DDT “THREE DREAMS 2019”, 03/03/2019 Hiroshima Aster Plaza Multipurpose Hall 214 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Raw Oysters, Grilled Oysters, Steamed Oysters 3 Way Match: Yoshihiko defeated Antonio Honda and Kazuki Hirata when Yoshihiko pinned Hirata after the Miracle Ecstasy from Makoto Oishi (11:00). *Yoshihiko wins Kazuki Hirata’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
2. Asuka, Kenshin Chikano & Lowther defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Masahiro Takanashi & Rey Paloma when Asuka submitted Paloma with a Cradle (7:36).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie defeated Toru Owashi, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura when Endo submitted Ueno with the Modified Yurikamome Hold (11:41).
4. HARASHIMA & Takeshi Okada defeated Keisuke Okuda & Makoto Oishi when HARASHIMA pinned Oishi with the Somato (9:22).
5. Kota Umeda defeated Yuki Iino with two PKs (10:21). *Kota Umeda wins Yuki Iino’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
6. Soma Takao defeated Akito with the Official Endless Waltz (11:10).
7. Hiroshima Specialty! Jingi Naki Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Bull James defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata when Higuchi pinned Katsumata with the Doctor Bomb (14:40).
Bull James thanked Kazusada Higuchi for teaming with him today. He wants Higuchi to team with him again anytime. Higuchi replied that he doesn’t understand English at all. James also praised Konosuke Takeshita and thinks he can go wrestle all over the world.
All the DAMNATION members at ringside celebrated when Soma Takao beat Akito. Takao was critical of The Moonlight Express for wrestling at K-DOJO instead of DDT today (The Express successfully defended the STRONGEST-K TAG Titles against Dinosaur Takuma & Kotaro Yoshino). He wonders if that means The Express hates Hiroshima. If so then the anger of Hiroshima’s citizens will follow Takao and help him destroy MAO & Mike Bailey!
Two more movements happened with the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlets. Kota Umeda defeated Yuki Iino to take the Yellow Gauntlet. Umeda notices all of the younger wrestlers his age have been joining up in the different units lately while he has stayed independent. Umeda thinks he is better off on his own. That way he can keep his momentum going while competing with the rest of his generation. Yoshihiko won the Blue Gauntlet with some help from his handler Makoto Oishi. When Kazuki Hirata noticed how much help Yoshihiko was getting from Oishi, Hirata aimed for Oishi instead. Oishi fought back, hit the Miracle Ecstasy and threw Yoshihiko on top for the pin.
Naomi Yoshimura had to be held back from starting a fight with DAMNATION after their match.
Although Rey Paloma was defeated, he lifted everyone’s spirits up by dressing Yukio Sakaguchi up in his entrance clothes while his music played.
DDT “OSAKA 24 DISTRICT TOUR ~TAISHO WARD~”, 02/03/2019 Osaka Okinawa Hall 201 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Makoto Oishi & Yuni when Hirata pinned Oishi after an Inverted Hurricanrana from Yuni (8:13). *Kazuki Hirata wins Makoto Oishi’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
2. Yukio Sakaguchi, Masahiro Takanashi & Kazusada Higuchi defeated Keisuke Okuda, Kota Umeda & Shunma Katsumata when Takanashi pinned Katsumata with (9:17).
3. Bull James defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga with the Doink Drop (7:57).
4. Gongitsune Vs Yellow Devil In Tokushima!: Antonio Honda Vs Maku Donaruto ended in a No Contest (8:33).
5. Soma Takao, Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie defeated MAO, Asuka & Mizuki Watase when Takao pinned Watase with the Gin And Tonic (10:37).
6. As Always I Like It! Osaka Specialty Special Single Match: Mike Bailey defeated Daisuke Sasaki with the Flamingo Driver (15:41).
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Konosuke Takeshita, Akito & Yuki Iino (c) defeated HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura when Takeshita pinned Ueno with a Crushed Casadora (23:47). *V2 for ALL OUT.
The show began with ALL OUT giving the opening speech until DISASTER BOX interrupted them. Yuki Ueno said that he and Naomi Yoshimura went to a time limit draw with Konosuke Takeshita & Akito in Shinjuku last week. HARASHIMA is also the DDT Extreme Champion. That means the three of them deserve a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match today. Akito asked what would happen to ALL OUT’s match with the Sendai Girls if they lose. Ueno told him he doesn’t care. Akito refused the challenge but Takeshita reminded him of his goal to defend his championships outside of Tokyo more often. Hisaya Imabayashi told the teams that title matches need to be endorsed by the GM Tetsuya Koda but he is currently travelling on one of the company coaches with the Tokyo Joshi Pro roster. Suddenly Koda appeared and he told everyone he changed his travel plans and will take a late night bus home. He also agreed to changing the main event into a title match.
It was a close match but ALL OUT squeaked by with the win when Takeshita blocked Ueno’s Casadora and pressed him down with the pin. After the match, Yuki Iino told Takeshita he isn’t going to cash in his Right To Challenge Gauntlet today. He then performed a Haka victory dance for the fans.
It’s all going downhill for Daisuke Sasaki. He lost his match again today this time to Mike Bailey. Sasaki was on the top rope while Mad Paulie distracted Bailey. But Bailey stopped Sasaki and hit the Flamingo Driver to win. All Sasaki can think about nowadays is losing. Even when he sleeps he is losing in his dreams. He thinks he is old as a grandpa too. Soma Takao tried to get him to focus on their KO-D Tag Team Titles match but nothing seems to get him out of his current state.
Antonio Honda Vs Maku Donaruto went the way of your typical Danshoku Dieno match. Honda accidentally blinded Daisuke Kiso with the Gongitsune poke. Donaruto hit the McFly Swanton Bomb but Kiso couldn’t count because of his eyesight. Donaruto grabbed Kiso and decided that dry humping him would somehow solve the problem. Honda grabbed Donaruto and tried to stop him but it only made the situation worse. The match had to be called off because of this.
