The Ultimate Tag League is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by DDT Pro-Wrestling.[1] It was created in 2000 as the and was renamed in 2001. In 2021, the tournament was brought back 16 years after the previous edition under its current name.
The Ultimate Tag League is held under a points system, with 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. From 2000 to 2003, wins by pinfall, submission or knockout were awarded 3 points and wins via countout or disqualification were only worth 2 points. Number of entrants and formats have changed over the years, with up to three blocks of participants and the occasional inclusion of semifinals. Matches in the DDT/KO-D Tag League had a 20-minute time limit. The Ultimate Tag League matches have a 30-minute time limit.
| Tournament | Year | Winners | Total won as a team | Reference |
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The 2000 DDT Tag League featured two blocks of three teams and ran from August 24 to September 14.[3] [4]
| Block A | Block B | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanshiro Takagi and Exciting Yoshida | 6 | Mikami and Thanomsak Toba | 3 | |
| Takashi Sasaki and Yuki Nishino | 3 | Koichiro Kimura and Tomohiko Hashimoto | 3 | |
| Poison Sawada Black and | 0 | "Showa" and Neo Winger | 2 | |
| Block A | Takagi Yoshida | Sawada | Sasaki Nishino | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takagi Yoshida | Takagi Yoshida (10:44)[5] | Takagi Yoshida (14:47)[6] | ||
| Sawada | Takagi Yoshida (10:44) | Sasaki Nishino (11:22)[7] | ||
| Sasaki Nishino | Takagi Yoshida (14:47) | Sasaki Nishino (11:22) | ||
| Block B | Mikami Toba | "Showa" Winger | Kimura Hashimoto | |
| Mikami Toba | "Showa" Winger (11:18) | Mikami Toba (12:43) | ||
| "Showa" Winger | "Showa" Winger (11:18) | Kimura Hashimoto (12:02) | ||
| Kimura Hashimoto | Mikami Toba (12:43) | Kimura Hashimoto (12:02) |
The 2001 KO-D Tag League ran from August 25 to September 30 and saw eight teams compete in a single block, with the top two scoring teams advancing to a final. On August 16, Mikami and Super Uchuu Power vacated the KO-D Tag Team Championship and put the titles on the line in the tournament.[8]
| Sanshiro Takagi and Sanshiro Takagi | 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Super Uchuu Power and Mikami | 12 | |
| Poison Sawada Julie and | 11 | |
| Takashi Sasaki and Thanomsak Toba | 10 | |
| Asian Cougar and | 9 | |
| Tomohiko Hashimoto and Retsu Maekawa | 8 | |
| and Tomohiro Ishii | 6 | |
| "Showa" and | 5 |
| Results | "Showa" | Ishii | Sasaki Toba | Cougar | Takagi Takagi | Sawada | Uchuu Mikami | Hashimoto Maekawa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Showa" | Double Countout (11:48)[9] | Sasaki Toba (13:43)[10] | "Showa" 80's (14:05)[11] | Double Countout (15:06)[12] | Sawada Hebikage (9:04)[13] | Uchuu Mikami (13:11)[14] | Double Countout (9:59)[15] | ||
Ishii | Double Countout (11:48) | Draw (20:00)[16] | Cougar Condor (10:27) | Takagi Takagi (16:26)[17] | Fujisawa Ishii (12:51)[18] | Uchuu Mikami (0:36) | Draw (20:00) | ||
| Sasaki Toba | Sasaki Toba (13:43) | Draw (20:00) | Cougar Condor (14:25)[19] | Takagi Takagi (2:02)[20] | Sawada Hebikage (12:17)[21] | Sasaki Toba (13:02) | Sasaki Toba (14:05) | ||
