DDT Around The World – February 2026

March 1, 2026

Phew! Finally made it through the month with a lot more clearer pictures to look at. Konosuke Takeshita has moved on from the Kazuchika Okada feud to become a focal point in the rivalry between The Don Callis Family and the Death Riders. Takeshita against Jon Moxley is the destination while bringing in a variety of wrestlers for some good trios bouts in the process. I’ve been happy watching this feud so far because the matches have been constantly good and highlighting some of the AEW wrestlers I really like. However Okada is still making moves in the background because he might have just stolen Takeshita’s tag partner! He only just formed ProtOkada with Kyle Fletcher this past week which should eventually add another layer to Takeshita’s story with The Family.

Next up we go to Tokyo Joshi Pro and their ever increasing international schedule. After a lot of hullabaloo that had driven me crazy, the return to Las Vegas was finally confirmed to be real. That can be added to the Texas tour, the Vancouver tour and also a show in Italy all coming up in the next couple of months (and maybe more). With that being said, the ticket sales for the Texas tour so far look dismal from what people can find online and the savvy marketing work done by Tokyo Story USA is almost nowhere to be seen this time around. We may be due some harsh lessons this time around, like how maybe last year’s success really did just come from holding the shows next to a big destination wrestling event.

Elsewhere this month some of the TJPW wrestlers have lost their championships. Shoko Nakajima and K!SS// went on their travels and came back home missing their titles. Things fared better for the DDT wrestlers when it comes to gaining or keeping their gold. Now heading into March we have Miyu Yamashita embarking on another excursion, WrestleMania Week all of a sudden getting stuffed with TJPW appearances to look forward to and Daisuke Sasaki is off to North America for a while.

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Videos

Konosuke Takeshita In AEW Playlist


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 04/02/2026
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Jon Moxley, PAC & Daniel Garcia (w/ Marina Shafir) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & El Clon


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 11/02/2026
Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & Mark Davis Vs Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & PAC (w/ Marina Shafir)


AEW “GRAND SLAM AUSTRALIA”, 14/02/2026
Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

1. AEW Continental Title: Jon Moxley (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita

SETUP “REAL GLOBAL IMPACT”, 21/02/2026
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand


1. IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles: Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami (c) Vs Monomoth & Matcha


2. IWA Japan SETUP World Title: Shivam (c) Vs Chris Brookes


AEW “COLLISION”, 21/02/2026
Frontwave Arena, Oceanside, California, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Davis & El Clon Vs Jon Moxley, PAC & Wheeler Yuta (w/ Marina Shafir)


NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING”, 27/02/2026
CURE Insurance Arena, Trenton, New Jersey, USA
2,605 Fans

1. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) Vs KONOSUKE TAKESHITA


Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita can’t wait until AEW Revolution! | AEW Collision, 2/28/26

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Results


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 04/02/2026
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & El Clon defeated Jon Moxley, PAC & Daniel Garcia (w/ Marina Shafir) when Takeshita pinned Garcia with the Raging Fire (13:18).

The current storyline Takeshita is in is a stable war going on between The Don Callis Family and the Death Riders that’s become the backbone of AEW’s mid-card on TV. He and Moxley had plenty of battles against each other this month in 6-Man Tags. Takeshita scored first blood when he teamed with Josh Alexander & El Clon (the evil doppelganger of Hologram) to beat Moxley, PAC & Daniel Garcia. Things could have gone the other way when Garcia put Takeshita in the Dragon Tamer (Sharpshooter) submission hold and Moxley then Curb Stomped him. But Alexander broke the pin and Takeshita got his wind back to slam Garcia. Tandem trios moves from The Family couldn’t keep Garcia down until Takeshita dropped him with the Raging Fire.


MLW “LUCHA APOCALYPTO”, 07/02/2026
Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, USA

1. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Shotzi Blackheart defeated Shoko Nakajima (c) (?:??).
*Shoko Nakajima fails in V7. Shotzi Blackheart becomes the 6th MLW Women’s World Featherweight Champion!

By the time this is posted, all I know about this MLW taping is Shoko Nakajima lost the MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title to Shotzi Blackheart. Since then there hasn’t been a word about when the match will air. MLW are really taking their time putting their next batch of episodes together.


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 11/02/2026
Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA

1. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & PAC (w/ Marina Shafir) defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander & Mark Davis when Moxley pinned Alexander with the Death Rider (15:05).

The next trios match had Claudio Castagnoli replacing Garcia and Mark Davis switching in for El Clon. This time Moxley was in danger of losing the match to the teamwork of The Family until PAC came to the rescue. Castagnoli cut off Takeshita with a European Uppercut, giving Moxley the opening to catch Alexander in a Read Naked Choke, wearing him down enough to give him the Death Rider for the victory.


AEW “GRAND SLAM AUSTRALIA”, 14/02/2026
Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

1. AEW Continental Title: Jon Moxley (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
*V1 for Jon Moxley.

When it was finally time for Moxley and Takeshita to settle their differences one on one in Australia, time wound up running out for them. With the AEW Continental Title on the line, rules were strictly in place to make sure no interference would be allowed. It ended up going to a stalemate. Moxley giving Takeshita a Curb Stomp onto the apron didn’t keep him out of the ring long enough to get counted out. Neither the Powerdrive Knee or the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex was enough to pin Moxley for a three count. Takeshita kicked out of the Death Rider and the two continued throwing bombs at each other until the bell rang. Takeshita was seconds away from performing the Raging Fire so he went ahead and did it anyway after the match was over.


AEW “HOUSE RULES AUSTRALIA”, 15/02/2026
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall, Queensland, Australia

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated Dalton Castle with the Powerdrive Knee (10:47).

Brisbane had extra action for Takeshita during his stay there. AEW ran a rare house show the next day and Takeshita was on it wrestling Dalton Castle for the first time ever. Before the match began Don Callis had Castle’s buddies The Outrunners sent away from ringside because they did not have a manager’s license recognized by the state of Australia. Callis got some cheap shots in on Castle at ringside while the crowds chanted bald jokes at him. Castle fought his way back to give Takeshita the Bangarang for a nearfall but a well timed Elbow Strike gave Takeshita the momentum needed to eventually win the match.


SETUP “REAL GLOBAL IMPACT”, 21/02/2026
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand

1. IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles: Monomoth & Matcha defeated Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami (c) when Matcha pinned Toribami with the Saito Suplex (12:41).
*K!SS// fails in V2. Monomoth & Matcha become the 6th IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Champions!
2. IWA Japan SETUP World Title: Shivam (c) Vs Chris Brookes ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
*V2 for Shivam.

There were two big title matches to follow over in Thailand for SETUP this month. Chris Brookes challenged Shivam for the IWA Japan SETUP World Title despite both men belonging to the same group, Real Global Threat. In a result that became something of a trend for a lot of title matches I’m writing about in this article, the match latest the full twenty minute time limit and went to a draw. Brookes demanded a restart and called Pumi Boonyatud into the ring to make it happen. But it was all a trap so Brookes could knock out Pumi with a slap! Shivam then got on the microphone to praise Brookes for caring about pro wrestlers like him before attacking Pumi some more until Monomoth ran them out of the ring.

Meanwhile Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami’s reign as IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Champions has come to an end. K!SS// went to Thailand for a big title defence against SETUP’s other two singles champions Monomoth & Matcha. Both teams fought their hardest over the titles until it came down to Toribami against Matcha in the ring. Yamashita dealt with Monomoth by Skull Kicking him off the ring apron but Toribami’s attempt at the Sento Choryu was blocked by Matcha’s knees. Matcha then fought to give Toribami the Saito Suplex, pinning her while a dazed Monomoth held onto Yamashita long enough to prevent her from breaking the count. K!SS// accepted defeat and shook hands with the new champions after the match.


AEW “COLLISION”, 21/02/2026
Frontwave Arena, Oceanside, California, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Davis & El Clon defeated Jon Moxley, PAC & Wheeler Yuta (w/ Marina Shafir) when Takeshita pinned Yuta with the Raging Fire (14:33).

