DDT Pro Wrestling (DDT)

[10.0] "I would say that DDT was the Japanese men's promotion of the year. Yuki Ueno has come into his own as Ace, and even if he gets injured, the bench is deep with guys like Higuchi, MAO, and Brookes ready to run with it. Not to mention having the deepest bench of young guys in the D-Generations crew. I hope 2026 is just as good as 2025."

[9.0] "DDT is one of the few decently well known and well funded wrestling companies that you can truly call one of a kind. Though they began life with intent to imitate the sports entertainment styling of the WWF, nearly 30 years of nonstop activity has provided clear testimony that they have superseded that style in just about every way. DDT started off as a cavalcade of rejects in an era where independent wrestling had nowhere near the platform that it does today or even the mid 2000s golden age, yet they've managed to stick it out and become breeding ground for some of the greatest pro wrestlers of the modern age. It is obviously the comedic elements of DDT that most go viral and are most well known, and it is through this in which they can truly strike out as something unique and has allowed them to cultivate an international profile that sucked me in. However, beneath this comedic surface is a flourishing epicenter of traditional puroresu that makes up their main event scene and has harbored many wrestlers that have gone on to greater fame or stuck around to become the elder statesmen. From Kota Ibushi, Kenny Omega, and Konosuke Takeshita to HARASHIMA, Yuki Ueno and Chris Brookes, DDT offers much more than their absurdist comedy brand lets on. A lot of DDT's most defining stories can be chalked up to a radical willingness to try just about anything with any set of wrestlers, for better and for worse. What other promotion can say that they've created one of the most compelling and semi-romantic wrestling storylines that has run for a decade at this point as well as a match where two men eat curry out of a helmet with less than 5 years between those two? Owing up to some regrettable decisions in their early days and up into the current day I can't venture to give them a 10, but regardless DDT is a must for any wrestling fan who feels dissatisfied with the way things can sometimes be in the larger wrestling world."

[10.0] "I've come to appreciate DDT a lot more recently, as it always seems to have something for wrestling. The Iron Man Heavy Metal Championship is one of the best comedic concepts in all of wrestling, but the company also provides so much stellar wrestling though, creating so many new, younger talent that've come to thrive nationally."

[8.0] "Pretty close to my platonic ideal of a promotion, and even when the comedy is something I don't understand (literally or figuratively), it's often a minor speedbump rather than a serious hurdle."

"Have only watched a handful of matches from them, but the amount of range in talent and matches is crazy. Can't wait to start getting into DDT more."

[10.0] "One of the promotions that made a part of the history of pro wrestling after 1997, and it is still great. It is true that it is not very strong at the moment, but as an indy promotion in Japan it is doing well right now."

[9.0] "Almost no other company consistently and defiantly challenges what the boundaries of wrestling are and can be the way DDT Pro does, and has done for so long."

[6.0] "I am so torn on this promotion. They have some of the greatest talent ever either starting off or currently in DDT. Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Konosuke Takeshita, Chris Brookes, MAO, and so many more. They can put on some super phenomenal matches. But then there's the comedy stuff. Things like the Iron Man Heavy Metal Championship is a whole lot of fun, but sometimes their comedy is either too much or goes on too long. Shows packed full of comedy just take me out of it. And then you have people like Danshoku Dino who are people that I skip past or turn off. I hate watching his matches and it makes me feel embarrassed. Absolutely wild to me that 2 vastly different styles and things can be a part of one company."

[7.0] "Pretty decent promotion. A ton of talent produced from here. Sometimes their shows don't make sense but it's part of their charm."

[9.0] "Hard to find a promotion nowadays that's more creative and groundbreaking as DDT. They know when to take risks, they know when to put their homegrown stars over, they known how to create the most bs stipulation has work around the concept to perfection. They has some of the best title concepts and they provides a huge variety on their show that is quite frankly insanely long."

[7.0] "If you don't love DDT you're simply not a wresting fan. Altho their work lately hasn't intrigued me as much, you can't deny the history this company has and I'm sure they'll have a resurgence again soon."

[10.0] "ive come to truly appreciate ddt as of late. it really has something for everyone, which very few companies can pull off. ddt typically gets known for their comedy wrestling, which is probably some of the better comedy wrestling in the world, but they are much, much more than just comedy. konosuke takeshita is one of the bigger examples of non-comedy in ddt, since he has had his rise in aew. but kazusada higuchi and the recently retired yukio sakaguchi are two more incredible hard hitters in the company that would do well anywhere else and not just ddt. then you get to saki akai, who wasnt one of the best in ring wrestlers but had an aura and a passion that couldnt be replicated that ddt fans fell in love with. theres some exploding deathmatches in ddt on occasion, theres comedy, theres absurd high flyers, theres some of the best technical bouts youll see anywhere, and theres some of the hardest hitting matches out there too. ddt truly has it all. if youve only seen ddts comedy and it isnt for you, i encourage you to check out some of their top matches too because theres a good chance youll find someone or something youll like there."

