DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022 Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
4. 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
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka
6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
It’s back to Ota Ward Gymnasium for this year’s edition of “WRESTLE PETER PAN”. For what is usually one of DDT’s biggest shows of the year, things don’t feel as such this time around. For DDT it’s still a big event but against the rest of the wrestling scene, I’m not feeling it as much this year. Choosing Ota Ward is a downgrade from a usual venue choice like Sumo Hall and DDT themselves have made reference to ticket sales not being that great. The company challenged its roster to sell more tickets with better quality lunches as their rewards. The last update they gave on that was they reached the “Nori Bento” level which refers to between 775 and 1,000 tickets sold. DDT wants their attendance numbers to return to what they were before the pandemic happened. That is going to stay a tough challenge for them until Japan moves past their covid restrictions. Even then it’s hard to say if DDT can grow back their audience. You can’t entirely blame the pandemic for shrinking wrestling’s popularity in Japan when a company like Stardom is growing like crazy over there under the same environment.
This show can end up becoming a turnaround in fortunes though. Through unexpected circumstances a new wind is blowing through the company as DDT’s current two top wrestlers battle over who should be carrying the flag. The man the company was built around for the last few years has all of a sudden gained a brand new global fanbase and maybe a chunk of them will follow him back to see what DDT is like. One of the most infamous wrestlers on the American indie scene has come over wanting to carve his name into the history books. A first time mixed tag match will offer something never seen before. Actual politicians will fight each other. And if that’s not enough, LiLiCo will be there with an important news update she wants to tell everyone.
1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
Some of the youngest wrestlers in DDT gather together for the opening match. And also Yusuke Okada who is only 29 years old even though some days he looks about 42. He’s the veteran base of the match while Yuya Koroku and Toi Kojima get to bring their classmate rivalry onto a big stage. Their clashes in all of the BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA matches over the last year are fun to watch. Yuki Ishida is showing improvement with his performances and developing more fire power to make up for his lack of size. Ilusion has been used sparingly over the summer because the DDTeeeen!! project hasn’t been publicly active. The few opportunities he’s been getting are at least moving him away from his rival El Unicorn so he gets to show they are not attached by the hip. But the spotlight right now is shining brightly on Takeshi Masada. He just had his debut match after only three months of training and dazzled everyone with his performance. If he keeps in good health over the next few years (always remember that rookies break easily) DDT could have a new supernova on their hands.
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
Is 2022 the year of Pheromones? The DDT shows that allow cheering usually has that unit getting the most reactions. Maybe it’s because they still use the canned cheering for their ring announcements or maybe it’s because chanting “Sexy!” out loud while sticking out your pinky fingers is a lot of fun. One thing for sure is Pheromones has become more stronger with the latest and perhaps final addition to the unit. A perverted looking masked man began following the group around and was eventually revealed to be Koju Takeda. He appeared in DDT before and is a former KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion but now has a bigger presence in the company under the name Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda. He’s never been shy about showing off his physique so he is a perfect fit for Pheromones, perhaps filling in the gaps that Yuki Iino and Danshoku Dieno could not fill. Was that meant to be written as a double entendre? You tell me.
The other two teams in this match can’t help but look plain in comparison. Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya have spent over a year bonding as a tag team and working together under the ONLY WE banner. It’s given Naya the ability to finally start climbing up the ladder and reach even a little bit of the potential that others see in him. Super Sasadango Machine is an odd third man to be on that team but this is an odd match to begin with. The other trio is made up of wrestlers sometimes nicknamed The DDT Variety Team. Whenever you get Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda all in the same ring you are guaranteed to get some nonsense coming from them.
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
We are getting treated to a DNA reunion on the show. The developmental brand for DDT became redundant in 2018 but many wrestlers who came from it have become regular parts of several wrestling rosters. Naomi Yoshimura was a key part of DNA’s second half of its existence and he wanted to team with two men who were a constant presence around him during his time there. His rival Kota Umeda and his ally Keisuke Okuda. Umeda is a part time wrestler with some re-appearances in DDT every now and then. But Okuda’s name being brought up is intriguing. He was once under contract to DDT for two years then left the company for DRAGONGATE. Then recently there seems to be an apparent split between the two and suddenly Okuda is back in DDT by Yoshimura’s request. Maybe it’s just a one time reunion for old time’s sake.
Whether it is or it isn’t, Okuda has another reason to come back. He’s looking for a fight with Yukio Sakaguchi, thinking he is a scared old man. In response to this, Sakaguchi’s Eruption buddy Hideki Okatani is stepping in also wanting to join in the scrap the second it kicks off. Their team needs a calming presence so maybe HARASHIMA can keep things under control with his many years of wisdom under his belt. But he and Yoshimura are on course for a KO-D Tag Team Titles match in the future and they have a lot of recent history together. If the wrong guy gets provoked here then all hell could break loose.
4. 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
I don’t have a clue about Japanese politics other than Sanshiro Takagi tried it once and it left him traumatized. It seems that the wrestling bug has bitten Shinichiro Kawamatsu from the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly after the publicity stunt where he won and defended the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title. To show his gratitude to DDT and their fans, he decided to try and have a go as a pro wrestler for real. Finding time to train in between his political duties, Kawamatsu is having his official debut match against another politician. One who knows the wrestling ring very well.
Osamu Nishimura has been wrestling for over 31 years but his main priority nowadays is his council work in his hometown of Bunkyo Ward. There is a friendly link between the two in the lead up to the match because Kawamatsu is a longtime fan of Nishimura. Kawamatsu is even focusing his wrestling training on matwork specifically because he wants to fight against Nishimura’s Muga style of pro wrestling. The soft political atmosphere of the match is inspiring Soma Takao because it is taking place in his hometown of Ota Ward. It may end up spurring him on into campaigning for a seat on the Ota Ward Council in the future. Makoto Oishi & Akito will be there to provide more challenges for Kawamatsu. They should be eager to impress Nishimura in the process too.
