DDT “DDT X ZEEKSTAR TOKYO SPECIAL PERFORMANCE ~ DDZT”, 26/04/2024 Tokyo Sumida Ward General Gymnasium
0. Dark Match – 3 Way Match: Yuni Vs Ilusion V Kazuma Sumi
1. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs Keigo Nakamura
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Rukiya
3. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy (c) Vs Toru Owashi, Hiroshi Yamato, Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Kawamatsu
4. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Sayaka Unagi (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi
5. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
6. Special Single Match: HARASHIMA Vs Kazuki Hirata
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Akito
Last week Sanshiro Takagi hatched a plan to get the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title off of Sayaka Unagi. He no longer trusts Unagi to protect the belt after she lost it to an unknown person in America last month and risked it disappearing from DDT forever. Takagi’s plan was to attack Unagi with a pack of Grilled Unagi in her dressing room before a press conference. Takagi choked Unagi with the unagi and she tapped out. The referee was about to hand Takagi the belt when he instead told him to give it to the Grilled Unagi! Sayaka Unagi got revenge during the press conference when she opened the pack of unagi, filled it in a bowl with rice and began to eat it. After taking a few bites, the referee checked on the unagi for any movement and ruled it had been knocked out which means Sayaka Unagi is the champion again! She then promised to defeat Takagi on behalf of all kinds of Unagi.
Keigo Nakamura asked MAO to put the DDT Universal Title on the line in their match. MAO likes the idea because the story of a wrestler winning the title in his comeback match from injury hasn’t happened before with the Universal Championship. He wants to do unprecedented things in his title reign and that matches what he is looking for. Nakamura developed a desire to win that particular championship while he was rehabbing from his injury.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 27/04/2024 Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi Vs Nao Kakuta vs Chika Nanase
2. Mahiro Kiryu Vs Kira Summer
3. Maki Itoh & Uta Takami Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Toga
4. Mizuki & Shino Suzuki Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Haru Kazashiro Vs Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI & Runa Okubo
6. Miu Watanabe & Moka Miyamoto Vs Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino
This week Maki Itoh returns from America while Kaya Toribami will be travelling over to America.
BASARA “BASARA 246 ~UTAGE~”, 30/04/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. SAGAT & Gouma Ryu Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
2. Ryuichi Sekine & Masato Kamino Vs Yasu Urano & Yuki Ishikawa
3. Ryota Nakatsu & Fuminori Abe Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster
4. Isami Kodaka, Takato Nakano & Gaia Hox Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato
5. Union MAX Title: Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Lil’ Kraken
Gaia Hox makes his BASARA debut.
The next challengers for the IRON FIST Tag Team Titles are Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster. They don’t have a date for the match yet so first Ryota Nakatsu will meet them in a prelim match with Fuminori Abe as his partner.
DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ 1ST ROUND”, 05/05/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yuni, Keigo Nakamura & Yuya Koroku Vs Ilusion, Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
0. Dark Match: Shunma Katsumata, Akito & Kazuki Hirata Vs Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
1. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1A: MAO Vs Poison Sawada JULIE
2. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1B: KANON Vs To-y
3. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1C: Yuki Ueno Vs Sanshiro Takagi
4. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1D: Yuki Iino Vs Daisuke Sasaki
5. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1E: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yukio Naya
6. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1F: HARASHIMA Vs Shuji Ishikawa
7. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1G: Tetsuya Endo Vs Danshoku Dieno
8. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1H: Chris Brookes Vs Takeshi Masada
The King Of DDT 1st Round takes up the entire main card lineup so the other matches have to take place on the pre-show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’24”, 06/05/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Toga Vs Shino Suzuki
2. Mahiro Kiryu, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer Vs Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami & Uta Takami
3. Yuna Manase Vs Runa Okubo
4. Maki Itoh Vs Haru Kazashiro
5. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. Yuki Arai & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Mizuki & Nao Kakuta
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
This is the full card for this year’s Tokyo Joshi Pro Golden Week show. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino are teaming up using the name Burning Dragon. Also coming in is Yuna Manase for her first appearance on a TJPW solo show since October 2022. Runa Okubo is her opponent for her return.
DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2”, 17/05/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Danshoku Dieno Birthday Eve Commemorative Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs X
2. DDT Extreme Title: Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Antonio Honda
There have been so many ways Antonio Honda has left his mark in DDT over the years. Shunma Katsumata believes Honda left his biggest mark with his DDT Extreme Title reigns. So much so that Katsumata now sees it as his mission to make his current reign surpass all of Honda’s. He nominated Honda as his next challenger and will come up with a match stipulation that will fit the Beer Garden vibe.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “NAO KAKUTA GRADUATION COMMEMORATION ~KIMITACHIHA ISSHOUNO TAKARAMONO~”, 25/07/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Nao Kakuta Graduation Match: Nao Kakuta Vs X
The end of July sees Nao Kakuta having her final match and graduating from TJPW.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “HYPER MISAO PRODUCE ~ HYPE! 2”, 19/04/2024 Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall 227 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Aja Kong defeated Raku with the Back Drop (7:44).
Last May Hyper Misao produced her first show called “HYPE!” and it got such a good reception she put together a second one almost a year later. And just like last year Misao was not going to be the hero of today’s story. Instead the show began inside a packed train entering Suidobashi Station. Raku was among the passengers squeezing through the crowd when she suddenly tripped to the ground. When she got back up, a hooded stranger handed her a bag thinking it belonged to her. The stranger disappeared before Raku could correct her and hand the bag back.
Suddenly a voice coming from inside the bag called out to Raku. Inside was a stuffed rabbit toy who was really a Battle Fairy named Shokopple who is searching for a masked idol named Re:. Shokopple believed Raku was Re: using an alter ego to hide in public. Raku didn’t understand so Shokopple explained that Re: is a magical idol who is powered by Entertainment Energy. She is meant to be at a sold out solo concert at the Tokyo Dome today. However 3 days ago Re: suddenly tweeted that she was quitting with immediate effect. The shocking news drove the city into chaos which caused Shokopple to go in search of Re:, which brought her to Raku. Sirens then went off and a commanding voice gave orders for Re: to go solve an incident happening in Shibuya. Shokopple gave Raku no choice but to follow the order.
