December 5, 2022
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT AUTUMN ~HAMAMATSU PERFORMANCE~”, 10/12/2022
Shizuoka Entetsu Hall
1. Suzume Vs Kaya Toribami
2. Hyper Misao Vs Mahiro Kiryu
3. Hikari Noa Vs Haruna Neko
4. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Aino & Arisu Endo Vs Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Moka Miyamoto
6. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Rhio
Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku are both missing from this Saturday’s show because they will be wrestling in Malaysia. Nao Kakuta is also absent because of her stage work.
“BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS”, 13/12/2022
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa
1. Interdimensional Kaiju Vs Fucked Up Warfare: MAO Vs Death Worm
2. Gatoh Move Tag: Mei Suruga & Miya Yostuba Vs Masahiro Takanashi & Chie Koishikawa
3. Double Anniversary Special: Chris Brookes Vs Drew Parker
A mat pro wrestling show is taking place at ARENA Shimokitazawa to celebrate Chris Brookes’ 15th Anniversary as well as Drew Parker’s 10th Anniversary. Guests from Gatoh Move and IWA Japan are involved on the undercard and there is also going to be a solo acoustic performance by Antonio Honda.
DDT “DANSHOKU DIENO 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK PUBLICATION COMMEMORATION”, 21/12/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. DDT Tradition 6-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Thanomsak Toba Vs Tesuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & DJ Nira
2. Novelty Single Match: Naruki Doi Vs Shunma Katsumata
3. Selfishly For The 2nd Time In 20 Years, A Single Match That Danshoku Dieno Just Wants To See: Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
4. Selfishly For The 1st Time In 20 Years, Danshoku Dieno’s Self-Satisfaction Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Muscle Sakai
A first time ever match between Naruki Doi and Shunma Katsumata is one of the matches Danshoku Dieno made for his book launch event. He also put together a standard 6-Man Tag match between Harimao and BURNING with Thanomsak Toba and DJ Nira also sprinkled in.
GANBARE☆PRO “GIRI GIRI CHOP! 2022”, 27/12/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Munetatsu Nakamura Debut Match: Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
2. GanJo x TJPW Special Tag Match: Suzume & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Yuki Kamifuku & YuuRI
3. Shota Triumphant Return Match: Shuichiro Katsumura & Shota Vs Soma Takao & Shigehiro Irie
4. Kouki Iwasaki Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Last Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Kouki Iwasaki
5. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Hartley Jackson (c) Vs Mizuki Watase
Shota’s American excursion is coming to and end and he will be back home in Japan before the year is over. His big return match for Ganbare☆Pro sees him teaming with Shuichiro Katsumura against the Team Drift pair of Soma Takao & Shigehiro Irie.
We’re getting a collaboration between Ganbare☆Joshi and Tokyo Joshi Pro. Previous opponents Suzume & Yoshiko Hasegawa are excited to be teaming together. Their opponents Yuki Kamifuku & YuuRI not so much. I mean, YuuRI is thrilled because she looks up to Kamifuku. Shame that Kamifuku thinks little of YuuRI in return.
The Ganpro rookie Munetatsu Nakamura gets Shinichiro Tominaga as his first opponent. As long as he doesn’t take any of Tominaga’s advice on how to spend time with the opposite sex he’ll be fine.
DDT “NEVER MIND 2022”, 29/12/2022
Tokyo Dome City Hall
0. Dark Match: Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima Vs Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi
0. Dark Match: Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Masahiro Takanashi, Soma Takao & Antonio Honda
1. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Takeshi Masada
2. HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuji Hino & Yuki Ishida
3. Pheromones Vs “Miyako & Ward” Pheromones Subjugation Allied Forces: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Akito, Osamu Nishimura, Shinichiro Kawamatsu & Shunma Katsumata
4. Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai Vs Saori Anou & Riko Kawahata
5. Special Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita & Yukio Naya Vs Daisuke Sekimoto & RSP
6. International 4 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Chris Brookes Vs MAO Vs Cara Noir
7. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Chihiro Hashimoto
8. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada
9. DDT Extreme Title: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Super Sasadango Machine
10. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
DDT’s 25th year comes to a close at Tokyo Dome City Hall. The main event is Kazusada Higuchi putting the KO-D Openweight Title on the line against Yuki Ueno, the winner of this year’s D-Ou Grand Prix. Going back to the summer the main event scene in DDT has been built around who is the most capable to carry the company on their back. Higuchi ended up standing head and shoulders above everyone else and getting to fly the flag (in some cases literally) was his reward. Ueno has one of the loudest claims to being the rightful leader of DDT, purposely adding more pressure to himself in order to reach his goal. He just won the Grand Prix and is still the reigning DDT Universal Champion. He is going to get what he wants and stand toe to toe against DDT’s current symbol of strength Higuchi. Ueno’s plan if he becomes the double crown champion is to defend the Universal Title overseas. He also wants to defend both championships on a monthly basis as long as his body can take it.
Jun Akiyama is keeping himself busy going into the new year by coming up with a bunch of suggestions for DDT to work on. He is the new DDT Extreme Champion and already has a challenger lined up for him. Super Sasadango Machine asked for a title shot to make up for how little he wrestled this year. Akiyama agreed to it but thinks Sasadango has become overweight. He strongly advised Sasadango to lose 20kg in time for the match. In order to do this Akiyama suggested DDT should create the DDT Health Club which he can be president of. There used to be a NOAH Health Club so he got his idea from there. As champion Akiyama can also choose the match stipulation but he will consult with Kenta Kobashi before making that decision. He would rather Sasadango come up with the rules if it is allowed because the champion having that power gives him too much of an unfair advantage. In fact, Akiyama wants to form a committee for the Extreme Title and Kobashi to be the chairman. Akiyama also isn’t comfortable with holding a purple championship because he has a bad history with that colour. He asked DDT if they can change the Extreme Title to a white belt in tribute to the retired GHC Hardcore Openweight Title he was originally responsible for creating.
Well, Naruki Doi said he wanted a match with Tetsuya Endo so he’s getting one. Endo made it known during the Grand Prix his goal in DDT is to win all of the championships and right now his target is the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles. The match gives Yusuke Okada some sorely needed spotlight after spending the last few months on the undercard. Kotaro Suzuki adds a lot of firepower to the team as well. Can Doi rely on DISASTER BOX to carry their share of the work? Toru Owashi won’t let him down but Kazuki Hirata can go from completely useless to the luckiest man in the ring on a coin flip.
Time for Yukio Naya to dust himself off and move on to the next challenge. The D-Ou finalist gets to team with Konosuke Takeshita against the unusual pairing of Daisuke Sekimoto & RSP in an all heavyweight tag battle.
Comments Off on Baka Gaijin Show, Shota Coming Home, Never Mind 2022 Complete Card | 
News | Tagged: Antonio Honda, ARENA Shimokitazawa, Baka Gaijin + Friends, BURNING, Chris Brookes, Daisuke Sekimoto, Danshoku Dieno, DDT Extreme Championship, DDT Pro Wrestling, DISASTER BOX, DJ Nira, Dramatic Dream Team, Drew Parker, Ganbare☆Joshi, Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling, GanJo, GanPro, Gatoh Move, Harimao, IWA Japan, Jun Akiyama, Kazuki Hirata, Kazusada Higuchi, Kenta Kobashi, KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship, KO-D Openweight Championship, Konosuke Takeshita, Korakuen Hall, Kotaro Suzuki, Maki Itoh, Munetatsu Nakamura, Nao Kakuta, Naruki Doi, RSP (Rickey Shane Page), Shigehiro Irie, Shinichiro Tominaga, Shizuoka Entetsu Hall, Shota, Shuichiro Katsumura, Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao, Super Sasadango Machine, Suzume, Tetsuya Endo, Thanomsak Toba, TJPW, Tokyo Dome City Hall, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, Toru Owashi, Yoshiko Hasegawa, Yuki Kamifuku, Yuki Ueno, Yukio Naya, Yusuke Okada, YuuRI | 
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Posted by JamieOD
December 4, 2022
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 THE FINAL”, 04/12/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
711 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Soma Takao, Hideki Okatani & Hikaru Machida defeated Yuya Koroku, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada when Takao pinned Ishida with the Gin And Tonic (8:36).
2. Soccer Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (3) defeated Akito & Antonio Honda (2) by Penalty Shootout.
2a. Akito (1) pinned Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno (0) with a Gene LeBell Style Rolling Cradle (1st Half 0:18).
2b. Akito (2) pinned Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno (0) with a Free Kick (1st Half 1:21).
2c. Yuki “Sexy” Iino (1) pinned Akito (2) with the Ketsugoye (2nd Half 0:37).
2d. Yuki “Sexy” Iino (2) pinned Akito (2) with the Sexy Lariat (2nd Half 2:54).
*Pheromotia advance to the Final 8.
3. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada defeated MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima when Endo pinned Kojima with the Burning Star Press (12:09).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuma Sumi when Hirata pinned Sumi with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (10:25).
5. DDT Extreme Title – TLC Match: Jun Akiyama defeated Joey Janela (c) with the Wrist Clutch Exploder Suplex (11:32).
*Joey Janela fails in V5. Jun Akiyama becomes the 56th DDT Extreme Champion!
6. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & RSP defeated Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON when Higuchi pinned Paul with the Buchikamashi (10:50).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – Final: Yuki Ueno defeated Yukio Naya with the BME (20:32).
The reigning DDT Universal Champion is now also the D-Ou Grand Prix winner for 2022! Before the tournament even began Yuki Ueno has been calling his shot to win the whole thing as part of his quest to be the leading figure in DDT. He achieved it here by beating Yukio Naya in the final. Naya came into the match as confident as he has ever been and looked to win with sheer power. He used an Avalanche Choke Slam as his big move to set up the Torture Cobra Twist. Ueno relied on his own speed and agility in response, nearly scoring a countout win after a Moonsault out of the ring. The BME was countered at first when Naya blocked it with his knees. Ueno tried to show fighting spirit against his opponent’s Lariats and Knee Strikes until he started to show signs of collapse. His second wind came when he countered a Choke Slam with a Triangle Choke. He used his new Rolling Guillotine Ace Crusher but was too beaten up to go for the pin. When both stood back up, Naya got the first blow and landed the Back Drop. However he too was slow to make the cover and Ueno kicked out. Naya rushed in for a final attack and he ran straight into a series of Dropkicks until he couldn’t get back up. Ueno got to hit the BME in the end and that was enough to win him the match.
Naya received applause from the crowd as he left ringside. Ueno stayed in the ring to receive his trophy from Kenta Kobashi. Ueno called Naya a big and amazing opponent that he was able to beat on his own. Ueno promises he will still work hard to become the best in DDT and get more people to watch DDT. He wants everybody to love DDT as much as he does. He has the DDT Universal Title, just won the D-Ou Grand Prix and now wants to win the KO-D Openweight Title! He’s sure Konosuke Takeshita is watching him from America and knows he wouldn’t be working so hard if it wasn’t for his friends. Backstage Naya showed frustration because he said he was going to carry DDT on his shoulders like a big shot only to lose in the final. He swore in 2023 he will go higher and become big enough to challenge for the KO-D Title. Kobashi praised Naya for not running out of stamina during such a long match and being able to respond to Ueno’s fast pace. Last year he was told by people in DDT that Ueno is a genius. Kobashi is beginning to understand the claim after watching him throughout the Grand Prix. He also thinks the future of DDT is blossoming because the final was between two wrestlers in their 20s.
