of FANTÔMES DRAMATIC.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW NEW-YEAR PARTY 2026”, 10/01/2026 Shinjuku FACE 361 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Haru Kazashiro defeated Shion Kanzaki with the Izayoi (5:24).
2. 3 Way Match: Raku defeated Kaya Toribami and Chika Nanase when Raku pinned Nanase with the Hurricane Turn (6:11).
3. Pom Harajuku, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki defeated Hyper Misao, Mahiro Kiryu & Kira Summer when HIMAWARI pinned Summer with the Sunflower Tempest (7:54).
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Toga & Mifu Ashida defeated Suzume, Arisu Endo, Uta Takami & Ren Konatsu when Toga submitted Konatsu with a Face Lock (10:27).
5. Miu Watanabe & J-Rod Vs Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
6. Princess Of Princess Title Next Challenger Decision 6 Way Elimination Match: Yuki Arai defeated Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi and Max The Impaler (24:17).
6a. Shoko Nakajima eliminated Max The Impaler with the Diving Senton (6:17).
6b. Shoko Nakajima eliminated Mizuki with a Jackknife Pin (10:55).
6c. Rika Tatsumi eliminated Shoko Nakajima with the Reverse Twist Of Fate (12:25).
6d. Miyu Yamashita eliminated Rika Tatsumi with the Crash Rabbit Heat (19:30).
6e. Yuki Arai eliminated Miyu Yamashita with the Scorpion Death Lock (24:17).
A 6-Woman Elimination Match was put together by Tokyo Joshi Pro to determine the No. 1 Contender for the Princess Of Princess Title at “GRAND PRINCESS ’26” later this year. This was not done as a typical Battle Royal were over the top rope eliminations were involved. Instead everyone had to pin or submit their opponents to knock them out of the match. Max The Impaler was the big target for everyone else and it took so much teamwork from all of them together to eventually take Max out of the running. Shoko Nakajima got the pinfall with the Diving Senton and then went on to eliminate Mizuki with a Jackknife Pin thanks to an assisted Hip Attack from Rika Tatsumi. Then Tatsumi got rid of Nakajima by using the Dragon Sleeper and switching it into a Reverse Twist Of Fate for the pinfall. Tatsumi was then next to go when Miyu Yamashita used the Avalanche Attitude Adjustment then finished her off with a Buzzsaw Kick followed by the Crash Rabbit Heat. That left Yamashita with Yuki Arai as the final two wrestlers. Arai surprisingly blocked the Skull Kick and knocked Yamashita back with a Big Boot. She then applied the Scorpion Death Lock and increased the pressure far enough to make Yamashita give up!
That means Arai will now challenge Miu Watanabe for the Princess Title at Sumo Hall on 29th March. With today’s result over Yamashita, Arai feels like she now has no other choice but to reach the top of TJPW. She called Watanabe down to the ring so she could challenge her face to face. Watanabe told Arai she earned the right to challenge her by winning an amazing match. She wants the two of them to fill up Sumo Hall to capacity and for Arai to tell everyone how much she loves TJPW along the way. Arai said she is now in a special position where she gets to perform in a big main event. She will put her heart and soul into it and cherish every day in order to become the strongest she can be.
In the meantime, Watanabe might need to watch out for other challengers showing up especially ones she previously defended the belt against. Yuki Aino took her to the limit in a tag match that went to a 20 minute draw. While J-Rod and Ryo Mizunami cancelled each other out with their power, Aino (sporting a new haircut) countered the Tear Drop into the Venus DDT for a nearfall. She was then seconds away from giving Watanabe the UBV when the bell rang to end the match in a tie.
Toga has decided to give a new name to her Rock Bottom Finisher. It is now called the Absolute Zero. So in typical fashion the first match she wins since renaming the move was won with a Face Lock instead.
In Match #3 Hyper Misao complained to Mahiro Kiryu over how she beat up the Hypami Dramatic Dream to win back the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title at Korakuen Hall last weekend. When Kiryu started arguing back, Misao sprayed her in the face and everyone in the match tried to pin her to win the belt.
NJPW “SANSEI R&D PRESENTS WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 IN TOKYO DOME – HIROSHI TANAHASHI RETIREMENT”, 01/04/2026 Tokyo Dome 46,913 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
0. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) Vs Chris Brookes
DDT “DDT NEW YEAR PRO WRESTLING FESTIVAL! 2026”, 05/01/2026 Shinjuku FACE ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – B Block: Yuni (2) defeated Hinata Kasai (0) with the Phoenix Splash (5:31).
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – B Block: Yuya Koroku (2) defeated Rukiya (0) with the Modified Triangle Lancer (8:22).
3. 3 Way Match: Akito defeated Danshoku Dieno and Kazuki Hirata when Akito submitted Dieno and Akito with the Modified Figure 4 Leg Lock (12:05).
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: Kazuma Sumi (2) defeated Ilusion (0) with the School Boy (10:27).
5. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: Daichi Sato (2) defeated Yuki Ishida (0) with the Mad Splash (9:42).
6. Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya, Junta Miyawaki & Takeshi Masada defeated MAO, KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO), Jun Akiyama & Munetatsu Nakamura when Iino pinned KANON with the Spear (14:18).
7. Special 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda defeated Yuki Ueno, To-y & Kazusada Higuchi and Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Demus (w/ MJ Paul) when Brookes pinned To-y after the Somato from HARASHIMA (22:20).
