DDT Around The World – June 2023

July 1, 2023

One year into writing these articles and I knew it was going to be a good idea to keep track of everything. A busy idea every time the end of the month comes but a good one nonetheless. Summer is still going on but the focus on international travels is swapping some of the cast we’re following. Miyu Yamashita ended her Kick Rampage Tour with a long list of matches and companies worked for under her belt. Maki Itoh is also back in Japan gearing up for possibly the biggest match of her career before she goes touring again. The mystery of why Yuka Sakazaki went to America and not wrestle at all has been cleared up. Well, sort of. There’s a few things out there I’m asking around to clarify knowing full well I won’t be getting any answers. We even got a little bit of Mizuki in there too. Now MAO gets to be a featured part of this series going into the rest of the summer. He’s the latest wrestler to get the travel bug and take in some bookings around America.

Oh, one more thing. I put together two Youtube playlists related to this series. The first is following Takeshita’s AEW run using all of the highlight videos AEW posts on their channels. I avoided adding the episodes of Dark because of the episode lengths. One thing I noticed looking back on everything it’s cool to see how many of Takeshita’s opponents on Dynamite and Rampage early in his run have all circled together as part of feud between The Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club. Intentional or not, Takeshita’s year with the company ended up being something that connected a lot of pieces together.

The other playlist is a collection of Yamashita’s matches from her Rampage Kick Tour. All of the videos I included were posted by either the promotions themselves or the wrestlers she faced against. I avoided fancams and highlight videos unless they were official or endorsed. If there’s anything I missed then send the Youtube links my way. If there’s interest in more I’ll see if I can put a playlist together for Itoh or maybe the DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro rosters in general.

Konosuke Takeshita In AEW Playlist

Miyu Yamashita Kick Rampage Tour 2023 Playlist

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Videos


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 07/06/2023
Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) Vs Damon Ace


ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANT’S WOKE EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023
The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA

1. Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita


Video starts at 3:21.
ENJOY “SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT”, 17/06/2023
Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Ray Lyn


WARRIOR “WARRIOR WRESTLING 30 – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS”, 30/06/2023
Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA

1. Warhorse Vs Konosuke Takeshita

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Results


LLL “BEST WISHES WARMEST REGARDS”, 02/06/2023
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. LLL Women’s Title – 3 Way Match: Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Masha Slamovich and Miyu Yamashita when Howitzer pinned Yamashita with the Stunner (15:04).
*V? for Heidi Howitzer.

Earlier this year Yamashita was able to win the Princess Tag Team Titles from The Wasteland War Party in TJPW. Now it was time for her to enter one of Heidi Howitzer’s haunts Lucha Libre & Laughs to try and win another championship from her. Another of Yamashita’s regular opponents Masha Slamovich was also there to make it a 3 Way Match. Yamashita rocked Slamovich with the Skull Kick but just when she thought the match was won, Howitzer came in and gave her a Stunner for the three count and a successful title defence.


BLACK LABEL PRO “FANCY WRESTLING 2”, 03/06/2023
RDS Gym, Crown Point, Indiana, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Rachel Armstrong with the Skull Kick (11:13).

The gap of experience between Yamashita and Rachel Armstrong put Yamashita firmly in the bullying veteran role for the match. She goaded her opponent into a strike exchange that she shrugged off. Armstrong caught Yamashita off guard by criss-crossing the ropes and landing a Running Elbow Smash that knocked Yamashita out of the ring to set up a dive. But back in the ring Yamashita pushed Armstrong away from doing a Shiranui and lifted her high into the air for the Attitude Adjustment. Once she hit the Skull Kick Yamashita applied a dominant pin on top of Armstrong to win the match.


GCW “CAGE OF SURVIVAL 2”, 04/06/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Janai Kai with the I.S.D. (5:43).

Itoh kicked off GCW’s second annual “CAGE OF SURVIVAL” event by beating Janai Kai but her celebration was cut off by Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander. The two of them were coming out for a tag match against Brandon Kirk & Casey Kirk but first took the time demanding Itoh to keep her nose out of their business. Itoh swore at them and told Cardona to “suck my dick!” Cardona & De Lander went on to beat the Kirks and continued to attack them after the match. Itoh then returned to the ring this time with Nick Gage alongside her. Together Maki Death Kill and The Kirks fought back and Itoh got to smash a bundle of lighttubes over Cardona’s head! If that wasn’t enough she also smeared some of Cardona’s blood she found on the mat over her face afterwards!


INSPIRE A.D. “KIDS OF THE BLACKHOLE”, 04/06/2023
Empire Control Room, Austin, Texas, USA

1. Killa Kate defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Cradle (?:??).

This is possibly the biggest upset defeat Yamashita suffered in her entire excursion. Killa Kate is nicknamed “The Submission Musician” and lived up to it by going for different holds targeting Yamashita’s arm. Yamashita put all of her focus into fighting off the submissions that Kate ended up switching a Cross Armbreaker into a Rolling Cradle to score the pin from out of nowhere.


ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 07/06/2023 (Aired ??/06/2023)
Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

1. Willow Nightingale & Maki Itoh defeated Emi Sakura & Megan Bayne (?:??).

I’m seeing conflicting reports on whether or not this match was taped for ROH. On the night everyone at the show who tweeted about it said it was taped and images show the ROH set up in the arena. However AEW’s Japanese Twitter account made it sound like it was just a dark match only for those in attendance to see. That’s a shame if it doesn’t get shown because Itoh and Willow Nightingale together sounds like a fun pairing, Emi Sakura’s work is consistently enjoyable and Megan Bayne was building up a hot streak on the indies before getting injured last year.


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 07/06/2023
Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated Damon Ace with the PowerDrive Knee (1:29).

Over in AEW we get to see Konosuke Takeshita with a new attitude under the guidance of Don Callis. He gave Damon Ace a quick beating while video footage of Callis betraying Kenny Omega looped over and over on the arena screens.


ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANT’S WOKE EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023
The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA

1. Billie Starkz defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Victory Roll Reversal (14:04).

By this point Yamashita and Billie Starkz have faced each other several times already. But this meeting in St. Louis Anarchy was one that Starkz has been looking forward to for a while. Her persistence paid off because she finally scored her first singles win over Yamashita! The finish came when she tried to use the Sugoi Driver but Yamashita countered it into a Victory Roll. Starkz reversed the hold and rolled herself back on top of Yamashita to get the three count.


SPARK “IGNITE EAST”, 11/06/2023
The Heart Ballroom, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Brittany Blake with the Itoh Deluxe (9:17).
2. Spark Joshi World Title: Miyu Yamashita defeated Rachael Ellering with the Crash Rabbit Heat (16:20).
*Miyu Yamashita becomes the 1st Spark Joshi World Champion!

The debut show for Spark Joshi Puroresu was a good one for Yamashita and Itoh. In the main event Yamashita defeated Rachael Ellering to become the first Spark Joshi World Champion. However Yamashita may need to watch her back for future shows because Starkz threw her name into the hat for a future title shot. She also formed an alliance with Ellering called Xtinguish. On the undercard Itoh beat Brittany Blake.


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 14/06/2023
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., USA

0. Dark Match: Riho, Maki Itoh & Abadon defeated Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir & Emi Sakura (?:??).

You know, this would have been a nice match to put on video somewhere. Riho, Itoh & Abadon is a King Of Trios kind of team if I ever saw one. So are Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir & Emi Sakura as a potential Team AEW Dark. Damn it, I miss King Of Trios. Can Tony Khan go do a little bit of grave robbing and grab what’s left of Chikara? Or is that going to unleash a new kind of curse on the world that nobody wants?


AEW “RAMPAGE”, 14/06/2023 (Aired 16/06/2023)
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated Bandido with the PowerDrive Knee (15:11).

Now this is the good stuff! Big Lariats from Takeshita, big Hurricanranas from Bandido, big bombs everywhere else. Takeshita eventually came out on top against Bandido by hitting the Jumping Knee, an Elbow Strike to the back of the head and then the PowerDrive Knee.


SPARK “IGNITE WEST”, 16/06/2023
East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Cultural Center, West Covina, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Zeda Zhang with the I.S.D. (9:55).
2. Spark Joshi World Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Delilah Doom with the Skull Kick (19:06).
*V1 for Miyu Yamashita.

The second Spark show was full of victories again for Yamashita and Itoh. Yamashita earned her first Spark Joshi Title defence by beating Delilah Doom while Itoh was victorious against Zeda Zhang. After the match Sumie Sakai entered the ring, helped Zhang to her feet and held up the Xtinguish banner with her. Itoh told both of them to “Fuck off.”


ENJOY “SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT”, 17/06/2023
Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Ray Lyn with the Skull Kick (18:06).

The final weekend of Yamashita’s tour took her to Enjoy Wrestling where she beat Ray Lyn.


GCW “THANK ME LATER”, 17/06/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Rina Yamashita defeated Maki Itoh with the Splash Mountain onto a Chair (17:37).

Well the death match stuff was going to catch up with Itoh sooner or later. When she faced Rina Yamashita in GCW she had to fight someone armed with chairs and even a loose door. Itoh had her trusty pizza cutter though and was able to slice her opponent’s head open. However Yamashita put Itoh through the door with an Air Raid Crash, attacked her over and over with the chairs and pinned her with the Splash Mountain onto a chair.


DPW “TAG FESTIVAL 2023”, 18/06/2023
Durham Armory, Durham, North Carolina, USA

1. Emi Sakura & Mizuki (w/ Yuka Sakazaki) defeated Miyu Yamashita & Vert Vixen when Sakura pinned Vixen with La Magistral Cradle (11:37).

Deadlock Pro held the final match of Yamashita’s tour along with Itoh’s last match before she went back to Japan too. A lot of changes happened in the leadup. First the match was supposed to by Yamashita & Hyan against The Magical Sugar Rabbits but Hyan had to pull out because of a schedule conflict. Vert Vixen was brought in to be Yamashita’s new partner. Then Sakazaki got her injury diagnosis and was unable to do the match. DPW decided Mizuki would now team with Emi Sakura, who just so happens to be the DPW Women’s Champion. Sakazaki was still able to attend the show and be at ringside to support Mizuki. Together the three of them became The MagiRabi Queens. Sakazaki even got involved a few times pulling some antics at ringside. Stuff like moving around the ringside railings for wrestlers to get thrown into. She even got in the way and almost had her head kicked off when Yamashita tried to do a running Penalty Kick on the apron. Yamashita stopped herself at the last second while Sakazaki froze in fear, possibly having her life flash before her eyes.

AEW/NJPW “FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023”, 25/06/2023
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1. Hangman Page, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii defeated Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino when Ishii pinned Yuta with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (21:29).

Hey this just about counts as DDT being part of the Forbidden Door. Takeshita through his new manager formed an alliance with the Blackpool Combat Club in the leadup to the big show. Together they all challenged The Elite along with Eddie Kingston and his choice of partner Tomohiro Ishii. Takeshita put up a big performance on the night highlighted with the incredibly rare sight of him knocking out Ishii with an Elbow Strike! Ishii recovered and went on to score the pinfall for his team but the story is ready to move on to its next chapter.


WARRIOR “WARRIOR WRESTLING 30 – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS”, 30/06/2023
Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Warhorse with the PowerDrive Knee (18:06).

Takeshita’s return to Warrior Wrestling was a reminder that no matter what happens to him, there will always be that DDT DNA inside of him. Warhorse went into the match with the intentions of not just beating Takeshita but sending him to the injured list. With an entire football field at their disposal they fought everywhere they could reach. They brawled along the track where Takeshita jumped hurdles on the way to kicking Warhorse with a Big Boot. Warhorse turned the tables near the field goal by inviting Takeshita to kick a football and then doing the old Charlie Brown trick to make him fall over. Warhorse then Body Slammed a few nearby people onto Takeshita for good measure! Takeshita fought back by doing a Brainbuster on the field, leaving both feeling hurt enough to take the match back into the ring. A war of attrition took place from there ending with Takeshita pinning Warhorse with the PowerDrive Knee.

