I gathered together a few recent Youtube interviews from DDT & TJPW related figures. I don’t know how often this will be happening so I’ll probably keep future videos to single posts rather than bundling them all together every month.
All Real Wrestling Podcast: Konosuke Takeshita talks DDT pro, AEW, Dream match, Future goals & his love for Cinnabon – ARWP 92
The summer is over and I thought this article would be winding down and become easier to write about for a few months. After all, Konosuke Takeshita is back in Japan for a while so his AEW journey is on a little break. Instead Shota decides to go live in America and get bookings for some of the most obscure indie companies I have ever heard of. I mean some are so out of the way if you bring them up to the people who run IWTV their response would probably be “Who?” But once September and October are done and dusted Takeshita will be heading back to the US with bigger goals in mind. I think it’s too early right now to talk about whether or not he’s going to be one foot out the door with DDT for good. It’s definitely something I’ll have to write about some day, just not today.
So this series might look a little different in the coming months. Joey Janela is carrying the DDT Extreme Title around the world and has a number of defences already lined up. I’ll be keeping track of them here for as long as it goes on. The same will go for the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title if that ever leaves Japan again. So yeah if you’re expecting next month’s post to be about more of Takeshita’s adventures, you’re probably going to get a face full of Shota and Janela instead. However I have a expectation you’ll still see Yuka Sakazaki, Maki Itoh and Miyu Yamashita popping up in AEW every now and then to go along with their North American indie bookings. Did you see that Sakazaki is going to be in the AEW video game? Take that FTR!
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Videos
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 05/08/2022 Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Ryan Nemeth
Video starts at 58:37 for the match WIDE BAY PRO “RAMPAGE”, 06/08/2022 Maryborough State High School, Sussex Street, Maryborough, Australia
AEW “BATTLE OF THE BELTS III”, 06/08/2022 Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
1. ROH World Title: Claudio Castagnoli (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
MAW “SUMMER HEAT”, 07/08/2022 Fat Pants Brewing Company, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs JDX
Video starts at 43:23 for the match JCW “AFTER HOURS 2”, 13/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Billie Starkz
Video starts at 15:08 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 15/08/2022 Target Cente, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Cezar Bononi
Video starts at 36:45 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 22/08/2022 Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, West Virginia, USA
1. Hikaru Shida & Skye Blue Vs Emi Sakura & Maki Itoh
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Results
AEW “BATTLE OF THE BELTS III”, 05/08/2022 (Aired 06/08/2022) Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
1. ROH World Title: Claudio Castagnoli (c) defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Ricola Bomb (19:59). *V1 for Claudio Castagnoli.
Takeshita is now 0 for 2 in World Championship matches during his excursion. He couldn’t win the PWG World Title in July and last month couldn’t beat Claudio Castagnoli for the ROH World Title. It’s another tale of so close but so far for him. He’s putting up the great performances but just not getting those wins when it matters.
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 05/08/2022 Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ryan Nemeth with the Zahi (1:41).
One good thing to happen on the taping was Takeshita’s first win on national TV. Funny thing is this was taped after the ROH Title match but aired on TV the day before. Takeshita wanted to get that one big win on TV before he went back to Japan. Ryan Nemeth isn’t that big win to be honest but hey, it’s a start.
WIDE BAY PRO “RAMPAGE”, 06/08/2022 Maryborough State High School, Sussex Street, Maryborough, Australia
1. Interstate Title: Mitch Ryder (c) (w/ Todd Eastman) defeated Shota Suzuki with the Rope Assisted Piledriver (?:??). *V? for Mitch Ryder.
You’ll notice that Shota will be using the name Shota Suzuki in some places. It’s to avoid people confusing him with Shota Umino. I can tell you myself whenever I tweet about Shota’s excursion I get a few responses from people thinking I’m talking about the Shota from New Japan. Anyway he had the pleasure of being Wide Bay Pro’s first international guest wrestler on their shows. He was hoping to win the Interstate Title from Mitch Ryder and use the belt as his ticket to wrestle in Australia more. Unfortunately Ryder’s manager Todd Eastman got involved and his distraction led to Shota losing to a see-saw Piledriver over the middle rope.
DPW “BELIEVE THE HYPE”, 06/08/2022 Gov. James E. Holshouser Building, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Emi Sakura defeated Mizuki with the Queen’s Gambit (11:02).
2. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Andrew Everett with the Lil Sebastian’s Curse (18:41).
Mixed results on the Deadlock Pro show. The main event had Takeshita beat Andrew Everett in an absolute scorcher of a match. Mizuki’s first match in America ended in a loss to Emi Sakura. The teacher versus student dynamic was on full display. Sakura even got one more dirty reminder after the match by offering a handshake just to attack Mizuki even more. However the fans responded greatly to Mizuki and were happy to hear her shout “I will be back!”
MAW “SUMMER HEAT”, 07/08/2022 Fat Pants Brewing Company, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated JDX with the Lil Sebastian’s Curse (17:38).
I heard about this match happening from a few Discords but couldn’t find info on it until after it took place. Midwest All-Star Wrestling is a regular promotion for JDX (Justin D. Xavier, the D stands for Disgusting). He thought Takeshita was going to look past him because his focus was on the ROH Title match. Instead Takeshita put him through a hard fought match and had his hand raised in the end.
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Cezar Bononi with the Zahi (2:37).
With this win over Cezar Bononi, Takeshita has one more opponent he needs to beat for a clean sweep over The Wingmen. Where you at, Peter Avalon?
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 137: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COPPERHEAD”, 13/08/2022 O2 Academy, Sheffield, England
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Leon Slater with the Zahi (12:17).
Over to England now where Takeshita made his PROGRESS debut. His 17 year old opponent Leon Slater was a replacement for an injured Robbie X. Slater put up a heck of a fight but his big mistake was to try and set up a One Man Spanish Fly off the top rope. Takeshita instead used the stalled time to knock Slater off the turnbuckle with a Lariat and then pin him with the Zahi.
JCW “AFTER HOURS 2”, 13/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Billie Starkz defeated Maki Itoh with the Assault Driver (11:13).
Those cheeky gits at GCW advertised Maki Itoh for both nights of their Homecoming weekend but her match on the first night was with JCW instead. I think she did fan meet and greets during the GCW show so they can probably get away with avoiding accusations of false advertising. Anyway her match against Billie Starkz happened very late at night. She had a busy schedule for the following day.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 138: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COTTONMOUTH”, 14/08/2022 Boiler Shop, Newcastle, England
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Dean Allmark with the Lil Sebastian’s Curse (10:05).
Takeshita’s second day in PROGRESS gave him a far more experienced opponent to deal with in the form of Dean Allmark. He had some tricks up his sleeve like a Headstand Backslide Pin but Takeshita rolled out of it to hit the Zahi for a nearfall. He then hit the Lil Sebastian’s Curse to win. I need to find out if he minds everybody still wanting to call that move the Cinnabomb.
GCW “HOMECOMING PART 2”, 14/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh defeated Dark Sheik with the Flying DDT (10:54).
