DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 12/12/2020 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Mad Paulie & Nobuihiro Shimatani defated Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani and Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura when Shimatani pinned Nakamura after a Combined Body Press (8:13).
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Shunma Katsumata (4) defeated Soma Takao (6) by Countout (10:05).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (8) defeated Yuki Ueno (6) with the Front Neck Lock (11:51).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Makoto Oishi (4) defeated Tetsuya Endo (7) with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (19:26).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito (7) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi (6) by TKO with a Modified Figure 4 Leg Lock (8:56).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: MAO (6) defeated Chris Brookes (6) with an Inside Cradle (14:28).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (8) defeated HARASHIMA (7) with the German Suplex (20:39).
The dust has settled and no tiebreakers were needed. The D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 final will be between Konosuke Takeshita and Jun Akiyama! The A Block was decided in the last three matches of the show with Takeshita winning the group by beating HARASHIMA. Takeshita’s injured left arm was targeted in by HARASHIMA in a last ditch attempt to avoid the German Suplex. But Takeshita wrestled his way into position to pin his opponent with the move. Takeshita gave HARASHIMA credit and said today’s match was the strongest he’s ever been. HARASHIMA joked and asked Takeshita if his arm was sore. Akiyama came out and told Takeshita he already beat him on 3rd November. If Takeshita wants revenge he needs to recover from his injury and bring his best on 27th December. Takeshita told Akiyama he won’t lose to him again.
A lot of come from behind results happened for the blocks to end up the way they did. Chris Brookes lost to MAO to get knocked out of the running. MAO added a Reverse Quetzalcoatl to his move set but that wasn’t enough to win. Instead he had to counter the Praying Mantis Bomb into a Small Package to pin Brookes. MAO admitted he would like to have seen Brookes reach the final because they are friends outside the ring (they go to karaoke and sing “One Night Carnival” a lot) but he wasn’t going to lose to him today. MAO is also feeling tired of wrestling in singles matches. He wants to do tag team wrestling again.
The other wrestler in A Block to fall at the final hurdle was Yukio Sakaguchi. He was only interested in grappling with Akito so he did not throw many kicks in their match. Akito got the better of him on the mat and tangled him into a modifed Figure 4 Leg Lock. Sakaguchi refused to give up but the referee had to end the match when it was clear that Sakaguchi was done for. Sakaguchi admitted his knee wasn’t 100% after his match with HARASHIMA and Akito was smart to go after it. Akito wasn’t fully motivated to wrestle today because he wouldn’t reach the final. He wondered if Sakaguchi intentionally invited him to mat wrestle to give him that motivation. He found a new way to do a Figure 4 so in the end he did get something out of it.
Over in the B Block, Tetsuya Endo was stunned by a submission loss to Makoto Oishi! The shock result happened when Oishi grabbed Endo’s leg to avoid the Canadian Destroyer and got him into the Fujiyama Knee Lock. Endo was managing to withstand it until Oishi put all of his power into the hold, getting the tapout. The result meant Akiyama was going to the final instead of Endo. Oishi said it would have been uncool if the leader of Junretsu couldn’t help get Akiyama to the final. For anyone who thought it’s time for Oishi to retire, his message today is it’s not his time yet! He’s still getting better and he is not going to retire before Akiyama.
The penultimate B Block match was where Akiyama cemented his spot in the final. He took over when Yuki Ueno missed the BME and hit the Exploder Suplex. He then did the Wrist-Clutch Exploder but Ueno kicked out at two. Akiyama didn’t waste time and he put Ueno in the Front Neck Lock for the submission win. Backstage Akiyama gave his thoughts on the current wrestling scene. The likes of Ueno need to step up more. They’re not going to catch up to Akiyama if they’re just aiming to get along with him. There is a difference between trying to get better together and trying to get better alone. Akiyama is in DDT to compete and that difference is why he is beating wrestlers half his age. He says it’s fine when Sanshiro Takagi says he wants his company to catch up to New Japan and overtake them. But when you say that then you must treat the business as a competition and you must compete. You can still go and create interesting ideas that are different from the norm, but if it’s not done with the intention of competing then pro wrestling will eventually have nothing left.
Soma Takao’s chance to win the block was ruined thanks to Shunma Katsumata. He has to give some of the blame to Nobuhiro Shimatani though. Also himself but he still blamed Shimatani. He used the steel basin in the match but Katsumata fought back with Lego. Shimatani grabbed the basin but hit Takao by accident. Takao then purposely hit him with the basin and chased him out of the room with Katsumata following them. While the 20 count was being made, Katsumata returned to the ring first. Takao then came back with his legs taped together forcing him to hop back to the ring. He was about to break the count when Katsumata dropped the basin on his head, knocking him down and leaving him counted out. Katsumata said the tournament has been hard for him because he injured his knee during the summer. That is why he’s been cheating throughout the Grand Prix so he could still leave an impression with his matches. Today was the end of his tournament run but as a pro wrestler he will continue to rise.
In the non-tournament 3 Way Tag, Shimatani jumped onto Mad Paulie’s back and together they squashed Keigo Nakamura.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 12/12/2020 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Mad Paulie & Nobuihiro Shimatani Vs Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani Vs Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Soma Takao (6) Vs Shunma Katsumata (2)
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (6) Vs Jun Akiyama (6)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo (7) Vs Makoto Oishi (2)
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Yukio Sakaguchi (6) Vs Akito (5)
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: MAO (4) Vs Chris Brookes (6)
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (6) Vs HARASHIMA (7)
There’s the match order for the final matches in the group stage. So let’s grab a drink and figure out the paths that can play out. DDT only said a tiebreaker match will be held in case of a tie for first place. No mention of the direct confrontation rule so the previous results may not be as advantageous as they normally are. I am writing these paths assuming that the tiebreaker will happen no matter who finishes with the same amount of points. Also it’s a Friday night so if I’m wrong I’m not going to worry too much about it. Show’s on in a few hours time anyway.