Since nothing was solved in Australia, the feud between The Family and the Death Riders continued with more 6-Man Tag Matches. Wheeler Yuta was now brought into the fold wrestling in a beanie hat because he recently lost his hair in a wager match. Also Marina Shafir was now getting into the thick of things. She’s been at ringside for most of the matches in this feud and got physically involved this time to stop Davis from using a chair. Yuta was enthusiastic to try and get the win on Takeshita until he was hit with a Pump Kick followed by the Elbow Strike. El Clon wiped out the rest of the Death Riders, allowing Takeshita to pin Yuta with the Raging Fire. Moxley confronted him after the match and thanks to others trying to get in the way, he caught Takeshita off guard and gave him the Paradigm Shift.


PPW/BZW “FRIDAY NIGHT BANGER”, 27/02/2026
PPW Training Facility, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

1. BZW Tag Team Titles: MAO & Yoshihiko (c) defeated Liam Slater & HMD (?:??).
*V7 for MAO & Yoshihiko.

It’s been so long since I last heard about the BZW Tag Team Titles that I wasn’t sure if MAO & Yoshihiko were still the champions. Turns out they are and they travelled all the way to England for their latest defence. MAO was over there to take part in training seminars and brought Yoshihiko over so they could wrestle on a show co-promoted by BZW and Pursuit Pro Wrestling. They defeated Liam Slater & HMD to retain the gold.


NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING”, 27/02/2026
CURE Insurance Arena, Trenton, New Jersey, USA
2,605 Fans

1. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) Vs KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (w/ Rocky Romero) ended in a Time Limit Draw (15:00).
1a. Overtime: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated El Phantasmo (c) with the Raging Fire (2:43).
*El Phantasmo fails in V7. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA becomes the 10th NJPW World TV Champion!

Another title match and another time limit draw for Takeshita. Although this time he got a chance to make up for it. New Japan returned to America with a fresh attempt at running a big show in the country. Having El Phantasmo and Takeshita go at it with the NJPW World TV Title again was one of the big bouts of the show. They pretty much played the hits until ELP gave Takeshita a taste of his own medicine by using the Raging Fire on him! However the bell rang right afterwards to announce the match ended in a tie. ELP got on the microphone and talked about how much time limit draws suck and demanded the match to restart for another five minutes. Takeshita considered walking out with Rocky Romero next to him but turned around and got the match going again. This time Takeshita gave ELP the CR II, using the champion’s own finisher against him. ELP kicked out and snuck in a Crucifix Pin for a nearfall but Takeshita hit back and won the match with the Raging Fire. Now a champion in NJPW again, Takeshita thinks the company wants him to raise the value of the NJPW World TV Title.

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Upcoming Appearances


EVE “WOMEN BEHAVING BADLY #IWD2026”, 06/03/2026
Big Penny Social, London, England

1. Jamie Hayter Vs Miyu Yamashita

We’re at the time of year where Yamashita goes travelling everywhere. Europe is the next up for her with EVE as an important destination. Her first of two EVE bookings for March has her facing Jamie Hayter in a much anticipated singles match.


RCW SPAIN “HELL GIRLS DELUXE”, 07/03/2026
Casinet de Hostafrancs, Barcelona, Spain

1. Nightshade Vs Miyu Yamashita

Yamashita then goes over to Spain the next day for a return to RCW Spain. Her opponent Nightshade has done tours with TJPW in the past but this will be the first time these two will be in a match together.


EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM VIII”, 08/03/2026
Indigo At The O2, London, England

1. Sudden Death Sixteen: Alexxis Falcon Vs DASH Chisako Vs Jamie Hayter Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs Amale Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X Vs X

Then the day after that Yamashita goes back to London for EVE’s most important show they’ve probably ever put on. She is entering a Sudden Death Sixteen match which seems to be the next step in promoters trying to make their own Royal Rumble. It’s the Casino Gauntlet match where the first fall crowns the winner outright but you can still be eliminated before then by going over the top rope to the floor. The winner gets to challenge for any of EVE’s championships.


PPW “HARDCORE FRIDAY THE 13TH”, 13/03/2026
TOKYO SQUARE In Itabashi

1. Chris Brookes Vs Gabriel Queen

Given all of the international work Brookes has been involved with lately, he is seeing the world like a wrestling buffet. Coming up soon on the menu is Gabriel Queen.


AEW “REVOLUTION”, 15/03/2026
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. AEW Continental Title – No Time Limit: Jon Moxley (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita

Not long to wait until Moxley and Takeshita go at it again. This time there will be no time limit in place so a winner should be guaranteed… unless we get a double countout or double knockout…


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – AUSTIN DAY 1”, 17/03/2026
Palmer Events Center, Austin, Texas, USA

The wrestlers announced to appear on this tour are Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi, Hyper Misao, Raku, Yuki Aino, Suzume, Pom Harajuku, Arisu Endo, Yuki Arai, Kaya Toribami, Shino Suzuki, Mifu Ashida and Uta Takami.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – AUSTIN DAY 2”, 18/03/2026
Palmer Events Center, Austin, Texas, USA

The American and any other international talent for the tour have not been announced yet.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – DALLAS”, 21/03/2026
College Park Center, Arlington, Texas, USA

They better start announcing stuff soon because the ticket seat map for this show is currently looking grim.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE – HOUSTON”, 22/03/2026
POST Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

It took a while but Tokyo Story USA confirmed the date and location of the Houston show. TJPW will be back at the POST Houston on 22nd March.


ROH/MLP “GLOBAL WARS”, 27/03/2026
St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs X

There is a good chance Daisuke Sasaki will be bringing the DDT Universal Title with him to North America. We have to wait and see if he can defend it at DDT’s Anniversary show first before we find out what plans he has for this trip.


MLP “UPRISING”, 28/03/2026
St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs X

I haven’t really thought about what Maple Leaf Pro going to do with Sasaki for the ROH weekend.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “VANCOUVER PREMIERE – DAY 1”, 11/04/2026
Great Canadian Hastings Racecourse & Casino, Vancouver, BC, Canada

The wrestlers announced to appear on the Canada tour are Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Miyu Yamashita, Yuki Arai, Suzume, Raku, Pom Harajuku, Kaya Toribami, HIMAWARI, Toga, Shino Suzuki and Uta Takami.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “VANCOUVER PREMIERE – DAY 2”, 12/04/2026
Great Canadian Hastings Racecourse & Casino, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Like with the Texas tour above, they best start announcing matches soon because tickets haven’t been flying off the shelves for either tour. I hope Sayuri Namba isn’t betting the house on this.


PODER~! “PODERMANIA~!”, 15/04/2026
Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. International Tag Team Match: Amira & Lil Marz Vs Toga & Jazzy Yang

The big clue this month that TJPW was going to Vegas came from Toga unexpectedly got booked for the eighth annual “PODER~!” show that is put together by Edward Loredo, aka “Ed In San Antonio” of F4W Board infamy. Toga is going to team with Jazzy Yang, the daughter of Jimmy Wang Yang. Together they will take on Amira from America and Lil Marz from Australia for an international tag showcase.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LAS VEGAS 2026”, 16/04/2026
Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Ta-da! It was happening all along! TJPW adds even more to their growing international schedule by going back to Las Vegas for Mania Weekend. This time instead of working with The Collective, they have joined a new collection of shows called Slam Fest that is being put together by the Paragon Talent Agency. The move keeps the show at Palms Casino and now has TJPW siding with Stardom, CMLL, House Of Glory and MLP for the week. I doubt we’re going to see any significant crossovers but you never know when it comes to events like this.

The Japanese talent coming to Vegas are Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Hyper Misao, Raku, Yuki Aino, Suzume, Pom Harajuku, Yuki Arai, Kaya Toribami, Shino Suzuki, HIMAWARI, Toga and Uta Takami.


