TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV”, 09/10/2023
Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe
868 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Runa Okubo defeated Haru Kazashiro with a Half Crab Hold (5:16).
2. Arisu Endo, Kaya Toribami & HIMAWARI defeated HARUKAZE, Yoshiko Hasegawa & Riara when Endo submitted Hasegawa with the Camel Clutch (12:07).
3. Moka Miyamoto defeated Juria Nagano with the Korokan (6:28).
4. Aja Kong, Raku & Shino Suzuki defeated Hyper Misao, Wakana Uehara & Toga when Kong pinned Uehara with a Back Drop (11:04).
5. Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai defeated Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino when Arai pinned Aino with the Finally (13:10).
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent defeated Shoko Nakajima, Suzume, Pom Harajuku & Antonio Honda when Sakisama pinned Harajuku with the Academy Award (14:45).
7. Special Single Match: Nyla Rose defeated Maki Itoh with the Beast Bomb (12:20).
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu when Kakuta pinned Kiryu with the Shiden Kai (13:37).
*Free WiFi becomes the 14th Princess Tag Team Champions!
9. International Princess Title & NWA World Women’s Television Title: Max The Impaler (N/c) defeated Rika Tatsumi (I/c) with the Short-Range Lariat (15:19).
*V3 for Max The Impaler. Rika Tatsumi fails in V5. Max The Impaler becomes the 11th International Princess Champion!
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita defeated Mizuki (c) with the Crash Rabbit Heat (21:24).
*Mizuki fails in V4. Miyu Yamashita becomes the 13th Princess Of Princess Champion!

For the fourth time Miyu Yamashita has become the Princess Of Princess Champion! She was able to toughen out Mizuki’s Face Lock, Cutie Special and also the Whirling Candy as well as several Diving Foot Stomps. Mizuki also showed her determination by kicking out of the Skull Kick. Yamashita kept focus and landed a High Kick before finishing Mizuki off with the Crash Rabbit Heat. Yamashita wanted to shake Mizuki’s hand after the match but Mizuki hugged her instead. The title win makes Yamashita a worldwide triple crown champion! She now holds singles championships from Japan, Britain (EVE) and America (SPARK). Yamashita got on the microphone and said the belt still feels as extremely heavy as it did the previous times she won it. The reason she’s been able to have this success for the last decade is because she is strong but Mizuki is why the belt shines as bright as it does right now. She closed out the show by telling the fans not to set their own limits.

Backstage she repeated her praise for Mizuki, saying this match was the motivation that kept Yamashita going while she was wrestling in America for three months. She wants to defend the Princess Title overseas but also anticipates defending against wrestlers from around the world within Tokyo Joshi Pro. Mizuki said she couldn’t help but feel scared when she lost the match but so many fans in the audience and wrestlers backstage showed their support for her when it was over. It was another reminder of how blessed she is and it gives her another reason to become stronger. If she gets a chance she wants to win the title back but she realises there are more things she can do than just win belts. She’ll continue to be herself because she wants to become everyone’s princess forever.

A double championship match was in the semi-main event position, marking the first time in 8 and a half years an NWA championship was defended in Japan. Max The Impaler defeated Rika Tatsumi not only to retain the NWA Women’s TV Title but win the International Princess Title too! Max threw Tatsumi around the ring a lot early so Tatsumi came up with a plan. When they were both outside the ring Tatsumi threw some of the other wrestlers at Max! Miu Watanabe was easily knocked aside, Pom Harajuku was safely stopped in her place and Wakana Uehara was thrown right back at Tatsumi. Back in the ring Tatsumi changed tactics to target Max’s knee. It seemed to have paid off when Max favoured the knee after giving her opponent a Backbreaker. Tatsumi wore down Max and applied the Dragon Sleeper but it was power countered into a Fire Thunder Driver. Max then fired Lariats at Tatsumi until they got the 3 count. Max showed enough respect to shake Tatsumi’s hand after the match. Tatsumi is speechless by the result because she will now have to start her defence road all over again. She wants Max to hold onto the title so she can get revenge by winning it back from them.

The alleged curses that’s been following Free WiFi have now been extinguished because they are the new Princess Tag Team Champions! The vacant titles were on the line when Free WiFi took on Toyo Mates with both sides fighting to win the belts for the first time. Mahiro Kiryu tried to apologise for “disconnecting” Free WiFi but her opponents cut her off. Hikari Noa avoided the Famouser from Yuki Kamifuku and got rid of her with the Blizzard Suplex. Free WiFi then gave Kiryu the 5G and Nao Kakuta tried to use the Shiden Kai. Kiryu struggled to break out but Kakuta eventually hit the move for the victory. The title win means Kakuta can finally get rid of her “Uncrowned Queen” nickname while Noa is rewarded for being in a tag team that has not split up over time. Kamifuku said she hates that Toyo Mates have not been able to get good results despite being together for so long. She thinks if they take seperate paths she will be able to beat Aja Kong while Kiryu can go on to beat Miyu Yamashita. They can then reunite and use their massively increased salary to fund different improvements for Toyo University.

A little bit of AEW action was in the undercard when Maki Itoh faced off against Nyla Rose. Itoh was in trouble after taking a Power Bomb but she dodged Rose’s Diving Guillotine Knee Drop and stunned her with the Kokeshi Headbutt. Itoh caused more damage with a Swinging DDT but made the mistake of missing the Flying Big Head. Rose quickly took advantage and used the Beast Bomb to put Itoh away. Rose said Itoh has a hard head and thinks the expression “hard-headed” came from her. She sees similarities between herself and Itoh but admits Itoh is cuter. Itoh said she will do her best to beat Rose next time and this is to be continued.

Speculation over NEO Biishiki-gun’s future in TJPW spread across the fanbase leading into the show. The main four figureheads of the group gathered together once more to battle a ragtag bunch of misfits led by Shoko Nakajima. One of those misfits was Antonio Honda and he took the weirdest punishment by taking an injection in the backside from Yukio Saint Laurent. That injection turned out to be an unintentional energy boost, sending NEO Biishiki-gun packing until he tripped on the ropes before a dive. NEO Biishiki-gun regrouped to one by one take out the opposition. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel gave Nakajima the Tarte Tatin, Martha used her mop to stretch out Suzume and Saint Laurent tortured Honda some more. All that was left to do was for Sakisama to pin Pom Harajuku with the Academy Award.

After the match Sakisama spoke about NEO Biishiki-gun’s victory. She said she is done shining a light in TJPW and it is time for her to shine the light somewhere else. She is always travelling around the world but this time she is bringing the rest of NEO Biishiki-gun along with her. She told the audience that whenever they see a red rose, she wants them to think of her. All four members bowed and left the ring, perhaps for the final time.

Yuki Arai’s pro wrestling career has now introduced her to Ryo Mizunami. The two of them started off their tag match against each other with Arai taking the full brunt of the veteran’s attacks. Miu Watanabe kept things level by matching her power with Mizunami’s. That meant Arai now had to focus on Yuki Aino who has become a regular opponent of her’s. The Venus DDT only got Aino a 2 count and Arai slipped out of the UBV. She hit Aino from behind with the Finally to the back of the head. Arai then hit another Finally from the front to win the match. Watanabe praised her tag partner’s performance, describing her like a flower blooming from another flower. Mizunami also recognised the passion coming from Arai just for taking her Chops alone.

Hyper Misao has not forgotten about Aja Kong destroying the Hyper Cycle back at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” in July. She declared she would get revenge today by defeating Kong directly. Although Misao was able to blind Kong with spray at the beginning, she wasn’t able to achieve her goal. Instead Kong performed the Oyasumi Express with Raku on top of poor Toga and then turn her attention to Wakana Uehara. Misao had brought up Uehara’s harsh experience of training with Kong on the Yume Pro Wrestling show last year. Today was Uehara’s chance to show her worth. She wore down Kong with the Sleeper Hold and avoided the Vertical Drop Brainbuster but Kong grabbed her in the Back Drop and that was all she needed to win. She then encouraged Uehara to slap her across the face after the match. Uehara did so and Kong pushed her back down.

In a match between two karate fighters, Moka Miyamoto came out on top against Juria Nagano. During the match Nagano got to show off a little bit of submission work by countering the Rashomon into an Arm Lock. When it came to strikes though, Miyamoto got the winning exchange by dodging the Hurricane Kick and hitting the Zero-Sen Kick in return. She then pinned Nagano with the Korokan. Miyamoto said she thinks she knows Nagano the best and could sense how much she has grown. For that reason she wants to continue teaming with Nagano and together fight for the Princess Tag Team Titles. Nagano likes the idea and agreed to go that direction next. Free WiFi accepted the challenge when they found out about it.

The last time TJPW fought against Ganbare☆Joshi in a multi-woman tag match was at “GRAND PRINCESS ’22” where they lost to the visiting team. This time however the TJPW team were victorious. Riara dealt the first blow by putting Arisu Endo in the Paradise Lock and getting the rest of the team to pose a toast over her. HIMAWARI reversed fortunes and Kaya Toribami did a number on Riara until HARUKAZE came in with the Spear Of Fire. Yoshiko Hasegawa tried her best to finish off Endo but Endo turned the tables and made Hasegawa submit to the Camel Clutch.

The first match of the day was between the two youngest members of TJPW’s active roster, both only six months into their wrestling careers. Runa Okubo scored the first win in her career by making Haru Kazashiro submit to a Half Crab Hold. Okubo said she doesn’t want anybody looking down on her. It will make her happy if she wins and make people think she is strong. Although Kazashiro was upset to lose she is still happy she got to wrestle Okubo in a singles match today because they train together. She has no choice but to look ahead and do her best so she can beat Okubo some day.

The first couple of big events for 2024 were announced during the show. The 9th annual Ittenyon is at Korakuen Hall on 4th January. The “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament begins in January and the final is taking place at Korakuen on 10th February. “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” will be held in Sumo Hall on 31st March. It will be the second time the event takes place there.

“The Nordic Monster” Regina will make her TJPW debut later this month. Regina is from Fight Club Finland and is currently the FCF Finnish Heavyweight Champion over there. She is wrestling in Aizuwakamatsu on the 20th, Sendai on the 21st and Korakuen on the 27th.

Yuki Arai, Moka Miyamoto & Shino Suzuki Vs Suzume, Arisu Endo & Wakana Uehara is the TJPW Offer Match booked for DDT “ULTIMATE PARTY 2023” at Sumo Hall on 12th November.

Beer Garden Tomorrow, All Asia Tag Titles, Doi Is Immersed In DDT, Yamashita Challenges Mizuki

DDT “FIGHTING BEER GARDEN – DAY 1”, 16/08/2023
Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage

1. Yusuke Okada Vs Rukiya
2. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Toy Kojima, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada
3. Blindfold Hidden Breast 4 Way Death Match: HARASHIMA Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino
4. Special Tag Match: Manpuku Hirutaro & Yuki Ueno Vs MAO & Pokotan
5. The Scariest Event In History! Ghost Story New Numabukuro Death Match: Saki Akai Vs Yuni Vs Hideki Okatani Vs Kazuma Sumi (Ghost Story Reading Artist: Hisaya Imabayashi)
6. YOROKOBI BREWERY Infomercial Match: Yuji Hino, Yukio Sakaguchi & Soma Takao Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio naya & Yuki Ishida
7. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama

The official mascot of the Fuji TV show “Poka Poka” is Yuki Ueno’s mystery tag team partner. Manpuku Hirutaro got a lot of attention after its first appearance on the show for having an “ugly cute” look and lazy behaviour. Chris Brookes tweeted “this thing is ugly as hell and I hate it” in response to the reveal but he may have also been talking about Pokotan.

