Photo c/o DDT Pro-Wrestling
By: James Carlin
Yesterday’s important announcement that was shared on SNS by DDT Pro-Wrestling has been revealed; as Yukio Sakaguchi has said that he will retire on February 7th. He will appearing at Korakuen Hall on January 28th and on February 4th at Arcus Hall before hanging up the boots. Sakaguchi is a nine-time KO-D 6-Man champion, a three-time KO-D Tag Team champion, and also held the KO-D Openweight Championship in 2015.
Sakaguchi said that he believed that the time was now right for him to retire, following the decision to disband Eruption after the group lost their All Asia Tag Team Championships to Atsushi Onita and Toy Kojima in a Current Blast Bat & Board Deathmatch.
Unlike the traditional retirement roads of those such as his former Eruption stablemate Saki Akai, who retired in November last year, Sakaguchi stated that he doesn’t want a long retirement road, wishing for the focus to be put on current and future performers instead.
He also spoke of wanting to settle his score with HARASHIMA – the singles match has now been decided as his retirement match on February 7th. He also said that he would like to face Hideki Okatani, his former Eruption tag team partner, before retiring.
Sakaguchi also appeared in Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling with Saki Akai as part of the French aristocratic group NEO Biishiki-gun, using the name Yukio Saint-Laurent.
Yukio Sakaguchi, Saki Akai and Kazusada Higuchi, Eruption, with the KO-D 6-Man Titles in 2020. c/o DDT Pro Wrestling
Yuki Ueno, current KO-D Openweight Champion, said that his match against Sakaguchi for the DDT Universal Championship was one the matches he was proud of. He also said that he’ll be waiting to have some laughs over some Shaoxing wine with him following his retirement.
急すぎるとか、寂しいとか、KO-D無差別を賭けていつかやりたかったし、やれると思ってたのに！！もっと先伸ばして欲しい！とか、子どもみたいにたくさんのわがままな言葉が心に出てきてしまったけど…
強くてわんぱくで優しくて、いつも最強にかっこいい大人の坂口さんの決めたこと。…— 上野 勇希 YUKI UENO @サウナカミーナ (@dna_ueno) January 15, 2024
Ash Mann, English language correspondant for DDT, posted his shock at the news saying that he was completely unaware of what the announcement would be.
I wasn't even aware wtf
— アッシュ・Ash (@ash_mann1021) January 15, 2024
GAMI, of Pro-Wrestling WAVE, called the retirement shocking and thanked Sakaguchi for his work.
ゆきおさん引退！！！！
これはショック！でもお疲れ様でした https://t.co/5Z15g5Ph3l
— GAMI 2024年2月4日は後楽園！チケット絶賛発売中！ (@gamilibre) January 15, 2024
-Hideki Okatani, formerly of Eruption, said that he’ll share everything that he learned from teaming with Sakaguchi.
学んだことを全てぶつけます。#ddtpro https://t.co/mzvuRvpfuq
— 岡谷英樹 (@okatani_) January 15, 2024
Kazuada Higuchi, posting a picture of Eruption, saying that they’ll continue doing it “Our way, DDT’s way, Sakaguchi’s way” until the end.
最後まで坂口さんらしく、俺ららしく、DDTらしく！#ddtpro pic.twitter.com/Yjd6h5zNEb
— 樋口 和貞 Higuchi Kazusada (@kazusada185cm) January 15, 2024
HARASHIMA, responding to being nominated as Sakaguchi’s last match, said that he has a lot of thoughts right now, and that he’ll be holding onto them until Sakaguchi’s retirement.
指名されました
いろいろな思いが有り過ぎるよ
…最後までガッチリと⭐#ddtpro https://t.co/wPqzLqzxLG
— HARASHIMA (@HARASHIMA_DDT) January 15, 2024
Date:
January 15, 2024
Category:
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