Takeshita Breaks NEVER Title Defence Record, MAO Enters BOSJ 32

April 5, 2025

NJPW “GAROU DENSETSU: CITY OF THE WOLVES PRESENTS SAKURA GENESIS 2025”, 05/04/2025
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
6,640 Fans

5. NEVER Openweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) defeated Ryohei Oiwa with the Raging Fire (12:54).
*V5 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.

Two DDT related stories came from today’s New Japan show at Sumo Hall. First, Konosuke Takeshita set the record for the most successful NEVER Openweight Title defences in a single reign after he beat Ryohei Oiwa. The TMDK wrestler went after Takeshita’s left arm and made him fight to get it back. The damage done stayed with him when he did big moves like an Avalanche Brainbuster. Oiwa got a nearfall with a Doctor Bomb while Takeshita relied on throwing Lariats and Elbow Strikes with his right arm to wear him down. Takeshita was able to win in the end by using the Raging Fire and he held the NEVER Title above Oiwa after the match.

For the backstage comments Oiwa said he is not happy that the current NEVER Champion is somebody who does not wrestle on New Japan’s regional tours and only shows up for the big events like today. He is going to reflect on today’s match and figure out how to climb back up from the bottom. Takeshita said he likes Oiwa’s wrestling style but he decided he will become the best in the world by using his own. Now Takeshita’s focus is on Hiroshi Tanahashi for their match in America next week. He will put their long story to an end and questions if Tanahashi still has any shine left. If he does then Takeshita will erase it!

The other DDT related story is the announcement of MAO entering this year’s Best Of The Super Jr. tournament! The 32nd edition of the famous junior heavyweight tournament revealed its field of 20 competitors today and MAO was among them. He had already teased this after wrestling on yesterday’s New Japan show when he told fans they will see him again in May. The tournament schedule starts on 10th May and lasts until 1st June.

Comments Off on Takeshita Breaks NEVER Title Defence Record, MAO Enters BOSJ 32 | Outside Of DDT, Results | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

Endo Loses National Title In NOAH, Takeshita Defends NEVER Title In NJPW

February 12, 2025

Yesterday two of DDT’s biggest exports were both involved in title matches for different companies. Let’s see how they got on.


NOAH “STAR NAVIGATION PREMIUM ~NOAH JR. TAG LEAGUE 2025~”, 11/02/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,560 Fans – Super No Vacancy

5. GHC National Title: Manabu Soya defeated Tetsuya Endo (c) with the Dando (12:20).
*Tetsuya Endo fails in V1. Manabu Soya becomes the 15th GHC National Champion!

Well that puts a dampener of Tetsuya Endo’s heel turn. Not long after he won the GHC National Title and joined TEAM 2000X he loses it back to Manabu Soya in the rematch. In the preview matches coming up to this bout, Endo taunted Soya by telling him the result would be the same and his family would get so fed up by Soya’s failure they would abandon him! However Soya was determined to reclaim his championship even if he had to overcome a damaged elbow to do so. He also got help from the RATEL’S unit to fend off interference from TEAM 2000X. With the fight now evened out, Soya went on to beat Endo and win back the National Title.

Endo blamed the loss on the referee’s pin count but will not dwell on it for long. He is already missing the sweet voice of a NOAH championship and does not intend to return to DDT empty handed. He has long stay in NOAH ahead of him and when the time comes for him to go back home, he will bring a souvenir for DDT back with him.


NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING IN OSAKA”, 11/02/2025
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (Osaka Edion Arena)
5,502 Fans – Super No Vacancy

6. NEVER Openweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) defeated Oleg Boltin with the Raging Fire (11:33).
*V3 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.

Fortunes fared better for Konosuke Takeshita over in New Japan. He put the NEVER Openweight Title on the line against Oleg Boltin in a rematch from last year’s G1 Climax. This time Takeshita was able to survive the Kamikaze Drop and use a Front Neck Lock to sap the life out of his opponent. Boltin was unable to kick out of the Raging Fire after that. Backstage Takeshita said he was thankful to Boltin ever since the G1 match because losing to him only made Takeshita stronger. He looks forward to a third and final showdown to happen some day.

Takeshita quickly found out who is next to face him for the title. Ryohei Oiwa approached him after the match. He said it would be interesting to see Takeshita’s worldwide wrestling style line up against Oiwa’s Japanese only style (Oiwa famously never went on the traditional overseas excursion every young lion goes through). Takeshita warned him that a world class wrestler like himself is very strong.

Comments Off on Endo Loses National Title In NOAH, Takeshita Defends NEVER Title In NJPW | Outside Of DDT, Results | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

Endo Wins A Championship In NOAH, Also Joins TEAM 2000X

January 11, 2025

NOAH “STAR NAVIGATION PREMIUM 2025”, 11/01/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,535 Fans – Super No Vacancy

8. GHC National Title: Tetsuya Endo defeated Manabu Soya (c) with the Burning Star Press (19:30).
*Manabu Soya fails in V6. Tetsuya Endo becomes the 14th GHC National Champion!

