DDT Around The World – WrestleMania Week 2024

April 18, 2024

Another Wrestlemania has come and gone. I would have posted this article sooner but I was in the middle of my own holiday and didn’t want to spend my vacation time keeping track of what MAO was doing or trying to figure out who was in the Clusterfuck and where in the match did they get eliminated. I eventually did find the time to watch as much as I could. It was a good week of work for everyone involved but I come out of it seeing diminished returns for so many groups that aren’t WWE or GCW. I usually love these weeks because there is too much going on and there’s round the clock stories coming out of it. But we’re reaching the point where there’s less fan interest in the indies and more people seem to be happy giving all of their attention towards WWE and AEW so a lot of these shows are kind of becoming wasted energy that could be refocused towards something else. Too many groups are fighting over the same dwindling audience of eyeballs and that just dilutes everything. GCW’s annual themed shows are also starting to look tired now too.

I am wondering how things will turn out next year and how much of it will depend on the time and place. The Wrestlemania related talk coming out of WWE and TKO this week is they still have not announced next year’s location yet and they may consider holding the event later in the calander to avoid clashing with other major sporting events like the NCAA Final Four or the PGA Masters. Up until now wrestling websites and even other media were pretty much convinced that Minnesota was set to be next year’s host. This week’s news now puts that into doubt and continues the years old running joke that Minnesota always gets considered for Wrestlemania but never gets chosen. Hey, if Las Vegas gets it instead and both DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro are going over again then I will be there for sure!

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Videos


AEW “COLLISION”, 06/04/2024
DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Trish Adora

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Results


AEW “COLLISION”, 03/04/2024 (Aired 06/04/2024)
DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Trish Adora with The Magical Girl Splash (8:24).

Oh hey, Yuka Sakazaki finally made it back to America! That was a weird few months of her going missing. Don’t have to worry about that anymore, I guess? Sakazaki’s first AEW match since leaving TJPW was also her first appearance on the Collision TV show. She defeated Trish Adora and the result attracted the attention of Serena Deeb. Since then Deeb put out a challenge to face Sakazaki in a match. It has not been answered yet as of the time of this article being posted.


CIRCLE 6 “NEW FEAR CITY”, 03/04/2024
The Fire, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Chris Brookes & MAO Vs Casanova Valentine & Nate Webb

The first taste of DDT to be found in Philadelphia this week was over at Circle 6. Both MAO and Chris Brookes had barely just arrived in America on separate flights before they found themselves ready to fight a crazy no ring brawl together against Casanova Valentine & Nate Webb. I couldn’t find the result to the match but what I did find out was all four wrestlers sang “Wonderwall” and “Teenage Dirtbag” together for everyone in the audience afterwards.


DEFY “CAN’T DENY IT”, 04/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos defeated MAO & Mike Bailey when Lykos pinned Bailey after a Blockbuster/Gory Special Combo (16:12).
2. Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title – BMF Battle Royal: Schaff (c) defeated Galeno Del Mal by Ring Out (14:57).
Order Of Elimination: Gene Munny, LJ Cleary, Mr. Charles Crowly, Shota, Ricky Knight Jr., Luke Jacobs and Galeno Del Mal.
*V? for Schaff.

The first appearance Shota made as a new freelancer was for DEFY, entering a Battle Royal for the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title. Sadly for him he was eliminated by the champion himself Schaff. Shota tried to give him a Tornado DDT but Schaff’s was too big and strong to be pulled off his feet. Instead Schaff lifted Shota up in a Gorilla Press and threw him out of the ring.

What was perhaps the longest 24 hours of MAO’s life begun here. DEFY was where he had the first of four matches he would have in one day. It started off with MAO and Mike Bailey reuniting as The Moonlight Express for a special tag match against another reunited team in CCK. They did their best but Bailey eventually fell to the barrage of signature moves from Brookes & Kid Lykos, ending with a sick tag move to finish him off.


SHP/LOL “EUPHORIA”, 04/04/2024
Attic Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. MAO defeated Matt Makowski with a German Suplex (10:04).

MAO’s second match of the day was held in a ring under a tent over at the Sean Henderson Presents show. His match against Matt Makowski was non-title but the confused commentary team on stream convinced themselves that the DDT Universal Title was on the line. MAO and Makowski brought the match out of the tent so they could briefly fight on the grass. But it returned to the ring where MAO rolled out of Makowski’s Sleeper Hold and used a German Suplex to pin him for the victory.


DDT “DDT GOES PHILADELPHIA!”, 04/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos defeated Bryan Keith & Shota when Lykos pinned Shota with the Brainbuster (8:28).
2. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo defeated Andrew “The Giant” Everett with the Burning Star Press (11:33).
3. Chiitan☆ defeated Dan The Dad with a Superplex through a Board (5:27).
4. Special Single Match: Yoshihiko defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Reincarnation (5:30).
5. DDT Universal Title – No Rules Match: MAO (c) Vs Billie Starkz ended in a Draw after a Double Pinfall (10:55).
5a. Rock Paper Scissors: MAO (c) defeated Billie Starkz when Scissors beat Paper.
*V7 for MAO.
6. Special Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada when KANON pinned Masada after the Freedom Call (7:11).
7. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Walls Of Takeshita (9:41).
8. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Mike Bailey with the WR (18:52).

