GANBARE☆PRO “OVER THE TOP 2021”, 07/02/2021 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. Ganjo Special Single Match: Yuna Manase Vs Asuka
2. Seiseki Sakuragaoka Vs Taiwan Full Scale Battle: Yumehito Imanari Vs Rekka
3. GWC 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Katsuzaki Shunosuke, Moehiko Harumisawa & Shu Sakurai (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii, Kouki Iwasaki & HARUKAZE
4. Ganpro Vs Aka Rangers Full-Scale Battle: Ken Ohka & Shota Vs Takashi Sasaki & GENTARO
5. The Strongest Amateur Vs The Strongest Outside Enemy: Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Ikuto Hidaka
Rekka appeared in BASARA last week and is now showing up in Ganbare☆Pro. It’s good to see him in this corner of the wrestling scene again after he left DDT three years ago.
Asuka returns from injury.
DDT “THIS IS OUR 9TH NARIMASU PARTY! 2021”, 20/02/2021 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
1. Toru Owashi, Yukio Naya & Toui Kojima Vs Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Keigo Nakamuta
2. DAMNATION Vs ALL OUT!: Yuji Hino & Mad Paulie Vs Yuki Iino & Shunma Katsumata
3. Young Communication Generation Vs DDT Legend Army!: Akito & Kazuki Hirata Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Danshoku Dieno
4. Mizuki Watase Vs Yusuke Okada
5. DAMNATION Vs Junretsu!: Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Hideki Okatani
6. Road To NAGOYA! Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yuki Ueno
The schedule for the next fortnight is a little light but it’s all preparing for two big shows DDT are having this month. There is “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021” on 14th February and this will be the first DDT show happening after it (not counting the DAMNATION show on the 19th).
DDT “DDT DOESN’T KNOW GUNMA YET 2021”, 21/02/2021 Gunma YAMADA Green Dome Maebashi Sub-Event Area
1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs Keigo Nakamura
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Yukio Naya Vs Shunma Katsumata & MAO
3. Yuki Ueno & Yusuke Okada Vs Chris Brookes & Toui Kojima
4. DDT Variety Group Sangokushi!: Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dieno Vs Toru Owashi
5. The Mountain Of Akagi Is Only Here Tonight! Maebashi Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Soma Takao & Yuji Hino Vs HARASHIMA, Kazusada Higuchi & Antonio Honda
6. Junretsu Vs ALL OUT!: Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Hideki Okatani Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Akito & Yuki Iino
The other big show is “FRIENDSHIP, EFFORT, VICTORY IN NAGOYA 2021” on the 23rd, which is two days after this.
Interesting to see the relationship tree Yusuke Okada is quickly forming. On one side he is butting heads with Mizuki Watase over their connections to Jun Akiyama. Then over on the other he won over Yuki Ueno’s respect and there’s potential for a regular tag team there. That’s if there isn’t a dangerous sense of competition between them that could get in the way.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PPV SHOW 2 ~STARTING POINT~”, 30/01/2021 TwinBox AKIHABARA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Arisu Endo
2. Hyper Misao (w/ Shin Ultra Shoko) Vs Sena Shiori
3. Yamato Nadeshiko Challenges The Charisma Of A New Era!: Maki Itoh Vs Moka Miyamoto
4. Majirabi Warning For Live Music Venues!: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Pom Harajuku & Mahiro Kiryu
5. Paripi Vs Gal Single Match: Yuki Kamifuku Vs Marika Kobashi
6. Bakuretsu Neko-chan Vs Up Up Girls (Pro Wrestling): Nodoka Tenma, Yuki Aino & Haruna Neko Vs Miu Watanabe, Hikari Noa & Raku
7. The Past, Present & Future Of Tokyo Joshi Pro Cross On The Mat!: Rika Tatsumi & Suzume Vs Miyu Yamashita & Mirai Maiumi
Shin Ultra Shoko broke her nose during practice this week and is out of action until 7th February. The original opening match of the Tokyo Joshingers Vs Sena Shiori & Arisu Endo has been cancelled. Instead Misao faces Shiori and Miyu Yamashita will work double duty by doing both the opener against Endo and the main event.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2021 WINTER ~LOVERS~”, 31/01/2021 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. Nodoka Tenma Vs Hyper Misao (w/ Shin Ultra Shoko)
2. Yuki Kamifuku, Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Moka Miyamoto
3. Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Nao Kakuta & Haruna Neko
4. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Mirai Maiumi & Sena Shiori
5. Rika Tatsumi, Hikari Noa & Marika Kobashi Vs Miu Watanabe, Mahiro Kiryu & Pom Harajuku
It’s a doubleshot weekend for Tokyo Joshi Pro.
DDT “NEW YEAR DRAMATIC ITABA SERIES 2021”, 31/01/2021 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda Vs Keigo Nakamura
2. Yuji Hino, Mad Paulie & Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Chris Brookes, Yusuke Okada & Toui Kojima
3. Young Communication Generation Vs DDT Legend Army!: Akito & Kazuki Hirata Vs HARASHIMA & Danshoku Dieno
4. Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
5. Yukio Sakaguchi & Mizuki Watase Vs Konosuke Takeshita & MAO
6. DAMNATION VS Junretsu!: Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Hideki Okatani
Jun Akiyama is back in the ring for his one and only preview match against Tetsuya Endo before “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021”.
GAKE NO FUCHI JOSHI PRO “GAKEPPUCHI INFINITE TRAIN 2021”, 05/02/2021 Saitama Wrestle Butokan
1. Gake no Fuchi Joshi Vs Pocchari Joshi Full-Scale Competition: Miyako Matsumoto & Chris Brookes Vs Yumehito Imanari & Yuna Manase
The search for trainees over in Gake no Fuchi Joshi has struck some gold. Singer and voice actor Gold Karen will take part in a public “protest” as part of her audition to join the brand. Karen is from Okinawa, her birthday is on 12th March and she is 150cm tall. She has a college background in music.
