DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2022”, 01/06/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 490 Fans
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Koroku ended in a Time Limit Draw (10:00).
1. Road To CyberFight Festival 2022! Special 6-Man Tag Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Akito defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Shinya Aoki & Yuki Ishida when Akito submitted Takagi with a Chickenwing Arm Lock (7:23).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Toru Owashi defeated Shinichiro Kawamatsu (c) (w/ Nobutatsu Suzuki), Thanomsak Toba, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata and Pokotan (9:22).
2a. Shinichiro Kawamatsu (c) eliminated Pokotan after the Fist Thrust from Suzuki (2:54).
2b. Kazuki Hirata eliminated Thanomsak Toba by Ring Out (4:16).
2c. Kazuki Hirata eliminated Shinichiro Kawamatsu (c) with a Crab Hold (8:01). *Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,549th champion.
2d. Kazuki Hirata (c) and Antonio Honda eliminate each other by Double Pinfall (9:22). *Toru Owashi becomes the 1,550th champion.
3. Asuka, Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Maya Yukihi defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai, Hideki Okatani & Hiroshi Yamato when Naya pinned Okatani with the Back Drop (12:46).
4. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima when Sasaki submitted Kojima with the Crossface Lock (14:04).
5. DDT Extreme Title – Sexy Movie Star Rules: Yuki “Sexy” Iino (c) defeated AKIRA with a Cradle (12:46). *V2 for Yuki Iino.
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Kazusada Higuchi defeated HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura & Soma Takao when Higuchi pinned Takao with the Brain Claw Slam (16:08).
7. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi defeated MAO (c) with the Takatonic (20:48). *MAO fails in V3. Masahiro Takanashi becomes the 7th DDT Universal Champion!
In a career full of miracles another came to light when Masahiro Takanashi became the new DDT Universal Champion! Using a mixture of tricks, skill and heart Takanashi defeated MAO in the main event. He tricked MAO into Backsliding Yukinori Matsui for a fake pin then did his own Cradle for a nearfall. MAO had his own plans and used the Ultima Weapon and Michinoku Driver II both for two counts. Takanashi had another surprise by using La Mistica and then scrambling into position to hit the Takatonic to win the title.
After the match Takanashi was joined in the ring by Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura. The four of them will be teaming together at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” for a DDT 8-Man Tag Match. HARASHIMA told them to show everyone the best of DDT. All Takanashi said to the fans was “Thank you!” to close out the show. But he said more backstage. It’s been many years since he held a singles title in DDT and even then he lost so many title matches in his career. Today feels like he won his first championship because it’s been so long. He wants to defend his title against the DNA generation of wrestlers no matter where they are now. That means fighting the likes of Yoshimura and even giving MAO a reamtch. MAO said he has no regrets over his title reign because he lost it to Takanashi. Anyone else beating him would have been a disappointment. He will be on the other team at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” so he will continue to proudly be at the forefront of DDT.
The show was filled with DDT wrestlers preparing for “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022”. Over the last couple of weeks Kazusada Higuchi has refused to be on the same page as Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama for their inter-promotional match against NOAH, believing he can do it by himself. Today the three were given a chance to team up and test the waters against HARASHIMA, Yoshimura & Soma Takao. Higuchi kept his distance from his partners and had to be inadvertently tagged out to get the others involved in the match. When he got back in he continued fighting by himself so Endo & Akiyama had to come to the rescue. They cut off HARASHIMA & Yoshimura so Higuchi could beat Takao.
After the match Akiyama confronted Higuchi and asked him for a handshake to show he can trust him. Higuchi refused until Yukio Sakaguchi spoke to him. After a few words from someone he respects, Higuchi finally agreed and shook the hands of both Akiyama and Endo. Akiyama then thanked Sakaguchi while Endo said they are ready to beat NOAH at Saitama Super Arena on 12th June. Each member of a team has their target. Akiyama wants Atsushi Kotoge to charge him, Endo wants Naomichi Marufuji in perfect condition and Higuchi wants to avenge his recent time limit draw against Yoshiki Inamura.
The Hollywood spotlight was shining over the DDT Extreme Title because it was defended under Sexy Movie Star Rules. Director MacToba (Thanomsak Toba) ordered Yuki Iino and AKIRA to reinact famous movie scenes and the match could not end until he got his perfect shots. While they wrestled, MacToba ordered them to do scenes from Titanic, ET, The Exorcist, Rocky and Snow White. The Snow White scene in particular required AKIRA to kiss Iino. He reluctantly did so before pinning Iino with the Musasabi Press. However MacToba felt the kiss was not deep enough and ordered a reshoot. AKIRA gave Iino a deeper kiss but this time Iino rolled him up for the three count and is was good enough to wrap up production. Hisaya Imabayashi apologised to AKIRA for not fully understanding the match rules when he made the decision to approve it. AKIRA didn’t mind because he found it entertaining.
DAMNATION T.A have been going after NOAH in their own scuzzy way. They won their match at the NOAH show during the weekend and Daisuke Sasaki shocked Kenoh with a stun gun afterwards! Sasaki had the same stun gun with him today but thankfully he didn’t use it in the match against The 37KAMIINA. Still Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON were victorious. Sasaki used his win to call out Kenoh, expecting him to show up today. Since he didn’t, Sasaki thinks Kenoh is scared and crying at home. Meanwhile KANON has set his sights on Yuki Ueno. He thinks he will surely beat him to death the next time they fight. Ueno said his focus is on “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” for now because Sasaki cannot carry DDT by himself. Shunma Katsumata promised Saitama Super Arena will be turned into a sauna!
A non-stop 8-Man Tag kept everyone on their toes. Yuji Hino proved to be tough to keep off his feet. He also had the speed of Maya Yukihi there to back him up. Hiroshi Yamato stopped Yukio Naya with the Sliding X then called upon Eruption to finish the job. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai hit him with a Double PK and Hideki Okatani followed up with the Diving Knee Drop. The pin was broken and Asuka wiped out everyone with a Moonsault out of the ring. Naya got his second wind and pinned Okatani with the Back Drop.
The politician Shinichiro Kawamatsu returned to DDT in order to defend the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title. He was accompanied by his bodyguard, former MMA fighter Nobutatsu Suzuki to watch over his back. Kazuki Hirata showed support for Kawamatsu and allowed Suzuki to take care of the rest of the competition. Suzuki knocked out Pokotan so Kawamatsu could pin him. However his fight with Toba kept him busy so Hirata was free to go after the champion without consequence. Antonio Honda blinded Kawamatsu & Suzuki with Gongitsune. Hirata capitalized by putting Kawamatsu in a Crab Hold. The politician reached the ropes but was pulled away and had to give up, making Hirata the new champion. Toru Owashi climbed the top rope but Hirata knocked him out with the Tegatana Chop, leaving him lying over the top rope. Hirata and Honda put each other into a Backslide Pin situation and both of them were counted out. Owashi was the last man left in the match despite being unconscious so he was declared the winner and new champion! Afterwards Kawamatsu said he is full of gratitude towards DDT for letting him experience what it is like to be a pro wrestler.
What are you doing Akito? It turns out his plan to join Pheromones as a sleeper agent has turned into a desire to join the unit for real! While Danshoku Dieno & Yumehito Imanari were busy doing their usual thing to Shinya Aoki & Yuki Ishida, they also targeted Sanshiro Takagi’s dodgy shoulder. Akito hesitated to attack Takagi Pheromones style until he decided to give him the Stunner instead, then go after the injured shoulder for the submission win! Akito verbally blasted Takagi afterwards for tricking him into thinking he could become the next CyberFight president in order to do his bidding. Akito decided he’s going to join Pheromones not because he was told to but because he wants to!
But first Akito needed to take Pheromones right of passage and do the Excalibur Challenge. He has to pull the sword Sexcalibur out of Sexy Hill (Yuki Iino’s backside) to prove he is worthy of joining the unit. Akito tried several times already and this was to be his final attempt. However Kendo Kashin and a person wearing a Dieno mask (DDT website thinks it might have been Yumiko Hotta but evidence on social media suggests it was actually Hideki Suzuki) suddenly ran out and attacked Pheromones! Takagi thanked Kashin for rescuing him but Kashin started complaining about this being the build up to “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022”. He decided they were going to do their own Excalibur Challenge by shoving Sexcaliur into Hisaya Imabayashi’s mouth for five seconds. When they left, Dieno called Akito back into the ring and accepted him into Pheromones. He decided Akito’s Pheromones name will be Akito “Cochin” Nishigaki! Together they will crush Takagi’s terrorist team in Saitama Super Arena!
The dark match ended in a rare time limit draw when Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Koroku lasted the full ten minutes. Okada almost won in the final seconds with a Diving Headbutt but Koroku kicked out as the time expired. After the match Okada asked Koroku if that is all he’s got because he was chosen over him for one of the inter-promotional matches against NOAH. He told Koroku to put his feelings into his match at Saitama Super Arena and win. A little while later during the show opening segment, Koroku was joined by Toi Kojima. They shook hands and agreed to join forces to beat NOAH.
The King Of DDT 2022 brackets were revealed. The Round 1 matches are Hideki Okatani Vs HARASHIMA, Chris Brookes Vs Naomi Yoshimura, Yuki Ueno Vs KANON, Yuji Hino Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs MAO, Jun Akiyama Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Yukio Naya Vs Kazusada Higuchi and Tetsuya Endo Vs Masahiro Takanashi.
DDT “AUDIENCE 2022”, 22/05/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 529 Fans
1. Naomi Yoshimura defeated Yuki Ishida with the Harai Goshi (5:45).
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Akito (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) defeated HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda when Akito submitted Honda with the Figure 4 Leg Lock (10:52).
3. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Kazuki Hirata with the WR (9:13).
4. Super Hardcore Girls Vs Prominence Full-Scale Battle ~ Special Hardcore Match: Suzu Suzuki & Akane Fujita defeated Carousel❤️Shun & Elizabeth❤️Toy when Suzuki pinned Toy with the German Suplex (12:18).
5. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya, Ilusion & El Unicorn when Koroku submitted Unicorn with a Crab Hold (14:38).
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Asuka defeated Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) when MAO pinned Brookes with the Osaka Rinkai Upper (14:08). *CDK fails in V3. MAO & Asuka become the 74th KO-D Tag Team Champions!
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles Tournament – Final: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani when Sasaki submitted Okatani with the Crossface Lock (20:04). *DAMNATION T.A become the 46th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
An unlikely figure has taken it upon himself to defend DDT against NOAH at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” next month. It’s Daisuke Sasaki! First he led DAMNATION T.A to victory against Eruption, reclaiming the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles that were stripped from them after Minoru Fujita’s injury. This wasn’t the heroic bit because Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON attacked Eruption with chairs. Sasaki even hit Saki Akai with a chairshot when she tried to intervene. Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi did what they could to keep Hideki Okatani in the fight but that was blown when Okatani missed the Diving Knee Drop. KANON softened him up more and Sasaki gave him the Blade Runner to set up a Crossface Lock for the submission victory.
Sasaki said his team deserved to win this “stupid” tournament. He recommended Okatani to get rid of his tacky red hair and costume so he can join DAMNATION T.A. He then praised KANON as a million dollar talent. This was when Sasaki stepped up for DDT and declared he will beat Kenoh at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” for the company. He warned the rest of DDT not to stand there and just watch the match. They are the champions now which means DDT revolves around Daisuke Sasaki & DAMNATION T.A! Meanwhile Eruption are licking their wounds. Sakaguchi said they will learn from the loss and adapt because any combination of unit is capable of winning the championship. Higuchi said he will rampage against the NOAH wrestlers as an individual member of Eruption while Sakaguchi said he will take his frustration out on Ganbare☆Pro!
History was made with Asuka becoming the first woman to win the KO-D Tag Team Titles! With MAO as her tag partner, they defeated CDK in a chaotic bout that saw MAO get buried underneath the entrance gate early in the match. MAO escaped and then used the entrance gate to Moonsault onto Chris Brookes below. Asuka did her own risky high flying by delivering a Missile Dropkick to CDK and Antonio Honda outside the ring. More double team moves came quick and fast from both teams until MAO used the Michinoku Driver II on Brookes to get the upper had. Brookes tried to reverse course but MAO pulled out the Osaka Rinkai Upper (a Super Delfin signature move) to create the title change. MAO said he doesn’t now how long this adventure with Asuka can go but he is going to enjoy it. Asuka didn’t expect to cry over this and thinks they can make something amazing together even as an impromptu tag team. MAO will also now be a double champion defending the DDT Universal Title against Masahiro Takanashi on 1st June.
The present and future of DDT in many forms were put together into an 8-Man Tag Match. All of BURNING was on one side and they were victorious against the mixture of heavyweight tag and DDTeeeen!! wrestlers. El Unicorn wanted to be put to the test and targeted both Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama. The latter lost his cool towards Unicorn’s behavior and Yusuke Okada had to stop Akiyama from Piledriving the kid. When that was cleared, Okada had his hands full with fighting Ilusion. If that wasn’t enough, Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya also wanted a piece of Endo when they could. Unicorn took centre stage again by pairing off against Yuya Koroku in the final moments. The youngster showed his toughness by gutting it out for as long as he could but Koroku made him give up in the end. Akiyama was still annoyed afterwards that the others stopped him from giving Unicorn the Piledriver. Both Unicorn and Ilusion were disappointed with the result. Unicorn promised to get more experience. Ilusion reminded him they aren’t friends and he will beat him up on the way to surpassing Endo & Akiyama.
After weeks of teasing from Carousel❤️Shun, her shy friend Elizabeth❤️Toy finally made her first public appearance as the Super Hardcore Girls took on the Prominence pair of Suzu Suzuki & Akane Fujita. Toy entered to “All The Things She Said” by t.A. T.u. and wrestled in clothes that came straight from that act. It was a Hardcore Match featuring tables, Lego blocks, ladders, concrete blocks and more. Shun missed a baseball bat swing aimed for Suzuki and hit Toy instead. Suzuki capitalized and pinned Toy with the German Suplex onto the ring filled with Lego. After the match she demanded to fight Shunma Katsumata instead of an “old hag” like Shun. Shun claimed she is 18 years old and will go get Katsumata. She also wants to do a full Super Hardcore Girls show in the future. Fujita later said she is open to have Prominence involved in that if there really are more Super Hardcore Girls out there. She also told Suzuki to work on her vocabulary because she keeps using the same old insults on Katsumata.
The promise of an exciting match against Yuki Ueno had Kazuki Hirata acting different today. He came out to his old theme song and even threw away his Hirata GO! glasses to show how determined he was to win. He wrestled seriously for five minutes but when it was clear he couldn’t beat Ueno he pulled out another pair of GO! glasses and returned to his normal self. Ueno had a pair of glasses too and they both danced together until Hirata tried to Cradle his opponent. Ueno hit the WR on him instead and won the match. Hirata said he wants the rematch to be a death match but it doesn’t have to happen until 23 years time.
Akito’s plan to infiltrate Pheromones and destroy it from within hit a snag. He reluctantly joined in with their shenanigans against HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda and even picked up the win. However Danshoku Dieno told Akito after the match he didn’t exhibit any pheromones at all. He will need to pass the Excalibur Challenge to join the unit. The challenge involves Akito having to pull a sword sticking out of Yuki Iino’s butt. He tried it there and then but failed. Dieno then explained you can only do the challenge once per day so Akito will have to try again tomorrow. Sanshiro Takagi is holding a promotional event tomorrow so they will do it there.
Naomi Yoshimura’s use of the Harai Goshi judo throw continues to get him wins. This time the move put down Yuki Ishida in the opening match.
The full field of 16 wrestlers were announced for the King Of DDT 2022 tournament beginning next month. They are Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura, MAO, Yuki Ueno, Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani, Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya, Daisuke Sasaki, KANON and Yuki Iino.
Kota Umeda will return to DDT for the first time in 3 years at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” on 20th August. Umeda was a key part of DNA, DDT’s developmental brand that ran from 2014 to 2018. He briefly left pro wrestling in 2019 to help run his family business but returned on a part-time basis in 2020.
DDT “MEGA MAX BUMP 2022 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 01/05/2022 Yokohama Budokan 835 Fans
0. Dark Match: KANON defeated Yuya Koroku with the Just Cobra Twist (7:22).
0. Dark Match: Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Antonio Honda & Yuki Ishida when Yoshimura pinned Ishida with a Harai Goshi (9:33).
1. Shinya Aoki defeated Toui Kojima with a Leg Lock (5:04).
2. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan) (c) defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Yoshiaki Yatsu, Akito, Kazuki Hirata & Gota Ihashi when JULIE submitted Hirata with the Cattle Mutilation (8:45). *V1 for Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba.
3. Maya Yukihi & Shunma Katsumata defeated Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani when Katsumata pinned Okatani with the Totonou Splash (10:28).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ Pheromones Vs GM Imabayashi Final Battle: Hisaya Imabayashi, AKIRA & Muscle Sakai defeated Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari when Imabayashi pinned Dieno with a Jackknife Pin (16:55).
5. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Soma Takao when Sasaki submitted Takao with the Crossface Lock (10:43).
6. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated HARASHIMA & Hikaru Sato when Higuchi pinned HARASHIMA with the Brain Claw (14:25).
7. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) defeated Asuka with the Cannonball 450 (13:56). *V2 for MAO.
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles – Kitai Jisho Group K.O. GYM Presents: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) defeated Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada when Takanashi pinned Okada with a Cradle (21:09). *V2 for CDK.
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) defeated Yuki Ueno with the Burning Star Press (31:17). *V1 for Tetsuya Endo.
Golden Week continued with DDT’s big offering for the holidays held inside Yokohama Budokan. It was Yuki Ueno’s chance to take the top spot and be the one to lead DDT into a new direction. Tetsuya Endo though just claimed the headline role for himself and isn’t going to be giving it up anytime soon. Some vital rope breaks kept the match alive for Endo after Ueno had him beaten, first with the WR and then with a Sleeper Hold. Ueno attempted to set up his Wrist Clutch variation the WR Unlimited but Endo blocked the move. Instead Endo launched the comeback hitting an Exploder Suplex, a Modified One-Winged Angel and then the Burning Star Press to put his opponent away. While Ueno was carried out of the ring by his teammates, Endo said he will deal with him again when Ueno learns how to turn today’s regrets into having fun with his beliefs. Kenta Kobashi then entered the ring to present the KO-D Openweight Title to Endo.
With the KO-D Title successfully defended inside a new venue, Endo said today he engraved his name on a new page of DDT history. He believes the company has potential can grow bigger from here and he is the only one who can make that happen. However he does admit that he cannot achieve this by himself. He made a decision not to choose his next challenger. He does not care who it will be as long as they have confidence and he thinks they are a suitable representative for DDT. Sanshiro Takagi praised the main event and wonders if the sight of young wrestlers doing their best can get the audience emotionally drawn into their matches. He also likes Yokohama Budokan as a venue and hopes to continue running shows there.
Nobody can stop CDK from using the referee as a weapon when they want to! They were able to physically manipulate Yukinori Matsui into Power Bombing Yusuke Okada for an unfair advantage. Jun Akiyama, who has been the strongest critic of this kind of dirty tactics, was quick to respond by giving Chris Brookes the Exploder Suplex. Okada took over from there focusing his attacks on Masahiro Takanashi. But victory slipped out of his fingers when Takanashi countered the Sudden Death into an Inside Cradle for a flash three count. Later backstage Brookes said he respects Akiyama but will not change his wrestling style for him, because his style is the DDT style.