If there is one thing you need to know about this match it’s this. They did the Top Rope DDT spot from the Dean Malenko Vs Scotty 2 Hotty match that happened at Backlash 2000. It is also where Itoh started using the I.D.S as her new finisher. That wasn’t the end of Itoh’s night. She appeared during the main event segment where Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green renewed their wedding vows. Itoh sang “L.O.V.E.” by Frank Sinatra for the happy couple before Nick Gage came out and crashed the ceremony with a pizza cutter.
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 17/08/2022 (Aired 22/08/2022) Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, West Virginia, USA
1. Emi Sakura & Maki Itoh defeated Hikaru Shida & Skye Blue when Sakura pinned Blue with the Queen’s Gambit (7:15).
Itoh’s latest stay in America ended with another visit to AEW. She teamed with Emi Sakura to beat Hikaru Shida & Skye Blue. Itoh claims Emi Sakura is the newest member of the Itoh Respect Army but Sakura denies this. At least her singing impressed Matt Menard on commentary.
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Upcoming Appearances
EVE “THURSDAY NIGHT RIOT”, 01/09/2022 229 The Venue, London, England
1. Rayne Leverkusen & Harley Hudson Vs Rhia O’Reilly & Nightshade
2. International Princess Title: Alex Windsor (c) Vs Hikari Noa
Later tonight Hikari Noa will challenge Alex Windsor for the International Princess Title in EVE. Noa arrived in London safe and sound during the week and EVE’s Twitter account shows her enjoying the vibrant sights of Camden. This may be TJPW’s only chance to bring the IP Title back home any time soon though. Windsor tweeted her frustrations over how difficult it’s been to get even an appointment with the Japanese embassy so she can travel back to Japan.
The tag match I included here has implications to pay attention to. The winners will get to wrestle for TJPW in Japan sometime in the future. Nightshade has been in TJPW back in 2019. In EVE she sides with Rhia O’Reilly as part of The Uprising stable. O’Reilly is also an accomplished wrestler across the British women’s scene. Their opponents Rayne Leverkusen & Harley Hudson I don’t know much about. Hudson’s biggest profile appearances seem to be with ICW in Scotland and TNT Extreme in Liverpool. Leverkusen I can’t find much info about other than a few recent EVE matches and Youtube videos of other matches across assorted indies.
MPW “ENDANGERED”, 02/09/2022 Nordhoff PL, Chatsworth, California, USA
1. Triple Threat Match: Darwin Finch Vs J2 Vs Shota
Shota’s new American life begins with Millenium Pro Wrestling in California. The promotion has been in existence since 2001. If Shota can beat Darwin Finch and J2 in a Triple Threat match then he will qualifiy for a Scramble match on 9th September that MPW is putting together to celebrate their anniversary.
PWF “ENDANGERED”, 03/09/2022 Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA
1. JJ Blake Vs Shota Suzuki
The next day Shota travels over to Texas for Premier Wrestling Federation. His opponent here JJ Blake recently accomplished the Triple Crown feat in New Texas Pro Wrestling. That has Shota excited to know he is getting a strong opponent for sure.
GCW “THE ART OF WAR”, 03/09/2022 Grand Sports Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA
1. DDT Extreme Title & 6 Pack Of PBR – 2 Ring Ladder Scramble Match: Joey Janela (c) Vs Mike Bailey Vs Tony Deppen Vs Cole Radrick Vs Drago Kid Vs Gringo Loco Vs Dante Leon Vs Shane Mercer
Yeah this is nuts. Janela’s first Extreme Title defence in America will be in one of GCW’s craziest match stipulations. GCW loves Scramble matches. They are also doing their own Wargames match this weekend so will have two rings set up beside each other. Add in ladders along with a Pabst Blue Ribbon sponsorship and you got yourselves a 2 Ring Ladder Scramble Match! That’s not all, Janela is putting himself up against an entire deck full of wild cards. Mike Bailey needs no introduction, Tony Deppen can be unpredictable at times, Cole Radrick is becoming more of a deathmatch wrestler as the months go by, Drago Kid blew everyone’s minds in his previous GCW appearances, Gringo Loco has built up the reputation of being one of the best bases currently on the indies, Dante Leon is the kind of guy who benefits from that and Shane Mercer is an absolute powerhouse who leaves destruction in his wake.
JCW “UNCENSORED”, 10/09/2022 Boonton Elks Lodge, Boonton, New Jersey, USA
1. DDT Extreme Title – Bodyslam Challenge: Joey Janela (c) Vs Beastman
If Janela can somehow crawl out of the chaos mentioned above, he will put the title on the line next against Beastman on a JCW show. The stipulation here is a lot more basic. First wrestler to Body Slam their opponent wins. Beastman has the size advantage in this one.
ROW “TEXAS GOLD RUSH”, 10/09/2022 Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA
1. Shota Vs Ayden Cristiano
Shota’s heading back over to Reality Of Wrestling. This time around his opponent is “The Madman From Madrid” Ayden Cristiano.
NEW “YEAR ONE ANNIVERSARY”, 16/09/2022 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada
1. Maki Itoh Vs Gisele Shaw
Canada prepare yourselves for Maki Itoh. She will wrestle for the first time on Canadian soil for Nation Extreme Wrestling. Her opponent is Gisele Shaw who is coming in as a replacement for Chelsea Green due to scheduling conflicts with the latter. Shaw wrestle twice for TJPW in 2019 including the match to crown the first ever IP Champion. This will be her first in-ring meeting with Itoh.
PRESTIGE “PERSEVERANCE”, 17/09/2022 The Glass House, Pomona, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Sandra Moone
2. Trish Adora Vs Miyu Yamashita
I said it last month that Miyu Yamashita against somebody like Trish Adora would be an attention grabber. There you go.
MISSION PRO “Welcome To The Jungle”, 17/09/2022 Salvation Army Mission Corps, San Antonio, Texas, USA
1. Shota Vs JP Harlow
Mission Pro is Thunder Rosa’s promotion, right? Shota’s just ticking off all of the Texas companies from the get go. If he wasn’t going to bump into JP Harlow at ROW it was only a matter of time he would find him here I guess.
FRONTLINE PRO “A NIGHT FOR TYLER V”, 24/09/2022 Bakerville Bar And Grill, Marshfield, Wisconsin, USA
1. Shota Vs Ragnar The Ruthless
One week later Shota heads to Wisconsin for Frontline Pro. For fuck sake lads I have to trawl through Facebook to find out what this is and where Ragnar The Ruthless comes from.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 142: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN SNAKE”, 25/09/2022 O2 Academy, Birmingham, England
1. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
2. Shigehiro Irie Vs X
Shigehiro Irie will be at Progress the same weekend CDK are there.
PROGRESS “RETURN OF THE FLY”, 27/09/2022 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. Shigehiro Irie Vs X
2. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
Let’s include Irie here too.
MDRN NMD “I SPELL F-L-Y”, 29/09/2022 The Bread Shed, Grosvenor St. , Manchester, England
1. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs LK Mezinger & Splits McPins
2. Shigehiro Irie Vs Dan Moloney
Before the entire UK scene fell apart there was a little series of shows called Tuesday Night Graps put together by a group of wrestlers including Chris Brookes. After the pandemic the shows came back under a new group called Modern Nomad Pro Wrestling and this time there’s no need to run shows every Tuesday. Is Masahiro Takanashi into bowling because CDK takes on Bowl-A-Rama in tag team action. Irie gets to take on Dan Moloney in a superfight.
