April 23, 2006 – Tokyo, Japan

Championship rundown:
Open the Dream Gate Champion: Ryo Saito
Open the Brave Gate Champion: Masato Yoshino
Open the Triangle Gate Champions: CIMA, Magnitude Kishiwada & Masato Yoshino

Super Shisa {PH}, Anthony W. Mori {PH}, King Shisa & Katsuo vs. Akira Tozawa {TJ}, Michael Iwasa {FB}, Daniel Mishima {FB} & The Turboman
Tozawa was offered a spot in Final M2K by Kenichiro Arai (who was supposed to be in this match, but is replacing Genichiro Tenryu later in the show instead and is replaced here by Katsuo), but turned it down in favor of starting his own stable, Tozawajuku. As of now he’s the only active wrestler in the group. He psyches Super out with his voice to start. King and Turboman tag into the match. King hits a clothesline. Turboman hits a hurricanrana. On the floor Turboman swings around the post and then hits King with a crappy dive. In the ring the Florida Brothers double-team Katsuo. Super hits Tozawa with a bodyslam. Mori hits a neckbreaker. Katsuo hits a vertical suplex. Everyone tries to hang up on Tozawa in the corner, but only King can put him down for 2. Iwasa uses Tozawa as a weapon to attack Super and Mori. Super hits a suicide dive. Turboman follows suit and wipes out a cameraman. This match is a total mess. King dives onto everyone as well. Katsuo this Mishima with something off camera for 2. Iwasa and Tozawa double-team Katsuo. Turboman hits a 450 splash for 2. Tozawa hits a headbutt for 2. Mishima slams Tozawa onto Katsuo for 2. Iwasa lays out Mishima by mistake. Super hits a dropkick. Katsuo hits a Falcon Arrow for 2. King hits a neckbreaker. Mori hits the Eleganton for the win at 9:44. The comedy team was all over the place, making this quite difficult to enjoy.
Rating: *½

After the match Tozawa gives the Florida Brothers shopping bags. In Iwasa’s bag is a jacket, indicating an invitation to Tozawajuku. Iwasa accepts. Mishima gets a t-shirt that says “break up” on it, thus dissolving the Florida Brothers. Iwasa tells Mishima to become Japanese again. Tozawa says he has another invitation to give out, and Katsuo is sure it’s for him. It’s actually for Mori, but he strongly declines. Katsuo is very disappointed. Be patient Katsuo.

Genki Horiguchi {DF} vs. Mr. Prime Time {APW}
Naoki Tanisaki attacks Mr. Primetime during his entrance and tells Horiguchi that he’s taking his spot in the match.

Genki Horiguchi {DF} vs. Naoki Tanisaki {BG}
They brawl to start. Horiguchi hits a hurricanrana and a tope con hilo. Mr. Primetime comes to his senses, too late to enter the match. Tanisaki whips Horiguchi into the crowd. He makes a chair pile in the ring. He hits a missile dropkick for 2. He hits the FH for 2. Horiguchi comes back with a powerbomb on the chair pile. He sandwiches Tanisaki between chairs and hits a moonsault. Tanisaki hits a low bow and the DH. Mr. Primetime distracts Tanisaki and hits him with the Blood Box. Horiguchi gets the Backslide from Heaven for the win at 3:50. After the match Mr. Primetime hits Tanisaki with a superkick. The match itself was too short to be anything.
Rating: *

Masato Yoshino © {BG} vs. Jack Evans {GN} [Open the Brave Gate Championship Match]
Mr. Primetime is with Evans to cancel out Yoshino’s Blood Generation backup. Evans attacks Yoshino from behind to start. He hits a dropkick and the Space Flying Tiger Drop. Back in the ring Evans hits double stomps and a moonsault for 2. He puts on a seated abdominal stretch. Yoshino gets to the ropes. Evans hits a cartwheel kick. He hits the Ong Jak for 2. He hits a handspring elbow but Yoshino catches him with a dropkick. Yoshino hits a low blow. He hits the Sling Blade for 2. Evans hits a hurricanrana. Yoshino bails so Evans hits him with an insane dive. That gets 2 back in the ring. Yoshino hits the shotgun dropkick for 2. Evans hits a northern lights suplex and a fisherman suplex. He hits a standing 450 splash for 2. Blood Generation gangs up on Evans in the corner. Mr. Primetime runs in and attacks Tanisaki while helping Evans to hit Skipping a Generation for 2. Evans hits the 630 senton for 2 when Naruki Doi pulls on the referee. Yoshino hits a low blow and a second rope DDT for 2. Evans hits a spin kick. Yoshino hits the Torbellino. Evans blocks the Sol Naciente with a roll up for 2. Yoshino hits the Lightning Spiral for 2. He puts on the Sol Naciente for the win at 10:41. This was decent, but I think if they were to fight in 2009 the match would have been worlds better.
Rating: ***