Danshoku Dieno is taking the next couple of shows off to get surgery for a nasal bone fracture he suffered at the Yamagata show two weeks ago. So he will have to miss the Ghost Story Death Match.

DDT “SOMA TAKAO LOCAL TRIUPMH! MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023 TOUR IN OTA-KU”, 19/08/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Industrial Plaza PiO Small Exhibition Hall

1. 1 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Akito, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
2. Jun Akiyama, Saki Akai & Antonio Honda Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ishida & Rukiya
3. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima
4. Special Tag Match: Masamune & Yukio Naya Vs Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi
5. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Yuji Hino Vs HARASHIMA & Takeshi Masada
6. Special Single Match: Makoto Oishi Vs KANON
7. Special Tag Match: Soma Takao & Shota Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hirata

Recent opponents are now teaming up together. Brookes & Yuji Hino are pairing off for a match against HARASHIMA & Takeshi Masada while Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuki Hirata join forces against ROMANCE DAWN.

With Dieno out of action and Yumehito Imanari being too busy at the moment to be “Fantastic”, Yuki Iino is all on his own for the time being. Akito sees this as the perfect time to strike Pheromones when the unit is at its weakest.

The next KO-D Tag Team Titles program begins its buildup with Makoto Oishi taking on KANON.

DDT “OSAKA BAY BLUES SPECIAL 2023”, 20/08/2023
Osaka Edion Arena #2

1. Makoto Oishi, Yuni & Rukiya Vs Yusuke Okada, Yuya Koroku & Ilusion
2. 3 Way Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Saki Akai
3. Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya Vs KANON & MJ Paul
4. Osaka Specialty Special Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Tsutenkakka Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
5. BURNING Vs Harimao!: Jun Akiyama & Kotaro Suzuki Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida
6. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Takeshi Masada Vs Shigehiro Irie & HARASHIMA
7. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yuki Ueno
8. Current Blast Bat & Board 6-Man Tag Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Yoshitatsu & Toy Kojima Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Hideki Okatani & Soma Takao

The latest turn of events over the upcoming Explosion Death Matches in DDT now involves the All Asia Tag Team Titles. The two male members of Eruption are demanding if they beat Atsushi Onita’s team in Osaka then he has to give them a title shot next month in Nagoya.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “HAPPY SUMMER VACATION! ~TJPW SUMMER VACATION 2023~”, 26/08/2023
Osaka Hanamizuki Hall

1. Kaya Toribami Vs Runa Okubo
2. 3 Way Match: Mahiro Kiryu Vs Haruna Neko Vs Shino Suzuki
3. Hyper Misao & Haru Kazashiro Vs Hikari Noa & Toga
4. Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Wakana Uehara Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Moka Miyamoto
5. Rika Tatsumi Vs Demonio Dos
6. Chu! Summer Party ~ Tides Match 2023: Mizuki & HIMAWARI Vs Shoko Nakajima & Pom Harajuku

There’s been several times over the years when the old indies gimmick Demonio Uno showed up on DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro shows held in Tsurumi. Rika Tatsumi defeated him one of those times. Well there is also a Demonio Dos and he’s coming to get revenge on Tatsumi for his tag team partner!

Runa Okubo gets to wrestle in Osaka for the first time because she is on summer vacation from school.

Several regulars will be missing this show. Miyu Yamashita will be wrestling in England that weekend, Yuki Kamifuku is attending an event in Taiwan, Nao Kakuta is performing in a stage play and Arisu Endo is out of action with a back injury.

DDT “MEMORIES OF SUMMER VACATION 2023”, 27/08/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

0. Dark Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Akito Vs Yuni & Kazuma Sumi
1. Yuji Hino, Makoto Oishi & Rukiya Vs Minoru Fujita, KANON & MJ Paul
2. Kazusada Higuchi, Toy Kojima, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada Vs Yukio Naya, Yusuke Okada, Hideki Okatani & Yuya Koroku
3. Saki Akai Photobook “GRACIA” Infomercial Match: Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda Vs Saki Akai Photobook “GRACIA”
4. Special Single Match: Daisuke Sasaki Vs MAO
5. HARASHIMA Debut 22nd Anniversary Match: HARASHIMA, Yasu Urano & Ken Ohka Vs Daisuke Sekimoto, Sanshiro Takagi & Yukio Sakaguchi
6. Saki Akai Debut 10th Anniversary Match Vol. 3 ~ Special Single Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs Saki Akai
7. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Yuki Ueno Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jun Akiyama

Dieno should be cleared in time to have his match with Saki Akai.

Akito came up with another idea to try and destroy Pheromones. He is going to team with Iino for one match in order to infiltrate Pheromones and investigate how they are preparing for the final battle between the two sides on 9th September.

GANBARE☆PRO “THE TRIPLE CROSS 2023”, 02/09/2023
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR

1. HARUKAZE & YuuRI Vs Sumire Natsu & Riara
2. GanPro 2 Big Singles Match: Shota Vs Kuma Arashi
3. GanPro 2 Big Singles Match: Keisuke Ishii Vs Tyson Maeguchi
4. Ken Ohka, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Yumehito Imanari, Mizuki Watase & Munetatsu Nakamura

Kuma Arashi is back in Ganbare☆Pro after missing the previous event. Shota experienced his power first hand in his last appearance but now he wants to fight him one on one.

GANBARE☆PRO “KAMIKAZE TAXI 2023”, 02/09/2023
Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MON☆STAR

1. HARUKAZE & YuuRI Vs Tae Honma & Yoshiko Hasegawa
2. Shuichiro Katsumura & Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Shota & Soma Takao
3. Secret Captain’s Fall Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Ken Ohka, Mizuki Watase & Shingo Vs Keisuke Ishii, Yumehito Imanari & Takuya Wada
4. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Isami Kodaka (c) Vs Shinichiro Tominaga

Shingo returns for his second GanPro appearance. The DEEP fighter finds himself facing Pancrase fighter Takuya Wada in a Secret Captian’s Fall Tag Match.

DDT “DDT BIG BANG 2023”, 09/09/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Pheromones Vs Subjugation Final Match! Special Single Match ~ Dissolution Contra Vice President: Yuki “Sexy” Iino (w/ Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno) Vs Akito
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani Vs Yuko Miyamoto, Isami Kodaka & Ram Kaichow
3. Current Blast Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Yoshitatsu & Toy Kojima Vs Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada
4. Special Tag Match: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & Daisuke Sasaki Vs Yuki Ueno & MAO
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Minoru Fujita & KANON
6. DDT Extreme Title & Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Kazuki Hirata (E/c) Vs Naruki Doi (I/c)
7. KO-D Openweight Title: Chris Brookes (c) Vs Shigehiro Irie

This past weekend Naruki Doi won his third DDT championship, becoming the new Iron Man Heavymwetalweight Champion. He feels like he has immersed himself into DDT and wants to ingrain himself even more by adding the DDT Extreme Title to his collection. Kazuki Hirata’s current title reign best represents DDT in Doi’s eyes so a big stakes double title match is now on the cards. However Doi is at risk of losing the Iron Man Title anywhere, even outside of DDT because he has a bunch of bookings in other companies coming up. He is getting his Extreme Title match with Hirata no matter what but if he was to lose the Iron Man Title before that it would sour their match a little bit.

The new KO-D Tag Champions Hino & Oishi aren’t done with DAMNATION T.A just yet. KANON is calling on Minoru Fujita to help mentor him towards winning the belts off of them.

DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2023”, 18/09/2023
Nagoya International Conference Center Event Hall

1. Current Blast Death Match: Atsushi Onita & Yoshitatsu Vs X & X

If Eruption win the 6-Man Tag Explosion Death Match this weekend then Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani will be the team facing Onita & Yoshitatsu in Nagoya with the All Asia Tag Titles on the line.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’23 ~YOKOHAMA PERFORMANCE~”, 23/09/2023
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs X & X

The next time we see NEO Biishiki-gun will be in Yokohama at the end of September. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel are having a tag match there.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV”, 09/10/2023
Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe

1. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs X, X, X & X
2. Special Single Match: Nyla Rose Vs Maki Itoh
3. Princess Tag Team Titles: X & X Vs X & X
4. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita

Yamashita defeated Mizuki in the 1st Round of this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup. She decided she would not challenge her for the Princess Of Princess Title unless she went on to win the tournament. Yamashita did so, finally ending the one accomplishment in TJPW that’s been her Achilles Heel for her entire career.

The next Princess Tag Team Champions will be crowned on this show. They have been vacant since June because of Yuka Sakazaki’s injury. That it’s taken them this long to decide new champions makes me think the plan all along was for The Magical Sugar Rabbits to keep the belts all the way through to Sakazaki’s graduation.

Nyla Rose returns for a first time singles match against Maki Itoh. They’ve had a few AEW tag matches both against and teaming with each other.

The main foursome of NEO Biishiki-gun will appear for an 8-Person Tag Match.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 13/08/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
657 Fans

1. Hikari Noa defeated Runa Okubo with the Blue Racer (5:13).
2. 3 Way Match: Nao Kakuta defeated Haruna Neko and HIMAWARI when Kakuta pinned HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai (8:04).
3. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro when Raku pinned Kazashiro with the Doctor Yellow (7:40).
4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano defeated Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami when Nagano pinned Toribami with the Whirlwind Kick (8:58).
5. Yuki Arai & Mahiro Kiryu defeated Wakana Uehara & Toga when Arai submitted Uehara with the Sasori-Katame (10:18).
6. Mizuki, Shoko Nakajima & Suzume defeated Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Yuki Aino when Mizuki pinned Watanabe with the Cutie Special (15:31).
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: Miyu Yamashita defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Skull Kick (15:57).

The tenth edition of the Tokyo Princess Cup has brought closure to one of the longest running curses in Tokyo Joshi Pro. That’s right, Miyu Yamashita has finally won the tournament! Her victory in the final ended Yuki Kamifuku’s strong run but it wasn’t without a fight. Kamifuku used the Reverse Famouser she debuted yesterday, a Superplex, the Manjigatame and also some good old Eye Pokes to her advantage. But Yamashita fought back with German Suplexes, the Return Crash and the Skull Kick. That last move would have won the match if it wasn’t for Kamifuku’s long leg reaching over to cause a rope break. Kamifuku had one last gasp that led to her missing the Famouser. Yamashita quickly capitalised with the Crash Rabbit Heat to the back followed by another from the front to win the final.

Yamashita told the fans it’s taken 10 years but she finally won the Princess Cup. However she still has big ambitions for the future and is moving straight on to the next one. She called down Mizuki to the ring and told her she wanted to win this tournament so she could challenge her for the Princess Of Princess Title with pride. Mizuki admitted she is frustrated she lost to Yamashita in the 1st Round. Her pro wrestling life is the exact opposite of Yamashita but she respects her a lot. Mizuki accepted the challenge and the title match will take place at “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV” on 9th October. Yamashita requested a handshake afterward but Mizuki declined with a shake of her head.

