Team DDT Gets Purged By House Of Torture

November 19, 2025

NJPW “NIGHT OF THE PURGE ~PURGE NIGHT OF TORTURE~”, 07/10/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,481 Fans – No Vacancy

4. SANADA, DOUKI & SHO defeated Yuki Ueno, Akito & Kaisei Takechi by Referee Stoppage when DOUKI used the Italian Stretch No. 32 on Akito (16:08).

A few DDT wrestlers were given an invite to a dangerous event held in a New Japan ring. The House Of Torture are the latest act in the company who got to run a vanity show of their own, following in the footsteps of El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori. But while the previous shows were put together for the sake of having crazy ideas come to life, today’s event had a more evil (or should I say EVIL) motive. The House Of Torture had a list of wrestlers they wanted to purge for one reason or another and EVIL wanted to see Kaisei Takechi in particular be punished for his success.

SHO started things off by making fun of THE RAMPAGE and called everyone on Takechi’s team a bunch of country bumpkins. Akito then got under SHO’s skin by pointing out that SHO may be hiding his true feelings but he is taking everything in this match seriously. The proof is right there in how much he prepared his speech to introduce each wrestler on the team to the audience. Also you don’t get a physique with low body fat like that without some serious training.

The House ended up getting the last laugh with a destructive victory over the DDT team. SANADA broke a guitar over Yuki Ueno’s head while DOUKI used the Italian Stretch No. 32 on Akito, holding onto him with a tight grip. SHO added extra damage by hitting Akito over the head with a tray while he was stuck in the hold, leading the referee to stop the match for Akito’s safety and declare HOT the winners. The team then added extra insult to injury by attacked Takechi after the bell, holding him upside down with his legs split apart so SANADA could karate chop him in the crotch.

Backstage DOUKI said that just because Takechi is good looking, has a great body and can do super cool moves that doesn’t mean he is a match for HOT. All of his lame fans who support THE RAMPAGE shouldn’t underestimate pro wrestling! The same goes for anyone who thinks DDT and NJPW are on the same level. However Ueno noticed there was a giant glint in DOUKI’s eye while they were wrestling each other because the two of them used to train together in DDT’s old dojo ten years ago. With that being said there is only on wrestler in NJPW that makes Ueno’s heart flutter and that’s Hiromu Takahashi. If Ueno ever comes back to New Japan, he will be on the lookout for him. Meanwhile Takechi stepped forward under his own volition and told reporters he wants to have a match with Hiroshi Tanahashi somewhere before Tanahashi’s retirement takes place.

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Posted by JamieOD

Takeshita Defends IWGP Title Against Goto, Heading To Double Title Match At The Tokyo Dome

November 7, 2025

NJPW “HIROSHI TANAHASHI ~ FINAL HOMECOMING”, 02/11/2025
Gifu Memorial Center Deai Dome
3,742 Fans – No Vacancy

8. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) defeated Hirooki Goto with the Raging Fire (24:20).
*V1 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.

Last weekend Konosuke Takeshita recorded his first successful defence of the IWGP World Heavyweight Title, beating former champion Hirooki Goto in a rematch from the 2024 G1 Climax. For Goto it was his chance to reclaim the title he lost earlier this year when he physically reached his limit. Now back from an injury (and from filming a Street Fighter movie where played the role of as E. Honda), Goto stepped up to be Takeshita’s first challenger. Takeshita wound up blocking the Goto Revolution, knocked him back with the big Elbow Strike, stunned Goto with the Wagamama and pinned him with the Raging Fire for the win.

NJPW “SANSEI R&D PRESENTS WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 IN TOKYO DOME – HIROSHI TANAHASHI RETIREMENT”, 01/04/2026
Tokyo Dome

1. IWGP World Heavyweight Title & IWGP Global Heavyweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c/w) Vs Yota Tsuji (c/g)

Takeshita’s path to the Tokyo Dome for 4th January is now clear. All he needed next was a challenger. Yota Tsuji answered the call carrying a championship of his own. He challenged Takeshita to a double title match with the IWGP World Title and IWGP Global Heavyweight Title both on the line. For both men the match is the final destination for their respective journeys all happening under the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi.

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Takeshita Becomes The IWGP Champion!

October 13, 2025

NJPW “KING OF PRO-WRESTLING 2025”, 13/10/2025
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
5,372 Fans

9. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (c) with the Wagamama (31:16).
*Zack Sabre Jr. fails in V3. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA becomes the 14th IWGP World Heavyweight Champion!

He did it! After winning the G1 Climax during the summer, Konosuke Takeshita has now taken the next step up and has won the IWGP World Heavyweight Title! He went into today’s show having a 1-1 singles record with Zack Sabre Jr. coming out of the G1. Now was the big rubber match with New Japan’s top championship on the line. Sabre tried to break Takeshita down limb by limb and the damage he inflicted prevented Takeshita from capitalizing on some possible comebacks. However he was able to survive being tangled into submission holds and relied on those big impact moves to take their toll on Sabre. With both wrestlers reaching their limit, a spent Takeshita took Sabre’s wind out of his sails with German Suplexes before catching him unaware with a Reverse Hurricanrana. Takeshita then decided to pull down his own kneepad and hit a raw Wagamama knee strike that kept Sabre down for the pin count.

While Takeshita was making a promise to Sabre after the match about protecting the IWGP Title, he noticed the reaction in Sumo Hall to his victory was mixed. Takeshita acknowledged there are New Japan fans who aren’t happy to see him become the champion and is certain some of the wrestlers in the company feel the same way. He called for anyone to come down and challenge him. Hirooki Goto answered the call and entered the ring. Goto said Takeshita knew this would be coming because he wants to win the IWGP Title again. Takeshita was surprised to see Goto because he expected one of the younger NJPW wrestlers to challenge him first. However he has unfinished business with Goto from last year’s G1 tournament and he is not going to start following Goto’s revolution, so he accepts the challenge. Backstage Takeshita told reporters that winning the championship is not his end goal. He wants to defend the championship at the Tokyo Dome but is not taking that position for granted. That’s why he wants his title defence against Goto to take place before “WRESTLE KINGDOM 20”.

———————————————————————–

Can you guess how much I’m beaming with joy right now? I’ve been following this guy’s career since the beginning so to see him go from winning the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title in DDT before his debut to winning the IWGP Title in New Japan just has me feeling delighted right now. But there’s quite a number of NJPW fans out there who aren’t in a celebratory mood over this result like I am. NJPW has had a cold year and Takeshita’s presence when he is there isn’t doing anything to help warm it up. One common complaint are that it’s because he only shows up for the big events and is nowhere to be seen on the tour loops. Another is that Takeshita’s presentation hasn’t caught on with the fans. Try as he might to act like he’s about to be crowned Japan’s next big star, he still comes off as an outsider to the company’s fanbase. An obvious answer to this problem is to lean into that and have Takeshita play the role of the new boss monster for NJPW’s stars to eventually take down. But New Japan themselves haven’t committed to that idea ever since the halfway point of the G1 when Takeshita switched to acting more like a face wanting to unite the wrestling world instead of dominating it all as “The Alpha”.

