DDT - KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND (6/2/2017)

2. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: Daisuke Sasaki vs. Akito

An opener based around mutual limbwork, with Sasaki throwing in some scumbaggery. He hands the DDT Extreme belt to Akito after he's made to tap out, which means this isn't over just yet.

**3/4

3. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: Masahiro Takanashi vs. Hirata Collection A.T.

DJ Nira makes a cameo.

*1/2

4. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: KUDO vs. Soma Takao

This escalated into a rather heated climax. The Gin and Tonic counter sequence was sweet. I'm not sure if Soma's new angle where he's taking himself seriously is the way to go. No one is buying him as this tough guy. He still feels like an 'incomplete' performer. Give him a khaki suit and have him portray a Battler Ushiromiya gimmick.

**3/4

5. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: Tetsuya Endo vs. Mike Bailey

Something about this match wasn't clicking with me, and it didn't help that it goes for 16 minutes. Bailey's offense looked and sounded good, but Endo's performance wasn't engaging me. He needs to work on his character more, he looks way cooler than he actually is.

**1/4

6. ALL OUT (Diego & Konosuke Takeshita) vs. Kouki Iwasaki & MAO

**

7. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: Shunma Katsumata vs. Yukio Sakaguchi

Yukio is cold and almost dismissive of Shunma, but Shunma keeps on fighting back with clever counters, and shows a fire towards the finish with open hand slaps. Shunma is one hell of a bumper too, and Yukio beats the shit out of him. Lots of hard smacks in this. Nice chemistry developed between these two.

***1/2

8. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: Kazusada Higuchi vs. HARASHIMA

HARASHIMA works underneath here and it's one of the best singles performances I've seen from him in a while. The waist-lock/powerbomb reversal sequence was nuts, and I liked the urgency and pacing of the finish.

***3/4

9. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: Danshoku Dino vs. Keisuke Ishii

Ishii does one of those Samoa Joe-Necro Butcher style exploder suplexes and drops Dino flat on his face. Dino is unmoving when Ishii tries to pick him up, so Ishii knees him as he's kneeling over; such an awesome moment. This was match a nice change of pace and the finish was brutal.

***3/4

10. KING OF DDT 2017 1st ROUND: Shigehiro Irie vs. Mad Paulie

No idea why this was the main event... Paulie is such a pathetic monster heel.

**

Shuji Ishikawa vs. Suwama (AJPW, 4/16/2017)

AJPW - Champion Carnival 2017 (4/16/2017)

Champion Carnival 2017 Block B: Shuji Ishikawa vs. Suwama

Suwama is bloodied after taking a stiff headbutt, and it added a lot to his comeback sequence, where he ends up taking a second headbutt! The timing, the explosiveness -- it's an amazing heroic second wind and the crowds explodes for it. This stuff is the height of pro grappling.

****1/4

Mayumi Ozaki vs. Hiroe Nagahama (WAVE, 4/17/2016)

WAVE - HAKATA WAVE～bari-chiro 4～ (4/17/2016)

Catch THE WAVE Italian Red Block: Mayumi Ozaki vs. Hiroe Nagahama

Cute orange chubster Nagahama does a hideous blade job and gushes all over the place. Ozaki targets the wound with her chains and grinds an elbow into it. This is vile shit. Nagahama's frustration when the official can't make the count due to being blinded by Ozaki's mist was awesome. Her best performance yet.

****

Stardom - Shining Stars 2017 (6/17/2017)

2. Hana Kimura vs. Rebel vs. Tora Natsuko

**

3. Shanna & Gabby Slays vs. Mayu Iwatani & Konami

**

4. Artist of Stardom Championship: Queen's Quest (Io Shirai, HZK & AZM) (c) vs. Team Jungle (Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona & Kaori Yoneyama)

***

Mayumi Ozaki vs. Yumi Ohka (WAVE, 5/3/2016)

WAVE - CATCH THE WAVE SCRAMBLE (5/3/2016)

Catch THE WAVE Italian Red Block: Mayumi Ozaki vs. Yumi Ohka

This was basically a blood-less version of their OZ match, with less weapon use and a clear babyface in Ohka. Still violent as hell, though. Ozaki's amazingly high wrestling IQ is on full display here, and she's making Ohka look incredible. This feels like a fight all the way through, and there isn't a dull moment.

****1/2

DDT - Road to Ryogoku 2017 ~ Dramatic Dream Tokasan ~ (6/17/2017)

1. Shunma Katsumata vs. Yukio Sakaguchi

***1/4

2. Kenshin Chikano, Lowther & Makoto Oishi vs. T2Hide (Hirata Collection A.T., Sanshiro Takagi & Toru Owashi)

*

3. Mad Paulie vs. Soma Takao

**3/4

4. Antonio Honda & Saki Akai vs. Danshoku Dino & Rey Paloma

**1/4

5. DAMNATION (Daisuke Sasaki & Tetsuya Endo) vs. HARASHIMA & MAO

**1/2

6. YaroZ (Kazusada Higuchi & Shigehiro Irie) vs. Shuten-doji (KUDO & Masahiro Takanashi)

**

7. ALL OUT (Akito, Diego & Konosuke Takeshita) vs. Keisuke Ishii, Kouki Iwasaki & Mike Bailey

**1/4

「Kotori」& Riho vs. Buribato♡ (SAKI & MIZUKI) (Gatoh Move, 8/7/2014)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・119 ~ 7 Day War (8/7/2014)

「Kotori」& Riho vs. Buribato♡ (SAKI & MIZUKI)

Another good match from these teams. Some of the execution was rough, but still good. The「Kotori」and SAKI submission exchange was particularly great, as were all of the vicious wall slams.  

***3/4