DDT “JUDGEMENT 2026 ~29TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 5 HOUR SPECIAL~”, 22/03/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match – Tokyo Joshi Pro Offer Match: HIMAWARI, Haru Kazashiro & Chika Nanase Vs Toga, Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki
0. Dark Match: Yuni Vs Hinata Kasai
1. Jun Akiyama Vs Rukiya
2. 3 Way Tag Match: MJ Paul & Ilusion Vs Makoto Oishi & Masami Inahata Vs Viento Maligno & Kumadori
3. Special Tag Match: Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya Vs Evil Uno & Akito
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles Next Challengers Decision Match: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA Vs Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki
5. Special Single Match ~ Shunma Katsumata Return Match: MAO Vs Shunma Katsumata
6. Dramatic Dream Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Kazuki Hirata (w/ John Robinson)
7. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 1 Vs 6 Handicap Match: Hisaya Imabayashi (c) Vs Minoru Suzuki, Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Antonio Honda
8. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida
9. DDT Extreme Title: To-y (c) Vs Hideki Okatani
10. DDT Universal Title: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Kazuma Sumi
11. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs KANON
Thirteen matches in total will fill up five hours at Korakuen Hall later this month. DDT is celebrating the 29th Anniversary of its creation and hopes are growing high that something big will be in store for their 30th. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves with that one. Almost every one of DDT’s championships will be defended (the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles are being left out in the cold), future challengers for some of the belts will be set up and there is also the debut of Masami Inahata to look forward to.
It’s all going easy for paleyouth. I only took them a few days to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles after the unit was created. They also don’t have to wait long for their first defence. Harimao are stepping up to the plate with Kazusada Higuchi standing by to support his buddies.
The Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title is currently in quite the predicament. Antonio Honda won the title only to lose it to Hisaya Imabayashi because the DDT GM does not trust Honda enough to beat YOH on 15th April. That match made Imabayashi paranoid that the belt would end up in New Japan’s hands and DDT cannot afford to ever let that happen again. However now he has to defend the title against six opponents and it won’t be in a Battle Royal. It is going to be a Handicap Match instead! The only hope he has is if the opposing team cannot get along and end up falling apart because of it. That could happen if Minoru Suzuki is in a particularly sour mood that day. Sanshiro Takagi does not often inspire a lot of loyalty among his wrestlers either, as a teammate or a boss.
A growing tag team between Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki that is built out of respect and admiration could soon see them get rewarded for their efforts. If they can beat Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA then they will become the No. 1 Contenders for the KO-D Tag Team Titles. Otherwise it will be the FANTÔMES DRAMATIC pair who will get the next shot.
The good news for Evil Uno is this appearance on a DDT show in Korakuen Hall cannot be as humiliating for him as the first one. The bad news is he will likely end up with more bruises because The Apex will be his opponents.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’26”, 29/03/2026 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Uta Takami Vs Shion Kanzaki
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Staggered Entry Battle Royal: Hisaya Imabayashi (c) Vs Sumire Uesaka Vs Rika Tatsumi/Great Wakabayashi-kun Vs Raku Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Mifu Ashida Vs Kira Summer Vs Chika Nanase Vs Sakura Hattori Vs Matcha Vs Momo Sato Vs Minimo (w/ Mari Yaguchi)
3. HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki Vs Toga & Ren Konatsu
4. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro (w/ Ninja Red, Geki Red & Go-On Red) Vs Aja Kong, Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
5. Mizuki Vs Andreza Giant Panda
6. Miyu Yamashita & Arisu Endo Vs Sareee & Takumi Iroha
7. Special Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki & KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Hyper Misao & Super Sasadango Machine
8. International Princess Title: MIRAI (c) Vs Suzume
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara (c) Vs Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Yuki Arai
Close-up images of the new Princess Championship belts have been revealed by Tokyo Joshi Pro. They will be on display at Sunday’s TJPW show but will not be given out to the champions until the Sumo Hall show.
In an unfortunate turn of events, TNA have told Tokyo Joshi Pro that Lei Ying Lee is unable to take part at their Sumo Hall show and her scheduled trip to Japan has been cancelled. Despite having the booking placed well in advance, TJPW were unable to convince TNA to change their decision. Instead, TNA provided TJPW with a statement that claims neither TJPW nor Lee are to blame over the situation. As best as I can tell, TNA have their “SACRIFICE” special as well as a TV taping happening in New Orleans during the same weekend as “GRAND PRINCESS ’26”. So if Lee is needed for the TV taping on the Saturday then she definitely can’t make it to Tokyo in time for TJPW on the Sunday. The time difference probably makes it too difficult for her to start travelling on the Friday night too. Plus there’s also the general travel risks from going in and out of America that’s currently happening right now that could be playing a part in this situation.
TJPW were quick to announce Lee’s replacement after they put that news out. They put out an offer to Marvelous to secure the TJPW debut of Takumi Iroha! She will be teaming up with Sareee which means their tag team Spark Rush is coming to TJPW! Miyu Yamashita was already excited to fight Sareee again but now she is salivating over the chance to fight Iroha too. Arisu Endo doesn’t want to be left out of the action and says she will shine the brightest out of anyone in the match!
The recent Iron Man Title changes have an effect on this card too. Rika Tatsumi is no longer the champion but she is still in the match. The deal with this Battle Royal is whoever holds the Iron Man Title must take part in the match, which means the DDT GM Hisaya Imabayashi could potentially defend the belt in Sumo Hall on a TJPW show! He never gets to beat Tetsuya Koda in the ring but a moral victory like this would be huge in their professional rivalry.
Another thing with the Battle Royal is TJPW have asked fans not to throw streamers for the entrances due to the nature of the match. However Minimo-chan has made requests for streamers from the fans to celebrate the mascot’s debut wrestling match. After a couple of discussions, TJPW decided that Minimo-chan will enter the match first and will be the only participant allowed to get streamers during the entrance.
Oh, and I almost forgot. Remember how Koda was told to go find a big star for the show but couldn’t do it? Well luck sort of fell on his lap. He accompanied Shion Kanzaki for her day of street performances in Shinjuku to promote the show. All of a sudden Koda was ambushed by the Sumire Uesaka, a voice actress and singer who once performed a solo concert at Sumo Hall ten years ago! She was armed with a saber and assaulted Koda with it in a way that reminded Tokyo Sports of Tiger Jeet Singh attacking Antonio Inoki in the same city back in 1973! Uehara appeared to be in a rage because she once held the Iron Man Title for a brief time last year and wants to be part of the Battle Royal to win it back! After Kanzaki stopped the incident and Uehara calmed down, she explained to Tokyo Sports that she was meant to grab her umbrella as she was leaving her home but grabbed the mysterious saber instead. She felt a sudden urge of fighting spirit overcome her but does not remember anything that happened after that.
DDT “ICHIKABACHIKA 2026”, 11/03/2026 Shinjuku FACE ??? Fans – Unannounced
0. Dark Match – Tokyo Joshi Pro Offer Match: Rika Tatsumi & Uta Takami defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Kira Summer when Tatsumi pinned Summer with the Missile Hip (10:17).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Antonio Honda defeated Rika Tatsumi (c) with an Inside Cradle (6:55 pm). *Antonio Honda becomes the 1,809th champion.
