Dramatic DDT

DDT/NJPW “ONE-ON-ONE CONFRONTATION ~SUPER SASADANGO MACHINE VS TORU YANO~”, 09/06/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
??? Fans – Unannounced

-. Special Exhibition Match: Kazuma Sumi Vs Daiki Nagai ended in a Time Limit Draw (3:00).
-. Special Exhibition Match – Extra Time: Kazuma Sumi Vs Daiki Nagai ended in a Time Limit Draw (5:00).
-. DDT Pro Wrestling x New Japan Pro Wrestling Mini All-Out Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & YOH defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Akito & Antonio Honda when Tanahashi pinned Sasadango with the High Fly Flow (12:03).
-. New Japan Pro Wrestling & DDT Pro Wrestling Alliance Vs World Pro Wrestling Union Peacekeeping Force: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, YOH, Super Sasadango Machine, Akito & Antonio Honda defeated Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Shuji Ishikawa, Ken Ohka & MAO when YOH pinned Takagi with the Dragon Suplex (15:10).
1. DDT Extreme Title – Corner Mat On The Mat Rules: Super Sasadango Machine (c) Vs Toru Yano ended in a Double Countout (126:32).
*V2 for Super Sasadango Machine.

Today’s show was an experiment in pushing the idea of inter-promotional wrestling warfare to its limit. It was ten years ago when a blossoming working relationship between DDT and New Japan led to a dream match that instead became a nightmare. A battle of the aces turned sour when New Japan’s ace Hiroshi Tanahashi vehemently rejected the idea that DDT’s ace HARASHIMA was even close to his level. A few months later there was an apology of sorts when DDT was able to book a tag match between HARASHIMA & Ken Ohka against Tanahashi & Yohei Komatsu. DDT came out on the winning side but the result never sat right with Toru Yano who felt that NJPW should never lose in these situations. Regardless, once the match was over DDT’s working relationship with New Japan pretty much came to an end (there’s also the Kota Ibushi double contract drama that happened around the same time period but that’s a whole different story and he’s currently persona non grata to both companies so let’s just ignore it for now).

On paper it was a one match card that was built upon years of history between DDT and New Japan Pro Wrestling. What it turned into was a pro wrestling therapy session to mend the decade long damaged relationship between both companies. It could also just all have been a grand plan by Muscle Sakai to trick wrestling fans into attending a Muscle show. Every element of the event was produced twice, one end by the DDT side and the other by the NJPW side. Wrestle Universe and NJPW World had separate PPV broadcasts of the show with their own commentary team and camera crew. Korakuen Hall even had two screens set up side by side just to show the differences in the separate broadcasts.

The crowd were split into separate cheering sections to keep DDT fans and NJPW fans away from each other. Both companies also provided their own referees and ring announcers. Haruo Murata was given the neutral role of explaining the rules since he works closely with both companies. The agreed rule was there would be one referee for the match but Yukinori Matsui and Kenta Sato would have to trade shifts every five minutes. Sato won the draw to be the ref at the beginning. Inoue Mic and Makoto Abe would ring their bells together to start the match but only one would get to announce the winner depending on who won. Finally a lottery determined that Yano would enter first and Sasadango second. Normally in Japan the wrestler who enters second is considered higher in rank.

Next the commentary teams were revealed. New Japan had Shinpei Nogami and Milano Collection A.T. calling the match for NJPW World while Wrestle Universe relied on Ken Suzuki and… Haruo Murata! Turns out he wasn’t going to play neutral after all. Danshoku Dieno then came out to encourage cheers from the DDT fans. Hiromu Takahashi then showed up to do the same with the NJPW crowd. This kept going until Dieno snuck up behind Takahashi. He tried to put him in the Lip Lock but the lights went out and it was time for the show to begin!

