DDT “BEER GARDEN-LIKE PRO WRESTLING 2020 DAY 2”, 31/07/2020 Shinjuku FACE 175 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Soma Takao defeated Hideki Okatani with the Diving Foot Stomp (5:58).
2. Chris Brookes & Akito Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Mad Paulie ended in a No Contest when Paulie ran away (11:53).
3. Jun Akiyama & Mizuki Watase defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Akiyama pinned Matsunaga with the Exploder Suplex (10:39).
4. Danshoku Dieno Produce Match – Elimination Tornado Pantyhose Generation Fight!: Seigo Tachibana, Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura defeated Danshoku Dieno, Muscle Sakai, Makoto Oishi & Antonio Honda when Iino pinned Dieno with the Spear (11:38).
5. HARASHIMA Produce Loser Punishment 5 Way Match – Over The Top Rope Losing Rule: HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Yuki Ueno and Naomi Yoshimura defeated Kazuki Hirata (11:32).
5a. Yuki Ueno defeated HARASHIMA by Ring Out (7:06).
5b. Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Kazuki Hirata hy Ring Out (9:15).
5c. HARASHIMA defeated Kazuki Hirata with a Crab Hold (11:32). *Kazuki Hirata is deported from Japan.
6. Tetsuya Endo Produce Hardcore Tag Match – DAMNATION Vs ALL OUT!: Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata defeated Tetsuya Endo & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Katsumata pinned Shimatani with a Samson Clutch (19:00).
Day 2 of the Beer Garden-Like shows was a bit more comic book like in the main event. Tetsuya Endo put together a Hardcore Match expecting Shunma Katsumata would turn up in his Super Hardcore form. Endo’s counter to that was giving Nobuhiro Shimatani his own Super Hardcore look! Even Konosuke Takeshita was blown away by how big Shimatani had become. However Katsumata appeared in his regular gear and wrestled his normal style. Midway through the match Endo got on the microphone and dared Super Hardcore Katsumata to get involved. Katsumata finally agreed when the fans applauded the idea so he ran out of the arena. Takeshita was left alone to fight two against one until Super Hardcore Katsumata arrived. The wrestlers slammed each other onto chairs and through tables. Lego filled the ring too making the match even more dangerous. A blown Super Kick from Katsumata to Takeshita allowed Endo to hit both of them with the Overhead Kick. Shimatani gave Katsumata the Fisherman Suplex for a nearfall. Katsumata snuck in a Samson Clutch to squeeze in the win. Endo apologized to Shimatani after the match and praised his Super Hardcore form. If he keeps at it he will become the No. 1 Hardcore wrestler before Katsumura does!
DISASTER BOX pitted themselves against each other in a Punishment 5 Way Match. The rules were every winner leaves the match until one wrestler is left, then that loser would be punished. Over the top rope eliminations were included so Kazuki Hirata jumped over by himself thinking he would be done with the match. Self eliminations didn’t count so he had to get back in the ring. Tension built up and even the closest of friends wouldn’t trust each other. Yuki Ueno thought Naomi Yoshimura would backstab him so Nautilus began fighting each other. Hirata tried to help HARASHIMA throw other opponents out of the ring but that backfired and Ueno threw out HARASHIMA to safely leave the match. Hirata tried to lure Toru Owashi and Yoshimura over the top rope but they used the rope to slingshot Hirata to the floor. The referee decided both Owashi and Yoshimura eliminated him so they were both safe. That left HARASHIMA and Hirata as the final two. Hirata did his best but HARASHIMA came out with the win. Hirata’s punishment is he must be banished from Japan! DDT then announced that newcomer “brother” KAZUKI will take Hirata’s place on tomorrow’s show. Hirata complained but was carried out of the ring by a group of wrestlers with pantyhose over their heads.
All of those wrestlers were from the match before where they all had to wear pantyhose while they fought. There is a new generation of wrestlers trying this match for the first time so Makoto Oishi taught them how to wear it. Danshoku Dieno also explained to them that it is ridiculous but if you do something ridiculous with all of your might then you will get funny faces out of it. Muscle Sakai was added to the match because Super Sasadango Machine left his costume behind at the hotel he is staying at. Akito came out and refused to allow the pantyhose match to go ahead. That joke is for kids and is not needed for the new DDT where he is the Vice President. Yukinori Matsui wanted to watch the match and convinced Akito to let it go on because the pantyhose joke represents everything about DDT. Akito agreed but only if everyone wrestled the match seriously. Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at the unintentional funny faces beneath the pantyhose. Akito kept complaining but it kept happening so he pulled Daisuke Kiso out of the ring. Matsui ran in to replace him but did so wearing pantyhose over his head. Hisaya Imabayashi tried to block him but Matsui gave him an Atomic Drop and allowed the match to finish. Akito learned his lesson after seeing that Matsui still did his job seriously underneath the pantyhose. He apologized to the wrestlers and promised the pantyhose match will be brought back.
Jun Akiyama is getting to know more of the DDT roster. This time Kazusada Higuchi and Tomomitsu Matsunaga wanted to test their skills against him. Akiyama and Higuchi got into a Chop battle. Matsunaga put Akiyama in a Scorion Deathlock until Mizuki Watase broke it up. Akiyama slowed down Matsunaga’s momentum with Knee Strikes and finished him off with the Exploder. Watase noted that he is Higuchi’s opponent in the King Of DDT 1st Round.
