DDT’s monthly tour-ending big event, GOD BLESS DDT 2023, is on tap today as the promotion’s final mid-major event before their Ryogoku Kokugikan blowout event in a few weeks. As their KO-D Openweight Championship match draws closer, Chris Brookes & Yuki Ueno will be on opposite sides in the main event, while in the co-main event there is potentially a double title match. DDT Extreme Champion Kazuki Hirata defends the title against Takeshi Masada in what is basically going to be a comedy match, but if Masada is still the DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion at match time this will be for both titles. But given the latter title’s 24/7 stip things could change last-second…and you never know what could happen before, during, and even after the match! Also, a day after losing the All-Japan 6-Man Tag Team Championship in probably her last appearance int he promotion, Saki Akai returns for one more 10th Anniversary match as her retirement draws ever closer, this time teaming with Sendai Girls standout Chihiro Hashimoto to face Eruption factionmates Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani.
Today’s event will be held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in Japanese FOR FREE! No account or paid subscription required! It will also be available on demand for free for non-subscribers for a few weeks. There is a pre-show match scheduled for 15-20 minutes before the event begins. With that match included I anticipate today’s event having a total running time of just under 3 hours.
Click below to watch the event live & on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE:
https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/lives/fqoaQKyWnAn8VAMBFXyWeR
Today’s lineup:
Pre-show:
Takao Soma & Yuni vs. Masa Takanashi & Antonio Honda
Main show:
MIKAMI vs. Kazuma Sumi
Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON vs. Tetsuya Endo, Toi Kojima & Rukiya
Yukio Naya vs. Yuya Koroku
Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Yusuke Okada vs. Kazusada Higuchi, Makoto Oishi & Akito
Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani vs. Saki Akai & Chihiro Hashimoto
DDT Extreme Champion Kazuki Hirata vs. DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion Takeshi Masada for the titles. Subject to change if Masada is not Iron Man champion at match time
Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA vs. Yuki Ueno & MAO
Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.
Updates below will begin at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET. The pre-show match is scheduled to begin at 7:15 PM PT/10:15 PM ET.
7 PM PT UPDATE: The live stream has launched. We’ll be going to the venue in a few minutes.
7:16 PM PT UPDATE: Live updates begin now…
We are LIVE from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Your hosts are Ken Kato & Kagehiro Osano.
The paid attendance will be announced after the event. The crowd is still filing in but as has been the case for a while they’re using the smaller opposite-side configuration with about 2/3 of the bleacher seats curtained off. That will keep the numbers down from what New Japan and All-Japan usually do now, so it’ll probably be 550-600. (UPDATE: The announced paid attendance was 800)
Pre-show match: Takao Soma & Yuni vs. Masa Takanashi & Antonio Honda. 15 minute time limit
Result; Masa Takanashi & Antonio Honda beat Takao Soma & Yuni. Honda pinned Yuni with a bridge.
Updates will resume when the main show begins in a few minutes (pre-show match ends at 7:27 PM PT).
Main show:
The matches begin at 7:35 PM PT. Your hosts are Ken Kato & Kagehiro Osano with special guest Shunma Katsumata.
Match 1: MIKAMI (Independent/Freelancer) vs. Kazuma Sumi. 30 minute time limit
Result: MIKAMI beat Kazuma Sumi. Afterwards, MIKAMI with microphone. It sounded like he issued a challenge for the DDT Extreme Championship. Side note: MIKAMI was part of the very frist DDT event on 3/25/1997.
The D KING GP 2023 participants are announced:
Block A: Yuki Ueno, Tetsuya Endo, Kazusada Higuchi, Daisuke Sasaki, HARASHIMA, Yuki Iino
Block B: Chris Brookes, MAO, Yukio Naya, KANON, Kazuki Hirata, and…from All-Japan Pro Wrestling…Rei Saito!
The tournament starts on 11/26 at Korakuen then continues on 12/2 & 12/3 at Shinjuku Face, 12/9 & 12/26 elsewhere, then 12/24 at Korakuen with the Finals at DDT’s 2024 opener on 1/3 at Korakuen.
Your new host is Haruo Murata.
Match 2: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON vs. Tetsuya Endo, Toi Kojima & Rukiya. 30 minute time limit
Result; Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON beat Tetsuya Endo, Toi Kojima & Rukiya. KANON pinned Rukiya after Sleepy Hollow. Afterwards, Sasaki with microphone. He issued a challenge to Endo for next month’s Ryogoku event, sounds like a Damnation T.A. vs. Burning match in some form. Sounds like perhaps a 6-man tag.
GM Imabayashi introduces the former Ikemen Jiro (Jiro Kuroshio), who was recently released by WWE. Mentions of perhaps an Extreme Title challenge, that brings out Takeshi Masada. Imabayashi makes Kuroshio-Masada for Kuroshio’s Japan return match at Ryogoku. (Update from the end of the show: Kuroshio will now be known as Kuroshio Tokyo Japan)
Match 3: Yukio Naya vs. Yuya Koroku. 30 minute time limit
Result: No Contest. Jun & Rei Saito interference. They laid out Naya and posed over hm until HARASHIMA quickly made the save. Afterwards, Rei Saito with microphone. Challenge issued for Ryogoku and beyond. They’re going to meet in the D KING GP as both are in Block B.
