Election Special Full Card, Katsumata Injury, Saitama And Sapporo Weekend

October 4, 2016

DDT “SAITAMA SLAM! VOL. 15”, 08/10/2016
Saitama Kasukabe Hall

0. King Of Dark Title: Nobuhiro Shimatani (c) & Saki Akai Vs Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Cherry
1. 3 Way Match: Soma Takao Vs Keisuke Ishii Vs Kouki Iwasaki
2. Yukio Sakagichi, Masahiro Takanashi & Mizuki Watase Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Antonio Honda & Mike Bailey
3. Yoshihiro Takayama & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Toru Owashi & Yasu Urano
4. Sound And TV Match Facing A Prelude: Shuji Ishikawa & Mad Polly Vs Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi
5. Smile Squash Vs DAMNATION!: HARASHIMA & Akito Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo
6. LiLiCo’s New Boyfriend Decision 4 Way Match: Kazuki Hirata (w/ Sanshiro Takagi) Vs X (w/ Amon Tsurumi) Vs X (/w Yukinori Matsui) Vs X (/w Danshoku Dino)

Sanshiro Takagi is the first to reveal his suitor for LiLiCo. It’s Kazuki Hirata. The other three are expected to reveal their candidates in the next three days.

DDT “SAPPORO WRESTLING FESTA 2016 ~DDT SEA URCHIN~”, 09/10/2016
Sapporo Susukino Mars Gym

0. King Of Dark Title: Nobuhiro Shimatani (c) Vs Mizuki Watase
1. Soma Takao Vs Guanchulo
2. Mars Specialty Sea Urchin, Scallops, Salmon And Roe Rice Bowl 3 Way Match: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Akito Vs Masahiro Takanashi
3. Konosuke Takeshita, Antonio Honda & Mike Bailey Vs Makoto Oishi, Tomoya & Koji Yoshida
4. Wrestling Master Descends To The North Of The Earth!: Dick Togo & Yasu Urano Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata
5. Yoshihiro Takayama & Kouki Iwasaki Vs KUDO & Yukio Sakaguchi
6. Sapporo Specialty! Yellow Tag Match Of Happiness: Shuji Ishikawa & Mad Polly Vs Danshoku Dino & Keisuke Ishii
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA & Yuko Miyamoto (c) Vs Daisuke Sakai & Tetsuya Endo

Shunma Katsumata injured his right elbow during last weekend’s shows. He is hoping to recover in time for the DNA Grand Prix in two weeks time but he won’t be wrestling on any of the DDT shows until then.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “OSAKA LOVE RIN”, 16/10/2016
Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall

1. 3 Way Match: Shoko Nakajima Vs Azusa Takigawa Vs Maho Kurone
2. Akane Miura Vs Marika Kobashi
3. Hyper Misao Vs Mil Crown
4. Nonoko Vs Reika Saiki
5. Yuu & Nodoka Onee-san Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miyu Yamshita

Yuu and Rika Tatsumi get to scramble before their TOKYO Princess Of Princess Title Match.

BASARA “VAJRA 19 ~OSAKA WINTER OF JIN TAISHO~”, 16/10/2016
Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall

1. Wrestling Laughs Festival: Gouma Ryu Vs Daichi Kazato
2. Hardcore Match: Isami Kodaka Vs GUNSO
3. Osaka Metal Festival: FUMA & HAYATA Vs Yusuke Kubo & Madoka

GUNSO from Dove Pro Wrestling makes his BASARA debut.

DDT “DDT SPECIAL 2016”, 23/10/2016
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
DDT Dramatic General Election Ranking In Parentheses

0. Dark Match: Toru Owashi (#21) & Yuko Miyamoto (#24) Vs MAO (#21) & Kazusada Higuchi (#23)
1. Shunma Katsumata (#11) & Makoto Oishi (#17) Vs Kazuki Hirata (#14) & Yasu Urano (#19)
2. 3 Way Match: Soma Takao Vs Akito Vs Keisuke Ishii
3. Konosuke Takeshita (#6) & Antonio Honda (#12) Vs KUDO (#8) & Yukio Sakaguchi (#15)
4. DDT Special Great Single Match: Ken Ohka (#16) Vs Super Sasadango Machine (#18)
5. DDT Special Great Single Match: Saki Akai (#9) Vs Cherry (#20)
6. DDT Special Great Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki (#3) Vs Masahiro Takanashi (#4)
7. DDT Special Great Single Match: HARASHIMA (#1) Vs Tetsuya Endo (#5)
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Shuji Ishikawa (c) Vs Danshoku Dino (#2)

Saki Akai was so pleased with her placing in the DDT Dramatic General Election that she requested to join DDT as a fully affiliated wrestler. She was previously representing the Oscar Promotion talent agency in her matches. She will continue to work with the agency for her other projects but in wrestling she now belongs to DDT.

DDT “OSAKA OCTOPUS 2016 ~IT’S NANIWABUSHI WRESTLING~”, 04/12/2016
Osaka Edion Arena #1

1. Yuni Debut Match: Yuni Vs X
2. KO-D Openweight Title: Shuji Ishikawa (c) Vs HARASHIMA

Sanshiro Takagi says he would like entertainer Hyota Echizenya to attend the show and perform with him for the show’s opening segment. However no contact has been made with him yet.


DDT “OSAKA BAYS BLUE SPECIAL 2016” Results

September 19, 2016

endo-beats-takeshita

DDT “OSAKA BAYS BLUE SPECIAL 2016”, 18/09/2016
Osaka Edion Arena #2
535 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Guanchulo & Rekka defeated Mizuki Watase & Daiki Shimomura when Guanchulo pinned Rekka with the Acyl Pin Driver (7:49).
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi defeated Gota Ihashi & Kouki Iwasaki when Owashi pinned Ihashi with La Magistral Cradle (6:49).
3. 3 Way Match: Danshoku Dino & Keisuke Ishii defeated Akito & Yasu Urano and Antonio Honda & Yoshihiko when Dino pinned Honda with the Danshoku Driver (10:15).
4. Original Shuten-dōji Vs NωA!: KUDO, Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Makoto Oishi, Shunma Katsumata & MAO when KUDO pinned Oishi with the Diving Double Knee Drop (9:06).
5. AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Soma Takao (c) defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Gin And Tonic (18:07).
*V1 for Soma Takao.
6. HARASHIMA, Yuko Miyamoto & Kazusada Higuchi defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Shuji Ishikawa & Mad Polly when Higuchi pinned Polly with the Goten (16:03).
7. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Sky Twister Press (22:13).

A clash of former best friends headlined DDT’s annual “OSAKA BAYS BLUE SPECIAL” in Osaka Edion Arena #2. In fact, Tetsuya Endo’s turn to DAMNATION began because he couldn’t beat Konosuke Takeshita for the KO-D Openweight Title back in July. With a new, darker attitude Endo took his chance to redeem himself. Daisuke Sasaki gave a helping hand early when he swept Takeshita’s leg as he rebounded from the ropes. Endo himself hit some big moves like a No Touch Topé and a Hand Spring Kneel Kick. But Takeshita fired back with a Blue Thunder and a Turnbuckle Bomb. Endo tried to do the Torture Rack Bomb but Takeshita countered it into a Sleeper Hold. Takeshita went for his German Suplex finisher but Endo landed on his feet. This time he hit the Torture Rack and followed with the Sky Twister Press to finally get that victory over Takeshita. After the match Endo told Takeshita that this was reality. He thanked Sasaki for giving him the chance to show his true worth. Sasaki said he and Endo will win the KO-D Tag Team Titles, then Shuji Ishikawa will beat Kazusada Higuchi to keep the KO-D Title. Add in the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles and soon all KO-D belts will be under their control. DAMNATION will conquer DDT!

HARASHIMA could hardly wait to get his hands on DAMNATION in the 6-Man Tag match. After a quick ringside brawl HARASHIMA and Higuchi teamed up to take on Ishikawa. The champion and his challenger fired back and forth until they were both spent and laid out. However Higuchi got his second wind when fighting Mad Polly and slammed Sasaki’s pet with a big Goten for the three count. Higuchi warned Ishikawa that the same will happen to him on 25th September. Higuchi then told the Osaka crowd he will be the champion when DDT returns to the city.

Soma Takao successfully completed his first defence of the AJPW Jr. Title with a win over Kazuki Hirata. Takao’s opponent had spent the last month trying to prove he was taking this match seriously, ditching his dancing antics during his bouts. A Mad Splash got him close to winning but his Egoist Driver was countered into a Reverse DDT. Takao then won with the Gin And Tonic. Hirata sat and bowed to Takao and he got a pat on the shoulder in return. Takao said in his victory speech that he wants to be a strong champion whether it’s in DDT or elsewhere in Japan.

KUDO took time to appreciate being able to wrestle again. He told the crowd this was the first time in a year that he wrestled in Osaka. His knees have recovered steadily and he wants to show more and more strength when he comes back to Osaka next month.

During the 3 Way Tag Match Yoshihiko betrayed its tag partner Antonio Honda! It dove onto Danshoku Dino but was caught and put in the Lip Lock for a long time. The kiss convinced Yoshihiko to join Dino’s side and it gave Honda a Choke Slam. It then performed a Spinning Headscissors that threw Honda into the Danshoku Driver. When the match was over Dino was informed he will defend the DDT Extreme Title in Sapporo on 10th October. His opponent? Sanshiro Takagi! With DDT’s 20th Anniversary approaching Takagi is looking back through the company’s history to find a match for him and Dino. He found just the one, the Dai Ichin Pa-Lien Seiha Match! Dino thinks Takagi is sick because he spends so much time managing different companies. So it is up to Dino as the Wrestling Mentalist to cure him.

Kota Ibushi, Kuishinbo Kamen and Kikutaro were announced for “OSAKA OCTOPUS 2016” in Osaka Edion Arena #1 on 4th December.


DDT “BIG HOUSE ARROW HOMETOWN 2016” Results

September 19, 2016

takao-hirata-staredown

DDT “BIG HOUSE ARROW HOMETOWN 2016”, 17/09/2016
Toyama Takaoka Ecoeur
321 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao Vs Kazuki Hirata & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Takao pinned Shimatani with the Gin And Tonic (9:10).
2. Makoto Oishi, Shunma Katsumata & MAO defeated Yasu Urano, Gota Ihashi & Kouki Iwasaki when Oishi pinned Ihashi with a Diving Headbutt (13:49).
3. 4 Way Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Mad Polly, Kazusada Higuchi and Guanchulo when Takeshita pinned Guanchulo with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (7:13).
4. Danshoku Dino & Keisuke Ishii defeated Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanashi when Dino pinned Takanashi with the Danshoku Driver (11:01).
5. Ken Ohka Toyama Triumph! Takaoka Specialty Special Single Match: Ken Ohka defeated Antonio Honda with the Flame Spear (16:17).
6. Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo defeated HARASHIMA & Akito when Sasaki pinned Akito with the Vietnam Driver II (15:13).

Immediately after winning the main event, Daisuke Sasaki grabbed a microphone and yelled “Hurry up and drop dead, Smile fucking Squash!” He then wanted to tell a personal story to the audience. Yesterday a women he claims he used to date got married in America. It was Candice LeRae. Well he doesn’t care because he’s with DAMNATION! However he then muttered that he wanted marry Candice and his head sank at the thought. Tetsuya Endo and Mad Polly tried to cheer him up as they left ringside. Ken Ohka had to rush into the ring and finish the post-show speech so it could end on a happier note.

Ohka went into his hometown return determined to beat Antonio Honda for the first time in his career. Honda opened up the show badmouthing Ohka in front of his local fans. Honda was told that Ohka was a hometown hero but he disagreed. Honda said Toyama’s real heroes were Fujiko Fujio, the manga group that created Doraemon. When the match went ahead Ohka dodged the Diving Fist Drop and hit the Flame Spear to score the victory. Ohka thanked his hometown fans for cheering him on and giving him the power to achieve this win.

Tension is brewing between Soma Takao and Kazuki Hirata one day before their AJPW Jr. Title match. Takao said he is raising the title’s value by defending it in DDT before his eventual defences in All Japan. Hirata said he would absolutely not lose to Takao. Instead he will become the 42nd champion. They then squared off before going their separate ways.


DDT “THREE OF A DREAM 2016” Results

September 11, 2016

shuji-higuchi-showdown

DDT “THREE OF A DREAM 2016”, 11/09/2016
Hiroshima Industrial Hall – East Exhibition Hall
289 Fans

1. Hypocrite! Idol! Chilean! Battle Doll! Special Full Of Feeling 4 Way Match: Yoshihiko defeated Yasu Urano, Makoto Oishi and Guanchulo when Yoshihiko pinned Oishi with the Reincarnation (10:24).
2. Kazuki Hirata & Shunma Katsumata defeated Soma Takao & Kenshin Chikano when Hirata pinned Takao with the Egoist Driver (9:42).
3. Lucha Libre Rules: Yukio Sakaguchi, Masahiro Takanashi & Yuto Aijima defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Sakaguchi pinned Shimatani with the PK (8:36).
4. Hungry Black Bass Vs US Indie World Of Super Heavyweights!: Joey Ryan defeated Akito with the Super Kick (8:59).
5. Emperor & DNA Vs DAMNATION! Hiroshima Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Team Match: Daisuke Sasaki, Shuji Ishikawa & Tetsuya Endo defeated Yoshihiro Takayama, Kazusada Higuchi & Kouki Iwasaki when Sasaki submitted Iwasaki with the Cross Facelock (17:25).
6. Wrestling Master And The Future’s First Encounter! Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Dick Togo defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Antonio Honda when HARASHIMA pinned Honda with the Somato (17:03).
7. DDT Extreme Title – Hiroshima Toyo Rules: Danshoku Dino (c) defeated Keisuke Ishii with a Lip Lock (11:37).
*V1 for Danshoku Dino.

To celebrate the Hiroshima Toyo Carp baseball team winning the Central League pennant for the first time in 25 years, Danshoku Dino decided to base the DDT Extreme Title match rules on the team’s history and achievements. During the match every second of a pinfall will be added together. Whoever is doing the pin on the 25th total second will win the match. Other ways to win were to name the ten most recent managers of the Hiroshima baseball team or name at least ten foreigners who played for the team. The match began with Dino and Keisuke Ishii trading two count pins. Dino then got to pin Ishii for 5 more seconds after doing multiple pins and also the Danshoku Nightmare. The count went up to 11 when Ishii pinned Dino with a Diving Senton, then up to 13 after a Missile Dropkick. Dino put Ishii in the Lip Lock and pinned him for two seconds. Ishii then Kangaroo Kicked Dino for another two count, then brought the count up to 24 with a Fisherman Suplex, the Kneel Kick and a Tiger Suplex. Dino avoided a Brainbuster but could not hit the Danshoku Driver. Ishii tried to roll him over for the final pin count but Dino caught him in another Lip Lock and scored the winning 25th second pinfall. After the match Dino remembered they could have named the managers and foreign players instead of wrestling so he listed them off. Dino thanked Ishii for helping him create a nice memory for such a historic day in the city. They then led the fans in chanting for the team to end the show.

Konosuke Takeshita said he had a strange feeling while wrestling Dick Togo. It was amazing and intense and he wants to do it again. Antonio Honda said Togo hasn’t changed even though he last wrestled against him five years ago.

As DAMNATION entered the ring for their match, Shuji Ishikawa held the KO-D Openweight Title belt in Kazusada Higuchi’s sight. The two looked ready to face off when Tetsuya Endo stepped in wanting to start the match. Higuchi then stepped back and Yoshihiro Takayama took his place. Endo and Daisuke Sasaki tagged back and forth while trying to weaken Takayama with Low Kicks. DAMNATION were able to keep the two larger opponents away while Sasaki tapped out Kouki Iwasaki to win. Ishikawa began a promo about how both he and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp were both champions but Sasaki kicked him aside and cut him off to brag about DAMNATION’s dominance. He called both Higuchi and Takayama “Dwarf Motherfuckers”.

After yesterday’s defeat, Kazuki Hirata bounced back by pinning Soma Takao in another tag match. Hirata now thinks he has the momentum going into Osaka for the AJPW Jr. Title match. He thinks he has turned everyone’s expectations around.


DDT “DAIMYO CAREER DRAMATIC-KUN 2016” Results

September 10, 2016

endo-takeshita-shizuoka

DDT “DAIMYO CAREER DRAMATIC-KUN 2016”, 10/09/2016
Shizuoka Hamamatsu Create
214 Fans

1. Soma Takao & Guanchulo defeated Kazuki Hirata & Kouki Iwasaki when Takao pinned Hirata with the Gin And Tonic (8:58).
2. Hamamatsu Specialty! Continued Small Special Single Match: Keisuke Ishii defeated Yasu Urano with (9:17).
3. Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Kazusada Higuchi defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Masahiro Takanashi & Kota Umeda when Higuchi submitted Takanashi with the Canadian Backbreaker (11:21).
4. This Jewel Box Of The Wrestling World! – 6-Man Tag Team Match: Danshoku Dino, Joey Ryan & Yoshihiko defeated Makoto Oishi, Shunma Katsumata & Saki Akai when Dino, Ryan & Yoshihiko all pinned Oishi after the 4P Driver (14:33).
5. Emperor & Wrestling Master Vs Smile Squash! Special Tag Match: Yoshihiro Takayama & Dick Togo defeated HARASHIMA & Akito when Togo pinned Akito with the Diving Senton (13:29).
6. Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Antonio Honda when Sasaki submitted Honda with La Mistica Cross Facelock (19:23).

Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo continued fighting out of the ring after the main event. As they were pulled apart Takeshita yelled at Endo “At Osaka just remember. Fight fair and square.” Daisuke Sasaki taunted Takeshita and dared him to fight Endo. He said next week Endo will stab the final nail in Takeshita’s coffin. Then on the 25th he and Endo will win the KO-D Tag Team Titles for DAMNATION.

Yoshihiro Takayama & Dick Togo were successful in their first time tagging together. However both of them don’t know if they will continue teaming together in the future. Takayama noted how hard HARASHIMA kicks while Togo thought wrestling against Akito was a fresh experience.

After winning their match Danshoku Dino, Joey Ryan & Yoshihiko declared they are the most dangerous trio the city of Hamamatsu have ever seen. They won by giving Makoto Oishi a triple team Danshoku Driver.

One day away from his DDT Extreme Title shot, Keisuke Ishii remembers when he won the belt for the first time. He was booed back then although in that situation he was an outsider wrestling in Union Pro. He thinks this time when he wins it will be different.

Soma Takao sent a message to Kazuki Hirata by pinning him in the opening tag bout. The AJPW Jr. Heavyweight Champion said Hirata isn’t good enough to help him become a stronger champion.


DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN KYOTO ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOGETSUKYO~” Results

May 15, 2016

kbs-chairs

DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN KYOTO ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOGETSUKYO~”, 14/05/2016
Kyoto KBS Hall
412 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Tetsuya Endo & Hiroshi Fukuda defeated Toru Owashi & Mizuki Watase when Endo pinned Watase with the Torture Rack Bomb (10:28).
2. Ryota Nakatsu defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Cross Armbreaker (8:32).
3. Team Drift Goodbye Series: Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Kouki Iwasaki & Guanchulo when Ishii pinned Guanchulo with (10:16).
4. Kyoto Specialty Heian-kyō Tag Death Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi when Hirata pinned Oishi with the Viagra Driver (10:51).
5. HARASHIMA defeated Kota Umeda with the Somato (11:54).
6. Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Mad Polly when Urano pinned Polly with a Cradle (13:51).
7. Local Triumph Of Saki Akai! Special 6-Man Tag Team Match: Saki Akai, Yukio Sakaguchi & Masa Takanashi defeated Antonio Honda, Konosuke Takeshita & Cherry when Akai pinned Cherry with the Rookie Award (17:01).

DDT ventured into KBS Hall for the first time in five years. The last show is remembered for the “Zundoko Bus Incident” where the tour bus broke down on the Tomei Expressway as it was driving to the venue. The bus broke down again on the way home after the show. This show was also a homecoming for Saki Akai. She got to be in the main event with Shuten-dōji against Cherry & Happy Motels. Cherry wasn’t happy that Akai was getting all of the attention because today was also Cherry’s 42nd birthday! Akai started off the match with Antonio Honda who could not hold back his excitement when they locked up. When they broke apart Honda said Akai smelt good. Honda kept trying to smell Akai’s hair when they were in the ring together. Akai fought out of Honda’s perverted attacks and was left to go against Cherry while their partners fought each other outside the ring. Akai rolled away from the Cherryton Bomb and got the win when she hit Cherry with a Diving Cross Body followed by the Rookie Award kick.

In the final skirmish before their KO-D Tag Team Title Match, Akito & Yasu Urano got the win over Daisuke Sasaki and his pet Mad Polly. The match went wrong for Sasaki when Polly accidentally hit him with a Hammer Punch. Urano then rolled up Polly for the three count. Sasaki pressed his tag title belt against Urano’s head during their staredown after the match.

A castle of chairs was constructed for the Heian-kyō Tag Death Match. Sanshiro Takagi said the chiar castle represented Kiyomizu-dera, a temple found in Kyoto. The temple collapsed when Kazuki Hirata was thrown into it but he soon emerged from the rubble wearing his HIRATA GO! glasses. He struck Danshoku Dino in the ass with a chair during his dance and then pinned Makoto Oishi with the Viagra Driver.


DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN SAPPORO ~DRAMATIC DREAM CLOCK TOWER~” Results

May 8, 2016

sasaki-lowblow

DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN SAPPORO ~DRAMATIC DREAM CLOCK TOWER~”, 08/05/2016
AXES Sapporo
810 fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owasho & Kazuki Hirata defeated Danshoku Dino, Makoto Oishi & Tomoya when Hirata pinned Oishi with the One Shot Miracle Cradle (12:33).
*One of Danshoku Dino’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contracts is transferred over to Makoto Oishi. Kazuki Hirata wins Makoto Oishi’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
2. Ryuichi Sekine & Kotaro Yoshida defeated Tetsuya Endo & Hiroshi Fukuda when Sekine submitted Fukuda with the Combine (9:03).
3. Kouki Iwasaki & Shunma Katsumata defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Guanchulo when Iwasaki pinned Guanchulo with the Leg Capture Suplex (8:43).
4. SPW South East Asia Title: Masa Takanashi (c) defeated Antonio Honda with the Takatonic (9:45).
*V3 for Masa Takanashi.
5. Hokkaido Big Way! Sapporo Specialty Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Shuji Ishikawa with the German Suplex (4:17).
6. Team Drift Goodbye Series: HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao when Akito pinned Takao with the Hanamasa (14:28).
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Daisuke Sasaki (c) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi with the Vietnam Driver II (18:30).
*V1 for Daisuke Sasaki. Yukio Sakaguchi cashes in his Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.

As first title defences go, Yukio Sakaguchi is one of the tougher ones. He used up his Right To Challenge Contract for a fair crack at Daisuke Sasaki. The KO-D Openweight Champion tried to match Sakaguchi kick for kick at the beginning but that was not a good idea. Sakaguchi continued to lay in his kicks while screaming “Champion, come on!” Sasaki gained control by catching a kick on the ring apron and Dragon Screwing the challenger onto the ropes. Sasaki continued to use his ring awareness to turn the tables whenever he could, avoiding the PK from the apron and returning fire with a Tope Suicida. He then wore out Sakaguchi with a Sleeper Hold and placed him on a chair. Sasaki went back into the ring and hit the Super Diving Elbow to the outside! Back in the ring Sasaki countered the Right Knee Of God with a Dropkick. A flash Hurricanrana got a two count but Sakaguchi caught Sasaki unaware with another Right Knee Of God afterwards. Sasaki kicked out and ducked a Middle Kick, causing Yukinori Matsui to get hit instead. Sasaki capitalised by kicked Sakaguchi below the belt. Sakaguchi still had some fight left in him despite the low blow but Sasaki kept hitting big moves until he finally put him away with the Vietnam Driver II.

With a successful defence Sasaki called himself the strongest but refused to take part in the next mandatory title match at Korakuen Hall on 29th May. He eventually agreed but demanded his challenger to be Kazuki Hirata. Instead Konosuke Takeshita came out. Takeshita is the No. 1 contender because he pinned Sasaki in Yamagata a few days ago and on this show defeated Shuji Ishikawa in under 5 minutes. Takeshita said he has a two title match losing streak against Sasaki but he has all of Happy Motels there to support him. Sasaki called Takeshita “Bamboo-chan”, told a story about them getting drunk together one time and called himself the strongest, charismatic two crown king.

Takeshita’s quick victory over Ishikawa came as a surprise to everyone. They immediately charged each other and went for Brainbusters, Back Drops and Lariats. Ishikawa hit the Running Knee Lift for a nearfall. He went for the Splash Mountain but Takeshita escaped. Ishikawa blocked a German Suplex and tried the Fire Thunder but Takeshita again avoided a big move. He knocked the giant down with a Lariat and then picked the big dog up into the Deadlift German Suplex for the three count. Ishikawa protested that he wasn’t pinned but the referee rejected his claims. Ishikawa ranted about the loss to journalists afterwards, saying it was impossible that he would lose to Takeshita in 4 minutes.

After previously defending his SPW South East Asia Title in an Ironman Match with Sasaki, Masa Takanashi got to have another title defence in DDT. This time he took on Antonio Honda. The challenger constantly tried to do a Scorpion Death Drop and eventually hit the move. But Takanashi rolled out of the way from the Diving Fist Drop and grabbed the win with the Takatonic. Takanashi said afterwards he was ready to go drinking with the rest of Shuten-dōji after Sakaguchi wins the title in the main event. Honda was disappointed he lost because he was hoping to visit Malaysia. Takanashi’s next title defence will be in Kuala Lumpur against CIMA!

There was a tag team match pitting Kazusada Higuchi against his two fellow KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions. Higuchi feels he needs to depend on Kouki Iwasaki & Shunma Katsumata when they defend the titles against Team Drift later this month so he teamed with Guanchulo to fight them here. Iwasaki & Katsumata were victorious and came out of the match feeling more united than ever.

The show opened with Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi greeting the crowd. Dino announced that he was not going to cash in one of his two Right To Challenge Contracts. Instead he wanted to improve his win-loss record with Oishi in tag team matches. Oishi began arguing with Dino but denied that there was any tension between them. To prove it Oishi asked Dino to give him possession of one of his contracts. Dino was surprised by the request but agreed to give him one. Oishi then lost the contract to Kazuki Hirata in the first match. Hirata spent the match being ignored by his partners and he was begging for a chance to get in the ring. Sanshiro Takagi finally relented and it paid off with Hirata avoiding the Miracle Ecstasy during the dance sequence and pinning Oishi with the One Shot Miracle Cradle. Oishi begged Dino to give him his remaining contract after the match but Dino gave him the Danshoku Driver instead.


DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN NAGAOKA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOCHIO FESTIVAL~” Results

April 17, 2016

higuchi-pins-harashima

DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN NAGAOKA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOCHIO FESTIVAL~”, 17/04/2016
Nagaoka Ao-re
369 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Keisuke Ishii defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga with the Kneel Kick (7:05).
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi defeated Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao when Owashi pinned Takao with a Modified Crucifix Pin (8:26).
3. Kazuki Hirata defeated Antonio Honda with the One Shot Miracle Cradle (10:57).
4. Yukio Sakaguchi & Masa Takanashi defeated Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi when Sakaguchi submitted Oishi with the Cobra Clutch (8:48).
*One of Danshoku Dino’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contracts is transferred over to Makoto Oishi. Yukio Sakaguchi wins Makoto Oishi’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
5. Daisuke Sasaki, Shuji Ishikawa & Guanchulo defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Tetsuya Endo & Mao Inoue when Ishikawa pinned Inoue with the Splash Mountain (13:14).
6. Super Sasadango Machine defeated Hiroshi Fukuda with the Vertical Drop Lehmann Shock (8:46).
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi, Shunma Katsumata & Kouki Iwasaki defeated HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano when Higuchi pinned HARASHIMA with the Goten (19:42).
*V2 for Team DNA.

Kazusada Higuchi stepped up big by pinning the KO-D Openweight Champion while defending the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles in the process! The DNA team put the belts on the line against Smile Squash and came out on top. Higuchi was unstoppable, giving both HARASHIMA and Akito a Double Choke Slam. Shunma Katsumata took out Yasu Urano with a Moonsault leaving Higuchi to pick up the pieces. HARASHIMA showed some signs of life when he hit a Jumping High Kick but Higuchi grabbed him once more and pinned him with the Goten. Higuchi told the Niigata crowd that he would like to return to the city as a double champion.

Kazuki Hirata watched Super Sasadango Machine’s match from a distance, the third floor balcony to be precise. Sasadango demanded Hirata to come down to the ring and face him but he refused. They finally faced each other backstage afterwards and they argued about a chair that Sasadango accidentally broke at ringside during his match. Hirata thinks Sasadango should have been disqualified for breaking the chair. Sasadango thinks Hirata is showing weakness by being so concerned about a broken chair.

The KO-D Tag Team Champions weren’t impressed by their competition. Daisuke Sasaki thinks the rematch against the New Gen Combo is just going to have the same result. A victory over them won’t feel rewarding and won’t give him what he wants: Candice LeRae. Konosuke Takeshita knows that this will be his & Tetsuya Endo’s last chance at beating Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa for the titles. They will have to win no matter what.

Danshoku Dino’s usual Right To Challenge tease at the start of the show was interrupted by Makoto Oishi. He thought it was stupid that Dino was withholding three contracts for a title shot while a 14 year veteran such as himself has nothing. Oishi demanded Dino to give him one of the contracts. Dino stood by his friend and gave him a contract. Unfortunately later in the show Oishi lost the contract to Yukio Sakaguchi after the Shuten-dōji fighter tapped him out with the Cobra Clutch. Oishi demanded Dino give him another contract after the match and Dino gave him the Danshoku Driver in response. Sakaguchi revealed in a backstage interview that he plans to cash in his title shot on 8th May in Sapporo.


DDT “SAITAMA SLAM! VOL. 10” Results

April 13, 2016

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DDT “SAITAMA SLAM! VOL. 10”, 02/04/2016
Saitama Kasukabe Hall
330 Fans – Super No Vacancy

0. King Of Dark Title: Seiya Morohashi (c) defeated Hoshitango with the Quarrel Bomber (4:55).
*Seiya Morohashi passes D2. Hoshitango becomes the 14th King Of Dark Champion.
1. Guanchulo & Mizuki Watase defeated Saki Akai & Makoto Oishi when Watase pinned Akai with a Dropkick (6:37).
*Mizuki Watase wins Saki Akai’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Gota Ihashi when Owashi pinned Ihashi with La Magistral Cradle (7:27).
3. Decision To Allow KENSO Or Rekka Into DNA Match: KENSO defeated Rekka with the Diving Elbow Drop (8:14).
4. Danshoku Dino defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Arm Clutch Lip Lock (1:07).
4a. Emergency Decision Single Match: Aja Kong defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Uraken (3:48).
5. Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Masa Takanashi & Kota Umeda when Ishii pinned Umeda with the Kneel Kick (10:37).
6. Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo defeated Antonio Honda & Hiroshi Fukuda when Endo pinned Fukuda with the Sky Twister Press (12:33).
7. HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Kouki Iwasaki & Mao Inoue when HARASHIMA pinned Inoue with the Somato (14:06).

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I was in Japan for almost two weeks for a gigantic wrestling trip across Tokyo. A blog post about that entire trip is in the works but for now I’ll focus on the DDT show I got to see in Saitama. After all what sort of DDT fan would I be if I didn’t get to see one of their shows during this trip? They were gearing up for a tour around Japan during my stay but Kasukabe Hall was within distance from where I and my friends were staying. So after an email exchange with DDT to get tickets myself, Joey from America and Matt from Canada set off for Saitama.

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Kasukabe is a quiet town from what I can tell. We found a sushi restaurant and through very limited Japanese (zero from myself) were able to order a meal that included tiny little appetizer squids. I didn’t have the stomach for it (blame Splatoon) but the others were happy to try it. According to them it tastes like ginger. We found Kasukabe Hall afterwards, got our tickets and lined up for the show. After getting in it didn’t take long for Amon Tsurumi to greet us. This was the start of a surreal evening where different members of DDT staff came over to greet and thank me for the work I do on this blog. Joey and Matt were amazed at the situation.

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The show began with a King Of Dark Title match. Seiya Morohashi defeated Hoshitango to get rid of the cursed belt and pass it over to the Argentinian. Morohashi treated the belt with disdain by swinging it between his legs during his ring announcement. A Quarrel Bomber put away Hoshitango in a brief match. Morohashi then announced he will be quitting DDT in April and is becoming a freelancer. He will still work for their Best Stretch business which is opening a second office in Shinjuku later this month.

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The show began with the current Right To Challenge contract holders filling the ring then moved onto the first match. The dates for the next four scheduled KO-D Openweight Title defences were announced. They are happening on 24th April in Korakuen Hall, 8th May in Sapporo, 29th May in Korakuen and 3rd July in Hakata. This does not include any possible Right To Challenge cash ins.

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The first match began with Mizuki Watase offering an apology to Saki Akai for the bad blood between them but then yelled he lied. The two were rough to each other throughout the match and Mizuki got the pin on Akai after a Dropkick to win her Right To Challenge contract. Makoto Oishi took the blame for his team’s loss. He and Akai will face Watase and LiLiCo at Korakuen on 24th April. With both the Right To Challenge contract and Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title on the line Akai has a chance to win either of them back from her enemies.

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The 2nd match had a lot of comedy based around getting Gota Ihashi tired. He was made to run the ropes a lot and was constantly thrown out of the ring and tossed over to a wall. Also Toru Owashi and Tomomitsu Matsunaga had a duel using their contract arm bands as weapons. Ihashi missed a Moonsault and Owashi capitalised with La Magistral Cradle to win.

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Match #3 was KENSO and Rekka fighting over who deserved to be in DNA. KENSO is trying to find any way to join DDT full time. If he has to go through DDT’s developmental brand then so be it. Rekka had the DNA roster support and was led out to the ring in a train formation with the wrestlers. KENSO was relentless and even did a Plancha onto Rekka. They brawled very close to us and KENSO hit a nasty looking Brainbuster onto the floor. Rekka tried to fight back and even kicked out of a Brainbuster at one but he was put away with a Diving Elbow Drop. KENSO told Rekka and the other DNA wrestlers that this business is not so sweet and he is above their level. Kouki Iwasaki took offense and challenge KENSO to defend DNA’s pride. Tsurumi was reluctant to make the match because he doesn’t want to book KENSO again but agreed to let it happen at DNA 16 on 11th May.

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Next up was Danshoku Dino Vs Kazuki Hirata. I warned Joey and Matt about Dino’s entrance antics but luckily for us he only had eyes for Hirata on this day. He attacked Hirata before the dance could begin and the match began. A minute later Dino applied the Lip Lock and then twisted Hirata’s arm for a clutch variation of the move, winning the match by tapout. After the match we found out Hirata had his date with Aja Kong and it was recorded. A video played on the screen of the date. They went on a ferris wheel and Hirata was scared of heights. They then ended the night sitting on a bench and looked like they were about to kiss until Hirata got cold feet. He said he tried to like her but it’s impossible. He apologised and ran off, leaving Kong alone.

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Dino asked Hirata why he ran off. Hirata said it’s because she’s too chubby and the date was a terrible prank. We then got a surprise when Aja Kong showed up at ringside! She was in a cold state of emotion and Hirata was frozen with fear in the ring. Dino suggested they wrestle a match there and then. He took out a referee shirt so he could look over the match. The bell rang and Kong took her time beating up Hirata. He had one chance at a comeback but wasn’t strong enough to lift Kong up for the Viagra Driver. Kong beat him up again and Dino was too scared to call any fouls so he just let her do what she wanted. One Spinning Backfist later and that was it for Hirata. Dino very slowly counted the pin but it was clear that Hirata was out cold. When he came to he said he realised how wrong he was to ditch Kong and offered to take her out again. Kong rejected him and instead showed interest in Nobuhiro Shimatani, chasing him out of the ring when he got too scared of her. Dino and Hirata were left stunned for a few minutes by what happened. “Eeeeeeh?” … “Eeeeeeh?” … “Eeeeeeh?” ……….. “Eeeeeeh?!?”

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I can now say after seeing them in person Yukio Sakaguchi, Kota Umeda and Shigehiro Irie all hit hard. Really hard.

During intermission I got to meet Sanshiro Takagi and Guanchulo and had a brief talk with them. I also got to finally speak with the man behind the Extreme Party website who was such a help during the early years of this blog. It’s pretty weird when Takagi called me over to his table and showed me my Twitter accounts on his phone in order to ask if I was that guy. This show happened half a day after Kota Ibushi’s appearance on NXT Takeover: Dallas but that wasn’t the place to talk about it.

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“American Dream” played over the speakers for the semi-main event. Antonio Honda and Hiroshi Fukuda came out for an all Happy Motel tag team match against the New Gen Combo. Honda & Fukuda tried to keep the match at their pace but Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo came out the winners in the end. Fukuda’s Perfect Plex was countered into a Brainbuster and Endo hit the Sky Twister Press for the pin. Honda & Fukuda threw their support behind the New Gen Combo for their KO-D Tag Team Titles rematch with Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa later this month.

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The main event was the best match of the show. Kazusada Higuchi has a great presence about him and knows how to throw his weight around. His moments with HARASHIMA were very good and the match played around all of Smile Squash trying to cut down Higuchi by the legs. Mao Inoue also shined during the ending sequence but my highlight of the match was HARASHIMA countering Inoue’s Screw Kick with a Leg Sweep in mid air. HARASHIMA won with the Somato of course and Higuchi left the ring to go lick his wounds. The show ended with Smile Squash giving a victory speech. A good end to the evening.

I would like to thank Sanshiro Takagi, Amon Tsurumi and Guanchulo so much for all that they did to accommodate me, Matt and Joey throughout the show. I’d also like to thank Naomi Susan for everything she did to help organise tickets. Quite a few surprises happened along the way and afterwards but I don’t think I can say much about it for now.


DDT “SAITAMA SLAM! VOL. 9” Results

March 5, 2016

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DDT “SAITAMA SLAM! VOL. 9”, 05/03/2016
Saitama Kasukabe Hall
350 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

0. King Of Dark Title: Guanchulo (c) & DJ Nira defeated Seiya Morohashi & Hoshitango when Guanchulo pinned Morohashi with an Oklahoma Roll (4:46).
*Guanchulo passes D1. Seiya Morohashi becomes the 13th King Of Dark Champion.
1. Makoto Oishi & Saki Akai defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Mizuki Watase when Oishi pinned Watase with a Modified Airplane Spin (7:36).
2. Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie defeated Yukio Sakaguchi & Kota Umeda when Ishii pinned Umeda with the Beast Bomber (10:32).
3. 3 Way Match: Jun Kasai defeated KENSO and Gota Ihashi when Kasai pinned Ihashi with the Pearl Harbour Splash (8:45).
4. Antonio Honda, Tetsuya Endo & Kouki Iwasaki defeated Danshoku Dino, Super Sasadango Machine & Daisuke Kiso Ken Ohka when Honda pinned Sasadango with the Diving Fist Drop (12:12).
5. Road To Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Battle Royal: Kazuki Hirata defeated Ryuichi Sekine by Ring Out (10:01).
Order Of Elimination: Kazusada Higuchi, Soma Takao, Masa Takanashi, Cherry, Toru Owashi, Ryuichi Sekine.
6. Konosuke Takeshita & Hiroshi Fukuda defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa when Takeshita pinned Sasaki with the German Suplex (13:04).
7. HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Isami Kodaka, Takumi Tsukamoto & Ryota Nakatsu when HARASHIMA pinned Nakatsu with the Somato (14:35).

Not long to go now until the DDT 19th Anniversary show in Sumo Hall. In their final skirmish HARASHIMA’s team got the better of Isami Kodaka and his BASARA friends. Kodaka was powerless to stop HARASHIMA from hitting the Somato on Ryota Nakatsu. HARASHIMA told the crowd that he is sure to win the KO-D Openweight Title from Kodaka and when he does he’ll bring it back to Kasukabe. Why? Because he trains!

Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa suffered their first defeat as a team and it was against one half of the KO-D Tag Team Champions. Konosuke Takeshita had Hiroshi Fukuda constantly singing him songs from his corner to motivate him while he was wrestling. Sasaki & Ishikawa attacked their opponents with a chair when the referee was knocked out but a mistimed Lariat saw Ishikawa deck his partner by accident. Takeshita quickly capitalised and pinned Sasaki with the German Suplex. Sasaki ordered Ishikawa to attack Takeshita with a chair but Tetsuya Endo suddenly appeared and gave Ishikawa a Swan Dive Elbow. Endo told the challengers that even though they beat himself and Takeshita in single matches, they won’t be able to beat them in a tag team match for the titles.

The Battle Royal came down to Kazuki Hirata and Ryuichi Sekine both wearing Hirata GO! glasses and dancing on the ring apron. When the dancing stopped Hirata Dropkicked Sekine to the floor. Hirata said his reward for winning should be entering last in the Right To Challenge Rumble at Sumo Hall. Amon Tsurumi warned that all of the Right To Challenge contracts could be taken by the time Hirata enters the match. Hirata agreed and then asked if he could enter at No. 1 instead. Tsurumi said that would put him in a big disadvantage. Hirata agreed but felt entering second or third would be half-hearted. Tsurumi accepted his request.

Danshoku Dino & Super Sasadango Machine spent some time building up their mystery partner for the show. They filmed their reveal next to the men’s restroom backstage. Suddenly Shuji Ishikawa walked out of the restroom but it wasn’t him. It was the man who walked out after him, referee Daisuke Kiso! He didn’t last long in the match and his limp body had to be carried away from ringside. Luckily Ken Ohka was in the building and he took Kiso’s place, reuniting #OhkaEmpire! Unfortunately it wasn’t enough and they took a loss. Dino looked concerned afterwards. His goal to collect asses for his match against Akebono is moving at a slow pace. Ohka encouraged him to hang in there. He then encouraged Sasadango to hang in there and win the DDT Extreme Title from Kendo Kashin. He then encouraged Antonio Honda to hang in there and prepare for Tatsumi Fujinami. He then encouraged Kouki Iwasaki to hang in there and do his best in the DNA Offer Match. He then encouraged himself to hang in there and win the Right To Challenge Rumble.

In a preview of the Weapon Treasure Hunt match at Sumo Hall, KENSO, Jun Kasai and Gota Ihashi faced off in a 3 Way Match. KENSO rejected Kasai’s request to team up on Ihashi. He also turned down a similar request from Ihashi. Ihashi took out 10,000 yen from his booth and offered it to Kasai so they could form an alliance. Kasai thought about it and said “Ikuzo brother!” The alliance didn’t work and KENSO quickly foiled their double team attempts. Ihashi soon got the better of KENSO but that was when Kasai decided to end the alliance and hit Ihashi with a Lariat. He then hit the Pearl Harbour Splash to win. Kasai said he is the real king of Street Wrestling, not that bastard Kota Ibushi.

Kota Umeda tried to make it to three victories in one day with his new Umeda Driver finisher. However Shigehiro Irie was too heavy and fought out of the move before pinning Umeda with the Beast Bomber.

Makoto Oishi and Saki Akai wound up Mizuki Watase in their match by asking if he was a transsexual.

Seiya Morohashi was accidentally flattened by Hoshitango’s Midnight Buenos Aires, allowing Guanchulo to roll him up for the win. There will be no more King Of Dark Title matches until Sumo Hall so Morohashi is stuck as the champion for the next couple of weeks. He kept on bothering Amon Tsurumi during the show to change his mind.