CDK’s future plans were set in stone afterward when MAO & Asuka entered the ring. The two of them decided to team up and challenge CDK for the KO-D Tag Team Titles. Takanashi told MAO he will accept the challenge but only if MAO agrees to give him a DDT Universal Title shot. Asuka interrupted MAO and accepted the deal on his behalf. The KO-D Tag Title match will take place on 22nd May and the DDT Universal Title match will happen on 1st June.
MAO and Asuka had just finished fighting each other for the Universal Title before their reappearance later in the show. Even though MAO previously refused Asuka’s request to do a Hardcore Match, he still pulled out a plastic box to use as a weapon. Asuka ended up Choke Slamming him through the box. MAO got the upper hand and almost won with the Michinoku Driver II, a move Asuka had previously pinned him with. That didn’t work here but MAO did get the win once he hit the Cannonball 450. The two shook hands after the match, setting up their return for later. MAO said he wants to defend the Universal Title against a wide range of different challengers and unknown foreigners.
Hikaru Sato returned to DDT and Yukio Sakaguchi was right there waiting for him. Their early exchanges had them giving each other Snapmares followed by a Football Kick to the back. HARASHIMA and Kazusada Higuchi carried the second half of the match. Higuchi countered the Somato with a Power Bomb. HARASHIMA tried to block the Brain Claw Slam but Higuchi persisted and used the Brain Claw to pin his rival for the three count. Sakaguchi said the match felt like he went back in time to nine years ago. Higuchi has confidence to become more aggressive because there were three former KO-D Champions involved but he was the one who got the win.
After weeks of teases and threats of betrayal, it was time for DAMNATION T.A to reveal their newest member. It’s KANON! In the time between his dark match and the DAMNATION T.A match, KANON dyed his hair and changed into a new costume to fit in with his new alignment. The injured Minoru Fujita was also at ringside grabbing Yukio Naya’s leg to give his team the advantage. The other side still had Yuji Hino though so it was still a tough match. Daisuke Sasaki had to distract the referee so KANON could hit Soma Takao with a chair. Sasaki then applied the Crossface Lock on Takao to make him submit. He later said KANON is not in DDT to play games. DAMNATION T.A wants to reach the top in the shortest possible time which is why they recruited KANON. Then when Fujita is cleared to wrestle again their momentum will be unstoppable!
Everyone got a big surprise after that match was over and the ring emptied. Kenoh from NOAH walked out! He got on the microphone and said DDT fans have been watching fake wrestlers but now a real wrestler has arrived. He called DDT an arts and crafts show filled with a pampered roster of people. He blames Sanshiro Takagi for this and demands he leave the pro wrestling business! But first he wants to fight Takagi at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” on 12th June. Suddenly Sasaki got back into the ring and faced off with Kenoh. He said if Kenoh wants a match then he should fight the best wrestler in DDT instead of a third rate wrestler like Takagi. Kenoh said Takagi is not even a fifth rate wrestler. He also thought Sasaki was the only sane person in DDT but it is clear he isn’t if he is standing up for them. Kenoh accepted Sasaki’s challenge for a singles match at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022”.
Hisaya Imabayashi was put into the fight of his life. His feud with Pheromones reached its climax right here with his children in attendance to see it. The skill gap was still gigantic but the DDT GM fought to his limit while AKIRA and Muscle Sakai did their best to keep their team in the match. Pheromones were up to their usual tricks like Yumehito Imanari spraying his opponents with a fire extinguisher in a lewd manner. Danshoku Dieno put Imabayashi in a Knee Cross that looked to be the finish until Imabayashi’s kids approached ringside cheering for their dad to keep fighting until he reached the ropes. Dieno lifted him up to do a Danshoku Driver in front of the children but AKIRA cut him off and Imabayashi rolled Dieno over into a Jackknife Pin for the upset victory!
Imabayashi thanked his two sons for their help and then told Pheromones this was the end of their conflict. However he has one request. He would like to see AKIRA hold a championship again so he wants him to challenge Yuki Iino for the DDT Extreme Title! AKIRA is happy to take that request and agreed with Iino to have the match on 1st June.
In mixed tag action Maya Yukihi & Shunma Katsumata beat the Eruption duo of Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani. The match briefly brought back the rivalry between Akai and Yukihi since they have been on good terms since their match at “JUDGEMENT 2022”. Yukihi politely interrupted Akai’s post match interview backstage. The match they just had made Yukihi wonder what will happen if they have another singles bout against each other. Akai thought she wanted them to form the only two woman tag team in DDT but Yukihi convinced her to have one more singles match before they do that.
There was another big story coming out of that tag match. Prominence came out after the match and attacked Katsumata! Suzu Suzuki wants to get revenge for him beating her in the King Of Street Wrestling. Every day since then she has only gotten angrier at Katsumata because she lost to him. She will never forgive him until they have a rematch. Katsumata said he already beat Suzuki so he will never fight her again!
The DDT Legend team hold on to the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles. Their first title defence was against a collection of undercard DDT wrestlers along with special guest and former champion Yoshiaki Yatsu. There was a moment when Kazuki Hirata almost overpowered Poison Sawada JULIE with his own magic power. JULIE stopped him and made him give up to the Cattle Mutilation. Now DDT has a scheduling problem with the reigning champions. Takashi Sasaki said he doesn’t feel like coming back to DDT unless they bring in big competition. His logic is if the complete team (including Naomi Susan) cannot get together for a title defence then they will be champions forever! However MIKAMI said he can adjust his schedule for future title defences. GENTARO is the same because he’s happy to get the work.
Toui Kojima tried using the Triangle Choke to beat Shinya Aoki but didn’t have the experience to make it work. Aoki stayed patience and found his spot to put Kojima in a Leg Lock, making the young wrestler tap. Backstage Aoki asked if Kojima wants DDT to become the No. 1 wrestling company. Kojima said he does so he can become stronger. Aoki joked they will have to beat the competition one by one so their first target is Stardom.
There were two dark matches before the show. The heavyweight team of Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura were victorious against Antonio Honda & Yuki Ishida. Owashi and Honda teased kissing each other. Yoshimura used the Harai Goshi throw from Judo to pin Ishida.
KANON’s earlier appearance with his previous look was when he won against Yuya Koroku. KANON talked about Koroku potentially becoming a rival. As a hint of what was to come later, KANON said he would never have left JTO if he was just going to stop at this level. He told the fans to keep an eye on him.
It was announced that Dick Togo will be at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” on 20th August.
0. Dark Match: Soma Takao Vs Yuki Ishida
1. Special Tag Match: Shishamo Power & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Akito & Yukio Naya
2. Saki Akai & Maya Yukihi Vs Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata
3. KANON Vs Toui Kojima
4. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Yukio Sakaguchi
5. DAMNATION T.A Vs Eruption!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
6. Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Asuka & Yuji Hino
7. Road To MEGA MAX BUMP 2022! Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs Yuki Ueno, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
Due to Minoru Fujita’s orbital injury taking him out of action, the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles were today declared vacant after DDT held discussions with DAMNATION T.A. There will be an announcement on tomorrow’s show about a future match to determine the new champions. Personally I think it makes the most sense for the vacant titles be put on the line at DAMNATION T.A’s next trios match on 1st May at Yokohama Budokan. The reason for that is the other former belt holders Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul are in the match anyway with the new mystery member who can easily take Fujita’s spot on the team while he is gone.
DDT “APRIL FOOL 2022”, 10/04/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 580 Fans
0. Dark Match: Yuya Koroku & Ilusion defeated Toui Kojima & El Unicorn when Koroku pinned Kojima with a Hold Down Triangle Choke (6:57).
0. Dark Match – Lucha Libre Rules: Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura & Kazuki Hirata defeated Akito, Soma Takao & Gota Ihashi when Hirata pinned Ihashi with La Magistral Cradle (6:53).
1. KANON defeated Yuki Ishida with the Modified Cobra Twist (4:34).
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) defeated Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya when Takanashi pinned Naya after the Everclear (13:19). *V1 for CDK.
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul defeated Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (c) when Fujita pinned Dieno with the Modified Samson Clutch (10:37). *Pheromones fail in V3. DAMNATION T.A become the 45th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
4. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Maya Yukihi defeated Cherry & Miyako Matsumoto when Akai pinned Matsumoto with the Rookie Award (7:15).
5. Special Single Match: Yusuke Okada defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Sudden Death (8:51).
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs Eruption!: Yuki Ueno & MAO defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when Ueno pinned Okatani with the BME (10:34).
7. Tetsuya Endo 10th Anniversary Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Konosuke Takeshita, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda when Endo pinned Honda with the Burning Star Press (20:16).
Here’s to ten years of Tetsuya Endo and here’s to ten years more. Some of the most important faces from his past and present gathered together for a DDT all star trios main event. Endo had Jun Akiyama and Yukio Sakaguchi on his team to take on Konosuke Takeshita, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda. It ended up with Endo and Honda exchanging Bionic Elbows until Endo cut him off with an Overhead Kick. Endo couldn’t put Honda away with the Torture Rack Bomb so he busted out the Burning Star Press for the victory.
Endo spoke about having his debut match a few months before Sakaguchi joined the company. He thanked HARASHIMA for supporting him since day one and said Honda was like a father raising him in Happy Motels. Takeshita was leaving ringside when Endo suddenly called out to him. He understands Takeshita going overseas is a big deal and told him not to worry because DDT will remain interesting as long as Endo is the KO-D Openweight Champion. He will prove it when he defends the title against Takeshita’s friend Yuki Ueno on 1st May. Endo also wants everyone to know that he will be the winner of course. Ueno got on the microphone and said he will beat Endo. He is confident he will have more wonderful days as KO-D Champion than Endo, Takeshita and even HARASHIMA! Takeshita told both of them that DDT in Japan is in good hands with either of them as the champion. Endo had one last thing to tell Takeshita. He still hates him. Ueno still loves him though.
Before everyone left the ring to end the show, Yusuke Okada asked Akiyama for his attention. He said he hasn’t been part of DDT long enough to know their history but he wants to do more to support the version of BURNING Endo has built. To do that Okada wants to himself and Akiyama to challenge for the KO-D Tag Team Titles! The two of them were granted permission from Hisaya Imabayashi to make the challenge. CDK emerged at the entrance and both agreed to do the title match on 1st May. Endo encouraged his stablemates to win the belts so all eyes at the Yokohama Budokan will be on BURNING!
