DDT “MONEY IN THE BAG ~TOSOCHU~”, 19/06/2020 Tokyo Chateau Amoeba Studio 159,300 ABEMA Views
1. Chateau Amoeba 1F: Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Makoto Oishi defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Shinya Aoki & Keigo Nakamura when Oishi pinned Nakamura with a Cradle (6:58).
2. Chateau Amoeba B2F: HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura defeated MAO, Mizuki Watase & Yukio Naya when HARASHIMA pinned Watase with the Somato (7:33).
3. Chateau Amoeba 4F: Konosuke Takeshita, Akito & Shunma Katsumata defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Gota Ihashi when Takeshita pinned Ihashi after giving Higuchi a Vertical Drop Brainbuster onto Ihashi (12:20).
4. Chateau Amoeba 1F: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Mina Shirakawa when Sakazaki & Mizuki pinned Kamifuku & Shirakawa with Diving Body Attacks from a Ladder (7:31).
5. Chateau Amoeba 5F: Saki Sukeban, Yoshiko & Seigo Tachibana defeated Danshoku Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Makoto Oishi when Yoshiko pinned Sasadango with the Running Senton (6:15).
6. Chateau Amoeba 3F: Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao defeated HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura when Sasaki grabbed the bag (11:48).
7. Shibuya HARLEM: Atsushi Onita, Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino when Onita pinned Katsumata after the Current Blast Full Swing (15:36).
Three teams entered the Chateau Amoeba Studio looking for Money In The Bag but only one would leave with it. At least that was supposed to be the plan. HARASHIMA, Konosuke Takeshita and Danshoku Dieno each captained a team and met up outside the studio. There they were met by CyberZ president and DDT director Takehiro Yamauchi along with comedian Shinji Saito. They explained the Money In The Bag was hidden somewhere inside the building but they also hired teams of hunters to protect it. If a team loses a match to the hunters they would be eliminated from the competition.
The first match took place on the 1st Floor. This is where DDT records episodes of TheNight on ABEBA. Dieno, Super Sasadango Machine & Makoto Oishi entered the room and found out Shinya Aoki was recording his own episode of TheNight with Sanshiro Takagi & Keigo Nakamura as his guests. There was a bag behind them but they attacked Dieno’s team to start the first match. The two teams fought out to the hallway where Dieno’s backside was sprayed with disinfectant. The fight then went through the studio where AbemaMix Friday was broadcasting a hip hop set. They went back to TheNight where Nakamura knocked out Dieno with a High Kick. Dieno slumped over the desk with his backside hanging out and Oishi threw Nakamura face first into him. Oishi then Cradled Nakamura for the three count. Dieno’s team grabbed the bag but found out it only contained signed copies of Takagi’s autobiography.
DISASTER BOX went to the 2nd Floor Basement where they found a sign on the dressing room door with “I Have A Bag” written on it. They went inside and saw a bag hanging from the ceiling. But Saito sprung three hunters on them! MAO, Mizuki Watase & Yukio Naya appeared for the 2nd match. Naya took out a mat covered in massage stones and his team removed HARASHIMA’s boots. HARASHIMA’s exposed feet hurt when he ran on the mat so he couldn’t do the Somato. Yuki Ueno found a pair of padded slippers that HARASHIMA could wear for protection. The plan worked and HARASHIMA hit Naya with the Somato to win. Naomi Yoshimura propped HARASHIMA up to grab the bag but they only contained sponges.
Over at the 4th Floor, ALL OUT bumped into Hisaya Imabayashi and found a bag hanging near the 7 Star Stage. When Takeshita went to get it he was ambushed by Gota Ihashi. Takeshita swatted him aside and went to climb it again only for Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi to appear for the next match. They fought through the studios where Midnight Bicycle Race and Shogi Battle Commentary were being recorded. The ABEMA staff told the wrestlers to get out so the match moved back out to the hall. Ihashi tried to hold one of the staff hostage but she ran away. Ihashi chased after her with a traffic cone and Akito came to the rescue, taking the cone to his stomach to protect the woman. Ihashi was then accidentally hit with the God’s Right Knee from Sakaguchi when it was meant to hit Takeshita. Higuchi tried to step in but Takeshita gave him a Brainbuster onto Ihashi. Takeshita pinned Ihashi then went to get the bag but Shunma Katsumata told him Akito was unconscious. ALL OUT are down a man but on the bright side they found a mysterious map inside the bag. Where would it lead them?
Back to Dieno’s team. They were still on the 1st Floor and walked in on two Tokyo Joshi Pro teams getting ready for a photoshoot. The Magical Sugar Rabbits and Pink Ready were arguing over who the shoot was supposed to be for. Dieno suggested they should wrestle for it. MagiRabi shoved Pink Ready onto some chairs and spun them around the room. Yuka Sakazaki found a fire extinguisher and sprayed it over Mina Shirakawa, freezing her face. The teams then fought over to the Reception Area where Shirakawa gave Mizuki the Romero Special on top of the reception desk while Yuki Kamifuku held Sakazaki in a Headscissors beside them. Back in the studio Dieno & Sasadango got caught up in the action. They got mixed up with Pink Ready, allowing MagiRabi to climb a nearby ladder and dive onto everyone below for the win. They told Dieno the bag he’s looking for is on the 5th Floor then went on to have their photoshoot.
Up Dieno’s team went to the 5th Floor. They found a bag but it was being guarded by Saki Sukeban, Yoshiko & Seigo Tachibana. These three were raring for a fight too. Saki attacked Oishi with her bamboo sword. Dieno tried to get on Yoshiko’s good side by wanting to film a TikTok video with her. Tachibana cycled into the room and placed his bike on a table. He spun the wheels on the spot so Saki could press Sasadango’s unmasked head into it. Yoshiko hit Sasadango with a Lariat then pinned him with a Running Senton. Dieno’s team were eliminated from the competition.
In the 3rd Floor, ALL OUT found DAMNATION drinking loads and loads of sake on their own. They also found a bag hanging above them. When Daisuke Sasaki found out about the contest he wanted to take it for himself. An impromptu Ladder Match broke out. Tetsuya Endo tried to climb the ladder but HARASHIMA pulled down the back of his shorts to stop him. Ueno tried to climb but Soma Takao did the same to him. Yoshimura Power Bombed Sasaki onto a table. HARASHIMA missed the Somato on Sasaki and landed on a chair, sliding himself away in the process. He turned this into a good idea by sliding the chair into his opponents. Endo threw Ueno onto the rest of DISASTER BOX, allowing Sasaki to climb the ladder and take the bag. Sasaki found 3,000 yen inside. Turns out it wasn’t the right bag, it in fact belonged to Hisaya Imabayashi. Whatever, DAMNATION went off to spend the money on more alcohol. DISASTER BOX lost the match so they were eliminated.
