Takagi Vs Suzuki In A Streetcar!

May 24, 2024

DDT “TODEN PRO WRESTLING”, 29/06/2024
Tokyo Sakura Tram (Toden Arakawa Line)

1. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Sanshiro Takagi

Last year Minoru Suzuki and Sanshiro Takagi held a wrestling match inside a travelling bullet train that made headlines around the world. Next month there is going to be a rematch but this time it will take place in a toden streetcar travelling along the Arakawa line in Tokyo. Due to the size of the streetcar only 16 tickets will be available for fans to see the entire match in person. Takagi wanted the rematch as his last chance to get revenge on Suzuki before he takes his hiatus from wrestling in matches later this summer. He believed the bullet train travelling at 285km per hour was the reason he lost last time so fighting in a tram that only has an average speed of 13.1km per hour will give him a more even playing field. Suzuki said he will end Takagi’s wrestling career in this match so Takagi won’t even make it to his hiatus.

Suzuki revealed he has never ridden on a tram before because there were none in Yokohama when he was growing up. However he can run faster than the tram anyway so it will be even easier to beat Takagi than it was in the bullet train. Takagi on the other hand has used it dozens if not hundreds of times throughout his life. He is excited over how creative he can be fighting inside a tram. He knows it is safer for him to throw a Dropkick in there than in a bullet train. This will be Takagi’s fourth singles match against Suzuki. He lost to him in Budokan Hall, the Tokyo Dome and a bullet train. Can he finally beat him when the next match takes place in a streetcar?


Tominaga Injured, Shida Returns To TJPW, 4 Way Match In A Sauna

May 20, 2024

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 25/05/2024
Kanagawa Fujisawa City Shonandai Cultural Center

1. Nao Kakuta Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Mahiro Kiryu & Uta Takami Vs Toga & Runa Okubo
3. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Chika Nanase Vs Raku, Pom Harajuku & Kira Summer
4. Shoko Nakajima & HIMAWARI Vs Alexis Lee & Kaya Toribami
5. Miu Watanabe & Shino Suzuki Vs Maki Itoh & Wakana Uehara
6. Aja Kong & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Rika Tatsumi & Moka Miyamoto

Alexis Lee failed to win the championships she wanted but she has another appearance in Tokyo Joshi Pro lined up this weekend.

Yuki Aino is unable to be at the show.

DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ FINAL!!”, 26/05/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

0. Dark Match: Yuni & Keigo Nakamura Vs Ilusion & Kazuma Sumi
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi Vs Yukio Naya & Takeshi Masada
2. KANON & MJ Paul Vs HARASHIMA & Akito
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Shuji Ishikawa & Masahiro Takanashi
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
5. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final: MAO Vs Kazusada Higuchi
6. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final – No DQ Match: Chris Brookes Vs Daisuke Sasaki
7. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Final: X Vs X

A request was made by Chris Brookes to have his King Of DDT semi-final against Daisuke Sasaki be held under No Disqualification rules. He expects Sasaki to cheat during the match and wants to fight fire with fire without putting his path to the final at risk.

GANBARE☆PRO “WILD GAMBLE 2024”, 02/06/2024
Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center

1. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title Next Challenger Time Staggered Battle Royal: Ken Ohka Vs Yuna Manase Vs Choun-Shiryu Vs Gabai Ji-chan Vs Baliyan Akki Vs Daisuke®️
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles: Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada (c) Vs Shigehiro Irie & Mizuki Watase

A successful RENEGADES reunion over the weekend is going to continue. When GROUND ABSOLUTE asked if there was any team better than them out there, Shigehiro Irie & Mizuki Watase answered the challenge. They don’t get to team up as often as they used to but after reaching the final of a tag tournament in Germany last September, RENEGADES believe they have what it takes to become champions together. They don’t want to waste this opportunity to win the Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles.

The winner of the Battle Royal will get a Spirit Of Ganbare World Title shot on 15th July.

It’s been confirmed by Ganbare☆Pro that Shinichiro Tominaga suffered an injury during Saturday’s show. He ruptured his left Achilles tendon during his match and will be out of action for a while.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 05/06/2024
Shinjuku FACE

1. Daisuke Kiso Referee 14th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs To-y & Yuni
2. CDK 5th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul (c) Vs HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano
4. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi

Both Yuki Ueno and Sanshiro Takagi spent a lot of time talking about having a KO-D Openweight Title match after Takagi eliminated Ueno in the King Of DDT 1st Round. They finally got around to sign a contract and have the match take place next month. It will take place a few days after Takagi moves down from CyberFight president to vice president. With less responsibilities under his new position, Takagi feels like he has no restrictions over how he can win the KO-D Title for one last time.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PRISM ’24”, 09/06/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Moka Miyamoto
2. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) Vs LA Taylor
3. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Vert Vixen

The last time Hikaru Shida wrestled in TJPW was at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’22” back in June 2022. Two years later the AEW wrestler returns and her match will be against Moka Miyamoto. The two of them have teamed up before in TJPW. This will be their first match together as opponents.

DDT “SPA & POOL AQUA YUKARI – SAUNA ROJO PRO WRESTLING”, 21/06/2024
Chiba Aqua Yukari

1. DDT Extreme Title – Falls Count Anywhere Survival 4 Way Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Yukio Naya Vs To-y Vs Ilusion

A hot evening in the summer is getting even hotter because Shunma Katsumata is defending the DDT Extreme Title against three other wrestlers inside a sauna! Yukio Naya, To-y and Ilusion all wanted a title shot so Katsumata came up with that idea as his solution. It will be Falls Count Anywhere in front of an audience at the sauna.

GANBARE☆PRO “DISASTER ARTIST 2024”, 15/07/2024
Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center

1. Moeka Haruhi Comeback Match: Moeka Haruhi Vs X
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Keisuke Ishii (c) Vs 02/06 Battle Royal Winner

Keisuke Ishii defends the SOG Title against the Battle Royal winner here.


The 51 Types Of Tickets Available For Takagi Vs Sasadango

May 19, 2024

DDT “SANSHIRO TAKAGI VS SUPER SASADANGO MACHINE ONE MATCH EVENT”, 26/06/2024
Shinjuku FACE

1. Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Super Sasadango Machine

Behold the most bizarre set of seating purchases a pro wrestling show has ever put together. This June DDT are holding a one match show between Sanshiro Takagi and Super Sasadango Machine. There will be 51 different kinds of tickets available to purchase with prices ranging from 1,000 yen to 999,999 yen. Oh and since this is being held in Shinjuku FACE there is also the mandatory 500 yen admission tax that will get you drink tokens.

