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.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. ELEVEN: STRANGE BUT NOT A STRANGER”, 17/01/2024 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Antonio Honda Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. Masahiro Takanashi Vs Opanchu Ihashi
3. SWS Hardcore Title: Kota Ibushikoshi (c) Vs MAO
4. 2-On-1 Hardcore Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Mad Dr. Ueki & Mecha Mummy
DDT “NEW YEAR FAN APPRECIATION DAY!”, 20/01/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Kazuki Hirata Vs HARASHIMA & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yoshitatsu & Akito Vs Yuki Iino & Yusuke Okada
2. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: KANON Vs Yuni
3. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Ilusion
4. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Kazuma Sumi
5. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Yukio Naya Vs Takeshi Masada
6. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Jun Akiyama Vs Rukiya
7. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Hideki Okatani
8. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Makoto Oishi Vs Bryan Keith, Soma Takao & Shota
1. Soma Takao Vs Takuya Wada
2. Hartley Jackson & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Mizuki Watase & Munetatsu Nakamura
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shuichiro Katsumura, Ken Ohka & Yuni Vs Keisuke Ishii, Yumehito Imanari & Ilusion
The GROUNDSLAM gym ran by Shuichiro Katsumura is celebrating being in business for 15 years with their own event filled with exhibition fights and a band performance. Ganbare☆Pro will provide a few wrestling matches for the event on the day.
DDT “NEPPA OVER FLOWERS 3 ~TOTONOI TO YOU~”, 14/02/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. Hideki Okatani, Yuni & Ilusion Vs Takeshi Masada, Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
2. ~Kazuki Hirata’s Sauna Room?~: Kazuki Hirata Vs Makoto Oishi Vs Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yukio Naya
3. ~Toy Kojima’s Sauna Room~: Toy Kojima Vs Masato Tanaka
4. ~Shunma Katsumata’s Sauna Room~: Shunma Katsumata Vs Kuroshio TOKYO Japan
5. ~Mao Inoue’s Sauna Room~: MAO Vs Chris Brookes
6. ~Yuki Ueno’s Sauna Room~: Yuki Ueno Vs Danshoku Dieno
Every member of The 37KAMIINA has booked their own match for the unit’s next self-produced show. Yuki Ueno is facing Danshoku Dieno in the main event, MAO gets to fight Chris Brookes again, Shunma Katsumata is inviting Kuroshio TOKYO Japan over and Toy Kojima’s return match from injury will be against Masato Tanaka! Even Kazuki Hirata gets a match for himself as he tries to gain membership into the group. Having to fight in a free-for-all against Makoto Oishi, Kazusada Higuchi and Yukio Naya suggests he may not have had a say in what his match would be.
GANBARE☆PRO “GANPRO 2024 DESIRE”, 23/02/2024 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. EVE International Title: Yuu (c) Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa
2. Yuna Manase Return Match: Yuna Manase Vs X
3. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Shuichiro Katsumura (c) Vs Takuya Wada
It has not been confirmed yet but Yuna Manase has challenged Sayaka Unagi to a Mixed Tag Match for Manase’s return to the ring. Manase already has already chosen her tag partner and wants to see who Unagi will find. The two women fought each other at the first “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA” in 2022. Unagi won that match and Manase holds no grudge over it. In fact she made it publicly known that Unagi was often one of the first people to get in touch with her for almost every step of the way in her recovery process. Their friendship is why Unagi was always going to be Manase’s opponent for her first match back.
A big title challenge is coming up for Yoshiko Hasegawa. She has teamed with and fought against Yuu over in Ganbare☆Joshi recently and the EVE International Title that Yuu carries around has caught her eye. This will be her first championship match. Hasegawa had wanted it to happen at the next GanJo show on 12th February but Yuu is already booked for Sendai Girls that day. So the match will take place in GanPro a little later on the 23rd instead.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2024 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 23/02/2024 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy (c) Vs Maya Yukihi, Ram Kaichow, Rina Yamashita, Sanshiro Takagi & Akito
During the week Maya Yukihi discovered the existence of the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles and wanted to fight for the belts with other members of Rebel X Enemy. The group normally consists of four members but Maika Ozaki is unavailable so Yukihi needed to find two more people to team with herself, Ram Kaichow & Rina Yamashita. Luckily for her the DDT management are stepping in to help out. Sanshiro Takagi & Akito have agreed to join the challenger team and since Kaichow is also sometimes nicknamed “Chairman” the alliance has been named Executive X Enemy. Meanwhile the champion team is subbing in Chris Brookes for Takayuki Ueki. As long as at least three members of the champion team are in the match the title shot can go ahead.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’24”, 31/03/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Miu Watanabe
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. ELEVEN: STRANGE BUT NOT A STRANGER”, 17/01/2024 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Antonio Honda defeated Munetatsu Nakamura with a Cobra Clutch (?:??).
