DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KORAKUEN HALL” Results

December 24, 2023

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 24/12/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
761 Fans – No Vacancy

-. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Rei Saito (8) defeated Chris Brookes (2) by Forfeit.
1. KANON & MJ Paul defeated Yukio Sakaguchi & Rukiya when KANON submitted Rukiya with the Torture Cobra Twist (4:57).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal ~ Toru Owashi Return Match: Toru Owashi defeated The Great Koji (c), Sanshiro Takagi, Kazuki Hirata, Akito, Kazuma Sumi and Poison Sawada JULIE (10:21).
2a. Sanshiro Takagi eliminated Akito by Over The Top Rope (8:25).
2b. Sanshiro Takagi eliminated Kazuma Sumi by Over The Top Rope (8:25).
2c. Sanshiro Takagi eliminated Kazuki Hirata by Over The Top Rope (8:25).
2d. Poison Sawada JULIE eliminated Sanshiro Takagi by Over The Top Rope (8:25).
2e. Poison Sawada JULIE eliminated The Great Koji (c) with the Cattle Mutilation (10:08).
*Poison Sawada JULIE becomes the 1,597th champion.
2f. Toru Owashi defeated Poison Sawada JULIE (c) with a School Boy (10:21).
*Toru Owashi becomes the 1,598th champion.
3. Special Single Match: Rei Saito defeated Hideki Okatani with the Drill-A-Hole Piledriver (4:43).
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) defeated Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada when Oishi pinned Honda with a Rotating Cradle (10:41).
*V1 for D.O.A.
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya (8) defeated MAO (6) with The World’s Best Back Drop (10:58).
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: HARASHIMA (4) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (5) with the Somato (6:37).
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Iino (4) defeated Yuki Ueno (5) with the Spear (8:14).
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (6) defeated Kazusada Higuchi (6) with the Burning Star Press (20:37).
– Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Christmas Tree defeated Toru Owashi (c) with a Body Press (1:39 pm).
*Christmas Tree becomes the 1,599th champion.

A Block

1. Tetsuya Endo (6)
-. Kazusada Higuchi (6)
3. Yuki Ueno (5)
-. Daisuke Sasaki (5)
5. Yuki Iino (4)
-. HARASHIMA (4)

B Block

1. Yukio Naya (8)
-. Rei Saito (8)
3. MAO (6)
4. KANON (4)
5. Kazuki Hirata (2)
-. Chris Brookes (2)

Back from the brink, Tetsuya Endo has won the A Block but only just! The last day of group matches in the D-Ou Grand Prix took place at Korakuen Hall on Christmas Eve. Every remaining A Block match had somebody fighting to finish in first so they will qualify for the grand final. The other potential challengers all fell at the final hurdle leaving it all on the line in the main event between Endo and Kazusada Higuchi. Throughout the tournament Endo has been using the Rolling Chop taught to him by Kenta Kobashi. The move here was not enough to put down Higuchi so Endo came up with an even more dangerous idea from Kobashi’s moveset. He wanted to do the Torture Rack Bomb but Higuchi grabbed him with the Brain Claw. Endo resisted and turned the Torture Rack into a Sitout Burning Hammer! He was then able to do the Spinning Torture Rack Bomb but Higuchi kicked out. Endo then hit the Burning Star Press and this time Higuchi was done for, ending the A Block with Endo heading to the final!

The other two frontrunners in the A Block both collapsed, leading to Endo to overtake them. Yuki Ueno was knocked for a loop thanks to Yuki Iino’s Spear. The first one was blocked with a Dropkick but when Ueno went for the WR, Iino countered it with a short-range Spear and pinned last year’s D-Oh winner in an upset! Iino calls the result a very precious victory and he will use this momentum to keep evolving into the next year. Ueno said whether he won or lost in this tournament, he is still the KO-D Openweight Champion coming out of it. He thinks it is still up to him to carry DDT over his back.

Daisuke Sasaki saw his chances of reaching the final blow up in flames thanks to HARASHIMA. Even with MJ Paul at ringside helping him behind the ref’s back, Sasaki fell to the Somato in short order. HARASHIMA credits his battleplan for the win because you have to be careful fighting against Sasaki. He isn’t pleased with only getting 4 points in the tournament but it will spur him on to train harder for next year. Sasaki meanwhile was so upset over his failure to win the Grand Prix that he decided to retire! Then he got cold feet and convinced a nearby reporter to grant permission for him to delay the retirement for one year.

Meeting Endo in the final is Yukio Naya in the B Block. There was only one match left in that group and Naya needed to win or else Rei Saito would go to the final instead. MAO was out of the running due to circumstances out of his control but he still fought like he had a chance to qualify. But despite using the match to get his frustrations out, MAO was hit with Knee Strike after Knee Strike, including one with his kneepad pulled down. It was all over for MAO when he was given The World’s Best Back Drop. He wasn’t happy about the result and complained about Naya not showing enough spirit when he fight. It has MAO wondering if Naya really wants to win this?

So the D-Oh final comes down to Endo against Naya. The two had a standoff in the ring after Endo’s match. Naya called Endo as amazing wrestler and Naya has to surpass amazing wrestlers to make up for last year’s defeat in the final. He wants to be the best not just in DDT but also all of Japanese pro wrestling so he cannot afford to lose now. Endo said Naya is bigger than him but not as strong. On 3rd January keep your eyes on Endo because he promises to crush Naya!

D.O.A might be getting a little ahead of themselves by accepting more title challengers than they need to but right now they look like they can handle the pressure. Their first KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles defence was a successful one against Schadenfreude International. The match saw Jun Akiyama using his own Gongitsune to combat Antonio Honda’s version. Things were looking bad when Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada blocked Danshoku Dieno’s Wasabi Lip Lock. But Makoto Oishi maneuvered Honda to run face first into Dieno’s backside and Oishi then rolled him up for the victory. Even though the champions won, Dieno was in agony because he still had the wasabi stuck in his mouth. Their next defence will be against Bodyguard’s Osaka team on 6th January. That match also has the D.O.A name on the line!