Takeshita as IWGP Champion is also now the focal point of an issue that is dividing two specific fanbases, the relationship between New Japan and AEW. How far you lean into being a fan of one or the other opens up different paths. For the AEW fan there is fun to be had fantasy booking what happens next with Takeshita in The Don Callis Family, especially since he is currently involved in a slow build storyline with Kazuchika Okada. Both men are now champions and they just so happen to have a chance this upcoming weekend to win the AEW World Tag Team Titles together. They win and that’s a pretty amazing tag team you got there. They lose and we’ll likely get the next chapter in the story where Takeshita gets kicked out of the Family and turns face in AEW.

New Japan fans though do not give a shit about from what I’ve seen of their responses online. They’re sick of seeing their company playing second fiddle in this relationship and they don’t want a repeat of Jon Moxley’s title reign where the champ was absent from a couple of tours in Japan only to take part in a throw away title defence with zero build on AEW TV. I bet tempers will flare even hotter if the brand new IWGP Champion was to immediately take a pinfall loss on PPV less than a week later even if it was all part of an angle to turn (big) babyface. They’re also sick of AEW fans fantasy booking Takeshita Vs Okada for the IWGP Title at the Tokyo Dome. I myself am not expecting that match to happen mainly because Okada has almost completely avoided doing anything New Japan related ever since he jumped ship to AEW. There’s been his appearances at “FORBIDDEN DOOR” this year and last and I think that’s been it.

As for me? I’m soaking in the moment. One of my favorite wrestlers in now a top champion and chances are I’m going to see him defend the belt at the Tokyo Dome this 4th January. That’s my boy!

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DDT In NJPW And GLEAT This Week

October 9, 2025

NJPW “THE REEVE PRESENTS SUPERHUMAN TAIJI ISHIMORI GETS EVEN MORE RIDICULOUS”, 07/10/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,462 Fans – No Vacancy

0. PRE BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (1) Vs Daiki Nagai, Katsuya Murashima & Jun Kasai (1)
1. 120 Minute Iron Man Rumble: Taiji Ishimori ended with a score of 11 Wins and 10 Defeats.
1a. SECRET BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (2) Vs Jun Kasai, Muhammed Yone, LEONA, Atsushi Kotoge, Shiro Koshinaka, Dump Matsumoto & Jun Akiyama (7).
*Ishimori’s Reserves: Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei.
1b. Arai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Presents TOHOKU BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (3) Vs Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH, TAKA Michinoku, Dick Togo, The Great Sasuke, Shuji Ishikawa & MAO (9)
*Ishimori’s Reserve: Taro Nohashi
1c. Brain Cubic Inc. Presents MUSCLE BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (6) Vs YOH, MAO, Titán, SHO, Koju Takeda, Hyo, Boltin Oleg, Ryohei Oiwa & Drilla Moloney (9)
1d. Mimura Komatsu Law Office Presents DRAGON BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (11) Vs MAO, Shun Skywalker, KAGETORA, Dragon Dia, Ryuji Ito, Shingo Takagi, Tatsumi Fujinami & Hiratimo Dragon (Kazuki Hirata) (10)
1e. FINAL MUCHA: Taiji Ishimori defeated Gedo with the Bloody Cross (7:11).

Okay, I’m used to writing about weird matches like this one. I should be able to figure this out. Man, New Japan has gotten weird lately…

After putting together a successful show last November where he took part in every single match on the card, Taiji Ishimori learned he had to go take on an even greater challenge put together by a mysterious AI that is out to get him for reasons I do not want to spend time learning about. He was being forced to take part in a 120 minute long Iron Man Rumble with four separate blocks of wrestlers to fight through. Ishimori’s goal was to make it through the gauntlet with more wins than losses. His reward for doing so would be a special singles match against a wrestler that he respects. I’ll get to the point here because it’s not DDT related, his final opponent was Gedo and he beat him.

Along the way, a few DDT wrestlers were among the random cast of wrestlers Ishimori had to fight and interact with. The first main path was the SECRET BLOCK made up of wrestlers who have appeared in commercials for the show sponsor in the past. That just so happens to include Jun Akiyama as the block’s final entrant. He didn’t understand what was going on and he was also immediately attacked by Dump Matsumoto. Ishimori was allowed to have reserve wrestlers temporarily take his place but The Brahman Brothers did a bad job in that role, piling up losses on his behalf. However they were able to knock Akiyama out of the ring to score a point before Ishimori moved on to the next block.

The second block was built around the Tohoku wrestling scene which meant Ishimori had to deal with wrestlers from Michinoku Pro as well as other wrestlers from the area. At this point Ishimori was also reminded of The Sailor Boys which caused him great mental harm. Things became a lot more calm when Ishimori and the Tohoku wrestlers all meditated inside the ring but MAO then entered the match to cause some chaos, particularly with TAKA Michinoku (who is from Chiba and didn’t appreciate being lumped in with the country bumpkins). When the block’s time expired, MAO and YOH had not been through any eliminations so they were allowed to advance to the next block alongside Ishimori.

Things became a lot more muscular next with the MUSCLE BLOCK. None of the new entries were from DDT but MAO was still there and with YOH’s help he ran over SHO at ringside with the Dramatic Dream bike! He also helped out Ishimori by eliminated Drilla Moloney before the time expired. The two posed their bodies like squares to celebrate and since MAO survived elimination again, he got to accompany Ishimori once more this time into the final block.

It was the DRAGON BLOCK where at first the wrestlers coming out were all from Dragon Gate. MAO’s luck ran out when Shun Skywalker eliminated him from the match. The block then switched things around when Ryuji Ito showed up (because he is the “Death Match Dragon”) followed by Tatsumi Fujinami! The last dragon to enter was the most important one. People expected it to be Ultimo Dragon but it was even better than him. It was Hiratimo Dragon! He was immediately beaten up by Ishimori and Dragon Dia. Hiratimo distracted the referee by telling him Danshoku Dieno was behind him, then he tried to frame Ishimori for pulling off his mask. The plan didn’t work, Ishimori threw the mask away and then he threw Hiratimo out of the ring. Backstage Hiratimo said it was a close call but his identity wasn’t revealed. All he has to say to Ishimori is that he’s gotten stronger.

GLEAT “VER.EX ~GLEAT VS KYOTEKI~”, 09/10/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
682 Fans

3. G PRO WRESTLING ~ GLEAT Vs X – Go Miyake’s Return Match: Yukio Naya defeated Go Miyake with a Choke Slam (2:41).
5. G PRO WRESTLING ~ GLEAT Vs DDT: Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani defeated Takehiro Yamamura & Junjie when Sasaki submitted Junjie with the Crossface Lock (11:51).
6. G PRO WRESTLING ~ GLEAT Vs Shinya Aoki: Shinya Aoki defeated T-Hawk with the Aoki Clutch (8:41).

Now let’s move on to a place that has only slightly less nonsensical ideas than Ishimori. GLEAT came to Korakuen Hall a few days later putting together a show themed around the promotion taking on strong opponents from around the wrestling scene. DDT provided a few wrestlers on the “Strong Opponent” front. Things behind the scenes seem to be a little unstable over there but that has nothing to do with the DDT stuff so let’s just focus on that.

Shinya Aoki has previously fought in GLEAT under their UWF Rules banner of matches and continues to hover near the company under his own volition. He got to do a pro wrestling match here for the first time because he was intrigued by the clash of styles he would have with T-Hawk. Aoki took the nasty Chops his opponent has a habit of throwing and ended up catching him in the Aoki Clutch to get the three count out of nowhere. He said the match was so much fun because they clicked perfectly together.