A collection of heavyweights from the D-Ou group stages all joined forces to fight against DAMNATION T.A. The size differences took Minoru Fujita off guard. The opposition all ganged up on him and pulled off the Kai En Tai pyramid pose with Chris Brookes posing at the top. KANON tried slowing down Yuji Hino with the Cobra Twist. Daisuke Sasaki wanted to fight everyone off with a chair but was given a Double Choke Slam from RSP & Brookes. Hino then gathered most of DAMNATION T.A together outside the ring so RSP could do a Topé into them. MJ Paul showed some fight against Kazusada Higuchi but he too was decimated with the Buchikamashi sumo charge for the three count. After the match Higuchi said it does not matter if his next challenger is Ueno or Naya. He just wants to fight and defend the championship.
For the first time in his decorated career Jun Akiyama was taking part in a TLC Match. His opponent Joey Janela came up with the stipulation for the DDT Extreme Title match for his own benefit. Except that does not change the face he still had to fight Jun Akiyama! The challenger gradually found his footing in an arena filled with Tables, Ladders and Chairs all available to be used as weapons. He threw Janela out of the ring onto a castle of chairs. He also gave Janela the Exploder Suplex onto a ladder inside the ring. Janela showed his guts and went high risk. It paid off with a Diving Elbow from a ladder putting Akiyama through a table. He wanted to continue the attack but Akiyama gave him an Avalanche Exploder onto another table. Janela kicked out so Akiyama had to give him the Wrist-Clutch Exploder to finally put him away and win the Extreme Title!
After the match Janela finally showed Akiyama some respect by shaking his hand. Janela later said Akiyama earned his respect by stepping into his area of hardcore wrestling and winning. As Akiyama was leaving the ring, Super Sasadango Machine appeared and called for his attention. He told everyone that he has not wrestled much in 2022 and wanted to make a year end adjustment. He figured if he could challenge Akiyama for the Extreme Title at the end of the year it would make up for his inactivity. Akiyama thought about it and agreed. He then asked Sasadango how much he weighed. Sasadango answered he is 125kg. Akiyama told him to lose 20kg and then left the ring. Hisaya Imabayashi used his GM powers to make the match official for 29th December.
Naruki Doi’s request to face DDT’s best led him straight to HARASHIMA. Although first he had to go through Kazuma Sumi because the rookie wanted to start the match against him. Kazuki Hirata did not show as much bravery when he had to share the ring with Yukio Sakaguchi. Doi and HARASHIMA got to fight each other eventually but Hirata continued to look like the weak link. He took a Running Knee from Sakaguchi in the corner, a Springboard Splash from HARASHIMA and a Standing Moonsault from Sumi. However Hirata kicked out of the pin and suddenly caught Sumi in the Miracle One Shot Cradle to win the match for his team out of nowhere.
Hirata wanted to give a victory speech but he was interrupted by Tetsuya Endo’s theme music. Endo walked out with Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada by his side. Endo said he hadn’t forgotten about Doi mentioning his name in Kyoto as somebody he wants to fight. This is Endo accepting the challenge! He also wants it to be a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match. Hirata tried to speak but Doi cut him off. Doi thinks it is a chance of fate because not only does he want to fight Endo, he also never thought he would see Suzuki in a DDT ring again. Doi told them his next scheduled appearance for DDT is on 29th December. He asked Toru Owashi who was the authority around here and was confused when he was pointed over to Imabayashi. The GM confirmed the title match will happen on the 29th.
The BURNING trio had just wrestled in the match before, beating The 37KAMIINA. Suzuki squared off with Shunma Katsumata. The two of them had a singles match in DNA 5 years ago and Katsumata was eager to show hot much he has grown since then. Toi Kojima also wanted to test himself against the veteran. He ended up on the worst end of things by taking Suzuki’s Tombstone, then Okada’s Diving Headbutt and finally Endo’s Burning Star Press for the finish. Endo and Suzuki treated the match as their first introductions to each other. Suzuki also called DDT a new view for him to experience now that he is freelance. Katsumata wants another chance to fight Suzuki and show he can surpass him. MAO was in a bit of a bad mood after seeing the video of Akiyama interviewing Suzuki. In the video there are three times when Akiyama said DDT became a stronger place after he joined the company. That line has been bothering MAO ever since he heard it.
The success of Japan in the World Cup has Pheromones feeling football crazy. They all walked down to the ring wearing football kits and demanding their match be held under Soccer Rules. Every 1 Count pinfall counted as a goal. At first the plan backfired when Akito quickly pinned Dieno early in the 1st half. Dieno then caused a foul which allowed Akito to score a second goal from a free Dropkick. Antonio Honda was in the middle of telling his Gongitsune joke when Yukinori Matsui blew his whistle and ended the half. For the 2nd Half, Yumehito Imanari was brought in as a substitute for Dieno. Yuki Iino blocked Honda’s Bionic Elbow and used the Katsugoye to make the score 2-1. Imanari then pinned Akito to make it 2-2 but the pinfall was disallowed after a VAR review. Play restarted and Iino pinned Akito with the Sexy Lariat. Akito pleaded for another VAR review, claiming that Iino’s ball was showing outside of his skimpy costume. VAR showed that the ball was still in bounds within the line by the slightest of margins so the goal stood. The match went to an actual penalty shootout in the ring and Imanari scored the winning shot to send his team into the Quarter Finals! Final score: Pheromotia 3 – 2 Subjugation JAPAN.
The first match of the day featured the return of the kickboxer Hikaru Machida. He had some striking exchanges with Takeshi Masada when they were both in the ring. Yuya Koroku used a Waterwheel Drop on Soma Takao, setting up his team to launch a train attack against him. Yuki Ishida tried to take it all the way until Machida & Hideki Okatani cut him off. Ishida kicked out of Takao’s Running Elbow but was down and out when Takao did the Gin And Tonic.
Dieno announced some new matches for his book launch event at Korakuen Hall on 21st December. Doi and Katsumata face off in a first time singles match. Kazusada Higuchi, Thanomsak Toba & Yuki Ishida Vs Tesuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & DJ Nira will also happen on the show.
Comments Off on DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 THE FINAL” Results | Results, Tournaments | Tagged: Akito, Antonio Honda, BURNING, Chris Brookes, D-Oh Grand Prix, Daisuke Sasaki, DAMNATION T.A, Danshoku Dieno, DDT Extreme Championship, DDT Pro Wrestling, DISASTER BOX, DJ Nira, Dramatic Dream Team, HARASHIMA, Hideki Okatani, Hikaru Machida, Hisaya Imabayashi, Joey Janela, Jun Akiyama, KANON, Kazuki Hirata, Kazuma Sumi, Kazusada Higuchi, Kenta Kobashi, KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship, Korakuen Hall, Kotaro Suzuki, MAO, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul, Naruki Doi, Pheromones, RSP (Rickey Shane Page), Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao, Super Sasadango Machine, Takeshi Masada, Tetsuya Endo, Thanomsak Toba, The 37KAMIINA, Toru Owashi, Toy Kojima (Toi Kojima), Yuji Hino, Yuki Iino, Yuki Ishida, Yuki Ueno, Yukinori Matsui, Yukio Naya, Yukio Sakaguchi, Yumehito Imanari, Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
September 10, 2022
DDT “JAPAN BAKERY MARKETING PRESENTS KONOSUKE TAKESHITA 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~NISHINARI BAY BLUES~”, 10/09/2022
Osaka Nishinari Kumin Center
487 Fans – Super No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: MJ Paul & KANON defeated Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada when KANON pinned Masada with the Sleepy Hollow (6:52).
0. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Staggered Entry Battle Royal: Toru Owashi defeated Kazuki Hirata with a Crushed Body Slam (13:55).
Order Of Elimination: Makoto Oishi, Yuya Koroku, Yuki Ishida, Saki Akai, Soma Takao, Ilusion, Akito, Yusuke Okada, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari, Yuki “Sexy” Iino, El Unicorn, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno and Toru Owashi.
*Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,551st Champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kazuki Hirata defeated Toru Owashi (c) with a Cradle (4:58 pm).
*Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,552nd champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Keiko Takeshita defeated Kazuki Hirata (c) with the Rainmaker (4:59 pm).
*Keiko Takeshita becomes the 1,553rd champion.
1. Special Tag Match ~ Sakuya Konohana Tag Vs CCK!: Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno defeated Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos when Ueno pinned Lykos with the BME (16:55).
2. The 37KAMIINA Vs Brahmin Brothers: MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima defeated Brahman Shu, Brahman Kei & Brahman Sanshiro when Kojima pinned Takagi after an Accidental Explosion Of Mysterious Powder (11:10).
3. Tokyo Joshi Pro 3 Way Tag Offer Match: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki defeated Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao and Miu Watanabe & Arisu Endo when Sakazaki pinned Endo with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (9:17).
4. Yasu Urano, Antonio Honda & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi defeated Masahiro Takanashi, Super Sasadango Machine & DJ Nira when Hiroshi pinned Sasadango with the Seiken Zuki (11:59).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuji Hino defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yukio Naya when Hino pinned Naya with the Fuckin’ BOMB (13:26).
6. Nobuyuki Onizawa’s Ochakan Radio Presents Special Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated HARASHIMA & Shinya Aoki when Sakaguchi pinned HARASHIMA with the God’s Right Knee (15:57).
7. Japan Bakery Marketing Co., Ltd. Presents Special Single Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Daisuke Sasaki with the German Suplex (22:19).
Konosuke Takeshita has now been wrestling for decade. His goal from the 11th onwards is to take over the world! His 10 year anniversary show was built around two matches. The main event was a singles match against Daisuke Sasaki, one of Takeshita’s toughest opponents. Sasaki could have ruined the entire party but there was support for Takeshita coming from all corners. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi tried singing to him from ringside for motivation until Sasaki whacked him over the back with a chairshot. Sasaki used the chair again without the ref seeing it and tried latching in the Crossface Lock by using La Mistica to set it up. Takeshita was able to fight back and hit the Jumping Knee, opening Sasaki up for the German Suplex to end the match. Takeshita thanked Sasaki for being the person who helped him polish his wrestling skills and made it evolve. Sasaki may have still been dizzy from the match because he complimented his opponent. He said if Takeshita is good enough to beat him then Takeshita is world class. He then said they should meet up again for a rematch in ten years time.
Takeshita’s other match of the day was a tag match featuring wrestlers who are close to him. Yuki Ueno has been his classmate in both a high school and pro wrestling sense. Chris Brookes is somebody Takeshita has become best friends with through what they’ve been through inside the ring. The wild card was Kid Lykos, Brookes tag team partner from England who was making his DDT debut. CCK’s M.O. is “sick fucking tag moves” and they got to display it here. But the hometown team got the better of them and Ueno pinned Lykos with the BME.
The semi-main event pitted four dangerous fighters against each other in a tag match. It was a rare chance to see Shinya Aoki and Minoru Suzuki face each other. Their fight was pretty much a stalemate and Yukio Sakaguchi proved to be the difference maker by pinning HARASHIMA with the God’s Right Knee. Aoki and Suzuki were still at each other’s throats outside the ring when the match ended. Aoki said afterwards he is interested in another match with him. Sakaguchi however does has another match with Suzuki coming up at a festival next month in Yokohama called WILD ONE. His feelings to beat up Suzuki are growing stronger and stronger.
