DDT “AKOS X DDT EKIMAE PRO WRESTLING”, 26/10/2024 Saitama AKOS Event Square
1. Danshoku Dieno, Kazuki Hirata & Shunma Katsumata Vs HARASHIMA, Yuki Ishida & Kazuma Sumi
2. Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
3. The 37KAMIINA Vs SCHADENFREUDE International!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & To-y Vs Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada
The weekend begins with a short and free DDT show over in a Saitama plaza.
DDT “FUKUSHIMA ADATARA ONSEN HOTEL PARADISE HILLS BOX OFFICE”, 27/10/2024 Fukushima Adatara Onsen Hotel Paradise Hills Sakura Campground Special Venue
1. Yukio Naya Vs Keigo Nakamura
2. MJ Paul Vs Yuki Ishida
3. Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs To-y & Kazuma Sumi
4. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Makoto Oishi Vs Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada
5. Yuki Iino, Akito, Yuni & Yuya Koroku Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON, Demus & Ilusion
6. Sakura Campground Will Be Used In Its Entirety! Paradise-Style Falls Count Anywhere 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda
This is going to be an outdoor show. If the weather in Paradise Hills is bad on Sunday then the ring will be moved to an area with shelter.
DDT “DDT PRO WRESTLING IN SHINGASHI”, 02/11/2024 Saitama Takashina Elementary School
1. Shunma Katsumata, To-y & Kazuma Sumi Vs Yukio Naya, Yuya Koroku & Yuki Ishida
2. Special Tag Match: Makoto Oishi & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Akito & Kaya Toribami
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Danshoku Dieno, HARASHIMA & Tetsuya Endo Vs Chris Brookes, Takeshi Masada & Keigo Nakamura
Next weekend DDT will be doing another outdoor free show in Saitama, this time at an elementary school. Yoshiko Hasegawa and Kaya Toribami are coming along for the ride too.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “MAHIRO KIRYU TRIUMPHANT RETURN ~TOKYO JOSHI SHINOYABO~”, 03/11/2024 Gunma G-Messe Main Hall C (Takasaki City)
1. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi Vs Pom Harajuku Vs Arisu Endo
2. Suzume & Haruna Neko Vs Kaya Toribami & Toga
3. Maki Itoh & Kira Summer Vs Shoko Nakajima & HIMAWARI
4. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Uta Takami
5. Next Generation Tournament ’24 – Round 1D: Wakana Uehara Vs Chika Nanase
6. Miu Watanabe, Raku & Shino Suzuki Vs Mizuki, Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro
7. Miyu Yamashita & Moka Miyamoto Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
Gunma is Mahiro Kiryu’s territory so she gets the main event spot. She is also teaming with Yuki Kamifuku which means Toyo Mates are back together for the first time in a long while. The Karate Tag pair of Miyu Yamashita & Moka Miyamoto will be their opponents.
DDT/DEFY “DDT IN UTERO”, 09/11/2024 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
1. Danshoku Dieno Vs Randy Myers
2. Gringo Loco Vs Yuni
3. Special Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & Artemis Spencer Vs Gurv Shira & Harv Shira
4. 3 Way Tag Match: Cody Chhun & Guillermo Rosas Vs Bryan Keith & Shota Vs Eddie Pearl & Ricky Gibson
5. DDT Universal Title – 3 Way Match: MAO (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs X
6. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Kohei Kinoshita
Seattle is where MAO will have his first defence of his latest DDT Universal Title reign. It’s going to be a 3 Way Match and Yamashita is one of the opponents, making it her first time she will be properly fighting for a DDT championship (other than the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title). The other opponent is a mystery for now.
One of the other new matches on the show is on the DEFY end of things. Cody Chhun & Guillermo Rosas are known together as C4 and they are the current DEFY Tag Team Champions. One of the other regular teams is Eddie Pearl & Ricky Gibson, aka Midnight Heat. The third team have previously been opponents against each other. Bryan Keith was somebody that Shota faced during one of his American excursions two years ago.
Marina Shafir will be on the show. If Kazuki Hirata isn’t her opponent then what are we doing here (I’m predicting Yoshihiko is in the 3 Way Match)?
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “LOOKING AROUND THE WORLD, ISN’T JAPAN AMAZING AFTER ALL!?”, 10/11/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
1. Rakuhan Vs Pom-chan Army: X Vs X
2. Rakuhan Vs Pom-chan Army: X Vs X
3. Rakuhan Vs Pom-chan Army: X Vs X
4. Rakuhan Vs Pom-chan Army: X Vs X
5. Rakuhan Vs Pom-chan Army: X & X Vs X & X
6. Rakuhan Vs Pom-chan Army: X & X Vs X & X
Around a dozen wrestlers from Tokyo Joshi Pro will be in Seattle for the DEFY weekend in November. Meanwhile everyone else left behind in Japan will be running a TJPW show built around a team challenge with a luxurious prize on the line. Raku and Pom Harajuku will each captain a team and will draft their members out of a pool of 16 wrestlers (14 from TJPW plus 2 guests). The teams will be drafted this Sunday before that day’s show begins.
DDT “GET ALIVE 2024 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 16/11/2024 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Soma Takao & Kazuma Sumi
2. HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Keigo Nakamura Vs Akito, Yukio Naya & Diego
3. Special Tag Match: Shinya Aoki & Jun Akiyama Vs Yuki Ueno & To-y
Once “CHARISMANIA” is over and done with, Diego will be sticking around for another DDT show.
DDT “MAO TRIUMPHANT RETURN! DRAMATIC DREAM TAISEIKAN ~THE VILLAGE IS WHERE THE SCHOOL IS~ 2024”, 17/11/2024 Miyagi Osaki City Matsuyama B&G Marine Center
1. Makoto Oishi Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Jun Akiyama & HARASHIMA Vs Keigo Nakamura & Yuki Ishida
3. Special Tag Match: MAO & Yuki Ueno Vs Minoru Suzuki & Chris Brookes
Imagine coming home to wrestle in front of your friends, family and adoring fans but Minoru Suzuki is also there and he wants to kill you. That will keep MAO on his toes.
BJW “KING OF DEATHMATCH WORLD GP TOURNAMENT”, 31/12/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
The annual New Year’s Eve show that Big Japan, DDT and others have held together for almost two decades is not going ahead this year. Instead of doing a Shuffle Tag Tournament with DDT, Big Japan will instead hold their own one night international death match tournament. BJW’s president Eiji Tosaka wants to show the power of Japan’s death matches to the world especially since next year will be the company’s 30th Anniversary. He asked DDT for their blessing and they agreed to let him do this show at Korakuen Hall instead of the usual Shuffle Tag Tournament.
It’s a disappointing decision but also one I understand. DDT will be running Sumo Hall a few days before New Year’s Eve so that will be their priority for the end of 2024. Also the New Year’s Eve show itself has been dwindling in popularity and interest over the last few years, particularly coming out of the covid pandemic where the show can’t even be held close to midnight anymore. So while I will miss the Shuffle Tag Tournament, the truth is it’s time to try something different. Big Japan’s idea kind of reminds me of the annual “BLOOD X’MAS” shows that FREEDOMS and Jun Kasai both produce every Christmas. Can they reach the same heights though? If there are any DDT wrestlers entering the tournament (Shunma Katsumata would be the likely choice) I will post updates and the show results when they happen. If not then at least that’s less stuff for me to worry about on New Year’s Eve.