“DEATH VEGAS INVITACIONAL”, 16/04/2026
Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs X

This is the show I’m personally most looking forward to at Mania Week. El Desperado is hosting another “Invitacional” show, continuing the death match theme of the previous one and also bringing it to America for the first time. The first couple of wrestlers announced are from Japan, the latest of whom being Daisuke Sasaki! There’s also been a hint from Mizuki Watase that he might be on the card too because he recently said he will be travelling to USA in April to wrestle in a death match.


GCW “JOSH BARNETT’S BLOODSPORT XV”, 17/04/2026
Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

So far Yamashita is the only woman announced for Bloodsport and I’m not expecting an intergender fight to happen.


PRIDESTYLE “OUT OF THIS WORLD”, 17/04/2026
Bizarre Bar, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

1. Special Single Match: Taniya Vs Miu Watanabe

The week gives Miu Watanabe another chance to spread her wings a little and wrestle on an American indie show. This time she’s popping over to PrideStyle where she faces Taniya, the current holder of the PrideStyle New Wave World Title. So far it hasn’t been said if the championship will be on the line.


SAJ “SAJ X TJPW”, 26/04/2026
Centro Sport Cesate, Milan, Italy

More details have emerged for TJPW’s trip to Italy to join up with friends from SAJ Wrestling. The Japanese contingent will include Miyu Yamashita, Hyper Misao, Shoko Nakajima and Yuki Aino. There will be wrestlers not just from Italy but also across Europe taking part too.

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Posted by JamieOD

Video – ELP Vs Brookes From “WRESTLE KINGDOM 20”

January 10, 2026


NJPW “SANSEI R&D PRESENTS WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 IN TOKYO DOME – HIROSHI TANAHASHI RETIREMENT”, 01/04/2026
Tokyo Dome
46,913 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

0. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) Vs Chris Brookes

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Takeshita, Brookes And Takechi All Lose At Wrestle Kingdom 20

January 4, 2026

NJPW “SANSEI R&D PRESENTS WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 IN TOKYO DOME – HIROSHI TANAHASHI RETIREMENT”, 01/04/2026
Tokyo Dome
46,913 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

0. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) defeated Chris Brookes with the Super Thunder Kiss ’86 (11:48).
*V6 for El Phantasmo.
1. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Tornado Rambo: Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson defeated Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin when Sabre pinned Boltin with the European Clutch (20:43).
Order Of Elimination: Yuto-Ice/OSKAR/Clark Conners, Tiger Mask/Togi Makabe/Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomohiro Ishii/Taichi/Satoshi Kojima and Shota Umino/Yuya Uemura/Kaisei Takechi, Toru Yano/YOH/Master Wato (c), Ren Narita/SANADA/Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Hirooki Goto/YOSHI-HASHI/Oleg Boltin.
*Toru Yano, YOH & Master Wato fail in V4. TMDK become the 32nd NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
6. IWGP World Heavyweight Title & IWGP Global Heavyweight Title: Yota Tsuji (c/g) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c/w) with a Crab Hold (29:20).
*V2 for Yota Tsuji. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA fails in V2. Yota Tsuji becomes the 15th IWGP World Heavyweight Champion!

It was all set up for DDT to hijack one of the biggest wrestling events to happen in years but in the end it was all dashed away. Oh well at least New Japan made all of the right moves to help take care of their own problems. On the day that Hiroshi Tanahashi ended his legendary wrestling career, Konosuke Takeshita was there in the semi-final of the Tokyo Dome taking part in a double championship match against Yota Tsuji. Takeshita was putting the IWGP World Heavyweight Title on the line while Tsuji was defending the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title. Instead of wearing the “blessed” kneepad from yesterday’s DDT show, Takeshita had a different costume on that included a red bandana wrapped around his arm. It was later confirmed to belong to Shinsuke Nakamura who couldn’t be there on the night. The grand battle came down to Takeshita and Tsuji charging into each other, Wagamama versus Gene Blaster. The Gene Blast won out but rather than go for the pin, Tsuji instead put Takeshita in the Crab Hold to make him tap out! Takeshita admitted defeat afterwards but knows he can get stronger and climb higher. According to him, this is just the beginning.

Kaisei Takechi’s appearance in the Tornado Rambo match turned out to be rather pointless. He got to make a big entrance along with the rest of THE RAMPAGE with a live performance of the song “BREAK IT DOWN”. However the rules of the match resulted in his team’s elimination happening in a rather uneventful manner. Yuya Uemura and Taichi eliminated each other double Battle Royal style, meaning both of their teams were taken out of the match too. It wasn’t really a good showcase for Takechi, Uemura or Shota Umino in anyway outside of THE RAMPAGE entrance. Takechi wants to team up with the others again because he regrets how little they did in the match. Then maybe after that he could fight against them too.

The pre-show match allowed Chris Brookes to bring some SCHADENFREUDE International energy into the Tokyo Dome. With the likes of Antonio Honda, Baliyan Akki, Munetatsu Nakamura and Bunbun on his side, Brookes got to pull out the rubber band spot that stretched all the way up the Tokyo Dome entrance ramp. El Phantasmo had too much fight in him though and he kicked out of the Praying Mantis Bomb. Brookes kicked out of the CRIII but ELP quickly hit him with the Super Thunder Kiss ’86 to successfully defend the NJPW World TV Title. Backstage ELP talked about how a decade ago Brookes was one of the few wrestlers to give him a hand while he was touring the UK and that always meant a lot to him. He also talked about how the health scare Brookes had last year is what led to him finding out about his own cancer diagnosis months later. For that he will be forever greatful to Brookes. He also predicts 2026 is going to be a crazy year for pro wrestling in Japan and today they got to give everyone a taste of what it could be like.

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Takechi Finds His Wrestle Kingdom Team, Brookes Challenges ELP For NJPW TV Title

December 22, 2025

NJPW “SANSEI R&D PRESENTS WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 IN TOKYO DOME – HIROSHI TANAHASHI RETIREMENT”, 01/04/2026
Tokyo Dome

0. NJPW World TV Title: El Phantasmo (c) Vs Chris Brookes
1. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Tornado Rambo: Toru Yano, YOH & Master Wato (c) Vs Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin Vs Ren Narita, SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru Vs Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi Vs Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura & Kaisei Takechi
7. IWGP World Heavyweight Title & IWGP Global Heavyweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c/w) Vs Yota Tsuji (c/g)

Some DDT filled surprises appeared at today’s New Japan show in Korakuen Hall. It was the final NJPW event of 2025 as well as the go home show for “WRESTLE KINGDOM 20” in the Tokyo Dome. The first surprise happened after the opening match. El Phantasmo had just successfully defended the NJPW World TV Title against Ryusuke Taguchi in an open challenge when Christmas music began to play. Santa Claus (looking very Tatsuya Matsumoto shaped) walked down to the ring with a present for ELP. The champion opened it up to reveal Bunbun was inside it! Chris Brookes suddenly appeared in the ring, gave ELP a Low Blow and attacked both Santa as well as Jado the reindeer. Brookes got on the microphone and said even though they are good friends, he has to take an opportunity like this. ELP is always looking for challengers so Brookes is challenging him for the NJPW TV Title at the Tokyo Dome! He gave Phantasmo the Praying Mantis Bomb before telling everyone that things are going to change in 2026, starting with Brookes winning the TV Title.

There was another DDT related appearance a few matches later. The House Of Torture had just won a 10-Man Tag Match in dominating fashion and they continued to beat down their opponents afterwards. Kaisei Takechi unexpectedly got into the ring to try and put a stop to things, receiving some help from Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura to chase them off. When things calmed down, Umino joked if this means Takechi will be showing up at the Tokyo Dome (he’s already booked). Takechi told Umino he always wanted to wrestle him and they could team up with Uemura to enter the Tornado Rambo together. Uemura said it takes more than just looking cool to wrestle in a New Japan ring but if that’s what Takechi wants, he is up for going after the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Titles with them.

