Dramatic Dream Team 12/2/2023 D-Ou Grand Prix 2023 in Shinjuku Day 1

Dramatic Dream Team 12/2/2023 D-Ou Grand Prix 2023 in Shinjuku Day 1

It's really Day 2 since the tournament already began, but they are calling it Day 1. For whatever reason, the Shinjuku FACE shows always seem to be more wrestling heavy than the Korauken Hall shows.

Jun Akiyama, Rukiya, Yuki Ino & Yusuke Okada vs. The 37KAMIINA (Toi Kojima & Yuki Ueno), Kazuma Sumi & Takeshi Masada

 

Ruki and Sumi start us off. They counter each other on the mat. Ruki shoulders him over then slams him. Jun gets in and is pounded on by 3 people. Jun takes running corner attacks for a while then is held for a Toi dropkick. Jun is then double suplexed.

Jun spinebusters Toi then Toi is beaten up by 3 people. Jun eye pokes Toi then short piledrivers him. Toi hits chops on Jun. Jun n osells them and headbutts him. Toi flying kicks him. Ueno comes in and double knees Jun in the corner then double knee vader bombs him. Ueno suplexes Jun for 2.

Jun and Ueno lariat each other. Jun exploders him, Ueno no sells it then shining wizards him. Ino gets in and misses a corner charge. He knocks Toi off the apron then is tripped into the 2nd rope for a Toi basement dropkick. Masada hits kicks on Ino then gets pounced. Sumi comes off the top, gets caught and is slammed.

Okada running face kicks Masada then fisherman suplexes him for 2. Masada dropkicks Okada. Sumi hits forearms on Okada and dropkicks him. Sumi 2nd rope slingshot hurricanrana's him then satelittle ddt's him. Sumi double stomps Okada then Okad gets his knees up on his asai moonsault. Jun's team clears the ring and Okada backdrops Sumi for 2. Okada hits an interesting fisherman buster on Sumi and wins it.

It was a multi-man opener. We didn't get a lot of anyone but it was entertaining. 

D-Ou Grand Prix 2023 Block B Match - Chris Brookes vs. KANON

CB is dropkicked as he poses and Kanon hits him outside. Kanon grabs a wrench and hits him in the gut. CB bridging twisting neckbreakers Kanon on the floor then they chop each other. CB sentons him inside for 2 then suplexes him. CB chops Kanon then slaps him in the corner. Kanon pump handle drivers him then backbreakers him. Kanon fist drops CB for 2.

CB bites Kanon's hand then octopus stretches him. Kanon samoan drops him out of it. They trade running corner moves then CB top rope double underhook suplexes him. They trade chops for forearms. Kanon volleyball spikes him then takes an enzugiri. Kanon hits two nice lariats for 2.

Kanon twisting brainbusters him for 2 then CB hits kicks to the head. CB piledrivers him for 2 then top rope double knee drops him. CB double underhook piledrivers him and wins it.

The selling wasn't that good here but they matched up better than I had expected. Kanon's lariats were nice and the twisting brainbuster CB took looked rough.

D-Ou Grand Prix 2023 Block B Match - Kazuki Hirata vs. MAO

Mao running face kicks Hirata and they trade forearms. Mao hits kicsk to the chest then dropkicks him. Mao 2nd rope leg lariats Hirata while he stands then put him in just facelock. Hirata ropebreaks. Mao knees Hirata in the gut then Hirata suplexes him. Mao hits boots in the corner then Hirata 2nd rope dropkicks him.

They have a big reversal sequence then double lariat each other at the same time. They trade forearms and stop themselves when they are about to collide in the ring. They then both chop the ref while he's not looking and knock him down. They goof around and music plays. They fight to the music for some reason and Mao wins with a corkscrew kick.

I don't know what this was but the comedy ruined an otherwise okay match. 

KO-D Tag Team Title Match - Romance Dawn (Shota & Soma Takao) (c) vs. Akito & Toru Sugiura

 

Shota headlocks Toru then headlock takeovers him. Toru slams Shota. Akito gets in and reverses an armdrag. Shota monkey flips him. Akito takes a double hiptoss > basement dropkick and elbow. Shota suplexes Akito and Akito dropkicks him in the knee. Shota takes running corner moves then is double suplexed. Akito grabs Toru's legs and makes him figure four Shota. Soma turns the figure four over and Akito does the same.

Akito is rolled up by Shota then Shota step up enzugiri's him. Akito bangs Shota's knee off the mat. Soma 2nd rope dropkicks Toru and they trade forearms. Soma drops him with a forearm. Shota getsin and has his tornado ddt reversed with a suplex. Akito hits karelin's lift on Shota and they trade pins on each other. Toru hits a nasty botched top rope ddt on Soma then Akito ties up Soma with a nudo variation.

Soma tries pins on Akito for 2 then Toru forearms Soma. Shota tornado ddt's Toru then hits a nice tope on him outside. Akito gori specials Soma and ankle locks him. Akita drops Shota on his knees and Shota cradles him. Akito pop-up knees Shota then Toru michinoku drivers Soma. Shota rolls up Akito off a gutwrench and wins it.