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shinya Aoki, Junta Miyawaki & Viento Maligno defeated Chris Brookes, Kota Sekifuda & Hinata Kasai when Aoki pinned Kasai with the Aoki Clutc (10:05).
2. HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda defeated Jun Akiyama & Kazuki Hirata when Honda pinned Hirata after the Somato from HARASHIMA (7:34).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Hisaya Imabayashi defeated Antonio Honda (c) with a Belt Strike (7:34 pm). *Hisaya Imabayashi becomes the 1,810th champion.
3. Kazuma Sumi, Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion when Yoshimura pinned Ilusion with the Harai-goshi (10:12).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shishamo Power, Unagi Mask & Gota Ihashi defeated Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Shishamo pinned Matsunaga with the Fisher’s Buster (9:33).
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & KANON (c) (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine when KANON pinned Dieno with the Lariat (18:47). *V4 for STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION.
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato defeated Yuki Ueno, To-y & Kaisei Takechi (c) when Masada pinned Takechi with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (18:25). *Yuki Ueno, To-y & Kaisei Takechi fail in V3. paleyouth become the 60th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
The new generation is on a roll, paleyouth have already become champions and they’ve done it at Kaisei Takechi’s expense! Takechi & The 37KAMIINA almost wiped out the challengers completely with a triple Topé Con Hilo. They then targeted Takeshi Masada by having Takechi & To-y Double Choke Slam him followed by Yuki Ueno landing the Frog Splash. However Yuya Koroku went ahead and took out Ueno & To-y, then Daichi Sato helped Masada bring down Takechi. Masada then got to beat Takechi for the first time by giving him the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles!
After the match, Masada praised Takechi for growing so much and said whenever they fight each other they click so well. When the former champions made their exit, paleyouth quickly found out who their first challengers were going to be. Harimao walked out and Naomi Yoshimura said he, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida wanted a title shot. Masada called Harimao a perfect match for paleyouth and he accepts the challenge for 22nd March at DDT’s 28th Anniversary show. Backstage Masada was happy with the recent turn of events. paleyouth was only made official a few days ago and they already won a championship and he got to avenge his previous losses to Takechi too. Meanwhile Takechi said he was frustrated over losing a second match in a row and he actually feels a little insulted by Masada’s praise for him. Ueno reminded him of his goal to wrestle in King Of DDT and also at Sumo Hall later this year. He is sure Takechi will get there.
Any hopes that Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine had of CyberAgent exploiting their likenesses for trading cards and gacha games have gone out the window after the pair failed to win the KO-D Tag Team Titles. Instead it is Strange Love Connection that are currently in the better position to become the faces of DDT. KANON in particular got the brunt of the lewd attacks from the followers yet he figured out how to turn the tide against them. He pulled down his own costume to fight in his underwear and resist Dieno’s Raw Danshoku Claw before taking him down with the Lariat for the victory. KANON told everyone afterwards he has exposed everything about himself and has nothing left to show because he wants to become the new icon of DDT. Today he has beaten two DDT icons so now he must beat the biggest icon Ueno to become the new KO-D Openweight Champion!
The return of the Yamada Suisan pro wrestlers sets up DDT’s annual sponsored matches with the seafood company for this year. Shishamo Power & Unagi Mask teamed up with Gota Ihashi to win their match then had an announcement to make afterward. Ihashi works for the Tsukiji branch of Yamada Suisan and he met a woman there who wants to become a pro wrestler. A masked woman named Unagi Mask Woman entered the ring and did the splits to pose for everyone. However her big moment was interrupted by Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda attacking Ihashi until Super Unagi Mask came to the rescue. Honda challanged the seafood wrestlers to a match and told them that Aja Kong will be teaming with FANTÔMES DRAMATIC! The president of Yamada Suisan then had a shocking confession to make. The three masked wrestlers are all siblings who were seperated at birth! The “Unagi Brothers” must now join forces to face Kong & FANTÔMES DRAMATIC on 19th April. Ihashi complained about being left out so he was offered a chance to team with Shishamo Power on the same show.
After spending such a long time away from DDT, the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title has come back home. At least for now. Antonio Honda caused a scene after the Tokyo Joshi Pro dark match by attacking everyone with Gongitsune and winning the belt off of Rika Tatsumi. Then later in the show Honda was told by Hisaya Imabayashi that he will face YOH on 15th April. Honda said he will look forward to defending the Iron Man Title against him but then he was suddenly blindsided by Imabayashi! The GM knocked out Honda with the title and pinned him to become the champion, explaining afterward that he cannot risk losing a DDT championship to a New Japan wrestler. Imabayashi was then approached by Akito at the end of the show because a special match was being booked for 22nd March. Imabayashi must defend the title in a 1 Vs 6 Handicap Match and one of his opponents will be Minoru Suzuki! Imabayashi complained especially since Akito was making decisions involving the DDT GM without being a GM himself. Akito told him that company directors are above company general managers. Sanshiro Takagi then tried to ambush Imabayashi to win the title but Akito broke the pin and allowed Imabayashi to escape with the belt.
The Iron Man Title changes today created a bit of a problem for the upcoming schedule. The belt is meant to be on the line in a Battle Royal at TJPW’s Sumo Hall show at the end of the month. It turns out that is still going to happen, which means if Imabayashi somehow survives the DDT Anniversary show still as champion he will then get to defend the belt at Sumo Hall on a TJPW show! When Imabayashi learned about that scenario being possible, he became motivated to hold onto the title as best as he can until 29th March.
A No. 1 Contenders match for the KO-D Tag Titles was later announced for 22nd March. Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA will face Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki. The winners will face MAO & KANON for the tag titles on 5th April.
A new championship has been created exclusively for a series of sponsored shows DDT will run in conjunction with the Matsui Outlet Park later this year. The first MOP Tag Team Champions will be crowned on 28th March. After that there are two other DDT x MOP shows scheduled for April where presumably a title defence or two can take place there.
DDT “NARAHA TOWN IMMIGRATION AMBASSADOR (UNOFFICIAL) TO-Y THANKSGIVING SEASON 3 – NARAHA TOWN COME ON!!”, 01/03/2026 Fukushima Naraha Sky Arena ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Viento Maligno defeated Ilusion with the Driver Maligno (9:38).
2. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul defeated Takeshi Masada, Daichi Sato & Hinata Kasai when Okatani pinned Kazai with the Skewered Claymore (13:05).
3. 3 Way Match: Danshoku Dieno defeated Kazuki Hirata and Gorgeous Matsuno when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Gaydo Clutch (0:08).
3a. Rematch: Gorgeous Matsuno defeated Danshoku Dieno and Kazuki Hirata when Matsuno pinned Hirata with a School Boy (9:08).
4. Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku defeated Yukio Naya & Junta Miyawaki when Koroku pinned Naya with a Crucifix Pin (10:01).
5. MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Kazuma Sumi & Yuki Ishida when KANON pinned Ishida with the Lariat (13:37).
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, To-y & Akito defeated Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda when To-y pinned Honda with the Kojima Impact (22:47).
