DDT “SUPER STAR LANE 2016” Results

July 3, 2016

takeshita-still-champ

DDT “SUPER STAR LANE 2016”, 03/07/2016
Hakata Star Lane
508 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Danshoku Dino, Shigehiro Irie & Yuto Aijima defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Dino pinned Hirata with the Danshoku Driver (13:01).
2. DDT Extreme Title – Stockholm Style Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Death Match: LiLiCo (c) (w/ Mizuki Watase) defeated Makoto Oishi (w/ Batten Burabura) when LiLiCo kissed Watase (7:41).
*V1 for LiLiCo.
3. Miyu Yamashita Triumph Match!: Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima defeated Saki Akai & Yuka Sakazaki when Yamashita pinned Sakazaki with the Crash Rabbit Heat (11:43).
4. HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Azul Dragon defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Masa Takanashi & Kota Umeda when HARASHIMA pinned Takanashi with the Somato (11:05).
5. Dick Togo Active Duty Comeback! Special Tag Match: Dick Togo & Antonio Honda defeated Yasu Urano & Guanchulo when Togo pinned Guanchulo with the Diving Senton (13:26).
6. Hakata Specialty Special! Wonderful! Survival! 4 Way Match: Tetsuya Endo defeated Keisuke Ishii, Kazusada Higuchi and Mad Paulie (13:27).
6a. Mad Paulie eliminated Keisuke Ishii with the Paulie Buster (5:41).
6b. Tetsuya Endo eliminated Mad Paulie with a Cradle (7:29).
6c. Tetsuya Endo eliminated Kazusada Higuchi with the Sky Twister Press (13:27).
*Tetsuya Endo wins Kazusada Higuchi’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Ken Ohka & KAI defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa (c) when KAI pinned Sasaki with the Splash Plancha (17:51).
*DAMNATION fails in V4. Ken Ohka & KAI become the 55th KO-D Tag Team Champions!
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) defeated Yuko Miyamoto with the Roll Through German Suplex (18:38).
*V1 for Konosuke Takeshita. Yuko Miyamoto cashes in his Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.

takeshita-beats-miyamoto

There is a lot to talk about concerning the KO-D Openweight Title after today’s show. Konosuke Takeshita went into his title defence against Yuko Miyamoto with only Antonio Honda in his corner. His usual tag partner Tetsuya Endo was absent from ringside after he earlier won a Right To Challenge Contract. Miyamoto handed in his own RTC contract to officially begin the title match. Miyamoto locked in the Manji Cobra and also hit the Fire Thunder and Moonsault but none of those moves could win him the match. Takeshita countered La Magistral Cradle into a Roll Through German Suplex to mark a successful defence.

endo-challenges-takeshita

Takeshita said he enjoyed wrestling Miyamoto and a win over him increases the value of the KO-D Title. He would be happy to wrestle him again numerous times. But now it was time to look to the future. He thought his next title defence will be at Sumo Hall this August. However Endo finally reappeared with his newly won RTC contract. He told “Bamboo-chan” that for two months he’s been happy to see his friend as the KO-D Champion. But from the bottom of his heart it has also been frustrating because he also wants to be the champion! Endo is using his contract for a title match in Korakuen Hall on 17th July! He said he was never able to surpass Takeshita until now. The atmosphere became so tense that Antonio Honda had to come in and strip down to his underwear to end the show on a lighter note.

damnation

Daisuke Sasaki revealed the official name for his unit at the start of the show. He and his pets Shuji Ishikawa & Mad Paulie are now DAMNATION. Sasaki came up with the name when he asked his English teacher the meaning of that word. He was told it is “the state of being in Hell as punishment after death.” For their first act they threatened to make an example out of Amon Tsurumi. Luckily for the GM, Ken Ohka ran out to save him. He said he didn’t care about “Dumb Nation” and when KAI gets here they would take the KO-D Tag Team Titles from them.

kai-tagwin

KAI did show up and they surprised everyone by becoming the new champions! KAI rolled off of Ishikawa to avoid the Doomsday Device then he and Ohka hit a Double Spear of Flame to both Sasaki & Ishikawa. KAI got the three count with the Splash Plancha. Both KAI & Ohka were reduced to tears as they were presented with the belts. Amon Tsurumi told them they will have to defend the belts at “PETER PAN 2016” on 28th August. KAI said he’s already booked that day. He then got confused and said his scheduled booking is for that very show. Tsurumi asked if he can do the title defence. KAI said no, then yes. Ohka said ever since he and KAI teamed together for the first time, a deep bond grew between them.

endo-wins-rtc

Endo won his RTC contract in a 4 Way Elimination Match, eliminating the previous holder Kazusada Higuchi to win the bout. Mad Paulie and Keisuke Ishii were also in the match with Paulie eliminating Ishii first. Higuchi was planning to declare himself the next KO-D challenger if he had won the match and kept the contract.

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“Insane In The Membrane” was played through the DDT music system for the first time in five years to mark the return of Dick Togo! This was his first match in Japan since his retirement although he had continued to wrestle part-time in South America. With Honda on his side they were able to beat Yasu Urano & Guanchulo with Togo scoring the pin. Togo said this was the best comeback he could hope for, wrestling with his former students Honda, Urano and Guanchulo. Although he felt like he was wrestling five years slower he thinks it will only take two or three more matches to regain his condition. He now looks forward to wrestling Higuchi & Kouki Iwasaki on 17th July. He is determined not to lose to those rookies.

somato-wins

The makeshift team of HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Azul Dragon were too much for Shuten-dōji to handle. HARASHIMA countered Masa Takanashi’s Takatonic into a Buzzsaw Kick then finished him off with what else? The Somato.

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Miyu Yamashita was happy with how her homecoming match turned out. She now wants Tokyo Joshi Pro to run a show in Hakata Star Lane.