Bull James is happy to wrestle in Japan for the first time and wants to be in a bunch of matches with a variety of styles. For his DDT debut things started off a little rusty when James needed to sit down on a chair after being tricked to run the ropes over and over. Tomomitsu Matsunaga tried to take advantage but James was able to Hip Toss him as he stood up off the chair. Matsunaga used his strength to Body Slam and Lariat the American but James fired up, hit a Corner Splash and then the Doink Drop to win.
The first Right To Challenge Gauntlet transfer took place in the opener. Kazuki Hirata used Yuni to give Makoto Oishi a Hurricanrana then he piled on top of them to get the pin.
Yukinori Matsui made some announcements for his 25th Anniversary show on 26th May. Kikutaro Vs Kuishinbo Kamen will take place with Matsui as the referee. He said this is the first time in five years that match will happen with him involved. Shigehiro Irie will also be wrestling on the show.
DDT “ALL RIGHT IN IBARAKI 2019”, 24/02/2019 Ibaraki Kasumigaura Cultural Sports Center 144 Fans
1. Northern Hemisphere Ikemen No. 1 Decision Battle: Mike Bailey defeated Mizuki Watase with a Left High Kick (9:09).
2. Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Jason Kincaid & Antonio Honda when Owashi pinned Honda with La Magistral Cradle (12:07).
3. HARASHIMA, Kazuki Hirata & Yuki Uemo defeated MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Space Monkey when Hirata pinned Monkey with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (9:01).
4. Soma Takao, Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda when Takao pinned Matsunaga with the Official Endless Waltz (13:26).
5. Everyone’s Makorin Is 40 Years Old! Kasumigaura Specialty Special Single Match: Makoto Oishi defeated Daisuke Sasaki with the Grand Cross 200 (13:31).
6. Konosuke Takeshita, Akito & Yuki Iino defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Masahiro Takanashi & Kazusada Higuchi when Akito submitted Takanashi with the Perfect Figure F4 Leg Lock (21:43).
What an upset, Makoto Oishi beats Daisuke Sasaki! Oishi targeted Sasaki’s legs and that proved to be very effective. When Oishi put Sasaki in the Jikiden Tornado Clutch he transitioned the hold into a Grand Cross 200 knee submission and to everyone’s surprise Sasaki gave up! Sasaki admitted backstage that he gave up because his knees hurt. It’s essential in life to know when to give up and today Sasaki thought it was best to do just that. He has become very pessimistic lately and believes he will be a loser forever.
Oishi however is now as confident as he’s ever been. He was worried that Sasaki would beat him today and take his Right To Challenge Gauntlet. Instead Oishi tapped out the former KO-D Openweight Champion! With a new sense of pride surrounding him, Oishi entered the ring after the main event and approached Konosuke Takeshita. He then walked past Takeshita and left the ring, acting like he wasn’t going to do anything. Now that the Right To Challenge Gauntlets are active the mind games have begun.
Akito closed out the show since he is the most familiar with Kasumigaura. He was born in Nagoya but went to high school in Kasumigaura for three years. He said he is happy to be in DDT and he is happy to be in ALL OUT with Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Iino, Shunma Katsumata, Space Monkey (heading home after today) and Diego (wrestling over in Chile). He came here today as one third of the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions. He hopes to come back next time with a singles belt too.
The rest of DAMNATION are doing ok. At least they won their match. Tetsuya Endo was going to speak after they won but he passed the microphone to Soma Takao. Takao didn’t want to say anything so he handed the microphone back to Tetsuya Endo. Endo then gave it to Mad Paulie and left the ring. Paulie thought for a moment and just said “Cue Case”.
DDT “DRAMATIC 2019 FEBRUARY SPECIAL”, 23/02/2019 Shinjuku FACE 351 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Jason Kincaid & Antonio Honda defeated Toru Owashi & Space Monkey when Kincid pinned Monkey with a Piledriver (9:14).
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Keisuke Okuda & Gota Ihashi when Sakaguchi pinned Ihashi with the God’s Right Knee (7:49).
3. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere 4 Way Match: Makoto Oishi defeated Shunma Katsumata, Kazuki Hitata and Asuka when Oishi pinned Katsumata with a Modern Times (7:12). *Makoto Oishi wins the Blue Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
4. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Single Match: Yuki Iino defeated Kota Umeda with the Spear (10:58). *Yuki Iino wins the Yellow Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
5. Mike Bailey, MAO & Mizuki Watase defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Soma Takao & Mad Paulie when MAO pinned Sasaki with the Michinoku Driver I (16:47).
6. Konosuke Takeshita & Akito Vs Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura ended in a Time Limit Draw (30:00).
7. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere 3 Way Match – Over The Top Rope Rules: Tetsuya Endo defeated HARASHIMA and Kazusada Higuchi (18:33).
7a. Tetsuya Endo eliminated HARASHIMA by Ring Out (13:08).
7b. Tetsuya Endo eliminated Kazusada Higuchi with the Shooting Star Press (18:33). *Tetsuya Endo wins the Red Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
The Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlets were reintroduced today for their annual run. Three Gauntlets were on the line in three matches each with different stipulations. Tetsuya Endo won his in a 3 Way Battle Royal against HARASHIMA and Kazusada Higuchi. Endo eliminated both of them by himself. Yuki Iino won a Gauntlet by beating Kota Umeda in a regular match. Makoto Oishi won the third one by winning a 4 Way. This year the Gauntlets can only be cashed in for a KO-D Openweight Title shot on the spot. They also will not become active until tomorrow. Endo and Oishi weren’t aware of that and they both wanted to get their title match today. Hisaya Imabayashi had to tell them they couldn’t a bunch of times. The usual rule where if the Gauntlet holder is beaten in a match they must give the Gauntlet to the winner still stands. Oishi wanted to cash in today because he isn’t convinced he can beat Daisuke Sasaki tomorrow.
The new team of Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura have today showed they mean business. They weren’t able to beat Konosuke Takeshita & Akito but taking them to a 30 minute draw is no small task that’s for sure. Takeshita told Ueno & Yoshimura that some day maybe he will fight one of them in a Sumo Hall main event. Maybe Ueno and Yoshimura will be fighting each other in that main event instead. Whatever it is, Takeshita will look forward to it. Ueno said he isn’t feeling proud over the draw. Both he and Yoshimura became pro wrestlers so they could beat Takeshita. They will be a challenge for him from now on!
