DDT In NJPW And GLEAT This Week

October 9, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Video – Takago/Nagayo/Ito Vs Takao/Paulie/Iroha From Judgement 2019

November 29, 2024


DDT “JUDGEMENT 2019 ~DDT RAISING AN ARMY 22ND ANNIVERSARY~”, 17/02/2019
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
4,177 Fans – No Vacancy

6. Special Hardcore 6-Person Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi, Chigusa Nagayo & Ryuji Ito Vs Soma Takao, Mad Paulie & Takumi Iroha


“NEW YEAR’S EVE PRO WRESTLING 2022 ~TOSHIWASURE! SHUFFLE 6-MAN TAG TOURNAMENT~” Results

December 31, 2022

“NEW YEAR’S EVE PRO WRESTLING 2022 ~TOSHIWASURE! SHUFFLE 6-MAN TAG TOURNAMENT~”, 31/12/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
615 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: MAO, Yuya Aoki & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Yukio Naya, Hideyoshi Kamitani & Kikutaro when MAO pinned Kikutaro after a Double Choke Slam from Naya & Kamitani (8:06).
2. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: Kazusada Higuchi, Kota Sekifuda & MUSASHI Vs Chris Brookes, Daisuke Sekimoto & Isami Kodaka ended in a Time Limit Draw (10:00).
2a. Overtime – 1 Count Fall Rule: Kazusada Higuchi, Kota Sekifuda & MUSASHI defeated Chris Brookes, Daisuke Sekimoto & Isami Kodaka when Higuchi pinned Brookes with a Cradle Turnback (1:03).
3. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: Yuki Ueno, Daichi Hashimoto & Yuma Aoyagi defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Brahman Shu (w/ Brahman Kei) when Aoyagi pinned Kei with a School Boy (7:58).
4. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: HARASHIMA, Yuki Ishikawa & Masashi Takeda defeated Takeshi Masada, Takuya Nomura & Masato Tanaka when Takeda pinned Masada with the Reverse U Crash (8:31).
5. Ryuji Ito, Abdullah Kobayashi, Jaki Numazawa & Kankuro Hoshino defeated Danshoku Dieno, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Shunma Katsumata when Ito pinned Hirata with the Biribiri Dragon Splash (14:27).
6. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: MAO, Yuya Aoki & Yuko Miyamoto defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Kota Sekifuda & MUSASHI when Aoki pinned Sekifuda with the Blue Storm (10:15).
7. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: Yuki Ueno, Daichi Hashimoto & Yuma Aoyagi defeated HARASHIMA, Yuki Ishikawa & Masashi Takeda when Ueno pinned Ishikawa with the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher (11:16).
8. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Drew Parker, Cara Noir & RSP defeated Yuji Okabayashi, Kazumi Kikuta, Takuho Kato & Kazumasa Yoshida when Takeshita pinned Yoshida with the Zahi (15:23).
9. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Final: Yuki Ueno, Daichi Hashimoto & Yuma Aoyagi defeated MAO, Yuya Aoki & Yuko Miyamoto when Hashimoto pinned MAO with the Rising DDT (19:21).

Last year’s tournament being built around trios matches was kept around for this year’s edition. Each team featured one DDT wrestler, one Big Japan wrestler and one wild card all of which were random combinations. For everyone involved it was their last chance to grab some glory in the ring before the new year begins.

Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1

Ika Ra Takeshi Ki Asu Manji Hai (Driver’s High) Vs Big Bombers

The atmosphere of the show was set early by the team called Big Bombers. Their entrance included a video of MAO, Yuya Aoki & Yuko Miyamoto all travelling together for a road trip on motorbikes. Their opponents attempted to use a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine who starts but Kikutaro misunderstood. He thought it was just a charade to jump Big Bombers while they weren’t looking so he charged them on his own and got beaten up for it. Kikutaro had even more bad luck, the worse of which involved MAO manipulating Yukio Naya & Hideyoshi Kamitani into Double Choke Slamming their own partner. MAO slipped in for the pin afterward to keep his team’s road trip going.

Team 2023 Vs Super J Cups

The only time limit draw on the show took place in the second match. The Super J Cups are called that because it is a trio of junior heavyweight champions. Supposedly. Kazusada Higuchi’s weight was announced in the venue as 99.999999kg so he was really pushing it. Higuchi spent the end of the match fighting with Daisuke Sekimoto too so nobody was complaining about getting to see that heavyweight battle. It built up to Sekimoto leading Chris Brookes & Isami Kodaka into a Triple Topé Suicida aimed at Higuchi, Kota Sekifuda & MUSASHI. The time limit was reached right when Sekimoto gave Higuchi the German Suplex. When overtime began Sekimoto went straight for the pin but Higuchi kicked out immediately. Brookes tagged in and caught Higuchi in a Prawn Hold. However Higuchi reversed the move and rolled himself on top of Brookes to steal the 1 Count pin needed to win.

Zero Hyaku Vs BraNoue In The Sky With Diamonds

If there is one thing everyone knows about The Brahman Brothers its that they like to stay clean, am I right? Tetsuya Endo & Yasufumi Nakanoue shared their concerns and carried around disinfectant spray. Oh, the two of them were also Brahman-ised and happy to take part in their cheating during the match. Yuma Aoyagi fought back by covering his arms with the metal hoses and Lariating both Brahmans but he ended up pinning Brahman Kei by mistake so the match continued. Nakanoue placed a stake up to Yuki Ueno’s butt (after disinfecting the butt first of course) and Brahman Shu hit it with a chairshot. The gameplan then fell apart due to miscommunication. Endo accidentally hit Kei over the head with a steel tray and then the suitcase thrown by Nakanoue hit Shu instead of Aoyagi. It ended up costing them the match and Zero Hyaku advanced at their expense.

Emi Chichichi (Wara Chichichi) Vs Team Kansai

Round 1 almost closed out with a little bit of death match flavour. Masashi Takeda brought out a pair of scissors which annoyed the referee Yukinori Matsui. When that was taken away we were left with a match on the regular level of danger. I mean Takeda and Masato Tanaka were still on opposite sides of the ring here. We also had HARASHIMA and Takuya Nomura trading kicks against each other. Takeshi Masada though ended up getting the worst of everything. He took a Swan Dive Body Press from HARASHIMA, a Double Stomp from Yuki Ishikawa and was finished off with the Takeda’s Reverse U Crash.