Ueno is building up momentum for his title shot. Today he teamed with MAO to beat Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani. MAO cheapshotted Higuchi with a Rock Punch and later got his just desserts when Higuchi grabbed him in the Brain Claw. But the match came down to a back and forth between Ueno and Okatani. The 37KAMIINA hit Shining Wizards and Enzuigiris to the Eruption members to get the upper hand. Ueno then came out on top with the BME onto Okatani.
The 37KAMIINA heat waves from Shunma Katsumata was a challenge for Yusuke Okada to overcome when the two of them faced off. Katsumata targeted his neck which slowed Okada down, even when he was on the attack with a Diving Headbutt. However Okada’s use of a Lariat and the Tricolor DDT did big damage and he was able to win with the Sudden Death. Okada repeated after the show that Endo can’t do all the work in BURNING. Akiyama agrees and also mentioned that he hates how CDK always gets the referee physically involved in their matches. He just as much wants to beat them up for that reason than to win the tag titles.
It’s been a busy weekend of tag team adventuring for Saki Akai. Yesterday she teamed with Yuki Arai in Tokyo Joshi Pro and today she teamed with Maya Yukihi in DDT. They were victorious over the team of Cherry & Miyako Matsumoto. Akai said she learned a lot about Yukihi by fighting her all the way over to Sumo Hall. She hopes to continue working with her so they can both improve each other. Yukihi was happy to wrestle with Cherry again but thought she was finally done with Matsumoto. She came in as a replacement for Bambi so Yukihi had to deal with her one more time.
Pheromones are no longer the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions which means DDT won’t have to worry about their title matches being banned from Youtube! With that said, this match still tried to cross the line as much as it could. Yuki Iino stripped down to his O-Back even as Daisuke Sasaki kept hitting him in the ass with a chair. Hisaya Imabayashi ran in ordering Pheromones to stop their usual antics and he gave Danshoku Dieno a Stunner. DAMNATION T.A then went on the attack with Sasaki and Iino brawling their way up towards the balcony while the GM chased after them. Meanwhile Dieno, Yumehito Imanari, Minoru Fujita and MJ Paul were still wrestling in the ring while this was going down. Up in the balcony, Sasaki fully stripped Iino naked and threw his O-Back over the balcony! Imabayashi jumped onto Iino to stop him from fully exposing himself to the audience. Back in the ring, Fujita caught Dieno in the Samson Clutch to score the win out of nowhere. After the match Sasaki said that a new member will join DAMNATION T.A on 1st May. He warned the roster that the person standing next to them may be a traitor so everyone should be looking forward to the reveal. However if a reporter wants to go drinking with Sasaki and pay his tab, he will give them a hint in return.
CDK couldn’t beat Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya in a fight because of the size difference, so they had to outsmart them to keep the KO-D Tag Titles. Naya put Masahiro Takanashi in the Cobra Twist when outside the ring, Chris Brookes rang the bell and tricked Naya into thinking he won. While Naya and the referee were distracted, Takanashi grabbed one of the Asia Dream Tag Team Title belts and nailed Naya in the head with it. Hino broke the pin to keep the match going but CDK then used a combined Crucifix and Jackknife Pin on Naya to get the three count and steal a title defence. Takanashi praised Brookes for his strange plan working out but knows they won’t be able to get away with it again. They’re relieved they won’t have to defend the titles against Hino & Naya again but the challengers think otherwise.
The DDT debut of KANON saw him defeat Yuki Ishida. KANON hit Soccer Ball Kicks, Backbreakers and K Spike chops. Ishida fought back with a Brainbuster and his Sumo Chop Rush. KANON recovered from that and put Ishida in the Cobra Twist to make him submit. He praised Ishida for having a strong core because of his sumo background. KANON also said he is looking forward to doing more with DDT in the future.
One of the dark matches went out of control thanks to the addition of Lucha tag rules. Kazuki Hirata ended up knocking out both Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura so he put himself in a 3-on-1 disadvantage. His solution was to give Hirata GO! glasses to all of his opponents. Akito, Soma Takao & Gota Ihashi danced with him and then attacked. However Ihashi missed a Moonsault and Hirata rolled him up with La Magistral to escape with the win.
Two young rivalries met in the very first match of the day. El Unicorn and Ilusion continue their back and forth feud. Toui Kojima hit a setback in his rivalry against Yuya Koroku. Kojima had finally beaten him by using a Triangle Choke so he went for it again today. This time though Koroku defended himself and rolled over on top of Kojima to pin him for the three count.
The result caused Kojima to come out during the show opening announcements where Shinya Aoki was already in the ring. Kojima asked him for a singles match on 1st May so Kojima can get stronger and catch up to the rest of The 37KAMIINA. Aoki accepted and wondered if Kojima wasn’t taking things seriously until now.
The full card for the Yokohama Budokan show on 1st May was revealed at the end of the show. One of the new matches is a KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles defence. Also HARASHIMA will team with Hikaru Sato to take on Higuchi & Sakaguchi from Eruption.
DDT “MEGA MAX BUMP 2022 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 01/05/2022 Yokohama Budokan
0. Dark Match: KANON Vs Yuya Koroku
0. Dark Match: Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Antonio Honda & Yuki Ishida
1. Shinya Aoki Vs Toui Kojima
2. Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani Vs Maya Yukihi & Shunma Katsumata
3. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & X Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Soma Takao
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ Pheromones Vs GM Imabayashi Final Battle: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Hisaya Imabayashi, AKIRA & Muscle Sakai
5. Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Hikaru Sato Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi
6. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan) (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Yoshiaki Yatsu, Akito, Kazuki Hirata & Gorgeous Matsuno
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada
8. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs Asuka
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
DDT “DAY DREAM BELIEVER 2022”, 27/03/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 509 Fans
0. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Dark Match: Antonio Honda (c) defeated Pokotan with a Crushed La Magistral Cradle (7:16). *V? for Antonio Honda.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Shinichiro Kawamatsu defeated Antonio Honda (c) by Pinfall (11:24 am). *Shinichiro Kawamatsu becomes the 1,548th champion.
1. Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani defeated HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida when Okatani pinned Ishida with the Diving Knee Drop (6:30).
2. Pheromones Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Minoru Fujita (w/ MJ Paul) by Disqualification when Sasaki attacked Dieno with a Chair (7:21).
3. Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Akito defeated Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Soma Takao when Naya submitted Takanashi with a Modified Torture Cobra Twist (9:03).
4. Quiz Showdown: Kazuki Hirata defeated Jun Akiyama when Hirata got 3 questions correct (10:18).
5. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) defeated Michael Nakazawa with the Super Michinoku Driver II (9:26). *V1 for MAO.
6. DDT Extreme Title – O-Back Ladder Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino (c) defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Pheromone Magic (15:01). *V1 for Yuki “Sexy” Iino.
7. After Judgement 2022 Special 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & Toui Kojima defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku when Kojima submitted Koroku with a Triangle Choke (22:11).
The 26th year of DDT has gone off to a hot start with plenty to talk about. The main event was the latest tag team battle between The 37KAMIINA and BURNING but this time with a brand new result. For months Toui Kojima has fought to try and beat his classmate Yuya Koroku. Every step of the way was met with failure until today when Kojima finally got his direct win over Koroku! The result didn’t look like it would happen when Koroku hit the Moonsault Press and then applied the Chickenwing Armlock he’s been using to beat his rival. But Kojima used the lessons he learned from Shinya Aoki to counter the move into a Triangle Choke for the tap out. He lived up to his promise of crying tears of joy over finally beating Koroku. Kojima admitted he is still weak and is not ready to be compared to the rest of his stable. He wants to keep training so he can becomes stronger.
Yuki Ueno threw in his support for Kojima along with the rest of The 37KAMIINA. He is so inspired by everyone in the unit doing their best to leave a mark on the world that he wants to do the same in DDT. So he is challenging Tetsuya Endo for the KO-D Openweight Title on 1st May! Endo said if Ueno is confident enough to beat the man who just became champion at Sumo Hall and carry the belt with 25 years of history attached to it then he will accept the challenge. Ueno told him he isn’t just fighting for that but also for the future of DDT. He wants to defeat Endo and lead the company as champion.
As ridiculous as the O-Back Ladder Match was there was a surprising amount of emotion to it. Shunma Katsumata walked out wearing an ALL OUT shirt hoping to remind Yuki Iino of their time together in that group. Iino briefly remembered and did a Haka pose with his old friend but in a flash that memory went away and they had to fight. Katsumata climbed the ladder and grabbed the O-Back but the winner had to wear it. He covered his waist in a towel to put it on but Iino attacked him with Danshoku Dieno & Yumehito Imanari’s help. Together they performed “Pheromone Magic” on Katsumata and he suddenly found out he was somehow now wearing nothing underneath his towel! He gave up to avoid further shame, resulting in a successful DDT Extreme Title defence for Iino. Dieno told Katsumata he previously agreed to wear the O-Back by itself if he lost. He is a man of his word so he did just that and shook Iino’s hand. Iino then blindsided him with a Brainbuster to humiliate him even more. Dieno asked who would want to challenge Iino for the Extreme Title after seeing this?
Sometime before the show, a desperate Michael Nakazawa went searching around town for MAO so he could ambush him. He was lured into a counter attack where MAO ran Nakazawa over with a van! Nakazawa did show up to the match wrapped head to toe in bandages. He looked like a physical wreck and couldn’t even stand up by himself. MAO decided to take advantage but it turned out to be a trick! The real Nakazawa ran down to the ring and attacked MAO with a crutch. He then used his signature tricks like rubbing his body in slippery lotion and applying the Ultimate Venom AEW Arm. However MAO fought back and pinned Nakazawa with the Super Michinoku Driver II for the win.
