>At DDT’s Ueno show on the 20th, Jun Akiyama (55), who is set to challenge for the KO-D Openweight Championship, clashed in a 3-Way tag battle with Kazusada Higuchi (36) and Yuki Ueno (29).
>The KO-D title will first be defended on the 30th at Tokyo’s Higashin Arena, where reigning champion Higuchi faces Akiyama in his second defense. The winner will then meet Ueno the following day, the 31st, at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. On this day, the three squared off in a 3-Way tag match. The furious back-and-forth, with six men constantly cycling in and out, unfolded both inside and outside the ring.
>Akiyama, who started the match, struck Ueno with chops and headbutts on the floor, then returned to the ring to spike him with a piledriver. He then exchanged chops with Higuchi before throwing him with an exploder, showing off his sharp form. In the end, he hurled Ishida with a wrist-clutch exploder to score the three-count, leading to an intense staredown with Higuchi and Ueno.
>After the match, Akiyama gave a fearless smile: “It’s good that I managed to win this preliminary match, but the real thing is nothing like this.” This will be his first challenge since losing the title in August 2021, but he brimmed with confidence about reclaiming it: “The real match is one-on-one. That’s where I’m strongest and can show my true power.”
https://x.com/tospo_battle/status/1958161372833042718