Backstage Yamashita repeated her points. She has thought about winning the Princess Cup for the last ten years but the championship Mizuki has is more important to her. She also praised Kamifuku and is really glad to have fought her in the final. When a reporter pointed out that Yamashita has won both of TJPW’s annual tournaments this year, she said she can now add “Tournament Wins” to her special skills column. Kamifuku revealed that right after the match she received a LINE message from Aja Kong that said “You did your best.” Kamifuku still does not like competing in tournaments but understands she has to enter them and do her best.

Mizuki kept her skills sharp in the semi-main event by scoring the pinfall on Miu Watanabe in a 6-Woman Tag Match. Suzume took out Yuki Aino with the top rope Facebuster, Rika Tatsumi got rid of her with the Twist Of Fate and Shoko Nakajima bowled out who was left with a Topé Con Hilo. Back in the ring Mizuki unleashed the Whirling Candy on Watanabe and pinned her with the Cutie Special.

Yesterday’s fortunes were switched around for a few people in Match #5. Toga was coming in fresh off of winning a match by herself for the first time and Wakana Uehara was on the winning team with her. Yuki Arai on the other hand had to bounce back from her semi-final loss while Mahiro Kiryu is dealing with the hand she’s dealt with like always. Toga used her new Rock Bottom finisher again on Kiryu but the match came down to Uehara against Arai. A Big Boot from Arai led to her submitting Uehara with the Scorpion Deathlock.

The first time meeting between Hyper Misao and Juria Nagano saw the two facing off for a Karate duel. Misao then immediately threw away that idea and strangled Nagano with her cloak instead. Nagano had her Karate Tag partner Moka Miyamoto to count on though and together they kicked away Misao. Kaya Toribami stepped in and got a nearfall on Nagano with the 2nd Rope Twisting Senton. But Nagano hit her with a flurry of strikes, finishing her off with the Whirlwind Kick for the three count.

There was some confusion during the morning over Pom Harajuku. A couple of hours before the show began, TJPW announced she would be absent for various reasons and the card would be changed in response to that. The new card had Aino replacing Harajuku so Aino would have ended up wrestling twice. However Sayuri Namba then announced during the show opening introductions that Harajuku was here and will be wrestling her match after all, just a little later than scheduled. In the match itself Harajuku had a handle on Shino Suzuki while Raku beat Haru Kazashiro with the Doctor Yellow.

The last of the summer vibes were cherished in the 3 Way Match. Nao Kakuta stood on HIMAWARI like a surfboard, tied Haruna Neko’s tail to the rope to immobilise her and then pinned HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai.

Hikari Noa won her match by using the Blue Racer submission hold for the first time in a while. She locked the move in on Runa Okubo and pulled her away from the ropes. Stuck in the center of the ring with nowhere to go, Okubo gave up.

TJPW is heading back to America this December for a co-promoted show with Presitge Wrestling! The two promotions are putting together “COMBAT PRINCESS USA” at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles on 14th December. The names announced so far are Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi, Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh, Taya Valkyrie, Masha Slamovich, Killer Kelly and Sandra Moone.

Maki Itoh Vs Nyla Rose was announced for “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV” on 9th October.

The vacant Princess Tag Team Titles will crown new champions at “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV”. Details will be announced at a later date.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”, 08/07/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1,222 Fans

1. Juria Nagano Comeback Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano when Endo submitted Nagano with the Camel Clutch (11:43).
2. Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki defeated Kaya Toribami, Toga, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo when HIMAWARI submitted Kazashiro with a Half Crab Hold (11:07).
3. Ryo Mizunami & Nao Kakuta defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Asuka when Kakuta pinned Kamifuku with the Shiden Kai (10:11).
4. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) defeated Hikari Noa with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (9:42).
*V6 for Vert Vixen.
5. 3 Way Tag Match: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao defeated Aja Kong & Raku and Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku when Nakajima pinned Harajuku with the Diving Senton (9:32).
6. Nyla Rose defeated Miu Watanabe with the Beast Bomb (8:01).
7. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Sawyer Wreck with the Skull Kick (11:51).
*V7 for Miyu Yamashita.
8. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel defeated Yuki Arai & Wakana Uehara when Sakisama pinned Uehara with the Academy Award (12:24).
9. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) defeated Yuki Arai with the Missile Hip (15:11).
*V4 for Rika Tatsumi.
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) defeated Maki Itoh with the Cutie Special (24:29).
*V3 for Mizuki.

The history between Mizuki and Maki Itoh that begun under the original Itoh Respect Army seven years ago reached its dramatic peak in Ota Ward Gymnasium today. Mizuki successfully defended the Princess Of Princess Title in the main event, stopping Itoh from winning the title in her fourth attempt. The champion had the injured Yuka Sakazaki in her corner while Itoh came out singing “Brooklyn The Hole” in English. Itoh’s focus was to use variations of the DDT both inside and out of the ring. Mizuki did her own big moves outside the ring including the Cutie Special and a Flying Cross Body. Submission holds couldn’t finish the job either with both the Itoh Deluxe and Crossface Lock proving fruitless. Mizuki dealt a big blow by landing the Diving Double Stomp onto Itoh’s back. Itoh clung onto Mizuki and was able to deliver one last Headbutt in resistance but Mizuki fired back with a Spinning Back Elbow and pinned her with the Cutie Special.

After the match Mizuki said she never believed Itoh when she said she wanted to forget their history together and that the Itoh Mizuki knew is dead. They walked the same path together and Mizuki always looked up to Itoh as her rival. Itoh however said Mizuki doesn’t understand how Itoh feels. She doesn’t like to talk about the past because when they were together, Itoh saw Mizuki become stronger and win championships with someone else. It made Itoh jealous and she looks back on their time together a a black piece of history. It is only right now in the middle of Ota Ward that Itoh now believes she is on the same level as Mizuki. For that reason Mizuki now has her respect and she wants to continue fighting with her. The two shook hands and gave each other a hug. Itoh left the ring so Mizuki could close out the show.

The burning momentum of Yuki Aino wasn’t enough to take the International Princess Title from Rika Tatsumi. She showed a lot of power by using the Side Suplex outside the ring as well as one over the ropes from the ring apron! Tatsumi tried to smother her out with the Dragon Sleeper but Aino powered out of it with a slam. Tatsumi found a way to put her into another Dragon Sleeper but Aino reached the ropes. Aino withstood a Hip Attack and caught Tatsumi in the middle of a second one but Tatsumi wriggled her way into hitting the Twist Of Fate. She then got the win by hitting the Missile Hip. Tatsumi gave her opponent credit for shining as brightly as she did. She hopes the fans will look forward to more matches between them in the future. Aino said the result proves she is not ready to hold a title belt yet. But she had fun in the match because she was able to burn every last bit of energy she has.

NEO Biishiki-gun were back to give their opponents a hard time. That was shown when Mei Saint-Michel danced in the ring to distract the referee while Sakisama attacked Wakana Uehara on the outside. Saint-Michel later dropped her metal tray over Uehara’s head to break up a Sleeper Hold. Yuki Arai pulled out a surprise by using Saki Akai’s finisher the Rookie Award on Sakisama. NEO Biishiki-gun regained their composure and Sakisama hit the similar looking Academy Award to pin Uehara and win the match. Sakisama did not like hearing reporters compare the two moves during her post-match interview because she is one of a kind. In Arai’s interview, she explained that Akai taught her the move but she never got the chance to use it when they teamed together. She felt today was as good a time as any to start using the move because she thinks Sakisama bares a resemblance to Akai. She intends to keep using it more often.

Perhaps Miyu Yamashita didn’t realize just what she was getting into when she decided to put her EVE Title on the line against Sawyer Wreck. The Spirit Of EVE ruleset used for the title match allowed the fight to be taken outside the ring because there are no countouts. The rules also permitted the wrestlers to use weapons under certain circumstances, which Wreck gladly took advantage of. She attacked Yamashita with chairs and slammed her through a pile of them with a Death Valley Driver over by the stage entrance. Back in the ring Yamashita did her best to deflect the chair with kicks. Wreck was able to defend herself from one Skull Kick but a second one reached its target and gave Yamashita her seventh successful EVE Title defence.

The originally planned match for Nyla Rose didn’t take place because of Sakazaki’s injury. So when Rose found out her new opponent was Miu Watanabe she steadily gained weight to make it more difficult for Watanabe to lift her! As soon as the AEW wrestler arrived in Japan she loaded up on pork cutlet curry and sashimi at the nearest Cocoichi curry house. The plan just about worked. Watanabe was able to give her the Giant Swing but only for one rotation. She also wasn’t strong enough to deliver the Tear Drop. Rose took advantage and landed the Beast Bomb to win. Watanabe did leave a positive impression on Rose though. Rose said that even though Watanabe lost, she definitely has something that could open the door into a new world for her.

No Tag Rules were a last minute addition to the 3 Way Tag match. The time for Aja Kong and Max The Impaler to meet again was just about to begin when Hyper Misao got on the microphone to big up Kyoraku Kyomei’s chances of winning. Both Kong and Max ignored her so she sprayed both of them in the face. Kyoraku Kyomei then stole Kong’s steel can as well as Raku’s pillow but Kong attacked them to reclaim the items. Kong even hit Shoko Nakajima with the pillow while Raku hit Pom Harajuku with the can! Kong and Max were on an even level whenever they got the chance to fight each other. They briefly joined forces against Kyoraku Kyomei only to turn on each other. Misao brought out the Hyper Mobile to crash into everyone outside the ring while Nakajima pinned Harajuku with the Diving Senton to win. Kong took her anger out after the match by attacking the Hyper Mobile, damaging it to the point where it is now unusable! Kyoraku Kyomei are thinking about crowdfunding a new one or at least convince CyberFight to get a bicycle sponsorship. Kong & Raku said they’d rather crowdfund a new steel can and pillow for themselves.

It was a clean sweep of successful title defences throughout the whole show. Vert Vixen was the first one on the board by defending the DEFY Women’s Title against Hikari Noa. The challenger used the Running Neckbreaker Drop that’s been winning matches for her recently but it didn’t get her the result this time. The Last Supper cradle didn’t work either. Instead Vixen pinned Noa with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster. She said the match was like a war but she was able to fight and defend her championship. Noa said she was very happy to be chosen by Vixen for a title match. They’ve teamed together during Vixen’s previous visit to Japan and Noa always wanted to have a title match with somebody she considers to be a tag team partner.

Flashy entrances were provided by both teams in Match #3. VENYU were accompanied by two dancers leading them down to the ring while Nao Kakuta looked dressed to party with Ryo Mizunami. The match started with a bang when Asuka Moonsaulted onto everyone outside the ring. Yuki Kamifuku then put on Mizunami’s entrance gear to taunt her but was reduced to apologising once Mizunami got her hands on her. VENYU gave Kakuta the Magic Killer but Kakuta kicked out at two. She then dodged a Double Big Boot leading VENYU to collide with each other and then get wiped out with a Double Spear from Mizunami. Kakuta then scored the win by pinning Kamifuku with the Shiden Kai.