DDT “THIS IS OUR 9TH NARIMASU PARTY! 2021”, 20/02/2021 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall
1. Mizuki Watase Vs Yusuke Okada
After Junretsu lost their match yesterday. Mizuki Watase made his feelings clear backstage that Yusuke Okada is not deserving of a spot in DDT. He was excited to see him enter DDT at first but believes he quickly settled into a safe position under Akiyama’s coaching instead of making a name for himself. Okada explains that DDT made him team with Junretsu while Akiyama is recovering but Watase thinks that excuse is not good enough. They will settle their differences in a singles match.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2021”, 28/02/2021 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: The Young Bucks Autobiography “Killing The Business” (c) Vs X
The Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title was sent back to Japan after a five month stay in the United States. It ended up in AEW where a copy of The Young Bucks autobiography became the most recent champion (my quick review: decent book, needed crazy road stories to make it a must read). The book was shipped over to Japan along with the title belt so DDT did the logical thing and booked it for a title defence next month. Match type and opponent(s) are yet to be determined.
DDT “ISN’T IT DRAMATIC! 2021”, 11/01/2021 Nagoya City Biwajima Sports Center 109 Fans
1. Hiroaki Ura defeated Toi Kojima with the Fisherman Suplex (6:11).
2. Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani when Hirata pinned Okatani with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (8:40).
3. Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Yuki Ueno & Keigo Nakamura when Sakaguchi submitted Nakamura with the Sleeper Hold (12:09).
4. Young Communication Generation Vs DDT Legend Army! – Storage Cavity Sealing Rule: Akito & Shota Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Danshoku Dieno ended in a No Contest (8:16).
5. Makoto Oishi & Yusuke Okada defeated Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda when Okada pinned Honda with the Fisherman Buster (12:04).
6. Nagoya Specialty! Doerya Tag Match: Mad Paulie & Yuji Hino defeated HARASHIMA & Yukio Naya when Hino pinned Naya with the Fucking BOMB (14:11).
7. DAMNATION Vs DDT Sauna Club!: Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & MAO when Endo pinned Katsumata with the Torture Rack Bomb (17:13).
The absence of Jun Akiyama disappoints Tetsuya Endo. He asked where he was and thinks Akiyama will be back at the shows in Hakata next week. He will wait for him there so they can settle their differences before “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021” even takes place. Daisuke Sasaki said he knows the location of the hospital Akiyama is in.
HARASHIMA believes the good parts of Yukio Naya are starting to come out more and more. He found out Naya is one of his opponents at “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021” so he is looking forward to fighting a stronger version of him. Naya promised to do his best against HARASHIMA & Yuji Okabayashi. He will be teaming with Kazusada Higuchi in that match.
Yusuke Okada says he wants to absorb DDT’s style of pro wrestling. He is quickly proving it by studying Antonio Honda and knowing how to fight against Gongitsune. Whenever Honda tried to tell his joke, Okada ignored him and forced a confused Honda to continue wrestling instead. Honda got his trick to work though when he talked to Okada about their favorite Kamen Riders. He made an innuendo out of Takeshi Hongo’s name then poked everyone in the eyes with Gongitsune. Okada still had Honda scouted and blocked the Diving Fist Drop before winning his first DDT match with the Fisherman Buster. Chris Brookes wasn’t pleased with Honda’s antics. Makoto Oishi confirmed to Okada that he is beginning to understand DDT’s wrestling.
Strap yourselves in folks, Match #4 was weird. Shota hadn’t recovered from the Street Fight he wrestled in yesterday and was worried he wouldn’t last in the ring today. Akito assured him their match against Sanshiro Takagi & Danshoku Dieno would only be a test of mental strength and patience. He came up with a match where everyone wore “Super Mouth Cannons” over their faces that made loud honk noises if they breathe too hard. Both teams started with 10 points and would lose a point if the mouth cannon made a noise. This was meant to teach the wrestlers not to over exert themselves. But Yukinori Matsui got knocked down and everyone started a brawling, filling the room with honks. When Matsui got back up he called off the match for being too noisy. The two sides argued over their upcoming KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match afterwards but they still wore the mouth cannons so it was just more honking. Shota enjoyed being in a crazy DDT match but Dieno promised the fun and games are done. When the title match happens on 23rd February it will be simple professional wrestling!
Yukio Sakaguchi warned Yuki Ueno he is going to strangle everyone Ueno teams with until their DDT UNIVERSAL Title match in February. Ueno made fun of Sakaguchi by asking if he wanted to take a picture with the belt again because he won today. Sakaguchi told Ueno to be careful because he can attack him from behind again like he did at Korakuen Hall.
Today in Japan is the Coming Of Age Day, a holiday that celebrates the young people who reach adulthood at the age of 20 years old. For Hideki Okatani that means he is no longer has to be treated like a young boy at ringside by the other wrestlers. Eager to show off his new responsibilities, Okatani begged for Mizuki Watase to tag him in show no fear against Toru Owashi. This made Kazuki Hirata call on Owashi to tag him in too but he was ignored. When Hirata was finally tagged in he kicked out of the Northern Lights Suplex and pinned Okatani with the Miracle One Shot Cradle.
DDT “GO TO DDT! VOL. 1”, 09/01/2021 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 484 Fans
0. Under Match: Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Hideki Okatani defeated Keigo Nakamura & Toui Kojima when Okatani pinned Kojima with the Northern Lights Suplex (6:50).
1. Written By Hajime Takahashi & Masaki Inoue “Does Momotaro’s Kibidango Recognize As An Expense?” Infomercial Match: Akito, Kazuki Hirata, Antonio Honda & Super Sasadango Machine (3D Avatar) defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Danshoku Dieno, Toru Owashi & Saki Akai when Hirata pinned Takagi with a School Boy (?:??).
2. Mad Paulie & Yuji Hino defeated Chris Brookes & Shunma Katsumura when Hino pinned Katsumura with the Fucking BOMB (8:18).
3. Konosuke Takeshita & MAO defeated HARASHIMA & Yukio Naya when MAO pinned Naya with the Cannonball 450 (10:02).
4. DAMNATION Vs Junretsu!: Makoto Oishi, Mizuki Watase & Yusuke Okada defeated Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Oishi submitted Shimatani with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (12:14).
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi (c) defeated CIMA & Soma Takao by TKO when Sakaguchi choked out Takao with the Sleeper Hold (16:26). *V1 for Eruption.