A Block
1. HARASHIMA (7)
A win over Takeshita guarantees a spot in the final. A draw means getting into a tiebreaker with Chris Brookes and/or Yukio Sakaguchi if they win their matches. If they both fail to win in that situation then HARASHIMA gets a lucky escape.
2. Yukio Sakaguchi (6)
A win over Akito, HARASHIMA losing and Brookes failing to win gets Sakaguchi first place. If Sakaguchi gets a draw he needs HARASHIMA to lose and Brookes to not win in order to enter the tiebreaker.
2. Chris Brookes (6)
Brookes will finish first if he beats MAO, HARASHIMA loses and Sakaguchi fails to win. If Brookes gets a draw he needs HARASHIMA to lose and Sakaguchi to not win in order to enter the tiebreaker.
2. Konosuke Takeshita (6)
Needs to beat HARASHIMA to stay alive. Finishes on top if Brookes and Sakaguchi both fail to win. Otherwise it’s a tiebreaker.
5. Akito (5)
Any result of the main event prevents Akito from finishing first so he is eliminated. He ends Sakaguchi’s run if he beats him. Maybe even a draw.
6. MAO (4)
Cannot reach the final but can eliminate Brookes.
7. Daisuke Sasaki (2)
Completely out of it because of injury. Sorry for rubbing it in.
B Block
1. Tetsuya Endo (7)
Just needs to beat Oishi to win the block. A draw ties him with the winner of Ueno Vs Akiyama and Takao if he beats Katsumata. Endo still has a chance if he loses but that direction won’t be pretty.
1. Kazusada Higuchi (7)
This is the chaos path. Higuchi already wrestled all his matches. Only hope is if Endo loses, Takao doesn’t win and Ueno Vs Akiyama ends in a draw. That results in a massive 4 way or even 5 way tiebreaker.
3. Jun Akiyama (6)
Needs to beat Ueno, Endo loses and Takao loses. Akiyama Vs Ueno ending in a draw, Takao not winning and Endo losing leads to chaos.
3. Soma Takao (6)
Can squeak into the final if he beats Katsumata, Endo loses and Ueno Vs Akiyama ends in a draw. Otherwise Takao winning sends him to a tiebreaker against the winner of Akiyama Vs Ueno if Endo still loses.
3. Yuki Ueno (6)
Ueno’s in the same position as Akiyama. Just read his bit and swap their names around.
6. Makoto Oishi (2)
Won’t reach the final but can play one hell of a spoiler against Endo. Root for him if you want to see the the entire block turn on its head.
6. Shunma Katsumata (2)
Down and out but can ruin Soma Takao’s chances.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 06/12/2020 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Chris Brookes (6) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. Chris Brookes defeated Hideki Okatani with the Elevator Action Death Parade (6:13).
2. Blow Away The D-Ou GP 2021 From The DDT Variety Team! ~ Narimasu Tag Death Match: Danshoku Dieno & Saki Akai defeated Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Akai pinned Hirata with a PK (8:27).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (6) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi (6) by Knockout with the Zahi (11:26).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (7) Vs Akito (5) ended in a Draw after a Double Pinfall (16:26).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (6) defeated Shunma Katsumata (2) with the WR (13:56).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Soma Takao (6) defeated Tetsuya Endo (7) with the Gin And Tonic (16:37).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (7) defeated Jun Akiyama (6) with the Brain Claw Pin (4:03).
With one last roar, Kazusada Higuchi finishes his schedule of block matches with a gigantic win over Jun Akiyama! He did it in quick time too. In just over 4 minutes, Higuchi applied the Brain Claw and pressed Akiyama down to the canvas to pin him. Higuchi got on the mic and said the top spot cannot be given to someone who is about to go back to All Japan. With this result, Higuchi is now tied in first place but he has no more matches remaining. He needs a bunch of results from other matches to play out a certain way in order for him to enter some sort of emergency tiebreaker match.
Tetsuya Endo could have sealed his place in the final here today if he had beaten Soma Takao. Instead he is in a position where it could all slip away. Takao avoided the Modified One-Winged Angel and trapped his stablemate in the Official Endless Waltz. Endo wouldn’t be pinned by it but Takao got him into the Gin And Tonic and got the upset victory. Takao reminded Endo he is still his senpai. He hates him but also loves him too. Backstage Endo said that Takao beating him means Takao has indirectly beaten Akiyama. If that doesn’t make him feel anything then he will never move past the spot he is in.
The DDT Sauna Club had another member versus member match in the D-Ou Grand Prix. That relationship came into play when Shunma Katsumata made Yuki Ueno sit down on a chair and waved him with a towel before choking him with it. Katsumata used more chairs to cut off a Plancha and then taped Ueno’s feet together for a possible countout. Ueno got Toui Kojima to cut the tape off and he made it back to the ring to continue the match. Katsumata tried using Daisuke Kiso as a human shield but Ueno maneuvered around them and hit a Standing Shining Wizard. Ueno then won with the WR. Katsumata praised Ueno for getting stronger and he told him to look up at the Finnish sky so they can see aurora borealis together. He told Ueno he will meet him again at the Grand Prix final. Ueno said that isn’t possible but Katsumata told him he wouldn’t give up.
HARASHIMA is clinging on to the top spot of the A Block. He got into a back and forth match with Akito and almost got counted out when he missed the Somato on the apron and crashed into the ring post. Akito then attempted the Goliath Birdeater but HARASHIMA attempted a counter Cradle. Both men’s shoulders were on the mat long enough for Yukinori Matsui to count to three. Matsui called it a double pin and declared the match a draw. HARASHIMA said the difference between Akito now compared to their past matches is the Goliath Birdeater so he knew he had to avoid it. Since there was no winner or loser, HARASHIMA doesn’t understand how to feel about the result.
