DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 THE FINAL”, 04/12/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 711 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Soma Takao, Hideki Okatani & Hikaru Machida defeated Yuya Koroku, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada when Takao pinned Ishida with the Gin And Tonic (8:36).
2. Soccer Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (3) defeated Akito & Antonio Honda (2) by Penalty Shootout.
2a. Akito (1) pinned Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno (0) with a Gene LeBell Style Rolling Cradle (1st Half 0:18).
2b. Akito (2) pinned Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno (0) with a Free Kick (1st Half 1:21).
2c. Yuki “Sexy” Iino (1) pinned Akito (2) with the Ketsugoye (2nd Half 0:37).
2d. Yuki “Sexy” Iino (2) pinned Akito (2) with the Sexy Lariat (2nd Half 2:54). *Pheromotia advance to the Final 8.
3. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada defeated MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima when Endo pinned Kojima with the Burning Star Press (12:09).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuma Sumi when Hirata pinned Sumi with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (10:25).
5. DDT Extreme Title – TLC Match: Jun Akiyama defeated Joey Janela (c) with the Wrist Clutch Exploder Suplex (11:32). *Joey Janela fails in V5. Jun Akiyama becomes the 56th DDT Extreme Champion!
6. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & RSP defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON when Higuchi pinned Paul with the Buchikamashi (10:50).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – Final: Yuki Ueno defeated Yukio Naya with the BME (20:32).
The reigning DDT Universal Champion is now also the D-Ou Grand Prix winner for 2022! Before the tournament even began Yuki Ueno has been calling his shot to win the whole thing as part of his quest to be the leading figure in DDT. He achieved it here by beating Yukio Naya in the final. Naya came into the match as confident as he has ever been and looked to win with sheer power. He used an Avalanche Choke Slam as his big move to set up the Torture Cobra Twist. Ueno relied on his own speed and agility in response, nearly scoring a countout win after a Moonsault out of the ring. The BME was countered at first when Naya blocked it with his knees. Ueno tried to show fighting spirit against his opponent’s Lariats and Knee Strikes until he started to show signs of collapse. His second wind came when he countered a Choke Slam with a Triangle Choke. He used his new Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher but was too beaten up to go for the pin. When both stood back up, Naya got the first blow and landed the Back Drop. However he too was slow to make the cover and Ueno kicked out. Naya rushed in for a final attack and he ran straight into a series of Dropkicks until he couldn’t get back up. Ueno got to hit the BME in the end and that was enough to win him the match.
Naya received applause from the crowd as he left ringside. Ueno stayed in the ring to receive his trophy from Kenta Kobashi. Ueno called Naya a big and amazing opponent that he was able to beat on his own. Ueno promises he will still work hard to become the best in DDT and get more people to watch DDT. He wants everybody to love DDT as much as he does. He has the DDT Universal Title, just won the D-Ou Grand Prix and now wants to win the KO-D Openweight Title! He’s sure Konosuke Takeshita is watching him from America and knows he wouldn’t be working so hard if it wasn’t for his friends. Backstage Naya showed frustration because he said he was going to carry DDT on his shoulders like a big shot only to lose in the final. He swore in 2023 he will go higher and become big enough to challenge for the KO-D Title. Kobashi praised Naya for not running out of stamina during such a long match and being able to respond to Ueno’s fast pace. Last year he was told by people in DDT that Ueno is a genius. Kobashi is beginning to understand the claim after watching him throughout the Grand Prix. He also thinks the future of DDT is blossoming because the final was between two wrestlers in their 20s.
A collection of heavyweights from the D-Ou group stages all joined forces to fight against DAMNATION T.A. The size differences took Minoru Fujita off guard. The opposition all ganged up on him and pulled off the Kai En Tai pyramid pose with Chris Brookes posing at the top. KANON tried slowing down Yuji Hino with the Cobra Twist. Daisuke Sasaki wanted to fight everyone off with a chair but was given a Double Choke Slam from RSP & Brookes. Hino then gathered most of DAMNATION T.A together outside the ring so RSP could do a Topé into them. MJ Paul showed some fight against Kazusada Higuchi but he too was decimated with the Buchikamashi sumo charge for the three count. After the match Higuchi said it does not matter if his next challenger is Ueno or Naya. He just wants to fight and defend the championship.
For the first time in his decorated career Jun Akiyama was taking part in a TLC Match. His opponent Joey Janela came up with the stipulation for the DDT Extreme Title match for his own benefit. Except that does not change the face he still had to fight Jun Akiyama! The challenger gradually found his footing in an arena filled with Tables, Ladders and Chairs all available to be used as weapons. He threw Janela out of the ring onto a castle of chairs. He also gave Janela the Exploder Suplex onto a ladder inside the ring. Janela showed his guts and went high risk. It paid off with a Diving Elbow from a ladder putting Akiyama through a table. He wanted to continue the attack but Akiyama gave him an Avalanche Exploder onto another table. Janela kicked out so Akiyama had to give him the Wrist-Clutch Exploder to finally put him away and win the Extreme Title!
After the match Janela finally showed Akiyama some respect by shaking his hand. Janela later said Akiyama earned his respect by stepping into his area of hardcore wrestling and winning. As Akiyama was leaving the ring, Super Sasadango Machine appeared and called for his attention. He told everyone that he has not wrestled much in 2022 and wanted to make a year end adjustment. He figured if he could challenge Akiyama for the Extreme Title at the end of the year it would make up for his inactivity. Akiyama thought about it and agreed. He then asked Sasadango how much he weighed. Sasadango answered he is 125kg. Akiyama told him to lose 20kg and then left the ring. Hisaya Imabayashi used his GM powers to make the match official for 29th December.
Naruki Doi’s request to face DDT’s best led him straight to HARASHIMA. Although first he had to go through Kazuma Sumi because the rookie wanted to start the match against him. Kazuki Hirata did not show as much bravery when he had to share the ring with Yukio Sakaguchi. Doi and HARASHIMA got to fight each other eventually but Hirata continued to look like the weak link. He took a Running Knee from Sakaguchi in the corner, a Springboard Splash from HARASHIMA and a Standing Moonsault from Sumi. However Hirata kicked out of the pin and suddenly caught Sumi in the Miracle One Shot Cradle to win the match for his team out of nowhere.
