YUZUKI Joins SLC, The Monster Returns, Shinkansen Box Office Pass

May 26, 2026

DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING 2026”, 26/05/2026
Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage

1. Hideki Okatani & Ilusion Vs Yuya Koroku & Hinata Kasai
2. 5,000 Yen Allowance Limit Weapons Allowed Death Match: MAO & Kazuki Hirata Vs Kazuma Sumi & Yuki Ishida
3. Takeshi Masada & Daichi Sato Vs Antonio Honda & Junta Miyawaki
4. Special Single Match: HARASHIMA Vs Rukiya
5. KANON, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO) Vs Shunma Katsumata, To-y & Akito
6. Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Chris Brookes Vs Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko

Yesterday DDT announced that Masami Inahata’s back injury was diagnosed as a lumbar sprain and he will need more time off to recover. His return is now delayed until mid-June. Rukiya will replace Inahata as HARASHIMA’s opponent on the upcoming Beer Garden show. The match Rukiya was originally booked for has now removed MJ Paul to even out the teams.

DDT “KING OF DDT 2026 FINAL!!”, 31/05/2026
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

0. Dark Match: Tomomitsu Matsunaga & Yuki Ishida Vs Rukiya & Hinata Kasai
1. Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul & Ilusion Vs Jun Akiyama, Naomi Yoshimura & Junta Miyawaki
2. FANTÔMES DRAMATIC Vs STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION!: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda Vs KANON, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO & YUZUKI)
3. Special Tag Match ~ Kaisei Takechi Return Match: Yuki Ueno & Kaisei Takechi Vs Kazuki Hirata & To-y
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata, Yuni & Kazuma Sumi
5. King Of DDT – Semi Final: Minoru Suzuki Vs Shinya Aoki
6. King Of DDT – Semi Final: MAO Vs Danshoku Dieno
7. King Of DDT – Final: X Vs X

A nice surprise added to the show is the return of Kaisei Takechi. He’s hasn’t wrestled in almost two months because of his appendicitis but will be back and ready to go this upcoming weekend.

Over the last few months the stage actress Yuzuki Hoshimoto has appeared at ringside to support Strange Love Connection as an acquaintance of both MAO and KANON. In some cases she even lends a helping hand when things got a bit too out of control. Well she recently asked KANON if she could join SLC as a proper member and her proposal was accepted. From now on whenever she appears in DDT she will go by the name of YUZUKI and it sounds like she will be put in a similar position as KIMIHIRO as a hype person for SLC’s entrances.

The match order has not been decided yet other than the main event and the dark match.

DDT “DDT MY LOVE 2026”, 03/06/2026
Shinjuku FACE

1. Junta Miyawaki Three Match Trial – Match 2: Junta Miyawaki Vs Kazuki Hirata
2. Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata Vs Akito & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
3. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA, Antonio Honda & Hinata Kasai Vs Kazuma Sumi, To-y, Yuki Ishida & Rukiya

It hasn’t reached the point yet where D GENERATIONS are their own unit (paleyouth existing puts the kibosh on that happening for now) but there are times when they will all be on the same page to fight a common opponent. Getting to fight the entire FANTÔMES DRAMATIC foursome is an example.

DDT “DRAMATIC DREAM TAKASHIMAYA VOL. 4”, 06/06/2025
Tokyo Shinjuku Takashimaya 1st Floor JR Exit Special Venue

1. Shinjuku Takashimaya Half-Day Promotional Ambassador Time-Lag Entry Battle Royal: Kazuma Sumi Vs Junta Miyawaki Vs Yukio Naya Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Yuni Vs Yuki Ishida Vs Rukiya Vs Hyper Misao Vs Yuki Kamifuku Vs Pokotan
2. paleyouth Vs FANTÔMES DRAMATIC!: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Chris Brookes, HARASHIMA & Hinata Kasai
3. The 37KAMIINA Vs STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION!: Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y Vs MAO, KANON & Viento Maligno (w/ KIMIHIRO)

I didn’t think the Takashimaya building in Shinjuku would want to be associated with wrestling again after the Sumire Uesaka incident back in March but they’re allowing DDT to hold their annual outdoor show in the area again. Not only is there a Battle Royal to determine who gets to be the stores ambassador for the rest of the day but Saki Akai will be there to interview a guest or guests to be announced.

