Gate of Legend

December 16, 2004 – Tokyo, Japan

Championship Rundown:
Open the Dream Gate Champion: CIMA
Open the Triangle Gate Champions: Milano Collection AT, YOSSINO & Anthony W. Mori

Shingo Takagi & Don Fujii vs. K-ness {FM} & Second Doi {FM}
Fujii is rocking jet black pants, but Takagi is still wearing his Crazy Max tights. Fujii and Doi start trade holds to start. Takagi hits K-ness with a shoulder tackle. Fujii and Takagi hit Doi with a double big boot for 2. Takagi hits an elbow for 2. He hits a kneedrop for 2. K-ness puts him in a chinlock. He and Doi hit a double dropkick. Doi hits a bodyslam for 2. K-ness tags in and hits a backbreaker. He puts on a half crab and floats into the STF but Takagi gets to the ropes. Takagi comes back with a suplex on Doi. Fujii tags in and cleans house. He hits Doi with a plancha. Takagi hits K-ness with a butterfly suplex for 2. K-ness hits an enziguiri for 2. Takagi hits a snap back suplex. Doi hits Fujii with a dropkick. He goes for a crab but Fujii gets to the ropes. Fujii hits a powerslam for 2. Doi hits a hurricanrana for 2. He gets the V9 Clutch for 2. Fujii hits a lariat. Takagi hits the Gallon Throw. Fujii hits a chokeslam for 2. K-ness hits the Shouryuukyaku and puts on the Aoki Hikari. Fujii makes the save. Takagi hits Doi with a lariat. He hits the STO and puts on the Manriki. K-ness makes the save. Fujii hits Takagi by mistake. Doi hits the Bakatare Sliding Kick for 2. He hits the Doi 555 for the win at 13:31. This match would look quite different today, but in 2004 it was boring. The last two minutes were fun, but they moved like snails before that.
Rating: **

HenoHeno Mask {FM} & Susumu Yokosuka {FM} vs. Shogo Takagi {AI} & Touru Owashi {AI}
So Arai has decided to wrestle an entire match under the mask, and will seemingly put his feud against Owashi to bed here. Yokosuka is announced as himself but is also rocking a HenoHeno mask. Owashi and Takagi try to attack before the bell but the Masks avoid it and spit water in their faces. Arai can’t hit a shoulder tackle, so Owashi walks on his back and hits one of his own. Yokosuka dropkicks Owashi’s knee and rips off the mask. He puts it backwards on Takagi, blinding him. Takagi rips it off just in time to hit a leaping shoulder tackle. Arai blocks the haymaker. He and Yokosuka hit a double back elbow. Yokosuka hits a kneedrop for 2. Owashi hits a vertical suplex and a legdrop for 2 when Arai makes the save by throwing a giant bouncy ball at Owashi. Takagi hits Yokosuka with the haymaker. He hits another for 2. Owashi hits a bodyslam. He stands on Yokosuka’s face. He hits a chair shot for 2. Yokosuka ducks a haymaker but eats a right jab. He comes back with a backbreaker. Arai tags in and hits Owashi with a dragon screw. Yokosuka hits the Ashi Yokosuka and a dropkick to the back. He hits a plancha on Takagi. Arai hits Owashi with a hurricanrana and a suicide dive. Yokosuka blocks a low blow. Takagi hits the Jumbo Jet for 2. Yokosuka hits a low blow and an exploder for 2. Arai hits a moonsault for 2. Owashi hits Yokosuka with the chokeslam for 2. Arai goes for a sunset flip but Owashi sits on him for 2. Takagi hits a red box attack on Yokosuka. He accidentally hits Owashi with the red box. Yokosuka hits Takagi with the Jumbo no Kachi. Owashi unmasks Arai, but Arai spits in his face anyway and rolls him up for the win at 12:03. The finish was perfect but the rest of the match was dull and predictable.
Rating: **

