DDT “HANAMI PRO WRESTLING 2023”, 12/03/2023 Saitama Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park Outdoor Stage 312 Fans
1. Student Pro Wrestling Support Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Great-GO-Khan & “Mother’s Child” Mazakon Kid defeated Antonio Honda, Macho Gallows & Dopyu♡McIntyre when Khan pinned McIntyre with the Divine Punishment (10:06).
2. MJ Paul & KANON defeated Hideki Okatani & Yuya Koroku when Paul pinned Koroku with the Death Valley Bomb (9:43).
3. Yuki “Sexy” Iino Produce Match ~ Pheromone Rumble: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Over The Sexy Dose (19:19). Order Of Elimination: Yusuke Okada, Pokotan, Chris Brookes, Kazuma Sumi and Shunma Katsumata.
4. Kazuki Hirata Produce Match ~ Bring Items Anywhere Falls Count Fair And Square Full Settlement Tag Team Match: Toru Owashi & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Kazuki Hirata, Soma Takao, Gota Ihashi & Keigo Nakamura when Sakaguchi pinned Hirata with the PK (13:09).
5. Tetsuya Endo Produce Match ~ Shiraishi Castle Love Song: Tetsuya Endo & Keisuke Ishii defeated Akito & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Endo pinned Hiroshi with the Burning Star Press (11:40).
6. Special Challenge Match: Jun Akiyama defeated Takeshi Masada with the Exploder Suplex (11:46).
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, MAO & Makoto Oishi defeated Yukio Naya, Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when Hino submitted Ishida with the King Kong Sleeper (15:34).
The final preview matches for “JUDGEMENT 2023” saw the champion team beat their challengers in a trios match. Both Yuji Hino & MAO took the time to rub the result in the faces of Yukio Naya & Kazusada Higuchi respectively. Naya told Hino they will show the best of DDT and heavyweight wrestling when their KO-D Openweight Title match takes place. Hino is looking forward to it but warns Naya that he will beat him. Meanwhile MAO & Higuchi agreed to make their KO-D Tag Team Title match Falls Count Anywhere!
“The Amazing Newcomer” Takeshi Masada was given a singles match against Jun Akiyama as one of his prizes for winning the D GENERATIONS CUP. He tried to use the Samurai Driver ’01 but Akiyama blocked the move and countered it into the Nagata Lock II. Masada reached the ropes to break the hold but was drilled with Knee Strikes until Akiyama finished him off with the Exploder Suplex. After the match Masada said he will be going back to university this spring so he will be travelling between Osaka and Tokyo a lot. However his DDT schedule will not be effected.
Tetsuya Endo’s produce match was a rematch from his debut 12 years ago. Afterwards he asked Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi to do a singles match with him in the future because Endo has never beaten him one on one. Hiroshi agreed but wonders if the match won’t be happening for another 12 years.
Some of the weapons used in Match #4 include a sasumata, a water pistol, balloons, a Singapore cane, tape and the World Omori Title that Soma Takao is currently the champion of. Yukio Sakaguchi taped Keigo Nakamura against the ring post, Gota Ihashi was sent rolling down a nearby hill and Takao got drunk so Kazuki Hirata was left to fight on his own. He got Sakaguchi to strike Toru Owashi with the cane by mistake and tried blocking the cane with his own hand. But Sakaguchi overpowered Hirata and pinned him on the stage with a Penalty Kick.
Wrestlers in the Pheromones Rumble were eliminated when they got their face shoved into Yuki Iino’s backside for five seconds.
“BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS VOL. THREE”, 07/03/2023 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa 50 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. WTF?! Tag Team Match: Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei Vs Drew Parker & Death Worm
2. Special Tag Team Match: Masahiro Takanashi & Mei Suruga Vs MAO & Chie Koishikawa
3. Special Singles Match: Chris Brookes Vs Maya Yukihi
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. THREE: SECRET OF THE OOZE”, 07/03/2023 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa 50 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. WTF?! Tag Team Match: Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei defeated Drew Parker & Death Worm when Kei pinned Worm with a Stake Attack To The Mouth (9:30).
2. Special Tag Team Match: Masahiro Takanashi & Mei Suruga defeated MAO & Chie Koishikawa when Suruga pinned Koishikawa with an Inside Cradle (12:22).
3. Special Singles Match: Chris Brookes defeated Maya Yukihi with the Praying Mantis Bomb (14:09).
The third Baka Gaijin + Friends caused a little more damage to ARENA Shimokitazawa than the previous ones. During the main event Chris Brookes and Maya Yukihi fought by the bar and treated the counter like a top turnbuckle to do diving moves off of. Brookes was pretty much too tall to do that and hit the chandelier hanging from the ceiling as he jumped off the counter. That broke the lights and caused that corner of the room to go dark! Brookes ended up recovering and beat Yukihi with the Praying Mantis Bomb after she kicked out of a Tombstone and a Tiger Driver.
Just like on the first show, Chie Koishikawa went full Chris Brookes cosplay for her tag match. MAO wore a costume too, pretending to be Baliyan Akki. This caused Masahiro Takanashi to attack both of them for being fakes. The real Akki got involved in the match to help Mei Suruga deal with MAO. Suruga then got to pin Koishikawa with an Inside Cradle for a three count.
The Brahman Brothers complained about having little room to wrestle in. They eventually found enough space to do their usual bowling ball spot. Death Worm did well to fight against them until it suddenly stopped moving. Takayuki Ueki explained it was Death Worm’s feeding time but The Brahmans stopped him from giving Worm its food. Drew Parker came to the rescue and gave Worm a sausage to eat, powering it back up. Parker grabbed a can of beer and went to hit The Brahmans with it. He missed and the can ended up hitting Worm in the mouth, making it drink enough beer to get drunk! The Brahmans then stuck a large wooden stake into Worm’s mouth and bashed it with a traffic sign. It knocked out Death Worm long enough to get pinned.
Whoever said Lingerie Muto had retired was wrong because his spot in the show was an open challenge for a fight! He looked out among the crowd for any takers, causing everyone to notice Will Ospreay sitting at the back of the room with Aussie Open. Muto then noticed Takeshi Masada next to them but Masada didn’t want to get into trouble with DDT if he accepted. Muto realised he could not wrestle anybody in the room under contract to a wrestling company so he instead randomly picked a female fan named Inoue to be his opponent. The fan overpowered Muto in a Test Of Strength. Muto climbed the bar counter wanting to do the Moonsault but had second thoughts and stepped down. Muto then got the fan on the mat and tried to apply the Figure 4 Leg Lock but Daisuke Kiso stopped him. Muto attacked Kiso and gave him a DDT but left himself vulnerable on his back. The fan pinned Muto and Kiso counted to three, declaring her the winner!
The next Baka Gaijin event will be at ARENA Shimokitazawa on 18th April.
1. MJ Paul & KANON defeated Soma Takao & Kazuma Sumi when Paul pinned Sumi with a Running Body Press (7:51).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Akito defeated Yoshihiko (c), Shunma Katsumata, Makoto Oishi, Chris Brookes, Akito, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata, Saki Akai, Yuki “Sexy” Iino and Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno (19:07).
2a. Makoto Oishi eliminated Saki Akai by Ring Out (14:35).
