TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 3RD “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 15/01/2023 Tokyo Otemachi Mitsui Hall 310 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Shoko Nakajima defeated Wakana Uehara with the Northern Lights Suplex (7:00).
2. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao defeated Mizuki and Pom Harajuku when Misao pinned Harajuku with La Magistral Cradle (7:48).
3. Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & HIMAWARI defeated Suzume, Arisu Endo & Kaya Toribami when Watanabe pinned Toribami with the Tear Drop (11:34).
4. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1: Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu when Nagano pinned Kiryu with the Senpukyaku (11:04).
5. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai defeated Yuki Aino & Raku when Akai submitted Raku with the Extreme Triangle Choke (13:46).
6. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh defeated Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta when Yamashita pinned Kakuta with the Skull Kick (11:41).
And we’re off with that start of the 3rd annual “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament. Ten teams are taking part and in order to fit them all into a single elimination bracket the opening round was a short one. In fact the main event of today’s show was a 2nd Round match where 121000000 knocked out Free WiFi. It was a close call because Free WiFi threw everything that had at them. There was a moment where Free WiFi got Miyu Yamashita with a Thrust Kick Sandwich. Nao Kakuta then put Yamashita in a Crucifix Pin while Hikari Noa applied the Rotating Leg Hold for a double pin attempt. Maki Itoh broke the pin and put Noa in the Itoh Deluxe. That gave Yamashita the opening to strike Kakuta with the Skull Kick and get the victory.
After the match Yamashita said she is feeling fine coming back from her concussion and the result proved it. Itoh agreed and said Yamashita behaved like a demon in the ring today. Yamashita wants to win the tournament because she thinks it is about time she wins the Princess Tag Team Titles with Itoh. Backstage Noa is frustrated over losing but there is something positive coming out of it. Free WiFi is the first tag team she’s been a part of that’s lasted longer than a year! The longer it lasts the more important it becomes. Kakuta pointed out that in almost every Tokyo Joshi Pro tournament she’s been a part of, she’s been eliminated by Yamashita. She agrees with Noa that their team should stick together, stay positive and become unbreakable.
Back in November Yuki Aino & Raku were supposed to face Reiwa AA Cannon for the Princess Tag Titles but Raku had to pull out with covid. Today was their chance to beat one of the top teams in TJPW but the challenge was just too great to climb over. They were able to block the Double Rookie Awards with a pillow but Saki Akai stopped Raku’s Doctor Yellow with a High Kick. Akai then put Raku in a Triangle Choke while Yuki Arai kicked Aino away. Raku gave up after Akai grabbed her arm and put it in a Kimura while still applying the Choke. Akai said her team’s thought process going into the match was very different than what it would have been if they were still the champions. They are back to square one and recognised they were fighting against strong opponents. Raku said with Pom Harajuku cheering them on she felt like her team had a 3-on-2 advantage. They are standing at the foot of the mountain after today but she still wants to climb that mountain.
The Karate Tag duo of Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano kicked off the tournament with a loud message by eliminating Toyo Mates in an upset. Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu were in control and even hit their Big Boot/Spinebuster combo on Nagano. Kiryu then put her lesser experienced opponent in a Crab Hold but Nagano fought her way to reach the ropes. Kiryu tried to finish her off with the Spinebuster but Miyamoto cut her off with the Zero Fighter Kick. Immediately after that Nagano got Kiryu with the Senpukyaku kick to get the win. Kamifuku took her frustration out on Kiryu backstage, blaming her for getting eliminated in the 1st Round. She then realised her insults was making her tag partner upset and took those comments back.
Today’s results mean Reiwa AA Cannon and Karate Tag both advance to the 2nd Round matches on 19th January while 121000000 go straight through to the semi-finals. Reiwa AA Cannon takes on Daydream in Round 2. Arai remembers losing to them in last year’s tournament so she wants to get revenge with Akai as her partner this year. Karate Tag meets Daisy Monkey in their 2nd Round bout. It is the rematch of Nagango’s debut from last March. Nagano’s bond with Miyamoto is getting stronger so she wants both of them to crush Daisy Monkey together. The winners of that match will face 121000000 in the semi-final on 29th January.
DDT “NEW YEAR’S CURRENT EXPLOSION!”, 07/01/2023 Kanagawa Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market 234 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Yukio Naya defeated Takeshi Masada with the Choke Slam (8:22).
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno defeated Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi when Iino submitted Sumi with a Scorpion Ketsulock (8:41).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Saori Anou & Yusuke Okada defeated Kazuki Hirata, Saki Akai & Gota Ihashi after Anou pinned Ihashi after a High Kick & Enzuigiri Combo from Akai and Anou (8:58).
4. Chain Death Match: Chris Brookes defeated Demonio Uno by TKO with the Octopus Stretch (12:37).
5. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Yuki Ueno & MAO defeated Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku when Ueno pinned Koroku with a Stretch Bomb (13:21).
6. Harimao Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when KANON submitted Ishida with the Just Cobra Twist (10:37).
7. “Current Blast” Trademark Rights & Position Battle ~ Legend Resurrected! New Year Aerial Time Bomb & Current Blast Bat Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Akito & Soma Takao when Onita pinned Takao with a Current Blast Bat Swing (12:23). *Atsushi Onita becomes the Honorary Drop Kick store manager.
DDT’s first attempt of 2023 to flex their corporate muscle ended in failure and may perhaps come back to haunt them later in the Spring. Sanshiro Takagi, Akito & Soma Takao challenged Atsushi Onita to put his trademark for exploding death matches on the line so DDT could control the stipulation worldwide. In return Onita, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima demanded their opponents to put their CyberFight management roles on the line so whoever lost would have to transfer their company position over to the person who pinned them.
The result of the explosive main event saw Onita spit Poison Mist at Takao, blow him up with a baseball bat and then pin him to end the match. As a result, Onita is the new store manager for the Drop Kick bar! However due to the long distance between Onita’s home and the bar he is unable to do that job properly so he agreed to be the bar’s honorary manager instead. However Takagi still wants to take over the trademark. Katsumata then said he wanted to do another explosion death match and already booked Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market for 19th March. He asked if there was anyone in DDT who wanted to take part? HARASHIMA walked out dragging Kazuki Hirata along with him. He wants to do it and win the trademark for CyberFight. He told Hirata he can do a bomb dance there too.
Onita then dropped a bombshell. He still wants the company president position so he is thinking of forming a new wrestling promotion called DDO… Dramatic Dream Onita! He told Katsumata he can be the vice president and Toi Kojima can become a managing director. If they can convince other wrestlers to join DDO they can then make triple or quadruple the amount of money they currently make in DDT. On 19th March DDO will take over DDT and CyberFight will have to pay for all of their debts! Onita also threw out a challenge for the All Asia Tag Team Titles but that’s another story for another blog to cover.
Yuki Ueno & MAO wrestled their match wearing yankee gear. MAO even tried fighting with his hands in his pockets at the start. He also gave Tetsuya Endo a Low Blow but that backfired when Endo inadvertedly gave MAO a Low Blow back. Ueno took over and used a Stretch Bomb to pin Yuya Koroku.
The Chain Death Match spilled outside of the ring which is where Demonio Uno is at his best. He started a tug of war using the chain and Chris Brookes was able to win it with the help of some fans joining in on his side. Brookes then put Uno on a dolly and pushed him into the ring post. Back in the ring Uno fought back using the chain. However it ended up getting wrapped around Yukinori Matsui, preventing the referee from being able to count any pins. Uno then tried hanging Brookes over the ropes with the chain but Brookes found a way to free himself. He got a nearfall with the Praying Mantis Bomb and then applied a chain assisted Octopus Stretch. Uno wouldn’t respond and the match ended with Brookes declared as the winner.
Gota Ihashi found himself in a state of crisis. He’s already in love with Saki Akai but then he got into the ring with Saori Anou and is feeling can’t decide who he wants more. When Akai and Anou ended up against each other in the ring, Ihashi was convinced they were both fighting over him. He ran towards them hoping to receive just as much adoration in return but instead the two women knocked him out with a High Kick Sandwich.
Class was in session because Pheromones wanted to teach their opponents a lesson today. Yuki Iino used a Stinkface syle Scorpion Deathlock on Kazuma Sumi to win the match by submission. Afterwards Danshoku Dieno told Hideki Okatani that Pheromones do not take their sexy clothes off during matches just for pleasure. They also do it for strength and strategy. Today’s lesson from Pheromones to young people is to think and find your own strength. When in doubt, come back and Pheromones will teach you.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’23”, 04/01/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,111 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. HIMAWARI Debut Match: Yuki Aino defeated HIMAWARI with the Venus DDT (6:05).