6. DDT UNIVERSAL Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated Shota with the WR (16:53). *V2 for Yuki Ueno.
DDT’s second visit to Korakuen Hall this year was headlined with a DDT UNIVERSAL Title defence. Yuki Ueno got a measure of revenge when he pinned Shota in a 6-Man Tag last week and firmly got the rest of it by beating him again today. Shota was over reliant on the Gannosuke Clutch and when that couldn’t get him a win he tried cheating instead. He used ropes for leverage on pins and gave Ueno a Low Blow when the referee was knocked away. But Shota went back to the Gannosuke Clutch which Ueno had figured out by then. Ueno avoided the move, stunned Shota with a Dropkick and pinned him with the WR for the successful title defence.
Ueno wanted to give Shota microphone time after the match but he declined and left the ring. Ueno joked that he would have to talk by himself for five minutes, then said he learned so much from Shota over the 5 years he’s known him. He was happy to face Shota in his first match of 2021 and he is both the most annoying and most entertaining opponent. Hisaya Imabayashi asked Ueno who he would like to defend the UNIVERSAL Title against next. Ueno said Yukio Sakaguchi! He learned a lot from Sakaguchi last year such as what it’s like to get choked out and why you always see worried faces above you when you regain consciousness. Sakaguchi accepted the match and asked to look at the title belt. When he held it he posed with it and told Ueno that is where the title should be. He handed it back to Ueno but warned nominating him was the biggest mistake he could make. Imabayashi decided the title match will happen at “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021” on 14th February.
In the backstage interviews, Sakaguchi said there are no grand slam champions in DDT since the creation of the UNIVERSAL Title. He is aiming to be the first new grand slam champion in DDT and to do that he has to go after both the UNIVERSAL Title and the DDT Extreme Title. When Ueno did his interview, Sakaguchi snuck up behind him and choked him out with the Sleeper Hold.
Sakaguchi still holds the KO-D Tag Team Titles with Kazusada Higuchi. The Eruption pair held on against a CimaSoma team with a lot of momentum behind them. CIMA & Soma Takao wore the same matching outfits from “ULTIMATE PARTY 2020” and had the same effort of teamwork from back then. There was also high risk like CIMA using the Meteora to break up Sakaguchi’s Sleeper Hold on Takao. However Sakaguchi clasped the Sleeper Hold back onto Takao and CIMA couldn’t rescue him again. Takao went motionless and the match was stopped, making Eruption the winners.
Shunma Katsumata, Konosuke Takeshita & MAO from the DDT Sauna Club approached Eruption after the match. Katsumata challenged them to put the KO-D Tag Titles on the line against all three of them. Sakaguchi called him stupid and Imabayashi told them it can’t happen that way. Takeshita & MAO tried to leave but Katsumata then said those two could face Eruption instead. Sakaguchi knocked out Katsumata with an Elbow Strike and accepted the challenge. Kazusada Higuchi & Sakaguchi Vs Takeshita & MAO for the titles will happen at the 23rd February Nagoya show and it will be the main event!
The #DAMNHEARTS group received major news when CimaSoma got back to the locker room. Daisuke Sasaki had apparently talked to #STRONGHEARTS before the match and agreed if CimaSoma didn’t win the tag titles then the business alliance will be dissolved. #DAMNHEARTS is splitting up! Takao said he heard nothing about this and CIMA doesn’t remember making this decision although he agreed it has been a while since DAMNATION and #STRONGHEARTS worked together. Sasaki promised both sides will do something together again when the pandemic is over.
With Jun Akiyama out of action for the rest of this month, the newcomer Yusuke Okada took his place and wasted no time in getting to wrestle Tetsuya Endo. There was still Junretsu representation in the match with Makoto Oishi & Mizuki Watase involved. Oishi overcame danger when he kicked out of a Standing Moonsault from Endo followed by a Standing Shooting Star Press from Nobuhiro Shimatani. Oishi pulled Shimatani to the mat and made him tap to the Fujiyama Knee Lock. Endo grabbed the microphone out of Oishi’s hands and said he is going to crush Akiyama on 14th February. As he was leaving, Oishi responded that he might crush Endo before Endo gets to face Akiyama! Backstage Sasaki revealed what he learned during his time off with injury. Pro wrestling is about love and romance, just like the movie Titanic. What’s missing in the ring right now is romance. He found it and will show it to everyone soon.
MAO dusted off the Cannonball 450 to win DDT Sauna Club’s tag match. First he got rid of HARASHIMA with a Plancha, then Takeshita took care of Yukio Naya with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster to set up the 450 finish.
Katsumata is an eager fellow but it got him into a lot of painful situations today. He tried jumping Yuji Hino & Mad Paulie at the start of their tag match but did so without Chris Brookes joining him. Brookes instead stayed in the corner and did “NeppoWER!!” chants with no other intention of fighting the heavyweight opponents. Hino caught Katsumata in mid-air and Brookes did a Missile Dropkick to them to get his partner a nearfall. There were blocks for both the ¡Hasta la vista! and Fucking BOMB but Hino ended up winning out in the end.
Heavy snow in Niigata prevented Super Sasadango Machine from travelling to Tokyo for today’s show. He was replaced by a “3D Avatar” of himself. In other words it was Keigo Nakamura in a Sasadango mask. Sasadango also provided a PowerPoint presentation on Zoom before the opening match explaining the importance of filing tax returns. His example was getting the wrestlers in his match to all wrestle in their own expensive clothing because they can treat it as tax deductible ring gear. This made a few people like Saki Akai uncomfortable because they did not want their personal belongings used in the match. She was proven right when Kazuki Hirata tried to steal her handbag and it got knocked out of the ring. Toru Owashi revealed he was wearing the O-40 Title underneath his hoodie. Danshoku Dieno pulled off Akito’s rare sneakers and shoved one of them into Akito’s mouth. He then threw them away causing Akito to chase after them. Sanshiro Takagi wore a watch that costs 1.1 million yen and used it to stop Antonio Honda’s Gongitsune joke. Hirata took the watch, grabbed a chair and tried to smash it. Takagi took the chair swung it at Hirata but missed and smashed the watch instead! He was in so much shock that Hirata easily pinned Takagi with a School Boy.
Nakamura was also in the pre-show match. He and Toi Kojima lost to Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Hideki Okatani. The match came down to Kojima and Okatani. A Running Neckbreaker was used to set up the Northern Lights Suplex for Okatani to win.