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The DDT Extreme Title was on the line in a passionate Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Death Match. LiLiCo put the title on the line against Makoto Oishi and both of them had their partners stand in opposite corners of the ring. They had to kiss their partner for five seconds to win the match. Easy for LiLiCo because she was with her boyfriend Mizuki Watase. Not so easy for Oishi because his designated partner was Batten Burabura. Oishi took one for the team and tried to kiss Burabura when he could. At one point the referee was knocked out so Oishi’s long kiss didn’t count for ages. Watase then pulled the referee out of the ring before he counted to 5. He aided LiLiCo in Power Bombing Oishi. The champion then locked in the Manjigatame on Oishi while deeply kissing Watase long enough to win the match.

watase-tugofwar

Amon Tsurumi congratulated LiLiCo for the victory and described her kisses like they were from a movie. He told her Danshoku Dino was now the No. 1 Contender for the title and the match will be at “PETER PAN 2016”. Dino came out and called LiLiCo’s relationship with Watase a publicity stunt. He wants Watase to be with him, not LiLiCo! Dino requested his match with LiLiCo to be a Watase Contra Watase match. The winner gets both the DDT Extreme Title and Mizuki Watase! The loser will be prohibited from even laying a finger on Watase ever again.

dino-setup

In the opening match Danshoku Dino used Kazuki Hirata’s dancing powers against him, kissing him multiple times in tune to the “Go! Go! Go! Go!” parts of his music. Hirata was helpless when Dino gave him the Danshoku Driver.

makiitoh-joshi

Maki Itoh from the idol group LinQ appeared with Miyu Yamashita after the intermission. She announced her intentions to wrestle for Tokyo Joshi Pro this year. Itoh has wrestled before in DDT and wanted an opportunity to become a proper pro wrestler. After discussions between her agency and Sanshiro Takagi she is allowed to train in Tokyo Joshi. She is a fan of Nonoko and eventually wants to wrestle like Cutie Suzuki.


DDT “DNA 18” Results

July 2, 2016

umeda-beats-kenso

DDT “DNA 18”, 01/07/2016
Kitasenju Theatre 1010
165 Fans

1. Rekka defeated Nobuhiro Shimatani with a Single Leg Crab (7:33).
2. There Is Heart In Your Character! Let This Be Assessed! This Is Not A Special Single Match: Kikutaro defeated Rainbow Kawamura with a School Boy (11:50).
3. Masa Takanashi defeated Guanchulo with the Takatonic (11:21).
4. Kazusada Higuchi & Daiki Shimomura defeated Shunma Katsumata & Kouki Iwasaki when Higuchi pinned Iwasaki with the Doctor Bomb (12:11).
*Kazusada Higuchi wins Kouki Iwasaki’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
5. Kota Umeda defeated KENSO with a Backslide Pin (16:56).
6. Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo defeated MAO & Mizuki Watase when Takeshita pinned Watase with the German Suplex (18:49).

Konosuke Takeshita admitted he was feeling envy over his opponents today. One is now a pop idol and the other is dating LiLiCo. Mizuki Watase said he is approaching the end of his first year as a wrestler and he has yet to win a singles match. He wants to challenge Takeshita for the KO-D Openweight Title when he is strong enough. He then remembered MAO is also a year into his career.

Kota Umeda scored an upset in DNA’s honour when he defeated KENSO. Umeda was hotheaded and eager to put a stop to KENSO’s reign of terror but it was still a big challenge. Umeda kepy kicking out of KENSO’s moves, prompting KENSO to try a Superplex. Umeda pushed him off and hit a Diving Elbow Drop. He then ducked a Lariat and hooked KENSO in a Backslide Pin for the win. KENSO protested to the ref that it wasn’t a three count while Umeda celebrated. Umeda then challenged Kazusada Higuchi to a match to determine who the strongest DNA wrestler is. Meanwhile KENSO will never forgive Sanshiro Takagi for this injustice.

Higuchi has suddenly found himself back in the KO-D Title chase. He now has a Right To Challenge Contract after beating Kouki Iwasaki. Higuchi said he wants to cash it in fair and square against the winner of this Sunday’s KO-D Title match.


Iron Man Updates, DNA 18, Super Star Lane, Road To Ryogoku

June 30, 2016

If you’ve lost track of the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title’s tour of America, here’s the list of champions since it left Japan up until 25th June. Joey Ryan, Rey Mysterio Jr., Ryan again (Rey fell asleep), Chuck Taylor (won it in a proper wrestling match), Scott Hall (won Rock-Paper-Scissors for the right to pin Chuck), Colt Cabana (officially with the dreaded Trapezius Nerve Hold), Ryan once more, Kikutaro (shitty weight spotter), Laura James (via seduction), Bunny (Laura’s pet cat), Ryan Nemeth (bribed the cat), Taya Valkyrie, John Morrison and now as of 25th June Ricochet. Title changes have been happening daily and videos are uploaded to Joey Ryan’s Twitter account and Youtube page. There are certainly more to come.

DDT “DNA 18”, 01/07/2016
Kitasenju Theatre 1010

1. Rekka Vs Nobuhiro Shimatani
2. Guanchulo Vs Masa Takanashi
3. There Is Heart In Your Character! Let This Be Assessed! This Is Not A Special Single Match: Rainbow Kawamura Vs Kikutaro
4. Kazusada Higuchi & Daiki Shimomura Vs Shunma Katsumata & Kouki Iwasaki
5. Kota Umeda Vs KENSO
6. MAO & Mizuki Watase Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo

Rainbow Kawamura is approaching four months under his current colorful gimmick. He will be assessed by Kikutaro who has been doing weird shit in wrestling for the last 17 years.

BASARA “VAJRA 15 ~50 HUMAN YEARS~”, 03/07/2016
Chikusa Culture Small Theater

1. Daichi Kazato Vs Kazuhiro Tamura
2. Best Phantom Consultation!: Ryu Gouma Vs Konaka = Pehlwan
3. Michio Kageyama, Makoto Hasuka & hi69 Vs Ryuichi Sekine, Ryota Nakatsu & Koji Iwamoto
4. Tsukasaga Army Vs Kotetsu Gundan: Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT Vs FUMA & Yusuke Kubo
5. Isami Kodaka & Masamune Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Shinya Ishida

Michio Kageyama and Makoto Hasuka are both from Daiwa Entertainment Pro Wrestling.

