BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. FIVE: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL” Results

May 23, 2023

BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. FIVE: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL”, 23/05/2023
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
??? Fans

1. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Hyper Misao with a Death Valley Driver through a Plastic Box (12:10).
2. Special Single Match: Takayuki Ueki defeated Mecha Mummy with a Falling Headbutt (4:58).
3. Special Tag Team Match: MAO & Mei Suruga defeated Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno when MAO & Mei Suruga pinned Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno after the Hair Of The Dog (12:13).
4. Special Single Match: Drew Parker defeated Masahiro Takanashi with a Somato (16:28).

Drew Parker and Masahiro Takanashi had their first ever singles match together to main event the latest Baka Gaijin + Friends show. Unlike previous main events from the group, this one stayed almost entirely inside the tiny little mat in the centre of the room. Other than a moment when Parker Dropkicked Takanashi into a fan it was a match of oneupmanship rather than a crazy brawl. Parker did a Swanton Bomb from a stepstool but Takanashi kicked out so he hit a Somato to get the win.

The silliness was more on show in the tag team match. MAO & Mei Suruga joined forces to fight Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno, the pairing also known as Egg Tart. Both Suruga and Koishikawa were put in uncomfortable positions after getting trapped in different objects. Koishikawa got tangled up inbetween stepstool legs. Shinno then came up with an idea to put Suruga sitting through the frame of an upside down stool and then placing her on top of Koishikawa. That way MAO and Shinno could fight each other without the women getting in the way. Koishikawa remained trapped in her stepstool until MAO put her in an Ankle Lock. She slipped out of the stool and freed herself from MAO’s submission. The match then split apart into two fights in opposite sides of the room. They all met back in the middle and kept the match going until MAO & Suruga used a combined cradle combination to pin both members of Egg Tart at the same time.

Mecha Mummy made a rare appearance for its first pro wrestling match in years. It looked a little shorter than the last time we saw him but it could still frantically shake its fists at everything. Takayuki Ueki’s solution to fighting Mummy and its rocket fist was to pull out his gun and pull the trigger. However the bullet ricocheted off of Mummy’s chest plate and hit Daisuke Kiso instead! Mummy readied its fist and was about to deliver a finishing blow to Ueki when suddenly Hyper Misao ran out to rescue him! Misao shot Mummy with an electrified bow and arrow, causing Mummy to short circuit. Ueki Heabutted it to the ground, then placed the Rocket Fist over his head to drop another Falling Headbutt. A wounded Kiso slowly counted the pin to give Ueki the victory. Mummy’s system rebooted and it took out an antidote to heal Kiso’s bullet wound. Kiso lost briefly lost consciousness but jumped back to his feet to give this story a happy ending.

Misao’s match with Chris Brookes unexpectedly opened the show and the two of them almost tore the place apart with their fighting. Misao stapled advertising posters of her self-produced show “HYPE!” on Brookes’ arm and chest. Brookes got his own back by stapling a poster onto Misao’s head. He then took out some plastic boxes and tried to Suplex Misao onto them from the bar counter. But Misao backed him off and hit a Diving Cross Body, making Brookes land onto the boxes. Misao then brought out chairs and placed them out sideways. He sprayed Misao in the face and then Body Slammed him onto the chairs! Getting desperate, Misao took out a plastic toy mallet with firecrackers attached to it. She put a flame to the firecrackers and set them off but Brookes dodged her attack and smashed a plastic box over her head. He then got Kiso to put the firecrackers onto another box and set them alight while he put Misao through it with a Death Valley Driver for the three count.

Antonio Honda sung a few songs for the fans before the main event. He had musicians playing a guitar and a saxophone accompanying him.


BASARA “BASARA 219 ~KOO~” Results

May 23, 2023

BASARA “BASARA 219 ~KOO~”, 23/05/2023
Shin-Kiba 1st RING
??? Fans – Withheld

1. FUMA, Takumi Tsukamoto & Ryota Nakatsu defeated Ryuichi Sekine, Minoru Fujita & Yasu Urano when Tsukamoto pinned Sekine with the Schmidt-Style Backbreaker (12:07).
2. 3 Way Match: Tatsuhiko Yoshino defeated Gouma Ryu and Takato Nakano when Yoshino pinned Ryu with a Cradle (6:31).
3. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: SAGAT defeated Lil’ Kraken with the Goregrind (11:08).
4. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Leo Isaka ended in a Double Countout (9:00).
5. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: Daiki Shimomura defeated Daichi Kazato with a Hurricanrana (13:37).
6. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: Isami Kodaka defeated Shiori Asahi with a Cross Armbar (16:14).

Three wrestlers have advanced past the opening round so far in this year’s Chouten ~Itadaki~. The main event saw Isami Kodaka submit Shiori Asahi in their first singles match against each other in 8 years. Kodaka said he has three more rounds to get past and he’s sure the Union MAX Title will be waiting for him at the finish line. He meets Daiki Shimomura in Round 2 after Shimomura beat Daichi Kazato. Kodaka and Shimomura fought each other for the MAX Title last September.

