Founded in 1997 as Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) Pro Wrestling by Shintaro Muto, DDT Pro has become a top tier promotion in Japan. A somewhat comedic alternative to more traditional puroresu companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling, DDT Pro has seen many top stars hone their craft there prior to showcasing on bigger stages, such as Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi. This WrestleMania week, DDT Pro makes their US debut for a showcase at La Boom in Queens, New York on Thursday, April 4, 2019, as part of the WWN More Than Mania series. DDT Pro’s show Coming To America starts at 8pm EST.
DDT Pro Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship Delayed Entry Battle Royale: Saki Akai (c) vs. Makoto Oishi vs. Kazuki Hirata vs. Colt Cabana vs. Kikutaro vs. ???
DDT Pro’s Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship is one of pro wrestling’s real treasures. Think of the WWE Hardcore title back in the days of yore, that was defended 24/7 to the delight of fans everywhere. But the Ironman title is a little bit different and a whole lot more unique. It’s really the answer to life, the universe and everything. Way more so than the no. 42. It’s the perfect object to show the complex yet simple knowledge that everything is as frail and strong as each other, be it man, woman, both living and not living, animal and stationary. It’s been held by men and women wrestlers alike, without prejudice, but also been held by a TV operating crane, Vince McMahon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, animals, and even the entire audience at a Beyond Wrestling show. A horizontally laid Hollywood Walk of Fame has an equal amount of percentage of being successful as me, meaning it was worth as much as me, so we’re really not much in the great universe. So just enjoy it while it lasts. Ya dig? The current champion is Saki Akai, a 6-year veteran of DDT Pro and sister company Tokyo Joshi Pro and she’s facing multiple opponents from DDT Pro, as well as Colt Cabana, Kikutaro and an inflatable doll.
DAMNATION (Soma Takao & Tetsuya Endo) vs. Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanashi
Two members of the DAMNATION stable in DDT Pro, Soma Takao & Tetsuya Endo (who, alongside Mad Paulie are former DDT KO-D 6-Man Tag Champions) will be teaming up to face Shuten Doji‘s Yukio Sakaguchi and Masahiro Takanashi. The Shuten Doji duo are 7x KO-D 6-Man Tag Champions (alongside KUDO), so this is a real showcase of some of DDT Pro’s tag team specialists.
Danshoku Dino & Antonio Honda vs. Joey Ryan & Royce Isaacs
If you’re not fan of Joey Ryan‘s penis gimmick, then you will absolutely despise this match. But for everyone else who has a sense of humor, this is a historical dream match. It was working in DDT Pro years ago that Ryan got the idea for the gimmick, and it was born out of a feud with DDT Pro’s Danshoku Dino when the flamboyant Japanese star grabbed Joey’s penis in desperation. Since then, Joey Ryan has flaunted the power of his penis to great heights. Dino is teaming up with another DDT Pro veteran in 2x DDT Extreme Champion Antonio Honda, while Joey Ryan is teaming with one of the West Coast’s rising stars in Royce Isaacs, who is collecting tag team gold with DEFY Wrestling and Future Stars of Wrestling as part of One Percent.
Miyu Yamashita vs. Maka Ito
Two of the brightest stars from Tokyo Joshi Pro are also in a showcase match. The reigning and 2x Princess of Princesses Champion Miya Yamashita will be facing off against another 6-year pro from TJP in Maki Ito. Yamashita is the ace of Tokyo Joshi Pro and has been a dominant force in the company. Her current Princess of Princesses reign has seen her take on all comers and look “Rainmaker” Okada levels of unstoppable. Ito is the perfect counter to Yamashita, while Miyu is all about getting down to business Ito is a charismatic little fire cracker who is just as entertaining out of the ring as she is in it. These two had a match on January 4th in Korakuen that Yamashita won but the rematch could go either way
HARASHIMA & Kazusada Higuchi vs. Akito & Ethan Page vs. Shigehiro Irie & Jacon Kincaid
A huge three-way tag match with a bit of everything DDT Pro has to offer. HARASHIMA is royalty in DDT Pro, an 18-year veteran and 9x KO-D Openweight Champion. He’s pairing alongside a tough fighter in Kazusada Higuchi, a 5-year pro who’s primarily worked in the tag division. When not competing in the Canadian and US indies (or with IMPACT Wrestling), “All Ego” Ethan Page has been touring Japan with DDT Pro the past couple of years, and has both fought alongside (and against) the stable of ALL OUT‘s Akito. Shigehiro Irie, a 3x KO-D Openweight Champion, has arguably become DDT Pro’s biggest export in years, with his recent excursion to the UK and Europe indies, working with RevPro, PROGRESS, ATTACK!, Over The Top (OTT) Wrestling and Southside Wrestling Entertainment (SWE) – where he just won their main championship – as well as Germany’s Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw). Irie is pairing up with American indie star Jason Kincaid, a man who has fought in EVOLVE and Smash Wrestling before heading to DDT Pro last year.
Weapon Rumble in USA: MAO vs. Sanshiro Takagi
Another rematch from another great match. MAO and Takagi fought in a weapons rumble match at the last Peter Pan show, DDT’s biggest of the year and it contains all the insanity you’ve come to expect from DDT. Takagi is actually the President of DDT but still wrestles frequently. MAO is a spiritual successor of sorts to Kota Ibushi, and yes by that we mean he lives to flip and put his body on the line. The last rumble between these two wrestlers involved weapons like a barbed wire potty, NWA CD’s, fellow wrestler Chinsuke Nakamura (no, we did not misspell that), a bed and MAO’s personal phone. Safe to say this one will be just as insane as their previous encounters.
Weapons that each contestant provided will be released one at a time as the buzzer hits.
Unless deemed extremely dangerous by the ref, anything goes in this match.#ddtpro#DDTUNIVERSE#RPP2018DDT
— DDT/TJPW English Update (D/TEU) (@ddtpro_eng) October 21, 2018
Daisuke Sasaki vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Our main event is a rematch from the recent Judgement show, one of DDT’s biggest of the year, where Takeshita defeated Sasaki to reclaim the KO-D Openweight Championship. The highly decorated Ace of DDT is just 23 years old but already has 534 combined days as KO-D champion under his belt, he’s one of the best wrestlers in DDT and proof that the company can put out great wrestling as well as the weird comedy. DAMNATION member Sasaki is known as “Mr. Charisma” and is 10 years older than Takeshita with a clear experience advantage. He’s something of a tag specialist as he’s a 5-time KO-D Tag Team Champion but is not to be overlooked in singles competition as he is also a former 2x KO-D Openweight Champion.
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