WXW “INNER CIRCLE”, 30/09/2022 wXw Wrestling Academy, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
1. Masha Slamovich Vs Fuminori Abe
The day before the World Tag Team Festival tournament begins, wXw will be holding a smaller scale show inside their wrestling school. They are always a good appetizer to start their big international weekends with some unique matches put together. Like this one here, Fuminori Abe being thrown into the ring against Masha Slamovich!
WXW “WORLD TAG TEAM FESTIVAL 2022”, 01/10/2022 – 03/10/2022 Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany
1. World Tag Team Festival 2022: Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie Vs X
2. World Tag Team Festival 2022: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
We just have to wait and see how both CDK and Abe & Irie will do in the tournament.
EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM V”, 13/11/2022 229 The Venue, London, England
1. Hyper Misao Vs X
Yeah so this was announced back in July and I completely forgot about it until now. Whoops. Hyper Misao’s going to England!
PW REVOLUTION/WEST COAST PRO “KING OF INDIES 2022”, 19/11/2022 United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco, California, USA
1. King Of Indies 2022: Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
There is a tournament in the American independents that holds almost a mythical reputation even if it does not attract the attention of wrestling fans the same way Battle Of Los Angeles, Tournament Of Death or King Of Trios all used to. The King Of Indies tournament originated in the early 2000s with All Pro Wrestling as the hosts. The 2001 edition is well known as being an inspiration towards the creation of Ring Of Honor. The tournament was revived in 2018 with Pro Wrestling Revolution taking the reigns and this year Takeshita gets to add his name to the tournament’s history book. He won’t be the only Japanese participant because Naomichi Marufuji from NOAH will be there along with SB Kento and La Estrella from DRAGONGATE.
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Kazuki Hirata
2. Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Chris Brookes
3. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
4. Naomi Yoshimura & Makoto Oishi Vs HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi
5. Tetsuya Endo Vs Takeshi Masada
6. Shinjuku Specialty Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Asuka Vs Joey Janela & Akito
7. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Toi Kojima
DDT are not wasting any time kicking off their programs for the next Korakuen Hall show. Kazusada Higuchi and Konosuke Takeshita are squaring off, bringing Yuki Ishida and Toi Kojima along with them. The DDT Universal Champion and DDT Extreme Champion are in the same match when Yuki Ueno teams with Asuka while Joey Janela has to get along with the Akito, the man he beat to win the Extreme Title in the first place. Tetsuya Endo is back to square one but gets his first match with the rookie Takeshi Masada. All that plus preview matches for the upcoming KO-D Tag Team Titles and KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles bouts.
GANBARE☆PRO “TOKOROZAWA PARK TOWN SHOPPING STREET 2022”, 27/08/2022 Saitama Tokorozawa Park Town Shopping Street Special
1. GanJo Special 6-Woman Tag Match In Park Town Shopping District: Yuna Manase, Kakeru Sekiguchi & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
2. Eternal Rebellious Period And Late Rebellious Period vs Ishii’s Allied Tag Team: Yumehito Imanari & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Gota Ihashi & Kouki Iwasaki
3. ROMANCE DAWN Vs Super Beast Of The World & Hentai Of Toyama: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Aja Kong & Shinichiro Tominaga
4. Fresh Ariyama Presents Special 6-Man Tag Match: Ken Ohka, Shuichiro Katsumura & Keisuke Ishii Vs Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Mizuki Watase & SAGAT
This is one heck of a farewell match for Shota. One last sail for ROMANCE DAWN before he heads off to America and they’re facing Aja Kong! Add Shinichiro Tominaga to the mix and it is a tricky match for Shota & Soma Takao to figure out.
This is an outdoor show so bad weather on the day could cause it to get cancelled.
MUSCLE “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 7 ~IT’S STILL SUMMER ON THE KOSHU KAIDO~”, 07/09/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
It was announced today that the DDT General Manager Hisaya Imabayashi will be leaving his job at CyberFight at the end of the year due to family reasons. His parents live in Fukuoka and he is spending more to take care of them. The amount of time needed to travel from Tokyo to Fukuoka on a regular basis makes it difficult to continue his full time responsibilities with CyberFight. However he will continue to appear in DDT from time to time and has not made a decision yet on whether or not to keep his GM role.
In response to this news Muscle Sakai decided that next month’s series of Hiragana Muscle performances will be the last for the brand. The Muscle name may come back in the future (they still have a date for 2030 on the schedule) in a new form. It is all up to Sakai and whatever new ideas he can come up with.
DDT “JAPAN BAKERY MARKETING PRESENTS KONOSUKE TAKESHITA 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~NISHINARI BAY BLUES~”, 10/09/2022 Osaka Nishinari Kumin Center
1. MJ Paul & KANON Vs Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Staggered Entre Battle Royal: Toru Owashi (c) Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Koroku Vs Akito Vs Makoto Oishi Vs Soma Takao Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Saki Akai Vs Yuki Ishida Vs Ilusion Vs El Unicorn
3. Yasu Urano, Antonio Honda & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Super Sasadango Machine & X
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs Brahmin Brothers: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Brahman Shu, Brahman Kei & Brahman Sanshiro
5. Tokyo Joshi Pro 3 Way Tag Offer Match: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Miu Watanabe & Arisu Endo
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yukio Naya Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuji Hino
7. Special Tag Match ~ Sakuya Konohana Tag Vs CCK!: Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno Vs Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos
8. Nobuyuki Onizawa’s Ochakan Radio Presents Special Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki
9. Japan Bakery Marketing Co., Ltd. Presents Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Daisuke Sasaki
The semi-main event has more intrigue added to it now that Shinya Aoki possesses the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere NFT. He was able to set up an account and DDT successfully transferred the NFT over to it. However he now has to defend it in every match he is a part of until he cashes in the title shot. Minoru Suzuki or Yukio Sakaguchi could suddenly find themselves with the perfect shortcut towards becoming champion if they directly beat Aoki.
Kid Lykos is the newest guest coming over to DDT! The British wrestler is best known for being Chris Brookes’ partner in crime when they teamed together across the world as CCK. The team went away when Lykos retired due to injuries and Brookes moved to Japan to work for DDT. But Lykos came back and the time is now to revive the Calamari Catch Kings and bring back some sick f’n tag moves! He will be in DDT for the 10th and 13th September shows.
DDT “WHO’S GONNA TOP? 2022 TOUR IS ASAKUSA”, 13/09/2022 Tokyo Asakusa Hanayashi Theater
0. Dark Match ~ Nariagari Offer Match: Tawaramachi Kid Jr. & Super Nikuyaki Machine Vs Sumo Ninja Kyu & Tadaki Toronomi
1. Asakusa Specialty Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Makoto Oishi & Yoshihiko
Makoto Oishi is bringing in Yoshihiko to take on ShunMao!
Nariagari is a amateur indie wrestling group that was created by Danshoku Dieno back in 2019. He wanted to find regular people who had suffered broken dreams at least once in their lives (but no more than five) and train them to wrestle. It is a project separate from DDT which is why there has barely been any crossover between the two entities.