The bad news for Konosuke Takeshita is his left arm is hanging by a thread. The good news is his recent run of results have gotten him back in the hunt for a place in the final. His victory over Yukio Sakaguchi today came from a clash of knee strikes. Sakaguchi hit the God’s Right Knee and Takashita got in the Zahi before they both crumpled to the mat. Takeshita was able to stand back up before the 10 count but Sakaguchi couldn’t do the same. Takeshita thinks luck is on his side and he will give up his left arm to finish the Grand Prix.
The non-tournament tag match was suddenly turned into a Narimasu Tag Death Match. After three minutes a weapon handed down from the ancient times would be introduced to the match. It was revealed to be Yuki Iino, Keigo Nakamura and Hisaya Imabayashi all sitting on the turnbuckles bent over with their backsides exposed. Danshoku Dieno appreciated the idea and copied them on the remaining turnbuckle. Toru Owashi and Saki Akai were thrown face first into the backsides. The four corners then joined in Kazuki Hirata’s dance with their butts still hanging out. They then all closed into the center of the ring where Akai threw Hirata and Hirata got his face full of everyone. Akai then hit a Penalty Kick and pinned him.
Chris Brookes spent most of his replacement match twisting Hideki Okatani into knots.
At the start of the show it was announced that Sanshiro Takagi & Danshoku Dieno Vs Nayashiro Nayagi & Super Sasadango Machine will happen at Korakuen Hall on 27th December. Nayagi is Yukio Naya’s parody of Takagi from the Hiragana Muscle shows. Takagi saw that and noticed Naya’s posing and the angle he hits the Stunner with are not accurate enough. Takagi won’t stand for this!
The #STRONGHEARTS quartet of CIMA, T-Hawk, El Lindaman & Shigehiro Irie will be at the Nagoya Congress Center show on 23rd February.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU (FREE!)”, 04/12/2020 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito (4) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. K-Ou Grand Prix 2021: Danshoku Dieno & Akito (w/ Yuki Iino) (3) Vs Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani (w/ Keigo Nakamura) (3) ended in a Draw (5:00).
1a. Penalty Shootout: Danshoku Dieno & Akito (w/ Yuki Iino) (3) defeated Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani (w/ Keigo Nakamura) (2).
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (4) defeated Makoto Oishi (2) with an Inverted Cross Armbreaker (17:23).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Shunma Katsumata (2) defeated Kazusada Higuchi (5) with the 120% School Boy (10:59).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (6) defeated Soma Takao (4) with the Wrist Clutch Exploder Suplex (8:22).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Yukio Sakaguchi (6) defeated HARASHIMA (6) by TKO with the Sleeper Hold (10:17).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (4) defeated MAO (4) with the Zahi 3 Barrage (22:46).
After a brief break in the schedule, the D-Ou Grand Prix continued on with a DDT Sauna Club showdown as today’s headliner. Konosuke Takeshita entered the match with his injured left arm heavily taped. While MAO did target the arm at points, it wasn’t in his gameplan to fully exploit that limb. Instead MAO’s big move was the Marines Tornado Splash. Unfortunately for him, Takeshita rolled out of the way and MAO went splat. Takeshita went for a barrage of three Zahi knee strikes and just about pinned MAO long enough to get the three count. MAO was a split second too late in lifting his shoulder up. Takeshita was impressed with how much stronger MAO has gotten. MAO can’t believe that Takeshita is still one step ahead of him but they’re still able to have fun fighting each other. They closed out the show with the rest of the DDT Sauna Club celebrating in the ring. “Ready, heatwaver WER!!”
Yukio Sakaguchi jumped straight to the top of the A Block by beating the previous leader HARASHIMA. The match was kept close to the mat with HARASHIMA and Sakaguchi ending up getting into the Inoki/Ali positions before grappling for submission holds. Sakaguchi caught HARASHIMA in the Sleeper and sunk it in deep until HARASHIMA lost consciousness for the referee stoppage. When HARASHIMA recovered he took the loss in his stride and happily shook Sakaguchi’s hand for a job well done. Sakaguchi called this match the result of all his years in DDT. He and his “brothers” KUDO, Masahiro Takanashi and even Danshoku Dieno cultivated different fields in the farm that is DDT. He is able to show himself in a way only he can after putting in all of that time cultivating.
The newest DDT rookie Toui Kojima worked in Jun Akiyama’s corner for Match #4. Akiyama thought his name was Oshima and had to be corrected. Soma Takao brought in a steel basin but Akiyama took it off him. Takao brought in another basin and they both hit each other with them. Akiyama got the better of the exchange with some Knee Strikes. He had the match won with the Exploder Suplex but he went ahead and did the Wrist Clutch Exploder to win with emphasis. Akiyama said in his post-match interview that he is using the Wrist Clutch version more to let the DDT roster know what’s waiting for them when they try against him. Takao said Akiyama should have been disqualified for hitting him with the basin. When it was explained to him that the referee didn’t see it, Takao then claimed victory for being able to hit Akiyama with his own basin.
The rivalry between Kazusada Higuchi and Shunma Katsumata has existed going all the way back to their DNA days. It means so much to Katsumata that he wore his old DNA attire for today’s match. He’s a different wrestler compared to back then though. During the match Katsumata dared Higuchi to fight him outside the ring, pulled off one of the turnbuckle pads and lured Higuchi underneath the ring. When Higuchi reemerged he had tape wrapped around his body, sticking his arms to his side! Katsumata blinded him with spray then hit move after move trying to pin him. The tricks finally took their toll on Higuchi when a missed charge sent him running into the exposed turnbuckle. Katsumata rolled him up with the 120% School Boy and it got him his first win in this year’s Grand Prix. It is also the first time Katsumata ever beat Higuchi! He understands he cannot win the Grand Prix but he still wants to win his remaining matches by any means necessary. Higuchi was asked backstage how Katsumata was able to wrap tape around him under the ring. He explained there were also spanners under there which Katsumata used to beat him up first so he could use the tape.