A gang of Ganguro Gals have been going around Shibuya kidnapping innocent people like Sayuri Namba and transforming them into even more Ganguro Gals! The three Gals named Miupipi, Mokachamu and the newly transformed Bassa danced to “Night Of Fire” and revealed their plan to turn all of humanity into Ganguro Gals! Raku arrived to stop them but was mistaken for someone who was next to join the group. The Gals all surrounded her and Raku was in trouble. Shokopple told Raku there is a mask in her bag that will transform her into a magical hero. Raku grabbed the mask, put it on and transformed into Re:! During the transformation Shokopple also powered up into human form. Together they defeated the Gals in a fight. Afterwards Re: transformed back to Raku and the Gals regained their normal personalities. All were horrified that they had turned Ganguro but Miu seemed to recognise Raku. Before they could talk, the siren went off again and Shokopple dragged Raku off to the next mission.
Deep in the heart of Tokyo there is a host club called $hoot $hin. Shokopple could sense there was something evil about the place but all they could find were the three handsome hosts Kiryuin, Tosuke and Haruki serving female customers in a charming manner. They performed the song “Shuchishin” which made Shokopple notice Entertainment Energy filling the room. Raku was then handed a bill for 32.1 million yen! That was when they realized the host club was just a front for a gambling gang! Raku transformed into Re: for the next fight scene. The hosts tried to use Love Story powers but Re: resisted them and left them in a beaten pile. The hosts were snapped out of their senses and Kiryuin seemed to recognise Raku. But the siren went off again and Raku was gone just as quickly.
Along the way there was a breaking news story on TV. Ace reporter Azusa Takigawa was near the Tokyo Dome where the planned Re: concert was being hijacked by the heavy metal band Kokuchumu! The band members Kuroharu, Yukinojo & Bird took over the show to perform “Boukyoku no Sora”. Raku arrived when they had finished but when she put on the mask, she didn’t transform into Re:. While they tried to figure out what was wrong, Kokuchumu attacked them. The lead singer Kuroharu then grabbed the mask and revealed to Shokopple that she was Re: all along, not Raku! Re: only wanted to be an artist and she remembered how much fun music is when she met the other members of the band. They then attacked Shokopple but Raku stopped them. She tried to reason with Re: but she wouldn’t change her mind. They would have to fight.
All three of Kokuchumu then attacked Raku. When things looked their worst and Raku looked to be done for, all of the people she saved earlier in the show appeared on stage dancing to the ring. They all grouped around Raku reminding her that she is an idol. Memories of Raku’s entire wrestling career flashed through her mind as the voices all called out for her to wake up. Raku, now in her wrestling costume, fought off Kokuchumu until it came down to herself against Re:. She told her there was no reason to fight and told the story of how she became an idol. She then sang her song “Marshmellow Cacao Station” ending it by introducing herself as Raku from The Up Up Girls!
Raku told Re: she was forgetting the most important thing as an idol. It is to entertain the fans in front of you. Re: saw the error of her ways and settle her problems with Shokopple. It was now time for Raku to return home but nobody knew how until Shokopple figure it out. Raku is in the middle of her own dream and the only way to wake up is to go through a gruelling ordeal. Suddenly Aja Kong’s music played!
That’s right, Raku’s end to her story was to have a match against Aja Kong! Raku shook her hand and confirmed she wanted to do the match. She threw Chops after Chops but Kong wouldn’t budge. Raku then sang her a lullaby which did send Kong briefly to sleep but only for a two count. Kong then went on the attack, knocking her down and doing her own version of the Oyasumi Express! Raku escaped and used the Smile Train for another near fall. She then armed herself with a pillow to go against Kong’s Steel Can. Raku was able to disarm Kong and hit her over the head. She could have done it more but chose to fight on without any weapons. Kong easily overpowered her though and won by giving her the Back Drop.
Kong was apologetic after the match but she had to go hard against Raku to make it matter. She praised her for her performance throughout the show and didn’t expect her to sing a song at the end so that was a nice bonus for Kong. She was happy to wrestle Raku one on one for the first time on a show like this. Next time she wants them to team up. She suggested they can go look for the producer and crush her together!
The other cast members all gave their support for Raku too. Rika Tatsumi thanked her for all the hard work and said the match grabbed at her heart. Shoko Nakajima talked about how little time everyone had to prepare for the changes in the show after Misao got injured. But Raku was always the first to learn her lines and put in the most effort when she was given the lead role of the story. Raku told the audience that when Misao gave her the role, she also told her she was going to have a match. Raku immediately thought of Kong but was too nervous to do it. Misao convinced her to take it because it was a big opportunity for her.
Misao then explained that she got injured before the script was even finished. She even revealed HIMAWARI came in on a day’s notice to play the puppeteer for Shokopple in its rabbit form. Misao then told the fans she will need to get surgery on her injured ankle. She will be out for longer than she expected but she will come back! She also wants to produce more “HYPE!” shows so it can be a place where everyone can see that everybody in Tokyo Joshi Pro has talent. She ended the show by telling everyone “I get Hype! We get Hype!!”
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “HYPER MISAO PRODUCE ~ HYPE! 2”, 19/04/2024 Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall
Tomorrow sees the return of last year’s much beloved “HYPE!” show. Even though Hyper Misao is injured I think she will still be at the show. The people being advertised to appear include Miu Watanabe, Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino, Raku, Mahiro Kiryu, Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami, Toga, Haru Kazashiro and Sayuri Namba.
BASARA “BASARA 245 ~YOKOHAMA STORY~”, 20/04/2024 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Takato Nakano Vs Fuminori Abe
2. 3 Way 6-Man Tag Match: FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato Vs Masato Kamino, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga Vs Gouma Ryu, Brhaman Shu & Brahman Kei
3. Lil’ Kraken Vs Yasu Urano
4. Ryuichi Sekine & SAGAT Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster
5. IRON FIST Tag Team Titles: Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs Isami Kodaka & Minoru Fujita
If Lil’ Kraken wants to prove to everyone he can become the next Union MAX Champion then he will need to beat Yasu Urano this weekend. But by the time he gets his title shot Minoru Fujita could be defending his belt as a double champion!
DDT “SPOILER FREE SHOW VOL. 1”, 21/04/2024 Kanagawa Tsurumi Fruit & Vegetable Market
1. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Kazuma Sumi & Yuni
2. 4 Way Match: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yukio Naya Vs MJ Paul Vs Gota Ihashi
3. Different Martial Arts Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku Vs Akito Nishigaki & Hayabucha
4. 1 Vs 2 Special Handicap Match: Yuki Ueno Vs Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
5. Special Tag Match: Yuki Iino & Takeshi Masda Vs Danshoku Dieno & Rukiya
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tyrannosaurus Inoue, Shunma Katsumata & To-y Vs Takagi Sanshirobo (w/ Mad Dr. Hige), Fuminori Abe & Chris Brookes
Both MAO and Sanshiro Takagi have been pulled from the show on short notice. However they are being replaced by the newest hot feud to hit the scene: Tyrannosaurus Inoue Vs Takagi Sanshirobo!
