Dramatic DDT

DDT “D-OU GRAND PRIX 2020 THE FINAL!!”, 28/12/2019
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
2,019 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuki Iino defeated Keisuke Ishii & Keigo Nakamura when Hashimoto pinned Nakamura with the Albright (7:01).
2. “Novice Papa” 9-Man Trial Of Makoto Oishi – 1 Count Fall: Makoto Oishi finishes the series 4-5.
2a. Makoto Oishi defeated Danshoku Dieno with a Jackknife Pin (1:02).
2b. Hirosho Yamato defeated Makoto Oishi with the Sliding X (0:58).
2c. Makoto Oishi defeated Mizuki Watase with a Running Forearm (0:44).
2d. Mad Paulie defeated Makoto Oishi with a Flying Body Scissors Drop (1:03).
2e. Makoto Oishi defeated Antonio Honda with a Rolling Cradle (2:04).
2f. Masahiro Takanashi defeated Makoto Oishi with a Crucifix Pin (0:32).
2g. Kazuki Hirata defeated Makoto Oishi with the Extreme Tegatana (1:00).
2h. Toru Owashi defeated Makoto Oishi with a Hand Press Pin (0:30).
2i. Makoto Oishi defeated Yoshihiko with the Sweet Bomb (3:29).
3. Saki Akai “Okibariyasu” 7 Match Series – 2nd Match: Saki Akai defeated Sakura Hirota with the Rookie Award (7:58).
4. 3 Way Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura defeated Soma Takao & Nobuhiro Shimatani and Akito & Shunma Katsumata when Ueno pinned Shimatani after the Osaka Strad (7:50).
5. Toshiwasure! Special Single Match – Pro Wrestling x Oogiri Mix Rules: Shinya Aoki defeated Super Sasadango Machine with a Director Ishii joke (6:48).
6. Kazusada Higuchi Returns To War: Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi defeated Bull James & Yukio Naya when Higuchi pinned Naya with the Doctor Bomb (7:36).
7. D-Ou Grand Prix 2020 Special 4 Way Match: Konosuke Takeshita defeated HARASHIMA, Daisuke Sasaki and Chris Brookes when Takeshita pinned Brookes with the German Suplex (11:53).
8. D-Ou Grand Prix 2020 – Final: Masato Tanaka defeated Tetsuya Endo with the Sliding D (23:57).

The tournament master Masato Tanaka becomes the first person to win the D-Ou Grand Prix while undefeated! He didn’t take Tetsuya Endo lightly in the final. He went for the Sliding D at the very first opportunity. Endo dodged it and in return tried to trap Tanaka in the Modified Yurikamome Hold. Tanaka put Endo through a table outside the ring with a Diving Body Press, which ended up leaving a big gash in Endo’s leg. To add insult to the injury, Tanaka then attacked Endo with pieces of the table and also the DAMNATION signboard. Endo’s comebacks would get cut off by Elbow Smashes until he countered the Tornado DDT into a Brainbuster. Tanaka cut him off again with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster. Endo countered the Diamond Dust into a German Suplex but Tanaka once more stopped his momentum with a Lariat. The match went even when Tanaka blocked the Shooting Star Press then Endo blocked the Superfly afterwards. When they got up Endo hit a Canadian Destroyer only for Tanaka to immediately fire back with a short range Sliding D. Endo finally got his momentum going with the Tetsuya In The Sky, the Swinging Torture Rack Bomb and the Shooting Star Press. Tanaka was able to kick out at two. Endo quickly applied the Yurikamome Hold but Tanaka cradled him for a nearfall. Endo changed it into the Crossface Lock but Tanaka got out of it by biting Endo’s hand. Tanaka stunned Endo with a Backfist then hit several Sliding D’s, finally keeping Endo down for the three count.

