MAO’s BOSJ Adventure

June 3, 2025

It’s been so long since a DDT wrestler last made an appearance in New Japan’s premier tournament for junior heavyweights. The Best Of The Super Jr. was historically the showcase that introduced Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega to the wider wrestling world back when they were with DDT. Daisuke Sasaki also competed in two of the tournaments and his appearance in 2012 was the last time a DDT wrestler was involved… until this year! MAO got the invite to take part in the 2025 edition of BOSJ, no doubt influenced by a certain current IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion who has been molding the division in his vision whenever he can for a while now. When MAO got to wrestle on a NJPW show in April, he gave a tease that fans would see more of him in May. The very next day he was included in the announced field for the BOSJ! His goal was to bring the DDT style into New Japan like a square block fitting into a round hole and hopefully convince some of their fans to give his home promotion a try.

B Block

1. YOH (12)
-. El Desperado (12)
-. MAO (12)
4. Nick Wayne (8)
-. Taiji Ishimori (8)
-. Robbie Eagles (8)
-. SHO (8)
-. Titán (8)
-. Kevin Knight (8)
10. Ryusuke Taguchi (6)


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 10/05/2025
Chiba YohaS Arena (Chiba Park General Gymnasium)
1,000 Fans

2. Kevin Knight, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato defeated MAO, Tiger Mask & Shoma Kato when Wato pinned Kato with the Tsutenkaku German Suplex (7:38).

MAO was placed in the B Block but his first match on the opening show of the tour was a non-tournament 6-Man Tag. He was happy with that because it lets him casually fit in with New Japan. Two of his opponents were in his block so he got to get some ring time against his first opponent Kevin Knight. Meanwhile Tiger Mask took out Ryusuke Taguchi with a Topé Suicida leaving Shoma Kato to deal with Master Wato. Kato had just returned from a leg injury and was ready to wipe the ring rust off but Wato ended up beating him with the Tsutenkaku German Suplex. Backstage Knight said this match was the first time he got to properly introduce himself to MAO. He likes his style but wants to know if MAO can match him in the ring? After getting to share the ring with Wato, MAO mentioned he would have liked to wrestle him, Hiromu Takahashi or Kosei Fujita from the A Block. But he’s looking forward to face Knight first.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 11/05/2025
Miyagi Iwanuma City General Gymnasium (Big Arena)
1,369 Fans

5. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: MAO (2) defeated Kevin Knight (0) with the Iai Kick (9:34).

24 hours later MAO started his tournament off with a win. The “Michinoku Tornado” as NJPW nicknamed him had the home town advantage because the show was held in Miyagi. He also started forming a square shape with his chest which would become a recurring spot of his for the rest of the tour. After a back and forth match, MAO scored a nearfall with the Michinoku Driver II and then finished Knight off with the Iai Kick to score his first two points. MAO spoke of his goal to win BOSJ so he could then win the IWGP Jr. Title and bring it back to DDT where he was born and raised into the strange wrestler he is today. Why would he do this? So a new good era for DDT would begin!


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 14/05/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,470 Fans – Super No Vacancy

5. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: MAO (4) defeated Taiji Ishimori (0) with the Osaka Rinkai Upper (9:45).

Things kept rolling in the right direction because MAO then defeated Taiji Ishimori, a multiple time Jr. Heavyweight champion in both NJPW, NOAH and also the TNA X Division. Ishimori is also from the Miyagi prefecture which made the match became that little bit more meaningful. MAO had KANON in his corner but he had to stand and watch the two fight out of the ring where MAO did a stage dive onto Ishimori. Back in the ring Ishimori countered the Michinoku Driver II with a Reverse Frankensteiner but his 450° Splash missed when MAO moved out of the way. MAO pushed the ref into Ishimori’s way and then leapt over the ref to give Ishimori a Cutter. He then hit the Iai Kick but Ishimori found the power to stay on his feet. So MAO hit him with the Osaka Rinkai Upper palm strike to make the pin and get the three count. MAO said Ishimori is the first Miyagi wrestler he’s hunted down in the tournament and there are two more he is after. Ishimori has a square shape but MAO is becoming a pretty big square too. He is going to turn BOSJ into Best Of The Square Jr.!


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 15/05/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,365 Fans – No Vacancy

7. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: Titán (4) defeated MAO (4) with the Llave Immortal (9:20).

Any chance of MAO going three for three were put to a halt by Titán, the luchador from CMLL. MAO wanted to fight fire with fire by doing a high risk La Quebrada out of the ring as well as an upside down Llave submission. But Titán started hitting the ropes himself doing a Swan Dive Boy Press and a Topé Suicida. Their match turned into a striking battle with athletic dodges including one where Titán passed through the Hurricane Kick and trapped MAO in his Llave Immortal submission finisher. When he applied it deeper by crossing MAO’s arms over MAO had to give up. Titán paid his respect by describing MAO as one of the strongest opponents he has ever faced. MAO said that submission move is why he never wants to go to Mexico. He’s wrestled in seven different countries but he doesn’t want to make Mexico number eight because the lucha libre over there scares him.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 17/05/2025
Tokyo National Yoyogi Stadium Gymnsium #2
1,857 Fans

10. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: El Desperado (4) defeated MAO (4) with the Pinche Loco (23:31).

When MAO realised his match with El Desperado was main eventing the show he made a promise to make it a DDT style match. Apparently Desperado felt the same way because he went along with MAO’s idea. The two fought up the aisle to the entrance while a confused Red Shoes Unno started counting them out. When he was about to reach 20, MAO gave Desperado a Cutter onto one of the security barriers. That scared the ref so much he stopped counting to go check on them. Both were physically able to continue and they went back to the ring to keep the match going. The DDT-ness only got stronger when MAO tried to use Unno as a launchpad to do the Stunner and Despy instead pushed Unno in the way to take the move! MAO got the fans to chant “It’s not MAO” while Despy wondered what could they do now without a ref? MAO decided to pull out a load of plastic boxes from beneath the ring and break one over Desperado’s head. Desperado then responded in kind and the two proceeded to do more plastic box spots, ignoring the protests of the replacement ref Marty Asami. When they got the box bumps out of their system they started wrestling to win and went for their signature moves. Desperado used the Reverse Tiger Driver and then did the Pinche Loco but MAO kicked out at two. Desperado used the pair of moves again, this time with a Vertical Drop version of the Reverse Tiger Driver. MAO tried his best to resist a second Pinche Loco but he was pinned clean in the end.

Despy suggested that next time they should do this in MAO’s promotion although he’s worried that vehicles would be involved over there. He doesn’t want to get run over like Sanshiro Takagi often does. MAO talked about this match being his way of thanking Desperado for inviting him to the “DESPE-INVITACIONAL” last year. He never liked the period when different wrestling companies were talking trash about each other. If Evangelion could finally get a happy ending then why should pro wrestling finish with a bad ending? That’s why he thinks the likes of Despy and Hiromu are different. They have the motivation that drives the wrestling world and it’s why MAO came here to help make BOSJ a true festival that spreads Japanese wrestling across the world.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 18/05/2025
Tokyo Esforta Arena Hachioji
1,231 Fans

5. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: YOH (4) defeated MAO (4) with a Dragon Suplex (8:11).