When they left, Takeshita was joined by the rest of ALL OUT in the ring. He said that what just happened will probably lead to them defending the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles against Disaster Box. He was interrupted when the room lights switched off and a video played on the screen. It was Meiko Satomura! She hasn’t forgotten when Takeshita humiliated her when the Sendai Girls failed to win the KO-D 6-Man Titles from ALL OUT last year. She wants to challenge them again with DASH Chisako and one other person. The room lights switched back on and standing in the ring behind Takeshita was Chihiro Hashimoto! She grabbed Takeshita and gave him a German Suplex. She introduced herself to the audience then repeated Satomura’s challenge. She has never seen Satomura look so angry over something so Hashimoto will never forgive Takeshita for it! The Sendai Girls team will get their title shot at Korakuen Hall on 21st March. When she left the ring, Makoto Oishi walked down to cash in his Gauntlet only to be told he can’t do it until tomorrow. Yuki Iino then performed a Haka inside the ring as a warning to Hashimoto.
The descent of Daisuke Sasaki is getting noticeable. First he loses the KO-D Title then on the next show he gets pinned by MAO. Sasaki now fears that his career his approaching its end. But before it’s time to call it a day and flee the country he asked MAO for a favour. “Uncle Sasaki” asked MAO & Mike Bailey for a KO-D Tag Team Titles Match so he could have one last happy memory in Japan before he quits wrestling. Soma Takao will be Sasaki’s partner. The Moonlight Express accepted and the match will happen on 21/3.
Jason Kincaid finishes his latest tour with DDT with a win. Antonio Honda hopes Gon Gift can continue to team together if Kincaid ever returns. This tour was a chance for the team to develop together. Next time they can aim for higher targets like matching red and white gear, a tag team championship shot and forming a folk duo musical act together.
Before the show began, Shuten-dōji held a press conference to give a few announcements about their future. On the 17th April at the end of their self-produced show in Shinjuku FACE, Shuten-dōji will be coming to an end. KUDO is planning to take a break from pro wrestling in order to give his body much needed rest. This month will mark be KUDO’s twentieth year in combat sports, he begun with kickboxing before transitioning over to pro wrestling. He does not know how long he will stay out of action for. With KUDO taking a break, Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanashi agreed that Shuten-dōji could only work with the three of them together so the unit will go away. at least for now. To mark their last show together, the 17/4 main event will feature Sakaguchi Vs Takanashi as the main event. KUDO will team with HARASHIMA to face The Suicide Boyz of MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba in a special throwback match for longtime DDT fans.
Nobuhiro Shimatani will return to action on 21st March.
DDT will be holding a Falls Count Anywhere match inside AbemaTV headquarters on 29th March.
DDT “ROAD TO WRESTLE PETER PAN 2019 ~FREE BOX OFFICE SIMULATION SPECIAL~”, 06/02/2019 Shin-Kiba 1st RING 352 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Jason Kincaid & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Akito & Space Monkey when Kincaid pinned Monkey with the Philosopher’s Stomp (8:43).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 4 Way Match: Asuka (c) defeated Mad Paulie, Kazuki Hirata and Saki Akai when Asuka pinned Hirata with the Moonsault (4:46). *V? for Asuka.
3. Toru Owashi & Yuki Ueno defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Antonio Honda when Owashi pinned Owashi with La Magistral (10:26).
4. Sanshiro Takagi defeated Soma Takao by Disqualification when Takao attacked the referee (7:43).
5. HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Kota Umeda & Makoto Oishi when HARASHIMA pinned Umeda with the Somato (12:42).
6. Masahiro Takanashi defeated MAO with the Takatonic (16:17).
7. DAMNATION Vs ALL OUT!: Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Iino when Sasaki pinned Iino with a Diving Elbow Drop (19:45).
Well it was nice while it lasted but Daisuke Sasaki is fighting clean no more. Sasaki kept up the good behaviour at first by shaking everyone’s hands and even calling out Tetsuya Endo for fighting dirty against Yuki Iino. But Sasaki eventually showed his true self when Yukinori Matsui got knocked out. With the referee gone, Sasaki said he couldn’t hold it in any longer and he kicked Konosuke Takeshita below the belt. He then threw a chair at Takeshita when they were outside the ring. Takeshita got revenge back inside when he took Sasaki’s chair and smashed it over Sasaki’s head. Takeshita then tried to squash Sasaki by Power Bombing Iino onto him but Sasaki rolled out of the way. Takeshita then tried to give Sasaki a German Suplex but Sasaki grabbed onto Matsui to block the move and do the Now Or Never Instead. With Takeshita out of the picture, Endo gave Iino the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb and Sasaki pinned him with a Diving Elbow.
Sasaki mocked Takeshita after the match by calling him stupid for ever believing that Sasaki was a good guy now. Takeshita admitted he keeps falling for Sasaki’s tricks but he really thought Sasaki meant it this time because there was a glint in his eyes that was never there before. Even Endo said he was also falling for it. Sasaki told everyone he will protect the KO-D Openweight Title from being taken by idiots like Takeshita. He ended the show with the DAMNATION motto, adding “You must never trust us” at the end of his mantra.
Masahiro Takanashi doesn’t see what is so threatening about MAO. He beat him cleanly in a singles match today. Yukio Sakaguchi couldn’t do that but Takanashi showed there is nothing to fear. For MAO the defeat brought back bad memories of NωA and the times when Shuten-dōji would beat them over and over. MAO needs to beat Shuten-dōji at Sumo Hall so he can move on from that period of his life.
After Match #5, HARASHIMA got on the microphone to talk about how he still doesn’t know what the stipulation is for his DDT Extreme Title match at Sumo Hall in two weeks time. Luckily for him, the champion Shinya Aoki was in the building and he came down to the ring. Aoki already said the stipulation. They will be fighting for “our pride”. Hisaya Imabayashi stepped in and asked for clarification but HARASHIMA understood Aoki’s point. Aoki and HARASHIMA will fight with their pride on the line.
