GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO RESTART ’23”, 01/04/2023 Yokohama Radiant Hall
A press conference was held by Ganbare☆Pro today for Yuna Manase with Ken Ohka and Michiyoshi Mishima also in attendance. It was to announce that Manase will be out of action for the time being in order to get knee surgery. She revealed she’s been dealing with a ruptured ACL and also a damaged meniscus in her left leg. The origin of the injury happened two years ago but Manase refused to get surgery at the time. Ganbare☆Joshi had begun running shows that year and she wanted to be part of them. Taking a long time off to heal her injury was an unnecessary option and she does not regret her decision. Last Autumn she noticed the pain in her knees was rising higher and consulted with everyone in the company over what to do. She continued to wrestle because it was at the time when she was getting so many opportunities everywhere from fighting in a Spirit Of Ganbare Title match to wrestling in other promotions like Ice Ribbon and Marvelous. Over the new year her doctor told her the knee was in worse condition and she needed to get the surgery. He was also sympathetic to Manase and told her “you did your best.” There is no timetable for Manase’s return but once she gets the surgery she thinks it will be about 10 months before she can start rehabbing her knee.
Ohka was full of praise for Manase’s fighting spirit and being part of Ganpro’s family. He knows she will be back in the ring some day and everyone will be there to support her. A reporter asked Mishima if the announcement will effect the GanJo division. Mishima said the all women GanJo show they announced at the end of last year was originally going to take place this month but then Manase’s situation came up. They also found out HARUKAZE’s schedule outside of pro wrestling (she is part of a comedy duo called Never Give Up) has gotten busier. She told them she prefers to be on the regular GanPro shows whenever she is available because she wants to fight men as well as women. So GanJo will become a blank slate because its two main characters are missing and they will wait for Manase’s return to restart it.
At that moment the press conference was suddenly interrupted by YuuRI and Yoshiko Hasegawa. With Manase out of action, the two of them asked if they could carry GanJo in her place? They both have not been wrestling for long but they want to protect GanPro and keep the flame of GanJo burning for Manase to return. Ohka told them it is not easy to produce a wrestling show by themselves but he was able to do it for the very first GanPro event with just 15,000 yen. He is happy to see YuuRI & Hasegawa doing whatever they can to help and told them the relaunch show will go ahead! Mishima decided the show will take place in Yokohama Radiant Hall on 1st April because GanPro already had the venue reserved for that date. It is now up to YuuRI & Hasegawa to put it all together!
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023 IN OSAKA”, 05/02/2023 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall 216 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Yuya Koroku (2) defeated Kazuma Sumi (0) with a Triangle Lancer (6:39).
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Hideki Okatani (4) defeated Ilusion (0) with the Double Arm Suplex (6:25).
3. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Shunma Katsumata & Maku Donaruto ended in a No Contest (10:55).
4. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Toi Kojima (2) defeated Yuki Ishida (0) with the Kojima In Wonderland ~KOJIMA Wonderland~ (8:58).
5. Osaka Specialty Special Tag Match: Naruki Doi & Toru Owashi Vs MJ Paul & KANON ended in a Double Countout (2:34).
5a. Rematch: Naruki Doi & Toru Owashi defeated MJ Paul & KANON when Doi pinned Paul with the V9 Clutch (9:08).
6. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Chris Brookes defeated Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi when Higuchi submitted Oishi with the Brain Claw (13:39).
7. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hirata when Endo pinned Hirata with the Swivel Torture Rack Boom (15:12)
8. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & MAO defeated Yukio Naya & Takeshi Masada when Ueno pinned Masada with the WR (18:47).
1. Keigo Nakamura (2)
2. Toi Kojima (2)
-. Yuki Ishida (0)
-. Takeshi Masada (0)
Given that today’s show was taking place in Osaka, Yuki Ueno had a few words to say after the main event. First, he did not expect Yukio Naya to be even more fired up than he was when they fought in the D-Ou Grand Prix final. Second, he heard about Takeshi Masada, also from Osaka, was amazing for a newcomer. He now believes it after fighting him today. However Ueno thinks it will be Toi Kojima who wins the D GENERATIONS CUP and goes to Hollywood with him. Speaking of Hollywood, Ueno then promoted his singles match against Konosuke Takeshita at “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD” in Los Angeles on 30th March and asked for the fans to support him. The 37KAMIINA is the unit that will make the entire world hot in 2023 but Ueno’s heart will always be in Osaka. MAO does not like Osaka however because of that one time he and Mike Bailey had travel issues there and arrived late for a show.
Yukio Sakaguchi ordered Kazuki Hirata not to wear his Hirata GO! glasses for the semi-main event because it was “not that kind of match”. Hirata tried to put them on but Sakaguchi took the glasses off him and placed them over in the other team’s corner. Hirata eventually got the glasses back and began dancing. Somehow all of his opponents then appeared in the ring wearing Hirata GO! glasses too. Jun Akiyama knocked Hirata down with a Lariat, Yusuke Okada hit a Diving Headbutt and Tetsuya Endo pinned him with the Torture Rack Bomb. HARASHIMA didn’t spend much time caring about the loss. His focus quickly switched to watching how his next big opponent Naya fared in the main event.
The Brain Claw was used by Kazusada Higuchi to counter Makoto Oishi’s Fujiyama Knee Lock. When Oishi applied the move, Higuchi grabbed his head in the Claw and overpowered him for the tapout victory.
Naruki Doi and KANON took their fight out of the ring and kept it out there long enough for the tag match to end in a Double Countout. Doi got on the microphone and said this was their last match before the DDT Universal Title bout on 18th February and he did not want it to end this way. KANON agreed so the match restarted. It almost ended in another Double Countout but they both made it back to the ring at 19. MJ Paul tagged in and KANON struck Doi in the back with a chair when the referee wasn’t looking. However things then went wrong for DAMNATION T.A and Doi pinned Paul out of nowhere with the V9 Clutch. KANON & Paul both attacked Doi after the match, leaving him beaten in the middle of the ring. Backstage Doi admitted KANON did what he is supposed to do and he wants him to do the same when the title is on the line. There will be nobody in his corner when that match happens and Doi wants to test how far KANON can go on his own.
Of course the Pheromones match with Maku Donaruto also involved ended in an obscene No Contest. There was no way the finish would be anything else. The antics caused Shunma Katsumata to turn into Shunma “Chunma” Katsumata and it was he who caused the match to get thrown out when he gave Yukinori Matsui the Lip Lock.
Three block matches in the D GENERATIONS CUP took place today. Kojima is off to a good start by beating Yuki Ishida. He dodged the Ensho Palm Strike and then used two versions of the Kojima In Wonderland to pin Ishida. He is very satisfied with the result because he could tell Ishida was giving him his “Dosukoi” best effort. His next group opponent is Keigo Nakamura and he promises to beat him up because he finds him annoying.