Comedian Koriki Choshu will be at the show. The gimmick is he impersonates Riki Choshu. I don’t even want to know how long ago it was when I first saw that “Night Of Fire” music video he did.
DDT “WHO’S GONNA TOP? 2022”, 25/09/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Cara Noir
2. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Higuchi walked out of Ota Ward Gymnasium still the KO-D Openweight Champion but he already set his sights on his next opponent. He feels the need to beat Takeshita because Takeshita was the symbol of DDT’s strength before he began his overseas excursion. Higuchi cannot tell if he has become a true champion after beating Endo, but he definitely feels like he is currently the champion of DDT.
Yuki Ueno declared his goal as Universal Champion is to defend the title in the countries of challengers he has beaten. For example he would like to do a title defence in Thailand because Masahiro Takanashi often associates himself with that country. Another example is Ueno going to the UK after he beats Cara Noir. The British wrestler will be competing in Japan for the first time this month. He will get a match in DDT on 18th September as well as the title shot against Ueno on the 25th.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”, 09/10/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall
1. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki
Max The Impaler is coming back to Japan for this show! They left a big impression on Tokyo Joshi Pro earlier this month so there is already anticipation for their return.
DDT “NEVER MIND 2022”, 29/12/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall
DDT ends the year of their 25th Anniversary with a first time show in Tokyo Dome City Hall. They appointed LiLiCo to be the special ambassador for the event and she proposed DDT will give full ticket refunds to anyone who finds the show boring. She is also trying to convince DDT to let her take part in an Anal Explosion ceremony.
GANBARE☆PRO “SANGERIA 2022”, 21/08/2022 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center 114 Fans
1. GanPro Specialty Special Mixed Tag Match: MAO & HARUKAZE defeated Onryo & YuuRI when HARUKAZE pinned YuuRI with the Flame Spear (11:27).
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: Yuna Manase & Moeka Haruhi defeated Nao Kakuta & Yoshiko Hasegawa when Manase submitted Hasegawa with a Crab Hold (10:34).
3. Australia Vs Toyama Full-Scale Battle: Hartley Jackson defeated Shinichiro Tominaga with the Jumping Piledriver (9:34).
4. Sangeria 2022 Special Single Match: Keisuke Ishii defeated Shota with the Kneel Kick (13:55).
5. GanPro Special 6-Man Tag Match: Ken Ohka, Shuichiro Katsumura & Soma Takao defeated Kouki Iwasaki, Mizuki Watase & Nobuihiro Shimatani when Ohka pinned Shimatani with the Flame Spear (18:55).
The show began with a contract signing for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title match on 3rd September. Yumehito Imanari signed the contract first after Hartley Jackson warned him the neck injury he is currently recovering from should not be taken lightly. When Jackson added his signature, the two of them exchanged words. Imanari said he’s been listening to “Lose Yourself” by Eminem everyday to find inspiration to beat his challenger. Jackson may have become a bad guy in order to get the title shot but if he pushes Imanari too far, Imanari’s bad side might show itself in the match too. The two of them then started arguing about beer and who is going to be celebrating their victory with drinks. Jackson then warned Imanari about Shinichiro Tominaga, telling him in action movies the hero’s best friend usually dies first.
Jackson went on to beat Tominaga later in the show while Imanari was standing in his friend’s corner. Jackson reminded Imanari after the match that sometimes you have to become the bad guy to get what you want. Jackson would have liked to be a well behaved foreign wrestler in Japan but screw that! Now he just wants to win the Spirit Of Ganbare Title and drink all of Imanari’s beer! Imanari admits that this match will be nothing like his title defence against Shigehiro Irie. He can sense a weakness in Jackson, perhaps he is self-conscious that he isn’t on the level of Stan Hansen or Brusier Brody.
Shota’s final match in Ganbare☆Pro before his American excursion will happen on 27th August. He’s been spending his time polishing up his abilities here in Ganpro as well as in other indie promotions. He now feels confident he is ready to go on his excursion and show everyone he will take multiple steps forward as a pro wrestler.
DDT “JOEY JANELA VS YOSHIHIKO”, 17/08/2022 Somewhere In Chiba 0 Fans
1. Falls Count Anywhere In The Prefecture: Joey Janela Vs Yoshihiko
The impromptu match between Joey Janela and Yoshihiko was not certified by DDT. Therefore it does not count as a DDT Extreme Title defence despite Janela and Yoshihiko’s agreement to treat it as one.
GANBARE☆PRO “ULTRA SOUL 2022”, 13/08/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 313 Fans
1. Yoshiko Hasegawa Re-Debut Match: Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI defeated Yuna Manase & Yoshiko Hasegawa when Haruhi submitted Hasegawa with the 79.5MHz (14:07).
2. Black Ships Attack! Non-Standard Tag Vs Tenori Drunkers: Hartley Jackson & Max The Impaler defeated Mizuki Watase & Tyson Maeguchi when Jackson pinned Maeguchi with the Jumping Piledriver (11:02).
3. HARUKAZE 5th Anniversary Match: Makoto defeated HARUKAZE with the Seien no Uneri (10:02)
4. ROMANCE DAWN for the new world: Soma Takao defeated Shota with the Gin And Tonic (11:21).
5. Tatsuhito Takaiwa 30th Anniversary Match: Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Ken Ohka & Shuichiro Katsumura defeated Keisuke Ishii, Kouki Iwasaki & Shinichiro Tominaga when Takaiwa pinned Tominaga with the Death Valley Bomb (12:59).
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Yumehito Imanari (c) defeated Shigehiro Irie with a Sleeper Hold (27:44). *V2 for Yumehito Imanari.
Quite possibly Ganbare☆Pro’s match of the year took place in the main event. Yumehito Imanari wanted to earn Shigehiro Irie’s respect the hard way and by God he definitely did in the end. For almost half an hour the two beat the hell out of each other as hard as they could. Irie gave Imanari a Piledriver on the floor, a Cannonball Attack into Imanari’s spine while he was leaning on the ropes as well as Beast Bombers and heavy Elbow Strikes. Imanari kept his resolve by hitting his own Lariats as well as getting nearfalls with the Tiger Driver and Lou Thesz Press. When all else failed, Imanari locked in a Sleeper Hold and would not let go no matter how hard Irie fought. The Back Flip looked like it would free him but Imanari took the blow and reapplied the hold, forcing Irie to finally give up.
An exhausted Imanari thanked Irie after the match but his next challenger then immediately stepped forward. Hartley Jackson stepped into the ring and praised Imanari for becoming the soul of Ganpro. However Hartley thinks it is now his time to be in the spotlight and he challenged Imanari for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title. When he left, Ken Ohka complained about not understanding English at all. He congratulated Imanari and promoted Ganpro’s next show in Korakuen Hall taking place this December. Imanari had to be helped out of the ring so the rest of the roster closed out the show without him. Backstage Hartley said sometimes in life you have to be the bad guy to get what you want. He does not mind being the bad guy in order to get that championship.