Well so much for entering NOAH to learn more about his BURNING roots. Tetsuya Endo instead showed that you can take him out of DAMNATION but you cannot take DAMNATION out of him! During his GHC National Title main event against the champion Manabu Soya, Endo paused on the top rope when he saw all of TEAM 2000X approach ringside. Endo went back to Soya but missed the Burning Star Press. However when Soya was on the verge of winning the match, Yoshitatsu pulled the referee out of the ring. Soya fought off several members of TEAM 2000X and Endo grabbed a nightstick from Yoshitatsu’s hands. However he then turned around and hit Soya with it! Endo then gave Soya the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb and pinned him with the Burning Star Press to become the new National Champion!

Endo told the fans he is a member of TEAM 2000X and he was never interested in the origins of BURNING. The only reason he came to NOAH is to destroy it, even if it means putting his life on the line! He explained more backstage that this was his goal from the beginning when he jumped from DDT to NOAH. It was NOAH’s style of wrestling that ruined his life so in 2025 he has come to destroy NOAH. Winning the National Title was his first step and an easy one at that. Elsewhere Jun Akiyama on Twitter said he does not care what decision Endo makes. As long as he thinks and acts for himself Akiyama will support him. He is going to tell Kenta Kobashi about it though.

Comments Off on Endo Wins A Championship In NOAH, Also Joins TEAM 2000X | Outside Of DDT | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

Takeshita’s Tokyo Dome Adventure

January 6, 2025

What a newsworthy weekend Konosuke Takeshita has had! He went into the Tokyo Dome for New Japan’s biggest show of the year ready to defend his AEW International Title. He came out of it still with the belt, gaining another championship and making a pretty important announcement about where his future belongs to.


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

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

On the Saturday Takeshita went into a double title match putting his AEW title on the line against Shingo Takagi and his NEVER Openweight Title. The winner would not only have two championships but would also face Tomohiro Ishii in the Dome the next day. So Ishii made it a priority to sit at ringside to watch this match up close. Takeshita tried to weaken the arm Takagi prefers to use the Pumping Bomber with but he never expected Takagi to pull out a Reverse Frankensteiner. However Takeshita was too tough to put down and he won by using the Raging Fire. He held both belts up high while staring down Ishii after the match.

Backstage Takeshita said he always thought Takagi was strong but he was able to beat him on the biggest stage. When he fights Ishii he will show him the pride of AEW as well as give him the fight of a NEVER Champion. He will attack Ishii with 120% of his strength! Takagi said he couldn’t remember what happened in the match other than he lost to Takeshita in under 15 minutes. Ishii meanwhile dared Takeshita to throw all of his strikes at him tomorrow.


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

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

The next day Takeshita defended both of his championships against Ishii at the Dome. Ishii provoked Takeshita into hitting him with Elbow Strikes then fought back by throwing Chops towards the throat. Then the two started hitting big bombs on each other resulting in a double down. Ishii switched to throwing Headbutts while Takeshita fought back by using Brainbusters and a Reverse Frankensteiner. He was able to hit the Raging Fire and that was enough to put Ishii away for a successful double title defence.

After the match backstage Takeshita had good news to tell the wrestling media. Right now he is currently affiliated with DDT and AEW. Well now he made a deal with New Japan to work for all three companies at the same time! His goal is to unify the pro wrestling world and he will do that by walking a path nobody else has taken before. He then said his upcoming plans are to defend the International Title in AEW again while defending the NEVER Title at New Japan’s USA shows. He singled out KUSHIDA as somebody he would like to defend the NEVER Title against because he is another wrestler who is well-travelled. However when he finished his interview Oleg Boltin walked in and gave him a stare down.


According to Takaaki Kidani through quotes taken from a Tokyo Sports article, Takeshita might have signed a one year contract with New Japan while continuing his current deals with DDT and AEW. Kidani said AEW’s light match schedule makes it possible for Takeshita to wrestle in New Japan more often so if he wants to become a mainstay for the company it can happen. Dave Meltzer on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio explained that AEW is still his priority whenever they want to use him. He also expects AEW and NJPW will keep in touch with each other to avoid any scheduling conflicts. I see DDT as the third wheel in this deal but Takeshita’s appearances for the company have dwindled down to single digits per year so it shouldn’t be too hard to get him for the important shows.