DDT sent over Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani for a tag match. The GLEAT team was made up of Takehiro Yamamura & Junjie who were previously together as part of a recent unit called G-RIZE. Sasaki & Okatani did not come alone though. Ilusion was there at ringside to interfere whenever it was most convenient for his buddies. The GLEAT team got rid of the nuisance by throwing him out of the ring but DAMNATION T.A kept on pushing forward with their attack until they got their victory. The result left Yamamura & Junjie wanting revenge.

There was also a surprise appearance by Yukio Naya as the opponent for Go Miyake. The GLEAT rookie made his debut last year but suffered a kneecap injury not even two months after his debut. After being gone for a year and a half his return to the ring was going to be against El Lindaman but Lindaman declined to take part. Instead he chose Miyake’s opponent and it turned out to be Naya. Given the low level of experience Miyake has at this point, it only took less than three minutes for Naya to beat him. Afterward Naya said he heard about how hard Miyake was working to reach his comeback and motivated him to do his best.

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MAO And Dieno Have Matches In Dragon Gate

September 24, 2025

DRAGON GATE “THE GATE OF MIYANE 2025”, 24/09/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,268 Fans – No Vacancy

3. Danshoku Dieno, Masaaki Oka & Don Fujiko defeated KAI, BxB Hulk & Hyo when Dieno pinned KAI with the Danshoku Driver (9:16).
*Special Referee: Seiji Miyane
6. Art Moving Center Presents: Yuki Yoshioka & MAO defeated Dragon Kid & Dragon Dia when Yoshioka pinned Dia with the High Fly Flow (12:52).

Now this brings me back. Remember the Dramatic Dream Gate series of shows? Well it hasn’t been revived but today’s Dragon Gate show had some DDT involvement in it. It was a show produced by the TV personality Seiji Miyane so it wasn’t the usual wrestling card you would come to expect from Dragon Gate. For example MAO had a match where he teamed up with Yuki Yoshioka. The two were paired together because they look alike but the match was also sponsored by a transportation company so they both entered through the audience dressed like delivery men. They took the match against Dragon Kid & Dragon Dia seriously though. A double dive where MAO took out Kid at ringside while Yoshioka landed the High Fly Flow on Dia was the big finish at the end. MAO said he already has many friends and enemies named Yuki in DDT so he is happy to meet another one. He thinks it would be a shame to leave this inter-promotional relationship where it is and not do anything further.

There was another match involving a DDT wrestler and that just so happened to be Danshoku Dieno. He was put in a comedic 6-Man Tag where wrestlers had to kiss their opponents during the pin attempt for it to be counted. Dieno however warned Miyabe that such a stipulation was very dangerous especially to referees. So he left a spare ref shirt aside for Miyabe to wear if an emergency was to happen. Also Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii both showed up dressed in drag. They chased after Hyo while KAI & BxB Hulk fell victim to Dieno’s Hell Gate in the corner. The ref Takayuki Yagi also suffered that cursed fate, causing Miyabe to put the spare ref shirt on and take his place. He counted Dieno pinning KAI to end the match but Dieno got to give him a Lip Lock too after the match.

Oh and Minoru Suzuki brought the DDT Universal Title with him for the main event. That was nice of him.

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Endo’s N1 Adventure

September 24, 2025

Okay Tetsuya Endo now it’s your turn. As part of Endo’s year long stay with NOAH he decided to take part in their annual tournament the N1 Victory. The reason is this tournament was going to be his restart point to get revenge, not just on TEAM 2000X but to give more life back to the step-sibling rivalry between NOAH and DDT. There is also the need for him to catch up with Konosuke Takeshita after his career long rival won the G1 Climax in New Japan. Only makes sense for him to match that by winning NOAH’s premier round robin tournament. He was thrown into the A Block to compete against foes old and new with plenty of potential scalps to claim along the way.

Block A

1. Masa Kitamiya (10)
2. KENTA (8)
-. Kazuyuki Fujita (8)
-. Kaito Kiyomiya (8)
-. Tetsuya Endo (8)
6. Manabu Soya (6)
7. Ulka Sasaki (4)
8. Daga (4)


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 08/09/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,548 Fans

1. N1 Victory 2025 – A Block: Daga (2) defeated Tetsuya Endo (0) with a Jackknife Pin (10:26).

The start did not go Endo’s way as he lost to Team 2000X member Daga in the very first match of the N1. It was a bit embarrassing because before the tournament Endo said Daga had turned from a lion into a cat from staying in TEAM 2000X. Endo used the Exploder Suplex to put Daga in position for the Burning Star Press but Daga dodged the finisher. He took over and tried to apply the Diablo Wings but Endo avoided it. From there Daga went for different pinning combinations until he finally landed on a Jackknife Pin to get the three count on a surprised Endo. He tried to cover for it by saying he doesn’t mind making a sacrifice or two in order to win the N1.


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 11/09/2025
Okayama Convention Center
420 Fans

5. N1 Victory 2025 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (2) defeated Ulka Sasaki (0) with the Modified Shooting Star Press (10:30).

Things quickly turned around for Endo starting with the second show of the tour. He already had countermeasures ready for Ulka Sasaki based on the brief time they previously had from wrestling each other. Both of them needed a win and Endo came up on top by using a Corkscrew Shooting Star Press. He told reporters afterward he originally wanted to use the move on OZAWA but he had to pull out with an injury from the first show, so Endo used it here.


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 14/09/2025
Acros Fukuoka Event Hall
621 Fans

6. N1 Victory 2025 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (4) defeated Manabu Soya (2) with the Modified Shooting Star Press (12:45).

Endo wasn’t scheduled for the third show so he got a little bit of a breather before returning to face Manabu Soya next. He was looking forward to this because their previous matches in NOAH were filled with interference and this time it was truly going to be a one on one fight. Soya took Endo’s biggest hits and kept standing while shouting “Passion!” That was put to an end when Endo gave him the Torture Rack Bomb and then the Corkscrew Shooting Star Press for the win. Endo talked about how Soya is the one person he’s wrestled the most in NOAH and was where Endo first started his quest for revenge against the company. He won this match fair and square so all he had left to say was advice for Soya to take good care of his family.


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 15/09/2025
Kumamoto Castle Hall Civic Hall
538 Fans

8. N1 Victory 2025 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (6) defeated Kazuyuki Fujita (8) with a Crucific Pin (7:00).

Endo’s momentum just kept on rolling and he helped blow open the race for the A Block by beating the undefeated Kazuyuki Fujita! Trying to match him in brute force was like tearing down a brick wall but he did pull out a familiar move, the God’s Right Knee from Yukio Sakaguchi! That stunned Fujita long enough for Endo to hit the Burning Star Press but Fujita kicked out of it before there was even a one count (typical, eh?)! Luckily for Endo, Fujita kept his guard down as he sat up so Endo flipped him over with a Crucifix Hold to pin him. Endo called the victory a big win for pro wrestlers and also DDT. It’s what he needs because next up he will be facing the man who is carrying NOAH on his shoulders…


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 17/09/2025
Osaka Edion Arena #2
705 Fans

8. N1 Victory 2025 – A Block: Kaito Kiyomiya (6) defeated Tetsuya Endo (6) with the Skywalk Elbow (14:26).

This was the match that most represented DDT Vs NOAH. Kaito Kiyomiya went into the match with a chip on his shoulder. He also got more fired up when Endo used the God’s Right Knee on him and then asked if that was all that Kiyomiya had got? Kiyomiya got out of the Torture Rack Bomb and did a Tiger Driver for a nearfall. He then increased the pressure on Endo until he couldn’t kick out of the Skywalk Elbow. Kiyomiya then revealed the reason he was ticked off was because he wasn’t on the cover of the new Shukan Puroresu issue! Endo hated that he lost but he admitted he still learned a lot from Kiyomiya both from wrestling and from listening to his promos.