2. Masahiro Takanashi defeated Opanchu Ihashi with a School Boy (?:??).
3. SWS Hardcore Title: MAO defeated Kota Ibushikoshi (c) with the Michinoku Driver II (?:??). *MAO becomes the 167th SWS Hardcore Champion!
4. 2-On-1 Hardcore Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Mad Dr. Ueki & Mecha Mummy when Katsumata pinned Mummy with the Totonou Splash (?:??).
-. SWS Hardcore Title – Drinking Match: Kota Ibushiko defeated MAO (c). *Kota Ibushikoshi becomes the 168th SWS Hardcore Champion!
Shunma Katsumata was allowed to come play inside ARENA Shimokitazawa for the latest Baka Gaijin + Friends show. He wanted to be part of a crazy match and when he was told Mecha Mummy would be his opponent, he wasn’t satisfied. That attitude came back to bite him in the ass because he was then told to fight Mummy & Mad Dr. Ueki in a Handicap Match under Hardcore rules! The scientist and his prize project attacked Katsumata with chairs, the Mecha Drill and staplers. But Katsumata got his own back and used the stapler on Ueki. The stapler usage continued back and forth until Katsumata brought out the box of Lego and spilled it all over the mat! He and Ueki kept slamming each other onto the Lego and then agreed to take off their boots and fight each other bare foot on the Lego! Ueki later took out a plastic bag, filled it with Lego and tried to suffocate his opponent with it. Instead Katsumata grabbed the bag, pulled it up Ueki’s foot and tied it up so he had to walk on the blocks whether he wanted to or not! Mummy hit Katsumata with the Rocket Punch to break up a pin. Katsumata gave Mummy a Death Valley Driver in response. He then rolled up both Mummy & Ueki up in the mat, climbed the bar and hit the Totonou Splash onto the pile, pinning Mummy beneath for the victory.
Since Baka Gaijin is the place for unusual matches to happen, MAO came up with an idea. Japan has a college club scene where college students get to enter the ring and come up with their own image of what pro wrestling is. These clubs often include impersonators of actual pro wrestlers. So today MAO wanted to fight his own impersonator! His opponent goes by the name Kota Ibushikoshi and he showed up with the SWS Hardcore Championship, a title that belongs to SWS Gakusei Pro Wrestling based in Teikyo University. He handed the belt to Daisuke Kiso and confirmed to Chris Brookes that the belt will be on the line! The student mimicked MAO’s clothing poses and attitude but couldn’t beat the original. MAO had become the new SWS Hardcore Champion but his reign did not last long. The belt is defended under Iron Man rules and Ibushikoshi luckily found a way to win it back. At the end of the show MAO wanted to drink a bear with Ibushikoshi but couldn’t because Ibushikoshi is too young to drink. They agreed to drink cola together instead and Brookes suddenly announced whichever of the two finished their drink first would be the SWS Hardcore Champion. Ibushikoshi drank his glass empty before MAO could and was rewarded back the belt.
Somebody who was allowed to drink and had lots of it was Masahiro Takanashi. He walked into the room drunk and in need of a nap right there on the middle of the mat. He went to lie down with a blanket and eyemask and before anyone knew it, everyone in the room was in his dreams. It quickly turned into a nightmare because something that looked like a mix between Gota Ihashi and Opanchu Usagi entered the room. It was Opanchu Ihashi! Takanashi had to fight him off using the help of both Kiso and Brookes. Kiso bounced off of Ihashi but a Jumping Knee from Brookes stunned the bunny so Takanashi could roll him up with a School Boy and win.
After an impressive match against Brookes last month, Munetatsu Nakamura was back in Baka Gaijin to take on Antonio Honda. During the match Honda’s trick knee went out again and he needed medical attention. Luckily his call for help was met by the sudden appearance of an anonymous doctor, presumably British, who entered the room to check on him. The doctor tried using limbwork to heal Honda but it didn’t seem to fix the problem. Instead Honda came up with a Gongitsune joke but his attack missed Nakamura and hit both Kiso and the doctor instead. Blinded by the misfire, the doctor grabbed Nakamura and put him in a Sleeper Hold. Honda then immediately put Nakamura in a Cobra Clutch to make him tap out.
The next Baka Gaijin show will be on 27th February.
GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO WINNING SHOT ’24”, 16/01/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Alex Lee & Riara Vs Kaho Kobayashi & Itsuki Aoki
2. Ice Ribbon Offer Match: Ibuki Hoshi & Kaho Matsushita Vs Arisa Shinose & Tsukina Umino
3. SAKI Vs Banny Oikawa
4. Sumire Natsu & YuuRI Vs Yuu & Yoshiko Hasegawa
The next Ganbare☆Joshi show takes place tomorrow.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. ELEVEN: STRANGE BUT NOT A STRANGER”, 17/01/2024 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
1. 2-On-1 Hardcore Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Mad Dr. Ueki & Mecha Mummy
Only one match announced so far for this month’s Baka Gaijin + Friends show. It was originally supposed to be Shunma Katsumata against Mecha Mummy but Katsumata complained about getting an uninteresting opponent for his first Baka Gaijin show. So plans changed and Katsumata now has to fight both Mummy & Mad Dr. Ueki in a Handicap Hardcore match.