DDT “NEW YEAR’S DAY GIFT SPECIAL! ALL SEATS 3,000 YEN SPECIAL BOX OFFICE!! 2021”, 03/01/2021 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 713 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Keigo Nakamura defeated Hideki Okatani with a Cradle (7:42).
2. Antonio Honda 43rd Birthday & 16th Anniversary Debut Match: Antonio Honda defeated Choun-Shiryu with the Diving Fist Drop (9:14).
3. Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Gota Ihashi defeated Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Toui Kojima when Sakaguchi pinned Kojima with the PK (9:37).
4. Mad Paulie, Nobuhiro Shimatani & Hiroshi Yamato defeated Makoto Oishi, Mizuki Watase & Yukio Naya when Paulie pinned Watase with the Reverse Splash (12:19).
5. 1 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Shinya Aoki, Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine defeated Sanshiro Takagi when Aoki pinned Takagi with a Jackknife Pin (10:00).
6. Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata, MAO & Yuki Ueno defeated Akito, Kazuki Hirata, Shota & Keisuke Ishii when Ueno pinned Shota with the BME (14:34).
7. Tetsuya Endo, Soma Takao & Yuji Hino (w/ Daisuke Sasaki) defeated HARASHIMA, Kazusada Higuchi & Chris Brookes when Endo pinned Brookes with the Shooting Star Press (17:18).
The first DDT show of 2021 was almost entirely a surprise card. The audience only knew what the matches were once they were ready to begin. For the main event HARASHIMA, Kazusada Higuchi & Chris Brookes joined forces to fight DAMNATION. While all of DAMNATION were at ringside, Daisuke Sasaki got directly involved by grabbing Brookes by the leg. Yuji Hino brought it to both HARASHIMA & Higuchi. Soma Takao overheard Higuchi insult CIMA which spurred him on to fight through the Brain Claw. Tetsuya Endo got the win in the end by hitting Brookes with Tetsuya In The Sky, the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb and finally the Shooting Star Press. Endo looked over to Jun Akiyama at the commentary table while the pin was counted.
Shouting was heard over by the entrance after the match. It was Yuki Iino calling for Hino’s attention while the rest of ALL OUT tried to hold him back. Iino pushed his teammates back, entered the ring and demanded to face Hino in an arm wrestling contest on the canvas. Hino was confused but he accepted the challenge and won. Iino got mad over losing and had to be held back again while Konosuke Takeshita introduced him to Hino. He then explained that Iino’s return match from injury will be at “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021” on 14th February when ALL OUT takes on DAMNATION. He then suggested that Iino and Hino have a singles match at the next big event after that. Hisaya Imabayashi agreed to book Iino Vs Hino in Nagoya on 23rd February. ALL OUT dragged Iino away while Endo took the microphone and warned Akiyama that he is always ready. Endo closed out the show by saying this year he is aiming for more than just the Tokyo Sports MVP Award. He wants to make scandalous news stories with glamourous women in the tabloids too!
Another 8-Man Tag pitted the two new units that have unexpectedly taken over DDT in the last few months. All four members of the DDT Sauna Club came out first, followed by the Young Communication Generation. The latter team then surprised everyone by bringing out Keisuke Ishii! Akito warned him about the Sauna Club’s “Heat Wave WER!!” pose but he didn’t understand it. Kazuki Hirata did a Plancha to the outside while Ishii did his work. The Sauna Club isolated Shota and piled on the top rope moves to him. Shunma Katsumata, MAO & Yuki Ueno hit Diving Body Presses one after the other but Ueno’s pin was broken up. Shota caught Ueno in the Gannosuke Clutch but MAO was there to break that pin up. Ueno got to recover and beat Shota with the BME. Backstage Ishii said it was the first time in a long while he wrestled in DDT (not counting BOYZ) and he would like to appear more in 2021 to be with his friends in Young Communication again. Shota wants to make it a year where Ganbare☆Pro doesn’t lose to DDT. Meanwhile Katsumata wants to make 2021 the year of the Sauna Club!
One of the matches was supposed to be Sanshiro Takagi & Danshoku Dieno Vs Shinya Aoki & Super Sasadango Machine. But backstage before the match Dieno, Aoki & Sasadango were all complaining about Takagi’s tweets including one that where Takagi was showing off his calves. The three of them instead decided to gang up on Takagi in a Handicap Match and purposely target his calf. Aoki put him in a Jail Hold while Dieno & Sasadango brought out a bag containing some of Takagi’s personal belongings. Sasadango found Takagi’s wallet, pulled out 29,000 yen in cash and raffled it off to three fans in the audience. Dieno eventually thought things went overboard and he felt sorry for Takagi. It is thanks to Takagi that they get to wrestle this year so the best New Year’s gift is to give Takagi his first win of 2021. Sasadango agreed and with Dieno they both attacked Aoki. Dieno is still recovering from the fire extinguisher attack to his rear but Takagi forced to go into the Hell Gate position. That lost him Sasadango’s support and Takagi was thrown face first into the Hell Gate. Aoki kicked Takagi in the calf, Sasadango did the Vertical Drop Lehmann Shock and Aoki pinned him with a Jackknife. Backstage Sasadango offered to be on Aoki’s team at “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021” because they should be fighting for a better goal than satisfying Takagi’s desires. They like Takagi but will not be used by him anymore!
As Takagi was leaving the ring after his match, he was suddenly approached at ringside by Yusuke Okada! The former All Japan wrestler introduced himself to the audience and told them he wants to experience a new world of pro wrestling now that he became freelance. He asked Takagi if he could have a match in DDT. Takagi questioned his interest in DDT after seeing the match that just happened. He then passed the request over to Imabayashi, who wasn’t expecting that. Imabayashi told Okada he will book him on next week’s Korakuen Hall show on 9th January.
DAMNATION’s good run begun earlier in the show when Mad Paulie, Nobuhiro Shimatani & Hiroshi Yamato beat Makoto Oishi, Mizuki Watase & Yukio Naya. Paulie threw Yamato onto Watase with an X-Style Iconoclasm. Shimatani then hopped onto Paulie’s back and they jumped on top of Watase for a nearfall when Oishi & Naya broke it up. Paulie then hit Watase with a Lariat and won with the Reverse Splash.
