1. Soma Takao defeated Munetatsu Nakamura with a Rotating Cradle (9:18).
2. Hideki Okatani defeated Lil’ Kraken with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (10:24).
3. Takeshi Masada defeated Ryoma Tsukamoto with the Masada no Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (12:16).
4. Special Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie defeated To-y & Yuya Koroku when Irie pinned Koroku with the Beast Bomber (13:46).
5. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ishida & Kazuma Sumi defeated Shota & Kazuki Hirata when Sumi pinned Hirata with the School Boy (0:16).
5a. Rematch: Yuki Ishida & Kazuma Sumi defeated Shota & Kazuki Hirata when Sumi pinned Hirata with the School Boy (12:36).
6. Battle Royal: Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada and To-y by Double Ring Out (6:18). Order Of Elimination: Yuki Ishida, Yuya Koroku, Takeshi Masada & To-y.
Momentum is building up for D GENERATIONS in their feud with the Young Communication. What started out as a spur of the moment show to showcase DDT’s fresh blood is quickly starting to develop itself into a proper sub-brand. The D GENERATIONS group are in the middle of developing their own logo so they decided the winner of the main event Battle Royal would get their colour used for the final logo. Kazuma Sumi ended up winning by eliminating both Takeshi Masada & To-y at the same time. What happened was Masada and To-y were both knocked out of the ring but were caught by Yuki Ishida and Yuya Koroku without touching the floor. Sumi then did a Topé Suicida to knock them all down. Since he went throuh the rope instead of over it, that meant he didn’t eliminate himself so he won the match! The logo will now be in his colour which is yellow because that colour represents happiness. He thinks it will be a suitable colour for the logo that will liven up D GENERATIONS while he makes it even more exciting.
The home side were braced for danger when Shota warned he would be bringing along a secret weapon for this show but it just turned out to be Kazuki Hirata. He was quickly pinned by Sumi and didn’t realized until afterwards what his role as Secret Weapon X was meant to be so he demanded a restart. He & Shota put up a bigger fight this time but Sumi & Ishida were still able to beat them a second time. Hirata praised his younger opponents for being so strong. He claims to have nothing left to teach them so he wishes them luck in surpassing the Young Communication. Shota was annoyed that Hirata kept forgetting who the enemy was and promised to bring a proper Secret Weapon X next time.
At this point it looks like the Young Generation are bring propped up by Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie. They proved to still be to high a wall for D GENERATIONS to climb over after they defeated To-y & Koroku.
DDT “KING OF KINGS ~ARASHI’S JUNE SHOWDOWN~”, 29/06/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
0. Dark Match: Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida defeated Akito & Kazuma Sumi when Ishida pinned Sumi with the Ensho (6:46).
1. Jun Akiyama, Daichi Sato & Soma Takao defeated Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada when Sato pinned Masada with the Mad Splash (8:53).
2. International Special Tag Match: Mansoor & Mason Madden defeated Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata when Madden pinned Hirata after the Danshoku Driver-Style Centrefold (8:57).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Sanshiro Takagi defeated Poison Sawada JULIE (c) with the Stunner (12:08 pm). *Sanshiro Takagi becomes the 1,749th champion.
3. Special Tag Match: MJ Paul & Ilusion defeated HARASHIMA & Kumadori when Ilusion pinned Kumadori with a Cradle (10:43).
4. 3 Way Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani defeated MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) and Shunma Katsumata & To-y when Sasaki submitted Katsumata with La Mistica Crossface Lock (8:39).
5. Special Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yuki Ueno defeated Shinya Aoki & Yuya Koroku when Ueno pinned Koroku with a Chickenwing Arm Lock Counter (14:03).
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya defeated Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura (c) when Naya pinned Abe with The World’s Best Back Drop (14:14). *Astronauts fails in V6. The Apex become the 87th KO-D Tag Team Champions!
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Chris Brookes (c) with the Claw Slam (20:43). *Chris Brookes fails in V5. Kazusada Higuchi becomes the 85th KO-D Openweight Champion!
Three months after his return from injury, Kazuasada Higuchi has climbed to the top of DDT again to regain his place as the KO-D Openweight Champion! His match with Chris Brookes started with a Chop battle and quickly escalated from there. Brookes did a Piledriver onto the ring apron, a Diving Foot Stomp to the outside, an Avalanche Double Arm Suplex back into the ring and also the Somato. Higuchi kicked out of the Praying Mantis Bomb, Heabutted his way into taking control of the match and did the Claw Slam, which Brookes also kicked out of. Higuchi then powered his way out of the Octopus Hold and used Lariats as well as the Doctor Bomb to soften up the champ. Another Claw Slam (that Brookes tried to stop by pinching Higuchi’s nose) after that kept Brookes down for the count and made Higuchi the new champion!
Brookes was leaving the ring when Higuchi called for him to come back. He told Brookes he is really strong for brushing off every challenge that has come his way in order to defend the KO-D Title. Brookes wrapped the belt around Higuchi’s waist then Harimao and SCHADENFREUDE International shared cans of beer together. Higuchi talked about how it was his dream to regain the title when HARASHIMA approached the ring. He said he always admires strength which is why he always aiming to win the strongest championship in DDT. Therefore he is here to challenge Higuchi for a title match! Higuchi agreed and the match will take place at Korakuen Hall on 13th July.
A new heavyweight tag team has taken over the tag division. Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya only just recently joined forces but their combined power was too much for Astronauts to handle. The result brings an end to their KO-D Tag Team Title reign at the halfway point of reaching their goal to get the most title defences. Fuminori Abe continued to stop Iino from doing his “I Am BURNING! Yeah!” catchphrase as he’s been doing in the buildup to this match. But Iino got the last laugh by hitting him and Takuya Nomura with a Double Spear then gave another Spear to Nomura so he wouldn’t be able to stop Naya pinning Abe with The World’s Best Back Drop. However Abe was able to get one last sucker punch in to stop Iino from saying his catchphrase after the match.
Despite becoming the new KO-D Tag Champs, Naya told Iino they still have a lot to learn but at least together they will make DDT the best it can be. Iino is pleased to have safely come back from his eye injury and win his comeback match. He also revealed to everyone their tag team’s new name. Is it BURNING? No, it is The Apex! They way he announced it left the audience feeling a bit confused but Jun Akiyama & Daichi Sato walked out to quickly move on from the awkward moment so they could challenge The Apex for the titles. Akiyama even said out loud what a confusing name it is. Earlier in the show Sato directly won a DDT match for the first time today and he wants to carry on that momentum to get a title shot with Akiyama. Naya accepted but warned Sato not to get too cocky just because he won one match. The title bout will happen in Sumitomo on 27th July.
Earlier in the show Minoru Suzuki and Shinya Aoki had a contract signing segment for their DDT Universal Title match taking place on 13th July. It went ahead without any trouble although the two had a tense staredown at the end of it. Then later in the show they fought in a tag team match with Yuki Ueno on Suzuki’s team and Yuya Koroku on Aoki’s. This turned out to be a lot more dangerous with Suzuki and Aoki having a ringside brawl with chairshots being thrown. Back in the ring Koroku went for the Triangle Lancer on Ueno but Suzuki found himself getting trapped in Aoki’s Sleeper Hold. Ueno made a surprise cradle counter on Koroku to get away with the win but as this was happening, his partner Suzuki was choked out cold by Aoki! After the match Aoki got on the microphone and simply said it was an “Easy job.” He had already made his way to the back when Suzuki regained consciousness. Suzuki then immediately went on a rampage by kicking referees, attacking the wrestlers doing ringside duties and throwing furniture around the venue.
A 3 Way Tag Match featuring wrestlers from Strange Love Connection, The 37KAMIINA and DAMNATION T.A was always going to get out of control. To-y wanted to show how crazy he is but Daisuke Sasaki hit him in the back with a chair. To-y tried to get revenge with a Diving Body Press but Sasaki blocked it with his knees. MAO & KANON worked over Hideki Okatani with double team moves until Shunma Katsumata stunned MAO with a Thrust Kick. MAO fired back with the Michinoku Driver II but Sasaki broke the pin and then put Katsumata in La Mistica Crossface Lock to make him tap out.
Other members of DAMNATION T.A played spoiler for Kumadori’s return to DDT. Ilusion in particular wanted to make an example of the O-MENZ dancer because he got served when it comes to dance moves. HARASHIMA came to Kumadori’s aid by hitting Ilusion with a Standing Somato and then went to hold MJ Paul back. But Ilusion found the referee’s blind spot to give Kumadori a Low Blow and get away with cradling him for the three count. Ilusion made fun of Kumadori afterwards, calling him a weak baby who should go back to his mom’s bed instead of being in the ring. Kumdaori demanded a singles match with Ilusion and he is going to get it at Shinjuku FACE on 16th July.
Perhaps MxM Collection are an even better fit in DDT than I thought. They made their entrance to “Death By Glamour” from Undertale and did their own little dance along with their chic poses. They weren’t going to beat Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata in a popularity contest though, if only because Dieno brought his pet dog Haku down to the ring. Once the match actually began Mansoor quickly found out how much of a pervert Dieno is. MxM did some of their own Danshoku moves to Hirata but that only made Dieno want to take Hirata’s place. It fired him up enough to get the hot tag just so nothing could stop him from getting a piece of Mason Madden. But when Madden grabbed him for a Choke Slam, Dieno successfully pleaded him not to do it because Haku was watching from the corner. When Mason bowed to Haku in apology Dieno knocked him out of the ring, attached the handle to Haku’s dog collar around his neck and made Haku walk forward to strangle him. Mansoor then tried to take Haku and bring him up to the top rope when Hirata stopped him. Dieno stripped off his main tights and tried to do Danshoku things to MxM when Madden escaped and hit a Double Spear to Dieno & Hirata. Madden then put Dieno’s tights on himself and with Mansoor gave Hirata the Centrefold (elevated double team Pedigree) to get the win.
Sato’s first DDT win was almost overshadowed by Soma Takao attacking Bunbun with an unwarranted Leg Drop during the match. Toru Owashi used a little bit of lucha to deal with him and Sato while Antonio Honda prepared Gongitsune. Things almost got passionate between Sato and Takeshi Masada but Akiyama was there to give Masada the Exploder Suplex. Sato then scored his first win by hitting the Mad Splash from the top rope.