Also scheduled to appear on the show are Chris Brookes, MAO, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Gota Ihashi and Munetatsu Nakamura.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 4TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 20/01/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. Yuki Aino, Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Suzume, Arisu Endo & Shino Suzuki
2. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1A: Kaya Toribami & Haru Kazashiro Vs Yuki Arai & Wakana Uehara
3. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1B: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
4. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1C: Nao Kakuta & HIMAWARI Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1D: Miyu Yamashita & Toga Vs Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano
The Max Heart Tournament begins this weekend!
Mizuki will not be at the show because of a scheduling conflict.
DDT “NEW YEAR FAN APPRECIATION DAY!”, 20/01/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Kazuki Hirata Vs HARASHIMA & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yoshitatsu & Akito Vs Yuki Iino & Yusuke Okada
2. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: KANON Vs Yuni
3. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Ilusion
4. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Kazuma Sumi
5. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Yukio Naya Vs Takeshi Masada
6. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Jun Akiyama Vs Rukiya
7. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Hideki Okatani
8. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Makoto Oishi Vs Bryan Keith, Soma Takao & Shota
Toy Kojima got injured in yesterday’s match and was diagnosed with a fractured rib. He will be out of action for a month and is expected to be back on 14th February. A lot of the DDT cards for the next month have to be changed around due to his absence.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024 TOUR IN SHINAGAWA”, 21/01/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi Vs HARASHIMA, Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi
2. Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Takeshi Masada & Rukiya
3. Kazuki Hirata & Yuni Vs Akito & Yusuke Okada
4. Special Single Match: Kazusada Higuchi Vs MJ Paul
5. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata Vs Yukio Naya & Yoshitatsu
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Soma Takao & Shota (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
7. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs Bryan Keith
At least both Yuni and Kazuma Sumi will be well again to come back and wrestle this weekend.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024”, 28/01/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Special 10-Man Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Akito, Shinichiro Kawamatsu & Rukiya Vs HARASHIMA, Tomoya, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yusuke Okada Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & Bryan Keith (w/ MJ Paul)
3. MAO Birthday Commemorative Match: MAO & TAKA Michinoku Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
4. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Naruki Doi
5. Yukio Sakaguchi Korakuen Final Match ~ Special Single Match: Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Hideki Okatani
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – DEAD OR ALIVE Contra DEAD OR ALIVE: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Hikaru Sato, Kazusada Higuchi & Ryo Kawamura
6. DDT Extreme Title: Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Yukio Naya
It is on short notice but we are only getting a few more Yukio Sakaguchi matches until he retires next month. One of his requests is to have a singles match against Hideki Okatani. Now that Eruption has ended Sakaguchi wants to see for himself just how much Okatani has progressed as he starts the next chapter of his career.
Kojima’s injury has led to Shinichiro Kawamatsu getting booked for his first wrestling match of the year.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2024 TOUR IN NAGANO”, 04/02/2024 Nagano Act Hall
1. Special Tag Match: Yukio Sakaguchi & Antonio Honda Vs Kazuki Hirata & Kazusada Higuchi
2. Nagano Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Toru Owashi & Yoshihiko Vs Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Tetsuya Endo
Another match being specially put together for Sakaguchi is a tag match involving some of his favorite people to wrestle with. He and Kazusada Higuchi always hit hard as tag partners and opponents. Antonio Honda and Kazuki Hirata are at the opposite end of the scale. Their comedy antics always made Sakaguchi laugh.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 07/02/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. Yukio Sakaguchi Retirement Match: Yukio Sakaguchi Vs HARASHIMA
Sakaguchi chose HARASHIMA to be his opponent for his retirement match.
Ryuki Honda and Yuma Anzai from All Japan will both be on the show.
Talent announced for the show so far are Yuki Ueno, MAO, Kazuki Hirata, Konosuke Takeshita, Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki, Chris Brookes, Shunma Katsumata, KANON, Takeshi Masada and Yoshihiko.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 05/01/2024 Shinjuku FACE 225 Fans
1. Soma Takao & Kazuma Sumi defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Ilusion when Takao pinned Ilusion with the Perfect Driver (7:40).
2. Eruption Vs D.O.A!: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani defeated Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi when Okatani submitted Oishi with the Modified Dragon Sleeper (11:01).
3. Jun Akiyama, Yoshitatsu & Yukio Naya defeated Akito, Yuki Iino & Rukiya when Naya submitted Rukiya with a Crab Hold (11:24).
