GANBARE☆PRO “HATAAGE 13TH ANNIVERSARY – MAD MAX 2026”, 29/04/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Munetatsu Nakamura, Shota Kawakami & Sentaro Motoshima Vs PSYCHO, Choun Shiryu & Yuya Susumu
2. Moeka Haruhi Vs Ram Kaichow
3. Ken Ohka 25th Anniversary Match: Ken Ohka & Guts Ishijima Vs Masaaki Mochizuki & Ryota Nakatsu
4. Minoru Suzuki & Shuichiro Katsumura Vs Akira Shoji & Hideki “Shrek” Sekine
5. YuuRI Vs Utami Hayashihita
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles: Yumehito Imanari & Shinichiro Tominaga (c) Vs Takuya Wada & Tyson Maeguchi
7. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Mizuki Watase (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii
Match #5 has become a little more interesting because it will be the first time Utami Hayashishita will wrestle since she announced she is going to leave Marigold next month. YuuRI doesn’t want that to get in the way of her own journey to carry the flag for Ganbare☆Joshi.
DDT “ECHIGO LARIAT”, 29/04/2026 Niigata Higashi Ward Plaza
1. Kazuma Sumi & Yuki Ishida Vs HARASHIMA & Hinata Kasai
2. 3 Way Match: Takeshi Masada Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito
3. Jun Akiyama, Junta Miyawaki, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Masami Inahata Vs KANON, Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO)
4. FANTÔMES DRAMATIC Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda Vs Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul
5. paleyouth Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
6. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Super Sasadango Machine Vs MAO & Danshoku Dieno
This is the match order for tomorrow’s sold out DDT show in Nagoya.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE UNIVERSE MEMBERS ONLY SHOW – PURE TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING 10”, 29/04/2026 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. Sakura Hattori Vs Shion Kanzaki
2. Toga-kun Showdown 3 Way Match: Toga Vs Rika Tatsumi Vs Ren Konatsu
3. 5-Woman Superstar Time-Lag Rumble: The Mahirock Vs John Shino Vs The Ashidataker Vs Shinsuke Wakanakamura Vs Kira Ripley
4. Academic & Athletic Match: Miu Watanabe & Chika Nanase Vs Arisu Endo & Haru Kazashiro
5. Indian Poker Match: Miyu Yamashita Vs Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Aino
6. Costume Change Match: Yuki Arai, Mizuki, Yuki Kamifuku & Raku Vs Suzume, Pom Harajuku, HIMAWARI & Uta Takami
Tomorrow’s Tokyo Joshi Pro show is for their fan club and will be filled with different comedy matches. Everyone in the main event will be wrestling in another person’s costume. The international crew return to Japan all facing each other in a wrestling version of Blind Man’s Bluff. A Rumble match you would normally see on a “Premium Live Event” somewhere else has somehow ended up here. There will be a few other surprises in store. For example, Fumirin will be reading the pre-show announcements to everyone while speaking in a Kansai accent. There is also a secret musical segment scheduled for somewhere on the show.
DDT “KING OF DDT 2026 1ST ROUND”, 04/05/2026 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Jun Akiyama, Yuni, Yuki Ishida & Rukiya Vs Naomi Yoshimura, Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO), Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Masami Inahata
0. Dark Match ~ 3 Way Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata Vs Daisuke Sasaki Vs MJ Paul Vs Antonio Honda & Hinata Kasai
1. King Of DDT – Round 1A: Danshoku Dieno Vs Kazuki Hirata
2. King Of DDT – Round 1B: To-y Vs Takeshi Masada
3. King Of DDT – Round 1C: Minoru Suzuki Vs Yukio Naya
4. King Of DDT – Round 1D: Chris Brookes Vs Junta Miyawaki
5. King Of DDT – Round 1E: HARASHIMA Vs Daichi Sato
6. King Of DDT – Round 1F: Shinya Aoki Vs KANON
7. King Of DDT – Round 1G: Hideki Okatani Vs Yuya Koroku
8. King Of DDT – Round 1H: MAO Vs Kazuma Sumi
A big change has already happened to the King Of DDT tournament with Kaisei Takechi having to pull out of the tournament. He is out of action with acute appendicitis so Kazuki Hirata is replacing him as Danshoku Dieno’s new Round 1 opponent. Hirata doesn’t think he can pull off a miracle this time but promises to try his best for everyone’s sake.