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 20/09/2025
Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu
494 Fans

5. N1 Victory 2025 – A Block: Masa Kitamiya (8) defeated Tetsuya Endo (6) by Countout (11:48).

This is where Endo’s chance of winning the A Block came to an end. Before the tournament Endo called Masa Kitamiya a copycat for joining TEAM 2000X and dying his hair black. In Endo’s mind it was proof that the unit had become oversaturated and Kitamiya wasn’t seeing the big picture. Oh how wrong he might turn out to be. The two fought out of the ring and up the aisle after Tadasuke distrated the referee. Kitamiya then gave Endo a Piledriver onto a chair and then applied the Strangle Hold γ until it was time for him to get back into the ring, leaving Endo out there to be counted out. Kitamiya mocked him after the match for losing by countout and he suggested Endo should start over in the NOAH dojo. Endo was now out of the running and I might as well say it here, “The Chairman” went on to win the whole thing!


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 21/09/2025
Tochigi Light Cube Utsunomiya
617 Fans

9. N1 Victory 2025 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (8) defeated KENTA (8) with the Modified Shooting Star Press (15:02).

By the time the last match of the A Block took place, Endo was completely out of the running but he had a chance to play spoiler against the current GHC Heavyweight Champion. He was confident he could beat KENTA because he got seven hours of sleep during the night plus two more on the coach trip to the venue so there was no need for him to Go 2 Sleep. He got staggered badly though when KENTA blocked the Burning Star Press with his knees and then hit the Busaiku Knee Kick. However Endo lived up to his promise by avoiding the Go 2 Sleep and giving KENTA a Reverse Hurricanrana instead. He then hit the God’s Right Knee followed by the Corkscrew Shooting Star Press to end his tournament with a win over the GHC Champion! Endo thinks he hasn’t achieved enough during his stay in NOAH so far. When the N1 happens again next year he wants to be the first person to enter it!


NOAH “ABEMA PRESENTS N1 VICTORY”, 23/09/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,598 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. N1 Consolation: KENTA, Manabu Soya, Ulka Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo defeated Galeno, Kenoh, Daiki Inaba & Ricky Knight Jr. when Soya pinned Inaba with the Death Valley Bomb (9:31).

Endo’s match on the final night of the tournament was an 8-Man Tag pitting the A Block against the B Block. He got to make fun of Daiki Inaba’s attempts at showing “Passion” and had a speedy back and forth with Ricky Knight Jr. Inaba got to take the lead of his team for a moment by sending Knight, Kenoh & Galeno on a train attack but he ended up injuring his leg from missing a Diving Body Press from the top rope. Soya picked up the pieces and pinned him with the Death Valley Bomb. Inaba then had to be stretchered out of the ring.

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Posted by JamieOD

Takeshita’s 2nd G1 Adventure (He Won It!)

August 18, 2025

It only took him two tries to nail it. Konosuke Takeshita took part in his second G1 Climax for New Japan after making his tournament debut last year. Whereas last time Takeshita treated the G1 as his way to spread his name across NJPW with a few short lived alliances and some seed planting for the future, this year he was all in on winning the tournament relying only on himself… and Rocky Romero. Firmly representing The Don Callis Family in AEW, Takeshita had no intention of teaming with any of the NJPW units for his non-tournament bouts. It’s a somewhat lonely decision that paid off in the long run. When the dust had settled, Takeshita had emerged as this year’s G1 winner! He is now the third wrestler with a DDT background to win the big tournament, joining Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi.

Something I want to make note of is before the tournament began, whispers had been going around in some online circles that New Japan was putting together big plans for Takeshita this year. That pretty much foreshadowed how his G1 was going to turn out even before it started. Now information like that emerging late in the tournament is not out of the ordinary if you’re deep into the insider stuff but having it happen before the G1 even began? That just shows somebody who is in the weeds had some very loose lips this time around.

Block B

1. Zack Sabre Jr. (14)
2. Shota Umino (12)
-. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (12)
4. Shingo Takagi (10)
-. Ren Narita (10)
6. YOSHI-HASHI (8)
-. Drilla Moloney (8)
-. Great-O-Khan (8)
-. El Phantasmo (8)
10. Gabe Kidd (0)


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 19/07/2025
Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center Hokkai Kitayell
2,579 Fans

7. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (2) defeated Gabe Kidd (0) by Referee Stoppage with the Plus Ultra (13:15).

The opening day of the G1 pitted Takeshita against the most hot-headed wrestler in Block B. Gabe Kidd was taking part as the current IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion and he too was expected to play a big part in the tournament. However Takeshita went blow for blow against him and took things one step further than the mad man. After hitting him with an Elbow Strike to the back of the head, Takeshita then grabbed Kidd’s head and gave him a Neck Snap before applying the Plus Ultra, his version of the Chickenwing Face Lock. Kidd fainted from the move and the match was ruled in Takeshita’s favour. Kidd did regain consciousness and tried to fight Takeshita again after the match but the Young Lions at ringside kept them apart. Backstage Takeshita admitted to blacking out during the match so he felt it was only right to make things even by knocking Kidd out. He had hoped this will be the end of their story but knows they have unfinished business so he challenged Kidd to meet him in the finals. However Kidd eventually ended up pulling out of the rest of the tournament due to injury so his run was ended by Takeshita before it could really get going.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 20/07/2025
Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center Hokkai Kitayell
2,520 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: El Phantasmo (2) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (2) with the CR III (15:02).

Next up was an immediate revisit of Takeshita’s rivalry with El Phantasmo. They had their first singles match together at last year’s G1 where Takeshita was the victor. Since then they had two more singles matches each with a different championship on the line. They had a time limit draw over the NJPW World TV Title and Takeshita then beat ELP in a NEVER Openweight Title defence. This time around ELP finally got a win over Takeshita. He back flipped out of a German Suplex and flipped Takeshita over with a Reverse Hurricanrana. Takeshita kicked out after taking a the CR II so ELP used the move a second time and then finished Takeshita off with the CR III to score his first points of the tournament. Takeshita gave credit to his rival by telling the reporters afterwards that he and ELP are always evolving to take the next step. He then brought up Gabe Kidd and talked about Kidd’s knee injury. That prompted Kidd to approach him on crutches with a warning. One day he’s going to kill Takeshita, leaving Yuka Sakazaki and their pet dog Kenshiro behind all on their lonesome!


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 22/07/2025
Miyagi Sendai Sun Plaza Hall
1,714 Fans

3. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young when Romero pinned Young with a Crushed La Magistral Cradle (7:30).