Rei Saito went into today’s show with a forfeit win over Chris Brookes. So with no tournament match Saito instead fought Hideki Okatani in a singles match between an AJPW World Tag Team Champion and an All Asia Tag Team Champion. Okatani had some chances to win but Saito was too big to let the Quetzalcoatl be used against him. Saito used his strength to turn things around and beat Okatani with the Drill-A-Hole Piledriver. Saito is still booked for 3rd January and so is his brother Jun Saito. Since the D-Oh final is no longer on the cards for Rei, The Saito Brothers are instead challenging DDT to give them a tag team to fight. Meanwhile Okatani promised to get revenge on Rei no matter if it is in DDT, All Japan or anywhere else!

The return of Toru Owashi from injury has him back in his natural role. He is and always will be the straight man in a comedy Battle Royal. The Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title was on the line as The Great Koji emerged from Parts Unknown against a field of challengers including a mystery opponent. That mystery wrestler turned out to be the championship’s creator Poison Sawada JULIE! He used his Snake Magic on Sanshiro Takagi forcing him to eliminate Akito, Kazuma Sumi and Kazuki Hirata one by one until JULIE eliminated Takagi by himself. Great Koji armed himself with a sickle and resisted JULIE’s magic at first but the spell eventually overpowered him. JULIE then applied his version of the Cattle Mutilation, forcing Koji to give up. JULIE was not the Iron Man champion but Owashi quickly pinned him with a School Boy to win the belt and the match.

Afterwards Takagi attacked JULIE and they fought their way to the back. Owashi stayed in the ring so he could thank the fans for their support during his recovery. Backstage he also made a decision to disband DISASTER BOX! Over the last five months Owashi has seen Hirata grow up and learn to take care of himself. The reason why DISASTER BOX stuck around for so long was so Owashi & HARASHIMA could look after Hirata but now that is no longer needed. Hirata is now walking down a new path, Owashi feels lucky he still has time to be a pro wrestler and HARASHIMA is fighting to remain the ace of DDT so the time is right for DISASTER BOX to end. The unit may come back in the future because it has been revived before. Also the three of them can still team together in some form whenever DDT tells them to so Hirata thinks not much is going to change from this decision.

Both KANON & MJ Paul were interested in fighting Yukio Sakaguchi because he is one half of the All Asia Tag Champions. So KANON felt a bit let down when he had to beat up Rukiya instead. At least DAMNATION T.A are having a year end drinking party at Sasaki’s house to make up for that disappointment.

At the very end of the show everyone came down to the ring dressed in Santa Claus outfits to celebrate Christmas with the fans. Hirata talked about how great DDT is and how he cannot wait for 2024. He then suddenly attacked Owashi with a Christmas Tree and everybody piled on top of them to try and win the Iron Man Title! Yukinori Matsui counted the pin and then seperated the pile of bodies to figure out who won. Everyone was pulled away until the only thing left directly lying on Owashi was the tree. Which means the Christmas Tree is the new Iron Man Champion! Takagi ordered everybody not to attack the tree because it is fitting for it to become a champion on Christmas Eve. Ueno closed out the show telling fans DDT in 2024 will make dreams come true for everyone!

The team challenging for the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles on 5th January have chosen the replacement for Chris Brookes. Taking his place for the title match is Takayuki Ueki. That means the team is not fighting as Schadenfreude International but instead representing Baka Gaijin + Friends!

DDT will be holding two outdoor Beer Garden shows in Tokyo Ueno Park on 21st and 26th March.

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Yusuke Out Sick, Battle Royal For Sumo Hall Main Event, Pom Vs Kamen

December 23, 2023

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 24/12/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

-. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Rei Saito (8) defeated Chris Brookes (2) by Forfeit.
1. Yukio Sakaguchi & Rukiya Vs KANON & MJ Paul
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal ~ Toru Owashi Return Match: The Great Koji (c) Vs Toru Owashi Vs Sanshiro Takagi Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito Vs Kazuma Sumi Vs Open Recruitment X
3. Special Single Match: Rei Saito Vs Hideki Okatani
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (6) Vs Yukio Naya (6)
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) Vs HARASHIMA (2)
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (5) Vs Yuki Iino (2)
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (4) Vs Kazusada Higuchi (6)

Yusuke Okada is out sick and will have to miss tomorrow’s show.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW INSPIRATION”, 06/01/2024
Shinjuku FACE

1. Pom Harajuku Vs Kuishinbo Kamen
2. Max The Impaler & Yuki Aino Vs HIMAWARI & Toga
3. Battle Royal To Win The Right To Challenge The Princess Of Princess Champion: Mizuki Vs Rika Tatsumi Vs Shoko Nakajima Vs Maki Itoh Vs Yuki Kamifuku Vs Miu Watanabe
4. Death Match: Masha Slamovich Vs Hikari Noa

By the end of the first week in January we will know what the main event of “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” is going to be. Miyu Yamashita and Masha Slamovich are fighting over the Princess Of Princess Title on the 4th. Then two days later there will be a Battle Royal between the six biggest potential challengers remaining for the title. The winner will become the No. 1 Contender and gets to face the champion at Sumo Hall on 31st March.

Life is already a circus for Pom Harajuku so it was only a matter of time before she cross paths with Kuishinbo Kamen. She kicks shins and he sells them like Trevor Berbick. It’s like a match made in heaven!

BASARA “BASARA 239 ~UTAGE~”, 07/01/2024
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. KUBITO & Yasu Urano Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
2. Ryuichi Sekine & Ryota Nakatsu Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. Isami Kodaka Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi
4. Takumi Tsukamoto, SAGAT & Lil’ Kraken Vs Daichi Kazato, Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura
5. Union MAX Title: FUMA (c) Vs Minoru Fujita

A little bit of Astronauts for you when BASARA holds their first show of 2024. Takuya Nomura is here to team with Fuminori Abe again but they also have Daichi Kazato on their side too.

