Busy Weekend, Chouten B Block, MAO Vs Hirata For Extreme Title

May 26, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 27/05/2023
Kanagawa Fujisawa City Shonandai Cultural Center

1. Hikari Noa Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku Vs Toga & Runa Okubo
3. Nao Kakuta & Asuka Vs Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami
4. Mizuki & Raku Vs Hyper Misao & Shino Suzuki
5. Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & HIMAWARI Vs Suzume, Arisu Endo & Wakana Uehara
6. Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Aja Kong & Mahiro Kiryu

The weekend of shows begin with Yuki Kamifuku’s homecoming in Kanagawa.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN HIROSHIMA”, 27/05/2023
Hiroshima JMS Aster Plaza

1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Yusuke Okada
3. MAO Vs Hideki Okatani
4. Special Single Match: Kenshin Chikano Vs Kazuki Hirata
5. Hiroshima Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Rey Paloma
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima Vs Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul
7. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada

Then it’s onto the first preview of Yuji Hino versus Chris Brookes.

GANBARE☆PRO “I WILL BE A BUTTERFLY FOR YOU 2023”, 28/05/2023
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR

1. GanPro Vs Australia: Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao Vs Hartley Jackson & Mitch Ryder
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: YuuRI & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Moeka Haruhi & Riara
3. GanPro Vs Sento Minzoku: Ken Ohka & Shota Vs Minoru Fujita & Daiki Shimomura
4. Mizuki Watase, Shuichiro Katsumura & Yuki Kanzaki Vs Yumehito Imanari, Tyson Maeguchi & Shinichiro Tominaga

On Sunday Ganbare☆Pro presents its monthly tripleshot. GanPro’s feud with Sento Minzoku also brings back the rivalry between Ken Ohka and Minoru Fujita.

GANBARE☆PRO “WRESTLE YUMEHITO FACTORY 2023”, 28/05/2023
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR

1. BEST OF THE SUPER arena Grand Final: Moeka Haruhi Vs YuuRI
2. Yumehito Poison Rumble: Mizuki Watase Vs Soma Takao Vs Tyson Maeguchi Vs Yuki Kanzaki Vs HARUKAZE Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Riara
3. Shin Rogai-gun Vs Shin Jidai-gun: Shuichiro Katsumura & Shota Vs Ilusion & Munetatsu Nakamura
4. Yumehito Imanari’s GanPro 10th Anniversary Match: Yumehito Imanari & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Ken Ohka & Keisuke Ishii

Then things get a bit silly with Yumehito Imanari in charge of the middle show. The show’s logo is a tribute to Wrestle Yume Factory.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN KUMAMOTO”, 28/05/2023
Kumamoto Castle Hall Civic Hall

1. Yuya Koroku Vs Rukiya
2. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata
3. Chris Brookes & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi
4. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yusuke Okada Vs Yuki Ueno & MAO
5. Special Single Match: Jun Akiyama Vs Toy Kojima
6. Kumamoto Specialty Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Kota Umeda & Takeshi Masada
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & X Vs Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Shogun Okamoto

Still no reveal of who X is yet.

GANBARE☆PRO “GANBARE☆PRO WRESTLING PLAYERS ASSOCIATION PERFORMANCE”, 28/05/2023
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR

1. Mixed Tag Match: Shota & YuuRI Vs Shinichiro Tominaga & HARUKAZE
2. Special Single Match: Choun-Shiryu Vs Moeka Haruhi
3. Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Soma Takao & Yumehito Imanari Vs Ken Ohka, Keisuke Ishii & Shuichiro Katsumura
4. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title Next Challenger: Isami Kodaka Vs Munetatsu Nakamura

GanPro ends their long day finding out who will be the No. 1 Contender for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title.

BASARA “BASARA 220 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 25~”, 03/06/2023
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR

1. Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura Vs Daichi Kazato & Lil’ Kraken
2. 3 Way Match: Ryuichi Sekine Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs SAGAT
3. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 B Block: Takato Nakano Vs Minoru Fujita
4. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 B Block: Ryota Nakatsu Vs Tatsuhiko Yoshino
5. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 B Block: FUMA Vs Fuminori Abe
6. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 B Block: Takumi Tsukamoto Vs Yasu Urano

The Chouten ~Itadaki~ moves onto the B Block in Round 1.

DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED VOL. 3”, 03/06/2023
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Takeshi Masada Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Antonio Honda
3. Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Rukiya Vs Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Yuki Ishida
4. Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama Vs HARASHIMA & Soma Takao
5. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima
6. Special Single Match: MAO Vs Yuni
7. Special Tag Match ~ Gatoh Move Vs DDT’s Comical Strongest Tag: Masahiro Takanashi & Mei Suruga Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata
8. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Chris Brookes & Kazusada Higuchi

One by one Yuni is going to be getting singles matches against DDT’s regulars. Not sure if it’s a good idea to let MAO be of any influence to him.

BASARA “BASARA 221 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 26~”, 03/06/2023
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR

1. FUMA & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT
2. Ryuichi Sekine Vs Daichi Kazato
3. Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano Vs Fuminori Abe & Takato Nakano
4. Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
5. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 2 A Block: Isami Kodaka Vs Daiki Shimomura

The 2nd Round schedule looks to be changed a little bit. Only one match from Round 2 is happening on the show due to some wrestlers having commitments elsewhere that evening. The rest of Round 2 will be happening on the 17th June show.

DDT “JAPAN PARA-WRESTLING FEDERATION CHARITY SHOW ~ WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN ODAWARA”, 04/06/2023
Kanagawa Odawara Arena Sub Arena

1. Takeshi Masada Vs Rukiya
2. Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani Vs Kazuki Hirata & Toy Kojima
3. DAMNATION T.A Vs BURNING!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
4. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs MAO & Kazuma Sumi
5. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno Vs Akito
6. Odawara Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yoshiaki Yatsu, Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Makoto Oishi
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Chris Brookes, Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida

Two wrestlers who were part of Hino’s 20th Anniversary match are teaming with him here. Hino gets HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi on his team while Brookes joins forces with Harimao.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN OSAKA”, 10/06/2023
Osaka Suminoe Maikon Hall

1. Yuki Ishida Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Makoto Oishi
3. Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Rukiya
4. Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
5. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs MAO & Toy Kojima
6. Special Tag Match: Toru Owashi & “brother” YASSHI Vs Naruki Doi & Kazuki Hirata
7. Maikon no Kohara Presents Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & HARASHIMA Vs Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada

The main event gets a sponsor and the undercard is changed around a bit because of Shunma Katsumata’s injury.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN MATSUYAMA”, 11/06/2023
Ehime Matsuyama City Comprehensive Community Center Exhibition Hall

1. Kazusada Higuchi Vs Rukiya
2. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Yuki Ishida
3. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada
4. Special Tag Match: Akito & Char Vs Yusuke Okada & Tsuru Himeka
5. Ω Vs Eruption!: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
6. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs MAO, Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima
7. Matsuyama Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi (w/ Cutie Elly The Ehime), Imabari Taoru Mascaras & Tsutenkakka Vs HARASHIMA, Saki Akai & Kazuma Sumi

Katsumata’s injury means the Ehime shows gets changed a little bit too.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023”, 25/06/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai, Hideki Okatani & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Ryota Nakatsu, Yuki Ishida, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
2. International Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Nick Wayne
3. DDT Extreme Title: MAO Vs Kazuki Hirata
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles: X & X Vs X & X

MAO and Kazuki Hirata have been chosen to compete in the vacant DDT Extreme Title match. MAO thinks it is fitting to be the next person to hold the title after Katsumata. Hirata understands that would be lovely story telling but that doesn’t matter because he is going to win it instead! He expects the match to be so exciting it will help Katsumata recover quicker.

Now in his 30s, Tetsuya Endo is starting to notice it takes longer for him to recover from his matches so it motivates him to see the next generation rise. That is why he wants to face Nick Wayne in a singles match for Wayne’s DDT debut in Japan to keep him sharp for Matt Cardona in July.

Sanshiro Takagi wants to team up with Eruption one time before Saki Akai’s retirement takes place. His King Of DDT match against Sakaguchi also inspired him to come up with the idea. Ryota Nakatsu is looking forward to facing Takagi because he likes fighting his bosses. Just ask Isami Kodaka in BASARA.

DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”, 23/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Special Tag Match: Chiitan☆ & Pokotan Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine
2. Dramatic Dream Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs El Desperado
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
4. DDT Universal Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) Vs Matt Cardona (w/ Steph De Lander)
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) Vs Chris Brookes

One of Akai’s requests before she retires is try and win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles with Eruption one more time. Takagi immediately put the match together for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”.


Video – “BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS VOL. FIVE”

May 26, 2023

BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. FIVE: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL”, 23/05/2023
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
??? Fans

1. Special Single Match: Hyper Misao Vs Chris Brookes
2. Special Single Match: Takayuki Ueki Vs Mecha Mummy
3. Special Tag Team Match: MAO & Mei Suruga Vs Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno
4. Special Single Match: Drew Parker Vs Masahiro Takanashi


BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. FIVE: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL” Results

May 23, 2023

BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. FIVE: THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL”, 23/05/2023
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
??? Fans

1. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Hyper Misao with a Death Valley Driver through a Plastic Box (12:10).
2. Special Single Match: Takayuki Ueki defeated Mecha Mummy with a Falling Headbutt (4:58).
3. Special Tag Team Match: MAO & Mei Suruga defeated Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno when MAO & Mei Suruga pinned Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno after the Hair Of The Dog (12:13).
4. Special Single Match: Drew Parker defeated Masahiro Takanashi with a Somato (16:28).

Drew Parker and Masahiro Takanashi had their first ever singles match together to main event the latest Baka Gaijin + Friends show. Unlike previous main events from the group, this one stayed almost entirely inside the tiny little mat in the centre of the room. Other than a moment when Parker Dropkicked Takanashi into a fan it was a match of oneupmanship rather than a crazy brawl. Parker did a Swanton Bomb from a stepstool but Takanashi kicked out so he hit a Somato to get the win.