MAO called the DDT Universal Title defence an easy win. He wants to use his champion status to wrestle overseas so asked for his next challenger to be somebody with presence. Out walked Asuka! She just returned from wrestling in Italy and has a UK tour lined up this summer so she matches all of MAO’s requests. Asuka said the “VENY’s” of the world deserve that title. MAO accepted the challenge and wants it to be at the Yokohama Budokan on 1st May.
Kazuki Hirata knew just like everyone else that he has no chance of beating Jun Akiyama in a fair fight. He was moments away from losing easily to the Exploder Suplex when he grabbed the microphone and called a stop to the match. Hirata can’t win a wrestling match but he can beat Akiyama in a quiz! Suddenly the match turned into a trivia contest with chairs in the ring to sit on and a toy hammer to hit each other with when somebody got a question wrong. 1st Question: What tragedy happened to Hirata before a show in Yokohama Raidant Hall? Hirata answered he was bit by a Chihuahua. Correct! Question 2: Who was Hirata’s opponent in a fantasy card Keisuke Ishii once put together? Hirata answered Yuji Okabayashi. Correct! Question 3: On 4th January, 2002 the name of the defending GHC Heavyweight Champion is… Akiyama cut off the question to answer it was himself. That wasn’t the question thought so he was incorrect! The rest of the question asked who was the child who wanted to skip school to go see the match and got angry at his mother? Hirata answered it was himself. Correct! Hirata defeated Akiyama in the Quiz Showdown! Hirata hit Akiyama with the toy hammer to celebrate and Akiyama no sold it. DDT then announced that Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary show will be held in Korakuen Hall on 18th September. Akiyama thinks he will have a proper match against Hirata on that show.
The new KO-D Tag Team Champions are on shaky ground after finding out just how strong their opponents are. Yukio Naya showed off the power he has gained from teaming with Yuji Hino and made Masahiro Takanashi submit for the victory. Chris Brookes was also left in agony from Hino’s chops. Naya told the fans to look forward to them taking the Tag Titles from CDK.
A lesson we learned today is nobody messes with Hisaya Imabayashi except Pheromones! Their match against DAMNATION T.A was going the usual lewd direction with Imabayashi threatening to cancel the match. This time however Daisuke Sasaki came to defend Imabayashi from Pheromones, only to turn on him and attack all of them with a chair. Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul joined in on the beatdown and had to be disqualified. Sasaki complained that Imabayashi doesn’t have the right to cancel their matches. He threatened they will attack him again if he tries to stop the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match on 10th April. They will even attack his wife and kids to prove their point! Dieno was in tears over what happened to Imabayashi. He is an innocent person in that doesn’t deserve to get attacked this way. Pheromones claim they are all about justice and swore to get revenge on DAMNATION T.A!
A full force Eruption opened up the main show, beating a foursome made up of DISASTER BOX wrestlers and the rookie Yuki Ishida. Those four were all called “The Pig Brothers” by Hideki Okatani. He even scored the win in the end and told the fans to remember the Red Fight Spirit of Eruption!
On the pre-show Antonio Honda successfully defended the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title against Pokotan. Honda summoned the power of Triple H to aid him on his way to victory. After the match Shinichiro Kawamatsu from the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly was supposed to hand the belt over to Honda but Pokotan got into another fight with Honda. The two of them knocked each other out and it dawned on Kawamatsu that he could pin Honda. He did so after encouragement from the fans and became the new Iron Man Champion! Kawamatsu joked if this is really what the DDT fans wanted to see and he promised to defend the title for all 24 hours as hard as he can.
Away from all the matches, the biggest news to come from the show was Konosuke Takeshita announcing he is going on an indefinite expedition to the United States where he will wrestle for AEW! His final match in DDT before he leaves will be on 10th April. He is ready to take on the challenge of the world and begin Chapter 2 of his career. He also promised to do his best in DDT before he goes away and hopes when he comes back Ueno will be the KO-D Champion so he can challenge him.
Endo was presented with the brand new redesigned KO-D Openweight Title belt from Sanshiro Takagi at the start of the show. Endo said it is more brilliant looking than the previous belt he is happy to be the one to build up its history.
The next Korakuen Hall show on 10th April will feature Saki Akai & Maya Yukihi against Bambi & Cherry to celebrate DDT’s history with women’s wrestling. Akai is honored to face the two women from DDT’s past and also hopes to create something new with Yukihi.
A mystery wrestler who would like to wrestle in DDT is being promoted to appear at Yokohama Radiant Hall on 1st April.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 2,516 Fans – No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida when Okada pinned Ishida with the Sudden Death (11:00).
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya defeated Yasu Urano & Shota when Naya pinned Shota with the Back Drop (14:28). Order Of Elimination: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi, Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi, Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul, Shota & Yasu Urano.
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan) defeated Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) when MIKAMI pinned Honda with the School Boy (8:49). *The DDT Variety Team fails in V2. Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba becomes the 7th KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions!
2. Special Single Match: Saki Akai defeated Maya Yukihi with the Quetzalcoatl (10:40).
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match – No DQ “I’m Sorry” Match: Sanshiro Takagi defeated Michael Nakazawa when Takagi made Nakazawa say “I’m Sorry” (10:20).
4. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata defeated Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi when Ueno pinned Sakaguchi with the WR (11:02).
5. LiLiCo Retirement Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) when Dieno submitted LiLiCo with a Cross Knee Lock (16:52).
6. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when Akiyama pinned Okatani with the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex (12:36).
7. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: MAO defeated Daisuke Sasaki (c) and Jun Kasai when MAO pinned Sasaki with the Super Michinoku Driver II (19:56). *Daisuke Sasaki fails in V5. MAO becomes the 6th DDT Universal Champion!
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) when Brookes submitted Yoshimura with the House Piano Death (18:50). *DISASTER BOX fails in V1. CDK becomes the 73rd KO-D Tag Team Champions!
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Tetsuya Endo defeated Konosuke Takeshita (c) with two Burning Star Presses (46:30). *Konosuke Takeshita fails in V2. Tetsuya Endo becomes the 78th KO-D Openweight Champion!
DDT celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a new KO-D Openweight Champion! It was the first singles match between Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo in 2 years and 3 months with both going in at the peak of their abilities. It led to a juggernaut of a match lasting 46 minutes with every move in their arsenal being used. It took Endo using something new to bring the champion to the brink of defeat. As the match reached towards the 45 minute mark, Endo took inspiration from his BURNING teammate and used the Exploder Suplex three times for nearfalls. While that wasn’t enough to get the pin, there was no coming back for Takeshita after those moves. Endo dropped him with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb and after another kickout he followed it up with two Burning Star Presses to finally get the career defining victory over his destined enemy.
Endo told Takeshita after the match that this was the first time he was happy to be seen side by side with him in the same company and generation. He still hates him but also thanks him for today. Takeshita refused to shake Endo’s hand but instead raised it into the air before leaving the ring. Kenta Kobashi entered the ring to present Endo with the KO-D Title and BURNING followed to celebrate with him. Endo thanked the audience for coming to see Tokyo Joshi Pro and DDT in Sumo Hall this weekend. Endo has finally defeated Takeshita for the KO-D Title but he believes there is still more to come for these companies. TJPW will be entering its 10th year in existence while DDT enters its 26th. The journey continues and Endo thinks he won’t be able to make them grow by himself. He will lead the way so everyone follow him and keep your eyes on DDT and Tetsuya Endo from now on!
Backstage Endo repeated what he said about the CyberFight promotions, including NOAH. None of them are done yet and whether they all reach 26, 50 or 100 years he will be there standing at the top. He debuted 10 years ago and he feels like everything he worked for was rewarded to him today. His first KO-D Title defence of this reign will be at Yokohama Budokan on 1st May. He thinks any challenger will be find as long as they are prepared to carry DDT on their back. Takeshita echoed some of Endo’s points, also believing they still have a long way to go beyond DDT’s 26th year. He cannot stop at where he is right now. Kobashi compared Takeshita to Jumbo Tsuruta from his physical ability to his stamina recovery. He also said Endo carries a wonderful BURNING soul and is looking forward to seeing what his future title defences will be like.
CDK always said the most dramatic and dreamy tag team in DDT should be the KO-D Tag Team Champions so I guess they proven right. Chris Brookes countered the Osaka Pride from Naomi Yoshimura and instead stretched his body in so many wrong directions with the House Piano Death. HARASHIMA fought to grab onto them and break the hold but Masahiro Takanashi kept him away long enough for Yoshimura to submit. Takanashi lost his voice so he let Brookes do the talking after the match.
However he was interrupted when Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya climbed onto the ring apron demanding a title shot. They agreed to do the match on 10th April at Korakuen Hall. Backstage DISASTER BOX admitted defeat and HARASHIMA told Yoshimura to rest up before they decide on what to do next. Naya said he is really happy because a year ago he wouldn’t have been able to challenge for the KO-D Tag Titles like this. Hino asked if Naya was weak back then because he only knows how big and strong he is now. Brookes in his interview suddenly took another direction when he called out El Desperado from New Japan! He brought up that Desperado wants CDK to go challenge him but CDK has more championships, so he should come over here and challenge them instead. Takanashi said Hino & Naya should fight for the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles instead of the KO-D Tag Titles because he wants to see a team as large as them inside Ichigaya Chocolate Square. He might get in trouble for suggesting that but as double champions they should have the responsibility and freedom to do what they want.
The feud between Daisuke Sasaki and Jun Kasai took up so much of their attention that MAO swooped in and won the DDT Universal Title! Blood was shed, boxes were smashed, tables were broken and chairs were destroyed as the three all fought each other in and out of the ring. Kasai kept complaining that DDT wasn’t violent enough for him which might have spurred the others to turn up the dial. MAO finally got what he wanted, the attention of his opponents, when he smashed a guitar over both of their head. He won the match by giving Sasaki the Michinoku Driver II from a ladder bridge through the table below.