Gota Ihashi didn’t get to wrestle in Korakuen Hall last year so he wanted to make up for lost time. This year he wants to join a unit and rampage all over DDT. There is only one unit he wants to join and that’s Eruption! He came out with his own custom entrance video wearing an Eruption coat made out of posters. He even drew his own version of the Eruption logo calling it Ihaption. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai were bemused over this but it kind of worked out in the end. Akai gave Toru Owashi a Brainbuster and Ihashi went toe to toe with Tomomitsu Matsunaga. Eruption(?) then focused their attacks on Toui Kojima. Ihashi almost lost the match when he missed the Moonsault. Akai kicked Ihashi out of frustration and Sakaguchi tagged himself in to finish Kojima off. Sakaguchi & Akai had enough of Ihashi and walked off on him backstage. However he believes he can continue teaming with Eruption and together they can all go after the KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Titles.
Antonio Honda’s big day was almost ruined when he tripped on the ropes and hurt his knee. Choun-Shiryu knew what was coming and attacked Honda before he could tell his latest Gongitsune joke. Honda lived up to the big occasion though and hit a Topé Suicida and the Tenzan Tombstone Driver on route to victory.
The first DDT match of 2021 was Keigo Nakamura’s first ever singles victory! He defeated his generation rival Hideki Okatani by cradling his way out of the Double Arm Suplex. Nakamura currently has a 1-3 record against Okatani so he wants to reverse the numbers this year.
Some more matches were booked for “KAWASAKI STRONG 2021”. Akai will be teaming with Maya Yukihi from Ice Ribbon to take on Saori Anou & Miyako Matsumoto. Yukihi said she discovered DDT more than 10 years ago so she is deeply moved to be wrestling a match for them. She thought she was going to fight against Akai but Imabayashi corrected her. Akai always wanted to team with her because she is beautiful and strong. She is also excited to face Anou again. When Imabayashi asked Akai & Yukihi about Matsumoto, they both declined to answer. They were asked again backstage and Yukihi finally had something to say. “In terms of strength, beauty and glamour, Miyako-san will never the best.”
The New Year’s Shuffle Tag Tournament winners Smile Pissari will team again at the Culttz Kawasaki show. HARASHIMA & Yuji Okabayashi will face a team yet to be determined.
Takagi will return to the battlefield for his next DDT Extreme Title defence. He takes on Nabe Yakan from Best Body Pro Wrestling on 10th January. The match was made when earlier in the day Yakan led a bunch of soldiers armed with air guns into the locker room to steal the Extreme Title belt.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 THE FINAL!!”, 27/12/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
1. Toui Kojima Debut Match: Hideki Okatani defeated Toui Kojima with a Crab Hold (5:59).
2. 3 Way Match: Antonio Honda defeated Toru Owashi and Nobuhiro Shimatani when Honda pinned Shimatani with the Diving Fist Drop (8:15).
3. Hold Your Stomach! Forget The Year Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Danshoku Dieno defeated Nayashiro Nayagi & Super Sasadango Machine when Takagi pinned Nayagi with the Stone Cold Stunner (7:40).
4. Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Makoto Oishi, Mizuki Watase & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Higuchi submitted Watase with the Brain Claw (7:35).
5. Tetsuya Endo, Soma Takao, Mad Paulie & Yuji Hino (w/ Daisuke Sasaki) defeated HARASHIMA, Chris Brookes, Shinya Aoki & Keigo Nakamura when Hino pinned Nakamura with the Diving Body Press (12:56).
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Akito, Kazuki Hirata & Shota (c) defeated Shunma Katsumata, MAO & Yuki Ueno when Shota pinned Ueno with the Gannosuke Clutch (12:53). *V1 for Young Communicaton Generation.
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – Final: Jun Akiyama defeated Konosuke Takeshita by TKO with a Modified Armlock (23:29).
You can now add a former Champion Carnival winner to the short list of D-Ou Grand Prix champions. Jun Akiyama overcame an injured leg to defeat his foe Konosuke Takeshita in the final. The leg injury came when Takeshita caught a Stomp and gave Akiyama a Dragon Screw. From there Takeshita targeted the leg with attacks against the ring post as well as wrestling holds to that limb. What evened the score was Takeshita going into the match with an injured arm that Akiyama could focus on. German and Exploder Suplexes were exchanged and Akiyama Headbutted his way out of a Cross-Arm German Suplex. Seeing his chance, Akiyama applied a Chickenwing Armlock and rolled Takeshita into the centre of the ring. Takeshita struggled to move and soon became lifeless. That caused Yukinori Matsui to end the match and award Akiyama the tournament!
Akiyama received his trophy and praised the field of wrestlers who competed in the Grand Prix this year. He faced a lot of great DDT wrestlers. In fact he lost to two of them in the tournament. But he is the one standing on top in the end. There are only three singles champions in Japan he recognises today: Tetsuya Naito with the IWGP Heavyweight Title, Go Shiozaki with the GHC Heavyweight Title and Tetsuya Endo with the KO-D Openweight Title. (Akiyama later explained he only recognises those championships because Naito, Shiozaki and Endo all won Tokyo Sports Awards this year. All Japan was shut out of the awards so he unfortunately no longer sees the Triple Crown as a major championship. If AJPW can win over the community and the pro wrestling media in 2021, then he will change his tune.) Akiyama now gets to face Endo in a rematch on 14th February in Culttz Kawasaki, this time for the KO-D Title. Akiyama thanked Sanshiro Takagi for inviting him to coach in DDT back in May. He also thanked the wrestlers, staff and fans for accepting him. Lastly, he thanked the All Japan fans too.
From the get go, the DDT Sauna Club did their “Heat Wave WER!!” pose to the Young Communication Generation. In response, Kazuki Hirata & Shota did the post back to their opponents while Akito looked on embarrassed by the situation. Shunma Katsumata hit the Stuka Splash on Hirata. MAO & Yuki Ueno then both leapt across the ring with Frog Splashes on Shota & Hirata. Ueno tried to hit Shota with the WR but Shota maneuvered his way into the Gannosuke Clutch to steal the win. The two teams were satisfied with their match and Akito now understands the power of the sauna.