A report of the show can be found here.


GCW/JCW “GCW/JCW VS THE WORLD”, 04/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. GCW/JCW Vs The World 14-Man Tag Match: Mike Bailey, Tony Deppen, Calvin Tankman, Marcus Mathers, Charlie Tiger, Terry Yaki & Mr. Danger defeated LJ Cleary, Ricky Knight Jr., Yusaku Ito, Lou Nixon, Ho Ho Lun, Shota & Mizuki Watase when Bailey pinned Watase with the Ultima Weapon (9:54).
2. 4 Way Tag Match: MAO & Yoshihiko defeated Ciclope & Miedo Extremo Vs Robert Dreissker & Norman Harras Vs Man Like DeReiss & Leon Slater when Yoshihiko pinned Harras with the Reincarnation (22:36).

The fourth and final match MAO had on this day was another crazy affair. He joined forces with Yoshihiko to take on three other teams from around the world. Maybe it was random, maybe it was luck or maybe this kind of environment best serves their skills because they were able to stand tall against Los Macizos, the wXw team and Boisterous Behaviour to end the night and finally give MAO some rest.

Before the main event there was a 14-Man Tag Match pitting GCW & JCW against the rest of the world. Shota was part of The World team along with an unexpected appearance by Mizuki Watase! It turns out he made the trip over to Philly too. He said wrestling was not the priority of his visit though. He better have had a good reason because his travelling plans were plagued with delays and other problems according to his tweets during the week. It caused him to miss some wrestling bookings back in Japan too. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, he took the fall by taking a bunch of moves from the opposing team, ending with Bailey’s Ultima Weapon.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY”, 05/04/2024
Penn’s Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Yuki Aino & Zara Zakher when Suzume pinned Zakher with the Twinkle Twinkle (11:01).
2. Billie Starkz defeated Hyper Misao with the Swanton Bomb (5:57).
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van defeated Raku & Trish Adora when Kamifuku pinned Raku with the Famouser (8:53).
4. Mizuki & Vert Vixen defeated Aja Kong & Pom Harajuku when Mizuki pinned Harajuku with the Cutie Special (10:31).
5. Shoko Nakajima defeated Rhio with the Senton Bomb (13:24).
6. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh defeated Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe when Yamashita pinned Tatsumi with the Skull Kick (19:04).

A report of the show can be found here.


GCW “JOEY JANELA’S SPRING BREAK 8”, 05/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Nick Gage & Maki Itoh (w/ Dewey Donovan) defeated Danhausen & Ram Kaichow when Itoh pinned Kaichow and Gage pinned Danhausen with the MDKokeshi (12:56).

The weirdest of first time matchups took place at GCW’s Spring Break show. Maki Death Kill had to fight the facepainted combination of Danhausen & Ram Kaichow. Danhausen quickly cast a curse on Maki Itoh but she fired one back with her middle fingers. Kaichow then brought in a voodoo doll and twisted it to make Itoh’s body contort in a painful manner. Itoh grabbed the doll off Kaichow and attacked her with it to break the spell. Things went south for Maki Death Kill when Kaichow blinded Nick Gage with ectoplasm dust and Dropkicked him through a board in the ring corner. Danhausen then grabbed Gage’s pizza cutter and sliced open Itoh’s forehead with it! Kaichow did the same while Danhausen poured a jar of teeth into Itoh’s mouth. Gage returned out of nowhere to tackle Danhausen through a board. Maki Death Kill then gave their opponents DDTs and hit the MDKokeshi on them together for the victory.


GCW/TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GCW VS TJPW”, 06/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
672 Fans – No Vacancy

1. 3 Way Match: Suzume defeated SAKI and Pom Harajuku when Suzume pinned Harajuku with the Ring A Bell (7:54).
2. Session Moth Martina defeated Raku with the Codebreaker (5:56).
3. Arisu Endo defeated Shazza McKenzie with the Ju no Okite (7:29).
4. Steph De Lander defeated Hyper Misao with the Steph Five onto a bulk of Lipstick Cases (8:10).
5. Dark Sheik defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Diving Leg Drop (7:43).
6. Mizuki defeated Allie Katch with the Cutie Special (7:35).
7. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Billie Starkz & Janai Kai when Watanabe pinned Kai after the Daydream Eternity (13:27).
8. Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Rina Yamashita, Masha Slamovich & Maki Itoh defeated Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino when Itoh submitted Aino with the Itoh Deluxe (21:01).

A report of the show can be found here.