The other half of the A Block has turned into an easy path for SAGAT. He advanced to the 2nd Round by beating Lil’ Kraken and then discovered at the end of the show he was getting a bye into the semi-final because Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Leo Isaka ended in a Double Countout! Both Hiroshi and Isaka were determined to keep each other outside the ring and it blew up in both of their faces because the Double Countout eliminates both of them. So now SAGAT only has to beat the winner of Kodaka versus Shimomura to reach the grand final.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 FINAL!!” Results

May 21, 2023

DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 FINAL!!”, 21/05/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
677 Fans

0. Dark Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated Akito, Yusuke Okada & Rukiya by TKO when Iino used the Radio Taiso Exercise on Rukiya (6:01).
0. Dark Match: Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai, Soma Takao, Yuni & Yuki Ishida defeated Toru Owashi, Makoto Oishi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Kazuma Sumi when Akai pinned Hirata with the Quetzalcoatl (7:39).
1. King Of DDT 2023 – Semi Final: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Yuki Ueno with the Brain Claw Slam (10:57).
2. King Of DDT 2023 – Semi Final: Chris Brookes defeated Jun Akiyama with the Praying Mantis Bomb (11:20).
3. BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Tetsuya Endo & Kotaro Suzuki defeated Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul when Endo pinned Paul with the Burning Star Press (11:02).
4. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA & Naruki Doi defeated MAO, Toy Kojima, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada when Hino submitted Koroku with the King Ghidorah Sleeper (10:32).
5. DDT Extreme Title – Piercing Death Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) defeated Hideki Okatani with an Inside Cradle (12:02).
*V1 for Shunma Katsumata.
6. King Of DDT 2023 – Final: Chris Brookes defeated Kazusada Higuchi with the Ground Octopus Stretch (24:28).

Four years ago an English wrestler from the independents named Chris Brookes came to DDT. He took to Japan’s wrestling scene like a duck to water, ticking off a hardcore puroresu bucket list of things to do that isn’t just wrestle in Korakuen Hall and getting a Ribera Steakhouse jacket. What was supposed to be a year long visit to Japan became a four year stay, partly due to the pandemic, but that only helped his career grow. He ingrained himself into Japan’s wrestling scene from as many corners as he could whether it was for DDT, Gatoh Move or somewhere else. Today that four year journey reached its highest point for now because Brookes is the winner of this year’s King Of DDT tournament!

Brookes earned his victory by beating last year’s winner Kazusada Higuchi in the final. Higuchi kicked out of the Praying Mantis Bomb and used the Brain Claw to set up an Exploder Suplex. That almost resulted in a double KO countout but both men got up at 9. Higuchi did the Doctor Bomb but Brookes kicked out at two. Higuchi provoked Brookes into Headbutting him several times and then fired back with one of his own. But when Higuchi charged in to do the Buchikamashi, Brookes jumped onto him and latched on the Octopus Stretch. The move took Higuchi off his feet and Brookes kept finding ways to twist him until Higuchi finally gave up.

Brookes shook hands with Higuchi after the match and was presented with the trophy. He then celebrated with his cornermen Masahiro Takanashi, Drew Parker and Antonio Honda. Brookes told the fans he was able to win because of their cheers. But his “Dramatic Dream” is not over yet because Brookes is now setting his sights on the KO-D Openweight Title! Backstage he told the reporters that it was not a hard decision to stay in Japan during the pandemic because his friends and family are with DDT and he will always be a part of the company. He beat HARASHIMA, Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama and Higuchi to win this tournament so he isn’t intimidated with fighting Yuji Hino for the KO-D Title. Higuchi praised Brookes for his persistence and tenacity. He credits that as the difference maker today.

The DDT Extreme Title was on the line in a Piercing Death Match. It was a No DQ match featuring nothing but sharp weapons for Shunma Katsumata and Hideki Okatani to stab each other with. Okatani purposely dyed his hair blonde for the match so he could cover it in Katsumata’s blood! An extra stipulation was added where piercing your opponent’s ear three times was a valid way to win the match. That wasn’t needed in the end although both men did get their ears stapled a lot. Okatani had his back rolled over a pile of thumbtacks while Katsumata was pushed through a barbed wire board. However Katsumata got away with the win thanks to an Inside Cradle.

Afterwards Katsumata said he always thought Okatani had what it takes to do hardcore and death match wrestling. He wants to do a rematch some day. Okatani agreed because he had fun doing his first death match. Katsumata then suggested when Atsushi Onita comes back to DDT on 1st July, they can get him involved too for a tag team match. However when Yukio Sakaguchi heard about the idea backstage he got angry over hearing Onita’s name.