Comments Off on Takeshita’s Tokyo Dome Adventure | Outside Of DDT, Results | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

Tetsuya Endo Is Spending 2025 In NOAH

January 2, 2025

NOAH “NEW YEAR REBOOT 2025”, 02/01/2025
Shinjuku FACE
480 Fans

3. Tetsuya Endo defeated Atsushi Kotoge with the Burning Star Press (14:16).

There was another Tetsuya Endo appearance in NOAH today and we all learned he is going to make many more this year. After the confrontation he had with Atsushi Kotoge in Budokan Hall yesterday, NOAH booked them in a singles match today. Endo used the Exploder Suplex and then the Torture Rack Bomb on Kotoge before finishing him off with the Burning Star Press. After the match Endo greeted the NOAH fans and explained to them the BURNING unit in DDT that connects him to Jun Akiyama and Kenta Kobashi. In order to get further in touch with the origins of BURNING, Endo has decided he will spend 2025 wrestling in NOAH!

His ultimate goal is to win the GHC Heavyweight Title but he will have his eye on winning all of the championships available to him in NOAH. He later proved this by coming out to challenge Manabu Soya for the GHC National Championship after Soya won his latest title defence. Soya scalded Endo for approaching him because Soya normally decides by himself who he wants his next challenger to be. He also does not know what BURNING means because “Passion” is more his thing. Endo later defended himself because in DDT it’s normal for wrestlers to confront champions and challenge them. You can’t get to the top by being a good boy so if Endo has to break the rules to get what he wants in NOAH then he’ll do it.

DDT later announced that Endo will be wrestling on the 3rd and 5th January shows. After that he will be taking an indefinite leave from the promotion in order to take on a regular schedule with NOAH. The way DDT talks about it sounds like it’s an idea Endo wanted to do. So I don’t know if we have a trade coming up and tomorrow somebody from NOAH will jump over to DDT.

———————————————————————–

It’s about time a move like this is happening yet I’m still surprised they’re finally going through with it. Endo has pretty much done it all in DDT across his almost 13 year career and DDT should be doing talent exchanges with NOAH through their CyberFight connection more often to freshen up both rosters. Endo already has a good link to fit him in with NOAH from the get go because of his association with Akiyama and Kobashi in recent years. Given his workout habits he will likely bounce back and forth between heavyweight and Jr. heavyweight throughout the year. While I would be thrilled to see him win a championship over there I’m not expecting him to beat Soya for the National Title. At least not the first time around. So is this it for Endo and DDT? It’s possible the indefinite absence can turn into a permanent transfer in a year or so. I’ll keep an eye on how he does over there and post about any big matches or achievements that comes his way.

Comments Off on Tetsuya Endo Is Spending 2025 In NOAH | News, Outside Of DDT | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

Tetsuya Endo’s NOAH Appearance At Budokan Hall

January 1, 2025

NOAH “THE NEW YEAR 2025”, 01/01/2025
Tokyo Nippon Budokan
5,088 Fans

2. NEW YEAR LIMIT BREAK: Go Shiozaki, Mohammed Yone, Atsushi Kotoge & Hajima Ohara defeated Kazuyuki Fujita, Shuji Ishikawa, Tetsuya Endo & Black Menso-re when Shiozaki pinned Menso-re with the Gowan Lariat (8:25).

One of the first wrestling shows of 2025 was NOAH holding a big event at Budokan Hall for New Year’s Day. Tetsuya Endo got to be on the undercard as part of the Limit Break branded match. He was part of a team made up of outsiders going against four members of TEAM NOAH. Endo got to look good by hitting a Sasuke Special onto a bunch out wrestlers outside the ring. After that he didn’t play a part in the finish where Go Shiozaki pinned Black Menso-re with his Lariat. However Endo got involved in something after the match when Atsushi Kotoge Headbutted him and then slapped him across the face! Kotoge wanted to provoke Endo into fighting him more but Endo ignored him and went back to the locker room.

Backstage Kotoge told reporters he is trying to repay a debt to Endo over their feud from last July. He thought he was lighting a fire under Endo today but if Endo wants to act cool and arrogant then Kotoge will crush him in an instant! Endo in his post-match interview said their grudge from last summer ended when he beat Kotoge and they shook each other’s hands. He thinks what Kotoge did today was just lame.

Comments Off on Tetsuya Endo’s NOAH Appearance At Budokan Hall | Outside Of DDT | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

DDT At NOAH Limit Break 4 Results

October 21, 2024

NOAH “THE LEAVE PRESENTS LIMIT BREAK .4”, 20/10/2024
Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
344 Fans

2. The Leave Mask & Yuki Iino defeated Black Menso-re & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Mask pinned Menso-re with a Jackknife Pin (12:23).
3. Tetsuya Endo & Yukio Naya defeated Mohammed Yone & Kohei Kinoshita when Endo pinned Kinoshita with the Burning Star Press (14:46).
6. Akitoshi Saito LIMIT BREAK Last Match: Akitoshi Saito & Jun Akiyama defeated Satoshi Kojima & Yu Owada when Saito pinned Owada with the Sickle Death (15:56).