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka
Jun Akiyama’s time as a coach in DDT has been invaluable to those who are learning from him. It’s worked out so well that Saki Akai asked him to team with her on this show so she can become a stronger wrestler. Akiyama accepted her request as long as she knew he will treat her no differently to any other wrestler in DDT. When it was decided they were going to get a Mixed Tag Match, Chris Brookes & Asuka was chosen to be their opponents. It will be the first time Akiyama takes part in a Mixed Tag Match. Asuka teased him at a press conference saying she has a good reputation as an opponent for first timers and she’ll be one woman he will never forget!
The whole match has Asuka feeling pretty confident. She has never lost to Akai before and is certain it won’t happen anytime soon. Still, she is encouraging her opponents to work hard together so she will get a good challenge out of them. Akai gave Asuka’s comments a lot of thought. She thinks all wrestlers walk their own paths. Akai’s path may be slower than Asuka’s or maybe it is just a detour. She isn’t going to stay feeling sorry for herself when she has a chance to learn from Akiyama. Brookes is excited about the match because it is a fresh experience for everyone involved. He has previously fought against Asuka in tag matches but they can start something brand new when they team together. Brookes even thinks a new history will begin if Asuka gets the pinfall on Akiyama!
6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata
It’s “The Bad Boy” against “The Happy Boy”! Joey Janela’s tour of DDT has been two years in the making after his constant viral wrestling matches caught Takagi’s attention. Little appetizers were put together in the meantime with Yoshihiko and the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title being sent over to America for Janela to interact with. When the time came for Janela to finally visit Japan, he wasted no time in making an impact by winning the DDT Extreme Title in the infamous IPPON Lighttube Death Match. A Hardcore Match against Shunma Katsumata was already scheduled before his title win so it is now even more important with the championship stakes being added. Katsumata has developed his own hardcore style in DDT but how different is it to anything that Janela has experienced before? The American has experienced death matches in many forms from violent to wacky. Janela’s goal is to become the greatest foreign wrestler ever in DDT. That’s a tall task given those who previously called the company their Japanese home promotion. But hey, if Janela didn’t have the guts to aim high he wouldn’t have achieved so much in his crazy career. I mean he has a match against Ernest “The Cat” Miller coming up in GCW soon. What if that ends up becoming a DDT Extreme Title match?
7. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
The DDT Universal Title is on the line in a battle between old and new generations of DDT. When Masahiro Takanashi won the title he wanted to do two things. Travel the world with the championship because that is the original point of the title and defend it against all of the younger wrestlers who have stepped up over the last two years while he was out injured. He’s barely gotten started and already he has a high wall in the form of Yuki Ueno standing in his way. The former Universal Champion wants the belt back so he can make DDT more exciting in his own way. The build up consisted of Ueno standing tall in the warmup matches and Takanashi being in physical positions where he has no choice but to look up at his challenger. Even though Takanashi is the champion, he is coming into the match looking like the underdog. But that’s always been the story with him. He wouldn’t be Masahiro Takanashi if he didn’t have to climb up from the bottom each and every time.
8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano
Did you ever hear the saying it takes an artist ten years to become an overnight success? It kind of feels like that here. This summer the entire wrestling world fell in love with Konosuke Takeshita. In return he fell in love with America and also Cinnabon. Mostly Cinnabon. Almost entirely Cinnabon. He won’t stop eating their food. Anyway, his excursion to America for both AEW and the independent scene led to rave reviews across the board and even sparked a lot of gossip about his future. Should AEW try to sign him full time and throw him further into their murderer’s row of main eventers? Will a reinvigorated WWE poach him in their search for a new Japanese superstar to add to their roster? How never ending can the line of indie wrestlers wanting to challenge him become? All of a sudden DDT better be careful not to lose the supernova they’ve spent the last decade building their company around because he is very quickly becoming an attraction overseas. He’s back in Japan for two months before continuing his excursion so DDT are putting together some attraction matches for him while he is home.
The attraction here is the return of Dick Togo to DDT. The man has done it all in wrestling from all angles, from being revered for his skills to being despised for his role in with House Of Torture over in New Japan. It looks like Togo is coming to DDT under his normal guise but he always liked to cheat anyway. Plus he is siding with DAMNATION T.A and expecting clean play to come out of them is foolish. Togo is one of the few people who can get Daisuke Sasaki somewhat motivated to improve himself. The timing is right for that to happen here because Sasaki is going to be Takeshita’s opponent for his 10th Anniversary match next month. That’s not all. MJ Paul will be at ringside as the wild card and there is also KANON who has been really promising so far since his entry into DDT. Takeshita has MAO & Yasu Urano to make up a talented trio but can they mesh together as well as DAMNATION T.A can? If they don’t then Takeshita will wish he was back in the states tucking into another Center Of The Roll.
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
One slap earlier this year created a butterfly effect resulting in a new turbulent wind blowing across DDT. The main event of this year’s “WRESTLE PETER PAN” was probably always supposed to be Kazusada Higuchi Vs Tetsuya Endo but the roles they are in and how we got there is very different. In March Endo walked out of Sumo Hall as the new KO-D Openweight Champion and the man to carry DDT forward. That only lasted until June thanks to the slap heard around the world. A DDT Vs NOAH inter-promotional match at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” prematurely ended when Katsuhiko Nakajima knocked out Endo with a slap across the face after an awkward exchange where neither looked to be on the same page with the other. The aftermath was disastrous for DDT. Intentional or not, their champion was easily defeated on the big stage for the entire world to see. Even worse, Endo was now out of action with a concussion and a decision was made for him to vacate his championship while he recovered. DDT needed a new flag bearer and quickly went to work setting that person up.