Hirata wanted to give a victory speech but he was interrupted by Tetsuya Endo’s theme music. Endo walked out with Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada by his side. Endo said he hadn’t forgotten about Doi mentioning his name in Kyoto as somebody he wants to fight. This is Endo accepting the challenge! He also wants it to be a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match. Hirata tried to speak but Doi cut him off. Doi thinks it is a chance of fate because not only does he want to fight Endo, he also never thought he would see Suzuki in a DDT ring again. Doi told them his next scheduled appearance for DDT is on 29th December. He asked Toru Owashi who was the authority around here and was confused when he was pointed over to Imabayashi. The GM confirmed the title match will happen on the 29th.
The BURNING trio had just wrestled in the match before, beating The 37KAMIINA. Suzuki squared off with Shunma Katsumata. The two of them had a singles match in DNA 5 years ago and Katsumata was eager to show hot much he has grown since then. Toi Kojima also wanted to test himself against the veteran. He ended up on the worst end of things by taking Suzuki’s Tombstone, then Okada’s Diving Headbutt and finally Endo’s Burning Star Press for the finish. Endo and Suzuki treated the match as their first introductions to each other. Suzuki also called DDT a new view for him to experience now that he is freelance. Katsumata wants another chance to fight Suzuki and show he can surpass him. MAO was in a bit of a bad mood after seeing the video of Akiyama interviewing Suzuki. In the video there are three times when Akiyama said DDT became a stronger place after he joined the company. That line has been bothering MAO ever since he heard it.
The success of Japan in the World Cup has Pheromones feeling football crazy. They all walked down to the ring wearing football kits and demanding their match be held under Soccer Rules. Every 1 Count pinfall counted as a goal. At first the plan backfired when Akito quickly pinned Dieno early in the 1st half. Dieno then caused a foul which allowed Akito to score a second goal from a free Dropkick. Antonio Honda was in the middle of telling his Gongitsune joke when Yukinori Matsui blew his whistle and ended the half. For the 2nd Half, Yumehito Imanari was brought in as a substitute for Dieno. Yuki Iino blocked Honda’s Bionic Elbow and used the Katsugoye to make the score 2-1. Imanari then pinned Akito to make it 2-2 but the pinfall was disallowed after a VAR review. Play restarted and Iino pinned Akito with the Sexy Lariat. Akito pleaded for another VAR review, claiming that Iino’s ball was showing outside of his skimpy costume. VAR showed that the ball was still in bounds within the line by the slightest of margins so the goal stood. The match went to an actual penalty shootout in the ring and Imanari scored the winning shot to send his team into the Quarter Finals! Final score: Pheromotia 3 – 2 Subjugation JAPAN.
The first match of the day featured the return of the kickboxer Hikaru Machida. He had some striking exchanges with Takeshi Masada when they were both in the ring. Yuya Koroku used a Waterwheel Drop on Soma Takao, setting up his team to launch a train attack against him. Yuki Ishida tried to take it all the way until Machida & Hideki Okatani cut him off. Ishida kicked out of Takao’s Running Elbow but was down and out when Takao did the Gin And Tonic.
Dieno announced some new matches for his book launch event at Korakuen Hall on 21st December. Doi and Katsumata face off in a first time singles match. Kazusada Higuchi, Thanomsak Toba & Yuki Ishida Vs Tesuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & DJ Nira will also happen on the show.
“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE – BOKUTACHI 4 HANJUKU 4 I LOVE YOU! 2022”, 22/11/2022 Shinjuku FACE 302 Fans
0. Dark Match: SAKI & Yasu Urano (w/ KUDO) defeated Shinsetsu Gomu Ningen & Gota Ihashi (w/ Miyako Haru) when SAKI pinned Ihashi with the Kawaiild Knee Drop (4:11).
1. Mixed Gauntlet Tag Match: Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto Vs Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) Vs Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango Vs Cherry & Gorgeous Matsuno Vs Chie Koishikawa & Shin Suzuki Vs Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama Vs Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W (17:05).
1a. Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama defeated Chie Koishikawa & Shin Suzuki when Yoneyama pinned Koishikawa with the Chinese Steamed Bun Roll (3:20).
1b. Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama defeated Cherry & Gorgeous Matsuno when Yoneyama pinned Cherry with a School Boy (5:12).
1c. Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango defeated Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama when Hoshitango pinned Shiryu with a Body Press (6:35).
1d. Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W defeated Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango when Sakur pinned Natsumi with La Magistral Cradle (9:35).
1e. Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) defeated Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W when Akai pinned Sakura with the Quetzalcoatl (13:55).
1f. Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) when Miyamoto pinned Kei with the I.W.C (17:05).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Ram Kaichow defeated Sak Akai with a Cradle (c) with (7:43 pm). *Ram Kaichow becomes the 1557th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Saki Akai defeated Ram Kaichow (c) after an Elbow Drop from Yuko Miyamoto (7:45 pm). *Ram Kaichow becomes the 1558th champion.
-. Special Match ~ Special Rules: Minoru Fujita Vs DJ Nira ended in a No Contest.
-. 3 Way Match: Minoru Fujita Vs DJ Nira Vs Daisuke Kiso did not end with a winner.
2. MAO defeated Mei Suruga with the Wedding Clutch (16:40).
3. Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao defeated Chris Brookes, Mizuki Watase & Antonio Honda when Irie pinned Honda with the Beast Bomber (15:03).
4. Daisuke Sekimoto defeated Masahiro Takanashi with a Modified Muffler Hold (23:09).
The 2010 Miracle Match between Masahiro Takanashi Vs Daisuke Sekimoto was revisited on today’s independently promoted show. Much like the first time, Takanashi was the big underdog but this time he was a much more crafty veteran. He targeted Sekimoto’s arms and continued to do so after Sekimoto missed a Lariat outside the ring and hit the ring post. The power difference just couldn’t be avoided though. Takanashi tried to hit the Takatonic from the top rope in a moment that flashed everyone’s minds back to 2010. Sekimoto blocked the move but before he could drop down and crush his opponent just like he did back then, Takanashi instead flipped over and Power Bombed him from the rope. The Takatonic was blocked again and every failed attempt to pin Sekimoto afterwards saw Takanashi’s chances fade away. The German Suplex that would normally end the match wasn’t hit perfectly so Sekimoto grabbed Takanashi in a Muffler Stretch and held his opponent up until Takanashi gave up. The two shook hands after the match but neither of them gave any speeches. Instead the show ended with Takanashi bowing to the audience on his knees and leaving the ring without comment.