2b. Antonio Honda eliminated Makoto Oishi by Ring Out (14:39).
2c. Yuki “Sexy” Iino eliminated Antonio Honda with the Ketsugoye (15:27).
2d. Shunma Katsumata eliminated Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno by Ring Out (16:16).
2e. Shunma Katsumata eliminated Yuki “Sexy” Iino by Ring Out (16:50).
2f. Yoshihiko (c) eliminated Shunma Katsumata with the Reincarnation (17:10).
2g. Yoshihiko (c) eliminated Chris Brookes with a School Boy (17:20).
2h. Kazuki Hirata eliminated Yoshihiko (c) with the World Liner (18:44).
*Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,562nd champion.
2i. Akito eliminated Kazuki Hirata (c) with an Ankle Lock (19:07). *Akito becomes the 1,563rd champion.
3. DISASTER BOX Vs Harimao!: HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when HARASHIMA pinned Ishida with the Somato (8:58).
4. Keigo Nakamura & Hideki Okatani defeated Toi Kojima & Yuya Koroku when Okatani pinned Kojima with the Double Arm Suplex (9:16).
5. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Kotaro Suzuki defeated Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada when Suzuki pinned Okada with the Tiger Driver (11:31).
6. Special Single Match: Ryota Nakatsu defeated MAO with the V Slider (12:52).
7. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Yukio Naya & Takeshi Masada when Hino pinned Masada with the Fuckin’ BOMB (13:13).
Yuji Hino is enjoying the warm up matches against Yukio Naya. He thinks tomorrow’s one is going to be hotter than today’s and the temperature will keep on rising until “JUDGEMENT 2023” when the KO-D Openweight Title match will be the hottest of all. Naya agrees that the matches are only going to get more intense from here and he has to work harder in every one.
Bad memories clouded MAO’s mind as he wrestled Ryota Nakatsu. He never liked wrestling him back in DNA and was reminded of those experiences by Nakatsu’s kicks. Whenever MAO was on the offensive, he apologised to his opponent in between his attacks. Nakatsu kicked out of the Michinoku Driver II and pinned MAO with the V Slider. After the match Nakatsu told MAO he is an amazing Jr. Heavyweight but he is still unable to beat his senpai after all this time. If MAO is so scared of him then maybe Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi should take the KO-D Tag Team Titles away from him. MAO has come up with an idea though. If he avoids making eye contact with Nakatsu he does not feel so scared of him.
Has the time finally come for Kotaro Suzuki to surpass Jun Akiyama? He got the upper hand today, knocking him away with the Running Elbow before pinning Yusuke Okada with the Tiger Driver. Backstage Suzuki even said facing Akiyama would have been more of a challenge for him a decade ago. Tetsuya Endo is not picking sides despite being on Suzuki’s team today. He wants to see the match purely as a neutral.
Halfway through the show Daisuke Sasaki made an unexpected appearance, showing up at a wrestling show for the first time in almost two months. He had a beer in hand and thought he was at the “HANAMI PRO WRESTLING 2023” event that is scheduled for next week. He then complained that nobody was chanting his name (chants were prohibited for today’s show). Hisaya Imabayashi tried to talk sense into him while KANON & MJ Paul entered the ring. Sasaki ended up revealing that his eye injury has recovered enough that he is allowed to wrestle again earlier than expected. He was supposed to have his first match back at “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD” but Imabayashi allowed him to return to the ring at “JUDGEMENT 2023” on 21st Match instead. Sasaki said he hasn’t paid attention to what DAMNATION T.A was doing while he was gone, or almost anything else for that matter. All he knows is Keiji Muto retired. He also plans to go to Mexico and do whatever he wants after the DDT USA shows.
Akito believes that holding the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title is the last chance any DDT wrestler has of being added to the Los Angeles trip at the end of the month. The belt makes him a champion for now and champions should be part of the LA shows!
“LEC PRESENTS JUNIOR DREAM FESTIVAL ~ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL 2023~”, 01/03/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,381 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. Special Gift Match: YOH, Soma Watanabe & Kazuma Sumi defeated Fuminori Abe, Akira Jumonji & Ryo Hoshino when YOH pinned Jumonji with the DIRECT DRIVE (10:35).
1. Fujita “Jr.” Hayato, AMAKUSA & Hiromu Takahashi defeated YAMATO, HAYATA & Kazuki Hashimoto when Hayato submitted Hashimoto with the K.I.D (8:52).
2. Isami Kodaka & MAO defeated Onryo & SHO when SHO was Disqualified for assaulting the referee (9:43).
3. Ganbare! Shinjiro Otani 10-Man Tag Match: Tatsuhito Takaiwa, TAKA Michinoku, Minoru Tanaka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Jun Kasai defeated MUSASHI, LEONA, Kota Sekifuda, Shoki Kitamura & Chicharito Shoki when Takaiwa pinned Shoki with the Death Valley Bomb (10:28).
4. Hikaru Sato, Ryusuke Taguchi & Yumehito Imanari defeated The Great Sasuke, Tigers Mask & Batten×Blabla when Sato submitted Blabla with a Cross Armbreaker (7:29).
5. 3 Way Tag Match: Volador Jr. & El Desperado defeated Yuki Ueno & El Lindaman and HANAOKA & DOUKI when Desperado pinned HANAOKA with the Pinche Loco (10:34).
6. Mistico, Gurukun Mask, Billy Ken Kid & Alejandro defeated Dragon Kid, BUSHI, Black Menso~re & Atlantis Jr. when Mistico submitted Menso~re with La Mistica (11:29).
7. Surprise Match: CIMA defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Meteor (7:16).
8. 5 Way Match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Shun Skywalker, Ninja Mack, YO-HEY and Soberano Jr. when Ishimori pinned YO-HEY with the Bloody Cross (9:38).
9. Master Wato defeated Atsuki Aoyagi with the Recientemente II (14:24).
I’m only covering the matches relating to DDT, BASARA and Ganbare☆Pro but the entire event is worth watching. One of the highlights was the unexpected appearance of Kazuki Hirata for a surprise match with CIMA! Given CIMA’s history with people previously associated with the “Tokyo GO!” song, he was in no mood to dance along with Hirata. CIMA grabbed the Hirata GO! glasses to prevent the song from coming back and got boos from the crowd, causing him to sulk. Later in the match Hirata got his glasses back and convinced CIMA to put on his own pair so the two could finally dance together. They shook hands afterwards and CIMA pinned Hirata with the Somato. Backstage CIMA praised the show for bringing the entire Junior Heavyweight wrestling scene together. If there are still barriers keeping these companies apart, he thinks we should get rid of them. Hirata asked if he is invited for this kind of show again then please do not put him in the unadvertised surprise spot.
Yuki Ueno was thrown into a lucha flavored 3 Way Tag Match teaming with El Lindaman. He was in the ring from the start squaring off against both Volador Jr. and DOUKI. But as the match went on Ueno & Lindaman started bickering a little bit while trying to fight off both DOUKI & HANAOKA. Then El Desperado got a few of his opponents out of the ring for Volador to dive onto all of them. HANAOKA stopped Desperado from doing his own dive but ended up taking the Pinche Loco from him instead for the finish. Backstage Lindaman said he does not hate DDT or Ueno, he just got worked up because he wants to beat everybody. Ueno said he had fun both wrestling in this match and from watching all of the others. He believes the strongest pro wrestlers are those who enjoy wrestling and he hopes there will be a second “ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL” in the future.