GCW “JJSB: CLUSTERF*CK FOREVER!”, 06/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Clusterfuck Match: Microman defeated Nick Gage by Ring Out (117:52).
Order Of Elimination: Jimmy Lloyd, Shota, Bam Sullivan, Lindsay Snow, Rob Shit, Loc, DeVito, Shane Douglas, Justin Credible, Jason Knight, Jeffrey John, Charlie Tiger, Facade, Tony Deppen, Tommy Dreamer, Trevor Outlaw, Frank The Clown, Mike Bailey, Masha Slamovich, Pollo Del Mar, Colin Delaney, Cheech, Midas Black, Jay Lyon, Rob Killjoy, White Mike, Davey Bang, August Matthews, Terry Yaki, Bobby Flaco, Mr. Danger, Aerial Van Go, Tara Zep, Philly Mike, Nate Webb, Emil Jay, Green Phantom, Sexxxy Eddy, Cheeseburger, CPA, Alex Zayne, Marcus Mathers, Dark Sheik, Edith Surreal, Jamie Senegal, Mercedes Martinez, Kaplan, Brandon Kirk, 1 Called Manders, Sawyer Wreck, Kasey Catal, Tank, Monomoth, Sam Stackhouse, Beastman, Viva Van, Grim Reefer, Fuego Del Sol, Cole Radrick, Alec Price, Big Vin, Lance Scaper, Kurt Bale, Man Like DeReiss, American Giant, Silver Potato, Dr. Cube, Double Unicorn Dark, Benny Saint-Hubert, Chiitan☆, Aja Kong, Gringo Loco, Johnny Kashmere, Jordan Oliver, Rina Yamashita, Parrow, Yoshihiko and Nick Gage.

One of the biggest signs that the week has reached the end and it’s time to start going home is whenever GCW holds the Clusterfuck match. The free for all Battle Royal features the most random lineups you will ever see on a wrestling show. Sadly almost the entire DDT and TJPW roster had begun their travels back to Japan by this point but there were still a few entries to keep an eye out for. Shota was the 3rd entrant in the match and got to fight Shane Douglas for a few seconds until he was eliminated by Douglas’ patented Belly To Belly Suplex. Chiitan was one of the biggest surprises, entering the ring while it was filled with other wacky looking fighters in massive costumes. Then right afterwards Aja Kong joined in and destroyed all of those competitors, Chiitan included. The last three wrestlers left in the ring by the end was Gage, Yoshihiko and Microman. Gage attacked Yoshihiko with the pizza cutter before eliminating the doll but at the end, it was Microman who was left standing tall.


Video – “BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS VOL. THIRTEEN”

April 16, 2024


BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. THIRTEEN: SPEED OF LIFE”, 09/04/2024
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
??? Fans

1. Special Single Match: Tyrannosaurus Inoue Vs Takagi Sanshirobo
2. 3 Way Dance: Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Baliyan Akki Vs Gaia Hox
3. Special Single Match: Antonio Honda Vs Maya Yukihi
4. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Miyuki Takase


DDT “4.14 SHIBUSHI MEAT AND FISH BATTLE @ UNAGI STATION” Results

April 14, 2024

DDT “YAMADA SUISAN CO., LTD. PRESENTS – 4.14 SHIBUSHI MEAT AND FISH BATTLE @ UNAGI STATION”, 14/04/2024
Kagoshima Shibushi City “Unagi Station” Special Venue
400 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Kazuki Hirata & Yukio Naya when Sasaki submitted Hirata with the Crossface Lock (9:52).
2. Danshoku Dieno defeated Kazuma Sumi with the Danshoku Driver (6:37).
3. Jun Akiyama & Sanshiro Takagi defeated Takeshi Masada & Rukiya when Takagi pinned Rukiya with the Sling Blade Style Neckbreaker (11:01).
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & To-y defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku when Ueno pinned Koroku after the MADMAX (21:01).
5. Yamada Suisan Fish Army Vs Maruto Poultry Chicken Army Final Showdown! Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shishamo Power, Unagi Mask & Super Unagi Mask defeated Makoto “Mr. CHICKEN” Oishi, Chris “THE FALCON” Brookes & Shunma “EL TURKEY” Katsumata when Power submitted Oishi with the Goliath Birdeater (16:20).

The war that has been brewing between meat eaters and seafood lovers made its way back to DDT for its yearly appearance. The seafood company Yamada Suisan were now facing a threat made more powerful by a rival chicken sponsor called Maruto Poultry Shokuhin. The enemy drafted Makoto Oishi, Chris Brookes & Shunma Katsumata over to their side, giving them bird related nicknames along the way. It was up to Yamada’s own seafood theme wrestlers Shishamo Power, Unagi Mask & Super Unagi Mask to save the day. Shishamo Power was the one to earn the victory by making Oishi give up to the Goliath Birdeater submission hold.