Team Drift used Keisuke Ishii’s old theme music for their entrance. Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao also wore the same Team Dream Futures shirt while Ishii wore the shirt made for their farewell.
The special costume Mei Suruga wears for her entrance included flashing lights. During an outside the ring brawl with MAO, Suruga put the costume back on and dived from one of the nearby counters. She landed her attack and MAO complained afterwards that he could have gotten an electric shock. He then wrapped the costume around his arm and hit Suruga with an Axe Bomber. Inside the ring Suruga tried to put on the Cattle Mutilation but MAO kept countering it, eventually putting her in the Wedding Clutch for the pinfall.
A surprise match between Minoru Fujita and DJ Nira took place that went awry after Nira knocked out Daisuke Kiso with his umbrella. When Kiso woke up and was provoked by Nira again, he declared he was adding himself to the match, making it a 3 Way. The three of them locked up and the room suddenly went dark. Then there was an announcement that Kiso had seriously injured his opponents and escaped, leaving the ring completely empty. There was then an announcment that a new life was suddenly born. A spotlight then shined over to Hoshitango wearing diapers and crying like a baby. Then there was another announcement, this one saying Sekimoto quietly passed away on the morning of his match against Takanashi 12 years ago.
There was a brief exchange back and forth of the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title between Saki Akai and Ram Kaichow. When their match ended, Kaichow rolled up Akai and pinned her for the belt. Akai then attacked her with the Brahman Brothers’ suitcase. Yuko Miyamoto tried to rescue Kaichow but accidentaly Elbow Dropped her instead. Akai then pinned Kaichow to win back the title.
The wrestler called Emi Sakura W in the Gauntlet Tag match is Papillon Akemi pretending to be her. The gimmick has been used in Gatoh Move before.
The UMA Corps turned on Gota Ihashi after the dark match after Miyako Haru ordered Shinsetsu Gomu Ningen to attack him. KUDO came to the rescue, scared them off and told Ihashi the Ebisuko Tavern was now protected. Ihashi told KUDO he hasn’t given up on his dream of becoming the tavern’s manager. KUDO gave Ihashi a Buzzsaw Kick in response and Ihashi apologised for trying to overthrow his boss.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 18/11/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 450 Fans
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada defeated Yuki Ishida with the Sudden Death (6:45).
0. Dark Match – 3 Vs 4 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda defeated Akito, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Gorgeous Matsuno when Iino pinned Honda after the Sexy Lock Up (8:28).
1. Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Yuya Koroku when KANON pinned Koroku with the Sleepy Hollow (5:57).
2. Special 8-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada when Doi pinned Kojima with the Bakatare Sliding Kick (11:38).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Joey Janela (4) Vs RSP (4) ended in a Double Countout (11:36).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Naomi Yoshimura (4) defeated Tetsuya Endo (5) with the Harai Goshi (7:05).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (6) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (5) with the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher (16:53).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes (4) defeated Yuji Hino (7) with a Modified Samson Clutch (12:10).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya (8) defeated Kazusada Higuchi (7) with the Back Drop (19:05).
The race to the final is complete and two men are left to fight over who will win the 2022 D-Ou Grand Prix. The Block was decided by what is possibly the biggest upset in the entire tournament this year when Yukio Naya defeated Kazusada Higuchi! The reigning KO-D Openweight Champion was one of two unbeaten wrestlers left in the group and when the path opened up for him to remain the only one at the finish, but Naya decided it would go differently. The Headbutt was the key move in a Higuchi match yet again. The twist however was the move came from Naya to get the advantage. Some Knee Lifts were used afterwards to soften up Higuchi for the Back Drop for the surprise result. Naya’s win means he vaults over the two top heavyweights to reach the final!
So how did it all go wrong for Yuji Hino, the other undefeated wrestler in B Block? Blame CDK for that. Chris Brookes relied on Masahiro Takanashi to help him get a win. The referee was taken out after being used as a shield then Takanashi gave Hino a Low Blow right when he was about to hit the Fuckin’ BOMB on Brookes. Makoto Oishi came to the rescue by grabbing the Asia Dream Tag Team Title belt off of Takanashi. However Brookes then pushed Oishi right into Hino, knocking the big guy loopy when he head first came into contact with the title belt. He was still able to kick out of the pin but was too dazed to kick out of a Samson Clutch afterwards. Brookes isn’t happy with this year being the fourth in a row he failed to win the final. If things don’t improve for him in the next 12 months he does not see a point in him being in the next D-Ou GP. Hino isn’t mad because he doesn’t feel like he lost. All he knows is his head and crotch both hurt so he just wants to go home and get into his bed.
The A Block was a much tighter race with five of the six contestants still in the running one way or another. When the dust settled it was Yuki Ueno who was left standing above everyone else in first place uncontested. He took a beating to get there because Daisuke Sasaki attacked him with plenty of chairs in their match. But Ueno had enough with that kind of stuff and stopped Sasaki with a Dropkick. He hit the BME but Sasaki only kicked out at one. He also blocked the Crossface Lock when Sasaki tried to convert it into the Crossover Facelock. However the BME only got a one count so Ueno had to pull out his new finisher, the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher to clear past Sasaki and book his place in the final. Sasaki is so upset over the loss he says 2022 has ended for himself and DAMNATION T.A as well as the first half of 2023. You’ll have to wait until the second half of 2023 to see them get their revenge!
Tetsuya Endo fell at the final hurdle thanks to Naomi Yoshimura. Endo was fighting for first place going into this show and would have made the final had he won, now that we know how Ueno Vs Sasaki went. Instead the Harai Goshi pinned Endo out of nowhere and dashed his chances of advancing. It’s been one of the few bright spots of Yoshimura’s tournament this year and he is currently not in the mood to talk about it. Meanwhile Endo is already thinking of any lessons he learned, figuring out that he has not grown since their last singles match while Yoshimura clearly has.
