Match Point is an on-going series at Last Word on Pro Wrestling, where we look at intriguing matchups in indie wrestling and beyond. They may be dream matches, first-time matchups, or hotly anticipated rematches. Today’s edition dives into the King Of DDT semi-final between Tetsuya Endo and Kazusada Higuchi
The King of DDT semifinals this year were decided by lottery, and it seemed that fate chose Eruption‘s Kazusada Higuchi to go up against the current KO-D Openweight champion in Tetsuya Endo. The two had hard paths to get to the semifinals and the two are no strangers to facing each other this year.
It all begun with Eruption’s goal of ruling the main event of Peter Pan 2020. Already Dramatic Dream Team’s (DDT) biggest show it was slated to be even larger as the venue was Saitama Super Arena. Only two things stood in the newly formed stable’s way, the then champion Masato Tanaka and the method of choosing the main event challenger in the Right to Challenge Sword. On DDT TV Show #1 Kazusada Higuchi challenged Tetsuya Endo for the sword and won in the main event. Endo swore that the sword belonged to him and he would regain it. All he needed was a gauntlet to cash in for a challenge at the sword.
He would gain just that at DDT TV Show #3 pinning Akito in a tag match for a gauntlet and challenging Higuchi right then and there. Endo would win that conflict and with Yukio Sakaguchi losing his KO-D Openweight title opportunity the promise of Eruption would effectively be over right then and there. And at Peter Pan 2020 Tetsuya Endo would beat Masato Tanaka for the KO-D Openweight title. But it wouldn’t be the last Endo would hear from Eruption.
After Eruption beat a DAMNATION team which involved El Lindaman they challenged for the KO-D Six-Man Titles. The champions being T-Hawk, El Lindaman, and Tetsuya Endo, Eruption came out on top dethroning #DAMNHEARTS. From there, things seemed to settle down as Endo turned his focus to Yuki Ueno, and Eruption was set on defending their titles.
Then King of DDT happened, and in the first round, Endo was defeated by Akito in a major upset. This meant that Endo had to earn his way back in by defeating everyone else who lost in the first round in the Dramatic Challenge battle royal. Last defeating Minoru Tanaka for his entry into the Semifinals. While on the opposite side of things Kazusada Higuchi had his own uphill climb beating people like HARASHIMA in the second round and the 2019 King of DDT winner Konosuke Takeshita in the Quarterfinals. With the lottery drawn it lead to their first one on one encounter since the cash in for the sword. This one leads to some higher stakes, both go in as champions. But Higuchi moving onto the finals could make him the next challenger for Endo’s title, leaving a large impression on the champion. At the same time, Endo is intent on proving that he is the strongest KO-D champion, and should he win he will name his own challenger for the title which he has hinted at being Kenny Omega.
https://twitter.com/ddtpro_eng/status/1286270445948301314
Whichever way it goes the two have had a long history in this year alone and the King of DDT Semifinals may be where Endo ends it. Or where Higuchi stakes his claim as the next champion.
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