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Upcoming Appearances


EVE “NMITB”, 02/07/2023
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England

1. Eve Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Emersyn Jayne

Yamashita’s tour is over but she isn’t finished with travelling by a long shot. Last month Emersyn Jayne defeated Rhio to become the No. 1 Contender for the EVE Title. She is arguably the most accomplished wrestler yet to challenge face Yamashita for the championship.


WEST COAST PRO “CRUEL SUMMER 2023”, 08/07/2023
United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco, California, USA

1. Bryan Keith Vs MAO

MAO has his own US trip for the summer planned. First up he meets Bryan Keith in the ring for the first time over in West Coast Pro.


IWTV “MARCUS MATHERS ALL I WANT 2”, 13/07/2023
H20 Wrestling Center, Williamstown, New Jersey, USA

1. Yoshihiko Vs X
2. MAO Vs Brandon Kirk

Then MAO heads over to New Jersey to be part of a show being put together by Marcus Mathers. MAO’s opponent will be against death match wrestler Brandon Kirk. He won’t be going there alone though. Yoshihiko will be at the show too but it currently does not have a match announced.


GCW “NOW AND FOREVER”, 14/07/2023
Melrose Ballroom, Queens, New York, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X
2. Mike Bailey Vs Yoshihiko
3. GCW World Title: Blake Christian (c) Vs MAO

Some big matches await our crew in GCW the next day. MAO gets a shot at the GCW World Title facing the increasingly unpopular Blake Christian. Yoshihiko faces a great test of its abilities against Mike Bailey in a first time ever singles match. They’ve been opponents in a trios match once before but other than that Bailey didn’t interact with Yoshihiko that much while he was in DDT.


IWS “SCARRED 4 LIFE”, 15/07/2023
L’Olympia, Montreal, Québec, Canada

1. Vanessa Kraven Vs Maki Itoh

Vanessa Kraven is a long time veteran wrestler who recently returned to the scene after stepping away for a few years. She’s the size of a giant next to Itoh.


CIRCLE 6 “BARROOM BLITZ”, 15/07/2023
Knucklehead Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. MAO Vs Bobby Beverly

A new place for MAO to experience. If you thought GCW is home to a few misfit toys with nowhere else to go then oh boy you haven’t seen Circle 6 yet! The first show is a no ring show taking place inside a bar in Santa Monica where MAO will fight Bobby Beverly, no holds barred.


CIRCLE 6 “LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE”, 16/07/2023
1720 Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. AJ Gray Vs MAO

Then the next day MAO takes on AJ Gray. Yeah let’s move on.


SMASH “CAN-US CLASSIC 2023”, 22/07/2023
Western Fair District, London, Ontario, Canada

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

No update yet on who Itoh faces when she goes to Smash Wrestling.


PRESTIGE “ALL RISE”, 23/07/2023
House Of Independents, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Trish Adora

It will be around 10 months since the last time Itoh was on a Prestige show. When she returns Trish Adora will be there to fight her.


DEFY “SPIRIT WC”, 28/07/2023
Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh heads over to DEFY for the launch of their new women’s wrestling brand called Spirit WC.


DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 1”, 04/08/2023
Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 2”, 05/08/2023
Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh has two nights at DREAMWAVE coming up in August. Something interesting to note is Mickie James is being advertised to appear at the second show. They’d probably get along if they met, right? Maybe get Itoh to sing “Hardcore Country” and James to sing “Brooklyn The Hole”?


GCW “NO SIGNAL IN THE HILLS”, 11/08/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh’s been with GCW for so long at this point she should get her own vanity show for the next Wrestlemania weekend.


ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 25/08/2023
Roundhouse, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 26/08/2023
Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 27/08/2023
Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh’s heading over to Australia for the first time as part of GCW’s tour with Renegades Of Wrestling. Australians, do her a favor and teach her only the most foulest of the local swear words while she’s over there.

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Cancelled Appearances


WRESTLING REVOLVER “RING OF DESTINY”, 17/06/2023
Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. JT Dunn (w/ Allie Katch) Vs Konosuke Takeshita

Takeshita wasn’t able to make the Wrestling REVOLVER show due to travel issues. JT Dunn instead threw out an open challenge and wrestled Sami Callihan to continue their feud in the company.

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Posted by JamieOD

DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD” Results

March 31, 2023

DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata defeated Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko (c) when MAO pinned Yoshihiko after the Oretachi no Mad Max (17:29).
*MAO becomes the 1,567th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Chris Brookes defeated MAO (c) with the Praying Mantis Bomb (8:24 pm).
*Chris Brookes becomes the 1,568th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Yoshihiko defeated Chris Brookes (c) with 3 Canadian Destroyers in a row (8:25 pm).
*Yoshihiko becomes the 1,569th champion.
2. Pheromones Vs Takagi Army All Out Battle In HOLLYWOOD: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Michael Nakazawa ended in a No Contest (11:08).
3. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Takeshi Masada defeated Andrew “The Giant” Everett & Nick Wayne when Higuchi pinned Everett with the Brain Claw Slam (11:33).
4. Saki Akai defeated Vert Vixen with the Quetzalcoatl (6:09).
5. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo defeated Joey Janela with the Burning Star Press (15:28).
6. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston defeated Daisuke Sasaki & KANON when Akiyama pinned KANON with the Exploder Suplex (10:35).
7. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yuki Ueno with the Zahi (15:16).

It was a long time coming but DDT came back to America! With some help from GCW and The Collective, they arrived in Hollywood to hold their first show in Los Angeles. The main event was between the two top wrestlers in The 3KAMIINA with Konosuke Takeshita facing his longtime friend Yuki Ueno. It was a match originally scheduled as a bonus bout for the cancelled Tokyo Joshi Pro USA event in 2020. The two threw their best moves at each other with Takeshita hitting the Jumping Knee and Ueno pulling out the WR. But Takeshita caught a Moonsault and turned it into an Implant Bomb, putting Ueno in position to take the Zahi for the finish. After the match Takeshita told Ueno and the fans “This is DDT Pro Wrestling!” Backstage he said his performance shows what he’s been doing in America for about a year now. He will always carry a little bit of DDT in him when he wrestles for AEW. He is proud that DDT got to do this show because the only Japanese promotions running overseas at the moment are New Japan, DDT and TJPW. Ueno is taking the loss positively and is motivated to expand DDT even further.

When Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston were last in the ring together they were opponents in AEW. Kingston earned Akiyama’s respect from those matches so they got to team together today. Here their battle was against Daisuke Sasaki & KANON from DAMNATION T.A. Akiyama & Kingston meshed well as a team and had their opponents rattled. DAMNATION T.A had to start cheating in response. First Sasaki used the middle rope to give Akiyama a Low Blow as he climbed into the ring then KANON gave Akiyama a DDT on the floor. The momentum switched over with Akiyama & Kingston both using the Exploder Suplex on the other two. Akiyama followed up with a Knee Strike to KANON and then pinned him with another Exploder. After the match Akiyama thanked Kingston for teaming with him and is impressed by how much Kingston knows his movements. Kingston said he can go to sleep smiling tonight because he got to share the ring with a legend. Sasaki’s plan to leave Japan for a new life in Hollywood was ruined because now he hates this city! He swore revenge on Akiyama & Kingston if he ever crosses paths with them again in Japan.

A couple of the matches also served as a preview for tomorrow’s GCW Vs DDT show. Tetsuya Endo avenged last year’s D-Ou Grand Prix loss to Joey Janela by beating him here. It also made up for him forgetting to bring the DDT Universal Title belt to America. Big moves were done at the get go from Endo doing the Sasuke Special and Poison Hurricanrana to Janela landing a Package Piledriver and Avalanche Brainbuster. In the end Janela was taken for a spin with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb. Endo then got the win with the Burning Star Press. Backstage Endo said he may not know how to fight in America like Janela does but he was always confident he was going to win. He promises not to forget his title belt the next time he goes overseas. A disgruntled Janela said backstage that GCW is his turf and tomorrow they will go to war against DDT!

Saki Akai was energized from seeing the big crowd who came to see the show. She also thought Vert Vixen gave her a good fight and showed great heart against her. Vixen got close to winning with a Stunner but Akai turned things around with the Quetzalcoatl to get the win. She said she would love to have a rematch with Vixen again. Vixen thinks if they face each other again it will be game over for Akai!

Another DDT Vs GCW tag match saw Kazusada Higuchi & Takeshi Masada beating Andrew Everett & Nick Wayne. The match was DDT’s introduction to Wayne who will be coming over for a tour in May. It also gave Wayne a chance to face off with Masada in a battle between the two young prospects. Meanwhile Everett tried to use his giant strength to overpower Higuchi’s Brain Claw. It turned out his agility was a way better skill to counter the move but Higuchi took him down with the Brain Claw Slam in the end. Masada and Wayne gestured to each other after the match that this won’t be the last time they’ll see each other.

If you want proof the LA crowd got a genuine crowd then look at the Pheromones match. It went exactly as you’d think it would go. They took care of Sanshiro Takagi & Michael Nakazawa the only way they know how and I wouldn’t be able to get away with describing it in detal. It set the stage for Danshoku Dieno to perform a magic trick he came up with called Pheromones du Soleil. The payoff involved Yuki Iino getting completely naked while pinning down Nakazawa so the match had to get thrown out. It is proof that even America is not big enough to contain how Sexy Iino is!

The show kicked off with ShunMao taking on Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko. The doll spent yesterday taking a detour over to AEW for a backstage visit and came to LA with extra energy, enough to fight both MAO & Shunma Katsumata at once. However Katsumata used a Kamigoye on Yoshihiko and then set MAO up to pin it with the Oretachi no Mad Max. Since Yoshihiko was coming into the match with the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title that means MAO became the new champion!

But wait! MAO was attacked by Brookes after the match and pinned with the Praying Mantis Bomb. Brookes now claimed the belt and celebrated with Yoshihiko until he too was attacked. Yoshihiko gave Brookes the Canadian Destroyer not once, not twice but three times to become the champion once again.

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Guide To DDT In Los Angeles

March 28, 2023

DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Saki Akai Vs Vert Vixen
2. Pheromones Vs Takagi Army All Out Battle In HOLLYWOOD: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Michael Nakazawa
3. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko
4. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Takeshi Masada Vs Andrew “The Giant” Everett & Nick Wayne
5. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Joey Janela
6. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
7. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yuki Ueno

So you got a ticket for DDT’s big return to America for the first time since 2019 but you’re looking for some guidance over what to expect. Maybe you’ve only seen the gifs or read about the crazy moments online. Or maybe you got a ticket to this because you couldn’t get a ticket for Tokyo Joshi Pro the next day. Whatever the reason, DDT is coming to Hollywood to put on the craziest wrestling show of the month and make some dollars out of it while the yen is still weak. Things are a little bit different from the card they produced in New York four years ago. Last time they put together a show that resembled a “Best Of” collection of gimmicks and rematches. This time around the show will highlight the relationships DDT has been building with certain parts of the American wrestling scene over the last while. Some of the guests showing up here have toured with DDT in Japan before or will be doing so in the near future.

Where can I watch it online?

Both “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD” and “GCW VS DDT” will be streaming live and on-demand as part of the FITE+ subscription. A month long subscription costs $7.99 and a 7-day free trial is available.

When and where are the shows taking place?

“DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD” is taking place at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles on Thursday 30th March at 8pm pacific time.

“GCW VS DDT” is taking place at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles on Friday 31st March at 3pm pacific time.

Will The Steiner Brothers be on either show?

No.

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1. Saki Akai Vs Vert Vixen

DDT’s top female wrestler Saki Akai is the sole member of Eruption on this show. She takes on Vert Vixen, a rising name from Texas who is about to join Tokyo Joshi Pro for a tour in Japan next month.

