DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024”, 30/06/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 992 Fans – No Vacancy
1. 3 Way Match: Kazuma Sumi defeated Yuni and Ilusion when Sumi pinned Yuni with the School Boy (7:06).
2. Lucha Libre Rules: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when KANON pinned Hirata after the Freedom Call (10:39).
3. Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura defeated Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi when Nakamura pinned Oishi with the Running Diving Headbutt (9:27).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada defeated HARASHIMA, Akito & Soma Takao when Masada pinned Takao with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (12:34).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ BURNING Vs TEAM NOAH!: Go Shiozaki, Atsushi Kotoge & Hi69 defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku when Kotoge pinned Koroku with the Killswitch (15:25).
6. Sanshiro Takagi Indefinite Rest Road ~ Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Miyu Yamashita defeated Danshoku Dieno & Maki Itoh when Takagi pinned Dieno with the Stone Cold Stunner (13:21).
7. Road To PETER PAN 2024! Special Tag Match: MAO & To-y defeated Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata when MAO pinned Katsumata with the Michinoku Driver II (26:24).
It’s still another month to go until “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024” but today was the last stop at Korakuen Hall before DDT returns to Sumo Hall. One that caused friction inside The 37KAMIINA thanks to the main event. The four members of the group paired off against each other to build up Yuki Ueno against MAO. Ueno teamed with Shunma Katsumata while MAO had To-y as his partner. Everyone looked to be having fun with the match, doing some good-natured poking at each other and the NeppoWER!! pose being used often. The fun then turned wreckless when chairs were set up at ringside and Katsumata crashed into them after MAO dodged his dive out of the ring. Both teams were able to hit synchronised dives to their opponents. MAO almost got the win when he hit Katsumata with the Iai Kick but Ueno broke the pin. To-y came in to hold Ueno back while MAO gave Katsumata the Michinoku Driver II to get the win.
MAO spoke a lot about the other members of The 37KAMIINA after the match because they do not all fight each other often. He now realizes just how great Ueno is after wrestling him today. He also sees how much Katsumata has grown because they’ve been working so hard together. Since MAO is facing Ueno at Sumo Hall for the KO-D Openweight Title he needs to make a decision. MAO is going to run away from home by temporarily leaving The 37KAMIINA! He was about to exit the ring when Ueno stopped him just for a moment. He understands MAO is taking the match seriously and knows just how much he also loves to be free. He does not know if MAO is fully quitting The 37KAMIINA, joining another unit or if somebody else will soon take care of him. But no matter what MAO is doing, The 37KAMIINA will always be there to make him shine!
Backstage Ueno said he understands the heavy weight that comes with leaving a unit because he himself did it before with DISASTER BOX. It is a sad feeling but MAO’s choice to leave also makes Ueno look forward to the KO-D Title match even more. All he wants MAO to do is not take this decision lightly. Katsumata said The 37KAMIINA will continue and will be a unit that MAO will want to come back to. MAO said he will always trust Ueno but does not want to rely on him. He wants to face Ueno in as many prelim matches as possible from now until Sumo Hall and does not mind who DDT will make him team up with. He is doing this because it will be the best way to raise Ueno’s motivation as well as his own. MAO said he will eventually go home after “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024” because he loves everyone but does not know what will happen after that. Especially if he discovers a new life he really likes away from The 37KAMIINA.
Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh from Tokyo Joshi Pro both consider Sanshiro Takagi to be an important person in their lives because he was their entryway into pro wrestling. So it was fitting for Takagi to have them be part of one of his final matches before his indefinite break as a pro wrestler begins. Tetsuya Koda though thought otherwise. The inclusion of Danshoku Dieno in the match and his lewd moveset being performed on his talent was too much for the TJPW boss to bear so he interfered in the match. That caused the DDT GM and Koda’s part-time rival Hisaya Imabayashi to get involved. Both of them started fighting each other until they both got their faces shoved into Dieno’s backside. The scheduled match continued and Itoh gave Takagi a Stunner. Yamashita then picked up Itoh in the Electric Chair position and dropped her face first into Dieno’s Hell Gate. She then kicked Dieno in the butt and Takagi followed up by giving Dieno an Avalanche Brainbuster before pinning him with the Stunner.
Takagi told Yamashita and Itoh after the match how much he really wanted to wrestle them because TJPW is an important part of his career. Yamashita was the catalyst for TJPW and Itoh has spread it across the world. He will work closely with Koda to help grow TJPW even more. He also likes the idea of Itoh inheriting the Stunner from him. She says she is going to use the move more often in America. Takagi also had news for Danshoku Dieno. Takagi has thought long and hard about who he wants his last opponent to be at Sumo Hall. It has to be someone who embodies the “Dramatic Dream” and Dieno fits the image more than anyone else. Dieno agreed and has a match stipulation in mind. The Weapon Rumble! Takagi swears it is not a retirement but Dieno wants nothing more than to retire him at Sumo Hall!
In a preview for the KO-D Tag Team Titles match at Sumo Hall, TEAM NOAH paid a visit to face BURNING in a 6-Man Tag Match. Tetsuya Endo and Go Shiozaki started off but once Yuki Iino got into the match he and Shiozaki spent time beating each other’s chests raw. Atsushi Kotoge’s plan to focus on Yuya Koroku paid off when he pinned him with the Killswitch to give the visiting team the win. Iino and Shiozaki kept fighting afterwards and had to be pulled apart. Iino demanded a singles match against Shiozaki before the tag title bout happens. Shiozaki said he will do it anytime and promise to damage Iino’s chest twice as bad as he did today. Endo said today was the first time he saw something out of Kotoge. He told him not to hold anything back when he fights DDT.
