A press conference was held by DDT in Tokyo today to announce that Kazusada Higuchi will be retiring from pro wrestling on 5th April. Higuchi had been taking time off since from wrestling since the start of the year to deal with a neck injury. This comes after he previously had to take eight months off during 2024 into 2025 to recover from other injuries including a cervical hernia. This decision came about when at some point between December and January, Higuchi went through a health checkup that is regularly given out to everyone in the DDT roster. The doctor found Higuchi had subluxation of the first and second cervical vertebrae and told him that continuing to wrestle (or take part in any kind of contact sport) would be dangerous for his health. Higuchi and his doctor had discussions with DDT over him having any possibility of continuing his wrestling career but they reached the decision that it would be best for him to retire.
Unfortunately due to the current state of Higuchi’s neck, he has already wrestled his last match and his retirement at DDT’s Korakuen Hall show on 5th April will just be a ceremony without a final match preceding it. Higuchi said he is currently not feeling any symptoms over his condition but understands that his neck has reached it physical limit. He regrets not being able to wrestle again but is glad to have detected this problem early so he could exit the business on his own two feet. Although he will no longer live in the ring, he believes his life will continue for a long time.
The press conference also had comments from Sanshiro Takagi and Akito both speaking as representatives of CyberFight. Akito explained the above routine health checkups that the DDT roster goes through over the new year period. He also noted that the cervical condition Higuchi has usually gives the person symptoms of numbness or even paralysis in the limbs. Higuchi does not have those symptoms but the doctor determined that no amount of treatment would solve the problem. Surgery could be an option but it comes with the setback of restricting Higuchi’s neck movement and he wouldn’t be able to wrestle in that condition either.
Takagi told the story of the first time he was introduced to Higuchi by a friend, leading to the former sumo from Hokkaido to join DDT. He claims there were times when Higuchi’s powerful style helped DDT and he became a symbol of the company’s strength from 2022 onwards. He is surprised by the sudden news and thinks the best thing DDT can do is to give him the warmest send-off possible. By Higuchi’s request, his unit Harimao will have its final match on 5th April taking on a team of wrestlers who are also all close to him. It will be Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida against Shunma Katsumata, Kota Umeda & Kouki Iwasaki. Once that match is finished, Harimao will disband. He has a message to tell the other members of the group but will say what he wants to say after the match.
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This is bumming me out. It’s the news I was worried would eventually come to light when Higuchi took another injury break in January. Writing this blog for 16 years means I see a lot of wrestling careers of various sizes come and go. This is one of the most significant ones. A fascinating moment in wrestling happened in October 2014 when DDT introduced the DNA generation, a new class of seven (later eight) rookies about to turn pro at a time when many wrestling companies in Japan were struggling to find new blood. Higuchi very quickly stood out as top of the pack with his powerful stature coming from his sumo background and he was given the rookie superpush that spread into DDT itself. While he was a serious no nonsense wrestler at first, spots would come here and there that allowed Higuchi to show his silly side, allowing him to fit in more with DDT’s comedy while still being positioned as someone who is difficult for anyone to beat. An early highlight of his to seek out is the week long DNA Grand Prix tournament that was held in October 2016 where he went on an undefeated run all the was to the final in order to face Mike Bailey.
The presentation of Higuchi being so unique in DDT included something that I’ve seen follow his entire career among the foreign fanbase. I have long lost count of the amount of times I’ve heard people online say they wish Higuchi was with NOAH instead of DDT because he looked like a better fit there. It’s easy to see why on the surface. Hard strikes, mean looks and an iron head to go with it is catnip for those who like their wrestling to not pull back its punches. Yet I just could never imagine him shining brighter anywhere else than with DDT. The formation of Eruption with Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai in 2020 was a major step forward for him. Then with DDT emerging from the pandemic the seeds were planted for his ascension to the top when he feuded with Jun Akiyama over the KO-D Openweight Title in an act of rebellion towards the legend joining the company. He lost that match but had the ultimate redemption in 2022 when he was the one chosen to rebuild DDT’s reputation over the Tetsuya Endo/Katsuhiko Nakajima incident.
The visual that should follow Higuchi’s career came when he won the 2022 King Of DDT tournament. By winning it he finally claimed the KO-D Title after eight years of trying. He had now become DDT’s literal symbol of strength, waving a giant flag of the company logo in victory and having Akiyama wrap the belt around his waist as a show of his respect. Higuchi would then spend the year being a central figure of DDT’s title scene as they tried to push a bigger focus towards heavyweights. Eruption would go away along with the careers of Sakaguchi & Akai. Higuchi would then move on to forming Harimao, building the unit more around sumo like themes. He got to hold the KO-D Title again last year but this time it was a short lived run. It’s hard to believe that only a few months later his career would end like this.
I can’t quite put my finger on why his runs on top went the ways they did. As much as Higuchi’s style appealed to the likes of us, it wasn’t really the same with DDT’s fans in Japan and business hardly picked up with him as champion. You can point to the social distancing rules at the time which resulted in low attendances for everybody but there’s just some factor missing that meant his title reign didn’t connect like I thought it would. I just look at the hot streak DDT is having with Korakuen now and wish Higuchi would have a role to play in it. Perhaps Takagi has a bigger point to make when he talks about how much Higuchi helped DDT. Maybe history will treat him as the person who patched up DDT at a time when the company needed it rather than the rising star who carried the company to greater heights.
There’s so much of Higuchi’s career I’m leaving out. He was a perfect opponent for HARASHIMA. Their matches together going back to the earliest years of Higuchi’s career were like they were made for each other. His singles matches with Konosuke Takeshita, Shuji Ishikawa and Yuji Hino are all barnburners. Those were the kind of matches that fueled the constant wishes he would move over to NOAH where he could get more attention. There are all the times he would be driven head first into the ring post just to no sell it (probably not a good idea in hindsight). When DDT had their “MAJI MANJI” weekly series, Higuchi insisted on putting somebody through a table on almost every episode he was in. When a Falls Count Anywhere match would happen outdoors, Higuchi would usually show up wearing just a mawashi. I’m pretty sure he sumo pushed a van away one time too. I’m going to miss seeing this guy wrestle.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2026 ~29TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 5 HOUR SPECIAL~”, 22/03/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
0. Dark Match: Yuni defeated Hinata Kasai with the Jorge Clutch (7:26).
0. Dark Match – Tokyo Joshi Pro Offer Match: HIMAWARI, Haru Kazashiro & Chika Nanase defeated Toga, Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki when Kazashiro pinned Kanzaki with the Fisherman Suplex (9:53).
1. Jun Akiyama defeated Rukiya with the Exploder Suplex (6:20).
2. Special Tag Match: Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya defeated Evil Uno & Akito when Iino pinned Akito with the Spear (11:12).
3. 3 Way Tag Match: Viento Maligno & Kumadori defeated MJ Paul & Ilusion and Makoto Oishi & Masami Inahata when Maligno pinned Ilusion with the Driver Maligno (8:25).
4. Special Single Match ~ Shunma Katsumata Return Match: MAO defeated Shunma Katsumata with a Running Palm Strike (12:04).
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles Next Challengers Decision Match: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA defeated Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki when HARASHIMA pinned Miyawaki with the Somato (12:33).
6. DDT Extreme Title – No Hitting With The Bamboo Sword! If You Want To Use It Make Them Laugh! Staring Contest Punishment Bamboo Sword Deathmatch!!!!!: Hideki Okatani defeated To-y (c) with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (12:20). *To-y fails in V8. Hideki Okatani becomes the 64th DDT Extreme Champion!
7. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 1 Vs 6 Handicap Match: Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine, Antonio Honda, Hisaya Imabayashi & Glasses defeated Minoru Suzuki (c) when Glasses pinned Suzuki (11:51). *Glasses becomes the 1,812nd champion.
8. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato (c) defeated Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida when Masada pinned Ishida with the Manburi (14:17) *V1 for paleyouth.
9. Dramatic Dream Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Kazuki Hirata (w/ John Robinson) with a Big Boot (0:07).
9a. Rematch: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Kazuki Hirata (w/ John Robinson) with an Elbow Butt (0:10).
9b. World’s 20 Vs Adachi Ward’s 2! Let’s Have A Great Death Match!: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Kazuki Hirata (w/ John Robinson) with the Walls Of Takeshita (9:02).
10. DDT Universal Title: Kazuma Sumi defeated Daisuke Sasaki (c) with the School Boy (16:48). *Daisuke Sasaki fails in V1. Kazuma Sumi becomes the 21st DDT Universal Champion!
11. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated KANON with the WR (25:12). *V6 for Yuki Ueno.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Antonio Honda defeated Glasses (c) by Destruction (18:47). *Antonio Honda becomes the 1,813rd champion.
The 29th Anniversary of DDT was also the first attempt by KANON to try and win the KO-D Openweight Title. For the weeks leading up to this match, KANON had been winning matches with the Lariat so Yuki Ueno tried to weaken it by hitting KANON’s hand off the corner post early on. KANON would still use the Lariat as an equalizer but then tried using his other moves to win. The Cobra Twist, Sleepy Hollow and LONELY DEZIRES wouldn’t work so he went back to the Lariat. However Ueno’s well time Dropkick to the face helped him to set up the Blackout Sleeper to squeeze the life out of KANON. While he was eventually able to get out of it, KANON was then given the WR to put him down and out.
Ueno told KANON after the match that he’s been thinking about him a lot. He thinks KANON is strong, handsome, kind and also weird. If he wants to make it to the top of DDT he cannot stay the way he is now. KANON needs to show more. Still, Ueno had fun and reminded KANON he’s been part of the DDT family even going back to when he was part of DAMNATION T.A. When he was done, Yuki Iino got into the ring feeling moved by Ueno’s speech. Iino asked for a title match because Ueno was his senior who taught him everything about pro wrestling back when Iino was a trainee. Ueno was also Iino’s first ever opponent. Ueno said he would accept the challenge on the condition that Iino would not immediately attack him after they shake hands. Iino agreed and they shook hands without incident. Ueno then told the fans he will carry the hopes of everybody as DDT moves into its 30th year.
After several failed attempts, Kazuma Sumi solved the puzzle and got to pin Daisuke Sasaki with the School Boy to win the DDT Universal Title! Sasaki targeted his leg from the get-go, including attacking the limb with a chair. A ref bump also led to the other members of DAMNATION T.A interfering on Sasaki’s behalf. Sumi fought against the odds but almost paid big by missing the Reverse 450 Splash. His luck then turned around when DAMNATION T.A interfered again only to backfire on Sasaki when Ilusion accidentally hit him with the chair. From there Sumi tried to pin Sasaki with the School Boy several times. Sasaki caught him in the Crossface Lock only for Sumi to counter it into another School Boy, this time pinning Sasaki down for the three count! Sasaki complained backstage that his “visa” for travelling the world was now taken from him and he’s trying to figure out does this mean he is being banished from the country? He only remembers being hit by a chair so that means Sumi cheated to win! Sasaki will accept his fate for now. He will go abroad, fall in love, get dumped and then come back home.
When Sumi celebrated with the title he said he is so glad he never gave up. He was able to keep going because of everyone’s support. He was then asked to nominated his first challenger for a title defence in Fukuoka on 18th April. Sumi chose Shunma Katsumata because he wants to repay him for all of his kindness ever since he debuted. However Sumi’s way of repaying Katsumata is to surpass him so he is not taking him lightly by putting this title match together. Katsumata agreed to the match and said he is going to treat Sumi as his equal. His way of repaying Sumi will be to crush him and win the Universal Title!
Kazuki Hirata was given the biggest entrance possible by having John Robinson sing him down to the ring with a live performance of “TOKYO GO!” Then after all of that hype, Konosuke Takeshita pinned Hirata in seconds after a Big Boot. A rematch immediately took place but Takeshita won again this time with an Elbow Butt that knocked Hirata out. Hirata begged for another rematch and Takeshita accepted. He even allowed Hirata to only need a 2 Count pin to beat him while Takeshita would need to pin Hirata for a 20 Count! The match began again with those conditions. This time Robinson got involved by stopping Takeshita from attacking Hirata with a chair. He also offered a pair of Hirata GO! glasses but Takeshita destroyed them. Robinson got on the mic to sing “TOKYO GO!” again in order to revive Hirata’s chances. This time Takeshita put on the glasses and started dancing only for Robinson to sneak in and Low Blow Takeshita! Hirata then got in the Miracle One Shot Cradle but Takeshita kicked out at one. Hirata’s comeback was cut off with the Wagamama knee strike but he somehow kicked out at 19! Another Miracle One Shot Cradle was done as a counter for the Raging Fire but Takeshita kicked out at one again. Possibly knowing how close of a call that was, Takeshita flipped Hirata over into the Walls Of Takeshita to win the match by submission instead of pinfall.
After the match Takeshita told Hirata his style of wrestling is one of a kind and it is time for him to become No. 1 in DDT again! He wants Hirata to show him the ultimate Dramatic Dream. Then they can have another rematch where this time Takeshita will need to pin Hirata for a 30 count! After they left the ring, DDT announced that Takeshita will return at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2026” in Sumo Hall on 11th August for a single match against Kaisei Takechi!
paleyouth got their first KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles defence in the bag after beating Harimao today. The challengers were accompanied by Kazusada Higuchi but he stood by and did not get involved. Daichi Sato stood toe to toe with Naomi Yoshimura while Takeshi Masada & Yuya Koroku threw both Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida away with German Suplexes. The match came down to Masada dodging Ishida’s Flame Palm and then hitting him with two Manburi kicks for the victory.
The champions were then greeted by FANTÔMES DRAMATIC after the match. Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda were there to get the next title shot until Honda talked about how dramatic it would be for a team with Hinata Kasai in it to win the titles from paleyouth. Masada asked if Kasai had even won a match yet? Kasai said he hasn’t but that doesn’t mean he cannot get his first win against them! He thinks the best way to celebrate his first win would be to hold championships with the rest of Fandora. All of a sudden, Brookes grabbed Bunbun and threw him into the audience! He went to retrieve him afterwards only to throw him to another part of the room! Masada swore revenge by declaring he will take all of his anger out on Kasai!
