DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 06/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
??? Fans – Withheld
D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (6) Vs Akito (4)
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 06/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
??? Fans – Withheld
D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (6) Vs Akito (4)
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 12/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
??? Fans – Withheld
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Mad Paulie & Nobuihiro Shimatani defated Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani and Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura when Shimatani pinned Nakamura after a Combined Body Press (8:13).
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Shunma Katsumata (4) defeated Soma Takao (6) by Countout (10:05).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (8) defeated Yuki Ueno (6) with the Front Neck Lock (11:51).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Makoto Oishi (4) defeated Tetsuya Endo (7) with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (19:26).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito (7) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi (6) by TKO with a Modified Figure 4 Leg Lock (8:56).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: MAO (6) defeated Chris Brookes (6) with an Inside Cradle (14:28).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (8) defeated HARASHIMA (7) with the German Suplex (20:39).
A Block
1. Konosuke Takeshita (8)
2. HARASHIMA (7)
-. Akito (7)
4. MAO (6)
-. Yukio Sakaguchi (6)
-. Chris Brookes (6)
7. Daisuke Sasaki (2)
B Block
1. Jun Akiyama (8)
2. Tetsuya Endo (7)
-. Kazusada Higuchi (7)
4. Soma Takao (6)
-. Yuki Ueno (6)
6. Makoto Oishi (4)
-. Shunma Katsumata (4)
The dust has settled and no tiebreakers were needed. The D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 final will be between Konosuke Takeshita and Jun Akiyama! The A Block was decided in the last three matches of the show with Takeshita winning the group by beating HARASHIMA. Takeshita’s injured left arm was targeted in by HARASHIMA in a last ditch attempt to avoid the German Suplex. But Takeshita wrestled his way into position to pin his opponent with the move. Takeshita gave HARASHIMA credit and said today’s match was the strongest he’s ever been. HARASHIMA joked and asked Takeshita if his arm was sore. Akiyama came out and told Takeshita he already beat him on 3rd November. If Takeshita wants revenge he needs to recover from his injury and bring his best on 27th December. Takeshita told Akiyama he won’t lose to him again.
A lot of come from behind results happened for the blocks to end up the way they did. Chris Brookes lost to MAO to get knocked out of the running. MAO added a Reverse Quetzalcoatl to his move set but that wasn’t enough to win. Instead he had to counter the Praying Mantis Bomb into a Small Package to pin Brookes. MAO admitted he would like to have seen Brookes reach the final because they are friends outside the ring (they go to karaoke and sing “One Night Carnival” a lot) but he wasn’t going to lose to him today. MAO is also feeling tired of wrestling in singles matches. He wants to do tag team wrestling again.
The other wrestler in A Block to fall at the final hurdle was Yukio Sakaguchi. He was only interested in grappling with Akito so he did not throw many kicks in their match. Akito got the better of him on the mat and tangled him into a modifed Figure 4 Leg Lock. Sakaguchi refused to give up but the referee had to end the match when it was clear that Sakaguchi was done for. Sakaguchi admitted his knee wasn’t 100% after his match with HARASHIMA and Akito was smart to go after it. Akito wasn’t fully motivated to wrestle today because he wouldn’t reach the final. He wondered if Sakaguchi intentionally invited him to mat wrestle to give him that motivation. He found a new way to do a Figure 4 so in the end he did get something out of it.
Over in the B Block, Tetsuya Endo was stunned by a submission loss to Makoto Oishi! The shock result happened when Oishi grabbed Endo’s leg to avoid the Canadian Destroyer and got him into the Fujiyama Knee Lock. Endo was managing to withstand it until Oishi put all of his power into the hold, getting the tapout. The result meant Akiyama was going to the final instead of Endo. Oishi said it would have been uncool if the leader of Junretsu couldn’t help get Akiyama to the final. For anyone who thought it’s time for Oishi to retire, his message today is it’s not his time yet! He’s still getting better and he is not going to retire before Akiyama.
The penultimate B Block match was where Akiyama cemented his spot in the final. He took over when Yuki Ueno missed the BME and hit the Exploder Suplex. He then did the Wrist-Clutch Exploder but Ueno kicked out at two. Akiyama didn’t waste time and he put Ueno in the Front Neck Lock for the submission win. Backstage Akiyama gave his thoughts on the current wrestling scene. The likes of Ueno need to step up more. They’re not going to catch up to Akiyama if they’re just aiming to get along with him. There is a difference between trying to get better together and trying to get better alone. Akiyama is in DDT to compete and that difference is why he is beating wrestlers half his age. He says it’s fine when Sanshiro Takagi says he wants his company to catch up to New Japan and overtake them. But when you say that then you must treat the business as a competition and you must compete. You can still go and create interesting ideas that are different from the norm, but if it’s not done with the intention of competing then pro wrestling will eventually have nothing left.