With the death threat out of the way, Takeshita moved onto preparations for his next block match. His first non-tournament bout meant Romero now started to pay his part on the tour as Takeshita’s tag partner. First up for the duo was Great-O-Khan alongside Californian wrestler and United Empire ally Jakob Austin Young. Romero countered Young’s La Magistral Cradle by blocking it mid-move and pressing himself down on his opponent for the pinfall. Meanwhile O-Khan had grabbed Takeshita with an Iron Claw outside the ring and it required the seconds at ringside to break up the hold. After listing all of his sponsors backstage, O-Khan told reporters he has no idea how much skill the fool Takeshita has but he heard about him being strong in AEW. He wants to see that strength in their G1 match because he didn’t see a single glimpse of it here. Takeshita promised to blow O-Khan’s head off his shoulders with his right elbow. When he left, Romero started to brag about aiming to win this year’s “C Block” of non-tournament matches.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 23/07/2025
Niigata Aore Nagaoka
1,547 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (4) defeated Great-O-Khan (2) with the Raging Fire (17:05).

Takeshita got his revenge the next night but it proved to be a bit difficult to decapitate the guy. He got the big Elbow Strike in as a counter to O-Khan’s strikes and used the Raging Fire for the victory. He then rubbed salt into the wound after the match by doing O-Khan’s standing pose over his prone body. By this point Takeshita understood that he is facing a strong field of opponents this year and can see similarities between himself and O-Khan. He’d like to fight him again but that doesn’t mean he wants to team with him or anything. O-Khan feels the same way. He empathizes with Takeshita over having a triple contract deal that prevents him from touring with NJPW. O-Khan thinks Takeshita does not have to love NJPW in order to belong to the company.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 25/07/2025
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1,308 Fans

4. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai when Romero submitted Nagai with an Armbar (7:32).

Next up for Takeshita & Romero is a fight with Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai. The Young Lion caused a bit of a stir by declaring he was going to make Romero cry in pain! That didn’t happen. While Takeshita and Takagi had cancelled each other out, Romero captured Nagai in an Armbar to make him tap out. Romero couldn’t resist but ask everyone backstage who is crying now! Takeshita’s message to Takagi before their Block B match is for them to have a fight that surpasses their match from the Tokyo Dome back on 4th January. Nagai later told Takagi about Takeshita’s track and field credentials from middle school and high school because Nagai comes from a similar background. Takagi however thinks that amateur results don’t matter. That’s a lesson the incoming Aaron Wolf should be aware of too. Takagi also revealed he was mad when he heard Takeshita talk about aiming for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title right after he lost the NEVER Title to Oleg Boltin.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 26/07/2025
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
2,250 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) defeated Shingo Takagi (2) by Referee Stoppage with the Plus Ultra (23:56).

This was the first of several main events Takeshita took part in during the tournament. By this point in the G1 Takagi has had a bad start and it went no better against Takeshita. He was still a formidable opponent who hit Takeshita as hard as Takeshita could hit him. But something Takagi didn’t expect was for Takeshita to use the Made In Japan against him! That wasn’t enough to win so Takeshita had to pull out the Plus Ultra again to render Takagi unconscious. Takeshita told reporters that his wrestling philosophy is to live strong and stay strong. Living strong means living for tomorrow which means Takeshita is the strongest tomorrow, the day after that, a year from now and even a decade into the future!


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 27/07/2025
Aichi Port Messe Nagoya Exhibition Hall 1
2,162 Fans

4. Zack Sabre Jr. & Hartley Jackson defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero when Jackson pinned Romero with the Death Valley Bomb (9:01).

All this good momentum Takeshita and his buddy Romero were building up came to a stop when they collided with TMDK. Takeshita now had Zack Sabre Jr. to worry about while Romero was stuck having to wrestle the much bigger Hartley Jackson. Romero proceeded to make the fatal mistake of calling Jackson fat and paid the price when Jackson flattened him with a Cross Body Block before pinning him with the Death Valley Bomb. Takeshita’s night wasn’t much better because Sabre tangled him up with a Cobra Twist outside the ring. Once they were seperated, Sabre taunted Takeshita with the IWGP World Title belt. Takeshita was humbled a bit by what happened but said if he beats Sabre next, it will prove he is the strongest. He will absorb Sabre’s wrestling to become even stronger. Sabre said he isn’t stupid enough to criticise a wrestler like Takeshita. They have some similarities when it comes to their age of debut and their age from when they started to wrestle around the world. The differences are Sabre is the champion and nobody understands technique as much as he does!


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 30/07/2025
Osaka Yamato University Yamato Arena
1,390 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. (6) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) with a Modified Sleeper Hold (22:37).

Sabre went ahead and taught Takeshita that harsh lesson inside the ring and in Takeshita’s home city of Osaka. He had an answer for everything Takeshita had for him, including the Plus Ultra. Then when Takeshita tried the Raging Fire, Sabre escaped and pulled out the Sabre Driver as a counter. Takeshita kicked out and gained the advantage using Elbow Strikes but the Raging Fire was again countered, this time into a Sleeper Hold. Takeshita did what he could to fight out of it but Sabre kept his grip and wore his opponent down to nothing, leaving Takeshita with no choice but to tap out. After the match Sabre said Takeshita might be The Alpha “but I’m the fucking World Heavyweight Champion, dickhead!”


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 01/08/2025
Sun Messe Kagawa
1,244 Fans

2. Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero when Ishimori submitted Romero with the Bone Lock (7:24).

Takeshita’s rocky patch of results continued when he had to go fight wrestlers from Bullet Club WAR DOGS again. Drilla Moloney entered NJPW as a Jr. Heavyweight but switched up to the heavier weight class this year. Takeshita looked like he could get the better of him here but the match came down to Taiji Ishimori catching Romero in La Mistica and then tapping him out with the Bone Lock. Moloney revealed after the match he had no grudge with Takeshita. That was until Takeshita injured Kidd in the opening day. That robbed Moloney of the chance to wrestle his best friend in the G1. Ishimori also hyped up Moloney for going into the match with a 4-1 record in the tournament so far. Takeshita warned Moloney not to get too cocky just because he is motivated to get revenge on behalf of Kidd. Romero called the WAR DOGS nothing more than a pack of miniature poodles.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 02/08/2025
Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
2,002 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (8) defeated Drilla Moloney (8) with the Raging Fire (14:01).

Takeshita got things back on track by beating Moloney in the B Block. The two had a brief staredown and then fought out of the ring where Takeshita gave Moloney a Brainbuster into a row of chairs. Moloney kept going for the Gore back in the ring but when he finally hit it, there wasn’t enough damage done to soften Takeshita up for the Drilla Killer. Instead Takeshita hit a Rolling Elbow and also the Wagamama. Moloney had some fight left in him but ultimately fell to the Raging Fire shortly afterwards. Takeshita said he could feel Moloney’s strong will but nothing is going to stop him from reaching the top. Moloney admitted he let his emotions get to him and he tried to hurt Takeshita for Kidd when he should have been fighting to get himself more points.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 03/08/2025
Fukuoka International Center
2,534 Fans

1. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated YOSHI-HASHI & Shoma Kato when Romero pinned Kato with the Slice Rocky (8:13).

