Tag: wrestling

DDT Pro Wrestling “KING OF DDT 2025 FINAL!!” LIVE Results (5/25/25) (Updated x2)

DDT wraps up the annual KING OF DDT Tournament today with the Semifinals and Finals. The first of DDT’s 2 annual single tournaments, this one is single-elimination and is down to the Final 4, which this year are Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ueno, KANON & Hideki Okatani. They’ll face off early today in the Semifinals then the winners will meet in the main event for a KO-D Openweight Championship shot. The undercard is highlighted by a DDT Universal Championship match as Minoru Suzuki defends against Danshoku Dieno.

Today’s event will be held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in Japanese. Comedian Layla Ikeda will be a guest on commentary. Since the tournament matches are no time limit and with the title match this will probably run a little longer than a normal Korakuen event so I’ll predict the running time will be about 3 hours.

Today’s lineup:
Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada vs. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Illusion
KING OF DDT Semifinals:
Kazusada Higuchi vs. Yuki Ueno
Hideki Okatani vs. KANON
HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata vs. Akito & Yuya Koroku, Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida and Yuni & Kazuma Sumi in a 4-way
Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato vs. Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & To-y
DDT Universal Champion Minoru Suzuki vs. Danshoku Dieno for the title
KING OF DDT Finals (Higuchi/Ueno vs. Okatani/KANON)

Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.

Updates below will begin at 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET. The live stream is scheduled to begin 25 minutes before the event (the broadcast from the venue will probably begin 10 minutes before the event).

7:05 PM PT UPDATE: The live stream has begun. We should be going to the venue in about 15 minutes.

7:15 PM PT UPDATE: Live updates begin now.

We are LIVE from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Your hosts are Satoshi Dairaku, Kagehiro Osano & Layla Ikeda. We should be joined later by Haruo Murata.

The paid attendance will not be announced after the event as DDT stopped doing that at the beginning of the year. Late-arriving crowd and it didn’t seem too affected by sumo (the final day of the May Tournament is in progress) so my guess is the attendance would’ve been around 1000).

The matches should begin in about 25 minutes.

NwA Jr. comes out 5 minutes before start time for their opening performance.

The matches begin at 7:37 PM PT/10:37 PM ET.

Match 1: Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada vs. Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Illusion. 30 minute time limit
Match 1: Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Takeshi Masada beat Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & Illusion. Honda pinned Illusion with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold.

Match 2: KING OF DDT Semifinals: Kazusada Higuchi vs. Yuki Ueno. No time limit
Result: Kazusada Higuchi beat Yuki Ueno. As a result, Higuchi advances to the Finals.

Match 3: KING OF DDT Semifinals: Hideki Okatani vs. KANON. No time limit
Result: KANON beat Hideki Okatani. As a result, KANON advances to the Finals.

This means the Finals (main event) will be Higuchi vs. KANON.

Your new host is Haruo Murata, taking over for Satoshi Dairaku.

Match 4: HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata vs. Akito & Yuya Koroku, Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida and Yuni & Kazuma Sumi in a 4-way. 30 minute time limit
Result: Akito & Yuya Koroku beat HARASHIMA & Kazuki Hirata, Toru Owashi & Yuki Ishida and Yuni & Kazuma Sumi in a 4-way when Koroku beat Sumi.

Haruto Sakuraba promo (pre-recorded video). He next competes on 7/13 and it sounds like he wants KANON.

Match 5: Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato vs. Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & To-y. 30 minute time limit
Result: Shinya Aoki, Shunma Katsumata & To-y beat Jun Akiyama, Yukio Naya & Daichi Sato. Aoki pinned Sato.

Match 6: DDT Universal Champion Minoru Suzuki vs. Danshoku Dieno for the title. 1 Hour time limit
Result: DDT Universal Champion Minoru Suzuki beat Danshoku Dieno to retain the title. V2 for Suzuki. Next up: Pass the throat lozenges…Aoki. Cauliflower ear and all which I noticed his left ear is when the camera got close up. GM Imabayashi makes it official. That match will happen on 6/28 at the next Korakuen (not counting the New Japan-DDT Toru Yano vs. Super Sasadango Machine crossover PPV on 6/8.

Main Event: KING OF DDT Finals: Kazusada Higuchi vs. KANON. No time limit
Result: Kazusada Higuchi beat KANON to win the tournament. As a result, Higuchi will get a KO-D Openweight Championship shot in the future. But no hints dropped as to when as it wasn’t mentioned and no Brookes appearance during the Higuchi promo.