Hideki Okatani may have spoiled To-y’s moment yesterday but today there was no fear of that happening again. To-y had the rest of The 37KAMIINA around for the main event including Shunma Katsumata as a ringside second (and Yuzutaro the mascot was there too). Katsumata prevented Chris Brookes from using a chair and even hit a dive out of the ring onto FANTÔMES DRAMATIC. With that taken care of, To-y was able to win the match in front of the Naraha crowd. He told the fans they can get back up again and again because they are a town full of energy. Katsumata then announced that today was his last day of being an unofficial immigration ambassador for Naraha Town and he regrets only wrestling here once. To-y felt sorry for him and decided he will not pay off his debt to the town because that would mean he’ll still have to bring DDT back here every year.
MAO was back in Japan after he and Yoshihiko went to wrestle in England a few days earlier. After wrestling Kazuma Sumi today he gave him some advice for his DDT Universal Title match later this month. Sumi has worked hard to earn his D GENERATIONS CUP success and MAO is proud to see how much he has grown. He also told Sumi that Daisuke Sasaki is secretly getting worked up over his upcoming tour of America so that is a weakness Sumi should exploit!
Yuni suffered a left elbow injury during yesterday’s show in Kanagawa and wasn’t able to wrestle. Ilusion took his place in the opening match against Viento Maligno while MJ Paul made up the numbers for DAMNATION T.A in Match #2. Yuni still performed a song with NωA Jr. at the start of the show.
Phew! Finally made it through the month with a lot more clearer pictures to look at. Konosuke Takeshita has moved on from the Kazuchika Okada feud to become a focal point in the rivalry between The Don Callis Family and the Death Riders. Takeshita against Jon Moxley is the destination while bringing in a variety of wrestlers for some good trios bouts in the process. I’ve been happy watching this feud so far because the matches have been constantly good and highlighting some of the AEW wrestlers I really like. However Okada is still making moves in the background because he might have just stolen Takeshita’s tag partner! He only just formed ProtOkada with Kyle Fletcher this past week which should eventually add another layer to Takeshita’s story with The Family.
Next up we go to Tokyo Joshi Pro and their ever increasing international schedule. After a lot of hullabaloo that had driven me crazy, the return to Las Vegas was finally confirmed to be real. That can be added to the Texas tour, the Vancouver tour and also a show in Italy all coming up in the next couple of months (and maybe more). With that being said, the ticket sales for the Texas tour so far look dismal from what people can find online and the savvy marketing work done by Tokyo Story USA is almost nowhere to be seen this time around. We may be due some harsh lessons this time around, like how maybe last year’s success really did just come from holding the shows next to a big destination wrestling event.
Elsewhere this month some of the TJPW wrestlers have lost their championships. Shoko Nakajima and K!SS// went on their travels and came back home missing their titles. Things fared better for the DDT wrestlers when it comes to gaining or keeping their gold. Now heading into March we have Miyu Yamashita embarking on another excursion, WrestleMania Week all of a sudden getting stuffed with TJPW appearances to look forward to and Daisuke Sasaki is off to North America for a while.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 04/02/2026 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Jon Moxley, PAC & Daniel Garcia (w/ Marina Shafir) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & El Clon
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 11/02/2026 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & Mark Davis Vs Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & PAC (w/ Marina Shafir)
AEW “GRAND SLAM AUSTRALIA”, 14/02/2026 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
1. AEW Continental Title: Jon Moxley (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
SETUP “REAL GLOBAL IMPACT”, 21/02/2026 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles: Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami (c) Vs Monomoth & Matcha
2. IWA Japan SETUP World Title: Shivam (c) Vs Chris Brookes
AEW “COLLISION”, 21/02/2026 Frontwave Arena, Oceanside, California, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Davis & El Clon Vs Jon Moxley, PAC & Wheeler Yuta (w/ Marina Shafir)
NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING”, 27/02/2026 CURE Insurance Arena, Trenton, New Jersey, USA 2,605 Fans
1. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) Vs KONOSUKE TAKESHITA
Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita can’t wait until AEW Revolution! | AEW Collision, 2/28/26
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Results
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 04/02/2026 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & El Clon defeated Jon Moxley, PAC & Daniel Garcia (w/ Marina Shafir) when Takeshita pinned Garcia with the Raging Fire (13:18).
The current storyline Takeshita is in is a stable war going on between The Don Callis Family and the Death Riders that’s become the backbone of AEW’s mid-card on TV. He and Moxley had plenty of battles against each other this month in 6-Man Tags. Takeshita scored first blood when he teamed with Josh Alexander & El Clon (the evil doppelganger of Hologram) to beat Moxley, PAC & Daniel Garcia. Things could have gone the other way when Garcia put Takeshita in the Dragon Tamer (Sharpshooter) submission hold and Moxley then Curb Stomped him. But Alexander broke the pin and Takeshita got his wind back to slam Garcia. Tandem trios moves from The Family couldn’t keep Garcia down until Takeshita dropped him with the Raging Fire.
MLW “LUCHA APOCALYPTO”, 07/02/2026 Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, USA
1. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Shotzi Blackheart defeated Shoko Nakajima (c) (?:??). *Shoko Nakajima fails in V7. Shotzi Blackheart becomes the 6th MLW Women’s World Featherweight Champion!
By the time this is posted, all I know about this MLW taping is Shoko Nakajima lost the MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title to Shotzi Blackheart. Since then there hasn’t been a word about when the match will air. MLW are really taking their time putting their next batch of episodes together.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 11/02/2026 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & PAC (w/ Marina Shafir) defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & Mark Davis when Moxley pinned Alexander with the Death Rider (15:05).
The next trios match had Claudio Castagnoli replacing Garcia and Mark Davis switching in for El Clon. This time Moxley was in danger of losing the match to the teamwork of The Family until PAC came to the rescue. Castagnoli cut off Takeshita with a European Uppercut, giving Moxley the opening to catch Alexander in a Read Naked Choke, wearing him down enough to give him the Death Rider for the victory.
AEW “GRAND SLAM AUSTRALIA”, 14/02/2026 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
1. AEW Continental Title: Jon Moxley (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00). *V1 for Jon Moxley.
When it was finally time for Moxley and Takeshita to settle their differences one on one in Australia, time wound up running out for them. With the AEW Continental Title on the line, rules were strictly in place to make sure no interference would be allowed. It ended up going to a stalemate. Moxley giving Takeshita a Curb Stomp onto the apron didn’t keep him out of the ring long enough to get counted out. Neither the Powerdrive Knee or the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex was enough to pin Moxley for a three count. Takeshita kicked out of the Death Rider and the two continued throwing bombs at each other until the bell rang. Takeshita was seconds away from performing the Raging Fire so he went ahead and did it anyway after the match was over.
AEW “HOUSE RULES AUSTRALIA”, 15/02/2026 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall, Queensland, Australia
1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated Dalton Castle with the Powerdrive Knee (10:47).
Brisbane had extra action for Takeshita during his stay there. AEW ran a rare house show the next day and Takeshita was on it wrestling Dalton Castle for the first time ever. Before the match began Don Callis had Castle’s buddies The Outrunners sent away from ringside because they did not have a manager’s license recognized by the state of Australia. Callis got some cheap shots in on Castle at ringside while the crowds chanted bald jokes at him. Castle fought his way back to give Takeshita the Bangarang for a nearfall but a well timed Elbow Strike gave Takeshita the momentum needed to eventually win the match.