The battle for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles has gotten even more crowded than it’s already been. Two members of Smile Squash were at the show today without their belts because DAMNATION T.A stole them recently. With that on the minds of HARASHIMA & Akito things got even messier when they and Soma Takao lost to SCHADENFREUDE International. The consequence of that is now Masahiro Takanashi, Takeshi Masada & Antonio Honda wanted in on the title match at Sumo Hall! DAMNATION T.A came out with the stolen belts demanding to know what the match was going to be because it was already announced as a 3 Way Trios match. That caused Katsumata & To-y to enter the ring and finally reveal who their third member is supposed to be. It’s Aja Kong! After a lot of arguing between the teams, Imabayashi confirmed that the titles will be on the line in a Survival 4 Way Match on 21st July. That way only the strongest team will be left holding the three championship belts.
Keigo Nakamura scored a big win by pinning Makoto Oishi in a tag match. Jun Akiyama was a big challenge for him to overcome but Yukio Naya was there to block him off. Nakamura got the pinfall by placing Oishi seated between the ropes and then hitting the Running Diving Headbutt while Oishi was dangling in the air.
Match #2 was under Lucha Libre Rules as per Toru Owashi’s request. Honda tried to do a Rolling Sole Butt to fit in but only ended up injuring himself. He tried to tell a Gongitsune story only for Daisuke Sasaki to cut him off. Owashi, Honda & Kazuki Hirata all put on Hirata GO!! glasses and danced around KANON, dealing him psychological damage. However Sasaki & MJ Paul attacked them and soon Hirata was dancing alone unaware that DAMNATION T.A were surrounding him. The three of them destroyed Hirata from there and won the match.
Kazuma Sumi beat both Yuni and Ilusion in the latest show opener between their generation. He used the movement of a 619 to grab Yuni and roll him over into a School Boy for the three count.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN HAMAMATSU”, 23/06/2024 Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu 247 Fans
1. Toru Owashi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Makoto Oishi & To-y when Matsunaga pinned Oishi with a European Clutch (6:03).
2. Keigo Nakamura & Kazuma Sumi defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata when Nakamura pinned Hirata with a Modified Crucifix Pin (0:05).
2a. Rematch: Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata defeated Keigo Nakamura & Kazuma Sumi when Dieno pinned Sumi with the Danshoku Driver (4:46).
3. Smile Squash Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul defeated HARASHIMA & Akito when Sasaki submitted Akito with the Crossface Lock (10:20).
4. Sanshiro Takagi Indefinite Rest Road ~ Special 6-Man Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama & Yoshitatsu defeated Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Yuya Koroku when Yoshitatsu pinned Koroku with the Yoshi Jam (12:09).
5. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo defeated KANON with the Burning Star Press (15:12).
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs SCHADENFREUDE International!: MAO & Shunma Katsumata defeated Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada when MAO pinned Masada with the Iai Kick (21:06).
The 37KAMIINA continues their strong run lately with another main event win. After the match MAO told the fans he will definitely win the KO-D Openweight Title next month, Shunma Katsumata will continue to defend the DDT Extreme Title and will soon along with To-y win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles with a third guy he doesn’t know about.
However the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles are currently being held captive by DAMNATION T.A. Well, at least two of the three title belts are. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul beat HARASHIMA & Akito from Smile Squash and then stole their belts after a post-match attack. Then when DAMNATION T.A left the ring, Katsumata & To-y came in to challenge Smile Squash for the titles like they did yesterday. Though they still refuse to tell anyone who their other tag partner will be. HARASHIMA & Akito both accepted the challenge because HARASHIMA likes the idea of the 6-Man Tag Titles being defended in a 3 Way Match. Backstage Sasaki said the titles do not suit Smile Squash. Instead it will be DAMNATION T.A “defending” the belts against whoever they deem worthy enough at Sumo Hall.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’24”, 23/06/2024 Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu
1. 3 Way Match: Mizuki Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Runa Okubo
2. Yuki Aino Vs Chika Nanase
3. Shoko Nakajima & Kira Summer Vs Haru Kazashiro & Uta Takami
4. Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Kaya Toribami Vs Miyu Yamashita, Moka Miyamoto & Toga
6. Nao Kakuta Vs Shino Suzuki
7. Miu Watanabe & Wakana Uehara Vs Rika Tatsumi & HIMAWARI
It will be the first time in over a year when Tokyo Joshi Pro comes to Act City Hamamatsu.
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 10/07/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. KANON 5th Anniversary Match ~ Special Single Match: TAKA Michinoku Vs KANON
It should be no surprise to see that TAKA Michinoku is part of KANON’s 5th Anniversary match. Although it being just a singles match between the two is a bit unexpected. I would have thought there would be a tag of some sort involving them along with other wrestlers connected to KANON.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024”, 21/07/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Masato Tanaka
2. Dramatic Dream Match: El Desperado Vs Chris Brookes
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino (c) Vs Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs MAO
Yesterday DAMNATION T.A attacked members of Smile Squash as well as the DDT GM Hisaya Imabayashi backstage during the show. Daisuke Sasaki took it far enough to grab a clothes hanger and hook the inside of Imabayashi’s mouth with it! He did it while demanding DAMNATION T.A be given a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles rematch. Akito gave in and accepted the challenge but only because DAMNATION T.A are the former champions. He believes they have the right for a championship rematch. Akito also decided the match should take place at Sumo Hall so Smile Squash can get their revenge on the big stage.