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Brookes To Get Surgery, D-Oh Paths To The Final

December 21, 2023

News came out from DDT today about Chris Brookes visiting the hospital after feeling pain in his abdomen. Examinations discovered he has a tumour. It is not malignant but he will need to have surgery as soon as possible to remove it. He is expected to be out of action for a few weeks and has forfeited his remaining B Block match in the D-Oh Grand Prix.

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 24/12/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

-. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Rei Saito (8) defeated Chris Brookes (2) by Forfeit.
1. Yukio Sakaguchi & Rukiya Vs KANON & MJ Paul
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal ~ Toru Owashi Return Match: The Great Koji (c) Vs Toru Owashi Vs Sanshiro Takagi Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Kazuma Sumi Vs Open Recruitment X
3. Special Single Match: Rei Saito Vs Hideki Okatani
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (6) Vs Yukio Naya (6)
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) Vs HARASHIMA (2)
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (5) Vs Yuki Iino (2)
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (4) Vs Kazusada Higuchi (6)

A Block

1. Kazusada Higuchi (6)
2. Yuki Ueno (5)
-. Daisuke Sasaki (5)
4. Tetsuya Endo (4)
5. Yuki Iino (2)
-. HARASHIMA (2)

B Block

1. Rei Saito (8)
2. Yukio Naya (6)
-. MAO (6)
4. KANON (4)
5. Kazuki Hirata (2)
-. Chris Brookes (2)

Brookes forfeiting his match against Rei Saito has big consequences for the B Block. Saito is now sitting on top of the group with 8 points and will go through to the final if Yukio Naya does not beat MAO. If Naya wins that match then he will reach the final because he holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Saito. MAO however has the disadvantage with Saito and can no longer finish in 1st place even with a win over Naya. So while Naya is fighting for survival against MAO, Saito will face Hideki Okatani in a non-tournament match between an AJPW World Tag Team Champion and an All Asia Tag Team Champion.

That means the final day of the group stage is all built around the A Block. Daisuke Sasaki, Yuki Ueno, Tetsuya Endo and Kazusada Higuchi are all still alive in the race for 1st. Here is what needs to happen for each person to reach the final.

Kazusada Higuchi: A win against Endo sends him straight to the final. If it ends in a time limit draw then Higuchi still goes through if Ueno cannot beat Iino.

Tetsuya Endo: Beating Higuchi is absolutely necessary just to have a chance of making the final. If that happens then Endo had better hope that Ueno couldn’t beat Iino while Sasaki lost to HARASHIMA.

Daisuke Sasaki: Needs to beat HARASHIMA and hope either Endo beats Higuchi or that match ends in a Double Countout/No Contest (those draws are 0 points). If he and Ueno both win their matches and Higuchi loses then a sudden death tiebreaker will happen between Sasaki and Ueno.

Yuki Ueno: Needs to beat Iino, Sasaki not to win against HARASHIMA and Higuchi not to win against Endo. He can still go through if he time limit draws with Iino, Sasaki loses to HARASHIMA and Endo Vs Higuchi ends in Double Countout/No Contest. Ueno might go through if he and Sasaki both win and Higuchi gets a time limit draw. That ends with a 3 way tie at 7 points and I think Ueno would win the tiebreaker because he beat Higuchi while Sasaki could not. There’s also a bizarre possibility of Ueno, Sasaki, Higuchi and maybe Endo all finishing in 1st at 6 points but that requires two time limit draws on the same show along with a 4 way tiebreaker I cannot figure out. Wrestling tournament booking in Japan never gets that silly anyway.

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Full Ittenyon Card, Family Man Vs Divorced Man, MAO’s Crazy 4 Way, Ishida Injured

December 20, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’24”, 04/01/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Toga Vs Moka Miyamoto, Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami
2. Mizuki & Runa Okubo Vs Ryo Mizunami & Haru Kazashiro
3. Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
4. Riho Vs Shino Suzuki
5. Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & HIMAWARI Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. Aja Kong Vs Wakana Uehara
7. Special Single Match: Rina Yamashita Vs Maki Itoh
8. International Princess Title: Max The Impaler (c) Vs Yuki Arai
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta (c) Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Masha Slamovich

This is the complete card for the Tokyo Joshi Pro Ittenyon show, ten matches in all. Riho from AEW was the most recent big name added to the lineup. Her match against Shino Suzuki will be her first appearance in TJPW since October 2022.

The match between Rina Yamashita and Maki Itoh does not have any violent stipulation attached to it yet. However Itoh warns that if her opponent uses a weapon then she will too. That is why she always brings her pizza cutter everywhere she goes.

Ryo Mizunami’s match sees her placed in the ring with Mizuki and the two youngest rookies Runa Okubo and Haru Kazashiro. Okubo has been developing a more power-based moveset so Mizunami is going to be a valuable opponent for her to learn from.

BASARA “BASARA 239 ~UTAGE~”, 07/01/2024
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Union MAX Title: FUMA (c) Vs Minoru Fujita

When BASARA returns in the new year FUMA will put the Union MAX Title on the line against Minoru Fujita. The title challenge comes from Fujita wanting to turn around Sento Minzoku’s fortunes in 2024. The match also shows the opposite family lives between champion and challenger. FUMA got married this year and life as a whole has been fulfilling for him lately while Fujita is a divorced man with only pro wrestling to rely on. A man with nothing to lose is always a dangerous foe.

DDT “NEW YEAR’S CURRENT BLAST! 2024”, 14/01/2024
Kanagawa Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market

1. Special 4 Way Match: MAO Vs Mecha Mummy Vs Mecha Pandita Vs Demonio Uno
2. All Asia Tag Team Titles – Current Blast Death Match: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani (c) Vs Atsushi Onita & Toy Kojima

For some reason the Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market has become home to a number of pro wrestling’s most bizarre creations. Demonio Uno (or Demonio Dos) always pops up when TJPW runs shows there only to find out it is not the scariest monster in the area by a long shot. Mecha Mummy is going to show up after spending a year getting its improvements worked on over at Baka Gaijin + Friends. Then there is Mecha Pandita who as far as I know has not been seen since the short lived Bakuha Koshien promotion that ran during the pandemic. Filling out this 4 Way is MAO who is either the only normal part of the match or the most crazy out of everyone depending on your own point of view.