That left ALL OUT as the last team remaining. Katsumata was now in his Super Hardcore form. They also replaced Akito with Yuki Iino. The map brought ALL OUT over to Shibuya HARLEM where Saito was waiting for them. At last the remaining elite contestants had arrived for the final battle. The real bag was nearby but to get it they needed to win a Current Blast Death Match! Out came Atsushi Onita and the NEO Itoh Respect Army as the final hunters. Onita put Katsumata through a table with a Piledriver then fought with Iino inside a restroom. Maki Itoh knocked Takeshita off a ladder with a Headbutt. She then switched on the current for the blast bat. Takeshita grabbed the bat and swung it at Itoh but Chris Brookes jumped in to shield her and take the blast! Onita found another blast bat and hit Katsumata with it at full swing. He pinned him afterwards to win the match and eliminate ALL OUT.
Saito walked out feeling victorious. None of the teams could beat his challenge. However Onita then started to attack Saito, blaming him for never doing a Current Blast Deathmatch in Yoshimoto like he promised the last time they were together. Onita told him the next time they meet it should be in a pro wrestling match!
DDT “MONEY IN THE BAG ~TOSOCHU~”, 19/06/2020 Tokyo Chateau Amoeba Studio
1. Money In The Bag Match: HARASHIMA, Danshoku Dieno & Konosuke Takeshita Vs Atsushi Onita, Shinya Aoki, Yoshiko, Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Ueno, Naomi Yoshimura, Akito, Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Iino, Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai, Chris Brookes, Sanshiro Takagi, Makoto Oishi, Super Sasadango Machine, MAO, Mizuki Watase, Yukio Naya, Keigo Nakamura, Gota Ihashi, Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki, Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku, Mina Shirakawa & Seigo Tachibana
This is not an accurate listing explaining what the Money In The Bag match is but I don’t know how else to write it. HARASHIMA, Danshoku Dieno & Konosuke Takeshita will be going through DDT’s version of a TV game show called Tosochu Run For Money. They will fight through multiple floors of the Chateau Amoeba Studio looking for a bag containing prize money. There are wrestlers located on every floor acting as hunters tasked with stopping the contestants. What I don’t know is if HARASHIMA, Dieno and Takeshita are teaming together, competing solo against each other or captaining their own teams. But if you’ve seen previous Street Wrestling shows held in corporate buildings then you know what to expect. Each floor will pretty much be a different match building up to the finale.
The guests showing up include Atsushi Onita, Shinya Aoki, Yoshiko (I hear she’s become big on TikTok) and Seigo Tachibana (still looking for a job).
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “KOKO NI IRUZEE!”, 20/06/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
The card for Tokyo Joshi Pro’s return to Shin-Kiba 1st RING is being kept secret until the show takes place. Tokyo will be entering Step 3 in the roadmap to open up after COVID-19 which means they may be allowed to add an extra 42 seats on the day of the show. The current capacity limit in the venue is 100 fans.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #7”, 20/06/2020 Shinjuku FACE
1. Keigo Nakamura Vs Hideki Okatani
2. Yuki Ueno Vs Mad Paulie
3. DISASTER BOX Vs ALL OUT!: Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura & Kazuki Hirata Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Akito & Yuki Ueno
4. Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs HARASHIMA & Chris Brookes
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Time Admission Battle Royal: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Shinya Aoki Vs Antonio Honda Vs Shunma Katsumata Vs MAO Vs Mizuki Watase Vs Yukio Naya
6. Jun Akiyama Vs Makoto Oishi
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, T-Hawk & El Lindaman (c) Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai
Fans will be allowed in for this show.
DDT already have their big matches for the rest of June in place. The next episode of DDT TV SHOW sees #DAMNHEARTS put the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles on the line against Eruption. There is the added stipulation where if the champions win then Saki Akai will have to kneel down to El Lindaman, ask him how he got so big and then lick his boots.
It’s not just the youngsters who are interested in being coached by Jun Akiyama during his stay here. Makoto Oishi also wants to walk down the Royal Road. The only downside is he has to fight Akiyama when he originally wanted to team with him. It’s going to be more painful this way.
Chris Brookes has to make some unlikely short term alliances in order to fight DAMNATION for now.
1. Danshoku Dieno & Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda & Yukio Naya
2. I Will Win Today!: Mad Paulie Vs Hideki Okatani
3. I Will Win Today!: Makoto Oishi Vs Mizuki Watase
4. I Will Win Today!: MAO Vs Gota Ihashi
5. Eruption Vs ALL OUT!: Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Akito & Yuki Iino
6. 3 Way Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Keigo Nakamura
7. Good Town Tsurumi Special 6-Man Tag Team Match: Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao Vs Yuki Ueno, Naomi Yoshimura & Chris Brookes
The next day DDT goes over to the spacious indoor market in Tsurumi.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #8”, 27/06/2020 Shinjuku FACE
1. DDT UNIVERSAL Title: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Chris Brookes
2. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo & Nobuhiro Shimatani
Then next week there is two more title matches. Yuki Ueno has become a thorn in Endo’s side recently and was seconds away from beating him in the trios main event a few days ago. However Endo defended the KO-D Openweight Title against him so it’s his turn to call the shots. Endo chose Nobuhiro Shimatani to team with him and take the KO-D Tag Team Titles away from Nautilus.
Sasaki’s attempt to ice the DDT UNIVERSAL Title backfired. He nominated Masahiro Takanashi as his next challenger knowing he is many months away from recovery. That way Sasaki wouldn’t have to defend the title any time soon. Takanashi eventually accepted but nominated his friend Brookes to wrestle in his place. This finally gets Brookes his singles rematch with the man who took the title from him.
Jun Akiyama will be on the show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “STAND PROUD”, 04/07/2020 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Maki Itoh & Raku
Raku’s in-ring ability was progressing nicely before the lockdown. She added the Doctor Yellow to her arsenal and formed a winning team with Maki Itoh. They were supposed to get a Princess Tag Team Titles match against Daydream back in March but it got cancelled. Both teams agreed to do the match eventually but wanted it on an important show. The return to Ryogoku KFC Hall in July fits the bill.
DDT “WITH DRAMATIC DREAM TEAM”, 14/06/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall 82 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda defeated Hiroshi Yamato & Keigo Nakamura when Dieno pinned Nakamura with the Danshoku Driver (11:14).
2. Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino defeated MAO & Mizuki Watase when Katsumata pinned Watase with the ¡Hasta la vista! (12:35).
3. Itabashi Two Big Singles Match I: Akito defeated Makoto Oishi with the Goliath Birdeater (7:56).
4. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Yukio Naya & Hideki Okatani when Sakaguchi submitted Okatani with a Triangle Choke (9:56).
5. Itabashi Two Big Singles Match II: Chris Brookes defeated Mad Paulie with a School Boy (10:28).
6. DISASTER BOX Same Gate Confrontation!: HARASHIMA, Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Kazuki Hirata when HARASHIMA pinned Hirata with a Front High Kick (0:12).
6a. Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura defeated HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata when Yoshimura pinned Hirata with a Guillotine Drop (11:40).
7. Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ueno ended in a Time Limit Draw (30:00).
DDT’s return to audiences offered a look at some of the top wrestlers in the company facing off for 30 minutes. The dying moments of the match saw Tetsuya Endo and Yuki Ueno scrapping for the victory. Konosuke Takeshita & Kazusada Higuchi both wiped out Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao with Planchas. Endo blocked Ueno’s BME with his knees but suffered the same result when Ueno blocked his Shooting Star Press the same way. Ueno then hit his new WR finisher but was too tired to make the pin. Time ran out and the trios match was ruled a draw.
Ueno warned Endo that he is stronger than he was on the DDT TV SHOW yesterday and he will be stronger again for the KO-D Tag Team Titles defence on 27th June. Then Higuchi stepped in to tell Endo he is also hunting him down for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles next week. Takeshita tried to lighten the mood by saying how hard it was to stay motivated wrestling without fans. Today was finally the day the fans came back. Sasaki said nobody wanted to hear from the B-Class wrestlers, they want to listen to the champ! Endo got to speak and he told his rivals he will give them a hard time. He gives Ueno and Higuchi credit but neither of them have a chance of taking the KO-D Openweight Title from him. He even told Higuchi that in the end, he is just a man beneath Yukio Sakaguchi. Endo had nothing to say to Takeshita.
Kazuki Hirata has spent his time away from the ring the last three months training like mad. He wanted to show off his new overwhelming strength by challenging three of his DISASTER BOX mates to a Handicap Match so he can take over the unit as leader! HARASHIMA pinned him in 12 seconds. Hirata backed down and admitted 3 Vs 1 is a cowardly scenario. He convinced HARASHIMA to team with him for a match against Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura. Hirata left his Hirata GO! glasses backstage so he told HARASHIMA to go get a spare. He came back with a medical mask instead. Hirata eventually got his glasses but his hot run got cut off with a Lariat from Yoshimura followed by the Somato from HARASHIMA. Yoshimura then got the pin with a Guillotine Leg Drop.
Chris Brookes avoided some cheating from DAMNATION to beat Mad Paulie. During the match Sasaki ran into the ring wearing a Paulie mask in an attempt to attack Brookes with the signboard. Brookes ducked and Paulie got hit instead. Brookes rolled Paulie up with a School Boy to get away with the win.
Akito used a Grapevine Leglock to submit Makoto Oishi. He calls the move the Goliath Birdeater.
Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda used a Doomsday Gongitsune en route to win the opening match.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #6”, 13/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yukio Naya defeated Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Iino & Hideki Okatani when Naya submitted Okatani with a Cobra Twist (8:08).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Antonio Honda defeated Danshoku Dieno (c) with the Super Gongitsune 3 (8:41). *Antonio Honda becomes the 1,480th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno defeated Antonio Honda (c) with the Lip Lock (9:31 pm). *Danshoku Dieno becomes the 1,481st champion.
3. #DAMNHEARTS Vs Eruption!: Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Mad Paulie, El Lindaman & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Sakaguchi pinned Shimatani with the God’s Right Knee (10:39).
4. Jun Akiyama & Mizuki Watase defeated Chris Brookes & Keigo Nakamura when Watase pinned Kanamura with the Back Drop (10:07).
5. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao defeated HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura when Sasaki pinned Yoshimura with the Sasatonic (11:02).
6. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Match: Yuki Ueno defeated MAO with an Inverted Hurricanrana (7:38). *Yuki Ueno wins the Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
7. #DAMNHEARTS Vs ALL OUT!: Tetsuya Endo & T-Hawk defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Akito when Endo pinned Akito with the Shooting Star Press (18:16).
-. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) defeated Yuki Ueno with the Modified Yurikamome (16:54). *V1 for Tetsuya Endo. Yuki Ueno cashed in his Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Gauntlet.
First week as the champion and there wasn’t a dull moment for Tetsuya Endo. When he was in the middle of having his hand raised for winning the main event, Yuki Ueno attacked him from behind and used the Right To Challenge Gauntlet to get his KO-D Openweight Title match! When the match began Ueno went for some quick pins but Endo created some distance by throwing him out of the ring with the Torture Rack Bomb. A confident Endo shrugged off Ueno’s Elbow Strikes by calling them weaker than Masato Tanaka’s. He blocked the BME with his knees and eventually applied the Modified Yurikamome to make Ueno submit.
After the match Endo gave Ueno credit for cashing in his shot now but he should have read the room better. Endo is the man who won the title from Tanaka so he is too strong to lost the belt like this. Now it’s time for Endo to challenge for Ueno’s title! He called over Nobuhiro Shimatani and said they will face Nautilus for the KO-D Tag Team Titles! Nautilus accepted the challenge and the match will take place on 27th June.
The actual main event before this saw Endo & T-Hawk defeat Konosuke Takeshita & Akito. They got some help when El Lindaman dove out of the ring onto Takeshita while the referee was preoccupied. From there Endo pinned Akito with the Shooting Star Press.
Ueno got the Right To Challenge Gauntlet earlier in the show by beating MAO. The Gauntlet was held up when MAO got injured but today was his chance to reclaim it. An Inverted Hurricanrana from Ueno changed the course of this story and led to everything written above to happen.
Daisuke Sasaki was serious when he nominated the injured Masahiro Takanashi for his next defence of the DDT UNIVERSAL Title. Sasaki used the Takatonic (renamed the Sasatonic) to pin Naomi Yoshimura in the tag match. Takanashi actually showed up after the match. This was the first time he got into a ring since March but he told Sasaki he is in no way close to recovery. However he took Sasaki’s challenge as something that was done with positive intentions so he offered a handshake. Sasaki instead kicked Takanashi in his injured leg! Chris Brookes immediately ran out to save his friend and he gave Sasaki the Praying Mantis Bomb. Takanashi then told Sasaki he will transfer his next challenger nomination over to Brookes! The title match will happen on 27th June.
The training is paying off for Mizuki Watase. With Jun Akiyama keeping Brookes at bay, Watase used what he learned the last few weeks to beat Keigo Nakamura. After the match, Makoto Oishi walked out to talk to Akiyama. He was really excited when he found out Akiyama was going to coach in DDT. He thinks the Royal Road training shouldn’t just be for the younger wrestlers in DDT. He wants to learn it too by teaming with him. Akiyama agreed to help but said the best way to learn is to fight him. So Oishi Vs Akiyama is now going to happen.
Eruption’s win over #DAMNHEARTS has given the unit a new goal. They want the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles! Endo, T-Hawk & Lindaman were called out to meet the challenge. Yukio Sakaguchi thanked him for bringing the KO-D Title back to DDT. Saki Akai told the champs that Eruption have the strength and momentum to win the titles from them. Lindaman said Eruption is a million miles away from deserving a shot. He also doesn’t think a woman should be challenging men to wrestling matches. Akai called Lindaman scared of finding out what she is capable of. Lindaman changed his mind and accepted the challenge but on one condition. If #DAMNHEARTS win then Akai will have to kneel to Lindaman and ask him “Why are you so big?” Then Lindaman can say “Why not!” and make Akai lick his boots. The title match will take place on next week’s episode of DDT TV SHOW.
After so many misfires, the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title match finally took place. Things went extreme when Danshoku Dieno used the Space Tornado Danshoku Driver. When the move hit he was confident to have won but Antonio Honda found the strength to get back up. Using all of his power, Honda summoned the Super Gongitsune 3 to destroy Dieno and become the new champion! Then Dieno reappeared and won the title back with the Lip Lock.
In the opener, Tomomitsu Matsunaga spent the entire match wrestling in a medical mask. Toru Owashi tried to make Shunma Katsumata shake his hand. Yuki Iino tried to do the Haka Elbow on both Matsunaga and Yukio Naya but the move failed. Naya got the win for his team by submitting Hideki Okatani.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #6”, 13/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Toru Owashi, Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yukio Naya Vs Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Iino & Hideki Okatani
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Antonio Honda
3. Jun Akiyama & Mizuki Watase Vs Chris Brookes & Keigo Nakamura
4. #DAMNHEARTS Vs Eruption!: Mad Paulie, El Lindaman & Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai
5. DAMNATION Vs DISASTER BOX!: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs HARASHIMA & Naomi Yoshimura
6. #DAMNHEARTS Vs ALL OUT!: Tetsuya Endo & T-Hawk Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Akito
7. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere Match: Yuki Ueno Vs MAO
There are currently three more DDT TV SHOW episodes on the schedule. The next one takes place one day before crowds can return to DDT shows. In the main event the recently expired Right To Challenge Gauntlet becomes reactivated. MAO was the last holder and an injury prevented him from using it before it became invalid. To make up for it he gets the chance to reclaim it if he can beat Yuki Ueno, otherwise Ueno gets it. The new Gauntlet will be active for the rest of 2020 and can only be used for immediate championship matches.
Maybe a few clues of future opponents for Tetsuya Endo and Daisuke Sasaki in the tag matches. Konosuke Takeshita is always there as a challenger for Endo. It’s a matchup that happened so many times that it does not need to be protected anymore. I like an Endo Vs Akito match and it’s something they could burn in one of the remaining empty arena shows if they’re not confident it would fill even a limited venue. But above all else there’s one idea for a title challenge I really like but don’t want to commit to in writing for fear of leading you all down the wrong path. All I’m saying is Endo should have a pair of eyes in the back of his head…
Sasaki wants Masahiro Takanashi to be his next challenger but that’s only because Takanashi is injured. That means the potential match would take place months down the line and Sasaki would happily keep the DDT UNIVERSAL Title on ice until then.
Makoto Oishi is out of action so we’re back to Danshoku Dieno Vs Antonio Honda for the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title. What could go wrong this time?
DDT “MONEY IN THE BAG ~TOSOCHU~”, 19/06/2020 Tokyo Chateau Amoeba Studio
1. Money In The Bag Match: X Vs X
Now I know what you’re thinking. I thought it too. A Money In The Bank match inside a corporate building has already been done. But this might not be it. There’s a show on Fuji TV called Tosochu Run For Money where contestants are chased through an empty shopping mall by a bunch of people dressed like secret agents. Maybe the Money In The Bag match will be a mixture of that TV show and Money In The Bank. The studio where the match takes place is also where “DDT Thursday The NIGHT” on ABEMA is recorded.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match – Chop Up Challenge: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
3. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Outdoor Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Yukio Naya
4. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Makoto Oishi
6. HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji Vs MAO & Asuka
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs T-Hawk & El Lindaman
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match – Chop Up Challenge: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda ended in a Draw (72:45) (1,000 Chops Thrown).
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima defeated Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino when Sakazaki pinned Aino with the Magical Magical Girl Splash (15:31).
3. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Outdoor Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) defeated Yukio Naya with a European Clutch (10:49). *V3 for Shinya Aoki.
4. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh when Sakaguchi pinned Itoh with the PK (12:01).
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Makoto Oishi was a No Contest.
6. HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji defeated MAO & Asuka when HARASHIMA pinned Asuka with the Somato (17:24).
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura defeated T-Hawk & El Lindaman when Ueno pinned Lindaman with the WR (22:13). *V4 for Nautilus.
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo defeated Masato Tanaka (c) with two Shooting Star Presses (26:19). *Masato Tanaka fails in V5. Tetsuya Endo becomes the 75th KO-D Openweight Champion!
Tetsuya Endo’s path to reclaim the KO-D Openweight Title ends with success and maybe a few extra scars. Masato Tanaka put him through a table twice in their match, bringing back memories of their D-Ou Grand Prix final last December. The first table crash had Tanaka throw Endo through one from the turnbuckles. But the second happened when Endo used his knees to block the Diving Body Press. Damage to Endo’s leg prevented him from doing the Handspring Overhead Kick until late in the match. He could barely stand after kicking out of the Super Fly but Tanaka dared him into doing so. Tanaka hit the short range Sliding D after Endo missed the Shooting Star Press but Endo was close enough to grab the ropes for a pin break. Tanaka ran to the ropes for another Sliding D but Endo countered it with Testuya In The Sky. He hit a Package Canadian Destroyer for a two count then dragged Tanaka to the corner. Endo hit the Shooting Star Press not once but twice to get the three count and become the new KO-D Champion!
Tanaka grabbed the title belt from Yukinori Matsui after the match but it was just so he was the one to hand it to Endo. Tanaka left the ring when Endo called out to him. Endo promised to hold onto the title long enough for them to have a rematch at Saitama Super Arena! He looks forward to standing across the ring from him again. For now there is no No. 1 Contender set in place so Endo wants all potential challengers to know he is the one who beat Masato Tanaka when nobody else in DDT could. He then gathered DAMNATION together for a their first group pose in months. Together they are the symbol of strength in DDT and they have most of the championships to prove it. Not just DAMNATION but all of #DAMNHEARTS too!
The only miss on #DAMNHEARTS’s record this weekend was in the KO-D Tag Team Titles match. The challengers T-Hawk & El Lindaman failed to beat the champions Nautilus. At points the #STRONGHEARTS team ran circles over their opponents, cutting Yuki Ueno away from Naomi Yoshimura. But the tables turned when Ueno used a Hurricanrana to throw T-Hawk into Lindaman, knocking him off the top rope. Ueno gave Lindaman an Avalanche Uranage and then the Osaka Trad for a nearfall. Ueno then hit the Frog Splash but didn’t go for the pin. Instead he used a new finisher, a forward flipping DDT called the WR to win the match. Ueno said he was happy to have a title match like this today. They twice couldn’t win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles from #DAMNHEARTS but today’s win shows how much progress Nautilus has made because of those matches. Maybe they’ll have another match and this time do it in OWE.
This wasn’t their original match for the show but HarashiMarufuji reunited for the first time in ages. MAO & Asuka proved to be a lot for them to handle. They hit Double Moonsaults out of the ring and Asuka threw both HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji around with German Suplexes. The momentum shifted when HARASHIMA blocked Asuka’s Moonsault with his knees. Marufuji got rid of MAO with the Tiger King knee strike then stunned Asuka with a Trace Kick. HARASHIMA then crushed Asuka with the Somato to win. After the match they offered handshakes but Asuka slapped Marufuji across the face before leaving the ring. HARASHIMA told Marufuji he isn’t satisfied by today’s match. He wants to team with him again and go against the pair they were originally meant to fight: CIMA & Soma Takao!
All throughout the week, Danshoku Dieno and Makoto Oishi tried to have their Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title match over at the Ochanomizu Dojo. However one setback after another prevented the match from happening. Either Dieno forgot to turn off his stove, the referee never turned up, Oishi was busy babysitting or both wrestlers forgot their gear and weren’t allowed wrestle in the nude. After so many cancellations today was finally the day. Dieno waited in the ring for his opponent but Oishi never appeared. A text message came saying Oishi had to mind his baby again but he promised he would still make it. Yukinori Matsui and Hisaya Imabayashi couldn’t wait and wanted to cancel the match because it was eating into their ABEMA broadcast time. Dieno begged them not to. All he needed was three minutes and Oishi will be here. Memories of Dieno and Oishi together filled the screen when suddenly Oishi appears at the entrance! He sprints down to the ring but tripped over the steps, knocking himself out. Matsui then called off the match as Dieno looked on stunned.
Eruption defeated the NEO Itoh Respect Army in the intergender tag match. Maki Itoh avoided getting into the ring with Yukio Sakaguchi unless she was certain she had the advantage. Chris Brookes tried to help out but was met with a short range God’s Right Knee. Saki Akai then got rid of him with the Quetzalcoatl. Itoh showed one last act of defiance by giving Sakaguchi the middle finger. She got a Penalty Kick for her troubles before getting pinned.
The DDT Extreme Title match had no countouts to celebrate the relaxation of Tokyo’s outdoor restrictions. Shinya Aoki and Yukio Naya fought around the hallways of Shinjuku FACE, dragging Keigo Nakamura along for the ride. At one point they all moved past Maki Itoh who was warming up for her singing entrance. Aoki, Naya and Nakamura ended up back in the ring with Nakamura getting most of the beating. Aoki countered Naya’s Back Drop into a European Clutch to score his third successful defence.
The Tokyo Joshi Pro offer match saw Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima defeat Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino. The result was almost the opposite when Tenma & Aino gave Sakazaki the Bakuretsu Bulldog. Nakajima came in to even the numbers and with Sakazaki did a Double 619 to Aino. Yamashita knocked Aino silly with the Backspin Kick and Sakazaki got the three count right afterwards with the Magical Magical Girl Splash.
The longest match of the show by far was the opening contest between Antonio Honda and Toru Owashi. Before the match, Super Sasadango Machine sent a video message from Niigata announcing he would donate 100 yen to a medical workers charity for every Chop that happens in the match. Both Honda and Owashi promised to put their power and soul into their Chops for such a noble cause. They then spent the match lightly chopping and slapping each other’s chests while Shota kept count. The left the venue still chopping so the show moved on to Match #2. When that was over we saw Honda & Oishi chopping each other in the locker room. They decided to go get something to eat. After Match #4 they made it to Ebisuko Tavern but Ken Ohka refused to give them entry over social distancing guidelines. The Tavern is doing everything it can to run business safely so the last thing they want to do is let in two sweaty naked men slapping each other. Honda and Owashi agreed to get a take out meal but they also dragged Ohka along with them back to the venue. After Match #5 Honda and Owashi ate their take out meal in the locker room with a captive Ohka bound and gagged behind them. KUDO entered the room demanding money because nobody paid the 3,100 yen bill! KUDO agreed to chop Ohka 31 times instead, bringing the total number of Chops thrown to 1,000! Everyone agreed to end the match there resulting in 100,000 yen being donated to charity in Sasadango’s name.
First let’s get the bad news out of the way. Even though Japan is entering the second phase of lifting their Coronavirus restrictions, the DDT Group are following requests from venues to cancel the following shows in June and July:
DDT “BLACK OUT PRESENTS KING OF DDT 2020 THE FINAL!!”, 28/06/2020 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
DDT “ROAD TO PETER PAN 2020 ~DRAMATIC DREAM TAKESHI~”, 02/07/2020 Tokyo Hanayashiki Asakusa Flower Theater
MUSCLE “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 3”, 09/07/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
DDT “KAZUKI HIRATA 10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW! 10 YEARS OF HIRATA GO!!”, 18/07/2020 Tokyo Belle Epoque Beauty School 2nd School Hall
DDT “DATE CITY 2ND ROUND! 1 YEAR UNTIL THE 60TH BIRTHDAY! ~GORGEOUS NIGHT~”, 19/07/2020 Fukushima Date City Hobara Gymnasium
———————————————————————–
Now here’s the good news. The DDT Group can run shows in front of audiences again! They have to put in safety precautions of course such as limiting the number of seats at the venues (either around 100 fans or 50% capacity looks to be deal across the board depending on the venue size). Fans going to shows will need to wear medical masks, get their temperatures checked and have their hands disinfected as they enter. New shows in June have been announced today across the different promotions. They will be held in venues that provide a lot of open air and ventilation. That means Shin-Kiba 1st RING, Shinjuku FACE, Itabashi Green Hall and Tsurumi Vegetable Market for those not paying attention. DDT TV SHOW episodes #7 & #8 will also continue to take place as planned. DDT can now advertise the worst kept secret that they were taped in Shinjuku FACE. The revised schedule for June is as follows.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “KOKO NI IRUZEE!”, 13/06/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
DDT “WITH DRAMATIC DREAM TEAM”, 14/06/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
GANBARE☆WRESTLING “COMEBACK ANYTIME 2020”, 14/06/2020 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “KOKO NI IRUZEE!”, 20/06/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 1”, 06/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie Vs Keigo Nakamura & Hideki Okatani
2. Keisuke Ishii & HARUKAZE Vs Hiroshi Yamato & Saori Anou
3. DDT Yuru-chara No. 1 Battle In Niigata: Super Sasadango Machine Vs Pokotan
4. Singles Match Between Wrestlers Who Want To Participate In DDT Regularly: Nobuhiro Shimatani Vs Seigo Tachibana
5. Jun Akiyama & Mizuki Watase Vs Akito & Yuki Iino
6. DDT UNIVERSAL Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Isami Kodaka Vs Shunma Katsumata
7. DDT Vs Kongoh All Out Battle!: Sanshiro Takagi, Kazusada Higuchi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga Vs Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Hao
8. TOKYO 2020 LAST MAN STANDING: Yoshihiko Vs Konosuke Takeshita
Before the audiences can come back, “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020” will hopefully be the bookend for DDT’s empty arena era (fingers crossed). I don’t think I’ll write a full blown preview for these shows due to the short amount of time most of the matches were put together. So this will do for now.
The big feud of DDT TV SHOW has been between Konosuke Takeshita and Yoshihiko. A hatred led to warning messages of “ALL OUT All Dead” where Yoshihiko defeated each member of the unit one by one. It even brought back another battle doll named Akihiro to join the fight. Yesterday ALL OUT reached their breaking point and launched a vicious counter attack where Takeshita ripped off Akihiro’s arm. Alone again, Yoshihiko has to fight Takeshita one more time in a Last Man Standing match!
Kongoh popped by to visit Sanshiro Takagi on yesterday’s DDT TV SHOW. They seem like nice lads. Well if you ignore the leader Kenou threatening violence on Takagi if he doesn’t leave NOAH alone. That’s difficult because Takagi is NOAH’s president. And as president Takagi is ordering Kenoh, Masa Kitamiya & Hao to fight him, Kazusada Higuchi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga in a DDT ring!
Daisuke Sasaki originally chose Shunma Katsumata to be his next DDT UNIVERSAL Title defence because he thinks it is a match he can easily win. Then two things happened that he did not expect. One, Isami Kodaka came in wanting to win a title that didn’t exist back when he was a DDT employee. And two, Katsumata went into his Super Hardcore form to attack the champion. A Hardcore 3 Way Match will solve those problems.
Mizuki Watase has shown some progress by wrestling with coach Jun Akiyama. This is the first time they are teaming together.
Both Nobuhiro Shimatani and Seigo Tachibana want regular bookings in DDT. The company isn’t big enough for the both of them.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
3. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh
4. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Yukio Naya
5. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Makoto Oishi
6. HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji Vs MAO & Asuka
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura Vs T-Hawk & El Lindaman
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
On Day 2, Tetsuya Endo reaches his destination. There was a setback here and there but now nothing is stopping him from facing Masato Tanaka for the KO-D Openweight Title. Endo’s big goal for #DAMNHEARTS is to monopolize DDT’s championships so T-Hawk & El Lindaman are challenging Nautilus for the KO-D Tag Team Titles.
MAO will return from injury one day too late. The last active Right To Challenge Gauntlet has expired and he was too hurt to use it. So he has to take a detour and will chase after the UNIVERSAL Title. MAO will also team with Asuka for now because the Coronavirus measures prevent Mike Bailey from entering Japan. They get a big challenge in the form of HarashiMarufuji!
Danshoku Dieno is finally moving away from his Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title defences against Antonio Honda. He still hasn’t beat him but another figure decided to get in his way. Makoto Oishi has a decade of history with Dieno and he will let it all out for the big clash.
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #5”, 30/05/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio 0 Fans
1. Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Chris Brookes, Mizuki Watase & Yukio Naya by TKO when Sakaguchi used the Modified Sleeper Hold on Watase (9:41).
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Antonio Honda defeated Danshoku Dieno (c) by Disqualification when Dieno gave the referee a Low Blow (8:11). *No title change due to Disqualification.
3. DAMNATION VS ALL OUT!: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao defeated Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino when Takao pinned Iino with a Running Elbow Butt (13:18).
4. Jun Akiyama defeated Hideki Okatani with a Crab Hold (4:24).
5. Konosuke Takeshita & Akito defeated Yoshihiko & Akihiro by Referee Stoppage when Takeshita ripped Akihiro’s arm off (9:35).
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Tetsuya Endo, T-Hawk & El Lindaman (c) defeated HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura when Endo pinned Ueno with the Shooting Star Press (16:17). *V2 for #DAMNHEARTS.
One week to go until “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020” and everything is set for the big weekend. Tetsuya Endo is now all clear to challenge for the KO-D Openweight Title. Today’s main event was changed into an official KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles defence when DISASTER BOX asked for it. Yuki Ueno wanted the most motivation possible for his first match back in two months. El Lindaman accepted on his team’s behalf but only DISASTER BOX understood that challenging twice in a row means there is also a big risk attached. #DAMNHEARTS had already beaten them once before and they wouldn’t agree to a second chance under normal circumstances. T-Hawk dodged the Somato from HARASHIMA but was Clotheslined out of the ring by Naomi Yoshimura. Lindaman got rid of Yoshimura with a German Suplex and then held Ueno up for Endo to hit him with the Handspring Overhead Kick. Endo got a nearfall with the Swivel Torture Rack Bomb then hit the Shooting Star Press while his teammates held the rest of DISASTER BOX back.