DDT “SUPER STAR LANE 2016”, 03/07/2016
Hakata Star Lane

1. Miyu Yamashita Triumph Match!: Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Saki Akai & Yuka Sakazaki
2. Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dino, Shigehiro Irie & Yuto Aijima
3. HARASHIMA, Soma Takao & Azul Dragon Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Masa Takanashi & Kota Umeda
4. Hakata Specialty Special! Wonderful! Survival! 4 Way Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Keisuke Ishii Vs Kazusada Higuchi Vs Mad Paulie
5. DDT Extreme Title – Stockholm Style Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Death Match: LiLiCo (c) (w/ Mizuki Watase) Vs Makoto Oishi (w/ Batten Burabura)
6. Dick Togo Active Duty Comeback! Special Tag Match: Dick Togo & Antonio Honda Vs Yasu Urano & Guanchulo
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa (c) Vs Ken Ohka & KAI
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Yuko Miyamoto
*Yuko Miyamoto will cash in his Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.

Once Yuko Miyamoto gets his title shot there will be two remaining Right To Challenge contracts in play. Toru Owashi and Kouki Iwasaki currently have them. Owashi has impressively kept hold of his ever since he earned it back in March. He’s just waiting for the right time to use it.

LiLiCo and Mizuki Watase have been training hard for the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Death Match. And by training hard I mean making out in the DDT dojo.

TAVERN WRESTLING “DON’T THE HANGOVER 2016”, 06/07/2016
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Tokyo Joshi Pro Offer Match: Miyu Yamashita & Azusa Takigawa Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Yuu
2. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Makoto Oishi
3. Obi-chan Close Call! 3 Way Match: Antonio Honda Vs Shunma Katsumata Vs Obihiro Sayaka
4. Drop Kick Vs Ebisuko Tavern Entire Surface Of Strife Extra Chapter!: Isami Kodaka & Tetsuya Endo Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Kouki Iwasaki
5. New Beijing Vs Cavalry Special Tag Match: Somato & Yasuura No (w/ Cao Zhang) Vs Ryuichi Sekine & Ryota Nakatsu

Side note, I keep resisting myself from typing Calvary whenever I have to type out Cavalry.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “KASUKABE LOVE RIN”, 09/07/2016
Saitama Kasukabe Hall

1. Reika Saiki & Azusa Takigawa Vs Shoko Nakajima & KANNA
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1A: Nonoko Vs Akane Miura
3. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1B: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Marika Kobashi
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1C: Yuu Vs Nodoka Onee-san
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1D: Miyu Yamashita Vs Hyper Misao

Opponents have now become tag partners in the opener. Reika Saiki faced Azusa Takigawa in her Tokyo Joshi debut.

DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016”, 17/07/2016
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Dick Togo Return Second Leg! Special Tag Match: Dick Togo & Yasu Urano Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Kouki Iwasaki
2. Shigehiro Irie Send-off Match: Shigehiro Irie & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs HARASHIMA & Keisuke Ishii

Shigehiro Irie’s final DDT match for now involves his closest allies and rivals. He’s teaming with Yukio Sakaguchi because they rarely if not ever wrestled together on the same side. He’s fighting HARASHIMA because he ultimately wants to surpass him. Keisuke Ishii is also there because of their close ties together in Team Drift. They were champions together but now go their separate ways.

As one of the few remaining Right To Challenge holders, Kouki Iwasaki is in a dangerous position going up against a fresh out of retirement Dick Togo.

DDT “PETER PAN 2016 ~MOST HOT SUMMER IN THE WORLD~”, 28/08/2016
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Special 6-Man Tag Team Match: Terry Funk, Sanshiro Takagi & NOSAWA Rongai Vs Great Kabuki, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kota Umeda
2. KO-D Openweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Shuji Ishikawa

Shuji Ishikawa’s spot in the main event is guaranteed. However the KO-D Champion could change between now and then. Konosuke Takeshita has other title defences to worry about including any possible Right To Challenge cash ins.

Dick Togo and Reika Saiki are scheduled to wrestle on the show. Shigehiro Irie will not due to his excursion to America.


DDT “KING OF DDT 2016 OSAKA” Results

June 12, 2016

kingofddt-final4

DDT “KING OF DDT 2016 OSAKA”, 12/06/2016
Osaka Edion Arena #2
607 Fans – No Vacancy

0. Dark Match: Mizuki Watase & Nobuhiro Shimatani defeated Guanchulo & Heddi French when Watase pinned Guanchulo with a Back Drop (4:40).
*Mizuki Watase wins Guanchulo’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
1. 4 Way Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & Mad Paulie defeated Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi, Keisuke Ishii & Kouki Iwasaki and Yasu Urano & Shunma Katsumata when Sasaki submitted Katsumata with the Cross Facelock (5:39).
2. Konosuke Takeshita, Antonio Honda & Hiroshi Fukuda defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Masa Takanashi & Kota Umeda when Takeshita pinned Umeda with the German Suplex (9:47).
3. King Of DDT 2016 – Round 2: Tetsuya Endo defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Sky Twister Press (10:11).
4. King Of DDT 2016 – Round 2: Shuji Ishikawa defeated Soma Takao with the Splash Mountain (16:07).
5. All Asia Tag Team Titles: Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto (c) defeated Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi when Miyamoto pinned Dino with the Axe Guillotine Driver (11:59).
*V6 for Yankee Two Kenju. Yuki Miyamoto wins Danshoku Dino’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
6. King Of DDT 2016 – Round 2: HARASHIMA defeated KENSO with the Somato (16:06).
7. King Of DDT 2016 – Round 2: Shigehiro Irie defeated Kazusada Higuchi with a Tazzmission (15:50).

The King Of DDT final four has been determined. In the quarter final matches Shigehiro Irie surprised everyone by tapping out Kazusada Higuchi with a Tazzmission. This is a new move in Irie’s arsenal and to tap out Higuchi with it is quite an achievement. HARASHIMA did everyone a favour and knocked KENSO out of the tournament. Shuji Ishikawa cut short Soma Takao’s post-Drift winning streak. And last but not least Tetsuya Endo bested Kazuki Hirata who claimed his Hirata GO! glasses were at full power. A lottery was held at the end of the show to pick who would face who at the semi final. Ishikawa had to leave early so Daisuke Sasaki represented him by wearing a cardboard cutout of his face. The semi final matches are HARASHIMA Vs Endo and Ishikawa Vs Irie.