Shota then turned his attention to Ueno and challenged him for the DDT UNIVERSAL Title. Shota wants to become a leader of the independent scene in 2021 and he is already on his way with two championshps. That’s not enough, he wants a third title that can let him travel around the world. Ueno accepted and the match will happen on 9th January as the Korakuen Hall main event! Akito then asked if his team can next defend the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles in his hometown of Nagoya when DDT goes there on 23rd February. He wants to defend the belts against DDT’s top wrestlers: Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA & Danshoku Dieno! Young Communication want to beat the guys they looked up to when they were young. Then in 2021 they will all become main eventers of the indie world!
DAMNATION are looking unstoppable with the addition of Yuji Hino to their ranks. The heavyweight freelancer crushed Keigo Nakamura with a Diving Body Press to win the 8-Man Tag. He also overpowered HARASHIMA in a Chop Battle. Endo went through a few exchanges with Chris Brookes that ultimately ended with Endo hitting the Sasuke Special onto Brookes and a bunch of other wrestlers outside the ring. Shinya Aoki was the one who posed a big threat when he took down Soma Takao but DAMNATION all ganged up on him. Still, Aoki kicked out after taking a string of diving moves Endo and Takao did off of Mad Paulie’s back. After the match Daisuke Sasaki reintroduced Hino to the DDT fans. He said DAMNATION will mess up DDT’s ring in 2021! Hino told him he would like to go wild and have fun with his new friends. Backstage he also said he would like to win the KO-D Title because he thinks he held it before (he did). Endo doesn’t seem too enthused about that.
2020 ends on a strong note for Eruption. The finish to their match saw Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai run opposite ways on the apron to do Penalty Kicks to Makoto Oishi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga. Akai then dove on top of them while Kazusada Higuchi applied a Lifted Brain Claw to Mizuki Watase for the victory.
Let’s be frank, Yukio Naya doesn’t know how to be Sanshiro Takagi. He needed Super Sasadango Machine to teach him when to do the “FIRE!” pose in time with the entrance music. The real Takagi demanded Danshoku Dieno to go into the Hell Gate position but he declined. Sasadango had to explain that Dieno’s backside was burned after he was sprayed with a CO2 fire extinguisher during this week’s Street Wrestling match. Takagi eventually made Dieno climb the turnbuckle and bend over, no matter how much it hurt him. Sasadango revealed he is now a shareholder of CyberAgent and attacked Takagi with his stock certificate to prove it. Sasadango’s mask slipped up when he took an Atomic Drop and he fell face first into Dieno’s backside. Takagi then stuck his fingers into Dieno’s butt, stuck them up to Naya’s nose and gave him the Stunner for the win.
The 3 Way Match briefly became two on one with Antonio Honda & Nobuhiro Shimatani joining forces to fight Toru Owashi. Gongitusune was turned into a heart shape that attracted Honda and Owashi to each other. Shimatani kept them apart but then found himself moving towards Yukinori Matsui for a possible tender embrace. Owashi & Honda both gave Shimatani a School Boy but no count happened because Matsui had his eye closed waiting to be kissed. Matsui was brought back down to Earth and Honda pinned Shimatani with the Diving Fist Drop.
The debuting Toui Kojima was put to the test against Hideki Okatani. Kojima used a Diving Body Attack from the middle rope and also a Running Double Chop. His big move of the match was a Full Nelson Buster for a 2 count. Okatani hit back with a Vertical Chop and the Northern Lights Suplex. Kojima kicked out but was put in a Crab Hold to make him submit. In his post-match interview Kojima said he wants to be a cool wrestler just by standing, like Randy Orton. He was also nervous about today’s debut. Last night he received a message of encouragement from Satoshi Kojima which only made him even more nervous. Satoshi supports him because he always likes seeing another Kojima in wrestling.
Honda’s 16th Anniversary match will be against Choun-Shiryu on 3rd January. The rest of the card for that Korakuen show will be kept secret until the show starts.
BOYZ “(BRAND NEW) BOYZ -CHRISTMAS EVE EDITION-”, 24/12/2020 Kitazawa Town Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
1. Homoiro Clover Z Vs NωA Full Scale Battle ~ Oishi Contra Oishi: Danshoku Dieno, Akito & Makoto Oishi Vs Shunma Katsumata, MAO & Makoto Oishi ended in a draw when everyone pinned Oishi with the Combined Miracle Ecstasy (10:37).
2. DDT x Ganpro Exchange Battle: Shuichiro Katsumura & Shota defeated HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata when Shota pinned Hirata with a Mexican Clutch (12:58).
3. On The Day Of Your Birthday! 45th Anniversary Of Toru Owashi’s Birth!: Ryuichi Sekine defeated Toru Owashi and Keigo Nakamura when Sekine pinned Nakamura with a Backslide Pin (9:08).
4. Special Referee Series Part 2: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yasu Urano with a Bionic Elbow (10:48). (Special Referees: Antonio Honda & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi)
5. BOYZ-Like Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Jun Masaoka with the Praying Mantis Bomb (11:15).
6. DNA Alumni Association 6-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Nobuhiro Shimatani & Ryota Nakatsu defeated Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno & Mizuki Watase when Higuchi submitted Katsumata with the Canadian Backbreaker (15:47).
The main event was a throwback to DNA with each wrestler wearing their old wrestling gear from the days when they were on that brand. After the match Akito came out and thanked Shunma Katsumata for wrestling twice on the show. Katsumata complained about having to do that on Christmas Eve. He hates it so much he now hates Christmas! Makoto Oishi, Danshoku Dieno and MAO came out to try and cheer him up because the BOYZ were supposed to give a present to the all female audience. Instead, they told Katsumata to close his eyes because the women were going to give him a gift. When he opened them back up he saw the audience waving glow sticks to music for him. This made Katsumata happy because it felt like a sauna for his eyes. He thanked everyone and asked when the next BOYZ show will take place. Akito said it will happen next March.
Chris Brookes teased Jun Masaoka by putting a Santa hat on his head at the start of the match. He also called him cute a lot. Masaoka used the referee as a shield and also a step to launch himself at Brookes to make up for the height difference. Brookes caught him in midair with a Knee Strike and immediately hit the Praying Mantis Bomb for the win.
