DDT “THAT’S RIGHT! LET’S GO TO BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING 2026”, 17/06/2026 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Takeshi Masada & Daichi Sato defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Masami Inahata when Masada pinned Inahata with the Manburi (8:15).
2. Yukio Naya & Viento Levante defeated Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda when Naya submitted Honda with a Cobra Twist (0:10).
2a. Rematch: Yukio Naya & Viento Levante defeated Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda when Naya submitted Honda with a Cobra Twist (7:58).
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kazuki Hirata (c) defeated Yuya Koroku by Submission (6:17). *V? for Kazuki Hirata.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Yuya Koroku defeated Kazuki Hirata (c) with the Triangle Lancer (6:46 pm). *Yuya Koroku becomes the 1,828th champion.
4. Irregular Captain Drunk Match: Ilusion (C), Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani defeated Yuki Ishida, Rukiya & Hinata Kasai (C) when Ilusion pinned Kasai with the Swanton Bomb (10:17).
5. Special Single Match: Junta Miyawaki defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Sunshine Clutch (8:01).
6. Falls Count Anywhere 4 Way Tag Match: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA defeated Yuki Ueno & To-y, Sanshiro Takagi & Jun Akiyama and MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) when HARASHIMA pinned To-y with the Somato (17:51).
For the fourth time in six years MAO has run over his boss Sanshiro Takagi with a van! The first of this week’s Beer Garden shows featured a wild Falls Count Anywhere main event that included Jun Akiyama crashing a bicycle into a castle made of chairs, the above mentioned MAO driving a vehicle into Takagi and To-y falling off the top of a ladder in shock of seeing the car accident. That last bit cost his the match because it let HARASHIMA hit him with the Somato aftwards for the victory.
Takagi got so mad at MAO over what happened that his anger spread over to the officiating. He can no longer trust any of the referees so his match with MAO on 28th June will now become a No Referee Match! MAO was confused as Takagi tried to figure out on the spot what that means. It means it will now be up to the audience to count the pinfalls and determine the winner! MAO loves the idea because he’s not sure if he and Takagi will ever have another singles match after this again. He can now go all out without worrying about any referees trying to stop him, because the fans certainly won’t.
Junta Miyawaki isn’t the only wrestler in DDT who embodies the sunshine. Shunma Katsumata proved it by dressing up like what he imagines a “Sunshine Hero” would look like.
The team captains in Match #4 had to drink an entire beverage every time somebody on their team was caught committing a foul. Hinata Kasai and Ilusion were the two captains but the ever so selfless Yuki Ishida helped Kasai with some of the drinks. MJ Paul meanwhile force fed Kasai a drink to send him to his drunk breaking point. Ilusion was still measured enough to do the Swanton Bomb and then win the match.
Exact phrasing along with the rules being taken literally made Yuya Koroku lose his match. He had Kazuki Hirata trapped in an Arm Bar and spoke on the microphone that he would make Hirata give up. However he made it sound like he was giving up instead, which Yukinori Matsui took literally so Hirata was declared the winner and still the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title. But since the championship is defended 24/7, Koroku attacked Hirata after the match and made him give up to the Triangle Lancer to become the new champ.
Hisaya Imabayashi pulled his back recently and wasn’t in the best condition to complain about Match #2 ending too quickly. A cure was unexpectedly found when Antonio Honda used Danshoku Dieno’s rear to charge up Gongitsune. The attack then hit Imabayashi right in the point of his injury and made the back pain go away! Now he’s as fit as a fiddle but he was thrown face first into Dieno’s Hell Gate anyway.
MONDAY MAGIC “WRESTLE MAGIC 2026”, 15/06/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
4. HAYATA, Riiita & MAO defeated Rich Port Ayala, Rhys Alexios & Danny Duggan when MAO pinned Duggan with the Osaka Rinkai Upper (14:07).
7. Zack Sabre Jr., Luis Mante & Chris Brookes defeated Kaito Kiyomiya, Titus Alexander & Archie Cole when Sabre submitted Cole with the Modified Octopus Hold (26:22).
It’s back to the mystical world of Monday Magic where I can’t tell what’s going through NOSAWA Rongai’s mind sometimes. For every bizarre decision he makes like booking a dozen unknown foreign wrestlers there are moments of really good ideas like getting the new Hayabusa to team up with Great Sasuke and Ultimo Dragon. Today DDT had some of their wrestlers appear on the latest season finale. Chris Brookes was in the main event teaming up with Zack Sabre Jr. once more and this time including Luis Mante to the deal. Their opponents are the three wrestlers NOSAWA has decided to build his brand around. No joke but Kaito Kiyomiya, Titus Alexander & Archie Cole are being called the MAGIC Three Musketeers! Brookes, Sabre & Mante were put together as a team because NOSAWA considers them the “Three Musketeers” of DDT, New Japan and Dragon Gate. In the late stages of the match Kiyomiya, Alexander, Brookes and Mante all took each other out with their big moves. Sabre blocked a Moonsault from Cole with his knees and sent him through an agonizing series of submission holds until Cole gave up to the Octopus Hold.
The other DDT wrestler to show up was MAO. He got to team with HAYATA from NOAH and Riita from Dragon Gate for the first time ever. Facing them was an international trio of wrestlers: Rich Port Ayala from Puerto Rico along with English wrestlers Rhys Alexios & Danny Duggan. They had Sonny Onoo in their corner for the match if you’re wondering just who is booking the foreign talent for Monday Magic. MAO scored the win for his team and he said he enjoyed the experience because he may never get to wrestle with HAYATA & Riiita again.
NOAH “Mercari Presents NEO GLOBAL TAG LEAGUE 2026”, 16/06/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,009 Fans
6. NEO-GTL 2026 Special: Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, Kaito Kiyomiya & KENTA defeated Masa Kitamiya, Takashi Sugiura, Tetsuya Endo & HAYATA when Naito pinned HAYATA with an Inside Cradle (10:39).
7. Mercari Presents NEO GLOBAL TAG LEAGUE 2026 – Final: Manabu Soya & Yuki Iino defeated Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows when Soya pinned Gallows after the Jonetsu IS (25:55).
I’m already burned out from writing the article about Daisuke Sasaki in Best Of The Super Jr. so I’m not doing a full tournament report on Yuki Iino in the NEO GLOBAL TAG LEAGUE. But that won’t take away from the fact that Iino won the tournament with Manabu Soya as his partner! The two of them entered together as Jonetsu MAX and they topped Block B with four wins out of five matches and a total of eight points. In the grand final they faced The Good Brothers. Fueled by the power of passion, Soya & Iino took out Doc Gallows with a Double Brainbuster and then used the Jonetsu IS (Big Ending/Running DDT combo) on Karl Anderson to become the tournament champions! Their rewards is a GHC Tag Team Titles match against Los Tranquilos de Japon coming up on 25th June.
There isn’t much to write about Tetsuya Endo’s match on the show. What should be talked about is he has a GHC Heavyweight Title shot coming up on 25th June. If he can beat Shane Haste then he will achieve his goal of adding his name to the lineage of past GHC Champions!
1. Sanshiro Takagi & Yuni defeated HARASHIMA & Hinata Kasai when Yuni pinned Kasai with the Jorge Clutch (9:09).
2. Junta Miyawaki Three Match Trial – Final Match: Danshoku Dieno defeated Junta Miyawaki by Referee Stoppage with the Lip Lock (10:08).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Shunma Katsumata defeated Kazuki Hirata (c) with a School Boy (7:38 pm). *Shunma Katsumata becomes the 1,821st champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kazuki Hirata defeated Shunma Katsumata (c) with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (7:48 pm). *Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,822nd champion.
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato defeated Shunma Katsumata, Kazuki Hirata (c) & Kumadori when Koroku submitted Hirata with an Arm Lock (10:49). *Yuya Koroku becomes the 1,823rd champion.
4. 3 Way Tag Match: Yuki Ishida & Rukiya defeated Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda and Naomi Yoshimura & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Ishida pinned Matsunaga with an Izorikatame (8:45).
5. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & To-y defeated Shinya Aoki & Akito wen Ueno pinned Akito with the WR (15:11).
6. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul, Ilusion & Haruto Sakuraba defeated MAO, KANON, Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Viento Levante when Sakuraba pinned Levante with the Jackhammer (20:22). *V1 for DAMNATION T.A.
It’s been about six months since the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles were last defended. DAMNATION T.A have been missing Demus during that time period but the rules of the championship allow up to two substitutes to allow the title match to still go ahead. The challengers Strange Love Connection welcomed back Yuki Iino, who wrestled wearing a bandana to hide his haircut and showed none of the “PASSION~!” that he’s been developing over in NOAH lately. DAMNATION T.A brought out the big guns for this match, having Haruto Sakuraba come in to take Demus’s place. MAO & Yukio Naya almost had Ilusion beat with their Charge Love Heart double team move but MJ Paul pulled the referee away during the pinfall. Daisuke Sasaki then ran in to hit people with a chair. The newly renamed Viento Levante landed a rope walk Diving Headbutt onto Sakuraba but the pin was stopped with a Brain Claw by “The Monster”. Sakuraba then hit Levante with Lariats before beating him with the Jackhammer.
After the match Sakuraba said he’s been in slumber for almost a year and yet here he is holding a championship belt without lifting a finger (I’m unsure if the rules have been changed to now recognize him as one of the champions). He told the fans to tremble in fear until the next time he wakes up! Backstage Sakuraba said SLC are all defective while DAMNATION T.A is a perfect unit with a charismatic leader. Ilusion then asked when will be the next title defence? It might be in another six months time or at the end of the year again. Who knows?
Yuki Ueno and Shinya Aoki got to sign the contract for their KO-D Openweight Title match before the show began. Ueno always respected Aoki but has grown to love him because Aoki loves pro wrestling and DDT so much. It makes Ueno think the way to beat Aoki is to conquer him with love. Aoki can see Ueno is carrying more weight on his shoulders now compared to their first title match in 2024. He understands the scale of what Ueno is trying to accomplish as champion this time around. After their tag match on today’s show, Ueno told Aoki that wrestling him is so much fun. He’ll be sad when he beats him and the buildup over the title match is over. Aoki said he is going to give Ueno a good beating.
Now that the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title is back in DDT, it has brought the hot potato title switches back to DDT shows. Kazuki Hirata lost the title to his own partner Shunma Katsumata before the match even began. Kumadori got the two of them to stop arguing in the middle of the match and dance with him instead. During the dance Hirata grabbed Katsumata and pinned him with the Miracle One Shot Cradle to win the belt back. Yuya Koroku then pulled Hirata into an Arm Lock and made him tap out so he now has the title. Hirata is not panicking over what happened because there is plenty of time to win it back before the Sumo Hall show later this summer. He might turn into “Hammer Hirata” again to get the belt back.
Junta Miyawaki’s DDT trial ended in defeat thanks to Danshoku Dieno using the Lip Lock with a Wrist Lock applied rendering Miyawaki unconscious. Dieno gave him another Lip Lock after the match to resuscitate him. He does not know why Miyawaki has come to DDT when he could have just stayed in NOAH and be a proper, respectable pro wrestler. Dieno has been in the business for 25 years and he has learned one thing more than anything else. When you put what you find is fun in life into your wrestling and the fans enjoy it then that is DDT. He then tried to give Miyawaki another Lip Lock but Miyawaki escaped and ran off.
Backstage, Miyawaki talked about his experiences in the trial series. He hates negative people but Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata and Danshoku Dieno are all the opposite of those kinds of people. He wants to wrestle them more so he can absorb their warm-hearted feelings. That was shown during the match with Dieno where Miyawaki used some of Honda’s and Hirata’s moves. He also admits he does not know how long he will be sticking around in DDT which is why he is cherishing every match he has here.
During the week DDT announced that Hinata Kasai is going to team up with his dad Jun Kasai for the first time ever at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2026” on 11th August to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of Hinata’s debut. Although he lost again today, this past week has felt like Christmas and New Year’s all happening at once for him because it’s been so hectic. He thinks he is nowhere near being able to stand with his father in the ring yet. The first thing he needs to do in order to begin closing the gap is to get his first win before that match takes place.
DDT/NJPW “ONE-ON-ONE CONFRONTATION PART 2 ~SASADANGO-GUN VS YANO-GUN 5-ON-5 ELIMINATION TAG BATTLE~”, 08/06/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
0. Special Exhibition Match: Hinata Kasai Vs Tatsuya Matsumoto ended in a Time Limit Draw (3:00).
0a. Overtime: Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Hinata Kasai with a Crab Hold (3:32).
1. Fluorescent Lighttube IPPON Hell: MAO & Akito defeated El Desperado & KUSHIDA by IPPON when Desperado broke the Lighttube (8:46).
2. Blindfold Butt-Finding Hell: YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated MAO & Akito when MAO & Akito had their bare butts exposed (6:51).
3. Give UP A Hellish Situation Where Only Submission Is Possible: Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda Vs YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi ended in a Draw when they all submitted to Milano Collection A.T.’s Paradise Lock (11:08).
4. If Your Junior Laughs, You Lose! A Junior Role Model Death Match: Hirooki Goto defeated Super Sasadango Machine by Submission with the GTR (8:50).
5. Danshoku Dieno Vs Hirooki Goto ended in a No Contest (7:55).
6. Weapon Rumble Hell: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Toru Yano ended in a No Contest when the match gets cancelled (23:31).
7. Special Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Toru Yano & Super Sasadango Machine when TAKESHITA pinned Sasadango with the Raging Fire (2:01).
8. Special Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, El Desperado, Ryusuke Taguchi, KUSHIDA, YOH, Masatora Yasuda, Tatsuya Matsumoto, Taisei Nakahara, Super Sasadango Machine, Danshoku Dieno, MAO, KANON, Kazuki Hirata, Akito, Antonio Honda & Hinata Kasai defeated Sanshiro Takagi when TAKESHITA pinned Takagi with a Stunner (1:38).
One year ago a rivalry between Super Sasadango Machine and Toru Yano brought DDT and New Japan together, mending a decade long broken relationship in the process. The event was such a success that both parties agreed to do it again, this time under more friendlier circumstances. With a hot summer of sport about to begin, an agreement was made by both sides to provide the best sportsmanship and keep things fair throughout the day. But as the show hit its stride, the trust between DDT and NJPW would be taken advantage of by some for the sake of getting the competitive advantage.
For an inter-promotional show such as this it was necessary that everything would be presented 50/50. It aired as a PPV on both NJPW World and Wrestle Universe with each streaming service providing their own full scale broadcast on separate screens side-by-side. That meant separate commentary teams with their own special guests, separate ring announcers, alternating referees, etc. Korakuen Hall even tried to split itself in half with the green DDT side having a security fence installed while the red NJPW side was barrier free. The NJPW World commentators were Yohei Onishi, Milano Collection A.T. and special guest Hiroshi Tanahashi. The Wrestle Universe commentators were Haruo Murata, Ken Suzuki.txt and special guest Yuki Ueno. Murata wants to be neutral because he works with both companies but his interactions with Daisuke Sasaki during the Best Of The Super Jr. meant he was DDT through and through no matter what he says.
A signing ceremony was planned to take place but first Yano had an announcement to make regarding his team. Tomoaki Honma was unable to appear at the show today because of illness so a substitute was called in at the last minute. His replacement is KUSHIDA! With that news out of the way, Sasadango and Yano signed the contract and started to hype up the fans to chant for their favorite side.
The chants turned into a cheering contest with Yano ordering Tatsuya Matsumoto to encourage even louder chants for New Japan. Hinata Kasai tried to do the same with the DDT fans, leading the two young wrestlers to get in each other’s way and then begin arguing. The arguing turned into a staredown and the staredown was going to turn into a fight!
All of a sudden a three minute long wrestling exhibition broke out between Matsumoto and Kasai. The two fought back and forth until the time expired but both kept trying to fight so they were allowed another five minutes to settle their differences. Kasai locked in an STF but Matsumoto broke free and got a nearfall with a Body Slam. As the match hit the 3 minute mark, Matsumoto put Kasai in a Crab Hold and got him to give up.
Everything was now calm again after that fired up display so it was time for the show to begin proper. DDT and New Japan would face each other in a gauntlet of singles matches with mystery lineups made out of five participants on each team. However a match could be turned into a tag team bout if both sides agree to the change beforehand. Sasadango and Yano together gave an oath promising to uphold good sportsmanship in every match… but it was all a trick! A video played on the two screens showing an unmasked Sasadango dressed up as the famous fortune teller Kazuko Hosoki. Here, “Kazuko Sasaki” informed Yano that DDT had just invited NJPW into taking part in a special tour… The DDT Hell Tour!
Sasadango admits he was foolish to think his team could beat New Japan in five regular pro wrestling matches so he hatched a plan. The DDT GM Hisaya Imabayashi then showed Yano the contract he signed included an extra sentence written in English that was not included in the Japanese print. “All match rules must be accepted as decided by DDT.” Yano was tricked into letting DDT decide the rules for every match tonight!
DDT used the surprise to their immediate advantage by making the first match an IPPON Lighttube Tag Death Match! In this match there is only one lighttube and the loser is the person whose body breaks it. DDT sent the master of the match Akito out there to team with MAO while NJPW were represented by KUSHIDA & El Desperado. The sudden rule change made things more dangerous for KUSHIDA because lately he likes to wrestle barefoot. Akito made fun of that by shoving a sock into KUSHIDA’s mouth near the end of the match. However as everyone fought over the lighttube or tried to avoid touching it, MAO and Desperado formed their own alliance because of their friendship and agreed to break the lighttube together. They both climbed up the same turnbuckle, counted down together and… only Desperado went ahead with the trust fall. He smashed landed on the lighttube while MAO remained on the turnbuckles to celebrate winning the match. Desperado was so furious over the betrayal he abducted Viento Maligno at ringside and threatened to harm him with the remains of the broken lighttube unless MAO apologizes.
Akito & MAO remained in the ring to take part in the second match. This one showed everybody how DDT’s plan could backfire on them in a spectacular manner. It was a Blindfold Butt-Finding Hell Match where every wrestler had to fight blindfolded in their underwear and the first one to have their backside exposed would lose. NJPW sent out the two wrestlers that were guaranteed to thrive under such a ruleset, YOH & Ryusuke Taguchi! Both men walked out wearing an extra pair of underwear over their heads along with slingkinis and stockings. Keep in mind this show is taking place exactly one day after YOH won BOSJ! The blindness led to Akito & MAO almost fighting each other until they recognized each other by their body shape. The two of them as well as YOH all ended up wandering outside the ring while back inside Taguchi was trying to do Hip Attacks into thin air. When everyone got back into the ring MAO slid up from underneath Taguchi only to bump into YOH and accidentally Lip Lock him. The four wrestlers then formed a chain by all reaching out to the person in front of them to grab their tights. The NJPW team won the duel and exposed the DDT wrestlers’ butts to win the match. According to MAO, the lesson he learned from this match is everybody from Miyagi is weird. YOH proved it later by telling reporters backstage that the experience he went through today feels so good.
Match #3 had DDT send out reinforcements in the form of Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata because the only way to win the match was to make your opponents give up. The DDT team jumped YOH & Taguchi but the NJPW duo would taunt them on the microphone whenever they were asked to give up. Honda told Hirata to put them in the Paradise Lock but Hirata confessed he does not know how to do the move. Honda went outside to bring Milano Collection A.T. into the ring so they could learn it from him. But Honda tripped over the ropes on the way back in. He had injured himself and decided it was time to give up but first he needed to tell his latest Gongitsune joke. It turned into an attack that led to everyone brawling. As the dust settled, only Milano was left standing. He noticed a pair of Hirata GO! glasses had fallen onto the canvas so he put them on and “Tokyo GO!” began to play. He tried to ignore it until he couldn’t help but dance to the music belonging to an old foe. As this was happening, Honda and Taguchi were doing Gongitsune attacks and they both wound up pinching Milano by the nipples. Milano’s response was to put the both of them in Paradise Locks and then continue dancing on top of them. Both Honda and Taguchi gave up at the same time, causing the match to end in a tie.
The series was reaching its halfway point so Sasadango decided now was a good time to do a PowerPoint Presentation… From Hell! He explained to the audience that the ideal way of doing inter-promotional matches is to help develop the next generation. His presentation was suddenly interrupted when his laptop decided to reset itself for updates. While the fans started chanting for the laptop to restart, Sasadango handed his microphone to Hiroshi Tanahashi and asked him to talk for a bit. Tanahashi spoke about the repaired relationship between New Japan and DDT, entirely crediting himself for making it happen. Sasadango then gave up on the laptop and tried to continue his presentation without PowerPoint. He and Yano then broke out into an argument until they noticed Rukiya and Tatsuya Matsumoto both laughing at them nearby. Sasadango and Yano agreed they need to set a good example to their juniors or they would lose their respect. So for the next match the wrestlers involved would lose if their junior laughs at them!
Sasadango would step into the ring to finally be part of the action but his opponent was Hirooki Goto! Rukiya and Matsumoto were made to sit down near the ring with instructions to fill their mouths with water. Every time one of them laughed and spat the water out, their respective wrestler would lose a point. The first to lose three points would lose the match. Both of them laughed at the same time when Goto accidentally unmasked Sasadango during a Headlock off of the ropes. Rukiya then laughed a second time when Sasadango took a Lariat, apologized to Goto and then retreated from the ring. When Sasadango returned, he all of a sudden looked like a completely different person with a ripped physique. Goto was able to unmask him, revealing it was KANON under the mask. That made Matsumoto laugh. The real Sasadango returned to launch a sneak attack on Goto but that failed. He then challenged Goto to a sumo match and encouraged the fans to chant “Edmond” at Goto (because he plays E. Honda in the upcoming Street Fighter movie). Sasadango tricked Goto into taking a Dropkick but Goto got back up and grabbed his opponent. Just when Goto was in position to do the GTR, Sasadango instantly gave up so he wouldn’t take the move. Rukiya laughed at this, taking away Sasadango’s last point. Goto gave him th GTR anyway and pinned him for the three count so he ended up having three different ways to claim victory for the match.
Sasadango was beaten but DDT was not. He still had one more card to play. For many weeks leading up to this show, Sasadango has been trying to recruit one wrestler more than any other but his advances were rejected every time. Well it turns out this person finally agreed to show up because Danshoku Dieno made a big entrance to have a match with Goto! It didn’t take long for the match to get out of hand because the referees Yumehito Imanari, Marty Asami and Daisuke Kiso were all knocked out with Lip Locks that were intended for Goto. Akito ran into the ring to help put Dieno into the Hell Gate position over the top turnbuckle. Chaos then broke out with many wrestlers from both teams all running down to the ring to fight each other and then get their heads shoved into Dieno’s backside. Everything was so out of control that the match had to be called off.
By this point the DDT had run out of all of their players while the NJPW team still had only Toru Yano remaining. Yano thought this meant the series was over and his team had won without him even having to do anything. However Sasadango had one more trick up his sleeve. As much as he works hard for DDT, he does not have a contract with them and in fact wrestles as a freelancer. He is not really a DDT wrestler so that means the result of his match against Goto does not count towards the contest! Yano was furious over the revelation and demanded whoever is in charge of DDT to come out and face him. Sanshiro Takagi did just that and introduced himself to Yano as the supreme commander of DDT. For one more twist of the knife, Takagi and Yano would now face off in a Weapon Rumble!
The rules are a new weapon would be brought down to the ring Royal Rumble style and each weapon was decided upon by either DDT or New Japan. Yano complained that his team didn’t prepare any weapons but Sasadango revealed that he surveyed YOH about it beforehand and was able to get the weapons he suggested. The weapons included a blonde wig, a fire extinguisher, a “Yano Set” of a chair and sake, Mecha Mummy armed with the Mecha Drill, Daisuke Sasaki drinking tequila and El Desperado drinking tequila. The big surprise of all came when Takagi brought out his greatest weapon, Konosuke Takeshita! He had travelled to Japan just to be at this show and he attacked Yano on Takagi’s behalf. But just as Takeshita was about to give Yano the Raging Fire, the countdown for Yano’s next weapon fell to zero and it was revealed to be… Konosuke Takeshita?!? He played along with the rules and switched to attacking Takagi until Takagi started protesting. He said Takeshita belongs to DDT while Yano argued he also belongs to New Japan. Sasadango then stepped into the ring with Tanahashi as everyone agreed this was an issue that needed to be sorted out immediately.
Sasadango pointed out to Takeshita that this is the drawback to having contracts with three different wrestling companies. Two of them are here today so he needed to make a choice between them. Takagi spoke about Takeshita contacting him at 15 years old asking to become a pro wrestler because he was so confident he could reach to the top. Takagi always believes Takeshita will come back to DDT even when he is winning championships in AEW and New Japan. Tanahashi reminded Takeshita of the singles match they had in Sumo Hall back in 2014. He could feel Takeshita’s potential all the way back then and he still has high expectations for him going forward.
Sasadango handed Takeshita a “Final Rose” for him to give to the person he wants to be with (exactly like what Yuma Anzai experienced in Japan’s version of The Bachelorette recently). Takeshita said when he watched NJPW as a kid it gave him dreams and DDT made those dreams come true. He belongs to both companies solely out of gratitude with a desire to repay their kindness. He told Tanahashi he will do his best to protect NJPW from now on. He also made a promise to Takagi he will work hard to help him bring DDT to the Tokyo Dome!
Takeshita was about to hand the Final Rose to both Tanahashi and Takagi when Yano angrily cut him off. Yano complained he cannot choose both and Sasadango agreed that nobody would be satisfied with this ending. Sasadango then said if DDT carelessly goes into the Tokyo Dome and fails miserably then DDT will be finished and everyone will be left out on the streets! All of a sudden Yano & Sasadango now wanted to fight Takeshita in a Handicap match. It didn’t take long for Takeshita to dispatch both of them before pinning Sasadango with the Raging Fire.
After the impromptu match, Takeshita felt it was time he explained himself. He couldn’t find the way to properly convey his feelings up to this point so he got Muscle Sakai to help him out by creating a PowerPoint Presentation for him. It is titled “Why I Belong To Three Pro Wrestling Organizations” He introduced himself as a 31 year old wrestler currently living in Orlando with two special skills: working out and pro wrestling. He won the KO-D Openweight Title in DDT at a young age and still holds the record for most title defences. In New Japan he won the G1 Climax and then held the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. Recently in AEW he defeated Kazuchika Okada (the crowd popped at the mention of this) to become the new AEW International Champion. He is confident he is one of the busiest wrestlers in the world.
He gets all sorts of requests from the companies he works for. NJPW wants him on more domestic tours, DDT wants him to bring them to the Tokyo Dome and AEW doesn’t want any other company taking him away from them. The reason he is signed to all three companies is a simple one. He wants to share his world of pro wrestling to more people. He felt left out when he was not a part of last year’s DDT Vs New Japan show and it is one of his biggest regrets because he belongs to both companies. An all star show like this is supposed to be the most entertaining showdown but there are many ways for people to entertain themselves these days. Takeshita has other hobbies to keep himself occupied but pro wrestling will always be the most interesting.
So Takeshita has come up with three ideas that will prove his point. The first idea is he wants to hold the world’s largest pro wrestling league consisting of 365 wrestlers all fighting each other in a gigantic year long round robin tournament! He watches so much wrestling in his off time that he is subscribed to all of the different streaming services. That means he’s been able to carefully select a list of 365 wrestlers from all over the world he wants to compete and has also created a tentative schedule of matches to be held across Japan so there will be tournament events every single day from the opening bouts on 1st January all the way to the final night on 31st December! He understands the schedule might be difficult to pull off which is why he thinks the league should only be held once every four years likes the Olympics.
Takeshita’s second idea is to revise pro wrestling’s rules so they are more in line to modern times. He recognizes that violence doesn’t solve anything and disputes can be resolved through discussion. A suggestion he has is to introduce AI judging and a scoring system based on technical points, artistic points, and compositional skills. His example of a scoring system that works is the annual M-1 Grand Prix comedy show that is always a huge hit at the end of the year. His third idea is to ultimately unify the world of pro wrestling. Today the polar opposites that are New Japan and DDT fought each other in exciting ways because of their completely different styles. If doing this with two companies is exciting then imagine adding countless more into the mix. In order to achieve that goal, Takeshita believes he must first become the world’s No. 1 pro wrestler! He asked for everyone’s support so they can all create the perfect world where pro wrestling is the best.
The presentation touched the hearts of everyone who listened… Well, almost everyone. Takagi was still in a fired up competitive mood and wasn’t going to stand there letting the action go to waste. He tried to rally the other wrestlers around him but everyone went over to the other side of the ring and all stared him down. It was time for the final match where Takagi had to fight everyone else all by himself! He got pummeled by everyone one after the other until Takeshita finished him off with a Stunner.
The show was now reaching its end and a few wrestlers wanted to give their final words. Sasadango asked all of the NJPW fans watching to continue supporting Takeshita. That request goes to the wrestlers in Hontai too. Yano announced that Takeshita was the winner of today’s series and Takagi told him to liven up the wrestling world even more. Tanahashi then led everyone to say the same catchphrase that was used to end last year’s show: “3, 2, 1, Love Muscle! Muscle!”
Wait, wait, wait, hang on. There’s one more thing. After everyone left the ring, Sasadango and Akito both suddenly remembered something and ran out of the room. They rushed through a hallway to find a closed out locker room featuring the final secret weapon that they completely forgot to use during the show. They opened up the door and there inside was the furious NOAH wrestler Kenoh! He demanded to know where Toru Yano was while Sasadango & Akito both desperately apologized to him. It turns out that even though DDT is the last place Kenoh ever wants to be, he has been trying to pick a fight with Yano for ages and agreed to be part of Sasadango’s plan if it meant he could finally get his hands on Yano. That didn’t happen so Kenoh stormed out of Korakuen Hall and went down to the NJPW store in near Suidobashi in search of Yano. The shop was closed and Yano was nowhere to be found so Kenoh decided to start a livestream on his YouTube channel and complain about the whole thing.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TAKASHIMAYA VOL. 4”, 06/06/2025 Tokyo Shinjuku Takashimaya 1st Floor JR Exit Special Venue
0. Surprise Match – Tokyo Joshi Pro Offer Match: Haru Kazashiro & Chika Nanase Vs Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki
1. Shinjuku Takashimaya Half-Day Promotional Ambassador Time-Lag Entry Battle Royal: Junta Miyawaki Vs Yukio Naya Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Yuni Vs Yuki Ishida Vs Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Kamifuku Vs Pokotan
2. paleyouth Vs FANTÔMES DRAMATIC!: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Hinata Kasai
3. The 37KAMIINA Vs STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION!: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y Vs MAO, KANON & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO)
We can now all say it out loud that Keigo Nakamura is Viento Maligno. But he decided he will continue wrestling under that gimmick in his journey to get stronger.
The Battle Royal is show a few people with Kazuma Sumi and Rukiya both having to pull out due to their injuries.
DDT “DRAMATIC STYLE 2026”, 10/06/2026 Shinjuku FACE
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda Vs Naomi Yoshimura & Tomomitsu Matsunaga Vs Yuki Ishida & Rukiya
2. HARASHIMA & Hinata Kasai Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Yuni
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Shunma Katsumata, Kazuki Hirata & Kumadori
4. Junta Miyawaki Three Match Trial – Final Match: Junta Miyawaki Vs Danshoku Dieno
5. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & To-y Vs Shinya Aoki & Akito
6. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul, Ilusion & Haruto Sakuraba Vs MAO, KANON, Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno
The final match of Junta Miyawaki’s trial series ends with the most DDT opponent possible. He calls Danshoku Dieno a once in a lifetime opponent and does not have to wait long to get that match!
DDT “YOKOHAMA NIGHT SPLASH 2026”, 13/06/2026 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Ilusion Vs Kazuki Hirata
2. Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Danshoku Dieno, KANON & Kazuki Hirata
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul Vs MAO, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO)
4. Special Single Match: Jun Akiyama Vs Antonio Honda
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, Naomi Yoshimura & Rukiya Vs Shinya Aoki, Junta Miyawaki & Yuki Ishida
6. FANTÔMES DRAMATIC Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
This card has some changes made because of Sumi’s injury but Rukiya is expected to return. The main event isn’t affected because it focuses on To-y getting to fight Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA before their KO-D Tag Team Titles match.
GANBARE☆PRO “STENDHAL SYNDROME 2026”, 14/06/2026 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center
1. YuuRI Vs Moe Hiiro
2. Shota Kawakami Vs Kouki Iwasaki
3. Shigehiro Irie & Sentaro Motoshima Vs Baliyan Akki & Munetatsu Nakamura
4. Ken Ohka & Guts Ishijima Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shinichiro Tominaga
5. Shuichiro Katsumura 50th Birthday Match: Shuichiro Katsumura, Yuya Susumu & Kikujiro Umezawa Vs Yumehito Imanari, Takuya Wada & Moeka Haruhi
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Mizuki Watase (c) Vs Tyson Maeguchi
A few guests here with Guts Ishijima, Shigehiro Irie and Kouki Iwasaki all showing up. YuuRI’s opponent Moe Hiiro is a teenage wrestler representing the Hot Shushu promotion. She has only been wrestling for one year, recently passing the first anniversary of her pro debut.
DDT “THAT’S RIGHT! LET’S GO TO BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING 2026”, 17/06/2026 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda Vs Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno
2. Takeshi Masada & Daichi Sato Vs Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Masami Inahata
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion Vs Yuki Ishida, Rukiya & Hinata Kasai
4. Special Single Match: Yuya Koroku Vs Kazuki Hirata
5. Special Single Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Junta Miyawaki
6. Falls Count Anywhere 4 Way Tag Match: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA Vs Yuki Ueno & To-y Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Jun Akiyama Vs MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO)
Another preview of the KO-D Tag Titles match can be found within the chaos of a 4 Way Tag Match.
DDT announced that Masami Inahata will return from his injury at this show.
DDT “LET’S GO! BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING 2026”, 18/06/2026 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Jun Akiyama, Rukiya & Masami Inahata Vs Junta Miyawaki, KANON & Yuki Ishida
2. Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Akito
3. Yuki Ueno Vs Hinata Kasai
4. Crocodile Death Match BEYOND: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion Vs MAO, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO)
5. Ring Removal Death Match: HARASHIMA, Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Shunma Katsumata, To-y & Yuni
Sumi has been replaced with To-y in the Ring Removal Death Match. That is the main event while the rest of the match order is to be determined.
DDT “OWARI WARS 2026”, 21/06/2026 Aichi Chunichi Hall & Conference
1. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Ilusion
2. DDT Extreme Title: Hideki Okatani (c) Vs Junta Miyawaki
3. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA (c) Vs Yuki Ueno & To-y
Has To-y figured out the key to beating Brookes is to annoy the hell out of him? He’s going around calling himself the Prince Of Nagoya who comes from the future where he and Yuki Ueno win the KO-D Tag Titles from Brookes & HARASHIMA. Brookes is quickly getting fed up with his wacky behavior.
There will be a post about Daisuke Sasaki and his Best Of The Super Jr. adventure next week but he is returning to DDT with a losing record in the tournament. However Ilusion has gotten him and MJ Paul a chance to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles again so DAMNATION T.A can increase their current collection of championships to ten belts.
DDT “KING OF KINGS ~TENKA TAIRAN~”, 28/06/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Junta Miyawaki & Viento Maligno Vs Akito & Miles Karu
1. The 37KAMIINA Vs STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION!: Shunma Katsumata & To-y Vs KANON & Yuki Iino (w/ KIMIHIRO)
2. FANTÔMES DRAMATIC Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA, Antonio Honda & Hinata Kasai Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion
3. Soma Takao Comeback Match: Soma Takao & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Kazuma Sumi, Yuni & Kumadori
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Jun Akiyama, Rukiya & Masami Inahata
6. Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs MAO
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Shinya Aoki
There is just so much energy coming out of Sanshiro Takagi with his return to the ring and he wants to use it against someone he hasn’t fought in a singles match in a while. The last time Takagi fought MAO one on one was in New York back in 2019 (ignoring the Baka Gaijin + Friends universe where Takagi Sanshirobo fought Tyrannosaurus Inoue).
We have one more Minoru Suzuki appearance to wrap up the King Of DDT arc. Too bad for him he has to go team up with Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata.
The Dropkick Bar is being well represented for Soma Takao’s comeback match. He along with Naomi Yoshimura, Yukio Naya and Yuki Ishida all work there in one form or another.
1. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Miles Karu
The Japan excursion continues for Miles Karu with a stop by Baka Gaijin + Friends added to his schedule for the end of the month.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’26”, 18/07/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Aja Kong Vs Arisu Endo
It’s going to be the thumbs up from Arisu Endo battling against the Uraken fist of Aja Kong.
Also planned to appear on the show are Sakura Hirota and MIRAI.
Kira Summer will not be on the show because she will be spending a month back home in Australia. She will be gone from Tokyo Joshi Pro from 18th July to 16th August but will be wrestling a few times in Australia during that period.
DDT/NJPW “ONE-ON-ONE CONFRONTATION ~SUPER SASADANGO MACHINE VS TORU YANO~”, 09/06/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
-. New Japan Pro Wrestling & DDT Pro Wrestling Alliance Vs World Pro Wrestling Union Peacekeeping Force: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, YOH, Super Sasadango Machine, Akito & Antonio Honda Vs Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Shuji Ishikawa, Ken Ohka & MAO
DDT “DDT MY LOVE 2026”, 03/06/2026 Shinjuku FACE ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Special Tag Match – 2 Out Of 3 Falls: Sanshiro Takagi & Akito (2) defeated Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata (0).
1a. Standard Rules: Sanshiro Takagi (1) pinned Shunma Katsumata (0) with a Cradle (6:30).
1b. Falls Count Anywhere: Sanshiro Takagi (2) pinned Shunma Katsumata (0) with a Cradle (109:19).
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion defeated Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Munetatsu Nakamura and Danshoku Dieno, Naomi Yoshimura & KANON when Ilusion pinned Koroku with a School Boy (9:02).
3. Junta Miyawaki Three Match Trial – Match 2: Junta Miyawaki defeated Kazuki Hirata with a School Boy (10:56).
4. MAO & Yukio Naya (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when MAO pinned Matsunaga after the Charge Love Heart (9:43).
5. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki defeated Viento Maligno with a Modified Butterfly Lock (11:25).
6. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA, Antonio Honda & Hinata Kasai defeated Daichi Sato, To-y, Yuni & Yuki Ishida when Honda pinned Yuni with a Samson Clutch (19:36).
It turns out there was more background to the Shinya Aoki Vs Viento Maligno match than I first thought. Before the King Of DDT tournament began, Aoki allegedly made a prediction that Maligno would unmask and compete in Best Of The Super Jr. so both of them could have a match between tournament winners. Aoki lived up to his end of the idea which is why after he won King Of DDT he called out Maligno and told him everybody knows what he is doing. They had a match today where Maligno tried to counter the Aoki Clutch but Aoki switched over to a Modified Butterfly Lock to make the luchador give up. He then ripped the mask off Maligno’s face to reveal it was Keigo Nakamura the whole time! Nakamura admitted his real identity and explained that he couldn’t adapt to wrestling in Mexico during his excursion. Even now he does not know who he is and his confidence has disappeared after he saw how all of his juniors have surpassed him. However he still gets support from everybody in Strange Love Connection and he wants to become stronger by being with them. Aoki asked him what will he do from now on and who does he want to fight? Nakamura put the mask back on and will continue to wrestle as Viento Maligno because he’s hit rock bottom has nothing else to lose.
The opening match was officially Sanshiro Takagi’s return to action in DDT (as long as you ignore Super Japan). He feels so reenergised from his time off that he asked for the match to be Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls with no time limit applied. The 37KAMIINA agreed and quickly tried to injure him again. However he blocked Shunma Katsumata’s Totonou Splash and then Cradled him to win the first fall. He then declared the 2nd Fall would be Falls Count Anywhere. For the next two hours Takagi, Akito, Yuki Ueno and Katsumata brawled all over Shinjuku FACE and even outside on the street. Since the action was happening away from ringside, DDT decided to go on with the show and it wasn’t until the very end when the opening match returned to the ring and Takagi pinned Katsumata again to win the match in two straight falls.
Takagi said this comeback could not have been possible if it wasn’t for the other wrestlers in the match and he is feeling super pumped about winning. He’s been cheating on DDT a little bit with Super Japan but he thinks DDT is the best and he is super motivated to wrestle here again. There is one guy in particular he wants to wrestle again to reignite his passion even more. It is MAO, who he hasn’t fought against one on one since 2019 in New York! He challenged MAO to a singles match on 28th June. MAO agreed and blamed Takagi for making him the wrestler he is today. So all of the times he tried to run Takagi over with a car is really Takagi’s fault.
Junta Miyawaki’s trial through DDT’s roster is going well with two wins out of two matches so far. He fought and danced with Kazuki Hirata until Hirata was too spent to continue. Before he could be beaten, Hirata got on the microphone and reminisced about the times back when Miyawaki was a NOAH trainee when they would hang out and eat meals together. He couldn’t continue so he asked Miyawaki to complete the dance by himself but it was only so Hirata could roll him up for a nearfall. Miyawaki countered by putting the Hirata GO! glasses on Hirata’s face, forcing him to dance and be vulnerable to be pinned with a School Boy. Afterwards Miyawaki was informed by Hisaya Imabayashi that the third and final match of his trial will happen on 10th June. It will be against Danshoku Dieno! With that announcement, Dieno entered the ring carrying his pet dog Haku in a protective bag. Miyawaki asked if this is a mistake because Dieno is tougher than any other opponent he could imagine. He promised to give it his all becaue this is a once in a lifetime match for him.
A win in the 3 Way Trios match prompted DAMNATION T.A to challenge paleyouth for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles afterward. Ilusion said his unit is filled with belt collectors and if they take those titles from paleyouth they would then have 10 belts in their collection (DDT Extreme Title with Hideki Okatani, O-40 Title with Daisuke Sasaki and the group has the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles which currently makes seven). Ilusion said the challenging team will be himself, MJ Paul and Sasaki once he comes back from New Japan. The challenge was accepted and will take place on 21st June in Nagoya. Ilusion later made fun of paleyouth being full of old people because only Daichi Sato is younger than him. Takeshi Masada & Yuya Koroku didn’t appreciate being Ilusion calling them old geezers.
A contract signing for the KO-D Tag Team Titles match between FANTÔMES DRAMATIC and The 37KAMIINA took place at the start of the show. One of the challengers To-y unexpectedly announced he is from the future where he wins the title with Yuki Ueno and builds a castle as the Prince Of Nagoya. Chris Brookes lost his patience and kept rushing To-y to finish up his story so the show could continue. To-y ignored him and tried to get Ueno to play along that they are the champions from the future and it is they who are defending the belts instead of Brookes & HARASHIMA. Both Ueno and HARASHIMA tried to keep things on track but Brookes is clearly becoming fed up with To-y’s quirky personality.
It happened. It’s now done. AEW finally made it to Konosuke Takeshita’s match with Kazuchika Okada and got Takeshita out of The Don Callis Family. At last we can move on with our lives and wait to see if Takeshita’s babyface turn will turn out to be more than just a lateral move. His wife Yuka Sakazaki got some more screentime on ROH this month including a PPV main event. MAO & Yoshihiko brought Kazuma Sumi along on their latest adventure in France, giving Sumi some invaluable overseas experience away from DDT. Chris Brookes gave Munetatsu Nakamura a similar opportunity with a wild weekend over in Manila. Will the summer provide even more wrestling to follow around the globe or can we all take a break for the World Cup? Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s being ruined by American corporate greed and so on but Blue Lock seems to be timing their latest story arc to climax by the time the final takes place so that gives me something to look forward to after Ireland failed to qualify. Also getting to watch South Korea Vs Czech Republic at 3am is the kind of football sicko behavior that’s been missing in my life for a while.
AEW “COLLISION”, 30/05/2026 Propst Arena At Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
1. AEW International Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Daniel Garcia
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Results
ROH “SUPERCARD SHOWDOWN”, 09/05/2026 (Aired 14/05/2026) SoFi Center, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
1. Athena, Billie Starkz & Marina Shafir defeated Yuka Sakazaki, Maya World, Lacey Lane when Athena pinned Lane after the Swanton Bomb from Starkz
So Ring Of Honor taped a few matches at the same indoor golf course AEW was at last month and they didn’t let Yuka Sakazaki loose around the place? That was a missed opportunity. Instead her warmup match for Survival Of The Fittest also involved some of the other participants Athena, Billie Starkz and Maya World. However a lot of Sakazaki’s time in this match was spent wrestling with Marina Shafir and also building up the hot tag to Lacey Lane. She also hit a big dive out of the ring onto Shafir and World but that left Lane fighting on her own. Starkz gave Lane the Swanton Bomb but not before Athena blind tagged herself in so she could get the pinfall and take the glory for herself.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 13/05/2026 Harrah’s Cherokee Center, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
1. AEW World Title: Darby Allin (c) defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Coffin Drop (15:29). *V5 for Darby Allin.
Even though Takeshita’s match with Okada was already on the schedule, he was given a big detour a few weeks before the show by getting an AEW World Title shot. It was the latest defence in Darby Allin’s eventful title run where he crammed in many title defences into one month. Takeshita couldn’t get the job done fast enough so El Clon ran down to distract the ref while Don Callis handed Takeshita the Dynamite Diamond Ring to use as a weapon. Takeshita refused to use it and threw it away. Too bad moral victories don’t win you championships because Allin made his comeback after that which included a Coffin Drop to the outside and also the Scorpion Death Drop on top of the steel steps. He hit another Coffin Drop outside the ring but Takeshita wouldn’t be beaten that way. He tried to make a comeback of his own but Allin cut it off with the Scorpion Death Lock, keeping Takeshita down long enough to land one more Coffin Drop for the win.
ROH “SUPERCARD OF HONOR”, 15/05/2026 Wicomico Youth And Civic Center, Salisbury, Maryland, USA
1. ROH Women’s World Title – Survival Of The Fittest Match: Athena (c) defeated Maya World, Trish Adora, Zada Steel, Yuka Sakazaki and Billie Starkz (26:12).
1a. Athena eliminated Zayda Steel with a Rope-Assisted School Boy (5:01).
1b. Yuka Sakazaki eliminated Trish Adora with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (15:39).
1c. Billie Starkz eliminated Yuka Sakazaki with the Avalanche Star 10 (17:27).
1d. Maya World eliminated Billie Starkz with a Jackknife Pin (21:47).
1e. Athena eliminated Maya World with the O-Face from the Ladder (26:12). *V36 for Athena.
This turned out to be a mess of a match. It turned into a Hardcore Match midway through because of the whole “No DQs In In X Way Match” booking cliche so Sakazaki got to do an American style plunder match for once. She also scored an elimination by pinning Trish Adora with the Magical Merry-Go-Round. Her time in the match came to an end a few minutes later when some high risk fighting ended with Sakazaki taking Starkz’s finisher from the top rope.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “MNL”, 23/05/2026 Sari Sari Makati, Makati, Philippines ??? Fans
1. Zack Sabre Jr. & Chris Brookes defeated Hotdog De San Jose & Super P when Sabre submitted San Jose with a Manjigatame (?:??).
2. Main Ronn, Joya & Robienne Sane defeated Demonyitang Daniella Cavite, Crystal & Max Liwanag when Joya pinned Cavite with the Cutter (?:??).
3. Emman & “Mad Kat” Karina defeated Trainee Kenzo & Trainee Kiko when Emman pinned Kiko with the Styles Clash (?:??).
4. Jonathan Johnson defeated Munetatsu Nakamura with a Bridging Pin (?:??).
5. Jake De Leon & Shivam defeated Black Kat & Lifeguard Jack when De Leon pinned Black Kat with the Jumping Super Kick (?:??).
GCW/BZW “NOW OR NEVER”, 23/05/2026 Espace Isabelle de Hainaut, Rue de Saint-Quentin, Bapaume, France
1. BZW Tag Team Titles – 3 Way Tag Match: MBM & Ultima Sombra defeated MAO & Yoshihiko (c) and Jimmy Lloyd & Jeffrey John when MBM pinned Yoshihiko with the Reincarnation Reversal (15:27). *MAO & Yoshihiko fail in V8. Rivality become the 7th BZW Tag Team Champions!
2. DDT Universal Title – 3 Way Match: Kazuma Sumi (c) defeated Gringo Loco and Leedz Lewis when Sumi pinned Lewis with the Reverse 450 Splash (14:22). *V2 for Kazuma Sumi.
Kazuma Sumi’s goal of defending the DDT Universal Title overseas finally came to pass this month. MAO got him booked for the BZW collab show with GCW in France. His match wasn’t an easy task at all because he had to fight the former Universal Champion Gringo Loco as well as French wrestler Leedz Lewis in a 3 Way bout where he could lose the title without being pinned. Sumi made the most of his moment and pinned Lewis with the Reverse 450 Splash to keep the belt and impress the fans in attendance. He said afterward that he now has a great sense of accomplishment because he can go do his style of wrestling anywhere in the world. He is eager to compete overseas again and spread his name around the planet.
The same success wasn’t there for MAO & Yoshihiko. Their year and a half long reign as BZW Tag Team Champions finally came to an end in a 3 Way Tag against a BZW team and a GCW team. Everybody brawled out of the venue and Yoshihiko did a dive off of a truck to put Jimmy Lloyd through a table. Rivality brought the belts back to their home promotion in the end when MBM found a counter to Yoshihiko’s finishing move, reversing the pin into one of his own for the three count. MAO feels happy that he got to wreak havoc in four different countries while holding the belts with Yoshihiko. His next goal in BZW is to win a singles championship so then some day DDT can hold a show in Europe!
DXCN “DAKILA II”, 24/05/2026 Brawl Pit Bulusan, Quezon City, Philippines
1. 4 Way Match: Robin Sane defeated Jonathan Johnson, Shaheen and Munetatsu Nakamura (?:??).
2. Dexcon World Title: Jake De Leon (c) defeated Chris Brookes (?:??). *V5 for Jake De Leon.
Another packed weekend in the Philippines is in the books for Brookes. He wasn’t able to come back to Japan with another championship because Jake De Leon was able to defend his Dexcon World Title against him. Munetatsu Nakamura was also part of the Dexcon weekend, taking part in a high flying 4 Way Match where Robin Sane picked up the win over Shaheen.
AEW “DOUBLE OR NOTHING”, 24/05/2026 Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York City, New York, USA
1. AEW International Title: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Kazuchika Okada (c) with the Raging Fire (19:01). *Kazuchika Okada fails in V10. Konosuke Takeshita becomes the 13th AEW International Champion!
Being at the show live I can tell you the building was very excited to see Okada Vs Takeshita happen with the match graphic on the pre-show getting one of the largest pops out of the lineup. The match was fantastic even with the Don Callis drama at ringside happening midway through. Callis tried to play neutral by telling Okada not to risk injuring Takeshita. While Okada reluctantly followed that instruction, Takeshita did not do the same when Callis gave him the same order. It still took a lot for Takeshita to finally beat Okada, countering the Rainmaker with his own Lariat and then hitting a big Elbow Strike when the Wagamama only got a one count. But when he finally used the Raging Fire there was no fight left in Okada to kick out and Takeshita became the new AEW International Champion! The sweet taste of victory was quickly spoiled when The Don Callis Family all looked to turn on Takeshita after the match. Kyle Fletcher made his big return from injury to hug Takeshita only to turn on him with a backstabbing attack, confirming that our guy is now kicked out of the Family.
AEW “COLLISION”, 30/05/2026 Propst Arena At Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
1. AEW International Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) defeated Daniel Garcia with the Raging Fire (14:27). *V1 for Konosuke Takeshita.
Takeshita had to get over the heartbreak of ProtoShita being split up by having his first International Title defence against Daniel Garcia. A wrestler like Garcia has some tricks up his sleeve, like countering Takeshita’s top rope Clothesline into an Arm Drag to the canvas where he then applied the Sharpshooter. Takeshita blocked a rolling cradle that would have set up another submission hold, turning it over to a German Suplex. The big Elbow Strike after that set up the Raging Fire and Takeshita got his first defence in the bag, all while Jon Moxley was watching on from the commentary table. Members of The Don Callis Family ran into the ring to attack Takeshita after the match while outside the ring the Death Riders and Shane Taylor Promotions all suddenly appeared to brawl with each other. If that wasn’t chaotic enough, The Conglomeration entered the fight and cleared the room so it was only them and Takeshita left in the ring. So we end the month with Takeshita finding a new bunch of friends (or an old friend in Mike Bailey’s case).
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Upcoming Appearances
EVE “EVE 150: HISTORY MAKERS RULE BREAKERS!”, 05/06/2026 Big Penny Social, London, England
1. EVE International Title: Kris Statlander (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
Right, let’s get things out of the way before the World Cup starts. Miyu Yamashita returns to EVE very soon hoping to win gold there again, this time fighting Kris Statlander from AEW for the EVE International Title. As much as I would love to see a result here that follows up from Yamashita’s match with Jamie Hayter last time around, I’m not sure if that’s something EVE is planning for.
WXW “DRIVE OF CHAMPIONS 2026”, 06/06/2026 Turbinenhalle 1, Oberhausen, Germany
1. Ahura & Jun Akiyama Vs 1 Called Manders & Thomas Shire
Germany welcomes Jun Akiyama for the weekend where he will meet Ahura to team up against Cowboy Way.
CMLL “FANTASTICA MANIA 2026”, 19/06/2026 Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
It is CMLL’s turn to host “FANTASTICA MANIA” and Konosuke Takeshita will be there on behalf of New Japan.
SETUP “HELLRAISER”, 27/06/2026 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. Hardcore Unsanctioned Anything Goes Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Jonathan Johnson
The travelling is not ending yet for Daisuke Sasaki. A few weeks after he is done with Best Of The Super Jr. he will be going over to Thailand for a SETUP show. Jonathan Johnson threw out a challenge recently to prove he is one of the best wrestlers in his corner of the world. Sasaki answered his challenge and wants it to be unsanctioned so anything goes!
DDT “KING OF DDT 2026 FINAL!!”, 31/05/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
0. Dark Match: Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yuki Ishida defeated Akito & Hinata Kasai when Ishida pinned Kasai with the Leg Scoop Suplex (7:59).
1. King Of DDT – Semi Final: Shinya Aoki defeated Minoru Suzuki with the European Clutch (9:37).
2. King Of DDT – Semi Final: MAO defeated Danshoku Dieno with the Iai Kick (11:54).
3. Jun Akiyama, Naomi Yoshimura & Junta Miyawaki defeated Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion when Miyawaki pinned Ilusion with the Sunshine Driver (9:05).
4. Special Tag Match ~ Kaisei Takechi Return Match: Yuki Ueno & Kaisei Takechi defeated Kazuki Hirata & To-y when Ueno submitted Hirata with a Crab Hold (0:01).
4a. Rematch: Yuki Ueno & Kaisei Takechi defeated Kazuki Hirata & To-y when Takechi pinned Hirata with the BREAK IT DOWN (9:15).
5. FANTÔMES DRAMATIC Vs STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION!: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda defeated KANON, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO & YUZUKI) when Brookes pinned Maligno with the Praying Mantis Bomb (12:08).
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato (c) defeated Shunma Katsumata, Yuni & Kazuma Sumi when Masada pinned Yuni with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (14:56). *V4 for paleyouth.
7. King Of DDT – Final: Shinya Aoki defeated MAO with the Aoki Clutch (17:20).
Shinya Aoki can now add his name to the list of quite frankly eccentric list of names to have won the King Of DDT tournament! His fighting style proved to be the most dominant throughout the bracket and tempted MAO into playing Aoki’s gameplan instead of his own in the final. Aoki then pulled out something different by using a Spinning Headscissors to throw MAO out of the ring so he could follow up with the Topé Suicida. MAO tried rolling up Aoki into cradles like the Japanese Leg Roll and the Crucifix Pin but that backfired big time when Aoki caught him in the Aoki Clutch, getting the three count and crowning himself the tournament winner.
As Aoki was receiving his trophy he started calling out to an unexpected member of Strange Love Connection. Aoki yelled at Viento Maligno to get in the ring and stop his nonsense because everybody knows what he’s doing… Maligno simply made a big “Wooooo” noise into the microphone before rejoining SLC and walking back to the locker room with them. Due to this interaction taking place, DDT later decided to book a singles match between Aoki and Maligno for 3rd June at Shinjuku FACE.
Aoki then declared his challenge to Yuki Ueno for the KO-D Openweight Title. He likes Aoki and said he is like family to him. But the more Aoki likes his opponent, the more power he unleashes on that person so he asked Ueno to be the very best he’ll ever be for the title match. The match is made for 28th June and Aoki promised to live his life to the fullest until then so he can beat Ueno. The champion remembers losing the KO-D Title to Aoki back in 2024 and does not want to repeat that. He is going to give his friend so much in the match that Aoki won’t be able to handle it!
MAO’s place in the semi final was secured when he defeated Danshoku Dieno earlier in the show. Dieno unleashed his full Danshoku power early but MAO expertly countered the attack by Kancho poking him up the backside. MAO then fought fire with fire by using the Lip Lock until Dieno overpowered him with the same move. The Danshoku Claw to the crotch couldn’t hold MAO back forever and he kept fighting even when the back of his tights were pulled down by Dieno for pinning leverage. A number of different strikes from MAO took their toll on Dieno and he was put down with the Iai Kick, bringing his spirited tournament run to an end.
The last time Aoki fought Minoru Suzuki in DDT, the DDT Universal Title was on the line and Suzuku pummeled his opponent into a KO victory. The rematch here was more grapple heavy this time with Suzuki and Aoki trying to bend whatever part of the opponent’s body they could grab onto. Suzuki avoided the Aoki Clutch but that isn’t the only move in Aoki’s arsenal. He switched over to a Modified Armbar that then turned into the European Clutch that kept Suzuki pinned down for the victory!
It was Yuni’s time to step up and do his part to make NωA Jr. the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions again. paleyouth didn’t see things that way because they still have things to do as champions, things that NωA Jr. couldn’t even scratch when they last held the belts. The challengers almost overwhelmed Takeshi Masada with their numbers. He was able to German Suplex Shunma Katsumata away but took a Canadian Destroyer from Kazuma Sumi and then the Messiah DDT from Yuni. Masada brought things to a halt for Yuni by giving him a Middle Kick and planting him with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki to retain the titles. After the match Daichi Sato said he was happy to have a tough title match with Yuni because they are near the same age. Yuya Koroku called Yuni a brat but also admitted he has incredible determination. paleyouth then said they are two defences away from tying the record for most KO-D 6-Man Tag Title defences and three more away from breaking it. Backstage Katsumata talked about how Yuni struggles the most out of D GENERATIONS because everyone else has achieved their own thing while he was focused on his university exams. He hopes today will be a turning point for Yuni because he can offer something unique to DDT just like how everyone else has their own thing.
The addition of YUZUKI to SLC hasn’t instantly paid off with success yet. She assisted the team by attacking Antonio Honda with a whip after he got sent outside the ring. Honda deserved it for being rude towards Maligno at the start of the match. He loudly shouted “Who are you?” while fighting him. HARASHIMA and Yukio Naya fought to a stalemate so Honda tagged in. He then tripped and tried to tell a story about his town being filled with kids who ring doorbells in the middle of the night and run away before he can answer them. KANON then blocked the Gongitsune attack and redirected Honda into striking his own partners. Chris Brookes saved Honda from being pinned by throwing a towel at Maligno and ended up pinning Maligno himself by using the Praying Mantis Bomb.
Kaisei Takechi’s big return from appendicitis ended right when it started. Yuki Ueno immediately threw To-y out of the ring and made Kazuki Hirata tap out to a Crab Hold without Takechi needing to do anything. Hisaya Imabayashi blew a gasket because the big star’s return was ruined. Takechi calmed things down by saying everyone in DDT is a star, including Hirata because of his dance skills. Takechi then encouraged everyone to restart the match so Hirata can show why he shouldn’t be giving up so easily. Imabayashi was touched by Takechi’s humility and allowed the match to restart. This time To-y & Hirata both put on a better fight together and Takechi got to dance with Hirata despite Ueno’s hatred of it. Ueno was briefly knocked out by his own partner so the dance could go ahead. Hirata tried to sneak attack Takechi during the dance but paid for it by taking the BREAK IT DOWN and take the losing fall again.
After the match Takechi told the fans he had to miss the King Of DDT tournament due to his illness so he is going to clear his schedule, get into shape and work hard so he will get to take part in it next year. Ueno then announced he will be holding a show at Korakuen Hall on 13th September to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of his debut. He promised to show everyone the DDT he’s been able to cultivate over the last 10 years. Takechi asked to be a part of it so Ueno is thinking about making him team up with Hirata. As for Ueno himself, he later brought up wanting to have a match against Katsumata on the show.
Momentum is looking to be on Junta Miyawaki’s side as he heads toward his DDT Extreme Title challenge against Hidaki Okatani. The heavy threat of MJ Paul was extinguished by Naomi Yoshimura and Miyawaki ducked under a bamboo stick swing, causing Okatani to hit Ilusion over the head instead. With Jun Akiyama’s help, Miyawaki gave Okatani a Swinging DDT before pinning Ilusion with the Sunshine Driver.
The dark match was changed on short notice because Rukiya’s neck is acting up and he wasn’t able to wrestle today. Akito took his place and teamed up with Hinata Kasai in a losing effort against Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yuki Ishida. Kasai came close to winning but was stunned by Ishida’s Flame Palm and was then pinned with the Leg Scoop Suplex.
For the third time in weeks, Super Sasadango Machine approached Dieno asking him to be part of his team for the DDT Vs New Japan show happening in one week’s time. He met him in the ring at the end of the show, pointing out that King Of DDT is now finished and Dieno should now be completely free to help Sasadango out. If Dieno refused then Sasadango would do the unspeakable and reveal to everyone Dieno’s shoot name! Dieno’s response is it’s not the right time for him to do Sasadango’s show because the World Cup begins three days afterwards. Dieno wants to watch all of the late night games coming up so he needs the few days before that to save up on his sleeping habits. Sasadango begun to cry because he couldn’t believe Dieno would sit by and watch his beloved DDT get trampled by New Japan. As much as the show is being built around friendly competition, it is really a war that DDT cannot afford to lose! He threatened to bring Dieno to court where his real name would be exposed but Dieno told him to calm down so they can talk again later.
There is currently a brief break for the Best Of The Super Jr. tournament so Daisuke Sasaki was in attendance for today’s show. He was too embarrassed to talk because he currently has a losing record so he whispered his message into Imabayashi’s ear. Imabayashi encouraged Sasaki not to give up because he still has a chance to win his block if he wins his remaining matches. The GM then revealed one of Sasaki’s opponents for his tag match happening at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2026” on 11th August. It’s Antonio Honda! Imabayashi then revealed that DDT has not made a decision for who Sasaki or Honda’s tag partners will be. Instead it will be up to them to look into their connections and decide for themselves. Since DDT is holding a competition for fans to guess what the match is, Honda said he is going to pick someone who will surprise everybody. Sasaki on the other hand said his pick won’t surprise anyone.
Soma Takao announced his return match will happen on 28th June. He has been on the shelf with a left knee injury since January and is thrilled to be making his comeback soon. He said there are quite a few new DDT fans who only know him as the manager of the Dropkick Bar so he is excited for them to see him wrestle for the first time.
DDT will be holding a pro wrestling event attached to the Kumagawa Railway in Kumamoto on 22nd November. The Kumagawa Railway has been under repairs due to storm damage ever since the summer of 2020. This year those repairs will be completed and it is scheduled to finally reopen this September. DDT is celebrating the occasion by holding two matches to take place inside the train along with an actual wrestling show taking place at the journey’s destination Yunomae Station.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. 30: NEW MOON ON MONDAY”, 19/05/2026 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Chie Koishikawa Vs Dark King Ueki, Munek & Princess Seki
2. Special Single Match: The Great American Indie Wrestler Vs Anarko Montaña
3. BK-G Openweight Title: Mr. Bueno (c) Vs Baliyan Akki
4. Shinya Aoki Vs Mr. Malo
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 