The turnaround meant Romero got to taste victory again too. Takeshita’s next non-tournament match was a preview for his G1 bout with YOSHI-HASHI. The Young Lion Shoma Kato got to show his tenacity by hitting Takeshita with Shoulder Blocks over and over until he could finally knock him down with the move. YOSHI-HASHI was able to get Takeshita out of the ring but Romero kept up his part of the bargain by pinning Kato with the Slice Rocky. Takeshita and YOSHI-HASHI kept fighting each other after the match before being seperated. Backstage Takeshita said he heard about the time YOSHI-HASHI miraculously defeated Kenny Omega in the G1 but he is never going to beat The Alpha! Their match is going to be an easy one for Takeshita. YOSHI-HASHI took offence to that and promised to break Takeshita’s long nose! Meanwhile Kato was annoyed that Takeshita didn’t remember him from when they wrestled each other during last year’s G1 tour. He doesn’t want to wait another year to fight him again.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 05/08/2025
Intex Osaka Hall #5
1,142 Fans

6. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (10) defeated YOSHI-HASHI (8) with the Raging Fire (15:13).

Takeshita went on to reach 10 points after beating YOSHI-HASHI, equaling his score from last year. While victory was not in doubt, Takeshita still had to work hard to earn it. YOSHI-HASHI had counters for the Raging Fire from using Inside Cradles to making him fall with DDTs. He got a nearfall with the Swanton Bomb and tried to win with the Karma but Takeshita countered that into a Stunner. Once Takeshita pulled off the Raging Fire, victory was his. He’d love to call that an easy win but it was nothing like it. He hates guys like YOSHI-HASHI the most because they are the veteran wrestlers who act like they are steadily declining until a match that matters happen and they become serious just like that. Those are the guys Takeshita thinks make pro wrestling boring. YOSHI-HASHI said it is clear Takeshita loves pro wrestling and knows a lot about NJPW’s history. There were parts of the match where Takeshita even reminded YOSHI-HASHI of Kazuchika Okada. But Okada is even more of a monster than Takeshita is.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 07/08/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,509 Fans

4. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma when TAKESHITA submitted Honma with the Plus Ultra (5:38).

Shota Umino was eager to start fighting with Takeshita as soon as they could but Takeshita let Romero start off the match instead. Tomoaki Honma though got some hits in and scored a nearfall on Takeshita with the Kokeshi. Takeshita quickly put a stop to that by countering the Kokeshi Rocket with an Elbow Strike and then forced Honma to give up to the Plus Ultra. Umino tried to attack Takeshita after the match but was given a Brainbuster onto the floor for his troubles. Takeshita heard that Umino is currently going through his “Second Chapter” but from his perspective Umino hasn’t even started his prologue yet. There is a world of difference between them so he wants Umino to think carefully about how he can win. Whatever he comes up with, Takeshita is sure he can surpass it. Romero added to the insults by saying everyone was talking about Takeshita after the Tokyo Dome this year while nobody had anything positive to say about Umino.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 08/08/2025
Yokohama Budokan
2,448 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: Shota Umino (10) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (10) with the Second Chapter (25:46).

Umino did indeed find a way to beat Takeshita and the result of that put Takeshita’s chances of advancing out of Block B in danger. This was also Takeshita’s longest match of the tournament up to this point. He gave Umino another Brainbuster on the floor just like the day before but nothing could put Umino away, not even the Plus Ultra. He hit back with Lariats, countered one Raging Fire into a Neckbreaker and countered another into the Second Chapter, winning the match at Takeshita’s expense. Umino said it doesn’t matter which dojo Takeshita came from. He has to remember there are people around the world who love pro wrestling. It is the role of a wrestler to visit these places and give back to those people. Backstage Takeshita said in the next five to ten years Umino will look back on today and think he could only ever beat Takeshita once.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 10/08/2025
G-Messe Gunma
2,053 Fans

4. Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero when Narita submitted Romero with a Cross Kneebar (6:25).

Here comes trouble. With Takeshita at risk of not reaching the playoffs he had to put all of his focus on Ren Narita. It was the exact same way last year. Even the bit where House Of Torture beats Takeshita’s team in a non-tournament match because of Yoshinobu Kanemaru happened last time around too. What happened here was Kanemaru hit Romero in the knee with a whiskey bottle while Narita distracted the ref. Then once the coast was clear Narita made Romero submit to a Cross Kneebar. Narita is sick of hearing Takeshita rambling on and on about being the strongest. However what happened here only made Takeshita even more determined to beat all of the House Of Torture.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 13/08/2025
Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu
1,730 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (12) defeated Ren Narita (10) by Referee Stoppage with the Plus Ultra (20:50).

You know the drill by now. It’s the last day of the group stage and Takeshita needs to win. By this point the other results in Block B all went a certain way for him to qualify for the playoffs as long as he could beat Narita. History repeated itself and Takeshita was able to render Narita unconscious to the point where his gumshield was knocked out of his mouth again. Other House Of Torture members ambushed Takeshita and Romero before the match began. They continued to attack Takeshita by targeting his left leg in the hopes of counting him out of the ring. Takeshita withstood Narita’s knee submissions while Romero did whatever he could to combat Dick Togo and Don Fale’s interference at ringside. Takeshita wiped everyone out with a dive which allowed Romero to chase Togo away while the Young Lions escorted Fale to the back. That didn’t stop Narita from using more ways to cheat and also bring in Kanemaru for even more interference. That backfired when a spray of Whiskey Mist blinded Narita instead of Takeshita. After bumping Kanemaru to the floor, Takeshita then put Narita in the Plus Ultra to choke him out and win his last block match.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 14/08/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,518 Fans

6. G1 CLIMAX 35 – Final Tournament Qualifier: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated David Finlay with the Raging Fire (17:02).

Takeshita still had a long way to go. By finishing third in the B Block he had to start in the earliest round of the playoffs where David Finlay from the A Block was waiting for him. They hadn’t fought each other since last year’s G1 where Finlay was the victor. He was even more vicious this time around, Power Bombing Takeshita from the aprong through two tables at ringside. Takeshita later kicked out of the Into Oblivion at the 1 Count and then kicked out of a Power Bomb at 2. He avoided the Overkill and used a Last Ride to set Finlay up for the Wagamama. After that he dropped Finlay with the Raging Fire to get the win. Takeshita said losing the Quarter Final to Yota Tsuji was the first time he cried since he became a pro wrestler because it felt like the ultimate failure. But a pro wrestler is someone who gets back up which means he has no choice but to win and become No. 1! Romero then hyped up Takeshita by calling him the Uncrowned King Of Pro Wrestling.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 16/08/2025
Tokyo Ariake Arena
4,558 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – Semi Final: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Zack Sabre Jr. with the Raging Fire (26:46).

The semi final brought Takeshita right back to Zack Sabre Jr. In a rematch from the B Block a spot in the grand final was on the line for both men. This time Takeshita pulled out something pretty dangerous to be the difference maker. When the two of them were both standing on the top rope fighting each other, Takeshita lifted Sabre up into the air and dropped him onto his head with the Avalanche Raging Fire! The move knocked Sabre completely loopy but he wasn’t finished just yet so Takeshita gave him another Raging Fire to make sure he was completely beaten. Sabre said getting dropped on your head sucks but so too is losing to EVIL. So he is throwing his support behind Takeshita for the final. Otherwise if EVIL wins then Zack will throw himself into the Pacific Ocean and the IWGP World Title would probably have to be vacated.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 17/08/2025
Tokyo Ariake Arena
6,870 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – Final: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated EVIL with the Raging Fire (26:26).

