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00:00:48,417 --> 00:00:52,377
Yoshihiko! Yoshihiko!
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00:02:22,728 --> 00:02:25,035
Those within the wrestling
community would say that
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00:02:25,078 --> 00:02:28,038
while Mexico is the
spiritual center of wrestling,
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Japan is the
burning heart of it.
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This is said because in
the last few decades,
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Japan has consistently
produced wrestling that has
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00:02:34,784 --> 00:02:37,439
not only pushed the physical
bounds and creativity,
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00:02:37,482 --> 00:02:40,529
but the actual definition
of what pro wrestling is and
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where it should happen.
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00:02:42,748 --> 00:02:44,402
So we're going to the
outer fringe of this
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00:02:44,446 --> 00:02:46,274
ever-expanding
universe to see
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00:02:46,317 --> 00:02:50,060
Dramatic Dream Team
Wrestling, or DDT.
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For years they've been
creating events that have
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enthralled Japanese
audiences and perplexed
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00:02:54,369 --> 00:02:56,936
foreign ones peering
in from the internet.
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So prepare yourselves for a
journey into the mind of DDT.
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00:03:00,940 --> 00:03:03,943
First stop, DDT Beer Garden,
a weeklong event
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where the wrestlers act as
servers, wrestlers,
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and consumers to the
delight of their loyal fans.
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Kanpai!
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Kanpai!
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Oh!
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So the man in the far corner
in the black trunks is Takagi.
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He's the owner of DDT
and the founder of it.
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Whoa!
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Some 20 years ago,
he saw that there was
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a hole in Japanese pro wrestling
for a, for a real
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creatively free canvas on
which these guys could paint,
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so he started Dramatic
Dream Team Wrestling, and...
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Oh!
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As you can see...
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it's a very unique
place to this day.
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You should drink beer.
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We gotta drink some beers,
apparently.
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♪
Tokyo... ♪
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I want to see you go.
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♪ I want to see you go.
I got to make you go. ♪
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♪ I want to see you go.
I want to make you go. ♪
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♪ I want to see you go.
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Go, here we... go!
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♪
Go! Go! Go!
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A lot of the branding of DDT
is geared towards women,
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often utilizing a genre
of media specific to Japan
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called Yaoi,
or boys' love,
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as it's known in English.
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00:11:40,285 --> 00:11:42,766
Yaoi is essentially
male homoerotic imagery or
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00:11:42,810 --> 00:11:46,161
stories created predominantly
for female consumption.
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It's existed in Japan
since the 1970s and
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00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:50,905
is normally Anime or Manga.
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00:11:50,948 --> 00:11:53,777
Looking at DDT, and
especially Dieno,
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00:11:53,821 --> 00:11:55,953
from a foreign perspective,
it seems like they've been
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heavily influenced by Yaoi.
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The purest expression of
this being DDT
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calendars and magazines.
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We're going with Dieno right
now to record a livestream
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00:12:09,924 --> 00:12:12,622
where he's gonna
play some video games.
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- No.
- Oh.
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00:12:28,986 --> 00:12:30,858
- Oh!
- Agh!
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00:12:34,905 --> 00:12:36,777
How often do you go
online and play games
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with people watching like this?
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Can I ask the audience,
why is Dieno so awesome?
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Why do you like
watching Dieno?
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Bottom, bottom,
bottom. Cute. Gay.
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Ah... like, lots of butt stuff.
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Lot of butt stuff.
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Lips and butt.
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00:13:26,652 --> 00:13:28,654
For at least the
last 15 years,
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Dieno has purported to be a
quote/unquote,
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00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:33,659
"aggressively
gay wrester," who,
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to be honest, uses some
pretty offensive stereotypes
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to get over
with the crowd.
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But the crowd eats it up...
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00:13:39,317 --> 00:13:41,493
and no one seems to really
have a handle on who
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Dieno is as a real person,
making him at once a
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00:13:45,062 --> 00:13:48,631
very enigmatic and
provocative character.
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Ah!
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Japan is known for such a
strong style of wrestling.
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What drew you to the style
of wrestling that you do?
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A lot of the tactics you
employ in the ring
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00:15:14,412 --> 00:15:16,414
could be considered
pretty offensive.
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00:15:16,458 --> 00:15:18,895
How do you feel you
represent the gay community
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with your wrestling?
