“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW”, 19/09/2023 Shinjuku FACE ??? Fans
0. Dark Match: Dr. Gore & Yasu Urano defeated Monomoth & Kappa Kozo (w/ Miyako Haru) when Urano pinned Monomoth with the Modern Times (5:30).
1. Gauntlet Tag Match: Takashi Sasaki & Baliyan Akki defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Minoru Fujita, Shogo “Jet” Takagi & Antonio Honda (w/ Toru Owashi), Choun-Shiryu & Shin Suzuki, Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno, Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei (w/ Gorgeous Matsuno), and Shota & Gota Ihashi.
1a. Shogo “Jet” Takagi & Antonio Honda (w/ Toru Owashi) defeated Shota & Gota Ihashi when Honda pinned Ihashi with La Magistral Cradle (2:39).
1b. Choun-Shiryu & Shin Suzuki defeated Shogo “Jet” Takagi & Antonio Honda (w/ Toru Owashi) when Shiryu pinned Honda with the Chinese Leg Roll Clutch (1:59).
1c. Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno defeated Choun-Shiryu & Shin Suzuki by Ring Out when Shinno eliminated Suzuki (2:55).
1d. Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei (w/ Gorgeous Matsuno) defeated Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno when Shu pinned Koishikawa with a Cradle (2:54).
1e. Takashi Sasaki & Baliyan Akki defeated Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei (w/ Gorgeous Matsuno) when Sasaki pinned Kei with a Cradle (5:01).
1f. Takashi Sasaki & Baliyan Akki defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Minoru Fujita by Ring Out when Akki eliminated Fujita (7:31).
2. Saki Akai Vs DJ Nira ended in a No Contest (?:??).
3. Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki defeated Mei Suruga with a European Clutch (12:19).
4. Yukio Sakaguchi, Isami Kodaka & Ken Ohka defeated MAO, Daiki Shimomura & Munetatsu Nakamura when Sakaguchi pinned Nakamura with the God’s Right Knee (15:05).
5. Chris Brookes defeated Masahiro Takanashi with the Praying Mantis Bomb (24:07).
-. Special Exhibition: KUDO (1) defeated Masahiro Takanashi (0) (5:00).
-a. KUDO (1) pinned Masahiro Takanashi (0) with the Diving Double Knee Drop (?:??).
Masahiro Takanashi gathered a bunch of his friends together to celebrate twenty years of him being a pro wrestler. The advertised main event was a singles match between the two CDK teammates Takanashi and Chris Brookes. In the end Brookes countered the Takatonic into the Implant for a nearfall and then used the Praying Mantis Bomb to get the three count. However the final match of the night took place right afterward when KUDO entered the ring in full gear to take part in a five minute long exhibition against Takanashi. It was the first time KUDO got to wrestle in any form since 2019. The five minutes went by in a sprint and KUDO scored a pinfall with the Diving Double Knee Drop right before time expired.
During the post-show interview backstage Takanashi asked KUDO how did it feel to wrestle again after such a long time? KUDO said it felt great and he appreciated the support from the fans. He would like to do it again. He has no plans to retire so he will definitely come back some day. Takanashi said next time he hopes to do a CDK Vs KUDO & Yukio Sakaguchi tag match. Brookes said he doesn’t want to fight Takanashi again anytime soon. CDK is stronger together as a team and they have plenty of dreams they want to chase. Next year will be CDK’s 5th Anniversary as a team so maybe Takanashi will put together a show to celebrate that in 2024 instead of his 21st anniversary.
Minoru Suzuki’s weird weekend was stretched out into Monday when he had to fight Mei Suruga in a singles match. He decided to fight fire with fire by using some of Suruga’s moves and poses against her! Suruga complained about the fans cheering for him because he doesn’t look cute when he acts like her. Suzuki got the win in the end, oddly enough not by choking the life out of Suruga but by using a European Clutch to pin her. Suruga kept attacking Suzuki after the match but he shrugged her off. He praised her for putting up a good fight, gave her a hug and left the ring, ignoring that she was still trying to attack him.
Saki Akai was promised a match if she showed up to the event. When she entered the ring she was immediately attacked by DJ Nira! He also attacked Daisuke Kiso before the bell rang so the match never officially started. Still, Akai tried to wrestle Nira and had him beaten with the Quetzalcoatl. Kiso was still knocked out so Akai went to revive him. Gradually the ring started to fill up with wrestlers like Antonio Honda, Hoshitango, Gota Ihashi and Thanomsak Toba all dressed in diapers. According to Nira they were all old men and it is now up to Akai to take care of them. The match was declared a Diaper Royal when suddenly the room went dark. A voice told the audience that Akai went on to build a facility for the elderly but everyone who lived there got poisoned on the opening day. Kiso was caught as the accomplice so Toba strangled him to death. That’s how the match ended.
Shota & Ihashi entered the Gauntlet Tag Match dressed as Takanashi & Sakaguchi respectively. Ihashi even sported fake body tattoos.
“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE – BOKUTACHI 4 HANJUKU 4 I LOVE YOU! 2022”, 22/11/2022 Shinjuku FACE 302 Fans
0. Dark Match: SAKI & Yasu Urano (w/ KUDO) defeated Shinsetsu Gomu Ningen & Gota Ihashi (w/ Miyako Haru) when SAKI pinned Ihashi with the Kawaiild Knee Drop (4:11).
1. Mixed Gauntlet Tag Match: Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto Vs Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) Vs Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango Vs Cherry & Gorgeous Matsuno Vs Chie Koishikawa & Shin Suzuki Vs Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama Vs Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W (17:05).
1a. Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama defeated Chie Koishikawa & Shin Suzuki when Yoneyama pinned Koishikawa with the Chinese Steamed Bun Roll (3:20).
1b. Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama defeated Cherry & Gorgeous Matsuno when Yoneyama pinned Cherry with a School Boy (5:12).
1c. Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango defeated Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama when Hoshitango pinned Shiryu with a Body Press (6:35).
1d. Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W defeated Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango when Sakur pinned Natsumi with La Magistral Cradle (9:35).
1e. Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) defeated Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W when Akai pinned Sakura with the Quetzalcoatl (13:55).
1f. Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) when Miyamoto pinned Kei with the I.W.C (17:05).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Ram Kaichow defeated Sak Akai with a Cradle (c) with (7:43 pm). *Ram Kaichow becomes the 1557th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Saki Akai defeated Ram Kaichow (c) after an Elbow Drop from Yuko Miyamoto (7:45 pm). *Ram Kaichow becomes the 1558th champion.
-. Special Match ~ Special Rules: Minoru Fujita Vs DJ Nira ended in a No Contest.
-. 3 Way Match: Minoru Fujita Vs DJ Nira Vs Daisuke Kiso did not end with a winner.
2. MAO defeated Mei Suruga with the Wedding Clutch (16:40).
3. Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao defeated Chris Brookes, Mizuki Watase & Antonio Honda when Irie pinned Honda with the Beast Bomber (15:03).
4. Daisuke Sekimoto defeated Masahiro Takanashi with a Modified Muffler Hold (23:09).
The 2010 Miracle Match between Masahiro Takanashi Vs Daisuke Sekimoto was revisited on today’s independently promoted show. Much like the first time, Takanashi was the big underdog but this time he was a much more crafty veteran. He targeted Sekimoto’s arms and continued to do so after Sekimoto missed a Lariat outside the ring and hit the ring post. The power difference just couldn’t be avoided though. Takanashi tried to hit the Takatonic from the top rope in a moment that flashed everyone’s minds back to 2010. Sekimoto blocked the move but before he could drop down and crush his opponent just like he did back then, Takanashi instead flipped over and Power Bombed him from the rope. The Takatonic was blocked again and every failed attempt to pin Sekimoto afterwards saw Takanashi’s chances fade away. The German Suplex that would normally end the match wasn’t hit perfectly so Sekimoto grabbed Takanashi in a Muffler Stretch and held his opponent up until Takanashi gave up. The two shook hands after the match but neither of them gave any speeches. Instead the show ended with Takanashi bowing to the audience on his knees and leaving the ring without comment.
Team Drift used Keisuke Ishii’s old theme music for their entrance. Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao also wore the same Team Dream Futures shirt while Ishii wore the shirt made for their farewell.
The special costume Mei Suruga wears for her entrance included flashing lights. During an outside the ring brawl with MAO, Suruga put the costume back on and dived from one of the nearby counters. She landed her attack and MAO complained afterwards that he could have gotten an electric shock. He then wrapped the costume around his arm and hit Suruga with an Axe Bomber. Inside the ring Suruga tried to put on the Cattle Mutilation but MAO kept countering it, eventually putting her in the Wedding Clutch for the pinfall.
A surprise match between Minoru Fujita and DJ Nira took place that went awry after Nira knocked out Daisuke Kiso with his umbrella. When Kiso woke up and was provoked by Nira again, he declared he was adding himself to the match, making it a 3 Way. The three of them locked up and the room suddenly went dark. Then there was an announcement that Kiso had seriously injured his opponents and escaped, leaving the ring completely empty. There was then an announcment that a new life was suddenly born. A spotlight then shined over to Hoshitango wearing diapers and crying like a baby. Then there was another announcement, this one saying Sekimoto quietly passed away on the morning of his match against Takanashi 12 years ago.
There was a brief exchange back and forth of the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title between Saki Akai and Ram Kaichow. When their match ended, Kaichow rolled up Akai and pinned her for the belt. Akai then attacked her with the Brahman Brothers’ suitcase. Yuko Miyamoto tried to rescue Kaichow but accidentaly Elbow Dropped her instead. Akai then pinned Kaichow to win back the title.
The wrestler called Emi Sakura W in the Gauntlet Tag match is Papillon Akemi pretending to be her. The gimmick has been used in Gatoh Move before.
The UMA Corps turned on Gota Ihashi after the dark match after Miyako Haru ordered Shinsetsu Gomu Ningen to attack him. KUDO came to the rescue, scared them off and told Ihashi the Ebisuko Tavern was now protected. Ihashi told KUDO he hasn’t given up on his dream of becoming the tavern’s manager. KUDO gave Ihashi a Buzzsaw Kick in response and Ihashi apologised for trying to overthrow his boss.
DDT/ONLY WE “GET ALIVE 2022 TOUR IN CHIBA”, 08/10/2022 Chiba TKP Garden City
1. DDT x ONLY WE Special Tag Match I: Saki Akai & Shunma Katsumata Vs Kaji Tomato & Soma Takao
2. HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi Vs Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada
3. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Hiroshi Yamato
4. DDT x ONLY WE Special Tag Match II: Quiet Storm & Yukio Naya Vs Akira Raijin & Hoshitango
5. The 37KAMIINA Vs Pheromones!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda
6. Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura, Yuki Ishida & Akito Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) Vs Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
There are two changes to the show that were made during the week. Shogun Okamoto found out he might be a close contact to a covid case so he was taken off the show just to be safe. Hoshitango takes his place in the ONLY WE Vs PERON GRANDES match.
Hibiscus Mii is off the show due to a family situation. Soma Takao takes her place in the opening match.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”, 09/10/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall
1. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano Vs Arisu Endo & Kaya Toribami
2. Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko Vs Nao Kakuta, Yuna Manase & Yoshiko Hasegawa
3. Suzume Vs Ryo Mizunami
4. Mizuki Vs Hyper Misao
5. Aja Kong, Raku & Pom Harajuku Vs Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino & Max The Impaler
6. Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Riho & Hikari Noa
7. International Princess Title: Alex Windsor (c) Vs Miu Watanabe
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Rhia O’Reilly & Nightshade
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki
I couldn’t find the time this week to write up a preview for Tokyo Joshi Pro’s big show in Tokyo Dome City Hall.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 9 ~NO CLOUDS OVER THE MOON~”, 10/10/2022 Osaka Higashinari Ward Community Center
0. The Man Called Supernova & The Man Who Was Once Called Supernova Vs The Men Who Were Never Called Supernova: Soma Takao & Takeshi Masada Vs Yusuke Okada & Yuki Ishida
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~Smile Squash Vs DAMNATION T.A~: HARASHIMA, Yasu Urano & Akito Vs Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON
2. A Song Of Geniuses! Special 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Makoto Oishi Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yoshihiko
3. DDT Dotonbori THE NEXT!: Toi Kojima & Harutoki Vs Hideki Okatani & Yuya Koroku
4. Naniwa Earthquake! Super Special 6-Man Tag Match: Magnitude Kishiwada, Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Shuji Ishikawa, Yukio Sakaguchi & Chris Brookes
5. Special Tag Match Sterness Siege ~Men Of Ice Vs Men Of Melting Ice~: Jun Akiyama & Antonio Honda Vs Kuishinbo Kamen & Kikutaro
6. Special Single Match ~Road Of Former Champions~: Tetsuya Endo Vs Masahiro Takanashi
7. Double Main Event I Special Tag Match ~Wrestling Master Jrs Vs The 37KAMIINA~: Daisuke Sasaki & HUB Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata:
8. Double Main Event II Special Tag Match Osaka Monogatari ~ Destruction Demon King Vs The “It Was The Power Of Wrestling That Resolved The Worst Of Their Relationship To The Point Where They Didn’t Even See Eye To Eye. Their Belief Is That There Is Never A Normal Good Match And The Common Denominator Is An Unusual wrestling Head”z~: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Shigehiro Irie & MAO
The final match on the show is something Yukinori Matsui had wanted to do for a long time. He believes if Shigehiro Irie & MAO can get along and be on the same page it could result in an amazing tag team. Irie & MAO had a falling out several years ago when Irie left DDT but their icy relationship began to thaw at the last New Year’s Eve show. Matsui has the happiest of all to see the two repair their friendship and has high hopes the two will work great together. Irie is also close with Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura. He held the KO-D Tag Team Titles one time with Higuchi and spent time with Yoshimura when the two wrestled in Canada together back in 2018.
Yuki Ueno said he is looking forward to facing HUB because he admires him so much. Ueno got into wrestling when his high school classmate Konosuke Takeshita became a wrestler. He quickly discovered Osaka Pro and HUB/Super Dolphin was the person who stood out to him the most. It is why Ueno uses the WR as his finisher because it was originally HUB’s move first.
The last time Tetsuya Endo Vs Masahiro Takanashi was supposed to happen both wrestlers held the top two singles titles in DDT. Things have changed a lot since then and now the match is happening under different circumstances. Endo is still hoping to gain something from the match that will help him in the future. Takanashi still represents the older years of DDT that are different to the era Tetsuya Endo broke in with. The match is just as much a clash of two different DDT ideologies as it is two former champions facing off.
DDT “GET ALIVE 2022”, 12/10/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Hideki Okatani
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuji Hino Vs HARASHIMA, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
3. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match! Yuki Ishida 1st Anniversary Match ~ Playfulness Series Act 4: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Yuki Ishida
4. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match!: Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Toi Kojima
5. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match!: Toru Owashi Vs Kazuki Hirata
6. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match!: Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Takeshi Masada
7. Makoto Oishi 20th Anniversary Match ~ Men’s Club Vs The 37KAMIINA: Makoto Oishi, MEN’S Teioh & Shiori Asahi Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
Daisuke Sasaki is spreading lies about Harimao being bad for DDT. He claimed at a press conference Hisaya Imabayashi is expecting the company to decline because Higuchi & Yoshimura are the KO-D Tag Champions so he is begging Sasaki & KANON to win the belts for DDT’s sake. KANON wants to add another title belt to the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles and thinks the red tag belts will look better on DAMNATION T.A. The matches building up to the title shot saw Sasaki & KANON target Higuchi’s right hand.
The Men’s Club reunion is supposed to be a one time get together to celebrate Makoto Oishi’s 20th Anniversary. However there’s been a little bit of speculation that if they win against The 37KAMIINA then Oishi & Shiori Asahi might try and convince MEN’S Teioh to revive the unit for a new generation.
Takeshi Masada has been training with a former K-1 World Champion to prepare for his match with Yukio Sakaguchi. Masada approached Hideaki Yamazaki for advice against Sakaguchi’s kicks. Yamazaki inspected Masada’s Roundhouse Kick and agreed to teach him his signature Hanging Kick to use against Sakaguchi.
There was more trickery in the press conference during Yuki Ishida’s interview. Danshoku Dieno showed up disguised as a reporter and kept asking him shameful questions. When Ishida and Imabayashi figured out it was Dieno, he attacked the both of them and left them in a beaten state with their backsides both exposed. Dieno then took over the interview and complained about having another “Final Battle” against Sanshiro Takagi on 23rd October. It wasn’t until he finished and left the room when Matsui revived both Ishida and Imabayashi.
TJPW “YUME PRO WRESTLING -DREAM ON THE RING-”, 14/10/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Exhibition Match: Risako Vs Rika Tatsumi
2. Exhibition Match: Wakana Uehara Vs Shoko Nakajima
3. Exhibition Match: Himari Manaka Vs Miyu Yamashita
This week’s episode of Yume Pro Wrestling -dream on the ring- on TJPW’s Youtube channel revealed the exhibition matches that Risako, Wakana Uehara and Himari Manaka have spent month training for. Risako takes on Rika Tatsumi, Uehara faces Shoko Nakajima and Manaka goes against Miyu Yamashita. The matches were determined by a random draw.
GANBARE☆PRO “PUNCH DRUNK LOVE 2022”, 22/10/2022 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. GanPro Oji Specialty Secret Captain’s Fall 8-Man Tag Match: Soma Takao, Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI Vs Shinichiro Tominaga, Harukaze, Yuna Mizumori & Yoshiko Hasegawa
2. Just Before 11.3! Special Tag Match: Hartley Jackson & Seiya Morohashi Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Kouki Iwasaki
3. GanPro Specialty Three Great Singles Match: Yumehito Imanari Vs Yuki Kanzaki
4. GanPro Specialty Three Great Singles Match: Mizuki Watase Vs Tyson Maeguchi
5. GanPro Specialty Three Great Singles Match ~Ken Ohka Debut 21st Anniversary Match~: Ken Ohka Vs Keisuke Ishii
Ken Ohka celebrates 21 years in the business, Hartley Jackson and Shuichiro Katsumura get a preview tag match for their Spirit Of Ganbare Title match and newly freelance Yuna Mizumori joins in the party that is the Secret Captain’s Fall match.
DDT “HIROSHI YAMATO 15TH ANNIVERSARY DEBUT ~ KIMI NO WA PRO WRESTLING FESTA”, 30/10/2022 Chiba Kimitsu Shiritsu Shuto Junior High School Gymnasium
1. Hideki Okatani Vs Takeshi Masada
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Naoshi Sano & Kazuki Hirata
3. Kuishinbo Kamen & Makoto Oishi Vs Chris Brookes & Yuya Koroku
4. HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuji Hino & Yusuke Okada
5. Kimitsu Specialty Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Antonio Honda Vs SAKI & Shunma Katsumata
6. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima
7. Hiroshi Yamato Debut 15th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Hiroshi Yamato, Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida
Another celebration show, this time for Hiroshi Yamato. He teams with BURNING to take on Harimao. There are also special guests like Kuishinbo Kamen, SAKI and Naoshi Sano involved.
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.
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
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.
I’ll now include the official Youtube videos of matches to these posts. Last month’s article was updated to include the videos available from May and I’ll go back to add more if they get uploaded. Konosuke Takeshita having matches across the American indies that are so good they have to be put up for free on Youtube is going to be the trend this summer. The other trend seems to be Tokyo Joshi Pro wrestlers unexpectedly appearing on AEW’s Youtube shows whenever they are in the country. The Forbidden Door is behind us for the time being so if there was any red tape preventing Takeshita from having a higher profile that should be gone now. Even then he’s keeping himself busy as you will see below. By the way it is incredibly satisfying to see how successful that show turned out. So many wrestling analysts and personalities last month predicted failure because let’s be honest, they personally don’t care about New Japan. It is obvious to me that a lot of them used the “casual fan” argument as a cover for their own lack of interest or knowledge for Japanese wrestling. But the PPV being a success proves there is an audience out there that does care. I mean that’s why you’re here right now reading this post, right?
SPOILER WARNING: The results section includes spoilers for taped AEW matches that have not aired yet.
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Videos
DPW “NO PRESSURE”, 05/06/2022 Gov. James E. Holshouser Building, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Golden Opportunity Match: Miyu Yamashita Vs Miyuki Takase
Video starts at 21:24 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 06/06/2022 The Kia Forum, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Skye Blue & Miyu Yamashita Vs Serena Deeb & Nyla Rose
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 08/06/2022 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Casino Battle Royale: Darby Allin Vs Tony Nese Vs Daniel Garcia Vs Lance Archer Vs Eddie Kingston Vs Ricky Starks Vs Jake Hager Vs Rey Fenix Vs Swerve Strickland Vs Keith Lee Vs John Silver Vs Konosuke Takeshita Vs Max Caster Vs Austin Gunn Vs Colten Gunn Vs Powerhouse Hobbs Vs Bobby Fish Vs Kyle O’Reilly Vs Dante Martin Vs Wheeler Yuta Vs Andrade El Idolo
WEST COAST PRO “’93 TIL INFINITY”, 10/06/2022 The State Room, South San Francisco, USA
1. Mike Bailey Vs Konosuke Takeshita
ROW “LOCK UP”, 11/06/2022 Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA
1. Ryan Davidson Vs Shota
Video starts at 37:43 for the match AEW “DARK”, 14/06/2022 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Nick Comoroto (w/ Aaron Solo)
PRESTIGE “THE NEW REALITY”, 18/06/2022 The Glass House, Pomona, USA
1. Lee Moriarty Vs Konosuke Takeshita
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Results
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 01/06/2022 (Aired 06/06/2022) The Kia Forum, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Serena Deeb & Nyla Rose defeated Skye Blue & Miyu Yamashita when Deeb submitted Blue with the Serenity Lock (7:40).
When the month began, the joshi wrestlers who were hanging around in America all went back to Japan except for Miyu Yamashita. She still had an indie date left to do but there was an unusually long gap of time until it took place. Turns out the extra time was filled up with Yamashita’s first AEW booking. She unexpectedly had her debut match with the company on Dark Elevation teaming with Skye Blue against two of AEW’s top threats in the women’s division: Serena Deeb & Nyla Rose. There were complaints from fans that you shouldn’t be just throwing Yamashita into a Youtube match like that but there’s a long game being played here. AEW are well aware of Yamashita’s status in the joshi scene and have kept an eye on her for her entire US trip last month. There’s even some hearsay that her indie bookings went through AEW as part of getting her over to the USA in the first place. They’ve been so impressed with her performances that considerations are under way to put together a future AEW Women’s Title program between her and Thunder Rosa. Those plans are separate from the Rosa Vs Yamashita match happening in TJPW later this month. I know the booking of the AEW women’s division is incredibly frustrating to follow but I assure you there is some thought being put behind what to do with Yamashita in the future.
AEW “DARK”, 03/06/2022 (Aired 14/06/2022) Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Nick Comoroto (w/ Aaron Solo) with the Jumping Knee Strike (6:42).
We’re getting into odd territory with the Dark tapings. Takeshita’s match against Nick Comoroto was recorded on 3rd June but was not used until the episode that aired on the 14th.
DPW “NO PRESSURE”, 05/06/2022 Gov. James E. Holshouser Building, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Golden Opportunity Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated Miyuki Takase with the Skull Kick (15:27).
A first time meeting took place in Deadlock Pro when Yamashita took on the freelancer Miyuki Takase. The match had a little bit of everything from strike exchanges, slight comedy, big moves like an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment and Takase running a lap around the building to set up the longest Clothesline spot you’ll ever see. Yamashita found her opponent’s limit with High Kicks and finished her off with the Skull Kick to win. According to the match stipulation Yamashita now has a championship shot of some sort for whenever she wants when she returns to DPW.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 08/06/2022 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Casino Battle Royale: Kyle O’Reilly defeated Wheeler Yuta by Ring Out (24:59). Order Of Elimination: Tony Nese, Lance Archer, Max Caster, Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn, Keith Lee, John Silver, Daniel Garcia, Eddie Kingston, Jake Hager, Konosuke Takeshita, Dante Martin, Ricky Starks, Bobby Fish, Darby Allin, Swerve Strickland, Powerhouse Hobbs, Rey Fenix, Andrade El Idolo and Wheeler Yuta.
Takeshita entered the annual Casino Battle Royal where the winner would face Jon Moxley later in the night. It was all part of a long, sudden journey to crown an Interim AEW World Champion thanks to CM Punk unexpectedly going out of action with injury. Takeshita entered the match in the middle of the pack but was thrown out by both Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs. That left Takeshita tweeting about if he should find some new friends for backup should a similar situation ever repeats itself.
WEST COAST PRO “’93 TIL INFINITY”, 10/06/2022 The State Room, South San Francisco, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Mike Bailey with the German Suplex (17:50).
Well he got to reunite with one of his friends a couple of days later. The long awaited rematch with Mike Bailey delivered and then some. What are you doing reading this when you can watch it up at the top of the post above?
AEW “DARK”, 11/06/2022 (Aired 19/07/2022)
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Anthony Henry with the Jumping Knee Strike (7:48).
Back to the weirdness of the tapings. Takeshita’s match against Anthony Henry hasn’t aired yet. AEW now tapes month’s worth of Dark matches in Universal Studios a couple times a year. Details results of the tapings aren’t common so for the moment we just know who won. I’ll come back to edit this post when the match does air.
ROW “LOCK UP”, 11/06/2022 Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA
1. Ryan Davidson defeated Shota with the Davidson Driver (?:??).
Hey Ganbare☆Pro can join in on the fun now. Shota finally got to travel to America after his original plans to do so went kaput two years ago because of the pandemic. He went over to Texas to perform on a Reality Of Wrestling show. That is the promotion run by none other than Booker T. Shota took on Ryan Davidson, an American wrestler who wrestled in both DDT and Ganpro back in 2018. Shota stayed in America for a few more days and went to an AEW event in St. Louis where he hung out with Takeshita and Michael Nakazawa backstage.
PRESTIGE “THE NEW REALITY”, 18/06/2022 The Glass House, Pomona, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Lee Moriarty with the Zahi (17:55).
Another very entertaining match worth watching. Lee Moriarty is such a good talent who can shine through your screen with his ring work. He’s a good opponent for Takeshita as you can see when you watch the video way up above.
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 29/06/2022 (Aired 04/07/2022) Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USA
1. Hikaru Shida & Yuka Sakazaki defeated Heather Reckless & Laynie Luck when Shida pinned Reckless with the Falcon Arrow (2:53).
It was a surprise to everyone when both Yuka Sakazaki and Hikaru Shida showed up to wrestle as a tag team this past Wednesday. I didn’t realize Sakazaki had left Japan for her PWG booking and it wasn’t publicly known that Shida was returning to the US either. The match against Heather Reckless & Laynie Luck will air on Dark Elevation next Monday. Hopefully for Sakazaki’s sake they edit her entrance because she tripped and fell on the ramp while running out. She got revenge on the ramp after the match by stomping on it while leaving ringside.
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 29/06/2022 (Aired 01/07/2022) Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USA
1. Royal Rampage: Brody King defeated Darby Allin by Ring Out (22:41). Order Of Elimination: Tony Nese, John Silver, Max Caster, Penta Oscuro & Rush, Matt Hardy, Frankie Kazarian, Dante Martin, Dustin Rhodes, Konosuke Takeshita, Orange Cassidy, Keith Lee, Swerve Strickland, Ricky Starks, Hangman Page, The Blade, The Butcher and Darby Allin.
Tonight’s episode of Rampage has Takeshita entering the first ever Royal Rampage match. It is reportedly a Royal Rumble match involving two wrestling rings and the last wrestlers left in each ring face off in the finale. Remember earlier when I said Takeshita wants to look for backup so he won’t get eliminated by a tag team? Well it happened again when The Butcher & The Blade worked together to throw him out of the ring.
Yamashita is currently in Spain ready and waiting for this weekend’s show with RCW. Her opponent is an interesting choice. Alex Windsor has been on a roll in England lately for both Revolution Pro and Pro Wrestling: EVE. She will be coming to Japan one week later to challenge for the International Princess Title too. No bigger message to send TJPW than to beat their first ace before heading over.
PWG “NINETEEN”, 03/07/2022 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Masha Slamovich
2. PWG World Title: Daniel Garcia (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Takeshita has had no luck chasing after AEW championships. The PWG World Title however is so close he should be able to taste it. The champion Daniel Garcia is beaten up from doing a Blood & Guts cage match. Sakazaki gets to be added to the short list of women to have wrestled for PWG. She can make Masha Slamovich 0 for 2 against TJPW talent.
JCW “THE GREAT AMERICAN BIRTHDAY BASH”, 10/07/2022 Phil Sheridan Building, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Cole Radrick
This is a match with more history than meets the eye. Takeshita and Cole Radrick have gotten along on Twitter for the last year, sharing gifs of them doing each other’s moves in matches. Does that mean when they finally meet they will play mind games by swapping movesets against each other?
DEFY “THE WORLD IS YOURS NIGHT 1”, 16/07/2022 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Davey Richards
Davey Richards has taken up the indie gatekeeper role ever since he returned to active competition. Takeshita getting an opponent as established as him in a promotion as energetic as DEFY should result in magic.
TERMINUS “TERMINUS 3”, 21/07/2022 Oasis Event Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
1. Jonathan Gresham Vs Konosuke Takeshita
The hits keep on coming! Takeshita should expect a change of pace here because TERMINUS uses an alternate ruleset that encourages more grappling and less theatrics. Jonathan Gresham flies the flag for that style (often literally) and has been pretty much unbeatable since becoming the ROH World Champion. It would be a good idea for Takeshita to remember what he learned from wrestling Shinya Aoki and fight fire with fire.
PRESTIGE “NONSTOP FEELING”, 22/07/2022 Hawthorne Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Kevin Blackwood
The next day Takeshita returns to Prestige for his second match in the promotion. Kevin Blackwood has been gaining notoriety in the indies this year and just last week got a big win over Takeshita’s buddy Mike Bailey.
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
Takeshita will also be holding a seminar for Garden State Pro on the day of the show.
BLACK LABEL PRO “THE GANG CROSSES THE LINE”, 29/07/2022 Nashville Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Nick Wayne
A teenage prodigy being hailed as the future of pro wrestling with the world at his feet. Sounds familiar. Nick Wayne is sort of where Takeshita was a decade ago. The young phenomenon is becoming a must see wrestler on the indies and supposedly has an AEW contract waiting for him once he is eligible to sign it. One future will get to see the next future first hand.
SETUP “SETUP EP.8”, 30/07/2022 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. Hoshitango Vs Bital Hasdin
2. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
Hoshitango’s opponent Bital Hasdin is being promoted as Thailand’s super rookie.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 137: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COPPERHEAD”, 13/08/2022 O2 Academy, Sheffield, England
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
Takeshita heads over to England in August for a tour with PROGRESS, the company that wishes it was still 2019. His first show will be in Sheffield and then he will be in Newcastle the next day.
GCW “HOMECOMING PART 1”, 13/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
GCW is not ready for Maki Itoh.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 138: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COTTONMOUTH”, 14/08/2022 Boiler Shop, Newcastle, England
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
Takeshita won’t be the only DDT talent PROGRESS gets to experience this year…
GCW “HOMECOMING PART 2”, 14/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
I repeat, they are so not ready for her.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 142: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN SNAKE”, 25/09/2022 O2 Academy, Birmingham, England
1. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
Chris Brookes is coming back to Europe and he’s bringing Masahiro Takanashi with him!
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
Take it from me, wXw tournaments in Oberhausen make for great weekend breaks if you’re with other wrestling fans. They have done tag team tournaments every Autumn for years but the World Tag Team Festival branding is only a recent creation that got interrupted by the pandemic. CDK was one of the first teams announced to enter the annual tournament. They are joined by two familiar faces, the team of Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie!
DDT/ONLY WE “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2022 IN CHIBA”, 05/06/2022 Chiba 2AW Square 123 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Toi Kojima Vs Yuya Koroku ended in a Time Limit Draw (15:00).
2. Soma Takao & Kazuki Hirata defeated Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda when Takao pinned Honda with the Mad Splash (7:32).
3. Special Tag Match: Kaji Tomato & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata when Yoshimura pinned Katsumata with the Harai Goshi (10:03).
4. HARASHIMA & Masahiro Takanashi defeated MAO & Yusuke Okada when HARASHIMA pinned Okada with the Somato (11:33).
5. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Hiroshi Yamato with La Mistica Crossface Lock (11:47).
6. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Kazusada Higuchi defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Yuki Ishida when Higuchi pinned Ishida with the Brain Claw Slam (20:23).
7. ONLY WE x DDT Special 6-Man Tag Match – No DQ Match: Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Quiet Storm defeated Shogun Okamoto, Kenichiro Arai & Hoshitango when Hino pinned Hoshitango with the Muscle Spash onto the Chair (15:10).
Even though ONLY WE won their latest battle against PERON GRANDES, they are probably happier they don’t have to wrestle a No DQ Match anymore. Quiet Storm bragged about Yuji Hino winning the match by piling chairs on top of Hoshitango and then Muscle Splashing onto them. What can PERON GRANDES possibly do next time to beat that? Hino however was in a lot of pain and asked for the next match to just be held under normal rules. Akira Raijin was not at the show after he tested positive for covid. Kenichiro Arai took his place in the main event.
Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Kazusada Higuchi all made it clear they are on the same page together. If Higuchi can wrestle with them against his own teammates in Eruption then they are ready to show NOAH they mean business.
After their match, Daisuke Sasaki told Hiroshi Yamato to call him a taxi so he can go home to Niigata. He wants Kenoh to now he’ll be there and doesn’t want to get ambushed. Instead Sasaki’s going to ambush him again!
The newly freelance Kaji Tomato complained about Shunma Katsumata being too noisy during their tag match. Tomato admits he is noisy too but his noise is made out of high tension while Katsumata just sounds stupid. Perhaps they can have a singles match pitting “High Tension” against “NeppoWER!!” someday.
This was the last DDT show before “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” so a lot of the wrestlers used the time to make their final preparations for the show. Everyone is ready to do their best no matter where on the card they are placed.
I think the plan to do these posts once a month works best. The only part I’m missing now are the DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro wrestlers getting bookings in other companies around Japan. Stuff like Kazusada Higuchi in NOAH and Suzume in Gatoh Move both happening last weekend for example. I figure the international skew of this blog means I’m better off doing DDT Around The World posts instead of DDT Around Japan. Not enough time in the day for me to dig up where some of the Ganbare☆Pro roster goes to with their outside bookings.
Anyway the AEW excursions for Yuka Sakazaki and Maki Itoh have ended. Both have since tweeted about arriving back in Japan safe and sound. Although Itoh had trouble after losing her phone and credit card. Miyu Yamashita is still in America this week to finish off her schedule. Konosuke Takeshita is gaining more fans every week and has also fallen in love with Cinnabon food, joining in the current craze of wrestlers tweeting about their eating habits while working overseas.
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Videos
DPW “FIRE VOL. 3”, 15/05/2022 Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Adam Brooks
Video starts at 11:32 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 16/05/2022 USB Arena, Elmont, New York, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki & Anna Jay Vs Nyla Rose & Emi Sakura (w/ Vickie Guerrero)
AEW “DYNAMITE ~ WILD CARD WEDNESDAY”, 18/05/2022 Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas, USA
1. Hangman Page Vs Konosuke Takeshita
AEW “DYNAMITE ~ WILD CARD WEDNESDAY”, 18/05/2022 Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas, USA
2. Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament – Round 1: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D (w/ Jamie Hayter & Rebel) Vs Maki Itoh
Video starts at 28:10 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 23/05/2022 Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas, USA
1. Skye Blue & Yuka Sakazaki Vs Nyla Rose & Emi Sakura (w/ Vickie Guerrero)
Video starts at 16:08 for the match AEW “DARK”, 28/05/2022 Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Riho, Yuka Sakazaki & Skye Blue Vs Nyla Rose, Diamanté & Emi Sakura (w/ Vickie Guerrero)
PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 3 – NIGHT 1”, 28/05/2022 Roseland Theater, Portland, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Masha Slamovich
PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 3 – NIGHT 2”, 29/05/2022 Roseland Theater, Portland, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Miyu Yamashita
Video starts at 0:10 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 30/05/2022 Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Ryan Nemeth
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Results
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 11/05/2022 (Aired 16/05/2022) USB Arena, Elmont, New York, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki & Anna Jay defeated Nyla Rose & Emi Sakura (w/ Vickie Guerrero) when Sakazaki pinned Sakura with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (3:32).
Sakazaki’s position in AEW during May was taking part in a series of tag matches against Nyla Rose & Emi Sakura on the Dark portions of the tapings. In their first meeting, Sakazaki teamed with Anna Jay and got the win by pinning Sakura. However Rose took the loss badly and attacked Sakazaki after the bell.
DPW “FIRE VOL. 3”, 15/05/2022 Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Adam Brooks with the Zahi (8:40).
Takeshita’s visit to Deadlock Pro Wrestling led to an exciting match against the Australian wrestler Adam Brooks. There was one moment in particular when he fired up the crowd and the commentary team by yelling “Let’s fucking go!” He is also taking the time to sharpen his Jumping Knee Strike, using it as a big counter to a Springboard move from Brookes before putting him away with the Zahi.
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 18/05/2022 (Aired 23/05/2022) Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas, USA
1. Nyla Rose & Emi Sakura (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Skye Blue & Yuka Sakazaki when Rose pinned Blue with the Beast Bomb (6:17).
There was a little bit of a DDT/TJPW takeover on this taping. Sakazaki’s rivalry with Rose & Sakura continued. Skye Blue was her tag partner this time. Unfortunately Blue’s big moment of hitting a Hurricanrana to Rose was ruined when Rose held on, lifted her up and dropped her down with the Beast Bomb to win the match.
AEW “DYNAMITE ~ WILD CARD WEDNESDAY”, 18/05/2022 Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas, USA
1. Hangman Page defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Go 2 Sleep (12:14).
2. Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament – Round 1: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D (w/ Jamie Hayter & Rebel) defeated Maki Itoh with the LockJaw (6:44).
Onto Dynamite itself where Takeshita was given his biggest spotlight in AEW so far. He faced Hangman Adam Page, the AEW World Champion in a non-title bout while CM Punk watched on over at the commentary booth. Takeshita lost the match when Page used Punk’s Go 2 Sleep to send his upcoming challenger a message but Takeshita’s performance that night had a lot of people talking highly of him across the board.
Then there was the surprise appearance of Maki Itoh in the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament as the mystery Joker entrant. Everyone was happy to see her, especially Britt Baker who thought Itoh would just lay down for her. Instead Itoh gave her a fight but the result still ended in Baker’s favour. The possibility of Itoh showing up in AEW was tipped off when TJPW tweeted about her having to miss an autograph session a few days earlier (it is not always 100% the reason these things happen but whenever I get to tweet about it there may as well be a massive “HINT HINT” sign pointing at it).
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 25/05/2022 (Aired 30/05/2022) Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ryan Nemeth (w/ Peter Avalon) with the Jumping Knee Strike (5:31).
Hey I was here for this Dynamite show! The opening match of AEW’s week long celebration for their three years in existence was Takeshita beating Ryan Nemeth. Takeshita’s not fully there with the crowd yet. They didn’t recognise his entrance song but once his name showed up on the screen he got a big response. Still with all the praise going his way lately his future in the company can be really bright. It all depends on what plans Tony Khan already has in place. If you’re paying attention you’ll see this past week has shown he often sticks with his plans. But we all know how much of a massive wrestling fan he is. He must have the Masato Tanaka in ECW playbook lying around somewhere next to his Fulham summer transfer plans.
AEW “SPECIAL DARK”, 27/05/2022 (Aired 28/05/2022) Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Riho, Yuka Sakazaki & Skye Blue defeated Nyla Rose, Diamanté & Emi Sakura (w/ Vickie Guerrero) when Riho pinned Diamanté with the Somato (6:11).
A few days later at the Rampage taping Sakazaki finished off her current run with AEW. She also ended her series against Rose & Sakura with a win thanks to Riho pinning Diamanté. The women’s tag matches on Dark that feature Sakura in them have often been a highlight of the Youtube shows so I recommend watching them.
PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 3 – NIGHT 1”, 28/05/2022 Roseland Theater, Portland, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Masha Slamovich with the Skull Kick (10:33)
2. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) defeated Mia Yim with the Flying Big Head (15:55). *V3 for Maki Itoh.
While AEW was busy partying in Las Vegas all weekend, Yamashita & Itoh blew the roof off of the Roseland Theater with their matches in Prestige Wrestling. Yamashita defeated Masha Slamovich in a bout where the two smashed each other to bits. Then Itoh got something of an upset victory over Mia Yim in the main event to defend the International Princess Title.
PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 3 – NIGHT 2”, 29/05/2022 Roseland Theater, Portland, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Maki Itoh with the Skull Kick (15:47).
The next night Itoh was headlining the show again and this time Yamashita was across the ring from her. It was a non-title match and Yamashita increased her winning record against her friend with the Skull Kick. At first it looked like the move may have been deflected off of Itoh’s big head but the damage was there. Itoh fell like a tree and got pinned.
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Upcoming Appearances
DPW “NO PRESSURE”, 05/06/2022 Gov. James E. Holshouser Building, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Golden Opportunity Match: Miyuki Takase Vs Miyu Yamashita
Yamashita is still in America for one more booking this weekend. Deadlock Pro is bringing her in for a big match against joshi freelancer Miyuki Takase. That’s the beautiful thing about Japanese wrestlers going on overseas excursions. You can get people who will never get the chance to fight each other in Japan due to industry politics get booked against each other in other countries miles away from all that stuff. The winner of the match will get a future shot at a DPW championship.
WEST COAST PRO “’93 TIL INFINITY”, 10/06/2022 The State Room, South San Francisco, USA
1. Mike Bailey Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Congratulations to Mike Bailey and Veda Scott for getting married in Vegas!
PRESTIGE “THE NEW REALITY”, 18/06/2022 The Glass House, Pomona, USA
1. Lee Moriarty Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Takeshita will get to feel the love from the Prestige crowd that Itoh & Yamashita got.
No new info yet. RCW on Twitter said they’ve just started selling tickets and more announcements will come soon.
PWG “NINETEEN”, 03/07/2022 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Masha Slamovich
2. PWG World Title: Daniel Garcia (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
It was already known that Takeshita will face Daniel Garcia for the PWG World Title. But the big surprise announced for this show is Yuka Sakazaki. That’s right, Sakazaki is so good she got PWG to finally book a women’s match for the first time in over a decade! Alright, alright, Slamovich deserves some of the praise too. If she ends up becoming a preferred opponent for TJPW wrestlers in America then that’s fine by me.
JCW “THE GREAT AMERICAN BIRTHDAY BASH”, 10/07/2022 Phil Sheridan Building, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
GCW’s sister promotion Jersey Championship Wrestling is the next landing spot for Takeshita. There are a few other unlikely names announced for the show like Negro Casas, Volador Jr. and Delirious. All suitably crazy opponents for Takeshita in their own way.
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
No new info but what more needs to be said about these matches?
SETUP “SETUP EP.8”, 30/07/2022 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. Hoshitango Vs X
2. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
CDK and Hoshitango will be heading over to SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling next month.
GANBARE☆PRO “CRAZY THUNDER ROAD 2022”, 26/05/2022 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Tiger Vs Dragon Part 2: Keisuke Ishii Vs Ryuya Matsufusa
2. Mr. SHOWTIME Vs Shivering Arm Locker: Shota Vs Tsuyoshi Okada
3. Highball & Punch Drunker Vs REAL BLOOD: Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Naoya Nomura & Mizuki Watase
4. PocchaJo Vs GanJo Full-Scale Battle: Yuna Manase, Maika Ozaki & Yappy Vs Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
5. Road To SEKIGAHARA Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari, Soma Takao & Kouki Iwasaki Vs Ken Ohka, Shuichiro Katsumura & Shigehiro Irie
The REAL BLOOD tour of Ganbare☆Pro continues with the former Spirit Of Ganbare Champion now in their sights. The match is also a big learning session for Tyson Maeguchi since he will be in the ring with Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Naoya Nomura & Mizuki Watase.
Ryuya Matsufusa is back to take on another tiger. His Ganpro debut was against Watase so now he steps up to take on Keisuke Ishii.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2022 TOUR IN KUMAMOTO”, 29/05/2022 Kumamoto Castle Hall Civic Hall
1. MAO Vs Toi Kojima
2. 3 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Yuki Ueno & Soma Takao
3. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yuya Koroku
4. Shinya Aoki & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Hideki Okatani
5. Special Single Match: Yuji Hino Vs Yukio Naya
6. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
7. Kumamoto Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida
Over the weekend Yukio Naya asked his tag partner Yuji Hino for a singles match. It’s the latest step towards Naya wanting to get stronger. Just teaming with Hino is not enough. The challenge was accepted and a small change is made to the card. It replaces the Chris Brookes Vs Hideki Okatani match and those two are now in the tag match against Shinya Aoki & Shunma Katsumata.
DDT/ONLY WE “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2022 IN CHIBA”, 05/06/2022 Chiba 2AW Square
1. Toi Kojima Vs Yuya Koroku
2. Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda Vs Soma Takao & Kazuki Hirata
3. MAO & Yusuke Okada Vs HARASHIMA & Chris Brookes
4. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuki Ishida Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
5. Kaji Tomato & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
6. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Hiroshi Yamato
7. ONLY WE x DDT Special 6-Man Tag Match – No DQ Match: Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Quiet Storm Vs Shogun Okamoto, Akira Raijin & Hoshitango
DDT hosts the next chapter of the ONLY WE Vs PERON GRANDES feud. In April a brawl that happened after a main event between the two units led to challenges for a No DQ Match to be held in June. Naya is backing up ONLY WE while PERON GRANDES seem to have recruited Hoshitango to their side.
Former DAMNATION allies Daisuke Sasaki and Hiroshi Yamato are pitted against each other. Yamato was the only person to stand up for Sasaki during the DAMNATION mutiny of 2020. I think this will be their first match of any kind together since the DAMNATION break up last year.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “ADDITIONAL ATTACK ’22”, 19/06/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
The tag team of Kyoraku Kyomei is as powerful as they’ve ever been thanks to their Princess Of Princess Title match that took place this month. Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao are now even more of a united force and ready to take the Princess Tag Team Titles from The Magical Sugar Rabbits. This was Misao’s idea and Nakajima is going ahead with it confident she will end up as the first person in Tokyo Joshi Pro to hold two Princess Championships at the same time. Mizuki accepted the challenge without Yuka Sakazaki’s consent but Sakazaki quickly changed her opinion and is committed to the title defence.
Speaking of Sakazaki, it was announced today she will be wrestling Masha Slamovich at PWG in California on 3rd July! Konosuke Takeshita will be in a PWG World Title match against the champion Daniel Garcia on the same show.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 2,516 Fans – No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida when Okada pinned Ishida with the Sudden Death (11:00).
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya defeated Yasu Urano & Shota when Naya pinned Shota with the Back Drop (14:28). Order Of Elimination: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi, Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi, Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul, Shota & Yasu Urano.
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan) defeated Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) when MIKAMI pinned Honda with the School Boy (8:49). *The DDT Variety Team fails in V2. Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba becomes the 7th KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions!
2. Special Single Match: Saki Akai defeated Maya Yukihi with the Quetzalcoatl (10:40).
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match – No DQ “I’m Sorry” Match: Sanshiro Takagi defeated Michael Nakazawa when Takagi made Nakazawa say “I’m Sorry” (10:20).
4. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata defeated Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi when Ueno pinned Sakaguchi with the WR (11:02).
5. LiLiCo Retirement Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) when Dieno submitted LiLiCo with a Cross Knee Lock (16:52).
6. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when Akiyama pinned Okatani with the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex (12:36).
7. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: MAO defeated Daisuke Sasaki (c) and Jun Kasai when MAO pinned Sasaki with the Super Michinoku Driver II (19:56). *Daisuke Sasaki fails in V5. MAO becomes the 6th DDT Universal Champion!
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) when Brookes submitted Yoshimura with the House Piano Death (18:50). *DISASTER BOX fails in V1. CDK becomes the 73rd KO-D Tag Team Champions!
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Tetsuya Endo defeated Konosuke Takeshita (c) with two Burning Star Presses (46:30). *Konosuke Takeshita fails in V2. Tetsuya Endo becomes the 78th KO-D Openweight Champion!
DDT celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a new KO-D Openweight Champion! It was the first singles match between Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo in 2 years and 3 months with both going in at the peak of their abilities. It led to a juggernaut of a match lasting 46 minutes with every move in their arsenal being used. It took Endo using something new to bring the champion to the brink of defeat. As the match reached towards the 45 minute mark, Endo took inspiration from his BURNING teammate and used the Exploder Suplex three times for nearfalls. While that wasn’t enough to get the pin, there was no coming back for Takeshita after those moves. Endo dropped him with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb and after another kickout he followed it up with two Burning Star Presses to finally get the career defining victory over his destined enemy.
Endo told Takeshita after the match that this was the first time he was happy to be seen side by side with him in the same company and generation. He still hates him but also thanks him for today. Takeshita refused to shake Endo’s hand but instead raised it into the air before leaving the ring. Kenta Kobashi entered the ring to present Endo with the KO-D Title and BURNING followed to celebrate with him. Endo thanked the audience for coming to see Tokyo Joshi Pro and DDT in Sumo Hall this weekend. Endo has finally defeated Takeshita for the KO-D Title but he believes there is still more to come for these companies. TJPW will be entering its 10th year in existence while DDT enters its 26th. The journey continues and Endo thinks he won’t be able to make them grow by himself. He will lead the way so everyone follow him and keep your eyes on DDT and Tetsuya Endo from now on!
Backstage Endo repeated what he said about the CyberFight promotions, including NOAH. None of them are done yet and whether they all reach 26, 50 or 100 years he will be there standing at the top. He debuted 10 years ago and he feels like everything he worked for was rewarded to him today. His first KO-D Title defence of this reign will be at Yokohama Budokan on 1st May. He thinks any challenger will be find as long as they are prepared to carry DDT on their back. Takeshita echoed some of Endo’s points, also believing they still have a long way to go beyond DDT’s 26th year. He cannot stop at where he is right now. Kobashi compared Takeshita to Jumbo Tsuruta from his physical ability to his stamina recovery. He also said Endo carries a wonderful BURNING soul and is looking forward to seeing what his future title defences will be like.
CDK always said the most dramatic and dreamy tag team in DDT should be the KO-D Tag Team Champions so I guess they proven right. Chris Brookes countered the Osaka Pride from Naomi Yoshimura and instead stretched his body in so many wrong directions with the House Piano Death. HARASHIMA fought to grab onto them and break the hold but Masahiro Takanashi kept him away long enough for Yoshimura to submit. Takanashi lost his voice so he let Brookes do the talking after the match.
However he was interrupted when Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya climbed onto the ring apron demanding a title shot. They agreed to do the match on 10th April at Korakuen Hall. Backstage DISASTER BOX admitted defeat and HARASHIMA told Yoshimura to rest up before they decide on what to do next. Naya said he is really happy because a year ago he wouldn’t have been able to challenge for the KO-D Tag Titles like this. Hino asked if Naya was weak back then because he only knows how big and strong he is now. Brookes in his interview suddenly took another direction when he called out El Desperado from New Japan! He brought up that Desperado wants CDK to go challenge him but CDK has more championships, so he should come over here and challenge them instead. Takanashi said Hino & Naya should fight for the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles instead of the KO-D Tag Titles because he wants to see a team as large as them inside Ichigaya Chocolate Square. He might get in trouble for suggesting that but as double champions they should have the responsibility and freedom to do what they want.
The feud between Daisuke Sasaki and Jun Kasai took up so much of their attention that MAO swooped in and won the DDT Universal Title! Blood was shed, boxes were smashed, tables were broken and chairs were destroyed as the three all fought each other in and out of the ring. Kasai kept complaining that DDT wasn’t violent enough for him which might have spurred the others to turn up the dial. MAO finally got what he wanted, the attention of his opponents, when he smashed a guitar over both of their head. He won the match by giving Sasaki the Michinoku Driver II from a ladder bridge through the table below.
MAO said it’s been a long month and a half but it was worth it to win the championship today. He wants to increase the presence of the Universal Title so he will only defend it against people with presence. For some reason Michael Nakazawa thought that meant him so he came out and challenged MAO. He said it is a championship made for the world so if he wins it, he can bring it to AEW and show it to even more people worldwide. MAO refused because Nakazawa lost earlier and he told him to leave. Nakazawa agreed he is weak but made the argument that beating a wrestler from AEW is a big deal no matter who they are. MAO saw his point and demanded they do the title match in AEW’s home turf… the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium! Hisaya Imabayashi told him that was impossible so he settled to have the match at Korakuen Hall on 27th March instead.
The show also celebrated Jun Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary in pro wrestling. He teamed up with an old partner of his, Takao Omori from All Japan to beat the Eruption duo of Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani. He was quickly provoked by Okatani and put the youngster in his place with a fight up the entrance ramp. Higuchi was a tougher wall to break down but Omori’s solution was to hit him with the Axe Bomber. Akiyama dusted off the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex for the occasion, pinning Okatani with the deadly finisher. Akiyama said Omori has been wrestling for 30 years too so he was the first name he had in mind when the match was presented to him. As for the future, Akiyama will steadily continue on without any hesitation. He hadn’t thought about DDT being the company he celebrated his 30th Anniversary with. Not even he knows where he will be for the 40th and 50th.
DDT gave LiLiCo the platform to say goodbye to her pro wrestling career with a retirement ceremony unlike any other. First she had her retirement match teaming with her husband Ryohei Odai and the CyberFight VP Akito to take on Pheromones. The opponents were determined to humiliate LiLiCo on her big day. Yumehito Imanari threatened to record every moment of what they would do to her and then send the footage to the media. LiLiCo & Odai were successfully able to complete their special double team move the Princess SEXY Chest Kick ♡ on Yuki Iino. However Danshoku Dieno targeted LiLiCo’s injured knees, which proved to be her downfall. Dieno gave her the Danshoku Driver and made her tap out to a Cross Knee Lock.
After the match Dieno encouraged LiLiCo to get up by herself because a pro wrestler’s final duty is to stand up under their own power. However his show of respect was a farce and he attacked her again. Pheromones were about to set LiLiCo up for the ultimate humiliation on the entrance ramp when suddenly Andreza Giant Panda appeared and attacked all of Pheromones with Headbutts! The retirement ceremony went ahead and Odai brought out his pop band Junretsu to sing “Proposal” for her as a show of his love. When the ceremony reached its end, LiLiCo told the fans she is going back to being a normal girl. She then laid down her entrance gown in the middle of the ring and bowed to each side of the venue.
Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata picked up a big win against the wild card pairing of Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi. Kodaka thought his team had it in the bag after he gave Katsumata a Brainbuster onto the ring apron. However the God’s Right Knee from Sakaguchi was blocked with a Dropkick by Ueno. He got back to his feet only to get with with a Standing Shining Wizard. Ueno then finished him off with the WR. The 37KAMIINA said they had hot opponents today but they didn’t seem like they wanted to team together. Ueno was happy to beat Sakaguchi again and Katsumata feels the same beating Kodaka. The BASARA wrestler admitted he was too hostile with Sakaguchi but he does not hate him. They are more like rivals and Kodaka is thankful that Sakaguchi invited him to be part of DDT’s 25th Anniversary.
Nakazawa’s wild efforts to make Sanshiro Takagi apologize to him ended in failure. Their No DQ Match spilled over to a nearby restroom where Takagi gave Nakazawa a Piledriver into a toilet. Back in the ring Nakazawa almost made Takagi say “I’m Sorry” when he used the Ultimate Venom AEW Arm on him. But Takagi fought out of it and suddenly gathered the powers of DDT past. He hit Nakazawa with Kenny Omega’s Hadouken and followed it up with Kota Ibushi’s Kamigoye. He started breaking plastic boxes over Nakazawa’s head until Nakazawa pleaded him to stop. He was about to say “I’m Sorry” when Takagi shoved Nakazawa’s pants into his own mouth to keep him quiet. Takagi then lifted him up in the Himawari Bomb ready to put him through more boxes when Nakazawa finally shouted “I’m Sorry!” to end the match. Takagi Power Bombed him into the boxes anyway.
Takagi actually did apologize to Nakazawa after the match but it is too late. Nakazawa now hates him even more! However he likes DDT and remembers that DDT is his home so he has a special present for everyone today. A video message from Christopher Daniels played on the screen. Daniels congratulated DDT for its 25th Anniversary and announced a mutual agreement between DDT and AEW that will bring DDT wrestlers to America in the future! Daniels said he cannot wait to introduce DDT’s wrestlers to the American fans and hopes the company will do their best until that day comes. Nakazawa then explained to Takagi that he and Kenny Omega had negotiated this deal together. Takagi thanked him and promised the fans they will make pro wrestling even more exciting! Backstage Nakazawa added that the deal also includes bringing in wrestlers from Tokyo Joshi Pro.
The jealous grudge Saki Akai and Maya Yukihi held with each other was finally settled in the ring. Akai came out on top thanks to her finishing move, the Quetzalcoatl. Any hatred the two had was gone when the match was over and they both hugged each other. Akai told reporters that it was a match only she and Yukihi could do because they have different backgrounds but travelled in the same direction. Yukihi said she is grateful to DDT and joshi for the match today and she would like to team with Akai if she is interested.
A collective blast from the past have taken the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles! The match brought together many of DDT’s wacky gimmicks from throughout its history. The appearance of Yoshihiko left Takashi Sasaki & GENTARO confused. They were even more confused when the doll outwrestled them. Antonio Honda tried to summon Gongitsune but Poison Sawada JULIE used his magic to make Honda strike Toru Owashi instead. Honda began to withstand the magic when suddenly Kazuki Hirata appeared completely taken over by the snake magic! He fought off Honda then danced with JULIE & Naomi Susan to the song “Hateless Bastard” by Kenji Sawada. Yoshihiko stopped the dancing and went wild on everyone while Owashi hung onto him for dear life. That left Honda along to get hit by every challenger ending with him getting rolled up by MIKAMI’s signature School Boy for the victory. Sasaki said he doesn’t want his team to be called “Legends” because that implies they are all over the hill. He also told DDT to work out how to get them all together again to schedule their title defences otherwise the belts will belong to them forever. JULIE is confident they can defend the belts 100 or 200 times. MIKAMI and Thanomsak Toba are hopeful this team will bring back something that’s been missing from DDT and that it will be interesting for old fans.
There was a last minute change to the Tag Team Rumble. Soma Takao had to pull out before the show for reasons that were not detailed to the public. Yasu Urano took his place to team with Shota. Hino & Naya eliminated them last to win the match, giving them the momentum to make their title challenge later in the show. The match also featured Andreza’s in-ring return to DDT with former opponent Super Sasadango Machine by his side, Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi reuniting as a team, more trouble making from DAMNATION T.A with Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul entering together and the usual appearances from Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi.
The other dark match had Yusuke Okada and Tomomitsu Matsunaga in the ring with DDT’s various rookies. Ilusion put up a good showing for the DDTeeeen!! brand. He carried the mask of his rival El Unicorn down to the ring because covid prevented Unicorn from being in the match. Toui Kojima tried to earn a first direct win over Yuya Koroku but couldn’t make it. It came down to Yuki Ishida firing his Sumo Slaps to Okada but he was taken out with a Diving Headbutt. Ishida kicked out of that but was done for when Okada gave him the Sudden Death. He praised Ilusion and encouraged him to continue doing his best. Ilusion said he had El Unicorn’s mask to let him know they were still able to fight together in Sumo Hall. He wants a singles match with him whenever he is fully recovered.
The main show began with the Anal Explosion ceremony, as is tradition for DDT when they are in a venue as prestigious as this one. Ryota Yamasato was reluctant to take part and called everyone in DDT crazy for thinking this is a normal thing to do. Hisaya Imabayashi calmed him down by getting Super Sasadango Machine to show him a PowerPoint presentation explaining why the ceremony is so important. According to Sasadango, the Anal Explosion was originally a symbol of the “Phoenix” and acts as a ritual for success and prosperity of the company. Yamasato complained until Hoshitango carried him over to the stage and pinned him down for Danshoku Dieno to set up the bomb. A countdown began and a small explosion went off without a hitch. Yamasato was then told a second explosion 25 times more powerful than the first will now happen to celebrate DDT’s 25 years. It went off, Yamasato called for the show to begin and then he went unconscious.
A new tournament called the King Of Street Wrestling will be shown on WRESTLE UNIVERSE this April. Eight fighters from around the world will compete including Sanshiro Takagi, Shunma Katsumata and Chris Brookes as the DDT representatives. Abdullah Kobayashi and Suzu Suzuki will also take part.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 