DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 ~ULTIMATE TAG LEAGUE 2022 OPENING ROUND~”, 30/01/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 516 Fans – No Vacancy
0. Dark Match – 3 Vs 2 Handicap Match: Antonio Honda & Yusuke Okada defeated Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yuki Ishida when Okada pinned Ishida with the Sudden Death (6:46).
1. Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani defeated Akito, Soma Takao, Toui Kojima & Yuya Koroku when Okatani pinned Kojima with the Diving Knee Drop (10:32).
2. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – B Block: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (2) defeated Shunma Katsumata & MAO (0) when Imanari pinned MAO with the Pheromone Clutch (9:35).
3. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno (2) defeated Shuji Kondo & Kazuki Hirata (0) when Ueno pinned Hirata with the BME (14:10).
4. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama (2) defeated Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya (0) when Endo pinned Naya with the Shooting Star Press (14:40).
5. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (2) defeated HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura (0) when Takanashi pinned HARASHIMA with a Pedal-Style Uwabami (19:13).
6. DDT Universal Title: Daisuke Sasaki (c) defeated Minoru Fujita with La Mistica Crossface Lock (19:27). *V4 for Daisuke Sasaki.
The main event saw two rule-breakers try to be dirtier than the other in the ring. Daisuke Sasaki called upon MJ Paul to get in and help him but Fujita had backup from his friends from ChocoPro. Sasaki hit a Low Blow on Fujita and also a chairshot but Fujita got even with a supposedly inadvertent Low Blow to Sasaki as he fell to the canvas. Fujita did an Avalanche SAYONARA Tombstone but Sasaki kicked out at two. The champion then overcame Fujita’s Cradles and trapped him in La Mistica Crossface Lock for the submission win.
In a surprising moment after the match, Fujita went to shake Sasaki’s hand despite protests from the ChocoPro wrestlers. Fujita then offered to shake Baaliyan Akki’s hand but instead kicked him low and gave him an Implant DDT. Fujita told his friends their kindness will make them lose at the most crucial moments and they should wake up! If they don’t win then there is no justice. Fujita was about to leave when Sasaki called him over and asked him to join DAMNATION T.A. Fujita accepted and said he will give all of him to the unit. They then attacked the ChocoPro wrestlers and Sasaki told them to go back to Ichigaya. The show ended with Sasaki saying finally DAMNATION T.A is ready to bring destruction and chaos to DDT!
The bulk of the show was dedicated to the opening matches of the Ultimate Tag League 2022. The big match saw CDK scoring an upset win over DISASATER BOX, causing an immediate dent to the former KO-D Tag Team Champions plan to regain the belts. Some clever maneuvers from Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi included putting the ref on top of HARASHIMA and flipping them over into an unintentional Takatonic. When that misfired, HARASHIMA used Naomi Yoshimura as a stepping stone to hit a Flying Double Knee to Takanashi. Brookes was wiped out with the Somato but Takanashi caught HARASHIMA in a roll up to snatch the win out of nowhere. Brookes called DISASTER BOX their strongest opponents in the group, everybody else is all B teams.
BURNING started their campaign with a good win against the heavyweight duo of Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya. Near the end Jun Akiyama threw his Exploder Suplexes but Hino fired his own back at him. Naya’s big move on Tetsuya Endo was an Avalanche Brainbuster but Akiyama caught him with a Running Knee to the face and then another Exploder. Endo dropped him with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb and picked up the win with the Shooting Star Press. Akiyama thinks Naya is beginning to develop into a better wrestler but BURNING was not going to lose to anyone today. Hino encouraged Naya to explode even more at their next match.
It was a mixed start for the two teams representing The 37KAMIINA. The Osaka duo of Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno won their match against the odd couple of Shuji Kondo & Kazuki Hirata. There were times when Hirata was reminded not to start dancing because Kondo wants him to get serious. When they were put in Double Crab Holds, Kondo had to physically stop Hirata from tapping out by grabbing his arm before he could tap out. Kondo got his chance to square up against Takeshita but the match came down to Ueno and Hirata. Ueno blocked the Mad Splash and pinned Hirata with the Best Moonsault Ever. Takeshita admitted to being 1% afraid his team would lose the match. He is also interested in wrestling Kondo again. He thinks it would be fun if The 37KAMIINA goes over to the place where Kondo regularly wrestles and fight him there.
