DramaticDDT’s Predictions For 2023

December 24, 2022

Merry Christmas to you all! There are a lot of things I’m not good at. Making predictions for pro wrestling is one of them. It’s what happens when the crystal ball I look through was bought in Lidl. But I like doing it anyway. The Christmas and New Year period is very busy for covering pro wrestling so I never really have the time to do something like this in previous years. To solve that problem I’ve been jotting down predictions in my free time this month so I could finally put out the article. I came up with 20 predictions for 2023 spread across four categories. Five for DDT, five for Tokyo Joshi Pro, five for Ganbare☆Pro and five guesses for anything even slightly related to DDT or CyberFight. I’m also listing them in order from easy to hard, likely to unlikely, mild to spicy, etc. Some are guesses based on past booking patterns, going with gut feelings, going the opposite of gut feelings and in some places just straight up fantasy booking. None of these are hints or teases of the little inside info I do know about. Will any of them come true? Nah, probably not. But let’s take a stab at it anyway?

DDT


Brass Monkey, That Funky Monkey
Prediction: Mike Bailey wrestles a match in DDT again.

My evidence supporting this prediction is Mike Bailey’s profile on the DDT roster page is still there. They never took him off the website even though he hasn’t wrestled for the company since April 2020. The man has had a well deserved breakout year in America for 2022 splitting his time between Impact and the indies. I bet he’ll be in the area when DDT are doing their Hollywood shows in April. Also if he has the time to come back to Japan, I think it will be for DDT over anywhere else. There’s a whole new class of guys for him to kick the crap out of. Also a Moonlight Express reunion would be sweet.


Have A Drink And Watch The Die Get Cast
Prediction: KANON outperforms Daisuke Sasaki.

The top prospect from JTO jumped to DDT back in April and has been all in with the company ever since. KANON was rewarded pretty quickly by being added to DAMNATION T.A while Minoru Fujita was out with injury. He had a rough go at the tournaments though, getting eliminated in the King Of DDT 1st Round and only winning one match in the D-Ou Grand Prix. But I’ve been impressed with his work and he is often the one who picks up the wins in DAMNATION T.A tag matches. I think he performs way better in 2023 and racks up a few achievements. In fact, I think he will achieve more in the next 12 months than his leader Daisuke Sasaki will! I’m talking the number of title matches he gets, the better performances he puts in tournaments and a higher amount of significant singles victories. KANON is going to claim some scalps this year that will leave Sasaki looking jealous. That’s if Sasaki is sober enough to register what’s going on.


365 Degrees, Burning Down The House
Prediction: Yuya Koroku becomes the next wrestler from DDT’s new generation (debuted 2020 onwards) to win a championship.

The first draft of this was slightly different. I had Yuya Koroku down as the first new gen wrestler to win any championship. Then I remembered Toi Kojima is currently one of the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions and Hideki Okatani once held the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title a year ago. Oh and Keigo Nakamura held both if he counts (debuted 2019 before the pandemic so eh?). As a result this prediction isn’t turning out as sharp as I thought it would be. But I’m sticking with the general idea. There’s a new wave of fresh blood coming into DDT and the highlight for me so far was Koroku and Kojima’s rivalry found within the BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA tag matches. Eyes will be on Yuki Ishida for becoming a bigger part of a diminished Harimao out of necessity, Takeshi Masada as the hot prospect and Kazuma Sumi for his athleticism. There’s still three more trainees yet to debut plus the short term future of El Unicorn and Ilusion is currently unknown. With that said Koroku has the advantage of seniority over most of the other rookies to make this prediction come true. Even if it’s just as the third man holding the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles, I think Koroku has the best odds of getting belted up next year.


Where’s Your Head At, At?
Prediction: Tetsuya Endo struggles to reclaim the top position in DDT.

This is a cruel one. Tetsuya Endo had everything in place before the summer to finally be the flag bearer for DDT. Then Katsuhiko Nakajima knocked him out and left him concussed, taking all of that away. I wouldn’t say he is a shadow of his former self since coming back but a bit of shine has disappeared in him becoming the leading man again. He has given himself a new goal of winning all of the singles championships. That’s going to be a long journey if it does work out that way. For 2023 I do not see Endo winning back the KO-D Openweight Title and I don’t think he will win any of the singles tournaments. The DDT Universal Title and DDT Extreme Title can be in his grasp but neither of them will bring him back to the number one main eventer spot in the next 12 months. To take a positive stance for this, think of 2023 as his rebuilding year for 2024. He’s already spent the last few months bulking up to become more a bigger heavyweight. Maybe the key to getting over this will be to confront his demon at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2023”


Loan Me A Dragon, I Wanna See Space
Prediction: Dramatic Dream Gate is revived.

Remember this unholy alliance? There were three occasions when DDT and Dragongate worked together and promoted shows under the name Dramatic Dream Gate. Once in 2007, again in 2008 and the final one taking place in 2012. Then the relationship between the two companies went icy for a long time after that. Things began to defrost a few years ago thanks to Toru Owashi getting DG bookings and in return bringing one of their wrestlers from his generation over whenever DDT goes to Kobe or Nagano. Now that Naruki Doi is bouncing back and forth between the two companies as a freelancer without pissing anybody off I’d like to think everyone’s now cool with each other. What a way to show it by bringing DDG back for another show! It would be worth it just to see Kazuki Hirata do his Magnum Tokyo parody in front of all the DG wrestlers who weren’t even born when the gimmick first existed. I know, I know, DG currently has a working relationship with NOAH. They’re probably all CyberFight’d out at this point. Doesn’t matter, DDT will continue taking their dojo dropouts anyway…

Tokyo Joshi Pro


It Ain’t My Fault That I’m Out Here Making News
Prediction: At least 3 women who originally came from Actwres girl’Z will appear in TJPW and at least 1 of them becomes a regular roster member.

It’s kind of a running joke at this point. Actwres girl’Z constantly turn dozens of idols into newly trained joshi at a time then whoever emerges as top of the class ends up leaving them for greener pastures. It’s probably one of the more successful development programs in modern pro wrestling when you think about it. AWG’s lossese end up being another company’s gain and TJPW are usually in that group. Yuna Manase, Natsupoi and Nao Kakuta all came from there. Even just recently we have HIMAWARI pulling off a speed run in how to go from AWG to TJPW in record time. I think it’s only going to increase from here. My prediction is not one, not two but three joshi who were associated with AWG at some point in their lives will appear on TJPW shows throughout 2023. I’m giving myself a little bit of rope here because I am not saying they will all be full time roster additions. Somebody like Saori Anou or Miyuki Takase having one or two guest matches like SAKI did this year would count towards this. But yeah, I can at least guarantee there will definitely be one woman on the active AWG roster who will be showing up at Korakuen Hall wearing a TJPW shirt in the next 12 months.


Pull Up With A Zelda And A Peach And A Daisy
Prediction: An outsider wins the Princess Of Princess Title

In the almost seven years the Princess Of Princess Title has been around its lineage has belonged entirely to the TJPW roster. In Japan it’s rare for a men’s company to have their main championship stay within their walls for this long but in joshi it’s a little more common. However the scene opened up again to the rest of the world this year and there is a wave of new faces we can all look forward to seeing. The risk is they have their eyes on the gold just as much as the regulars do. I think the time has come for somebody outside of TJPW to become the Princess Champion. Whether they are a Japanese freelancer, an invader fans associate with another company or somebody from overseas I bet the top prize will be taken by an outside force sometime in 2023.