And so we come to the end of a G1 that was quite frankly not to anyone’s cup of tea. EVIL had made it to the final thanks to the usual over reliance of cheating from House Of Torture that not a lot of people enjoy. But Takeshita reaching the final as something of an outsider at the expense of NJPW’s current generation of homegrown talent had been a sore spot for New Japan’s hardcore fans going into this match too. House Of Torture didn’t wait long to make their presence felt but Romero, the Young Lions and even Sabre all played their part in chasing off the unit so Takeshita and EVIL could go through the rest of the match mano a mano. Takeshita used EVIL’s own finisher against him but EVIL resorted to using a Low Blow to take back the advantage. EVIL also blocked the Wagamama and tried to throw an Elbow Strike only for Takeshita to beat him to the punch with one of his own. Seeing his opening, he immediately gave EVIL the Raging Fire and three second later became the winner of the 35th G1 Climax!

When Takeshita was presented with his trophy he told the fans a pro wrestler is someone who dreams, make those dreams come true and gives dreams to others. He is now standing at the pinnacle and invites everyone to put their dreams on him while he makes NJPW and the world of pro wrestling more exciting. Backstage he said his next goal is to stand in the Tokyo Dome on 4th January as the IWGP Champion so he wants to challenge Sabre for the title in the near future. He also talked about how grateful he is for Romero because he always helps him out all over the world. He also praised EVIL for being one of his best opponents he’s ever faced. He understands there are some wrestlers out there who think this result is crap but Takeshita believes his strength is something he’s been carrying since his teenage years. When he is no longer strong, that will be when it will be time to quit pro wrestling.

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Posted by JamieOD

DDT And TJPW Results From The GCW Japan 2025 Tour

August 4, 2025

Originally I was only going to write a little bit about GCW’s latest tour of Japan in my monthly DDT Around The World series because there was only a handful of DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro talent taking part and not even on every show. However plans changed when Masha Slamovich and Microman were both unable to travel to Japan, opening spots up for DDT and TJPW wrestlers to get booked for the shows on short notice. So since there was a lot more to write about, I had to put them in their own post.

GCW “GCW JAPAN 2025 AT SHINJUKU FACE”, 28/07/2025
Shinjuku FACE
??? Fans

1. GCW Tag Team Titles: Alec Price & Jordan Oliver (c) defeated Effy & Dark Sheik when Price pinned Sheik after a Flapjack/Facecrusher Combo (11:48).
*V12 for YDNP.
2. Drew Parker defeated Shotzi Blackheart with the Swanton Bomb (6:48).
3. Jeffrey John defeated Kikutaro with the Pedigree (10:06).
4. MAO defeated Atticus Cogar after a Super Kick/Praying Mantis Bomb Combo with Drew Parker (12:38).
5. Kazusada Higuchi defeated 1 Called Manders with the Claw Slam (14:01).
6. GCW Ultraviolent Title: Matt Tremont (c) defeated Super Crazy with the Death Valley Driver onto a Table (12:07).
*V16 for Matt Tremont.

GCW put together an inter-promotional champion versus champion match. 1 Called Manders was supposed to face Slamovich for the JCW World Title but that match was cancelled. Instead Manders brought along the wXw Unified World Wrestling Title to fight Kazusada Higuchi, the reigning KO-D Openweight Champion in a non-title bout. The two made sure to beat the hell out of each other including a moment at ringside where Higuchi Suplexed Manders onto the exposed floor. The damage done prevented Manders from doing a Gutwrench move later in the match, allowing Higuchi to take over with the Doctor Bomb. But Manders got right back up, Chopped Higuchi in the stomach and pulled off the Gutwrench Suplex on the next attempt. A back and forth series of Chops and Headbutts led to Higuchi reaching out for the Claw Hold but Manders bit his hand instead. A big Lariat from Manders got a two count but Higuchi rocked him back with his own Lariat and used the Claw Slam to get the win. After the match Manders offered to hand the KO-D Title back to Higuchi as a show of respect. Higuchi decided to do the same with the wXw Title.

Opposite attitudes clashed in the ring when MAO fought Atticus Cogar one on one. MAO came into the match wearing shades and a bright orange shirt for the summer while Cogar was all business with no time for dealing with his opponent’s nonsense. When MAO wiggled his way around a Waist Lock, Cogar pulled out his bundle of skewers. The ref took the skewers off him but Cogar pulled another bundle later in the match and threatened the ref when they were taken off him again. MAO ran in to try and stop Atticus but he missed a Big Boot and accidentally knocked the ref out instead! Cogar successfully jabbed MAO in the head with the skewers and then attack him with a chair. Then he suddenly pulled out a dart and was about to stab MAO with it when Drew Parker ran into the ring and stopped him. MAO and Parker then teamed up on Cogar, giving him a Super Kick/Praying Mantis Bomb Combo. MAO was able to pin him while the revived ref counted to three.

GCW “GCW JAPAN 2025 AT TOKYO SQUARE”, 29/07/2025
TOKYO SQUARE In Itabashi
??? Fans

1. Shota defeated Jeffrey John with a School Boy (8:17).
2. Hideyoshi Kamitani defeated 1 Called Manders with a Back Drop (11:29).
3. MAO, Alec Price & Jordan Oliver defeated Miyu Yamashita, Dark Sheik & Shotzi Blackheart when Price pinned Sheik after a Double Impaler DDT (15:19).
4. Atticus Cogar defeated Drew Parker with the Headlock Driver (8:32).
5. GCW World Title: Effy (c) defeated Abdullah Kobayashi with the Diving Sack Rider (14:34).
*V25 for Effy.
6. GCW Ultraviolent Title: Matt Tremont (c) defeated Masashi Takeda with the Death Valley Driver into a box of Lighttubes (12:07).
*V17 for Matt Tremont.

Slamovich’s absence meant Miyu Yamashita was called in to team with Dark Sheik & Shotzi Blackheart. As for their opponents, you already have Alec Price & Jordan Oliver as YDNP so add MAO to the mix and you get YDNPM (Young Dumb ‘N Price MAO)! Yamashita hit Price with the Skull Kick at one point but Price got one back on her by hitting a Rebound Lariat. MAO then took out Yamashita & Blackheart with a Quebrada outside the ring into the aisleway. YDNP then finished Sheik off with a Double Impaler DDT for the victory.

GCW “GCW JAPAN 2025 AT KORAKUEN HALL”, 30/07/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
??? Fans

1. GCW Tag Team Titles: Alec Price & Jordan Oliver (c) defeated MAO & Rina Yamashita when Price pinned Yamashita after the Double Impaler DDT (?:??).
*V13 for YDNP.
2. Atticus Cogar defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Headlock Driver (?:??).
3. Dark Sheik, Yoshihiko & Jeffrey John defeated Invisible Stan, Shota & Kikutaro when Sheik pinned Shota with the Diving Leg Drop (?:??).
4. Jun Akiyama defeated 1 Called Manders with the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex (?:??).
5. Maki Itoh defeated Shotzi Blackheart with a Crab Hold (12:29).
6. Chris Brookes defeated Drew Parker with two Praying Mantis Bombs (23:16).
7. GCW World Title: Effy (c) defeated Matt Tremont with the Diving Sack Rider onto the Chairs (21:34).
*V26 for Effy.