Before Hino knew who his next challenger was going to be, he led his squad to victory in an 8-Man Tag Match. It was a rocky start with MAO’s team setting up a Kongo style train of Elbow Drops onto Takagi. Takeshi Masada attacked Takagi, complaining to his boss that he wants to travel to shows on the bullet train. Takagi ordered him while fighting back to take the bus instead because he’s too immature. Naruki Doi also got more annoyed at his younger opponents as the match progressed. Hino sorted that problem out, hitting both Yuya Koroku and Toy Kojima with his big Chops. Kojima withstood the Chops as best as he could until Hino held both him and Koroku in a Double Dragon Sleeper for the win. When Hino does the move to one person it’s called the King Kong Sleeper. But when he does it to two people at the same time it’s called the King Ghidorah Sleeper!

Tetsuya Endo faced his past in the BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A tag match. Daisuke Sasaki attacked him before the bell and took a moment to look at the DDT Universal Title. Endo fought back and had help from Kotaro Suzuki against MJ Paul. Suzuki blocked Paul from doing the Reverse Splash and then he along with Endo gave Paul a Power Bomb/Neckbreaker combo. Later Sasaki missed a Diving Clothesline and accidentally hit Paul from behind. That gave Endo the opening to knock Sasaki outside, wipe him out with the Sasuke Special and then climb the turnbuckles to pin Paul with the Burning Star Press.

After the match Endo called for the big announcement over the ex-WWE wrestler coming to DDT soon to be revealed. He doesn’t care who it is but he heard that this person is being paid 30 million yen to come over! A video played revealing the wrestler is Matt Cardona! The man who now calls himself the “Indy God” is going to face Endo for the Universal Title at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” and he is bringing former NXT wrestler Steph De Lander along with him. Endo was not impressed. He expected a big name but this exceeded his expectations in a bad way. He thinks no amount of money or Twitter followers directly relates to how strong a wrestler is. Endo swore he will defend the Universal Title, take Cardona’s Twitter followers and also take the 30 million yen! Endo also put out word he is waiting for KANON to come back from injury because he owes him a match. KANON was supposed to be part of today’s tag match but is out of action with a dislocated shoulder.

Brookes had to go through Akiyama in the King Of DDT semi-finals earlier in the show. Akiyama threw his Knee Strikes, Exploder Suplexes and even applied the Front Neck Lock to no success. Brookes recovered some ground by countering another Exploder into a Cradle for a nearfall. Akiyama went for the move again but Brookes cut him off with a Knee Strike of his own and used the Praying Mantis Bomb to get the win out of nowhere. Akiyama said afterwards he has to get back into the swing of things otherwise he will wind up like the NOAH Health Club. That is a nickname he gave to Jun Izumida, Masao Inoue and Kishin Kawabata back in 2004 for their lackadaisical efforts in training at the time.

Higuchi’s path to the final saw him go through Yuki Ueno in a rematch of their KO-D Title bout from last December. The two know each other well by this point and had counters for each other’s signature moves. Ueno just couldn’t go through with the WR and was stunned with a Headbutt. Higuchi ran him over with a Lariat and finished him off with the Brain Claw Slam. Ueno told the reporters that results like this should prove he is not good enough. But he beat Naruki Doi and Kotaro Suzuki to get to this point so giving up now would only be disrespectful to them. So Ueno will not stop fighting until he makes it to the top of DDT!

The final rounds of the tournament taking up so much of the main card resulted in a lot of the roster being relegated to the dark matches. A 10-Man Tag featured the usual mix. Kazuki Hirata was briefly abandoned by the rest of his side, leaving him alone in the ring with Sakaguchi. That led to a train attack on Hirata until he was able to tag in Toru Owashi. Then Yuni gave Makoto Oishi a top rope Frankensteiner and got a two count that was broken up by Kazuma Sumi. A circle of split leg submissions formed in the ring with Honda and Yuki Ishida both being left out so they joined together in the center of the circle for a Gongitsune spot. The spot went out of control with Honda striking everybody until he and Ishida started pinching each other’s nipples. Hirata broke it up with his dance but that got intercepted by an attack from Sakaguchi. Saki Akai then joined in wearing the Hirata GO! glasses and pinned Hirata with the Quetzalcoatl.

The pre-show began in the morning time so Pheromones had an idea in mind to wake everyone up. They started playing exercise music from a morning TV show midway through the match so they could do lewd looking exercises while fighting off the opposition. Akito & Yusuke Okada both had their attempts to stop the workout fail, leaving Rukiya to take the worst of it. The exercises Pheromones did to him rendered him unconscious so the match ended by TKO.