After the match Oishi and his team all admitted they love seafood. It’s just that they also like chicken meat. The two sides should get along and do their best to provide children with all of the protein they need to help build up their growing bodies. Shishamo agreed to a truce. He also can’t help but notice that every time DDT runs these shows, a different part of the food industry comes in and starts a fight with the seafood sponsor. First it was meat and now it is chicken. Who will it be the next time?


“GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING” Results

April 14, 2024

BASARA “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024
Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring
??? fans – Unannounced

1. Ryota Nakatsu defeated Lil’ Kraken with a School Boy (9:34).
2. Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga defeated FUMA & Daichi Kazato when Oosugi pinned Kazato after a Two Plato Avalanche Double Brainbuster (11:01).
3. Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino defeated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yasu Urano when Kamino pinned Hiroshi with the Lariat (7:50).
4. Isami Kodaka defeated Ryuichi Sekine with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (11:43).

Wrestling couple Ryuichi Sekine and Nodoka Tenma came up with an idea to hold a show while the sakura is in full bloom to attract people towards their village. The result was the creation of Gaisen Sakura Pro Wrestling. The first attempt at running an event was split into two parts. The first half of the day had BASARA producing matches for the show. Sekine himself wrestled in the main event portion, losing to Isami Kodaka in their first singles match against each other since 2019.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024
Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring
??? fans – Unannounced

1. Miu Watanabe defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Canadian Backbreaker (6:17).
2. Mizuki defeated Pom Harajuku with the Cutie Special (8:59).
3. Rika Tatsumi & Nao Kakuta defeated Arisu Endo & Mahiro Kiryu when Tatsumi pinned Kiryu with the Missile Hip (12:01).
4. Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino defeated Aja Kong & Raku when Aino pinned Raku with the UBV (13:25).

The second half of matches were handled by Tokyo Joshi Pro. Being a TJPW graduate herself, Tenma got involved at ringside for a couple of the bouts both as a willing and unwilling participant. Aja Kong was also the big name guest for the last match of the day. She teamed with Raku but the two of them lost to Shoko Nakajima and Tenma’s younger sister Yuki Aino.


DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN FUKUOKA” Results

April 13, 2024

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN FUKUOKA”, 13/04/2024
Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall
251 Fans

1. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuma Sumi when Owashi pinned Sumi with La Magistral Cradle (0:04).
1a. Rematch: Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuma Sumi when Takagi pinned Sumi with the Sling Blade Style Neckbreaker (5:09).
2. Yukio Naya & To-y defeated Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao when Naya pinned Hirata with an Elbow Drop (0:12).
2a. Rematch: Yukio Naya & To-y defeated Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao when Naya pinned Hirata with a Running Knee Butt (7:57).
3. O-40 Title – 5th O-40 Champion Decision Match: Azul Dragon defeated Makoto Oishi with the Headache (8:44).
*Azul Dragon becomes the 5th O-40 Champion!
4. Chris Brookes, Takeshi Masada & Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku when Brookes pinned Koroku after the Double Impact (13:10).
5. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Jun Akiyama & Rukiya when KANON submitted Rukiya with the Cobra Twist (10:17).
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Akito, HARASHIMA & Kota Umeda defeated Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata when Akito submitted Katsumata with the Goliath Birdeater (23:59).

The last prelim match for the upcoming KO-D Openweight Title bout sees Akito’s mind games taking its toll on Yuki Ueno. Akito used the Kinniku Big Move to drop Shunma Katsumata on top of Ueno in the ring. Then Akito put Katsumata in the Goliath Birdeater to win by submission. He taunted Ueno after the match telling the champion to close out the show with a speech for the fans but Ueno left without saying anything. Ueno changed his mind and walked back only for Akito to grab the microphone away from him. This caused Ueno to throw an ice pack out of frustration and leave again. Akito then did his own speech, saying prelim matches are meaningless if you don’t win them and he won in the end. However Akito admits he can still lose the title match so he hopes his gameplan for the last month really has messed with Ueno’s preparation.

KANON was disturbed by the attention Danshoku Dieno was giving him today. Dieno was in the corner for Jun Akiyama & Rukiya when they took on DAMNATION T.A. During the match Dieno chased KANON around ringside wanting to put him in the Lip Lock. Daisuke Sasaki stopped him with a Low Blow and KANON went on to win by putting Rukiya in the Cobra Twist. However Dieno returned and got to give him the Lip Lock after all.

Until recently, the O-40 Championship belonged to Makoto Oishi. He was stripped of the title because it had been a year since he won it and he had no defences during that period. He complained about not knowing what the time limit is between defences and also for never being warned about it beforehand. To make it up for him, Oishi was allowed to face Azul Dragon to determine the new champion. Oishi was confident he would win but Dragon showed spirit by kicking out of the Miracle Ecstasy. Dragon then caught Oishi with a Thrust Kick and pinned him with the Headache Hurricanrana to win the match and become champion in his own hometown! Oishi graciously admitted defeat and told Dragon to keep hold of the belt until he comes over to take it back. Dragon said he does not know when his first defence will be but he will take on any challenger who fits the requirements.

