The Japanese guy with a Stone Cold knock-off gimmick runs a promotion filled with the likes of a hairy Argentine ex-sumo, a rampaging gay man, a mind-controlling serpent, oh and Kota Ibushi. Somehow the promotion has been around for almost a dozen years, while numerous efforts backed by big names and big money are now kaput. Welcome to Japan.
Throw in a little bit of Meltzer, a little bit of media, some beaumond, and you’ve got yourself a puropulse.
Section 1- Results
All Japan: Hayashi took the junior title from Marufuji at a jam-packed Korakuen. Minoru Tanaka made his All Japan debut on the same show, joining Voodoo Murders.
Dragon Gate: Doi retained over Iwasa, for some reason needing 27 minutes to beat the guy who did nothing to earn the shot. Yoshino retained over Kagetora. Kanemoto beat BB Hulk to set up somethin’ big. Yamato & Cyber Kong retained over Saito & Yokosuka when Saito turned heel (after 23 minutes…). Shingo’s group won the trios belts from Mochizuki’s group, then retained in a rematch.
New Japan: Tanahashi retained the IWGP title against Nakamura on the 15th. Also on the big card was the Dudleys retaining over Makabe & Yano, Angle beating Bernard, Nagata over Goto, Tiger Mask over Liger, and Yujiro & Naito earning a junior tag title shot.
NOAH: Nakajima downed KENTA to win the juniors title on the 11th. Rikio & Yone beat Saito & Smith in a non-title match on the 19th. Shiozaki got two more singles win, beating Smith and Roderick Strong.
Zero-One: Ohtani won their title back from Nagata.
Section 2- News
All Japan: Sunday will feature an All Asia tag title defense (Suzuki & NOSAWA vs Kojima & KAI) and a double tag titles contendership match (Suwama & Kondo vs Doering & Zodiac). The tag title match will take place at the 3/14 Sumo Hall show, as will Hayashi defending against Minoru.
Dragon Gate: Kanemoto will take on Doi in the main event of the big 3/22 Sumo Hall show. There will also be a mask vs hair match between Cyber Kong and Mori. This Sunday will see Yamato & CyKong vs Gamma & Yokosuka for the tag titles, with Gamma’s DG career at stake. CIMA had a WWE dark match, but nothing seems to have come of it. DG and ROH apparently ended their relationship several months ago.
New Japan: Tanahashi’s next defense will be against Angle at the April 5th Sumo Hall card. The winner of that will take on the NJ Cup winner on May 3rd. NJ Cup 1st round matchups on 3/8 include Nakanishi vs Yoshie and Nakamura vs Makabe, and they’re taking a risk in using the big Aici Prefectural Gym for the show. Takaiwa has returned to the company under the Black Tiger gimmick. Val Venis will be on the tour.
NOAH: Rikio & Yone joined up with the junior heel stable of Kanemaru, Suzuki & Hirayanagi to create a stable called Change. Sunday’s Budokan card has taken shape, with Kobashi in the against Masao Inoue in the opener, Shiozaki & Sugiura vs Nakamura & Milano Collection AT, and a Nakajima vs KENTA rematch. Their strongest card in some time.
Zero-One: Their tour bus caught fire and burned down while on the road after a show in Osaka. Nobody was hurt.
Other: Great Sasuke had an incident on a train where he went after someone taking pictures and laughing at him for wearing a mask in public. He was arrested and refused to unmask until he got to the police station. After placating the picture-taker he was allowed to go.
Section 2a- Meltzer news
HUSTLE: Yinling is suing the company, claiming 40 million yen in unpaid wages. That’s real money.
New Japan: Despite the buzz coming from the Tokyo Dome show, and flying in TNA wrestlers, and using the company’s beloved matchup of Tanahashi vs Nakamura, the Sumo Hall show only drew 6000. I’d lay the blame on a lack of NJ vs NOAH; TNA just isn’t a draw.
NOAH: They will keep their extensive airtime on NTV’s G+ network, which is nice for those of us who have it as the primary source for NOAH but delivers a very tiny amount of revenue to the company.
Section 3- Wrestle-Incident SHILL OR BREED
Go read my interview with Mike Modest. I had dozens of failed interview requests in late ’07 and early ’08, yet now they’re coming in left and right. Hmmmm.
Section 4- Media Corner
2009.