As part of the plan to get the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title from Minoru Suzuki, the opposing team in the Handicap Match took part in Gongitsune training before the match. Their logic is Suzuki’s biggest weakness is his eyeballs so it will be up to Honda to poke them. Hisaya Imabayashi bravely started the match with Suzuki but was left to fight by himself and was almost choked out with the Sleeper Hold. Sanshiro Takagi got into a Chop Battle with Suzuki while Danshoku Dieno stopped him with a Lip Lock. When Honda’s attempts at Gongitsune kept on failing, Suzuki got on the microphone to ask everyone how long is DDT going to keep doing this kind of pro wrestling? This is the kind of pro wrestling that makes New Japan wrestlers look down on them! He called Takagi the root of all evil but then admitted to having good memories with everyone in the ring with him. Honda finally poked him in the eye with Gongitsune during the speech but Suzuki didn’t react. He revealed he had trained his eyeballs in anticipation for this match! Honda charged up Gongitsune by using Dieno’s Hell Gate but Suzuki blocked it by stealing Imabayashi’s glasses and putting them on to act as a shield. Suzuki then fought off Toru Owashi & Super Sasadango Machine but was caught with the Stunner by Takagi. Suzuki resisted the impact at first but soon ran out of energy and collapsed to the match. Everyone piled on top of him to get the pinfall but Daisuke Kiso declared afterward that it was Imabayashi’s glasses that pinned Suzuki which means the Glasses are now the Iron Man Champion! Later at the end of the show Honda found the glasses over at the timekeeper’s table and destroyed them to be declared the new champion.
The rule for the DDT Extreme Title match was Yukinori Matsui had to wear a helmet with a button attached to it on his head. If To-y or Hideki Okatani pressed the button, they would then need to make Matsui laugh during a staring contest. Succeeding in that would allow them to use a bamboo sword as a legal weapon for one minute. To-y was eager to follow those rules while Okatani was not in the humour to mess around like that. When he kept ignoring the rule, Matsui told Okatani he wants him to make him laugh. Okatani finally obliged and made a funny face to make Matsui collapse in laughter. Okatani then whacked To-y over the head with the bamboo stick and pinned him with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster to become the new Extreme Champion.
After the match KIMIHIRO appeared at the entrance to make an introduction for Yukio Naya. When Naya got into the ring he told Okatani that “extreme” means big so he’s going to use his size to take the Extreme Title from him! Okatani called Naya arrogant but accepted his challenge for 15th April. According to him, just because Naya is big doesn’t mean he can beat Okatani to win the title. Meanwhile To-y accepted defeat and praised Okatani for being the star of the match even though he expected Okatani would remain as a supporting character.
Fandora have another championship match to look forward to soon. Brookes & HARASHIMA teamed up against Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki to determine the No. 1 Contenders for the KO-D Tag Team Titles. Miyawaki almost had HARASHIMA beat with the Sunshine Clutch but Brookes broke up the pin. HARASHIMA fired himself back up to put Miyawaki on the defensive and used the Somato on Aoki to knock him off the ring apron. Meanwhile Brookes gave Miyawaki a Piledriver, rolling him into position for another Somato to give Fandora the win. Backstage HARASHIMA said they knew their opponents had moves that could beat them regardless of how much stamina they had so it was up to their own teamwork to get past any close calls and win.
It was 29th June, 2025 when Shunma Katsumata last wrestled a proper match. Now after spending the last nine months rehabilitating from a torn ACL he was back in action and wrestling his good friend MAO. They wasted no time in setting their pace and MAO even broke a few plastic boxes in the process. Katsumata went for the Totonou Splash but MAO blocked it with his knees. Katsumata tried to fire himself back up after taking the Michinoku Driver II but he was put away with a Running Palm Strike afterward. Katsumata spoke about how happy he is to be back in the ring after 265 days. As long as he gets to wrestle like this he will never complain. He might get injured again but he’ll recover and return again no matter how many times it happens! MAO said he hopes this is the last time Katsumata has a comeback match. He and Katsumata will also make sure they will never put themselves in a position where they have to forfeit a championship again.
The 3 Way Tag Match featured the DDT debut of Masami Inahata. He got to start off the match against Kumadori until Ilusion got involved trying to form alliances. When that didn’t work, MJ Paul went on the attack by targeting Makoto Oishi. Inahata got his moment by giving Paul a Brainbuster but Ilusion ruined it by giving Inahata a Low Blow afterward. In the end it was the teamwork of Viento Maligno & Kumadori that won out. Kumadori did a Fosbury Flop onto everyone outside the ring while Maligno pinned Ilusion with his finisher to win. Kumadori liked teaming with Maligno but wishes they could communicate better because Maligno doesn’t seem to understand Japanese. Oishi told Inahata that today is a new beginning for him and he will become even bigger in DDT.
Evil Uno was welcomed back into DDT for a tag match against The Apex. Uno teamed with Akito but the pair of them were overwhelmed by the power of Iino & Naya. One big Spear from Iino to Akito was all it took to end the match. Iino hasn’t been wrestling that much lately but he reminded everyone he is still training hard. Uno said he should be unhappy over the result but the last time he was in DDT he had to kiss Dieno’s butt so today was a much better experience for him.
Jun Akiyama stood before Rukiya as his big challenge in the opening contest. Rukiya tried to deal some damage outside the ring only for Akiyama to do that to him instead. Rukiya was able to rope break his way out of a Crab Hold and he also kicked out of the Exploder Suplex. Akiyama waited patiently to hit him with a Knee Strike before using another Exploder to beat him.
One of the dark matches was put together by Tokyo Joshi Pro to promote “GRAND PRINCESS ’26” taking place at Sumo Hall on 29th March. HIMAWARI, Haru Kazashiro & Chika Nanase went on to beat Toga, Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki. Kazashiro scored the win for her team and got to advertise the show for her post match victory speech.
The other dark match was Yuni taking on Hinata Kasai. As already mentioned earlier, Kasai still has not won a match by himself yet. He tried to submit Yuni with the STF but Yuni got out of it and used the Jorge Clutch out of an Arm Drag to pin him.
The participants for King Of DDT 2026 were revealed during the show. The entries are HARASHIMA, Danshoku Dieno, MAO, Chris Brookes, Yukio Naya, KANON, Takeshi Masada, Hideki Okatani, To-y, Shinya Aoki, Yuya Koroku, Daichi Sato, Kaisei Takechi, Junta Miyawaki, Kazuma Sumi and Minoru Suzuki.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2026 ~29TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 5 HOUR SPECIAL~”, 22/03/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yuni Vs Hinata Kasai
0. Dark Match – Tokyo Joshi Pro Offer Match: HIMAWARI, Haru Kazashiro & Chika Nanase Vs Toga, Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki
1. Jun Akiyama Vs Rukiya
2. Special Tag Match: Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya Vs Evil Uno & Akito
3. 3 Way Tag Match: MJ Paul & Ilusion Vs Makoto Oishi & Masami Inahata Vs Viento Maligno & Kumadori
4. Special Single Match ~ Shunma Katsumata Return Match: MAO Vs Shunma Katsumata
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles Next Challengers Decision Match: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA Vs Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki
6. DDT Extreme Title – No Hitting With The Bamboo Sword! If You Want To Use It Make Them Laugh! Staring Contest Punishment Bamboo Sword Deathmatch!!!!!: To-y (c) Vs Hideki Okatani
7. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 1 Vs 6 Handicap Match: Minoru Suzuki (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine, Antonio Honda & Hisaya Imabayashi
8. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida
9. Dramatic Dream Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Kazuki Hirata (w/ John Robinson)
10. DDT Universal Title: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Kazuma Sumi
11. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs KANON
A press conference was held in Tokyo earlier today highlighting several of the big matches taking place on the Anniversary show this Sunday. Yuki Ueno has thought a lot about his match with KANON ever since it was announced and came to the conclusion that he should enjoy the day as much as he can. He wants to lead DDT into their 30th year as the KO-D Openweight Champion with the Tokyo Dome as their ultimate destination. KANON knows he will win the title someday but hasn’t thought about what will happen next if he wins on Sunday. Right now his only focus is on winning the title. He’s been with DDT for four years so he is going to put all of those four years into the match on Sunday.