It’s All Around The World, Just La La La La La
Prediction: Maki Itoh gets to No. 1 on a iTunes or Spotify chart somewhere in the world.

Hikari Noa unexpectedly showing up in the Canadian iTunes J-Pop chart at the end of November inspired this one. Some domino is going to fall that will kickstart a chain reaction resulting in Maki Itoh’s music going viral and being discovered by a new audience. She ends up getting a song to No. 1 on one of the digital music services. It doesn’t matter how obscure this gets. It could be No. 1 in Zimbabwe’s chart for the Chamber Psych genre due to input error for all I care.


Once I Ran To You, Now I Run From You
Prediction: A woman from Sakisama’s past comes back to haunt her.

It is inevitable that NEO Biishiki-gun will come back to terrorize TJPW again. They always do. Sakisama will return to grace TJPW fans with her glamourous presence while rubbing it in about how perfect she is. She makes it look easy. There has to be a reason for that, right? You don’t become that much of a narcissist without having something, or someone, that’s been out of your reach for your entire life. Like a rival perhaps? That one person who no matter how good you are at something, they are always better. Like what if there was somebody in Sakisama’s life who always stole her thunder whether it was in their private classes, on the badminton court or even at an extravagant gala? What if that woman with a familiar looking face from somewhere else suddenly shows up in TJPW and begins to waltz through the roster, tempting NEO Biishiki-gun away from their leader in the process. What if Sakisama finds herself in a position she has never experienced before, becoming the underdog? It would be a big change of pace for the gimmick that’s for sure.


Cause A Girl Gonna Push It All Out The Way
Prediction: Sasha Banks appears at Grand Princess ’23.

Am I being cheeky with this one? I dunno, something about the Sasha Banks odyssey still sounds kind of murky to me. I don’t think somebody with her leverage is going to settle down with a contract to just one corporation again. I believe she’s aligning with New Japan/Stardom no doubt about that. But why stop there? Something tells me she isn’t going to be exclusive to them in Japan. Not with the people she’s been meeting and spending time with these last few months. TJPW needs something massive if they want to fill up Ariake Colosseum on 18th March. They won’t be doing that by keeping to themselves. Aim big, play big, win big.

Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling


I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Prediction: Some of the wrestlers Shota worked with in America get booked for Ganpro.

Shota accomplished a lot during his three month stay in America. Among the most important during his excursion was connections. He made friends, met new people and whether intentional or not scouted talent. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see some of the people he wrestled across the United States get invited over to Ganpro in the coming year. The likes of Ryan Davidson and Phil Shark have been to Japan before but could we see a wrestler like Clay Roberts or Aaron Mercer get the chance to come over thanks to their links with Shota?


All The Way (Keep Going, You Got This)
Prediction: Keisuke Ishii wins the Spirit Of Ganbare Title.

Ganpro has been a good home for Keisuke Ishii ever since he came over from DDT in 2018. Maybe it’s because he’s in a smaller pond but he’s been able to stay more consistent up the top of the card. 2023 will be the right time for Ganpro’s resident “Puwota” to challenge for the Spirit Of Ganbare Title and win it. I’m not confident he will be the man to dethrone Hartley Jackson but if Mizuki Watase or Ken Ohka can’t do it, it may have to come down to him anyway.


Swing Your Partner ‘Round And ‘Round
Prediction: Ganpro creates a tag team championship and builds it around mixed tag wrestling.

This should have been done when they held the Mixed Tag Tournament in 2021! At the moment the Spirit Of Ganbare Title is the only championship being defended in the promotion. Tag Team Titles should be next on the list for Ganpro to grow into a bigger company. They regularly book mixed tag matches anyway and it would be a good way to differentiate the belts from other company’s tag titles. I’m not even calling for it to be a mandatory rule, just have most of the teams competing in title matches be mixed gender.


Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows
Prediction: Ganbare☆Joshi runs their own show in Korakuen Hall.

The Ganbare☆Joshi division took a step back in 2022. Gone were the Ganpro doubleheaders with GanJo running the afternoon shows. It would be nice if they came back with a vengeance in 2023. Not only could they promote their own shows again but they should take a shot at the big time by having an event at Korakuen! It would be a challenge. Maybe Yuna Manase calls in some favors from Ice Ribbon and Gatoh Move or picks a fight with Prominence to build up a headline match. Moeka Haruhi has worked hard all year too so she deserves a spotlight like this too.


Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Prediction: Kota Ibushi wrestles a match in Ganpro.

The aftermath of what happens in January could be either a rising flame of a phoenix or an absolute trash fire. There is plenty of gossip online about Kota Ibushi being done completely with New Japan when his contract is allegedly expected to expire during the month. So if he is going to become a free agent you’d think there will be a lot of suitors out there looking for his services. That might not happen if the guy decides to let loose and produce an exposé on his time with NJPW. If he instead behaves and decide against that then there should be nothing to be worried about, right? Hmmm, can’t be too sure on that one. Ibushi made it clear on Twitter he has no interest in ever going back to DDT. He also sounds bullish about doing work with NOAH when rumours of that surfaced online. Money doesn’t sound like it’s a big motivation for his future plans. If that’s true then wouldn’t a place like Ganpro be more his vibe? It’s where you can wrestle with your heart on your sleeve and a fire in your belly. It would be a wild move to see Ibushi do one match in Korakuen for Ganpro while he is sorting out the Ibushi Wrestling Institute or whatever crazy project he’s been thinking about during his time away from the ring.

Miscellaneous


You Know That I Would Love To See You Next Year, I Hope That I Am Still Alive Next Year
Prediction: Gake no Fuchi Joshi crosses over with Baka Gaijin + Friends.

It’s been a while since we last heard from Gake no Fuchi Joshi. Seems like Miyako Matsumoto has moved on to other priorities. The spirit of insanity we see in those shows could easily fit in with the newly formed Baka Gaijin + Friends. Matsumoto’s chaotic energy is not something Chris Brookes & Drew Parker want to be responsible for but what power do they have to stop it if she ever steps foot inside one of their shows?


Are You Ready To Meet And Defeat The Elite?
Prediction: AEW will host another event in Japan with DDT & TJPW involvement.

AEW held half of a women’s tournament in Japan during 2021 and produced exhibition matches at the Tokyo Game Show in 2022. They have it in them to do something in Japan for a third year in the row with DDT/TJPW along for the ride. I’m thinking it will be something on a similar scale as the first two events. A project separate from the TV shows and instead taking place on Youtube. That’s if it is intended for broadcast at all. But hey, if they want to go full blown Dynamite taping in Korakuen Hall with Konosuke Takeshita in a title match I’ll take that any day of the week.


Back To The Family, I Guarantee Emergency
Prediction: CyberFight adds another promotion to their portfolio.