DDT “DDT X ZEEKSTAR TOKYO SPECIAL PERFORMANCE ~ DDZT”, 26/04/2024 Tokyo Sumida Ward General Gymnasium
0. Dark Match – 3 Way Match: Yuni Vs Ilusion V Kazuma Sumi
1. Keigo Nakamura Return Match: MAO Vs Keigo Nakamura
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Rukiya
3. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy (c) Vs Toru Owashi, Hiroshi Yamato, Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Kawamatsu
4. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Sayaka Unagi (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi
5. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
6. Special Single Match: HARASHIMA Vs Kazuki Hirata
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Akito
It’s time to see if Akito’s battle plan for the last month has worked or not. He’s been playing the long game, focusing more on targeting Yuki Ueno’s legs and wearing him down over time instead of winning all of their prelim matches against each other. It was only just at the end when Ueno started to show cracks in the armour, showing frustration over how Akito’s been handling him.
1. 3 Way Match: HARUKAZE Vs Yuna Manase Vs YuuRI
2. Takuya Wada Vs Munetatsu Nakamura
3. Ken Ohka, Shuichiro Katsumura & Choun-Shiryu Vs Keisuke Ishii, Shinichiro Tominaga & Tyson Maeguchi
4. Mizuki Watase & Banny Oikawa Vs Yumehito Imanari & Yappy
To celebrate her 5th anniversary in wrestling, Banny Oikawa is putting together her own independent show. She is using the help of both Ganbare☆Pro and Ice Ribbon to put the card together. Most of the matches feature GanPro wrestlers and it is taking place in Ice Ribbon’s home venue.
DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ SUPER EVE FESTIVAL!”, 02/05/2024 Tokyo Ota Ward Industrial Plaza PiO Large Exhibition Hall
1. Makoto Oishi & Yuya Koroku Vs Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
2. Ura King Of DDT Final: Yoshihiko Vs Gota Ihashi
3. Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao Vs Keigo Nakamura & Ilusion
4. Special Single Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Yuni
There will be a public event to promote the upcoming King Of DDT tournament. There will be a press conference featuring 14 of the 16 wrestlers as well as autograph sessions as well as the four matches mentioned above.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’24”, 06/05/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Yuki Arai & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Mizuki & Nao Kakuta
2. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI
3. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
The first challenger for Miu Watanabe is a tough one. Shoko Nakajima is a 2-time Princess Of Princess Champion looking to add a third reign to her illustrious career.
Daisy Monkey have their first challengers for the Princess Tag Team Titles too. Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI were previously opponents against each other in the Next Generation Tournament final. Recently they’ve become teaming up and when they along with Nakajima beat the three champions in a 6-Woman Tag, they asked for title shots along with Nakajima.
Speaking of opponents turned into partners, Yuki Arai only just defended the International Princess Title against Yuki Kamifuku a month ago. Now they are teaming up to celebrate Arai finishing her third year in pro wrestling. Mizuki & Nao Kakuta will be their opponents.
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2024 TOUR IN SHINJUKU”, 10/07/2024 Shinjuku FACE
1. KANON 5th Anniversary Match: KANON Vs X
A long way to go until KANON celebrates the 5th anniversary of his debut match. Will DDT invite TAKA Michinoku back to be a part of it?
Another Wrestlemania has come and gone. I would have posted this article sooner but I was in the middle of my own holiday and didn’t want to spend my vacation time keeping track of what MAO was doing or trying to figure out who was in the Clusterfuck and where in the match did they get eliminated. I eventually did find the time to watch as much as I could. It was a good week of work for everyone involved but I come out of it seeing diminished returns for so many groups that aren’t WWE or GCW. I usually love these weeks because there is too much going on and there’s round the clock stories coming out of it. But we’re reaching the point where there’s less fan interest in the indies and more people seem to be happy giving all of their attention towards WWE and AEW so a lot of these shows are kind of becoming wasted energy that could be refocused towards something else. Too many groups are fighting over the same dwindling audience of eyeballs and that just dilutes everything. GCW’s annual themed shows are also starting to look tired now too.
I am wondering how things will turn out next year and how much of it will depend on the time and place. The Wrestlemania related talk coming out of WWE and TKO this week is they still have not announced next year’s location yet and they may consider holding the event later in the calander to avoid clashing with other major sporting events like the NCAA Final Four or the PGA Masters. Up until now wrestling websites and even other media were pretty much convinced that Minnesota was set to be next year’s host. This week’s news now puts that into doubt and continues the years old running joke that Minnesota always gets considered for Wrestlemania but never gets chosen. Hey, if Las Vegas gets it instead and both DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro are going over again then I will be there for sure!
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Videos
AEW “COLLISION”, 06/04/2024 DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Trish Adora
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Results
AEW “COLLISION”, 03/04/2024 (Aired 06/04/2024) DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Trish Adora with The Magical Girl Splash (8:24).
Oh hey, Yuka Sakazaki finally made it back to America! That was a weird few months of her going missing. Don’t have to worry about that anymore, I guess? Sakazaki’s first AEW match since leaving TJPW was also her first appearance on the Collision TV show. She defeated Trish Adora and the result attracted the attention of Serena Deeb. Since then Deeb put out a challenge to face Sakazaki in a match. It has not been answered yet as of the time of this article being posted.
CIRCLE 6 “NEW FEAR CITY”, 03/04/2024 The Fire, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Chris Brookes & MAO Vs Casanova Valentine & Nate Webb
The first taste of DDT to be found in Philadelphia this week was over at Circle 6. Both MAO and Chris Brookes had barely just arrived in America on separate flights before they found themselves ready to fight a crazy no ring brawl together against Casanova Valentine & Nate Webb. I couldn’t find the result to the match but what I did find out was all four wrestlers sang “Wonderwall” and “Teenage Dirtbag” together for everyone in the audience afterwards.
1. Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos defeated MAO & Mike Bailey when Lykos pinned Bailey after a Blockbuster/Gory Special Combo (16:12).
2. Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title – BMF Battle Royal: Schaff (c) defeated Galeno Del Mal by Ring Out (14:57). Order Of Elimination: Gene Munny, LJ Cleary, Mr. Charles Crowly, Shota, Ricky Knight Jr., Luke Jacobs and Galeno Del Mal. *V? for Schaff.
The first appearance Shota made as a new freelancer was for DEFY, entering a Battle Royal for the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title. Sadly for him he was eliminated by the champion himself Schaff. Shota tried to give him a Tornado DDT but Schaff’s was too big and strong to be pulled off his feet. Instead Schaff lifted Shota up in a Gorilla Press and threw him out of the ring.
