Dramatic DDT

DDT “JUDGEMENT 2021 ~DDT 24TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 28/03/2021
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
669 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Yusuke Okada & Yuki Iino defeated Chris Brookes & Toui Kojima when Okada submitted Kojima with a Crab Hold (10:51).
2. Soma Takao defeated Hideki Okatani with the Gin And Tonic (6:19).
3. Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Saki Akai defeated Toru Owashi, Akito & Keigo Nakamura when Dieno pinned Nakamura with the Gaydo Clutch (9:16).
4. KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Titles: Sanshiro Takagi, Yukio Naya, Chikara & Nabe Yakan defeated Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata (c) when Naya pinned Sasadango with the Back Drop (9:48).
*Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata fails in V1. Team Thoroughbred becomes the 4th KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Champions!
5. DDT 24th Anniversary Special Single Match: HARASHIMA defeated Yukio Sakaguchi with the Somao (6:03).
6. DAMNATION Vs The 37KAMIINA: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & MAO defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo, Yuji Hino & Mad Paulie when Takeshita pinned Paulie with the German Suplex (16:08).
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Jun Akiyama (c) defeated Kazusada Higuchi with a Running Knee Butt (21:10).
*V1 for Jun Akiyama.

The title reign can now get going for Jun Akiyama. He’s been on the losing end of a few tag matches after becoming champion but when it’s time to defend the KO-D Openweight Title, Akiyama showed you can ultimately count on him. Kazusada Higuchi kept to wrestling barefoot and using his sumo skills. Akiyama learned not to target Higuchi’s hard head so he instead went after his arm, hitting it off of the ring post while they fought outside the ring. Higuchi was still able to apply the Brain Claw but Akiyama used Knee Strikes to avoid getting slammed from the move. The Knee Strikes weakened Higuchi enough for the Wrist Clutch Exploder Suplex to be used. Higuchi kicked out at two so Akiyama pulled down his kneepad and hit another Running Knee Butt, this time to the back of Higuchi’s head. That pretty much knocked Higuchi out and he was pinned for the three count.

The deal made in the build up to the match was if Higuchi lost, he would finally start listening to Coach Akiyama’s orders. Akiyama ordered him to wrap the KO-D Title around his waist. Higuchi agreed, simply answering with “Hai!” He left the ring with Eruption’s help afterwards. With him dealt with, Akiyama can now move on from all of his defeats from the D-Ou Grand Prix. He then wondered if Danshoku Dieno, the other DDT wrestler who has been critical of Akiyama’s new role, would come and face him.

Dieno did so and wouldn’t stop staring at Akiyama’s waist. Akiyama asked what was Dieno looking at, the belt or his body? Dieno said both. DDT has now been around for 24 years and Dieno has been with them for less than 20. He doesn’t know everything about DDT but he is attached to the KO-D Title. He named many of the wrestlers who are former KO-D Champions throughout the years: Poison Sawada JULIE, Sanshiro Takagi, Takashi Sasaki, MIKAMI, Kota Ibushi, Kenny Omega, Shigehiro Irie, Hikaru Sato, Masahiro Takanashi, Ken Ohka, HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi, KUDO, Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo. They all fought for DDT and bring it to where it is today. Dieno has kept his feelings to himself for so long. Now is the time for him to let them out and take back the KO-D Title he loves so much! Hisaya Imabayashi accepted Dieno’s request and he will get a title shot on 11th April. Dieno was a little annoyed that the match isn’t booked for the next supercard but he gets it. DDT doesn’t expect him to win. He tapped the title belt around Akiyama’s waist and then tapped him in the crotch for good measure before leaving with his middle fingers sticking out. What’s more is now Makoto Oishi is in a conflicting position. Does he side with Akiyama or Dieno?

The supercard mentioned above is “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2021” which is confirmed to be taking place this summer. It will be held at Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki on 21st August, marking the first time a “WRESTLE PETER PAN” show is taking place outdoors. And yes, this is the same location where FMW ran their famous anniversary shows during the nineties. Technically not the same venue because it’s been redeveloped a lot since then though.

The announcement got The 37KAMIINA excited and motivated enough to win their first match as a complete group. Takeshita dumped Mad Paulie with the Last Ride. Yuki Ueno & MAO then launched Shunma Katsumata into the air for him to land a Splash on Paulie for a two count. Paulie fought back until Takeshita put him away with the German Suplex.

HARASHIMA and Sakaguchi faced off in a preview of their KO-D Tag Team Titles match on 11th April. They went hard at each other with Middle Kicks and High Kicks. Sakaguchi hit the God’s Right Knee but HARASHIMA staggered him back with a Jumping High Kick. That gave him the space to hit the Somato and win. HARASHIMA said he was happy to have a singles match like this on DDT’s 24th anniversary. He considers Sakaguchi to be from the same generation as him so working together today gave him more encouragement. That thought stuck with him more than the tag title match preview.

Takagi lived up to his promise to make Team Thoroughbred the new KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Champions. The defending champions Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata all tried doing the Bionic Elbow at the same time but it failed. Team Thoroughbred then all tried doing Saber Chops to Sasadango and it succeeded, with Nabe Yakan doing a jumping version. Yukio Naya then pinned Sasadango with the Back Drop to win the titles. Chikara dedicated the win to his father Mitsuo Momota. He is currently hospitalized with an illness. Chikara knows his title win today will cheer up his father and be a driving force for his recovery. Backstage Takagi said Team Thoroughbred will ultimately have seven members and he hopes to create a 14-Man Tag Team Championship for them to win.

Oishi’s conflict over choosing between Akiyama and Dieno is because he wants to fight for what’s right to him. That means not doing any of Dieno’s usual strategies when they teamed up. Oishi kept taking their trios match seriously, calling on the ref to stop Dieno from grabbing crotches and preventing Toru Owashi from entering the ring because they were not using lucha tag rules. Dieno tried teaming with Saki Akai instead but it just wasn’t the same. Oishi finally gave in and Dieno went into the Hell Gate position. Oishi tried to throw his opponents into Dieno but he was easily overpowered and his face was pushed into Dieno’s backside. The lights flashed to show that Oishi was now in a zombie state! Akai got rid of Owashi & Akito while Dieno pinned Keigo Nakamura with the Gaydo Clutch. The lights flickered again and Oishi came back to his senses.

Soma Takao put Hideki Okatani through the ringer. He provoked him by showing off his KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Title belt. He threw him into the security barrier a lot and Body Slammed him onto the floor. Okatani didn’t get counted out and fought back, hitting the Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Takao hit a counter Elbow Strike and won with the Gin And Tonic.

Now that he is full time with DDT, Yusuke Okada is quickly making new contacts. His first time team up with Yuki Iino went well. Iino eliminated Chris Brookes with a Spear. That gave Okada all the space he needed to submit Toui Kojima with a Crab Hold. Okada wants the DDT fans to keep their eyes on him.

A mysterious email was sent to the DDT office regarding the BOYZ show on 4th April. The email claims to be sent from Jun Masaoka and is demanding a tag match between him & Brookes against Tetsuya Endo & Takao at the BOYZ show. However the email address matches that used by DAMNATION whenever they send threatening messages to match makers. Okada asked if he could also be on the BOYZ show but Imabayashi told him he is already booked for YaroZ that same day.

The five teams entering Ultimate Tag League 2021 are Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi (representing Eruption), Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi (representing Junretsu), Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata (representing The 37KAMIINA), Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda (representing Europe) and Daisuke Sasaki & Yuji Hino (representing DAMNATION).