Tickets That Include Souvenirs

1. Luxury Watch Ticket – 999,999 yen
You will receive one of Sanshiro Takagi’s favorite high-end watches.

2. Cheap Watch Ticket – 8,000 yen
You will receive one of Super Sasadango Machine’s favorite cheap Casio watches.

3. Black Tights Ticket – 20,000 yen
You will receive the black wrestling tights and underwear worn by Sanshiro Takagi.

4. Green Mask Ticket – 20,000 yen
You will receive the Sasadango mask worn by Super Sasadango Machine.

5. Backpack Ticket – 18,000 yen
You will receive one of Sanshiro Takagi’s favorite COACH backpacks.

6. Precision Plastic Mold Ticket – 20,000 yen + Additional Offer
You will receive a special plastic mold made by Muscle Sakai’s factory. You can also make an offer to buy and take over Sakai’s company so you can have your own mold manufacturing or metal processing business.

7. Sakidori Lucky Bag Ticket – 15,000 yen
You will receive goodies that will be included in the lucky bags being sold at the next New Year’s Day sales.

8. Getting Rid Of Inventory R Ticket – 10,000 yen
I assume this is DDT selling off their stock of old and unwanted merchandise.

9. Getting Rid Of Inventory SR Ticket – 10,000 yen
Ditto but more?

10. Getting Rid Of Inventory SSR Ticket – 10,000 yen
Ditto again but even more?

11. Static Electricity Removal Ticket – 4,000 yen
You will receive an item that protects you from static electricity.

Tickets Where You Will Be Asked To Help With Work

12. Pinspot Experience Ticket – 8,000 yen
With guidance from Keigo Nakamura, you will be allowed to use the pinspot light to follow the wrestlers during the match when needed.

13. Red Corner Second Experience Ticket – 8,000 yen
You will be a second at ringside for Sanshiro Takagi.

14. Blue Corner Second Experience Ticket – 7,000 yen
You will be a second at ringside for Super Sasadango Machine.

15. Ringside Photo Ticket – 12,000 yen
You will be allowed to take photographs of the match at ringside just like a professional photographer. DDT will also have permission to use your photographs for their content.

16. 5 Bell Ringing Ticket – 8,000 yen
You will sit next to the ring announcer and ring the bell for the customary 5 times both at the start of the show and also at the end of intermission.

17. Pre-Show Experience Ticket – 8,000 yen
You will get to sit through the traditional pre-show ceremony that takes place before DDT events. GM Hisaya Imabayashi will read through all of the usual announcements using the script from a previous show.

18. Surprise Experience Ticket – 8,000 yen
Near the end of the match you will be allowed to make a surprise appearance and interfere in the match. By doing so you will have some influence on the match’s outcome. Even if you have no knowledge of pro wrestling you are welcome to buy this ticket.

19. Instax Photographer Red Ticket – 6,000 yen
You can be the photographer for Sanshiro Takagi’s cheki shoots that will be held after the match.

20. Instax Photographer Blue Ticket – 4,000 yen
You can be the photographer for Super Sasadango Machine’s cheki shoots that will be held after the match.

21. SSM Replacement Ticket – 8,000 yen
You will get to briefly participate in the match as a substitute for Super Sasadango Machine in order to reduce his busy work schedule. Applicants must be at least 180cm tall and be available to take part in a remote meeting held one hour before the match begins. You also must return the Sasadango mask that will be given to you when you are done with it.

22. Winner’s Award Presentation Ticket – 10,000 yen
You will get to present the winner of the match with your favorite item as their reward. Only available to participants who can bring or prepare their own items by themselves.

23. Pretend To Be A Reporter Ticket – 12,000 yen
You can relax and watch the match from the press box while pretending to be a reporter. You can also participate in the post-match events. (The “Yu Manabe Option” is also available for an additional fee)

24. Small Tanimatchi Experience Ticket – 10,000 yen
The wrestlers will go out of their way to sneak up to your seat and look at you during their entrance. They will also brawl near your seat when they go fighting outside the ring. You and your companions can also get your picture taken with the wrestlers during the brawl.

25. Catering Experience Ticket – 10,000 yen
During the match you can serve food that you brought with you to the wrestlers so they can regain their strength (Note: Super Sasadango Machine loves shrimp). These seats are the ones by the counter in Shinjuku FACE.

26. Weapon Carry Ticket – 10,00 yen
During the match you can hand over weapons that you brought with you to the wrestlers.

Tickets That DDT Does Not Know Will Actually Be Bought

27. Proposal Ticket – 15,000 yen (paired seat)
During the show you will be able to talk to your partner using the ring microphone and make a dramatic proposal to them. If it is a marriage proposal and the partner says yes, both Sanshiro Takagi and Super Sasadando Machine can sign the marriage registration as guarantors.

28. Don’t Laugh Ticket – 10,000 yen
Every time you laugh during the match you will be punished by getting hit in the butt by one of the wrestlers at ringside.

29. Retirement Ceremony Ticket – 10,000 yen
You will be given a 10 bell salute if you want to retire from something.

30. DDT Beginners Ticket – 3,000 yen
Available for new fans, you will be given a reasonably placed seat next to a “DDT Master” who can explain everything that is going on. If the DDT Master tickets are not sold then DDT’s staff will step in for assistance.

31. DDT Masters Ticket – 3,000 yen
You are allowed to explain DDT to the person sitting in the DDT Beginner seat next to you in a low voice.

32. Matching Ticket – 6,000 yen
Available to fans looking for a wonderful encounter at a pro wrestling show. Produced by Makoto Oishi.

33. Blindfold & Concealed Breast Ticket – 3,000 yen
You will watch the match while blindfolded and wearing a bra over your top from start to finish.

34. Limited To Professional Wrestlers Ticket – 2,500 yen
This ticket is only available for pro wrestlers. You may be asked to participate in the match to keep it from getting boring. This ticket is recommended for wrestlers who want to thank or fight Sanshiro Takagi before he takes a break from wrestling but don’t have the confidence to confront him in a singles match.