2. Wakana Uehara Debut Match: Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano defeated Arisu Endo & Wakana Uehara when Miyamoto submitted Uehara with the Rashomon (9:15).
3. Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami defeated Raku, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko when Kakuta pinned Neko with the Shiden Kai (8:36).
4. New Year Special Match: Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao both win when they grabbed the “Hit” (14:53).
5. Princess Of Princess Title Next Challenger Decision Battle Royal: Mizuki defeated Rika Tatsumi, Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku, Hikari Noa and Suzume (16:58).
5a. Yuki Kamifuku eliminated Hikari Noa by Ring Out (4:52).
5b. Maki Itoh eliminated Yuki Kamifuku by Ring Out (6:20).
5c. Mizuki eliminated Rika Tatsumi with an Assisted School Boy (8:02).
5d. Maki Itoh eliminated Suzume with the Itoh Punish (10:40).
5e. Mizuki eliminated Maki Itoh with the Cutie Special (16:58).
6. International Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Trish Adora with the Tear Drop (10:34). *V2 for Miu Watanabe.
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Max The Impaler & Heidi Howitzer defeated Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) when Max pinned Arai after the Master Blaster (11:29). *Reiwa AA Cannon fails in V4. The Wasteland War Party becomes the 11th Princess Tag Team Champions!
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Magical Girl Chicken Dude (16:08). *V2 for Yuka Sakazaki.
On this date three years ago, Yuka Sakazaki successfully defended the Princess Of Princess Title against Miyu Yamashita at the annual 4th January Korakuen Hall show. Three years later and the result repeated itself. Sakazaki had to pull out her most dangerous moves to beat her most dangerous opponent and expect the same to be given to her. She did a Brainbuster outside the ring only for Yamashita to fire back with a German Suplex on the floor. Yamashita also did the Avalanche Attitude Adjustment and hit the Skull Kick clean. Sakazaki kicked out though and also survived the Crash Rabbit Heat aimed at the back of her head. She fought back using the Magical Merry-Go-Round. A strike exchange caused Yamashita’s kick and Sakazaki’s elbow strike to clash with each other. Sakazaki got the upper hand by using a Rolling Elbow, keeping Yamashita down long enough for the Magical Girl Chicken Dude to find its target and end the match.
While Yamashita was being taken out of the ring with Maki Itoh’s help, Sakazaki said she can do the match again. Yamashita responded by bowing and sticking her fist out with a scream before leaving. Sakazaki then thanked everyone for coming to see the show on a busy 4th January. She now has to talk to her next challenger. It’s the other Magical Sugar Rabbit and her closest friend Mizuki! It’s a match that Sakazaki admits she does not want to do. Mizuki said she felt like she was being left behind while watching Sakazaki get stronger. But she spent the last year working hard and gaining confidence in herself. She is emotional about the match but wants to surpass Sakazaki and be the one who wins the Princess Championship from her. Sakazaki accepts her challenge and wants the match to happen at “GRAND PRINCESS ’23” in Ariake Coliseum on 18th March!
A monster team have defeated Reiwa AA Cannon and taken the Princess Tag Team Titles for themselves! Max The Impaler left a big impact when they invaded Tokyo Joshi Pro last year. Their returning presence is now further strengthened with Heidi Howitzer joining along and together The Wasteland War Party can call themselves champions in Japan! The champions found their usual attacks ineffective with Saki Akai’s Triangle Choke not being strong enough along with the Double Rookie Award not being enough to put down the challengers. The most dread filled moment came when Yuki Arai’s Finally kick was caught by Max and the SKE48 idol was blown away with a Lariat. The end came when the War Party joined up and hit a combined body press called the Master Blaster to get the pinfall. There is still hope left for Reiwa AA Cannon. Akai said shen she looked into Arai’s eyes after the match she could see the fire was not gone from her. Arai said she wants to do her best with Akai in the Max Heart Tournament so they can challenge for the titles again. Backstage Howitzer said the result went exactly how she expected. She also thinks the pink belts look good on her & Max. They will look forward to seeing who TJPW throws their way to try and get their championship back.
Things went better for Miu Watanabe in her title defence. She was able to beat Trish Adora to retain the International Princess Title. Adora twisted the champion several ways including with a Cattle Mutilation. But Watanabe powered out of it and found a way to use the Giant Swing. Adora caught a second wind until it was knocked out of her with a Double Sledgehammer strike and the Laserbeam. The Tear Drop came afterwards and Watanabe achieved her second title defence. She was happy to win against a foreign opponent who is unlike anyone she has fought before. As long as she has the championship, she thinks it will be her ticket towards wrestling in America. Now she just has to learn English. Adora praised Watanabe for being a wonderful champion and the better fighter today. She is confident she will return to TJPW someday.
Mizuki earned her No. 1 Contendership by beating five opponents in a mini Rumble. Hikari Noa and Maki Itoh started off slow until Yuki Kamifuku entered the ring. The three of them stopped fighting each other and all ganged up on Rika Tatsumi after she joined the match. That alliance ended when Noa climbed the top rope and was Dropkicked out of the ring by Kamifuku for the first elimination. Tatsumi finally got some help when Mizuki made her way into the fight but again it was a short lived pairing. Kamifuku then turned on Itoh but made the mistake of charging her near the ropes. Itoh made sure that Kamifuku went over the top rope to the floor to knock her out of the match. Suzume was the last entrant and she helped Mizuki and Itoh pin Tatsumi by piling on top of them. Itoh dodged the Ring A Bell from Suzume and trapped her in the Itoh Punish for the next elimination. That left Itoh and Mizuki as the final two. They went back and forth until Mizuki hit Itoh with a Spinning Back Elbow. That allowed her to do the Cutie Special, pinning Itoh and making Mizuki the next in line for a Princess Title shot.
The annual Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao match is always an oddity but this time it may have gotten its oddest finish yet. Three toy rabbits were left hanging above the ring with a piece of paper included in each of them. Only one of them was the correct rabbit and grabbing that would win the match. The other two included stipulations that would come into effect if either wrestler grabbed them. Nakajima placed a ladder on top of Misao and climbed up to grab a rabbit. She picked the wrong one and the match turned into Rabbit Lumberjack Rules. Several wrestlers came down to the ring wearing rabbit ears and armed with hammers to attack anyone who left the ring. Both Nakajima and Misao felt their wrath. Misao then climbed the ladder but the rabbit she grabbed turned the match into Hardcore rules where dangerous weapons are now allowed. Nakajima brought in a box of kaiju toys and emptied it in the ring. She later paid the price when Misao slammed her on top of the pile of toys. Misao also crashed her Hyper Bike into her outside the ring. Both of them climbed back up the ladder and grabbed the one rabbit left at the same time. Yukinori Matsui couldn’t decide who won the match so instead of calling it a tie he declared both of them the winners! Misao couldn’t understand if that was possible until Nakajima explained they got three cute rabbit toys out of it. Both of them are happy to win their first match of the year before the Max Heart Tournament begins. Too bad they spent the rest of the day being chased after by the Rabbit Lumberjacks.
Raku began her new year leading Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko in the Goodnight Express on their opponents. Harajuku tried to continue that momentum by hitting Mahiro Kiryu 108 times only to lose count, allowing Kiryu to escape. Raku & Harajuku cleared the ring of Kiryu & Kaya Toribami. It was all up to Haruna Neko but victory slipped away from her paws. Nao Kakuta got the win for her team after pinning Neko with the Shiden Kai.
Two wrestlers made their pro debuts on the show. Idol Wakana Uehara had already wrestled before on the Yume Pro Wrestling show last year. She decided to go pro and teamed with Arisu Endo on the 2nd anniversary of Endo’s debut. Uehara used Body Slams, Sleeper Holds and Dropkicks during her time in the ring. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano used double team kicks to get rid of Endo. Miyamoto then put Uehara in the Rashomon to make the rookie give up. Miyamoto praised both of her opponents for their growth while Nagano said Uehara showed great guts. Uehara said she admires Shoko Nakajima the most and hopes to have a high flying battle against her someday.