CyberFight’s recent financial losses don’t concern me. In fact I think they’re due for a slight expansion and will add a fifth wrestling promotion to their collection. In past interviews Sanshiro Takagi talked about ideas to launch a new death match group or present another joshi company separate from TJPW. If this happens it can be something brand new or maybe there’s going to be a smaller company that’s finally at the end of their rope and needs to be sold to survive. The recent power shift in WWE kind of winds the clock back to 2019 with their desire to launch spin-offs around the world returning to the surface. The last attempt at that resulted in Stardom selling to Bushiroad and NOAH selling to CyberFight. I could see a repeat happening with another company if WWE wants to go shopping in Japan again. But that’s the cynical prediction. CyberFight might create something brand new to fill in a gap that none of their existing properties can reach. Like what if a certain star who has crazy ideas for his own wrestling company strikes a deal with CyberFight to make it a reality in return for making a few dates with the other promotions? What a golden scenario that would be.


Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, When I Was Dead Broke, Man I Couldn’t Picture This
Prediction: A brand new puroresu console game gets announced.

Come on, what’s the freaking hold up? I love Fire Pro Wrestling World but I have squeezed every last drop of blood out of that stone. Time for something new. I think this prediction is possible but it all hangs on whether or not AEW: Fight Forever becomes a success. I’m really looking forward to that game and you all know the first thing I’m going to do is pick Yuka Sakazaki but I still have my worries it will turn out to be a bumpy AA title at launch. If it does take off then my hope is for Yuke’s re-using the assets to make a Japan only wrestling game get one step closer to coming true. One where they strike a deal with Bushiroad or CyberFight (or hopefully both). For this prediction Fight Forever releasing “Forbidden Door” DLC doesn’t count, Makoto being added to The Wrestling Code doesn’t count and phone games do not count. I am looking for a full fledged console game here. If it works on the Steam Deck then that would be cool too.


Same As It Ever Was
Prediction: BASARA does something new and different.

Please? Things have been stale with BASARA for a long time. Even the summer series with Dove Pro I always look forward too is the same old stuff. Probably harsh of me to say that because I hear they are more or less happy with the way things are. They have their regular schedule with their regular crowd always showing up. Sometimes that’s all you need to keep a good thing going. I still wish they showed more ambition though.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “ALL RISE ’22” Results

November 27, 2022

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “ALL RISE ’22”, 27/11/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
657 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Suzume defeated Yoshiko Hasegawa with the Ring A Bell (8:13).
2. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami when Nakajima pinned Neko with the Northern Lights Suplex (9:17).
3. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano when Tatsumi submitted Nagano with the Dragon Sleeper (13:01).
4. Mizuki defeated Arisu Endo with the Cutie Special (9:55).
5. Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta defeated Maki Itoh & Hikari Noa when Kakuta pinned Noa with the Shiden Kai (13:22).
6. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Millie McKenzie with the Crash Rabbit Heat (13:52).
*V1 for Miyu Yamashita.
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) defeated Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku when Arai pinned Harajuku with the Finally (14:45).
*V3 for Reiwa AA Cannon.
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) defeated Billie Starkz with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (14:50).
*V1 for Yuka Sakazaki.

Tokyo Joshi Pro’s final visit to Korakuen Hall for this year was headlined with Yuka Sakazaki’s successful first defence of the Princess Of Princess Title. Her opponent was Billie Starkz, a high school pro wrestler from America on her first tour of Japan. Starkz left a big impression with her high impact moveset, particularly the Sugoi Driver and Swanton Bomb that were both landed onto Sakazaki on the ring apron. Sakazaki had her own rough streak by doing a Brainbuster on the floor and adding a more vertical drop to the Tea Time. She later blocked another Swanton Bomb with her knees and pinned Starkz with the Magical Merry-Go-Round to win.

Sakazaki praised her challenger after the match and called her the best future star in the American scene because she gets to wrestle both men and women over in there. Her mood changed when Miyu Yamashita walked out and entered the ring. She tried ignoring Yamashita until she was challenged to a Princess Title match on the 4th January Korakuen show. Sakazaki immediately refused. Fans in the audience started calling for Yamashita to promise a treat for Sakazaki in order to get the title match because that is what she did for their previous Ittenyon match in 2020. Yamashita listed off all the different sweet food she could buy and Sakazaki turned each one down until she was offered cream puffs. That led to a little more deliberation and Sakazaki finally agreed to do the match as long as Yamashita gifts her double custard cream puffs tomorrow. Yamashita forcibly shook her hand and made her take a commemorative photo of the challenge to seal the deal.

Sadly Raku was at home sick with covid but she was still at Korakuen in spirit to support Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku challenging for the Princess Tag Team Titles. Aino & Harajuku did the Goodnight Express together on Saki Akai for the early advantage. Harajuku in particular had the spotlight shining over her for the dramatic moments of the match. She fought with Yuki Arai and hit the Pom de Justice but Akai broke the count. Arai fought back with a Big Boot, leading the Reiwa AA Cannon to join up and hit the Double Rookie Award. Arai then finished Harajuku off with the Finally to score the team’s third successful title defence. Backstage Arai & Harajuku agreed that they want to challenge for the belts again and this time do it with Raku on their team.

Reiwa AA Cannon’s victory speech was interrupted when the room went dark and a video began playing on the screen behind them. The video showed Max The Impaler along with their tag team partner on the indies Heidi Howitzer. Together they are The Wasteland War Party and they are coming to TJPW on 4th January to fight the Princess Tag Team Champions! The message was in English but Akai & Arai were able to figure out the challenge was aimed at them. Akai said a champion has to overcome many difficulties such as this to make the title belts shine brighter. Arai understood and is ready to end her year on a happy note by getting ready for her first match of 2023.

Yamashita’s main focus of the show was to defend the EVE Championship against Millie McKenzie. The two have developed a rivalry recently in Europe splitting singles matches against each other in Spain and English. Today Japan was hosting the rubber match. Yamashita was in danger early on taking a German Suplex on the floor as well as a Topé Suicida, the Spear and a Sleeper Hold. She regained her ground using High Kicks and a close range Crash Rabbit Heat. McKenzie kicked out but was bombarded with the Skull Kick, Buzzsaw Kick and a full range Crash Rabbit Heat to take the fall. Today is meant to be the final match of their rivalry but Yamashita wants to continue fighting her in more countries around the world. McKenzie said she was disappointed over the loss because she let EVE down. However if she had to lose to anybody, she believe’s there is no better opponent than Yamashita.

Previously when Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta teamed together they were called Uma x3 as a reference to horse racing. Kamifuku showed some horseplay by getting Maki Itoh to drop her guard for a selfie and then poking her in the eyes. Later, Itoh & Hikari Noa were gathered together for Kamifuku to both give them the Famouser together. Nao Kakuta finished the sweep by pinning Noa with the Shiden Kai.

Arisu Endo was given brand new entrance music starting today called “My Way Is The Rainbow”. What hasn’t changed is she still can’t win a singles match. Mizuki left her beaten after an exchange that went from her Crossface Lock to Endo’s Camel Clutch. Mizuki fought out of the Waterwheel Drop and stunned Endo with a Spinning Back Elbow. That gave her the opening to hit the Cutie Special and win the match.

Daydream were put against a tag team of Karate wrestlers. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano did their best to put their skills together to good use but the experience gap was too large to overcome. Rika Tatsumi had Nagano trapped into the Dragon Sleeper to make her give up.