While MAO was feeling spiritually good about how his experience has been so far, he was also hitting a slump results wise. YOH, the second Miyagi wrestler he was chasing after, beat MAO make it three losses in a row. To add insult to injury that cheeky git YOH used the Somato en route to winning the match! Oh he hasn’t forgotten about that match he had with Hiroshi Tanahashi against HARASHIMA & Ken Ohka ten years ago. MAO avoided the move the first time and gave YOH a similar taste of medicine by doing the Sling Blade and the High Fly Flow. But YOH kicked out of it and used the Reverse Frankensteiner to successfully set up the Somato the second time. MAO at least kicked out of it but YOH put him away with a Dragon Suplex afterwards. MAO couldn’t believe what YOH did. He likes New Japan and doesn’t want to kick off a promotional war with DDT but that’s still crossing a line. MAO decided that YOH should attend the Toru Yano Vs Super Sasadango Machine match that’s happening on 9th June. MAO will be there and they can settle their differences together. All YOH had to say is he and MAO are not on the same level. I think I heard something like that from someone else before…


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 20/05/2025
G-Messe Gunma
842 Fans

2. YOH, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask & Katsuya Murashima defeated El Desperado, MAO, Shoma Kato & Masatora Yasuda when Murashima submitted Yasuda with a Crab Hold (8:48).

The schedule gave MAO a non-tournament match in the middle of the tour to let him and a few others catch their breath a little bit. Despite his slump in form at this point his block was fairly tight across the board so nobody was out of the running yet. The 8-Man Tag match even ended with the Young Lions instead of any of the BOSJ wrestlers. Katsuya Murashima submitted Masatora Yasuda while MAO and Taguchi were doing lewd spots to each other that involved the back of Taguchi’s tights being pulled down. Taguchi is well aware that MAO has Danshoku Dieno supporting him. However Taguchi is not following the Hirooki Goto Revolution nor is he fighting on behalf of New Japan or even Miyagi. He is going to fight MAO by himself. MAO said he’s not shocked by seeing a little bit of butt. He didn’t expect it but now he has a plan to combat it.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 22/05/2025
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2 (Osaka Edion Arena)
967 Fans

5. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: MAO (6) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi (6) with the Iwanuma City Styles Clash (8:33).

Things could only go up from here but oh man did MAO have to go through some things to get there. In his final match of the “Miyagi Derby”, MAO fought Taguchi and the ever slipping back of his wrestling tights. Not only was his crack exposed but Taguchi eventually stuffed MAO’s head into his tights! That turned out to be the wrong move because MAO was somehow able to keep fighting and a roll up battle resulted in him giving Taguchi the Styles Clash with his head still stuck in the tights! Taguchi admitted defeat because a fake pervert like him could never beat a real pervert like MAO. He only plays a pervert so he will go back to his true self for the rest of the tournament. MAO said he was suffocating in there and just when he was about to lose consciousness he got a flashback to all of the times something like this happened to him in DDT. It makes him glad he was raised in a wrestling company where that sort of stuff was a daily occurrence. This match was fate because MAO was a big fan of Apollo 55. He also now has to leave the Miyagi Derby up to the winner of Taiji Ishimori against YOH.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 24/05/2025
Hyogo Arcrea Himeji
1,136 Fans

4. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: MAO (8) defeated Robbie Eagles (6) with the Ultra Big Tone (9:26).

Can you believe that Taguchi match was exactly what MAO needed to get his mojo back? Next up for him was Robbie Eagles and he came up with his own version of the “Robbie! Robbie! Robbie!” chant. He chanted “MAO! MAO! MAO!” and got the fans to shout “Shikaku!” (“Square!”) in response. Eagles would target MAO’s knee to cut off his momentum but the match would instead make its way up to the top turnbuckle. MAO grabbed Eagles in a Dragon Sleeper and used that to set up his AI created finisher the Ultra Big Tone to get the win. MAO pointed out that he is never going to have the same kind of match no matter who he is fighting. Eagles was in shock because he thought MAO was just some fun and chill square guy and instead he tried to kill him! If MAO ever wants a rematch then Eagles wants it to happen in DDT. He’ll even put the Soul Of PWA Title on the line even though MAO has never once stepped foot in Australia.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 25/05/2025
Aichi Port Messe Nagoya Exhibition Hall #2
1,404 Fans

5. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: MAO (10) defeated Nick Wayne (8) with the Dick Killer (7:41).

MAO was building up momentum heading into the final stretch and his next opponent was a familiar one. He’s already wrestled with Nick Wayne several times before and wasted no time in continuing their rivalry. MAO tried to rally the fans behind him with “Shikaku” chants but Wayne wasn’t deterred by them. He seemed to have an answer for everything MAO threw at him but he never could has guessed what MAO would do to throw him in a loop. Wayne appeared to hit the Wayne’s World except MAO blocked it with a handstand and cartwheeled out of it! He then went and did his own version of the Wayne’s World, giving Wayne a taste of his own finisher. It only got a two count but MAO quickly applied a Crossface Lock, turning it into the Dick Killer variation to make Wayne tap out. MAO said he’s known Wayne for a long time now and the great thing about being a wrestler is you can enjoy your youth no matter how old you are. With one more match left MAO was still in the running for first place but it was necessary for him to win his last bout.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 27/05/2025
Shizuoka Kira Messe Numazu
668 Fans

2. SHO & Yujiro Takahashi defeated MAO & Shoma Kato when Takahashi pinned Kato with the Pimp Juice (4:18).

But before that happens there was one more non-tournament match to get through. It just happened to feature MAO’s last opponent in Block B, SHO from the House Of Torture. SHO attacked him during the entrance and when Kato tried to rescue him, Yujiro Takahashi came over to fight him off. The four brawled around the room where MAO held SHO in a Piledriver position while standing on a dolly. Kato pushed the dolly around until Takahashi found a second dolly nearby. It led to Kato pushing MAO on one dolly and Takahashi pushing MAO on the other until SHO wanted to leave because he had enough. MAO & Kato ended up putting the House Of Torture on both dollies and crashed them into each other. The match finally began in an official manner when everyone returned to the ring. MAO and SHO soon went back to fighting outside the ring but that left Kato in the ring to be beaten by Takahashi’s Pimp Juice. SHO complained about people from Miyagi and he then complained about Niigata where his match with MAO would take place. MAO however promised to show SHO just what DDT is really like. Oh boy, did he…


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 29/05/2025
Niigata Region Plaza Joetsu
1,027 Fans

7. BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32 – B Block: MAO (12) defeated SHO (8) with the Cannonball 450° (11:57).