4. DISASTER BOX Final Match: HARASHIMA defeated Toru Owashi and Kazuki Hirata when HARASHIMA pinned Hirata with the Somato (20:22).
5. BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Tetsuya Endo & Yusuke Okada when Sasaki submitted Okada with the Crossface Lock (11:01).
6. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takayuki Ueki, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy defeated Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata, Toy Kojima, Yuni & Yoshihiko (c) when Honda pinned Katsumata with a Leg Fold Hold (23:57). *The 37KAMIINA & Shinya Aoki fails in V1. SCHADENFREUDE International & Baka Gaijin + Friends become the 9th KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions!
Before the show took place today Chris Brookes informed the combined forces of SCHADENFREUDE International and Baka Gaijin + Friends that if they lost in the main event he would disband the unit. It was just the motivation the ragtag group of wrestlers needed to beat the fractured combination of The 37KAMIINA, Yuni & Yoshihiko. The Rocket Fist belonging to Mecha Mummy saw plenty of use while Takayuki Ueki pulled out a pistol to threaten Shunma Katsumata with. Honda used the Rocket Fist to power up his Diving Fist Drop but he missed the move. Katsumata was just as bad with the follow up because Honda dodged it and rolled him up with a Leg Fold hold to get the three count.
The new KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions celebrated with their titles. Honda thanked everyone for giving him their strength so he could win for the team. He promised to protect the titles until Chris Brookes is safely able to wrestle again. When he does come back Honda said he will fire Mecha Mummy from the team so Brookes can get back in. Backstage Takeshi Masada said they no longer have to worry about splitting up because they won so now they can grow and become a masterpiece. The new champions are willing to defend the belts against any five things no matter what they are. It all depends on whenever DDT wants to use this championship again for a title match.
Yuki Ueno, Katsumata & Toy Kojima are looking on the bright side despite losing the titles. When they were doing their post-match interview backstage they came across Kazuki Hirata sitting in a cardboard box marked “Discarded Wrestler”. Kojima felt sorry for him and asked the others if any of them can take him in for shelter? They can’t so they told Kojima to leave him alone and they all walked off.
DAMNATION T.A used the numbers game to beat BURNING. It was a normal tag match but MJ Paul interfered and gave Yusuke Okada a German Suplex. KANON followed up with a Lariat and Daisuke Sasaki finished him off with the Pedigree and Crossface Lock. After the match Sasaki asked Endo if he made his decision to join DAMNATION T.A so they can create a new world together. Endo refused, telling Sasaki there is no way he will join and the DAMNATION he knew is already gone. Sasaki gave him a Low Blow and attacked him with a chair until Yuki Iino suddenly ran out for the save and took out the three DAMNATION T.A wrestlers. With the ring cleared of danger, Iino then asked Endo if he could join BURNING? Endo accepted, calling Iino the piece that Jun Akiyama left out for them to find.
The last battle of DISASTER BOX pitted HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi and Hirata against each other. That wasn’t all because former members Yuki Ueno and Naomi Yoshimura appeared during the match to read out goodbye letters they wrote for the group. HARASHIMA, Owashi and Hirata all put on Hirata GO! glasses for one last dance together before Owashi gave Hirata a Choke Slam. All of the glasses were then placed on Hirata’s head and HARASHIMA gave him the Somato to win the match. Owashi said DISASTER BOX is now on hiatus but the relationship between himself and HARASHIMA will last forever. The same goes for his teacher-student relationship with Hirata. The three can still team up together and whenever they do, they will make everyone smile.
Yoshitatsu’s first match as a regular means a lot to him because he got to be in the ring with Jun Akiyama again. He also recognises how important it is to be in the ring with Yukio Naya because Naya just won the D-Oh Grand Prix. Yoshitatsu admits he isn’t able to compete on their level right away but he is confident he can adapt to the DDT style.
Both Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi arrived for their match wearing pairs of pantyhose over their faces. They also offered pairs for Eruption to wear too. Yukio Sakaguchi volunteered to have Oishi put them on him and he scolded Hideki Okatani whenever he laughed because Okatani was ordered to take the match seriously. Okatani eventually put the pantyhose on his face and gave Oishi a Dragon Sleeper to make him give up. Afterwards Eruption reminded everyone they are the All Asia Tag Team Champions and there are no other champions like them.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 THE FINAL”, 03/01/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,194 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated Soma Takao, Yuki Iino & Yuni when KANON submitted Takao with the Cobra Twist 2.0 (8:15).
2. Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi defeated Yusuke Okada & Kazuma Sumi when Oishi submitted Sumi with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (7:42).
3. Special Tag Match ~ Shunma Katsumata Return Match: Shunma Katsumata & Toy Kojima defeated Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani when Kojima pinned Okatani with a Modified Facebuster (9:37).
4. HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Akito & Antonio Honda when Hirata pinned Honda with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (12:05).