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Team DDT Gets Purged By House Of Torture

November 19, 2025

NJPW “NIGHT OF THE PURGE ~PURGE NIGHT OF TORTURE~”, 07/10/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,481 Fans – No Vacancy

4. SANADA, DOUKI & SHO defeated Yuki Ueno, Akito & Kaisei Takechi by Referee Stoppage when DOUKI used the Italian Stretch No. 32 on Akito (16:08).

A few DDT wrestlers were given an invite to a dangerous event held in a New Japan ring. The House Of Torture are the latest act in the company who got to run a vanity show of their own, following in the footsteps of El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori. But while the previous shows were put together for the sake of having crazy ideas come to life, today’s event had a more evil (or should I say EVIL) motive. The House Of Torture had a list of wrestlers they wanted to purge for one reason or another and EVIL wanted to see Kaisei Takechi in particular be punished for his success.

SHO started things off by making fun of THE RAMPAGE and called everyone on Takechi’s team a bunch of country bumpkins. Akito then got under SHO’s skin by pointing out that SHO may be hiding his true feelings but he is taking everything in this match seriously. The proof is right there in how much he prepared his speech to introduce each wrestler on the team to the audience. Also you don’t get a physique with low body fat like that without some serious training.

The House ended up getting the last laugh with a destructive victory over the DDT team. SANADA broke a guitar over Yuki Ueno’s head while DOUKI used the Italian Stretch No. 32 on Akito, holding onto him with a tight grip. SHO added extra damage by hitting Akito over the head with a tray while he was stuck in the hold, leading the referee to stop the match for Akito’s safety and declare HOT the winners. The team then added extra insult to injury by attacked Takechi after the bell, holding him upside down with his legs split apart so SANADA could karate chop him in the crotch.

Backstage DOUKI said that just because Takechi is good looking, has a great body and can do super cool moves that doesn’t mean he is a match for HOT. All of his lame fans who support THE RAMPAGE shouldn’t underestimate pro wrestling! The same goes for anyone who thinks DDT and NJPW are on the same level. However Ueno noticed there was a giant glint in DOUKI’s eye while they were wrestling each other because the two of them used to train together in DDT’s old dojo ten years ago. With that being said there is only on wrestler in NJPW that makes Ueno’s heart flutter and that’s Hiromu Takahashi. If Ueno ever comes back to New Japan, he will be on the lookout for him. Meanwhile Takechi stepped forward under his own volition and told reporters he wants to have a match with Hiroshi Tanahashi somewhere before Tanahashi’s retirement takes place.

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Takeshita Defends IWGP Title Against Goto, Heading To Double Title Match At The Tokyo Dome

November 7, 2025

NJPW “HIROSHI TANAHASHI ~ FINAL HOMECOMING”, 02/11/2025
Gifu Memorial Center Deai Dome
3,742 Fans – No Vacancy

8. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) defeated Hirooki Goto with the Raging Fire (24:20).
*V1 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.

Last weekend Konosuke Takeshita recorded his first successful defence of the IWGP World Heavyweight Title, beating former champion Hirooki Goto in a rematch from the 2024 G1 Climax. For Goto it was his chance to reclaim the title he lost earlier this year when he physically reached his limit. Now back from an injury (and from filming a Street Fighter movie where played the role of as E. Honda), Goto stepped up to be Takeshita’s first challenger. Takeshita wound up blocking the Goto Revolution, knocked him back with the big Elbow Strike, stunned Goto with the Wagamama and pinned him with the Raging Fire for the win.

NJPW “SANSEI R&D PRESENTS WRESTLE KINGDOM 20 IN TOKYO DOME – HIROSHI TANAHASHI RETIREMENT”, 01/04/2026
Tokyo Dome

1. IWGP World Heavyweight Title & IWGP Global Heavyweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c/w) Vs Yota Tsuji (c/g)

Takeshita’s path to the Tokyo Dome for 4th January is now clear. All he needed next was a challenger. Yota Tsuji answered the call carrying a championship of his own. He challenged Takeshita to a double title match with the IWGP World Title and IWGP Global Heavyweight Title both on the line. For both men the match is the final destination for their respective journeys all happening under the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi.

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Takeshita Becomes The IWGP Champion!

October 13, 2025

NJPW “KING OF PRO-WRESTLING 2025”, 13/10/2025
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
5,372 Fans

9. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (c) with the Wagamama (31:16).
*Zack Sabre Jr. fails in V3. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA becomes the 14th IWGP World Heavyweight Champion!

He did it! After winning the G1 Climax during the summer, Konosuke Takeshita has now taken the next step up and has won the IWGP World Heavyweight Title! He went into today’s show having a 1-1 singles record with Zack Sabre Jr. coming out of the G1. Now was the big rubber match with New Japan’s top championship on the line. Sabre tried to break Takeshita down limb by limb and the damage he inflicted prevented Takeshita from capitalizing on some possible comebacks. However he was able to survive being tangled into submission holds and relied on those big impact moves to take their toll on Sabre. With both wrestlers reaching their limit, a spent Takeshita took Sabre’s wind out of his sails with German Suplexes before catching him unaware with a Reverse Hurricanrana. Takeshita then decided to pull down his own kneepad and hit a raw Wagamama knee strike that kept Sabre down for the pin count.

While Takeshita was making a promise to Sabre after the match about protecting the IWGP Title, he noticed the reaction in Sumo Hall to his victory was mixed. Takeshita acknowledged there are New Japan fans who aren’t happy to see him become the champion and is certain some of the wrestlers in the company feel the same way. He called for anyone to come down and challenge him. Hirooki Goto answered the call and entered the ring. Goto said Takeshita knew this would be coming because he wants to win the IWGP Title again. Takeshita was surprised to see Goto because he expected one of the younger NJPW wrestlers to challenge him first. However he has unfinished business with Goto from last year’s G1 tournament and he is not going to start following Goto’s revolution, so he accepts the challenge. Backstage Takeshita told reporters that winning the championship is not his end goal. He wants to defend the championship at the Tokyo Dome but is not taking that position for granted. That’s why he wants his title defence against Goto to take place before “WRESTLE KINGDOM 20”.

———————————————————————–

Can you guess how much I’m beaming with joy right now? I’ve been following this guy’s career since the beginning so to see him go from winning the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title in DDT before his debut to winning the IWGP Title in New Japan just has me feeling delighted right now. But there’s quite a number of NJPW fans out there who aren’t in a celebratory mood over this result like I am. NJPW has had a cold year and Takeshita’s presence when he is there isn’t doing anything to help warm it up. One common complaint are that it’s because he only shows up for the big events and is nowhere to be seen on the tour loops. Another is that Takeshita’s presentation hasn’t caught on with the fans. Try as he might to act like he’s about to be crowned Japan’s next big star, he still comes off as an outsider to the company’s fanbase. An obvious answer to this problem is to lean into that and have Takeshita play the role of the new boss monster for NJPW’s stars to eventually take down. But New Japan themselves haven’t committed to that idea ever since the halfway point of the G1 when Takeshita switched to acting more like a face wanting to unite the wrestling world instead of dominating it all as “The Alpha”.

Takeshita as IWGP Champion is also now the focal point of an issue that is dividing two specific fanbases, the relationship between New Japan and AEW. How far you lean into being a fan of one or the other opens up different paths. For the AEW fan there is fun to be had fantasy booking what happens next with Takeshita in The Don Callis Family, especially since he is currently involved in a slow build storyline with Kazuchika Okada. Both men are now champions and they just so happen to have a chance this upcoming weekend to win the AEW World Tag Team Titles together. They win and that’s a pretty amazing tag team you got there. They lose and we’ll likely get the next chapter in the story where Takeshita gets kicked out of the Family and turns face in AEW.