The All Asia Tag Team Title match was overshadowed by an embarrassing situation for DDT. All Japan entrusted the belts to DDT during the week but they were accidentally left behind in Nagano after Saturday’s show. The referee for the match Kyohei Wada was angry that such a thing could even happen. Both Sanshiro Takagi and Amon Tsurumi apologised and took the blame for the mismanagement of the belts. Despite the absence of the belts, the championship match between Yankee Two Kenju and Guname Express went ahead as planned. Yuko Miyamoto scored the pinfall and won a Right To Challenge Contract to go along with a successful title defence. When Miyamoto had the contract explained to him by Isami Kodaka, he asked when the next KO-D Openweight Title match was supposed to take place. He was told the 3rd July in Hakata Star Lane. Miyamoto declared he will cash in his title shot for 3rd July and will go one on one with Konosuke Takeshita! However he was warned that the match will not go ahead if he loses a match and his contract between now and then.

Dick Togo made his first appearance in DDT since announcing his intentions to come back from retirement. He explained that for the last year his desire to wrestle again became louder and louder everyday. It became so big that he can no longer take it. He has only one life and he wants to live it by being honest with himself. So he decided now is the time for his return to the ring. He announced his first match back in DDT will be on 3rd July and he is also booked for several other dates throughout the summer including “PETER PAN 2016” at Sumo Hall on 28th August. His return match is a tag bout between himself & Antonio Honda Vs Yasu Urano & Guanchulo. Togo said DDT has changed dramatically since he was gone. He looks forward to hitting the new wrestlers who have come during his absence. He looks forward to hitting his disciples again. He even looks forward to hitting whatever unknown wrestlers he might get put in the ring with.

Another Right To Challenge Contract changed hands in the dark match. Guanchulo lost his contract to Mizuki Watase.


DDT “MAX BUMP 2016” Results

April 24, 2016

all-hail-sasaki

DDT “MAX BUMP 2016”, 24/04/2016
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,633 Fans – Super No Vacancy

0. King Of Dark Title – 3 Way Match: Hoshitango (c) defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga and Gota Ihashi when Hoshitango pinned Ihashi with the Midnight Buenos Aires (5:28).
*Hoshitango passes D1. Gota Ihashi becomes the 15th King Of Dark Champion.
1. Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Jiro Kuroshio defeated Shunma Katsumata, Kouki Iwasaki & Guanchulo when Owashi pinned Guanchulo with La Magistral Cradle (5:43).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Saki Akai & Makoto Oishi defeated LiLiCo (c) & Mizuki Watase when Akai pinned LiLiCo after a Sleeper Hold (8:33).
*Saki Akai becomes the 1,072nd champion.
3. Antonio Honda, Hiroshi Fukuda & Eddie French defeated Danshoku Dino, Soma Takao & Mao Inoue when Honda pinned Inoue with the Diving Fist Drop (7:22).
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles Next Challenger Decision 3 Way Match: Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie and Yukio Sakaguchi & Masa Takanashi when Akito pinned Ishii with the Hanamasa (9:46).
5. DDT Extreme Title – Ultimate CCC Match: Super Sasadango Machine (c) defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Vertical Drop Lehmann Shock onto a chair (7:21).
*V2 for Super Sasadango Machine.
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa (c) defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo when Sasaki submitted Takeshita with the Cross Facelock (15:22).
*V2 for Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa.
7. KO-D Openweight Title: HARASHIMA (c) defeated Kazusada Higuchi with the Somato (18:58).
*V2 for HARASHIMA.
– KO-D Openweight Title: Daisuke Sasaki defeated HARASHIMA (c) with La Mistica Cross Facelock (1:45).
*HARASHIMA fails in V3. Daisuke Sasaki cashes in his Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract. Daisuke Sasaki becomes the 57th KO-D Openweight Champion!

harashima-somato-higuchi

There is a new ruler of DDT but it isn’t Kazusada Higuchi. It’s Daisuke Sasaki! A Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract was cashed in after the main event in which an exhausted HARASHIMA defeated Higuchi. The match between HARASHIMA and Higuchi was tense but respect was shown from both sides. HARASHIMA targeted Higuchi’s legs but an alternate tactic of bashing Higuchi’s head into the ring post had no effect on the challenger. Instead Higuchi picked up HARASHIMA and rammed his back into the ring post. Higuchi applied an Iron Claw back in the ring but HARASHIMA fought out of it and hit the John Woo Dropkick into the turnbuckles. He unleashed his arsenal of kicks and was able to lift Higuchi up for the Falcon Arrow. Higuchi fought back with Headbutts and a big Doctor Bomb. He was a fraction away from the three count but HARASHIMA somehow kicked out! HARASHIMA avoided the Goten and was set up for the Somato but Higuchi stopped him with a Lariat. HARASHIMA kicked out Higuchi’s left leg and hit an Enzuigiri when Higuchi was brought down to his knees. He then hit the Somato to the back, a Buzzsaw Kick and then another Somato and that was enough to put the big man down and out.

sasaki-crossfacelock

There was no time for anyone to catch their breath when Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa rushed the ring! Ishikawa attacked HARASHIMA’s seconds and then removed Higuchi from the ring. Sasaki told Amon Tsurumi that HARASHIMA is in a weak state so he will now cash in his Right To Challenge Contract for an immediate KO-D Openweight Title match! The bell rang and Sasaki jumped at the champion. HARASHIMA shocked Sasaki by hitting a Reverse Hurricanrana and the Somato but Sasaki kicked out of the pin and locked in the Cross Facelock. HARASHIMA escaped the hold but Sasaki caught him with his flash Hurricanrana. HARASHIMA kicked out but Sasaki then performed his La Mistica variation of the Cross Facelock. This time HARASHIMA had nowhere to go and he fainted while in the move. Yukinori Matsui called for the bell meaning Sasaki is now the new KO-D Champion!

