Ibushi Vs Devitt At The Dome!

December 14, 2010

Kota Ibushi will cross paths with Prince Devitt once more, this time on the biggest stage of the Japanese wrestling scene the Tokyo Dome! Ibushi will get a chance to win Devitt’s IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title to go along with his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, which he also won from the Irishman. When the two last met in singles action it was Devitt who grabbed the win while Ibushi was left with a dislocated shoulder. Since then, Ibushi has bounced back into contention in New Japan’s Junior Division. Now it all comes to a head at the Tokyo Dome.

Kenny Omega will also be taking part on the day in a pre-show tag match. The Golden Lovers Vs Apollo 55 feud will also happen here as Ryusuke Taguchi will be on the opposing team. If both Ibushi & Omega win their matches then the Golden Lovers will continue their recent dominance over “Moon☆Child” & “The Funky Weapon”.

NJPW “ROAD TO KINGDOM ~BATTLE XMAS!~”, 12/23/10
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Prince Devitt Vs Satoshi Kojima & Kota Ibushi

NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM V IN TOKYO DOME”, 04/01/2011
Tokyo Dome

0. World Pro Wrestling Invitation Match: Koji Kanemoto & Ryusuke Taguchi Vs Kenny Omega & Taichi
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Prince Devitt (c) Vs Kota Ibushi


Union Schedule & Other News

December 11, 2010

Union, 03/01/11
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Ken Ohka Comeback Match: Ken Ohka Vs Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Munenori Sawa Vs Kengo Ohka & Madoka
3. Shinichiro Tominaga Debut Match: Shinichiro Tominaga Vs El Generico
4. DDT Extreme Title – Captain’s Fall Six Man Tag: Kim Nun Pun (c), Chou-un Shiryu & Cao Zhang (with Princess Makoto) Vs Isami Kodaka (c), Yano K Data & Survival Tobita
5. Shuji Ishikawa Vs Manabu Nakanishi

A big challenge for Shuji Ishikawa in the main event but one that could send shockwaves over the Japanese wrestling scene if he defeats Manabu Nakanishi.

The Captain’s Fall Six Man Tag will be Kim Nun Pun’s first defence of the DDT Extreme Championship. I’m not entirely sure if the title is awarded to whoever gets the fall over Pun or if it is just captain Isami Kodaka who becomes champion if his team wins. Yano K Data is Keita Yano in Joker make up for those of you who need reminding.

Cao Zhang and Princess Makoto are the Chinese wrestlers who requested to compete in Union after meeting Chou-un Shiryu. Cao is said to have trained at a wrestling dojo that has been in existence since the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) and is also said to be a descendant of the warlord Cao Cao. Princess Makoto is part of New Beijing’s Diva division.

Let’s see how El Generico fares with the Union fanbase. A win against the debuting Shinichiro Tominaga is certain. Either way it will be great to see El Generico wrestling in Japan again.

TKG48 began its rampage of Union during the week but the next line of defence put up against them is a tough one. Should be a great match between Sanshiro Takagi & Munenori Sawa against Kengo Mashimo & Madoka.

Ken Ohka will return after a seven month absence nursing a fractured left knee. There to meet him in his first match back will be former NOAH wrestler Tsuyoshi Kikuchi who has had brief appearances for DDT and Union the last couple of months.

Union “NEW YEAR DRAGON”, 16/01/11
Nagoya Kanayama

1. Isami Kodaka & Yano K Data Vs Yasu Kubota & Hide Kubota
2. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Nori da Funky Shibire-sasu
3. Shuji Ishikawa Vs Shigehiro Irie

Nori da Funky Shibire-sasu (Real name Satoru Takahashi) is a member of the Hip Hop group nobodyknows+. He has been in a wrestling match before, making his debut on 5th May, 2010.

Congratulations go out to the Golden Lovers for winning the Best Bout category in the 2010 Tokyo Sports Awards. Their match with Apollo 55 at NJPW “DESTRUCTION ’10” won by a pretty big margin and caps off a Dramatic year for the BFFs Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega. Next they will look forward to clashing with Gedo & Jado on the day after Christmas (Boxing Day, St. Stephen’s Day, etc) in order to survive 2010 as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.

Hikaru Sato is set to pack his bags and head off to Germany in January to compete in the WXW “AMBITION 2” tournament. The first “AMBITION” tournament, won by Bryan Danielson (or as he is now known in another Universe, Daniel Bryan), caught attention from wrestling fans for featuring a more hybrid shoot fighting style of wrestling in its matches. It is a style that Sato is more than familiar with and he will surely become one of the favourites to win the tournament when the entire lineup is announced.