DDT was at least able to get the timing right with their backup plan. The King Of DDT tournament was next on the schedule after “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” and the vacant KO-D Title was now up for grabs. Higuchi literally waved the DDT flag in Saitama Super Arena and made it clear he was the best choice to lead the promotion in Endo’s absence. He spent his 8 year career struggling to win the KO-D Title and finally achieved his goal by winning the tournament. His victory was a crowning moment both literally and symbolically because he was given the flag once more to represent his emergence as DDT’s strongest wrestler. That was when the new wind started blowing. Higuchi left his unit Eruption to form Harimao with Yoshimura. He also called out his first challenger… Tetsuya Endo!
Endo recovered from his concussion and wanted his return to the ring to be a fresh restart. He accepted the knockout he suffered counts as a loss no matter how you look at it. It wasn’t his intention to immediately return to challenging for the KO-D Title but once Higuchi called him out, he couldn’t resist. Also Endo feels the need to repay his fans for their continued support by becoming the champion again. He answered by throwing out his own title challenge to Higuchi just because it is tradition for the contender to approach the champion instead of vice versa. He went to get advice from Kenta Kobashi like he always does before his important matches. Kobashi’s advice to him was he needs to be angry more and should use the injury as fuel for that. That may be for another story to be told on another day though. This weekend Endo’s focus needs to be on Higuchi and just Higuchi. He has a winning singles record against him but only just. In their previous six singles matches together Endo has three wins, Higuchi has two and there was a Double KO between them. Whoever wins this 7th battle will carry the DDT flag from here on out!
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN KORAKUEN ~LET’S SHOUT!~”, 14/08/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 556 Fans
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Soma Takao when Takeda pinned Takagi with the Shining Driver (8:55).
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, MAO & Yuki Ishida when KANON pinned Ishida with the Sleepy Hollow (8:00).
3. Takeshi Masada Debut Match: HARASHIMA defeated Takeshi Masada with the Somato (10:28).
4. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Battle Royal: Shinya Aoki defeated Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes, Shunma Katsumata, Makoto Oishi, Kazuki Hirata, Yusuke Okada, Yukio Naya, Hideki Okatani and Yuya Koroku (16:15).
4a. Yukio Naya eliminated Yusuke Okada with the Back Drop (6:16).
4b. Yuji Hino eliminated Yuya Koroku with the Fuckin’ BOMB (7:35).
4c. Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi eliminated Hideki Okatani by Ring Out (7:44).
4d. Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya eliminated Chris Brookes by Ring Out (12:05).
4e. Shunma Katsumata & Makoto Oishi eliminated Yuji Hino by Ring Out (12:32).
4f. Shinya Aoki eliminated Makoto Oishi with an Ankle Hold (13:26).
4g. Kazuki Hirata was eliminated by Disqualification when he grabbed the wrong envelope (13:40).
4h. Shinya Aoki & Shunma Katsumata eliminated Yukio Naya by Ring Out (14:57).
4i. Shinya Aoki grabbed the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere envelope (16:15). *Shinya Aoki wins the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere NFT.
5. Special Single Match: Asuka defeated Saki Akai with the Shiranui (7:22).
6. Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima defeated Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda when Ueno pinned Honda with the BME (8:45).
7. DDT Extreme Title – Fluorescent Lighttube IPPON Death Match: Joey Janela defeated Akito (c) by IPPON when Akito stepped on the Lighttube (13:45). *Akito fails in V1. Joey Janela becomes the 55th DDT Extreme Champion!
8. Road To WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022! Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama when Yoshimura pinned Akiyama with the Harai Goshi (22:55).
Next week Kazusada Higuchi and Tetsuya Endo will headline Ota Ward Gymnasium for a big KO-D Openweight Title match. Today was their last preview match, a tag bout pitting Harimao against the two strongest members of BURNING. The two cancelled each other out so the match instead came down to Naomi Yoshimura standing up to Jun Akiyama. In a massive statement made to the vocal crowd, Yoshimura flipped Akiyama over with the Harai Goshi and pinned him for the three count! He declared afterward that Harimao is the strongest tag team in DDT, which suddenly caught the attention of an unexpected trio.
DISASTER BOX heard what Yoshimura said and entered the ring to give their opinion on it. Kazuki Hirata praised Yoshimura for getting stronger but reminded him it is because he grew up in their unit. He wants DISASTER BOX to get a shot at the KO-D Tag Team Titles with HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi as the challengers. Yoshimura joked that Owashi only has a decent match in him once every four years so his next one is due. Owashi snapped back by saying he is currently a double crown champion just like Higuchi! He’ll tear the KO-D Tag Titles from Harimao so he can add them to the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title and the O-40 Title. Then he will become a triple crown champion! Yoshimura accepted the challenge then asked why Hirata came out with them when he’s not involved in the match? Everyone agreed to do the title match on 4th September in Nagoya.
Before the show ended, Higuchi was interrupted by Shinya Aoki. The new holder of the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere title shot simply climbed into the ring, walked past Higuchi and climbed back out. Higuchi shrugged him off and said he is ready to fight Aoki whenever he wants. Endo then entered the ring for one last faceoff with Higuchi. He said no matter how strong Higuchi gets, Endo will still be standing in front of him on 20th August. He pointed out that nobody from DDT was included in TV Asahi’s recent Pro Wrestling General Election poll to determine the most popular wrestlers in Japan. Both Endo and Higuchi agreed it is up to them to spread DDT to the world at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”!