sakaguchi-confronts-sasaki

The defeated HARASHIMA had barely left the ring when Yukio Sakaguchi appeared and stood face to face with Sasaki. He said he wasn’t going to copy Sasaki’s dirty plan because his principles are different. Instead he is sticking to his promise to cash in his Right To Challenge Contract for a regular title match in Sapporo on 8th May. He left the ring allowing Sasaki to celebrate his new found dominance of DDT. He may be small but he has a big attitude. He is now a double champion and he claims it’s all because of his talent and charisma.

takeshita-tope

Sasaki’s scheduled match was the KO-D Tag Team Title defence with Shuji Ishikawa against the former champions Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo. There was no love lost between the two teams as the champions attacked the challengers to kickstart the match. A brawl outside the ring left Takeshita & Endo in a bad state but some big risks began to pay off. Takeshita dove out of the ring onto the champions with a No Touch Topé. He later Superplexed Sasaki into Ishikawa! But it all fell apart when Sasaki escaped from Endo’s Torture Rack Bomb and a follow up Lariat from Endo hit Takeshita instead. Sasaki capitalised by putting Takeshita in the Cross Facelock and changing it to a modified stretch until Takeshita could take no more. The champions were confronted by their next challengers Akito & Yasu Urano. Urano told them he knows their weakness.

ultimate-ccc

The latest DDT Extreme Title defence took place in an Ultimate CCC Match. CCC stands for Chair And Chair And Chair. Super Sasadango Machine was inspired to create this match when Kazuki Hirata got angry over him breaking a chair at the Nagaoka show last week. When one of three Ultimate CCC cards came into play then Sasadango’s seconds at ringside would bring chairs into the ring and they would be legal to use. One of the chairs turned out to be a beanbag chair and Sasadango drove Hirata into it with the Lehmann Shock. That didn’t do much damage. Hirata took control and used the chairs as part of his dance act. This allowed Sasadango to recover and give Hirata the Lehman Shock onto a pile of chairs to win the match.

watase-kisses-lilico

Sasadango was told that his next title shot is happening on 29th May. Sasadango said he doesn’t want to wrestle, he instead wants to fight somebody from Yahoo! Suddenly the unconscious body of LiLiCo was brought out to the ring on a stretcher. The shock of losing the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title earlier in the show put her into a deep sleep and only the power of love could wake her up. Mizuki Watase kissed LiLiCo and she awoke! She screamed that she has risen from Hell and she will bite more and more into DDT until she becomes a champion again. Sasadango took that as a challenge and accepted it.

drift-breaks-up

New challengers for the KO-D Tag Team Titles were declared in a 3 Way Match but the aftermath turned out to be the bigger story. Akito & Yasu Urano got the win and will get their title shot in Nagoya on 15th May. But the losing team in the match was Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie. When the match was over a defeated Ishii spoke into the mic and said Team Drift is breaking up! The audience was left stunned as Drift left the ring after their bombshell announcement.

honda-diving-fist

Danshoku Dino targeted Takao throughout the third match but Eddie French was there to hold him back. That was until French decided to throw him aside giving Dino the chance to chase after Takao and give him a Lip Lock. Antonio Honda cleared house with the Bionic Elbow and won the match with the Diving Fist Drop on Mic Inoue.

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Saki Akai has finally achieved her goal to regain the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title and gain revenge on LiLiCo in the process. The two wanted to fight each other straight away although their respective tag partners Makoto Oishi and Mizuki Watase stepped in to make sure the action between the women wouldn’t go out of control. It all went wrong for LiLiCo when a Running Elbow hit Inoue by accident. Akai grabbed LiLiCo and rendered her unconscious with a Sleeper Hold. Instead of keeping the hold locked Akai decided to go for a pin and she got the three count to become the new champion! LiLiCo was put into such a deep sleep she had to be stretchered away from ringside with Watase worriedly chasing after her. In a backstage interview Akai called herself the New Generation Iron Man Princess. This time she’s ready to take on anybody, anytime, anywhere.

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The mystery wrestler in Match #1 came from WRESTLE-1. The pretty boy known as Jiro “Ikemen” Kuroshio milked his entrance for all that it was worth, walking through the crowds and getting them to chant his name to the music. His antics won over the crowd and he received a loud “Ikemen!” chant after the match. Backstage both Sanshiro Takagi and Toru Owashi agreed that Kuroshio is ten times better than their usual partner Kazuki Hirata. Kuroshio will return on the 11th May DNA show.

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Gota Ihashi is being sent back to where he came from, the pre-show. He is now a 5 time King Of Dark Champion. Poor bastard.

The Great Kabuki will appear at “PETER PAN 2016” in Sumo Hall on 28th August.

DDT will hold a show in Katsuragi, Nara on 30th July. Katsuragi is known as the birthplace of sumo wrestling. The mayor of Katsuragi sent a video message welcoming DDT to the city.

This year’s Beer Garden week is changing venue. It will now be held in Shinjuku FACE with a show everyday from 8th to 13th August.


DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN NAGAOKA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOCHIO FESTIVAL~” Results

April 17, 2016

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DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN NAGAOKA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOCHIO FESTIVAL~”, 17/04/2016
Nagaoka Ao-re
369 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Keisuke Ishii defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga with the Kneel Kick (7:05).
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi defeated Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao when Owashi pinned Takao with a Modified Crucifix Pin (8:26).
3. Kazuki Hirata defeated Antonio Honda with the One Shot Miracle Cradle (10:57).
4. Yukio Sakaguchi & Masa Takanashi defeated Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi when Sakaguchi submitted Oishi with the Cobra Clutch (8:48).
*One of Danshoku Dino’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contracts is transferred over to Makoto Oishi. Yukio Sakaguchi wins Makoto Oishi’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
5. Daisuke Sasaki, Shuji Ishikawa & Guanchulo defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Tetsuya Endo & Mao Inoue when Ishikawa pinned Inoue with the Splash Mountain (13:14).
6. Super Sasadango Machine defeated Hiroshi Fukuda with the Vertical Drop Lehmann Shock (8:46).
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi, Shunma Katsumata & Kouki Iwasaki defeated HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano when Higuchi pinned HARASHIMA with the Goten (19:42).
*V2 for Team DNA.