Match #2 was officially a 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match. Kyoraku Kyomei weren’t going to stand for that so they dragged the TJPW GM Tetsuya Koda into the ring and encouraged him to take part in the match! Koda was convinced after the crowd chanted his name and then he got beaten up by the other team. If that wasn’t bad enough, Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao decided to join in and all five women stomped him before throwing him out. They went on with the match as normal without him. Misao took out Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami with the I Am A Hero, leaving the ring clear for Nakajima to pin Haruna Neko with the Northern Lights Suplex.

Today is Suzume’s birthday and she got to celebrate by beating the guest Yoshiko Hasegawa in the opener. The Ganbare☆Pro wrestler did a Flying Cross Body of her own to match Suzume’s. She went into a flurry of Elbow Strikes until Suzume cut her off with a Facebuster and won with the Ring A Bell.

There were a few announcements to kick off the show. Miu Watanabe learned she will be defending the International Princess Title on 4th January against Trish Adora from America. Watanabe said she is nervous to defend the title against foreign wrestlers but wants to kick off her 2023 by successfully defending the belt.

Mizuki is celebrating her 10th Anniversary in wrestling next month and got to book her own commemorative match on 15th December. She is teaming with her longtime admirer Rika Tatsumi to take on Yuka Sakazaki & Nao Kakuta. Sakazaki is there because it is the rare time when The Magical Sugar Rabbits are pitted against each other. Kakuta is involved because she began her wrestling career outside of TJPW like Mizuki did. Tatsumi was chosen to be Mizuki’s tag patner because Tatsumi represents Mizuki’s fans.

When the Yume Pro Wrestling -dream on the ring- series ended it was left up to the three contestants to decide if they wanted to continue on the path to pro wrestling. One of them is doing just that. Wakana Uehara announced her plans to stay in the business and wrestle for TJPW when she is ready. She did not know a thing about pro wrestling when she agreed to take part in the series and over time grew to love it along with developing an admiration for TJPW. She will train to wrestle while continuing her career as an actress and TV personality. Her first goal is to develop her skills high enough that she gets to wrestle against Shoko Nakajima.

Since Raku was absent, Shino was again in her place performing with the rest of The Up Up Girls (Pro Wrestling) as the show opening act.


Kong Vs Max, Hot Spring Match, Takagi’s Final Battle With Pheromones, Miracle Rematch 12 Years Later

September 20, 2022

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”, 09/10/2022
Tokyo Dome City Hall

1. Aja Kong, Raku & Pom Harajuku Vs Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino & Max The Impaler
2. Mizuki Vs Hyper Misao
3. International Princess Title: Alex Windsor (c) Vs Miu Watanabe
4. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Rhia O’Reilly & Nightshade
5. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki

The return of Alex Windsor to Japan is happening just in time because there is now a No. 1 Contender for her International Princess Title. Last week Miu Watanabe won the next title shot and will now face Windsor for the belt at “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”. Winning the title here will continue her big momentum coming out of the summer.

Two pro wrestling beasts will collide! For ages Tetsuya Koda thought that Aja Kong was the only monster left in joshi. Then he discovered Max The Impaler and brought the wasteland warrior over to Tokyo Joshi Pro. Max looked unstoppable in their few appearances here so Koda found himself in an embarrassing position to look for help, otherwise his roster is going to get destroyed by Max one wrestler at a time. Luckily for him, Kong always shows up at TJPW’s most important shows and Koda thinks she is the only one who can hunt down Max. There’s one problem though. If Kong and Max fight each other outside the ring they could end up causing a lot of damage around Tokyo Dome City Hall and TJPW will have to pay what will certainly be a massive repair bill. Koda’s solution is to ask the other four women in the match to stop that from happening and keep the two monsters within the squared circle. Kong gets along with Raku & Pom Harajuku while Max took a liking to Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino so there’s a chance our hapless heroes can somehow calm down the monsters enough to keep the match under control.

The main event is between a member of Kyoraku Kyomei and The Magical Sugar Rabbits. So let’s have the other halves of both teams face off against each other too. Hyper Misao and Mizuki have only one previous singles match together that happened back in 2018. Mizuki won that match. Misao will need to come up with something clever to even the score.

DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN NANIWA HEALTH LAND HOT SPRING~TOPIA”, 10/10/2022
Osaka Naniwa Health Land Hot Spring~Topia

1. Falls Count Anywhere Tag Match: Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Yukio Naya & Yuya Koroku

DDT will be back in Osaka on 10th October for a second show celebrating Jun Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary. However that is not the only wrestling match DDT will hold that night. At the stroke of midnight Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima, Yukio Naya and Yuya Koroku will have a Falls Count Anywhere Tag match at a Naniwa hot spring. Fans coming over to watch the match have been advised to bring swimwear.

DDT “GOD BLESS DDT 2022”, 23/10/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Pheromones Vs Takagi-gun Complete Settlement Battle FINAL: X Vs X

It’s the final battle between Sanshiro Takagi and Pheromones. Again. For like the fourth time I think? Well they mean it this time. Takagi is once more trying to destroy Pheromones for good before they destroy the company. With four members in the unit, Pheromones claim they are complete and at the pique of their power. But Takagi cannot risk letting them continue to exist in this way. The match type and participants for the climactic battle in this war has not been decided yet. If it’s all four members of Pheromones involved then that means Yuki Iino, Danshoku Dieno, Yumehito Imanari & Koju Takeda taking part. Takagi has been relying lately on Antonio Honda, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata to compete against them. So the cast is there for a 4 Vs 4 Tag match of some kind. That nothing has been decided yet makes me wonder if there is a wild card going to be played by either side.

“The Iai Puncher” Hikaru Machida will be on the show.

“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE – BOKUTACHI 4 HANJUKU 4 I LOVE YOU! 2022”, 22/11/2022
Shinjuku FACE

1. Daisuke Sekimoto Vs Masahiro Takanashi

Twelve years ago in Shinjuku FACE there was a KO-D Openweight Title defence. The outsider champion Daisuke Sekimoto put the belt on the line against little Masa Takanashi. What followed was a classic David Vs Goliath bout with a performance from Takanashi that was seconds away from being described as a miracle victory. Sekimoto won the match in the end and remained champion. The two never had never faced against each other since then. Well soon will be time for the rematch in the same room. Masahiro Takanashi has grown a lot since that title challenge and after a twelve year wait is going to face Sekimoto one more time in the main event of his own self produced show.


Max The Impaler Invades Tokyo Sports, Takeshi Masada Ready For Debut

August 12, 2022

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 13/08/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Shoko Nakajima Vs Kaya Toribami
2. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Yuki Aino & Raku
3. Arisu Endo Vs Mei Suruga
4. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi Vs Mizuki Vs Hyper Misao
5. Pom Harajuku Vs Max The Impaler
6. Saki Akai, Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto Vs Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Suzume
8. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Miyu Yamashita Vs Miu Watanabe

Max The Impaler has arrived in Japan and went on a rampage inside the Tokyo Sports offices. Max stormed into the building during the early afternoon in search of Pom Harajuku. When they could not find her, they instead took one of the female employees hostage. Max also stole some gyoza dumplings in the office kitchen before escaping with their hostage. After Max left, Tetsuya Koda got in touch with Tokyo Sports explaining he sent a great foreign wrestler over for a promotional interview and wanted to know how it went? When staff explained what happened, Koda came to the conclusion he misunderstood the meaning of the word “great” when it is applied to Max. He went to retrieve the employee from Max and safely returned her to the office. The bag of dumplings however was empty when he found it.

