DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN NANIWA HEALTH LAND HOT SPRING~TOPIA”, 10/10/2022 Osaka Naniwa Health Land Hot Spring~Topia 30 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Falls Count Anywhere Tag Match: Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima defeated Yukio Naya & Yuya Koroku when Katsumata pinned Koroku with the Totonou Splash into the Water Bath (59:40).
A midnight Falls Count Anywhere match was held inside one of Osaka’s saunas after “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 9” was done and dusted. Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima welcomed a group of fans to come see them beat Yukio Naya & Yuya Koroku. They fought downstairs towards the bath area where Katsumata eventually pinned Koroku with the Totonou Splash into one of the baths. Afterwards Katsumata brought everyone into the sauna room where they could all enjoy the nice hot steam.
The annual D-Ou Grand Prix has been date corrected back to its proper year so the 2022 edition is in fact taking place in the year 2022. A new direction has been given to this year’s tournament. Every entrant is under the age of 40 because DDT is currently building up their younger roster. The format is a two block round robin with the winners of each group meeting in the final. Both blocks contain 6 wrestlers so everybody will compete in 5 matches, each with a 30 minute time limit. The final itself has no time limit. Wins are worth 2 points and draws (time limit or double knockout) are worth 1 point. 0 points will go toward losses, double countouts and any match that is ruled a No Contest or gets cancelled because both wrestlers are unable to compete. In the case of ties for first place, the match result between the wrestlers involved will be used as the tiebreaker. Kenta Kobashi remains in his role as the chairman of the tournament committee.
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 OPENING ROUND”, 01/11/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Yuki Ueno
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Naomi Yoshimura Vs RSP
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi Vs KANON
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino Vs Yukio Naya
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs MAO
———————————————————————–
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 1”, 03/11/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs Joey Janela
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Daisuke Sasaki
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino Vs KANON
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: MAO Vs Yukio Naya
———————————————————————–
DDT “DDT FREE -NOVEMBER- D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA”, 05/11/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki Vs RSP
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Naomi Yoshimura Vs Joey Janela
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: MAO Vs KANON
———————————————————————–
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN YOKOHAMA DAY 2”, 05/11/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Joey Janela
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs RSP
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yuji Hino
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs KANON
———————————————————————–
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN OSAKA”, 12/11/2022 Osaka Edion Arena #2
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Yuki Ueno Vs Naomi Yoshimura
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Joey Janela
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs RSP
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi Vs MAO
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs Yukio Naya
———————————————————————–
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN KYOTO”, 13/11/2022 Kyoto KBS Hall
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Naomi Yoshimura
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Chris Brookes
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yukio Naya Vs KANON
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Yuji Hino Vs MAO
———————————————————————–
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 IN KORAKUEN HALL”, 18/11/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yuki Ueno
2. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Joey Janela Vs RSP
3. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – A Block: Tetsuya Endo Vs Naomi Yoshimura
4. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yukio Naya
5. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – B Block: Chris Brookes Vs Yuji Hino
———————————————————————–
DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2022 THE FINAL”, 04/12/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 – Final: Winner Of A Block Vs Winner Of B Block
DDT “WHO’S GONNA TOP? 2022”, 25/09/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 701 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
0. Dark Match: Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima defeated Yuya Koroku & Yuki Ishida when Okatani pinned Ishida with the Double Arm Suplex (6:37).
1. MAO, Asuka & Saki Akai defeated Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Akai pinned Honda with the Rookie Award (6:44).
2. Right To Challenge Anytime, Anywhere 3 Way Match: Shinya Aoki defeated Shunma Katsumata and Yuki “Sexy” Iino (w/ Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno) when Aoki pinned Katsumata with the European Clutch (6:58).
3. Special Tag Match: Akito & Yukio Naya defeated Osamu Nishimura & Shinichiro Kawamatsu when Naya submitted Kawamatsu with the Torture Cobra Twist (11:41).
4. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & KANON (w/ MJ Paul) defeated Naomi Yoshimura, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi when Sasaki submitted Oishi with the Crossface Lock (11:21).
5. Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao defeated Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Takeshi Masada when Sakaguchi pinned Okada with the God’s Right Knee (11:18).
6. DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated Cara Noir with the WR (13:01). *V1 for Yuki Ueno.
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) defeated Konosuke Takeshita with the Buchikamashi (18:57). *V2 for Kazusada Higuchi.
A hard headed effort from Kazusada Higuchi withstood the challenge of Konosuke Takeshita, preventing the KO-D Openweight Title from leaving Japan once Takeshita goes back to America. Higuchi’s iron toughness was on show when Takeshita pulled him by the arms, driving him head first into the steel ring post. Higuchi took a second long pause to register what happened and calmly fired back with a Headbutt that drew some blood from Takeshita’s forehead. Higuchi later attempted a big Choke Slam from the top rope but it was countered into a Frankensteiner followed by the Zahi. Higuhci kicked out of that and also the German Suplex before catching the Jumping Knee. More big bombs were thrown between the two and Takeshita finally hit the Jumping Knee. What he didn’t see coming was Higuchi standing firm and then charging in with the Buchikamashi sumo tackle. That put Takeshita down for the three count and Higuchi remains the champion.
After the match Takeshita gave his approval to Higuchi for being the champion and told him to do his best. He will be in America for around two and a half months before coming back for a DDT booking at the end of the year. Shinya Aoki then came down to ringside but rather than tease cashing in his title shot, he reached through the ropes to give Higuchi a fist bump instead and left. Yukio Sakaguchi then came out during Higuchi’s victory speech. He said Higuchi understands why he came out and he still does not understand true fear the likes of which Sakaguchi is capable of. Higuchi accepted his challenge and the two former “brothers” will fight for the KO-D Title on 23rd October.
You ever hear when wrestling commentators joke about how “it ain’t ballet”? Isn’t that in reality an insult backfire when you think about it? I’ve watched footage of ballet training and that stuff looks like hell on Earth even when compared to pro wrestling drills. Okay, okay, I’m getting distracted because I don’t want to make the usual theatre puns when writing about Cara Noir. The English wrestler performed his big entrance for the fans and then jumped Yuki Ueno with a John Woo Dropkick. Ueno was able to defend himself and escape from the Blackout Sleeper. He then returned with a Dropkick of his own, hitting Noir right in his face. The WR afterwards got Ueno the win and a successful DDT Universal Title defence under his belt.
There is a language barrier between the two but Ueno thanked Noir for coming to Japan after their match. It is a difficult time for Ueno to do what he wants and defend the Universal Title abroad, so he appreciates foreign opponents coming to DDT to challenge him. The three main members of Pheromones then entered the ring. Yuki Iino stepped over to Ueno and then turned around, revealing Ueno’s iPhone sticking out of his butt. Ueno pulled out his phone and found out he got a message from Koju Takeda. He read the message containing accusations that he does not have enough Pheromones. Takeda wants to measure their hormone levels together and so challenges Ueno for the Universal Title on 23rd October. Ueno accepts and wants to see how much Takeda has changed since their days in DNA together.
Sakaguchi cemented his claim for a KO-D Title shot by grabbing the win in Match #5. He was part of a DDT all veteran team against three members of BURNING along with the rookie Takeshi Masada. For some reason Sanshiro Takagi was a target for the opposing team. Tetsuya Endo got some ring time with HARASHIMA but Masada in particular wanted to beat Takagi. Jun Akiyama explained to the reporters backstage it’s because pro wrestling is the only place where it is acceptable to beat up the company president. It’s also acceptable to kick the heck out of Yusuke Okada like Sakaguchi did to win the match. Soma Takao was just kind of there. Even he noticed that he isn’t in any of the match pictures on DDT’s website.
DAMNATION T.A gave some of their next KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles opponents a taste of what’s to come. Minoru Fujita & KANON had their hands full with Naomi Yoshimura & Yuji Hino until MJ Paul got into a brawl with Hino out of the ring and up towards the balcony. Daisuke Sasaki had Makoto Oishi right where he wanted him from there. DAMNATION T.A benefited from the numbers game and Sasaki ended up tapping out Oishi with the Crossface Lock. Sasaki mocked Oishi for being so weak and wanted to injure him with a chair. Suddenly Shiori Asahi’s music began playing and he ran out to rescue his friend, fighting off Sasaki with a skateboard. Together, Oishi & Asahi then gave KANON the Cactus Flower. Asahi said it’s been a long time since he showed up as X on DDT shows. Hino said Ω is getting closer to a complete recovery. They will show DAMNATION T.A what real evil looks like when they take the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles from them!
The politician tag team of Osamu Nishimura & Shinichiro Kawamatsu were back at it again, this time wrestling against Akito & Yukio Naya. Two two are becoming more cohesive by doing double team moves together. However Naya was able to break them apart and submit Kawamatsu with the Cobra Twist. Nishimura gave advice to Kawamatsu by comparing a wrestling career to an election. Elections are the accumulation of everything politicians do day by day. Kawamatsu admits that every time he steps into the ring to wrestle his head goes blank and everything happens at a blink of an eye. Akito thinks this won’t be the last we see of Kawamatsu. Naya meanwhile has more important matters to get ready for.
Aoki had no choice but to put his Right To Challenge NFT on the line against Shunma Katsumata and Yuki Iino in a 3 Way Match. Katsumata dealt with Iino by sticking party poppers into his backside and setting them off. What he couldn’t have anticipated was Aoki turning into a Pheromones gimmick! He reappeared wearing very little and pinned Katsumata with the European Clutch. He still hasn’t publicly told people when he wants to cash in the NFT for a KO-D Title shot. The only hint he gives is it will happen soon.
Romance was unexpectedly in the air during the opening bout. Toru Owashi and Antonio Honda’s grappling gradually turned into them slowly embracing each other for a kiss. That was interrupted by the others but soon some unintentional hugging led to Saki Akai wanting to kiss Asuka and MAO wanting to kiss Kazuki Hirata. Before they could almost all of them snapped back to normal and Akai pinned Honda with the Rookie Award. Asuka was left in a frozen state with her eyes closed, still waiting for Akai to kiss her. Yukinori Matsui woke her up causing Asuka to scream at the sight of him and leave.
The dark match saw Hideki Okatani & Toi Kojima beat Yuya Koroku & Yuki Ishida in a tag battle between the young generation. Ishida kicked out of Okatani’s Northern Lights Suplex so Okatani had to pull out the Double Arm Suplex for the win.