MAO said it’s been a long month and a half but it was worth it to win the championship today. He wants to increase the presence of the Universal Title so he will only defend it against people with presence. For some reason Michael Nakazawa thought that meant him so he came out and challenged MAO. He said it is a championship made for the world so if he wins it, he can bring it to AEW and show it to even more people worldwide. MAO refused because Nakazawa lost earlier and he told him to leave. Nakazawa agreed he is weak but made the argument that beating a wrestler from AEW is a big deal no matter who they are. MAO saw his point and demanded they do the title match in AEW’s home turf… the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium! Hisaya Imabayashi told him that was impossible so he settled to have the match at Korakuen Hall on 27th March instead.
The show also celebrated Jun Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary in pro wrestling. He teamed up with an old partner of his, Takao Omori from All Japan to beat the Eruption duo of Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani. He was quickly provoked by Okatani and put the youngster in his place with a fight up the entrance ramp. Higuchi was a tougher wall to break down but Omori’s solution was to hit him with the Axe Bomber. Akiyama dusted off the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex for the occasion, pinning Okatani with the deadly finisher. Akiyama said Omori has been wrestling for 30 years too so he was the first name he had in mind when the match was presented to him. As for the future, Akiyama will steadily continue on without any hesitation. He hadn’t thought about DDT being the company he celebrated his 30th Anniversary with. Not even he knows where he will be for the 40th and 50th.
DDT gave LiLiCo the platform to say goodbye to her pro wrestling career with a retirement ceremony unlike any other. First she had her retirement match teaming with her husband Ryohei Odai and the CyberFight VP Akito to take on Pheromones. The opponents were determined to humiliate LiLiCo on her big day. Yumehito Imanari threatened to record every moment of what they would do to her and then send the footage to the media. LiLiCo & Odai were successfully able to complete their special double team move the Princess SEXY Chest Kick ♡ on Yuki Iino. However Danshoku Dieno targeted LiLiCo’s injured knees, which proved to be her downfall. Dieno gave her the Danshoku Driver and made her tap out to a Cross Knee Lock.
After the match Dieno encouraged LiLiCo to get up by herself because a pro wrestler’s final duty is to stand up under their own power. However his show of respect was a farce and he attacked her again. Pheromones were about to set LiLiCo up for the ultimate humiliation on the entrance ramp when suddenly Andreza Giant Panda appeared and attacked all of Pheromones with Headbutts! The retirement ceremony went ahead and Odai brought out his pop band Junretsu to sing “Proposal” for her as a show of his love. When the ceremony reached its end, LiLiCo told the fans she is going back to being a normal girl. She then laid down her entrance gown in the middle of the ring and bowed to each side of the venue.
Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata picked up a big win against the wild card pairing of Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi. Kodaka thought his team had it in the bag after he gave Katsumata a Brainbuster onto the ring apron. However the God’s Right Knee from Sakaguchi was blocked with a Dropkick by Ueno. He got back to his feet only to get with with a Standing Shining Wizard. Ueno then finished him off with the WR. The 37KAMIINA said they had hot opponents today but they didn’t seem like they wanted to team together. Ueno was happy to beat Sakaguchi again and Katsumata feels the same beating Kodaka. The BASARA wrestler admitted he was too hostile with Sakaguchi but he does not hate him. They are more like rivals and Kodaka is thankful that Sakaguchi invited him to be part of DDT’s 25th Anniversary.
Nakazawa’s wild efforts to make Sanshiro Takagi apologize to him ended in failure. Their No DQ Match spilled over to a nearby restroom where Takagi gave Nakazawa a Piledriver into a toilet. Back in the ring Nakazawa almost made Takagi say “I’m Sorry” when he used the Ultimate Venom AEW Arm on him. But Takagi fought out of it and suddenly gathered the powers of DDT past. He hit Nakazawa with Kenny Omega’s Hadouken and followed it up with Kota Ibushi’s Kamigoye. He started breaking plastic boxes over Nakazawa’s head until Nakazawa pleaded him to stop. He was about to say “I’m Sorry” when Takagi shoved Nakazawa’s pants into his own mouth to keep him quiet. Takagi then lifted him up in the Himawari Bomb ready to put him through more boxes when Nakazawa finally shouted “I’m Sorry!” to end the match. Takagi Power Bombed him into the boxes anyway.
Takagi actually did apologize to Nakazawa after the match but it is too late. Nakazawa now hates him even more! However he likes DDT and remembers that DDT is his home so he has a special present for everyone today. A video message from Christopher Daniels played on the screen. Daniels congratulated DDT for its 25th Anniversary and announced a mutual agreement between DDT and AEW that will bring DDT wrestlers to America in the future! Daniels said he cannot wait to introduce DDT’s wrestlers to the American fans and hopes the company will do their best until that day comes. Nakazawa then explained to Takagi that he and Kenny Omega had negotiated this deal together. Takagi thanked him and promised the fans they will make pro wrestling even more exciting! Backstage Nakazawa added that the deal also includes bringing in wrestlers from Tokyo Joshi Pro.
The jealous grudge Saki Akai and Maya Yukihi held with each other was finally settled in the ring. Akai came out on top thanks to her finishing move, the Quetzalcoatl. Any hatred the two had was gone when the match was over and they both hugged each other. Akai told reporters that it was a match only she and Yukihi could do because they have different backgrounds but travelled in the same direction. Yukihi said she is grateful to DDT and joshi for the match today and she would like to team with Akai if she is interested.
A collective blast from the past have taken the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles! The match brought together many of DDT’s wacky gimmicks from throughout its history. The appearance of Yoshihiko left Takashi Sasaki & GENTARO confused. They were even more confused when the doll outwrestled them. Antonio Honda tried to summon Gongitsune but Poison Sawada JULIE used his magic to make Honda strike Toru Owashi instead. Honda began to withstand the magic when suddenly Kazuki Hirata appeared completely taken over by the snake magic! He fought off Honda then danced with JULIE & Naomi Susan to the song “Hateless Bastard” by Kenji Sawada. Yoshihiko stopped the dancing and went wild on everyone while Owashi hung onto him for dear life. That left Honda along to get hit by every challenger ending with him getting rolled up by MIKAMI’s signature School Boy for the victory. Sasaki said he doesn’t want his team to be called “Legends” because that implies they are all over the hill. He also told DDT to work out how to get them all together again to schedule their title defences otherwise the belts will belong to them forever. JULIE is confident they can defend the belts 100 or 200 times. MIKAMI and Thanomsak Toba are hopeful this team will bring back something that’s been missing from DDT and that it will be interesting for old fans.
There was a last minute change to the Tag Team Rumble. Soma Takao had to pull out before the show for reasons that were not detailed to the public. Yasu Urano took his place to team with Shota. Hino & Naya eliminated them last to win the match, giving them the momentum to make their title challenge later in the show. The match also featured Andreza’s in-ring return to DDT with former opponent Super Sasadango Machine by his side, Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi reuniting as a team, more trouble making from DAMNATION T.A with Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul entering together and the usual appearances from Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi.
The other dark match had Yusuke Okada and Tomomitsu Matsunaga in the ring with DDT’s various rookies. Ilusion put up a good showing for the DDTeeeen!! brand. He carried the mask of his rival El Unicorn down to the ring because covid prevented Unicorn from being in the match. Toui Kojima tried to earn a first direct win over Yuya Koroku but couldn’t make it. It came down to Yuki Ishida firing his Sumo Slaps to Okada but he was taken out with a Diving Headbutt. Ishida kicked out of that but was done for when Okada gave him the Sudden Death. He praised Ilusion and encouraged him to continue doing his best. Ilusion said he had El Unicorn’s mask to let him know they were still able to fight together in Sumo Hall. He wants a singles match with him whenever he is fully recovered.
The main show began with the Anal Explosion ceremony, as is tradition for DDT when they are in a venue as prestigious as this one. Ryota Yamasato was reluctant to take part and called everyone in DDT crazy for thinking this is a normal thing to do. Hisaya Imabayashi calmed him down by getting Super Sasadango Machine to show him a PowerPoint presentation explaining why the ceremony is so important. According to Sasadango, the Anal Explosion was originally a symbol of the “Phoenix” and acts as a ritual for success and prosperity of the company. Yamasato complained until Hoshitango carried him over to the stage and pinned him down for Danshoku Dieno to set up the bomb. A countdown began and a small explosion went off without a hitch. Yamasato was then told a second explosion 25 times more powerful than the first will now happen to celebrate DDT’s 25 years. It went off, Yamasato called for the show to begin and then he went unconscious.
A new tournament called the King Of Street Wrestling will be shown on WRESTLE UNIVERSE this April. Eight fighters from around the world will compete including Sanshiro Takagi, Shunma Katsumata and Chris Brookes as the DDT representatives. Abdullah Kobayashi and Suzu Suzuki will also take part.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
0. Dark Match: Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida Vs Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi Vs Soma Takao & Shota Vs Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul Vs Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan)
2. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match – No DQ “I’m Sorry” Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Michael Nakazawa
4. Special Tag Match: Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
5. LiLiCo Retirement Match: LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
6. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
7. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Jun Kasai Vs MAO
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
Bloody hell this thing lasted 25 years. TWENTY FIVE YEARS! DDT is a company that was put together by a promoter named Shintaro Muto* along with three wrestlers who exited Pro Wrestling Crusaders with him in 1996. Those three wrestlers are known today by the names Sanshiro Takagi, MIKAMI and NOSAWA Rongai. Fast forward to 2022. DDT is now celebrating its silver anniversary and is a key part of the second most powerful wrestling conglomerate in Japan. Its very first show in March 1997, one that was held even before the name Dramatic Dream Team was decided on, was called “JUDGEMENT” because the audience was asked to vote on whether or not the actual launch in May should go ahead. 154 people voted for the launch to proceed and 24 people voted to cancel it. Thank God nobody listened to those 24 people.