Something has been bothering Soma Takao lately and Sanshiro Takagi was determined to find out what. He brought out the Dream Go but once again it fell apart as soon as it was used. The match turned violent with both Takagi and Takao smashing the plastic boxes over each other until Daisuke Kiso told them to stop. Takao then made a pile of chairs in the ring and gave Kiso a Michinoku Driver onto them! He then gave Takagi a the Scwhein but the bell rang and Takao was disqualified for attacking the referee. Takao told Takagi that he is angry at him, angry at Ryuji Ito, angry at Chigusa Nagayo and angry at, well, everything! Takagi told Takao to bring that anger with him to Sumo Hall. In his backstage interview, Takagi explained he has twenty years worth of reasons to be angry. New Japan, All Japan, NOAH, WWE and AEW have made him angry. He’s been angry at the wrestling magazines for the times they only gave DDT half a monochrome page worth of coverage in their issues. When he goes to other shows and gets stuck in a packed lobby that makes him angry. What reason does Takao have to be angry at in comparison?
Yesterday Toru Owashi made his triumphant return to Dragon Gate for the first time in 14 years! Today he marked the occasion by imitating Masato Yoshino’s high speed rope running at the start of Match #3. The match also featured a lot of kiss teasing between the wrestlers. Owashi and Honda first teased it when they were fighting over Gongitsune. Yuki Ueno and Kazusada Higuchi then teased it but their moment was interrupted when Owashi pinned Honda.
Asuka had nothing in her schedule today so she came to the building and added herself into the 3 Way Match. Kazuki Hirata dared Asuka and Saki Akai to give Mad Paulie a Double Suplex and they succeeded. The three of them danced until Asuka and Akai attacked Hirata. Asuka turned on Akai and hit her with a High Kick. Asuka then pinned Hirata with a Choke Slam and the Moonsault.
The Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlets will be up for grabs on the 23rd February Shinjuku FACE show. A new rule has been added this year where the Gauntlets can only be cashed in for an immediate title match. The holder can no longer declare their intention to cash in on a certain date in advance.
DDT “DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI #15”, 28/08/2018 Shin-Kiba 1st RING 220 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
0. NO TV Match I ~ “Self-Proclaimed” Interim Mr. Maji Manji Appears In His 2nd NO TV Match!: Makoto Oishi defeated Antonio Honda with a Reverse Cradle (4:39).
0. NO TV Match II ~ DAMNATION Vs ALL OUT!: Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie defeated Akito & Yuki Iino when Paulie pinned Iino with the Reverse Splash (8:51).
1. Mike Bailey & MAO defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Kazuki Hirata when Bailey pinned Hirata with a Buzzsaw Kick (7:50).
2. Shigehiro Irie, Mizuki Watase & Ryan Davidson defeated KUDO, Masahiro Takanashi & Keisuke Ishii when Irie pinned Takanashi with the Beast Bomber (8:46).
3. 2nd Generation Bachelor Rintaro Oyaizu Dating Rights 4 Way Match: Cherry defeated Yuna Manase, Maki Itoh and Yuki Kamifuku when Cherry pinned Kamifuku with the Spring Night Love (7:20).
4. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki defeated Gota Ihashi with a Foot Choke (4:22).
5. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Yuki Ueno defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Soma Takao & Nobuhiro Shimatani when HARASHIMA pinned Shimatani with the Somato (9:22).
6. KO-D Openweight Title: Meiko Satomura defeated Danshoku Dieno (c) with the Scorpio Rising (11:56). *Danshoku Dieno fails in V1. Meiko Satomura cashes in her Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet. Meiko Satomura becomes the 66th KO-D Openweight Champion!
The entire direction of DDT on the road towards Sumo Hall took a massive shift today when Meiko Satomura defeated Danshoku Dieno to become the first ever female KO-D Openweight Champion! There were no games or tricks up Dieno’s sleeve for this match, he took the fight to Satomura as hard as he ever did. Even the Danshoku Nightmare used during the match was performed more like a heavy Sit Down Splash rather than just the usual humiliating squats. Satomura targeted Dieno’s shoulder but struggled when Dieno’s size advantage came into play, allowing him to absorb her kicks. The one thing Dieno didn’t count on was Satomura’s determination. She kicked out of three different Danshoku Drivers: the standard version, the Gotch-Style version and a Screwdriver version. A Vertical Drop Brainbuster did big damage to Satomura’s neck but Dieno didn’t go for the cover. Instead he went to puch Satomura into the corner with his Ippatsu move. Normally that would be a hip thrust but since his opponent was a woman, he kicked her into the corner instead. That had no effect and Satomura backed into him with an Overhead Kick. The critical moment came when Satomura did the Scorpio Rising and hit Dieno’s injured shoulder. With Dieno to hurt to defend himself, Satomura used all her power to give him a Death Valley Driver then hit one more Scorpio Rising direct to Dieno’s head for the three count.
Satomura celebrated becoming the first woman to hold the KO-D Title. Dieno requested a rematch but Satomura told him there is already somebody else she wants to defend the belt against. Shigehiro Irie! Satomura had wanted that match to be for the belt before Dieno pulled off his plan. Irie however cannot accept it. There is one thing he wants more than to win back the KO-D Title and main event Sumo Hall. He wants a singles match with Dieno, the man he blames for changing the DDT that he loved into something else! Satomura took offence to this and asked if Irie is running away from her challenge. The arguing continued until Sanshiro Takagi came down to the ring to sort it out. After congratulating Satomura for her accomplishment today, he looked at the story unfurling in front of him. Satomura wants to fight Irie, Irie wants to fight Dieno and Dieno wants to main event Sumo Hall as the champion. Takagi’s solution is a 3 Way Elimination Match with the championship on the line at the 23rd September Korakuen Hall show! The winner will without any doubt go on to main event “RYOGOKU PETER PAN 2018” in October.
With the match agreed upon by all parties, Satomura was left to close out the show with her victory speech. She will soon become the centerpiece of Sumo Hall. She told the women of the world that the time to endure is already over. She will rise to fight the strongest men and women as the first ever female KO-D Champion!