This time MAO jumped SHO during his entrance. Well, not jumped, more like ran over with the Dramatic Dream bike! Takahashi and Ren Narita helped SHO attack MAO but KANON & Kazuma Sumi ran over to even the odds and take the fight out of the building! Not only did MAO clear House Of Torture with a dive out from the doorway but he climbed into a nearby van and knocked over SHO with it! The match hadn’t started yet so MAO was allowed wheel SHO back to the ring on a dolly and throw him into the ring. SHO somehow kicked out of a pin and had House Of Torture attack the Dramatic Dream bike. He then picked apart MAO’s arm until MAO made his comeback. Takahashi & Narita tried to interfere again but KANON & Sumi were there to keep them at bay. During the chaos the DDT wrestlers got the upper hand with Strange Love Connection even getting to hit SHOT with a Lariat/McEnroe style Total Elimination. Yoshinobu Kanemaru then suddenly appeared, spat Whiskey Mist into KANON’s face and hit MAO with the bottle. MAO kicked out of SHO’s Cross Arm Piledriver so SHO distracted the ref by bringing his NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Title belt into the ring. The ref took the belt off him but didn’t notice SHO was hiding a wrench behind his back. But when SHO went to attack MAO with it, he found out MAO was suddenly armed with Mecha Mummy’s Mecha Fist! MAO knocked the wrench out of his hands, ducked the Whiskey Mist from Kanemaru that blinded SHO instead and then MAO knocked SHO down with a Rocket Punch followed by the Iai Kick. SHO still kicked out of the pin so MAO did the Cannonball 450° from the top rope and that got him the win.

Sadly for MAO the result was not enough to reach the final. He was able to finish Block B on 12 points, enough to tie with YOH and El Desperado for first place. But by losing to both of them earlier in the tournament, the head-to-head tiebreakers were not in his favor and he had no way of reaching the final. MAO looks back on his matches with YOH and Desperado thinking what could have been if they ended differently but he is still happy they turned out to be some exciting matches they created. He gave it his all and he thinks he is the only person to have done so well in BOSJ using the DDT style. He’d like to come back to New Japan and when he does maybe he’ll become a bit more square.


NJPW “SEKICHU PRESENTS BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 32”, 01/06/2025
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
3,044 Fans

3. Shota Umino, El Phantasmo, MAO & Nick Wayne defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson & Robbie Eagles when Phantasmo pinned Jackson with the CR II (10:38).

It turns out MAO had one more appearance lined up to close out the tour. For the final night of BOSJ he got to team with Shota Umino, El Phantasmo & Nick Wayne to take on TMDK in an 8-Man Tag Match. Before it began all four of them posed together as squares in front of their opponents. MAO spent most of his time in the match facing off with Ryohei Oiwa but he had some time in there with Zack Sabre Jr. too. MAO & Wayne also co-operated with each other pretty well, much to Eagles’s chagrin. They were smashed aside by Hartley Jackson though but Umino & ELP were there to put the big guy down and win the match. MAO told the others after the match he’d like to return to NJPW in a casual manner like Jackson does. If there is another Jackson or TAKA Michinoku like spot on the roster he’d like to take it. He also got to reminisce with Umino about the time they met each other in England back in 2019. Maybe the four of them can continue to be together as Team Square Hearts somewhere down the line?


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN NERIMA” Results

May 31, 2025

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN NERIMA”, 31/05/2025
Tokyo Nerima Coconeri Hall
268 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: Moka Miyamoto defeated Mahiro Kiryu with the Korokan (8:28).
2. Miu Watanabe, Wakana Uehara & Ivy Steele defeated Pom Harajuku, HIMAWARI & Haru Kazashiro when Watanabe submitted Kazashiro with the Canadian Backbreaker (7:59).
3. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino defeated Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida when Tatsumi pinned Ashida with the Twist Of Fate (12:41).
4. Mizuki & Jada Stone defeated Maki Itoh & Uta Takami when Stone pinned Takami with the Spark Stunner (11:08).
5. Kaya Toribami, Toga & Shino Suzuki defeated Shoko Nakajima, Arisu Endo & Chika Nanase when Toribami pinned Nanase with the Sento Choryu (9:41).
6. International Princess Title: Suzume (c) defeated Yoshiko Hasegawa with the Ring A Bell (11:01).
*V5 for Suzume.

With only one month left until Yoshiko Hasegawa graduates from Tokyo Joshi Pro and retires from pro wrestling, she got her wish to challenge Suzume for the International Princess Title. Hasegawa focused her gameplan on using the Muffler Hold but Suzume ultimately fought her way to get the rope break. Hasegawa then went for the Diving Double Knee Attack but missed, allowing Suzume to run up the corner to do a Flying Facecrusher and then use the Ring A Bell to win the match. She said she was glad to feel all of Hasegawa’s emotions along with her passion and aggression. Even though she has beaten Hasegawa in all of their singles matches she still considers her a rival. Hasegawa was disappointed to lose but thanked Suzume for granting her selfish request. She will continue to be selfish until her last day because she wants to help liven up TJPW in her own way. Later Suzume said she will be ready to have her sixth title defence at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’25” on 21st July with the goal of matching Yuki Arai’s record of title defences.

Social media messages sent between Maki Itoh and Uta Takami in the lead up to this show resulted in today’s match becoming the final test. If Takami passes then she would be accepted into the Itoh Respect Army. They performed “Setsunairo” together like last time then started the match well enough. But when Itoh & Takami did stereo Knuckle Punch spots in the ring corners, Takami made a fatal error. She called herself the cutest in the world and Itoh the second cutest! Itoh was so made at that she made Takami wrestle most of the match by herself. Itoh eventually got back into the match to make it a fair fight but Mizuki & Jada Stone ended up winning anyway.

When the match was over Itoh grabbed Takami by the scruff of the neck and brought her backstage. In the post-match interview she asked Takami who did she say the second cutest in the world is? Takami again said it was Itoh. That was her last strike and Takami was rejected from the Itoh Respect Army! Itoh was still mad but at least admitted it is good for a wrestler like Takami to have an ego. She doesn’t need to team with Itoh and should go forge her own path so they can meet again somewhere down the line. Takami said there’s so much she wants to learn from Itoh but Itoh complained that she’s taking things for granted and only saying what’s convenient for her. She will never team with Takami again! Takami promised she will try harder and the next time she is with Itoh either as a tag partner or her opponent she will be even stronger.

There is a theme park in Nerima that currently includes a Harry Potter world in it so Pom Harajuku entered this match dressed as a wizard (she wore a Slytherin cloak and tie). She kept trying to cast spells on Ivy Steele with her wand but nothing worked. But when Steele took the wand for her and cast a spell, it worked and knocked Harajuku off her feet. HIMAWARI wrestled the match in an eye patch but it is only for a minor injury. There is nothing to suggest she got poked in the eye with a wand or anything like that.

The Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League began with only one match so far due to Wakana Uehara Vs Kira Summer being postponed until Summer returns from injury. The match that did go ahead was Moka Miyamoto’s victory over Mahiro Kiryu. Given what was on the line in the match, Kiryu skipped past her usual apologies and went straight for the Double Knee Drop to everyone’s surprise. However Miyamoto took control and comfortably won with the Korokan. She now just has to win her 2nd Round match to qualify for the Princess Cup proper. She has a feeling she is going to be in for a long summer. Kiryu said that she is now in her 30s and starting to realise what she’s been lacking is honesty. She wants to express more of her emotions in the ring and show off a new side of her, like the B-Side of a tape.

It was announced that Max The Impaler will return to TJPW for “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’25” on 21st July.


