DDT “SPRING BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2”, 26/03/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
2. Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya Vs Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
3. D GENERATIONS CUP Tag Match: Yuni & Yuya Koroku Vs Kazuma Sumi & Tsubasa Suzuki
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Semi Final: Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Rukiya
5. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Semi Final: To-y Vs Ilusion
6. Tetsuya Endo & Toru Owashi (w/ Furitsuke Kamen) Vs Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Akito, HARASHIMA & Danshoku Dieno
The D GENERATIONS CUP semi finals are To-y Vs Ilusion and Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Rukiya. The winners of those matches will meet in the final on 7th April.
The card has been changed around a little bit to add Tomomitsu Matsunaga into the same match as Jun Akiyama since the two of them will be challenging for the KO-D Tag Team Titles soon. One half of the champs Yuki Iino gets to test them out as a team first.
The opening match is also changed from a 6-Man Tag to a 3 Way Tag. Chris Brookes wasn’t booked on the show yet so he gets added here while MJ Paul is relegated from being in the match to standing at ringside for DAMNATION T.A. That’s a bit weird but okay.
DDT “APRIL FOOL 2024 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 30/03/2024 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda Vs Kazuki Hirata & Kazuma Sumi
2. HARASHIMA, Kazusada Higuchi & Akito Vs Yukio Naya, Soma Takao & Yuya Koroku
3. Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Jun Akiyama & Rukiya
4. Special Single Match: Hideki Okatani Vs KANON
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Yuni Vs Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada
6. Special Tag Match: Shunma Katsumata & Ilusion Vs Hi69 & Yasu Urano
The Hardcore Match for the DDT Extreme Title gets previewed here when Shunma Katsumata and Hi69 collide in tag team action. Hi69 is bringing along Yasu Urano to form a team straight out of the old K-DOJO days. Katsumata will be teaming with Ilusion. The masked wrestler is gradually getting booked more by DDT which is good to see. This will be a good challenge for him.
The fighting between Hideki Okatani and KANON during the first night of Beer Garden did not stop after their match was over. When they were finally pulled apart Okatani demanded KANON to fight him in a singles match. When the match was confirmed to go ahead, Okatani then went on Twitter and challenged KANON to put his King Of DDT spot on the line. If Okatani wins he takes KANON’s place in the tournament. In return Okatani has an idea for a punishment in mind for himself should he lose. He hasn’t said what it is yet but KANON is intrigued enough to risk gambling his tournament spot away.
GCW/TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GCW VS TJPW”, 06/04/2024 Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Suzume Vs Pom Harajuku
2. Session Moth Martina Vs Raku
3. Dark Sheik Vs Yuki Kamifuku
4. Steph De Lander Vs Hyper Misao
5. Shazza McKenzie Vs Arisu Endo
6. Sawyer Wreck & Allie Katch Vs Mizuki & Nao Kakuta
7. Billie Starkz & Janai Kai Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
8. Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Rina Yamashita, Masha Slamovich & Maki Itoh Vs Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino
The GCW Vs Tokyo Joshi Pro full match lineup is here and… uh… yeah… There is an audience out there that’s into this card. I’m not part of it outside of the main event. Maybe the other two top matches as well if everybody involved all click together on the day. I’ll have a preview for the show written up along with one for “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY” a little after next week. I’ve already written most of it already because so much is happening at the end of March and the start of April.
DDT “APRIL FOOL 2024”, 07/04/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. No Gamble FINAL!: Sanshiro Takagi, Akito & Toru Owashi Vs X
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Final: X Vs X
3. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Chihiro Hashimoto
4. DDT Extreme Title – Hardcore Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Hi69
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino (c) Vs Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
6. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Zack Sabre Jr. & Chris Brookes
The reason why Matsunaga was chosen by Akiyama to be his partner is because of his work ethic behind the scenes. Matsunaga only wrestles part-time in DDT nowadays, usually as a substitute for someone who can’t be at the show for whatever reason. However he keeps himself in shape and is always ring ready when he does get called up as a replacement. Akiyama appreciates that and wants to see if that work ethic can be converted into a championship win for them.
DDT “SPOILER FREE SHOW VOL. 1”, 21/04/2024 Kanagawa Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market
1. Different Martial Arts Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku Vs Akito Nishigaki & Hayabucha
2. 1 Vs 2 Special Handicap Match: Yuki Ueno Vs Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Special Tag Match: Danshoku Dieno & Rukiya Vs Yuki Iino & Takeshi Masada
The gimmick for this show is that no information about what happens is allowed to be posted online until after midnight. That won’t be much of a problem for me because where I am I just have to wait until after 4pm local time to start looking up the results. That’s not out of the ordinary for me with the regular show results and reports.
A forbidden in-ring reunion for Danshoku Dieno and Yuki Iino. The two former members of Pheromones will face each other for the first time since the unit’s split back in October of last year.
DDT’s top wrestler of the moment Yuki Ueno has to fight both Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda by himself. Is that really much of a challenge for him though?
Four different athletic backgrounds clash in a “martial arts” tag match. Tetsuya Endo represents rhythmic gymnastics, Yuya Koroku is junior high amateur wrestling, Akito is high school amateur wrestling and HARASHIMA goes back to his college club student pro wrestling roots by becoming Hayabucha again. At least I assume it’s going to be HARASHIMA under the mask here.
DDT “SPRING BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 1”, 21/03/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage 311 Fans
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1: Ilusion defeated Yuni with a Modified Dragon Sleeper (8:32).
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1: To-y defeated Tsubasa Suzuki with the Kojima Impact (5:07).
3. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1: Munetatsu Nakamura defeated Kazuma Sumi with a Modified German Suplex (6:50).
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1: Rukiya defeated Yuya Koroku with the Proto Bomb (9:12).
5. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Naya & Hideki Okatani when KANON submitted Okatani with the Ground Cobra Twist (8:47).
6. Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino defeated Yoshitatsu & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Iino pinned Matsunaga with the Spear (10:53).
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada defeated Danshoku Dieno, Yoshihiko & Pokotan when Brookes pinned Pokotan with a School Boy (17:19).
8. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata defeated Akito, Kazusada Higuchi & Kazuki Hirata when Ueno pinned Hirata with the WR (19:22).
As the build begins towards the next KO-D Openweight Title match, Akito believes his mindset behind the preview tag matches is different from Yuki Ueno’s. Sure these kind of matches are done to create buzz and help the wrestlers get into their best condition for the big match. But here Akito is using these matches to try and break Ueno down. He aims to focus on picking Ueno apart limb by limb if he wants any chance of winning the title on26th April. That plan is not off to a good start though. Ueno got the win today and is feeling pretty good about it.
A lot of the semi-main event was spent outside the ring because the two teams decided it was now Falls Count Anywhere. During the brawl Takeshi Masada reversed a van over Yoshihiko and kept the vehicle parked on top of it. Danshoku Dieno filled up an inflatable mini pool at ringside with water, alcohol and any other liquid he could find. He then gave Masada a Back Body Drop into the pool. Yoshihiko returned from underneath the van and did a balcony dive onto SCHADENFREUDE International. After getting soaked in water, Antonio Honda tripped down some steps. Chris Brookes then ended the match by pinning Pokotan next to the steps. SCHADENFREUDE celebrated by taking away Pokotan’s head.
