DDT “DANSHOKU DIENO 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK PUBLICATION COMMEMORATION”, 21/12/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match – Karma Handicap Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Akito, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata, Antonio Honda & Hiroshi Yamato
1. DDT Wrestlers With Short Career Experience Are Called Young Drama: Anarko Montaña & Hideki Okatani Vs Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi
2. Untitled Staggered Entrance Rumble: HARASHIMA Vs Makoto Oishi Vs Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Saki Akai Vs Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Koroku
3. In The Present 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima Vs Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Ken Ohka
4. Novelty Single Match: Naruki Doi Vs Shunma Katsumata
5. DDT Tradition 6-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Thanomsak Toba Vs Tesuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & DJ Nira
6. Selfishly For The 2nd Time In 20 Years, A Single Match That Danshoku Dieno Just Wants To See: Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
7. Selfishly For The 1st Time In 20 Years, Danshoku Dieno’s Self-Satisfaction Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Muscle Sakai
The name of Danshoku Dieno’s book is “The Eccentric’s Ambition: What I Learnt From Fighting The Invisible Man On How To Increase My Value”. He got the book deal by pitching it as a self help title but it’s really an excuse for him to write his opinions about pro wrestling from throughout his career.
DDT “NEVER MIND 2022”, 29/12/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall
0. Dark Match: Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima Vs Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi
0. Dark Match: Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Soma Takao & Antonio Honda
1. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Takeshi Masada
2. HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuji Hino & Yuki Ishida
3. Pheromones Vs “Miyako & Ward” Pheromones Subjugation Allied Forces ~ Dissolution & Pet Dogs Contra One Day Experience: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Akito, Osamu Nishimura, Shinichiro Kawamatsu & Shunma Katsumata
4. Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai Vs Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata
5. Special Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita & Yukio Naya Vs Daisuke Sekimoto & RSP
6. International 4 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Chris Brookes Vs MAO Vs Cara Noir
7. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Chihiro Hashimoto
8. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada
9. DDT Extreme Title: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Super Sasadango Machine
10. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
The big blowoff match between Pheromones and the Pheromones Subjugation Allied Forces now has several stipulations attached to it. Pheromones and Akito had three prelim matches earlier this month and the winner of each match got to add a stipulation. Pheromones won the first match and decided if they win the blowoff bout then whoever they pin must join their unit for one day. Akito’s team won the other two prelim matches and he got to come up with two conditions if Pheromones lose on the 29th. The first is Pheromones must disband. The second is Dieno & Yuki Iino must give away their pet dogs to Shunma Katsumata for a month! Will Haku & Lily end up under Katsumata’s care?
The special ambassador LiLiCo was interviewed over her role on the show. She said ever since her retirement from pro wrestling, she felt like she lost a part of herself. The anal explosion ceremony gives her something to focus on and she wants it to be spectacular. She understands the risk of it and promises not to complain if she can’t use that body part anymore afterwards. She also hopes to continue being involved with DDT next year. She is still rehabbing the knee injury that made her decide to do her retirement match back in March. However she is on track to be completely healed in 2023. Perhaps a return to the ring is in her future.
DDT “HATSUYUME 2023”, 03/01/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi Vs Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima
2. New Year Special 8-Man Tag Match: Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata, Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Shinshun Pokotan, Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Kazuma Sumi
3. DDT Universal Title Next Challenger Decision Battle: Naruki Doi Vs Daisuke Sasaki
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs MAO & Shunma Katsumata
Pokotan gets to be part of the new year celebrations. The DDT mascot will be appearing in its Shinsun New Year form for its first match of 2023.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’23”, 04/01/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. HIMAWARI Debut Match: Yuki Aino Vs HIMAWARI
2. Wakana Uehara Debut Match: Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano Vs Arisu Endo & Wakana Uehara
3. Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami Vs Raku, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko
4. New Year Special Match: Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
5. Princess Of Princess Title Next Challenger Decision Battle Royal: Rika Tatsumi Vs Mizuki Vs Maki Itoh Vs Yuki Kamifuku Vs Hikari Noa Vs Suzume
6. International Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Trish Adora
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
A 6-Woman Battle Royal will determine the No. 1 Contender for the Princess Of Princess Title. There’s a former champion in Rika Tatsumi taking part. Both Mizuki and Maki Itoh have had failed challenges for the top title. Yuki Kamifuku, Hikari Noa or Suzume would all be first time challengers should one of them win.
The Ittenyon tradition returns! Since 2020 Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao have done a wacky singles match against each other on 4th January. The usual stipulation is the loser gets renamed by the winner for a short period of time, along with a gimmick change to go with it. The past examples are Misao becoming Akemi Daredasore and Nakajima becoming Shin Ultra Shoko. Nakajima did not go through with renaming Misao after the last match because she was concerned it would be a distraction for them before the “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart tournament began. The same situation is coming up in January so at least right now there is no stipulation attached to the match.
The debut matches for Wakana Uehara and HIMAWARI are now confirmed. Uehara gets to be in a tag match while HIMAWARI is doing a singles.
DDT “NEW YEAR’S CURRENT EXPLOSION!”, 07/01/2023 Kanagawa Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi
2. Yukio Naya Vs Takeshi Masada
3. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku
4. Harimao Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Saori Anou & Yusuke Okada Vs Kazuki Hirata, Saki Akai & Gota Ihashi
6. Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market Specialty Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Demonio Uno
7. “Current Explosion” Trademark Battle ~ Current Explosion Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Akito & Soma Takao
The CyberFight president, vice president and store manager of the Dropkick Bar are all joining forces to take the exploding death match trademark away from Atsushi Onita! Their argument is DDT could do more with the gimmick if they had the trademark while all Onita has done with it is create an exploding death match monopoly. Onita got some unlikely allies for this fight. Katsumata was previously trying to dethrone Onita as “The Evil Ways” for a new generation. He supports Onita here because you can’t do an exploding death match without him! Toi Kojima experienced this kind of match for the first time back in September and impressed Onita with his courage. Together the three of them will stop DDT management from taking what does not belong to them!
“BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS VOL. TWO”, 24/01/2023 Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
1. Special Singles Match: Fuminori Abe Vs Death Worm
2. Thai Boxing Vs Death Match: Thanomsak Toba Vs Drew Parker
3. Special Tag Match: Ram Kaichow & Onryo Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
The first “BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS” show was a big success and the second one looks to be even bigger. This time around Ram Kaichow & Onryo from 666 are here to give CDK a scary night. I bet Chris Brookes hasn’t forgotten about his casket match with both of them during the King Of Street Wrestling tournament.
Drew Parker has a styles clash waiting for him. The death match wrestler takes on the challenge of Thanomsak Toba and his Thai kickboxing abilities. Meanwhile Fuminori Abe is already making use of his newly freelance statuse by getting into fight with Death Worm.
Takayuki Ueki will be doing a variety performance of some sort before the main event.
“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE – BOKUTACHI 4 HANJUKU 4 I LOVE YOU! 2022”, 22/11/2022 Shinjuku FACE 302 Fans
0. Dark Match: SAKI & Yasu Urano (w/ KUDO) defeated Shinsetsu Gomu Ningen & Gota Ihashi (w/ Miyako Haru) when SAKI pinned Ihashi with the Kawaiild Knee Drop (4:11).