The mystery wrestler in Match #4 was DJ Nira. Yay… Antonio Honda disappeared midway through the match. There was a sudden announcement of a new life being born and Honda reappeared in the ring wearing diapers. Super Sasadango Machine cut him off but Honda got his revenge by hitting the Diving Fist Drop to him right after Yasu Urano did a Diving Body Press. Hiroshi had easy pickings and pinned Sasadango with a closed fist punch for the win.
In the pre-show Battle Royal, Pheromones dominated the field with their antics. They set up their Hell Gate and threw everyone they could into it one by one to eliminate them. However when they did it to El Unicorn they unintentionally unmasked him. That was deemed and illegal move so both Yuki Iino and Yumehito Imanari were Disqualified. Unicorn also eliminated himself by leaving the ring while trying to keep his face hidden. The match came down to Toru Owashi and Kazuki Hirata. An attempted Body Slam from Hirata backfired when Owashi fell on top of him and he was pinned by his weight.
Owashi’s win means he regains the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title that he previously vacated to prove he is a serious wrestler. Keiko Takeshita, the mother of Konosuke entered the ring to present Owashi with a prize of 551 pork buns. Hirata suddenly rolled up Owashi to win the title and then tried grabbing the buns from Keiko. In response to this Keiko grabbed Hirata from behind and gave him the Rainmaker! She placed her foot on him and gave him a scolding while the referee counted to three. Keiko Takeshita is now the Iron Man Champion! She’s happy with that because it means she could be on the front cover of the next Weekly Pro-Wrestling magazine.
1 Comment | Results | Tagged: Antonio Honda, CCK (Calamari Catch Kings), Chris Brookes, Daisuke Sasaki, DDT Pro Wrestling, DJ Nira, Dramatic Dream Team, El Unicorn, HARASHIMA, Iron Man Heavymetalweight Championship, Kazuki Hirata, Keiko Takeshita, Kid Lykos, Konosuke Takeshita, Minoru Suzuki, Osaka Nishinari Kumin Center, Pheromones, Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine, Toru Owashi, Yasu Urano, Yuki Iino, Yuki Ueno, Yukio Sakaguchi, Yumehito Imanari | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
September 7, 2022
MUSCLE “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 7 ~IT’S STILL SUMMER ON THE KOSHU KAIDO~”, 07/09/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
544 Fans
1. UP & DOWN CLIMAX FIGHT ~ SWOUD Special Rules: Totaro Omoiki, Takaku Karahiko, Knee Cross Kinya, Baseball Bat Swing, Marume Komimatsu, Hisamitsu Chikuhisa, Sasadango, Yukidango, Yasudango & Surprise-san defeated Herman Miller Mao, Kazusada Kokuyo, AK Racing Yoshimura, Eames Watase, Human Chair Imanari, Itoki Oyoshi, One-Eyed Iron Naya, Daigouin Inada, Dee Jay & South River when Chikuhisa pinned Mao with the Amonken (37:31).
The final chapter of Hiragana Muscle began with a PowerPoint presentation from Super Sasadango Machine. He explained to the audience that his task for today is to figure out how to make the last episode an all round success. Ticket sales and merchandise are important but the biggest factor was how much they audience could get excited. Cheers and shouting were not permitted for the show due to restrictions but laughter and gasps of shock were allowed. So Sasadango got the crowd to give a standing ovation to kick off the show. There was also a montage video that ended with a tribute to Tsurutimo Dragon, aka the late Goro Tsurumi.
Amon Tsurumi is leaving DDT at the end of the year so he was the hero of today’s story. He was seen in the ring training with Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno when Yuki Rock interrupted them. Tsurumi revealed he wants to end his career as an idol wrestler and asked Takeshita to reform The Finisher Boys for a limited time so he can perform with them. Takeshita & Ueno agreed. Meanwhile up in the balcony, the former members of The Steel Chair Boys watched on. Since Shota is now in America he was replaced with Tetsu Unada and Yukio Naya in the group. Inada in particular set his sights on Tsurumi and declared war!
There was an introduction of all the characters followed by the title reveal for this episode, “UP & DOWN”. In the ring Takeshita talked to the others about his time training in Venice Beach when DJ Nira & Minamikawa confronted him. They came to warn that Naya High School, an elite group of badasses are trying to disrupt the balance of power and need to be stopped. Tsurumi asked if he can help but Nira turned him down. However The Finisher Boys saw the need to bolster their forces and decided to form the Finish Federation with their allies. Meanwhile the Naya High School were doing harsh knee training using chairs. Inada & Naya agreed to launch a conflict on all groups standing in their way!
Suddenly, Kazusada Higuchi collapsed holding his knee in pain. He was meant to be the gang leader but now he can’t go through with it. Luckily for them, MAO stepped into the spotlight introducing himself as Naya High School’s newest transfer student. He is a bad guy who loves fighting and offered to take Higuchi’s spot. A video then played of Tsurumi visiting the SWAN DIVE bar for a drink and also to look for info. Inada & Naya arrived shortly afterward looking for Sasadango. They want him to create a weapon to defeat the Finish Federation but he refused. MIC the bartender tried to intervene but got his arm broken by Inada & Naya instead. Tsurumi couldn’t do anything but stay hidden in the corner and watch innocent people get hurt.
Tsurumi had to move on with his investigation and found the information he wanted. He learned that Naya is the leader of the Naya Zaibatsu criminal organization and Naya High School is just a cover up. His goal is to redevelop the city into his own sumo arena and turn all martial arts into gambling events. Tsurumi vowed to protect the city from them and will not run away. However most members of The Finisher Boys wanted nothing to do with the war and walked out on Tsurumi, Takeshita & Ueno. They would have to take on this fight on their own. Tsurumi then went through a training montage that included video clips of Hisaya Imabayashi fighting Pheromones.
While all of this was going on, Sasadango met with his family for their monthly meeting. They looked over all of the movements going on and had to decide which side to take. There is Naya High School declaring war on everyone, the remains of the Finish Federation getting ready to defend themselves and a third party called NUDE BOYS on the fringes that could get involved too. Haruo Murata then got a phone call over at the commentary table. The caller asked if he thinks a fight was about to begin? Murata answered he’s been sitting at his table for 1 hour 40 minutes. The atmosphere feels like a fight is going to break out but none has happened yet. MIC then appeared with his broken arm and rang the ring bell. Murata excitedly said “The fight is about to begin!” The Sasadango Family called a cab and had 10 minutes to decide which side they will fight for.
Next we saw Tsurumi, Takeshita & Ueno outnumbered in the ring against eight members of Naya High School. The numbers game was difficult to fight against but a misfire from Yumehito Imanari led to him hitting Inada by mistake and the comeback was on. Tsurumi even did a big dive, jumping off the ring apron into everyone on the floor. Higuchi then grabbed him and threatened to finish him off when the Sasadango Family arrived in time for the rescue. The Finish Federation also returned to their aid. Tsurumi struck Higuchi with the Amonken Backfist but his pin was suddenly broken up by the NUDE BOYS! There was fighting and musical numbers happening everywhere. There was even Tetsuya Endo’s mandatory run in. Higuchi ordered MAO to attack Tsurumi with a chair when everything suddenly slowed down and “Etupirka” began playing. MAO slowly blocked the Amonken with his chair but Tsurumi fought through the pain and slowly threw another Amonken, nailing his target for the three count.
Tsurumi declared victory but Keigo Nakamura & Toi Kojima along with a badly beaten Yuki Ishida told him there was still fighting on the streets. Higuchi also said the war wasn’t over yet and he was ready go go another round. The fighting will continue. Tsurumi looked to the audience and apologised for being unable to save the city from the chaos happening around him. That was the end of this story.
In his closing speech Tsurumi said he thought he had a second chance at youth with the original MUSCLE but thanks to Hiragana Muscle he got a third chance. He learned that as long as you are alive you are young. Muscle Sakai said he’s been doing these shows since 2004 and today was the first time he was able to keep an event to under two hours. They have three more performances this week and told the others to keep up with making them fun and exciting. MAO complained the chair is too heavy to do slow motion spots with but promised to give it his all.
1 Comment | Results | Tagged: Amon Tsurumi, DJ Nira, Finish Ranpatsu, Finisher Boys, Goro Tsurumi, Haruo Murata, Hiragana Muscle, Hisaya Imabayashi, Kazusada Higuchi, Keigo Nakamura, Konosuke Takeshita, Korakuen Hall, MAO, Minamikawa, Muscle Sakai, Steel Chair Boys, Super Sasadango Machine, Tetsu Inada, Toy Kojima (Toi Kojima), Yuki Ishida, Yuki Rock, Yuki Ueno, Yukio Naya, Yumehito Imanari | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
September 6, 2022
MUSCLE “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 7 ~IT’S STILL SUMMER ON THE KOSHU KAIDO~”, 07/09/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
This week is the final set of performances for Hiragana Muscle before the brand finishes its current run. They are doing three shows in four days, all will be virtually identical and I bet they will feature some sort of goodbye scene for Hisaya Imabayashi/Amon Tsuurmi. The MUSCLE concept will return one day but right now it won’t be until the year 2030. Muscle Sakai will probably come up with an idea for something before then.
Super Sasadango Machine will be doing a PowerPoint presentation ten minutes before the show begins.
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. 3 Way Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Akito Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hirata
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Yuji Hino & Yuya Koroku
3. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Yukio Naya
4. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos Vs Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada
5. Asakusa Specialty Special Tag Match: MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Makoto Oishi & Yoshihiko
6. Harimao Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima
The show has sold out.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW AUTUMN TOUR ’22”, 16/09/2022
Shinjuku FACE
1. International Princess Title Next Challenger Match: Miu Watanabe Vs Suzume
The No 1. Contendership for the International Princess Title is on the line here. Either Miu Watanabe or Suzume will be next in line to challenge Alex Windsor for the title.
Both Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh will not be at the show because they will be working indies in North America that weekend.
DDT “STERNNESS 30TH ANNIVERSARY ~JUN AKIYAMA 30TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 18/09/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Yusuke Okada Vs Yuya Koroku
2. HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani & Soma Takao & Yukio Naya
3. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata
4. Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima Vs Cara Noir, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
6. Naomi Yoshimura Vs Takeshi Masada
7. Jun Akiyama Debut 30th Anniversary Match – Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Tetsuya Endo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru Vs Yuji Nagata, Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata
Cara Noir touches down in DDT teaming with CDK for his first match with the company.
All four members of Pheromones are teaming together for the first time.
I don’t know what Match #2 is supposed to be because it was written that way on the DDT website. I guess it’s a 5 Way all against each other?
DDT “WHO’S GONNA TOP? 2022”, 25/09/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Special Tag Match: Osamu Nishimura & Shinichiro Kawamatsu Vs Akito & Yukio Naya
2. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Takeshi Masada Vs Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) Vs Naomi Yoshimura, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi
4. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Cara Noir
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
The rookie Takeshi Masada gets to team with BURNING to take on four of DDT’s most established wrestlers.