Saki Akai: The supermodel is celebrating 10 years as a pro wrestler this year and her focus lately has been to keep Eruption focused as a unit. She developed her Quetzalcoatl finisher after playing the role of a character with the same name on a Fate/Grand Order stage show. She can be serious in the ring with the best of them or join in with whatever goofiness that takes place in front of her. She grew up in Kyoto, they take their comedy seriously over there.
Moves To Watch Out For: Quetzalcoatl (Cobra Twist flipped into a La Magistral pinning slam), Rookie Award (Double Step Face Kick), Diving Cross Body, Triangle Choke

Vert Vixen: This wrestler is currently the first and only DEFY Women’s Champion in the promotion’s history. She has also made appearances in AEW, Impact and Women Of Wrestling. Obsessed with video games, her ring gear is often inspired by something video game related. She is nicknamed Player One because Player One always wins!
Moves To Watch Out For: Ki Crusher, Blue Thunder Bomb, Complete Shot

2. Pheromones Vs Takagi Army All Out Battle In HOLLYWOOD: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Michael Nakazawa

If there is any risk of the show getting suddenly called off midway through it will be during this match. Pheromones are DDT’s most extreme gimmick with plenty of nudity and perverted moves up their arsenal just waiting to be unleashed on the world. The gimmick has always been Danshoku Dieno’s bread and butter but he became extra “Dandy” when he formed the unit. Yuki Iino joined in and upgraded into becoming “Sexy”. Together they became a PR nightmare for DDT president and active wrestler Sanshiro Takagi. He’s been at war with them for a while now, determined to destroy Pheromones once and all. When Takagi asked AEW to send him help to fight Pheromones the last person he needed was Michael Nakazawa due to their own long lasting feud that’s taken place in the past.

Yuki “Sexy” Iino: He is going to get naked at some point. An ex-rugby player who was a bit of a goofy heavyweight for his first few years in the ring. He is going to get naked at some point. Recently discovered his Pheromones side, turned “Sexy” and drove the goofiness levels up past its maximum limit. He is going to get naked at some point. I cannot stress this enough, he is going to get naked at some point! It is inevitable and trying to stop him will be like trying to stop the tide from coming in.
Moves To Watch Out For: Ketsugoye (Imagine the Kamigoye but Iino hits with his butt instead of his knee), Badonkadonk (Banzai Drop from the middle ropes), Sexy Elbow, Bubba Bomb

Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno: The heart and soul of DDT’s most perverse humour. Dieno has been around for twenty years now and he’s gone through character development that makes him more than just the extreme shock factor of kissing and groping his male opponents. It’s just that he always goes back to that sort of stuff. Last time he wrestled in America he got permission to kiss fans as long as they raised their hand to show consent. The entire crowd joined in by the end of the night.
Moves To Watch Out For: Danshoku Driver (Piledriver with the victim’s head stuffed into Dieno’s tights), Lip Lock (a paralysing kiss) Danshoku Nightmare (Dieno pulls down his tights and teabags his opponent), Hell Gate (Dieno positions himself over the top turnbuckle with his rear end exposed, victims get thrown face first into it)

Sanshiro Takagi: The president of DDT and its owner CyberFight. The company’s attempts to expand internationally along with its talent growing their own reputations worldwide keeps him motivated to continue wrestling. It makes him want to show the younger wrestlers he is still crazy in the ring. His entrance song gets the crowd chanting along to “1…2…3…Fire!”
Moves To Watch Out For: Sitdown Sunflower/Himawari Bomb (Electric Chair spun into a Sitdown Power Bomb), Stone Cold Stunner, Spicolli Driver (Power Slam lift into a Death Valley Driver)

Michael Nakazawa: Was with DDT until he joined Kenny Omega to work for AEW. Despite his poor win-loss record, he is considered by DDT veterans to be one of the toughest wrestlers around because he never gets injured no matter what his opponents do to him. He is also kind of a pervert due to his habit of using lotion oil as a weapon and finding ways to take off his underwear without removing his wrestling gear. Doesn’t get along with Takagi because he considers him to be a terrible boss.
Moves To Watch Out For: Ultimate Venom Arm (removes his tights, wraps them around his hand and applies an Iron Claw), Tombstone Slam, Hentai Slide (drags opponent crotch first along the top rope), Lotion Oil usage

3. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko

The current KO-D Tag Team Champions take on an Englishman and a Dutch Wife. Believe it or not it won’t be as not as lewd as it sounds. Whenever Shunma Katsumata & MAO team up they are called ShunMao. They are also both part of DDT’s biggest babyface group at the moment, The 37KAMIINA (pronounced The Sauna Kamiina because 37 in Japanese (“san-na”) kind of sounds like “sauna”). Chris Brookes has called Japan his home for around four years now and earned a following for his devotion towards the entire puro scene. Yoshihiko is the wrestling doll that answers every question ever asked about who is good enough to get a four star match against an inanimate object.

MAO: Lives by the motto “Fucked up wrestling for a fucked up world!” The high flier is at his most liveliest when he is in Falls Count Anywhere situations. Also gets his most success in tag team matches and often finds himself across the ring from Brookes in that division. As shown by his recent appearance on a Prestige show, he should be a breakout talent for the US indies just waiting to happen.
Moves To Watch Out For: Cannonball 450 (450 Splash), Michinoku Driver, Marines Tornado Splash (Swan Dive Phoenix Splash), Tornado Kick

Shunma Katsumata: Nobody in DDT loves saunas as much as this guy. So much so he runs his own sauna on the side. Despite his cute appearance he also has a death match side to him. He’ll do the violent matches no problem but his favorite weapon to use in those situations is Lego. For example he often arms himself with a Lego covered baseball bat. Drive him too far over the edge and he becomes Super Hardcore Katsumata!
Moves To Watch Out For: ¡Hasta la vista! (Lightning Spiral), Totonou Splash (straight Diving Body Press), Aufguss (Diving Foot Stomp to a standing opponent)

Chris Brookes: A wrestler who has so many fingers stuck into so many pies. When not wrestling in DDT you can find Brookes causing trouble in ChocoPro, teaming with Masahiro Takanashi across Japan or running his own group of shows called Baka Gaijin + Friends. Recently got into a fight with the mascot Chiitan. Always has some extra tricks up his sleeves if you’re not careful around him.
Moves To Watch Out For: Praying Mantis Bomb (Double Arm Piledriver), Octopus Stretch, Death By Roll-Up

Yoshihiko: The Grave Digger Doll From Hell has been a mysterious force in DDT for many years now. It shows up whenever people least expect it and suddenly holding grudges with wrestlers from out of nowhere. This match here is an example of it because Yoshihiko has promised to destroy The 37KAMIINA in LA! It is also the current Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion and is bringing the belt over to Hollywood so don’t be surprised if we get a few title changes throughout not just the show but the entire weekend.
Moves To Watch Out For: Reincarnation (multiple rotation into a Hurricanrana), Choke Slam, Canadian Destroyer

4. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Takeshi Masada Vs Andrew “The Giant” Everett & Nick Wayne

A giant and a supernova rookie takes on… a “giant” and another supernova rookie. Kazusada Higuchi was the man to carry the flag for DDT last year when a crisis injury left the company without a champion. Higuchi took the ball after years of not meeting his potential and did a pretty darn good job with being the KO-D Openweight Title until he dropped it to Yuji Hino this past January. Takeshi Masada is the standout of DDT’s current rookie class. He got here by having to fight tooth and nail to earn a spot on this show. Andrew Everett came to DDT last year falsely advertising himself as being 223cm tall and weighing in at 190.5kg. Despite being nothing of the sort, his in-ring skills were impressive enough for DDT management to get past the lies and keep him onboard. Nick Wayne will be soon be going to Japan to wrestle on more DDT shows so this match gives him a taste of what to expect over there.

Kazusada Higuchi: The previous KO-D Champion and leader of Harimao, Higuchi is a former sumo wrestler with a strong foundation and an iron head. Do not throw him head first into the ring post because he absorb the hit and shake it off entirely. Often a highlight of DDT shows that make fans of NOAH wish he was in their promotion instead. Doesn’t mind showing off his goofy side every now and then but wherever he shows up he is going to be a tough opponent for anybody.
Moves To Watch Out For: Brain Claw Slam, Doctor Bomb, Buchikamashi (charging sumo tackle)

Takeshi Masada: The 21 year old made his pro debut only three months into his training, making him the fastest debut in DDT’s history. Has a background in Shorinji Kempo and he uses those skills to develop a kick heavy offence. He’s still only in his first year as a wrestler but showed a strong desire to get on this show. He eventually earned a spot on the card by winning the D GENERATIONS CUP, a tournament that pitted DDT’s current generation of young wrestlers against each other. Rookies have a bad habit of breaking easily but if Masada continues at the rate he’s going, DDT has a future star in their hands.
Moves To Watch Out For: Samurai Driver ’01 (Cross-legged Falcon Arrow), Triangle Kick (Running Enzuigiri off the turnbuckles)

Andrew “The Giant” Everett: I don’t know if I can believe the claims that Everett is not in fact a giant. He climbs over the top rope to get in to the ring like giants do. He wears a singlet like giants do. He does Choke Slams like giants do. He does Moonsaults like… well allegedly Paul White could do that move at one point in his life so that counts. That means Everett is a giant for sure! Deadlock Pro is where you can find him nowadays.
Moves To Watch Out For: 630, Shooting Star Press, Moonsault, Choke Slam

Nick Wayne: The world is this kid’s oyster and he’s not even 18 yet. A lot of excitement is following Wayne around especially after he was offered a deal with AEW last year. A dream match with Will Ospreay also bumped up his stock. The son of the late Buddy Wayne has wrestled in Japan before, not that long ago in fact. But DDT is where he’ll be going next starting with this match right here.
Moves To Watch Out For: Flying Cutter, Inverted Hurricanrana, Snap Dragon Suplex, Fisherman Suplex

5. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Joey Janela

A rematch from the 2022 D-Ou Grand Prix tournament. Joey Janela scored an upset win over Tetsuya Endo in their A Block match that took place in November. Endo’s big main event run last summer was tragically cut short when Katsuhiko Nakajima gave him a concussion. He has bounced back from that by bulking up towards becoming a heavyweight. It paid off with him recently winning the DDT Universal Title, which is DDT’s secondary singles championship. Janela’s antics and reputation made him highly sought after by DDT and he’s becoming one of their regular guest wrestlers back in Japan.

Tetsuya Endo: The man who was supposed to take the reigns as DDT’s top wrestler suffered a major setback when he got concussed last summer. Endo recovered and has been climbing back up the mountain since. He’s not back at the top spot yet but the leader of BURNING is still doing pretty well with where he is at the moment. You’d think by gaining weight and muscle he would dial back from high flying moves but you will still see him doing Springboards, the Spanish Fly and Shooting Star Presses. If it was up to me, this is the next DDT guy AEW should be looking at.
Moves To Watch Out For: Burning Star Press (Shooting Star Press), Tetsuya In The Sky (One Man Spanish Fly), Spinning Torture Rack Bomb

Joey Janela: The nutjob partly responsible for WrestleMania Week turning into what it’s become. So many of the shows that get added to the schedule are chasing the dragon that is “Joey Janela’s Spring Break”. Janela’s viral moments over the pandemic caught DDT’s attention and he quickly became a must have for them to bring over. He already has one singles win over Endo on Japanese soil. The rematch is still in DDT but maybe the American environment will provide Janela more chances to do some crazy things.
Moves To Watch Out For: Package Piledriver, Avalanche Brainbuster, Super Kick

6. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON

One man’s dream came true last year when Eddie Kingston got to wrestle Jun Akiyama at AEW. The two earned each other’s respect that day and get to meet in the ring again, this time as tag team partners. Facing them are the two strongest fighters from DAMNATION T.A, DDT’s main heel faction. Daisuke Sasaki went through a whirlpool of emotions to make it to this show because of a recent eye injury. KANON is an upstart originally from JUST TAP OUT but he came to DDT and eventually joined the dark side with Sasaki.