The next event is a BBQ Street Pro Wrestling mini-event Wednesday at Kirana Garden Toyosu in Tokyo. This event is weather permitting due to being outdoors. There will be no live broadcast. That will be followed by a special free mini-event/variety event on 5/31 at a JR Train Station stop in Tokyo including a special talk show event with Saki Akai.

The next “actual” event is 6/1 at Chunichi Hall in Nagoya with a KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship match. Live streaming on WRESTLE UNIVERSE will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET.

UPDATE: Correction to Suzuki-Aoki note above: That match will actually happen on 7/13, not 6/28. 7/13 is also at Korakuen.
After their win in the 4-way, Koroku issues a KO-D Tag Team Championship challenge on behalf of himself & Akito. They got it. That match will happen on 6/7 at Club eX in Shinagawa Prince Hotel when they face champions Takuya Nomura & Fuminori Abe for the titles.

UPDATE 2: Brookes-Higuchi for the title is now official. That match will happen on 6/29.

Tokyo Joshi Pro 5/24/25 Results (Updated)

Tokyo Joshi Pro continued their spring house show tour today in Shizuoka with a hometown event for Shino Suzuki.

Today’s event was held at Shimizu Marine Building in Shizuoka and will be available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE Tuesday. There was no live broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 232, a full house/near sellout.

There were some late changes to the card due to Kira Summer being removed a couple days prior. Leg/thigh injury (she is recovering well but advised by doctors to rest due to heat/humidity aggravating it).

Match 1: Toga beat Mifu Ashida.

Match 2: Raku beat Mahiro Kiryu & Ivy Steele in a 3-way by pinning Steele.

Match 3: Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto beat Yoshiko Hasegawa & Chika Nanase. Miyamoto beat Nanase with Rashomon.

Match 4: Rika Tatsumi beat Pom Harajuku by submission.

Match 5: Suzume & Arisu Endo beat Maki Itoh & Uta Takami. Suzume pinned Takami after Ring A Bell.

Match 6: Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Aino & Neko Haruna beat Kaya Toribami, Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI. Nakajima pinned HIMAWARI with a Northern Lights suplex hold.

Main Event: Mizuki & Haru Kazashiro beat Shino Suzuki & Miu Watanabe. Mizuki pinned Suzuki with Cutie Special.

The next event is 5/31 at Coconeri Hall in Tokyo with Suzume vs. Yoshiko Hasegawa for the International Princess Championship. There will be no live broadcast. On demand on 6/3. 5/31 will also be the first chance for fans to buy Sayuri Namba’s upcoming photobook which will be released on that date. It will also be available in digital form on Amazon which means hopefully fans outside Japan can buy it too (Namba says that will be possible).

In other news, the matches and entrants for the upcoming Tokyo Princess Cup Tournament are set. Today drawings were held for qualifier matches to fill 4 of the 16 entries, which will be a tournament itself starting with 16 entrants. The 8 winners will advance then another drawing will be held to determine 4 more single matches, with the winners of those 4 matches getting into the tournament. Those initial 8 matches are as follows: Toribami vs. nanase, HIMAWARI vs. Ashida, Toga vs. Steele, Kazashiro vs. Kinatsu (debuting soon, tentative name), Uehara vs. Summer, Harajuku vs. Haruna, Kiryu vs. Miyamoto and Suzuki vs. Takami. Already in as announced before: Mizuki, Nakajima, Hyper Misao, Suzume, Yuki Kamifuku, Raku, Miyu Yamashita, Tatsumi, Watanabe, Aino, Endo, Arai. The only one not in this year? Maki Itoh because of scheduled overseas expeditions during the tournament.
The qualifier matches will be held on 5/31, 6/7, 6/21 & 6/22 followed by the second round of qualifiers on 7/5 & 7/8. The official tournament matches will be held on 7/27 (Round 1), 8/2 (Round 1), 8/9 (Quarterfinals), 8/17 (Semifinals) and 8/23 (Finals). The winner presumably will get a Princess Of Princess Championship match, likely at WRESTLE PRINCESS 6 on 9/19 at Ota City General Gym in Tokyo, unless it’s the current champion (it may not be current champion Mizuki).