The silliness was more on show in the tag team match. MAO & Mei Suruga joined forces to fight Chie Koishikawa & Hagane Shinno, the pairing also known as Egg Tart. Both Suruga and Koishikawa were put in uncomfortable positions after getting trapped in different objects. Koishikawa got tangled up inbetween stepstool legs. Shinno then came up with an idea to put Suruga sitting through the frame of an upside down stool and then placing her on top of Koishikawa. That way MAO and Shinno could fight each other without the women getting in the way. Koishikawa remained trapped in her stepstool until MAO put her in an Ankle Lock. She slipped out of the stool and freed herself from MAO’s submission. The match then split apart into two fights in opposite sides of the room. They all met back in the middle and kept the match going until MAO & Suruga used a combined cradle combination to pin both members of Egg Tart at the same time.

Mecha Mummy made a rare appearance for its first pro wrestling match in years. It looked a little shorter than the last time we saw him but it could still frantically shake its fists at everything. Takayuki Ueki’s solution to fighting Mummy and its rocket fist was to pull out his gun and pull the trigger. However the bullet ricocheted off of Mummy’s chest plate and hit Daisuke Kiso instead! Mummy readied its fist and was about to deliver a finishing blow to Ueki when suddenly Hyper Misao ran out to rescue him! Misao shot Mummy with an electrified bow and arrow, causing Mummy to short circuit. Ueki Heabutted it to the ground, then placed the Rocket Fist over his head to drop another Falling Headbutt. A wounded Kiso slowly counted the pin to give Ueki the victory. Mummy’s system rebooted and it took out an antidote to heal Kiso’s bullet wound. Kiso lost briefly lost consciousness but jumped back to his feet to give this story a happy ending.

Misao’s match with Chris Brookes unexpectedly opened the show and the two of them almost tore the place apart with their fighting. Misao stapled advertising posters of her self-produced show “HYPE!” on Brookes’ arm and chest. Brookes got his own back by stapling a poster onto Misao’s head. He then took out some plastic boxes and tried to Suplex Misao onto them from the bar counter. But Misao backed him off and hit a Diving Cross Body, making Brookes land onto the boxes. Misao then brought out chairs and placed them out sideways. He sprayed Misao in the face and then Body Slammed him onto the chairs! Getting desperate, Misao took out a plastic toy mallet with firecrackers attached to it. She put a flame to the firecrackers and set them off but Brookes dodged her attack and smashed a plastic box over her head. He then got Kiso to put the firecrackers onto another box and set them alight while he put Misao through it with a Death Valley Driver for the three count.

Antonio Honda sung a few songs for the fans before the main event. He had musicians playing a guitar and a saxophone accompanying him.


Peter Pan Main Event, Shunma Injured, KO-D Tag And Extreme Titles Vacated

May 22, 2023

Not sure what this bit of news will end up being but DDT will have a “big announcement” revealed on their Youtube channel this Wednesday. What it is or if they are being honest by calling it big I do not know. The synopsis on the video’s page does not provide any clues as far as I can see. A previous kind of tease they did like this was the announcement of “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” last year so maybe this one could be related to “ULTIMATE PARTY 2023” in November?

BASARA “BASARA 219 ~KOO~”, 23/05/2023
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Ryuichi Sekine, Minoru Fujita & Yasu Urano Vs FUMA, Takumi Tsukamoto & Ryota Nakatsu
2. 3 Way Match: Gouma Ryu Vs Tatsuhiko Yoshino Vs Takato Nakano
3. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: SAGAT Vs Lil’ Kraken
4. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Leo Isaka
5. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: Daiki Shimomura Vs Daichi Kazato
6. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 1 A Block: Isami Kodaka Vs Shiori Asahi

The Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 begins tomorrow.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 27/05/2023
Kanagawa Fujisawa City Shonandai Cultural Center

1. Hikari Noa Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku Vs Toga & Runa Okubo
3. Nao Kakuta & Asuka Vs Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami
4. Mizuki & Raku Vs Hyper Misao & Shino Suzuki
5. Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & HIMAWARI Vs Suzume, Arisu Endo & Wakana Uehara
6. Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Aja Kong & Mahiro Kiryu

Yuki Kamifuku’s good friend Asuka is calling by to celebrate Kamiyu’s big homecoming show.

The team of Mizuki & Raku is called Oyasumi Rabbit. The team of Hyper Misao & Shino Suzuki is called Green Team.

Runa Okubo returns to action after missing a few shows due to “academic reasons”. Was she flunking class or something?

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN HIROSHIMA”, 27/05/2023
Hiroshima JMS Aster Plaza

1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
2. MAO Vs Hideki Okatani
3. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Yusuke Okada
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima Vs Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul
5. Special Single Match: Kenshin Chikano Vs Kazuki Hirata
6. Hiroshima Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Rey Paloma
7. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada

The road to “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” is filled with Yuji Hino and Chris Brookes fighting each other. That means the likes of Makoto Oishi and Takeshi Masada will be getting involved too.

The card had to be changed slightly because of KANON’s injury.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN KUMAMOTO”, 28/05/2023
Kumamoto Castle Hall Civic Hall

1. Yuya Koroku Vs Rukiya
2. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata
3. Chris Brookes & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi
4. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yusuke Okada Vs Yuki Ueno & MAO
5. Special Single Match: Jun Akiyama Vs Toy Kojima
6. Kumamoto Specialty Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Kota Umeda & Takeshi Masada
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & X Vs Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Shogun Okamoto

With KANON absent, DAMNATION T.A are bringing in Shogun Okamoto to take on the Ω team. Okamoto has fought Hino before in DDT as part of the ONLY WE shows whenever the PERON GRANDES heel unit decided to get involved. Ω still have their mystery partner as an ace up their sleeve.

DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED VOL. 3”, 03/06/2023
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Special Tag Match ~ Gatoh Move Vs DDT’s Comical Strongest Tag: Masahiro Takanashi & Mei Suruga Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata
2. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Chris Brookes & Kazusada Higuchi

The two King Of DDT finalists are teaming up! Kazusada Higuchi publicly congratulated Brookes at a press conference today and offered to help him in any form to prepare for Hino.

Some of the matches previously announced for this show had to be cancelled due to injuries changing DDT’s places. The new matches will be announced soon.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023”, 25/06/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. DDT Extreme Title: X Vs X
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: X & X Vs X & X

The original plan was for ShunMao to defend the KO-D Tag Team Titles on this show. However Shunma Katsumata injured his foot during yesterday’s DDT Extreme Title defence and has since been diagnosed with a fractured talus bone. He is going to get surgery for it and agreed to vacate both the KO-D Tag Titles and the Extreme Title. New champions for both titles will be crowned on the Korakuen Hall show instead.

Nick Wayne will be on the show, kicking off his tour of Japan with DDT.

DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED SPECIAL”, 01/07/2023
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. International Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Yuni Vs Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada

Wayne’s “phantom match” teaming with Masada to take on Yuki Ueno & Yuni gets to happen after all. It’s still taking place in Yokohama too although it’s in a smaller venue this time.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”, 08/07/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sawyer Wreck
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Maki Itoh

Miyu Yamashita’s first match back in Tokyo after three and a half months will be against the returning Sawyer Wreck. Yamashita has hit the Skull Kick on tall opponents before so she is confident she can hit Wreck with it too.

DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”, 23/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Special Tag Match: Chiitan☆ & Pokotan Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine
2. Dramatic Dream Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs El Desperado
3. DDT Universal Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) Vs Matt Cardona (w/ Steph De Lander)
4. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) Vs Chris Brookes

In today’s press conference Brookes said all four people he beat to win the King Of DDT (HARASHIMA, Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama and Kazusada Higuchi) all mean a lot to him and are also big parts of DDT’s history. The cheers of the fans also pushed him to victory which makes him feel even happier to be with DDT. The last time he wrestled in Sumo Hall was a year ago when he and Masahiro Takanashi won the KO-D Tag Titles. His parents were there to see him wrestle and he remembers telling them the next time he has a match there it will be in the main event with the KO-D Title on the line! He knows how strong Hino is but has become confident he can beat him.

Tetsuya Endo was not pleased to find out the big ex-WWE wrestler coming to challenge him is Matt Cardona. He heard Cardona is being paid 30 million yen for the booking and he thinks that kind of money is better off being spent on someone else. Like himself for example. Cardona is also bringing along Steph De Lander to be in his corner. She’s been described as his Sensational Sherri equivalent (since WWE took away his “Miss Elizabeth“, aka Chelsea Green) and will certainly add an extra threat towards Endo’s DDT Universal Title reign.

DDT is running a competition for fans to come up with a tag team name for Chiitan & Pokotan.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 FINAL!!” Results

May 21, 2023

DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 FINAL!!”, 21/05/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
677 Fans

0. Dark Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated Akito, Yusuke Okada & Rukiya by TKO when Iino used the Radio Taiso Exercise on Rukiya (6:01).
0. Dark Match: Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai, Soma Takao, Yuni & Yuki Ishida defeated Toru Owashi, Makoto Oishi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Kazuma Sumi when Akai pinned Hirata with the Quetzalcoatl (7:39).
1. King Of DDT 2023 – Semi Final: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Yuki Ueno with the Brain Claw Slam (10:57).
2. King Of DDT 2023 – Semi Final: Chris Brookes defeated Jun Akiyama with the Praying Mantis Bomb (11:20).
3. BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Tetsuya Endo & Kotaro Suzuki defeated Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul when Endo pinned Paul with the Burning Star Press (11:02).
4. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA & Naruki Doi defeated MAO, Toy Kojima, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada when Hino submitted Koroku with the King Ghidorah Sleeper (10:32).
5. DDT Extreme Title – Piercing Death Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) defeated Hideki Okatani with an Inside Cradle (12:02).
*V1 for Shunma Katsumata.
6. King Of DDT 2023 – Final: Chris Brookes defeated Kazusada Higuchi with the Ground Octopus Stretch (24:28).

