Dramatic Dream Team 11/29/2020 - DDT D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 In Osaka!

 Dramatic Dream Team 11/29/2020 - DDT D-Ou Grand Prix 2021 In Osaka!

 Kazusada Higuchi vs Soma Takao

Higuchi in black, Takao in black and red. Takao dropkicks Higuchi early and he doesn't even budge before going down. Takao tries to kick him in the knee but Higuchi lets him and doesn't budge. Higuchi tries to chop him near the post but Takao moves and he hits steel, then Takao works his hand and arm. Takao dropkicked the arm then put a keylock on it. Takao ended up sitting on the top rope and Higuchi slammed him down. Higuchi tried for a rack type of move but Takao got out of it and then stood on the arm. Takao tried some forearms to no avail then Higuchi caught his forearm with his neck and held it there before putting him into a claw. Takao smartly got out of it by hitting his injured arm. Takao got knocked down and did a kip-up then finally staggered Higuchi with a shot and put him down with a running forearm. He grabbed a grounded keylock which Higuchi powered out of. Higuchi slammed Takao hard with a sitout deadlift powerbomb and then won the match by ramming himself into him. He then sold the arm more after. Pretty good match here with both guys working smart and mostly sticking to the injured arm storyline and the storyline of Takao not being able to take down Higuchi. I was really impressed by this.

Jun Akiyama vs Makoto Oishi

The finish

 

Oishi tried to outwrestle Jun early to no prevail. Akiyama hit him with a big piledriver then slammed him outside and dropped a knee on his back as he laid on the apron. Akiyama gave him a big elbow to the head that Oishi sold well and figure four'd him. Oishi sold it and fought through it and eventually got out. Akiyama missed a corner knee and Oishi mounted a comeback with a big forearm to the chest. Akiayama got control again though and punished him with knees. Oishi reversed an exploder into a reverse indian deathlock but Akiyama reversed it for the win. I thought this was a pretty good match with the story of Jun overpowering and out-manuevering Oishi. This match felt like a real fight in some ways with both guys fighting the other when they tried to do various moves, which you don't see a lot of anymore.

Tetusya Endo vs Yuki Ueno

 

Tetsuya Endo

They did a fakeout sequence to begin. Ueno got the advantage then took an ugly looking powerbomb on the knee. Endo got DDT'd on the apron and russian legsweep'd into it as Ueno took control for a bit. Ueno dropped double knees in a banzai drop position and Endo took control back. They did a nice submission exchange sequence that ended with Endo forcing a break on a crossface. Endo got caught on the ropes and Ueno tried to jump on him piggyback on the ropes, but got caught on the ropes. Endo grabbed him and Ueno turned it into a stunner. Ueno hit his corkscrew plancha and a big missile dropkick back inside and did a version of la escalera. Endo took a release suplex that he didn't sell even though he landed hard. Ueno tried some nasty looking backbreaker on the ropes that looked ugly on two attempts and Endo caught him from a hurricanrana that he reversed. Ueno then tried a moonsault that Endo blocked with his feet. Soon after, Endo did a handspring into the ropes that ended into a kick, a reverse sitout slam from the firearms carry position and an SSP to win. This went on way too long and they did way too much. It was good at times but there wasn't much selling or story and there was some outright dangerous looking stuff.

MAO vs Yukio Sakaguchi

They did some open handed boxing to start then went on the mat for a bit. Mao surprised Yukio with a headscissors and took a flying kick to the chest. Both tried to hit each other when they were in front of the post but both smacked their hands off the post. Mao tripped Yuki on the apron and he landed hard barefeet first on the floor. Mao did a moonsault from the second rope to the floor and a diving knee. Mao did a real nice split legged moonsault. Mao got caught in a choke and did a real cool escape with his finger that I gif'd. Mao got kicked down and his capoiera flip out and superkicked Yukio. Mao did a cool straight jacket sitout powerbomb but Yukio turned it into a clutch hold. Mao then turned that into a pinfall attempt. Yukio went for a flying kick and Mao met him in the air with a tornado kick. Mao then hit a michinoku driver for the win. Really good match here with tons of counters and reversals. I seriously enjoyed this and think this was one of the better matches I saw this year.

Chris Brookes vs Konosuke Takeshita

They did some basic matwork to start and then Takeshita started pounding on Brookes. Brookes slammed Takeshita's arm over the top rope. They exchanged some forearms on the floor, Takeshita got his shoulder rammed into the post and then Brookes put him in the octopus stretch on the floor. Back in the ring and Brookes worked on Take's arm some more. Brookes missed in the corner, ramming into the turnbuckle and Takeshita took back over. Take climbed the ropes for something and Brookes dropkicked him, and Take landed on the shoulder Brookes was working on.They got onto the top rope and during a superplex attempt, Brookes went for Take's shoulder again, but Take got out and hit a big superplex. Brooke's hit a great jumping knee off of a Takeshita charge and then just started no-selling stuff. Takeshita then took a german and was going to no-sell but then both finally sold. They had a nice forearm exchange with Take really blasting Brookes. 

Then they traded more and both fell on top of each other after nailing hit each other at the same time. Brookes then grabbed the injured arm after taking some knees and Take hit the ropes. Brookes went for something like a Tiger Driver, but Take got out and they nailed the ref. Brookes then low-blowed him and hit a double underhook piledriver for 2. Brookes got ahold of the injured arm again and rammed it then ater a big short-arm lariat. Brookes got put into a wheelbarrel position, reversed it and did a version of the A-T Lock with the leg hooked and submitted Take through his injured arm.

It went a little off about 2/3rd through but was otherwise a really good match with the wrestlers telling the story of Brookes working Takeshita's injured arm. Pretty good effort by both guys and I went from not wanting to watch this to really enjoying it.

Overall thoughts: I skipped the two likely comedy matches but this tournament is really bringing the best out of the DDT crew. They've been working real hard and smart and have produced some of the best wrestling I've seen this year.