DDT “NEW YEAR FAN APPRECIATION DAY!”, 20/01/2024
Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX

1. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: KANON Vs Yuni
2. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Ilusion
3. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Kazuma Sumi
4. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Yukio Naya Vs Takeshi Masada
5. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Jun Akiyama Vs Rukiya
6. New Year’s Six Major Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Hideki Okatani
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Bryan Keith, Soma Takao & Shota

Six up and comers take on some of DDT’s mainstays in separate singles matches.

Yuki Ishida has opted to take time off in order to concentrate on treating a herniated lumbar disc. He had this injury back in August but returned in November. Unfortunately the injury is still bothering him so he is back out of action for the time being.

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The Last Shows Of 2023, Free WiFi Challenged By Daisy Monkey

December 18, 2023

BASARA “BASARA 238 ~UTAGE~”, 19/12/2023
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT Vs Yasu Urano & Masahiro Takanashi
2. 3 Way Match: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Gouma Ryu Vs A.YAZAWA
3. FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato Vs Lil’ Kraken, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
4. Isami Kodaka & Minoru Fujita Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Munetatsu Nakamura
5. Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino

Harimao Vs Aijin Tag headlines the last BASARA show of the year.

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 24/12/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal ~ Toru Owashi Return Match: The Great Koji (c) Vs Toru Owashi Vs Sanshiro Takagi Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yuki Ishida Va Kazuma Sumi Vs Rukiya Vs Open Recruitment X
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani Vs KANON & MJ Paul
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (5) Vs Yuki Iino (2)
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (4) Vs Kazusada Higuchi (6)
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) Vs HARASHIMA (2)
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes (2) Vs Rei Saito (6)
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (6) Vs Yukio Naya (6)

Christmas Eve is the last day of the D-Oh Grand Prix group stage and it is still all to play for in both blocks. The A Block will go to either Yuki Ueno, Tetsuya Endo, Kazusada Higuchi or Daisuke Sasaki depending on how all the results will go. B Block is a 3 way tie between Rei Saito, MAO and Yukio Naya. I’ll go work out their paths to the final in a separate post later this week.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SE-NO, MERRY CHRISTMAS! 2023”, 24/12/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Mahiro Kiryu Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Mizuki, HIMAWARI & Runa Okubo Vs Hyper Misao, Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku
3. Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Wakana Uehara & Shino Suzuki
4. Hikari Noa & Toga Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
5. Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Arai & Kaya Toribami Vs Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe, Raku & Moka Miyamoto

Christmas Eve is also the day of Tokyo Joshi Pro’s last show of 2023. It’s only five matches but the main event is an 8-Woman Tag.

GANBARE☆PRO “BAD COMMUNICATION 2023”, 27/12/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yuko Miyamoto Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. Sumire Natsu, YuuRI & Riara Vs HARUKAZE, Makoto & Banny Oikawa
3. Special Single Match: Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Arisu Endo
4. Special Single Match: Ken Ohka Vs Kuma Arashi
5. GanPro Vs GLEAT All Out Battle ~ GanPro’s Famous Elimination 10-Man Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari, Takuya Wada, Mizuki Watase, Shinichiro Tominaga & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Kaz Hayashi, Minoru Tanaka, Takanori Ito, Check Shimatani & Jun Tonsho
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Shota & Soma Takao (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie
7. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Shuichiro Katsumura

Earlier today Shuichiro Katsumura went to the Reversal Gym in Yokohama for a special training session with MMA fighters Seiichiro Ito and Hideo Tokoro. After some sparring Katsumura talked over tactics with them for his Spirit Of Ganbare Title match against Isami Kodaka. They agreed he needed more than just the Ninja Choke to win so Katsumura was taught how to use a series of transtioning submission holds to the arm. The transitions went from Arm Lock to Clothespin to Side Triangle Choke to Cross Armbreaker. Tokoro gave him encouragement for the title match. He also showed support for Ito who will be competing for the Interim King Of Pancrase Flyweight Title on 24th December.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’24”, 04/01/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Aja Kong Vs Wakana Uehara
2. Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
3. Rina Yamashita Vs Maki Itoh
4. International Princess Title: Max The Impaler (c) Vs Yuki Arai
5. Princess Tag Team Titles: Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta (c) Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
6. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Masha Slamovich

Another title match added to TJPW’s Ittenyon show. Free WiFi are defending the Princess Tag Team Titles against Daisy Monkey. All of the previous challengers for Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta were makeshift teams but Suzume & Arisu Endo have been an established pair for a good while now. Daisy Monkey has had one previous shot at the belts back in April 2022 when they lost to The Magical Sugar Rabbits. Both Suzume & Endo associate the championship with MagiRabi the most because they were TJPW’s strongest ever team. Now that Yuka Sakazaki is gone from TJPW it makes Daisy Monkey want to win the titles even more to carry on that legacy.

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DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KUMAMOTO” Results

December 17, 2023

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KUMAMOTO”, 17/12/2023
Kumamoto Sakurajuji Hall Yatsushiro Multipurpose Hall
282 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani defeated Soma Takao & Kazuma Sumi when Okatani submitted Sumi with a Dragon Sleeper (10:43).
2. Chris Brookes, Akito & Takeshi Masada defeated Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata when Masada pinned Oishi with the Triangle Kick (10:47).
3. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Naya & Rukiya when Endo pinned Rukiya with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb (14:19).
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) defeated Yuki Iino (2) with a Modified Crucific Pin (11:53).
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (6) defeated KANON (4) with the Just Face Lock (13:17).
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs Harimao!: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida defeated Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima when Higuchi pinned Kojima with the Brain Claw Slam (22:08).