DDT/GCW “NEVER ENDING NOISY SUMMER”, 12/08/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
More guest wrestlers from the GCW side will be at the show. Gringo Loco and Broski Jimmy are among them along with 2 Cold Scorpio! DDT are also marketing GCW’s other shows for their Japan tour but I won’t be writing much about them here unless there is a lot of DDT involvement in their lineups.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM BATTLE”, 16/06/2024 TOKYO FM Hall 286 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 5 Way Match: Kazuma Sumi (c) defeated Shunma Katsumata, Yukio Naya, To-y and Ilusion when Sumi pinned Katsumata after the Choke Slam from Naya (4:54). *V? for Kazuma Sumi.
2. Akito, Kazusada Higuchi & Toru Owashi defeated Chris Brookes, Takeshi Masada & Yuni when Akito submitted Yuni with a Figure 4 Leg Lock (7:34).
3. Sanshiro Takagi Indefinite Rest Road ~ Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Stone Cold Stunner (7:06).
4. Special Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Makoto Oishi ended in a No Contest (2:55).
4a. Rematch: Takeshi Masada & Ilusion defeated Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi when Masada pinned Oishi with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (1:58).
5. BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku when KANON submitted Koroku with the Just Cobra Twist (9:10).
6. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Fuminori Abe defeated HARASHIMA & Keigo Nakamura when Ueno submitted Nakamura with the Blackout Sleeper (14:49).
7. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) defeated Shiryu with the Michinoku Driver II (19:45). *V9 for MAO.
Big stakes were put together for the DDT Universal Title match. Shiryu will be retiring in Michinoku Pro next week and thinks it would be suitable if he became a champion when it happens. Then Kaz Hayashi approached him, passing along the challenge from MAO. The match would be the closest MAO could ever get to doing The 37KAMIINA Vs Kaientai☆DX. Shiryu warned MAO he would do anything it takes to beat him for the belt today. MAO understood and even made a request on the day of the show. If Shiryu wins then MAO wants him to seal the Universal Title away when he retires because Shiryu deserves to keep a championship with the word “Universal” attached to it. During the match Shiryu proved he would do anything to win by brawling with MAO away from ringside. When they returned MAO’s head was bleeding and Shiryu had swapped his face mask for his heel mask. A ref bump back in the ring led to Shiryu attacking MAO with a chair and followed it up with a Power Bomb onto a table that MAO bounced right off. MAO regained control though hitting a Whirlwind Kick, Palm Strike and Iai Kick. He then used a familiar Kaientai☆DX finisher the Michinoku Driver II to win the match. MAO said when the switch was flipped halfway through the match he figured out just how much of an influence Shiryu was for him. Shiryu is a strange guy but MAO is even stranger! He will be taking a break from defending the Universal Title for now because he wants to focus on the KO-D Openweight Title match with Yuki Ueno coming up next month.
TOKYO FM Hall is seen as the holy land for Fuminori Abe because the venue was home to Battlarts in the 1990s. So he was very motivated to wrestle there today and wanted Yuki Ueno to work just as hard as he does. Ueno told Abe the next time he comes to DDT they should wrestle each other. He thinks that would be more fun than teaming together. Even after they won their match he can’t figure out why they were paired together for the show. Abe also thinks Keigo Nakamura looks like a Mokugyo. He wants to see Nakamura turn his rebellious spirit into passion.
After that match took place, HARASHIMA & Akito were attacked by DAMNATION T.A backstage. Hisaya Imabayashi tried to stop them but Daisuke Sasaki attacked him too, sticking a clothes hanger into his mouth and holding him hostage until he gets a rematch against Smile Squash for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. Akito reluctantly agreed because he thinks the former champions do have the right for a rematch despite their actions. He also wants it to happen on the biggest stage so the match will happen at Sumo Hall on 21st July!
A supposed lifelong grudge between Danshoku Dieno and Makoto Oishi was pushed to the side when their match got changed midway through. Dieno couldn’t keep his behaviour under control and ended up stripping both Takeshi Masada and Ilusion down to their underwear. The match was ruled a No Contest due to this. Masada & Ilusion then demanded a match against Dieno & Oishi so they can get some payback. Together they physically manipulated Dieno into giving Oishi the Danshoku Driver before picking up the win themselves when Masada pinned Oishi with his finisher.
The first of two 5 Way Matches happening this month was for the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title being held by Kazuma Sumi. But when the match began it was Shunma Katsumata who was targeted by the other four. He was able to fight off most of them except for Yukio Naya. By that point Naya became the man to beat with To-y and Ilusion joining forces to fight him off. Naya took control again and gave Katsumata the Choke Slam. But before he could make another move, Sumi hit Naya with a Missile Dropkick and landed on top of Katsumata, pinning him to win the match. Sumi is now confident he will win next week’s 5 Way Match with the DDT Extreme Title on the line so he can become a double crown champion. The five wrestlers got into more arguements with each other backstage as the match.