Kazuma Sumi is feeling confused going into his DDT Universal Title match because he cannot figure out how he can beat Daisuke Sasaki. All of the warm up matches leading up to this has had Sasaki counter the School Boy and then beat Sumi with little trouble. However Sumi is not afraid of losing or being embarrassed in front of everyone so he will not give up. He found out that at 22 years of age he can become the youngest person to ever win the Universal Title. He wants to set that record and then break the record for most defences. Sasaki had way more harsh things to say, telling Sumi he has zero chance of winning. He will lose immediately and be forced to take the introductory test all over again, which he will fail! Sasaki recently found out he will be getting a GCW World Title shot when he wrestles in GCW during his American tour next month. He wants to bring the Universal Title with him to make it a Title Vs Title match! He later admitted on Twitter he forgot he also has the O-40 Title, so he corrected himself and said it can become a triple crown title match.
The KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles are up for grabs. Ryota Nakatsu hasn’t fought two of paleyouth’s members much but he has fought Takeshi Masada many times. Yuki Ishida is well used to fighting all three opponents and thinks they are all lacking in substance. Meanwhile Harimao are all strong and they also have Kazusada Higuchi in their corner. Naomi Yoshimura brought up that it’s been one year since he returned from injury. He always wanted to win the 6-Man Titles with Harimao but due to that injury he’s never found the courage to make the challenge until now. He thinks he is in perfect condition now and has no worries of getting hurt. Daichi Sato is still basking in paleyouth winning the titles and despite the team recently losing a warm up match, he is certain their best performance is yet to come. Yuya Koroku brought up that it is the DNA generation that is currently leading the way for DDT. He wants D GENERATIONS to be ones who lead DDT towards the Tokyo Dome. Masada said everybody in the match are all now on the same channel and he hopes everyone else will tune into the came channel to witness a wonderful future coming from this match.
The stipulation chosen for the DDT Extreme Title is a mouthful to say and is also built around Hideki Okatani’s bamboo sword. The weapon will be allowed to use legally under certain circumstances. A button will be placed on the referee’s head and whoever presses it will get a chance to make the ref laugh. If he succeeds then they will be allowed to use the bamboo sword as a weapon for one minute. Other than that, the usual ways of winning wrestling matches applies. Okatani understands the reasoning for the rule, that sometimes you need to sacrifice something to succeed. But he noticed To-y isn’t sacrificing anything for this stipulation. To-y agreed and said he doesn’t need to do that because he is a strong Extreme Champion. He thinks Okatani used to be extreme like him until he joined DAMNATION T.A. Okatani walked away only to come and attack To-y with the bamboo sword. He told To-y he will teach him what real extreme is!
More chaos broke out over the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title match, the result of which has changed the 1 Vs 6 Handicap bout a little bit. Toru Owashi and Super Sasadango Machine couldn’t attend the press conference so both sent messages to be read out loud. Owashi’s message was just an advertisement for the miso he sells while Sasadango demanded that Hisaya Imabayashi should immediately relinquish the title in order to be a good role model for his son who recently got accepted into Keio University. Those who were in attendance all threatened Imabayashi in their own ways. Antonio Honda wants revenge for being hit in the head with the belt, Danshoku Dieno knows that Imabayashi still holds a grudge against him over Pheromones and Sanshiro Takagi complained that the company went through all the trouble of making a new belt to increase its value but it’s now meaningless because Imabayashi is wearing it. Minoru Suzuki was the odd one out because he doesn’t care about this match and wants to go fight Ueno for the KO-D Title instead. Imabayashi said he won the title in order to protect it from being taken by New Japan. He then accused Akito of corporate harassment for forcing him into defending the belt in a 1 V 6 Handicap Match. However he will find a way to remain champion so he can go defend it in Sumo Hall one week later at the Tokyo Joshi Pro show. When it was time for the group photo, Suzuki changed his tune and suddenly put Imabayashi in a Sleeper Hold to win the title! The other wrestlers all warned him they will rip the belt away from him on Sunday but he suggested he might not be the champion by then because he could lose it at the Shawn Capture show he’s wrestling on tomorrow! DDT later officially swapped the positions of Imabayashi and Suzuki so it is now Suzuki on his own against the other six opponents. However the company cannot guarantee the title will make it to TJPW’s Sumo Hall show if the scenario Suzuki came up with comes true.
1. Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Hinata Kasai with the Scorpion Death Lock (7:48).
2. Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi defeated Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Gay-do Clutch (0:09).
2a. Rematch: Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi defeated Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Dieno pinned Honda with the Gay-do Clutch (10:38).
3. Jun Akiyama, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida defeated Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato when Ishida pinned Masada with the Buchikamashi (10:27).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion defeated Kazuma Sumi, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno when Sasaki submitted Sumi with the Crossface Lock (13:41).
5. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA defeated Akito & Junta Miyawaki when HARASHIMA pinned Miyawaki with the Somato (12:02).
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION!: Yuki Ueno & To-y defeated MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) when Ueno pinned KANON with a Cradle (21:31).
The show was meant to be a homecoming of sorts for MAO because he is an ambassador for Osaki City. The show was also in the same venue where MAO accidentally broke the room sprinkler with a Quebrada last year. Well, this time MAO was able to do the move without damaging anything but the spotlight was instead on Yuki Ueno and KANON for their final prelim match before “JUDGEMENT 2026” next week. There was some interference from both Strange Love Connection and The 37KAMIINA during the match. After that, KANON tried his best to avoid taking the WR but Ueno switched over to a roll up move to cradle him for the three count. Ueno can tell that KANON is incredibly strong but he told the challenger he will need to bare everything from the depths of his heart to have a chance at winning the KO-D Openweight Title.
If today repeats itself, the FANTÔMES DRAMATIC team of Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA will have a KO-D Tag Team Titles shot to look forward to in their future. However they are not taking Junta Miyawaki lightly. He almost pinned HARASHIMA with the Sunshine Clutch in today’s match but HARASHIMA kicked out just in time and was able to pin him with the Somato. When the No. 1 Contenders match happens on 22nd March, Fandora won’t just have the Sunshine Clutch to worry about but also the Aoki Clutch from Shinya Aoki too. Miyawaki described taking the Somato was like feeling the weight and power of DDT’s history in one move. He is confident though that he and Aoki will show everyone a bright future.
Once again Daisuke Sasaki has countered Kazuma Sumi’s School Boy and turned it into a victorious move, this time the Crossface Lock. He wanted to send his message loud and clear this time by bringing in a chair to attack Sumi with but this time Sumi fought him off with a Low Blow. Sumi then said even though he lost all of his warm up matches, he just needs to beat Sasaki once at Korakuen Hall next week to become the new DDT Universal Champion! Sasaki now worries that the Low Blow may have caused some long term damage. He’s supposed to be going to America soon where there are beautiful women waiting for him everywhere and suddenly his balls are gone!
paleyouth have now suffered their first setback after Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida beat them with some help from Jun Akiyama. Yoshimura was focused on fighting Daichi Sato in particular while Ishida & Akiyama paired off against Takeshi Masada & Yuya Koroku. The Harimao side got the victory and Akiyama advised it is up to them to give their group a boost while Kazusada Higuchi is out of action.
Makoto Oishi was tricked into sitting on the turnbuckle with the back of his costume pulled down at the end of Match #2. He stayed there until Jun Akiyama entered the ring for his match, slapped him on the rear and ordered him to get out.