The match order has not been decided yet outside of the non-tournament bouts taking place on the pre-show.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TAMAGAWA IN BOAT RACE TAMAGAWA”, 06/05/2026 Tokyo BOAT RACE Tamagawa
1. Yukio Naya Vs Hinata Kasai
2. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul Vs Yuya Koroku, Viento Maligno & Yuki Ishida
3. MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) Vs Takeshi Masada & Junta Miyawaki
4. Yuki Ueno, Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Kazuma Sumi, Rukiya & Masami Inahata
5. Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda Vs Jun Akiyama, Shunma Katsumata & To-y
Here’s all of the wrestling matches taking place in between the boat races.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “BACK TO THE HIVE ~SUZUME HOMECOMING SHOW~”, 06/05/2026 Ibaraki Tsukuba International Congress Center Multipurpose Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Raku Vs HIMAWARI
2. Yuki Aino Vs Shion Kanzaki
3. Miyu Yamashita & Sakura Hattori Vs Wakana Uehara & Kira Summer
4. Shoko Nakajima Vs Pom Harajuku
5. Mizuki & Uta Takami Vs Haru Kazashiro & Chika Nanase
6. Yuki Arai & Shino Suzuki Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Toga
7. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi & Ren Konatsu
Suzume is the hometown hero for this show so the main event involved Daisy Monkey and Daydream facing each other as part of a trios match.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 13 ~MY SPIRIT GUARDS MY LORD IN THE EAST~”, 17/05/2026 Osaka City Sumiyoshi Community Center
0. Special Dark Match ~ Young Warrior Wrestling Summit: Takahiro Hirakimoto, Sora Fujikawa & Koki Fujimoto Vs Tetsuya Goto, Masaya Ishikawa & Hinata Kasai
1. Mixed Martial Arts Match – Irregular 2 Round System: Bushimasa Vs Tyson Maeguchi
2. Black Eagle In Danger! Against The Four Heavenly Kings Of DDT Comedy, 1 Vs 4 Handicap Match: Yuto Kikuchi Vs Danshoku Dieno, Kazuki Hirata, Antonio Honda & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi
3. Kansai Vs DDT, A Battle For Freedom!: HUB, Tsubasa & Billy Ben Kid Vs Junta Miyawaki, Viento Maligno & Yuni
4. A 6-Man Tag Match That Tests How Far A Young Heel With 4 Years And 9 Months Of Experience Can Assert Himself When Surrounded By Seasoned Veterans: Magnitude Kishiwada, MJ Paul & Ilusion Vs CIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano
5. Special Tag Match ~ Encounter With A Wrestling Master: Dick Togo & Hideki Okatani Vs Shunma Katsumata & Kohei Kinoshita
6. Special Tag Match ~ Laughter Brings Fortune: MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) Vs Kuishinbo Kamen & Kikutaro
7. Special Tag Match ~ Infinite Stimulation Anniversary: Zack Sabre Jr. & Chris Brookes Vs HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki
Another match has been added to Yukinori Matsui’s Osaka extravaganza. Yuto Kikuchi is a late addition to the lineup but all that was left available were a bunch of DDT’s comedy wrestlers. So good luck Kikuchi, you have to deal with all of them by yourself!