New Japan fans though do not give a shit about from what I’ve seen of their responses online. They’re sick of seeing their company playing second fiddle in this relationship and they don’t want a repeat of Jon Moxley’s title reign where the champ was absent from a couple of tours in Japan only to take part in a throw away title defence with zero build on AEW TV. I bet tempers will flare even hotter if the brand new IWGP Champion was to immediately take a pinfall loss on PPV less than a week later even if it was all part of an angle to turn (big) babyface. They’re also sick of AEW fans fantasy booking Takeshita Vs Okada for the IWGP Title at the Tokyo Dome. I myself am not expecting that match to happen mainly because Okada has almost completely avoided doing anything New Japan related ever since he jumped ship to AEW. There’s been his appearances at “FORBIDDEN DOOR” this year and last and I think that’s been it.

As for me? I’m soaking in the moment. One of my favorite wrestlers in now a top champion and chances are I’m going to see him defend the belt at the Tokyo Dome this 4th January. That’s my boy!

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DDT In NJPW And GLEAT This Week

October 9, 2025

NJPW “THE REEVE PRESENTS SUPERHUMAN TAIJI ISHIMORI GETS EVEN MORE RIDICULOUS”, 07/10/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,462 Fans – No Vacancy

0. PRE BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (1) Vs Daiki Nagai, Katsuya Murashima & Jun Kasai (1)
1. 120 Minute Iron Man Rumble: Taiji Ishimori ended with a score of 11 Wins and 10 Defeats.
1a. SECRET BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (2) Vs Jun Kasai, Muhammed Yone, LEONA, Atsushi Kotoge, Shiro Koshinaka, Dump Matsumoto & Jun Akiyama (7).
*Ishimori’s Reserves: Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei.
1b. Arai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Presents TOHOKU BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (3) Vs Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH, TAKA Michinoku, Dick Togo, The Great Sasuke, Shuji Ishikawa & MAO (9)
*Ishimori’s Reserve: Taro Nohashi
1c. Brain Cubic Inc. Presents MUSCLE BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (6) Vs YOH, MAO, Titán, SHO, Koju Takeda, Hyo, Boltin Oleg, Ryohei Oiwa & Drilla Moloney (9)
1d. Mimura Komatsu Law Office Presents DRAGON BLOCK: Taiji Ishimori (11) Vs MAO, Shun Skywalker, KAGETORA, Dragon Dia, Ryuji Ito, Shingo Takagi, Tatsumi Fujinami & Hiratimo Dragon (Kazuki Hirata) (10)
1e. FINAL MUCHA: Taiji Ishimori defeated Gedo with the Bloody Cross (7:11).

Okay, I’m used to writing about weird matches like this one. I should be able to figure this out. Man, New Japan has gotten weird lately…

After putting together a successful show last November where he took part in every single match on the card, Taiji Ishimori learned he had to go take on an even greater challenge put together by a mysterious AI that is out to get him for reasons I do not want to spend time learning about. He was being forced to take part in a 120 minute long Iron Man Rumble with four separate blocks of wrestlers to fight through. Ishimori’s goal was to make it through the gauntlet with more wins than losses. His reward for doing so would be a special singles match against a wrestler that he respects. I’ll get to the point here because it’s not DDT related, his final opponent was Gedo and he beat him.

Along the way, a few DDT wrestlers were among the random cast of wrestlers Ishimori had to fight and interact with. The first main path was the SECRET BLOCK made up of wrestlers who have appeared in commercials for the show sponsor in the past. That just so happens to include Jun Akiyama as the block’s final entrant. He didn’t understand what was going on and he was also immediately attacked by Dump Matsumoto. Ishimori was allowed to have reserve wrestlers temporarily take his place but The Brahman Brothers did a bad job in that role, piling up losses on his behalf. However they were able to knock Akiyama out of the ring to score a point before Ishimori moved on to the next block.

The second block was built around the Tohoku wrestling scene which meant Ishimori had to deal with wrestlers from Michinoku Pro as well as other wrestlers from the area. At this point Ishimori was also reminded of The Sailor Boys which caused him great mental harm. Things became a lot more calm when Ishimori and the Tohoku wrestlers all meditated inside the ring but MAO then entered the match to cause some chaos, particularly with TAKA Michinoku (who is from Chiba and didn’t appreciate being lumped in with the country bumpkins). When the block’s time expired, MAO and YOH had not been through any eliminations so they were allowed to advance to the next block alongside Ishimori.

Things became a lot more muscular next with the MUSCLE BLOCK. None of the new entries were from DDT but MAO was still there and with YOH’s help he ran over SHO at ringside with the Dramatic Dream bike! He also helped out Ishimori by eliminated Drilla Moloney before the time expired. The two posed their bodies like squares to celebrate and since MAO survived elimination again, he got to accompany Ishimori once more this time into the final block.

It was the DRAGON BLOCK where at first the wrestlers coming out were all from Dragon Gate. MAO’s luck ran out when Shun Skywalker eliminated him from the match. The block then switched things around when Ryuji Ito showed up (because he is the “Death Match Dragon”) followed by Tatsumi Fujinami! The last dragon to enter was the most important one. People expected it to be Ultimo Dragon but it was even better than him. It was Hiratimo Dragon! He was immediately beaten up by Ishimori and Dragon Dia. Hiratimo distracted the referee by telling him Danshoku Dieno was behind him, then he tried to frame Ishimori for pulling off his mask. The plan didn’t work, Ishimori threw the mask away and then he threw Hiratimo out of the ring. Backstage Hiratimo said it was a close call but his identity wasn’t revealed. All he has to say to Ishimori is that he’s gotten stronger.

GLEAT “VER.EX ~GLEAT VS KYOTEKI~”, 09/10/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
682 Fans

3. G PRO WRESTLING ~ GLEAT Vs X – Go Miyake’s Return Match: Yukio Naya defeated Go Miyake with a Choke Slam (2:41).
5. G PRO WRESTLING ~ GLEAT Vs DDT: Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani defeated Takehiro Yamamura & Junjie when Sasaki submitted Junjie with the Crossface Lock (11:51).
6. G PRO WRESTLING ~ GLEAT Vs Shinya Aoki: Shinya Aoki defeated T-Hawk with the Aoki Clutch (8:41).

Now let’s move on to a place that has only slightly less nonsensical ideas than Ishimori. GLEAT came to Korakuen Hall a few days later putting together a show themed around the promotion taking on strong opponents from around the wrestling scene. DDT provided a few wrestlers on the “Strong Opponent” front. Things behind the scenes seem to be a little unstable over there but that has nothing to do with the DDT stuff so let’s just focus on that.

Shinya Aoki has previously fought in GLEAT under their UWF Rules banner of matches and continues to hover near the company under his own volition. He got to do a pro wrestling match here for the first time because he was intrigued by the clash of styles he would have with T-Hawk. Aoki took the nasty Chops his opponent has a habit of throwing and ended up catching him in the Aoki Clutch to get the three count out of nowhere. He said the match was so much fun because they clicked perfectly together.

DDT sent over Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani for a tag match. The GLEAT team was made up of Takehiro Yamamura & Junjie who were previously together as part of a recent unit called G-RIZE. Sasaki & Okatani did not come alone though. Ilusion was there at ringside to interfere whenever it was most convenient for his buddies. The GLEAT team got rid of the nuisance by throwing him out of the ring but DAMNATION T.A kept on pushing forward with their attack until they got their victory. The result left Yamamura & Junjie wanting revenge.

There was also a surprise appearance by Yukio Naya as the opponent for Go Miyake. The GLEAT rookie made his debut last year but suffered a kneecap injury not even two months after his debut. After being gone for a year and a half his return to the ring was going to be against El Lindaman but Lindaman declined to take part. Instead he chose Miyake’s opponent and it turned out to be Naya. Given the low level of experience Miyake has at this point, it only took less than three minutes for Naya to beat him. Afterward Naya said he heard about how hard Miyake was working to reach his comeback and motivated him to do his best.

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Takeshita’s 2nd G1 Adventure (He Won It!)