Tokyo Princess Cup 2025 Preliminary League

May 26, 2025


Over the weekend Sayuri Namba and Rise Shirai held the draw for the 1st Round Qualifying matches of this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup. The matches are as follows:

-. Kaya Toribami Vs Chika Nanase
-. HIMAWARI Vs Mifu Ashida
-. Toga Vs Ivy Steele
-. Haru Kazashiro Vs Konatsu
-. Wakana Uehara Vs Kira Summer
-. Pom Harajuku Vs Haruna Neko
-. Mahiro Kiryu Vs Moka Miyamoto
-. Shino Suzuki Vs Uta Takami

It has been announced yet which matches will be held on the upcoming shows. They do not have to be in any order because another draw will be held for the 2nd Round to pair off all of the winners.

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN NERIMA”, 31/05/2025
Tokyo Nerima Coconeri Hall

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
3. International Princess Title: Suzume (c) Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN SHINAGAWA VOL. 2”, 07/06/2025
Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
3. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Kaya Toribami

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN KOFU”, 21/06/2025
Yamanashi Kose Sports Park Gymnasium Sub-Arena (Kofu City)

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 FINAL”, 22/06/2025
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X


DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 FINAL!!” Results

May 25, 2025

DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 FINAL!!”, 25/05/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. SCHADENFREUDE International Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada defeated Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Ilusion when Honda pinned Ilusion with the Japanese Leg Roll Clutch (9:59).
2. King Of DDT 2025 – Semi Final: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Yuki Ueno with the Claw Slam (12:10).
3. King Of DDT 2025 – Semi Final: KANON defeated Hideki Okatani with the LONELY DEZIRES (9:41).
4. 4 Way Tag Match: Akito & Yuya Koroku defeated HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata, Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida and Yuni & Kazuma Sumi when Koroku submitted Akito with the Modified Triangle Lancer (9:47).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & To-y defeated Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato when Aoki pinned Sato with a Modified Crucific Pin (8:45).
6. DDT Universal Title: Minoru Suzuki (c) defeated Danshoku Dieno with the Gotch-Style Piledriver (12:50).
*V2 for Minoru Suzuki.
7. King Of DDT 2025 – Final: Kazusada Higuchi defeated KANON with the Claw Slam (19:09).

Any lingering doubt that Kazusada Higuchi had returned to action in perfect condition can now be laid to rest because he has won this year’s King Of DDT tournament! He came back to the ring with something to prove and meeting him in the final was KANON, who had his own eventful journey to get here. When KANON put Higuchi in the Cobra Twist 2.0, Higuchi grabbed him by the jaw and countered the hold into the Claw Slam. KANON used the Lariat many times to hit back against Higuchi’s Double Chops. But Higuchi hit him back with Headbutts, Lariats and the Doctor Bomb for a nearfall. Higuchi was then able to apply the Claw once more and used another Claw Slam to get the three count and be crowned King Of DDT for the second time in his career.

Higuchi was filled with joy when he received his trophy. He told the fans when he was away recovering from his neck injury he thought he wouldn’t be able to survive in the ring anymore. But he took things one step at a time and is happy to be standing here today talking to everyone as the tournament champion. He thanked the other members of Harimao at ringside for always standing by him and later spoke about how grateful he is towards each of his opponents in this year’s tournament. But there’s one more thing he wants. As King Of DDT he now qualifies for a shot for the KO-D Openweight Title! Meanwhile KANON said this month has been the most fulfilling period of his career since coming to DDT and he is really glad he joined the promotion. He wants to earn a KO-D Title shot by himself and said he will definitely get it at the next opportunity.

KANON had to overcome a grudge with Hideki Okatani to reach the final. Okatani was KANON’s replacement in DAMNATION T.A after KANON was kicked out of the unit. Okatani attacked KANON with the bamboo stick at the start and had Ilusion interfere for him but KANON built up a comeback that included him blocking those attacks. Okatani turned the tables again by doing a Sling Blade style Crucifix Pin and also the Skewer-Style Claymore for a nearfall. KANON got things back on track with a Brainbuster, followed up with a Lariats and then got the victory by pinning Okatani with the LONELY DEZIRES.

Higuchi had to survive against everything Yuki Ueno could throw at him in the other semi final. Ueno used everything in his arsenal including a Springboard Hurricanrana, the Blackout Sleeper, the Jul.2 and also the Dropkick aimed for Higuchi’s face. But Ueno didn’t expect Higuchi to grab him in the Claw Hold straight after kicking out of a pin. He also didn’t expect Higuchi to run through the WR and Shining Wizard with Lariat counters that knocked Ueno senseless. Ueno had enough awareness to block Higuchi from giving him the Claw Slam except Higuchi then grabbed him from the back of the head to squeeze the life out of him before finishing him off with the Claw Slam. Ueno backstage said he wanted to win but admits that is the Higuchi everyone loves to see. While Konosuke Takeshita and MAO are showing everyone how great they are in other promotions, Ueno thinks it is up to him to show the wrestling world that you can still find power and dreams in DDT too.

Maybe Strong Style isn’t the right fit for Danshoku Dieno after all. He tried living up to his promise to give Minoru Suzuki the most serious fight of his life for the DDT Universal Title and wore plain black trunks to prove it. But the gap between them was too large for him to overcome so he had to unlock his Danshoku style for his best chance at surviving. When Suzuki had him trapped in a Cobra Twist, Dieno used the Lip Lock to break out of it. Then Jun Akiyama showed up to hand Dieno back his regular costume so Dieno was fully himself again. A deep Lip Lock almost had Suzuki down for the count but he kicked out in time and stopped Dieno from hitting a Moonsault. But even he couldn’t fight off the gravity pulling power of the Danshoku Driver. When Dieno had the move all set up he chose to do it Gotch-Style but Suzuki struggled his way out of it and Headbutted Dieno to stop him from doing another Lip Lock. Suzuki then applied his Sleeper Hold to weaken Dieno enough for the Gotch-Style Piledriver, ending the match with Suzuki retaining the Universal Title.

After the match Suzuki said Dieno was messing around a little bit but he accepts Dieno’s Strong Style. He explained pro wrestling is not just about grabbing holds, stretching limbs and punching each other. Suzuki won today but he wanted Dieno to know one more thing. He would like to do a match with him again. Shinya Aoki then walked down to the ring as Dieno was making his exit. The two hugged and high fived each other as they crossed paths. Aoki then got into the ring and said he cannot let Suzuki look this strong forever. He wants to be his next challenger! Suzuki wants an opponent just like Aoki but isn’t sure if it will be treated like a joke. Hisaya Imabayashi understands Suzuki is suspicious after taking on such difficult challengers like Yoshihiko and Dieno so far in his reign but this is the real deal Shinya Aoki stepping up to him next! Suzuki accepted the challenge and the title match will take place on the 13th July Korakuen Hall show.

Maybe Aoki was in a relaxed mood today by teaming up with members of The 37KAMIINA? He joined forces with Shunma Katsumata & To-y to face the heavyweight trio of Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato. To-y took a beating outside the ring thanks to Akiyama and Naya Body Slamming him onto the floor. The heavyweights looked to have the match in control until Sato got in the ring with Aoki. The rookie was smothered Aoki’s skills on the mat and was easily pinned with a Modified Crucifix Hold that came from an Aoki Clutch attempt that didn’t go right.