Kazusada Higuchi stepped up big by pinning the KO-D Openweight Champion while defending the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles in the process! The DNA team put the belts on the line against Smile Squash and came out on top. Higuchi was unstoppable, giving both HARASHIMA and Akito a Double Choke Slam. Shunma Katsumata took out Yasu Urano with a Moonsault leaving Higuchi to pick up the pieces. HARASHIMA showed some signs of life when he hit a Jumping High Kick but Higuchi grabbed him once more and pinned him with the Goten. Higuchi told the Niigata crowd that he would like to return to the city as a double champion.

Kazuki Hirata watched Super Sasadango Machine’s match from a distance, the third floor balcony to be precise. Sasadango demanded Hirata to come down to the ring and face him but he refused. They finally faced each other backstage afterwards and they argued about a chair that Sasadango accidentally broke at ringside during his match. Hirata thinks Sasadango should have been disqualified for breaking the chair. Sasadango thinks Hirata is showing weakness by being so concerned about a broken chair.

The KO-D Tag Team Champions weren’t impressed by their competition. Daisuke Sasaki thinks the rematch against the New Gen Combo is just going to have the same result. A victory over them won’t feel rewarding and won’t give him what he wants: Candice LeRae. Konosuke Takeshita knows that this will be his & Tetsuya Endo’s last chance at beating Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa for the titles. They will have to win no matter what.

Danshoku Dino’s usual Right To Challenge tease at the start of the show was interrupted by Makoto Oishi. He thought it was stupid that Dino was withholding three contracts for a title shot while a 14 year veteran such as himself has nothing. Oishi demanded Dino to give him one of the contracts. Dino stood by his friend and gave him a contract. Unfortunately later in the show Oishi lost the contract to Yukio Sakaguchi after the Shuten-dōji fighter tapped him out with the Cobra Clutch. Oishi demanded Dino give him another contract after the match and Dino gave him the Danshoku Driver in response. Sakaguchi revealed in a backstage interview that he plans to cash in his title shot on 8th May in Sapporo.


DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN KANAZAWA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TORIYASAI~” Results

April 17, 2016

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DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN KANAZAWA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TORIYASAI~”, 16/04/2016
Kanazawa Distribution Hall
126 Fans

1. Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Akito, Makoto Oishi & Hiroshi Fukuda when Hirata pinned Fukuda with the One Shot Miracle Cradle (9:50).
2. Tetsuya Endo defeated Mao Inoue with the Torture Rack Bomb (11:41).
3. Danshoku Dino defeated Kouki Iwasaki with the Danshoku Driver (6:04).
*Danshoku Dino wins Kouki Iwasaki’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
4. Daisuke Sasaki & Guanchulo defeated Antonio Honda & Konosuke Takeshita when Sasaki submitted Honda with La Mistica Cross Facelock (11:37).
*Daisuke Sasaki wins Antonio Honda’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
5. Yukio Sakaguchi, Masa Takanashi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga defeated Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao when Sakaguchi pinned Ishii with the Right Knee Of God (12:37).
6. HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Shunma Katsumata when HARASHIMA pinned Katsumata with the Somato (17:36).

The Danshoku Dino hid in a corner with a blanket draped over him during the entrances for the main event. With three Right To Challenge Contracts now in his possession he could cash in for a title shot, lose a contract should he be defeated and still have one contract remaining for another go. However he instead got cold feet when both HARASHIMA and Kazusada Higuchi stared at him. Dino said he just wanted to see a sporting contest between those two and made them shake each other’s hand before leaving.

In a small preview of the KO-D Tag Team Title Next Challenger match, Shuten-dōji defeated Drift in the semi-main event. After taking the pin Keisuke Ishii said he is now in a state of crisis over the match. How can he & Shigehiro Irie go after the tag titles if they can’t beat the competition?

Another Right To Challenge movement took place when Daisuke Sasaki made Antonio Honda submit in Match #4. Sasaki currently isn’t interested in going after the KO-D Openweight Title. He instead wondered if he could use the contract to marry Candice LeRae. He came to the conclusion that he will need to collect all five active contracts to make that happen.


DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN HIROSHIMA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOKASAN~” Results

April 14, 2016

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DDT “ROAD TO RYOGOKU 2016 IN HIROSHIMA ~DRAMATIC DREAM TOKASAN~”, 08/04/2016
Hiroshima Aster Plaza Multipurpose Studio
190 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Antonio Honda & Konosuke Takeshita defeated Sanshiro Takagi & Kazuki Hirata when Honda submitted Hirata with a Manjigatame (10:55).
2. 3 Way Match: Gaunchulo defeated Makoto Oishi and Masa Takanashi when Guanchulo pinned both Oishi and Takanashi with a Double Cradle (8:47).
3. Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Kota Umeda & Kenshin Chikano when Takao pinned Umeda with the Gin And Tonic (11:51).
4. Danshoku Dino & Rey Paroma defeated Yasu Urano & Mizuki Watase when Dino pinned Watase after the 3P (12:01).
*Danshoku Dino wins Mizuki Watase’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
5. Daisuke Sasaki defeated Tetsuya Endo with the Sasaki Huracanrana (10:45).
6. Kazusada Higuchi, Kouki Iwasaki & Mao Inoue defeated HARASHIMA, Akito & Tomomitsu Matsunaga when Higuchi pinned Matsunaga with the Goten (18:45).

The different potential contenders for the KO-D Openweight Title are starting to get in each other’s way. Danshoku Dino appeared at the beginning of the show to say he was not going to cash in his title shot but he would sneak up on HARASHIMA at some point so the champion would not forget about him. Dino then claimed a second Right To Challenge contract when he pinned Mizuki Watase in a tag match later in the show. Then in the main event Dino appeared from beneath the ring to ambush HARASHIMA during his entrance. Kazusada Higuchi of all people saved HARASHIMA and Headbutted Dino, bringing an end to his night. Higuchi went on to get the pin in the main event and had a staredown with HARASHIMA.