A Block

1. Kazusada Higuchi (6)
2. Yuki Ueno (5)
-. Daisuke Sasaki (5)
4. Tetsuya Endo (4)
5. Yuki Iino (2)
-. HARASHIMA (2)

B Block

1. Yukio Naya (6)
-. MAO (6)
-. Rei Saito (6)
4. KANON (4)
5. Kazuki Hirata (2)
-. Chris Brookes (2)

Only two D-Oh Grand Prix matches today but they both help set the table for the final group matches taking place on Christmas Eve. MAO now finds himself at the top of the B Block but space is tight up there. He beat KANON and used TAKA Michinoku’s Just Face Lock submission for the win to rub it in. The result is payback for KANON beating him with the Cobra Twist during last year’s Grand Prix. With that debt repaid, MAO now thinks KANON is somebody who might be standing on the same level as him in the near future. KANON has now completed all of his group matches and he’s upset because all he got out of it is a pair of Hirata GO! glasses.

The only A Block match had Daisuke Sasaki playing mind games with Yuki Iino. Sasaki claimed Iino still has a trace of “Sexy” inside him and he was going to bring it out of him! Sasaki did poses to remind Iino of Pheromones and make him lose his temper. While this sent Iino on a rampage chasing after Sasaki, it also led to him making mistakes. The big one was Iino missing a Spear and hitting the exposed corner post after Sasaki had removed the turnbuckle pad. The damage did not immediately cost Iino the match but it didn’t take Sasaki long to pin him with a Crucifix afterwards. Sasaki then added insult to injury by saying Iino was never sexy at all! While Iino no longer has a chance to reach the final, he still promises fans will see him show everything with full power at DDT’s last Korakuen Hall show of the year.

The show today did not have a big focus on the D-Oh because it was also Yuki Ishida’s triumphant return to his hometown Yatsushiro, Kumamoto. The 37KAMIINA wanted to spoil Harimao’s party, particularly when Ishida responded to Toy Kojima’s “NeppoWER” pose with an enthusiastic “Dosukoi” shout. It was Kazusada Higuchi who scored the win by pinning Kojima but Ishida did his part by keeping Yuki Ueno away from the finish. After the match Ishida told the fans he’s really happy to see so many people from Yatsushiro come to watch DDT wrestling. It’s always been his goal to perform here for DDT and next time he wants DDT to book him in a title match here!

Today was Jun Akiyama’s last time teaming with other wrestler in BURNING before he leaves the unit at the end of the year. Tetsuya Endo said the unit will now consist of just himself, Yusuke Okada and the currently injured Yuya Koroku. He thanked Akiyama for everything he taught them over the last two years. Endo also thinks the best way to repay Akiyama is for BURNING to grow bigger without him, even if that means they go and win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles from Akiyama’s other team D.O.A! Akiyama joked that when he quits BURNING he will go back to being a normal old man. He also pointed out BURNING has to wait for Koroku to come back before they can get in line for a title shot. That is unless they find a new member of course. However it happens, D.O.A have to go through their current schedule of title defences in order to make a title match against BURNING happen in the future.

Growing with confidence thanks to some recent success, Takeshi Masada claims he is no longer scared of Danshoku Dieno and and his backside. Makoto Oishi threatened to feed Dieno wasabi paste but Hisaya Imabayashi stopped him, just like he did yesterday. Instead Imabayashi invited Yuki Ishida’s father into the ring to hand them a piece of Karashi Renkon, which is a local dish in Kumamoto. During the match Oishi stuck the food in Dieno’s backside and tried forcing Masada to eat it. Masada instead turned it around and shoved it into Oishi’s mouth. Masada then pinned him with the Triangle Kick. He thought about thanking Ishida’s father for helping him win but decided it was because of the Karashi Renkon instead. Schadenfreude International then vowed o win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles from D.O.A on Christmas Eve.

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DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN FUKUOKA” Results

December 16, 2023

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN FUKUOKA”, 16/12/2023
Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall
355 Fans – No Vacancy

0. Dark Match – Kyushu Sangyo University Pro Wrestling Research Department Offer Match: Ionazun Shirai & Tiger Nishiya Mask defeated Great Tamu & Occult Daimao when Nishiya pinned Daimao with the Mad Splash (12:33).
1. Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao defeated Yukio Naya & Yusuke Okada when Takao pinned Okada with an Inside Cradle (7:58).
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Toy Kojima & Van Vert Jack defeated Azul Dragon, Akito & Kazuma Sumi when Kojima pinned Sumi with the Kojima In Wonderland ~KOJIMA Wonderland~ (9:33).
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Kazuki Hirata (2) defeated Chris Brookes (2) with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (9:46).
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Rei Saito (6) defeated KANON (4) with the Body Splash (11:43).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi defeated Hideki Okatani, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada when Oishi pinned Ishida with the Jikiden Tornado Clutch (10:22).
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Kazusada Higuchi (6) defeated Yuki Iino (3) with the Brain Claw Press (12:03).
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (5) defeated HARASHIMA (2) with the WR (14:21).
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (3) defeated Tetsuya Endo (4) with the Foot Trapped Crossface Lock (22:53).

A Block

1. Kazusada Higuchi (6)
2. Yuki Ueno (5)
3. Tetsuya Endo (4)
4. Daisuke Sasaki (3)
5. Yuki Iino (2)
-. HARASHIMA (2)

B Block

1. Yukio Naya (6)
-. Rei Saito (6)
3. MAO (4)
-. KANON (4)
5. Kazuki Hirata (2)
-. Chris Brookes (2)

This weekend starts the deep end of the D-Oh Grand Prix with plenty of must win situations for the wrestlers involved. Daisuke Sasaki got his first victory in this year’s tournament by beating Tetsuya Endo in a rematch from “ULTIMATE PARTY 2023”. Sasaki targeted Endo’s left knee early but switched to spiking his neck onto the canvas with the Implant as well as a Tombstone Destroyer. The left knee then came back into play when Sasaki trapped the limb while applying the Crossface Lock to make Endo submit. Sasaki said what happened in the past between him and Endo as well as what will happen in the future does not matter. He just wants to soak in today’s victory.

