GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO BATTLE GAREGGA ’23”, 11/08/2023 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. Miyako Matsumoto Vs Banny Oikawa
2. Ice Ribbon Offer Match: Ibuki Hoshi & Kaho Matsushita Vs Yappy & Tsukina Umino
3. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Sayaka Unagi
4. Sumire Natsu & Riara Vs Maya Yukihi & Alex Lee
5. ICEx∞ Title: YuuRI (c) Vs Ami Manase
The first time the ICEx∞ Title is defended in Ganbare☆Joshi takes place tomorrow. The Ice Ribbon schedule is doing wonders for YuuRI’s progress lately.
DDT “SAKI AKAI 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN KORAKUEN!!”, 13/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yuya Koroku Vs Rukiya
1. Special Single Match: Hideki Okatani Vs KANON
2. Diya Diamond Presents 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Yusuke Okada Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – marcheur Presents Battle Royal: Sanshiro Takagi (c) Vs HARASHIMA Vs Naruki Doi Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda Vs Akito Vs Kazuma Sumi
4. Jemile Fran Presents Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Sakura Hirota Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toy Kojima
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul (c) Vs Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi
6. DDT Extreme Title – Weakness Explosion!! Activation Conditions Are Up To You! Fall & Escape = Ghost & Balloon Explosion Death Match: Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi
7. Nivea Body Wash Presents Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol. 2 ~ Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Saki Akai, Maya Yukihi & Asuka Vs Takumi Iroha, Rina Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima
The main event is now sponsored by Nivea. They have done a few sponsorship deals with CyberFight events every now and then thanks to Saki Akai. A few years ago she tweeted about what her skincare routine looks like as a pro wrestler which included the use of Nivea products. The tweet went viral, the company saw it and the two parties made contact with each other to do some business together.
In an interview on DDT’s website, Akai brought up the reasons why she chose the wrestlers in her main event. Her and Shoko Nakajima debuted around the same time and actually trained together despite Akai belonging to DDT and Nakajima being attached to the still in development Tokyo Joshi Pro. Akai knows how much TJPW separates itself from the rest of the joshi scene so she wanted to see Nakajima experience what it is like to wrestle with people from other promotions. Rina Yamashita is Akai’s favourite wrestler to have matches with, either as partners or opponents. She is excited to see where Yamashita’s career will go next. When Akai briefly got to wrestle in Stardom back in 2014, Takumi Iroha was the only person in the locker room to greet her. Akai became a fan of hers over the years and wanted to be in the same ring with her. Maya Yukihi is somebody Akai credits for making her the wrestler she is today because of how many times they wrestled each other in the first half of last year. Last but not least, Akai calls Asuka a genius who everyone can see is strong but also works very hard. Akai thinks the atmosphere created in her matches is wonderful and that she has everything important needed to be a wrestler.
All Japan wrestler Suwama told Tokyo Sports yesterday he will be attending this show in order to confront Jun Akiyama. Back in 2017 Suwama took part in an Explosion Death Match with Atsushi Onita. Akiyama was the AJPW president at the time and he criticised Suwama for taking part in the match. So when Suwama heard about Akiyama accepting a challenge from Onita to take part in a similar death match next month, it drove him mad. Suwama is even blaming his failure to win the Triple Crown a few days ago on Akiyama’s hypocritical decision. He got himself a ticket for Korakuen Hall this Sunday to see where the old man Akiyama has been isolating himself all this time.
DDT “FIGHTING BEER GARDEN – DAY 1”, 16/08/2023 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Yusuke Okada Vs Rukiya
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Toy Kojima, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada
3. The Scariest Event In History! Ghost Story New Numabukuro Death Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Saki Akai Vs Yuni Vs Hideki Okatani Vs Kazuma Sumi (Ghost Story Reading Artist: Hisaya Imabayashi)
4. Blindfold Hidden Breast 4 Way Death Match: HARASHIMA Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino
5. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & X Vs MAO & Pokotan
6. YOROKOBI BREWERY Infomercial Match: Yuji Hino, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio naya & Yuki Ishida
7. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama
A few of DDT’s young generation take on DAMNATION T.A.
DDT “SOMA TAKAO LOCAL TRIUPMH! MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023 TOUR IN OTA-KU”, 19/08/2023 Tokyo Ota Ward Industrial Plaza PiO Small Exhibition Hall
1. Jun Akiyama, Saki Akai & Antonio Honda Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Rukiya
2. Masamune & Yukio Naya Vs Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi
3. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima
4. Special Tag Match: Soma Takao & Shota Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hirata
Special guest Masamune teams up with Yukio Naya for the first time. The pair will go against Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi.
DDT “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL 2023”, 20/08/2023 Osaka Edion Arena #2
1. Osaka Specialty Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Tsutenkakka Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
2. BURNING Vs Harimao!: Jun Akiyama & Kotaro Suzuki Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida
3. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada Vs Shigehiro Irie & HARASHIMA
4. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yuki Ueno
5. Electric Explosion Bat & Board 6-Man Tag Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Yoshi Tatsu & Toy Kojima Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Soma Takao
Before Onita gets his death match with Akiyama, he has another one to deal with coming up first. The type of death match happening in Osaka is an Electric Explosion Bat & Board 6-Man Tag Death Match. The explosions will be rigged to use three times more ammunition than the normal amount.
GANBARE☆PRO “TOKOROZAWA PARK TOWN SHOPPING STREET 2023”, 26/08/2023 Saitama Tokorozawa Park Town Shopping Street Special
1. GanPro Specialty Mixed 6-Man Tag Match: Shuichiro Katsumura, HARUKAZE & Riara Vs Shinichiro Tominaga, YuuRI & Yoshiko Hasegawa
2. ROMANCE DAWN Vs Japan-Australia Giant Duo: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Hartley Jackson & Gota Ihashi
3. Fresh Ariyama Presents Special 6-Man Tag Match: Ken Ohka, Keisuke Ishii & Seiya Morohashi Vs Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Mizuki Watase & Munetatsu Nakamura
The annual Ganbare☆Pro outdoor show held over at Tokorozawa street is set for the end of the month.
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2023”, 18/09/2023 Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall
1. Current Blast Death Match: Atsushi Onita Vs X
Shigehiro Irie and Shinya Ishida will both be on the show along with Minoru Suzuki.
