Yoshihiko! Yoshihiko!
Those within the wrestling community would say that
while Mexico is the spiritual center of wrestling,
Japan is the burning heart of it.
This is said because in the last few decades,
Japan has consistently produced wrestling that has
not only pushed the physical bounds and creativity,
but the actual definition of what pro wrestling is and
where it should happen.
So we're going to the outer fringe of this
ever-expanding universe to see
Dramatic Dream Team Wrestling, or DDT.
For years they've been creating events that have
enthralled Japanese audiences and perplexed
foreign ones peering in from the internet.
So prepare yourselves for a journey into the mind of DDT.
First stop, DDT Beer Garden, a weeklong event
where the wrestlers act as servers, wrestlers,
and consumers to the delight of their loyal fans.
Kanpai!
Oh!
So the man in the far corner in the black trunks is Takagi.
He's the owner of DDT and the founder of it.
Whoa!
Some 20 years ago, he saw that there was
a hole in Japanese pro wrestling for a, for a real
creatively free canvas on which these guys could paint,
so he started Dramatic Dream Team Wrestling, and...
Oh!
As you can see...
it's a very unique place to this day.
You should drink beer.
We gotta drink some beers, apparently.
♪ Tokyo... ♪
I want to see you go.
♪ I want to see you go. I got to make you go. ♪
♪ I want to see you go. I want to make you go. ♪
♪ I want to see you go.
Go, here we... go!
♪ Go! Go! Go!
A lot of the branding of DDT is geared towards women,
often utilizing a genre of media specific to Japan
called Yaoi, or boys' love,
as it's known in English.
Yaoi is essentially male homoerotic imagery or
stories created predominantly for female consumption.
It's existed in Japan since the 1970s and
is normally Anime or Manga.
Looking at DDT, and especially Dieno,
from a foreign perspective, it seems like they've been
heavily influenced by Yaoi.
The purest expression of this being DDT
calendars and magazines.
We're going with Dieno right now to record a livestream
where he's gonna play some video games.
- No. - Oh.
- Oh! - Agh!
How often do you go online and play games
with people watching like this?
Can I ask the audience, why is Dieno so awesome?
Why do you like watching Dieno?
Bottom, bottom, bottom. Cute. Gay.
Ah... like, lots of butt stuff.
Lot of butt stuff.
Lips and butt.
For at least the last 15 years,
Dieno has purported to be a quote/unquote,
"aggressively gay wrester," who,
to be honest, uses some pretty offensive stereotypes
to get over with the crowd.
But the crowd eats it up...
and no one seems to really have a handle on who
Dieno is as a real person, making him at once a
very enigmatic and provocative character.
Ah!
Japan is known for such a strong style of wrestling.
What drew you to the style of wrestling that you do?
A lot of the tactics you employ in the ring
could be considered pretty offensive.
How do you feel you represent the gay community
with your wrestling?
Agh!
How much of Dieno the person is being represented
by Dieno the character?
He's real gay.
Agh!
Mr. Takagi-san is the controller of the company
in a lot of ways.
What kind of relationship do you have with him,
creatively, and just kind of workwise?
Mr. Takagi, given that international awareness of
DDT is growing by the day, is it dangerous for you to
be putting up the company at such a key time for it?
Ah, Danshoku Dieno marriage.
- Ah, peace in the world. -
Danshoku Dieno marriage.
- Peace! In the world. -
- Konnichiwa. - Konnichiwa.
- Morning. Damian. - Ah, hi.
Nice to meet you.
It's surreal right now to be riding the train with you
'cause the last time I saw you on a train,
you were wrestling people.
Ah!
Oh!
We're about to watch a street match, so...
We're waiting for wrestling...
Outside.
Oh!
The toilet plunge, versus toilet plunger
death match at this point.
Oh!
And now it goes in the ring.
Now a boxing match has broken out.
Oh my!
I don't know what the fuck I just watched.
It was a match that started outside and
ended in a sumo's bathtub.
- Hello, yeah. - Alright.
Let's go to heaven.
This is Toudoukan pro wrestling shop.
- And who's that? - Tiger Mask
Boom.
When you were a kid,
did you buy a lot of wrestling tapes or DVDs?
Yeah, yeah. Rental. Rent.
