DDT “DDT FREE -FEBRUARY- ULTIMATE TAG LEAGUE 2022 IN SHINJUKU!!”, 14/02/2022 Shinjuku FACE
-. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – B Block: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul (2) defeated Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (2) by Forfeit.
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Koroku
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 5 Way Match: Toru Owashi (c) Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Masahiro Takanashi Vs Antonio Honda Vs Shunma Katsumata
2. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul Vs Akito, MAO & Yuki Ishida
3. Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Toui Kojima Vs Maya Yukihi & Yukio Naya
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura & Soma Takao Vs Jun Kasai, Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi
5. DDT Extreme Title – Turkish Wrestling Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino
6. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama (4) Vs Shuji Kondo & Kazuki Hirata (0)
7. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno (4) Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani (0)
What an utter disaster the Ultimate Tag League has become for CDK. First Masahiro Takanashi had to pull out of a match because of covid forcing the team to forfeit against Pheromones and now Chris Brookes has been pulled from tomorrow’s show due to illness (so far not confirmed to be covid related), forcing them to forfeit another match. This time DAMNATION T.A are getting the free two points and their first win in the tournament.
The card is changes several matches as a result of this. DAMNATION T.A are now in a non-tournament match but on the plus side have Minoru Fujita with them again. The trio demolished their opponents yesterday and made it clear they want to dominate DDT. However Sasaki is being targeted by MAO because of his DDT Universal Title challenge, which Sasaki has declined over and over. Takanashi now has to take MAO’s place in the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title 5 Way Match. Another change is Yusuke Okada and Yuya Koroku becoming opponents in a dark match instead of teaming together in the opener.
DDT “HANAYORI NEPPA ~TOTONOU IN THE MIDDLE OF SHINJUKU~”, 15/02/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Shinya Aoki Vs Toui Kojima
2. Hardcore Judo: MAO Vs Takayuki Ueki
3. Sea Sauna Shack Presents SSS Cup Special Gauntlet Tag Match ~Beyond Totoi~: Soma Takao & Shota Vs Akito & Kazuki Hirata Vs Naomi Yoshimura & Yukio Naya Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Antonio Honda & Yoshihiko Vs Hyper Misao & Mecha Mummy
4. Vihta JP Presents Special 6-Man Tag Match ~Into The Light~: Yuki Ueno, Sanshiro Takagi & HERO! Vs Toru Owashi, Danshoku Dieno & Masahiro Takanashi
5. Hokuo Presents Special Tag Match ~WE GOTTA NeppWER!!~: Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata Vs Yuko Miyamoto & Isami Kodaka
Brookes also has to miss teaming with Yoshihiko in the wacky sauna sponsored Gauntlet Match. Antonio Honda is filling in for him there.
The winners of Match #4 will be rewarded with 365 bags of bath salts from the match sponsors. Sounds relaxing… I hope?
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Juria Nagano Vs X
2. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa
3. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai
4. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
5. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
Fresh off of the Max Heart Tournament we are left with the two strongest teams in Tokyo Joshi Pro fighting over the Princess Tag Team Titles. On one side are the champions, The Magical Sugar Rabbits. Their pride was bruised after an early elimination from the tournament so they feel the need to defend the belts against the Max Heart winners. That team is Daydream. They made one dream come true, now they have an even bigger one. They want to win the Tag Titles at Sumo Hall!
The growing history shared by Maki Itoh and Yuki Arai reaches another chapter. Arai is cashing in on her supernova rookie year by challenging Itoh for the International Princess Title. It wasn’t long ago that Itoh dared Arai to try and beat her with as many attempts as she wants to use. Arai thinks the time is now to strike and she has earned every strength needed to win against her fellow rival idol.
Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa is definitely happening, no mistranslation here (why yes, I am one to talk). Excluding her recent MAKAI work and the AEW tournament she produced last year (empty arena), this will be Shida’s first pro wrestling match in front of a Japanese audience in over two and a half years.
Yuna Manase, Ram Kaichow and NEO Biishiki-gun will all be on the show. Manase is looking for an opponent to step up and face her in the ring. Nao Kakuta has shown interest in doing so given their history from Actwres girl’Z.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. LiLiCo Retirement Match: LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
2. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba (w/ Naomi Susan)
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Michael Nakazawa
4. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
So when LiLiCo asked for her retirement match to be filled with handsome men, it only made sense to include her husband in it. Ryohei Odai is a Kamen Rider actor and former member of the pop band Junretsu (which the DDT unit was also named after). He has little athletic experience but his inclusion in the match will be very important for LiLiCo. Speaking of Junretsu, they will be in the married couple’s corner while Akito takes up the last spot on the team.
It was LiLiCo’s decision to make Pheromones her opponents. She has had many unforgettable experiences with Danshoku Dieno so it is fitting for him to be one of her final opponents. Unfortunately for Odai, he got a, um, taste of Pheromones when they crashed the press conference announcing this match. They attacked Odai and Dieno shoved one of the Junretsu member’s face into Yuki Iino’s crotch while Yumehito Imanari filmed it.
DDT “MAX BUMP 2022 TOUR IN KOBE”, 24/04/2022 Kobe Art Center
Has Open The Forbidden Gate been used by DRAGONGATE yet? I’m sure it’s been used by them before. Let’s use it anyway. Genki Horiguchi is the latest name from the promotion coming over for a DDT appearance. The previous ones all worked on DDT shows booked by Toru Owashi in Nagoya but here it is for a show happening in Kobe. It’s slap bang in the middle DG territory but still progress in a seemingly growing relationship between the two companies. It’s another small step towards Kazuki Hirata jumping over and forcing them to play “Tokyo GO!” again.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “POSITIVE CHAIN ’22”, 11/02/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 536 Fans
1. Moka Miyamoto defeated Arisu Endo with the Rashomon (6:02).
2. Hyper Misao, Mahiro Kiryu & Ram Kaichow defeated Asuka, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami when Misao pinned Toribami with the Hypami Returns (10:36).
3. Yuki Arai defeated Suzume with the Finally (11:14).
4. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Saint-Michel pinned Harajuku after La Revolution (11:54).
5. Shoko Nakajima, Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki defeated Miyu Yamashita, Nao Kakuta & Marika Kobashi when Sakazaki pinned Kobashi with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (14:08).
6. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Itoh Deluxe (11:37). *V1 for Maki Itoh.
7. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino when Tatsumi pinned Tenma with the Missile Hips (20:30).
The second ever Max Heart Tournament goes to Daydream! The big final was a rubber match between them and The Bakuretsu Sisters after they had a 1-1 record against each other going back to 2020. Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino hit their big move the Bakuretsu Bulldog to their opponents early but couldn’t win off of it. Rika Tatsumi countered Tenma’s Killswitch into the Twist Of Fate, letting her regroup with Miu Watanabe. Aino was taken care of with the Tear Drop and Tenma was given the Daydream Eternity. Tatsumi then finished her off with the Missile Hips to win the tournament! It wasn’t the fairytale ending for Tenma as her wrestling career reaches its final weeks. But she is sure the battles between The Bakuretsu Sisters and Daydream will live on in the history of Tokyo Joshi Pro.
For Daydream they received their prize for winning the Max Heart Tournament. However they still have an even bigger dream they want to come true. They want to challenge The Magical Sugar Rabbits for the Princess Tag Team Titles at Sumo Hall! The champions came out and accepted the challenge for 19th March. Yuka Sakazaki agreed that Daydream earned the right to have the match. Meanwhile MagiRabi has to make up for getting eliminated in Round 1 so Sakazaki & Mizuki are as determined as ever to keep the championships. They also asked if they could get the Max Heart trophies if they beat Daydream.
The International Princess Title match had an unusual interruption when Maki Itoh had Yuki Kamifuku almost beaten. Itoh had locked in the Itoh Punish when Kamifuku grabbed the rope and then reached over to Mahiro Kiryu. It turned out Kiryu was holding up Kamifuku’s phone and somebody was calling her. Kamifuku answered and told everyone it was her mother. She then passed the phone over to Itoh asking her to join in the call. Itoh reluctantly did and Kamifuku suddenly gave her a School Boy for a nearfall. Itoh regained her composure and put her opponent in the Itoh Deluxe for the victory. Afterwards Kamifuku admitted that Itoh is the cutest in the world and more importantly, her friend who she supports. She still poked her in the eye causing Itoh to start swearing in English.
Once Itoh calmed down she declared she is ready to defend the IP Title as many times as she wants around the world. So whoever wants to fight her next should come out down. Enter Yuki Arai! She politely asked Itoh for a title shot and brought up Itoh being in her debut match last year. At the time Itoh gave Arai the goal to crush her no matter how long it will take. Arai thinks now is the right time to achieve that goal. Itoh accepted the challenge and said the title match will happen at Sumo Hall on 19th March!
The Ryogoku main eventers Miyu Yamashita and Shoko Nakajima (with a new haircut) were pitted against each other in a 6-Woman Tag, giving them more chances to figure each other out. Yamashita got the last hit on her challenger with the Skull Kick. Mizuki got rid of Yamashita with the Cutie Special. From there, MagiRabi were too much for Marika Kobashi to handle. Kobashi’s Front Neck Lock was broken and Sakazaki pinned her with the Magical Merry-Go-Round. Nakajima had fun teaming with MagiRabi again but she needs to make sure to avoid that Skull Kick.
The antics of Raku & Pom Harajuku were enough to send Sakisama to sleep. A lullaby from Raku made Sakisama drowsy and eventually she just had to take that nap on the ring apron. Mei Saint-Michel had to bang on the ring bell to wake her up. NEO Biishiki-gun ended up winning and Saint-Michel started complaining about being hungry. She wanted to go eat chanko stew. That reminded Sakisama of the Sumo Hall show next month so she decided NEO Biishiki-gun will be there! Meanwhile Raku & Harajuku blamed their loss today on the referee. Harajuku wants to get revenge on Yukinori Matsui but she doesn’t want to see him again either.
Arai got her confidence to challenge for the IP Title by beating Suzume earlier in the show. Suzume hit a Facebuster and went for the Ring A Bell but Arai hit back with the Full Nelson Buster and the Finally axe kick to win. Arai wants to have many more matches with Suzume because she thinks the two of them make each other improve so much. Suzume is upset to lose in front of her fans. There are many wrestlers she doesn’t want to lose against and now Arai is the one she wants to beat the most.
Today was only the second time Ram Kaichow has been in TJPW but she is already making the place feel like home. Perhaps she is getting a little bit too comfortable because she got Hyper Misao and Mahiro Kiryu to carry her on their shoulders down to the ring. Misao also had extra masks as gifts for her tag partners but they quietly left them on the canvas when she wasn’t paying attention. Misao then tried giving one to Asuka but was rejected again. Kiryu gave Haruna Neko a Sidebuster but she was then wiped out by a mistargeted Asai Moonsault from Asuka. Kaichow gave Asuka the Codebreaker and Misao pinned Kaya Toribami with the Hypami Returns. It was then announced that Kaichow will be back for the Sumo Hall show.
The opening match had classmates Arisu Endo and Moka Miyamoto going against each other. Their previous singles match last July ended in a draw. Miyamoto avoided the Waterwheel Drop and applied the Rashomon submission hold. Endo tried struggling out of it but had to give up in the end. Miyamoto is happy to win but is aware Endo has become stronger.
A former member of TJPW made her presence known at the beginning of the show. Yuna Manase came out and announced she will be at the Sumo Hall show next month! However this is not the old Yuna Manase that TJPW fans will remember. She is the burning hot Yuna Manase of Ganbare☆Pro! It would be easy for her to nominate an opponent right now but she doesn’t want to fight somebody just because she or the company told them to. No, she wants an opponent who wants to fight her under their own initiative. She doesn’t care how old they are or where they come from. They can even come over to Ganbare☆Joshi and challenge her there if they want! Or maybe Manase will bring her friends from Ganjo over instead. Nao Kakuta heard her call and threw her name into the hat to fight Manase at Sumo Hall.
Even though Hikari Noa was missing from today’s show, she still was involved in something newsworthy. She is getting a singles match against Hikaru Shida from AEW at Sumo Hall!
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2022 WINTER ~YOKOHAMA PERFORMANCE~”, 05/02/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Marika Kobashi
One more homecoming for Marika Kobashi before she graduates from Tokyo Joshi Pro in April. She gets the biggest challenge possible, a singles match against Miyu Yamashita!
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “POSITIVE CHAIN ’22”, 11/02/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Moka Miyamoto Vs Arisu Endo
2. Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Asuka, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami
3. Suzume Vs Yuki Arai
4. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. Miyu Yamashita, Hikari Noa & Marika Kobashi Vs Shoko Nakajima, Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki
6. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku
7. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
The two strongest teams in TJPW right now seem to be Daydream and The Bakuretsu Sisters. They both reached the Max Heart Tournament final and the time is coming to see which side is better. There have been two previous matches between the teams and the Princess Tag Team Titles were on the line both times. Daydream won the first one and the Sisters won the second time. This will be the definitive rubber match given how Nodoka Tenma’s wrestling career is nearing its end. Yuki Aino thinks this match is their destiny. She still wants to wrestle with her sister which she thinks is one of the reasons why they were so successful in this tournament. However Miu Watanabe believes Daydream is now at their strongest. Rika Tatsumi is looking ahead to the winners most likely getting the next Princess Tag Titles shot against The Magical Sugar Rabbits.
When Yuki Kamifuku pinned Maki Itoh earlier in the tournament, Itoh kept her temper knowing that Kamifuku would become a potential challenger for the International Princess Title. Her instinct was proven correct and Kamifuku gets the title shot at Korakuen Hall. Itoh wants her current reign to surpass Kamifuku’s time with the belt so whatever feelings Kamifuku shows in the match, Itoh will give it back 100 times more. Kamifuku feels motivated after teaming with Asuka and thinks it will be a bad look for their friendship if she has nothing to show from working so hard. If she becomes champion again she wants to expand the Wrestle Universe audience across Asia, because America and Europe are already being catered to. Harsh words were also given when Kamifuku called herself the coolest in the world. Itoh said “Piss off you piece of shit” in response.
Two classmates born in 1998 will face off when Suzume takes on Yuki Arai in a first time singles match. Suzume has two years of extra experience in the ring but Arai is coming off of a super rookie year that’s been covered by the Japanese wrestling press across the board. While Suzume knows how popular Arai is, she remembers getting many votes herself to qualify for the IP Title No. 1 Contender Battle Royal last December (Suzume even beat Arai 210 votes to 199). Who gets attention doesn’t bother her, she just wants to win against Arai in a match between two TJPW wrestlers.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. LiLiCo Retirement Match: LiLiCo Vs X
2. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba (w/ Naomi Susan)
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Michael Nakazawa
4. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
Wrestlers from DDT’s past will come to Sumo Hall to celebrate the company’s 25th Anniversary. The rumored AEW name turned out to be Michael Nakazawa and he blatantly tried to make people think it would be Kenny Omega to get more attention. His long rivalry with Sanshiro Takagi gets revived for the big occasion.
The DDT Legend Army consists of DDT’s big players from the 2000s era of the company. Poison Sawada JULIE and his paranormal powers made him a force to be reckoned with in his prime. Takashi Sasaki is still going today, flying the flag for FREEDOMS over the last 12 years. His Aka Rangers tag partner GENTARO was a DDT mainstay from 2001-2003. The Suicide Boyz of MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba were the focal point of DDT’s tag division throughout the decade both together and in separate teams. Tying up the challenging team is Naomi Susan at ringside. She played a major role for DDT behind the scenes as the liaison for foreign wrestlers and was also the manager for Union Pro Wrestling.
Celebrity and former multiple DDT title holder LiLiCo wants to wrestle one more match before she calls time on her pro wrestling career. 2018 was the last time she wrestled in DDT and it will really make it worth her while if they can find her some handsome opponents for her farewell.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’22”, 04/01/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 695 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Mahiro Kiryu & Moka Miyamoto when Endo submitted Miyamoto with a Camel Clutch (11:39).
2. New Year Tiger Cub Rescue Match: Shoko Nakajima defeated Hyper Misao when Nakajima rescued the Tiger Cub (12:08).
3. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta when Watanabe pinned Kamifuku with the Tear Drop (10:19).
4. Nodoka-oneesan One Day Revival Special Match: Nodoka-oneesan, Yuki Aino & Haruna Neko defeated Marika Kobashi, Raku & Pom Harajuku when Nodoka pinned Harajuku with the Back Flip (11:04).
5. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Yuki Arai with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (12:51).
6. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh defeated Hikari Noa (c) with the Itoh Deluxe (16:09). *Hikari Noa fails in V5. Maki Itoh becomes the 7th International Princess Champion!
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Mizuki with the Crash Rabbit Heat (19:12). *V4 for Miyu Yamashita.
Tokyo Joshi Pro kicked off their 2022 in Korakuen Hall for their 7th annual Ittenyon show. In the main event Miyu Yamashita put the Princess Of Princess Title on the line against Mizuki. The champion went big by using an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment while Mizuki fought back with Diving Foot Stomps both in and outside the ring. The Whirling Candy was also used but Mizuki just couldn’t find the opening to win. She was able to stop the Crash Rabbit Heat from happening but Yamashita then went on the defensive and blocked the Cutie Special. Once the Skull Kick found its mark, Yamashita followed up with two Crash Rabbit Heats to win the match and remain champion.
Yamashita thanked Mizuki for the match and said she is very special for TJPW. For that reason she wants to fight her again and continue working together. Mizuki tearfully shook Yamashita’s hand and left the ring quietly with Yuka Sakazaki. Yamashita then turned her attention to “GRAND PRINCESS ’22” at Sumo Hall on 19th March. There is only one person she wants to defend the title against that day. Shoko Nakajima! She walked out and told Yamashita she’s been ready for a long time. They both had their official debut match on a DDT pre-show in Sumo Hall back in 2013 so they both grew up as wrestlers together. For them to main even the same building is a dream come true. But Nakajima will aim to go beyond the dream and become the new Princess Champion!
In a rematch from two years ago, Maki Itoh has reclaimed the International Princess Title from Hikari Noa! The match spread out of the ring a couple of times where Itoh Body Slammed Noa onto a pile of chairs and later gave her a Hangman DDT onto the floor. Noa used a rope break to escape from the Itoh Punish and hit her with the Blizzard Suplex and Super Kick. But Itoh showed her guts and stuck up the middle finger to show she wasn’t beaten yet. The two fought up to the top rope where Itoh dropped Noa with another big DDT. That was the beginning of the end and Itoh made Noa tap to the Itoh Deluxe for the title change! Now that Itoh is the IP Champion again, she wants to go back to AEW and defend it against the woman she originally lost it to… Thunder Rosa! She also wants to fight Orange Cassidy for some reason. Noa is upset over the result because she thought she was the best fit for the IP Title. She also now doesn’t have anything to protect. Once again she’s lost another partner.
The rookie of the year Yuki Arai showed off some new moves against Yuka Sakazaki including a Sharpshooter! The match was minutes away from reaching its time limit when Sakazaki caught her opponent with the Magical Merry-Go-Round to get the win. She was full of praise for Arai afterwards. “Guts, seriousness, politeness, cuteness, Yuki Arai has it all. She is a stone that will become a diamond.” While Arai appreciates the praise she gets after every match, she knows it won’t make her stronger. She wants to expand her moveset and grow even more so she won’t lose her confidence.
Nodoka Tenma took the old costume out of the closet to become Nodoka-oneesan one last time before she graduates from TJPW this March. Before the match began she reminded the audience (and Haruna Neko) to sleep well, live long and eat their vegetables before leading everyone into the Ping Pong Pang Exercise dance. Raku & Pom Harajuku were enthusiastic for it, Harajuku in particular which led to Nodoka talking to her after the match. Since Nodoka-oneesan is going away, Pom Harajuku can take her place! After all the original plan for Harajuku when she debuted was to be the new version of that gimmick but she ended up turning into something of her own creation. Harajuku turned her offer down because she’s having too much fun as a “3 year old”, leaving Nodoka to cry next to Yuki Aino backstage. Marika Kobashi cheered her up by saying she could sense Tenma’s pride as Nodoka-oneesan shine through.
The team of Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta walked down to the ring wearing Uma Musume inspired shirts and headgear. They called their tag team Uma x3 (pronounced “Uma baba”). There was no horseplay against Daydream when the bell rang though. Kamifuku hit a Double Famouser to Daydream but they recovered. Rika Tatsumi got rid of Kakuta while Miu Watanabe stood toe to toe with Kamifuku. Another Famouser was avoided this time and Watanabe pinned Kamifuku with the Tear Drop. Tatsumi described the match as a nightmare where they had to fight a horse racing tag team. She thinks the fans saw it as a good daydream though.
For the third year in a row Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao faced off in a wacky stipulation match where their entire identities were put on the line. This time a stuffed Tiger Cub toy was held above the ring and the first woman to climb the ladder and grab it would win. Nakajima emptied a box of Godzilla toys all over the ring while Misao emptied a box of gacha balls making every bump in the ring even more dangerous. The end came when Nakajima hit a 619, Double Arm DDT and then the Diving Senton from the ladder. She then climbed back up to grab the Tiger Cub and win. The stipulation allowed Nakajima to rename Misao for a month but she declined to do so. The Max Heart Tournament is beginning later this week and Kyoraku Kyomei are entering it together. She thinks giving Misao a new temporary gimmick would only get in the way because both of them want to win the tournament.
On this day one year ago Arisu Endo had her debut match. Today she picked up her first win! Endo and Moka Miyamoto were the focus for the final few minutes of the opener. Endo hit Miyamoto with the Tsuruma Castle Knee Drop and then a Waterwheel Drop. She finished her off with a Modified Camel Clutch to get her 2022 off to a fantastic start. Suzume was Endo’s opponent for her debut and was happy to be her tag partner for her first win. She weirdly feels proud like a parent. Mahiro Kiryu was disappointed not to win her first match of the year while Miyamoto swore revenge on Endo for losing to her this way.
The newest addition to the TJPW introduced herself at the start of the show. Juria Nagano is a former world champion karate fighter with a 2nd black belt in Shito-ryu. She is currently active as both an actress and a nurse and has also gotten viral on TikTok. Nagano announced she will have her debut pro wrestling match at Sumo Hall on 19th March. She said she would like to make full use of her skills to liven up TJPW.
Over the holidays Tokyo Joshi Pro asked the fans to vote on Twitter for the best TJPW matches of 2021. Every voter was allowed to choose three matches with points awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 280 fans cast their vote which is nearly double the amount from last year. 115 matches had gotten votes overall but only the highest ranking matches will be featured in the upcoming “BEST OF TJPW 2021” DVD release (previous DVDs had either the Top 8 or Top 9 matches). A few matches in the Top 20 were tied with the same amount of votes.
TJPW Best Bouts 2021
1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Mizuki Vs Maki Itoh 14/08/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
159 pts
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Maki Itoh 09/10/2021 @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
152 pts
3. Princess Tag Team Titles: Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki 09/10/2021 @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
130 pts
4. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki 06/06/2021 @ Saitama Super Arena
98 pts
5. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi 04/01/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
92 pts
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: Shoko Nakajima Vs Maki Itoh 15/08/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
88 pts
7. Special Tag Match: Aja Kong & Moka Miyamoto Vs Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai 09/10/2021 @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
87 pts
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Miu Watanabe 11/02/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
58 pts
9. International Princess Title: Hikari Noa (c) Vs Miu Watanabe 25/11/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
56 pts
10. Rika Tatsumi Vs Yuki Arai 25/11/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
43 pts
11. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Maki Itoh 17/04/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
42 pts
12. Hardcore Match: Hikari Noa Vs Nao Kakuta 10/12/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
40 pts
13. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Shoko Nakajima Vs Miu Watanabe 14/08/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
36 pts
14. Hardcore Match: Hikari Noa Vs Rina Yamashita 01/04/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
35 pts
15. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Sakisama 26/06/2021 @ Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
32 pts
15. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Maki Itoh Vs Suzume 31/07/2021 @ Shinjuku FACE
32 pts
17. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita 04/05/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
24 pts
18. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh 25/11/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
22 pts
19. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2: Rika Tatsumi Vs Hyper Misao 25/07/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
21 pts
20. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Yuki Aino Vs Miu Watanabe 31/07/2021 @ Shinjuku FACE
19 pts
20. Princess Tag Team Titles: Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel (c) Vs Mirai Maiumi & Suzume 04/05/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
19pts
Honorable Mentions
These two matches just missed out on making the Top 20 and finished with the same amount of points.
-. Miyu Yamashita Vs Maki Itoh 04/01/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
-. Pom Harajuku Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi 10/12/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2021”, 18/12/2021 Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
1. Soma Takao & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Toui Kojima & Yuya Koroku
2. Special Single Match – DDT Vs Dera Beppin Pro Wrestling: Saki Akai Vs Papillon Akemi
3. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Masahiro Takanashi & Hideki Okatani
4. Hardcore Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Hyper Misao
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Susumu Yokosuka, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Akito
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Current Blast Death Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (c) Vs Atsushi Onita, Sanshiro Takagi & Kuro-chan
7. HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura, Jun Akiyama & Yukio Naya Vs Yuji Hino, Bodyguard, Tetsuya Endo & Yusuke Okada
8. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ DDT Vs BJW: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Yuji Okabayashi, Yuya Aoki & Kosuke Sato
Earlier this week Konosuke Takeshita was given the Fighting Spirit Award from Tokyo Sports as part of the annual Tokyo Sports Pro Wrestling Awards. Takeshita finished on top of the category over Jake Lee, El Desperado, YAMATO and Hiroshi Tanahashi. The voting committee, which includes Kenta Kobashi and Masahiro Chono, praised Takeshita for using his excursion to AEW in America back in April to get over the slump he was in for the early part of 2021. He received the majority of votes for achieving the DDT Grand Slam of winning King Of DDT, the KO-D Openweight Title and the D-Ou Grand Prix all in the same year. It wasn’t mentioned by Tokyo Sports but don’t forget he also won the Ultimate Tag League and KO-D Tag Team Titles too. Takeshita thanked his fans for their support and said his next goal is to win the Best Bout Award with a match held in DDT. He promises his title match with former Fighting Spirit winner Yuji Okabayashi will be worthy of the award.
There are many reasons why Hyper Misao has grown to hate The 37KAMIINA. Whenever she sees young people like them having fun it brings back the trauma she went through as a shut-in student. She also wants revenge on them for humiliating her in the Tokyo Dome a few months back. If that’s not enough, she is convinced The 37KAMIINA are only faking their love of saunas for clout. Therefore every member of The 37KAMIINA is evil! She promises to use 8,183 weapons (I don’t understand how but 8183 is a play on “Hypami”) to beat Shunma Katsumata because Katsumata only has 37 (“sauna”) at his disposal. Katsumata denies the accusation of being evil and promises to get rid of the biggest liar in all of Nagoya. He wants everyone to remember that Misao is not a hero!
BASARA “BASARA 180 ~WHITE WAGTAIL~”, 26/12/2021 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. FUMA Vs Lil Kraken
2. Fuminori Abe & Yasu Urano Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
3. Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yusuke Kubo
4. CCW Canadian Heavyweight Title: Takumi Tsukamoto (c) Vs Daichi Kazato
5. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) Vs Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT
Japanese wrestling and obscure championships from other companies is a match made in heaven. The latest example is BASARA ending up with the CCW Canadian Heavyweight Title in their little corner of the indies. Takumi Tsukamoto won the title back in July but hasn’t defended it yet. Daichi Kazato noticed that and asked for a title shot. The belt itself originally came from a company called Canadian Connection Wrestling. In 1997 the title was won by Shigeo Okumura and brought to Japan to be defended in New Tokyo Pro Wrestling (there was also a CCW Tag Team Championship used by the promotion). The final champion when New Tokyo closed down in 1998 was Bad News Allen. After that the belt disappeared for two decades until former champion Kazuhiko Matsuzaki decided to revive it in 2018. The title bounced around the indies which is how it ended up around Tsukamoto’s waist. He is recognised as the 13th champion and he promises to live up to Bad News Allen’s name.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’22”, 04/01/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Mahiro Kiryu & Moka Miyamoto Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
2. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta
3. Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
4. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Yuki Arai
5. Nodoka-oneesan One Day Revival Special Match: Nodoka-oneesan, Yuki Aino & Haruna Neko Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. International Princess Title: Hikari Noa (c) Vs Maki Itoh
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Mizuki
Mizuki is feeling the pressure of the big title match. This will be her fourth attempt at becoming the Princess Of Princess Champion. She’s anxious about it but understands she has no choice but to win this time, which means this may be the one for her. Even though Miyu Yamashita has been called a monster inside the ring, she thinks Mizuki is a monster too. She is a monster in rabbit’s skin! Mizuki was shocked to hear that because nobody has ever called her a monster before. A win for Yamashita will be another step towards defending the Princess Title at Sumo Hall next March. She knows she isn’t good against fast moving wrestlers like Mizuki so she is taking proper measures to overcome that weakness.
The purpose of the International Princess Title changes depending on who the champion is. Hikari Noa wants it to be defended in death matches. The latest update in her campaign was a public meeting with Bull Nakano to promote Noa’s first solo CD release “I’m Alive.” Nakano’s advice was you shouldn’t do a death match just because you want to. It’s important to bring about a situation where a death match is required. When there is a scenario where both the fans and the company wants to see Noa in a death match then it will be time to do one. Maki Itoh doesn’t want to see blood anywhere near the IP Title. She thinks the championship exists to be defended overseas. She will be proven right if the belt decides to follow her instead of Noa from now on.
Yuki Arai was another big winner at the Tokyo Sports Awards by winning the Best Newcomer category. The voters praised Arai for her sincere commitment to pro wrestling while also continuing her idol career with SKE48. She is grateful to be recognized by her pears and hopes to deliver more fun pro wrestling in the future. She has two big matches coming up soon. The first one is against Yamashita this Friday then on 4th January she takes on Yuka Sakazaki. They’ve only wrestled each other once before so Arai is really nervous. She still wants to show how much she has grown and enjoy the experience as it happens.
For the third year in a row Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao will face each other at the Ittenyon show. Their previous matches on this show involved wacky gimmicks and both ended with the loser changing their name for a month. Misao won it last year and ended up creating a wonderful new friend for a month called Shin Ultra Shoko. Nakajima doesn’t like the rule because when she had to change her name for a month it resulted in memory loss over that period. She doesn’t want to go through that again. She does however like doing the actual matches because it means she gets to turn her toy box upside down. She means that both literally and as a metaphor.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN FUKUOKA”, 16/01/2022 Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall
1. Shishamo Power Debut Match: Shishamo Power & X Vs Akito & Yukio Naya
A sponsorship deal between DDT and the Yamada Suisan fishing company will lead to the debut of a new masked wrestler called Shishamo Power! The president of Yamada Suisan wants to use the power of pro wrestling to get people eating fish so they can become more energetic. The deal starts with Shishamo Power debuting in January and getting another match in February. This will all build up to a show DDT and Yamada Suisan are putting together in March to promote seafood. Shishamo wants to spread shishamo fish across Japan and he will do it using moves such as the Eggs Bomber and the Flying Shishamo. He wants to make an impact in his debut match like Tiger Mask did. The idea is not supported by everyone in DDT though. Yukio Naya, whose father runs a yakitori restaurant, believes the people should eat meat to become strong instead. Akito agrees with him and the two of them offered to be Shishamo’s first opponents. It is now up to Shishamo to find another seafood loving wrestler to team up with him.
DDT “YUTO AIJIMA RETIREMENT SHOW ~YUTO FINAL ROAD~”, 08/12/2021 Fukuoka Omuta City 2nd Civic Gymnasium
1. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Akito & Yuya Koroku
2. 3 Way Tag Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Saki Akai & Toui Kojima
3. Special Tag Match: Kazushi Miyamoto & Yuji Hino Vs Naomi Yoshimura & Hideki Okatani
4. Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes & Yukio Naya
5. Yuto Aijima Retirement Match ~Yuto FINAL ROAD~: Yuto Aijima, Sanshiro Takagi, Mitsuya Nagai & Tetsuya Endo Vs Jun Akiyama, Akitoshi Saito, Muhammad Yone & HARASHIMA
Yusuke Okada injured his right ankle during this past weekend’s show. He will miss this Wednesday’s event. Akito replaces him in his tag match. Toui Kojima takes Akito’s place in the 3 Way Tag.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2021 AUTUMN ~KACHO GETSURO~”, 11/12/2021 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Suzume Vs Marika Kobashi Vs Arisu Endo
2. Raku Vs Hyper Misao
3. Haruna Neko Vs Rika Tatsumi
4. Hikari Noa Vs Yuka Sakazaki
5. Miyu Yamashita Vs Moka Miyamoto
6. Mahiro Kiryu Vs Mizuki
7. Nao Kakuta Vs Yuki Aino
8. Pom Harajuku Vs Maki Itoh
9. Miu Watanabe Vs Yuki Kamifuku
10. Nodoka Tenma Vs Shoko Nakajima
All of these matches were randomly drawn. Every match on the show has a 7 minute time limit.
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2021”, 18/12/2021 Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
1. Special Single Match – DDT Vs Dera Beppin Pro Wrestling: Saki Akai Vs Papillon Akemi
2. Hardcore Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Hyper Misao
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Susumu Yokosuka, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Akito
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Current Blast Death Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (c) Vs Atsushi Onita, Sanshiro Takagi & Kuro-chan
The bad blood between Pheromones and The Kuronita Army is getting hotter. Atsushi Onita thinks his team are a lock to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles so he got himself, Sanshiro Takagi and Hisaya Imabayashi (unwillingly standing in for Kuro-chan) to pose with the belts at the press conference. Danshoku Dieno brought up concerns that Imabayashi will interrupt the match and cancel it like he always do. Pheromones attacked Imabayashi to send a warning to their challengers. Onita rescued him and sent Pheromones fleeing. Imabayashi promised to give The Kuronita Army a year end bonus as thanks if they win the titles from Pheromones.
DDT “NEVER MIND 2021 IN YOYOGI”, 26/12/2021 Yoyogi National Stadium 2nd Gymnasium
0. Dark Match – DDTeeeen!! Special Single Match: Ilusion Vs Vent Vert Jack
1. Special Single Match: Shuji Kondo Vs Kazuki Hirata
2. Yukio Sakaguchi Return Match: Yukio Sakaguchi Vs X
3. KO-D Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Yuji Hino & Bodyguard
4. DDT Universal Title: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Yuji Okabayashi
The final big DDT show of 2021 has its title matches decided. Konosuke Takeshita and Yuji Okabayashi have their rematch, this time with the KO-D Openweight Title is on the line. Their D-Ou Grand Prix match ended in a 30 minute draw but the rematch will have a 60 minute limit. Kenta Kobashi was a fan of that match and hopes the rematch will be just as exciting. There also won’t be a lot of opportunities for Takeshita and Okabayashi to wrestle each other before the show because Okabayashi has his own schedule with Big Japan keeping him busy.
With his grudge against Soma Takao out of the way, Daisuke Sasaki faces an unlikely next challenger. Masahiro Takanashi gets a DDT Universal Title match on the recommendation of his friend Chris Brookes. Sasaki thought Takanashi had retired and went to work somewhere in Ichigaya. But he was convinced to put the title on the line against him.
The new powerhouse team of Yuji Hino & Bodyguard challenge DISASTER BOX for the KO-D Tag Team Titles. This is coming off of a poor tournament for both HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura. HARASHIMA finished with zero wins while Yoshimura lost to both Hino & Bodyguard in their block. Even if having no momentum wasn’t a problem, the champions still have two big mountains to climb.
No injury is going to stop Yukio Sakaguchi for long.
Minoru Suzuki and Maku Donaruto will be on the show. Imagine if they get paired together.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’22”, 04/01/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. International Princess Title: Hikari Noa (c) Vs Maki Itoh
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Mizuki
Two years ago Maki Itoh defended the International Princess Title against Hikari Noa on 4th January. Two years later the match will happen again but this time the roles are flipped. Noa is the champion looking to extend her record setting title reign and get one step closer towards defending it in a death match. Itoh however believes the belt belongs to her because of her international fame and it should not be turned into a death match championship.
GANBARE☆PRO “SHOTA PRESENTS INDIE WRESTLING SUMMIT 2022”, 08/01/2022 Kitazawa Town Hall
1. Independent Women’s Bout: Ayame Sasamura Vs YuuRI
2. ROMANCE DAWN Vs Aka Rangers!: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Takashi Sasaki & GENTARO
3. This Is Indie Wrestling Summit! Special 6-Man Tag Match: Takumi Tsukamoto, MAO & Baliyan Akki Vs TORU, Jun Tonsho & Tatsuya Hanami
A legendary independent team reunite to take on ROMANCE DAWN. It’s the return of Takashi Sasaki & GENTARO as the Aka Rangers!
GANBARE☆PRO “YUMEHITO IMANARI PRODUCE ~GANBARE PRIME 2021~”, 10/01/2022 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. Hardcore Mixed Tag 1 DAY Tournament – Round 1: X & X Vs X & X
2. Hardcore Mixed Tag 1 DAY Tournament – Round 1: X & X Vs X & X
3. Dreamer’s Bridge ~Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Vs HOT JAPAN~: Keisuke Ishii, Shinichiro Tominaga & Kouki Iwasaki Vs Yuya Aoki, Andy Wu & Tsugutaka Sato
4. Hardcore Mixed Tag 1 DAY Tournament – Final: X & X Vs X & X
HOT JAPAN is a group of hot people gathered together by ZERO1.