Four years ago an English wrestler from the independents named Chris Brookes came to DDT. He took to Japan’s wrestling scene like a duck to water, ticking off a hardcore puroresu bucket list of things to do that isn’t just wrestle in Korakuen Hall and getting a Ribera Steakhouse jacket. What was supposed to be a year long visit to Japan became a four year stay, partly due to the pandemic, but that only helped his career grow. He ingrained himself into Japan’s wrestling scene from as many corners as he could whether it was for DDT, Gatoh Move or somewhere else. Today that four year journey reached its highest point for now because Brookes is the winner of this year’s King Of DDT tournament!

Brookes earned his victory by beating last year’s winner Kazusada Higuchi in the final. Higuchi kicked out of the Praying Mantis Bomb and used the Brain Claw to set up an Exploder Suplex. That almost resulted in a double KO countout but both men got up at 9. Higuchi did the Doctor Bomb but Brookes kicked out at two. Higuchi provoked Brookes into Headbutting him several times and then fired back with one of his own. But when Higuchi charged in to do the Buchikamashi, Brookes jumped onto him and latched on the Octopus Stretch. The move took Higuchi off his feet and Brookes kept finding ways to twist him until Higuchi finally gave up.

Brookes shook hands with Higuchi after the match and was presented with the trophy. He then celebrated with his cornermen Masahiro Takanashi, Drew Parker and Antonio Honda. Brookes told the fans he was able to win because of their cheers. But his “Dramatic Dream” is not over yet because Brookes is now setting his sights on the KO-D Openweight Title! Backstage he told the reporters that it was not a hard decision to stay in Japan during the pandemic because his friends and family are with DDT and he will always be a part of the company. He beat HARASHIMA, Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama and Higuchi to win this tournament so he isn’t intimidated with fighting Yuji Hino for the KO-D Title. Higuchi praised Brookes for his persistence and tenacity. He credits that as the difference maker today.

The DDT Extreme Title was on the line in a Piercing Death Match. It was a No DQ match featuring nothing but sharp weapons for Shunma Katsumata and Hideki Okatani to stab each other with. Okatani purposely dyed his hair blonde for the match so he could cover it in Katsumata’s blood! An extra stipulation was added where piercing your opponent’s ear three times was a valid way to win the match. That wasn’t needed in the end although both men did get their ears stapled a lot. Okatani had his back rolled over a pile of thumbtacks while Katsumata was pushed through a barbed wire board. However Katsumata got away with the win thanks to an Inside Cradle.

Afterwards Katsumata said he always thought Okatani had what it takes to do hardcore and death match wrestling. He wants to do a rematch some day. Okatani agreed because he had fun doing his first death match. Katsumata then suggested when Atsushi Onita comes back to DDT on 1st July, they can get him involved too for a tag team match. However when Yukio Sakaguchi heard about the idea backstage he got angry over hearing Onita’s name.

Before Hino knew who his next challenger was going to be, he led his squad to victory in an 8-Man Tag Match. It was a rocky start with MAO’s team setting up a Kongo style train of Elbow Drops onto Takagi. Takeshi Masada attacked Takagi, complaining to his boss that he wants to travel to shows on the bullet train. Takagi ordered him while fighting back to take the bus instead because he’s too immature. Naruki Doi also got more annoyed at his younger opponents as the match progressed. Hino sorted that problem out, hitting both Yuya Koroku and Toy Kojima with his big Chops. Kojima withstood the Chops as best as he could until Hino held both him and Koroku in a Double Dragon Sleeper for the win. When Hino does the move to one person it’s called the King Kong Sleeper. But when he does it to two people at the same time it’s called the King Ghidorah Sleeper!

Tetsuya Endo faced his past in the BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A tag match. Daisuke Sasaki attacked him before the bell and took a moment to look at the DDT Universal Title. Endo fought back and had help from Kotaro Suzuki against MJ Paul. Suzuki blocked Paul from doing the Reverse Splash and then he along with Endo gave Paul a Power Bomb/Neckbreaker combo. Later Sasaki missed a Diving Clothesline and accidentally hit Paul from behind. That gave Endo the opening to knock Sasaki outside, wipe him out with the Sasuke Special and then climb the turnbuckles to pin Paul with the Burning Star Press.

After the match Endo called for the big announcement over the ex-WWE wrestler coming to DDT soon to be revealed. He doesn’t care who it is but he heard that this person is being paid 30 million yen to come over! A video played revealing the wrestler is Matt Cardona! The man who now calls himself the “Indy God” is going to face Endo for the Universal Title at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” and he is bringing former NXT wrestler Steph De Lander along with him. Endo was not impressed. He expected a big name but this exceeded his expectations in a bad way. He thinks no amount of money or Twitter followers directly relates to how strong a wrestler is. Endo swore he will defend the Universal Title, take Cardona’s Twitter followers and also take the 30 million yen! Endo also put out word he is waiting for KANON to come back from injury because he owes him a match. KANON was supposed to be part of today’s tag match but is out of action with a dislocated shoulder.

Brookes had to go through Akiyama in the King Of DDT semi-finals earlier in the show. Akiyama threw his Knee Strikes, Exploder Suplexes and even applied the Front Neck Lock to no success. Brookes recovered some ground by countering another Exploder into a Cradle for a nearfall. Akiyama went for the move again but Brookes cut him off with a Knee Strike of his own and used the Praying Mantis Bomb to get the win out of nowhere. Akiyama said afterwards he has to get back into the swing of things otherwise he will wind up like the NOAH Health Club. That is a nickname he gave to Jun Izumida, Masao Inoue and Kishin Kawabata back in 2004 for their lackadaisical efforts in training at the time.

Higuchi’s path to the final saw him go through Yuki Ueno in a rematch of their KO-D Title bout from last December. The two know each other well by this point and had counters for each other’s signature moves. Ueno just couldn’t go through with the WR and was stunned with a Headbutt. Higuchi ran him over with a Lariat and finished him off with the Brain Claw Slam. Ueno told the reporters that results like this should prove he is not good enough. But he beat Naruki Doi and Kotaro Suzuki to get to this point so giving up now would only be disrespectful to them. So Ueno will not stop fighting until he makes it to the top of DDT!

The final rounds of the tournament taking up so much of the main card resulted in a lot of the roster being relegated to the dark matches. A 10-Man Tag featured the usual mix. Kazuki Hirata was briefly abandoned by the rest of his side, leaving him alone in the ring with Sakaguchi. That led to a train attack on Hirata until he was able to tag in Toru Owashi. Then Yuni gave Makoto Oishi a top rope Frankensteiner and got a two count that was broken up by Kazuma Sumi. A circle of split leg submissions formed in the ring with Honda and Yuki Ishida both being left out so they joined together in the center of the circle for a Gongitsune spot. The spot went out of control with Honda striking everybody until he and Ishida started pinching each other’s nipples. Hirata broke it up with his dance but that got intercepted by an attack from Sakaguchi. Saki Akai then joined in wearing the Hirata GO! glasses and pinned Hirata with the Quetzalcoatl.

The pre-show began in the morning time so Pheromones had an idea in mind to wake everyone up. They started playing exercise music from a morning TV show midway through the match so they could do lewd looking exercises while fighting off the opposition. Akito & Yusuke Okada both had their attempts to stop the workout fail, leaving Rukiya to take the worst of it. The exercises Pheromones did to him rendered him unconscious so the match ended by TKO.

When the show had ended and Korakuen started clearing out, Daisuke Sasaki urgently called for the media to meet him in the waiting room backstage. There he told them he was waiting for El Desperado to show up because New Japan were running the next event in Korakuen later in the evening. He claimed he only wanted to meet with Desperado and take a picture together to promote their match at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”. However the venue staff started to complain and told Sasaki to leave so they could clean the place up before New Japan arrived. Management then approached Sasaki telling him to leave and he tried to pay them 1,000 yen and then promised that Sanshiro Takagi will pay for an extension fee. He finally gave up and left when the staff started pushing him out of the room with their mops.

The Yuki Ueno & Yuni Vs Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada that was meant to take place in Yokohama Budokan earlier this month is now happening at Yokohama Radiant Hall on 1st July. Yuni backstage said he is very excited and wil be waiting for Wayne right here in DDT.

Fighting Beer Garden 2023 will be held at Ueno Park on 16th and 29th August. For the first time in four years it will be a full fledged drinking show for the fans like it used to be.

Starting on 23rd May DDT will be doing a free ticket campaign for preschool, elementary school and junior high school students at all of their shows. The plan was originally going to be for just preschoolers but DDT decided to include other students due to Yuki Ueno’s recent appearances on the NHK show Tensai TV-kun.

ShunMao’s next KO-D Tag Team Titles defence was announced to take place at Korakuen on 25th June.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 2ND ROUND” Results

May 7, 2023

DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 2ND ROUND”, 07/05/2023
Shinjuku FACE
206 Fans

0. Dark Match: Yuni & Yuki Ishida defeated Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi when Ishida pinned Sumi with the Ensho (6:58).
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno defeated Akito & Antonio Honda by TKO when Iino used the Sleeper From A Wise Reincarnated Man on Honda (6:38).
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Shunma Katsumata, Toy Kojima & Takeshi Masada when KANON pinned Masada with the Sleepy Hollow (9:00).
3. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Tetsuya Endo, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yusuke Okada defeated HARASHIMA, Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Sakaguchi pinned Hirata with the PK (14:14).
4. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Yuki Ueno defeated Kotaro Suzuki with the WR (12:59).
5. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Jun Akiyama defeated MAO with the Sterness Dust (10:19).
6. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Chris Brookes defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Praying Mantis Bomb (12:04).
7. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Hideki Okatani with the Brain Claw Slam (16:04).