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00:15:39,916 --> 00:15:41,178
Agh!
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00:15:58,587 --> 00:16:01,111
Agh!
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00:16:01,155 --> 00:16:04,680
How much of Dieno the person
is being represented
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by Dieno the character?
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He's real gay.
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Agh!
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Mr. Takagi-san is the
controller of the company
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in a lot of ways.
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00:17:03,521 --> 00:17:04,783
What kind of relationship
do you have with him,
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creatively, and
just kind of workwise?
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Mr. Takagi, given that
international awareness of
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DDT is growing by the day,
is it dangerous for you to
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be putting up the company
at such a key time for it?
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00:20:04,136 --> 00:20:05,877
Ah, Danshoku Dieno
marriage.
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00:20:05,921 --> 00:20:08,097
- Ah, peace in the world.
-
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00:20:12,232 --> 00:20:13,711
Danshoku Dieno marriage.
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00:20:16,627 --> 00:20:22,372
- Peace! In the world.
-
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00:20:31,033 --> 00:20:33,470
- Konnichiwa.
- Konnichiwa.
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00:20:33,514 --> 00:20:35,516
- Morning. Damian.
- Ah, hi.
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00:20:35,559 --> 00:20:37,039
Nice to meet you.
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00:20:37,082 --> 00:20:38,736
It's surreal right now to
be riding the train with you
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00:20:38,780 --> 00:20:40,782
'cause the last time
I saw you on a train,
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you were wrestling people.
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Ah!
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00:21:03,674 --> 00:21:05,328
Oh!
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00:21:46,021 --> 00:21:50,155
We're about to
watch a street match, so...
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We're waiting
for wrestling...
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Outside.
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Oh!
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The toilet plunge,
versus toilet plunger
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death match at this point.
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Oh!
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And now it goes in the ring.
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Now a boxing
match has broken out.
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Oh my!
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I don't know what the
fuck I just watched.
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It was a match that
started outside and
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ended in a sumo's bathtub.
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- Hello, yeah.
- Alright.
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00:23:21,464 --> 00:23:22,857
Let's go to heaven.
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This is Toudoukan
pro wrestling shop.
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- And who's that?
- Tiger Mask
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Boom.
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When you were a kid,
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00:23:38,220 --> 00:23:39,482
did you buy a lot of
wrestling tapes or DVDs?
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00:23:39,526 --> 00:23:41,919
Yeah, yeah.
Rental. Rent.
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00:23:41,963 --> 00:23:43,443
- Rent them?
- Yes.
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00:23:43,486 --> 00:23:49,492
And, my first watching pro
wrestling for the rent video.
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It is this video.
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00:23:51,712 --> 00:23:52,930
- That's the one?
- Yes.
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00:23:52,974 --> 00:23:55,455
- This is what led you...
- First video.
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00:23:55,498 --> 00:23:57,326
- Anoki right there.
- Anoki, entire match.
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00:25:50,134 --> 00:25:52,093
So, did you buy these
magazines when you were little?
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00:25:52,136 --> 00:25:53,224
Yes.
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00:25:53,268 --> 00:25:56,053
And now, you're in
these magazines.
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Yes.
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00:25:57,141 --> 00:25:59,274
And you're so young.
It's awesome.
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00:25:59,317 --> 00:26:02,364
So, first time magazine.
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00:26:02,407 --> 00:26:05,846
- Front cover.
- Look at this.
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00:26:05,889 --> 00:26:08,500
- Me.
-
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00:26:30,871 --> 00:26:32,133
Few wrestlers on the
planet are more
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00:26:32,176 --> 00:26:34,396
critically acclaimed
than Kota Ibushi.
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00:26:34,439 --> 00:26:38,008
While publically his star has
shone most brightly in Japan,
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00:26:38,052 --> 00:26:40,184
his global influence
on the current generation of
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00:26:40,228 --> 00:26:43,231
up and coming wrestlers
can't be overstated.
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00:26:43,274 --> 00:26:46,756
His matches with Kenny Omega
at DDT are the stuff of legend,
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helping to propel both
wrestlers and the company
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00:26:49,672 --> 00:26:51,195
to the vanguard of wrestling.