DDT/ONLY WE “GET ALIVE 2022 TOUR IN CHIBA”, 08/10/2022
Chiba TKP Garden City
1. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) Vs Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
DAMNATION T.A could end up having both sets of tag team titles during October. They currently hold the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles and have to defend them against Ω, the faction that originally came from K-DOJO. When Yuji Hino found out about DAMNATION T.A’s formation he was upset to be left out of it. So he and Makoto Oishi started teaming up again. Now they are bringing back Shiori Asahi and the three of them want to take the belts from Hino’s former friends. They have the homefield advantage too because Chiba was K-DOJO territory. Something Hino might need to be worried about is PERON GRANDES are also booked for the show. That unit is involved in a never ending feud with Hino’s ONLY WE group, who will also be on the show. PERON GRANDES and DAMNATION T.A have gotten along in the past so they can possibly interfere on behalf of the champions.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”, 09/10/2022
Tokyo Dome City Hall
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Rhia O’Reilly & Nightshade
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki
Next up on Yuki Arai’s checklist is her first match against foreign opponents. The Uprising won a match in EVE to earn an invitation to wrestle in Japan with Tokyo Joshi Pro. Their threat to destroy all challengers was translated into a demand to face Reiwa AA Cannon for the Princess Tag Team Titles. Both Rhia O’Reilly & Nightshade have wrestled in Japan before. O’Reilly was last there in 2018 for Sendai Girls while Nightshade previously wrestled for TJPW in 2019.
DDT “GET ALIVE 2022”, 12/10/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Yuki Ishida 1st Anniversary Match ~ Playfulness Series Act 4: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Yuki Ishida
2. Makoto Oishi 20th Anniversary Match ~ Men’s Club Vs The 37KAMIINA: Makoto Oishi, MEN’S Teoih & Shiori Asahi Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata
3. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
Daisuke Sasaki & KANON can win a second set of tag titles if they beat Harimao for the KO-D Tag Team Titles.
1 Comment | News | Tagged: Amon Tsurumi, Asakusa Hanayashiki Theater, BURNING, Cara Noir, CDK (Calamari Drunken Kings), Chiba TKP Garden City, Daisuke Sasaki, DAMNATION T.A, DDT Pro Wrestling, Harimao, Hiragana Muscle, Hisaya Imabayashi, International Princess Championship, Ω (Omega), KANON, KO-D Tag Team Championship, Korakuen Hall, Maki Itoh, Makoto Oishi, Miu Watanabe, Miyu Yamashita, MJ Paul, Muscle Sakai, Nightshade, ONLY WE, PERON GRANDES, Pheromones, Princess Tag Team Championship, Reiwa AA Cannon, Rhia O’Reilly, Saki Akai, Shinjuku FACE, Shiori Asahi, Super Sasadango Machine, Suzume, Takeshi Masada, The Uprising, TJPW, Tokyo Dome City Hall, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, Yuji Hino, Yuki Arai | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
August 20, 2022
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1,250 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion defeated Toi Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada when Koroku submitted Ishida with a Modified Strangle Hold (9:11).
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) defeated Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine and Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda by TKO after Pheromones knocked out Hirata with the Sexy Bay Bridge (12:18).
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani defeated Naomi Yoshimura, Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda when HARASHIMA pinned Yoshimura with the Somato (12:44).
4. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match ~ Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Member Vs Bunkyo Ward Assembly Member: Osamu Nishimura, Makoto Oishi & Akito defeated Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Sanshiro Takagi & Soma Takao when Nishimura submitted Kawamatsu with a Figure 4 Leg Lock (14:47).
5. Special Mixed Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Saki Akai defeated Chris Brookes & Asuka when Akai submitted Asuka with an Arm Triangle Choke (15:21).
6. DDT Extreme Title – Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela (c) defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Death Valley Driver from the Ladder through the Table and Barbed Wire Board (18:56).
*V1 for Joey Janela.
7. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno defeated Masahiro Takanashi (c) with the WR (14:26).
*Masahiro Takanashi fails in V2. Yuki Ueno becomes the 8th DDT Universal Champion!
8. DDT 25th Anniversary Special 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Yasu Urano defeated Dick Togo, Daisuke Sasaki & KANON (w/ MJ Paul & Minoru Fujita) when Takeshita pinned KANON with the Jumping Knee (20:41).
9. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) defeated Tetsuya Endo with the Brain Claw Slam (25:24).
*V1 for Kazusada Higuchi.
The DDT flag is firmly in Kazusada Higuchi’s grasp after today and there can be no denying he is deserving to hold the KO-D Openweight Title. His first defence was against the previous champion Tetsuya Endo, who vacated the belt after suffering a concussion earlier in the summer. Endo threw everything he had to try and win the belt back. Higuchi held firm and delivered his own big bombs like a Brain Claw Slam throwing Endo from the top turnbuckle onto the ring apron. Later Endo looked to be on the verge of getting knocked out only for Higuchi to demand he show his determination and get back up. Endo was able to answer the ten count but was smashed with more Lariats and collisions until he was pinned with another Brain Claw Slam.
Kenta Kobashi presented the KO-D Title to Higuchi and congratulated him after the match. He also shook hands with Endo only for Endo to collapse in front of him. While Endo was helped out of the ring, Higuchi called out to him and said after so much has happened, they both stood together in the ring. Higuchi won today but he looks forward to facing Endo again. Backstage Endo admits he was completely defeated and has now been surpassed. Higuchi is the true 79th KO-D Champion.
Higuchi was then approached by Hisaya Imabayashi. The GM told him the next KO-D Title defence is scheduled for 25th September and then asked if he would like to nominate a challenger. Higuchi did not hesitate and chose Konosuke Takeshita! He would later explain he cannot become the symbol of DDT’s strength if he cannot beat him. Takeshita walked down to the ring and simply said “Let’s fight, Higuchi” before leaving. Backstage Takeshita noted he has never fought Higuchi in a KO-D Title match. He would like to win the title again before continuing his American excursion. He sees it as bringing the KO-D Title home to him rather than taking it over to the USA. Higuchi closed out the show thanking the fans for coming out and creating a good turnout. A lot is still going wrong in the world but everyone in DDT is fighting no matter the difficulties so their fans will have the courage to stand up and push forward.
Takeshita’s return to the title picture was set up in the main event when he got the winning fall. The odds were against him and his team because DAMNATION T.A worked well teaming with Dick Togo. He and Daisuke Sasaki even moved in stereo when they both performed Crossfaces at the same time and then Pedigrees at the same time. MJ Paul and Minoru Fujita also got involved so the numbers game was in DAMNATION’s favour. Takeshita did his best to fight back by blocking Togo’s chair shot only to get hit with another chair from Sasaki. However, the difference in levels between Takeshita and KANON was soon on show when the K-Spike was blocked and KANON was smashed with an Elbow Strike. Takeshita found the opening to hit the Jumping Knee and that was all he needed to get the three count.
After the match Takeshita said he’s only been gone for four months but it’s been the hardest working four months of his entire career. DDT is his home and his goal is to become the best wrestler in the world as a DDT wrestler! He credited his partners for their work today. MAO with his high flying and Yasu Urano with his Socrates-like attitude (Urano found it funny that was all Takeshita could come up with to describe him). Sasaki admits Takeshita has gotten a little stronger by wrestling in America but cannot tell if he’s changed as a person. He also warned today is not the only time you will see DAMNATION T.A and House Of Torture working together! Whenever Sasaki and Togo team up, bad things will happen. However Togo wasn’t as dark with his thoughts and said he’ll come back to DDT at 60 years old wrestling in red tights just like Giant Baba.
Masahiro Takanashi’s hopes of taking the DDT Universal Title around the world to defend against younger generations of wrestlers has been cut short. Yuki Ueno already had youth and physical ability on his side going into the match. All he had to do was figure out Takanashi’s gameplan, which he did. He found ways to block the Takatonic but only when the champion did the move. Takanashi was able to trick Daisuke Kiso into performing it on Ueno for a nearfall. Ueno himself had trouble setting up the WR but finally hit his finisher after a well placed Dropkick to win the title.
He told Takanashi that from the bottom of his heart he considers him to be a deep part of DDT’s history. With those pleasantries out of the way, Ueno then met with Imabayashi to learn about his first title defence. Ueno will put the Universal Title on the line against Cara Noir on 25th September! Noir is an English wrestler and former ballet dancer, known for his literally dramatic ring entrances and match performances. He will be coming to DDT on 18th September before getting his title shot on the 25th. Once this match happens then maybe the title can start to be defended overseas again like it was originally meant to be.
“The Bad Boy” defeats “The Happy Boy” to keep his DDT Extreme Title! A nutty Hardcore match between Joey Janela and Shunma Katsumata delivered some crazy scenes around Ota Ward Gymnasium. Janela rode on a the Dramatic Dream bicycle around ringside and got hit with a toy block covered baseball bat. Katsumata did a balcony dive through a table away from ringside. Janela jumped off a ladder barefoot and missed a Double Stomp, landing feet first onto thumbtacks and toy blocks. The big finish saw Janela give Katsumata the Death Valley Driver from the ladder through a table with a barbed wire board placed on top of it. Janela will now go back to America with the Extreme Title but he promises he will be back. He wants to become part of the DDT family and even enter the D-Oh Grand Prix. Then once he’s finished with that, he wants to go in search for a certain “Mr. Liar”, Atsushi Onita!
The Mixed Tag Match was a new experience for Jun Akiyama. He claims he didn’t feel uncomfortable wrestling with and against the women although Asuka was determined to leave her mark by fighting him. However the match came down to Asuka against Saki Akai and a Moonsault counter completely changed the result from out of nowhere. Asuka did the move and Akai caught her with an Arm Triangle Choke, keeping Asuka trapped until she gave up. It is the first time Asuka directly lost a match to Akai. Asuka slapped Akiyama across the face after the match. Akai was thankful to team with him though and wants to learn more from him. Chris Brookes said he is not angry over the result but the next time he is in the ring with Asuka will be when they face each other in a singles match on 4th September. He is already thinking of ways to win against her. Asuka warned him she has closets full of ideas about what she wants to do against him.
The politician Shinichiro Kawamatsu made his official pro wrestling debut in his full daytime suit. Well that’s not entirely true. He removed his tie before the match began. He also received a bouquet from Eriko Imai, a member of the House of Councilors. He was able to stand toe to toe against Makoto Oishi & Akito thanks to some help from Sanshiro Takagi and Soma Takao. But the real meat of the match came from Kawamatsu’s interactions with Osamu Nishimura. The ring legend held him in a Full Nelson so Akito could grab a leg and do a Dragon Screw. From there Nishimura applied the Spinning Toe Hold before turning it into a Figure 4 Leg Lock to make his fellow politician submit. After the match Nishimura told Kawamatsu he is free to ask him about pro wrestling whenever he wants, but he will not join his political party! Kawamatsu thanked him for the match and told the fans he would like to stay active in pro wrestling. Takagi later suggested they do another match with Kawamatsu and Nishimura involved but this time hold it in Bukyo Ward. In other words, he means Korakuen Hall!
Naomi Yoshimura’s big DNA reunion was spoiled thanks to HARASHIMA pinning him with the Somato. For HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi, the result shows that their generation is still good. HARASHIMA was also so happy to be wrestling in front of cheering fans again. Hideki Okatani was also pleased to wrestle against the likes of Kota Umeda & Keisuke Okuda, thinking they can bring out the best in him. Today was Okuda’s first match in DDT in around 4 years and it’s been so long since he fought an opponent who wanted to kill him. Sakaguchi is that opponent. They did a fist bump after the match rather than a handshake because they don’t want to get too buddy buddy with each other. It would only ruin the dynamic they have together. Okuda would be happy to do another match like that again if DDT wants to invite him back. Umeda said the competitive spirit he felt in that match is hard to find nowadays both in DDT and elsewhere.