After the match Doi gets on the microphone and boasts for his partner. He runs his mouth for a while, drawing out Don Fujii. Fujii distracts Evil Blood Generation long enough for CIMA to sneak in the ring and nail Tanisaki with the Scwein. CIMA rips on Doi, Yoshino and Tanisaki’s old goofy gimmicks and adds a stipulation to the match later tonight; if CIMA wins the bad guys have to revert to Second Doi and YOSSINO, and Tanisaki has to be a surfer again. Then he puts over Evans, saying he was robbed of the title.

Stalker Ichikawa vs. Yutaka Yoshie
K-ness is out with Yoshie. Ichikawa stalls so the referee whips him toward Yoshie, who hits a chop for 2. He hits a shoulder tackle for 2. He casually shoves Ichikawa across the ring. He hits a bodyslam but misses a butt splash. Ichikawa hits the Kancho but his hand gets stuck. He crotches himself on the top rope. He hits a hurricanrana for 2. He goes for a German suplex but Yoshie lands on top of him for 2. Yoshie hits a splash and then another off the top for the win at 5:43. I got really bored and had to watch this at 4x speed, so a rating wouldn’t be appropriate. But it’s boring, so know that. After the match K-ness says he might return to compete in a year, but President Okamura comes out and asks him to return at the Kobe PPV in 3 months.

Magnum TOKYO & Dragon Kid {DF} vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {FM} & Kenichiro Arai {FM}
Mochizuki was supposed to team with Genichiro Tenryu, but the old fart got hurt so Arai got bumped up the card. Kid and TOKYO attack before the bell. TOKYO hits Mochizuki with a hurricanrana. Kid hits a DDT for 2. TOKYO gets a crucifix pin for 2. He hits a dropkick and a suicide dive. Kid dropkicks Arai’s head, but that has no effect. Arai hits a shinbreaker and works the leg. TOKYO puts Arai in a chinlock. Kid hits a dropkick. Mochizuki tags in and kicks Kid around. He hits a bodyslam. He kicks Kid’s back for 2. He puts on a half crab but Kid gets to the ropes. Arai works the back. Mochizuki kicks the midsection for 2. Kid comes back with kicks. Arai hits a spinebuster. He pulls Kid to the floor and rams his back against the apron. Mochizuki kicks Kid off the apron. He hits a vertical suplex for 2. TOKYO dropkicks Arai into Mochizuki and hits a hurricanrana. Mochizuki hits an ax kick but Kid comes back with the Déjà Vu. Kid hits the Bermuda Triangle. TOKYO hits a facebuster. Arai gets a roll up for 2. He and TOKYO slug it out until Kid gets in the mix. Arai hits Kid with a tiger suplex for 2. Kid puts on the Christo but Arai counters to a side slam. Arai hits a diving headbutt for 2. He goes for another off of Mochizuki’s shoulders but Kid catches him with a super hurricanrana. TOKYO hits the Erect Smasher. Kid hits the Jesus for 2. He hits a stunner and a hurricanrana for 2. Mochizuki hits the Sankakugeri. TOKYO rolls Arai up for 2. Arai hits an avalanche chinbreaker. Mochizuki kicks the crap out of TOKYO for 1. He hits the Twister for 2. Kid hits an avalanche stunner. TOKYO kicks Arai a bunch for 2. He hits a lariat for 2. Kid hits the Ultra Hurricanrana for the win at 18:22. After about the half way mark I was just waiting for this to end. It picked up a little down the stretch, but never got too far out of first gear.
Rating: **½

It’s intermission time, and that means come classic Dragon Gate/Toryumon is in store. In honor of our Dream Gate match we get an old Toryumon match from 2001 between bicyclist Ryo Saito and Razor Scooter rider and NWA Welterweight Champion Susumu Mochizuki (who’d later be renamed Yokosuka).

