DDT Pro Wrestling made history by holding the first ever “Shinkansen Pro Wrestling” match, featuring Minoru Suzuki and Sanshiro Takagi engaging in a Falls Count Anywhere Match aboard a bullet train. This unique bout was part of DDT’s signature ‘street pro wrestling’ that DDT in known for. The Tokaido Shinkansen, known as “Nozomi 371,” embarked from Tokyo Station at 1:09 pm local time, racing at a staggering 285 km/h (aprox 177 mph) before reaching its final stop at Nagoya Station at 2:45 pm.
Amid this special single match, witnessed by a limited audience of 75 paying spectators, the proceedings took unexpected turns with surprise appearances by the likes of Danshoku Dieno, Hikaru Sato, Jun Akiyama, and even Kenta Kobashi, who played the role of a train conductor while checking tickets. Kobashi even hit one of his legendery chops hitting Suzuki with it.
In a chaotic atmosphere that persisted throughout, Minoru Suzuki managed to secure victory by cleverly evading a Lariat and subsequently pinning Sanshiro Takagi (37:29) with a Gotch-style Piledriver following a Sleeper Hold.
Post-match, Takagi extended his appreciation to the JR Tokai train company for hosting the unforgettable spectacle. However, he acknowledged that this marked his third consecutive singles loss to Suzuki, following their memorable encounter at the Tokyo Dome in 2017 and their epic clash at Nippon Budokan in 2012. Takagi’s determination shone through as he declared, “This rivalry will continue. I won’t retire until I defeat Minoru Suzuki. Next time, I’ll arrange an even grander stage,” stoking the flames of his quest for revenge.
Suzuki then humorously suggested potential venues for their next showdown, including a deserted island, a crater on Mt. Fuji, outer space, or even the moon. Failing those options, Takagi expressed interest in squaring off on a bustling street in Manhattan, Singapore, or Taiwan.
Fans can catch today’s “Shinkansen Pro Wrestling” match on PPV starting September 24th at pia-live.jp, and it will be made available on Wrestle UNIVERSE at a later date.
Author: Rohit Singh Karir