August 18, 2025

It only took him two tries to nail it. Konosuke Takeshita took part in his second G1 Climax for New Japan after making his tournament debut last year. Whereas last time Takeshita treated the G1 as his way to spread his name across NJPW with a few short lived alliances and some seed planting for the future, this year he was all in on winning the tournament relying only on himself… and Rocky Romero. Firmly representing The Don Callis Family in AEW, Takeshita had no intention of teaming with any of the NJPW units for his non-tournament bouts. It’s a somewhat lonely decision that paid off in the long run. When the dust had settled, Takeshita had emerged as this year’s G1 winner! He is now the third wrestler with a DDT background to win the big tournament, joining Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi.

Something I want to make note of is before the tournament began, whispers had been going around in some online circles that New Japan was putting together big plans for Takeshita this year. That pretty much foreshadowed how his G1 was going to turn out even before it started. Now information like that emerging late in the tournament is not out of the ordinary if you’re deep into the insider stuff but having it happen before the G1 even began? That just shows somebody who is in the weeds had some very loose lips this time around.

Block B

1. Zack Sabre Jr. (14)
2. Shota Umino (12)
-. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (12)
4. Shingo Takagi (10)
-. Ren Narita (10)
6. YOSHI-HASHI (8)
-. Drilla Moloney (8)
-. Great-O-Khan (8)
-. El Phantasmo (8)
10. Gabe Kidd (0)


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 19/07/2025
Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center Hokkai Kitayell
2,579 Fans

7. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (2) defeated Gabe Kidd (0) by Referee Stoppage with the Plus Ultra (13:15).

The opening day of the G1 pitted Takeshita against the most hot-headed wrestler in Block B. Gabe Kidd was taking part as the current IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion and he too was expected to play a big part in the tournament. However Takeshita went blow for blow against him and took things one step further than the mad man. After hitting him with an Elbow Strike to the back of the head, Takeshita then grabbed Kidd’s head and gave him a Neck Snap before applying the Plus Ultra, his version of the Chickenwing Face Lock. Kidd fainted from the move and the match was ruled in Takeshita’s favour. Kidd did regain consciousness and tried to fight Takeshita again after the match but the Young Lions at ringside kept them apart. Backstage Takeshita admitted to blacking out during the match so he felt it was only right to make things even by knocking Kidd out. He had hoped this will be the end of their story but knows they have unfinished business so he challenged Kidd to meet him in the finals. However Kidd eventually ended up pulling out of the rest of the tournament due to injury so his run was ended by Takeshita before it could really get going.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 20/07/2025
Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center Hokkai Kitayell
2,520 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: El Phantasmo (2) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (2) with the CR III (15:02).

Next up was an immediate revisit of Takeshita’s rivalry with El Phantasmo. They had their first singles match together at last year’s G1 where Takeshita was the victor. Since then they had two more singles matches each with a different championship on the line. They had a time limit draw over the NJPW World TV Title and Takeshita then beat ELP in a NEVER Openweight Title defence. This time around ELP finally got a win over Takeshita. He back flipped out of a German Suplex and flipped Takeshita over with a Reverse Hurricanrana. Takeshita kicked out after taking a the CR II so ELP used the move a second time and then finished Takeshita off with the CR III to score his first points of the tournament. Takeshita gave credit to his rival by telling the reporters afterwards that he and ELP are always evolving to take the next step. He then brought up Gabe Kidd and talked about Kidd’s knee injury. That prompted Kidd to approach him on crutches with a warning. One day he’s going to kill Takeshita, leaving Yuka Sakazaki and their pet dog Kenshiro behind all on their lonesome!


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 22/07/2025
Miyagi Sendai Sun Plaza Hall
1,714 Fans

3. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young when Romero pinned Young with a Crushed La Magistral Cradle (7:30).

With the death threat out of the way, Takeshita moved onto preparations for his next block match. His first non-tournament bout meant Romero now started to pay his part on the tour as Takeshita’s tag partner. First up for the duo was Great-O-Khan alongside Californian wrestler and United Empire ally Jakob Austin Young. Romero countered Young’s La Magistral Cradle by blocking it mid-move and pressing himself down on his opponent for the pinfall. Meanwhile O-Khan had grabbed Takeshita with an Iron Claw outside the ring and it required the seconds at ringside to break up the hold. After listing all of his sponsors backstage, O-Khan told reporters he has no idea how much skill the fool Takeshita has but he heard about him being strong in AEW. He wants to see that strength in their G1 match because he didn’t see a single glimpse of it here. Takeshita promised to blow O-Khan’s head off his shoulders with his right elbow. When he left, Romero started to brag about aiming to win this year’s “C Block” of non-tournament matches.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 23/07/2025
Niigata Aore Nagaoka
1,547 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (4) defeated Great-O-Khan (2) with the Raging Fire (17:05).

Takeshita got his revenge the next night but it proved to be a bit difficult to decapitate the guy. He got the big Elbow Strike in as a counter to O-Khan’s strikes and used the Raging Fire for the victory. He then rubbed salt into the wound after the match by doing O-Khan’s standing pose over his prone body. By this point Takeshita understood that he is facing a strong field of opponents this year and can see similarities between himself and O-Khan. He’d like to fight him again but that doesn’t mean he wants to team with him or anything. O-Khan feels the same way. He empathizes with Takeshita over having a triple contract deal that prevents him from touring with NJPW. O-Khan thinks Takeshita does not have to love NJPW in order to belong to the company.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 25/07/2025
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1,308 Fans

4. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai when Romero submitted Nagai with an Armbar (7:32).

Next up for Takeshita & Romero is a fight with Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai. The Young Lion caused a bit of a stir by declaring he was going to make Romero cry in pain! That didn’t happen. While Takeshita and Takagi had cancelled each other out, Romero captured Nagai in an Armbar to make him tap out. Romero couldn’t resist but ask everyone backstage who is crying now! Takeshita’s message to Takagi before their Block B match is for them to have a fight that surpasses their match from the Tokyo Dome back on 4th January. Nagai later told Takagi about Takeshita’s track and field credentials from middle school and high school because Nagai comes from a similar background. Takagi however thinks that amateur results don’t matter. That’s a lesson the incoming Aaron Wolf should be aware of too. Takagi also revealed he was mad when he heard Takeshita talk about aiming for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title right after he lost the NEVER Title to Oleg Boltin.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 26/07/2025
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
2,250 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) defeated Shingo Takagi (2) by Referee Stoppage with the Plus Ultra (23:56).

This was the first of several main events Takeshita took part in during the tournament. By this point in the G1 Takagi has had a bad start and it went no better against Takeshita. He was still a formidable opponent who hit Takeshita as hard as Takeshita could hit him. But something Takagi didn’t expect was for Takeshita to use the Made In Japan against him! That wasn’t enough to win so Takeshita had to pull out the Plus Ultra again to render Takagi unconscious. Takeshita told reporters that his wrestling philosophy is to live strong and stay strong. Living strong means living for tomorrow which means Takeshita is the strongest tomorrow, the day after that, a year from now and even a decade into the future!


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 27/07/2025
Aichi Port Messe Nagoya Exhibition Hall 1
2,162 Fans

4. Zack Sabre Jr. & Hartley Jackson defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero when Jackson pinned Romero with the Death Valley Bomb (9:01).

All this good momentum Takeshita and his buddy Romero were building up came to a stop when they collided with TMDK. Takeshita now had Zack Sabre Jr. to worry about while Romero was stuck having to wrestle the much bigger Hartley Jackson. Romero proceeded to make the fatal mistake of calling Jackson fat and paid the price when Jackson flattened him with a Cross Body Block before pinning him with the Death Valley Bomb. Takeshita’s night wasn’t much better because Sabre tangled him up with a Cobra Twist outside the ring. Once they were seperated, Sabre taunted Takeshita with the IWGP World Title belt. Takeshita was humbled a bit by what happened but said if he beats Sabre next, it will prove he is the strongest. He will absorb Sabre’s wrestling to become even stronger. Sabre said he isn’t stupid enough to criticise a wrestler like Takeshita. They have some similarities when it comes to their age of debut and their age from when they started to wrestle around the world. The differences are Sabre is the champion and nobody understands technique as much as he does!