Soma Takao’s chance to win the block was ruined thanks to Shunma Katsumata. He has to give some of the blame to Nobuhiro Shimatani though. Also himself but he still blamed Shimatani. He used the steel basin in the match but Katsumata fought back with Lego. Shimatani grabbed the basin but hit Takao by accident. Takao then purposely hit him with the basin and chased him out of the room with Katsumata following them. While the 20 count was being made, Katsumata returned to the ring first. Takao then came back with his legs taped together forcing him to hop back to the ring. He was about to break the count when Katsumata dropped the basin on his head, knocking him down and leaving him counted out. Katsumata said the tournament has been hard for him because he injured his knee during the summer. That is why he’s been cheating throughout the Grand Prix so he could still leave an impression with his matches. Today was the end of his tournament run but as a pro wrestler he will continue to rise.
In the non-tournament 3 Way Tag, Shimatani jumped onto Mad Paulie’s back and together they squashed Keigo Nakamura.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 12/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Mad Paulie & Nobuihiro Shimatani Vs Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani Vs Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Soma Takao (6) Vs Shunma Katsumata (2)
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (6) Vs Jun Akiyama (6)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo (7) Vs Makoto Oishi (2)
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Yukio Sakaguchi (6) Vs Akito (5)
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: MAO (4) Vs Chris Brookes (6)
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (6) Vs HARASHIMA (7)
There’s the match order for the final matches in the group stage. So let’s grab a drink and figure out the paths that can play out. DDT only said a tiebreaker match will be held in case of a tie for first place. No mention of the direct confrontation rule so the previous results may not be as advantageous as they normally are. I am writing these paths assuming that the tiebreaker will happen no matter who finishes with the same amount of points. Also it’s a Friday night so if I’m wrong I’m not going to worry too much about it. Show’s on in a few hours time anyway.
A Block
1. HARASHIMA (7)
A win over Takeshita guarantees a spot in the final. A draw means getting into a tiebreaker with Chris Brookes and/or Yukio Sakaguchi if they win their matches. If they both fail to win in that situation then HARASHIMA gets a lucky escape.
2. Yukio Sakaguchi (6)
A win over Akito, HARASHIMA losing and Brookes failing to win gets Sakaguchi first place. If Sakaguchi gets a draw he needs HARASHIMA to lose and Brookes to not win in order to enter the tiebreaker.
2. Chris Brookes (6)
Brookes will finish first if he beats MAO, HARASHIMA loses and Sakaguchi fails to win. If Brookes gets a draw he needs HARASHIMA to lose and Sakaguchi to not win in order to enter the tiebreaker.
2. Konosuke Takeshita (6)
Needs to beat HARASHIMA to stay alive. Finishes on top if Brookes and Sakaguchi both fail to win. Otherwise it’s a tiebreaker.
5. Akito (5)
Any result of the main event prevents Akito from finishing first so he is eliminated. He ends Sakaguchi’s run if he beats him. Maybe even a draw.
6. MAO (4)
Cannot reach the final but can eliminate Brookes.
7. Daisuke Sasaki (2)
Completely out of it because of injury. Sorry for rubbing it in.
B Block
1. Tetsuya Endo (7)
Just needs to beat Oishi to win the block. A draw ties him with the winner of Ueno Vs Akiyama and Takao if he beats Katsumata. Endo still has a chance if he loses but that direction won’t be pretty.
1. Kazusada Higuchi (7)
This is the chaos path. Higuchi already wrestled all his matches. Only hope is if Endo loses, Takao doesn’t win and Ueno Vs Akiyama ends in a draw. That results in a massive 4 way or even 5 way tiebreaker.
3. Jun Akiyama (6)
Needs to beat Ueno, Endo loses and Takao loses. Akiyama Vs Ueno ending in a draw, Takao not winning and Endo losing leads to chaos.
3. Soma Takao (6)
Can squeak into the final if he beats Katsumata, Endo loses and Ueno Vs Akiyama ends in a draw. Otherwise Takao winning sends him to a tiebreaker against the winner of Akiyama Vs Ueno if Endo still loses.