Yano made his entrance and along the way handed his towel to a lucky fan named Yuji Nagata who was sitting in the front row. When the match started, Yano quickly left the ring and came back carrying a Louis Vuitton bag as a present for Sasadango. When Sasadango bent over to take a look inside, Yano knocked it into his face resulting in a cloud of powder blowing out of the bag and supposedly blinding him. Yano then rolled him up but only got a nearfall. Another roll up attempt had Sasadango complaining because the show is scheduled to last for another two hours. They then had a strike exchange that Yano didn’t like so he left the ring again. He and Sasadango decided to waste time by going around ringside signing autographs for fans until they had to break the 20 count.

Five minutes had passed and Sato had to be replaced by Matsui. Yano quickly decided to brawl with Sasadango all the way out of the room and into a nearby elevator before they went back into the room so Yano could throw Sasadango into the railings. However Sasadango’s ringboy Kazuma Sumi suddenly grabbed him and held on to stop Yano from doing another Irish Whip. That caused Yano’s young lion Daiki Nagai to confront him and start a fight between the two youngsters! Sasadango and Yano saw what was going on and came up with an idea. If the fans want to see the rookies fight then they’ll let it happen!

All of a sudden an exhibition bout between Sumi and Nagai began. For three minutes they exchanged holds and got into a strike battle until the match was ruled a time limit draw. Sasadango wanted it to continue so he allowed a five minute overtime to begin. This time the match was more clearly about Sumi’s agility against Nagai’s power but again it ended in a draw when the extra time ran out. The enthusiastic effort of both wrestlers overwhelmed Sasadango and he asked for a time out so he could clear his mind. Yano agreed and the two walked back to their locker rooms.

To keep the audience occupied during this break, Antonio Honda entered the ring to promote the special T-shirt that Shinsuke Nakamura designed for the show. However he tripped over the ropes and hurt his knee. This was supposed to set up Gongitsune but YOH interrupted it because he hates foxes! He told everyone the story of when he was four years old and got bitten by a fox. Honda told YOH he makes a living doing fox jokes so he wasn’t going to stop it just for him. YOH climbed into the ring to attack Honda only to trips over the ropes and hurt himself just like Honda did. Honda then suggested they do Gongitsune together so YOH could get over his hatred of foxes. He led him into doing a dick joke about “Mission Chinpo-ssible” before they tried attacking each other with Gongitsune. They struggled until their hands formed together shaped like a heart and before they knew it, they were dancing together. When they were done Honda told the audience there was more of the show to come.

Sasadango returned but instead of continuing his match (that was still in progress) he decided to do one of his famous PowerPoint Presentations instead. Titled “How Can I Defeat Toru Yano And Win The One-On-One Confrontation Match” Sasadango explained he wants Yano to take the match more seriously. To make that happen Sasadango decided that his DDT Extreme Title was now on the line! And since the Extreme Champion gets to create the match stipulation, Sasadango deliberately came up with a match format that Yano will not want to lose. Two of the corner pads just so happened to be sponsored by businesses related to the two wrestlers. There was a Sakai Seiki Co. Ltd sponsor pad belonging to Sasadango and a EBRIETAS sponsor pad belonging to Yano. Whoever could unhook their opponent’s corner pad and pin it down on the canvas for a three count would become the winner!

Yano returned to the ring to repeat the match introductions now that is was turned into a title bout. He immediately removed Sasadango’s turnbuckle and attack him with it. He then removed his own turnbuckle to hide it beneath the ring. Sasadango retrieved it thanks to help from some fans telling him which side of the ring it was hidden in. He and Yano continued to hit each other with turnbuckles until Sasadango dared Yano to fight him using Strong Style. Yano did so but soon changed his mind and taped Sasadango to one of the other corners. He then pinned the turnbuckle but right before the three count was made, time stopped.

The song “Etupirka” played over the speakers as everyone was given a chance to see into Sasadango’s thoughts at this moment in time. He was digging deep inside himself looking for the strength he needed to break the pin. With everything now in slow motion, Honda cut the tape away and Sasadango broke Yano’s pin in time. He knocked down Yano with the other turnbuckle and began to pin it when time froze again. This time we got to hear Yano’s inner thoughts, which was pretty much him shilling the EBRIETAS bar. Somehow that made his turnbuckle pad kick out of Sasadango’s pin by itself! Yano then made fun of the slow motion gimmick and made the song play in fast forward, forcing the two of them to fight at the same speed.