Tomomitsu Matsunaga stepped in as a last minute replacement for Makoto Oishi after Oishi injured his neck yesterday. Although Matsunaga dropped the fall and lost the match against BURNING, his efforts did not go unnoticed. Jun Akiyama decided that Matsunaga will be his partner when he challenges BURNING for the KO-D Tag Team Titles on 7th April! Akiyama later explained Matsunaga does so much good work behind the scenes and keeps himself in good shape for the few times he gets to wrestle. If BURNING defeats those two then they might have to worry about Yoshitatsu next. He is also putting the word out that he wants to win KO-D Tag Titles.
Some beer drinking was done by the wrestlers in Match #5 leading to some different situations. Daisuke Sasaki offered HARASHIMA a beer and then attacked him. They fought out in the crowd where HARASHIMA could get a drink after all. They both got back into the ring with Yukio Naya and MJ Paul for a Sumo contest. KANON used the Cobra Twist to roll Hideki Okatani’s shoulders down on the canvas to pin him for the three count. The two kept fighting after the match and had to be pulled apart. Okatani was still mad so he challenged KANON to a singles match.
The opening round of the D GENERATIONS CUP filled up the first half of the show. Ilusion defeated Yuni by submission in the latest match of their rivalry, To-y beat the intern Tsubasa Suzuki, the Ganbare☆Pro rookie Munetatsu Nakamura eliminated Kazuma Sumi and Rukiya scored an upset win over Yuya Koroku. The semi finals on 26th March will be Ilusion Vs To-y and Nakamura Vs Rukiya.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2024 ~27TH ANNIVERSARY 5 HOUR SPECIAL~”, 17/03/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,491 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. “Intern Wrestler” Tsubasa Suzuki Debut Match: Soma Takao defeated Tsubasa Suzuki with the Perfect Driver (9:08).
2. Yuya Koroku Return Match: To-y, Ilusion & Rukiya defeated Yuni, Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi when To-y pinned Koroku with the Kojima Impact (8:42).
3. Keisuke Ishii & Shinichiro Kawamatsu defeated Toru Owashi & Gorgeous Matsuno when Ishii pinned Matsuno with the Double Arm Driver (9:26).
4. Special Single Match: Super Sasadango Machine Vs Akito ended in a Draw when both of them fell asleep (7:20).
5. SCHADENFREUDE International Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda when KANON submitted Honda with the Just Cobra Twist (11:21).
6. Special Single Match: Ken Ohka defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Spear Of Flame (10:32).
7. Special Tag Match: Shuji Ishikawa & Yoshitatsu defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya when Ishikawa pinned Higuchi with the Splash Mountain (12:24).
8. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Belt Contra Dissolution: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) defeated Kazuki Hirata, Naruki Doi & Shinya Aoki when Oishi pinned Hirata with an Egoist Driver Cutback (9:48). *V4 for D.O.A. Zuncha♪Muscle Survivor must disband.
9. DDT Extreme Title – Painful Jungle Death Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) defeated Hideki Okatani with the Totonou Splash onto a Barbed Wire Board (13:38). *V1 for Shunma Katsumata.
10. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino (c) defeated Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai when Endo pinned Honda with the Burning Star Press (16:57). *V1 for BURNING.
11. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) defeated Takeshi Masada by Knockout with the Senpukyaku (4:22). *V6 for MAO.
12. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Yuma Aoyagi with the Modified Falcon Arrow (19:16).
13. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated HARASHIMA with the WR (22:50). *V3 for Yuki Ueno.
27 years of DDT called for another marathon show at Korakuen Hall to celebrate. 13 matches took place across almost 6 hours in front of a big crowd. The big bout at the end was Yuki Ueno moving past HARASHIMA in the latest defence of his KO-D Openweight Title reign. The match called for a big performance for the champion who wants to be established as DDT’s ace against the wrestler who himself is nicknamed “Mr. DDT” for his own dominance over the company throughout the years. Ueno did a Moonsault from one of the aisle entrance ways while back in the ring HARASHIMA did an Inverted Hurricanrana off of the top rope. More action took place out of the ring and almost ended Ueno’s reign but he returned at the 19 count. HARASHIMA hit the Somato but only got a two count with it. Another attempt was countered with Ueno’s big Dropkick and when Ueno gave him the WR, HARASHIMA had no answer for it and was pinned.
After the match Ueno hugged HARASHIMA and Kenta Kobashi handed the KO-D Title to him. Ueno talked about figuring out how to put his thoughts and feelings about his relationship with HARASHIMA into words. Today his heart feels full and satisfied because he got to have a big title match with HARASHIMA. He is sure HARASHIMA will continue to be an ace and they will often be opponents again in the future. But next time Ueno will be stronger and even a little more cocky. He thanked him for always being there.
Now Ueno turns his attention to his next defence. It is scheduled for 26th April in Sumida Ward General Gymnasium. There is one more important person Ueno wants to have a title match and that is DDT’s vice president Akito! Ueno ignored Akito’s objections and called him into the ring. Akito explained it’s not right for a wrestler in his position to take on such an important challenge. He also has not won any singles matches at all this year. Ueno agreed there are other more suitable challengers out there but none of them interest him more than Akito. He has a lot of jobs as vice president and Ueno argued that being a title challenger is one of them. Akito understood but warned the champion what could happen once his filter is switched off because there is nobody who thinks more about DDT than he does! Not Sanshiro Takagi, not Danshoku Dieno, not HARASHIMA and not Yuki Ueno! 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at work, at home, no matter where he travels to, it is Akito who devotes his life to the company. When DDT has good times he has good times too. When DDT has hard times he has hard times too. Akito is betting his entire life on DDT and will use all of his poison to erase Ueno’s brilliance!
Given this match was DDT against All Japan, you’d expect it would be Konosuke Takeshita coming out doing the wacky DDT entrance. Nope, it was Yuma Aoyagi who got into the swing of things riding to the ring on the Dramatic Dream bike and wearing a crazy looking helmet. The match itself was a smash with the two living up to expectations. Takeshita hit Aoyagi with the Jumping Knee and the Wagamama but it wasn’t enough to win. So he did the deal with the same Spinning Falcon Arrow he used to win a match in AEW earlier this week to get the same result here. Backstage Takeshita sent his thanks out to Aoyagi for accepting his invitation to do the match in DDT. Takeshita respects every wrestler from his generation no matter what company they work for and if possible would like to fight all of them. However he has something to do in America next so he has limited chances to wrestle again in Japan for the time being. He said it is up to his generation in Japan to liven up the wrestling world. Aoyagi called the match refreshing. He would like a rematch once every couple of years on a schedule similar to the Olympics. He also wants to fight other DDT wrestlers from his generation, like Yuki Ueno for example. But not now. Let him take a rest first.
It was a long show and time was not wasted in the DDT Universal Title match. Fueled by the recent criticisms aimed against him by the champion, Takeshi Masada attacked MAO before the bell with a Missile Dropkick. MAO responded with a Leapfrog Stunner over the ref and the match officially began from there. In the next four minutes MAO controlled the match and had an answer for most of what Masada threw at him. Masada got hit with big strikes but was determined to keep on fighting until he was hit with the Whirlwind Kick. Masada couldn’t return to his feet in time and was counted out. MAO quickly moved on and asked for who his challenger will be in America. An image flashed on the screen showing he will defend the Universal Title at Philadelphia on 4th April against Billie Starkz in a No Rules Match! MAO loves the Universal Title so much he will use it to set the whole world on fire!