After the match Tanaka said fighting against Endo and DAMNATION was interesting. Tanaka has been wrestling for 26 years and is still in his prime. He has to show that in the ring when he faces off against younger wrestlers. Still, he thanked Endo for the match. HARASHIMA entered the ring during the trophy ceremony. He congratulated Tanaka for winning the Grand Prix then told him they will have a KO-D Openweight Title match on 26th January. He promised him a rematch after their 30 minute draw in the group stage so now they get to have one with higher stakes. Tanaka called HARASHIMA the No. 1 wrestler in DDT. Even though Tanaka won today’s main event, he gave the show closing speech to HARASHIMA.

When HARASHIMA finished his speech, Pokotan came out and confronted him to promote their DDT Extreme Title match on 12th January.

Some of the wrestlers who missed out on reaching the final were pitted together in a 4 Way Match. HARASHIMA wanted it to start off peacefully but it went mayhem when Konosuke Takeshita and Chris Brookes both attacked him. Daisuke Sasaki tried to sneak a pin on HARASHIMA afterwards but Takeshita and Brookes then attacked him. Brookes broke off his short alliance with Takeshita and the match was all against each other from that point on. Sasaki put Takeshita in La Mistica Cross Facelock, HARASHIMA broke it up with the Somato then Brookes caught HARASHIMA in mid-air with a Cutter. Takeshita gave HARASHIMA and Sasaki a German Suplex at the same time, emptying the ring down to just him and Brookes. Brookes put Takeshita in an Octopus Hold then tried to pin him with a European Clutch but Takeshita rolled him into the German Suplex to take the win. This result is considered as payback for Brookes beating Takeshita in the group stage.

A reinvigorated and fully recovered Kazusada Higuchi was victorious in his return match. He wasn’t lying when he said he lost wait during his time off, the audience was impressed by his improved physique. Both he and Yukio Sakaguchi came out to brand new theme songs. Sakaguchi struck Bull James with the God’s Right Knee, allowing Higuchi to pin Yukio Naya with the Doctor Bomb. Backstage Higuchi said he’s been watching DDT while he was recovering from his injury and it just wasn’t the same. Sakaguchi agreed. They want to make DDT fun and rampant so Higuchi and Sakaguchi are going to stir up DDT together!

Super Sasadango Machine wanted to make sure his win over Shinya Aoki last month wasn’t a fluke. To ensure the result would be undisputed their match today would consist of two stages. Stage 1 is the Pro Wrestling Stage, a regular pro wrestling match. When that is over they would then move on to the Oogiri Stage, a comedy quiz where judges Yuki Iino, Mizuki Watase and Yumehito Imanari choose who gave the best answer. The winner of the match is the first person to either win both stages back-to-back or win the Oogriri Stage 3 times. The match began and Aoki immediately made Sasadango submit to the Sleeper Hold. The Oogiri question asked for their dream match for a New Year’s Eve MMA show. Sasadango said Tatsuya Kawajiri Vs Erika Sawajiri in an MMA Vs MDMA fight (Sawajiri is an actress who was recently arrested over drug possession). Aoki chose Takeru Vs Tenshin Nasukawa. Sasadango won the judge’s vote. The match began again and Sasadango immediately gave up to a handshake. The Oogiri question asked to name the sequel for Aoki’s book “Strong Instinct”. Sasadango said “Grand Maison Instinct” while Aoki picked “Daddy”. Aoki got some laughs but Sasadango still won the judge’s decision. Aoki tapped out Sasadango once more with a Cross Armbreaker. The Oogiri question asked for a phrase that will be used as a warning in 2020. Sasadango’s arm was so damaged from the Cross Armbreaker that he couldn’t write a decent answer, so he went with “Safety First”. Aoki answered with “Director Ishii” referring to the disgraced K-1 director Kazuyoshi Ishii. Aoki unanimously won the judge’s decision and was declared the winner of the match.

The freelance Nobuhiro Shimatani was back in DDT to do what he does best. Run around with the DAMNATION signboard! What he isn’t good at is being used as a projectile. Soma Takao tried to Body Slam him onto their opponents in the 3 Way Match but they kept rolling out of the way. Shimatani did get a few whacks in on Akito & Shunma Katsumata with his signboard until he accidentally hit Takao with it. From there Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura double teamed on Shimatani and finished him off with the Osaka Strad. Nautilus are now ready to challenge for the KO-D Tag Team Titles on 3rd January. They are also taking over the Drop Kick Bar from Akito in the new year.

One of the goals for Saki Akai’s “Okibariyasu” series is to bring in joshi and let them experience what DDT is like. In the case of Sakura Hirota this turned out to be the most DDT match in a long time. First Hirota came out dressed as Akai and mimicking her entrance. Then we found out her children were at ringside where there was a special play area built for them to stay in. Also Antonio Honda was babysitting them. The situation was so distracting that Yukinori Matsui missed some pinfalls. Hirota used Kancho attacks to get the advantage until Honda called for an emergency because one of the kids soiled their diaper. Akai, Hirota and Matsui all agreed to speed up the match with cradles and quick pin counts. Hirota attempted to do the Quetzalcoatl but couldn’t apply it properly. The result was only her flipping onto her back empty handed. Akai gave Hirota a Kancho poke then pinned her with the Rookie Award. It was announced afterwards that Akai’s third opponent in her series will be against Rina Yamashita on 12th January.

Fatherhood is taking it’s toll on Makoto Oishi. So much so that he decided today’s One Count Gauntlet Match would be his last match. He informed all of his opponents backstage before their match and everyone agreed to give him their best. The results went back and forth. Oishi pinned Danshoku Dieno with a Cradled counter to the Danshoku Driver. Hiroshi Yamato pinned Oishi with the Sliding X. Oishi went 2-1 when he caught Mizuki Watase with a Running Forearm. Mad Paulie flattened Oishi with the Lou Thesz Press. Antonio Honda went for his old Gongitsune trick but Oishi saw it coming and cradled him to make it 3-2. Masahiro Takanashi countered the Jikiden Tornado Clutch into a Crucifix Pin to even the score. Kazuki Hirata turned the match into a dance until he overdone the Tegatana strikes to Oishi’s neck. When Toru Owashi entered the match Oishi was still knocked out from the attack. Owashi pleaded with him to get back up but Oishi wouldn’t move. Oishi placed his hand on Oishi’s chest and didn’t realise it counted as a pin. Oishi’s final opponent was Yoshihiko. Oishi fought with all he had left, using all his strength to get a rope break from a Scorpion Deathlock. Yoshihiko was thrown into the air for the Reincarnation but Oishi rolled it into a pin to end the match with a win. All the wrestlers begged with him to reconsider his decision. Oishi then revealed it was all a misunderstanding. Today was his final match… in 2019. He wanted everyone to do their best today because it was the final DDT show of 2019. He’s not retiring. Who said that? Oishi loves pro wrestling and he wants his newborn daughter to grow up and watch him wrestle.

Rivals turning into teammates seems to happen a lot in wrestling nowadays. It happened here with Yuki Iino and Chihiro Hashimoto joining forces to take on Keisuke Ishii & Keigo Nakamura. They weren’t 100% compatible but still came out on top. Iino hit Nakamura with the Haka Elbow and Hashimoto followed up with the Albright to win. When asked if they were interested in going after the KO-D Tag Titles, both liked the idea but think they can do it on their own.

A brand new championship called the DDT Universal Title will crown its first champion on 23rd February. The belt was created as part of DDT’s international plans for 2020. Both Takeshita and Brookes have expressed their interest in becoming the first champion. Takeshita believes being the first champion on any belt is a special thing and he also wants to spread DDT across the world. Brookes thinks him versus Takeshita is the match to make to determine the first champion. Also the Praying Mantis Bomb will always beat Takeshita and Brookes wants another singles match to prove it.