5. Special Tag Match ~ DDT Vs AJPW: Jun Saito & Rei Saito defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Rukiya when Rei pinned Rukiya with the Saito Iginari Smash (11:40).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kuroshio TOKYO Japan defeated Christmas Tree (c) by Pinfall (8:11 pm). *Kuroshio TOKYO Japan becomes the 1,600th champion.
6. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kuroshio TOKYO Japan defeated Danshoku Dieno with the Ikemenrana (12:31). *V1 for Kuroshio TOKYO Japan.
7. The 37KAMIINA Vs SCHADENFREUDE International!: Yuki Ueno & Yuki Iino defeated Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada when Ueno pinned Masada with the Jul.2 (10:28).
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – Final: Yukio Naya defeated Tetsuya Endo with The World’s Best Back Drop (26:59).
At the end of 2022 Yukio Naya made it all the way to the D-Ou Grand Prix final but could not win the tournament. He made it his goal to do one better in the 2023 Grand Prix and right here at the start of 2024 he achieved it! Tetsuya Endo was also determined to win today’s final but he couldn’t defeat Naya even with Exploder Suplexes, Spinning Torture Rack Bombs and Burning Star Presses. The last move in particular was blocked by Naya and served him the opening to take over the match. Endo relied on Rolling Chops to try and get back into it but Naya cut him off with Knee Lifts and a Choke Slam for a nearfall. Naya then overpowered Endo with The World’s Best Back Drop to put him away and win the Grand Prix!
Naya burst into tears after the match when Kenta Kobashi presented him with the trophy and posed with him for a photo. Naya thanked everyone for supporting him from his family to everyone in DDT. This means so much to him because a few years ago nobody ever thought he could compete at this level. He still has one dream that hasn’t come true yet and that is to win the KO-D Openweight Title! He called Yuki Ueno down to the ring and challenged him for the championship so everyone will see who really is the strongest in DDT. Ueno accepted but told him the title should be held by the most interesting guy in DDT. The title match will take place at Korakuen Hall on 28th January.
As for Endo, he thought 2024 was going to start out well for him because he was on the winning team of the Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament on New Year’s Eve. But after losing to Naya today he now feels like he fell to the bottom of DDT and has to climb out of Hell. Then suddenly backstage Daisuke Sasaki approached Endo after his post-match interview with the media. Sasaki explained the reason why Endo lost today is because he did not have Jun Akiyama next to him. But that also means there is nothing tying down Endo anymore either. Sasaki suggested that Endo does not need BURNING anymore and they should go change the world together. But before Endo could respond, Sasaki told him to relax and think about what he just said because they will see each other again soon.
Ueno was meant to team with MAO in the semi-main event but MAO had fever symptoms and was pulled from the show. Parts of the card were changed around and Ueno got to team with Yuki Iino instead. Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada jumped them early but Ueno & Iino quickly rallied together. Things went pair shaped when Iino’s Lariat missed Masada and hit Ueno by mistake. Masada tried to capitalise but Ueno held on until he could counter attack and pin Masada with the Jul.2. The result left SCHADENFREUDE International feeling disappointed because Chris Brookes was in attendance for the first time since getting his surgery. Brookes suggested they disband right away but everyone else convinced him not to. Instead they figured out Masada can get revenge on Ueno beating him today by pinning him for the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles in two days time!
After Danshoku Dieno made his entrance to the ring for his match, footage was shown of Kuroshio TOKYO Japan and Seigo Tachibana hanging out backstage. They opened a nearby locker and out fell the Christmas Tree that won the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title on Christmas Eve! Tachibana decided to pin the tree but Kuroshio stopped him and stole the pin to become the champion instead. Kuroshio then forced Tachibana to get into the ring with Dieno while he completed his long and elaborate entrance. Dieno kept Tachibana in the Lip Lock while Kuroshio pranced around the audience until his theme song looped back to the beginning. He finally attacked Dieno to start the match and they brawled through the crowd with the back of their tights all pulled down. The fight went up to the commentary table where Kenta Kobashi was seated. Dieno tried to stumble over for a kiss but Kobashi sent him away with a Chop. The match returned to the ring where Tachibana tried to get involved again. He ended up getting a water bottle shoved up his rear by Dieno that Kuroshio then had to pull out. Makoto Oishi forcibly filled Dieno’s mouth with wasabi but the Lip Lock missed Kuroshio and landed on Tachibana instead. Kuroshio then rubbed the wasabi onto his crotch and pinned Dieno with a Hurricanrana to retain the Iron Man Title. Backstage he admitted he doesn’t even know what this championship is. He likes it but wants to win a proper title as well as compete in DDT more often in 2024.