3. Yuki Ueno (6)
Ueno’s in the same position as Akiyama. Just read his bit and swap their names around.
6. Makoto Oishi (2)
Won’t reach the final but can play one hell of a spoiler against Endo. Root for him if you want to see the the entire block turn on its head.
6. Shunma Katsumata (2)
Down and out but can ruin Soma Takao’s chances.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 06/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Chris Brookes (6) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. Chris Brookes defeated Hideki Okatani with the Elevator Action Death Parade (6:13).
2. Blow Away The D-Ou GP 2021 From The DDT Variety Team! ~ Narimasu Tag Death Match: Danshoku Dieno & Saki Akai defeated Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Akai pinned Hirata with a PK (8:27).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (6) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi (6) by Knockout with the Zahi (11:26).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (7) Vs Akito (5) ended in a Draw after a Double Pinfall (16:26).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (6) defeated Shunma Katsumata (2) with the WR (13:56).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Soma Takao (6) defeated Tetsuya Endo (7) with the Gin And Tonic (16:37).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (7) defeated Jun Akiyama (6) with the Brain Claw Pin (4:03).
A Block
1. HARASHIMA (7)
2. Yukio Sakaguchi (6)
-. Chris Brookes (6)
-. Konosuke Takeshita (6)
5. Akito (5)
6. MAO (4)
7. Daisuke Sasaki (2)
B Block
1. Tetsuya Endo (7)
-. Kazusada Higuchi (7)
3. Jun Akiyama (6)
-. Soma Takao (6)
-. Yuki Ueno (6)
6. Makoto Oishi (2)
-. Shunma Katsumata (2)
With one last roar, Kazusada Higuchi finishes his schedule of block matches with a gigantic win over Jun Akiyama! He did it in quick time too. In just over 4 minutes, Higuchi applied the Brain Claw and pressed Akiyama down to the canvas to pin him. Higuchi got on the mic and said the top spot cannot be given to someone who is about to go back to All Japan. With this result, Higuchi is now tied in first place but he has no more matches remaining. He needs a bunch of results from other matches to play out a certain way in order for him to enter some sort of emergency tiebreaker match.
Tetsuya Endo could have sealed his place in the final here today if he had beaten Soma Takao. Instead he is in a position where it could all slip away. Takao avoided the Modified One-Winged Angel and trapped his stablemate in the Official Endless Waltz. Endo wouldn’t be pinned by it but Takao got him into the Gin And Tonic and got the upset victory. Takao reminded Endo he is still his senpai. He hates him but also loves him too. Backstage Endo said that Takao beating him means Takao has indirectly beaten Akiyama. If that doesn’t make him feel anything then he will never move past the spot he is in.
The DDT Sauna Club had another member versus member match in the D-Ou Grand Prix. That relationship came into play when Shunma Katsumata made Yuki Ueno sit down on a chair and waved him with a towel before choking him with it. Katsumata used more chairs to cut off a Plancha and then taped Ueno’s feet together for a possible countout. Ueno got Toui Kojima to cut the tape off and he made it back to the ring to continue the match. Katsumata tried using Daisuke Kiso as a human shield but Ueno maneuvered around them and hit a Standing Shining Wizard. Ueno then won with the WR. Katsumata praised Ueno for getting stronger and he told him to look up at the Finnish sky so they can see aurora borealis together. He told Ueno he will meet him again at the Grand Prix final. Ueno said that isn’t possible but Katsumata told him he wouldn’t give up.
HARASHIMA is clinging on to the top spot of the A Block. He got into a back and forth match with Akito and almost got counted out when he missed the Somato on the apron and crashed into the ring post. Akito then attempted the Goliath Birdeater but HARASHIMA attempted a counter Cradle. Both men’s shoulders were on the mat long enough for Yukinori Matsui to count to three. Matsui called it a double pin and declared the match a draw. HARASHIMA said the difference between Akito now compared to their past matches is the Goliath Birdeater so he knew he had to avoid it. Since there was no winner or loser, HARASHIMA doesn’t understand how to feel about the result.
The bad news for Konosuke Takeshita is his left arm is hanging by a thread. The good news is his recent run of results have gotten him back in the hunt for a place in the final. His victory over Yukio Sakaguchi today came from a clash of knee strikes. Sakaguchi hit the God’s Right Knee and Takashita got in the Zahi before they both crumpled to the mat. Takeshita was able to stand back up before the 10 count but Sakaguchi couldn’t do the same. Takeshita thinks luck is on his side and he will give up his left arm to finish the Grand Prix.