GLEAT/DDT “GLEAT VER. & – GLEAT X DDT PRO WRESTLING”, 06/06/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 725 Fans
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Shunma Katsumata, Takanori Ito & Issei Onitsuka defeated Densha MICHIo, Jitensha KEIgo & Yu Iizuka and Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Jun Tonsho when Katsumata pinned Oishi with the Totonou Splash (7:32).
2. Minoru Tanaka defeated Kazuki Hirata with the B”D”F (8:44).
3. CIMA & HARASHIMA defeated Soma Watanabe & Soma Takao when HARASHIMA pinned Takao with the Somato (7:15).
4. Tetsuya Endo defeated Tetsuya Izuchi with the Tetsuya In The Sky (9:34).
5. SBK & TAKUMA defeated To-y & Kazuma Sumi when TAKUMA pinned Sumi with the 630° (11:32).
6. Yuki Ueno, El Lindaman & MAO defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Kaz Hayashi & Akito when MAO pinned Akito with the Iai Kick (11:39).
7. Elimination Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki, Kaito Ishida, KANON, Hartley Jackson & Kotaro Suzuki defeated T-Hawk, Chris Brookes, Takehiro Yamamura, Seiki Yoshioka & Takeshi Masada (22:43).
7a. Kotaro Suzuki eliminated Takehiro Yamamura with the Blue Destiny (8:18).
7b. Daisuke Sasaki eliminated Seiki Yoshioka by Ring Out (9:20).
7c. T-Hawk eliminated Kotaro Suzuki with a Low Blow (10:06).
7d. Hartley Jackson accidentally eliminated KANON by Ring Out (13:33).
7e. Chris Brookes eliminated Hartley Jackson by Ring Out (13:58).
7f. Daisuke Sasaki eliminated Chris Brookes with El Es Culero (14:50).
7g. Daisuke Sasaki eliminated T-Hawk with the Crossover Face Lock (18:36).
7h. Takeshi Masada eliminated Daisuke Sasaki by Ring Out (21:07).
7i. Kaito Ishida eliminated Takeshi Masada with the Half Tiger Suplex (22:43).
8. Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya defeated Hayato Tamura, Ryuichi Kawakami & KAZMA SAKAMOTO when Iino pinned Tamura with the Spear (20:46).
The latest GLEAT show at Korakuen Hall was a joint show with DDT, mashing the two rosters together for a bunch of inter-promotional matches. In the main event it was DDT’s heavyweight team that defeated BULK Orchestra. Even more newsworthy is Yuki Iino pinned Hayato Tamura with the Spear, scoring the win over the G-REX Champion! Iino rubbed it in his opponents’ faces after the match, saying GLEAT is weak and comparing them to the brass band club in elementary school. When Tamura went to respond, Iino tackled him with another Spear and then posed with the G-REX Title. After the DDT team left the ring Tamura promised he will get revenge. He also encouraged GLEAT fans to support DDT and DDT fans to support GLEAT. Backstage Yukio Naya talked about the times he wrestled with KAZMA SAKAMOTO in Real Japan and then challenged him to a singles match. Ryuichi Kawakami lost his temper at his partners for making GLEAT look weak.
A 10-Man Elimination Tag match mixed the two rosters together. One side was an alliance between SCHADENFREUDE International and #STRONGHEARTS that took on the name SCHADENHEARTS. The other side paired together DAMNATION T.A with Black Generation International. BGI’s Kaito Ishida ended up being the last man standing.
El Lindaman didn’t hear the news about Sanshiro Takagi’s recent demotion. He declared he was going to take over the President role from Takagi while attacking him. When Takagi fought back he sadly explained to Lindaman he is the Vice President now. Takagi also crashed the Dramatic Dream bike into Yuki Ueno. Lindaman then brought out a bouquet as a gift for Takagi but tried to hit him with it. The match came down to MAO beating Akito with the Iai Kick. Afterwards he called out Kaz Hayashi and said he is his hero who has been a big influence. Hayashi is retiring soon but MAO wants to defend the DDT Universal Title against him before he retires. Or to be more exact, MAO wants to defend the title against Shiryu, Hayashi’s masked gimmick from Michinoku Pro! Hayashi said he can tell MAO has been influenced by him and he promised he will tell Shiryu to accept the challenge. The title match will go ahead in DDT on 16th June.
GLEAT did get a straight tag team win against DDT when SBK & TAKUMA defeated To-y & Kazuma Sumi. The DDT side did well enough. To-y hit the Kojima Wonderland while Sumi did a Lionsault. But SBK & TAKUMA isolated Sumi with tag moves and TAKUMA finished him off with the 630°. SBK joked that Sumi seems to already know them from somewhere else but he doesn’t remember. Sumi took the blame for losing and couldn’t shake the feeling there was something else other than GLEAT and DDT that connected him and his opponents today…
Several of the matches on the show seemed to be booked because the wrestlers involved had similar names. For example Tetsuya Endo from DDT fought Tetsuya Izuchi from GLEAT. Endo got the win out of nowhere by giving Izuchi the Tetsuya In The Sky. He thought they would get along afterwards because of their names but Izuchi bit Endo’s hand after the match.
There were times before when CIMA & HARASHIMA were in the same match but today was the first time they teamed up together. CIMA also got to meet up with Soma Takao again but this time Takao was teaming with Soma Watanabe. That made it HARACIMA Vs Soma-Soma! Backstage after the match Watanabe told Takao that when he was in high school he sent a resume to DDT hoping to wrestle for them but never received an answer. His Dramatic Dream to be in DDT finally came true today.