A 4 Way Tag Match ended up sorting out who the next challengers for the KO-D Tag Team Titles are going to be. The match was a free for all with Yuni & Kazuma Sumi using their NωA Jr. music to power themselves up. It was interrupted by Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida doing a Dosukoi pose to the beat of sumo drums. HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata danced while wearing the Hirata GO! glasses but that caused HARASHIMA to take Hirata style pratfalls. The only team that were fully on the same page was Akito & Yuya Koroku. Their teamwork outclassed everyone else’s and the finish was set up from Akito giving Sumi an Ankle Lock. While the hold was locked in, Koroku kicked Sumi’s arm and then applied the Triangle Lancer to the damaged limb to make Sumi give up.

Backstage Koroku asked Akito where are the KO-D Tag Titles currently? Akito answered they are being defended by Astronauts in other promotions. Koroku finds it weird that nobody in DDT has said anything about this and he wants to bring the belts back. Akito agreed and is happy to keep teaming with Koroku so they get the tag titles back to DDT. They want the message sent out to Astronauts. Akito & Koroku are coming after them!

The latest battle between SCHADENFREUDE International and DAMNATION T.A saw Bunbun getting thrown around like a toy. When Daisuke Sasaki cut off the rubber band spot he tied the band around Bunbun, spun him around in the air and threw him into the crowd. DAMNATION T.A then worked over Antonio Honda until Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada made the comeback. Honda returned to attack his opponents with Gongitsune but he was soon flattened by a Double Body Press from MJ Paul & Ilusion. Honda dodged Ilusion’s Swanton Bomb though and rolled him up in the Japanese Leg Roll Clutch to escape with the victory.

A video played during the show announcing the return of “THE MONSTER” Haruto Sakuraba to DDT! The muscular stage actor had his debut wrestling match last October and is still a member of DAMNATION T.A. While he’s been away he heard about them recently kicking out a pathetic guy from the group. He isn’t impressed to hear what KANON has been up to since then, making stupid heart signs with his hands. Sakuraba is coming back to DDT on 13th July to crush KANON’s heart so hard that he’ll never be able to get back up again!


BASARA “BASARA 279 ~UTAGE~” Results

May 23, 2025

BASARA “BASARA 279 ~UTAGE~”, 23/05/2025
Shin-Kiba 1st RING
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2025 – A Block Final: Keisuke Ishii defeated Takumi Tsukamoto with a Knee Kick (7:01).
2. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2025 – B Block Final: Ryota Nakatsu defeated Daiki Shimomura with the V Slider (5:37).
3. Isami Kodaka, TAMURA☆GENE☆ & Tomoki Hatano defeated Takato Nakano, Masato Kamino & Yasu Urano when Hatano pinned Urano with the Diving Guillotine Drop (13:28).
4. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Daichi Kazato ended in a Draw when both gave up at the same time (8:46).
5. Ryuichi Sekine, FUMA & Ayumu Honda defeated SAGAT, Lil’ Kraken & Minoru Fujita when FUMA pinned Kraken with a German Suplex (10:44).
6. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2025 – Final: Ryota Nakatsu defeated Keisuke Ishii with the V Slider (15:44).

Ryota Nakatsu has now cemented himself as the most dominant wrestler in BASARA after winning the Chouten ~Itadaki~ for the third time in his career. Nakatsu beating Daiki Shimomura and Ishii beating Takumi Tsukamoto earlier in the show meant the final became BASARA Vs Ganbare☆Pro. Nakatsu kicked out of the High Angle Double Arm DDT and used a combination of German Suplex, Buzzsaw Kick and then the V Slider to win. Kazusada Higuchi stood in Nakatsu’s corner for the match and afterwards Nakatsu told him they will take the top spots of DDT and BASARA together! Backstage Ishii said he does not want his battles with BASARA to end because they have a lot of people he hasn’t fought yet. He would like to continue participating on their shows.

Since Nakatsu is already the Union MAX Champion, he decided that by winning this tournament he gets to decide his next title match. It will happen at the 3rd August Korakuen Hall show. He already expected to defend the title against the Chouten winner on that show and joked the Korakuen match will be Ryota Nakatsu Vs Ryota Nakatsu. Right now there is nobody he is interested in so he is beginning a new journey to find out who his challenger should be.

The Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Daichi Kazato match had Takeru Inoue interfering twice, once while wearing the Best Stretchman V3 costume and the other time while wearing the Judomaster outfit.

KUBITO was in attendance to give everyone an update on his health. At the 18th April BASARA show he collapsed at ringside during one of the matches and was rushed to hospital. His tests since then have showed abnormalities but he will remain out of action until the summer. He told fans he will be spending his time living happily from now own.


Tokyo Princess Cup 2025

May 21, 2025

A jam packed format has been decided for the 12th annual Tokyo Princess Cup tournament. This year there will be a big qualifying tournament taking place first to determine four of the sixteen spots in the main competition. Twelve wrestlers have already been selected for the main bracket while the rest of the Tokyo Joshi Pro roster will have to duke it out in the qualifiers. The wrestlers chosen for the main tournament are either all former Tokyo Joshi Pro champions or currently hold a championship in general.

Mizuki (9th Appearance, 2019 & 2020 Winner)
Shoko Nakajima (12th Appearance, 2015 Winner)
Hyper Misao (8th Appearance)
Suzume (6th Appearance)
Yuki Kamifuku (7th Appearance)
Raku (6th Appearance)
Miyu Yamashita (11th Appearance, 2023 Winner)
Rika Tatsumi (10th Appearance)
Miu Watanabe (7th Appearance)
Yuki Aino (7th Appearance)
Arisu Endo (5th Appearance)
Yuki Arai (5th Appearance)
Preliminary League Qualifier Spot #1
Preliminary League Qualifier Spot #2
Preliminary League Qualifier Spot #3
Preliminary League Qualifier Spot #4

There is only one absence this year. Maki Itoh will again be skipping the Princess Cup because she will be wrestling overseas during the tournament.

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 27/07/2025
Shinjuku FACE

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X
3. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X
4. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 02/08/2025
Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X
3. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X
4. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 09/08/2025
Tokyo Shinagawa The Grand Hall

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: X Vs X
3. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: X Vs X
4. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 17/08/2025
Osaka Edion Arena #2

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 23/08/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: X Vs X

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As mentioned above, this year there will be a qualifying tournament to determine who will take the final spots in the main bracket. Sixteen wrestlers will be entering a mini knockout tournament consisting of two rounds. The 1st Round matches will be set up by a lottery and the winners move on to Round 2. Another lottery will determine who faces who and the winners of those four matches go on to qualify for the Princess Cup.