The first two matches both ended in a few seconds and needed restarts. It’s normal for that to happen once on DDT shows. Twice is a little more unusual. To-y blamed it on a 15 hour ride in the company bus to the venue.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING” Results

April 13, 2024

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 13/04/2024
Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall
294 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Moka Miyamoto, Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami defeated Yuki Aino, Pom Harajuku & Shino Suzuki when Nagano pinned Suzuki with the Senpukyaku (12:13).
2. Yuki Kamifuku defeated Uta Takami with a Dropkick (5:20).
3. Rika Tatsumi, Raku & Chika Nanase defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Toga & Kira Summer when Tatsumi submitted Summer with the Dragon Sleeper (10:37).
4. Mizuki & Nao Kakuta defeated Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro when Mizuki pinned Kazashiro with the Cutie Special (10:14).
5. Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI defeated Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo when Nakajima pinned Watanabe with an Inside Cradle (16:42).
6. Juria Nagano Graduation Match: Moka Miyamoto defeated Juria Nagano with the Korokan (10:58).

It is time for Juria Nagano to say goodbye to pro wrestling and Tokyo Joshi Pro. For her final show as a wrestler she took part in both the opening match as well as the main event. In her first match of the day Nagano scored the pinfall ensuring she would at least get to add one more victory before ending her run in TJPW. She teamed with Moka Miyamoto in that match but in the main event Shinken Kusho were now by themselves as each other’s opponent. Miyamoto blocked Nagano’s Senpukyaku finisher and used the Korokan to win and close out her tag partner’s wrestling career.

Miyamoto told the fans she and Nagano share Karate as the same backbone for their fighting style. They have been paired together ever since Nagano’s debut so she has always been a big part of Miyamoto’s pro wrestling life. She doesn’t want to see her retire but wishes her the best in the future. Nagano thanked everyone for supporting her and talked about how everyone in TJPW warmly welcomed her even though she could never commit to being here full time. She was only in TJPW for two years but those two years are irreplaceable for her. She will continue to support all of the women here and hopes the fans will continue to support TJPW too.

The new champions coming out of “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” are now getting their first challengers. The semi-main event 6-Woman Tag match ended with Shoko Nakajima pinning Miu Watanabe with an Inside Cradle. That finish came when Nakajima tried to use the Locomotion Northern Lights Suplex and Watanabe blocked the second part of the move. So Nakajima switched to using an Inside Cradle to get the pin out of nowhere. After the match she challenged Watanabe for the Princess Of Princess Title at Korakuen Hall on 6th May.

That wasn’t the only challenge made coming out of the match. Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI told Daisy Monkey they want to fight them for the Princess Tag Team Titles at the same show! The two of them seemed to have formed a bond ever since they fought each other in the final of the Next Generation Tournament. Them fighting Daisy Monkey together fired up their desire to win the tag titles and by being on today’s winning team, they think they should qualify for a shot. Suzume & Arisu Endo accepted the challenge and told them they will become part of their important first title defence.

An injured Hyper Misao was in attendance to announce who will be involved with “HYPE! 2” on 19th April. The wrestlers involved will be Miu Watanabe, Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino, Raku, Mahiro Kiryu, Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami, Toga and Haru Kazashiro. Also confirmed for the show is Sayuri Namba as the ring announcer.


GanPro’s 1st Independent Press Conference

April 12, 2024

GANBARE☆PRO “SPRING BREAKERS 2024”, 27/04/2024
Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall

1. Mizuki Watase & Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Tyson Maeguchi & Tsuyoshi Okada
2. Takuya Wada Vs Shinichiro Tominaga
3. Rekka, Yuna Manase & YuuRI Vs Minoru Fujita, Sayaka Unagi & HARUKAZE
4. Ken Ohka & Fuminori Abe Vs Yumehito Imanari & Tatsuhito Takaiwa
5. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Shuichiro Katsumura (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii

A press conference was held by Ganbare☆Pro on 3rd April to announce their first moves since going independent from CyberFight. A new corporate company called GanPro Entertainment was registered on 1st March. Michiyoshi Mishima is leading the company as its representative director. They 3 million yen worth of capital which includes the remainder of Mishima’s retirement allowance being invested into the company. Ken Ohka and Shuichiro Katsumura also have director roles in the company. Ohka said it is important for humans to live their lives in their own way and he is using that lesson to reach his goal of turning pro wrestling back into a major sport. Katsumura once believed he would retire from wrestling if GanPro ever closed down. So when Ohka told him about the plan to go independent, he made the decision to stick with them.