There was another DDT Vs AJPW match on the card, this one had the KO-D Tag Team Titles on the line. The champions BURNING had been trying to sort themselves out lately over some miscommunication problems. New Period were coming over to be a big distraction for them, one that could see All Japan take over one of DDT’s main championships. The challengers even allegedly got in touch with Yoshihiko to learn what weaknesses of the champions they could exploit! However BURNING in the end got to show their problems with teamwork. In fact it was a missed double team from New Period that led to Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai hitting each other by accident. Later Yuki Iino charged towards Tetsuya Endo and Endo dropped down into the splits. Iino then jumped over him to Spear Honda! Endo then gave him the Torture Rack Bomb for a nearfall and finished him off with the Burning Star Press.
Endo declared the result a victory for BURNING and the KO-D Tag Titles still belong to them. However he admits it won’t be long until New Period’s time truly arrives. When that time does come Endo & Iino will want a rematch against them. Endo also told Honda it’s fine to use Yoshihiko but he has to return DDT’s property back to their office (later Honda and Yoshihiko got into a fight backstage bringing their short lived friendship to an end). BURNING’s next title defence will be at the 7th April Korakuen Hall show. Endo asked for Jun Akiyama to be one of the opponents because he wants to defend the title against him. Akiyama accepted but none of his regular partners are available at the moment. If he or DDT can find someone suitable to team with him he will do the title match on 7th April. Iino then tried to provoke Akiyama by doing the BURNING pose in front of him. Akiyama smiled, left the ring and did the same post in the dirction towards Kobashi at the commentary table. Endo told fans to look forward to the new BURNING, one without Akiyama or Kobashi in it!
The Painful Jungle Death Match lived up to its name, providing DDT with one of its most bloodiest matches in a while. Many sharp and piercing objects were placed in the ring along with some jungle looking items. For example there was a barbed wire board with a large snake toy caught on top of it. Shunma Katsumata and Hideki Okatani proceeded to throw and slam each other onto everything with the DDT Extreme Title at stake. Okatani couldn’t get the win with either the Double Arm Suplex or Quetzalcoatl. Instead Katsumata got the upper hand and won with the Totonou Splash while the snake and barbed wire board was placed on top of Okatani. The two embraced after the match and Katsumata thanked Okatani for giving him such an intense match. A video then played on the screen. It is a message sent by Hi69 from NOAH (or TEAM NOAH to be exact). He wants to challenge the Extreme Champion to a Hardcore Match for the title on 7th April! Katsumata is happy to hear Hi69 show interest but he does not know the first thing about the Extreme Title! The champion is supposed to make the rules, not the challenger. Katsumata accepted the challenge anyway.
Zuncha♪Muscle Survivor we hardly knew ye. They went up against D.O.A in a match that had both the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles on the line as well as the future of Kazuki Hirata’s new unit. Sadly for Hirata the match ended in tragedy when he gave Makoto Oishi the Egoist Driver but left himself open for Oishi to cradle him into a suddent defeat. Naruki Doi did not mind facing the consequences. He consoled Hirata over what happened and then told Shinya Aoki it was time for them to go home. However Hirata wanted to soak in the moment knowing it would be the last time Zuncha♪Muscle Survivor would all be together. Hirata gave a speech that made Doi become impatient but sent Aoki to the brink of tears. The three then stood together for a special dissolution ceremony which included the singing of the unit’s anthem plus a narrated history of the unit. All 22 days of it. Meanwhile backstage DAMNATION T.A attacked Makoto Oishi, demanding the next shot at the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles.
Does this kind of count as another DDT Vs AJPW match? Both Shuji Ishikawa & Yoshitatsu have called All Japan their home promotion up until very recently. They have since taken different paths away from there but those paths reunited them here for a match against two of DDT’s main heavyweights. Ishikawa had a handle of Kazusada Higuchi by the end of it. He blocked the Brain Claw Slam and turned it into the Fire Thunder for a nearfall. Ishikawa followed it up with the Kamigoye and Running Knee Strike for another two count before getting the victory by using the Splash Mountain. Yukio Naya didn’t want the fight to end though and stood toe to toe with Ishikawa afterwards. This won’t be the last we will see of Ishikawa in DDT this year. He is entering the King Of DDT tournament. He believes what he did today shows he is the only choice to win it. Both Naya & Higuchi are warning him not to mess with DDT’s heavyweight division.
The reason why DDT names its anniversary shows “JUDGEMENT” goes back to its very first show in 1997 where the audience in attendance back then judged whether or not Sanshiro Takagi and his crew would go ahead with running more shows. So it is only fitting that Takagi would himself judge whether or not Ken Ohka and Ganbare☆Pro are ready to go independent from CyberFight. GanPro’s next chapter begins in April and the entire group was in Korakuen to support Ohka at ringside while he fought his soon to be former employer. Ohka took a beating in the match and was almost counted out in the ring. But he got back to his feet all fired up, even giving Takagi a Stunner. Ohka then got the better of a strike exchange, knocking Takagi down with a Lariat. The opening was there and Ohka took it. He hit Takagi with the Spear Of Flame and beat his boss!
After the match an emotional Ohka said his life wouldn’t be like this if he never got involved with Takagi. He has changed Ohka’s life so much. Sometimes it was sad and painful but without Takagi, Ohka would not be so happy right now. From now on he will make GanPro a great wrestling company without the need to rely on Takagi and for that he thanks him. Takagi told Ohka he’s had a dramatic life but saying stuff like that makes it sound like Takagi was ruining his life! If that was true then he wouldn’t have a group of friends that all make up GanPro. Whatever happens in the future, Takagi wants to get with Ohka again whether it is to work together or fight each other. He then presented Ohka with a graduation certificate and told him to cherish his friends. Takagi hopes he will continue to give dreams to many people and have a more dramatic pro wrestling life than anyone else. Later Ohka told reporters he will continue with his goal to make pro wrestling into a major sport. Baseball has Shohei Ohtani, basketball has Michael Jordan, Formula 1 has Mika Häkkinen and football has Pelé. Ohka wants to become as great in wrestling as they are in their respective sports.
DAMNATION T.A’s path to a KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles shot started earlier in the show when they beat SCHADENFREUDE International. As always Antonio Honda was bothered by his trick knee but used Gongitsune to bounce back from it. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON hit him with the Freedom Call but CDK were there to break the pin. They got rid of Sasaki & MJ Paul but it turned out KANON could handle the 2 Vs 1 odds that were against him. The match came down to him against Honda and KANON countered the constant cradle pins into the Just Cobra Twist to make Honda submit.
Akito isn’t the only busy wrestler around here. Super Sasadango Machine has his own management problems to deal with and took valuable time out of his schedule to be at this show. So when he found out he wasn’t booked for a match despite being on the poster, Akito offered to fight him as an apology. Both of them have been feeling tired over work lately and Sasadango’s PowerPoint Presentation explained they were both going to wrestle at just 10% of their normal energy bar. However the presentation kept switching to a video of Akito being attacked backstage by all of the young DDT wrestlers so that was the actual reason why he made it to the ring in a tired state. When the match began it was as if Akito and Sasadango were already entering into the finishing stretch. Sasadango gave Akito the Lehmann Shock and went for the pin but before the count reached three everything froze. “Etuprika” began to play and the audience was shown a video of Akito’s inner monologue. Then in slow motion Akito kicked out, fought back and hit Sasadango so hard his mask peeled off. Akito slowly applied an Ankle Lock when time stood still again so everyone could hear Sasadango’s inner monologue. This time Sasadango spoke about how good and relaxed he felt. So much so that he fell asleep. Akito had run out of energy too so both men were practically out cold. Yukinori Matsui checked on both of them while they slept and had to rule the match a draw.