Just two days after SCHADENFREUDE International disbanded, Chris Brookes has quickly established a brand new unit to replace it. He held a press conference before the first match to reveal FANTÔMES DRAMATIC as the name of his new group, or “Fanodra” for short. He had already invited two wrestlers to join and they both accepted. They are Antonio Honda and HARASHIMA. The fourth member though was called down to the ring by Brookes so he could invite them in person. That turned out to be Hinata Kasai and he took a shirt to take his new place in FANTÔMES DRAMATIC. Fandora then went on to win their first match in the main event, beating The 37KAMIINA (plus Kazusada Higuchi) and DAMNATION T.A in a 3 Way Trios match, dragging Yuki Ueno and Daisuke Sasaki into the current 3 way main event feud. Honda said this unit will bring new drama to DDT and they will use all sort of combinations to win many of the company’s championships.
There was also a press conference for the KO-D Tag Team Titles match contract signing between Strange Love Connection and The Apex. According to Yuki Iino, the only reason The Apex lost the titles to SLC last November was because Chihiro Hashimoto got in the way. This time she won’t be here so Iino can entirely focus on getting his hands on MAO and beating him to get the belts back. KANON was a little disappointed to be ignored by Iino but he probably regretted that later in the show when Iino pinned him with two Spears. Now Iino is paying attention to him and he enjoyed taking his Chops and Lariats today. It also means Iino & Yukio Naya are happy to beat either MAO or KANON to win the titles again.
Some of the lineup was kept secret until the day of the show. One of the unannounced matches was a 3 Way between Akito, Danshoku Dieno and Kazuki Hirata but nobody involved in the match were happy being booked this way. When the match began all three wrestlers either sat down or laid motionless until Hisaya Imabayashi asked them what was going on? They told him they were on strike because they all felt like they were being used as leftovers for the show. Imabayashi got to motivate them by promising to fulfill one wish from the match winner. Dieno wanted a photoshoot with his pet dog Haku, Hirata asked for a refreshed stock of Hirata GO! glasses and Akito aimed to take over Imabayashi’s role as the DDT GM! In an effort to protect his own job, Imabayashi tried to help Dieno and Hirata win instead of Akito. He also took inspiration from yesterday’s Tokyo Dome main event to attack Akito himself but that ended up backfiring on him spectacularly. Instead, Akito trapped the other three in a Triple Figure 4 Leg Lock to win the match. Imabayashi tearfully agreed to make Akito the GM but only on the condition that Akito can make his dream of DDT holding a show in the Tokyo Dome come true. Akito then revealed he would not take over as GM as all he wanted from Imabayashi was to hear him passionately talk about his dream. He promised him they will aim to make that dream come true together.
The opening day of the fourth annual D GENERATIONS CUP made up the majority of this show’s undercard. Daichi Sato’s debut in the tournament got off to a good start with him beating Yuki Ishida with the Fire Thunder followed by the Mad Splash. He said he will continue this momentum to win the rest of his block matches. Kazuma Sumi survived getting hit with a KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Title belt to beat Ilusion. He credited his own quick wits to get the better of his masked opponent. Ilusion denied losing the match and warns the company is doomed unless he wins.
Over in the B Block, last year’s winner Yuya Koroku is looking to achieve the repeat. He beat Rukiya to kick off his campaign right, avenging a loss to him from the 2024 DGC. If there’s one thing Koroku does not want to happen, it’s to lose to anyone younger than him in this tournament. Yuni may cause him some trouble then because the fresh college student scored his first ever DGC win by beating Hinata Kasai in the opener. Yuni said he is going to cherish every victory but won’t be satisfied with only having one win.
NJPW “SANSEI R&D PRESENTS WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 IN TOKYO DOME – HIROSHI TANAHASHI RETIREMENT”, 01/04/2026 Tokyo Dome 46,913 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
0. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) defeated Chris Brookes with the Super Thunder Kiss ’86 (11:48). *V6 for El Phantasmo.
1. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Tornado Rambo: Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson defeated Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin when Sabre pinned Boltin with the European Clutch (20:43). Order Of Elimination: Yuto-Ice/OSKAR/Clark Conners, Tiger Mask/Togi Makabe/Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomohiro Ishii/Taichi/Satoshi Kojima and Shota Umino/Yuya Uemura/Kaisei Takechi, Toru Yano/YOH/Master Wato (c), Ren Narita/SANADA/Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Hirooki Goto/YOSHI-HASHI/Oleg Boltin. *Toru Yano, YOH & Master Wato fail in V4. TMDK become the 32nd NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
6. IWGP World Heavyweight Title & IWGP Global Heavyweight Title: Yota Tsuji (c/g) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c/w) with a Crab Hold (29:20). *V2 for Yota Tsuji. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA fails in V2. Yota Tsuji becomes the 15th IWGP World Heavyweight Champion!
It was all set up for DDT to hijack one of the biggest wrestling events to happen in years but in the end it was all dashed away. Oh well at least New Japan made all of the right moves to help take care of their own problems. On the day that Hiroshi Tanahashi ended his legendary wrestling career, Konosuke Takeshita was there in the semi-final of the Tokyo Dome taking part in a double championship match against Yota Tsuji. Takeshita was putting the IWGP World Heavyweight Title on the line while Tsuji was defending the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title. Instead of wearing the “blessed” kneepad from yesterday’s DDT show, Takeshita had a different costume on that included a red bandana wrapped around his arm. It was later confirmed to belong to Shinsuke Nakamura who couldn’t be there on the night. The grand battle came down to Takeshita and Tsuji charging into each other, Wagamama versus Gene Blaster. The Gene Blast won out but rather than go for the pin, Tsuji instead put Takeshita in the Crab Hold to make him tap out! Takeshita admitted defeat afterwards but knows he can get stronger and climb higher. According to him, this is just the beginning.