Yano had the advantage at this point so Honda and Akito ran into the ring to fight him. Yano fought off the 3-on-1 disadvantage by using Low Blows and Manhattan Drops until he collapsed from exhaustion. YOH ran in to check on him and now everyone could hear his inner thoughts. YOH said he hasn’t paid back his debt to Yano from ten years ago and he has never lived a day of his life without him. Sasadango brought everyone back to reality and asked YOH what he meant about a debt from 10 years ago? YOH said he meant the tag match he and Tanahashi had against HARASHIMA & Ohka where HARASHIMA pinned him with the Somato. He never got over losing that match while Yano still doesn’t accept why NJPW lost and Tanahashi had to apologise afterward. Akito reminded the fans that this longstanding grudge began when Tanahashi said he didn’t want DDT to be treated as NJPW’s equal. He thought the grudge was finally settled when Konosuke Takeshita beat Tanahashi in America recently but now he realizes it hasn’t ended for YOH yet. YOH admitted how weird it is that he is still wrestling with these feelings while Tanahashi hasn’t been bothered by it at all. Sasadango brought up that at the tag match a decade ago, he remembers Tanahashi called Yohei Komatsu a future start but in the ten years since then that hasn’t happened at all! YOH went as far as to do the Somato on MAO at the Best Of The Super Jr. yet it seems like Tanahashi has completely forgotten about that match! If only Tanahashi would care enough to be here and explain himself…

Yano then remembered that Tanahashi is currently being interviewed somewhere by the comedian Ryota Yamasato. Sasadango helps out with Yamasato’s Youtube channel so he knows that Yamasato likes to film his guests in the Chinese restaurant three floors below Korakuen Hall. In fact he can get a video feed onto one of the screens. The video stream showed Yamasato ending the interview and telling the viewers that Tanahashi is about to leave. But he is certain if Tanahashi ever hears a crowd chanting his name, he will be drawn towards them. The fans began the chant and Tanahashi couldn’t help but notice it. Say his name and he appears, Hiroshi Tanahashi entered Korakuen Hall with Yamasato following him!

After Tanahashi introduced himself, Sasadango had a question for him. Does he remember calling YOH a future star ten years ago? Tanahashi was at a loss for words and couldn’t answer. Sasadango then played a video of the comment as proof. He then told Tanahashi to give YOH some tips in front of everyone on how to become a star. After giving it some thought, Tanahashi said YOH doesn’t need somebody to make him a star. He instead needs to be one of the stars of New Japan. The advice didn’t quite work so Yamasato stepped in to help. He knew something like this would happen so he prepared his own PowerPoint Presentation!

Yamasato’s first advice in the presentation is a wrestler needs to find success in their home promotion. YOH has won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles many times and recently made it to the Best Of The Super Jr. final but he is still one step away from becoming the ace he wants to be. The key is he needs to win an inter-promotional match against another big wrestling company! All of a sudden he noticed there were three DDT wrestlers and three NJPW wrestlers in the ring so he came up with the idea for them to do a 6-Man Tag Match straight away. After all this could be YOH’s final chance to team with Tanahashi for a shot at revenge against DDT. Everyone agreed and they all left ringside so they could do proper entrances for the match.

It was a full length trios match where Tanahashi, Yano & YOH were victorious against Sasadango, Akito & Honda. Sasadango gave Tanahashi the Vertical Drop Lehman Shock but only got a two count. He tried it a second time but Tanahashi escaped and gave him the Sling Blade. YOH called his partner for a tag but when he was setting Sasadango up for the finish, Tanahashi suddenly tagged himself back in, climbed the top rope and hit the High Fly Flow to get the three count for himself! Sasadango got annoyed because he put together all this effort to put YOH over just for Tanahashi to steal the glory. This is why he hates New Japan!