Former allies in Eruption crossed paths in the King Of DDT 2nd Round. Last year’s winner Kazusada Higuchi fought Hideki Okatani, the youngster who was all set to blaze through the tournament and make a name for himself. Okatani threw his best shot and did get to leave a mark on his opponent but Higuchi stood tall in the end and beat him with the Brain Claw Slam. It wasn’t all bad news for Okatani though. Shunma Katsumata approached him backstage after the main event offering him a DDT Extreme Title shot. Okatani eliminated him in Round 1 so Katsumata wants to settle that score, putting his title on the line in order to do so. Okatani accepted and Katsumata promised to come up with a stipulation that will show off more of Okatani to the fans.

Chris Brookes somehow got a hold of Mecha Mummy’s fist and brought it into his match against Sanshiro Takagi. However a misfired attack knocked out Yukinori Matsui by accident. This also happened after Brookes accidentally took out Daisuke Kiso with a missed RKO. With no more referees in sight Brookes and Takagi fought out of the ring and around the room. Takagi brought out the Dramatic Dream bike but Brookes smashed a plastic box over his head and then threw him into a castle of chairs. Back in the ring both Masahiro Takanashi and Drew Parker interfered to help Brookes out. Takagi fought on but a combination of being put through a table and having more plastic boxes smashed over his head became overwhelming. With nothing left to give, he was pinned with the Praying Mantis Bomb. Backstage Takagi said when he first met Brookes in Japan he thought he had the potential to become the top wrestler in DDT. Today he is convinced Brookes will reach that level.

One thing you should know by now is you should never count out Jun Akiyama in any competition. He reaches the final four by defeating MAO in today’s bout. It took quite a bit to get that result though. The Exploder Suplex and a bare Knee Strike wasn’t enough to put MAO away. Instead Akiyama had to pull out the old Sterness Dust to get his hand raised in the end. MAO didn’t think the match was going to be so close. He went into today with an empty head and came out of the match with a little bit of Akiyama knowledge filling it up. He’ll be going to wrestle in America again soon so he plans to push himself while still wrestling at his own pace.

In a battle of skill, Yuki Ueno came out on top against Kotaro Suzuki. The Endless Waltz couldn’t dizzy Ueno enough to keep him pinned and he also kicked out of a Tombstone. Suzuki then went for the Blue Destiny but Ueno got out of the move and twisted Suzuki into the WR to win the match. Suzuki refuses to let his time in DDT end like this and wants a rematch with Ueno to get revenge.

A lottery was held after the main event to pair off the semi-finals on 21st May. Ueno will face Higuchi and Brookes has to take on Akiyama. Ueno thinks it’s all well and good to see Higuchi shave his head and act like he has given himself a fresh start. But Ueno thinks he himself has been developing too. Higuchi is not giving the final a single thought until he beats Ueno first. Brookes knows he has to go on and win King Of DDT after both HARASHIMA and Takagi have given him their support. If he can beat those two then he can beat Akiyama! But Akiyama has been doing this for decades. Fighting Brookes in a singles match is going to be a new experience for him.

Kazuki Hirata wanted to cheer up and motivate his friend HARASHIMA during their match. He decided the two of them dancing together would be the best way to achieve that. Unfortunately their dance got cut off by the other team and Hirata wound up getting destroyed by Tetsuya Endo & Yukio Sakaguchi, losing the match for his side.

Shunma Katsumata tried to replicate Komander’s tight rope walk into a dive during his match. It ended poorly and Katsumata crotched himself on the rope.

The first appearance of Yuki Iino since his failure to win the KO-D Openweight Title showed him in a crazy state that even has Danshoku Dieno worried. This was a different kind of “Sexy” than everyone is used to seeing. First Iino ran across the entrance way wearing what can be best described as half a speedo. Then when he reappeared for the actual team entrance, Hisaya Imabayashi stopped Pheromones and convinced Dieno to get Iino back into his proper wrestling costume. The match went ahead with Dieno, Akito and Antonio Honda all trying to stop Iino from stripping naked. Honda got Iino to calm down with a lewd Gongitsune joke. In return the now relaxed and enlightened Iino sent both Akito & Honda to sleep with a Sleeper Hold to win the match. Dieno promised the fans that Iino will return to his normal “Sexy” self the next time we see him.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 1ST ROUND” Results

May 6, 2023

DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 1ST ROUND”, 06/05/2023
Shinjuku FACE
234 Fans

1. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Yusuke Okada by TKO with a Headbutt (9:11).
2. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: Hideki Okatani defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Double Arm Suplex (8:50)
3. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: Sanshiro Takagi defeated Yukio Sakaguchi with the Texas Clothesline (3:40).
4. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: Chris Brookes defeated HARASHIMA with two Praying Mantis Bombs (12:08).
5. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: Jun Akiyama defeate Tetsuya Endo with a Torture Rack Turn Back (10:12).
6. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: MAO defeated Takeshi Masada with the Senpukyaku (9:28).
7. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: Kotaro Suzuki defeated KANON with an Inside Cradle 8:43).
8. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 1: Yuki Ueno defeated Naruki Doi with the WR (16:19).

Some eye catching results can be found among the first round matches in this year’s King Of DDT tournament. Naruki Doi’s decision to stick around in DDT to claim more prizes hit a wall when Yuki Ueno defeated him in the main event. Ueno jumped over the Bakatare Sliding Kick and landed with a Double Knee Drop onto Doi. However he missed the BME and Doi hit his next attempt at the Sliding Kick, this time aiming for the back of the head. Doi wanted to finish him off with the Muscular Bomb but Ueno countered it into a Cradle for a nearfall and then got the WR to get the win. The result is revenge for Doi taking the DDT Universal Title from Ueno earlier this year. Ueno again told the fans he is going to carry DDT on his back and he wants the audience to give him all of the power of their support.

KANON was left stunned over how he lost to Kotaro Suzuki. He gave him the Sleepy Hollow but Suzuki immediately cradled his shoulders onto the mat and scored the three count from out of nowhere. It left KANON is dispair because he is back to the bottom with no championships again. Suzuki wanted KANON to know that just because you hit your finishing move does not mean you drop your guard in the last second. Suzuki now moves on to face Ueno tomorrow and it’s a match he’s been really looking forward to since he came to DDT

The martial arts background of Takeshi Masada inspired MAO to go barefoot for their match that consisted almost entirely of strike moves. MAO won out by using the Senpukyaku whirlwind kick to sweep away Masada’s Triangle Kick. He praised Masada afterwards, saying it is guys like him who make DDT interesting. It makes MAO make changes to his gameplan, such as to wrestle barefoot like he did here. It makes MAO enjoy himself in the ring more. Masada however is now feeling confused over where he stands compared to the other young wrestlers on the roster. Is he on the right path by having a different wrestling style than the others or has he become lazy?

The DDT Universal Champion is out in the first round but when it’s from losing to Jun Akiyama can you call it an upset? Maybe it is when it’s Tetsuya Endo who is meant to be the leader of BURNING, not Akiyama. Endo was on track to winning when he gave Akiyama the Exploder Suplex three times in a row. But when he lifted him up into the Torture Rack, Akiyama rolled him over and pinned his shoulders to the mat. Well at least he can focus on that mystery former WWE wrestler now. Akiyama now has to deal with MAO in Round 2 tomorrow.

It took two Praying Mantis Bombs to get here but Chris Brookes scored a huge win against HARASHIMA, eliminating one of DDT’s most distinguished wrestlers in the 1st Round. By beating “Mr. DDT”, Brookes is now certain he is going to win the rest of the tournament. HARASHIMA is not left wondering if he is no longer as strong enough any more. It isn’t a thought he gets that often. But since Brookes beat him, he now supports Brookes to go all the way and win King Of DDT.

After five years away from King Of DDT, Sanshiro Takagi returned to the tournament with a vengeance. He defeated Yukio Sakaguchi in under 4 minutes but that result came from both men looking to win as soon as possible. Takagi’s used of the Stunner and then bringing back the Texas Clothesline gave him the victory. He admits if the match lasted even a minute longer he would have lost. He takes on Brookes in Round 2 and now has the time to figure out what he is weakest at.

Hideki Okatani took a longer path to enter the tournament than everyone else and he wasn’t going to do all that just to get eliminated in Round 1. He pulled off an upset by pinning Shunma Katsumata clean with the Double Arm Suplex. Okatani even called Katsumata pathetic because a double champion shouldn’t be losing in Round 1!

The day kicked off with Kazusada Higuchi entering the room with a newly shaved head ready to fight Yusuke Okada. Power versus speed was the name of the game here and power won out. Okada was pretty much on his last legs when he had the idea to Headbutt his opponent for one last desperate attack. When that didn’t work Higuchi returned the favour with his own Headbutt, knocking out Okada and ending the match. Higuchi praised Okada for showing passion in the ring. But he has nothing to say about his next opponent Okatani other than he is going to crush him tomorrow.

DDT “KING OF DDT 2023 2ND ROUND”, 07/05/2023
Shinjuku FACE

0. Dark Match: Yuni & Yuki Ishida Vs Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Antonio Honda
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Shunma Katsumata, Toy Kojima & Takeshi Masada
3. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Tetsuya Endo, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yusuke Okada Vs HARASHIMA, Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata
4. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Kotaro Suzuki Vs Yuki Ueno
5. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Jun Akiyama Vs MAO
6. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Chris Brookes
7. King Of DDT 2023 – Round 2: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Hideki Okatani

The semi-final lottery will take place after the Round 2 matches are completed.