Naomi Yoshimura’s limited schedule has put him in the dark match for today’s show. He and Yuki Ishida kicked off what became a good day for Harimao by beating Akito & Kazuma Sumi. Akito targeted Yoshimura’s massive legs to slow him down but couldn’t count on Sumi to finish Ishida. Instead Ishida gave him a Back Drop followed by the Ensho for the victory.
To celebrate the 25 years of the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title its creator and current champion Poison Sawada JULIE went and created a brand new belt to replace the first generation prize that has become badly worn down. Sawada explained it was originally created so he could fight Sanshiro Takagi 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However many, many different things got in their way resulting in so many wrestlers, oridnary people, animals and inanimate objects to become champions over the last 25 years. Hisaya Imabayashi presented the 2nd generation belt to Sawada who started laughing because nobody will ever be able to take it off him! Then Takagi ran into the ring, gave Sawada the Stunner and pinned him to win the title. Backstage Takagi said he hopes the new belt will make new history for the championship. He also told fans to keep an eye on its movements because it will also show up in Super Japan as well as DDT.
It was announced that Zack Sabre Jr. will compete at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2025 – DAY 1” being held in Higashin Arena Main Arena on 30th August. This news came out hours before Sabre won back the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at today’s New Japan show.
DDT “ECHIGO POWER SLAM”, 15/06/2025 Niigata City Higashi Ward Plaza ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Yuni & Daichi Sato defeated Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi when Yuni pinned Sumi with the Messiah DDT (9:45).
2. 3 Way Match: HARASHIMA defeated Danshoku Dieno and Kazuki Hirata when HARASHIMA pinned Hirata with the Somato (10:32).
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion defeated Jun Akiyama, Akito, Shunma Katsumata & Yukio Naya when Sasaki submitted Katsumata with La Mistica Crossface Lock (11:25).
4. After KING OF DDT 2025! Special Single Match: Yuki Ueno defeated Yuya Koroku with the Jul.2 (16:42).
5. Special 3 Way Tag Match: Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida defeated Chris Brookes & Antonio Honda and MAO & KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) when Higuchi submitted Honda with the Claw (12:13).
6. DDT Extreme Title – Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls: To-y (2) defeated Super Sasadango Machine (c) (1) (16:16).
6a. If You Spit It Out It’s Over!! Contains Milk. Death Match!!: Super Sasadango Machine (1) defeated To-y (0) when To-y pat out his Milk (2:10).
6b. You’re Going In The Trash Can. Trash Can Death Match!!: To-y (1) defeated Super Sasadango Machine (1) when To-y put Sasadango into the Trash Can (4:30).
6c. Sena 100 Chop Death Match!!: To-y (2) defeated Super Sasadango Machine (1) when To-y did the 100th Chop To The Back (9:36). *Super Sasadango Machine fails in V3. To-y becomes the 63rd DDT Extreme Champion!
Normally whoever holds the DDT Extreme Title gets to decide on the stipulation match for their defences. However Super Sasadango Machine felt he had enough of an advantage going into today’s show because it was being held in his home city of Niigata. It wouldn’t impress his own people if he were to beat To-y using rules that tipped the match in his favour. So he gave To-y one day’s notice to come up with three stipulations for the fans to vote on. When the show began Sasadango admitted he liked all three of To-y’s ideas so he decideded to have a Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls match for the title.
The 1st Fall had Sasadango and To-y wrestle each other while their mouths were full of milk. Whoever spat out their milk first would lose the fall. Sasadango was able to drink the milk through his mask and he then removed the mask to reveal he had his face painted like Aja Kong! To-y couldn’t help but spit out his milk in surprise. The 2nd Fall was a Trash Can Death Match. You won when you put your opponent into a trach can. They started off using an aluminium bin that was too small so Kong used it as a weapon like Kong’s steel can. Sasadango then gave To-y the Lehmann Shock into a plastic box but it broke apart so it didn’t count. Sasadango found a big plastic pin and wedged it between the ropes but To-y sent him falling into it with a Hurricanrana to win the fall. The 3rd Fall was a 100 Chop Death Match. The match would continue until total amount of 100 chops to the back happened. Whoever did the 100th chop would win and get the Extreme Title. When they reached up to 99 chops Sasadango laid down on his back to defend himself. To-y tricked him into rolling over by pretending to do a Diving Body Attack only to stop and throw the 100th chop to become the new Extreme Champion! He shouted out that he is going so crazy he will run all the way home from Niigata. He told fans to keep watching his crazy Extreme Title matches and when he comes back to Niigata, the show will be sold out again!
Kazusada Higuchi made Antonio Honda give up to the Claw as a warning to Chris Brookes. The two had a staredown after the match but neither said anything. Instead Yuki Ishida spoke on Higuchi’s behalf backstage. He said Higuchi is definitely going to win the KO-D Openweight Title. Brookes better get his act together because the real match happens at Korakuen Hall.
After Match #4 Yuki Ueno got on the microphone and spoke about his support for the D GENERATIONS. He told Yuya Koroku that before he knows it there will be a day when he is no longer a young person and he will wonder what can he do in the future. The good thing is according to Ueno, Koroku has the power to do what he wants and enjoy it as he likes. In pro wrestling you will have friends, teams and opponents but a big aspect is having to work hard by yourself.
Parts of the undercard were changed when Soma Takao fell ill and was unable to wrestle on the show.
DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 FINAL!!”, 25/05/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. SCHADENFREUDE International Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada defeated Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Ilusion when Honda pinned Ilusion with the Japanese Leg Roll Clutch (9:59).
2. King Of DDT 2025 – Semi Final: Kazusada Higuchi defeated Yuki Ueno with the Claw Slam (12:10).
3. King Of DDT 2025 – Semi Final: KANON defeated Hideki Okatani with the LONELY DEZIRES (9:41).
4. 4 Way Tag Match: Akito & Yuya Koroku defeated HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata, Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida and Yuni & Kazuma Sumi when Koroku submitted Akito with the Modified Triangle Lancer (9:47).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & To-y defeated Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato when Aoki pinned Sato with a Modified Crucific Pin (8:45).
6. DDT Universal Title: Minoru Suzuki (c) defeated Danshoku Dieno with the Gotch-Style Piledriver (12:50). *V2 for Minoru Suzuki.
7. King Of DDT 2025 – Final: Kazusada Higuchi defeated KANON with the Claw Slam (19:09).
Any lingering doubt that Kazusada Higuchi had returned to action in perfect condition can now be laid to rest because he has won this year’s King Of DDT tournament! He came back to the ring with something to prove and meeting him in the final was KANON, who had his own eventful journey to get here. When KANON put Higuchi in the Cobra Twist 2.0, Higuchi grabbed him by the jaw and countered the hold into the Claw Slam. KANON used the Lariat many times to hit back against Higuchi’s Double Chops. But Higuchi hit him back with Headbutts, Lariats and the Doctor Bomb for a nearfall. Higuchi was then able to apply the Claw once more and used another Claw Slam to get the three count and be crowned King Of DDT for the second time in his career.
Higuchi was filled with joy when he received his trophy. He told the fans when he was away recovering from his neck injury he thought he wouldn’t be able to survive in the ring anymore. But he took things one step at a time and is happy to be standing here today talking to everyone as the tournament champion. He thanked the other members of Harimao at ringside for always standing by him and later spoke about how grateful he is towards each of his opponents in this year’s tournament. But there’s one more thing he wants. As King Of DDT he now qualifies for a shot for the KO-D Openweight Title! Meanwhile KANON said this month has been the most fulfilling period of his career since coming to DDT and he is really glad he joined the promotion. He wants to earn a KO-D Title shot by himself and said he will definitely get it at the next opportunity.
KANON had to overcome a grudge with Hideki Okatani to reach the final. Okatani was KANON’s replacement in DAMNATION T.A after KANON was kicked out of the unit. Okatani attacked KANON with the bamboo stick at the start and had Ilusion interfere for him but KANON built up a comeback that included him blocking those attacks. Okatani turned the tables again by doing a Sling Blade style Crucifix Pin and also the Skewer-Style Claymore for a nearfall. KANON got things back on track with a Brainbuster, followed up with a Lariats and then got the victory by pinning Okatani with the LONELY DEZIRES.
Higuchi had to survive against everything Yuki Ueno could throw at him in the other semi final. Ueno used everything in his arsenal including a Springboard Hurricanrana, the Blackout Sleeper, the Jul.2 and also the Dropkick aimed for Higuchi’s face. But Ueno didn’t expect Higuchi to grab him in the Claw Hold straight after kicking out of a pin. He also didn’t expect Higuchi to run through the WR and Shining Wizard with Lariat counters that knocked Ueno senseless. Ueno had enough awareness to block Higuchi from giving him the Claw Slam except Higuchi then grabbed him from the back of the head to squeeze the life out of him before finishing him off with the Claw Slam. Ueno backstage said he wanted to win but admits that is the Higuchi everyone loves to see. While Konosuke Takeshita and MAO are showing everyone how great they are in other promotions, Ueno thinks it is up to him to show the wrestling world that you can still find power and dreams in DDT too.
Maybe Strong Style isn’t the right fit for Danshoku Dieno after all. He tried living up to his promise to give Minoru Suzuki the most serious fight of his life for the DDT Universal Title and wore plain black trunks to prove it. But the gap between them was too large for him to overcome so he had to unlock his Danshoku style for his best chance at surviving. When Suzuki had him trapped in a Cobra Twist, Dieno used the Lip Lock to break out of it. Then Jun Akiyama showed up to hand Dieno back his regular costume so Dieno was fully himself again. A deep Lip Lock almost had Suzuki down for the count but he kicked out in time and stopped Dieno from hitting a Moonsault. But even he couldn’t fight off the gravity pulling power of the Danshoku Driver. When Dieno had the move all set up he chose to do it Gotch-Style but Suzuki struggled his way out of it and Headbutted Dieno to stop him from doing another Lip Lock. Suzuki then applied his Sleeper Hold to weaken Dieno enough for the Gotch-Style Piledriver, ending the match with Suzuki retaining the Universal Title.