The non-tournament tag match was suddenly turned into a Narimasu Tag Death Match. After three minutes a weapon handed down from the ancient times would be introduced to the match. It was revealed to be Yuki Iino, Keigo Nakamura and Hisaya Imabayashi all sitting on the turnbuckles bent over with their backsides exposed. Danshoku Dieno appreciated the idea and copied them on the remaining turnbuckle. Toru Owashi and Saki Akai were thrown face first into the backsides. The four corners then joined in Kazuki Hirata’s dance with their butts still hanging out. They then all closed into the center of the ring where Akai threw Hirata and Hirata got his face full of everyone. Akai then hit a Penalty Kick and pinned him.
Chris Brookes spent most of his replacement match twisting Hideki Okatani into knots.
At the start of the show it was announced that Sanshiro Takagi & Danshoku Dieno Vs Nayashiro Nayagi & Super Sasadango Machine will happen at Korakuen Hall on 27th December. Nayagi is Yukio Naya’s parody of Takagi from the Hiragana Muscle shows. Takagi saw that and noticed Naya’s posing and the angle he hits the Stunner with are not accurate enough. Takagi won’t stand for this!
The #STRONGHEARTS quartet of CIMA, T-Hawk, El Lindaman & Shigehiro Irie will be at the Nagoya Congress Center show on 23rd February.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “FALL TOUR ’20 ~WOMM (WRESTLING OF MY MIND)~”, 06/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
1. Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Nao Kakuta Vs Maki Itoh, Pom Harajuku & Suzume
2. Haruna Neko Vs Mirai Maiumi
3. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Hyper Misao & Raku
4. Shoko Nakajima, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino Vs Miyu Yamashita, Marika Kobashi & Hikari Noa
5. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Sena Shiori & Moka Miyamoto
6. International Princess Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c) Vs Mahiro Kiryu
Finally the first International Princess Title defence since January.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU!”, 06/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Chris Brookes (6) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. Chris Brookes Vs Hideki Okatani
2. Blow Away The D-Ou GP 2021 From The DDT Variety Team!: Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dieno & Saki Akai
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (4) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi (6)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (6) Vs Akito (4)
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (4) Vs Shunma Katsumata (2)
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo (7) Vs Soma Takao (4)
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (5) Vs Jun Akiyama (6)
We’re almost at the end. Kazusada Higuchi’s final block match is tomorrow. He must beat Jun Akiyama and hope nobody positioned above him in the standings wins all of their remaining matches. Even then he can only tie with Tetsuya Endo and be put into a tiebreaker on the final day of block matches.
BASARA “BASARA 143 ~SPACE SHOT~”, 07/12/2020
Tokyo Asakusa Flower Theater
1. Takumi Tsukamoto & Takato Nakano Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daichi Kazato
2. Turnabout Pro Wrestling Trial: Gouma Ryu Vs Banana Senga Vs Fuminori Abe
3. Tsutomu Oosugi Vs Masato Kamino
4. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: FUMA & Yusuke Kubo Vs Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura
5. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: Ryuichi Sekine & Minoru Fujita Vs Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT
Some changes to the card after Tetsuo Usui’s sudden exit from BASARA and pro wrestling. Tsutomu Oosugi is now facing Masato Kamino. The 3 Way Tag opener is now just a regular tag with Takumi Tsukamoto & Takato Nakano paired together.
DDT “HELL GATE DAI BUKAI”, 13/12/2020
Hell Gate
1. DDT Extreme Title – Hell Gate Dai Bukai For 5 People: Sanshiro Takagi (c) Vs Amateur Wrestling “Nariagari” Five Elite People
Away from DDT, Danshoku Dieno started his own little project for training amateurs into becoming pro wrestlers. DDT would mention it here and there to help Dieno get some applicants but otherwise not much was ever made of it. All of a sudden, Dieno tells Sanshiro Takagi he has five elite students ready to hunt Takagi for the DDT Extreme Title! From the start of his title reign, Takagi has said he will defend the belt against anyone including amateurs. He will travel to a place described as a Hell Gate to fight these elite amateurs.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU (FREE!)”, 04/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito (4) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. K-Ou Grand Prix 2021: Danshoku Dieno & Akito (w/ Yuki Iino) (3) Vs Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani (w/ Keigo Nakamura) (3) ended in a Draw (5:00).