UPDATE: It was announced afterwards that Konatsu, the next new trainee, will debut on 6/1 vs. Suzume. If Suzume retains the International Princess Championship on 5/31 it will be a NON-TITLE match. Also announced is that Raku will miss 6/1 due to an excursion to Thailand to compete in Setup Pro Wrestling.

New Japan 5/24/25 Results

New Japan continued the Best Of The Super Junior today in Hyogo.

Today’s event was held at Atelier Himeji in Hyogo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 1136.

All matches were Best Of The Super Junior matches, 30 minute time limit.

Match 1: Block A: Clark Connors beat Ninja Mack.
Match 2: Block B: Sho beat Titan.
Match 3: Block A: Francesco Akira beat Robbie X.
Match 4: Block B: MAO beat Robbie Eagles.
Match 5: Block A: Kosei Fujita beat Dragon Dia.
Match 6: Block B: Taiji Ishimori beat Kevin Knight.
Match 7: Block A: Hiromu Takahashi beat Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
Match 8: Block B: Yoh beat Nick Wayne.
Match 9: Block A: Master Wato beat KUSHIDA.
Main Event: Block B: El Desperado beat Ryusuke Taguchi.

Standings:
Block A:
1-Wato, 5-2, 10 pts
2-Takahashi, 4-3, 8 pts
3-Fujita, 4-3, 8 pts
4-Akira, 4-3, 8 pts
5-Connors, 4-3, 8 pts
6-X, 3-4, 6 pts
7-Kanemaru, 3-4, 6 pts
8-Dia, 3-4, 6 pts
9-KUSHIDA, 3-4, 6 pts
10-Mack, 2-5, 4 pts (OUT)

Block B:
1-MAO, 4-3, 8 pts
2-Yoh, 4-3, 8 pts
3-Ishimori, 4-3, 8 pts
4-Desperado, 4-3, 8 pts
5-Wayne, 4-3, 8 pts
6-Taguchi, 3-4, 6 pts
7-Knight, 3-4, 6 pts
8-Eagles, 3-4, 6 pts
9-Titan, 3-4, 6 pts
10-Sho, 3-4, 6 pts

The top 2 in each block advance to the Semifinals. Mack is the first official elimination, out of Block A because of tiebreakers. Everyone else is still alive with only Wato not in a tie for first as he now leads Block A.

The next event is tomorrow at Port Messe Nagoya Exhibition Hall 2 in Nagoya. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET. This will also be broadcast on another channel/service I’m not familiar with in Japan.

Sumo-May 2025 Grand Sumo Tournament Day 14 Results (5/24/25) (Top 2 Tiers) (Updated x2)

Here are the quick results from today’s Day 14-the penultimate day-of the May 2025 Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo:
Key: M-Maegashira, K-Komusubi, S-Sekiwake, O-Ozeki, Y-Yokozuna, J-Juryo

Makuuchi (top tier):
Roga (M14) beat Nishikigi (M16)
Sadanoumi (M13) beat Kotoshoho (M14)
Tokihayate (M13) beat Endo (M11)
Shishi (M11) beat Tamashoho (M17)
Meisei (M10) beat Kayo (M16)
Shodai (M10) beat Tochitaikai (M18)
Aonishiki (M9) beat Atamifuji (M12)
Midorifuji (M9) beat Ryuden (M15)
Asakoryu (M17) beat Onokatsu (M8)
Kinbozan (M8) beat Takanosho (M12)
Ura (M5) beat Tamawashi (M3)
Tobizaru (M6) beat Abi (M2)
Ichiyamamoto (M4) beat Gonoyama (M2)
Oshoma (M6) beat Wakamotoharu (M1)
Oho (M1) beat Takerufuji (M4)
Takayasu (K) beat Chiyoshoma (M5)
Wakatakakage (K) beat Hiradoumi (M3)
Kirishima (S) beat Hakuoho (M7)
Onosato (O) beat Daieisho (S)
Hoshoryu (Y) beat Kotozakura (O)
Leader: Onosato (14-0)
Of note: It’s on! The final obstacle to 15-0 for Onosato will be the biggest-Hoshoryu. The Yokozuna is perhaps the last step on the road to promotion for the Yokozuna-to-be. Over the past year (5 tournaments) the series is 3-2 Hoshoryu and he’s won the last 2. Onosato won the 2 before that but one was a fusen (default/withdrawal) so it’s really 3-1 Hoshoryu.
Elsewhere, it was another day with a rare non-winning technique ending as Takayasu beat Chiyoshoma by fumidashi, rear step out, as Chiyoshoma inadvertently stepped outside the ring without being pushed or forced out.