Hideki Okatani takes the clear lead in the A Block after winning his second match in a row. It was Ilusion’s first match in the tournament and he threw everything he had at his opponent. Okatani isn’t interested in following Ilusion’s career but he admits he is now a little more aware of the guy after the match they had today. Ilusion said he will win his remaining matches and go on to win the tournament. He also swore he will spend years and even decades chasing after Okatani so he can overtake him!
The only person who can stop Okatani in the A Block now is Yuya Koroku. His first match today ended with a win and he will have to beat Ilusion next week to catch up with Okatani. He uses a Triangle Lancer to beat Kazuma Sumi after discovering that Sumi was a more aggressive opponent than he expected. Sumi cannot reach the final now but will stay strong for his final group match. All he can do now is do his best.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT WINTER ~OSAKA PERFORMANCE~”, 04/02/2022 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall 166 Fans
1. Kaya Toribami defeated HIMAWARI with the Bird Cage (6:43).
2. Suzume defeated Wakana Uehara with the Ring A Bell (7:06).
3. Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Yoshiko Hasegawa defeated Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko when Kakuta pinned Neko with the Shiden Kai (11:26).
4. Mizuki defeated Raku with the Cutie Special (9:19).
5. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku when Tatsumi pinned Harajuku after the Daydream Eternity (13:03).
6. Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh & Moka Miyamoto Vs Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Arisu Endo ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
The main event preview of the Max Heart Tournament final went to a time limit draw. Kyoraku Kyomei started the match asking for a serious fight only to attack 121000000 before they could respond. Arisu Endo was took out a roll of tape with a aim of wrapping it around her opponents but couldn’t find the line on the tape to pull from. She had to ask Yukinori Matsui to find it for her. Shoko Nakajima got the tape and wrapped Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh together outside the ring. Yamashita & Itoh were able to get back into the ring together and somehow do a few of their signature moves while still being stuck to each other. The tape was eventually broken and the two were freed. Endo turned her attention to Moka Miyamoto while the two tag teams still battled each other. After 20 minutes no winner could be determined.
After the match Yamashita said she is happy to face Kyoraku Kyomei at the final on 11th February. Itoh acted like she was closing out the show and asked the audience who the cutest in the world is? Hyper Misao stopped her because her team didn’t win the match. Nakajima agreed and said it doesn’t matter who the cutest in the world is because she is the biggest in the world! Misao claimed she didn’t get to show even half of her ability today and Kyoraku Kyomei will win the Max Heart Tournament. Endo then said she will go and beat Miyamoto on the same show.
Raku was able to counter Mizuki’s Cutie Special with a Front Neck Lock. However Mizuki pulled out her own counter by turning that hold back into the Cutie Special for the win.
Kaya Toribami now has a finisher! The Bird Cage is a Double Chickenwing submission hold.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT WINTER ~OSAKA PERFORMANCE~”, 04/02/2022 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
1. Suzume Vs Wakana Uehara
2. Kaya Toribami Vs HIMAWARI
3. Mizuki Vs Raku
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko Vs Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Yoshiko Hasegawa
5. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku
6. Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh & Moka Miyamoto Vs Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Arisu Endo
The first Tokyo Joshi Pro show of the month happens tomorrow. It’s been a while since they were in Osaka too.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023 IN OSAKA”, 05/02/2023 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Yuya Koroku (0) Vs Kazuma Sumi (0)
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Hideki Okatani (2) Vs Ilusion (0)
3. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Shunma Katsumata & Maku Donaruto
4. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Toi Kojima (0) Vs Yuki Ishida (0)
5. Osaka Specialty Special Tag Match: Naruki Doi & Toru Owashi Vs MJ Paul & KANON
6. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Chris Brookes Vs Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi
7. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hirata
8. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Yukio Naya & Takeshi Masada
Sunday’s show has turned into a bigger test for Yukio Naya because his match is now the main event! Meanwhile Yuji Hino and Kazusada Higuchi face off again fresh off of their KO-D Openweight Title match.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 3RD “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 11/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Moka Miyamoto Vs Arisu Endo
2. Wakana Uehara Vs HIMAWARI
3. Yuki Arai Vs Pom Harajuku
4. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino Vs Hikari Noa & Janai Kai
5. Yuki Kamifuku, Nao Kakuta & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Raku, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami
6. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Miu Watanabe & Suzume
7. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
Yuka Sakazaki returns from her latest American tour and is back teaming with Mizuki. Is the unbreakable bond between The Magical Sugar Rabbits still solid or will cracks begin to appear as we get closer to their Princess Of Princess Title match.
The TJPW debut of Janai Kai has her teaming with Hikari Noa.
Either Wakana Uehara or HIMAWARI will get their first singles win. Unless a draw somehow happens.
Juria Nagano will not be on the show because of a left finger injury.
0. Dark Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Yuki Ishida (0) Vs Takeshi Masada (0)
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Keigo Nakamura (2) Vs Toi Kojima (0)
3. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Yuya Koroku (0) Vs Ilusion (0)
4. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Noriyuki Yoshida Vs Chris Brookes, Akito, Soma Takao & Kazuma Sumi
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Yuki Ueno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Hikaru Machida
6. Special Single Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Sanshiro Takagi
7. Harimao Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Kazusada Higuchi & Ryota Nakatsu Vs MJ Paul
8. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs HARASHIMA & Yukio Naya
Higuchi invited an close friend of his to join Harimao and bolster up the unit while Naomi Yoshimura is out injured. Ryota Nakatsu from BASARA was Higuchi’s rival in DNA and is more than happy to give Harimao some reinforcement. He also doesn’t want people to think he is only filling in for Yoshimura because he is a fully fledged fourth member of the stable. Meanwhile DAMNATION T.A is still working out as a focused force even with Daisuke Sasaki still missing. Just like every other show that’s being advertised since his absence, the card can change if Sasaki appears at the show and is able to wrestle.
DDT “HEAT WAVE OVER FLOWERS 2 ~THE WORLD THAT EVERYONE DOES NOT KNOW~”, 14/02/2023 Shinjuku FACE
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Keigo Nakamura Vs Yuki Ishida
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Kazuma Sumi Vs Ilusion
3. ~The World Unknown To ShunMao~: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (Special Referee: MEN’S Teioh)
4. ~The World Unknown To Toi~: Toi Kojima Vs Yasu Urano
5. ~The World Unknown To Yuki~: Yuki Ueno Vs Gorgeous Matsuno & X
6. Special Tag Match: Akito & Sakura Hirota Vs Tetsuya Endo & Kazuki Hirata
7. Final Set ~The World Unknown To The 37KAMIINA~: MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno, Toi Kojima
DDT received a message from Gorgeous Matsuno earlier today about his singles match against Yuki Ueno. Matsuno warns there is another wrestler out there who wants to fight Ueno as much as he does so Matsuno is bringing him to the show. Matsuno also wants the match to turn into a 2 Vs 1 Handicap Match because of this. Ueno accepts the challenge, thinking Matsuno is so little of a threat that it may as well still be a singles match.