Yuki Ueno rounded out what was mostly a good day for the Sauna Club. His WR finisher was almost countered by Makoto Oishi into the Fujiyama Knee Lock. Ueno turned the move over into a Cross Armbreaker to make Oishi give up. Oishi thinks he is losing because he is not being careful enough. He knows using a Knee Lock leaves his arms exposed for a counter and he would expect fighters like Sakaguchi or Shinya Aoki to exploit it. But he never expected Ueno to take advantage the same way. Ueno proved Oishi’s point when he explained his thought process. Fujiyama makes him think of Mount Fuji. Fuji makes him think of Shizuoka. Shizuoka makes him think of Shinya Aoki. Eureka!
The opening contest was not a wrestling match but a competition called the K-Oh Grand Prix. The K stands for Kancho. Whichever team do the kancho butt poke to their opponents and make them scream in pain the most in five minutes wins. Yuki Iino appeared to perform the Haka as part of the opening ceremony. Dieno & Akito took the lead when Dieno got Hideki Okatani. Akito made it 2-0 when he caught Mizuki Watase with a kancho. The Junretsu pair tied the game, even after Dieno called for VAR. The score ended at 3-3 when the time expired. A penalty shootout was held to determine a winner. It was still tied to Iino and Keigo Nakamura were brought in. Iino scored the winning point on Nakamura, giving the win to Dieno & Akito. The two teams exchanged wrestling gear afterwards and praised each other for a good game.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU”, 28/11/2020 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Yukio Sakaguchi (4) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Hideki Okatani with the Modified Haneorigatame (2:43).
2. No Touch Rules: Saki Akai, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yukio Naya defeated Danshoku Dieno, Antonio Honda & Keigo Nakamura when Naya pinned Nakamura with the Choke Slam (9:56).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Chris Brookes (4) defeated Akito (4) with the One More Round (13:10)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (6) defeated MAO (2) with the Somato (12:49).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Soma Takao (4) defeated Makoto Oishi (2) with the Running Elbow Butt (2:30).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (2) defeated Shunma Katsumata (0) by Countout (9:53).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo (5) Vs Kazusada Higuchi (3) ended in a Double Knockout (20:56).
For the first time in D-Ou Grand Prix history a match has ended in a Double Knockout! A bout between Tetsuya Endo and Kazusada Higuchi guaranteed to have bombs thrown at both sides but nobody expected it to exceed the limits of both men. Endo pulled off one of the turnbuckle pads and used a chair to wreck Higuchi’s leg. Higuchi had so much trouble standing up that the referee attempted to count him out. Higuchi was able to stay on his feet and used a Brain Claw to cut off Endo’s momentum. Endo hit the Canadian Destroyer expecting it to be the finish but Higuchi spent his last gasp charging Endo right into the exposed turnbuckle with the Buchikamashi. Higuchi couldn’t stand up again due to the pain while Endo was knocked right out by the move. Both were counted out and the match was ruled a draw. When Endo recovered he was sat up and given the microphone. He thought he had no enemies left to beat after Jun Akiyama but Higuchi proved him wrong. Still, Endo leads the B Block and promises to win his remaining Grand Prix matches. He has to because he is carrying the KO-D Openweight Title, the pride of beating Akiyama and the thoughts of Daisuke Sasaki on his back! Backstage Higuchi said his leg is in bad shape after his back to back matches with Makoto Oishi and Endo. He’ll crawl to Osaka for tomorrow’s match if he has to!
Shunma Katsumata promised that his Super Hardcore form was gone for the rest of the year. Akiyama didn’t get that message and walked down to the ring armed with a Lego covered baseball bat. Katsumata tried to get Akiyama counted out by taping his feet together but Akiyama was able to rip the tape off. Katsumata later got Akiyama back out of the ring and the two of them tried to stop each other from getting back in. Katsumata thought he pulled one out of the bag when he hit a 619 out of nowhere. But Akiyama got back up and bounced his opponent away with a Jumping Knee. Akiyama got back into the ring and won by countout. That result was another first in D-Ou history, the first block match to end by countout!
Soma Takao currently has the fastest win of the Grand Prix so far. He and Makoto Oishi quickly exchanged roll ups before going straight for their finishing moves. When the Miracle Ecstasy and the Gin And Tonic were both avoided, Oishi ran the ropes. He aimed to do a Running Forearm but Takao cut him off with the Running Elbow Butt for the three count out of nowhere. Oishi complained that his shoulder was up and there should be a video replay to back him up. Takao was happy to win quickly because normally that means he can go home early. He can’t though because he now has to travel to Osaka. Also his late start in the tournament means he has no breaks in the remaining schedule.
Three shows in and HARASHIMA leads the A Block with a perfect score of 6 points. Today he beat MAO, avenging his defeat to him back in D-Ou 2019 (the one held in 2018). After the match HARASHIMA told the fans he came into the match with a good feeling and won thanks to their support. He brought up how injuries are already taking their toll on the DDT roster during this Grand Prix but everyone will do their best to make it through the entire tournament. MAO in his interview said he did okay today but that’s not enough against the ace of DDT. He then talked about DDT’s history with wrestlers who spell their name under the traditional alphabet (HARASHIMA, KUDO and MIKAMI). Those wrestlers can all claim to be DDT’s ace at some point in time. MAO is the only one from his generation spelling his name this way and he will continue working hard to become the ace.