Match #4 was only mean to have one special referee with Antonio Honda in the role. However he tripped and hurt his knee when entering the ring and called for somebody to replace him. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi came out and used his yoga knowledge to heal Honda. In return he was allowed take part in the Konosuke Takeshita Vs Yasu Urano match as the second referee. They got in each other’s way, Hiroshi missed pinfalls, tapouts and illegal moves because he was too busy exercising and Honda kept taking 1,000 yen bribes to switch sides. Takeshita appealed to Honda by setting up the Bionic Elbow but Urano blocked it. Hiroshi made fun of him over it which made Honda mad. Honda remembered that he, Takeshita and Hiroshi were all part of the same unit Happy Motels. Hiroshi remembered too and he began singing with Honda over their happy memories together. Meanwhile Takeshita hit Urano with the Bionic Elbow and won with the move. Hiroshi then sang “Amazing Grace” as one last gift for everyone.
Toru Owashi, Ryuichi Sekine and Keigo Nakamura all wanted to appeal to the audience but got little response to their antics. Wearing Santa hats didn’t work, wrestling didn’t work, writing on each other’s faces with a marker didn’t work, trying (and failing) to play a saxophone didn’t work. The only one laughing at their antics was Daisuke Kiso and that made the three of them look even more foolish. They all attacked Kiso but he fought back with a mixture of lucha and MMA spots. Nakamura encouraged Owashi to climb the top rope and win with a flying move because it is his birthday today. When Owashi got up there, Sekine rolled Nakamura over with a Backslide and stole the win. Afterwards Akito came out and surveyed the audience over who their favourite performer was in the match. Kiso received the biggest applause so he was the winner. Akito granted him a regular spot in BOYZ for his reward.
Even though Match #2 was between a DDT team and a Ganbare☆Wrestling show. However Kazuki Hirata and Shota wanted the match to be wrestled in a speedy Young Communication style. Neither of them think HARASHIMA and Shuichiro Katsumura are capable of doing that because of their age.
During the show opening ceremony, Makoto Oishi was pulled in two directions by Homoiro Clover Z and NωA. He was unintentionally dragged to the back by because both teams refused to let him go. Their match was first on the card and Oishi had to participate in the musical entrances for both teams, tiring him out before the match even began. He wrestled for both teams, switching back and forth throughout the match while each side’s music in the background changed for who he was fighting with. It reached the point where Oishi didn’t know what to do so he ended up attacking everybody in the ring! Dieno, Akito, Katsumata and MAO all worked together to fight back and they all piled on top of Oishi to pin him. Everyone except for Oishi were announced as the winners. Oishi got on the microphone and said he loves both Homoiro Clover Z and NωA so he cannot choose between them. Suddenly, Hideki Okatani ran into the ring angry at Oishi for not choosing Junretsu. Okatani stabbed Oishi and laughed as the room went dark.
0. Exhibition Match: Mizuki Watase defeated Toui Kojima with a Dropkick (4:54).
1. Nobuhiro Shimatani defeated Keigo Nakamura with the Modified Camel Clutch (8:17).
2. Danshoku Dieno & Toru Owashi defeated Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda when Owashi pinned Honda with La Magistral Cradle (12:06).
3. Yuki Ueno & MAO defeated HARASHIMA & Yukio Naya when Ueno pinned Naya with the BME (13:51).
4. Young Communication Generation Vs Junretsu!: Akito, Kazuki Hirata & Shota defeated Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Hideki Okatani when Hirata pinned Okatani with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (11:41).
5. Eruption Vs DAMNATION!: Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Soma Takao & Mad Paulie when Sakaguchi pinned Paulie with the God’s Right Knee (12:34).
6. DAMNATION Vs ALL OUT!: Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata defeated Tetsuya Endo & Hiroshi Yamato when Takeshita pinned Yamato with the German Suplex (17:11).
Konosuke Takeshita used the main event to show everyone his left arm is pretty much healed. Shunma Katsumata used his time with Hiroshi Yamato to make fun of Yamato’s X sign he makes with his arms. Tetsuya Endo helped Yamato get some revenge by calling for “Skill Award X” and the two of them attacked their opponent with X Thrusts. Yamato accidentally hit Endo with an X and Takeshita knocked him down with a Lariat. Katsumata landed a Plancha on Endo while Takeshita finished off Yamato with the Fable and then the German Suplex. Takeshita told the crowd he expects to be fully recovered in time for the D-Ou Grand Prix final. Katsumata then invited the other DDT Sauna Club members Yuki Ueno & MAO into the ring and interviewed them about their earlier victory. Katsumata then looked at the ceiling and told everyone they can clearly see the aurora of Finland.
Eruption picked apart Soma Takao & Mad Paulie. After the match Yukio Sakaguchi asked Takao where was CIMA? Takao should bring him over next time and they can do the KO-D Tag Team Titles match early. Takao grabbed a chair and threatened to throw it at Sakaguchi. The ringside seconds calmed him down and Takao left. However Takao confronted Sakaguchi backstage during his post-match interview. He knocked the interview booth over Eruption and told them he and CIMA will take their belts.
Kazuki Hirata wanted to teach Jun Akiyama how to dance but the offer was violently turned down. Hirata got the last laugh by winning the match for his team and he danced in front of Akiyama again to rub it in. The DDT Sauna Club approached the Young Communication Generation after the match. Akito and Katsumata agreed that ALL OUT ran out of goals in 2020. Katsumata wants to restart ALL OUT sometime in 2021 but it’s important for the group to take a break. That’s why Katsumata will be fighting for the Sauna Club in the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match on 27th December. He also knows Hirata and Shota both like visiting saunas but Akito does not. Akito is the odd man out in the title match. What Akito does have in common with his teammates is none of them want to lose to the DNA generation.
The Gongitsune joke led to some miscommunication between Antonio Honda and Chris Brookes. When Honda tripped, Brookes called for medical help and wanted Honda to be rushed to hospital. Honda told him he wasn’t hurt, he was only setting up his latest Gongitsune joke. Brookes got angry at Honda for lying and stormed out of the ring back to the locker room. Honda had to wrestle Danshoku Dieno & Toru Owashi on his own and yelled out an apology to Brookes, hoping he would hear it. Brookes did and his music played for a heroic rescue. Brookes then tripped on the rope and hurt his knee. It was then Brookes who told the Gongitsune story almost entirely in Japanese. Unfortunately the Gongitsune attack backfired and Honda hit Brookes instead of his intended target. Owashi then rolled Honda in La Magistral for the three count.