35. Limited To Celebrities Ticket – 4,000 yen
Sanshiro Takagi is always happy to have celebrities come to see his matches. Why not take photos of yourself with the wrestlers during the match or backstage after the show and post it to social media? You may bring along a companion.

36. Side Job Introduction Ticket – 4,000 yen
This ticket is exclusive to companies that would like to have Sanshiro Takagi help them in any way. Those who buy a ticket are free to discuss the terms and conditions with Takagi on an individual basis.

37. Birthday Celebration Ticket – 12,000 yen
If you are celebrating a birthday from 20th June to 30th June, a surprise party may be waiting for you at the show! (extra fee of 6,000 yen for the accompanying guest)

Tickets Being Sold Normally

38. Normal Front Row Ticket – 8,500 yen
For those who want a front row seat for an intense and exciting battle.

39. Normal Last Row Ticket – 4,000 yen
For those who prefer watching wrestling with a bird’s eye view of the entire venue.

40. Backstage View Ticket – 3,000 yen
Pretend you are at a sold out show by sitting in one of the backstage seats normally saved for when an event is held at full capacity.

41. Pipe Chair Ticket – 15,000 yen
Bring home the pipe chair you sit on, just like at the world’s biggest wrestling events every year.

42. Ebisuko Tavern Matsu Bento Ticket – 12,000 yen
Receive a special main course bento box from the Ebisuko Tavern in Kabukicho, made and served by the tavern’s head chef Gota Ihashi. These seats are the ones by the counter in Shinjuku FACE.

43. Ebisuko Tavern Otake Bento Ticket – 11,000 yen
Receive a special bento box from the Ebisuko Tavern in Kabukicho, made and served by Ken Ohka. These seats are the ones by the counter in Shinjuku FACE.

44. Ebisuko Tavern Plum Bento Ticket – 10,000 yen
Receive a special bento box from the Ebisuko Tavern in Kabukicho, made and served by Rukiya. These seats are the ones by the counter in Shinjuku FACE.

45. Ebisuko Tavern Soup Bento Ticket – 9,000 yen
Receive a special bento box from the Ebisuko Tavern in Kabukicho, made and served by Kazuma Sumi. These seats are the ones by the counter in Shinjuku FACE.

46. Watch At Ebisuko Tavern Ticket – 1,000 yen
Watch a live broadcast of the show at the Ebisuko Tavern in Kabukicho. You will be charged separately for drinks and the meal. (You cannot enter Shinjuku FACE with this ticket)

47. Support From Niigata Ticket – 1,000 yen
The show is taking place on a weekday so many of Super Sasadango Machine’s fans from his hometown in Niigata are unable to travel to the show. Buy this ticket to support Sasadango while you watch the match on Wrestle Universe. (You cannot enter Shinjuku FACE with this ticket)

48. Sasadango Shokai Ticket – 15,000 yen
You will receive original merchandise from Super Sasadango Machine’s webstore.

49. Normal Spectator Ticket – 6,000 yen
For those who just want to buy a regular ticket for a regular seat at the show.

50. Big Guest Invitation Ticket – 10,000 yen
Depending on the sales, DDT will invite major guests to the show using money spent on this ticket.

Tickets Being Sold For The Bonus Talk Event

51. Takagi’s Worn Shoes – 20,000 yen
You will receive the shoes Sanshiro Takagi wore when he walked through the streets near the Tokyo Dome.


DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 11 ~ YUKINORI MATSUI REFEREE 30TH ANNIVERSARY BOX OFFICE” Results

May 19, 2024

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 11 ~ YUKINORI MATSUI REFEREE 30TH ANNIVERSARY BOX OFFICE ~ MAKING THE SQUARE WORLD INTERESTING”, 19/05/2024
Osaka City Sumiyoshi Civic Center
968 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

0. Dark Match – Future Is Here!: Kazuma Sumi defeated Yuni and Ilusion when Sumi pinned Yuni with the School Boy (7:10).
1. THE Non-Stop Action Battle! ~Three High Speed Crows Vs Naniwa Pro Wrestling Three Musketeers~: Yuto Kikuchi, Harutoki & Kohei Kinoshita defeated Naruki Doi, Shunma Katsumata & Keigo Nakamura when Kikuchi pinned Nakamura with the Diving Foot Stomp (01:15).
2. An Absolutely Outrageous Tag Match Between The Four Heavenly Kings Of The Variety Team: Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine defeated Kazuki Hirata & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Gaydo Clutch (0:09).
2a. Rematch: Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine defeated Kazuki Hirata & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Dieno pinned Hiroshi with an Inside Cradle (0:07).
2b. Rematch: Danshoku Dieno & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi defeated Super Sasadango Machine & Kazuki Hirata when Dieno pinned Sasadango with a School Boy (0:07).
2c. 1 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Danshoku Dieno defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi when Dieno pinned Sasadango with a School Boy (0:21).
2d. 4 Way Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Super Sasadango Machine Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi ended in a Draw when all four wrestlers pinned each other simultaneously (2:33).
3. ACF & Koyo Daiichi Consultants Co., Ltd. Presents Mixed Martial Arts Battle: Bushimasa Vs Thanomsak Toba ended in a Draw (R2 1:00).
4. Staggered Entry Tag Battle Royal “Surprise! Tag Rumble”: Yuko Miyamoto & Isami Kodaka defeated Soma Takao & Shota when Kodaka pinned Shota with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (15:00).
Order Of Elimination: Masahiro Takanashi & Makoto Oishi, Toru Owashi & Black Menso-re, KANON & MJ Paul, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Gota Ihashi, Yuki Iino & Yuki Ishida, Yoshihiko & Pokotan, Keisuke Ishii & Akito and Soma Takao & Shota.
5. Tsuji Dental Clinic & Yasuda Dental Clinic Presents Special 6-Man Tag Match – “20 Years Ago THE OSAKA”: Magnitude Kishiwada, HUB & Kengo Takai defeated Tsubasa, Billy Ken Kid & Shoichi Uchida when Kishiwada pinned Uchida with the Last Ride (5:19).
6. Seisho Kogyo Co., Ltd. Presents Battle Between Generations! Legends Vs Next Generation Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Jinsei Shinzaki & Sanshiro Takagi defeated Takeshi Masada, To-y & Yuya Koroku when Shinzaki pinned Koroku with the Nenbutsu Power Bomb (10:42).
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~Everyone Is Superhuman!~: HARASHIMA, Yuji Hino & Chris Brookes defeated Shuji Ishikawa, Shigehiro Irie & Yukio Naya when HARASHIMA pinned Irie with the Swan Dive Somato (11:55).
8. PANTASIA Presents Special Tag Match Wrestling Masters Vs Let’s Go 40’s ~With The Bolivian Wind~: Dick Togo & Daisuke Sasaki defeated Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda when Togo pinned Honda with the Diving Senton (17:19).
9. Triple Main Event Kagoshima no Dancho Presents Special Single Match Kuishinbo Kamen & Kikutaro & Yukinori Matsui, Everyone’s 30th Anniversary, Add Them To Get 90th Anniversary(!) Commemorative Match ~Laughing Fukuraimon~: Kuishinbo Kamen defeated Kikutaro with the Kansai Airport Tornado (16:38).
10. Triple Main Event – From All Over The World, Arriving In Osaka. Special Singles Match ~THE ALPHA Vs King Of Pro Wrestling~: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Minoru Suzuki with an Elbow Butt (23:41).
11. Triple Main Event Ondo Metal Co., Ltd. Presents Special Tag Match ~DDT PRIDE~: Yuki Ueno & Kazusada Higuchi defeated MAO & Tetsuya Endo when Ueno pinned Endo with the WR (25:37).