DDT “MALL ENTERTAINMENT WRESTLING AGAIN” Results

December 11, 2010

DDT “MALL ENTERTAINMENT WRESTLING AGAIN”, 11/12/2010
Tōjinmachi Shopping Arcade, Fukuoka City
400 Fans

4 Way Match: Kota Ibushi defeated Dick Togo, Michael Nakazawa and Sanshiro Takagi when Ibushi pinned Nakazawa with a German Suplex (24:43).

DDT held another of its “Anywhere Pro Wrestling” events, this time returning to the Tōjinmachi Shopping Arcade in Fukuoka City. The match was a free for all between Sanshiro Takagi, Kota Ibushi, Dick Togo and Michael Nakazawa. Fans were allowed to spend up to 3000 yen on products that could be given to wrestlers to use during the brawl. Sanshiro bought himself an AKB48 calendar at a 100 yen shop (so that is where the TKG48 name came from). Nakazawa got himself a toy baseball bat to choke people with. Takagi & Ibushi fought each other inside a coffee shop and apologised to the customers when they left. Ibushi and Nakazawa then traded punches on top of a few vending machines. Ibushi knocked his opponent to the ground and then Moonsaulted off of the machines and onto his target. Batten Tamagawa made an appearance with a boombox. He switched on “Pomp And Circumstance” and was about to perform a dance when Takagi hit him over the head with a back scratcher. A smallarea of the mall was covered in cardboard and that was where Ibushi won the match with a German Suplex to Nakazawa. Takagi then welcomed Dick Togo to the mall as it was his first time visiting the place. After the match all of the wrestlers signed the weapons bought by the fans.


Golden Lovers Unlock Mega Man, Union Prepares For The New Year

November 8, 2010

Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega (and Micheal Nakazawa too) visited the Capcom office this week to do an interview for the Rockman Unity blog and take some pictures with Mega Man and Servbot. Kenny is known to be quite the video game fanatic and it shows in his work in the ring. His connection to Mega Man is the remix of the Dr. Wily stage music he uses for his entrance music. He also has the “Flash Man Time Stopper” move where he yells “Stop!” to freeze his opponent and leave him vulnerable for an Enzuigiri. The interview also brings up Omega’s use of the Hadouken in matches.

DDT “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL”, 14/11/2010
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2

1. Dick Togo, GENTARO & Yasu Urano vs KUDO, Shoichi Uchida & Keisuke Ishii
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Yoshiaki Yago Vs MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba, Michael Nakazawa & Tomimitsu Matsunaga and Toru Owashi & Hideki Shiota
3. Young Drama Cup: Takao Soma Vs Shigehiro Irie
4. Young Drama Cup: Yukihiro Abe Vs Kazuki Hirata
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega (c) Vs Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi
6. KO-D Tag Team Title: Shiro Koshinaka & Danshoku Dino (c) Vs Antonio Honda & Daisuke Sasaki
7. KO-D Openweight Title: HARASHIMA (c) Vs Hikaru Sato

Union will make their return to Korakuen Hall on the 3rd January, 2011. Two matches are already set, the debut of Union’s newest signee Shinichiro Tominaga and the return of Ken Ohka from injury. Ken Ohka fractured his left knee back in June but recently kept himself busy by trying to pick a fight with the SMASH promotion.

Union, 03/01/2011
Korakuen Hall

1. Shinichiro Tominaga Debut: Shinichiro Tominaga Vs X
2. Ken Ohka Return: Ken Ohka Vs Tsuyoshi Kikuchi


Golden Lovers Sign IWGP Title Match

November 5, 2010

The IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title match set for DDT on 14th November has been signed and made official. New Japan officials joined Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega at a river for the contract signing. The reason was Ibushi wanted to defend the titles on the riverfront. When that was denied, Omega suggested having the title defence take place inside NJPW HQ. That was denied too. The officials had the Golden Lovers sign the contract before they could suggest having the match take place in a field covered in snow. Can’t blame the champs for trying to be creative.

DDT “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL”, 14/11/2010
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2

1. Young Drama Cup: Yukihiro Abe vs. Kazuki Hirata
2. Young Drama Cup: Takao Soma vs. Shigehiro Irie
3. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega (c) vs. Prince Devitt  & Ryusuke Taguchi
4. KO-D Openweight Title: HARASHIMA (c) vs. Hikaru Sato


Golden Lovers Vs Apollo 55 Rematch Confirmed! Some Other News Too

October 25, 2010

DDT already has its top two matches booked for their return to the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium next month and they are both something to really look forward too. The big one sees those two Golden Lovers, Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega defend their newly won IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles against the very team they won them from Apollo 55! The New Japan duo are heading into Dramatic territory in a bid to win those belts back. (Speaking of Golden Lovers Vs Apollo 55, we’re still waiting on that NJPW Sumo Hall show to come online. Come on Japan, what’s taking so long?)

Sticking closer to home is the other big match signed, HARASHIMA defending the KO-D Openweight Title against Hikaru Sato. The neko maid shoot fighter has seen his profile raise significantly over the past year and his recent win over Kota Ibushi was enough to earn him his chance at the title. If HARASHIMA defeats Sato, he will match his personal best of KO-D Title defences at 3 wins.

DDT “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL”, 14/11/2010
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2

1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega (c) Vs Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi
2. KO-D Openweight Title: HARASHIMA (c) Vs Hikaru Sato

In a surprising turn of events, DDT founder Sanshiro Takagi will be moving over to the UNION brand after his defeat to Toru Owashi. But before he leaves DDT for the time being he will have one more match at the next Korakuen Hall show. Takagi and a partner of his choice will take on puro legend Genichiro Tenryu! Oh, and Masao Orihara too but nobody cares about him (I know I don’t).

DDT, 28/11/2010
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Sanshiro Takagi & X Vs Genichiro Tenryu & Masao Orihara

In business news, one of DDT’s restaurants will be getting a new name and new management. The Mitsuboshi Curry restaurant will have Cherry taking over as its manager and the new name will be introduced in two weeks. DDT currently runs three food and drink establishments in Tokyo, the Dropkick Bar and Ebisuku Bar & Grill which are both in Shinjuku and Mitsuboshi Curry in Mitaka. Many DDT wrestlers work in these places while pursuing their wrestling careers and the success of these businesses makes DDT is one of the more finacially healthy wrestling promotions in Japan today.


Golden Lovers Win IWGP Jr. Tag Titles!

October 11, 2010

(Note: Above image is only a placeholder until pics from the show come out. Still adorable though, eh?)

Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega have done it! They went over to New Japan for today’s big “DESTRUCTION ‘10” event in Sumo Hall and defeated Apollo 55 to become the new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champions when Ibushi pinned Prince Devitt with the Firebird Splash, avenging his loss to the Irishman back at the Best Of Super Juniors final. This gives DDT possession of its highest profile championship yet and arguably crowns the Golden Lovers as the best Jr. Heavy Tag Team in Japan today.

NJPW “DESTRUCTION ‘10”, 10/11/10
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
8,800 Fans – No Vacancy

5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Kota Ibushi & Kenny Omega defeated Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi (c) when Ibushi pinned Devitt with the Firebird Splash (15:05).
*Apollo 55 fail in V2. Golden Lovers become the 27th Champions.


Sapporo Card, Golden Lovers Vs Apollo 55, Togo & Urano To NOAH, Ohka In SMASH

September 28, 2010

DDT “SAPPORO PRO-WRESTLING FESTIVAL”
10/10/2010
Sapporo Teisen Hall

1. Nunchucks & Nunchucks Board Death Match: Hiroki Vs Chiharu
2. Antonio Honda Vs Tomoya
3. Dick Togo & GENTARO Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Takao Soma
4. 3 Way Match: Yasu Urano Vs Keisuke Ishii Vs DJ Nira
5. Kota Ibushi, Kenny Omega & Futoshi Miwa Vs Sanshiro Takagi, KUDO & Yukihiro Abe
6. HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi Vs Michael Nakazawa & Hikaru Sato
7. KO-D Tag Team Title: Shiro Koshinaka & Danshoku Dino (c) Vs MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba

It’s official, the Golden Lovers will take on Apollo 55 for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles over in New Japan. The match I have been waiting for the entire year will finally take place in Sumo Hall for NJPW’s “DESTRUCTION ‘10” card in October. This match pits the two top Jr Heavyweight teams in Japan today and the four men have crossed paths several times over the last two years. Prince Devitt and Kota Ibushi fought each other three times with Devitt leading 2-1 in that series of matches. Ryusuke Taguchi also beat Ibushi back in the 2009 Best Of The Super Juniors. Devitt recently beat Kenny Omega in a recent IWGP Jr. Title defence but Omega has been undefeated against Taguchi.

DDT will be represented in NOAH’s upcoming NTV Cup Jr. Tag League. Dick Togo & Yasu Urano have been paired together for the tournament.

Ken Ohka made an appearance at SMASH.8 to say he will be wrestling there soon. Akira Shoji confronted him during the show, possibly to set up a match between the two in the future.


Upcoming DDT Cards for September & October

September 15, 2010

DDT “WHO’S GONNA TOP? 2010”
26/09/2010
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

0. Antonio Honda Vs Kazuki Hirata
1. Dick Togo & GENTARO Vs KUDO & Yasu Urano
2. Trial Unit Gauntlet Match: MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba Vs Shigehiro Irie & Hoshitango Vs Rion Mizuki & Takao Soma Vs Keisuke Ishii & Yukihiro Abe
3. Michael Nakazawa, Hikaru Sato & Tomimitsu Matsunaga Vs Great Kojika, Emi Sakura & Ultraman Robin
4. Muscle Sakai DDT Last Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Muscle Sakai
5. Special Singles Match: Kota Ibushi Vs Daisuke Sasaki
6. KO-D Tag Team Title: Shiro Koshinaka & Danshoku Dino (c) Vs HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi

A pretty busy card for Korakuen Hall. The KO-D Tag Team Championships take the headline spot with Shiro Koshinaka & Danshoku Dino facing Disaster-BOX duo HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi. The result of this match might help determine the next challenger for HARASHIMA’s KO-D Openweight Title or even Dino’s DDT Extreme Title.

Kota Ibushi makes his return to the ring facing off against Daisuke Sasaki. Ibushi’s return from injury was spoiled by YOSHIHIKO at last week’s Camping Ground event. Here, Sasaki can add salt to the wounds with a major victory over the Golden Star that would springboard him back into title contention.

The last days of Muscle Sakai wrestling before his retirement now leads to his final match for the DDT brand against Sanshiro Takagi. While his retirement show won’t take place until a forthnight later, it will still be an emotional match for everyone involved.

The Shit Heart ♥ Foundation marks its first match as a group by taking on the random squad of the Great Kojika from Big Japan, Emi Sakura of Ice Ribbon and Ultraman Robin of Specialist Global Pro. Never knew Robin had his own promotion.

The fresh set of teams formed during the Battle Royal at Shin-Kiba earlier this month will all face each other in a Gauntlet match. No Engrish team names made yet though. Also Dick Togo and GENTARO have their first match together as a team against the former Tag Champs KUDO & Yasu Urano.

DDT “SAPPORO PRO-WRESTLING FESTIVAL”
10/10/2010
Sapporo Teisen Hall

1. Nunchucks & Nunchucks Board Death Match: Hiroki Vs Chiharu
2. Antonio Honda Vs Tomoya
3. Dick Togo & GENTARO Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Takao Soma
4. 3 Way Match: Yasu Urano Vs Keisuke Ishii Vs DJ Nira
5. Kota Ibushi, Kenny Omega & Futoshi Miwa Vs Sanshiro Takagi, KUDO & Yukihiro Abe
6. Losers From 26/09 Tag Title Match Vs Michael Nakazawa & Hikaru Sato
7. KO-D Tag Team Title: KO-D Tag Team Champions After 26/09 Vs MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba

The Suicide Boyz have been given a second chance to go after the KO-D Tag Titles. MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba became the No. 1 Contenders at Sumo Hall, but their title match with Sanshiro Takagi & Munenori Sawa turned into a Three Way with Dino & Koshinaka thrown into the mix. It was Dino & Koshinaka who became champions while the Suicide Boyz were left cursing at the unfair decision of adding another team. To make it up to them, DDT has given MIKAMI & Toba another title shot and this time there will be no other teamds added to the mix. But who they face won’t be determined until the Korakuen Hall show takes place.


“CAMPSITE PRO-WRESTLING” Results

September 13, 2010

DDT “CAMPING-GROUND PRO-WRESTLING 2010 ~ THANK YOU DRAMATIC DREAM TEAM FAREWELL CAMPGROUND”
12/09/2010
Yamanashi Natureland Om

1. 4 Way Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & YOSHIHIKO defeated Dick Togo & Kota Ibushi, Michael Nakazawa & Mammoth Handa and Sanshiro Takagi & Muscle Sakai when YOSHIHIKO pinned Ibushi with the YOSHIHIKO Destroyer (59:08).

When the two buses arrived at the Yamanashi Natureland this morning, the visitors entering the site were not there for a camping trip. Instead, they travelled to see the third and final DDT “Camping-Ground Pro-Wrestling” show. In recent times, Yamanashi played home to one of DDT’s most famous shows that were filled with epic matches that spanned the entire parkland. Rocks were thrown, fireworks were let loose and people did Moonsaults into ponds. Every time a show took place here, more and more wrestlers have been added to the headline (and usually only) match. This time the fans were treated to a 4 Way Tag match with some unusual pairings. Kota Ibushi returned from injury and teamed with Dick Togo, Keisuke Ishii brought YOSHIHIKO along, Michael Nakazawa found Mammoth Handa from the depths of mediocrity and Sanshiro Takagi sided with Muscle Sakai as Sakai’s career goes through its final days. The head official for the match was Yukinori Matsui and he was joined by Tomomitsu Matsunaga as the back-up ref for when the action splits apart. Before the match could begin, the special guest announcers used an ocarina to call in a fairy to introduce the teams. Sanshiro brought out his trusty guitar, Ibushi made his entrance setting off fireworks, YOSHIHIKO came out sporting a shirt and shorts instead of impersonating another wrestler and nobody gave a damn about Handa. So far, so normal. Then the match began.

It started off pretty basic with the eight participants staying in the one place, tagging in and out when needed. But when Ibushi dominated Nakazawa with his arsenal of strikes and a Standing Moonsault, the fighting begun to move to another area of the campsite. Nakazawa was sent rolling down the sloping path by Togo, Sakai Body Slammed Ishii onto his partner, Sanshiro and Kota almost threw each other off the bridge and then wound up fighting on top of a cottage, which Ibushi dove off of onto Takagi. He didn’t stop there as he Moonsaulted off of a hill onto Nakazawa while YOSHIHIKO was tossed down another hill and was almost pinned by Sakai. Nakazawa and Togo brawled over to and inside the restrooms. From there, some of the wrestlers fetched out the artillary. Sanshiro brought out a leafblower, Handa rode on an inflatable whale and Ibushi carried a basket filled with fireworks on his back with an umbrella to shield himself. He let loose the fireworks on everyone, even his partner Togo was not safe from them. Takagi grabbed the guitar and tried to stop Ibushi with an anti-war song. But that just made Ibushi chase after him with even more fireworks. Togo caught up with Takagi and broke the guitar over his back. They then made it to a nearby shelter where they both sat down beside each other and begun a chop battle.

Meanwhile Ibushi found the swings and used them to fend off Nakazawa and Handa. YOSHIHIKO followed suit and swung into Takagi. Togo then applied the Crippler Crossface onto Mammoth Handa on the nearby stage, but Nakazawa was there to break it up. At this point a now nearly naked Nakazawa was given a German Suplex by Ibushi onto the wooden stage. The match moved into the rocky end of the river where YOSHIHIKO dove off the bridge onto everyone underneath. There were several nearfalls over at the pond. Ishii dove off the rocks and struck Handa with the Kneel Kick, Takagi gave Ishii the Sunflower Bomb into the water, Ibushi Moonsaulted onto Takagi and Nakazawa’s Back Drop attempt was prevented by a Dick Togo Missile Dropkick followed by a Pedigree into the water. Back in dry land, Muscle Sakai lit up a campfire with YOSHIHIKO. He was then run over by a truck driven by Nakazawa, who then grabbed YOSHIHIKO and threw him head first into the fire! Ishii stamped out the fire but YOSHIHIKO was then dragged onto the top of the van by Ibushi and Power Bombed onto the roof! YOSHIHIKO kicked out so he was then given a Brainbuster form the van onto the ground by Ibushi! Ishii stopped the count and hit Ibushi with the Kneel Kick, allowing YOSHIHIKO to recover and deliver the YOSHIHIKO Destroyer on Ibushi to win the match at just over 59 minutes!

After the match, everyone got together as it begun to rain over the campsite. Takagi said that this was the final event of its kind. It is a bit sad to see it go. It was an annual event that showed the imagination and craziness of DDT in one single hour. However, someone was overheard to have said “Next year, raising an army to a professional wrestling camp om!” I wonder what this could mean…