Kazuki Hirata tried to get Minoru Tanaka to wear the Hirata GO! glasses and dance with him. Tanaka kept on refusing until finally the temptation was too much to ignore. The extra power of the dance led to Tanaka pinning Hirata with the B”D”F. He ended up enjoying it so much he told Hirata they should go clubbing together!
The opening match was already changed when MICHIKO opted out so her otaku alter ego Densha MICHIo could take her place. Keigo Nakamura decided to do something similar by showing as Jitensha KEIgo. That left Yu Iizuka as the odd man out on the team because he wanted to wrestle seriously. Jun Tonsho got dragged into doing the Hell Gate with Danshoku Dieno but that left Makoto Oishi along to fight off everyone else. Shunma Katsumata, Takanori Ito & Issei Onitsuka took advantage of that to win the 3 Way Trios Match.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 05/06/2024 Shinjuku FACE 344 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Kazuma Sumi when Nakamura pinned Koroku with the Modified Crucifix Pin (7:09).
2. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata by TKO when MAO knocked out Hirata with the Iai Kick (11:58).
3. Jun Akiyama, Atsushi Kotoge & Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku when Kotoge pinned Koroku with the Killswitch (11:15).
4. Daisuke Kiso Referee 14th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie defeated To-y & Yuni when Ishii pinned Yuni with the Double Arm Driver TURBO (10:49).
5. IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles – CDK 5th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi when Brookes pinned Oishi after the H.O.D (8:19). *V1 for CDK.
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul (c) when Akito pinned KANON after the Somato from HARASHIMA (13:43). *DAMNATION T.A fails in V1. Smile Squash becomes the 55th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the BME (24:01). *V5 for Yuki Ueno.
Yuki Ueno had to take on a version of Sanshiro Takagi that no longer had any restrictions or responsibilities to worry about. Takagi is feeling the most freedom he has had in years and fought Ueno in the most unfiltered DDT match they could have for the KO-D Openweight Title. There was an out of the ring brawl, Dramatic Dream bike crashes and broken plastic boxes aplenty. Takagi used the regular Stone Cold Stunner as well as a top rope Stunner for nearfalls. Ueno countered another Stunner by Dropkicking Takagi in the back of the head. He then used one of Takagi’s own finishers against him by doing the Sit Down Himawari Bomb. Takagi kicked out of it but was a sitting duck for the BME, giving Ueno the win.
After the match Ueno told Takagi how much he loves DDT. His life changed when he met Takagi and discovered this company. Today his life changed again because he was able to fight Takagi in a KO-D Title match that left him feeling completely worn out. As the champion he will continue to take on the dreams of the people he beats so someday he and Takagi will bring DDT to the Tokyo Dome together! Takagi praised Ueno for being strong and becoming even stronger. He then called MAO into the ring to confirm the “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024” main event on 21st July will be Ueno Vs MAO for the KO-D Title! DDT’s first show in Sumo Hall was 15 years ago and Takagi is confident those two will put on a main event worthy of the venue.
The Smile Squash reunion has achieved its goal when the unit became the new KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions! It is a significant achievement for the trio because both HARASHIMA and Yasu Urano have never held the title in their long careers while Akito wanted to win the belts with both of them. Akito scored the pin thanks to HARASHIMA hitting the Somato on KANON while KANON was trying to put Akito in the Cobra Twist. Akito gave a history lesson of the group after the match, explaining they originally broke up in a way that left bad tastes in their mouths but they got over it like adults. HARASHIMA said his generation will continue to do their best and he would like to defend the titles for 10 years! DAMNATION T.A however are made they lost another championship in their first defence. This keeps happening whenever they win a tag team title! Daisuke Sasaki blamed KANON and asked him if he’s trying to get into the Guinness Book of Records for having the most 0 defence title reigns? Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul all want a rematch right away.
CDK celebrated their 5th year anniversary as a team by having an impromptu defence of the IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles against Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi. After CDK won the match Masahiro Takanashi suggested they should hold their own show featuring different wrestlers from all of the different promotions he and Chris Brookes regularly appear in to celebrate their 5th anniversary even more.
Also celebrating his anniversary in wrestling today was the referee Daisuke Kiso. He put together a match between Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie against To-y & Yuni for the occasion. Both Ishii & Irie were thankful to Kiso for being invited to take part.
Recent events in NOAH led to Jun Akiyama inviting Atsushi Kotoge over to DDT to learn a new thing or two. Together with Tomomitsu Matsunaga they defeated BURNING when Kotoge pinned Yuya Koroku with the Killswitch. Everyone then discovered that Kotoge did not come here on his own. Go Shiozaki appeared after the match! He keeps hearing that Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino want to fight him so how about Shiozaki & Kotoge challenge them for the KO-D Tag Team Titles? Endo agreed and the match will take place at Sumo Hall on 21st July!
DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ FINAL!!”, 26/05/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,005 Fans – No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: Yuni & Keigo Nakamura defeated Ilusion & Kazuma Sumi when Nakamura pinned Sumi with the Diving Headbutt (8:51).
1. KANON & MJ Paul defeated HARASHIMA & Akito when KANON pinned Akito with the Ground Cobra Twist (7:59).
2. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final: MAO defeated Kazusada Higuchi with the Iai Kick (11:43).
3. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final – No DQ Match: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Chris Brookes with the El Es Culero (13:48).
4. 3 Way Tag Match: Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi defeated Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata and Yukio Naya & Takeshi Masada when Oishi pinned Hirata with a Rock Bottom (0:05).
4a. Rematch: Yukio Naya & Takeshi Masada defeated Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi and Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Naya pinned Hirata and Oishi with the Double Choke Slam (6:42).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shuji Ishikawa, Masahiro Takanashi & Yuya Koroku defeated Poison Sawada JULIE, Tetsumamushi Endo & Yuki “Anaconda” Iino when Koroku pinned JULIE with a Moonsault Press (9:01).
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Ueno pinned Matsunaga with the WR (11:45).
7. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Final: MAO defeated Daisuke Sasaki with the 450 Cannonball (23:45).
On the 20th Anniversary a new King Of DDT has been crowned and it is MAO! He reached all the way to the final where Daisuke Sasaki was there standing in his way. MAO wanted to win quickly and busted out the Hollywood Star Press for a nearfall. Sasaki then started targeting MAO’s knees before taking him outside to do a Super Diving Elbow Drop while MAO was sitting in the front row. MAO fought back by biting his way out of the Crossface Lock, turning Sasaki over with the Michinoku Driver I and then applying the Just Face Lock. Sasaki took a big risk to get back into the fight by giving MAO a Superplex out of the ring onto members of The 37KAMIINA and DAMNATION T.A below. He then tried using flash pins including the Hurricanrana but MAO wore him down with Palm Strikes, the Iai Kick and the Cannonball 450 to win.
With this victory MAO thinks he now has a spot in the main event of “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024” on 21st July. He called Yuki Ueno into the ring to tell him it could be those two fighting for the KO-D Openweight Title at Sumo Hall. However Ueno told everyone that he has to beat Sanshiro Takagi first on 5th June. Takagi entered the ring to congratulate MAO and tell him that he too is fighting to achieve his dream of being in a KO-D Title match at Sumo Hall. The closest he’s been to that position was the King Of DDT 2009 final but he lost to Kota Ibushi. MAO reminded Takagi he still had the Weapon Rumble match against The Great Sasuke that year and that match captured MAO’s heart. So much so that if Takagi becomes his opponent at Sumo Hall then they should have a Weapon Rumble match! But if he faces Ueno the match will just be held under normal rules. Ueno was relieved to hear that. The three of them all agreed by sharing a toast together in the ring.
Sasaki went through a war with Chris Brookes in the semi-finals. The two agreed to have a No DQ Match over expectations that both could cheat against each other. Instead it became a full blown hardcore match with tables, plastic boxes, chairs, a ladder, a stapler and even a fork board laid against the corner with “Fuck You Sasaki” painted on it. Brookes also had backup in the form of Mecha Mummy but Sasaki used a taser to make it short circuit and play no further part in the match. Sasaki was thrown from the ladder through a table and Brookes followed up by hitting a Diving Double Knee Drop onto the remains. Sasaki kicked out and then countered the Praying Mantis Bomb into El Es Culero cradle to steal the win from out of nowhere. A bloody Brookes threw everything he could get his hands on around the ring out of anger after the match.
The other semi-final had MAO beating a previous King Of DDT winner Kazusada Higuchi. He had to use Middle Kicks and Palm Strikes to try and match Higuchi’s Chops and Headbutt. The Doctor Bomb Higuchi used was kicked out of but so was the Green Tea Plunge that MAO pulled out. The match came down to duel between the two. Higuchi charged in looking to do the Buchikamashi but MAO blocked it with a Thrust Kick, stunned Higuchi with a Palm Strike, cut off a Lariat with a Hurricane Kick and finally put his opponent down with the Iai Kick. Higuchi had no problem admitting backstage that MAO is a really, really strong wrestler.
Ueno and Takagi used their 6-Man Tag as a preview for what to expect in the KO-D Title bout by brawling with each other in the crowd with the Dramatic Dream bike involved before taking the fight up to the balcony. They had more to offer back in the ring with Ueno doing a Dropkick and Takagi firing back with the Stunner. Tomomitsu Matsunaga used the opening to hit Ueno with the Tommy Bomber for a nearfall. Ueno recovered and Dropkicked Matsunaga in the face before pinning him with the WR. After the match Takagi said he does not care if Ueno is ready or not for the title match. Takagi is now free from responsibility and will be at his most immature on 5th June! Meanwhile To-y told Shunma Katsumata they will be enemies on 21st June because he wants to win the DDT Extreme Title from him in the 5 Way Sauna match. In fact, To-y accused Katsumata of not helping him during today’s match so they may already be enemies!
Plans for Match #4 changed when before the match Poison Sawada JULIE looking for his teammates to brainwash them with his Snake Magic. While this was going on, Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino asked Yuya Koroku in a nearby locker room to go find them something to drink. Koroku found some cans labelled “Modification Drink” in the room where JULIE was just in and gave them to his BURNING partners. What happened when they drank it scared Koroku out of the room while a returning JULIE was pleased with the results. It all became clear what happened when JULIE entered the ring with Endo & Iino both brainwashed into becoming Tetsumamushi Endo & Yuki “Anaconda” Iino! Koroku now had to team with JULIE’s original partners Shuji Ishikawa & Masahiro Takanashi in order to win the antidotes that would turn Endo & Iino back to normal. It was a tough challenge but a well timed dodge from Kuroku caused Iino to Spear Endo by accident. Koroku then gave JULIE a Back Drop and pinned him with the Moonsault Press. He then quickly fed his friends the cans of antidote to free them from JULIE’s snake magic. Whenever JULIE returns to DDT he promises to get revenge on Koroku for stopping him from turning BURNING into his new Snake Magic army.