SETUP “REAL GLOBAL IMPACT”, 21/02/2026 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles: Monomoth & Matcha defeated Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami (c) when Matcha pinned Toribami with the Saito Suplex (12:41). *K!SS// fails in V2. Monomoth & Matcha become the 6th IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Champions!
2. IWA Japan SETUP World Title: Shivam (c) Vs Chris Brookes ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00). *V2 for Shivam.
There were two big title matches to follow over in Thailand for SETUP this month. Chris Brookes challenged Shivam for the IWA Japan SETUP World Title despite both men belonging to the same group, Real Global Threat. In a result that became something of a trend for a lot of title matches I’m writing about in this article, the match latest the full twenty minute time limit and went to a draw. Brookes demanded a restart and called Pumi Boonyatud into the ring to make it happen. But it was all a trap so Brookes could knock out Pumi with a slap! Shivam then got on the microphone to praise Brookes for caring about pro wrestlers like him before attacking Pumi some more until Monomoth ran them out of the ring.
Meanwhile Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami’s reign as IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Champions has come to an end. K!SS// went to Thailand for a big title defence against SETUP’s other two singles champions Monomoth & Matcha. Both teams fought their hardest over the titles until it came down to Toribami against Matcha in the ring. Yamashita dealt with Monomoth by Skull Kicking him off the ring apron but Toribami’s attempt at the Sento Choryu was blocked by Matcha’s knees. Matcha then fought to give Toribami the Saito Suplex, pinning her while a dazed Monomoth held onto Yamashita long enough to prevent her from breaking the count. K!SS// accepted defeat and shook hands with the new champions after the match.
AEW “COLLISION”, 21/02/2026 Frontwave Arena, Oceanside, California, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Davis & El Clon defeated Jon Moxley, PAC & Wheeler Yuta (w/ Marina Shafir) when Takeshita pinned Yuta with the Raging Fire (14:33).
Since nothing was solved in Australia, the feud between The Family and the Death Riders continued with more 6-Man Tag Matches. Wheeler Yuta was now brought into the fold wrestling in a beanie hat because he recently lost his hair in a wager match. Also Marina Shafir was now getting into the thick of things. She’s been at ringside for most of the matches in this feud and got physically involved this time to stop Davis from using a chair. Yuta was enthusiastic to try and get the win on Takeshita until he was hit with a Pump Kick followed by the Elbow Strike. El Clon wiped out the rest of the Death Riders, allowing Takeshita to pin Yuta with the Raging Fire. Moxley confronted him after the match and thanks to others trying to get in the way, he caught Takeshita off guard and gave him the Paradigm Shift.
PPW/BZW “FRIDAY NIGHT BANGER”, 27/02/2026 PPW Training Facility, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
1. BZW Tag Team Titles: MAO & Yoshihiko (c) defeated Liam Slater & HMD (?:??). *V7 for MAO & Yoshihiko.
It’s been so long since I last heard about the BZW Tag Team Titles that I wasn’t sure if MAO & Yoshihiko were still the champions. Turns out they are and they travelled all the way to England for their latest defence. MAO was over there to take part in training seminars and brought Yoshihiko over so they could wrestle on a show co-promoted by BZW and Pursuit Pro Wrestling. They defeated Liam Slater & HMD to retain the gold.
NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING”, 27/02/2026 CURE Insurance Arena, Trenton, New Jersey, USA 2,605 Fans
1. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) Vs KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (w/ Rocky Romero) ended in a Time Limit Draw (15:00).
1a. Overtime: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated El Phantasmo (c) with the Raging Fire (2:43). *El Phantasmo fails in V7. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA becomes the 10th NJPW World TV Champion!
Another title match and another time limit draw for Takeshita. Although this time he got a chance to make up for it. New Japan returned to America with a fresh attempt at running a big show in the country. Having El Phantasmo and Takeshita go at it with the NJPW World TV Title again was one of the big bouts of the show. They pretty much played the hits until ELP gave Takeshita a taste of his own medicine by using the Raging Fire on him! However the bell rang right afterwards to announce the match ended in a tie. ELP got on the microphone and talked about how much time limit draws suck and demanded the match to restart for another five minutes. Takeshita considered walking out with Rocky Romero next to him but turned around and got the match going again. This time Takeshita gave ELP the CR II, using the champion’s own finisher against him. ELP kicked out and snuck in a Crucifix Pin for a nearfall but Takeshita hit back and won the match with the Raging Fire. Now a champion in NJPW again, Takeshita thinks the company wants him to raise the value of the NJPW World TV Title.
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Upcoming Appearances
EVE “WOMEN BEHAVING BADLY #IWD2026”, 06/03/2026 Big Penny Social, London, England
1. Jamie Hayter Vs Miyu Yamashita
We’re at the time of year where Yamashita goes travelling everywhere. Europe is the next up for her with EVE as an important destination. Her first of two EVE bookings for March has her facing Jamie Hayter in a much anticipated singles match.
Yamashita then goes over to Spain the next day for a return to RCW Spain. Her opponent Nightshade has done tours with TJPW in the past but this will be the first time these two will be in a match together.
EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM VIII”, 08/03/2026 Indigo At The O2, London, England
1. Sudden Death Sixteen: Alexxis Falcon Vs DASH Chisako Vs Jamie Hayter Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs Amale Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X
Then the day after that Yamashita goes back to London for EVE’s most important show they’ve probably ever put on. She is entering a Sudden Death Sixteen match which seems to be the next step in promoters trying to make their own Royal Rumble. It’s the Casino Gauntlet match where the first fall crowns the winner outright but you can still be eliminated before then by going over the top rope to the floor. The winner gets to challenge for any of EVE’s championships.
PPW “HARDCORE FRIDAY THE 13TH”, 13/03/2026 TOKYO SQUARE In Itabashi
1. Chris Brookes Vs Gabriel Queen
Given all of the international work Brookes has been involved with lately, he is seeing the world like a wrestling buffet. Coming up soon on the menu is Gabriel Queen.
AEW “REVOLUTION”, 15/03/2026 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. AEW Continental Title – No Time Limit: Jon Moxley (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Not long to wait until Moxley and Takeshita go at it again. This time there will be no time limit in place so a winner should be guaranteed… unless we get a double countout or double knockout…
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – AUSTIN DAY 1”, 17/03/2026 Palmer Events Center, Austin, Texas, USA
The wrestlers announced to appear on this tour are Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi, Hyper Misao, Raku, Yuki Aino, Suzume, Pom Harajuku, Arisu Endo, Yuki Arai, Kaya Toribami, Shino Suzuki, Mifu Ashida and Uta Takami.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – AUSTIN DAY 2”, 18/03/2026 Palmer Events Center, Austin, Texas, USA
The American and any other international talent for the tour have not been announced yet.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – DALLAS”, 21/03/2026 College Park Center, Arlington, Texas, USA
They better start announcing stuff soon because the ticket seat map for this show is currently looking grim.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – HOUSTON”, 22/03/2026 POST Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
It took a while but Tokyo Story USA confirmed the date and location of the Houston show. TJPW will be back at the POST Houston on 22nd March.
ROH/MLP “GLOBAL WARS”, 27/03/2026 St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs X
There is a good chance Daisuke Sasaki will be bringing the DDT Universal Title with him to North America. We have to wait and see if he can defend it at DDT’s Anniversary show first before we find out what plans he has for this trip.