If DDT thought they were now safe from The Saito Brothers bringing them doom then they are sorely mistaken. Rei Saito had one more appearance left for them and this time he brought along his brother Jun Saito. The two of them fought Kazuasada Higuchi & Rukiya. Higuchi did a good job handling them in the ring but it was a more difficult challenge for Rukiya. In the end they just couldn’t handle so much doom. Jun used a Lariat to take out Higuchi and then The Saito Brothers together threw down Rukiya with a Double Choke Slam for the win. Rei said next time he is going to beat up Rukiya even more! Jun however showed interest in seeing Higuchi show up in All Japan some day. Apparently Higuchi and The Saito Brothers already have a history together going back to their sumo days over a decade ago.
For the final time the three main members of DISASTER BOX all teamed together and they finished the occasion with a win. Toru Owashi brought along the lucha to fight Akito while HARASHIMA suddenly had bad flashbacks when Sanshiro Takagi started using Hiroshi Tanahashi’s moves on him to celebrate the New Japan wrestler’s promotion to company president. Antonio Honda relied on Gongitsune like he always does but Kazuki Hirata’s eyes were protected by his Hirata GO! glasses. The deflected attack allowed Hirata to pin Honda with the Miracle One Shot Cradle.
After the match HARASHIMA told the others DISASTER BOX is going away but it will always feel like the unit is still around whenever they are together. They all left the ring together when Shunma Katsumata suddenly ran out and dragged Hirata back into the ring. Without taking any breaths Katsumata challenged Hirata for the DDT Extreme Title. He was the previous champion who had to vacate the title due to injury but admitted Hirata has become the kind of Extreme Champion he always wanted to be. They agreed to have the title match on 28th January.
Katsumata’s challenge came shorty after his return match from injury. He teamed with Toy Kojima to take on Eruption. He made sure to start off the match against Hideki Okatani and even thanked him for waiting all this time for him to return. But it was Kojima who stole the spotlight by using a new Spinning Flapjack move to pin Okatani for the 3 count. After a brief staredown with Yukio Sakaguchi, Kojima told Eruption this will be the same when they fight in the exploding death match on 14th January! Katsumata said now that he’s back, The 37KAMIINA will make DDT more hotter than ever!
Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi gave Kazuma Sumi a tough night in the ring. Yusuke Okada was there to help out until he missed a Diving Headbutt aimed for Akiyama. Sumi found his second wind and used Oishi as a footstep to Dropkick Akiyama off the ring apron. However Oishi dodged the Mickey Boomerang and planed Sumi with the Miracle Ecstasy. That would have been the end but Akiyama pushed Oishi away during the pin and gave Sumi an Exploder Suplex as payback for the Dropkick. Oishi then made Sumi tap out to the Fujiyama Knee Lock.
DAMNATION T.A now find themselves in the midst of a KO-D Tag Team Titles shot after they won the opening match. Sasaki took out Yuni with a Spear and then tricked the referee into distracting Shota because he was holding a chair. While that was going on Sasaki hit Soma Takao with another chair and KANON applied the Cobra Twist 2.0 for the submission win. Afterwards KANON wished ROMANCE DAWN to have a miserable new year and declared himself and Sasaki as their next challengers. The two sides agreed to have the match on 21st January. Sasaki insulted Shota for claiming he is a part of the Young Communication generation. According to Sasaki, Shota was only a supporting role and that name should only be used for the likes of Shigehiro Irie and Keisuke Ishii!
The first DDT show of the year means a lot of big announcements to get through along with other major news stories. First, the DDT Vs All Japan rivalry will continue throughout 2024. Ryuki Honda and Yuma Anzai will be at the 7th February DDT show in Shinjuku. Then on 17th March at DDT’s 27th Anniversary show Konosuke Takeshita will face Yuma Aoyagi one on one! Aoyagi was in attendance to greet the fans after the announcement. He hoped Takeshita would be here too but he has to wait until 17th March to show Takeshita his own Dramatic Dream. Later backstage Aoyagi told reporters he would also like to face Yuki Ueno for the KO-D Title too!
Kaisei Takechi sent in a video to promote his pro wrestling debut on 25th February. The celebrity who is part of THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE told fans he worked with DDT wrestlers during the filming of Fukumen D and felt indebted to them. He is very happy to repay them by doing this match. This is just his first step into the pro wrestling world and he is honored to do it on such a wonderful stage.
Student pro wrestler Tsubasa Suzuki has applied to DDT as an intern wrestler. He will debut on the 27th Anniversary show on 17th March. Suzuki comes from Hitotsubashi University World Pro Wrestling Alliance and previously appeared on DDT shows a year ago under the ring name “Mother’s Child” Mazakon Kid. The point of an internship is so students can get work experience before starting their careers so he will wrestle on DDT shows for a certain amount of time. At the end DDT will talk with Suzuki and decide if he can join the company. Suzuki told the fans he is the world’s first intern wrestler and promises to do his best to become a beloved member of DDT. He likes high flying wrestling and has a lot of respect for Kota Ibushi and Naomichi Marufuji (bad timing to bring those two names up) so he thinks it will be great if he could become like them (hopefully not in their present forms).