Yumehito Imanari showed off his more pervy side by wearing a “Virgin Killer” sweater along with Hikaru Sato & Ryusuke Taguchi in their match. Because their costumes were at risk of becoming too revealing, their opponents were careful with how they fought to avoid shocking the audience. Batten×Blabla convinced Imanari to continue the match without the costume while Taguchi and Tigers Mask did some actual wrestling in between. Sato went on to tap out Blabla with a Cross Armbreaker. Afterwards Sato called his team the pinnacle of Japan’s Jr. division! If there are three wrestlers better than Sato, Taguchi & Imanari then send them their way. Sato has had enough of every pro wrestler trying to look cool. They should instead bare it all for the fans!
MAO wants fucked up pro wrestling for a fucked up world. Isami Kodaka wishes “Peace & Fuck” on the world. But the two of them combined still wasn’t as unusual as the combination of SHO & Onryo. SHO ended up using Onryo as a weapon by slamming him on top of MAO. Onryo got his own back by throwing his ectoplasm powder in SHO’s face. Then in an even weirder turn of events, Ram Kaichow got on the top turnbuckle and hit a Diving Cross Body on SHO. The match lost control when SHO got out of the ring, pulled the referee out with him and then started attacking him for the DQ. Kodaka got on the microphone and told SHO if he wants to use weapons so bad they should do a death match against each other! SHO refused and left ringside in a huff. Backstage Kaichow complained about the show only inviting male wrestlers. If another “ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL” happens she wants to wrestle on it!
A bonus pre-show match gave Kazuma Sumi a spot on the card and a chance to share the ring with YOH & Soma Watanabe. Sumi’s main confrontation was with Akira Jumonji but he had interactions with Fuminori Abe & Ryo Hoshino too. He ended up on the winning side thanks to YOH pinned Jumonji with the DIRECT DRIVE. Sumi thanked the organisers for inviting him and said Jr. Heavyweight wrestling is the best!
A month ago I was thinking this article was going to become so much easier to handle. Shota was finished with his excursion to some of the most obscure independents in America and February was mostly built around Konosuke Takeshita and Yuka Sakazaki doing stuff related to AEW and ROH. It should be a piece of cake from here on out. Then the Wrestlemania Week bookings started pouring in. And if that wasn’t enough, Miyu Yamashita announced her three month stay in America with the goal to get as many bookings across the country as humanly possible. The response to that idea has been great so far and she is certainly going to create some new fans this year. So yeah, keeping track of these things will only keep me busier as the year goes on. Now let’s get some more championships added to the trophy case while they’re at it.
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Videos
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 01/02/2023 Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana)
Video starts at 14:48 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 06/02/2023 Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Billie Starkz
Video starts at 45:10 for the match AEW “DARK”, 07/02/2023 Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs EJ Nduka
AEW “DYNAMITE – CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT NIGHT”, 08/02/2023 El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA
1. AEW World Title Eliminator Match: MJF Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Video starts at 31:22 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 13/02/2023 El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA
1. Vert Vixen Vs Yuka Sakazaki
Video starts at 1:18:47 for the match AEW “DARK”, (14/02/2023) Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Bronson
Video starts at 33:18 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 27/02/2023 Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Lee Johnson
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Results
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 01/02/2023 (Aired 06/02/2023) Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Billie Starkz with the Magical Girl Splash (5:39).
Whether the company is aware of it or not, AEW hosted a rematch of last November’s Princess Of Princess Title bout between Yuka Sakazaki and Billie Starkz. This match was a shorter affair with Starkz relying on using Swanton Bombs only to get dropped with the Tea Time and then pinned with the Magical Girl Splash.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 01/02/2023 Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana) with the Zahi (10:06).
A match against a heavy hitter like Brian Cage was just what Takeshita needed to finally get a win on Dynamite. The two just threw big bomb moves at each other until Takeshita was the last man standing. It was pretty cool. Once that was done, Takeshita reappeared later in the night stopping MJF from interfering in a Bryan Danielson match. The two brawled to the back and once they were broken apart, a match between them was booked for the next week.
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 08/02/2023 (Aired 13/02/2023) El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Vert Vixen with the Magical Girl Splash (4:15).
Sakazaki’s last match for this month was a win against Vert Vixen but it was the aftermath that was more important. Athena attacked Sakazaki from behind, striking her with the ROH Women’s Title belt. Athena then made things worse by injuring Sakazaki’s leg with the steel steps outside the ring. Sakazaki tried to step up to her but was given a boot to the head as one last insult to injury. It remains to be seen when Sakazaki will be back to look for revenge, although a title match between the two on the ROH PPV at the end of March would be a good bet.
AEW “DYNAMITE – CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT NIGHT”, 08/02/2023 El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, USA
1. AEW World Title Eliminator Match: MJF defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Salt Of The Earth (13:19).
Takeshita’s recent interactions with MJF led to a Title Eliminator match between the two. If Takeshita had won the match he would have been granted a AEW World Title shot in the future. Unfortunately MJF worked over his arm, using the Salt Of The Earth to such good effect that Takeshita had to tap out and concede defeat. MJF then caused more harm after the match by putting on his Dynamited Diamond Ring and punching Takeshita in the face, busting him open. Bryan Danielson ran down to chase MJF off. Takeshita returned the favour later in the night by coming to Danielson’s aid when he was attacked by Preston Vance and José The Assistant.
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 23/02/2023 (Aired 27/02/2023) Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Lee Johnson with the Zahi (6:43).
So Takeshita finds himself knocked down the ladder and back to wrestling on the Youtube shows for the time being. Beating Lee Johnson gets him off to a good start.
ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 25/02/2023 (Aired 02/03/2023) Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Josh Woods with a Wheelbarrow German Suplex (10:20).
It’s not the Ring Of Honor we all knew and loved but at least you can add to logo to Takeshita’s Cagematch profile now. He beat a former ROH Pure Champion in Josh Woods so that would be a fresh direction to take if he becomes a regular at ROH tapings.
DPW “YOU ALREADY KNOW”, 25/02/2023 NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Raychell Rose & Jada Stone when Max pinned Stone after the Master Blaster (10:30). *V1 for The Wasteland War Party.
The Princess Tag Team Titles have now been defended on American soil. Tokyo Joshi Pro are recognizing all of The Wasteland War Party’s title defences across the US indies before they return to Japan for “GRAND PRINCESS ’23”. The first defence was against Raychell Rose & Jada Stone in DPW. Stone was a replacement for Hyan.
AEW “DARK”, (26/02/2023) (Aired 28/03/2023) Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Cole Karter (w/ Lee Johnson) with the Zahi (9:23).
Cole Karter was in Lee Johnson’s corner when Takeshita beat him on Elevation a few days earlier. If he wanted to get revenge on Takeshita he probably got a knee to the face instead.
GLORY PRO “ANNIVERSARY 6”, 26/02/2023 South Broadway Athletic Club, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Jody Threat & Blair Onyx when Howitzer pinned Threat after the Master Blaster (?:??). *V2 for The Wasteland War Party.