The worlds of DDT and the Osaka wrestling scene gathered together for Yukinori Matsui’s annual show and this year was a special one. The referee was celebrating 30 years in the business and put together a marathon show for the occasion, although he cared more about making sure everyone watching the show had fun. He admitted he was tired by the end of it and in hindsight probably should not have officiated the last four matches back to back. He was pleased with the quality of the matches that happened. He probably won’t be doing another anniversary show for another 5 or 10 years but you can bet Matsui will continue booking his annual Osaka show no matter what day it falls on every year.

Everyone in the main event congratulated Matsui and all expressed their gratitude to him backstage after the show. Yuki Ueno said Matsui has supported pro wrestling for 30 years and it is thanks to him that he was able to grow stronger as a champion today. He thinks it is important that Matsui holds these shows to make matches he wants to show to everyone. Tetsuya Endo feels honored that Matsui picked him to be in the main event. He noticed everyone in the match are all currently champions and have a high standing in DDT. He admits this year has been a struggle but it will be worth it if it will lead to better results in the future. That will be Endo’s way of repaying Matsui for everything he’s done for him. MAO said the history of companies that Matsui worked for is where all of his favorite wrestlers came from. He hopes Matsui will take care of himself for years to come because MAO intends to wrestle for another 50 years and he likes using Matsui as a weapon. Kazusada Higuchi told Matsui to do his best so Higuchi can continue doing his best too.

The match between Konosuke Takeshita and Minoru Suzuki had a little bit of extra gas added to it thanks to developments happening elsewhere this past week. Takeshita will be facing Jon Moxley in AEW soon in a non-title match and if Takeshita wins he will be getting an IWGP World Heavyweight Title shot. Suzuki was aware of that news. The day before this show happened he declared he will beat Takeshita and work his way towards destroying Moxley to take the championship for himself. Suzuki was a tough challenge but Takeshita was able to wear him down to the point of collapse. Suzuki withstood all of the Elbow Strikes and Jumping Knees until one final Elbow Butt put him down for the pinfall. By beating “The King Of Pro Wrestling” today, Takeshita can now boast he is the stronger of the two. A defeated Suzuki admitted he is now just an old man from the Showa era and has nothing else to say about the result.

Matsui isn’t the only person celebrating 30 years in the business this year. Kikutaro and Kuishinbo Kamen have been a vital part of Matsui’s career for a long, long time. The three of them have known each other since they were all wrestling trainees in Yokohama. Matsui ended up getting injured and switched to being a referee. Kikutaro paid tribute to him after the match by impersonating Atsushi Onita. Kamen was rewarded with a championship belt from the match sponsor for being the winner.

There was an unexpected guest accompanying Dick Togo’s team in Match #8. It was Diego! He even helped out by interfering in the match a little bit. Daisuke Sasaki enjoyed teaming with his mentor today but thinks Matsui should make them opponents next time. There are still many moves and other tricks that Sasaki wants to steal from Togo before he can ultimately surpass him. Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda both think seven years is too long a wait for them to wrestle Togo again. They would like to do it every six months. Honda also described Togo as the father of pro wrestling and Matsui is the mother. He himself is not sure if he is being serious or just joking.

Kyohei Wada was the referee for Match #7. To-y made demands at Sanshiro Takagi to raise his salary. Takagi told him he has to ask President Okamoto for that from now on. After the match Matsui presented Wada with a bouquet of flowers to celebrate Wada’s 50 years in the wrestling business. Wada said he wants to continue for another 20 years so Takagi encouraged him to reach his 70th anniversary.

Match #2 had to be restarted over and over because Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata and Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi were all beating each other within seconds. Eventually they all collapsed onto each other in a pile and Matsui counted the pinfall for all of them, resulting in a draw. Although in the ring it was announced that they were all winners.

Keiko Takaeshita, the mother of Konosuke, was welcomed into the ring to greet everyone at the start of the show. She Clotheslined Matsui and finished the show’s opening call.


Kamiuku Teaming With Kong, Smile Squash Revival Continues, Sanshiro Vs Sasadango One Match Show

May 17, 2024

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 18/05/2024
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. 3 Way Match: Suzume Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Shino Suzuki
2. Arisu Endo, Kaya Toribami & Chika Nanase Vs Raku, Moka Miyamoto & Uta Takami
3. Nao Kakuta Vs Runa Okubo
4. Shoko Nakajima & Haru Kazashiro Vs Mizuki & Pom Harajuku
5. Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi & HIMAWARI Vs Maki Itoh, Yuki Aino & Toga
6. Queen Of Asia Title & VPW Women’s Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c/c) Vs Alexis Lee

Tomorrow’s show has to change a few matches because Kira Summer will be absent due to family circumstances.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 25/05/2024
Kanagawa Fujisawa City Shonandai Cultural Center

1. Aja Kong & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Rika Tatsumi & Moka Miyamoto

When Tokyo Joshi Pro heads over to Yuki Kamifuku’s neck of the woods next week, she’ll be teaming up with Aja Kong! The two wrestlers paired up to face them are Rika Tatsumi & Moka Miyamoto.

