Never Mind 2022 was a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

event promoted by

CyberFight , operating simply as CyberFight (CF), is a Japanese professional wrestling parent company based in Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of the CyberAgent digital advertising company. CyberFight serves as an umbrella brand for three promotions: Pro Wrestli ...

's sub-brand

DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name is an initialism of Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's original name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the p ...

(DDT). It took place on December 29, 2022, in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan, at the

Tokyo Dome City Hall The Tokyo Dome City Hall (TDC Hall) is a facility for sports, fashion shows, circuses, and live music, located inside Tokyo Dome City in Tokyo, Japan. It is on the opposite corner of the Tokyo Dome, and hosts a variety of events at any given t ...

. The event aired on

CyberAgent is a Japanese digital advertising company, which was founded in 1998 by Susumu Fujita and headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is owned by Susumu Fujita with 20.50% interest; Fujita is the representative director, while Yusuke Hidaka is the execut ...

AbemaTV is a Japanese streaming service that launched on April 11, 2016, under the name It is majority-owned by CyberAgent, with a 55.2% stake, and TV Asahi, with a 36.8% stake, while the remaining ownership belongs to various other companies, mostly ...

online linear television service and CyberFight's streaming service Wrestle Universe. It was the nineteenth event in the Never Mind series.

Production

Background

Since 2001, DDT began producing their year-end shows under the branch of ''"Never Mind"''. The events' traditional venue was initially the

Korakuen Hall is a sports arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and Lethwei matches. History On April 16, 1962, the Korakuen Hall was officially opened with a capacity of approximat ...

, but during the years, the promotion moved the events to other arenas. These events conclude certain feuds and rivalries built during the year. Between 2017 and 2021, the "Never Mind" series were briefly replaced by the

DDT Ultimate Party Ultimate Party is Japanese professional wrestling event promoted by DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). The event has been held since Ultimate Party 2019, 2019 and aired as an internet pay-per-view (iPPV) on DDT's streaming service Wrestle Universe and on Ab ...

as the promotion's year-closing events.

Storylines

The event featured twelve

professional wrestling matches Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...

that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed

villains A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...

heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

Event

The event started with three preshow bouts. In the first one, a tag team confrontation occurred between Yuya Koroku and Kazuma Sumi, and

Hideki Okatani is a Japanese professional wrestler who works for DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where he is a member of the Eruption stable. Professional wrestling career DDT Pro-Wrestling (2020–present) Okatani made his professional wrestling debut with DDT ...

and

Toui Kojima is a Japanese professional wrestler who works for DDT Pro-Wrestling under the ring name To-y, where he is a member of the The37Kamiina stable. Professional wrestling career DDT Pro-Wrestling (2021–present) After having fought two exhibit ...

which was solded with the victory of the latter team and in the second one MJ Paul,

Minoru Fujita (born September 5, 1977) is a Japanese professional wrestler who works as a freelancer. He is known for working at Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling. Career Japanese independent scene (1997-present) Fujita started in Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) as a ...

and

Kanon Kanon may refer to: Media and literature * ''Kanon'' (video game), a Japanese visual novel by Key, later adapted into anime series * ''Kanon'' (manga), a manga by Chiho Saito * ''Daimajin Kanon'', a Japanese tokusatsu television drama * '' Der K ...

pciked up a victory over

Masahiro Takanashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, also known by the ring name . Takanashi was trained by Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and has worked for the promotion since his debut in September 2003, becoming a one-time KO-D Openweight Champion, a two-time ...

Soma Takao is a Japan, Japanese professional wrestler, working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Takao has taken part in every edition of DDT's flagship annual event, DDT Peter Pan, Peter Pan, where he had a series ...

and

Antonio Honda is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . He is working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). He is the son of actor Tetsu Watanabe. Professional wrestling career Independent circu ...

in six-man tag team competition. In the first main card bout,

Sanshiro Takagi , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter who works for the Japanese wrestling promotion CyberFight, where he serves as executive vice president. He is one of the founding members and current chairman of ...

defeated Takeshi Masada in singles competition. Next up, Yuki "Sexy" Iino, Danshoku "Dandy" Dino, Koju "Shiningball" Takeda and Yumehito "Fantastic" Imanari defeated Akito,

Shunma Katsumata is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2014–present) Katsumata is known for tenures with various Japanese profe ...

Osamu Nishimura was a Japanese professional wrestler. Nishimura was best known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and MUGA World Pro Wrestling (MUGA). Outside of pro wrestling, he was also a politician, having served as a member of the Tokyo Bunk ...

and Shinichiro Kawamatsu in eight-man tag team competition in which they had to disband if lost. The sixth bout of the event saw

Chihiro Hashimoto is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling, where she is a former five time Sendai Girls World Champion. Hashimoto was trained in the Sendai Girls' dojo under Meiko Satomura, and made her debut in Octobe ...

defeating

Shinya Aoki is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and grappler competing in ONE Championship's Welterweight division. He also competes in DDT Pro-Wrestling where he is a former three-time DDT Extreme Champion. A professional competit ...

in an intergender match. Next,

Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese joshi puroresu or women's professional wrestling promotion founded in 2012 as a sister promotion of DDT Pro-Wrestling. Initially running alongside other shows such as live music and other idol performances, it became its own stan ...