Non-Tournament 8-Man Tag Match

DDT and Big Japan got threw some of their veterans together for an inter-promotional 8-Man Tag. Danshoku Dieno was back to his old self looking for men in the audience to kiss during his entrance. Shunma Katsumata took to taunting Ryuji Ito when the opportunity presented itself. Antonio Honda tried to tell a Gongitsune joke but Jaki Numazawa cut him off so he could tell his own jokes. Gongitsune groaned after every punchline. Kazuki Hirata put on the Hirata GO! glasses and danced until Kankuro Hoshino placed fox ears over his head. The music changed to “What Does The Fox Say” and the two danced until Hirata realised what was going on and fainted. Dieno set himself up in the Hell Gate position in the corner to charge up his teammate’s attacks. Abdullah Kobayashi then revealed he has the same ability, it only works once every four years. Kobayashi then formed his own Hell Gate. Ito placed a steel plate over his chest, used Kobayashi to charge it up and then did the Dragon Splash onto Hirata to give Big Japan the win. Ito declared Big Japan as the winners of the feud against DDT but Dieno refused to accept defeat. Ito and Dieno threw challenges at each other and both left the ring in a huff.

Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final

Ika Ra Takeshi Ki Asu Manji Hai (Driver’s High) Vs Super J Cups

People still didn’t believe that Higuchi is a junior heavyweight so he tried vaulting the top rope along with his tag partners. The whole thing didn’t work because Sekifuda & MUSASHI were both pulled down and Higuchi tripped. The Driver’s High team capitalised and all three hit Handspring Back Elbows to the opposition. Sekifuda recovered and keep trying to go for the win until Aoki cut him off and stole the win with the Blue Storm.

Zero Hyaku Vs Emi Chichichi (Wara Chichichi)

The death match flavour did show up in this match. Takeda took out his scissors again but put them away, promising to fight fair. Zero Hyaku had a lot of communication problems when Ueno tried to direct Hashimoto & Aoyagi into setting up a Triple Power Bomb properly. The match then broke down when chairs were brought into the ring. Ishikawa and even HARASHIMA threw chairshots at their opponents. Ueno took the chair and hit HARASHIMA with it. Takeda then pulled out a stapler and stapled a show poster onto Ueno’s chest! Ueno got his revenge by stapling the poster onto Ishikawa’s forehead and then pinning him with the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher.

Special 8-Man Tag Match

Before the final could take place there was another non-tournament match to get through. Konosuke Takeshita led a team of foreign wrestlers against Yuji Okabayashi and his band of Strong BJ fighters. The DDT related side won this one. Everything was built up to Takeshita, Drew Parker and RSP doing stereo Swanton Bombs along with the Fable on Kazumi Kikuta, Takuho Kato & Kazumasa Yoshida. Takeshita then pinned Yoshida with the Zahi. After the match backstage RSP said he first wrestled in Japan for Big Japan but now he considers himself part if DDT. Takeshita thinks 2023 will see the full return of wrestlers travelling everywhere around the world. Cara Noir did not say anything. Okabayashi is impressed by how much Takeshita has improved since the last time they fought. However he is also happy with the knowledge that his Chops are still effective against Takeshita. Kikuta told the DDT team not to get carried away just because they won. Kato spoke about Parker’s success since leaving Big Japan. He considers himself close to Parker because they are the same age and their birthdays are only a few days apart. Yoshida was happy to get to fight Takeshita.

Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Final

Ika Ra Takeshi Ki Asu Manji Hai (Driver’s High) Vs Zero Hyaku

The final came down to this. The Driver’s High team came out all wearing gear matching with Miyamoto’s. Late in the match MAO & Aoki focused on Missile attacks to Hashimoto until the tables turned. Ueno caught MAO with the Dropkick, Aoyagi hit the Rockstar Buster and Hashimoto hit the Shining Wizard. MAO kicked out of both at one so Hashimoto had to drop him with the Rising DDT, crowning Zero Hyaku as the tournament winners!

The winners received their prize from Sayoko Mita. Aoyagi was happy to win because this was his first New Year’s Eve show. Hashimoto said the team went from Zero to Hyaku! Ueno admitted he never expected Hashimoto to be so mischievous and Aoyagi to be so nice. He doesn’t know what to expect in 2023 but the three of them will continue to change pro wrestling. Aoyagi wants the three of them to reunite for next year’s tournament but he was told it can only happen if the random lottery somehow pairs the three of them together again.

Japan Indie Grand Prix Awards 2022

MVP

1. Kazusada Higuchi
2. Drew Parker
3. Fujita Jr. Hayato
4. Konosuke Takeshita
5. Yumehito Imanari

Best Bout

1. MUSASHI Vs Fujita Jr. Hayato (Michinoku Pro, 1st July)
2. Jun Kasai Vs El Desperado (JUST TAP OUT, 12th September)
3. Hartley Jackson Vs Mizuki Watase (Ganbare☆Pro, th )
4. Drew Parker Vs Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS, 16th November)
5. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Tetsuya Endo (DDT, 20th March)

Best Unit

1. Pheromones
2. The 37KAMIINA
3. Astronauts
4. CDK
5. Speed Of Sounds

Best Box Office

1. Big Japan @ Yokohama Budokan, 5th May
2. Ganbare☆Pro @ Ota Ward Gymnasium, 10th July
3. Michinoku Pro @ Korakuen Hall, 1st July
4. FREEDOMS @ Yokohama Budokan, 3rd May
5. DDT @ Ryogoku Kokugikan, 20th March