The two American wrestlers both left their mark in the A Block as wild cards disrupting everyone else’s chances. Both Joey Janela and RSP had slim chances of staying in the Grand Prix but they also had their sights set on each other during the entire tour due to their history together on the American indies. It led to a match where the two tried to destroy each other with the biggest moves they could think of. The biggest came when RSP gave Janela a Death Valley Bomb from the ring apron onto the floor outside. The move took out both men and the match ended in a Double Countout. Due to the new scoring rules implemented this year, a Double Counout means neither wrestlers received any points. Janela takes some enjoyment that the result stopped RSP from getting anywhere near the final. He also now wants to move on to his next target, Jun Akiyama! He thought he would get to fight Akiyama until he found out DDT added an age limit to this year’s D-Ou GP. If that’s not enough, while Janela is here in Japan Akiyama is in America wrestling Eddie Kingston in Janela’s previous workplace AEW! Janela wants Akiyama to come face him when he returns to Japan.
The D-Ou GP final is now set. The A Block winner Yuki Ueno faces the B Block winner Yukio Naya on 4th December. Ueno is in the final for the second year in a row and did not expect to be seeing Naya with him here. Naya’s a big guy but Ueno wants to live up to his promise to carry DDT on his own back. Naya said he is ready to do that too. He just beat Higuchi and now he has to beat Ueno. Should he do that then Naya will make it clear he wants to challenge Higuchi for the KO-D Title inside Tokyo Dome City Hall at the end of December!
Even without the tournament there is a lot of news coming out of this show. Naruki Doi made his next appearance for DDT, forming a team with DISASTER BOX that was nicknamed Disaster Muscle. Doi felt like he was being pranked with DISASTER BOX, The 37KAMIINA and even Takeshi Masada all getting him involved in wacky spots. Toru Owashi did his lucha while Kazuki Hirata tried to mimic MAO’s Koppojutsu but was easily brushed aside. He also tried to wear the Hirata GO! glasses but the music immediately caused Doi to kick him. Toi Kojima was the one to step up to Doi but was cut down with the Doi 555 and Bakatare Sliding Kick. After the match HARASHIMA welcomed Doi to DDT and congratulated him on winning the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles, one of the few championships that HARASHIMA has never held. Doi asked the fans if they would like to see him face HARASHIMA some day? He then said he will be back in DDT on the 21st and 29th December. If anyone wants to fight Doi, Owashi & Hirata for the titles then Doi will accept any challengers… except for Shunma Katsumata.
KANON had a poor run in the tournament but that is all behind him now. He rejoined MJ Paul & Minoru Fujita to get a win against Eruption & Yuya Koroku. It was a close match with Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani keeping DAMNATION T.A on their toes. Koroku then took the lead against KANON but a reversal of fortunes saw KANON pin him with the Sleepy Hollow.
There were also two matches on the pre-show. Danshoku Dieno was absent with a fever so it was up to the rest of Pheromones to keep it up with their obscene antics. This is bad news for Akito because their behaviour is getting so bad that Korakuen Hall management may consider stepping in and banning DDT from doing further shows in the building. Yuki Iino & Koju Takeda may have found a kindred spirit because Gorgeous Matsuno was more than ready to compare his fit body with theirs. Antonio Honda used Iino’s backside to charge up Gongitsune but some bad targeting led to both Akito & Takanashi getting knocked out. Yumehito Imanari saw the opening and got his partners to lock up with each other. Doing so had them essentially teabag all of their opponents over and over into submission. Akito was mad with the result because he bungled the numbers advantage and now DDT is at risk of being kicked out of Korakuen. Pheromones need to be subjugated so Akito will bring in the political tag team of Osamu Nishimura & Shinichiro Kawamatsu for the big 29th December show at Tokyo Dome City Hall!
The other dark match saw Yusuke Okada take all that Yuki Ishida could throw at him. Ishida fought out of a Crab Hold and kicked out of a long distance Diving Headbutt. It was a good effort but Okada beat him with the Sudden Death in the end.
Katsumata feels like there is not enough excitement going around so he came up with an idea to do an Explosion Death Match in the new year. So one will take place in Tsurumi on 7th January where Katsumata will aim to surpass Atsushi Onita and become the Reiwa era’s version of “Evil Ways”. He promised that show will not end until he blows up Onita!
An update was given in regards to LiLiCo’s request to take part in the Anal Explosion opening ceremony for the 29h December show in TDC Hall. Hisaya Imabayashi took part in a show with LiLiCo’s husband Ryohei Odai during the week so he recorded a video discussing the situation with him. Odai does not like the idea but is under the impression that all couples have a rule where they do not need to be concerned for what their partners do with their anuses. So he is ok with LiLiCo and DDT going ahead with the ceremony.
DDT has a Korakuen show on 21st December to celebrate the launch of Dieno’s new book about his views on pro wrestling. Dieno will have a match against Muscle Sakai on the show. There will also be a match between Yuki Iino and Yumehito Imanari just because Dieno wants to see it happen.
Matsuno gave everyone a news update about his planned kidney transplant operation for his partner Junko Tashiro. It was previously announced that the operation was delayed until next Spring because Tashiro is in stable health and has no need to get a transplant right away. The operation is now scheduled for April but may be delayed again if Tashiro remains in good health. It is inevitable that the transplant will need to happen some day and when it does, Matsuno made a vow to return to the ring after it is completed.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 18/11/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada Vs Yuki Ishida
0. Dark Match – 3 Vs 4 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Akito, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Gorgeous Matsuno
1. Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Yuya Koroku
2. Special 8-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Joey Janela (4) Vs RSP (4)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (5) Vs Naomi Yoshimura (2)
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) Vs Yuki Ueno (4)
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes (2) Vs Yuji Hino (7)
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (7) Vs Yukio Naya (6)
Tomorrow sees which two wrestlers will advance to the D-Ou Grand Prix final. There are no clear single leader in either block and there’s room for an outside competitor to leapfrog over those tied in first place when all is said and done. So it’s time to work out who has to do what to make it to the final. The Head To Head rule is in effect for any tiebreakers, which means whoever won their match against their deadlocked opponent in the block stage moves up on top. If that tiebreaker was a draw then an extra playoff match will have to go ahead somewhere during tomorrow’s show. Remember there are two types of ways points are awarded for matches that end in a draw. A Time Limit Draw or a Double KO results in 1 point given to each wrestler. But a Double DQ/No Contest or a Double Countout means nobody gets any points. There are some crazy scenarios that can happen if there are a mixture of ties happening tomorrow but some are so farfetched I won’t go into those details. These tournaments rarely go the chaos route where multiple claims for first place all get tangled up together at the end. You’ll have to go far back to the 2009 Fire Festival to see something like that.
A Block
1. Tetsuya Endo (5)
Goes to the final by beating Yoshimura and if Sasaki cannot win his match. Will end up tied with Sasaki if both win, leading to a playoff match between the two. Endo goes through with a draw if Sasaki loses and Janela does not win. If Endo and Sasaki both draw their matches, that scenario can turn into a 3 way tie with the winner of Janela Vs RSP.
1. Daisuke Sasaki (5)
Reaches the final by beating Ueno and if Endo cannot win his match. Will end up tied with Endo if both win, leading to a playoff match between the two. Sasaki goes through with a draw if Endo loses and RSP does not win. If Endo and Sasaki both draw their matches, that scenario can turn into a 3 way tie with the winner of Janela Vs RSP.
3. Yuki Ueno (4)
Ueno needs to beat Sasaki and hope that Endo loses. That means he wins the tiebreaker over either Janela or RSP and finishes first. Anything else ends his run.
3. RSP (4)
It gets tricky from here on out. RSP’s route is to beat Janela, see Endo lose and Sasaki Vs Ueno go to a draw in order to get a tiebreaker in his favour.
3. Joey Janela (4)
Janela cannot win the group directly but can reach two playoff scenarios. He needs to beat RSP first of all. Then he can tie on points with either Endo and Sasaki if both draw or Endo and Ueno if Endo draws and Ueno wins. Either scenario results in a 3 Way playoff match.
6. Naomi Yoshimura (2)
No chance of reaching the final. All he can do is play spoiler. Can prevent Endo from finishing in 1st by beating him or possibly tying with him. Most likely to finish dead last unless he wins and Ueno loses.
B Block
1. Yuji Hino (7)
Hino beating Brookes and Higuchi failing to win sends Hino to the final. Hino and Higuchi both winning or drawing to finish with the same amount of points results in a playoff match between the two.
1. Kazusada Higuchi (7)
Higuchi winning against Naya while Hino fails to win sends Higuchi through. Higuchi and Hino both winning or drawing to finish with the same amount of points results in a playoff match between the two.
3. Yukio Naya (6)
Needs to beat Higuchi and Hino to lose in order to leapfrog over both into the final.
4. Chris Brookes (2)
Eliminated but can ruin Hino’s tournament by preventing him from winning their match. Losing puts him in a 3 Way tie for last place with KANON and MAO.
4. KANON (2)
Eliminated with no more matches left. Potentially finishes above MAO because of the Head To Head win.
4. MAO (2)
Eliminated with no more matches left. Potentially finishes below KANON because of the Head To Head loss.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN KYOTO”, 13/11/2022 Kyoto KBS Hall 285 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. RSP, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Joey Janela, Makoto Oishi & Kazuma Sumi when Koroku submitted Sumi with the Chickenwing Arm Lock (4:59).
2. Pheromones Vs DISASTER BOX!: Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno by Disqualification when Iino attacked the referee (9:32).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya (6) defeated KANON (2) with the Back Drop (8:21).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino (7) defeated MAO (2) with the Fuckin’ BOMB (10:15).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Naruki Doi & Akito defeated Hideki Okatani, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada when Doi pinned Kojima with the Bakatare Sliding Kick (12:26).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (5) defeated Naomi Yoshimura (2) with the Sasaki Hurricanrana (9:10).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (7) defeated Chris Brookes (2) with a Headbutt (14:12).
8. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Saki Akai Produce Match: Saki Akai, Yukio Sakaguchi & HARASHIMA defeated Aja Kong, Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata (c) when Sakaguchi pinned Katsumata with the God’s Right Knee (16:18). *Yukio Sakaguchi becomes the 1,555th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Saki Akai defeated Yukio Sakaguchi (c) with a School Boy (7:59 pm). *Saki Akai becomes the 1,556th champion.
The day belonged to Saki Akai but we’ll start off with the D-Ou Grand Prix matches first. The B Block has become a close race between three wrestlers. Kazusada Higuchi is possibly one win away from reaching the final after he beat Chris Brookes. It may have come at a cost of his right hand though because Brookes attacked it with a metal fitting. The damage was enough to prevent Higuchi from using the Brain Claw but he pulled out a big Headbutt to put Brookes down for the three count. Higuchi felt his opponent’s passion in the match and felt he couldn’t lose to him. Brookes accepts he is out of the running but will do his best to beat Yuji Hino in his final block match.
Over in the A Block Daisuke Sasaki used a lot of foul play against Naomi Yoshimura by attacking his legs with chairs and getting MJ Paul to interfere. If that wasn’t enough, Sasaki used the Pedigree late in the match. That was the move Sasaki used to give Yoshimura a cervical sprain back in 2019. Thankfully the move did not end the same way today but Sasaki was able to pin Yoshimura with the Hurricanrana afterwards. The defeat ends any hope Yoshimura has of catching up with the field and he now cannot reach the final. Sasaki however is now neck and neck in first place with a former ally.
Hino finds himself tied with Higuchi in first place of the B Block. MAO tried to throw everything he could at him but couldn’t win. Not even the Alien Plancha and Michinoku Driver II could put the big man away. Hino still praised him for being an interesting wrestler. He said MAO’s Plancha was a higher jump than TAKA Michinoku’s and MAO’s version of the Michinoku Driver was more effective. For those reasons Hino is looking forward to fighting him again.
While Hino and Higuchi are fighting over the top spot, Yukio Naya is catching up with them. His win against KANON brings him only one point behind the leaders and a golden chance to leapfrog over them into the final. KANON ends his tournament run with only one win but still enjoyed being able to do whatever he wanted on his own.