Saki Akai is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, idol, model, and tarento, currently working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) and its sister joshi promotion Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (TJPW). Her father is fo ...

and

Yuki Arai is a Japanese professional wrestler and idol best known for her time in the Japanese promotion Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling. She is also a member of the Japanese idol group SKE48. Professional wrestling career DDT Pro-Wrestling (2018; 2021–presen ...

defeated

Saori Anou is a Japanese people, Japanese professional wrestler signed to World Wonder Ring Stardom. She is best known for her tenure with the Japanese professional wrestling promotion, promotion Actwres girl'Z and her freelance appearances in promotions s ...

and

Riko Kawahata is a Japanese professional wrestler currently competing in Marvelous That's Women Pro Wrestling. She and her tag team partner Maria are former AAAW Tag Team Champions and the current Twin Star Champions of Dream Star Fighting Marigold. She is a ...

in tag team action. In the tenth bout,

Konosuke Takeshita is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to American Wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family and one-half of the tag team Protoshita with Kyle Fletcher. He is a former AEW ...

and

Yukio Naya is a Japanese professional wrestler, working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). He is a former KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Champion and co-holder of the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship. Hailing from a sumo ...

defeated

Daisuke Sekimoto (born February 9, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division. He is also known for his appearances in Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max. He is a three-time BJW World Strong Hea ...

and

Rickey Shane Page Rickey Shane Page (born March 1, 1984) is an American professional wrestler. He currently wrestles on the independent circuit. Page started out as a backyard wrestler before making the transition to professional wrestling, where he was trained ...

in tag team competition, and in the eleventh one, Mao defeated

Daisuke Sasaki is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where is a former two-time DDT Universal Champion. In addition to that, in DDT, he is also a former three-time KO-D Openweight Champion, one-time DDT Extreme Champi ...

Chris Brookes Chris Brookes (born 24 August 1991) is an English professional wrestler signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is the current KO-D Openweight Champion, in his second reign. He has also been a two-time DDT Universal Champion. Career Progres ...

and

Cara Noir Thomas Edward Dawkins (born April 1987), better known by his ring name Cara Noir, is an English professional wrestler, best known for his work on the British independent circuit. His character has been described as the black swan of professional ...

in a four-way match. There were a total of three title matches during the show. In the first of them,

Burning Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combust ...

( Tetsuya Endo,

Kotaro Suzuki , better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Gleat. He is best known for working for the Pro Wrestling Noah and All Japan Pro Wrestling promotions, where he was a four-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Cha ...

and Yusuke Okada) defeated

Kazuki Hirata is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Professional wrestling career DDT Pro-Wrestling (2010–present) Hirata's first known match as a professional wrestler was a ...

Toru Owashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . He is best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion and two-time KO-D Tag Team Champion. Sumo career Initially aspiring to b ...

and

Naruki Doi is a Japanese professional wrestler currently performing for Dragon Gate, DDT Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro-Wrestling as a freelancer. He also wrestled for Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA); in the former promotio ...

to win the

KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship owned by the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) professional wrestling promotion, promotion. The current champions are Damnation T.A (Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani and Ilu ...

. Endo Suzuki and Okada received a challenge from Pheromones after the match. In the second one,

Jun Akiyama (born October 9, 1969) is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion. He is best known for his time working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was the president, rep ...

successfully defended the

DDT Extreme Championship The is a singles title in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling. The title was established in 2006 and it is mostly defended in stipulation matches, with the defending champion being given the right to choose the stipu ...

against Super Sasadango Machine in a comedic match which started with both wrestlers who sat down in the middle of the ring playing with their respective toy action figures. The match got physical and solded with Akiyama's victory. The main event saw

Kazusada Higuchi is a former Japanese sumo wrestler and professional wrestler, working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion. Sumo career At Hokkaido Monbetsukita High School, ...

securing his fifth consecutive defense of the

KO-D Openweight Championship The is a professional wrestling championship (professional wrestling), championship and the highest singles achievement in the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand division of the Japanese professional wrestling promotion, promotion CyberFight. It is on ...

over the 2022 D-Oh Grand Prix winner

Yuki Ueno is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), he is the former KO-D Openweight Champion (one reign) and former three-time DDT Universal Champion. Professional wrestling ...

. Higuchi received a challenge from

Yuji Hino , better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted p ...

after the match.

Results

References

External links

The official DDT Pro-Wrestling website
{{List of major DDT Pro-Wrestling events DDT Pro-Wrestling shows CyberAgent 2022 in professional wrestling December 2022 in Japan Professional wrestling in Tokyo DDT Never Mind Professional wrestling shows in Tokyo