Best Newcomer

1. Daiju Wakamatsu
2. Yukio Naya
3. Takeshi Masada
4. HARUKAZE
5. Jun Masaoka


“NEW YEAR’S WRESTLING 2021 ~TOSHIKOSHI! SHUFFLE 6-MAN TAG TOURNAMENT” Results

December 31, 2021

“NEW YEAR’S WRESTLING 2021 ~TOSHIKOSHI! SHUFFLE 6-MAN TAG TOURNAMENT”, 31/12/2021
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
655 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: Kazusada Higuchi, Ryuji Ito & Shiro Koshinaka Vs Chris Brookes, Takuya Nomura & Minoru Fujita ended in a Time Limit Draw (10:00).
1a. Overtime – 1 Count Fall Rule: Chris Brookes, Takuya Nomura & Minoru Fujita defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Ryuji Ito & Shiro Koshinaka when Fujita pinned Ito with the Modified Samson Clutch (0:52).
2. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: HARASHIMA, Daichi Hashimoto & Kengo Mashimo defeated Soma Takao, Yuya Aoki & Shuji Ishikawa when Hashimoto submitted Aoki with the STF (9:06).
3. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuji Okabayashi & Kuishinbo Kamen defeated Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Sekifuda & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu) when Takeshita pinned Kei with a Cradle (5:17).
4. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: MAO, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Shigehiro Irie defeated Akito, Daisuke Sekimoto & Jun Kasai when MAO pinned Akito with the Cannonball 450 (8:50).
5. MUSASHI, Daisuke Kanehira, Takafumi & Tatsuya Hanami defeated Takuho Kato, Kosuke Sato, Hideki Okatani & Yuki Ishida when MUSASHI submitted Ishida with the Modified Sasorikatame (13:40).
6. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: HARASHIMA, Daichi Hashimoto & Kengo Mashimo defeated Chris Brookes, Takuya Nomura & Minoru Fujita when Mashimo pinned Fujita with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (11:41).
7. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuji Okabayashi & Kuishinbo Kamen Vs MAO, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Shigehiro Irie ended in a Time Limit Draw (15:00).
7a. Overtime – 1 Count Fall Rule: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuji Okabayashi & Kuishinbo Kamen defeated MAO, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Shigehiro Irie when Kamen pinned MAO with a Crushed La Magistral Cradle (0:44).
8. 3 Way Tag Match: Stan Kobayashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Jaki Numazawa & Antonio Honda Vs Danshoku Dieno & Kankuro Hoshino when Kobayashi pinned Hona with the Bakachinga Anal Elbow (14:21).
9. Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Final: HARASHIMA, Daichi Hashimoto & Kengo Mashimo defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Yuji Okabayashi & Kuishinbo Kamen when HARASHIMA pinned Kamen with the Somato (16:19).

The annual New Year’s Eve Shuffle Tag Tournament switched over to a trios format for the end of 2021. Each team consisted of a DDT wrestler, a Big Japan wrestler and a “Dream Slot” wrestler from another company or batch of freelancers.

Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1

I’ll Do It!! Vs Three Brothers Kawaii

Fans didn’t have to wait long for the reveal of Chris Brookes & Takuya Nomura’s mystery partner. It was Minoru Fujita! Their combined cuteness went to a 10 minute stalemate against the rugged trio of Kazusada Higuchi, Ryuji Ito & Shiro Koshinaka. In the final seconds Fujita hit Ito with the SAYONARA but time ran out before the pin. Sudden death overtime meant One Count Fall rules to win. Koshinaka misfired the Hip Attack and hit Ito by accident, allowing Fujita to get the 1 Count to win.

Ikemen’s Vs LEFTOVERS

Next up the team of Soma Takao, Yuya Aoki & Shuji Ishikawa all walked out dressed and posing like Masahiro Chono. They continued the Chono tribute by locking in a Triple STF to HARASHIMA, Daichi Hashimoto & Kengo Mashimo. They got a taste of their own medicine at the end when Hashimoto locked Aoki into his own version of the STF to win. He then encouraged his own team to do Chono’s pose.

Deadlifters Vs I Dream Of Twins, Lizards And Naomi

Things got weirder because next up was The Brahman Brothers entering the ring with Naomi Yoshimura & Kota Sekifuda behind them carrying stuffed toy lizards. Konosuke Takeshita and Yuji Okabayashi brought out chairs looking ready for a fight until they had powder thrown in their faces. Kuishinbo Kamen tried to help but couldn’t do much. Takeshita was given a Low Blow but found a way in his doubled over state to block a Sunset Flip and press down to get the three count.

Ugo Association Vs Team Saiyuki

Before this match began Shigehiro Irie and MAO shook hands to show that their problems are in the past and they can work together. Jun Kasai announced he created a new move and it is punching MAO a lot. MAO took a beating from Akito, Daisuke Sekimoto & Kasai but toughed it out so Yasufumi Nakanoue & Irie could come for the rescue. Akito then got singled out and fell to the trademark moves of his opponents.

Non-Tournament 8-Man Tag Match

The buffer match after Round 1 brought together a mixture of wrestlers from across the indies. DDT & Big Japan were represented by their young generation of Takuho Kato, Kosuke Sato, Hideki Okatani & Yuki Ishida. Their opponents were MUSASHI from Michinoku Pro, Daisuke Kanehira from HEAT-UP, Takafumi from ZERO1 & Tatsuya Hanami from 2AW. In the end MUSASHI picked up the win by making Ishida submit.

Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final

Three Brothers Kawaii Vs LEFTOVERS

The semi-finals had a tense start when Hashimoto and HARASHIMA declined to shake the other team’s hands. Fujita and Mashimo had a back and forth that ended with Fujita asking for a handshake only to get attacked. HARAHSIMA and Nomura got into a spirited kick-off and Fujita almost pinned Mashimo with the SAYONARA. The tables were turned when Fujita was hit with a Triple Super Kick and Mashimo pinned him with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster.

Deadlifters Vs Ugo Association

Kamen was targeted as the weak link in this match. While Takeshita & Okabayashi cancelled out Nakanoue & Irie the dying moments of the match fell down to Kamen and MAO. Kamen was caught in the Clothespin submission but held out for the last 30 seconds so the match could end in a draw. When Sudden Death began Kamen was quickly given more big blows but when MAO attempted La Magistral Cradle, Kamen blocked it and stole the win with the 1 Count fall.

3 Way Tag Match

The other non-tournament match brought the show back to weird territory. Danshoku Dieno jumped into the Hell Gate position, Kazuki Hirata started dancing, Kankuro Hoshino vanished to be replaced by Kenshiro Hoshino, then Abdullah Kobayashi disappeared and Stan Kobayashi took his place. To cap it all off, Jaki Numazawa left and returned as RoboCop! Antonio Honda was ready to finish the match but tripped and injured his knee. Kobayashi ended up using Dieno’s backside to charge up his Lariat arm and pin Honda with the Bakachinga Elbow.

Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Final

LEFTOVERS Vs Deadlifters

Poor old Kuishinbo Kamen has never won a tournament in his career. His run of luck in these things is so bad that back in Osaka Pro it was a known flaw that he would get eliminated early in their annual tournaments. By making it to the final, today could have finally been his day. Sadly it just wasn’t to be. He brought out some fun antics at the beginning but was there to win with his partners as the match heated up. Okabayashi floored HARASHIMA with a Lariat and Takeshita wiped out Hashimoto & Mashimo with a Topé. But HARASHIMA regained control of the match against Kamen and pinned him with the Somato to win the final.