Is there any united force out there that can defeat Pheromones? A team of heavyweights like Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya & Super Sasadango Machine cannot. There’s no relying on The DDT Variety Team to put a stop to them either. They’ve become unstoppable with the addition of Koju Takeda along with the return of Yumehito Imanari in their corner. That only makes them even more outlandish with their antics. Danshoku Dieno has no problem telling fans that they can blame Pheromones for everything wrong that happened today. Antonio Honda and his Gongitsune was powerless while Toru Owashi was thrown into the Triple Hell Gate. Kazuki Hirata became everyone’s last hope with the power of dance but even that wasn’t enough. Pheromones won the 3 Way Match by total destruction. Dieno then gave a victory speech telling everyone that Pheromones will rewrite DDT and turn it into a world of stupidity!
The opening match featured a mix of wrestlers from BURNING as well as the new generation of DDT. Yuya Koroku felt motivated by the atmosphere created by the crowd and it spurned him on to win the match for his team. Ilusion felt the same. Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of his debut so he wants to spend the next year wrestling more and getting stronger. Yusuke Okada thought the match was really good and did its job to get the fans excited for the rest of the show. Yuki Ishida was upset to take the fall and blames it on being a bit lax with is preparation. Toi Kojima is feeling the pressure to stand out more now that there are even more young and new wrestlers entering the company. This was Takeshi Masada’s second match and he admitted he still doesn’t know right from left while the action is going on. He thinks his lack of ability is why he was on the losing team today. He promised to train harder so his recent debut won’t be taken lightly by everyone.
LiLiCo promised everyone a big announcement for her appearance on the show. The news is DDT will be going to Tokyo Dome City Hall on 29th December for their last big event of 2022. LiLiCo will serve as the event’s special ambassador and she suggested DDT hand out full price refunds to any ticket buyer who does not enjoy the show. She also offered to take part in the Anal Explosion ceremony! Imabayashi refuses to grant her that request because it’s meant to be a punishment you do not volunteer for and he’s worried over what would happen if a woman takes part. However LiLiCo is determined to go through with it and discussions between the two parties will continue.
The D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 will be held throughout November with the final taking place on 4th December. 12 wrestlers all under the age of 40 will enter the tournament in a two block round robin format. Takagi explained that there are more wrestlers under that age competing in DDT nowadays but not been many in their 20s have competed in the D-Ou GP. Kenta Kobashi will continue his role as the chairman of the tournament committee which was established last year.
1 Comment | Results | Tagged: Akito, Antonio Honda, Asuka (VENY), Atsushi Onita, BURNING, Cara Noir, Chris Brookes, D-Oh Grand Prix, Daisuke Sasaki, DAMNATION T.A, Danshoku Dieno, DDT Extreme Championship, DDT Pro Wrestling, DDT Universal Championship, DDT Variety Team, Dick Togo, Dramatic Dream Team, HARASHIMA, Hideki Okatani, Hisaya Imabayashi, Ilusion, Joey Janela, Jun Akiyama, KANON, Kazuki Hirata, Kazusada Higuchi, Keisuke Okuda, Kenta Kobashi, KO-D Openweight Championship, Koju Takeda, Konosuke Takeshita, Kota Umeda, LiLiCo, Makoto Oishi, MAO, Masahiro Takanashi, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul, Naomi Yoshimura, Osamu Nishimura, Ota Ward Gymnasium, Pheromones, Saki Akai, Sanshiro Takagi, Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao, Super Sasadango Machine, Takeshi Masada, Tetsuya Endo, Tokyo Dome City Hall, Toru Owashi, Toy Kojima (Toi Kojima), Wrestle Peter Pan, Yasu Urano, Yuji Hino, Yuki Iino, Yuki Ishida, Yuki Ueno, Yukio Naya, Yukio Sakaguchi, Yumehito Imanari, Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
August 18, 2022
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!
1 Comment | Previews | Tagged: Akito, Antonio Honda, Asuka (VENY), Chris Brookes, Daisuke Sasaki, DAMNATION T.A, Danshoku Dieno, DDT Extreme Championship, DDT Pro Wrestling, DDT Universal Championship, DDT Variety Team, Dick Togo, Dramatic Dream Team, HARASHIMA, Hideki Okatani, Ilusion, Joey Janela, Jun Akiyama, KANON, Kazuki Hirata, Kazusada Higuchi, Keisuke Okuda, KO-D Openweight Championship, Koju Takeda, Konosuke Takeshita, Kota Umeda, LiLiCo, Makoto Oishi, MAO, Masahiro Takanashi, MJ Paul, Naomi Yoshimura, Osamu Namiguchi, Ota Ward Gymnasium, Pheromones, Saki Akai, Sanshiro Takagi, Shinichiro Kawamatsu, Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao, Super Sasadango Machine, Takeshi Masada, Tetsuya Endo, Toru Owashi, Toy Kojima (Toi Kojima), Wrestle Peter Pan, Yasu Urano, Yuji Hino, Yuki Iino, Yuki Ishida, Yuki Ueno, Yukio Naya, Yukio Sakaguchi, Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
April 9, 2022
GANBARE☆PRO “CRY BABY 2022”, 09/04/2022
Shin-Kiba 1st RING
106 Fans
1. Ganpro Specialty Two Major Singles Match: Shinichiro Tominaga defeated Tyson Maeguchi with an Indian Deathlock (9:19).
2. Ganpro Specialty Mixed 6-Man Tag Match: Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & Baliyan Akki defeated Yuna Manase, YuuRI & SAGAT when Haruhi pinned YuuRI with the Ojosama Clutch (13:15).
3. Ganpro Specialty Two Major Singles Match: Ken Ohka defeated Mizuki Watase with the Flame Spear (16:54).
4. Katsumura-gun Vs ROMANCE DAWN: Shuichiro Katsumura & Tsuyoshi Okada defeated Shota & Soma Takao when Katsumura pinned Takao with the HEAT Clutch (12:18).
5. Takaiwa Army Vs Ganpro Full-Scale Battle: Tatsuhito Takaiwa, 5th Black Tiger & Kenya Maeda defeated Yumehito Imanari, Keisuke Ishii & Kouki Iwasaki when Takaiwa pinned Imanari with the Death Valley Bomb (14:11).
Less than a month to go before Yumehito Imanari challenges Tatsuhito Takaiwa for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title and things are not looking good for the challenger. First at the contract signing before the show, Takiawa blindsided Imanari with a Lariat. Then in the main event Imanari was pinned directly by the champion in a 6-Man Tag Match. The Lou Thesz Press was blocked by Takaiwa and from that point on he had Imanari beaten in a dominant performance. Takaiwa told Imanari that he wants the Spirit Of Ganbare Title to rival the major championships and that won’t happen with competition like this. There is no pressure and no atmosphere being provided by Imanari. However the Takaiwa Army were still in a good mood to celebrate the win with highballs. Takiawa told Imanari he hopes to drink highballs with him on 3rd May.
The tension between Ken Ohka and Mizuki Watase was all let out when they fought each other today. Ohka ended up winning when he gave Watase two Dragon Suplexes followed by two Flame Spears. Afterwards Watase said this was the version of Ohka he was waiting for and it makes him glad he moved over to Ganbare☆Pro. Ohka gave a speech promoting Ganpro’s upcoming big shows when suddenly Super Sasadango Machine entered the ring. He said it doesn’t feel like Ohka is the star of Ganpro like he used to be. He should be in the main event at Ota Ward Gymnasium this summer but isn’t ready right now. So Sasadango challenged Ohka to a singles match on 3rd May. However, it won’t be Sasadango in the ring with Ohka. It will be Muscle Sakai! He pulled his mask off and began a strike exchange with Ohka that ended with Headbutts. Both of them want to show the younger wrestlers what they are made of.
The Ganbare☆Joshi division was given a surprise when VENYU showed up after their match! The pair of Asuka & Yuki Kamifuku are bringing their tag team over from Tokyo Joshi Pro so Kamifuku could have a reunion with Yuna Manase. Kamifuku talked about when Manase left TJPW for Ganpro, it left her feeling lonely. But it also made her become stronger and she ended up finding a new really strong tag partner. So VENYU want a match against Manase & YuuRI on 3rd May! Manase began to cry and promised it will be a match that will drive all four of them crazy like only pro wrestling can.
Shinjiro Otani & Mizuki Watase Vs Keisuke Ishii & Kouki Iwasaki will take place on 3rd May.
Comments Off on GANBARE☆PRO “CRY BABY 2022” Results | Results | Tagged: Asuka (VENY), Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling, GanPro, Keisuke Ishii, Ken Ohka, Kouki Iwasaki, Mizuki Watase, Muscle Sakai, Shin-Kiba 1st RING, Shinjiro Otani, Super Sasadango Machine, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, VENYU, Yuki Kamifuku, Yumehito Imanari, Yuna Manase, YuuRI | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
March 20, 2022
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
2,516 Fans – No Vacancy
0. Dark Match: Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion defeated Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida when Okada pinned Ishida with the Sudden Death (11:00).
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya defeated Yasu Urano & Shota when Naya pinned Shota with the Back Drop (14:28).
Order Of Elimination: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi, Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi, Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul, Shota & Yasu Urano.
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan) defeated Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) when MIKAMI pinned Honda with the School Boy (8:49).
*The DDT Variety Team fails in V2. Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba becomes the 7th KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions!
2. Special Single Match: Saki Akai defeated Maya Yukihi with the Quetzalcoatl (10:40).
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match – No DQ “I’m Sorry” Match: Sanshiro Takagi defeated Michael Nakazawa when Takagi made Nakazawa say “I’m Sorry” (10:20).
4. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata defeated Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi when Ueno pinned Sakaguchi with the WR (11:02).
5. LiLiCo Retirement Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari defeated LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) when Dieno submitted LiLiCo with a Cross Knee Lock (16:52).
6. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when Akiyama pinned Okatani with the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex (12:36).
7. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: MAO defeated Daisuke Sasaki (c) and Jun Kasai when MAO pinned Sasaki with the Super Michinoku Driver II (19:56).
*Daisuke Sasaki fails in V5. MAO becomes the 6th DDT Universal Champion!
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) when Brookes submitted Yoshimura with the House Piano Death (18:50).
*DISASTER BOX fails in V1. CDK becomes the 73rd KO-D Tag Team Champions!
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Tetsuya Endo defeated Konosuke Takeshita (c) with two Burning Star Presses (46:30).
*Konosuke Takeshita fails in V2. Tetsuya Endo becomes the 78th KO-D Openweight Champion!
DDT celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a new KO-D Openweight Champion! It was the first singles match between Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo in 2 years and 3 months with both going in at the peak of their abilities. It led to a juggernaut of a match lasting 46 minutes with every move in their arsenal being used. It took Endo using something new to bring the champion to the brink of defeat. As the match reached towards the 45 minute mark, Endo took inspiration from his BURNING teammate and used the Exploder Suplex three times for nearfalls. While that wasn’t enough to get the pin, there was no coming back for Takeshita after those moves. Endo dropped him with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb and after another kickout he followed it up with two Burning Star Presses to finally get the career defining victory over his destined enemy.