Sasadango was about to declare an end to DDT and New Japan’s recovering relationship when he was interrupted by Amon Tsurumi. The former GM of Muscle said Sasadango is always worried about looking good which is why he keeps losing. He should be watching more WCW Nitro and learn from that instead! Tsurumi then revealed he is now the executive director of the World Pro Wrestling Union, the world’s first automatic pro wrestling industry organization which automatically operates every wrestling company around the world. The main goal of the operation is to maintain peace in the wrestling industry. He is here because it is absolutely unacceptable for New Japan and DDT to be fighting each other on a Monday night! All six wrestlers who just had the match are going to receive serious penalties for what they’ve done.

To sort this out Tsurumi has called upon The Pro Wrestling Peacekeeper Force. Six elite wrestlers are on their way to crush those they deem responsible. The Force turned out to be HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi, Shuji Ishikawa, Ken Ohka & MAO. Plus there was their leader who was making a one night only return from his hiatus, Sanshiro Takagi! A 12-Man Tag Match broke out with everyone brawling all over the venue.

The match included MAO giving Tanahashi the Sling Blade and Takagi also giving him the Stunner. Later Tanahashi got to face off with HARASHIMA again for the first time in a decade. Ishikawa blocked Honda’s Gongitsune but didn’t expect Tanahashi to poke him in the eyes with the same move instead! The NJPW x DDT Alliance got the upper hand and YOH was ready to get the win he was after for so long. Then Tanahashi tagged himself in again to give Takagi the Sling Blade. This time however YOH convinced Tanahashi to tag him back in so he could get the glory. YOH gave Takagi the Somato and then followed up with the Dragon Suplex to get the win.

After the 12-Man Tag was done, Takagi asked YOH if he knows what it means to beat him? YOH won the match but Takagi is only one member of DDT. The fight between the two companies isn’t over yet and will go on for years if not decades! He hopes YOH will become a superstar. Sasadango then explained to YOH that this whole entire thing going back to ten years ago was all Takagi’s fault. He is the root of all evil and Sasadango thanked YOH for beating Takagi. Tanahashi said he has learned a lot since becoming a company president. He thinks NJPW and DDT can work together more often from now on to make pro wrestling even more exciting. YOH said he feels like a little bit more of a star now but he will work hard to become a real one.

Yano then interrupted the closing speech to point out that his match with Sasadango hasn’t ended yet. He called for “Etupirka” to be played normally so everyone could hear his true thoughts. He thinks the right way to end today’s match is for every wrestler to get out of the ring and all be counted out together. That way the rivalry between New Japan and DDT can end in a draw. Everyone did so (including an El Desperado cameo) and they all waited for Matsui and Sato to both count to 20, meaning the match between Sasadango and Yano ended in a Double Countout after officially lasting for over two hours.

Before the show could end, Sasadango gave his thanks to everyone who was involved in putting the event together. He also had one more request for Tanahashi. He wanted him to do the Muscle Muscle pose to close out the show. Tanahashi made a deal with him to combine it with his “I Love You!” catchphrase. So in the end everyone shouted “3, 2, 1 Love Muscle! Muscle!” Even though the show was now over, the Wrestle Universe and NJPW World broadcasts couldn’t help but continue streaming just to see who could stay on the air longer.

Backstage Tanahashi admitted that after all of these years, DDT saved his heart. He didn’t go into this show thinking he had to atone for anything he did in the past. But he is happy to have done it with only six months left until his retirement from pro wrestling. Yano is impressed with himself because it was the first time he wrestled for two hours. It felt to him like NJPW and DDT were competing against each other on several levels. Sasadano said he could never imagine being able to hold a show like this in his 25 years as a wrestler. He thanks Yano for making so many dreams come true today.

Takagi got to talk about DDT’s involvement with New Japan that went back even further beyond 2015. He remembers when there were DDT wrestlers appearing on NJPW Lion’s Road shows during the mid 2000s. He admits DDT has never been able to catch up to NJPW but it suits him better to chase after them. He also brought up Takeshita’s current triple deal as well as MAO’s Best Of The Super Jr. appearance. Takagi also explained he got asked to take part in the show only recently and he felt good enough physically to do it. He may be able to get in the ring again in the not too distant future. He wants to get his body in shape and once he does he hopes everyone will look forward to his comeback.