The return of DISASTER BOX is off to a good start. HARASHIMA has an idea to improve the group and that’s to invite Kazuki Hirata to join them! Toru Owashi didn’t approve of the idea because he thought he would never have to deal with Hirata ever again. HARASHIMA cited Hirata’s performance in the King Of DDT tournament as well as a recent pinfall victory over Yukio Sakaguchi as the reasons to give him a chance. That success also got Hirata coverage in the latest issue of Shukan Puroresu so he has to be a good wrestler now. Yuki Ueno was neutral about the idea but Owashi was against it. Everyone agreed to a tag team match on next week’s episode of “DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI” to determine if Hirata can join. It will be HARASHIMA & Hirata Vs Owashi & Ueno.
At first the size difference between Gota Ihashi and Shinya Aoki worked in Ihashi’s favour. He was able to stay standing from a Sleeper Hold and then squash Aoki with a Splash. It all went wrong when Ihashi missed a Moonsault and was open for Aoki to tap him out with a Foot Choke. When the two were finished thanking each other for the match, Kota Umeda entered the ring and challenged Aoki to a match as part of Umeda’s “Mad Dog” series. Aoki asked if Umeda had recovered from his injury and the two agreed to a bout for the 17th September episode of Maji Manji. Umeda promises it will be a way more serious match compared to what Aoki experienced today.
Cherry won the 4 Way Match but was surprised to find out it didn’t mean she would get to date Rintaro Oyaizu from The Bachelor. When Hisaya Imabayashi put the match together he never agreed to the stipulation that the winner automatically gets Oyaizu. Instead Oyaizu would get to choose whoever impressed him the most. In a shocking twist, Oyaizu apologised to all of the women in the ring because there is another attractive woman he saw today working as the lighting assistant at ringside. The assistant revealed herself to be Aja Kong! She got the lighting assistant job because DDT stopped booking her to wrestle. When Kong and Oyaizu left to go out on their date to any place that has meat, the four women in the ring all attacked Imabayashi for wasting their time.
The combined firepower of the RENEGADES were too much for KUDO, Masahiro Takanashi & Keisuke Ishii to handle. Mizuki Watase has added the Koji Cutter to his moveset and he shouts “Kojikoji-kun” during the move. Takanashi was pummeled with a Lariat from Ryan Davidson, a corner to corner Dropkick from Watase and then the Beast Bomber from Irie for the finish.
Kazusada Higuchi encouraged Hirata to wear the Hirata GO! glasses during their tag match because he wanted to see him dance. Hirata didn’t want to do it because he was going to win without them. So Higuchi knocked him out of the way and wore the glasses himself. Higuchi’s dancing was very different but was fun enough to get Mike Bailey & MAO also involved. The weird dancing annoyed Hirata and distracted him enough to get rolled into a School Boy. Hirata kicked out but then got pinned by a Buzzsaw Kick from Bailey. After the match Bailey & MAO announced their new team name. They are now the Moonlight Express! The name came about because both of them would like to go to the moon where there is less gravity. They can then jump very high like they do on trampolines.
Yuki Iino was building up momentum when he hit Mad Paulie with the Spear. He went to repeat the move but the second Spear was blocked by Paulie’s Lou Thesz Press. A Backflip and the Reverse Splash got DAMNATION the win over ALL OUT.
Antonio Honda’s Gongitsune went badly wrong to the point where his hand got stuck pinching his own nipple. Honda had to go out into the audience to get help letting go.
Some unit organisations were made for the Dramatic General Election. Dieno formed The Compliance with Makoto Oishi, Antonio Honda, Kazusada Higuchi and Super Sasadango Machine as the other members. Each member has a different role in the group all with the goal of keeping DDT under control and out of trouble. Oishi’s job is to crack down on wrestlers’ romantic relationships with women, Honda is cracking down on animal cruelty, Higuchi is cracking down on anti-social behaviour and Sasadango is cracking down on internet flame wars.
Tomomitsu Matsunaga announced that he and the currently absent Michael Nakazawa are bringing back Booing for their annual election run. This time around Ihashi will not be a part of the group. Instead Matsunaga promises a super big mystery wrestler will join himself and Nakazawa to form Booing 2018. Nakazawa is also a last second entry in the singles portion of the election. He just missed the cutoff date but DDT decided to let him in because they think he isn’t going to get many votes anyway.
DDT “DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI #15”, 28/08/2018 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
0. NO TV Match I ~ “Self-Proclaimed” Interim Mr. Maji Manji Appears In His 2nd NO TV Match!: Makoto Oishi Vs Antonio Honda
0. NO TV Match II: Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie Vs Akito & Yuki Iino
1. Mike Bailey & MAO Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Kazuki Hirata
2. Shigehiro Irie, Mizuki Watase & Ryan Davidson Vs KUDO, Masahiro Takanashi & Keisuke Ishii
3. 2nd Generation Bachelor Rintaro Oyaizu Dating Rights 4 Way Match: Cherry Vs Yuna Manase Vs Maki Ito Vs Yuki Kamifuku
4. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Gota Ihashi
5. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: Daisuke Sasaki, Soma Takao & Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Yuki Ueno
6. KO-D Openweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Meiko Satomura *Meiko Satomura will cash in her Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
Danshoku Dieno is in rough shape going into tomorrow’s KO-D Openweight Title match. On Sunday’s show, Dieno revealed he wouldn’t endorse a match between himself and Shigehiro Irie because he secretly quit as the DDT Producer. Irie then damaged Dieno’s already injured right shoulder with an Inverted Armbreaker. So now Dieno has to defend his title against Meiko Satomura with a dodgy shoulder. Irie’s attack was out of anger of being tricked but it also inadvertently works in his favour because Satomura has said she would give him a title match if she becomes the champion. With that exception, tomorrow is currently the last scheduled KO-D Title defence before Sumo Hall in October unless the other Right To Challenge Gauntlet makes its way back to Japan. Saying who has it now would spoil a whole bunch of stuff elsewhere so would that be fair game for something that’s meant to be swept under the rug by DDT’s storyline anyway?