Defence number two for The Wasteland War Party was against Jody Threat & Blair Onyx. Threat got a hot tag and went wild on Heidi Howitzer. That came to a sudden halt when Max The Impaler hit her with a Spear. Max tried pinning Threat but was told they were not the legal wrestler. So Max & Howitzer linked up to do the Master Blaster and that was it for Threat.
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Upcoming Appearances
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 01/03/2023 Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, USA
1. Face Of The Revolution Match Ladder Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Ortiz Vs Komander Vs Action Andretti Vs Sammy Guevara Vs Powerhouse Hobbs Vs Eddie Kingston Vs AR Fox
Holy Mary, Mother Of God this is going to be nuts. Takeshita has a chance to win a TNT Title shot. All he has to do is win a Ladder Match against a crazy lineup of opponents. Just imagining what Komander is going to do on his own in a Ladder match is wild. Is Sammy Guevara willing to destroy himself with a massive ladder bump again? Does Action Andretti or AR Fox want to do the same? Eddie Kingston is already mad he is in the match but he’s always mad. For example, he’s mad at Ortiz right now. Powerhouse Hobbs would be a great future opponent for Takeshita too.
GCW “HOLY SMOKES”, 04/03/2023 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
2. Joey Janela Vs VENY
Heading into this weekend GCW have not announced what Maki Itoh’s match is going to be at their show yet. They are only advertising she will be in attendance. Will she use this appearance to take her new MDK attitude up another level? I still think her interactions with Nick Gage has to be leading somewhere. It’s gotten too over for it to be nothing more than a cute post-match segment to pop the crowd.
ENJOY “RITES OF SPRING”, 04/03/2023 Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Trish Adora & Jordan Blade
The Wasteland War Party are aiming to make it three successful title defences in a row before they return to TJPW. Trish Adora is forming a regular association with TJPW so winning the Princess Tag Titles would bring her over more often and get Jordan Blade one foot in the door too.
GCW “RANSOM”, 05/03/2023 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh, Rina Yamashita & VENY Vs Sawyer Wreck, Billie Starkz & Janai Kai
Sawyer Wreck is now the only person in this match who has not wrestled on a TJPW show yet. They should bring back Rina Yamashita now that I think of it.
EVE “WOMEN BEHAVING BADLY”, 08/03/2023 229 The Venue, London, England
1. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Lizzy Evo
Before Yamashita begins her American expedition she is heading back to England to do the EVE Title defence against Lizzy Evo that was meant to happen back in January.
EVE “THURSDAY NIGHT RIOT”, 09/03/2023 The Yard Theatre, London, England
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Miyuki Takase
The next night Yamashita faces Miyuki Takase in a rematch of their DPW bout from last year. EVE have said this will be the last time both wrestlers will fight each other. If Takase beats Yamashita there will be no rubber match and if Yamashita wins she will be 2-0 against Takase forever!
NORTHEAST WRESTLING “WRESTLEFEST XXVII”, 11/03/2023 Crosby High School, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs JT Dunn
Takeshita will be making two appearances for Northeast Wrestling in March. His first show will have him taking on JT Dunn.
SETUP “SETUP EP.12”, 18/03/2023 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. SETUP Thailand Openweight Title: Monomoth (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi
The match will be the main event of the show.
NORTHEAST WRESTLING “MARCH MAYHEM”, 18/03/2023 NEW Arena, Bethany, Connecticut, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
No opponent yet for Takeshita’s second NEW show.
NEW “NEW 12”, 24/03/2023 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada
1. Maki Itoh Vs Cat Power
2. Miyu Yamashita Vs Nicole Matthews
Joining Yamashita and Itoh on the show is Minoru Suzuki! But enough about him. Yamashita will be facing Nicole Matthews but it hasn’t been mentioned yet if Matthews will put the NEW Women’s Title on the line. Meanwhile Itoh’s match is against another Canadian wrestler, Cat Power.
PANDEMONIUM PRO “BEST DAMN THING”, 29/03/2023 Don Quixote, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh & Kidd Bandit Vs Taya Valkyrie & Heather Monroe
Prepare yourselves, everyone. We are now at Wrestlemania Week. First up is Itoh’s appearance at Pandemonium Pro where she will team with Kidd Bandit against Taya Valkyrie & Heather Monroe.
WRESTLECON “THE MARK HITCHCOCK MEMORIAL SUPERSHOW”, 30/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. TJPW 10-Woman Tag Showcase: X, X, X, X & X Vs X, X, X, X & X
One of the big indie shows of Mania Week is the Wrestlecon Supershow dedicated to the late Mark Hitchcock. Every year the show is highlighted with a 10-Man Tag and this year’s edition will be presented by TJPW! Will all 10 wrestlers in the match be TJPW exclusive or will one of the Americans connected to the promotion get to join in on the fun? There may be other surprises elsewhere on the card too because you never know who shows up.
DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Saki Akai Vs Vert Vixen
2. Pheromones Vs Takagi Army All Out Battle In HOLLYWOOD: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Michael Nakazawa
3. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko
4. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Joey Janela
5. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yuki Ueno
6. Dramatic Dream Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Eddie Kingston Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
This is not the full card yet. Kazusada Higuchi and Takeshi Masada still need to be put in a match. Them against each other is a no brainer unless there is some tag team out there they can join forces against. But I’d just go with Higuchi versus Masada.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES”, 31/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
The main event of TJPW’s first USA show is The Magical Sugar Rabbits versus 121000000! They will also be sending over Shoko Nakajima, Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi, Hyper Misao, Yuki Aino, Yuki Kamifuku, Hikari Noa, Raku, Nao Kakuta, Suzume and Arisu Endo to take part on the show. The international talent taking part are The Wasteland War Party, Billie Starkz, Trish Adora and Janai Kai.
DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Dark Sheik Vs Saki Akai
2. EFFY & Allie Katch Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno
3. Blake Christian Vs Kazusada Higuchi
4. Cole Radrick Vs Yoshihiko
5. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo
6. Jordan Oliver & Nick Wayne Vs MAO & Mike Bailey
Yeah… Um… I wouldn’t choose this over the other DDT or TJPW shows in all honesty. But there are some positives to be found. Homicide & Tony Deppen Vs Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo is a Fire Pro match brought to life. Cole Radrick has gone deep into deathmatches over the last few years so him against Yoshihiko could turn out to be way more violent than it looks on paper. If this show is live on FITE then I’m pretty sure Bussy Vs Pheromones is going to get everyone kicked off the service.
PRESTIGE “NERVOUS BREAKDOWN”, 31/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Taya Valkyrie Vs Miyu Yamashita
Aja Kong and Shigehiro Irie are also wrestling on the show. Ultimo Dragon too. That’s neat.
GCW “JOEY JANELA’S SPRING BREAK 7”, 31/03/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
I’ll keep saying it. Itoh versus Gage for the GCW World Title is the match to do.
WRESTLING REVOLVER “REVOLVER THURSDAY”, 06/04/2023 Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Allie Katch
Yamashita is sticking around in the States until June and is probably going to fight every female wrestler of note in the country before she is done. Allie Katch is going to be one of her tougher opponents especially in a promotion as rowdy as Wrestling REVOLVER.
