DDT “DDT TV SHOW! #8”, 27/06/2020
Shinjuku FACE
155 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Soma Takao & Mad Paulie defeated Mizuki Watase & Keigo Nakamura when Takao pinned Nakamura with the Diving Foot Stomp (6:15).
2. Danshoku Dieno & Akito defeated Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata when Dieno pinned Hirata with the Danshoku Driver (9:28).
3. The Evil Villainous Wrestler Seigo Tachibana’s Road To The Top: HARASHIMA defeated Seigo Tachibana with the Somato (8:09).
4. Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Saki Akai defeated Antonio Honda, Hiroshi Yamato & Yukio Naya when Sakaguchi pinned Naya with the God’s Right Knee (7:21).
5. Akiyama-gun Vs ALL OUT!: Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino defeated Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Hideki Okatani when Iino pinned Okatani with the Spear (11:53).
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Naomi Yoshimura (c) defeated Tetsuya Endo & Nobuhiro Shimatani when Ueno pinned Endo with the WR (18:46).
*V5 for Nautilus.
7. DDT UNIVERSAL Title: Chris Brookes defeated Daisuke Sasaki (c) with the Bacchus (24:04).
*Daisuke Sasaki fails in V4. Chris Brookes becomes the 3rd DDT UNIVERSAL Champion!
Even though Masahiro Takanashi was not in the main event, he was there in spirit to direct how Daisuke Sasaki versus Chris Brookes went. Sasaki purposely set up situations to get rid of referees. One was pushing Brookes into Yukinori Matsui and another was using Daisuke Kiso to shield himself from a Cutter. With no officials around, Sasaki took hit Brookes across the head with a crutch (was it Takanashi’s?) and used the Sasatonic in a mean callback to Takanashi’s finisher. Matsui recovered and counted the pin but Brookes kicked out. Brookes got a measure of revenge by putting Sasaki through a table at ringside with the Praying Mantis Bomb. Sasaki countered another Praying Mantis Bomb by using Soma Takao’s Gin And Tonic for a nearfall. Being tall allowed Brookes to block La Mistica Crossface Lock and use Takanashi’s Bacchus cradle to win the match and regain the DDT UNIVERSAL Title!
A defeated Sasaki tried to convince Brookes that he changed his tune after the match. He wanted to hand the belt over to him but it was a trick to set up a Low Blow. Brookes saw it coming though and he closed his legs together to clamp Sasaki’s arm in place. Brookes then hit Sasaki with the belt and gave him the Praying Mantis Bomb to end their feud. Hisaya Imabayashi then told Brookes who his first challenger will be. It’s Maku Donaruto! Brookes and Donaruto were supposed to have a match months ago but twice COVID-19 cancelled the shows they were on. Donaruto came out and Brookes immediately fled the ring. He refused to accept the challenge but Imabayashi ignored him. The title match will happen on 3rd July. While Donaruto “celebrated” with Imabayashi, Brookes got a microphone near the entrance and spoke to the crowd. When he lost the title, that was when the world started to get messed up. But now he has the belt back hopefully that means the world can start to improve.
What a time to be Yuki Ueno. In the month he’s been back in the ring he has become a constant thorn in Tetsuya Endo’s side. Today’s KO-D Tag Team Titles match was a way for Endo to push Ueno aside for good but instead Ueno beat him clean! Not even a boosted underdog performance from Nobuhiro Shimatani could stop this from happening. Endo set Ueno up for a Canadian Destroyer when Naomi Yoshimura broke it with a Lariat. Nautilus hit the Osaka Strad but Ueno kicked out of the pin. Ueno then did the Frog Splash but rather than go for a pin, he instead did the WR and that is what ended the match with the champions retaining. After the match Ueno brought up his failed Right To Challenge cash in. Endo beat him back then and that was how DAMNATION got the Tag Titles shot. Now the opposite is happening. Ueno beat Endo so that means he should get a KO-D Openweight Title match! Endo was given a microphone but he refused to answer. Imabayashi agreed to book the title match at Korakuen Hall on 23rd July. Endo accepted and told Ueno he will embarrass him.