DDT “CAMPSITE PRO WRESTLING 2018 ~ HISTORY’S STRONGEST 40,000 TATAMI MOVEMENT DRAMATIC DREAM NATURE LAND TWINS AND THEIR YOUNGER BROTHER~”, 02/09/2018 Yamanashi Natureland Om
1. Falls Count Anywhere 6 Way Tag Match: Mike Bailey & MAO Vs HARASHIMA & Yuki Ueno Vs Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Michael Nakazawa Vs Isami Kodaka & Fuminori Abe Vs Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei
I think this is the biggest match yet in the history of DDT’s Campsite visits.
DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2018”, 23/09/2018 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Kasai, Sabu & X Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Akito & Shunma Katsumata
Jun Kasai has signed on to be a regular for DDT and intends to be on as many shows as he can as long as it doesn’t clash with his other bookings. He quickly sent out a warning that Konosuke Takeshita might go back on the injury list if he isn’t careful. Also Sabu is there to participate in Shunma Katsumata’s deep dive into hardcore wrestling.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SABAKU NO TAKA 2018”, 14/10/2018 Fukuoka Oki Gakuen Dome
1. TOKYO Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Priscilla Kelly
The Tokyo Joshi Freedom Fighters of Miyu Yamashita, Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima will be competing in Chikara for the annual King Of Trios tournament this weekend in Easton, Pennsylvania. They take on The Shimmer Collective of Madison Eagles, Shazza McKenzie & Jessica Troy in the 1st Round on Friday.
DDT “RYOGOKU PETER PAN 2018 ~FALL WRESTLING CULTURE FESTIVAL~”, 21/10/2018 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. The World’s Crazy Couple Battle: Makoto Oishi & Misaki Ohata Vs Joey Ryan & Laura James
2. Will You Eat Or Be Eaten!? Giant Special Single Match: Super Sasadango Machine Vs Andreza Giant Panda
3. KO-D Openweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki
Being angry all the time was the right decision to make for Daisuke Sasaki. He won King Of DDT and now he main events Sumo Hall!
Super Sasadango Machine battles Andreza Giant Panda in an effort to curb the creature’s eating habits and save the environment in the process.
Regardless of tomorrow’s outcome, Meiko Satomura will be wrestling at the Sumo Hall show.
Still a lot to unpack over the last few days. Danshoku Dieno is the new KO-D Openweight Champion after pulling off a plan that was months in the making. Super Sasadango Machine gave Dieno his Right To Challenge Gauntlet so Dieno could cash it in and win the title from a beaten up Shigehiro Irie after the main event of this week’s “DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI” episode. According to Dieno’s interview after the show, he’s been planning this ever since the ending of “JUDGEMENT 2018” back in March! That Irie was the champion when he pulled this off is a little bit of a coincidence. Sure, Irie holds a grudge with Dieno over the current state of DDT and Dieno got in a panic when Irie briefly lost the title in America but Dieno’s motivation in this is purely to get himself into the main event of “JUDGEMENT 2018” in October. He also didn’t break any rules to achieve this. Gauntlet owners are allowed to transfer their prize to another person, which has happened before and his cash in was not at all unusual for that kind of gimmick. To insure that he makes it there with as few road blocks as possible, Dieno will only defend the title against those with a Right To Challenge Gauntlet. That there is only one left active in Japan right now means in theory he only has to make one successful defence and it is smooth sailing from there. If only it was that easy…
DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2018 ~DRAMATIC DREAM TENMUSU~”, 18/08/2018 Nagoya City East Sports Centre No. 2
1. Keisuke Okuda Vs Yuki Iino
2. Keisuke Ishii & Yuki Ueno Vs Soma Takao & Mad Paulie
3. Makoto Oishi, Akito & Cherry Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Kazusada Higuchi & Mizuki
4. Shigehiro Irie, Jason Kincaid & Ryan Davidson Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kouki Iwasaki
5. T2Hide Goodbye Series: Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs KUDO, Alex Ace & Nobuhiro Shimatani
6. Antonio Vs Pale One For The First Time In 42 Years! Nagoya Specialty Special Single Match: Antonio Honda Vs Konaka = Pale One
7. King Of DDT 2018 Best 8 Special Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo Vs Mike Bailey & MAO
The bad news for Dieno coming out of his win is he injured his right shoulder on the show. It isn’t clear if he was hurt by Irie’s Beast Bomber during the title match or if Dieno got hurt by the scheduled match he participated in earlier in the show. Dieno is taking the situation seriously and has taken himself off of this weekend’s shows.
DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2018 ~DRAMATIC DREAM TONDOYAKI~”, 19/08/2018 Osaka Nishi Kumin Center
1. Keisuke Okuda Vs Yuki Ueno
2. My Study Of Toughness ~ Yuni’s Study Of Freedom: Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Yuni Vs Antonio Honda & Masahiro Takanashi
3. DAMNATION Vs ALL OUT!: Tetsuya Endo & Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Akito & Yuki Iino
4. Mike Bailey & MAO Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Kouki Iwasaki
5. Makorin Dangerous Affair Once A Year 2018: KUDO Vs Makoto Oishi
6. RENEGADES Vs DAMNATION!: Shigehiro Irie, Mizuki Watase & Jason Kincaid Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Soma Takao & Mad Paulie
7. King Of DDT 2018 Best 8 Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Keisuke Ishii
Mizuki Watase sprained his ankle at Maji Manji so he too will be out of action this weekend. Both Dieno and Watase are expected to return in time for the 25th August Korakuen Hall show.
DDT “KING OF DDT 2018 3RD ROUND”, 25/08/2018 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Toru Owashi, Yuki Ueno, Akito & Yuki Iino Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Kouki Iwasaki, Daiki Shimomura & Rekka
2. Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Super Sasadango Machine Vs KUDO, Masahiro Takanashi & Gorgeous Matsuno
3. DAMNATION Vs RENEGADES!: Soma Takao, Mad Paulie & Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Mizuki Watase, Jason Kincaid & Ryan Davidson
4. Special Tag Match: Shigehiro Irie & Taiyo Kea Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Antonio Honda
5. King Of DDT 2018 – Quarter Final 1: Mike Bailey Vs MAO
6. King Of DDT 2018 – Quarter Final 2: Tetsuya Endo Vs Kazuki Hirata
7. King Of DDT 2018 – Quarter Final 3: HARASHIMA Vs Yukio Sakaguchi
8. King Of DDT 2018 – Quarter Final 4: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Keisuke Ishii
Some of the recent roster changes have come into effect. Kouki Iwasaki, Daiki Shimomura and Rekka will have their chance to say goodbye to DDT. For Rekka it will be goodbye to Japan. I assume Iwasaki and Shimomura will be back here and there whenever DDT needs a undercard spot to fill.