DDT “ICHIKABACHIKA 2026”, 11/03/2026 Shinjuku FACE ??? Fans – Unannounced
0. Dark Match – Tokyo Joshi Pro Offer Match: Rika Tatsumi & Uta Takami defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Kira Summer when Tatsumi pinned Summer with the Missile Hip (10:17).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Antonio Honda defeated Rika Tatsumi (c) with an Inside Cradle (6:55 pm). *Antonio Honda becomes the 1,809th champion.
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shinya Aoki, Junta Miyawaki & Viento Maligno defeated Chris Brookes, Kota Sekifuda & Hinata Kasai when Aoki pinned Kasai with the Aoki Clutc (10:05).
2. HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda defeated Jun Akiyama & Kazuki Hirata when Honda pinned Hirata after the Somato from HARASHIMA (7:34).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Hisaya Imabayashi defeated Antonio Honda (c) with a Belt Strike (7:34 pm). *Hisaya Imabayashi becomes the 1,810th champion.
3. Kazuma Sumi, Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion when Yoshimura pinned Ilusion with the Harai-goshi (10:12).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shishamo Power, Unagi Mask & Gota Ihashi defeated Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Shishamo pinned Matsunaga with the Fisher’s Buster (9:33).
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & KANON (c) (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine when KANON pinned Dieno with the Lariat (18:47). *V4 for STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION.
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato defeated Yuki Ueno, To-y & Kaisei Takechi (c) when Masada pinned Takechi with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (18:25). *Yuki Ueno, To-y & Kaisei Takechi fail in V3. paleyouth become the 60th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
The new generation is on a roll, paleyouth have already become champions and they’ve done it at Kaisei Takechi’s expense! Takechi & The 37KAMIINA almost wiped out the challengers completely with a triple Topé Con Hilo. They then targeted Takeshi Masada by having Takechi & To-y Double Choke Slam him followed by Yuki Ueno landing the Frog Splash. However Yuya Koroku went ahead and took out Ueno & To-y, then Daichi Sato helped Masada bring down Takechi. Masada then got to beat Takechi for the first time by giving him the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles!
After the match, Masada praised Takechi for growing so much and said whenever they fight each other they click so well. When the former champions made their exit, paleyouth quickly found out who their first challengers were going to be. Harimao walked out and Naomi Yoshimura said he, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida wanted a title shot. Masada called Harimao a perfect match for paleyouth and he accepts the challenge for 22nd March at DDT’s 28th Anniversary show. Backstage Masada was happy with the recent turn of events. paleyouth was only made official a few days ago and they already won a championship and he got to avenge his previous losses to Takechi too. Meanwhile Takechi said he was frustrated over losing a second match in a row and he actually feels a little insulted by Masada’s praise for him. Ueno reminded him of his goal to wrestle in King Of DDT and also at Sumo Hall later this year. He is sure Takechi will get there.
Any hopes that Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine had of CyberAgent exploiting their likenesses for trading cards and gacha games have gone out the window after the pair failed to win the KO-D Tag Team Titles. Instead it is Strange Love Connection that are currently in the better position to become the faces of DDT. KANON in particular got the brunt of the lewd attacks from the followers yet he figured out how to turn the tide against them. He pulled down his own costume to fight in his underwear and resist Dieno’s Raw Danshoku Claw before taking him down with the Lariat for the victory. KANON told everyone afterwards he has exposed everything about himself and has nothing left to show because he wants to become the new icon of DDT. Today he has beaten two DDT icons so now he must beat the biggest icon Ueno to become the new KO-D Openweight Champion!
The return of the Yamada Suisan pro wrestlers sets up DDT’s annual sponsored matches with the seafood company for this year. Shishamo Power & Unagi Mask teamed up with Gota Ihashi to win their match then had an announcement to make afterward. Ihashi works for the Tsukiji branch of Yamada Suisan and he met a woman there who wants to become a pro wrestler. A masked woman named Unagi Mask Woman entered the ring and did the splits to pose for everyone. However her big moment was interrupted by Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda attacking Ihashi until Super Unagi Mask came to the rescue. Honda challanged the seafood wrestlers to a match and told them that Aja Kong will be teaming with FANTÔMES DRAMATIC! The president of Yamada Suisan then had a shocking confession to make. The three masked wrestlers are all siblings who were seperated at birth! The “Unagi Brothers” must now join forces to face Kong & FANTÔMES DRAMATIC on 19th April. Ihashi complained about being left out so he was offered a chance to team with Shishamo Power on the same show.
After spending such a long time away from DDT, the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title has come back home. At least for now. Antonio Honda caused a scene after the Tokyo Joshi Pro dark match by attacking everyone with Gongitsune and winning the belt off of Rika Tatsumi. Then later in the show Honda was told by Hisaya Imabayashi that he will face YOH on 15th April. Honda said he will look forward to defending the Iron Man Title against him but then he was suddenly blindsided by Imabayashi! The GM knocked out Honda with the title and pinned him to become the champion, explaining afterward that he cannot risk losing a DDT championship to a New Japan wrestler. Imabayashi was then approached by Akito at the end of the show because a special match was being booked for 22nd March. Imabayashi must defend the title in a 1 Vs 6 Handicap Match and one of his opponents will be Minoru Suzuki! Imabayashi complained especially since Akito was making decisions involving the DDT GM without being a GM himself. Akito told him that company directors are above company general managers. Sanshiro Takagi then tried to ambush Imabayashi to win the title but Akito broke the pin and allowed Imabayashi to escape with the belt.
The Iron Man Title changes today created a bit of a problem for the upcoming schedule. The belt is meant to be on the line in a Battle Royal at TJPW’s Sumo Hall show at the end of the month. It turns out that is still going to happen, which means if Imabayashi somehow survives the DDT Anniversary show still as champion he will then get to defend the belt at Sumo Hall on a TJPW show! When Imabayashi learned about that scenario being possible, he became motivated to hold onto the title as best as he can until 29th March.
A No. 1 Contenders match for the KO-D Tag Titles was later announced for 22nd March. Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA will face Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki. The winners will face MAO & KANON for the tag titles on 5th April.
A new championship has been created exclusively for a series of sponsored shows DDT will run in conjunction with the Matsui Outlet Park later this year. The first MOP Tag Team Champions will be crowned on 28th March. After that there are two other DDT x MOP shows scheduled for April where presumably a title defence or two can take place there.
DDT “HYBRID PERFORMER 2026 ~KAISEI TAKECHI 2ND ANNIVERSARY~”, 22/02/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Yukio Naya defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Ryoma Tsukamoto when Naya pinned Matsunaga with The World’s Best Back Drop (9:11).
2. Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA, Antonio Honda & Hinata Kasai defeated To-y, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Yuni when Honda pinned Hirata with the Diving Fist Drop (9:41).
3. Special Tag Match: Shinya Aoki & Junta Miyawaki defeated Yuya Koroku & Rukiya when Miyawaki pinned Rukiya with the Sunshine Clutch (10:32).
4. DAMNATION T.A Vs Harimao!: Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion (w/ MJ Paul) when Yoshimura pinned Ilusion with the Harai-goshi (10:56).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, KANON & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Akito when Maligno pinned Akito with the Driver Maligno (10:37).
6. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – Final: Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada with the School Boy (17:08).