The 3 Way Tag Match ended too quickly thanks to Makoto Oishi immediately pinning Kazuki Hirata with a Rock Bottom before one of the other teams even made it to the ring. It required a restart and the same result almost happened. Yukio Naya made it in time to break it up so the match could continue. A noticable trend then happened where Takeshi Masada became left out of all of the multi-man spots. Somehow Yukinori Matsui took his place! When Masada became upset over it, Hisaya Imabayashi paused the match and ordered everyone to let Masada be more involved because he is already a lonely college student. Most of them although Danshoku Dieno wasn’t really interested. Naya instructed Masada to climb the top turnbuckle and wait for the opportunity to do a big move while Naya took care of Dieno and Toru Owashi. Oishi and Hirata tried to give Naya the Double Miracle Ecstasy but it was countered into a Double Choke Slam. Naya decided to pin the both of them while Masada was still waiting on the top turnbuckle. The match ended with them as the winners but a sad and lonely Masada took his time to leave the ring.
DAMNATION T.A halted some of Smile Squash’s momentum in the opening match. HARASHIMA & Akito were doing well against KANON & MJ Paul until KANON caught Akito in the Cobra Twist. He then grounded the move and rolled Akito over to pin his shoulders to the mat for a 3 count. KANON bragged about beating Akito with a roll up style move, something that Akito is meant to be a master of. Fans like it when teams from the past reunite but he hates it and for that reason hates Smile Squash too. HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano weren’t angry over the result. They assured Akito that they now all learned KANON is capable of winning that way and they will have to be careful of it in the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match.
In the dark match Yuni hit Ilusion & Kazuma Sumi with a top rope Moonsault out of the ring. He then gave Sumi a Spinning DDT in the ring and Keigo Nakamura followed up with the John Woo Dropkick for a nearfall. Nakamura didn’t waste anytime and landed the Diving Headbutt to get the win.
A new singles match was announced for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024”. Konosuke Takeshita will face Masato Tanaka in a rematch from March 2020!
There was an announcement during the show that DDT and GCW will be co-promoting a show together in Korakuen Hall on 12th August as part of GCW’s next tour of Japan. The show is called “NEVER ENDING NOISY SUMMER” and Effy sent in a video message to promote it. GCW talent currently announced for the show include Joey Janela, Effy, Allie Katch, Masha Slamovich, Mance Warner, Jordan Oliver, Dark Sheik, Alex Zayne and Rina Yamashita.
Before any of the matches began there was a special presentation held by Saki Akai. One of her first projects with DDT since retiring from pro wrestling last year was to set up a crowdfunding campaign to buy new training equipment for the company. The campaign succeeded and today Akai donated the new equipment to Takagi and DDT.
DDT will be launching a new photobook with Leslie Kee on 21st July. They previously worked together for a photobook called “Super DDT” back in 2013.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 18/05/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. 3 Way Match: Suzume Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Shino Suzuki
2. Arisu Endo, Kaya Toribami & Chika Nanase Vs Raku, Moka Miyamoto & Uta Takami
3. Nao Kakuta Vs Runa Okubo
4. Shoko Nakajima & Haru Kazashiro Vs Mizuki & Pom Harajuku
5. Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi & HIMAWARI Vs Maki Itoh, Yuki Aino & Toga
6. Queen Of Asia Title & VPW Women’s Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c/c) Vs Alexis Lee
Tomorrow’s show has to change a few matches because Kira Summer will be absent due to family circumstances.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 25/05/2024 Kanagawa Fujisawa City Shonandai Cultural Center
1. Aja Kong & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Rika Tatsumi & Moka Miyamoto
When Tokyo Joshi Pro heads over to Yuki Kamifuku’s neck of the woods next week, she’ll be teaming up with Aja Kong! The two wrestlers paired up to face them are Rika Tatsumi & Moka Miyamoto.
Mizuki will be wrestling at a SETUP show in Thailand on the same day so she will be missing this show.
BASARA “BASARA 249 ~UTAGE~”, 28/05/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Ryuichi Sekine, Fuminori Abe & Gaia Hox Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Yasu Urano
2. Isami Kodaka, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs Lil’ Kraken, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. SAGAT Vs Gouma Ryu
4. Iron Fist Tag Team Titles: Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster
5. Union MAX Title: Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Daichi Kazato
Results for SAGAT have been going up and down recently in BASARA. If he is on a downslope then this can be Gouma Ryu’s best chance to beat him in a singles match.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 05/06/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. Daisuke Kiso Referee 14th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs To-y & Yuni
2. CDK 5th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON &MJ Paul (c) Vs HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano
Smile Squash has been revived in a bid to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles for the first time. Akito has held the belts before but HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano both have not. They defeated DAMNATION T.A in a non-title match yesterday so put out the challenge for a rematch with the titles on the line.