1. Mixed Gauntlet Tag Match: Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto Vs Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) Vs Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango Vs Cherry & Gorgeous Matsuno Vs Chie Koishikawa & Shin Suzuki Vs Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama Vs Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W (17:05).
1a. Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama defeated Chie Koishikawa & Shin Suzuki when Yoneyama pinned Koishikawa with the Chinese Steamed Bun Roll (3:20).
1b. Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama defeated Cherry & Gorgeous Matsuno when Yoneyama pinned Cherry with a School Boy (5:12).
1c. Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango defeated Choun-Shiryu & Lee Yoneyama when Hoshitango pinned Shiryu with a Body Press (6:35).
1d. Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W defeated Mochi Natsumi & Hoshitango when Sakur pinned Natsumi with La Magistral Cradle (9:35).
1e. Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) defeated Isami Kodaka & Emi Sakura W when Akai pinned Sakura with the Quetzalcoatl (13:55).
1f. Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Saki Akai & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) when Miyamoto pinned Kei with the I.W.C (17:05).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Ram Kaichow defeated Sak Akai with a Cradle (c) with (7:43 pm). *Ram Kaichow becomes the 1557th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Saki Akai defeated Ram Kaichow (c) after an Elbow Drop from Yuko Miyamoto (7:45 pm). *Ram Kaichow becomes the 1558th champion.
-. Special Match ~ Special Rules: Minoru Fujita Vs DJ Nira ended in a No Contest.
-. 3 Way Match: Minoru Fujita Vs DJ Nira Vs Daisuke Kiso did not end with a winner.
2. MAO defeated Mei Suruga with the Wedding Clutch (16:40).
3. Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao defeated Chris Brookes, Mizuki Watase & Antonio Honda when Irie pinned Honda with the Beast Bomber (15:03).
4. Daisuke Sekimoto defeated Masahiro Takanashi with a Modified Muffler Hold (23:09).
The 2010 Miracle Match between Masahiro Takanashi Vs Daisuke Sekimoto was revisited on today’s independently promoted show. Much like the first time, Takanashi was the big underdog but this time he was a much more crafty veteran. He targeted Sekimoto’s arms and continued to do so after Sekimoto missed a Lariat outside the ring and hit the ring post. The power difference just couldn’t be avoided though. Takanashi tried to hit the Takatonic from the top rope in a moment that flashed everyone’s minds back to 2010. Sekimoto blocked the move but before he could drop down and crush his opponent just like he did back then, Takanashi instead flipped over and Power Bombed him from the rope. The Takatonic was blocked again and every failed attempt to pin Sekimoto afterwards saw Takanashi’s chances fade away. The German Suplex that would normally end the match wasn’t hit perfectly so Sekimoto grabbed Takanashi in a Muffler Stretch and held his opponent up until Takanashi gave up. The two shook hands after the match but neither of them gave any speeches. Instead the show ended with Takanashi bowing to the audience on his knees and leaving the ring without comment.
Team Drift used Keisuke Ishii’s old theme music for their entrance. Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao also wore the same Team Dream Futures shirt while Ishii wore the shirt made for their farewell.
The special costume Mei Suruga wears for her entrance included flashing lights. During an outside the ring brawl with MAO, Suruga put the costume back on and dived from one of the nearby counters. She landed her attack and MAO complained afterwards that he could have gotten an electric shock. He then wrapped the costume around his arm and hit Suruga with an Axe Bomber. Inside the ring Suruga tried to put on the Cattle Mutilation but MAO kept countering it, eventually putting her in the Wedding Clutch for the pinfall.
A surprise match between Minoru Fujita and DJ Nira took place that went awry after Nira knocked out Daisuke Kiso with his umbrella. When Kiso woke up and was provoked by Nira again, he declared he was adding himself to the match, making it a 3 Way. The three of them locked up and the room suddenly went dark. Then there was an announcement that Kiso had seriously injured his opponents and escaped, leaving the ring completely empty. There was then an announcment that a new life was suddenly born. A spotlight then shined over to Hoshitango wearing diapers and crying like a baby. Then there was another announcement, this one saying Sekimoto quietly passed away on the morning of his match against Takanashi 12 years ago.
There was a brief exchange back and forth of the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title between Saki Akai and Ram Kaichow. When their match ended, Kaichow rolled up Akai and pinned her for the belt. Akai then attacked her with the Brahman Brothers’ suitcase. Yuko Miyamoto tried to rescue Kaichow but accidentaly Elbow Dropped her instead. Akai then pinned Kaichow to win back the title.
The wrestler called Emi Sakura W in the Gauntlet Tag match is Papillon Akemi pretending to be her. The gimmick has been used in Gatoh Move before.
The UMA Corps turned on Gota Ihashi after the dark match after Miyako Haru ordered Shinsetsu Gomu Ningen to attack him. KUDO came to the rescue, scared them off and told Ihashi the Ebisuko Tavern was now protected. Ihashi told KUDO he hasn’t given up on his dream of becoming the tavern’s manager. KUDO gave Ihashi a Buzzsaw Kick in response and Ihashi apologised for trying to overthrow his boss.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT AUTUMN ~ARISU ENDO LOCAL TRIUMPH~”, 21/10/2022 Fukushima Aizuwakamatsu City Culture Center
1. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Kamifuku Vs Haruna Neko
2. Yuki Aino Vs Kaya Toribami
3. Maki Itoh & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta
4. Rika Tatsumi Vs Raku
5. Miu Watanabe & Pom Harajuku Vs Shoko Nakajima & Moka Miyamoto
6. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
Tomorrow’s show is sold out.
BASARA “BASARA 202 ~TAKAGARI 13~”, 22/10/2022 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT Vs Minoru Fujita & Daiki Shimomura
2. Takumi Tsukamoto & Lil’ Kraken Vs Best Stretchman V3 & Stretchman Man
3. Chouten ~Itadaki~ – Round 2 A Block: FUMA Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi
4. Chouten ~Itadaki~ – Round 2 B Block: Masato Kamino Vs Takato Nakano
5. Chouten ~Itadaki~ – Round 2 A Block: Tsutomu Oosugi Vs Fuminori Abe
6. Chouten ~Itadaki~ – Round 2 B Block: Isami Kodaka Vs Yasu Urano
Oh no. Oh no! Who let the Best Stretchmen back into BASARA?!? But they never really left, did they?
GANBARE☆PRO “PUNCH DRUNK LOVE 2022”, 22/10/2022 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. GanPro Oji Specialty Secret Captain’s Fall 8-Man Tag Match: Soma Takao, Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI Vs Shinichiro Tominaga, HARUKAZE, Yuna Mizumori & Yoshiko Hasegawa
2. Just Before 11.3! Special Tag Match: Hartley Jackson & Seiya Morohashi Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Kouki Iwasaki
3. GanPro Specialty Three Great Singles Match: Yumehito Imanari Vs Yuki Kanzaki
4. GanPro Specialty Three Great Singles Match: Mizuki Watase Vs Tyson Maeguchi
5. GanPro Specialty Three Great Singles Match ~Ken Ohka Debut 21st Anniversary Match~: Ken Ohka Vs Keisuke Ishii
Over the top rope eliminations will count in the Secret Captain’s Fall Tag match.