MLP “UPRISING”, 28/03/2026 St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs X
I haven’t really thought about what Maple Leaf Pro going to do with Sasaki for the ROH weekend.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “VANCOUVER PREMIERE – DAY 1”, 11/04/2026 Great Canadian Hastings Racecourse & Casino, Vancouver, BC, Canada
The wrestlers announced to appear on the Canada tour are Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Miyu Yamashita, Yuki Arai, Suzume, Raku, Pom Harajuku, Kaya Toribami, HIMAWARI, Toga, Shino Suzuki and Uta Takami.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “VANCOUVER PREMIERE – DAY 2”, 12/04/2026 Great Canadian Hastings Racecourse & Casino, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Like with the Texas tour above, they best start announcing matches soon because tickets haven’t been flying off the shelves for either tour. I hope Sayuri Namba isn’t betting the house on this.
PODER~! “PODERMANIA~!”, 15/04/2026 Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. International Tag Team Match: Amira & Lil Marz Vs Toga & Jazzy Yang
The big clue this month that TJPW was going to Vegas came from Toga unexpectedly got booked for the eighth annual “PODER~!” show that is put together by Edward Loredo, aka “Ed In San Antonio” of F4W Board infamy. Toga is going to team with Jazzy Yang, the daughter of Jimmy Wang Yang. Together they will take on Amira from America and Lil Marz from Australia for an international tag showcase.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LAS VEGAS 2026”, 16/04/2026 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Ta-da! It was happening all along! TJPW adds even more to their growing international schedule by going back to Las Vegas for Mania Weekend. This time instead of working with The Collective, they have joined a new collection of shows called Slam Fest that is being put together by the Paragon Talent Agency. The move keeps the show at Palms Casino and now has TJPW siding with Stardom, CMLL, House Of Glory and MLP for the week. I doubt we’re going to see any significant crossovers but you never know when it comes to events like this.
The Japanese talent coming to Vegas are Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Hyper Misao, Raku, Yuki Aino, Suzume, Pom Harajuku, Yuki Arai, Kaya Toribami, Shino Suzuki, HIMAWARI, Toga and Uta Takami.
“DEATH VEGAS INVITACIONAL”, 16/04/2026 Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs X
This is the show I’m personally most looking forward to at Mania Week. El Desperado is hosting another “Invitacional” show, continuing the death match theme of the previous one and also bringing it to America for the first time. The first couple of wrestlers announced are from Japan, the latest of whom being Daisuke Sasaki! There’s also been a hint from Mizuki Watase that he might be on the card too because he recently said he will be travelling to USA in April to wrestle in a death match.
GCW “JOSH BARNETT’S BLOODSPORT XV”, 17/04/2026 Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
So far Yamashita is the only woman announced for Bloodsport and I’m not expecting an intergender fight to happen.
PRIDESTYLE “OUT OF THIS WORLD”, 17/04/2026 Bizarre Bar, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Special Single Match: Taniya Vs Miu Watanabe
The week gives Miu Watanabe another chance to spread her wings a little and wrestle on an American indie show. This time she’s popping over to PrideStyle where she faces Taniya, the current holder of the PrideStyle New Wave World Title. So far it hasn’t been said if the championship will be on the line.
SAJ “SAJ X TJPW”, 26/04/2026 Centro Sport Cesate, Milan, Italy
More details have emerged for TJPW’s trip to Italy to join up with friends from SAJ Wrestling. The Japanese contingent will include Miyu Yamashita, Hyper Misao, Shoko Nakajima and Yuki Aino. There will be wrestlers not just from Italy but also across Europe taking part too.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. 28: BIG BEAT FROM BADSVILLE”, 24/02/2026 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Yuta Oya
2. Special Single Match: Kota Sekifuda Vs HARASHIMA
3. Chie Koishikawa, Mr. Bueno & Mr. Malo Vs Dark King Ueki, Princess Ram & Square Kong (w/ Munek)
4. Wasabi Cream Puff Death Match: Antonio Honda Vs Miyu Yamashita
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. 28: BIG BEAT FROM BADSVILLE”, 24/02/2026 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Yuta Oya by Referee Stoppage with the House Piano Death (10:47).
2. Special Single Match: HARASHIMA defeated Kota Sekifuda with the Somato (15:12).
3. Chie Koishikawa, Mr. Bueno & Mr. Malo defeated Dark King Ueki, Princess Ram & Square Kong (w/ Munek) when Malo pinned Ueki after the Mexico Vacation (16:16).
4. Wasabi Cream Puff Death Match: Antonio Honda Vs Miyu Yamashita ended in a Draw after both of them ate a Wasabi Cream Puff (13:22).
Miyu Yamashita was in for a shock when she made her Baka Gaijin + Friends debut. Antonio Honda told her before the main event they they would fight in the dreaded Wasabi Cream Puff Death Match! After every two count fall, the wrestler who was pinned must eat a random cream puff taken from a pan. If it turns out to be a cream puff filled with wasabi (and everyone will be able to tell very easily by the reaction), the wrestler will lose. The environment reminded Yamashita of her early days as a wrestler fighting in small idol concert venues. So when Honda wound himself up for the Bionic Elbow, Yamashita joined in by doing her old Dschinghis Khan dance (the Berryz Kobo version). After a few close calls, the match unexpectedly ended in a draw when Honda and Yamashita tied each other up in a Backslide Pin and both were pinned. They then each ate a cream puff and immediately fled out of the room in despair because it turned out there was wasabi in both of them!
Even though Munek was unable to wrestle due to injury, he still wanted Ueki’s Magic Kingdom to find a princess and hold them hostage. They were easily stopped by the other team. So Dark King Ueki quickly summoned a new ally, an ape named Square Kong! The newcomer went on a rampage until Mr. Bueno slapped him with his glove over and over. Bueno then made his team form a Gundam with Chie Koishikawa so the Magic Kingdom did the same with Princess Ram on top. The Gundam duel went well for Bueno’s team until Munek cast an invisible carrier for them to walk into. At one point during the match Mr. Malo had his poncho pulled over his head. When it was taken off he had is black mask back on and he started fighting his opponents like a rudo. Meanwhile Ueki & Kong ate bananas to power themselves up during the match, including a star banana that Munek gave to Kong that made him strong enough to pull out a barrel and attack the others with it! Bueno & Koishikawa used the barrel against Kong to wipe him out. The match then reached its end when Bueno & Malo did an assisted Codebreaker double team move called the Mexico Vacation onto Ueki.
In some of Kota Sekifuda’s previous Baka Gaijin appearances he would bring along his pet snake to use in his matches. However yesterday he was booked for an All Japan show and they banned him from bringing his snake along, which meant he wasn’t able to bring the snake over to this show either. It resulted in his match with HARASHIMA being a more serious back and forth with both men chopping each other’s chests red. Sekifuda used an Overhead Kick on HARASHIMA but the roll up afterwards ended up with HARASHIMA getting back to his feet and hitting a short range Somato. He then ran across the room to hit a more traditional Somato for the victory.