Meanwhile the rest of the Tokyo Joshi Pro roster are spending the day sharing their fondest memories of Pom Harajuku, fully expecting her to get destroyed by Max in the ring tomorrow.

GANBARE☆PRO “ULTRA SOUL 2022”, 13/08/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yoshiko Hasegawa Re-Debut Match: Yuna Manase & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI
2. Black Ships Attack! Non-Standard Tag Vs Tenori Drunkers: Hartley Jackson & Max The Impaler Vs Mizuki Watase & Tyson Maeguchi
3. HARUKAZE 5th Anniversary Match: HARUKAZE Vs Makoto
4. ROMANCE DAWN for the new world: Shota Vs Soma Takao
5. Tatsuhito Takaiwa 30th Anniversary Match: Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Ken Ohka & Shuichiro Katsumura Vs Keisuke Ishii, Kouki Iwasaki & Shinichiro Tominaga
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Yumehito Imanari (c) Vs Shigehiro Irie

Can Yumehito Imanari overcome Shigehiro Irie and prove he deserves to hold the Spirit Of Ganbare Title? How will Tatsuhito Takaiwa’s Anniversary match go with everyone else being from Ganbare☆Pro? Will emotions go overboard when ROMANCE DAWN fight each other? Where will HARUKAZE go next as she reaches her 5th year in wrestling? Is Max The Impaler going to kidnap Mizuki Watase too? What is Yoshiko Hasegawa going to be like after such a long time away from the ring?

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 14/08/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: X Vs X

The brand new Tokyo Princess Cup trophy is completed and arrived at the CyberFight offices during the week. It will be rewarded to the winner of the tournament on Sunday.

DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2022 IN KORAKUEN ~LET’S SHOUT!~”, 14/08/2022
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & X (w/ Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari) Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi & Soma Takao
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, MAO & Yuki Ishida
3. Takeshi Masada Debut Match: HARASHIMA Vs Takeshi Masada
4. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Battle Royal: Yuji Hino Vs Chris Brookes Vs Shinya Aoki Vs Shunma Katsumata Vs Makoto Oishi Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Yusuke Okada Vs Yukio Naya Vs Hideki Okatani Vs Yuya Koroku
5. Special Single Match: Asuka Vs Saki Akai
6. Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda Vs Yuki Ueno & Toi Kojima
7. DDT Extreme Title – Fluorescent Lighttube IPPON Death Match: Akito (c) Vs Joey Janela
8. Road To WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022! Special Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama

The debuting Takeshi Masada says he wants to leave an impact in his first match so DDT fans will remember him. He discovered pro wrestling back in junior high school when his brother showed him a Youtube video of Kota Ibushi. He already knew about pro wrestling from the Showa era but never knew how spectacular it could be until he saw that video. He took up Shorinji Kempo because his high school did not have a wrestling club. His desire to become a pro wrestler became so strong he quit the Shorinji Kempo club and applied for the DDTeeeen!! project. The pandemic cancelled those plans until he talked to Makoto Oishi at a DDT show in Osaka and applied for DDT’s proper dojo. He’s never been an honor student of any sort so he is confused that he is already debuting after only three months of training. In the future Masada wants to do street wrestling matches in his hometown and at his university campus whenever he goes back to college.

Joey Janela has also arrived safely in Japan, ready to take on Akito for the DDT Extreme Title.

BASARA/DOVE PRO “R.E.S.P.E.C.T”, 25/08/2022
Shinjuku FACE

1. Union MAX Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Gunso

The annual summer tradition of BASARA Vs Dove Pro is back once again. This will be the second year in a row both promotions are working together for a show under the “R.E.S.P.E.C.T” name. The two figureheads of BASARA and Dove face off in the main event. Isami Kodaka puts the Union MAX Title on the line against Gunso!


Cheers, Paper Tape And Banners Allowed At Ota Ward Shows

June 28, 2022

This week it was announced that the “big match” events CyberFight are holding at Ota Ward Gymnasium this summer will be lifting several restrictions related to the covid pandemic. Fans attending “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’22”, “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA” and “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” will be allowed to cheer while wearing masks, throw streamers into the ring and hang banners around the venue. The decision was made after CyberFight management held discussions with the venue in response to fan demand to lift the restrictions. Each show will still be set up for 50% capacity for social distancing and mask wearing will be mandatory. There is a chance the rules about cheering could change if new safety measures to prevent the spread of covid are announced before the shows take place.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’22”, 09/07/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Moka Miyamoto Vs Juria Nagano
2. Aja Kong, Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku Vs Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami
3. Miu Watanabe Vs Willow Nightingale
4. Hikaru Shida & Hikari Noa Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
5. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Alex Windsor
6. Riho & Arisu Endo Vs Mei Suruga & Suzume
7. Special Single Match: Thunder Rosa Vs Miyu Yamashita
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Saki Akai & Yuki Arai
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi

Tokyo Joshi Pro GM Tetsuya Koda said there were a lot of opinions between the three promotions over what to do. He wanted all three to use the same rules so there would be no confusion between the shows over what is allowed or not. He also said the decision to use 50% capacity was done in accordance to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government guidelines over indoor events. Koda noted that several wrestlers like Moka Miyamoto, Arisu Endo, Kaya Toribami, Juria Nagano and Yuki Arai all debuted during the pandemic and have never gotten cheers from fans or streamers thrown at them. Miu Watanabe said as a pro wrestling idol she gets a lot of strength from getting cheers.

GANBARE☆PRO “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA”, 10/07/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Ganpro Specialty 3 Vs 2 Handicap Match: Ganbare Tamagawa, Nobuhiro Shimatani & HARUKAZE Vs Onryo & YuuRI (w/ Ippanjin Munenori Sawa)
2. Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Vs Takaiwa Army: Kouki Iwasaki & Tyson Maeguchi Vs Tatsuhito Takaiwa & 5th Black Tiger
3. Four Beasts Of Fate Gathered In Sekigahara ~Special Tag Match~: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs Isami Kodaka & Shuji Ishikawa
4. Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Vs Eruption: Mizuki Watase, Moeka Haruhi & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
5. Special Single Match: Yuna Manase Vs Sayaka Unagi
6. Special Tag Match ~ CDK Vs ROMANCE DAWN: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Shota & Soma Takao
7. Special Single Match: Shuichiro Katsumura Vs Minoru Suzuki
8. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Yumehito Imanari (c) Vs Ken Ohka

Naturally, Ken Ohka was the most excited and emotional over the news. On his own he is not strong but the cheers of the fans helps him become strong.

DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022”, 20/08/2022
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Shinichiro Kawamatsu Debut Match: Shinichiro Kawamatsu Vs X
2. International Special Hardcore Match: Joey Janela Vs Shunma Katsumata
3. DDT Universal Title: Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs X
4. KO-D Openweight Title: KO-D Champion (c) Vs X

HARASHIMA is happy to find out cheers will return for DDT’s big show of the summer. He admits he didn’t know how to take in clap crowds at first but figured out how to listen to the audience’s hearts. When he hears cheering again he will become several times stronger. In response to this, Ohka said cheers will make himself a hundred or even a thousand times stronger!