DDT “MEGA MAX BUMP 2023 IN YOKOHAMA” Results

May 3, 2023

DDT “MEGA MAX BUMP 2023 IN YOKOHAMA”, 03/05/2023
Yokohama Budokan
1,160 Fans

0. Dark Match – Pheromones Vs D GENERATIONS Army Best Of 3 Singles Matches: Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated Rukiya with the Tiger Driver (4:07).
0. Dark Match – Pheromones Vs D GENERATIONS Army Best Of 3 Singles Matches: Ilusion defeated Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno with a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch Hold (5:21).
0. Dark Match – Pheromones Vs D GENERATIONS Army Best Of 3 Singles Matches: Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda defeated Yuki Ishida with the Shining Katame (4:54).
1. Yuya Koroku & Munetatsu Nakamura defeated Toy Kojima & Kazuma Sumi when Koroku submitted Sumi with the Modified Triangle Lancer (8:36).
2. International Special Single Match: Saki Akai defeated Rayne Leverkusen with the Quetzalcoatl (5:51).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul defeated Soma Takao, Yusuke Okada & Diego when Sasaki submitted Diego with the Crossface Lock (11:09).
4. Dance Vs Kickboxing Mixed Martial Arts Challenge: Hikaru Machida defeated Kazuki Hirata by TKO with a Right Straight (R1 0:07). (Round Girl: Sayuri Namba)
4a. Rematch: Kazuki Hirata defeated Hikaru Machida with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (R4 3:32). (Round Girl: Sayuri Namba)
5. Chiitan☆ Debut Match ~ Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chiitan☆, Toru Owashi & Akito defeated Chris Brookes, Masahito Takanashi & Antonio Honda when Chiitan☆ pinned Honda with the Shining Wizard (10:26).
6. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Yuni defeated Vent Vert Jack & Takeshi Masada when Ueno pinned Masada with the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher (12:03).
7. DDT Extreme Title – TLC (Toys, Ladders & Chairs) Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Jun Akiyama (c) with a School Boy (17:03).
*Jun Akiyama fails in V5. Shunma Katsumata becomes the 57th DDT Extreme Champion!
8. Road To King Of DDT 2023 Special 8-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi, Naruki Doi & KANON defeated Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Kotaro Suzuki & Hideki Okatani when Sakaguchi pinned Okatani with the God’s Right Knee (10:40).
9. DDT Universal Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) defeated MAO with the Tetsuya In The Sky (19:17).
*V1 for Tetsuya Endo.
10. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) defeated Yuki “Super Sexy” Iino with the Fuckin’ BOMB (22:28).
*V2 for Yuji Hino.

All throughout the build up for the Yokohama Budokan Golden Week show, Yuki Iino had promised to seal away his “Sexy” persona in order to get a KO-D Openweight Title shot. It led to him evolving a “Strong” persona that pleased Yuji Hino and left the champion thinking they would deliver a strong style match for the ages. Oh boy was he wrong. A referee bump led to Pheromones interfering and Makoto Oishi jumping in to try and stop them. Hino wanted nothing to do with the nonsense and ran off backstage with everyone chasing after him. Danshoku Dieno took the microphone, said he held Iino back for too long and it was time to give fans a title match only DDT can deliver! Pheromones returned with Hino all gagged up and behind them was the first appearance of Yuki “Super Sexy” Iino! Pheromones did their spots but Oishi was there once again to get in their way and revive Yukinori Matsui. From there the match went back to normal. Iino hit his new Strong Splash finisher but only got a two count. Hino came back throwing Lariats to combat Iino’s Spear. The momentum flipped all the way to the champion and he got the three count with the Fuckin’ BOMB.

Hino was presented with the KO-D Title by Kenta Kobashi after the match (apparently Kobashi did not sound the least bit amused by the main event on commentary). Hino told Iino that he is a strong wrestler when they fight each other and he should be choosing his friends more carefully. Dieno defended Iino by telling Hino he dares to be “Sexy” and chose to be that way. When times are tough everyone should look to Pheromones for inspiration. Dieno also warned that the Pheromones way of life will lead him to meet Hino in the ring again some day. Hino gave Iino credit for showing off his real ability today and reminded fans that DDT is the place where amazing wrestlers gather together to have amazing matches.

The war of words between Tetsuya Endo and MAO has come to an end for now after Endo was put down his arch rival. For weeks the two have sent harsh words to each other over who suits the DDT Universal Title more. When it came down to the match itself both tried to outdo each other with big moves. Endo kicked out of the Avalanche Michinoku Driver II and the Cannonball 450° but when Endo hit the Tetsuya In The Sky it was all over. MAO was left beaten but he said afterwards the result did not change his mind. He still intends to win the Universal Title he just has to start from scratch all over again. As long as he behaves how he thinks the Universal Champion should behave then the belt will eventually gravitate towards him by itself. Meanwhile Endo said MAO was just all talk and no better than Daisuke Sasaki’s snot! If MAO wants to get revenge and beat him, he should go home and become his town’s toursim ambassador first!

With MAO now out of the way, Endo has a new mystery challenger on the horizon. As he walked up the ramp to leave ringside, a video played with the message “I have won many titles. Next target is DDT Universal Title. On July 23, Ryogoku. I will go to steal the belt.” The video also mentioned the message was sent from a former WWE wrestler and their identity will be revealed on 21st May. Who could it be? Well maybe it’s the guy who tweeted out a similar vague message a few hours later and then posted the video itself? Endo said a WWE wrestler is the best choice for his next defence. However Endo is about to take part in the King Of DDT tournament and the winner of that will most likely get a KO-D Title match at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” on 23rd July. Endo wants to win the tournament and then win the KO-D Title while still holding the Universal Title. If he gets that opportunity then he won’t be able to do two title matches at the Sumo Hall show. It would just be too difficult for him!

A preview for the King Of DDT was on display in an 8-Man Tag Match. Given the amount of people in the match chomping at the bit to wrestle, the match went ahead with No Tag Rules. It led to some of the 1st Round pairings squaring up to each other. Sanshiro Takagi and Yukio Sakaguchi fought each other while Kotaro Suzuki and KANON went back and forth. Hideki Okatani tried cutting off his Eruption stablemate but was pinned with the God’s Right Knee for his troubles. Sakaguchi helped Okatani to the back after the match, showing there was no ill intention over the result. Everyone also gave out comments about King Of DDT. Takagi is now trying to figure out how to prepare for his 1st Round match in three days. Sakaguchi wants Takagi to put his phone away and be ready for him. Suzuki wants to win King Of DDT at all costs. Naruki Doi sees everyone as his enemy because he knows it only takes one loss to get eliminated from the bracket. HARASHIMA wanted his side to win as a team today but their teamwork wasn’t good enough. Kazusada Higuchi was reminded of how tough the competition is going to be so he will tighten his resolve for the early rounds. KANON promised to give Suzuki a nightmare he deserves. Okatani was excited by the match and wants to win no matter what it takes.

The TLC Match was all about Toys, Ladders and Chairs! The idea was put together by Shunma Katsumata to ensure Jun Akiyama would experience a true DDT Extreme Title defence. However the in the build up to the match the plan seemed to have backfired when Akiyama got the bright idea to get Toy Kojima involved because he counts as a “Toy”! The match went ahead with chaos being caused around the ring. Akiyama crashed into a castle of chairs but he also used Kojima as a weapon against Katsumata. One Exploder Suplex was not enough to get the win so Akiyama set up another. However Kojima suddenly showed he had enough of being treated like a toy and he hit Akiyama with a Leg Lariat. That caused Katsumata to roll up Akiyama from behind and get the pin to win the Extreme Title! After the match Kojima yelled at Akiyama, telling him to stop treating people like toys and how Katsumata has always treated him as a friend. His comments got Akiyama to go to management and demand a singles match with him somewhere down the line. Meanwhile Katsumata wants to take the Extreme Title and KO-D Tag Team Titles with MAO worldwide. He also wants to turn the belt strap back from white to purple but that might take some time.

DDT’s young portion of their roster was put on display for Match #6. Yuki Ueno teamed up with Yuni originally expecting to face some international competition. However visa issues prevented Nick Wayne from being able to travel to Japan so Takeshi Masada instead had to team with Vent Vert Jack from Yokohama’s MY WAY promotion. It was the first time Yuni and Jack were in the ring together since the end of the DDTeeeen!! project. Yuni pulled out a Firebird Splash on Masada to give Ueno a nearfall. Jack tried to keep breaking the pins but Ueno scored the win in the end by giving Masada the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher. Ueno said everyone in the match was amazing and makes him wonder how good he himself will be when Wayne does finally come to DDT? His upcoming singles match with HUB is giving him an explosion of motivation and he wants to also face Wayne in a singles match. Yuni also threw his name into the hat to have a match with Wayne. Jack said he would like to come back to DDT for more matches with Yuni and Ilusion. Masada said he was able to see the difference in his career to those of Yuni and Jack. He’s older than both of them but they have far more experience than he does. He sees he has to catch up to them first before he can catch up to Ueno.

The pro wrestling debut of Chiitan saw the mascot get outclassed by its opponents at first. But Toru Owashi & Akito were there to provide backup against CDK & Antonio Honda. Chiitan got into a punch exchange with Chris Brookes until Honda paused the match to give his latest Gongitsune joke. When the match resumed Brookes set Chiitan up for the Praying Mantis Bomb when music suddenly began to play. DDT’s own oversized mascot Pokotan ran down to the ring to the rescue! It instead got attacked and had its head stomped in by Brookes. But unknown to him, Chiitan had climbed the top rope and went on to hit a Diving Cross Body onto Brookes, Honda & Masahiro Takanashi. With the ring cleared, Chiitan then hit the Shining Wizard on Honda to win the match.

The two mascots gathered together afterwards and seemed to be on the same page. Until suddenly Chiitan attacked Pokotan with a baseball bat! The two got into a brawl that Akito tried to break up. Things briefly calmed down long enough for Akito to announce Chiitan and Pokotan will have a match against each other on 13th May but that just caused the mascots to get into another fight. Backstage Akito tried to explain what was going on to the reporters. Pokotan thinks he is DDT’s No. 1 mascot while Chiitan thinks it is Japan’s No. 1 mascot. The two are now determined to end each other!