After the match Suzuki said Dieno was messing around a little bit but he accepts Dieno’s Strong Style. He explained pro wrestling is not just about grabbing holds, stretching limbs and punching each other. Suzuki won today but he wanted Dieno to know one more thing. He would like to do a match with him again. Shinya Aoki then walked down to the ring as Dieno was making his exit. The two hugged and high fived each other as they crossed paths. Aoki then got into the ring and said he cannot let Suzuki look this strong forever. He wants to be his next challenger! Suzuki wants an opponent just like Aoki but isn’t sure if it will be treated like a joke. Hisaya Imabayashi understands Suzuki is suspicious after taking on such difficult challengers like Yoshihiko and Dieno so far in his reign but this is the real deal Shinya Aoki stepping up to him next! Suzuki accepted the challenge and the title match will take place on the 13th July Korakuen Hall show.
Maybe Aoki was in a relaxed mood today by teaming up with members of The 37KAMIINA? He joined forces with Shunma Katsumata & To-y to face the heavyweight trio of Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato. To-y took a beating outside the ring thanks to Akiyama and Naya Body Slamming him onto the floor. The heavyweights looked to have the match in control until Sato got in the ring with Aoki. The rookie was smothered Aoki’s skills on the mat and was easily pinned with a Modified Crucifix Hold that came from an Aoki Clutch attempt that didn’t go right.
A 4 Way Tag Match ended up sorting out who the next challengers for the KO-D Tag Team Titles are going to be. The match was a free for all with Yuni & Kazuma Sumi using their NωA Jr. music to power themselves up. It was interrupted by Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida doing a Dosukoi pose to the beat of sumo drums. HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata danced while wearing the Hirata GO! glasses but that caused HARASHIMA to take Hirata style pratfalls. The only team that were fully on the same page was Akito & Yuya Koroku. Their teamwork outclassed everyone else’s and the finish was set up from Akito giving Sumi an Ankle Lock. While the hold was locked in, Koroku kicked Sumi’s arm and then applied the Triangle Lancer to the damaged limb to make Sumi give up.
Backstage Koroku asked Akito where are the KO-D Tag Titles currently? Akito answered they are being defended by Astronauts in other promotions. Koroku finds it weird that nobody in DDT has said anything about this and he wants to bring the belts back. Akito agreed and is happy to keep teaming with Koroku so they get the tag titles back to DDT. They want the message sent out to Astronauts. Akito & Koroku are coming after them!
The latest battle between SCHADENFREUDE International and DAMNATION T.A saw Bunbun getting thrown around like a toy. When Daisuke Sasaki cut off the rubber band spot he tied the band around Bunbun, spun him around in the air and threw him into the crowd. DAMNATION T.A then worked over Antonio Honda until Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada made the comeback. Honda returned to attack his opponents with Gongitsune but he was soon flattened by a Double Body Press from MJ Paul & Ilusion. Honda dodged Ilusion’s Swanton Bomb though and rolled him up in the Japanese Leg Roll Clutch to escape with the victory.
A video played during the show announcing the return of “THE MONSTER” Haruto Sakuraba to DDT! The muscular stage actor had his debut wrestling match last October and is still a member of DAMNATION T.A. While he’s been away he heard about them recently kicking out a pathetic guy from the group. He isn’t impressed to hear what KANON has been up to since then, making stupid heart signs with his hands. Sakuraba is coming back to DDT on 13th July to crush KANON’s heart so hard that he’ll never be able to get back up again!
DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING 2025 – DAY 1”, 13/05/2025 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. 3 Way Match – Submission Rules Only: Kazusada Higuchi Vs KANON Vs Yuya Koroku
2. Thank You Toru Owashi ~Toru Owashi 20th Anniversary Of DDT Participation Series Vol. 1~ Lucha Libre Rules: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion Vs Toru Owashi, Soma Takao & Kazuma Sumi
3. Jun Akiyama & Antonio Honda Vs HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata
4. Danshoku Dieno Produce Match ~ Woof Woof Paradise Insurance Match: Akito Vs Yukio Naya
5. Danshoku Dieno Produce Match ~ Woof Woof Paradise: Danshoku Dieno (w/ Haku) Vs Shunma Katsumata (w/ Ponta & Komachi) Vs Yuki Kamifuku (w/ Zac) Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa (w/ Qoo)
6. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Yuki Ueno Vs To-y & Takeshi Masada
There is now a two week break from the King Of DDT tournament until the final takes place near the end of the month. Instead DDT is heading back to Ueno Park for a series of early summer shows.
DDT “D GENERATIONS 2 ~THERE’S NO LIMIT TO GROWING PAINS~”, 14/05/2025 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Special Single Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Soma Takao Vs Takumi Saito
3. Yuni Vs Ali Najima
4. Hideki Okatani & Ilusion Vs Munetatsu Nakamura & Shota Kawakami
5. Special Single Match: Ryoma Tsukamoto Vs To-y
6. Special Tag Match: Shigehiro Irie & Shota Vs Takeshi Masada & Yuya Koroku
The match order for the second D GENERATIONS show has been decided.
BASARA “BASARA 278 ~KOO~”, 14/05/2025 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
More tournament action this week with BASARA holding the second round of its Chouten ~Itadaki~ tournament.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN SHINAGAWA VOL. 1”, 17/05/2025 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
1. 3 Way Match: Pom Harajuku Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Chika Nanase
2. Yuki Aino Vs Ivy Steele
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Raku Vs Rika Tatsumi & Haruna Neko
4. Mizuki, Wakana Uehara & Mifu Ashida Vs Miu Watanabe, Toga & Kira Summer
5. Shoko Nakajima & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto
6. Maki Itoh Vs Uta Takami
7. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Haru Kazashiro Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki
The singles match between Maki Itoh and Uta Takami is going to mean a lot to Takami. She tweeted about the time she was a trainee and took an Elbow Strike from Itoh for the first time. She would never forget the pain. Then when Takami got to wrestle Itoh for the first time back in January she hit her with an Elbow Strike using all of her heart. However Itoh hit back with an Elbow Strike using all of her soul. They then had a singles match at the Garafes show in March where Takami felt like she couldn’t do anything against Itoh. It was the most depressed she ever felt so with this rematch coming up she is going to put all of her soul into it.
The two current holders of Asian championships are teaming up on this show. Yuki Kamifuku recently lost the VPW Women’s Title but still has the Queen Of Asia Title in her possession while Raku is currently the SETUP All Asia Women’s Champion.
Hyper Misao is still out of action with the right hand injury she suffered last week.
DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING 2025 – DAY 2”, 21/05/2025 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Daisuke Sasaki & Ilusion Vs Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
2. No English Match: HARASHIMA, Akito & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya, Daichi Sato & Yuki Ishida
3. 3 Count Vs 1 Count! Count Handicap Match: Jun Akiyama Vs Kazuma Sumi
4. Thank You Toru Owashi ~ Toru Owashi 20th Anniversary Of DDT Participation Series Vol. 2: Toru Owashi Vs Danshoku Dieno
5. Takeshi Masada Produce Match – Hardcore Match: Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
6. Road To KING OF DDT 2025 FINAL!! Special 4 Way Match: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yuki Ueno Vs KANON Vs Hideki Okatani
There will be a big preview of the semi finals taking place just a few days before. The final four will be pitted against each other in a 4 Way Match.
More Beer Garden inspired silliness is happening on the show. Kazuma Sumi only needs a 1 Count Pinfall to beat Jun Akiyama while Akiyama will follow the usual rules. There will also be a match where speaking in English for any reason is prohibited!
“HEISEI’S PRO WRESTLING MASTERMIND – KATSUJI NAGASHIMA’S FINAL MOVE! IKEBUKURO ROOFTOP WRESTLING”, 24/05/2025 Tokyo Yodobashi HD Ikebukuro Building Special Rooftop Venue
1. GLEAT Offer Match: Katsuhiko Nakajima & El Lindaman Vs Minoru Tanaka & Yumehito Imanari
2. DDT Offer Final nWJ Match: Ken Ohka, Yukio Nay & Soma Takao (w/ Sanshiro Takagi) Vs Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Yuya Koroku & Kazuma Sumi
A special memorial show for the late Katsuji Nagashima will be taking place later this month. DDT, New Japan, GLEAT and Ganbare☆Pro along with the Battle News website will hold the show at the rooftop of the Yodobashi HD Ikebukuro Building in Tokyo to pay tribute to the Heisei era’s pro wrestling mastermind who passed away back in February. Admission to the event is free although visitors are encouraged to leave a donation at the reception desk with all of the funds minus the minimum expenses being donated to his widow.
The DDT match of the show will be the final match for New World Japan, the nWo Japan parody that Sanshiro Takagi put together in 2012 that included Nagashima as the unit’s backer. The GLEAT match includes Katsuhiko Nakajima who had his debut match in Wrestle Japan, the company that Nagashima helped launch after he left NJPW. The other wrestlers in the match El Lindaman, Minoru Tanaka and Yumehito Imanari also had connections with Nagashima when he was alive.
Yuji Nagata will be at the event as one of the guests for a talk show segment being held in between the two matches. Also former AKB48 idol Chisato Nakata will be the special ring announcer for the event. She was a radio host with Nakajima for over two years on a show called Avalanche Brainbuster Radio.
DDT “KING OF DDT 2025 FINAL!!”, 25/05/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. 4 Way Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito & Yuya Koroku Vs Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida Vs Yuni & Kazuma Sumi
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato Vs Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & To-y
3. SCHADENFREUDE International Vs DAMNATION T.A!: Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada Vs Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Ilusion
4. DDT Universal Title: Minoru Suzuki (c) Vs Danshoku Dieno
5. King Of DDT 2025 – Semi Final: KANON Vs Hideki Okatani
6. King Of DDT 2025 – Semi Final: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yuki Ueno
7. King Of DDT 2025 – Final: X Vs X
So how are the semi finals shaking out? Kazusada Higuchi and Yuki Ueno are both trying to climb back to the top of DDT. Higuchi’s run has been presenting him as being completely recovered from his injuries while Ueno has a specific vision of DDT in mind that he feels only he can lead. Meanwhile KANON has a grudge match with Hideki Okatani. It was Okatani who helped DAMNATION T.A kick KANON out of the unit as his replacement and the new mean streak has served him well ever since. KANON found a new path to change the error of his ways but a chance at revenge might briefly turn him back into a psychopath.
1. Akito Vs Yuya Koroku
2. Thank You Toru Owashi ~ Toru Owashi 20th Anniversary Of DDT Participation Series Vol. 3: Toru Owashi Vs Danshoku Dieno Vs Antonio Honda Vs Kazuki Hirata
3. Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano Vs Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion (c) Vs Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y
Nagoya sees Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida joining together as a tag team for the first time since Yoshimura’s return from injury. Their opponents are the Smile Squash tag team of HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano.
What a month. Felt like the moment WrestleMania Week ended the wrestling world just kept going. Konosuke Takeshita was involved with the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament in AEW and when that came to an end he very quickly established a new tag team with Josh Alexander. Then in Japan some DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro wrestlers took part in Deadlock Pro’s weekend in the country’s capital. There was also some lucha libre action happening in Tokyo a few days later. Back in America Maki Itoh got her face painted again in a very nice and very evil manner. Then the very busy month came to an end with Miyu Yamashita stepping foot back inside AEW after a two or three year absence.
Yamashita is going to have a packed schedule in May. Itoh has a few things coming up but she will be back in TJPW in the middle of the month. Yamashita though has plenty on her plate and the AEW appearance came about at a good time to replenish some interest in her. What’s included below is not the complete schedule she posted on her Twitter account. There are plenty more dates coming up over the next few months but some haven’t been announced by the promotions yet so I left them out just to save some space. Our old pal Yuka Sakazaki got her first booking on the indies in quite a while too. Another thing to keep an eye on is just where will Keigo Nakamura land for his indefinite overseas excursion. Apparently wherever he’s going he is has gone travelling over there already. If he is indeed still going to wrestle I’ll do my best to keep track of it in these articles.
AEW “DYNAMITE – SPRING BREAKTHRU”, 16/04/2025 MGM Music Hall At Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
1. Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Men’s Tournament – Semi Final: Will Ospreay Vs Konosuke Takeshita
AEW “COLLISION – SPRING BREAKTHRU”, 17/04/2025 MGM Music Hall At Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
1. Josh Alexander & Konosuke Takeshita Vs Rocky Romero & Tomohiro Ishii
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 23/04/2025 Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
1. Will Ospreay & Brody King Vs Josh Alexander & Konosuke Takeshita
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 30/04/2025 Chartway Arena, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
1. AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator Match: Toni Storm (w/ Luther) Vs Miyu Yamashita
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Results
AEW “DYNAMITE – SPRING BREAKTHRU”, 16/04/2025 MGM Music Hall At Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
1. Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Men’s Tournament – Semi Final: Will Ospreay defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Stormbreaker (21:43).
A highly anticipated rematch in the Owen Hart Cup saw Takeshita clash with Will Ospreay once again. Ospreay looked to have had Takeshita’s number until Takeshita purposely collapsed to avoid taking the Hidden Blade. Takeshita even caught Ospreay in mid-air with an Elbow Strike only for Ospreay to kick out at one and hit the Hidden Blade from out of nowhere. Takeshita kicked out at one as well leading to a role reversal where Ospreay used the Bastard Driver into the German Suplex and Takeshita responded with a Hidden Blade of his own. More counters came with Ospreay turning the Raging Fire into a Hurricanrana that then switched into the Styles Clash. Takeshita countered another Hidden Blade with a Backslide into a Powerdrive Knee but Ospreay flipped over a Lariat and lifted Takeshita into the Stormbreaker, winning a hard fought match that booked his spot in the final.
AEW “COLLISION – SPRING BREAKTHRU”, 17/04/2025 MGM Music Hall At Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
1. Josh Alexander & Konosuke Takeshita defeated Rocky Romero & Tomohiro Ishii when Alexander pinned Ishii with a Power Bomb (10:18).
There wasn’t much time for Takeshita to lick his wounds but The Don Callis Family are already regrouping with a new addition to the unit. AEW’s newest signing Josh Alexander has taken on Don Callis’s management services and made to team with Takeshita. They won their first match as a tag team but one of the reasons it happened was because Rocky Romero ended up abandoning Tomohiro Ishii and left him to the wolves. Alexander & Takeshita rocked Ishii with a Double Roaring Elbow then Alexander finished him off with a Power Bomb. There was then more drama when Trent Beretta made his return after the match and attacked Ishii with Romero. Callis gave a wrench to Beretta and he used it to knock Ishii out.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 23/04/2025 Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
1. Josh Alexander & Konosuke Takeshita defeated Will Ospreay & Brody King when Alexander pinned King after the Assisted C4 Spike (13:08).
Winning ways continued for The Don Callis Family when they took on Takeshita’s two opponents from the Owen Hart Cup. It was a heck of a task getting there though. Brody King ran through them like a tank while Ospreay and Takeshita had unfinished business from their match last week. The Family needed Lance Archer to distract the ref in order to turn the tables. Even then it took a lot fo Alexander & Takeshita to put King away. It eventually took Takeshita helping Alexander lift King up for the C4 Spike to finally put the big boy away.
DPW “SPIRIT RISING – NIGHT 1”, 24/04/2025 Shinjuku FACE
1. Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA Vs LaBron Kozone & Calvin Tankman ended in a Draw (?:??).
2. DPW Women’s World Title: Dani Luna (c) defeated Rika Tatsumi (?:??). *V3 for Dani Luna.
I couldn’t get any proper results from DPW’s two shows in Japan since they’re usually pretty good at keeping things under wraps until the matches get uploaded to their streaming service. But some scraping through Twitter I was able to piece together some things. Rika Tatsumi failed in her bid to win the DPW Women’s Title from Dani Luna. Also the DPW Vs DDT match went to a draw, I assume of the time limit kind. One of the big spots was HARASHIMA going to do the Somato on LaBron Kozone only to get ran over in midair with the Pounce from Calvin Tankman.
DPW “SPIRIT RISING – NIGHT 2”, 25/04/2025 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Calvin Tankman & Kazuma Sumi defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida (?:??).
2. Emi Sakura, Chris Brookes, Mei Suruga & Baliyan Akki defeated Miyuki Takase, Kevin Ku, Dominic Garrini & Ryo Mizunami (?:??).
On Night 2 Chris Brookes was part of a ChocoPro team against a USA/Japan alliance representing DPW. Meanwhile Tankman got thrown in with some DDT wrestlers for a tag match between two pairs of big man and little man. Tankman is remaining in Japan for a ZERO1 tour but who knows, maybe DDT will come calling while he’s there.
HOG “ISOLATION”, 25/04/2025 NYC Arena, New York City, New York, USA
1. HOG Heavyweight Title: Mike Santana (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita ended in a No Contest when Charles Mason interfered (15:57). *V14 for Mike Santana.
Well that kind of felt like a waste of time. The HOG Heavyweight Title was on the line and neither Mike Santana nor Takeshita were in a position to take a loss. So Charles Mason came out and ruined the whole thing. Santana had Takeshita pinned with the Spin The Block Roaring Lariat but Santana pulled the ref out of the ring mid-count and attacked Santana to stop the match. Takeshita tried to come to the rescue but Mason fled the ring unharmed. Santana and Takeshita raised each other’s hands to everyone afterward.
BLACK LABEL PRO “BLP AT SCX III”, 25/04/2025 The Wyndham, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Leyla Hirsch with the Skull Kick (?:??).
2. Danhausen & Maki Itoh defeated Davey Bang & August Matthews when Danhausen pinned Matthews and Itoh pinned Bang with the Double Kokeshi (?:??).
The latest American tours for Itoh & Yamashita kicked off over in Black Label Pro. Itoh joined forces with Danhausen once again to reunite Very Cute, Very Evil Makihausen. Itoh had the face fully painted to match her tag partner and be battle ready to go against Bang And Matthews. Itoh was in grave danger when Davey Bang & August Matthews combined to hit the Spears Tower on her but Danhausen broke the pin. When they tried the same move on Danhausen he paused them with a Curse that resulted in Itoh tripping them over. The two then filled their opponents’ mouths with jars of teeth before kicking them in their faces. Itoh & Danhausen then finished them off with Stereo Kokeshi Headbutts.
This month saw Leyla Hirsch return to action, now as a freelancer. Yamashita got to be one her of first opponents back and didn’t show much ring rust with her performance. She tried wearing down Yamashita with an Ankle Lock but Yamashita fired back with strikes that took a lot out of her opponent. Hirsch then missed a Moonsault and charged right into the Skull Kick for the finish.
1. Mexican Tourist Belt – The Road To Studying In Mexico 6 Way Match: Yuki Mashiro defeated Honoka, YuuRI, SONYA, CoCo and Yoshiko Hasegawa when Mashiro pinned Hasegawa with a Modified Suplex Hold (?:??). Order Of Elimination: SONYA, CoCo, Honoka, YuuRI, Yoshiko Hasegawa.
2. Octagon & El Hijo del Octagon Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Pantera Jr. ended in a Draw when El Hijo del Octagon and Pantera Jr. pinned each other from a Romero Special (?:??).
The warm vibes of lucha libre were in the air surrounding Sumo Hall for a sponsored show put together by the Mexico Kanko tourism company. Daisuke Sasaki was thrown in with some luchadors for a tag match. Naturally Sasaki was on the rudo side teaming with Pantera Jr. to take on the supposedly family pair of Octagon & El Hijo del Octagon. Sasaki stepped in to stop Octagon from doing dive from the top turnbuckle. But the match ended up going to a draw when Pantera put El Hijo del Octagon in the Romero Special. The move leaned both luchadors back onto their shoulders resulting in a double pinfall. After some arguing over the finish, all four wrestlers raised each others hands in the ring.