LLL “MONSTER ISLAND”, 07/04/2023 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. Heidi Howitzer Vs Maki Itoh
The WPP Vs 121000000 feud extends past the Princess Tag Titles match. Howitzer and Itoh will face each other one on one.
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: X (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
The West Coast Pro Women’s Champion will either be Masha Slamovich or Sandra Moone. They will have a match to become the first champion on 4th March and Yamashita will be the first challenger one month later.
HOODSLAM “FALLEN IDOLS”, 08/04/2023 Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Hoodslam’s motto is “Fuck The Fans”. I think Itoh will fit in over there just fine.
CCW “DEAD-ZONE”, 15/04/2023 Houston Volunteer Fire Department, Houston, Delaware, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Capital Championship Wrestling is a women’s promotion based out of Houston.
UWE “DAWN OF A NEW ERA”, 22/04/2023 PA Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Dani Mo Vs Miyu Yamashita
This place I have no idea about. Ultimate Wrestling Empire seems to be a new promotion and their tweet promoting this match is the only thing I can find about them. Yamashita sounds very excited to be wrestling Dani Mo.
PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 5”, 29/04/2023 Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Queen Aminata
Prestige continues to be treated like Yamashita’s home away from home. Her return to Portland will have Queen Aminata waiting for her.
REPUBLIC OF LUCHA “ROL IV”, 30/04/2023 Republic Of Lucha, South Pasadena, California, USA
1. Kidd Bandit Vs Miyu Yamashita
2. Daga Vs Konosuke Takeshita
The shop owned by The Lucha Brothers likes to run their own wrestling shows every now and then. Their next one has Takeshita meeting Daga for the first time. We already know Bandit is a big Itoh fan. Are they a big admirer of Yamashita too or will they want to beat her as a favour to Itoh?
MAW “VENDETTA”, 13/05/2023 2nd St. Depot, Hastings, Minnesota, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sierra
Remember that outdoor show where Takeshita fought JDX last year? Been a while since we heard from the folks over at Midwest All-Star Wrestling. Yamashita is heading over to their place for a match against Sierra.
AIW “GAUNTLET FOR THE GOLD 16”, 20/05/2023 Force Sports, Eastlake, Ohio, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Yamashita’s debut for AIW has my attention more than the other bookings because I want to hear what the people in the company will say about her on The Card Is Going To Change podcast.
ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANTS WOKE, EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023 The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
At the time of writing St. Louis Anarchy is the booking closest to the end of Yamashita’s expedition. Her first match back in Japan won’t be until 25th June so she can still add a few late dates before she heads home. I’d be shocked if there were no AEW bookings during the three months she’s in America.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’23”, 18/03/2023 Ariake Coliseum
1. Suzume Vs Arisu Endo
2. Haru & Momo Debut Match: Mahiro Kiryu, Wakana Uehara, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki Vs Kaya Toribami, Toga, Haru & Momo
3. Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Ram Kaichow Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku
4. Ryo Mizunami Vs Moka Miyamoto
5. Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Haruna Neko
6. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Billie Starkz
7. Special Single Match: Aja Kong Vs Yuki Arai
8. International Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Mizuki
At the time of writing The Wasteland War Party have successfully defended the Princess Tag Team Titles twice in America. They have at least one more defence on their schedule before they return to Japan but odds are real good they will get to defend the belts against 121000000 on this show.
It’s only fitting that the smallest person on the Tokyo Joshi Pro roster gets to team up with Andreza Giant Panda. As long as Haruna Neko does not scratch the panda everything will be ok. No wait, we can’t be trusting Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao not to come up with something dangerous for the match. After all when something that giant comes along it would attract the attention of a kaiju and a superhero.
Good to see Ryo Mizunami back. This time she gets to put Moka Miyamoto to the test.
Ram Kaichow returns to TJPW too, which makes me wonder would Triple Six have more coverage if they got Free WiFi more often? Also the trio of Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku should get a team name at this point. The three of them have been inseperable for months now.
Shove all of the rookies into the same match! Good luck to Mahiro Kiryu and Kaya Toribami for having to keep that one together. Shino Suzuki and Toga will have already debuted by then. It’s Haru & Momo who will be having their first match.
For the first time since Arisu Endo’s debut match, Daisy Monkey are fighting against each other! Can Suzume stay ahead of her partner or has Endo progressed enough to catch up to her?
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2023 ~LONGEST 5 HOUR SPECIAL IN KORAKUEN HISTORY~”, 21/03/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Ilusion & El Unicorn DDTeeeen!! Graduation Match: Ilusion & Munetatsu Nakamura Vs El Unicorn & Raimu Imai
2. Yuya Koroku & Yuki Ishida Vs Toi Kojima & Kazuma Sumi
3. HARASHIMA & Keigo Nakamura Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
4. Pheromones Vs Pheromones Subjugation Army All Out Battle: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Akito, Toru Owashi, Hiroshi Yamato & Yusuke Okada
5. Kazuki Hirata Debut 13th Anniversary Match: Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko Vs Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao
6. Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol 1.: Masahiro Takanashi Vs Saki Akai
7. O-40 Title – 3 Way Match: Makoto Oishi Vs Gorgeous Matsuno Vs Shinichiro Kawamatsu
8. Special Single Match: Hikari Machida Vs Takeshi Masada
9. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Drew Parker Vs MJ Paul & KANON
10. Special Tag Match: Super Sasadango Machine & Antonio Honda Vs Super Powerhouse Tag Team
11. International Special Single Match: Samuray Del Sol Vs Yuki Ueno
12. DDT 26th Anniversary Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Konosuke Takeshita
13. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Ryota Nakatsu
14. DDT Extreme Title – Regular Pro Wrestling Rules: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Kotaro Suzuki
15. DDT Universal Title: Naruki Doi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
16. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) Vs Yukio Naya
Sixteen matches in five hours. What is this, an AEW Dark taping? Yukio Naya faces his tag partner and bigger brother figure Yuji Hino for the KO-D Openweight Title. For years now so much has been expected of Naya to become a big player in pro wrestling. Has he finally put it all together to become the champion of DDT? If that is not enough, Kenta Kobashi will be at the show as a special guest commentator for the main event.
The spirit of DNA can be found in the KO-D Tag Team Titles match. ShunMao were feeling good after defending the titles twice in three days but that mood changed once their next opponents showed up. Kazuasada Higuchi & Ryota Nakatsu were some of their toughest rivals back in the DNA days. Higuchi won his matches against Shunma Katsumata more often than not while Nakatsu was the first person to hand MAO his first loss. While ShunMao do not like having Harimao as their next challengers, they know they must beat them in order to carry on their plans to change the landscape of pro wrestling.
A “Super Powerhouse Tag Team” is coming over to take on Super Sasadango Machine & Antonio Honda. No other clues about the team’s identity have been found yet.
Now that Drew Parker is giving up death match wrestling maybe he will find more time to wrestle in DDT more often. Him and Chris Brookes teaming together as the Baka Gaijins will add a little freshness to the tag team division.
Both Saki Akai and Kazuki Hirata are getting matches to celebrate their pro wrestling anniversaries. Both matches feature wrestlers who have been close to Akai and Hirata respectively throughout their entire careers.