The long awaited MMA fight between Dance and Kickboxing only lasted 7 seconds when Hikaru Machida immediately knocked out Kazuki Hirata. One person in particular took more offence to the result than anyone else in the building. The round girl Sayuri Namba was furious! She didn’t put all this effort into becoming a round girl again only to see she wasn’t needed. She even handmade her own costume for the match! She took her anger out on Hirata, Machida and the ref Matsui by slapping them all to the canvas. Everyone agreed to restart the match to further avoid her wrath. Namba became a lot more cheerful now she was able to do her job.

In the 3rd Round, Hirata feared he was about to get knocked out again so he got on the microphone and read a letter he wrote about wanting to put smiles on children’s faces. He thinks Machida’s own child would have the biggest smile if Hirata and Machida danced together. In the 4th Round Machida held back his Iai Punch and tearfully told Hirata he will always be a father before a fighter. The two danced to Hirata’s music but Hirata then cradled Machida for a nearfall. Machida hit the Iai Punch but that also got a two count. Hirata then locked in the Miracle One Shot Cradle from out of nowhere to take the win. Namba raised both of their hands and the three of them all danced to close out the match. Backstage Machida said this was the first time he ever lost a fight because his opponent exploited his love for his son. He also never danced in front of so many people before. His cornerman Thanomsak Toba told him that this is pro wrestling and everything is a learning experience. Namba said she would love to do more round girl work but only if the fighters are stronger so the audience can enjoy the fight more.

Diego’s first match with DDT in six years came about when Keigo Nakamura got injured. Diego was already in Japan and had attended a DDT show as Katsumata’s guest so when a spot on this show opened up it was only natural to bring him in. Unfortunately DAMNATION T.A spoiled his return and left him with a loss on his record. Daisuke Sasaki gave him a Low Blow, Minoru Fujita followed up with the Sayonara Tombstone and Sasaki landed a Diving Elbow. Diego kicked out of the pin but was put into the Crossface Lock for the submission ending. Soma Takao & Yusuke Okada still thanked Diego for joining their team on short notice. Sasaki complained about Diego coming back and demanded to fight him one on one in Diego’s home country of Chile. The flights are expensive though so he wants Diego to pay for it.

Rayne Leverkusen’s goal to “Make It Rayne” in Japan was taken down a notch after she lost to Saki Akai. She tried using a Rolling Elbow, German Suplex and Spinebuster to win. Akai fired back with a High Kick, the Rookie Award and then the Quetzalcoatl to get her hand raised in the end. For Akai she didn’t take it for granted that she got a singles match on one of DDT’s big shows of the year. She could tell that Rayne only has a year and a half of experience. She also doesn’t know anything about Iron Maiden so she was able to treat Leverkusen as an opponent and nothing else. Leverkusen said she respects Akai and she also won’t run away whenever her opponents brings up her family’s fame. She will continue to wrestle for her family and is proud to get a big singles match in Japan today. She wants to come back and if she is still a champion when she does, she thinks she will have to give Akai a title match.

The opening match ended with Yuya Koroku cutting off Kazuma Sumi’s Lionsault and then submitting him with the Triangle Lancer. However Koroku is not satisfied with that after failing to win the D GENERATIONS CUP and failing to qualify for King Of DDT. He wants to get even stronger so he can move out of the opening match spot as soon as possible. Munetatsu Nakamura from Ganbare☆Pro was happy to be on the winning team and hopes the next time he comes to DDT he will get to team with Keigo Nakamura as was originally planned. This was the fourth time Kojima & Sumi teamed up together. Kojima figures he has to protect Sumi even more after today’s loss. Sumi meanwhile is getting frustrated because he cannot figure out how to break out of Koroku’s Triangle Lancer.

Most of Pheromones were banished to the pre-show to take part in three dark matches. They pulled out a 2-1 score against a trio of rookies in singles matches. First, Yumehito Imanari beat Rukiya by using the Lariat and then the Tiger Driver. Then there was an upset when Ilusion defeated Danshoku Dieno! Ilusion got unmasked by Dieno during the match but the other rookies had the bright idea to place Dieno’s discarded tights over his head as a replacement. Ilusion then caught Dieno with a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch Hold to get the surprise three count and even the score. The third match was the decider with Yuki Ishida facing Koju Takeda. Ishida using an Emerald Flowsion for a nearfall and went for the Ensho. But Takeda countered it with his Shining Katame submission to make Pheromones win the series. Dieno used the result to declare today was going to be Pheromones Day!

A few guest names were announced for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” on 23rd July. First, Andreza Giant Panda will be coming back to DDT. The other was a person that nobody would have predicted, a wrestler by the name of Yoshitomo Shimohigashi. He is considered the first graduate of the Ibushi Wrestling Institute, having debuted in wrestling back in 2018. He also has an athletic background in bowling. Given his connection to Kota Ibushi, Shimohigashi is nicknamed “Golden Stardust” and he now carries on Kota Ibushi’s lineage in pro wrestling. Akito explained he has a hand in the Institute as an advisor and that even though Shimohigashi is unknown to the vast majority of wrestling fans, he is well known within the wrestling industry. Shimohigashi told the fans he wants to make an explosion inside the very ring that Ibushi created.

DDT will go to Sumo Hall for a second time this year on 12th November for “ULTIMATE PARTY 2023”.


DDT Around The World – April 2023

May 1, 2023

It’s full steam ahead on several different fronts for this month’s article. Konosuke Takeshita is now part of a blood feud between two of AEW’s main stables, a few familiar faces had a cup of coffee with the company during their American stay, Miyu Yamashita is all over the US indies adjusting to no longer being a big fish in a small pond, Maki Itoh’s love affair with GCW continues and Daisuke Sasaki did a tour of Mexico before returning to Japan. The rest of the summer looks to be entirely focused on Takeshita, Yamashita and Itoh’s travels. But when has that ever stopped a surprise booking or two popping up somewhere else, eh?

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Videos


LLL “MONSTER ISLAND”, 07/04/2023
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. LLL Women’s Title: Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Maki Itoh


DEFY “THE REALEST”, 08/04/2023
Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA

1. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita


IWRG “COPA HIGH POWER”, 09/04/2023
Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan de Juarez, Estado de Mexico, Mexico

1. Mexico Vs Los Internacionales: El Hijo del Canis Lupis, Hell Boy, Aster Boy, Jhon Tito, Tonalli & Maniacop 360 Vs Hip Hop Man, Karaoui, Gianni Valetta, Shocko, Daisuke Sasaki & Kodai Nozaki


Video starts at 00:00 for the match
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 10/04/2023
UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA

1. Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Penelope Ford)


BATTLE CLUB PRO “BATTLE CLUB ICONS VOLUME 3”, 12/04/2023
Ellery Street, Brooklyn, New York, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Janai Kai

Video starts at 1:10:23 for the match
OUTLAW WRESTLING “COLOSSAL TUSSLE”, 13/04/2023
Queens Brewery, Ridgewood, New York, USA

1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs Mike Bailey


NORTHEAST WRESTLING “SPRING SLAM 2023”, 15/04/2023
MJN Convention Center , Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

1. Wrestlefest Rematch: Konosuke Takeshita defeated JT Dunn with the Rollover German Suplex (17:19).


LUCHA MEMES, 15/04/2023
Arena Solis, Cuautlacingo, Puebla, Mexico

1. Raider Boy, Tormento & Fantasmin Vs Osiris, Garrobo Punk & Daisuke Sasaki


CCW “DEAD-ZONE”, 15/04/2023
Houston Volunteer Fire Department, Houston, Delaware, USA

1. CCW Title & CCW Title Match Network Title – 4 Corner Survival Match: KiLynn King (c) Vs Killer Kelly Vs Steph De Lander Vs Miyu Yamashita


Video starts at 00:0 for Match #1. Go to 16:01 for Match #2.
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 17/04/2023
UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA

1. Ashley D’Amboise Vs Maki Itoh
2. Emi Sakura Vs Mizuki


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 19/04/2023
Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Konosuke Takeshita comes to the aid of The Elite.


UWE “DAWN OF A NEW ERA”, 22/04/2023
Dauphin County Tech School, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Dani Mo Vs Miyu Yamashita


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 26/04/2023
FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida, USA

1. The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford) Vs Kenny Omega & Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis)


REPUBLIC OF LUCHA “ROL IV”, 30/04/2023
Republic Of Lucha, South Pasadena, California, USA

1. Arez Vs Konosuke Takeshita

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Results


AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 05/04/2023 (Aired 10/04/2023 & 17/04/2023)
UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA

1. Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Penelope Ford) defeated Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata when Butcher pinned Katsumata after the (7:01).
2. Maki Itoh defeated Ashley D’Amboise with the Itoh Deluxe (3:11).
3. Emi Sakura defeated Mizuki with a Cradle Cutback (3:26).

With WrestleMania week done and dusted, the DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro crew were all heading back to America. But not all of them. Mizuki made her AEW debut by facing one of her mentors Emi Sakura. She got to hit the Whirling Candy but ended up losing after a back and forth of cradles led to Sakura taking the three count.

Itoh made her AEW return on the same taping by beating Ashley D’Amboise one on one. The match was built around Itoh’s attempts to hit the Kokeshi Headbutt. She kept missing the move until she ended up successfully hitting it by accident. D’Amboise Dropkicked Itoh, Itoh bounced off the ropes and landed head first onto D’Amboise’s ribs. It then took Itoh all of her might to turn her opponent over into the Itoh Deluxe but once she got it locked in, victory was hers.

Fans discovered on Takeshita’s Twitter that the other members of The 37KAMIINA on the USA trip were hanging out with him in New York. Then there was the surprise when Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata all showed up in AEW later that night to wrestle on Dark Elevation. The three of them took on Kip Sabian along with The Butcher & The Blade in a losing effort but they all looked good in the process.


ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 05/04/2023 (Aired 06/04/2023)
UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Tony Nese with the Rollover German Suplex (w/ Mark Sterling, Josh Woods & Ari Daivari) (10:25).
2. ROH Women’s World Title: Athena (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita by Referee Stoppage with a Crossface Lock (13:33).
*V8 for Athena.

