Best Of DDT is our new series focusing on one of Japan’s top companies Dramatic Dream Team Pro Wrestling, commonly known as just DDT, the company has a reputation worldwide as a wacky, comedy company but it houses some of the world’s best talents. This edition focuses on Akito.
In our last article of the best of DDT. We spoke about DDT’s ace HARASHIMA. This time we’re going to go through another standard face you may see when watching the company. Someone who is written off just because of the division he is in, Akito.
Akito debuted for DDT in 2010, having come from the ZERO-1 promotion. He would be a journeyman type of figure. Having wrestled for NOAH, BJW to even Ice Ribbon and Gatoh Move. However, his home promotion would be DDT. In 2012 he would gain a title for the first time in his career in the Ironman Heavymetalweight title. A 24/7 title that is the most infamous title in DDT. It wouldn’t be until 2014 that he would come into his own though.
Having dedicated more time to the promotion, he was placed in a position to contest for the Extreme title. A title that is defended under a different stipulation every match. Akito fought and defeated Danshoku Dino for the belt in a “Nobody Knows the Rules” Match. Despite the comedic start to his reign, he would defend the belt under much more serious stipulations. During this reign, he was not only able to show what he could do but broke the belt out from it’s more comedic reigns.
Leading up to Saitama Super DDT 2015, Akito didn’t know his opponent would be Shiori Asahi. Though the match type was set in place, one in which the rules would change at set intervals. He lost that match but would regain the title soon after in a total count match. Both of these matches showed off a tremendous ability to tell a story in-ring and heighten the drama. After losing the belt later that year to Antonio Honda, Akito quietly left the Extreme division.
From 2014 onwards he was part of the HARASHIMA lead stable, Smile Squash. However, he wouldn’t win any other titles under the Smile Squash banner after losing the Extreme Title. It wouldn’t be until 2017 under the ALL OUT namesake lead by Konosuke Takeshita that Akito would be back into the spotlight as a champion. Where he would win the KO-D six Man Tag titles three different times over the course of 2017 to 2019. All of which would contain some pairing of himself, Takeshita and a third member of ALL OUT.
2019 would also be a big year for Akito. After losing the six-man titles he would take part in Coming to America’s triple threat tag team match tagging with Ethan Page. In May of that year, he would successfully challenge for the Extreme title. His first taste of singles gold in 4 years. His sole defense of the belt being in a match where in order to win your opponent has to break the one light tube. A strange gimmick for sure. Though the ability for it to go wrong and the ringwork given between Akito and his opponent made it one of the most intense matches of the year.
He would lose the title on his next defense to Jiro Kuroshiro. Ever since then he’s been relatively quiet, being in the tag scene with his ALL OUT partners. Their bid for the tag gold at Ultimate Party would prove unsuccessful as DAMNATION would retain the gold.
So the question is back to “Why is Akito one of the best of DDT?”. The answer to that is because he is a great representation of the company. A person who isn’t afraid to embrace comedy. Though if you get past that you’re in for a treat with a wrestler who can go with the best of them.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Make sure to subscribe to DDT Universe to see more of DDT and it’s talent.