Mizuki will be wrestling at a SETUP show in Thailand on the same day so she will be missing this show.

BASARA “BASARA 249 ~UTAGE~”, 28/05/2024
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Ryuichi Sekine, Fuminori Abe & Gaia Hox Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Yasu Urano
2. Isami Kodaka, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs Lil’ Kraken, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. SAGAT Vs Gouma Ryu
4. Iron Fist Tag Team Titles: Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster
5. Union MAX Title: Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Daichi Kazato

Results for SAGAT have been going up and down recently in BASARA. If he is on a downslope then this can be Gouma Ryu’s best chance to beat him in a singles match.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 05/06/2024
Shinjuku FACE

1. Daisuke Kiso Referee 14th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs To-y & Yuni
2. CDK 5th Anniversary Match ~ Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
3. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON &MJ Paul (c) Vs HARASHIMA, Akito & Yasu Urano

Smile Squash has been revived in a bid to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles for the first time. Akito has held the belts before but HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano both have not. They defeated DAMNATION T.A in a non-title match yesterday so put out the challenge for a rematch with the titles on the line.

DDT “SANSHIRO TAKAGI VS SUPER SASADANGO MACHINE ONE MATCH EVENT”, 26/06/2024
Shinjuku FACE

1. Special Single Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Super Sasadango Machine

As we get ever closer towards Sanshiro Takagi’s break from wrestling in matches, Super Sasadango Machine has emerged asking to wrestle him one on one. In order to fit the match into Takagi’s busy schedule the bout will take place as a one match show held inside Shinjuku FACE. If that is not enough of a unique selling point, there are going to be 50 types of tickets and seating options that will be put on sale for the show.


DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2” Results

May 17, 2024

DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2”, 17/05/2024
Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
346 Fans

1. HARASHIMA & Keigo Nakamura defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when Nakamura pinned Ishida with the Diving Headbutt (11:47).
2. Shinobazu Pond Elimination Match: Toru Owashi & Akito defeated MAO & To-y when Akito eliminated MAO & To-y by Ring Out (7:57).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul defeated Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Makoto Oishi when Sasaki submitted Oishi with the Crossface Lock (8:42).
4. Chris Brookes defeated Yuya Koroku with a Heel Hook (12:00).
5. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino defeated Yuki Ueno & Kazuki Hirata when Iino pinned Hirata with the Spear (12:37).
6. Danshoku Dieno Birthday Eve Commemorative Match ~ Danshoku Dieno Succession Match: Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada after the Danshoku Driver from Danshoku Dieno (12:02). (Special Referee: Danshoku Dieno)
7. DDT Extreme Title – Leave History Behind!! 3 Round Pokkiri Strategy Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) (2) defeated Antonio Honda (1).
7a. 1 Count Fall Wasabi Cream Puff Death Match: Antonio Honda defeated Shunma Katsumata (5:17).
7b. Scramble Bunkhouse Bra Hunt Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Antonio Honda when Katsumata put on the Bra (6:49).
7c. 2 Count Fall Only Match: Shunma Katsumata defeated Antonio Honda with a Backward Rolling Cradle (5:00).
*V3 for Shunma Katsumata.

The early summer edition of DDT’s beer garden shows ended with Yuki Ueno calling out Sanshiro Takagi and telling him he wants to defend the KO-D Openweight Title against him. Takagi wants the same and already had a contract for the match written up so it can take place as soon as possible. The title match will take place in Shinjuku FACE on 5th June. That is a few days after Takagi is no longer the president of CyberFight so he will be free to fight Ueno with less responsibilities to worry about. The two shared a toast to celebrate until Takagi gave Ueno the Stunner. Ueno said he is looking forward to the match because even though DDT is changing, he is still here.

Three falls consisting of random rules determined who was leaving today as the DDT Extreme Champion. The 1st fall was a Wasabi Cream Puff Death Match. When you pinned your opponent for a 1 Count, the opponent’s second at ringside would have to pick a cream puff and eat it. If the puff contained wasabi then the round would end. Antonio Honda ended up winning the fall when To-y ate the wasabi puff. The 2nd Fall was a Scramble Bunkhouse Bra Hunt Match. Honda and Shunma Katsumata had to race down to the ring and be the first one to put on a bra. Honda used Gongitsune to slow down Katsumata. He got his hands on a bra first but struggled for too long. Katsumata got his own bra and wore it before Honda could to even the score. The final deciding fall could only be won with a 2 Count Pinfall. Katsumata came out on top and used a Backwards Rolling Cradle to win the match and defend his championship.

Katsumata already knows where he will defend the title next. It will be at the Aqua Yukari sauna in Chiba on 21st June. He called out for anyone to challenge him on the date. He ended up getting three challengers. Yukio Naya, To-y and Illusion all entered the ring demanding to be in the match. Katsumata agreed to defend the title against all of them in a Falls Count Anywhere Survival 4 Way match at the sauna.

Since tomorrow is Danshoku Dieno’s birthday he felt it is time for him to find a successor. He officiated a match between Takeshi Masada and Kazuma Sumi with the intention to pass down his gimmick to the winner. He encouraged and then later forced the two participants to wrestle like he does. Neither Masada nor Sumi wanted to win and both tried to throw the match to each other. Eventually Sumi decided to go along with the idea when he gave Masada the Danshoku Driver for a nearfall. He then gave Masada the Lip Lock and left him for Dieno to do the real Danshoku Driver. Sumi pinned him afterward and Dieno counted the fall. The match was immediately followed by a press conference where Dieno announced Sumi will now be called Danshoku Dieno II! He changed into Dieno’s wrestling tights and ran around giving everyone Lip Locks to celebrate. However a couple of hours after the show DDT announced that Dieno II had changed his mind and will go back to being Kazuma Sumi.

The stage in Ueno Park’s theater features a small pool area in front of it. For Match #2 the wrestlers agreed to have a Pond Elimination match where the first team to get both of their opponents out of the pond at the same time would win. Toru Owashi got close to eliminating both MAO & To-y with a Double Headscissors Takeover. He was able to go through with it when Akito pushed all three of them out of the pool to win.