There is plenty on show to celebrate the 25th Anniversary. Many figures from the company’s past are flocking into Sumo Hall to join with the present and perhaps future of DDT. Four championships are on the line, career milestones are being acknowledged, grudges will be settled, a retirement will take place and the headline match features the two wrestlers DDT spent the last decade building up to be their star players.
*It is very difficult to find information about Muto online. He was a part of PWC behind the scenes but other than that I don’t know what his background is. There’s an old blog post from 2007 where Takagi jokes about Muto always finding newly opened club venues for DDT to hold shows at. There’s also a picture Takagi tweeted of him from his wedding party in 2009 if you want to see what he actually looked like back then.
0. Dark Match: Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida Vs Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion
This one had a last minute change of plans. El Unicorn was supposed to be in this match but tested positive for covid a few days before the show. Tomomitsu Matsunaga is taking his place. He in-ring time for much of the year was as a opening match substitute for anyone who is suddenly out of action. The other DDTeeeen!! wrestler Ilusion has wrestled twice so far this year as the heel representation of the brand. Yusuke Okada also had some covid setbacks that set him back but he has since found his place in the BURNING unit. Yuki Ishida has been a bright spark in the ring so far. He can turn into a little sumo firecracker if he keeps it up.
The fun part of this match is the growing feud between the rookies Toui Kojima and Yuya Koroku. These two have been at each other’s throats in a lot of The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING matches and Koroku has gotten Kojima’s number every time. At first the losses got to Kojima and made him cry. But he swore the next time he cries it will be from tears of joy when he finally beats Koroku! Even if it happens on the first match of the pre-show, it will still mean the world to him if he pulls it off here.
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi Vs Soma Takao & Shota Vs Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul Vs Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine
Some DDT nostalgia fills up the Dark Match Tag Team Rumble. The Double Bridge team of Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi returns for this match. Hashimoto was a regular part of DDT shows in the 2000s while Morohashi stuck around the DDT family up until 2016. Soma Takao & Shota have been bouncing around Ganbare☆Pro as ROMANCE DAWN and having fun doing so. Not so fun is the DAMNATION T.A pair of Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul. The big boys Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya are still together despite a lack of success as a team. Gorgeous Matsuno will be there to serenade the fans while Gota Ihashi will hopefully try a fat boy Moonsault. That leaves Super Sasadango Machine joining forces with an old opponent. It’s the return of Andreza Giant Panda! It is the first time Andreza has been in Sumo Hall since Muscle ran there in 2019. Sadly his master Samson Miyamoto passed away during September 2020 but Andreza continues to make sporadic appearances in wrestling shows around the country.
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan)
More nostalgia will be found in the opener. The rules for the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles are a little muddled up at the moment. It was turned into the KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Titles during the pandemic to reduce spreading covid through the roster. However when it was changed back into a 10-Man Tag Championship, the DDT Variety Team were told to keep defending the belts as a team of four. So the current champions have to take part in 4 Vs 5 Handicap matches until they lose the titles. It’s a tough challenge but the foursome have lasted this long. Toru Owashi spent the year winning a small collection of obscure championships, Antonio Honda keeps finding ways to talk about Gongitsune, Kazuki Hirata is trying to find a new direction but always reverts back to his dancing and Yoshihiko is as dangerous as ever.
A cast of DDT Legends have come to challenge for the title. Poison Sawada JULIE leads the charge with his valet Naomi Susan ready to rattle along to his snake magic. Takashi Sasaki is nowadays known for running FREEDOMS but he was also the fourth wrestler in DDT when it launched. His Aka Rangers tag team partner GENTARO is along for the ride too. MIKAMI is also a DDT original from the very start. If his inspiration Jeff Hardy can still go strong then why can’t he? Plus if MIKAMI is here then you need to get Thanomsak Toba to complete The Suicide Boyz. On behalf of the 2000s message board era of puroresu fans, I apologise for spelling his name Tanomusaku Toba for all these years. It took this long for me to get the Thanomsak Sithbaobay influence.
2. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
If you like the free agency/transfer window period in sports then joshi wrestling for the last five months was a blast to follow. Women jumping ship to other promotions, contracts going haywire and promotions turning on their heads meant there was never a dull moment behind the scenes. One of the key figures during this time is Maya Yukihi. For seven years she called Ice Ribbon her home promotion until last December when she was among the wave of talent announcing their intentions to leave the company. Everyone else in the group went on to form Prominence but Yukihi decided to go freelance instead. It makes sense when you see that she already has established roles in OZ Academy along with the Rebel & Enemy faction on the indies. But once she turned freelance, the first place she went to was DDT. Then things got interesting. She hadn’t even worked her first date with DDT yet when Tokyo Sports reported that CyberFight really wanted Yukihi to sign a contract with them.
When Yukihi did have her first match in DDT, she stood across the ring from Saki Akai. Their interactions were respectful during the match and polite afterwards but Yukihi couldn’t help but think Akai was a little bit jealous now she was sharing her DDT spotlight with another woman. As the two continued wrestling each other Yukihi revealed that eight years ago she approached DDT wanting to become a pro wrestler but was turned down. Around that same time period she found out Akai debuted for DDT and essential ended up getting the career she wanted. The positive side to this story is Yukihi found another path to becoming a pro wrestler and it is one she is proud of. Now she wanted to prove that her style of joshi wrestling is better than Akai’s style! A women’s match with a story as powerful as this deserves to take place on an event as important as DDT’s 25th Anniversary so Takagi decided to put it right here in Sumo Hall!
Ever since the match was announced, the tag matches between Akai and Yukihi have become more heated as one would accuse the other of being jealous. Akai would blatantly pin Yukihi with her Rookie Award finisher to rub in the fact she won that category in the Tokyo Sports Awards. Yukihi got her own back by making Akai submit in a later match, figuring out that using her arsenal of moves that nobody from DDT have seen before will be the key to victory. Akai wants to prove that she made it to where she is today through hard work and that she is capable of carrying DDT on her back. But she also can’t help but dig deeper into the insults. She recently gave Yukihi a bouquet of yellow roses because yellow roses represent jealousy. Yukihi promised to give them back to Akai when she beats her!
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match – No DQ “I’m Sorry” Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Michael Nakazawa
Apologizing to your boss for doing something wrong is a humbling experience that can bruise your ego. However when the tables are turned and your boss apologizes to you it can lift your spirits a lot. So I can kind of relate to what Michael Nakazawa is going through. His first couple of years in DDT were alright but the cracks in his working relationship with Sanshiro Takagi first began in 2008. Nakazawa’s contract with DDT wasn’t renewed despite his intentions to stay with the company. He fought and clawed his way back into DDT later that year but the same situation repeated a year later. Takagi just wanted to get rid of him but somehow Nakazawa would always find a way to get back in! So Takagi decided to do whatever he could think of to embarrass Nakazawa on shows event though he had support from wrestlers like Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega. Poor Nakazawa had fireworks shot at him, was beaten around like a crash test dummy, got into mismatches against the likes of Minoru Suzuki and even took part in the first Anal Explosion opening ceremony when DDT held their Ryogoku debut. It’s now wonder he held a grudge with Takagi for all these years.
So when Nakazawa was picked up by AEW to work in America it looked like a massive reward for all the crap Nakazawa had to eat in DDT. Finally he was going to be a big star around the world. Unfortunately the matches he has on AEW Dark all reach a level low enough to make Excalibur and Taz consider retirement from broadcasting. However wrestling overseas always makes a wrestler improve no matter who they are and Nakazawa is ready to unload on his old boss. His finishing move the Ultimate Venom Arm has been upgraded to include the AEW initials in the name. Earlier this week he beat Takagi in an impromptu Falls Count Anywhere match held outside of a bookstore. The taste of victory was sweet but not enough. Nakazawa needs something more and that is for Takagi to apologize to him for everything he put him through in his life. Their match at Sumo Hall is No Holds Barred and can take place anywhere inside or out of the building. The only way to win is to make your opponent say “I’m Sorry!” on the microphone. What will it take for either of them to finally admit they were wrong?
4. Special Tag Match: Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
A good mix of wrestlers here. Isami Kodaka was never really a proper member of the DDT roster. He came in through Union Pro and took the indies path that led him to forming BASARA. His absolute peak in DDT was around that time period when he also beat Yukio Sakaguchi to become the company’s top champion. That was seven years ago so there should be no problem with the two teaming together this weekend. But if there is some tension between the two then maybe a visit to the sauna will calm them down.
That’s where The 37KAMIINA come in. Shunma Katsumata’s love for the sauna is so strong he now runs a hut in Tateyama, Chiba called Sea Sauna Shack. In the ring he shows a more violent side that somehow matches his joyful behavior. Maybe it’s the Lego weapons that keeps him from never losing his temper. Yuki Ueno however is making big strides up the ladder, reaching the D-Ou Grand Prix final at the end of last year. It is only a matter of time before he reaches the top of the DDT mountain. Only problem is right now he is stuck in the shadow of his high school classmate. But we’ll eventually cross that bridge when we get to it. Not that it will be anytime soon.
DDT has held many matches involving celebrities before and LiLiCo is the one who stood out the most. The half Swedish, half Japanese TV personality wrestled several times for DDT between 2014 and 2017. During her time here she won the DDT Extreme Title, the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title and the KO-D 10-Man Tag Titles. She hasn’t wrestled since then but a knee injury suffered two years ago made her want to have one more match so she could have a proper pro wrestling retirement. To make this match even more special, LiLiCo asked for many handsome men to be involved. DDT made it so by including Akito and also her husband Ryohei Odai to be on her team. Odai is an actor who has starred in Kamen Rider shows and was also a part of the pop band Junretsu (whose name inspired the identical sounding DDT unit). Despite that pedigree he does not have the physical tools needed to wrestle. Even running the ropes gives him a bad back ache. When asked for an opponent, LiLiCo suggested one of them be Danshoku Dieno because they had a risky rivalry together. She may end up regretting that because… *sighs* well let’s just get straight into it with Pheromones.