1a. Penalty Shootout: Danshoku Dieno & Akito (w/ Yuki Iino) (3) defeated Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani (w/ Keigo Nakamura) (2).
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (4) defeated Makoto Oishi (2) with an Inverted Cross Armbreaker (17:23).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Shunma Katsumata (2) defeated Kazusada Higuchi (5) with the 120% School Boy (10:59).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (6) defeated Soma Takao (4) with the Wrist Clutch Exploder Suplex (8:22).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Yukio Sakaguchi (6) defeated HARASHIMA (6) by TKO with the Sleeper Hold (10:17).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (4) defeated MAO (4) with the Zahi 3 Barrage (22:46).
A Block
1. Yukio Sakaguchi (6)
-. HARASHIMA (6)
-. Chris Brookes (6)
4. Konosuke Takeshita (4)
-. Akito (4)
-. MAO (4)
7. Daisuke Sasaki (2)
B Block
1. Tetsuya Endo (7)
2. Jun Akiyama (6)
3. Kazusada Higuchi (5)
4. Soma Takao (4)
-. Yuki Ueno (4)
6. Makoto Oishi (2)
-. Shunma Katsumata (2)
After a brief break in the schedule, the D-Ou Grand Prix continued on with a DDT Sauna Club showdown as today’s headliner. Konosuke Takeshita entered the match with his injured left arm heavily taped. While MAO did target the arm at points, it wasn’t in his gameplan to fully exploit that limb. Instead MAO’s big move was the Marines Tornado Splash. Unfortunately for him, Takeshita rolled out of the way and MAO went splat. Takeshita went for a barrage of three Zahi knee strikes and just about pinned MAO long enough to get the three count. MAO was a split second too late in lifting his shoulder up. Takeshita was impressed with how much stronger MAO has gotten. MAO can’t believe that Takeshita is still one step ahead of him but they’re still able to have fun fighting each other. They closed out the show with the rest of the DDT Sauna Club celebrating in the ring. “Ready, heatwaver WER!!”
Yukio Sakaguchi jumped straight to the top of the A Block by beating the previous leader HARASHIMA. The match was kept close to the mat with HARASHIMA and Sakaguchi ending up getting into the Inoki/Ali positions before grappling for submission holds. Sakaguchi caught HARASHIMA in the Sleeper and sunk it in deep until HARASHIMA lost consciousness for the referee stoppage. When HARASHIMA recovered he took the loss in his stride and happily shook Sakaguchi’s hand for a job well done. Sakaguchi called this match the result of all his years in DDT. He and his “brothers” KUDO, Masahiro Takanashi and even Danshoku Dieno cultivated different fields in the farm that is DDT. He is able to show himself in a way only he can after putting in all of that time cultivating.
The newest DDT rookie Toui Kojima worked in Jun Akiyama’s corner for Match #4. Akiyama thought his name was Oshima and had to be corrected. Soma Takao brought in a steel basin but Akiyama took it off him. Takao brought in another basin and they both hit each other with them. Akiyama got the better of the exchange with some Knee Strikes. He had the match won with the Exploder Suplex but he went ahead and did the Wrist Clutch Exploder to win with emphasis. Akiyama said in his post-match interview that he is using the Wrist Clutch version more to let the DDT roster know what’s waiting for them when they try against him. Takao said Akiyama should have been disqualified for hitting him with the basin. When it was explained to him that the referee didn’t see it, Takao then claimed victory for being able to hit Akiyama with his own basin.
The rivalry between Kazusada Higuchi and Shunma Katsumata has existed going all the way back to their DNA days. It means so much to Katsumata that he wore his old DNA attire for today’s match. He’s a different wrestler compared to back then though. During the match Katsumata dared Higuchi to fight him outside the ring, pulled off one of the turnbuckle pads and lured Higuchi underneath the ring. When Higuchi reemerged he had tape wrapped around his body, sticking his arms to his side! Katsumata blinded him with spray then hit move after move trying to pin him. The tricks finally took their toll on Higuchi when a missed charge sent him running into the exposed turnbuckle. Katsumata rolled him up with the 120% School Boy and it got him his first win in this year’s Grand Prix. It is also the first time Katsumata ever beat Higuchi! He understands he cannot win the Grand Prix but he still wants to win his remaining matches by any means necessary. Higuchi was asked backstage how Katsumata was able to wrap tape around him under the ring. He explained there were also spanners under there which Katsumata used to beat him up first so he could use the tape.