Jun Akiyama now belongs to DDT for the rest of the year. To mark this change in his career, his old entrance song “SHADOW EXPLOSION” was used instead of “STERNNESS”. For now his focus is leading Akiyama-gun to battle against ALL OUT. He started the match facing Konosuke Takeshita although Hideki Okatani also wanted to be in that position. The match broke down with Makoto Oishi giving Takeshita a Swirling Complete Shot, Shunma Katsumata stunning Oishi with a Thrust Kick and then Oishi firing back with a Running Forearm. Okatani and Yuki Iino were tagged in and Iino hit two Spears for the win. In the post-match interview, Iino regrets not hurting Akiyama more than he did in the match. Over on the other team, Akiyama admits whatever the hell DDT is, that’s what Takeshita represents. It’s up to Takeshita to figure out what he wants his DDT to be. When he does figure it out, that is when he will become a great wrestler. That’s what Kota Ibushi did to become a major star. Akiyama thinks Takeshita has the same potential but he has to find himself first. Akiyama is in the same boat now he is a DDT wrestler. What the fuck is he doing here? He’s working on finding that out.
The ragtag trio of Antonio Honda, Hiroshi Yamato & Yukio Naya had a special attack ready for Eruption. They formed the Giant Gongitusune with Honda sitting atop of Naya’s shoulders and Yamato leading the charge across the ring. Yukio Sakaguchi dodged it so the Giant Gongitsune crashed into the corner. Kazusada Higuchi carried Honda away on his shoulders, Saki Akai dove onto Naya with a Cross Body and Sakaguchi pinned him with the God’s Right Knee. Honda challenged Eruption to a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles match anyway. His first partner came out. It’s Riho! She said she was supposed to come out when Honda won the match but that never happened. Riho then introduced the other partner, the man who helped make her what she is today. It’s HARASHIMA! Akai said Eruption would take on anyone’s challenge and they are staying true to their word. Higuchi & Sakaguchi both nodded to that. The match will happen on 23rd July.
Seigo Tachibana is now added to the rare list of wrestlers who brought out HARASHIMA’s angry side. His evil antics irritated HARASHIMA to the point where Matsui had to hold him back at certain points. HARASHIMA won with the Somato but called Danshoku Dieno out to answer why he wants Tachibana in DDT. He’s not saying Tachibana is a bad wrestler but he has no manners. Tachibana’s defence is he grew up this way so he can’t help it. Dieno came up with a solution. Tachibana needs to learn how to behave and if there is anyone that can teach him that it’s Yukio Sakaguchi! Tachibana Vs Sakaguchi will happen in Itabashi on 12th July.
A harsh lesson was learned by Kazuki Hirata recently. He is not as strong as he thought he was. So for today’s match he wanted to study Toru Owashi, Dieno and Akito so he could improve. He got excited by learning new things during the match but it got in the way of you know, actually trying to win. When Akito put Owashi in a Figure 4 Leg Lock, Hirata cared more about filming the move on his phone than rescuing his tag partner. He was most impressed by the knockout power of Dieno’s Lip Lock. Dieno gave him the move then beat him with the Danshoku Driver.
Keigo Nakamura’s eagerness may have cost his team a victory. He and Mizuki Watase were holding their own against Soma Takao & Mad Paulie. It got to a point where Watase felt there was a chance to beat Takao there and then. That was when Nakamura convinced him to tag out so he could do his stuff instead. Takao took control, did a Dropkick & Flapjack combo with Paulie and later pinned Nakamura with the Diving Foot Stomp.
The DDT TV SHOW finale began with a press conference confirming Jun Akiyama’s temporary transfer to DDT from All Japan. Akiyama was joined by Sanshiro Takagi and AJPW President Tsuyoki Fukuda. Akiyama’s DDT tenure officially begins on 1st July.
KING OF DDT 2020 was announced after intermission. The tournament will take place in August.
Dramatic DDT 