We say goodbye to the DDTeeeen!! project with Ilusion & El Unicorn both moving up to the main roster. Raimu Imai was a part of the short lived project so he gets to be in the match. Munetatsu Nakamura is a new face for the three of them to be in the ring with.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023”, 26/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 680 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. MJ Paul & KANON defeated Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda when KANON submitted Honda with the Just Cobra Twist (5:08).
0. 2 Vs 6 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Fuminori Abe, Toru Owashi, Gota Ihashi, Saki Akai & Kazuki Hirata ended in a No Contest (8:52).
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 6-Man Tag Match: Keigo Nakamura, Toi Kojima & Kazuma Sumi defeated Hideki Okatani, Yuki Ishida & Ilusion when Nakamura pinned Ilusion with a Diving Headbutt (7:54).
2. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Shishamo Power defeated Jun Akiyama & Unagi Mask when Power pinned Mask with a Cradle Cutback (7:47).
3. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno defeated Yuji Hino, Naruki Doi & Makoto Oishi when Sabian pinned Oishi with the Deathly Hallows (10:13).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kip Sabian defeated Penelope Ford (c) with a School Boy (12:19 pm). *Kip Sabian becomes the 1,558th champion.
4. D GENERATIONS CUP – Final: Takeshi Masada defeated Yuya Koroku with the Samurai Driver ’01 (8:26).
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine defeated Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada (c) when Aoki pinned Okada with a High Angle Rotating Cradle (13:08). *BURNING fails in V2. Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine become the 50th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Yoshihiko defeated Kip Sabian (c) with a Sleeper Hold (13:03 pm). *Kip Sabian becomes the 1,559th champion.
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida when MAO pinned Machida after the Oretachi no Mad Max (14:22). *V3 for ShunMao.
7. KO-D Openweight Title Next Challenger Decision Match: Yukio Naya defeated HARASHIMA with the Back Drop (17:55).
The main event of DDT’s 26th Anniversary show is going to be two friends and tag team partners fighting each other for the company’s biggest prize. Today Yukio Naya defeated HARASHIMA in the main event to set up the biggest match of his career against Yuji Hino with the KO-D Openweight Title on the line. He survived HARASHIMA’s battleplan of targeting the legs by being too tough. Despite all of the attacks to Naya’s legs, he used them to block HARASHIMA’s Swan Dive Somato. HARASHIMA then tried to use a Cross Knee Lock, striking at the knee for extra damage but that did not work either. Naya got a nearfall with a Choke Slam then tried to hit the Back Drop. HARASHIMA blocked the move only for Naya to switch over to a German Suplex. Naya finally got the win by using the Back Drop with no chance of it being countered.
After the match Naya called HARASHIMA the ace of DDT and said to leave the 26th Anniversary main event to him. Yuji Hino entered the ring and Naya talked to him about how much his pro wrestling life changed since the two met each other. He asked Hino to accept his challenge so they can fight for the best of DDT! Hino accepted and said he enjoyed watching the main event because it made him feel like a fan. He cannot promise the match will be as great as a certain retirement that happened recently but he will do his best to have a match that will live on in everyone’s hearts. They shook hands and Naya told the fans they will see a heavyweight battle that no other company can match! Backstage Naya said there was no way he would lose to HARASHIMA with so many fans cheering for him. HARASHIMA admitted he could feel Naya’s strength and desire to win. He is disappointed to lose but will continue to train and push even harder for everyone who supports him.
Two well earned KO-D Tag Team Title defences in three days for ShunMao. After coming out of Burlesque Tokyo with the titles still around their waists, they faced a new and completely different challenge today. Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida rushed in with submissions and strikes to break down the champions. MAO tried to fight back against Machida’s punches by using Palm Strikes. He struggled to match the kickboxer blow for blow, needing Shunma Katsumata to break the pin after MAO took the God’s Right Knee and Iai Punch. But MAO recovered and lured Machida into a Michinoku Driver. Katsumata took out Sakaguchi with a dive out of the ring and then ShunMao regrouped to pin Machida with the Oretachi no Mad Max.
The two teams praised each other after the match until ShunMao’s next opponents made themselves known. Both Kazusada Higuchi & Ryota Nakatsu from Harimao entered the ring to declare their challenge. MAO said he used to be afraid of Nakatsu back when they wrestled in DNA because his first singles loss was to him. Nakatsu pointed out at least he wasn’t as serious as Kota Umeda. MAO agreed. MAO is also afraid of turning down the challenge so he accepted it. ShunMao won’t be able to create a new pro wrestling landscape if they cannot get over their DNA past. MAO and Nakatsu shook hands and so did Katsumata and Higuchi. The match will take place on 21st March.
A big upset happened in the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles when BURNING lost the titles! They were unexpectedly beaten by Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine thanks to some unusual tactics. Aoki took Yusuke Okada’s yellow entrance jacket and wore it in the ring to distract him. Okada got it back after he Dropkicked Aoki from behind. Kotaro Suzuki and Yuki Ueno fought to a stalemate with neither getting the upper hand. Tetsuya Endo did some Keiji Muto tribute moves on Sasadango but Sasadango then blocked the Burning Star Press with his knees. Sasadango then unmasked himself, placed the mask over Okada and hit him with a Lariat. Okada tried to scramble back but ended up being pinned by Aoki in the end for the title change.
Sasadango said the probabilities of his team winning today was at 0%. There was a reason why he put this plan together to win the KO-D 6-Man Titles from BURNING and now is the time to reveal it. He wants to face Jun Akiyama again! He called Akiyama down to the ring and said he just beat three of BURNING’s strongest wrestlers. On 16th April DDT will have a show in Sasadango’s hometown of Niigata. He wants to defend the 6-Man Titles against Akiyama on that show to make the event as important as possible. Akiyama agreed and later said his tag partners for the match will be Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku.
It took a long detour to get here but Takeshi Masada is finally bound for Hollywood! He defeated Yuya Koroku in the final of the D GENERATIONS CUP, countering Koroku’s arm submissions with High Kicks. A Triangle Kick got Masada a two count so he followed up with a Buzzsaw Kick and then the Samurai Driver ’01 to win. Not only is Masada now going to America for the DDT shows in Los Angeles, he got a bonus prize for winning the tournament. On 12th March Masada will go one on one against Akiyama! Masada celebrated by demanding a first class ticket for his flight to America. Backstage Masada said he was able to win the tournament because his feelings were just a little bit stronger than the rest of the field. He also wants to leave a lasting impression on Akiyama with their match. Meanwhile Koroku swore revenge on Masada, promising he will make him give up the next time he traps his arm in a submission!
The international trio won their second match in a row, continuing what’s been a dream tour for Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford. The match saw Ford interfere again, this time doing a Flying Hurricanrana to Naruki Doi. Later Chris Brookes took out Doi with a Cutter while Hagane Shinno knocked Yuji Hino out of the ring with a Swan Dive Missile Dropkick. Shinno then took out both Hino & Doi with a Moonsault out of the ring. That left Sabian in the ring to pin Makoto Oishi with the Deathly Hallows. Backstage Shinno called the trio the World Good Looking Guys.
That wasn’t the end of Sabian & Ford’s adventure though. Sabian surprised his wife after the match by pinning her with a School Boy to win the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title! Backstage an upset Ford tried to get an explanation from Sabian then walked off in a huff. Sabian shrugged it off because he was happy being the champion. Then suddenly Yoshihiko burst out of a nearby locker and grabbed Sabian in a Sleeper Hold! Sabian had no choice but to tap out, losing the belt to Yoshihiko and getting left in the locker room all alone.