Tanahashi vs Nakamura, New Japan February 15th.
Tanahashi had a number of matches receive praise last year, and I enjoyed his performance here better than all of them. Heck, I think this might be better overall than any singles match from Japan in 2008 (a minority position). It’s a more technical match than either of their title matches last year and they’re better for it.
Classic greatness: The ladies.
Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki vs Yumiko Hotta & Takako Inoue, JWP January 15th 1993.
Part of the AJW vs JWP interpromotional feud, which generated one great match after another for several years. This is in front of a magma-hot Korakuen Hall. Kansai and Hotta bring the impact, Ozaki and Inoue bring the style, and the end result is a hell of a match.
Section 5- Mr. DDT
DDT is a promotion unlike any other. Many elements are lifted from 1999-2000 WWF. Others seem to have been inspired by science fiction or drug use (or both). A weird promotion, yet also a successful one. They use Korakuen Hall several times a year, run dozens upon dozens of shows a year, have plenty of connections, multiple sub-promotions, and a roster with tons of athletic talent. There’s plenty of humor but they aren’t a joke company.
The invaluable Matt of Zero-One USA was kind enough to arrange for a small Q&A with DDT founder/owner/promoter/champion Sanshiro Takagi. Also, Matt had to translate. Since DDT isn’t discussed much (or in some cases ever), my background notes are in italics.
Q: Has DDT ever gotten into trouble over Danshoku Dino, or other things that happen on shows?
A: It hasn’t occurred in Japan. Overseas, sometimes his actions might not be seen as amusing, so it’s possible a lawsuit could occur there. But it is okay in Japan.
Dino has a habit of rampaging through crowds, groping any male he can find. Japan’s legal system and culture are very different from America’s, meaning that there hasn’t been one lawsuit let alone hundreds.
Q: How did DDT get to use Fukuoka Dome in 2001?
A: We were the last performance of a larger event. It was a free show.
DDT might do well for an indy, but it’s still an indy. The fact that they were able to do a show at a stadium, let alone for free, shows how sharp Takagi can be.
Q: Many promotions around the world and especially in Japan are struggling right now. Is DDT doing okay?
A: I think it’s important to supplement your business to some extent outside of pro wrestling, and we’re doing that currently with our restaurant/bar businesses. However professional wrestling is fundamentally our main business and that’s why I’m a taking the chance with Ryogoku Kokugikan show.
DDT will run a show at Sumo Hall in August. It’s mindboggling, but I can only assume he has something big lined up. More below.
Q: How has DDT managed to survive so long despite running very few shows?
A: I have always thought that the type of pro wrestling that affects the fans the most is a story that unfolds.
The use of gimmicks, angles and storylines in DDT makes them stand out. It also provides show-to-show continuity.
Q: Does DDT get much money from Samurai TV?
A: I get a broadcasting rights fee.
Before getting a timeslot on Samurai, DDT did a handful of PPV shows a year.
Q: Does DDT get much from DVD sales?
A: DDT’s DVD production is done by a subsidiary company, DDT Tech (Muscle Sakai’s company) so I’m not related to that.
In 2005, I found a shockingly large number of DDT shows at a rural DVD rental store. Sasaki must be doing something right.
Q: DDT doesn’t always sell out Korakuen, and many people who follow DDT are concerned that a Sumo Hall show will lose a lot of money. Why jump from Korakuen all the way to Sumo Hall?
A: This kind of recession/depression period we’re in, for this reason I want to provide the pro wrestling dream to people and at the same time remove my own limits and present it in a large hall.
Q: Do any DDT matches or angle stand out as your favorite?
A: Myself, I think hardcore matches and “matches done anywhere in the street†are sweet.
DDT doesn’t go to the level of deathmatches, but they do regularly use things like ladders. Kenny Omega was brought in last year for several well-received matches that wound up outside the venue.
Q: Are there any DDT shows or matches that you would recommend for new fans?
A: I think that would be one of our matches that don’t need story development, something represented by HARASHIMA & Ibushi.
HARASHIMA and Ibushi, while participating in storylines and feuds, primarily do straight matches. Ibushi came in with a kickboxing background. You can check out some DDT for yourself at a website of unknown origin.
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My thanks to Sanshiro and Matt!
Next Time: NOAH results! Maybe yet another interview! Or maybe not!