Akito made a request to Chris Brookes before their match, asking for a Lancashire Rules match. He never experienced Lanacashire wrestling before so he suggested fighting 3 minute rounds for 10 round. Yukinori Matsui refused because he wasn’t going to change the rules to a D-Ou match. Akito still used his phone to keep track of the time and took breaks whenever a “round” ended. Brookes ignored the break and Cradled Akito for a nearfall. He then said it was a round break, knowing that Akito wouldn’t break the rules he wanted to follow. But when a “round” ended while Akito held Brookes in an Armlock, Akito said the phone alarm was too noisy and he ignored it from that point on. He tried to do the Goliath Birdeater but Brookes escaped and used a Horizontal Crucifix Pin to get the victory. Akito was disappointed he lost but doesn’t regret coming up with his Lancashire idea. Brookes is happy to beat the best technical wrestler in DDT at his own game. He thinks tomorrow’s opponent Konosuke Takeshita is broken to the point where Brookes can’t waste this chance to beat him again. He is also trying to get the Shukan Puroresu reporters interviewing him to attend Masahiro Takanashi’s show in January.
The participants in Match #2 all wanted to steal the show from the D-Ou matches. They agreed to a No Tag rule for their match. However Hisaya Imabayashi came out and told the wrestlers that one of the curtains hanging over the ring was malfunctioning. At some point the curtain was going to fall down and completely block the north side of the room from seeing the show! So for the sake of the fans sitting in the north side, the wrestlers had to do their match quickly before the curtain falls. The curtain did indeed fall so Danshoku Dieno, Saki Akai and Tomomitsu Matsunaga all worked together to keep it held above the audience’s heads. The plan worked until Antonio Honda poked all of them in the eyes with Gongitsune. Yukio Naya and Keigo Nakamura finished off the match without the north section getting to see it. They had to be told what happened after the curtain was fixed and raised back up.
Yesterday Yukio Sakaguchi warned he would fight Hideki Okatani as if he was Daisuke Sasaki. So fair play to Okatani for bringing the fight, albeit brief to Sakaguchi. He used Bulldogs, the Northern Lights Suplex and the Neckbreaker Drop. Sakaguchi kept calm though and countered the Double Arm Suplex into a Sleeper Hold. He placed Okatani down to hit him with a Penalty Kick and then used the Modified Haneorigatame from yesterday for the finish.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU (FREE!)”, 27/11/2020 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: MAO (2) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. MAO, Yukio Naya & Hideki Okatani defeated Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Keigo Nakamura when MAO pinned Nakamura with the Michinoku Driver I (7:45).
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (2) defeated Makoto Oishi (2) with a Brain Claw (9:07).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Soma Takao (2) defeated Yuki Ueno (2) with the Official Endless Waltz (12:01).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo (4) defeated Shunma Katsumata (0) with the Modified Yurikamome (11:45).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Yukio Sakaguchi (4) defeated Chris Brookes (2) with a Modified Haneorigatame (10:45).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (2) defeated Akito (4) with the Surprise Rose (29:32).
It’s still early in the D-Ou Grand Prix but Konosuke Takeshita was 30 seconds away from remaining in the bottom of the A Block. Akito used his surroundings to his advantage by applying a Figure 4 Leg Lock around the ring post and slamming his arm against a nearby table over and over. He continued to target Takeshita’s arm and held onto it for the Perfect Figure Four. Takeshita fought through the pain and in the last minute of the match, countered a Standing Arm Lock into a Vertical Drop Brainbuster. From there he hit the Surprise Rose and pinned Akito with seconds to spare. He admitted he could hardly move his left arm anymore but he wasn’t going to lose against his ALL OUT partner. Akito said that three and a half years ago they wrestled each other for the KO-D Openweight Title in Narimasu Act Hall and Takeshita won with the same move he used today. He accepts that nothing has changed since then and today’s defeat is a bit of a pain for him. Everyone in ALL OUT seems to have their own thing going on now. Takeshita has the DDT Sauna Club and Akito has the Young Communication reunion. But they agree ALL OUT still has a lot of potential together for the future.
Yukio Sakaguchi moves to the front of the A Block after beating Chris Brookes. He caught the Slingshot Cutter and turned it into a Sleeper Hold. Brookes rolled him up for a nearfall then Sakaguchi grappled Brookes into a Modified Butterfly Lock to make him submit. Sakaguchi had wanted to take it easy today because he was meant to face Daisuke Sasaki tomorrow. That match has been forfeited but he will still wrestle tomorrow’s non-tournament bout as if he was fighting Sasaki. Poor Hideki Okatani. Brookes still has two points already on the board but that is also from Sasaki’s forfeit. He worries that losing twice in a row may have already taken him out of the running.
A match against Tetsuya Endo must be taken seriously so Shunma Katsumata appeared in his Super Hardcore form! He hid under the ring before Endo’s entrance then ambushed him with a chair. A pile of Lego was spilled into the ring for the wrestlers to be slammed onto. Katsumata also armed himself with a bat covered in Lego. Matsui pulled it away from him but accidentally struck Endo with it in the process. Endo grabbed some Lego, shoved it into Katsumata’s mouth and then did an Overhead Kick. Katsumata tried to fight out of the Yurikamome Hold with rolling pins but Endo locked the move in and got the submission victory. Endo said a champion can handle any match format so he was able to beat Katsumata at his own game. Also he likes saunas but not when people force him to visit them. That is why he will destroy the Sauna Club! Katsumata blamed his loss on not taping his wrists. Today was the last appearance of Super Hardcore Katsumata this year so don’t expect that version of him to show up against Jun Akiyama tomorrow.
Soma Takao is now off to a good start. He kicked out of Yuki Ueno’s Frog Splash and rolled away from the BME. His Gin And Tonic attempt turned into a series of cradles back and forth between the two. Takao got the upper hand and used the Official Endless Waltz to eventually catch Ueno with a three second pin. Sasaki said he misses Sasaki so everyone in DAMNATION and #DAMNHEARTS will do their best for him (including Puma King). Ueno said there are peaks and valleys in his life. He experienced a valley today so all he has to do is climb.
The Fujiyama Knee Lock came so close for Makoto Oishi. He entangled himself around Kazusada Higuchi’s leg and took him down to apply the move. It should have worked. What Oishi didn’t expect was for Higuchi to grab his head and apply the Brain Claw to fight back. Neither man would let go but Higuchi raised himself up to apply more pressure to the Claw and Oishi had to submit. Oishi was in shock backstage. He was certain the Knee Lock would work but his skull was going to crack if he wouldn’t give up. Higuchi said he lost one leg but he was willing to give that leg up to beat Oishi.