DDT “GOD BLESS DDT 2022”, 23/10/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match – Pheromones Vs Takagi-gun Complete Showdown FINAL ~ Dissolution Contra 1 Day President! 2 Vs 5 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Makoto Oishi, Antonio Honda & Akito
1. Kazuma Sumi Debut Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
3. Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Takeshi Masada Vs Soma Takao & Hikaru Machida
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku Vs Osamu Nishimura, Shinichiro Kawamatsu & Yuki Ishida
5. Road To D-Ou GP Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Yuji Hino & Chris Brookes Vs Tetsuya Endo, MAO & Yukio Naya
6. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi
Yukio Sakaguchi has spent the last day training with Kosei Kubota at the Sakaguchi Dojo in Yokohama. Other preparations for the KO-D Openweight Title match are sparring with open-finger gloves and weight training. Sakaguchi thinks Kazusada Higuchi has a perfect score of 10 when it comes to power, speed, technique and toughness. But his weakness is heart. That is what Sakaguchi thinks will help him win the match and become champion. He also criticizes the age limit that was added to this year’s D-Ou Grand Prix. The tournament is supposed to determine the strongest wrestler in DDT but cutting off entries older than forty years old means the tournament will only determine the strongest wrestler under forty. If Sakaguchi becomes the new champion he will be waiting for the D-Ou winner to meet him in the ring. He also encourages the other wrestlers in his age group to not give up and show their pride. As for his demand for Harimao to be join forces with Eruption and be absorbed into the unit, he sees the idea as a way for himself and Higuchi to start over after their match ends. It is up to Higuchi to show confidence and prove that Harimao can get things done by themselves.
DDT held a short interview with Saki Akai on their website asking her about the Higuchi Vs Sakaguchi match. She called Higuchi a kind, sensitive, strong, and reliable fighter but was always one step away from becoming the champion. So they had many frustrating experiences together in Eruption. She understands Sakaguchi’s feelings on the matter and can’t imagine how both men will feel when they step into the ring on the day of the match. She thinks Higuchi has the power and momentum but Sakaguchi knows his weaknesses and when to attack them. She’s also aware that Sakaguchi becomes an even more fearful fighter when his limits get removed. The scary thing is we don’t even know how fearsome he can become once that happens.
“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE – BOKUTACHI 4 HANJUKU 4 I LOVE YOU! 2022”, 22/11/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Mixed Gauntlet Tag Match: Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto Vs X & X
2. Mei Suruga Vs MAO
3. Daisuke Sekimoto Vs Masahiro Takanashi
A Mixed Tag Team Gauntlet is being added to Masahiro Takanashi’s show. The first team to throw their hats into the ring are being sent over by 666. It’s the team of Ram Kaichow & Yuko Miyamoto!
AEW “TOKYO GAME SHOW 2022 EXHIBITION MATCH”, 16/09/2022 Chiba Makuhari Messe Hall
1. AEW: Fight Forever Exhibition Match: Christopher Daniels Vs Chris Brookes
2. AEW: Fight Forever Exhibition Match: Ryo Mizunami Vs Hikari Noa
3. AEW: Fight Forever Exhibition Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Winner Of Match #1
There’s the confirmation over what I was talking about from yesterday’s post. AEW are holding exhibition matches at the Tokyo Game Show with DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro also involved. There will be matches held over three days with a variety of wrestlers from the promotions already mentioned plus a few more names in store. On Day 1 the first two matches will be held at 1:00 pm. Match #3 will be at 3:00 pm.
Other names advertised to appear during the weekend are Riho, Michael Nakazawa, Yuka Sakazaki, Maki Itoh, Hagane Shinno and Yuki Ueno. Itoh I’m surprised by because she has a match in Canada on Friday and a match in America on Saturday. Does the time difference work out for her to make it back on Sunday? There are also a few big name omissions given who is also in the country this weekend. Earlier today Hikaru Shida starred in the latest Makai performance and Emi Sakura was running a Gatoh Move event. And of course there is all the talk surrounding Kenny Omega. He is currently suspended from AEW related business due to investigations over the incident that is now referred to online as “Brawl Out”.
The latest gossip is Omega will not be involved with the promotion for AEW’s video game at TGS. News has since come out that both Nakazawa and Christopher Daniels have been cleared of any wrongdoing so their suspensions have been lifted and they can go ahead with their duties. Omega however is over in Japan on his own volition working on personal projects with Sega and Capcom. He visited Sega’s office and posted pictures of himself getting scanned, presumably to become a character for one of the upcoming Yakuza/Like A Dragon games in production. The Capcom connection is an upcoming panel appearance to talk about Street Fighter 6. Oh yeah and he reunited with Kota Ibushi too. As much as that tugs on my heartstrings I won’t go any further with that unless The Golden Lovers reunion makes its way over to DDT. Don’t hold your breath with that one.
Once every match from all three days is completed I will gather them all together for a results post along with video links should they be filmed on any of THQ Nordic’s social channels. Normally I would save AEW results for my Around The World posts but this is all happening in Japan with more direct involvement from DDT and TJPW than usual. So I may as well give the results their own post.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW AUTUMN TOUR ’22”, 16/09/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Kamifuku Vs Haruna Neko
2. Moka Miyamoto Vs Mei Suruga
3. Rika Tatsumi Vs Mahiro Kiryu
4. Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. Shoko Nakajima & Arisu Endo Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki
6. International Princess Title Next Challenger Match: Miu Watanabe Vs Suzume
Sadly Abadon could not get a visa ready in time to travel and cannot be in Japan this weekend. Their appearance at tomorrow’s TJPW show has been cancelled and Mei Suruga is being called in to be Moka Miyamoto’s new opponent. Abadon was meant to be at TGS first and foremost. The TJPW booking was made after the fact but visa troubles with the “event organiser” happened shortly afterwards. Attempts were made to solve the problem but the booking was cancelled in the end. This is not a problem exclusive to AEW contracted wrestlers (see Timothy Thatcher and NOAH last month) but I’m worried this happening so close to Willow Nightingale’s cancelled booking is revealing a trend.
DDT “STERNNESS 30TH ANNIVERSARY ~JUN AKIYAMA 30TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 18/09/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Koroku
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata
3. HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani & Soma Takao & Yukio Naya
4. Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima Vs Cara Noir, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
6. Naomi Yoshimura Vs Takeshi Masada
7. Jun Akiyama Debut 30th Anniversary Match – Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Tetsuya Endo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru Vs Yuji Nagata, Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata
Jun Akiyama gave a few comments on the card for DDT’s website. He made some DDT to All Japan comparisons, saying Sanshiro Takagi is DDT’s Giant Baba. He also named Konosuke Takeshita, Tetsuya Endo, Kazusada Higuchi and Naomi Yoshimura as DDT’s Four Pillars. Because Takagi is like Baba, Akiyama describes Takagi’s tag match against Pheromones as something like the Family Gundan Vs Akuyaku Shokai comedy bouts that AJPW held throughout the 90s. Does that make Antonio Honda this generation’s Rusher Kimura?
Kenta Kobashi will be a special guest commentator on the show. He was Akiyama’s debut opponent.