With the Grand Prix out of the way, let’s get to the headline match. The show was Akai’s homecoming in Kyoto and she got to team with Yukio Sakaguchi & HARASHIMA against Aja Kong & The 37KAMIINA. The match was special for Shunma Katsumata too because of his longtime association with Kong going back to when he as a child got to meet and take pictures with her. Kong gave Akai a beating but Akai still fought back, hitting a big dive onto Yuki Ueno & Katsumata. Kong tried to attack Sakaguchi with a steel can but his Katsumata by accident. Sakaguchi then hit Katsumata with the God’s Right Knee, pinning him to win the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title.
Sakaguchi couldn’t even catch his breath when Akai rolled him up with a School Boy after the match to win the Iron Man Title from him! Before Sakaguchi could complain, Akai said he once told her not to show any openings to be attacked in the ring at any time. She is really happy she got to do a show in Kyoto again and be able to win a championship there too. After she finished her speech to close out the show, Hideki Okatani rolled her over with a School Boy but she kicked out at two, remaining as champion. She later said her goal with the belt is to achieve the most title defences with it.
Naruki Doi made his second DDT appearance today, winning a trios match with Tetsuya Endo & Akito on his team. He was impressed by the opposing team made up of young wrestlers but next he would like to have matches against both Endo and Akito!
Since Kyoto is home to game masters Nintendo, Danshoku Dieno declared he & Yuki Iino were going to become Pheromones Masters today. The result of this was Iino stripping out of his wrestling gear and “evolving” while Pokémon game music played over the speakers. This plan backfired when he ran the ropes in as little clothing as possible and ran into Yukinori Matsui, crotch to face. That was enough to get Iino disqualified.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN OSAKA”, 12/11/2022 Osaka Edion Arena #2 320 Fans – No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Shunma Katsumata & Kazuma Sumi when Okada submitted Sumi with a Crab Hold (7:33).
1. MJ Paul & KANON defeated Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada when KANON submitted Masada with a Ground X Hold (7:45).
2. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Produce Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Aja Kong & HARASHIMA ended in a No Contest (10:49).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya (4) defeated Chris Brookes (2) with the Back Drop (5:24).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (3) defeated Joey Janela (4) with a Modified Samson Clutch (11:38).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (5) defeated RSP (4) with the Burning Star Press (10:26).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Shunma Katsumata defeated Keiko Takeshita (c) by Forfeit (7:04 pm). *Shunma Katsumata becomes the 1,554th champion.
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi (c) when Hirata pinned Oishi with Miracle One Shot Cradle (15:22). *Ω fails in V1. Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata become the 48th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (5) defeated MAO (2) with a Rotating Foot Hold (11:41).
8. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Naomi Yoshimura (2) defeated Yuki Ueno (4) with the Osaka Pride (22:57).
Naomi Yoshimura continues his unbeaten streak against his former Nautilus tag partner Yuki Ueno in singles matches. And not a moment too soon because this may kickstart Yoshimura’s recovery in the D-Ou Grand Prix. He blocked both the WR and also Ueno’s new Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher. A Power Bomb, Lariat and the Osaka Pride only got a nearfall so Yoshimura had to hit the Osaka Pride a second time to earn the win. Yoshimura called this match his scariest one of the tournament but he proved he still a survivor of the D-Ou GP. He still has a chance to top the group as long as he wins his remaining matches. Ueno is frustrated he still cannot beat his generation rival. He believes he is the strongest to carry DDT on his back and will win the D-Ou no matter what.
As the days are counting down, a few of the wrestlers are getting desperate to win in order to remain in the running for the final. MAO is one example, jumping Kazusada Higuchi before the bell to start their match. He tried using the Koppojutsu skills he used to beat Higuchi in last year’s tournament, including the Clothespin. However this time Higuchi was ready for that move and had counters for it. The Brain Claw was also well scouted so Higuchi thought outside the box and pinned MAO with a Rotating Foot Hold. The result shows that MAO is not the only wrestler with tricks up his sleeve, Higuchi has been hiding stuff too. MAO is now unable to reach the final but he will keep fighting just in case the group winner pulls out of the final due to kidney stones or appendicitis. Hey it could happen!
RSP has been counting on his size to smash his way through the A Block. Today he ended up being overpowered by Tetsuya Endo! Agility played a major part as well because Endo flipped his way out of the GTF and then used an Overhead Kick to stun his opponent. The moment of strength came when Endo gave RSP the Torture Rack Bomb! RSP had enough fight left in him to kick out but the Burning Star Press put him away afterward. The performance shows that Endo’s ankle injury isn’t much of a problem anymore. He told the Osaka fans to keep an eye on him because once he wins the Grand Prix, he is going after all of the singles championships in DDT!
The build up to Daisuke Sasaki Vs Joey Janela promised a dirty fight and we got one. They fought outside the ring, attacked each other with chairs and Sasaki even Superplexed Janela out of the ring onto a bunch of ringside attendants! The chair usage went beyond what was acceptable and Yukinori Matsui tried to stop it. The unintentional distraction led to Sasaki giving Janela a Low Blow and then Janela giving a Low Blow back to Sasaki. However Sasaki found an opening to give one more Low Blow and then rolled up Janela in a Samson Clutch for the win. It revives Sasaki’s chances in the tournament but Janela is still in the chase for the final too.
Chris Brookes wasted no time in trying to finish off Yukio Naya by immediately doing the Praying Mantis Bomb to him before their match even began. Naya kicked out of the pin and remained on the defensive while Brookes continued his attack. The table turned when Naya hit a Knee Lift. He later hit a Choke Slam and pinned Brookes with the Back Drop. The win gives Naya a lot of confidence because of how experienced his opponent is. He now sees himself as the eye of the typhoon in the B Block. Brookes was taken aback because he didn’t realise just how strong Naya has become.
