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Q&A w/ Yuki Ueno on DDT WRESTLE PETER PAN, The 37KAMIINA, Life + More!

1 week ago Vertical Bison | MP

Vertical Bison | MP

Q&A w/ Yuki Ueno on DDT WRESTLE PETER PAN, The 37KAMIINA, Life + More!

By: Pep S. Caro

DDT Pro Wrestling has been running its summer programming in Japan and will host a new edition of WRESTLE PETER PAN in August. The 2025 edition of the event will take place over two days: August 30 at Higashin Arena and August 31 at Korakuen Hall. One of the matches confirmed for the first night is a showdown between Kazusada Higuchi (c) and Jun Akiyama for the KO-D Openweight Championship. There’s extra pressure because the winner of this match will have to defend the belt against Yuki Ueno, former Champion, on the second night of WRESTLE PETER PAN 2025.

I had the opportunity to interview Yuki Ueno, DDT’s KO-D Openweight Championship challenger on the second night of WRESTLE PETER PAN 2025, before this important show. The topics covered include his beginnings in wrestling, The 37KAMIINA, winning the Universal Championship, WRESTLE PETER PAN 2025, Jun Akiyama, Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes, his personal life, and much more.

Monthly Puroresu: This year marks your 9th anniversary, and you’ve achieved several accomplishments to date. Why did you decide to become a wrestler?

Ueno: So, I believe it was during my second year of high school, I went to support (Konosuke) Takeshita. He was obviously a friend of mine in school. So, when I saw how exciting wrestling was that time I experienced it live and I saw how good Takeshita was, and if Takeshita loves wrestling, I thought maybe I’ll give it a try too. And that’s how he became a pro wrestler.

Monthly Puroresu: What motivates you to compete now?

Ueno: So, obviously right now, I want to show everyone how great is the DDT that I love. That DDT is the best. I want to do my best to show how great DDT is.

Monthly Puroresu: Do you have any wrestlers you consider role models for your style? Whether it’s the moves you use or what you project in the ring?

Ueno: For my style of wrestling, I don’t think there’s really anyone in particular. But there’s two movements in particular that are used by other wrestlers. It would be the WR from HUB, he’s a wrestler based in Osaka. And then the Blackout Sleeper from Cara Noir.

Monthly Puroresu: You’re part of the faction The 37KAMIINA. Together, you’ve achieved many achievements and championships. How would you describe the faction’s growth process? What’s the relationship between the members like now?

Ueno: Of course, in the beginning the group was Takeshita, MAO, Shunma (Katsumata), and myself, you know, the four of us. And then To-y joined us halfway through. But, after that, Takeshita left for the US. MAO just recently left and joined STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION. From the beginning until now obviously we’ve been growing, we’ve been leveling up and we’ve been constantly evolving our skills in the ring. So, now, it’s obviously only just three of us. But, you know, even after Takeshita and MAO left, we’re still very close. We still share a bond and that is our love for pro wrestling and our love for sauna.

Monthly Puroresu: To date, you’ve had three reigns as DDT Universal Champion. The first began during the COVID-19 era. You defeated Chris Brookes at Ultimate Party 2020. What did winning the championship mean to you at that point in your career? Do you have any defenses you’d like to highlight?

Ueno: When I won the Universal belt for the very first time, I felt like I still didn’t knew much about pro wrestling at that point of time. So, I felt like instead of how important I was as a wrestler, I felt like that raising the prestige of the belt was more important. So, I was wondering what I could do, you know, for the belt. To raise the value of the belt.

And when it comes to any special defenses, I would say it was a match against Yukio Sakaguchi in Kawasaki.

Monthly Puroresu: In 2023, you reached the pinnacle of DDT and defeated Brookes again at Ultimate Party to win the KO-D Openweight Championship. What did winning the Championship mean to you at that point in your career? What impressions did Brookes leave on you as a competitor this time around? Do you have any notable defenses?

Ueno: Compared to the match in 2023, this time I was challenging Chris Brookes, you know, the face of DDT at the point of time. And at the time I was the next challenger for Chris, you know, I was wondering if I was suitable as the face of the company and whether I had the power to carry the promotion. To be the face of the company.

So, this time, compared to back then it was like two guys, two top guys of the promotion going head-to-head against each other. So, when I was fighting for the Universal Belt back then, you know, when the match started, it just happened all of a sudden in a flash. And then before I realized it, the match was over. But this time, when I fought for the KO-D Openweight Belt, you know, I could remember every single second of the entire match. It felt like Chris and I were having a conversation through our fists.

And in terms of special defenses, every single match was special to me. So, I can’t really pick a single one. Because at that point of time, being the KO-D Openweight Champion, felt like it was the most important period of my entire career.

Monthly Puroresu: Summer continues to heat up, and DDT has two nights of WRESTLE PETER PAN on August 30 and 31. On the first night, you’ll team with Shinya Aoki and Kazuma Sumi to face MAO, KANON, and KUMADORI. MAO left The 37KAMIINA and formed STRANGE LOVE CONNECTION. What are your expectations for this match?

