Chris Jericho defeats Konosuke Takeshita at DDT Ultimate Party

  • Ian Carey
  • By 

Chris Jericho wrestled Konosuke Takeshita on Sunday at DDT Ultimate Party 2023. 

The event took place in Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan and aired on the promotion’s streaming service, Wrestle Universe. 

Jericho and Takeshita was the semi-main event of the evening. They went 23 minutes and Jericho made Takeshita tap to the Liontamer for the win.  

After the match, Jericho spoke to the media about having the match in DDT rather than AEW. 

“I had this idea for this match with Takeshita and I didn’t want to have it just on Dynamite, just another match, I wanted it to be something special,” Jericho said. 

“I wanted to have a match that was special and I wanted to have it here in Japan and I think the match was very special and I was very happy with the crowd, the fans, DDT as a company, and most importantly Takeshita as a great opponent.” 

Also on the show, the DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Championship had quite an evening. First, Hiromu Takahashi defeated Kazuki Hirata in a five-round match to retain the belt. The rules for each fall were different. Multiple rounds included dancing, another included Hirata teaming with a blow-up doll (who entered to Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness theme music), and yet another was a “Blindfold Bra Match.” 

After the match, Takahashi’s IWGP Junior title belt was draped over him as he lay on the mat. Since Takahashi’s shoulders were down at the time, the referee counted the pin. The belt was declared the new Iron Man Heavy Metal Champion, joining a long list of inanimate objects that have won the title. Hirata then grabbed the new champion/belt and pinned it, making him the new Iron Man Heavy Metal Champion. 

Sunday’s show also marked the end of Saki Akai’s in-ring career. The 36-year-old announced in May that she was retiring. She teamed with Yukio Sakaguchi and Hideki Okatani in a loss to Naomichi Marufuji, Miyu Yamashita, and Kazusada Higuchi. Yamashita pinned Akai with a spinning kick to pick up the win for her team. 

After the match, Akai was given flowers, and video messages from Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, and others aired on the screen. A video featuring WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura aired at the show but was not broadcast on Wrestle Universe. 

DDT also announced they are offering Akai a position on their staff. 

Other new champions were crowned on the show as well. MAO defeated Matt Cardona to win the DDT Universal Championship and Yuki Ueno defeated Chris Brookes to win the KO-D Openweight championship.

DDT Ultimate Party results:

  • KO-D Tag Team Champions Shota & Soma Takao defeated Antonio Honda & Masahiro Takanashi to retain their titles

  • Yusuke Okada & Yuya Koroku won a delayed entry tag team battle royal against KANON & MJ Paul, Kazuma Sumi & Naruki Doi, Rukiya & Yuni, and Toy Kojima & Yuki Ishida

  • Moka Miyamoto, Shino Suzuki & Yuki Arai defeated Arisu Endo, Suzume, & Wakana Uehara

  • Danshoku Dino, Super Sasadango Machine, Yoshihiko & Yoshitatsu defeated Akito, Makoto Oishi, Sanshiro Takagi & Shinichiro Kawamatsu
  • Kuroshio TOKYO Japan defeated Takeshi Masada
  • HARASHIMA, Jun Akiyama & Yukio Naya defeated Jun Saito, Rei Saito & Toshizo
  • Daisuke Sasaki defeated Tetsuya Endo
  • DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Champion Hiromu Takahashi defeated Kazuki Hirata to retain his title
  • The IWGP Junior Heavyweight title belt defeated Hiromu Takahashi to win the DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Championship
  • Kazuki Hirata defeated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title belt to win the DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Championships
  • MAO defeated DDT Universal Champion Matt Cardona to win the title
  • Chris Jericho defeated Konosuke Takeshita

  • Yuki Ueno defeated KO-D Openweight Champion Chris Brookes to win the championship