What was perhaps the longest 24 hours of MAO’s life begun here. DEFY was where he had the first of four matches he would have in one day. It started off with MAO and Mike Bailey reuniting as The Moonlight Express for a special tag match against another reunited team in CCK. They did their best but Bailey eventually fell to the barrage of signature moves from Brookes & Kid Lykos, ending with a sick tag move to finish him off.
SHP/LOL “EUPHORIA”, 04/04/2024 Attic Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. MAO defeated Matt Makowski with a German Suplex (10:04).
MAO’s second match of the day was held in a ring under a tent over at the Sean Henderson Presents show. His match against Matt Makowski was non-title but the confused commentary team on stream convinced themselves that the DDT Universal Title was on the line. MAO and Makowski brought the match out of the tent so they could briefly fight on the grass. But it returned to the ring where MAO rolled out of Makowski’s Sleeper Hold and used a German Suplex to pin him for the victory.
DDT “DDT GOES PHILADELPHIA!”, 04/04/2024 Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos defeated Bryan Keith & Shota when Lykos pinned Shota with the Brainbuster (8:28).
2. Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo defeated Andrew “The Giant” Everett with the Burning Star Press (11:33).
3. Chiitan☆ defeated Dan The Dad with a Superplex through a Board (5:27).
4. Special Single Match: Yoshihiko defeated Kazuki Hirata with the Reincarnation (5:30).
5. DDT Universal Title – No Rules Match: MAO (c) Vs Billie Starkz ended in a Draw after a Double Pinfall (10:55).
5a. Rock Paper Scissors: MAO (c) defeated Billie Starkz when Scissors beat Paper. *V7 for MAO.
6. Special Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & KANON defeated Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada when KANON pinned Masada after the Freedom Call (7:11).
7. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Shunma Katsumata with the Walls Of Takeshita (9:41).
8. Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Mike Bailey with the WR (18:52).
GCW/JCW “GCW/JCW VS THE WORLD”, 04/04/2024 Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. GCW/JCW Vs The World 14-Man Tag Match: Mike Bailey, Tony Deppen, Calvin Tankman, Marcus Mathers, Charlie Tiger, Terry Yaki & Mr. Danger defeated LJ Cleary, Ricky Knight Jr., Yusaku Ito, Lou Nixon, Ho Ho Lun, Shota & Mizuki Watase when Bailey pinned Watase with the Ultima Weapon (9:54).
2. 4 Way Tag Match: MAO & Yoshihiko defeated Ciclope & Miedo Extremo Vs Robert Dreissker & Norman Harras Vs Man Like DeReiss & Leon Slater when Yoshihiko pinned Harras with the Reincarnation (22:36).
The fourth and final match MAO had on this day was another crazy affair. He joined forces with Yoshihiko to take on three other teams from around the world. Maybe it was random, maybe it was luck or maybe this kind of environment best serves their skills because they were able to stand tall against Los Macizos, the wXw team and Boisterous Behaviour to end the night and finally give MAO some rest.
Before the main event there was a 14-Man Tag Match pitting GCW & JCW against the rest of the world. Shota was part of The World team along with an unexpected appearance by Mizuki Watase! It turns out he made the trip over to Philly too. He said wrestling was not the priority of his visit though. He better have had a good reason because his travelling plans were plagued with delays and other problems according to his tweets during the week. It caused him to miss some wrestling bookings back in Japan too. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, he took the fall by taking a bunch of moves from the opposing team, ending with Bailey’s Ultima Weapon.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY”, 05/04/2024 Penn’s Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Yuki Aino & Zara Zakher when Suzume pinned Zakher with the Twinkle Twinkle (11:01).
2. Billie Starkz defeated Hyper Misao with the Swanton Bomb (5:57).
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van defeated Raku & Trish Adora when Kamifuku pinned Raku with the Famouser (8:53).
4. Mizuki & Vert Vixen defeated Aja Kong & Pom Harajuku when Mizuki pinned Harajuku with the Cutie Special (10:31).
5. Shoko Nakajima defeated Rhio with the Senton Bomb (13:24).
6. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh defeated Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe when Yamashita pinned Tatsumi with the Skull Kick (19:04).
GCW “JOEY JANELA’S SPRING BREAK 8”, 05/04/2024 Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Nick Gage & Maki Itoh (w/ Dewey Donovan) defeated Danhausen & Ram Kaichow when Itoh pinned Kaichow and Gage pinned Danhausen with the MDKokeshi (12:56).
The weirdest of first time matchups took place at GCW’s Spring Break show. Maki Death Kill had to fight the facepainted combination of Danhausen & Ram Kaichow. Danhausen quickly cast a curse on Maki Itoh but she fired one back with her middle fingers. Kaichow then brought in a voodoo doll and twisted it to make Itoh’s body contort in a painful manner. Itoh grabbed the doll off Kaichow and attacked her with it to break the spell. Things went south for Maki Death Kill when Kaichow blinded Nick Gage with ectoplasm dust and Dropkicked him through a board in the ring corner. Danhausen then grabbed Gage’s pizza cutter and sliced open Itoh’s forehead with it! Kaichow did the same while Danhausen poured a jar of teeth into Itoh’s mouth. Gage returned out of nowhere to tackle Danhausen through a board. Maki Death Kill then gave their opponents DDTs and hit the MDKokeshi on them together for the victory.
GCW/TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GCW VS TJPW”, 06/04/2024 Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 672 Fans – No Vacancy
1. 3 Way Match: Suzume defeated SAKI and Pom Harajuku when Suzume pinned Harajuku with the Ring A Bell (7:54).
2. Session Moth Martina defeated Raku with the Codebreaker (5:56).
3. Arisu Endo defeated Shazza McKenzie with the Ju no Okite (7:29).
4. Steph De Lander defeated Hyper Misao with the Steph Five onto a bulk of Lipstick Cases (8:10).
5. Dark Sheik defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Diving Leg Drop (7:43).
6. Mizuki defeated Allie Katch with the Cutie Special (7:35).
7. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Billie Starkz & Janai Kai when Watanabe pinned Kai after the Daydream Eternity (13:27).
8. Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Rina Yamashita, Masha Slamovich & Maki Itoh defeated Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino when Itoh submitted Aino with the Itoh Deluxe (21:01).