The trainee Toui Kojima was given an exhibition bout before his official debut on the 27th. Mizuki Watase put him through the wringer but Kojima got in a little bit of offence with a Double Chop. Watase stopped him with an Arm Drag followed by a Double Stomp. Watase then won with a Dropkick to the face.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2021 IN NARIMASU (FREE!)”, 04/12/2020 Tokyo Narimasu Act Hall ??? Fans – Withheld
-. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Akito (4) defeated Daisuke Sasaki (2) by Forfeit.
1. K-Ou Grand Prix 2021: Danshoku Dieno & Akito (w/ Yuki Iino) (3) Vs Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani (w/ Keigo Nakamura) (3) ended in a Draw (5:00).
1a. Penalty Shootout: Danshoku Dieno & Akito (w/ Yuki Iino) (3) defeated Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani (w/ Keigo Nakamura) (2).
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Yuki Ueno (4) defeated Makoto Oishi (2) with an Inverted Cross Armbreaker (17:23).
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Shunma Katsumata (2) defeated Kazusada Higuchi (5) with the 120% School Boy (10:59).
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – B Block: Jun Akiyama (6) defeated Soma Takao (4) with the Wrist Clutch Exploder Suplex (8:22).
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Yukio Sakaguchi (6) defeated HARASHIMA (6) by TKO with the Sleeper Hold (10:17).
6. D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (4) defeated MAO (4) with the Zahi 3 Barrage (22:46).
After a brief break in the schedule, the D-Ou Grand Prix continued on with a DDT Sauna Club showdown as today’s headliner. Konosuke Takeshita entered the match with his injured left arm heavily taped. While MAO did target the arm at points, it wasn’t in his gameplan to fully exploit that limb. Instead MAO’s big move was the Marines Tornado Splash. Unfortunately for him, Takeshita rolled out of the way and MAO went splat. Takeshita went for a barrage of three Zahi knee strikes and just about pinned MAO long enough to get the three count. MAO was a split second too late in lifting his shoulder up. Takeshita was impressed with how much stronger MAO has gotten. MAO can’t believe that Takeshita is still one step ahead of him but they’re still able to have fun fighting each other. They closed out the show with the rest of the DDT Sauna Club celebrating in the ring. “Ready, heatwaver WER!!”
Yukio Sakaguchi jumped straight to the top of the A Block by beating the previous leader HARASHIMA. The match was kept close to the mat with HARASHIMA and Sakaguchi ending up getting into the Inoki/Ali positions before grappling for submission holds. Sakaguchi caught HARASHIMA in the Sleeper and sunk it in deep until HARASHIMA lost consciousness for the referee stoppage. When HARASHIMA recovered he took the loss in his stride and happily shook Sakaguchi’s hand for a job well done. Sakaguchi called this match the result of all his years in DDT. He and his “brothers” KUDO, Masahiro Takanashi and even Danshoku Dieno cultivated different fields in the farm that is DDT. He is able to show himself in a way only he can after putting in all of that time cultivating.
The newest DDT rookie Toui Kojima worked in Jun Akiyama’s corner for Match #4. Akiyama thought his name was Oshima and had to be corrected. Soma Takao brought in a steel basin but Akiyama took it off him. Takao brought in another basin and they both hit each other with them. Akiyama got the better of the exchange with some Knee Strikes. He had the match won with the Exploder Suplex but he went ahead and did the Wrist Clutch Exploder to win with emphasis. Akiyama said in his post-match interview that he is using the Wrist Clutch version more to let the DDT roster know what’s waiting for them when they try against him. Takao said Akiyama should have been disqualified for hitting him with the basin. When it was explained to him that the referee didn’t see it, Takao then claimed victory for being able to hit Akiyama with his own basin.
The rivalry between Kazusada Higuchi and Shunma Katsumata has existed going all the way back to their DNA days. It means so much to Katsumata that he wore his old DNA attire for today’s match. He’s a different wrestler compared to back then though. During the match Katsumata dared Higuchi to fight him outside the ring, pulled off one of the turnbuckle pads and lured Higuchi underneath the ring. When Higuchi reemerged he had tape wrapped around his body, sticking his arms to his side! Katsumata blinded him with spray then hit move after move trying to pin him. The tricks finally took their toll on Higuchi when a missed charge sent him running into the exposed turnbuckle. Katsumata rolled him up with the 120% School Boy and it got him his first win in this year’s Grand Prix. It is also the first time Katsumata ever beat Higuchi! He understands he cannot win the Grand Prix but he still wants to win his remaining matches by any means necessary. Higuchi was asked backstage how Katsumata was able to wrap tape around him under the ring. He explained there were also spanners under there which Katsumata used to beat him up first so he could use the tape.
Yuki Ueno rounded out what was mostly a good day for the Sauna Club. His WR finisher was almost countered by Makoto Oishi into the Fujiyama Knee Lock. Ueno turned the move over into a Cross Armbreaker to make Oishi give up. Oishi thinks he is losing because he is not being careful enough. He knows using a Knee Lock leaves his arms exposed for a counter and he would expect fighters like Sakaguchi or Shinya Aoki to exploit it. But he never expected Ueno to take advantage the same way. Ueno proved Oishi’s point when he explained his thought process. Fujiyama makes him think of Mount Fuji. Fuji makes him think of Shizuoka. Shizuoka makes him think of Shinya Aoki. Eureka!
The opening contest was not a wrestling match but a competition called the K-Oh Grand Prix. The K stands for Kancho. Whichever team do the kancho butt poke to their opponents and make them scream in pain the most in five minutes wins. Yuki Iino appeared to perform the Haka as part of the opening ceremony. Dieno & Akito took the lead when Dieno got Hideki Okatani. Akito made it 2-0 when he caught Mizuki Watase with a kancho. The Junretsu pair tied the game, even after Dieno called for VAR. The score ended at 3-3 when the time expired. A penalty shootout was held to determine a winner. It was still tied to Iino and Keigo Nakamura were brought in. Iino scored the winning point on Nakamura, giving the win to Dieno & Akito. The two teams exchanged wrestling gear afterwards and praised each other for a good game.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 