DDT “DRAMATIC STYLE 2026”, 10/06/2026
Shinjuku FACE

1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku & Daichi Sato Vs Shunma Katsumata, Kazuki Hirata & Kumadori
2. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani, MJ Paul, Ilusion & Haruto Sakuraba Vs MAO, KANON, Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Viento Maligno

DAMNATION T.A needed to find someone to fill out their team in order to defend the KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles so they called in the big guns. “The Monster” Haruto Sakuraba last wrestled in DDT back at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2025”. He won’t be officially recognised as champion due to the rules of the belt (it’s still Demus in that spot) but if SLC are able to beat a team with him in it then they deserve to become champions!

DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2026”, 11/08/2026
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Time Delayed Entry Battle Royal: Sumire Uesaka (c) Vs X
2. Special Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & X Vs X & X
3. Dramatic Dream Match: Konosuke Takeshita Vs Kaisei Takechi

DDT have found a way to guarantee that the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion will show up at Sumo Hall this August. Whoever holds the title going into the show will be rewarded with a one year long Shinkansen Box Office pass. This pass will allow the holder to travel on the bullet train at no personal cost whenever DDT books them for one of their regional shows in a twelve month period that begins after the show. Right now Sumire Uesaka is the champion but she has some things lined up elsewhere that may put her in risk of losing the title. I’ll explain in the next post.


DDT “MISSION IN BATTLE ~SHINSHUN KENRAN~” Results

January 25, 2026

DDT “MISSION IN BATTLE ~SHINSHUN KENRAN~”, 25/01/2026
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
??? Fans – Unannounced

1. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Junta Miyawaki ended in a Time Limit Draw (15:00).
2. Ryuma Tsukamoto, Daichi Sato, Yuki Ishida, Ilusion & Kazuma Sumi defeated Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku, Yuni, Rukiya & Hinata Kasai when Sato pinned Masada with the PL (6:10).
3. Naomi Yoshimura & Kumadori defeated Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul when Yoshimura pinned Paul with the Harai-goshi (7:59).
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ Yoshihiko Return Match: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Gaydo Clutch (0:06).
4a. Rematch: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Suzuki submitted Sasadango with an Arm Lock (0:05).
4b. Rematch: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko defeated Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda when Yoshihiko pinned Hirata with the Reincarnation (5:23).
5. Special Tag Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Jun Akiyama defeated HARASHIMA & To-y when Takeshita pinned To-y with the Wagamama (12:40).
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & KANON (c) (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya when KANON pinned Iino with the GURU-GURU Driver (15:35).
*V3 for STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION.
7. KO-D Openweight Title & DDT Universal Title – Irregular 3 Way Match: Yuki Ueno (c/c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki Vs Chris Brookes
7a. DDT Universal Title: Daisuke Sasaki defeated Yuki Ueno (c) and Chris Brookes when Sasaki submitted Brookes with the Crossface Lock (16:14).
*Yuki Ueno fails in V2. Daisuke Sasaki becomes the 20th DDT Universal Champion!
7b. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated Daisuke Sasaki and Chris Brookes when Ueno pinned Sasaki with the WR (10:05).
*V5 for Yuki Ueno.

Double the danger, double the fun. Yuki Ueno had two potential challengers gunning him down for his championships so he decided to put the DDT Universal Title and the KO-D Openweight Title on the line one at a time in an unusual main event. It was a 3 Way Match consisting of two falls. The first had Ueno defending the Universal Title. Daisuke Sasaki wanted to form an alliance with Chris Brookes but it was short lived. Ueno was still at a disadvantage because his injured left leg was targeted by both challengers. Sasaki also had DAMNATION T.A in his corner and despite the other’s attempts to wipe them all out, they became a key factor for how the first fall ended. Sasaki got Brookes trapped in the Crossface Lock and DAMNATION T.A all grabbed onto Ueno to stop him from breaking the hold. Brookes had no choice but to tap out and Sasaki became the new Universal Champion!