When the show had ended and Korakuen started clearing out, Daisuke Sasaki urgently called for the media to meet him in the waiting room backstage. There he told them he was waiting for El Desperado to show up because New Japan were running the next event in Korakuen later in the evening. He claimed he only wanted to meet with Desperado and take a picture together to promote their match at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”. However the venue staff started to complain and told Sasaki to leave so they could clean the place up before New Japan arrived. Management then approached Sasaki telling him to leave and he tried to pay them 1,000 yen and then promised that Sanshiro Takagi will pay for an extension fee. He finally gave up and left when the staff started pushing him out of the room with their mops.

The Yuki Ueno & Yuni Vs Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada that was meant to take place in Yokohama Budokan earlier this month is now happening at Yokohama Radiant Hall on 1st July. Yuni backstage said he is very excited and wil be waiting for Wayne right here in DDT.

Fighting Beer Garden 2023 will be held at Ueno Park on 16th and 29th August. For the first time in four years it will be a full fledged drinking show for the fans like it used to be.

Starting on 23rd May DDT will be doing a free ticket campaign for preschool, elementary school and junior high school students at all of their shows. The plan was originally going to be for just preschoolers but DDT decided to include other students due to Yuki Ueno’s recent appearances on the NHK show Tensai TV-kun.

ShunMao’s next KO-D Tag Team Titles defence was announced to take place at Korakuen on 25th June.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23” Results

May 20, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 20/05/2023
Tokyo Otemachi Mitsui Hall
272 Fans

1. Mahiro Kiryu defeated Toga with the Spinebuster (7:46).
2. Hyper Misao defeated Shino Suzuki with the Chickenwing Face Lock (8:29).
3. Shoko Nakajima, Suzume, & Haru Kazashiro defeated Ryo Mizunami, Kaya Toribami & Yoshiko Hasegawa when Nakajima pinned Toribami with the Northern Lights Suplex (15:04).
4. Yuki Kamifuku defeated HIMAWARI with the Famouser (7:06).
5. Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Wakana Uehara when Raku pinned Uehara with the Doctor Yellow (11:04).
6. Mizuki & Moka Miyamoto defeated Miu Watanabe & Arisu Endo when Mizuki pinned Endo with the Diving Foot Stomp (14:15).

Mizuki got a taste of what to expect when The Magical Sugar Rabbits face Daydream one more time on 11th June thanks to Miu Watanabe. During the main event Mizuki missed a Basement Dropkick aimed for Arisu Endo, went feet first through the ropes and was caught into Watanabe’s Giant Swing outside the ring. However with thanks to some help from Moka Miyamoto, Mizuki regained her footing and pinned Endo to win the match.

Afterwards Mizuki praised Watanabe, Endo and Miyamoto for the performance and feels like her juniors are now catching up to her. It proves to her that Tokyo Joshi Pro is at a position where the wrestlers who are sick or injured can rest easily while the wrestlers who want to go pursue their dreams elsewhere can do so with confidence. Meanwhile Mizuki will be staying here to make sure everyone currently missing from TJPW can come back without any worries. Backstage Watanabe joked that her team lost because Endo’s new dye job for her hair is too flashy. Endo explained to her that she lives her life with flamboyance.

The “Love Triangle” of Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku proved their recent trios tournament win was not a fluke. Their opponents had to forfeit their place in the tournament but today’s result proves that Aino, Raku & Harajuku’s recent success is deserved.

Hyper Misao asked Shino Suzuki if she could become a tour guide too. Suzuki considered the request until Misao demanded she take her tour flag. From there the two of them fought the first half of their match over that flag.

At the start of the show Yuki Arai told the fans she is upset and frustrated that she couldn’t wrestle today due to a foot injury she suffered during a SKE48 rehearsal. She has to take a break from wrestling to recover but promises to come back stronger.

Miyu Yamashita Vs Sawyer Wreck was announced for “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” on 8th July. It will be Yamashita’s first match in Tokyo in 3 and a half months.


DDT/ONLY WE “ONLY WE X DDT SPECIAL! ~YUJI HINO 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT~” Results

May 14, 2023

DDT/ONLY WE “ONLY WE X DDT SPECIAL! ~YUJI HINO 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT~”, 14/05/2023
Chiba TKP Garden City
241 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Hideki Okatani defeated Rukiya with a Running Elbow Butt (4:55).
2. Pheromones Vs DISASTER BOX!: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno defeated Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Iino submitted Hirata with the Chiba Port Tower (9:34).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Shunma Katsumata, Yusuke Okada & Kazuma Sumi when KANON submitted Sumi with the Crucifixion Cobra Twist (7:54).
4. Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada defeated Hiroshi Yamato & Yuya Koroku when Brookes submitted Koroku with the Ground Octopus Stretch (6:10).
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida defeated Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine (c) when Ishida pinned Machine with the Ensho (14:09).
*Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine fail in V2. Harimao becomes the 51st KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
6. Special Tag Match: Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi defeated MAO & Toy Kojima when Oishi pinned Kojima after the Cactus Flower (11:17).
7. Yuji Hino Debut 20th Anniversary Match: Yuji Hino, Jun Akiyama & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Tetsuya Endo, HARASHIMA & Yuji Okabayashi when Hino pinned HARASHIMA with the Fuckin’ BOMB (21:46).