Five of the eight wrestlers in the 8-Woman Tag Match all only just debuted this year. The match was also Haruna Neko’s return match from a knee injury. Her scratching the wrestlers from the other team led to Mahiro Kiryu apologising to everyone for it. Shino Suzuki and Haru Kazashiro started off before Kiryu and Kaya Toribami took over. Toga cut off HIMAWARI’s momentum with what is fast becoming her signature Elbow Strike. Runa Okubo joined in with her classmate for a Double Dropkick. But HIMAWARI turned the tables and locked Kazashiro in a Half Crab hold for the submission victory.

Juria Nagano was back in action after being gone for six months with a broken finger. The decision was made to have Nagano team with Moka Miyamoto because they were opponents on last year’s show. Nagano went back to using her Karate offence while relying on Miyamoto to make up for the holes in her game. Suzume used her speedy mobility to run circles around her opponents, keeping them in position for Arisu Endo to hit a Missile Dropkick on Miyamoto. Endo then put Nagano in the Camel Clutch, submitting her to give Daisy Monkey the win. Nagano said she’s been trying to build up her stamina to get ready for the match. Her goal is to win a match by herself again as soon as possible.

The Up Up Girls (Pro Wrestling) performed their new song “Rxck it Now” at the beginning of the show. Their new 5th member Uta was also introduced to the audience. her thing on the microphone is to review a different ice cream every show. Today’s recommendation is chocolate coffee flavour.

At the beginning of the show Sayuri Namba found out that voice actress Rica Matsumoto was doing special guest commentary today. Namba was so excited to find out the voice of Ash/Satoshi from Pokémon was here that she wore the character’s signature cap during the show opening announcements.

Aja Kong Vs Super Sasadango Machine was announced for the Niigata show on 5th August.

A team series challenge was recorded at an outdoor amusement park recently. It will air on PPV through Wrestle Universe on 27th July.

DDT Around The World – June 2023

One year into writing these articles and I knew it was going to be a good idea to keep track of everything. A busy idea every time the end of the month comes but a good one nonetheless. Summer is still going on but the focus on international travels is swapping some of the cast we’re following. Miyu Yamashita ended her Kick Rampage Tour with a long list of matches and companies worked for under her belt. Maki Itoh is also back in Japan gearing up for possibly the biggest match of her career before she goes touring again. The mystery of why Yuka Sakazaki went to America and not wrestle at all has been cleared up. Well, sort of. There’s a few things out there I’m asking around to clarify knowing full well I won’t be getting any answers. We even got a little bit of Mizuki in there too. Now MAO gets to be a featured part of this series going into the rest of the summer. He’s the latest wrestler to get the travel bug and take in some bookings around America.

Oh, one more thing. I put together two Youtube playlists related to this series. The first is following Takeshita’s AEW run using all of the highlight videos AEW posts on their channels. I avoided adding the episodes of Dark because of the episode lengths. One thing I noticed looking back on everything it’s cool to see how many of Takeshita’s opponents on Dynamite and Rampage early in his run have all circled together as part of feud between The Elite and the Blackpool Combat Club. Intentional or not, Takeshita’s year with the company ended up being something that connected a lot of pieces together.

The other playlist is a collection of Yamashita’s matches from her Rampage Kick Tour. All of the videos I included were posted by either the promotions themselves or the wrestlers she faced against. I avoided fancams and highlight videos unless they were official or endorsed. If there’s anything I missed then send the Youtube links my way. If there’s interest in more I’ll see if I can put a playlist together for Itoh or maybe the DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro rosters in general.

Konosuke Takeshita In AEW Playlist

Miyu Yamashita Kick Rampage Tour 2023 Playlist

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Videos

AEW “DYNAMITE”, 07/06/2023
Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) Vs Damon Ace

ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANT’S WOKE EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023
The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA

1. Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita

Video starts at 3:21.
ENJOY “SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT”, 17/06/2023
Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Ray Lyn

WARRIOR “WARRIOR WRESTLING 30 – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS”, 30/06/2023
Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA

1. Warhorse Vs Konosuke Takeshita

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Results

LLL “BEST WISHES WARMEST REGARDS”, 02/06/2023
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. LLL Women’s Title – 3 Way Match: Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Masha Slamovich and Miyu Yamashita when Howitzer pinned Yamashita with the Stunner (15:04).
*V? for Heidi Howitzer.

Earlier this year Yamashita was able to win the Princess Tag Team Titles from The Wasteland War Party in TJPW. Now it was time for her to enter one of Heidi Howitzer’s haunts Lucha Libre & Laughs to try and win another championship from her. Another of Yamashita’s regular opponents Masha Slamovich was also there to make it a 3 Way Match. Yamashita rocked Slamovich with the Skull Kick but just when she thought the match was won, Howitzer came in and gave her a Stunner for the three count and a successful title defence.

BLACK LABEL PRO “FANCY WRESTLING 2”, 03/06/2023
RDS Gym, Crown Point, Indiana, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Rachel Armstrong with the Skull Kick (11:13).

The gap of experience between Yamashita and Rachel Armstrong put Yamashita firmly in the bullying veteran role for the match. She goaded her opponent into a strike exchange that she shrugged off. Armstrong caught Yamashita off guard by criss-crossing the ropes and landing a Running Elbow Smash that knocked Yamashita out of the ring to set up a dive. But back in the ring Yamashita pushed Armstrong away from doing a Shiranui and lifted her high into the air for the Attitude Adjustment. Once she hit the Skull Kick Yamashita applied a dominant pin on top of Armstrong to win the match.

GCW “CAGE OF SURVIVAL 2”, 04/06/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Janai Kai with the I.S.D. (5:43).

Itoh kicked off GCW’s second annual “CAGE OF SURVIVAL” event by beating Janai Kai but her celebration was cut off by Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander. The two of them were coming out for a tag match against Brandon Kirk & Casey Kirk but first took the time demanding Itoh to keep her nose out of their business. Itoh swore at them and told Cardona to “suck my dick!” Cardona & De Lander went on to beat the Kirks and continued to attack them after the match. Itoh then returned to the ring this time with Nick Gage alongside her. Together Maki Death Kill and The Kirks fought back and Itoh got to smash a bundle of lighttubes over Cardona’s head! If that wasn’t enough she also smeared some of Cardona’s blood she found on the mat over her face afterwards!

INSPIRE A.D. “KIDS OF THE BLACKHOLE”, 04/06/2023
Empire Control Room, Austin, Texas, USA

1. Killa Kate defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Cradle (?:??).

This is possibly the biggest upset defeat Yamashita suffered in her entire excursion. Killa Kate is nicknamed “The Submission Musician” and lived up to it by going for different holds targeting Yamashita’s arm. Yamashita put all of her focus into fighting off the submissions that Kate ended up switching a Cross Armbreaker into a Rolling Cradle to score the pin from out of nowhere.

ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 07/06/2023 (Aired ??/06/2023)
Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

1. Willow Nightingale & Maki Itoh defeated Emi Sakura & Megan Bayne (?:??).

I’m seeing conflicting reports on whether or not this match was taped for ROH. On the night everyone at the show who tweeted about it said it was taped and images show the ROH set up in the arena. However AEW’s Japanese Twitter account made it sound like it was just a dark match only for those in attendance to see. That’s a shame if it doesn’t get shown because Itoh and Willow Nightingale together sounds like a fun pairing, Emi Sakura’s work is consistently enjoyable and Megan Bayne was building up a hot streak on the indies before getting injured last year.

AEW “DYNAMITE”, 07/06/2023
Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated Damon Ace with the PowerDrive Knee (1:29).

Over in AEW we get to see Konosuke Takeshita with a new attitude under the guidance of Don Callis. He gave Damon Ace a quick beating while video footage of Callis betraying Kenny Omega looped over and over on the arena screens.

ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANT’S WOKE EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023
The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA

1. Billie Starkz defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Victory Roll Reversal (14:04).

By this point Yamashita and Billie Starkz have faced each other several times already. But this meeting in St. Louis Anarchy was one that Starkz has been looking forward to for a while. Her persistence paid off because she finally scored her first singles win over Yamashita! The finish came when she tried to use the Sugoi Driver but Yamashita countered it into a Victory Roll. Starkz reversed the hold and rolled herself back on top of Yamashita to get the three count.

SPARK “IGNITE EAST”, 11/06/2023
The Heart Ballroom, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Brittany Blake with the Itoh Deluxe (9:17).
2. Spark Joshi World Title: Miyu Yamashita defeated Rachael Ellering with the Crash Rabbit Heat (16:20).
*Miyu Yamashita becomes the 1st Spark Joshi World Champion!

The debut show for Spark Joshi Puroresu was a good one for Yamashita and Itoh. In the main event Yamashita defeated Rachael Ellering to become the first Spark Joshi World Champion. However Yamashita may need to watch her back for future shows because Starkz threw her name into the hat for a future title shot. She also formed an alliance with Ellering called Xtinguish. On the undercard Itoh beat Brittany Blake.

AEW “DYNAMITE”, 14/06/2023
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., USA

0. Dark Match: Riho, Maki Itoh & Abadon defeated Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir & Emi Sakura (?:??).

You know, this would have been a nice match to put on video somewhere. Riho, Itoh & Abadon is a King Of Trios kind of team if I ever saw one. So are Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir & Emi Sakura as a potential Team AEW Dark. Damn it, I miss King Of Trios. Can Tony Khan go do a little bit of grave robbing and grab what’s left of Chikara? Or is that going to unleash a new kind of curse on the world that nobody wants?

AEW “RAMPAGE”, 14/06/2023 (Aired 16/06/2023)
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated Bandido with the PowerDrive Knee (15:11).

Now this is the good stuff! Big Lariats from Takeshita, big Hurricanranas from Bandido, big bombs everywhere else. Takeshita eventually came out on top against Bandido by hitting the Jumping Knee, an Elbow Strike to the back of the head and then the PowerDrive Knee.

SPARK “IGNITE WEST”, 16/06/2023
East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Cultural Center, West Covina, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Zeda Zhang with the I.S.D. (9:55).
2. Spark Joshi World Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Delilah Doom with the Skull Kick (19:06).
*V1 for Miyu Yamashita.

The second Spark show was full of victories again for Yamashita and Itoh. Yamashita earned her first Spark Joshi Title defence by beating Delilah Doom while Itoh was victorious against Zeda Zhang. After the match Sumie Sakai entered the ring, helped Zhang to her feet and held up the Xtinguish banner with her. Itoh told both of them to “Fuck off.”

ENJOY “SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT”, 17/06/2023
Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Ray Lyn with the Skull Kick (18:06).

The final weekend of Yamashita’s tour took her to Enjoy Wrestling where she beat Ray Lyn.

GCW “THANK ME LATER”, 17/06/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Rina Yamashita defeated Maki Itoh with the Splash Mountain onto a Chair (17:37).

Well the death match stuff was going to catch up with Itoh sooner or later. When she faced Rina Yamashita in GCW she had to fight someone armed with chairs and even a loose door. Itoh had her trusty pizza cutter though and was able to slice her opponent’s head open. However Yamashita put Itoh through the door with an Air Raid Crash, attacked her over and over with the chairs and pinned her with the Splash Mountain onto a chair.

DPW “TAG FESTIVAL 2023”, 18/06/2023
Durham Armory, Durham, North Carolina, USA

1. Emi Sakura & Mizuki (w/ Yuka Sakazaki) defeated Miyu Yamashita & Vert Vixen when Sakura pinned Vixen with La Magistral Cradle (11:37).

Deadlock Pro held the final match of Yamashita’s tour along with Itoh’s last match before she went back to Japan too. A lot of changes happened in the leadup. First the match was supposed to by Yamashita & Hyan against The Magical Sugar Rabbits but Hyan had to pull out because of a schedule conflict. Vert Vixen was brought in to be Yamashita’s new partner. Then Sakazaki got her injury diagnosis and was unable to do the match. DPW decided Mizuki would now team with Emi Sakura, who just so happens to be the DPW Women’s Champion. Sakazaki was still able to attend the show and be at ringside to support Mizuki. Together the three of them became The MagiRabi Queens. Sakazaki even got involved a few times pulling some antics at ringside. Stuff like moving around the ringside railings for wrestlers to get thrown into. She even got in the way and almost had her head kicked off when Yamashita tried to do a running Penalty Kick on the apron. Yamashita stopped herself at the last second while Sakazaki froze in fear, possibly having her life flash before her eyes.

AEW/NJPW “FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023”, 25/06/2023
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1. Hangman Page, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii defeated Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino when Ishii pinned Yuta with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (21:29).

Hey this just about counts as DDT being part of the Forbidden Door. Takeshita through his new manager formed an alliance with the Blackpool Combat Club in the leadup to the big show. Together they all challenged The Elite along with Eddie Kingston and his choice of partner Tomohiro Ishii. Takeshita put up a big performance on the night highlighted with the incredibly rare sight of him knocking out Ishii with an Elbow Strike! Ishii recovered and went on to score the pinfall for his team but the story is ready to move on to its next chapter.

WARRIOR “WARRIOR WRESTLING 30 – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS”, 30/06/2023
Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Warhorse with the PowerDrive Knee (18:06).

Takeshita’s return to Warrior Wrestling was a reminder that no matter what happens to him, there will always be that DDT DNA inside of him. Warhorse went into the match with the intentions of not just beating Takeshita but sending him to the injured list. With an entire football field at their disposal they fought everywhere they could reach. They brawled along the track where Takeshita jumped hurdles on the way to kicking Warhorse with a Big Boot. Warhorse turned the tables near the field goal by inviting Takeshita to kick a football and then doing the old Charlie Brown trick to make him fall over. Warhorse then Body Slammed a few nearby people onto Takeshita for good measure! Takeshita fought back by doing a Brainbuster on the field, leaving both feeling hurt enough to take the match back into the ring. A war of attrition took place from there ending with Takeshita pinning Warhorse with the PowerDrive Knee.

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Upcoming Appearances

EVE “NMITB”, 02/07/2023
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England

1. Eve Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Emersyn Jayne

Yamashita’s tour is over but she isn’t finished with travelling by a long shot. Last month Emersyn Jayne defeated Rhio to become the No. 1 Contender for the EVE Title. She is arguably the most accomplished wrestler yet to challenge face Yamashita for the championship.

WEST COAST PRO “CRUEL SUMMER 2023”, 08/07/2023
United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco, California, USA

1. Bryan Keith Vs MAO

MAO has his own US trip for the summer planned. First up he meets Bryan Keith in the ring for the first time over in West Coast Pro.

IWTV “MARCUS MATHERS ALL I WANT 2”, 13/07/2023
H20 Wrestling Center, Williamstown, New Jersey, USA

1. Yoshihiko Vs X
2. MAO Vs Brandon Kirk

Then MAO heads over to New Jersey to be part of a show being put together by Marcus Mathers. MAO’s opponent will be against death match wrestler Brandon Kirk. He won’t be going there alone though. Yoshihiko will be at the show too but it currently does not have a match announced.

GCW “NOW AND FOREVER”, 14/07/2023
Melrose Ballroom, Queens, New York, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X
2. Mike Bailey Vs Yoshihiko
3. GCW World Title: Blake Christian (c) Vs MAO

Some big matches await our crew in GCW the next day. MAO gets a shot at the GCW World Title facing the increasingly unpopular Blake Christian. Yoshihiko faces a great test of its abilities against Mike Bailey in a first time ever singles match. They’ve been opponents in a trios match once before but other than that Bailey didn’t interact with Yoshihiko that much while he was in DDT.

IWS “SCARRED 4 LIFE”, 15/07/2023
L’Olympia, Montreal, Québec, Canada

1. Vanessa Kraven Vs Maki Itoh

Vanessa Kraven is a long time veteran wrestler who recently returned to the scene after stepping away for a few years. She’s the size of a giant next to Itoh.

CIRCLE 6 “BARROOM BLITZ”, 15/07/2023
Knucklehead Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. MAO Vs Bobby Beverly

A new place for MAO to experience. If you thought GCW is home to a few misfit toys with nowhere else to go then oh boy you haven’t seen Circle 6 yet! The first show is a no ring show taking place inside a bar in Santa Monica where MAO will fight Bobby Beverly, no holds barred.

CIRCLE 6 “LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE”, 16/07/2023
1720 Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. AJ Gray Vs MAO

Then the next day MAO takes on AJ Gray. Yeah let’s move on.

SMASH “CAN-US CLASSIC 2023”, 22/07/2023
Western Fair District, London, Ontario, Canada

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

No update yet on who Itoh faces when she goes to Smash Wrestling.

PRESTIGE “ALL RISE”, 23/07/2023
House Of Independents, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Trish Adora

It will be around 10 months since the last time Itoh was on a Prestige show. When she returns Trish Adora will be there to fight her.

DEFY “SPIRIT WC”, 28/07/2023
Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh heads over to DEFY for the launch of their new women’s wrestling brand called Spirit WC.

DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 1”, 04/08/2023
Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 2”, 05/08/2023
Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh has two nights at DREAMWAVE coming up in August. Something interesting to note is Mickie James is being advertised to appear at the second show. They’d probably get along if they met, right? Maybe get Itoh to sing “Hardcore Country” and James to sing “Brooklyn The Hole”?

GCW “NO SIGNAL IN THE HILLS”, 11/08/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh’s been with GCW for so long at this point she should get her own vanity show for the next Wrestlemania weekend.

ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 25/08/2023
Roundhouse, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 26/08/2023
Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 27/08/2023
Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh’s heading over to Australia for the first time as part of GCW’s tour with Renegades Of Wrestling. Australians, do her a favor and teach her only the most foulest of the local swear words while she’s over there.

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Cancelled Appearances

WRESTLING REVOLVER “RING OF DESTINY”, 17/06/2023
Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. JT Dunn (w/ Allie Katch) Vs Konosuke Takeshita

Takeshita wasn’t able to make the Wrestling REVOLVER show due to travel issues. JT Dunn instead threw out an open challenge and wrestled Sami Callihan to continue their feud in the company.

Hino’s Emotional Journey, Survival 3 Way, My MADMAX

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN HAKODATE”, 16/06/2023
Hakodate City General Wholesale Center Distribution Hall

1. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Toy Kojima & Rukiya
2. SILVER QUEEN Infomercial Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Kazuki Hirata Vs MAO & Yoshihiko
3. Hakodate Specialty Special Single Match: Yuki Ishida Vs Akinori Ariji
4. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
5. HARASHIMA & Hideki Okatani Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Makoto Oitshi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada

Lately Yuji Hino is going through a small emotional journey over the “WRESTLE PETER PAN 2023” main event. He started out being annoyed over Chris Brookes getting injured and now thanks to a heartfelt speech from Antonio Honda he feels sympathy for his next challenger. It’s probably a good thing he gets to deal with a different set of opponents tomorrow. Get his head back in check and focus on what’s in front of him.

BASARA “BASARA 222 ~OENSOGURA~”, 17/06/2023
Miyagi-no Cultural Center

1. Lil’ Kraken Vs Yasu Urano
2. FUMA & Daichi Kazato Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & SAGAT
3. Daiki Shimomura & Takato Nakano Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
4. Isami Kodaka Vs MUSASHI
5. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 2 B Block: Ryota Nakatsu Vs Minoru Fujita
6. Chouten ~Itadaki~ 2023 – Round 2 B Block: Takumi Tsukamoto Vs Fuminori Abe

Takumi Tsukamoto is getting a live performance for his entrance by a local saxophone player.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN SAPPORO DAY 1”, 17/06/2023
Sapporo ii-one Stadium

1. Hideki Okatani Vs Yuki Ishida
2. 2 Vs 3 Handicap Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Yusuke Okada, Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
3. Special Tag Match: Andreza Giant Panda & Saki Akai Vs Akito & Kazuki Hirata
4. Sapporo Specialty Special 8-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Yuya Koroku & Noriyuki Yoshida Vs Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Tomoya & Makoto Oishi
5. DAMNATION T.A Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs MAO & Toy Kojima
6. Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Takeshi Masada

Brookes still has allies like Kazusada Higuchi & Takeshi Masada offering to fight Hino on his behalf while he recovers.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 18/06/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Moka Miyamoto Vs Runa Okubo
2. Hikari Noa & Haru Kazashiro Vs Mahiro Kiryu & Shino Suzuki
3. Miu Watanabe Vs Toga
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Wakana Uehara
5. Hyper Misao & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. Shoko Nakajima & Arisu Endo Vs Nao Kakuta & Kaya Toribami
7. Rika Tatsumi & Suzume Vs Yuki Aino & HIMAWARI

Mizuki is not at the show because she will be in America for Deadlock Pro that day. Yuka Sakazaki will be with her at that show too. Their match over there has gone through a bunch of changes. It was supposed to be The Magical Sugar Rabbits Vs Miyu Yamashita & Hyan. First, Hyan had to pull out of the show because of a scheduling conflict so she is replaced with Vert Vixen. Then news of Sakazaki’s injury came out so Mizuki is now teaming with Emi Sakura. Those two teaming together again is newsworthy by itself.

This weekend’s show has a couple of firsts. It is the first main event match for HIMAWARI. It’s the first time Hyper Misao & Yoshiko Hasegawa are teaming together. It is also Runa Okubo’s first singles match of her career.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN SAPPORO DAY 2”, 18/06/2023
Sapporo ii-one Stadium

1. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Hideki Okatani & Kazuma Sumi
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Yukio Sakaguchi
3. Kazuki Hirata & Saki Akai Vs Akito & Sanae Takebayashi
4. Special Single Match: Andreza Giant Panda Vs Pokotan
5. Sapporo Specialty Special Tag Match: Yuji Hino & Tomoya Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida
6. Jun Akiyama & Noriyuki Yoshida Vs HARASHIMA & Takeshi Masada
7. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku Vs Yuki Ueno, MAO & Toy Kojima

The cowards aren’t putting Andreza Giant Panda Vs Pokotan in the main event. Boo!

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 24/06/2023
Kobe Art Center

1. Kaya Toribami Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Yuki Arai Vs HIMAWARI
3. Nao Kakuta Vs Toga
4. 3 Way Match: Yuki Kamifuku Vs Hikari Noa Vs Shino Suzuki
5. Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Yuki Aino & Mahiro Kiryu
7. Mizuki, Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh & Moka Miyamoto

The American tours are ending for Yamashita and Maki Itoh. Both will be back in Japan for Tokyo Joshi Pro next weekend. Sakazaki will be home with them too. She is advertised for an autograph session at the show.

Both Wakana Uehara and Runa Okubo are missing the show due to scheduling conflicts.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023”, 25/06/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

0. Dark Match: Yuki “Sexy” Iino, Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Toru Owashi & Yuni Vs Akito, Soma Takao, Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
1. Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai, Hideki Okatani & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Ryota Nakatsu, Yuki Ishida, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
2. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Jun Akiyama & Makoto Oishi Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda
3. Special Single Match: Naruki Doi Vs Takeshi Masada
4. Special Single Match: HARASHIMA Vs Minoru Fujita
5. International Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Nick Wayne
6. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima
7. DDT Extreme Title – Survival 3 Way Match: MAO Vs Kazuki Hirata Vs Yoshihiko

A third party wants to fight MAO and Kazuki Hirata over the vacant DDT Extreme Title! A few days ago Yoshihiko pinned both of them at the same time and believes it now qualifies to be part of the title match. A 3 Way Match was suggested and MAO liked the idea because he wants to fight Yoshihiko more often. They all agreed to make it under elimination rules because everybody expects Hirata will get immediately pinned. Since the match is headlining the show it would be a waste to set up a 3 Way only for it to end so quickly. All three wrestlers are happy with the decision. Yoshihiko gets to fight for a championship, MAO gets to fight Yoshihiko again and Hirata gets to be in the main event even if might only for a few seconds!

The 37KAMIINA are getting prepared for the vacant KO-D Tag Team Titles match. When Shunma Katsumata was having his surgery, he came up with a new tag team finishing move for Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima to use. Every duo combination in The 37KAMIINA so far has their own version of the MADMAX finisher. This one is called the My MADMAX because Katsumata thought of it by himself. They all held a training session together along with Rukiya being used as the crash test dummy. After a few practice tries, the My MADMAX was discovered to be a Spike Air Raid Crash. They all believe the move is easier to use on Daisuke Sasaki. However if they can pull it off on MJ Paul then it will be even more damaging to an opponent his size.

Honda already said his piece defending Brookes against Hino. Now he has to step in the ring and meet Hino face to face with the help of Higuchi & Masahiro Takanashi. They need the help because Hino & Makoto Oishi have Jun Akiyama on their side!

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

GANBARE☆PRO “GHOST HUNTERS 2023”, 30/06/2023
Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center

1. HARUKAZE & YuuRI Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa & Kaho Matsushita
2. Riara Vs Haruka Umesaki
3. Special Just Before Ota Ward! Imanari-gun Vs Katsumura-gun All-Out Battle!!: X Vs X
4. Special Just Before Ota Ward! Imanari-gun Vs Katsumura-gun All-Out Battle!! Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
5. Special Tag Match: Ken Ohka & Kuma Arashi Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shota

Imanari-gun: Yumehito Imanari, Mizuki Watase, Soma Takao & Tyson Maeguchi

Katsumura-gun: Shuichiro Katsumura, Minoru Fujita, Yuki Kanzaki & Munetatsu Nakamura

The woman Sayaka Unagi is sending to assess Riara is Haruka Umesaki from Diana! Umesaki is the current W.W.W.D Champion in that promotion.

DDT “DDT YOKOHAMA UNLIMITED SPECIAL”, 01/07/2023
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Special Hardcore Tag Match: Atsushi Onita & Toy Kojima Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani
2. International Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Yuni Vs Nick Wayne & Takeshi Masada

Katsumata came up with another idea to help Kojima grow. He’s making Kojima team with Atsushi Onita for a Hardcore Tag Match against Eruption! Katsumata would team with Kojima himself but while he is out injured, he thinks Onita is more than a suitable replacement to do something crazy.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”, 08/07/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Juria Nagano Comeback Match: Juria Nagano Vs X
2. Nyla Rose Vs Miu Watanabe
3. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sawyer Wreck
4. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Yuki Arai & Wakana Uehara
5. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Yuki Arai
6. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Maki Itoh

Nyla Rose’s new opponent is Miu Watanabe!

DDT “OSAKA BAYS BLUES SPECIAL 2023”, 20/08/2023
Osaka Edion Arena #2

1. Current Blast Death Match: Atsushi Onita Vs X

After a few weeks of hype, DDT have announced the next former WWE wrestler to appear on their shows is… Yoshitatsu… Yay…

At least there’s an explosion death match on the show.

Unagi Sending An Assassin, Baka Gaijin Without The Gaijin, Nagano Returning From Injury

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN ASAKUSA”, 13/06/2023
Tokyo Asakusa Hanayashi Theater

1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Toru Owashi & Antonio Honda
3. Asakusa Specialty Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Yoshihiko & Kazuki Hirata
4. Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku Vs Sanshiro Takagi & Akito
5. Kazusada Higuchi, Ryota Nakatsu & Yuki Ishida Vs Jun Akiyama, Yusuke Okada & Rukiya
6. Special Single Match: MJ Paul Vs Toy Kojima
7. Yuji Hino, HARASHIMA & Makoto Oishi Vs Yukio Sakaguchi, Masahiro Takanashi & Hideki Okatani

A midweek show in Tokyo before DDT goes over to Hokkaido this weekend.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN HAKODATE”, 16/06/2023
Hakodate City General Wholesale Center Distribution Hall

1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
2. HARASHIMA & Hideki Okatani Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku
3. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Toy Kojima & Rukiya
4. Hakodate Specialty Special Single Match: Yuki Ishida Vs Akinori Ariji
5. SILVER QUEEN Infomercial Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Kazuki Hirata Vs MAO & Yoshihiko
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Makoto Oitshi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada

A local karate dojo will be holding a demonstration with their kid students to open the show.

GANBARE☆PRO “GHOST HUNTERS 2023”, 30/06/2023
Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center

1. HARUKAZE & YuuRI Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa & Kaho Matsushita
2. Riara Vs Sayaka Unagi’s Recommended Wrestler
3. Special Just Before Ota Ward! Imanari-gun Vs Katsumura-gun All-Out Battle!!: X Vs X
4. Special Just Before Ota Ward! Imanari-gun Vs Katsumura-gun All-Out Battle!! Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
5. Special Tag Match: Ken Ohka & Kuma Arashi Vs Keisuke Ishii & Shota

Imanari-gun: Yumehito Imanari, Mizuki Watase, Soma Takao & Tyson Maeguchi

Katsumura-gun: Shuichiro Katsumura, Minoru Fujita, Yuki Kanzaki & Munetatsu Nakamura

The go home show for “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA II” pits the new tag team of Ken Ohka & Kuma Arashi against Keisuke Ishii & Shota. Ishii and Shota will be opponents at Ota Ward Gymnasium but any tension between them has to wait until then.

A mini-series between Yumehito Imanari and Shuichiro Katsumura takes up a chunk of the show. There will be a singles match and an Elimination Tag match featuring wrestlers from their teams.

A message was sent by Sayaka Unagi to Ganbare☆Pro today saying that Riara needs an appraisal from somebody else in order to get assessed by herself. Unagi will be sending a “minion” to face Riara in a match to see what the rookie is capable of.

Kaho Matsushita comes from Ice Ribbon.

BAKA GAIJIN + FRIENDS “VOL. SIX: THE ART OF SELF DESTRUCTION”, 04/07/2023
Tokyo ARENA Shimokitazawa

1. Special Tag Team Match: MAO & Chie Koishikawa Vs Takayuki Ueki & Mecha Mummy
2. Special Single Match: Masahiro Takanashi Vs Asuka
3. Special Single Match: Minoru Fujita Vs Rina Yamashita

This will be the first Baka Gaijin + Friends show without either Chris Brookes or Drew Parker wrestling on it so it will by up to Masahiro Takanashi to keep an eye on things in their absence. Brookes is injured while Parker is taking time off to go back to the UK. Instead the regular crew are joined by Minoru Fujita and Asuka for the first time along with Rina Yamashita making her second appearance for the group.

MAO & Chie Koishikawa think their tag team is better suited for these shows than DDT. After all where else can they fight against Takayuki Ueki & Mecha Mummy together?

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”, 08/07/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Juria Nagano Comeback Match: Juria Nagano Vs X
2. Nyla Rose Vs X
3. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sawyer Wreck
4. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel Vs Yuki Arai & Wakana Uehara
5. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Yuki Arai
6. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Maki Itoh

Yesterday Yuki Arai became the No. 1 Contender for the International Princess Title. She and the champion Rika Tatsumi are looking forward to showing the world a great match between them.

The return of NEO Biishiki-gun will have first time opponents Yuki Arai & Wakana Uehara waiting for them. Arai thinks Sakisama kind of looks like Saki Akai. If the two of them are at similar skill level too then Arai is more prepared for the match than she thought.

Nyla Rose will be getting a new opponent now that Yuka Sakazaki has been pulled off the show. It will be announced as soon as her new opponent is decided.

It will be almost six months since Juria Nagano’s last match by the time she comes back. A broken finger kept her away from wrestling matches all year.

Yuka Sakazaki Absence Due To Neck Injury

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “STICK OUT ’23”, 11/06/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Pom Harajuku Vs HIMAWARI
2. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Toga & Runa Okubo
3. Shoko Nakajima & Moka Miyamoto Vs Suzume & Haru Kazashiro
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Kaya Toribami & Wakane Uehara Vs Yuki Arai, Raku & Shino Suzuki
5. Hyper Misao Vs Mahiro Kiryu
6. International Princess Title Next Challenger Match: Yuki Aino Vs Arisu Endo
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe

Today Tokyo Joshi Pro announced that Yuka Sakazaki is pulling out of her upcoming match schedule due to a neck injury. Results of a recent medical checkup had doctors recommend Sakazaki to take immediate rest and receive treatment instead of wrestling for the time being. According to TJPW, Sakazaki was determined to wrestle on Sunday’s show because it was the first match in her graduation tour. However she was warned that her neck injury could lead to a serious accident in the ring. It is the duty of both wrestlers and wrestling companies to prevent such accidents from happening. After hearing that explanation, Sakazaki agreed to miss the show and take time off for recovery.

There is currently no timetable for Sakazaki’s return which means some big plans for TJPW need to be changed. The Magical Sugar Rabbits have vacated the Princess Tag Team Titles because Sakazaki is missing the scheduled title defence on Sunday. A replacement match will be announced as soon as it is finalized. No word yet on if the new match will immediately crown the next Princess Tag Champions or will set up a match for the vacant titles down the road. But given who is available it should be something involving Mizuki and Daydream. Also Sakazaki’s match with Nyla Rose at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” on 8th July is now cancelled. Rose will still be wrestling on the show in a singles match but her new opponent will be announced on a later date.

Brookes Might Be Injured, Nyla Rose Coming To TJPW, Kodaka Challenges For SOG Title

A little bit of worrying news comes from today’s Gatoh Move show. CDK were defending the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles against Shin Suzuki & Choun-Shiryu. During the match Shiryu gave Chris Brookes the Chinese Gory Special Bomb and Brookes injured his shoulder, stopping the match. Suzuki & Shiryu were declared the winners and Masahiro Takanashi handed them over the championship belts because the result counts as a title change. Takanashi reappeared later in the show to tell the fans that Brookes was on the way to the hospital for a diagnosis and his message to everyone is he’s feeling fine. The last thing DDT needs right now is another injury, especially to one of the headliners for their next Sumo Hall show.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 04/06/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Wakana Uehara Vs Mahiro Kiryu, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo
2. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Toga
3. Moka Miyamoto Vs Shino Suzuki
4. Hyper Misao Vs HIMAWARI
5. Mizuki & Suzume Vs Shoko Nakajima & Kaya Toribami
6. Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Arisu Endo Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku

The strongest trio in Tokyo Joshi Pro lately are Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku. Can they keep their run of success going against Daydream & Arisu Endo? Especially if Rika Tatsumi & Endo figure out how to summon back their heel gimmick from “HYPE!” and go act violently again. Miu Watanabe is too cheerful for that life though.

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023”, 25/06/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai, Hideki Okatani & Sanshiro Takagi Vs Ryota Nakatsu, Yuki Ishida, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku
2. International Special Single Match: Tetsuya Endo Vs Nick Wayne
3. DDT Extreme Title: MAO Vs Kazuki Hirata
4. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima Vs X & X

Over the weekend Yuki Ueno & Toy Kojima made appeals to DDT asking to be one of the teams fighting for the vacant KO-D Tag Team Titles. With ShunMao stepping aside and vacating the belts, Kojima wanted his team with Ueno to represent The 37KAMIINA in the championship match. Despite losing his recent matches, Kojima impressed management enough to grant his request.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”, 08/07/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sawyer Wreck
2. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Nyla Rose
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Maki Itoh

When Yuka Sakazaki announced her plans to graduate TJPW at the end of the year, she said one of her remaining wishes was to wrestle somebody from AEW at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”. The invitation was accepted and AEW is sending over Nyla Rose! The former AEW Women’s Champion has wrestled in Japan before but this will be her first time in TJPW. They’ve been opponents in tag matches on Dark before and they also once fought each other in a Triple Threat match along with Riho. This match however is the first time they will face off one on one.

GANBARE☆PRO “WRESTLE SEKIGAHARA II”, 09/07/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Miyuki Takase
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Mizuki Watase (c) Vs Isami Kodaka

The biggest show of the year for Ganbare☆Pro will be headlined with an inter-promotional match against BASARA with their biggest prize on the line. Mizuki Watase is defending the Spirit Of Ganbare Title against Isami Kodaka and both men will be carrying the flag for their respective promotions. The fighting talk between the two from yesterday suggests this won’t be the end to the rivalry. Watase has promised to continue defending the SOG Title against BASARA wrestlers after he beats Kodaka. In return Kodaka has offered to do the same with GanPro talent if he beats Watase for the belt.

Almost one year after she joined GanPro, Yoshiko Hasegawa gets a special singles match against her senpai Miyuki Takase. Hasegawa owes a lot to Takase for taking care of her during her absence away from wrestling. The best way she can pay her back is to show how much she has grown under GanPro and beat her in their first singles match against each other.

Freelance wrestler Kuma Arashi has suddenly offered to wrestle on GanPro shows after attending yesterday’s shows and being impressed with the company’s passion. He had a match in GanPro once before in 2020 back when he was signed to WRESTLE-1. The atmosphere he felt yesterday reminded him of W1 and convinced him to give this place another shot. He also wants to form a tag team with Ken Ohka while he is here.

DDT Around The World – November 2022

Boy oh boy November turned out to be an eventful month for DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro going international. Between DDT’s dealings with AEW and TJPW leaving their mark on Pro Wrestling EVE there is a lot to keep track of. Konosuke Takeshita signed his deal with AEW, Jun Akiyama made “The Last of a Dying Breed’s” dream come true, Maki Itoh is now gang affiliated and Miyu Yamashita for the second time in her career holds another country’s championship. And let’s not forget about Shota’s travels across America while CDK was out doing their thing in Singapore. Although there are signs that Shota’s excursion may be approaching its end soon he is keeping himself busy on the road and taking the time to stop and smell the roses.

I hope these posts are coming in handy and not just for following what the Japanese wrestlers are up to abroad. If you haven’t noticed yet, some of the names you see in the previous posts have been getting bookings in Japan recently. So you never know who here will show up in DDT, TJPW or Ganbare☆Pro in 2023. I have a feeling it’s only going to get crazier from there. Like maybe WWE brings back the Mae Young Classic and Mahiro Kiryu enters it. Hey, it could happen.

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Videos

Video starts at 0:00 for the match
MPW “NIGHT FALL”, 04/11/2022
Nordhoff PL, Chatsworth, California, USA

1. Dustin Daniels Vs Shota

Video starts at 21:28 for the match
LEVEL UP “BLINDING LIGHTS”, 05/11/2022
Attitude Brewing Company, San Diego, California, USA

1. Triple Threat Match: Hunter Freeman Vs Fabrizio Vs Shota

Video starts at 1:12:39 for an angle. Go to 1:50:07 for the match
NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 8”, 17/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Shota Vs Rudy Garza (w/ Dan Miller)

AEW “RAMPAGE”, 18/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Eddie Kingston & Ortiz Vs Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita

Video starts at 40:15 for the match
JCW “SERIES OF SURVIVALS”, 19/11/2022
Boonton Elks Lodge, Boonton, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs Janai Kai

Video starts at 35:38 for the match
AEW “FULL GEAR ZERO HOUR”, 19/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Eddie Kingston (w/ Ortiz) Vs Jun Akiyama

WRESTLERAVE “IN YOUR WAREHOUSE”, 19/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. WrestleRave Title: Aaron Mercer (c) Vs Shota

Video starts at 2:02:35 for the match
SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 1”, 24/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. SPW Tag Team Titles: Da Butcherman & Dr. Gore (c) Vs Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi

Video starts at 1:40 for Match #1. Go to 1:59:10 for Match #2
SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 2”, 25/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. Chris Brookes Vs Ho Ho Lun
2. SPW Southeast Asia Title – 4 Way Match: Aiden Rex (c) Vs Masahiro Takanashi Vs Andruew Tang Vs Tajiri

Video starts at 8:49 for Match #1. Go to 16:47 for Match #2
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 28/11/2022
Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, USA

1. Maki Itoh & Emi Sakura Vs Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir (w/ Vickie Guerrero)
2. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Ari Daivari

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Results

MPW “NIGHT FALL”, 04/11/2022
Nordhoff PL, Chatsworth, California, USA

1. Dustin Daniels defeated Shota with the Torture Rack Slam (?:??).

I’m starting to think Shota is too trusting of a human being. Take his match against Dustin Daniels at Millennium Pro Wrestling for example. Everything was going nice and well until Shota fought off Daniels from the ring apron. Daniels stumbled back into the referee and used the sudden lack of authority to kick the middle rope into Shota’s groin while Shota was stepping back into the ring. The Low Blow made Shota into dead weight but Daniels was eventually able to lift him up into a Torture Rack and then slam him down to get the win.

LEVEL UP “BLINDING LIGHTS”, 05/11/2022
Attitude Brewing Company, San Diego, California, USA

1. Triple Threat Match: Fabrizio defeated Hunter Freeman and Shota when Fabrizio with the I Am Prettier (?:??).

This match became a full circle moment for some of the people involved. Hunter Freeman originally trained to be a pro wrestler in Okinawa 17 years ago and Shota was involved in training him. That is not the only student and mentor relationship in the match because Freeman is the trainer of Fabrizio. The Triple Threat ended in an upset when Fabrizio pushed Freeman into Shota and then gave his trainer the Unprettier to win.

ROW “FALL FURY”, 12/11/2022
Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA

1. Shota Suzuki defeated Emilio Tovar (?:??).
2. Shota Suzuki defeated Jonathan Vega (?:??).

Shota returned to Reality Of Wrestling to settle the score with La Familia after they cost him a match the last time he was in the company. Shota had quite the challenge given to him on the day. He had two take part in two matches against La Familia. Against the odds, Shota ended up winning both matches against Emilio Tovar and Jonathan Vega. He won one of the matches with the Frog Splash, which meant a lot to him because a few days before the show he visited El Paso the home of Eddie Guerrero.

EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM V – SHOW 1”, 13/11/2022
229 The Venue, London, England

1. EVE Tag Team Titles: Rhia O’Reilly & Skye Smitson (c) defeated Hyper Misao & Session Moth Martina when Smitson pinned Misao (10:16).
*V5 for The Uprising.
2. EVE Title No. 1 Contender Match: Miyu Yamashiya defeated Millie McKenzie with the Skull Kick (12:34).

Over to England where TJPW talent was invited over to Pro Wrestling EVE. The British women’s promotion held their fifth annual “WRESTLE QUEENDOM” supershow, split into two events over the course of the day. On the afternoon show Yamashita faced Millie McKenzie in a rematch from their first meeting the month before in Spain. Yamashita had learned from her mistakes in the first match and found a way to counter McKenzie’s Regal Plex. The counter allowed Yamashita to take control from her opponent and create an opening for a High Kick followed by the Skull Kick. The win meant Yamashita was now the No. 1 Contender for the EVE Title and her title shot was happening later that day on the evening show.

Hyper Misao became fast friends with Session Moth Martina from Ireland (home of the Spice Bag) and together they fought against The Uprising for the EVE Tag Team Titles. They came close to winning until Nightshade interfered on behalf of her allies and helped The Uprising retain their titles. Misao wanted revenge on Nightshade for costing her team their chance to win a championship and challenged her to a fight on the evening show.

EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM V – SHOW 2”, 13/11/2022
229 The Venue, London, England

1. Hyper Misao defeated Nightshade with the Hypami Returns onto a pile of Chairs (12:16).
2. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita defeated Alex Windsor (c) with the Crash Rabbit Heat (15:08).
*Alex Windsor fails in V1. Miyu Yamashita becomes the 20th EVE Champion!

Later that evening the second show took place and became a highlight for both of TJPW’s women. In the afternoon Alex Windsor won the EVE Title and now had to defend it against Yamashita. Both had already wrestled in hard fought matches so nobody had the advantage going into the match. Yamashita took Windsor’s big moves and made her crumble to the Skull Kick. The Crash Rabbit Heat found its target and Yamashita became the new EVE Champion! McKenzie met her in the ring after the match challenging her for the title. Her reasoning is they are now 1-1 against each other and their rivalry is one that now spans the entire world. Yamashita agreed and invited her back to TJPW to do the match there. Good thing McKenzie already had Japan in her upcoming travel plans, eh? Yamashita Vs McKenzie has since taken place in TJPW with Yamashita successfully defending the belt and going 2-1 against her English rival.

Misao got her justice by beating Nightshade in a crazy match. I don’t think the match was No DQ but it ended up having weapons and brawling involved anyway. Misao brought out her Hyper Cycle and crashed it into a tower of chairs on the stage. She tried the tactic again and successfully crashed into Nightshade at ringside. The finish came when Misao dropped Nightshade with the Hypami Returns onto a pile of chairs in the middle of the ring.

NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 8”, 17/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Rudy Garza (w/ Dan Miller) defeated Shota with a Dragon Sleeper Driver (?:??).

Shota had a headline spot for his return to New Texas Pro. In his second appearance of the “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES” Shota fought Rudy Garza. Outside interference again reared its ugly head thanks to Garza’s manager Dan Miller. Shota held Garza in a Crossface Lock when Miller grabbed his wrestler’s leg and placed it on the bottom rope to break the hold. Shota got a little measure of revenge when he landed a Topé Suicida on Miller and sent him crashing through a row of ringside seats. However Miller recovered and distracted the ref so Garza could poke Shota in the eye and take his leg out with a Chop Block before hitting his finisher for the three count.

AEW “RAMPAGE”, 18/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Jun Akiyama & Konosuke Takeshita defeated Eddie Kingston & Ortiz when Akiyama pinned Ortiz with the Exploder Suplex (12:17).

For a long time now Eddie Kingston has spoken highly of Jun Akiyama and named him as a dream opponent. Well working for a place like AEW can spring plenty of surprises. Not only was Takeshita having his first match back from a month long break, he was bringing Akiyama along with him! They fought Kingston along with his buddy Ortiz on the Friday leading into a PPV weekend. Kingston wasn’t able to get much time in the ring with his hero and that very well could have been one of the reasons why the DDT team won the match. There was clearly unfinished business after the match was over and a singles bout between Akiyama and Kingston was quickly put together. The match was also the debut of Takeshita’s new AEW theme song “Face-Off”.

JCW “SERIES OF SURVIVALS”, 19/11/2022
Boonton Elks Lodge, Boonton, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Janai Kai with the I.S.D (8:41).

On the week of Thanksgiving America had Maki Itoh to be thankful for when she paid a visit to the country to wrestle on a few shows. JCW was her first stop. She beat Janai Kai thanks to her hard head deflecting one of Kai’s normally dangerous kicks. The match was a little bit more newsworthy by the end when JCW’s commentary team let slip that Kai will be going to wrestle in Japan this January, most likely for TJPW.

AEW “FULL GEAR ZERO HOUR”, 19/11/2022
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA

1. Eddie Kingston (w/ Ortiz) defeated Jun Akiyama with the Uraken (10:32).

The pre-show for “FULL GEAR” was where the much anticipated Kingston Vs Akiyama singles match took place. Akiyama had a new theme song put together by Osamu Suzuki called “FINAL EXPLODER”. Kingston not only got to fight his hero one on one but he beat him too! The match built to an exchange of Exploder Suplexes. Akiyama wanted to use the Wrist-Clutch variation but Kingston countered it with a DDT. Akiyama kicked out of the Uraken but Kingston kicked out of a Running Knee Strike too. Akiyama then tried to set up the Sternness Dust α but it was countered into the Northern Lights Bomb. Kingston then hit another Uraken to score the pin. The two showed a lot of respect to each other after the match.

WRESTLERAVE “IN YOUR WAREHOUSE”, 19/11/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. WrestleRave Title: Aaron Mercer (c) defeated Shota with the Cradle Piledriver (?:??).
*V5 for Aaron Mercer.

Shota has said in a tweet that this match against Aaron Mercer is one of the most memorable not just from his excursion but his entire career. Mercer also tweeted that the match may well become one of his favorites ever too. In fact the match is getting rave reviews by just about everyone who saw it in person and tweeted about it. The Houston Premier Arena is becoming home to many good memories for Shota as time goes by.

GCW “AURA”, 20/11/2022
Fete Music Hall, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

1. Masha Slamovich defeated Maki Itoh with the Half Package Piledriver (11:56).

GCW was next on Itoh’s schedule and she went there wanting to become the centre of attention. How do you do that in GCW? You step in the ring with Nick Gage, look him right in the eyes and tell him “Where is my fucking gang at?!?” Itoh becoming MDK Gang affiliated wasn’t enough for her to beat Masha Slamovich though. She drilled Slamovich with a Top Rope DDT but a rope break stopped her from getting the three count. Instead Slamovich stunned her with a Spin Kick to the head and won with a Half Package Piledriver.

AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 23/11/2022 (Aired 28/11/2022)
Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, USA

1. Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Maki Itoh & Emi Sakura when Rose pinned Sakura with the Beast Bomb (4:17).
2. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ari Daivari with the Rollover German Suplex (4:45).

Takeshita’s first AEW match under his new deal was against Ari Daivari of the Trustbusters stable. Takeshita won with the German Suplex but the story coming out of the match was Don Callis walking out to ringside to watch it. The man is most known in AEW to be Kenny Omega’s manager. Could he be interested in offering his services to Takeshita?

Meanwhile Itoh made her return to AEW by teaming with Emi Sakura to take on Nyla Rose & Marina Shafir. Itoh found out the hard way that getting into a strike exchange with Shafir outside the ring is a bad idea. She was taken out by that while Rose pinned Sakura with the Beast Bomb.

SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 1”, 24/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. SPW Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Da Butcherman & Dr. Gore when Brookes pinned Gore after the Super Kick & Praying Mantis Bomb (21:03).
*CDK become the 10th SPW Tag Team Champions!

Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi collected some gold on their trip to Singapore Pro Wrestling. They beat The Horrors of Da Butcherman & Dr. Gore to win the vacant SPW Tag Team Titles in the main event of the first part of the company’s anniversary shows.

SPW “ASTRONOMICAL ANNIVERSARY – DAY 2”, 25/11/2022
Foochow Building, Singapore

1. Chris Brookes defeated Ho Ho Lun (10:33).
2. SPW Southeast Asia Title – 4 Way Match: Aiden Rex (c) defeated Masahiro Takanashi, Andruew Tang and Tajiri (12:11).
*V4 for Aiden Rex.

On Day 2 Takanashi had an opportunity to win another championship when he took part in a 4 Way Match with Tajiri and Andruew Tang also among the challengers. Aiden Rex came out on top and remained the SPW Southeast Asia Champion.

Brookes sent out an open challenge for his match and it was answered by Ho Ho Lun!

LLL “POD SIX WAS JERKS!”, 25/11/2022
The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA

1. Austin Reddick defeated Shota (?:??).

Denver was the next stop for Shota where he found himself wrestling in a new environment. The Lucha Libre & Laughs show was held inside a theatre and the ring was located right on the stage. Shota and Austin Reddick had their match while comedians cracked jokes on the live commentary.

AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 30/11/2022 (Aired 06/12/2022)
Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Aaron Solo with a Wheelbarrow German Suplex (3:15).

Callis was again at ringside to watch Takeshita in action. This time Takeshita beat Aaron Solo from The Factory.

ROW “SHOWCASE”, 30/11/2022
Booker T World Gym Arena, Texas City, Texas, USA

1. Shota Vs Bryan Keith

Shota’s last match of the month was at an untelevised ROW show against one of Booker T’s brightest proteges Bryan Keith.

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Upcoming Appearances

PWL “PRO WRESTLING LEGACY”, 02/12/2022
Toma Gallery, El Paso, Texas, USA

1. Cosmo Orion Vs Shota

As mentioned earlier, Shota got to visit El Paso already during his excursion but it isn’t until December when he will get to wrestle there. His El Paso debut for Pro Wrestling Legacy will be for a match against Cosmo Orion.

GRAPPLE MAX “GOLD STANDARD”, 03/12/2022
GymKraft, Tampines Street, Singapore

1. Hotshot Wilson Vs Masahiro Takanashi

Takanashi last faced his opponent Hotshot Wilson three years ago when Hotshot was just a rookie. He has grown up while Takanashi was away so what kind of trouble can he cause him the next time they meet?

PWF “PREMIER RUMBLE”, 03/12/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Caine Carter Vs Shota

Perhaps Shota’s final visit to Premier Wrestling Federation sees him against Caine Carter. The show also has a Royal Rumble match taking place. Shota is not advertised to compete in it yet but if there’s a spot open, he’ll be sure to take it.

NEW TEXAS PRO “TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 9”, 08/12/2022
Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA

1. Mysterious Q Vs Shota

Shota’s match against Mysterious Q is being advertised as his final match in Houston.

APAC “RISE”, 10/12/2022
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Round 1: Steph De Lander Vs Maki Itoh
2. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Round 1: Nor “Phoenix” Diana Vs Yuki Kamifuku

The playoff matches for the APAC Women’s Title Tournament have been made. Itoh and Yuki Kamifuku are on separate sides of the bracket. Itoh meets Steph De Lander in Round 1 while Kamifuku has to get past Nor Diana.

DFW ALL PRO “SEASONS BEATINGS”, 10/12/2022
Trinity Leadership Public School, Cedar Hills, Texas, USA

1. Shota Vs X

Shota has a few more things to do in Texas like this DFW All Pro show.

DPW “1ST ANNIVERSARY”, 10/12/2022
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Colby Corino

“Let’s fucking go!” Deadlock Pro Wrestling is bringing Takeshita back for their 1st Anniversary show. They wanted him in a crazy match so here comes Colby Corino as his opponent!

APAC “RISE”, 11/12/2022
Malaysia

1. APAC Women’s Title Tournament – Final: X Vs X

Can Itoh and Kamifuku both make it to the final?

GCW “TIL INFINITY 2022”, 31/12/2022
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

GCW “56 NIGHTS”, 01/01/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Itoh is spending the last night of 2022 and the first day of 2023 in New Jersey for GCW.

EVE “EVE 100”, 07/01/2023
229 The Venue, London, England

1. EVE Title?: Miyu Yamashita (c?) Vs Rhio (?)

The EVE Title scene suddenly got a bit crowded due to Yamashita winning the belt. After her successful defence against McKenzie in TJPW, EVE announced that Yamashita will return to London on 7th January as part of their 100th show celebration. “The Unbreakable” Rhio already made it clear that she wants the next title shot sooner rather than later. At the time of writing she will be going to Japan in a few weeks time and is getting the title match against Yamashita in Shizuoka on 10th December. Here’s an interesting wrinkle added to the situation. EVE announced that if Rhio becomes the champion there, Yamashita will get a rematch back in London.

PRESTIGE “VENDETTA”, 21/01/2023
The Glass House, Pomona, USA

1. Shunma Katsumata Vs Sonico
2. Kevin Blackwood Vs MAO
3. Miyu Yamashita Vs Athena

Shunma Katsumata & MAO make their debuts for Prestige Wrestling next year. MAO takes on Kevin Blackwood and Katsumata has a match against Sonico.

DDT “DDT GOES HOLLYWOOD”, 30/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

Right now there is a story developing in DDT where Takeshi Masada wants to wrestle on the shows in Hollywood. He has to beat Sanshiro Takagi in an upcoming match to convince the boss he is already ready to wrestle overseas.

DDT/GCW “GCW VS DDT”, 31/03/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

Any chance we can do Gage Vs Itoh here?

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Cancelled Appearances

MAGNUM “BATTLE ROYALE CUP”, 26/11/2022
Stocks n Bonds, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

1. Battle Royale Cup – Round 1: Shota Vs Kit Sackett

Shota was meant to be part of a one night tournament in Magnum Wrestling, taking one of their champions Kit Sackett in the first round. Unfortunately the show was cancelled on a few days notice and the promotion is ceasing operations due to the owner going through health issues. This would have been Shota’s first time wrestling in Omeha, Nebraska.