Did the world really need a face off between Gorgeous Matsuno and Shinichiro Kawamatsu? Well they got one. Matsuno’s offence was the weakest its been for a while even with Toru Owashi’s help. Things went from bad to worse when Keisuke Ishii got involved and did not hold back. When he lifted Matsuno up for the Double Arm Driver, Matsuno started to tap out. However the ref was standing on the other side and couldn’t see it so Ishii was free to drop him right onto the canvas for the win. Luckily Matsuno was not hurt too much. He returned at the very end of the show to sing everyone off.
Six of the young wrestlers entering the D GENERATIONS CUP were put in a 6-Man Tag together early in the show. To-y, Ilusion & Rukiya ended up beating Yuni, Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi. It was also Koroku’s return match from injury but he took the losing fall to To-y in the end.
When Soma Takao had his debut match in DDT he won the bout with an Ultra Hurricanrana. So Tsubasa Suzuki trying to win his first DDT match as an intern with a Phoenix Splash isn’t that too outlandish. Too bad he missed his target. The match was going well for him up until then. He still had his wits about him to block the Gin And Tonic but Takao switched over to the Running Elbow Butt and then the Perfect Driver to win the match. He told reporters he could have used a traditional Crab Hold but he wanted to win with the finisher he used in his college club days. He is looking forward to the day Suzuki will beat him with the Phoenix Splash. Suzuki admits he is still weak and the difference between pro wrestling with student wrestling is like competing in a different sport. He hopes to grow into a stronger and better wrestler.
Keigo Nakamura appeared during the early portion of the show with some good news. He is returning to the ring on 26th April!
A guest wrestler was announced for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024” on 21st July. It is the return of everyone’s amigo El Desperado!
The full list of entries for the King Of DDT was revealed. Entering the tournament are Poison Sawada JULIE, Sanshiro Takagi, Danshoku Dieno, HARASHIMA, Shuji Ishikawa, Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki, Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes, Yuki Ueno, MAO, Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya, KANON, Takeshi Masada and the D GENERATIONS CUP winner.
BASARA “BASARA 243 ~TAKAGARI 23~”, 09/03/2024 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center
1. SAGAT Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. KUBITO & Yasu Urano Vs Gouma Ryu & Banana Senga
3. Daichi Kazato Vs Tsutomu Oosugi
4. Takumi Tsukamoto & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
5. Isami Kodaka, Ryuichi Sekine & Minoru Fujita Vs FUMA, Ryota Nakatsu & Fuminori Abe
This is the match order for BASARA’s show this Saturday.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2024 ~27TH ANNIVERSARY 5 HOUR SPECIAL~”, 17/03/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. “Intern Wrestler” Tsubasa Suzuki Debut Match: Soma Takao Vs Tsubasa Suzuki
2. Yuya Koroku Return Match: To-y, Ilusion & Rukiya Vs Yuni, Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi
3. Toru Owashi & Gorgeous Matsuno Vs Akito & Shinichiro Kawamatsu
4. SCHADENFREUDE International Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
5. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya Vs Shuji Ishikawa & Yoshitatsu
6. Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Ken Ohka
7. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Yuma Aoyagi
8. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Belt Contra Dissolution: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Kazuki Hirata, Naruki Doi & Shinya Aoki
9. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino (c) Vs Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai
10. DDT Extreme Title – Painful Jungle Death Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Hideki Okatani
11. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs Takeshi Masada
12. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs HARASHIMA
The Painful Jungle Death Match will feature dangerous items placed on or covering over each of the turnbuckle corners, turning the ring into a painful jungle! Shunma Katsumata hasn’t said what the weapons are and is keeping it quiet. It’s all up to Hideki Okatani and the fans to imagine what hazards he would put inside a “painful jungle” ring. Other death match weapons will be available to use in the match too.
DDT “SPRING BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 1”, 21/03/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1A: Yuni Vs Ilusion
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1B: To-y Vs Tsubasa Suzuki
3. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1C: Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Kazuma Sumi
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Round 1D: Yuya Koroku Vs Rukiya
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada Vs Danshoku Dieno, Yoshihiko & Pokotan
The Beer Garden show gives DDT an opportunity to stick three of their most iconic wrestlers together. Danshoku Dieno, Yoshihiko & Pokotan are going to join forces and become an unstoppable juggernaut for SCHADENFREUDE International to fight in a battle for the ages.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO/GANBARE☆JOSHI “SHUFFLE DATE 2024”, 22/03/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. HARUKAZE & Kaya Toribami Vs Raku & Shino Suzuki
2. Yuki Kamifuku & YuuRI Vs HIMAWARI & Riara
3. Yuna Manase & Nao Kakuta Vs Shoko Nakajima & Yoshiko Hasegawa
There will be five matches in total for the Tokyo Joshi Pro and Ganbare☆Joshi collab show. The matches so far are mixing TJPW and GanPro together. Wakana Uehara, Toga and Haru Kazashiro will be on the show and are waiting to find out what their matches are. Sayuri Namba will be the ring announcer for the show. Sadly that means Michiko Nonaka won’t be there to represent the GanJo side.
DDT “SPRING BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2”, 26/03/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Semi Final: Winner Of Match 1A Vs Winner Of Match 1B
2. D GENERATIONS CUP 2024 – Semi Final: Winner Of Match 1C Vs Winner Of Match 1D
3. Tetsuya Endo & Toru Owashi (w/ Furitsuke Kamen) Vs Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
Last year’s Beer Garden show saw the return of Furitsuke Kamen (aka Lucky Ikeda) to DDT. Looks like the Beer Garden shows are where he’s going to stay whenever he and DDT work together.
DDT “APRIL FOOL 2024 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 30/03/2024 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda Vs Kazuki Hirata & Kazuma Sumi
2. Yuki Ueno, MAO & Yuni Vs Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada
The week before Yuki Ueno & MAO face Zack Sabre Jr. & Chris Brookes in Korakuen Hall, the two of them get to fight Brookes in a 6-Man Tag Match in Yokohama.
It’s been a long time since Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda teamed together. September 2021 was the last time if I got the Cagematch profiles correct.
1. Special Single Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Yoshihiko
2. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno Vs Mike Bailey
Did the announcement of Kazuki Hirata Vs Yoshihiko in Philadelphia not do anything for you? Then how about Yuki Ueno against Mike Bailey in a first time singles match between the two?
TOKYO JOSHI PRO/BASARA “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024 Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring
The day long event will have BASARA matches in the late morning and TJPW matches in the afternoon. So I may split this into two separate shows when writing about them.
The BASARA wrestlers taking part are Isami Kodaka, Ryuichi Sekine, FUMA, Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi, Daichi Kazato, Ryota Nakatsu, Takato Nakano, Masato Kamino, Lil’ Kraken, Tsutomu Oosugi, Banana Senga and Yasu Urano.
The TJPW wrestlers taking part are Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi, Mizuki, Hyper Misao, Yuki Aino, Miu Watanabe, Raku, Pom Harajuku, Mahiro Kiryu, Arisu Endo and Haru Kazashiro. Aja Kong will also be on the show.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. TWELVE: TEEN AGE RIOT”, 27/02/2024 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Antonio Honda Vs Mikan Cassidy
2. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Mad Dr. Ueki & Mecha Mummy
3. SWS Hardcore Title: Kota Ibushikoshi (c) Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. TWELVE: TEEN AGE RIOT”, 27/02/2024 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Mikan Cassidy defeated Antonio Honda with the Mikan Punch (15:14).
2. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Mad Dr. Ueki & Mecha Mummy when Takanashi pinned Mummy with a School Boy (12:54).
3. SWS Hardcore Title: Munetatsu Nakamura defeated Kota Ibushikoshi (c) with the Michinoku Driver II (9:51). *Munetatsu Nakamura becomes the 173rd SWS Hardcore Champion!
4. Bonus Track: Chris Brookes & El Amigo defeated MAO & Mecha Mummy when Amigo pinned Mummy to prevent a Suicide Bombing (20:10).
No matches were advertised in advance of this month’s hangout with the Baka Gaijin + Friends. The Youtube feed only featured three matches with the third being announced as the main event. However after the feed cut off there turned out to be a bonus match featuring a new face. Or we can only assume it was a fresh face because it was obscured with a makeshift mask. A mysterious wrestler by the name of El Amigo showed up to team with Chris Brookes for a tag team free for all against MAO & Mecha Mummy. Amigo and MAO took the fight outside up above the glass roof of ARENA Shimokitazawa. They returned to the room and Amigo covered the place in fog with a fire extinguisher. The room was then at risk when Mummy looked like it was about to explode. Amigo grabbed Mummy with a hug and pinned it to the floor to get the three count. There were guesses online as to who El Amigo really is? El Desperado came out and revealed he is related to El Amigo. But he would like it if people do not tag him in pictures of his relative.
The match that was officially the main event was used as a spotlight for the future. Student pro wrestler Kota Ibushikoshi was back and he had the SWS Hardcore Title with him, ready to defend it in Baka Gaijin again. The challenger was Munetatsu Nakamura. In what could be the start of a new generational rivalry, Nakamura used the Michinoku Driver II to pin Ibushikoshi and win the SWS Hardcore Title! He was a little paranoid that other wrestlers would try to take the belt away from him during what seemed to be the show closing speech.
There was a conflict of interests in Match #2 because it was a tag match featuring all wrestlers who are currently attached to the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles. The tag match was CDK taking on Mad Dr. Ueki & Mecha Mummy. However Mummy thought it was teaming with CDK and had to be convinced by Ueki to stand by his side. Brookes struggled to fight against Mummy’s steel armour and heavy weight. But when Ueki missed a Falling Headbutt from a stool, Masahiro Takanashi came to his partner’s aid. His fight with Ueki then took a pause so they could sit and drink beer together inbetween throwing strikes at each other. Ueki ended up getting drunk and stripping out of his scientist costume to reveal he was wearing his police themed wrestling singlet underneath. He then pulled out a gun and held everyone in the room hostage. Mummy stopped him with a Rocket Punch, knocking him back to sobriety. It then attacked Takanashi with the Rocket Drill. Ueki order Mummy to hold Takanashi in place so he can throw the Rocket Fist at him. The plan backfired because Takanashi ducked, the fist hit Mummy and CDK rolled Mummy up with a School Boy to win the match. Ueki blamed Mummy for the loss and it sadly walked away carrying the drill in its hands.
Antonio Honda had an unexpected opponent in the opening bout. MAO walked out wearing a tye dye denim jacket and was introduced as Mikan Cassidy! His relaxed and lazy behaviour frustrated Honda as he just couldn’t figure his opponent out. Particularly how to pull his hands out of his pockets. Mikan proceeded to wrestled almost the entire match like that, only pulling his hands out to use his own version of Gongitsune against Honda’s. The tempo changed when Honda began singing while Mikan clicked his fingers to the beat. He then dodged the Bionic Elbow and hit Honda with the Mikan Punch to win the match.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2024”, 25/02/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,600 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda defeated Yuki Iino, Yuni & Ilusion when Brookes pinned Yuni with the Our Love Letter (8:48).
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Akito & Soma Takao when KANON pinned Takao after the Freedom Call (8:24).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kazuki Hirata, Naruki Doi & Shinya Aoki defeated Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Toru Owashi when Doi pinned Oishi with a Crucifix Pin (9:05).
4. Special Single Match: To-y defeated MJ Paul with a School Boy (7:12).
5. Kazusada Higuchi & Yoshitatsu defeated Yukio Naya & Rukiya when Higuchi pinned Rukiya with the Brain Claw Slam (10:58).
6. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) defeated Hikaru Machida with the Michinoku Driver II (14:27). *V5 for MAO.
7. Kaisei Takechi Debut Match ~ Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & Kaisei Takechi defeated Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada when Ueno pinned Okatani with the BME (20:19).
Today’s DDT show was a little bit different than usual. The big attraction was the debut pro wrestling match of Kaisei Takechi, a member of a famous dance group in Japan called THE RAMPAGE, which itself is part of an entertainment collective called EXILE TRIBE. In 2022 Takechi took a role on a TV drama about wrestling called Fukumen D. That show featured involvement from DDT (represented on the show as a fictional company called BBT, Brave Battle Truth) and it led to the two sides coming up with this deal. The hype behind today’s debut led to best business DDT’s had at Korakuen Hall in years. Tickets had been sold out for weeks thanks to THE RAMPAGE fanbase buying them up to see Takechi’s big performance.
For the main event Takechi wanted to team with Yuki Ueno, the reigning KO-D Openweight Champion who coached him during training. He also wanted to be in the ring against wrestlers his own age so DDT decided the match would be Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & Takechi against Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada. These are all wrestlers considered by DDT to be part of the same generation. Takechi got to get time fighting each one of his three opponents during the match. He also got moments to do double team moves with his tag partners. He was able to land a Diving Cross Body to Endo and slam Masada with a Full Nelson Buster. The finish however came down to Ueno pinning Okatani with the Best Moonsault Ever.
With his team declared the winners, Takechi loudly proclaimed after the match that pro wrestling is the best! He said the power of everyone who came to support him is amazing and inspired him to do even better. There is still a lot he would like to do inside the ring so if he ever gets another chance he will take it. He didn’t appreciate how Okatani treated him during the match so he would like to fight him again. There are 15 other members of THE RAMPAGE so he hopes any of the DDT Fans who are impressed with him will take up an interest in following the group. The same goes for any of THE RAMPAGE’s fans if they liked what they saw from DDT today. Ueno teased that perhaps one day Takechi will fight him for the KO-D Title but he’ll have to work a little harder to get there. So this might not be the last we will see of Kaisei Takechi in DDT!
MAO’s adventure with the DDT Universal Title took him over to fight against a high level kickboxer. Hikaru Machida. The two had unfinished business over a KO-D Tag Team Titles defence one year ago and Machida was looking to avenge losing that match. A battle of strikes broke out and then the two fought outside the ring over by one of Korakuen’s staircases. Machida hit his patented Iai Punch but MAO reached for the ropes to avoid getting pinned. MAO then used a Stunner to break out of the strikes and pinned Machida with the Michinoku Driver II to win.
MAO was full of praise for Machida and then called himself the best DDT Universal Champion ever. He announced his plans to defend the title at “DDT GOES PHILADELPHIA!” in America on 4th April. However Takeshi Masada suddenly entered the ring with his own idea. He wants to win the title from MAO before they go to America so Masada will be the champion in Philadelphia. MAO told Masada he only has one rule for this championship. He only wants challengers he feels comfortable entrusting the title with should they beat him for it. He thinks that is too high of a hurdle for Masada to climb but if the fans want to see the match, he will agree to do it at DDT’s 27th Anniversary show on 17th March.