The other debut was HIMAWARI who took on Yuki Aino in the opener. HIMAWARI repeatedly tried to knock down her opponent with Shoulder Blocks. Her momentum was stopped with a Side Suplex and Aino then finished her off with the Venus DDT. Aino hadn’t seen HIMAWARI train before this match so did not know what to expect from her. But she saw HIMAWARI has passion and enjoyed doing the back and forth Shoulder Blocks with her. HIMAWARI said her debut felt special because it happened at the start of TJPW’s 10th year. She wants to help the company grow from here on out by being a wrestler who makes fans laugh and feel moved.
Five announcements were given out by Sayuri Namba at the beginning of the show. The biggest one is that TJPW will be going to America this Spring! “TJPW LIVE IN LOS ANGELES” will take place at the Globe Theater in LA on 31st March as part of the WrestleCon end of the week’s festivities. Around 12 to 15 women from the roster along with foreign talent will be taking part on the show. TJPW was originally meant to have their US debut in Florida back in 2020 but the trip was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic.
The second biggest announcement was the introduction of a new trainee. Toga is a 19 year old from Kanagawa. She promised to do her best and make her debut in a TJPW ring.
All four members of The Up Up Girls performed a musical number together before the opening match. They announced the unit will be holding another audition for new members this year.
The other two announcements were merchandise related. Miu Watanabe and Suzume are the next two wrestlers to collaborate with Idolmaster Cinderella Girls. Watanabe’s costume will be given to Aya Kirino and Suzume’s costume will be given to Aki Yamato. The other merch announcement is the publication of a TJPW fan book releasing nationwide in Japan on 30th March. Early copies will be available to buy at “GRAND PRINCESS ’23”.
DDT “HATSUYUME 2023”, 03/01/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 759 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi defeated Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima when Oishi pinned Kojima after the Cactus Flower (8:12).
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Antonio Honda ended in a No Contest (7:13).
3. New Year Special 8-Man Tag Match: Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata, Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya defeated Shinshun Pokotan, Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Kazuma Sumi when Hirata pinned Sumi with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (11:59).
4. Alice Tour Presents Special 10-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Kotaro Suzuki, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku defeated Kazusada Higuchi, HARASHIMA, RSP, Soma Takao & Yuki Ishida when Endo pinned Ishida with the Burning Star Press (10:41).
5. Alice Tour Presents Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Cara Noir defeated MJ Paul & KANON when Noir submitted Paul with the Blackout Sleeper (11:49).
6. Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Takeshi Masada with the Zahi (10:02).
7. DDT Universal Title Next Challenger Decision Battle: Naruki Doi Vs Daisuke Sasaki ended in a Time Limit Draw (30:00).
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Shunma Katsumata defeated Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi when MAO pinned Takanashi after Oretachi no Mad Max (19:02). *ShunMao becomes the 76th KO-D Tag Team Champions!
2023 begins with the crowning of new KO-D Tag Team Champions! The belts were vacated by Harimao back in November when Naomi Yoshimura took time off to deal with a herniated disc. The top two teams chosen to fight over the vacant titles were ShunMao and CDK. The match also had relaxed rules for double pinfalls, which is something CDK is used to by wrestling in places like ChocoPro. But MAO & Shunma Katsumata got used to the idea and together delivered a Double Miracle Ecstacy for a nearfall. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi had their own tricks and double team moves up their sleeve too and almost won several times. Katsumata took out Brookes with a Topé and ShunMao focused on isolating Takanashi, putting him away with the Oretachi no Mad Max to become the new champs!
The two teams were on good terms after the match. MAO said after six years he & Katsumata are finally the KO-D Tag Champions together and there was no better way for them to start the new year that way! While ShunMao was celebrating with the rest of The 37KAMIINA, suddenly Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi entered the ring. They had a new year’s gift for the champions and it is a challenge from Ω. ShunMao agreed and the match will take place on 29th January. It is the same show where Yuji Hino will be fighting for the KO-D Openweight Title so the three of them are aiming to dye DDT’s top championships in Ω’s colours. Backstage Brookes said he is sad CDK lost but their goal as a team is to have fun with pro wrestling. Takanashi is disappointed they aren’t getting to wrestle Oishi & Asahi next.
Nothing could determine a winner between Naruki Doi and Daisuke Sasaki within 30 minutes. Not interference from DAMNATION T.A, not counter interference from Toru Owashi, not the Doi 555 & Bakatare Sliding Kick combo, not the Pedigree & La Mistica Crossface Lock combo, not even the Sasaki Hurricanrana or a School Boy with the cheeky MIKAMI shout out along with it. The match reached its time limit and as a result there is no No. 1 Contender to challenge for the DDT Universal Title on 13th January. Hisaya Imabayashi kept the two in the ring after the match and called the champion Yuki Ueno down to figure out what to do next. Imabayashi suggested doing a 3 Way Match. Ueno liked the idea because he wants to fight Doi and Sasaki but he wants to beat both of them too. So Ueno asked for it to be a Survival 3 Way Match. Doi agreed to it if the match has a 60 minute time limit because he thinks that is enough time for him to beat both Sasaki and Ueno. Sasaki isn’t sure if 60 minutes really is enough but he also accepted the stipulation. He’s certain he can beat Ueno in 3 seconds, it’s just trying to figure out how to beat Doi in 59 minutes and 57 seconds that’s going to be the difficult part.
It will be a few months before Konosuke Takeshita is back in DDT again. His last match here for a while was a win against Takeshi Masada today. Masada pulled out a lot of dazzling kicks at the behest of his opponent to give him his strongest attacks. That was until Takeshita fired back with an Elbow Strike. The Jumping Knee missed its target but Takeshita readjusted himself and caught Masada with a Lariat before pinning him with the Zahi.
After the match Takeshita announced he will return to DDT for “JUDGEMENT 2023” on 21st March where there is a special match he finally wants to do. He has never wrestled a singles match against Sanshiro Takagi! It’s been 15 years since Takeshita first contacted the DDT president about wanting to become a pro wrestler. He’s been able to become one of the best because of him. Takagi was happy to be chosen but unsure he is physically able to do a match at that level. But once Takeshita thought about finding someone better, Takagi lost his temper and gave him a Stunner. He accepts the match after all! He’s going to spend the next three months training until he his no longer Sanshiro Takagi the president but Sanshiro Takagi the pro wrestler!
Ueno had already dealt with DAMNATION T.A earlier in the show with some help from Cara Noir. Together the two were a well oiled team against MJ Paul & KANON. Double Dropkicks, double dives and it all ended with Noir trapping Paul in the Blackout Sleeper with Ueno cutting KANON off from breaking the hold. Noir showed interest in having another match with Ueno in the future but for now he was pleased with getting a prize from the match sponsor Alice Tour for their win today.
Alice Tour also sponsored the 10-Man Tag Match. All active members of BURNING were together in one match for the first time. Poor Yusuke Okada took the brunt of the opposing team’s offence. Soma Takao threw elbows at him, HARASHIMA stomped him in the corner (but not before wishing him a happy new year), RSP & Kazusada Higuchi both flattened him with power moves. Good thing Yuki Ishida messed up his part and ended up getting squashed by RSP’s Swanton Bomb when it was meant for Okada. Jun Akiyama took down RSP with a Lariat and then it was Ishida up taking a train attack from Kotaro Suzuki, Yuya Koroku and the rest of BURNING. Ishida was tough enough to kick out of the Torture Rack Bomb but Tetsuya Endo followed it up with the Burning Star Press to put him away.
Pokotan was in a party mood for the new year and showed up wearing a large Kagami Mochi rice cake on its head. It is said to be good luck if you ever see Pokotan in this state. The wrestlers started to believe it when Pokotan started handing out gift envelopes. It gave an envelope to Yuji Hino just so he would stop attacking it. That led to the other wrestlers all excitedly lining up to receive their own envelopes. Yukinori Matsui got one too. The excitement quickly turned sour once everybody opened their gift just to find a 100 yen coin inside. They all attacked Pokotan, ending with Yukio Naya literally kicking its head off to reveal it is Sanshiro Takagi in the mascot suit! He went on a rampage in the ring until Kazuki Hirata knocked him out. Hirata then put on his glasses and led a big group dance. Unfortunately for him Yukio Sakaguchi did not put on a pair and attacked him instead with Saki Akai joining in. Kazuma Sumi tried to finish Hirata off but the Miracle One Shot Cradle was used out of nowhere and Hirata got away with winning the match.