Juryo:
Daiamami (J13) beat Shimanoumi (J8)
Hitoshi (J6) beat Mudoho (J14)
Daiseizan (J6) beat Tsurugisho (J9)
Oshoumi (J9) beat NIshikifuji (J5)
Wakaikari (J5) beat Miyanokaze (J13)
Mitoryu (J12) beat Hakuyozan (J4)
Nabatame (J12) beat Kagayaki (J4)
Kazekeno (J11) beat Takarafuji (J3)
Hatsuyama (J10) beat Shirokuma (J3)
Kotoeiho (J7) beat Hidenoumi (J2)
Shiden (J8) beat Fujiseiun (J2)
Mitakeumi (J1) beat Tomokaze (J7)
Kusano (J1) beat Tohakuryu (J10)
Leader: Kusano (12-2)
Of note: Since both Kusano & Wakaikari won today, the final day scenarios are simple: If Kusano wins or Wakaikari loses, or if both win or both lose, Kusano is the champion again. If Kusano loses and Wakaikari wins, there will be a playoff rematch between them (Kusano beat Wakaikari earlier this tournament). If Wakaikari wins his match tomorrow he’ll have a chance at promotion to the top tier even without winning the championship, if he does force a playoff and win the championship promotion is probably certain. Wakaikari first faces Daiamami then Kusano face Tsurugisho, both are 7-7 and will need a win for promotion (Daiamami could be demoted to Makushita with a loss).

RETIREMENT: Satonofuji (Jd100). Retired after his final match today. While he never got close to the top 2 tiers in a nearly 30-year career (his highest rank was Ms55 and he was primarily a resident of the Jonidan), he holds the perhaps-untouchable record of most career closing/bow-twirling ceremonies performed at 636 according to Nikkan Sports. He did it for 5 Yokozuna at Ajigawa Beya which then became Isegahama Beya, most recently for now-retired Terunofuji. It seems the impending retirement of the current Isegahama (reaches the mandatory retirement age of 65 just before the July Tournament) was the main factor in his retirement decision. He will leave sumo and work in the food & beverage industry in Tokyo. Satonofuji, real name Hisashi Matsuoka, finishes his career with a record of 570-627-21 (win-loss-absent) in 175 tournaments as an in-ring and behind-the-scenes tentpole of Isegahama Beya, with a 2-5 record in this tournament.

UPDATE: The only active wrestler older than Satonofuji-but not by much-has also called it quits. Sawaisamu, also 48, retired after his Final Day match. Having been active for roughly 33 years, he retires with a record of 406-860-24 and never got higher than the Jonidan. He was Jonokuchi 24 this time, at the very bottom of the rankings, and finished 1-6. In fact, his last winning effort was in July 2017.He does hood the record for most tournaments competed in with 135. He will work as a cook at a nursing home in Chiba Prefecture.

UPDATE 2: Here are who will be the Special Prize winners:
Outstanding Performance: Nobody (the only one who could have won it this time-Oho-does not qualify because he will be demoted due to losing record. The only other one who could have won it-Kirishima-can’t because he’s Sekiwake)
Fighting Spirit: Sadanoumi, Aonishiki (if he wins his last match which is vs. Sadanoumi), Asakoryu (if he wins his last match, which is vs. Endo)
Technique: Kirishima, Wakatakakage

Pro Wrestling NOAH 5/24/25 Results

Pro Wrestling NOAH continued the SUNNY VOYAGE 2025 Tour today in Yokohama.

Today’s event was held at Yokohama Radiant Hall in Yokohama and can be watched on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE.

The announced paid attendance was 292.

Match 1: AMAKUSA & Junta Miyawaki beat Kazuyuki Fujita & SHuhei Taniguchi. Miyawaki pinned Taniguchi.

Match 2: Saxon Huxley beat Masa Kitamiya & Black Menso-re in a 3-way by pinning Menso-re.

Match 3: Kaito Kiyomiya, Alejandro & Kai Fujimura beat Eita, Super Crazy & Daiki Odashima. Fujimura pinned Odashima.

Match 4: Tadasuke & Owadasan beat Atsushi Kotoge & Hajime Ohara. Tadasuke pinned Ohara.