The tournament winners celebrated and HARASHIMA said he felt good fortunes with his team this year. They were all the last people picked in the lottery draft which is why they called themselves LEFTOVERS in the first place. Hashimoto agreed and thinks it is a sign that the new year will be good to them. He’d like LEFTOVERS to team together for next year’s Shuffle Tag show but doesn’t know if that will happen. Mashimo credited all of the wrestlers involved for making today and exciting tournament and he invited all of them out for a group photo to end the show.

Japan Indie Grand Prix Awards 2021

MVP

1. Konosuke Takeshita
2. Takuya Nomura
3. Drew Parker
4. Takumi Tsukamoto
5. Jun Kasai

Best Bout

1. Takuya Nomura Vs Daisuke Sekimoto (Big Japan, 18th October)
2. The Great Sasuke Vs Jinsei Shinzaki (Michinoku Pro, 4th June)
3. Jun Akiyama Vs Konosuke Takeshita (DDT, 21st August)
4. HARASHIMA Vs Yuji Okabayashi (DDT, 21st November)
5. Tetsu Inada Vs Shota Okamura (Hiragana Muscle, 1st September)

Best Unit

1. Pheromones
2. Astronauts
3. Speed Of Sounds
4. The 37KAMIINA
5. E.R.E

Best Box Office

1. Hiragana Muscle @ Korakuen Hall, 1st September
2. DDT @ Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki, 21st August
3. CyberFight Festival @ Saitama Super Arena, 6th June
4. Big Japan @ Sapporo Chateraise Gateaux Kingdom, 20th September
5. Masahiro Takanashi Produce @ Shinjuku FACE, 1st August

Best Newcomer

1. Drew Parker
2. Tomoya Hirata
3. Yumehito Imanari
4. Tetsu Inada
5. Kosuke Sato


New Year’s Eve Trios Teams

November 16, 2021

“NEW YEAR’S WRESTLING 2021 ~TOSHIWASURE! SHUFFLE 6-MAN TAG TOURNAMENT”, 31/12/2021
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Toshiwasure! Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
2. Toshiwasure! Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
3. Toshiwasure! Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
4. Toshiwasure! Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Round 1: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
5. Toshiwasure! Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
6. Toshiwasure! Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Semi Final: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
7. Toshiwasure! Shuffle 6-Man Tag Tournament – Final: X, X & X Vs X, X & X

Team Saiyuki – Akito, Daisuke Sekimoto & Jun Kasai
Ikemen’s – Soma Takao, Yuya Aoki & Shuji Ishikawa
I Dream Of Twins, Lizards And Naomi – Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Sekifuda & Brahman Kei (w/ Brahman Shu)
Three Brothers Kawaii – Chris Brookes, Takuya Nomura & X
I’ll Do It!! – Kazusada Higuchi, Ryuji Ito & Shiro Koshinaka
Deadlifters – Konosuke Takeshita, Yuji Okabayashi & Kuishinbo Kamen
Ugo Association – MAO, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Shigehiro Irie
LEFTOVERS – HARASHIMA, Daichi Hashimoto & Kengo Mashimo

A draw was held to determine the eight teams competing in the trios tournament. Each trio also came up with team names for themselves. The most notable team is Konosuke Takeshita, Yuji Okabayashi & Kuishinbo Kamen. They are calling themselves Deadlifters because they claim that is what they all have in common. Takeshita can deadlift 250kg, Okabayashi can lift 300kg and Kamen they guess can probably lift 50kg. Also Takeshita and Okabayashi are currently neck and neck fighting for a spot in the D-Ou Grand Prix final. Kamen is counting on his partners to win the matches without him getting involved.

There are some powerful teams put together. Maybe the strongest was formed entirely out of luck. HARASHIMA, Daichi Hashimoto & Kengo Mashimo were all the last ones left in their pools so they came up with LEFTOVERS as their team name. Mashimo is happy with who he ended up with so he doesn’t care about being picked last.

Akito feels indebted to Daisuke Sekimoto & Jun Kasai because early in his career he worked with Big Japan (he was trained by BJW wrestler Hakaru Imai) and they were his seniors.

The annual NTV new year’s comedy show has been cancelled so Shuji Ishikawa now has time to concentrate on the tournament. Soma Takao is looking forward to teaming with him again. Yuya Aoki thinks all three of them have nothing in common. He believes they can have something in common by becoming tournament winners together.

One team is a reunion of sorts. Naomi Yoshimura and Brahman Kei were on the same team for the 2019 tournament but Brahman Shu was absent with the flu. Now the three of them are together with Kota Sekifuda as the missing piece of the puzzle. They used the song “I Dream Of Naomi” for their entrance in 2019 and Kei wants to reference that again. That is why their team is called I Dream Of Twins, Lizards And Naomi.

Chris Brookes and Takuya Nomura were opponents at the tournament two years ago. There is no heat between them, instead they both think they are cute. The third member of their team is the mystery wrestler and they are sure that wrestler is cute too. Therefore they are Three Brothers Kawaii!

Having the legendary Shiro Koshinaka on their team will encourage Kazusada Higuchi & Ryuji Ito to Hip Attack their way to victory. Higuchi is honoured to team with the two veterans. Ito thinks the team has other specialties but they should win the tournament with the Hip Attack.

There is another team with nothing in common and even worse, none of the members can find anything positive about that. MAO and Shigehiro Irie never got along. MAO describes their relationship as a Cold War that Yasufumi Nakanoue is now in the middle in as a neutral party. He hopes nothing gets bad enough for Nakanoue to press the nuclear button. All Nakanoue can promise is that the team will make things work.

There will be two non-tournament matches also happening on the show.