| Cougar | "Showa" 80's (14:05) | Cougar Condor (10:27) | Cougar Condor (14:25) | Cougar Condor (11:53) | Sawada Hebikage (16:54) | Uchuu Mikami (13:14) | Hashimoto Maekawa (11:33) | ||
| Takagi Takagi | Double Countout (15:06) | Takagi Takagi (16:26) | Takagi Takagi (2:02) | Cougar Condor (11:53) | Takagi Takagi (14:39)[22] | Takagi Takagi (15:13) | Takagi Takagi (19:02) | ||
| Sawada | Sawada Hebikage (9:04) | Fujisawa Ishii (12:51) | Sawada Hebikage (12:17) | Sawada Hebikage (16:54) | Takagi Takagi (14:39) | Uchuu Mikami (15:18) | Sawada Hebikage (16:51) | ||
| Uchuu Mikami | Uchuu Mikami (13:11) | Uchuu Mikami (0:36) | Sasaki Toba (13:02) | Uchuu Mikami (13:14) | Takagi Takagi (15:13) | Uchuu Mikami (15:18) | Hashimoto Maekawa (14:59)[23] | ||
| Hashimoto Maekawa | Double Countout (9:59) | Draw (20:00) | Sasaki Toba (14:05) | Hashimoto Maekawa (11:33) | Takagi Takagi (19:02) | Sawada Hebikage (16:51) | Hashimoto Maekawa (14:59) |
The 2002 KO-D Tag League ran from July 13 to August 25 and saw eight teams compete in a single block. On May 16, Mikami had to vacate the KO-D Tag Team Championship due to an injury. It was then decided than the tournament would crown new champions. Due to a four-way tie for first place, the four teams were paired in the semifinals, with the two winners facing off in the final. Tomohiko Hashimoto suffered an injury after one match. He was temporarily replaced by JPWA Lion #1 for one match and then permanently replaced by Seiya Morohashi for the remaining matches. Morohashi suffered a mild injury too and also had to forfeit a match.[24]
| Mikami and Thanomsak Toba | 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Super Uchuu Power and Poison Sawada Julie | 11 | |
| Sanshiro Takagi and | 11 | |
| Takashi Sasaki and Gentaro | 11 | |
| Kintaro Kanemura and | 10 | |
| and Seiya Morohashi/Tomohiko Hashimoto | 9 | |
| Shoichi Ichimiya and Survival Tobita | 9 | |
| and Toguro Habukage | 6 |
| Results | Takagi | Morohashi/Hashimoto | Mikami Toba | Uchuu Sawada | Habukage | Ichimiya Tobita | Kanemura | Sasaki Gentaro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takagi | Tachihikari Hashimoto (15:08)[25] | Takagi Maeda (15:50)[26] | Uchuu Sawada (19:40)[27] | Takagi Maeda (13:14)[28] | Ichimiya Tobita (15:39)[29] | Takagi Maeda (14:52)[30] | Takagi Maeda (19:57)[31] | ||
Morohashi/Hashimoto | Tachihikari Hashimoto (15:08) | Mikami Toba (Forfeit)[32] | Uchuu Sawada (17:22) | Tachihikari Morohashi (15:39)[33] | Tachihikari Morohashi (14:19)[34] | Kanemura Miwa (11:29) | Sasaki Gentaro (14:26)[35] | ||
| Mikami Toba | Takagi Maeda (15:50) | Mikami Toba (Forfeit) | Draw (20:00)[36] | Mikami Toba (15:18) | Ichimiya Tobita (11:22)[37] | Mikami Toba (12:40)[38] | Draw (20:00) | ||
| Uchuu Sawada | Uchuu Sawada (19:40) | Uchuu Sawada (17:22) | Draw (20:00) | Hebikage Habukage (17:30)[39] | Ichimiya Tobita (17:00) | Double Countout (12:57) | Uchuu Sawada (19:47)[40] | ||
Habukage | Takagi Maeda (13:14) | Tachihikari Morohashi (15:39) | Mikami Toba (15:18) | Hebikage Habukage (17:30) | Hebikage Habukage (12:30)[41] | Kanemura Miwa (8:25) | Sasaki Gentaro (16:04)[42] | ||
| Ichimiya Tobita | Ichimiya Tobita (15:39) | Tachihikari Morohashi (14:19) | Ichimiya Tobita (11:22) | Ichimiya Tobita (17:00) | Hebikage Habukage (12:30) | Kanemura Miwa (9:42) | Double Countout (15:04)[43] | ||