Yuki Ueno rounded out what was mostly a good day for the Sauna Club. His WR finisher was almost countered by Makoto Oishi into the Fujiyama Knee Lock. Ueno turned the move over into a Cross Armbreaker to make Oishi give up. Oishi thinks he is losing because he is not being careful enough. He knows using a Knee Lock leaves his arms exposed for a counter and he would expect fighters like Sakaguchi or Shinya Aoki to exploit it. But he never expected Ueno to take advantage the same way. Ueno proved Oishi’s point when he explained his thought process. Fujiyama makes him think of Mount Fuji. Fuji makes him think of Shizuoka. Shizuoka makes him think of Shinya Aoki. Eureka!
The opening contest was not a wrestling match but a competition called the K-Oh Grand Prix. The K stands for Kancho. Whichever team do the kancho butt poke to their opponents and make them scream in pain the most in five minutes wins. Yuki Iino appeared to perform the Haka as part of the opening ceremony. Dieno & Akito took the lead when Dieno got Hideki Okatani. Akito made it 2-0 when he caught Mizuki Watase with a kancho. The Junretsu pair tied the game, even after Dieno called for VAR. The score ended at 3-3 when the time expired. A penalty shootout was held to determine a winner. It was still tied to Iino and Keigo Nakamura were brought in. Iino scored the winning point on Nakamura, giving the win to Dieno & Akito. The two teams exchanged wrestling gear afterwards and praised each other for a good game.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU (FREE!)”, 04/12/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito (4) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. Playfulness Series Act 2: Danshoku Dieno & Akito Vs Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Makoto Oishi (2) Vs Yuki Ueno (2)
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (5) Vs Shunma Katsumata (0)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Soma Takao (4) Vs Jun Akiyama (4)
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (6) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi (4)
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (2) Vs MAO (4)
Three shows of block matches left to go through. Injuries and fatigue are slowing down half the field but they can’t give up now.
DDT “ATSUSHI ONITA VS KURO-CHAN! CHRISTMAS FINAL BATTLE! SKYTREE STREET CURRENT EXPLOSION WRESTLING!”, 23/12/2020
Tokyo Solamachi
1. Current Explosion Death Match: Atsushi Onita Vs Kuro-chan
In an interview with Tokyo Sports this week, Atsushi Onita challenged the comedian Kuro-chan to an Explosion Death Match! Kuro-chan refused but DDT thinks it is a great idea that should be taken seriously. So they are building an entire show around the match at a shopping mall near the Tokyo Skytree. ABEMA has exclusive rights to the live broadcast.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU”, 28/11/2020
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
??? Fans – Withheld
D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (0) Vs Shunma Katsumata (0)
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN OSAKA!”, 29/11/2020
Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: HARASHIMA (6) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. Antonio Honda defeated Keigo Nakamura with a Backslide Pin (8:36).
2. Blow Away The D-Ou GP 2021 From The DDT Variety Team!: HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata when HARASHIMA pinned Hirata with the Somato (10:17).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (5) defeated Soma Takao (4) with the Buchikamashi (11:30).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (4) defeated Makoto Oishi (2) with the Fujiyama Knee Lock Cutback (10:49).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Tetsuya Endo (7) defeated Yuki Ueno (2) with the Shooting Star Press (22:56).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: MAO (4) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi (4) with the Michinoku Driver II (9:53).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Chris Brookes (6) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (4) by Referee Stoppage with a Modified Armlock (24:21).
A Block
1. HARASHIMA (6)
-. Chris Brookes (6)
3. Akito (4)
-. MAO (4)
-. Yukio Sakaguchi (4)
6. Daisuke Sasaki (2)
-. Konosuke Takeshita (2)
B Block
1. Tetsuya Endo (7)
2. Kazusada Higuchi (5)
3. Jun Akiyama (4)
-. Soma Takao (4)
5. Yuki Ueno (2)
-. Makoto Oishi (2)
7. Shunma Katsumata (0)
The injuries inflicted in the D-Ou Grand Prix have reached the point where it determines who wins or loses. Chris Brookes put all of his focus on Konosuke Takeshita’s injured left arm and it paid off with a referee stoppage. Brookes held Takeshita in a Modified Armlock with his leg clasped around Takeshita’s neck. Takeshita went motionless and Yukinori Matsui called for the match to stop. Brookes and Takeshita did shake hands afterwards and Brookes thanked the Osaka fans for coming to see the show. Backstage Brookes said that even a slight mistake would have cost him the match against Takeshita. But his plan worked and he now has a 3 win, 1 loss record against him. Takeshita is disappointed with the loss but has no complaints over how it ended. With his left arm injured, he can only train with his right. He believes he is strong enough to German Suplex opponents with only one arm but it wasn’t possible today.