Yumehito Imanari took it upon himself to film the press conference because GanPro currently does not have their own dedicated video team. He described the move as more than just a restart because everyone involved has gotten stronger by making this move. Everyone will be taking on different jobs and their individuality will help make it a wonderful company to work for. Keisuke Ishii is excited for the new company setup. Even if he feels like he is No. 4 on a baseball team lineup he’ll do his best to hit every clean pitch that is thrown his way.

Munetatsu Nakamura only just graduated from university and came to this conference wearing a suit for the first time. So this really feels like his first day at work. He heard scary stories from his friends about their new working lives. GanPro on the other hand has a homely and open atmosphere that supports him. He will work hard to usher in a new era for GanPro. HARUKAZE said the promotion had become indispensible for her and when she found out about the plans her first thought was to stay with them. Yuna Manase has been with several different joshi companies in her decade long career. But her life and heart had become so much richer since she discovered GanPro. YuuRI hopes that her growth as a wrestler will lead to GanPro growing too.

Manase also brought up hope that Ganbare☆Joshi events can be held again. The group is currently putting all of their strength into the GanPro brand. Mishima said he intends to hold one GanJo show later this year and wants it to take place when Moeka Haruhi is able to wrestle again.


King Of DDT 2024 Brackets

April 12, 2024

DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ 1ST ROUND”, 05/05/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1A: MAO Vs Poison Sawada JULIE
2. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1B: KANON Vs To-y
3. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1C: Yuki Ueno Vs Sanshiro Takagi
4. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1D: Yuki Iino Vs Daisuke Sasaki
5. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1E: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yukio Naya
6. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1F: HARASHIMA Vs Shuji Ishikawa
7. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1G: Tetsuya Endo Vs Danshoku Dieno
8. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1H: Chris Brookes Vs Takeshi Masada

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DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ 2ND ROUND”, 11/05/2024
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1A Vs Winner Of Match 1B
2. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1C Vs Winner Of Match 1D
3. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1E Vs Winner Of Match 1F
4. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1G Vs Winner Of Match 1H

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DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ FINAL!!”, 26/05/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final: X Vs X
2. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final: X Vs X
3. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Final: X Vs X


Catching Up On The News I Missed

April 12, 2024

I’m back from holiday. The week both flew by while also feeling like a ton of news items happened while I was gone. I’ll be spending this weekend writing up last week’s show reports so you’ll be getting them eventually. But first I want to get the upcoming lineups out of the way. I’ll leave the King Of DDT and Ganbare☆Pro stuff for their own posts because I want to write about them separately.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 13/04/2024
Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall

1. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Uta Takami
2. Mizuki & Nao Kakuta Vs Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro
3. Rika Tatsumi, Raku & Chika Nanase Vs Mahiro Kiryu, Toga & Kira Summer
4. Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI
5. Moka Miyamoto Vs Juria Nagano
6. Moka Miyamoto, Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Aino, Pom Harajuku & Shino Suzuki

The final matches of Juria Nagano’s career happens tomorrow. For her graduation she will be wrestling twice with her Shinken Kusho partner Moka Miyamoto. One match will be a singles match against each other while the second match is a 6-Woman Tag. Is that going to be the right match order though?

Hyper Misao is out of action with a right ankle fracture. It looked like she suffered the injury during her match against Steph De Lander at last week’s “GCW VS TJPW” show. Her return will be decided based on her doctor’s diagnosis and recovery time. The injury means she will miss her Daikaiju Pro match back in America later this month.

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN FUKUOKA”, 13/04/2024
Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall

1. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi Vs Danshoku Dieno & Kazuma Sumi
2. Yukio Naya & To-y Vs Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao
3. O-40 Title – 5th O-40 Champion Decision Match: Makoto Oishi Vs Azul Dragon
4. Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Chris Brookes, Takeshi Masada & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
5. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Jun Akiyama & Rukiya
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Akito, HARASHIMA & Kota Umeda

As always whenever I see Kota Umeda added to a DDT card it makes me wish he never left wrestling as a full time career.

BASARA “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024
Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring

1. Ryota Nakatsu Vs Lil’ Kraken
2. FUMA & Daichi Kazato Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yasu Urano Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
4. Isami Kodaka Vs Ryuichi Sekine

This is the BASARA half of the first Gaisen Sakura Pro Wrestling show.

DDT “YAMADA SUISAN CO., LTD. PRESENTS – 4.14 SHIBUSHI MEAT AND FISH BATTLE @ UNAGI STATION”, 14/04/2024
Kagoshima Shibushi City “Unagi Station” Special Venue

1. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Kazuki Hirata & Yukio Naya
2. Danshoku Dieno Vs Kazuma Sumi
3. Jun Akiyama & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Takeshi Masada & Rukiya
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & To-y Vs Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku
5. Yamada Suisan Fish Army Vs Maruto Poultry Chicken Army Final Showdown! Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shishamo Power, Unagi Mask & Super Unagi Mask Vs Makoto “Mr. CHICKEN” Oishi, Chris “THE FALCON” Brookes & Shunma “EL TURKEY” Katsumata

This will be the match order for the show.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024
Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring

1. Miu Watanabe Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Mizuki Vs Pom Harajuku
3. Rika Tatsumi & Nao Kakuta Vs Arisu Endo & Mahiro Kiryu
4. Aja Kong & Raku Vs Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino

And here is the Tokyo Joshi Pro half of Gaisen Sakura Pro. The card had to be changed around a little bit due to Misao’s injury.