DDT played host to a celebration of Yuji Hino’s 20th anniversary of his debut match. Hino’s first pro match didn’t take place until November 2023 but according to Hino that just means there is time to do a 2nd, 3rd and even 4th show to continue the commemoration across the rest of the year. It’s not like ONLY WE will be doing anything else by themselves. He is already thinking about holding part two in Kumamoto. Hino convinced Jun Akiyama & Yukio Sakaguchi to team up with him for a big trios match against Tetsuya Endo, HARASHIMA & Yuji Okabayashi. His big day was capped off with him pinning HARASHIMA with the Fuckin’ BOMB.

The dream run for Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine has come to an end. They have lost the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles to Harimao. It was Yuki Ishida who stepped up to the plate for the challengers to cause the title change. Sasadango gave Ishida the Lehmann Shock twice but the first pin was broken up and the second was kicked out at two. Ishida avoided the dreaded finisher a third time and opened the gap for Kazusada Higuchi to hit Sasadango with a Lariat. Ishida then hit the Ensho and scrambled on top to get the three count. Higuchi is now calling Harimao the best unit in DDT because they have the 6-Man Tag Titles. Ryota Nakatsu also gave a shoutout to Naomi Yoshimura.

Chris Brookes cut off Hiroshi Yamato’s singing entrance because he thought it was too noisy. However he & Takeshi Masada had a change of heart after they won their match and asked Yamato to sing it again for everyone.

A contract signing between Shunma Katsumata and Hideki Okatani before the show began revealed the stipulation of their DDT Extreme Title match. It will be a Piercing Death Match! It is a No DQ match where you can either win through normal means or by piercing your opponent’s ears three times. Many of the weapons that will be laid around the ring for the match will be of the sharp variety for this reason. Katsumata tried to attack Okatani’s ear with a piercing staple in a twisted demonstration but Okatani fought him off, grabbed the staple and pierced Katsumata’s ear instead!

It was announced at the start of the show that Nick Wayne’s delayed visit to Japan has been successfully rescheduled and he will now be coming in for a tour of DDT shows this summer. His tour begins at Korakuen Hall on 25th June and will last until 7th July.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23” Results

May 13, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 13/05/2023
Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu
316 Fans

1. Moka Miyamoto defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Rashomon (4:37).
2. Nao Kakuta & Toga defeated Hyper Misao & Shino Suzuki when Kakuta pinned Suzuki with the Shiden Kai (7:43).
3. Miu Watanabe defeated HIMAWARI with the Canadian Backbreaker (7:59).
4. Hikari Noa & Wakana Uehara defeated Arisu Endo & Kaya Toribami when Noa pinned Toribami with the Blizzard Suplex (9:23).
5. Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Shoko Nakajima, Suzume & Mahiro Kiryu when Aino pinned Kiryu with the Venus DDT (15:17).
6. Mizuki & Yuki Arai defeated Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku when Mizuki pinned Kamifuku with the Diving Foot Stomp (14:59).

Perhaps we are starting to see what Tokyo Joshi Pro is going to look like in the near future with the show that went on today. Due to Yuka Sakazaki travelling overseas and Rika Tatsumi having to pull out on short notice, Mizuki was the only champion at the show today. She remained as her usual self in the main event, passing the end of show speech to Yuki Arai. But in her backstage interview after the main event Mizuki started crying when she was asked about Sakazaki’s graduation coming up in December. She’s worried that if she does not do her best then Sakazaki won’t be able to have her graduation match with peace of mind. That is why Mizuki thinks now is not the time to get sad.

This was Maki Itoh’s final match before she goes on another long expedition of America. She is sure she will return to Japan all beaten up because there are more tougher opponents for her to face in America than in Japan. However she wants to enjoy the experience and work hard so she can come back and win the Princess Of Princess Title from Mizuki. Maybe that is the reason Yuki Kamifuku took the blame for their team losing in the main event. Although Kamifuku also realizes she’s been dropping falls a little bit more ever since she turned 30 in February.

Little by little, Shino Suzuki is getting the hang of this pro wrestling thing. Today’s match was an important one for her because it was taking place in her home city of Shizuoka. Hyper Misao was excited to team with her because they both wear green and she got Suzuki to introduce her in a tour guide way. She also convinced Suzuki to use her tour guide flag as a weapon to choke their opponents with. However Nao Kakuta & Toga recovered momentum and won the match in the end with Kakuta getting the pin on Suzuki.

Rika Tatsumi was unable to be at the show due to being in poor physical condition. Her scheduled opponent Wakana Uehara was added into the 3 Way Match to turn it into a tag team bout.