DDT “BLACK OUT PRESENTS KING OF DDT 2018 FINAL ROUND”, 26/08/2018 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Under Match: Kouki Iwasaki Vs Nobuhiro Shimatani
1. King Of DDT 2018 – Semi Final: Winner Of Quarter Final 1 Vs Winner Of Quarter Final 2
2. King Of DDT 2018 – Semi Final: Winner Of Quarter Final 3 Vs Winner Of Quarter Final 4
3. 3 Way Tag Match: Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei Vs Soma Takao & Mad Paulie Vs KUDO & Masahiro Takanashi
4. Special Tag Match: Tatsumi Fujinami & Antonio Honda Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ueno
5. Danshoku Dieno, Makoto Oishi & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Shigehiro Irie, Mizuki Watase & Jason Kincaid
6. King Of DDT 2018 – Final: X Vs X
Dieno better pray he makes it out of Korakuen in one piece if Irie gets his hands on him. But I wouldn’t be giving him enough credit to think he doesn’t have a plan in place to protect himself.
DDT “DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI #15”, 28/08/2018 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Gota Ihashi
2. Right To Date 2nd Generation Bachelor Rintaro Oyaizu 4 Way Match: Cherry Vs Yuna Manase Vs Maki Ito Vs Yuki Kamifuku
3. KO-D Openweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Meiko Satomura *Meiko Satomura will cash in her Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
Meiko Satomura currently has the last remaining Gauntlet in Japan and she intends to get her title match on 28th August. If she wins and becomes the champion her first action will be to grant Irie a title shot. She originally wanted her championship match to be against Irie before Dieno got involved.
Rintaro Oyaizu is the star of Japan’s version of The Bachelor season 2. He appeared on Maji Manji this week and had several women wrestlers pushing each other out of the way to get his attention. The solution is to have a match where the winner gets to date him. It’s kind of odd because three of the participants are banned by their company from dating men but hey, a blind eye can be turned if it gets some mainstream attention I guess.
Good news about Gota Ihashi. He looks in better shape every time I’ve seen him this year. Bad news about Ihashi, he has to fight MMA star Shinya Aoki. I’m not even sure if this is part of his trial series.
GANBARE☆WRESTLING “KIDS RETURN 2018”, 13/09/2018 Ichigaya Nankai Memorial Clinic
1. Rain With Fists In Ichigaya In Fine Weather! Summer Punching Fever In Ichigaya!!: Yumehito Imanari Vs Tanomusaku Toba
2. From Commando To Tomb Raider! The Soul Was Handed Over! Rain Of Slaughter Falls In Ichigaya In Fine Weather!!! Tomb Raider Haruhi Is Born!!!: Moeka Haruhi Vs Shin Mokujin Ken (Special Referee: Yumehito Imanari)
3. Kouki Iwasaki Belongs To Ganbare 1st Round Special Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari & Kouki Iwasaki Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shota
Ken Ohka has gone AWOL from Ganbare☆Wrestling which means Yumehito Imanari is taking over the main event and then some. Imanari is going to be all over this show and is already featured in every match announced so far. He’s welcoming Kouki Iwasaki to Ganpro, passing over his heroic attributes to Moeka Haruhi and getting into a kickboxing scrap with Tanomusaku Toba.
DDT “DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI #14”, 14/08/2018 Shin-Kiba 1st RING 240 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. NO TV Match: Soma Takao defeated Mizuki Watase with the Sorarina (7:22).
0. NO TV Match: Ryan Davidson & Facade defeated Toru Owashi & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Davidson pinned Shimatani with the Davidson Driver (8:25).
1. Akito & Gota Ihashi defeated Yuki Ueno & Yuki Iino when Akito submitted Iino with a Modified Leg Lock (7:23).
2. Kazusada Higuchi, Kouki Iwasaki & Meiko Satomura defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Makoto Oishi & Cherry when Satomura pinned Oishi with the Scorpio Rising (7:05). *Meiko Satomura wins Makoto Oishi’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
3. KUDO & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda when KUDO pinned Honda with the Diving Double Knee Drop (9:07).
4. Road to King Of DDT 2018 3rd Round 4 Way Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo defeated HARASHIMA & Mike Bailey, Yukio Sakaguchi & MAO and Keisuke Ishii & Kazuki Hirata when Endo pinned Hirata with a Swan Dive 450 Splash (10:20).
5. RENEGADES Vs DAMNATION!: Shigehiro Irie & Jason Kincaid defeated Shuji Ishikawa & Mad Paulie when Irie pinned Paulie with the Beast Bomber (19:20).
6. KO-D Openweight Title: Danshoku Dieno defeated Shigehiro Irie (c) with the Gaydo Clutch (1:37). *Super Sasadango Machine gives his Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract to Danshoku Dieno. Shigehiro Irie fails in V1. Danshoku Dieno cashes in his Right To Challenge Gauntlet. Danshoku Dieno becomes the 65th KO-D Openweight Champion!
Today’s episode sparked plenty of changes in the DDT landscape. There was the planned roster switch-up freshening up some of the units but some added surprises completely changed the course of as we head towards the King Of DDT finale. Things seemed normal during the main event. Shigehiro Irie made his first appearance in DDT since his latest US tour and after the title loss incident in Ohio he had the KO-D Openweight Title with him safe and sound. He and Jason Kincaid were victorious over Shuji Ishikawa & Mad Paulie but it was a close call. Irie kicked out of a Double Choke Slam and the Reverse Splash. It was only when he hit a desperate Beast Bomber to Paulie that he was able to win the match. Ishikawa said he got to have a strong match after spending time away from DDT. He told everyone when he is the Triple Crown Champion he would like to face Irie again.