GANBARE☆PRO “NERAWARETA GAKUEN 2022”, 02/10/2022 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. England x Makai x GanJo! Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Nightshade, Moeka Haruhi & HARUKAZE Vs Ram Kaichow, YuuRI & Yoshiko Hasegawa
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Hartley Jackson (c) Vs Yuna Manase
A big shift in Ganbare☆Pro’s main event scene was made after Hartley Jackson won the Spirit Of Ganbare Title from Yumehito Imanari. The first person to challenge him for the belt is Yuna Manase! The two have been in the ring together before over at ZERO1. Manase thinks Jackson does not know the meaning of Ganbare so she won’t let him extinguish its flame.
Nightshade won’t just be working with TJPW when she returns to Japan next month. She will be at Ganpro for the first time in 3 years too. Her match is a chaotic mix of joshi talent including the Ganpro debut of Ram Kaichow!
DDT “GET ALIVE 2022”, 12/10/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Hideki Okatani
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuji Hino Vs HARASHIMA, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
3. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match! Yuki Ishida 1st Anniversary Match ~ Playfulness Series Act 4: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Yuki Ishida
4. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match!: Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Toi Kojima
5. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match!: Toru Owashi Vs Kazuki Hirata
6. Get Alive 4 Major Single Match!: Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Takeshi Masada
7. Makoto Oishi 20th Anniversary Match ~ Men’s Club Vs The 37KAMIINA: Makoto Oishi, MEN’S Teoih & Shiori Asahi Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
The midcard is filled up with four significant singles matches. Yukio Sakaguchi is the latest veteran to put the super rookie Takeshi Masada to the test, Toru Owashi and Kazuki Hirata are finally facing each other in a regular one on one match, Koju Takeda has his first singles bout in DDT since joining Pheromones and Yuki Ishida celebrates his 1 year anniversary.
DDT “THE WORLD’S BEST ROJO PRO WRESTLING TOURNAMENT ~KING OF STREET WRESTLING~”, 10/04/2022 WRESTLE UNIVERSE 0 Fans
1. King Of Street Wrestling – Round 1 – Kanagawa Big Japan Dojo: Abdullah Kobayashi defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Bakachinga Elbow (13:02).
2. King Of Street Wrestling – Round 1 – Kanagawa Enoshima Beach: Hikaru Machida defeated Worawutnoi Keatchaiyong by Knockout with the Iai Punch (R3 1:20).
3. King Of Street Wrestling – Round 1 – Tokyo Shibuya Kitaya Park: Shunma Katsumata defeated Suzu Suzuki with the Sauna Trance Splash through the Table (17:18).
4. King Of Street Wrestling – Round 1 – Tokyo Shin-Kiba Studio Flamme: Chris Brookes defeated Onryo by Coffin Burial (15:43).
The first King Of Street Wrestling tournament kicked off with four matches in the opening round. Sanshiro Takagi visited the Big Japan dojo for his match against Abdullah Kobayashi. Takagi went looking around for his opponent but found Kosuke Sato instead. He thought Takagi was trespassing but couldn’t stop him from entering the kitchen and looking round the place. Kobayashi finally showed up. He was out grocery shopping and forgot the match was taking place today. To make up for it, Kobayashi offered Takagi a pint glass of raw eggs. Takagi couldn’t drink it while Kobayashi gulped his glass down. He then drank Takagi’s pint for him and the two began their match. It was just as much a tour of a dojo as both wrestlers were looking for weapons. Kobayashi briefly disappeared only to return dressed as Stan Hansen! He chased Takagi outside and Takagi tried to escape on the Dramatic Dream bike. He caught up to him by the river where BJW washes their ring canvas. Kobayashi hit Takagi over the head with a chair, knocking him down onto the canvas. He gave him the Bakachinga Elbow and pinned him right there to advance to the semi-final.
The next match was on a beach where a kickboxer fought a Muay Thai fighter. The kickboxer Hikaru Machida was accompanied by Thanomsak Toba while the Muay Thai fighter Worawutnoi Keatchaiyong had Makoto Oishi cheering him on. Keatchaiyong had the early advantage by clutching onto his opponent in Round 1. Machida broke through his defence in Round 2 with a Sole Butt, causing Keatchaiyong to flee towards a nearby jungle gym. Machida used the gym to swing into Keatchaiyong with a flying kick for more damage. The knockout came in Round 3 when Machida hit Keatchaiyong with the Iai Punch into the water. It was an instant knockout.
The young generation were up next with Shunma Katsumata and Suzu Suzuki fighting each other in Shibuya. Both of them brought weapons out to the public square and weren’t shy about committing violent acts in front of the confused bystanders. They stapled flyers onto each other’s heads, smashed a box of toy blocks to pieces and threw each other into nearby chairs before breaking them over each other’s heads. A ladder was set up next to a table and Katsumata threw Suzuki onto a pile of chairs Death Valley Driver style. He then climbed the ladder and put Suzuki through the table with the Sauna Trance Splash to win the match.
The final match was held in an empty photo studio where Chris Brookes went hunting for the ghost known as Onryo. He entered the venue armed with a proton gun to defend himself with. He was in for a wild ride starting with a masked figure appearing in the balcony to get his attention only for Onryo to attack him from behind. Onryo tried to hang him with a chain but Brookes broke free and attacked him back with the same chain. The two fought up to the rafters where Brookes put Onryo in the Octopus Stretch. Onryo found a cinder block up there and he broke it over Brookes’ stomach. Back down on ground floor, Brookes used a giant fan blowing flower petals to render Onryo’s powder attack useless. Brookes tied Onryo to a wheelchair when suddenly a nearby coffin opened up and Ram Kaichow rose out of it! She gave Brookes a Tornado DDT out of the coffin and began shooting fireworks at him. She freed Onryo but that gave Brookes time to attack her. Onryo dived onto Brookes and fought to throw him into the coffin. He countered the Praying Mantis Bomb with a Back Body Drop onto wooden boards. He then pressed a nearby button and picked up a board rigged to explode! Brookes fought him off, grabbed the board and hit Onryo with the explosion instead. That was enough for Brookes to carry him into the coffin and close it for the knockout victory. Brookes was the winner but he could see through the window lid of the coffin that there was nobody in there! The coffin was empty and the lights began to flash. Brookes ran off as the ghostly figures of Onryo and Kaichow stood behind him and stared.
The King Of Street Wrestling semi-finals will be broadcast on 16th April. Abdullah Kobayashi versus Shunma Katsumata will happen at a bath house in Kanagawa. Chris Brookes versus Hikaru Machida will take place at a campground in Shizuoka.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 1,714 Fans
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano when Suzume pinned Miyamoto with the Ring A Bell (9:43).
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI defeated Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami when Manase pinned Kiryu with the Lariat (12:19).
3. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hyper Misao defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the I Am A Hero (12:00).
4. Asuka defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Moonsault Press (9:37).
5. Yuki Aino defeated Nodoka Tenma with the UBV (9:23).
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent defeated Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow when Sakisama pinned Kobashi with the Academy Award (10:51).
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida defeated Hikari Noa with the Falcon Arrow (8:46).
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) defeated Yuki Arai with the Itoh Deluxe (16:14). *V2 for Maki Itoh.
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) defeated Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe when Sakazaki pinned Tatsumi with the Magical Girl Niwatori Yaro (17:02). *V2 for The Magical Sugar Rabbits.