For the last year DDT has been surrounded by Pheromones. Dieno, Yuki Iino & Yumehito Imanari became obsessed over their lusty attitudes and succumbed to their lewd behaviour. Dieno became “Dandy”, Iino became “Sexy” and Imanari became “Fantastic”. They don’t care about winning or losing often. Instead they want to do what they want without any limitation or censorship. Unfortunately their actions often go beyond the line of good taste and decency so many of their matches end before the finish so DDT doesn’t get kicked off Samurai! TV or banned from Youtube. The GM Hisaya Imabayashi often tries to stop them just to end up getting “publicly executed” by Pheromones for getting in their way. You’d be surprised how many ways Dieno and his mates can come up with giving their opponents the Stinkface. Just when I think I’ve seen them all, poof, there’s a new angle one person’s face can be shoved into another person’s backside. It’s kind of impressive actually.
So that is what LiLiCo and her handsome men have to deal with. She’s up for the challenge and is threatening to cut off Dieno’s you know what if she has to. Akito has this match to worry about alongside his CyberFight VP duties. And Odai still needs to learn how he can fight in the ring when he gets blisters just from pointing at stuff. As retirement matches go it’s not quite on the level of Genichiro Tenryu but I think it can get close enough.
6. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
There’s an alternate timeline where Jun Akiyama was able to travel in America in 2020 and coach at the WWE Performance Center. What a gift DDT would have missed out on if that went ahead as planned. Instead he was offered a guest coaching spot in, slowly made the transition over from All Japan to join the company full time and the rest is history. And that history is important because Akiyama is celebrating 30 years in pro wrestling this year. All Japan gave permission for Takao Omori to come on over and bring back the Burning Wild tag team for one night only. However their opponents are not in the mood to wish them well for their accomplishment.
Eruption added a new member this year and it is somebody Akiyama knows well. The young wrestler Hideki Okatani learned from him as part of the Junretsu stable but now he is on a new path to become the Red Fighting Spirit. Kazusada Higuchi tested the kid before accepting him into Eruption and now the unit has renewed energy flowing through it. The two of them would love nothing more than to beat Akiyama and surpass him. When Omori heard about the disrespect coming from his opponents he threatened to crush them in the ring! What was meant to be an honorable tag team match may turn into a war between generations!
7. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Jun Kasai Vs MAO
There’s a bunch of stories going on in this match but you can ignore the MAO stuff. That’s what the other two are doing. MAO pinned Daisuke Sasaki during the Ultimate Tag League and demanded a shot at his DDT Universal Title. Sasaki refused and continued doing so when MAO kept demanding the match. Then Jun Kasai returned to DDT wanting Sasaki to do a rematch of their Hardcore war at Saitama Super Arena five years ago. Sasaki is the only wrestler in DDT that excites Kasai because he couldn’t beat him back then. Sasaki agreed to the rematch but still had MAO following him claiming to have the next title shot. The solution was to do a 3 Way Hardcore match. That way Sasaki gets to fight Kasai again and MAO will finally leave him alone. The latter hasn’t happened yet, MAO still follows him around trying to get his attention. Sasaki had to go deep into the Nerima mountains for special training to finally escape from him. Even then MAO eventually figured out there are no mountains in Nerima.
The situation going into this match is Sasaki and Kasai are only focused on each other. Kasai’s goal is to maim and embarrass Sasaki. Taking the Universal Title from him will naturally happen as part of the process. The champion wants to make Kasai vomit blood and cry in despair that he will never beat Sasaki. MAO would just like his opponents to notice him for once.
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura pulled off an unusual gambit for this year’s Ultimate Tag League. They were the reigning KO-D Tag Team Champions but decided to vacate the belts before the tournament so they would be rewarded to the League winners. Their logic was by entering the League without the championship, they were on an even playing field to everyone else. Therefore winning the tournament will be undeniable proof that DISASTER BOX is the strongest tag team in DDT. Their plan worked and their pay off was having the KO-D Tag Titles returned to them. Things may have turned out different though because the Tag League was pretty much cursed from the get go.
Learn this lesson. Never run a round robin tournament during a pandemic. The Tag League this year was riddled with forfeits because wrestlers kept catching covid or had to stay home because they were close contacts. CDK only wrestled two matches and won both of them but had to forfeit the rest of their matches because Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi both had separate positive cases. They had no chance of reaching the finals despite winning matches when they were able to compete. Plus one of those wins was against DISASTER BOX!
The champions did not forget about that. Their only loss in the Tag League was against CDK in the group stage so minutes after the final was over and they received their prizes, the call out was made. DISASTER BOX wanted the rematch and would put the KO-D Tag Titles on the line! CDK accepted the challenge, believing the belts should belong to them anyway. They’ve been using every trick in their book to get the upper hand in recent matches and they also won the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles in ChocoPro. Meanwhile HARASHIMA has his trusty old Somato while Yoshimura now has a new F5 style finisher called the Osaka Dream. It is the strongest tag team in DDT taking on the most dramatic and dreamiest tag team!
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
The main event of the 25th Anniversary show cannot fit in all 25 years of DDT’s history into one match but it will complete the decade long story of Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo. Last year was the most impressive yet from Takeshita. He overcame a bad period of results by going overseas to AEW and coming back as a complete pro wrestler who was finally comfortable in his own skin. He regained the KO-D Openweight Title and has swept through everyone who stood in his way. All that is left to challenge him is an opponent who probably knows him more than anyone else.
Endo needed to find a new direction and control his own fate after the original DAMNATION was forced to split up. He was happy being the right hand man back then but the time had come for him to have a new unit he could call his own. He had some wise men guiding him along the process. Kenta Kobashi had been supporting Endo and decided to pair him with Jun Akiyama to start off. Endo then decided to add in Yusuke Okada and Yuya Koroku to complete the group. All that was needed was a name. Endo took inspiration from his two mentors and revived the name BURNING with their permission. A name with that much history would motivate Endo to work his hardest to live up to it. Everything was set up and Endo now only needs one last piece to complete the puzzle. The KO-D Openweight Title. When Takeshita asked for a challenger to face him for DDT’s 25th Anniversary, Endo came out and said he was the only one who can face him at Sumo Hall.
It was said before that this is not a rivalry because rivals are meant to motivate each other to do their best. These two are enemies. The proof can be seen from the last four months of DDT shows where The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING has dominated the main events and upper parts of the cards. Endo has upgraded the Shooting Star Press. First he changed the name to the Burning Star Press and now it is The Best Burning Star Press In The Universe. It is a move Endo was able to pin Takeshita with in response to Takeshita submitting him with the Plus Ultra a few days earlier. It has been a tight conflict and the only thing for certain is whoever wins will lead DDT into its 26th year and beyond!
DDT “DDT FREE -MARCH-”, 12/03/2022 Osaka Suminoe Maikon Hall 176 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Yusuke Okada defeated Yuki Ishida with a Crab Hold (8:43).
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Kazuki Hirata & Yukio Naya when Sakaguchi pinned Hirata after the Sandwich PK (8:20).
3. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Antonio Honda ended in a No Contest when Michael Nakazawa interfered (11:46).
4. HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura & Toru Owashi defeated Chris Brookes, Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when HARASHIMA pinned Okatani with the Somato (16:33).
5. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: MAO & Shunma Katsumata defeated Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul when MAO pinned Paul with the Cannonball 450 onto the boards (11:38).
6. Maikon no Kohara Presents Osaka Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & Toui Kojima defeated Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku when Takeshita pinned Koroku with the German Suplex (22:40).
After the main event Konosuke Takeshita told Tetsuya Endo he wants to make it clear who is stronger and who will lead DDT from its 26th onwards. Toui Kojima then took the microphone from Takeshita to say he came back today and is on the winning team. He didn’t beat Yuya Koroku directly so he will do that the next time. Takeshita told Kojima not to give up until he wins. Takeshita also wants to do a lot of big things in Osaka this year and he promoted tomorrow’s show. Yuki Ueno said The 37KAMIINA will meet up in the boiler room to discuss what team combinations to use for tomorrow’s Survival Tag Match. Meanwhile Jun Akiyama encouraged Koroku to go crazy in the match tomorrow. It will be their last match before the 25th Anniversary show and Endo will wants the power of everyone’s support so BURNING will win.
While Daisuke Sasaki is away training in the Nerima mountains that do not exist, MAO did his own preparations by making his match No DQ. Shunma Katsumata wheeled him down on a platform trolley but crashed into the ring post when DAMNATION T.A both jumped out of the way. However ShunMao then brought out large wooden boards into the ring. It was a clumsy display but MAO successfully swung the board at Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul. MAO then placed the boards on top of Paul and hit the Cannonball 450 onto the pile to get the win. MAO questioned if Sasaki was in reality just staying home and drinking instead of training.
HARASHIMA is pleased with the teamwork DISASTER BOX put together today against Chris Brookes. He predicts Naomi Yoshimura will beat Brookes tomorrow. However Yoshimura thinks the version of Brookes he fought today isn’t the same as the version he will fight tomorrow, especially if Masahiro Takanashi will be there. Brookes is confident that CDK are the better team.
The show was airing live on Youtube today which prompted Danshoku Dieno to warn the viewers that Sanshiro Takagi would get stripped naked! When he was about to make good on their promise, Hisaya Imabayashi ran in to stop them. However he was attacked by Pheromones and Takagi had to rescue him instead. Takagi was about to finish off Yuki Iino when suddenly Michael Nakazawa appeared! He Speared Takagi and gave him the Ultimate Venom AEW Arm. He then pushed the referee causing the match to be ruled a No Contest. There was a standoff between Nakazawa and Pheromones until Nakazawa told them they have common enemies in Takagi & Akito. Dieno agreed and declared a new alliance between Pheromones and AEW! Nakazawa said by becoming a big star in America, he has what it takes to beat Takagi in the street and in Sumo Hall!
Eruption defeated Kazuki Hirata while Yukio Naya was too busy dancing. Sakaguchi then motivated Kazusada Higuchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani as well as himself to win their matches at Sumo Hall.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 