BASARA “BASARA 218 ~TAKAGARI 17~” Results

May 13, 2023

BASARA “BASARA 218 ~TAKAGARI 17~”, 13/05/2023
Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center
??? Fans – Withheld

1. Takato Nakano, Yasu Urano & Fuminori Abe defeated SAGAT, Lil’ Kraken & Akiyori Takizawa when Nakano pinned Kraken with the Falconry (13:27).
2. Isami Kodaka & Kaz Hayashi defeated Daichi Kazato & Tsutomu Oosugi when Hayashi pinned Kazato with the Final Cut (8:31).
3. FUMA defeated Ryota Nakatsu with an Upside Down Cross Armbreaker (12:07).
4. Interim IRON FIST TAG Titles: Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita defeated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Antonio Honda when Fujita pinned Hiroshi with the Tombstone Piledriver (15:20).
*Sento Minzoku become the Interim IRON FIST TAG Champions!
5. Union MAX Title: Takumi Tsukamoto defeated Banana Senga (c) with the High Angle Backslide Pin (18:21).
*Banana Senga fails in V2. Takumi Tsukamoto becomes the 19th Union MAX Champion!

There is a new Union MAX Champion and it is Takumi Tsukamoto! He is now a two time champ after beating Banana Senga today. Tsukamoto said he gained a lot of experience over the last three years since his previous title reign. He wants to break the record for most MAX Title defences (he and Ryota Nakatsu are tied in first together with 6 defences each). In order to do that he believes he must surpass his former self to become the true MAX Champion once and for all! Senga is disappointed he is no longer champion but the experience has finally given him a taste for wrestling in singles matches after spending the vast majority of his almost 20 year career as a tag team wrestler. Also now he can no longer rely on getting the champion’s purse to raise money for his hair transplant. He thinks he will have to go the crowdfunding route for that one.

Both members of Aijin Tag were in the room and had to watch Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita be given the IRON FIST TAG Title belts. Sento Minzoku are now the Interim champions and they have mixed feelings over it. They thought Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Antonio Honda were more suited to be the Interim Champs but if they have the belts then they are the champions even if it doesn’t really feel that way. They don’t know if they have to wait until Masato Kamino comes back from injury to do the unification match or if they can defend the interim titles before then.

Hiroshi & Honda both wrestled wearing each other’s wrestling gear for their big title match. Hiroshi thought they were going to wear matching gear and didn’t expect Honda to show up wearing his old USA costume. Sadly for them their efforts to win the Interim IRON FIST TAG Titles ended in defeat against Sento Minzoku. Hiroshi is crushed with the result even though Fuminori Abe praised him afterwards for being cool.

FUMA threatened Ryota Nakatsu and the referee with a musket before their match.

Kaz Hayashi was full of thanks towards Isami Kodaka for inviting him over to BASARA today. He praised Kodaka by calling him a treasure of the pro wrestling world. Kodaka got embarrased by all the kind words and asked Hayashi to stick around and watch the rest of the show.

At the start of the show Kamino told the fans he is still waiting on his injury diagnosis before he can tell them when he can return to action. Takato Nakano said he considered vacating the belts but after discussions with Kodaka the decision was made to go the interim route instead. The unification match is being planned for whenever Kamino is ready.

KUBITO was unable to be at the show due to health problems involving his pancreas. He will be out of action for the time being.

The annual Chouten ~Itadaki~ begins on 23rd May with the final happening on 27th June. This year’s tournament will involve 16 wrestlers in a single elimination format.


DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TAKASHIMAYA VOL. 1” Results

May 13, 2023

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TAKASHIMAYA VOL. 1”, 13/05/2023
Tokyo Shinjuku Takashimaya 1st Floor JR Exit Special Venue
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Kazusada Higuchi, Saki Akai & Yuki Ishida defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi when Higuchi submitted Sumi with the Torture Canadian Backbreaker (10:58).
2. Special Tag Match: Chiitan☆ & Akito defeated Pokotan Vs Kazuki Hirata when Chiitan☆ pinned Hirata after the Chi☆Poco Trigger (13:03).
3. Tetsuya Endo, Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada defeated MAO, Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima when Brookes pinned Kojima with the Praying Mantis Bomb (12:57).

The first in what DDT is hoping to be many co-promoted shows with the Shinjuku Takashimaya department store took place today. Three matches were held throughout the day with public talks and other panels sprinkled in between them. After the main event Tetsuya Endo joked about getting lost in the store for 30 minutes before the show because there are no shops as big as this in Shiroishi City.

The heated rivalry between Chiitan and Pokotan suddenly turned into an alliance when Kazuki Hirata tried to steal the spotlight for himself. Hirata tried knocking everybody out with his chops to the neck but the mascots rallied together and used a unique double team finisher called the Chi☆Poco Trigger to put and end to Hirata’s plan. After the match Akito came up with an idea for Chiitan and Pokotan to form a tag team together. They agreed so Akito decided to make sure their match will be on an even bigger stage than today. Chiitan & Pokotan are going to “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” on 23rd July!