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima defeated Miyu Yamashita (c) with the Diving Senton (19:04). *Miyu Yamashita fails in V5. Shoko Nakajima becomes the 10th Princess Of Princess Champion!
In its ninth year of existence, Tokyo Joshi Pro has reached the “Dream Stage” that is Sumo Hall! In the main event, Shoko Nakajima brought an end to Miyu Yamashita’s reign as Princess Of Princess Champion. She took the Skull Kick to the back of the head but was able to dodge a second one thrown from the front. Yamashita was caught in a Frankensteiner for a nearfall and was left stunned with a Double Arm DDT. That was the end for her because Nakajima then hit the Diving Senton for the three count. It is the second Princess Title reign for Nakajima, reclaiming the belt in the same venue she lost it in November 2019.
Nakajima said today was the strongest version of Yamashita she had ever seen. After years of fighting together, no matter what pressure they were under, Yamashita never showed any fear. That is why Nakajima wanted to win so badly today, to be like Yamashita. She doesn’t know for sure if she surpassed her today but she knows for sure one day she will. Either way, the two will continue fighting together for TJPW. Nakajima later said her goal is to defend the Princess Title at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” in Saitama Super Arena on 12th June. She thought last year’s title match at the show was really cool and would love to be in that position on behalf of everyone. Yamashita has mixed with happy and sad emotions over the show. Her dream to headline Sumo Hall came true but she lost. Today isn’t the happy ending for TJPW because she wants the company to grow even bigger for their supporters! She couldn’t win today but that just means she has to get stronger and restart her training. However she admits if she was to fight Nakajima for the championship again she won’t be able to beat her. The next time she wants to be in a Princess Title match will be when she is confident she will win.
It’s going to be a difficult task to take the Princess Tag Team Titles away from The Magical Sugar Rabbits. The strongest challengers in the company are Daydream and they weren’t able to beat them today. Double team moves were the plays of the day with MagiRabi hitting versions 1, 2 and 3 of Toy Story. Miu Watanabe used her individual strength to give both MagiRabi a Double Giant Swing by herself. Rika Tatsumi tried to put Yuka Sakazaki away with Hip Attacks but couldn’t get the job done. Watanabe got back in only to get wiped out by Mizuki’s Whirling Candy. Tatsumi was then dealt with MagiRabi’s signature moves until Sakazaki finished her off with the Magical Girl Niwatori Yaro. Sakazaki calls this a huge victory because of where it took place. Mizuki is cheery again because she wanted to win the Max Heart Tournament earlier this year and they just beat the winners today. Daydream were obviously upset over losing but they said they will find a new dream to make come true.
Yuki Arai’s first championship match in TJPW career ended in failure thanks to Maki Itoh. The International Princess Title bout was big enough for Kero Tanaka to be the ring announcer for. Also Itoh was joined by Naoko Hara and Mayu Kishida from the idol group Toki wo Ikiru (of which Itoh is also a member) to dance for her entrance. Itoh choked Arai with her microphone stand and showed no mercy as the match progressed. Arai kept fighting and held onto Itoh as much as she could but an Avalanche DDT followed by the Itoh Deluxe made her give up in the end. Itoh asked for Arai’s handshake afterwards and Arai reluctantly accepted. Arai said next time she will win and be the one who asks for Itoh’s handshake instead. However Itoh is sure she will continue beating Arai no matter how many times they fight. But she also believes Arai is stronger than she thinks. She has power, stamina and guts but is missing one thing to make the complete package. Arai has all of the ingredients, she just isn’t a good cook yet. Itoh will still be here for Arai to challenge her again in the future.
Hikaru Shida did the deal because nobody kicks out of the Falcon Arrow! Even though her match against Hikari Noa was not a Hardcore match, the two couldn’t help but hit each other with a kendo stick and a chair outside the ring. Noa’s back was targeted throughout and Shida’s plan paid off when her opponent struggled to throw a Super Kick and could not hold onto the Blizzard Suplex during an attempted pin due to the pain. Shida went on to win but as she walked back up the ramp, she couldn’t help but notice Aja Kong on commentary and give her a determined look. Backstage Shida said she is grateful to wrestle in Japan again. She was surprised that Noa wanted to fight a Hardcore match against her but she likes that kind of spirit. Next time they fight Shida wants it under Hardcore rules for sure!
For the first time in TJPW, the entire NEO Biishiki-gun were together in one place. Sakisama was teaming with her usual loyal servants but the rest of the household stood with them for their entrance. Ai Shimizu, KANNA, Azusa Christie, Yoshiko-sama (with her teddy bear Charlotte) and even Misao were all seen in public again for the first time in years. The grand entrance made everyone forget that minutes earlier Raku & Ram Kaichow were walking down the ramp together looking like a newly married couple. During the match itself the maids Mei Saint-Michel & Martha worked together like a well oiled team against Pom Harajuku. Later Yukio Saint Laurent tried to stab his opponents with an injection but Kaichow turned the needle on himself. She also gave Sakisama the Rainmaker. Marika Kobashi took over and tried using moves like the Front Neck Lock and Shining Wizard on Sakisama. However Martha used a mop to distract her, Saint-Michel (with Charlotte) hit a mop assisted Diving Double Knee Drop and Sakisama pinned Kobashi with the Academy Award. After the match Sakisama gave Kobashi a red rose as a parting gift. Kobashi said that in the past she ripped up the roses Sakisama gave her but this time she will bring it home with her. She can tell this one was given out of respect and maybe even love?
Even though The Bakuretsu Sisters were opponents, they made their entrance together with a live performance of “BAKURETSU POWER” by the band angela. The younger sister won out in the end with Yuki Aino pinning Nodoka Tenma with the UBV. She said she finally found out how strong Tenma is by wrestling her one on one. She was happy to win because she admires her sister the most and shouldn’t be losing to her when Tenma is leaving pro wrestling to farm in Okayama. Tenma wants Aino to continue wrestling and doesn’t think she will need a new tag partner as a substitute for herself.
The entrances of Asuka and Yuki Kamifuku was just as much a competition as the match itself. Asuka had a routine with a male dancer while Kamifuku arrived in the arena on a motorbike looking for drinks and a smoke. The two began in the ring with light teases that grew more and more aggressive until it became a full on match. Kamifuku’s reliance on the Famouser didn’t work and she was dropped with a Sit Down Power Bomb. Asuka then picked up the win with the Moonsault. Kamifuku admitted to feeling more nervous about this match than any title bout she was ever in. She believes it is up to her to become stronger than Asuka because there will be new people coming into TJPW and looking up to her. And even if she loses to Asuka in the ring, she will never lose to her in the bar! Asuka said their bond has deepened and VENYU will team together again in the future.