Things did not go as well for Shunma Katsumata & MAO when they took on Pheromones. They surprised their opponents with immediate Dropkicks and dives for an attempted quick win. But Yuki Iino & Yumehito Imanari got their chance to do Pheromone things. MAO got a face full of Iino’s backside while Imanari rolled up Katsumata in the Pheromone Clutch to steal the win. Imanari said that even when Danshoku Dieno isn’t here, they are still Pheromones! He didn’t think they could win but the inherited Dandy spirit of Dieno helped them push through with their goal to explore the true DDT essence of DDT.
Now Eruption is complete. A fresh start for Hideki Okatani means a fresh look too. Elsewhere in that generation, Yuya Koroku & Toui Kojima had a tense moment tagging each other in. Akito & Soma Takao tried working together to take out Kazusada Higuchi but Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai were there to even the odds. Eruption all got together to pick apart the opposing team and Okatani used a Diving Knee Drop to pin Kojima. Afterwards backstage, Okatani said he will absolutely beat Akiyama when Eruption has their first Tag League match on 5th February.
Sanshiro Takagi was pulled from the show due to a fever. There was no replacement for him so the dark match was turned into a Handicap Match. The trio of Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yuki Ishida were all unified by their sumo backgrounds. However Yusuke Okada avoided their Sumo Illusion triple team and Antonio Honda launched a Bionic Elbow counter attack. Okada ended up pinning Ishida with the Sudden Death.
A string of announcements were made for DDT’s 25th Anniversary show at Sumo Hall on 20th March. LiLiCo announced she be retiring from pro wrestling. She has knee problems that prevent her from wrestling but would like to have one more match. Hisaya Imabayashi decided she will get a retirement match at Sumo Hall. LiLiCo requested her match to be against men, handsome ones in particular.
Several wrestlers from DDT’s past are being gathered together by Poison Sawada JULIE to challenge for the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles at Sumo Hall. JULIE will lead the DDT Legend Army consisting of himself, Takashi Sasaki, GENTARO, MIKAMI & Tanomusaku Toba with Naomi Susan also in their corner.
A wrestler from AEW was heavily teased to be announced for Sumo Hall so there was a lot of excitement when a video was sent to DDT. It turned out to be from Michael Nakazawa. He wants to challenge Sanshiro Takagi to a Special Singles Match to celebrate the 25th Anniversary.
Two more big arena shows were added to the 2022 schedule. “MEGA MAX BUMP 2022” will be held at the Yokohama Budokan on 1st May. “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022” is happened at Ota Ward Gymnasium on 20th August.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 ~ULTIMATE TAG LEAGUE 2022 OPENING ROUND~”, 30/01/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Sanshiro Takagi, Antonio Honda & Yusuke Okada Vs Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yuki Ishida
2. Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani Vs Akito, Soma Takao, Toui Kojima & Yuya Koroku
3. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – B Block: Shunma Katsumata & MAO Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari
4. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – B Block: HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi
5. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama Vs Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya
6. Ultimate Tag League 2022 – A Block: Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno Vs Shuji Kondo & Kazuki Hirata
7. DDT Universal Title: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Minoru Fujita
Danshoku Dieno has gotten a fever and has been pulled from this weekend’s show. Since the Ultimate Tag League hasn’t started yet there was time for Yuki Iino to find a replacement and stay in the tournament. Dieno sent a message saying “Dandy” may die, but freedom will not! The philosophy of Pheromones will still be passed around the Tag League because Yumehito Imanari will replace him on the team. “Fantastic!”
DDT is teasing a wrestler from a foreign company will be appearing at the 25th Anniversary show. The special guest will be revealed on this show.