Match 5: Kenoh, Ulka Sasaki & KENTA beat Manabu Soya, Daiki Inaba & YO-HEY. Kenoh pinned Inaba after PFS.

Match 6: Tetsuya Endo & Naomichi Marufuji beat Daga & OZAWA by DQ. OZAWA DQ’d. Deadly weapon use.

Main Event: GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf beat HAYATA & Yuto Kikuchi to retain the titles. Bane pinned Kikuchi after Santa Maria. V1 for the champs.

The next event is MONDAY MAGIC Prime Time Episode 1 Monday at Shinjuku Face in Tokyo. Live streaming on WRESTLE UNIVERSE will begin at 3 AM PT/6 AM ET.

Stardom 5/24/25 LIVE Results

Stardom heads to Osaka to start their event weekend today, headlined by an Artist Of Stardom Championship match. Originally the challenger team was to be determined by a tournament final held Wednesday in Tokyo, but it ended in a double countout. So of course the champs did what champs would do and played the Just Bring It card, meaning it’s a 3-way. And the promotion has now announced it will be a 3-way elimination match with over the top rope rules in effect. Last team left wins. Neo Genesis will have their hands full with H.A.T.E. and Suzu Suzuki’s new Mi Vida Loca faction for sure.

Today’s event will be held at Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka and can be watched LIVE on Stardom World. You will also be able to watch the entire event FOR FREE on YouTube. There will be no commentary. There are 6 matches scheduled and all but the main event will have 15-20 minute time limits, so factoring in the usual intermission at some point the event will probably run about 2 1/4 hours.

Today’s lineup (match order TBA):
Hanan, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo vs. Hina, Tomoka Inaba & Kikyo Furusawa
Mei Seira vs. Yuria Hime
Hazuki, Koguma & Akira Kurogame vs. Aya Sakura, Sayaka Kurara & Ema Maishima
Syuri, Saki Kashima, Lady C & Ranna Yagami vs. Natsuko Tora, Saya Kamitani, Azusa Inaba & Fukigen
Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Yuna Mizumori vs. Waka Tsukiyama, HANAKO & Rian
Artist Of Stardom Champions Starlight Kid, AZM & Miyu Amasaki vs. Suzu Suzuki, Rina Yamashita & Itsuki Aoki and Konami, Ruaka & Rina in a 3-way elimination match for the titles. Over the top rope elimination rules in effect

Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.

Updates below will begin at 9 PM PT/midnight ET.

The YouTube stream began a couple minutes early in pre-show mode.

9 PM PT UPDATE; Live updates begin now.

We are LIVE from Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka, Japan. There is no commentary. I am watching on YouTube. There is a little brief stuttering/freezing at times, maybe because I’m also watching in 1080p/60fps.

The paid attendance should be announced after the event. The setup is on the small side for the venue but looks to be mostly full (not a legit sellout but I’d say around 90% full). It’ll depend on the setup but I’m guessing it’ll be around 650. (UPDATE: The announced paid attendance was 604)

The matches begin right after the opening intro and card rundown.

Match 1: Hanan, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo vs. Hina, Tomoka Inaba & Kikyo Furusawa. 20 minute time limit
Result: Hanan, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo beat Hina, Tomoka Inaba & Kikyo Furusawa. Kohgo pinned Furusawa with a Northern Lights suplex hold.

Match 2: Mei Seira vs. Yuria Hime. 15 minute time limit
Result: Mei Seira beat Yuria Hime

Match 3: Hazuki, Koguma & Akira Kurogame vs. Aya Sakura, Sayaka Kurara & Ema Maishima. 20 minute time limit
Result: Hazuki, Koguma & Akira Kurogame beat Aya Sakura, Sayaka Kurara & Ema Maishima. Koguma beat Maishima with a rear naked choke.

Match 4: Syuri, Saki Kashima, Lady C & Ranna Yagami vs. Natsuko Tora, Saya Kamitani, Azusa Inaba & Fukigen. 20 minute time limit
Result: Syuri, Saki Kashima, Lady C & Ranna Yagami beat Natsuko Tora, Saya Kamitani, Azusa Inaba & Fukigen. C pinned Fukigen after a chokeslam.

Intermission.

The matches resume at 10:26 PM PT/1:26 AM ET (just under a 15 minute break).

