Just 24 hours after Keiji Mutoh claimed Pro Wrestling NOAH’s GHC Heavyweight Championship, another veteran returned to the mountaintop as 51 year old Jun Akiyama claimed the KO-D Openweight Championship from Tetsuya Endo in the 30 minute plus main event of DDT’s Kawasaki Strong.
Having earned the title shot by virtue of winning the D-Oh Grand Prix tournament, Akiyama faced one of the few men to hold a victory over him in DDT in Damnation leader Endo.
But despite his younger opponent having sought the advice of the legendary Kenta Kobashi, who was at ringside throughout, Akiyama prevailed when the accumulative damage of his trademark knee strikes and exploder suplex gave way to his decisive Sternness Dust finisher.
Post match, Kobashi entered the ring to present the winner with his prize but Akiyama refused to wear the belt, owing to his other outstanding loss to Kazusada Higuchi, who he wishes to face in his first title defense.
Elsewhere on the card, rising star Yuki Ueno successfully defended his DDT Universal Title against one half of the KO-D Tag Team Champions, Yukio Sakaguchi.
The KO-D 8 Man Tag Team Titles changed hands earlier in the card as the eclectic mix of MMA legend Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata bested DDT President Sanshiro Takagi, Danshoku Dieno, Toru Owashi & Makoto Oishi.
Full results:
KO-D Openweight Title: Jun Akiyama defeated Tetsuya Endo (c)
DDT Universal Title: Yuki Ueno (c) defeated Yukio Sakaguchi
All Out (Konosuke Takeshita, Akito, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Iino) defeated Damnation (Daisuke Sasaki, Soma Takao, Mad Paulie & Yuji Hino)
HARASHIMA & Yuji Okabayashi defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya
Super Delfin, Chris Brookes & Maki Itoh defeated MAO, Keigo Nakamura & Mirai Maiumi
Saki Akai & Maya Yukihi defeated Saori Anou & Miyako Matsumoto
KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Titles: Shinya Aoki, Super Sasadango Machine, Antonio Honda & Kazuki Hirata defeated Sanshiro Takagi, Danshoku Dieno, Toru Owashi & Makoto Oishi
Mizuki Watase & Hideki Okatani defeated Yusuke Okada & Toui Kojima