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. SIXTEEN: WHERE COLD WINDS BLOW”, 24/09/2024 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Mr. Bueno & Chie Koishikawa Vs Masahiro Takanashi & MAO Takanashi
2. Mad Dr. Ueki & Shin Suzuki Vs Dr. Cube & Mecha Mummy
3. Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Mr. Malo
4. Antonio Honda Vs Minoru Suzuki
BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. SIXTEEN: WHERE COLD WINDS BLOW”, 24/09/2024 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa ??? Fans
1. Masahiro Takanashi & MAO Takanashi defeated Mr. Bueno & Chie Koishikawa when Takanashi & Takanashi both pinned Bueno with the Double Bacchus (?:??).
2. Dr. Cube & Mecha Mummy defeated Mad Dr. Ueki & Shin Suzuki when Mummy submitted Ueki with the Mecha Drill Grind (?:??).
3. Mr. Malo defeated Munetatsu Nakamura with the Killswitch (?:??).
4. Minoru Suzuki defeated Antonio Honda with the Gotch-Style Piledriver (?:??).
With no matches announced beforehand, nobody knew what to expect with this month’s visit to Baka Gaijin + Friends. The show looked like it was even going to finish early when Chris Brookes gathered everyone together after Match #3 to begin the closing speeches. Antonio Honda interrupted him complaining about not having a match on the show. Brookes admitted he forgot to book something for him. Honda demanded a match and came up with an idea. He has experience in fighting invisible men so his opponent will be Invisible Minoru Suzuki! Honda behaved like Suzuki was walking in front of him performing his entrance, unaware that the real Minoru Suzuki entered the room in his gear and stood behind him ready to wrestle! Honda turned around as the fans sang “Kaze Ni Nare” and collapsed in shock at the sight of Suzuki.
The match began and Honda tried to take control by Chopping Suzuki only to get Chopped in return. The trade-offs continued until Honda change things up by grabbing a flower and exchanging wrist locks with his opponent without dropping it. Suzuki then grabbed Honda in a Headlock and dragged him over to the window where he tried to throw him out of the building! Honda escaped and backed away from the window but Suzuki then attacked him with a coat hanger and then threw him into the front row of stools. Honda tried fighting back but was overwhelmed by Suzuki’s attacks. He got a lucky break by ducking a Clothesline causing Suzuki to slam his arm off the wooden pillar in the room. He summoned Gongitsune to start his comeback leading into the two of them winding up for a Bionic Elbow spot. Honda caught Suzuki in the Sleeper Hold and took him down to the ground. He climbed the bar counter and did the Diving Fist Drop but Suzuki got out of the way and hit the Gotch-Style Piledriver for the win. Honda wanted to keep fighting after the match but Suzuki slapped him to the ground. However Suzuki showed respect to Honda afterwards and allowed him to close out the show with a speech.
A new masked luchador has shown up in Baka Gaijin and he is described as somebody who is the opposite of Mr. Bueno. The wrestler known as Mr. Malo spent a lot of his match against Munetatsu Nakamura singling out women in the audience so he could gift them with a flower. One of those women was Sayaka from ChocoPro. But whenever the ref’s back was turned, Malo gave Nakamura a Low Blow. He also grabbed Sayaka and used her to distract the ref so he could smash a tequila bottle over Nakamura’s head before pinning him with the Killswitch. Mr. Bueno came out to check on Nakamura after the match.
Mad Dr. Ueki was feeling despondent today over what happened at “FUCKED UP FEST” last month. His prized robot Mecha Mummy was taken away by Dr. Cube and reprogrammed to do the evil kaiju’s bidding. Ueki called out Mummy to confront him and Mummy entered the room with Dr. Cube next to him! Cube bragged about what he did and ordered Mummy to destroy Ueki right away. Mummy attacked but Ueki was suddenly rescued by the ring announcer Shin Suzuki! He didn’t want to stand by and watch Ueki get ganged up on so he decided they should do a tag match instead. Ueki tried to reason with Mummy by reminding it of all the good times they had together but Mummy continued to attack him. Ueki pulled out his police gun and shot Mummy but the bullet ricocheted off its chest and hit Suzuki instead! Cube’s, well, cube protected his head like a helmet until Ueki pulled it off to reveal his horribly scarred face. But Mummy stopped Ueki by attacking him with the Mecha Drill, grinding it against Ueki’s face until he tapped out. Cube & Mummy continued to attack Ueki and then Cube promoted the Kaiju Big Battel show happening in Shin-Kiba 1st RING on 10th October. When they left Ueki was so upset that he decided to wipe out his memories of being a Mad Doctor and staggered out of the room.
The first match was a tag match between two teams of doubles. Mr. Bueno was joined by Chie Koishikawa who dressed and behaved just like he did. The other team had MAO not only teaming with Masahiro Takanashi but impersonating him too right down to the promo style. Bueno & Koishikawa were perhaps too identical. They both climbed the bar counter and then banged their heads off the ceiling by standing up too tall. MAO & Takanashi took advantage and both used Takanashi’s Bacchus cradle to pin Bueno for the three count.
Wrestling commentator Haruo Murata was in attendance for the show and decided to join in with Mr. HAKU’s play-by-play on stream during the middle of the main event.
The next Baka Gaijin + Friends show will be held on 29th October.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024”, 21/07/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 4,131 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Keigo Nakamura, Yuki Ishida & Kazuma Sumi defeated Yuni, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion when Nakamura pinned Yuni with the Running Diving Headbutt (7:37).
2. 6-Man Tag Match Featuring People Connected To Sanshiro Takagi: Toru Owashi, Hisamaru Tajima & Shinichiro Kawamatsu defeated Makoto Oishi, Soma Takao & Ippanjin Munenori Sawa when Kawamatsu pinned Oishi with the Axe Bomber (6:28).
3. Special Single Match: Super Sasadango Machine defeated Kazuki Hirata with a School Boy (11:53).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Minoru Suzuki, Shuji Ishikawa & Hikaru Sato when Naya pinned Sato with the Wrist-Clutch Back Drop (12:18).
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Sanshiro Takagi Indefinite Rest Road FINAL ~ Weapon Rumble: Danshoku Dieno (c) defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Gotch-Style Piledriver (20:54). *V? for Danshoku Dieno.
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Survival 4 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano (c), Aja Kong, Shunma Katsumata & To-y and Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada (17:30).
6a. HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano (c) eliminated Aja Kong, Shunma Katsumata & To-y when Akito pinned Katsumata with a Step Over Toe Hold (8:40).
6b. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul eliminated HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano (c) when KANON pinned Akito after the Freedom Call (15:28).
6c. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul eliminated Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada when Paul Sasaki submitted Masada with La Mistica Crossface Lock (17:30). *Smile Squash fails in V1. DAMNATION T.A becomes the 56th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
7. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Masato Tanaka with an Elbow Butt (14:42).
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino (c) defeated Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge when Endo pinned Kotoge with the Burning Star Press (20:37). *V3 for BURNING.
9. Dramatic Dream Match – No DQ Match: El Desperado defeated Chris Brookes with the Pinche Loco on the Barbed Wire Board (22:12).
10. KO-D Openweight Title – Goodcom Assets Presents: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated MAO with the WR (29:44). *V6 for Yuki Ueno.