One of the big matches of the finale in Korakuen Hall was Chris Brookes being in the ring again with Drew Parker. This was the first match together in over two years after Parker left Japan to return home. Parker was busted open early when they brawled up the aisleway and Brookes rammed a table into his face. Parker knocked Brookes onto the table then fought off Takeshi Masada who was there as a cornerman. He had Bunbun with him so Parker grabbed Bunbun, climbed the nearby entrance and did a Diving Body Press to Brookes through the table! Brookes later did a Diving Senton to Parker sending both of them crashing into a stack of plastic boxes in the ring. After a long hard fought battle Brookes started giving Parker different kinds of Piledrivers. There was a Tombstone, then a Snap Piledriver, then a top rope Praying Mantis Bomb. Parker kept kicking out though and tried to show whatever defiance he still had left in him. Brookes then gave him two more Praying Mantis Bombs and Parker was finally down for the three count. The two embraced after the match.

Maki Itoh took part in last year’s GCW tour with a hand injury so in a kind of funny turn of events she took on Shotzi Blackheart who was going through the same thing for this year’s tour. At one point during the match Itoh went into the crowd because she noticed Shoko Nakajima and Miu Watanabe sitting on the bleachers as spectators. Back in the ring there was a strike exchange with Itoh no selling strikes to the head while Blackheart no sold Low Blows. When Blackheart got the upper hand, Itoh pulled out a pizza cutter and attacked her with it. Blackheart went for a Running Knee Strike but Itoh rolled her over into a Crab Hold, increasing the pressure until Blackheart gave up.

If anyone had a hard hitting three days of wrestling it was Manders. His third and final singles match of a tour was a dream come true for him because he got to fight Jun Akiyama. Much like the Higuchi match, both men hit and slammed each other as hard as they could until one reached their limit. That happened when Akiyama gave Manders the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex. Manders gave Akiyama the horns up hand sign after the match and Akiyama replied in kind.

Throughout the tour a grudge developed between Jeffrey John and Kikutaro. It led to Kikutaro costing John a match against Shota and then brought Dark Sheik into the picture to even the playing field. Kikutaro was meant to fight Dark Sheik & Yoshihiko on this show with Microman as his partner. Plans changed so he decided to call in the big guns and invite Invisible Stan to team with him and Shota! Stan’s biggest impact in the match was to do the Korakuen balcony dive onto everyone down below! Back in the ring John landed a Plancha to Kikutaro, Yoshihiko gave Shota a Tornado DDT and Sheik then pinned him with the Diving Leg Drop.

The match Yamashita was scheduled to take part in was a singles bout with Atticus Cogar. Nowadays whenever Yamashita takes part in GCW she gets more and more into the wilder wrestling style of the company compared to TJPW. The same was seen here when she briefly stopped Cogar from using a chair by kicking it apart! The frame was still in one piece so it remained to be used as a weapon by both. Cogar pulled out the skewers but it was Yamashita who jabbed them into his head rather than the other way around! However Cogar recovered and gave her the Air Raid Crash. Yamashita kicked out of it but Cogar immediately rolled it into the Headlock Driver to win the match.

MAO and YDNP became opponents for the final show of the tour. The opening match was a GCW Tag Team Titles bout with MAO joining up with Rina Yamashita as Slamovich’s replacement to challenge the champions. They came close to winning when MAO hit a Frog Splash and Yamashita did a Diving Body Press on Price but Oliver made it in time to break the pin. MAO ran up the corner to do a Jumping Cutter but Price cut him off in midair with a Super Kick. With MAO out of the picture, YDNP were then able to beat Yamashita with the Double Impaler DDT.

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Posted by JamieOD

DDT Involved In NOAH’s Wrestle Magic Main Event

June 30, 2025

NOAH “WRESTLE MAGIC 2025”, 03/06/2025
Tokyo Shinagawa Stellar Ball
??? Fans

8. Kaito Kiyomiya, Ryohei Oiwa, Yuki Ueno & Yuki Yoshioka defeated YOSHI-HASHI, KAI, Akito & Daiki Inaba when Kiyomiya pinned Inaba with the Shining Lancer (17:51).

The most recent season of “MONDAY MAGIC” promoted a big inter-promotional match featuring wrestlers from NOAH, New Japan, DDT and Dragongate. At the time NOSAWA Rongai acted like it would be a normal tag team match but when it was time for the main event, he surprised everyone by booking an 8-Man Tag instead. In the blue corner was YOSHI-HASHI from NJPW, KAI from DG, Akito from DDT and Daiki Inaba from NOAH. Facing them from the red corner was NOAH’s Kaito Kiyomiya, NJPW’s Ryohei Oiwa, DDT’s Yuki Ueno and DG’s Yuki Yoshioka. Kiyomiya ended up scoring the win for his team by pinning Inaba.

Apparently the point of this match was to gather together two teams of wrestlers from two generations into the same magic wrestling ring. Some of the wrestlers were happy to interact with each other for the first time since the “ALL TOGETHER” shows last year. But Kiyomiya said this generation do not need magic to make the pro wrestling world advance forward. Akito said the future of wrestling is bright while YOSHI-HASHI said next time he shows up here he wants to be in the same ring as KENTA.

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Takeshita Loses The NEVER Title, Will Enter This Year’s G1 Climax

June 15, 2025

NJPW “DOMINION 6.15 IN OSAKA-JO HALL”, 15/06/2025
Osaka Jo Hall
6,525 Fans

6. NEVER Openweight Title: Oleg Boltin defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) with the Kamikaze (13:12).
*KONOSUKE TAKESHITA fails in V7. Oleg Boltin becomes the 48th NEVER Openweight Champion!

Some interesting turn of events went on over at New Japan today. Konosuke Takeshita’s five month reign as the NEVER Openweight Champion came to an end when he lost his rubber match with Oleg Boltin. The two wrestlers had one singles win over each other going back to last summer. Boltin beat Takeshita in the G1 Climax last August and then this past February Takeshita won the rematch when the NEVER Title was put on the line. When they crossed paths again in a tag match last month, Boltin said he wanted a third singles match with Takeshita confident he would beat him this time and take the belt.

Boltin lived up to his word and beat Takeshita. At first Takeshita countered the Kamikaze into a Dragon Suplex. Boltin fought back by using a Shotgun Dropkick an then caught Takeshita’s Jumping Knee Strike. From there he turned it into the Kamikaze to pin Takeshita for the three count. Backstage Boltin described Takeshita as a monster who would be an Olympic champion in pro wrestling. Takeshita accepted defeat and called Boltin strong. That only means that from today Takeshita will get even stronger. Now that the NEVER Title is taken away from Takeshita he has his eyes on something new. This summer he will climb to the top in order to get a championship with the letters “IWGP” attached to it!

The big summer climb Takeshita is referring to is the 35th annual G1 Climax. This was spoiled during the week when some eagle eyed visitors to the NJPW store in Suidobashi spotted a G1 advertisement on the wall with Takeshita front and center on the poster. This year’s tournament is starting on 19th July with the final being held on 17th August. Prior to the NEVER Title match the majority of this year’s entrants were revealed. Takeshita will be entering in the B Block alongside El Phantasmo, Shota Umino, Shingo Takagi, Zack Sabre Jr., Great-O-Khan, Gabe Kidd, Ren Narita and two unknown wrestlers to be determined via play in matches.

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