SUPER JAPAN “A PRO WRESTLING SHOW WITHOUT A NAME”, 27/05/2026 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Special Single Match: Pero Pero Oyakata Vs Da Pump Matsumoto
2. Special Tag Match: Yuji Nagata & CIMA Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Poison Sawada JULIE
The future of Super Japan is safe after its fans judged in favour of these shows continuing for the time being. Sanshiro Takagi is continuing to think up of alternate universe ideas regarding the early years of DDT. The latest is he now wants to team up with Poison Sawada JULIE after they’ve been enemies for years, decades even. Yuji Nagata is sticking around as the Super Japan ace and is even donating an event booking he had in his pocket to let this show take place in the same venue. He will team up with CIMA, forming “WCW’s Strongest Tag Team” for the occasion. Now that sounds like a WCW… Deep… Cut… in the making.
The newest match announced is straight out of N●tflix. It is the “Re●l American” Pero Pero Oyakata against “The Queen Of V●llains” Da Pump Matsumoto!
DDT/NJPW “ONE-ON-ONE CONFRONTATION PART 2 ~SASADANGO-GUN VS YANO-GUN 5-ON-5 ELIMINATION TAG BATTLE~”, 08/06/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Sasadango-gun Vs Yano-gun: X Vs X
2. Sasadango-gun Vs Yano-gun: X Vs X
3. Sasadango-gun Vs Yano-gun: X Vs X
4. Sasadango-gun Vs Yano-gun: X Vs X
5. Sasadango-gun Vs Yano-gun: X Vs X
Sasadango-gun: Super Sasadango Machine, MAO
Yano-gun: Toru Yano, El Desperado
Both Super Sasadango Machine and Toru Yano have chosen the first members of their teams. Sasadango has picked MAO from DDT while Yano is taking El Desperado from New Japan. Sasadango believes he has the advantage because he does not belong to any specific group in DDT. He’s under the impression that Yano will only choose wrestlers from New Japan’s Hontai unit.
Writing up this year’s WrestleMania Week report worked out sort of quicker than I expected in regards to the amount of matches to cover, yet some of them were very difficult to track down because of the lack of streaming options available to some of the indies this time around. Tokyo Joshi Pro felt their first burn from their overseas expansion with a low attendance number at Slam Fest. How much that will effect their USA plans for the rest of the year remain to be seen. The reduction of international fans travelling over to Las Vegas again could really be felt on some shows throughout the week. I’d be willing to argue that had just as much effect on the WrestleMania attendance itself rather than just the expensive ticket prices.
The only DDT presence of note in Vegas was Daisuke Sasaki wrestling a few matches. He had a particularly violent match on the New Japan/GCW joint show (that feels weird to type out) that must have left him with a few bruises afterwards. A few TJPW wrestlers spread out across the shows too but the one that sounded noteworthy hasn’t shown up online yet so I’m a little stuck trying to write about it. The week being what it is means some chance meetings happened at some shows, like Miu Watanabe finally meeting her fellow Giant Swing user Claudio Castagnoli.
One of the reasons this report is an incomplete one is thanks to our friend Mizuki Watase. He made the trip over to Las Vegas again after going through a love-hate affair with the city in previous visits for wrestling. He’s written blogs and articles of his past trips where he lost a lot of money but became smitten with the Venetian in particular, naming one of his finishing moves after the casino. This time his trip started off pretty badly with some hotel mishap but his gambling turned into a success this time and for once he left the casino with more money than he had before. Then he spent all the money on booze and got some tattoos while he was drunk. He also wrestled a few matches during the week but I have had no luck trying to find out what they are. That was until I saw a video he recorded of his entrance and it was at the one place I never thought of looking: MicroMania. He was advertised for their week long tour at The Nerd in Fremont Street and he ended up wrestling several matches there. All I could find out is he wanted to do a Spirit Of Ganbare World Title defence for one of his bookings but it was changed to a non-title tag match on short notice (excuse the pun).
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Videos
PRIDESTYLE “OUT OF THIS WORLD”, 17/04/2026 Bizarre Bar, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Special Single Match: Taniya Vs Miu Watanabe
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Results
PODER~! “PODERMANIA~!”, 15/04/2026 Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. International Tag Team Match: Toga & Jazzy Yang defeated Amira & Lil Marz when Toga pinned Marz with the Absolute Zero (8:47).