7. Kaisei Takechi 2nd Anniversary Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Kaisei Takechi with WR (20:50).
To celebrate the second anniversary of his pro wrestling debut, Kaisei Takechi asked DDT for a particular opponent he wanted to face one on one. Up until today Yuki Ueno has been supporting Takechi as a tag partner in the majority of the dozen matches he’s had so far. Now Takechi wanted Ueno to be his first singles opponent. The result of this is Ueno has become the first person to make Takechi look up at the lights, handing him his first pinfall defeat. Takechi brought the fight to Ueno from the start, delaying an early rope break and firing Elbow Strikes along with Dropkicks to Ueno. That made Ueno take him more seriously and bring the fight outside the ring. Ueno threw Takechi into a row of chairs but Takechi got his own back by doing a Diving Cross Body above one of the stairways in the seating section. Back in the ring Takechi got close to winning by using the Choke Slam and Swan Dive Forearm. He then went to use a Sleeper Hold but Ueno got out of it to use his own Dropkicks and Elbow Strikes. Takechi couldn’t withstand the punishment for long and he was pinned with the WR.
Ueno congratulated Takechi after the match and if there is anyone out there who thinks Takechi is only doing pro wrestling as a side gig, Ueno wants them to come tell him. He told Takechi he isn’t at the level to compete for the KO-D Openweight Title yet but the next time they have a singles match against each other, Ueno will put the championship on the line. Takechi thanked him for welcoming him into DDT and talked about experiencing more losses than wins since before he even entered the entertainment industry. That has helped make him strong for wrestling. He also said he regrets not entering the King Of DDT tournament last year or appear at “WRESTLE PETER PAN” because of his summer schedule back then. So this year he has opened up his schedule in order to enter the tournament as well as take part in DDT’s big summer show! He will show everyone how much he will evolve until the day comes when the KO-D Title is worn around his waist! Takechi still has may tours with THE RAMPAGE lined up for 2026 but he is hoping to find gap where he can be booked for some of DDT’s shows outside of Tokyo too.
Kazuma Sumi has now been crowned this year’s best wrestler out of D GENERATIONS by winning the D GENERATIONS CUP! The final of the annual tournament’s fourth edition had Sumi beat the first ever winner Takeshi Masada. He relied on big high flying moves such as the Lionsault and Reverse 450 while Masada kept to a more balanced moveset to keep things under his control. It almost worked out for the latter as he used a Dominator to counter a Frankensteiner, then used the Triangle Kick and the Manburi for a nearfall. But when he went to use his finisher, Sumi suddenly flipped out of it and rolled him over with the School Boy lightning fast for the victory!
When Sumi received his trophy he told Masada that the best classmates are those to eat together, practice together and share both the good times and bad together. While they have trained together and experienced hard times, they were never close like that. Masada was always ahead ever since Sumi debuted but it gave Sumi something to chase after and made him work hard enough to become strong. So in a way Masada really is the best classmate Sumi could ever have. Daisuke Sasaki entered the ring to congratulate Sumi and tell him they can have an exciting match on 22nd March when Sumi gets his DDT Universal Title shot as his reward for winning the DGC. Sumi went to shake his hand until Sasaki kicked him between the legs. Sasaki called him stupid and there is zero chance Sumi will win the title from him. When Sumi recovered he said he isn’t a kid anymore and he is incredibly confident he will beat Sasaki for the belt next month. Meanwhile Masada talked to Yuya Koroku backstage about forming a new unit centered around the D GENERATIONS. Koroku agreed to be a part of it and Masada will now go look for other potential members to join.
The newest member of Strange Love Connection has arrived! The masked man Viento Maligno is a newcomer to DDT although some people suspect he may be more familiar to them than they realize. Danshoku Dieno gave him the Danshoku Claw early in the match then paused to give a reaction that suggested he recognized who Maligno is just from feeling his crotch. He didn’t dwell on it for long because he wanted to impress the guest commentator Riki Matsui from BALLISTIK BOYZ and tried to do so by doing lewd things to KANON in the ring. Viento got the hot tag in and used a llave submission on Akito while MAO did a Moonsault onto everyone outside. Viento then got the win by pinning Akito with the Driver Maligno, a move that looks like a Leg Clutch Olympic Slam thrown into a Michinoku Driver.
Dieno got on the microphone after the match to complain because DDT bringing in new wrestlers is making his generation feel disposable. Super Sasadango Machine agreed and wanted to send a message to CyberAgent. Pro wrestlers like them are not supposed to be treated like trading cards or gacha games… but they should be! CyberAgent is responsible for making loads of different card and gacha games so why are the wrestlers belonging to them being left out of being turned into content (don’t listen to Yota Tsuji, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about)? In order to make a more convincing arguement to the corporation, Dieno & Sasadango challenged SLC for the KO-D Tag Team Titles. MAO sort of understands their intentions because they want to work hard together for DDT’s sake so he accepted the challenge for 11th March. KANON then reluctantly shook his opponents’ hands to confirm they have the title shot.
At first it looked like Harimao were going to be in trouble fighting DAMNATION T.A because the numbers game was against them. Sasaki and Hideki Okatani both attacked Yuki Ishida with weapons but Ryota Nakatsu was able to give them more of a fight. Sasaki also threw a chair at Naomi Yoshimura while MJ Paul interfered a couple of times. Ilusion missing the Swanton Bomb gave Yoshimura his second wind while Kazusada Higuchi at ringside finally stepped in to grab Sasaki and then Paul with the Claw Hold at ringside. With the coast clear, Yoshimura threw over Ilusion with the Harai-goshi to get the victory. Harimao were fired up over the win and all said they couldn’t sense any sumo spirit from DAMNATION T.A. Harimao said they will climb higher from here and Nakatsu told the others he can come back for another match in DDT on 2nd March.
So far during his stay Junta Miyawaki is making both friends and enemies in DDT. He looks up to Shinya Aoki and got to team with him today but one of the wrestlers facing him, Rukiya, is getting more frustrated with him every time they fight in the ring. It continued here when Miyawaki pinned him with the Sunshine Clutch, a new cradle pin he created inspired by the Aoki Clutch where it is set up Tiger Suplex style instead of with a Full Nelson. Rukiya didn’t like how smug Miyawaki looked after the match and tried to fight him again until Koroku and others at ringside held him back. Backstage Miyawaki said he can really tell that Aoki enjoys pro wrestling which makes him enjoy wrestling even more too. Aoki though kept asking him if he saw Keigo Nakamura anywhere because that is who he used to team with. Unfortunately, Miyawaki doesn’t know who Nakamura is.
Today was the first time all four members of FANTÔMES DRAMATIC got to team together for an 8-Man Tag match and it turned into a success. Hinata Kasai was called out by Toru Owashi to begin the match then after some lucha spots he wanted to tag in Yuni to let the young blood take the stage. Kazuki Hirata didn’t care and burst in wanting to do his dance instead. Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA took over to fight with Yuni & To-y while Hirata kept trying to get in the way. Antonio Honda did an Olympics joke for Gongitsune, Hirata tried to counter it with dance but fell to a 4-on-1 situation all in tune to “TOKYO GO!”. Honda ended up pinning him with the Diving Fist Drop to give FANTÔMES DRAMATIC the win.
Hirata was made to stay behind after the match because Hisaya Imabayashi wanted to talk to him. The GM had an announcement regarding Hirata’s big match against Konosuke Takeshita happening on 22nd March. For years now Hirata has been using “TOKYO GO!” as his entrance song, even recording his own cover to avoid getting DDT into any copyright trouble. Well now DDT has invited the creator of the song John Robinson to attend the show and perform “TOKYO GO!” live for Hirata’s match entrance! Hirata is thrilled with the news and cannot wait to do the original “Magnum” dance with the actual DJ singing for him.
It’s not that often Makoto Oishi appears in DDT nowadays but he was here today because he is Takechi main mentor who trained him from scratch. It meant he got to wrestle Ryoma Tsukamoto for the first time and experience his strength up close. When that got too overwhelming Oishi tagged in Yukio Naya to give Tsukamoto a more powerful challenge. Tomomitsu Matsunaga had some fun keeping Oishi away from his corner when the going got tough. Sanshiro Takagi was also fired up and attempted a Coast To Coast Dropkick… where he just landed on his feet and then gave Oishi a regular Dropkick in the corner. He also took an Exploder Suplex from Jun Akiyama only to get back up and hit back with a Stunner. Akiyama came back later to Headbutt Matsunaga while Matsunaga had Naya in a Sharpshooter. Naya then purposely Choke Slammed Oishi onto Matsunaga for a near fall. Matsunaga also kicked out of a Running Knee Strike from Naya but was put down for good with The World’s Best Back Drop. Backstage Oishi said once Kaisei Takechi surpasses his then he will become a real pro wrestler.
A new wrestler was announced during the show to have joined DDT as a full time member of the roster. Masami Inahata is a 20 year old wrestler from Toyonaka City, Osaka who was formerly known as Thunder Masami in JTO. He only has a year’s worth of experience under his belt but announced in January he had graduated from his home promotion. What funny timing that this is happening so soon after his older brother Katsumi Inahata (formerly Fire Katsumi) went through a similar path from JTO to NOAH recently. Masami Inahata told the audience he has come to DDT because the company has many wrestlers his age here. His first match in DDT will take place on 22nd March.
When NωA Jr. finished their musical performance at the start of the show, Shunma Katsumata talked about his planned comeback from injury happening on 22nd March. He has someone in mind he wants his first match back to be against. It’s MAO! They have a lot of history together so it will mean a lot to Katsumata for MAO to be his opponent. MAO acted like he was going to attack his friend but instead he shook his hand and welcomed him back. He also said one of the reasons he left The 37KAMIINA was so he could fight Katsumata but the ACL injury happened to Katsumata before that could happen. MAO told him never to skip a match like that again and he’ll see him on 22nd March.
DDT “IMAIKE SAMBA 2026”, 07/02/2026 Aichi Imaike Gas Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Yuya Koroku & Yuni defeated Takeshi Masada & Hinata Kasai when Koroku submitted Kasai with the Modified Triangle Lancer (10:30).
2. Special Single Match: KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Antonio Honda with a Lariat (11:18).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul defeated Jun Akiyama, Akito & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Sasaki submitted Matsunaga with the Crossface Lock (10:16).
4. Imaike Rumble 2026: Naomi Yoshimura defeated Ilusion with the Harai-goshi (18:32).
*Order Of Elimination: Yukio Naya, Yuki Ueno, HARASHIMA, MAO, Danshoku Dieno, Pokotan, Chris Brookes, Kazuki Hirata, Yoshihiko and Ilusion.
5. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: To-y (5) defeated Daichi Sato (4) with a Frankensteiner (10:31).
6. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: Kazuma Sumi (6) defeated Yuki Ishida (3) with the School Boy (10:22).
Kazuma Sumi has booked his spot in the D GENERATIONS CUP final! The A Block wound up sorting itself out rather nicely at the end too. When it was time for the main event, Sumi only needed to beat Yuki Ishida to top the group. Ishida wouldn’t go down without a fight and even lunged forward to throw the Flame Palm after taking a Thrust Kick to the jaw. Sumi however countered that into the School Boy and pinned him down with as hard as he could to get the three count. He said he can now see the top of the mountain that everyone has been aiming for and will win the DGC no matter who he faces in the final.
The person who was most angry over the main event result was To-y. He still had a path to the final open when he beat Daichi Sato and needed Ishida to beat Sumi to set up a sudden death tiebreaker. He even sat at ringside to watch the main event but when Ishida lost, To-y stormed backstage and confronted him over the result. To-y blamed Ishida for knocking him out of the tournament and then brought up the time they went drinking together. Ishida got so drunk he convinced To-y to pay for the bill which turned out to cost him 40,000 yen! To-y is willing to settle this debt by offering Ishida a shot at the DDT Extreme Title. Ishida can get a title match on the condition that if he loses he must pay back To-y his 40,000 yen!
Pokotan made a bigger mark on the Imaike Rumble than expected. He ended up being involved with eliminating wrestlers like Yuki Ueno, HARASHIMA, Danshoku Dieno and Chris Brookes. Late in the match, Pokotan uncharacteristically gave Kazuki Hirata a Low Blow. He was then revealed to be Ilusion is disguise! Ilusion was already in the match so there must have been a point when he disappeared along with Pokotan, took over the mascot’s costume and then snuck back in. Despite his trick working, Ilusion wound up losing the match to Naomi Yoshimura. The prize Yoshimura received for winning the Rumble was some local uiro treats.
An illness has taken Junta Miyawaki out of this weekend’s shows. Tomomitsu Matsunaga is his substitute for both today and tomorrow.
DDT “MISSION IN BATTLE ~SHINSHUN KENRAN~”, 25/01/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Junta Miyawaki ended in a Time Limit Draw (15:00).
2. Ryuma Tsukamoto, Daichi Sato, Yuki Ishida, Ilusion & Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku, Yuni, Rukiya & Hinata Kasai when Sato pinned Masada with the PL (6:10).
3. Naomi Yoshimura & Kumadori defeated Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul when Yoshimura pinned Paul with the Harai-goshi (7:59).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ Yoshihiko Return Match: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Gaydo Clutch (0:06).
4a. Rematch: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Suzuki submitted Sasadango with an Arm Lock (0:05).
4b. Rematch: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Yoshihiko pinned Hirata with the Reincarnation (5:23).
5. Special Tag Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Jun Akiyama defeated HARASHIMA & To-y when Takeshita pinned To-y with the Wagamama (12:40).
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & KANON (c) (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya when KANON pinned Iino with the GURU-GURU Driver (15:35). *V3 for STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION.
7. KO-D Openweight Title & DDT Universal Title – Irregular 3 Way Match: Yuki Ueno (c/c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki Vs Chris Brookes
7a. DDT Universal Title: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Yuki Ueno (c) and Chris Brookes when Sasaki submitted Brookes with the Crossface Lock (16:14). *Yuki Ueno fails in V2. Daisuke Sasaki becomes the 20th DDT Universal Champion!
7b. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated Daisuke Sasaki and Chris Brookes when Ueno pinned Sasaki with the WR (10:05). *V5 for Yuki Ueno.
Double the danger, double the fun. Yuki Ueno had two potential challengers gunning him down for his championships so he decided to put the DDT Universal Title and the KO-D Openweight Title on the line one at a time in an unusual main event. It was a 3 Way Match consisting of two falls. The first had Ueno defending the Universal Title. Daisuke Sasaki wanted to form an alliance with Chris Brookes but it was short lived. Ueno was still at a disadvantage because his injured left leg was targeted by both challengers. Sasaki also had DAMNATION T.A in his corner and despite the other’s attempts to wipe them all out, they became a key factor for how the first fall ended. Sasaki got Brookes trapped in the Crossface Lock and DAMNATION T.A all grabbed onto Ueno to stop him from breaking the hold. Brookes had no choice but to tap out and Sasaki became the new Universal Champion!