Ueno: So, as for the three competitors, first MAO. He obviously, he left The 37KAMIINA with no negative feelings. He left as he has fulfilled what he had come to do in The 37KAMIINA. So, no jealousy, no anger whatsoever. I’m very excited to go against MAO. As for KANON, he left, well, he was removed from Damnation TA. And I had many matches against KANON while he was still in Damnation TA. So, I’m looking forward to see what he has in store. Whereas for Kumadori, I’m very excited because he had a slight injury recently and he’s technically coming back from an injury. And I want to see how, Kumadori is going to face me. And I’m very looking forward to see how he fights because he has very high motivation going into pro wrestling. And I want to show the fans how that Kumadori is really looking forward to wrestle again, through my wrestling.

Monthly Puroresu: In recent times we’ve seen entertainment figures coming into pro wrestling and competing in DDT. Like Kumadori, there’s also Sakuraba and Kaisei Takechi. What are your expectations to what they can provide to DDT?

Ueno: Of course, I’m very excited to see what they can bring to pro wrestling here in DDT. Of course, you know, whether it’s dance, stage performance or performing on a live, on a big stage. Each of them, they have their own unique way of expression in those individual fields. So, how would these individual fields, you know, translate into a wrestling ring? I myself personally want to see how they would, you know, get the fans more excited through their own unique ways of expressing themselves.

Monthly Puroresu: On the second night, you’ll have a KO-D Openweight Championship match against either Kazusada Higuchi or Jun Akiyama, who will fight on Night 1. What are your expectations for this match? What are your impressions of Higuchi as a competitor? What are your impressions of Akiyama as a competitor?

Ueno: Well, (Kazusada) Higuchi-san, he’s a very tough wrestler. He is one of the strongest, you know? Like his core, his willpower is one of the strongest amongst all the wrestlers in DDT. And his aura, his presence is basically like a big giant mountain. Whereas for, you know, Akiyama-san, he has a long wrestling career. We all know that. And his career has led him to DDT where, you know, his conditioning is in pretty big form recently. He’s very strong. He’s very scary. He’s very interesting.

So, you know, it’s very hard for me to choose either one because as for Akiyama-san, I have not really faced him in a single match for a long time. And for a title match, we have not had a match either. Whereas for Higuchi-san, you know, I lost to him at Tokyo Dome City Hall in a (KO-D Openweight) Title match and recently in the tournament I lost to Higuchi as well. So, you know, if I had to choose, I’ll probably go for Higuchi right now.

Monthly Puroresu: You also had other, slightly shorter reigns with the Universal belt. In 2023 and early 2025, you lost at JUDGMENT 2025 in Korakuen Hall to Minoru Suzuki. How did you feel about the match? What are your impressions of Suzuki as a competitor?

Ueno: Going into the match against Minoru Suzuki-san, I was looking forward to face him. I was a bit scare to face him, but I was also very excited to face against him because what I believe that a pro wrestler should be is what Suzuki-san projects in the ring. His stance as a wrestler is something that I want to have too myself. That’s also what I want to show to the fans, I respect him as an opponent. In a sense, wrestling against him gets my blood pumping. Maybe in a sense, my blood loss is boiling a little bit. So, I really respect Suzuki-san as a wrestler. And I feel like I’m the one who will surpass him eventually.

Monthly Puroresu: You participated in DDT’s tour of the United States in 2023 and 2024. You were unable to participate this year. Are you interested in competing in the United States again? Are there any other countries you’d like to compete in?

Ueno: I would love to wrestle in America again. But obviously, I love to wrestle in the DDT ring more than in America. So, if they want to come to DDT, it’ll be great. But for me to go to America again, it probably would have to be with others wrestlers from DDT like a DDT Tour. Whereas in countries I would like to go, I think that Thailand and Singapore, because Chris Brookes has recommended me to go there. So, ideally, I would love to go to Thailand with Chris.

Monthly Puroresu: In 2024, we saw you compete in a high-caliber main event featuring wrestlers who are poised to be the present and future of Japanese wrestling. Along with Kaito Kiyomiya and Shota Umino, you defeated Konosuke Takeshita, Shun Skywalker, and Yuya Uemura at ALL TOGETHER. How did you feel about that match? How do you feel about representing DDT at an interpromotional event? What are your impressions of those who participated in this match?

Ueno: So, for the very first ALL TOGETHER show, I felt like it was only a beginning, you know, like the kickstart to everything else that would lead to what we have today. Whereas to represent DDT in that main event, it felt like it was natural, you know, winning the belt, having many records in DDT. It was good that I could show what I could do in the ring. I had no pressure. I had no fear going to the match.

Whereas for the impressions of those who participated in the match, you know, obviously, aside from Takeshita, I knew that I could learn how the different guys expressed themselves in the ring, you know, since they’re from different promotions, they wrestle in a different style, they express it in a different way. But again, it felt like just, a very simple brief, you know, like a “Hello! Nice to meet you!” kind of thing. So, it’s only the first step. What goes on after that, you know, we don’t know yet.

Monthly Puroresu: Along those same lines, we saw you at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s WRESTLE MAGIC 2025. With CYBER FIGHT FESTIVAL becoming less frequent, in a sense, it’s become less common to see DDT and NOAH wrestlers at the same event. This one also featured wrestlers from NJPW and Dragon Gate. What were your impressions of this match? How do you feel about representing DDT at an interpromotional event? What are your impressions of those who participated in this match?

Ueno: So, about WRESTLE MAGIC, you know, it’s a surprise. So, not many people know what was going to happen at the show. So, it’s mostly NOAH fans there.  So, I wanted to go in the match to show how much I can enjoy myself in the ring. Whereas for that match itself, you know, YOSHI-HASHI-san has very strong Chops. I would like to see him going against To-y in like a Chop battle in a sense. Whereas for Daiki Inaba, I would like to see he’s very strong. I would like to see go up against like Yuki Ishida or Shunma Katsumata. Whereas for Ryohei Oiwa, I would like to see him go against Shinya Aoki. I would like to see how all the different guys from that match, you know, go up against my friends and wrestlers from DDT and see how that would end up eventually.

Monthly Puroresu: You also just competed in the main event of Shinjuku FACE’s 20th anniversary show. It was a 20-minute time limit draw, teaming with All Japan’s Atsushi Aoyagi to face Brookes and New Japan’s Hiromu Takahashi. How did you feel about that match? What are your impressions of Hiromu and Atsushi as competitors? Would you like to face them in singles matches?

Ueno: So, about the Shinjuku FACE 20th Anniversary, you could say FACE it’s the second most famous wrestling spot in Tokyo after Korakuen Hall. And the show there was so enjoyable, whether it’s the people at the event hall, the fans, and even the wrestlers at the show. So, whereas for Atsushi Aoyagi, we have face each other many times, but it was actually the very first time we were a tag team. So, he’s actually very big, he’s very tall. And with all that size, he could still do a Moonsault (laughing). So, it really surprises me. And the one thing I felt unique was when he speaks, you would never expect the words that come out from his mouth.

And of course, Hiromu Takahashi was in that match. My image of Hiromu Takashi going to the match was like, you know, he’s full of passion. He’s very energetic, very powerful. And entering the ring, he’s way beyond anything I’ve imagined. But, you know, he’s full of power, he’s full of passion, you know, that part really surprised me. And like how we said earlier, you know, how when I fought against Suzuki-san for the first time, I had this kind of similar feeling to Suzuki with Hiromu-san. So, you know, there’s this spark, I want to maybe, you know, see more of that in the future.

Monthly Puroresu: We’ve seen that UJPW has opened up many possibilities for Dream Match matches. Wrestlers like Konosuke Takeshita, who are signed to multiple companies, can also compete with wrestlers from all over the world. If you could choose an opponent you haven’t faced yet, one from Japan and one from anywhere else in the world, who would you choose?

Ueno: I don’t really have, in a sense, a lot of people, but I want to fight the people that I respect, you know? Like, if I have to go to New Japan to face Hiromu Takashi, he I love to do it. Whether it’s Cara Noir in the UK, Mike Bailey, Nick Wayne, Gringo Loco in the US, you know, I would love to do it. So, there’s a lot of wrestlers. I would love to face all the guys I really respect in this new world where you could wrestle almost anyone.

Monthly Puroresu: You had the chance to compete in AEW Dark in the past. We also have seen wrestlers from AEW coming to DDT like Chris Jericho in 2023 or MxM Collection last month. Would you be interested in competing there if there was a chance?

Ueno: So, I don’t really have a lot of desire, like, oh, I want to go to AEW right away. But, you know, it’s the place where Takeshita has recently built his legacy. He’s important there. So, I would love to see, you know, give it the opportunity, and see the scenario where Takeshita is right now, if there is a chance that I can.

Monthly Puroresu: Moving away from wrestling, could you tell us about your hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not in a match?

Ueno: So, the things I do on my free time are training and in that specifically at Gold’s Gym, having coffee and watching films.

Monthly Puroresu: About movies, do you like to watch them in the cinema or at home?

Ueno: Yes, I like to watch movies in the cinema or at home!

Monthly Puroresu: Can you please tell us the name of the last movie you saw?

Ueno: I have a list, let me find where I keep it. I really love watching Japanese films in particular… Ok, some recent films I watched are “The Beekeeper” which is an American Action film, it was fun. And “On the Street” directed by Rikiya Imaizumi.

Monthly Puroresu: Thank you for participating in this interview. Finally, do you have any message for your fans and the DDT fans around the world reading this?

Ueno: So, there’s this unique and very special promotion in Japan called DDT Pro Wrestling, so, if you are reading this on America or anywhere in the world, please check it out on Wrestle Universe. Peace!

 

We would like to thank Vertical Bison for the Art Direction, Ash Mann for the live interpretation and the DDT Pro Wrestling team for all the facilities provided to conduct this interview.

Date:

August 11, 2025

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