Susumu Mochizuki © {M2K} vs. Ryo Saito [NWA Welterweight Championship Match – Toryumon: Absolutamente]
They jockey for position to start. Mochizuki forces Saito to the ropes. Saito returns the favor. He dropkicks the leg. He puts on a nasty half crab. Yasushi Kanda hits him with a blue box. Mochizuki hits a Manhattan drop, and with Kanda’s help hits a powerbomb for 2. They double-team Saito. Mochizuki hits a Finlay roll and Kanda tries to come off the top but Big Fuji runs down and stops him. Saito kicks the referee by mistake. Kanda hits the referee with the blue box. Fujii gets in the ring and clotheslines the crap out of Mochizuki. Mochizuki comes back with a low blow and the Aikata, but the referee is still out cold. Mochizuki hits the Jumbo no Kachi. Saito gets the Messenger for the win and the title at 5:22 shown of 21:26. Not enough here to rate, and the stuff they left in was the overbooked gaga.

BxB Hulk {PH} vs. Shingo Takagi {BG} [Dream Key Match]
Takagi attacks before the bell. He hits a powerslam. He clotheslines Hulk to the floor. He hits a chair shot. Hulk ducks a shot and kicks Takagi’s arm against the post. Back in the ring Hulk hits a dropkick. He puts on an armbar but Takagi gets to the ropes. Hulk hits another dropkick. He hits a senton for 2. He puts on a chinlock. He goes back to work on the arm. Takagi hits the Yo Throw. He hits a back elbow for 2. He levels Hulk with a chop and hits a kneedrop for 2. He hits a press slam, but hurts his arm doing it. He hits the Gallon Throw for 2. He puts on a Boston crab and floats into a crossface. Hulk gets to the ropes. Takagi hits a second rope kneedrop. He props Hulk on the top rope and chops him down. Hulk goes back to work on the arm. He hits a leg lariat. He goes for the BxB Smash but Takagi blocks it. Hulk hits the Mouse but Takagi catches him with a brainbuster for 2. He hits a backdrop driver. He hits another for 2. He puts on the Manriki. Hulk gets to the ropes. He hits a clothesline. Takagi blocks the EVO and hits an inverted DDT. He hits a sit-out powerbomb for 2. He hits a lariat in the corner. Hulk dropkicks the arm. He hits a DDT and the EVO for 2. Takagi clotheslines Hulk from the turnbuckle to the floor. Hulk comes back with a hurricanrana for 2. Takagi hits a lariat. Hulk sloppily escapes the Last (Original) Falconry. Takagi hits the Pumping Bomber. Hulk has apparently forgotten how to bump. He attacks Takagi’s arm, but still falls victim to a suplex. Takagi hits the Pumping Bomber for 2. He hits the Last (Original) Falconry for 2. Hulk comes back with kicks. He hits the EVO and a moonsault (even adjusting for Takagi’s odd angle) for the win at 19:04. Hulk had some trouble keeping it together near the end, but aside from that this was quite good. Probably as good as their draw from a few years later, but not as good as their eventual Dream Gate decision match.
Rating: ***½