The big match of the day was put in the opening bout position. Chris Brookes had wanted to wrestle Yuta Oya after hearing the story of him becoming a pro wrestler despite being completely blind. Given the small space of the venue, Oya was capable of fighting Brookes from close range so his lack of sight was not a detriment. He had Chop exchanges with Brookes and got to slam him onto the floor a few times too. Oya also took some Penalty Kicks before catching one so he could Lariat Brookes for a nearfall. Brookes almost beat him with a Piledriver and had to wrap himself around Oya with the Octopus Hold, pulling him down into the House Piano Death until Daisuke Kiso called for the bell and stopped the match. Brookes told everyone that Oya did not give up just like Oya has not given up in life. Oya said he will be going back to wrestle in Nagoya and he will keep training so he can come back to wrestle in Tokyo again.
At the end of the show Brookes had an announcement to make. Today was Sekifuda’s last appearance in Baka Gaijin + Friends! Sekifuda was confused and asked what did Brookes mean by that? Brookes said Sekifuda has lost all of his matches since coming here and isn’t popular judging by how much merch he sells at shows. Brookes also took offence to Sekifuda acting like he is part of the group by pretending he was gifted a Baka Gaijin hoodie when he really just bought one online! Honda assured Sekifuda that as a freelancer he has the ability to respond to this in his own way. Sekifuda decided he will run his own produced show on 19th June in Itabashi! He then asked if he could book Brookes on the show as a way of thanking him for the Baka Gaijin bookings. Brookes doesn’t want to do it alone so he agreed to it if Honda gets booked too. Sekifuda accepted and already knows what match to book. Brookes & Honda will face Hideyoshi Kamitani & Daichi Hashimoto in a battle between FANTÔMES DRAMATIC and Big Japan! Brookes was happy with the idea and decided Sekifuda will be allowed back into Baka Gaijin.
The next Baka Gaijin show will take place on 17th March as a joint show with Evil Uno and Mystery Wrestling.
DDT “HYBRID PERFORMER 2026 ~KAISEI TAKECHI 2ND ANNIVERSARY~”, 22/02/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Yukio Naya defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Ryoma Tsukamoto when Naya pinned Matsunaga with The World’s Best Back Drop (9:11).
2. Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA, Antonio Honda & Hinata Kasai defeated To-y, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Yuni when Honda pinned Hirata with the Diving Fist Drop (9:41).
3. Special Tag Match: Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki defeated Yuya Koroku & Rukiya when Miyawaki pinned Rukiya with the Sunshine Clutch (10:32).
4. DAMNATION T.A Vs Harimao!: Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion (w/ MJ Paul) when Yoshimura pinned Ilusion with the Harai-goshi (10:56).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, KANON & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Akito when Maligno pinned Akito with the Driver Maligno (10:37).
6. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – Final: Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada with the School Boy (17:08).
7. Kaisei Takechi 2nd Anniversary Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Kaisei Takechi with WR (20:50).
To celebrate the second anniversary of his pro wrestling debut, Kaisei Takechi asked DDT for a particular opponent he wanted to face one on one. Up until today Yuki Ueno has been supporting Takechi as a tag partner in the majority of the dozen matches he’s had so far. Now Takechi wanted Ueno to be his first singles opponent. The result of this is Ueno has become the first person to make Takechi look up at the lights, handing him his first pinfall defeat. Takechi brought the fight to Ueno from the start, delaying an early rope break and firing Elbow Strikes along with Dropkicks to Ueno. That made Ueno take him more seriously and bring the fight outside the ring. Ueno threw Takechi into a row of chairs but Takechi got his own back by doing a Diving Cross Body above one of the stairways in the seating section. Back in the ring Takechi got close to winning by using the Choke Slam and Swan Dive Forearm. He then went to use a Sleeper Hold but Ueno got out of it to use his own Dropkicks and Elbow Strikes. Takechi couldn’t withstand the punishment for long and he was pinned with the WR.
Ueno congratulated Takechi after the match and if there is anyone out there who thinks Takechi is only doing pro wrestling as a side gig, Ueno wants them to come tell him. He told Takechi he isn’t at the level to compete for the KO-D Openweight Title yet but the next time they have a singles match against each other, Ueno will put the championship on the line. Takechi thanked him for welcoming him into DDT and talked about experiencing more losses than wins since before he even entered the entertainment industry. That has helped make him strong for wrestling. He also said he regrets not entering the King Of DDT tournament last year or appear at “WRESTLE PETER PAN” because of his summer schedule back then. So this year he has opened up his schedule in order to enter the tournament as well as take part in DDT’s big summer show! He will show everyone how much he will evolve until the day comes when the KO-D Title is worn around his waist! Takechi still has may tours with THE RAMPAGE lined up for 2026 but he is hoping to find gap where he can be booked for some of DDT’s shows outside of Tokyo too.
Kazuma Sumi has now been crowned this year’s best wrestler out of D GENERATIONS by winning the D GENERATIONS CUP! The final of the annual tournament’s fourth edition had Sumi beat the first ever winner Takeshi Masada. He relied on big high flying moves such as the Lionsault and Reverse 450 while Masada kept to a more balanced moveset to keep things under his control. It almost worked out for the latter as he used a Dominator to counter a Frankensteiner, then used the Triangle Kick and the Manburi for a nearfall. But when he went to use his finisher, Sumi suddenly flipped out of it and rolled him over with the School Boy lightning fast for the victory!
When Sumi received his trophy he told Masada that the best classmates are those to eat together, practice together and share both the good times and bad together. While they have trained together and experienced hard times, they were never close like that. Masada was always ahead ever since Sumi debuted but it gave Sumi something to chase after and made him work hard enough to become strong. So in a way Masada really is the best classmate Sumi could ever have. Daisuke Sasaki entered the ring to congratulate Sumi and tell him they can have an exciting match on 22nd March when Sumi gets his DDT Universal Title shot as his reward for winning the DGC. Sumi went to shake his hand until Sasaki kicked him between the legs. Sasaki called him stupid and there is zero chance Sumi will win the title from him. When Sumi recovered he said he isn’t a kid anymore and he is incredibly confident he will beat Sasaki for the belt next month. Meanwhile Masada talked to Yuya Koroku backstage about forming a new unit centered around the D GENERATIONS. Koroku agreed to be a part of it and Masada will now go look for other potential members to join.
The newest member of Strange Love Connection has arrived! The masked man Viento Maligno is a newcomer to DDT although some people suspect he may be more familiar to them than they realize. Danshoku Dieno gave him the Danshoku Claw early in the match then paused to give a reaction that suggested he recognized who Maligno is just from feeling his crotch. He didn’t dwell on it for long because he wanted to impress the guest commentator Riki Matsui from BALLISTIK BOYZ and tried to do so by doing lewd things to KANON in the ring. Viento got the hot tag in and used a llave submission on Akito while MAO did a Moonsault onto everyone outside. Viento then got the win by pinning Akito with the Driver Maligno, a move that looks like a Leg Clutch Olympic Slam thrown into a Michinoku Driver.
Dieno got on the microphone after the match to complain because DDT bringing in new wrestlers is making his generation feel disposable. Super Sasadango Machine agreed and wanted to send a message to CyberAgent. Pro wrestlers like them are not supposed to be treated like trading cards or gacha games… but they should be! CyberAgent is responsible for making loads of different card and gacha games so why are the wrestlers belonging to them being left out of being turned into content (don’t listen to Yota Tsuji, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about)? In order to make a more convincing arguement to the corporation, Dieno & Sasadango challenged SLC for the KO-D Tag Team Titles. MAO sort of understands their intentions because they want to work hard together for DDT’s sake so he accepted the challenge for 11th March. KANON then reluctantly shook his opponents’ hands to confirm they have the title shot.
