DDT runs their monthly Tokyo major event today, Sweet Dreams! 2024, and it’s their first really major event of the year. There are 3 title matches scheduled but the big one is the main event for the KO-D Openweight Championship. Previously on the verge of the title but his hopes derailed by injury that kept him out long-term, Yukio Naya made his comeback late last year and won the D KING GP 2023 to earn a shot at current champion Yuki Ueno today. The time may be now for the big man who clearly is a big part of DDT’s future. Before that, there will be a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship match, which is also a DOA Contra DOA Match, where the losing team can no longer call themselves “Dead Or Alive/DOA”. The DDT Extreme Championship is also up for grabs as Kazuki Hirata defends against Shunma Katsumata in a comedy match where Toi Kojima ultimately will decide the victor through various challenges he will undertake. The event will also see Yukio Sakaguchi’s final match in Korakuen Hall before his retirement next month, and he’ll face young Eruption stablemate & protege Hideki Okatani, who will have a lot of weight on his shoulders from carrying on the legacy of both retired factionmate Saki Akai and soon Sakaguchi.
Today’s event will be held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in Japanese. Japanese voice actor Tetsu Inada will be a special guest on commentary. You can also watch the first 2 matches FOR FREE live on YouTube. This could be a long-running event with 3 title matches, if like me you’re watching opposite other wrestling tonight (like the WWE Royal Rumble) you’ll be split-screening for a little while before it’s just this event, which I’m estimating will run for around 3 hours.
Today’s lineup:
Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Akito, Shnichiro Kawamatsu & Yuni vs. HARASHIMA, Tomoya, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi
Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Rukiya vs. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & Bryan Keith
Yukio Sakaguchi vs. Hideki Okatani
MAO & TAKA Michinoku (New Japan) vs. Chris Brookes & Masa Takanashi
DDT Extreme Champion Kazuki Hirata vs. Shunma Katsumata for the title. 2 Count pinfalls. After a pinfall, KO, TKO, submission or countout, Toi Kojima may enter the ring for a Kojima Challenge. If he does and completes the challenge, whoever got that last fall wins. If Kojima fails the challenge, the match continues
KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi vs. Hikaru Sato, Kazusada Higuchi & Ryo Kawamura in a DOA Contra DOA Match for the titles. The losing team can no longer call themselves DOA (Dead Or Alive)
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Naruki Doi (Independent/Freelancer)
KO-D Openweight Champion Yuki Ueno vs. Yukio Naya for the title
The opponent for Kaaisei Takechi’s Debut Match on 2/25 will be announced
Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.
The YouTube broadcast is scheduled to begin 10 minutes before the event and can be watched below (video courtesy of the DDT Official YouTube channel), scroll down further for results/updates:
Updates below will begin at 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET.
6:20 PM PT UPDATE: Live updates begin now.
We are LIVE from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Your hsots are Haruo Murata, Kagehiro Osano & special guest Tetsu Inada.
The paid attendance will be announced after the event. Looks like they’re using more capacity on the bleacher side than usual but it’s too early to estimate the crowd. They are going up opposite the final day of sumo in Tokyo but it’s hopefully going to be a good number. I’ll hope for at least 1000 right now. (It looks like a close-to-full-capacity setup today. Gonna stick with around 1000 for my prediction) (UPDATE: The announced paid attendance was 1120, a super full house/very near sellout)
The matches should begin in 15-20 minutes.
The matches begin at 6:32 PM PT/9:32 PM ET.
Match 1: Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Akito, Shnichiro Kawamatsu & Yuni vs. HARASHIMA, Tomoya, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi. 30 minute time limit
Result: HARASHIMA, Tomoya, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Kazuma Sumi beat Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi, Akito, Shnichiro Kawamatsu & Yuni. Sumi pinned Yuni.
The debut opponent on 2/25 for Kaisei Takechi is announced. It actually will be a 6-man tag: Takechi, Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata vs. Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani & Takeshi Masada. Pre-recorded comments from Takechi follow.
Match 2: Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Rukiya vs. Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & Bryan Keith. 30 minute time limit
Result: Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & Bryan Keith beat Tetsuya Endo, Yuki Iino & Rukiya. KANON pinned Rukiya.
The YouTube broadcast ends here.
Match 3: Yukio Sakaguchi vs. Hideki Okatani. 30 minute time limit
Result: Yukio Sakaguchi beat Hideki Okatani
Your new host is Ken Kato for the next match or two.
Match 4: MAO & TAKA Michinoku (New Japan) vs. Chris Brookes & Masa Takanashi. 30 minute time limit
Result: MAO & TAKA Michinoku beat Chris Brookes & Masa Takanashi. MAO pinned Takanashi after Cannonball 450.
The 20th Anniversary KING OF DDT Tournament is announced along with the first 5 entrants, all former winners: Poison Sawada JULIE, Sanshiro Takagi, Danshoku Dieno, HARASHIMA and…Shuji Ishikawa! (Formerly of All-Japan Pro Wrestling but he is leaving the promotion). The schedule is set too: 5/5 at Korakuen for Round 1, 5/11 at Yokohama Radiant Hall in Yokohama for Round 2, and 5/26 at Korakuen for the Finals (this is a single-elimination tournament).
Quick break for the delayed-to-now opening announcements from GM Imabayashi.
Match 5: DDT Extreme Champion Kazuki Hirata vs. Shunma Katsumata for the title. 2 Count pinfalls. After a pinfall, KO, TKO, submission or countout, Toi Kojima may enter the ring for a Kojima Challenge. If he does and completes the challenge, whoever got that last fall wins. If Kojima fails the challenge, the match continues. 1 Hour time limit
Result: By virtue of a Kojima challenge being completed after a 2 count fall, Shunma Katsumata beat DDT Extreme Champion Kazuki Hirata to win the title. Katsumata becomes the 59th DDT Extreme Champion. Afterwards, Katsumata invited Hirata to join The37Kamiina. My Japanese is not good enough to know whether Hirata accepted. (Update: He refused) Katsumata stood frozen holding them microphone in a comedy spot as GM Imabayashi entered the ring. Announcement eventually made…next up: MJ Paul. He handed Imabayashi a note before trying to ambush Katsumata but Hideki Okatani made the save. If Katsumata wins, then maybe Okatani. More on this as it becomes available. (UPDATE: Next up will be the winner of a match TBA on 2/7 with the title match on 3/17)
Match 6: KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi vs. Hikaru Sato, Kazusada Higuchi & Ryo Kawamura in a DOA Contra DOA Match for the titles. The losing team can no longer call themselves DOA (Dead Or Alive). 1 Hour time limit
Result: KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi beat Hikaru Sato, Kazusada Higuchi & Ryo Kawamura to retain the titles. Oishi pinned Kawamura. V3 for the champs. As a result, the losers can no longer call themselves DOA.
Match 7: Konosuke Takeshita (entrance starting with the AEW Don Callis ambient droning tone before his normal music) vs. Naruki Doi (Independent/Freelancer). 30 minute time limit
Result: Konosuke Takeshita beat Naruki Doi
Main Event: KO-D Openweight Champion Yuki Ueno vs. Yukio Naya for the title. 1 Hour time limit
Result: KO-D Oprnweight Champion Yuki Ueno beat Yukio Naya by submission to retain the title. V1 for Ueno. Wow. What a finish. Naya slowly if not reluctantly tapped out to a sleeper hold after BME. GM Imabayashi interviewed Ueno afterwards and, according to Ueno, if he gets his wish…next up: Danshoku Dieno (!?!). Afterwards, Ueno brought The37Kamiina back in all together, and now with 3 titles they once again are where they were just under a year ago. They’re the faces that run the places in DDT. WER!!
The next event is 2/4 at Nagano Arcs in Nagano. There will be no live broadcast.