DDT “HANAYORI NEPPA ~TOTONOU IN THE MIDDLE OF SHINJUKU~”, 15/02/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Shinya Aoki Vs Toui Kojima
2. Hardcore Judo: MAO Vs Takayuki Ueki
3. Special Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata Vs Yuko Miyamoto & Isami Kodaka
In February The 37KAMIINA is producing their own show. The main event sees Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata taking on Yuko Miyamoto & Isami Kodaka. It’s the return of Yankee Two Kenju to DDT!
MAO is bringing back the Hardcore Judo match that was created for a DDT Extreme Title match last year. This time the freelance deathmatch wrestler Takayuki Ueki will be his opponent. Ueki also has an atheltic background in judo.
Speaking of the Hardcore Judo gimmick, Shinya Aoki will also be on the show facing Toui Kojima.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 22/01/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall 150 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. 4 Way Match: Yuji Hino defeated Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura and Kazuki Hirata when Hino pinned Hirata with a Lariat (10:40).
2. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs HARASHIMA & Akito ended in a No Contest (11:23).
3. Chris Brookes & Saki Akai defeated Soma Takao & Maya Yukihi when Akai pinned Yukihi with the Rookie Award (10:12).
4. Jun Akiyama & Antonio Honda defeated Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida when Honda pinned Ishida with the Diving Fist Drop (11:30).
5. The 37KAMIINA Vs Eruption!: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & MAO defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when Katsumata pinned Okatani after the Oretachi no MADMAX (13:52).
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Toui Kojima by TKO when Koroku used the Chickenwing Armlock on Kojima (17:55).
7. DAMNATION T.A Vs Fujita Pro Wrestling School!: Minoru Fujita & Yasu Urano defeated Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul when Fujita pinned Sasaki with the Modified Tombstone Piledriver (21:52).
Minoru Fujita now holds two wins in a row over DAMNATION T.A, this time pinning Daisuke Sasaki himself with the Sayonara Tombstone. He also reminded Sasaki that he beat him in a singles match last July. Now all that is left to do is beat Sasaki one more time on 30th January and become the new DDT Universal Champion. Fujita cannot wait to be the veteran with poor health from a rotten indie to become a champion in a wonderful group called DDT! Sasaki in response says he has now seen everything Fujita is capable of and knows he can crush him at Korakuen Hall.
The rookies are trying to steal the spotlight from the main eventers! Yuya Koroku and Toui Kojima brought the fight to each other while Tetsuya Endo and Konosuke Takeshita cancelled each other out. Koroku’s targeting of the arm paid off when he trapped Kojima in a Chickenwing Armlock and wouldn’t let go. Kojima passed out forcing the ref to end the match and declare BURNING the winners. Endo praised Koroku for getting two straight wins over Kojima. Koroku said he isn’t satisfied and will practice more and more. Takeshita encouraged Kojima to keep fighting because he needs to get stronger. Kojima agreed and admitted to crying when he lost last time. This time there will be no tears unless they are tears of joy when Kojima finally beats Koroku!
After Eruption were defeated in Match #5, Yukio Sakaguchi approached Hideki Okatani. He handed his Eruption jacket over to him and said it was a gift for teaming with Kazusada Higuchi in his place. Okatani accepted the jacket and promised to keep fighting. Higuchi wants himself and Okatani to reach for the top in the Ultimate Tag League.
In a reversal of roles, Jun Akiyama tripped over the ropes and injured his knee instead of Antonio Honda. He told his own Gongitstune story to make up for it.
An early warmup match before the 25th Anniversary show in March saw Saki Akai get the pin on Maya Yukihi. A Flying Knee Strike from Chris Brookes set Yukihi up for the Rookie Award from Akai to end the match. Akai said she never knew about Yukihi’s attempt to enter DDT that happened around the same time she became a wrestler with the company. She wrestled the men because she didn’t want to be treated differently for being a woman. She made it this far and doesn’t want people to resent her for it. However, Yukihi thinks Akai purposely beat her with the Rookie Award today to rub her success in her face. Yukihi always wanted to win that category in the Tokyo Sports Awards, so it’s another example of Akai having the career that she wants.