Daisuke Sasaki hadn’t stopped drinking from the day before. He carried out a load of cans and wanted to drink while he wrestled. Akito told him to stop because he didn’t want to already have a scandal on his hands after becoming Vice President. Sasaki promised to drink responsibly with Chris Brookes. He also promised not to give Mad Paulie beer because he is only 4 years old. Think of the match as a Captain’s Drink Tag Match! Akito agreed but soon regretted it. Sasaki and Brookes got too drunk to wrestle properly. Brookes then forced Paulie to drink a beer. Paulie said it was tasty and continued to drink until Sasaki knocked the beer out of his hands. Paulie cried and attacked Sasaki, then attacked Akito & Brookes, then attacked Matsui causing the match to get thrown out. A drunk Paulie flattened Sasaki with a Body Attack and pinned his tag partner thinking the match was still going on.
Hideki Okatani eagerly attacked Soma Takao before the bell rang. He did a Running Neckbreaker and a Running Bulldog but his Northern Lights Suplex was blocked. From there, Takao took over until Okatani hit the Northern Lights for a nearfall. Takao struck him with the Running Elbow Butt and got the three count with the Diving Foot Stomp.
DDT “BEER GARDEN-LIKE PRO WRESTLING 2020 DAY 1”, 30/07/2020 Shinjuku FACE 192 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Chinko KISS Touch Rule: Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino defeated Makoto Oishi, Mizuki Watase & Yukio Naya when Endo pinned Watase with the Puma Toke de Espaldas (10:54).
2. HARASHIMA & Chris Brookes defeated Soma Takao & Mad Paulie when Brookes pinned Paulie with a School Boy (10:59).
3. Super Sasadango Machine Produce Match – Hell In A Blue Sheet Timed Blast! Kaidan Shin Numabukuro Death Match: Muscle Sakai, Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda Vs Akito, Yumehito Imanari & Shota ended when Honda used the Golden Tailed Kitsune on Hisanoyuki Imabayashi (16:51).
4. Jun Akiyama & Hideki Okatani defeated Naomi Yoshimura & Keigo Nakamura when Okatani pinned Nakamura with the Double Arm Suplex (10:38).
5. Saki Akai Produce Match – NEO Biishiki-gun New Member Open Audition: Sakisama, Yukio Saint Laurent & Jiroko “Kawaii” Kuroshio defeated Kazuko Hirata, Margaret☆Owashi, Francoise☆Ihashi, Generic Martha & Kazuko Higuchi when Laurent submitted Hirata with the YSL (7:17).
6. Konosuke Takeshita Produce Match – DDT Sauna Club Vs DDT Legend Army!: Sanshiro Takagi, MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Ueno when Toba pinned Ueno with the Backhand Blow (16:32).
DDT was met with a blast from the past at the end of Beer Garden-Like Day 1. Sanshiro Takagi reunited with former alumni MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba to defeat the DDT Sauna Club. Takagi called for the match to go Lucha style but his attempt at a Flying Cross Chop failed against Yuki Ueno. He was still eager to fight the younger wrestlers, particularly egging on Konosuke Takeshita to hit him harder. Meanwhile The Suicide Boyz turned back the clock and were too much for the Sauna Club to handle. MIKAMI hit his Swanton Bomb on Ueno then wiped out Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata with a Tornillo dive. Toba then took the stage and pinned Ueno with the Backhand Blow.
After the match MIKAMI said he doesn’t know how long it’s been since the DDT Legend Army fought together. Takagi muttered that he and Toba don’t even follow him on Twitter. MIKAMI was aware Ueno holds a title but he didn’t know which. When he was told it’s the KO-D Tag Team Titles. This led to The Suicide Boyz challenging Nautilus to a title match. They agreed to have the match on 15th August. When they left, the Sauna Club regrouped. Takeshita was disappointed to lose his own Produce Match. He underestimated Toba’s Punch, Takagi’s Stunner and MIKAMI’s School Boy. Not even MAO standing around at ringside with lignum vitae leaves helped them. He cheered up when he realised it is only the first day of these Beer Garden replacement shows. “The hotter the sauna, the better. The hotter the match, the better. 1, 2, Sauna!”
The NEO Biishiki-gun unit was looking for new members so Sakisama held an audition. How did she get from Paris to Tokyo under the current global situation? I dunno, the Channel Tunnel? Anyway, one by one the contestants were judged by Sakisama & Yukio Saint Laurent. First was Generic Martha. She kind of looked like Martha but she wasn’t Martha, so pass. Next was the duo of Margaret☆Owashi and Francoise☆Ihashi. They danced to “Lonely Magical Fish” by Wink. It only left Sakisama & Laurent confused. Pirako was next and she got a nod from Laurent. Last was Kazuko Higuchi who was very shy. Sakisama was left even more confused by the end. There were 50,000 applicants and these were the best five out of all of them? No matter, the 5 Way Match to decide who joins NEO Biishiki-gun would go ahead. That is until Pirako interrupted her. She was actually Kazuko Hirata in disguise! She is here to lead T2HiJoshi and destroy NEO Biishiki-gun! She had one more surprise too. “HELLO” started playing and out came Jiroko “Kawaii” Kuroshio! She took a long time doing her entrance but her beauty grabbed Sakisama’s attention. Would she like to join NEO Biishiki-gun? Sure! The match turned into a 3 Vs 5 Handicap and NEO Biishiki-gun were victorious in the end. Afterwards Kuroshio has a confession to make. She wasn’t here for the audition. She was here to find her separated sister, Kazuki Higuchi! The two hugged while Laurent snuck up behind Higuchi and knocked her out with a syringe.