DDT “DDT X ZEEKSTAR TOKYO SPECIAL PERFORMANCE ~ DDZT”, 26/04/2024
Tokyo Sumida Ward General Gymnasium

1. 3 Way Match: Yuni Vs Ilusion Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Rukiya
3. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
4. Keigo Nakamura Return Match: MAO Vs Keigo Nakamura
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Sayaka Unagi (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi
6. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy (c) Vs Toru Owashi, Hiroshi Yamato, Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Kawamatsu
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Akito

Due to the request of Toru Owashi we are getting a ground breaking second defence by the reigning KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions! None of the previous champion teams have ever stuck together long enough to take part in a second title defence. SCHADENFREUDE International can now become the most successfuly 10-Man Tag Champs ever if they can beat Owashi’s team of scrappy challengers.

Some controversy happened over the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title while Sayaka Unagi was on her tour of America. She unexpectedly lost and then won back the title against an unknown wrestler at some point. No video footage of the title changes exist and Unagi does not know the name of the person who beat her. After having discussions with the DDT GM Hisaya Imabayashi it was agreed that “Strange Foreigner” will be recognised as the 1,620th champion and when Unagi won it back she became the 1,621st champion. The incident has motivated Sanshiro Takagi even more to reclaim the title for DDT in order to remove any risk of the championship being lost overseas forever.

Keigo Nakamura returns from injury and is immediately being put in the ring against MAO.

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN SAPPORO – DAY 1”, 28/04/2024
Hokkaido Sapporo Sun Plaza Kanaeda

1. Takeshi Masada Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Yuki Iino, Keigo Nakamura & To-y Vs Makoto Oishi, Tomoya & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
3. Jun Akiyama & HARASHIMA Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Rukiya
4. BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
5. Sapporo Specialty Special Single Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Noriyuki Yoshida
6. Special Single Match: Yoshitatsu Vs Danshoku Dieno
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Akito, Chris Brookes & Yukio Naya

Two days after their KO-D Openweight Title match, Yuki Ueno and Akito will still be wrestling each other in a 6-Man Tag Match.

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN SAPPORO – DAY 2”, 29/04/2024
Hokkaido Sapporo Sun Plaza Kanaeda

1. Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Akito
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Noriyuki Yoshida & Rukiya
3. Makoto Oishi & Yoshitatsu Vs Tomoya & To-y
4. Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga Vs Chris Brookes & Kazuma Sumi
5. Yuki Ueno Vs Keigo Nakamura
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs HARASHIMA, Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya
7. Shunma Katsumata 10th Anniversary Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs MAO

Nakamura is not wasting anytime for his return. A few days after he comes back he will be fighting Ueno one on one!

DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 1”, 16/05/2024
Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage

1. Yuki Ishida Return Match: Yuki Ishida Vs X

Coming up in May’s Beer Garden show, Yuki Ishida returns from injury too.

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 11 ~ YUKINORI MATSUI REFEREE 30TH ANNIVERSARY BOX OFFICE ~ MAKING THE SQUARE WORLD INTERESTING”, 19/05/2024
Osaka City Sumiyoshi Civic Center

1. ACF & Koyo Daiichi Consultants Co., Ltd. Presents Single Match: Bushimasa Vs Thanomsak Toba
2. Battle Between Generations! Legends Vs Next Generation Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Jinsei Shinzaki & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Takeshi Masada, To-y & Yuya Korku
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~Everyone Is Superhuman!~: HARASHIMA, Yuji Hino & Chris Brookes Vs Shuji Ishikawa, Shigehiro Irie & Yukio Naya
4. Special Tag Match Wrestling Masters Vs Let’s Go 40’s ~With The Bolivian Wind~: Dick Togo & Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda
5. Triple Main Event – Special Single Match Kuishinbo Kamen & Kikutaro & Yukinori Matsui, Everyone’s 30th Anniversary, Add Them To Get 90th Anniversary(!) Commemorative Match ~Laughing Fukuraimon~: Kuishinbo Kamen Vs Kikutaro
6. Triple Main Event – Special Tag Match ~DDT PRIDE~: Yuki Ueno & Kazusada Higuchi Vs MAO & Tetsuya Endo
7. Triple Main Event – From All Over The World, Arriving In Osaka. Special Singles Match ~THE ALPHA Vs King Of Pro Wrestling~: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Minoru Suzuki

The next match Yukinori Matsui is adding to his show is all about Dick Togo and the wrestlers who look up to him. Daisuke Sasaki, Yasu Urano and Antonio Honda have all been taken under Togo’s wing at some point during their careers.

