On Monday, Sanshiro Takagi, the president of both DDT Pro and Pro Wrestling NOAH (following CyberAgent’s purchase of NOAH this past January), revealed that as of September 1, 2020, NOAH and DDT would merge – alongside other CyberAgent-owned promotions Tokyo Joshi Pro and Ganbare Wrestling – into one giant wrestling brand known as CyberFight. But while they’re united under one brand from a major perspective, Takagi has maintained that “The group remains the same! Don’t worry!” and that the goal is to “Overtake New Japan Pro Wrestling, the No. 1 in the industry!”
9月1日より株式会社DDTプロレスリングとノア・グローバルエンタテインメント株式会社は経営統合し株式会社CyberFightとしてNOAH,DDT,東京女子,ガンプロを運営します。団体はそのまま！ご安心ください！業界NO.1の新日本プロレスを追い抜くぞ！詳しくはリリースで！#noah_ghc #ddtpro #tjpw #ガンプロ pic.twitter.com/TfdDpqEzz3
— 高木三四郎 SanshiroTakagi (@t346fire) July 27, 2020
During a press conference for the new brand, it was revealed that NOAH Executive Vice President Noamichi Marufuji will move over to become an EVP for CyberFight, while DDT Pro’s Akito will also join as an EVP.
DDT Pro was founded in 1997 as Dramatic Dream Team by Shintaro Muto and under Shoichi Ichimiya as president, rebranded as DDT Pro in 2004. Sanshiro Takagi replaced Ichimiya in 2005. In 2017, CyberAgent purchased DDT Pro and its affiliates, Tokyo Joshi Pro (founded in 2012 by Tetsuya Koda and Nozomi) and Ganbare Wrestling (founded in 2013 by Ken Ohka). In January of 2020, CyberAgent acquired Pro Wrestling NOAH, which was originally founded in 2000 by puroresu legend Mitsuharu Misawa.
In a statement released on Sunday, DDT’s English Twitter gave more insight into the merger.
NOAH and DDT will merge on Sep. 1 2020 as CyberFight#ddtpro#noah_ghc#tjpw#GanPro
— DDT/TJPW English Update (D/TEU) (@ddtpro_eng) July 27, 2020
Takagi made mention that ultimately they would like to run the Tokyo Dome, most likely as a CyberFight SuperShow featuring matches from all four promotions under the banner.
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 Wrestle Universe to see more of DDT and it’s talent as well as the various promotions operating under the Wrestle Universe Umbrella.