Today is Rukiya’s 23rd birthday so he was eager to do his best in his tag match. Yoshitatsu patronised him by giving him a pat on the head and rubbing his hair. Yukio Naya played his part to keep Rukiya in the fight. He hit Kazusada Higuchi with a Knee Lift so Rukiya could then do the Proto Bomb but Yoshitatsu made it in to break the pin. Naya then had to break the pin when Higuchi gave Rukiya the Doctor Bomb. Rukiya used what energy he had left to throw Elbow Strikes until Higuchi knocked him down with a Lariat and pinned him with the Brain Claw Slam.
To-y was supposed to take on HARASHIMA but unfortunately the match was cancelled because HARASHIMA tested positive for covid over the weekend. MJ Paul became To-y’s new opponent and he attacked him with a chair outside the ring. To-y rebounded and had Paul on the ropes when the rest of DAMNATION T.A decided to interfere. Thankfully To-y had Katsumata in his corner and he stopped KANON from doing a chair attack. To-y then rolled up Paul with a School Boy during the chaos and got the 3 count for the upset victory.
While Jun Akiyama was away in America this weekend wrestling in AEW, the other two members of D.O.A teamed with Toru Owashi to take on Kazuki Hirata’s new unit. Zuncha♪Muscle Survivor’s first match together was a successful one and it was a win against two-thirds of the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions! The non-wrestling fans in Korakuen were given an eyeful thanks to Danshoku Dieno pulling the back of his tights down and laying himself over the top turnbuckle. Even Toru Owashi went above expectations by using the Lip Lock on Naruki Doi. A lot of wrestlers got their faces pressed against Dieno’s butt until Doi trapped Makoto Oishi with a Crucifix Pin to win the match.
Doi admitted it is shocking that Zuncha♪Muscle Survivor won their first match and it ended with him pinning a champion. That means they should get the next shot at the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles! Oishi argued that he is the weakest wrestler in DDT so Doi shouldn’t be proud of the result. Doi disagreed because Hirata is the weakest. Oishi won’t accept the challenge unless the other team puts something on the line. Doi suggested his team put their hair on the line but Oishi refused because they all have short cuts. Oishi then offered to disband Zuncha♪Muscle Survivor if they lose. Oishi thinks that idea is too much but Doi said he would be happy with either winning the titles or breaking up the team he doesn’t even want to be part of. The challenge was accepted and will take place on 17th March. Later backstage Shinya Aoki made demands for a rematch with Chihiro Hashimoto. He lost to Hashimoto on a DDT show at the end of December 2022 and wants revenge! DDT later announced that match will go ahead at the 7th April Korakuen show.
DAMNATION T.A also used a chair as a weapon to help set up their win against Akito & Soma Takao. After a ref bump, Daisuke Sasaki kicked Takao below the belt and then hit both opponents with the chair. Then Sasaki & KANON gave Takao the Freedom Call for the tainted win.
SCHADENFREUDE International found a convoluted way to win the opening match. But before that happened Antonio Honda got to tell his latest Gongitsune joke and engage in a twisted nipple battle with Yuki Iino. Later Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi physically manipulated Yuni & Ilusion into doing a Rolling Cradle on each other. CDK then piled on top of them to score the pinfall.
After the match Brookes told the fans he had a present for them and it is a dramatic dream that involves a friend of his. Out walked Zack Sabre Jr. from New Japan down to the ring! He is here because he wants to have a match in DDT! Brookes asked him who he would like to face. Sabre said Yoshihiko and the Ladder. Unfortunately Yoshihiko’s asking price is too high and the Ladder he’s thinking of has been retired for years. Sabre then said he would like to fight two champions so how about Yuki Ueno & MAO? Brookes can even team with him so it can be a tag match! Ueno & MAO heard the challenge and came down to the ring to accept it. It will happen on the 7th April Korakuen show.
DDT announced the next KO-D Title match after 17th March will be at Sumida Ward General Gymnasium on 26th April. Also Konosuke Takeshita will appear at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024” at Sumo Hall on 21st July.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2024 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 23/02/2024 Yokohama Radiant Hall 281 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated MAO & Kazuki Hirata when KANON submitted Hirata with the Cobra Twist (9:13).
2. Danshoku Dieno defeated Rukiya with the Oyashirazu (5:54).
3. Special Single Match: Yoshitatsu defeated Soma Takao with the This Is My WWE (9:51).
4. Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino defeated Kazusada Higuchu & Makoto Oishi when Iino pinned Oishi with the Spear (13:05).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Naya & Hideki Okatani when Katsumata pinned Okatani with a Foot Stomp (17:06).
6. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy (c) defeated Maya Yukihi, Ram Kaichow, Rina Yamashita, Sanshiro Takagi & Akito when Honda pinned Akito with a Japanese Leg Lock Clutch (23:45). *V1 for SCHADENFREUDE International & Mecha Mummy.
The business alliance of DDT’s management and RebelxEnemy was not powerful enough to dethrone SCHADENFREUDE International. With the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles on the line, the champions retained thanks to Antonio Honda in the end. It came down to Honda after Sanshiro Takagi got rid of Takeshi Masada with the Sling Blade and Stunner. Also Mecha Mummy’s drill failed against the toughness of Rina Yamashita. The bright spot for SCHADENFREUDE came when Chris Brookes Military Pressed Ram Kaichow out of the ring onto everyone on the floor below. Honda had to fight with Akito and came out the better of a back and forth exchange by pinning Akito with a Japanese Leg Lock Clutch. Honda thanked his team and told them they are all good men (or mecha in Mecha Mummy’s case). He admits he keeps losing and the thing he is losing most lately is the flow of time. He is 46 and that scares him. But he is able to win today’s match because of his friends. He doesn’t just mean SCHADENFREUDE International but also everyone who came to see the show today, especially those who bought merchandise! Backstage they all celebrated with drinks and splashed bottles of water over Honda. Some of it splashed onto Mummy though and it short circuited.
Meanwhile the RebelxEnemy wrestlers were mad at Takagi & Akito for losing the match. Maya Yukihi really wanted to win the titles and is so upset about losing it makes her want to cry. Kaichow put all of the blame on those two and even fired them! She doesn’t know what she is firing them from but they’re fired. Takagi pleaded with Kaichow to change her mind and offered her a new business partnership. Kaichow considered it depending on how much they will be paid for it. Takagi told her to discuss that with Akito and left him alone to deal with the negotiations. Akito didn’t know what to do so he told RebelxEnemy he will call them and then ran off. Kaichow told the others it’s no wonder why DDT only consists of men nowadays.
Two of the upcoming title matches were showcased in the semi-main event. It showed The 37KAMIINA are in good shape going against their challengers. HARASHIMA landed the Somato on Yuki Ueno but Ueno kicked out of the pin and fired back with a one legged Dropkick. Shunma Katsumata won the match in the end by catching Hideki Okatani with a standing Double Stomp to get the pinfall. Katsumata bragged about how well he’s been doing since returning from injury and he will keep the momentum going until he defends the DDT Extreme Title against Okatani. He wants Okatani to know that he can still wrestle without the need for weapons or death matches. HARASHIMA believes he is in great shape too even if the match result doesn’t reflect it.
Danshoku Dieno had a toothache going into his match against Rukiya and it bothered him throughout. Rukiya took advantage by using Headlocks and Elbow Strikes aimed at Dieno’s jaw. However Dieno countered one of the Headlocks into a Modified Armbar and Rukiya gave up. Dieno held onto the move after the match because the toothache was getting to him. Makoto Oishi had to get into the ring and get him to stop.