Ganpro got to host Tatsuhito Takaiwa’s 30th Anniversary Match with a large chunk of the roster also involved. Takaiwa got to spend in-ring time against previous opponents Kouki Iwasaki and Shuichiro Katsumura. But it is Keisuke Ishii in particular he was most interested in because they’ve not had a singles match against each other yet. He told the audience he still has 35 or 40 years left in his career so don’t call him a legend yet. He is still aiming to reach the top as a mid-level wrestler. Both Ohka and Shuichiro Katsumura said they were honored to team with him for the special occasion.
The two wrestlers making up ROMANCE DAWN fought each other as they are about to go their separate ways. Shota will be moving to America soon so he took on Soma Takao as part of his farewell series of matches in Ganpro. Takao kicked out of the Gannosuke Clutch and won with the Gin And Tonic. Backstage Shota said a new chapter is beginning for both of them. Takao agreed and added that the team is not breaking up. Their friendship will never disappear and some day they will reunite for another romantic battle as a team.
For a match this important, HARUKAZE went all out against Makoto. Unfortunately her best was not good enough and Makoto got the better of her in the end. Afterwards Makoto said she is really happy that HARUKAZE nominated her for her 5th Anniversary match. In return HARUKAZE thanked her for being the impetus for her return to wrestling five years ago. She wants to continue wrestling and also wants to fight Makoto again in the future.
Jackson showed how much of a dominant force he is along with Max The Impaler earlier in the show. Together the two of them defeated Mizuki Watase & Tyson Maeguchi. Jackson got the pin on Maeguchi and he bragged about destroying Ganpro’s spirit. Watase was so amazed by the power of his opponents today that he is inspired to follow them back to America. He thinks it is a waste if today was the only time he could fight them.
The re-debut of Yoshiko Hasegawa saw the newest signing of Ganbare☆Joshi team up with Yuna Manase to take on Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI. Just because Hasegawa’s return was a cause for celebration did not mean her opponents would go easy on her. Instead she was put through a tough fight that ended with Haruhi making her submit. Once the match was over though, Haruhi was much nicer and had plenty of advice to give. She told Hasegawa that Ganpro is about doing your best in every single match. It is about always trying harder to surpass yourself. And it is about being a pro wrestler that people cannot take their eyes off. Hasegawa said she will become stronger and promised to aim for the top of the Ganjo division. Backstage Manase said her ring boots were damaged so she had to borrow Ken Ohka’s boots for the match. In a way that meant the two of them were fighting together to carry Ganpro! That was her lesson she wanted Hasegawa to learn today.
The summer is winding down and it’s been a whirlwind of international appearances for Konosuke Takeshita and Miyu Yamashita in particular. Things might calm down a little going into the Autumn when Takeshita returns home to Japan for DDT. His plan is to go back for just under two months before continuing his excursion. He is definitely falling in love with America and wants to make the country his second home. But as you will see in the upcoming appearances section below there is a whole wide world out there to explore.
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Alex Windsor with the Skull Kick (15:28).
We start off in Spain where Yamashita travelled over to wrestle for RCW. She was the big draw of the show with the event’s name being a combination of her and the album “Motomami” by Rosalía. She took on Alex Windsor a week before Windsor went on to win the International Princess Title over in Japan.
PWG “NINETEEN”, 03/07/2022 Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Masha Slamovich (9:22).
2. PWG World Title: Daniel Garcia (c) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (23:19). *V1 for Daniel Garcia.
July turned out to be a rocky patch for Takeshita in the win-loss department. He got to fight for the PWG World Title against Daniel Garcia but couldn’t win the belt from him. Yuka Sakazaki had a better night, winning the first women’s match held in PWG in over a decade against Masha Slamovich. She left quite the impression on everyone for sure.
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 06/07/2022 (Aired 08/07/2022) Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, New York, USA
1. Eddie Kingston defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Spinning Backfist (11:56).
Eddie Kingston made it no secret his dream is to wrestle Jun Akiyama some day. Akiyama passed down the Jumping Knee Strike to Takeshita so this match brought Kingston one little step forward toward that goal. The two smashed each other to bits and both were practically done by the time the match was over. It could have ended in a double knockout had Kingston not fallen on top of Takeshita to get the pin.
JCW “THE GREAT AMERICAN BIRTHDAY BASH”, 10/07/2022 Phil Sheridan Building, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Cole Radrick with the Zahi (15:19).
Takeshita and Cole Radrick finally wrestling each other is like when two pen pals meet in person for the first time. To think it all started when Takeshita used Radrick’s move the Lil Sebastian’s Curse 3 years ago.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 13/07/2022 Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia, USA
1. Interim AEW World Title Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Bulldog Choke (13:13).
Takeshita’s biggest match in America so far took place in AEW when he took on one of their biggest stars Jon Moxley! It was a non-title match but a win would have catapulted Takeshita into an automatic shot for the Interim AEW World Title. Unfortunately despite another heavily praised performance, Takeshita ended up submitting to the Bully Choke. It was at this point when Takeshita realised he has not won an AEW match on Dynamite or Rampage yet. He made it his next goal to get “one big win” on TV.
DEFY “THE WORLD IS YOURS NIGHT 1”, 16/07/2022 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
Next stop was Seattle for a DEFY doubleshot. In the main event of Night 1 Takeshita beat the veteran journeyman of the indies Davey Richards.
DEFY “THE WORLD IS YOURS NIGHT 2”, 17/07/2022 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Schaff (10:34).
Then on the second night Takeshita beat Schaff. I’m really low on details about what happened on the DEFY shows at the moment so let’s move on.
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 20/07/2022 (Aired 25/07/2022) Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated JD Drake with the Jumping Knee Strike (3:40).
Takeshita has no problem picking up wins on AEW’s Youtube shows. He beat JD Drake in the main event of an episode of Dark Elevation.
TERMINUS “TERMINUS 3”, 21/07/2022 Oasis Event Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
1. Jonathan Gresham defeated Konosuke Takeshita by Referee Stoppage with the Modified Octopus Hold (14:55).
Takeshita paid a visit to TERMINUS, the promotion that Jonathan Gresham had been championing while Ring Of Honor was in limbo. The match almost lasted the full 15 minute time limit but the last minute and a half consisted of Gresham locking Takeshita in an Octopus Hold and then finding more ways to torture him. The referee finally called for the bell in the last few seconds, giving Gresham the win. But Takeshita never gave up and even threw an Elbow Strike while in a dazed state right after Gresham let him go. This would not be the last time they were in the ring together this month.
PRESTIGE “NONSTOP FEELING”, 22/07/2022 Hawthorne Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Kevin Blackwood with the Lil Sebastian’s Curse (16:55).
Here is where Takeshita started to develop something different. Kevin Blackwood is a pretty tough dude and showed his guts by taking everything Takeshita could throw at him and still kick out of his pins. Takeshita ended up using Radrick’s move the Lil Sebastian’s Curse to finally get the win. Fans want Takeshita to name his version of the move Cinnabomb but he likes the name that Radrick originally gave it.
GARDEN STATE PRO “WELCOME TO EDEN”, 23/07/2022 The Heart Ballroom, Newark, USA
1. 3 Way Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated Billie Starkz and Janai Kai when Yamashita pinned Starkz with the Skull Kick (6:53).
