DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023”, 26/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 680 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. MJ Paul & KANON defeated Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda when KANON submitted Honda with the Just Cobra Twist (5:08).
0. 2 Vs 6 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Fuminori Abe, Toru Owashi, Gota Ihashi, Saki Akai & Kazuki Hirata ended in a No Contest (8:52).
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 6-Man Tag Match: Keigo Nakamura, Toi Kojima & Kazuma Sumi defeated Hideki Okatani, Yuki Ishida & Ilusion when Nakamura pinned Ilusion with a Diving Headbutt (7:54).
2. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Shishamo Power defeated Jun Akiyama & Unagi Mask when Power pinned Mask with a Cradle Cutback (7:47).
3. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno defeated Yuji Hino, Naruki Doi & Makoto Oishi when Sabian pinned Oishi with the Deathly Hallows (10:13).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kip Sabian defeated Penelope Ford (c) with a School Boy (12:19 pm). *Kip Sabian becomes the 1,558th champion.
4. D GENERATIONS CUP – Final: Takeshi Masada defeated Yuya Koroku with the Samurai Driver ’01 (8:26).
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine defeated Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada (c) when Aoki pinned Okada with a High Angle Rotating Cradle (13:08). *BURNING fails in V2. Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine become the 50th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Yoshihiko defeated Kip Sabian (c) with a Sleeper Hold (13:03 pm). *Kip Sabian becomes the 1,559th champion.
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida when MAO pinned Machida after the Oretachi no Mad Max (14:22). *V3 for ShunMao.
7. KO-D Openweight Title Next Challenger Decision Match: Yukio Naya defeated HARASHIMA with the Back Drop (17:55).
The main event of DDT’s 26th Anniversary show is going to be two friends and tag team partners fighting each other for the company’s biggest prize. Today Yukio Naya defeated HARASHIMA in the main event to set up the biggest match of his career against Yuji Hino with the KO-D Openweight Title on the line. He survived HARASHIMA’s battleplan of targeting the legs by being too tough. Despite all of the attacks to Naya’s legs, he used them to block HARASHIMA’s Swan Dive Somato. HARASHIMA then tried to use a Cross Knee Lock, striking at the knee for extra damage but that did not work either. Naya got a nearfall with a Choke Slam then tried to hit the Back Drop. HARASHIMA blocked the move only for Naya to switch over to a German Suplex. Naya finally got the win by using the Back Drop with no chance of it being countered.
After the match Naya called HARASHIMA the ace of DDT and said to leave the 26th Anniversary main event to him. Yuji Hino entered the ring and Naya talked to him about how much his pro wrestling life changed since the two met each other. He asked Hino to accept his challenge so they can fight for the best of DDT! Hino accepted and said he enjoyed watching the main event because it made him feel like a fan. He cannot promise the match will be as great as a certain retirement that happened recently but he will do his best to have a match that will live on in everyone’s hearts. They shook hands and Naya told the fans they will see a heavyweight battle that no other company can match! Backstage Naya said there was no way he would lose to HARASHIMA with so many fans cheering for him. HARASHIMA admitted he could feel Naya’s strength and desire to win. He is disappointed to lose but will continue to train and push even harder for everyone who supports him.
Two well earned KO-D Tag Team Title defences in three days for ShunMao. After coming out of Burlesque Tokyo with the titles still around their waists, they faced a new and completely different challenge today. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida rushed in with submissions and strikes to break down the champions. MAO tried to fight back against Machida’s punches by using Palm Strikes. He struggled to match the kickboxer blow for blow, needing Shunma Katsumata to break the pin after MAO took the God’s Right Knee and Iai Punch. But MAO recovered and lured Machida into a Michinoku Driver. Katsumata took out Sakaguchi with a dive out of the ring and then ShunMao regrouped to pin Machida with the Oretachi no Mad Max.
The two teams praised each other after the match until ShunMao’s next opponents made themselves known. Both Kazusada Higuchi & Ryota Nakatsu from Harimao entered the ring to declare their challenge. MAO said he used to be afraid of Nakatsu back when they wrestled in DNA because his first singles loss was to him. Nakatsu pointed out at least he wasn’t as serious as Kota Umeda. MAO agreed. MAO is also afraid of turning down the challenge so he accepted it. ShunMao won’t be able to create a new pro wrestling landscape if they cannot get over their DNA past. MAO and Nakatsu shook hands and so did Katsumata and Higuchi. The match will take place on 21st March.
A big upset happened in the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles when BURNING lost the titles! They were unexpectedly beaten by Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine thanks to some unusual tactics. Aoki took Yusuke Okada’s yellow entrance jacket and wore it in the ring to distract him. Okada got it back after he Dropkicked Aoki from behind. Kotaro Suzuki and Yuki Ueno fought to a stalemate with neither getting the upper hand. Tetsuya Endo did some Keiji Muto tribute moves on Sasadango but Sasadango then blocked the Burning Star Press with his knees. Sasadango then unmasked himself, placed the mask over Okada and hit him with a Lariat. Okada tried to scramble back but ended up being pinned by Aoki in the end for the title change.
Sasadango said the probabilities of his team winning today was at 0%. There was a reason why he put this plan together to win the KO-D 6-Man Titles from BURNING and now is the time to reveal it. He wants to face Jun Akiyama again! He called Akiyama down to the ring and said he just beat three of BURNING’s strongest wrestlers. On 16th April DDT will have a show in Sasadango’s hometown of Niigata. He wants to defend the 6-Man Titles against Akiyama on that show to make the event as important as possible. Akiyama agreed and later said his tag partners for the match will be Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku.
It took a long detour to get here but Takeshi Masada is finally bound for Hollywood! He defeated Yuya Koroku in the final of the D GENERATIONS CUP, countering Koroku’s arm submissions with High Kicks. A Triangle Kick got Masada a two count so he followed up with a Buzzsaw Kick and then the Samurai Driver ’01 to win. Not only is Masada now going to America for the DDT shows in Los Angeles, he got a bonus prize for winning the tournament. On 12th March Masada will go one on one against Akiyama! Masada celebrated by demanding a first class ticket for his flight to America. Backstage Masada said he was able to win the tournament because his feelings were just a little bit stronger than the rest of the field. He also wants to leave a lasting impression on Akiyama with their match. Meanwhile Koroku swore revenge on Masada, promising he will make him give up the next time he traps his arm in a submission!
The international trio won their second match in a row, continuing what’s been a dream tour for Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford. The match saw Ford interfere again, this time doing a Flying Hurricanrana to Naruki Doi. Later Chris Brookes took out Doi with a Cutter while Hagane Shinno knocked Yuji Hino out of the ring with a Swan Dive Missile Dropkick. Shinno then took out both Hino & Doi with a Moonsault out of the ring. That left Sabian in the ring to pin Makoto Oishi with the Deathly Hallows. Backstage Shinno called the trio the World Good Looking Guys.
That wasn’t the end of Sabian & Ford’s adventure though. Sabian surprised his wife after the match by pinning her with a School Boy to win the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title! Backstage an upset Ford tried to get an explanation from Sabian then walked off in a huff. Sabian shrugged it off because he was happy being the champion. Then suddenly Yoshihiko burst out of a nearby locker and grabbed Sabian in a Sleeper Hold! Sabian had no choice but to tap out, losing the belt to Yoshihiko and getting left in the locker room all alone.
The masked seafood wrestlers Shishamo Power and Unagi Mask made their return to promote DDT’s sponsorship with the Yamada Suisan company. The match itself went by without incident with Shishamo pinning Unagi. But afterwards Higuchi suddenly turned on Shishamo and attacked both wrestlers with a Brain Claw Slam and a Stunner! Why did Higuchi do this? Because he is a meat eater! Shishamo was shocked. He couldn’t believe that Higuchi eats meat instead of fish. He demanded a match between meat eaters and fish eaters to take place on 23rd April.
The six wrestlers who couldn’t reach the D GENERATIONS CUP final were put into a 6-Man Tag Match. Keigo Nakamura had his hand raised in the end after he pinned Ilusion with a Diving Headbutt. Even though the tournament has ended today, Nakamura has unfinished business with a lot of people in his generation. For one, he wants a rematch with Toi Kojima. Then there is Kojima wanting to fight everyone who was in the A Block like Hideki Okatani. While all of this is going on, Kazuma Sumi wants to use his disappointing results as a springboard for his growth.
One of the dark matches was changed when Sanshiro Takagi attacked Pheromones before it began. It was supposed to be a 4 Way Tag Match but it was changed into a 6 Vs 2 Handicap Match instead. Takagi got the other teams to agree by promising them a spot on the America shows if they could beat Pheromones. That was easier said than done. Yuki Iino & Danshoku Dieno fought off Takagi & Fuminori Abe. Then they fought off Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata. By the time they got to Saki Akai & Gota Ihashi the numbers game became too much and Pheromones looked to be done for. Then suddenly Ihashi paused the match to declare his love for Akai and how they will travel to America together. The delay allowed Pheromones to recover and set up a bare butt tower over the turnbuckles with Ihashi in the middle. Yumehito Imanari threw different wrestlers into them including Akai. The attacks got so lewd that the match had to be stopped. Dieno protested backstage, saying Pheromones aren’t trying to destory DDT anymore but to make it change. Meanwhile Takagi is worried about how Pheromones will act in America. He has contacted AEW asking for a superstar to team up with against Pheromones on the 30th March show.
The other dark match had MJ Paul & KANON beat Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda. Paul blocked Honda’s Bionic Elbow with a Lariat and KANON made him submit to the Just Cobra Twist.
During the show Ilusion and El Unicorn gave everyone an update about their futures. Both wrestlers are graduating from the DDTeeeen!! project on 21st March to become full time members of the DDT roster! Ilusions recently turned 20 years old so he is no longer a teenager. El Unicorn is still a teen but was recently accepted into his choice of high school. His goal is now to win the KO-D Title and wrestle in America while he is a high school student. Ilusion said there won’t be any changes from him just because he is graduating from DDTeeeen!! He still wants to wrestle against opponents like Vent Vert Jack and Raimu Imai more often.
Saki Akai announced her plans this year to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of her pro wrestling debut. First she will have a singles match against Masahiro Takanashi on 21st March. Takanashi was a part of Akai’s debut match in 2013. Then she will be getting two anniversary shows later in the year, one in Korakuen Hall on 13th August and another in Kyoto KBS Hall on 30th September where she promises there will be beautiful pro wrestling in front of the beautiful stained glass windows.
Trainee Rukiya Ikeda will make his debut on 9th April. He is from the same class of trainees as Takeshi Masada and Kazuma Sumi. Ikeda wants to surpass the both of them.
More matches were announced for the 26th Anniversary show on 21st March. The five hour show will include Kazuki Hirata’s 13th Anniversary Match where he will team with Yoshihiko against Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao. Also on the card Sasadango & Honda will take on a mystery “Super Powerhouse Tag Team”. Finally, Kenta Kobashi will be at the show to see the KO-D Title main event.
GANBARE☆PRO “GRINDHOUSE 2023”, 23/02/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. Ken Ohka Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. GanPro Specialty Mixed Tag Match: Shota & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Soma Takao & YuuRI
3. Punch Drunker Vs Battle Socrates: Tyson Maeguchi Vs Yasu Urano
4. Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada Vs Keisuke Ishii, Yumehito Imanari & Shinichiro Tominaga
A busy day coming up tomorrow with 4 shows going on overall. Ganbare☆Pro will be getting the lion’s share of attention because they are holding three of those shows. Mizuki Watase and Shinichiro Tominaga get to test each other out in the Elimination 6-Man Tag main event.
GANBARE☆PRO “MOONRISE KINGDOM 2023”, 23/02/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Yasu Urano
2. YuuRI Vs Rina Amikura
3. Secret Captain’s Fall Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE Vs Ken Ohka, Shinichiro Tominaga & Moeka Haruhi
4. Special Tag Match: Shuichiro Katsumura & Shota Vs Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao
Watase and Tominaga are also on opposite sides of the Secret Captain’s Fall match on the second show. However that show is headlined with the continuing ROMANCE DAWN rivalry between Shota and Soma Takao.
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN BURLESQUE TOKYO ~KO-D TAG TEAM BATTLE ON THE STREET! SHUNMAO VS BONNO DAI SHACHO!~”, 23/02/2023 Burlesque Tokyo
1. KO-D Tag Team Titles – Falls Count Anywhere Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Fuminori Abe
The burlesque dancers who will perform during the match are named Mii-san, DC Sora-san, Sawa-san, Mary-san and Mina-san.
GANBARE☆PRO “GANBARE☆PRO WRESTLING PLAYERS ASSOCIATION PERFORMANCE”, 23/02/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. GanPro Specialty Mixed Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE Vs Kentaro Hachisu & Moeka Haruhi
2. 3 Way Match: YuuRI Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Hong Kong International Policeman
3. The Return Of LariPro 2023: Keisuke Ishii & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Ken Ohka & Shota
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Takuya Wada & Yuki Kanzaki Vs Shinichiro Tominaga, Tyson Maeguchi & Munetatsu Nakamura
Kentaro Hachisu & Moeka Haruhi have been given the unfortunate team name of Chest Hair Weather Tag.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023”, 26/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. MJ Paul & KANON Vs Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda
0. 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi & Gota Ihashi Vs Saki Akai & Kazuki Hirata Vs Losers Of 23/2 KO-D Tag Team Titles Match
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 6-Man Tag Match: Hideki Okatani, Yuki Ishida & Ilusion Vs Keigo Nakamura, Toi Kojima & Kazuma Sumi
2. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Shishamo Power Vs Jun Akiyama & Unagi Mask
3. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Naruki Doi & Makoto Oishi Vs Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno
4. D GENERATIONS CUP – Final: Yuya Koroku Vs Takeshi Masada
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada (c) Vs Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida
7. KO-D Openweight Title Next Challenger Decision Match: HARASHIMA Vs Yukio Naya
Two of the matches have been pushed down into the pre-show.
DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED VOL. 2”, 04/03/2023 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Penelope Ford (c) Vs X
2. Special Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs Tetsuya Endo & Kotaro Suzuki
3. Special Single Match: MAO Vs Ryota Nakatsu
4. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs 26/2 Main Event Winner & D GENERATIONS CUP Winner
The addition of Ryota Nakatsu to Harimao has fuelled some DNA nostalgia among the DDT roster. MAO was one of Nakatsu’s regular opponents on that brand so it’s time to see them fight each other for the first time in a long time.
An all BURNING tag match is being put together to build up Jun Akiyama’s upcoming DDT Extreme Title defence against Kotaro Suzuki.
Whoever is the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion on 4th March is supposed to defend the title in a Battle Royal that day. Penelope Ford is currently the champion but she’ll be going back to AEW with Kip Sabian after the 26th February Korakuen Hall show. If she is unable to return to DDT in time then the Battle Royal will go ahead with nothing on the line. DDT will then be left to figure out how they can get their belt back fair and square.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’23”, 18/03/2023 Ariake Coliseum
1. Haru Debut Match: Haru Vs X
2. Momo Debut Match: Momo Vs X
3. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Billie Starkz
4. Special Single Match: Aja Kong Vs Yuki Arai
5. Princess Tag Team Titles: Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh
6. International Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Mizuki
A press conference was held today to promote two of the big matches for the show. Both Yuka Sakazaki and Mizuki admitted to have mixed feelings over having to fight each other for the Princess Of Princess Title. Mizuki has a lot of respect for her friend but has now found herself wanting to be the one who carries Tokyo Joshi Pro on her back by winning the Princess Title. Sakazaki does not want to wrestle Mizuki but given how much they mean to each other she understands she has no choice but to do it. She noticed their bond has changed over time since their match at “WRESTLE PRINCESS” two and a half years ago. Out of the ring everything between them is normal when they are together but recently inside the ring their emotions have become more complicated during their preview tag matches. With that being said, both of them say The Magical Sugar Rabbits are staying together no matter who wins. In fact, they believe they will become an even more exciting tag team after they are done fighting each other.
The other match talked about was Yuki Arai’s uphill battle against Aja Kong. Arai has spent a lot of time thinking since last week’s tag match. She’s been trying to do what she can but still feels like she cannot reach her goal yet. There is still a month left for her to prepare so she wants to have a match that will leave an impact both on herself and also Kong too. Kong said she is not concerned about thinking what it is like as a “monster” to fight an idol. If you stand in front of Kong in the ring then you are a pro wrestler in her eyes and she is not taking Arai lightly. She knows Arai is thinking of ways to counter her most famous moves so Kong too is thinking about how to counter Arai’s moveset. It will be wrestler against wrestler at Ariake Coliseum so Kong wants to win!
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2023 ~LONGEST 5 HOUR SPECIAL IN KORAKUEN HISTORY~”, 21/03/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. International Special Single Match: Samuray Del Sol Vs Yuki Ueno
2. DDT 26th Anniversary Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Konosuke Takeshita
3. DDT Extreme Title – Regular Pro Wrestling Rules: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Kotaro Suzuki
4. DDT Universal Title: Naruki Doi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) Vs Winner Of 26/02 Match
The challenge has been accepted and the match can go ahead. Naruki Doi nominated Tetsuya Endo to face him for the DDT Universal Title and the match will happen on the 26th Anniversary show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES”, 31/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
DDT “FRIENDSHIP, EFFORT, VICTORY IN NAGOYA 2023”, 18/02/2023 Aichi Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall 398 Fans
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Takeshi Masada (4) defeated Toi Kojima (4) with the Samura Driver ’01 (8:21).
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Yuya Koroku (6) defeated Hideki Okatani (4) with a Running Elbow Butt (9:39).
3. 4 Way Tag Match: Antonio Honda & Saki Akai defeated Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata and Gota Ihashi & Keigo Nakamura when Akai pinned Ihashi with the Rookie Award (11:38).
4. Kotaro Suzuki, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yusuke Okada defeated Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Kazuma Sumi when Suzuki submitted Sumi with a Crab Hold (10:46).
5. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ueno & Yuki Ishida when Sabian pinned Ishida with the Deathly Hollows (14:18).
6. DDT Extreme Title – Master Of Environment Match: Jun Akiyama (c) defeated Akito with a Wrist-Clutch Inside Cradle (11:08). *V3 for Jun Akiyama.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Penelope Ford defeated Saki Akai (c) with a School Boy (7:38 pm). *Penelope Ford becomes the 1,557th champion.
7. Nagoya Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Yukio Naya defeated HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Shinya Ishida when Naya pinned Takao with the Back Drop (10:30).
8. DDT Universal Title: Naruki Doi (c) defeated KANON with the Bakatare Sliding Kick (19:21). *V1 for Naruki Doi.
1. Takeshi Masada (4)
-. Toi Kojima (4)
3. Yuki Ishida (2)
-. Keigo Nakamura (2)
Promises were made by Naruki Doi and KANON that their DDT Universal Match would be just between them with no bystanders around the ring, let alone any interference. Obviously that turned out to be a lie. KANON did walk out to the ring on his own and fought by himself for a while. But once Doi had everything going his way MJ Paul burst out of hiding to interfere in the match. Luckily for Doi, Toru Owashi made his way to the ring to counter Paul and return the match back to a level playing field. In a fair fight KANON did his best but two Bakatare Sliding Kicks back to back left Doi retaining his championship.
After the match Doi said he could tell KANON was being unusually emotional and realised he really did try to win the title off of him. Doi hates guys like KANON and Daisuke Sasaki but he will always want to fight them too so they should have another match sometime. At this point in his victory speech, Doi noticed that nobody was heading down to the ring to challenge him for a title match. So Doi decided to call out Tetsuya Endo! It had to be explained to him that Endo wasn’t at the show today because of a fever so the show ended with that potential match hanging in the air. Endo did tweet out later he would like to do the match.
Yukio Naya had a face off with HARASHIMA after their 6-Man Tag Match. Backstage Naya said he knows HARASHIMA’s strikes are strong but he was the winner today. He is confident he will be the winner against HARASHIMA at Korakuen Hall too on 26th February. HARASHIMA admitted he can feel the momentum and strength coming from his opponent is higher than ever before. It only makes him look forward to the match even more!
The Master Of Environment Match had two green ropes stretching across the ring with one attached to the middle ring ropes and the other attached to the bottom ropes. The turnbuckle pads were also removed. Akito came up with these moves to test Jun Akiyama’s mobility as well as give the two wrestlers more ways to leverage pinfalls and submission holds. The limited space caused Akiyama and Akito to get tangled in the green ropes in multiple ways. Yukinori Matsui also had trouble moving around and tripped out of the way at one point. Akito used that as an opportunity to add a third green rope. When Matsui noticed the extra rope and went to remove it, Akito crotched Akiyama and cradled him for a nearfall. Akiyama then grabbed Akito in the Exploder Suplex position and began to set him up for the Wrist-Clutch version. Akito grabbed a green rope to keep himself grounded but Akiyama then rolled him over with an Inside Cradle to get the three count. Akito later blamed the green ropes for betraying him and making him lose. He’ll never fight in this kind of match ever again!
After the match Akiyama announced his who his next DDT Extreme Title challenger is going to be. He called down Kotaro Suzuki! There was a pause until Suzuki came down to the ring. Akiyama joked about him being late and having bad timing. He also pointed out that Suzuki often wrestles by different rules because of his freelance status. Wouldn’t being a champion make him even more attractive as a freelancer? If he can beat Akiyama in a hard hitting, no nonsense match then Akiyama will let Suzuki stay here in DDT! Suzuki accepted the challenge and the match will take place at DDT’s 26th Anniversary show on 21st March.
The arrival of Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford to DDT is already paying off for the couple. Sabian’s first match here had him spearheading an international trio with Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno. Ford wasn’t afraid to get involved either because she gave Kazusada Higuchi a Hurricanrana and Yuki Ishida a Missile Dropkick whenever the ref wasn’t looking. She even played into the result, giving Sabian aid to set up his Deathly Hallows finisher to Ishida. Backstage Shinno was full of praise for Sabian, telling the media there are so many amazing wrestlers like him in AEW. According to Shinno, maybe we will see more of them in DDT soon? Sabian talked about how when he saw the Kenny Omega Vs Kota Ibushi match at Budokan Hall eleven years ago, he knew from that day on he wanted to come to DDT. Today he finally made it and he got to team up with Brookes again for the first time in years. Now he has his eyes set on next week’s appearance in Korakuen Hall.
That’s not all though. Ford got even more attention backstage by becoming the new Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion! Sabian & Ford spotted Saki Akai walking backstage and hatched a plan. Sabian distracted Akai by introducing himself to her and starting a conversation. Ford then gave Akai a School Boy, got the three count and the couple ran off with the belt!
The last block matches in the D GENERATIONS CUP have now set up the final on 26th February. The A Block had two unbeaten wrestlers left, Hideki Okatani and Yuya Koroku. A Running Elbow Butt from Koroku turned out to be the difference maker sending him right into the final. Over in the B Block Takeshi Masada had to fight from behind against Toi Kojima to win the match. Due to the head to head result that means Masada just barely makes it to the final, keeping his Hollywood dream only one more step away from finally becoming a reality.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT WINTER ~NAGOYA PERFORMANCE~”, 18/02/2023 Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall
1. Hikari Noa & Wakana Uehara Vs Yuki Aino & HIMAWARI
2. 3 Way Match: Nao Kakuta Vs Haruna Neko Vs Pom Harajuku
3. Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami Vs Rika Tatsumi, Suzume & Arisu Endo
4. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Raku Vs Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
5. International Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Janai Kai
6. Miyu Yamashita & Yuki Arai Vs Aja Kong & Moka Miyamoto
A press conference held earlier today had Miu Watanabe and Janai Kai meeting each other face to face. Watanabe said the more she defends the International Princess Title, the more new sights she will get to see. Her target is to defend the belt next month both at Ariake Coliseum and in America. She can still feel her potential to grow as champion so she cannot lose it tomorrow. Kai said it took her five years to finally wrestle in Japan and winning the IP Title tomorrow is part of her dream. She is friends with Watanabe’s previous challenger Trish Adora and has already gotten advice from her on how to deal with Watanabe’s power. Kai also warned the champion that she is wearing black today because this press conference is also a funeral for Watanabe’s title reign! Watanabe tried to respond in English, telling Kai “No!” and “Not!” over and over. She also tried to say tomorrow but kept stuttering. Mr. HAKU figured out Watanabe was actually saying “to-tomorrow” as in the day after tomorrow.
DDT “FRIENDSHIP, EFFORT, VICTORY IN NAGOYA 2023”, 18/02/2023 Aichi Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall
1. D GENERATIONS CUP – B Block: Toi Kojima (4) Vs Takeshi Masada (2)
2. D GENERATIONS CUP – A Block: Hideki Okatani (4) Vs Yuya Koroku (4)
3. 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda & Saki Akai Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Gota Ihashi & Keigo Nakamura
4. Kotaro Suzuki, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yusuke Okada Vs Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Kazuma Sumi
5. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ueno & Yuki Ishida
6. DDT Extreme Title – Master Of Environment Match: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Akito
7. Nagoya Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Yukio Naya Vs HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Shinya Ishida
8. DDT Universal Title: Naruki Doi (c) Vs KANON
Tetsuya Endo will be off of this weekend’s shows due to illness. He tested negative for covid though so he will be back and ready in time for Keiji Muto’s retirement show on Tuesday. Yukio Sakaguchi moves up from the 4 Way Tag to replace Endo in Match #4. Gota Ihashi now takes up the empty slot in the 4 Way, with some teams mixed around to fit him in.
The last two block matches in the D GENERATIONS CUP are must-wins for everyone involved. Whoever wins their match goes through to the final. Toi Kojima has a little extra wriggle room because a draw against Takeshi Masada will also send him through. No such tiebreaker is there for Hideki Okatani Vs Yuya Koroku though.
DDT “HAMAMATSU TRAIN PRO WRESTLING”, 19/02/2023 Shizuoka Tenryu Hamanako Railway
1. Hiroshi Yamato Vs X
The illness means Endo has to miss the train wrestling match on Sunday.
NOAH “KEIJI MUTO GRAND FINAL PRO-WRESTLING “LAST” LOVE~HOLD OUT~”, 21/02/2023 Tokyo Dome
0. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Offer Match – TJPW Spark: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Rika Tatsumi Vs Mizuki, Maki Itoh, Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai
2. DDT Pro Wrestling Offer Match – Dramatic Dream Future: MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima Vs Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada
I thought I blogged about this already but I didn’t. DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro are getting a match each on Keiji Muto’s retirement show at the Tokyo Dome next week. It will no doubt be the biggest wrestling event taking place in Japan this year. DDT’s match pits The 37KAMIINA against Endo and the three young wrestlers who best represents DDT’s future. TJPW are grouping together their four pillars to take on the generation tier that are right below them.
DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED VOL. 2”, 04/03/2023 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Saki Akai (c) Vs X
2. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs 26/2 Main Event Winner & D GENERATIONS CUP Winner
By the time February is over either HARASHIMA or Yukio Naya will be the No. 1 Contender for the KO-D Openweight Title. Once March begins the No. 1 Contender will begin facing off with Yuji Hino to build up their title match on the 21st. Whoever wins the D GENERATIONS CUP will also get bumped up the card too with a chance to fight both Hino & Sakaguchi in this tag match.
Saki Akai has been doing a good job keeping the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title in her grasp. She hasn’t been pinned or submitted since winning the title back in November.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2023 TOUR IN NAGANO”, 05/03/2023 Nagano City Art Center Act Space
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Gota Ihashi Vs Akito, Keigo Nakamura & Kazuma Sumi
2. Nagano Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yasushi Kanda, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
The Dragon Gene Trio of Yasushi Kanda, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata will go to battle against The 37KAMIINA for the first time when DDT returns to Nagano.
Ihashi joins forces with Pheromones. No one will be safe from that image!
DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Saki Akai Vs Vert Vixen
2. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko
3. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Joey Janela
4. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
5. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yuki Ueno
The respect Eddie Kingston earned from Jun Akiyama is paying off in spades. The two will now team up for the first time ever! Daisuke Sasaki is now going to show up in LA too so he & KANON are going to be their opponents.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES”, 31/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
We’re probably going to get a Princess Tag Team Titles match on the show because The Wasteland War Party of Max the Impaler & Heidi Howitzer have been added to the lineup.
DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Dark Sheik Vs Saki Akai
2. EFFY & Allie Katch Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno
3. Blake Christian Vs Kazusada Higuchi
4. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo
5. Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne Vs MAO & Mike Bailey
Akiyama will be teaming with Endo the next day. They are representing DDT while GCW are pairing together Homicide & Tony Deppen to face them.
“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 “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN KYOTO”, 13/11/2022 Kyoto KBS Hall 285 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. RSP, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Joey Janela, Makoto Oishi & Kazuma Sumi when Koroku submitted Sumi with the Chickenwing Arm Lock (4:59).
2. Pheromones Vs DISASTER BOX!: Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno by Disqualification when Iino attacked the referee (9:32).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya (6) defeated KANON (2) with the Back Drop (8:21).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino (7) defeated MAO (2) with the Fuckin’ BOMB (10:15).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Naruki Doi & Akito defeated Hideki Okatani, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada when Doi pinned Kojima with the Bakatare Sliding Kick (12:26).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) defeated Naomi Yoshimura (2) with the Sasaki Hurricanrana (9:10).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (7) defeated Chris Brookes (2) with a Headbutt (14:12).
8. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Saki Akai Produce Match: Saki Akai, Yukio Sakaguchi & HARASHIMA defeated Aja Kong, Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata (c) when Sakaguchi pinned Katsumata with the God’s Right Knee (16:18). *Yukio Sakaguchi becomes the 1,555th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Saki Akai defeated Yukio Sakaguchi (c) with a School Boy (7:59 pm). *Saki Akai becomes the 1,556th champion.
The day belonged to Saki Akai but we’ll start off with the D-Ou Grand Prix matches first. The B Block has become a close race between three wrestlers. Kazusada Higuchi is possibly one win away from reaching the final after he beat Chris Brookes. It may have come at a cost of his right hand though because Brookes attacked it with a metal fitting. The damage was enough to prevent Higuchi from using the Brain Claw but he pulled out a big Headbutt to put Brookes down for the three count. Higuchi felt his opponent’s passion in the match and felt he couldn’t lose to him. Brookes accepts he is out of the running but will do his best to beat Yuji Hino in his final block match.
Over in the A Block Daisuke Sasaki used a lot of foul play against Naomi Yoshimura by attacking his legs with chairs and getting MJ Paul to interfere. If that wasn’t enough, Sasaki used the Pedigree late in the match. That was the move Sasaki used to give Yoshimura a cervical sprain back in 2019. Thankfully the move did not end the same way today but Sasaki was able to pin Yoshimura with the Hurricanrana afterwards. The defeat ends any hope Yoshimura has of catching up with the field and he now cannot reach the final. Sasaki however is now neck and neck in first place with a former ally.
Hino finds himself tied with Higuchi in first place of the B Block. MAO tried to throw everything he could at him but couldn’t win. Not even the Alien Plancha and Michinoku Driver II could put the big man away. Hino still praised him for being an interesting wrestler. He said MAO’s Plancha was a higher jump than TAKA Michinoku’s and MAO’s version of the Michinoku Driver was more effective. For those reasons Hino is looking forward to fighting him again.
While Hino and Higuchi are fighting over the top spot, Yukio Naya is catching up with them. His win against KANON brings him only one point behind the leaders and a golden chance to leapfrog over them into the final. KANON ends his tournament run with only one win but still enjoyed being able to do whatever he wanted on his own.
With the Grand Prix out of the way, let’s get to the headline match. The show was Akai’s homecoming in Kyoto and she got to team with Yukio Sakaguchi & HARASHIMA against Aja Kong & The 37KAMIINA. The match was special for Shunma Katsumata too because of his longtime association with Kong going back to when he as a child got to meet and take pictures with her. Kong gave Akai a beating but Akai still fought back, hitting a big dive onto Yuki Ueno & Katsumata. Kong tried to attack Sakaguchi with a steel can but his Katsumata by accident. Sakaguchi then hit Katsumata with the God’s Right Knee, pinning him to win the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title.
Sakaguchi couldn’t even catch his breath when Akai rolled him up with a School Boy after the match to win the Iron Man Title from him! Before Sakaguchi could complain, Akai said he once told her not to show any openings to be attacked in the ring at any time. She is really happy she got to do a show in Kyoto again and be able to win a championship there too. After she finished her speech to close out the show, Hideki Okatani rolled her over with a School Boy but she kicked out at two, remaining as champion. She later said her goal with the belt is to achieve the most title defences with it.
Naruki Doi made his second DDT appearance today, winning a trios match with Tetsuya Endo & Akito on his team. He was impressed by the opposing team made up of young wrestlers but next he would like to have matches against both Endo and Akito!
Since Kyoto is home to game masters Nintendo, Danshoku Dieno declared he & Yuki Iino were going to become Pheromones Masters today. The result of this was Iino stripping out of his wrestling gear and “evolving” while Pokémon game music played over the speakers. This plan backfired when he ran the ropes in as little clothing as possible and ran into Yukinori Matsui, crotch to face. That was enough to get Iino disqualified.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN OSAKA”, 12/11/2022 Osaka Edion Arena #2 320 Fans – No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Shunma Katsumata & Kazuma Sumi when Okada submitted Sumi with a Crab Hold (7:33).
1. MJ Paul & KANON defeated Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada when KANON submitted Masada with a Ground X Hold (7:45).
2. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Produce Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Aja Kong & HARASHIMA ended in a No Contest (10:49).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya (4) defeated Chris Brookes (2) with the Back Drop (5:24).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (3) defeated Joey Janela (4) with a Modified Samson Clutch (11:38).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (5) defeated RSP (4) with the Burning Star Press (10:26).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Shunma Katsumata defeated Keiko Takeshita (c) by Forfeit (7:04 pm). *Shunma Katsumata becomes the 1,554th champion.
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi (c) when Hirata pinned Oishi with Miracle One Shot Cradle (15:22). *Ω fails in V1. Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata become the 48th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (5) defeated MAO (2) with a Rotating Foot Hold (11:41).
8. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Naomi Yoshimura (2) defeated Yuki Ueno (4) with the Osaka Pride (22:57).
Naomi Yoshimura continues his unbeaten streak against his former Nautilus tag partner Yuki Ueno in singles matches. And not a moment too soon because this may kickstart Yoshimura’s recovery in the D-Ou Grand Prix. He blocked both the WR and also Ueno’s new Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher. A Power Bomb, Lariat and the Osaka Pride only got a nearfall so Yoshimura had to hit the Osaka Pride a second time to earn the win. Yoshimura called this match his scariest one of the tournament but he proved he still a survivor of the D-Ou GP. He still has a chance to top the group as long as he wins his remaining matches. Ueno is frustrated he still cannot beat his generation rival. He believes he is the strongest to carry DDT on his back and will win the D-Ou no matter what.
As the days are counting down, a few of the wrestlers are getting desperate to win in order to remain in the running for the final. MAO is one example, jumping Kazusada Higuchi before the bell to start their match. He tried using the Koppojutsu skills he used to beat Higuchi in last year’s tournament, including the Clothespin. However this time Higuchi was ready for that move and had counters for it. The Brain Claw was also well scouted so Higuchi thought outside the box and pinned MAO with a Rotating Foot Hold. The result shows that MAO is not the only wrestler with tricks up his sleeve, Higuchi has been hiding stuff too. MAO is now unable to reach the final but he will keep fighting just in case the group winner pulls out of the final due to kidney stones or appendicitis. Hey it could happen!
RSP has been counting on his size to smash his way through the A Block. Today he ended up being overpowered by Tetsuya Endo! Agility played a major part as well because Endo flipped his way out of the GTF and then used an Overhead Kick to stun his opponent. The moment of strength came when Endo gave RSP the Torture Rack Bomb! RSP had enough fight left in him to kick out but the Burning Star Press put him away afterward. The performance shows that Endo’s ankle injury isn’t much of a problem anymore. He told the Osaka fans to keep an eye on him because once he wins the Grand Prix, he is going after all of the singles championships in DDT!
The build up to Daisuke Sasaki Vs Joey Janela promised a dirty fight and we got one. They fought outside the ring, attacked each other with chairs and Sasaki even Superplexed Janela out of the ring onto a bunch of ringside attendants! The chair usage went beyond what was acceptable and Yukinori Matsui tried to stop it. The unintentional distraction led to Sasaki giving Janela a Low Blow and then Janela giving a Low Blow back to Sasaki. However Sasaki found an opening to give one more Low Blow and then rolled up Janela in a Samson Clutch for the win. It revives Sasaki’s chances in the tournament but Janela is still in the chase for the final too.
Chris Brookes wasted no time in trying to finish off Yukio Naya by immediately doing the Praying Mantis Bomb to him before their match even began. Naya kicked out of the pin and remained on the defensive while Brookes continued his attack. The table turned when Naya hit a Knee Lift. He later hit a Choke Slam and pinned Brookes with the Back Drop. The win gives Naya a lot of confidence because of how experienced his opponent is. He now sees himself as the eye of the typhoon in the B Block. Brookes was taken aback because he didn’t realise just how strong Naya has become.
Outside of the tournament it was still an eventful show for DDT today. Naruki Doi made his first appearance on a regular DDT show and came out of it as a new champion! He teamed with DISASTER BOX members Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata to beat Ω for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. It almost didn’t look that way with Ω being a united force. Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi used double team moves to great effect and Yuji Hino got rid of Owashi with the Funkin’ BOMB. Oishi gave Hirata the Miracle Ecstasy but Hirata somehow kicked out and used the Miracle One Shot Cradle to get the win out of nowhere. Owashi called the win a once in a hundred year miracle. Hirata corrected him and said it is once in a thousand years. Now that he holds a DDT championship that means he’s going to be here more often. Doi introduced himself to the fans after the match and said DDT was the first promotion to contact him after he turned freelance, so here he is. There are a lot of challengers he would like to face but one is on his mind. He heard there was once a DDT wrestler who looked a lot like him called Daichi Kakimoto…
Aja Kong got to experience the Pheromones madness. Both Sanshiro Takagi and Hisaya Imabayashi were absent from the show so the ring announcer Ken Kato was given the power to call off the match if things went out of control. He’s a big fan of Kong so he was really looking forward to seeing her fight. His dream was ruined by Danshoku Dieno & Yuki Iino. They used their seesaw attack with the wooden plank on HARASHIMA until Kong attacked them with the steel can. Pheromones got their own back by coming up with ways to stick their rear ends against Kong’s face until Kato called off the match. He also used his jacket to wipe Kong’s face after the match. Dieno & Iino probably needed it more because their backsides were now covered in Kong’s facepaint!
During the show Keiko Takeshita, Konosuke’s mother, came down to the ring and gave everyone an update on what life has been like ever since she became the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion. Every day people attack her to try and become champion but she always fights them off. She also had to defend the belt against a motorbike one time. Shunma Katsumata came down with a bag full of 551 pork buns as a gift for Keiko. He explained he will be wrestling in America this January and wants to go as the Iron Man Champion to increase his popularity. He also really likes Keiko so it would mean a lot if she gave him the title. Keiko was touched by Katsumata’s plea and agreed. With Matsui looking over, the title was officially transferred over from Keiko to Katsumata. Suddenly, Kazuma Sumi rolled over Katsumata with a School Boy. Keiko kicked Matsui to stop the pin count and then gave Sumi the Okanmaker to prevent a title change from happening. She’s not going to let anybody take the title away from Katsumata while she is here!
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 9 ~NO CLOUDS OVER THE MOON~”, 10/10/2022 Osaka Higashinari Ward Community Center 280 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. The Man Called Supernova & The Man Who Was Once Called Supernova Vs The Men Who Were Never Called Supernova: Yusuke Okada & Yuki Ishida defeated Soma Takao & Takeshi Masada when Okada pinned Masada with the Sudden Death (7:56).
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~Smile Squash Vs DAMNATION T.A~: HARASHIMA, Yasu Urano & Akito defeated Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON when HARASHIMA pinned Paul with the Somato (10:13).
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 ended in a No Contest (0:54).
2a. A Complete Showdown! 8-Man Elimination Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yoshihiko defeated Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata, Sanshiro Takagi & Makoto Oishi (8:56).
2a1. Sanshiro Takagi is eliminated by Ring Out (2:23).
2a2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino eliminated Makoto Oishi with the Sexy Yoga Matsutake Pose (4:06).
2a3. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi eliminated Toru Owashi by Ring Out (6:11).
2a4. Kazuki Hirata eliminated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi by Ring Out (6:37).
2a5. Kazuki Hirata eliminated Yuki “Sexy” Iino by Ring Out (7:16).
2a6. Kazuki Hirata eliminated Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno by Ring Out (7:16).
2a7. Yoshihiko eliminated Kazuki Hirata with the Reincarnation (8:56).
3. DDT Dotonbori THE NEXT!: Toi Kojima & Harutoki defeated Hideki Okatani & Yuya Koroku when Kojima pinned Koroku with the Fushigi No Kuni No Kojima ~Kojima Wonderland~ (11:56).
4. Naniwa Earthquake! Super Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shuji Ishikawa, Yukio Sakaguchi & Chris Brookes defeated Magnitude Kishiwada, Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya when Sakaguchi pinned Naya with the God’s Right Knee (11:23).
5. Special Tag Match Sterness Siege ~Men Of Ice Vs Men Of Melting Ice~: Jun Akiyama & Antonio Honda defeated Kuishinbo Kamen & Kikutaro when Honda pinned Kamen after the Exploder Suplex from Akiyama (15:13).
6. Special Single Match ~Road Of Former Champions~: Tetsuya Endo defeated Masahiro Takanashi with the Burning Star Press (12:18).
7. Double Main Event I Special Tag Match ~Wrestling Master Jrs Vs The 37KAMIINA~: Daisuke Sasaki & HUB defeated Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata when HUB pinned Katsumata with the Arumaka Shuryo (17:20).
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 defeated Shigehiro Irie & MAO when Yoshimura pinned MAO with the Osaka Pride (27:06).
Today’s show was all thanks to the referee Yukinori Matsui, who produced the card and lineup. Everyone was motivated to do their best for him, especially in the main event. Harimao beat the estranged team of Shigehiro Irie & MAO. Afterwards Kazuasada Higuchi called it an intense match and Naomi Yoshimura joked about Matsui always booking him in trial-like matches on his shows. Irie thinks he and MAO showed they can become tag team champions together even though they lost. MAO felt relieved their team didn’t implode and he doesn’t have to worry about that ever happening from now on.
Not everyone wanted to be part of the happy occasion. DAMNATION T.A members Daisuke Sasaki & KANON attacked Harimao backstage after the show. Higuchi & Yoshimura were in the middle of their post-match interview when they were attacked with chairs. Higuchi’s injured hand was targeted with a direct chairshot from Sasaki. The KO-D Tag Team Champions were told by Sasaki not to act so grateful towards Matsui and their match at Korakuen Hall this Wednesday won’t be like the match Harimao had today.
Yuki Ueno still admires HUB, the wrestler that made him want to become one himself. Their tag match today encouraged Ueno to continue improving himself and also the WR move so they can have a singles match together in one year’s time.
Tetsuya Endo said he was able to win his match because he treated it like he was the challenger. However he thinks Masahiro Takanashi’s performance today left a bigger impression on the fans with his in-ring antics which included interference from Chris Brookes. That leaves Endo feeling a little frustrated but they will face each other in a trios match this Wednesday. He will want to steal the show from Takanashi as payback.
The 4 Way Tag match lost control pretty quickly, forcing Hisaya Imabayashi to put a stop to it. Everyone agreed to replace it with an 8-Man Elimination Tag Match to make it up for the fans.
Keiko Takeshita was in attendance to take part in the show opening ceremony. Kazuki Hirata tried to roll her up with in an attempt to win the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title. That failed. Matsui also tried the same thing but Takeshita kicked out and gave him the Rainmaker in response.
DDT “JAPAN BAKERY MARKETING PRESENTS KONOSUKE TAKESHITA 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~NISHINARI BAY BLUES~”, 10/09/2022 Osaka Nishinari Kumin Center 487 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: MJ Paul & KANON defeated Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada when KANON pinned Masada with the Sleepy Hollow (6:52).
0. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Staggered Entry Battle Royal: Toru Owashi defeated Kazuki Hirata with a Crushed Body Slam (13:55). Order Of Elimination: Makoto Oishi, Yuya Koroku, Yuki Ishida, Saki Akai, Soma Takao, Ilusion, Akito, Yusuke Okada, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari, Yuki “Sexy” Iino, El Unicorn, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno and Toru Owashi. *Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,551st Champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kazuki Hirata defeated Toru Owashi (c) with a Cradle (4:58 pm). *Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,552nd champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Keiko Takeshita defeated Kazuki Hirata (c) with the Rainmaker (4:59 pm). *Keiko Takeshita becomes the 1,553rd champion.
1. Special Tag Match ~ Sakuya Konohana Tag Vs CCK!: Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno defeated Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos when Ueno pinned Lykos with the BME (16:55).
2. The 37KAMIINA Vs Brahmin Brothers: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima defeated Brahman Shu, Brahman Kei & Brahman Sanshiro when Kojima pinned Takagi after an Accidental Explosion Of Mysterious Powder (11:10).
3. Tokyo Joshi Pro 3 Way Tag Offer Match: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki defeated Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao and Miu Watanabe & Arisu Endo when Sakazaki pinned Endo with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (9:17).
4. Yasu Urano, Antonio Honda & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi defeated Masahiro Takanashi, Super Sasadango Machine & DJ Nira when Hiroshi pinned Sasadango with the Seiken Zuki (11:59).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuji Hino defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yukio Naya when Hino pinned Naya with the Fuckin’ BOMB (13:26).
6. Nobuyuki Onizawa’s Ochakan Radio Presents Special Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki when Sakaguchi pinned HARASHIMA with the God’s Right Knee (15:57).
7. Japan Bakery Marketing Co., Ltd. Presents Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Daisuke Sasaki with the German Suplex (22:19).
Konosuke Takeshita has now been wrestling for decade. His goal from the 11th onwards is to take over the world! His 10 year anniversary show was built around two matches. The main event was a singles match against Daisuke Sasaki, one of Takeshita’s toughest opponents. Sasaki could have ruined the entire party but there was support for Takeshita coming from all corners. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi tried singing to him from ringside for motivation until Sasaki whacked him over the back with a chairshot. Sasaki used the chair again without the ref seeing it and tried latching in the Crossface Lock by using La Mistica to set it up. Takeshita was able to fight back and hit the Jumping Knee, opening Sasaki up for the German Suplex to end the match. Takeshita thanked Sasaki for being the person who helped him polish his wrestling skills and made it evolve. Sasaki may have still been dizzy from the match because he complimented his opponent. He said if Takeshita is good enough to beat him then Takeshita is world class. He then said they should meet up again for a rematch in ten years time.
Takeshita’s other match of the day was a tag match featuring wrestlers who are close to him. Yuki Ueno has been his classmate in both a high school and pro wrestling sense. Chris Brookes is somebody Takeshita has become best friends with through what they’ve been through inside the ring. The wild card was Kid Lykos, Brookes tag team partner from England who was making his DDT debut. CCK’s M.O. is “sick fucking tag moves” and they got to display it here. But the hometown team got the better of them and Ueno pinned Lykos with the BME.
The semi-main event pitted four dangerous fighters against each other in a tag match. It was a rare chance to see Shinya Aoki and Minoru Suzuki face each other. Their fight was pretty much a stalemate and Yukio Sakaguchi proved to be the difference maker by pinning HARASHIMA with the God’s Right Knee. Aoki and Suzuki were still at each other’s throats outside the ring when the match ended. Aoki said afterwards he is interested in another match with him. Sakaguchi however does has another match with Suzuki coming up at a festival next month in Yokohama called WILD ONE. His feelings to beat up Suzuki are growing stronger and stronger.
The mystery wrestler in Match #4 was DJ Nira. Yay… Antonio Honda disappeared midway through the match. There was a sudden announcement of a new life being born and Honda reappeared in the ring wearing diapers. Super Sasadango Machine cut him off but Honda got his revenge by hitting the Diving Fist Drop to him right after Yasu Urano did a Diving Body Press. Hiroshi had easy pickings and pinned Sasadango with a closed fist punch for the win.
In the pre-show Battle Royal, Pheromones dominated the field with their antics. They set up their Hell Gate and threw everyone they could into it one by one to eliminate them. However when they did it to El Unicorn they unintentionally unmasked him. That was deemed and illegal move so both Yuki Iino and Yumehito Imanari were Disqualified. Unicorn also eliminated himself by leaving the ring while trying to keep his face hidden. The match came down to Toru Owashi and Kazuki Hirata. An attempted Body Slam from Hirata backfired when Owashi fell on top of him and he was pinned by his weight.
Owashi’s win means he regains the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title that he previously vacated to prove he is a serious wrestler. Keiko Takeshita, the mother of Konosuke entered the ring to present Owashi with a prize of 551 pork buns. Hirata suddenly rolled up Owashi to win the title and then tried grabbing the buns from Keiko. In response to this Keiko grabbed Hirata from behind and gave him the Rainmaker! She placed her foot on him and gave him a scolding while the referee counted to three. Keiko Takeshita is now the Iron Man Champion! She’s happy with that because it means she could be on the front cover of the next Weekly Pro-Wrestling magazine.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 