The story of MAO running away from The 37KAMIINA has come to an end. He wasn’t able to win the KO-D Openweight Title from Yuki Ueno after all but it still became a happy ending for everyone involved with the group. The two went all out against each other both inside and out of the ring. Over on the ramp Ueno gave MAO the Canadian Destroyer only for MAO to fire back with the same move. Ueno rolled off the ramp afterwards so MAO reached out and helped him back to the ring so the match wouldn’t end by countout. Ueno dodged the Phoenix Splash and used the Jul.2 for a nearfall. Then there was a trade off between Ueno’s Blackout Sleeper and MAO’s Just Face Lock. There was then a battle of Dropkicks with both wrestlers using the move on each other again and again. MAO used the Iai Kick but only got a two count. Instead Ueno got him in the WR to pin him and retain the championship.
After the match Ueno gave MAO a hug. He said that whenever he feels exhausted or loses his confidence, he will look at MAO to become an even better man. He is sure MAO feels the same way about him. Today he is glad he put his life on the line in Sumo Hall to fight MAO for DDT’s greatest championship. However MAO declined to shake Ueno’s hand and he left the ring. Ueno still praised him for being a free spirit and if he can beat somebody like him then he can beat anybody. Ueno then called Shinya Aoki to the ring and nominated him as his next challenger for the KO-D Title. Aoki said that ever since his fight against Kazushi Sakuraba in 2015, the next opponent and place he wanted to get the most is Yuki Ueno in DDT. Hisaya Imabayashi endorsed the challenge and announced the title match will take place on 25th August.
Ueno closed out the day by telling the fans he and DDT will continue to show everyone their dreams in the ring. Ueno left the ring and walked up the ramp where he was suddenly greeted by MAO again. MAO has decided he is no longer running away from home and has returned to The 37KAMIINA! Shunma Katsumata and To-y also appeared alongside them and the four went backstage together. In the hallway they found Konosuke Takeshita waiting for them. He simply gave them a thumbs up and walked away.
Yesterday at a public press conference Chris Brookes and El Desperado agreed that their match today should be held under No DQ Rules. The ring was already armed with a barbed wire board, a fork board and a bunch of plastic cases lying around waiting for the chaos to start. It began with Desperado bringing out two bouquets of flowers and handing one over to Brookes. They then both attacked each other with the bouquets. As the fighting got more intense Desperado busted open Brookes and in return Brookes took out a pair of scissors to cut up his opponent’s mask. Desperado then decided to pull it off and wrestle the rest of the match fully unmasked! A stapler gun was brought in and the two of them stapled each other back and forth all over their bodies. The envelope used for the “DESPE-INVITACIONAL” was also stapled onto them. SCHADENFREUDE International interfered in the match to gang up on Desperado but he fought them off by spraying them with a fire extinguisher. Brookes did the Praying Mantis Bomb but only got a two count while Desperado hit the Mad Splash on top of the barbed wire board for a nearfall. The end came when Desperado gave Brookes the Lip Lock and then dropped him on top of the barbed wire with the Pinche Loco. Brookes said he is frustrated over losing but also happy because he feels so alive after the match. Desperado said he got a great taste of DDT. He does not know if he will ever get another taste but he hopes to do it again some day. However not long after the show New Japan announced that Desperado is taking a leave of absence to recover from injuries. Desperado made it clear on social media that Brookes and the match they had are not at fault for it.
The last few months have seen Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino from BURNING feud with Go Shiozaki across DDT and NOAH. It was all building up to the KO-D Tag Team Titles defence here with Shiozaki teaming with Atsushi Kotoge. Since both Endo & Iino were focused on solely beating Shiozaki, Kotoge became frustrated at being ignored. It was on full show here because Kotoge busted himself open from Headbutting Endo too much! Shiozaki was taken out by Iino’s Lariat leaving Endo to fight Kotoge. Endo gave him a Headbutt of his own before doing the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb for a nearfall. He then finished him off with the Burning Star Press for the victory. Iino said he knew how good Shiozaki’s Chops are with those big arms of his but that doesn’t matter because BURNING won in the end. Endo said they won today because of the support from their fans. He is now considering how interesting it would be if BURNING and TEAM NOAH would team up in the future. Iino wants to fight more opponents from more companies to increase the value of the KO-D Tag Titles.
The busy summer Takeshita is taking part in has gone off to a hot start. Yesterday he beat Yota Tsuji in the opening day of the G1 Climax and today he defeated Masato Tanaka in a battle of the Elbow Smashes. It was a rematch of their KO-D Title bout from March 2020 and this time it was Takeshita who was left standing tall. After duelling Elbow Smashes, Takeshita’s ones were the more powerful. He ended up using the move to break down Tanaka and pin him for the three count. With this result Takeshita will now bring this power with him for the rest of the G1. He wants DDT fans to follow him in the tournament with pride and confidence. Tanaka admitted that Takeshita now has the best elbow strikes in the world but he will take that title back from him soon!
After Smile Squash went through all the effort of rescuing the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles from DAMNATION T.A, they’ve only gone and lost the belts back to them! The belts were on the line in a Survival 4 Way Match with other teams of three looking to win the titles for themselves. The 37KAMIINA & Aja Kong beat up Yasu Urano but were the first eliminated thanks to Akito dodging their attacks and pinning To-y with a Stepover Toe Hold. The champions Smile Squash were then surprisingly next to go. HARASHIMA had MJ Paul pinned with the Somato when KANON pulled the referee out of the ring mid-count. Daisuke Sasaki then attacked everyone with a chair then used the Freedom Call with KANON to pin Akito. Antonio Honda had his working boots on today because he successfully performed a Suicide Dive onto everyone out of the ring. He & Masahiro Takanashi also aided Takeshi Masada until he had to go it alone against Sasaki. Paul gave Masada a German Suplex so Sasaki could pin him for a nearfall. Sasaki then used La Mistica Crossface Lock to make Masada give up.
While DAMNATION T.A were celebrating in the ring, Ryuichi “Fire” Kawakami appeared at ringside and climbed in to meet them. He had already caused trouble backstage earlier in the day by attacking Yukio Naya after his match. But Kawakami got into the ring to give Sasaki a hug because he is now joining forces with DAMNATION T.A! Kawakami is ready to bring “FIRE DAMNATION” to DDT and Naya is his first target. Sasaki thinks “FIRE DAMNATION” sounds a little lame but he’s happy to have Kawakami on his side.
After spending so many decades fighting for DDT inside and out of the ring, Sanshiro Takagi is finally ready to take an indefinite break so he can focus on his management duties within CyberFight while taking better care of his health. But first he had one more battle with Danshoku Dieno to get through. During the week he pinned Dieno to take the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title away from him but Dieno won it not too long afterwards. Their match here was a Weapon Rumble. One by one weapons selected by the two wrestlers would be brought down to the ring. Takagi’s first weapon was product placement for Yanekabe Shokunin Goods. Dieno countered that with Yoshihiko along with Muscle Sakai as its handler. Takagi then brought out the Dramatic Dream bike. Dieno shocked Takagi by setting up a retirement ceremony for him. Saki Akai came down to the ring and presented him with gifts as well as a heartfelt speech. Takagi was so touched by the gesture he considered to go ahead with retirement but interrupted the ten bell salute so the match would continue. MIKAMI and Poison Sawada JULIE then ran down to be Takagi’s latest weapons. Dieno had allies of his own in the form of Tokyo Joshi Pro! The group of Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh, Mizuki and Yuki Kamifuku all attacked Takagi with some of their signature moves. But when TJPW GM Tetsuya Koda wanted to get his digs in, Hisaya Imabayashi got mad and attacked him! With them out of the way Takagi brought out his golden ace up his sleeve. He brought in a big star from AEW… Michael Nakazawa! He came out with his body painted completely gold. Who could Dieno have picked in response to this? It was the actual “Golden Star”, the return of Kota Ibushi to DDT! Ibushi gave Takagi the Kamigoye and Dieno waited for Takagi to get back up so he could finish him off with the Lip Lock and Gotch-Style Danshoku Driver.