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 30/07/2025
Osaka Yamato University Yamato Arena
1,390 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. (6) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) with a Modified Sleeper Hold (22:37).

Sabre went ahead and taught Takeshita that harsh lesson inside the ring and in Takeshita’s home city of Osaka. He had an answer for everything Takeshita had for him, including the Plus Ultra. Then when Takeshita tried the Raging Fire, Sabre escaped and pulled out the Sabre Driver as a counter. Takeshita kicked out and gained the advantage using Elbow Strikes but the Raging Fire was again countered, this time into a Sleeper Hold. Takeshita did what he could to fight out of it but Sabre kept his grip and wore his opponent down to nothing, leaving Takeshita with no choice but to tap out. After the match Sabre said Takeshita might be The Alpha “but I’m the fucking World Heavyweight Champion, dickhead!”


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 01/08/2025
Sun Messe Kagawa
1,244 Fans

2. Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero when Ishimori submitted Romero with the Bone Lock (7:24).

Takeshita’s rocky patch of results continued when he had to go fight wrestlers from Bullet Club WAR DOGS again. Drilla Moloney entered NJPW as a Jr. Heavyweight but switched up to the heavier weight class this year. Takeshita looked like he could get the better of him here but the match came down to Taiji Ishimori catching Romero in La Mistica and then tapping him out with the Bone Lock. Moloney revealed after the match he had no grudge with Takeshita. That was until Takeshita injured Kidd in the opening day. That robbed Moloney of the chance to wrestle his best friend in the G1. Ishimori also hyped up Moloney for going into the match with a 4-1 record in the tournament so far. Takeshita warned Moloney not to get too cocky just because he is motivated to get revenge on behalf of Kidd. Romero called the WAR DOGS nothing more than a pack of miniature poodles.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 02/08/2025
Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
2,002 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (8) defeated Drilla Moloney (8) with the Raging Fire (14:01).

Takeshita got things back on track by beating Moloney in the B Block. The two had a brief staredown and then fought out of the ring where Takeshita gave Moloney a Brainbuster into a row of chairs. Moloney kept going for the Gore back in the ring but when he finally hit it, there wasn’t enough damage done to soften Takeshita up for the Drilla Killer. Instead Takeshita hit a Rolling Elbow and also the Wagamama. Moloney had some fight left in him but ultimately fell to the Raging Fire shortly afterwards. Takeshita said he could feel Moloney’s strong will but nothing is going to stop him from reaching the top. Moloney admitted he let his emotions get to him and he tried to hurt Takeshita for Kidd when he should have been fighting to get himself more points.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 03/08/2025
Fukuoka International Center
2,534 Fans

1. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated YOSHI-HASHI & Shoma Kato when Romero pinned Kato with the Slice Rocky (8:13).

The turnaround meant Romero got to taste victory again too. Takeshita’s next non-tournament match was a preview for his G1 bout with YOSHI-HASHI. The Young Lion Shoma Kato got to show his tenacity by hitting Takeshita with Shoulder Blocks over and over until he could finally knock him down with the move. YOSHI-HASHI was able to get Takeshita out of the ring but Romero kept up his part of the bargain by pinning Kato with the Slice Rocky. Takeshita and YOSHI-HASHI kept fighting each other after the match before being seperated. Backstage Takeshita said he heard about the time YOSHI-HASHI miraculously defeated Kenny Omega in the G1 but he is never going to beat The Alpha! Their match is going to be an easy one for Takeshita. YOSHI-HASHI took offence to that and promised to break Takeshita’s long nose! Meanwhile Kato was annoyed that Takeshita didn’t remember him from when they wrestled each other during last year’s G1 tour. He doesn’t want to wait another year to fight him again.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 05/08/2025
Intex Osaka Hall #5
1,142 Fans

6. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (10) defeated YOSHI-HASHI (8) with the Raging Fire (15:13).

Takeshita went on to reach 10 points after beating YOSHI-HASHI, equaling his score from last year. While victory was not in doubt, Takeshita still had to work hard to earn it. YOSHI-HASHI had counters for the Raging Fire from using Inside Cradles to making him fall with DDTs. He got a nearfall with the Swanton Bomb and tried to win with the Karma but Takeshita countered that into a Stunner. Once Takeshita pulled off the Raging Fire, victory was his. He’d love to call that an easy win but it was nothing like it. He hates guys like YOSHI-HASHI the most because they are the veteran wrestlers who act like they are steadily declining until a match that matters happen and they become serious just like that. Those are the guys Takeshita thinks make pro wrestling boring. YOSHI-HASHI said it is clear Takeshita loves pro wrestling and knows a lot about NJPW’s history. There were parts of the match where Takeshita even reminded YOSHI-HASHI of Kazuchika Okada. But Okada is even more of a monster than Takeshita is.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 07/08/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,509 Fans

4. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero defeated Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma when TAKESHITA submitted Honma with the Plus Ultra (5:38).

Shota Umino was eager to start fighting with Takeshita as soon as they could but Takeshita let Romero start off the match instead. Tomoaki Honma though got some hits in and scored a nearfall on Takeshita with the Kokeshi. Takeshita quickly put a stop to that by countering the Kokeshi Rocket with an Elbow Strike and then forced Honma to give up to the Plus Ultra. Umino tried to attack Takeshita after the match but was given a Brainbuster onto the floor for his troubles. Takeshita heard that Umino is currently going through his “Second Chapter” but from his perspective Umino hasn’t even started his prologue yet. There is a world of difference between them so he wants Umino to think carefully about how he can win. Whatever he comes up with, Takeshita is sure he can surpass it. Romero added to the insults by saying everyone was talking about Takeshita after the Tokyo Dome this year while nobody had anything positive to say about Umino.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 08/08/2025
Yokohama Budokan
2,448 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: Shota Umino (10) defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (10) with the Second Chapter (25:46).

Umino did indeed find a way to beat Takeshita and the result of that put Takeshita’s chances of advancing out of Block B in danger. This was also Takeshita’s longest match of the tournament up to this point. He gave Umino another Brainbuster on the floor just like the day before but nothing could put Umino away, not even the Plus Ultra. He hit back with Lariats, countered one Raging Fire into a Neckbreaker and countered another into the Second Chapter, winning the match at Takeshita’s expense. Umino said it doesn’t matter which dojo Takeshita came from. He has to remember there are people around the world who love pro wrestling. It is the role of a wrestler to visit these places and give back to those people. Backstage Takeshita said in the next five to ten years Umino will look back on today and think he could only ever beat Takeshita once.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 10/08/2025
G-Messe Gunma
2,053 Fans

4. Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Rocky Romero when Narita submitted Romero with a Cross Kneebar (6:25).

Here comes trouble. With Takeshita at risk of not reaching the playoffs he had to put all of his focus on Ren Narita. It was the exact same way last year. Even the bit where House Of Torture beats Takeshita’s team in a non-tournament match because of Yoshinobu Kanemaru happened last time around too. What happened here was Kanemaru hit Romero in the knee with a whiskey bottle while Narita distracted the ref. Then once the coast was clear Narita made Romero submit to a Cross Kneebar. Narita is sick of hearing Takeshita rambling on and on about being the strongest. However what happened here only made Takeshita even more determined to beat all of the House Of Torture.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 13/08/2025
Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu
1,730 Fans

9. G1 CLIMAX 35 – B Block: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (12) defeated Ren Narita (10) by Referee Stoppage with the Plus Ultra (20:50).

You know the drill by now. It’s the last day of the group stage and Takeshita needs to win. By this point the other results in Block B all went a certain way for him to qualify for the playoffs as long as he could beat Narita. History repeated itself and Takeshita was able to render Narita unconscious to the point where his gumshield was knocked out of his mouth again. Other House Of Torture members ambushed Takeshita and Romero before the match began. They continued to attack Takeshita by targeting his left leg in the hopes of counting him out of the ring. Takeshita withstood Narita’s knee submissions while Romero did whatever he could to combat Dick Togo and Don Fale’s interference at ringside. Takeshita wiped everyone out with a dive which allowed Romero to chase Togo away while the Young Lions escorted Fale to the back. That didn’t stop Narita from using more ways to cheat and also bring in Kanemaru for even more interference. That backfired when a spray of Whiskey Mist blinded Narita instead of Takeshita. After bumping Kanemaru to the floor, Takeshita then put Narita in the Plus Ultra to choke him out and win his last block match.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 14/08/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,518 Fans

6. G1 CLIMAX 35 – Final Tournament Qualifier: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated David Finlay with the Raging Fire (17:02).

Takeshita still had a long way to go. By finishing third in the B Block he had to start in the earliest round of the playoffs where David Finlay from the A Block was waiting for him. They hadn’t fought each other since last year’s G1 where Finlay was the victor. He was even more vicious this time around, Power Bombing Takeshita from the aprong through two tables at ringside. Takeshita later kicked out of the Into Oblivion at the 1 Count and then kicked out of a Power Bomb at 2. He avoided the Overkill and used a Last Ride to set Finlay up for the Wagamama. After that he dropped Finlay with the Raging Fire to get the win. Takeshita said losing the Quarter Final to Yota Tsuji was the first time he cried since he became a pro wrestler because it felt like the ultimate failure. But a pro wrestler is someone who gets back up which means he has no choice but to win and become No. 1! Romero then hyped up Takeshita by calling him the Uncrowned King Of Pro Wrestling.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 16/08/2025
Tokyo Ariake Arena
4,558 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – Semi Final: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Zack Sabre Jr. with the Raging Fire (26:46).

The semi final brought Takeshita right back to Zack Sabre Jr. In a rematch from the B Block a spot in the grand final was on the line for both men. This time Takeshita pulled out something pretty dangerous to be the difference maker. When the two of them were both standing on the top rope fighting each other, Takeshita lifted Sabre up into the air and dropped him onto his head with the Avalanche Raging Fire! The move knocked Sabre completely loopy but he wasn’t finished just yet so Takeshita gave him another Raging Fire to make sure he was completely beaten. Sabre said getting dropped on your head sucks but so too is losing to EVIL. So he is throwing his support behind Takeshita for the final. Otherwise if EVIL wins then Zack will throw himself into the Pacific Ocean and the IWGP World Title would probably have to be vacated.


NJPW “YAMADA INFRA TECHNOS PRESENTS G1 CLIMAX 35”, 17/08/2025
Tokyo Ariake Arena
6,870 Fans

8. G1 CLIMAX 35 – Final: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated EVIL with the Raging Fire (26:26).

And so we come to the end of a G1 that was quite frankly not to anyone’s cup of tea. EVIL had made it to the final thanks to the usual over reliance of cheating from House Of Torture that not a lot of people enjoy. But Takeshita reaching the final as something of an outsider at the expense of NJPW’s current generation of homegrown talent had been a sore spot for New Japan’s hardcore fans going into this match too. House Of Torture didn’t wait long to make their presence felt but Romero, the Young Lions and even Sabre all played their part in chasing off the unit so Takeshita and EVIL could go through the rest of the match mano a mano. Takeshita used EVIL’s own finisher against him but EVIL resorted to using a Low Blow to take back the advantage. EVIL also blocked the Wagamama and tried to throw an Elbow Strike only for Takeshita to beat him to the punch with one of his own. Seeing his opening, he immediately gave EVIL the Raging Fire and three second later became the winner of the 35th G1 Climax!

When Takeshita was presented with his trophy he told the fans a pro wrestler is someone who dreams, make those dreams come true and gives dreams to others. He is now standing at the pinnacle and invites everyone to put their dreams on him while he makes NJPW and the world of pro wrestling more exciting. Backstage he said his next goal is to stand in the Tokyo Dome on 4th January as the IWGP Champion so he wants to challenge Sabre for the title in the near future. He also talked about how grateful he is for Romero because he always helps him out all over the world. He also praised EVIL for being one of his best opponents he’s ever faced. He understands there are some wrestlers out there who think this result is crap but Takeshita believes his strength is something he’s been carrying since his teenage years. When he is no longer strong, that will be when it will be time to quit pro wrestling.

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“SHINJUKU FACE 20TH ANNIVERSARY ~MILESTONE~”, Results

July 31, 2025

“SHINJUKU FACE 20TH ANNIVERSARY ~MILESTONE~”, 31/07/2025
Shinjuku FACE
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion defeated Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Makoto Oishi when Sasaki submitted Hirata with the Crossface Lock (0:07).
1a. Rematch: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion defeated Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Makoto Oishi when Ilusion pinned Oishi with the Swanton Bomb (7:01).
2. Minoru Suzuki & Chinsuke Nakamura defeated Jun Akiyama & Fat Kobashi when Suzuki submitted Kobashi with an Achilles Tendon Hold (13:15).
3. Mayumi Ozaki, HARASHIMA & Yukio Naya defeated Shin Sakura Hirota, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada (w/ Sanshiro Takagi) when Ozaki pinned Hirota with the Ozaki Kick (16:30).
4. MAO defeated Kuroshio TOKYO Japan with a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch (18:26).
5. Hiromu Takahashi & Chris Brookes Vs Yuki Ueno & Atsuki Aoyagi ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).

To celebrate 20 years of Shinjuku FACE a special show was put together featuring wrestlers from six different promotions. Really it was a DDT show with guests from New Japan, All Japan, OZ Academy, Up Town and West Gate Wrestling Federation involved. Hiromu Takahashi teamed with Chris Brookes while Atsuki Aoyagi teamed with Yuki Ueno in the main event tag match that lasted the full 20 minutes. Ueno felt the match was short but as long as Shinjuku FACE continues to exist there will always be more to come. Brookes was more upset that the bar was now closed because the show is about to end. Aoyagi said he would have liked to have done a singles match but he’s too tired right now. Takahashi said he hasn’t wrestled in this venue a lot but he has a fond memory of a New Japan show he did here back in May 2011. He beat a young lion making his debut named Takaaki Watanabe. Takahashi doesn’t know what ever happened to him but believes he would have become a superstar had he stuck around…

MAO and Kuroshio TOKYO Japan ended up chasing each other around the room with the Dramatic Dream bike involved. When they went back to the ring Kuroshio demanded a strike exchange to determine who is more popular. It turned into a series of roll ups that eventually ended with MAO scoring the three count.

The first pro wrestling match to be held in Shinjuku FACE 20 years ago featured Mayumi Ozaki so it was fitting she would get to take part in today’s show. That wasn’t the only special thing about Match #3. Sanshiro Takagi announced a surprise for everyone and called out Konosuke Takeshita! Then Shin Sakura Hirota wearing her complete Takeshita costume. After Ozaki won the match she told the fans she looks forward to their continued support for OZ Academy, herself and also DDT.

Minoru Suzuki got stuck with the parody wrestlers from West Gate Wrestling Federation. He enjoyed beating them up though.

In the opening match Kazuki Hirata made the mistake of launching an attack on DAMNATION T.A by himself. They easily took care of him and Daisuke Sasaki tapped him out before Hirata’s partners could even do anything. Staff forced the match to restart and this time DAMNATION T.A won in a more regular manner.

At the end of the show all of the wrestlers gathered in the ring alongside some of the venue’s staff. Everyone was introduced to Yuka Ogawa who was responsible for organizing today’s event. She said she is truly happy to have travelled this path of pro wrestling for 20 years. This show was a source of pride for her and her staff. She promised fans that they will continue to do their best to fill Shinjuku FACE with the same joy and excitement that everyone felt today.

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