DDT “FRIENDSHIP, EFFORT, VICTORY IN NAGOYA 2023”, 18/02/2023 Aichi Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Toi Kojima (0) Vs Takeshi Masada (0)
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Hideki Okatani (2) Vs Yuya Koroku (0)
3. 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda & Keigo Nakamura
4. Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada Vs Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Kazuma Sumi
5. Nagoya Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Yukio Naya Vs HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Shinya Ishida
6. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ueno & Yuki Ishida
7. DDT Universal Title: Naruki Doi (c) Vs KANON
8. DDT Extreme Title – Master Of Environment Match: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Akito
Once again Jun Akiyama is allowing his challenger to come up with the match stipulation for a DDT Extreme Title defence. This time it is Akito as the opponent and he came up with the Master Of Environment Match. All four corner turnbuckle pads will be removed and two green straps will criss cross the ring. Akiyama and Akito will fight under normal rules with the ring in this state. The green straps do not count as rope breaks. Akito was inspired by Gaia’s fight against Sikorsky in Baki The Grappler to come up with the match idea. That fight was all about how to use the environment as a weapon and Akito thinks he has a much better chance of beating Akiyama under a similar scenario. The concept might backfire though because Akiyama himself admits he does not move a lot in his matches. The restrictions caused by the extra ropes across the ring may not even matter in the end. Akito wants to return the Extreme Title belt back to purple if he wins it but accepts that it is the champion who gets to make that decision.
Proof of DAMNATION T.A still being a well oiled machine can be seen from how KANON is dealing with Naruki Doi. KANON & MJ Paul attacked Doi backstage after his match last weekend. Today at a press conference KANON approached Doi and apologised for his behaviour. Doi wanted to make sure if the DDT Universal Title defence against KANON is only going to involve those two and no one else. That means no Sasaki and no Paul in KANON’s corner while Doi will not have Kazuki Hirata in his. Doi then hesitantly shook KANON’s hand until KANON gave him a low blow! He told Doi his title reign won’t make it past its first defence in Nagoya!
Let’s see how this AEW relationship works out. Kip Sabian makes his DDT debut and Penelope Ford is by his side for extra danger. His first match here has him teaming with both Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno as an international trio. Shinno recently had his own little excursion in AEW over the winter.
BASARA “BASARA 211 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 24~”, 18/02/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR
1. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura (c) Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
The new IRON FIST Tag Champions are going up against former champions in their first defence. Isami Kodaka is now a double BASARA champion and Daiki Shimomura wants to hold the tag titles long enough for the “ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL 2023”. That’s if he is chosen as BASARA’s representative of course. He may have jumped the gun on that. Aijin Tag lost the belts to the previous champions and had already planned to challenge them to a rematch. Now that Sento Minzoku have the titles, Aijin Tag had to change their target.
DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Dark Sheik Vs Saki Akai
2. Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne Vs MAO & Mike Bailey
We have our first two matches for the GCW Vs DDT show! The Moonlight Express reunite to take on The East West Express. The show will also pit GCW’s Dark Sheik against DDT’s own Saki Akai.
A partial lineup of other wrestlers have been announced. Team DDT so far consists of Kazusada Higuchi, Jun Akiyama and Yoshihiko. The first crop of GCW wrestlers showing up are Joey Janela, Blake Christian, EFFY and Allie Katch. The last two are being advertised together as Bussy (adding that to the taglist is going to be a dangerous game) so that means we have at least one other tag match happening.
The first month of 2023 felt like DDT’s international plans have jumped up a gear. Konosuke Takeshita now finds himself orbiting the current AEW World Title storyline and Yuka Sakazaki has her sights set on a Ring Of Honor championship, making a new enemy (maybe her first?) in the process. Maki Itoh is getting further entrenched into GCW while Miyu Yamashita is also out there growing her stock across America. Things are going to ramp up even further in the coming months as we approach WrestleMania weekend.
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Videos
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 11/01/2023 KIA Forum, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Bryan Danielson Vs Konosuke Takeshita
PRESTIGE “VENDETTA”, 21/01/2023 The Glass House, Pomona, California, USA
1. Kevin Blackwood Vs MAO
Video starts at 2:20:10 for the match ROH “JAY BRISCOE TRIBUTE AND CELEBRATION OF LIFE”, 25/01/2023 Save Mart Center, Fresno, California, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Sandra Moone
Video starts at 2:03:40 for the match SETUP “SETUP EP.11”, 28/01/2023 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. International Single Match: Matcha Vs Yuki Kamifuku
Video starts at 22:05 for the match. Go to 39:55 for The Dark Order segment. AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 30/01/2023 Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
1. Athena & Diamante Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Skye Blue (w/ Madison Rayne)
Video starts at 31:48 for Match #1. Go to 41:03 for Match #2. AEW “DARK”, 31/01/2023 Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Avery Breaux
2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Angelico
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Results
GCW “56 NIGHTS”, 01/01/2023 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. 4 Way Match: Maki Itoh defeated Dark Sheik, Billie Starkz and Sawyer Wreck when Itoh pinned Sheik with the I.S.D (8:01).
I think Itoh is fitting in with GCW a little too well. During her last trip their she became firmly established as a member of Nick Gage’s gang, adopting the pizza cutter as her new weapon of choice and even entering to Gage’s theme music “For Whom The Bell Tolls” by Metallica! It’s been working out for her because she was the last woman standing in a 4 Way against Dark Sheik, Billie Starkz and Sawyer Wreck! She even got a piggy back ride from Gage back to the locker room after the match. Being MDK all day has its benefits.
PWG “BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES 2023 – FIRST STAGE”, 07/01/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Battle Of Los Angeles 2023 – Round 1: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Michael Oku with the Zahi (17:17).
Takeshita’s hectic month began with the Battle Of Los Angeles tournament in PWG. It is one of the most high profile events on the American indies even though it takes about 6 months for official videos of the event to actually surface. Takeshita only had one match on the first night but it was an intense fight against Michael Oku, who is an English wrestler you should be paying attention to. Countering the Blue Thunder Bomb with a Reverse Hurricanrana is no easy feat.
PWG “BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES 2023 – FINAL STAGE”, 08/01/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Battle Of Los Angeles 2023 – Round 2: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Titus Alexander with the Jumping Knee (9:38).
2. Battle Of Los Angeles 2023 – Semi Final: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Komander with a Backslide Pin (5:43).
3. Battle Of Los Angeles 2023 – Final: Mike Bailey defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Flamingo Driver (27:22).
Night two was an even busier night for Takeshita. He went through three rounds to reach the BOLA final, beating the west coast’s own Titus Alexander and luchador Komander. The only man who had an even busier night in the ring was Takeshita’s opponent in the final. It was his good old friend Mike Bailey! Speedball fought four matches in one night due to a busy weekend schedule and won them all. That’s right, Bailey beat Takeshita in the final and he used the Flamingo Driver to do it. It was the very move Bailey first created to beat Takeshita in 2018.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 11/01/2023 KIA Forum, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Bryan Danielson defeated Konosuke Takeshita by Referee Stoppage with the Regal Stretch (14:47).