Jun Akiyama: A long standing veteran who spent most of his 30+ year career with All Japan and NOAH. He was bound for a guest coaching gig at WWE’s Performance Center when the global pandemic cancelled those plans. So he found himself jumping to DDT instead where he keeps an eye over the young talent being developed. Currently holds the DDT Extreme Title that puts him in unusual gimmick matches but so far he has stood tall for every defence.
Moves To Watch Out For: Exploder Suplex, Front Neck Lock, Running Knee Strike

Eddie Kingston: What a week this guy has ahead of him. First he gets to team team with his hero Akiyama and a few days later will be headlining a ROH PPV. Often outspoken and always fighting with his heart in his sleeves, this match can be a rare chance for Kingston to step back and soak in the moment before things get heavy.
Moves To Watch Out For: Spinning Backfist, Stretch Plum, Exploder Suplex

Daisuke Sasaki: You’re not going to find anybody in LA as drunk or depressed as Sasaki this weekend. The wrestler has the talent and success to reach bigger heights but every setback sends him tumbling down into despair. A recent eye injury had Sasaki considering retirement from pro wrestling so he could run away to Hollywood and do whatever he wants. He does not have the most creative imagination though so his idea of doing whatever he wants in Hollywood was to go work at McDonalds. But the pull of pro wrestling is never far away and once he got cleared to compete, Sasaki came back and began to build up hype towards a singles match with El Desperado later this summer.
Moves To Watch Out For: Crossface Lock (includes La Mistica and Crossover variations), Sasaki Hurricanrana

KANON: When Sasaki suddenly vanished to take care of his injuries and other woes, KANON stepped up to lead DAMNATION T.A in his place. He is approaching the completion of his first year with DDT. Originally from JTO, KANON had an athletic moveset taken from his days playing volleyball but he’s grown slightly more sleazy and unhinged since joining DAMNATION T.A.
Moves To Watch Out For: Sleepy Hollow (Twisting Brainbuster), Just Cobra Twist

7. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yuki Ueno

This match was meant to take place in America back in 2019 as the bonus DDT match for Tokyo Joshi Pro’s USA show. Konosuke Takeshita and Yuki Ueno have been friends since high school. Takeshita was the wrestling fan and his work in DDT inspired Ueno to become a wrestler too. The two are part of The 37KAMIINA and always seem to get along. But Ueno has his hopes that one day he will surpass his classmate. The two unexpectedly had a singles match against each other at the start of the year before Takeshita left for AEW. It ended in a brief 10 minute draw but gave fans a taste of what to expect when they finally face off again in Hollywood.

Konosuke Takeshita: It takes ten years to become an overnight success. Takeshita has done it all in DDT but given the company’s place in the landscape not a lot of people outside of Japan knew about him. Then he shows up in AEW and wins over a wide new audience of fans with his performances. A fan of pro wrestling since childhood, he grew up following Osaka Pro and still shows that influence in his moveset to this day. The list of names he’s been in the ring over the years to get to this point would fill this article by itself. Watch this show and I promise you will see him going All Out.
Moves To Watch Out For: German Suplex, Zahi (V-Trigger style Knee Strike), Jumping Knee, Takeshita Line (Leaping Clothesline from the ropes)

Yuki Ueno: The talent Ueno has is clear to see but a bland personality is currently holding him back. Plus his friendship with Takeshita means he risks standing permanently in his buddy’s shadow. If you ignore those problems though, you’re going to see somebody who is really, really good in the ring. Maybe experiencing America will act as a spark and be that thing to send Ueno to his next level.
Moves To Watch Out For: WR (a Wrist-Clutch version of Kofi Kingston’s SOS), Best Moonsault Ever, Half Nelson Suplex, Konosaki Crunch (One Handed Bulldog)

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That’s not all DDT is up to this week. They have a second show the next day cross-promoting with GCW as part of The Collective. These two shows seem to be where all of the DDT action is happening in LA. Maybe a few names will pop up somewhere else. We’ll just have to wait and see if they surprise us.

DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Ciclope, Miedo Extremo, Gringo Loco & Alec Price Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & Takeshi Masada
2. Matthew Justice, Mance Warner & 1 Called Manders Vs Chris Brookes, Shunma Katsumata & Mizuki Watase
3. Effy & Allie Katch Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno
4. Dark Sheik Vs Saki Akai
5. Cole Radrick Vs Yoshihiko
6. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo
7. Blake Christian Vs Kazusada Higuchi
8. Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne Vs MAO & Mike Bailey
9. Joey Janela Vs Yuki Ueno

GCW is a promotion I like but don’t love. I’ve gotten to attend a variety of their events before from two of the WrestleMania weeks pre-pandemic as well as their Las Vegas show the day before AEW Double Or Nothing last year. They’re really fun to attend no matter where they go and I enjoy watching the iPPVs when they are live. Watching them on-demand a day or two later though and it becomes a different story. The energy doesn’t carry through on screen when I watch on delay. It’s a promotion that does not give its viewers a lot of time to let things soak in because as soon as one show ends they go full speed straight into promoting their next events. It can make following them online a bit of a blur at times and their booking can seem random even though they do come up with storylines and give people pushes.

That leads us to the GCW Vs DDT show. Whenever GCW do doubleshot weekends outside of their regular markets they usually co-promote one of those shows with another indy and label it as a Vs show. They also often come off as the lesser show of the weekend and it feels the same way here. Obviously both companies have their own more important shows from the previous day to worry about. The lineup they came up with here is shaky but I don’t know if I could come up with something better given who is available. The people I like most in GCW are not the core members of the roster and they would be saved for when GCW are running a show by themselves.

Here’s what I like. The East West Express versus The Moonlight Express is going to hit hard. I’m not as high on Jordan Oliver as I am with Nick Wayne but his faults do not come from a lack of effort. The agility and pain threshold everybody in that match has is going to create something impressive. Cole Radrick Vs Yoshihiko will entirely depend on what kind of sense of humour Radrick has. The two multi-man tag matches have the potential to both get crazy if everybody involved are given the go ahead to do whatever they want. Everything else I’m not as confident about.

Joey Janela Vs Yuki Ueno as the main event could get bogged down by the amount of big crazy spots Janela wants to do. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo sounds like a Fire Pro match on paper but I don’t think BURNING’s opponents have been up to snuff recently. Kazusada Higuchi should not be losing to Blake Christian but Christian is one of the few heels who gets heavily booed by the GCW fanbase. He is likely getting pushed for a title run sooner rather than later for that reason (barring any conflicts with his AEW/ROH deal). Dark Sheik I prefer watching in Hoodslam because over there she does spotfest tag matches in front of a crowd of people that are feeling the effects of “blueberry pancakes”. That atmosphere somehow comes off better on screen than her matches in GCW do. Bussy Vs Pheromones will be going for the shock factor but was their thunder stolen by Sexxxy Eddy earlier this month? I do not want to predict if it will reach the point where somebody somewhere will need to write out a public apology when all is said and done.

WPW “RUSSELL CROWE WRESTLING: RUSSEL MANIA III”, 31/03/2023
Burbank Moose Lodge, Burbank, California, USA

1. Mizuki Watase Vs Gregory Sharpe Vs Eli Everfly

There’s a little bit of Ganbare☆Pro sprinkled in the weekend too. After Mizuki Watase is done with the GCW Vs DDT show he will be making his way over to Wrestling Pro Wrestling for his only other booking for the week. This is one of the more normal looking matches happening on the card.

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Posted by JamieOD

DDT Around The World – February 2023

March 1, 2023

A month ago I was thinking this article was going to become so much easier to handle. Shota was finished with his excursion to some of the most obscure independents in America and February was mostly built around Konosuke Takeshita and Yuka Sakazaki doing stuff related to AEW and ROH. It should be a piece of cake from here on out. Then the Wrestlemania Week bookings started pouring in. And if that wasn’t enough, Miyu Yamashita announced her three month stay in America with the goal to get as many bookings across the country as humanly possible. The response to that idea has been great so far and she is certainly going to create some new fans this year. So yeah, keeping track of these things will only keep me busier as the year goes on. Now let’s get some more championships added to the trophy case while they’re at it.

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Videos


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 01/02/2023
Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana)


Video starts at 14:48 for the match
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 06/02/2023
Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Billie Starkz


Video starts at 45:10 for the match
AEW “DARK”, 07/02/2023
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs EJ Nduka


AEW “DYNAMITE – CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT NIGHT”, 08/02/2023
El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA

1. AEW World Title Eliminator Match: MJF Vs Konosuke Takeshita


Video starts at 31:22 for the match
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 13/02/2023
El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA

1. Vert Vixen Vs Yuka Sakazaki


Video starts at 1:18:47 for the match
AEW “DARK”, (14/02/2023)
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Bronson


Video starts at 33:18 for the match
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 27/02/2023
Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Lee Johnson

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Results


AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 01/02/2023 (Aired 06/02/2023)
Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Billie Starkz with the Magical Girl Splash (5:39).

Whether the company is aware of it or not, AEW hosted a rematch of last November’s Princess Of Princess Title bout between Yuka Sakazaki and Billie Starkz. This match was a shorter affair with Starkz relying on using Swanton Bombs only to get dropped with the Tea Time and then pinned with the Magical Girl Splash.


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 01/02/2023
Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana) with the Zahi (10:06).

A match against a heavy hitter like Brian Cage was just what Takeshita needed to finally get a win on Dynamite. The two just threw big bomb moves at each other until Takeshita was the last man standing. It was pretty cool. Once that was done, Takeshita reappeared later in the night stopping MJF from interfering in a Bryan Danielson match. The two brawled to the back and once they were broken apart, a match between them was booked for the next week.


AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 08/02/2023 (Aired 13/02/2023)
El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA

1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Vert Vixen with the Magical Girl Splash (4:15).

Sakazaki’s last match for this month was a win against Vert Vixen but it was the aftermath that was more important. Athena attacked Sakazaki from behind, striking her with the ROH Women’s Title belt. Athena then made things worse by injuring Sakazaki’s leg with the steel steps outside the ring. Sakazaki tried to step up to her but was given a boot to the head as one last insult to injury. It remains to be seen when Sakazaki will be back to look for revenge, although a title match between the two on the ROH PPV at the end of March would be a good bet.


AEW “DYNAMITE – CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT NIGHT”, 08/02/2023
El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA

1. AEW World Title Eliminator Match: MJF defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Salt Of The Earth (13:19).

Takeshita’s recent interactions with MJF led to a Title Eliminator match between the two. If Takeshita had won the match he would have been granted a AEW World Title shot in the future. Unfortunately MJF worked over his arm, using the Salt Of The Earth to such good effect that Takeshita had to tap out and concede defeat. MJF then caused more harm after the match by putting on his Dynamited Diamond Ring and punching Takeshita in the face, busting him open. Bryan Danielson ran down to chase MJF off. Takeshita returned the favour later in the night by coming to Danielson’s aid when he was attacked by Preston Vance and José The Assistant.


AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 23/02/2023 (Aired 27/02/2023)
Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Lee Johnson with the Zahi (6:43).

So Takeshita finds himself knocked down the ladder and back to wrestling on the Youtube shows for the time being. Beating Lee Johnson gets him off to a good start.


ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 25/02/2023 (Aired 02/03/2023)
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Josh Woods with a Wheelbarrow German Suplex (10:20).

It’s not the Ring Of Honor we all knew and loved but at least you can add to logo to Takeshita’s Cagematch profile now. He beat a former ROH Pure Champion in Josh Woods so that would be a fresh direction to take if he becomes a regular at ROH tapings.


DPW “YOU ALREADY KNOW”, 25/02/2023
NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Raychell Rose & Jada Stone when Max pinned Stone after the Master Blaster (10:30).
*V1 for The Wasteland War Party.

The Princess Tag Team Titles have now been defended on American soil. Tokyo Joshi Pro are recognizing all of The Wasteland War Party’s title defences across the US indies before they return to Japan for “GRAND PRINCESS ’23”. The first defence was against Raychell Rose & Jada Stone in DPW. Stone was a replacement for Hyan.


AEW “DARK”, (26/02/2023) (Aired 28/03/2023)
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Cole Karter (w/ Lee Johnson) with the Zahi (9:23).

Cole Karter was in Lee Johnson’s corner when Takeshita beat him on Elevation a few days earlier. If he wanted to get revenge on Takeshita he probably got a knee to the face instead.


GLORY PRO “ANNIVERSARY 6”, 26/02/2023
South Broadway Athletic Club, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Jody Threat & Blair Onyx when Howitzer pinned Threat after the Master Blaster (?:??).
*V2 for The Wasteland War Party.

Defence number two for The Wasteland War Party was against Jody Threat & Blair Onyx. Threat got a hot tag and went wild on Heidi Howitzer. That came to a sudden halt when Max The Impaler hit her with a Spear. Max tried pinning Threat but was told they were not the legal wrestler. So Max & Howitzer linked up to do the Master Blaster and that was it for Threat.

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Upcoming Appearances


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 01/03/2023
Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, USA

1. Face Of The Revolution Match Ladder Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Ortiz Vs Komander Vs Action Andretti Vs Sammy Guevara Vs Powerhouse Hobbs Vs Eddie Kingston Vs AR Fox

Holy Mary, Mother Of God this is going to be nuts. Takeshita has a chance to win a TNT Title shot. All he has to do is win a Ladder Match against a crazy lineup of opponents. Just imagining what Komander is going to do on his own in a Ladder match is wild. Is Sammy Guevara willing to destroy himself with a massive ladder bump again? Does Action Andretti or AR Fox want to do the same? Eddie Kingston is already mad he is in the match but he’s always mad. For example, he’s mad at Ortiz right now. Powerhouse Hobbs would be a great future opponent for Takeshita too.


GCW “HOLY SMOKES”, 04/03/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X
2. Joey Janela Vs VENY

Heading into this weekend GCW have not announced what Maki Itoh’s match is going to be at their show yet. They are only advertising she will be in attendance. Will she use this appearance to take her new MDK attitude up another level? I still think her interactions with Nick Gage has to be leading somewhere. It’s gotten too over for it to be nothing more than a cute post-match segment to pop the crowd.


ENJOY “RITES OF SPRING”, 04/03/2023
Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Trish Adora & Jordan Blade

The Wasteland War Party are aiming to make it three successful title defences in a row before they return to TJPW. Trish Adora is forming a regular association with TJPW so winning the Princess Tag Titles would bring her over more often and get Jordan Blade one foot in the door too.


GCW “RANSOM”, 05/03/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh, Rina Yamashita & VENY Vs Sawyer Wreck, Billie Starkz & Janai Kai

Sawyer Wreck is now the only person in this match who has not wrestled on a TJPW show yet. They should bring back Rina Yamashita now that I think of it.


EVE “WOMEN BEHAVING BADLY”, 08/03/2023
229 The Venue, London, England

1. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Lizzy Evo

Before Yamashita begins her American expedition she is heading back to England to do the EVE Title defence against Lizzy Evo that was meant to happen back in January.


EVE “THURSDAY NIGHT RIOT”, 09/03/2023
The Yard Theatre, London, England

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Miyuki Takase

The next night Yamashita faces Miyuki Takase in a rematch of their DPW bout from last year. EVE have said this will be the last time both wrestlers will fight each other. If Takase beats Yamashita there will be no rubber match and if Yamashita wins she will be 2-0 against Takase forever!


NORTHEAST WRESTLING “WRESTLEFEST XXVII”, 11/03/2023
Crosby High School, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs JT Dunn

Takeshita will be making two appearances for Northeast Wrestling in March. His first show will have him taking on JT Dunn.


SETUP “SETUP EP.12”, 18/03/2023
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand

1. SETUP Thailand Openweight Title: Monomoth (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi

The match will be the main event of the show.


NORTHEAST WRESTLING “MARCH MAYHEM”, 18/03/2023
NEW Arena, Bethany, Connecticut, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X

No opponent yet for Takeshita’s second NEW show.


NEW “NEW 12”, 24/03/2023
Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada

1. Maki Itoh Vs Cat Power
2. Miyu Yamashita Vs Nicole Matthews

Joining Yamashita and Itoh on the show is Minoru Suzuki! But enough about him. Yamashita will be facing Nicole Matthews but it hasn’t been mentioned yet if Matthews will put the NEW Women’s Title on the line. Meanwhile Itoh’s match is against another Canadian wrestler, Cat Power.


PANDEMONIUM PRO “BEST DAMN THING”, 29/03/2023
Don Quixote, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh & Kidd Bandit Vs Taya Valkyrie & Heather Monroe

Prepare yourselves, everyone. We are now at Wrestlemania Week. First up is Itoh’s appearance at Pandemonium Pro where she will team with Kidd Bandit against Taya Valkyrie & Heather Monroe.


WRESTLECON “THE MARK HITCHCOCK MEMORIAL SUPERSHOW”, 30/03/2023
Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. TJPW 10-Woman Tag Showcase: X, X, X, X & X Vs X, X, X, X & X

One of the big indie shows of Mania Week is the Wrestlecon Supershow dedicated to the late Mark Hitchcock. Every year the show is highlighted with a 10-Man Tag and this year’s edition will be presented by TJPW! Will all 10 wrestlers in the match be TJPW exclusive or will one of the Americans connected to the promotion get to join in on the fun? There may be other surprises elsewhere on the card too because you never know who shows up.


DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Saki Akai Vs Vert Vixen
2. Pheromones Vs Takagi Army All Out Battle In HOLLYWOOD: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Michael Nakazawa
3. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko
4. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Joey Janela
5. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yuki Ueno
6. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON

This is not the full card yet. Kazusada Higuchi and Takeshi Masada still need to be put in a match. Them against each other is a no brainer unless there is some tag team out there they can join forces against. But I’d just go with Higuchi versus Masada.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES”, 31/03/2023
Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh

The main event of TJPW’s first USA show is The Magical Sugar Rabbits versus 121000000! They will also be sending over Shoko Nakajima, Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi, Hyper Misao, Yuki Aino, Yuki Kamifuku, Hikari Noa, Raku, Nao Kakuta, Suzume and Arisu Endo to take part on the show. The international talent taking part are The Wasteland War Party, Billie Starkz, Trish Adora and Janai Kai.


DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Dark Sheik Vs Saki Akai
2. EFFY & Allie Katch Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno
3. Blake Christian Vs Kazusada Higuchi
4. Cole Radrick Vs Yoshihiko
5. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo
6. Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne Vs MAO & Mike Bailey

Yeah… Um… I wouldn’t choose this over the other DDT or TJPW shows in all honesty. But there are some positives to be found. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo is a Fire Pro match brought to life. Cole Radrick has gone deep into deathmatches over the last few years so him against Yoshihiko could turn out to be way more violent than it looks on paper. If this show is live on FITE then I’m pretty sure Bussy Vs Pheromones is going to get everyone kicked off the service.


PRESTIGE “NERVOUS BREAKDOWN”, 31/03/2023
Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Taya Valkyrie Vs Miyu Yamashita

Aja Kong and Shigehiro Irie are also wrestling on the show. Ultimo Dragon too. That’s neat.


GCW “JOEY JANELA’S SPRING BREAK 7”, 31/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

I’ll keep saying it. Itoh versus Gage for the GCW World Title is the match to do.


WRESTLING REVOLVER “REVOLVER THURSDAY”, 06/04/2023
Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Allie Katch

Yamashita is sticking around in the States until June and is probably going to fight every female wrestler of note in the country before she is done. Allie Katch is going to be one of her tougher opponents especially in a promotion as rowdy as Wrestling REVOLVER.


LLL “MONSTER ISLAND”, 07/04/2023
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. Heidi Howitzer Vs Maki Itoh

The WPP Vs 121000000 feud extends past the Princess Tag Titles match. Howitzer and Itoh will face each other one on one.


WEST COAST PRO “HOME OF THE KILLERS”, 07/04/2023
The State Room, South San Francisco, California, USA

1. West Coast Pro Women’s Title: X (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita

The West Coast Pro Women’s Champion will either be Masha Slamovich or Sandra Moone. They will have a match to become the first champion on 4th March and Yamashita will be the first challenger one month later.


HOODSLAM “FALLEN IDOLS”, 08/04/2023
Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Hoodslam’s motto is “Fuck The Fans”. I think Itoh will fit in over there just fine.


CCW “DEAD-ZONE”, 15/04/2023
Houston Volunteer Fire Department, Houston, Delaware, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

Capital Championship Wrestling is a women’s promotion based out of Houston.


UWE “DAWN OF A NEW ERA”, 22/04/2023
PA Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Dani Mo Vs Miyu Yamashita

This place I have no idea about. Ultimate Wrestling Empire seems to be a new promotion and their tweet promoting this match is the only thing I can find about them. Yamashita sounds very excited to be wrestling Dani Mo.


PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 5”, 29/04/2023
Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Queen Aminata

Prestige continues to be treated like Yamashita’s home away from home. Her return to Portland will have Queen Aminata waiting for her.


REPUBLIC OF LUCHA “ROL IV”, 30/04/2023
Republic Of Lucha, South Pasadena, California, USA

1. Kidd Bandit Vs Miyu Yamashita
2. Daga Vs Konosuke Takeshita

The shop owned by The Lucha Brothers likes to run their own wrestling shows every now and then. Their next one has Takeshita meeting Daga for the first time. We already know Bandit is a big Itoh fan. Are they a big admirer of Yamashita too or will they want to beat her as a favour to Itoh?


MAW “VENDETTA”, 13/05/2023
2nd St. Depot, Hastings, Minnesota, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sierra

Remember that outdoor show where Takeshita fought JDX last year? Been a while since we heard from the folks over at Midwest All-Star Wrestling. Yamashita is heading over to their place for a match against Sierra.


AIW “GAUNTLET FOR THE GOLD 16”, 20/05/2023
Force Sports, Eastlake, Ohio, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

Yamashita’s debut for AIW has my attention more than the other bookings because I want to hear what the people in the company will say about her on The Card Is Going To Change podcast.


ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANTS WOKE, EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023
The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

At the time of writing St. Louis Anarchy is the booking closest to the end of Yamashita’s expedition. Her first match back in Japan won’t be until 25th June so she can still add a few late dates before she heads home. I’d be shocked if there were no AEW bookings during the three months she’s in America.

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Posted by JamieOD

Miu Vs Janai Tomorrow, Endo Misses This Weekend, Kingston & Akiyama Team Up In LA

February 17, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT WINTER ~NAGOYA PERFORMANCE~”, 18/02/2023
Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall

1. Hikari Noa & Wakana Uehara Vs Yuki Aino & HIMAWARI
2. 3 Way Match: Nao Kakuta Vs Haruna Neko Vs Pom Harajuku
3. Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami Vs Rika Tatsumi, Suzume & Arisu Endo
4. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Raku Vs Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
5. International Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Janai Kai
6. Miyu Yamashita & Yuki Arai Vs Aja Kong & Moka Miyamoto

A press conference held earlier today had Miu Watanabe and Janai Kai meeting each other face to face. Watanabe said the more she defends the International Princess Title, the more new sights she will get to see. Her target is to defend the belt next month both at Ariake Coliseum and in America. She can still feel her potential to grow as champion so she cannot lose it tomorrow. Kai said it took her five years to finally wrestle in Japan and winning the IP Title tomorrow is part of her dream. She is friends with Watanabe’s previous challenger Trish Adora and has already gotten advice from her on how to deal with Watanabe’s power. Kai also warned the champion that she is wearing black today because this press conference is also a funeral for Watanabe’s title reign! Watanabe tried to respond in English, telling Kai “No!” and “Not!” over and over. She also tried to say tomorrow but kept stuttering. Mr. HAKU figured out Watanabe was actually saying “to-tomorrow” as in the day after tomorrow.

DDT “FRIENDSHIP, EFFORT, VICTORY IN NAGOYA 2023”, 18/02/2023
Aichi Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall

1. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Toi Kojima (4) Vs Takeshi Masada (2)
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Hideki Okatani (4) Vs Yuya Koroku (4)
3. 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda & Saki Akai Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Gota Ihashi & Keigo Nakamura
4. Kotaro Suzuki, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yusuke Okada Vs Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Kazuma Sumi
5. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ueno & Yuki Ishida
6. DDT Extreme Title – Master Of Environment Match: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Akito
7. Nagoya Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Yukio Naya Vs HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Shinya Ishida
8. DDT Universal Title: Naruki Doi (c) Vs KANON

Tetsuya Endo will be off of this weekend’s shows due to illness. He tested negative for covid though so he will be back and ready in time for Keiji Muto’s retirement show on Tuesday. Yukio Sakaguchi moves up from the 4 Way Tag to replace Endo in Match #4. Gota Ihashi now takes up the empty slot in the 4 Way, with some teams mixed around to fit him in.

The last two block matches in the D GENERATIONS CUP are must-wins for everyone involved. Whoever wins their match goes through to the final. Toi Kojima has a little extra wriggle room because a draw against Takeshi Masada will also send him through. No such tiebreaker is there for Hideki Okatani Vs Yuya Koroku though.

DDT “HAMAMATSU TRAIN PRO WRESTLING”, 19/02/2023
Shizuoka Tenryu Hamanako Railway

1. Hiroshi Yamato Vs X

The illness means Endo has to miss the train wrestling match on Sunday.

NOAH “KEIJI MUTO GRAND FINAL PRO-WRESTLING “LAST” LOVE~HOLD OUT~”, 21/02/2023
Tokyo Dome

0. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Offer Match – TJPW Spark: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Rika Tatsumi Vs Mizuki, Maki Itoh, Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai
2. DDT Pro Wrestling Offer Match – Dramatic Dream Future: MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima Vs Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada

I thought I blogged about this already but I didn’t. DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro are getting a match each on Keiji Muto’s retirement show at the Tokyo Dome next week. It will no doubt be the biggest wrestling event taking place in Japan this year. DDT’s match pits The 37KAMIINA against Endo and the three young wrestlers who best represents DDT’s future. TJPW are grouping together their four pillars to take on the generation tier that are right below them.

DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED VOL. 2”, 04/03/2023
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Saki Akai (c) Vs X
2. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs 26/2 Main Event Winner & D GENERATIONS CUP Winner

By the time February is over either HARASHIMA or Yukio Naya will be the No. 1 Contender for the KO-D Openweight Title. Once March begins the No. 1 Contender will begin facing off with Yuji Hino to build up their title match on the 21st. Whoever wins the D GENERATIONS CUP will also get bumped up the card too with a chance to fight both Hino & Sakaguchi in this tag match.

Saki Akai has been doing a good job keeping the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title in her grasp. She hasn’t been pinned or submitted since winning the title back in November.

DDT “JUDGEMENT 2023 TOUR IN NAGANO”, 05/03/2023
Nagano City Art Center Act Space

1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Gota Ihashi Vs Akito, Keigo Nakamura & Kazuma Sumi
2. Nagano Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yasushi Kanda, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima

The Dragon Gene Trio of Yasushi Kanda, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata will go to battle against The 37KAMIINA for the first time when DDT returns to Nagano.

Ihashi joins forces with Pheromones. No one will be safe from that image!

DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Saki Akai Vs Vert Vixen
2. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko
3. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Joey Janela
4. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
5. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yuki Ueno

The respect Eddie Kingston earned from Jun Akiyama is paying off in spades. The two will now team up for the first time ever! Daisuke Sasaki is now going to show up in LA too so he & KANON are going to be their opponents.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES”, 31/03/2023
Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

We’re probably going to get a Princess Tag Team Titles match on the show because The Wasteland War Party of Max the Impaler & Heidi Howitzer have been added to the lineup.

DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Dark Sheik Vs Saki Akai
2. EFFY & Allie Katch Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno
3. Blake Christian Vs Kazusada Higuchi
4. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo
5. Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne Vs MAO & Mike Bailey

Akiyama will be teaming with Endo the next day. They are representing DDT while GCW are pairing together Homicide & Tony Deppen to face them.

Pheromones Vs BUSSY… Oh dear…

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Posted by JamieOD

DDT Around The World – November 2022

December 1, 2022

Boy oh boy November turned out to be an eventful month for DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro going international. Between DDT’s dealings with AEW and TJPW leaving their mark on Pro Wrestling EVE there is a lot to keep track of. Konosuke Takeshita signed his deal with AEW, Jun Akiyama made “The Last of a Dying Breed’s” dream come true, Maki Itoh is now gang affiliated and Miyu Yamashita for the second time in her career holds another country’s championship. And let’s not forget about Shota’s travels across America while CDK was out doing their thing in Singapore. Although there are signs that Shota’s excursion may be approaching its end soon he is keeping himself busy on the road and taking the time to stop and smell the roses.

I hope these posts are coming in handy and not just for following what the Japanese wrestlers are up to abroad. If you haven’t noticed yet, some of the names you see in the previous posts have been getting bookings in Japan recently. So you never know who here will show up in DDT, TJPW or Ganbare☆Pro in 2023. I have a feeling it’s only going to get crazier from there. Like maybe WWE brings back the Mae Young Classic and Mahiro Kiryu enters it. Hey, it could happen.

———————————————————————–

Videos


Video starts at 0:00 for the match
MPW “NIGHT FALL”, 04/11/2022
Nordhoff PL, Chatsworth, California, USA

1. Dustin Daniels Vs Shota


Video starts at 21:28 for the match
LEVEL UP “BLINDING LIGHTS”, 05/11/2022
Attitude Brewing Company, San Diego, California, USA

1. Triple Threat Match: Hunter Freeman Vs Fabrizio Vs Shota


Video starts at 1:12:39 for an angle. Go to 1:50:07 for the match
NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 8”, 17/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Shota Vs Rudy Garza (w/ Dan Miller)


AEW “RAMPAGE”, 18/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Eddie Kingston & Ortiz Vs Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita


Video starts at 40:15 for the match
JCW “SERIES OF SURVIVALS”, 19/11/2022
Boonton Elks Lodge, Boonton, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Janai Kai


Video starts at 35:38 for the match
AEW “FULL GEAR ZERO HOUR”, 19/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Eddie Kingston (w/ Ortiz) Vs Jun Akiyama


WRESTLERAVE “IN YOUR WAREHOUSE”, 19/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. WrestleRave Title: Aaron Mercer (c) Vs Shota


Video starts at 2:02:35 for the match
SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 1”, 24/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. SPW Tag Team Titles: Da Butcherman & Dr. Gore (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi


Video starts at 1:40 for Match #1. Go to 1:59:10 for Match #2
SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 2”, 25/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. Chris Brookes Vs Ho Ho Lun
2. SPW Southeast Asia Title – 4 Way Match: Aiden Rex (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi Vs Andruew Tang Vs Tajiri


Video starts at 8:49 for Match #1. Go to 16:47 for Match #2
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 28/11/2022
Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, USA

1. Maki Itoh & Emi Sakura Vs Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir (w/ Vickie Guerrero)
2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Ari Daivari

———————————————————————–

Results


MPW “NIGHT FALL”, 04/11/2022
Nordhoff PL, Chatsworth, California, USA

1. Dustin Daniels defeated Shota with the Torture Rack Slam (?:??).

I’m starting to think Shota is too trusting of a human being. Take his match against Dustin Daniels at Millennium Pro Wrestling for example. Everything was going nice and well until Shota fought off Daniels from the ring apron. Daniels stumbled back into the referee and used the sudden lack of authority to kick the middle rope into Shota’s groin while Shota was stepping back into the ring. The Low Blow made Shota into dead weight but Daniels was eventually able to lift him up into a Torture Rack and then slam him down to get the win.


LEVEL UP “BLINDING LIGHTS”, 05/11/2022
Attitude Brewing Company, San Diego, California, USA

1. Triple Threat Match: Fabrizio defeated Hunter Freeman and Shota when Fabrizio with the I Am Prettier (?:??).

This match became a full circle moment for some of the people involved. Hunter Freeman originally trained to be a pro wrestler in Okinawa 17 years ago and Shota was involved in training him. That is not the only student and mentor relationship in the match because Freeman is the trainer of Fabrizio. The Triple Threat ended in an upset when Fabrizio pushed Freeman into Shota and then gave his trainer the Unprettier to win.


ROW “FALL FURY”, 12/11/2022
Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA

1. Shota Suzuki defeated Emilio Tovar (?:??).
2. Shota Suzuki defeated Jonathan Vega (?:??).

Shota returned to Reality Of Wrestling to settle the score with La Familia after they cost him a match the last time he was in the company. Shota had quite the challenge given to him on the day. He had two take part in two matches against La Familia. Against the odds, Shota ended up winning both matches against Emilio Tovar and Jonathan Vega. He won one of the matches with the Frog Splash, which meant a lot to him because a few days before the show he visited El Paso the home of Eddie Guerrero.


EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM V – SHOW 1”, 13/11/2022
229 The Venue, London, England

1. EVE Tag Team Titles: Rhia O’Reilly & Skye Smitson (c) defeated Hyper Misao & Session Moth Martina when Smitson pinned Misao (10:16).
*V5 for The Uprising.
2. EVE Title No. 1 Contender Match: Miyu Yamashiya defeated Millie McKenzie with the Skull Kick (12:34).

Over to England where TJPW talent was invited over to Pro Wrestling EVE. The British women’s promotion held their fifth annual “WRESTLE QUEENDOM” supershow, split into two events over the course of the day. On the afternoon show Yamashita faced Millie McKenzie in a rematch from their first meeting the month before in Spain. Yamashita had learned from her mistakes in the first match and found a way to counter McKenzie’s Regal Plex. The counter allowed Yamashita to take control from her opponent and create an opening for a High Kick followed by the Skull Kick. The win meant Yamashita was now the No. 1 Contender for the EVE Title and her title shot was happening later that day on the evening show.

Hyper Misao became fast friends with Session Moth Martina from Ireland (home of the Spice Bag) and together they fought against The Uprising for the EVE Tag Team Titles. They came close to winning until Nightshade interfered on behalf of her allies and helped The Uprising retain their titles. Misao wanted revenge on Nightshade for costing her team their chance to win a championship and challenged her to a fight on the evening show.


EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM V – SHOW 2”, 13/11/2022
229 The Venue, London, England

1. Hyper Misao defeated Nightshade with the Hypami Returns onto a pile of Chairs (12:16).
2. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita defeated Alex Windsor (c) with the Crash Rabbit Heat (15:08).
*Alex Windsor fails in V1. Miyu Yamashita becomes the 20th EVE Champion!

Later that evening the second show took place and became a highlight for both of TJPW’s women. In the afternoon Alex Windsor won the EVE Title and now had to defend it against Yamashita. Both had already wrestled in hard fought matches so nobody had the advantage going into the match. Yamashita took Windsor’s big moves and made her crumble to the Skull Kick. The Crash Rabbit Heat found its target and Yamashita became the new EVE Champion! McKenzie met her in the ring after the match challenging her for the title. Her reasoning is they are now 1-1 against each other and their rivalry is one that now spans the entire world. Yamashita agreed and invited her back to TJPW to do the match there. Good thing McKenzie already had Japan in her upcoming travel plans, eh? Yamashita Vs McKenzie has since taken place in TJPW with Yamashita successfully defending the belt and going 2-1 against her English rival.

Misao got her justice by beating Nightshade in a crazy match. I don’t think the match was No DQ but it ended up having weapons and brawling involved anyway. Misao brought out her Hyper Cycle and crashed it into a tower of chairs on the stage. She tried the tactic again and successfully crashed into Nightshade at ringside. The finish came when Misao dropped Nightshade with the Hypami Returns onto a pile of chairs in the middle of the ring.


NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 8”, 17/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Rudy Garza (w/ Dan Miller) defeated Shota with a Dragon Sleeper Driver (?:??).

Shota had a headline spot for his return to New Texas Pro. In his second appearance of the “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES” Shota fought Rudy Garza. Outside interference again reared its ugly head thanks to Garza’s manager Dan Miller. Shota held Garza in a Crossface Lock when Miller grabbed his wrestler’s leg and placed it on the bottom rope to break the hold. Shota got a little measure of revenge when he landed a Topé Suicida on Miller and sent him crashing through a row of ringside seats. However Miller recovered and distracted the ref so Garza could poke Shota in the eye and take his leg out with a Chop Block before hitting his finisher for the three count.


AEW “RAMPAGE”, 18/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita defeated Eddie Kingston & Ortiz when Akiyama pinned Ortiz with the Exploder Suplex (12:17).

For a long time now Eddie Kingston has spoken highly of Jun Akiyama and named him as a dream opponent. Well working for a place like AEW can spring plenty of surprises. Not only was Takeshita having his first match back from a month long break, he was bringing Akiyama along with him! They fought Kingston along with his buddy Ortiz on the Friday leading into a PPV weekend. Kingston wasn’t able to get much time in the ring with his hero and that very well could have been one of the reasons why the DDT team won the match. There was clearly unfinished business after the match was over and a singles bout between Akiyama and Kingston was quickly put together. The match was also the debut of Takeshita’s new AEW theme song “Face-Off”.


JCW “SERIES OF SURVIVALS”, 19/11/2022
Boonton Elks Lodge, Boonton, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Janai Kai with the I.S.D (8:41).

On the week of Thanksgiving America had Maki Itoh to be thankful for when she paid a visit to the country to wrestle on a few shows. JCW was her first stop. She beat Janai Kai thanks to her hard head deflecting one of Kai’s normally dangerous kicks. The match was a little bit more newsworthy by the end when JCW’s commentary team let slip that Kai will be going to wrestle in Japan this January, most likely for TJPW.


AEW “FULL GEAR ZERO HOUR”, 19/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Eddie Kingston (w/ Ortiz) defeated Jun Akiyama with the Uraken (10:32).

The pre-show for “FULL GEAR” was where the much anticipated Kingston Vs Akiyama singles match took place. Akiyama had a new theme song put together by Osamu Suzuki called “FINAL EXPLODER”. Kingston not only got to fight his hero one on one but he beat him too! The match built to an exchange of Exploder Suplexes. Akiyama wanted to use the Wrist-Clutch variation but Kingston countered it with a DDT. Akiyama kicked out of the Uraken but Kingston kicked out of a Running Knee Strike too. Akiyama then tried to set up the Sternness Dust α but it was countered into the Northern Lights Bomb. Kingston then hit another Uraken to score the pin. The two showed a lot of respect to each other after the match.


WRESTLERAVE “IN YOUR WAREHOUSE”, 19/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. WrestleRave Title: Aaron Mercer (c) defeated Shota with the Cradle Piledriver (?:??).
*V5 for Aaron Mercer.

Shota has said in a tweet that this match against Aaron Mercer is one of the most memorable not just from his excursion but his entire career. Mercer also tweeted that the match may well become one of his favorites ever too. In fact the match is getting rave reviews by just about everyone who saw it in person and tweeted about it. The Houston Premier Arena is becoming home to many good memories for Shota as time goes by.


GCW “AURA”, 20/11/2022
Fete Music Hall, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

1. Masha Slamovich defeated Maki Itoh with the Half Package Piledriver (11:56).

GCW was next on Itoh’s schedule and she went there wanting to become the centre of attention. How do you do that in GCW? You step in the ring with Nick Gage, look him right in the eyes and tell him “Where is my fucking gang at?!?” Itoh becoming MDK Gang affiliated wasn’t enough for her to beat Masha Slamovich though. She drilled Slamovich with a Top Rope DDT but a rope break stopped her from getting the three count. Instead Slamovich stunned her with a Spin Kick to the head and won with a Half Package Piledriver.


AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 23/11/2022 (Aired 28/11/2022)
Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, USA

1. Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Maki Itoh & Emi Sakura when Rose pinned Sakura with the Beast Bomb (4:17).
2. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ari Daivari with the Rollover German Suplex (4:45).

Takeshita’s first AEW match under his new deal was against Ari Daivari of the Trustbusters stable. Takeshita won with the German Suplex but the story coming out of the match was Don Callis walking out to ringside to watch it. The man is most known in AEW to be Kenny Omega’s manager. Could he be interested in offering his services to Takeshita?

Meanwhile Itoh made her return to AEW by teaming with Emi Sakura to take on Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir. Itoh found out the hard way that getting into a strike exchange with Shafir outside the ring is a bad idea. She was taken out by that while Rose pinned Sakura with the Beast Bomb.


SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 1”, 24/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. SPW Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Da Butcherman & Dr. Gore when Brookes pinned Gore after the Super Kick & Praying Mantis Bomb (21:03).
*CDK become the 10th SPW Tag Team Champions!

Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi collected some gold on their trip to Singapore Pro Wrestling. They beat The Horrors of Da Butcherman & Dr. Gore to win the vacant SPW Tag Team Titles in the main event of the first part of the company’s anniversary shows.


SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 2”, 25/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. Chris Brookes defeated Ho Ho Lun (10:33).
2. SPW Southeast Asia Title – 4 Way Match: Aiden Rex (c) defeated Masahiro Takanashi, Andruew Tang and Tajiri (12:11).
*V4 for Aiden Rex.

On Day 2 Takanashi had an opportunity to win another championship when he took part in a 4 Way Match with Tajiri and Andruew Tang also among the challengers. Aiden Rex came out on top and remained the SPW Southeast Asia Champion.

Brookes sent out an open challenge for his match and it was answered by Ho Ho Lun!


LLL “POD SIX WAS JERKS!”, 25/11/2022
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. Austin Reddick defeated Shota (?:??).

Denver was the next stop for Shota where he found himself wrestling in a new environment. The Lucha Libre & Laughs show was held inside a theatre and the ring was located right on the stage. Shota and Austin Reddick had their match while comedians cracked jokes on the live commentary.


AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 30/11/2022 (Aired 06/12/2022)
Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Aaron Solo with a Wheelbarrow German Suplex (3:15).

Callis was again at ringside to watch Takeshita in action. This time Takeshita beat Aaron Solo from The Factory.


ROW “SHOWCASE”, 30/11/2022
Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA

1. Shota Vs Bryan Keith

Shota’s last match of the month was at an untelevised ROW show against one of Booker T’s brightest proteges Bryan Keith.

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Upcoming Appearances


PWL “PRO WRESTLING LEGACY”, 02/12/2022
Toma Gallery, El Paso, Texas, USA

1. Cosmo Orion Vs Shota

As mentioned earlier, Shota got to visit El Paso already during his excursion but it isn’t until December when he will get to wrestle there. His El Paso debut for Pro Wrestling Legacy will be for a match against Cosmo Orion.


GRAPPLE MAX “GOLD STANDARD”, 03/12/2022
GymKraft, Tampines Street, Singapore

1. Hotshot Wilson Vs Masahiro Takanashi

Takanashi last faced his opponent Hotshot Wilson three years ago when Hotshot was just a rookie. He has grown up while Takanashi was away so what kind of trouble can he cause him the next time they meet?


PWF “PREMIER RUMBLE”, 03/12/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Caine Carter Vs Shota

Perhaps Shota’s final visit to Premier Wrestling Federation sees him against Caine Carter. The show also has a Royal Rumble match taking place. Shota is not advertised to compete in it yet but if there’s a spot open, he’ll be sure to take it.


NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 9”, 08/12/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Mysterious Q Vs Shota

Shota’s match against Mysterious Q is being advertised as his final match in Houston.


APAC “RISE”, 10/12/2022
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Round 1: Steph De Lander Vs Maki Itoh
2. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Round 1: Nor “Phoenix” Diana Vs Yuki Kamifuku

The playoff matches for the APAC Women’s Title Tournament have been made. Itoh and Yuki Kamifuku are on separate sides of the bracket. Itoh meets Steph De Lander in Round 1 while Kamifuku has to get past Nor Diana.


DFW ALL PRO “SEASONS BEATINGS”, 10/12/2022
Trinity Leadership Public School, Cedar Hills, Texas, USA

1. Shota Vs X

Shota has a few more things to do in Texas like this DFW All Pro show.


DPW “1ST ANNIVERSARY”, 10/12/2022
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Colby Corino

“Let’s fucking go!” Deadlock Pro Wrestling is bringing Takeshita back for their 1st Anniversary show. They wanted him in a crazy match so here comes Colby Corino as his opponent!


APAC “RISE”, 11/12/2022
Malaysia

1. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Final: X Vs X

Can Itoh and Kamifuku both make it to the final?

GCW “TIL INFINITY 2022”, 31/12/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

GCW “56 NIGHTS”, 01/01/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh is spending the last night of 2022 and the first day of 2023 in New Jersey for GCW.


EVE “EVE 100”, 07/01/2023
229 The Venue, London, England

1. EVE Title?: Miyu Yamashita (c?) Vs Rhio (?)

The EVE Title scene suddenly got a bit crowded due to Yamashita winning the belt. After her successful defence against McKenzie in TJPW, EVE announced that Yamashita will return to London on 7th January as part of their 100th show celebration. “The Unbreakable” Rhio already made it clear that she wants the next title shot sooner rather than later. At the time of writing she will be going to Japan in a few weeks time and is getting the title match against Yamashita in Shizuoka on 10th December. Here’s an interesting wrinkle added to the situation. EVE announced that if Rhio becomes the champion there, Yamashita will get a rematch back in London.


PRESTIGE “VENDETTA”, 21/01/2023
The Glass House, Pomona, USA

1. Shunma Katsumata Vs Sonico
2. Kevin Blackwood Vs MAO
3. Miyu Yamashita Vs Athena

Shunma Katsumata & MAO make their debuts for Prestige Wrestling next year. MAO takes on Kevin Blackwood and Katsumata has a match against Sonico.


DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

Right now there is a story developing in DDT where Takeshi Masada wants to wrestle on the shows in Hollywood. He has to beat Sanshiro Takagi in an upcoming match to convince the boss he is already ready to wrestle overseas.


DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

Any chance we can do Gage Vs Itoh here?

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Cancelled Appearances


MAGNUM “BATTLE ROYALE CUP”, 26/11/2022
Stocks n Bonds, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

1. Battle Royale Cup – Round 1: Shota Vs Kit Sackett

Shota was meant to be part of a one night tournament in Magnum Wrestling, taking one of their champions Kit Sackett in the first round. Unfortunately the show was cancelled on a few days notice and the promotion is ceasing operations due to the owner going through health issues. This would have been Shota’s first time wrestling in Omeha, Nebraska.

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Posted by JamieOD

DDT Around The World – July 2022

August 2, 2022

The summer is winding down and it’s been a whirlwind of international appearances for Konosuke Takeshita and Miyu Yamashita in particular. Things might calm down a little going into the Autumn when Takeshita returns home to Japan for DDT. His plan is to go back for just under two months before continuing his excursion. He is definitely falling in love with America and wants to make the country his second home. But as you will see in the upcoming appearances section below there is a whole wide world out there to explore.

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Videos


RCW “MIYUMAMI”, 02/07/2022
Casinet d’Hostafrancs, Barcelona, Spain

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Alex Windsor


Video starts at 20:34 for the match
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 04/07/2022
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USA

1. Hikaru Shida & Yuka Sakazaki Vs Heather Reckless & Laynie Luck


AEW “RAMPAGE”, 08/07/2022
Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, New York, USA

1. Eddie Kingston Vs Konosuke Takeshita


Video starts at 2:46:15 for the match
JCW “THE GREAT AMERICAN BIRTHDAY BASH”, 10/07/2022
Phil Sheridan Building, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Cole Radrick


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 13/07/2022
Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia, USA

1. Interim AEW World Title Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley Vs Konosuke Takeshita


PRESTIGE “NONSTOP FEELING”, 22/07/2022
Hawthorne Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Kevin Blackwood

GARDEN STATE PRO “WELCOME TO EDEN”, 23/07/2022
The Heart Ballroom, Newark, USA


1. 3 Way Match: Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs Janai Kai


2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Josh Alexander


Video starts at 47:53 for the match
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 25/07/2022
Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs JD Drake


AEW “DYNAMITE ~ FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN”, 27/07/2022
DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

1. AEW Women’s World Title: Thunder Rosa (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita


Video starts at 54:10 for Match #1. Go to 1:45:55 for Match #2
SETUP “SETUP EP.8”, 30/07/2022
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand

1. Hoshitango Vs Bital Hasdin
2. Asia Dream Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Terry Diesel & Monomoth

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Results

RCW “MIYUMAMI”, 02/07/2022
Casinet d’Hostafrancs, Barcelona, Spain

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Alex Windsor with the Skull Kick (15:28).

We start off in Spain where Yamashita travelled over to wrestle for RCW. She was the big draw of the show with the event’s name being a combination of her and the album “Motomami” by Rosalía. She took on Alex Windsor a week before Windsor went on to win the International Princess Title over in Japan.

PWG “NINETEEN”, 03/07/2022
Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Masha Slamovich (9:22).
2. PWG World Title: Daniel Garcia (c) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (23:19).
*V1 for Daniel Garcia.

July turned out to be a rocky patch for Takeshita in the win-loss department. He got to fight for the PWG World Title against Daniel Garcia but couldn’t win the belt from him. Yuka Sakazaki had a better night, winning the first women’s match held in PWG in over a decade against Masha Slamovich. She left quite the impression on everyone for sure.

AEW “RAMPAGE”, 06/07/2022 (Aired 08/07/2022)
Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, New York, USA

1. Eddie Kingston defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Spinning Backfist (11:56).

Eddie Kingston made it no secret his dream is to wrestle Jun Akiyama some day. Akiyama passed down the Jumping Knee Strike to Takeshita so this match brought Kingston one little step forward toward that goal. The two smashed each other to bits and both were practically done by the time the match was over. It could have ended in a double knockout had Kingston not fallen on top of Takeshita to get the pin.

JCW “THE GREAT AMERICAN BIRTHDAY BASH”, 10/07/2022
Phil Sheridan Building, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Cole Radrick with the Zahi (15:19).

Takeshita and Cole Radrick finally wrestling each other is like when two pen pals meet in person for the first time. To think it all started when Takeshita used Radrick’s move the Lil Sebastian’s Curse 3 years ago.

AEW “DYNAMITE”, 13/07/2022
Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia, USA

1. Interim AEW World Title Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Bulldog Choke (13:13).

Takeshita’s biggest match in America so far took place in AEW when he took on one of their biggest stars Jon Moxley! It was a non-title match but a win would have catapulted Takeshita into an automatic shot for the Interim AEW World Title. Unfortunately despite another heavily praised performance, Takeshita ended up submitting to the Bully Choke. It was at this point when Takeshita realised he has not won an AEW match on Dynamite or Rampage yet. He made it his next goal to get “one big win” on TV.

DEFY “THE WORLD IS YOURS NIGHT 1”, 16/07/2022
Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Davey Richards (12:33).

Next stop was Seattle for a DEFY doubleshot. In the main event of Night 1 Takeshita beat the veteran journeyman of the indies Davey Richards.

DEFY “THE WORLD IS YOURS NIGHT 2”, 17/07/2022
Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Schaff (10:34).

Then on the second night Takeshita beat Schaff. I’m really low on details about what happened on the DEFY shows at the moment so let’s move on.

AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 20/07/2022 (Aired 25/07/2022)
Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated JD Drake with the Jumping Knee Strike (3:40).

Takeshita has no problem picking up wins on AEW’s Youtube shows. He beat JD Drake in the main event of an episode of Dark Elevation.

TERMINUS “TERMINUS 3”, 21/07/2022
Oasis Event Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

1. Jonathan Gresham defeated Konosuke Takeshita by Referee Stoppage with the Modified Octopus Hold (14:55).

Takeshita paid a visit to TERMINUS, the promotion that Jonathan Gresham had been championing while Ring Of Honor was in limbo. The match almost lasted the full 15 minute time limit but the last minute and a half consisted of Gresham locking Takeshita in an Octopus Hold and then finding more ways to torture him. The referee finally called for the bell in the last few seconds, giving Gresham the win. But Takeshita never gave up and even threw an Elbow Strike while in a dazed state right after Gresham let him go. This would not be the last time they were in the ring together this month.

PRESTIGE “NONSTOP FEELING”, 22/07/2022
Hawthorne Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Kevin Blackwood with the Lil Sebastian’s Curse (16:55).

Here is where Takeshita started to develop something different. Kevin Blackwood is a pretty tough dude and showed his guts by taking everything Takeshita could throw at him and still kick out of his pins. Takeshita ended up using Radrick’s move the Lil Sebastian’s Curse to finally get the win. Fans want Takeshita to name his version of the move Cinnabomb but he likes the name that Radrick originally gave it.

GARDEN STATE PRO “WELCOME TO EDEN”, 23/07/2022
The Heart Ballroom, Newark, USA

1. 3 Way Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated Billie Starkz and Janai Kai when Yamashita pinned Starkz with the Skull Kick (6:53).
2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Josh Alexander ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).

Takeshita did end up getting into a time limit draw against Josh Alexander. It was a non-title match but he left holding his head up high over going the distance against the Impact World Champion. Yamashita was thrown into a hectic 3 Way Match against Billie Starkz and Janai Kai. Those young wrestlers have become two of the more familiar names in women’s wrestling on the American indies. The chaos worked out in Yamashita’s favour when Starkz unintentionally knocked Kai out of the ring, leaving her open for the deadly Skull Kick.

AEW “DYNAMITE ~ FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN”, 27/07/2022
DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

1. AEW Women’s World Title: Thunder Rosa (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Fire Thunder Driver (10:02).
*V5 for Thunder Rosa.

The big reason for Yamashita’s return to America was for this. A shot at the AEW Women’s World Title she earned from beating Thunder Rosa in Tokyo Joshi Pro earlier in the month. The late part of the rematch almost became a mirror of the TJPW bout with the Attitude Adjustment being countered into a Cradle only to get reversed into another one. This time however Rosa kicked out and caught Yamashita with her own High Kick. Rosa then hit her version of the Fire Thunder Driver to avenge the loss and successfully defend the title. Unfortunately it wasn’t a great match. They weren’t on the same page in the first half and although they got back in track with Yamashita’s German Suplex spot, the rest of the match was pretty much a repeat of what they did in TJPW.

BLACK LABEL PRO “THE GANG CROSSES THE LINE”, 29/07/2022
Nashville Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Nick Wayne with the Lil Sebastian’s Curse (12:40).

Takeshita ended his month over at the Starrcast convention for two matches. The first took place in Black Label Pro against the highly regarded youngster Nick Wayne. Even though Takeshita won, he was so impressed by Wayne that he passed down his nickname of “The Future” to him!

SETUP “SETUP EP.8”, 30/07/2022
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand

1. Hoshitango defeated Bital Hasdin with the Midnight Buenos Aires (8:34).
2. Asia Dream Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) defeated Terry Diesel & Monomoth when Brookes pinned Monomoth after the Super Kick & Praying Mantis Bomb (23:40).
*V4 for CDK.

Time to go a completely different direction over to Thailand where CDK went off on an adventure. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi were part of a Gatoh Move related group of wrestlers taking part in a SETUP show. CDK successfully defended the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles against two of SETUP’s best in Terry Diesel & Monomoth. Also taking part was Hoshitango. He gave the local super rookie Bital Hasdin his first loss in pro wrestling. There was even a DJ Nira sighting at some point during the show.

JCP “RIC FLAIR’S LAST MATCH”, 31/07/2022
Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

1. PROGRESS World Title #1 Contender – 4 Way Match: Jonathan Gresham defeated Alan Angels, Nick Wayne and Konosuke Takeshita when Gresham pinned Angels with an O’Connor Roll (5:40).

Takeshita was added to the undercard of Ric Flair’s dedicated attempt at turning the final scene of “The Wrestler” into reality. He took part in a 4 Way with previous opponents Gresham and Wayne along with former AEW wrestler Alan Angels.

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Upcoming Appearances

AEW “BATTLE OF THE BELTS III”, 05/08/2022 (Airing 06/08/2022)
Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

1. ROH World Title: Claudio Castagnoli (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita

He couldn’t win the PWG Title so let’s go after the ROH World Title! Takeshita takes on Claudio Castagnoli himself in an absolute whopper of a match on paper. As mentioned above, Takeshita wants his first AEW win on TV to be a big one and this would fit the bill.

WIDE BAY PRO “RAMPAGE”, 06/08/2022
Maryborough State High School, Sussex Street, Maryborough, Australia

1. Interstate Title: Mitch Ryder (c) Vs Shota

Here’s an unexpected addition. Shota is gearing up for an American excursion in a few month’s time but this month he is heading over to Australia for a one-off appearance in Wide Bay Pro. He is going to challenge one of their champions Mitch Ryder (not the American one who died two years ago).

DPW “BELIEVE THE HYPE”, 06/08/2022
Gov. James E. Holshouser Building, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

1. Mizuki Vs Emi Sakura
2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Andrew Everett

Back over to the maniac matchmaking of Deadlock Pro. On one of their recent shows Andrew Everett called out Takeshita for a match! If that isn’t enough to tickle your fancy, DPW somehow put together the rare matchup of Mizuki against Emi Sakura! It will be Mizuki’s first ever appearance in America and also Sakura’s first US booking outside of AEW ever since she worked with the company.

PROGRESS “CHAPTER 137: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COPPERHEAD”, 13/08/2022
O2 Academy, Sheffield, England

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Robbie X

Robbie X is a journeyman of the British wrestling scene who seems to be finally breaking through and climbing up the ladder. He is Takeshita’s first opponent when he travels over to England.

GCW “HOMECOMING PART 1”, 13/08/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

That Itoh’s first GCW match hasn’t been announced yet makes me think she’ll be added to a Scramble 6 Way. She’ll have a busy day nonetheless.

JCW “AFTER HOURS 2”, 13/08/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Billie Starkz

GCW’s sister promotion JCW will be running a show in the same venue afterwards. Itoh is taking part by having a match against Starkz. She got along well with Yamashita. If Itoh takes a liking to her too then maybe a tour of Japan is in Starkz’s future. It will do her a world of good if she ever wants to develop as a pro wrestler.

PROGRESS “CHAPTER 138: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COTTONMOUTH”, 14/08/2022
Boiler Shop, Newcastle, England

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Dean Allmark

Dean Allmark is another longtime British wrestler going beyond the indie scene. He’s been through the infamous schedule of wrestling at summer camps across the country.

GCW “HOMECOMING PART 2”, 14/08/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Dark Sheik

Now here is someone with an attitude that Itoh will appreciate. “Fuck The Fans” is a motto that Dark Sheik lives by even though she is pretty cool towards her fanbase. Hoodslam is her home but she’s gotten comfy wrestling in GCW lately too.

PRESTIGE “PERSEVERANCE”, 17/09/2022
The Glass House, Pomona, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. Maki Itoh Vs Sandra Moone

Yamashita & Itoh are heading back over to Prestige in September. Itoh has an opponent announced in the form of Sandra Moone. Yamashita is still waiting to hear who she will be against. Taya Valkyrie and Trish Adora are both advertised for the show. Either of them facing Yamashita would be an attention grabber. Just saying.

PROGRESS “CHAPTER 142: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN SNAKE”, 25/09/2022
O2 Academy, Birmingham, England

1. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X

There’s some extra slightly DDT related news for this show. Shigehiro Irie is being booked for it.

PROGRESS “RETURN OF THE FLY”, 27/09/2022
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England

1. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X

CDK have another PROGRESS show to go to. The naming of it seems to match Brookes’ interests too.

WXW “WORLD TAG TEAM FESTIVAL 2022”, 01/10/2022 – 03/10/2022
Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany

1. World Tag Team Festival 2022: Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie Vs X
2. World Tag Team Festival 2022: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X

A couple more teams have been added to the World Tag Team Festival but nothing related to what I’m doing here. Probably going to stay that way until the tournament takes place.

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Posted by JamieOD