Kaisei Takechi’s appearance in the Tornado Rambo match turned out to be rather pointless. He got to make a big entrance along with the rest of THE RAMPAGE with a live performance of the song “BREAK IT DOWN”. However the rules of the match resulted in his team’s elimination happening in a rather uneventful manner. Yuya Uemura and Taichi eliminated each other double Battle Royal style, meaning both of their teams were taken out of the match too. It wasn’t really a good showcase for Takechi, Uemura or Shota Umino in anyway outside of THE RAMPAGE entrance. Takechi wants to team up with the others again because he regrets how little they did in the match. Then maybe after that he could fight against them too.
The pre-show match allowed Chris Brookes to bring some SCHADENFREUDE International energy into the Tokyo Dome. With the likes of Antonio Honda, Baliyan Akki, Munetatsu Nakamura and Bunbun on his side, Brookes got to pull out the rubber band spot that stretched all the way up the Tokyo Dome entrance ramp. El Phantasmo had too much fight in him though and he kicked out of the Praying Mantis Bomb. Brookes kicked out of the CRIII but ELP quickly hit him with the Super Thunder Kiss ’86 to successfully defend the NJPW World TV Title. Backstage ELP talked about how a decade ago Brookes was one of the few wrestlers to give him a hand while he was touring the UK and that always meant a lot to him. He also talked about how the health scare Brookes had last year is what led to him finding out about his own cancer diagnosis months later. For that he will be forever greatful to Brookes. He also predicts 2026 is going to be a crazy year for pro wrestling in Japan and today they got to give everyone a taste of what it could be like.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’26”, 04/01/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,564 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Shion Kanzaki Debut Match: Uta Takami & Chika Nanase defeated Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki when Takami submitted Kanzaki with the Koala Clutch (9:02).
2. Yuna Manase & Toga defeated HIMAWARI & Kira Summer when Toga pinned Summer with the Rock Bottom (9:27).
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 4 Way Match: Aja Kong defeated Mahiro Kiryu (c), Rika Tatsumi and Shino Suzuki when Kong pinned Suzuki with the Back Drop (9:59). *Mahiro Kiryu fails in V? Aja Kong becomes the 1,797th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Mahiro Kiryu defeated Aja Kong by Pinfall with an Assisted Choke from Rika Tatsumi (11:58 am). *Mahiro Kiryu becomes the 1,798th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Hypami Dramatic Dream defeated Mahiro Kiryu (c) by Pinfall (12:14 pm). *Hypami Dramatic Dream becomes the 1,799th champion.
4. Happy New Year! TJPW Uma Princess Cup Match: Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao ended in a Draw when neither of their chosen Uma-wrestlers finished 1st (13:52).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Mahiro Kiryu (c) defeated Hypami Dramatic Dream by Pinfall (12:24 pm). *Mahiro Kiryu becomes the 1,800th champion.
5. Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami defeated J-Rod & Mifu Ashida when Toribami pinned Ashida with the Sento Choryu (10:39).
6. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Yuki Arai defeated Max The Impaler, Raku & Pom Harajuku when Arai pinned Harajuku with a Modified Brainbuster (10:30).
7. International Princess Title: MIRAI defeated Arisu Endo (c) with the Lariat (12:51). *Arisu Endo fails in V3. MIRAI becomes the 16th International Princess Champion!
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara (c) defeated Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro when Uehara submitted Kazashiro with the Banana Pillow (14:17). *V3 for Ober Eats.
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Suzume with the Spinning Tear Drop (22:28). *V4 for Miu Watanabe.
One year ago Miu Watanabe couldn’t beat the allegations that she is a monster rather than a princess. Fast forward one year later and there is no denying that she is the Princess Of Princess Champion to beat! The 11th annual Korakuen Hall show on 4th January served as Tokyo Joshi Pro’s entry into 2026 and delivered a main event that will be remembered as one of the promotion’s greatest matches to ever happen. Suzume used ever ounce of strength she had to try and avoid being swung around by Watanabe. In doing so she tied up the champion with the Hachinosu Eight Knot submission hold. She also relied on doing high risk Flying Facecrushers both in and out of the ring. When things looked most bleak for her, she pulled out the Ring A Bell as the big counter to Watanabe’s Tear Drop but that couldn’t get her the win. She jumped to the ropes to do the Spring Ring A Bell but Watanabe struck her out of the air with a Batting Hammer and followed it up with the Laserbeam. After that all she needed to do was land the Spinning Tear Drop to remain the champion.