"i think ddt pro is ok they dont have many homegrown stars the ones that they make tho went on to be great like kenny omega and kota ibushi for example. i like how they mix comedy wrestling and real wrestling on their shows and how they showcase lesser talent or wrestlers who are not known to wrestle in japan like matt Cardona [6.0]"

[6.0] "I've always liked DDT but I don't think I've ever loved the promotion. They have some great new wrestlers but they don't book them like they should."

[10.0] "Look, New Japan is no doubt, the biggest promotion in Japan right now. It has the best roster, the best production, the biggest show, the greatest history etc. But, if were talking about quality, nowadays, DDT is where its at. Some people will sum up DDT as a comedy promotion. These people are wrong. DDT has always had great wrestlers in their own right, building future greats (Konosuke Takeshita, anyone? ) and putting on great matches with entertaining story. Yes, theres an element of comedy in DDT, but its so, so much more than that."

[8.0] "Tries to have something for everyone. Known mostly for its comedy wrestling but has stars that can go in the ring when called upon. Some of the comedy can get cringy at times but overall is normally a fun watch"

[9.0] "DDT pro is a great combination of comedy wrestling and serious wrestling. Good mix of styles on the roster allows for that diversity in match ups."

[10.0] "The fact that a comedic promotion like DDT got in the attention of other major leagues such as AEW tells a lot about the quality of their content. They really deserve all this recognition."

[10.0] "I Don't think i should counter or minus any points from this great promotion.still It's a great company f wrestling and loved It's impact today also. Love for this."

[10.0] "I absolutely love DDT. I had a hard time getting into it at first as an English speaker, but once I got into the groove it is pretty easy to follow (and there's a lot of really useful supplementary accounts that help a ton). I think DDT has incredibly satisfying long term storytelling, their big shows deliver great PPV matches, but their house shows are all really enjoyable too. Some of DDT preview tags are on my match of the year list. One of the things that I appreciate most about the promotion, aside from the quality of the wrestling, is how even "lower card" wrestlers get storylines, and characters."

[10.0] "DDT is probably my favourite promotion so much versatility comedy wrestling, strong style, high fly, hardcore etc. A great roster (Takeshita, Harashima, Endo, Brookes, Akiyama etc). I really love ddt comedy stuff (Dino, Honda etc) with the prestigious DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship just watch the Rumble match with Ladder it's pure gold!"

[10.0] "The best wretling promotion both in terms of in-ring quality, variety and overall entertainment. If for some reason I have to choose just one promotion to watch for the rest of my life then my choice probably will be DDT, they have all the styles of wrestling to scratch every itch of what I want to watch."

[9.0] "A very underrated promotion until the Pandemic era in 2020, where they delivered in good matches and moments"

[10.0] "probably my 2nd favorite promotion in all of Japan, I LOVE THIS PROMOTION SO FUCKING MUCH! the comedy is genuinely funny, the wrestling is great, a lot of my favorites come from here, people like Ibushi, Omega, Takeshita, Brookes, and Akai all really just helped boost this promotion to the stratusphere in my eyes. if you don't watch this promotion, watch a show right now, you will enjoy yourself"

[10.0] "Best promotion going right now. While known more for comedy, the promotion runs deep offering some of the best wrestling from top to bottom you will see. DDT also specializes in showcasing nearly every style of wrestling possible from technical, hoss, high flying, death match, intergender, deathmatch to everything inbetween. They work with multiple promotions so the roster is always fresh. The big shows and Korakuen Hall shows rarely disappoint and even the house shows will have something to watch on them. The roster always works hard to entertain. Their streaming service makes it unbelievably to keep up with the massive amount of shows they run. Top marks across the board."

[9.0] "If you're looking for a promotion that seamlessly combines every style of pro wrestling including technical, hardcore, and comedy, then you can't do any better than DDT right now."

[10.0] "Consistently has delivered through the covid era much like it's partners over at NOAH. I understand why for some DDT can be so offputting. It's early card is comedic, weird, and just not traditional. But rest assured you look at the best of the best on that promotion that are taken very literally, you see that this promotion? This is it. It may not be for everyone, but if the issue is the comedy, then I highly recommend you look at the top half of the card. It's way better for a modern fan."

[10.0] "Lots of people typecast DDT as a "comedy" promotion, but most of the bad comedy stuff has been mostly relegated to the openers CMLL segundas style. The top half of DDT cards feature wrestlers that hang with the best of the best from any promotion in the world. People watching know that DDT has been the promotion of the year thus far in Japan."