DDT “SAKI AKAI 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN KORAKUEN!!”, 13/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yuya Koroku Vs Rukiya
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – marcheur Presents Battle Royal: Sanshiro Takagi (c) Vs HARASHIMA Vs Naruki Doi Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda Vs Akito Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Diya Diamond Presents 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Yusuke Okada Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
3. Special Single Match: Hideki Okatani Vs KANON
4. Jemile Fran Presents Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Sakura Hirota Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toy Kojima
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul (c) Vs Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi
6. Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol. 2 ~ Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Saki Akai, Maya Yukihi & Asuka Vs Takumi Iroha, Rina Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima
7. DDT Extreme Title – Weakness Explosion!! Activation Conditions Are Up To You! Fall & Escape = Ghost & Balloon Explosion Death Match: Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi
Yesterday Kazuki Hirata and Yukio Sakaguchi met with Hisaya Imabayashi to sign the contract for their DDT Extreme Title match. Hirata admitted he could not think of a match stipulation in time but promised he would come up with something that Sakaguchi would be pleased with. Sakaguchi signed the contract and Hirata suddenly burst into laughter. He actually did come up with rules and Sakaguchi cannot back out now. The match Hirata wants is a Ghost & Balloon Death Match! The match can be won and lost as normal but whenever there is a kickout or rope break either a “Ghost” or a “Balloon” will enter the ring. It turns out that Sakaguchi does not like either ghosts or balloons so Hirata figured out he can use that information to unsettle his opponent. His point was proven when he took out a pair of rubber gloves, blew them up like balloons and then popped them, causing Sakaguchi to flee the room.
Several matches on the show are being sponsored by different beauty products and salon businesses.
DDT “FIGHTING BEER GARDEN – DAY 1”, 16/08/2023 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. The Scariest Event In History! Ghost Story New Numabukuro Death Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Saki Akai Vs Yuni Vs Hideki Okatani Vs Kazuma Sumi (Ghost Story Reading Artist: Hisaya Imabayashi)
2. Blindfold Hidden Breast 4 Way Death Match: HARASHIMA Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino
3. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & X Vs MAO & Pokotan
4. YOROKOBI BREWERY Infomercial Match: Yuji Hino, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio naya & Yuki Ishida
5. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama
The latest match added to the show has some mystery to it. Yuki Ueno’s unannounced teammate is somebody he believes can become a new rival for Pokotan. Who (or what) could it be? Another mascot?
DDT “MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023”, 27/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Saki Akai Photobook “GRACIA” Infomercial Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda Vs Saki Akai Photobook “GRACIA”
2. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs MAO
3. Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol. 3 ~ Special Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Saki Akai
4. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Yuki Ueno Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama
5. HARASHIMA Debut 22nd Anniversary Match: HARASHIMA, Yasu Urano & Ken Ohka Vs Daisuke Sekimoto, Sanshiro Takagi & Yukio Sakaguchi
Wrestlers close to HARASHIMA are being called together to celebrate his 22nd anniversary in wrestling. Daisuke Sekimoto is the big guest taking part in the match.
DDT wanted to do a match promoting Saki Akai’s new photobook “GRACIA”. Akai is already booked on the show so DDT decided to put together a 3 Way Match between Hirata, Antonio Honda and… the photobook. This is now going to be the second Saki Akai photobook to wrestle in DDT. The first one is a former Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion because of course it would be! It even beat The Young Bucks autobiography to win it.
BASARA “BASARA 227 ~UTAGE~”, 29/08/2023 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Isami Kodaka & Ryuichi Sekine Vs Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka
2. IRON FIST Tag Team Titles: Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. Union MAX Title: Takumi Tsukamoto (c) Vs FUMA
Over the weekend FUMA defeated SAGAT to become the new No. 1 Contender for the Union MAX Title. On a roster as small as BASARA it is one of the strongest challengers Takumi Tsukamoto is going to get.
Part-time roster member Ryuichi Sekine returns to team with Isami Kodaka again.
GANBARE☆PRO “KAMIKAZE TAXI 2023”, 02/09/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Shinichiro Tominaga
The second challenger for Kodaka quickly made himself known over the weekend. Shinichiro Tominaga had a brief stare down with Kodaka at the Ganbare☆Pro show on Sunday afternoon and then later that evening threw out the challenge after he beat Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi in BASARA. The two wrestlers go way back to the final years of Union Pro. Tominaga came into the promotion at the beginning of 2012 as the hot new rookie with a lot of promise behind him. His run in that promotion only lasted 6 months of ring time when he fractured his forearm. Then when 2012 rolled around he declined to renew his contract and went back to the lower independents. It is a decision that has stayed on his mind ever since. Was he right or wrong to leave back then? He eventually bounced back by finding GanPro and becoming a regular part of their shows. He now thinks he is able to catch up with Kodaka. If he beats him for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title then it will prove he made the right choice all those years ago.
Soma Takao will be on the show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’23 ~RIKA TATSUMI LOCAL TRIUMPH~”, 16/09/2023 Nagano Kissei Bunka Hall Middle Hall
1. Aja Kong Vs X
Not only is this show a homecoming for Rika Tatsumi but it is also where Maki Itoh will return from her latest overseas tour. Aja Kong is coming back to Tokyo Joshi Pro for another match too.
1. Sparky Final Match ~Final Battle At The Place Of Formation~ Elimination 8-Man Tag Match: Ryota Nakatsu, SAGAT, Naoki Tanizaki & Akiyori Takizawa Vs Isami Kodaka, Ryuichi Sekine, Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita
As was promised by Ryota Nakatsu a few months ago, his unit Sparky is going to split up after the entire group gets together one last time. The full goodbye is happening in September due to Naoki Tanizaki & Akiyori Takizawa having their own schedules that conflict with BASARA’s dates. Sparky’s final match as a group is against the full force of Sento Minzoku in an Elimination Match.
Kohei Kinoshita will also be on the show, going along with Tanizaki as the second Dove Pro representative.
GANBARE☆PRO “UNDER THE SILVER LAKE 2023”, 06/08/2023 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center 131 Fans
1. Keisuke Ishii Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. GanJo Vs JTO!: Yoshiko Hasegawa & Riara Vs Misa Kagura & HisokA
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari, Mizuki Watase & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Shota, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Tominaga
4. Special Single Match: Ken Ohka Vs Koji Doi
5. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles: Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada (c) Vs Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs YuuRI
BASARA “BASARA 226 ~HAKUSEKIREI NO YORU~”, 06/08/2023 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
1. Takumi Tsukamoto defeated Lil’ Kraken with the High Angle Schmidt-Style Backbreaker (10:01).
2. SAGAT & Akiyori Takizawa defeated Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino when SAGAT pinned Nakano after the Big Mac (10:28).