The masked seafood wrestlers Shishamo Power and Unagi Mask made their return to promote DDT’s sponsorship with the Yamada Suisan company. The match itself went by without incident with Shishamo pinning Unagi. But afterwards Higuchi suddenly turned on Shishamo and attacked both wrestlers with a Brain Claw Slam and a Stunner! Why did Higuchi do this? Because he is a meat eater! Shishamo was shocked. He couldn’t believe that Higuchi eats meat instead of fish. He demanded a match between meat eaters and fish eaters to take place on 23rd April.
The six wrestlers who couldn’t reach the D GENERATIONS CUP final were put into a 6-Man Tag Match. Keigo Nakamura had his hand raised in the end after he pinned Ilusion with a Diving Headbutt. Even though the tournament has ended today, Nakamura has unfinished business with a lot of people in his generation. For one, he wants a rematch with Toi Kojima. Then there is Kojima wanting to fight everyone who was in the A Block like Hideki Okatani. While all of this is going on, Kazuma Sumi wants to use his disappointing results as a springboard for his growth.
One of the dark matches was changed when Sanshiro Takagi attacked Pheromones before it began. It was supposed to be a 4 Way Tag Match but it was changed into a 6 Vs 2 Handicap Match instead. Takagi got the other teams to agree by promising them a spot on the America shows if they could beat Pheromones. That was easier said than done. Yuki Iino & Danshoku Dieno fought off Takagi & Fuminori Abe. Then they fought off Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata. By the time they got to Saki Akai & Gota Ihashi the numbers game became too much and Pheromones looked to be done for. Then suddenly Ihashi paused the match to declare his love for Akai and how they will travel to America together. The delay allowed Pheromones to recover and set up a bare butt tower over the turnbuckles with Ihashi in the middle. Yumehito Imanari threw different wrestlers into them including Akai. The attacks got so lewd that the match had to be stopped. Dieno protested backstage, saying Pheromones aren’t trying to destory DDT anymore but to make it change. Meanwhile Takagi is worried about how Pheromones will act in America. He has contacted AEW asking for a superstar to team up with against Pheromones on the 30th March show.
The other dark match had MJ Paul & KANON beat Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda. Paul blocked Honda’s Bionic Elbow with a Lariat and KANON made him submit to the Just Cobra Twist.
During the show Ilusion and El Unicorn gave everyone an update about their futures. Both wrestlers are graduating from the DDTeeeen!! project on 21st March to become full time members of the DDT roster! Ilusions recently turned 20 years old so he is no longer a teenager. El Unicorn is still a teen but was recently accepted into his choice of high school. His goal is now to win the KO-D Title and wrestle in America while he is a high school student. Ilusion said there won’t be any changes from him just because he is graduating from DDTeeeen!! He still wants to wrestle against opponents like Vent Vert Jack and Raimu Imai more often.
Saki Akai announced her plans this year to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of her pro wrestling debut. First she will have a singles match against Masahiro Takanashi on 21st March. Takanashi was a part of Akai’s debut match in 2013. Then she will be getting two anniversary shows later in the year, one in Korakuen Hall on 13th August and another in Kyoto KBS Hall on 30th September where she promises there will be beautiful pro wrestling in front of the beautiful stained glass windows.
Trainee Rukiya Ikeda will make his debut on 9th April. He is from the same class of trainees as Takeshi Masada and Kazuma Sumi. Ikeda wants to surpass the both of them.
More matches were announced for the 26th Anniversary show on 21st March. The five hour show will include Kazuki Hirata’s 13th Anniversary Match where he will team with Yoshihiko against Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao. Also on the card Sasadango & Honda will take on a mystery “Super Powerhouse Tag Team”. Finally, Kenta Kobashi will be at the show to see the KO-D Title main event.
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN BURLESQUE TOKYO ~KO-D TAG TEAM BATTLE ON THE STREET! SHUNMAO VS BONNO DAI SHACHO!~”, 23/02/2023 Burlesque Tokyo 102 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. KO-D Tag Team Titles – Falls Count Anywhere Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) defeated Sanshiro Takagi & Fuminori Abe when Katsumata pinned Takagi with the Totonou Splash from the stage through a Table (30:04). *V2 for ShunMao.
Many years ago Sanshiro Takagi had an eventful KO-D Tag Team Titles reign with Munenori Sawa where the two wrestlers defended the belts in bizarre and unlikely locations away from the wrestling ring. In a bid to relive that past glory Takagi teamed up with Sawa’s protege Fuminori Abe to challenge ShunMao for the same titles inside a Roppongi burlesque club. The stage was set with six members of the Burlesque Tokyo troupe perfoming on the stage while the two teams made their entrances.
When the match began Takagi and Shunma Katsumata quickly started brawling into the audience while MAO and Abe fought each other on the stage. Takagi and Katsumata paused briefly when they found a bottle of champagne and shared a toast together before getting back to fighting each other.
Meanwhile on the stage a fan handed MAO a Great Muta hood for him to wear. MAO put it on and used some Muta moves on Abe before climbing a nearby railing and Moonsaulting off of it onto both members of Bonno Dai Shacho.
On the stage Katsumata challenged Takagi to show off the pole dancing skills he learned from taking a class earlier this week. Takagi tried and quickly failed, falling down easily. Abe did much better and remembered what his tutor Keiko taught him. The world champion pole dancer told Abe that the Headscissors is the most dangerous move to use from the pole. He successfully pulled off the move, catching both MAO & Katsumata with his legs at the same time! Takagi & Abe then climbed the stage and threatened to do the Golden Shower but they were blocked and brought back down to the floor.
The fight went over to a revolving circle stage in the middle of the room. Takagi put Katsumata in a Cobra Twist while Abe tangled up MAO in the Manjigatame. The stage rotated around for the entire audience to see while this was happening. Takagi then called in the six dancers because it was time to party!
Bonno Dai Shacho danced with the girls while ShunMao looked on in amazement. It reached the point where Takagi & Abe got chairs and sat down on the stage wearing blindfolds expecting to get lapdances. Instead ShunMao replaced the dancers and Super Kicked their opponents once the blindfolds were removed.
The tables were turning and the challengers were losing focus. Abe threw an Irabu Punch but missed and hit a pole by accident. Katsumata wanted to climb the pole but couldn’t so he called back the dancers to be their reinforcements this time. The stage began to rise while ShunMao sang and danced with the girls. When the stage reached its highest point, the champions both hit dives onto their opponents below.
Things got more violent when a bunch of chairs were brought onto the stage. MAO tried to slam Abe onto them but Abe instead flipped MAO into the pile with a Frakensteiner. Abe then purposely applied a Figure 4 Leg Lock as a tribute to Keiji Muto. He then attached himself to a crane that raised him up off the ground, somehow applying even more damage to MAO who was still stuck in the Figure 4. Unfortunately the crane lifted Abe up too high and he was left alone hanging in midair calling for help!
Takagi heard Abe’s call and made a big return to the stage dressed like Kenshiro from Fist Of The North Star! He made a big comeback but the numbers game soon overwhelmed him. Katsumata hit him over the head with a chair and placed him on a table. Katsumata then hit the Totonou Splash from the highest point of the stage onto Takagi, putting him through the table for the three count!