“NEW YEAR’S EVE WRESTLING 2020 ~TOSHIWASHURE! SHUFFLE TAG TOURNAMENT” Results

December 31, 2020

“NEW YEAR’S EVE WRESTLING 2020 ~TOSHIWASHURE! SHUFFLE TAG TOURNAMENT”, 31/12/2020
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
520 Fans

1. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: Yuji Okabayashi & HARASHIMA defeated Yuya Aoki & Yukio Naya when Okabayashi submitted Naya with the Argentine Backbreaker (8:53).
2. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: Akira Hyodo & Makoto Oishi Vs Takuya Nomura & Konosuke Takeshita ended in a Time Limit Draw (10:00).
2a. Overtime – 1 Count Fall Rules: Takuya Nomura & Konosuke Takeshita defeated Akira Hyodo & Makoto Oishi when Nomura pinned Hyodo with a Rollover Inverted Cross Armbreaker (2:32).
3. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuki Ueno defeated Drew Parker & Danshoku Dieno when Ueno pinned Dieno with a School Boy (7:35).
4. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: Daisuke Sekimoto & Tetsuya Endo defeated Hideyoshi Kamitani & Chris Brookes when Sekimoto pinned Kamitani with the German Suplex (7:04).
5. Fluorescent Lighttube Death Match: Ryuji Ito defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Dragon Splash (11:01).
6. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Semi Final: Yuji Okabayashi & HARASHIMA Vs Takuya Nomura & Konosuke Takeshita ended in a Time Limit Draw (15:00).
6a. Overtime – 1 Count Fall Rules: Yuji Okabayashi & HARASHIMA defeated Takuya Nomura & Konosuke Takeshita when HARASHIMA pinned Takeshita with a Jackknife Pin (0:26).
7. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Semi Final: Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuki Ueno defeated Daisuke Sekimoto & Tetsuya Endo when Nakanoue pinned Sekimoto with the Lariat (8:10).
8. New Year’s Wrestling 2020 Special 8-Man Tag Match: Yukio Sakaguchi, Kazuki Hashimoto, Daichi Hashimoto & Kazusada Higuchi defeated Takuho Kato, Yuki Ishikawa, Keigo Nakamura & Hideki Okatani when Hashimoto pinned Okatani with the Falcon Arrow (13:35).
9. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Final: Yuji Okabayashi & HARASHIMA defeated Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuki Ueno when Okabayashi pinned Nakanoue with the Golem Splash (17:50).

The annual New Year’s Eve show was a much smaller affair in 2020. Safety precautions meant the show took place earlier in the day and would not roll over into the end of year countdown. The Shuffle Tag Tournament between DDT and Big Japan was also reduced to 8 teams instead of the usual 16.

Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1

Smile Pissari Vs HOT Real JAPAN

Two super heavyweights collided when Yuji Okabayashi and Yukio Naya stood face to face from each other. HARASHIMA kept Yuya Aoki away so Naya spent most of the match in the ring. He got some good shots in with Knee Strikes but Okabayashi cut him off with a Lariat and made him submit to the Argentine Backbreaker. Naya said he wants to fight Okabayashi again. Aoki was apologetic for not getting to help his tag partner more.

170cm Vs Nomutake

It only took until the second match for overtime sudden death rules to kick in. Konosuke Takeshita and Makoto Oishi were scrambling over each other in the dying seconds of the match. When time expired, One Count Fall rules came into play for the restart. Takuya Nomura put Akira Hyodo in a Cross Armbreaker and rolled him onto his shoulders to get the pin. At least Hyodo thought he and Oishi worked well as a team given their age difference.

Nakanoueno Vs Sodomy & Scars

Things got cheeky in Match #3. Danshoku Dieno accidentally put Drew Parker in the Lip Lock. Parker later accidentally pulled down Dieno’s tights to reveal he was wearing a diaper underneath because he still has not recovered from the CO2 attack to his rear end last week. Still he went into the Hell Gate position but Yuki Ueno Dropkicked him in the butt. Yasufumi Nakanoue rushed over to give Parker the Lip Lock while Ueno pinned Dieno with a School Boy. Dieno said afterward there are two kinds of butts in the world. Those that are for entertainment and those that are not.

Daisuke In The Sky Vs LINE Tomodachi

Round 1 ended with Daisuke Sekimoto & Tetsuya Endo defeating Hideyoshi Kamitani & Chris Brookes. It went back and forth until Endo gave Brookes the Tetsuya In The Sky and Sekimoto pinned Kamitani with the German Suplex. Brookes threatened to remove Kamitani from their LINE group backstage but Kamitani convinced him to give him one more chance.

Fluorescent Lighttube Death Match

The first of two non-tournament matches was the long awaited lighttube death match between Ryuji Ito and Shunma Katsumata. Lighttubes, thumbtacks, Lego, a barbed wire bat and even sauna stones were used as weapons. Ito came out on top in the end but he praised Katsumata for keeping up with death matches, especially this week’s schedule. He doesn’t likes saunas though because they are too hot. Katsumata tells him everyone says that at first but they always end up liking it.

Shuffle Tag Tournament – Semi Final

Smile Pissari Vs Nomutake

The semi finals began and one of them went into extra time. Okabayashi came out wearing a similar entrance robe as HARASHIMA. Nomura wanted to get into a kick battle with HARASHIMA so that is what he got. In the final minutes, Okabayashi and Takeshita both went down from a Lariat but only Okabayashi got to tag out. HARASHIMA went for the Somato and Takeshita avoided it before the bell rang for a time limit draw. At the restart, HARASHIMA kicked Takeshita’s injured arm, followed with a Thrust Kick to the face and pinned him for the one count with a Jackknife. Nomura would like to team with Takeshita again but he doesn’t know if his regular tag partner Fuminori Abe would approve of it. Takeshita then suggested he could fight against Nomura & Abe.

Nakanoueno Vs Daisuke In The Sky

The tag synergy continued with Sekimoto & Endo wearing each other’s entrance robes. After a Double Torture Rack spot, Endo encouraged Sekimoto to German Suplex him and Ueno together. Ueno slipped out and landed on his feet while Endo took the full brunt of the move. Ueno hit Sekimoto with a Frog Splash and Nakanoue won with a big Lariat. Sekimoto apologised to Endo over and over backstage. He admits his wife tells him he is too careless all the time. Endo promised to improve his fingertip strength so his clutch will get stronger.

New Year’s Wrestling 2020 Special 8-Man Tag Match

The young boys were fed to the grizzly old veterans but they didn’t go down without a fight. Yuki Ishikawa stepped in as a last minute replacement for Kosuke Sato because of injury. Takuho Kato set Keigo Nakamura up to do the Exquisite Moonsault on Kazuki Hashimoto. A nearfall then came when Hideki Okatani gave Kazuki the Northern Lights Suplex. Eruption cut them off and Daichi Hashimoto took over. He resisted Okatani’s chops and pinned him with the Falcon Arrow.