Watanabe said the leadup period to this match with Suzume felt so long but she had so much fun along the way. She wants to defend the title against Suzume again some day and knows it will happen. But her next goal is to have a successful title defence in front of a packed Sumo Hall on 29th March. Once she can do that she is sure she can find even happier dreams to make come true. TJPW’s slogan for 2026 is “KAWAII×DREAM×STRONG ～Pro Wrestling That Makes You Look Forward To Tomorrow～” and Watanabe’s goal is to expand the promotion’s circle of happiness. In her backstage comments Watanabe noticed just as much cheers coming from the overseas fans in attednance than the Japanese fans. She said both are good and it’s nice to think that TJPW is reaching out to the whole world. She will be travelling a lot this year and wants to spread TJPW worldwide along with the Princess Title. While Suzume couldn’t win today, she comes out of the match loving pro wrestling even more. Today only showed that she doesn’t understand yet the weight of being the Princess Champion. It only makes her want it more so she isn’t going to give up.
The emergence of Shunrai Rekka!! Prism Greed as the newest challengers for the Princess Tag Team Titles proved to be a tough nut for Ober Eats to crack. Yuki Kamifuku resorted to bringing Yuki Aino out of the ring to fight in the front row while Wakana Uehara dealt with Haru Kazashiro between the ropes. Ober Eats took control from there until Aino made a comeback with Kazashiro following her lead. Kazashiro jumped off of Aino’s back to land a Low Cross Body onto Kamifuku but Uehara was there to stop Aino from doing the UBV. Kamifuku gave both of Prism Greed a Double Famouser and Uehara put Kazashiro in the Banana Pillow, increasing the pressure until the challenger gave up. Uehara admitted to having sleepless nights from losing the preview matches leading into today. If she had lost the Princess Tag Titles she would be spending the rest of this year feeling depressed. Kamifuku was in a better mood going into the match because she spend the New Year period with her parents and the 1.8L bottle of sake she gave her father as a gift only lasted 12 hours. It taught her the lesson to stop being so uptight during title matches. Prism Greed learned that losing this match means they can only move up from here. Kazashiro now thinks the wins she got heading into the title match are meaningless if you can’t win the big one at the end but she also thinks she has gotten closer with Aino. She’ll be by her side until Aino decides to retire or graduate.
The surprising return of MIRAI to TJPW resulted in an even further shocking turn of events when she beat Arisu Endo to become the new International Princess Champion! Now a part of Michinoku Pro, MIRAI was accompanied to the ring by ken45° and Manjimaru but the two men had no intentions of disrupting the match. MIRAI went on to avoid the Ju no Okite and rope break her way out of the Camel Clutch. Endo found herself in danger when she took the Miramare Shock (Death Valley Bomb) and before she realized it, MIRAI knocked her down with the Lariat and got the three count to win the championship! The result makes MIRAI the first person to win titles in Stardom, Marigold and TJPW (and JTO if you want to go deeper).
MIRAI has now won the title she failed to get during her days as a TJPW roster member. After thanking Endo for the match she announced her intentions to defend the belt, causing Toga to enter the ring and ask for a title shot. Toga wasn’t around back when MIRAI was with TJPW but watching this match made Toga want to wrestle her. MIRAI said she heard of Toga for having strong elbow strikes and looking like a cool wrestler so she wants fight her too. She accepted her challenge. Backstage MIRAI spoke about the warm reception from TJPW fans for her return. She always wanted to be one of a kind and TJPW is the promotion that best suits that kind of mindset. Toga said she was going to make a challenge no matter who won today because she wants to show she can be strong by herself but she is happy to go elbow versus elbow with MIRAI. It is also meant to be an international championship, Toga wants to spread her wings and fly out into the world.
The show also featured the return of Yuka Sakazaki as she reunited The Magical Sugar Rabbits with Mizuki while Yuki Arai joined in on the fun. Sakazaki was puzzled to see Raku taking a nap in the ring when the match began until Raku woke up and shouted “First sunrise!” while wearing a sun-shaped hat. Max The Impaler wasn’t in the same sleepy mood and decided to throw Raku’s pillow into the crowd. They then picked up Pom Harajuku to throw at the other team but they all dodged it and Harajuku landed hard on the mat. MagiRabi threw what they could at Max to slow them down while Arai got to pin Harajuku with a Modified Brainbuster to start her year off with a win. Arai said her goal for 2026 is to become champion, Mizuki’s goal is to take TJPW into the galaxy and Sakazaki’s goal is to become a NASA executive.
Mifu Ashida’s cheerleading is infectious enough to get J-Rod involved. When Ashida decided to bring in her pompoms for a cheer, she handed one over to her partner and J-Rod eventually decided to join in while they beat down their opponents. Miyu Yamashita was able to break down J-Rod with her kicks while Kaya Toribami targeted Ashida. Things took a wrong turn for Toribami when Ashida used her own flexibility to get out of the Bird Cage and then German Suplex her opponent. However Toribami got to hit her with a knee to the back of the head before landing the Sento Choryu to get the victory. Yamashita & Toribami still hold the IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles and they want to defend them even more this year. J-Rod said she will team with Ashida again but next time they will get rid of the smiling faces and take things more seriously. Ashida didn’t really listen because she’s just happy with the idea of getting to team up with J-Rod again.
