Koju Takeda Explained

Koju Takeda
Birth Date:May 8, 1991[1]
Birth Place:Iwate, Japan
Height:170 cm[2]
Weight:70 kg
Debut:2017

is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and preponderently for the Japanese promotions DDT Pro-Wrestling and Wrestling of Darkness 666.[3]

Professional wrestling career

DDT Pro-Wrestling (2017–present)

Takeda made his debut in DDT Pro-Wrestling in late 2017 in the "DNA" series. However, his notable work began at DDT Dramatic Nerima The Fighter, an event promoted February 3, 2018, where he teamed up with Daiki Shimomura and Yuki Ueno in a losing effort against Shuten Doji (Kota Umeda, Masahiro Takanashi and Yukio Sakaguchi) as a result of a six-man tag team match.[4]

Takeda is known for competing in various of the promotion's signature pay-per-views. His first event was the on March 25, 2018, where he teamed up with Kota Umeda and Yuki Ueno to defeat Shuten-dōji (Kudo, Masahiro Takanashi and Yukio Sakaguchi) to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship.[5]

After an almost four-year hiatus with the company, Takeda returned and joined the unit of "Pheromones" and challenged former tag team partner Yuki Ueno to a match for the latter's DDT Universal Championship.[6] At Wrestle Peter Pan 2022 on August 25, Takeda teamed up with his stablemates Danshoku Dino and Yuki Iino to defeat Yuji Hino, Yukio Naya and Super Sasadango Machine and Disaster Box (Toru Owashi and Kazuki Hirata) and Antonio Honda.[7] At DDT God Bless DDT 2022 on October 23, he unsuccessfully challenged Ueno for the DDT Universal Championship.[8] At Never Mind 2022 on December 29, Takeda is scheduled to team up with his stablemates Danshoku Dino, Yuki Iino and Yumehito Imanari in a Losing unit must disband match against Akito, Shunma Katsumata, Osamu Nishimura and Shinichiro Kawamatsu.[9]

Big Japan Pro Wrestling (2018–present)

Takeda often makes appearances for the deathmatch promotion Big Japan Pro Wrestling. His most notable ones were part of the promotion's top annual tournaments. On the finals of the 2022 Ikkitousen Strong Climb, he teamed up with Kota Sekifuda and Tatsuhiko Yoshino to defeat Chicharito Shoki, Kosuke Sato & Shinya Ishida.[10] On the thirteenth night of the 2022 Saikyo Tag League from October 17, Takeda teamed up with Takuho Kato and Tatsuhiko Yoshino in a losing effort against Kazumi Kikuta, Ryota Hama and Yasufumi Nakanoue as a result of a six-man tag team match.[11]

Wrestling of Darkness 666 (2019–present)

Takeda made his debut in Wrestling of Darkness 666 at 666 Vol. 90/Shinjuku 2-Chome Shinobu Debut 15th Anniversary Memorial on June 6, 2019, where he teamed up with Fuminori Abe, Taro Yamada and Konaka and competed in a Four-way eight-man tag team match won by Banana Senga, Hiroaki Taniguchi, Guts Ishijima and Yanagwa, and also involving Akkun Ohashi, Jun Kasai, Masashi Takeda and Takayuki Ueki, and Nene Dai, Onryo, Shinobu and Yuko Miyamoto. On the same night, he competed for the second time as he won a pants battle royal involving the same opponents as in the precedent match.[12] 666 and Ice Ribbon co-promoted the 666 Vol. 99 Halloween, an event which took place on November 8, 2020, where Takeda competed on two separate occasions. In first of them he defeated dropped the Triangle Ribbon Championship which he captured one week earlier to Ram Kaicho in a three-way match also involving Fuminori Abe, and in the second one, he competed in a battle royal won by Taro Yamada and also involving notable opponents such as Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki, Hiragi Kurumi, Mochi Miyagi, Maika Ozaki and others.[13] Takeda is also known for competing in the world title scene as he unsuccessfully faced Konaka for the 666 Disorder Openweight Championship at 666 Vol. 115 on April 2, 2022.[14]

Championships and accomplishments

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Koju Takeda • General Information. wrestlingdata.com. Axel. Saalbach. December 25, 2022.
  2. Web site: Koju Takeda/Career Data. cagematch.de. de. Philip. Kreikenbohm. December 25, 2022.
  3. Web site: Koju Takeda Profile & Match Listing. profightdb.com. InternetWrestling Database (IWD). December 25, 2022.
  4. Web site: DDT ProWrestling . ja:ドラマティック練馬ザファイター2018. ddtpro.com. DDT Pro-Wrestling. Japanese. February 3, 2018. December 25, 2022.
  5. Web site: DDT JUDGEMENT 2018 (DDT 21ST ANNIVERSARY) PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS. voicesofwrestling.com. Voices of Wrestling. March 22, 2018. April 18, 2021.
  6. Web site: DDT: »Who's Gonna Top? 2022″ Sakaguchi Firm Monarch. superluchas.com. Dark Angel. October 4, 2022. December 25, 2022.
  7. Web site: DDT WRESTLE PETER PAN 2022 (AUGUST 20) RESULTS & REVIEW. voicesofwrestling.com. Jake R.. August 25, 2022. December 24, 2022.
  8. Web site: DDT: «God Bless DDT 2022» Cuarta defensa de Higuchi. superluchas.com. Dark Angelita. Spanish. November 3, 2022. December 25, 2022.
  9. Web site: DDT ProWrestling . ja:NEVER MIND 2022. ddtpro.com. DDT Pro-Wrestling. Japanese. December 24, 2022.
  10. Web site: BJW: «Ikkitousen Strong Climb 2022» Grand Final, Daisuke Sekimoto the winner. superluchas.com. Dark Angel. February 28, 2022. December 26, 2022.
  11. Web site: BJW: «Saikyou Tag League 2022» Day 13. superluchas.com. Dark Angel. October 28, 2022. December 26, 2022.
  12. Web site: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Zt411F7FR/. ja:【666】2019.06.06 Vol. 90 ~ Shinobu Debut 15th Anniversary Show(Shinobu首秀十五周年大会). bilibili.com. Bilibili. Japanese. July 30, 2019. December 26, 2022.
  13. Web site: 666 Results: Vol. 99 ~ Halloween – Tokyo, Japan (10/31). wrestling-news.net. Wayne. Daly. November 1, 2020. July 8, 2021.
  14. Web site: https://t.pia.jp/pia/event/event.do?eventCd=2206521. ja:666 vol.115 のチケット情報~小仲=ペールワン無秩序無差別級王座奪取記念/大会~. t.pia.jp. Ticket Pia. Japanese. April 2, 2022. December 26, 2022.
  15. Web site: KO-D (King Of DDT) 6-man Tag Team Title. wrestling-titles.com. Wrestling Titles. December 25, 2022.