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00:26:52,762 --> 00:26:55,286
Recently Kota has
distanced himself from DDT,
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00:26:55,330 --> 00:26:57,593
preferring to be a free
agent with no contractual
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00:26:57,637 --> 00:27:00,683
obligation to any
one single company.
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00:27:00,727 --> 00:27:02,685
To say that I'm excited to
meet Kota Ibushi
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00:27:02,729 --> 00:27:04,687
would be a gross understatement.
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00:27:04,731 --> 00:27:06,863
He's one of my all-time
favourite wrestlers and a
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00:27:06,907 --> 00:27:09,649
big reason why I've
followed Japanese wrestling.
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00:27:14,566 --> 00:27:18,527
Yeah! Yeah!
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00:27:18,570 --> 00:27:19,571
Again.
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00:27:19,615 --> 00:27:21,878
Agh! Agh!
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00:27:27,231 --> 00:27:29,190
What is the type of wrestler
that you think you are?
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How do you define
yourself as a wrestler?
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I think the thing that
always strikes me
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00:29:44,325 --> 00:29:45,935
about wrestling is
there's almost a,
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a deep-rooted conservativism
to it that there's
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00:29:49,417 --> 00:29:52,159
very similar end
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00:29:52,202 --> 00:29:54,204
they want to get to the biggest
company in America,
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00:29:54,248 --> 00:29:56,424
or they want to get to the
biggest company in Japan,
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00:29:56,467 --> 00:29:58,295
or the biggest
company in Mexico.
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I guess...
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00:29:59,993 --> 00:30:01,995
having been at these
biggest companies,
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00:30:02,038 --> 00:30:03,605
what motivates you, still?
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I've always felt for something
to become a true art form,
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00:30:45,734 --> 00:30:47,649
the means of
production have to be
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00:30:47,692 --> 00:30:49,346
in the hands of the artist.
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00:30:49,390 --> 00:30:51,261
Do you think we're at
that point now in wrestling?
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00:32:04,900 --> 00:32:06,467
Ryogoku Sumo Hall is one of
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00:32:06,510 --> 00:32:08,860
the most famous
arenas in the world.
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00:32:08,904 --> 00:32:11,776
Traditionally the epicenter
of Japanese sumo wrestling,
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this 11,098-capacity venue
is now often used
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00:32:15,737 --> 00:32:17,913
for professional
wrestling as well.
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00:32:17,957 --> 00:32:20,002
This mainstage is
steeped in tradition,
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00:32:20,046 --> 00:32:23,049
protocol, and order, but
for one night a year...
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Peter Pan.
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00:32:24,659 --> 00:32:26,226
It is on this night that
Takagi's brain child
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00:32:26,269 --> 00:32:30,012
comes to life and terrorizes
these hallowed halls.
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00:32:30,056 --> 00:32:31,666
It must be pretty exciting
getting to watch
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00:32:31,709 --> 00:32:33,581
dad wrestle tonight.
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00:32:33,624 --> 00:32:35,844
There's a lot of stakes
tonight riding on this match.
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00:32:35,887 --> 00:32:37,933
Are you nervous
at all about this?
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00:32:48,465 --> 00:32:51,773
Part of what makes DDT so
popular with its fan base
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00:32:51,816 --> 00:32:54,819
is its long lasting and
complex story lines.
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00:32:54,863 --> 00:32:56,952
I'm meeting up with Hanae
at Peter Pan to get a
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00:32:56,996 --> 00:33:00,564
super fan's perspective on
the in-ring action.
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00:33:00,608 --> 00:33:01,783
Plus, I need someone to
help me understand
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00:33:01,826 --> 00:33:03,872
what the hell is going on.
197
00:33:09,834 --> 00:33:12,489
Today's match between Takagi
and Dieno is billed as
198
00:33:12,533 --> 00:33:14,622
a timed weapons death match.
199
00:33:14,665 --> 00:33:16,928
Each wrestler has
pre-selected a series of
200
00:33:16,972 --> 00:33:18,800
weapons specifically
designed to inflict
201
00:33:18,843 --> 00:33:21,803
maximum damage to
their opponent.
202
00:33:21,846 --> 00:33:24,066
If Dieno loses, he'll be
forced to marry a
203
00:33:24,110 --> 00:33:26,286
life partner of
Takagi's choosing.
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00:33:26,329 --> 00:33:28,853
But if Takagi loses,
Dieno gains
205
00:33:28,897 --> 00:33:31,639
creative control
of the company.
206
00:33:47,133 --> 00:33:49,961
Yay!
207
00:34:01,930 --> 00:34:06,108
Dieno! Dieno!
208
00:34:16,684 --> 00:34:18,512
- Ah!
- Oh!
209
00:34:42,753 --> 00:34:45,147
Agh!
210
00:35:11,608 --> 00:35:13,480
Ah! Ah! Ah!
211
00:35:32,107 --> 00:35:34,544
- Oh, no.
- Wow! Oh my God.
212
00:35:34,588 --> 00:35:36,416
He's gonna smash it.
213
00:35:48,558 --> 00:35:51,909
They are gay.
They are real gay.
214
00:35:55,652 --> 00:35:57,785
Now they're
assaulting Takagi.
215
00:35:57,828 --> 00:35:59,395
One of the guy's
doing a blow job,
216
00:35:59,439 --> 00:36:01,180
it looks like, to Takagi.
217
00:36:19,763 --> 00:36:22,157
- Now they're raping a man.
- Yes.
218
00:36:36,345 --> 00:36:38,260
Oh my God,
look at Takagi-san.
219
00:36:38,304 --> 00:36:41,829
- Wow!
- He's stripping.
220
00:36:59,020 --> 00:37:01,370
- Who's that woman?
- Dieno's mother.
221
00:37:01,414 --> 00:37:03,720
- Dieno's mom.
- Mother. Dieno's mother.
222
00:37:35,839 --> 00:37:37,537
Oh!
223
00:37:54,771 --> 00:37:58,993
Takagi's wife.
224
00:37:59,036 --> 00:38:01,822
Whoa.
225
00:38:01,865 --> 00:38:04,433
I met her before this.
I had no idea.
226
00:38:15,052 --> 00:38:18,012
Agh!
227
00:38:42,993 --> 00:38:45,387
- Oh... what's she gonna...?
- Wow!
228
00:38:45,431 --> 00:38:46,388
Is she gonna do a moonsault?
229
00:38:46,432 --> 00:38:49,173
What's she doing?
230
00:38:51,088 --> 00:38:53,613
Oh! Shit!
231
00:39:02,230 --> 00:39:04,450
Takagi's wife did a
fucking moonsault.
232
00:39:07,409 --> 00:39:10,456
And now Dieno runs DDT.
233
00:40:18,088 --> 00:40:21,265
I'm gonna miss Japan.
I'm gonna miss it here.
234
00:40:25,356 --> 00:40:26,880
Huge weekend for ya.
235
00:40:33,147 --> 00:40:34,496
But this was not
like every other year,
236
00:40:34,540 --> 00:40:37,412
because you walked away
in control of the company.
237
00:40:47,030 --> 00:40:48,815
I think you're
probably aware of this,
238
00:40:48,858 --> 00:40:51,687
that you're one of the most
controversial characters
239
00:40:51,731 --> 00:40:54,255
in DDT for
international audiences.
240
00:41:13,579 --> 00:41:15,798
There's this moment for
DDT right now of
241
00:41:15,842 --> 00:41:18,192
international expansion,
DDT Universe,
242
00:41:18,235 --> 00:41:19,846
of course,
going worldwide.
243
00:41:19,889 --> 00:41:23,284
Is there any need to address
this international audience
244
00:41:23,327 --> 00:41:25,373
or is more just kind of
keeping what you're doing?
245
00:43:13,133 --> 00:43:15,222
It's a huge honour
to get to do this.
246
00:43:15,265 --> 00:43:17,920
I was hoping I'd get to
meet you before I left.
247
00:43:22,229 --> 00:43:23,578
Well, I don't know if
you're aware of this,
248
00:43:23,622 --> 00:43:26,886
but you're a lot of people's
first exposure to DDT
249
00:43:26,929 --> 00:43:30,193
internationally because
you've become subject to
250
00:43:30,237 --> 00:43:32,848
more than one viral
video at this point.
251
00:43:32,892 --> 00:43:35,546
Are you kind of
aware of this, you know,
252
00:43:35,590 --> 00:43:38,288
ambassador for DDT role
that you kind of play?
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And I guess the last thing
I really wanted to know is,
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what's your workout regime?