DDT “SEE YOU AT DDT 2020”, 03/07/2020 Shinjuku FACE
1. Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani
2. Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda
3. 3 Way Tag Match: Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Toru Owashi & Yukio Naya Vs Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino
4. Akiyama-gun Vs ALL OUT!: Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Akito
5. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie Vs Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura
6. Kabukichio Specialty Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Maku Donaruto
7. Saki Akai “Okibariyasu” 7 Match Series – Final Match: Meiko Satomura Vs Saki Akai
It’s the match Coronavirus did not want to happen! Chris Brookes Vs Maku Donaruto has been booked twice already but both times were cancelled when COVID-19 prevented the shows from happening. Third time’s the charm.
It is confirmed that Jun Akiyama will belong to DDT from 1st July until the end of this year. Now he can fully focus on the feud between his own Akiyama-gun against ALL OUT.
DDT is providing an offer match for Nakama AID, a collaboration within Japan’s entertainment industry to hold live performances again.
DDT “CHRIS BROOKES PRODUCE SHOW – SHINKIBA NO FANS EXTRAVAGANZA #1”, 06/07/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. SUPER HARDCORE HARDCORE MATCH: Drew Parker Vs Shunma Katsumata
2. Chris Brookes Vs Miyu Yamashita
DDT and Chris Brookes are working together to present DDT’s first ever show entirely produced in English! The empty arena show will consist of two matches and a talk show. Brookes and Miyu Yamashita finally clash one on one while the Welsh Big Japan wrestler Drew Parker makes his DDT debut against Shunma Katsumata with Shunma in his Super Hardcore form.
DDT “SUMMER ITABASHI SERIES”, 12/07/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. The Evil Yankee Wrestler Seigo Tachibana’s Road To The Top: Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Seigo Tachibana
It is HARASHIMA’s opinion that Seigo Tachibana needs to learn his manners. Danshoku Dieno’s solution is to get Yukio Sakaguchi to teach Tachibana those manners in the ring.
DDT “SUMMER VACATION 2020”, 23/07/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie Vs Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
2. Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura & Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Seigo Tachibana
3. Chris Brookes & Drew Parker Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Nobuhiro Shimatani
4. Akiyama-gun Vs ALL OUT All Out Battle!: Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi, Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Akito, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai (c) Vs HARASHIMA, Antonio Honda & Riho
6. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
Yuki Ueno gets a second crack at winning the KO-D Openweight Title from Tetsuya Endo. His first try was a failed Right To Challenge cash in on DDT TV SHOW two weeks ago. Since then Ueno pinned Endo in a KO-D Tag Team Titles defence to shoot him right back into championship contention.
Eruption said they would accept any challengers for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. That includes if the challenge comes from somebody they beat on a regular basis. However Antonio Honda has some strong allies this time. Riho returns to DDT for the first time since “ULTIMATE PARTY 2019” and HARASHIMA tags along for a new task to overcome.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #6”, 13/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yukio Naya defeated Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Iino & Hideki Okatani when Naya submitted Okatani with a Cobra Twist (8:08).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Antonio Honda defeated Danshoku Dieno (c) with the Super Gongitsune 3 (8:41). *Antonio Honda becomes the 1,480th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno defeated Antonio Honda (c) with the Lip Lock (9:31 pm). *Danshoku Dieno becomes the 1,481st champion.
3. #DAMNHEARTS Vs Eruption!: Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Mad Paulie, El Lindaman & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Sakaguchi pinned Shimatani with the God’s Right Knee (10:39).
4. Jun Akiyama & Mizuki Watase defeated Chris Brookes & Keigo Nakamura when Watase pinned Kanamura with the Back Drop (10:07).
5. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao defeated HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura when Sasaki pinned Yoshimura with the Sasatonic (11:02).
6. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Match: Yuki Ueno defeated MAO with an Inverted Hurricanrana (7:38). *Yuki Ueno wins the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
7. #DAMNHEARTS Vs ALL OUT!: Tetsuya Endo & T-Hawk defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Akito when Endo pinned Akito with the Shooting Star Press (18:16).
-. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) defeated Yuki Ueno with the Modified Yurikamome (16:54). *V1 for Tetsuya Endo. Yuki Ueno cashed in his Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
First week as the champion and there wasn’t a dull moment for Tetsuya Endo. When he was in the middle of having his hand raised for winning the main event, Yuki Ueno attacked him from behind and used the Right To Challenge Gauntlet to get his KO-D Openweight Title match! When the match began Ueno went for some quick pins but Endo created some distance by throwing him out of the ring with the Torture Rack Bomb. A confident Endo shrugged off Ueno’s Elbow Strikes by calling them weaker than Masato Tanaka’s. He blocked the BME with his knees and eventually applied the Modified Yurikamome to make Ueno submit.
After the match Endo gave Ueno credit for cashing in his shot now but he should have read the room better. Endo is the man who won the title from Tanaka so he is too strong to lost the belt like this. Now it’s time for Endo to challenge for Ueno’s title! He called over Nobuhiro Shimatani and said they will face Nautilus for the KO-D Tag Team Titles! Nautilus accepted the challenge and the match will take place on 27th June.
The actual main event before this saw Endo & T-Hawk defeat Konosuke Takeshita & Akito. They got some help when El Lindaman dove out of the ring onto Takeshita while the referee was preoccupied. From there Endo pinned Akito with the Shooting Star Press.
Ueno got the Right To Challenge Gauntlet earlier in the show by beating MAO. The Gauntlet was held up when MAO got injured but today was his chance to reclaim it. An Inverted Hurricanrana from Ueno changed the course of this story and led to everything written above to happen.
Daisuke Sasaki was serious when he nominated the injured Masahiro Takanashi for his next defence of the DDT UNIVERSAL Title. Sasaki used the Takatonic (renamed the Sasatonic) to pin Naomi Yoshimura in the tag match. Takanashi actually showed up after the match. This was the first time he got into a ring since March but he told Sasaki he is in no way close to recovery. However he took Sasaki’s challenge as something that was done with positive intentions so he offered a handshake. Sasaki instead kicked Takanashi in his injured leg! Chris Brookes immediately ran out to save his friend and he gave Sasaki the Praying Mantis Bomb. Takanashi then told Sasaki he will transfer his next challenger nomination over to Brookes! The title match will happen on 27th June.
The training is paying off for Mizuki Watase. With Jun Akiyama keeping Brookes at bay, Watase used what he learned the last few weeks to beat Keigo Nakamura. After the match, Makoto Oishi walked out to talk to Akiyama. He was really excited when he found out Akiyama was going to coach in DDT. He thinks the Royal Road training shouldn’t just be for the younger wrestlers in DDT. He wants to learn it too by teaming with him. Akiyama agreed to help but said the best way to learn is to fight him. So Oishi Vs Akiyama is now going to happen.
Eruption’s win over #DAMNHEARTS has given the unit a new goal. They want the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles! Endo, T-Hawk & Lindaman were called out to meet the challenge. Yukio Sakaguchi thanked him for bringing the KO-D Title back to DDT. Saki Akai told the champs that Eruption have the strength and momentum to win the titles from them. Lindaman said Eruption is a million miles away from deserving a shot. He also doesn’t think a woman should be challenging men to wrestling matches. Akai called Lindaman scared of finding out what she is capable of. Lindaman changed his mind and accepted the challenge but on one condition. If #DAMNHEARTS win then Akai will have to kneel to Lindaman and ask him “Why are you so big?” Then Lindaman can say “Why not!” and make Akai lick his boots. The title match will take place on next week’s episode of DDT TV SHOW.
After so many misfires, the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title match finally took place. Things went extreme when Danshoku Dieno used the Space Tornado Danshoku Driver. When the move hit he was confident to have won but Antonio Honda found the strength to get back up. Using all of his power, Honda summoned the Super Gongitsune 3 to destroy Dieno and become the new champion! Then Dieno reappeared and won the title back with the Lip Lock.
In the opener, Tomomitsu Matsunaga spent the entire match wrestling in a medical mask. Toru Owashi tried to make Shunma Katsumata shake his hand. Yuki Iino tried to do the Haka Elbow on both Matsunaga and Yukio Naya but the move failed. Naya got the win for his team by submitting Hideki Okatani.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match – Chop Up Challenge: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
3. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Outdoor Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Yukio Naya
4. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Makoto Oishi
6. HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji Vs MAO & Asuka
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs T-Hawk & El Lindaman
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match – Chop Up Challenge: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda ended in a Draw (72:45) (1,000 Chops Thrown).
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima defeated Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino when Sakazaki pinned Aino with the Magical Magical Girl Splash (15:31).
3. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Outdoor Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) defeated Yukio Naya with a European Clutch (10:49). *V3 for Shinya Aoki.
4. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh when Sakaguchi pinned Itoh with the PK (12:01).
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Makoto Oishi was a No Contest.
6. HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji defeated MAO & Asuka when HARASHIMA pinned Asuka with the Somato (17:24).
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura defeated T-Hawk & El Lindaman when Ueno pinned Lindaman with the WR (22:13). *V4 for Nautilus.
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo defeated Masato Tanaka (c) with two Shooting Star Presses (26:19). *Masato Tanaka fails in V5. Tetsuya Endo becomes the 75th KO-D Openweight Champion!
Tetsuya Endo’s path to reclaim the KO-D Openweight Title ends with success and maybe a few extra scars. Masato Tanaka put him through a table twice in their match, bringing back memories of their D-Ou Grand Prix final last December. The first table crash had Tanaka throw Endo through one from the turnbuckles. But the second happened when Endo used his knees to block the Diving Body Press. Damage to Endo’s leg prevented him from doing the Handspring Overhead Kick until late in the match. He could barely stand after kicking out of the Super Fly but Tanaka dared him into doing so. Tanaka hit the short range Sliding D after Endo missed the Shooting Star Press but Endo was close enough to grab the ropes for a pin break. Tanaka ran to the ropes for another Sliding D but Endo countered it with Testuya In The Sky. He hit a Package Canadian Destroyer for a two count then dragged Tanaka to the corner. Endo hit the Shooting Star Press not once but twice to get the three count and become the new KO-D Champion!
Tanaka grabbed the title belt from Yukinori Matsui after the match but it was just so he was the one to hand it to Endo. Tanaka left the ring when Endo called out to him. Endo promised to hold onto the title long enough for them to have a rematch at Saitama Super Arena! He looks forward to standing across the ring from him again. For now there is no No. 1 Contender set in place so Endo wants all potential challengers to know he is the one who beat Masato Tanaka when nobody else in DDT could. He then gathered DAMNATION together for a their first group pose in months. Together they are the symbol of strength in DDT and they have most of the championships to prove it. Not just DAMNATION but all of #DAMNHEARTS too!
The only miss on #DAMNHEARTS’s record this weekend was in the KO-D Tag Team Titles match. The challengers T-Hawk & El Lindaman failed to beat the champions Nautilus. At points the #STRONGHEARTS team ran circles over their opponents, cutting Yuki Ueno away from Naomi Yoshimura. But the tables turned when Ueno used a Hurricanrana to throw T-Hawk into Lindaman, knocking him off the top rope. Ueno gave Lindaman an Avalanche Uranage and then the Osaka Trad for a nearfall. Ueno then hit the Frog Splash but didn’t go for the pin. Instead he used a new finisher, a forward flipping DDT called the WR to win the match. Ueno said he was happy to have a title match like this today. They twice couldn’t win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles from #DAMNHEARTS but today’s win shows how much progress Nautilus has made because of those matches. Maybe they’ll have another match and this time do it in OWE.
This wasn’t their original match for the show but HarashiMarufuji reunited for the first time in ages. MAO & Asuka proved to be a lot for them to handle. They hit Double Moonsaults out of the ring and Asuka threw both HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji around with German Suplexes. The momentum shifted when HARASHIMA blocked Asuka’s Moonsault with his knees. Marufuji got rid of MAO with the Tiger King knee strike then stunned Asuka with a Trace Kick. HARASHIMA then crushed Asuka with the Somato to win. After the match they offered handshakes but Asuka slapped Marufuji across the face before leaving the ring. HARASHIMA told Marufuji he isn’t satisfied by today’s match. He wants to team with him again and go against the pair they were originally meant to fight: CIMA & Soma Takao!
All throughout the week, Danshoku Dieno and Makoto Oishi tried to have their Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title match over at the Ochanomizu Dojo. However one setback after another prevented the match from happening. Either Dieno forgot to turn off his stove, the referee never turned up, Oishi was busy babysitting or both wrestlers forgot their gear and weren’t allowed wrestle in the nude. After so many cancellations today was finally the day. Dieno waited in the ring for his opponent but Oishi never appeared. A text message came saying Oishi had to mind his baby again but he promised he would still make it. Yukinori Matsui and Hisaya Imabayashi couldn’t wait and wanted to cancel the match because it was eating into their ABEMA broadcast time. Dieno begged them not to. All he needed was three minutes and Oishi will be here. Memories of Dieno and Oishi together filled the screen when suddenly Oishi appears at the entrance! He sprints down to the ring but tripped over the steps, knocking himself out. Matsui then called off the match as Dieno looked on stunned.
Eruption defeated the NEO Itoh Respect Army in the intergender tag match. Maki Itoh avoided getting into the ring with Yukio Sakaguchi unless she was certain she had the advantage. Chris Brookes tried to help out but was met with a short range God’s Right Knee. Saki Akai then got rid of him with the Quetzalcoatl. Itoh showed one last act of defiance by giving Sakaguchi the middle finger. She got a Penalty Kick for her troubles before getting pinned.
The DDT Extreme Title match had no countouts to celebrate the relaxation of Tokyo’s outdoor restrictions. Shinya Aoki and Yukio Naya fought around the hallways of Shinjuku FACE, dragging Keigo Nakamura along for the ride. At one point they all moved past Maki Itoh who was warming up for her singing entrance. Aoki, Naya and Nakamura ended up back in the ring with Nakamura getting most of the beating. Aoki countered Naya’s Back Drop into a European Clutch to score his third successful defence.
The Tokyo Joshi Pro offer match saw Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima defeat Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino. The result was almost the opposite when Tenma & Aino gave Sakazaki the Bakuretsu Bulldog. Nakajima came in to even the numbers and with Sakazaki did a Double 619 to Aino. Yamashita knocked Aino silly with the Backspin Kick and Sakazaki got the three count right afterwards with the Magical Magical Girl Splash.
The longest match of the show by far was the opening contest between Antonio Honda and Toru Owashi. Before the match, Super Sasadango Machine sent a video message from Niigata announcing he would donate 100 yen to a medical workers charity for every Chop that happens in the match. Both Honda and Owashi promised to put their power and soul into their Chops for such a noble cause. They then spent the match lightly chopping and slapping each other’s chests while Shota kept count. The left the venue still chopping so the show moved on to Match #2. When that was over we saw Honda & Oishi chopping each other in the locker room. They decided to go get something to eat. After Match #4 they made it to Ebisuko Tavern but Ken Ohka refused to give them entry over social distancing guidelines. The Tavern is doing everything it can to run business safely so the last thing they want to do is let in two sweaty naked men slapping each other. Honda and Owashi agreed to get a take out meal but they also dragged Ohka along with them back to the venue. After Match #5 Honda and Owashi ate their take out meal in the locker room with a captive Ohka bound and gagged behind them. KUDO entered the room demanding money because nobody paid the 3,100 yen bill! KUDO agreed to chop Ohka 31 times instead, bringing the total number of Chops thrown to 1,000! Everyone agreed to end the match there resulting in 100,000 yen being donated to charity in Sasadango’s name.
First let’s get the bad news out of the way. Even though Japan is entering the second phase of lifting their Coronavirus restrictions, the DDT Group are following requests from venues to cancel the following shows in June and July:
DDT “BLACK OUT PRESENTS KING OF DDT 2020 THE FINAL!!”, 28/06/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2020 ~DRAMATIC DREAM TAKESHI~”, 02/07/2020 Tokyo Hanayashiki Asakusa Flower Theater
MUSCLE “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 3”, 09/07/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
DDT “KAZUKI HIRATA 10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW! 10 YEARS OF HIRATA GO!!”, 18/07/2020 Tokyo Belle Epoque Beauty School 2nd School Hall
DDT “DATE CITY 2ND ROUND! 1 YEAR UNTIL THE 60TH BIRTHDAY! ~GORGEOUS NIGHT~”, 19/07/2020 Fukushima Date City Hobara Gymnasium
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Now here’s the good news. The DDT Group can run shows in front of audiences again! They have to put in safety precautions of course such as limiting the number of seats at the venues (either around 100 fans or 50% capacity looks to be deal across the board depending on the venue size). Fans going to shows will need to wear medical masks, get their temperatures checked and have their hands disinfected as they enter. New shows in June have been announced today across the different promotions. They will be held in venues that provide a lot of open air and ventilation. That means Shin-Kiba 1st RING, Shinjuku FACE, Itabashi Green Hall and Tsurumi Vegetable Market for those not paying attention. DDT TV SHOW episodes #7 & #8 will also continue to take place as planned. DDT can now advertise the worst kept secret that they were taped in Shinjuku FACE. The revised schedule for June is as follows.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “KOKO NI IRUZEE!”, 13/06/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
DDT “WITH DRAMATIC DREAM TEAM”, 14/06/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
GANBARE☆WRESTLING “COMEBACK ANYTIME 2020”, 14/06/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “KOKO NI IRUZEE!”, 20/06/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 1”, 06/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie Vs Keigo Nakamura & Hideki Okatani
2. Keisuke Ishii & HARUKAZE Vs Hiroshi Yamato & Saori Anou
3. DDT Yuru-chara No. 1 Battle In Niigata: Super Sasadango Machine Vs Pokotan
4. Singles Match Between Wrestlers Who Want To Participate In DDT Regularly: Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Seigo Tachibana
5. Jun Akiyama & Mizuki Watase Vs Akito & Yuki Iino
6. DDT UNIVERSAL Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Isami Kodaka Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. DDT Vs Kongoh All Out Battle!: Sanshiro Takagi, Kazusada Higuchi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga Vs Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Hao
8. TOKYO 2020 LAST MAN STANDING: Yoshihiko Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Before the audiences can come back, “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020” will hopefully be the bookend for DDT’s empty arena era (fingers crossed). I don’t think I’ll write a full blown preview for these shows due to the short amount of time most of the matches were put together. So this will do for now.
The big feud of DDT TV SHOW has been between Konosuke Takeshita and Yoshihiko. A hatred led to warning messages of “ALL OUT All Dead” where Yoshihiko defeated each member of the unit one by one. It even brought back another battle doll named Akihiro to join the fight. Yesterday ALL OUT reached their breaking point and launched a vicious counter attack where Takeshita ripped off Akihiro’s arm. Alone again, Yoshihiko has to fight Takeshita one more time in a Last Man Standing match!
Kongoh popped by to visit Sanshiro Takagi on yesterday’s DDT TV SHOW. They seem like nice lads. Well if you ignore the leader Kenou threatening violence on Takagi if he doesn’t leave NOAH alone. That’s difficult because Takagi is NOAH’s president. And as president Takagi is ordering Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Hao to fight him, Kazusada Higuchi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga in a DDT ring!
Daisuke Sasaki originally chose Shunma Katsumata to be his next DDT UNIVERSAL Title defence because he thinks it is a match he can easily win. Then two things happened that he did not expect. One, Isami Kodaka came in wanting to win a title that didn’t exist back when he was a DDT employee. And two, Katsumata went into his Super Hardcore form to attack the champion. A Hardcore 3 Way Match will solve those problems.
Mizuki Watase has shown some progress by wrestling with coach Jun Akiyama. This is the first time they are teaming together.
Both Nobuhiro Shimatani and Seigo Tachibana want regular bookings in DDT. The company isn’t big enough for the both of them.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
3. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh
4. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Yukio Naya
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Makoto Oishi
6. HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji Vs MAO & Asuka
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura Vs T-Hawk & El Lindaman
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
On Day 2, Tetsuya Endo reaches his destination. There was a setback here and there but now nothing is stopping him from facing Masato Tanaka for the KO-D Openweight Title. Endo’s big goal for #DAMNHEARTS is to monopolize DDT’s championships so T-Hawk & El Lindaman are challenging Nautilus for the KO-D Tag Team Titles.
MAO will return from injury one day too late. The last active Right To Challenge Gauntlet has expired and he was too hurt to use it. So he has to take a detour and will chase after the UNIVERSAL Title. MAO will also team with Asuka for now because the Coronavirus measures prevent Mike Bailey from entering Japan. They get a big challenge in the form of HarashiMarufuji!
Danshoku Dieno is finally moving away from his Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title defences against Antonio Honda. He still hasn’t beat him but another figure decided to get in his way. Makoto Oishi has a decade of history with Dieno and he will let it all out for the big clash.
I hope everybody out there is feeling well and finding ways to cope with the sad news about Hana Kimura. Dylan from the Eastern Lariat podcast tweeted a magazine photo of the time when an 8 year old Kimura won the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title, which I think was her only connection to DDT. There would have been a working relationship between her and Sanshiro Takagi in WRESTLE-1 as well back when Takagi was part of its management.
There’s a quick story I want to tell. When I last went to Tokyo in 2016 I got to see a Sendai Girls show with a group of friends in Korakuen (the 8th April one). Kyoko Kimura was wrestling in the opener and Hana was there as her ringside attendant. This was only a few weeks after her pro debut and it was her only role on the show. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. The next day I spoke to an American expat and talked about the show. Before I even finished a sentence he cut me off and asked “Was Kyoko Kimura’s daughter there? She is going to be a star!”
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #5”, 30/05/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Jun Akiyama Vs Hideki Okatani
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Antonio Honda
3. DAMNATION VS ALL OUT!: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino
4. Yoshihiko & Akihiro Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Akito
5. #DAMNHEARTS Vs DISASTER BOX!: Tetsuya Endo, T-Hawk & El Lindaman Vs HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura
Figures from past and present are returning as Japan opens up again. The #STRONGHEARTS pair of T-Hawk & El Lindaman rejoin Tetsuya Endo to protect him from losing before his big title match. Yuki Ueno has spent all of this time during the pandemic looking after the Dropkick Bar. He gets to wrestle again for the first time in almost two months.
The second battle doll Akihiro came back in Yoshihiko’s time of need to defeat ALL OUT. The feud isn’t over yet when revenge is on offer.
Third time’s the charm for Danshoku Dieno Vs Antonio Honda.
Two thirds of the next DDT UNIVERSAL Title match face off in tag action.
Hideki Okatani showed his stuff by fighting Seigo Tachibana to a time limit draw in the match that took place after the last episode ended. Jun Akiyama should have lots to teach him.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PPV SHOW ~ZENRYOKU YELL~”, 31/05/2020 OPENREC.tv
1. Hikari Noa Vs Sena Shiori
2. Hyper Misao Vs Mahiro Kiryu
3. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Shoko Nakajima & Suzume
The main event is confirmed to be The Magical Sugar Rabbits against Shoko Nakajima & Suzume.
GANBARE☆WRESTLING “HIMITSU 2020”, 03/06/2020 ???
1. 4 Vs 4 Survival Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii, Yumehito Imanari, Shinichiro Tominaga & Kouki Iwasaki Vs Shuichiro Katsumura, Shota, Washi Sakurai & X
At last Ganbare☆Wrestling gets to have a go at an empty arena match. Here’s a neat concept for the match. We have two teams with 4 wrestlers each. When the match begins two wrestlers from each side are selected to wrestle a tag team match. When a wrestler is defeated by normal means they are replaced by a new teammate and the tag match continues. To win the match, a team must eliminate three of their opponents.
As you can see, one team has a mystery wrestler advertised. I’m surprised to see Ken Ohka or Moeka Haruhi aren’t involved. Haruhi being there would have meant all members of THE HALFEE were in the match on the same side. This is the only match of the show too.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 1”, 06/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie Vs Keigo Nakamura & Hideki Okatani
2. Keisuke Ishii & HARUKAZE Vs Hiroshi Yamato & Saori Anou
3. DDT Yuru-chara No. 1 Battle In Niigata: Super Sasadango Machine Vs Pokotan
4. DDT UNIVERSAL Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Isami Kodaka Vs Shunma Katsumata
The new plan for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020” is to hold it under the DDT TV SHOW format across two days. It’s not the mega show it is going to be but under the current circumstances it keeps DDT chugging along as light appears at the end of the tunnel.
Daisuke Sasaki wanted his next title defence to be easy and violent. That is why he nominated Shunma Katsumata to be his next challenger. The twist is the sudden appearance of Isami Kodaka getting involved. Kodaka heard about DDT’s new UNIVERSAL Title and wanted to add it to his ever growing list of accomplishments.
I bet the DDT roster are happy to see Saori Anou again.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh
3. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda
4. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Yukio Naya
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
Endo is so close to his final goal. He tripped up once before but reclaimed the KO-D Challenger Sword and just has to avoid a direct defeat one more time. Once he does that, Masato Tanaka will be there waiting for him with the KO-D Openweight Title held tightly in his grip.
The state of emergency in Tokyo has been lifted and the restrictions across Japan are easing off. Shinya Aoki will use the uplifting news as inspiration for his next DDT Extreme Title defence. Yukio Naya is stepping up as the challenger.
This show is taking place on Nodoka Tenma’s birthday! She is happy to spend the day fighting against the three strongest wrestlers in Tokyo Joshi Pro. Her team with Yuki Aino & Rika Tatsumi is called Bakuretsu Dragon.
BASARA “BASARA 129 ~BANQUET~”, 14/07/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) Vs Gouma Ryu & Ryuji Ito
2. Union MAX Title: Fuminori Abe (c) Vs Isami Kodaka
BASARA are playing it safe and have cancelled their last remaining show in June. Instead their first show back will be in July at Shin-Kiba 1st RING. Normally this is the Banquet all you can drink show but that system will be suspended and the seating rearranged to accommodate social distancing. For now they are numbering the show #129. The last BASARA show that took place was #126 (I’m amazed I’ve been able to keep track of the chapter numbers for so long). If that sticks then it means #127 & #128 are forever lost to the cancellations.
The two title matches that were originally going to take place in April are now finally going to happen in July. Fuminori Abe must be chomping at the bit to prove his worth as Union MAX Champion by now.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #4”, 23/05/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Antonio Honda
2. Akito & Yuki Iino Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya
3. Jun Akiyama Vs Mizuki Watase
4. DDT UNIVERSAL Title – 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Chris Brookes Vs Naomi Yoshimura
5. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yoshihiko
6. Special Tag Match: Masato Tanaka & HARASHIMA Vs Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao
-. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Shinya Aoki
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #4”, 23/05/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Antonio Honda ended in a No Contest (10:19). *No successful defence for Danshoku Dieno.
2. Akito & Yuki Iino defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya when Akito submitted Naya with the Figure 4 Leg Lock (9:35).
3. Jun Akiyama defeated Mizuki Watase with the Exploder Suplex (11:21).
4. DDT UNIVERSAL Title – 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) defeated Chris Brookes and Naomi Yoshimura when Sasaki pinned Yoshimura after the Praying Mantis Bomb from Brookes (11:47). *V2 for Daisuke Sasaki.
5. Yoshihiko defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Reincarnation (22:21).
6. Special Tag Match: Masato Tanaka & HARASHIMA defeated Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao when Tanaka pinned Takao with the Sliding D (15:07).
-. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) defeated Shinya Aoki with the Sliding D (8:26). *V4 for Masato Tanaka.
Busy day for Masato Tanaka. He went into today’s episode of DDT TV SHOW focused on meeting his closest challenger Tetsuya Endo in a tag match. With the help of a Reverse Hurricanrana from HARASHIMA, Tanaka knocked out Endo with the Sliding D. The duo then picked apart Soma Takao until the inevitable victory.
A revived Endo tried to confront Tanaka after the match but he was suddenly interrupted by Shinya Aoki! He came out to cash in his Right To Challenge Gauntlet for a KO-D Openweight Title shot right away! From the start Aoki targeted Tanaka’s arm and used a Key Lock to put his opponent in immediate danger. Tanaka escaped the ring after a rope break and challenged Aoki to come fight him outside. Aoki avoided being ambushed with a chair and again went after Tanaka’s left arm. It was a valuable tactic that cut off Tanaka whenever he tried to fight back. It took one opening for Tanaka to beat Aoki. He used a pin to break out of a Cross Armbreaker and then struck Aoki with the Sliding D. The surprise was enough to keep Aoki down for the three count! The two bowed to each other after the match.
Another Right To Challenge Gauntlet has been vanquished. One more is left but there is also the KO-D Challenger Sword held by Endo. It was decided by Hisaya Imabayashi that Endo’s title shot will take place at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2” on 7th June! Endo said he does not care about MAO being the last remaining Gauntlet holder, he is entirely focused on hunting Tanaka to win the KO-D Title! Tanaka said whether it is Endo or MAO kneeling in front of him, he will continue to hold the KO-D Title until he goes to Saitama Super Arena!
Yoshihiko has made a clean sweep through ALL OUT! The final battle in the “ALL OUT, All Dead” campaign saw the doll defeat Konosuke Takeshita in a mighty conflict. Takeshita swung Yoshihiko round in circles, Yoshihiko did the Styles Clash, Takeshita did an Avalanche Brainbuster to the outside. There was nothing either wrestler wouldn’t do to win. That includes relying on others. The other ALL OUT members interfered to help out their partner. They then ganged up on Yoshihiko after the referee got accidentally knocked out. All looked lost when suddenly the lights went out. When they came back on Yoshihiko was joined by another battle doll. It was the return of Akihiro! Together they sent ALL OUT packing and left Takeshita begging for mercy. They gave him a Double Canadian Destroyer. Yoshihiko had the match won but it picked Takeshita back up and gave him the Reincarnation to win with authority. The lights went out again as the two dolls stared down at their defeated enemy.
MAO was pulled from the show at the last minute because of an injury so the DDT UNIVERSAL Title was now being defended in a 3 Way Match. At first Daisuke Sasaki and Chris Brookes only wanted to fight each other so Naomi Yoshimura couldn’t get a look in. From there it was a scramble to get the win. Brookes gave Yoshimura the Praying Mantis Bomb but Sasaki threw him out of the ring and stole the three count to remain as champion.
Brookes called the result a load of shit. Sasaki taunted him by saying he will never get the UNIVERSAL Title back. He then gave Brookes a Low Blow and threw him out again. Sasaki announced his next challenger will be Shunma Katsumata because he wants to have a Hardcore Match and also Katsumata is the weakest member of ALL OUT. Katsumata came out carrying a baseball bat covered in toy blocks. He admitted he has never beaten Sasaki but if “Super Hardcore Shunma” even has a 1% chance of winning, he will take it. Suddenly Isami Kodaka made his return to DDT and entered the ring. He has won all of DDT’s main championships but this UNIVERSAL Title is new to him. Sasaki accepted Kodaka’s challenge and told Katsumata he had no need for him anymore. Katsumata struck Sasaki with the bat causing a fight to break out between the three of them. Imabayashi calmed everyone down and decided they will have a Hardcore 3 Way Match for the title. Sasaki wasn’t conscious at this point so everyone assumed he’d be okay with it. Meanwhile Brookes is pissed off he can’t get a one on one match with Sasaki for the title.
Ambushing Jun Akiyama with his own Jumping Knee Attack is a good way to show you’re taking a match seriously so well done Mizuki Watase. Trying to beat him with a Front Necklock also takes some balls. In the end though Akiyama hit his own Knee Strikes and won with the Exploder Suplex. It will take some time but Akiyama hopes to train the DDT wrestlers to put more weight and soul into their Elbow Smash exchanges.
Yuki Iino threw his weight around in Match #2. He hit a Double Spear to Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya. Then when Akito put Naya in the Figure 4 Leg Lock, Iino hit him with a low level Spear leading to Naya tapping out.
Lately whenever Danshoku Dieno and Antonio Honda fight over the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title their matches just seem to fall apart. This time Honda channeled the power of Gongitsune to possess other people. Dieno could resist it by putting his hands over his ears but for people like Hideki Okatani, Keigo Nakamura, Daisuke Kiso and Hisaya Imabayashi they could not be as fortunate. Honda’s plan backfired when the Gongitsune group turned on him, forcing him to be possessed by his own power! Together they all ganged up on Dieno until the room went dark. Dieno woke up in his own home. It was just a nightmare. Or was it? When he left the room we found out Okatani was hiding underneath the covers, still possessed by Gongitsune…
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #2”, 09/05/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Saki Akai & Mizuki Watase Vs Saori Anou & Yukio Naya
2. Akito Vs Yoshihiko
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 4 Way Match: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs HARASHIMA Vs Soma Takao Vs Keigo Nakamura
4. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Gota Ihashi
5. Hardcore Match: Chris Brookes Vs Shunma Katsumata
6. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #2”, 09/05/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Saori Anou & Yukio Naya defeated Saki Akai & Mizuki Watase when Anou pinned Akai with a German Suplex (9:24).
2. Akito defeated Yoshihiko by Pinfall (11:27). *Akito wins Yoshihiko’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 1 Person Time Difference Admission 4 Way Match: Danshoku Dieno (c) defeated HARASHIMA, Soma Takao and Keigo Nakamura when Dieno pinned Nakamura with the Danshoku Driver (6:03). *V? for Danshoku Dieno.
4. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Gota Ihashi with an Oklahoma Roll (11:13).
5. Hardcore Match: Chris Brookes defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Praying Mantis Bomb through a table (20:43).
6. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi by TKO (13:02). *V3 for Masato Tanaka.
A pinfall or a submission was not the way for Masato Tanaka to defeat Yukio Sakaguchi. Today he had to take the challenger beyond his breaking point. A Dragon Screw damaged Sakaguchi’s knee which begun Tanaka’s focused attacks to that target. The pain was bad enough to keep Sakaguchi grounded and any attempts to make a comeback were quickly cut down with a strike to the knee. Even acts of defence caused more damage like when Sakaguchi blocked the Super Fly with his knees. Sakaguchi fought through the pain to his the God’s Right Knee. He squeezed in the Cobra Clutch but Tanaka got the rope break and fired back with Elbow Strikes. The attacks ended with the Sliding D but Sakaguchi kicked out at one and suddenly caught Tanaka in a Sleeper Hold! He let go to do the God’s Right Knee but Tanaka blocked it with his elbow and hit the Roaring Elbow for a nearfall. Tanaka went on a relentless assault of Mounted Elbows before hitting another Sliding D. Sakaguchi once again kicked out at one! However the damage still proved to be too much and Yukinori Matsui called for a TKO when Sakaguchi collapsed from trying to stand back up.
After the match Kazusada Higuchi approached Tanaka with the KO-D Challenger Sword in his grasp. He raised the sword while Tanaka raised the KO-D Openweight Title next to it. Tanaka got on the microphone and said it’s unfortunate the Saitama Super Arena show isn’t going ahead this year. He does not know when it will take place but he will protect the KO-D Title until then.
Backstage after the show, Tetsuya Endo confronted Higuchi wanting the sword returned back to him. He can’t grab it off him right now because of social distancing but he warns he will definitely get it back eventually.
The hardcore grudge match between Chris Brookes and Shunma Katsumata saw the two try to kill each other multiple times. That is because it is more acceptable to do that in a wrestling match than it is to do on Twitter. There were kendo sticks, chairs, trash cans, tables, ladders, block toys, plastic cases and fighting on the Shinjuku FACE counters. Brookes kept hitting Katsumata over the head with chairs demanding him to give up but he refused. So Brookes had to give him the Praying Mantis Bomb through a table to beat him.
Brookes was attacked by Daisuke Sasaki with a chairs after the match. According to Sasaki he has changed his mind and he will defend the DDT UNIVERSAL Title after all. Suddenly MAO and Naomi Yoshimura rushed out and attacked Sasaki! Brookes recovered and gave Sasaki the Praying Mantis Bomb. There isn’t an alliance forming though. Both MAO and Yoshimura came out wanting to challenge for the title instead of Brookes. The three of them argued until Hisaya Imabayashi came out. Since the three of them want a title shot and Sasaki last week said he won’t defend the title without another Japanese wrestler involved, let’s do a 4 Way match for the belt! Brookes told Sasaki there is no guarantee he will beat him next week, but Sasaki will never come out of the match as champion!
DDT’s new guest coach Jun Akiyama came out to greet the viewers on DDT UNIVERSE. He said he would like to teach the DDT roster everything that Giant Baba handed down to him. According to Akiyama, Sanshiro Takagi put together a united group of hard working wrestlers. He is interested in fighting them so he will wrestle matches in DDT whenever his All Japan schedule allows it. Imabayashi then announced Akiyama will wrestle on next week’s episode of DDT TV SHOW! He will team with Keisuke Ishii to face Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani. In a backstage interview, Takagi and Akiyama explained that now is the time for the Japanese wrestling scene to protect itself while there are so few shows taking place. Akiyama is available to work with DDT because his planned visit to WWE as a guest trainer this month was postponed due to COVID-19. When asked about the possibility of doing a Street Wrestling match, Akiyama reminded the reporter that he is a former Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion.
Yoshihiko’s quest to make “ALL OUT All Dead” increased with more attacks on the unit this week. Some of them were out of retaliation. Earlier in the show, Konosuke Takeshita had attacked Yoshihiko so the doll responded in kind during Takeshita’s match with Gota Ihashi. Takeshita had the match won when the lights went out. When the lights came back on, Yoshihiko was in the ring ready to attack!. It gave Takeshita a Piledriver then left him for Ihashi to finish the job. However Ihashi missed the Moonsault and Takeshita pinned him with an Oklahoma Roll, clutching victory from the jaws of defeat. Katsumata asked Yoshihiko why it holds a grudge with ALL OUT? He’ll find out when the two of them have a match next week!
Keigo Nakamura convinced Soma Takao and HARASHIMA backstage to make the Iron Man Title 4 Way match held under special rules. The idea was the match began with the three challengers wrestling each other. The champion Danshoku Dieno would enter the match after five minutes. However if a fall took place in the first five minutes, the title would change hands even though Dieno wouldn’t have entered the match yet. Dieno overheard this plan backstage and foiled Nakamura’s plan by hiding underneath the ring before the match began. When it was time to enter, Dieno caught his opponents with an ambush from behind and pinned Nakamura to defend the championship.
So what did Takeshita do to Yoshihiko earlier in the show to cause the bad blood between them to heat up even further? Takeshita violently attacked Yoshihiko during its match with Akito, that’s what. Takeshita pulled Yoshihiko out of the ring and swung him round in circles, hitting its head against the ring post over and over! Yoshihiko was thrown back into the ring for a weakened Akito to pin it. Akito now holds the black Right To Challenge Gauntlet. He wants to use it on the KO-D Challenger Sword but only if Endo gets it back. Otherwise he’d rather sell it than cash it in against Higuchi.
In a preview of their upcoming singles match, Saori Anou pinned Saki Akai in a tag bout. Watase was able to rescue Akai from being pinned a couple of times until Yukio Naya took him out with a Choke Slam. Anou wasn’t fully convinced that Akai is a challenge for her. She said “Blue Saori” will come out of the match looking better than “Red Saki”. Akai said the match will prove who is the stronger wrestler from Kansai between them.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 