1. Clusterfuck Match: Microman defeated Nick Gage by Ring Out (117:52). Order Of Elimination: Jimmy Lloyd, Shota, Bam Sullivan, Lindsay Snow, Rob Shit, Loc, DeVito, Shane Douglas, Justin Credible, Jason Knight, Jeffrey John, Charlie Tiger, Facade, Tony Deppen, Tommy Dreamer, Trevor Outlaw, Frank The Clown, Mike Bailey, Masha Slamovich, Pollo Del Mar, Colin Delaney, Cheech, Midas Black, Jay Lyon, Rob Killjoy, White Mike, Davey Bang, August Matthews, Terry Yaki, Bobby Flaco, Mr. Danger, Aerial Van Go, Tara Zep, Philly Mike, Nate Webb, Emil Jay, Green Phantom, Sexxxy Eddy, Cheeseburger, CPA, Alex Zayne, Marcus Mathers, Dark Sheik, Edith Surreal, Jamie Senegal, Mercedes Martinez, Kaplan, Brandon Kirk, 1 Called Manders, Sawyer Wreck, Kasey Catal, Tank, Monomoth, Sam Stackhouse, Beastman, Viva Van, Grim Reefer, Fuego Del Sol, Cole Radrick, Alec Price, Big Vin, Lance Scaper, Kurt Bale, Man Like DeReiss, American Giant, Silver Potato, Dr. Cube, Double Unicorn Dark, Benny Saint-Hubert, Chiitan☆, Aja Kong, Gringo Loco, Johnny Kashmere, Jordan Oliver, Rina Yamashita, Parrow, Yoshihiko and Nick Gage.
One of the biggest signs that the week has reached the end and it’s time to start going home is whenever GCW holds the Clusterfuck match. The free for all Battle Royal features the most random lineups you will ever see on a wrestling show. Sadly almost the entire DDT and TJPW roster had begun their travels back to Japan by this point but there were still a few entries to keep an eye out for. Shota was the 3rd entrant in the match and got to fight Shane Douglas for a few seconds until he was eliminated by Douglas’ patented Belly To Belly Suplex. Chiitan was one of the biggest surprises, entering the ring while it was filled with other wacky looking fighters in massive costumes. Then right afterwards Aja Kong joined in and destroyed all of those competitors, Chiitan included. The last three wrestlers left in the ring by the end was Gage, Yoshihiko and Microman. Gage attacked Yoshihiko with the pizza cutter before eliminating the doll but at the end, it was Microman who was left standing tall.
BASARA “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024 Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring ??? fans – Unannounced
1. Ryota Nakatsu defeated Lil’ Kraken with a School Boy (9:34).
2. Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga defeated FUMA & Daichi Kazato when Oosugi pinned Kazato after a Two Plato Avalanche Double Brainbuster (11:01).
3. Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino defeated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yasu Urano when Kamino pinned Hiroshi with the Lariat (7:50).
4. Isami Kodaka defeated Ryuichi Sekine with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (11:43).
Wrestling couple Ryuichi Sekine and Nodoka Tenma came up with an idea to hold a show while the sakura is in full bloom to attract people towards their village. The result was the creation of Gaisen Sakura Pro Wrestling. The first attempt at running an event was split into two parts. The first half of the day had BASARA producing matches for the show. Sekine himself wrestled in the main event portion, losing to Isami Kodaka in their first singles match against each other since 2019.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024 Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring ??? fans – Unannounced
1. Miu Watanabe defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Canadian Backbreaker (6:17).
2. Mizuki defeated Pom Harajuku with the Cutie Special (8:59).
3. Rika Tatsumi & Nao Kakuta defeated Arisu Endo & Mahiro Kiryu when Tatsumi pinned Kiryu with the Missile Hip (12:01).
4. Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino defeated Aja Kong & Raku when Aino pinned Raku with the UBV (13:25).
The second half of matches were handled by Tokyo Joshi Pro. Being a TJPW graduate herself, Tenma got involved at ringside for a couple of the bouts both as a willing and unwilling participant. Aja Kong was also the big name guest for the last match of the day. She teamed with Raku but the two of them lost to Shoko Nakajima and Tenma’s younger sister Yuki Aino.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 13/04/2024 Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall 294 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Moka Miyamoto, Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami defeated Yuki Aino, Pom Harajuku & Shino Suzuki when Nagano pinned Suzuki with the Senpukyaku (12:13).
2. Yuki Kamifuku defeated Uta Takami with a Dropkick (5:20).
3. Rika Tatsumi, Raku & Chika Nanase defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Toga & Kira Summer when Tatsumi submitted Summer with the Dragon Sleeper (10:37).
4. Mizuki & Nao Kakuta defeated Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro when Mizuki pinned Kazashiro with the Cutie Special (10:14).
5. Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI defeated Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo when Nakajima pinned Watanabe with an Inside Cradle (16:42).
6. Juria Nagano Graduation Match: Moka Miyamoto defeated Juria Nagano with the Korokan (10:58).
It is time for Juria Nagano to say goodbye to pro wrestling and Tokyo Joshi Pro. For her final show as a wrestler she took part in both the opening match as well as the main event. In her first match of the day Nagano scored the pinfall ensuring she would at least get to add one more victory before ending her run in TJPW. She teamed with Moka Miyamoto in that match but in the main event Shinken Kusho were now by themselves as each other’s opponent. Miyamoto blocked Nagano’s Senpukyaku finisher and used the Korokan to win and close out her tag partner’s wrestling career.
Miyamoto told the fans she and Nagano share Karate as the same backbone for their fighting style. They have been paired together ever since Nagano’s debut so she has always been a big part of Miyamoto’s pro wrestling life. She doesn’t want to see her retire but wishes her the best in the future. Nagano thanked everyone for supporting her and talked about how everyone in TJPW warmly welcomed her even though she could never commit to being here full time. She was only in TJPW for two years but those two years are irreplaceable for her. She will continue to support all of the women here and hopes the fans will continue to support TJPW too.
The new champions coming out of “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” are now getting their first challengers. The semi-main event 6-Woman Tag match ended with Shoko Nakajima pinning Miu Watanabe with an Inside Cradle. That finish came when Nakajima tried to use the Locomotion Northern Lights Suplex and Watanabe blocked the second part of the move. So Nakajima switched to using an Inside Cradle to get the pin out of nowhere. After the match she challenged Watanabe for the Princess Of Princess Title at Korakuen Hall on 6th May.
That wasn’t the only challenge made coming out of the match. Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI told Daisy Monkey they want to fight them for the Princess Tag Team Titles at the same show! The two of them seemed to have formed a bond ever since they fought each other in the final of the Next Generation Tournament. Them fighting Daisy Monkey together fired up their desire to win the tag titles and by being on today’s winning team, they think they should qualify for a shot. Suzume & Arisu Endo accepted the challenge and told them they will become part of their important first title defence.