A press conference for the King Of DDT finals was held after the first match. Jun Akiyama, Chris Brookes, Kazusada Higuchi and Yuki Ueno all took part and gave their comments about the semi-finals. Ueno wants to win the tournament and grow DDT so it will fill Korakuen Hall all the time and go on to run a show at the Tokyo Dome. Higuchi reminded everyone he won last year’s tournament to win the vacant KO-D Openweight Title but he is not looking past Ueno in the semi-final. Brookes is feeling the pressure because this is the first time he reached the final four in the tournament. The first Japanese pro wrestling show he ever watched was NOAH’s Tokyo Dome show in 2005 so he knows Akiyama is a legend. Akyama said he wants to do his best and become a middle aged star who won’t lose to the younger wrestlers.

One of the talk panels involved Sanshiro Takagi and Saki Akai talking about their shopping habits. They both claim to be regular customers at Shinjuku Takashimaya. Since a lot of the audience were customers who all discovered there was a wrestling show going on while they were shopping, the rules of pro wrestling were explained to the audience before the matches began.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 2ND ROUND” Results

May 7, 2023

DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 2ND ROUND”, 07/05/2023
Shinjuku FACE
206 Fans

0. Dark Match: Yuni & Yuki Ishida defeated Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi when Ishida pinned Sumi with the Ensho (6:58).
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno defeated Akito & Antonio Honda by TKO when Iino used the Sleeper From A Wise Reincarnated Man on Honda (6:38).
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Shunma Katsumata, Toy Kojima & Takeshi Masada when KANON pinned Masada with the Sleepy Hollow (9:00).
3. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Tetsuya Endo, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yusuke Okada defeated HARASHIMA, Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Sakaguchi pinned Hirata with the PK (14:14).
4. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Yuki Ueno defeated Kotaro Suzuki with the WR (12:59).
5. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Jun Akiyama defeated MAO with the Sterness Dust (10:19).
6. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Chris Brookes defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Praying Mantis Bomb (12:04).
7. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Hideki Okatani with the Brain Claw Slam (16:04).

Former allies in Eruption crossed paths in the King Of DDT 2nd Round. Last year’s winner Kazusada Higuchi fought Hideki Okatani, the youngster who was all set to blaze through the tournament and make a name for himself. Okatani threw his best shot and did get to leave a mark on his opponent but Higuchi stood tall in the end and beat him with the Brain Claw Slam. It wasn’t all bad news for Okatani though. Shunma Katsumata approached him backstage after the main event offering him a DDT Extreme Title shot. Okatani eliminated him in Round 1 so Katsumata wants to settle that score, putting his title on the line in order to do so. Okatani accepted and Katsumata promised to come up with a stipulation that will show off more of Okatani to the fans.

Chris Brookes somehow got a hold of Mecha Mummy’s fist and brought it into his match against Sanshiro Takagi. However a misfired attack knocked out Yukinori Matsui by accident. This also happened after Brookes accidentally took out Daisuke Kiso with a missed RKO. With no more referees in sight Brookes and Takagi fought out of the ring and around the room. Takagi brought out the Dramatic Dream bike but Brookes smashed a plastic box over his head and then threw him into a castle of chairs. Back in the ring both Masahiro Takanashi and Drew Parker interfered to help Brookes out. Takagi fought on but a combination of being put through a table and having more plastic boxes smashed over his head became overwhelming. With nothing left to give, he was pinned with the Praying Mantis Bomb. Backstage Takagi said when he first met Brookes in Japan he thought he had the potential to become the top wrestler in DDT. Today he is convinced Brookes will reach that level.

One thing you should know by now is you should never count out Jun Akiyama in any competition. He reaches the final four by defeating MAO in today’s bout. It took quite a bit to get that result though. The Exploder Suplex and a bare Knee Strike wasn’t enough to put MAO away. Instead Akiyama had to pull out the old Sterness Dust to get his hand raised in the end. MAO didn’t think the match was going to be so close. He went into today with an empty head and came out of the match with a little bit of Akiyama knowledge filling it up. He’ll be going to wrestle in America again soon so he plans to push himself while still wrestling at his own pace.

In a battle of skill, Yuki Ueno came out on top against Kotaro Suzuki. The Endless Waltz couldn’t dizzy Ueno enough to keep him pinned and he also kicked out of a Tombstone. Suzuki then went for the Blue Destiny but Ueno got out of the move and twisted Suzuki into the WR to win the match. Suzuki refuses to let his time in DDT end like this and wants a rematch with Ueno to get revenge.