3. Shinichiro Tominaga defeated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi with the JK (9:27).
4. KUBITO Return Match: Yasu Urano & Fuminori Abe defeated KUBITO & Daichi Kazato when Urano pinned KUBITO with a Butterfly Lock (13:44).
5. Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga defeated Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura when Oosugi pinned Shimomura with the Tsuki no Ishi (10:48).
6. Union MAX Next Challenger Match: FUMA defeated Ryota Nakatsu with the Cross Armbreaker (16:45).
FUMA becomes the No. 1 Contender for the Union MAX Title. He will face Takumi Tsukamoto for the title on 29th August.
Earlier today on the Ganbare☆Pro show Shinichiro Tominaga was hinted to be the next challenger for Isami Kodaka and the Spirit Of Ganbare Title. When Tominaga beat Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi on this show, he told Kodaka that he pinned Mizuki Watase earlier in the day too. He is on a good form lately, good enough that he now thinks he can catch up to Kodaka! He always asked himself what would have happened if he never quit Union Pro. If it was the right move then he needs to prove it with results. Beating Kodaka to win back GanPro’s championship will prove he made the right choice!
KUBITO thanked the other wrestlers for being involved in his return match from injury.
DDT “MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023 TOUR IN YAMAGATA”, 06/08/2023 Yamagata Big Wing 160 Fans
1. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani defeated Kazuki Hirata & Kazuma Sumi when Okatani pinned Sumi with the Northern Lights Suplex (9:18).
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Yuji Hino & Rukiya when Sasaki submitted Rukiya with the Crossface Lock (10:15).
3. Yamagata Specialty Special Tag Match: Yukio Naya & Keisuke Goto defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when Goto pinned Ishida with the Jackhammer (13:44).
4. No Tag Rules: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno defeated Akito & Makoto Oishi when Iino pinned Akito with a Cradle (10:35).
5. Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toy Kojima defeated HARASHIMA, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku when MAO pinned Koroku with the Avalanche Michinoku Driver II (14:49).
6. Special Tag Match: Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama defeated Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada when Irie pinned Masada with the Beast Bomber (17:21).
It’s been several years since Shigehiro Irie left DDT to become a freelancer but he has his eyes on the KO-D Openweight Title and perhaps even more. After today’s main event he said the next time he returns to Yamagata he will be the KO-D Champion. He might also be the KO-D Tag Team Champion with Jun Akiyama if he wants to go that direction.
According to MAO, Yamagata is where he and Toy Kojima both got their driver’s licenses. Don’t know why he felt the need to include that information in his victory speech but whatever gets you over with the locals, I guess.
The first match of the show was actually the Pheromones match but it was quickly called off when Danshoku Dieno started to bleed uncontrollably from his nose. A medical check suspected that Dieno’s nose was broken so he was brought to the back and the show moved on to the next match. Dieno was eventually cleared to continue and the bout restarted as Match #4. After Pheromones won, Dieno said he will always stand in the ring no matter what happens to him. He also invited fans to get the rare opporunity of having their items autographed by a wrestler with a broken nose.
After DAMNATION T.A won their match, Daisuke Sasaki attacked Makoto Oishi. That caused Yuji Hino to grab him and attempt the Fuckin’ BOMB but KANON saved Sasaki and the two of them made their escape. Backstage Hino said the KO-D Tag Titles do not look good on Sasaki & MJ Paul. He thinks they will look better on Ω.
Yukio Sakaguchi was such an intimidating presence in front of Kazuki Hirata he scared him over to a nearby table at ringside and left him immobilised while Hideki Okatani pinned Kazuma Sumi. Sakaguchi then grabbed the DDT Extreme Title and held it away from Hirata but Hirata was able to grab it back before running away.
GANBARE☆PRO “UNDER THE SILVER LAKE 2023”, 06/08/2023 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center 131 Fans
1. Keisuke Ishii defeated Munetatsu Nakamura with the Neck And Arm Lock (8:29).
2. GanJo Vs JTO!: Misa Kagura & HisokA defeated Yoshiko Hasegawa & Riara when Kagura pinned Riara with a Lariat (13:20).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shota, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Tominaga defeated Yumehito Imanari, Mizuki Watase & Tyson Maeguchi when Tominaga pinned Watase with the JK (14:43).
4. Special Single Match: Koji Doi defeated Ken Ohka with the Lariat (11:00).
5. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles: Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada (c) defeated Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE when Katsumura submitted HARUKAZE with the Triple Three 3 Lock (16:05). *V1 for Ground Absolute.
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Isami Kodaka (c) defeated YuuRI with the 1244 (18:32). *V1 for Isami Kodaka.
YuuRI’s ambitious attempt to become a Double Crown champion failed when she was unable to beat Isami Kodaka for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title. She put up a great effort though by kicking out of the Diving Double Knee Drop and also getting back up to fight when the referee tried to count her out. Kodaka had to pull out his rarely used 1244 submission hold to make her give up. Before the show began, YuuRI described Kodaka like a superhero and said she would become Ganbare☆Pro’s superhero if she beat him. Kodaka brought it up again after the match and encouraged YuuRI to become Ice Ribbon’s superhero because she will stay as a supporting character in GanPro for as long as he is GanPro’s champion.
Kodaka’s comments caused most of the GanPro roster to approach the ring and climb onto the apron. He told all of them that supporting characters are not allowed in the ring while the superhero is giving his show closing speech. He also noticed Ken Ohka was not among the wrestlers confronting him. Everyone stepped down to the floor with Shinichiro Tominaga being the last one to do so after he took a moment to stare at Kodaka.
Earlier in the day Ground Absolute were presented with the Spirit Of Ganbare Tag Team Title belts. The championships were not completed in time so trophies were used to represent the prize until today. Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada went on to defend their new belts by beating the unique team of Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE, also known together as Lethal Weapon. HARUKAZE submitted to Katsumura but was praised by the champions for showing guts. Ground Absolute now want to fight any opponents, wrestler or fighter, from any company that will help raise the value of the tag titles. HARUKAZE was upset to lose but asked Jackson if they can continue teaming together. He said of course they will because HARUKAZE is the only wrestler he wants to team with in GanPro.
Ohka’s absence from the main event angle can be explained from his utter defeat to Koji Doi earlier in the show. Doi used an Eye Poke and Low Blow behind the ref’s back to set up his inevitable path to victory. With this result Doi said it should be the end of this story. But he wants to continue making Ohka’s life a misery until Ohka cannot sleep anymore.