No rest for the wicked because a few days later Takeshita stepped up to face the one and only Bryan Danielson in AEW! There was more than just a wrestling match to pay attention to because MJF entered the ring after Takeshita to run down everybody on the microphone, Takeshita included. Takeshita responded to the AEW World Champion first in Japanese and then told MJF in English to kiss his ass. Once that was out of the way Takeshita and Danielson put on one hell of a match that ended with Takeshita passing out to the Regal Stretch. Danielson had nothing but the highest of praise for Takeshita afterwards.
ROH “JAY BRISCOE TRIBUTE AND CELEBRATION OF LIFE”, 18/01/2023 (Aired 25/01/2023) Save Mart Center, Fresno, California, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Sandra Moone with the Magical Magical Girl Splash (3:02)
The January tour for Sakazaki began with what you could say is her debut for Ring Of Honor. It was under sad circumstances because the taping was held in tribute for the late Jay Briscoe, who tragically lost his life in a car crash the previous day. Sakazaki beat Sandra Moone in one of the matches taped for the show and showed good sportsmanship to her opponent afterwards. Oh and there was that one guy in the crowd who was having the time of his life dancing to Sakazaki’s theme song after the match.
WARRIOR “WARRIOR WRESTLING 27”, 21/01/2023 Bendix Arena, South Bend, Indiana, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Zachary Wentz with the Zahi (14:21).
Takeshita was back to winning ways on the indies. His first visit to Warrior Wrestling put him in the ring with Zachary Wentz of The Rascalz. It was a back and forth match that ended with Takeshita hitting the Jumping Knee followed by the Zahi for the three count.
PRESTIGE “VENDETTA”, 21/01/2023 The Glass House, Pomona, California, USA
1. Anything Goes Match: Sonico defeated Shunma Katsumata with the BMF through the Lego covered door (16:53).
2. MAO defeated Kevin Blackwood with a Screw High Kick (13:21).
3. ROH Women’s Title: Athena (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Title Belt Attack (20:59). *V4 for Athena.
Yamashita’s plan to become a triple crown champion had already fallen apart by the time she travelled to California for her latest Prestige appearance. Now thanks to Athena’s cheating she is also no longer undefeated in the promotion. Athena tricked the referee into thinking Yamashita had hit her with the ROH Women’s Title belt. Then when the ref’s back was turned, Athena grabbed the belt and whacked it over Yamashita’s head for the three count!
MAO had the breakout performance of the show with his win against Kevin Blackwood. The one moment in particular that went viral was MAO giving Blackwood a Springboard Hurricanrana off the corner and then following up with a Swan Dive Phoenix Splash, aka the Marines Tornado Splash!
Shunma Katsumata also had a crazy match with Sonico. It had to be because he was asking fans to bring Lego and other items to the show so they could use them as weapons! The chaotic match ended with Sonico spitting Poison Mist in Katsumata’s eyes and then crashing him through a lego covered door from the top rope. The two showed respect to each other after the match.
1. Yuka Sakazaki & Skye Blue (w/ Madison Rayne) defeated Athena & Diamante when Sakazaki pinned Diamante with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (7:11).
Sakazaki’s return to AEW actually began earlier in the month when she started a program with Athena. For weeks Athena has been winning matches and beating up her opponents afterwards. Sakazaki ran down to put a stop to it, sending Athena out of the ring. Sakazaki noticed the ROH Women’s Title belt and showed an interest in taking it. The following week the two women met up backstage and got into a fight, causing them to be pulled apart. That all led to the match on this show. Sakazaki teamed with her usual AEW tag partner Skye Blue while Athena struck a deal with Diamante to tag with her. Sakazaki scored the win after sending Athena out of the ring with a Hurricanrana and then pinning Diamante with the Magical Merry-Go-Round.
That wasn’t the end of Sakazaki’s night though. She was approached by The Dark Order later backstage with an offer to join their group. She kept telling them “Hai!” but they misunderstood and thought she was just saying hello. They left her alone, convinced they were being rejected. She made the Dark Order pose with her hand anyway. So maybe she’s in (or maybe she’s not, brother)?
SPW “CHAMPIONS NEVER YIELD”, 27/01/2023 Foochow Building, Singapore
1. Queen Of Asia Title: Alexis Lee (c) defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Shotgun Double Knees (?:??). *V1 for Alexis Lee.
In travels much closer to home Yuki Kamifuku took a mini-tour of southeast Asia after her team was eliminated from the Max Heart Tournament. Her first stop was in Singapore Pro Wrestling where she challenged Alexis Lee for the Queen Of Asia Title. Lee successfully defended her title by pinning Kamifuku with the Shotgun Double Knees.
SETUP “SETUP EP.11”, 28/01/2023 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. International Single Match: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Matcha with the Famouser (9:43).
The next day Kamifuku was in Thailand to take on Matcha at a SETUP show. Things got better for her here… sort of. Kamifuku pinned Matcha with the Famouser but for some reason the bell never rang and the two of them decided to continue wrestling. Kamifuku had climbed up to the second rope ready to do a flying Famouser when the bell finally rang and the referee tried to explain to a confused audience that the match had ended with Kamifuku as the winner.
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Avery Breaux with the Magical Girl Splash (4:15)
2. Konosuke Takeshita defeated EJ Nduka with the Zahi (4:15).
3. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Bronson with the Zahi (6:37).
The month for Takeshita and Sakazaki ends with an AEW Dark taping in Universal Studios. Sakazaki’s match with Avery Breaux has already been shown on the most recent episode as I type this. Takeshita’s matches with EJ Nduka and Bronson will be show in February. The EJ Nduka match got some attention online because it is Nduka’s first appearance in the ring since leaving MLW a few weeks earlier.
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Upcoming Appearances
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 01/02/2023 Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana)
So now Takeshita has found himself playing a part in the MJF Vs Danielson feud. In the weeks since his Danielson match, Takeshita has called MJF an asshole in interviews and saved Danielson in the ring from an attack from MJF and Brian Cage. The next part of the story happens tonight when Takeshita faces Cage one on one.
DPW “YOU ALREADY KNOW”, 25/02/2023 NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Raychell Rose & Hyan
The Princess Tag Team Titles are heading over to America thanks to The Wasteland War Party. The new champions have set Deadlock Pro Wrestling as their next target and agreed to defend the titles against Raychell Rose & Hyan. It will be the first time the Princess Tag Titles will be defended outside of Japan. Rose is an established part of DPW’s roster, being the young company’s first women’s champion. Hyan is a talent from the Texas scene who is well travelled around the US indies.
GCW “HOLY SMOKES”, 04/03/2023 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
2. Joey Janela Vs VENY
Itoh will have a lot to do with GCW in March and she won’t be alone for any of it. Asuka/VENY will be travelling over to Atlantic City alongside her. They’ll be wrestling together on the second show but first, VENY is getting a GCW welcoming party from Joey Janela.