When DAMNATION left the ring, Meiko Satomura came out with her eyes set on Irie. With the yellow Right To Challenge Gauntlet in her possession, Satomura challenged Irie to a title match on the 28th August episode of “DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI”! An exhausted Irie got up and accepted the challenge. But when they were about to shake hands, Danshoku Dieno interrupted them with important news. Producer Dieno will not accept Irie Vs Satomura as the next KO-D Title match because the next title match will happen right now! Dieno then suddenly pulled out the blue Gauntlet belonging to Super Sasadango Machine. A video played on the screen of Sasadango announcing that he is giving his Gauntlet to Dieno as a gift. It now belongs to Dieno and he is cashing it in straight away!
The match began and Dieno immediately gave Irie the Danshoku Driver several times. Irie kicked out of them and fought back. He hit the Beast Bomber but when Irie went for the pin, Dieno caught him in the Gaydo Clutch and pinned him! Danshoku Dieno is the new KO-D Champion! A furious Irie had to be held back by the rest of RENEGADES until they finally got him to leave the ring. He still tossed a chair from the front row at Dieno as he was leaving. Dieno taunted Irie by telling him what he did today was all in the rules. Dieno waited so long and played the good boss all this time so he could pull this off. This plan was why Dieno did not enter King Of DDT this year. He may be the weakest champion of any wrestling company right now but that doesn’t matter. He is going straight to the main event of “RYOGOKU PETER PAN 2018” as the champion! Just one problem. Meiko Satomura is still here with the last Right To Challenge Gauntlet (more about that below) and her intention to challenge the champion on 28th August still stands. She told Dieno she will win the KO-D Title, defend it against Irie and then defend it at the main event of Sumo Hall!
The DNA Draft and resulting roster reshuffle took place at the start of the episode. It was already decided that Daiki Shimomura would join BASARA and Kouki Iwasaki would join Ganbare☆Wrestling. Rekka also announced he will be leaving Japan for a while so he will not be transferring to another brand. The remaining DNA wrestlers were given the chance to nominate the group or unit they wished to join and it would be up to those groups to accept them or not. Some of the obvious moves were made first. Mizuki Watase chose RENEGADES (side note: Ryan Davidson has also joined the unit) and Shunma Katsumata picked ALL OUT. No surprises there. MAO wants to continue teaming with Mike Bailey so he picked the default DDT Sekigun group. Yuki Ueno also picked DDT. Naomi Yoshimura didn’t pick anybody. Instead he will go wherever he wants, whenever he wants. Konosuke Takeshita of all people asked him to join ALL OUT instead. Yoshimura declined because he has no motivation to fight with them. He’d rather fight against them. Yuki Iino asked if he could join ALL OUT. Akito wasn’t convinced so he would use their match later as an audition. Kota Umeda chose to stick with DDT. He will be on the same side as his old unit Shuten-dōji and he wants to set a fire under his former older brothers. Nobuhiro Shimatani declared himself the leader of DAMNATION but Daisuke Sasaki said the unit doesn’t need him. Shimatani then nominated Tokyo Joshi Pro but their producer Tetsuya Koda outright refused him. Shimatani went back to DAMNATION and promised to find a beautiful blonde woman for Sasaki, cook delicious meat for Mad Paulie, handcraft a new ring costume for Soma Takao, give Tetsuya Endo a better haircut than the one he currently has and teach new songs to Shuji Ishikawa. Sasaki finally gave in and inducted Shimatani into DAMNATION, but only as a temporary manager. Good enough!
In the middle of the draft, T2Hide announced they are splitting up. Kazuki Hirata is doing well without them although he protested the decision. HARASHIMA approached Toru Owashi and asked him to reform Disaster BOX, their old unit from the 2000s. Owashi liked the idea but they needed a third member to make them a unit. They nominated Yuki Ueno. He has no idea what Disaster BOX is or how important they are in DDT’s history but ok, he’ll join them instead of the default DDT side.
Now all of that craziness has been touched upon, let’s get into the rest of the show. The eight remaining King Of DDT participants met in an 4-Way Tag Match. Some of the pairings were unusual and led to a mix up. MAO & Mike Bailey were on two different teams but in the heat of the action they worked together to wipe out a few of the other wrestlers with a Double Moonsault to the outside. Kazuki Hirata tried to continue his miracle run by going straight at Tetsuya Endo with Cradles but in the end he was pinned by Endo with a Swan Dive 450 Splash. Despite winning the match, Endo says he does not feel any momentum from today’s result. That stuff means nothing when you’re only in the Quarter Finals.
Judging from his earlier performance on the episode you wouldn’t have thought Dieno would end up as champion by the end of it. He got into his usual shenanigans with Antonio Honda against KUDO & Masahiro Takanashi. Honda’s double Gongistune backfired when KUDO & Takanashi grabbed both of his hands and made Honda poke himself in both eyes. They then finised him off with the Takatonic followed by the Diving Double Knee Drop.
It turns out the Right To Challenge Gauntlet rules do apply overseas. Meiko Satomura apologised to the fans for losing the red Gauntlet during her recent visit to America for the Mae Young Classic. I’d go into more detail about the possible consequences for that but it veers into spoiler territory and I’m not in the mood to get into arguments about that right now. To make up for it Satomura made it her goal today to win another Gauntlet so she can challenge for the KO-D Title. Good thing she was in a match against the holder of the yellow Gauntlet Makoto Oishi. Satomura pinned Oishi with the Scorpio Rising and now holds the last remaining Right To Challenge Gauntlet in Japan. Before this match Sanshiro Takagi said if his team won then he would set up the Meiko Young Classic, a tournament for all women wrestlers over the age of 40. Meiko Satomura is 38.
Iino impressed ALL OUT enough in his match to be accepted into their unit. He hit Akito with the Spear but Akito grabbed onto Iino’s leg and pulled him down into a Leg Lock to make him submit.
There was an extra special guest appearing on the show this week. Rintaro Oyaizu from Season 2 of The Bachelor Japan greeted everyone and very quickly attracted attention from several wrestlers. Cherry, Yuna Manase, Yuki Kamifuku and Maki Itoh all entered the ring wanting to woo Oyaizu. They all agreed to fight each other in a 4 Way Match on 28th August with the winner getting a date with The Bachelor.