The first appearance of Joey Janela in DDT turned out to be a smashing success for the American. He outsmarted Akito in the IPPON Lighttube Death Match to become the new DDT Extreme Champion! The goal of the match was to avoid breaking the lone lighttube involved in the match. That led to both Akito and Janela doing whatever they could to prevent themselves from landing on the lighttube or tricking each other into damaging it. The climactic rush of antics led to Janela sliding the lighttube across the ring while Akito charged towards him, causing Akito to step on it and break the glass everywhere. The former champion congratulated Janela and later said his sense for “Extreme” wrestling is outstanding. Janela described the finish to the media like it was something from the movie “Home Alone”.
Janela’s next scheduled match in DDT is against Shunma Katsumata on 20th August. While Janela was in the middle of a foul mouthed victory speech where he revealed his goal is to become the best foreign wrestler in DDT history, Katsumata came out to interrupt him. Neither person speaks the other’s language so a lot was lost in translation. Janela eventually figured out that Katsumata wants their match next week to have the Extreme Title on the line. Once Janela understood that Hisaya Imabayashi is the one in charge of making decisions, the challenge was accepted for 20th August. Katsumata then told “The Bad Boy” that he is “The Happy Boy”! That only confused Janela further.
Another preview match for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” was built around Yuki Ueno’s challenge for the DDT Universal Title held by Masahiro Takanashi. With Toi Kojima on his team, Ueno got the better of Takanashi & Antonio Honda on this day. He countered the Takatonic with the Gin And Tonic and then pinned Honda with the BME. While a beaten Takanashi was being carried out of the arena by Chris Brookes, Ueno got on the microphone. He said Takanashi always climbs up from the bottom but he needs to understand that DDT is no longer at the bottom! Ueno promised the fans he will win the Universal Title from Takanashi and make DDT even more lively. Backstage Kojima described how different wrestling in front of a cheering crowd is like for him. He feels completely different than usual in a good way and hopes the fans will get to continue making noise soon.
The singles match between Saki Akai and Asuka was a big meeting for both of them before their Mixed Tag Match with Akiyama and Brookes next week. The Big Boots went flying from both. Akai went for the Quetzalcoatl but Asuka avoided it and went on to win after hitting the Shiranui to her opponent. She only previously used that move as part of a double team attack with MAO. The move works so well for her she decided to adopt the regular version of it as a new finisher. Afterwards Asuka bragged about never losing to Akai and predicts the result of the Mixed Tag Match will be the same. However she also encouraged Akai to do her best when teaming with Akiyama. Akai said if she felt discouraged after today’s results then the last nine years she spent wrestling would have be in vain. She will move forward and get ready to team with Akiyama.
The Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere gimmick was brought back after being absent for a while. This year’s match was a combination Battle Royal/Ladder match, which is the usual choice for this prize. However the twist this time involved three envelopes hanging above the ring. Only one of the envelopes was the real prize that needed to be grabbed to win the match. The other two were dummy prizes that disqualified whoever would grab them. Hirata found that out the hard way when he was the first to pick a wrong envelope. As other wrestlers got knocked out of the match through normal means, Aoki and Katsumata ended up as the final two. Aoki used the ladder to pin Katsumata down to the canvas so he could climb it and grab the real prize, winning the match. Katsumata didn’t believe it so he grabbed the last envelope, just to confirm it wasn’t the right one.
It was promoted before the show that the actual prize representing the Right To Challenge title shot this year is something that has never been used before in pro wrestling. Imabayashi handed Aoki an iPad with an image loaded up on the screen. He then explained that Aoki’s prize is the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere NFT! DDT decided to create one in order to prevent the title shot from being forged or stolen. Aoki will have to create an account to claim the NFT but the rules for the title shot are the same as always. He has one year to claim his KO-D Title shot at any DDT show he wants. But if Aoki directly loses any wrestling match, the NFT and the title shot is given to whoever beats him. This continues until the title match is cashed in or the year long timeframe expires. Imabayashi asked Aoki if he has an idea of when to use his title shot. Aoki simply smiled and walked off.
The anticipated debut of Takeshi Masada lived up to expectations. With only three months of training, Masada is already receiving high praise for his performance against the backbone of DDT, HARASHIMA. A lot of his moveset in the match was kick heavy because of his Shorinji Kempo background but he also pulled out a Falcon Arrow, using one of HARASHIMA’s own moves against him. The rookie was grounded with a Crab Hold which gave him a chance to show determination by fighting for a rope break. He got back into the swing of things with a kicking exchange until HARASHIMA swept his legs from under him and smashed him with the Somato to win the match. HARASHIMA congratulated him for making his debut and said it was amazing to hear the crowd cheer for the newcomer. He also said the debut match is the weakest point of a pro wrestler’s life so Masada will only get stronger from here. Masada said the match was a great experience. He got to fight HARASHIMA so now his next goal is to pin him for the three count! He also explained his ring gear is inspired by “Saturday Night Fever” because he likes old things.
DAMNATION T.A used their match to rub it in Yukio Sakaguchi’s face that they hold the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. Sakaguchi made it literal when he pressed his face into the belt KANON held up to him to build up more tension between the two. Daisuke Sasaki got a cheap shot in by throwing a chair at Sakaguchi while he was leaning over the middle rope. MAO got one back by sucker punching MJ Paul on the ring apron. Yuki Ishida ended up getting worked on by DAMNATION T.A. He made a small comeback but fell to the numbers disadvantage and got pinned by KANON’s Sleepy Hollow. Sasaki said it is about time for KANON to give old man Sakaguchi some guidance and lead him into retirement.
The big reveal of the show was the identity of White Briefs Man. The masked man who’s been following Pheromones around showed up still wearing the costume and wrestled as such. Pheromones were without Yumehito Imanari today because he is still recovering from yesterday’s Ganbare☆Pro show. That meant nobody was there to throw opponents into Danshoku Dieno & Yuki Iino’s exposed backsides. That gave Owashi & Soma Takao the chance to clear the ring and leave White Briefs Man with Sanshiro Takagi. The mask was pulled off and the identity was revealed. It’s Koju Takeda from Triple Six! Takeda pinned Takagi with the Shining Driver and was welcomed into Pheromones as Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda! Dieno said the unit is now complete with this addition. Takagi couldn’t believe it. He remembers Takeda used to wrestle in DNA and is a former KO-D 6-Man Tag Champion. This means Pheromones is getting stronger and he does not know how to stop it!
The 30th Anniversary of Jun Akiyama’s debut match will be celebrated on 18th September. Akiyama will team with Endo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru to take on Yuji Nagata, Konosuke Takeshita & Katsumata. Akiyama said Nagata and Kanemaru are two people who were indespensible to him over the last 30 years. Endo and Takeshita are in the match because Akiyama has passed down his techniques to both of them. Finally Katsumata is involved because Akiyama predicts he will become like Kanemaru in the future.
Kenta Kobashi will be at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” to be the special witness for the Higuchi Vs Endo main event.
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.
DDT/ONLY WE “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN CHIBA”, 11/08/2022 Chiba 2AW Square
1. Yusuke Okada Vs Toi Kojima
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Kaji Tomato, Yuya Koroku & El Unicorn
3. Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Hiroshi Yamato Vs Soma Takao, Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida
4. ONLY WE x DDT Special Tag Match ~ Harimao Vs Ω: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi
5. Summer! Chiba! Swim Shorts! ONLY WE x DDT Special Swim Shorts Rumble: Yuji Hino Vs Kaji Tomato Vs Akito Vs MAO Vs Shunma Katsumata Vs Chris Brookes Vs Antonio Honda Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hoshitango Vs Yukio Naya
The card is shuffled around a little bit after Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi agreed to reform Ω as a special occasion. The K-DOJO unit had other members but it is these two who are getting together for a match against Harimao.
Rumours are going around that the White Briefs Man is making his way to Chiba in time to be at the show.
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN KORAKUEN ~LET’S SHOUT!~”, 14/08/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & X (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Soma Takao
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, MAO & Yuki Ishida
3. Takeshi Masada Debut Match: HARASHIMA Vs Takeshi Masada
4. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Battle Royal: Yuji Hino Vs Chris Brookes Vs Shinya Aoki Vs Shunma Katsumata Vs Makoto Oishi Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yukio Naya Vs Hideki Okatani Vs Yuya Koroku
5. Special Single Match: Asuka Vs Saki Akai
6. Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda Vs Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima
7. DDT Extreme Title – Fluorescent Lighttube IPPON Death Match: Akito (c) Vs Joey Janela
8. Road To WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022! Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama
Seems like Tetsuya Endo and Jun Akiyama will be cleared to wrestle this weekend if they have not been already yet.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022 Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion Vs Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & X (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
3. 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
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda Vs HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Asuka
6. International Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano
8. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
A press conference was held today for Shinichiro Kawamatsu and Osamu Nishimura to meet each other before their 6-Man Tag Match at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”. Also in at the conference were Soma Takao and Akito. Kawamatsu said he’s been able to train for the match without having it interfere with his political duties. His wrestling style will be ground focused and he wants to see Nishimura use the Muga style against him. He brought along a T-shirt from 15 years ago that Nishimura autographed for him at the time. Nishimura was touched by this and said if Kawamatsu respects him that much, he will show him the Muga style in a DDT ring. Nishimura isn’t forgetting about Akito and Takao though. Even though it is a tag match, Nishimura will treat it like he’s fighting against three different opponents on his own to show how determined he is.
The match also means a lot to Takao because it is taking place in his home of Ota Ward and he some day hopes to become a city councilor. He would like to learn from both Kawamatsu and Nishimura to achieve that goal. Nishimura spent most of his time talking about his hometown Bunkyo and had to be reminded by Hisaya Imabayashi to talk about the wrestling match.
DDT “NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING”, 26/08/2022 Tokyo Ueno Park Amphitheater
1. MJ Paul & KANON Vs Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada
2. Bring Your Own Weapons Falls Count Anywhere 8-Man Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao Vs Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya, Yuki Ishida & Ilusion
3. Drunk 3 Way Match: Masahiro Takanashi Vs HARASHIMA Vs Yukio Sakaguchi
4. The Scariest In History! Shin Numabukuro Ghost Story 3 Way Tag Death Match: Akito & Makoto Oishi Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda & Saki Akai (Ghost Story Artist: Hisaya Imabayashi)
5. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
6. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs El Unicorn
7. Beer Garden Specialty Customer Lottery 6-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Tetsuya Endo, Konosuke Takeshita, Naomi Yoshimura, Yuki Ueno, Chris Brookes
The upcoming Beer Garden show may be a little different than usual but some of the traditions are sticking around. The main event 6-Man Tag will determine its teams by a lottery held at the start of the show. Randomly chosen fans will pick names or balls out of a box that decides who teams with who. Also on the card is Imabayashi’s annual ghost story. They can be so scary it’s fatal!
The grudge match between Daisuke Sasaki and El Unicorn is going ahead but without any stipulation added to it. Unicorn wants to get revenge for DAMNATION T.A constantly unmasking him. Sasaki was willing to put his hair on the line against Unicorn’s mask but that does not seem to be necessary for now.
It’s still supposed to be a non-alcohol Beer Garden show but three of the DDT wrestlers will do their damnedest to get drunk anyway. The drinking songs just aren’t the same when you only chug glasses of water to them. You know what I’m saying?
DDT doing a Fans Bring The Weapons match. What could go wrong?