After the match Dieno told Takagi that it does not matter if he takes a permanent break or is able to come back and wrestle again. DDT will be fine because Dieno will always be here. Takagi thanked Dieno because without him this dramatic situation would have never taken place today. He thought he would never meet Ibushi inside a DDT ring ever again! DDT went through some tough times after Ibushi left them in 2016 but Ibushi was able to rise higher and higher. Takagi believes if he can still get chances to be in the ring with Ibushi then he will never retire! His wish is to fight Ibushi in a singles match again. Ibushi has a request too. Can he come back to DDT some day? Takagi and Dieno both burst into tears and told him yes because he is family. Backstage Takagi told reporters he really wants Kenny Omega to get recover from his health problems too so he can call him again too.
As mentioned above, Naya’s day at Sumo Hall was ruined by a backstage attack by Kawakami after his match. Before that happened things were going great for Naya. He teamed with Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga to beat the big name outsider trio of Minoru Suzuki, Shuji Ishikawa & Hikaru Sato. Naya also got the pinfall after he gave Sato the Wrist-Clutch Back Drop. The backstage attack happened during the post-match interview. Naya’s partners had already left the room and he was in the middle of talking about how it is up to him to carry DDT’s heavyweight division due to a number of injuries on the roster. That was when Kawakami burst out from behind the interview curtain and attacked Naya with a chair. He demanded to be booked for more DDT shows or else he will blow more people up!
With so much happening up and down the card, Kazuki Hirata and Super Sasadango Machine were determined to make their match stand out and become the most newsworthy. Sasadango used his PowerPoint presentation to tell everyone about how much social media coverage his recent tag match with Hirata, Takagi and Dieno got because so many shocking incidents took place during it. So he begged the audience to retweet everything that happened here and even made a competition where one lucky fan will win a sirloin steak, shrimp and red snow crab that he all bought with his own money! There were many “shocking incidents” that happened during the match. First there was a Thumb War that was won by Sasadango. Then there was a new finishing move that Hirata created called the Ryogoku Bomber except he couldn’t do it right because of a lack of practice. Sasadango also decided to give away Edameme he brought from Niigata because he wants everyone to know how delicious it is. After that, Hirata tried to turn heel and adopt Masahiro Chono’s theme song as his own. However he didn’t have the heart to attack Sasadango with a barbed wire bat along with some unknown masked lackeys so he went back to being a babyface. Sasadango then suggested they both turn heel together and form an nWo style faction. He pulled off his mask to reveal he had already shaved his head and painted on a beard plus forehead scars to look like Keiji Muto! He went to do the Shining Wizard but Hirata dodged it and pinned Sasadango with a School Boy. Backstage Hirata said he wants to continue doing things in pro wrestling that are unprecedented. Sasadango was angry over Hirata “betraying” him but admitted it felt so good to have a packed Sumo Hall chanting Muto’s name at him. He also credited Minoru Suzuki for giving him the haircut before the match.
During the same week where Hulk Hogan made a show of himself in America’s political landscape, his presence was also felt on a smaller scale in Japan thanks to Shinichiro Kawamatsu. The Japanese politician had the Axe Bomber passed down to him by Hogan earlier this year and today he used the move to win his match. Toru Owashi claimed this was the power of the impromptu tag team of himself, Kawamatsu and Hisamaru Tajima. It may not look like it but there is actually a deep bound between the three of them according to Owashi. He was Tajima’s opponent for Tajima’s debut match back in Toryumon. He has also spent a lot of his life living in Sumida Ward which is also the district Kawamatsu is elected in. The point of the match though is that they along with Makoto Oishi, Soma Takao & Munenori Sawa are all connected to Sanshiro Takagi.
The show kicked off with most of the D GENERATIONS class pitted against each other in a 6-Man Tag Match. It came down to Yuni almost beating Keigo Nakamura with a Moonsault. Nakamura recovered to hit Yuni with a German Suplex, John Woo Dropkick and then the Running Diving Headbutt to win the match for his team. Yuki Ishida & Kazuma Sumi both felt that they did their best to make the show start off on the right foot. Nakamura was also happy to win a match by himself in Sumo Hall for the first time. Yuya Koroku feels the need to start aiming higher since it is almost six months since he returned from injury. Ilusion thinks they should all be showing more energy because they are the future of DDT. Yuni said he wants to main event Sumo Hall one day so he will work hard to achieve that.
DDT returns to Sumo Hall on 28th December for “ULTIMATE PARTY 2024”. In previous years DDT’s last supershow on the calendar would take place in November. However the company wants to take a shot at holding a big arena show at the end of the year.
It was announced that Kaisei Takechi will be returning to DDT for his second pro wrestling match on 29th September. The star from THE RAMPAGE made his debut to much fanfare back in February. He sent a video message explaining his decision to compete in another match is because he believes he has the ability to do more in the ring the second time round. He would also like to continue participating more in wrestling after this match takes place.
DDT “TODEN PRO WRESTLING”, 29/06/2024 Tokyo Sakura Tram (Toden Arakawa Line) 16 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Towel defeated Unagi Sayaka (c) with a Sleeper Hold (10:19am). *Towel becomes the 1,656th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Sugichan defeated Towel (c) by Pinfall (10:27am). *Sugichan becomes the 1,657th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Towel defeated Sugichan (c) with the Sleeper Hold (10:28am). *Towel becomes the 1,658th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Funky Kato defeated Towel (c) by Pinfall (10:52am). *Funky Kato becomes the 1,659th champion.
1. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Minoru Suzuki defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Gotch-Style Piledriver (55:07).
The never ending war between Sanshiro Takagi and Minoru Suzuki must have the most unique list of locations in pro wrestling. They have fought each other in Budokan Hall, the Tokyo Dome, the Shinkansen bullet train and now the humble Sakura Tram on the Toden Arakawa Line. The latest chapter of this rivalry was put together by DDT and the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. It would be Takagi’s last chance at finally beating Suzuki before he takes an indefinite break as a pro wrestler on 21st July to focus on managing DDT behind the scenes.
The starting point was at Arakawa-shakomae Station. There both wrestlers made their entrance outdoors for the 16 passengers who won successfully got tickets to see the match. Then Shinichiro Kawamatsu showed up accompanied by the current Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike. This was especially newsworthy because the Tokyo gubernatorial election is taking place soon and Koike has mostly avoided making public appearances during her campaign, citing a busy schedule as her reason. This is the same election that has gone viral on social media for the high amount of the bizarre candidates involved, some being there to take advantage of equal media coverage to say and do whatever they want. I guess the best comparison I could make to another part of the world is imagine what would happen if the BBC had to give the Monster Raving Loony Party the same amount of coverage as they do for the major political parties in the UK. So this match ended up becoming part of someone’s political campaign, which I feel kind of iffy about.