Jun Akiyama got to tussle with Naomi Yoshimura in their tag match. He approves of how energetic Yoshimura is. Hideki Okatani got the pin on Keigo Nakamura but that didn’t stop Nakamura from getting face to face with Akiyama after the match. Backstage Nakamura said he is losing momentum because he is Okatani’s senior but is losing to him more and more.
The most dangerous match in pro wrestling was used in DDT for the first time. Hell In A Blue Sheet! It’s so dangerous that nobody can see what happens under that blue sheet. A rule was added where if the match lasted five minutes then the sheet would be lifted and storyteller Hisanoyuki Imabayashi would tell his annual ghost story. Akito was proudly introduced as a CyberFight Vice President. He exchanged business cards with Muscle Sakai during the match. Shota brought in a microphone to call what was happening under the sheet. Whatever happened under there brought all the wrestlers to tears. The match reached the time limit and Imabayashi began his story. He pointed at every wrestler one by one, making them faint out of fright. Antonio Honda stopped him to point out he was making the Gongitsune hand sign. He figured out it is the Golden Tailed Kitsune! Honda convinced the spirit to use him as his new host and he used his new power to defeat Imabayashi! And that was how Antonio Honda learned the Gongitsune.
DAMNATION keep getting new signboards and they keep getting broken over heads. Soma Takao aimed for Chris Brookes but he ducked and Mad Paulie got hit instead. Brookes rolled over Paulie while HARASHIMA threw Takao out.
The Chanko KISS match is where tags only count when one wrestler kisses his tag partner in the crotch. Yukio Naya did not want to do that with Yuki Iino so the 3 Way Tag was turned into a 6-Man Tag with them on opposite sides.
Today a joint press conference was held at CyberAgent HQ featuring members of their pro wrestling companies. It was announced that on 1st September the companies DDT Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH will merge their operations together and become a new CyberAgent prof wrestling subsidiary called CyberFight. The president and CEO of CyberFight is Sanshiro Takagi, the current president of both DDT and NOAH. Naomichi Marufuji and Akito will serve as executive vice presidents. DDT director Takahiro Yamauchi and NOAH director Arihiro Takeda will retain their roles.
Since CyberAgent’s purchase of NOAH back in January it was inevitable that the management for DDT and NOAH would be unified. Takagi says that both companies have been in good condition under CyberAgent but they were also greatly damaged by the Coronavirus. Due to the unpredictable nature of this epidemic, a decision was made to merge the managements together in order to keep pro wrestling going ahead with optimized personnel and improved cost efficiency. By uniting DDT and NOAH together, CyberFight will strengthen its ability to respond to the changing times.
Takagi, Marufuji, Yamauchi and Takeda are pretty much continuing the management roles they had before. Akito though is the new blood involved. He’s been working with KUDO for the DDT Foods family of restaurants (they are also now part of CyberFight) and earlier this year took over promoting the BOYZ brand. For now he will continue managing the DDT Foods arm of CyberFight as well as the merchandise end. But the hope is for him to become more involved with higher company management in the future.
The actual promotions of DDT and NOAH will still be separate brands with no changes to their identity and in-ring product. The online operations are planned to be improve with an expansion for WRESTLE UNIVERSE being one of the goals. On the wrestling show front, CyberFight is aiming to hold a show at the Tokyo Dome and their overall goal is to take over the No. 1 spot from New Japan Pro Wrestling!
Some of the wrestlers and staff commented on the news. Akito said that since he works with DDT’s restaurants, he often gets to communicate directly with DDT fans. Under his new role he can bring that voice of the fans and their concerns directly to management. He also hopes to serve as a bridge between the young and old generations within the company.
Marufuji never would have expected to see his company change so rapidly. But he wants to focus on the positives instead of the negatives. He would like to continue showing real pro wrestling and he believes CyberFight will raise both NOAH and DDT to the top of the pro wrestling world.
Yuka Sakazaki says this news means Tokyo Joshi Pro is going to get bigger. But Tokyo Joshi will remain as Tokyo Joshi and she will liven it up at her own pace.
Katsuhiko Nakajima from NOAH believes this change is and evolution for his company. He will dream of the day CyberFight becomes number one and will continue taking the next steps forward until then. So keep up with them!
Go Shiozaki is grateful for all that CyberAgent has done for NOAH. He made similar comments as Nakajima of making NOAH the number one wrestling promotion that pushes the industry forward.
Jun Akiyama from DDT (still feels weird typing that) promises to do his best in helping the company catch up to New Japan and then overtake it.
Tetsuya Endo from DDT describes the news as an opportunity. It is all up to the individual work of the wrestlers to make this opportunity a reality.
Chris Brookes says it is a difficult time for pro wrestling to survive while there is a pandemic going on. With NOAH and DDT together in management, WRESTLE UNIVERSE will create more opportunities for people around the world to watch Japanese pro wrestling.
Last but not least, Ken Ohka from Ganbare☆Wrestling gave a somewhat impassioned speech about his small promotion that he created by himself. It is not the size of the other brands in the deal but still Ohka will never give up. He thinks pro wrestling is more amazing than baseball and football. It can give you hope and courage for tomorrow. That is why regardless of the promotion’s size, Ganpro will continue to show their struggle and passion inside the ring. Even if the company changes and grows, what they do in the ring will not change.
DDT “SUMMER VACATION 2020”, 23/07/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 435 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie defeated Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura when Takao pinned Nakamura with the Running Elbow Butt (3:53).
2. Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Seigo Tachibana defeated Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura & Kazuki Hirata when Tachibana pinned Hirata with the Ikemen Otoshi (8:45).
3. DDT Extreme Title – Special Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) defeated Maku Donaruto with the European Clutch (9:49). *V4 for Shinya Aoki.
4. Chris Brookes & Drew Parker defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Parker pinned Shimatani with the Swanton Bomb (11:07).
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai (c) defeated HARASHIMA, Antonio Honda & Riho when Sakaguchi submitted Honda with the Triangle Choke (12:34). *V1 for Eruption.
6. Junretsu Vs ALL OUT All Out Battle!: Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi, Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Akito, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino when Akiyama pinned Takeshita with the Wrist Clutch Exploder (17:21).
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) defeated Yuki Ueno with the Shooting Star Press (21:45). *V2 for Tetsuya Endo.
During the week, Tetsuya Endo attempted to use a new dangerous looking move on Yuki Ueno but wasn’t able to pull it off. Today in the Korakuen Hall main event, he was able to do the move. Before that happened, Ueno was ready to hit the WR but Endo grabbed Yukinori Matsui to block it and then he Headbutted his way out of it. Endo threw Ueno over with the Tetsuya In The Sky but Ueno quickly rolled him into a pin for a nearfall. Endo did the move again, going for the pin afterwards but Ueno kicked out at 1. It is here where Endo used his new move, a Wrist Clutch Muscular Bomb. Somehow Ueno kicked out of that too but he was down for good when Endo did the Shooting Star Press.
After the match Endo told Ueno it will be a long time before he wins the KO-D Openweight Title. If he can’t accept that fact then he can try again as many times as he wants. No matter what Ueno does, he is far away from where Endo is at. When Ueno left, Endo asks Hisaya Imabayashi who his next challenger will be. Imabayashi told him it will be the winner of the KING OF DDT tournament and that match will take place at “ULTIMATE PARTY 2020” on 3rd November. Here’s the fun part. If Endo wins the tournament he gets to nominate whoever he wants to be his challenger. He named his top 3 choices, all celebrities but there is one other person he’s thinking of. Kenny Omega!
After weeks of skirmishes the full force clash between ALL OUT and Junretsu went ahead. The match began with Konosuke Takeshita and Jun Akiyama in the ring. It also ended with those two in the ring. Hideki Okatani was in danger early but used a Neckbreaker Drop on Yuki Iino to get out of trouble. Mizuki Watase used a Double Stomp to counter Iino’s Spear. Things for him got more difficult when Akito tagged in and targeted his legs. Makoto Oishi used his wits to make Shunma Katsumata DDT Akito by mistake. Takeshita and Akiyama both tagged in to set up the final minutes of the bout. Takeshita had his opponent in position for a German Suplex when Oishi cut him off with a Swinging Complete Shot. Akiyama got up first and hit Takeshita with Running Knee Butts. He gave a couple of Exploder Suplexes but Takeshita wouldn’t stay down. Akiyama had to use the Wrist Clutch Exploder to put away his new rival.
If you can’t beat them, make them laugh. That’s the usual plan with Antonio Honda yet today it was particularly effective against Yukio Sakaguchi. He couldn’t help himself when Honda brought out the old Gongitsune bit even when the rest of Eruption interrupted it. Riho and Saki Akai had an even fight. Riho stayed on to test herself against Kazusada Higuchi but she needed HARASHIMA’s help to escape from a Canadian Backbreaker. It took the combined effort of the three challengers to take down Higuchi. Honda did the Gongitsune joke in full this time and Sakaguchi burst into laughter. He then made his own Gongitsune hand signs to combat Honda. Riho used Honda as a launching pad to hit Higuchi with the Somato. Akai hit Riho with the Rookie Award kick. Honda got rid of Akai with the Shining Gongitsune. Sakaguchi then trapped Honda in the Triangle Choke to make him submit.
When Eruption won their match, Danshoku Dieno & Seigo Tachibana entered the ring. Both of them want to challenge for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. They even have a third friend who agreed to team with them. A video played on the screen showing Yoshiko! The video was Yoshiko explaining what she will do in the ring as if she was baking a cake. First she will squint at her opponents. Then she will throw in 75kg of Elbow Drops. After that she mixes her opponents into one big mess that she will throw onto the canvas. Add in a Diving Senton to finish it off and voila! New KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions fresh out of the oven. Akai is eager to fight Yoshiko again so she accepted the challenge. Sakaguchi looked at Tachibana and wanted to know who the bald guy was standing next to Dieno. Tachibana got mad that Sakaguchi didn’t recognise him after they just wrestled each other two weeks ago. He got even more mad when Higuchi pretended he was going to slice off his little finger. The title match was agreed to take place on 7th September.
Nobuhiro Shimatani proudly showed off a brand new black DAMNATION signboard. Chris Brookes broke it over Daisuke Sasaki’s head. Easy come, easy go. Drew Parker ended up pinning Shimatani with the Swanton Bomb. Parker said in Japanese that the next time he comes to DDT he wants to fight for a championship. He doesn’t want the KO-D Tag Team Titles though. He wants to wrestle Brookes for the DDT UNIVERSAL Title! Brookes also spoke in Japanese, asking if Parker was serious. Hisaya Imabayashi came in to confirm the match but Brookes told him in English that he doesn’t understand Japanese. The title match will happen on the 7th September Korakuen show.
The DDT Extreme Title match was a normal pro wrestling match where wrestlers were allowed to remove their clothes. Maku Donaruto wrestled in grappling gear and wanted to mat wrestle with Shinya Aoki. Things got explicit as tights got pulled down and the wrestlers got into compromising positions. Aoki got his backside exposed while Donaruto was stripped down to his thong. Aoki ended up doing something Donaruto would do and it led him to getting the pin with a European Clutch. Donaruto may have lost but Aoki won a place in his heart after today.
Tachibana is now bald after he lost a Hair Vs Hair match in All Japan during the week. Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine knew something looked different about him but couldn’t figure it out. Tachibana was introduced in the ring as a thug, but a harmless one. Kazuki Hirata stood up to him because he’s not as scary as Sakaguchi is. Tachibana put on the Hirata GO! glasses and “Tsuppari High School Rock’n Roll” played instead of “TOKYO GO!” He pinned Hirata with the Ikemen Drop, securing Tachibana’s first win in DDT. Backstage after the match, Naomi Yoshimura said he wants a match with Takuho Kato from Big Japan. Doesn’t matter if it is a singles or for the KO-D Tag Titles.
There wasn’t much chemistry between Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura as a tag team. Their big idea for a team move was Naya Choke Slamming Nakamura onto Soma Takao. Takao rolled out of the way and Nakamura was slammed onto the canvas. Mad Paulie got rid of Naya and Takao easily finished off Nakamura.
The 5 Way DISASTER BOX match on the 31st July Beer Garden-Like show will have special rules. The match will continue after every fall with the winners being removed until there is one man left. Hirata protested the rules knowing he will likely be the loser. He asked for Over The Top Rope rules to be included. Toru Owashi agreed but only if the loser of the match takes a punishment afterwards. HARASHIMA thinks that is a great idea and made it official despite Hirata’s complaints.
Some of the spinoffs will return after a lengthy absence. BOYZ will be back on 16th August. The Muscle revival holds its third show “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 3 ~SPECIAL MOVES OUTBREAK~” on 9th November. There will be an open rehearsal show first on 21st September.
DDT “SUMMER ITABASHI SERIES”, 12/07/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall 110 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Naomi Yoshimura defeated Hideki Okatani with a Lariat (6:40).
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Saki Akai defeated Antonio Honda & Keigo Nakamura when Higuchi pinned Nakamura with an Oklahoma Stampede (7:54).
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 3 Way Tag Match: Makoto Oishi & Mizuki Watase defeated Danshoku Dieno (c) & Toru Owashi and Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino when Oishi pinned Dieno with the Jikiden Tornado Clutch (6:37). *Makoto Oishi becomes the 1,484th champion.
– Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Yoshihiko defeated Makoto Oishi (c) with a Sleeper Hold (4:10 pm). *Yoshihiko becomes the 1,485th champion.
4. 3 Way Match: Chris Brookes defeated Akito and Mad Paulie when Brookes pinned Paulie (9:06).
5. The Evil Yankee Wrestler Seigo Tachibana’s Road To The Top: Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Seigo Tachibana with the God’s Right Knee (5:45).
6. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yukio Naya with the Caballo 2020 (14:33).
7. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao defeated HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Kazuki Hirata when Soma pinned Hirata with the Gin And Tonic (17:50).
DAMNATION’s victory of DISASTER BOX today was followed by a message from Tetsuya Endo to Yuki Ueno. There is still a difference between them and Endo will show Ueno how much at Korakuen Hall. Ueno doesn’t know what the difference is but what he does know is Endo was knocked out on the floor during the finish of today’s match! Ueno gave him the WR which is what took Endo out of the match in the first place. According to Ueno, the strongest wrestler today wasn’t Endo, it was Soma Takao! Ueno respects Endo but today the gap between them has shrunk. This discovery made Endo dizzy and he fell out of the ring in a panic.
The match between Konosuke Takeshita and Yukio Naya had the shadow of Jun Akiyama looming over it. Naya was part of Akiyama-gun’s training session during the week. He got to show a little of what he learned but Takeshita came out on top with the Caballo 2020 submission hold. Both Takeshita and Naya described this match as preparation for the KING OF DDT.
Seigo Tachibana needed to learn a lesson. Yukio Sakaguchi was here to teach it. Sakaguchi purposely entered the ring wearing a suit to remind Tachibana who he is. Danshoku Dieno was in Tachibana’s corner for the match but wanted it to be called off to spare his student from getting a beating. Tachibana bravely opposed Sakaguchi and repeatedly stomped on his hand to get an advantage. Sakaguchi got revenge by stomping on Tachibana’s right little finger. He applied the Sleeper Hold but let go when Tachibana found the strength to stand back up. Sakaguchi quickly put him down again with the God’s Right Knee to win. After the match Sakaguchi said he doesn’t know where Tachibana came from but he likes his guts. Next time they see each other Tachibana should say hello or else Sakaguchi will kill him. When he left, Dieno asked what should Tachibana do next? There is the next Korakuen show coming up and also the Beer Garden series. What does Tachibana want to do? Tachibana said he wants to wrestle for DDT!”
In the 3 Way Match, Akito knocked out Mad Paulie with a Gutwrench Suplex. He then trapped Chris Brookes in a Grapevine Ankle Lock but Brookes crawled on top of Paulie and pinned him while fainting from the pain.
Before the 3 Way Tag match began, Dieno told everyone in the match that he was a demon today. He was so determined to defend the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title it was making him a completely different person. How was he different? He wasn’t wearing underwear beneath his wrestling gear. Everyone understood the risk Dieno was putting them in and did everything they could to prevent him from pulling his tights down during the match. But in a twist, Makoto Oishi showed Dieno that he wasn’t wearing underwear either! This distraction caused Dieno to get pinned by Oishi and the title changed hands.