Tominaga pinning Mizuki Watase in the 6-Man Tag is a big statement towards him possibly becoming the next challenger for the SOG Title.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’23 ~SHOKO NAKAJIMA LOCAL TRIUMPH~”, 05/08/2023 Niigata Dúo CEREZO 349 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Suzume defeated Runa Okubo with the Mikazuki Meteor Shower (5:36).
2. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao defeated Haruna Neko and HIMAWARI when Misao pinned HIMAWARI with La Magistral Cradle (8:59).
3. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta defeated Mahiro Kiryu & Toga when Kakuta pinned Toga with the Shiden Kai (9:12).
4. Mizuki, Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro defeated Yuki Arai, Raku & Pom Harajuku when Mizuki pinned Harajuku with the Cutie Special (9:52).
5. Special Single Match: Aja Kong defeated Super Sasadango Machine with the Uraken (9:21).
6. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami when Tatsumi pinned Toribami with the Sliding Hip (12:27).
7. Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino defeated Miyu Yamashita & Arisu Endo when Nakajima pinned Endo with the Diving Senton (13:41).
This show is the first time Tokyo Joshi Pro held an event in Shoko Nakajima’s home prefecture of Niigata. Nakajima got to headline the show and score the winning fall in the main event. After the match she said it is fate the show took place in a year where special things are happening to her like. She can’t help but feel she is going to have a wonderful 10th Anniversary celebration later this month. Nakajima is from Tsunan Town and was even greeted by Tsunan’s mayor before her match. Other special guests in attendance included Nakajima’s nephew and new-born niece. But the show was so important to her she felt like everyone who came to see her became her relatives.
Aja Kong wanted to know why TJPW booked her against Super Sasadango Machine on their show but she never got an answer. The title of Sasadando’s PowerPoint presentation was “How To Beat Aja Kong In My First Match In Joetsu To Get More Respect In My Hometown”. He did a lot of research to figure out what advantage he could get against Kong. After holding meetings with author Go Yoshida he discovered Kong’s debut music CD back when she was part of the Jungle Jack with Bison Kimura. So he came up with a plan to play songs from the CD hoping it would cause mental damage to Kong. His second plan was to wear a stainless steel bowl as a helmet beneath his mask to defend himself from Kong’s steel can. If that wasn’t enough he also armed himself with an empty can of Kaki No Tane. None of the ideas worked although Kong was annoyed to hear herself singing for the first time in years. She told Sasadango after the match that she was a singing pro wrestler long before The Up Up Girls ever appeared so she isn’t ashamed of it. If the world wants her to record a remix of “Fire Scream” with The Up Up Girls then maybe it will happen!
Hyper Misao also has a lot of relatives living in Niigata. She claims the region is not a second hometown for her but more like a second “Gotham City”.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’23 ~SHOKO NAKAJIMA LOCAL TRIUMPH~”, 05/08/2023 Niigata Dúo CEREZO
1. Special Single Match: Aja Kong Vs Super Sasadango Machine
2. Suzume Vs Runa Okubo
3. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Haruna Neko Vs HIMAWARI
4. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Mahiro Kiryu & Toga
5. Mizuki, Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro Vs Yuki Arai, Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami
7. Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino Vs Miyu Yamashita & Arisu Endo
Both Yuki Kamifuku and Wakana Uehara will not be on the show due to other priorities that day. Kamifuku is attending an event in Fujisawa City while Uehara is performing on a stage show.
GANBARE☆PRO “UNDER THE SILVER LAKE 2023”, 06/08/2023 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center
1. Keisuke Ishii Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. GanJo Vs JTO!: Yoshiko Hasegawa & Riara Vs Misa Kagura & HisokA
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari, Mizuki Watase & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Shota, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Tominaga
4. Special Single Match: Ken Ohka Vs Koji Doi
5. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles: Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada (c) Vs Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs YuuRI
The long delayed Spirit Of Ganbare Tag Team Title belts have finally been completed and are being sent over to Ganbare☆Pro in time for this weekend’s show. The belts will be presented to Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada on the day as part of a contract signing ceremony with Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE for their title match later in the show.
DDT “MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023 TOUR IN YAMAGATA”, 06/08/2023 Yamagata Big Wing
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Makoto Oishi
2. Kazuki Hirata & Kazuma Sumi Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
3. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Yuji Hino & Rukiya
4. Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toy Kojima Vs HARASHIMA, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
5. Yamagata Specialty Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Yukio Naya & Keisuke Goto
6. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama
Good luck to Kazuki Hirata having to fight Yukio Sakaguchi more so than usual this month because they have a DDT Extreme Title match coming up.
GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO BATTLE GAREGGA ’23”, 11/08/2023 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. Ice Ribbon Offer Match: Ibuki Hoshi & Kaho Matsushita Vs Yappy & Tsukina Umino
2. Miyako Matsumoto Vs Banny Oikawa
3. Sumire Natsu & Riara Vs Maya Yukihi & Alex Lee
4. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Sayaka Unagi
5. ICEx∞ Title: YuuRI (c) Vs Ami Manase
I was wondering why Yoshiko Hasegawa was missing from the lineup. Turns out there was one more match left to announce and it’s her against Sayaka Unagi!
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 12/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Suzume Vs Juria Nagano
2. Wakana Uehara, Toga & Runa Okubo Vs HIMAWARI, Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro
3. Hyper Misao, Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Aino, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko
4. Shoko Nakajima & Miu Watanabe Vs Moka Miyamoto & Arisu Endo
5. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Mizuki & Mahiro Kiryu
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Rika Tatsumi Vs Yuki Kamifuku
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Miyu Yamashita Vs Yuki Arai
The summer is nearing its end and so too is this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup. Four women are left standing and two of those will be next to fall. Miyu Yamashita is trying to win the tournament for the first time after a decade of trying, Yuki Arai is benefitting from adding Saki Akai’s Rookie Award finisher to her moveset, Rika Tatsumi is in the middle of one hell of a run and Yuki Kamifuku is showing everyone just how successful she can be when she puts her mind to it.
Mizuki & Mahiro Kiryu are the two women teaming together to fight NEO Biishiki-gun.
Match #4 is made up of the four women who were knocked out in the Quarter Finals.
The 6-Woman Tag Match in Match #2 is entirely made up of the 2023 class.