A couple of DDT wrestlers had more to do than just the Korakuen Hall show yesterday. Some of them popped over to NOAH afterward to wrestle on the latest “LIMIT BREAK” show. It was a special appearance for Jun Akiyama because he teamed with Akitoshi Saito for Saito’s final appearance in LIMIT BREAK on his road to retirement. Their opponents was another visitor Satoshi Kojima along with the NOAH rookie Yu Owada. The Sternness pair won the match when Akiyama gave Owada the Exploder Suplex and Saito pinned him with the Sickle Death. After the match Saito said he will never forget the first time he met Akiyama back in 2000 and he learned a lot of different wrestling styles from him. He tried to stay sharp in today’s match but couldn’t help but loosen up because he was with Akiyama again. Akiyama called Saito his best partner and the easiest wrestler to work with. Akiyama also gave Owada advice on showing more fire and emotion. He wants to see someone carry on the legacy that went from All Japan to NOAH.

Tetsuya Endo & Yukio Naya teamed up for a match against Mohammed Yone & Kohei Kinoshita. The pair was feeling in good condition despite already wrestling earlier in the day. Endo scored the win for the DDT team by pinning Kinoshita with the Burning Star Press. Endo told Kinoshita to tell a certain somebody in Seattle next month that he’s wishing him the best. Naya said in his backstage comment that he would like to have a singles match against Yone some day.

Maybe Yuki Iino can work his way into getting a sponsorship with THE LEAVE. He teamed with the company’s masked luchador The Leave Mask to defeat Black Menso-re & Tomomitsu Matsunaga. Iino asked Mask afterward if it would be ok if he can star in the company’s next commercial?

Comments Off on DDT At NOAH Limit Break 4 Results | Outside Of DDT, Results | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

DDT At NOAH Limit Break Ex. Results

September 28, 2024

NOAH “THE LEAVE PRESENTS LIMIT BREAK EX.”, 28/09/2024
Yokohama Radiant Hall
290 Fans

1. Hajime Ohara defeated Yuya Koroku with the Mui Bien (8:48).
3. Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino defeated Kai Fujimura & Kohei Kinoshita when Endo pinned Fujimura with the Torture Rack Bomb (17:33).
5. Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls: Go Shiozaki, Akitoshi Saito, Mohammed Yone & Atsushi Kotoge (2) defeated Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Harutoki (1).
5a. Harutoki pinned Go Shiozaki with El Momento de Muerte (23:26).
5b. Go Shiozaki pinned Harutoki with the Strong Arm Lariat (2:10).
5c. Akitoshi Saito pinned Tomomitsu Matsunaga with the Sickle Death (9:28).

It’s been a while since I wrote about the “LIMIT BREAK” shows over at NOAH. The last one took place back in July and I skipped over it. The only DDT related matches on it were Jun Akiyama and Tomomitsu Matsunaga in the opening two bouts so there wasn’t much to write about. Today though was different because those two along with Yukio Naya were in a big main event against TEAM NOAH. The three of them along with Harutoki fought TEAM NOAH in a Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls match. The first two falls were both decided by Go Shiozaki and Harutoki. The visiting team unexpectedly won the first fall when Harutoki blocked Shiozaki’s Lariat with a High Kick and then used a Cross-Arm Falcon Arrow to get the pinfall. The second fall didn’t last long because Harutoki went for the quick win only to get cut down by Shiozaki’s Lariat for the three count. The final fall began with Atsushi Kotoge facing off against Naya before switching over to Akitoshi Saito against Akiyama. Matsunaga tagged in but got caught by the teamwork of Saito & Mohammed Yone. That led to Saito pinning Matsunaga with the Sickle Death to end the match. Later Saito said he would like to team up with Akiyama once last time before he retires.

BURNING fared better in their match against Kai Fujimura & Kohei Kinoshita. Late in the match Tetsuya Endo went after Fujimura with Swan Dive attacks and Yuki Iino took out Kinoshita with the Spear. Endo then caught Fujimura with the Tetsuya In The Sky before pinning him with the Torture Rack Bomb. Endo & Iino promised to keep on burning while the other team wants to have more matches against them.

Well, most of BURNING fared better. Yuya Koroku was in the opening match and lost to Hajime Ohara. He targeted Ohara’s left arm but his plan didn’t work out. Instead Ohara trapped him in the Muy Bien submission and made him tap out. Ohara would later become the newest member of TEAM NOAH at the end of the show.

Comments Off on DDT At NOAH Limit Break Ex. Results | Outside Of DDT, Results | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

Takeshita’s G1 Adventure

August 18, 2024

The hottest and most grueling pro wrestling tournament of the year has just finished and Konosuke Takeshita was a featured part of it. His entry into this year’s G1 Climax was done as representation for both AEW and DDT. It makes him the second wrestler with a DDT contract to compete in the tournament after Kota Ibushi in 2013 and 2015. With nine other wrestlers to compete against in his block and a couple extra non-tournament matches to deal with in between, Takeshita did not waste any opportunity to get his name out there in a New Japan ring. This was a tour where he got to experience so much of NJPW’s current form and he left plenty of options open if he ever gets to come back and wrestle for the company more often. His performances definitely had wrestling fans look at him and wonder why AEW hasn’t been treating him the same way. Let’s take a look at how things went for him.