Match 5: Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Yuna Mizumori vs. Waka Tsukiyama, HANAKO & Rian. 20 minute time limit
Result: Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Yuna Mizumori beat Waka Tsukiyama, HANAKO & Rian. Anou pinned Rian with a German suplex hold. Afterwards, Anou with microphone. Brief comments directed at Rian, who still wanted to fight. Could be the start of the build to a match between them. Natsupoi with microphone then. Rian was more cordial to her. Background music came on before Natsupoi finished her promo, probably comments related to the 10th Anniversary event for Anou & Natsupoi coming up next weekend (PPV of course).

Main Event: Artist Of Stardom Champions Starlight Kid, AZM & Miyu Amasaki vs. Suzu Suzuki, Rina Yamashita & Itsuki Aoki and Konami, Ruaka & Rina in a 3-way elimination match for the titles. Over the top rope elimination rules in effect as well as what they call the no-touch rules. A team is only eliminated when all 3 members are eliminated/ 30 minute time limit
Result: Artist Of Stardom Champions Starlight Kid, AZM & Miyu Amasaki beat Suzu Suzuki, Rina Yamashita & Itsuki Aoki and Konami, Ruaka & Rina in a 3-way elimination match to retain the titles. Order of elimination: Konami by AZM (pinfall), AZM by Aoki (pinfall), Aoki by Rina (pinfall), Rina & Yamashita by Amasaki & Kid (over the top rope), Kid by Suzuki (over the top rope), Suzuki by Ruaka (over the top rope. Mi Vida Loca eliminated), Ruaka by Amasaki (pinfall. H.A.T.E. eliminated). Neo Genesis wins with Amasaki left. V2 for the champs.

The next event is tomorrow at Kyoto KBS Hall in Kyoto. Live streaming on Stardom World will begin at 9 PM PT/midnight ET.

Sumo-May 2025 Grand Sumo Tournament Day 13 Results (5/23/25) (Top 2 Tiers)

Here are the quick results from today’s Day 13-Championship Day-of the May 2025 Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo:
Key: M-Maegashira, K-Komusubi, S-Sekiwake, O-Ozeki, Y-Yokozuna, J-Juryo, Ms-Makushita, Sd-Sandanme, Jd-Jonidan, Jk-Jonokuchi

Makuuchi (top tier):
Shonannoumi (M15) beat Kotoshoho (M14)
Takanosho (M12) beat Ryuden (M15)
Kayo (M16) beat Atamifuji (M12)
Endo (M11) beat Tochitaikai (M18)
Shodai (M10) beat Tamashoho (M17)
Meisei (M10) beat Roga (M14)
Midorifuji (M9) beat Nishikigi (M16)
Sadanoumi (M13) beat Kinbozan (M8)
Onokatsu (M8) beat Tokihayate (M13)
Shishi (M7) beat Churanoumi (M11)
Aonishiki (M9) beat Hakuoho (M7)
Tamawashi (M3) beat Chiyoshoma (M5)
Gonoyama (M2) beat Tobizaru (M6)
Hiradoumi (M3) beat Abi (M2)
Oho (M1) beat Ura (M5)
Takerufuji (M4) beat Wakamotoharu (M1)
Wakatakakage (K) beat Asakoryu (M17)
Takayasu (K) beat Ichiyamamoto (M4)
Kirishima (S) beat Oshoma (M6)
Onosato (O) beat Kotozakura (O). ONOSATO YUSHO!!! The 4th career Emperor’s Cup for Onosato!
Hoshoryu (Y) beat Daieisho (S)
CHAMPION: Onosato (13-0)
Yokozuna Watch: It’s not yet official but…it’s official-by this time next week, ONOSATO YOKOZUNA!!! This is his second straight championship. Now we just wait for the Yokozuna Deliberation Council to meet and make the recommendation, which is non-binding, then the official announcement. That will probably come Wednesday at the earliest.
Ozeki Watch: It’s probably over for Daieisho. He can still get to 31 but odds are now against him.
Of note: Now the only question is can Onosato go 15-0? Remember the last time he clinched the championship before the Final Day he did so on Day 14 but lost on the final day. And this time that Final Day will mean Hoshoryu who will be fighting for Pride and to potentially finish 12-3. But first, Onosato must beat Daieisho tomorrow.