The first piece of TJPW action to find that week was when Toga went to “PODERMANIA~!”. The eighth annual women’s wrestling show put together by the man known to most as “Ed In San Antonio” saw Toga teaming up with Jazzy Yang in a winning effort against Amira & Lil Marz. Toga even scored the pinfall in a match that can be best described as not the worst thing to have happened on the show.
PANDEMONIUM PRO “WHATEVER, FOREVER”, 15/04/2026 Bizarre Bar, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Jiah Jewell defeated Daisuke Sasaki with the Gator Roll (?:??).
Sasaki’s schedule got off to an aggressive start when he went brawling with Jiah Jewell throughout the venue that Pandemonium Pro held their show in. Sasaki had the upper hand throughout a lot of the match because Jewell kept on telegraphing his finisher, the Gator Roll so Sasaki could block it. However things went wrong for Sasaki and he tried going after the ref for it, allowing Jewell to Gator Roll Sasaki for the three count and score the upset win.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LAS VEGAS 2026”, 16/04/2026 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 424 Fans
1. Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara defeated Toga & Uta Takami when Kamifuku pinned Takami with the Famouser (10:03).
2. Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Alexis Lee, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki when Aino pinned Suzuki with the Venus DDT (14:36).
3. Special 3 Way Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated Mizuki and Miu Watanabe when Yamashita pinned Mizuki with the Crash Rabbit Heat (14:05).
4. International Princess Title: Suzume (c) defeated Sakura Hattori with the Ring A Bell (11:36). *V1 for Suzume.
5. Princess Tag Team Titles: Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee (c) defeated Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao when Lee pinned Nakajima after the IIdolizer (12:59). *V1 for The IInspiration.
6. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) defeated J-Rod with the Finally (11:18). *V1 for Yuki Arai.
“DEATH VEGAS INVITACIONAL”, 16/04/2026 Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. The Rigged Roulette – House Rules Hardcore Match: Joey Janela & Gringo Loco defeated Gedo & Daisuke Sasaki when Janela pinned Gedo with the Diving Foot Stomp onto a Door (18:44).
Throughout the week Sasaki has been hanging out with an incognito El Desperado but he also got to spend some time with Gedo, particularly for a violent Hardcore Match that took place on Despy’s own show. Gedo took it extreme by bringing out forks to stab Joey Janela & Gringo Loco with. The opposition fought back by putting Sasaki and Gedo through doors along with some wicked chair shots. Loco used a one man Spanish Fly to smash Sasaki through one door only for Sasaki to recover and spin him into La Mistica Crossface Lock with Gedo giving the assist with a fork attack. Janela made the save though and ended up Double Stomping Gedo into oblivion among the wreckage for the three count. Sasaki’s post-match comments were all complaints about how violent the match was. If his upcoming matches are going to continue being like this then he won’t go back to Japan and will cancel his Best Of The Super Jr. appearance instead.
GCW “JOSH BARNETT’S BLOODSPORT XV”, 17/04/2026 Horseshoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Janai Kai by Knockout with the Skull Kick (5:29).
Finally a Bloodsport fight goes Miyu Yamashita’s way and right when Josh Barnett decides to end the whole thing. Janai Kai tried to submit her with the Demon Clutch but Yamashita grabbed her in a Cravate and gave her knee strikes to the head to get out of it. Kanai then switched to kicks leading to wild swinging misses from both wrestlers. Yamashita got the first big hit in with the Skull Kick that knocked Kai straight out. As a bonus for Yamashita, she ended up meeting Nattie Neidhart backstage again as well as Stone Cold Steve Austin!
PRIDESTYLE “OUT OF THIS WORLD”, 17/04/2026 Bizarre Bar, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Special Single Match: Miu Watanabe defeated Taniya with the Tear Drop (?:??).
I haven’t been able to find a result for the match yet but heard Taniya put on a great performance against Miu Watanabe. This will be updated once I do find out what happened.