The 12:10 race meeting near Wins Korakuen was about to begin. The annual Ittenyon match between Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao took on a horse racing theme this year because 2026 is the Year Of The Horse. Also Umamusume is bigger than ever and despite the corporate connections this is the only way TJPW could capitalize on it. The first ever Uma Princess Cup race took place between three uma-wrestlers: Haru Utata, Gold Konatsu Ship and Silence Shion. It was up to Kyoraku Kyomei to bet on the right horsegirl to win a three lap race around Korakuen Hall. They were also permitted to do anything they wanted to interfere in the race so their chosen horsegirl would win. Nakajima picked Utata while Misao put it all on Shion, leaving Konatsu as the odd one out. As the race progressed Misao attacked Utata on the first lap until Nakajima came to the rescue. On the second lap Nakajima tried to attack Shion up in the aisleway but Shion instead slammed her onto a pile of Kaiju toys laid out on the floor. Misao rode out on the Hyper Mobile aiming to run over Utata but she hit Mahiro Kiryu instead. A big pile up resulted in the bike being laid on top of Kiryu. Daisuke Kiso counted to three and declared the Hypami Dramatic Dream as the new Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion! Meanwhile the race entered its final lap where Nakajima & Utata kept getting into fights with Misao & Shion. They also taped Konatsu & Kiryu together to slow them down but that pair slowly made progress on the track while everyone else was fighting each other. Misao ended up using the ring apron to wrap up Nakajima & Utata but some carelessness resulted in her & Shion getting trapped inside it too. While all of this was happening, Konatsu & Kiryu slowly made it across the finish line inside the ring to win the race, meaning neither Nakajima or Misao won the match. Shortly after the chaos ended, Kiryu pinned the Hypami Dramatic Dream at ringside to win back the Iron Man Title.
The Iron Man Title had a busy day because the match before the horsegirl race was a 4 Way with the belt up for grabs. Rika Tatsumi was on the verge of submitting Kiryu with the White Dragon Sleeper when Aja Kong knocked her out with a steel can. That left Shino Suzuki as the only one left to try and stop Kong. She narrowly avoided getting squashed with a Hip Drop to roll Kong over for a nearfall. Kong then stopped her in her tracks with a Slap and pinned her with the Back Drop to win the Iron Man Title.
After the match Kiryu told Kong her dream was to protect the championship until the day she was put in a coffin but now it will never happen. Then Tatsumi tried to School Boy Kong but it didn’t work. Kiryu then tried doing the same move and Tatsumi helped make it work by reaching out to strangle Kong by the neck. A three count was made and Tatsumi celebrated with the belt until it was announced that since Kiryu was directly on top of Kong for the pin, Kiryu was the new champion instead! Kong chased her backstage wanting to win it back but decided it would be better if she can beat Kiryu in a singles match for it. She told Kiryu to put her life on the line to defend the title until then.
Toga’s opening into getting an IP Title match was set up earlier in the show when she scored the pin for Hot Shot. With Yuna Manase there to take down HIMAWARI with a Lariat, nothing could stop Toga from hitting Kira Summer with the Elbow Smash and then follow it up with the Rock Bottom for the victory. Manase praised Toga for showing incredible spirit but Toga told her she hopes not to rely on her so much for 2026. That is why she wanted to beat Summer by herself in the finishing stretch. Manase agreed with her, saying that the point of Hot Shot is to help Toga shine like a Hollywood star. She’ll support Toga as she turns from being ice cold into the hottest blue flame. HIMAWARI & Summer still get along despite losing because both of their birthdays are on 18th December. They also enjoyed wrestling in front of a packed venue with a great atmosphere today.
The opening match was the debut of TJPW’s newest rookie Shion Kanzaki. She started off the bout against Uta Takami using moves like Elbow Strikes and a Headlock. Takami eventually locked in the Koala Clutch and Chika Nanase was there to stop Ren Konatsu from breaking it up. Kanzaki tried fighting back with Dropkicks but Takami applied another Koala Clutch, this time getting the rookie to submit. Kanzaki said she was nervous before the match but Konatsu was able to motivate her and she ended up enjoying the match. She has loved pro wrestling since she was a kid because it got her through so many situations in life so she wants to become a pro wrestler that can support someone else the same way. The wrestlers she looks up to are Shoko Nakajima and Miu Watanabe.
An unlikely debut is planned for “GRAND PRINCESS ’26” this March. The mascot Minimo-chan is going to have its first ever pro wrestling match! Minimo-chan is the mascot for the 2000s idol group Minimoni and it promised to do its best to do a Lariat. Minimo-chan will be accompanied for its match by one of Minimoni’s members Mari Yaguchi. She recently worked with TJPW for its show in Malaysia and she thought it was an incredibly cool experience. She finds it hard to imagine what Minimo-chan will look like in a TJPW ring but she will be there to cheer it on.
The annual Ittenyon tradition will continue next year as TJPW will again be in Korakuen Hall on 4th January, 2027. Rise Shirai and Fumirin announced it to everyone at the start of the show. I noticed though that unlike last year they did not announce a Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao match in advance. I hope that’s not foreshadowing something for down the line…
Quick note while I’m enjoying my holiday. It will likely be next weekend when I start writing up the show reports I’m behind on. That will be once I’m home from Japan and fully settled back into my regular day to day life.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’26”, 04/01/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Shion Kanzaki Debut Match: Uta Takami & Chika Nanase Vs Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki
2. Yuna Manase & Toga Vs HIMAWARI & Kira Summer
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 4 Way Match: Mahiro Kiryu (c) Vs Aja Kong Vs Rika Tatsumi Vs Shino Suzuki
4. New Year! TJPW Uma Princess Cup Match: Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
5. Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami Vs J-Rod & Mifu Ashida
6. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Yuki Arai Vs Max The Impaler, Raku & Pom Harajuku
7. International Princess Title: Arisu Endo (c) Vs MIRAI
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara (c) Vs Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Suzume
The rules for the annual Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao match has been announced. Since 2026 is the year of the horse (and anime horse girls got a huge boost in renewed popularity recently with the global launch of Umamusume), this match will be the first ever Uma Princess Cup race! When the match begins, three uma-wrestlers will be racing each other around ringside for three laps. Nakajima and Misao can win the match if they can correctly choose the winner. They are also permitted to interfere in the race so their chosen horse girl will win by any means necessary. The names of the three uma-wrestlers are Haru Utata, Gold Konatsu Ship and Silence Shion.