| Kanemura | Takagi Maeda (14:52) | Kanemura Miwa (11:29) | Mikami Toba (12:40) | Double Countout (12:57) | Kanemura Miwa (8:25) | Kanemura Miwa (9:42) | Sasaki Gentaro (12:52)[44] | ||
| Sasaki Gentaro | Takagi Maeda (19:57) | Sasaki Gentaro (14:26) | Draw (20:00) | Uchuu Sawada (19:47) | Sasaki Gentaro (16:04) | Double Countout (15:04) | Sasaki Gentaro (12:52) |
The 2003 KO-D Tag League was held from September 11 to September 28 and featured two blocks of five teams. On the first day of the tournament, the KO-D Tag Team Champions Takashi Sasaki and Thanomsak Toba lost their match against Super Uchuu Power and Super Uchuu Power Omega. They decided to vacate the titles in order to put them up for grab in the tournament.[45]
| Block A | Block B | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takashi Sasaki and Thanomsak Toba | 9 | Tomohiko Hashimoto and Seiya Morohashi | 7 | |
| Super Uchuu Power and Super Uchuu Power Omega | 7 | and Ryu Echigo | 6 | |
| Hero! and Kudo | 6 | Sanshiro Takagi and Yoshihiro Sakai | 6 | |
| Danshoku Dino and O.K. Revolution | 4 | Gill Nakano and | 5 | |
| Ricky Fuji and Yusuke Inokuma | 3 | Badboy Hido and Shuji Ishikawa | 4 | |
| Block A | Uchuu Omega | Fuji Inokuma | Dino Revolution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T. Sasaki Toba | T. Sasaki Toba (10:47)[46] | Uchuu Omega (15:17)[47] | T. Sasaki Toba (12:40)[48] | T. Sasaki Toba (15:08)[49] | ||
| Hero! Kudo | T. Sasaki Toba (10:47) | Hero! Kudo (14:05)[50] | Hero! Kudo (12:57)[51] | Dino Revolution (12:04)[52] | ||
| Uchuu Omega | Uchuu Omega (15:17) | Hero! Kudo (14:05) | Uchuu Omega (10:50)[53] | Draw (20:00) | ||
| Fuji Inokuma | T. Sasaki Toba (12:40) | Hero! Kudo (12:57) | Uchuu Omega (10:50) | Fuji Inokuma (13:06)[54] | ||
| Dino Revolution | T. Sasaki Toba (15:08) | Dino Revolution (12:04) | Draw (20:00) | Fuji Inokuma (13:06) | ||
| Block B | Echigo | Nakano | ||||
| Hido Ishikawa | Hashimoto Morohashi (8:27) | Hido Ishikawa (12:13)[55] | Takagi Sakai (10:42) | Double Countout (9:18) | ||
| Hashimoto Morohashi | Hashimoto Morohashi (8:27) | K. Sasaki Echigo (13:08) | Hashimoto Morohashi (16:39)[56] | Double Countout (8:22) | ||
Echigo | Hido Ishikawa (12:13) | K. Sasaki Echigo (13:08) | K. Sasaki Echigo (12:10) | Nakano Matsumoto (5:59) | ||
| Takagi Sakai | Takagi Sakai (10:42) | Hashimoto Morohashi (16:39) | K. Sasaki Echigo (12:10) | Takagi Sakai (10:39)[57] | ||
| Nakano | Double Countout (9:18) | Double Countout (8:22) | Nakano Matsumoto (5:59) | Takagi Sakai (10:39) |
The 2004 KO-D Tag League was held from September 16 to September 30 and featured three blocks of four teams. The points system was changed to a more traditional system of 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The winners would also win the vacant KO-D Tag Team Championship.[58]
| Block A | Block B | Block C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hero! and Kudo | 5 | 6 | Poison Sawada Julie and Clone Boy Jami | 6 | ||
| Sanshiro Takagi and Kota Ibushi | 3 | Takashi Sasaki and Gentaro | 4 | Danshoku Dino and Glenn "Q" Spectre | 4 | |
| Masahiro Takanashi and Mineo Fujita | 2 | Muscle Sakai and | 2 | Koichiro Kimura and | 2 | |
| Shoichi Ichimiya and Gorgeous Matsuno | 2 | Giant and Kuma Sentoin | 0 | Daichi Kakimoto and | 0 | |