Pheromones got their match thrown out again. At first HARASHIMA & Akito were able to handle them but once there was a ref bump, everything went out the window. Hisaya Imabayashi called off the match and demanded Pheromones to take the upcoming Ultimate Tag League seriously. Danshoku Dieno promised to agree on the condition that Yuki Iino will get a DDT Extreme Title match against Shinya Aoki. Imabayashi refused because Iino doesn’t have the track record to deserve the match. Pheromones tortured him until he finally gave in. Aoki versus Iino will take place on 14th February. Dieno wants wrestling to understand that winning is not the only thing with value.
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN TOKYO DOME RETURNS ~DDT TOKYO DOME CUP~”, 31/10/2021 Tokyo Dome 0 Fans
1b. 5,000,000 Yen DDT TOKYO DOME CUP – Gauntlet 8-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Miyu Yamashita, Hikari Noa, Maki Itoh & Hyper Misao
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN FUKUOKA”, 16/01/2022 Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall 190 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Chris Brookes, Naomi Yoshimura & You-sei☆Estrella defeated Shunma Katsumata, Toui Kojima & Sho-Ki when Yoshimura pinned Kojima with the Lariat (12:11).
2. Shishamo Power Debut Match: Shishamo Power & Antonio Honda defeated Akito & Yukio Naya when Power pinned Akito with La Magistral Cradle (11:11).
3. DDTeeeen!! Special Single Match: Vent Vert Jack defeated El Unicorn with an Ankle Hold (12:10).
4. 3 Way Match: HARASHIMA defeated Yuji Hino and Yuki Ishida when HARASHIMA pinned Ishida with the Somato (12:29).
5. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Soma Takao & Kazuki Hirata ended in a No Contest (11:27).
6. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when Sasaki submitted Okatani with the Crossface Lock (12:07).
7. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & MAO defeated Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku when Takeshita pinned Koroku with the Zahi (17:35).
Before the main event began, Jun Akiyama tried to roll up MAO in a failed attempt to win the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title. MAO spent the rest of the show paranoid that someone else was going to ambush him. Konosuke Takeshita tried to calm him down after the match but that didn’t stop Shunma Katsumata from trying to win the belt while they were leaving the ring.
Tetsuya Endo is feeling down about BURNING losing to The 37KAMIINA twice in a row. He is continuing to learn by losing and wants Yuya Koroku to learn that lesson too. Akiyama backs up that point by encouraging Endo to keep hitting them regardless of the result because fighting against a champion will always make you better. Endo also believes everyone in BURNING is on the same wavelength which is good for a unit that has only been around for a month.
DAMNATION T.A told Eruption they will see them in the Ultimate Tag League finals. That’s if Eruption can make it to the final. Daisuke Sasaki said the KO-D Tag Team Titles are coming to him & MJ Paul. He wants that message sent to Minoru Fujita too. Kazusada Higuchi told Hideki Okatani that if the likes of Sasaki is laughing at him now, you have to shut them up!
The show aired live on DDT’s Youtube channel which meant Hisaya Imabayashi was as concerned as ever because the Pheromones match would probably get them banned. So of course Pheromones got their hands on him and did lewd things to get their match called off. Danshoku Dieno called the GM selfish for his attempts to stop them. He then warned that Pheromones will survive the Tag League using their values.
Vent Vert Jack used an Ankle Hold he recently learned from Masakatsu Funaki to defeat El Unicorn. According to Jack, Funaki has made him his last disciple and he passed down two moves to him, one of them being the Ankle Hold. Jack’s dream is to inherit the two moves and bring them to Mexico. He also wants DDT to continue booking him so he can wrestle more teenagers like him all over Japan. Unicorn is following the same lesson as Endo. He’s lost four matches in a row but is using those experiences to learn and get stronger.
Everyone was suspicious that the debuting Shishamo Power is really Toru Owashi under the mask. Antonio Honda explained that Power was trained by Owashi but they are two different people. Akito & Yukio Naya tried to unmask him until Honda fed him shishamo to power up and fight back. A missed chair attack from Naya hit Akito by mistake and Power pinned him with La Magistral. Shishamo said his coach Owashi is really cool and he will sell a lot of his T-shirts.