Miu Watanabe appeared in the ring to promote tomorrow’s annual Ittenyon show for Tokyo Joshi Pro. She will be part of the 3 Way Tag Match to determine the new Princess Tag Team Champions.
During the show’s opening ceremony Yoshitatsu appeared and announced he will become a regular part of DDT shows starting on 5th January. The wrestler had just left All Japan over the new year. He said when he fought in DDT a couple of times in 2023 it reminded him of the fun side of pro wrestling that he had forgotten. One match he had with Jun Akiyama in particular stood out for him and he would like to have more tough battles against him. Also DDT working with Chris Jericho and Matt Cardona who he both knew from WWE made it an appealing place for him to look for an opportunity.
Chris Brookes told the fans he would like to come back from his surgery as soon as possible. He feels fine physically but does not know when he can return to wrestling again yet.
The last piece of news came after the show had ended. Sanshiro Takagi announced to reporters he will be taking an indefinite break as a pro wrestler after DDT’s Sumo Hall show on 21st July. He is doing this for several reasons from taking care of his health to concentrating more on managing Cyberfight. He also said he will soon need to begin the process of finding his successor because he believes current management across Japan’s pro wrestling industry is aging out. This is not intended to be him retiring from the ring because he will start wrestling again when his health improves. However he does not know when that will happen which is why he saved this announcement for the media after the show. He may go into more details later this week.
“NEW YEAR’S EVE PRO WRESTLING 2023 ~TOSHIWASURE! SHUFFLE 6-MAN TAG TOURNAMENT~”, 31/12/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 778 Fans
1. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: HARASHIMA, Kota Sekifuda & Yuji Hino defeated Takeshi Masada, Akira & Koji Iwamoto when HARASHIMA pinned Masada with the Somato (7:06).
2. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: Kazusada Higuchi, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Kohei Kinoshita defeated Soma Takao, Kazumasa Yoshida & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Kinoshita pinned Hiroshi with the Blockbuster Hold (6:51).
3. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: Yukio Naya, Hideyoshi Kamitani & Minoru Suzuki Vs Danshoku Dieno, Daichi Hashimoto & Ikuto Hidaka ended in a Time Limit Draw (10:00).
3a. Overtime – 1 Count Fall Rules: Yukio Naya, Hideyoshi Kamitani & Minoru Suzuki defeated Danshoku Dieno, Daichi Hashimoto & Ikuto Hidaka when Suzuki submitted Dieno with the Sleeper Hold (4:45).
4. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sekimoto & Fuminori Abe defeated Hideki Okatani, Yuki Ishikawa & Brahman Shu (w/ Brahman Kei) when Abe submitted Shu with the Manjigatame (6:03).
5. So Daimonji, Ender Kara, Leyton Buzzard & Tempesta defeated Kazumi Kikuta, Kazuki Hashimoto, Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya when Buzzard pinned Rukiya with the Firebird Splash (8:37).
6. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: HARASHIMA, Kota Sekifuda & Yuji Hino defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Kohei Kinoshita when Sekifuda pinned Kinoshita with the Ironman (5:48).
7. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: Yukio Naya, Hideyoshi Kamitani & Minoru Suzuki Vs Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sekimoto & Fuminori Abe ended in a Time Limit Draw (10:00).
7a. Overtime – 1 Count Fall Rules: Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sekimoto & Fuminori Abe defeated Yukio Naya, Hideyoshi Kamitani & Minoru Suzuki when Sekimoto pinned Kamitani with a Lariat (1:20).
8. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Takuya Nomura, Abdullah Kobayashi & Kankuro Hoshino defeated Yuki Ueno, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Kobayashi pinned Honda with a Modified School Boy (13:32).
9. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Final: Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sekimoto & Fuminori Abe defeated HARASHIMA, Kota Sekifuda & Yuji Hino when Endo pinned Sekifuda with the Burning Star Press (13:33).
On the final day of 2023 DDT, Big Japan and a scoop of the indies all joined together at Korakuen Hall to take part in the annual New Year’s Eve Shuffle Tag Team Tournament. This year was the third year in a row the tournament consisted of 6-Man Tag matches. Every team taking part consisted of a DDT wrestler, a BJW wrestler and a wild card independent wrestler. But before any of the matches began, Samurai TV presented the Japan Indie Grand Prix Awards for 2023. The full results for those can be found at the bottom of this report.
Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1
Smile Lizard King Kong Vs Lonely Hot College Students
The opening round began with HARASHIMA, Kota Sekifuda & Yuji Hino all joining forces to fight a team that no longer had an accurate team name. Yuya Aoki pulled out sick and had to be replaced with Akira who is not single like Takeshi Masada & Koji Iwamoto are. Although you could still argue he might have been feeling lonely anyway without being near his new friends anyway. They isolated HARASHIMA but Masada could not get the job done. Instead the tables were turned on him and HARASHIMA scored the pin with the Somato.
Team Katagi Returns Vs The Kind People
Style was the name of the game here. Team Katagi Returns all showed up wrestling in sunglasses and flashy shirts looking to boss around their opponents. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi tried to settle them down with some karaoke, buying Soma Takao & Kazumasa Yoshida some time to regroup. Hiroshi tried it again to distract Kohei Kinoshita but ended up getting pinned with the Blockbuster Hold for his troubles.
Big Bombers Kai Vs Anal Destruction Hidaka
The big draw for this year’s tournament made his appearance in the third match. Minoru Suzuki showed up with no concern that Danshoku Dieno, Daichi Hashimoto & Ikuto Hidaka were all plotting to defeat him one way or another. It didn’t matter because whatever they threw at Suzuki, he just countered it and twisted them into submission holds. The match ended in a time limit draw so it went to 1 Count sudden death rules. Hidaka was convinced to settle himself on the top turnbuckle with his tights pulled down so Dieno & Hashimoto could throw their opponents face first into his rear end. The plan worked until it was Suzuki’s turn. He simply stopped in front of Hidaka and spanked him! Hashimoto then force fed Dieno the wasabi paste but the Lip Lock aimed for Suzuki was sent to Hashimoto instead! Suzuki used the Sleeper Hold on Dieno to squeeze the wasabi out of him until he gave up.
Go For It! The Three Inokori Brothers Vs Bati Bati F’N In The Sky
You can always count on The Brahman Brothers to come into this tournament with their partners already brainwashed into acting like them. It happened here with Hideki Okatani & Yuki Ishikawa. Together their obscene fighting styles left the opponents doubled over in pain due to where the attacks were targeted. However Fuminori Abe was able to trap Brahman Shu in the Manjigatame so his team could escape to the next round with enough of their collective dignity still intact.
Non-Tournament 8-Man Tag Match
There were two matches outside of the tournament. The first of which focused on PROJECT: HAVOC, the unit of wrestlers currently invading Big Japan led by So Daimonji. Facing them were the collective team of mostly young DDT and BJW wrestlers. Despite the best efforts of the combined home team, HAVOC overwhelmed them and won out in the end.
Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final
Smile Lizard King Kong Vs Team Katagi Returns
Over to the semi finals now where Smile Lizard King Kong continued to show their combined strength. The normally powerful Kazusada Higuchi & Yasufumi Nakanoue were instead powerless to save Kinoshita from getting flattened with Flying Body Press after Flying Body Press from their opponents, ending with Sekifuda folding him over with the Ironman pin for the 3 count.
Big Bombers Kai Vs Bati Bati F’N In The Sky
The other semi finals treated fans to a couple of important matchups. First was a preview of Tetsuya Endo against Yukio Naya in the D-Oh Grand Prix final happening on 3rd January. The other was Suzuki and Daisuke Sekimoto getting the rare chance to fight each other! Their battle ended in a stalemate because the time ran out. When sudden death began the match scrambled into Hideyoshi Kamitani trying to pin Sekimoto only to get defeated instead with Sekimoto’s Lariat. Endo and Naya had a staredown in the middle of the ring after the match.
Non-Tournament Special 6-Man Tag Match
The second non-tournament match was a straightforward DDT Vs Big Japan 6-Man Tag. Well I say straightforward but the match involved Antonio Honda and Abdullah Kobayashi both getting rope burn between their legs, the DDT team all dancing to “What Does The Fox Say”, then the Big Japan team dancing to “Tokyo GO!” until Takuya Nomura stopped them. But that was only because he wanted to lead the dance and use that power to overpower his opponents. Kobayashi ended up using Honda’s Gongitsune against him and rolled him up with a School Boy to get Big Japan the victory.
Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Final
Smile Lizard King Kong Vs Bati Bati F’N In The Sky
Sadly the show has not yet returned to running long enough that it reaches up to the clock striking midnight to bring in the new year. But the finalists were still able to take each other on without having to worry about a time limit. Sekimoto and Hino got into a big chop battle while HARASHIMA took out Abe with the Somato. Sekifuda almost pinned Endo with the Ironman but was then flipped upside down with the Tetsuya In the Sky. It was all there for Endo to take it and he finished Sekifuda off with the Burning Star Press, making Bati Bati F’N In The Sky the winners of this year’s tournament!
1. DDT @ Ryogoku Kokugikan, 12th November
2. Kakuto Tanteidan @ Shinjuku FACE, 12th October
3. Big Japan @ Yokohama Budokan, 4th May
4. Michinoku Pro @ Yahaba Townsmen Gymnasium, 15th October
5. 666 @ Korakuen Hall, 2nd, August
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 