Shuffle Tag Tournament – Final

Smile Pissari Vs Nakanoueno

The final turned out to be a preview of Big Japan’s 2nd January main event with Okabayashi and Nakanoue squaring off. The match started off with them and ended with them. Ueno wiped out HARASHIMA with a Tornillo leading to the Big Japan pair to take it home. Nakanoue hit the Diving Elbow but HARASHIMA broke the pin and hit a Somato into the corner. Okabayashi got a nearfall with a Power Bomb. He then had to use the Golem Splash to get the three count and win the tournament with HARASHIMA! He thanked HARASHIMA for teaming with him and also for the entrance robe. HARASHIMA hopes to keep up with Okabayashi in 2021. Nakanoue & Ueno were happy with their performances considering they never teamed together before today. Maybe they have Osaka Power of love and friendship.

Japan Indie Grand Prix Awards 2020

MVP
1. Minoru Fujita
2. Tetsuya Endo
3. Toru Sugiura
4. Fuminori Abe
5. Daichi Hashimoto

Best Bout
1. Tetsuya Endo Vs Daisuke Sasaki (DDT, 3rd November)
2. Ryuji Ito Vs Minoru Fujita (Big Japan, 29th August)
3. Yuji Okabayashi Vs Daisuke Sekimoto (Big Japan, 23rd November)
4. Onryo Vs Yuko Miyamoto (666, 27th June)
5. Masashi Takeda Vs Daisuke Masaoka (FREEDOMS, 10th November)

Best Unit
1. Astronauts
2. Eruption
3. unchain
4. DAMNATION
5. Wataridori Rengo

Best Box Office
1. Big Japan at Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium, 29th August
2. Hiragana Muscle at Tokyo Korakuen Hall, 9th November
3. DDT at Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium, 3rd November
4. Big Japan at Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium, 30th August
5. Hiragan Muscle at Tokyo Shinagawa The Grand Hall, 21st September

Best Newcomer
1. Rina Yamashita
2. Shunma Katsumata
3. Jun Akiyama
4. Yuki Ishikawa
5. Hideki Okatani


Super Sento Extreme Title Match, Miyamoto’s Legacy, Ryuji Vs Shunma, Ganpro’s 1st 2021 Show

November 17, 2020

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “STYLE OF MY LOVE”, 20/11/2020
Shinjuku FACE

1. Hyper Misao Vs Super Sasadango Machine
2. Sakisama & X Vs Suzume & Sena Shiori
3. Special Survival 5 Way Match: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Shoko Nakajima Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs Rika Tatsumi Vs Maki Itoh

The five big names of Tokyo Joshi Pro are getting thrown together into a free for all until only one is left standing!

Does Sakisama have a new follower?

The rest of the card will be announced on the day of the show.

DDT “SUPER SENTO ROJO PRO WRESTLING”, 21/11/2020
A Certain Super Sento

1. DDT Extreme Title – Super Sento Hardcore Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls Count Anywhere Match: Sanshiro Takagi (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata

This Saturday Sanshiro Takagi broadcasts his first DDT Extreme Title defence live on DDT’s Youtube channel. Shunma Katsumata is the challenger after he struck Takagi with a chair at “ULTIMATE PARTY 2020”. It is a Falls Count Anywhere match held inside a public bath house. It is also Best 2 out of 3 Falls!

DDT “OH LIFE IS ABOUT PRO WRESTLING”, 04/12/2020
PIA LIVE STREAM

1. Street Wrestling In Nemuro Where I See What Samson Miyamoto Left Behind: X Vs X
2. Single Match Where Life Intersects: Yasu Urano Vs Makoto Oishi

The other day Danshoku Dieno travelled to Nemuro to pay tribute to the late Samson Miyamoto. He also joined members of New Nemuro Pro Wrestling for a special Street Wrestling match so he could see the legacy Miyamoto left behind.

BASARA “BASARA 143 ~SPACE SHOT~”, 07/12/2020
Tokyo Asakusa Flower Theater

1. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: FUMA & Yusuke Kubo Vs Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura
2. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: Ryuichi Sekine & Minoru Fujita Vs Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT

Four teams left in the IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT. The final doesn’t take place until 22nd December.

“NEW YEAR’S EVE WRESTLING 2019 ~TOSHIWASHURE! SHUFFLE TAG TOURNAMENT”, 31/12/2020
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: BJW X & DDT X Vs BJW X & DDT X
2. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: BJW X & DDT X Vs BJW X & DDT X
3. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: BJW X & DDT X Vs BJW X & DDT X
4. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1: BJW X & DDT X Vs BJW X & DDT X
5. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Semi Final: X & X Vs X & X
6. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Semi Final: X & X Vs X & X
7. Fluorescent Lighttube Death Match: Ryuji Ito Vs Shunma Katsumata
8. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Final: X & X Vs X & X

Daisuke In The Sky (Daisuke Sekimoto & Tetsuya Endo)
Sodomy & Scars (Drew Parker & Danshoku Dieno)
HOT Real JAPAN (Yuya Aoki & Yukio Naya)
Smile Pissari (Yuji Okabayashi & HARASHIMA)
Nakanoueno (Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuki Ueno)
Nomutake (Takuya Nomura & Konosuke Takeshita)
LINE Tomodachi (Hideyoshi Kamitani & Chris Brookes)
170cm (Akira Hyodo & Makoto Oishi)

The teams were drawn today and all of them are first time pairings. All the wrestlers met up with each other and came up with their team names there and then.

Last year, Ryuji Ito and Shunma Katsumata were meant to team up for the Shuffle Tag Tournament but Ito caught the flu and couldn’t compete. They eventually got to team up in Big Japan and Katsumata wants to give back to Ito for opening the door into death matches for him. Ito has been called a death match artist so Katsumata wants to be the “Death Match Makeup Artist”. According to him this match will be his Big Japan Coloring Project.

There is one other match planned for the show.

GANBARE☆PRO “BATTLE RUNNER 2021”, 17/01/2021
Osaka Hirano Kumin Hall

1. Ganpro Osaka Winter Team! THE HALFEE Vs Pocchari Joshi East-West Allied Forces Full Scale Battle!: Katsuzaki Shunosuke, Moehiko Harumisawa & Washi Sakurai Vs Kuuga, Yumehito Imanari & Yuna Manase

The first Ganbare☆Pro show of 2021 takes place in Osaka. Shigehiro Irie, Takeshi Okada, Moeka Haruhi, Asuka, Momoka Hanazono and Haruka Aikawa will be on the show.