Block B

1. David Finlay (12)
2. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (10)
-. Yota Tsuji (10)
-. Ren Narita (10)
-. Jeff Cobb (10)
6. HENARE (8)
7. Yuya Uemura (8)
8. Hirooki Goto (8)
9. Oleg Boltin (8)
10. El Phantasmo (6)


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 20/07/2024
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (Osaka EDION Arena)
4,177 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (2) defeated Yota Tsuji (0) with the Raging Fire (17:16).

Takeshita jumped off to a great start on day one by beating this year’s New Japan Cup winner Yota Tsuji. The lead up to the match had both wrestlers talking about how it was up to them to take lead of the current generation of wrestling in Japan. Takeshita used the Jumping Knee as a counter block for Tsuji’s Gene Blaster finisher. After hitting the Blue Thunder Bomb he then used the Spinning Falcon Arrow to get the win. He has renamed that move the Raging Fire and you are going to see it often from here. Takeshita warned the rest of the block that he sees the wrestling world differently from the rest of them.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 23/07/2024
Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
1,972 Fans

4. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (4) defeated Jeff Cobb (2) with the Raging Fire (10:28).

Takeshita’s second match was delayed by a day because he had to go fight Masato Tanaka in DDT. Turns out that match was just the warm up he needed to take on Jeff Cobb, the reigning NJPW WORLD TV Champion. The strength and size of Cobb made it more difficult for Takeshita to use the Raging Fire on. But one good Elbow Smash weakened Cobb enough for Takeshita to nail the move and win his second match. Takeshita used the same Elbow Smash to beat Tanaka one day earlier so he declared his right elbow will take over the world!


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 25/07/2024
Sun Messe Kagawa
1,219 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: Yuya Uemura (6) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (4) with the Kannuki Suplex (23:11).

The first road block to stop Takeshita in his tracks was Yuya Uemura. The two were both unbeaten going into the main event and had seen each other at points in America during their excursions. They gave fans a wild back and forth match. No matter what Takeshita did, Uemura took it and kept on fighting. He got the win over Takeshita by using the Kannuki Suplex, a move that trapped Takeshita’s shoulders down into the mat for the three count. An angry Takeshita told reporters he wants to see Uemura reach the end of the tournament so he can repay this loss to him.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 27/07/2024
Dejima Messe Nagasaki
1,616 Fans

1. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & HENARE defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato when TAKESHITA pinned Murashima with an Elbow Butt (6:53).

This was the first non-tournament match Takeshita got to take part in during the tour. New Japan decided to have him team with United Empire wrestlers starting with his next block opponent HENARE. Together they took on and handily defeated two young lion wrestlers Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato. Things were tense between Takeshita & HENARE for the entire match and they continued glaring at each other afterwards. HENARE complained to reporters that as the NEVER Openweight Champion he should not be put in the opening match with rookies and an outsider. He doesn’t like Takeshita acting like he is better than New Japan. If Takeshita actually likes NJPW then why did he go to AEW instead of here? Kato had nicer things to say about Takeshita because they are both from Osaka. If they ever fight each other again, he will remember everything Takeshita did to him today.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 28/07/2024
Fukuoka International Center
1,780 Fans

7. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) defeated HENARE (4) with the Raging Fire (13:19).

The next day Takeshita and HENARE had their battle, tearing lumps out of each other. Whenever one took the lead, the other had an answer to it. Takeshita hit the Jumping Knee only for HENARE to fire back with a Jumping Headbutt. HENARE went for the Streets Of Rage but Takeshita countered it into a Fisherman Buster. Takeshita continued on with the attack and kept HENARE down for the count with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster followed by the Raging Fire. The two fist bumped each other after the match, showing everyone they had earned each other’s respect. Takeshita said HENARE has unwavering strength but still is not as strong as “The Alpha”. He then dropped a major hint that he’s been learning from a special mentor over in America. This mentor has entrusted him with the “Strong Style” NJPW is famous for. Who is this mentor? Takeshita won’t say anything about him other than “YeaOh!”


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 29/07/2024
Fukuoka International Center
1,757 Fans

5. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Francisco Akira defeated David Finlay & Gedo when Akira pinned Gedo with the Fireball (7:14).

The next chapter of Takeshita’s tournament had him interact with the Bullet Club WAR DOGS for the first time. By this point Takeshita seemed to be getting along with the United Empire and had no trouble teaming with Francisco Akira. The two of them won their match when Takeshita Clotheslined David Finlay out of the ring and Akira pinned Gedo with the Fireball, which is very much like the Somato except the move is done from behind aiming at the opponent’s back and shoulders. Finlay tried to provoke Takeshita after the match by holding up the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title. He then made accusations backstage that Takeshita has no loyalty towards anybody. Is he with DDT, AEW or New Japan? He should ask his friends in AEW just how dangerous Finlay is because Finlay is about to destroy another one of Tony Khan’s favorite toys!