After the match Katsumata told Abe he will only let him down if he apologised. Abe at first refused but eventually said he was sorry. MAO said he had fun and that Burlesque Tokyo is only the beginning for ShunMao’s title reign. They will now defend the belts against Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida in three days time. That team has come out of nowhere and are threatening to kill ShunMao. The champions have a message for them. You cannot kill MAO & Shunma Katsumata!
Takagi later said all of the burlesque dancers showed so much potential today. It is inspiring him to consider launching a burlesque pro wrestling promotion!
GANBARE☆PRO “GRINDHOUSE 2023”, 23/02/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. Ken Ohka Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. GanPro Specialty Mixed Tag Match: Shota & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Soma Takao & YuuRI
3. Punch Drunker Vs Battle Socrates: Tyson Maeguchi Vs Yasu Urano
4. Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada Vs Keisuke Ishii, Yumehito Imanari & Shinichiro Tominaga
A busy day coming up tomorrow with 4 shows going on overall. Ganbare☆Pro will be getting the lion’s share of attention because they are holding three of those shows. Mizuki Watase and Shinichiro Tominaga get to test each other out in the Elimination 6-Man Tag main event.
GANBARE☆PRO “MOONRISE KINGDOM 2023”, 23/02/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Yasu Urano
2. YuuRI Vs Rina Amikura
3. Secret Captain’s Fall Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE Vs Ken Ohka, Shinichiro Tominaga & Moeka Haruhi
4. Special Tag Match: Shuichiro Katsumura & Shota Vs Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao
Watase and Tominaga are also on opposite sides of the Secret Captain’s Fall match on the second show. However that show is headlined with the continuing ROMANCE DAWN rivalry between Shota and Soma Takao.
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN BURLESQUE TOKYO ~KO-D TAG TEAM BATTLE ON THE STREET! SHUNMAO VS BONNO DAI SHACHO!~”, 23/02/2023 Burlesque Tokyo
1. KO-D Tag Team Titles – Falls Count Anywhere Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Fuminori Abe
The burlesque dancers who will perform during the match are named Mii-san, DC Sora-san, Sawa-san, Mary-san and Mina-san.
GANBARE☆PRO “GANBARE☆PRO WRESTLING PLAYERS ASSOCIATION PERFORMANCE”, 23/02/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. GanPro Specialty Mixed Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE Vs Kentaro Hachisu & Moeka Haruhi
2. 3 Way Match: YuuRI Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Hong Kong International Policeman
3. The Return Of LariPro 2023: Keisuke Ishii & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Ken Ohka & Shota
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Takuya Wada & Yuki Kanzaki Vs Shinichiro Tominaga, Tyson Maeguchi & Munetatsu Nakamura
Kentaro Hachisu & Moeka Haruhi have been given the unfortunate team name of Chest Hair Weather Tag.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023”, 26/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. MJ Paul & KANON Vs Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda
0. 4 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi & Gota Ihashi Vs Saki Akai & Kazuki Hirata Vs Losers Of 23/2 KO-D Tag Team Titles Match
1. D GENERATIONS CUP 6-Man Tag Match: Hideki Okatani, Yuki Ishida & Ilusion Vs Keigo Nakamura, Toi Kojima & Kazuma Sumi
2. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Shishamo Power Vs Jun Akiyama & Unagi Mask
3. International Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Naruki Doi & Makoto Oishi Vs Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford), Chris Brookes & Hagane Shinno
4. D GENERATIONS CUP – Final: Yuya Koroku Vs Takeshi Masada
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada (c) Vs Shinya Aoki, Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida
7. KO-D Openweight Title Next Challenger Decision Match: HARASHIMA Vs Yukio Naya
Two of the matches have been pushed down into the pre-show.
DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED VOL. 2”, 04/03/2023 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Penelope Ford (c) Vs X
2. Special Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs Tetsuya Endo & Kotaro Suzuki
3. Special Single Match: MAO Vs Ryota Nakatsu
4. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs 26/2 Main Event Winner & D GENERATIONS CUP Winner
The addition of Ryota Nakatsu to Harimao has fuelled some DNA nostalgia among the DDT roster. MAO was one of Nakatsu’s regular opponents on that brand so it’s time to see them fight each other for the first time in a long time.
An all BURNING tag match is being put together to build up Jun Akiyama’s upcoming DDT Extreme Title defence against Kotaro Suzuki.
Whoever is the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion on 4th March is supposed to defend the title in a Battle Royal that day. Penelope Ford is currently the champion but she’ll be going back to AEW with Kip Sabian after the 26th February Korakuen Hall show. If she is unable to return to DDT in time then the Battle Royal will go ahead with nothing on the line. DDT will then be left to figure out how they can get their belt back fair and square.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’23”, 18/03/2023 Ariake Coliseum
1. Haru Debut Match: Haru Vs X
2. Momo Debut Match: Momo Vs X
3. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Billie Starkz
4. Special Single Match: Aja Kong Vs Yuki Arai
5. Princess Tag Team Titles: Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh
6. International Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Mizuki
A press conference was held today to promote two of the big matches for the show. Both Yuka Sakazaki and Mizuki admitted to have mixed feelings over having to fight each other for the Princess Of Princess Title. Mizuki has a lot of respect for her friend but has now found herself wanting to be the one who carries Tokyo Joshi Pro on her back by winning the Princess Title. Sakazaki does not want to wrestle Mizuki but given how much they mean to each other she understands she has no choice but to do it. She noticed their bond has changed over time since their match at “WRESTLE PRINCESS” two and a half years ago. Out of the ring everything between them is normal when they are together but recently inside the ring their emotions have become more complicated during their preview tag matches. With that being said, both of them say The Magical Sugar Rabbits are staying together no matter who wins. In fact, they believe they will become an even more exciting tag team after they are done fighting each other.
The other match talked about was Yuki Arai’s uphill battle against Aja Kong. Arai has spent a lot of time thinking since last week’s tag match. She’s been trying to do what she can but still feels like she cannot reach her goal yet. There is still a month left for her to prepare so she wants to have a match that will leave an impact both on herself and also Kong too. Kong said she is not concerned about thinking what it is like as a “monster” to fight an idol. If you stand in front of Kong in the ring then you are a pro wrestler in her eyes and she is not taking Arai lightly. She knows Arai is thinking of ways to counter her most famous moves so Kong too is thinking about how to counter Arai’s moveset. It will be wrestler against wrestler at Ariake Coliseum so Kong wants to win!
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2023 ~LONGEST 5 HOUR SPECIAL IN KORAKUEN HISTORY~”, 21/03/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. International Special Single Match: Samuray Del Sol Vs Yuki Ueno
2. DDT 26th Anniversary Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Konosuke Takeshita
3. DDT Extreme Title – Regular Pro Wrestling Rules: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Kotaro Suzuki
4. DDT Universal Title: Naruki Doi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) Vs Winner Of 26/02 Match
The challenge has been accepted and the match can go ahead. Naruki Doi nominated Tetsuya Endo to face him for the DDT Universal Title and the match will happen on the 26th Anniversary show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES”, 31/03/2023 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 