Endo told Takeshita after the match that this was the first time he was happy to be seen side by side with him in the same company and generation. He still hates him but also thanks him for today. Takeshita refused to shake Endo’s hand but instead raised it into the air before leaving the ring. Kenta Kobashi entered the ring to present Endo with the KO-D Title and BURNING followed to celebrate with him. Endo thanked the audience for coming to see Tokyo Joshi Pro and DDT in Sumo Hall this weekend. Endo has finally defeated Takeshita for the KO-D Title but he believes there is still more to come for these companies. TJPW will be entering its 10th year in existence while DDT enters its 26th. The journey continues and Endo thinks he won’t be able to make them grow by himself. He will lead the way so everyone follow him and keep your eyes on DDT and Tetsuya Endo from now on!
Backstage Endo repeated what he said about the CyberFight promotions, including NOAH. None of them are done yet and whether they all reach 26, 50 or 100 years he will be there standing at the top. He debuted 10 years ago and he feels like everything he worked for was rewarded to him today. His first KO-D Title defence of this reign will be at Yokohama Budokan on 1st May. He thinks any challenger will be find as long as they are prepared to carry DDT on their back. Takeshita echoed some of Endo’s points, also believing they still have a long way to go beyond DDT’s 26th year. He cannot stop at where he is right now. Kobashi compared Takeshita to Jumbo Tsuruta from his physical ability to his stamina recovery. He also said Endo carries a wonderful BURNING soul and is looking forward to seeing what his future title defences will be like.
CDK always said the most dramatic and dreamy tag team in DDT should be the KO-D Tag Team Champions so I guess they proven right. Chris Brookes countered the Osaka Pride from Naomi Yoshimura and instead stretched his body in so many wrong directions with the House Piano Death. HARASHIMA fought to grab onto them and break the hold but Masahiro Takanashi kept him away long enough for Yoshimura to submit. Takanashi lost his voice so he let Brookes do the talking after the match.
However he was interrupted when Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya climbed onto the ring apron demanding a title shot. They agreed to do the match on 10th April at Korakuen Hall. Backstage DISASTER BOX admitted defeat and HARASHIMA told Yoshimura to rest up before they decide on what to do next. Naya said he is really happy because a year ago he wouldn’t have been able to challenge for the KO-D Tag Titles like this. Hino asked if Naya was weak back then because he only knows how big and strong he is now. Brookes in his interview suddenly took another direction when he called out El Desperado from New Japan! He brought up that Desperado wants CDK to go challenge him but CDK has more championships, so he should come over here and challenge them instead. Takanashi said Hino & Naya should fight for the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles instead of the KO-D Tag Titles because he wants to see a team as large as them inside Ichigaya Chocolate Square. He might get in trouble for suggesting that but as double champions they should have the responsibility and freedom to do what they want.
The feud between Daisuke Sasaki and Jun Kasai took up so much of their attention that MAO swooped in and won the DDT Universal Title! Blood was shed, boxes were smashed, tables were broken and chairs were destroyed as the three all fought each other in and out of the ring. Kasai kept complaining that DDT wasn’t violent enough for him which might have spurred the others to turn up the dial. MAO finally got what he wanted, the attention of his opponents, when he smashed a guitar over both of their head. He won the match by giving Sasaki the Michinoku Driver II from a ladder bridge through the table below.
MAO said it’s been a long month and a half but it was worth it to win the championship today. He wants to increase the presence of the Universal Title so he will only defend it against people with presence. For some reason Michael Nakazawa thought that meant him so he came out and challenged MAO. He said it is a championship made for the world so if he wins it, he can bring it to AEW and show it to even more people worldwide. MAO refused because Nakazawa lost earlier and he told him to leave. Nakazawa agreed he is weak but made the argument that beating a wrestler from AEW is a big deal no matter who they are. MAO saw his point and demanded they do the title match in AEW’s home turf… the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium! Hisaya Imabayashi told him that was impossible so he settled to have the match at Korakuen Hall on 27th March instead.
The show also celebrated Jun Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary in pro wrestling. He teamed up with an old partner of his, Takao Omori from All Japan to beat the Eruption duo of Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani. He was quickly provoked by Okatani and put the youngster in his place with a fight up the entrance ramp. Higuchi was a tougher wall to break down but Omori’s solution was to hit him with the Axe Bomber. Akiyama dusted off the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex for the occasion, pinning Okatani with the deadly finisher. Akiyama said Omori has been wrestling for 30 years too so he was the first name he had in mind when the match was presented to him. As for the future, Akiyama will steadily continue on without any hesitation. He hadn’t thought about DDT being the company he celebrated his 30th Anniversary with. Not even he knows where he will be for the 40th and 50th.
DDT gave LiLiCo the platform to say goodbye to her pro wrestling career with a retirement ceremony unlike any other. First she had her retirement match teaming with her husband Ryohei Odai and the CyberFight VP Akito to take on Pheromones. The opponents were determined to humiliate LiLiCo on her big day. Yumehito Imanari threatened to record every moment of what they would do to her and then send the footage to the media. LiLiCo & Odai were successfully able to complete their special double team move the Princess SEXY Chest Kick ♡ on Yuki Iino. However Danshoku Dieno targeted LiLiCo’s injured knees, which proved to be her downfall. Dieno gave her the Danshoku Driver and made her tap out to a Cross Knee Lock.
After the match Dieno encouraged LiLiCo to get up by herself because a pro wrestler’s final duty is to stand up under their own power. However his show of respect was a farce and he attacked her again. Pheromones were about to set LiLiCo up for the ultimate humiliation on the entrance ramp when suddenly Andreza Giant Panda appeared and attacked all of Pheromones with Headbutts! The retirement ceremony went ahead and Odai brought out his pop band Junretsu to sing “Proposal” for her as a show of his love. When the ceremony reached its end, LiLiCo told the fans she is going back to being a normal girl. She then laid down her entrance gown in the middle of the ring and bowed to each side of the venue.
Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata picked up a big win against the wild card pairing of Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi. Kodaka thought his team had it in the bag after he gave Katsumata a Brainbuster onto the ring apron. However the God’s Right Knee from Sakaguchi was blocked with a Dropkick by Ueno. He got back to his feet only to get with with a Standing Shining Wizard. Ueno then finished him off with the WR. The 37KAMIINA said they had hot opponents today but they didn’t seem like they wanted to team together. Ueno was happy to beat Sakaguchi again and Katsumata feels the same beating Kodaka. The BASARA wrestler admitted he was too hostile with Sakaguchi but he does not hate him. They are more like rivals and Kodaka is thankful that Sakaguchi invited him to be part of DDT’s 25th Anniversary.
Nakazawa’s wild efforts to make Sanshiro Takagi apologize to him ended in failure. Their No DQ Match spilled over to a nearby restroom where Takagi gave Nakazawa a Piledriver into a toilet. Back in the ring Nakazawa almost made Takagi say “I’m Sorry” when he used the Ultimate Venom AEW Arm on him. But Takagi fought out of it and suddenly gathered the powers of DDT past. He hit Nakazawa with Kenny Omega’s Hadouken and followed it up with Kota Ibushi’s Kamigoye. He started breaking plastic boxes over Nakazawa’s head until Nakazawa pleaded him to stop. He was about to say “I’m Sorry” when Takagi shoved Nakazawa’s pants into his own mouth to keep him quiet. Takagi then lifted him up in the Himawari Bomb ready to put him through more boxes when Nakazawa finally shouted “I’m Sorry!” to end the match. Takagi Power Bombed him into the boxes anyway.
Takagi actually did apologize to Nakazawa after the match but it is too late. Nakazawa now hates him even more! However he likes DDT and remembers that DDT is his home so he has a special present for everyone today. A video message from Christopher Daniels played on the screen. Daniels congratulated DDT for its 25th Anniversary and announced a mutual agreement between DDT and AEW that will bring DDT wrestlers to America in the future! Daniels said he cannot wait to introduce DDT’s wrestlers to the American fans and hopes the company will do their best until that day comes. Nakazawa then explained to Takagi that he and Kenny Omega had negotiated this deal together. Takagi thanked him and promised the fans they will make pro wrestling even more exciting! Backstage Nakazawa added that the deal also includes bringing in wrestlers from Tokyo Joshi Pro.
The jealous grudge Saki Akai and Maya Yukihi held with each other was finally settled in the ring. Akai came out on top thanks to her finishing move, the Quetzalcoatl. Any hatred the two had was gone when the match was over and they both hugged each other. Akai told reporters that it was a match only she and Yukihi could do because they have different backgrounds but travelled in the same direction. Yukihi said she is grateful to DDT and joshi for the match today and she would like to team with Akai if she is interested.
A collective blast from the past have taken the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles! The match brought together many of DDT’s wacky gimmicks from throughout its history. The appearance of Yoshihiko left Takashi Sasaki & GENTARO confused. They were even more confused when the doll outwrestled them. Antonio Honda tried to summon Gongitsune but Poison Sawada JULIE used his magic to make Honda strike Toru Owashi instead. Honda began to withstand the magic when suddenly Kazuki Hirata appeared completely taken over by the snake magic! He fought off Honda then danced with JULIE & Naomi Susan to the song “Hateless Bastard” by Kenji Sawada. Yoshihiko stopped the dancing and went wild on everyone while Owashi hung onto him for dear life. That left Honda along to get hit by every challenger ending with him getting rolled up by MIKAMI’s signature School Boy for the victory. Sasaki said he doesn’t want his team to be called “Legends” because that implies they are all over the hill. He also told DDT to work out how to get them all together again to schedule their title defences otherwise the belts will belong to them forever. JULIE is confident they can defend the belts 100 or 200 times. MIKAMI and Thanomsak Toba are hopeful this team will bring back something that’s been missing from DDT and that it will be interesting for old fans.
There was a last minute change to the Tag Team Rumble. Soma Takao had to pull out before the show for reasons that were not detailed to the public. Yasu Urano took his place to team with Shota. Hino & Naya eliminated them last to win the match, giving them the momentum to make their title challenge later in the show. The match also featured Andreza’s in-ring return to DDT with former opponent Super Sasadango Machine by his side, Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi reuniting as a team, more trouble making from DAMNATION T.A with Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul entering together and the usual appearances from Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi.
The other dark match had Yusuke Okada and Tomomitsu Matsunaga in the ring with DDT’s various rookies. Ilusion put up a good showing for the DDTeeeen!! brand. He carried the mask of his rival El Unicorn down to the ring because covid prevented Unicorn from being in the match. Toui Kojima tried to earn a first direct win over Yuya Koroku but couldn’t make it. It came down to Yuki Ishida firing his Sumo Slaps to Okada but he was taken out with a Diving Headbutt. Ishida kicked out of that but was done for when Okada gave him the Sudden Death. He praised Ilusion and encouraged him to continue doing his best. Ilusion said he had El Unicorn’s mask to let him know they were still able to fight together in Sumo Hall. He wants a singles match with him whenever he is fully recovered.
The main show began with the Anal Explosion ceremony, as is tradition for DDT when they are in a venue as prestigious as this one. Ryota Yamasato was reluctant to take part and called everyone in DDT crazy for thinking this is a normal thing to do. Hisaya Imabayashi calmed him down by getting Super Sasadango Machine to show him a PowerPoint presentation explaining why the ceremony is so important. According to Sasadango, the Anal Explosion was originally a symbol of the “Phoenix” and acts as a ritual for success and prosperity of the company. Yamasato complained until Hoshitango carried him over to the stage and pinned him down for Danshoku Dieno to set up the bomb. A countdown began and a small explosion went off without a hitch. Yamasato was then told a second explosion 25 times more powerful than the first will now happen to celebrate DDT’s 25 years. It went off, Yamasato called for the show to begin and then he went unconscious.
A new tournament called the King Of Street Wrestling will be shown on WRESTLE UNIVERSE this April. Eight fighters from around the world will compete including Sanshiro Takagi, Shunma Katsumata and Chris Brookes as the DDT representatives. Abdullah Kobayashi and Suzu Suzuki will also take part.
Comments Off on DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~” Results | Results | Tagged: Abdullah Kobayashi, AEW, Akito, All Elite Wrestling, Andreza Giant Panda, Antonio Honda, BURNING, Burning Wild, CDK (Calamari Drunken Kings), Chris Brookes, Christopher Daniels, Daisuke Sasaki, DAMNATION T.A, Danshoku Dieno, DDT Pro Wrestling, DDT Universal Championship, DDT Variety Team, DISASTER BOX, Dramatic Dream Team, El Desperado, El Unicorn, Eruption, GENTARO, Gorgeous Matsuno, Gota Ihashi, HARASHIMA, Hideki Okatani, Hisaya Imabayashi, Hoshitango, Ilusion, Isami Kodaka, Jun Akiyama, Jun Kasai, Kazuki Hirata, Kazusada Higuchi, Kenta Kobashi, King Of Street Wrestling, KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Championship, KO-D Openweight Championship, KO-D Tag Team Championship, Konosuke Takeshita, LiLiCo, MAO, Masahiro Takanashi, Maya Yukihi, Michael Nakazawa, MIKAMI, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul, Naomi Susan, Naomi Yoshimura, Pheromones, Poison Sawada JULIE, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Ryohei Odai, Ryota Yamasato, Saki Akai, Sanshiro Takagi, Seiya Morohashi, Shota, Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao, Sumo Hall, Super Sasadango Machine, Suzu Suzuki, Takao Omori, Takashi Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo, Thanomsak Toba, The 37KAMIINA, Tomohiko Hashimoto, Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toru Owashi, Toy Kojima (Toi Kojima), Yasu Urano, Yoshihiko, Yuji Hino, Yuki Iino, Yuki Ishida, Yuki Ueno, Yukio Naya, Yukio Sakaguchi, Yumehito Imanari, Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
March 18, 2022
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
0. Dark Match: Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida Vs Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi Vs Soma Takao & Shota Vs Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul Vs Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan)
2. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match – No DQ “I’m Sorry” Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Michael Nakazawa
4. Special Tag Match: Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
5. LiLiCo Retirement Match: LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
6. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
7. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Jun Kasai Vs MAO
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
Bloody hell this thing lasted 25 years. TWENTY FIVE YEARS! DDT is a company that was put together by a promoter named Shintaro Muto* along with three wrestlers who exited Pro Wrestling Crusaders with him in 1996. Those three wrestlers are known today by the names Sanshiro Takagi, MIKAMI and NOSAWA Rongai. Fast forward to 2022. DDT is now celebrating its silver anniversary and is a key part of the second most powerful wrestling conglomerate in Japan. Its very first show in March 1997, one that was held even before the name Dramatic Dream Team was decided on, was called “JUDGEMENT” because the audience was asked to vote on whether or not the actual launch in May should go ahead. 154 people voted for the launch to proceed and 24 people voted to cancel it. Thank God nobody listened to those 24 people.
There is plenty on show to celebrate the 25th Anniversary. Many figures from the company’s past are flocking into Sumo Hall to join with the present and perhaps future of DDT. Four championships are on the line, career milestones are being acknowledged, grudges will be settled, a retirement will take place and the headline match features the two wrestlers DDT spent the last decade building up to be their star players.
*It is very difficult to find information about Muto online. He was a part of PWC behind the scenes but other than that I don’t know what his background is. There’s an old blog post from 2007 where Takagi jokes about Muto always finding newly opened club venues for DDT to hold shows at. There’s also a picture Takagi tweeted of him from his wedding party in 2009 if you want to see what he actually looked like back then.
0. Dark Match: Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toui Kojima, Yuki Ishida Vs Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion
This one had a last minute change of plans. El Unicorn was supposed to be in this match but tested positive for covid a few days before the show. Tomomitsu Matsunaga is taking his place. He in-ring time for much of the year was as a opening match substitute for anyone who is suddenly out of action. The other DDTeeeen!! wrestler Ilusion has wrestled twice so far this year as the heel representation of the brand. Yusuke Okada also had some covid setbacks that set him back but he has since found his place in the BURNING unit. Yuki Ishida has been a bright spark in the ring so far. He can turn into a little sumo firecracker if he keeps it up.
The fun part of this match is the growing feud between the rookies Toui Kojima and Yuya Koroku. These two have been at each other’s throats in a lot of The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING matches and Koroku has gotten Kojima’s number every time. At first the losses got to Kojima and made him cry. But he swore the next time he cries it will be from tears of joy when he finally beats Koroku! Even if it happens on the first match of the pre-show, it will still mean the world to him if he pulls it off here.
0. Dark Match – Time Admission Tag Battle Royal: Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi Vs Soma Takao & Shota Vs Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul Vs Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs Gorgeous Matsuno & Gota Ihashi Vs Andreza Giant Panda & Super Sasadango Machine
Some DDT nostalgia fills up the Dark Match Tag Team Rumble. The Double Bridge team of Tomohiko Hashimoto & Seiya Morohashi returns for this match. Hashimoto was a regular part of DDT shows in the 2000s while Morohashi stuck around the DDT family up until 2016. Soma Takao & Shota have been bouncing around Ganbare☆Pro as ROMANCE DAWN and having fun doing so. Not so fun is the DAMNATION T.A pair of Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul. The big boys Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya are still together despite a lack of success as a team. Gorgeous Matsuno will be there to serenade the fans while Gota Ihashi will hopefully try a fat boy Moonsault. That leaves Super Sasadango Machine joining forces with an old opponent. It’s the return of Andreza Giant Panda! It is the first time Andreza has been in Sumo Hall since Muscle ran there in 2019. Sadly his master Samson Miyamoto passed away during September 2020 but Andreza continues to make sporadic appearances in wrestling shows around the country.
1. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Poison Sawada JULIE, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Thanomsak Toba (w/ Naomi Susan)
More nostalgia will be found in the opener. The rules for the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles are a little muddled up at the moment. It was turned into the KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Titles during the pandemic to reduce spreading covid through the roster. However when it was changed back into a 10-Man Tag Championship, the DDT Variety Team were told to keep defending the belts as a team of four. So the current champions have to take part in 4 Vs 5 Handicap matches until they lose the titles. It’s a tough challenge but the foursome have lasted this long. Toru Owashi spent the year winning a small collection of obscure championships, Antonio Honda keeps finding ways to talk about Gongitsune, Kazuki Hirata is trying to find a new direction but always reverts back to his dancing and Yoshihiko is as dangerous as ever.
A cast of DDT Legends have come to challenge for the title. Poison Sawada JULIE leads the charge with his valet Naomi Susan ready to rattle along to his snake magic. Takashi Sasaki is nowadays known for running FREEDOMS but he was also the fourth wrestler in DDT when it launched. His Aka Rangers tag team partner GENTARO is along for the ride too. MIKAMI is also a DDT original from the very start. If his inspiration Jeff Hardy can still go strong then why can’t he? Plus if MIKAMI is here then you need to get Thanomsak Toba to complete The Suicide Boyz. On behalf of the 2000s message board era of puroresu fans, I apologise for spelling his name Tanomusaku Toba for all these years. It took this long for me to get the Thanomsak Sithbaobay influence.
2. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
If you like the free agency/transfer window period in sports then joshi wrestling for the last five months was a blast to follow. Women jumping ship to other promotions, contracts going haywire and promotions turning on their heads meant there was never a dull moment behind the scenes. One of the key figures during this time is Maya Yukihi. For seven years she called Ice Ribbon her home promotion until last December when she was among the wave of talent announcing their intentions to leave the company. Everyone else in the group went on to form Prominence but Yukihi decided to go freelance instead. It makes sense when you see that she already has established roles in OZ Academy along with the Rebel & Enemy faction on the indies. But once she turned freelance, the first place she went to was DDT. Then things got interesting. She hadn’t even worked her first date with DDT yet when Tokyo Sports reported that CyberFight really wanted Yukihi to sign a contract with them.
When Yukihi did have her first match in DDT, she stood across the ring from Saki Akai. Their interactions were respectful during the match and polite afterwards but Yukihi couldn’t help but think Akai was a little bit jealous now she was sharing her DDT spotlight with another woman. As the two continued wrestling each other Yukihi revealed that eight years ago she approached DDT wanting to become a pro wrestler but was turned down. Around that same time period she found out Akai debuted for DDT and essential ended up getting the career she wanted. The positive side to this story is Yukihi found another path to becoming a pro wrestler and it is one she is proud of. Now she wanted to prove that her style of joshi wrestling is better than Akai’s style! A women’s match with a story as powerful as this deserves to take place on an event as important as DDT’s 25th Anniversary so Takagi decided to put it right here in Sumo Hall!
Ever since the match was announced, the tag matches between Akai and Yukihi have become more heated as one would accuse the other of being jealous. Akai would blatantly pin Yukihi with her Rookie Award finisher to rub in the fact she won that category in the Tokyo Sports Awards. Yukihi got her own back by making Akai submit in a later match, figuring out that using her arsenal of moves that nobody from DDT have seen before will be the key to victory. Akai wants to prove that she made it to where she is today through hard work and that she is capable of carrying DDT on her back. But she also can’t help but dig deeper into the insults. She recently gave Yukihi a bouquet of yellow roses because yellow roses represent jealousy. Yukihi promised to give them back to Akai when she beats her!
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Single Match – No DQ “I’m Sorry” Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Michael Nakazawa
Apologizing to your boss for doing something wrong is a humbling experience that can bruise your ego. However when the tables are turned and your boss apologizes to you it can lift your spirits a lot. So I can kind of relate to what Michael Nakazawa is going through. His first couple of years in DDT were alright but the cracks in his working relationship with Sanshiro Takagi first began in 2008. Nakazawa’s contract with DDT wasn’t renewed despite his intentions to stay with the company. He fought and clawed his way back into DDT later that year but the same situation repeated a year later. Takagi just wanted to get rid of him but somehow Nakazawa would always find a way to get back in! So Takagi decided to do whatever he could think of to embarrass Nakazawa on shows event though he had support from wrestlers like Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega. Poor Nakazawa had fireworks shot at him, was beaten around like a crash test dummy, got into mismatches against the likes of Minoru Suzuki and even took part in the first Anal Explosion opening ceremony when DDT held their Ryogoku debut. It’s now wonder he held a grudge with Takagi for all these years.
