DDT’s Star Rookie Is A Triple-Threat: Dancer, Actor, And Now … A Pro Wrestler!
FEW WRESTLERS CAN SAY they’ve headlined the Tokyo Dome; even fewer can say they’ve done so ahead of their professional wrestling debut. But for Kaisei Takechi, who debuted in the main event of DDT Pro-Wrestling’s “Into The Fight 2024,” headlining arenas across Japan is nothing new. Indeed, it’s just part of his regular job as a performer in the 16-member J-pop group, THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE.
That group, composed of three vocalists and 13 performers, debuted in January 2017 as part of LDH JAPAN’s male artist collective, EXILE TRIBE. Its debut single “Lightning” peaked at #2 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and earned a “Best New Artist” award at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.
Takechi began dancing at a young age thanks to his mother, a dance instructor who currently runs T’s-Box, a dance school in Hyogo Prefecture’s Takarazuka City, and an avid supporter of Takechi’s endeavors as both an idol and pro wrestler. The would-be grappler’s accolades in jazz and contemporary dance gained the attention of LDH Japan’s EXPG dance school, who offered Takechi, then a teenager, a scholarship to its school in Osaka.
In 2014, Takechi participated in the EXILE PERFORMER BATTLE AUDITION, a tryout for new performers hoping to join LDH Japan’s flagship group, EXILE. Though Takechi was unsuccessful in joining EXILE, he, along with other unsuccessful finalists, was selected to form a new group: THE RAMPAGE.
Takechi’s professional wrestling debut isn’t as unlikely as it might seem. A lifelong athlete, he spent much of his youth as a competitive swimmer and has since challenged himself in such physical pursuits as bodybuilding and judo. The DDT rookie’s physical conditioning—developed over his years as a dancer—has undoubtedly given him an advantage as a wrestler. The height he achieves leaping into the air is just as impressive on the stage as it is in the ring.
Takechi’s first foray into the world of professional wrestling came when he starred in the 2022 ABEMA drama, Fukumen D, alongside GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE member Mandy Sekiguchi and BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE member Riki Matsui (who joined the DDT commentary team for Takechi’s debut).
Fukumen D spotlights the wrestling promotion Brave Battle Truth, the fictional counterpart of DDT Pro-Wrestling (formerly Dramatic Dream Team). DDT participated in the production on screen and behind the scenes. Its talent appeared in the drama while helping to train Takechi and Sekiguchi, who chose to perform the drama’s wrestling action rather than rely on stunt doubles.
Recognizing Takechi’s star potential, DDT approached the pop idol with the idea of appearing for the promotion. Takechi’s wrestling debut was later announced on December 2, at the final stop of THE RAMPAGE’s 2023 tour, “16” NEXT ROUND.
The art of fanfare was not lost on DDT, which embraced the inevitable viewership that would come from the idol’s fanbase. Takechi was catapulted to the main event in a six-man tag team match, where he teamed with DDT Extreme champion Shunma Katsumata and KO-D openweight champion Yuki Ueno (with whom he previously worked on Fukumen D) against Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani, and Takeshi Masada.
People were raving about the pro wrestling debut of Kaisei Takechi, part of the Rampage from Exile Tribe, a subgroup of Exile Tribe, a J-Pop song and dance group. He worked the DDT show at Korakuen Hall and drew the company’s biggest Korakuen Hall crowd in years. I haven’t seen it but was told this was among the best celebrity debuts ever in wrestling. Takechi has a great physique, a good look and is a great athlete, noted for great looking dropkicks and hurricanranas.
—Dave Meltzer, The Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline
Fans showed their support with merchandise, including an official collaboration t-shirt with THE RAMPAGE and a special “Takechi Camera” following the idol during his debut. Takechi’s highly anticipated debut trended on social media platforms, with official videos from the match pulling in thousands of views. The cheers and applause of his supporters, packed into a capacity crowd at Korakuen Hall, were readily apparent in video footage of the match.
With THE RAMPAGE’s busy schedule—including its upcoming jaunt, THE RAMPAGE LIVE TOUR 2024 “CyberHelix” RX-16, which begins April 2024 and is scheduled to end July 2024,—it’s uncertain when Takechi will re-enter the squared circle. But according to the crossover star himself, his wrestling ambitions haven’t ended with the well-received debut performance.