Sasaki wasted no time when the second fall began and the KO-D Title became up for grabs. He immediately Speared Ueno through the ropes to the floor then returned to the ring to put Brookes back into the Crossface Lock. Brookes was able to escape and wound up double teaming Ueno with Sasaki by giving the KO-D Champ the Doomsday Device/Double Impact. Ueno got Brookes into the Blackout Sleeper but Ilusion distracted the ref so Sasaki could break the hold with a chair. Ueno got his own back when he turned Sasaki’s standing Crossface attempt on Brookes into the WR that flipped over both men. Ueno’s leg injury almost cost him the KO-D Title because he slipped while climbing the top turnbuckle. Brookes tried to pin Sasaki but both then got squashed by a Frog Splash from Ueno. Brookes was thrown out of the ring and Ueno had no one to stop him from pinning Sasaki with the WR to win the fall and remain KO-D Champion.
Ueno placed the Universal Title in front of Sasaki after the match and admitted he was disappointed overall because he lost one of his championships. He is now even more determined to keep defending the KO-D Title to make up for it. His next defence will be at DDT’s 29th Anniversary show on 22nd March. KIMIHIRO walked out to interrupt Ueno but it was just so he could introduce the man who wants to take DDT’s top spot, KANON! After he entered the ring, KANON explained he’s been with DDT for four years now and every day his love for the company grows. He understands Ueno is feeling a little heartbroken at the moment but he wants to be his next challenger. Ueno accepted the challenge because KANON still sees him as the pinnacle of DDT. However Ueno still remembers everything KANON did to him when he was a member of DAMNATION T.A so he expects KANON to bring everything he’s learned over the last four years into the match. They shook hands until KANON suddenly Clotheslined Ueno! His final message today is he is just that little bit stronger than Ueno. Backstage KANON explained to reporters that the first opponent to beat him after he joined DDT was Ueno so this challenge is going to be his revenge for what happened four years ago!
The show turned out to be a significant one for Strange Love Connection as a whole. They were able to defend the KO-D Tag Team Titles against The Apex and then absorbed the team into their group! Yuki Iino’s recent obsession over MAO couldn’t give him the extra edge in the end. He was able to Spear MAO after seeing Yukio Naya take the Michinoku Driver II but KANON knocked him down with a Lariat and then pinned him with the GURU-GURU Driver. KIMIHIRO and Yuzuki Hoshimoto were both there to congratulate the champs for a job well done after the match.
After the match, KANON told everyone that both teams have been acting like idiots for the last month in order to try and out-do each other. What he learned from this is that idiots are strong people and for that The Apex have earned his respect. Iino called that the ultimate compliment and even though he lost the match, he has now grown to love MAO & KANON! He then asked Naya if they could join SLC? MAO instantly agreed and started to wonder if Iino & Naya should now be called The Apex from STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION (just like THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE)? Even if they just remain as The Apex, SLC has now upgraded into becoming a unit and they now all want it to become the strongest not only in DDT but the entire pro wrestling world! That’s not all, MAO revealed backstage that he was already planning on introducing a new SLC member next month. He didn’t expect to add two new members today but now SLC is going to become a 5-Man unit! The fifth man will be revealed on 22nd February.
Plans had to change when Kaisei Takechi got a case of pink eye and was unable to wrestle on this show. His role in the big tag match now had to be filled by To-y. He took on the challenge with gusto, bringing the fight to both Konosuke Takeshita & Jun Akiyama while having HARASHIMA help out as his tag partner. Takeshita & Akiyama didn’t shy away from giving him a bashing but that led to To-y finding his inner fire and fighting back, scoring a nearfall on Takeshita with the Kojima Impact. Takeshita put a stop to that with the Last Ride counter of the Kojima In Wonderland followed by a Double Knee Strike with Akiyama. To-y kicked out of that along with the big Elbow Strike afterwards so Takeshita had to hit him with the Wagamama to put To-y away. Later To-y said he wants to keep on fighting even if he may never get another chance to face Takeshita again. But if it does happen he knows he can beat him! Takeshita told him that meeting Akiyama played a role in his current success and he wouldn’t be where he is today without him. So he understands how important it was for To-y to fight him today. He believes To-y will one day inherit his strength just like how he inherited Akiyama’s.
I regret to inform everyone that the “Suzuki Incident” of 2021 was repeated today. While Minoru Suzuki was making his entrance for his match, Danshoku Dieno and Kazuki Hirata jumped the gun and began to wrestle. Dieno then immediately pinned Hirata with the Gaydo Clutch to end the match before Suzuki could even make it to the ring apron. Hisaya Imabayashi was understandably mad because the fans couldn’t sing along to “Kaze Ni Nare”. Suzuki was also annoyed because his entrance was going to take up 80% of the match anyway. The match restarted so Suzuki could do his entrance but this time Super Sasadango Machine tried to jump him. Suzuki immediately pulled him into an Arm Lock to make Sasadango tap out. Now Imabayashi was upset the match ended before Yoshihiko could make it to the ring. He even dared to get into an argument with Suzuki over it without backing down! Another restart took place so Yoshihiko could make an entrance and it even stopped Suzuki from immediately beating Antonio Honda. The match then continued with Dieno and Honda’s usual comedy until Yoshihiko pinned Hirata with the Reincarnation. Suzuki then dragged Yoshihiko along the floor as he left ringside. He remembers beating this thing half to death in Las Vegas almost a year ago. Dieno explained that Suzuki and Yoshihiko are linked together because they understand each other so well. Suzuki doesn’t believe him.
Meanwhile Imabayashi wanted Hirata to stay behind in the ring because he had an announcement to make. Hirata is going to have a singles match with Takeshita on 22nd March! Hirata was not happy with the announcement but talked himself into taking the match. If Takeshita the worldwide star wants to wrestle him then Hirata from Adachi Ward will be ready! He is sure Takeshita will beat him many times over but he promises he will make it hard for Takeshita to do so.
Although Kumadori has settled his feud with Ilusion, he is back in DDT to wrestle DAMNATION T.A some more. Ilusion was still there to give Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul a helping hand. Okatani also attacked Naomi Yoshimura with his bamboo stick until Kumadori came to save the day. With the coast clear, Yoshimura recovered to throw Paul over with the Harai-goshi to put the cheaters back in their place.
To-y being bumped up to the Special Tag Match meant the 10-Man tag was slightly changed. Ryoma Tsukamoto took his place to keep it within the D GENERATIONS scope. The match also featured Irish referee Niall Fox as the official for the match. What’s he doing over there? Anyway the match had NωA Jr. members Kazuma Sumi and Yuni face off against each other, Yuki Ishida pushing others around with his sumo moves, Rukiya trying to give Ilusion the Protobomb, Ilusion attacking Hinata Kasai with a chair and Yuya Koroku then knocking out Ilusion with an Elbow Strike. The match came down to Takeshi Masada and Daichi Sato where Sato caught Masada with the Fire Thunder and then pin him out of nowhere with a Penalty Kick. Backstage Tsukamoto predicted Sato will go on to win the D GENERATIONS CUP completely undefeated.
Not only did Junta Miyawaki got to wrestle his idol Shinya Aoki but he went the distance against him too. They fought to a 15 minute draw in the opening match that was built around joint locks and pinning attempts. After a few close calls, Miyawaki hit a dive out of the ring and got to counter a Sleeper Hold into a Modified Sunshine Driver. Aoki turned the pinfall over though to continue the back and forth action until he was put in a Crab Hold and had to fight to reach the ropes. The two then fought over the Aoki Clutch for the final moments of the match before the bell rang. Miyawaki said he was able to absorb a lot from Aoki today and he still looks up to him despite slapping away Aoki’s handshake in frustration after the match. Aoki praised him for having incredible spirit and determination. He wonders why wrestlers as good as they are were put in the opener? They need to aim higher because he thinks they’re not the kind of wrestlers to be curtain jerking.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 