So when Nakazawa was picked up by AEW to work in America it looked like a massive reward for all the crap Nakazawa had to eat in DDT. Finally he was going to be a big star around the world. Unfortunately the matches he has on AEW Dark all reach a level low enough to make Excalibur and Taz consider retirement from broadcasting. However wrestling overseas always makes a wrestler improve no matter who they are and Nakazawa is ready to unload on his old boss. His finishing move the Ultimate Venom Arm has been upgraded to include the AEW initials in the name. Earlier this week he beat Takagi in an impromptu Falls Count Anywhere match held outside of a bookstore. The taste of victory was sweet but not enough. Nakazawa needs something more and that is for Takagi to apologize to him for everything he put him through in his life. Their match at Sumo Hall is No Holds Barred and can take place anywhere inside or out of the building. The only way to win is to make your opponent say “I’m Sorry!” on the microphone. What will it take for either of them to finally admit they were wrong?
4. Special Tag Match: Isami Kodaka & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
A good mix of wrestlers here. Isami Kodaka was never really a proper member of the DDT roster. He came in through Union Pro and took the indies path that led him to forming BASARA. His absolute peak in DDT was around that time period when he also beat Yukio Sakaguchi to become the company’s top champion. That was seven years ago so there should be no problem with the two teaming together this weekend. But if there is some tension between the two then maybe a visit to the sauna will calm them down.
That’s where The 37KAMIINA come in. Shunma Katsumata’s love for the sauna is so strong he now runs a hut in Tateyama, Chiba called Sea Sauna Shack. In the ring he shows a more violent side that somehow matches his joyful behavior. Maybe it’s the Lego weapons that keeps him from never losing his temper. Yuki Ueno however is making big strides up the ladder, reaching the D-Ou Grand Prix final at the end of last year. It is only a matter of time before he reaches the top of the DDT mountain. Only problem is right now he is stuck in the shadow of his high school classmate. But we’ll eventually cross that bridge when we get to it. Not that it will be anytime soon.
5. LiLiCo Retirement Match: LiLiCo, Ryohei Odai & Akito (w/ Junretsu) Vs Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
DDT has held many matches involving celebrities before and LiLiCo is the one who stood out the most. The half Swedish, half Japanese TV personality wrestled several times for DDT between 2014 and 2017. During her time here she won the DDT Extreme Title, the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title and the KO-D 10-Man Tag Titles. She hasn’t wrestled since then but a knee injury suffered two years ago made her want to have one more match so she could have a proper pro wrestling retirement. To make this match even more special, LiLiCo asked for many handsome men to be involved. DDT made it so by including Akito and also her husband Ryohei Odai to be on her team. Odai is an actor who has starred in Kamen Rider shows and was also a part of the pop band Junretsu (whose name inspired the identical sounding DDT unit). Despite that pedigree he does not have the physical tools needed to wrestle. Even running the ropes gives him a bad back ache. When asked for an opponent, LiLiCo suggested one of them be Danshoku Dieno because they had a risky rivalry together. She may end up regretting that because… *sighs* well let’s just get straight into it with Pheromones.
For the last year DDT has been surrounded by Pheromones. Dieno, Yuki Iino & Yumehito Imanari became obsessed over their lusty attitudes and succumbed to their lewd behaviour. Dieno became “Dandy”, Iino became “Sexy” and Imanari became “Fantastic”. They don’t care about winning or losing often. Instead they want to do what they want without any limitation or censorship. Unfortunately their actions often go beyond the line of good taste and decency so many of their matches end before the finish so DDT doesn’t get kicked off Samurai! TV or banned from Youtube. The GM Hisaya Imabayashi often tries to stop them just to end up getting “publicly executed” by Pheromones for getting in their way. You’d be surprised how many ways Dieno and his mates can come up with giving their opponents the Stinkface. Just when I think I’ve seen them all, poof, there’s a new angle one person’s face can be shoved into another person’s backside. It’s kind of impressive actually.
So that is what LiLiCo and her handsome men have to deal with. She’s up for the challenge and is threatening to cut off Dieno’s you know what if she has to. Akito has this match to worry about alongside his CyberFight VP duties. And Odai still needs to learn how he can fight in the ring when he gets blisters just from pointing at stuff. As retirement matches go it’s not quite on the level of Genichiro Tenryu but I think it can get close enough.
6. Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary Match: Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
There’s an alternate timeline where Jun Akiyama was able to travel in America in 2020 and coach at the WWE Performance Center. What a gift DDT would have missed out on if that went ahead as planned. Instead he was offered a guest coaching spot in, slowly made the transition over from All Japan to join the company full time and the rest is history. And that history is important because Akiyama is celebrating 30 years in pro wrestling this year. All Japan gave permission for Takao Omori to come on over and bring back the Burning Wild tag team for one night only. However their opponents are not in the mood to wish them well for their accomplishment.
Eruption added a new member this year and it is somebody Akiyama knows well. The young wrestler Hideki Okatani learned from him as part of the Junretsu stable but now he is on a new path to become the Red Fighting Spirit. Kazusada Higuchi tested the kid before accepting him into Eruption and now the unit has renewed energy flowing through it. The two of them would love nothing more than to beat Akiyama and surpass him. When Omori heard about the disrespect coming from his opponents he threatened to crush them in the ring! What was meant to be an honorable tag team match may turn into a war between generations!
7. DDT Universal Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Jun Kasai Vs MAO
There’s a bunch of stories going on in this match but you can ignore the MAO stuff. That’s what the other two are doing. MAO pinned Daisuke Sasaki during the Ultimate Tag League and demanded a shot at his DDT Universal Title. Sasaki refused and continued doing so when MAO kept demanding the match. Then Jun Kasai returned to DDT wanting Sasaki to do a rematch of their Hardcore war at Saitama Super Arena five years ago. Sasaki is the only wrestler in DDT that excites Kasai because he couldn’t beat him back then. Sasaki agreed to the rematch but still had MAO following him claiming to have the next title shot. The solution was to do a 3 Way Hardcore match. That way Sasaki gets to fight Kasai again and MAO will finally leave him alone. The latter hasn’t happened yet, MAO still follows him around trying to get his attention. Sasaki had to go deep into the Nerima mountains for special training to finally escape from him. Even then MAO eventually figured out there are no mountains in Nerima.
The situation going into this match is Sasaki and Kasai are only focused on each other. Kasai’s goal is to maim and embarrass Sasaki. Taking the Universal Title from him will naturally happen as part of the process. The champion wants to make Kasai vomit blood and cry in despair that he will never beat Sasaki. MAO would just like his opponents to notice him for once.
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura pulled off an unusual gambit for this year’s Ultimate Tag League. They were the reigning KO-D Tag Team Champions but decided to vacate the belts before the tournament so they would be rewarded to the League winners. Their logic was by entering the League without the championship, they were on an even playing field to everyone else. Therefore winning the tournament will be undeniable proof that DISASTER BOX is the strongest tag team in DDT. Their plan worked and their pay off was having the KO-D Tag Titles returned to them. Things may have turned out different though because the Tag League was pretty much cursed from the get go.
Learn this lesson. Never run a round robin tournament during a pandemic. The Tag League this year was riddled with forfeits because wrestlers kept catching covid or had to stay home because they were close contacts. CDK only wrestled two matches and won both of them but had to forfeit the rest of their matches because Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi both had separate positive cases. They had no chance of reaching the finals despite winning matches when they were able to compete. Plus one of those wins was against DISASTER BOX!
The champions did not forget about that. Their only loss in the Tag League was against CDK in the group stage so minutes after the final was over and they received their prizes, the call out was made. DISASTER BOX wanted the rematch and would put the KO-D Tag Titles on the line! CDK accepted the challenge, believing the belts should belong to them anyway. They’ve been using every trick in their book to get the upper hand in recent matches and they also won the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles in ChocoPro. Meanwhile HARASHIMA has his trusty old Somato while Yoshimura now has a new F5 style finisher called the Osaka Dream. It is the strongest tag team in DDT taking on the most dramatic and dreamiest tag team!
9. KO-D Openweight Title – Japan Bakery Marketing Presents: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
The main event of the 25th Anniversary show cannot fit in all 25 years of DDT’s history into one match but it will complete the decade long story of Konosuke Takeshita and Tetsuya Endo. Last year was the most impressive yet from Takeshita. He overcame a bad period of results by going overseas to AEW and coming back as a complete pro wrestler who was finally comfortable in his own skin. He regained the KO-D Openweight Title and has swept through everyone who stood in his way. All that is left to challenge him is an opponent who probably knows him more than anyone else.
Endo needed to find a new direction and control his own fate after the original DAMNATION was forced to split up. He was happy being the right hand man back then but the time had come for him to have a new unit he could call his own. He had some wise men guiding him along the process. Kenta Kobashi had been supporting Endo and decided to pair him with Jun Akiyama to start off. Endo then decided to add in Yusuke Okada and Yuya Koroku to complete the group. All that was needed was a name. Endo took inspiration from his two mentors and revived the name BURNING with their permission. A name with that much history would motivate Endo to work his hardest to live up to it. Everything was set up and Endo now only needs one last piece to complete the puzzle. The KO-D Openweight Title. When Takeshita asked for a challenger to face him for DDT’s 25th Anniversary, Endo came out and said he was the only one who can face him at Sumo Hall.
It was said before that this is not a rivalry because rivals are meant to motivate each other to do their best. These two are enemies. The proof can be seen from the last four months of DDT shows where The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING has dominated the main events and upper parts of the cards. Endo has upgraded the Shooting Star Press. First he changed the name to the Burning Star Press and now it is The Best Burning Star Press In The Universe. It is a move Endo was able to pin Takeshita with in response to Takeshita submitting him with the Plus Ultra a few days earlier. It has been a tight conflict and the only thing for certain is whoever wins will lead DDT into its 26th year and beyond!
Comments Off on DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~” Preview | Previews | Tagged: AEW, Akito, All Elite Wrestling, Andreza Giant Panda, Antonio Honda, Burning Wild, CDK (Calamari Drunken Kings), Chris Brookes, Daisuke Sasaki, DAMNATION T.A, Danshoku Dieno, DDT Pro Wrestling, DDT Universal Championship, DDT Variety Team, DISASTER BOX, Dramatic Dream Team, GENTARO, Gorgeous Matsuno, Gota Ihashi, HARASHIMA, Hideki Okatani, Ilusion, Isami Kodaka, Jun Akiyama, Jun Kasai, Kazuki Hirata, Kazusada Higuchi, Kenta Kobashi, KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Championship, KO-D Openweight Championship, KO-D Tag Team Championship, Konosuke Takeshita, LiLiCo, MAO, Masahiro Takanashi, Maya Yukihi, Michael Nakazawa, MIKAMI, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul, Naomi Susan, Naomi Yoshimura, Pheromones, Poison Sawada JULIE, ROMANCE DAWN, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Ryohei Odai, Saki Akai, Sanshiro Takagi, Seiya Morohashi, Shota, Shunma Katsumata, Soma Takao, Sumo Hall, Super Sasadango Machine, Takao Omori, Takashi Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo, Thanomsak Toba, The 37KAMIINA, Tomohiko Hashimoto, Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Toru Owashi, Toy Kojima (Toi Kojima), Yoshihiko, Yuji Hino, Yuki Iino, Yuki Ishida, Yuki Ueno, Yukio Naya, Yukio Sakaguchi, Yumehito Imanari, Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku | Permalink
Posted by JamieOD
Dramatic DDT 