The rookies still have a lot to learn. Hideki Okatani wanted to do lucha exchanges with Toru Owashi but Owashi couldn’t jump high enough to complete the sequence. Keigo Nakamura wanted to do comedy spots with Yukinori Matsui but the referee wouldn’t go along with them. Nakamura finally got what he wanted when everyone joined in with his hop spot. Yukio Naya even lifted him onto his shoulders to celebrate. Then he remembered Nakamura was his opponent so he threw him off. MAO went ahead a finished Nakamura off to win. Tomomitsu Matsunaga wrestled in a face mask the whole time too.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN KORAKUEN HALL!”, 22/11/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
0. Under Match: Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani defeated Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura when Watase pinned Nakamura with a Hurricanrana Cutback (5:54).
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Soma Takao & Mad Paulie, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata and Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda when Sakaguchi submitted Honda with the Anal Sleeper Hold (7:23).
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito (2) defeated MAO (0) with the Octopus Dream (7:08).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (2) defeated Chris Brookes (0) with the Somato (11:13).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (2) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (0) with the Crossover Facelock (13:45).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Makoto Oishi (2) defeated Shunma Katsumata (0) with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (7:39).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (2) defeated Kazusada Higuchi (0) with the WR (11:49).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo (2) defeated Jun Akiyama (0) with the Shooting Star Press (14:00).
The opening day of D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 marks Jun Akiyama’s first direct loss in DDT. He brought the fight to Tetsuya Endo by grounding him with the Front Neck Lock. He hit the Knee Stikes and Exploder Suplexes but Endo couldn’t be beat with them. Akiyama went for the Wrist Clutch Exploder but Endo escaped and countered with an Overhead Kick. With Endo taking control he hit a Handspring Overhead Kick and the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb for a nearfall. Akiyama couldn’t get back up so he became a sitting duck for the Shooting Star Press. Endo laughed after the match and said this was a dream. No it’s not, it’s reality and he really did just beat Akiyama! Before the tournament began, Endo said he would abstain from the rest of the Grand Prix if he won the main event today. But he’s feeling so good now he decided he will complete his remaining matches after all and win D-Ou 2021!
The other singles champion also made a good leap out of the starting blocks. Yuki Ueno had a big wall in the form of Kazusada Higuchi standing in front of him. Very little seemed to make Higuchi budge until Ueno caught him with the Blizzard Suplex. Ueno wore him down with a Northern Lights Bomb and the Frog Splash but Higuchi was still kicking out. Ueno then hit the BME but rather than pin him straight away, he instead used the WR to make sure Higuchi was down and out. Ueno called the result a big confidence boost. He couldn’t envision beating Higuchi and he feels like he used up all his luck to achieve this. But he is also the DDT UNIVERSAL Champion and he won as decisively as possible. He hopes this makes the fans see him as the champion to watch in the Grand Prix.
The memory of NωA flowed through the match between Shunma Katsumata and Makoto Oishi. Katsumata came down to the ring wearing an NωA shirt and used it to choke Oishi when they fought outside the ring. Oishi went for the Fujiyama Knee Lock when Katsumata missed the Stuka Splash. He couldn’t get it at first but he put his opponent in a Calf Killer and switched to the Knee Lock for the tap out win. Katsumata was upset and thought he was already eliminated but a reporter reminded him it is a league format. Oishi is now looking forward to his match with Akiyama in Osaka on 29th November. He was a little upset with Katsumata wearing the NωA shirt but he got one back by saying he beat a member of both ALL OUT and the DDT Sauna Club.
The early half of the show was focused on the A Block matches. Daisuke Sasaki celebrated his birthday with a big victory over Konosuke Takeshita. Sasaki was thrown around with German Suplexes but he caught Takeshita in the Crossover Facelock while Takeshita was still on his feet. Takeshita’s energy was sapped out of him and when he fell to the mat in the hold he gave up. Backstage Sasaki had a message for Takeshita. If you have any doubts, just come to DAMNATION! When Takeshita received that message he said that’s one way he could change himself. He then walked off.
Chris Brookes had a plan to target HARASHIMA’s arm. He threw it into the ring post outside, attacked it with Knee Drops and applied submissions to the limb. HARASHIMA still had his kicks and gutted through the pain to do a Falcon Arrow. His Swan Dive was countered into a Cutter but the Praying Mantis Bomb from Brookes was then countered into a Short Range Somato. HARASHIMA then hit the proper Somato to take the win. He was suprised to see Brookes do so much today because he thought he would have been careful in their first tournament match. Brookes admitted the D-Ou is a very challenging tournament because it throws so many singles matches at you in a short amount of time. He had a slow start last year but he ended up doing great at the end so he hopes it will be the same this year. He also promoted Masahiro Takanashi’s return show and said he feels 10 times stronger than usual because Takanashi is in his corner.
MAO excitedly told everyone today was the opening round of the tournament. At one point in his match, MAO got tangled upside down in the turnbuckle. Akito went to attack him until Daisuke Kiso kept him back and set MAO free. MAO then tried using Kiso as a shield for the rest of the match. Akito sent MAO into a scramble of pins and cradles that led to Akito using the Octopus Dream to grab the three count. MAO was disappointed that the British style of wrestling he learned wasn’t enough to beat Akito. But still, Akito could see improvement in MAO. He’s only just come back from injury after all. Akito also purposely came up with moves that would surpass the British style too. He doesn’t think the D-Ou will be interesting this year unless everybody switches up their fighting styles.