TJPW’s first ring announcer Minami Momochi was on hand to witness the match between Hyper Misao and Sanshiro Takagi. She wasn’t the only face from the past because former TJPW wrestlers Nonoko and MIZUHO were in attendance to present flowers to Misao. The superhero said Takagi was not the crazy wrestler he used to be so she wanted to destroy him. Nobody was more shocked than her when Takagi showed up dressed like her in bodypaint! He grabbed the microphone and introduced himself as Hyper Sanshiro, the President who protects sales and numbers in Tokyo Joshi Pro! Misao attacked him with the help of Nonoko and MIZUHO. They then fought up the ramp on bicycles, crashing into each other. Another graduated TJPW wrestler appeared when Akane Miura from the ring crew hit Takagi with a Lariat on the ramp. Takagi knew the match was getting out of control so he ordered the rules be changed to Falls Count Anywhere! After he did that, Misao was seen standing on the top of the aisle and she jumped down onto everyone below! A castle of chairs was built in the ring and Misao got back on her bicycle. She shouted this was what she always dreamed to do in Sumo Hall and crashed into the chairs after Takagi jumped out of the way. Takagi hit her with chairs and called her a phoney hero. He sprayed her with a fire extinguisher, calling it the Hero Beam. But when he attempted to do the I Am A Hero onto some plastic boxes, Misao rolled out of the way and he crashed through them. Misao then did her own I Am A Hero to pin the DDT president for the three count! Misao said that as long as Takagi is her Peter Pan, she will always aim for his head. Takagi said he’s been dressed like this since 8am, even doing the pre-show speech to the entire locker room looking like that. He told Misao that today she has become a real hero! The two hugged and Misao then gave Takagi a Stunner.
Yuna Manase returned to TJPW with a new gang of friends with her. The visiting foursome from Ganbare☆Pro defeated the home team led by Nao Kakuta. Manase took her new role as the female Ken Ohka to heart by wrestling an outfit similar to his. Mahiro Kiryu also debuted a new costume too. Kaya Toribami and HARUKAZE had a sequence against each other that could have went either way. YuuRI joined in with Manasae to deal some pain to Kakuta & Haruna Neko. But Neko got to fight back by giving Moeka Haruhi the Nekodebreaker. The match came down to Manase and Kiryu and ended when Manase pinned her with the Lariat. The TJPW team are taking the loss as a learning experience and that more work needs to be done to make the company stronger. Manase credited her team’s win on the bond formed between all four of them. They all fought using the spirit of Ganbare☆Joshi! Manase wants everyone to know that CyberFight has so much hot joshi action from not just DDT and TJPW but Ganjo too. She wants everyone to come see Ganpro at Ota Ward Gymnasium on 10th July.
The show began with the anticipated debut of the TikTok Karate Nurse Juria Nagano. She teamed with Moka Miyamoto to take on Arisuzu in a losing effort. However it was Miyamoto who took the fall instead of the newcomer. She enjoyed her first match but described how frustrated she felt when she was taken down to the mat because she has no ground game. Suzume was delighted to see how many fans showed up to watch the match and she’s also happy to have new friends. Arisu Endo joked that the match went by too fast for her to enjoy it.
During the show opening introductions, Sayuri Namba brought down KANNA and Chikage Kiba into the ring. They were the two other wrestlers who debuted in the same match with Yamashita and Nakajima in 2013 but both of their wrestling careers only lasted a few years. KANNA cried because she never expected to see TJPW to make it to this point and she thinks it will become the second launch of the company. Kiba said it was a miracle that the show went ahead without anyone having to pull out because of covid. Standing in Sumo Hall with somebody she debuted with felt like a dream come true for her. A voiceover for the show was recorded by another TJPW alumni, Azusa Takigawa.
The Up Up Girls (Pro Wrestling) performed some of their songs and announced will be holding an audition to find a new member! They are looking for girls who want to sing, dance and fight with them. Noa would like someone to do a death match with and who is also imposing enough to beat up Sanshiro Takagi. Raku said she grew up knowing nothing about pro wrestling yet it changed her life 180 degrees and she is now here standing in the middle of Sumo Hall. Watanabe said it also isn’t important if the applicants do not know anything about idols. She is looking forward to hearing from anyone interested to join.
Tokyo Joshi Pro will return to Ota Ward Gymnasium on 9th July for “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’22”.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
3. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hyper Misao
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Asuka
5. Nodoka Tenma Vs Yuki Aino
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
It took nine years for Tokyo Joshi Pro to start from a tiny little idol stage in Akihabara and make it all the way to running grand old Sumo Hall by themselves. It’s a show bigger than the “WRESTLE PRINCESS” name and is part of a stacked Ryogoku weekend with DDT celebrating its 25th Anniversary the next day. All three Princess Championships will be defended, there are some inter-promotional matches, some emotional backstories, a final call for two beloved roster members before they go away and an anticipated debut so let’s have a look at what’s in store for us.
The big debut TJPW has been building up since the start of the year is Juria Nagano. She is a woman of many talents being a former children’s world champion karate fighter, actress and nurse with 900,000 TikTok followers. Her 2nd dan black belt in Shito-ryu makes Nagano a suitable tag partner for Moka Miyamoto and her Shotokan background. Nagano was moved to tears when she first discovered the deep bonds the TJPW roster has with each other and is looking forward to forming her own. Even her opponents are excited to be in the ring for her debut match. Suzume said she wants to crush Nagano in the ring with her love and Arisu Endo believes it will be an exciting match showcasing the future of TJPW. Arisuzu are a team to watch out for and the most likely from this new generation to jump up a level together later this year.
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
A former TJPW wrestler returns looking for a passionate fight. Yuna Manase was with the promotion from 2017 to 2020 until she found a new home in Ganbare☆Pro. She kept a good relationship with TJPW since then but suddenly called out the company in a fiery speech demanding an opponent who wants to fight her instead of being told to by management. Nao Kakuta answered the call, fueled by memories of working with Manase in Actwres girl’Z before either of their TJPW days. The response is also the first time Kakuta felt like a proper member of Tokyo Joshi by defending the promotion’s honour. However Manase immediately got backup with everyone from the Ganbare☆Joshi division wanting to join in the challenge and take part. The challenge became big enough to suck in more people for an inter-promotional 8-Women Tag Match.
Kakuta gathered together Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami to be on her team. Kiryu was recently in the news for alerting everyone on social media to a convincing looking email scam she almost fell for. Neko continues to live life as a catgirl scratching every person who gets in her way. Toribami hasn’t lost a step in the ring since coming back from a European vacation over the winter but is still at risk of being the team’s weak link. Manase is flanked by the rest of Ganjo, a group of women who became tight from constantly teaming with and fighting against each other. HARUKAZE is the biggest example of that, reinventing herself from one of Japan’s weakest wrestlers to a reliable combatant under the tutelage of Yuu Yamagata. The weathergirl wrestler Moeka Haruhi understands Manase is the sun that everyone else in the match will gravitate around, but she wants to be the rainbow that catches everybody’s attention. The least experienced member is YuuRI. She made a surprise jump from JTO to Ganjo at a time when other joshi were transferring to higher profile companies. For her to wrestle in Sumo Hall is a big deal because that was where she discovered pro wrestling in the first place. Ganpro’s bread and butter is having wrestlers who wear their hearts on their sleeves and giving it their all in the ring despite their limitations. Win or lose, the TJPW team can learn a valuable lesson coming out of this match.
3. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hyper Misao
At first this match was just thrown out as an announcement promoted as an attraction match with no build attached to it. Still the match by itself makes sense on paper. Hyper Misao is always the most creative woman in TJPW when it comes to making up match structures and stipulations and Sanshiro Takagi will literally do anything in the ring to make DDT and everything surrounding it successful. But Misao was bothered by the idea of this match going ahead. Takagi as he is now isn’t the crazy wrestler she saw when she attended her first wrestling match eight years ago. He’s too much of a boring corporate president these days to inspire Misao on a match as important as this. It’s understandable. Takagi is older and his body isn’t what it used to be. He also has a lot on his plate behind the scenes along with a grudge match happening in DDT the next day. But he is still the crazy pro wrestler Misao saw eight years ago. As the poster says above, this won’t be a normal match!
As time has gone by Misao has become more publicly open about her past life before discovering pro wrestling. To go from feeling lost and empty to becoming a big driving force in TJPW is inspirational to see. Thanks to pro wrestling the “29 year old”* has become a stronger person, gotten married and continues to protect love and peace the only way she can. Meanwhile Takagi got stuck fighting with Pheromones and Michael Nakazawa. Who really has more going for them here?
*Misao became self-conscious over her real age during her last birthday and decided to break up from her year of birth.
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Asuka
The speed this friendship is going is really fast. Yuki Kamifuku and Asuka have been close friends outside of wrestling since 2017 but only went public with it last year when they started teaming together as VENYU. The team did well in TJPW this year, reaching the semi-finals of the “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament. But with no chance of winning accolades happening anytime soon the two drinking buddies have nobody to fight but themselves. There have been a few little swipes made in good nature between the two but for Kamifuku it is a chance to climb up to Asuka’s level on the big stage. Asuka feels honored having an important match like this take place while she is a freelancer. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t looking to have fun either. The VENYU entrance is already flashy. What will they be like when Kamifuku and Asuka are trying to out-do one another?
5. Nodoka Tenma Vs Yuki Aino
One of the women leaving pro wrestling soon is Nodoka Tenma. She has been with TJPW since 2016 starting off using a children’s TV character gimmick called Nodoka-oneesan. The time has come for her to retire after she decided to get into food production and agriculture in her hometown. She decided her retirement from pro wrestling will happen on 26th March because she does not want to miss this show. When Tenma & Yuki Aino failed to win the Max Heart Tournament final, Tenma came up with an idea for them to do at Sumo Hall. They should wrestle each other! The Bakuretsu Sisters have never had a singles match by themselves and Tenma does not want to end her wrestling career without doing one. It was an idea that has come up before but Aino always turned it down. This time the match is so important that Tenma will not take no for an answer. Aino has shown flashes of breaking out as a singles wrestler in the past. She seems to be sticking around after her older sister leaves so it is a path she will probably have to take as we head into the summer.
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow
The mighty NEO Biishiki-gun returns once more to be a thorn in everyone’s side. This time they are coming nearly at full force. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel are already established as a nearly unbeatable tag team but we also get the reappearance of Sakisama’s first loyal maid Martha. There is also the dark and foreboding presence of Yukio Saint Laurent to deal with too. The TJPW side put together to fight them are made up of a mixture of cute and sugary personalities but something is a little bit different this time. Ram Kaichow is part of the team and I bet she is something the likes of which NEO Biishiki-gun have never dealt with before. Kaichow has no problem acting like she owns the place whenever she shows up in TJPW so how will a woman as proud as Sakisama react to that? Kaichow recently celebrated 17 years in the wrestling industry and remember most of that was spent in Triple Six. NEO Biishiki-gun is nowhere near the weirdest thing she has seen before.
But what about the rest of the team? Marika Kobashi is the other wrestler who will be leaving TJPW soon. She wants to spend her final years in university living the full college life. However she also made it sound like it will not be the end of her pro wrestling career so it may only be goodbye for now (unless she shows up somewhere else). Raku is still big into trains and now calls her fanbase her “Passengers”. While not performing with The Up Up Girls she has been teaming with Pom Harajuku. That one continues to run around causing mischief like an out of control three year old. Raku & Harajuku are getting used to teaming with each other but they are regular cannon fodder for NEO Biishiki-gun. Chances of an underdog upset here are slim.
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa
Now we’re getting into the main course. The top four matches on the card are what I’m all hyped for and it begins with the TJPW debut of Hikaru Shida. Signs of a working relationship between AEW and TJPW were made clear last year and now that it’s become a little easier to travel overseas, that means Shida gets to wrestle in her home country again. TJPW gave her the offer to wrestle in Sumo Hall and here we are. The former AEW Women’s Champion looked a little lost in the shuffle at times but a high quality feud against Serena Deeb means she is coming to Sumo Hall riding a fresh wave of interest. This is the perfect test for her opponent, someone who spent the last few years coming out of her shell by making bloodlust look cute.
As time goes by Hikari Noa pushes TJPW closer inch by inch towards a more violent style of wrestling. He dream is to become the Queen of Deathmatch wrestling and she has jumped into the deep end whenever the opportunity presents itself. Now Shida is not a deathmatch wrestler per se but she has no problem getting dragged into the hardcore style. I mean, this is a woman we recently discovered will threaten decapitation if she hates somebody enough. Like I said, a perfect test for Noa. There are high expectations though and from studying footage Shida thinks Noa has been struggling to meet those expectations. She can tell Noa enjoys wrestling and is hungry to win but does she have the mental and emotional state to succeed?
This may not be the end of Shida in TJPW too. She wasn’t aware of the promotion until she went to America and the interactions she’s had with TJPW wrestlers since then have impressed her. Maybe there will be more interactions between them in AEW or Japan. She performed on stage with Arisu Endo before and Shida hasn’t seen any of her matches other than her debut. Plus there is a certain unbeatable champion in the main event that Shida has been thinking about. But now is not the time to talk about that…
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai
If there is a result on this show that will cause a shockwave throughout TJPW is will be Yuki Arai beating Maki Itoh for the International Princess Title. Itoh became a two time IP Champion on 4th January, ending Hikari Noa’s deathmatch title dreams. With the belt back in her hands, Itoh’s goal is to reestablish the championship as a global prize to be defended overseas. She isn’t shy (when is she ever?) about going back to AEW and defending the title against former champion Thunder Rosa to finally complete a thread that’s been left hanging ever since the pandemic began. She has a trip to America coming up in May and the title could be a necessary accessory for her plans. The worst thing that could happen now is if a far more popular idol steals her glory, her thunder and her championship. How typical would that be?
Momentum is such an overused word in pro wrestling but it really does apply here for Arai. The SKE48 idol has been a big boost for TJPW’s business and the wrestling media in Japan is throwing every Best Rookie achievement they can find in her direction. And she isn’t slumming it in the ring. The hard work is on show even when the match layout every now and then is a bit obvious in highlighting her strengths while hiding her flaws. I shouldn’t knock it when it works though, especially if it gets applied to a rivalry like this.
Whether Arai wanted it to happen or not, she was destined to be Itoh’s enemy. It’s only natural when it is an idol as successful as her to rub Itoh the wrong way. Even more so when the one place Itoh can feel superior is inside the wrestling ring. Itoh tapped out Arai in her debut match and encouraged her to keep coming back fo as long as it will take for Arai to finally beat her. A full year hasn’t even been passed since then but Arai is already confident she now has what she needs to beat Itoh. It would be an unusual result but these are two unusual idols.