Daisuke Sasaki seems to be over his obsession to fight Johnny Gargano. But he still wants a match with Candice LeRae.

Kazuki Hirata went into the opener with the goal of pinning Antonio Honda for his Right To Challenge contract. With a DDT Extreme Title shot in the bag Hirata also wants a KO-D Title shot so he can become a double champion. However when the HIRATA GO! glasses came out both danced together and the mood lightened. Honda offered a handshake but it was a trap and he locked Hirata in a Manjigatame when his guard dropped. Honda’s still feeling salty over being left out of the DDT Extreme Title race.


DDT “DRAMATIC GRAND ILLUMINATION!” Results

April 14, 2016

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DDT “DRAMATIC GRAND ILLUMINATION!”, 03/04/2016
Shizuoka Izuguranparu Park
500 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Kazusada Higuchi & Kouki Iwasaki defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Gota Ihashi when Iwasaki pinned Matsunaga with the Leg Capture Suplex (5:10).
*Kouki Iwasaki wins Tomomitsu Matsunaga’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
2. Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Shunma Katsumata & Guanchulo when Hirata pinned Guanchulo with the Viagra Driver (7:33).
3. Danshoku Dino & Makoto Oishi defeated Masa Takanashi & Kota Umeda when Dino pinned Umeda with the Danshoku Driver (8:41).
4. DDT Extreme Title – Illumination Match: Super Sasadango Machine (c) defeated Shigehiro Irie with the Vertical Drop Lehmann Shock (8:34).
*V1 for Super Sasadango Machine.
5. Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao when Urano pinned Ishii with a Rolling Cradle (10:47).
6. DDT Special 4 Vs Happy Motel Falls Count Anywhere 8-Man Tag Team Match: Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Antonio Honda, Konosuke Takeshita, Tetsuya Endo & Hiroshi Fukuda when HARASHIMA pinned Fukuda with the Somato (18:48).

DDT went to the great outdoors for this show. Izuguranparu Park was holding a light show and DDT was brought in as the lead up to the event. A ring and stage entrance was set up in the area but everyone in the main event didn’t care and took the match over to different areas of the park. Yukio Sakaguchi and Saki Akai entered the area in style by driving a car over to the ring. Sanshiro Takagi cycled to ringside on his Combat Bicycle. He used a fire extinguisher on anyone in his way. Then there was a daisy chain of Necklocks along a pathway. The match went over to the trampoline area where everyone got on swings and tried to swing into each other. Takagi was thrown into a night covered in lights and acted like he was caught in a barbed wire explosion blast. Tetsuya Endo Moonsaulted off of a vending machine. Then he was run over by the car driven by Sakaguchi. Konosuke Takeshita found a baseball bat covered in lights and swung it at Takagi. The match eventually found its way back to the ring and HARASHIMA pinned Hiroshi Fukuda with the Somato to win.

Super Sasadango Machine presented his thesis on “The Creation Of Mutual Benefit In Professional Wrestling And Illumination” before the DDT Extreme Title match. He then faced Shigehiro Irie in an Illumination Match. As daylight went away the lights in the area would switch on. Sasadango was hoping that the pretty lights would distract Irie so he could hit the Lehmann Shock three times, enough to beat anyone. In order to do this he had possession of three Illumination Cards that would activate Royale Mode and switch on the lights. The plan surprisingly worked and Sasadango pinned Irie after the third Lehmann Shock. The champion admitted he thought he was going to die and he wanted to turn down his next title defence scheduled for 24th April. Kazuki Hirata came down on a segway and challenged Sasadango for the title.

Kouki Iwasaki took the Right To Challenge contract from Tomomitsu Matsunaga by pinning him in the opener.


DDT “SAITAMA SLAM! VOL. 10” Results

April 13, 2016

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DDT “SAITAMA SLAM! VOL. 10”, 02/04/2016
Saitama Kasukabe Hall
330 Fans – Super No Vacancy

0. King Of Dark Title: Seiya Morohashi (c) defeated Hoshitango with the Quarrel Bomber (4:55).
*Seiya Morohashi passes D2. Hoshitango becomes the 14th King Of Dark Champion.
1. Guanchulo & Mizuki Watase defeated Saki Akai & Makoto Oishi when Watase pinned Akai with a Dropkick (6:37).
*Mizuki Watase wins Saki Akai’s Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Contract.
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Gota Ihashi when Owashi pinned Ihashi with La Magistral Cradle (7:27).
3. Decision To Allow KENSO Or Rekka Into DNA Match: KENSO defeated Rekka with the Diving Elbow Drop (8:14).
4. Danshoku Dino defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Arm Clutch Lip Lock (1:07).
4a. Emergency Decision Single Match: Aja Kong defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Uraken (3:48).
5. Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie & Soma Takao defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Masa Takanashi & Kota Umeda when Ishii pinned Umeda with the Kneel Kick (10:37).
6. Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo defeated Antonio Honda & Hiroshi Fukuda when Endo pinned Fukuda with the Sky Twister Press (12:33).
7. HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Kouki Iwasaki & Mao Inoue when HARASHIMA pinned Inoue with the Somato (14:06).

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I was in Japan for almost two weeks for a gigantic wrestling trip across Tokyo. A blog post about that entire trip is in the works but for now I’ll focus on the DDT show I got to see in Saitama. After all what sort of DDT fan would I be if I didn’t get to see one of their shows during this trip? They were gearing up for a tour around Japan during my stay but Kasukabe Hall was within distance from where I and my friends were staying. So after an email exchange with DDT to get tickets myself, Joey from America and Matt from Canada set off for Saitama.

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Kasukabe is a quiet town from what I can tell. We found a sushi restaurant and through very limited Japanese (zero from myself) were able to order a meal that included tiny little appetizer squids. I didn’t have the stomach for it (blame Splatoon) but the others were happy to try it. According to them it tastes like ginger. We found Kasukabe Hall afterwards, got our tickets and lined up for the show. After getting in it didn’t take long for Amon Tsurumi to greet us. This was the start of a surreal evening where different members of DDT staff came over to greet and thank me for the work I do on this blog. Joey and Matt were amazed at the situation.

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The show began with a King Of Dark Title match. Seiya Morohashi defeated Hoshitango to get rid of the cursed belt and pass it over to the Argentinian. Morohashi treated the belt with disdain by swinging it between his legs during his ring announcement. A Quarrel Bomber put away Hoshitango in a brief match. Morohashi then announced he will be quitting DDT in April and is becoming a freelancer. He will still work for their Best Stretch business which is opening a second office in Shinjuku later this month.

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The show began with the current Right To Challenge contract holders filling the ring then moved onto the first match. The dates for the next four scheduled KO-D Openweight Title defences were announced. They are happening on 24th April in Korakuen Hall, 8th May in Sapporo, 29th May in Korakuen and 3rd July in Hakata. This does not include any possible Right To Challenge cash ins.

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The first match began with Mizuki Watase offering an apology to Saki Akai for the bad blood between them but then yelled he lied. The two were rough to each other throughout the match and Mizuki got the pin on Akai after a Dropkick to win her Right To Challenge contract. Makoto Oishi took the blame for his team’s loss. He and Akai will face Watase and LiLiCo at Korakuen on 24th April. With both the Right To Challenge contract and Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title on the line Akai has a chance to win either of them back from her enemies.

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The 2nd match had a lot of comedy based around getting Gota Ihashi tired. He was made to run the ropes a lot and was constantly thrown out of the ring and tossed over to a wall. Also Toru Owashi and Tomomitsu Matsunaga had a duel using their contract arm bands as weapons. Ihashi missed a Moonsault and Owashi capitalised with La Magistral Cradle to win.

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Match #3 was KENSO and Rekka fighting over who deserved to be in DNA. KENSO is trying to find any way to join DDT full time. If he has to go through DDT’s developmental brand then so be it. Rekka had the DNA roster support and was led out to the ring in a train formation with the wrestlers. KENSO was relentless and even did a Plancha onto Rekka. They brawled very close to us and KENSO hit a nasty looking Brainbuster onto the floor. Rekka tried to fight back and even kicked out of a Brainbuster at one but he was put away with a Diving Elbow Drop. KENSO told Rekka and the other DNA wrestlers that this business is not so sweet and he is above their level. Kouki Iwasaki took offense and challenge KENSO to defend DNA’s pride. Tsurumi was reluctant to make the match because he doesn’t want to book KENSO again but agreed to let it happen at DNA 16 on 11th May.

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Next up was Danshoku Dino Vs Kazuki Hirata. I warned Joey and Matt about Dino’s entrance antics but luckily for us he only had eyes for Hirata on this day. He attacked Hirata before the dance could begin and the match began. A minute later Dino applied the Lip Lock and then twisted Hirata’s arm for a clutch variation of the move, winning the match by tapout. After the match we found out Hirata had his date with Aja Kong and it was recorded. A video played on the screen of the date. They went on a ferris wheel and Hirata was scared of heights. They then ended the night sitting on a bench and looked like they were about to kiss until Hirata got cold feet. He said he tried to like her but it’s impossible. He apologised and ran off, leaving Kong alone.

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Dino asked Hirata why he ran off. Hirata said it’s because she’s too chubby and the date was a terrible prank. We then got a surprise when Aja Kong showed up at ringside! She was in a cold state of emotion and Hirata was frozen with fear in the ring. Dino suggested they wrestle a match there and then. He took out a referee shirt so he could look over the match. The bell rang and Kong took her time beating up Hirata. He had one chance at a comeback but wasn’t strong enough to lift Kong up for the Viagra Driver. Kong beat him up again and Dino was too scared to call any fouls so he just let her do what she wanted. One Spinning Backfist later and that was it for Hirata. Dino very slowly counted the pin but it was clear that Hirata was out cold. When he came to he said he realised how wrong he was to ditch Kong and offered to take her out again. Kong rejected him and instead showed interest in Nobuhiro Shimatani, chasing him out of the ring when he got too scared of her. Dino and Hirata were left stunned for a few minutes by what happened. “Eeeeeeh?” … “Eeeeeeh?” … “Eeeeeeh?” ……….. “Eeeeeeh?!?”

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I can now say after seeing them in person Yukio Sakaguchi, Kota Umeda and Shigehiro Irie all hit hard. Really hard.

During intermission I got to meet Sanshiro Takagi and Guanchulo and had a brief talk with them. I also got to finally speak with the man behind the Extreme Party website who was such a help during the early years of this blog. It’s pretty weird when Takagi called me over to his table and showed me my Twitter accounts on his phone in order to ask if I was that guy. This show happened half a day after Kota Ibushi’s appearance on NXT Takeover: Dallas but that wasn’t the place to talk about it.

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“American Dream” played over the speakers for the semi-main event. Antonio Honda and Hiroshi Fukuda came out for an all Happy Motel tag team match against the New Gen Combo. Honda & Fukuda tried to keep the match at their pace but Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo came out the winners in the end. Fukuda’s Perfect Plex was countered into a Brainbuster and Endo hit the Sky Twister Press for the pin. Honda & Fukuda threw their support behind the New Gen Combo for their KO-D Tag Team Titles rematch with Daisuke Sasaki & Shuji Ishikawa later this month.

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The main event was the best match of the show. Kazusada Higuchi has a great presence about him and knows how to throw his weight around. His moments with HARASHIMA were very good and the match played around all of Smile Squash trying to cut down Higuchi by the legs. Mao Inoue also shined during the ending sequence but my highlight of the match was HARASHIMA countering Inoue’s Screw Kick with a Leg Sweep in mid air. HARASHIMA won with the Somato of course and Higuchi left the ring to go lick his wounds. The show ended with Smile Squash giving a victory speech. A good end to the evening.

I would like to thank Sanshiro Takagi, Amon Tsurumi and Guanchulo so much for all that they did to accommodate me, Matt and Joey throughout the show. I’d also like to thank Naomi Susan for everything she did to help organise tickets. Quite a few surprises happened along the way and afterwards but I don’t think I can say much about it for now.