Yamashita returned to ROH for her second crack at Athena and the ROH Women’s Title. They previously fought over that belt in Prestige back in January. The rematch was more heated with the two fighting up towards the stage late in the match where Yamashita threw the champion over with the Attitude Adjustment. However Athena got her own back by pushing Yamashita off the ramp to the floor and following up with a dive. The damage took its toll because back in the ring Athena put on a Crossface Lock and kept it held until Yamashita lost consciousness. Athena mockingly shook her hand while she was still passed out afterwards.

A problem Takeshita has found himself in the AEW landscape is having to fight off more than just his opponent in the ring. Some of his losses have come from interference and the same almost happened against Tony Nese. There was a moment where Mark Sterling grabbed Takeshita’s foot and it eventually set up Nese hitting his Pumphandle Fire Thunder Driver for a nearfall. But Takeshita recovered and used a Chaos Theory to get the win despite the numbers game being against him.


WRESTLING REVOLVER “REVOLVER THURSDAY”, 06/04/2023
Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Allie Katch with the Skull Kick (10:13).

Yamashita bounced back a bit from her ROH loss the next day by beating Allie Katch in Wrestling REVOLVER. Katch was climbing the top rope when Yamashita stopped her with a High Kick to the rear followed by a German Suplex. Katch used a Small Package for one last chance but Yamashita kicked out and knocked her silly with the Skull Kick. Katch attacked Yamashita after the match but Jessica Havoc came to the rescue and sent Katch fleeing.


LLL “MONSTER ISLAND”, 07/04/2023
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. LLL Women’s Title: Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Maki Itoh with the Stunner (?:??).
*V1 for Heidi Howitzer.

Itoh and Heidi Howitzer were in the ring together for the first time since “GRAND PRINCESS ’23” in the main event of the latest Lucha Libre & Laughs show. Howitzer was not going to lose another title to Itoh and this time got revenge for the result back in Japan.


WEST COAST PRO “HOME OF THE KILLERS”, 07/04/2023
The State Room, South San Francisco, California, USA

1. West Coast Pro Women’s Title: Masha Slamovich (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the White Knight Driver (17:27).
*V1 for Masha Slamovich.

There’s been a few regular opponents showing up for Yamashita and Masha Slamovich is one of them. This time Slamovich was putting her newly won West Coast Pro Women’s Title on the line. Yamashita showed a more violent side by laying in knee strikes to Slamovich’s head while holding her in the Attitude Adjustment. But Slamovich escaped the move, hit a Shining Wizard and got the win with a Package Piledriver. It’s her first time beating Yamashita.


HOODSLAM “FALLEN IDOLS”, 08/04/2023
Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA

1. Vipress defeated Maki Itoh with a School Boy (8:00).

Itoh ended up having to fight off two opponents for her appearance in Hoodslam. When she had Vipress all but beaten, Dark Sheik ran down to interfere. Itoh cut her off at the ropes with a DDT but Vipress rolled her up with a School Boy afterwards to steal the win.


DEFY “THE REALEST”, 08/04/2023
Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA

1. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Game Over (18:25).
*V3 for Vert Vixen.

A week before Vert Vixen headed over to TJPW for her first tour of Japan, she faced off with Yamashita with the DEFY Women’s Title on the line. Vixen came out on top in a match that got a great response from the fans in attendance.


IWRG “COPA HIGH POWER”, 09/04/2023
Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan de Juarez, Estado de Mexico, Mexico

1. Mexico Vs Los Internacionales: Hip Hop Man, Karaoui, Gianni Valetta, Shocko, Daisuke Sasaki & Kodai Nozaki defeated El Hijo del Canis Lupis, Hell Boy, Aster Boy, Jhon Tito, Tonalli & Maniacop 360 (?:??).

Daisuke Sasaki went his own direction to spend some extra time abroad. First he went to hang out with Sam Adonis and Hernandez. Apparently they all teamed together for at least one match somewhere but I couldn’t find out where. Then he travelled to Mexico to compete on several lucha libre shows. The first one I could find was a Mexico Vs The World themed Torneo de Cibernetico over in IWRG. Sasaki was not the only Japanese wrestler on his team because Kodai Nozaki was there too. Both of them ended up getting eliminated from the match (Sasaki was Power Bombed onto one of his other partners and then pinned) but their team ended up beating Mexico anyway thanks to some shenanigans at the end that didn’t involve either of them.


ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 12/04/2023 (Aired 20/04/2023)
UWM Panther Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Lee Moriarty (12:42).

Takeshita took his ROH record this year to 4-0 after beating Lee Moriarty with the Zahi. He also got a slightly bloody lip out of it. Moriarty worked over Takeshita’s arm which saved him from getting pinned with the German Suplex. But Takeshita thought through to hold on and turn Moriarty into a Ripcord Forearm. From there he then hit the Zahi and that was it.


BATTLE CLUB PRO “BATTLE CLUB ICONS VOLUME 3”, 12/04/2023
Ellery Street, Brooklyn, New York, USA

1. Janai Kai defeated Miyu Yamashita with a School Boy (9:41).

Something a little different for Yamashita’s visit to Brooklyn was getting to wrestle outdoors at night. Her Battle Club Pro match against Janai Kai ended in defeat when Kai ducked the Skull Kick and used a School Boy to escape with the win.


OUTLAW WRESTLING “COLOSSAL TUSSLE”, 13/04/2023
Queens Brewery, Ridgewood, New York, USA

1. Daisuke Sasaki defeated Mike Bailey with La Mistica Crossface Lock (?:??).

Sasaki popped back over to America to fight an old foe in the form of Mike Bailey for Outlaw Wrestling. Sasaki’s dirty tactics won out in the end. He caught Speedball with a Low Blow and then applied La Mistica Crossface Lock to make him tap out.


LUCHANDO LIBRE, 14/04/2023
Coliseo Tulancingo, Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico

1. Aero Boy & Dariux Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Josh Rios

Then Sasaki went right back to Mexico for more lucha bookings. I couldn’t find a result for this match anywhere but I did find this picture of the match on their Facebook page.


NORTHEAST WRESTLING “SPRING SLAM 2023”, 15/04/2023
MJN Convention Center , Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

1. Wrestlefest Rematch: Konosuke Takeshita defeated JT Dunn with the Rollover German Suplex (17:19).

JT Dunn had been wanting a rematch with Takeshita after their last bout in Northeast Wrestling. He got his wish but the result was the same as last time.


CCW “DEAD-ZONE”, 15/04/2023
Houston Volunteer Fire Department, Houston, Delaware, USA

1. CCW Title & CCW Network Title – 4 Corner Survival Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated KiLynn King (c), Killer Kelly and Steph De Lander when Yamashita pinned King with the Skull Kick (11:05).
*KiLynn King fails in V9 for the CCW Title and V2 for the CCW Network Title. Miyu Yamashita becomes the 2nd CCW Champion and the 4th CCW Network Champion!
2. CCW Title & CCW Network Title: Christina Marie defeated Miyu Yamashita (c) with a Brass Knuckles Attack (1:17).
*Miyu Yamashita fails in V1 for the CCW Title and V1 for the CCW Network Title. Christina Marie becomes the 3rd CCW Champion and the 5th CCW Network Champion!

After several failed attempts to win a championship so far in her tour there was a brief moment when Yamashita added two more belts to her collection, the first title wins of her excursion. She made her debut for Capital Championship Wrestling winning both the CCW Title and the CCW Network Title from KiLynn King in a 4 Corner Survival Match. Yamashita even pinned King to win the match, cutting off any possible dispute over whether the title change was deserved. However afterwards Christina Marie confronted Yamashita in the ring and explained to her she is allowed to get a title match whenever she wanted because of a Battle Royal she won a few months ago. She was getting that title match right now and when the referee did the pre-match check on Yamashita, Marie put on brass knuckles and knocked Yamashita out with a punch to the head. The ref didn’t see the foreign object and counted the pin, bringing Yamashita’s CCW Title reign to an instant end before it ever really begun.


LUCHA MEMES, 15/04/2023
Arena Solis, Cuautlacingo, Puebla, Mexico

1. Raider Boy, Tormento & Fantasmin defeated Osiris, Garrobo Punk & Daisuke Sasaki with a Triple Pin (?:??)

Sasaki also made a trip over to Lucha Memes to team with Osiris & Garrobo Punk to take on the trio known as Los Insoportables. It ended badly for Sasaki’s team. All three of his team were pinned at the same time with Sasaki being defeated with a One-Man Spanish Fly.


DPW “DPW LIVE 2”, 16/04/2023
Phil Sheridan Building, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Nicole Matthews with the Skull Kick (13:24).

The last time Yamashita fought Nicole Matthews she lost to her in Canada. The rematch in America for Deadlock Pro went differently and now they is a 1-1 record between them.


RIW “FIGHT UNTIL WE DIED”, 16/04/2023
Gimnasio Coliseo Arena, Toluca, Mexico

1. Fight For The Revolution: Daisuke Sasaki, Impulso & Belial defeated Sol, X Devil Jr. & Astro de Plata Jr. (?:??).

Sasaki’s last appearance in Mexico before going home (that I could find ) was with Revolution Indy Wrestling in Toluca. Couldn’t find out much other than his team won the match.


UWE “DAWN OF A NEW ERA”, 22/04/2023
Dauphin County Tech School, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Dani Mo with the Skull Kick (?:??).

Yamashita had said on Twitter she was really looking forward to this match with Dani Mo. The feeling was mutual and Mo tweeted afterwards how honored she was to fight her.


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 26/04/2023
FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida, USA

1. Kenny Omega & Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford) when Takeshita pinned Butcher with the Powerdrive Knee (8:45).