Before the 4 Way Tag Match took place, Kazuki Hirata brought out a cardboard championship called the DDT Variety Championship. He said the winner of the match would be given the title because this match didn’t deserve to be the show opener. Both Danshoku Dieno and Antonio Honda were eager to win it but Soma Takao didn’t care so he attacked Hirata. Dieno set himself up in the Hell Gate position and Hirata’s Tegatana hand ended up getting wedged in there. Hirata pulled his hand out and used it to make everyone else faint. Yukio Sakaguchi avoided it and he hit Dieno in the backside with the God’s Right Knee. Sakaguchi then stuck his arm into the Hell Gate and used it to put Honda in a Sleeper Hold. Honda fainted and Sakaguchi was declared the DDT Variety Champion! Sakaguchi taunted Hirata and dared him to challenge for the belt whenever he wants. DDT does not recognise the DDT Variety Title as an official championship so it won’t be acknowledged in the results.
The pre-show match had the Junretsu team of Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani go over Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura. Watase’s Back Drop was countered by Nakamura but his attempt to follow up with a Hurricanrana was rolled back into a cradle for the three count.
A new trainee makes his debut on 27th December. Toui Kojima will face Hideki Okatani on the next Korakuen Hall show. Kojima introduced himself to the fans in a relaxed manner. Hisaya Imabayashi wanted him to make it sound like a bigger deal so Imabayashi repeated the news in a more exciting way.
Danshoku Dieno announced a full scale war between the DDT and Big Japan mascots. Pokotan Vs Death Kamo will happen on 4th December!
Akito announced the card of matches for the 24th December BOYZ show. He and Imabayashi asked if anybody had anything important going on for Christmas Eve? Toru Owashi raised his hand because that day is also his birthday but everyone ignored him.
The next Hiragana Muscle show will take place in Korakuen on 9th March. They will also hold a show in Osaka on 18th March.
Takanashi promoted his self-produced return show on 19th January. He said the timetable for his full time return is currently blank because he hasn’t decided when he will return to DDT yet. However if Brookes wins the D-Ou Grand Prix and goes on to main event Culttz Kawasaki next year, he will definitely be there no matter what happens.
It was revealed that the winner of the D-Ou Grand Prix will receive a KO-D Openweight Title match at the 14th February Culttz Kawasaki show next year. Also taking place in February is a big show held in Nagoya Congress Center on the 23rd. It will be the first time in 5 years DDT will be holding a major show in Nagoya.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #12”, 14/11/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Makoto Oishi defeated Hideki Okatani with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (5:20).
2. Playfulness Series Act 2: Danshoku Dieno defeated Gorgeous Matsuno with a Crucifix Pin (6:49).
3. Tetsuya Endo & Daisuke Sasaki defeated Antonio Honda & Keigo Nakamura when Sasaki pinned Nakamura with a School Boy (10:34).
4. DDT Sauna Club Stepping Together!: Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata, MAO & Yuki Ueno defeated HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Chris Brookes & Yukio Naya when Ueno pinned Naya with the BME (14:07).
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Akito, Kazuki Hirata & Shota defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai (c) when Shota pinned Akai with the Gannosuke Clutch (14:36). *Eruption fails in V4. Young Communication Generation becomes the 42nd KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
What a shocker, Eruption loses the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles to Young Communication Generation! The collective of Akito, Kazuki Hirata & Shota pulled off a gigantic upset in the main event. But it wasn’t from Hirata sneaking the pin on Yukio Sakaguchi like before. Instead Eruption looked like they had the match in the bag. Kazusada Higuchi was handling things until Akito pulled him out of the ring. Shota lured Saki Akai into throwing a strike then caught her hand and used the Gannosuke Clutch for the title change! Shota told the others he is glad he stepped into the ring at “ULTIMATE PARTY 2020” to make the challenge. Akito congratulated Shota for finally winning a DDT championship bringing up a talk they had after a match together years ago. Back then Shota told Akito he wanted to win all the prizes in DDT. He was surprised Akito remembered that. Hirata was still scared of how Sakaguchi would react to the result but still spoke on the microphone. His failed title shot at Korakuen Hall wasn’t the happy ending he wanted. But today the sequel gave him that happy ending! Even though the three of them are all in their thirties now, they want to reestablish the Young Communication brand of shows! Only 30 people attended their original shows but they think they can do 10 times that now.
The entire DDT Sauna Club got what they wanted, an 8-Man Tag for all of them to team together. They isolated Yukio Naya when Yuki Ueno caught him with a Dropkick. Konosuke Takeshita & MAO gave him a Double Brainbuster, Shunma Katsumata followed with the Stuka Splash and Yuki Ueno finished him with the BME. All of them interviewed each other to celebrate and credited the use of saunas for being at their highest level today. Backstage Takeshita, MAO & Ueno took a commemorative photo together. They then left when Katsumata joined in the pose.
Daisuke Sasaki had Keigo Nakamura beaten with the Cross Facelock when Antonio Honda entered the ring. He was meant to break the hold but he tripped on the ropes and hurt his knee. Still, Honda wanted to tell his Gongitsune story afterward and that made Sasaki drop his guard. Nakamura of all people got angry at Honda for interrupting his serious fight with Sasaki. He then asked to join DAMNATION so they could all gang up on Honda! There was a 3 on 1 beatdown until Honda hit them all with Gongitsune Eye Pokes. When Nakamura saw that Tetsuya Endo was weakened, he ended his alliance with DAMNATION and joined Honda again. They both went for Gongitsune Nipple Grabs but Sasaki ducked and they grabbed each other by mistake. Endo used a Swan Dive move on both of them to hurt their nipples even more and Sasaki pinned Nakamura with a School Boy.
It took Gorgeous Matsuno four tries at doing the Gorgeous Superstar Elbow. When he finally did the move correctly, Danshoku Dieno easily rolled him into a Crucifix Pin for the three count. After the match Matsuno said it doesn’t matter if he breaks his arms or legs, he has a reason to want the O-40 Title back. He then announced he will have a show in Fukushima celebrating his 60th birtday on 18th April. He needs to be the O-40 Champion again to make that show a success!
