DDT began their 2023 today with a mid-major event that would begin the path to their 26th Anniversary event in March as well as other major events this year.
Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
The announced paid attendance was 759, a legit sellout.
Match 1: Makoto Oishi & Shiori Asahi beat Hideki Okatani & Toui Kojima. Oishi pinned Kojima after Cactus Flower.
Match 2: Yuki Iino & Danshoku Dieno vs. Akito & Antonio Honda went to a No Contest. GM Imabayashi stoppage.
The promotion’s biggest events of the year were announced outside of the 26th Anniversary event on 3/21-5/3 will be MEGA MAX BUMP 2023 at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, and 7/23 will be WRESTLE PETER PAN, the promotion’s biggest annual event, at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Match 3: Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata beat New Year Pokotan, Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Kazuma Sumi. Hirata pinned Sumi.
Match 4: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama, Kotaro Suzuki (Pro Wrestling NOAH), Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku beat Kazusada Higuchi, HARASHIMA, Rickey Shane Page, Takao Soma & Yuki Ishida. Endo pinned Ishida after Burning Star Press.
Match 5: Yuki Ueno & Cara Noir beat MJ Pawl & KANON. Noir beat Pawl with Blackout Sleeper.
Match 6: Konosuke Takeshita beat Takeshi Masada. Afterwards, Takeshita requested a match against Sanshiro Takagi. Takagi initially refused, but that match will happen on 3/21.
It was then announced that AEW duo Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford will appear on 2/18 & 2/26, and former WWE wrestler Kalisto/Samurai Del Sol will appear on 3/21.
Match 7: Naruki Doi vs. Daisuke Sasaki went to a 30 minute time limit draw. This was to have determined the next challenger for the DDT Universal Championship. As a result, the title match on 1/13 will be a 3-way survival, meaning it’s very likely an elimination match.
Main Event: MAO & Shunma Katsumata beat Chris Brookes & Masa Takanashi to win the vacant KO-D Tag Team Championship. MAO & Katsumata become the 76th KO-D Tag Team Champions. MAO pinned Takanashi after Our Madokasu.
The next event is Thursday at Itabashi Green Hall in Tokyo. The event is a legit advance sellout. There will be no live broadcast.
UPDATE: The next challengers for the KO-D Tag Team Championship have been announced: Oishi & Asahi. That match will happen on 1/29 at Korakuen Hall.
