May 15, 2009 – Tokyo, Japan
The PPV is over, and by and large focus is about to shift overseas to America. For now we remain in Japan, so here’s the championship rundown:
Open the Dream Gate Champion: Naruki Doi
Open the Twin Gate Champions: Ryo Saito & Genki Horiguchi
Open the Triangle Gate Champions: CIMA, Gamma & KAGETORA
Open the Brave Gate Champion: CIMA
The show starts with Masato Yoshino, Dragon Kid, CIMA and Naruki Doi joining Dragon Gate brass to announce the creation of Dragon Gate USA, in conjunction with former ROH booker Gabe Sapolski. To commemorate the new promotion, World-1 has agreed to implode for a big tag team match!
BxB Hulk {W1} & PAC {W1} vs. Naruki Doi {W1} & Naoki Tanisaki {W1}
Hulk and Tanisaki start. Neither man can gain too much momentum because they know each other’s movesets so well. Doi and PAC tag in and have more luck, I assume since PAC isn’t in Japan as often. PAC launches off Hulk’s back to hit a corkscrew moonsault for 2. Tanisaki and trades stiff shots with PAC. Doi hits PAC with a senton off the top for 2. PAC hits an enziguiri. Hulk tags in and hits the Mouse. PAC hits a huge dive onto Tanisaki on the floor. Hulk hits Doi with an enziguiri. He hits a senton for 2. Doi hits a hanging DDT for 2. PAC hits a springboard crossbody on Tanisaki for 2. Tanisaki hits a gutbuster. They trade roll ups for 2. Tanisaki hits the _H. He and Doi hit a double back suplex for 2. PAC hits a 450 splash for 2. Doi and Tanisaki beat their opponents into the corner and Doi hits the Dai Bosou. Tanisaki hits the Casanova for 2. Doi hits the Doi 555 and the Bakatare Sliding Kick. He helps Tanisaki hit the Implant but Hulk makes the save. Hulk dives onto Doi on the floor. PAC hits the shooting star knee, maybe my least favorite move ever because it always makes the person taking it look like a retard. Hulk hits the EVO and PAC hits the Flaming Star Press for the win at 11:21 shown of 13:13. Fun match all in all. Though I would have liked to see more of everyone being too familiar with one another to hit any offense. Doi talks about DGUSA after the match.
Rating: ***
Masato Yoshino {W1} vs. Cyber Kong {RH}
The match that everyone who ordered the PPV really wanted to see. Kong attacks Yoshino during his entrance. He hits a big shoulder tackle. He beats Yoshino around ringside. Yoshino whips him into the post and abuses his arm. In the ring Yoshino tries to keep it up but Kong puts on an illegal choke. What makes it illegal I’m not sure, but the referee forces him to break it. Kong grabs the pineapple and juices it in Yoshino’s face. Yoshino’s lady will thank Kong later. Yoshino punches the arm, but even injured Kong still puts him down with one forearm. Kong puts on a bearhug. Yoshino hits a back suplex. He puts on a triangle choke in the ropes. He hits the arm with the shotgun dropkick and then puts on an armbar. Kong goes for a vertical suplex but Yoshino is able to repeatedly block it because of Kong’s arm. Yoshino climbs the ropes but Kong crotches him. He hits a back suplex. He misses an elbowdrop and Yoshino hits the Ude Yoshino. He goes for the Sol Naciente but Kong immediately gets to the ropes. Yoshino puts on From Jungle but Kong escapes with a powerbomb. He hits an avalanche, the Pineapple Bomber and a splash for 2. Yoshino hits a miracle backdrop to block the Cyber Bomb. Kong hits an avalanche but Yoshino comes back with the Speed Star for 2. Kong hits a lariat for 2. Yoshino counters the Cyber Bomb to a cross armbreaker. Kong hits a powerbomb but Yoshino holds on. Kong hits another but Yoshino still won’t release. He goes for a third but Yoshino rolls through and puts on the Sol Naciente. Kong tries to powerbomb out of that but his strength is gone and he has to submit at 13:59 shown of 15:20. Kong is quietly becoming the best storyteller in the company. I’m not saying he necessarily called this match, but between this and his feud with Mori he’s been putting on more entertaining singles matches on average than anyone else. DGUSA is crazy if they don’t start booking him on shows. At any rate this was fantastic, and left Kong looking good and Yoshino deserving of the challenge he was about to put out.
Rating: ***¾
After the match Yoshino gets on the microphone and asks his buddy Doi for a shot at the Open the Dream Gate Championship. Doi begins to respond when Gamma’s music hits and he storms out. He reminds us that he challenged Doi weeks ago. Doi does the obvious and suggests they fight each other for the privilege to challenge for the title. Gamma spits in Yoshino’s face and canes a ring attendant on his way out. So that match is set for March 29th.
Before the match we’re reminded that Don Fujii frustrated Super Shenlong enough on the PPV to get him to unmask himself, but then raised his hand after the match. Also on the PPV, YAMATO helped Real Hazard win the Twin Gate titles but in his own match was knocked out by Darkside Hulk.
YAMATO {RH} vs. Don Fujii {Z}
I can’t for the life of me think of a reason why this feud needed a restart. YAMATO attacks Fujii from behind to start the match. Fujii clotheslines YAMATO to the floor and dives from the apron onto him. They brawl through the crowd and Fujii dives off a platform. He tries to beat the count but YAMATO holds him and they both get counted out at 1:35. The fight doesn’t end there though. YAMATO puts Fujii back in the ring and chokes him. Shenlong rushes in and attacks YAMATO. YAMATO casually walks away as Masaaki Mochizuki gets into the ring. He says the match should be restarted, and it is.
Fujii attacks YAMATO at the bell. They brawl through the crowd. Fujii misses a chop and his hand smacks against the wall. He misses a charge and hits the post. In the ring YAMATO goes to work on the arm. He hits a series of elbows. Fujii clubs him back. He hits a gnarly headbutt, making himself dizzy. He hits a chokeslam but YAMATO catches him with a cross armbreaker. Fujii gets to the ropes. They slug it out until Fujii takes control with a lariat and a takedown. He gets a weird rolld up for 2. YAMATO puts on the sleeper hold but Fujii gets to the ropes. Fujii get another roll up for 2. YAMATO throws the referee into Fujii. Cyber Kong hits an avalanche. Mochizuki and Shenlong interfere on Fujii’s behalf, but Shenlong gets his mask kicked off. He misses a shooting star press too. Kong accidentally hits YAMATO with an avalanche. Horiguchi powders YAMATO by mistake and Fujii rolls him up for 2. Horiguchi powders Shenlong, but then does it to YAMATO again and Fujii gets another roll up for the win at 8:47. They’ve really milked all they can out of this matchup. Every time this got a little steam a million people interfered. It was mostly quite sloppy too. YAMATO is clearly upset with Horiguchi after the match.
Rating: *½
So two good matches this week, but a headliner. I’ll take it, because as useless as the match felt, the repercussions of Kong and Horiguchi’s failed interference will end up being important. Next week we see the opener and main event of the Korakuen show that this week’s matches were from.
