As part of my ongoing journey to watch as much Dragon Gate footage as exists, I bring you reviews of matches that only appeared on Dragon Gate’s commercial best of 2008 DVDs.

These matches are from the February 2008 tour. Some may have appeared on Infinity in clips of less than ten seconds. While here they are still clipped, we at least get a few minutes shown.

February 3, 2008 – Fukuoka, Japan

Masato Yoshino © {MO} vs. Dragon Kid {T} [Open the Brave Gate Championship Match]
They trade holds to start. Kid hits a pair of armdrags and a head scissor takedown. He hits another on the floor. He hits the 619 to the back. He hits the Déjà Vu and the Bermuda Triangle. He puts on the Christo. Yoshino escapes but gets caught with the Mysterio Rana. Kid goes for a sunset bomb but Yoshino blocks it and hits the floating dropkick. Yoshino hits the Torbellino. He puts on the Sol Naciente but Kid gets to the ropes. He blocks the Lightning Spiral. He dropkicks Yoshino’s head and hits a super hurricanrana for 2. Yoshino hits Another Space but Kid pops up and hits the Ultra Hurricanrana. It gets 2. Yoshino hits a super Sling Blade. He hits the Lightning Spiral for 2. He puts on the Sol Naciente but Kid manages to sit down on him for 2. Kid avoids a Lightning Spiral and hits the Bible for 2. Yoshino hits the Lightning Spiral out of nowhere. He hits another for the win at 6:26 shown of 21:23. Maybe it’s just because over two-thirds of the match was removed, but what was here was amazing. You expect really good stuff from these two, and it’s matches like this one in 2008 that got the rivalry booked in so many other companies in the years that followed.
Rating: ***¼

February 8, 2008 – Tokyo, Japan

Shingo Takagi {NH}, Cyber Kong {NH} & YAMATO {NH} vs. CIMA {T}, Ryo Saito {T} & Dragon Kid {T}
Though this seems like a big match it was left off of Infinity entirely because the episode that aired around this time was made almost entirely up of title matches. Sad but true. YAMATO and Dragon Kid start, but YAMATO wants CIMA. We skip ahead to Kong hitting CIMA with a shoulder tackle and YAMATO hitting an elbowdrop. CIMA attacks YAMATO with a turnbuckle pad. YAMATO responds in kind. As Kong works over Kid in the ring CIMA attacks YAMATO with a pan on the apron. Saito hits YAMATO with an overhead suplex. Kid hits a head scissor takedown on the floor. CIMA hits a suicide dive. He hits Takagi with the Tokarev. YAMATO hits the Pounce. CIMA stomps on his crotch. Kid hits the Mysterio Rana for 2. CIMA hits the Venus and Iconoclasm. Saito hits the Superfly Splash for 2. CIMA hits the Perfect Driver. YAMATO pops up so CIMA hits it again for 1. CIMA hits a superkick. YAMATO throws on the sleeper hold. With CIMA dazed YAMATO sends Kong after him. Takagi hits a sick lariat. He hits the Gallon Throw and Kong hits a diving elbowdrop for 2. CIMA avoids the Galleria. Kong hits the Pineapple Bomber. YAMATO hits the Galleria for 2. CIMA hits Kong with a miracle backdrop. YAMATO spears Kong by mistake. Saito hits Kong with a dragon suplex. Kid hits a dropkick to the back. CIMA hits the Schwein. He knows that’s not enough to put Kong away so he hits the Crossfire for the win at 5:58 shown of 17:57. This was fantastic. The finish protected everyone and even left Kong looking strong. CIMA was in his annoying Superman stage here, but that was only slightly exposed in this match. I know it’s probably unfair to rate a match clipped like this, so that only the strengths are shown, but I don’t care. It’s really wild to think that the rivalry between CIMA and YAMATO wasn’t blown off until two years later when they had their epic match in early 2010.
Rating: ***½