2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Josh Alexander ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
Takeshita did end up getting into a time limit draw against Josh Alexander. It was a non-title match but he left holding his head up high over going the distance against the Impact World Champion. Yamashita was thrown into a hectic 3 Way Match against Billie Starkz and Janai Kai. Those young wrestlers have become two of the more familiar names in women’s wrestling on the American indies. The chaos worked out in Yamashita’s favour when Starkz unintentionally knocked Kai out of the ring, leaving her open for the deadly Skull Kick.
AEW “DYNAMITE ~ FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN”, 27/07/2022 DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
1. AEW Women’s World Title: Thunder Rosa (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Fire Thunder Driver (10:02). *V5 for Thunder Rosa.
The big reason for Yamashita’s return to America was for this. A shot at the AEW Women’s World Title she earned from beating Thunder Rosa in Tokyo Joshi Pro earlier in the month. The late part of the rematch almost became a mirror of the TJPW bout with the Attitude Adjustment being countered into a Cradle only to get reversed into another one. This time however Rosa kicked out and caught Yamashita with her own High Kick. Rosa then hit her version of the Fire Thunder Driver to avenge the loss and successfully defend the title. Unfortunately it wasn’t a great match. They weren’t on the same page in the first half and although they got back in track with Yamashita’s German Suplex spot, the rest of the match was pretty much a repeat of what they did in TJPW.
BLACK LABEL PRO “THE GANG CROSSES THE LINE”, 29/07/2022 Nashville Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Nick Wayne with the Lil Sebastian’s Curse (12:40).
Takeshita ended his month over at the Starrcast convention for two matches. The first took place in Black Label Pro against the highly regarded youngster Nick Wayne. Even though Takeshita won, he was so impressed by Wayne that he passed down his nickname of “The Future” to him!
SETUP “SETUP EP.8”, 30/07/2022 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. Hoshitango defeated Bital Hasdin with the Midnight Buenos Aires (8:34).
2. Asia Dream Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) defeated Terry Diesel & Monomoth when Brookes pinned Monomoth after the Super Kick & Praying Mantis Bomb (23:40). *V4 for CDK.
Time to go a completely different direction over to Thailand where CDK went off on an adventure. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi were part of a Gatoh Move related group of wrestlers taking part in a SETUP show. CDK successfully defended the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles against two of SETUP’s best in Terry Diesel & Monomoth. Also taking part was Hoshitango. He gave the local super rookie Bital Hasdin his first loss in pro wrestling. There was even a DJ Nira sighting at some point during the show.
JCP “RIC FLAIR’S LAST MATCH”, 31/07/2022 Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
1. PROGRESS World Title #1 Contender – 4 Way Match: Jonathan Gresham defeated Alan Angels, Nick Wayne and Konosuke Takeshita when Gresham pinned Angels with an O’Connor Roll (5:40).
Takeshita was added to the undercard of Ric Flair’s dedicated attempt at turning the final scene of “The Wrestler” into reality. He took part in a 4 Way with previous opponents Gresham and Wayne along with former AEW wrestler Alan Angels.
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Upcoming Appearances
AEW “BATTLE OF THE BELTS III”, 05/08/2022 (Airing 06/08/2022) Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
1. ROH World Title: Claudio Castagnoli (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
He couldn’t win the PWG Title so let’s go after the ROH World Title! Takeshita takes on Claudio Castagnoli himself in an absolute whopper of a match on paper. As mentioned above, Takeshita wants his first AEW win on TV to be a big one and this would fit the bill.
WIDE BAY PRO “RAMPAGE”, 06/08/2022 Maryborough State High School, Sussex Street, Maryborough, Australia
1. Interstate Title: Mitch Ryder (c) Vs Shota
Here’s an unexpected addition. Shota is gearing up for an American excursion in a few month’s time but this month he is heading over to Australia for a one-off appearance in Wide Bay Pro. He is going to challenge one of their champions Mitch Ryder (not the American one who died two years ago).
DPW “BELIEVE THE HYPE”, 06/08/2022 Gov. James E. Holshouser Building, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
1. Mizuki Vs Emi Sakura
2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Andrew Everett
Back over to the maniac matchmaking of Deadlock Pro. On one of their recent shows Andrew Everett called out Takeshita for a match! If that isn’t enough to tickle your fancy, DPW somehow put together the rare matchup of Mizuki against Emi Sakura! It will be Mizuki’s first ever appearance in America and also Sakura’s first US booking outside of AEW ever since she worked with the company.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 137: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COPPERHEAD”, 13/08/2022 O2 Academy, Sheffield, England
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Robbie X
Robbie X is a journeyman of the British wrestling scene who seems to be finally breaking through and climbing up the ladder. He is Takeshita’s first opponent when he travels over to England.
GCW “HOMECOMING PART 1”, 13/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
That Itoh’s first GCW match hasn’t been announced yet makes me think she’ll be added to a Scramble 6 Way. She’ll have a busy day nonetheless.
JCW “AFTER HOURS 2”, 13/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Billie Starkz
GCW’s sister promotion JCW will be running a show in the same venue afterwards. Itoh is taking part by having a match against Starkz. She got along well with Yamashita. If Itoh takes a liking to her too then maybe a tour of Japan is in Starkz’s future. It will do her a world of good if she ever wants to develop as a pro wrestler.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 138: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – COTTONMOUTH”, 14/08/2022 Boiler Shop, Newcastle, England
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Dean Allmark
Dean Allmark is another longtime British wrestler going beyond the indie scene. He’s been through the infamous schedule of wrestling at summer camps across the country.
GCW “HOMECOMING PART 2”, 14/08/2022 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Dark Sheik
Now here is someone with an attitude that Itoh will appreciate. “Fuck The Fans” is a motto that Dark Sheik lives by even though she is pretty cool towards her fanbase. Hoodslam is her home but she’s gotten comfy wrestling in GCW lately too.
PRESTIGE “PERSEVERANCE”, 17/09/2022 The Glass House, Pomona, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. Maki Itoh Vs Sandra Moone
Yamashita & Itoh are heading back over to Prestige in September. Itoh has an opponent announced in the form of Sandra Moone. Yamashita is still waiting to hear who she will be against. Taya Valkyrie and Trish Adora are both advertised for the show. Either of them facing Yamashita would be an attention grabber. Just saying.
PROGRESS “CHAPTER 142: DEADLY VIPER TOUR – CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN SNAKE”, 25/09/2022 O2 Academy, Birmingham, England
1. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
There’s some extra slightly DDT related news for this show. Shigehiro Irie is being booked for it.
PROGRESS “RETURN OF THE FLY”, 27/09/2022 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
CDK have another PROGRESS show to go to. The naming of it seems to match Brookes’ interests too.
WXW “WORLD TAG TEAM FESTIVAL 2022”, 01/10/2022 – 03/10/2022 Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany
1. World Tag Team Festival 2022: Fuminori Abe & Shigehiro Irie Vs X
2. World Tag Team Festival 2022: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
A couple more teams have been added to the World Tag Team Festival but nothing related to what I’m doing here. Probably going to stay that way until the tournament takes place.
