Chris Brookes forms SCHADENFREUDE International

SCHADENFREUDE is forever… as the old European-birthed unit will now be in DDT.

By: James Carlin

A new faction has been announced following the main event of DDT Ultimate Party, and its called SCHADENFREUDE International. The group consists of Chris Brookes and Masa Takanashi (CDK), as well as Antonio Honda and Takeshi Masada. The group came about following Brookes’ loss of the KO-D Openweight Championship to Yuki Ueno, but he felt more motivated than ever, and decided to create the unit.

SCHADENFREUDE in its original iteration when it was first created in Europe in 2018 consisted of Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos (CCK), Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis (Aussie Open), Timothy Thatcher, Jonathan Gresham, Lucky Kid, and Kid Lykos 2. Now, the group has split into various places internationally in multiple promotions, but its core members of Brookes, Lykos, Fletcher, Davis and Lykos 2 still remain in touch, even if the group isn’t active. Brookes has continued to wear the SCHADENFREUDE logo on his ring gear despite the original group’s inactivity, and now the name has been revived once more.

With the announcement of SCHADENFREUDE International in DDT Pro-Wrestling, it looks as though Brookes’ original CCK tag team partner wants back into the group. The two last teamed together in DDT for two matches last year, marking CCK’s first matches since Kid Lykos’ injury in 2019.

We have space for one more.

— Chris Brookes クリス・ブルックス (@OBEYBrookes) November 12, 2023

At Ultimate Party, AEW star Chris Jericho graced the DDT squared circle against KONOSUKE TAKESHITA. Could this mean that AEW’s Aussie Open could also find their way over to reunite with Brookes? Who knows, but one thing is for certain: SCHADENFREUDE is not a cult.

Q&A with Chris Brookes, on life in Japan and wrestling inspiration