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
We now reach the point where the remaining title matches are between the two strongest opponents. The Princess Tag Team Titles are what helped form The Magical Sugar Rabbits together in the first place. Their first reign holds the current record for the most title defences. In second place is the reign held by Daydream, who are their opponents here. The Max Heart Tournament is what sets up this match. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki were shockingly eliminated in the opening round, preventing them from facing Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe in Round 2. Daydream then went on to win the entire tournament. The two teams weren’t anywhere near each other in the bracket but MagiRabi know it is their duty as champions to beat the Max Heart winners.
The challengers have a lot on their plate. Tatsumi’s crush on Mizuki is well known but winning back the Princess Tag Titles is now more important. She doesn’t care about that anymore and accepts that Mizuki will hate her for taking the belts away from MagiRabi. Mizuki isn’t worried about a problem like that because she thinks her team is not going to lose anyway. Watanabe sees the champions as a wall she hasn’t been able to climb over until now. Sakazaki’s only concern is defending the belts so MagiRabi can continue bringing fans into their happy, sparkling world!
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
Let’s finish this one strong. The two longest serving members of TJPW headline the promotion’s biggest show yet in Sumo Hall. It is the very same building where Miyu Yamashita and Shoko Nakajima had their official pro wrestling debuts on 17th August 2013. Funny thing is they were both on the same team back then and lost to two wrestlers who are since long gone from the company. In the nine years since then Miyu Yamashita has been the constant ace in TJPW, growing up with the most dominant Princess Of Princess Title reigns in the championship’s history. She has been the female face of CyberFight’s expansion, sharing centre stage with the likes of Jun Akiyama and Naomichi Marufuji. Ever since her debut in Ryogoku, Yamashita has dreamed of Tokyo Joshi holding their own show there. This won’t mean much to her if she cannot beat her biggest opponent on TJPW’s biggest show.
Shoko Nakajima has beaten her for the Princess Title once before, back in 2019. It was how Yamashita’s 10 defence title reign was finally brought to an end. In fact, Yamashita and Nakajima are currently 1-1 in Princess Title matches against each other. Yet the Big Kaiju has always felt small around her rival. No matter how many times Nakajima won matches against her, Yamashita would easily shrug them off and return to winning ways. It can get disheartening. With this match taking place in Sumo Hall, Nakajima doesn’t know if she will ever get a title shot as important as this ever again. This is the Big Kaiju’s best chance to take down an even bigger monster and finally become the superior champion. Whatever the result is, the future of Tokyo Joshi Pro will be made clear when the dust is settled.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 -LIMITED-”, 02/03/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Saki Akai, Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Maya Yukihi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuya Koroku
2. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Akito & Yuki Ishida
3. Daisuke Sasaki & Minoru Fujita Vs MAO & Yukio Naya
4. Road To Judgement 2022! Special Single Match: HARASHIMA Vs Chris Brookes
5. Road To Judgement 2022! Captain’s Fall Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita (C), Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata Vs Tetsuya Endo (C), Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada
Nothing like a Captain’s Fall Tag match to really spice up a rivalry between units. The match has elimination rules but will end once either captain is pinned or submitted. There is no over the top rope rule in effect for this match. Tag Team Elimination matches in Japan usually include that rule.
Yuya Koroku has recovered from covid and is cleared to return.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2022 WINTER”, 05/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
1. Nao Kakuta & Kaya Toribami Vs Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko
2. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Aino Vs Arisu Endo
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Hikari Noa Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
4. Nodoka Tenma Vs Marika Kobashi
5. Miyu Yamashita, Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki, Maki Itoh & Suzume Vs Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe, Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto
Champions and challengers for Sumo Hall are on opposite sides of the main event. Suzume and Moka Miyamoto are added in for fun too.
Since both Nodoka Tenma and Marika Kobashi are leaving soon it’s only fair to pit them against each other and find out who is better once and for all.
GANBARE☆PRO “MERCURY RISING 2022”, 06/03/2022 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. Ganpro Mixed Tag Match: Ken Ohka & Moeka Haruhi Vs Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE
2. Tiger & Tiger Vs Power Of Nobu: Shuichiro Katsumura & Mizuki Watase Vs Kouki Iwasaki & Nobuhiro Shimatani
3. Japan Ganbare Union To Become AAAW Tag Team Champions: Yuna Manase & YuuRI Vs Cherry & Sayaka
4. Special Single Match – Wrestle Drunker Vs Punch Drunker: Keisuke Ishii Vs Tyson Maeguchi
5. Takaiwa Army Vs Ganpro Full-Scale Battle: Tatsuhito Takaiwa, 5th Black Tiger & Kenya Maeda Vs Shota, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Tominaga
Right now there is no challenger for Spirit Of Ganbare World Title so Tatsuhito Takaiwa is putting himself out there for anyone to challenge him. Maybe somebody from ROMANCE DAWN will step up? Shinichiro Tominaga is there too looking to bounce back from his defeat at the recent Korakuen Hall show.
Yuna Manase & YuuRI have entered a tag league in Marvelous for the vacant AAAW Tag Team Titles. Their team name is Nippon Ganbare Union and they are getting a warm-up bout a day after their first block match takes place.
The “Real Tiger Mask” and “Tenori Tiger” are joining forces which is why Shuichiro Katsumura & Mizuki Watase are called Tiger & Tiger. Their opponents Kouki Iwasaki & Nobuhiro Shimatani combine the “Power Of Dreams” with “Nobu” to become Power Of Nobu.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
3. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hyper Misao
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Asuka
5. Nodoka Tenma Vs Yuki Aino
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
Both Tokyo Joshi Pro and DDT announced their full cards for Ryogoku weekend. An almost complete NEO Biishiki-gun reunion has been added but what would Sakisama make of Ram Kaichow when they meet in the ring? The Bakuretsu Sisters are not the only tag team fighting each other because Yuki Kamifuku and Asuka are having a match too. Nao Kakuta and Yuna Manase have gathered together wrestlers from their respective promotions for a big TJPW Vs Ganbare☆Pro tag match. Finally Juria Nagano gets to debut by teaming with another karate fighter, Moka Miyamoto. She will be put to the test against Arisuzu.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida & El Unicorn
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi Vs Soma Takao & Shota Vs Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul Vs Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba (w/ Naomi Susan)
2. LiLiCo Retirement Match: LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
3. Special Tag Match: Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
4. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
5. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
6. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Michael Nakazawa
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
8. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Jun Kasai Vs MAO
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
DDT has eleven matches in total for their big anniversary event. DISASTER BOX regained the KO-D Tag Team Titles that they gave up but CDK believes that they should be the champions instead because they are more dramatic and dreamy.
Eruption has a busy day in the building. Saki Akai’s match with Maya Yukihi is turning into a bigger grudge every time they are in the ring together. Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani were chosen to be the opponents for Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori. That would leave Yukio Sakaguchi on his own but he was invited by Isami Kodaka to team up and take on Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata.
A Tag Team Battle Royal featuring names from the past, present and future of DDT is part of the pre-show. One past team to keep an eye on in the match is Double Bridge. That is the name given to the pair of former KO-D Tag Champions Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi. They held the titles together all the way back in 2003.
DDT “APRIL FOOL 22”, 10/04/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul
New challengers have emerged for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles although the match won’t be for another month. DAMNATION T.A want the belts but I’m not sure if they know what they are getting into when Pheromones are the champions.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 