DDT/NJPW “ONE-ON-ONE CONFRONTATION PART 2 ~TEAM SASADANGO VS TEAM YANO 5-ON-5 ELIMINATION TAG BATTLE~”, 08/06/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Team Sasadango Vs Team Yano: X Vs X
2. Team Sasadango Vs Team Yano: X Vs X
3. Team Sasadango Vs Team Yano: X Vs X
4. Team Sasadango Vs Team Yano: X Vs X
5. Team Sasadango Vs Team Yano: X Vs X
A joint press conference was held on Monday between DDT and New Japan to announced a follow up event to last year’s “One Match” show that pitted Super Sasadango Machine against Toru Yano in Korakuen Hall. It was a show that helped heal a decade long rift between the two companies. This time around DDT and New Japan want to hold a similar event but have it be built around sportsmanship so the format is going to be a 5 Vs 5 Team Elimination Challenge. At the press conference Sasadango and Yano both talked about the respect they gained for each other after last year’s match and how much of a learning experience it was for the two companies to understand what they can each provide for the pro wrestling world.
Much like last year, the show will be held as a dual PPV broadcast airing on both NJPW World and Wrestle Universe with each feed being its own complete production. Just like the wrestlers, there was mutual respect earned among the production teams after last year’s show. Yano wants the match to have a definitive winner this time instead of the agreed upon double countout that happened last time. He is ready to call up wrestlers from New Japan’s Hontai unit to be on his team. When Sasadango heard that, he pointed out that he doesn’t currently belong to any DDT unit so he is free to pick whoever he wants in the company to join his team.
The two agreed that they need to be flexible over the rules of the match and they might organize a meeting leading up to the show to hammer out all the details. Sasadango suggested they may include some extra wrestlers placed in reserve should their original picks get injured or decide to leave their company before the match takes place. He also wondered if the 5 Vs 5 format just means five singles matches or if it will be possible to have tag bouts take place? Yano understands the idea and is open to it, again pointing out that the rules need to be flexible for this situation. They both seem to understand that the show will consist of five matches but some may end up being tag team matches instead of singles. The press conference ended with Sasadango saying he trusts New Japan will not betray DDT and Yano said the same vice versa.
BASARA “BASARA 302 ~TAKAGARI 33~”, 21/03/2026 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center
1. Takeru Inoue Vs SAGAT
2. FUMA & Seiya Morohashi Vs Daichi Kazato & Ayato Yoshida
3. Isami Kodaka & Takato Nakano Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Tatsuya Hanami
4. Daiki Shimomura Vs Masato Kamino
5. Battle Royal: Ryota Nakatsu Vs Ryuichi Sekine Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Lil’ Kraken Vs Yasu Urano Vs Shuji Ishikawa
Let’s start up today with a rumour concerning Aijin Tag. Earlier this week, the Super J-Cast Patreon put out a report about New Japan looking into several pro wrestlers on the indies to bring onto their roster, particularly for the Junior Heavyweight division. Two of the names among them are Takato Nakano and Masato Kamino. There isn’t much extra info to that other than out of all the names the J-Cast heard about, the two BASARA wrestlers are the curveballs on the list. It’s something to keep in mind as we approach Best Of The Super Juniors season. Kamino in particular is a funny one because he is still being billed at weighing around 90kg but he’s looked larger than that for a while now.
GANBARE☆PRO “THERE WILL BE BLOOD 2026”, 28/03/2026 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title Next Challenger Determination – Round 1: Keisuke Ishii Vs Yuya Susumu
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title Next Challenger Determination – Round 1: Shuichiro Katsumura Vs PSYCHO
3. 3 Way Match: Moeka Haruhi Vs Taiwan Ramen Man Vs Hora-chan
4. Mizuki Watase & Shigehiro Irie Vs Shota Kawakami & Sentaro Motojima
5. Rin Vs YuuRI
6. Ken Ohka, Shinichiro Tominaga & Akira Shoji Vs Yumehito Imanari, Takuya Wada & Tyson Maeguchi
7. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title Next Challenger Determination – Final: X Vs X
The masked wrestler Taiwan Ramen Man is coming over from the Team DERA promotion in Nagoya. Now Moeka Haruhi has to deal with him along with returning opponent Hora-chan.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN LAS VEGAS 2026”, 16/04/2026 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara (c) Vs X & X
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs J-Rod
The winner of the Princess Of Princess Title match at “GRAND PRINCESS ’26” will go on to Las Vegas where they will defend the title against J-Rod. The returning American powerhouse has a lot going on lately. She is part of the series reboot of American Gladiators and the first episode will be released the day after this show takes place. Her Gladiator name hasn’t been revealed yet. She already fought Miu Watanabe for the Princess Title back in November but Yuki Arai could be a brand new opponent for her.