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR ’22” Results

April 17, 2022

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR ’22”, 17/04/2022
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
270 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta defeated Yuki Aino & Pom Harajuku when Noa pinned Harajuku with a Rotating Foot Hold (8:59).
2. Miyu Yamashita, Raku & Yuki Arai defeated Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Kamifku & Mahiro Kiryu when Yamashita pinned Kiryu with the Attitude Adjustment (12:50).
3. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki defeated Maki Itoh & Haruna Neko when Sakazaki pinned Neko with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (13:45).
4. Hyper Misao, Miu Watanabe & Moka Miyamoto defeated Shoko Nakajima, Suzume & Arisu Endo when Misao pinned Endo with the Hypami Returns (12:52).
5. Marika Kobashi Graduation Commemorative Match – 1 Vs 20 Handicap Tag Match: Shoko Nakajima, Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki, Maki Itoh, Miyu Yamashita, Rika Tatsumi, Hyper Misao, Yuki Aino, Miu Watanabe, Raku, Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta, Yuki Kamifuku, Suzume, Arisu Endo, Moka Miyamoto, Pom Harajuku, Haruna Neko, Mahiro Kiryu & Yuki Arai (3) defeated Marika Kobashi (0) (21:10).
5a. Everyone pinned Marika Kobashi with the Goodnight Express (2:26).
5b. Raku submitted Marika Kobashi with a Front Neck Lock (17:41).
5c. Miyu Yamashita pinned Marika Kobashi with the Attitude Adjustment (21:10).

Marika Kobashi has called time on her wrestling career in Tokyo Joshi Pro. While it is not a full on retirement from pro wrestling, she wants to focus on other priorities for the remainder of her college life. So who knows, maybe this won’t be the last time we see her in the squared circle again somewhere. Her final match was a special 1 Vs 20 Handicap match with the goal for either side to win three falls. The first fall began with Kobashi taking on Shoko Nakajima. Soon Raku was tagged in and her Goodnight Express spot ended up with the entire team of 20 all piling on top of Kobashi to pin her. In the second fall, the team launched a Train Attack on Kobashi. Tetsuya Koda was forced by Yuka Sakazaki to join in. Kobashi cut him off with a kick and pinned him with the Bakachinga Elbow but it didn’t count. Raku instead got involved again and used Kobashi’s signature submission hold the Front Neck Lock against her to secure the second fall. The third fall ended up being the final one when Miyu Yamashita pinned Kobashi with the Attitude Adjustment.

After the match Kobashi was given gifts and bouquets from the roster. She said when she first joined TJPW she didn’t know how to interact with everyone. She hit her walls but pro wrestling was always there to support her. It is what made her into the strong and affectionate person she is today. She reminded everyone her decision is to graduate, not to retire, because she has a desire to move onto new things that are not pro wrestling. She hopes these new experiences will make her a more wonderful pro wrestler and that some day she can meet everyone in TJPW again. She made a promise to beat Abdullah Kobayashi so neither of them can retire until it happens.

Today’s preview match between Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao saw the upcoming challenger get the better of the champion. Misao did so by attacking Nakajima with the Princess Of Princess Title belt! Misao grabbed the title and posed with it during her pre-bell ambush, then later used it as a weapon after a ref bump. She took out Nakajima with the Hypami Returns and used the same move on Arisu Endo to win the match. Misao thinks Nakajima’s upcoming visit to England is not an excursion but a desertion. Today’s win is good for Misao because she believes it sends out the message that the title will belong to her sooner or later. Nakajima said she always has fun whenever she teams with Misao but being on the other end of her pranks and tactics in the ring makes her angry.

The 9th annual Tokyo Princess Cup will began with three consecutive shows at Ryogoku KFC Hall on the 16th, 17th and 18th July. It will move over to Shinjuku FACE on the 23rd, then the Quarter Finals will take place in Otemachi Mitsui Hall on the 31st. The semi-finals are at Korakuen Hall on 13th August and the final will be in the same venue on the 14th.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR ’22” Results

March 26, 2022

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR ’22”, 26/03/2022
Tokyo Otemachi Mitsui Hall
297 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Hikari Noa defeated Kaya Toribami with the Blizzard Suplex (6:16).
2. Hyper Misao & Miu Watanabe defeated Pom Harajuku & Mahiro Kiryu when Misao pinned Harajuku with the Hypami Returns (11:05).
3. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi defeated Nao Kakuta and Haruna Neko when Tatsumi submitted Neko with the Dragon Sleeper (10:07).
4. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Raku defeated Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku & Marika Kobashi when Sakazaki pinned Kobashi with the Mil Clutch α (14:01).
5. Princess Tag Team Titles Next Challenger Decision Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto when Suzume pinned Arai with the Ring A Bell (12:42).
6. Nodoka Tenma Graduation Match: Shoko Nakajima & Miyu Yamashita defeated Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino when Nakajima pinned Tenma with the Diving Senton (20:27).

Today Tokyo Joshi Pro bid farewell to Nodoka Tenma. Her final pro wrestling match was obviously the final time The Bakuretsu Sisters were teaming together too. They had to take on the top two wrestlers in TJPW Shoko Nakajima & Miyu Yamashita. Tenma extinguished her big moves but the Bakuretsu Bulldog and the Back Flip could not get her the win. Instead Nakajima gave Tenma the Northern Lights Suplex and Yamashita followed it with the Skull Kick. Tenma was on the verge of being counted out but Nakajima stopped the referee so she could give Tenma a hug. She then gave her a DDT and hit the Diving Senton to pin her.

After the match Nakajima told Tenma that when they walk the same path they are teammates but when they walk different paths at the same time they are friends. Yamashita told her to keep watching TJPW while she is working on her farm and in return she will visit her to see it someday. Tenma asked everyone to take care of Yuki Aino for her but Aino said she won’t be on her own here without her. Aino gets inspiration from watching Yamashita and Nakajima lead TJPW that she now wants to be the leader too. She challenged Nakajima for the Princess Of Princess Title on 9th April!

Tenma’s graduation ceremony was slightly delayed when Hyper Misao and Pom Harajuku took Tetsuya Koda hostage. Misao said she never gave her approval for Tenma to graduate and she threatened Koda’s life if Tenma won’t change her mind. Tenma simply thanked Koda. Misao had to accept her decision but convinced her to take everyone’s signature moves one by one for the last time. Even Sayuri Namba got involved in the beating against her will. It ended with the entire roster all piling on top of Tenma for one final three count on her. The proper ceremony then took place with everyone saying their goodbyes to Tenma. She gave a speech telling stories about her time with the roster, a supporter of her class who passed away during the Covid pandemic and also her late grandfather. She ended by saying she wants to live a life with no regrets and that her time here is something she will treasure for the rest of her life.

Arisuzu are the No. 1 Contenders for the Princess Tag Team Titles. They earned the title shot by beating MokaYuki when Suzume pinned Yuki Arai. The result is revenge for their previous match from the Max Heart Tournament. Arai is disappointed but still wants to aim for the titles with Moka Miyamoto as her tag partner. Suzume called The Magical Sugar Rabbits into the ring afterward and told them she wants to see the sparkling world that they see. Arisu Endo said they have grown a lot more than they think so they want to make the belts theirs. Yuka Sakazaki agrees the team has grown but also thinks they still have a long way to go. They will have to show more or else they will never become champions. Mizuki warned that their world is more than just sparkles. When you enter it you will see what lies ahead for Tokyo Joshi Pro!