The two politicians boarded the tram along with everyone else to witness the start of the match. It began slow with Takagi and Suzuki both taking a feeling out process. Takagi put Suzuki in a Headlock and encouraged Koike to throw a Chop at Suzuki’s chest. Then when Suzuki put Takagi in a Neck Lock, Takagi reached out to hold Koike’s hand which the referee decided counts as a rope break. Koike then Chopped both wrestlers before exiting the tram at Kodai Station.
Now that the governor was gone, Takagi and Suzuki agreed they could go do whatever they want. The fighting became more aggressive and they also interacted more with the passengers. When the tram arrived at Miyanomae Station everyone was in for a surprise. Sayaka Unagi stepped on board carrying all of her championships including the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title!
Unagi took Takagi’s side and the two of them attacked Suzuki with a large rubber band. Suzuki continued to fight a 2-on-1 advantage until the tram arrived at Kumanomae Station. There he received reinforcements when Hikaru Sato stepped into the tram!
Soon Suzuki had the numbers advantage when Seigo Tachibana showed up at the Higashi-ogu-sanchome Station. But when he said he was here to mug people, Kawamatsu refused to stand by and do nothing. The politician joined Takagi’s side and now the match turned into a 3-on-3 fight on board! During the chaos Suzuki’s Towel won the Iron Man Title when Suzuki used it to choke Unagi into submission.
It became such a crazy situation that a policeman was waiting for them at Machiya-nichome Station. That policeman was Takayuki Ueki. However he lost his cool when someone pointed out he is a cop from Kanagawa which means he should have no power over here. Ueki threatened everyone on board with his pistol but suddenly cowered when Suzuki confronted him. Suzuki then grabbed the pistol and shot Ueki with it! With the situation now under control, Ueki’s body was dropped off at Arakawa-nanachome Station.
The next person to show up was a comedian named Sugichan. He performed a comedy skit and then pinned Suzuki’s towel to win the Iron Man Title! Suzuki didn’t find it funny so he choked Sugichan with the towel until he tapped out. Again the ref Daisuke Kiso decided that the towel was the new champion and not Suzuki.
The match suddenly got hijacked by MAO and Takeshi Masada at Minowabashi Station. The two young wrestlers complained that Takagi and Suzuki’s Toden Pro Wrestling was too lukewarm and declared themselves the new generation of Toden Pro Wrestling! They then started to fight each other as a demonstration until Takagi and Suzuki removed them from the tram so they could continue their own match.
At this point the tram had reached the end of the line so it began its return journey on the track. The next stop was Arakawa-itchumae Station where musician Funky Kato came on board singing the Pro Wrestling NOAH theme “VOYAGE” to advertise his new album. Suzuki forced him to also sing “Kaze Ni Nare”. Then a bunch of the wrestlers from earlier came back on board at Arakawa-nichome Station. They stayed around until the tram reached Higashi-ogu-sanchome Station. They all exited again leaving Takagi, Suzuki and Kato with the latest unexpected guest…
It was Meiko Satomura! She’s apparently still signed to WWE, you know. She approached Kato and challenged him to a battle. But it wasn’t a fight she was looking for. She wanted to prove she is a better singer than he is! She sang “Ii Hi Tabidachi” while the other wrestlers were putting each other in Sleeper Holds behind her. Satomura soon joined in. Kato then all of a sudden pinned Suzuki’s towel to win the Iron Man Title and escaped the tram at Miyanomae Station with the belt! Satomura left at the same spot.
When the tram returned to Kodai Station the station attendant stepped on board to inspect everyone’s tickets. Except it was really Jushin Liger in disguise! He got into an argument with Suzuki and hit him with the Shotei before going back to his cushy little post-retirement job.
With the journey nearing its end, Takagi declared it was now time to win by throwing a Lariat at the speed of 13.1km/h thanks to the tram’s momentum. Suzuki ducked the Lariat and grabbed Takagi in the Sleeper Hold instead. He then spun him around and dropped him on his head with the Gotch-Style Piledriver. Takagi was out after that and pinned for the three count.
After the match Takagi had a big announcement to make. He cannot beat Suzuki no matter how many times he tries so he is going to retire! He requested a 10 bell salute only to give Suzuki a Stunner in the middle of it. He was just lying to get the last laugh! Suzuki chased Takagi away from the tram, promising not to let Takagi escape until they reach the ends of Hell!
DDT “TODEN PRO WRESTLING”, 29/06/2024 Tokyo Sakura Tram (Toden Arakawa Line)
1. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Sanshiro Takagi
The next chapter of Minoru Suzuki Vs Sanshiro Takagi in unusual places is happening tomorrow.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “PRECIOUS TIME ’24”, 29/06/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. Haru Kazashiro Vs Chika Nanase
2. Wakana Uehara Vs Uta Takami
3. Maki Itoh Vs Runa Okubo
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Kira Summer Vs Raku, Pom Harajuku & HIMAWARI
5. Miyu Yamashita & Toga Vs Mizuki & Shino Suzuki
6. Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Rika Tatsumi, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami
7. Shoko Nakajima & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino
For a more standard kind of wrestling, Tokyo Joshi Pro has a show going on tomorrow too.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024”, 30/06/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Yuni Vs Ilusion Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi Vs Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Akito & Soma Takao Vs Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ BURNING Vs TEAM NOAH!: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Go Shiozaki, Atsushi Kotoge & Hi69
6. Sanshiro Takagi Indefinite Rest Road ~ Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Miyu Yamashita Vs Danshoku Dieno & Maki Itoh
7. Road To PETER PAN 2024! Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata Vs MAO & To-y
Sunday sees The 37KAMIINA take over the DDT main event, Takagi’s penultimate match before his break and TEAM NOAH coming in to fight BURNING.
BASARA “BASARA 252 ~TAKAGARI 26~”, 15/07/2024 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center
1. KUBITO, Yasu Urano & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Ryota Nakatsu, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
2. SAGAT & Judomaster Vs Banana Senga & Karate Master
3. Isami Kodaka & Lil’ Kraken Vs Daichi Kazato & Tsutomu Oosugi
4. FUMA Vs Gaia Hox
5. Union MAX Title: Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Takumi Tsukamoto
Gaia Hox is getting a big match against FUMA.
First it was Judomaster who appeared in the BASARA ring to learn pro wrestling. Now a masked man by the name of Karate Master has shown up looking to do the same. It’s a good thing too because Ryuichi Sekine slept through the last show and BASARA needed a last second replacement when they couldn’t find him.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24”, 20/07/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Nao Kakuta
2. Special Single Match: Aja Kong Vs Shoko Nakajima
3. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo (c) Vs Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto
4. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi
The contracts for the two title matches at Korakuen Hall have been signed. We also got to hear about how Miu Watanabe and Rika Tatsumi are preparing for the Princess Of Princess Title match. Tatsumi is feeling confident because she has never lost to Watanabe previously. She often has a strategy for her matches. It’s just that once the bell rings, all of that strategy goes out the window and Tatsumi doesn’t realize what she is doing. That may explain her habit of strangling her opponents during matches. Watanabe understands that kind of creativity when she is next to Tatsumi but could never recreate it by herself. She thinks the key to finally beating Tatsumi will be a sudden burst of emotion that happens in the moment.