A lot of progress was made with Takeshita’s storyline with Don Callis this month. It’s now sent him straight into the centre of an increasingly violent feud between The Elite and The Blackpool Combat Club. Attacks from the BCC led to Callis finding Takeshita backstage and convincing him to come save The Elite from further harm. Takeshita did so, stopping Bryan Danielson from attacking Kenny Omega with a screwdriver. It was a tense moment between the two given the respect they previously had for each other as opponents in AEW. After the show ended and things calmed down a little, Takeshita was welcomed into The Elite by The Young Bucks. Omega however was a little flustered over the decision, stopping himself from saying there was someone else he always had in mind to bring into the unit…

The following week Takeshita teamed with Omega for the first time since his AEW debut two years ago. They beat The Butcher & The Blade and we found out that Takeshita’s Zahi finisher has been renamed the Powerdrive Knee. However another BCC ambush took place after the match. This time The Elite were able to rally themselves and put them in a position for Omega to attack Jon Moxley with a screwdriver. Danielson convinced Takeshita to stop Omega but that just led to The BCC to come back and wipe out The Elite. Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli both raised Takeshita’s arm, signalling their intentions to add him to The BCC. Takeshita refused so Wheeler Yuta gave him a Low Blow and Moxley spiked him in the head with the screwdriver. Takeshita was left busted open with Omega tending to him as the show went off the air.


PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 5”, 29/04/2023
Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA

1. Triple Threat Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated Liiza Hall and Trish Adora when Yamashita pinned Hall with the Crash Rabbit Heat (?:??).

Yamashita’s original opponent for this show Queen Aminata had to pull out of the match “due to reasons beyond anyone’s control” according to Prestige. Yamashita instead took part in a a Triple Threat against Liiza Hall and Trish Adora. The latter brought power to the match, finding ways to lift and slam both Yamashita and Hall at the same time. She got taken out of the picture though and Hall tried to finish off Yamashita with a Piledriver. Yamashita countered the move and threw Hall off her, setting up the Crash Rabbit Heat. However there was a disputed finish because Hall kicked out right as the ref counted three.


REPUBLIC OF LUCHA “ROL IV”, 30/04/2023
Republic Of Lucha, South Pasadena, California, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Kidd Bandit with the Skull Kick (?:??).
2. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Arez with the Powerdrive Knee (?:??).

Daga did not heal from his injury in time so Takeshita took on Arez instead. Arez went the flight route with some dives but that stopped when Takeshita caught him on a Topé and dropped him onto the floor with a Brainbuster. But Arez is a smart little fecker and he found unusual ways to tie up Takeshita limb by limb. However he made the mistake of getting into strike exchanges and that’s a battle he just could not win. A Wheelbarrow Suplex was used to set up the Powerdrive Knee and that was the end for him.

Kidd Bandit went to Reddit asking for advice about how to beat Yamashita. Here is some of the advice they got. Duck, don’t get kicked and use unorthodox tactics. None of that worked.

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Upcoming Appearances


EVE “LUCKY 13 – NIGHT 1”, 05/05/2023
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England

1. EVE Title – Iron Woman Match: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Millie McKenzie

Could this be the countdown towards Yamashita losing the EVE Title?


EVE “LUCKY 13 – NIGHT 2”, 06/05/2023
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England

1. Special Challenge Match: Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita

There is a chance that Yamashita and Billie Starkz could end up fighting each other for the EVE Title somewhere down the line if Yamashita retains against Millie McKenzie and Starkz wins a tournament that EVE is putting together. However the promotion doesn’t want to miss their chance to do this match in England while both are available.


NEW TEXAS PRO “SUPER TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 1”, 11/05/2023
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. New Texas Pro Women’s Title: Hyan (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita

Remember this place from Shota’s excursion? Now Yamashita gets to experience the Houston Premier Arena for a big New Texas Pro show. She takes on Hyan with the New Texas Pro Women’s Title on the line.


MAW “VENDETTA”, 13/05/2023
2nd St. Depot, Hastings, Minnesota, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sierra

Nothing new to add here.


HOG “BEWARE THE FURY”, 19/05/2023
Amazura, Queens, New York, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

Add House Of Glory to the growing list of promotions Yamashita is wrestling in this summer.


AIW “GAUNTLET FOR THE GOLD 16”, 20/05/2023
Force Sports, Eastlake, Ohio, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

Still waiting to see what will happen in AIW.


GCW “THE WAY I AM”, 20/05/2023
Harpo’s Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Shazza McKenzie

Itoh returns to America for a few more GCW appearances. Her first match back is against Shazza McKenzie and once that’s done she has a storyline to sink her teeth into.


GCW “I CAN’T SAVE YOU”, 21/05/2023
Valley Dale Ballroom, Columbus, Ohio, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Steph De Lander

Itoh and Steph De Lander just keep bumping into each other whenever Itoh goes travelling. Their next meeting in GCW however ties into the Nick Gage and Matt Cardona feud. De Lander has become Cardona’s right hand woman on the indies ever since his wife Chelsea Green signed with WWE (Cardona compares it to losing his Miss Elizabeth and then gaining his own Sensational Sherri). The two tried to ruin the one night only tag match for Maki Death Kill and Cardona is still avoiding Gage’s demands for another death match. So while that problem is still bubbling on the surface, Itoh and De Lander will get to continue their little rivalry in the meantime.


GLORY PRO “GO FOR BROKE”, 21/05/2023
South Broadway Athletic Club, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

1. Tootie Lynn Vs Miyu Yamashita

Another new opponent for Yamashita. Tootie Lynn welcomes her to Glory Pro. I’m sensing some of Yamashita’s bookings in May is all thanks to the groundwork Shota laid out with his excursion last year.


GCW “LIFESTYLE”, 26/05/2023
Silver Nugget Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Here’s a tip for those getting an Uber away from the Silver Nugget Casino after the show based on my experience there last year. Try and get over to the cinema across the road. It is so much easier for the driver to pick you up there while avoiding the rest of the crowd all calling their own rides home at the same time.


LLL “BEST WISHES WARMEST REGARDS”, 02/06/2023
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. 3 Way Match: Masha Slamovich Vs Heidi Howitzer Vs Miyu Yamashita

After Howitzer dealt with Itoh, she is now onto even bigger challenges in Lucha Libre & Laughs. Now she has to fight both Masha Slamovich and Miyu Yamashita at the same time! It’s another chance for Yamashita to clash with Slamovich too.


BLACK LABEL PRO “FANCY WRESTLING 2”, 03/06/2023
RDS Gym, Crown Point, Indiana, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

It’s a safe bet Yamashita will get a bigger pop for her Black Label Pro debut than Sean Ross Sapp did.


ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANT’S WOKE EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023
The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA

1. Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita

They’ll have faced each other before already but this is still a match Starkz has been demanding to happen in St. Louis Anarchy.


SPARK “IGNITE EAST”, 11/06/2023
The Heart Ballroom, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

SPARK “IGNITE WEST”, 16/06/2023
East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Cultural Center, West Covina, California, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

A new women’s wrestling promotion is opening up in America called SPARK Joshi Puroresu. Obviously with a name like that their goal is to become a Japanese style wrestling promotion. Yamashita is the third name attached to the indie with Ram Kaichow and SAKI being the first two announcements. However Yamashita is being advertised for both of SPARK’s first two shows while the other two are only doing one each at the moment. I’m a little bit skeptical over how much legs an idea like this has especially when SPARK is trying to run both the east and west coast of USA.


ENJOY “???”, 17/06/2023
Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Ray Lyn Vs Miyu Yamashita

Still looks like this will be the last match of Yamashita’s excursion.


WRESTLING REVOLVER “RING OF DESTINY”, 17/06/2023
Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X

Takeshita makes his Wrestling REVOLVER debut. Interesting thing to note is this is the same date as the rumored debut event for AEW’s new weekly TV show Collision. With rumours of a soft roster split taking place in AEW to accompany the return of CM Punk, it will be of no surprise to find out Takeshita is in The Elite’s half of the company. God what a mess that entire thing is.


GCW “THANK ME LATER”, 17/06/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Meanwhile Itoh will be on the other side of the country for GCW. Imagine if she goes back to AEW and ends up in the middle of that civil war?


DDT “MAX BUMP 2023 TOUR IN HAMAMATSU” Results

April 30, 2023

DDT “MAX BUMP 2023 TOUR IN HAMAMATSU”, 30/04/2023
Shizuoka Create Hamamatsu Hall
172 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Yusuke Okada defeated Kazuma Sumi with a Half Crab Hold (6:53).
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Hideki Okatani & Rukiya when KANON submitted Rukiya with the Cobra Twist (9:15).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Rayne Leverkusen defeated Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Mari Manji when Leverkusen submitted Hirata with the Scala Special (10:47).
4. Hamamatsu Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hiroshi Yamato defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes & Yuki Ishida when Sakaguchi pinned Ishida with the God’s Right Knee (11:24).
5. Ω Vs Pheromones!: Yuki “Strong” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno defeated Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi when Iino pinned Oishi with the Strong Splash (9:37).
6. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Ueno defeated Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku when Katsumata pinned Koroku with the Totonou Splash (18:26).

This was the last DDT show before they go to Yokohama Budokan for their big Golden Week show on Wednesday. Shunma Katsumata got a little bit of momentum back from Jun Akiyama by getting the winning fall in the main event. The fued between Tetsuya Endo and MAO though is still at a deadlock. The four of them now have their sights set on Wednesday.

Yuki “Strong” Iino used the Splash Mountain, or the Strong Splash as he calls it, to win his match today. Now that all of the prelim matches are out of the way, Iino is all clear to face Yuji Hino for the KO-D Openweight Title and he no longer has to be judged by Makoto Oishi. That makes Oishi a little worried that Iino’s “Sexy” form may come back to life. Hino disagrees. He was promised a “Strong” match against Iino and he expects it to go ahead. Danshoku Dieno said all that is left to do now is for Iino to win the KO-D Title!

Rayne Leverkusen got her team to rock out as a way to combat Kazuki Hirata’s team from dancing. The plan worked out so and she ended up tapping out Hirata to score her first victory in DDT.