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 31/07/2024
Yamaguchi KDDI Ishin Hall
1,021 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: David Finlay (6) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) with the Overkill (18:23).

The good old Bullet Club style of cheating that everybody knows and absolutely loves took its toll on Takeshita here. Gedo distracted the referee a lot and pulled him out of the ring during a moment when Takeshita had the match won. Finlay hit Takeshita with a shillelagh but that wasn’t enough to beat him. Takeshita finally got rid of Gedo but his Raging Fire was countered into Finlay’s finisher the Overkill. Finlay got the three count with it while Takeshita kicked out a second too late. Finlay bragged about AEW being the place where the wrestlers who are not as good as him go and listed the former NJPW talent one by one. Takeshita said he will not accept the result. Being the Global Champion means Finlay will one day be standing at the center of the world. The next time they meet should be there so they can fight to see who is at the top.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 03/08/2024
Osaka Yamato University Yamato Arena
1,711 Fans

1. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA, Jeff Cobb, HENARE & Francisco Akira defeated Hirooki Goto, Tomoaki Honma, Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima when Akira pinned Murashima with the Fireball (8:18).

Another day of non-tournament action gave Takeshita a chance to scout his next opponent Hirooki Goto. He was teaming with the familiar faces from United Empire again while Goto was with Tomoaki Honma and the two young lions. Plus the match was in Osaka, Takeshita’s home. He got into a few exchanges with Goto but the finish came down to Akira pinning Murashima. Takeshita admitted Goto is the one wrestler he is looking forward to fighting most. He will be ditching his nicknames and go into the match only as himself so the fans will see who is stronger, Goto or Takeshita?


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 04/08/2024
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium (Dolphins Arena)
3,205 Fans

7. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: Hirooki Goto (6) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) with the GTR (14:20).

During this year’s G1, Goto turned into the sentimental favorite of the fans thanks to him delivering high level performances while being the oldest contestant in the tournament. His match with Takeshita here is considered one of the highlights. Takeshita was able to kick out of the Shoten Kai but ran into a Headbutt and was put away with the GTR. Goto said he got a sense of Takeshita’s spirit and came up with an idea. If Takeshita wants to continue wrestling in New Japan then he should join CHAOS! Goto will welcome him into the unit that might just so happen to have a deep connection with Takeshita’s mysterious mentor. Takeshita doesn’t sound too keen on the idea. After all he wants to bring in a new era of pro wrestling and it’s coming just around the corner. When that era arrives he will stand in front of Goto once more.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 06/08/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,503 Fans – Super No Vacancy

2. Jeff Cobb, KONOSUKE TAKESHITA, HENARE & Francisco Akira defeated Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano, El Phantasmo & Jado when HENARE submitted Jado with the Ultima (3:51).

It was back to hanging out with the United Empire for another non-tournament bout. Two of his opponents from the other team were people he hadn’t faced in his block yet. There was also Toru Yano & Jado there but El Phantasmo and Oleg Boltin became the targets of Takeshita’s focus. ELP still remembers Takeshita putting him through a table in violent fashion at “FORBIDDEN DOOR” a few months ago. He threatened to pull one out from under the ring so he could settle the score. Takeshita promised to destroy ELP again and warned Boltin he will soon fight against an Olympic level athlete.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 07/08/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,504 Fans

5. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (8) defeated El Phantasmo (4) with the Raging Fire (17:22).

Depending on who you hear from, this is being considered one of the best matches of the tournament. It even got the ol’ five star treatment from Dave Meltzer. ELP was on the brink of elimination so he threw everything he had against Takeshita and Takeshita responded in kind. Just like at “FORBIDDEN DOOR” Takeshita put ELP through a table, this time by using the Inhuman Driver. ELP narrowly avoided being counted out but collapsed during an Elbow Strike exchange. He had enough fight in him to keep kicking out of Takeshita’s signature moves but he was finally defeated with the Raging Fire. Takeshita has been friends on a first name basis with ELP for a while and always wanted to wrestle him one on one. People like the two of them want to move the audience and get them excited. Takeshita then made some comments to the media about Hiroshi Tanahashi. He remembers the trouble he caused in DDT when he wrestled on their shows back in 2015. Once the G1 is over Takeshita warns Tanahashi not to run away from him!


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 08/08/2024
Yokohama Budokan
2,906 Fans – No Vacancy

2. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & HENARE defeated Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru when HENARE submitted Kanemaru with the Ultima (4:41).