When Yuki Arai heard that Moka Miyamoto wanted to challenge Daisy Monkey for the Princess Tag Team Titles she offered to be her partner. It wasn’t that long ago when Arai said she was considering fighting for another championship before her next International Princess Title defence takes place. So the timing of Miyamoto looking for a tag title shot couldn’t have been better. It’s not a random pairing either. Arai & Miyamoto entered the 2022 Max Heart Tournament as a team and even defeated Daisy Monkey in the 2nd Round! Suzume & Arisu Endo both remember that loss and would love to get revenge.
BASARA “BASARA 254 ~ICHIMIDOUSHIN~”, 04/08/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Takeru Inoue Debut Match: Takeru Inoue Vs X
BASARA has a new rookie! Takeru Inoue was born in Saitama on 6th December, 2005. He is 175cm tall, weighs 76kg, played volleyball and previously trained at the HEAT UP dojo. He joined BASARA in April and is currently training for his debut in August.
DDT “SANSHIRO TAKAGI VS SUPER SASADANGO MACHINE ONE MATCH EVENT”, 26/06/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Super Sasadango Machine
Apparently a lot of the wacky novelty tickets for the show have in fact been sold. Also Super Sasadango Machine tried inviting Toru Yano to come see the match in person. Unfortunately Yano’s schedule is too busy for him to attend the show tomorrow.
DDT “TODEN PRO WRESTLING”, 29/06/2024 Tokyo Sakura Tram (Toden Arakawa Line)
1. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Sanshiro Takagi
A busy week for Sanshiro Takagi. He has the wrestling match in a tram with Minoru Suzuki happening a few days later.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “PRECIOUS TIME ’24”, 29/06/2024 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. Haru Kazashiro Vs Chika Nanase
2. Wakana Uehara Vs Uta Takami
3. Maki Itoh Vs Runa Okubo
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Kira Summer Vs Raku, Pom Harajuku & HIMAWARI
5. Miyu Yamashita & Toga Vs Mizuki & Shino Suzuki
6. Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Rika Tatsumi, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami
7. Shoko Nakajima & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino
Now that Moka Miyamoto is looking for a Princess Tag Team Titles match in the future she needs to go find a partner. Could her match here provide a clue? If “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” is the destination for her title challenge then that rules Rika Tatsumi out of the equation but not Kaya Toribami. Does Toribami fight with the same passion as Miyamoto though? Doesn’t seem like a good fit to me.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024”, 30/06/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Yuni Vs Ilusion Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi Vs Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
3. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Akito & Soma Takao Vs Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Takeshi Masada
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ BURNING Vs TEAM NOAH!: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Go Shiozaki, Atsushi Kotoge & Hi69
6. Sanshiro Takagi Indefinite Rest Road ~ Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Miyu Yamashita Vs Danshoku Dieno & Maki Itoh
7. Road To PETER PAN 2024! Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata Vs MAO & To-y
As announced during the weekend, Kazusada Higuchi is taking time off to recover from some injuries including a cervical hernia. Keigo Nakamura will be taking his place on this Sunday’s Korakuen Hall show.
DDT “FIGHTING BEER GARDEN 2024 IN UENO”, 05/07/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Kazuki Hirata & To-y Vs Shinichiro Kawamatsu & Kazuma Sumi
2. Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi Vs HARASHIMA, Keigo Nakamura & Yuki Ishida
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Chris Brookes, Takeshi Masada & Yukio Naya
4. No DQ I Quit Match: Antonio Honda Vs Invisible Leonardo DiCaprio
5. The 37KAMIINA Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
6. Special Tag Match ~ Unagi Warriors Vs Brahman Brothers!: Sanshiro Unagi & Sayaka Unagi Vs Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei
Looks like Unagi Warriors Vs Brahman Brothers is main eventing the next Beer Garden show. The two teams could tear the entire theater apart if they’re not careful!
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2024 TOUR IN ODAWARA”, 07/07/2024 Kanagawa Odawara Arena Sub Arena
1. Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada Vs Keigo Nakamura & Yuki Ishida
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Soma Takao & To-y
3. Odawara City Tourism PR Character Umemaru Pro Wrestling Debut Match: Umemaru, Akito & Yuni Vs Pokotan, Antonio Honda & Kazuma Sumi
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs. D.O.A!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi
5. Special Single Match: Aja Kong Vs Kazuki Hirata
6. Special Single Match: HARASHIMA Vs Yukio Naya
7. Sanshiro Takagi Indefinite Rest Road ~ Special 6-Man Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi, Yoshiaki Yatsu & Kuroshio TOKYO Japan Vs Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku
The last time HARASHIMA and Yukio Naya fought each other was for a No. 1 Contender’s match back in February 2023. Naya won that match during his main event push for DDT’s anniversary show that year. Can Naya win again in the rematch or has HARASHIMA’s constant training caught him back up to the young heavyweight?
There hasn’t been much about D.O.A as a unit to talk about since they lost the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. They have a chance to shove their way back into a crowded title scene if they beat The 37KAMIINA here.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “UP! UP! TJPW (2) ~TANABATA FESITVAL WITH NIKI-CHAN~”, 07/07/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Haru Kazashiro Vs Uta Takami
2. Nao Kakuta & Suzume Vs Wakana Uehara & Toga
3. 6-Woman Special Battle Royal: Miyu Yamashita Vs Yuki Aino Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Shino Suzuki Vs Chika Nanase Vs Kira Summer
4. Rika Tatsumi, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami Vs Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku & Runa Okubo
5. Nikichan Water Lumberjack Death Match: Miu Watanabe, Arisu Endo & HIMAWARI Vs Mizuki, Raku & Pom Harajuku
For the main event each member of The Up Up Girls (2) will standing around the outside of the ring armed with a bucket of water. They are allowed to splash any wrestler who gets knocked out of the ring.
The special rule for the Battle Royal has not been revealed yet.
Shoko Nakajima will not be at the show because she will be wrestling for Deadlock Pro in America that weekend. She is entering a new tournament called Battle Of The Best and Masha Slamovich is her first round opponent.
GANBARE☆PRO “DISASTER ARTIST 2024”, 15/07/2024 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center
1. Takuya Wada & Yujiro Yamamoto Vs Munetatsu Nakamura & Shota Kawakami
2. HARUKAZE, Yuna Manase & Banny Oikawa Vs SAKI, Yuko Sakurai & Yuki Mashiro
3. Fire Festival – A Block: Yumehito Imanari Vs Satsuki Nagao
4. Moeka Haruhi Return Match: Shuichiro Katsumura & YuuRI Vs Yusaku Ito & Moeka Haruhi
5. Shigehiro Irie, Mizuki Watase & Rekka Vs Ken Ohka, Keisuke Ishii & Tyson Maeguchi
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Keisuke Ishii (c) Vs Hong Kong International Police Man
Munetatsu Nakamura is back to being healthy and able to wrestle again. He is being added to the opening match, teaming with Shota Kawakami. To even the numbers Takuya Wada will team with pro wrestler and MMA fighter Yujiro Yamamoto.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024”, 21/07/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Masato Tanaka
2. Dramatic Dream Match: El Desperado Vs Chris Brookes
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – 3 Way Match: HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul Vs Shunma Katsumata, To-y & X
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino (c) Vs Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs MAO
The match for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles is now getting crowded thanks to recent developments. Over the weekend DAMNATION T.A stole some of the title belts from Smile Squash after beating them in a tag match. Meanwhile To-y from The 37KAMIINA is also making demands for a title shot with Shunma Katsumata and an unknown third man as his partners. Smile Squash decided to let both teams fight them in a 3 Way Match for the titles so everything can get cleared up once the dust settles. As to who Katsumata & To-y are teaming with, they keep declining to say who it is out loud.
BASARA “BASARA 249 ~UTAGE~”, 28/05/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Ryuichi Sekine, Fuminori Abe & Gaia Hox Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Yasu Urano
2. SAGAT Vs Gouma Ryu
3. Isami Kodaka, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs Lil’ Kraken, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
4. Iron Fist Tag Team Titles: Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster
5. Union MAX Title: Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Daichi Kazato
Tomorrow is the big day for Daichi Kazato. Is it his destiny to win the Union MAX Title from Minoru Fujita?
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 05/06/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura
2. Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
3. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata
4. Daisuke Kiso Referee 14th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs To-y & Yuni
5. CDK 5th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul (c) Vs HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi
There is currently a dispute going on over who is going to be the referee for the KO-D Openweight Title match. Hisaya Imabayashi is leaning towards having Yukinori Matsui as the official, which is normally the case. However Sanshiro Takagi thinks Matsui is too strict and wants somebody who will give him more leeway to do what he wants. He agrees the match will still be held under normal rules though. Yuki Ueno is willing as the champion to fight Takagi under his conditions. However he would prefer the match to have a strict referee so he wants Matsui to be the first choice.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN KYOTO”, 08/06/2024 Kyoto KBS Hall
1. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Toru Owashi & Ilusion
2. Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Takeshi Masada & Keigo Nakamura
3. MAO Vs Yuya Koroku
4. Sanshiro Takagi, Akito & Shinichiro Kawamatsu Vs HARASHIMA, Kazusada Higuchi & Kazuma Sumi
5. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Kazuki Hirata
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs D.O.A!: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y Vs Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi
If losing in the King Of DDT semi-final wasn’t enough to annoy Chris Brookes, he now has to relive last year’s D-Oh Grand Prix when he was the only wrestler in his block to lose against Kazuki Hirata. There is probably no better time for Hirata to go for the upset win in a non-tournament rematch.
Keep an eye out for Yuya Koroku from this point onwards. He was the one to pin Poison Sawada JULIE over the weekend after being outnumbered for the finishing stretch of the match. I’m not saying he’s going to beat MAO next but we might be getting the start of something with him.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PRISM ’24”, 09/06/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro
2. Chika Nanase Vs Uta Takami
3. Nao Kakuta & SAKI Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
4. Aja Kong, Yuki Kamifuku & Kira Summer Vs Maki Itoh, Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami
5. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Moka Miyamoto
6. Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino Vs Wakana Uehara, HIMAWARI, Toga & Shino Suzuki
7. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) Vs LA Taylor
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Vert Vixen
The full card was revealed yesterday and here it is. Aja Kong returns to team with Yuki Kamifuku again and this time Kira Summer gets to join in. RakuPom have been chosen to be the final opponents for Nao Kakuta & SAKI’s tag team. Either Chika Nanase or Uta Takami will earn their first singles win at the other person’s expense. The rest of the card is the usual veteran versus new generation type of matches.
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN MATSUYAMA”, 09/06/2024 Ehime Matsuyama City General Community Center Special Exhibition Hall
1. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Yuya Koroku & Ilusion
2. Shunma Katsumata, Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Sanshiro Takagi (w/ Cutie Elly The Ehime), Akito & Tsuruhimeka
3. Special Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Santaro Ishizuchi Vs HARASHIMA & Takeshi Masada
4. Matsuyama Specialty Special Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Bonjin Pulp
5. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Imabari Taoru Mascaras Vs Chris Brookes & Kazuma Sumi
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & To-y Vs Yuki Iino, Kazusada Higuchi & Keigo Nakamura
Another person from Ehime Pro will be on the show but is not going to wrestled. Cutie Elly The Ehime will be in Sanshiro Takagi’s corner as his manager for Match #2 instead. She did the same at last year’s show in Matsuyama City.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM BATTLE”, 16/06/2024 TOKYO FM Hall
1. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs X
The Sumo Hall main event and KO-D Title shot is on the horizon but first MAO wants to defend his DDT Universal Title. His schedule prevents him from travelling overseas for the time being so he wants to defend the title against a wide range of wrestlers in Japan. He has begun searching for his first challenger and will choose one for a title match taking place at TOKYO FM Hall in a few weeks time.
Fuminori Abe will be on the show. That could be related to the title match or it might not.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2024”, 21/07/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Masato Tanaka
2. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs MAO
MAO is now guaranteed to be part of the Sumo Hall main event. It will be either Yuki Ueno or Sanshiro Takagi who will be against him as the defending KO-D Champion. Takagi said he would defend the belt against MAO in a Weapon Rumble if he is the champ.
Next time Konosuke Takeshita is in DDT he will face Masato Tanaka in a rematch from March 2020. Tanaka successfully defended the KO-D Title against Takeshita back then in what was the last KO-D Title match held in front of an audience before the global pandemic shut everything down. Did anyone notice that this year’s Fire Festival tournament is the first one without Tanaka taking part in it? I know ZERO1 is a zombie promotion now but how can you have a Fire Festival without Tanaka in it?
Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado will be on the show.
DDT “TODEN PRO WRESTLING”, 29/06/2024 Tokyo Sakura Tram (Toden Arakawa Line)
1. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Sanshiro Takagi
Last year Minoru Suzuki and Sanshiro Takagi held a wrestling match inside a travelling bullet train that made headlines around the world. Next month there is going to be a rematch but this time it will take place in a toden streetcar travelling along the Arakawa line in Tokyo. Due to the size of the streetcar only 16 tickets will be available for fans to see the entire match in person. Takagi wanted the rematch as his last chance to get revenge on Suzuki before he takes his hiatus from wrestling in matches later this summer. He believed the bullet train travelling at 285km per hour was the reason he lost last time so fighting in a tram that only has an average speed of 13.1km per hour will give him a more even playing field. Suzuki said he will end Takagi’s wrestling career in this match so Takagi won’t even make it to his hiatus.
Suzuki revealed he has never ridden on a tram before because there were none in Yokohama when he was growing up. However he can run faster than the tram anyway so it will be even easier to beat Takagi than it was in the bullet train. Takagi on the other hand has used it dozens if not hundreds of times throughout his life. He is excited over how creative he can be fighting inside a tram. He knows it is safer for him to throw a Dropkick in there than in a bullet train. This will be Takagi’s fourth singles match against Suzuki. He lost to him in Budokan Hall, the Tokyo Dome and a bullet train. Can he finally beat him when the next match takes place in a streetcar?
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 11 ~ YUKINORI MATSUI REFEREE 30TH ANNIVERSARY BOX OFFICE ~ MAKING THE SQUARE WORLD INTERESTING”, 19/05/2024 Osaka City Sumiyoshi Civic Center 968 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
0. Dark Match – Future Is Here!: Kazuma Sumi defeated Yuni and Ilusion when Sumi pinned Yuni with the School Boy (7:10).
1. THE Non-Stop Action Battle! ~Three High Speed Crows Vs Naniwa Pro Wrestling Three Musketeers~: Yuto Kikuchi, Harutoki & Kohei Kinoshita defeated Naruki Doi, Shunma Katsumata & Keigo Nakamura when Kikuchi pinned Nakamura with the Diving Foot Stomp (01:15).
2. An Absolutely Outrageous Tag Match Between The Four Heavenly Kings Of The Variety Team: Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine defeated Kazuki Hirata & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Gaydo Clutch (0:09).
2a. Rematch: Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine defeated Kazuki Hirata & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Dieno pinned Hiroshi with an Inside Cradle (0:07).
2b. Rematch: Danshoku Dieno & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi defeated Super Sasadango Machine & Kazuki Hirata when Dieno pinned Sasadango with a School Boy (0:07).
2c. 1 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Danshoku Dieno defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Dieno pinned Sasadango with a School Boy (0:21).
2d. 4 Way Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Super Sasadango Machine Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi ended in a Draw when all four wrestlers pinned each other simultaneously (2:33).
3. ACF & Koyo Daiichi Consultants Co., Ltd. Presents Mixed Martial Arts Battle: Bushimasa Vs Thanomsak Toba ended in a Draw (R2 1:00).
4. Staggered Entry Tag Battle Royal “Surprise! Tag Rumble”: Yuko Miyamoto & Isami Kodaka defeated Soma Takao & Shota when Kodaka pinned Shota with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (15:00). Order Of Elimination: Masahiro Takanashi & Makoto Oishi, Toru Owashi & Black Menso-re, KANON & MJ Paul, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Gota Ihashi, Yuki Iino & Yuki Ishida, Yoshihiko & Pokotan, Keisuke Ishii & Akito and Soma Takao & Shota.
5. Tsuji Dental Clinic & Yasuda Dental Clinic Presents Special 6-Man Tag Match – “20 Years Ago THE OSAKA”: Magnitude Kishiwada, HUB & Kengo Takai defeated Tsubasa, Billy Ken Kid & Shoichi Uchida when Kishiwada pinned Uchida with the Last Ride (5:19).
6. Seisho Kogyo Co., Ltd. Presents Battle Between Generations! Legends Vs Next Generation Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Jinsei Shinzaki & Sanshiro Takagi defeated Takeshi Masada, To-y & Yuya Koroku when Shinzaki pinned Koroku with the Nenbutsu Power Bomb (10:42).
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~Everyone Is Superhuman!~: HARASHIMA, Yuji Hino & Chris Brookes defeated Shuji Ishikawa, Shigehiro Irie & Yukio Naya when HARASHIMA pinned Irie with the Swan Dive Somato (11:55).
8. PANTASIA Presents Special Tag Match Wrestling Masters Vs Let’s Go 40’s ~With The Bolivian Wind~: Dick Togo & Daisuke Sasaki defeated Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda when Togo pinned Honda with the Diving Senton (17:19).
9. Triple Main Event Kagoshima no Dancho Presents Special Single Match Kuishinbo Kamen & Kikutaro & Yukinori Matsui, Everyone’s 30th Anniversary, Add Them To Get 90th Anniversary(!) Commemorative Match ~Laughing Fukuraimon~: Kuishinbo Kamen defeated Kikutaro with the Kansai Airport Tornado (16:38).
10. Triple Main Event – From All Over The World, Arriving In Osaka. Special Singles Match ~THE ALPHA Vs King Of Pro Wrestling~: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Minoru Suzuki with an Elbow Butt (23:41).
11. Triple Main Event Ondo Metal Co., Ltd. Presents Special Tag Match ~DDT PRIDE~: Yuki Ueno & Kazusada Higuchi defeated MAO & Tetsuya Endo when Ueno pinned Endo with the WR (25:37).
The worlds of DDT and the Osaka wrestling scene gathered together for Yukinori Matsui’s annual show and this year was a special one. The referee was celebrating 30 years in the business and put together a marathon show for the occasion, although he cared more about making sure everyone watching the show had fun. He admitted he was tired by the end of it and in hindsight probably should not have officiated the last four matches back to back. He was pleased with the quality of the matches that happened. He probably won’t be doing another anniversary show for another 5 or 10 years but you can bet Matsui will continue booking his annual Osaka show no matter what day it falls on every year.
Everyone in the main event congratulated Matsui and all expressed their gratitude to him backstage after the show. Yuki Ueno said Matsui has supported pro wrestling for 30 years and it is thanks to him that he was able to grow stronger as a champion today. He thinks it is important that Matsui holds these shows to make matches he wants to show to everyone. Tetsuya Endo feels honored that Matsui picked him to be in the main event. He noticed everyone in the match are all currently champions and have a high standing in DDT. He admits this year has been a struggle but it will be worth it if it will lead to better results in the future. That will be Endo’s way of repaying Matsui for everything he’s done for him. MAO said the history of companies that Matsui worked for is where all of his favorite wrestlers came from. He hopes Matsui will take care of himself for years to come because MAO intends to wrestle for another 50 years and he likes using Matsui as a weapon. Kazusada Higuchi told Matsui to do his best so Higuchi can continue doing his best too.
The match between Konosuke Takeshita and Minoru Suzuki had a little bit of extra gas added to it thanks to developments happening elsewhere this past week. Takeshita will be facing Jon Moxley in AEW soon in a non-title match and if Takeshita wins he will be getting an IWGP World Heavyweight Title shot. Suzuki was aware of that news. The day before this show happened he declared he will beat Takeshita and work his way towards destroying Moxley to take the championship for himself. Suzuki was a tough challenge but Takeshita was able to wear him down to the point of collapse. Suzuki withstood all of the Elbow Strikes and Jumping Knees until one final Elbow Butt put him down for the pinfall. By beating “The King Of Pro Wrestling” today, Takeshita can now boast he is the stronger of the two. A defeated Suzuki admitted he is now just an old man from the Showa era and has nothing else to say about the result.
Matsui isn’t the only person celebrating 30 years in the business this year. Kikutaro and Kuishinbo Kamen have been a vital part of Matsui’s career for a long, long time. The three of them have known each other since they were all wrestling trainees in Yokohama. Matsui ended up getting injured and switched to being a referee. Kikutaro paid tribute to him after the match by impersonating Atsushi Onita. Kamen was rewarded with a championship belt from the match sponsor for being the winner.
There was an unexpected guest accompanying Dick Togo’s team in Match #8. It was Diego! He even helped out by interfering in the match a little bit. Daisuke Sasaki enjoyed teaming with his mentor today but thinks Matsui should make them opponents next time. There are still many moves and other tricks that Sasaki wants to steal from Togo before he can ultimately surpass him. Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda both think seven years is too long a wait for them to wrestle Togo again. They would like to do it every six months. Honda also described Togo as the father of pro wrestling and Matsui is the mother. He himself is not sure if he is being serious or just joking.
Kyohei Wada was the referee for Match #7. To-y made demands at Sanshiro Takagi to raise his salary. Takagi told him he has to ask President Okamoto for that from now on. After the match Matsui presented Wada with a bouquet of flowers to celebrate Wada’s 50 years in the wrestling business. Wada said he wants to continue for another 20 years so Takagi encouraged him to reach his 70th anniversary.
Match #2 had to be restarted over and over because Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata and Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi were all beating each other within seconds. Eventually they all collapsed onto each other in a pile and Matsui counted the pinfall for all of them, resulting in a draw. Although in the ring it was announced that they were all winners.
Keiko Takaeshita, the mother of Konosuke, was welcomed into the ring to greet everyone at the start of the show. She Clotheslined Matsui and finished the show’s opening call.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 