A press conference was held at the start of the show featuring the four semi-finalists of this year’s King Of DDT. MAO said he is two wins away from winning the tournament and therefore three wins away from becoming the KO-D Champion. He not only has momentum but also a mysterious power that will make him win the whole thing. Kazusada Higuchi simply reminded everyone he is taking things one match at a time and wants to focus on beating MAO. Chris Brookes said he can beat Daisuke Sasaki in a fair fight but Sasaki likes to cheat. Brookes knows how to cheat too so he requested their bout be turned into a No DQ Match. Sasaki agreed to it and called for Hisaya Imabayashi to make it happen.


DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 1” Results

May 16, 2024

DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 1”, 16/05/2024
Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
298 Fans

1. 3 Way Match: Keigo Nakamura defeated Soma Takao and Ilusion when Nakamura pinned Ilusion with a Modified Crucifix Pin (7:49).
2. Sanshiro Takagi & Jun Akiyama defeated Yukio Naya & Kazuma Sumi when Takagi pinned Sumi with the Sit Down Himawari Bomb (7:42).
3. Early Summer Beer Garden Specialty NG Behaviour Penalty Match: Shunma Katsumata, Toru Owashi & Makoto Oishi defeated Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku when Iino was Disqualified for doing 3 NG acts (9:12).
4. Early Summer Beer Garden Specialty Doki Doki! Special Rules Match – 1 Count Fall Rules: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata when Takanashi pinned Hirata with a Cradle (0:39).
4a. Rematch – Falls Count Anywhere 1,000 Count Death Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata when Brookes pinned Hirata (66:03).
5. Smile Squash Vs DAMNATION T.A!: HARASHIMA, Yasu Urano & Akito defeated Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul when Akito pinned KANON with a Stepover Toe Hold (12:52).
6. Yuki Ishida Return Match ~ The 37KAMIINA Vs Harimao!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & To-y defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida when To-y pinned Ishida with the Kojima Impact (21:00).

Today was the return of Yuki Ishida to the ring after having a lower back injury that took him out for half a year. His team lost and he took the fall in the main event but that did not spoil the big news he announced after the show. Starting on 20th May he will be working for a sumo entertainment company called SUMO Agency and he’ll be relocating to Osaka to be part of a sumo show targeted towards foreign tourists. This new job means he will only be able to wrestle for DDT once or twice a month. He wanted to return to his roots in order to shine brighter and bring whatever momentum he makes back to DDT.

The Smile Squash revival is going to stick around a little while longer. After the trio defeated DAMNATION T.A in a non-title match Akito realized that Smile Squash never held the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles together. He made the challenge for a title shot, HARASHIMA agreed because he never held that championship before and Yasu Urano is joining along so he can get more DDT bookings. During the match itself Smile Squash almost gained a new member. They encouraged KANON to join them because he has a nice smile. He jumped sides until Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul force fed him beer to turn him back to his, er, normal self.

There was a secret special rule applied to Match #4. It took everyone under a minute to discover the rule was 1 Count Pinfalls when Masahiro Takanashi pinned Kazuki Hirata and immediately won the match. Hirata demanded a rematch and this time the winning team would be whichever one scores a combined total of 1,000 counts from pinfalls, countouts and DQ counts! CDK agreed and restarted the match. The total count went up to 34 when both teams fought too far away from the venue to follow so the show continued without them. They reappeared after the main event where the count was somewhere in the late 900s. The main eventers were still in the ring so Danshoku Dieno decided to give Ishida a Lip Lock just because. Ishida remained involved and hit Hirata with the Flame Palm. CDK then piled on top of them to score the 1,000th pin count and win the match.

Match #3 also had a rule built around secret. The referees determined that every wrestler would have one move or action be deemed NG or No Good for the match. If a wrestler performed a No Good action they would be sent off to the penalty area up in the balcony. They would only be allowed back in the match if one of their partners also did a No Good move and had to replace them in the penalty area. But if someone did a No Good move three times their team would be disqualified. The wrestlers were not told what the banned moves were so it was up to them to figure it out as the match went on. Yuki Iino was immediately sent off for shouting “BURNING!”. Shunma Katsumata was sent off for doing the NeppoWER pose. Toru Owashi was sent off for doing a Horizontal Chop. Makoto Oishi was sent off for clapping. Tetsuya Endo was sent off for doing a Swan Dive move. Yuya Koroku was sent off for doing a Brainbuster. In the end Iino was disqualified for saying “BURNING!” three times. He ended up getting confused which caused him to say “BURNING!” and “NeppoWER!” over and over.

Both Sanshiro Takagi and Akito didn’t let their CyberFight demotions ruin their wrestling performances. They both won their matches today. Takagi told the fans he will continue to be in charge of DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro from his new Vice President position. Really the only problem he has to deal with is his Big President merch is now inaccurate and he will need to make a replacement shirt.

Takagi was also challenged to a singles match by Super Sasadango Machine. He was surprised to hear the earlier news about Takagi and felt there is limited time for them to have one more match together before Takagi takes a break from being a wrestler. Takagi’s schedule was full until Sasadango came up with an idea. Their match will be on a one-match show at Shinjuku FACE on 26th June! Fifty unique types of ticket deals for the show will be made available with more to be added if there is demand.


CyberFight Announces New Organisational Structure

May 16, 2024

A press conference was held today by CyberFight to announce an upcoming change in company structure along with other news regarding their wrestling promotions. The big announcement is the appointment of Yasuo Okamoto as CyberFight’s new president from 1st June onwards. Okamoto began working for CyberAgent in 2000 and is currently an Executive Vice President, a role he’s had since 2020. Sanshiro Takagi will be moving down to EVP under his real name Tadashi Takagi (he is also slightly changing the spelling of his wrestling name from 高木三四郎 to 髙木三四郎) Takagi said he will be taking a break as a pro wrestler in July in order to focus on management as well as to take care of his own health. He will continue to be in charge of DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro under this direction. On the NOAH side Naomichi Marufuji and Akihiro Takeda remain in their roles as EVP and Director respectively. Akito Nishigaki (aka Akito) will also now serve as a director. Takagi assures fans that the in-ring products for each company is not going to change.