MAO bounced back with his first proper win of the tournament, beating Yukio Sakaguchi in a scrap. He avoided the God’s Right Knee and hit Sakaguchi with a Palm Strike. From there he did the Michinoku Driver II and got the pin. Sakaguchi said he is happy to see MAO has gotten stronger and he even had fun wrestling him today. MAO wants everyone to know he is showing growth every time he wrestles.
The KO-D Openweight Champion defeated the DDT UNIVERSAL Champion. Yesterday’s double knockout meant Tetsuya Endo was not 100% for today’s match and he wrestled with the back of his neck all taped up. Yuki Ueno wanted to win the battle of champions in his hometown but couldn’t hit his finishers. Endo blocked the BME and countered the WR into a Backslide Pin for a nearfall. Endo relied on Overhead Kicks and Headbutts to lead into the match winning Shooting Star Press. Endo said backstage that the champion wins no matter what the situation. He was still hurt from yesterday while Ueno had the day off (Ueno went to the sauna, then the gym, got sunburned then spent the the night resting). This result proves that the KO-D Title is the strongest championship is DDT.
The two members of Junretsu in the Grand Prix finally faced each other one on one. It was a chance for Makoto Oishi to prove himself against Jun Akiyama. He toughened it out by taking Akiyama’s Knee Strikes then escaped out of the Wrist Clutch Exploder to roll Akiyama into the Fujiyama Knee Lock. Oishi put all his might into the move but Akiyama used that momentum to roll Oishi onto his shoulders and pin him for the three count. Oishi told Akiyama after the match he entered the Grand Prix this year so he could have a match against him. Next time he will be even more driven even if it means breaking Akiyama’s knees! Akiyama said it is impossible to break his knees.
It isn’t enough that Kazusada Higuchi is down his left leg. Soma Takao spent their match trying to injure his right arm too. Takao got the idea to target the arm when Higuchi missed a Chop and struck the ring post outside. Higuchi endured his injuries and still found ways to use his power moves. Takao tried using his elbow to cut off Higuchi but he was put away with the Buchikamashi sumo charge. Higuchi has two block matches left so he will continue to push forward. When Takao found out his next opponent is Akiyama he said he will go on a winter break. He’ll pay money to Akiyama if it means he can get a bye and avoid having to wrestle him.
Kazuki Hirata came out with another home made championship to be awarded to the No. 1 Crazy Awesome Guy in Osaka! Hisaya Imabayashi was fed up with Hirata’s fake titles made out of show posters so he took the belt off him and ripped it apart because the gag didn’t work in Tokyo. Imabayashi said HARASHIMA is at the top of his block so he cannot afford to lose concentration because of this non-tournament match. So he ordered Toru Owashi to stop doing fake lucha, Danshoku Dieno to stop showing his ass because he is over 40 and Hirata to stop dancing because he should have some self-respect as a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion. Everyone ignored his demands. Imabayashi complained until HARASHIMA stepped in. He thanked him for being thoughtful but all of these wrestlers are doing their acts with pride. Imabayashi understood and offered to sit on the top turnbuckle with the back of his pants pulled down so he could understand Dieno’s feelings. The match continued and HARASHIMA won it for his team. Dieno thanked HARASHIMA because he stood up for them. They are putting their support behind him to win the Grand Prix. Imabayashi was the last to leave the ring because it had to be disinfected after the match.
The opening match between Antonio Honda and Keigo Nakamura turned into both wrestlers attempted to Gongitsune poke each other. They chased each other under the ring and reappeared wearing each other’s wrestling gear! They ended up swapping personalities to so Nakamura was copying Honda’s physical movements. Honda pinned Nakamura with a Backslide and then celebrated as if he was Nakamura finally winning a match for the first time. The feeling quickly wore out because Honda’s body was still the same so he remembered who he was. So sadly this does not count as Nakamura’s first win.