Jun Akiyama & Masato Tanaka vs. Mammoth Sasaki & Hayabusa Set for Megumi Kudo’s 40th Anniversary Event on 10/17

By: Ian McCord 

On September 11th, Pro Wrestling ZERO1 General Manager and joshi legend Megumi Kudo added two more matches to her 40th Anniversary event on October 17th at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium in Tokyo.

One of the featured bouts announced for the anniversary show is a special tag team match featuring DDT’s Jun Akiyama and ZERO1’s Masato Tanaka facing off against FREEDOM’s Mammoth Sasaki and ZERO1’s Hayabusa, with the legendary Kenta Kobashi serving as the matches special guest referee. This will be Masato Tanaka’s in-ring return since undergoing surgery for bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome at the beginning of September.

Following the announcement, Hayabusa took to social media to share his excitement for the upcoming bout. The ZERO1 star stated that it is an honor to face Akiyama with Kobashi as the special guest referee. However, Hayabusa also went on to say that he plans on picking up an impressive victory in honor of Megumi Kudo’s 40th anniversary.

From Hayabusa via X:

“On October 17, I will be competing in Megumi Kudo’s 40th Anniversary Tournament, to be held at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium. This will be my first time teaming up with Mammoth, my first match against Akiyama, and Tanaka’s return match following elbow surgery. With Kobashi serving as the referee, this promises to be a spectacular bout. It’s an honor to face Akiyama and to have Kobashi referee the match, but I don’t intend to stop there. On the day of the event, I’m going to secure a spectacular victory to celebrate GM Kudo’s 40th anniversary. The fun is just beginning.”

(English Translation via DeepL)

The other match added to the 40th Anniversary event is another special tag team match, this one featuring Pro-Wrestling EVOLUTION’s Suwama & Freelancer Akira Raijin taking on the ZERO1’s NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions Junya Matsunaga and Tsugutaka Sato in a non-title matchup.