There is now a 4 Way Match taking place where Mahiro Kiryu will have to defend the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title (if she is still champion by then) against Aja Kong, Rika Tatsumi and Shino Suzuki.
Some other wrestlers have been moved around so Shion Kanzaki can get her debut match. Uta Takami, Chika Nanase and Ren Konatsu will all be part of it now.
DDT “NEW YEAR☆DRAMATIC PARADE 2026 ~THE ANSWER WILL BE REVEALED ONE YEAR LATER~”, 03/01/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Junta Miyawaki defeated Rukiya with the Sunshine Driver (4:27).
2. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul, Demus & Ilusion defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Yuya Koroku, Daichi Sato, Yuni & Hinata Kasai when Ilusion pinned Sato with a Cradle (9:29).
3. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki defeated Sanshiro Takagi with a Backslide Pin (6:39).
4. Jun Akiyama, Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida when Naya pinned Ishida with The World’s Best Back Drop (9:46).
5. Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada defeated HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Brookes pinned Hirata after the Thrust Kick/Praying Mantis Bomb combo (13:25).
6. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Akito defeated Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine when TAKESHITA pinned Sasadango with a Body Press (0:56).
6a. Rematch – 1 Vs 3 Handicap Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Akito when TAKESHITA pinned Dieno with the Raging Fire (9:59).
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno, To-y & Kaisei Takechi (c) defeated MAO, KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) & Kazuma Sumi when To-y pinned Sumi with the Kojima Impact (23:57). *V2 for Yuki Ueno, To-y & Kaisei Takechi.
The first DDT show of 2026 kicked off with a mostly mystery show with only the main event announced in advance. Kaisei Takechi had his latest pro wrestling match teaming with The 37KAMIINA to defend the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles against Strange Love Connection & Kazuma Sumi. Takechi hit some big moves like Choke Slamming Sumi onto the ring apron and hitting KANON with the Swan Dive Forearm. MAO kept his team in the running and left it up to Sumi to finish the job. But Sumi missed a Reverse 450 aimed for To-y, allowing To-y to give him the Kojima Wonderland followed by the Kojima Impact to win the match and protect the titles.
After the match Hisaya Imabayashi announced Takechi will next wrestle in DDT on 25th January where he will team with HARASHIMA to take on Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita! Akiyama told Takechi the match will be like a fight between a father and his son. He will go all out so Takechi better bring it too! Takeshita congratulated Takechi on winning the Tokyo Sports Newcomer Award and he believes whatever fears Takechi still has about being a wrestler he will eventually overcome. HARASHIMA warned Takechi they will be fighting the strongest opponents possible in this match but it will be fine because they will do their best. Takechi is happy to hear what everyone is telling him and will aim to win despite still being a rookie. He then asked Yuki Ueno if they could have a singles match together this year, possibly at his 2nd Anniversary show on 22nd February? Ueno wants this match to happen too so he accepted the challenge. It will be Takechi’s first ever singles match when it happens.
One day before he goes into the Tokyo Dome to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Title, Takeshita got to wrestle in DDT again and was put in a tag match with Akito, Danshoku Dieno and Super Sasadango Machine. Akito told Takeshita that his Wagamama knee strike will be the key to victory tomorrow so he should remove his right knee pad and let everyone bless it. Takeshita reluctantly did so and the match began. While the kneepad was passed around the audience, the match only lasted a minute when Sasadango missed a corner charge, knocked himself out and was easily pinned by Takeshita. Imabayashi complained about the abruptness of the match while Dieno & Sasadango explained the two of them together cannot beat Takeshita. They and Akito all agreed to team up for a 3 Vs 1 Handicap Rematch because the three of them combined is comparable to having one Yota Tsuji. The three used the numbers game to wear down Takeshita until Shunma Katsumata handed the now blessed kneepad back to Takeshita. With the kneepad now back on, Takeshita tore through the other team but instead of using the Wagamama to win, he pinned Dieno with the Raging Fire after giving him the Lip Lock. He told Akito after the match he will save the Wagamama for tomorrow’s big title match. No matter where he goes, he will always show everyone his dramatic dreams.
The time had come for Takeshi Masada to leave SCHADENFREUDE International. His final match as a member of the unit had him team with Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda while Bunbun watched on. They did their usual tricks on HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata which ultimately brought them the victory. Masada told the others after the match he is sad to leave but this is the path he chose. They are still family but the next time they’ll be in the ring together it will be as opponents and rivals. Brookes then revealed some surprising news. He said SCHADENFREUDE International was originally created to give Masada a platform to grow as a wrestler and without him the unit no longer has a purpose. So as of today SCHADENFREUDE International is disbanding! He got in contact with Masahiro Takanashi before today to get his blessing and Takanashi agreed to it. Honda said there is no point looking in the past. In 2026 they will all work hard towards a brighter tomorrow. After one last group pose, Bunbun whispered something to Brookes & Honda. They handed him over to Masada so he isn’t going to be entirely alone on his new journey.