Yuki Ueno remains in the race for first place and eliminated HARASHIMA from contention to get there. HARASHIMA hit the Somato but Ueno pulled out one of his own to give his opponent a taste of his own medicine. A big Dropkick to the face followed by the WR ended the match with Ueno’s arm raised. He said being raised by DISASTER BOX is what helped him become a champion and he is now good enough to win against his former senpai.

The two big boys of the A Block clashed. Yuki Iino hit hard but Kazusada Higuchi fought back even harder. He also showed some agility by doing the splits in order to dodge Iino’s Low Altitude Spear. Higuchi hit some moves of his own but it was still all even between the two. Iino applied a Bearhug but it was countered with the Brain Claw. Higuchi kept hold of Iino’s head and slammed him to the canvas, pressing him down for the pinfall. Higuchi said Iino has always been a monster in the ring but he has blossomed during the Grand Prix. Higuchi now wants to rest so he can be ready for a vital match against Endo. Iino however might have his recent past come back to haunt him. His next opponent Sasaki claims Iino is hiding something “Sexy” and it will be exposed to everyone when they fight!

KANON’s results are playing a vital role in how the B Block is turning out. His win against Yukio Naya most of the field still in the running. Now his loss against Rei Saito today could be the turning point in improving Saito’s chances of reaching the final. Saito believes the size difference was why he won today. KANON could not break him down like he did to Naya one week ago.

There is now no chance for Chris Brookes to reach the final. Also he might end up having the worst win-loss record in the Grand Prix by the end of it. But worst of all he has the misfortune of being the only person in the tournament to lose to Kazuki Hirata! That’s right, Hirata won his last block match to avoid finishing with zero points! He came up with a plan to disguise himself as a cameraman at ringside so he could roll up Brookes immediately. Brookes kicked out though and instantly turned the tables against him. Hirata perservered though and pulled off the upset thanks to the Miracle One Shot Cradle! He thanked his fans for their support and called this a win they all achieved together. Despite only winning once he is still proud of his performance because it took 13 years of his life to get here and he gave it his all.

The bottle of wasabi Makoto Oishi carries around with him was confiscated by Hisaya Imabayashi before D.O.A’s match began and replaced with a pack of spicy cod roe. Danshoku Dieno didn’t think it was a good substitute but Oishi still force fed him it to power up the Lip Lock. The move worked on Yuki Ishida, leaving him vulnerable to be pinned with the Jikiden Tornado Clutch.

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United Japan Pro Wrestling Is Announced

December 15, 2023

UJPW “UNITED JAPAN PRO WRESTLING”, 06/05/2024
Tokyo Nippon Budokan

I’m going to copy and paste the write up on New Japan’s official English site to explain what’s going on with this new thing called United Japan Pro Wrestling.

———————————————————————–

December 15, Tokyo Japan

New Japan Pro-Wrestling today announces that it is one of nine organizations that will constitute United Japan Pro-Wrestling, a new industry group representing professional wrestling in Japan.

Without an industry wide group for professional wrestling in Japan, the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic made it all the more clear that there was a need to consolidate and express accurate information and best operating practices between promotions, as well as to communicate effectively with national and municipal governments. In a bid to better anticipate and adapt to societal changes in the future, nine Japanese promotions at the forefront of pro-wrestling in the country will be be part of a collective industry group (henceforth ‘the Group’).

The members of the Group will maintain their individual business identities and competition in the marketplace, but the Group will provide a space to discuss issues that concern the industry at large, and to exchange information with an interest in maintaining its growth. The formation of the Group will be marked by an event on May 6 2024 in Nippon Budokan under the banner of United Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Mission statement

To further the presence of pro-wrestling and its cultural merit in Japanese society at large, allow professional wrestling to contribute further to cultural and sporting sectors, and work toward continued health and prosperity of the industry.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic made it apparent that there was a lack of communication and unified approach to event guidelines, and no common point of contact between the industry and national and municipal governments. There was also a desire to discuss issues surrounding wrestler health and safety (including in their online presence), to create a pipeline to other sporting organizations and to further the image of professional wrestling through issues of corporate social responsibility. There was a shared desire between members of the Group to continue existing competition within the marketplace while also sharing relevant information and know-how on these and other socio-economic issues.

Core tenets

Unity and integrity. The Group will be the representative spokesgroup for all of professional wrestling in Japan.
Representation. The Group will be the public facing symbol for the collective whole of professional wrestling in Japan.
Continuity. The Group will have a continuous presence and activity in the future.

As a result, the existence of the Group will be made known worldwide, and its members will be actively engaged in actions of merit.

Activities

Governmental communication and requests
Strengthening connections to other industries and sectors
Sharing resources and practices

Including those related to wrestler health and safety, such as the provision of financial support for wrestlers while injured, and to offer compliance training. Group members will also consolidate event data for historical archive purposes.

Monetization

Any proceeds from the monetized use of iconography shall be split among the Group members. Joint events and festivals will be held.

Group members

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)
All Japan Pro-Wrestling (All Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)
Pro-Wrestling NOAH (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
DDT Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
Ganbare ☆ Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)
Big Japan Pro-Wrestling （Yotsuba Industries Ltd.)
DRAGONGATE (DRAGONGATE Co. Ltd.)
STARDOM (BushiRoad Fight Co. Ltd.)
Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (Cyber Fight Co. Ltd.)

Further Group members will be considered in future.

Founding chair: Seiji Sakaguchi
Executive office: New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.
Executive chief: Naoki Sugabayashi (Chairman: New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co. Ltd.)

———————————————————————–

So we’re giving this another go then. My immediate reaction to the news was memories of the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance from the mid 2000s. The GPWA was a similar concept to this, getting many of the wrestling promotions in Japan to co-operate with each other under one banner. It faded away pretty quickly. The only legacy it left behind was the 2007 Differ Cup tournament (and that isn’t even the 2005 one that was hyped by tape traders from that era). It also stayed around as a piece of trivia in wiki pages for each of the companies involved for years afterwards. So from the jump I’m feeling cynical over UJPW’s chances of establishing itself as an important benchmark for Japanese wrestling.

