October 26-28, 2007 – Paris, France & Essen, Germany

Kenichiro Arai vs. Lupin Matsutani [European Vacation II: France]
This is a pleasant surprised. I’d forgotten that there was a Dragon Gate presence on this show. Arai gets a takedown to start. Matsutani puts on a headlock. Arai counters the hold. He hits a shoulder tackle. Matsutani hits an armdrag. He hits a dropkick. He puts on a chinlock. Arai hits a chinbreaker to escape. He hits a headbutt with a disgusting thud. He hits three elbowdrops. He hits three backbreakers for 2. He hits a kneedrop to the back. He hits a second rope headbutt to the back for 2. He whips Matsutani hard into the turnbuckle. Matsutani hits a dropkick. He hits a back elbow and a fisherman suplex for 2. He hits a fisherman neckbreaker for 2. Arai dodges a dropkick. He sets Matsutani up top and hits a superplex for 2. He puts on a Boston crab. Matsutani gets to the ropes. Matsutani gets a roll up for 2. Arai hits a DDT for 2. He climbs the ropes and hits a double stomp for the win at 10:11. This is likely to be the only unclipped Matsutani singles match you’ll see for a long while (ever?). This match could have used a run through the Infinity Clip Machine. It picked up near the end but was pretty slow in getting there.
Rating: *¼

Lupin Matsutani & Ken’ichiro Arai vs. Thumbtack Jack & Bad Bones [European Vacation II: Germany]
Matsutani and Jack start. The crowd is really into Jack. Jack hits a neckbreaker. Bones and Arai tag in and the crowd gets behind Bones. Arai gets a little love. Bones wins a test of strength. He hits a shoulder tackle. Arai hits a hiptoss. Bones hits a spear and a flapjack. He hit an elbow. Jack hits a legdrop for 2. He hits an elbowdrop on Matsutani. Matsutani chokes him in the corner. Arai hits a tomahawk chop. He hits a couple more with theatrics. He works the back. He hits a falling headbutt to the back. Jack just laid there and took it like a chump despite not really being in trouble. That’s just lazy work. Matsutani puts on a seated abdominal stretch. Jack hits Arai with an enziguiri. Bones cleans house. He hits Matsutani with a spinebuster. He hits Arai with a powerbomb for 2. Jack hits a suicide dive. Matsutani follows suit. The crowd wants Bones to dive so he hits a plancha. He hits Matsutani with a neckbreaker. Matsutani hits a stunner. Jack hits the Perfect Driver for the win at 11:22. I’ve only just finished watching and I already can’t remember anything that happened in the match. The crowd was really into their hometown guys, so that was cool, but the work was so standard my mind frequently drifted away.
Rating: **