19 year old trainee Kazuma Sumi will make his debut against Kazuki Hirata on 23rd October. He spoke to the crowd and called Hirata a very talented person so he will do his best. Sumi has a background in karate and gymnastics. He is the second of the trainee class introduced in May to make his debut, the first being Takeshi Masada.
Danshoku Dieno has written a book to celebrate his 20th Anniversary in pro wrestling. He said he lied to the publisher about making a self-help book to convince them to sell it. However he will be covering topics about the pro wrestling business from his point of view based on his two decades of experience. It will be available in December and Dieno is hosting a special event at Korakuen Hall on the 21st to commemorate the release. Attendees will receive a copy of the book but the cost of it will be added on top of the ticket price.
The D-Ou Grand Prix 2022 lineup was revealed. The A Block consists of Yuki Ueno, Naomi Yoshimura, Joey Janela, Tetsuya Endo, Daisuke Sasaki and Rickey Shane Page. The B Block consists of Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes, MAO, Yuji Hino, KANON and Yukio Naya.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”, 09/10/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall
1. Aja Kong, Raku & Pom Harajuku Vs Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino & Max The Impaler
2. Mizuki Vs Hyper Misao
3. International Princess Title: Alex Windsor (c) Vs Miu Watanabe
4. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Rhia O’Reilly & Nightshade
5. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki
The return of Alex Windsor to Japan is happening just in time because there is now a No. 1 Contender for her International Princess Title. Last week Miu Watanabe won the next title shot and will now face Windsor for the belt at “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”. Winning the title here will continue her big momentum coming out of the summer.
Two pro wrestling beasts will collide! For ages Tetsuya Koda thought that Aja Kong was the only monster left in joshi. Then he discovered Max The Impaler and brought the wasteland warrior over to Tokyo Joshi Pro. Max looked unstoppable in their few appearances here so Koda found himself in an embarrassing position to look for help, otherwise his roster is going to get destroyed by Max one wrestler at a time. Luckily for him, Kong always shows up at TJPW’s most important shows and Koda thinks she is the only one who can hunt down Max. There’s one problem though. If Kong and Max fight each other outside the ring they could end up causing a lot of damage around Tokyo Dome City Hall and TJPW will have to pay what will certainly be a massive repair bill. Koda’s solution is to ask the other four women in the match to stop that from happening and keep the two monsters within the squared circle. Kong gets along with Raku & Pom Harajuku while Max took a liking to Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino so there’s a chance our hapless heroes can somehow calm down the monsters enough to keep the match under control.
The main event is between a member of Kyoraku Kyomei and The Magical Sugar Rabbits. So let’s have the other halves of both teams face off against each other too. Hyper Misao and Mizuki have only one previous singles match together that happened back in 2018. Mizuki won that match. Misao will need to come up with something clever to even the score.
DDT “ROJO PRO WRESTLING IN NANIWA HEALTH LAND HOT SPRING~TOPIA”, 10/10/2022 Osaka Naniwa Health Land Hot Spring~Topia
1. Falls Count Anywhere Tag Match: Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima Vs Yukio Naya & Yuya Koroku
DDT will be back in Osaka on 10th October for a second show celebrating Jun Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary. However that is not the only wrestling match DDT will hold that night. At the stroke of midnight Shunma Katsumata, Toi Kojima, Yukio Naya and Yuya Koroku will have a Falls Count Anywhere Tag match at a Naniwa hot spring. Fans coming over to watch the match have been advised to bring swimwear.
DDT “GOD BLESS DDT 2022”, 23/10/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Pheromones Vs Takagi-gun Complete Settlement Battle FINAL: X Vs X
It’s the final battle between Sanshiro Takagi and Pheromones. Again. For like the fourth time I think? Well they mean it this time. Takagi is once more trying to destroy Pheromones for good before they destroy the company. With four members in the unit, Pheromones claim they are complete and at the pique of their power. But Takagi cannot risk letting them continue to exist in this way. The match type and participants for the climactic battle in this war has not been decided yet. If it’s all four members of Pheromones involved then that means Yuki Iino, Danshoku Dieno, Yumehito Imanari & Koju Takeda taking part. Takagi has been relying lately on Antonio Honda, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata to compete against them. So the cast is there for a 4 Vs 4 Tag match of some kind. That nothing has been decided yet makes me wonder if there is a wild card going to be played by either side.
“The Iai Puncher” Hikaru Machida will be on the show.
“MASAHIRO TAKANASHI INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE – BOKUTACHI 4 HANJUKU 4 I LOVE YOU! 2022”, 22/11/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Daisuke Sekimoto Vs Masahiro Takanashi
Twelve years ago in Shinjuku FACE there was a KO-D Openweight Title defence. The outsider champion Daisuke Sekimoto put the belt on the line against little Masa Takanashi. What followed was a classic David Vs Goliath bout with a performance from Takanashi that was seconds away from being described as a miracle victory. Sekimoto won the match in the end and remained champion. The two never had never faced against each other since then. Well soon will be time for the rematch in the same room. Masahiro Takanashi has grown a lot since that title challenge and after a twelve year wait is going to face Sekimoto one more time in the main event of his own self produced show.