As we head towards the closing stretch, Takeshita now had to experience the other side of Bullet Club, the House Of Torture stable. With HENARE on his side again the two of them defeated Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Narita was an upcoming opponent for both Takeshita and HENARE so the two of them made sure to get his attention and show what they have in store for him. However Takeshita also admitted that he is still feeling sore from his match with ELP. This is the challenge everyone in the G1 faces as they reach closer to the end. What kind of injuries do they build up match by match and can they tough it out until the end?


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 10/08/2024
Miyagi Xebio Arena Sendai
2,631 Fans

4. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: Oleg Boltin (6) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (8) with the Kamikaze (12:07).

What an upset! By this point Boltin was already considered out of the running but that didn’t stop him from scoring a massive victory that also put Takeshita’s hopes of reaching the playoff at risk. Boltin used his own German Suplex to go against Takeshita’s, then dropped him with the Verdict followed by the Kamikaze for the victory. Takeshita was impressed and said when he reaches the top he will add Boltin’s name to the list of the strongest wrestlers ever. He wants to see Boltin do his best so they can fight again some day.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 12/08/2024
Aore Nagaoka
3,022 Fans

3. Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA, Jeff Cobb, HENARE & Francisco Akira when Kanemaru pinned Akira with a Jackknife Pin (8:48).

The final days were leaving Takeshita in a dire situation. He was back in the ring for another non-tournament tag against the House Of Torture. This time Narita had a plan and attacked Takeshita’s increasingly injured leg. By the end of the match it was clear Takeshita was not going into his final block match in good condition. Narita rubbed it in by telling him not to let his guard down otherwise he will only get hurt.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 14/08/2024
Shizuoka Hamamatsu Arena
1,607 Fans

7. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (10) defeated Ren Narita (10) with the Elbow Butt (16:47).

So it came down to this. The way Block B worked out on its last night meant that victory for either Takeshita or Narita would send them through to the playoff rounds. A draw would be good enough for Narita too but for Takeshita it was win or go home. House Of Torture made sure he had to fight through hell because EVIL and Dick Togo attacked Takeshita during his entrance. They would also interfere during the match but Takeshita heroically fought all of them off before dealing Nartia with a knock out blow to get the three count. Takeshita knows the fans don’t want to see hi G1 end yet so he invited them to all dream together with him because he will make to the final at Sumo Hall no matter what!


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 15/08/2024
Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall #9
1,111 Fans

1. G1 CLIMAX 34 – B Block Playoff: Yota Tsuji defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA with the Gene Blaster (21:30).

Yeah about that. Yota Tsuji had other ideas. The two of them made it to the first part of the B Block playoff. Now they had to face each other again in a rematch from Night 1. Sadly for Takeshita his G1 ended here. The Gene Blaster from Tsuji was the difference maker and Takeshita kicked out of it one second too late. Tsuji complimented Takeshita by telling him he is a better wrestler in New Japan than he is in AEW. Takeshita said he entered the tournament carrying expectations from both AEW and DDT. Then as it progressed he also ended up carrying expectations from New Japan fans and the Japanese wrestling world at large. He hoped to go to the finals so he could tell all of DDT’s wrestlers that there is nothing wrong with their style of wrestling. He will now go back to America and stand in an AEW ring again but there are many people in New Japan he will want to face somewhere in the future.


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 17/08/2024
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
5,340 Fans

3. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA, Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman defeated Shota Umino, El Phantasmo & Jado when TAKESHITA pinned Jado with the Elbow Butt (8:33).

It’s not quite the end of Takeshita’s tour yet. He has a couple of bonus matches to go through on the final nights at Sumo Hall. He got to be in the ring with Shota Umino and Callum Newman for the first time in this tour because the two of them were busy over in the A Block until now. ELP and Jado were having teamwork problems which left Jado as easy pickings for Takeshita and his mighty Elbow Strike. With his time at NJPW coming to an end, Takeshita is starting to think about what to do if he ever comes back. CHAOS and United Empire are both showing interest in letting him join their units. But what if he decides to come back and bring The Don Callis Family with him instead?


NJPW “G1 CLIMAX 34”, 18/08/2024
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
8,056 Fans

3. Mikey Nicholls & Robbie Eagles defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Francesco Akira when Eagles pinned Akira with the Hyperion (9:32).

Here is where we end things. Takeshita ended his tour by teaming with Akira one final time. Their opponents were Mikey Nicholls & Robbie Eagles from TMDK and that team’s victory helped set the tone for their front man Zack Sabre Jr. to win the tournament at the end of the night. Takeshita said this was the end of his tour with New Japan and he has no reason to look down on anything that happened to him during it. He leaves New Japan with his head held high knowing that their fans will continue watching over him. He will repay them by becoming a champion over in America.

Comments Off on Takeshita’s G1 Adventure | Outside Of DDT, Results, Tournaments | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

DDT And TJPW Results From The GCW Japan Tour

August 14, 2024

The GCW tour of Japan continued after their joint show with DDT. They ran two more shows this week both taking place in Shinjuku FACE. The shows also had presence from DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro. The fact that DDT were promoting the cards and posted the results on their website pretty much tells us they had a hand behind the scenes too. I’m just going to focus on the matches relating to both DDT and TJPW in this post.