DDT “SAKI AKAI 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN KORAKUEN!!”, 13/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yuya Koroku Vs Rukiya
1. Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Yusuke Okada Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Sanshiro Takagi (c) Vs HARASHIMA Vs Naruki Doi Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda Vs Akito Vs Kazuma Sumi
3. Special Single Match: Hideki Okatani Vs KANON
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Sakura Hirota Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toy Kojima
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul (c) Vs Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi
6. DDT Extreme Title: Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi
7. Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol. 2 ~ Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Saki Akai, Maya Yukihi & Asuka Vs Takumi Iroha, Rina Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima
Akai’s next 10th Anniversary match will feature her teaming with Maya Yukihi & Asuka. They were two of her recent big opponents here in DDT. Their opponents all debuted in 2013, the same year as Akai. Takumi Iroha & Rina Yamashita were already announced and this past weekend Shoko Nakajima was revealed to be the third woman on the team.
Hirata found a way to beat HARASHIMA. He’s also beaten Sakaguchi once before but as Extreme Champion he will come up with any stipulation that will tip the scales in his favour. Otherwise Sakaguchi is going to kill him and take his title!
Makoto Oishi has convinced Yuji Hino to go after the KO-D Tag Team Titles with him. Maybe Hino would be better off teaming with Yukio Naya for the match but Oishi being such a caring father for his children convinced Hino to stick with him.
DDT “FIGHTING BEER GARDEN – DAY 1”, 16/08/2023 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. The Scariest Event In History! Ghost Story New Numabukuro Death Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Saki Akai Vs Yuni Vs Hideki Okatani Vs Kazuma Sumi (Ghost Story Reading Artist: Hisaya Imabayashi)
2. Blindfold Hidden Breast 4 Way Death Match: HARASHIMA Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino
3. YOROKOBI BREWERY Infomercial Match: Yuji Hino, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio naya & Yuki Ishida
4. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama
The Fighting Beer Garden shows now has a craft beer sponsor.
DDT “SOMA TAKAO LOCAL TRIUPMH! MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023 TOUR IN OTA-KU”, 19/08/2023 Tokyo Ota Ward Industrial Plaza PiO Small Exhibition Hall
1. Special Tag Match: Soma Takao & Shota Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hirata
2. Jun Akiyama, Saki Akai & Antonio Honda Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Rukiya
3. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima
The recent actions of Konosuke Takeshita has fired up the rivalry between DAMNATION T.A and The 37KAMIINA. The one here is a rematch from the end of June when Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul beat Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima to win the vacant tag titles.
DDT “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL 2023”, 20/08/2023 Osaka Edion Arena #2
1. Osaka Specialty Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Tsutenkakka Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
2. BURNING Vs Harimao!: Jun Akiyama & Kotaro Suzuki Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida
3. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada Vs Shigehiro Irie & HARASHIMA
4. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yuki Ueno
5. Current Blast Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Yoshitatsu & Toy Kojima Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Soma Takao
Sasaki has a few singles matches against different members of The 37KAMIINA this month. Yuki Ueno keeps being told by Takeshita to follow his lead and Sasaki has become a big supporter of that idea.
DDT “MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023”, 27/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol. 3 ~ Special Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Saki Akai
2. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs MAO
3. HARASHIMA Debut 22nd Anniversary Match: HARASHIMA Vs X
Sasaki also has to face MAO. He might start regretting taking Takeshita’s side in the matter just because of how much extra ring work it’s giving him.
Akai asked Danshoku Dieno for a singles match to call back memories of the Extreme Title bout from 2016. Their match back then featured a stipulation that nobody was allowed to cry or else they would lose. It was a match that Akai learned a lot and still thinks about after all this time. Dieno understands how much it means to her and will not be using his “Dandy” persona for that reason.
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN IZUKOGEN GRANILLUMI”, 02/09/2023 Shizuoka Izu Granpal Park
1. Falls Count Anywhere 4 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Saki Akai Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toy Kojima (w/ Shunma Katsumata) Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Shinya Aoki & Takeshi Masada Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & X
A lot of people are gathering together to wrestle among the bright lights of Izu Granpal Park. Not only is Shinya Aoki showing up but Pheromones will be joined by a mystery wrestler.
DDT “DDT BIG BANG 2023”, 09/09/2023 Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1. Pheromones Vs Subjugation Final Match! Special Single Match ~ Dissolution Contra Vice President: Yuki “Sexy” Iino (w/ Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno) Vs Akito
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani Vs Yuko Miyamoto, Isami Kodaka & Ram Kaichow
3. Special Tag Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yuki Ueno & MAO
4. Current Blast Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Yoshi Tatsu & Toy Kojima Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Chris Brookes (c) Vs Shigehiro Irie
Sick of his demands being ignored, Atsushi Onita took it upon himself last week to crash a training session at the DDT dojo and confront Jun Akiyama. Apparently Onita got in touch with Kojima and demanded to find out when Akiyama was in the building. Kojima told him but didn’t actually expect he would show up. Onita told Akiyama the names of many famous wrestlers who fought him in Explosion Death Matches then asked why is he the only person who refuses to take part? Onita also reminded Sanshiro Takagi he was promised this match would happen. Akiyama accepted the challenge and both sides decided their teams. Onita will team with Yoshi Tatsu & Toy Kojima while Akiyama & Takagi will add Yusuke Okada to their team.
Is the team of Ueno & MAO enough to beat Takeshita & Sasaki? We’re heading into dangerous territory here as tensions raise higher and higher.
If Eruption are still the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions coming out of their All Japan appearance at the end of this month then their match against Yuko Miyamoto, Isami Kodaka & Ram Kaichow will be a title match.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’23 ~NAGOYA PERFORMANCE~”, 18/09/2023 Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall
1. Saki Akai & Yuki Arai Vs X & X
This will be the final time Reiwa AA Cannon will team together, just two months before Akai retires.
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2023”, 18/09/2023 Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall
1. Current Blast Death Match: Atsushi Onita Vs X
Minoru Suzuki will be on the show. This is happening the same day as the Bullet Train match with Takagi by the way. How else were they making it to Nagoya?
“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW”, 19/09/2023 Shinjuku FACE
1. Special Exhibition: Masahiro Takanashi Vs KUDO
2. Yukio Sakaguchi, Isami Kodaka & Ken Ohka Vs MAO, Daiki Shimomura & Munetatsu Nakamura
3. Special Single Match: Mei Suruga Vs Minoru Suzuki
4. Chris Brookes Vs Masahiro Takanashi
No way was KUDO going to miss Masahiro Takanashi’s big show. He isn’t in ring shape to do a full wrestling match so Takanashi decided KUDO will face him in a 5 minute exhibition instead.