At first it looked like Harimao were going to be in trouble fighting DAMNATION T.A because the numbers game was against them. Sasaki and Hideki Okatani both attacked Yuki Ishida with weapons but Ryota Nakatsu was able to give them more of a fight. Sasaki also threw a chair at Naomi Yoshimura while MJ Paul interfered a couple of times. Ilusion missing the Swanton Bomb gave Yoshimura his second wind while Kazusada Higuchi at ringside finally stepped in to grab Sasaki and then Paul with the Claw Hold at ringside. With the coast clear, Yoshimura threw over Ilusion with the Harai-goshi to get the victory. Harimao were fired up over the win and all said they couldn’t sense any sumo spirit from DAMNATION T.A. Harimao said they will climb higher from here and Nakatsu told the others he can come back for another match in DDT on 2nd March.
So far during his stay Junta Miyawaki is making both friends and enemies in DDT. He looks up to Shinya Aoki and got to team with him today but one of the wrestlers facing him, Rukiya, is getting more frustrated with him every time they fight in the ring. It continued here when Miyawaki pinned him with the Sunshine Clutch, a new cradle pin he created inspired by the Aoki Clutch where it is set up Tiger Suplex style instead of with a Full Nelson. Rukiya didn’t like how smug Miyawaki looked after the match and tried to fight him again until Koroku and others at ringside held him back. Backstage Miyawaki said he can really tell that Aoki enjoys pro wrestling which makes him enjoy wrestling even more too. Aoki though kept asking him if he saw Keigo Nakamura anywhere because that is who he used to team with. Unfortunately, Miyawaki doesn’t know who Nakamura is.
Today was the first time all four members of FANTÔMES DRAMATIC got to team together for an 8-Man Tag match and it turned into a success. Hinata Kasai was called out by Toru Owashi to begin the match then after some lucha spots he wanted to tag in Yuni to let the young blood take the stage. Kazuki Hirata didn’t care and burst in wanting to do his dance instead. Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA took over to fight with Yuni & To-y while Hirata kept trying to get in the way. Antonio Honda did an Olympics joke for Gongitsune, Hirata tried to counter it with dance but fell to a 4-on-1 situation all in tune to “TOKYO GO!”. Honda ended up pinning him with the Diving Fist Drop to give FANTÔMES DRAMATIC the win.
Hirata was made to stay behind after the match because Hisaya Imabayashi wanted to talk to him. The GM had an announcement regarding Hirata’s big match against Konosuke Takeshita happening on 22nd March. For years now Hirata has been using “TOKYO GO!” as his entrance song, even recording his own cover to avoid getting DDT into any copyright trouble. Well now DDT has invited the creator of the song John Robinson to attend the show and perform “TOKYO GO!” live for Hirata’s match entrance! Hirata is thrilled with the news and cannot wait to do the original “Magnum” dance with the actual DJ singing for him.
It’s not that often Makoto Oishi appears in DDT nowadays but he was here today because he is Takechi main mentor who trained him from scratch. It meant he got to wrestle Ryoma Tsukamoto for the first time and experience his strength up close. When that got too overwhelming Oishi tagged in Yukio Naya to give Tsukamoto a more powerful challenge. Tomomitsu Matsunaga had some fun keeping Oishi away from his corner when the going got tough. Sanshiro Takagi was also fired up and attempted a Coast To Coast Dropkick… where he just landed on his feet and then gave Oishi a regular Dropkick in the corner. He also took an Exploder Suplex from Jun Akiyama only to get back up and hit back with a Stunner. Akiyama came back later to Headbutt Matsunaga while Matsunaga had Naya in a Sharpshooter. Naya then purposely Choke Slammed Oishi onto Matsunaga for a near fall. Matsunaga also kicked out of a Running Knee Strike from Naya but was put down for good with The World’s Best Back Drop. Backstage Oishi said once Kaisei Takechi surpasses his then he will become a real pro wrestler.
A new wrestler was announced during the show to have joined DDT as a full time member of the roster. Masami Inahata is a 20 year old wrestler from Toyonaka City, Osaka who was formerly known as Thunder Masami in JTO. He only has a year’s worth of experience under his belt but announced in January he had graduated from his home promotion. What funny timing that this is happening so soon after his older brother Katsumi Inahata (formerly Fire Katsumi) went through a similar path from JTO to NOAH recently. Masami Inahata told the audience he has come to DDT because the company has many wrestlers his age here. His first match in DDT will take place on 22nd March.
When NωA Jr. finished their musical performance at the start of the show, Shunma Katsumata talked about his planned comeback from injury happening on 22nd March. He has someone in mind he wants his first match back to be against. It’s MAO! They have a lot of history together so it will mean a lot to Katsumata for MAO to be his opponent. MAO acted like he was going to attack his friend but instead he shook his hand and welcomed him back. He also said one of the reasons he left The 37KAMIINA was so he could fight Katsumata but the ACL injury happened to Katsumata before that could happen. MAO told him never to skip a match like that again and he’ll see him on 22nd March.
DDT “NEPPA OVER FLOWERS 5 ~THE ONLY SAUNA IN THE WORLD~”, 14/02/2026 Shinjuku FACE ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Young Boy Akito Nishigaki Shinjuku FACE Debut Match: Rukiya Vs Young Boy Akito Nishigaki ended in a Time Limit Draw (5:00).
1a. Overtime: Rukiya defeated Young Boy Akito Nishigaki with a Cradle (1:59).
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shin KONOSUKE TAKESHITA, Shunma KatsuMAO & Takeshi Masada defeated Danshoku Dieno, Kazuki Hirata & Koju Takeda when TAKESHITA pinned Hirata with the Wagamama (15:33).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Brahman Shu, Brahman Kei & Brahman Sasaki defeated Yuya Koroku, Yuni & Kazuma Sumi when Sasaki pinned Yuni after the Gotai Fumanzoku (12:23).
4. SeaSaunaShack Presents: Shinya Aoki defeated Hinata Kasai with the Aoki Clutch (10:35).
5. Ueno Nordic Presents Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Pokotan (w/ Chris Bathooks, Naya Tonttu & Sauna Stones・Den) with the Frog Splash (15:03).
6. Naniwa Health Land Utopia Presents Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki defeated To-y with the Gotch-Style Piledriver (14:51).
7. Bonus Track Exhibition Match: Yuki Ueno Vs Shunma Katsumata ended in a Time Limit Draw (3:00).
A surprise attack from To-y led to him and Minoru Suzuki brawling around ringside during the main event. Suzuki got the advantage by Heel Hooking To-y over near the entrances. To-y tried fighting back with Chops as well as the Kojima Wonderland. But Suzuki got back in control, fired himself up in a To-y like manner and won with the Gotch-Style Piledriver. After the match Suzuki had something to say to To-y and the rest of The 37KAMIINA. He likes saunas too! When Suzuki left the ring, To-y admitted to everyone he was scared of fighting him but also discovered it was exciting too. He wants to go crazy but couldn’t because something else crazy was about to happen in the surprise bonus main event!