Michael Iwasa {FB} & Daniel Mishima {FB}, Kensuke Sasaki {KO} & Johnson Florida {FB} vs. Magnum TOKYO {DF}, Genki Horiguchi {DF}, Dragon Kid {DF} & Ryo Saito {DF} [Hair vs. Mask Match]
Sasaki has Akira Hokuto with him, decked out in the stars and stripes. TOKYO dances through the crowd during his entrance. The Florida Brothers insist Sasaki start against TOKYO. I’m not complaining. A lock up freaks TOKYO out and he tags to Saito. Sasaki scares Saito by screaming. Horiguchi misses a headbutt and Kid’s offense doesn’t hurt Sasaki at all. They all take a powder, and have to fight with TOKYO to get him back in the match. All of the “Americans” stomp TOKYO in the ring. They hit a quadruple big boot. They quadruple-team Saito. Hokuto is having a blast watching all this. Has anyone else ever noticed she looks like a skinny version of the Garbage Monster from Fraggle Rock? Horiguchi finally gets an edge for his team by chopping Johnson. He and Saito double-team Johnson for 2. Kid hits a dropkick. Everyone works Johnson’s back until TOKYO crotches Kid on the top rope. TOKYO hits a facebuster. He hits a missile dropkick for 2 when Kid gets revenge for the crotching. Do Fixer starts fighting amongst themselves in a spat culminating in Horiguchi eating everyone’s kicks. Sasaki kills Iwasa and Mishima with chops by mistake. He hits Johnson on purpose. He hits all of his teammates with a crossbody by mistake, and Saito counts 2. Do Fixer and the Florida Brothers argue over the speed of the count. The “Americans” put up the invisible wall. TOKYO launches Kid over the barrier, but now he’s by himself with his opponents and can’t get out. Hokuto helps her man hit a double suplex on Saito, but the rest of the team gets suplexed by Do Fixer. Do Fixer gangs up on Johnson in the corner. They do the same to Sasaki. TOKYO hits Sasaki with a super hurricanrana. Saito hits a splash for 1. Horiguchi hits a dropkick and gets the Backslide from Heaven for 2. Sasaki blocks the Ultra Hurricanrana and Iwasa hits the Gouwan. Johnson hits a fisherman suplex for 2. Iwasa and Mishima hit a Doomsday Device for 2. Sasaki hits the Tornado Bomb for 2. TOKYO hits a chair shot. Do Fixer throws all the powder in the world in Sasaki’s eyes and they all roll him up for the win at 11:33. I didn’t see that finish coming. This was the culmination of everything funny the Florida’s have ever done, and I honestly can’t think of a way their gimmick can top this. I think I’ve only give **** to a comedy match once before, but this was in my opinion one of the most enjoyable matches in Dragon Gate history (to that point).
Rating: ****

After the match the reality of the situation sets in for the Florida Brothers. Johnson unmasks to reveal that he is indeed referee Yagi! Yagi seems disappointed that nobody is surprised. Iwasa’s face while Yagi shaves his head is hilarious. The clippers suck, so the job doesn’t get finished for him or Mishima. Yagi decides to, in addition to unmasking, sacrifice his hair so that Sasaki doesn’t have to. I wonder if he regrets that decision now, since his hair never grew back. Do Fixer is not pleased. They attack the Florida Brothers and hold Sasaki down to shave his head. TOKYO only gets so far before Sasaki fights them all off. TOKYO tries to apologize, but Sasaki hits him with the northern lights bomb anyway. Then he shaves his head himself with new clippers that really get the job done. Everyone celebrates together that the stipulation was upheld. Stalker Ichikawa runs out to put the segment to bed.

Intermission gives us ten minutes in the history of CIMA vs. Masaaki Mochizuki.

CIMA {CM} vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {M2K} [Semifinal Match - El Numero Uno 2001]
CIMA hits his double knee kick to start. Susumu (then Mochizuki) hits a blue box attack. CIMA grabs the blue box and hits Mochizuki with it. Fujii hits Mochizuki with the box and CIMA rolls him up for 2. Mochizuki blocks the Venus and goes for a blue box attack. CIMA blocks it so Mochizuki hits him with a spare. He dropkicks it into CIMA’s face. He hits a lariat for 2. He hits a springboard leg lariat and the Twister for 2. He hits an ax kick but CIMA comes back with a piledriver for 2. CIMA hits the Venus three times. He hits the Goriconoclasm and goes for the Mad Splash but Susumu and Darkness Dragon slow him down long enough for Mochizuki to put up his knees. Mochizuki hits the Sankakugeri and the Saikyou High Kick to knock CIMA out at 3:25 shown of 13:10. They basically only showed the interference, but the match looked energetic enough.

CIMA {CM} vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {M2K} [Hair vs. Hair Lumberjack Match – Feliz Navidad 2001]
Mochizuki controls with kicks early. CIMA comes back with an armdrag and a dropkick. He hits a baseball slide. Mochizuki hits a lariat for 2. He goes for the Schwein but Genki Horiguchi runs in and powders him. Mochizuki hits the Sankakuger and the Saikyou High Kick. CIMA ducks a blue box attack and dropkicks it into Mochizuki’s face. Mochizuki avoids a blue box attack and kicks it into CIMA’s face with the Sankakugeri. He hits the Saikyou High Kick again but CIMA gets up. Mochizuki hits the Twister for 2. CIMA hits a low blow. He throws the blue box at Mochizuki’s crotch. He hits a superkick and the Schwein for the win at 2:49 shown of 15:56. Way too much of it was clipped, but judging by what was there and the crowd’s reaction this was a great match.

CIMA {CM} vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {AI} [Round Robin Tournament Match – El Numero Uno 2004]
Mochizuki hits a shoulder tackle. He hits a low blow and a head kick. CIMA returns the favor and ties Mochizuki up in the ropes. He goes to work on the leg. Mochizuki hits an enziguiri. CIMA hits a piledriver. He hits a superkick. Mochizuki hits a dragon suplex. CIMA hits the Perfect Driver. He hits the Venus and Iconoclasm. Mochizuki blocks the Mad Splash with his knees and hits the Sankakugeri. He hits the Twister. CIMA hits the Schwein. Mochizuki hits the Saikyou High Kick but CIMA holds on strong and hits the Nakayubi. Both guys are down, and neither can beat the count at 2:54 shown of 12:20. So as far as this PPV is concerned these two are 1-1-1 going into tonight’s main event.