Naya has been getting frustrated with being away from shows and having no matches for the last three weeks. He never got covid during this period but keeps getting into close contact with other patients so all he could do was stay home and watch DDT videos. Now that he is back he wants to win the Tag League more than anything else. Yuji Hino advises him to be strong and promises to make Naya explode in the tournament.
Newly retired Yuto Aijima appeared after intermission to start off the second half. He thanked people like Genichiro Tenryu and Toshiaki Kawada for sending him video messages for his retirement ceremony. He also vowed to continue making the Kyushu wrestling scene a lively place.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN HIROSHIMA”, 15/01/2022 Hiroshima Marina Hop 143 Fans – No Vacancy
1. MAO defeated Yuki Ishida with the Michinoku Driver I (8:12).
2. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul defeated Naomi Yoshimura & Toui Kojima when Sasaki submitted Kojima with the Crossface Lock (11:00).
3. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino defeated Rey Paloma & Antonio Honda when Iino pinned Honda with the Ketsugoye (12:46).
4. Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & Akito defeated Toru Owashi, Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when Brookes pinned Okatani with the Praying Mantis Bomb (13:27).
5. Hiroshima Specialty Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Soma Takao defeated Kenshin Chikano & Kazuki Hirata when HARASHIMA pinned Hirata with the Somato (12:03).
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata defeated Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku when Ueno pinned Koroku with the WR (20:47).
There is a lot going on with both The 37KAMIINA and BURNING as we are on the long journey to the 25th Anniversary show. Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno are getting ready to enter the Ultimate Tag League while Takeshita is trying to build even more muscle because he knows Tetsuya Endo is getting stronger. Endo believes the matches between the two groups will get even more intense the closer we get to Sumo Hall. The unit advisor Jun Akiyama is laying out the plan to make Endo gain more power when he gets to Ryogoku. They lost today but Endo understands that losing is important because it can make you stronger.
Kazuki Hirata got ready to enter the Tag League with Shuji Kondo by teaming with another face from his past, Kenshin Chikano. That would be a big story but it just so happened to be in the same match where HARASHIMA & Soma Takao teamed together for the first time since 2018 when Takao betrayed HARASHIMA to join DAMNATION. HARASHIMA pretty much knocked out Hirata with the Somato and moved him like a puppet to dance and revive him afterwards.
Imagine the Kamigoye but instead of a knee to the face it’s your butt. That is what the Ketsugoye by Yuki Iino is like. Rey Paloma also wrestled with his costume pulled down to his ankles but that isn’t a declaration of joining or supporting Pheromones. He’s been doing that in his matches long before they showed up.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN HIROSHIMA”, 15/01/2022 Hiroshima Marina Hop
1. 3 Way Match: Akito Vs MAO Vs Yuki Ishida
2. Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & Yukio Naya Vs Toru Owashi, Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
3. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Rey Paloma & Antonio Honda
4. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Naomi Yoshimura & Toui Kojima
5. Hiroshima Specialty Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Soma Takao Vs Kenshin Chikano & Kazuki Hirata
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku
For the first time in a long time HARASHIMA & Soma Takao are teaming together. Takao’s heel turn in 2018 was when he betrayed HARASHIMA to join DAMNATION and kill off what was left of Smile Squash. A chance to reunite took place in March last year but that was just a ruse for Takao to embarrass him. He has since turned over a new leaf so it is up to HARASHIMA to trust him again.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN FUKUOKA”, 16/01/2022 Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall
1. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Soma Takao & Kazuki Hirata
2. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
3. Shunma Katsumata, Toui Kojima & Sho-Ki Vs Chris Brookes, Naomi Yoshimura & You-sei☆Estrella
4. Shishamo Power Debut Match: Shishamo Power & Antonio Honda Vs Akito & Yukio Naya
5. DDTeeeen!! Special Single Match: El Unicorn Vs Vent Vert Jack
6. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku
Oh right, saying The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING is the hottest feud in wrestling would be a pun.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2022 WINTER”, 20/01/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Winners Of Match 1D
2. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2: Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Winners Of Match 1C
3. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2: Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino Vs Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta
4. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Moka Miyamoto & Yuki Arai
Two teams have advanced past the Max Heart Tournament opening round. The rookie sensations Moka Miyamoto & Yuki Arai are going up against Arisuzu in Round 2. Meanwhile the newly named Free WiFi face a much larger threat in the form of The Bakuretsu Sisters. There is still the other side of the bracket to get through first. The remaining matches in Round 1 take place this Saturday.