Pom Harajuku
Mahiro Kiryu
Haruna Neko
Moka Miyamoto
Kaya Toribami
Wakana Uehara
HIMAWARI
Haru Kazashiro
Toga
Shino Suzuki
Mifu Ashida
Kira Summer
Chika Nanase
Uta Takami
Ivy Steele
Konatsu

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN NERIMA”, 31/05/2025
Tokyo Nerima Coconeri Hall

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
3. International Princess Title: Suzume (c) Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN SHINAGAWA VOL. 2”, 07/06/2025
Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
3. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Kaya Toribami

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN KOFU”, 21/06/2025
Yamanashi Kose Sports Park Gymnasium Sub-Arena (Kofu City)

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 FINAL”, 22/06/2025
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 1: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’25!”, 05/07/2025
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 2: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 2: X Vs X

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YOSHIKO HASEGAWA GRADUATION EVENT – NONFICTION”, 08/07/2025
Shinjuku FACE

1. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 2: X Vs X
2. 12th Tokyo Princess Cup Preliminary League – Round 2: X Vs X
3. Yoshiko Hasegawa Graduation Match: Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs X


BASARA “BASARA 278 ~KOO~” Results

May 14, 2025

BASARA “BASARA 278 ~KOO~”, 14/05/2025
Shin-Kiba 1st RING
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Takato Nakano, Masato Kamino, Lil’ Kraken & Yasu Urano defeated Ryuichi Sekine, Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi, Ayumu Honda & Reiya Igarashi when Nakano pinned Igarashi with the Takagari (14:01).
2. SAGAT & Minoru Fujita (w/ Takeru Inoue) Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (w/ Gouma Ryu) ended in a Double Countout (3:07).
2a. Rematch – 3 Way Tag Match: SAGAT & Minoru Fujita and Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga defeated Gouma Ryu & Takeru Inoue when SAGAT pinned Ryu and Oosugi pinned Inoue (1:35).
2b. Rematch: Takeru Inoue defeated Gouma Ryu by Pinfall (1:53).
3. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2025 – Round 2 Block B: Daiki Shimomura defeated Tomoki Hatano with the Shimomura-Style Hurricanrana (11:55).
4. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2025 – Round 2 Block A: Takumi Tsukamoto defeated Daichi Kazato when Tsukamoto pinned Kazato with the Spinning Zudon (11:55).
5. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2025 – Round 2 Block B: Ryota Nakatsu defeated FUMA with the V Slider (12:50).
6. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2025 – Round 2 Block A: Keisuke Ishii defeated Isami Kodaka with the High Angle Double Arm DDT (13:38).

Four wrestler remain in the Chouten ~Itadaki~ tournament. The outsider Keisuke Ishii dumped BASARA’s own Isami Kodaka out of the bracket in the main event. It was their first singles match against each other in 12 years. Kodaka told Ishii afterwards they shouldn’t have to wait that long again to have a rematch. Ishii will face Takumi Tsukamoto in the semi final in what will be their first singles match together in around 15 years. Tsukamoto couldn’t beat Daichi Kazato with the regular Zudon so he had to use a spinning variant to get the three count. Daiki Shimomura is on a tournament run that could end up becoming his redemption for the year long suspension he went through. He eliminated Tomoki Hatano and will now face Ryota Nakatsu who he has beaten before in the 2021 tournament. Nakatsu defeated FUMA to reach the semi finals and is currently feeling in top form. He thinks Shimomura hasn’t got any heart and the two almost got into a fight backstage during the post-show interviews.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 2ND ROUND” Results

May 10, 2025

DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 2ND ROUND”, 10/05/2025
Shinjuku FACE
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. MJ Paul & Ilusion defeated Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi when Paul pinned Sumi after a Combined Body Press (5:14).
2. Danshoku Dieno, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao & To-y by Referee Stoppage when Dieno used the Strong Arm Lock on Takao (11:04).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Shinya Aoki & Daichi Sato defeated Chris Brookes, Akito & Antonio Honda when Aoki pinned Honda with a Ground Cobra Twist Reversal (9:47).
4. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 2: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Takeshi Masada with a Short Range Lariat (8:12).
5. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 2: Hideki Okatani defeated HARASHIMA with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (12:25).
6. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 2: KANON defeated Yukio Naya with the LONELY DEZIRES (12:41).
7. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 2: Yuki Ueno defeated Daisuke Sasaki with a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch (21:22).

The final rounds of this year’s King Of DDT are next on the horizon with only four wrestlers left in the running. Yuki Ueno is in the clear after advancing past one of his most troublesome opponents Daisuke Sasaki. It was a match where Sasaki fought pretty cleanly for the most part, possibly proving Ueno’s theory that he’s been having more fun with wrestling lately. There were some dirty tactics here and there but it wasn’t as overwhelming as you would expect from DAMNATION T.A. The match instead came down to a battle of technique with Ueno winning out in the end. He countered La Mistica Crossface Lock into a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch to get the pinfall victory. Ueno said if he can win two more matches to become the tournament champion then he will be one step closer to the future he wants. He also said if Sasaki is going to shave his own head for losing like he promised then he will let him but that doesn’t mean Sasaki can join The 37KAMIINA. However according to Sasaki, after the match Ueno whispered in his ear that he doesn’t need to cut his hair off because Ueno felt sorry for him. Sure he said that, Sasaki.

The “Yukio Naya Killer” continues his streak. KANON once again defeated Naya in a singles match, this time pinning him with his Modified Facebuster that is now called the LONELY DEZIRES. He resorted to using the move after hitting Naya with several Dropkicks that wouldn’t keep the big guy down. KANON bowed to Naya after the match but Naya couldn’t help but pound the mat in frustration. KANON said backstage that the result is a reminder that he can be part of DDT’s heavyweight division too.

If the course was set for HARASHIMA to pull off a heroic charge through the brackets, Hideki Okatani and DAMNATION T.A killed off any chance of that happening. Okatani attacked HARASHIMA before the bell and stomped him down in the corner so he wouldn’t make an instant comeback like in Round 1. MJ Paul and Ilusion also interfered, including a moment where the two of them landed a Combined Body Press onto HARASHIMA. Despite fighting them off and having some energy left for his opponent, HARASHIMA soon fell to Okatani’s cheating. When he went for the Somato, Okatani hit him with his bamboo stick. The pin only got a two count so Okatani then finished him off with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster.

The one in the tournament who looks most unstoppable at the moment is Kazusada Higuchi. He had a Chop Vs Kick battle with Takeshi Masada with both trying to withstand the punishment as much as they could. When they both reached the brink they charged in for one last blow. Masada got the first hit in with a Middle Kick but Higuchi was still standing and he hit back with a Short Range Lariat. Masada was knocked down from that and couldn’t kick out of the pin.

A lottery took place at the end of the show to pair off the semi finalists. When the balls were all chosen we all learned the matches on 25th May will be Ueno Vs Higuchi and KANON Vs Okatani. Backstage Ueno said everyone in DDT knows how amazing Higuchi is but DDT needs more than that to move forward so Ueno can’t just leave it to him. Higuchi said Ueno is filled with a lot of thoughts lately. He though will just focus on what’s in front of him next. KANON said he is ready to kill Okatani but then remembered he is filled with love now so he corrected himself to say he knock Okatani from Heaven down to Hell. Okatani said he will decided whether KANON can laugh or not. He will make sure KANON will never be able to laugh again!

After seeing the success Strange Love Connection is getting from having an MC as part of the act, SCHADENFREUDE International decided they should add something new to their group too. Antonio Honda brought out a puppet from Thailand named Bunbun. He got to take part in SCHADENFREUDE’s usual spots so it’s already as if he’s been part of the group the whole time.