A sixth woman was added to the Mexican Tourist Belt match. Yoshiko Hasegawa may be retiring from wrestling soon but she didn’t want to miss a chance to win a holiday to Mexico! She came close to winning too, eliminating YuuRI and making it to the final two with Yuki Mashiro. She tried to win using the Fisherman Buster but Mashiro got the better of her and won the match with a Modified Suplex.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 30/04/2025 Chartway Arena, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
1. AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator Match: Toni Storm (w/ Luther) Vs Miyu Yamashita
Right at the end of the month Yamashita wound up in a familiar place. She came back to AEW for the first time since 2022 (or maybe 2023 if you want to count ROH). She was here to repeat what she did back then and that was to fight the AEW Women’s World Champion and beat her to get a title shot. We’re far past the days of Thunder Rosa though. It’s Toni Storm’s time now, which also happens to rewind the clock back one century thanks to her Timeless gimmick. Yamashita got into the swing of things by literally kicking Storm’s ass around the ring as well as kicking away the loyal butler Luther. She also hit the Skull Kick but was too fatigued to make the pin in time. I couldn’t tell if she broke the pin herself or if Storm kicked out of it because both looked like they happened at the same time. Storm made a comeback and avoided the Crash Rabbit Heat to throw Yamashita over to the corner with a German Suplex. She then landed the Running Hip Attack and pinned Yamashita with the Storm Zero. The booking sounds like it was a one time thing for Yamashita during this latest stay in the States. But she promised if she ever comes back to AEW she will kick someone else’s head in!
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Upcoming Appearances
TOP TALENT “LIVE AT MIDWAY MUSIC HALL”, 02/05/2025 Midway Music Hall, Edmonton, Canada
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Ava Lawless
May starts off with Yamashita and Itoh going in separate directions for a while. Yamashita will be in Canada to face Ava Lawless in her Top Talent Wrestling debut.
HOODSLAM “PHANTASMAGORIA”, 02/05/2025 Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Meanwhile Itoh returns to a Hoodslam that is currently in chaos. But when is it ever quiet over there?
GCW “CRAZY SCARY SPOOKY HILARIOUS”, 03/05/2025 Ukrainian Culture Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Miyu Yamashita
The next day 121000000 are back together but this time as opponents. Can Itoh finally beat Yamashita one on one for the first time ever?
GCW “WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU”, 04/05/2025 Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. JCW World Title: Masha Slamovich (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
2. GCW World Title: Effy (c) Vs Maki Itoh
Then soon after that the two of them have the chance to both become champions in the GCW sphere on the same night. While Itoh faces Effy for the GCW World Title, Yamashita gets in the ring again with Masha Slamovich in a bid to take away her JCW World Title. Slamovich just recently pinned Yamashita at the “DDT VS TJPW VS GCW” show which seems to be what set this title match up. At the moment this looks to be Itoh’s last booking before she goes back to Japan. Her TJPW return will be on 11th May.
HOG “WAGING WAR”, 09/05/2025 Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1. Indi Hartwell Vs Miyu Yamashita
Yamashita gets another match with someone who knows what it’s like to wrestle in WWE. This time it is the Indi Hartwell, the former NXT Women’s Champion (bet some of you forgot she held that title for a month) turned TNA’s latest signing.
NJPW “RESURGENCE”, 09/05/2025 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. NEVER Openweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) Vs El Phantasmo
It’s now been confirmed that Takeshita will defend the NEVER Openweight Title against El Phantasmo at New Japan’s next USA show. This is also happening a week after they face each other in Japan with the NJPW World TV Title on the line. Does Rocky Romero get involved after the ambush he committed on ELP last month?
MAPLE LEAF PRO “NORTHERN RISING”, 10/05/2025 Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto, Canada
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Serena Deeb
Yamashita is just bouncing back and forth between Canada and America during this trip. Serena Deeb will want to be the road block that stops her.
MLW “AZTECA LUCHA”, 10/05/2025 Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois USA
1. Shoko Nakajima Vs X
After winning the MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title earlier this month, Shoko Nakajima is set to return to MLW for their next “AZTECA LUCHA” taping. Nothing has been announced yet for what her match is going to be. Could it be a title defence against a luchadora from CMLL?
GCW “BIG TIME”, 17/05/2025 RJ Meyer Arena, Joppa, Maryland, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Tony Deppen
Itoh will be long gone home by this time so GCW could become Yamashita’s for the taking in her absence. Beating the promotion’s gatekeeper Tony Deppen would send her in the right direction.
GCW “RUN FOR IT”, 18/05/2025 Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, New York, USA
1. Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita
What kind of momentum will be following Yamashita by the time she fights Billie Starkz again?
MKW “BATTLE OF THE DECADE”, 24/05/2025 Dongxin Plaza, Beijing, China
1. Yuki Kamifuku & Chen Wenbin Vs Alexis Lee & Big Sam
Could this be the penultimate chapter of the rivalry between Yuki Kamifuku and Alexis Lee?
SAJ “HUNTER’S NET”, 24/05/2025 Via Dante 72, Sporting Cesate, Milan, Italy
1. Irene Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs Session Moth Martina
A change of venue for Yamashita’s debut in Italy due to an electrical problem in the original building. She is also finally going to face Session Moth Martina after their scheduled match in EVE back in March got cancelled. One week later Martina got to team with Italian wrestler Irene at the most recent SAJ Wrestling show. I haven’t seen it so I don’t know if anything happened as a reason to make them opponents here or if this is just three wrestlers who want to have some fun in the ring.
1. Queen Of Asia Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c) Vs Alexis Lee
If all goes wrong for Kamifuku in May she could end up losing both the VPW Women’s Title and the Queen Of Asia Title!
NEW TEXAS PRO “BAT CITY”, 01/06/2025 Empire Control Room, Austin, Texas, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs X
Finally Sakazaki gets to wrestle somewhere again! I don’t know if her lack of ring time lately is AEW/ROH not wanting to book her or if there’s an undisclosed injury of some sort holding her back but she’s making a reappearance on the American indies with New Texas Pro as her first stop.
KITSUNE “GOING BACK TO SAN DIEGO”, 07/06/2025 Primal Compound, San Diego, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Zara Zakher
2. Vipress & Hudson Envy Vs Nagisa Nozaki & Yuna Manase
The first singles meeting between Yamashita and Zara Zakher. They fought each other once before in a Princess Tag Team Titles match back in January. Yamashita pinned Zakher in that match. Will she do it again?
KITSUNE “8888”, 08/06/2025 South Gate, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. Kitsune World Title: Yuna Manase (c) Vs Tae Honma
This October Tae Honma is going to retire from pro wrestling. One of her last big singles matches will be in America when Yuna Manase defends the Kitsune World Title against her.
LLL “BUT THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE NIGHT 2”, 14/06/2025 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. Dark Sheik Vs Miyu Yamashita
Yamashita returns to Lucha, Libre & Laughs for two nights but only one of them has a match announced so far. She faces Dark Sheik on Night 2. Nothing yet on what match she will get on Night 1.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN HOUSTON – NIGHT 1”, 10/07/2025 POST, Houston, Texas, USA
Four wrestlers are currently confirmed for TJPW’s big tripleshot in Texas.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN HOUSTON – NIGHT 2”, 11/07/2025 POST, Houston, Texas, USA
Yamashita and Itoh will be there as will Miu Watanabe and Suzume. So far that’s all of the official announcements.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN DALLAS”, 13/07/2025 The OC, Forney, Texas, USA
Psst… the English website promoting the show also lists Yuki Arai, Mizuki, Hyper Misao, Shoko Nakajima, Pom Harajuku, Moka Miyamoto, Shino Suzuki, Raku and Arisu Endo as all “awaiting confirmation” to be on the show. I guess they could go and confirm them all but as we saw with Harajuku this month they might be making sure everything is absolutely ready for them all to travel first.
1. SAGAT defeated Shota Kofuji with the Goregrind (8:58)
2. Takumi Tsukamoto & Ayumu Honda defeated KUBITO & Daichi Kazato when Honda submitted Kazato with an Arm Bar (11:19).
3. Minoru Fujita defeated Gouma Ryu with an Inside Cradle (0:18).
3a. Rematch: Gouma Ryu Vs Minoru Fujita ended in a Double Countout (5:14).
4. Isami Kodaka & Tomoki Hatano defeated Daiki Shimomura & Lil’ Kraken when Hatano pinned Kraken with the Suigintou (13:38)
5. Ryota Nakatsu, Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida defeated Ryuichi Sekine, FUMA, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino when Nakatsu pinned Nakano with the V Slider (14:57).
Naomi Yoshimura made his BASARA wrestling debut appearing with the rest of Harimao in the main event. He has appeared in BASARA as a second for the other Harimao wrestlers many times previously but today was his first time wrestling in BASARA. Ryota Nakatsu praised Hyakusho Ikki and Aijin Tag for being strong opponents before congratulating both Yoshimura & Kazusada Higuchi for being back. He also didn’t forget Yuki Ishida by telling him he’s glad he’s doing well. Nakatsu also revealed that back when Yoshimura was a trainee, Nakatsu tried scouting him for BASARA but DDT didn’t want to give him up because he is so good.
When Match #3 ended in under 20 seconds, Gouma Ryu asked for an immediate rematch and accused Minoru Fujita of being a fee thief when he was refused. Fujita was offended by the remark and challenged Ryu to put his legal career on the line if he really wants the rematch. Ryu agreed and fought his heart out because his career as a lawyer is more important to him then pro wrestling. The two ended up fighting out of the ring and both were counted out. Gouma didn’t win but he didn’t lose either so his legal job is safe.
Judo Master had to pull out of the show after suffering from gout so Ayumu Honda took his place.
What a month it’s been already and we’re not even halfway through yet. It’s the busiest time of the year for American wrestling with WrestleMania coming up next weekend and the carnival of shows that exist around it. DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro will be deep in the mix with shows held under The Collective banner along with some outside bookings scattered around the Paradise of Las Vegas. Then there is no rest for the wicked afterwards because the months leading into summertime will be very busy for the likes of Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh. The international exchange will even be seen in Japan with Deadlock Pro running a tour over there and YuuRI getting involved in a big lucha libre show. Plus one of the big rivalries happening in Southeast Asia may finally come to an end if Yuki Kamifuku defeats Alexis Lee one more time.
But I’m burying the lede here. Shoko Nakajima won a championship in MLW! She has become the latest TJPW wrestler to win a title belonging to a foreign company and we may possibly add another person to that somehow growing list at the end of the month. Meanwhile Konosuke Takeshita is already turning April 2025 into a memorable period. He squashed an age old beef with one of Japan’s modern legends and has started a tournament run that will at least produce a few great matches if he doesn’t make it all the way.
Video starts at 22:53 for Match #1. Go to 1:12:00 for Match #2. MLW “BATTLE RIOT VII”, 05/04/2025 Thunder Studios Arena, Long Beach, California, USA
1. HIMAWARI Vs Janai Kai
2. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Delmi Exo (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
8th match Backstage 4/11/25 | Windy City Riot 2025
AEW “COLLISION”, 12/04/2025 MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
1. Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Men’s Tournament – Quarter Final: Brody King (w/ Julia Hart) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
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Results
AEW “COLLISION”, 02/04/2025 (Aired 05/04/2025) Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois, USA
1. Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita defeated Powerhouse Hobbs & Tomohiro Ishii (w/ Rocky Romero) when Fletcher pinned Ishii with the Sheer Drop Brainbuster (13:47).
Takeshita had to miss the “DYNASTY” PPV because he had other priorities with New Japan that weekend but he was able to fit in an AEW tag match right before he left. He and Kyle Fletcher are really catching on as a tag team lately and they were really put through the grinder against Powerhouse Hobbs & Tomohiro Ishii. They tried to give Ishii a Super Bomb from the corner but Ishii countered it into a Frankensteiner on Fletcher. Takeshita came to help Fletcher give Ishii a Sheer Drop Brainbuster for a nearfall and then clashed with Hobbs. Ishii’s face was bloody at this point but he was still fired up to fight. Fletcher didn’t care though and he used a Tombstone Piledriver followed by another Brainbuster for the victory.
MLW “BATTLE RIOT VII”, 05/04/2025 Thunder Studios Arena, Long Beach, California, USA
1. Janai Kai defeated HIMAWARI with the Tornado Kick (7:28).
2. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Shoko Nakajima defeated Delmi Exo (c) with the Diving Senton (9:17). *Delmi Exofails in V2. Shoko Nakajima becomes the 5th MLW Women’s World Featherweight Champion!
Well would you look at that, MLW went all the way with Nakajima and made her their women’s champion! The 619, Double Arm DDT and Diving Senton put Delmo Exo away and now Nakajima can add the MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title to her collection.
Also HIMAWARI did not in fact get abducted or murdered by CONTRA Unit. She made it back to Japan in one piece. Janai Kai still beat her pretty handily but I’d still call it a successful MLW excursion.
NJPW “WINDY CITY RIOT”, 11/04/2025
Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, USA
4,674 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi Last Match In The USA Final Road ~Kinship~: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi with the Raging Fire (20:37).
It was an emotional battle that’s been over a decade in the making. Takeshita was not only fighting Hiroshi Tanahashi in a rematch from their DDT bout from 2014 but he was defending DDT’s honour over the disrespect Tanahashi gave to them in 2015. Due to the added importance that this will be Tanahashi’s final wrestling match in America before he retires it was made the main event of the show ahead of the IWGP World Heavyweight Title bout. The two had counters for each other’s finishers but Takeshita surprised everyone by doing his own High Fly Flow. Everyone was then in even more shock when Tanahashi kicked out at one! Takeshita nailed Tanahashi with several Wagamama knee strikes before giving a big shout to HARASHIMA by hitting the Somato. After that he used the Raging Fire to get the win.
Backstage Takeshita said he was all anger before this match but now that it is over, his revenge on Tanahashi has ended and he now for the first time respects him. There is one thing that Takeshita couldn’t do to Tanahashi and that was take away the last of his light. He wishes to see Tanahashi keep that light shining until his retirement. He was then interrupted by El Phantasmo who complained about Takeshita not showing respect until now. He still remembers their match at last year’s G1 Climax and he wants to challenge him to a rematch, this time with the NEVER Openweight Title on the line. Suddenly Phantasmo was then attacked from behind by Rocky Romero. Whatever it is that’s going on between them has nothing to do with Takeshita. At least for now.
AEW “COLLISION”, 12/04/2025 MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
1. Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Men’s Tournament – Quarter Final: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Brody King (w/ Julia Hart) with the Powerdrive Knee (12:18).
The 4th annual Owen Hart Cup is packed this year on both the men’s and women’s tournaments. Count Takeshita among them on the men’s side. His opening round match was against Brody King from The Hounds Of Hell. Even a guy like Takeshita gets a bit worried when he hears King barking nearby. It took several Powerdrive Knee strikes to break down King and the final two needed Takeshita to pull his kneepad down for extra damage to finally put his opponent down for the count.
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WrestleMania Week Appearances
PANDEMONIUM PRO “THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS”, 17/04/2025 Fremont Country Club, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Masha Slamovich Vs MAO
2. Maya World Vs Miu Watanabe
Let’s get crazy. The first piece of involvement in Wrestlemania Week from DDT and TJPW both take place at the same show. Miu Watanabe makes a rare outside appearance from TJPW to take on Maya World while one of her later upcoming opponents Masha Slamovich takes a trip on MAO’s wild ride. Or maybe it’s MAO going on Slamovich’s wild ride.
WRESTLECON “MARK HITCHCOCK MEMORIAL SUPERSHOW”, 17/04/2025 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Mickie James Vs Maki Itoh
Who knows what else WrestleCon has in store for their big event of the week and if it applies here. They have a mystery 10-Man Tag Match on the card which was used to promote TJPW in a previous year. Itoh might meet her match in more ways than one when she faces off against Mickie James. But the worst thing James could do is go in their and underestimate Itoh.
WEST COAST PRO “VEGAS VACATION”, 17/04/2025 Meet Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. MAO Vs Jiah Jewell
It will be the second match of the day for both MAO and Jiah Jewell.
GCW “JOSH BARNETT’S BLOODSPORT XIII”, 17/04/2025 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Charlie Dempsey Vs Shinya Aoki
2. Nattie Neidhart Vs Miyu Yamashita
This year’s Bloodsport went through a slight overbooking problem with some fighters but it hasn’t affected the two matches here that I care about. Bless GCW and Josh Barnett for having conflicting stories over who is actually booking the show when it was time to explain why previously announced talent were being left off the final card. Friendship aside, Nattie Neidhart doesn’t want to be used as a stepping stone by Yamashita but Yamashita doesn’t want Neidhart to take her lightly either. Are we going to get MMA Shinya Aoki or DDT Shinya Aoki when he fights Charlie Dempsey?
BZW “VIVA LAS VEGAS”, 17/04/2025 Swan Dive, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. BZW Tag Team Titles: MAO & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Marcus Mathers & Alec Price
Alec Price has found a replacement partner to challenge MAO & Yoshihiko for the BZW Tag Team Titles. With Cole Radrick out of action, Marcus Mathers is going to take his place.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “QUERI PRESENTS TJPW LIVE IN LAS VEGAS”, 18/04/2025 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Rika Tatsumi, Shino Suzuki & Vert Vixen Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Viva Van
2. Yuki Arai Vs Arisu Endo
3. Maki Itoh & Zara Zakher Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
4. Special Single Match: Masha Slamovich Vs Miu Watanabe
5. International Princess Title: Suzume (c) Vs Jada Stone
6. Princess Tag Team Titles: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
I’ll aim to have my guide for the TJPW Las Vegas show posted either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning Las Vegas time.
DDT “DDT GOES LAS VEGAS!”, 18/04/2025 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Nick Wayne, Shunma Katsumata & Kazuma Sumi Vs Gringo Loco, Marcus Mathers & Tyler Bateman
2. Special Single Match: Antonio Honda Vs Santana Jackson
3. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Timothy Thatcher
4. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs MAO
5. wXw Unified World Wrestling Title: 1 Called Manders (c) Vs Yukio Naya
6. DDT Universal Title: Minoru Suzuki (c) Vs Yoshihiko
Same with my guide for the DDT Las Vegas show. You’ll pretty much know I arrived safe and sound when the articles get posted.
WRESTLECORE “FEAR & WRESTLECORE IN LAS VEGAS”, 18/04/2025 Swan Dive, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. ELP Vs Maki Itoh
Well so much for El Phantasmo and Maki Itoh joining forces as The Cutest Tag Team In The World. They’re not getting along so they’re going to fight each other instead.
PRIDESTYLE “OUT OF THIS WORLD”, 18/04/2025 Swan Dive, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
0. Yoshihiko’s Super Special Open Challenge: Yoshihiko Vs X
1. G-Sharpe Vs MAO
A new booking for MAO over at PrideStyle. If his opponent G-Sharpe looks a little familiar it may be because you might recognize him when he wrestles under a mask as Hyperstreak. There is a group called The Cartel de Los Villanos who have been feuding with G-Sharpe over in PrideStyle and they are the ones who hired MAO to fight him.
A bonus attraction will be happening before the show officially starts. That’s right, Yoshihiko is throwing out an open challenge! Who will dare step foot against “The Grave Digger Doll From Hell”?
GRAPHOUSE “FOR VEGAS, BY VEGAS”, 18/04/2025 Fergusons Downtown, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Lazarus Vs MAO
MAO’s Friday night comes to a close with a brawl against Lazarus near Fremont Street. Someone convince MAO to Moonsault off of the Vegas Vic neon sign.
DDT/TOKYO JOSHI PRO/GCW “DDT VS TJPW VS GCW”, 19/04/2025 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Rika Tatsumi & Antonio Honda Vs Kidd Bandit & Shota
2. 3 Way Match: MAO & Yoshihiko Vs Jimmy Lloyd & Alec Price Vs Jack Cartwheel & Kazuma Sumi
3. Special Tag Match: Mance Warner & Shunma Katsumata Vs John Wayne Murdoch & Matt Tremont
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki, Ilusion & Dark Sheik Vs Super Crazy, Marcus Mathers & Shoko Nakajima
5. Special Tag Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Masha Slamovich Vs Shinya Aoki & Miyu Yamashita
What the hell kind of Fire Pro random card is this?
GCW “CLUSTERF*CK FOREVER”, 19/04/2025 Pearl Theater At Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Clusterfuck Match: Yoshihiko Vs X
Yoshihiko is among the many, many competitors announced for the Clusterfuck so far but nobody else from DDT or TJPW has declared they will be in it. It’s likely a bunch of the talent will already be flying home by the time this show takes place.
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Upcoming Appearances After WrestleMania Week
AEW “DYNAMITE – SPRING BREAKTHRU”, 16/04/2025 MGM Music Hall At Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
1. Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Men’s Tournament – Semi Final: Will Ospreay Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Ok this is during WrestleMania Week but isn’t actually part of it so let’s stick it here. It’s now on to the semi finals for Takeshita where is next opponent is quite a doozy. It’s the rematch against Will Ospreay!
DPW “SPIRIT RISING – NIGHT 1”, 24/04/2025 Shinjuku FACE
1. Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA Vs LaBron Kozone & Calvin Tankman
2. DPW Women’s World Title: Dani Luna (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi
The hype train’s not stopping once WrestleMania is done. The schedule is going to get even more packed heading into the summer! DPW is heading back to Japan and has some familiar wrestlers taking part on their shows. Rika Tatsumi is getting a shot at the DPW Women’s World Title on the first night. The champion Dani Luna is coming out of a violent feud with Hyan over the belt which included title defences in Street Fights and Dog Collar matches. Sounds like she’ll be ready to handle Tatsumi’s madness. Meanwhile Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA are teaming up to take on two of DPW’s mainstays. LaBron Kozone is currently the DPW National Champion which just so happens to be the first DPW championship that his teammate Calvin Tankman won in the company.
DPW “SPIRIT RISING – NIGHT 2”, 25/04/2025 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida Vs Calvin Tankman & Kazuma Sumi
2. Emi Sakura, Chris Brookes, Mei Suruga & Baliyan Akki Vs Miyuki Takase, Kevin Ku, Dominic Garrini & Ryo Mizunami
Then on the second night Brookes joins team ChocoPro to fight a mix of joshi and Violence Is Forever… Joshi Is Forever? Violence Is Joshi? Miyuki Takase & Ryo Mizunami Plus Two?
Tankman finds himself in the ring surrounded by DDT wrestlers. It will be a match of big man and little man teams when Tankman teams with Kazuma Sumi to fight the Harimao pair of Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida.
HOG “ISOLATION”, 25/04/2025 NYC Arena, New York City, New York, USA
1. HOG Heavyweight Title: Mike Santana (c) Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Will Takeshita bring an end to Mike Santana’s 16 month reign as House Of Glory’s champion?
BLACK LABEL PRO “BLP AT SCX III”, 25/04/2025 The Wyndham, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Leyla Hirsch
2. Danhausen & Maki Itoh Vs Davey Bang & August Matthews
You know, this is one of those shows that feels like it just takes forever to get to.
MEXICO KANKO/CMLL/LADYS RING “LUCHA FIESTA ESPECIAL”, 27/04/2025 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Mexican Tourist Belt – The Road To Studying In Mexico 5 Way Match: Yuki Mashiro Vs Honoka Vs YuuRI Vs SONYA Vs CoCo
2. Octagon & El Hijo del Octagon Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Pantera Jr.
I heard this show has a Street Fighter 6 product placement match. Makoto and Hikaru Shida are cosplaying as R. Mika & Yamato Nadeshiko to fight a pair of masked Zangief wrestlers. It would be funny if The Gief #1 and The Gief #2 were other members of DAMNATION T.A.
I missed that YuuRI was booked for this show a month ago. She’s taking part in a 5 Way match where the winner will be crowned the second Mexican Tourist Belt Champion. Whoever holds possession of the belt is given the right to go study in Mexico thanks to the show sponsors. YuuRI’s opposition in the match are the freelancer Yuki Mashiro, Honoka from WAVE, SONYA from the Costa Rica Wrestling Embassy (CWE) and CoCo from MY WAY.
TOP TALENT “LIVE AT MIDWAY MUSIC HALL”, 02/05/2025 Midway Music Hall, Edmonton, Canada
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Yamashita is going to be visiting Canada a few more times during this excursion. Top Talent Wrestling is the latest promotion over there to book her.
HOODSLAM “PHANTASMAGORIA”, 02/05/2025 Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Itoh is getting her ass back to Hoodslam!
GCW “CRAZY SCARY SPOOKY HILARIOUS”, 03/05/2025 Ukrainian Culture Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Miyu Yamashita
Itoh believes she cannot lose to Yamashita in GCW. Anywhere but over there!
GCW “WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU”, 04/05/2025 Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. GCW World Title: Effy (c) Vs Maki Itoh
One day later she gets her chance to win the GCW World Title from Effy. Only one person missing from making it a full Maki Death Bussy reunion.
HOG “WAGING WAR”, 09/05/2025 Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Just have to wait and see who House Of Glory wants to put Yamashita against. It didn’t work out so well for her there last time.
NJPW “RESURGENCE”, 09/05/2025 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs X
It hasn’t been made official at the time of writing but it’s looking like Takeshita will defend the NEVER Openweight Title against El Phantasmo at this show. Unless Romero does something else to ELP and changes the situation.
MAPLE LEAF PRO “NORTHERN RISING”, 10/05/2025 Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto, Canada
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sereena Deeb
North American promoters really have a type of opponent in mind for Yamashita this time around, eh? She’ll have to deal with the wrestling expertise of Serena Deeb for her return to Maple Leaf Pro.
GCW “BIG TIME”, 17/05/2025 RJ Meyer Arena, Joppa, Maryland, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Tony Deppen
Yamashita’s journey through GCW continues.
GCW “RUN FOR IT”, 18/05/2025 Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, New York, USA
1. Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita
Once again, they meet at last.
MKW “BATTLE OF THE DECADE”, 24/05/2025 Dongxin Plaza, Beijing, China
1. Yuki Kamifuku & Chen Wenbin Vs Alexis Lee & Big Sam
The end of May will be a dramatic period for Yuki Kamifuku and Alexis Lee. This match in Middle Kingdom Wrestling has now become the warmup for what happens in Singapore Pro Wrestling one week later.
SAJ “HUNTER’S NET”, 24/05/2025 Magnete, Milan, Italy
1. Queen Of Asia Title: Yuki Kamifuku (c) Vs Alexis Lee
The stakes have been risen to the extreme. Lee is wagering her pro wrestling career to get one last chance at winning back the Queen Of Asia Title from Kamifuku. If she loses this time then she is done for!
KITSUNE “GOING BACK TO SAN DIEGO”, 07/06/2025 Primal Compound, San Diego, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. Vipress & Hudson Envy Vs Nagisa Nozaki & Yuna Manase
Hey since Darkness Revolution are now down a member in Marigold maybe Nagisa Nozaki will consider replacing Bozilla with Yuna Manase.
KITSUNE “8888”, 08/06/2025 South Gate, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. Yuna Manase Vs X
Yamashita’s match on this show will be a singles match with an opponent yet to be determined.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN HOUSTON – NIGHT 1”, 10/07/2025 POST, Houston, Texas, USA
Does the T in TJPW now stand for Texas? On the weekend when AEW runs “ALL IN TEXAS” TJPW will be holding three shows in the Lone Star State.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN HOUSTON – NIGHT 2”, 11/07/2025 POST, Houston, Texas, USA
Two of the shows are going to be in Houston.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN DALLAS”, 13/07/2025 The OC, Forney, Texas, USA
The third show is happening… not in Dallas but they’re calling it Dallas anyway. Is this like years ago when WWE would be in New York State and only mention on air that they’re somewhere near New York City?
1. Ilusion defeated Kazuma Sumi with with the Swanton Bomb (8:59).
2. Toru Owashi, Akito & Yuki Ishida defeated HARASHIMA, Azul Dragon & Kazuki Hirata when Akito submitted Hirata with an Overturned Figure 4 Leg Lock (0:11).
2a. Rematch: HARASHIMA, Azul Dragon & Kazuki Hirata defeated Toru Owashi, Akito & Yuki Ishida when HARASHIMA pinned Ishida with the Raging Fire (9:42).
3. Special Single Match: Hideki Okatani defeated Keigo Nakamura with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (9:16).
4. Jun Akiyama, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Soma Takao & Yukio Naya when Akiyama pinned Takao with an Inside Cradle (11:35).
5. Special Tag Match: MAO & KANON defeated Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul when MAO pinned Paul with the Iai Kick (13:27).
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Danshoku Dieno & Takeshi Masada defeated Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y when Dieno submitted To-y with a Strong Arm Bar (18:46).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kazuki Hirata defeated Shunma Katsumata (c) with a Hammer Attack (6:50 pm). *Kazuki Hirata becomes the 1,742nd champion.
Danshoku Dieno was having a bad day. First he missed his flight to Fukuoka and had to pay 53,000 yen to change his travel plans and get to the show on time. Then when he arrived at the venue he overheard Shunma Katsumata, To-y and Kazuma Sumi all making fun of him in the hallway. Dieno got so mad that he ran in during the show opening NωA Jr. performance to attack Katsumata and Sumi. Yuki Ueno & To-y ran out to save Katsumata and attack Dieno. That then caused Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada to come out and chase away The 37KAMIINA. In the main event Dieno told everyone he would not use his Danshoku style during the match in order to prepare for Minoru Suzuki. Instead he fought more seriously and even made To-y submit to a strong style Arm Bar. He had finally calmed down once the match was over and told the fans that from here on out he will be gathering information to use in his upcoming match with Suzuki next month. Dieno then named his team today as Analfreude International.
It is now confirmed that the tag team of MAO & KANON is called STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION (I’m going to write it with regular caps from this point forward). They entered to the song “You Know How It Is” by Kero Kero Benito and successfully delivered their first blow on DAMNATION T.A by beating Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul cleanly. They already have a tag move too where MAO does the Whirlwind Kick to the opponent while KANON sweeps their leg with a low Lariat. MAO is so confident this team is going to work out he is already making shirts that he will give out to fans without KANON’s knowledge.
Last night in America, Konosuke Takeshita defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi on a New Japan USA show and used the Somato en route to winning the match. HARASHIMA found out about it and returned the favour back in Japan today. After he hit the Somato on Yuki Ishida he used the Raging Fire to get the win.
Ilusion has his sights on bringing the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles back to DAMNATION T.A. He said they only gave them up in the first place because of an “unwanted child”. Ilusion wants to challenge NωA Jr. for the titles with Sasaki & Hideki Okatani as his partners.
In the aftermath of the main event Kazuki Hirata snuck up behind Katsumata, knocked him out with a hammer and pinned him to win the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title.
DDT “CHANGE AGE 2025 ~YOUR LIE IN APRIL~”, 06/04/2025 Tokyo Korakuen Hall ??? Fans – Unannounced
0. Dark Match: MJ Paul & Ilusion defeated Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda when Ilusion pinned Honda with the Swanton Bomb (7:30).