Shunma Katsumata then got into the ring. He had spent the entire show playing multiple roles from event producer to ring announcer. Now after eight months since his last match, he was going to wrestle again! The surprise match was a three minute exhibition between Katsumata and Yuki Ueno. It ended in a tie and Katsumata told everyone today has been the most tiring day of his life. However he is now in great condition and will have his official return match from injury on 22nd March!
Ueno earlier found himself in what was pretty much a 1 Vs 4 match. His opponent was Pokotan but the mascot was accompanied with three DDT wrestlers taking up their own sauna gimmicks: Chris Bathooks (Chris Brookes), Naya Tonttu (Yukio Naya) & Sauna Stones・Den (Yuki Ishida). Pokotan lost its head during the match and one of the other wrestlers would put it on to take its place in the match. Ueno took everyone’s moves until the original Pokotan got its head back. Ueno wiped out the others with a Plancha and then hit a Frog Splash onto Pokotan while using its head for extra impact to get the win.
Hinata Kasai got to go ten minutes with Shinya Aoki. Whether or not that can be seen as valuable experience or an excuse to get stretched apart is for him to figure out. While Kasai got to get some offence in, Aoki was firmly in control for much of the match and he got Kasai with the Aoki Clutch to get the three count. Aoki said Kasai gave it his all and that was the reason why Aoki couldn’t end the match as soon as he wanted to. He’s happy with Kasai’s performance and looks forward to what’s to come for the rookie. Kasai called himself weak and said his entire body is in pain but he was able to resist the pain in order to fight Aoki with all that he’s got. He will treasure this match and will definitely beat Aoki some day, even if it takes a few years to get there.
Something Katsumata wasn’t able to do today was perform with NωA Jr. so Daichi Sato was supposed to take his place. Sato is out injured so Yuya Koroku ended up filling his spot instead. Meanwhile The Brahman Brothers had a new ally in the blue form of Brahman Sasaki. He joined in their shenanigans of throwing buckets of water at everyone and spewing mysterious goo out of his mouth. However NωA Jr. ended up doing something similar by drooling what was described as melted chocolate from their mouths onto the Brahmans. Things ended up backfiring for Koroku, Yuni & Kazuma Sumi with missed attacks that ended with powder being thrown into their faces. From there the Brahmans trapped Yuni in the Gotai Fumanzoku double pin for the victory. It took until after the match for Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei to figure out that NωA Jr. used melted chocolate because today is Valentine’s Day.
While the real Konosuke Takeshita is busy wrestling over in Australia, Shin Konosuke Takeshita made their big return a year after their previous appearance on this series. Kazuki Hirata was impressed with Shin Takeshita’s world class ability. Danshoku Dieno was fixated on fighting ShunMAO Katsumata and Koju Takeda joined in on his lewd spots. Shin Takeshita hit the Takeshita Line but couldn’t get over the ropes to do a Topé. Instead ShunMAO & Takeshi Masada used a spinning chair to help Shin Takeshita give Hirata the Raging Fire. Hirata kicked out much to everyone’s surprise but was then thrown into the Double Hell Gate that was Dieno & Takeda’s rear ends. ShunMAO then did the Totonou Splash onto Hirata and Shin Takeshita finished him off with the Wagamama.
Akito rolled back the clock and wrestled his match as a “Young Boy”, wearing the plain black trunks and using a more basic moveset. His match with Rukiya only lasted five minutes because that was the time limit allowed but Katsumata decided to give them a restart in order to determine a winner. Rukiya got the best of Akito here after a series of countered cradles ended with Rukiya getting the pin.
Before the show began, a press conference was held for the upcoming D GENERATIONS CUP final between Kazuma Sumi and Takeshi Masada. Sumi has thought about this match a lot but his thoughts are just him surpassing Masada to win the tournament. He thinks Masada is amazing but he is just as amazing too. Masada (accompanied by Bunbun) appreciated being called an amazing wrestler and competed in this year’s DGC tournament to get more fans to watch it. He wants as much support he can get to win and get the DDT Universal Title shot against Daisuke Sasaki. The two were asked what were their favorite matches in the tournament? Sumi’s answer was his match against Daichi Sato because they punched and kicked each other as hard as they could. Masada chose his two matches with Koroku because they left a lasting impression on him he will never forget. They were then asked about getting a Universal Title match. Sumi said he would like to challenge for that title for the first time and his goal is to become a top Junior Heavyweight wrestler. Masada feels uneasy because he had two previous title shots that both ended in failure. But if he wins it he wants to express what it’s like to be the Universal Champion in his own way.
DDT “IMAIKE SAMBA 2026”, 07/02/2026 Aichi Imaike Gas Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Yuya Koroku & Yuni defeated Takeshi Masada & Hinata Kasai when Koroku submitted Kasai with the Modified Triangle Lancer (10:30).
2. Special Single Match: KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Antonio Honda with a Lariat (11:18).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul defeated Jun Akiyama, Akito & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Sasaki submitted Matsunaga with the Crossface Lock (10:16).
4. Imaike Rumble 2026: Naomi Yoshimura defeated Ilusion with the Harai-goshi (18:32).
*Order Of Elimination: Yukio Naya, Yuki Ueno, HARASHIMA, MAO, Danshoku Dieno, Pokotan, Chris Brookes, Kazuki Hirata, Yoshihiko and Ilusion.
5. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: To-y (5) defeated Daichi Sato (4) with a Frankensteiner (10:31).
6. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: Kazuma Sumi (6) defeated Yuki Ishida (3) with the School Boy (10:22).
Kazuma Sumi has booked his spot in the D GENERATIONS CUP final! The A Block wound up sorting itself out rather nicely at the end too. When it was time for the main event, Sumi only needed to beat Yuki Ishida to top the group. Ishida wouldn’t go down without a fight and even lunged forward to throw the Flame Palm after taking a Thrust Kick to the jaw. Sumi however countered that into the School Boy and pinned him down with as hard as he could to get the three count. He said he can now see the top of the mountain that everyone has been aiming for and will win the DGC no matter who he faces in the final.
The person who was most angry over the main event result was To-y. He still had a path to the final open when he beat Daichi Sato and needed Ishida to beat Sumi to set up a sudden death tiebreaker. He even sat at ringside to watch the main event but when Ishida lost, To-y stormed backstage and confronted him over the result. To-y blamed Ishida for knocking him out of the tournament and then brought up the time they went drinking together. Ishida got so drunk he convinced To-y to pay for the bill which turned out to cost him 40,000 yen! To-y is willing to settle this debt by offering Ishida a shot at the DDT Extreme Title. Ishida can get a title match on the condition that if he loses he must pay back To-y his 40,000 yen!
Pokotan made a bigger mark on the Imaike Rumble than expected. He ended up being involved with eliminating wrestlers like Yuki Ueno, HARASHIMA, Danshoku Dieno and Chris Brookes. Late in the match, Pokotan uncharacteristically gave Kazuki Hirata a Low Blow. He was then revealed to be Ilusion is disguise! Ilusion was already in the match so there must have been a point when he disappeared along with Pokotan, took over the mascot’s costume and then snuck back in. Despite his trick working, Ilusion wound up losing the match to Naomi Yoshimura. The prize Yoshimura received for winning the Rumble was some local uiro treats.
An illness has taken Junta Miyawaki out of this weekend’s shows. Tomomitsu Matsunaga is his substitute for both today and tomorrow.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 