DDT “SANSHIRO TAKAGI VS SUPER SASADANGO MACHINE ONE MATCH EVENT”, 26/06/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Super Sasadango Machine
As we get ever closer towards Sanshiro Takagi’s break from wrestling in matches, Super Sasadango Machine has emerged asking to wrestle him one on one. In order to fit the match into Takagi’s busy schedule the bout will take place as a one match show held inside Shinjuku FACE. If that is not enough of a unique selling point, there are going to be 50 types of tickets and seating options that will be put on sale for the show.
DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2”, 17/05/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage 346 Fans
1. HARASHIMA & Keigo Nakamura defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when Nakamura pinned Ishida with the Diving Headbutt (11:47).
2. Shinobazu Pond Elimination Match: Toru Owashi & Akito defeated MAO & To-y when Akito eliminated MAO & To-y by Ring Out (7:57).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Makoto Oishi when Sasaki submitted Oishi with the Crossface Lock (8:42).
4. Chris Brookes defeated Yuya Koroku with a Heel Hook (12:00).
5. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino defeated Yuki Ueno & Kazuki Hirata when Iino pinned Hirata with the Spear (12:37).
6. Danshoku Dieno Birthday Eve Commemorative Match ~ Danshoku Dieno Succession Match: Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada after the Danshoku Driver from Danshoku Dieno (12:02). (Special Referee: Danshoku Dieno)
7. DDT Extreme Title – Leave History Behind!! 3 Round Pokkiri Strategy Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) (2) defeated Antonio Honda (1).
7a. 1 Count Fall Wasabi Cream Puff Death Match: Antonio Honda defeated Shunma Katsumata (5:17).
7b. Scramble Bunkhouse Bra Hunt Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Antonio Honda when Katsumata put on the Bra (6:49).
7c. 2 Count Fall Only Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Antonio Honda with a Backward Rolling Cradle (5:00). *V3 for Shunma Katsumata.
The early summer edition of DDT’s beer garden shows ended with Yuki Ueno calling out Sanshiro Takagi and telling him he wants to defend the KO-D Openweight Title against him. Takagi wants the same and already had a contract for the match written up so it can take place as soon as possible. The title match will take place in Shinjuku FACE on 5th June. That is a few days after Takagi is no longer the president of CyberFight so he will be free to fight Ueno with less responsibilities to worry about. The two shared a toast to celebrate until Takagi gave Ueno the Stunner. Ueno said he is looking forward to the match because even though DDT is changing, he is still here.
Three falls consisting of random rules determined who was leaving today as the DDT Extreme Champion. The 1st fall was a Wasabi Cream Puff Death Match. When you pinned your opponent for a 1 Count, the opponent’s second at ringside would have to pick a cream puff and eat it. If the puff contained wasabi then the round would end. Antonio Honda ended up winning the fall when To-y ate the wasabi puff. The 2nd Fall was a Scramble Bunkhouse Bra Hunt Match. Honda and Shunma Katsumata had to race down to the ring and be the first one to put on a bra. Honda used Gongitsune to slow down Katsumata. He got his hands on a bra first but struggled for too long. Katsumata got his own bra and wore it before Honda could to even the score. The final deciding fall could only be won with a 2 Count Pinfall. Katsumata came out on top and used a Backwards Rolling Cradle to win the match and defend his championship.
Katsumata already knows where he will defend the title next. It will be at the Aqua Yukari sauna in Chiba on 21st June. He called out for anyone to challenge him on the date. He ended up getting three challengers. Yukio Naya, To-y and Illusion all entered the ring demanding to be in the match. Katsumata agreed to defend the title against all of them in a Falls Count Anywhere Survival 4 Way match at the sauna.
Since tomorrow is Danshoku Dieno’s birthday he felt it is time for him to find a successor. He officiated a match between Takeshi Masada and Kazuma Sumi with the intention to pass down his gimmick to the winner. He encouraged and then later forced the two participants to wrestle like he does. Neither Masada nor Sumi wanted to win and both tried to throw the match to each other. Eventually Sumi decided to go along with the idea when he gave Masada the Danshoku Driver for a nearfall. He then gave Masada the Lip Lock and left him for Dieno to do the real Danshoku Driver. Sumi pinned him afterward and Dieno counted the fall. The match was immediately followed by a press conference where Dieno announced Sumi will now be called Danshoku Dieno II! He changed into Dieno’s wrestling tights and ran around giving everyone Lip Locks to celebrate. However a couple of hours after the show DDT announced that Dieno II had changed his mind and will go back to being Kazuma Sumi.
The stage in Ueno Park’s theater features a small pool area in front of it. For Match #2 the wrestlers agreed to have a Pond Elimination match where the first team to get both of their opponents out of the pond at the same time would win. Toru Owashi got close to eliminating both MAO & To-y with a Double Headscissors Takeover. He was able to go through with it when Akito pushed all three of them out of the pool to win.
A press conference was held at the start of the show featuring the four semi-finalists of this year’s King Of DDT. MAO said he is two wins away from winning the tournament and therefore three wins away from becoming the KO-D Champion. He not only has momentum but also a mysterious power that will make him win the whole thing. Kazusada Higuchi simply reminded everyone he is taking things one match at a time and wants to focus on beating MAO. Chris Brookes said he can beat Daisuke Sasaki in a fair fight but Sasaki likes to cheat. Brookes knows how to cheat too so he requested their bout be turned into a No DQ Match. Sasaki agreed to it and called for Hisaya Imabayashi to make it happen.