However the entire wrestling landscape is very different now than it was back then. The scene in Japan is not back to pre-pandemic levels of business and it’s only when times are toughest you will get companies willing to work together in order to spark up some kind of momentum again. I see some instant reaction online that this might be another attempt to close up Japan to WWE but I’m struggling to think that’s the main priority here. WWE’s global expansion plans do seem to be revving up again and their recent ABEMA deal has gotten them more coverage in Japan recently. And of course there’s suddenly more and more rumours about WWE trying to snap up Japan’s biggest names at the nearest opportunity. Yet as I see all this on the horizon I still don’t think it is an immediate threat. What’s happening here with UJPW seems to be the Japanese companies all trying to get their plans in order in regards to challenges much closer to home. It’s more like something to represent the majority of the industry when communicating with government bodies.

But hey, let’s give this thing a shot because at the very least what we’re getting out of it is nine promotions working together for a big show at Budokan Hall next May. Company alliances over the last year have been interesting to follow. New Japan and NOAH have been working together, All Japan and DDT have bee working together. Dragongate mostly keeps to themselves while Big Japan and Ganbare☆Pro are usually full of freelancers and wrestlers from other indies showing up at all times. The most surprising dynamic is Stardom and Tokyo Joshi Pro finally interacting with each other. Getting the isolated promotions like Dragongate and TJPW involved in this is significant. TJPW were not involved at all in the big Joshi show celebrating 60 years of Korkauen Hall that was held in 2022. What on earth kind of matchup are they going to put together if inter-promotional bouts are planned for the show?

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Can KANON Steal The Block? GanPro Ready For The New Year, 5th Annual Shoko Vs Misao Match

December 14, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO/PRESTIGE “COMBAT PRINCESS USA”, 14/12/2023
The Vermont Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Rika Tatsumi & Amira Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
2. Moka Miyamoto Vs Trish Adora
3. Mizuki Vs Sandra Moone
4. Shoko Nakajima Vs Taya Valkyrie
5. Miu Watanabe Vs Hyan
6. Princess Tag Team Titles: Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta (c) Vs Janai Kai & Shazza McKenzie
7. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly

There were a few speed bumps along the way but tonight is the night Tokyo Joshi Pro is back in America thanks to Prestige!

GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO BINARY LAND ’23”, 15/12/2023
Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall

1. GanJo Vs Evo Joshi: Riara Vs ZONES
2. GanJo Vs Evo Joshi: YuuRI Vs Chi Chi
3. Ram Kaichow & Alex Lee Vs Sumire Natsu & Marika Kobashi
4. Tae Honma & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Yuu & Banny Oikawa

Yoshiko Hasegawa gets to main event the final Ganbare☆Joshi show of 2023.

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN FUKUOKA”, 16/12/2023
Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall

0. Dark Match – Kyushu Sangyo University Pro Wrestling Research Department Offer Match: Ionazun Shirai & Tiger Nishiya Mask Vs Great Tamu & Occult Daimao
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Toy Kojima & Van Vert Jack Vs Azul Dragon, Akito & Kazuma Sumi
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao Vs Yukio Naya & Yusuke Okada
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi Vs Hideki Okatani, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (2) Vs HARASHIMA (2)
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (4) Vs Daisuke Sasaki (1)
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Kazusada Higuchi (4) Vs Yuki Iino (3)
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes (2) Vs Kazuki Hirata (0)
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: KANON (4) Vs Rei Saito (4)

It’s still a close race in the A Block but if KANON pulls off a second upset in a row he will suddenly find himself on top of the B Block! Rei Saito needs to win this or he will not be able to qualify for the final.

Kazuki Hirata’s last block match is against Chris Brookes. Lost this and Hirata ends the tournament with the wooden spoon award. A win though will save him some face, even if it’s just by a little bit.

BASARA “BASARA 238 ~UTAGE~”, 19/12/2023
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT Vs Yasu Urano & Masahiro Takanashi
2. 3 Way Match: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Gouma Ryu Vs A.YAZAWA
3. Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
4. FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato Vs Lil’ Kraken, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
5. Isami Kodaka & Minoru Fujita Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Munetatsu Nakamura

This is the last BASARA show of the year. The main event sees Sento Minzoku’s top two facing the visitors from Ganbare☆Pro. Just over a week later Isami Kodaka and Shuichiro Katsumura will fight at the main event of GanPro’s end of year Korakuen Hall show.

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 24/12/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal ~ Toru Owashi Return Match: The Great Koji (c) Vs Toru Owashi Vs Sanshiro Takagi Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yuki Ishida Va Kazuma Sumi Vs Rukiya Vs Open Recruitment X
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani Vs KANON & MJ Paul
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs Yuki Iino
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Kazusada Higuchi
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki Vs HARASHIMA
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs Rei Saito
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO Vs Yukio Naya

Toru Owashi admits he is more worried about the mental stress of being in the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title Battle Royal for his return match rather than the physical stress. He knows his best skill is managing traffic during chaotic matches but the appearance of this new guy called The Great Koji has him a little concerned the pressure will be too much to handle. Owashi thinks he can beat Koji to win the Iron Man Title but to be honest, he doesn’t really want it.

GANBARE☆PRO “BAD COMMUNICATION 2023”, 27/12/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yuko Miyamoto Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. Sumire Natsu, YuuRI & Riara Vs HARUKAZE, Makoto & Banny Oikawa
3. Special Single Match: Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Arisu Endo
4. Special Single Match: Ken Ohka Vs Kuma Arashi
5. GanPro Vs GLEAT All Out Battle ~ GanPro’s Famous Elimination 10-Man Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari, Takuya Wada, Mizuki Watase, Shinichiro Tominaga & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Kaz Hayashi, Minoru Tanaka, Takanori Ito, Check Shimatani & Jun Tonsho
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Shota & Soma Takao (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie
7. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Shuichiro Katsumura

During the week Ken Ohka & Keisuke Ishii travelled to the All Japan dojo in Yokohama so they could train for a few hours with Shuji Ishikawa. The three of them have ties going back to Union Pro. Ishii invaded the promotion and kicked Ohka out of Union by winning a Loser Leaves Town match. Ohka went on to form GanPro and started a war with Union and Ishikawa. A lot of time has passed since then and Ohka is proud to see how far all three of them have advanced since then. The training session included Ishikawa coming up with ideas to improve Ohka’s finisher the Fire Spear. The move has been countered a lot by Ohka’s current enemy Kuma Arashi in their recent matches. Ishikawa and Ishii instructed Ohka new ways to use the Spear so there will be less opportunities for it to be countered. By the end of the session Ohka can now hit the Spear with more accuracy, less momentum and also from a shorter range.

DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 THE FINAL”, 03/01/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. New Year’s GiFt Special Single Match: Kuroshio TOKYO Japan Vs Danshoku Dieno
2. Special Tag Match ~ Shunma Katsumata Return Match: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani Vs Shunma Katsumata & Toy Kojima
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – Final: Winner Of A Block Vs Winner Of B Block

Shunma Katsumata revealed the reason why he wanted Eruption to be his opponents for his return match. 2024 is going to be Katsumata’s 10th year in wrestling and Yukio Sakaguchi was one of his opponents in his debut match. So Katsumata wants to kick off his tenth year by fighting his very first pro opponent again. He is impressed by how well Hideki Okatani performed in the Real World Tag League. And finally Katsumata appreciates all the hard work Toy Kojima did to protect The 37KAMIINA while he was recovering at home. Katsumata also has his eyes on winning back the DDT Extreme Title and KO-D Tag Team Titles in 2024.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’24”, 04/01/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Aja Kong Vs Wakana Uehara
2. Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
3. Rina Yamashita Vs Maki Itoh
4. International Princess Title: Max The Impaler (c) Vs Yuki Arai
5. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Masha Slamovich

The Ittenyon tradition continues with the fifth annual Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao singles match! Nothing extra has been announced yet but there is always a wacky stipulation attached to these matches. The first two matches also had the winner change the loser’s name for a month but they stopped doing that for the third and fourth matches in order to keep the harmony within Kyoraku Kyomei for the upcoming Max Heart Tournament. Giving one of them an identity crisis right before the big tag team tournament is not a good idea.

Ryo Mizunami will be on the show.

GANBARE☆PRO “2024 GANBARE☆THE FIGHT BEGINS”, 04/01/2024
Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall

1. YuuRI & Riara Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa & Kaho Matsushita
2. Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE Vs Shigehiro Irie & Banny Oikawa
3. New Year Special 3 Way Match: Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Yuni Vs Ilusion
4. GanPro New Year Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Yumehito Imanari Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Soma Takao
5. GanPro New Year Special Tag Match: Ken Ohka & Mizuki Watase Vs Shota & Shinichiro Tominaga

The first GanPro show of 2024 features a new generation 3 Way Match reuniting several members of DDTeeeen!! It’s time for Munetatsu Nakamura, Yuni and Ilusion to all show each other how much they have learned since they were last in the ring with each other.

Also on the show is the return of Lethal Weapon! The duo of Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE have arguably been the top mixed tag team in GanPro. That makes them the perfect opponents for Banny Oikawa who is continuing down her path of intergender tag wrestling. She teams with Shigehiro Irie.

Kaho Matsushita is from Ice Ribbon. That company just announced a restructure with new investments attached to them so it might be an interesting story to see what they can do in 2024.

GANBARE☆PRO “GANPRO 2024 ROSIER”, 06/01/2024
Osaka 176BOX

1. Legendary Hostess Vs The Toughest Girl In Osaka: Riara Vs Momoka Hanazono
2. Banny Oikawa & YuuRI Vs HARUKAZE & Yoshiko Hasegawa
3. Yumehito Imanari & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Soma Takao & Mizuki Watase
4. Keisuke Ishii & Shota Vs Ilusion & Munetatsu Nakamura
5. GanPro New Year Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Ken Ohka & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Shuichiro Katsumura, Takuya Wada & Tsuyoshi Okada

HARASHIMA joins in with GanPro’s new year celebrations.

Warning, everybody involved in Match #3 all like to drink a lot of alcohol.

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Toyonaka City Getting Represented, Explosion Match For All Asia Tag Titles

December 11, 2023

DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024 TOUR IN OSAKA DAY 1”, 06/01/2024
Osaka 176BOX

1. Kazusada Higuchi Vs Rukiya
2. Special 3 Way Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Sanshiro Takagi Vs Shunma Katsumata
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – DEAD OR ALIVE Contra DEAD OR ALIVE: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Bodyguard, Naruki Doi & Tsutenkakka

This will be Shunma Katsumata’s first match in Osaka since coming back from injury.

Osaka local Rukiya is showing some guts by challenging Kazusada Higuchi to a singles match.

DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024 TOUR IN OSAKA DAY 2”, 07/01/2024
Osaka 176BOX

1. Special Single Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dieno
2. Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Rukiya Vs HARASHIMA & Kazuma Sumi

Both Sanshiro Takagi & Rukiya are from Toyonaka so they decided to try out as a team together while DDT is in Osaka.

DDT “NEW YEAR’S CURRENT BLAST! 2024”, 14/01/2024
Kanagawa Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market

1. All Asia Tag Team Titles – Current Blast Death Match: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani (c) Vs Atsushi Onita & Toy Kojima

Toy Kojima came out and challenged Eruption for the All Asia Tag Team Titles over the weekend with Atsushi Onita planned to be his tag partner. Yukio Sakaguchi was not interested with the idea in the least but Hideki Okatani was open to it as long as Kojima could raise the stakes higher. Since Kojima & Onita were already planning to team together again next month for another Current Blast Death Match, Kojima decided that can be where the title bout takes place! Eruption agreed and the challenge was signed off by the PWF commission. The PWF still has Dory Funk Jr. as its president so I can only imagine he was asked to sanction an exploding death match for the belts and he replied “yeah, that makes a lot of sense.”

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