BASARA “BASARA 129 ~BANQUET~” Results

July 14, 2020

BASARA “BASARA 129 ~BANQUET~”, 14/07/2020
Shin-Kiba 1st RING
135 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & SAGAT defeated Masato Kamino & Tetsuo Usui when SAGAT pinned Usui after the Space SAGAT Torpedo II (10:37).
2. FUMA & Yusuke Kubo defeated Daichi Kazato & Leo Isaka when FUMA submitted Kazato with a Stretch Muffler (9:30).
3. 3 Way Tag Match: Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano defeated Ryuichi Sekine & Minoru Fujita and Ryota Nakatsu & Akiyori Takizawa when Tsukamoto pinned Takizawa with the Zudon (10:14).
4. Daiki Shimomura defeated Takato Nakano with the Swanton Bomb (10:40).
5. IRON FIST Tag Titles – Turnabout Pro Wrestling Trial: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) defeated Gouma Ryu & Ryuji Ito when Oosugi pinned Ryu with a Jackknife Pin (16:23). (Defendent: Ryuichi Sekine)
*V4 for Speed Of Sounds.
6. Union MAX Title: Fuminori Abe (c) Vs Isami Kodaka ended in a Time Limit Draw (30:00).
*V1 for Fuminori Abe.

Daiki Shimomura challenged Fuminori Abe for the Union MAX Title backstage after the show.


New No People Shows In April

March 31, 2020

DDT “DDT UNIVERSE LIVE! APRIL FOOL 2020”, 04/04/2020
Chiba 2AW Square

1. Jordan Heatley Debut Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Jordan Heatley
2. Saki Akai “Okibariyasu” 7 Match Series – 5th Match: Syuri Vs Saki Akai
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, T-Hawk & El Lindaman (c) Vs HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura
4. DDT Extreme Title: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Makoto Oishi

We’re back to empty arena shows for the time being. At least it’s happening in different venues. Chiba 2AW Square is available so Jordan Heatley’s debut match, Saki Akai Vs Syuri, the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match and the DDT Extreme Title match that were all meant to happen in the first weekend of April are now taking place there.

DDT “DDT UNIVERSE LIVE! MAX BUMP 2020”, 12/04/2020
Shinjuku FACE

1. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Kazusada Higuchi
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs MAO & Mike Bailey
3. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi

The 12th April Korakuen Hall show was cancelled so the big matches booked for that show are now happening in Shinjuku FACE on the same day. So the KO-D Openweight Title and KO-D Tag Team Titles are still getting defended. Also Tetsuya Endo Vs Kazusada Higuchi for the Saitama Super Arena Sword. There may be some other Right To Challenge Gauntlet shenanigans going on.

BASARA “BASARA 129 ~BANQUET~”, 21/04/2020
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) Vs Gouma Ryu & Ryuji Ito
2. Union MAX Title: Fuminori Abe (c) Vs Isami Kodaka

Fuminori Abe gets the toughest test possible for his first Union MAX Title defence. Isami Kodaka pinned him in a tag match on the last show so that makes him the No. 1 Contender.


New Year’s Tag Changes, January Updates, Great Nita Returns, Tanaka Gets Title Shot

December 30, 2019

“NEW YEAR’S EVE WRESTLING 2019 ~TOSHIWASHURE! SHUFFLE TAG TOURNAMENT”, 31/12/2019
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1A: Daichi Hashimoto & Akito Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Hideyoshi Kamitani
2. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1B: Yasufumi Nakanoue & Yuki Iino Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hashimoto
3. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1C: HARASHIMA & Yuya Aoki Vs El Lindaman & Yukio Naya
4. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1D: Yuji Okabayashi & Antonio Honda Vs Daisuke Sekimoto & Chris Brookes
5. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1E: Ryuichi Kawakami & T-Hawk Vs Soma Takao & Kota Sekifuda
6. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1F: Brahman Kei & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Tetsuya Endo & Takuya Nomura
7. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1G: Yuko Miyamoto & Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yuki Ueno & Takuho Kato
8. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 1H: Takumi Tsukamoto & Kankuro Hoshino Vs Toshiyuki Sakuda & Shunma Katsumata
9. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 2: Winners Of Match 1A Vs Winners Of Match 1B
10. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 2: Winners Of Match 1C Vs Winners Of Match 1D
11. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 2: Winners Of Match 1E Vs Winners Of Match 1F
12. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Round 2: Winners Of Match 1G Vs Winners Of Match 1H
13. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Semi Final: X & X Vs X & X
14. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Semi Final: X & X Vs X & X
15. New Year’s Eve! Defeat Hunger! Very Funny! Special 6-Man Tag Match: Abdullah Kobayashi, Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Tatsuhiko Yoshino, Drew Parker & Mizuki Watase
16. Shuffle Tag Tournament – Final: X & X Vs X & X

There is a flu going around this week and it hit the Big Japan roster pretty hard. A number of wrestlers had to pull out of shows this week either due to the flu or high fevers. Ryuji Ito, Isami Kodaka, Ryota Hama, Brahman Shu, Orca Uto and Yuki Ishikawa are all out of the New Year’s Eve show. This means five teams had to be changed with one team entirely getting replaced. The changes are as follows:

Konosuke Takeshita & Orca Uto -> Konosuke Takeshita & Hideyoshi Kamitani
Ryota Hama & Yuki Ueno -> Yuki Ueno & Takuho Kato
Brahman Brothers & Naomi Yoshimura -> Brahman Kei & Naomi Yoshimura
Isami Kodaka & Yuki Ishikawa -> Takumi Tsukamoto & Kankuro Hoshino
Ryuji Ito & Shunma Katsumata -> Toshiyuki Sakuda & Shunma Katsumata

DDT “NEW YEAR SPECIAL GIFT! ALL SEATS 2,000 YEN BOX OFFICE!! 2020”, 03/01/2020
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Time Difference Battle Royal: Toru Owashi (c) Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Yuki Iino Vs Antonio Honda Vs Saki Akai Vs Gorgeous Matsuno Vs Mizuki Watase Vs Yukio Naya Vs Keigo Nakamura
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Mad Paulie & Hiroshi Yamato
3. New Year! Special 3 Way Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Danshoku Dieno Vs Super Sasadango Machine
4. HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki Vs Masahiro Takanashi & Makoto Oishi
5. MAO Triumph Match: MAO Vs Shunma Katsumata
6. New Year! Special Worldwide Match: Masato Tanaka Vs Chris Brookes
7. Tetsuya Endo & X Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Akito
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao (c) Vs Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura

This is the match order for the first DDT show of 2020.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’20”, 04/01/2020
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Sena Shiori Debut Match: Sena Shiori & Makoto Kiryu Vs Haruna Neko & Mina Shirakawa
2. Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
3. Saki Akai Vs Yuki Kamifuku
4. Aja Kong, Raku & Pom Harajuku Vs Yuna Manase, Mina Shirakawa & Mirai Maiumi
5. Natsumi Maki Return Match: Natsumi Maki Vs Sareee
6. Mizuki Vs Thunder Rosa
7. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Hikari Noa
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita

And this is the match order for the first Tokyo Joshi Pro show of 2020.