Everyone in Danshoku Dieno’s match wanted to give him their support for the DDT Universal Title shot. But when Dieno tried to wrestle the match Strong Style Kazuki Hirata and Toru Owashi told him he can never beat Minoru Suzuki that way. So they all started encouraging him to be Danshoku again and even eagerly made themselves victims to Dieno’s Hell Gate, even the opponents Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao & To-y. However things went in a bad directions when Takao ran face first into Dieno’s backside. Dieno all of a sudden felt a movement in his stomach and blew wind, knocking out Takao with the smell. Dieno didn’t want to win the match that way so he half heartedly applied the Strong Arm Lock and Yukinori Matsui agreed to call a TKO so the match could end in a slightly more respectable manner.

A contract signing was held during the show for the 25th May Universal Title match between Suzuki and Dieno. The challenger talked about spending the last month abandoning his Danshoku style to become someone who is prepared not just to fight Suzuki but beat him too. The Universal Title is the only DDT belt that Dieno has not won yet so it has sentimental value to him. It is also a chance for him to bring a championship back into DDT after an outsider took it away. He believes the Danshoku Dieno he is now is the version Suzuki wants to fight. He was then questioned by Suzuki who wanted to know why is it that Dieno does pro wrestling? He wanted Dieno to look him in the eyes when he asks if he can do this match? The two had a staredown and Dieno reminded Suzuki he once said it’s not about whether or not you can do it. You just do it. Suzuki believed him and simply told Dieno not to regret this decision.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 1ST ROUND” Results

May 6, 2025

DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 1ST ROUND”, 06/05/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
??? Fans – Unannounced

0. Dark Match – 3 Way Tag Match: MJ Paul & Ilusion defeated Toru Owashi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga and Yuni & Kazuma Sumi when Ilusion pinned Sumi with a Rope-Assisted School Boy (5:31).
0. Dark Match: Jun Akiyama & Danshoku Dieno defeated MAO & Kazuki Hirata (w/ KIMIHIRO) when Dieno submitted Hirata with a Strong Chicken Wing Sleeper Hold (8:25).
1. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: Yuki Ueno defeated Antonio Honda with the Blackout Sleeper (15:05).
2. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Akito with the Crossover Face Lock (4:44).
3. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: KANON defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Cobra Twist 2.0 (9:16).
4. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: Yukio Naya defeated Daichi Sato with The World’s Best Back Drop (12:33).
5. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: Hideki Okatani defeated To-y with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (11:58).
6. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: HARASHIMA defeated Chris Brookes with the Somato (0:22).
7. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: Takeshi Masada defeated Yuya Koroku with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (12:10).
8. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Shinya Aoki with the Claw (15:34).

Kazusada Higuchi sent a message loud and clear in the opening round of this year’s King Of DDT tournament. He has reached a complete recovery! The final match of the 1st Round pitted Higuchi against Shinya Aoki over two and a half years after their KO-D Openweight Title bout against each other. The rematch featured grappling from Aoki, Higuchi no selling his head hitting off the corner post, the Aoki Clutch being kicked out of and a costly mistake from Aoki after that. He gave Higuchi a Headbutt that only hurt himself, giving Higuchi the opening to clamp on the Claw and make Aoki tap out! Higuchi said he only focused on fighting Aoki and hasn’t thought about anything beyond that. He described Aoki as being frighteningly strong. Aoki admitted he felt relieved after the match because Higuchi is refreshingly strong. It is the strength of somebody regaining the ground he lost. A reporter pointed out this is the first time in a while Aoki has lost to the same fighter twice in a row. Aoki knew who the reporter is talking about and compared Higuchi to Hayato Sakurai. Aoki is also now looking to the future as an unemployed man because he is no longer under contract to ONE FC. He might follow Sayaka Unagi’s example and put together his own independent event.

Meeting Higuchi in the next round will be Takeshi Masada. He avenged the D GENERATIONS CUP final loss to Yuya Koroku thanks to his perfect calculations of how it would go this time. Koroku targeted the arm so Masada focused on leg based attacks including Dropkicking a chair into his opponent at ringside. He was also able to break out of the Modified Triangle Lancer and caught Koroku with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki to get the win. Masada said it is one of the new formulas he came up with since the DGC so he has Koroku to thank for that. He said Higuchi has a great Japanese spirit but so does he and he will bring it out to show everyone in DDT for the next round. Koroku is really disappointed his tournament is over already but he knows he’s been through lower lows than this. He will go on as he is now.

A record was broken on today’s show. HARASHIMA defeated Chris Brookes in just 22 seconds, the fastest time ever in King Of DDT history! Brookes got the jump on HARASHIMA with a Dropkick during the entrances and quickly went for the Praying Mantis Bomb. But HARASHIMA popped out of the move and fired a short range Somato at Brookes before hitting the full on version for the shock three count! HARASHIMA said he responded calmly to the ambush and just went with his gut resulting in a perfect victory against the KO-D Champion. He hasn’t given up on winning the title again and every fan who came to the show today all know it is possible.

To-y’s hopes of finally getting to face Brookes one on one were already extinguished at this point because he was already eliminated by Hideki Okatani. There was a little bit of help from MJ Paul and Ilusion but To-y fought against the odds and almost won with the Kojima In Wonderland. Okatani hit back with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster and that was enough for him to advance to Round 2. Afterwards he said To-y is as hot headed and annoying as ever. Okatani will next face HARASHIMA. He said HARASHIMA is not an ace but a corpse fighting against the times.

There are not a lot of heavyweights in the tournament this year and now even less so when one knocked out another in the 1st Round. Yukio Naya put Daichi Sato through his paces, beating him down while withstanding the young wrestler’s return strikes. Sato kept it up though and soon Naya was breaking down. A High Kick followed by a Rolling Elbow and a Brainbuster gave Sato a nearfall. Naya turned things around with Knee Butts and Elbow Strikes before putting his opponent away with The World’s Best Back Drop. Naya said Sato will grow in DDT just like he did and the next time they fight, Sato should try to surprise him even more. Sato was thankful to compete in the tournament so soon after joining the company. His goal is to become the face of DDT’s heavyweight division but he’ll need to surpass Naya first.

One of the first round matches was a little bit awkward because it pitted MAO’s current tag partner against his ex-tag partner. KANON looked to have gotten the better of Shunma Katsumata when he put him in the Cobra Twist 2.0. Katsumata wouldn’t submit though despite having no way to escape. It led to a situation on the ring apron where Kazuma Sumi wanted to throw in the towel but Yuni wouldn’t let him. They had a tug of war over the towel until they lost their grips and accidentally threw it into the ring. This happened right when Katsumata tapped out anyway so it was still a valid win for KANON. Katsumata gave his approval to KANON afterwards because he thinks he is now on the right path. KANON said he has a lot of respect for ShunMao which is why Strange Love Connection will do things differently from MAO’s other team. He also called himself the “Yukio Naya Killer” because he has never lost to Naya in singles matches. They just so happen to be facing each other in the next round.

Akito wanted to make quick work of Daisuke Sasaki and grabbed him by the leg as he entered the ring. That advantage was ruined when Ilusion got into the ring to distract Akito by flipping him off. Akito turned back and continued going for Sasaki’s legs but a counter attack led to Sasaki trapping him in the Crossover Face Lock for the submission victory. Akito admitted he was arrogant when he said this year’s tournament might be his last chance to win King Of DDT and the KO-D Title. He has a lot to think about but he wants to be involved in the main storyline of DDT within the next year. Sasaki originally said he wanted this to be a Hair Vs Hair match but in honor of Akito’s effort he decided not to go through with the stipulation. His Round 2 match though? He wants is to be Hair Vs Hair because he gets joy in life by making his next opponent miserable.