In the meeting between two Junretsu members, Makoto Oishi defeated Hideki Okatani. They praised each other for a good match afterward.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “FALL TOUR ’20 ~WOMM (WRESTLING OF MY MIND)~”, 14/11/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Shoko Nakajima & Suzume Vs Nao Kakuta & Pom Harajuku
2. Hyper Misao Vs Moka Miyamoto
3. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi Vs Maki Itoh Vs Mahiro Kiryu
4. Nodoka Tenma, Yuki Aino & Mirai Maiumi Vs Yuki Kamifuku, Marika Kobashi & Hikari Noa
5. Sakisama Vs Sena Shiori
6. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Raku Vs Miyu Yamashita, Miu Watanabe & Haruna Neko
It’s a fresh new chapter for Tokyo Joshi Pro. We have newcomers joining Yuka Sakazaki in the champion club with no immediate challengers for any of the titles on the horizon. Sakisama is returning which is usually a sign that NEO Biishiki-gun is looking for new members. Nao Kakuta makes her Tokyo Joshi debut.
We now know why Kendo Kashin showed up to “WRESTLE PRINCESS”. He approached Tetsuya Koda declaring himself the new part-time coach for TJPW! He spoke to Koda in a “Western” accent, explaining he can use his world class coaching skills to make Tokyo Joshi world class. That will result in Tokyo Joshi becoming World Joshi, or WJ for short. Koda said he was grateful for the offer but turned Kashin down. A world class coach means he would have to be paid a world class salary and Koda just can’t do that right now. Kashin insists he can do a great job because the “WJ” roster is full of gold eggs. With his teaching they can wrestle anywhere from the Budokan and the Tokyo Dome to the Capital Wrestling Center and the ThunderDome!
BASARA “BASARA 140 ~THE 7TH FOX PRINCE~”, 14/11/2020 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. Yusuke Kubo Vs Masato Kamino
2. 4 Way Match: FUMA Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Daiki Shimomura Vs Takato Nakano
3. Isami Kodaka Vs Daichi Kazato
4. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1: Fuminori Abe & Tetsuo Usui Vs Ryuichi Sekine & Minoru Fujita
5. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1: Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano Vs Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT
One side of the semi-final bracket is filled. This show determines the other half. Takumi Tsukamoto has all the momentum behind him as the new Union MAX Champion. The previous champ Fuminori Abe has to move on and not let that loss get to him.
DDT “DRAMATIC LOVE FOR FUJI! 2020”, 15/11/2020 Shizuoka Fuji-san Messe
1. Akito Vs Tomomitsu Matsunaga
2. Antonio Honda Vs Keigo Nakamura
3. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Danshoku Dieno & Hideki Okatani
4. DDT Megatonweight Single Match: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Mad Paulie
5. DAMNATION Vs DDT Sauna Club!: Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki, Soma Takao & Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata, MAO & Yuki Ueno
6. Makoto Oishi 42 Year Old Local Triumph! Fuji Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Mizuki Watase Vs HARASHIMA, Chris Brookes & Kazuki Hirata
This is the confirmed match order. They weren’t going to do Makoto Oishi dirty in his hometown.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN KORAKUEN HALL!”, 22/11/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Under Match: Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani Vs Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Soma Takao & Mad Paulie Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Daisuke Sasaki
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA Vs Chris Brookes
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito Vs MAO
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Jun Akiyama
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yuki Ueno
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Makoto Oishi Vs Shunma Katsumata
I was invited to record a preview podcast of the D-Ou Grand Prix for subscribers to the Wrestling Omakase patreon. Had plenty to talk about with each of the participants and what matches we think you should look forward to. They will also be covering the tournament with podcast coverage after every show on the patreon.
The majority of the wrestlers made public comments about the tournament today. In the B Block, Jun Akiyama is being targeted by everyone. Tetsuya Endo is certain their opening match will determine who makes the final. Endo says if beats Akiyama he will abstain from all remaining block matches. But if he loses to Akiyama then he will forfeit his remaining block matches. I can’t tell if we’re supposed to take this seriously based on DAMNATION’s recent broken stipulations.
Soma Takao’s motivation is down. Nothing can match the high he got from wrestling CIMA then teaming with him to beat HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji. No prize money for winning the Grand Prix isn’t helping either. Yuki Ueno has become more conscious of wins and losses since becoming the new DDT UNIVERSAL Champion. He believes Endo thinks the same. Shunma Katsumata’s confidence has grown ever since he got compliments from Akiyama. He hopes he will get Akiyama to join the DDT Sauna Club.
Kazusada Higuchi said he will beat Akiyama because he will not give up the top spot to somebody who is on the verge of finishing his wrestling career in Japan. Oishi revealed he volunteered to enter the Grand Prix. He has never done a round robin tournament before so he wants to show everyone what he’s got. Akiyama wants to win every match, reach the final and win the whole thing. If he can’t beat Endo then he won’t be able to win the tournament.
Over in the A Block, Konosuke Takeshita has been questioning himself ever since his loss at “ULTIMATE PARTY 2020”. Is his chosen path the wrong one? He cannot take a new step until he goes back to Akiyama. Daisuke Sasaki said he has a secret weapon to win. It’s roll ups. HARASHIMA has had a tough go throughout 2020. He lost the KO-D Openweight Title in January and couldn’t wrestle as much as he wanted because of the epidemic. He is also coming off a loss at “ULTIMATE PARTY 2020” so he is motivated to win the Grand Prix.
Chris Brookes admitted he does not want to wrestle Akiyama in the final. He’s sure Akiyama will beat him up. He does want to face Ueno again so he’d love to see him win the other block. MAO thinks he was entered into last year’s tournament on a fluke. This year he thinks he is worthy to be a part of it. He is looking forward to his first singles match against Brookes. Akito was to make an ordinary tournament look extraordinary. Yukio Sakaguchi sent a message that just said “Kill everyone!”
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 