Looks like the Iron Man Title is heading to America! When Oishi was celebrating with the title when suddenly Yoshihiko appeared for the first time since “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020”! It beat Oishi with a Sleeper Hold to become the new champion! Yoshihiko brought out a sign for its backstage interview that said “Now I will go to America as DDT Iron Man Champ! Joey Janela: You may be a Bad Boy… But Yoshihiko is a Bad, Bad Man.” Yoshihiko would not answer any questions like how can it travel to America when there is no way to obtain a visa to enter the country right now?
Kazusada Higuchi held Keigo Nakamura in the Oklahoma Stampede mid-move when Antonio Honda paused the match to tell a Gongitsune story. Saki Akai then redirected Honda’s strike into Nakamura’s eyes so Higuchi could finish his move.
Naomi Yoshimura had a brief moment of dread when Hideki Okatani surprised him with a Small Package. It was only a minor setback and Yoshimura went on to win easily.
DDT “SEE YOU AT DDT 2020”, 03/07/2020 Shinjuku FACE 156 Fans – No Vacancy
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Toru Owashi & Yukio Naya defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino and Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Keigo Nakamura when Owashi pinned Hirata with a School Boy (0:04).
1a. Rematch: Danshoki Dieno, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura when Hirata pinned Nakamura with the Egoist Driver (5:18).
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazusada Higuchi defeated Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani when Higuchi submitted Okatani with the Canadian Backbreaker (8:53).
3. Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao defeated HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda when Sasaki pinned Honda with a Cradle (8:15).
4. Kabukichio Specialty Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Maku Donaruto with the Praying Mantis Bomb (8:17).
5. Akiyama-gun Vs ALL OUT!: Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Akito when Oishi submitted Akito with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (14:21).
6. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie when Ueno pinned Paulie with the BME (12:30).
7. Saki Akai “Okibariyasu” 7 Match Series – Final Match: Meiko Satomura defeated Saki Akai with the Scorpio Rising (13:03).
There was one big moment when Saki Akai thought she had Meiko Satomura beaten. She was able to do her finishing move the Quetzalcoatl but Satomura’s foot reached the ropes to break the pin. Akai’s repeated attempt at the move was countered into the Death Valley Bomb, giving control over to her opponent. Satomura didn’t go for the pin straight away and when she hit a second Death Valley Bomb, Akai kicked out to everyone’s surprise. Satomura had to use the Scorpio Rising to finish her off. The two shook hands after the match and Satomura told Akai today was her first wrestling match in three months. She praised Akai for becoming a champion in a male dominated company and would be proud to have a rematch with her. It was Satomura winning the KO-D Openweight Title two years ago did so much to motivate Akai. She now wants to overtake her and excite Japan’s pro wrestling world! Akai’s Okibariyasu record ends with three wins and four losses.
Tetsuya Endo has to deal with another loss to Yuki Ueno. At least it wasn’t a direct fall this time. Ueno said he has become even more confident he will win the KO-D Title on 23rd July.
The Submission Freak tapped out?! Makoto Oishi used a new Bridging Knee Lock to make Akito submit in the latest Akiyama-gun Vs ALL OUT tag match. When asked about Konosuke Takeshita after the match, Jun Akiyama thinks Takeshita still treats him like a teacher. If Takeshita wants to beat Akiyama, he should start treating him like an enemy instead otherwise he will never win. There is such a thing as giving somebody too much respect.
Maku Donaruto lost to Chris Brookes but still ended up getting a championship match… for the DDT Extreme Title! When Brookes left after his victory, Shinya Aoki entered the ring and asked Donaruto to accept his challenge for a title match on 23rd July. Donaruto turned it down because Aoki is too strong of an opponent but Hisaya Imabayashi booked the match anyway!
What a good tag team partner Danshoku Dieno is. He did everything he physically could to make sure Kazuki Hirata finished his dance entrance without anybody stopping him. Then the bell rang and Toru Owashi immediately pinned Hirata. A pissed off Hirata tried to rally the younger wrestlers in the match to band together and attack their seniors. Yukio Naya attacked him instead. Keigo Nakamura pointed out that Hirata is 32 years old which makes him part of the old generation! An impromptu New Gen Vs Old Gen 8-Man Tag began and Hirata got his revenge by beating Nakamura.
The next BOYZ show will take place on 16th August at Tokyo Kanda Myojin Hall.
Jun Akiyama saw Maku Donaruto backstage and had to ask the rest of Akiyama-gun if he was also part of the team. The others told him it’s best to stay away from that guy.
This year’s edition of the King Of DDT is going to be a bit of a sprint. 28 wrestlers will enter the single elimination tournament and the first three rounds will take place in three back-to-back days at Kanda Myojin Hall. The final rounds take place in Korakuen Hall. This time the reigning KO-D Openweight Champion (currently Tetsuya Endo, could switch to Yuki Ueno) will be entering the tournament! The prize is 1,000,000 yen from the sponsor BLACK OUT energy drink.
DDT “BLACK OUT PRESENTS KING OF DDT 2020 1ST ROUND”, 08/08/2020 Tokyo Kanda Myojin Hall
1. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1A: Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Yuki Ueno
2. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1B: Danshoku Dieno Vs Antonio Honda
3. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1C: Kazuki Hirata Vs T-Hawk
4. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1D: Chris Brookes Vs Makoto Oishi
5. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1E: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Tomomitsu Matsunaga
6. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1F: Yuki Iino Vs Shinya Aoki
7. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1G: Seigo Tachibana Vs Makoto Oishi
8. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1H: Tetsuya Endo Vs Akito
9. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1I: Shunma Katsumata & Yukio Sakaguchi
10. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1J: Minoru Tanaka Vs Soma Takao
11. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1K: Mad Paulie Vs HARASHIMA
12. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1L: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Mizuki Watase
13. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1M: El Lindaman Vs Yukio Naya
14. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 1N: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Naomi Yoshimura
The tournament newcomers this year are Shinya Aoki, El Lindaman, Chris Brookes, Seigo Tachibana, Minoru Tanaka, T-Hawk and Yukio Naya.
DDT “BLACK OUT PRESENTS KING OF DDT 2020 2ND ROUND”, 09/08/2020 Tokyo Kanda Myojin Hall
1. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 2A: Winner Of Match 1A Vs Winner Of Match 1B
2. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 2B: Winner Of Match 1C Vs Winner Of Match 1D
3. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 2C: Winner Of Match 1E Vs Winner Of Match 1F
4. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 2D: Winner Of Match 1G Vs Winner Of Match 1H
5. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 2E: Winner Of Match 1I Vs Winner Of Match 1J
6. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 2F: Winner Of Match 1K Vs Winner Of Match 1L
7. King Of DDT 2020 – Round 2G: Winner Of Match 1M Vs Winner Of Match 1N
8. Loser Revival Battle Royal “Dramatic Chance”: X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X
All of the losers from the 1st Round will be thrown into the Dramatic Chance Battle Royal to re-enter the tournament.
DDT “BLACK OUT PRESENTS KING OF DDT 2020 3RD ROUND”, 10/08/2020 Tokyo Kanda Myojin Hall
1. King Of DDT 2020 – Quarter Final: Winner Of Match 2A Vs Winner Of Match 2B
2. King Of DDT 2020 – Quarter Final: Winner Of Match 2C Vs Winner Of Match 2D
3. King Of DDT 2020 – Quarter Final: Winner Of Match 2E Vs Loser Revival Battle Royal “Dramatic Chance”
4. King Of DDT 2020 – Quarter Final: Winner Of Match 2F Vs Winner Of Match 2G
The winner of the Dramatic Chance Battle Royal will take the empty spot in Round 2.
DDT “BLACK OUT PRESENTS KING OF DDT 2020 FINAL!!”, 23/08/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. King Of DDT 2020 – Semi-Final: X Vs X
2. King Of DDT 2020 – Semi-Final: X Vs X
3. King Of DDT 2020 – Final: X Vs X
The brackets end at the semi-finals. The semi-final matches will be paired off by a lottery before the show.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #8”, 27/06/2020 Shinjuku FACE 155 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie defeated Mizuki Watase & Keigo Nakamura when Takao pinned Nakamura with the Diving Foot Stomp (6:15).
2. Danshoku Dieno & Akito defeated Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Danshoku Driver (9:28).
3. The Evil Villainous Wrestler Seigo Tachibana’s Road To The Top: HARASHIMA defeated Seigo Tachibana with the Somato (8:09).
4. Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Antonio Honda, Hiroshi Yamato & Yukio Naya when Sakaguchi pinned Naya with the God’s Right Knee (7:21).
5. Akiyama-gun Vs ALL OUT!: Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino defeated Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Hideki Okatani when Iino pinned Okatani with the Spear (11:53).
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura (c) defeated Tetsuya Endo & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Ueno pinned Endo with the WR (18:46). *V5 for Nautilus.
7. DDT UNIVERSAL Title: Chris Brookes defeated Daisuke Sasaki (c) with the Bacchus (24:04). *Daisuke Sasaki fails in V4. Chris Brookes becomes the 3rd DDT UNIVERSAL Champion!
Even though Masahiro Takanashi was not in the main event, he was there in spirit to direct how Daisuke Sasaki versus Chris Brookes went. Sasaki purposely set up situations to get rid of referees. One was pushing Brookes into Yukinori Matsui and another was using Daisuke Kiso to shield himself from a Cutter. With no officials around, Sasaki took hit Brookes across the head with a crutch (was it Takanashi’s?) and used the Sasatonic in a mean callback to Takanashi’s finisher. Matsui recovered and counted the pin but Brookes kicked out. Brookes got a measure of revenge by putting Sasaki through a table at ringside with the Praying Mantis Bomb. Sasaki countered another Praying Mantis Bomb by using Soma Takao’s Gin And Tonic for a nearfall. Being tall allowed Brookes to block La Mistica Crossface Lock and use Takanashi’s Bacchus cradle to win the match and regain the DDT UNIVERSAL Title!
A defeated Sasaki tried to convince Brookes that he changed his tune after the match. He wanted to hand the belt over to him but it was a trick to set up a Low Blow. Brookes saw it coming though and he closed his legs together to clamp Sasaki’s arm in place. Brookes then hit Sasaki with the belt and gave him the Praying Mantis Bomb to end their feud. Hisaya Imabayashi then told Brookes who his first challenger will be. It’s Maku Donaruto! Brookes and Donaruto were supposed to have a match months ago but twice COVID-19 cancelled the shows they were on. Donaruto came out and Brookes immediately fled the ring. He refused to accept the challenge but Imabayashi ignored him. The title match will happen on 3rd July. While Donaruto “celebrated” with Imabayashi, Brookes got a microphone near the entrance and spoke to the crowd. When he lost the title, that was when the world started to get messed up. But now he has the belt back hopefully that means the world can start to improve.