An injured Hyper Misao was in attendance to announce who will be involved with “HYPE! 2” on 19th April. The wrestlers involved will be Miu Watanabe, Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino, Raku, Mahiro Kiryu, Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami, Toga and Haru Kazashiro. Also confirmed for the show is Sayuri Namba as the ring announcer.
I’m back from holiday. The week both flew by while also feeling like a ton of news items happened while I was gone. I’ll be spending this weekend writing up last week’s show reports so you’ll be getting them eventually. But first I want to get the upcoming lineups out of the way. I’ll leave the King Of DDT and Ganbare☆Pro stuff for their own posts because I want to write about them separately.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 13/04/2024 Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall
1. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Uta Takami
2. Mizuki & Nao Kakuta Vs Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro
3. Rika Tatsumi, Raku & Chika Nanase Vs Mahiro Kiryu, Toga & Kira Summer
4. Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI
5. Moka Miyamoto Vs Juria Nagano
6. Moka Miyamoto, Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Aino, Pom Harajuku & Shino Suzuki
The final matches of Juria Nagano’s career happens tomorrow. For her graduation she will be wrestling twice with her Shinken Kusho partner Moka Miyamoto. One match will be a singles match against each other while the second match is a 6-Woman Tag. Is that going to be the right match order though?
Hyper Misao is out of action with a right ankle fracture. It looked like she suffered the injury during her match against Steph De Lander at last week’s “GCW VS TJPW” show. Her return will be decided based on her doctor’s diagnosis and recovery time. The injury means she will miss her Daikaiju Pro match back in America later this month.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN FUKUOKA”, 13/04/2024 Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall
1. Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi Vs Danshoku Dieno & Kazuma Sumi
2. Yukio Naya & To-y Vs Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao
3. O-40 Title – 5th O-40 Champion Decision Match: Makoto Oishi Vs Azul Dragon
4. Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs Chris Brookes, Takeshi Masada & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
5. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Jun Akiyama & Rukiya
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Akito, HARASHIMA & Kota Umeda
As always whenever I see Kota Umeda added to a DDT card it makes me wish he never left wrestling as a full time career.
BASARA “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024 Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring
1. Ryota Nakatsu Vs Lil’ Kraken
2. FUMA & Daichi Kazato Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yasu Urano Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
4. Isami Kodaka Vs Ryuichi Sekine
This is the BASARA half of the first Gaisen Sakura Pro Wrestling show.
DDT “YAMADA SUISAN CO., LTD. PRESENTS – 4.14 SHIBUSHI MEAT AND FISH BATTLE @ UNAGI STATION”, 14/04/2024 Kagoshima Shibushi City “Unagi Station” Special Venue
1. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Kazuki Hirata & Yukio Naya
2. Danshoku Dieno Vs Kazuma Sumi
3. Jun Akiyama & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Takeshi Masada & Rukiya
4. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & To-y Vs Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku
5. Yamada Suisan Fish Army Vs Maruto Poultry Chicken Army Final Showdown! Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shishamo Power, Unagi Mask & Super Unagi Mask Vs Makoto “Mr. CHICKEN” Oishi, Chris “THE FALCON” Brookes & Shunma “EL TURKEY” Katsumata
This will be the match order for the show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GAISEN SAKURA PRO WRESTLING”, 14/04/2024 Okayama Shinjo Village Outdoor Ring
1. Miu Watanabe Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Mizuki Vs Pom Harajuku
3. Rika Tatsumi & Nao Kakuta Vs Arisu Endo & Mahiro Kiryu
4. Aja Kong & Raku Vs Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino
And here is the Tokyo Joshi Pro half of Gaisen Sakura Pro. The card had to be changed around a little bit due to Misao’s injury.
DDT “DDT X ZEEKSTAR TOKYO SPECIAL PERFORMANCE ~ DDZT”, 26/04/2024 Tokyo Sumida Ward General Gymnasium
1. 3 Way Match: Yuni Vs Ilusion Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Rukiya
3. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
4. Keigo Nakamura Return Match: MAO Vs Keigo Nakamura
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Sayaka Unagi (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi
6. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy (c) Vs Toru Owashi, Hiroshi Yamato, Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Kawamatsu
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Akito
Due to the request of Toru Owashi we are getting a ground breaking second defence by the reigning KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Champions! None of the previous champion teams have ever stuck together long enough to take part in a second title defence. SCHADENFREUDE International can now become the most successfuly 10-Man Tag Champs ever if they can beat Owashi’s team of scrappy challengers.
Some controversy happened over the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title while Sayaka Unagi was on her tour of America. She unexpectedly lost and then won back the title against an unknown wrestler at some point. No video footage of the title changes exist and Unagi does not know the name of the person who beat her. After having discussions with the DDT GM Hisaya Imabayashi it was agreed that “Strange Foreigner” will be recognised as the 1,620th champion and when Unagi won it back she became the 1,621st champion. The incident has motivated Sanshiro Takagi even more to reclaim the title for DDT in order to remove any risk of the championship being lost overseas forever.
Keigo Nakamura returns from injury and is immediately being put in the ring against MAO.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN SAPPORO – DAY 1”, 28/04/2024 Hokkaido Sapporo Sun Plaza Kanaeda
1. Takeshi Masada Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Yuki Iino, Keigo Nakamura & To-y Vs Makoto Oishi, Tomoya & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
3. Jun Akiyama & HARASHIMA Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Rukiya
4. BURNING Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku Vs Daisuke Sasaki & KANON
5. Sapporo Specialty Special Single Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Noriyuki Yoshida
6. Special Single Match: Yoshitatsu Vs Danshoku Dieno
7. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Akito, Chris Brookes & Yukio Naya
Two days after their KO-D Openweight Title match, Yuki Ueno and Akito will still be wrestling each other in a 6-Man Tag Match.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TOUR 2024 IN SAPPORO – DAY 2”, 29/04/2024 Hokkaido Sapporo Sun Plaza Kanaeda
1. Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Akito
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Noriyuki Yoshida & Rukiya
3. Makoto Oishi & Yoshitatsu Vs Tomoya & To-y
4. Jun Akiyama & Tomomitsu Matsunaga Vs Chris Brookes & Kazuma Sumi
5. Yuki Ueno Vs Keigo Nakamura
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Yuya Koroku Vs HARASHIMA, Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya
7. Shunma Katsumata 10th Anniversary Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs MAO
Nakamura is not wasting anytime for his return. A few days after he comes back he will be fighting Ueno one on one!
DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 1”, 16/05/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Yuki Ishida Return Match: Yuki Ishida Vs X
Coming up in May’s Beer Garden show, Yuki Ishida returns from injury too.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 11 ~ YUKINORI MATSUI REFEREE 30TH ANNIVERSARY BOX OFFICE ~ MAKING THE SQUARE WORLD INTERESTING”, 19/05/2024 Osaka City Sumiyoshi Civic Center
1. ACF & Koyo Daiichi Consultants Co., Ltd. Presents Single Match: Bushimasa Vs Thanomsak Toba
2. Battle Between Generations! Legends Vs Next Generation Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Jinsei Shinzaki & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Takeshi Masada, To-y & Yuya Korku
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~Everyone Is Superhuman!~: HARASHIMA, Yuji Hino & Chris Brookes Vs Shuji Ishikawa, Shigehiro Irie & Yukio Naya
4. Special Tag Match Wrestling Masters Vs Let’s Go 40’s ~With The Bolivian Wind~: Dick Togo & Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda
5. Triple Main Event – Special Single Match Kuishinbo Kamen & Kikutaro & Yukinori Matsui, Everyone’s 30th Anniversary, Add Them To Get 90th Anniversary(!) Commemorative Match ~Laughing Fukuraimon~: Kuishinbo Kamen Vs Kikutaro
6. Triple Main Event – Special Tag Match ~DDT PRIDE~: Yuki Ueno & Kazusada Higuchi Vs MAO & Tetsuya Endo
7. Triple Main Event – From All Over The World, Arriving In Osaka. Special Singles Match ~THE ALPHA Vs King Of Pro Wrestling~: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs Minoru Suzuki
The next match Yukinori Matsui is adding to his show is all about Dick Togo and the wrestlers who look up to him. Daisuke Sasaki, Yasu Urano and Antonio Honda have all been taken under Togo’s wing at some point during their careers.
So the first match on the lineup caught my attention. Thanomsak Toba will be taking on another martial artist called Bushimasa. The match is sponsored by A-Toys Challenge Fight, or ACF for short. I went looking for clips of Bushimasa and found some not so impressive looking fights of his. He has taken part in a match type called Tire Fights where a tyre is placed in the middle of the ring, both fighters stick a foot into the gap and have to box each other while keeping their foot in the tyre. Most of his fights I could find had him lose and convincingly so. I guess he exists to be a human punching bag?
Some of the other guests on the show include Jinsei Shinzaki, Yuji Hino and Shigehiro Irie. Also Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi has been added to the show lineup but does not have a match yet.
GCW/TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GCW VS TJPW”, 06/04/2024 Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 672 Fans – No Vacancy
1. 3 Way Match: Suzume defeated SAKI and Pom Harajuku when Suzume pinned Harajuku with the Ring A Bell (7:54).
2. Session Moth Martina defeated Raku with the Codebreaker (5:56).
3. Arisu Endo defeated Shazza McKenzie with the Ju no Okite (7:29).
4. Steph De Lander defeated Hyper Misao with the Steph Five onto a bulk of Lipstick Cases (8:10).
5. Dark Sheik defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Diving Leg Drop (7:43).
6. Mizuki defeated Allie Katch with the Cutie Special (7:35).
7. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Billie Starkz & Janai Kai when Watanabe pinned Kai after the Daydream Eternity (13:27).
8. Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Rina Yamashita, Masha Slamovich & Maki Itoh defeated Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino when Itoh submitted Aino with the Itoh Deluxe (21:01).
Yesterday Tokyo Joshi Pro were welcomed into The Collective as esteemed guests of GCW getting to put on their own show. Today’s show had GCW as the home team taking on the visitors from TJPW. The main event showed just how much of a GCW show it was by placing Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino into a rare hardcore wrestling environment. For Maki Itoh it is home away from home at this point. The same can be said for Rina Yamashita and even Masha Slamovich. Nakajima tried to keep things familiar to TJPW by bringing out her large sack of kaiju toys from Japan (she claims it cost her an extra 10,000 yen in luggage fees to bring them over). She ended up getting Body Slammed onto them by Rina. Team GCW brought out a door to slam Aino through but in true GCW fashion the door collapsed on itself before that could happen. They found a replacement board to put Aino through instead. One by one each wrestler from both sides got their shots in until Itoh dropped Aino with a DDT and made her submit to the Itoh Deluxe.
Daydream made up for yesterday’s defeat by beating the GCW pairing of Billie Starkz & Janai Kai today. Miu Watanabe called it a clear and sunny victory. The result was just what Rika Tatsumi needed to forget about yesterday. She now wants Daydream to wrestle all over the world so they will now wait for any offers to do so. The feeling wasn’t so bright for Starkz & Kai. They argued with each other over who’s fault it was they lost. They teamed up today but they are not a tag team as far as Starkz is concerned.
I put in the warning in the preview that Mizuki likes to bite her opponents. Allie Katch found that out the hard way. She not only bit Katch’s arms to counter her moves but her thighs and stomach as well! It got Katch so mad she wrecklessly missed a Cannonball attack allowing Mizuki to pin her with the Cutie Special. Katch said she was looking forward to this match but now that she knows how Mizuki really fights she will prepare for her more properly next time.
Yuki Kamifuku claims Dark Sheik won their match today based on wrestling style but in terms of sexiness, Kamifuku was the real winner. With that said, Kamifuku learned a lot this week from people who are a bit crazy. She wants to bring that kind of culture back with her to Fujisawa City while putting her own sexy twist on it.
The match between Hyper Misao and Steph De Lander went hardcore with the use of bamboo skewers, chairs and even a box full of lipstick cases all being used as weapons. De Lander was able to win by giving Misao the Steph Five onto the remains that were left laying on the canvas. This may not be the last time TJPW will see De Lander too. If she does come back it won’t be to make friends or happy memories. She wants to win more championships. Sadly for Misao she seemed to have injured her ankle during the match.
Arisu Endo got to wrestle a foreign opponent one on one for the first time and came out of it with a win. Shazza McKenzine was on Team GCW for this show due to the promotion’s support for her in the past. She wants to work hard so she gets to fight more TJPW wrestlers and finally beat them.
Are pop idols usually allowed to drink alcohol during performances? Don’t let those in charge of The Up Up Girls hear about what happened to Raku when she fought Session Moth Martina then. Martina offered Raku a drink but she chose to take a nap on her pillow instead. Martina then decided to slowly pour the beer into Raku’s mouth, causing her to get into a drowsy level of drunk. She eventually sobered up and got her second wind but Martina countered the Doctor Yellow with a Headbutt and pinned Raku with the Codebreaker. Raku couldn’t tell if she was dreaming or if she was drunk. What she could notice is she now feels even stronger! She would like to team with Martina next time either in America or Japan.