That next opponent is Yuki Ueno. He was taking on a sentimental favorite in this year’s competition because Antonio Honda was competing on behalf of the injured Masahiro Takanashi. While Honda did pull out the Shining Gongitsune, he also used his serious techniques to try and win including the Octopus Hold, the Tenzan Tombstone Driver and the Diving Fist Drop. Unfortunately Honda ran out of steam after Ueno hit him with a Dropkick followed by the WR. He was almost counted out for a KO but got back to his feet at nine. Ueno ended up putting him in the Blackout Sleeper to choke him out for the win. Ueno promised to carry Honda’s feelings with him for the rest of the tournament as he begins his path to win back the KO-D Title and make DDT even more fun and interesting. He noticed that even though DAMNATION T.A is usually a gloomy group, Sasaki has been having more fun lately…

There were two non-tournament dark matches in the pre-show. One of them was to continue showing how Danshoku Dieno is taking pro wrestling seriously for his upcoming match with Minoru Suzuki. He proved this by trying to stop Kazuki Hirata from dancing. MAO tried to get Jun Akiyama to dance by offering him the Hirata GO! glasses but Akiyama gave him the Exploder Suplex instead. He then heard the fans chanting for him to put the glasses on so he did so. But just when he started to dance, Dieno made Hirata tap out to a Crossface Chicken Wing and the match ended.

The other dark match was meant to include Soma Takao but he was feeling unwell and was replaced by Tomomitsu Matsunaga. He and Toru Owashi worked together as best as they could in the 3 Way Tag Match but in the end DAMNATION T.A got the win over NωA Jr when Ilusion used the ropes for a leveraged pin on Sumi after Low Blowing him.

Yet again NωA Jr.’s show opening performance was hijacked by KIMIHIRO and the Strange Love Connection. This time Sumi tried to fight back by challenging KIMIHIRO to a rap battle but he quickly lost his flow and ran out of the ring feeling really embarrassed.


King Of DDT 2025 Press Conference

May 2, 2025

DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 1ST ROUND”, 06/05/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

0. Dark Match – 3 Way Tag Match: MJ Paul & Ilusion Vs Toru Owashi & Soma Takao Vs Yuni & Kazuma Sumi
0. Dark Match: Jun Akiyama & Danshoku Dieno Vs MAO & Kazuki Hirata (w/ KIMIHIRO)
1. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1A: Antonio Honda Vs Yuki Ueno
2. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1B: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Akito
3. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1C: KANON Vs Shunma Katsumata
4. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1D: Yukio Naya Vs Daichi Sato
5. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1E: Hideki Okatani Vs To-y
6. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1F: Chris Brookes Vs HARASHIMA
7. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1G: Takeshi Masada Vs Yuya Koroku
8. King Of DDT 2025 – Round 1H: Shinya Aoki Vs Kazusada Higuchi

With the King Of DDT about to begin next week a press conference was held at Kanda Myojin Cultural Center yesterday featuring all 16 participants giving their opinions on their opening round matches. Yuki Ueno said his plan is to win the tournament and become KO-D Openweight Champion again. DDT will become a wild and fun place to be with himself at the centre. Antonio Honda is entering as the replacement for Masahiro Takanashi so he was at a loss for words at first. He will be getting into the ring with something big on his mind and will fight with all of the gratitude, respect and prayer for the people who have helped him.

Akito is entering the tournament for the first time since 2021. He explained he missed out on the last couple of tournaments not because his behind the scenes job became bigger but because DDT’s roster has grown so much that he just couldn’t make the cut. He thinks this may be his last chance to win King Of DDT which could then become his last chance to win the KO-D Title. A drunk Daisuke Sasaki changed the subject by saying when people think of him against Akito, they think Hair Vs Hair! Sasaki suggested he gets to shave every person he beats bald until he wins the tournament. Akito declined. If it was every single match in the tournament he would let the idea happen but just doing it for Sasaki Vs Akito isn’t worth the bother. Honda said he is already bald so the rule doesn’t worry him if he has to fight Sasaki in Round 2.

It’s also been a while since Shunma Katsumata took part in King Of DDT. He remembers how important the first round is so if he can get past it he knows he will win the whole thing. He has lots of friends taking part too so if they all advance to the later rounds together they can all win it too. KANON doesn’t understand Katsumata’s point but said this tournament will be meaningful for him now that he has fully joined up with DDT. He will be part of this while MAO is competing in the Best Of The Super Jr. He will aim to win and stand next to MAO as somebody worthy to team with him.

Young Daichi Sato has loudly declared his goal is to win the KO-D Title while he is still in his second year of high school. Winning the King Of DDT will be his quickest way to achieve that goal. Yukio Naya has said 2025 is going to be make or break for him. He hasn’t accomplised anyhing yet this year which means the timing is right for him to win the tournament and become KO-D Champion. Sato’s chances of making his dream come true are going to be low as long as Naya is still here!

When it was Hideki Okatani’s turn to speak he kept silent for a long time. When he finally did say something it was just “I’ll do my best.” To-y has had many singles matches with Okatani but never won any of them. When Okatani was injured To-y waited for him to come back so to hear him just say he’ll do his best leaves To-y feeling disappointed. He’ll just have to beat him and then in the next round face an opponent who will actually be hyped up to fight him. Somebody like Chris Brookes or one of his friends in The 37KAMIINA. That prompted Brookes to say something but all he put out was he will win as the KO-D Champion and nominate his next challenger afterwards.

HARASHIMA was uncharacteristically angry at To-y’s comments because it means To-y assumes Brookes will beat HARASHIMA in Round 1. So now HARASHIMA wants himself and To-y to win their matches so HARASHIMA can beat up To-y in Round 2! Brookes calmed things down by reminding everyone that HARASHIMA is the strongest wrestler in DDT so Brookes will have to be at his best against him. He then noticed the fancy looking suit that To-y was wearing and asked him how much it cost? To-y said he spent 70,000 yen on it. Brookes then asked how did he get the money to pay for it because he remembers the lines in Sapporo for To-y’s autograph were really short. To-y said he has a credit card and buy anything with it. The suit was already bought in advance so if To-y wins the tournament then he clear the debt off his card!

The D GENERATIONS CUP match between Takeshi Masada and Yuya Koroku hasn’t escaped either of their minds. Koroku’s dream now is to fight for the KO-D Title again and this time win it. He remembers his win over Masada in the DGC 1st Round was a close one so this time he is going to face him with all of his might. Masada has been eliminated from Round 1 two tournaments in a row now so Koroku doesn’t understand his feelings. This match will be the most Masada has ever committed to win just so he can reach Round 2.

It’s been a month since Kazusada Higuchi has returned from injury and he feels he’s been rebuilding his skills one step at a time. He will concentrate on each and every match in front of him, the first being against Shinya Aoki. It doesn’t matter to Aoki if this is a tournament match or not. He is just excited he gets to fight Higuchi one on one and wants to beat him by submission if it’s possible.