GCW “THE SKY IS THE LIMIT”, 13/08/2024
Shinjuku FACE
326 Fans

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Broski Jimmy by TKO with the Skull Kick (7:17).
2. GCW Extreme Title: Maki Itoh (c) defeated The Great Sasuke with a Cast Strike (11:49).
*V3 for Maki Itoh.
3. Joey Janella defeated Marcus Mathers with the Package Piledriver (19:37).
4. Effy, Allie Katch & Dark Sheik defeated Aja Kong, Masashi Takeda & MAO when Sheik pinned Kong with the Diving Leg Drop (10:17).
5. Danhausen defeated Kikutaro with a Roll Up (10:43).
6. Rina Yamashita & Masha Slamovich defeated Gringo Loco & Violento Jack when Yamashita pinned Jack after the Super Power Bomb (18:39).
7. GCW World Title: Mance Warner (c) defeated 1 Called Manders with the Impaler DDT (22:47).
*V9 for Mance Warner.

MAO was part of a wild trio put together to take on Thrussy. He teamed with both Masashi Takeda and Aja Kong! Thrussy needed some artillery to even the odds so Allie Katch brought out a water pistol. MAO countered that by finding two bananas and using them to point at everyone like they were guns. That plan backfired when Effy grabbed MAO and forced him to point the bananas on himself. Thrussy were able to gang up on Kong and Dark Sheik hit the Diving Leg Drop on her for the victory. It still took all three members of Thrussy to pile on top of Kong to get the pinfall.

Maki Itoh went into her match against The Great Sasuke with a hand injury, adding more danger since it was also a GCW Extreme Title defence. Sasuke wanted it to be a fair fight so he tried using his spiritual abilities to heal Itoh’s injury. He then targeted her injured hand anyway. Itoh got revenge by attacking Sasuke with a pizza cutter and then striking him with her cast after a ref bump. It dazed Sasuke long enough for the referee to recover and count Itoh’s pin on him.

It is well known by now just how deadly Miyu Yamashita’s Skull Kick is. Today she won her match by Referee Stoppage because the move knocked out Broski Jimmy!

GCW “YOU ONLY DIE ONCE”, 14/08/2024
Shinjuku FACE
375 Fans

1. JCW Title: Masha Slamovich (c) defeated Marcus Mathers with the Half Package Piledriver (15:20).
*V8 for Masha Slamovich.
2. Allie Katch & Dark Sheik defeated Shoko Nakajima & Kaya Toribami when Sheik pinned Toribami with the Welcome to Die (10:14).
3. Tetsuya Endo defeated Gringo Loco with a Tornado Clutch (14:53).
4. GCW Ultraviolent Title: Rina Yamashita (c) defeated 1 Called Manders with the Splash Mountain onto the Chair (13:23).
*V19 for Rina Yamashita.
5. 6-Way Match: Andreza Giant Panda defeated Joey Janela, Broski Jimmy, Kikutaro, Danhausen and Effy when Andreza pinned Janela & Jimmy with the Andreza Press (9:29).
6. GCW World Title: Mance Warner (c) defeated Takayuki Ueki with the Avalanche Impaler DDT onto the Chair (21:03).
*V10 for Mance Warner.

The third and final show of the tour had a few changes to the lineup because of injuries. The big one was Itoh being unable to finish the tour. Her hand injury involves a broken bone so she couldn’t compete in the GCW World Title Match with Mance Warner. Her spot was taken by Takayuki Ueki but Itoh still made an appearance during the match to attack both wrestlers with her pizza cutter.

MAO was thrown into a 6 Way Scramble with a colorful collection of characters. Broski Jimmy recovered from his knockout from the night before, Joey Janela and Effy both wanted to party, Danhausen and Kikutaro had unfinished business but the one who dominated the match more than anyone else was Andreza Giant Panda! Andreza crushed the opposition and pinned both Janela and Jimmy to become the winner.

Zayne was among the injuries that changed the card around. DDT sent in Tetsuya Endo to be his replacement. His match on the show was against Gringo Loco and it turned into a game of one-upmanship. Variations of the One Man Spanish Fly in particular became the point of contention between them. Endo used the Tetsuya In The Sky while Gringo pulled out a Backwards Spanish Fly from the top rope. Soon the aerial attacks were being blocked so Endo pulled out a Tornado Clutch to grab the win in a close contest.

TJPW were also represented on the show by the team of Shoko Nakajima & Kaya Toribami. The two of them fought against The Mothership of Katch & Sheik. The speed and agility of the TJPW duo wasn’t enough to beat the GCW team. Instead Sheik pinned Toribami with the Welcome To Die.

Comments Off on DDT And TJPW Results From The GCW Japan Tour | International, Outside Of DDT, Results | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »