DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KUMAMOTO”, 17/12/2023 Kumamoto Sakurajuji Hall Yatsushiro Multipurpose Hall 282 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani defeated Soma Takao & Kazuma Sumi when Okatani submitted Sumi with a Dragon Sleeper (10:43).
2. Chris Brookes, Akito & Takeshi Masada defeated Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata when Masada pinned Oishi with the Triangle Kick (10:47).
3. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Naya & Rukiya when Endo pinned Rukiya with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb (14:19).
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) defeated Yuki Iino (2) with a Modified Crucific Pin (11:53).
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (6) defeated KANON (4) with the Just Face Lock (13:17).
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs Harimao!: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida defeated Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima when Higuchi pinned Kojima with the Brain Claw Slam (22:08).
1. Yukio Naya (6)
-. MAO (6)
-. Rei Saito (6)
4. KANON (4)
5. Kazuki Hirata (2)
-. Chris Brookes (2)
Only two D-Oh Grand Prix matches today but they both help set the table for the final group matches taking place on Christmas Eve. MAO now finds himself at the top of the B Block but space is tight up there. He beat KANON and used TAKA Michinoku’s Just Face Lock submission for the win to rub it in. The result is payback for KANON beating him with the Cobra Twist during last year’s Grand Prix. With that debt repaid, MAO now thinks KANON is somebody who might be standing on the same level as him in the near future. KANON has now completed all of his group matches and he’s upset because all he got out of it is a pair of Hirata GO! glasses.
The only A Block match had Daisuke Sasaki playing mind games with Yuki Iino. Sasaki claimed Iino still has a trace of “Sexy” inside him and he was going to bring it out of him! Sasaki did poses to remind Iino of Pheromones and make him lose his temper. While this sent Iino on a rampage chasing after Sasaki, it also led to him making mistakes. The big one was Iino missing a Spear and hitting the exposed corner post after Sasaki had removed the turnbuckle pad. The damage did not immediately cost Iino the match but it didn’t take Sasaki long to pin him with a Crucifix afterwards. Sasaki then added insult to injury by saying Iino was never sexy at all! While Iino no longer has a chance to reach the final, he still promises fans will see him show everything with full power at DDT’s last Korakuen Hall show of the year.
The show today did not have a big focus on the D-Oh because it was also Yuki Ishida’s triumphant return to his hometown Yatsushiro, Kumamoto. The 37KAMIINA wanted to spoil Harimao’s party, particularly when Ishida responded to Toy Kojima’s “NeppoWER” pose with an enthusiastic “Dosukoi” shout. It was Kazusada Higuchi who scored the win by pinning Kojima but Ishida did his part by keeping Yuki Ueno away from the finish. After the match Ishida told the fans he’s really happy to see so many people from Yatsushiro come to watch DDT wrestling. It’s always been his goal to perform here for DDT and next time he wants DDT to book him in a title match here!
Today was Jun Akiyama’s last time teaming with other wrestler in BURNING before he leaves the unit at the end of the year. Tetsuya Endo said the unit will now consist of just himself, Yusuke Okada and the currently injured Yuya Koroku. He thanked Akiyama for everything he taught them over the last two years. Endo also thinks the best way to repay Akiyama is for BURNING to grow bigger without him, even if that means they go and win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles from Akiyama’s other team D.O.A! Akiyama joked that when he quits BURNING he will go back to being a normal old man. He also pointed out BURNING has to wait for Koroku to come back before they can get in line for a title shot. That is unless they find a new member of course. However it happens, D.O.A have to go through their current schedule of title defences in order to make a title match against BURNING happen in the future.
Growing with confidence thanks to some recent success, Takeshi Masada claims he is no longer scared of Danshoku Dieno and and his backside. Makoto Oishi threatened to feed Dieno wasabi paste but Hisaya Imabayashi stopped him, just like he did yesterday. Instead Imabayashi invited Yuki Ishida’s father into the ring to hand them a piece of Karashi Renkon, which is a local dish in Kumamoto. During the match Oishi stuck the food in Dieno’s backside and tried forcing Masada to eat it. Masada instead turned it around and shoved it into Oishi’s mouth. Masada then pinned him with the Triangle Kick. He thought about thanking Ishida’s father for helping him win but decided it was because of the Karashi Renkon instead. Schadenfreude International then vowed o win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles from D.O.A on Christmas Eve.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. TEN: ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY”, 12/12/2023 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Masahiro Takanashi with La Magistral Cradle Cutback (?:??).
2. Special Single Match: Mad Dr. Ueki defeated Shigehiro Irie with a School Boy (?:??).
3. Special Single Match: MAO Vs Ram Kaichow ended in a No Contest (?:??).
4. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Munetatsu Nakamura with the Praying Mantis Bomb (?:??).
That year went by quickly. In the space of twelve months Chris Brookes has held 10 events in the small but packed ARENA Shimokitazawa with his friends of all shapes, sizes and origins. To celebrate one year with Baka Gaijin + Friends, Brookes decided to face a young wrestler who was just a fan back when Brookes first started wrestling in Japan. Munetatsu Nakamura got the full Baka Gaijin experience wrestling against Brookes. He was Body Slammed onto a front row of stools but also jumped off the bar counter to hit a Rolling Senton. Brookes took the match down to the mat with the Octopus Stretch, hit him with a short-range Somato and even did a Tombstone but Nakamura kept kicking out. He was finally put away with the Praying Mantis Bomb. After the match Masahiro Takanashi challenged Nakamura to a tag team bout at Gatoh Move on 10th January. Not only that but Takanashi also called over Taiwanese wrestler Gaia Hox to be Nakamura’s partner so the two of them can fight CDK together.
The main event was slightly delayed because everyone had to clean up after the mess MAO and Ram Kaichow made during their match against each other. MAO came out dressed in a ghostbusting uniform that did not infringe any copyrights. Despite Kaichow being the more paranormal presence of the two, MAO was arguably the weirder person. He mimicked other wrestlers and deflected Kaichow’s invisible shurikans at Daisuke Kiso, causing the ref to bleed out while Kaicow had what could have been the match winning pinfall. MAO also brought out a vaccum cleaner to suck in Kaichow but Kiso was used as a human shield. Kaichow threw ectoplasm powder at MAO but it did nothing thanks to the goggles he was wearing. With the fight at a standstill, both MAO and Kaichow grabbed fire extinguishers and used them against each other, filling the entire room in a cloud of CO2! It was so chaotic that the match had to be called off and the mat had to be hoovered.
Mad Dr. Ueki pulled off an upset against Shigehiro Irie. There was barely enough room on the mat for the two to fight each other so they tried to hit the big moves early. Ueki then took out a syringe but it was knocked to the floor and stepped on, breaking it. Kiso got in the way trying to clear the pieces and all three people bumped into each other, causing Irie to swap bodies with Kiso! He did Irie’s moves like the Cannoball and Beast Bomber but Ueki kept kicking out and throwing Kiso into Irie to send their bodies back to normal. The situation finally fixed itself when Kiso and Irie ran into each other and accidentally kissed. Irie was back in his normal body but Ueki then immediately pinned him with a School Boy. Not only did Ueki win the match but he now has more data that can be used for Mecha Mummy!
One of the other first timers on today’s show was Yuki Ueno. The current KO-D Openweight Champion was given a match with Takanashi and all of the dirty tricks he knows in an environment such as this. He tricked Ueno into calling a toast and then attacked him from behind. He also forced Ueno to drink a full glass of beer before dragging him around the room and throwing him head first into a wooden pillar. Ueno eventually found his footing and adapted to his new surroundings. He did a handstand on a stool, the ceiling bar and also leap frogged the referee to elevate his moves. Takanashi however blocked a Diving Body Press from the bar counter and tried to get the win with cradle pins. That backfired when Ueno blocked La Magistral Cradle and pressed down Takanashi’s shoulders to get the three count and the victory.
Shin Suzuki was the ring announcer today. Chie Koishikawa also did some microphone duties while Antonio Honda did a musical performance during intermission.
The next Baka Gaijin + Friends event will take place on 17th January.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN OSAKA”, 09/12/2023 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall 245 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi defeated Akito & Kazuma Sumi when Oishi pinned Sumi with the Death Penalty (9:35).
2. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul defeated Yuki Iino & Tsutenkakka by Disqualification when Iino attacked the referee (9:38).
3. Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada defeated MAO, Toy Kojima & Ilusion when Masada pinned Ilusion with the Masada Power KOBU Mukimuki (13:00).
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Rei Saito (4) defeated Kazuki Hirata (0) with the Diving Body Press (12:49).
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: KANON (4) defeated Yukio Naya (6) by Referee Stoppage with the Modified Cobra Twist (13:47).
6. All Asia Tag Team Titles: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani (c) defeated Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada when Okatani pinned Okada with the Quetzalcoatl (16:57). *V1 for Eruption.
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Kazusada Higuchi (4) defeated HARASHIMA (2) with the Brain Claw Slam (13:14).
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (4) defeated Yuki Ueno (3) with the Forest Bridge (21:18).
1. Yukio Naya (6)
2. Rei Saito (4)
-. MAO (4)
-. KANON (4)
5. Chris Brookes (2)
6. Kazuki Hirata (0)
The KO-D Openweight Champion has hit a rocky patch in his D-Oh Grand Prix block. Yuki Ueno’s next match after his time limit draw did not go the way he wanted it to. Tetsuya Endo beat him after a back and forth battle, catching Ueno with a roll up. There was an exchange of signature moves from the two and when Ueno got the upper hand and ran the ropes, Endo caught him in a Headlock Takeover and hooked the leg to pin him for the victory. Endo is keeping the move in his arsenal, naming it the Forest Bridge. He said there is not much time left in 2023 but when he comes back to Osaka in January he will do so as the D-Oh winner! Ueno knows a title match against Endo might be on the cards in the future because of this result. But if Endo does challenge him in the future, he’s never going to give the KO-D Title over to him.
Joining Endo in first place is Kazusada Higuchi after the big man defeated HARASHIMA. He caught the Somato and turned it into a Power Bomb. However HARASHIMA was able to hit the move after another try to cause a double down situation. Higuchi got the advantage from that point and pinned HARASHIMA with the Brain Claw Slam. Higuchi said he can’t take a second to relax in his matches but he still persevered. HARASHIMA praised Higuchi for always being a great opponent to fight.
B Block is still alive with a big upset. KANON not only beat Yukio Naya but sapped the life out of him to win by TKO! The way KANON fought was enough to take Naya down to an even level where they were both close to getting counted out via Double Knockout. But at the 8 count they got back up and kept fighting. When KANON got to put Naya in the Cobra Twist he squeezed as hard as he could. Naya ended up losing conciousness and the match had to be stopped. Backstage Naya admitted he underestimated KANON but there is now a debt between them that will be repayed some day. This result might end up blowing B Block wide open right when it looked like Naya had it all locked up.
Well, the only one who doesn’t have a chance in B Block now is Kazuki Hirata. He continues to be at zero points with another loss. Today’s result was already over before the match even begun because Rei Saito carried a beaten up Hirata down to the ring during the entrances. When asked what happened, Saito said Hirata attacked him backstage so he just returned the favour. Hirata was checked on and he was still breathing so the match went ahead. Saito thought he would get an easy win but Hirata refused to lose. He then distracted Saito by giving him fried rice to eat and then tried attacking him from behind. That only made Saito mad because he hates it when people get in the way of his meal. He got the last laugh by putting on the Hirata GO! glasses and then crushing Hirata with the Diving Body Press, all while music was playing. He wonders if what happened was really pro wrestling but a win is a win.
The big match outside of the Grand Prix bouts was Eruption against BURNING with the All Asia Tag Team Titles at stake. What was planned to be Yusuke Okada teaming with Yuya Koroku was changed to a team with Jun Akiyama instead due to Koroku being injured. Eruption had just come back from wrestling in All Japan for a month as part of the Real World Tag League. A big development in that tournament for Hideki Okatani in particular was him adopting Saki Akai’s finisher the Quetzalcoatl as his own match winning move. He used it here to pin Okada and defend the titles.
After the match Toy Kojima entered the ring. He congratulated Eruption for winning and then announced today is his 24th birthday! To celebrate it he challenged Eruption to a title match and his tag partner is going to be Atsushi Onita! His challenge was turned down by Yukio Sakaguchi who said while Kojima has spent the last three weeks in the sauna, Eruption were busy fighting heavyweight tag teams in AJPW. Kojima wouldn’t give up and figured he just needed to promise something passionate for Eruption to convince them. Okatani was interested and told Kojima to come up with whatever match he wants because Eruption will beat them no matter what. Kojima decided the match can also be a Current Blast Death Match! The idea has been sent to the PWF committee and DDT will have to hear back from them for the date and location of the match if it gets approved.
Rukiya was absent from the show over being in poor health so he was replaced with Tsutenkakka as Yuki Iino’s tag partner. During the match itself Daisuke Sasaki attacked Iino with a chair. He then grabbed Iino’s tights and tried to pull them down! Iino lost his temper and attacked Sasaki. When the referee stepped in to stop him, Iino then attacked the ref causing himself to get disqualified.
Before the opening match took place Kazuma Sumi told Akito he is scared of the Wasabi Lip Lock that Danshoku Dieno now uses. Akito explained that Dieno hates the move too but promised to stop Makoto Oishi from feeding Dieno with the wasabi. The plan did not work and the Lip Lock happened when Oishi squeezed the wasabi into Dieno’s mouth. He then gave Dieno a Stunner that bounced him lips first into Sumi. After that Oishi used the Death Penalty Inverted DDT on Sumi for the win.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN OSAKA”, 09/12/2023 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
1. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Iino & Rukiya
2. Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
3. Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada Vs MAO, Toy Kojima & Ilusion
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Kazuki Hirata (0) Vs Rei Saito (2)
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya (6) Vs KANON (2)
6. All Asia Tag Team Titles: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani (c) Vs Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Kazusada Higuchi (2) Vs HARASHIMA (2)
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (3) Vs Tetsuya Endo (2)
The D-Oh Grand Prix continues tomorrow. A Block still has everyone in the race so it’s only fair to have Yuki Ueno Vs Tetsuya Endo and Kazusada Higuchi Vs HARASHIMA be the top two matches of the show. But over in B Block Yukio Naya is one more step towards cleaning up the entire group if he beats KANON. The Kazuki Hirata Vs Rei Saito match is pretty much just for pride at this point. Not that Hirata has that much pride to begin with but you know what I mean.
Eruption are also back from the Real World Tag League looking to shake off their middle of the table finish. They might have a long line of challengers forming up in front of them so they need to retain the All Asia Tag Team Titles against BURNING if they have any intention of dealing with that.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’24”, 04/01/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Aja Kong Vs Wakana Uehara
2. Rina Yamashita Vs Maki Itoh
3. International Princess Title: Max The Impaler (c) Vs Yuki Arai
4. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Masha Slamovich
Last night in the space of about half an hour there were two Tokyo Joshi Pro title matches taking place in North America. Over in Quebec, Canada Max The Impaler had a surprise International Princess Title defence at the Mystery Wrestling show put together by Evil Uno. Max defeated Jody Threat in the semi-main event. Word of the match reached back to TJPW and they officially recognize it as Max’s third successful title defence. That now means if Max beats Yuki Arai on 4th January they will tie the current record for most IP Title defences in a single reign at four wins.
Then as soon as that match had finished Miyu Yamashita was entering the ring in New York, USA to defend the Princess Of Princess Title against Delmi Exo at an MLW show. She won that match to earn her second defence in this latest title run. Maki Itoh was also on the show but she lost to Janai Kai in a match for the MLW World Featherweight Title. I’ll write more about the matches on the next DDT Around The World article at the start of next month.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 05/01/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. Something by HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata, etc.: X Vs X
2. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno, MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Toy Kojima & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy
The three main members of DISASTER BOX are all putting their heads together to book something for DDT’s first visit to Shinjuku FACE in 2024. Whatever it is the three of them will be involved along with others.
1. Legendary Hostess Vs The Toughest Girl In Osaka: Riara Vs Momoka Hanazono
When Ganbare☆Pro heads to Osaka in the new year Riara takes on Momoka Hanazono. This joshi wrestler’s nickname may not match with all of the flowers and bubbles she surrounds herself with but it is still accurate. Hanazono has a background in rugby before becoming a pro wrestler.
HARASHIMA, Soma Takao, Ilusion, Tyson Maeguchi and Banny Oikawa will all be on the show.
DDT “NEW YEAR FAN APPRECIATION DAY!”, 20/01/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Bryan Keith, Soma Takao & Shota
Three days of DDT appearances await for Bryan Keith in the new year. He makes his Japanese wrestling debut here by teaming with ROMANCE DAWN against The 37KAMIINA. Keith was an opponent for Shota during Shota’s US excursion last year.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024 TOUR IN SHINAGAWA”, 21/01/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs Bryan Keith
The next day Keith gets the match MAO has been demanding. The DDT Universal Title is on the line for this rematch from West Coast Pro during the summer. Keith won the first battle and MAO wants revenge! What happens to a bounty hunter when it’s time for them to repay a debt?
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2024”, 28/01/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Naruki Doi
Keith’s third and last appearance on this tour will be at Korakuen Hall near the end of the month.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN SHINJUKU DAY 2”, 03/12/2023 Shinjuku FACE 266 Fans
1. Special Tag Match: KANON & Demus defeated MIKAMI & Kazuma Sumi when Demus pinned Sumi with La Valagueza (10:36).
2. HARASHIMA, Akito, Toy Kojima & Takeshi Masada defeated Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi, Yusuke Okada & Rukiya when Masada pinned Rukiya with the Masada Power KOBU Mukimuki (8:58).
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya (6) defeated Kazuki Hirata (0) with The World’s Best Back Drop (11:39).
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (2) defeated Yuki Iino (0) with the Burning Star Press (13:36).
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (3) Vs Daisuke Sasaki (1) ended in a Time Limit Draw (30:00).
6. DDT Universal Title – D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (c) (4) defeated Chris Brookes (2) by Countout (21:34). *V2 for MAO.
1. Yukio Naya (6)
2. MAO (4)
3. Rei Saito (2)
-. Chris Brookes (2)
-. KANON (2)
6. Kazuki Hirata (0)
In an unusual turn of events MAO came out before any of the D-Oh Grand Prix matches began and demanded his bout with Chris Brookes be for the DDT Universal Title and also be moved to the main event. What prompted this was the announcement of American independent wrestler Bryan Keith coming to DDT in January. Hisaya Imabayashi was confused by MAO’s actions but when Brookes agreed to it he went through the proper channels to make it happen. The main event itself played off of last year’s D-Oh match between MAO and Brookes where they both purposely fought to win by countout. They took the action all over the room. Brookes used tape to stick MAO flat onto a table but Shunma Katsumata & Toy Kojima lifted him back to the ring. SCHADENFREUDE International then interfered after a ref bump and had to be fought off by The 37KAMIINA. Outside the ring Brookes gave MAO the Praying Mantis Bomb onto a counter but couldn’t crawl back to the ring in time because his legs were all taped together. MAO however recovered and jumped off the counter across the aisle onto the ring apron to beat the 20 count and win! It is a successful title defence and MAO now wants to have a Universal Title match against Keith when he shows up next month.
Yuki Ueno now leads the B Block in the early going but only just. He scraped a point by going to a 30 minute draw against Daisuke Sasaki. The match was a struggle for Ueno to get going because MJ Paul was there to help Sasaki when needed. He could have won when he hit the Jul.2 but Paul pulled away the ref during the pin. Sasaki got his second wind to go back and forth with Ueno. By the time Sasaki took him down with a Spear, the bell rang and the match ended without a winner. Ueno said whenever he has momentum, Sasaki is always there to get in his way and today’s result is not good enough. He wonders if the next time he fights him will the KO-D Openweight Title be on the line? Sasaki’s hopes of winning the tournament have gone the complete opposite from yesterday. He thinks if he can’t beat Tetsuya Endo in the next match it will be all over for him. So therefore Sasaki claims if he loses to Endo then that will be his retirement match! Nobody believes him so he made sure the reporters wrote that down.
It was time to see how the new and improved Yuki Iino could fare against Endo. He was fired up from the start but Endo used that eagerness against him. Iino charged around ringside but kept missing his target, instead running over Yusuke Okada or crashing into a row of seats. Back inside the ring the smaller space meant Iino was able to hit Endo with Spears and other tackles until Endo caught him with the Tetsuya In The Sky. Iino withstood the attacks for as long as he could but he was pinned with the Burning Star Press to end the match. The two shook hands afterwards. Endo credited the win to Iino’s lack of stamina being his weak point. He is sympathetic to him because they were both part of units that were forced to split up. Where the reborn Iino will end up is anyone’s guess.
The B Block is currently being ruled by Yukio Naya. With three wins out of three matches last year’s runner up must be having a good time out there. He got to party during today’s match because his opponent was Kazuki Hirata and that meant Hirata GO! glasses being used to set up a dance battle! The two danced together then started fighting along to the music. It ended with Naya pulling off his glasses and giving Hirata The World’s Best Back Drop to win. Naya said he loves this part of DDT and knew what to expect. He was one step ahead of Hirata the entire time. Hirata’s next match is with Rei Saito and he is not looking forward to that. He asks Saito to please be considerate towards him. Hirata also believes it would be impossible for him to dance in All Japan because the heels there will crush him if he makes any mistake.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN SHINJUKU DAY 1”, 02/12/2023 Shinjuku FACE 334 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Yuki Iino, Yusuke Okada & Rukiya defeated Yuki Ueno, Toy Kojima, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi when Okada pinned Sumi with the Sudden Death (9:57).
2. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes (2) defeated KANON (2) with the Praying Mantis Bomb (9:27).
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (2) defeated Kazuki Hirata (0) with the Hurricane Kick (10:06).
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Soma Takao & Shota (c) defeated Toru Sugiura & Akito when Shota pinned Akito with the Gannosuke Clutch (10:46). *V2 for ROMANCE DAWN.
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Kazusada Higuchi (2) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (0) with the Brain Claw (13:55).
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya (4) defeated Rei Saito (2) with The World’s Best Back Drop (15:10).
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: HARASHIMA (2) defeated Tetsuya Endo (0) with the Tsurube Otoshi (17:13).
1. Yukio Naya (4)
2. Rei Saito (2)
-. MAO (2)
-. Chris Brookes (2)
-. KANON (2)
6. Kazuki Hirata (0)
HARASHIMA is making sure his run in this year’s D-Oh Grand Prix is going to be better than the last time he was in the tournament. He didn’t win a single match in the 2021 (Part 2) edition of the Grand Prix. By beating Tetsuya Endo today he is already guaranteed to finish better off this year. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds though. HARASHIMA had to pull out the rare Tsurube Otoshi head drop finish to pin Endo for the three count when the Somato couldn’t get the job done. It was only Endo’s first match in the block but the pressure is getting to him. With Jun Akiyama leaving BURNING soon and Yuya Koroku recently getting injured, it’s more important now than ever for Endo to do his best and get results.
Is that it? Did Yukio Naya win his feud against The Saito Brothers already? The interactions between the two sides built up to Naya taking on Rei Saito in the tournament and Naya beat him clean. He also kicked out of the Drill-A-Hole Piledriver while Saito couldn’t survive taking The World’s Best Back Drop. But according to Naya the fighting isn’t done yet. He wants more matches against the Saitos and knows there are other wrestlers from All Japan who won’t stay silent as the growing rivalry between DDT and AJPW continues. While Naya waits for their response he is going to focus on winning the Grand Prix. Saito accepted defeat and told Naya to come over to All Japan next year where there are plenty of other monsters looking to fight him.
Kazusada Higuchi bounced back from losing his first match by beating Daisuke Sasaki with the overpowered Brain Claw. Sasaki tried to wear down Higuchi’s limbs while taking short cuts outside the ring in the hopes that Higuchi would get weaker and weaker. When that didn’t work MJ Paul distracted the referee so Sasaki could Low Blow Higuchi. He then used La Mistica to set up the Crossover Face Lock but Higuchi broke out of it by grabbing Sasaki’s head with the Brain Claw. Higuchi then gave Sasaki a Headbutt before reapplying the Brain Claw to make him give up. Higuchi has no tournament match tomorrow. Instead he will be at BASARA defending the IRON FIST Tag Team Titles with Ryota Nakatsu. Sasaki pointed out that wrestlers who often lose their first match in a tournament go on to reach the finals and win so he is not worried over today’s result.
An early exchange between MAO and Kazuki Hirata ended with Yukinori Matsui taking strikes from both of them, rendering him unconscious. They kept fighting while music played over the speakers. They spent the match trying to hit each other with a killing blow and MAO seemed to have found when he used the Hurricane Kick. Hirata tried to endure the blow but collapsed to the mat, leaving him to get pinned. MAO came up with a theory that if Shunma Katsumata never had to vacate the DDT Extreme Title then Hirata would never have become champion and get chosen to enter the Grand Prix. That means this match was fate all along. However MAO does not know where fate will bring him next in this tournament. He knows he is facing Chris Brookes tomorrow and sent out an advance warning he wants to beat him by countout just like last year!
Brookes is in a comfortable place to think about that stuff tomorrow because he beat KANON on this show. KANON tried ambushing him from the start but Brookes came out of that exchange the better man by giving KANON a ring apron assisted Twisting Neckbreaker onto the floor. It was a reminder that when it comes to fighting dirty, Brookes has more up his sleeve than KANON does. He sees potential from KANON though and wants him to get in touch if he ever gets bored of being with DAMNATION T.A.
Akito’s hopes of becoming champions with a dear friend and creating a strong bond with them were dashed by ROMANCE DAWN. Akito has grown jealous of Shota & Soma Takao’s friendship leading them to new heights while he is left behind so he brought along Toru Sugiura to fight them for the KO-D Tag Team Titles. Things were looking good for the challengers until Shota used the Gannosuke Clutch on Akito for the flash pinfall. Akito blamed Sugiura for the loss however and left the ring without shaking his hand. They did make up backstage though. Takao was relieved the lighttubes Sugiura brought to the ring with him were never used. Shota told the fans he wants to defend the KO-D Tag Titles against another team from their generation and it will be in Korakuen Hall at the end of the year. He is talking about ROMANCE DAWN’s upcoming match against Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie at Ganbare☆Pro on 27th December.
Akiyama said he and Yusuke Okada need to improve as a team even more because Eruption have been busy working hard in the Real World Tag League. Okada describes his relationship with Akiyama as an inseparable bond even though they have done nothing as a tag team. He wants them to win the All Asia Tag Team Titles as equals instead of teacher and student.
There was a notable guest in the audience for today’s show. Politician Ayaka Shiomura recently got a lot of attention when she used pro wrestling as a negative comparison to spreading false rumours to make news stories sound more entertaining. She took back the comments and apologized but still received criticism from Bushiroad through New Japan and Stardom. Jun Akiyama however had a friendlier (and more politically savvy) solution and invited Shiomura to this show so she could see for herself what pro wrestling is like live. She accepted and tweeted positive comments about her experience at the show. She also apologised to him in person for her comments.
Okay so where did things stand during November? Konosuke Takeshita’s work in America was still as a background player in the Don Callis storyline. The rivalry between him and Chris Jericho was mostly focused in Japan for DDT. But with that said there was still the rest of the month for AEW to give him stuff to do and there was nothing to show for it. Shoko Nakajima got to stomp her way to America briefly but just like every American monster movie it was only for a little while. Maki Itoh seems to be booked stronger and stronger in GCW as the months go by. She won all of her matches in America this month! I think there’s going to be some gold on her way in the future. Speaking of gold there is plenty of championship news to talk about for this month.
Sadly for Miyu Yamashita she lost some of her gold after her latest appearance in England. The global triple crown she held a few months back is now long gone and she’s back to just being a champion in Japan. The International Princess Title got to be defended overseas and even made a cameo on NWA programming. The belt was also handled by James Mitchell a lot which makes me hope it got a deep clean before it was transported back to Japan. Yuki Kamifuku has always behaved like a queen and now she gets to be called one thanks to the title she won in Singapore.
So with all of this now out of the way let’s hope December ends the year with a few high notes. Tokyo Joshi Pro has their show with Prestige coming up, Shota is doing a winter excursion and MAO is spending New Year’s with the dodgy bunch of friends you’d wish your kid wouldn’t hang out with.
DAIKAIJU PRO “VOL. 1 – THE KAPPAS WALK AMONG US”, 04/11/2023 White Eagle, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
1. Shoko Nakajima Vs VENY
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 15/11/2023 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Like A Dragon Street Fight: Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Paul Wight Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Powerhouse Hobbs & Brian Cage
EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM – SHOW 2”, 19/11/2023 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Safire Reed
SPW “VIVA LA LUCHA!”, 24/11/2023 Foo Chow Building, Singapore
1. Queen Of Asia Title: Alexis Lee (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku
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Results
GCW “PLEASE, BUDDY”, 03/11/2023 Pop’s Nightclub, Sauget, Illinois, USA
1. Maki Itoh defeated Shazza McKenzie with the Itoh Deluxe (8:37).
Itoh can sing, she can dance, she can even carve open human skulls with a pizza cutter. But she cannot do the splits like Shazza McKenzie. The Australian used the splits as a defensive maneuver and then challenged Itoh to match it. Itoh struggled but it didn’t matter because McKenzie then kicked her aside and took control of the match. Itoh recovered and locked in the Itoh Deluxe to make her opponent tap out.
DAIKAIJU PRO “VOL. 1 – THE KAPPAS WALK AMONG US”, 04/11/2023 White Eagle, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
1. VENY defeated Shoko Nakajima with the Moonsault Press onto the pile of Kaiju Toys (12:04).
When you have a promotion called Daikaiju Pro who else is more fitting to headline their first show than the girl nicknamed Big Kaiju? Nakajima brought out a bag filled with kaiju toys that she wanted to use in her match against VENY but the referee wouldn’t allow her to use them. At least he was polite enough to stand up one of the toys on the apron. VENY wasn’t there to play games either. She spat water in Nakajima’s face while beating her down and later hit a big Moonsault onto her outside the ring. A second Moonsault missed its target allowing Nakajima to get her second wind. Things went haywire after VENY accidentally knocked out the ref with a slap. Nakajima had her beaten with the Northern Lights Suplex but no ref was there to count it. Nakajima took advantage by bringing in the bag of kaiju toys and throwing VENY onto them with a Top Rope Hurricanrana. The ref recovered but VENY kicked out of the pin. Nakajima then got a taste of her own medicine by being slammed onto the pile of toys with a Hurricane Driver. She kicked out of a Michinoku Driver but VENY finished her off with the Moonsault Press on top of the toys.
GCW “¿SI OR NO?”, 04/11/2023 Center Stage, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
1. Maki Itoh, Effy & Allie Katch defeated Jordan Oliver, Davey Bang & August Matthews when Itoh, Effy & Katch all pinned Matthews with a Triple Kokeshi Headbutt (11:29).
The trio known as Maki Death Bussy won again in their second outing as a team. Their opponents Young, Dumb & Bros tried to used fast paced team moves to their advantage until Allie Katch cleared house with her power. Effy then tagged in Itoh so the three of them could hit a Kokeshi Headbutt all at the same time for the win.
EVE “FRIDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING”, 10/11/2023 Big Penny Social, Walthamstow, London, England
1. International Princess Title: Max The Impaler (c) defeated Kasey (10:36). *V1 for Max The Impaler.
The International Princess Title was defended in England for the first time in over a year when Max The Impaler stepped foot into EVE once more. EVE got permission from TJPW to have Max put the title on the line against the “Monster Of Chaos” Kasey. It was a risk to do this title defence when there was already one scheduled for Max when they returned to Japan. But it turned out not to be a problem for the champion and they left EVE with the title still over their shoulder.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 15/11/2023 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. Like A Dragon Street Fight: Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Paul Wight defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Powerhouse Hobbs & Brian Cage when Omega pinned Cage with the One-Winged Angel (21:01).
Takeshita went full Goro Majima for AEW’s sponsorship with Sega and the new Lika A Dragon game. All that was missing was him calling Kenny Omega “Kenny-chan” while stalking him from every nook and cranny inside the building. The Street Fight was a full tribute to the street fights you get in the game including attacks involving bicycles, people getting slammed onto cars and shop signs getting smashed to bits. This was the kind of natural environments The Golden Lovers developed in and is a recommended throwback to the crazy Falls Count Anywhere Matches they used to get up to in DDT. Kota Ibushi cycling around ringside hitting people with a pipe until Brian Cage decapitated him with a Lariat is something wrestling will always need. Also Powerhouse Hobbs seemed to have killed Paul Wight in the parking lot and it didn’t matter towards the result. AEW really needs to fix that kind of story telling. Anyway, Omega dropped Kyle Fletcher with the One-Winged Angel to deliver a happy ending for this substory.
GCW “GOING AND GOING”, 17/11/2023 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
1. Maki Itoh defeated Nicole Matthews with the I.S.D. (9:19).
A first time meeting between Itoh and Nicole Matthews meant it was time for Matthews to discover first hand just how hard Itoh’s head is. She based her attacks around Cravates and Knee Strikes to the head. When that didn’t work she pushed the referee into the ropes to knock Itoh off balance from the top turnbuckle. However Itoh kicked out of a Northern Lights Suplex and lured Matthews back over to the corner. She gave her a Draping DDT onto the ring apron, a Tornado DDT on the floor outside the ring and then the I.S.D back in the ring for the victory.
HOODSLAM “RED”, 18/11/2023 Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA
1. Sawyer Wreck & Maki Itoh defeated Dark Sheik & Vipress when Itoh pinned Sheik with the I.S.D. (17:02).
When Itoh was last in Hoodslam she lost a match to Vipress thanks to interference from Dark Sheik. Itoh got her revenge this month by bringing along Sawyer Wreck so they could beat the two of them together. The match transformed into a chicken fight with Itoh sitting on Wreck’s shoulders and Vipress sitting on Sheik’s. Itoh toppled down the opposing tower with her Headbutts. Communication between Sheik & Vipress broke down and the two turned on each other. From that point they were easily picked off with Itoh hitting Sheik with the I.S.D. and Wreck Choke Slamming Vipress for the double pin.
EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM – SHOW 1”, 19/11/2023 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Chantal Jordan with the Skull Kick (12:27).
Two matches in one day awaited Yamashita for EVE’s last major event of the year. The afternoon match was pretty rudimentary. She beat Chantal Jordan with the Skull Kick, no questions asked.
EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM – SHOW 2”, 19/11/2023 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. EVE Title: Safire Reed defeated Miyu Yamashita (c) with a Rolling Cradle (15:35). *Miyu Yamashita fails in V9. Safire Reed becomes the 21st EVE Champion!
The second show at night however brought an end to Yamashita’s year long reign as EVE Champion. The up and comer Safire Reed beat her in a big upset to win the title! Yamashita’s title run ends as the fifth longest in EVE’s history and also has the most successful title defences on record in a single reign. I can’t imagine this will be the last time we’ll see her in EVE too so what she and maybe more from TJPW will do with them in the future is something to watch out for.
LLL “DEEP HURTING”, 22/11/2023 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. 3 Way Match: Maki Itoh defeated Lilith Grimm and Stormi Renee (?:??).
Itoh was back in Lucha Libre & Laughs, beating Lilith Grimm and Stormi Renee in a 3 Way Match.
SPW “VIVA LA LUCHA!”, 24/11/2023 Foo Chow Building, Singapore
1. Queen Of Asia Title: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Alexis Lee (c) with the Diving Famouser (?:??). *Alexis Lee fails in V5. Yuki Kamifuku becomes the 5th Queen Of Asia Champion!
In a rematch from January of this year, Kamifuku had a second chance of taking the Queen Of Asia Title from Alexis Lee. This time she succeeded and has brought the title championship back to Japan! The belt is managed by Singapore Pro Wrestling so they will need to sign off on any title defences Kamifuku will want to do in TJPW.
GCW “WRESTLECADE WEEKEND”, 24/11/2023 Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
1. Maki Itoh defeated Kylie Alexa with the I.S.D. (5:08).
There was no Kenzie Paige on the show. Instead Itoh had to take on Paige’s sister Kylie Alexa. No matter. Itoh beat her anyway.
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 29/11/2023 (Aired 01/12/2023) Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Takeshita ended his month winning a squash match with the rest of The Don Callis Family.
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Upcoming Appearances
BLACK LABEL PRO “SLAMILTON”, 02/12/2023 Berwyn Eagles Club, Berwyn, Illinois, USA
1. Rachel Armstrong Vs Maki Itoh
Itoh will still be in America while TJPW celebrates their 10th anniversary. December for her begins with Itoh taking on Rachel Armstrong in Black Label Pro.
GCW “WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?”, 03/12/2023 Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn, New York, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Mike Bailey
Here’s a matchup so nutty it has to be done a week sooner! GCW originally booked a match between Itoh and Mike Bailey for their show in LA on 9th December. It had to be cancelled because Bailey had a scheduling conflict. So rather than wait until next year to do the match it’s been pushed forward to the Brooklyn show on the 3rd instead.
MLW “ONE-SHOT”, 07/12/2023 Melrose Ballroom, Queens, New York, USA
1. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Delmi Exo
2. MLW World Featherweight Title: Janai Kai (c) Vs Maki Itoh
When Yamashita was announced for MLW a war of words broke out online between her and Delmi Exo. This year Exo held the women’s titles from both MLW and wXw at the same time. She no longer has either so she now has her sights set on the Princess Of Princess Title. Yamashita appreciated the challenge but turned it down because she already has her next defence scheduled for 4th January. Exo wasn’t happy with the response and sent insulting messages to Yamashita until the champion decided to accept the challenge and put Exo in her place. It all sounds well and good for a storyline but I’m a little worried MLW will pull off some bullshit when nobody is looking. They’ve done a phantom title change before with one of the AAA championships during the pandemic and tried to play it off as a misunderstanding over wires getting crossed. Call me skeptical but you should only ever trust Court Bauer as far as you can throw him.
In September Itoh lost a No. 1 Contender match to B3CCA so you may be wondering why she is still getting an MLW World Featherweight Title shot against Janai Kai? It’s because B3CCA has since gotten a knee injury and will be on the shelf for a few months. Can Itoh make the most of this unexpected opportunity?
DREAMWAVE “UPRISING”, 08/12/2023 Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA
1. Shazza McKenzie Vs Miyu Yamashita
Please don’t let Sean Ross Sapp interfere in this match.
MPW “THE LONG NIGHT”, 08/12/2023 Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA
1. Miggy Rose & Michael Hopkins Vs Shota & J2
Shota is adding dates for his winter tour of America. The earliest match scheduled for him now is at Millenium Pro Wrestling. He will team with a former opponent from last year’s excursion, J2 Mattioli. Their opponents are a team called 24K.
DREAMWAVE “GOOD AS GOLD”, 09/12/2023 Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA
Well, well, well, what do we have here? Yamashita and Emi Sakura in the same ring on the same team at the same time? They were on opposite sides once before and that was on a DPW show during the summer. Now we get to see how they will fare when they on the same page. Zayda Steel & Zamaya could be in for a rough night if their opponents gel together really well.
EWF “PRO WRESTLING LUCHA LIBRE”, 09/12/2023 VFW Post 8737, San Bernardino, California, USA
1. EWF Vs The World: Shota Vs Noah
Just like last year Shota’s trip to America has him showing up in some real obscure places on the independents. Empire Wrestling Federation is one of them and they have a wrestler called Noah ready to fight him.
GCW “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM 2”, 09/12/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Nick Gage & Maki Itoh Vs Johnny Game Changer & Taya Valkyrie
GCW has gone full blown wacky over what they’re replacing Itoh Vs Bailey in LA with. That show is now getting Maki Death Kill against Johnny Game Changer & Taya Valkyrie!
SKYFIRE PRO “NAVIDAD NIGHTMARE”, 10/12/2023 Bay City Brewing Co., San Diego, California, USA
1. Rebel Storm Vs Shota
Shota’s opponent when he comes over to Skyfire Pro is Rebel Storm.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO/PRESTIGE “COMBAT PRINCESS USA”, 14/12/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Rika Tatsumi & Amira Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
2. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Janai Kai & Shazza McKenzie
3. Moka Miyamoto Vs Trish Adora
4. Mizuki Vs Sandra Moone
5. Shoko Nakajima Vs Taya Valkyrie
6. Miu Watanabe Vs Hyan
7. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly
The full card for “COMBAT PRINCESS USA” is here. Prestige have gathered together Masha Slamovich, Killer Kelly, Hyan, Taya Valkyrie, Sandra Moone, Trish Adora, Janai Kai, Shazza McKenzie (replacing an injured Johnnie Robbie) and Amira to represent their side in a bunch of inter-promotional matches against TJPW.
PANDEMONIUM PRO “HOLIDAY IN LA”, 17/12/2023 Don Quixote, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Vinnie Massaro Vs Shota
2. Mike Bailey Vs Miyu Yamashita
It’s neat to see Vinnine Massaro get to wrestle in NOAH earlier this week. I bet that was a big thrill for him.
CIRCLE 6 “KING OF THE DEATHMATCHES”, 30/12/2023 Don Quixote, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. MAO Vs X
I’m not sure if MAO is entering the actual King Of The Deathmatch tournament or if he’s there in a separate attraction match.
GCW “NO COMPADRE”, 12/01/2024 Thalia Hall, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Itoh has her first 2024 dates with GCW ready to go.
GCW “56 BIRDZ”, 13/01/2024 Valley Dale Ballroom, Columbus, Ohio, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
So far Itoh has Maki Death Kill and Maki Death Bussy under her list of alliances in GCW. Where does she go next?
DDT returns to America next year as part of The Collective in Philadelphia during Wrestlemania week. Sanshiro Takagi said on Twitter he would also like to do a Falls Count Anywhere match at the Philadelphia Museum Of Arts stairway from the Rocky movie if he is part of the crew travelling over.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING 10TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE ~WE ARE TJPW~”, 01/12/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Hyper Misao & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Yuki Aino & Raku
2. Juria Nagano, Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro Vs Kaya Toribami, Toga & Runa Okubo
3. Queen Of Asia Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c) Vs Viva Van
4. Next Generation Tournament ’23 – Final: HIMAWARI Vs Wakana Uehara
5. Princess Tag Team Titles: Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta (c) Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
6. 10th Anniversary Special 10-Woman Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Yuka Sakazaki, Rika Tatsumi & Mizuki Vs Miu Watanabe, Yuki Arai, Suzume, Moka Miyamoto & Arisu Endo
Viva Van just got here and she already has a title match lined up. She challenged Yuki Kamifuku for her newly won Queen Of Asia Title after they teamed together for Van’s debut in Tokyo Joshi Pro. Kamifuku accepted the challenge but only because Van is good looking like she is. The championship belongs to Singapore Pro Wrestling and is supposedly meant to be defended between Asian wrestlers. SPW gave their approval for the title match when they found out Van is Vietnamese.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN SHINJUKU DAY 1”, 02/12/2023 Shinjuku FACE
1. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, Toy Kojima, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi Vs Jun Akiyama, Yuki Iino, Yusuke Okada & Rukiya
2. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (0) Vs HARASHIMA (0)
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Kazusada Higuchi (0) Vs Daisuke Sasaki (0)
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes (0) Vs KANON (2)
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO (2) Vs Kazuki Hirata (0)
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya (2) Vs Rei Saito (2)
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Soma Takao & Shota (c) Vs Toru Sugiura & Akito
Yuya Koroku injured his left arm at Sunday’s show in Korakuen Hall. It has since come out that he has a torn triceps and an avulsion fracture in his elbow. That puts him out of action for a while and DDT has found replacements for him on their upcoming shows. Rukiya takes his place on the first day of the Shinjuku weekend doubleshot.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN SHINJUKU DAY 2”, 03/12/2023 Shinjuku FACE
1. Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi, Yusuke Okada & Rukiya Vs HARASHIMA, Akito, Toy Kojima & Takeshi Masada
2. Special Tag Match: MIKAMI & Kazuma Sumi Vs Demus & KANON
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs Daisuke Sasaki
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Yuki Iino
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs MAO
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya Vs Kazuki Hirata
Koroku is replaced by Makoto Oishi on the second day.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN OSAKA”, 09/12/2023 Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
1. Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada Vs MAO, Toy Kojima & Ilusion
2. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Iino & Rukiya
3. Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs Tetsuya Endo
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Kazusada Higuchi Vs HARASHIMA
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya Vs KANON
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Kazuki Hirata Vs Rei Saito
8. All Asia Tag Team Titles: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani (c) Vs Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada
DDT were looking into what to do with the All Asia Tag Team Titles match due to Koroku’s injury. Yusuke Okada did not want to give up the title shot and asked Jun Akiyama step in as Koroku’s substitute. One of Okada’s lifelong goals in wrestling is to win a tag team championship with Akiyama. He agreed to take part. Akiyama will be leaving BURNING at the end of the year but he admits if he wins the titles with Okada it could lead to something continuing next year. I bet he’s just looking for any excuse to leave D.O.A for something else.
Meanwhile Eruption are currently finding themselves in the middle of the pack over at the Real World Tag League. They have 3 wins and 3 losses for a total of 6 points so far. They have two matches remaining in taking place in December and the All Asia Tag Titles defence is taking place smack dab in between them. Hideki Okatani used Saki Akai’s finisher the Quetzalcoatl to win two of those matches, which is sweet of him. If I find the time I’ll do a write up about their tournament run when it is completed.
Some of the non-tournament matches have been mixed around due to Koroku’s injury.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. TEN”, 12/12/2023 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
1. Special Single Match: MAO Vs Ram Kaichow
2. Special Single Match: Shigehiro Irie Vs Mad Dr. Ueki
3. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno Vs Masahiro Takanashi
4. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
The Baka Gaijin are bringing in friends old and new for their 1st Anniversary show. Chris Brookes and Masahiro Takanashi are both taking part in important singles matches. Yuki Ueno, Shigehiro Irie and Munetatsu Nakamura get to join the party. What is Mad Dr. Ueki cooking up for the show this time and is it still Mecha Mummy related? Also Ram Kaichow returns for a one on one fight with MAO.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 24/12/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal ~ Toru Owashi Return Match: The Great Koji (c) Vs Toru Owashi Vs Sanshiro Takagi Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yuki Ishida Va Kazuma Sumi Vs Rukiya Vs Open Recruitment X
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani Vs KANON & MJ Paul
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs Yuki Iino
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Kazusada Higuchi
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki Vs HARASHIMA
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs Rei Saito
8. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO Vs Yukio Naya
Oishi making decisions by himself has put D.O.A in another KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles defence before their next scheduled one in January. SCHADENFREUDE International have skipped the line after Takeshi Masada pinned Oishi at Korakuen and threw down the challenge. Akiyama isn’t happy with Oishi for not consulting him before agreeing to it. Poor Danshoku Dieno just wants the team to get along and is getting stressed over the growing threats facing D.O.A in the next couple of months.
DDT is giving Toru Owashi nothing but the most important kind of match for his return to the ring… He’s getting put in a Battle Royal for the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title like he always is. The Great Koji has appeared in public again for the first time since winning the title so DDT has made sure he will be at Korakuen on Christmas Eve to defend it. DDT are also looking for wrestlers from outside the company to send in applications for entry into the Battle Royal.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 THE FINAL”, 03/01/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Shunma Katsumata Return Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs X
2. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – Final: Winner Of A Block Vs Winner Of B Block
After being away with an ankle injury for eight months, Shunma Katsumata will return at the first DDT show of 2024.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 OPENING ROUND”, 26/11/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 678 Fans
0. Dark Match: Yuni & Yuya Koroku defeated Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya when Koroku submitted Rukiya with the Modified Triangle Lancer (8:40).
1. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Demus & MJ Paul when Endo pinned Demus with the Burning Star Press (10:47).
2. Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada defeated Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Toy Kojima when Masada pinned Oishi with the Masada Power KOBU Mukimuki (8:46).
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Rei Saito (2) defeated MAO (0) with the Drill-A-Hole Piledriver (10:22).
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: KANON (2) defeated Kazuki Hirata (0) with the Crucifixion Cobra Twist (8:27).
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Iino (2) defeated HARASHIMA (0) with the Low Altitude Spear (5:31).
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Yukio Naya (2) defeated Chris Brookes (0) with the World’s Best Back Drop (16:10).
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (2) defeated Kazusada Higuchi (0) with the WR (17:46).
1. Yukio Naya (2)
-. KANON (2)
-. Rei Saito (2)
4. Chris Brookes (0)
-. Kazuki Hirata (0)
-. MAO (0)
The campaign to become the first consecutive winner of the D-Oh Grand Prix has gone off to a good start for Yuki Ueno. Day one of the tournament ended with Ueno beating Kazusada Higuchi, avenging his King Of DDT semi-final loss to him from earlier this year. The difference this time was Ueno flipping out of the Brain Claw Slam that beat him last time. Higuchi reacted by running the ropes but Ueno flipped over him again, putting himself in position to hit the WR and win the match. Ueno knows the tournament is just beginning and his intention to fight Konosuke Takeshita again is waiting for him beyond that. Higuchi described Ueno as becoming more tenacious than the last time they fought each other.
Last year’s runner up Yukio Naya dealt an early big blow to Chris Brookes, making the previous top champion of DDT lose his first block match. Naya used his own knees to block a Diving Double Knee Drop and then hit several Knee Strikes to Brookes, some with the kneepad pulled down. Brookes wasn’t able to stop the World’s Best Back Drop after taking all of those blows. Now Naya’s confidence in winning the Grand Prix is really high. Meanwhile Brookes can’t figure out why he’s been on the losing side so much lately.
There’s no twist with Yuki Iino’s return match after having all Pheromones influence removed from him. He says we are now going to see the real Iino and he is proving it by beating HARASHIMA in his first block match. He used his old Spear finisher to cut off the Somato and then hit a Low Altitude Spear for the three count. HARASHIMA said Iino showed so much more power than he had from his pre-Pheromones days and that caught him off guard.
So how does Kazuki Hirata fare in a tournament setting? Early signs say not so good. He decided to go full power from the start by immediately putting on the Hirata GO! glasses and attacking KANON. His attacks did nothing and KANON pulled the glasses off. Hirata got the glasses back and crawled beneath the ring to put them back on but KANON chased after him, took the glasses again and stomped on it back in the ring. Hirata made a comeback and with some triumphant music backing him revealed he had a spare in his trunks! Unfortunately for him, KANON also had his own pair hidden this entire time and wore them while making Hirata tap to the Crucifixion Cobra Twist in tune to the music. KANON had fun in the match. He got to dance and also shatter Hirata’s heart the same way he shattered the glasses. Hirata asked for the fans to support him because if they lower their guard then he’ll be crushed by his opponents even more.