The opening match was a 3 Way with no actual GCW wrestlers on it due to a lot of plans changing along the way. Suzume ended up defeating SAKI and Pom Harajuku. It is a result that makes Suzume very happy because she proved she is strong enough to win matches by herself. SAKI was disappointed she couldn’t team with Nao Kakuta when that was the reason why she was booked on the show in the first place. She feels like she has been deceived because of that. Harajuku is annoyed she lost because she thinks of herself as an expert in 3 Way Matches. She still had fun wrestling in America and will definitely win a match the next time she comes over here.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY”, 05/04/2024 Penn’s Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Yuki Aino & Zara Zakher when Suzume pinned Zakher with the Twinkle Twinkle (11:01).
2. Billie Starkz defeated Hyper Misao with the Swanton Bomb (5:57).
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van defeated Raku & Trish Adora when Kamifuku pinned Raku with the Famouser (8:53).
4. Mizuki & Vert Vixen defeated Aja Kong & Pom Harajuku when Mizuki pinned Harajuku with the Cutie Special (10:31).
5. Shoko Nakajima defeated Rhio with the Senton Bomb (13:24).
6. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh defeated Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe when Yamashita pinned Tatsumi with the Skull Kick (19:04).
Third time’s the charm for 121000000. It took until the third Tokyo Joshi Pro show held in the USA for the team to win a main event tag match in America. That they beat Daydream only a couple of days after Miyu Yamashita lost the Princess Of Princess Title to Miu Watanabe shows that the former champion wasn’t letting that get to her. Maki Itoh was also fuelled up because she was among her GCW fanbase for the week in Philadelphia. Despite some trouble between 121000000’s teamwork, Itoh saved Yamashita from the Daydream Eternity. She then set up Rika Tatsumi with a DDT that flowed into Yamashita’s German Suplex, ending with Yamashita pinning Tatsumi with the Skull Kick to win.
As already mentioned, Itoh had her GCW fans in the venue so when it came time to promote tomorrow’s “GCW VS TJPW” show, she had no problem telling the crowd she is on Team GCW. Yamashita tried to combat the GCW chants by leading a TJP chant. It caused some tension to grow between Itoh and Yamashita but they hugged it out in the end. Itoh then gave her the middle finger and Yamashita raised her fist up to it in response. 121000000 have their own seperate plans going on in the immediate future but both of them are thinking about winning back the Princess Tag Team Titles if the timing works out for them. Meanwhile Tatsumi said a lot of swear words in English to complain about losing the match. Watanabe had to apologise to the viewers over it.
Shoko Nakajima was put to the test against the mighty power of Rhio. Her plan to combat against the Suplexes and slams was to keep it speedy and knock Rhio off base with Rider Kicks and 619s. She finally got Rhio down with the Double Arm DDT long enough to hit the Diving Senton for the victory. Nakajima described Rhio as a super ace from EVE who she has become good friends with. She was excited to have this match today and it made her even more ready to do her best at “GCW VS TJPW” tomorrow. Rhio said Nakajima has a small body packed with power and it took her beyond her limits.
Sadly there was no Pompaler reunion on the cards due to Max The Impaler suddenly falling ill. So instead Pom Harajuku was given Aja Kong as her new tag team partner! It led to a mixed bag of a challenge for Mizuki & Vert Vixen. They had to fight the undeniable power of Kong while also dealing with the childish antics of Harajuku. Mizuki’s solution was to steal Harajuku’s shoes from her feet and throw them out of the ring. Vixen gave Kong a Stunner and Mizuki followed up with a Diving Foot Stomp. She then hit Harajuku with her own shoe before pinning her with the Cutie Special. Kong tried to cheer Harajuku backstage by telling her she was more popular with the American fans than Mizuki. If they can get Max to team with them again then the trio will be unstoppable! Harajuku will have to be thrown like a weapon but she will accept that fate as long as she is the main character of the team.
There may be some longer legs to The Casual Vixens than first thought after they won their match today. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van focused on fighting Raku while Trish Adora did what she could to keep her team in the match. Van and Adora were left scrambling outside the ring giving Kamifuku clearance to beat Raku with the Famouser. No matter how the results went, both teams were happy to have been paired together. Kamifuku said she gets to be best friends with Asia’s sexiest wrestler while Raku was happy to bring Adora along on the Oyasumi Express.
There was an unexpected surprise in Billie Starkz’s corner. Athena walked out behind her during the entrances and was there to watch her minion do battle against Hyper Misao. She also saved the match for Starkz by pulling her foot on top of the rope while Misao had her pinned with the Hypami Returns. Misao dealt with Athena by blinding her with the spray can. But the distraction allowed Starkz to hit Misao with a Topé Suicida followed by the Swanton Bomb back in the ring to win the match.
The show began with the new Princess Tag Champs in action against one-half of the former champs. Daisy Monkey fought Yuki Aino again and this time Aino had Zara Zakher as her partner. It wasn’t the teamwork of Suzume & Arisu Endo that made them stand tall in the end. In fact the champions were in trouble when Aino gave Endo the Venus DDT while Zakher hit Suzume with a Jumping Knee. Suzume fought back with and used a series of Rolling Cradles called the Twinkle Twinkle that kept going and going until Zakher was pinned for the three count. Daisy Monkey admit they are still immature and would be happy if everyone around the world continues to support them.
The show began with a mini performance from The Up Up Girls who were in attendance. Watanabe & Raku sang “Upper Kick” together. Watanabe also broke one of the cameras at ringside, making it a true TJPW experience!
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY”, 05/04/2024 Penn’s Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Hyper Misao Vs Billie Starkz
2. Shoko Nakajima Vs “The Unbreakable” Rhio
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van Vs Raku & Trish Adora
4. Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Yuki Aino & Zara Zakher
5. Aja Kong & Pom Harajuku Vs Mizuki & Vert Vixen
6. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
Some last minute changes to the Tokyo Joshi Pro USA shows had to be made. Nao Kakuta was too ill to travel and will not be on the show. Also Max The Impaler caught covid and can’t be there either. Aja Kong has stepped in to take Max’s place in Match #5. Also Trish Adora is the substitute for Kakuta.
GCW/TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GCW VS TJPW”, 06/04/2024 Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1. 3 Way Match: Suzume Vs SAKI Vs Pom Harajuku
2. Session Moth Martina Vs Raku
3. Dark Sheik Vs Yuki Kamifuku
4. Steph De Lander Vs Hyper Misao
5. Shazza McKenzie Vs Arisu Endo
6. Allie Katch Vs Mizuki
7. Billie Starkz & Janai Kai Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
8. Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Rina Yamashita, Masha Slamovich & Maki Itoh Vs Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino
Kakuta’s illness means she misses the “GCW VS TJPW” show too. Her tag match will now just be a 3 Way Match with the remaining participants.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 