Sasaki wasted no time when the second fall began and the KO-D Title became up for grabs. He immediately Speared Ueno through the ropes to the floor then returned to the ring to put Brookes back into the Crossface Lock. Brookes was able to escape and wound up double teaming Ueno with Sasaki by giving the KO-D Champ the Doomsday Device/Double Impact. Ueno got Brookes into the Blackout Sleeper but Ilusion distracted the ref so Sasaki could break the hold with a chair. Ueno got his own back when he turned Sasaki’s standing Crossface attempt on Brookes into the WR that flipped over both men. Ueno’s leg injury almost cost him the KO-D Title because he slipped while climbing the top turnbuckle. Brookes tried to pin Sasaki but both then got squashed by a Frog Splash from Ueno. Brookes was thrown out of the ring and Ueno had no one to stop him from pinning Sasaki with the WR to win the fall and remain KO-D Champion.

Ueno placed the Universal Title in front of Sasaki after the match and admitted he was disappointed overall because he lost one of his championships. He is now even more determined to keep defending the KO-D Title to make up for it. His next defence will be at DDT’s 29th Anniversary show on 22nd March. KIMIHIRO walked out to interrupt Ueno but it was just so he could introduce the man who wants to take DDT’s top spot, KANON! After he entered the ring, KANON explained he’s been with DDT for four years now and every day his love for the company grows. He understands Ueno is feeling a little heartbroken at the moment but he wants to be his next challenger. Ueno accepted the challenge because KANON still sees him as the pinnacle of DDT. However Ueno still remembers everything KANON did to him when he was a member of DAMNATION T.A so he expects KANON to bring everything he’s learned over the last four years into the match. They shook hands until KANON suddenly Clotheslined Ueno! His final message today is he is just that little bit stronger than Ueno. Backstage KANON explained to reporters that the first opponent to beat him after he joined DDT was Ueno so this challenge is going to be his revenge for what happened four years ago!

The show turned out to be a significant one for Strange Love Connection as a whole. They were able to defend the KO-D Tag Team Titles against The Apex and then absorbed the team into their group! Yuki Iino’s recent obsession over MAO couldn’t give him the extra edge in the end. He was able to Spear MAO after seeing Yukio Naya take the Michinoku Driver II but KANON knocked him down with a Lariat and then pinned him with the GURU-GURU Driver. KIMIHIRO and Yuzuki Hoshimoto were both there to congratulate the champs for a job well done after the match.

After the match, KANON told everyone that both teams have been acting like idiots for the last month in order to try and out-do each other. What he learned from this is that idiots are strong people and for that The Apex have earned his respect. Iino called that the ultimate compliment and even though he lost the match, he has now grown to love MAO & KANON! He then asked Naya if they could join SLC? MAO instantly agreed and started to wonder if Iino & Naya should now be called The Apex from STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION (just like THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE)? Even if they just remain as The Apex, SLC has now upgraded into becoming a unit and they now all want it to become the strongest not only in DDT but the entire pro wrestling world! That’s not all, MAO revealed backstage that he was already planning on introducing a new SLC member next month. He didn’t expect to add two new members today but now SLC is going to become a 5-Man unit! The fifth man will be revealed on 22nd February.

Plans had to change when Kaisei Takechi got a case of pink eye and was unable to wrestle on this show. His role in the big tag match now had to be filled by To-y. He took on the challenge with gusto, bringing the fight to both Konosuke Takeshita & Jun Akiyama while having HARASHIMA help out as his tag partner. Takeshita & Akiyama didn’t shy away from giving him a bashing but that led to To-y finding his inner fire and fighting back, scoring a nearfall on Takeshita with the Kojima Impact. Takeshita put a stop to that with the Last Ride counter of the Kojima In Wonderland followed by a Double Knee Strike with Akiyama. To-y kicked out of that along with the big Elbow Strike afterwards so Takeshita had to hit him with the Wagamama to put To-y away. Later To-y said he wants to keep on fighting even if he may never get another chance to face Takeshita again. But if it does happen he knows he can beat him! Takeshita told him that meeting Akiyama played a role in his current success and he wouldn’t be where he is today without him. So he understands how important it was for To-y to fight him today. He believes To-y will one day inherit his strength just like how he inherited Akiyama’s.