1. GanJo Special Single Match: Cherry defeated YuuRI with the Cherryton Bomb (9:28).
2. GanPro Specialty! Mixed 6-Man Tag Match: Shuichiro Katsumura, Tsuyoshi Okada & HARUKAZE defeated MAO, Tyson Maeguchi & Yuna Manase when Katsumura submitted Maeguchi with a Cross Armbreaker (11:32).
3. ROMANCE DAWN Vs DDT: Shota & Soma Takao defeated Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Ishida when Shota pinned Ishida with a Marumekomu (16:31).
4. GanPro Sanada Maru! Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie defeated Kazuaki Mihara & Kouki Iwasaki when Irie pinned Iwasaki with the Best Bomber (14:54).
5. GanPro Osaka Summer Team! Special Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari & Magnitude Kishiwada defeated Mizuki Watase & Shinichiro Tominaga when Imanari pinned Tominaga with the Lariat (18:17).
A missed Moonsault from Shinichiro Tominaga cost his team the match. He had a great chance to pin the Spirit Of Ganbare Champion but missing that move proved to be a fatal mistake. Yumehito Imanari took control and got a 2 count with a Tiger Driver. He then hit the Lariat to win. After the match Magnitude Kishiwada said he was skeptical of Ganbare☆Pro at first but now understands they have something pretty good going on (Ken Ohka being absent might have a little to do with it given what happened the last time Kishiwada appeared in Ganpro). He’ll take on any Ganpro wrestlers in a singles match whenever they want just as long as he doesn’t have to take responsibility for what he will do to them.
Imanari used those words of encouragement to call out Shigehiro Irie. He told Irie he is under tremendous pressure every day but still wants to fight the strongest like Irie with all of his feelings behind it. Irie said he is surprised Imanari wants this match because he kept avoiding him since their tag match at Korakuen Hall two years ago. He warned that by challenging him Imanari will lose his confidence, his championship and everything else on 13th August!
ROMANCE DAWN teased the DDT team of Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Ishida by doing The 37KAMIINA poses during their match. They continued after the match by making sauna references in their post-match interview backstage. Soma Takao said he will be sad to see Shota go on excursion because he does not know when he will come back. Shota said their singles match against each other on 13th August will be a romance only they can do.
Let’s start off with some good news. When we last heard about Gorgeous Matsuno, he was taking a leave of absence from pro wrestling to become a kidney donor for his partner Junko Tashiro. The treatment is scheduled for the end of August which gave Matsuno a chance to compete in one last Best Body Japan bodybuilding contest. This week he entered the Legend Class (60+ year old) of the Model Japan 2022 Sendai Tournament and won it!
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN HANDMADE IN JAPAN FES 2022”, 23/07/2022 Tokyo Big Sight West Hall 1 & 2
1. Falls Count Anywhere Match: X Vs X
Toi Kojima tested positive for covid today and has been pulled from this weekend’s shows. The HandMade In Japan Fes match is going to change because of his absence and will be revealed at the event.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 23/07/2022 Shinjuku FACE
-. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2A: Shoko Nakajima defeated Mizuki by Forfeit.
1. Mahiro Kiryu Vs Haruna Neko
2. Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Yuki Aino & Raku
3. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami
4. Moka Miyamoto Vs Arisu Endo
5. Shoko Nakajima & Yuka Sakazaki Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2D: Pom Harajuku Vs Suzume
Mizuki will also not be wrestling this weekend. She has a fever and is currently waiting on results of her PCR test. She was not in close contact to anyone else from the Tokyo Joshi Pro roster. Mizuki’s 2nd Round match against Shoko Nakajima in the Tokyo Princess Cup has been forfeited. Nakajima now receives a bye into the Quarter Final. The undercard matches have also been changed around. We are now getting Miraclians against Daydream!
DDT “SUMMER VACATION 2022”, 24/07/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Makoto Oishi Return Match: Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito & Yuki Ishida
2. 3 Way Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda Vs Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
3. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Gota Ihashi
4. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & El Unicorn
5. Tetsuya Endo Return Match ~ Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao
6. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yusuke Okada
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & Asuka (c) Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura
The KO-D Tag Team Champions are ready to defend the belts against all challengers. MAO wants this title reign to start an era where weight class and gender division do not matter. Asuka has been absent from the warm up matches but wants to win the match with her usual groove and vigor. Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura are planning to announce the name of their new tag team on the show. They continue to talk about a “new wind” blowing through DDT which may be a hint.
Yusuke Okada promises that if he wins the DDT Universal Title, he will defend it against Yuki Ueno in a rematch from last January to show how much he has changed since then. Masahiro Takanashi wants this title reign to be different from the previous champions. At first his plan was to defend it against the new generation of DDT wrestlers but now that international travel is possible, he now also wants to defend the belt overseas like it was originally meant to be.
Whenever Tetsuya Endo is about to have an important match he goes to visit Kenta Kobashi for advice. He did the same yesterday looking for words of wisdom so he can get back on his feet. Endo told Kobashi he has completely recovered from his concussion and is back to training with the same intensity as he did before. Kobashi’s opinion is he thinks Endo lacks anger and brings up the story of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. As the legend goes, when Ieyasu was defeated in battle and escaped with his life he immediately got a portrait painted of himself looking defeated to fuel his anger. Kobashi asked Endo to re-watch the match where Katsuhiko Nakajima knocked him out so he can draw out his anger. Kobashi also told him when the time comes it will be necessary for Endo to get his revenge.
Yuki Ueno is off the show with covid. The KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match was cancelled during the week along with that news. A non-title match with Shinya Aoki substituting Ueno was the replacement match. But now Kojima is sick too so he is getting replaced by El Unicorn.
One year after his back injury, Makoto Oishi is now about to return to the ring. He had a metal fitting removed in June and wanted to go through his rehab as quick as possible so he could wrestle again. He is looking forward to his match but is worried newer fans who hadn’t seen him wrestle before will think he is copying Shunma Katsumata & MAO with his moveset. Oishi also wants to do his best so his two year old daughter Akari will say he looks cool.
1. GanJo Special Single Match: Cherry Vs YuuRI
2. GanPro Specialty! Mixed 6-Man Tag Match: Shuichiro Katsumura, Tsuyoshi Okada & HARUKAZE Vs MAO, Tyson Maeguchi & Yuna Manase
3. ROMANCE DAWN Vs The 37KAMIINA: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
4. GanPro Sanada Maru! Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs Kazuaki Mihara & Kouki Iwasaki
5. GanPro Osaka Summer Team! Special Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari & Magnitude Kishiwada Vs Mizuki Watase & Shinichiro Tominaga
Covid also made its way into the Ganbare☆Pro locker room. Ken Ohka tested positive and won’t be able to recover in time for Ganpro’s visit to Osaka. Mizuki Watase takes his place in the main event. A picture made its way online recently showing Watase working out with Thanomsak Toba and Kota Ibushi.
MAO is also added to the show to make up for Ohka’s absence.
YuuRI sent out a challenge to face Cherry to a rematch of their bout from last September.
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN YOKOHAMA”, 06/08/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Special Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi
Oishi collides with his former Junretsu teammate Jun Akiyama! He has a lot of history with his tag partner for this match Yuji Hino too. They were part of a stable in K-DOJO called Omega for a few years.