A lottery was held after the main event to pair off the semi-finals on 21st May. Ueno will face Higuchi and Brookes has to take on Akiyama. Ueno thinks it’s all well and good to see Higuchi shave his head and act like he has given himself a fresh start. But Ueno thinks he himself has been developing too. Higuchi is not giving the final a single thought until he beats Ueno first. Brookes knows he has to go on and win King Of DDT after both HARASHIMA and Takagi have given him their support. If he can beat those two then he can beat Akiyama! But Akiyama has been doing this for decades. Fighting Brookes in a singles match is going to be a new experience for him.

Kazuki Hirata wanted to cheer up and motivate his friend HARASHIMA during their match. He decided the two of them dancing together would be the best way to achieve that. Unfortunately their dance got cut off by the other team and Hirata wound up getting destroyed by Tetsuya Endo & Yukio Sakaguchi, losing the match for his side.

Shunma Katsumata tried to replicate Komander’s tight rope walk into a dive during his match. It ended poorly and Katsumata crotched himself on the rope.

The first appearance of Yuki Iino since his failure to win the KO-D Openweight Title showed him in a crazy state that even has Danshoku Dieno worried. This was a different kind of “Sexy” than everyone is used to seeing. First Iino ran across the entrance way wearing what can be best described as half a speedo. Then when he reappeared for the actual team entrance, Hisaya Imabayashi stopped Pheromones and convinced Dieno to get Iino back into his proper wrestling costume. The match went ahead with Dieno, Akito and Antonio Honda all trying to stop Iino from stripping naked. Honda got Iino to calm down with a lewd Gongitsune joke. In return the now relaxed and enlightened Iino sent both Akito & Honda to sleep with a Sleeper Hold to win the match. Dieno promised the fans that Iino will return to his normal “Sexy” self the next time we see him.


GANBARE☆PRO “INHERENT VICE 2023” Results

May 6, 2023

GANBARE☆PRO “INHERENT VICE 2023”, 06/05/2023
Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
68 Fans

1. 3 Way Match: Hong Kong Domestic Policewoman defeated Hong Kong International Policeman and Itabashi Dangerous Policeman when Domestic pinned Dangerous with a Crucifix Pin (13:51).
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: Moeka Haruhi & HARUKAZE defeated YuuRI & Riara when Haruhi pinned Riara with the Diving Foot Stomp (15:44).
3. AFTER THE LOVE PHANTOM 2023 Elimination 8-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Ken Ohka, Keisuke Ishii & Shinichiro Tominaga defeated Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Yumehito Imanari, Soma Takao & Munetatsu Nakamura (18:14).
3a. Ken Ohka eliminated Tatsuhito Takaiwa by Ring Out (7:32).
3b. Shinichiro Tominaga eliminated Soma Takao by Ring Out (9:48).
3c. Mizuki Watase and Munetatsu Nakamura eliminated each other by Double Ring Out (12:01).
3d. Keisuke Ishii eliminated Yumehito Imanari by Ring Out (18:14).
4. Special Single Match: Shuichiro Katsumura defeated Takuya Wada with a Hold Down Pin (16:35).
5. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles: Hikaru Sato & Tyson Maeguchi (c) defeated Dan The Dad & Kody Lane when Maeguchi pinned Lane with the Buzzsaw Kick (14:29).
*V1 for Hentai Punch Drunkers.

The newly crowned Spirit Of Ganbare Tag Team Champions went through their first defence less than 24 hours after they won the titles. The belts still have not arrived yet so Hentai Punch Drunkers had to carry around the stand-in trophies they were given yesterday. Hikaru Sato & Tyson Maeguchi were both puzzled by Dan The Dad’s behaviour, particularly Dan’s insistence to wrestle while holding a mug of coffee. Maeguchi ended up winning with the Buzzsaw Kick for the second match in a row, this time using the move on Kody Lane. After the match he said his dream now is for Ganbare☆Pro to run the Tokyo Dome and he will do his part to make it come true!

Shuichiro Katsumura was able to beat Takuya Wada by putting him in a Triangle Choke. Wada defended himself from the move but ended up having his shoulders pinned to the mat. He was annoyed by the result and left the ring without shaking Katsumura’s hand when it was offered to him. Leaving that bit of awkwardness aside, Katsumura was happy with how the match went and wants to continue fighting Wada even more.

Keisuke Ishii bounced back from yesterday’s big loss by leading his team to victory in the Elimination Tag match. Ishii told the fans after the match that is proof he isn’t depressed over his failure to win the Spirit Of Ganbare Title. Instead today shows that he wants the belt even more so until the time is right for him to challenge again he will build up his momentum.

The opening match had to be changed because Yoshiko Hasegawa, Choun-Shiryu and Shota were all absent from today’s show. They were “replaced” with Hong Kong Domestic Policewoman, Hong Kong International Policeman and Itabashi Dangerous Policeman respectively. Their 3 Way match involved a lot of cops threatening each other at gunpoint.

The No. 1 Contender match between Isami Kodaka and Munetatsu Nakamura has been confirmed for 28th May. It will be on the third show of the day’s tripleshot.