Okamoto joked that when he received the offer for this role he was happy because he now gets to call pro wrestling his job. He already watches the different CyberFight promotions on ABEMA and Wrestle Universe. He also thanked Takagi for all of his hard work in running all three companies up to now. His goal is for everyone to work together in order to make CyberFight the number one wrestling organisation in the industry. His first target is to strengthen the relationship between NOAH and WWE. At the moment WWE shows air in Japan on ABEMA along with NOAH. There is nothing official to announce yet but they are working on having one in the near future. CyberFight is also currently finalizing deals for new corporate sponsors and would like to increase the number of sponsors from time to time. ABEMA streams NOAH programming and there is hope for DDT and TJPW to return to the service with broadcasts of their own big events.

NOAH have signed Ulka Sasaki and EITA to the company. Sasaki is a former MMA fighter who began wrestling for NOAH this past January. His goal is to become the GHC Heavyweight Champion. Takeda made a phone call to EITA at the press conference to announce the news of his signing. EITA told fans through the phone that he will continue to stir up NOAH as the ace of their Jr. Heavyweight division. NOAH also announced they have hired Keiji Muto as their new scouting advisor. Until now he was working as a Pro Wrestling Ambassador for ABEMA. Muto said every company right now is out there looking for new talented people and if any young people are interested they should get in contact with NOAH. Salaries are increasing and Muto heard stories about how Kazuchika Okada could be earning up to 2 billion yen over the next three years. He told Okamoto he would like to see him create a budget for the company that will look three to five years into the future. Muto also mentioned an idea to recruit new trainees from other countries, not just Japan.

Later this month DDT will be holding auditions for male teenagers aged 15 to 19 years old looking to become wrestling trainees. DDT is also setting up a new community project with Masahiro Chono called Safety Task Force (STF, get it?). Together they will hold small scale wrestling events to raise awareness for health disaster prevention and other lifesaving countermeasures. Chono sent in a video message telling DDT he does not want this project to be done half-heartedly.

Tokyo Joshi Pro will be increasing their international schedule over the next year in a bid to go global. On 24th August they will be in England holding an inter-promotional event with EVE. That is happening the same weekend as AEW’s return to Wembley in London. Then in November TJPW is planning to have a show in Seattle, USA. Finally, TJPW confirmed they will be in Las Vegas next April for their annual appearance at WrestleMania Week.

———————————————————————–

The WWE part of that news sent a chill down the spine, didn’t it? There is already a little connection between them and NOAH through ABEMA. Looks like it’s about to grow. That has me concerned over just how far that direction can go and if it causes any side effects elsewhere. Takagi moving down a management tier isn’t getting me hopeful either but some of that is just time doing its thing. He’s spoken before about it being time for him to start looking for potential successors and getting them ready for the job. Is that going to be Akito because I think he has just been demoted from EVP to director, unless I missed that happening somewhere already a while ago. I don’t have any feelings towards Okamoto being the new president. Not thrilled with the WWE idea but I’m not going to immediately bash the guy over it.

Muto was never really gone from NOAH so his reappearance in the company is no surprise. He’s the one you have to watch out for when it comes to serving personal goals over company goals. The DDT news I’m indifferent too. They’re happy with how they get rookies and will continue down that path. The international TJPW shows are all good news. I’ll be in London for AEW so will go to the EVE x TJPW show the night before (unless Revolution Pro put out an unbelievable lineup). I’m also going to Vegas for Mania next year just to experience what the strip will look like swarmed by 60,000+ wrestling fans so you’ll be sure to see me at the TJPW show too. It’s a little odd they did not announce anything for DDT at the same time but I think it’s just because they wanted to include a TJPW announcement here and this schedule was all they had.

So yeah let’s hope the WWE stuff becomes minimal. If not then please look forward to “Main Event” Jey Uso fighting Yoshitatsu in Match #4 on a Shinjuku FACE card while The Up Up Girls get the Def Rebel remix treatment. Yeet.


3 Round Strategy, King Of DDT Final 4, GanPro At The Boat Race

May 13, 2024

DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2”, 17/05/2024
Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage

1. Chris Brookes Vs Yuya Koroku
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs HARASHIMA & Keigo Nakamura
3. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul Vs Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Makoto Oishi
4. MAO & To-y Vs Toru Owashi & Akito
5. Danshoku Dieno Birthday Eve Commemorative Match ~ Special 3 Way Match: Takeshi Masada Vs Kazuma Sumi (Special Referee: Danshoku Dieno)
6. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Yuki Ueno & Kazuki Hirata
7. DDT Extreme Title – Leave History Behind!! 3 Round Pokkiri Strategy Match: Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Antonio Honda

The DDT Extreme Title will be defended in a Best 2-Out-Of-3 Rounds match. Each round will have different rules or stipulations based on the ideas of both Shunma Katsumata and Antonio Honda. What those rules are we will not know until the show takes place. Katsumata likes to gamble which is why he is letting Honda decide on some of the rules. Honda can come up with something that will put Katsumata at a disadvantage but the champion thinks that is one reason why wrestling is so exciting. It does not even have to be a big rule change. The way Honda describes it, a small item can fall into a river and flow all the way into the ocean.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 18/05/2024
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Nao Kakuta Vs Runa Okubo
2. Shoko Nakajima & Haru Kazashiro Vs Mizuki & Pom Harajuku
3. Arisu Endo, Kaya Toribami & Chika Nanase Vs Raku, Shino Suzuki & Uta Takami
4. Suzume & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Moka Miyamoto & Kira Summer
5. Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi & HIMAWARI Vs Maki Itoh, Yuki Aino & Toga
6. Queen Of Asia Title & VPW Women’s Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c/c) Vs Alexis Lee

Next month’s Korakuen Hall show has a Princess Of Princess Title match already booked but I’m struggling to see who could be next to challenge for either the Princess Tag Team Titles or the International Princess Title. Maybe we will find out one of them here.

DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ FINAL!!”, 26/05/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

0. Dark Match: Yuni & Keigo Nakamura Vs Ilusion & Kazuma Sumi
1. 3 Way Tag Match: Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi Vs Yukio Naya & Takeshi Masada
2. KANON & MJ Paul Vs HARASHIMA & Akito
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Shuji Ishikawa & Masahiro Takanashi
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
5. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final: MAO Vs Kazusada Higuchi
6. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Semi Final: Chris Brookes Vs Daisuke Sasaki
7. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Final: X Vs X

We’re left with a pretty good final four in the King Of DDT this year. Either MAO, Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes or Daisuke Sasaki is going to take the crown. While the winner will certainly get a KO-D Openweight Title shot down the line, it looks like Yuki Ueno wants to defend it against Sanshiro Takagi first. Those two being in the same match on the show suggests we’re about to get a payoff to that.

