Sekimoto Returns with Championship Aspirations at BJW Korakuen Show on 7/27

By: Thom Fain

TOKYO – Daisuke Sekimoto made his highly anticipated return to Big Japan Wrestling at Korakuen Hall on Sunday, announcing plans to continue wrestling until age 50 while working as a freelancer, as BJW delivered solid action to a disappointingly small crowd of 504 fans.

The veteran strongman partnered with So Daimonji to defeat the hardcore duo of Ryuji Ito and Abdullah Kobayashi in 15:46, finishing Kobayashi with his signature lariat in what was billed as his official return match. Following the victory, the 44-year-old Sekimoto expressed his intention to wrestle for six more years until reaching the half-century mark, planning to work independently rather than sign exclusively with any promotion.

The evening’s main championship bout saw Kosuke Sato successfully defend his BJW Jr. Heavyweight Title against Jacob Crane in a hard-fought 20:54 encounter, with Sato connecting with his Bloody Sunday finisher to retain the belt in his first defense. The loss was a setback for the Polish wrestler, who had been building momentum since joining BJW.

Crane recently reflected on his journey with the promotion in an interview with Monthly Puroresu, stating: “Since joining BJW on my first tour back in April last year I feel like I was able to establish myself, and not just be ‘another foreigner’. Also looking back at who I was when I left Europe, and who I am today, I improved a lot as a performer and as a human being. Now I can proudly say that not only am I the first Polish pro wrestler to wrestle in Japan, but I am also the first Polish pro wrestler to main event Korakuen Hall and I like to think of that achievement as something really special.”

Despite the quality wrestling throughout the six-match card, attendance numbers highlighted ongoing challenges for BJW as competition from alternative promotions like Pro-Wrestling NOAH and DDT Pro-Wrestling have emerged as rivals since Big Japan’s inception in the 1990s. The show opened with Strong J action as Kaji Tomato and Kota Sekifuda defeated Tatsuhiko Yoshino and Ryuma Sekimo in 8:21, with Tomato’s Speed move finishing Sekimo.

The card also featured a brief but intense hardcore match where Kankuro Hoshino and Channing Decker topped Masaya Takahashi and Kazumi Kikuta in 6:52 via Hoshino’s G Shock Latch. Ryota Hama picked up a singles victory over Koshiro Asakura with his Ookido Press in 6:49, while an eight-man tag saw Leyton Buzzard, Takuya Nomura, Fuminori Abe and Yuya Aoki defeat Daichi Hashimoto, Hideyoshi Kamitani, Yasufumi Nakanoue and Kazumasa Yoshida when Buzzard connected with his Buzz Killer on Hashimoto after 14 minutes.

BJW continues to deliver the hard-hitting action that has defined the promotion, with Sekimoto’s return providing a veteran presence as the company looks to build momentum heading into the remainder of 2025.

BJW Background

Big Japan Wrestling was founded in 1995 by Shinya Kojika as an offshoot of the original Big Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. The company quickly established itself as one of Japan’s premier hardcore wrestling organizations, becoming synonymous with ultraviolent deathmatches featuring light tubes, barbed wire, and fire.

Throughout its nearly three-decade history, BJW has been home to legendary hardcore wrestlers including Mick Foley during his Cactus Jack days, Jun Kasai, Ryuji Ito, and Abdullah Kobayashi. The promotion gained international recognition for its annual tournaments like the Ikkitousen Strong Climb tournament and has maintained a reputation for discovering and developing tough, hard-hitting talent.

Korakuen Hall has served as BJW’s spiritual home venue, with the company running regular shows at the 1,800-capacity arena in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward. The venue, built in 1962, is considered sacred ground in Japanese professional wrestling, having hosted countless legendary matches across multiple promotions over more than six decades.

All photos copyright Monthly Puroresu, by Masahiro Kubota

Masahiro Kubota | MP