Outside of the tournament it was still an eventful show for DDT today. Naruki Doi made his first appearance on a regular DDT show and came out of it as a new champion! He teamed with DISASTER BOX members Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata to beat Ω for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. It almost didn’t look that way with Ω being a united force. Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi used double team moves to great effect and Yuji Hino got rid of Owashi with the Funkin’ BOMB. Oishi gave Hirata the Miracle Ecstasy but Hirata somehow kicked out and used the Miracle One Shot Cradle to get the win out of nowhere. Owashi called the win a once in a hundred year miracle. Hirata corrected him and said it is once in a thousand years. Now that he holds a DDT championship that means he’s going to be here more often. Doi introduced himself to the fans after the match and said DDT was the first promotion to contact him after he turned freelance, so here he is. There are a lot of challengers he would like to face but one is on his mind. He heard there was once a DDT wrestler who looked a lot like him called Daichi Kakimoto…
Aja Kong got to experience the Pheromones madness. Both Sanshiro Takagi and Hisaya Imabayashi were absent from the show so the ring announcer Ken Kato was given the power to call off the match if things went out of control. He’s a big fan of Kong so he was really looking forward to seeing her fight. His dream was ruined by Danshoku Dieno & Yuki Iino. They used their seesaw attack with the wooden plank on HARASHIMA until Kong attacked them with the steel can. Pheromones got their own back by coming up with ways to stick their rear ends against Kong’s face until Kato called off the match. He also used his jacket to wipe Kong’s face after the match. Dieno & Iino probably needed it more because their backsides were now covered in Kong’s facepaint!
During the show Keiko Takeshita, Konosuke’s mother, came down to the ring and gave everyone an update on what life has been like ever since she became the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion. Every day people attack her to try and become champion but she always fights them off. She also had to defend the belt against a motorbike one time. Shunma Katsumata came down with a bag full of 551 pork buns as a gift for Keiko. He explained he will be wrestling in America this January and wants to go as the Iron Man Champion to increase his popularity. He also really likes Keiko so it would mean a lot if she gave him the title. Keiko was touched by Katsumata’s plea and agreed. With Matsui looking over, the title was officially transferred over from Keiko to Katsumata. Suddenly, Kazuma Sumi rolled over Katsumata with a School Boy. Keiko kicked Matsui to stop the pin count and then gave Sumi the Okanmaker to prevent a title change from happening. She’s not going to let anybody take the title away from Katsumata while she is here!
DDT “DDT FREE -NOVEMBER- D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA”, 05/11/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall 300 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Shunma Katsumata & Kazuma Sumi when Koroku submitted Sumi with the Chickenwing Arm Lock (10:11).
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Iino submitted Hirata with the Sexy Arabian Nights (10:16).
3. Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Akito & Makoto Oishi defeated Hideki Okatani, Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada when Oishi submitted Ishida with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (10:18).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Joey Janela (2) defeated Naomi Yoshimura (0) with a Diving Foot Stomp (11:29).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: KANON (2) defeated MAO (2) with the Cobra Twist (17:37).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: RSP (4) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (1) with a Frog Splash (11:00).
The first of two D-Ou Grand Prix shows taking place today saw the foreign entrants score big victories over the DDT big shots. RSP went into a fight with Daisuke Sasaki and came out of it the last one standing. He used a Diving Body Attack, the GTF and then a Frog Splash to win in the end. After the match RSP told the fans he will win the Grand Prix and he will keep on telling everyone that until it happens and he becomes the king of DDT! Backstage Sasaki said he will go to Ohio, gain 50 pounds of weight and kill RSP as revenge!
At least the other DAMNATION T.A wrestler in the tournament got his first win on this show. KANON found another opponent who shares a link to TAKA Michinoku like he does. MAO grew up influenced by Michinoku Pro and uses the Michinoku Driver II for that reason. He used the move here but KANON kicked out of it and then dodged the Cannonball 450. A series of cradles exchanges ended in KANON catching MAO in the Cobra Twist to make him submit. KANON said he enjoyed fighting MAO so much he wants to do it again but at somewhere different than the D-Ou GP. However he’s only won a single match so far and feels like he is standing on the edge of a cliff. MAO accepted defeat because KANON is a “trueblood” disciple of Michinoku while he is just an imitator and “an alien born from a mutant Earth.”
Joey Janela scores his first points while Naomi Yoshimura is now 0 for 2. Janela was aggressive from the get go and used a combination of Face Kick followed by a Package Piledriver and then a Diving Foot Stomp to get the three count. Janela explained his loss to Yuki Ueno ignited his fighting spirit. He faces Tetsuya Endo on the next show taking place later today and promises his win there will be even more surprising than when he won the DDT Extreme Title. Yoshimura is trying to figure out why he’s having a bad start to the tournament. He does not feel in bad shape or anything like that. His next match is against Ueno and he promised not to lose to him, no matter how unrefined he is feeling right now.
Before the Pheromones match began, Danshoku Dieno warned everyone that Yuki Iino was feeling so excited over today being “Nice Butt Day” that he could not hold himself back. Iino had to be stopped from undressing himself but he eventually did it anyway, stripping completely down to a little piece of lingerie that left nothing to the imagination (no picture of it because I don’t want this site to get blocked anywhere). He won with a move called the Sexy Arabian Nights which involved him running the ropes and hopping over his opponent People’s Elbow style over and over until they submit.
DDT “DDT FREE -NOVEMBER- D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA”, 05/11/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Shunma Katsumata & Kazuma Sumi Vs Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Akito & Makoto Oishi Vs Hideki Okatani, Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Naomi Yoshimura (0) Vs Joey Janela (0)
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: MAO (2) Vs KANON (0)
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki (1) Vs RSP (2)
There are not one but two shows filled with D-Ou Grand Prix matches taking place tomorrow in Yokohama. RSP won both of his DDT matches so far with the GTF and is looking to destroy the rest of the competition with that move. Daisuke Sasaki is coming off of a time limit draw but that can turn out to be just a minor setback if he can win here. MAO is one for two so far and still relying on creative or ingenious ways to win matches. KANON, Naomi Yoshimura and Joey Janela all need to do something to catch up because another loss for any of them will be very damaging to their chances of reaching the final.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 2”, 05/11/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Harimao Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida Vs Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul
2. Yukio Sakaguchi Produce Match ~ 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Pokotan & Gota Ihashi Vs Saki Akai, Hideki Okatani & Kazuki Hirata
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes (0) Vs KANON (0)
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (3) Vs Joey Janela (0)
5. Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Yukio Naya Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (2) Vs RSP (2)
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi (2) Vs Yuji Hino (4)
By the time tomorrow is over the GP will already be around halfway done. Yuji Hino can storm ahead of the B Block if he beats Kazusada Higuchi and remain undefeated. Yuki Ueno figured out Janela but can he do the same with RSP? Tetsuya Endo is in the same situation with Sasaki because of their draw, not a bad thing as long as he wins from here on out. We’ll see if Chris Brookes has gotten over his embarassing countout loss to MAO.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW AUTUMN TOUR ’22”, 20/11/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Billie Starkz Vs X
The arrival of Billie Starkz in Tokyo Joshi Pro is happening sooner than expected. She will have her first TJPW match one week before she challenges Yuka Sakazaki for the Princess Of Princess Title.