| Block A | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hero! Kudo | Draw (20:00)[59] | Hero! Kudo (11:30)[60] | Hero! Kudo (10:29)[61] | ||
| Takagi Ibushi | Draw (20:00) | Takagi Ibushi (10:21) | Ichimiya Matsuno (14:50) | ||
| Takanashi Fujita | Hero! Kudo (11:30) | Takagi Ibushi (10:21) | Takanashi Fujita (4:55)[62] | ||
| Ichimiya Matsuno | Hero! Kudo (10:29) | Ichimiya Matsuno (14:50) | Takanashi Fujita (4:55) | ||
| Block B | Sakai | Giant Sentoin | Hashimoto Morohashi | ||
| Sasaki Gentaro | Sasaki Gentaro (7:31) | Sasaki Gentaro (9:20) | Hashimoto Morohashi (13:34) | ||
| Sakai | Sasaki Gentaro (7:31) | Sakai Senshu (12:45) | Hashimoto Morohashi (9:01) | ||
| Giant Sentoin | Sasaki Gentaro (9:20) | Sakai Senshu (12:45) | Hashimoto Morohashi (9:01) | ||
| Hashimoto Morohashi | Hashimoto Morohashi (13:34) | Hashimoto Morohashi (9:01) | Hashimoto Morohashi (9:01) | ||
| Block C | Dino Spectre | Kimura | Kakimoto | ||
| Sawada Jami | Sawada Jami (11:20)[63] | Sawada Jami (14:58) | Sawada Jami (15:12) | ||
| Dino Spectre | Sawada Jami (11:20) | Dino Spectre (13:17) | Dino Spectre (17:58) | ||
| Kimura | Sawada Jami (14:58) | Dino Spectre (13:17) | Kimura Kenshin (11:52)[64] | ||
| Kakimoto | Sawada Jami (15:12) | Dino Spectre (17:58) | Kimura Kenshin (11:52) |
The 2005 KO-D Tag League featured two blocks of four teams and ran from September 10 to September 23. Toru Owashi was forced to drop out of the tournament after his first match and forfeited his remaining matches. Due to a three-way tie for first place in block B, the three teams faced off in a three-way decision match, with the winners advancing to the final.[65]
| Block A | Block B | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danshoku Dino and Glenn "Q" Spectre | 4 | Shoichi Ichimiya and Poison Julie Sawada | 4 | |
| Sanshiro Takagi and Muscle Sakai | 3 | Francesco Togo and Don Maestro | 4 | |
| Seiya Morohashi and Thanomsak Toba | 3 | Daichi Kakimoto and Kota Ibushi | 4 | |
| Toru Owashi and Darkside Hero! | 2 | Mikami and Gorgeous Matsuno | 0 | |
| Block A | Dino Spectre | Morohashi Toba | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dino Spectre | Dino Spectre (Forfeit)[66] | Takagi Sakai (13:44)[67] | Dino Spectre (17:25)[68] | ||
| Owashi Hero! | Dino Spectre (Forfeit) | Owashi Hero! (10:19)[69] | Morohashi Toba (Forfeit) | ||
| Takagi Sakai | Takagi Sakai (13:44) | Owashi Hero! (10:19) | Draw (20:00)[70] | ||
| Morohashi Toba | Dino Spectre (17:25) | Morohashi Toba (Forfeit) | Draw (20:00) | ||
| Block B | Togo Maestro | ||||
| Ichimiya Sawada | Ichimiya Sawada (13:46)[71] | Kakimoto Ibushi (14:05)[72] | Ichimiya Sawada (17:02)[73] | ||
| Togo Maestro | Ichimiya Sawada (13:46) | Togo Maestro (15:23)[74] | Togo Maestro (11:56)[75] | ||
| Kakimoto Ibushi | Kakimoto Ibushi (14:05) | Togo Maestro (15:23) | Kakimoto Ibushi (9:24)[76] | ||
| Ichimiya Sawada (17:02) | Togo Maestro (11:56) | Kakimoto Ibushi (9:24) |
The Ultimate Tag League 2021 ran from May 9 to May 27 and featured five teams competing in a single block with the team scoring the most points to be declared the winners. Due to a tie, the top two scoring teams faced off in a tie-breaker. The time limit for the matches was increased from 20 minutes to 30 minutes.[77]
| Konosuke Takeshita and Shunma Katsumata | 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Daisuke Sasaki and Yuji Hino | 5 | |