One of the surprise matches put together on the undercard was Akiyama teaming up with The Apex to fight Harimao. Akiyama got his chest lit up with Chops which was Kazusada Higuchi’s way of wishing him a happy new year. Naomi Yoshimura also joined in with him clashing against The Apex. Yuki Ishida ended up taking more than he could chew despite scoring a nearfall with the Dosukoi Splash. Yukio Naya stopped his momentum with a Big Boot and Yuki Iino followed up with The Apex Elbow. Ishida tried making a comeback on Naya but he was put away with The World’s Best Back Drop.
Another unexpected match pitted Shinya Aoki against Sanshiro Takagi in a one on one bout. What was even more expected was just how straightforward of a match it turned out to be. No nonsense from Takagi or an unusual switch of wrestling style from Aoki. It was just the two doing their best to outmaneuver each other for the winning pinfall. Aoki came out on top by countering the Stunner into a Backslide Pin to get the three count.
DAMNATION T.A ended last year by winning the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles and the belts now all belong to Ilusion. He’s doing everything he can to carry all of the belts to the ring while the rest of the group keep doing what they’re doing against a team of mostly D GENERATIONS wrestlers (plus Tomomitsu Matsunaga). Demus & MJ Paul worked over Hinata Kasai until Yuya Koroku tagged in to fight back against Hideki Okatani & Ilusion. Yuni wiped out Daisuke Sasaki and others with a Moonsault out of the ring. But things went wrong for the younger team and Ilusion ended up rolling up Daichi Sato to win the match for DAMNATION T.A.
At the start of the show there was the announcement of a new wrestler deciding to regularly participate in DDT for this year. It is NOAH’s “Sunshine Hero” Junta Miyawaki! He said he wanted to bring his sunshine wrestling style to a variety of other wrestlers from his generation which brought him here to DDT. For his first match he took on Rukiya in the opening bout. Rukiya didn’t want to give him a warm welcome but Miyawaki overcame his attacks to beat him with the Sunshine Driver. There isn’t an exact amount of time for how long he will be in DDT for this year but he said he will leave his mark here. Akito explained it is a similar kind of deal between DDT and NOAH that Tetsuya Endo is doing between both companies. Although he also made clear this is not a direct trade of Miyawaki for Endo or vice versa.
Chaos broke out at the end of the show when El Phantasmo all of a sudden showed up to interrupt a speech Brookes was giving to the fans. ELP had warned at a New Japan fan event the day before that he could show up here to confront Brookes over their upcoming NJPW World TV Title match in the Tokyo Dome. A brawl broke out between the two around the front row before making its way into the ring. ELP wiped out everyone at ringside with a dive before getting on the microphone to declare himself the No. 1 Baka Gaijin. He then sent another message loud and clear by grabbing Bunbun and giving him the CRII! Brookes however got his own back by chasing ELP out of the ring, making the champion leave his title belt behind. Brookes posed with the belt and told fans to look forward to their match tomorrow.
During the show opening announcements, everyone sang a birthday song for Antonio Honda and Hinata Kasai. Both of their birthdays are on 2nd January.
The final month of the year now includes a new tradition from AEW. It’s the Continental Classic tournament! Their take on the round robin format that Japan’s wrestling scene has down to a science still has a lot of bugs in it. Mainly there’s none of the pageantry you’d expect from collecting together a dozen great wrestlers for a month long tournament and the lack of matches scheduled in advance takes the fun out of predicting how the booking is going to go. That latter part does mean AEW can keep fans on their toes and throw a few curveballs with doing the more anticipated matches at unexpected times. The shorter, more packed schedule this year helped things out more because these tournaments work when you don’t have to wait many days for the next show to advance further through the group stage.
The hope was for Konosuke Takeshita to take part in the C2 this year after not being selected for the inaugural event. With a G1 Climax victory from earlier this year under his belt it would have been insane to leave him out again. Thankfully he made it into the field and was put into a group with no other members of The Don Callis Family involved. There were still plenty of familiar opponents for him to fight with and as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, losing to anyone right before he goes to defend the belt in the Tokyo Dome would take another hit to how he’s currently being perceived. Well, at least he made it through the block undefeated…
AEW “COLLISION – THANKSGIVING”, 26/11/2025 (Aired 27/11/2025) The Pinnacle, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (3) defeated Roderick Strong (0) with the Raging Fire (13:15).
Takeshita got off to a good start… or did he…? Uh… yes, it turns out he did even though a fake spoiler rattled up a lot of fans in the day between when the match was taped and when it aired on TV. Neither Takeshita nor Roderick Strong were concerned if they broke each other in half. Outside the ring Takeshita gave Strong the Blue Thunder Bomb on top of a guardrail while back in the ring Strong dropped Takeshita from the top rope over the turnbuckles Backbreaker style. With so many bombs being thrown, Strong broke down first and he was finished off with the Powerdrive Knee followed by the Raging Fire. After the match Strong is feeling like he is in a slump because he is entering the tournament as a replacement for Kyle O’Reilly. This result is a wake up call for him to compete in the rest of the C2 for himself instead of anyone else.