DDT “NEW YEAR DRAMATIC ITABASHI SERIES 2020”, 05/01/2020
Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall

1. Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Hiroshi Yamato & Keigo Nakamura
2. MAO Vs Makoto Oishi
3. O-40 Title: Gorgeous Matsuno (c) Vs Danshoku Dieno
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii & Kazuki Hirata

The newly established team of Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi are ready to cause havoc in DDT. Higuchi thinks the place just hasn’t been the same without him.

DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN HANDMADE IN JAPAN FES WINTER (2020)”, 11/01/2020
Tokyo Big Sight West 1.2 Hall

1. Falls Count Anywhere 4 Way Tag Match: Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino Vs Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Makoto Oishi & Yukio Naya Vs MAO & Keigo Nakamura

A new year and a new chance to take up a visit to the arts & crafts festival.

DDT “WRESTLE SHIOKONBU! 2020”, 12/01/2020
Osaka City Suminoe Maikon Hall

1. Akito Vs Tomomitsu Matsunaga
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya
3. Saki Akai “Okibariyasu” 7 Match Series – 3rd Match: Saki Akai Vs Rina Yamashita
4. DDT Extreme Title: HARASHIMA (c) Vs Pokotan (w/ Danshoku Dieno)
5. Yuni Kid Wrestler Graduation Countdown! Osaka Specialty 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Makoto Oishi Vs Yuki Ueno, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuni

Yuni will say farewell to his childhood as he gets ready for full-fledged pro wrestling training.

The 3rd opponent in Saki Akai’s series is Rina Yamashita. She has been making waves lately as a death match wrestler.

DDT “WRESTLE TOROROKOBU! 2020”, 13/01/2020
Osaka City Suminoe Maikon Hall

1. Saki Akai Vs Makoto Oishi
2. Hiroshi Yamato Vs Akito
3. Yuni Kid Wrestler Graduation Countdown! Special Tag Match In Osaka: Tetsuya Endo & Yuni Vs Toru Owashi & Yuki Ueno
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino (c) Vs Kuishinbo Kamen, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata
5. DISASTER BOX Vs DAMNATION!: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Mad Paulie

Oh shit what if Yuni joins DAMNATION when he’s old enough?

GANBARE☆WRESTLING “GANBARE☆ONITA OYA☆PRO WRESTLING RAISING A FLAG”, 13/01/2020
Osaka City Suminoe Maikon Hall

1. Special 3 Way Match: Miss Mongol Vs Ultimate Spider Jr. Vs Shuhei Washida
2. Special Single Match: Thunder Rosa Vs Itsuki Aoki
3. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Shinichiro Tominaga
4. Ganpro Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Yumehito Imanari Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Kouki Iwasaki
5. Scramble Bunkhouse Street Fight 6-Man Tag Death Match: The Great Nita, Ken Ohka & Hiroaki Moriya Vs Kenichiro Arai, Guts Ishijima & Shota

Due to other commitments of the legal kind, Atsushi Onita is unable to wrestle on this show. However he already went and gotten his replacement. He found The Great Nita wandering around the Indian Ocean and heard Nita wanted to celebrate the new year in Japan. So Onita invited him to visit and take his place in the main event. This will be the first wrestling match for The Great Nita since August 2017.

Yukio Naya met with Onita and asked if he could be part of the next Bakuha Koshien show on 28th March. Onita will consider it if Naya renames himself Taiho III after his grandfather Taiho Koki.

DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2020”, 26/01/2020
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. KO-D Openweight Title: HARASHIMA (c) Vs Masato Tanaka

In the D-Ou Grand Prix, the final block match between HARASHIMA and Masato Tanaka ended in a time limit draw. Out of this result Tanaka qualified for the final and ended up winning the tournament. But he will not consider DDT fully conquered until he can beat HARASHIMA. The KO-D Openweight Champion feels the same and is putting the title on the line for the chance to beat Tanaka.

GANBARE☆WRESTLING “GANBARE☆JOSHI PRO WRESTLING 2020”, 02/02/2020
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR

1. GanJo Vs DDT Wrestling Classroom Full Battle – Count-Up Fall Match: X Vs Cherry
2. Special Singles Match – Jacket Match: HARUKAZE Vs Yuu
3. GanJo Vs DDT Wrestling Classroom Full Battle – 2 Count Fall Match: Moeka Haruhi Vs Banny Oikawa
4. GanJo Type Lariat Pro Wrestling: KEIKO, Beauty Suzuki & Eagle Washida Vs Shigeko Deluxe, Miss Mongol & Kokoro Suzuki
5. GanJo Vs DDT Wrestling Classroom Full Battle 6-Woman Tag Team Elimination Match: Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & X Vs Cherry, Yuu & Banny Oikawa

Daisuke Kiso wanted the main event to definitively decided which team is better so he made it an Elimination Tag Match.

The 2 Count match was made to even the playing field between Moeka Haruhi and the less experienced Banny Oikawa.

Both HARUKAZE and Yuu will be wrestling in judo jackets because HARUKAZE wants the match to be entirely about grappling and groundwork.

The Count-Up Fall Match adds up the pinfall counts a wrestler makes. The first to reach their total count up to a predetermined number wins. Cherry’s opponent will be revealed on the day of the show. The mystery wrestler is hinted to be very beautiful and will also be a regular for Ganbare☆Wrestling in 2020.

Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie, Shota, Shuhei Washida and Shin Suzuki were all meant to be on the show but now they will not be there. Luckily a bunch of “joshi” replacements were quickly found.