I regret to inform everyone that the “Suzuki Incident” of 2021 was repeated today. While Minoru Suzuki was making his entrance for his match, Danshoku Dieno and Kazuki Hirata jumped the gun and began to wrestle. Dieno then immediately pinned Hirata with the Gaydo Clutch to end the match before Suzuki could even make it to the ring apron. Hisaya Imabayashi was understandably mad because the fans couldn’t sing along to “Kaze Ni Nare”. Suzuki was also annoyed because his entrance was going to take up 80% of the match anyway. The match restarted so Suzuki could do his entrance but this time Super Sasadango Machine tried to jump him. Suzuki immediately pulled him into an Arm Lock to make Sasadango tap out. Now Imabayashi was upset the match ended before Yoshihiko could make it to the ring. He even dared to get into an argument with Suzuki over it without backing down! Another restart took place so Yoshihiko could make an entrance and it even stopped Suzuki from immediately beating Antonio Honda. The match then continued with Dieno and Honda’s usual comedy until Yoshihiko pinned Hirata with the Reincarnation. Suzuki then dragged Yoshihiko along the floor as he left ringside. He remembers beating this thing half to death in Las Vegas almost a year ago. Dieno explained that Suzuki and Yoshihiko are linked together because they understand each other so well. Suzuki doesn’t believe him.

Meanwhile Imabayashi wanted Hirata to stay behind in the ring because he had an announcement to make. Hirata is going to have a singles match with Takeshita on 22nd March! Hirata was not happy with the announcement but talked himself into taking the match. If Takeshita the worldwide star wants to wrestle him then Hirata from Adachi Ward will be ready! He is sure Takeshita will beat him many times over but he promises he will make it hard for Takeshita to do so.

Although Kumadori has settled his feud with Ilusion, he is back in DDT to wrestle DAMNATION T.A some more. Ilusion was still there to give Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul a helping hand. Okatani also attacked Naomi Yoshimura with his bamboo stick until Kumadori came to save the day. With the coast clear, Yoshimura recovered to throw Paul over with the Harai-goshi to put the cheaters back in their place.

To-y being bumped up to the Special Tag Match meant the 10-Man tag was slightly changed. Ryoma Tsukamoto took his place to keep it within the D GENERATIONS scope. The match also featured Irish referee Niall Fox as the official for the match. What’s he doing over there? Anyway the match had NωA Jr. members Kazuma Sumi and Yuni face off against each other, Yuki Ishida pushing others around with his sumo moves, Rukiya trying to give Ilusion the Protobomb, Ilusion attacking Hinata Kasai with a chair and Yuya Koroku then knocking out Ilusion with an Elbow Strike. The match came down to Takeshi Masada and Daichi Sato where Sato caught Masada with the Fire Thunder and then pin him out of nowhere with a Penalty Kick. Backstage Tsukamoto predicted Sato will go on to win the D GENERATIONS CUP completely undefeated.

Not only did Junta Miyawaki got to wrestle his idol Shinya Aoki but he went the distance against him too. They fought to a 15 minute draw in the opening match that was built around joint locks and pinning attempts. After a few close calls, Miyawaki hit a dive out of the ring and got to counter a Sleeper Hold into a Modified Sunshine Driver. Aoki turned the pinfall over though to continue the back and forth action until he was put in a Crab Hold and had to fight to reach the ropes. The two then fought over the Aoki Clutch for the final moments of the match before the bell rang. Miyawaki said he was able to absorb a lot from Aoki today and he still looks up to him despite slapping away Aoki’s handshake in frustration after the match. Aoki praised him for having incredible spirit and determination. He wonders why wrestlers as good as they are were put in the opener? They need to aim higher because he thinks they’re not the kind of wrestlers to be curtain jerking.