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2022”, 04/09/2022 Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
1. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Asuka
2. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
3. Current Blast 6-Man Tag Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Shinya Aoki & Yukio Naya Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
Eruption came out to defend El Unicorn from DAMNATION T.A’s bullying and ended up challenging them for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles.
DDT “JAPAN BAKERY MARKETING PRESENTS KONOSUKE TAKESHITA 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~NISHINARI BAY BLUES~”, 10/09/2022 Osaka Nishinari Kumin Center
1. Yasu Urano, Antonio Honda & Trans-Am ☆ Hiroshi Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Super Sasadango Machine & X
2. Nobuyuki Onizawa’s Ochakan Radio Presents Special Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki
3. Japan Bakery Marketing Co., Ltd. Presents Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Daisuke Sasaki
Two matches that could not be more different are added to Konosuke Takeshita’s 10th Anniversary show. A dangerous encounter between Minoru Suzuki & Yukio Sakaguchi against HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki is being sponsored by a local radio show. Then there is an odd bunch of wrestlers gathering together for a 6-Man Tag Match with one participant yet to be revealed.
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.
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN OSAKA”, 30/07/2022 Osaka 176BOX 235 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Kazuki Hirata with the PK (7:12).
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi & Soma Takao ended in a No Contest (14:50).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Bodyguard defeated Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida when Bodyguard pinned Ishida with the Rising Dragon (13:44).
4. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Akito & Antonio Honda when KANON submitted Honda with the Just Cobra Twist (9:43).
5. Osaka Specialty Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Gamma defeated Yuki Ueno & Makoto Oishi when HARASHIMA pinned Oishi with a Crucifix Pin (13:25).
6. Tetsuya Endo defeated Yuya Koroku with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb (11:28).
7. Harimao Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated MAO & Shunma Katsumata when Yoshimura pinned Katsumata with the Throwaway Power Bomb (20:39).
A truck tire was brought into the main event by ShunMao. They and Harimao were almost counted out over brawling around ringside but MAO was able to delay the ref’s count long enough to use Shunma Katsumata for some big tire related attacks until Harimao finally stopped them. After the match ShunMao said they would like to fight forever with Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura. For that reason they would like to be nominated as the next challengers for the KO-D Tag Team Titles.
Tetsuya Endo wants to go into his KO-D Openweight Title match at perfect condition. He is using his valuable ring time working on his different moves so he doesn’t have to rely on the Burning Star Press on Sasuke Special to win. He was impressed with his opponent and BURNING stablemate Yuya Koroku and thinks the current form of DDT is bright.
Gamma’s first match on a regular DDT show was put together because of Yukinori Matsui. The two of them go way back to the days of Michinoku Pro and Osaka Pro. Gamma is retiring from pro wrestling on 14th August but Matsui is unable to attend the event because he will be working on a DDT show that day. Even though Gamma has no connection to DDT, Matsui reached out to the company to book him once before his retirement. Gamma thanked him for that and said if it wasn’t for Matsui’s kindness he never would have returned to pro wrestling when Osaka Pro was launched. He has gone on to survive wrestling for around 25 years and will get to retire in good condition. HARASHIMA said it is said to see a wrestler from his generation retire but told Gamma to keep running as fast as he can to the end.
Getting to wrestle Gamma meant a lot to Yuki Ueno. He didn’t discover Osaka Pro until after he became a pro wrestler but doing so got Ueno to discover how cool, big and strong Gamma is. Today was Ueno’s first match since recovering from covid and he feels energized again from being in the ring with HARASHIMA, Makoto Oishi and Gamma. Oishi told Ueno he will challenge him for the DDT Universal Title when Ueno wins it back.
The masked man in briefs got involved in the Pheromones match by taking Kazuki Hirata hostage up in the venue’s balcony while the tag match happened below. Toru Owashi & Soma Takao didn’t care so continued fighting. So Yuki Iino tried to attack them with the masked man’s underwear. Hisaya Imabayashi wanted to put a stop to it and fought fire with fire by attacking Pheromones with his own underwear covering his hand. The end result was Imabayashi and all of the wrestlers fainting from having underwear shoved into their faces. Nobody was left conscious so Matsui called off the match. Danshoku Dieno later said this is the way DDT should because it is going the wrong direction under Imabayashi’s watch.
Konosuke Takeshita sent in a message promoting his 10th Anniversary show in Nishinari on 10th September by announcing a bunch of Osaka wrestlers booked for the show. He’ll be back in Japan for about two months before returning to his overseas excursion.
DDT “SUMMER VACATION 2022”, 24/07/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 624 Fans
1. Makoto Oishi Return Match: Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata when Urano pinned Hirata with a Cradle (0:14).
1a. Rematch: Akito & Yasu Urano defeated Makoto Oishi & Kazuki Hirata when Akito submitted Hirata with an Ankle Hold (5:54).
2. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya defeated Antonio Honda, Saki Akai & Ilusion when Naya submitted Honda with the Torture Cobra Twist (7:29).
3. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Gota Ihashi when Iino submitted Ihashi with the Ketsugoye (9:46).
4. Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & El Unicorn defeated Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON by Disqualification when Sasaki unmasked El Unicorn (12:36).
5. Tetsuya Endo Return Match ~ Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Chris Brookes defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao when Endo pinned Takao with the Burning Star Press (16:24).
6. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) defeated Yusuke Okada with the Takatonic (10:55). *V1 for Masahiro Takanashi.
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated MAO & Asuka (c) when Higuchi pinned MAO with the Brain Claw Slam (20:07). *VENIMAO fail in V1. Harimao become the 75th KO-D Tag Team Champions!
