DDT “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023”, 23/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Kazusada Higuchi, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida (c) Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani
DDT “SAKI AKAI 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN KORAKUEN!!”, 13/08/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Saki Akai Vs X
DDT “SAKI AKAI 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN KYOTO!!”, 30/09/2023
Kyoto KBS Hall
1. Saki Akai Vs X
DDT “ULTIMATE PARTY 2023”, 12/11/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Saki Akai Retirement Match: Saki Akai Vs X
The big announcement that DDT has been teasing this week was revealed today. Saki Akai announced she will be retiring from pro wrestling on 12th November at “ULTIMATE PARTY 2023”. She is celebrating her 10th year as a pro wrestler this year and felt the end of it is the right time for her career to finish as a beautiful flower instead of a wilting one. Akai said at the press conference that she’s been with DDT for 10 years non-stop and is proud to have been a part of the company. When she was inexperienced and lacking in skill during her early years, the warm support from everybody gave her strength and confidence. She decided that Sumo Hall was the perfect place for her retirement match because it is also where she debuted in 2013.
Also at the press conference was Sanshiro Takagi. He spoke about scouting Akai a decade ago, thinking she had great potential and then faced a lot of opposition over the idea from her mother. Takagi ensured Akai’s mother that they would take responsibility for her every step of the way and asked her to let Akai do it for at least one year. He is so happy and proud to see how much Akai loves DDT and was willing to do anything she could to help them grow. It is now up to DDT to give her the most beautiful send off they can give her. Takagi also told Akai she will always be part of the DDT family even when she is retired.
Akai then answered questions from the press. She told them her post-retirement plans is to run her beauty salon along with continuing her modelling career. She didn’t start thinking about retiring until her 8th or 9th year in the business and felt her 10th anniversary would be the most ideal finishing point. It was this past February when Akai told Takagi of her intentions to retire. Takagi thought Akai would be with DDT forever and then joked about asking her mother for forgiveness every year until he stopped in year six. Akai has told her mother about the retirement plans and also hopes today’s news will reach her estranged father Hidekazu Akai. She also suggested doing a mixed-gender match of some sort for her last bout because she debuted in that kind of match.
But before all that happens, Akai wants one more chance to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles with Eruption because that championship is the one she has the most affection for. Takagi listened and decided right there that Harimao Vs Eruption will take place at “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” on 23rd July with the belts on the line. Takagi was asked to describe what Akai’s appeal as a wrestler was. He said Akai is tall, beautiful and hates to lose. He thinks she probably inherited the last one from her father. He also said she has an amazing fighting instinct and wants her to keep showing it until the end. Akai said she is thankful she never suffered any serious injuries during her career that made her miss any ring time. As a pro wrestler it makes her happy she gets to end her career on her own terms. She still has her anniversary shows coming up and her retirement is 6 months away but she knows it will all go past in a blink of an eye. She thanks her fans because they made her a pro wrestler and took care of her.
Dramatic DDT 