[9.0] "Started watching DDT on last September and I can tell it is one of the best companies in the World. A lot of people don't take them serious as they deserve because of their 'funny' spots which get viral. They got a lot of solid workers and a great booking for great matches! On my top 3 companies to follow on this day."

[9.0] "I guess, the most "japanese" promotion out of all japanese wrestling promotions. Their style, their talents and storylines are like taken from some anime. There are a lot of comedy segments and parody matches. However, they also do "serious" matches and these are truly epic. Many great wrestlers worked in DDT before, and many of them had their best matches there. It is advised to know Japanese while watching their shows, but If you don't - no worries. Watching their comedy stuff, the language is no barrier. It's always hilarious."

[10.0] "Unfortunately the only thing a lot of people know about DDT wrestling is that comedy place where they wrestle blow up dolls , but in reality there is so much more to DDT Then that. What I love about DDT is the amount of variety on very show there will be some comedy matches but there is plenty more quality wrestling with a bunch of guys who are very much underrated in the wrestling world . My advice just give it a chance before judging it because I believe it is some of the best wrestling around"

[5.0] "DDT is kinda the modern day equivalent of ECW. On one side you get great wrestling like Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi and on the other big heaps of complete garbage. Maybe it's a cultural thing but I just don't get their brand of comedy, kinda like I didn't get a lot of stuff in ECW."

[8.0] "The vast diversity of DDT makes this a can't miss for wrestling fans. From off the wall antics to kick your ass action and EVERYTHING in between, the minds behind DDT prove to be some of the brightest and cutting edge in the business."

[10.0] "Awesome promotion. I think DDT is the best promotion what mixing Wrestling and Comedy. (My English is bad I think sometimes i use wrong expression i'm sorry)"

[10.0] "The ultimate wrestling variety show. DDT is filled with seriously talented wrestlers, outlandish comedy guys and hardcore madmen. Every show of there's I've seen, whether on air or live (only a few times, but lucky to say its happened) has been a blast, and the company always keeps trying to come up with new, interesting ideas. The 1 light tube deathmatch from this year, for example, was genius. They're never my favorite company, but I always enjoy them."

[1.0] "I don't get it. I REALLY don't get it. You can't tell us this is all a work and a goof and that the stakes don't matter and then try to make us care about matches afterwards. It doesn't work. You don't splice Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner into No Country For Old Men and expect it to pan out either. Maybe it's cultural, but this is trash. It's not funny, it's not creative and what good wrestling there is is wasted on gimmickry and booking decisions. Hard pass."

[10.0] "Wrestling can be boring, monotonous and indistinguishable, at times. However, with DDT, there is so much variety to enjoy. It's why it's consistently one of the best companies around, even in situations where the booking is bad (The Renagades, for example), there is other things to enjoy and indulge in when one thing isn't working out l. There is comedy, full blown or light hearted, great intergender wrestling, serious grappling. Any type of wrestling, you can find it. Nearly, I wouldn't expect any brawls (although Dick Togo vs Honda say otherwise). The company gets its reputation as a comedy promotion when it's only half that, but comedy is quite possibly the best done in Wrestling. Almost always hits. This is a promotion that you can sit down, relax and have fun for a few hours. House shows or the big shows, it doesn't matter. A hell of a backlog too."

[7.0] "DDT is a fascinating mix of comedy wrestling and serious storylines. They do their best to make both sides work well but usually one falls short on any given show. I appreciate them as a company and value their presence in the industry but usually their product isn't for me."

[10.0] "DDT gets full marks from me simply because it never fails to engage me. True the highs aren't quite as high as the more popular puroresu promotions but I can't imagine ever being bored watching a DDT show, which is more than I can say for even NJPW."

[9.0] "First found DDT back in 2004 and didn't think much of it at the time. I know now that DDT is much more then random comedy and silly gimmicks. The roster workers their ass off for every show, the main events are never a let down, they train all of the younger wrestlers very well, are good to foreigners visiting, and I respect Sanshiro Takagi so much for how he takes care of every one in the company."

[7.0] "DDT is ... not for everyone. It is not all about wrestling. Their main way of entertaining people is comedy. They are basically Japanese equalivent of CHIKARA. I really like DDT ; they are entertaining, the wrestling is usually very good and the shows are really enjoyable. I haven't really watched much of DDT, but after seeing some of their stuff, I give them 7."

[10.0] "Just a great promotion. Great humor, great wrestlers, great angles, great wackiness, great matches. There's a little bit of everything puroresu in DDT, and all of it is done very, very well."

[9.0] "The best indy promotion in Japan together with BJW. In DDT We've seen a lot of great feuds like El Generico/Ibushi last year."

[8.0] "The japanese CHIKARA, but much better as comedians and as wrestlers."