2023 is the year of the rabbit so Danshoku Dieno wrestled his match wearing rabbit ears. I wish that was the only thing to write about this match. Instead Pheromones had to go out and do their best to cause another incident. When Antonio Honda had Dieno stunned with his latest Gongitsune joke, Yuki Iino was wheeled down to ringside on a cart pushed by Yumehito Imanari and stripped of most of his clothes. The spot was repeated several times with Iino stripping off more and more of his clothing with every appearance. By the fourth time Iino was completely naked using only gift envelopes to hide his shame. That finally caused the match to be called off. Dieno told the fans if they are having a hard time in 2023 then they should look towards Pheromones! Akito will probably have to do just that whether he wants to or not.
Oishi & Asahi were all set up to make their challenge after they beat Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima in the opening match. Okatani did well to stop the Cactus Flower from being used first time around, causing Kojima to get a nearfall on Oishi. But Asahi broke the pin and was able to do the Cactus Flower with Oishi the second time to get their hands raised.
A lot of announcements and surprises were revealed throughout the show. Samuray Del Sol was announced to appear at “JUDGEMENT 2023” but it turned out he was right there in Korakuen Hall! He came out and chanted “lucha” a lot. Backstage he said the one name that interests him most about DDT is Yuki Ueno so he would like to challenge him for the DDT Universal Title at that show.
Also coming to DDT soon are Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford from AEW. The couple will be in Nagoya on 18th February and Korakuen Hall on 26th February.
Takagi announced his mystery tag partner for his birthday match on 13th January will be Fuminori Abe! Takagi is ready to go over the top in 2023 and wanted his tag partner to be just as crazy. Abe is the disciple of Munenori Sawa who was part of a fond tag team with Takagi over a decade ago. It could be recreated here with Takagi & Abe joining forces. Their tag team name is Bonno Dai Shacho, a reference to Takagi & Sawa being Hentai Dai Shacho.
Two more DDT supercards are added to the schedule, taking place after “JUDGEMENT 2023” in March. “MEGA MAX BUMP 2023” in Yokohama Budokan is happening on 3rd May. “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” in Sumo Hall will be on 23rd July.
The annual vote for the best matches in Tokyo Joshi Pro was completed over the holidays and the results were announced today. This year TJPW received over 350 votes on Twitter including an increase of responses from fans overseas. Only matches held on TJPW shows and “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” were eligible for votes. In the end more than 110 matches received votes and two tied for 20th place.
TJPW Best Bouts 2022
1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Miyu Yamashita Vs Miu Watanabe 13th August @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
195 pts
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki 9th October @ Tokyo Dome City Hall
162 pts
3. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Saki Akai & Yuki Arai 9th July @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
153 pts
4. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi 9th July @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
143 pts
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Miu Watanabe 14th August @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
119 pts
6. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Mizuki 4th January @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
111 pts
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe 19th March @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
105 pts
8. Pom Harajuku Vs Max The Impaler 13th August @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
88 pts
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima 19th March @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
86 pts
10. Mizuki Vs Arisu Endo 27th November @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
62 pts
11. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu 4th September @ Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
52 pts
12. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Shoko Nakajima Vs Miu Watanabe 31st August @ Tokyo Otemachi Mitsui Hall
50 pts
13. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Rika Tatsumi Vs Suzume 31st August @ Tokyo Otemachi Mitsui Hall
47 pts
14. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hyper Misao Vs Sanshiro Takagi 19th March @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
44 pts
15. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Millie McKenzie 27th November @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
38 pts
16. Nodoka Tenma Vs Yuki Aino 19th March @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
35 pts
17. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow 19th March @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
pts
18. Falls Count Anywhere 5 Way Tag Match – Special Rules: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Hyper Misao & Nodoka Tenma Vs Marika Kobashi & Raku Vs Hikari Noa & Yuki Arai 28th February @ WRESTLE UNIVERSE
31 pts
19. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku 27th November @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
30 pts
20. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai 19th March @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
22 pts
20. Suzume Vs Ryo Mizunami 9th October @ Tokyo Dome City Hall
22 pts
Honorable Mentions
These four matches just missed out on making the Top 20.
22. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino 11th February @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
23. Suzume Vs Yuki Arai 11th February @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
23. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta 3rd May @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
23. International Princess Title: Alex Windsor (c) Vs Miu Watanabe 9th October @ Tokyo Dome City Hall
DDT “NEVER MIND 2022”, 29/12/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall 1,207 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima defeated Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi when Okatani pinned Sumi with the Diving Knee Drop (9:32).
0. Dark Match: Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Masahiro Takanashi, Soma Takao & Antonio Honda when KANON submitted Honda with the Cobra Twist (9:31).
1. Sanshiro Takagi defeated Takeshi Masada with a Texas Cloverleaf (4:42).
2. HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Yuji Hino & Yuki Ishida when HARASHIMA pinned Ishida with the Somato (10:08).
3. Pheromones Vs “Miyako & Ward” Pheromones Subjugation Allied Forces ~ Dissolution & Pet Dogs Contra One Day Experience: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda defeated Akito, Osamu Nishimura, Shinichiro Kawamatsu & Shunma Katsumata when Iino pinned Katsumata with the Badonkadonk (16:20). *Shunma Katsumata must join Pheromones for one day.
4. Special Single Match: Chihiro Hashimoto defeated Shinya Aoki with the Albright (8:21).
5. Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai defeated Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata when Akai pinned Kawahata with the Quetzalcoatl (12:40).
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada defeated Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata (c) when Endo pinned Hirata with the Burning Star Press (12:25). *Doi-gumi fails in V1. BURNING becomes the 49th KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions!
7. DDT Extreme Title – If 45-Year-Old Sasadango Machine’s Weight Loss Fails We Will Have A Normal Rules Match! Special: Jun Akiyama (c) defeated Super Sasadango Machine with the Wrist-Clutch Exploder (2:30). *V1 for Jun Akiyama.
8. Special Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita & Yukio Naya defeated Daisuke Sekimoto & RSP when Naya pinned RSP with the Back Drop (17:43).
9. International 4 Way Match: MAO defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Chris Brookes and Cara Noir when MAO pinned Brookes with a Modified Backslide Pin (13:22).
10. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) defeated Yuki Ueno with the Brain Claw Slam (27:57). *V5 for Kazusada Higuchi.
The finale of DDT’s 25th year in business took place in Tokyo Dome City Hall. The year also closes out with the KO-D Openweight Title remaining firmly around Kazusada Higuchi’s waist. He successfully defended the belt against Yuki Ueno, the current DDT Universal Champion in a match between arguably the two top wrestlers in the company right now. Ueno’s gameplan was to overwhelm Higuchi with his high flying. Higuchi’s toughness won out with the highlight being him taking a Dropkick to the face and shrugging it off. Ueno kept up the pressure but both the BME missed its target and Higuchi kicked out of the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher. The challenger’s last move in his pocket was the WR but Higuchi had ways to block it. His first counter was to grab Ueno in the Brain Claw, then his second counter was using Naomi Yoshimura’s Harai Goshi throw! A Headbutt thrown afterwards left Ueno stunned long enough for Higuchi to hit him with the Brain Claw Slam and win.
Higuchi thanked Ueno after the match and said as champions and tournament winners this year they supported DDT together alongside each other. The two embraced each other and Ueno left the ring. Hisaya Imabayashi told Higuchi it was a fitting match to end DDT in 2022. The GM then asked Higuchi who he wants to defend the KO-D Title against on 29th January? Before Higuchi could answer, Yuji Hino interrupted him! He congratulated Higuchi and said he deserved to win tonight. Hino also thinks Higuchi is the only person who can go head-to-head with him, referring to the 30 minute draw they had in November where they chopped each other non-stop until the time limit expired. Hino normally wouldn’t be interested in becoming the KO-D Champion for a second time but since it is Higuchi’s belt he now wants it! Higuchi accepted the challenge because he too wants to settle who is stronger once and for all.
When Hino left, Higuchi gave a speech to the fans thanking them for their support. He does not know what to expect in 2023 because this year he surpassed everyone in DDT. However he promised DDT will continue to push forward with their hearts. The show ended with Higuchi meeting up with everybody backstage, Yoshimura included and they all got together for a group farewell to the audience.
The International 4 Way Match turned TDC Hall into a glorious venue for the return of Cara Noir. Not all of the welcomes was warm for him though. Daisuke Sasaki Headbutted him during the start of match handshake. MAO also took his entrance cloak and then impersonated him. Noir Headbutted MAO in response. The match continued to be chaotic as all four wrestlers fought each other, made alliances, switched those alliances and did whatever they could to win. It ended up with Chris Brookes dropping Sasaki with a Tombstone Piledriver. After Sasaki kicked out, MAO suddenly caught Brookes in a Backslide Pin on top of Sasaki for leverage to get the win out of nowhere. The result represents MAO’s 2022. He said 2020 was a bad year, 2021 he stayed patient and this year he blossomed. Sasaki was pissed at the result and complained about not trusting anybody whethere they are British or Japanese. CDK were suprised by how MAO won the match. That was a CDK-like move and Masahiro Takanashi admits he never thought MAO could pull off something like that. Today’s result is a lesson they learned before the KO-D Tag Team Titles match on 3rd January. Noir did not leave any comment.
Yukio Naya is another wrestler who gets to end his year on a good note. He was the one standing tall in an all heavyweight tag team match. The focus for a lot of the match though was on Konosuke Takeshita clashing with Daisuke Sekimoto. Not even Naya & RSP trying to pull them away for German Suplexes could stop them. Takeshita and Sekimoto ended up German Suplexing both of them for getting in their way! They then traded German Suplexes to each other, leaving each other too beaten to continue fighting. So the match came down to Naya and RSP against each other. Naya pulled off a big move by hitting an Avalanche Choke Slam before pinning him for the three count. Takeshita admitted that the match was the first time in a long time he had an out of body experience. He’s been fighting strong wrestlers in America but nothing compares to the strength of Sekimoto! He also wondered if everyone in DDT has become harder hitters since he was gone. Naya confirmed so and Takeshita said that’s a good thing. He also said he wants a singles match against Sekimoto and he does not care if it is in DDT or Big Japan. He warns that if neither of them do it then it might end up happening in America. Naya then told Takeshita he wants a singles match against him some day and to keep an eye on him throughout 2023.
The match stipulation for the DDT Extreme Title bout hung on the weight of Super Sasadango Machine. He’s been losing weight and was given a target by Jun Akiyama to drop down below 110kg. If Sasadango met the goal he would choose the match stipulation. Unfortunately he could only get down to 119.6kg (116.9kg without the costume) so it was going to be a traditional PWF rules wrestling bout instead. However Sasadango had a trick up his sleeve. When he signed the contract for the match his signature was written as “1/12 Super Sasadango Machine” referring to a 1/12 scale plastic toy model of himself that he possesses. That means only his plastic figure had to be under 110kg, not him! The model passed the weighing test (it’s only 59g) and Sasadango decided the Extreme Title will be contested in a “TonTon Pro Wrestling” match between Sasadango’s model and an acrylic stand of Jun Akiyama!
Before the match began, Sasadango held his latest PowerPoint Presentation. He has spent years developing his plastic model and is proud of the result. While he is happy to have dropped loads of weight for this match, his current physique now renders his model obsolete when it’s supposed to be the strongest plastic model on the market! He also claimed Akiyama’s demands for Sasadango to update his progress regularly on social media was against CyberAgent employee policy. When he was done it was time for the title match. TonTon wrestling games involve each player placing their model on the game board and tapping the board with their fingers to make them move. Whoever falls over first loses. Here one model needs to fall on top of the other and pin it for three seconds for the player to be declared the winner. The game began and not much happened. Sasadango complained about Akiyama’s acrylic stand had an unfair advantage because it has a flat base preventing it from tipping over. Akiyama agreed to find a replacement and took out his NOAH action figure customized by a fan to look up to date (i.e. bald). The game continued and both models fell over. Yukinori Matsui asked the audience who they thought won and when they sounded more in favour of Akiyama, he grabbed Sasadango’s model and snapped it in half! Sasadango quickly agreed to do a normal wrestling match instead.
The match re-started and Sasadango saw his only chance. He countered the Exploder Suplex into the Vertical Drop Lehmann Shock but only got a nearfall. Akiyama hit him in the face with Knee Strikes, including one with his kneepad pulled down. He threw an Exploder Suplex and then just for good measure used the Wrist-Clutch Exploder as the finish. After the match Imabayashi informed Akiyama the next Extreme Title defence will be in Yokohama on 21st January. Akiyama called for someone to come down and challenge him. Antonio Honda was already in the ring trying to get Sasadango out. He suddenly stumbled in front of Akiyama, making the champion think he is the next challenger! Imabayashi confirmed Honda will get the title shot on 21st January whether he wants to do it or not.
This past week Naruki Doi & Toru Owashi had the chance to hold trios championships in both Dragongate and DDT at the same time. It did not turn out that way and instead they don’t have any championships at all! Today they along with Kazuki Hirata lost the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles to BURNING. Hirata’s insistance to get tagged in may be what cost them the belts because it was Hirata who dropped the fall to Tetsuya Endo. After the match Pheromones entered the ring demanding a title shot against BURNING. Danshoku Dieno said there is no more threat of them splitting up so 2023 will be spent taking championships starting with the 6-Man Tag Titles. Endo accepted and told Kotaro Suzuki that when you come here to DDT this path is unavoidable. He promised that he, Suzuki & Yusuke Okada will show Pheromones what sexy really looks like! The title match will happen on 29th January.
Reiwa AA Cannon were victorious against the visiting team of Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata in a close match. Saki Akai was in trouble when she took Double Jumping High Kicks from her opponents. Anou threw her over with a German Suplex and Kawahawa went for the Moonsault. Akai moved out of the way and Yuki Arai came in reverse the momentum. She took out Anou with the Full Nelson Buster followed by the Finally. Then Akai & Arai hit Kawahata with the Double Rookie Award. With no one there to save her, Kawahata was pinned by Akai with the Quetzalcoatl. Backstage Anou admitted she underestimated Arai. She thought she was just a cute face and found out the weight of her attacks were way more heavier than she expected. As for her opinion of Akai, Anou likes wrestling her and would come back to DDT to do more matches like this. Anou also wants Arai to know that her name also starts with A so if she ever gets tired of teaming with Akai, give her a call.
There was a message sent loud and clear by Chihiro Hashimoto today. She is physically and mentally as good as anyone in the world. Shinya Aoki however is not good enough. Those were the comments she made after beating Aoki clean, countering his Cross Armbreaker into a Doctor Bomb and then pinning him with the Albright. Even though she won she is still feeling frustration in a way she hasn’t felt since fighting Meiko Satomura. Aoki can’t figure out why he lost, particularly how Hashimoto was able to use a Power Bomb to counter his submission hold.
As mentioned earlier, Pheromones did not disband today. They won their high stakes match against Akito’s subjugation squad. It was the one time the politicians Osamu Nishimura & Shinichiro Kawamatsu did not want their constituents to watch them wrestle because they were left embarrassed by their opponents. Kawamatsu tried to shout down Yuki Iino by telling him he isn’t sexy at all. It didn’t work and Pheromones got to do their thing, knocking out members of Akito’s team one by one with their perverted moveset while Yumehito Imanari filmed the whole thing. The match ended with Iino pinning Shunma Katsumata meaning Katsumata has to spend 24 hours with Pheromones. “Chunma” is now going to be their pet dog! He reluctantly played along by barking into the microphone while on his hands and knees. Dieno then revealed that “Chunma” isn’t going to be with Pheromones for 24 hours. He’s going to be with them for a whole month! Akito tried to cheer up the others by saying every fight has sacrifices and Katsumata’s sacrifice will not be in vain. Today is just a bad dream that everyone can pretend never happened.
There’s something to this tag team pairing of HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi. They won against Hino & Yuki Ishida to show that it’s not just the young wrestlers who are doing their best. Sakaguchi said he was happy to team with HARASHIMA and win on his last show of 2022. HARASHIMA thinks 2023 is going to be tough but his generation are going to make things exciting too.
Sanshiro Takagi dashed Takeshi Masada’s dreams of going to Hollywood next year but there may still be hope yet for the youngster. Takagi’s dodgy shoulder had healed and he was able to show it by doing an Avalanche Double Arm Suplex. When he applied a Crab Hold, Masada reached the ropes so Takagi kicked at his legs before putting on a Texas Cloverleaf to win. After the match Takagi called in all of the young DDT wrestlers to enter the ring. He thinks it is unfair that Masada was the only rookie given the chance to win a spot for DDT’s shows in America next year. So Takagi has created the D GENERATIONS CUP! It will be a league for DDT’s rookies to compete in and the winner goes to the Hollywood show in March!
There were two matches on the pre-show. DAMNATION T.A defeated Takanashi, Soma Takao & Honda in one of them. KANON got the win by making Honda submit to the Cobra Twist.
The other pre-show match featured the younger wrestlers. Toi Kojima wiped out Yuya Koroku with a Diving Body Attack out of the ring. Hideki Okatani then pinned Kazuma Sumi with the Diving Knee Drop.
The long awaited Anal Explosion opening ceremony hosted by LiLiCo was almost ruined by the appearance of Danshoku Dieno. He was chosen to detonate the explosive placed inside LiLiCo and she refused to let that responsibility be given to one of her enemies. The problem was solved when her husband Ryohei Odai unexpectedly showed up. He was supposed to be at rehearsals for the NHK New Year’s Eve show but found out at the last minute it was pushed back to tomorrow. He made it to TDC Hall as fast as he could so he would be the one to set off the love of his life’s Anal Explosion. He also suggested that next year when he has more free time he could perform one himself because that’s how important the bond between a husband and wife is to him. Dieno was moved to tears and allowed Odai to ignite the bomb. It went off without a hitch. LiLiCo was still alive afterwards and said her love for Odai has deepened. She also wants to make a pro wrestling comeback next year if her anus has healed. Unfortunately the doctor on site informed her that her anus is currently in serious condition (Odai said that part of LiLiCo’s body now “looks like a black hole”). Will LiLiCo ever return to wrestling in one piece?
Keigo Nakamura announced he has fully recovered from his knee injury and will return to the ring on 13th January. His last match was in November 2021.
DDT “DANSHOKU DIENO 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK PUBLICATION COMMEMORATION”, 21/12/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 537 Fans
0. Dark Match – Karma Handicap Match: Akito, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata, Antonio Honda & Hiroshi Yamato defeated Sanshiro Takagi when Hirata pinned Takagi with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (5:43). *Sanshiro Takagi must purchase 47 copies of “The Eccentric’s Ambition: What I Learnt From Fighting The Invisible Man On How To Increase My Value” with his own money.
1. DDT Wrestlers With Short Career Experience Are Called Young Drama: Anarko Montaña & Hideki Okatani defeated Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi when Montaña pinned Sumi with the Shooting Star Press (9:27).
2. Untitled Staggered Entrance Rumble: Saki Akai defeated Makoto Oishi & Yusuke Okada by Double Ring Out (8:09). Order Of Elimination: Yukio Sakaguchi & Yasu Urano, HARASHIMA, Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda, Yuya Koroku, Yusuke Okada, Makoto Oishi & Yusuke Okada (8:09). *Saki Akai is declared the 2022 King Of Pantyhose.
3. In The Present 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Ken Ohka defeated Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima when Takanashi pinned MAO after the Hair Of The Dog (12:20).
4. Novelty Single Match: Naruki Doi defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Bakatare Sliding Kick (11:48).
5. DDT Tradition 6-Man Tag Match: Tesuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & DJ Nira defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Thanomsak Toba whne Endo pinned Ishida with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb (11:12).
6. Selfishly For The 2nd Time In 20 Years, A Single Match That Danshoku Dieno Just Wants To See: Yuki “Sexy” Iino defeated Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari with the Badonkadonk (16:43).
7. Selfishly For The 1st Time In 20 Years, Danshoku Dieno’s Self-Satisfaction Match: Haku defeated Danshoku Dieno and Muscle Sakai when Haku pinned both Dieno and Sakai (16:08).
In January 2002 a pro wrestler by the name of Danshoku Dieno emerged from the college club scene and took the pro wrestling world by storm. Quickly finding a home in DDT, Dieno shocked audiences with his gimmick as a hyper gay wrestler but gradually built up a rapport with fans alongside a long list of in-ring achievements as the years went by. Now 20 years into his career he has written a book about how he sees the world through the eyes of pro wrestling. The book is titled “The Eccentric’s Ambition: What I Learnt From Fighting The Invisible Man On How To Increase My Value”. Today’s show at Korakuen Hall was the launch event for his book and everyone who attended received a copy as part of their ticket purchase (the ticket prices were adjusted for this reason, he wasn’t giving out the books for free).
Dieno was given full match making power for the show. So he came up with a card of matches that he would personally enjoy as a fan. He also wanted to have a match against one of his closest friends in the business Muscle Sakai in the main event. Sakai took the time before the match to hold a PowerPoint presentation explaining the line that seperates himself from Super Sasadango Machine. He made the speech because last week he received a message from a fan who told him he is more famous for his talking than his wrestling. Sakai also revealed he’s been reading other self-help books to figure out how to beat Dieno today.
In the match itself Sakai focused on using the Headlock. One of the books had a piece of advice saying you should always train the skills you already have. Dieno’s book also explains how low difficulty wrestling moves can determine who will win the match. The Headlock is always the first move a wrestler is taught and Sakai worked out if he uses it long enough he could destroy Dieno’s skull and win. They spent so much of the match doing Headlocks that they started doing other stuff to pass the time, like listen to music or eat chocolate. It got so intense they ended up creating visions of their thoughts for the audience to see. Together they reminisced about MUSCLE, Sakai’s original retirement match and how this was the last time they were wrestling each other in front of Hisaya Imabayashi.
Imabayashi entered the ring to break up the Headlock fest and was given a Brainbuster from Dieno for his troubles. The match heated up with Sakai kicking out of the Homo Ye at one and Dieno being given the Vertical Drop Lehmann Shock. Dieno was sure to be beaten until he had a vision of his pet dog Haku flash across the screen. Haku is a rescue dog that Dieno adopted in September and has been the love of his life ever since. Along with the vision came a message that read “Don’t come here and do normal wrestling, do what only you can do.” With a flash of inspiration, Dieno kicked out. Haku then entered the ring and bit Sakai in the crotch. Dieno thought his pet came to rescue him but Haku then attacked him too and jumped on top of both fallen wrestlers. Yukinori Matsui decided to make the three count and declared Haku the winner of the match!
Imabayashi was confused by what he just watched. He asked the fans if that was a good main event and they applauded. Sakai explained this was the last time they could wrestle their match in front of him because Imabayashi is leaving DDT at the end of the year. Imabayashi had to correct them. It’s true he is quitting the company soon in order to spend more time with his family in Fukuoka but he recently agreed to remain the DDT GM as a subcontractor. With this deal he will only be gone from DDT once a month. There wasn’t much time left in the show to explain so Dieno was given the final moments to give his speech and thank everyone for coming. He especially singled out the older generation of DDT wrestlers who were there with the company before him.
The other big idea for a match Dieno had was his two contemporaries from Pheromones facing off against each other. All of the lewd stuff surrounding Pheromones was shoved into this match. Yuki Iino did his sexy poses while Yumehito Imanari tried to take over one of the Samurai TV cameras to film it. There actually was wrestling going on in between the antics, although Dieno told Iino through a video message to bring out the “Sexy” that nobody has seen yet. Iino did just that and finished the match on top. Imanari said there was a lot of conflict in Iino’s heart but he could see the “Sexy” pride inside. Iino just said “Pheromones good, forever.”
There was plenty of nonsense all over the show. A 6-Man Tag had Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida both wrestle in mawashi and fight using sumo techniques. Thanomsak Toba did not join in, preferring to stick to the kickboxing he knows. The match was briefly interrupted by the announcement that one of Jun Akiyama’s friends was here to celebrate his 30th anniversary. Antonio Honda entered the ring in a diaper and Toru Owashi put a home made Ultimo Dragon mask over his head. Meanwhile it took DJ Nira several attempts to pull off a successful double team move with Akiyama. When it finally worked, Tetsuya Endo took over and got the win for his team. Honda then returned in his diaper with several other wrestlers wearing the same costume to dance around Akiyama. None of the wrestlers in the match knew what was going on except for Toba. He explained to the others backstage that this kind of match used to happen all the time in DDT back when he was around. Now it only happens once every ten years.
Naruki Doi beat Shunma Katsumata in a first time singles meeting. Katsumata hit a dive to the outside onto Doi and a bunch of other wrestlers seconding at ringside. Doi almost won with the Avalanche Doi 555 but got the victory with the Bakatare Sliding Kick afterwards. Katsumata asked for a handshake at ringside and Doi gave him the NeppoWER pose instead. He’d like to have another match with him either as partners or opponents. Doi also promised to read Dieno’s new book instead of sleeping tonight.
6-Man Tag action saw CDK & Ken Ohka get the better of The 37KAMIINA. Ohka kept taunting Toi Kojima by saying his moves didn’t hurt at all after every bump. Everyone ended up forming a group pyramid submission with Ohka posing on top until Yuki Ueno made it all collapse with a Dropkick. Ohka returned with the Spear Of Fire to both MAO & Kojima before taking out Ueno with a Death Valley Bomb. That left CDK to pin MAO with the Hair Of The Dog to win the match. Backstage MAO complainied about both Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi pinning him at the same time. That is supposed to be illegal in tag team matches. However MAO has an open mind and accepts that double pinfalls are fair play in ChocoPro, which is where CDK learned it from. He now wants the vacant KO-D Tag Team Titles match between CDK and ShunMao on 3rd January to allow double pinfalls.
The Rumble match had an unannounced rule where every competitor had to wrestle wearing pantyhose over their head, making them unwillingly pull funny faces. HARASHIMA and Koju Takeda had a pose off. Yuya Koroku didn’t want to wear it and got booed when he pulled his off. The eliminations caught some of the wrestlers off guard, like when Yukio Sakaguchi and Yasu Urano eliminated each other right when Sakaguchi entered the match. the match came down to Makoto Oishi and Yusuke Okada fighting on the apron. Suddenly the final wrestler made their entrance. It was Saki Akai! She walked out in full catwalk mode and the sight of her wearing pantyhose over her face scared the other wrestlers off the apron and out of the ring. She ended up winning the match without touching anybody. It was then revealed the match was to crown the King Of Pantyhose 2022! Akai credited the victory on reading Dieno’s book because it gave her courage.
The opening match gave the spotlight to DDT’s younger wrestlers along with the guest Anarko Montaña. The visitor hit some high risk moves including a Moonsault out of the ring. Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi had their moments and could smell victory at times but Hideki Okatani was always there to stop it from happening. Instead Montaña planted Sumi with the Michinoku Driver II and pinned him with the Shooting Star Press.
An extra rule was added to the 5 Vs 1 dark match. Before it began, Keigo Nakamura wheeled out a cart full of copies of Dieno’s book. The rule was every count that happens in the match will be added up and whatever the total is, the losing side will have to buy that many copies of the book. The number ended up at 47 and Sanshiro Takagi was the loser after he was pinned by Kazuki Hirata. As a result, Takagi was forced to purchase 47 copies of the book with his own money. Even though Akito is currently Dieno’s enemy, he admitted he was happy to be a part of today’s show.
DDT “DDT FREE -DECEMBER-”, 14/12/2022 Shinjuku FACE 437 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match – No Tag Rules: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) defeated Akito, MAO & Kazuma Sumi when Iino pinned Akito with the Missionary Position (8:16).
2. Tryout Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Anarko Montaña with the ¡Hasta la vista! (8:48).
3. Road To NEVER MIND 2022! Special Tag Match: Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata defeated Saki Akai & Yoshiko Hasegawa when Anou pinned Hasegawa with the Special Pottering (10:07).
4. Sanshiro Takagi, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi defeated Soma Takao, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada when Oishi pinned Masada after a Reverse horizontal Chop from Hino (9:17).
5. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada defeated HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Yukio Naya when Endo pinned Hirata with a Cradle (14:08).
-. Emergency Decision Match: Kotaro Suzuki defeated Yusuke Okada with the Tiger Driver (8:28).
6. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Chris Brookes & Hideki Okatani when Sasaki pinned Okatani with El Es Culero (11:55).
7. Road To NEVER MIND 2022! Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when Kojima pinned Ishida with the Kojima In Wonderland ~KOJIMA Wonderland~ (22:41).
They days are counting down to DDT’s final show of 2022 taking place in Tokyo Dome City Hall. There are few chances left for Kazusada Higuchi and Yuki Ueno to test each other in the ring before their big KO-D Openweight Title match to close out the year so they did a lot here. Higuchi blocked the Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher and avoided the BME. Ueno in return blocked a Diving Body Press with his knees and took down Higuchi with a Standing Shining Wizard, leading to a double down. Their time in the ring together remained in a stalemate so the result came down to Yuki Ishida against Toi Kojima. The Kojima In Wonderland finisher got a nearfall but when the ~KOJIMA Wonderland~ variant was used, Ishida was down and out.
After the match Kojima said he was able to win today under his own strength along with Ueno’s help. When Kojima watched the D-Ou Grand Prix, seeing Ueno never giving up no matter what inspired him. Ueno said Higuchi has been amazing ever since his debut match. But Ueno thinks DDT will be even more fun if he takes the KO-D Title from him. If Ueno wins the KO-D Title while holding the DDT Universal Title then it will be the ultimate proof he is the best in DDT. In the backstage comments, Kojima reminded Ueno that he promised to keep teaming with him until he is stronger than him. Ishida is taking the loss in his stride. He understands that Harimao has to work harder while Naomi Yoshimura is out injured.
Daisuke Sasaki and DAMNATION T.A find themselves taking a detour before TDC Hall. The unit will be heading over to Yoyogi on 19th December for a special JUST TAP OUT show being produced by TAKA Michinoku & Taichi. On the show Sasaki & MJ Paul will have a match against El Desperado and a wrestler to be announced (as of this writing Desperado asked Lance Archer on Twitter if he is available). Sasaki sent a message to Desperado by using one of his signature moves El Es Culero to win his match today. He said this isn’t a Forbidden Door situation because the door was always there. It’s just that it was an automatic door that stayed closed in order to conserve energy. Sasaki then complained about his own drinking habits and said Desperado is going to take responsibility for it. He also has a 4 Way Match coming up in TDC Hall but isn’t worried because he’s been called a 4 Way Magician. Not sure by who though.
With preparations for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match on their mind, BURNING got together to hash things about between them and make sure they all combined into a well oiled machine. They won the 8-Man Tag Match against DISASTER BOX & Yukio Naya by avoiding a last second slip up. Kazuki Hirata tried rolling up Tetsuya Endo with the Miracle One Shot Cradle but it ended with a kickout. Endo responded with the Tetsuya In The Sky and then used his own “Miracle Cradle” to pin Hirata. It was later discovered that Toru Owashi of all people was angry at Endo for embarrassing Hirata like that when Hirata was already clearly defeated. After the match Yusuke Okada told everyone that years ago he held a grudge with Kotaro Suzuki in All Japan. In order to put that past behind him, he suddenly challenged Suzuki to a match there and now so it could be settled. Suzuki agreed and the match went ahead with Suzuki winning in the end. Afterwards Suzuki said Okada gave everything he got and he responded in kind so there should be no more animosity between them. Okada admitted he wasn’t able to close the gap between himself and Suzuki but he is happy to live his life here in DDT. He is now ready to go win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles with Endo & Suzuki! Endo was happy to hear that and set his target. He is going to win the belts by pinning Naruki Doi!
An injured shoulder made Sanshiro Takagi an even bigger target for Takeshi Masada for the rookie’s attempt to convince his boss he is ready to wrestle at DDT’s show in Hollywood next year. However Takagi persisted and was able to hit a Lariat and also the Spicolli Driver for a nearfall. Masada kept on fighting but was overwhelmed by then numbers game when he had to fight Ω. He eventually took a big Chop from Yuji Hino and fell into a pin by Makoto Oishi. Takagi taunted him after the match and said he will never lose to Masada even if his shoulder is not 100%. Masada said he lost to Oishi today, not Takagi. He will still work hard in the remaining shows until he gets to face Takagi one on one at TDC Hall.
Saki Akai got a taste of what to expect from the combined forces of Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata. She had plenty of back and forth exchanges with both women until she was taken out with sandwich kicks from her opponents. It was all up to Yoshiko Hasegawa to keep the match alive from there but she was soon pinned by Anou. After the match Anou asked Akai how it was like wrestling her again after a long time away from each other? There’s still a long way to go until 29th December and Anou is looking forward to that match the most. Kawabata said she is also looking forward to showing everyone what she’s got in a bigger venue and wants to be the one to beat Yuki Arai in the match. Anou also left a vague comment about what she and Kawabata might do in the future. If they beat Reiwa AA Cannon in DDT then would they be interested in a rematch at Tokyo Joshi Pro for the Princess Tag Team Titles?
The tryout match saw Shunma Katsumata beat Chile’s own Anarko Montaña in a friendly contest. Katsumata re-introduced him to the fans after the match, explaining he was briefly in DDT 8 years ago along with Diego. They are amigos and Katsumata hopes one day to do this match again but this time in Chile.
It’s common booking on wrestling shows to do a bunch of preliminary matches between upcoming opponents to build up to their more important matches in bigger venues. Danshoku Dieno came up with a point that the results for most of the matches in the Pheromones Vs Akito feud mean nothing if they are just being done to promote the proper blow off on 29th December. Akito tried to defend the thought process by explaining these matches still exist to liven up the shows. Dieno came up with a proposal to add more stakes to the prelim matches. Akito agreed on the condition that if his team win any of the prelim matches then Pheromones will have to disband if they lose at the TDC Hall show. Dieno accepted but then revealed his own stakes. If Pheromones win today’s match then they add another stipulation to the TDC Hall match. That stipulation is whoever drops the fall to Pheromones on that show has to join their unit for one day! Imagine if that happens to either of the politicians Osamu Nishimura or Shinichiro Kawamatsu? Akito accepted, loudly thinking that if his team ends up losing it will likely be Shunma Katsumata taking the pin and having to take the punishment. He later came to regret that decision when MAO fell for Pheromones’s charms during their match and turned on Akito, costing them the match! Dieno told Akito he has to live up to his end of the deal and tell the politicians the new stipulation for 29th December. He doesn’t want politics in this ring because all Dieno wants in here is the freedom to do whatever Pheromones wants!
A press conference was held before the show revealing a few matches for 3rd January. First, Daisuke Sasaki Vs Naruki Doi was announced with the winner getting the next DDT Universal Title shot. Doi said he’s been in DDT for two months and already showed enough results to deserve to challenge for a singles championship. He never fought Sasaki before so he thinks the match is going to be a treat. Sasaki thought Doi was Masato Yoshino at first and complained about the Dragongate guys not knowing the rules here in DDT. Sasaki then said he is supposed to be the guy to take the Universal Title from Ueno, nobody else.
The other match announced is CDK Vs ShunMao for the vacant KO-D Tag Team Titles. MAO described the history and relationships between all four wrestlers involved are complicated. His expectations for the match are high and he thinks his team will win if they genuinely enjoy the match. Katsumata echoed the comments about their history with their opponents. He wants to win the KO-D Tag Titles and defend them as much as possible. Chris Brookes said the match will be interesting. Masahiro Takanashi pointed out he is about to turn 40 years old and he set himself a goal to accompany it. He wants to win the KO-D Tag Titles on the first DDT show of the year and then participate in every DDT show for the rest of 2023. He hasn’t pulled off a run of attendance like that in DDT for a long time.
BASARA “BASARA 206 ~RYU TOKOTO~”, 11/12/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato Vs Lil’ Kraken, Akira Jo & Leo Isaka
2. No DQ 3 Way Tag Match: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Shiori Asahi (w/ Gouma Ryu) Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga Vs Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei
3. Ryuichi Sekine & Minoru Fujita Vs Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT
4. Daiki Shimomura Vs Atsuki Aoyagi
5. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino (c) Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Yasu Urano
6. Union MAX Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Fuminori Abe
This is the full card for BASARA’s last visit to Korakuen Hall this year.
DDT “DDT FREE -DECEMBER-”, 14/12/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Tryout Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Anarko Montaña
2. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito, MAO & Kazuma Sumi
3. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Chris Brookes & Hideki Okatani
4. Sanshiro Takagi, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Soma Takao, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada
5. Special 8-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata Vs Yukio Naya Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada
6. Road To NEVER MIND 2022! Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata
7. Road To NEVER MIND 2022! Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima
The rest of the month is going to give Kazusada Higuchi and Yuki Ueno plenty of matches against each other to prepare for the KO-D Openweight Title bout on 29th December. Harimao, The 37KAMIINA and a few others are getting pulled into the action too.
Saki Akai has a warm up match against her opponents for Tokyo Dome City Hall as well. Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata are coming over early for a tag match, except here Akai is teaming with Yoshiko Hasegawa from Ganbare☆Pro instead of Yuki Arai.
It was eight years ago when Anarko Montaña was last in DDT. The masked wrestler from Chile was brought over by his friend Guanchulo/Diego back then but that was his only appearance for DDT. He is coming back next week for a tryout match with Shunma Katsumata. A good performance here and he may get to stick around.
The vacant KO-D Tag Team Titles will soon find its new champions. The teams competing for the belts on 3rd January will be revealed on this show. There will also be an announcement naming the wrestlers in the running for a future DDT Universal Title shot.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “ANGEL AND RABBIT”, 15/12/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Shoko Nakajima Vs Julia Nagano
2. Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko Vs Hikari Noa, Raku & Kaya Toribami
3. Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto Vs Rhio & Maki Itoh
4. 10th Anniversary Debut “Full Of Mizuki Battle Royale”: Miu Watanabe Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Aino Vs Pom Harajuku Vs Suzume Vs Arisu Endo
5. Mizuki Debut 10th Anniversary Match: Mizuki & Rika Tatsumi Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Nao Kakuta
Is the show not Mizuki enough? Have a Battle Royale full of Mizuki then!
Will Rhio have reclaimed the EVE Title by the time she gets to team with Maki Itoh?
DDT “ROAD TO NEVER MIND 2022 IN KUMAMOTO”, 17/12/2022 Kumamoto City Information Distribution Center
1. 3 Way Match: Saki Akai Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Shunma Katsumata
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs HARASHIMA & Hideki Okatani
3. Sanshiro Takagi & Yusuke Okada Vs Toru Owashi & Takeshi Masada
4. Special Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi (w/ Yoshihiko)
5. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku
6. Kumamoto Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes & Yuki Ishida Vs Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
Higuchi and Ueno will have other matches away from each other to look forward to. Harimao are teaming with Chris Brookes against Ω while Ueno leads The 37KAMIINA against BURNING.
DDT “ROAD TO NEVER MIND 2022 IN FUKUOKA”, 18/12/2022 Pivole Fukuoka
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & MAO
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Saki Akai & Toi Kojima
3. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs HARASHIMA, Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada
5. Fukuoka Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi Vs Toru Owashi, Azul Dragon & Hideki Okatani
6. Harimao Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
The Ω unit are trying to ge themselves back to full strength before the end of the year. I don’t know if winning a match against a team with Azul Dragon is worth anything but I guess beggars can’t be choosers here.
DDT “HATSUYUME 2023”, 03/01/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. DDT Universal Title Next Challenger Decision Battle: X Vs X
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: X & X Vs X & X
DDT have laid out their schedule of championship matches taking place throughout the Spring. 2023 starts off with the vacated KO-D Tag Titles being brought back along with the No. 1 Contender for the Universal Title being determined.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2023 TOUR IN SHINJUKU ~FIRE!~”, 13/01/2023 Shinjuku FACE
1. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Winner Of 3/1 Decision Match
Ueno’s plan if he becomes a double champion is to defend both the KO-D Title and Universal Title once a month in separate matches for as long as his body can take it. He also wants to take the Universal Title overseas. That plan can be done without the need for the KO-D Title but Ueno is determined to do everything he can to become the unquestionable face of DDT.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2023 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 21/01/2023 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. DDT Extreme Title: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs X
Either Jun Akiyama or Super Sasadango Machine won’t have to wait long until the next DDT Extreme Title defence.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2023”, 29/01/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs X, X & X
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: X & X (c) Vs X & X
3. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs X
The first KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles defence of 2023 will have either Naruki Doi & DISASTER BOX as the defending champions or maybe it will be BURNING with Kotaro Suzuki instead.
DDT “FRIENDSHIP, EFFORT, VICTORY IN NAGOYA 2023”, 18/02/2023 Aichi Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall
1. DDT Extreme Title: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs X
2. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs X
Nagoya is getting two title matches.
DDT “INTO THE FIGHT 2023”, 26/02/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs X, X & X
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: X & X (c) Vs X & X
DDT spent February 2022 building them month around the Ultimate Tag League. That doesn’t seem to be the case for 2023. The 2021 league took place in May and it’s only a young tournament. It hasn’t established its annual schedule yet.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2023 ~LONGEST 5 HOUR SPECIAL IN KORAKUEN HISTORY~”, 21/03/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs X
DDT’s 26th anniversary show is taking place in Korakuen Hall and the goal is for it to be 5 hours long. Around 14 or 15 matches is the expected amount being planned for the event.
There will be other championship matches happening on this show. Which ones are yet to be determined. But if there is any company that can fill a 15 match card in this day and age with nothing but championship matches it’s DDT. I’m sure they still have the Umemura Personal Computer Copy & Paste Title lying around in their office somewhere.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 