Juryo:
Miyanokaze (J13) beat Kitanowaka (Ms1)
Kazekeno (J11) beat Nabatame (J12)
Shiden (J8) beat Mudoho (J14)
Tomokaze (J7) beat Mita (J14) by default/withdrawal
Wakaikari (J5) beat Tohakuryu (J10)
Nishikifuji (J5) beat Daiamami (J13)
Mitoryu (J12) beat Kagayaki (J8)
Hakuyozan (J4) beat Hatsuyama (J9)
Shirokuma (J3) beat Tsurugisho (J9)
Hitoshi (J6) beat Takarafuji (J3)
Shimanoumi (J8) beat Fujiseiun (J2)
Hidenomi (J2) beat Daiseizan (J6)
Kusano (J1) beat Oshoumi (J5)
Kotoeiho (J7) beat Mitakeumi (J1)
Leader: Kusano (11-2)
WITHDRAWAL: Mita (J14). Metacarpal bone. Tournament over. At least he clinched promotion yesterday so he’ll remain in Juryo in July after finishing his debut the equivalent of 8-7.
Of note: Kusano has done his part but still needs help to clinch his second straight championship tomorrow. He must beat Tohakuryu and Wakaikari must lose to Miyanokaze. Otherwise it goes to the Final Day. Today’s result means Kitanowaka will not return to Juryo in July.

Makushita:
Otsuji (Ms3) beat Fukuzaki (Ms39). OTSUJI MAKUSHITA YUSHO!!! First career championship. He will be promoted back to Juryo in July.

Sandanme:
Hatooka (Sd16) beat Kotoharugo (Sd45). HATOOKA SANDANME YUSHO!!! 4th career championship and 2nd Sandanme championship. He will be promoted back to Makushita in July.

Jonidan:
Tenrosei (Jd61) beat Takano (Jd44).
Mineyaiba (Jd21) beat Kobayashi (Jd24). PLAYOFF!!! And…the ultimate rarity…PLAYOFF BETWEEN STABLEMATES!!! Both Tenrosei & Mineyaiba are from Shikoroyama Beya and this is the only situation in which stablemates can face each other in a tournament-a playoff for the championship. That will happen on the Final Day. Tenrosei is Hoshoryu’s cousin, so no pressure, right?

Jonokuchi:
Kazuma (Jk7) beat Masarufuji (Jd98). KAZUMA JONOKUCHI YUSHO!!! 1st career championship in his second career tournament, he had to withdraw 5 matches into his debut despite being 4-1 and missed the next 4 tournaments.

Reminder: NHK World Japan will have 50 minutes of LIVE top tier coverage on Day 14 tomorrow at 1:10 AM PT/4:10 AM ET.

2025 Hana Kimura Memorial Event “Hanabi” Results (5/23/25)

Today the 5th annual Hana Kimura Memorial Event, which has been held on this date the last 4 years, was held in Tokyo. The event, put on by wrestlers and supporters from throughout Japan with help from Hana’s mother, former longtime women’s wrestler Kyoko Kimura, helps keep Hana’s memory alive while raising funds for an organization started by Kimura to push for tougher punishment against cyberbullying/online harassment in Japan, which caused Hana to tragically take her own life in 2020 far too soon. Today marks the 5th anniversary of her death at only 22, so once again the wrestling community comes together to put on a special event to honor their friend’s memory and keep her spirit alive in a celebration of life. The theme of this year’s event is “Hanabi”.

Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand worldwide as a PPV in Japanese. Outside Japan it is available on TrillerTV/FITE for $24.99. You get unlimited replays with purchase, considering all the prior events are still on the service it will probably be available forever as long as they have the rights to it.

The paid attendance has not been announced. Looks like it was on the low site, maybe 500-600 at most, possibly hurt by (among other things) sumo.

The broadcast began at least 20 minutes before the event began, at about 20 minutes in a couple of the wrestlers-one of which I believe is Menso-re Oyaji, came out for the opening greeting and perhaps explaining the battle royal rules for today. Then Kyoko Kimura came out to address the crowd.

The matches begin at the 39 minute mark of the broadcast. The GLEAT ring announcer handled the duties today.

Match 1: Tae Honma beat YUNA by submission.

Match 2: Kaori Yoneyama/Fukigen won a 12 person Hana Sports Day comedy battle royal. Order of elimination: Super Delfin, Yuki Miyazaki, Ram Kaichow, Banana Senga, Tsutomu Oosugi, Fuminori Abe, Sayaka Unagi, Yuko Miyamoto, Shuji Ishikawa, Munenori Sawa, Cherry.