DDT “STERNNESS 30TH ANNIVERSARY ~JUN AKIYAMA 30TH ANNIVERSARY~”, 18/09/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 715 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Yusuke Okada defeated Yuya Koroku with the Sudden Death (7:01).
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata ended in a No Contest (7:16).
3. Akito, Soma Takao & Yukio Naya defeated HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani when Naya submitted Okatani with the Torture Cobra Twist (10:36).
4. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Paul & KANON defeated Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida, Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi when KANON pinned Ishida with the Sleepy Hollow (12:40).
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Cara Noir, Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima when Noir submitted Kojima with the Blackout Sleeper (12:47).
6. Naomi Yoshimura defeated Takeshi Masada with the Lariat (10:14).
7. Jun Akiyama Debut 30th Anniversary Match – Special 6-Man Tag Match: Jun Akiyama, Tetsuya Endo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Yuji Nagata, Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata when Akiyama pinned Katsumata with the Wrist-Clutch Exploder Suplex (20:34).
On 17th September, 1992 Jun Akiyama made his pro wrestling debut against Kenta Kobashi inside an All Japan ring. Over the next 30 years he fought for both AJPW and NOAH back and forth until he found an unlikely new home in DDT. So it was DDT who got to host his milestone celebration. But there is also some crossover with New Japan on the show with Akiyama inviting both Yuji Nagata and Yoshinobu Kanemaru to compete. Akiyama has close ties with both of them, Nagata was his rival from the enemy company while Kanemaru was his long time tag partner. The DDT involvement in the match included Tetsuya Endo and Konosuke Takeshita, who Akiyama have both taken under his wing in certain ways, as well as Shunma Katsumata. He is here because he reminds Akiyama so much of Kanemaru. Akiyama also received congratulations from Kobashi and President Kitai from the K.O. Gym.
It was only fitting for Akiyama and Nagata to start off the match together. They had a back and forth battle until Kanemaru and Katsumata got involved. Kanemaru went to spit liquor at his opponent but Katsumata ducked and Akiyama got sprayed with it instead. Endo and Takeshita cancelled each other out, particularly when Endo did a Canadian Destroyer and Takeshita hit back with the Zahi for a double down. Katsumata tried to take matters into his own hands but he missed the Totonou Splash aimed for Akiyama. That led to a string of finishers with Kanemaru giving Katsumata the Deep Impact, Endo hitting an Exploder Suplex and Akiyama charging in with a Running Knee Strike. The end came with Akiyama pulling out the Wrist-Clutch Exploder for the pinfall.
After the match Akiyama talked about when he was scouted by Giant Baba to become a pro wrestler. He also learned so much from Jumbo Tsuruta and Mitsuharu Misawa. Sadly they have all since passed away so he told Kobashi to please stay healthy for a long time! He then talked about DDT and how Sanshiro Takagi is their Baba-like figure. He then named Endo, Takeshita, Kazusada Higuchi and Naomi Yoshimura as DDT’s Four Pillars/Heavenly Kings. Akiyama is happy and grateful to be a part of DDT and the company feels like family to him. He ended the show by telling a story about Baba. During Baba’s later years he once said he is no longer in a fight against other wrestlers, but with himself. He will not lost to himself and instead will make the most of each and every day. Akiyama promises to do the same from here on out. Backstage Nagata praised Endo for being competitive and having a good slap.
Akiyama purposely chose Yoshimura versus Takeshi Masada to be in the semi-main event position. The reason is Akiyama’s debut match 30 years ago was in the same spot. Masada is getting so much attention as the rookie with a high ceiling that Akiyama felt he should be given the same opportunity. The result was expected, Yoshimura was dominant for the most part and took Masada’s offence before pinning him with the Lariat. Masada was able to show toughness by kicking out of one of the earlier Lariats. Backstage Yoshimura admitted to feeling nervous over the match because Akiyama put it together. However he wants Akiyama to know that he never looks down on any of the younger wrestlers. He praised Masada for the strength of his strikes, saying he hasn’t felt kicks that hard from a younger wrestler since Keigo Nakamura in his debut match. But Yoshimura is still stronger than him so Masada will have to think of another way to try and beat him. Masada said getting the chance to fight Yoshimura at the peak of his power will definitely help his pro wrestling career in the future.
The ballet wrestler Cara Noir made his DDT debut, performing his dramatic Swan Lake entrance in Japan for the first time. He has a DDT Universal Title shot against Yuki Ueno coming up on 25th September so the two faced off in a 6-Man Tag Match here. Ueno had his usual buddies in The 37KAMIINA on his side while Noir teamed with CDK. Just because those two were the focus of the match didn’t mean the others stepped aside. MAO got a cheap shot Straight Punch in on Noir, CDK got Noir to join in on a human pyramid style group taunt at their opponents’ expense. Toi Kojima tried firing up on the newcomer but once Noir spun into him to apply the Blackout Sleeper, it was all over. Ueno welcomed Noir after the match but told him he won’t give over the Universal Title to him next week. Noir didn’t say anything, instead he just gently stroked the title belt on Ueno’s shoulder and did a dramatic pose.
The confidence surrounding DAMNATION T.A is growing at a rapid rate after today’s result. All four members of the unit were together to win an 8-Man Tag Match against a combination of Harimao and Ω wrestlers. KANON grabbed the victory by pinning Yuki Ishida. Then Daisuke Sasaki started complaining about how much he doesn’t care about Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary. He continues to get Ω confused with Kenny Omega and warned everyone that all of the tag team championships in DDT should belong to DAMNATION T.A! Backstage Sasaki said the unit is now at full strength with Minoru Fujita back from injury and the entire company will be finished thanks to them. KANON then threw his name into the hat for the D-Ou Grand Prix, saying he expects to see a few people in the tournament who owe him favours. Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi are now licking their wounds over today’s defeat. But they know they have so many options in Ω for backup when they and Shiori Asahi challenge DAMNATION T.A for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles on 8th October. Higuchi also warned DAMNATION T.A not to act so arrogant when they face Harimao for the KO-D Tag Team Titles four days later.
Yukio Naya also made a strong appeal to be included in the D-Ou Grand Prix. He got the victory in Match #3 by making Hideki Okatani submit. This was after he took all the kicks he could from HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi. When Akito & Soma Takao was able to clear them out of the ring, Naya took control and won the match for his team. Naya said he learned a lot from Akiyama and Hino over the last year when he was feeling so helpless. He is not only determined to be part of the tournament but also win it too!
Another day another Pheromones match getting cancelled midway through because of, well, Pheromones stuff. You have Koju Takeda attacking Kazuki Hirata with his bare backside while a clean shaven Yumehito Imanari watches on. Takagi tried leading his side in unison which went well until Antonio Honda’s Gongitsune went out of control and wiped the entire team out. Danshoku Dieno then called for the lights to switch off so Yuki Iino could strip completely naked. Hisaya Imabayashi called off the match so he and the ringside attendants could cover up Iino’s waist. Takagi was furious to see Pheromones pull off this stunt during Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary. He demanded an immediate rematch but Imabayashi refused. Instead there will be one final showdown between Takagi and Pheromones on 23rd October. Takagi told Honda & Toru Owashi to join him so they can all get revenge for Hirata. Dieno pointed out this will be their fourth “final battle” in two months. If that is not enough, Takeda later backstage called out Yuki Ueno for not having enough Pheromones in him!
The opening match was given to Yusuke Okada and Yuya Koroku, the two remaining members of BURNING. Akiyama chose them because he wanted the first match to be an exciting start for the show. The more experienced Okada got the win with the Sudden Death shortly after Koroku missed a Moonsault. The two of them congratulated Akiyama on his Anniversary. Okada said he’s been working with Akiyama for the last 6 years so he is proud to be involved today. Koroku promised to keep training hard so he can become as great and strong as Akiyama.
A second show celebrating Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary will be held in his hometown of Izumi, Osaka on 10th December.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW AUTUMN TOUR ’22”, 16/09/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Kamifuku Vs Haruna Neko
2. Moka Miyamoto Vs Abadon
3. Rika Tatsumi Vs Mahiro Kiryu
4. Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. Shoko Nakajima & Arisu Endo Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki
6. International Princess Title Next Challenger Match: Miu Watanabe Vs Suzume
Now we know who Moka Miyamoto’s opponent is. It’s Abadon, the “Living Dead Girl” from AEW! There are a couple of AEW people in Japan this week for a variety of reasons. The main reason is for the Tokyo Game Show where AEW’s upcoming video game will be on display. A wrestling ring has been set up at THQ Nordic’s section of the convention hall and exhibition matches will be held during the week much like what was done at Gamescom in Germany last month. Haruo Murata hinted in a tweet that a few DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro wrestlers could be involved in these matches. Since it is AEW related that suggests Konosuke Takeshita and Yuka Sakazaki (who is in the game) could be having matches there. Maki Itoh I’m doubtful of because she is travelling to North America for shows this weekend, if she hasn’t done so already. If there is DDT/TJPW related matches I will group them together in a post once they’re all done.
DDT “YUBUN PRESENTS DDT PRO WRESTLING IN IKEBUKURO FULL MOON FESTIVAL”, 01/10/2022 Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park Outdoor Theater Global Ring Theater
1. Yukio Naya Vs Yuya Koroku
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Kazuki Hirata
3. Toru Owashi & Makoto Oishi Vs Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
4. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Yuji Hino & Takeshi Masada
5. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs HARASHIMA, MAO & Antonio Honda
6. Harimao Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida Vs Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
This is a free show taking place outdoors in Ikebukuro.
DDT “TETSUYA ENDO LOCAL TRIUMPH! GET ALIVE 2022 TOUR IN SHIROISHI”, 02/10/2022 Miyagi Shiroishi White Cube
1. Makoto Oishi Vs Takeshi Masada
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Kazuki Hirata
3. Toru Owashi & Shunma Katsumata Vs Yuji Hino & Hideki Okatani
4. Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima Vs Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yukio Naya
5. Shiroishi Specialty Special Single Match: Antonio Honda Vs Saki Akai
6. Harimao Vs DAMNATION T.A: Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida Vs Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON
7. Tetsuya Endo Debut 10th Anniversary Match In Shiroishi: Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku Vs HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi
Tetsuya Endo put together the main event for his homecoming show. He thinks very highly of HARASHIMA & Yukio Sakaguchi which is why he chose them to be his opponents for the 10th Anniversary Match.
DDT/ONLY WE “GET ALIVE 2022 TOUR IN CHIBA”, 08/10/2022 Chiba TKP Garden City
1. HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi Vs Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada
2. Kazusada Higuchi, Naomi Yoshimura, Yuki Ishida & Akito Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
3. The 37KAMIINA Vs Pheromones!: Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toi Kojima Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda
4. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Hiroshi Yamato
5. DDT x ONLY WE Special Tag Match I: Saki Akai & Shunma Katsumata Vs Hibiscus Mii & Kaji Tomato
6. DDT x ONLY WE Special Tag Match II: Quiet Storm & Yukio Naya Vs Shogun Okamoto & Akira Raijin
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) Vs Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi
There’s the PERON GRANDES involvement I was worried about. Shogun Okamoto & Akira Raijin are there to ruin ONLY WE’s show unless Quiet Storm & Yukio Naya can stop them.
Do tomatoes and apples go well together? I never really thought about it until I saw Hibiscus Mii & Kaji Tomato be put on the same team together. Maybe Saki Akai & Shunma Katsumata can find out.
Will Shinya Aoki still have the Right To Challenge NFT in his possession when he takes on Hiroshi Yamato?
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS III”, 09/10/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall
1. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Rhia O’Reilly & Nightshade
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki
Riho will be part of the show, joining Max The Impaler as one of the guest attractions.
MUSCLE “HIRAGANA MUSCLE 7 ~IT’S STILL SUMMER ON THE KOSHU KAIDO~”, 07/09/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 544 Fans
1. UP & DOWN CLIMAX FIGHT ~ SWOUD Special Rules: Totaro Omoiki, Takaku Karahiko, Knee Cross Kinya, Baseball Bat Swing, Marume Komimatsu, Hisamitsu Chikuhisa, Sasadango, Yukidango, Yasudango & Surprise-san defeated Herman Miller Mao, Kazusada Kokuyo, AK Racing Yoshimura, Eames Watase, Human Chair Imanari, Itoki Oyoshi, One-Eyed Iron Naya, Daigouin Inada, Dee Jay & South River when Chikuhisa pinned Mao with the Amonken (37:31).
The final chapter of Hiragana Muscle began with a PowerPoint presentation from Super Sasadango Machine. He explained to the audience that his task for today is to figure out how to make the last episode an all round success. Ticket sales and merchandise are important but the biggest factor was how much they audience could get excited. Cheers and shouting were not permitted for the show due to restrictions but laughter and gasps of shock were allowed. So Sasadango got the crowd to give a standing ovation to kick off the show. There was also a montage video that ended with a tribute to Tsurutimo Dragon, aka the late Goro Tsurumi.
Amon Tsurumi is leaving DDT at the end of the year so he was the hero of today’s story. He was seen in the ring training with Konosuke Takeshita & Yuki Ueno when Yuki Rock interrupted them. Tsurumi revealed he wants to end his career as an idol wrestler and asked Takeshita to reform The Finisher Boys for a limited time so he can perform with them. Takeshita & Ueno agreed. Meanwhile up in the balcony, the former members of The Steel Chair Boys watched on. Since Shota is now in America he was replaced with Tetsu Unada and Yukio Naya in the group. Inada in particular set his sights on Tsurumi and declared war!
There was an introduction of all the characters followed by the title reveal for this episode, “UP & DOWN”. In the ring Takeshita talked to the others about his time training in Venice Beach when DJ Nira & Minamikawa confronted him. They came to warn that Naya High School, an elite group of badasses are trying to disrupt the balance of power and need to be stopped. Tsurumi asked if he can help but Nira turned him down. However The Finisher Boys saw the need to bolster their forces and decided to form the Finish Federation with their allies. Meanwhile the Naya High School were doing harsh knee training using chairs. Inada & Naya agreed to launch a conflict on all groups standing in their way!
Suddenly, Kazusada Higuchi collapsed holding his knee in pain. He was meant to be the gang leader but now he can’t go through with it. Luckily for them, MAO stepped into the spotlight introducing himself as Naya High School’s newest transfer student. He is a bad guy who loves fighting and offered to take Higuchi’s spot. A video then played of Tsurumi visiting the SWAN DIVE bar for a drink and also to look for info. Inada & Naya arrived shortly afterward looking for Sasadango. They want him to create a weapon to defeat the Finish Federation but he refused. MIC the bartender tried to intervene but got his arm broken by Inada & Naya instead. Tsurumi couldn’t do anything but stay hidden in the corner and watch innocent people get hurt.
Tsurumi had to move on with his investigation and found the information he wanted. He learned that Naya is the leader of the Naya Zaibatsu criminal organization and Naya High School is just a cover up. His goal is to redevelop the city into his own sumo arena and turn all martial arts into gambling events. Tsurumi vowed to protect the city from them and will not run away. However most members of The Finisher Boys wanted nothing to do with the war and walked out on Tsurumi, Takeshita & Ueno. They would have to take on this fight on their own. Tsurumi then went through a training montage that included video clips of Hisaya Imabayashi fighting Pheromones.
While all of this was going on, Sasadango met with his family for their monthly meeting. They looked over all of the movements going on and had to decide which side to take. There is Naya High School declaring war on everyone, the remains of the Finish Federation getting ready to defend themselves and a third party called NUDE BOYS on the fringes that could get involved too. Haruo Murata then got a phone call over at the commentary table. The caller asked if he thinks a fight was about to begin? Murata answered he’s been sitting at his table for 1 hour 40 minutes. The atmosphere feels like a fight is going to break out but none has happened yet. MIC then appeared with his broken arm and rang the ring bell. Murata excitedly said “The fight is about to begin!” The Sasadango Family called a cab and had 10 minutes to decide which side they will fight for.
Next we saw Tsurumi, Takeshita & Ueno outnumbered in the ring against eight members of Naya High School. The numbers game was difficult to fight against but a misfire from Yumehito Imanari led to him hitting Inada by mistake and the comeback was on. Tsurumi even did a big dive, jumping off the ring apron into everyone on the floor. Higuchi then grabbed him and threatened to finish him off when the Sasadango Family arrived in time for the rescue. The Finish Federation also returned to their aid. Tsurumi struck Higuchi with the Amonken Backfist but his pin was suddenly broken up by the NUDE BOYS! There was fighting and musical numbers happening everywhere. There was even Tetsuya Endo’s mandatory run in. Higuchi ordered MAO to attack Tsurumi with a chair when everything suddenly slowed down and “Etupirka” began playing. MAO slowly blocked the Amonken with his chair but Tsurumi fought through the pain and slowly threw another Amonken, nailing his target for the three count.
Tsurumi declared victory but Keigo Nakamura & Toi Kojima along with a badly beaten Yuki Ishida told him there was still fighting on the streets. Higuchi also said the war wasn’t over yet and he was ready go go another round. The fighting will continue. Tsurumi looked to the audience and apologised for being unable to save the city from the chaos happening around him. That was the end of this story.
In his closing speech Tsurumi said he thought he had a second chance at youth with the original MUSCLE but thanks to Hiragana Muscle he got a third chance. He learned that as long as you are alive you are young. Muscle Sakai said he’s been doing these shows since 2004 and today was the first time he was able to keep an event to under two hours. They have three more performances this week and told the others to keep up with making them fun and exciting. MAO complained the chair is too heavy to do slow motion spots with but promised to give it his all.
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2022”, 04/09/2022 Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall 529 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Yusuke Okada defeated Takeshi Masada with the Fisherman Suplex (7:58).
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno defeated Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata when Iino pinned Hirata with the Bubba Bomb (13:37).
3. Akito & Shinya Ishida defeated MAO & Yuki Ishida when Akito submitted Ishida with the Figure 4 Leg Lock (12:40).
4. Yuji Hino, Yuki Ueno & Makoto Oishi defeated Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku when Oishi submitted Koroku with the Fujiyama Knee Lock (12:00).
5. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani when KANON pinned Okatani with the Sleepy Hollow (14:06). *V2 for DAMNATION T.A.
6. Scramble Bunkhouse Current Blast 6-Man Tag Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Shinya Aoki & Yukio Naya defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima when Naya pinned Kojima after a Mine Board Explosion (8:30).
7. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes defeated Asuka with the Praying Mantis Bomb (12:06).
8. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura (c) defeated HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi when Yoshimura pinned Owashi with a Lariat (19:25). *V1 for Harimao.
A serious Toru Owashi is dangerous indeed. He & HARASHIMA brought a difficult challenge for Harimao to fight through with the KO-D Tag Team Titles on the line. Owashi was a powerful force from the get go, throwing Kazusada Higuchi off the top rope through a table at ringside. Naomi Yoshimura also felt his wrath by taking the WAR Special and also the Choke Slam along with HARASHIMA’s signature offence. Higuchi found his way back into the match to cancel out HARASHIMA, leaving the other two to settle their differences. A clash of Lariats took place and ended with Yoshimura scoring the finishing blow. Owashi described the result as a difference in power, or more how to use it. He will now look for a new goal but wants everyone to remember as long as he and HARASHIMA are around in DDT, the place will never change.
Harimao are now moving on to a new team of challengers who made themselves known after the main event. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON entered the ring and called Harimao poor looking champions. They demanded the next title shot and will get it on 12th October. Shinya Aoki then walked into the ring, teasing to cash in his Right To Challenge NFT only to leave instead. Backstage Yoshimura said he was able to surpass DISASTER BOX today, beating two men he looks up to like they’re his parents. The match was a “dramatic dream” for him and he is really happy Hariamo was able to win.
It’s an emotional time for Asuka because yesterday was her friend the late Hana Kimura’s birthday. It made her more determined to win her match against Chris Brookes who she considers a great opponent. However Brookes countered her Shiranui into the Tombstone before pinning her with the Praying Mantis Bomb. He handed Asuka an icepack after the match and asked for a handshake. She refused and threw the icepack back at him. Brookes mentioned in a backstage interview that he saw comments on social media calling for Asuka to enter the D-Ou Grand Prix this year. He agrees and wants Hisaya Imabayashi to give her a spot in the tournament.
Everyone had a blast in the Explosion Death Match. Several in fact. Konosuke Takeshita led The 37KAMIINA against Atsushi Onita’s team with four weapons all rigged to explode when you pressed a button placed on the top turnbuckle. Onita went into the match with a right knee injury so his team was already at a disadvantage. Aoki used an exploding Barb Wire Bat to break up Takeshita’s Figure 4 Leg Lock on Onita. Shunma Katsumata hit Onita with his own exploding bat covered in toy blocks. Onita blinded Toi Kojima by spitting red mist into his face but Katsumata avenged his friend by spitting blue mist at Onita. Yukio Naya fired an exploding bazooka, taking out Onita, Katsumata and even himself because the blast was that dangerous. Naya was able to get the win though by throwing Kojima off the top rope onto an exploding mine board in the middle of the ring, pinning him once the smoke had cleared. Onita gave his approval to the quality of explosions today. Naya felt he stood out more than Onita in the match. Kojima asked Onita if they could have another exploding death match against each other. He was praised for showing courage.
DAMNATION T.A ended up getting a total victory over Eruption to successfully defend the KO-D 6-Man Tag Titles. Hideki Okatani was fired up to fight especially when he was in the ring with KANON. He also took the bullet for Saki Akai when Sasaki placed a chair around her neck and tried to hit her with another one. Okatani jumped in and took the blow allowing Yukio Sakaguchi to fight off him and MJ Paul. Hideki had KANON pinned with the Double Arm Suplex but Sasaki pulled the referee out of the ring mid-count. It gave KANON enough time to recover and pin Okatani with the Sleepy Hollow.
After the match Makoto Oishi entered the ring and confronted the champions. He said DAMNATION T.A’s next challengers are Ω! Sasaki asked if he meant Kenny Omega? Yuji Hino then came out and complained about being left out of DAMNATION’s revival so he went to reform Ω with Oishi! Sasaki then asked if Kenny Omega was their other partner? Hino said it’s Shiori Asahi. Ω will face DAMNATION T.A for the 6-Man Tag Titles in their home turf of Chiba on 8th October.
Shinya Ishida enjoyed his time in DDT today and said he wants to wrestle here more. He would like to have another match with MAO for example, this time a singles bout against him. Akito endorses the idea and wants to see his friend in DDT on a regular basis.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ~NAGOYA PERFORMANCE~”, 04/09/2022 Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Yuki Aino Vs Nao Kakuta Vs Haruna Neko
2. Hikari Noa Vs Moka Miyamoto
3. Maki Itoh Vs Arisu Endo
4. Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Miyu Yamashita & Raku
5. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Pom Harajuku Vs Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Suzume
6. Princess Tag Team Titles: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
We’ll find out if Hikari Noa returns to Japan with the International Princess Title.
Several members of SKE48 will be in attendance for the show. Some of them will perform a mini-concert with Yuki Arai and others will be doing match commentary.
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2022”, 04/09/2022 Aichi Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
1. Yusuke Okada Vs Takeshi Masada
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata
3. Akito & Shinya Ishida Vs MAO & Yuki Ishida
4. Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs Yuji Hino, Yuki Ueno & Makoto Oishi
5. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Asuka
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
7. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi & Naomi Yoshimura (c) Vs HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi
8. Scramble Bunkhouse Current Blast 6-Man Tag Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Shinya Aoki & Yukio Naya Vs Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Toi Kojima
The Explosion Death Match will be held under Scramble Bunkhouse rules. That is when the two teams start the match at opposite ends of the venue and all charge into each other when the bell rings. Four weapons will be rigged with explosives: a barbed wire bat, a block toy bat, a board covered in mines and for the first time ever a Current Blast Bazooka! The last one is Yukio Naya’s idea because his grandfather Taiho got his name from a cannon. He promises it will smash The 37KAMIINA to smithereens! Shunma Katsumata is aiming to take both the Right To Challenge NFT from Shinya Aoki and the “Evil Ways” jacket from Atsushi Onita.
BASARA “BASARA 199 ~GLITTER~”, 06/09/2022 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. SAGAT VS Lil’ Kraken
2. Jacket 4 Way Match: Ryota Nakatsu Vs Fuminori Abe Vs Gouma Vs Daichi Kazato
3. Takumi Tsukamoto, Yasu Urano & Minoru Fujita Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi
4. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
5. Union MAX Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Daiki Shimomura
This is Minoru Fujita’s first match in BASARA since April.
“YUME PRO WRESTLING -DREAM ON THE RING-”, 14/10/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Exhibition Match: Wakana Uehara, Himari Manaka & Risako Vs X, X & X
Four over four months there have been four women training with Tokyo Joshi Pro to become pro wrestlers as part of a reality show. The show is called Yume Pro Wrestling -dream on the ring- and episodes have been uploaded weekly to TJPW’s Youtube channel. One of the four competitors will win the chance to have their debut pro wrestling bout with TJPW. Three of them are still part of the project and are making their final preparations which involves a one off show taking place in Shinjuku FACE. There will be an exhibition match on the show involving Wakana Uehara, Himari Manaka and Risako. It is their final exam before the winner of the show is determined. The regular TJPW roster will fill up the rest of the card.
DDT “NEVER MIND 2022”, 29/12/2022 Tokyo Dome City Hall
1. KO-D Openweight Title: Kazusada Higuchi (c) Vs X
Konosuke Takeshita will be on the last DDT show of the year, whether or not he beats Kazusada Higuchi for the KO-D Openweight Title next month.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 