The new unit led by Kazuki Hirata now has a name. He is calling the group Zuncha♪Muscle Survivor! It combines a little bit of everything from the three members. Hirata is the Zuncha (rhythm of the beat), Naruki Doi is the Muscle and Shinya Aoki is the Survivor. He believes as long as the focus is on the two strong members Doi & Aoki, they won’t lose.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2024 TOUR IN NAGANO”, 04/02/2024 Nagano Act Hall 220 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Hideki Okatani defeated Rukiya with a Modified Neck Lock (10:00).
2. Sanshiro Takagi, Yoshitatsu & Yukio Naya defeated Chris Brookes, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi when Yoshitatsu pinned Sumi with the This Is My WWE (10:10).
3. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Yuki Iino & Akito when Sasaki submitted Akito with the Crossface Lock (17:22).
4. Special Tag Match: Yukio Sakaguchi & Antonio Honda defeated Kazuki Hirata & Kazusada Higuchi when Sakaguchi pinned Hirata with the God’s Right Knee (17:21).
5. Nagano Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Toru Owashi & Akihiro defeated Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Tetsuya Endo when Akihiro pinned Oishi with the Reincarnation (15:29).
6. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata defeated HARASHIMA & Soma Takao when Ueno pinned Takao with the BME (17:51)
Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata used today’s main event to show their intent that The 37KAMIINA are at the center of DDT right now. Katsumata did a dive off of the entrance gate onto their opponents and did another dive out of the ring to wipe out HARASHIMA. Ueno went on to pin Soma Takao with the BME. They told the Nagano fans that they will have even more championship belts with them the next time they come back here. Backstage Ueno hyped up his KO-D Openweight Title defence against Danshoku Dieno while Katsumata promised to finally beat Kuroshio TOKYO Japan at the same show on 14th February. Ueno said he cannot be the kind of KO-D Champion that Dieno, HARASHIMA or Konosuke Takeshita all were but he will stand across the ring from Dieno as his own type of great champion.
The “Hero Of Nagano” Toru Owashi (who admitted he isn’t actually local because his hometown Saku City is a fair distance away from Nagano Act Hall) was in the semi-main event but may of had his spotlight stolen by Akihiro. It was Akihiro who scored the pin by doing its Reincarnation finisher on Makoto Oishi. Meanwhile Jun Akiyama was more concerned about avoiding his face being pressed into Dieno’s backside. That is what happened to Tetsuya Endo when Akihiro gave him a Top Rope Frankensteiner across the ring.
It’s only a few more days until Yukio Sakaguchi’s retirement match to today he wanted to do something a little bit different. He appeared for his tag match wearing a costume identical to Antonio Honda! He wanted to just have fun but Kazuki Hirata still found a way to annoy him and get angry as the match progressed. Honda dedicated his Gongistune spot to Sakaguchi’s upcoming retirement. Hirata then offered Sakaguchi a pair of Hirata GO! Glasses so they could dance together one last time. He accepted them, they danced to the music and then Hirata tried pinning Sakaguchi with the Miracle One Shot Cradle. Sakaguchi kicked out and hit Hirata with the God’s Right Knee for the win.
After the match Hirata called Sakaguchi a scary person who bullied him a lot but he can’t help but feel lonely now that Sakaguchi is retiring. He will never forget seeing him dressed like Honda today and dancing along with him. Sakaguchi praised Kazusada Higuchi for how strong his Chops were today, he thanked Honda for always telling good stories and he admitted to Hirata he had fun today. He brought up Hirata winning the MVP Award during the Japan Indie Grand Prix Awards and asked if Hirata will use the prize money to treat him to a meal? Hirata had to tell him the award did not include any prize money.
Today was the first time in a long, long time that Akito and Yuki Iino were teaming together without any trace of Pheromones around to get in the way. However Iino has no memory of their time together in ALL OUT. Akito asked him before the match if he remembers being in that unit? Iino asked what was that because he is a member of BURNING and that is all he thinks about. That answer was still good enough for Akito to put his complete trust in him again. However DAMNATION T.A were able to redirect things and make Iino Spear Akito by accident, leading to Daisuke Sasaki tapping out Akito with the Crossface Lock while Iino and KANON got into a fight outside the ring.
This Is My WWE is the name of Yoshitatsu’s Diving Knee Kick finisher. Don’t let The Rock find out about that. Sanshiro Takagi attacked both Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada with a Double Stunner after the match. He then taunted Masada by pouring mousse over his head and rubbing his hair with it.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024”, 28/01/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,120 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Special 10-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Tomoya, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Akito, Shinichiro Kawamatsu & Yuni when Sumi pinned Yuni with a School Boy (7:07).
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & Bryan Keith (w/ MJ Paul) defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Rukiya after KANON pinned Rukiya with the Freedom Call (8:39).
3. Yukio Sakaguchi Korakuen Final Match ~ Special Single Match: Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Hideki Okatani with the God’s Right Knee (5:42).
4. MAO Birthday Commemorative Match: MAO & TAKA Michinoku defeated Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi when MAO pinned Takanashi with the Cannonball 450 (8:45).
5. DDT Extreme Title – Who Is The Fated One!? Toy Kojima Challenge Death Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Kazuki Hirata (c) (8:33).
5a. Kazuki Hirata pinned Shunma Katsumata with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (0:57). *Toy Kojima fails his challenge.
5b. Shunma Katsumata submitted Kazuki Hirata with a Crab Hold (4:04). *Toy Kojima fails his challenge.
5c. Kazuki Hirata pinned Shunma Katsumata with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (7:42). *Toy Kojima fails his challenge.
5d. Shunma Katsumata pinned Kazuki Hirata with a School Boy (8:33). *Toy Kojima passes his challenge. Kazuki Hirata fails in V6. Shunma Katsumata becomes the 59th DDT Extreme Champion!
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – DEAD OR ALIVE Contra DEAD OR ALIVE: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) defeated Hikaru Sato, Kazusada Higuchi & Ryo Kawamura when Oishi pinned Kawamura with the Jikiden Tornado Clutch (8:20). *V3 for D.O.A.
7. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Naruki Doi with the Wagamama (10:58).
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated Yukio Naya with the Twister (23:35). *V1 for Yuki Ueno.
Yuki Ueno’s run as KO-D Openweight Champion has just begun and in his first defence he put down Yukio Naya, shutting down the D-Oh Grand Prix winner’s momentum. The champion went for big dives from the get go but took high risk damage of his own when Naya gave him an Avalanche Choke Slam. Naya also blocked the BME with his knees and used a Wrist-Clutch Back Drop. Ueno was only able to break the pin thanks to a rope break. He switched to using Dropkicks and got a nearfall with the BME. Naya tried fighting back using Knee Strikes but Ueno grabbed him in a Face Lock and pulled him into a Twister hold, making Naya give up. After the match Ueno said Naya has nothing to be ashamed about. He is a great wrestler not because he crawled from the bottom up to the top but because he uses pro wrestling to stand up for himself. Ueno will take what he learned from Naya today and carry them on his own shoulders.