Match 3: Aja Kong beat Seigo Tachibana. Squash. Which led to…
Match 3 (again): Aja Kong beat Seigo Tachibana. Squash (again). Which led to…
Match 3 (yet again): Aja Kong beat Seigo Tachibana. Slightly glorified squash (Tachibana actually hit a spear).

Match 4: Jaguar Yokota beat Sakura HIrota (dressed as Hana Kimura) & Menso-re Oyaji in a 3-way by pinning Oyaji. While Hirota had him in a Figure 4 too.

Match 5: Miyuki Takase & Mika Iwata vs. Sareee & Natsupoi and Dash Chisako & Hiroyo Matsumoto in a 3-way went to a 15 minute time limit draw.

Match 6: Minoru Suzuki & Konami beat Shotaro Ashino (All-Japan) & Chihiro Hashimoto. Suzuki pinned Ashino.

Main Event: Veny beat Rina.

After the two began their post-match promos, Kyoko Kimura took a framed picture of Hana and a stuffed animal from a table at ringside and joined them in the ring (as did Konami who cornered Rina for the match). Then the ring announcer did a memorial introduction for Hana Kimura and some fans threw streamers followed by Rina leading a shout of “Hanabi” before the final memorial video of Hana (lots of footage from her early Stardom days including when she was teaming with Rina well before she was the “Pink Devil” she is now, and her Tokyo Cyber Squad faction which also included Konami) and a reel of all the wrestlers saying “Hanabi” to end the event (also featuring former Stardom wrestler Giulia-now in WWE-and ending with Kyoko Kimura, her mother).

It was another event filled with lots of laughs and smiles and a few tears at times, especially at the end, because it’s very sad that such a bright talent with limitless potential was taken from us far too soon-she would have been 27 now and still with many great years ahead of her. I’m sure this tradition will continue every year as long as Kyoko Kimura can keep making it happen and I hope it does because it’s a chance for all of us to come together and celebrate her very full life and career in wrestling and while nothing will bring Hana back, we can keep working to prevent situations like this from happening again. Let us all be kind to each other and keep Hana close to our hearts and never forget her. We love her and miss her so very dearly.

Hanabi.

If the event is held next year we should find out details in early 2026.

FREE VIDEO: Stardom 4/27/25 Main Event (Full Match)

It was truly the end of an era for Stardom at their 4/27/25 STARDOM GRAND QUEENDOM 2025 PPV. Not only did their “icon” Mayu Iwatani leave the promotion after what would be her last match in the promotion (she followed old boss Rossy Ogawa to Marigold), but the career of Tam Nakano came to an end after she lost to Saya Kamitani in the main event where the winner would be World Of Stardom Champion and the loser had to retire. You almost couldn’t write a more emotional ending than they did. And if you haven’t seen it yet or don’t have Stardom World, you can now watch the full main event and the post-match farewell to Nakano (and it’s very emotional indeed between the two rivals) FOR FREE on YouTube or below (the video starts at the beginning of Nakano’s entrance, this version has Japanese commentary with Haruo Murata & Ami Sohrei):

News: A Clue To Future Destino?

He may no longer be with New Japan, but in a social media post in Japanese and Spanish today Tetsuya Naito possibly dropped a hint about his future plans. He mentioned an event with fellow ex-NJPW and LIJ member BUSHI on 6/22 somewhere in Tokyo, the title of which translates to “A Beginning”. This picture posted is the clue:

A separate Twitter account seemingly promoting the event and followed by Naito indicates it’s a talk show event at Tokyo Bay Washington Hotel Iris Hall in Tokyo, with tickets going on sale on 6/1 for 7110 Japanese yen (about $49 US). The account also posted a pic of Naito and a seemingly unmasked BUSHI that was taken outside Fukuoka International Center in Fukuoka, their backs to the camera, seemingly taken 2 weeks ago (where they made their last NJPW appearances at WRESTLING DONTAKU 2025). The account, on Twitter at Jun_22_2025, promises more announcements about this event so it may be worth watching for clues along with Naito’s account. It also follows BUSHI’s account, BUSHI posts regularly and noted he had vocal cord surgery after leaving New Japan. His profile says his DMs are open for bookings & inquiries. This also may be connected to the other acc it follows, a “secret” online shop that may be in on the project as well as having an association with Alex Zayne, who makes occasional appearances in NJPW.

More as it becomes available.