CyberFight Festival 2022 Announced

January 11, 2022

“CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022”, 12/06/2022
Saitama Super Arena

Last year the CyberFight promotions all got together to put on the first “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL” supershow in Saitama Super Arena. It was such a success that they are bringing it back this year! The joint show will again be presented by DDT, NOAH, Tokyo Joshi Pro & Ganbare☆Pro. So far no decisions have been made for any championship bouts or interpromotional matches to take place on the show. Everyone is keeping an eye on what is going on within each of the groups before they will put any potential cards together.

A press conference was held today by representatives of each company to announce the show.

Sanshiro Takagi said the first “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL” got the best reaction they could get. It was a show where the distinct charms of all four companies were on display for everyone to see. So they wanted to hold it again to show the world how appealing pro wrestling is.

Naomichi Marufuji described how last year each group showed their own colours and the clash of ideologies between them was festival worthy. This year each group will get to show how much they have grown which he thinks will make the show even more exciting.

Akito hopes the festival will become established as an annual event. He wants it where wrestling fans will know that every June there will be the “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL” to look forward to. While last year’s show was built around rivalries, title bouts and offer matches Akito thinks they can do stuff this year that couldn’t be done back then.

Tetsuya Koda thinks TJPW made a strong impression towards fans of the other companies by surprising them with great matches and good wrestlers who were not well known. TJPW has gotten more new fans since then so while the situation won’t be the same this year he is sure the other fanbases will be even more excited to see TJPW again and have higher expectations.

Ken Ohka thought Ganpro could have left a mark on the first festival but he wasn’t satisfied with being stuck in the pre-show. He promises Ganpro will provide hot and soulful matches that will beat anything the other companies will put together.


DDT “BEER GARDEN-LIKE PRO WRESTLING 2021 DAY 3” Results

August 1, 2021

DDT “BEER GARDEN-LIKE PRO WRESTLING 2021 DAY 3”, 01/08/2021
Shinjuku FACE
223 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

0. Special Under Match – Ultimate Vs Supreme: Tetsuya Koda defeated Hisaya Imabayashi by TKO with the Sleeper Hold (11:57).
1. Yukio Naya & Yuki Iino defeated Sanshiro Takagi & Yuya Koroku when Iino pinned Koroku with a Lariat (9:35).
2. Playfulness Series Act 3: Danshoku Dieno Vs Hideki Okatani ended in a No Contest (5:19).
3. Yukio Sakaguchi, Akito & Yusuke Okada defeated Soma Takao, Yuji Hino & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Sakaguchi pinned Shimatani with the God’s Right Knee (8:17).
4. Rock & Roll 5 Way Death Match: A.YAZAWA defeated HARASHIMA, Saki Akai, Mad Paulie and Kazuki Hirata when YAZAWA pinned Hirata with a School Boy (14:17).
5. Shunma Katsumata & MAO defeated Chris Brookes & Keigo Nakamura when MAO pinned Nakamura after the MADMAX (14:45).
6. The Annual Tradition! Customer Lottery Match: Jun Akiyama, Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo defeated Yuki Ueno, Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura when Endo pinned Yoshimura with the Shooting Star Press (21:26).

Beer Garden 2021 came to a close with the usual end to DDT’s tradition, a Fan Lottery 6-Man Tag Match. Members of the audience randomly picked the spots for each team and we ended up with Jun Akiyama, Konosuke Takeshita & Tetsuya Endo all on the same side. Any visual sign of tension disappeared when Endo came out dressed in his old wrestling gear and encouraged the others to reform Happy Motels for one night. Akiyama had to play the role of Antonio Honda in this case. The opposing team was Yuki Ueno, Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura. All of them came from the DNA generation so they paid tribute to the old brand by wearing DNA shirts and walking out to the DNA theme song. Akiyama played the part of Honda well by tripping onto his knee and doing the Bionic Elbow with his partners. The three of them worked so well they won the match with Endo getting the pin on Yoshimura.

After the match Endo said Beer Garden is all about having fun so he encouraged Akiyama and Takeshita to let go of their rivalry for the day. He also apologised to Takeshita for cheap shotting him at last year’s Beer Garden finale. Takeshita and Akiyama both agreed to get along but things will go back to normal when they fight each other for the KO-D Tag Team Titles on 15th August and the KO-D Openweight Title on the 21st. Endo also promoted his DAMNATION team defending the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles on that day too. They all raised their hands together to end the show… and then Endo Headbutted Takeshita. Endo stormed off backstage and stripped out of his old costume embarrassed that he had to act so nice towards Akiyama & Takeshita today.

Chris Brookes didn’t want to team with Keigo Nakamura so he purposely joined the other team to make it a 3 Vs 1 Handicap match. Brookes entered the ring with The 37KAMIINA but Nakamura begged him to team up as planned. Brookes agreed to do it but still helped Shunma Katsumata & MAO do some triple team spots. Brookes eventually took the match seriously but it wasn’t enough for them to win. Katsumata & MAO hit the Power Bomb/Blockbuster version of MADMAX (apparently any double team move involving Katsumata jumping off the top rope is called the MADMAX) on Nakamura to get the win. Afterwards Katsumata told MAO he found out Jun Kasai’s weakness. He doesn’t like stepping on Lego so they’re going to use them against him at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2021”!

Daisuke Sasaki was pulled from the show on short notice because he might have been in close contact with somebody who recently tested positive for the Coronavirus. The Drunk Match was cancelled and HARASHIMA was moved over to the Rock & Roll Death Match. There was another replacement as Antonio Honda suffered from love sickness and had to be replaced by A.YAZAWA in a rare appearance. Everyone in the match got drunk and danced whenever music played. YAZAWA and Saki Akai did karaoke. A recording of Shuji Ishikawa singing caused Mad Paulie to dance. Everyone fell asleep until Swan Lake played and they all did ballet together. YAZAWA then rolled over Kazuki Hirata to win the match.

Eruption once again got the better of DAMNATION once again in their latest preview match, this time with Yusuke Okada teaming with them. Yuji Hino was already drinking and decided to wrestle in his normal clothing. When he put Akito in a Sleeper Hold he flipped off the rest of his opponents. Eventually he got drunk and when he went to do the Diving Body Press off the top rope, he landed on Nobuhiro Shimatani instead of Yukio Sakaguchi. Hino needed Soma Takao’s help to get out of the ring and while that happened, Sakaguchi pinned Shimatani with the God’s Right Knee.

An accidental bump of heads between Danshoku Dieno and Hideki Okatani during the opening of the show led to them swapping bodies before their match. Dieno walked out wearing Okatani’s gear while Okatani ran out in Dieno’s costume acting just like him. Another clash of heads seemed to turn them back to normal. Dieno was himself again and he chased after Daisuke Kiso. However Okatani didn’t change and he got his hands on Yukinori Matsui. That officials had to call of the match as things got out of hand.

Sanshiro Takagi paid a lot of cash to repair the Dramatic Dream so he is going to get his money’s worth! He brought it out for the opening match, crashed into the combined centaur form of Yukio Naya & Yuki Iino and then crashed into his own partner Yuya Koroku. Iino then hit a Lariat on Koroku to take the win for his team.