AEW “COLLISION”, 06/12/2025 Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (6) defeated Jon Moxley (3) with the Raging Fire (17:29).
Takeshita has fought Jon Moxley in AEW singles matches three previous times and lost all of them. For his fourth attempt he finally got the better of him for the first time. An apparent leg injury hampered Moxley during the match but he kept on fighting, drilling Takeshita onto the ring apron with the Curb Stomp. He also countered the Blue Thunder Bomb with a Headlock Takeover, transitioning it into an Ankle Lock. That harmed Takeshita’s leg to even the playing field but he dropped a big Blue Thunder Bomb onto the remains of the commentary table (that had flimsily fallen apart when Takeshita grabbed the AEW Continental Title that was placed there). Moxley recovered to hit the Paradigm Shift but Takeshita saved himself with a rope break to stop the pin. Moxely hit him more with some strikes until his own knee gave way, allowing Takeshita to strike with the Powerdrive Knee for a nearfall. Takeshita pulled down his kneepad to hit a raw Powerdrive Knee and was able to pull off the Raging Fire to finally get his first win over Moxley.
AEW “COLLISION – WINTER IS COMING”, 13/12/2025 Utilita Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales, UK
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (7) Vs Claudio Castagnoli (7) ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
There should be a bit of magic in the air whenever you have a world champion from one company take on a world champion from another. Just last month Claudio Castagnoli went to Mexico and won the CMLL World Heavyweight Title, a championship that’s in an odd position because people who don’t follow lucha libre think it’s a much bigger prize than it actually is. Still, Castagnoli is making sure the belt is nothing to sneeze at while he is holding it and he became the first bump in the road to slow down Takeshita. The two ended up fighting all the way to the time limit, making it the first match in this year’s C2 to end in a draw. The two kept on fighting anyway! Backstage Takeshita said he didn’t care about proving which world champion was better, he instead wanted to show Castagnoli just who is The Alpha! Castagnoli said the last time he wrestled Takeshita was three years ago. He is confident he won’t have to wait that long to fight him again.
1. $1,000,000 (£750,000) Winner Takes All Trios Match: Kenny Omega, Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson defeated Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita & Hechicero when Omega pinned Hechicero with the Indy Taker One-Winged Angel (22:31)
A side story popped up in the middle of the tournament focusing on The Don Callis Family at large. They had to go fight Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks who had all gotten over their problems with each other and revived The Elite. Loads of money was put on the line in a trios match between the two sides but that kind of motivation wasn’t enough to keep Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada on the same page. An opening for Takeshita to go in for the Powerdrive Knee was interrupted by Okada stepping in wanting to do the Rainmaker instead. Hechicero could only watch on in despair as his partners argued with each other. The Elite took advantage to clear house and triple team Hechicero into oblivion. Okada & Takeshita attacked The Elite afterwards and hit their finishers on The Young Bucks. However they still couldn’t help but get into a shoving contest with each other after that.
AEW “DYNAMITE ON 34TH STREET”, 20/12/2025 (Aired 24/12/2025) Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York, USA
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (10) defeated Orange Cassidy (6) with the Raging Fire (15:26).
The final matches in the Blue League happened in a rush over the Christmas period but Takeshita had nothing to worry about. His win over Orange Cassidy booked his ticket to the semi final round, even with a mini-scare where Cassidy countered the Raging Fire into a Small Package. However it turned out Takeshita was still in control and he powered out of the nearfall to lift his opponent right into the Raging Fire for the win.
AEW “CHRISTMAS COLLISION”, 21/12/2025 (Aired 25/12/2025) Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York, USA
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (13) defeated Mascara Dorada (6) with the Raging Fire (11:40).
At this point a win for Takeshita was just to cement his position on top of the Blue League while also killing off any chances Mascara Dorada had left of qualifying for the semi-final. Just like with Cassidy, Takeshita’s power had to fight off the speed and agility of his opponent, although Dorada took things to another level with his acrobatics off of the ropes. It looked like Dorada’s closest moment to victory was countering the Last Ride into a Canadian Destroyer but Takeshita popped back up and knocked him away with a Lariat instead. Another big Lariat came when both were standing on the top rope together. From there Takeshita just needed to do the Powerdrive Knee and then the Raging Fire to finish on top of his group.
AEW “WORLDS END”, 27/12/2025 NOW Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA
1. Continental Classic – Semi Final: Kazuchika Okada defeated Konosuke Takeshita with a Screwdriver Attack (17:17).
Fate played its hand when the two league standings resulted in Takeshita and Okada meeting each other in the semi final. After so much wait for the match to happen, a screwdriver took it in another direction. Late in the match Okada reached into one of the turnbuckle sleeves and pulled a screwdriver out of it. Then a missed Rainmaker spot knocked the referee out of position so he couldn’t see anything. Okada then struck Takeshita over the head with the screwdriver and got away with it scot free. Don Callis on commentary claimed not to have seen anything and he walked off with the winner.
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Videos
AEW “COLLISION – THANKSGIVING”, 26/11/2025 (Aired 27/11/2025) The Pinnacle, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (0) Vs Roderick Strong (0)
AEW “COLLISION”, 06/12/2025 Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Jon Moxley (3) Vs Konosuke Takeshita (3)
AEW “COLLISION – WINTER IS COMING”, 13/12/2025 Utilita Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales, UK
1. Continental Classic – Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (6) Vs Claudio Castagnoli (6)
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 