The new wind blowing through DDT now has a name. Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura started off the show announcing their tag team from this point forward will be called Harimao. In the main event they went on to beat MAO & Asuka to capture the KO-D Tag Team Titles! MAO wasn’t pleased to hear they came up with a name that sounds similar to his own, so he retroactively named his team with Asuka VENIMAO. The champions didn’t give up easily. They hit Higuchi with the Doomsday Shiranui only for Yoshimura to break the count. Harimao recovered to give Asuka an Assisted Razor’s Edge. Higuchi then grabbed MAO to do the Brain Claw Slam for the victory. The title change means Higuchi is now a double crown champion! He thanked MAO & Asuka after the match for taking Harimao’s challenge on short notice.
Higuchi then turned his attention to “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” on 20th August. He knows he is going to defend the KO-D Openweight Title on the show but does not have an opponent yet. He will change that now because he wants to nominate Tetsuya Endo as his challenger! Endo came out and said he is grateful to Higuchi for carrying DDT in his absence along with everyone else in the company. Today Endo got back on his feet with his return match and wants to repay everyone for their support by returning to the top and becoming KO-D Champion again. He turned down Higuchi’s nomination but only so he can be the one to throw out the challenge instead. It will be Higuchi Vs Endo for the KO-D Title at Ota Ward Gymnasium!
A leg injury may have cost Yusuke Okada his only chance to win the DDT Universal Title. He hurt his leg early in the match and Masahiro Takanashi decided to target it from that point on. Takanashi bending the rules by physcially getting the referee in the way stopped Okada from building up any momentum. He finally got back on track but Takanashi avoided the Sudden Death, stunned Okada with a Super Kick and pinned him with the Takatonic. The audience showed their appreciation to Okada after the match but it seems like Takanashi is done with him and moving on. He is taking Okada’s idea of nominating Yuki Ueno as the next challenger. Ueno was not at the show due to having covid but he when he recovers he will get the title shot at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”. Takanashi thinks that out of all of the new generation wrestlers in DDT, Ueno may be the one and is a can’t miss opponent. If Takanashi can beat him then he will start to look outside of DDT for young wrestlers to defend the Universal Title against.
Endo’s return from his concussion was as part of a 6-Man Tag Match. He was supposed to be in full on BURNING trio with Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku but Koroku was a close contact suspect and pulled off the show. Chris Brookes replaced him and had no problems with being part of the team. Any worries about the state of Endo’s health went away after HARASHIMA slapped him across the head and Endo kept fighting. Soma Takao quickly congratulated Endo on his return while hitting his moves on him. Endo turned the tables by countering the Gin And Tonic with the Tetsuya In The Sky. A Torture Rack Bomb only got a 2 count so Endo went for the Burning Star Press to complete his comeback with a win. Endo said today was the happiest he felt since his debut match because when you get into the ring there is no guarantee you will get out of it in one piece. He will no longer apologise to the fans for what happened to him, instead he will tell them “thank you” for their support. Akiyama’s advice to him is he can turn what happened into an opportunity and then do his best with it. Even Endo’s opponents were positive over his return. Yukio Sakaguchi said there is no shame if Endo was fighting with himself over how far he fell because the only direction to go next is to climb up.
More covid problems affected the card. DAMNATION T.A was supposed to defend the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles against The 37KAMIINA but that was cancelled because Ueno and Toi Kojima were both absent. Shunma Katsumata is still here but now his tag team partners are Shinya Aoki and El Unicorn. The latter in particular was unexpectedly targeted by Daisuke Sasaki while MJ Paul & KANON dealt with the the others. Sasaki’s attempts to get a fall on Unicorn kept getting cut off so he ended up losing his temper and unmasked Unicorn for the disqualification! Backstage Unicorn demanded a match with Sasaki. Meanwhile Sasaki made a similar challenge but wants to take it one step further. His idea is to face El Unicorn in a Mask Vs Hair match, Mascara Contra Cabellera!
Just when you think Pheromones are all out of surprises, they pull another one out of their hats. Sanshiro Takagi thought he had them on the ropes after his involvement in getting Yuki Iino to lose the DDT Extreme Title. Today his plan was to destroy them once and for all with help from Toru Owashi & Gota Ihashi. Instead a masked man in a shirt and underwear ran out during the match. He then took off his underwear, wore it over his hand and gave Ihashi the Ultimate Venom Arm. Iino took over by putting Ihashi in the Ketsugoye until Ihashi gave up. Danshoku Dieno told everyone that Pheromones now has a new member. He may remind everyone of Michael Nakazawa but according to Dieno it may not be him! The masked man’s identity will remain a mystery for now until 14th August when he will be revealed for all to see.
A scheduled 3 Way Tag Match turned into a 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match because of covid related absences. Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya were almost unmovable objects for Antonio Honda, Saki Akai & Ilusion to try and topple. Honda warned Ilusion not to get Chopped by Hino only to get Chopped himself. Akai tried to give Hino the Quetzalcoatl but he wouldn’t budge due to the massive size difference. Gongistune was the only move effective against the heavyweights but even that couldn’t stop Naya from submitting Honda for the win.
Endo was not the only wrestler returning from injury on this show. Makoto Oishi was out for a year with a hip injury and today was going to be the next chapter of his wrestling career. He was teaming with Kazuki Hirata and their opponents were meant to be Akito & Yuki Ishida. However Ishida was pulled off the show and replaced with Yasu Urano. Oishi made his big entrance with a brand new look but by the time he made it to the ring, Urano had already won the match by pinning Hirata with a Roll Up. Hisaya Imabayashi demanded an immediate rematch for Oishi’s sake. The same thing happened only this time Oishi broke the pin so the match could continue. It went on as normal until the ending when Oishi climbed the top rope wanting to do a cool move only to see Akito put Hirata in an Anklelock to win the match. Oishi stayed still on the top rope and had a microphone handed to him. He said he was able to come back thanks to everyone’s support. He wants to carry DDT on his shoulders and made it his goal to win a championship.