The most important match of the week, nay, the month took place in the pre-show. It was the DDT GM Hisaya Imabayashi against the Tokyo Joshi Pro GM Tetsuya Koda in the latest chapter of their never ending one sided rivalry. Imabayashi was spurned on by phonecalls of his increasingly disgruntled wife while Koda showed a more evil side to his wrestling abilities. Sadly for Imabayashi he fell to the Sleeper Hold and as a result won’t be welcomed back home by his family.

Midway through the show, Dieno & Iino confronted Imabayashi demanding to be made into a full time tag team. They kept coming up with sexual innuendos for team names like Osu Academy, The Wizard Of Osu and Will Osupreay. Imabayashi told them he will agree to their demand once they come up with a better tag team name.

Earlier today on the Ganbare☆Pro show, Yuna Manase made it known that she wants a match against Saki Akai. She crashed the DDT show along with Ken Ohka to challenge Akai directly. It is a match she wanted to have at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2021” and when that never happened it’s been bothering her ever since. Akai accepted the challenge and wants the match to happen in Fukuoka on 12th September. Manase said Ganpro already has a show in Itabashi that day but Ohka encouraged her to go do it. Manase offered to shake hands but Akai left her hanging.

Voice actor Tetsu Inada will be making appearances at the Hiragana Muscle shows in September.


Yes Wonderland 2021, Hiroshi Anniversary Show Cancelled, Yoshiaki Yatsu Comeback Match, STARTING BATTLE

April 26, 2021

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND 2021 ~WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DREAMS~”, 04/05/2021
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Princess Of Princess Title Next Challenger Decision 3 Way Match: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Mizuki Vs Shoko Nakajima
2. Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko Vs Mahiro Kiryu & Moka Miyamoto
3. Hyper Misao, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino Vs Nao Kakuta, Marika Kobashi & Raku
4. Yuki Arai Debut Match: Maki Itoh & Arisu Endo Vs Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai
5. International Princess Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c) Vs Hikari Noa
6. Princess Tag Team Titles: Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel (c) Vs Mirai Maiumi & Suzume
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita

The full card for the next Tokyo Joshi Pro show in Korakuen Hall is out and it now has big ramifications for “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2021” in June. Whoever leaves the show as the Princess Of Princess Champion will defend the title in Saitama Super Arena against the winner of the 3 Way Match. Rika Tatsumi has never beaten Miyu Yamashita in a singles match. No matter what she did against her in those matches, Yamashita never broke. Tatsumi thinks Yamashita is not a human but a monster. The only way to beat a monster is to crush their head or punch them in the heart. That’s what she is thinking about going into Korakuen. Both champion and challenger would want the match to happen in front of an audience but they are sure fans will be cheering them on from their homes.

NEO Biishiki-gun aren’t taking too kind to BeeStar challenging them for the Princess Tag Team Titles. When BeeStar interrupted their celebration at Korakuen to ask for a title shot, Mei Saint-Michel froze on the spot. She hasn’t forgiven them for ruining her first title win ever since. Every time she looks at her championship, she sees the faces of Mirai Maiumi & Suzume staring back at her in plate’s reflection. Sakisama doesn’t understand where the challengers are getting their confidence from. They came from parts of Japan where nature is abundant so she thinks they must have been infected by the bad side of Tokyo. BeeStar say they are steadily evolving until 4th May and will get revenge for losing to NEO Biishiki-gun back in February.

Under normal circumstances, Hikari Noa does not have a positive win-loss record to qualify for a title match. However, she has received so much high praise from fans for her performance against Yamashita two weeks ago that Tetsuya Koda is rewarding her with a match against Yuki Kamifuku for the International Princess Title. He thinks Noa is fully qualified to get the title shot. This follows Sena Shiori’s departing comments about wanting to see her friend win a singles championship. Kamifuku has been defending the “Tiffany Blue” belt against locals on the roster. She wants to start defending it against international talent so she does not want to lose the title before that can happen. As the world battles against Covid-19, Noa will battle against Kamiyu-28!

The 3 Way Match consists of three of TJPW’s strongest, mashing together The Miraclians and The Magical Sugar Rabbits with only one standing tall in the end. Yuka Sakazaki wants to win back the Princess Title because she isn’t happy with how much the pandemic effected her previous reign. Shoko Nakajima wants to win back the title because she is more confident in herself now than back when she was the champion. Mizuki thinks she is a long way from becoming champion but winning the belt will get her to break out of her shell. All three of them don’t want to fight either Tatsumi or Yamashita which makes things awkward. Tatsumi would like to face Mizuki though.

BASARA “BASARA 155 ~EDO SHIJUKU~”, 05/05/2021
Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall

1. Daichi Kazato Vs Ryota Nakatsu
2. FUMA & Yusuke Kubo Vs SAGAT & Akiyori Takizawa
3. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs Yasu Urano
4. Takumi Tsukamoto, Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura Vs Fuminori Abe, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
5. Hiroshi Rumble: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi Vs X

The show has been cancelled because Itabashi Green Hall will not be open during Tokyo’s state of emergency. This was the likely result anyway because even if the venue stayed open, BASARA had already decided not to do an empty arena show.

DDT/NOAH/TOKYO JOSHI PRO/GANBARE☆PRO “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2021”, 06/06/2021
Saitama Super Arena

0. STARTING BATTLE ~ Staggered Admission Battle Royal: Yoshiaki Yatsu Vs X
0. STARTING BATTLE MAIN ~ Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Offer Match: X Vs X
1. DDT Vs NOAH Battle: Yuki Iino, Keigo Nakamura & Toui Kojima Vs Junta Miyawaki, Kinya Okada & Yasutaka Yano
2. DDT Vs NOAH Battle: Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno Vs Kaito Kiyomiya & Yoshiki Inamura
3. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Winner Of 4th May 3 Way Match
4. GHC Heavyweight Title: Keiji Muto (c) Vs X
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs HARASHIMA

A series of pre-show bouts will be held before “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2021” kicks off. There will be four STARTING BATTLE matches mixing together wrestlers from DDT, NOAH, Tokyo Joshi Pro and Ganbare☆Pro. The “main event” of the pre-show is being provided by Ganpro. Ken Ohka is thrilled because both the main event and the opening match are the most important matches on a wrestling card. By that logic, adding the main event and the opening match together creates something that is super important!

One of the matches is a Royal Rumble with Yoshiaki Yatsu announced to be taking part. In 2019 Yatsu began wrestling with DDT during the build up to the Tokyo Olympics. Then in the summer Yatsu had to get his right foot amputated because of issues with diabetes. Then in March 2020 Yatsu announced his plans to come back to wrestling using a prosthetic foot specially designed by Kawamura Prosthetics Inc. for use in the ring. His scheduled return in June was called off when “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020” was cancelled because of the pandemic. Since then Yatsu got to be an Olympic torchbearer in Ashikaga City. Now a year later Yatsu will get to complete his comeback by entering the STARTING BATTLE Rumble. Yatsu demonstrated his prosthetic foot by beating up Ken Ohka a bunch with wrestling moves during a press conference.

The Battle Royal will feature wrestlers from DDT and NOAH. The winner receives a Victory Award from CyberFight.