CIMA {BG} & Don Fujii {BG} vs. Naruki Doi {BG} & Gamma {BG}
Gamma turned everyone in Blood Generation except Fujii against CIMA. This match is for which half of the splintered stable gets the rights to the name. CIMA brings metal baseball bats to the ring, as a way of protecting himself while insulting Doi. Doi and Gamma attack during introductions. Everyone brawls around the building for a while. In the ring CIMA crotches Gamma on the middle rope and hits it with a bat. Fujii cleans house. CIMA hits the big double stomp. He spray paints Gamma’s hair black. He and Fujii hit a double shoulder tackle. Fujii smacks Gamma around and throws Doi across the ring. He hits a giant swing into a CIMA dropkick. Gamma and CIMA knuckle up and Fujii hits Gamma from behind. CIMA dropkicks Gamma’s butt. Suddently CIMA’s injured ribs cause him pain and he collapses. Doi and Gamma take advantage. Tanisaki and Yoshino come in to hit a quadruple dropkick for 2. Gamma hits a facebuster and the Flashback. He spray paints CIMA’s back. Doi hits Fujii with the Dai Bosou. Gamma gets into a chop battle, but stops to poke Fujii’s eyes. Doi hits the big senton for 2. Gamma hits a pair of dropkicks for 2. Fujii fights back and tags to CIMA. CIMA cleans house. Fujii hits a powerslam on the apron. Gamma dropkicks Doi by mistake. CIMA hits the Perfect Driver on Gamma for 2. Gamma comes back with a low blow. CIMA takes some rib abuse before hitting a spin kick. Gamma hits the Flashback for 2. CIMA hits a backdrop. Fujii hits a lariat. Doi hits an elbow for 2. He and Yoshino hit a dropkick bomb for 2. He hits the Doi 555. Tanisaki hits Doi with the blood box by mistake. Fujii hits a lariat and a chokeslam. Evans hits the 630 senton and CIMA hits the Schwein for 2 when Yoshino gets involved. Referee Kanda physically ejects Yoshino from the ring. CIMA hits the Venus and Iconoclasm on Doi. Gamma throws a chair at him. He smacks Fujii with a chair. Doi hits a chair-assisted Bakatare Sliding Kick for the win at 18:35. Tanisaki’s botched interference aside this was so much fun, with lots of cheating from both sides and general mayhem abounding.
Rating: ***¾

After the match Doi says his stable doesn’t want the Blood Generation name. He pulls out a banner that says Muscle Outlaw’z, the new name of their crew. Magnitude Kishiwada comes down to the ring and sides with the Outlaw’z. A frustrated CIMA gets in the ring, earning himself a beating. Mochizuki and TOKYO make the save. And so a match between the Toryumon first class (minus Dragon Kid & SUWA, plus Mochizuki) and the Outlaw’z is made.

Ryo Saito {DF} © vs. Susumu Yokosuka {FM} [Open the Dream Gate Championship Match]
They exchange shots rapidly to start. Yokosuka goes after the leg. He hits a bodyslam. He hurts his arm when he misses an elbow and Saito smells blood. Saito rams the shoulder into the turnbuckle. He pulls off Yokosuka’s elbowpad and drives his arm into the mat. He shoves the shoulder into the post. Back in the ring he puts on a cross armbreaker but Yokosuka quickly gets to the ropes. Saito stays on the arm. Yokosuka hits a double kneebreaker to regain control. He puts on the figure 4 leglock. Saito grabs the arm in an attempt to escape, but the leglock is on too tight and he has no choice but to reach the ropes. Saito blocks a shinbreaker by grabbing the arm. Yokosuka pulls the back of Saito’s neck onto the top rope. He drags Saito up the ramp and goes for a piledriver but Saito hits a backdrop. Yokosuka hits an exploder on the ramp. Saito beats the count at 19. He hits a hurricanrana but Yokosuka rolls through and gets 2. Yokosuka hits another exploder. Saito suplexes him into the corner. He hits a German suplex for 2. His splash off the top hits knees. He comes back with a powerbomb. Yokosuka hits a super exploder. Saito returns the favor with a fisherman superplex for 2. Yokosuka hits the Yokosuka Cutter. He hits it Aikata but Saito pops up. Saito hits a dragon suplex and Yokosuka pops up. Saito hits another for 2. Yokosuka blocks the Premium Bridge. Saito goes for a dragon superplex but Yokosuka slips away and clotheslines Saito off the top. Saito bleeds from the mouth as Yokosuka hits the Aikata off the top. He hits the Jumbo no Kachi for 2. Saito gets the Messenger for 2. He hits a lariat and a dragon suplex for 2. He hits the Premium Bridge for 2. He goes for another but Yokosuka blocks it and hits the Jumbo no Kachi for 2. He hits the Aikata for 2, then finishes Saito off with two lariats to win the belt at 22:50. They kept it simple and it paid off. The finish was a bit anticlimactic, as I think the match should have ended after the super Aikata subsequent lariat. Still, this was as good as almost anything on the PPV, and Saito’s middling run with the belt is over.
Rating: ***½