It was also announced that The IInspiration will be on this show. So it will be either them or Ober Eats who will be defending the Princess Tag Team Titles next month.
In regards to the previously announced International Princess Title match planned for the show, Tokyo Joshi Pro can no longer confirm that it will happen. They had intended to book MIRAI for the show but are unable to do so because of scheduling conflicts with Michinoku Pro. So for now there will just be two title matches happening in Las Vegas instead of three. That could change if Suzume beats MIRAI to win the IP Title but this news sure does feel like TJPW painted themselves into a corner and have to spoil the result of that match to get out of there.
1. Chris Brookes, MAO & Sayaka Vs Mr. Bueno, Mr. Malo & Ram Kaichow
A new opportunity has opened up for Baka Gaijin + Friends. The fashion magazine NYLON JAPAN is celebrating its 22nd Anniversary this year and will be throwing a party inside a nightclub at the Kabukicho Tower. Baka Gaijin gets to be part of the festivities with a one-off match taking place. Pro wrestling is familiar ground for NYLON because they have printed wrestling themed issues and photoshoots in the past under the label PURORESU NYLON.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Almost ten years after my last visit to Japan, I’m a day away from flying back out there. Spending the new year in Tokyo and attending Wrestle Kingdom at the Tokyo Dome has been something I’ve wanted to do for over a decade but real life obligations prevented me from ever going through with it. Luckily for me, this time around everything has fallen into place for me to actually do it and the timing of it means I’m going to the biggest Wrestle Kingdom to happen in years. Not only that but the itinerary I’ve put together for this trip has become the mother of all wrestling holidays. Stardom at Sumo Hall? I’m going to that. NOAH in Budokan Hall? I’ll be there. DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro having their year opening events in Korakuen Hall? You bet I wouldn’t miss that for the world! Add in shows at Shinjuku FACE, Shin-Kiba 1st RING, TOKYO SQUARE In Itabashi and even Ichigaya Chocolate Hall it all ends up with me pretty much speed running all of the famous and infamous Tokyo wrestling venues within a fortnight.
As for what will get posted on this blog while I am gone? I honestly don’t know at the moment. I’m bringing my laptop with me and will at least post the match results when I can but show reports, up to date news and other stuff will likely be put on the wayside until I return home and get some rest. I did a small one for the DDT show I went to in Saitama back in 2016 (which you can read here). Same goes for any end of trip report where I talk about what the experience is like. Worrying about that sort of stuff would only get in the way while I’m trying to enjoy my holiday. What I’ll likely do is tweet about all the shows I’m going to so you might get not non-DDT and non-TJPW related stuff from me on your feeds for the next two weeks.
What I have done in preparation for this trip is take part in a podcast about it. I was invited onto Wrestling Omakase for a massive roundtable covering as many of the shows happening around Wrestle Kingdom and the New Year’s period as we could. My lion’s share of the recording is in Part 1 for the men’s companies where I talk about DDT, NJPW, NOAH and BASARA. Then I pop up for half an hour in Part 2 as part of the TJPW section. Links to the episodes can be found below:
Wrestling Omakase #276: Wrestle Kingdom Week 2025-26 Preview Part 1 (NJPW, NOAH, AJPW, DDT, BASARA, Ganbare, BJW & GLEAT)
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.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 