What a time to be Yuki Ueno. In the month he’s been back in the ring he has become a constant thorn in Tetsuya Endo’s side. Today’s KO-D Tag Team Titles match was a way for Endo to push Ueno aside for good but instead Ueno beat him clean! Not even a boosted underdog performance from Nobuhiro Shimatani could stop this from happening. Endo set Ueno up for a Canadian Destroyer when Naomi Yoshimura broke it with a Lariat. Nautilus hit the Osaka Strad but Ueno kicked out of the pin. Ueno then did the Frog Splash but rather than go for a pin, he instead did the WR and that is what ended the match with the champions retaining. After the match Ueno brought up his failed Right To Challenge cash in. Endo beat him back then and that was how DAMNATION got the Tag Titles shot. Now the opposite is happening. Ueno beat Endo so that means he should get a KO-D Openweight Title match! Endo was given a microphone but he refused to answer. Imabayashi agreed to book the title match at Korakuen Hall on 23rd July. Endo accepted and told Ueno he will embarrass him.
Jun Akiyama now belongs to DDT for the rest of the year. To mark this change in his career, his old entrance song “SHADOW EXPLOSION” was used instead of “STERNNESS”. For now his focus is leading Akiyama-gun to battle against ALL OUT. He started the match facing Konosuke Takeshita although Hideki Okatani also wanted to be in that position. The match broke down with Makoto Oishi giving Takeshita a Swirling Complete Shot, Shunma Katsumata stunning Oishi with a Thrust Kick and then Oishi firing back with a Running Forearm. Okatani and Yuki Iino were tagged in and Iino hit two Spears for the win. In the post-match interview, Iino regrets not hurting Akiyama more than he did in the match. Over on the other team, Akiyama admits whatever the hell DDT is, that’s what Takeshita represents. It’s up to Takeshita to figure out what he wants his DDT to be. When he does figure it out, that is when he will become a great wrestler. That’s what Kota Ibushi did to become a major star. Akiyama thinks Takeshita has the same potential but he has to find himself first. Akiyama is in the same boat now he is a DDT wrestler. What the fuck is he doing here? He’s working on finding that out.
The ragtag trio of Antonio Honda, Hiroshi Yamato & Yukio Naya had a special attack ready for Eruption. They formed the Giant Gongitusune with Honda sitting atop of Naya’s shoulders and Yamato leading the charge across the ring. Yukio Sakaguchi dodged it so the Giant Gongitsune crashed into the corner. Kazusada Higuchi carried Honda away on his shoulders, Saki Akai dove onto Naya with a Cross Body and Sakaguchi pinned him with the God’s Right Knee. Honda challenged Eruption to a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match anyway. His first partner came out. It’s Riho! She said she was supposed to come out when Honda won the match but that never happened. Riho then introduced the other partner, the man who helped make her what she is today. It’s HARASHIMA! Akai said Eruption would take on anyone’s challenge and they are staying true to their word. Higuchi & Sakaguchi both nodded to that. The match will happen on 23rd July.
Seigo Tachibana is now added to the rare list of wrestlers who brought out HARASHIMA’s angry side. His evil antics irritated HARASHIMA to the point where Matsui had to hold him back at certain points. HARASHIMA won with the Somato but called Danshoku Dieno out to answer why he wants Tachibana in DDT. He’s not saying Tachibana is a bad wrestler but he has no manners. Tachibana’s defence is he grew up this way so he can’t help it. Dieno came up with a solution. Tachibana needs to learn how to behave and if there is anyone that can teach him that it’s Yukio Sakaguchi! Tachibana Vs Sakaguchi will happen in Itabashi on 12th July.
A harsh lesson was learned by Kazuki Hirata recently. He is not as strong as he thought he was. So for today’s match he wanted to study Toru Owashi, Dieno and Akito so he could improve. He got excited by learning new things during the match but it got in the way of you know, actually trying to win. When Akito put Owashi in a Figure 4 Leg Lock, Hirata cared more about filming the move on his phone than rescuing his tag partner. He was most impressed by the knockout power of Dieno’s Lip Lock. Dieno gave him the move then beat him with the Danshoku Driver.
Keigo Nakamura’s eagerness may have cost his team a victory. He and Mizuki Watase were holding their own against Soma Takao & Mad Paulie. It got to a point where Watase felt there was a chance to beat Takao there and then. That was when Nakamura convinced him to tag out so he could do his stuff instead. Takao took control, did a Dropkick & Flapjack combo with Paulie and later pinned Nakamura with the Diving Foot Stomp.
The DDT TV SHOW finale began with a press conference confirming Jun Akiyama’s temporary transfer to DDT from All Japan. Akiyama was joined by Sanshiro Takagi and AJPW President Tsuyoki Fukuda. Akiyama’s DDT tenure officially begins on 1st July.
KING OF DDT 2020 was announced after intermission. The tournament will take place in August.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #7”, 20/06/2020 Shinjuku FACE 127 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Keigo Nakamura Vs Hideki Okatani
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Time Admission Battle Royal: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Shinya Aoki Vs Antonio Honda Vs Shunma Katsumata Vs MAO Vs Mizuki Watase Vs Yukio Naya
3. DISASTER BOX Vs ALL OUT!: Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura & Kazuki Hirata Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Akito & Yuki Iino
4. Yuki Ueno Vs Mad Paulie
5. Jun Akiyama Vs Makoto Oishi
6. Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs HARASHIMA & Chris Brookes
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, T-Hawk & El Lindaman (c) Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai