DDT wraps up the D KING GP 2022 today with the Finals, which will determine who gets the next shot at KO-D Openweight Champion Kazusada Higuchi. Based on the field and how things looked earlier in the tournament, the result will definitely be an upset as much like the KING OF DDT Tournament earlier this year, it’s a very unexpected final as this time Yuki Ueno & Yukio Naya are the finalists. There also is an unusual semifinal as DDT Extreme Champion Joey Janela defends against Jun Akiyama in a TLC (Tables, Ladders, Chairs) match. Last I checked, Akiyama is not exactly a Hardy Boys or Edge/Christian type…and he’s 51 with 30 years of wear & tear on his body…this along with all the other unpredictability and comedy that DDT is known for. Pro Wrestling NOAH mainstay Kotaro Suzuki will also make an appearance.
Today’s event will be held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in Japanese. Guest commentators scheduled are Kenta Kobashi, voice actor Mayu Iizuka and singer Maon Kurasaki. Vocal cheering by fans will be allowed. Based on the lineup I anticipate tonight’s event having a total running time of close to 3 hours.
Today’s lineup:
Yuki Iino & Danshoku Dieno vs. Akito & Antonio Honda
Takao Soma, Hideki Okatani & Hikaru Machida vs. Yuya Koroku, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada
Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki (Pro Wrestling NOAH) & Yusuke Okada vs. MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toui Kojima
Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata vs. HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuma Sumi
Kazusada Higuchi, Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & Rickey Shane Page vs. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Pawl & KANON
DDT Extreme Champion Joey Janela vs. Jun Akiyama in a TLC Match for the title
D KING GP 2022 Finals: Yuki Ueno vs. Yukio Naya
Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.
Updates below will begin at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT.
9 PM ET UPDATE: Live updates begin now…
The stream has just launched. The live broadcast will begin in 10 minutes.
9:10 PM ET UPDATE: Live broadcast begins now.
We are LIVE from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Your hosts are Haruo Murata, Kagehiro Osano, Mayu Iizuka & Maon Kurosaki.
The paid attendance will be announced after the event. Vocal cheering allowed means a cap of roughly 700 and most sections were sold out earlier today or close to it. Based on that, it’s probably going to be in the 625-650 range but same-day could get it to a sellout.
No pre-show matches as they just confirmed the lineup so the matches should begin in about 30 minutes (around 9:40 PM ET/6:40 PM PT).
At 9:15 PM ET GM Imabayashi enters the ring to begin the opening announcements/housekeeping. The first matches for the Danshoku Dieno 20th Anniversary Event on 12/21 at Korakuen are announced: Yuki Iino vs. Yumehito Imanari (those deplorable Pheromons facing each other!) and, in his 20th Anniversary Match, Danshoku Dieno vs. Muscle Sakai. Dieno is then brought out although he makes Imabayashi call him a few times. Then they announce Natuki Doi vs Shunma Katsumata for 12/21 and then Tanomusaku Toba, Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida vs. Jun Akiyama, Tetsuya Endo & DJ Nira.
We then turn to tonight’s main event and thus…GRAND SWORD! D KING GP 2022 Chairman Kenta Kobashi comes out to audible cheers from the still-filing-in crowd. He leads the opening shout to start the event, leading into the opening video at scheduled start time.
The matches begin at 9:35 PM ET. Your new host is Ken Kato replacing Haruo Murata.
Match 1: Takao Soma, Hideki Okatani & Hikaru Machida vs. Yuya Koroku, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada. 30 minute time limit
Result: Takao Soma, Hideki Okatani & Hikaru Machida beat Yuya Koroku, Yuki Ishida & Takeshi Masada. Soma pinned Ishida.
Match 2: Yuki Iino & Danshoku Dieno vs. Akito & Antonio Honda. 30 minute time limit
Result: This became a World Cup-themed comedy match with 1-count pinfalls counting as “goals”. Yumehito Inanari even substituted in for Dieno. Draw. 2-2. They did a soccer shootout as a tiebreaker, Pheromons won 3-2 to win.
A YouTube broadcast of the first 2 matches ends here. Your host is Haruo Murata once again.
Match 3: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki (Pro Wrestling NOAH) & Yusuke Okada vs. MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toui Kojima. 30 minute time limit
Result: Tetsuya Endo, Kotaro Suzuki & Yusuke Okada beat MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Toui Kojima. Endo pinned Kojima after Burning Star Press.
Match 4: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata vs. HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Kazuma Sumi. 30 minute time limit
Result: Naruki Doi, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata beat HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguhi & Kazuma Sumi. Hirata pinned Sumi with a rollup after reversing a Sumi rollup. Afterwards, Endo, Suzuki & Yusuke Okada came out to make a challenge for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship. After come comedic bantering between Doi & GM Imabayashi, it’s made official. That match will happen on 12/29 at Tokyo Dome City Hall.
Match 5: DDT Extreme Champion Joey Janela vs. Jun Akiyama in a TLC Match for the title. No Countouts. Only win by pinfall, submission or KO. 1 Hour time limit
Result: Jun Akiyama beat DDT Extreme Champion Joey Janela to win the title. Akiyama becomes the 56th DDT Extreme Champion. Daaaaaaaamn! Next up: Super Sasadango Machine is back…although Akiyama immediately left but stopped just before exiting to the backstage area and returned to the ring. This quickly became a comedy segment with the masked comedy wrestler. As Akiyama walks off again, GM Imabayashi makes it official for 12/29.
Match 6: Kazusada Higuchi, Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & Rickey Shane Page vs. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Pawl & KANON. 30 minute time limit
Result: Kazusada Higuchi, Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & Rickey Shane Page beat Daosuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita, MJ Pawl& KANON. Higuchi pinned Pawl.
Main Event: D KING GP 2022 Finals: Yuki Ueno vs. Yukio Naya. No time limit
Result: Yuki Ueno beat Yukio Naya to win the tournament. As a result, Ueno will face KO-D Openweight Champion Kazusada Higuchi for the title on 12/29, and as the current DDT Universal Champion could become a double titleholder.
The next event is NEXTBODY presents STERNNESS 30th Anniversary Vol. 2, the second Jun Akiyama 30th Anniversary event, Saturday at Izumi City Plaza Yayoi No Kaze Hall in Osaka, after which 3 lucky fans who shelled out 50,000 yen get to go out for dinner and a drink with Akiyama himself. There will be no live broadcast. At the end of the broadcast the guest lineup for commentary on 12/29 was revealed, to include Kobashi, Kurasaki and SKE48 member Marika Tani.
UPDATE: The announced paid attendance was 711, a legit sellout.