DDT “SHINKANSEN PRO WRESTLING”, 18/09/2023 Nozomi No. 371 From Tokyo Station
1. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Sanshiro Takagi
In 2012 Sanshiro Takagi and Minoru Suzuki fought each other in Budokan Hall. In 2017 Takagi and Suzuki fought inside an empty Tokyo Dome. In 2022 the rivalry has found a new battlefield… the Bullet Train! There have been pro wrestling matches held inside moving trains before but for the first time ever one will be held on the Shinkansen travelling from Tokyo to Nagoya. The Falls Count Anywhere match will be held inside a train car reserved by DDT with room for 85 fans to watch it in person (10 of those seats are expensive premium seats of course). The train leaves Tokyo at 1:09pm and scheduled to arrive in Nagoya at 2:45pm.
Takagi had a lot of discussions with the railway management in order to make this match happen. There will be some restrictions on what Takagi and Suzuki can do in the match for the safety of the train and everyone inside it but Takagi is certain the match will be done safely. Takagi lost his two previous single matches against Suzuki and wants to get revenge by winning this one. Suzuki has already worked out how more dangerous he is fighting inside a moving bullet train. If the bullet train moves at 285km and he throws a punch at 115km then that means he will hit Takagi at a speed of 400km! He also thinks he can beat Takagi inside a tight space so fighting inside a train car won’t be difficult for him.
In fact, the only thing that Suzuki is concerned about is what will everybody do for the rest of the journey after he beats Takagi in minutes? It doesn’t matter what limitations are put on him, his fighting experience going all the way back to Pancrase makes him prepared for anything. Should he bring a bento box for lunch and play with a pack of cards to keep himself entertained? Will there be a shopping cart so he can buy himself an ice cream? A later meeting will be held to fully decide what will and will not be allowed.
Takagi has told DDT and CyberFight to be prepared for whatever happens in the match. I don’t mean safety wise but publicity. A star like Suzuki being involved means news of this match will reach all around the world. Takagi guarantees something amazing will happen. This match is happening the same day DDT is holding a show in Nagoya. Suzuki has agreed to wrestle on that show too.
America had to deal with the adventures of MAO & Yoshihiko for most of July. The two of them were inseperable and causing chaos on every wrestling show they were booked for. Meanwhile Konosuke Takeshita is fitting into his heel role nicely, bringing the act over from AEW to DDT and creating consequences in both companies. Since next month is AEW’s big week of doing Wembley in London and the United Center in Chicago one after the other you would think Takeshita will get an important match somewhere on either card.
With those topics out of the way that leaves us with Maki Itoh. The experience gained from touring America is doing wonders for her career but she didn’t win the Princess Of Princess Title back in Tokyo Joshi Pro like she hoped. Her storyline in GCW is coming to a head in August and she has her sights set on many more tours in the future. It can make you wonder if she will reach a stage where she might choose to say goodbye to TJPW some day. Her interviews on the subject have been contradictory depending on who she talks to. She would love to get a full time deal from a big American company but she also likes being signed to TJPW because they let her work this kind of international schedule. It’s nothing to fret over right now but the thought has crossed my mind when it became clear her future plans do not include the Princess Title.
CIRCLE 6 “LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE”, 16/07/2023 1720 Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. AJ Gray Vs MAO
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 19/07/2023 TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
1. Blood & Guts: Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson & Kota Ibushi Vs Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita & PAC
Video starts at 1:01:38 for the match. Go to 01:41:04 for Itoh’s birthday celebration. SMASH “CAN-US CLASSIC 2023”, 22/07/2023 Western Fair District, London, Ontario, Canada
1. Jody Threat Vs Maki Itoh
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Results
EVE “NMITB”, 02/07/2023 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. Eve Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Rhio with the Crash Rabbit Heat (21:21). *V6 for Miyu Yamashita.
Miyu Yamashita was scheduled to defend the EVE Title against Emersyn Jayne but the challenger couldn’t make the show due to travel problems. Yamashita instead had to put the belt on the line against “The Unbreakable” Rhio with both wrestlers having no time to prepare for each other. Rhio’s power was brought into the fore with her getting nearfalls from a Pumphandle Bomb and Death Valley Driver onto her knee. But Yamashita escaped from a Package Piledriver attempt and caught Rhio with the Skull Kick. Rhio fell next to the ropes so she used a rope break to avoid being pinned. Yamashita then wore her down with kicks until she could pin Rhio with the Crash Rabbit Heat.
WEST COAST PRO “CRUEL SUMMER 2023”, 08/07/2023 United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco, California, USA
1. Bryan Keith defeated MAO with the Emerald Tiger Driver (15:55).
MAO’s trip to America began at West Coast Pro where Bryan Keith was waiting for him. Keith had warned MAO not to expect any moonlight on this ocassion while MAO thought he would be fine because he is a “fucked up wrestler with an empty head.” That was proven when Yoshihiko interfered to help him! Keith survived the surprise attack and fired himself up and threw Yoshihiko out of the ring with a Razor’s Edge to even the odds. After a back and forth, Keith pinned MAO with the Emerald Tiger Driver for the win.
JCW “BIG ASS EXTREME BIRTHDAY BASH”, 09/07/2023 Ridgefield Park Knights of Columbus, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA
1. MAO defeated Mike Bailey with the Avalanche Michinoku Driver (14:47).
2. Bunkhouse Stampede: Manders defeated Charles Mason by Ring Out (22:13). Order Of Elimination: Jay Sawyer, Steve Off, Steve Scott, Grim Reefer, Brogan Finlay, Marcus Mathers, Kaia McKenna, Charlie Tiger, Eddy Herrera, Bam Sullivan, CPA, Ciclope, Miedo Extremo, Yoshihiko, Yoya, John Wayne Murdoch, Parrow and Charles Mason.
Wherever MAO went in America, Yoshihiko followed him the entire way. It led to an awkward reunion with Mike Bailey in JCW. MAO and Speedball faced off in a battle between The Moonlight Express but things went sideways when MAO accidentally knocked out the referee with a Helluva Kick. Yoshihiko grabbed itself a ref shirt and went in as the replacement! However its officiating didn’t meet Bailey’s expectations so Yoshihiko was thrown out of the ring Razor’s Edge style deep into the crowd. The distraction might have led to Bailey’s undoing because MAO went on to beat him with a top rope Michinoku Driver with the original ref making the count.
Yoshihiko would reappear in a Bunkhouse Stampede match booked later in the show. It was a complete free for all where Yoshihiko appeared for a confrontation with Charles Mason and his backup muscle Parrow. The three of them have previous bad blood in the GCW/JCW system because Mason hates being embarrassed by the doll. Parrow tried to throw Yoshihiko out but Yoshihiko grabbed onto him and applied a Sleeper Hold. Mason lost his mind and hit Yoshihiko/Parrow with chairshot after chairshot before finally throwing the doll out of the ring to eliminate it.
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 12/07/2023 (Aired 14/07/2023) SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Mentallo with a Diving Senton (4:07).
Don Callis went the personal route to help Takeshita prepare for Blood & Guts. The show took place in Canada so Callis got AEW to book Kenny Omega’s longtime friend and training partner Mentallo as Takeshita’s opponent. The masked wrestler put up a good effort but Takeshita was victorious in the end, using a Diving Senton to add a new high flying move to his arsenal.
IWTV “MARCUS MATHERS ALL I WANT 2”, 13/07/2023 H20 Wrestling Center, Williamstown, New Jersey, USA
1. Yoshihiko defeated Jimmy Lloyd with the Yoshihiko Destroyer (9:56).
2. MAO defeated Brandon Kirk with the Phoenix Splash through the Plastic Cases (16:14).
The bottom ring rope snapped off during the first five minutes of the opening match and couldn’t be repaired. That should tell you the kind of night waiting ahead for MAO and Yoshihiko. But that’s the kind of fucked up wrestling MAO wants so he didn’t lose a step fighting against Brandon Kirk. A lot of chairs and plastic boxes were thrown into the mix for the two to beat each other up with.
Yoshihiko was tasked with fighting Jimmy Lloyd and both were prepared to tear the place apart. Yoshihiko did a balcony dive and landed Headbutt first onto Lloyd to break him through a wooden panel. Lloyd tried using a Steiner Screwdriver, Package Piledriver and Sleeper Suplex onto chairs but couldn’t get the three count. He went desperate by taking Yoshihiko to the top rope with chairs laid out below. Yoshihiko flipped him off with a Canadian Destroyer onto the chairs and then followed up with a second Destroyer for the finish.
GCW “NOW AND FOREVER”, 14/07/2023 Melrose Ballroom, Queens, New York, USA
1. Maki Itoh defeated Billie Starkz with the Itoh Deluxe (15:16).
2. Mike Bailey defeated Yoshihiko with the Stormbreaker (23:28).
3. GCW World Title: Blake Christian (c) defeated MAO with a Step Up Curb Stomp (14:21) *V6 for Blake Christian.
MAO had a big chance to grab some gold in his trip to GCW proper. He took on Blake Christian for the GCW World Title but things just didn’t work out for him on this night. Christian gave him a Low Blow, a Death Valley Driver and then finished him off with a Curb Stomp for a successful title defence.
There was something familiar about Bailey Vs Yoshihiko but I just can’t quite put my finger as to what it was. In a completely original match Bailey was accompanied by MAO Callis and his bodyguards. MAO was quickly ejected backstage but later returned to hand Bailey a screwdriver to attack Yoshihiko with. He then used the One-Winged Angel but Yoshihiko kicked out at one. Bailey lost his temper so he gave Yoshihiko the Tiger Driver ’91 (maybe that should be written without the apostraphe because he slammed the doll’s head into the mat around 91 times), the Hidden Blade and the Stormbreaker to win the match. It was unlike anything anyone had seen within the space of a three week period.
In a rematch from last August, Itoh defeated Billie Starkz not just in a wrestling match but in a pose-off to see who is cuter that happened midway through. After the match Itoh celebrated with Nick Gage and they then threw out a challenge to Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander. A video message from the two played over the screen in response but it turned out to be a trap! Cardona & De Lander ran into the ring through the crowd and ambushed Maki Death Kill. When they were done with the attack they accepted the challenge for a tag match.
1. Maki Itoh defeated Vanessa Kraven with the I.S.D. (14:49).
I don’t often talk much about match quality in these articles but you’re best to avoid watching this one. It wasn’t good.
CIRCLE 6 “BARROOM BLITZ”, 15/07/2023 Knucklehead Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. MAO Vs Bobby Beverly
I couldn’t find the result for this match on a show that had no wrestling ring. What I could find was footage of MAO giving Bobby Beverly a really nasty looking Package Piledriver onto a chair with Beverly’s head clipping off of the headrest. There was also footage of MAO singing with a band so win or lose he looked like he was having a great time.
CIRCLE 6 “LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE”, 16/07/2023 1720 Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. AJ Gray defeated MAO with a Lariat (?:??).
Yoshihiko again interfered in one of MAO’s matches to aid him, this time against AJ Gray. While Yoshihiko did not get hurled across the room into the audience, Grey overcame the 2-on-1 disadvantage to win.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 19/07/2023 TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
1. Blood & Guts: Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson & Kota Ibushi defeated Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita & PAC when Moxley gave up (23:01).
Oh what drama that has been brewing in The Elite Vs Blackpool Combat Club feud in its final month. Takeshita travelled over to Mexico to assault Omega then helped BCC launch another attack on him back in America. That was when The Elite revealed their ace in the hole for Blood & Guts. The return of Kota Ibushi! In a match that was violent as promised, the BCC team fell apart when PAC took an accidental blow from Claudio Castagnoli. PAC has no loyalty to the group so he broke out of the cage and left. When The Elite got their second wind, Callis told Takeshita to leave the cage too! Takeshita did so and The Elite went on to beat BCC to end their feud.
1. Maki Itoh defeated Jody Threat with the I.S.D. (?:??).
Itoh was having a good night in Smash to begin with when she defeated Jody Threat. Then at the end of the show she was given a surprise birthday party in the ring because everyone found out it was her birthday that day! How sweet of them.
PRESTIGE “ALL RISE”, 23/07/2023 House Of Independents, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA
1. Trish Adora defeated Maki Itoh with the Lariat Tubman (13:43).
Itoh’s return to Prestige was for a semi-main event match against Trish Adora. Oddly enough this was the first time they’ve faced each other even though Adora has become a regular opponent for TJPW wrestlers. Itoh lost on this day by running straight into Adora’s Lariat. Itoh declined to shake her hand afterwards.
DEFY “SPIRIT WC”, 28/07/2023 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
1. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) defeated Maki Itoh with the Game Over (?:??). *V7 for Vert Vixen.
The main event of DEFY’s women only show was where Itoh had her latest chance to win an American championship. Vert Vixen defeated her, making it three successful DEFY Women’s Title defences against TJPW talent.
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Upcoming Appearances
AEW “DYNAMITE 200”, 02/08/2023 Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida, USA
1. Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita Vs Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia
It was only a matter of time until Chris Jericho would latch onto the new hot act and change the story into one about himself. He got the screen time with Callis while Takeshita was back in Japan wrestling for DDT. When Takeshita returns to America he will team with Jericho to take on Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia in the latest chapter of the Jericho Appreciation Society story. It’s going to suck if the latest direction for “ALL IN” and “ALL OUT” only pushes Takeshita into the background. Maybe there is hope for him getting an important match if Omega is not going to face Will Ospreay for a third time or if Ibushi is not being a tease about showing up at Wembley.
WRESTLING REVOLVER “HEAT EM UP”, 03/08/2023 Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Gringo Loco Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Coming in hot right as I am finishing up this article is news that Takeshita will be at this Thursday’s Wrestling REVOLVER show as a last minute replacement for Jon Moxley. According to Moxley he gave REVOLVER his approval for them to book Takeshita. The original plan was for Moxley to take on Gringo Loco in a Lucha Street Fight. Instead Loco will face Takeshita but the Street Fight stipulation seems to be dropped.
DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 1”, 04/08/2023 Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA
1. 6-Person Scramble: Brittnie Brooks Vs Maki Itoh Vs Zayda Steele Vs B3CCA Vs Kaia McKenna Vs Shazza McKenzie
The winner of the scramble match in DREAMWAVE earns a spot in a match on 14th October that will crown the promotion’s first Women’s Champion.
DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 2”, 05/08/2023 Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Most likely the results on the first show will determine what Itoh is doing on the second. DREAMWAVE says there will be a second Scramble match on this second show where the winner also qualifies for October’s championship match. So if Itoh does not win the first time then maybe she can get a second chance if she demands it.
GCW “NO SIGNAL IN THE HILLS”, 11/08/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. 4 Way Match: Allie Katch Vs Steph De Lander Vs Maki Itoh Vs Masha Slamovich
The four leading women in GCW right now are all set to collide in a 4 Way Match. Itoh has her grudge with De Lander but the likes of Allie Katch and Masha Slamovich could get in her way.
KOPW “THE NEW ERA OF CHINESE PRO WRESTLING III”, 19/08/2023 Tianyue Sports City, Nanhai Foshan, Guangdong, China
1. Mizuki Vs Nao Kakuta
TJPW is sending Mizuki and Nao Kakuta over to China to hold an offer match at the latest King Of Pro Wrestling show. The Chinese promotion has booked joshi before such as Riho, Makoto, Emi Sakura and Mei Suruga.
NJPW “LEC PRESENTS ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL USA 2023”, 19/08/2023 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. El Desperado & MAO Vs Nick Wayne & Jordan Oliver
The first “ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL” in Tokyo earlier this year was such a major success New Japan and the sponsor LEC decided to bring the concept over to America. MAO gets invited back as a result and gets to take on The East West Express again. This time however he is teaming with El Desperado, making it the first time those two will be in the same match together.
GCW “HOMECOMING – PART 1”, 19/08/2023 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander Vs Nick Gage & Maki Itoh
The big grudge match GCW has been building up since March finally takes place near the end of the summer. Maki Death Kill have been trading blows back and forth with Cardona & De Lander ever since. Is one match enough to settle the score?
GCW “HOMECOMING – PART 2”, 20/08/2023 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs B3CCA
If that is the end of the feud then what will be next for Itoh in GCW?
ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 25/08/2023 Roundhouse, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
1. Charli Evans Vs Maki Itoh
The answer of course is go to Australia! GCW is touring over there with a local group called Renegades Of Wrestling. First up Itoh takes on Charli Evans.
ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 26/08/2023 Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
1. ROW Women’s Title: Aysha (c) Vs Maki Itoh
The second Australian show gives Itoh a shot at the ROW Women’s Title held by Aysha. The promotion has only been around for a year so the championships don’t have much history behind them. I think Aysha is more of a regular with Deathmatch Downunder.
EVE/CHOCOPRO “CHOCOPRO X EVE SUPER SHOW”, 26/08/2023 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
2. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Well, well, well, isn’t this a surprise? ChocoPro are heading over to London the same weekend as All In to hold shows with EVE. It makes sense for Masahiro Takanashi to be one of the guests because he is linked to Gatoh Move. But Yamashita appearing on the show is something I didn’t expect even though she is EVE’s main champion. There is also a solo ChocoPro event happening that day but this is the show where you will get to see Yamashita. Do you think AEW is interested in booking her again, for the next day? I hope so but the answer is probably no. Come on, she’ll become the only person to wrestle in the Tokyo Dome and Wembley the same year if they book her!
ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 27/08/2023 Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
1. Allie Katch Vs Maki Itoh
Itoh ends the Australia tour with a match against Allie Katch. Itoh already has a singles win over her in GCW. In fact that was the match where she discovered how useful a pizza cutter is against opponents.
GCW “SAY YOU WILL”, 01/09/2023 Grand Sports Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois New Jersey, USA
1. Nick Gage & Maki Itoh Vs X & X
Another tag match for Maki Death Kill? This could go anywhere from fighting The East West Express to taking on Los Macizos or anywhere in between!
MLW “FURY ROAD”, 03/09/2023 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. B3CCA Vs Maki Itoh
Now Major League Wrestling has to deal with Maki Itoh. MLW has a habit of chasing after trends but not really getting much out of them. The company also has a knack of putting out whatever news stories they want and wresting sites will report it without question. Court Bauer just has the clout to say anything and always be taken at face value I guess. The curse of that though is the attention never really pays off with anything substantial. When MLW is at its best their storylines can be really creative and different to what the other promotions are doing. But if they don’t have a plan for you you’re just there to put over people they do have plans for. Even worse is how they sometimes write people out of storylines. Itoh can kayfabe be carried out of her last show inside a body bag if they want to. Or since her opponent B3CCA has a pop singer gimmick on the show they can do a vocal injury if they want to get sinister. But that’s just me fantasy booking based on what they’ve done before.
PRESTIGE “THE RESPECT ISSUE”, 24/09/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Trish Adora Vs Shoko Nakajima
Good to see Shoko Nakajima getting international bookings again. Prestige seems to handle that sort of stuff Stateside thanks to their working relationship with TJPW. They’re trying to get her a couple other bookings while she’s over there. A match with Trish Adora is the first one on the cards for her.
Posted by JamieOD 