It went too long and got too complicated with the fancy spots, which made it lose all of its momentum.

D-Ou Grand Prix 2023 Block A Match - Daisuke Sasaki vs. Kazusada Higuchi

 

They go to the mat. DS rolls out of a wristlock and is put in a headlock. DS punches him in the corner then takes chops. KH blocks an armdrag and shoulders him over. KH misses a running boot, gets his leg caught in the rope then is kicked in his other leg. DS bangs KH's leg off the mat and throws him out. MJ Paul hits shots on KH outside then chairs him. DS leglocks KH and KH ropebreaks.

DS dragon screws KH. He grabs him by the leg and KH lariats him while in it. KH powerslams DS then DS eye rakes him. DS hits shots then takes chops. KH machine gun chops him then blocks his hurricanrana. DS then ddt's him out of a powerbomb attempt. DS crossfaces KH then KH front suplexes him. KH hits a disgusting lariat.

KH goes up top and Paul grabs his leg. DS enzugiri's KH and sends him out. DS goes to tope him and is put in a brain claw. KH then claw slams him on the apron. DS chairs KH outside and KH no sells it. KH chest slaps him down then sumo tackles him into chairs.

KH battering rams DS in the ring for 2. DS rolls him up for 2 then pedigrees him. KH headbutts him off a superkick attempt then Paul gets on the apron. KH lariats Paul and the ref goes down. DS low blows KH then hits a la mistica into a crossface. DS then puts him in a rings of saturn and KH claws him while in it. KH gets out of the hold while keeping the claw on and wins via submission.

It was a fun match with DS and friends cheating and trying to overcome the giant Higuchi. The finish was creative with Higuchi being in a rings of saturn and using the claw to get out and eventually win.

D-Ou Grand Prix 2023 Block B Match - Yukio Naya vs. Rei Saito

They shove each other and lock up. They shoulder battle and Naya shoulders him over. Rei shoulders him over and they trade chops outside. They trade forearms outside and Rei uses a chair on him. Rei whips him into the post outside then chokes him with a towel. Rei bites him in the corner then slams him. Rei then stands on him.

Rei shoulders him over and splashes him. Rei boots him in the corner then takes a ddt. Naya hits a forearm flurry. Naya corner splashes him then shoulders him over. Naya elbow drops him for 2. They trade chops for forearms. Naya knees him then is suplexed. Rei hits a chop flurry in the corner then side slams him for 2.

Naya back body drops him then 2nd rope elbow drops him. Rei reverses a backdrop then they lariat each other. Rei flying crossbodies him then takes a face kick. They trade forearms then knees for lariats. Naya drops him down with a knee then Rei lariats him. Rei piledrivers him on his shoulder for 2.

They go up top and Naya superplexes him. Rei hits headbutts. Naay headbutts, slaps, knees and then backdrops him to win it.

Not a classic, but a good heavyweight match. It made sense and they used a lot of heavyweight style moves on each other. Rei got his usual heeling spots in as well though the ref should have DQ'd him for using the chair. 

D-Ou Grand Prix 2023 Block A Match - HARASHIMA vs. Tetsuya Endo

 

HS = Harashima

They do some amateur wrestling. Endo flips through a hammerlock. HS shoulders him over then counters his leapfrog with a flying kick. HS kicks him in the back then misses a slingshot on the outside. Endo then plancha's him outside. Endo snaps HS's neck forward for 2.

Endo corner elbows HS then HS kicks him when he comes off the 2nd rope. HS lays him on the 2nd rope and double footpresses him down. HS jumping boots him. They trade forearms and HS gut punches him. Endo handspring back corkscrew kicks him. Endo then hits a flying space tiger drop on the outside.

Endo tornado ddt's HS in the ring for 2. Endo does a grounded octopus and HS ropebreaks. HS shotgun dropkicks him. They trade forearms up top. Endo springboards and HS hits something like a codebreaker out of it. HS face kicks Endo. HS superplexes him then hits a falcon arrow for 2. They trade forearms.

HS hits a kick to the chest and they slap each other. Endo pele kicks him then exploders him for 2. They fight up top. HS hits a 2nd rope poisonrana but Endo lands on his feet. Endo does a full nelson into a german then HS hits a poisonrana on him. Endo hits a standing spanish fly.

Endo spinning torture rack bombs him then HS gets his knees up on Endo's top rope SSP. HS meteora's Endo for 2. HS hits shots to the body and kiks him in the chest. HS buzzsaw kicks him then hits a nasty dominator into a ddt to win it.

They did a little too much here but it was a stiff and good match. They went all out for this one and the two really matched up well. The finish was nasty.

Overall thoughts: The opener and the last 3 matches made this one a good one. I liked Higuchi/Sasaki more than I thought I would and they went all out in the main. Rei and Naya did not disappoint either.