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN MIYAGI”, 07/08/2022 Miyagi Tagajo City Cultural Center Small Hall
1. Miyagi Specialty Special Single Match: MAO Vs Makoto Oishi
It’s an NωA reunion for MAO and Oishi. This match was requested by Oishi to take place in Miyagi because it is where he suffered his back injury one year ago. MAO showed some disrespect to Oishi by putting on a Miyagi accent and telling him he never considred Oishi to be his senpai. MAO gave him a challenge. If Oishi can sell 50 more tickets than MAO and also beat him in the match then MAO will show respect and be called his disciple again.
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN KORAKUEN ~LET’S SHOUT!~”, 14/08/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Special Single Match: Asuka Vs Saki Akai
2. DDT Extreme Title – Fluorescent Lighttube IPPON Death Match: Akito (c) Vs Joey Janela
A classic stipulation makes its return. Akito will defend the DDT Extreme Title against Joey Janela in a single lighttube death match! There will only be one lighttube in the ring. If you smash it over your opponent or if they break it by mistake then you win the match! Akito treats the match stipulation like it is his family heirloom. He considers Janela to be a creative wrestler which is why he chose his “masterpiece” to be the match type. However he noticed Janela never said Akito’s name when he tweeted about his desire to become the Extreme Champion. Akito is trying to look on the bright side. If world class wrestlers are coming to DDT, this is his chance to make a name for himself around the world! Akito also keeps notes on his phone whenever he comes up with a new idea for a match. He currently has 18 different ideas for future title defences.
GANBARE☆PRO “SANGERIA 2022”, 21/08/2022 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. Sangeria 2022 Special Single Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Shota
2. GanJo Special Tag Match: Yuna Manase & Moeka Haruhi Vs Miyuki Takase & Yoshiko Hasegawa
This will be Yoshiko Hasegawa’s second match as a Ganpro wrestler. Miyuki Takase will be by her side when they take on Yuna Manase & Moeka Haruhi, the first two big names of Ganbare☆Joshi.
Shota continues his farewell series from Ganpro with a match against Keisuke Ishii.
Onryo, Shinichiro Tominaga and Nobuhiro Shimatani will all be on the show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 23/07/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. 3 Way Match: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Haruna Neko
2. Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Yuki Aino & Raku
3. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami
4. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Moka Miyamoto & Arisu Endo
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2D: Pom Harajuku Vs Suzume
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2A: Shoko Nakajima Vs Mizuki
The remaining Tokyo Princess Cup 2nd Round matches take place here. Shoko Nakajima and Mizuki are the two names that have become most attached to success in the tournament so we are going to see a rare early elimination in the main event. Suzume versus Pom Harajuku is a first time singles match up between the two.
Miyu Yamashita will be in America during the same weekend as this show.
1. GanPro Sanada Maru! Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs Kazuaki Mihara & Kouki Iwasaki
2. ROMANCE DAWN Vs The 37KAMIINA: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
3. GanPro Osaka Summer Team! Special Tag Match: Yumehito Imanari & Magnitude Kishiwada Vs Ken Ohka & Shinichiro Tominaga
Ganbare☆Pro visits Osaka so Yumehito Imanari can team with the region’s strongest pro wrestler Magnitude Kishiwada! He has a little bit of history with Ken Ohka. The last time he was in Ganpro was in 2018 where he faced Ohka one on one. Kishiwada won the match but Ohka convinced him to do an immediate rematch. Kishiwada won that too but Ohka again demanded another rematch to prove he could still fight over and over until he wins. Maybe that kind of fire will reappear here.
The 37KAMIINA are showing up in Ganpro and ROMANCE DAWN are waiting to meet them in the ring.
A challenge was thrown out by Kouki Iwasaki towards Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie. He wants a tag match against them and is bringing in his local buddy Kazuaki Mihara to be his partner.
Tsuyoshi Okada and Tyson Maeguchi will be on the show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 31/07/2022 Tokyo Otemachi Mitsui Hall
1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Miu Watanabe Vs Winner Of Match 2A
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Nao Kakuta Vs Miyu Yamashita
3. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Hikari Noa
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Rika Tatsumi Vs Winner Of Match 2D
The field of eight is almost completed. The bracket gets mixed up after this point and the semi-final pairings will be decided via lottery at the end of the show.
GANBARE☆PRO “ULTRA SOUL 2022”, 13/08/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. ROMANCE DAWN for the new world: Shota Vs Soma Takao
2. Yoshiko Hasegawa Re-Debut Match: Yuna Manase & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI
3. HARUKAZE 5th Anniversary Match: HARUKAZE Vs Makoto
4. Tatsuhito Takaiwa 30th Anniversary Match: Tatsuhito Takaiwa Vs X
5. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Yumehito Imanari (c) Vs Shigehiro Irie
A comment made in the past is motivating Imanari to prove his doubter wrong. When he was part of a main event in Korakuen Hall back in October 2020, Shigehiro Irie singled him out as the only person in the match underserving of that spot. Now that Imanari has the Spirit Of Ganbare Title, he wants to defend it against Irie in Korakuen to prove him wrong. Irie was surprised to hear the challenge because they haven’t crossed paths that often since that show almost two years ago. He is impressed with Imanari’s new found confidence but warns when you fight Irie, you will lose both your confidence and your championship!
Tatsuhito Takaiwa is celebrating his 30th year as a pro wrestler. His anniversary match has not been decided yet.
There is another wrestling anniversary being celebrated on the show, although it is a lot shorter than Takaiwa’s. Haruka Kato has been wrestling for over a decade but it is her alter ego HARUKAZE who recently reached the 5 year milestone. She asked Makoto to be her opponent for the special occasion. The reason is because after Kato left Stardom, Makoto was the first person to get her a booking despite having never known her previously. Ever since then Kato credits Makoto for keeping her in pro wrestling.
The re-debuting Yoshiko Hasegawa was born in Saitama on 28th February, 1987. She is 150cm tall and weighs 47kg. She originally wrestled for Actwres girl’Z from 2019 to 2020 until a neck injury took her out of action for almost the entirety of 2021. She officially left Actwres right at the end of last year and made her wrestling reappearance at “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA” earlier this month, signing with Ganbare☆Pro.
Shota will be going on an American excursion this September with not concrete plan on when to return. He decided to take a massive gamble and see if he can make it from scratch as a pro wrestler in America until he is all out of options. He has connections over there but right now has nothing guaranteed for him once he makes the trip. Ganpro is giving him a send off match against his own ROMANCE DAWN partner Soma Takao.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022 Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match ~ Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member Vs Bunkyo Ward Assembly Member: Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao Vs Osamu Nishimura, Makoto Oishi & Akito
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
3. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka
4. International Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela Vs Shunma Katsumata
5. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano
6. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs X
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs X
For one night only Naomi Yoshimura is bringing together a DNA reunion! He asked DDT to give him a match teaming with Kota Umeda and Keisuke Okuda, saying long time fans will understand why. In DNA Yoshimura led a faction called the Naomi Kingdom. Okuda was a member of the unit and Umeda was their biggest rival. DDT agreed to Yoshimura’s request and gathered together a suitable trio of opponents. It’s Yoshimura’s old tag partner HARASHIMA as well as Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani from Eruption!
Posted by JamieOD 