#DAMNHEARTS got an extra few shots in on DISASTER BOX after the match. Lindaman reminded them about the big risk they accepted. Now it’s time for the other tag belts to be defended. T-Hawk & El Lindaman want to challenge for the KO-D Tag Team Titles at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020”! Yoshimura accepted the challenge. Meanwhile Endo got confirmation that he is guaranteed to face Masato Tanaka for the KO-D Title on 7th June. He promised #STRONGHEARTS will take the KO-D Tag Title belts from Nautilus and he will take the KO-D Title from Gold’s Gym! Endo wants everyone to know that Saitama Super Arena is not his end goal. His end goal is for #DAMNHEARTS to monopolize all of the championships and make pro wrestling even hotter!
If having #STRONGHEARTS around wasn’t enough for DDT to handle, now there’s another invading force coming in, one a little more closer to home. The Kongoh stable from Pro Wrestling NOAH entered the ring before the main event and their leader Kenoh demanded to see Sanshiro Takagi. Kenoh hates Takagi! He hates that Takagi is the president of NOAH. He believes Takagi wants DDT to take over NOAH so Kenoh swears to protect NOAH from him. Takagi came out and told him they are in a DDT ring. He can complain all he wants but if it bothers him that much they should fight over it. As the president of NOAH, Takagi orders Kenoh to fight him in DDT! Kenoh shouted that he will! DDT and Kongo will face off at “WRESTLE PETER PAN” next weekend.
An eye for an eye. An arm for an arm. ALL OUT came out for revenge on Yoshihiko & Akihiro in a violent clash. The battle dolls were ambushed by Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino during their entrance. Konosuke Takeshita & Akito joined the beating and brought Yoshihiko into the ring to finish it off. Akihiro came to the rescue and the dolls gave Takeshita a Double Canadian Destroyer. They then went to German Suplex Akito but he switched positions with Katsumata’s help. Takeshita then grabbed onto them to deliver a quadruple stacked German Suplex! Akito dragged Yoshihiko over to the stage and tied him in knots before hanging the rolled up doll from the banners. Akito then forced Yoshihiko to watch on as Takeshita ripped off Akihiro’s arm! The referee stopped the match by TKO and Takeshita celebrated with his new trophy. He blamed Yoshihiko for all of the physical and mental anguish ALL OUT has suffered over the last month. Now it has suffered like they have. Takeshita challenged Yoshihiko to one more match next week to settle the score. It will be a Last Man Standing match!
The younger generation of DDT wrestlers have shown themselves eager to get in the ring with Jun Akiyama. The rookie Hideki Okatani jumped out of the starting blocks hitting Running Elbows. Akiyama took the wind out of his sails with a Body Slam onto the floor outside. Okatani tried to regain ground with more Elbow Strikes and even went for a Northern Lights Suplex but Akiyama cut him off with a Guillotine Choke. Akiyama let go just to knee Okatani in the head. There was enough in the rookie to kick out of the pin but when the Crab Hold was locked in it was all over once Akiyama moved it to the centre of the ring.
Soma Takao pinned Yuki Iino in the DAMNATION Vs ALL OUT tag match but the story to focus on was what happened afterwards. Daisuke Sasaki’s interview was interrupted by an attack from Shunma Katsumata in his Super Hardcore form. A confused Sasaki shouted about how Katsumata looked like he came from a wedding while he was being attacked. He then called for the police or Batman to save him. Katsumata beat him up with chairs and gave him a Pedigree onto the chair covered with toy blocks. He then raised the DDT UNIVERSAL Title over his head.
Let’s try this Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title match again! Early in the bout, Antonio Honda put Danshoku Dieno in a tight Hammerlock. Dieno sounded like he was about to say “Give Up” but instead said different phrases that rhymed with it. Honda then tried palm reading to see Dieno’s fortune. He found out Dieno’s pro wrestling luck is the worst! Dieno put Honda in a Sleeper Hold and almost made him pass out. Honda’s arm fell two times but on the third it popped up with a Gongitsune puppet on his hand. The match suddenly paused and the WRESTLE UNIVERSE audience were given time to vote on Twitter what they wanted to happen next. Either a) Dieno could listen to Gongitsune, b) Dieno told his own story or c) the referee gets attacked for some reason. The audience voted for b) and Dieno told his own Gongitsune story. But when he went for the Sweet Chin Music sneak attack, Honda dodged it and it hit Yukinori Matsui in the groin instead! For some reason Dieno and Honda agreed to attack Matsui together. Matsui fought them off with a Double Lariat but when he went to leave, Dieno gave him a Low Blow. A badly hurt Matsui disqualified Dieno but he remains the champion.
More antics happened straight away when Makoto Oishi entered the ring and gave Stunners to Dieno and Matsui. He demanded an Iron Man Title match because he can give Dieno a lively challenge. Dieno told Oishi he’s been waiting for him all this time and on 7th June they will settle 10 years of history between them. He went for a handshake but Oishi spat in his face instead.
Unfortunately due to a right ankle injury he suffered during training, MAO is currently out of action. The good news is he will recover in time to wrestle on 7th June. The bad news is the Right To Challenge Gauntlet he currently possesses expires before that date. Today’s show was the last chance it could be used. MAO threw a hissy fit over the decision and said he wants to give the Gauntlet to Mike Bailey if he can’t use it. Hisaya Imabayashi told him that was impossible. MAO has no other friends so he doesn’t know what to do. Imabayashi then struck him a deal. He gives up the Gauntlet and it becomes invalid. In return a new Gauntlet will be active after “WRESTLE PETER PAN”. When MAO comes back he will be put in the match where the new Gauntlet is on the line. MAO agreed to the deal. He then found out he will team with Asuka to take on HARASHIMA & Naomichi Marufuji for his return match! MAO likes that idea. Since Bailey can’t be in DDT for now, maybe MAO teaming with Asuka will be the next best thing.
Eruption are now bouncing back from their failed plan to take over DDT’s main event scene. Their win in the opener was also a preview of their tag match against the NEO Itoh Respect Army next week. Chris Brookes got to tangle with both Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai. A motivated Mizuki Watase went after Sakaguchi but his Back Drop was countered into a Sleeper Hold. Brookes & Yukio Naya were taken out by the rest of Eruption while Sakaguchi sent Watase to sleep.
After last week’s setback, Seigo Tachibana returned at some point during the show again demanding to be booked. Imabayashi told him he wouldn’t because he couldn’t beat Okatani last week. Tachibana threatened him into giving another match. Suddenly Nobuhiro Shimatani entered the room also demanding to be booked! He lost 15kg in weight since his last DDT appearance and thinks he deserves to be here more than Tachibana does. The two were about to fight when Imabayashi told them they can have a match on Day 1 of “WRESTLE PETER PAN”. Tachibana then admitted he thought that show was today.
I hope everybody out there is feeling well and finding ways to cope with the sad news about Hana Kimura. Dylan from the Eastern Lariat podcast tweeted a magazine photo of the time when an 8 year old Kimura won the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title, which I think was her only connection to DDT. There would have been a working relationship between her and Sanshiro Takagi in WRESTLE-1 as well back when Takagi was part of its management.
There’s a quick story I want to tell. When I last went to Tokyo in 2016 I got to see a Sendai Girls show with a group of friends in Korakuen (the 8th April one). Kyoko Kimura was wrestling in the opener and Hana was there as her ringside attendant. This was only a few weeks after her pro debut and it was her only role on the show. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. The next day I spoke to an American expat and talked about the show. Before I even finished a sentence he cut me off and asked “Was Kyoko Kimura’s daughter there? She is going to be a star!”
DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #5”, 30/05/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Jun Akiyama Vs Hideki Okatani
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Danshoku Dieno (c) Vs Antonio Honda
3. DAMNATION VS ALL OUT!: Daisuke Sasaki & Soma Takao Vs Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino
4. Yoshihiko & Akihiro Vs Konosuke Takeshita & Akito
5. #DAMNHEARTS Vs DISASTER BOX!: Tetsuya Endo, T-Hawk & El Lindaman Vs HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura
Figures from past and present are returning as Japan opens up again. The #STRONGHEARTS pair of T-Hawk & El Lindaman rejoin Tetsuya Endo to protect him from losing before his big title match. Yuki Ueno has spent all of this time during the pandemic looking after the Dropkick Bar. He gets to wrestle again for the first time in almost two months.
The second battle doll Akihiro came back in Yoshihiko’s time of need to defeat ALL OUT. The feud isn’t over yet when revenge is on offer.
Third time’s the charm for Danshoku Dieno Vs Antonio Honda.
Two thirds of the next DDT UNIVERSAL Title match face off in tag action.
Hideki Okatani showed his stuff by fighting Seigo Tachibana to a time limit draw in the match that took place after the last episode ended. Jun Akiyama should have lots to teach him.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PPV SHOW ~ZENRYOKU YELL~”, 31/05/2020 OPENREC.tv
1. Hikari Noa Vs Sena Shiori
2. Hyper Misao Vs Mahiro Kiryu
3. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Shoko Nakajima & Suzume
The main event is confirmed to be The Magical Sugar Rabbits against Shoko Nakajima & Suzume.
GANBARE☆WRESTLING “HIMITSU 2020”, 03/06/2020 ???
1. 4 Vs 4 Survival Tag Match: Keisuke Ishii, Yumehito Imanari, Shinichiro Tominaga & Kouki Iwasaki Vs Shuichiro Katsumura, Shota, Washi Sakurai & X
At last Ganbare☆Wrestling gets to have a go at an empty arena match. Here’s a neat concept for the match. We have two teams with 4 wrestlers each. When the match begins two wrestlers from each side are selected to wrestle a tag team match. When a wrestler is defeated by normal means they are replaced by a new teammate and the tag match continues. To win the match, a team must eliminate three of their opponents.
As you can see, one team has a mystery wrestler advertised. I’m surprised to see Ken Ohka or Moeka Haruhi aren’t involved. Haruhi being there would have meant all members of THE HALFEE were in the match on the same side. This is the only match of the show too.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 1”, 06/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie Vs Keigo Nakamura & Hideki Okatani
2. Keisuke Ishii & HARUKAZE Vs Hiroshi Yamato & Saori Anou
3. DDT Yuru-chara No. 1 Battle In Niigata: Super Sasadango Machine Vs Pokotan
4. DDT UNIVERSAL Title – Hardcore 3 Way Match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) Vs Isami Kodaka Vs Shunma Katsumata
The new plan for “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020” is to hold it under the DDT TV SHOW format across two days. It’s not the mega show it is going to be but under the current circumstances it keeps DDT chugging along as light appears at the end of the tunnel.
Daisuke Sasaki wanted his next title defence to be easy and violent. That is why he nominated Shunma Katsumata to be his next challenger. The twist is the sudden appearance of Isami Kodaka getting involved. Kodaka heard about DDT’s new UNIVERSAL Title and wanted to add it to his ever growing list of accomplishments.
I bet the DDT roster are happy to see Saori Anou again.
DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2020 DAY 2”, 07/06/2020 DDT TV SHOW Studio
1. Tokyo Joshi Pro 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Rika Tatsumi, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
2. Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai Vs Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh
3. Super Sasadango Machine Remote Produce Match: Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda
4. DDT Extreme Title – Celebration! Release Restriction Rules: Shinya Aoki (c) Vs Yukio Naya
5. KO-D Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) Vs Tetsuya Endo
Endo is so close to his final goal. He tripped up once before but reclaimed the KO-D Challenger Sword and just has to avoid a direct defeat one more time. Once he does that, Masato Tanaka will be there waiting for him with the KO-D Openweight Title held tightly in his grip.
The state of emergency in Tokyo has been lifted and the restrictions across Japan are easing off. Shinya Aoki will use the uplifting news as inspiration for his next DDT Extreme Title defence. Yukio Naya is stepping up as the challenger.
This show is taking place on Nodoka Tenma’s birthday! She is happy to spend the day fighting against the three strongest wrestlers in Tokyo Joshi Pro. Her team with Yuki Aino & Rika Tatsumi is called Bakuretsu Dragon.
BASARA “BASARA 129 ~BANQUET~”, 14/07/2020 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) Vs Gouma Ryu & Ryuji Ito
2. Union MAX Title: Fuminori Abe (c) Vs Isami Kodaka
BASARA are playing it safe and have cancelled their last remaining show in June. Instead their first show back will be in July at Shin-Kiba 1st RING. Normally this is the Banquet all you can drink show but that system will be suspended and the seating rearranged to accommodate social distancing. For now they are numbering the show #129. The last BASARA show that took place was #126 (I’m amazed I’ve been able to keep track of the chapter numbers for so long). If that sticks then it means #127 & #128 are forever lost to the cancellations.
The two title matches that were originally going to take place in April are now finally going to happen in July. Fuminori Abe must be chomping at the bit to prove his worth as Union MAX Champion by now.
Posted by JamieOD 