Right before the summer began, DDT introduced five new trainees under their development system. Imabayashi announced that one of them is about to make their pro debut! Takeshi Masada will take on HARASHIMA on 14th August in his first match after only three months of training. It will be the quickest pro wrestling debut in DDT history. Masada is 21 years old, from Osaka and has a background in basketball and Shorinji Kempo.
The Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Battle Royal will be return on 14th August.
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!
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 16/07/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1A: Shoko Nakajima Vs Haruna Neko
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1C: Miyu Yamashita Vs Hyper Misao
3. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1E: Mahiro Kiryu Vs Yuki Arai
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1G: Pom Harajuku Vs Moka Miyamoto
Non-tournament matches will be announced on the day of the show. All 20 wrestlers entering the Tokyo Princess Cup along with Maki Itoh will be wrestling on the three Tokyo Joshi Pro shows this weekend.
DDT “SUMMER VACATION 2022 TOUR IN NAGOYA”, 16/07/2022 Aichi Nippon Gaishi Sports Plaza 3rd Stadium
1. Yuji Hino Vs Yuki Ishida
2. DISASTER BOX Vs Eruption!: HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
3. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
4. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs MAO & Soma Takao
5. DDT Extreme Title – 3 Vs 1 Handicap Rule: Yuki “Sexy” Iino (c), Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Akito (Special Referee: Sanshiro Takagi)
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda
Not only has Antonio Honda proved he deserves to be in the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match, it is now the main event too!
An extra rule is added to the DDT Extreme Title match after Danshoku Dieno warned that something bad could happen to the special referee Sanshiro Takagi and prevent him from doing his job. Akito and Hisaya Imabayashi are taking the threat seriously and came up with a backup plan. If Takagi cannot do his refereeing duties during the match for any reason then anyone who puts on the referee shirt will get to act as one! Imabayashi also announced the show will not air live on Wrestle Universe because of this match. If the match gets too out of control it will be cut from the VOD! Another thing to note about this match is where the inspiration for the match came from. According to the DDT website, the 3 Vs 1 Handicap stipulation is a call back to Antonio Inoki Vs Rusher Kimura, Animal Hamaguchi & Isamu Teranishi series from 1982 and 1983.
Yukio Naya is out of action with a fever and is off this weekend’s shows. Soma Takao replaces him on tomorrow’s card.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 17/07/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1B: Arisu Endo Vs Miu Watanabe
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1D: Nao Kakuta Vs Yuki Aino
3. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1F: Kaya Toribami Vs Yuka Sakazaki
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1H: Yuki Kamifuku Vs Rika Tatsumi
The winners of these opening round matches get some breathing room because they will skip Round 2 and advance straight into the Quarter Finals. It’s a wacky bracket that way.
GANBARE☆PRO “BAKURETSU TOSHI BURST CITY 2022”, 17/07/2022 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR
1. GanPro Summer Festival! MakoHaruka Vs YuriMoeka Full-Scale Battle: Makoto & HARUKAZE Vs Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI
2. GanPro Summer Festival! Lari Pro Army Vs Knee Pro Army Full-Scale Battle: Shuichiro Katsumura & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shota
3. GanPro Summer Festival! GanPro Survival 8-Man Tag Match ~Ohka Army Vs Imanari Army Full-Scale Battle~: Ken Ohka, Kouki Iwasaki, Mizuki Watase & Sayaka Obihiro Vs Yumehito Imanari, Soma Takao, Tyson Maguchi & Sayaka
Yuna Manase suffered a right leg injury wrestling on a SEAdLINNNG show during the week. She said it is not a severe injury but she will take a rest and is unable to wrestle this weekend. Sayaka from Gatoh Move takes her place in the Survival Tag Match.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 18/07/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2B: Winner Of Match 1C Vs Raku
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2C: Winner Of Match 1E Vs Hikari Noa
The winner of Miyu Yamashita Vs Hyper Misao will face Raku in Round 2. The winner of Mahiro Kiryu Vs Yuki Arai will face Hikari Noa.
DDT “SUMMER VACATION 2022 TOUR IN NAGANO”, 18/07/2022 Nagano City Art Center Act Space
1. 3 Way Match: Akito Vs Antonio Honda Vs Saki Akai
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Yuji Hino, Soma Takao & Yuya Koroku
3. Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs Chris Brookes & Yuki Ishida
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs Eruption!: Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
5. Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs MAO & Shunma Katsumata
6. Nagano Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yasushi Kanda, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata
Takao also replaces Naya on Monday’s show. The opening tag match Takao was originally booked for is now a 3 Way with the remaining wrestlers.
GANBARE☆PRO “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA”, 10/07/2022 Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium 804 Fans
1. Four Beasts Of Fate Gathered In Sekigahara ~Special Tag Match~: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs Isami Kodaka & Shuji Ishikawa
2. Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Vs Takaiwa Army: Kouki Iwasaki & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Tatsuhito Takaiwa & 5th Black Tiger
3. Ganpro Specialty 6-Man Tag Match Match: Ganbare Tamagawa, Nobuhiro Shimatani & HARUKAZE Vs Onryo, YuuRI & Lingerie Muto
4. Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Vs Eruption: Mizuki Watase, Moeka Haruhi & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
5. Special Single Match: Yuna Manase Vs Sayaka Unagi
6. Special Single Match: Shuichiro Katsumura Vs Minoru Suzuki
7. Special Tag Match ~ CDK Vs ROMANCE DAWN: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Shota & Soma Takao
8. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Yumehito Imanari (c) Vs Ken Ohka
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 