GCW “RANSOM”, 05/03/2023 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh, Rina Yamashita & VENY Vs Sawyer Wreck, Billie Starkz & Janai Kai
Itoh is familiar with all three of her opponents Wreck, Starkz & Janai Kai at this point. Rina Yamashita is joining in the fun and will surely make the match turn out way more violent than anticipated.
EVE “WOMEN BEHAVING BADLY”, 08/03/2023 229 The Venue, London, England
1. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Lizzy Evo
Yamashita’s scheduled EVE Title defence against Lizzy Evo was delayed due to the concussion Yamashita suffered in Tokyo Joshi Pro a few days earlier. She was unable to travel abroad safely because of it. The match will now take place at EVE’s next event in March.
SETUP “SETUP EP.12”, 18/03/2023 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. SETUP Thailand Openweight Title: Monomoth (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi
Masahiro Takanashi is getting a title match when he returns to Thailand in March. Monomoth is the current SETUP Openweight Champion and is now counting down the days for his defence against Takanashi to happen.
NEW “NEW 12”, 24/03/2023 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
2. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
YYamashita makes her Canadian debut with Nation Extreme Wrestling. Itoh joins her and cannot wait to eat poutine again.
PANDEMONIUM PRO “NEW 12”, 29/03/2023 Don Quixote, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh & Kidd Bandit Vs Taya Valkyrie & Heather Monroe
Damn it this was announced while I was in the middle of finishing this post. Itoh makes her debut for Pandemonium Pro Wrestling teaming with Kidd Bandit. Together they take on Taya Valkyrie & Heather Monroe! Bandit once cosplayed as Itoh and got her approval so will they be showing up in matching costumes on the night?
DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
DDT are sending 16 wrestlers over to Los Angeles for the company’s big return to America. They are Kazusada Higuchi, Jun Akiyama, MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Sanshiro Takagi, Konosuke Takeshita, Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Ueno, Chris Brookes, Saki Akai, KANON, Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Michael Nakazawa, Yoshihiko and the winner of the D GENERATIONS CUP. This will be Takeshita’s only DDT match during the week.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES”, 31/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
The report from The Wrestling Observer last November was true. TJPW is travelling along with DDT to America this March! Here’s the interesting wrinkle. The TJPW show is being held under the Wrestlecon umbrella ran by Highspots while DDT is with GCW and The Collective. Now that’s playing both sides! Somewhere between 12 and 15 members of the TJPW roster will be part of the show along with some international guest wrestlers.
DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne Vs MAO & Mike Bailey
The first GCW Vs DDT match announced is sure to be a barn burner. MAO & Mike Bailey are back together as The Moonlight Express for the first time in three years. Their opponents are two of GCW’s most talked about prospects. Together Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne are The East West Express.
Other DDT wrestlers so far confirmed to appear are Higuchi, Akiyama and Yoshihiko. As already mentioned, Takeshita will not be part of the GCW Vs DDT show. ROH have their PPV happening around the same time so maybe he shows up there?
PRESTIGE “NERVOUS BREAKDOWN”, 31/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Taya Valkyrie Vs Miyu Yamashita
Another match that got announced right after I finished this post. You’re killing me here lads. Yamashita faces Valkyrie for the first time ever.
GCW “JOEY JANELA’S SPRING BREAK 7”, 31/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Here me out. The payoff to the Itoh and Gage interactions has to be the two of them in the same match together, right? They’re both MDK so Itoh & Gage teaming together makes sense. But “JOEY JANELA’S SPRING BREAK” has the reputation of being one of the craziest booked shows to happen anywhere every year. Gage is the GCW World Champion so why not have him defend it against Itoh on this show! Or how about Itoh versus Kota Ibushi now that he’s been announced for the show?
LLL “MONSTER ISLAND”, 07/04/2023 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. Heidi Howitzer Vs Maki Itoh
Heidi Howitzer got the chance to pick any opponent she wanted for the next Lucha Libre & Laughs show in April. She wants to fight Itoh and made her challenge in words Itoh can understand: “Hey Maki, fuck you!”
WEST COAST PRO “HOME OF THE KILLERS”, 07/04/2023 The State Room, South San Francisco, California, USA
1. West Coast Pro Women’s Title: X (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
Another promotion debut for Yamashita is happening while she is in America this Spring. West Coast Pro will be crowning their first Women’s Champion in March. Whoever it is, her first defence will be against Yamashita in April.
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Cancelled Appearances
EVE “EVE 100”, 07/01/2023 229 The Venue, London, England
1. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Lizzy Evo
As mentioned above, the title match was pushed back to March because of Yamashita’s concussion preventing her from travelling overseas.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT WINTER ~OSAKA PERFORMANCE~”, 04/02/2022 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
1. Suzume Vs Wakana Uehara
2. Kaya Toribami Vs HIMAWARI
3. Mizuki Vs Raku
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko Vs Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Yoshiko Hasegawa
5. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku
6. Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh & Moka Miyamoto Vs Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Arisu Endo
One week before the Max Heart Tournament final takes place, 121000000 and Kyoraku Kyomei will give us a preview of what to expect when they all take part in a 6-Woman Tag.
Mizuki has been quietly running through the entire Tokyo Joshi Pro undercard in singles matches lately. Next is Raku’s turn to try and stop her momentum.
Yoshiko Hasegawa is popping up in Tokyo Joshi Pro again.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 3RD “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 11/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
And here is the big finale to the tournament. Can Miyu Yamashita finally break her tournament curse? Will Maki Itoh add the Max Heart Tournament with the Tokyo Princess Cup in her trophy case? Or will Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao prove that nothing beats the combination of kaiju and superhero!
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Yuya Koroku (0) Vs Ilusion (0)
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Keigo Nakamura (2) Vs Toi Kojima (0)
3. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Yuki Ishida (0) Vs Takeshi Masada (0)
4. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs HARASHIMA & Yukio Naya
The KO-D Openweight Title scene has been shaken up in the aftermath of this past weekend. Yuji Hino is now the champion and has two wrestlers fighting over who should face him for the title at “JUDGEMENT 2023”. Before that gets settled those two potential challengers have to team up against Hino & Makoto Oishi.
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN BURLESQUE TOKYO ~KO-D TAG TEAM BATTLE ON THE STREET! SHUNMAO VS BONNO DAI SHACHO!~”, 23/02/2023 Burlesque Tokyo
1. KO-D Tag Team Titles – Falls Count Anywhere Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Fuminori Abe
It’s like something out of Sega’s Yakuza series. The KO-D Tag Team Titles are being put on the line in a Falls Count Anywhere match because two teams of crazy wrestlers. Where is it taking place? At the glitzy and glamoruous Burlesque Tokyo club in Roppongi! The idea from Sanshiro Takagi & Fuminori Abe brings back memories of Takagi’s adventures with Munenori Sawa when they were the champions. ShunMao are up for the challenge.
