DDT runs their monthly Tokyo signature event today, and it’s a major one because of the return-and full-time wrestler debut-of Kaisei Takechi. “The Rampage” is competing in just his 3rd career match but it’s going to be the first of many more under his new contract signed earlier this year and of course it’s going to be a packed house for that today for the “Beginning Of The Hybrid Performer”. There’s a lot more big stuff happening today-New Japan Pro Wrestling participation in the form of Kosei Fujita making his DDT debut, a DDT Universal Championship match and in the main event Kazusada Higuchi makes his first defense of the KO-D Openweight Championship against the longtime face of DDT, HARASHIMA.
There also will be a special “support package” PPV with bonus content following Takechi and giveaways available. It can be pre-ordered now on WRESTLE UNIVERSE for 3600 Japanese yen (around ($26 US) and is scheduled to premiere Friday at 3 AM PT/6 AM ET then be available on demand until the end of the month. There will be a lottery after the viewing window ends on 7/31 where 3 signed photos of Takechi will be given away, but you may have to reside in Japan to enter and win.
Today’s event will be held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in Japanese. It can also be watched LIVE in Japan only on ABEMA. The event is a legit advance sellout. Actor Takumi Momose will be a special guest on commentary. There is a pre-show match scheduled today so with that and the 2 title matches & more this is going to be a longer Korakuen event than usual, I’d say going a minimum of 3 hours.
Today’s lineup:
Pre-show match: Takao Soma & Yuni vs. Naomi Yoshimura & Antonio Honda
Danshoku Dieno vs. Super Sasadango Machine & Kazuki Hirata in a 3-way
Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida vs. Chris Brookes, Jun Akiyama & Daichi Sato
Kosei Fujita (New Japan) & Takeshi Masada vs. To-y & Yuya Koroku
Masashi Takeda, Illusion & Haruto Sakuraba vs. MAO, KANON & Kazuma Sumi
Yuki Ueno, Akito & Kaisei Takechi vs. Daisuke Sasaki, Illusion & MJ Paul
DDT Universal Champion Minoru Suzuki vs. Shinya Aoki for the title
KO-D Openweight Champion Kazusada Higuchi vs. HARASHIMA for the title
Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.
Updates below will begin at 6:50 PM PT/9:50 PM ET. The pre-show match is scheduled to start at 7:05 PM PT/10:05 PM ET. The main show begins at 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET.
6:50 PM PT UPDATE: The live stream has begun. We should be going to the venue shortly.
7 PM PT UPDATE: Live updates begin now.
We are LIVE from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Your hosts are Satoshi Dairaku, Haruo Murata joining later, Kagehiro Osano & Takumi Momose.
The paid attendance will not be announced after the event but it’s a legit advance sellout so it should be around 1500.
The pre-show match begins at 7:05 PM PT/10:05 PM ET.
Pre-show match: Pre-show match: Takao Soma & Yuni vs. Naomi Yoshimura & Antonio Honda. 15 minute time limit
Result: Naomi Yoshimura & Antonio Honda beat Takao Soma & Yuni. Honda pinned Yuni.
Opening announcements from GM Imabayashi. During these a new wrestler, Hinata Kasai, is introduced to the crowd. He will debut soon. Interesting side note: Japanese hardcore/death match god Jun Kasai is his father. Rukiya then comes out, he will return soon after an extended absence.
Updates will resume when the main show matches begin in about 20 minutes (pre-show match ended at 7:15 PM PT/10:15 PM ET).
The matches begin at 7:33 PM PT/10:33 PM ET. There have been last-second changes to the match order, the DDT Universal Championship originally was the semifinal match but it has been swapped with the Kaisei Takechi 6-man tag and will be match 5, the Takechi 6-man tag will be match 6. The first 2 matches also swapped positions so the 6-man tag is now first and the 3-way is second.. And matches 3 & 4 swapped too.
Match 1: Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida vs. Chris Brookes, Jun Akiyama & Daichi Sato. 30 minute time limit
Reslut: Chris Brookes, Jun Akiyama & Daichi Sato beat Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Yuki Ishida. Sato pinned Ishida after Muscle Splash.
Match 2: Danshoku Dieno vs. Super Sasadango Machine (who unmasked himself when he got into the ring, he’s really Muscle Sakai for those who don’t know) & Kazuki Hirata in a 3-way. 30 minute time limit
Result: Super Sasadango Machine beat Danshoku Dieno & Kazuki Hirata in a 3-way by pinning Hirata. Dieno didn’t really do anything, just stayed perched on the corner turnbuckle for the standard GM Imabayashi comedy spots, which of course didn’t end well for Imabayashi. After the match, Machine with microphone for one of his slideshow presentations on the venue big screen, this one a followup to the DDT/New Japan 6/9 PPV that was built around a match of Machine vs. Toru Yano. But this all led to a big announcement for WRESTLE PETER PAN 2025 on 8/31: Dieno vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi! The Tanahashi retirement road stops in DDT! Then Dieno turns the tables-he announces that on Day 1 of WRESTLE PETER PAN on 8/30 Sakai will face MInoru Suzuki in what will be a Muscle Sakai Retirement 15th Anniversary Match.
Match 3: Masashi Takeda, Illusion & Haruto Sakuraba vs. MAO, KANON & Kazuma Sumi. 30 minute time limit
Result: MAO, KANON & Kazuma Sumi beat Masashi Takeda, Illusion & Haruto Sakuraba. MAO pinned Illusion with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold.
Match 4: Kosei Fujita (New Japan) & Takeshi Masada vs. To-y & Yuya Koroku. 30 minute time limit
Result: Kosei Fujita & Takeshi Masada beat To-y & Yuya Koroku. Masada pinned Koroku. Afterwards, Chris Brookes came out with a puppet and just brushed off Fujita. This brought out Fujita’s New Japan factionmate Zack Sabre Jr. Masada tried to play peacemaker between the two Englishmen but all it did was seemingly set up a tag match for WRESTLE PETER PAN. Thus they looked to GM Imabayashi. He briefly went backstage and when he came back…it’s now official. 8/30. They finished with some comedy involving Brookes’ puppet.
Match 5: DDT Universal Champion Minoru Suzuki vs. Shinya Aoki for the title. 1 Hour time limit
Result: DDT Universal Champion Minoru Suzuki beat Shinya Aoki by ref stoppage (TKO-strikes) to retain the title. V3 for Suzuki. Next up: Suzuki maybe briefly hinted at Dieno but instead…MAO. GM Imabayashi announcement during staredown…it’s now official. 8/31.
Match 6: Yuki Ueno, Akito & Kaisei Takechi vs. Daisuke Sasaki, Illusion & MJ Paul. 30 minute time limit
Result: Yuki Ueno, AKito & Kaisei Takechi beat Daisuke Sasaki, Illusion & MJ Paul. Ueno pinned Paul after BME.
Main Event: KO-D Openweight Champion Kazusada Higuchi vs. HARASHIMA for the title. 1 Hour time limit
Result: KO-D Openweight Champion Kazusada Higuchi beat HARASHIMA to retain the title. V1 for Higuchi. Afterwards, following compliments & congratulating each other, GM Imabayashi in the ring with microphone. Time to seemingly announce the next challenger…and out promptly comes Jun Akiyama. And just like that, it’s now official. 8/30 at WRESTLE PETER PAN Day 1. And if Higuchi wins…ANOTHER title defense on Day 2 on 8/31. Sounds like that challenger will be determined by a battle royal. (That’s the case. The 8/30 winner defends against said battle royal winner. That match will happen on Tuesday)
A video package with the matches announced so far today for WRESTLE PETER PAN on 8/30 (Higashin Arena, Tokyo) and 8/31 (Korakuen) is shown to wrap up the show.
The next event is Tuesday at Shinjuku Face for the first half of a 2-day Beer Garden Pro Wrestling doubleheader. Live streaming on WRESTLE UNIVERSE will begin at 3 AM PT/6 AM ET.
UPDATE: While he may appear before then, after his match Takechi announced he’ll participate in the ULTIMATE PARTY 2025 event on 11/3 and teased a potential open challenge.