- Rent them? - Yes.
And, my first watching pro wrestling for the rent video.
It is this video.
- That's the one? - Yes.
- This is what led you... - First video.
- Anoki right there. - Anoki, entire match.
So, did you buy these magazines when you were little?
Yes.
And now, you're in these magazines.
Yes.
And you're so young. It's awesome.
So, first time magazine.
- Front cover. - Look at this.
- Me. -
Few wrestlers on the planet are more
critically acclaimed than Kota Ibushi.
While publically his star has shone most brightly in Japan,
his global influence on the current generation of
up and coming wrestlers can't be overstated.
His matches with Kenny Omega at DDT are the stuff of legend,
helping to propel both wrestlers and the company
to the vanguard of wrestling.
Recently Kota has distanced himself from DDT,
preferring to be a free agent with no contractual
obligation to any one single company.
To say that I'm excited to meet Kota Ibushi
would be a gross understatement.
He's one of my all-time favourite wrestlers and a
big reason why I've followed Japanese wrestling.
Yeah! Yeah!
Again.
Agh! Agh!
What is the type of wrestler that you think you are?
How do you define yourself as a wrestler?
I think the thing that always strikes me
about wrestling is there's almost a,
a deep-rooted conservativism to it that there's
very similar end
they want to get to the biggest company in America,
or they want to get to the biggest company in Japan,
or the biggest company in Mexico.
I guess...
having been at these biggest companies,
what motivates you, still?
I've always felt for something to become a true art form,
the means of production have to be
in the hands of the artist.
Do you think we're at that point now in wrestling?
Ryogoku Sumo Hall is one of
the most famous arenas in the world.
Traditionally the epicenter of Japanese sumo wrestling,
this 11,098-capacity venue is now often used
for professional wrestling as well.
This mainstage is steeped in tradition,
protocol, and order, but for one night a year...
Peter Pan.
It is on this night that Takagi's brain child
comes to life and terrorizes these hallowed halls.
It must be pretty exciting getting to watch
dad wrestle tonight.
There's a lot of stakes tonight riding on this match.
Are you nervous at all about this?
Part of what makes DDT so popular with its fan base
is its long lasting and complex story lines.
I'm meeting up with Hanae at Peter Pan to get a
super fan's perspective on the in-ring action.
Plus, I need someone to help me understand
what the hell is going on.
Today's match between Takagi and Dieno is billed as
a timed weapons death match.
Each wrestler has pre-selected a series of
weapons specifically designed to inflict
maximum damage to their opponent.
If Dieno loses, he'll be forced to marry a
life partner of Takagi's choosing.
But if Takagi loses, Dieno gains
creative control of the company.
Yay!
Dieno! Dieno!
- Ah! - Oh!
Agh!
Ah! Ah! Ah!
- Oh, no. - Wow! Oh my God.
He's gonna smash it.
They are gay. They are real gay.
Now they're assaulting Takagi.
One of the guy's doing a blow job,
it looks like, to Takagi.
- Now they're raping a man. - Yes.
Oh my God, look at Takagi-san.
- Wow! - He's stripping.
- Who's that woman? - Dieno's mother.
- Dieno's mom. - Mother. Dieno's mother.
Oh!
Takagi's wife.
Whoa.
I met her before this. I had no idea.
Agh!
- Oh... what's she gonna...? - Wow!
Is she gonna do a moonsault?
What's she doing?
Oh! Shit!
Takagi's wife did a fucking moonsault.
And now Dieno runs DDT.
I'm gonna miss Japan. I'm gonna miss it here.
Huge weekend for ya.
But this was not like every other year,
because you walked away in control of the company.
I think you're probably aware of this,
that you're one of the most controversial characters
in DDT for international audiences.
There's this moment for DDT right now of
international expansion, DDT Universe,
of course, going worldwide.
Is there any need to address this international audience
or is more just kind of keeping what you're doing?
It's a huge honour to get to do this.
I was hoping I'd get to meet you before I left.
Well, I don't know if you're aware of this,
but you're a lot of people's first exposure to DDT
internationally because you've become subject to
more than one viral video at this point.
Are you kind of aware of this, you know,
ambassador for DDT role that you kind of play?
And I guess the last thing I really wanted to know is,
what's your workout regime?