1. Naomi Yoshimura’s Return Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida defeated Yukio Naya, To-y, Takeshi Masada & JJ Furno when Higuchi pinned Furno with the Claw Slam (8:26).
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Shunma Katsumata, Yuni & Kazuma Sumi defeated MAO, Kazuki Hirata & Kumadori when Katsumata pinned Hirata with an Inside Cradle (9:53).
3. Special Single Match: Jun Akiyama defeated Daichi Sato with the Exploder Suplex (11:03).
4. 2 Vs 1 Special Handicap Match: Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani defeated KANON when Okatani pinned KANON with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (11:55).
5. Special Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yuki Ueno Vs HARASHIMA & Danshoku Dieno ended in a Double Countout (13:29).
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Fuminori Abe & Takuya Nomura (c) defeated Shinya Aoki & Keigo Nakamura when Abe pinned Nakamura with the O-Manji Clutch (11:46). *V1 for Astronauts.
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Chris Brookes (c) defeated Yuya Koroku with the Praying Mantis Bomb (23:38). *V4 for Chris Brookes.
Today was Yuya Koroku’s big chance to step up and prove to Chris Brookes that he is not a generic Tetsuya Endo but the man who will lead DDT’s new generation. He didn’t have Brookes’s respect at the start though. Brookes threw a chair at him to stop a dive and targeted the leg to keep him grounded. When Koroku found an opening to go on the attack he went after Brookes’s arm. However the damage done to his leg came back to haunt him when he did the Sky Twister Press and was slow enough to go for the cover that Brookes could kick out of it. The frustration got to Koroku and he shouted “I am not Endo”, leaving his guard down for Brookes to slap him senseless. From there Brookes did the Somato but Koroku kicked out at one. Brookes then stunned Koroku with a Buzzsaw Kick and pinned him with the Praying Mantis Bomb to retain the KO-D Openweight Title.
After the match Brookes finally paid Koroku some respect. He spent all this time badmouthing him but admitted today was fun. Now Brookes is looking forward to winning this year’s King Of DDT so he can choose his next challenger for the KO-D Title. He celebrated the win by sharing drinks with Antonio Honda & Takeshi Honda. They brought a spare can into the ring for the injured Masahiro Takanashi. Backstage the three of them wondered what could happen if the King Of DDT final is between two wrestlers from SCHADENFREUDE International? Meanwhile Koroku said he has learned something from this period of his career. Between this title match and getting to wrestle in New Japan a few days ago, he realized he can’t think of himself as a junior wrestler forever. Today he fought to the end believing in the wrestling he loves. He promises he will come back to this stage and win the KO-D Title.
A tough challenge was given to Astronauts for their first KO-D Tag Team Titles defence. Shinya Aoki & Keigo Nakamura has been working well together as a teacher and student pairing. They also matched the champions strike for strike, hold for hold. There was a moment where Fuminori Abe put Nakamura in the Manjigatame so Aoki did the same to Takuya Nomura. The two then had a strike exchange while still applying the submission holds on the others. Aoki & Nakamura got the upper hand by giving Astronauts stereo Piledrivers. But when Nakamura went to finish Abe off with the Full Nelson Hold, Abe countered it into the O-Manjigatame and modified the submission into a cradle to pin Nakamura for the three count. Astronauts now want to break the record for most KO-D Tag Title defences but found out the current record is held by Sanshiro Takagi & Munenori Sawa at 12 wins. Astronauts just so happen to have a tag match against Sawa & Hikaru Sato (together known as SEX-MEN) coming up at Takagi’s MatchMake & Agent show on Wednesday so they now want to make it a title match!
It’s not often when Minoru Suzuki meets his match in the wrestling ring. It’s even more weird when the person he’s in a stalemate with is Danshoku Dieno! Suzuki did not want to deal with Dieno’s usual shenanigans during their tag match. He asked Dieno if he wants to do the same stuff he’s been doing for 20 years or if he wants to fight? Dieno took Suzuki’s comments to heart and decided to pull his tights back up in order to give Suzuki the serious fight he’s been asking for. The two of them tangled themselves into dueling Leg Locks that rolled them out of the ring. They brawled up among the fans while HARASHIMA and Yuki Ueno fought each other by the stage. As the referee was reaching the 20 count, HARASHIMA & Ueno rushed back into the ring. However neither of them were the legal man meaning Dieno and Suzuki got each other counted out for a draw!
Both were still hurting from the fight when they got back into the ring. Dieno straight up told Suzuki he wants to keep fighting so he challenged him to a singles match. Suzuki wanted to know what is with this company when they’re first putting him in a match against a doll and now in a match with Dieno? At least he enjoys teaming with Ueno and would be happy to keep doing that. He can’t tell if Dieno is serious because fighting Suzuki one on one means it is a fight to the death! Dieno understands that and is willing to throw away the Danshoku moveset so he can have a match with Suzuki. Hisaya Imabayashi agreed to book it for 25th May. Dieno then had a close staredown with Suzuki and resisted the temptation to give him the Lip Lock. Then when Suzuki left the ring Yoshihiko appeared from the balcony and lowered itself down to the entrance aisle. Suzuki no sold it and pushed Yoshihiko aside as he walked back to the locker room.
KANON showed up for his Handicap Match against DAMNATION T.A in new ring gear to show he is now fully separated from the unit. Hideki Okatani also had new gear for his comeback match but that was to show he has fully embraced becoming DAMNATION T.A’s newest member. The match was supposed to be just KANON fighting both Okatani & Daisuke Sasaki but the other DAMNATION T.A members unsurprisingly got involved. MJ Paul and Ilusion did what they could to interfere while Sasaki distracted the referee. KANON put up a valiant fight until Sasaki hit him with a chair and Okatani pinned him with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster.
After the match Sasaki said KANON is no longer of any interest to them but Okatani wanted to give him one last finishing blow. KANON blocked Okatani’s chair attack but couldn’t fight back against the numbers. Suddenly a mystery person looking like Kyonin Shihan from IWA Japan ran into the ring and cleared DAMNATION T.A out of it. The person then turned to KANON and offered to help him stand back up. He then removed his disguise to reveal he is MAO! KANON accepted his help and the two left ringside together. Backstage MAO explained that KANON is not an unwanted child because MAO needs him. He always wanted them to team up because KANON is the only one he feels can help him turn DDT upside down in one go. KANON noted that MAO has a busy schedule coming up so while MAO is away, KANON promises he will become somebody worthy enough to be by his side. MAO said they can spread a Strange Love Connection across wrestling. KANON misunderstood and said he only knows “Bad Communication”…
Young Daichi Sato is now DDT’s latest signing so leave it up to Jun Akiyama to try and kill him on his first day. Akiyama gave him a Piledriver, threw him into the corner post, hit him with Knee Strikes including one with the kneepad pulled down and also made contact with a Headbutt. Sato got to show how tough he is to kick out of pins and fight back with Middle Kicks but Akiyama eventually put him down with the Exploder Suplex. He encouraged Sato to get back up under his own power after the match. Sato did so and hit Akiyama with an Elbow Strike. Akiyama ignored it and walked off. He told reporters backstage that Sato needs to build up more stamina because if he can throw a Forearm Strike after the match then he should have done it during the match. Sato admits he was no match against Akiyama but he wants to grow in DDT and become a wrestler who will surpass Akiyama.
The masked dancer Kumadori returned to DDT for his second ever wrestling match. He had to deal with NωA Jr. who felt his abilities were overshadowing their own musical talent. Kazuki Hirata was on Kumadori’s team but put forth such a weak performance he came close to costing his team the win on several occasions. But when Shunma Katsumata declared that the era of TOKYO GO! is over, Hirata found it in himself to fight back with the power of dance. Yuni & Kazuma Sumi joined Katsumata for a singalong but that was countered by MAO & Kumadori joining in with Hirata’s dancing. A dance battle broke out between the two teams and Katsumata succeeded in pinning Hirata with an Inside Cradle for the victory.
After the match Katsumata signaled to Kumadori that he wants to wrestle him again. He then announced that NωA Jr.’s second single called “Oshi Towel de Blow Off Lucha♪” will be released on 6th May. Suddenly Sanshiro Takagi came out and told NωA Jr. the harsh reality. They made 10,000 copies of their first single and only sold 800 of them. The reason for that is because the unit does not have a clear goal. Takagi came up with a solution because he wants to see NωA Jr. win the New Artist Award at the next Japan Record Awards. So Takagi booked an NωA Jr. at Shinjuku Loft on 23rd December and their goal is to sell it out!
All of Harimao were reunited for Naomi Yoshimura’s long awaited return from injury. Yukio Naya wasted no time in calling Yoshimura to start the match against him. To-y was eager to get “T! O! Y!” chants going but Ryota Nakatsu wanted to replace it with “N! K! T!” chants. Takeshi Masada Power Bombed Yuki Ishida into the turnbuckles but was thrown aside by Yoshimura with the Harai Goshi. JJ Furno came close to winning when he hit the Firebird Splash on Kazusada Higuchi but the count was broken up by the rest of Harimao. Higuchi then caught Furno on a dive and gave him the Claw Slam for the finish. It was as good a result that Harimao could ask for because Yoshimura is back and Higuchi got his first direct win since returning too. Yoshimura said his goal is to help Harimao in both DDT and BASARA. This match was Furno’s last appearance in DDT for this tour. He is sure this isn’t the end of him coming here. He says next time he comes to DDT he won’t be coming alone.
In the dark match Toru Owashi wanted to show off his lucha skills against DAMNATION T.A. Honda tried to use the power of love by forming a heart with Owashi using their hands. Paul & Ilusion attacked them only to almost embrace with each other. Honda’s plan didn’t work in the end. Instead Paul & Ilusion squashed him with a Double Body Press and Ilusion went on to pin him with the Swanton Bomb.
The show ended with the King Of DDT 1st Round matches begin announced. The matches taking place on 6th May are Antonio Honda Vs Yuki Ueno, Daisuke Sasaki Vs Akito, KANON Vs Shunma Katsumata, Yukio Naya Vs Daichi Sato, Hideki Okatani Vs To-y, Chris Brookes Vs HARASHIMA, Takeshi Masada Vs Yuya Koroku and Shinya Aoki Vs Kazusada Higuchi.
Posted by JamieOD 