GANBARE☆PRO “ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD 2023”, 25/02/2023 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Mizuki Watase (c) Vs Shinichiro Tominaga
Mizuki Watase is aiming to defend the Spirit Of Ganbare Title twice in February. His next title defence is against Towa Iwasaki in BURST on the 19th. Should he win that match then his singles bout against Shinichiro Tominaga on the 25th will also have the title on the line. Even if Watase loses the title to Iwasaki, he will be facing Tominaga on the 25th no matter what.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023”, 26/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – Final: Winner Of A Block Vs Winner Of B Block
2. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada (c) Vs Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine
3. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs X & X
4. KO-D Openweight Title Next Challenger Decision Match: HARASHIMA Vs Yukio Naya
The No. 1 Contender for the KO-D Title will either be HARASHIMA or Yukio Naya. HARASHIMA wants to be the one who challenges for the championship in the main event of DDT’s 26th Anniversary show. Naya has become a stronger wrestler thanks to Hino so it will mean so much to him if he can beat Hino for the KO-D Title.
Whoever leaves Roppongi as the KO-D Tag Champions will have to defend the belts at this show three days later.
Three wrestlers who have very little in common are joining up to challenge BURNING for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. The one thread that connects Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine is they all do regular radio appearances outside of wrestling. Sasadango convinced DDT to give the three of them a title shot because they can all promote it on the radio in the lead up to the show.
DDT “HANAMI PRO WRESTLING 2023”, 12/03/2023 Saitama Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park Outdoor Stage
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino Produce Match: X Vs X
2. Kazuki Hirata Produce Match: X Vs X
3. Tetsuya Endo Produce Match: X Vs X
Some of the wrestlers will get to book their own matches at DDT’s outdoor show in Saitama next month.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’23”, 18/03/2023 Ariake Coliseum
1. Special Single Match: Aja Kong Vs Yuki Arai
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Mizuki
The second match announced for “GRAND PRINCESS ’23” is a real doozy. Yuki Arai gets a second shot against Aja Kong but this time she will be on her own. Their first match against each other was a tag match that took place five months into Arai’s wrestling career. It was so long ago in Arai’s mind that she will no rewatch the match because she is a different wrestler now. She thinks her head has gotten harder so she is not scared of being hit by Kong’s steel cans again.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2023 ~LONGEST 5 HOUR SPECIAL IN KORAKUEN HISTORY~”, 21/03/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. International Special Single Match: Samuray Del Sol Vs Yuki Ueno
2. DDT 26th Anniversary Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Konosuke Takeshita
3. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) Vs Winner Of 26/02 Match
There is no DDT Universal Title involved anymore but the Samuray Del Sol Vs Yuki Ueno match is going ahead.
1. Takato Nakano defeated Lil’ Kraken with the Diving Double Knee Drop (7:38).
2. Jacket 3 Way Match: FUMA and Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi defeated Gouma Ryu with an Arm Lock And Camel Clutch And Sickle Lock Combination (R3 1:29).
3. Masato Kamino & Fuminori Abe defeated KUBITO & Daichi Kazato when Kamino pinned Kazato with the Lariat (11:31).
4. Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga defeated SAGAT & Akiyori Takizawa when Oosugi pinned Takizawa with a Cradle (10:36).
5. Kazusada Higuchi defeated Ryota Nakatsu with the Brain Claw Slam (17:56).
6. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura defeated Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano (c) when Shimomura pinned Urano with the Swanton Bomb (16:40). *Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano fails n V1. Sento Minzoku becomes the 8th IRON FIST Tag Champions!
Isami Kodaka lived up to his word and is now the first wrestler in BASARA to hold the Union MAX Title and IRON FIST Tag Titles at the same time! Daiki Shimomura was also excited to win the Tag Titles again for a second time. Aijin Tag came out after the match to challenge Sento Minzoku to a title match. Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino wanted to win the belts back from Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano but now they will have to fight the new champions instead. Nakano is hoping to win so he can bring the belt with him to the “ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL 2023” on 1st March but Kamino interrupted him before he finished saying it. The new champions accepted and Kodaka decided the match will happen at Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR on 18th February. He also wants to defend the Union MAX Title in the same month so that will likely happen on the 28th in Shin-Kiba 1st RING.
The match between friends and DNA rivals Kazusada Higuchi and Ryota Nakatsu almost ended in a double knockout. Both wrestlers were down for a 9 count after Nakatsu applied a Triangle Choke and Higuchi broke free by countering it with a Power Bomb. Higuchi got the better of Nakatsu in the final exchange and pinned him with the Brain Claw Slam. After the match Higuchi said he and Yuki Ishida are unsure when Naomi Yoshimura will return to action. He asked for Nakatsu’s help and offered him a spot in Harimao. Given their history together Nakatsu was happy to accept after the other members of Sparky gave him their blessing. He also made sure to note he is joining as a new member and not as a replacement for the injured Yoshimura. Higuchi explained in an interview after the show that he wanted to add a presence not from DDT to the unit. He always thought if Harimao was going to add a fourth member it would be Nakatsu.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “BEYOND THE ORIGINS, INTO THE FUTURE”, 30/01/2023 TwinBox AKIHABARA 0 Fans
1. Princess Of The Decade – Round 1 – 2 Count Rules: Miyu Yamashita defeated HIMAWARI with a Middle Kick (2:21).
2. Princess Of The Decade – Round 1 – 2 Count Rules: Suzume defeated Kaya Toribami with the Mikazuki Meteor Shower (2:35).
3. Princess Of The Decade – Round 1 – 2 Count Rules: Hyper Misao Vs Miu Watanabe ended in a Time Limit Draw (5:00).
3a. Rock-Paper-Scissors: Hyper Misao defeated Miu Watanabe when Rock beats Scissors.
4. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Rika Tatsumi defeated Pom Harajuku with the Sliding Hip. (3:03).
5. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Hikari Noa defeated Moka Miyamoto with a Missile Dropkick from a Chair (2:52).
6. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Mahiro Kiryu Vs Maki Itoh ended in a Time Limit Draw (5:00).
6a. Rock-Paper-Scissors: Mahiro Kiryu defeated Maki Itoh when Rock beats Scissors.
7. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Haruna Neko defeated Yuki Aino with a Crucifix Pin (4:06).
8. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Nao Kakuta defeated Arisu Endo with a Wrist-Clutch Complete Shot (2:46).
9. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Miyu Yamashita Vs Raku ended in a Time Limit Draw (5:00).
9a. Rock-Paper-Scissors: Miyu Yamashita defeated Raku when Paper beats Rock.
10. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Shoko Nakajima defeated Suzume with a Rotating Leg Hold (3:12).
11. Princess Of The Decade – Round 2 – 2 Count Rules: Mizuki defeated Hyper Misao with a Casadora (3:04).
12. Princess Of The Decade – Round 3 – 2 Count Rules: Rika Tatsumi defeated Hikari Noa with the Twist Of Fate (2:19).
13. Princess Of The Decade – Round 3 – 2 Count Rules: Mahiro Kiryu defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Houtei Raoyui (0:31).
14. Princess Of The Decade – Round 3 – 2 Count Rules: Shoko Nakajima defeated Haruna Neko with the Northern Lights Suplex (4:01).
15. Princess Of The Decade – Round 3 – 2 Count Rules: Nao Kakuta defeated Mizuki with a Rollover Pin (2:26).
16. Princess Of The Decade – Semi Final – 2 Count Rules: Rika Tatsumi defeated Mahiro Kiryu with the Torso Dragon Sleeper (2:24).
17. Princess Of The Decade – Semi Final – 2 Count Rules: Shoko Nakajima defeated Nao Kakuta with a Crucifix Pin (4:18).
18. Princess Of The Decade – Final – 2 Count Rules: Rika Tatsumi Vs Shoko Nakajima ended in a Time Limit Draw (5:00).
18a. Overtime – 1 Count Rules: Rika Tatsumi defeated Shoko Nakajima with the Sliding Hip (0:36).
It’s been ten years to the day where Tokyo Joshi Pro held their first exhibition show in TwinBox AKIHABARA. A one night tournament on PPV featuring 19 of TJPW’s regular roster was put together to celebrate the 10th anniversary. Due to the small venue and large amount of matches on the schedule, every match had a 5 minute time limit. The matches that went to a time limit draw in the first three rounds used Rock-Paper-Scissors as a tiebreaker. The rules led to some unlikely upsets like Mahiro Kiryu eliminating both Maki Itoh and Miyu Yamashita. There was also Haruna Neko scoring a rare singles win when she beat Yuki Aino. The semi final and final got rid of the games and instead used 1 Count Pinfalls for any tiebreakers. That only came into effect for the final where Rika Tatsumi pinned Shoko Nakajima, avenging her loss to her on yesterday’s show. In her victory speech, Tatsumi said the history of Tokyo Joshi Pro will continue so please keep your eyes on them!
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 3RD “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 29/01/2023 Saitama Kasukabe Fureai Cube 251 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Mahiro Kiryu defeated HIMAWARI with the Spinebuster (6:50).
2. Mizuki defeated Wakana Uehara with the Face Lock (9:07).
3. 3 Way Match: Raku defeated Yuki Aino and Haruna Neko when Raku pinned Neko with the Doctor Yellow (7:17).
4. Yuki Arai, Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Kaya Toribami when Suzume pinned Toribami with the Ring A Bell (12:44).
5. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Semi-Final: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh defeated Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano when Itoh submitted Nagano with the Itoh Punish (14:34).
6. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Semi-Final: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao defeated Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe when Nakajima pinned Tatsumi with the Diving Senton (16:55).
The semi-finals of the Max Heart Tournament was the focus of today’s show. In the main event last year’s winners Daydream were taken out of the tournament by Kyoraku Kyomei! It accomplished the goal Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao set out to achieve which was getting revenge for losing to Daydream in last year’s tournament. It could have gone the other way if Nakajima couldn’t have gutted through a leg injury that became a target for Rika Tatsumi to focus on. Misao played her part by facing off against Miu Watanabe and saving her partner from the Daydream Eternity. Nakajima recovered enough to hit Watanabe with a Topé Suicida and pin Tasumi with the Diving Senton. Backstage Tatsumi said she is treating the result as a point of reflection because she wants to follow her dreams and Watanabe has another dream she wants to chase. Watanabe told her she will still be daydreaming while she does that.
The other semi final had 121000000 advance at the expense of Karate Tag. It was a spirited effort from Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano. They both trapped Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh in submission holds then Miyamoto used the Zero Fighter Kick on Yamashita to get her out of the way. Nagano switched to using Karate kicks on Itoh but Itoh dodged the Senpukyaku, fired back with a Headbutt and locked in the Itoh Punish for the victory. Nagano said afterwards she gave 100% and was at the limit of what she could do. Karate Tag lost today but she wants to continue working with Miyamoto so they can become a stronger team. Miyamoto agrees that they have grown a lot as a team in the tournament.
At the end of the show 121000000 entered the ring to confront Kyoraku Kyomei. Nakajima told them that today she learned Hero + Kaiju equals an unbeatable combination! Misao asked if Yamashita & Itoh have the guts to fight a hero and a monster? Itoh’s response was to ask the audience who the cutest in the world is but Misao cut her off. Kyoraku Kyomei won the main event so they should be the ones giving the show closing speech. After 121000000 left the ring, Nakajima told the fans she lost her championship last year but she didn’t lose today because she has a superhero next to her. Misao in return said she trusts Nakajima more than anyone else and Kyoraku Kyomei will win the Max Heart Tournament on 11th February!
Pom Harajuku was unable to be on the show today. Her tag match was turned into a 3 Way Match with the remaining competitors.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2023”, 29/01/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 777 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
0. Dark Match – Bonno Dai Shacho Presents No Fee Rumble: Fuminori Abe defeated Sanshiro Takagi with a School Boy (12:29). Order Of Elimination: Mori Haruomi, Tsutenkakuka, Honagi Takemoto, Tezuka awesome Ichiro, Ariji Akinori, Shinya, Shosaku Inoue, “Mother’s Child” Mazakon Kid, Macho Gallows, Dopyu♡McIntyre, Dick Zlater, Thick And Hard Kankuro Hoshino, BRA-VO, Kaijin Mukuro 696, Hen China, Big Bear, Crusher Inoba, ASHUKA, Tadaki Toronomi, Great-CO-Khan, Kim Yocchan, Tiger Mask V (Self-Proclaimed), Gundan Hitori, Fuck Takeda, Great-GO-Khan, Takuma Joshiba, Fat Kobashi and Sanshiro Takagi.
0. Dark Match – 4 Way Tag Match: MJ Paul & KANON defeated Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata, Antonio Honda & Akito and Yuya Koroku & Yuki Ishida when KANON submitted Honda with the Cobra Twist (7:11).
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Hideki Okatani (2) defeated Kazuma Sumi (0) with the Double Arm Suplex (5:22).
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Keigo Nakamura (2) defeated Takeshi Masada (0) with a Modified Crucifix Pin (7:10).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima defeated Thanomsak Toba, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida when Aoki submitted Toba with a Modified Ground Cobra Twist (8:20).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Chris Brookes & Yukio Naya defeated Naruki Doi, Jun Akiyama & Soma Takao when HARASHIMA pinned Takao with the Somato (10:02).
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada (c) defeated Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda when Endo pinned Dieno with the Burning Star Press (12:08). *V1 for BURNING.
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) defeated Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi when Katsumata pinned Oishi after the Oretachi no Mad Max (14:59). *V1 for ShunMao.
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino defeated Kazusada Higuchi (c) with the Fuckin’ BOMB (26:27). *Kazusada Higuchi fails in V6. Yuji Hino becomes the 80th KO-D Openweight Champion!
1. Keigo Nakamura (2)
2. Toi Kojima (0)
-. Yuki Ishida (0)
-. Takeshi Masada (0)
For the first time in over a decade Yuji Hino is the KO-D Openweight Champion! All month long Hino and Kazusada Higuchi have been chopping each other back and forth in their matches with neither wrestler backing off. Other moves were used in this match but the chop battles continued here. It’s been claimed by DDT that 220 chops were thrown in total between them today! Someone eventually had to break and it happened to Higuchi in the end. Hino got the upper hand with one more barrage of Chops and hit the Fuckin’ BOMB to become a two time KO-D Champion! After the match Hino said he was always confident he would win the KO-D Title no matter who the champion was but winning today’s match has made him more happier than he thought he would be. That’s because Higuchi was stronger than he imagined. He wants to do the match again and the two wrestlers paid respect to each other.
Higuchi left ringside while Hino told Hisaya Imabayashi he does not care who his first challenger will be on 21st March as long. His only preference is he wants the opponent to be a big guy because if it’s a small guy Hino is worried he would kill him. Yukio Naya entered the ring and said his wrestling life did a 180 since meeting Hino. He wants to beat Hino for the championship and become the strongest wrestler in DDT! However HARASHIMA then entered the ring and said he wants to fight for the KO-D Title on 21st March because it is DDT’s 26th anniversary. He’s not a big guy like Hino wants but he will prove he is still the centre of DDT! Hino couldn’t decide who to choose so Imabayashi booked Naya against HARASHIMA in a No. 1 Contender’s match on 26th February. Hino accepted the conditions and said if DDT can bolster their heavyweight division and mix it in with everything else that they do, it can become the number one wrestling promotion in Japan!
It was a show of two halves for Ω. Hino was able to win the KO-D Title but Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi couldn’t live up to their task of winning the KO-D Tag Team Titles. Instead the masters lost out to their students. They did the Cactus Flower to Shunma Katsumata but MAO broke the pin. Oishi & Asahi then tried to do an Avalance Cactus Flower but MAO cut them off again and later hit the Cannonball 450° on Oishi. The champions followed up by giving Oishi the Oretachi no Mad Max for the victory. After the match Oishi & Asahi congratulated ShunMao and wrapped the tag belts around their waists.
Imabayashi then told ShunMao their next title defence will be at Korakuen Hall on 26th February. Sanshiro Takagi & Fuminori Abe came out and challenged them for the belts. But before Imabayashi confirmed the match, Takagi told him it won’t be taking place in Korakuen on the 26th. Instead it will be a Falls Count Anywhere match happening three days earlier inside a Roppongi burlesque club! ShunMao Vs Bonno Dai Shacho for the tag titles will be at Burlesque Tokyo on 23rd February! Whichever team wins the match will have to defend the titles in Korakuen three days later.
The KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match briefly turned into a Handicap Match thanks to some Pheromones trickery. They wanted Tetsuya Endo to join their side and Danshoku Dieno used the Lip Lock to convince him. Endo turned into Tetsuya “Hercules” Endo and he turned on Yusuke Okada, throwing his poor partner into the usual Pheromones attacks. Kotaro Suzuki tried to snap Endo back to normal and had to do something desperate. He gave him the Lip Lock! Endo recovered, realised he wasn’t wrestling in his tights anymore and pinned Dieno with the Burning Star Press.
A video message was shown to BURNING after the match. It was from Super Sasadango Machine and he has put together an impromptu unit to challenge for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles. The unit is himself, Shinya Aoki and Yuki Ueno! He explains that even though it looks like the three of them have nothing in common, they are all radio personalities outside of wrestling. Therefore they can use their upcoming radio appearances to promote the title match on 26th February. Back in the arena Ueno & Aoki entered the ring and asked BURNING for the title shot face to face. Endo was more concerned about trying to cover himself with the title belts so he accepted.
Future opponents HARASHIMA and Yukio Naya were on the same team earlier in the show. They along with Chris Brookes beat the trio of Naruki Doi, Jun Akiyama & Soma Takao. What happened backstage afterwards was a little more noteworthy. Doi was hyping up his DDT Universal Title defence against KANON on 18th February when KANON & MJ Paul ambushed him! Kazuki Hirata came to the rescue only to also get beaten up by DAMNATION T.A. KANON threatened to win the title and take it with him to Hollywood. He & Paul then ran off when Toru Owashi arrived on the scene.
A potential new team could be in the making coming out of Match #3. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida worked well together against Aoki. It should have put their team on track towards winning the match but Aoki caught Thanomsak Toba in a Cobra Twist and rolled him onto his shoulders to escape with a win. Backstage Machida said he and Sakaguchi both come from martial arts so he wants to learn from him while he is still being taught how to wrestle by Toba. Sakaguchi is gets the idea but believes Machida has a long way to go before they can become a tag team together. Meanwhile Aoki asked Toi Kojima if his monthly salary has gone up since they last met. Kojima said it hasn’t but thinks it will double when he wins the D GENERATIONS CUP. Aoki joked that if you double zero you still get zero.
Speaking of the D GENERATIONS CUP it began today with two block matches. Keigo Nakamura gets an early lead in the B Block by beating Takeshi Masada. He kicked out of a Perfect Driver, dodged a Triangle Kick and caught Masada in a Crucifix Pin for the three count. Masada thought this would be a fresh start for him but he just lost his opening group match due to underestimating Nakamura. Meanwhile Nakamura is ecstatic!
The A Block opening match had Hideki Okatani going off to a strong start. He withstood Kazuma Sumi’s quick attacks, cut him off with a Running Neckbreaker and pinned him with the Double Arm Suplex. Okatani is letting his ring work do the talking because all he told reporters afterwards is to keep watching him. Sumi admitted he felt the gap in ability and experience with the most experienced young wrestler in the tournament.
The pre show matches probably had more people involved than the entire main card put together! DAMNATION T.A won a 4 Way Tag Match. Hirata took a beating when he got caught between Yuya Koroku and Yuki Ishida but he eventually knocked both of them out with Tegatana strikes to their necks. Akito’s leg work led to a ring of Leg Holds forming around Antonio Honda in the middle of the ring. KANON wanted nothing to do with the Gongitsune joke and he made Honda submit to the Cobra Twist.
Then there was the No Fee Rumble. Oh boy this was something. Takagi and Abe invited accepted a whole bunch of amateur pro wrestlers to enter a Royal Rumble style match. Due to safety reasons entrants would be eliminated if they were knocked out of the ring no matter if it was over the top rope or not. Among the competitors were tribute acts for Asuka, Tiger Mask, Great-O-Khan and Kenta Kobashi. There was also a child, a Super Sentai and 2AW wrestler Takuma Joshiba. Takagi and Abe complained about his entry because Joshiba is an actual pro wrestler. A bunch of participants were all eliminated at the same time when a group attempt to skin the cat failed in spectacular fashion. Abe was the last man standing after he pinned Takagi with a roll up. Takagi liked Great-CO-Khan in particular and thinks he can become the next Chinsuke Nakamura.
Yuki Ueno will get to face Samuray Del Sol at “JUDGEMENT 2023” on 21st March after all. The match was announced during the show.
Posted by JamieOD 