BASARA “BASARA 249 ~UTAGE~”, 28/05/2024
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Iron Fist Tag Team Titles: Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster
2. Union MAX Title: Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Daichi Kazato

A big match coming up for Daichi Kazato. He got over his setback from two weeks ago to become the No. 1 Contender for the Union MAX Title. He’s been all heart on the path to becoming champion which means Minoru Fujita knows it will take a lot to beat him. It is be a battle that will end in heartbreak for one of them.

GANBARE☆PRO “BOAT RACE G1 TODA PRIMROSE”, 01/06/2024
Saitama Boat Race Toda

1. Gabai Ji-chan & HARUKAZE Vs Yuna Manase & YuuRI
2. Choun-Shiryu & Shota Kawakami Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. Ken Ohka & Rekka Vs Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Yumehito Imanari
4. Aja Kong, Shuichiro Katsumura & Mizuki Watase Vs Keisuke Ishii, Shinichiro Tominaga & Kouki Iwasaki

One of the first business plans Ganbare☆Pro put together when they went independent was to work with a boat racing event in Saitama. It is the same event DDT had done similar work with in the past. GanPro will be providing five matches on the day. The plan is to have one match take place in between every race starting from the fifth race onwards. Aja Kong is the big guest GanPro is bringing in for the event.


DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ 2ND ROUND” Results

May 11, 2024

DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ 2ND ROUND”, 11/05/2024
Yokohama Radiant Hall
270 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. 3 Way Tag Match: Yuki Iino & Akito defeated KANON & MJ Paul and Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao when Akito submitted Hirata with the Ankle Lock (9:31).
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Poison Sawada JULIE, JARASHIMA & Danshoku Dieno defeated Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi when JULIE submitted Sumi with the Cattle Mutilation (8:45).
3. Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata defeated Yukio Naya & Keigo Nakamura when Katsumata pinned Nakamura with the Totonou Splash (12:23).
4. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: Chris Brookes defeated Tetsuya Endo by Referee Stoppage with a Heel Hook (14:58).
5. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Crossover Face Lock (7:18).
6. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Shuji Ishikawa with the Buchikamashi (16:16).
7. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 2: MAO defeated To-y with the Iai Kick (17:36).

Some of the stories built up for this year’s King Of DDT have come to an end in Round 2. To-y was able to make it past the opening round but fell to MAO after a spirited performance against him. He kicked out of the Michinoku Driver II and Senpukyaku. He also did his best to shrug off an Iai Kick but MAO finally kept him down with a second Iai Kick. To-y said he has watched many of MAO’s matches from ringside and when it comes to fighting him he found out MAO is actually ten times stronger. MAO described To-y as a weird guy. He will suddenly go mad then go dead then come back to life and go mad again. Maybe that is the Kojima Wonderland experience.

A battle of the heavyweights was promised when Shuji Ishikawa entered the tournament. Kazusada Higuchi and Yukio Naya both targeted him and had to fight each other for the opportunity to fight Ishikawa next. Higuchi won that match and made the most of his opportunity by beating Ishikawa in Round 2! The match had heavy blows from both guys and Higuchi even kicked out of the Fire Thunder at 1. Ishikawa followed up with the Kamigoye and Running Knee Lift but Higuchi kicked out of them as well. Higuchi then took over with a Throwaway German Suplex and ran over Ishikawa with the Buchikamashi for the victory. Ishikawa praised Higuchi for the win and said he had a great time in the tournament with the exception of losing this match. Higuchi thinks he has not surpassed Ishikawa just yet. The battle between them will continue to move back and forth.

Sanshiro Takagi made a mistake early in his match by accidentally hitting the referee with a Lariat. Daisuke Sasaki took Takagi out of the ring for a fight that involved both of them crashing the Dramatic Dream bike into each other or into MJ Paul. The referee took more bumps leading to more cheating by Sasaki including a Low Blow and a chairshot to the head. Takagi relied on using Stunners to fight back until Sasaki caught him in the Crossover Face Lock, forcing him to give up. Sasaki criticised Takagi for being so satisfied with beating Yuki Ueno in Round 1 that he had no motivation to win today. Backstage Takagi said he is disappointed with the result and is still aiming to get a KO-D Openweight Title shot before he takes his break from wrestling. Ueno told reporters he would like to defend the title against Takagi because he owes him for so much. Even though Takagi has not earned a shot, Ueno wants it to happen in order to express his feelings to Takagi in the ring before it is too late.

An injured heel has ended Tetsuya Endo’s chances of advancing further into the tournament. Even though he was cleared to wrestle today, the heel wasn’t in 100% condition and Chris Brookes knew to target it. Endo still tried some high risk moves but he missed the Burning Star Press. Brookes made him pay for it by hitting a Diving Double Stomp to the foot. He then applied a Heel Hook and the referee had to stop the match when it was clear Endo couldn’t escape it and was at risk of getting even more injured. Endo was angry with the finish because he never gave up. Brookes isn’t sure if he could have won if Endo was at 100%. The news of the injury was all over social media leading up to the show so even if Brookes wanted to ignore it for the sake of having a fair fight he couldn’t.

The show ended with a lottery between the remaining wrestlers to determine who faces who in the semi-finals. It will be MAO Vs Higuchi and Brookes Vs Sasaki on 26th May. Higuchi has lost count of how many times he reached the final four (this will be his 7th time) and knows this is where the biggest walls are blocking him. Brookes said both Higuchi and MAO are strong but Sasaki is not at all. However, Sasaki is sneaky and Brookes would have preferred not to worry about fighting somebody like that next.

Poison Sawada JULIE was up to his old tricks by transforming HARASHIMA into JARASHIMA for one night only!

A contract signing for the next DDT Extreme Title match took place during the show. Shunma Katsumata revealed he will defend the title in a 3 Round Pokkiri Strategy Match against Antonio Honda. It a Best 2 Out Of 3 Round match and each round will use different rules that will be announced before the match begins. Both Katsumata and Honda will come up with rules they want to use. The reason why Honda is also allowed to come up with rules too is because Katsumata likes to gamble and wants to be put in a position where the odds can be against him.