So the first match on the lineup caught my attention. Thanomsak Toba will be taking on another martial artist called Bushimasa. The match is sponsored by A-Toys Challenge Fight, or ACF for short. I went looking for clips of Bushimasa and found some not so impressive looking fights of his. He has taken part in a match type called Tire Fights where a tyre is placed in the middle of the ring, both fighters stick a foot into the gap and have to box each other while keeping their foot in the tyre. Most of his fights I could find had him lose and convincingly so. I guess he exists to be a human punching bag?

Some of the other guests on the show include Jinsei Shinzaki, Yuji Hino and Shigehiro Irie. Also Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi has been added to the show lineup but does not have a match yet.


BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. THIRTEEN: SPEED OF LIFE” Results

April 9, 2024

BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. THIRTEEN: SPEED OF LIFE”, 09/04/2024
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
??? Fans

1. Special Single Match: Takagi Sanshirobo defeated Tyrannosaurus Inoue by Referee Stoppage (27:11).
2. 3 Way Dance: Baliyan Akki defeated Munetatsu Nakamura and Gaia Hox when Akki pinned Nakamura with a Backslide Pin (12:17).
3. Special Single Match: Maya Yukihi defeated Antonio Honda with the Snow Crystal (14:40).
4. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Miyuki Takase with the Praying Mantis Bomb (13:38).

The latest guest to join in the Baka Gaijin + Friends fun is Miyuki Takase. She is one of the top joshi freelancers going at the moment which makes her a kind of opponent Chris Brookes is always looking for. At the start he showed her respect until he begun making fun of the height difference between them. Takase found a way to make that problem go away by standing on some stools to reach his height. That plan failed when she leaned over to far and Brookes let her fall to the floor. Takase then figured out how to cut her opponent down to her own level. It allowed her to exchange strikes back and forth with Brookes and even hit some big moves. It caused Brookes to change tactics and bring out plastic boxes. Takase used her agility to bust one of the boxes over Brookes’ head but in return he slammed her onto the boxes afterwords. The small room they fought in was somehow big enough for Takase to do the Jackhammer in. Brookes also just had the space needed to do a small Diving Knee Drop from the bar counter. He followed that move with the Praying Mantis Bomb for the three count.

Maya Yukihi came back for her third appearance in Baka Gaijin and finally won a match here for the first time. She took on Antonio Honda. She immediately gave him Leg Kicks which made him call for timeout after each one because they were so painful to take. When he finally got into the swing of things, Yukihi switched her strikes from kicks to slaps causing him to call more timeouts until he could blindside her. Honda took control of the match and focused on pulling Yukihi’s hair while slapping the parts of her body that wasn’t covered by her gear. Yukihi fought back and put Honda in an Anaconda Vice. That was broken up when Honda reached out to a fan and grabbed their hand as if it was a rope break. He got the better of her in a battle of the Bionic Elbows but all momentum stopped when he stepped onto a stool and slipped off. It was to set up the Gongitsune joke and its follow up attack. The attack missed and hit Daisuke Kiso instead. Later the Shining Gongitsune attack also missed and took out Kiso again. Honda went for it one more time but Yukihi deflected it back into his own eyes. She then gave him the Snow Crystal Michinoku Driver to pin him for the victory.

The 3 Way Match had to take place in an odd spot of the show because the opening bout had not even finished yet. But Baliyan Akki, Munetatsu Nakamura and Gaia Hox went out there and gave it their all in a match where everyone needed to have eyes in the back of their heads. It reached the point where each wrestler tried out ways to pin both of their opponents at the same time! With so many trial and errors leading to nearfalls, Akki ended up being the one to outsmart the other two. He was able to pin Nakamura with a Backslide while pressing Hox up against the wall with his feet so the pin wouldn’t be broken.

The show began with a mad doctor entering the room but it was not Mad Dr. Ueki. Instead it was the scientist from the Mummy Research Institute who created Mecha Mummy back in 2005! He heard another doctor was misusing his creation in Baka Gaijin so he came here to show off his newest creation… Takagi Sanshirobo! Fighting the new mecha was a dinosaur on the rampage called Tyrannosaurus Inoue! It was a battle too big for ARENA Shimokitazawa and the two combatants took their fight out to the streets of Tokyo. They took too long to come back so the 3 Way Match had to go ahead. When the 3 Way ended, Sanshirobo Vs Inoue returned to the venue after spending time fighting in a nearby arcade, a fashion store and also a comedy show. Inoue hurt his knees and took a timeout to tell a dirty joke like Antonio Honda would. Meanwhile the scientist fitted Sanshirobo with a new Mecha Hand weapon that sprayed a mystery subtance. It caused Inoue to falter and fall weak as if it was deflating. Sanshirobo gave him multiple Stunners until Inoue collapsed. Kiso checked his arm three times and they dropped each time, resulting in a KO win for Sanshirobo!