GANBARE☆PRO “GIRI GIRI CHOP! 2022”, 27/12/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Kouki Iwasaki Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Last Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Kouki Iwasaki
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Hartley Jackson (c) Vs Mizuki Watase
Hartley Jackson would like to take his relationship with Ganbare☆Pro once step further and become part of the family. The roster has won him over with their fighting spirit while he defends the Spirit Of Ganbare Title against all of them. Mizuki Watase is next to challenge him, doing so one year after he himself joined the promotion. Watase’s win-loss record isn’t great but he carries the flame of Ganpro wherever he goes and wants to be the one to dethrone Jackson. If he does win and become the new champion, Watase will then personally welcome Jackson into the Ganpro family if he wants to. While all of this is going on, Ken Ohka is feeling left out in the cold. Every time he tries to confront Jackson to make a challenge, somebody else beats him to the punch.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 1”, 03/11/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall 235 Fans
1. Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Soma Takao, Toi Kojima & Takeshi Masada when Okada pinned Kojima with the Sudden Death (9:11).
2. HARASHIMA Produce Match ~ Blindfold Breastfold Tag Death Match: Antonio Honda & Shunma Katsumata defeated HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata when Katsumata stripped off HARASHIMA’s bra (10:40).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino (4) defeated KANON (0) with a Dragon Sleeper (8:16).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya (2) defeated MAO (2) with the Back Drop (11:49).
5. RSP, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida when RSP pinned Ishida with the GTF (12:19).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno (2) defeated Joey Janela (0) with the BME (10:01).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo (3) Vs Daisuke Sasaki (1) ended in a Time Limit Draw (30:00).
The big DAMNATION clash ended without a winner. Daisuke Sasaki worked on Tetsuya Endo’s injured ankle, weakening Endo’s aerial moves when he tried to use them later in the match. The match featured an unexpected surprise halfway through when Mad Paulie, not MJ Paul, came down to the ring while both wrestlers were down on their backs. A referee bump led to Paulie attacking Endo at first. But when Sasaki brought in a chair, Paulie stopped him from using it. Endo then gave Sasaki a Low Blow from behind. Paulie remained a neutral party from that point and the match continued. Endo gave Sasaki som Exploder Suplexes and the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb but Sasaki kept kicking out of the pins, even getting a 1 count. Endo’s ankle damage prevented him from hitting the Burning Star Press and Sasaki was able to get him into the Crossface Lock. Endo bit his hand to free himself and the two were left scrambling for the win until the time expired. After the match Endo said it’s been exactly two years since his Ota Ward Gymnasium match with Sasaki and “Charisma” is the same as he was back then. Sasaki didn’t have much to say other then ask Paulie how did he get back here from Planet Pauline? Endo said even though today ended in a draw, he is still going to win the D-Ou Grand Prix and collect all of DDT’s championships. He also wants any prize money he wins to be transferred to him as soon as possible. When he left the ring, Sasaki called BURNING a bunch of crap and Endo should be in DAMNATION T.A alongside him instead.
The DDT Universal Champion beats the DDT Extreme Champion! It was a match that left Yuki Ueno with a bloody nose from Joey Janela’s big attacks. Janela’s attempt to take things to the extreme included using an Avalanche Falcon Arrow along with trying to land moves onto the ring apron. Ueno fought back by dropping Janela onto the apron with a Facebuster. The Dropkick was the big difference maker as happens often with Ueno’s matches recently. That move left Janela in position to take the BME for Ueno to take the win. Ueno repeated his goal is to carry DDT on his back and winning the Grand Prix will help make that happen. He said Janela can pull out a lot of power at a moment’s notice and he couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Since Janela did not bring in any weapons, Ueno wonders if he was trying to prove he can win without going death match or hardcore? Janela is mad over losing his first match in DDT. He wants to go back to GCW with the D-Ou trophy as the “King Of Extreme” but now has to rethink his strategy.
Yukio Naya gets his first win of the tournament by beating MAO. The two fought out of the ring and spent a brief amount of time causing trouble in the lobby before coming back. MAO tried going for flash pins and almost won with a Hurricanrana. Naya stopped his momentum with a Knee Lift and got the win with a Back Drop. Naya is glad to win this match because MAO is an unpredictable opponent. His next opponent is Chris Brookes, a wrestler who specialises in Cradles and Roll Ups. Naya knows he needs to have a proper countermeasure ready to go against that. MAO figured that Naya studied him hard before today’s match and gives him credit for being so prepared. He got to see the Real Japan of Yukio Naya.
The B Block is currently led by Yuji Hino after today’s win over KANON. Although the two wrestlers come from different promotions, they are both connected by the having the same teacher TAKA Michinoku (Hino was K-DOJO and KANON was JTO). KANON got to lock in the Cobra Twist and apply it deep enough to take Hino down to the canvas. Hino couldn’t power out of the move so had to use the rope break to free himself. Hino then unexpectedly put KANON in a Dragon Sleeper and squeezed it tight enough to get his opponent to submit. Hino told his “brother-in-law” after the match that he can never beat him this way, but his Cobra Twist is still pretty good so they should have another match.
Blindfolds and bras were the name of the game for one of the non-tournament bouts. There was a match where everyone wore bras and were blindfolded. The goal was to win either by normal means or by stripping off their one of their opponents’ bras. There were a lot of missed attacks and accidental moves hitting the wrong people. Kazuki Hirata still somehow found a way to put on his Hirata GO! glasses and dance. HARASHIMA got his hands on Antonio Honda’s bra but was thrown down to the mat. Shunma Katsumata heard the slam and climbed the ropes. He went for the Totonou Splash but overshot HARASHIMA and missed. The two were able to detect each other and kept fighting until HARASHIMA’s bra was pulled off, giving Katsumata’s team the win.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 