| Jun Akiyama and Makoto Oishi | 4 | |
| Kazusada Higuchi and Yukio Sakaguchi | 4 | |
| Chris Brookes and Antonio Honda | 2 |
| Results | Higuchi Sakaguchi | Akiyama Oishi | Takeshita Katsumata | Brookes Honda | Sasaki Hino | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higuchi Sakaguchi | Akiyama Oishi (15:47)[78] | Higuchi Sakaguchi (20:25)[79] | Higuchi Sakaguchi (15:18)[80] | Sasaki Hino (14:40)[81] | ||
| Akiyama Oishi | Akiyama Oishi (15:47) | Takeshita Katsumata (18:10) | Brookes Honda (13:09)[82] | Akiyama Oishi (14:12) | ||
| Takeshita Katsumata | Higuchi Sakaguchi (20:25) | Takeshita Katsumata (18:10) | Takeshita Katsumata (17:22) | Draw (30:00) | ||
| Brookes Honda | Higuchi Sakaguchi (15:18) | Brookes Honda (13:09) | Takeshita Katsumata (17:22) | Sasaki Hino (13:54) | ||
| Sasaki Hino | Sasaki Hino (14:40) | Akiyama Oishi (14:12) | Draw (30:00) | Sasaki Hino (13:54) |
The 2022 Ultimate Tag League ran from January 30 to February 27.[83] [84] This edition featured ten teams competing in two blocks. On January 3, Harashima and Naomi Yoshimura vacated the KO-D Tag Team Championship so it could be put up for grab in the tournament.[85] Danshoku "Dandy" Dino was originally scheduled to represent Pheromones but had to be pulled off the tournament when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms days before the start. He was replaced by Yumehito "Fantastic" Imanari.[86] CDK, the team of Chris Brookes and Masahiro Takanashi, had to forfeit multiples matches due to various medical reasons.[87]
| Block A | Block B | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konosuke Takeshita and Yuki Ueno | 6 | Harashima and Naomi Yoshimura | 6 | |
| Tetsuya Endo and Jun Akiyama | 6 | Yuki "Sexy" Iino and Yumehito "Fantastic" Imanari | 4 | |
| Yuji Hino and Yukio Naya | 4 | Daisuke Sasaki and MJ Paul | 4 | |
| Kazusada Higuchi and Hideki Okatani | 2 | Chris Brookes and Masahiro Takanashi | 4 | |
| Shuji Kondo and Kazuki Hirata | 0 | Shunma Katsumata and Mao | 2 | |
| Block A | Kondo Hirata | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takeshita Ueno | Takeshita Ueno (24:09)[88] | Higuchi Okatani (19:51)[89] | Takeshita Ueno (18:28)[90] | Takeshita Ueno (14:10)[91] | ||
| Endo Akiyama | Takeshita Ueno (24:09) | Endo Akiyama (19:37)[92] | Endo Akiyama (14:40) | Endo Akiyama (12:10) | ||
| Higuchi Okatani | Higuchi Okatani (19:51) | Endo Akiyama (19:37) | Hino Naya (Forfeit)[93] | No Contest | ||
| Hino Naya | Takeshita Ueno (18:28) | Endo Akiyama (14:40) | Hino Naya (Forfeit) | Hino Naya (11:26)[94] | ||
| Kondo Hirata | Takeshita Ueno (14:10) | Endo Akiyama (12:10) | No Contest | Hino Naya (11:26) | ||
| Block B | Iino Imanari | |||||
| Harashima Yoshimura | Brookes Takanashi (19:13) | Harashima Yoshimura (21:52) | Harashima Yoshimura (14:41) | Harashima Yoshimura (12:30) | ||
| Brookes Takanashi | Brookes Takanashi (19:13) | Sasaki Paul (Forfeit) | Brookes Takanashi (7:03) | Iino Imanari (Forfeit) | ||
| Sasaki Paul | Harashima Yoshimura (21:52) | Sasaki Paul (Forfeit) | Katsumata Mao (12:40) | Sasaki Paul (16:32)[95] | ||
| Katsumata Mao | Harashima Yoshimura (14:41) | Brookes Takanashi (7:03) | Katsumata Mao (12:40) | Iino Imanari (9:35) | ||
| Iino Imanari | Harashima Yoshimura (12:30) | Iino Imanari (Forfeit) | Sasaki Paul (16:32) | Iino Imanari (9:35) |