Sasaki Wants DDT To Be More Like WCW, Takechi Pulled From This Sunday’s Show, Super Japan Getting Will Be Judged

January 23, 2026

DDT “MISSION IN BATTLE ~SHINSHUN KENRAN~”, 25/01/2026
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Junta Miyawaki
2. Takeshi Masada, Yuya Koroku, Yuni, Rukiya & Hinata Kasai Vs Ryuma Tsukamoto, Daichi Sato, Yuki Ishida, Ilusion & Kazuma Sumi
3. Hideki Okatani & MJ Paul Vs Naomi Yoshimura & Kumadori
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ Yoshihiko Return Match: Minoru Suzuki, Danshoku Dieno & Yoshihiko Vs Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Antonio Honda
5. Special Tag Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Jun Akiyama Vs HARASHIMA & To-y
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & KANON (c) (w/ KIMIHIRO) Vs Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya
7. KO-D Openweight Title & DDT Universal Title – Irregular 3 Way Match: Yuki Ueno (c/c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki Vs Chris Brookes

There’s going to be some changes in DDT if Daisuke Sasaki gets his way and wins more championships. He currently holds the O-40 Title and wants to create a DDT Triple Crown by winning both the KO-D Openweight Title and DDT Universal Title. Then he won’t have to defend the belts against anyone under the age of forty and DDT will start to resemble the final years of WCW. Sasaki is fond of that period because the shows would always end with interferences and he was also looked up to Scott Hall for being an alcoholic. Sasaki admits he always finds negative things to be cool. Should Sasaki achieve the “Triple Crown” and only fights other wrestlers over forty, he theorizes that he will then have the likes of Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar as potential challengers because right now DDT hasn’t been lining up opponents for his O-40 Title. WWE hasn’t responded to his requests though. Sasaki also doesn’t like how Yuki Ueno and Chris Brookes are drawing in bigger audiences of young women to the shows. He would prefer the audience to be full of older men who look like Tetsu Inada.

Stage actress Yuzuki Hoshimoto will be in attendance to second the Strange Love Connection in the KO-D Tag Team Titles match. She previously appeared in DDT with the team at last November’s Korakuen Hall show.

The big draw of the show has gone down! Kaisei Takechi has been pulled from the show because he currently has an infectious case of pink eye. He will now be replaced by To-y in the big tag match also featuring HARASHIMA, Konosuke Takeshita and Jun Akiyama. That also means To-y has been plucked out of the 10-Man Tag Match. Ryoma Tsukamoto has been called in to take his place in that bout.

GANBARE☆PRO “NEW YEAR’S BLUES 2026”, 31/01/2026
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Sentaro Motoshima Vs Akira Shoji
2. Moeka Haruhi Vs Choun Shiryu
3. Yuna Manase & YuuRI Vs Chanyota & Non Toraga
4. Ken Ohka & Mizuki Watase Vs Fuminori Abe & Shota Kawakami
5. Yumehito Imanari & Keisuke Ishii Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Yuya Susumu
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Masaaki Mochizuki (c) Vs Shinichiro Tominaga

The tag match pitting Ganbare☆Joshi against P.P.P. Tokyo will be Non Toraga’s first appearance in Ganbare☆Pro.

More details on Munetatsu Nakamura’s neck injury have come to light. He has been diagnosed with a herniated cervical disc and will not return to action until 7th March at the earliest. Even then that could be delayed if he does not get cleared by his doctor.

SUPER JAPAN “JUDGEMENT”, 24/03/2026
Shinjuku FACE

1. Special Single Match: Shinya Aoki Vs Kazunari Murakami

History will repeat itself with Sanshiro Takagi’s alternate history spin off. At the end of 2025 he felt the time was right to end the Super Japan project because thr year long celebration of his 30th Anniversary in wrestling had been completed. However his appointed ace of the promotion Yuji Nagata revealed that he had Shinjuku FACE booked for 24th March for a show of his own and decided that it should go to Super Japan instead so it could either continue or at least give everyone a proper farewell. Taking a page out of DDT’s beginning all the way back in 1997, Takagi decided that this upcoming show in March will end with a fan vote on whether or not Super Japan should continue. “JUDGEMENT” was the name of that very first DDT show in ’97 so it is only fitting for the name to be used here as well. Now we have to see if history will repeat itself.

The first match announced is an intriguing pro wrestling match between MMA backgrounds. Shinya Aoki faces Kazunari Murakami, the man with perhaps the most surliest face you will ever see in pro wrestling. He tends to be a snappy dresser too.

Names currently scheduled for the show include Yuji Nagata, Sanshiro Takagi, Kuroshio TOKYO Japan, Fuminori Abe and Munenori Sawa.


DDT “BE AMBITIOUS ~AUTUMN BATTLE~” Results

November 30, 2025

DDT “BE AMBITIOUS ~AUTUMN BATTLE~”, 30/11/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
??? Fans – Unannounced

0. Dark Match: Akito, Daichi Sato & Yuya Koroku defeated Soma Takao, Rukiya & Hinata Kasai when Sato pinned Kasai with a PK (10:19).
1. Danshoku Dieno Return Match: Kazusada Higuchi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Danshoku Dieno, Antonio Honda & Kazuma Sumi when Higuchi submitted Dieno with the Claw (0:06).
1a. Rematch: Kazusada Higuchi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata defeated Danshoku Dieno, Antonio Honda & Kazuma Sumi when Hirata pinned Honda with the Miracle One Shot Cradle (6:35).
2. Special 3 Way Tag Match: Jun Masaoka & Gaia Hox defeated Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya and Demus & Ilusion when Masaoka pinned Ilusion with the F-DRIVE II (5:54).
3. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Naomi Yoshimura, Takeshi Masada & Yuki Ishida defeated Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA, MBM & Ultima Sombra when Masada pinned MBM with the Masada No Chikara KOBU Mukimuki (5:54).
4. DDT Extreme Title – Weapon Gamble Match: To-y (c) defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the Kojima In Wonderland ~Kojima Wonderland~ onto the Plastic Case (10:57).
*V5 for To-y.
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: MAO & KANON (c) (w/ KIMIHIRO) defeated Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani when KANON pinned Okatani with the Modified LONELY DEZIRES (14:12).
*V1 for STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION.
6. Special Single Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA defeated Shinya Aoki with a Modified Jackknife Pin (10:07).
7. KO-D Openweight Title & DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c/c) defeated Super Sasadango Machine with a Dropkick (27:16).
*V3 for the KO-D Openweight Title. V1 for the DDT Universal Title.

High hopes and grand ambitions for the future spurred on Super Sasadango Machine as he found himself fighting Yuki Ueno for DDT’s top two championships in Korakuen Hall today. He spent the time leading up to the match working out with a personal trainer, had revealed the Reverse Shrimp Hold as his deadly secret weapon he had kept hidden for around two decades and he was watched over by Konosuke Takeshita in his corner for the match. The big problem though was Ueno banned Sasadango from giving any PowerPoint Presentations until this match took place, sapping away Sasadango’s creativity. Or did it? As he held Ueno in the Reverse Shrimp Hold, fighting to stop the champion from reaching the ropes “Etupirka” began to play and a spiritual PowerPoint Presentation was broadcast directly into the minds of everyone watching the match! In it Sasadango revealed then if he wins the KO-D Openweight Title and DDT Universal Title today, he will nominate Ueno to be his first challenger and hold the rematch at the 3rd January Korakuen show next year. Then the next day Sasadango will invade the Tokyo Dome to take over New Japan’s big show! Unfortunately for Sasadango the bonus motivation didn’t work and Ueno made it to the ropes to break his secret hold. Ueno also kicked out of the Vertical Drop Lehman Shock even though Sasadango hit the move three times throughout the match. Sasadango’s last plan was to simply use a Dropkick on Ueno but the champion got back up and did several Dropkicks of his own. Sasadango kicked out of the BME and the two wrestlers began Dropkicking each other back and forth. They both kept kicking out of the pins until Sasadango got Dropkicked in the face one time too many and couldn’t kick out anymore.

After the match Ueno thanked Sasadango for doing his best and asked him if they really can make the dream of bringing DDT to the Tokyo Dome come true? Sasadango said it is not a dream at all and it is their responsibility to take all of the DDT fans to that destination. If everybody puts their minds to it, they can definitely make it to the Tokyo Dome and fill it up for an amazing view! Ueno admitted he will never become an icon like Hiroshi Tanahashi but that’s okay. Sasadango advised him to just be himself and then left. Later during his backstage comments, Sasadango talked about the opportunities that will open up when Tanahashi retires for other wrestlers to become the next icon for the entire industry, not just in New Japan. There are so many things that need to be done for DDT to get to the Tokyo Dome but Sasadango promised he will work hard to help make it happen, especially since we are not that far off from DDT celebrating its 30th Anniversary.

But that’s still way off in the future. Ueno is also thinking about what he’s going to do next. Hisaya Imabayashi told him his next singles title match will happen on the 21st December Korakuen show and Ueno was allowed to choose his opponent. Ueno decided he will defend the KO-D Title against one of the D GENERATIONS wrestlers and the challenger would be determined right away with a Rock Paper Scissors tournament! He explained it would be the fairest way to quickly determine the No. 1 Contender and it is also an idea that has been passed down through DDT since ancient times. In the end, Takeshi Masada beat Yuki Ishida in the final to earn the title shot. Ueno asked him what does he want to do if he becomes champion? Masada said he will prove that he is the future of DDT. Ueno told him he has plenty of time to do that so he should say something that will make Ueno want to beat him. Masada said he will make Ueno feel despair when he beats him on the 21st!

Fresh off of losing winning his first match in the Continental Classic at AEW last week, Takeshita made it all the way back to DDT for a special rematch against Shinya Aoki. He brought the IWGP World Heavyweight Title with him but the match was a non-title bout. Aoki brought the challenge, finding unique ways to use his moves on Takeshita. He avoided being pinned with the Blue Thunder Bomb by applying a Cross Armbreaker and also used the setup for the Aoki Clutch as a feint to roll Takeshita into the European Clutch instead. Takeshita got the better of him though by escaping his different cradle pins and using a Backslide to roll himself on top of Aoki and pin him with a bridging Jackknife. Takeshita said backstage that he cannot afford to lose anywhere right now because the Tokyo Dome is waiting for him. He isn’t just talking about 4th January because as long as he is with DDT, he wants to go to the Tokyo Dome with DDT! He also sees how much the D GENERATIONS have improved and thinks DDT is in good hands with them around. Aoki is coming off of a recent MMA defeat in ONE FC and said how strange it is that today he feels he is back where he belongs. To him, martial arts and MMA are all part of the same rules as pro wrestling and he has come to love modern pro wrestling.

A grudge match over the KO-D Tag Team Titles pushed Strange Love Connection to bring in an extra ringside second alongside KIMIHIRO to even up the numbers against DAMNATION T.A. During the entrance KIMIHIRO introduced everyone to the stage actress Yuzuki Hoshimoto who was armed with a whip and also an illuminated blade shaped bat. However she didn’t turn out to do much when DAMNATION T.A attacked the champions during their entrance. She whipped MJ Paul a bit but he just shoved her against the ring apron in response. Things went worse for SLC when MAO’s attempted stage dive missed the target and he landed on KANON instead. Daisuke Sasaki continued to attack them with chairs, even Body Slamming KIMIHIRO onto a pile of them. Paul & Demus added more damage with interference spots but MAO got his own back by wiping them out at ringside with a Quebrada. Sasaki held MAO in La Mistica Crossface Lock while Hideki Okatani went to finish the job but KANON made a comeback on the two of them. As much as Okatani tried to harm KANON’s hand, he couldn’t stop him from doing the LONELY DEZIRES, giving SLC a hard earned victory and KANON his revenge.

After the match KANON spoke about having confidence now and proving he is not unwanted because he has friends who support him. SLC beat DAMNATION T.A but they don’t want their title run to end here. They heard that earlier today F-SWAG were telling everyone they want a title shot. MAO thinks it’s great that teams from outside DDT now want to fight for the KO-D Tag Titles because he needs new opponents to help himself and KANON grow stronger together. Meanwhile DAMNATION T.A were coming up with excuses for losing. Sasaki blamed it on bad calls while Okatani had regrets over not using his bamboo stick because he thought he could win without it.

Gambling was the name of the game when it came to today’s DDT Extreme Title match. Well actually the name of the match was Weapon Gamble but you know what I mean. To-y and Sanshiro Takagi spent over a week gambling their money in the hopes of raising funds for weapons to use in this match. Neither of them won anything substantial so they were reduced to finding weapons they didn’t have to pay for. The extra catch was every time a new weapon was introduced, they would have to play a card game where the person who drew the higher number would be allowed use the weapon on his opponent. One instance of this backfiring was when Takagi brought in a group of unpaid amateur indie wrestlers. To-y won the card game so all of the wrestlers attacked Takagi instead. The next item was a briefcase that To-y won the right to use but Takagi grabbed it and ran off. When the indie wrestlers chased after him, Takagi pulled out a spray can from the briefcase and blinded everyone with it. The Dramatic Dream was next and Takagi got to crash it into everyone up in the aisleway. Another bicycle was brought out but this one belonged to To-y’s parents! He and Takagi then crashed their bikes into each other. Then came the most dangerous weapon of the match: A parent-teacher meeting with To-y’s mother Miwa Kojima! Takagi won the card game so he got to tell Miwa about To-y’s gambling problem, claiming To-y has taken it so far that he has stolen Takagi’s money to fund it! Miwa also revealed her credit card is constantly in debt because of her son so she asked Takagi to help her. Takagi smashed a plastic case over To-y’s head as punishment which shocked Miwa. She had a sudden change of heart and slapped Takagi across the face, stunning him long enough for To-y to give him the Kojima In Wonderland onto the plastic cases for the victory. Mother and son hugged each other afterwards but To-y admitted he cannot quit gambling. He promised to make enough money to pay it all back though and then make even more money so he can gamble even more without it going to waste. He admits when you hold the Extreme Title you lose track of what is right and what is wrong. However he will always be authentic.

The first DDT tour for the Belgian tag team Rivality came to an end today with them getting to team up with Jun Akiyama & HARASHIMA. The four of them all joined forces to face the temporary alliance of SCHADENFREUDE International and Harimao. Early on MBM & Ultima Sombra got to experience the SCHADENFREUDE Tower spot from both sides. Sombra was the one getting punished while MBM got to pose on top of him with everyone else. Sombra also took the full brunt of the rubber band spot from Chris Brookes. Akiyama fought Naomi Yoshimura for the more serious part of the match but the finish came down to Masada & Ishida hitting their finishers on both members of MBM at the same time, leading to Masada pinning MBM.

As mentioned earlier, F-SWAG has come to DDT and they are looking for gold. Jun Masaoka & Gaia Hox made the most of the chaos that went on to win the 3 Way Tag Match against The Apex and DAMNATION T.A. They formed an alliance with Demus & Ilusion at first but betrayed them as soon as the opportunity arose. Hox wiped out Yuki Iino & Yukio Naya with a dive then made it back into the ring to help Masaoka finish off Ilusion for the victory. After the match F-SWAG got on the microphone and said they wanted to face the winners of the KO-D Tag Titles match on 21st December because that is the only date they have open that month. DDT better watch out!

After a month long delay in recovery, Danshoku Dieno finally got to make his triumphant return to the ring. Too bad the match began while he was making his entrance through the audience and Antonio Honda submitted to Kazusada Higuchi’s Claw Hold six seconds in. Imabayashi got mad at Dieno’s moment being ruined and ordered a restart. The match went on without a hitch with all of the Lip Locks and partial nudity you’d want in a Dieno match. Toru Owashi didn’t get a Lip Lock though despite anticipating he would. Dieno had extra pent up energy built up from his time away and it was used to charge up the Hirata Go! glasses and also Gongitsune (as well as a portable battery belonging to a fan at ringside). Kazuki Hirata turned the charged up Gongitsune against Honda in order to pin him with the Miracle One Shot Cradle.

In the dark match Akito, Daichi Sato & Yuya Koroku all teamed up to defeat Soma Takao, Rukiya & Hinata Kasai. Takao & Rukiya tried to break down Sato with a Sandwich Elbow attack so Kasai could hit him with a Missile Dropkick. Sato got back at Kasai with a Fisherman Suplex and pinned him with a Penalty Kick.

Two big matches featuring Kaisei Takechi were announced for December and January to help him prepare for his “WRESTLE KINGDOM” appearance. On 21st December he will team with HARASHIMA to face Yuji Nagata & Sanshiro Takagi. Then on 3rd January Takechi will defend the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles with The 37KAMIINA against SLC & Kazuma Sumi.