Milano Collection AT © {IC}, Anthony W. Mori © {IC} & YOSSINO © vs. Takuya Sugawara {AI}, “brother” YASSHI {AI} & Shuji Kondo {AI} [Open the Triangle Gate Championship Match]
Everyone brawls to start. Mori ends up in a bad spot, alone in the ring with all three opponents. He avoids a triple dropkick and hits Sugawara with a plancha. YOSSINO hits Kondo with a supercharged head scissors takedown. AT rolls YASSHI up for 2. He ties him in a knot and everyone stomps him. They go to work on YASSHI’s hair, which is incredibly long right now. YOSSHINO hits it with a double stomp. He and Mori hit a double back elbow for 2. YASSHI comes back with strikes. Aagan Iisou triple-teams Mori for 2. Kondo chokes Mori with the red rope. YASSHI hits a Tombstone Piledriver for 2. Mori hits Sugawara with a dropkick but eats the running elbow. Sugawara hits a sidewalk slam. YOSSINO tags in and hits Kondo with the Sling Blade. He puts Sugawara in the From Jungle as AT torture YASSHI with a rolling cradle. Kondo makes the save. Mori hits a facebuster. He hits a dropkick off the top. Kondo wipes the Italian Connection out with a title belt. Bald President Okamura runs out and beats on YASSHI. AT hangs YASSHI on the top rope. YASSHI hits a huge Manhattan drop and the Bad Boy for 2. AT hits a side kick. YASSHI blocks the AT Lock and puts on the testicular claw. YOSSINO makes the save. Sugawara hits YOSSINO with a sidewalk slam for 2. YOSSINO hits a swinging DDT for 2. Kondo and Sugawara double-team YOSSINO for 2. YASSHI hits an elevated legdrop for 2. AT hits an enziguiri. Mori hits an elevated facebuster and a northern lights suplex for 2. AT hits the elevated neckbreaker for 2. Mori misses the Eleganton. Kondo hits the Original. He and YASSHI hit the Big Boy for 2. Kondo and Sugawara hit a double reverse superplex for 2. Mori gets a takedown and goes for an armbar but Kondo quickly powerbombs out of it. He puts on the Gorilla Clutch. AT makes the save. Mori counters the Shiisanpuuta to a crucifix pin for 2. Takagi hits him with the red box. Sugawara hits YASSHi with the red box by mistake. YOSSINO hits the Torbellino. AT hits the Armani Shoe Exchange and the Italian Revolution for the win at 14:55. That turned into quite the energetic little match. It lacked the drama of the title decision match, but had all the action. This was basically Aagan Iisou’s last stand in Dragon Gate, as they were fired (or resigned, depending on who you ask) a couple weeks later and began running a competing company.
Rating: ***½

K-ness and Susumu Yokosuka come out to the ring after the match. They congratulate the champions. They ask for a shot at the titles, and it is granted to them on the first show of the new year.

CIMA © vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {FM} [Open the Dream Gate Championship Match]
They dodge each other’s offense before fighting it out on the mat. They trade strikes in an exchange that Mochizuki wins. Mochizuki kicks the back. CIMA hits the Nakayubi. He jabs Mochizuki’s neck with a chair. He catapults Mochizuki into the bottom rope. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special. Mochizuki fights back with kicks. He hits a bodyslam and a fistdrop. He hits a double kneedrop. He puts on a half crab but CIMA gets to the ropes. He catches CIMA coming off the middle rope with a kick to the gut. CIMA kicks him to the floor and dives out after him. Back in the ring CIMA hits a double stomp to the head. Mochizuki hits a backdrop. He hits an axe kick. CIMA hits the Perfect Driver for 2. He hits a clothesline and puts on the Joejigatame. Mochizuki gets to the ropes. He crotches CIMA up top, knocking him into the Tree of Woe. He kicks CIMA’s chest. CIMA hits a headbutt to the gut but Mochizuki catches him with a back superplex. CIMA powers through kicks to the chest and hits a capture suplex. He hits the Venus and the Iconoclasm. The Mad Splash hits knees. Mochizuki hits the Sankakugeri. CIMA counters the Twister to the Nakayubi. He hits a superkick. Mochizuki hits a dragon suplex for 2. He hits a kick to the chest for 2. He hits the Twister for 2. CIMA blocks the Sankakugeri and hits a superkick. He hits the Tokarev. He hits the Schwein for 2. He hits a few palm strikes and the Iconoclasm. He hits the Mad Splash for 2. He goes for the Redline but Mochizuki escapes and hits a bunch of kicks for the win and the title at 22:49. Boring match before the random finisher-fest kicked in. Quite disappointing actually.
Rating: **½

Mochizuki closes out the show with a speech for the crowd, and celebrates with Final M2K. Will 2005 see all the gold go to Final M2K?