Ueno was told the next KO-D Title defence is scheduled for 17th March. He expected to hear that and already has an opponent in mind. He wants to defend the KO-D Title against Danshoku Dieno and he is willing to do it before the mandatory March defence. The 37KAMIINA will be holding a produce show in Shinjuku FACE on 14th February and Ueno can defend the title against Dieno there. Sanshiro Takagi entered the ring and told Ueno his request cannot be met. The KO-D Title is DDT’s top championship and its matches need to attract large audiences. Ueno explained he does not want this match for the venue size or as an easy title defence. He chooses Dieno because Dieno is the most amazing guy and interesting wrestler in DDT. Takagi accepted his reasoning and gave permission for the match to go ahead. Dieno told Ueno what he said to Jun Akiyama three years ago. He knows the champ will not let him win and DDT does not want him to become the KO-D Champion but if you flash the belt in front of his face he is going to want it! And if he does win the belt who knows what direction he will take DDT in!
The semi-main event was a first time ever meeting between Konosuke Takeshita and Naruki Doi. Takeshita dealt a big blow by giving Doi a Brainbuster on the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring Doi had to rely on speed to try and keep one step ahead of his opponent’s power. He used the V9 Clutch to counter a Lariat for a nearfall. There was one power spot Doi got the better of. That was for a Brainbuster that led to the Doi 555 and Bakatare Sliding Kick combo for another two count. Takeshita blocked the Muscular Bomb and used Doi’s rolling attempt to throw him over with a German Suplex. He then hit the Wagamama to get the victory. Takeshita called it a fun match that made him feel like Takeshita the young wrestling fan again. He never forgets that feeling wherever he goes. He wants to fight Doi again and next time it should be in America.
The D.O.A branding is safe again for the time being. The name was up for grabs along with the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles for the second time after Hikaru Sato complained about his catchphrase being stolen by them. Akiyama was the first one to stand against Sato and Kazusada Higuchi in the ring. Ryo Kawamura ended up sparring with Dieno and made the mistake of putting him in a Triangle Choke. Makoto Oishi kept trying to bring out wasabi and eventually succeeded in wiping it over Dieno’s backside. Both of them regretted it when Kawamura shoved Oishi face first in there but Oishi recovered and flash pinned Kawamura with the Jikiden Tornado Clutch. He celebrated the successful title defence by saying he is well aware that other people use the phrase “Dead Or Alive” so we are all D.O.A! He hoped Akiyama & Dieno would join in but he was left alone in the ring. Sato questioned if the team really are D.O.A because they show no intentions of staying alive and act like they only want to die.
The fate of the DDT Extreme Title all rested on Toy Kojima’s shoulders. Kazuki Hirata and Shunma Katsumata were wrestling each other under 2-Count Fall rules for the belt but the match result would only stand if Kojima could pass a challenge given to him backstage. He didn’t have to wait long for his first task because Hirata pinned Katsumata with the Miracle One Shot Cradle in under a minute. Kojima had to endure bumps for 30 seconds but he couldn’t so the match restarted. Katsumata then submitted Hirata with a Crab Hold so Kojima’s task was to drink a bottle of cola in one go. He couldn’t do that either. Hirata pinned Katsumata with the Miracle Cradle again so Kojima had to play Pop-Up Pirate for 10 turns without losing. He lost in the first turn. Katsumata used a School Boy to pin Hirata so Kojima had to play with a Kendama toy. He was given three goals to swing the ball onto the cup. He did it on his third and final go, making Katsumata the new Extreme Champion!
Katsumata thanked Hirata for coming up with such a fun ruleset. He also announced that after talking with the other members of the group, Kazuki Hirata has been accepted as the newest member of The 37KAMIINA! Unfortunately Hirata changed his mind and no longer wants to be part of the team. Why? Because he wants to create his own brand new unit instead! He later found Naruki Doi backstage and kept pestering him to join this new stable. Doi is reluctant but may have been talked into joining. Meanwhile Katsumata was asked for who he wants his challenger to be for his first defence on 17th March. He suggested Hideki Okatani so they could renew their rivalry over the title. However MJ Paul then came out to attack Okatani, handed Katsumata a piece of paper saying he wanted to challenge him and then he attacked Katsumata too. Katsumata and Okatani worked together to fend off Paul’s attack. Hisaya Imabayashi came up with a solution. Okatani and Paul will face each other on 7th February and the winner will get the title shot for 17th March.
MAO was having a big birthday bash and invited the likes of TAKA Michinoku and CDK to be at the party. One present he got was to be the headpiece of the Kaientai spot with poor Masahiro Takanashi being the victim. Somehow Chris Brookes got to be on the good side of that present. CDK fought back using their double team moves to wrap their opponents into each other but it couldn’t get them the win. Instead TAKA dropped Takanashi with the Michinoku Driver II and MAO pinned him with the Cannonball 450. MAO is happy to start off being 27 years old with a win. He said no matter where his career goes, TAKA Michinoku’s name will always be around him because he is his hero. TAKA said he is proud to be an influence to people outside of K-DOJO and JTO. He calls MAO one of the few genius young wrestlers he’s seen and that geniuses often don’t see it in themselves. He is sure he can become the KO-D Champion some day. CDK were disappointed to lose but everyone in SCHADENFREUDE International was happy to see Brookes be healthy and wrestle again.
Today was the final time Yukio Sakaguchi would wrestle in Korakuen Hall. He was given a singles match against his former Eruption teammate Hideki Okatani for the occasion. It was a chance for Sakaguchi to test how Okatani could fight by himself. Okatani took all the kicks he could and fought back with the Double Arm Suplex. But Sakaguchi blocked the Quetzalcoatl and put Okatani down with the God’s Right Knee to end the match. His message to Okatani backstage was to ask what is his strength? He needs to find that answer in order to change from what he is now. Okatani thanked Sakaguchi for the lesson and will use the DDT ring to show him what he learned.
The services of Bryan Keith were used by DAMNATION T.A to fight what’s currently left of BURNING along with Rukiya. MJ Paul interfered to take the Spear from Yuki Iino instead of KANON. Keith used the Emerald Tiger Driver on Rukiya then left him for the others to pick at the pieces. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON used a Vietnam Driver & Diving Elbow combination called the Freedom Call to finish Rukiya off. Sasaki called BURNING worthless and thinks the group should disband. KANON made fun of them, telling them to go home and drink their mothers’ protein. Iino complained about KANON needing Paul’s help because he doesn’t want to take the Spear. Tetsuya Endo thinks he needs to improve his accuracy because today’s performance wasn’t up to snuff. But he is confident that if he and Iino hit DAMNATION T.A right, they will win the KO-D Tag Team Titles from them.
The opening match went ahead with No Tag Rules. Takagi quickly gave Kazuma Sumi the Stunner but was then caught in a Train Attack that included the referee getting involved. HARASHIMA and Toru Owashi got to fight each other until Akito came in to target HARASHIMA’s leg. So did Tomoya and Shinichiro Kawamatsu in what turned out to be a battle between pro wrestling politicians. Antonio Honda paused the match for his Gongitsune joke but it backfired. Yuni gave Takeshi Masada a Tornado DDT but then missed a Moonsault aimed for Sumi. That allowed Sumi to roll up the school boy with the School Boy for the win.
The first set of wrestlers to enter this year’s King Of DDT are a mix of previous winners and finalists to mark the 20th Anniversary of the tournament. Poison Sawada JULIE (2004 winner), Sanshiro Takagi (2009 finalist), Danshoku Dieno (2012 finalist), HARASHIMA (2010 & 2013 winner, 2017 finalist) and Shuji Ishikawa (2016 winner) have all been announced to be taking part.
Kaisei Takechi’s debut match on 25th February has him teaming up with Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata. They will be against Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 