Rei Saito’s cries of bringing doom to the D-Oh GP began by beating MAO in the first tournament match of the day. The difference in size and power between the two meant MAO had to hit quick and fast to make up for Saito’s heavy hitting offence. MAO couldn’t catch up and he was put away with a Headbutt followed by the Drill-A-Hole Piledriver. Saito now can’t wait for his next match because it is against Naya. The two of them have been picking fights with each other for a while leading into this. MAO said the only people he is focusing on from this point is Hirata and Brookes.
In non-tournament action SCHADENFREUDE International got their first win as a group since its formation. Two members of D.O.A were put with Toy Kojima in a match where no tags were needed to switch partners. Makoto Oishi filled up Danshoku Dieno’s mouth with wasabi again but Dieno’s Lip Lock was given to him by mistake. Takeshi Masada then pinned Oishi with his finisher. After the match Masada said SCHADENFREUDE should get a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles shot for beating two thirds of D.O.A. Oishi accepted the challenge and said the match will happen at Korakuen Hall on 24th December. This is happening before D.O.A’s scheduled title defence against Bodyguard’s team on 6th January. Later backstage Jun Akiyama scolded Oishi for accepting the challenge without anyone else’s input. Dieno then cried because nobody in D.O.A is getting along. Oishi assured both of them everything is ok and revealed he will have a match with Bodyguard at some point over the new year.
The only two D-Oh wrestlers who didn’t have a tournament match today were Tetsuya Endo and Daisuke Sasaki in the A Block. They instead faced each other in a BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A 6-Man Tag bout. Endo unveiled the Rolling Chop that Kenta Kobashi had apparently taught him during the week and made Sasaki the first victim of it. Demus stepped in and proved to be a tricky opponent for Endo. But Endo avoided La Valagueza, dropped Demus with the Torture Rack Bomb and pinned him with the Burning Star Press. Endo said he practiced using the Rolling Chop a lot until he was satisfied with it. After today’s successful use of it he intends to use it more from now on. Sasaki said the Endo today was a different person than the Endo he fought in Sumo Hall a few weeks ago.
The opening match had no connection to the Grand Prix. Instead it was Yuni & Yuya Koroku teaming up to beat Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya. Yuni wiped out Sumi with a Quebrada so Koroku could put Rukiya in the Triangle Lancer for the win.
During the end of show victory speech, Ueno told the fans there was important news but it isn’t about him. It is from Shunma Katsumuata who announced his comeback match will be at Korakuen on 3rd January! Katsumata has been out of action with an ankle injury since May.
Also announcing his return today was Toru Owashi. He hasn’t wrestled since June because of a cervical spine injury. His comeback match will take place on 24th December, the same day as his birthday! He has been storing up his strength during recovery and will explode with all of that energy in his return match.
In the middle of Owashi’s announcement, The Great Koji made an unexpected appearance attacking Hisaya Imabayashi and spitting Mist in his face. Kojika then approached Kenta Kobashi at the commentary table and threatened to do the same to him. However Kobashi was unphased by Koji and started removing his headset. Koji backed off and ran away screeching.
Next April DDT will return to America as part of The Collective series of shows being held during Wrestlemania week. “DDT GOES PHILADELPHIA!” will take place in Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium in Pennsylvania on 4th April, 2024.
DDT “D-OH GRAND PRIX 2023 OPENING ROUND”, 26/11/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yuni & Yuya Koroku Vs Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
1. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Demus & MJ Paul
2. Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Toy Kojima Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada
3. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: MAO Vs Rei Saito
4. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: KANON Vs Kazuki Hirata
5. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: HARASHIMA Vs Yuki Iino
6. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs Yukio Naya
7. D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs Kazusada Higuchi
Tomorrow is the beginning of D-Oh Grand Prix 2023 and some of the wrestlers gave more comments about their plans going into the tournament. Yuki Ueno is aiming to become the first person to win the D-Oh two years in a row. Daisuke Sasaki claims he has given up drinking to prepare for the tournament and feels like a brand new person in good condition. However Ueno then gave him a can of his favorite beer as a birthday present and Sasaki drank it. Ueno then revealed it was a trick to prove Sasaki hasn’t changed at all. Yukio Naya wants to bring in as many fans as he can to see him win the GP. He also thinks if he beats Rei Saito it will attract the attention of more wrestlers from other companies towards DDT. Saito wants to show off his abilities by himself so people won’t just think he’s just a tag team wrestler. He has no intention of representing All Japan, he is here on his own terms to become the DOOM King! Tetsuya Endo said if he can’t win the tournament then it will make him question his position as the leader of BURNING. He may end up thinking he does not belong in DDT at all.
Kazusada Higuchi is keeping his focus tight and show the power of Harimao. Last year’s rule of cutting off wrestlers over the age of 40 meant HARASHIMA could not compete. He wants to win so he can prove it is wrong to divide the roster by age when it comes to determining who is the strongest. He also wants to win for his newborn son. Yuki Iino is going to show off a new side of himself. He is taking his tournament run one match at a time. Chris Brookes wants to win the GP to cap off what’s been a great year for him. MAO is only thinking about getting in everybody’s way. Everything else going on is none of his concern. He also said it doesn’t make sense that Iino turned back into a normal wrestler so easily. KANON brought up winning a few tag team titles since last year’s tournament but admittedly hasn’t done anything as a singles in that time. He wants to eliminate the other contenders one by one. Last but not least, Kazuki Hirata promises to disrupt the tournament atmosphere with his dancing. He isn’t thinking about who else is in his group because it will only make him cry with fear.
The D-Oh GP sees the return of Kenta Kobashi as the tournament chairman for the third year in a row. He had to take a meeting with Endo in order for Endo to tell him about Jun Akiyama’s intention to leave BURNING at the end of the year. Endo admitted to him that BURNING has not been able to get the results they wanted in the two years since Kobashi gave them permission to use the unit name. Kobashi understands the situation and said Akiyama’s absence means Endo will have to take on more responsibility. That is not a bad thing though and Kobashi told Endo he looks forward to seeing him take on the challenge. He also encouraged Endo to win the D-Oh GP. Endo promised he will in order to help rebuild BURNING from scratch.
Kobashi gave other comments about the tournament field. In A Block he predicts Ueno will be the winner based on his growth over the last year. When they stood beside each other at the press conference Kobashi thought that Ueno looked like a champion. He also criticized Endo for not showing more anger in his matches. He needs to learn more ways to show his anger. Kobashi also revealed he recently taught Endo how to use the Rolling Chop but does not know if Endo had enough time to practice it. Higuchi was brought up as someone who struggles to win important matches. He needs to focus on winning. HARASHIMA is a possible winner as long as his isn’t having problems with his physical strength due to his age. Kobashi was disappointed with Iino back in May when Iino’s big title match main event was filled with Pheromones nonsense. He hopes Iino will live up to expectations this time and be the dark horse in his block.
Over in B Block Kobashi said he watched Brookes’ matches as champion and saw how much confidence he has. He thinks it is tremendous whenever a wrestler has the confidence of a champion. MAO is unpredictable. He should have a hard time against heavyweights but Kobashi is aware he recently beat Matt Cardona to win the DDT Universal Title. Kobashi is surprised by how much Naya improved his stamina since last year’s GP. He is also impressed by Saito’s improvements as a tag wrestler. He can grow even more if it turns out he is more suited to singles wrestling. KANON is the one wrestler out of all others that Kobashi is most interested in seeing but it’s not because he’s a potential winner. He wants to see KANON focus on what he does inside the ring no matter if it’s as a heel or face. He should give it his all, one match at a time. Finally, he admits Hirata does what he does because he has a strong sense of who he is.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 