Katsumata leaves commentary before the next match.
Match 4: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Yusuke Okada vs. Kazusada Higuchi, Makoto Oishi & Akito. 30 minute time limit
Before the match began, a comedy promo led to a last-second change: Okada & Oishi swapped sides for the match.
Result: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi beat Kazusada Higuchi, Yusuke Okada & Akito. Dieno pinned Akito after Danshoku Driver. And of course Dieno being goaded into Pheromones Still Gonna Pheromones. Afterwards, Oishi with microphone for some comedy with Dieno & a rather reluctant Akiyama.
Chris Jericho promo. Pre-recorded and in English for his match against Konosuke Takeshita on 11/12 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Jericho claims it will be the best match Takeshita has ever had in his career and he will leave knowing Jericho is the greatest of all time.
Quick break for some GM Imabayashi announcements.
Match 5: Saki Akai 10th Anniversary Match 4: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani vs. Saki Akai & Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls). 30 minute time limit
Result: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hideki Okatani beat Saki Akai & Chihiro Hashimoto. Sakaguchi pinned Akai after God’s Right Knee. Afterwards, Sakaguchi with microphone. He showed Hashimoto respect then let her return the favor. Hashimoto then put Akai over before leaving Eruption together in the ring. Sakaguchi spoke a little more before Akai got the microphone, she was very emotional during her speaking. She put DDT over and thanked everyone for their support to wrap it all up. This probably is her final Korakuen match in DDT as she has only 3 weeks left until she retires and her last match period at the iconic venue will probably be Friday when she faces Yuki Arai in Tokyo Joshi Pro.
Match 6: DDT Extreme Champion Kazuki Hirata vs. DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion Takeshi Masada for the titles. 1 Hour time limit
Result: DDT Extreme Champion Kazuki Hirata beat DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion Takeshi Masada by countout. As a result, both retain the titles. V4 for Hirata. Ridiculous comedy match involving Jenga, basketball and more. Which led to…
Kazuki Hirata beat DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion Takeshi Masada to win the title. Hirata becomes the 1583rd DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion. Afterwards, Hirata with microphone. He called out Hiromu Takahashi. Which led to…
Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan) beat DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion Kazuki Hirata to win the title. Takahashi becomes the 1584th Champion. After this, Takahashi with microphone while Hirata threw a pure comedy tantrum in the ring. Long comedy promo after which Hirata tried to win it back but only managed a pair of 2 counts as he chased Takahashi throughout the venue with referee Daisuke Kiso trying to keep up. Updates to follow? In the meantime, Moving On…
Ken Kato & Toru Owashi join Kagehiro Osano on commentary the rest of the way.
Main Event: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA vs. Yuki Ueno & MAO. 30 minute time limit
Result: Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA beat Yuki Ueno & MAO. Brookes pinned Ueno after Praying Mantis Bomb.
The event wraps up with the full 11/12 card:
5 Team Time Delayed Battle Royal: KANON & MJ Paul, Naruki Doi & Kazuma Sumi, Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku, Toi Kojima & Yuki Ishida, Yuni & Rukiya
Tokyo Joshi Pro Provided Match Yuki Arai, Moka Miyamoto & Shino Suzuki vs. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Wakana Uehara
Sanshiro Takagi, Makoto Oishi, Akito & Shinichiro Kawamatsu (the current wrestling Japanese politician) vs. Yoshitatsu, Yoshihiko, Danshoku Dieno & Super Sasadango Machine
Jun Akiyama, HARASHIMA & Yukio Naya vs. Jun & Rei Saito & Toshizo
Kuroshio Tokyo Japan (Kiro Kuroshio) vs. Takeshi Masada
Daisuke Sasaki vs. Tetsuya Endo
KO-D Tag Team Champions Takao Soma & Shota vs. Masa Takanashi & Antonio Honda for the titles
DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuki Hirata for the title (as always, subject to change)
DDT Universal Champion Matt Cardona vs. MAO for the title
Saki Akai Retirement Match: Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai & Hideki Okatani vs. Naomichi Marufuji, Miyu Yamashita & Kazusada Higuchi
Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita
KO-D Openweight Champion Chris Brookes vs. Yuki Ueno for the title
ULTIMATE PARTY 2023 will begin on 11/11 at 9 PM PT/midnight ET LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
The next event is a special mini-event on 10/29 at JR Omori Station East Exit Plaza in Tokyo. This will be weather permitting as it will be an outdoor event so if there is heavy rain, it will be cancelled. The only match announced so far is World Omori Champion Takao Soma vs. TBA for the title. There will be no live broadcast.
The next “regular” event is 11/3 at Shinjuku Face with an All-Asia Tag Team Championship match and the final Saki Akai 10th Anniversary match, which will be Akai vs. Kazuki Hirata in what will also be the final single match of her career. Broadcast plans TBA. If it does stream live on WRESTLE UNIVERSE, the broadcast will begin on 11/2 at 8 PM PT/11 PM ET.