DDT “JUDGEMENT 2022 ~DDT 25TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 20/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi
2. KO-D Openweight Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
At first Saki Akai welcomed Maya Yukihi to DDT on the condition that Yukihi had good intentions for coming here. Instead years of jealousy quickly emerged and reared its ugly head. Yukihi originally wanted to start her wrestling career in DDT but her attempts to join the company were rejected. So when she saw Akai do what she couldn’t it made her jealous. However Yukihi took a different route and is proud of the joshi career she has created for herself. A personal issue such as this is considered by Sanshiro Takagi to be big enough to be settled in Sumo Hall.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN OSAKA DAY 2”, 10/01/2022 Osaka 176BOX 159 Fans
1. Shunma Katsumata defeated Yuya Koroku with the Totonou Splash (7:49).
2. HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi defeated Antonio Honda & Toui Kojima when HARASHIMA pinned Honda with the Somato (9:44).
3. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul defeated Naomi Yoshimura & Hideki Okatani when Paul pinned Okatani with the Death Valley Bomb (11:46).
4. Special Tag Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino defeated Bodyguard & Kazuki Hirata when Dieno & Iino submitted Hirata with the Rainbow Bridge (12:06).
5. Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida when Endo submitted Ishida with the Yurikamome (10:52).
6. Osaka Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & MAO defeated Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & Akito when Takeshita submitted Akito with the Plus Ultra (21:23).
The main event briefly turned into a literal tug of war when MAO and Chris Brookes found a rope near ringside and each grabbed an end of it. Next thing you know the rest of The 37KAMIINA as well as Yuji Hino and Akito got involved. Naturally, Hino’s raw strength meant his side easily won the tug of war. The 37KAMIINA won the actual wrestling match though. Shunma Katsumata & Toui Kojima also tried and failed to pin MAO for the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title afterwards. Teamwork was the topic of the day among The 37KAMIINA. They have two teams entering the Ultimate Tag League with last year’s winners split apart. Konosuke Takeshita hopes he & Yuki Ueno will meet Katsumata & MAO in the final. Katsumata & MAO said they are counting on their history together entering the NOAH Global Jr. Tag League as well as being a team since their NωA days to take them far.
Kazuki Hirata was terrified of facing Pheromones again after his experience with them yesterday. He felt reassured when Bodyguard told him to follow his lead and leave the match to him. Things went well until Bodyguard decided to give everyone a live performance of his entrance song. He even signed autographs for Hisaya Imabayashi and Ken Kato while he sang on the microphone. While this was all going on, Bodyguard was oblivious to Pheromones torturing Hirata into submission in the ring behind him.
Antonio Honda almost tricked HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi into kissing each other.
Katsumata brought out boxing gloves for his match against Yuya Koroku. When they fought outside the ring, Katsumata taped Koroku’s hands to the ring post then repeatedly punched him in the ribs while wearing the gloves.
DDT “DDT FREE -JANUARY-”, 07/01/2022 Shinjuku FACE 233 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Antonio Honda & MAO when Owashi pinned Honda with La Magistral Cradle (9:55).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: MAO defeated Toru Owashi (c) with a School Boy (7:16 pm). *MAO becomes the 1,528th champion.
2. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Shunma Katsumata ended in a No Contest (12:57).
3. Saki Akai & Akito defeated Maya Yukihi & Yuki Ishida when Akito submitted Ishida with a Sasori-Gatame (9:01).
4. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Yoshihiko with the Praying Mantis Bomb through a Table (13:15).
5. HARASHIMA & Yuji Hino defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani when HARASHIMA pinned Okatani with the Somato (12:09).
