All About Endo
The Vietnam Driver II heard around the small but passionate world of long term DAMNATION fans.
Back to that other Tetsuya I mentioned I last week…
A curious incident occurred when Endo faced KANON during the DDT What Are You Doing? 2024 Tour In Hamamatsu show on June 23.
This effortless escape from a driver attempt might not look like much to the uninitiated. But as someone who is invested—perhaps too deeply, depending on who you ask—in everything that’s happening between these two and their allies, I assure you that it’s a very big deal.
I’m going to keep my explanation of the aforementioned everything short here. This newsletter is still in its infancy and unlikely to reach many people who aren’t at least a little familiar with me. Which means you’ve likely been subjected to multiple takes on this story already. (Anyone who hasn’t is welcome to check out my ongoing Twitter thread on the topic for a more thorough version.)
From 2016-2021 Tetsuya Endo was in the greatest pro wrestling unit of all time with Daisuke Sasaki. When DAMNATION were forced to disband, Sasaki flippantly told Endo to get a haircut and become a babyface. Which is actually what he ended up doing. With Kenta Kobashi’s blessing, he formed a new version of BURNING. Sasaki half-heartedly and hilariously tried the babyface thing for himself for approximately one and a half matches before trying to recreate the magic of DAMNATION by starting a new unit. He called it DAMNATION T.A.
In May 2022, KANON joined T.A and sort of fell into the role of Tetsuya T.A. For a while, he even had gear that was similar to one of Endo’s early DAMNATION looks. The one thing he hasn’t been able to replicate so far, though, is the doting affection that Sasaki lavished upon Endo. On good days, Sasaki appears to remember that poor KANON exists.
DAMNATION T.A and BURNING and Sasaki and Endo have clashed a number of times since then, but KANON is usually relegated to the periphery of these exchanges. Both Endo and Sasaki treat him like an afterthought at times. Think of it as a dysfunctional platonic love triangle where Sasaki definitely wants Endo back, Endo is (mostly) over it and trying to do his own thing, and KANON is also there. While possibly pulling an All About Eve on Endo.
Endo and KANON have taken a few shots at each other and clashed in tag matches and general T.A vs BURNING violence, but various circumstances have kept them apart beyond that. This was their first singles match.
Somewhere in the middle of a normal feeling out process between two wrestlers who aren’t familiar with each other and a full blown grudge match, these two start to grapple with each other. And their collective baggage. They’ve both got a desire to show off and stuff to prove, but nothing more serious has exploded just yet.
In the middle of this emotionally messy mix, KANON attempts the aforementioned driver.
But it’s not just any driver, it is Daisuke Sasaki’s Vietnam Driver II.
KANON started trying the move on for size last year. I believe his first attempt was in February of 2023.
He also used it to defeat Endo’s BURNING mate, Yuya Koroku, at Peter Pan that year.
He beat Rukiya with it in April, as well.
In addition to being a cool looking move, the Vietnam Driver II is KANON’s most obvious proof that he’s actually his own part of DAMNATION T.A and Sasaki’s legacy. That he’s not just a replacement for Endo, who never adopted a Sasaki move for himself like this.
And Endo stepped out of it like it was nothing.
I love that they did this, but I also love how they did it. There’s no big fanfare or telegraphing. KANON doesn’t do the big cartoon shocked face that everyone is obligated to make whenever Will Ospreay lands on his feet (even though it would be far more shocking if he didn’t land on his bloody feet for once). It never threatens to overshadow the Sauna Boys and their current main event drama. They just trust that the right people will recognize the move and let it unfold naturally.
The significance is further augmented by the fact that Endo lands on his feet, which is a flex he uses far more sparingly than that other guy. I guess you don’t need other people to make big shocked faces when you’re more committed to portraying wrestling as a struggle, making the rare moments when you overcome that struggle and make it look like nothing actual surprises and pointed gestures as opposed to the same shit you do every single time.
Barring major catastrophe, I assume there will come a day when these exchanges won’t be so subtle. There will be a time when their story won’t just be for the most dedicated fans anymore. And footage of key moments like the thwarted Vietnam Driver II will be great fodder for the video packages that will catch everyone else up before KANON and Endo’s bigger and meatier matches.
But for now, the real ones can enjoy watching them lay this very solid foundation.
I should probably add that there's also the possibility that KANON could avoid the feud with Endo and join BURNING instead. Kobashi appears to have taken a liking to him, after all.