6. Special Tag Match: Minoru Fujita & Soma Takao defeated Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul when Fujita pinned Paul with the Modified Samson Clutch (12:24).
7. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & Toui Kojima when Koroku submitted Kojima with a Chickenwing Arm Lock (24:12).
The result of the main event is a little reminder that BURNING is not just about Tetsuya Endo. It was Yuya Koroku who picked up the win for the first time in his 9 month long career by making Toui Kojima submit. Koroku didn’t join the unit just to be Endo’s or Jun Akiyama’s henchman. He wants to put himself out there and reach for the top! Meanwhile Endo & Akiyama declared their intention to win the Ultimate Tag League and Endo promised to be the last man standing at Sumo Hall at the 25th Anniversary show! Meanwhile Konosuke Takeshita mentioned he will have nothing to say if he & Yuki Ueno don’t reach the Tag League final.
The DDT Universal Title match is just around the corner and Minoru Fujita showed he is in good enough shape for the champion. Fujita won the tag match by rolling up MJ Paul with the Samson Clutch. His message to Daisuke Sasaki was to sleep well and eat well before they fight for the title in Yokohama. Sasaki is happy to see the dirty fighter version of Fujita reappear because that is who he wants to wrestle against.
Maya Yukihi told Saki Akai a personal story about her first attempted entry into pro wrestling. Yukihi was always a DDT fan and approached the company eight years ago wanting to become a wrestler. She was turned down. So when she saw Akai join DDT and have her debut match with the company around the same time period, she felt an ugly jealousy towards her. But the rejection sent Yukihi on the path towards joshi wrestling and she made her career through that direction instead. So as a proud joshi, Yukihi challenged Akai to a singles match in a DDT ring. Akai accepted the match and asked for it to take place in either Shinjuku FACE or Korakuen Hall. Instead Sanshiro Takagi decided to book it for Sumo Hall! He apologised to Yukihi for DDT rejecting her all those years ago. Akai told her what an important milestone it is for a singles match between two women to take place at the 25th Anniversary show. Yukihi said she will put all that she’s done in joshi to the test against her.
Chris Brookes knew he was in for the fight of his life against Yoshihiko and wasted no time going in for the attack. He left the doll beaten and battered outside the ring hoping to get a countout win by Yoshihiko dragged itself back into the ring. Drew Parker set up a table and Brookes put Yoshihiko through it with the Praying Mantis Bomb to finally end the match. The hellacious fight ended with the two earning each other’s respect and they shook hands afterwards. Backstage Brookes called Yoshihiko the strongest wrestler in DDT but he had the stronger desire to win.
The DDT GM Hisaya Imabayashi is sick of seeing Pheromones getting away with their antics and putting the live broadcasts at risk. He hatched a plan with their opponents before the match. He noticed that every match Pheromones wins involves their butts getting exposed so preventing that will increase their chances of losing. Imabayashi himself got involved by grabbing hold of Yuki Iino’s tights so he wouldn’t pull them down. However Danshoku Dieno then grabbed Imabayashi’s pants and pulled them down. The match got called off when Imabayashi was thrown face first into Iino’s backside. Dieno called this a New Year’s gift from Pheromones. They are entering the Ultimate Tag League and promise to drag all opponents down to their level.
MAO winning the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title means we’re going to see that belt get passed around during the Tag League.
Super Sasadango Machine announced that Hiragana Muscle will hold five shows in three days at Kitazawa Town Hall from 29th to 31st March. All five shows count as “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 6”.
The second annual Ultimate Tag League has grown massively in size with 10 teams competing in the 2022 tournament. The prize for the winners is the newly vacated KO-D Tag Team Titles. The previous champions DISASTER BOX opted to go into the tournament without the belts so they can fight everyone else on an even playing field and grow even further as a tag team. Not the best excuse I’ve heard for a company putting their tag titles up for grabs if I’m being honest here.
Tournament rules will be fully announced on a later date but DDT have confirmed there will be multiple blocks. Judging from the lineup I think we’re getting two blocks of five teams each. The participating teams are: