August 6, 2009 – Tokyo, Japan

The weeks-long tournament to decide the next challengers to the Twin Gate titles begins here. For now, 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: Masato Yoshino, BxB Hulk & PAC
Open the Brave Gate Champion: Vacant

The show starts with a quick look at Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi retaining the Twin Gate titles at the Pro Wrestling Festival by powdering YAMATO to defeat him and Shingo Takagi. Next they run down the teams in the tag league.

World-1:
Naruki Doi & Naoki Tanisaki
Masato Yoshino & BxB Hulk
WARRIORS-5:
CIMA & Gamma
KAGETORA & Susumu Yokosuka
Kamikaze:
YAMATO & Shingo Takagi
Akira Tozawa & Dragon Kid
Real Hazard:
Yasushi Kanda & Kenichiro Arai
Kzy & Cyber Kong
And because they took each other to the limit at Buyuden 13:
Masaaki Mochizuki & Katsuhiko Nakajima

A new introduction and theme song debut on this episode. I can’t say I’m a fan. I’m assuming it’s by the Pixy Chicks, since they’ve been featured on TV and PPV and this song is definitely by a chick band.

Two points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw and none for a loss. Once everyone has faced everyone else once the top four teams enter a traditional tournament to decide the winner.

By the time August 6th rolled around the tag league had already begun. Kanda & Arai currently lead the pack with six points, followed by Doi & Tanisaki with four points. Yoshino & Hulk have 3 points, good for third place. Kid & Tozawa as well as Mochizuki & Nakajima have two points. Takagi & YAMATO have one point and everyone else has none.

CIMA {W5} & Gamma {W5} vs. Susumu Yokosuka {W5} & KAGETORA {W5} 
The coolest part about the tournament is that every stable will have to face itself at least once. CIMA and Gamma’s new crossbreed gear is also pretty cool. They attack before the bell. Everyone brawls around the building. CIMA holds Yokosuka on the bleachers while Gamma attempts to give him the Osuikougeki from a balcony. KAGETORA attacks Gamma and gives CIMA the insulting spit-bath. In the ring KAGETORA and Yokosuka double-team CIMA, with Gamma nowhere in sight. Gamma finally returns and double-teams KAGETORA with CIMA. KAGETORA comes back with a leg lariat. He hits a leaping clothesline on CIMA. Yokosuka hits an exploder. CIMA gets a roll up for 2. Yokosuka absorbs CIMA’s kicks but Gamma’s cane and a Superdrol put him down. KAGETORA hits the Jon Woo. He kicks Gamma around for 2. He hits a vertical suplex. CIMA hits him with the Venus and Iconoclasm. Yokosuka blocks the Mad Splash and gets a victory roll for 2. CIMA and Gamma hit stereo superkicks and suicide dives. Yokosuka pops up after taking a back suplex and hits Gamma with a half nelson suplex. He hits an avalanche exploder and KAGETORA hits a flying elbowdrop for 2. CIMA hits a dropkick and an enziguiri. Yokosuka hits the Mugen and the Jumbo no Kachi for 2. KAGETORA hits the Ikkitousen for 2. CIMA and Gamma hit a double superkick. Gamma hits the Blitzen for 2. He hits a clothesline and the Gamma Special for 2. CIMA hits a snap suplex on a chair pile. He and Gamma hit a double Tokarev. Gamma hits another Gamma Special and CIMA hits the Meteora for 2 when Yokosuka makes the save. KAGETORA rolls CIMA up out of nowhere for the win at 14:15 shown of 18:44. This was actually CIMA & Gamma’s fourth loss, making it impossible to advance to the second stage of the tournament. The surprise finish was a lot of fun, and the match was very solid action for fifteen minutes. This was as good an introduction to this year’s tournament as anything.
Rating: ***¼

Also on this show Tanisaki stripped down to short tights to get himself motivated to pin Tozawa, giving himself and Doi another two points and Kid and Tozawa nothing. Arai threw Hulk off his game by going after one of his dancers. Yoshino almost won when he put Kanda in the Sol Naciente, but the Real Hazard team regrouped when Kzy illegally ran the bell and the entire stable helped their boys beat World-1.

Shingo Takagi {K} & YAMATO {K} vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {Z} & Katsuhiko Nakajima {KO}
Takagi’s Mohawk is looking better than ever here. He and Nakajima start. They dodge each other’s strikes. Nakajima takes over with kicks. Mochizuki kicks Takagi off the apron. Nakajima does the same to YAMATO. YAMATO runs through some chops and absorbs Mochizuki’s kicks. A kick from Nakajima puts him down for 2. Mochizuki tags in and goes after the arm. Nakajima takes Takagi off the apron. Takagi returns the favor, hitting a clothesline and a chair shot to Nakajima’s leg. YAMATO and Mochizuki brawl around the building. In the ring Takagi works over Nakajima’s leg. He hits a swinging uranage and puts on the Manriki. YAMATO puts Mochizuki in the crossface. Nakajima comes back with kicks to both opponents. Mochizuki hits a springboard dropkick and the Sankakugeri. Nakajima kicks YAMATO to the floor. Mochizuki hits a big dive onto both opponents. YAMATO comes back with a spear for 2. He puts on the anklelock. Nakajima counters to one of his own but YAMATO gets to the ropes. Nakajima puts on an armbar. Mochizuki puts Takagi in the same hold. He and Nakajima both hit the Sankakugeri for 2. YAMATO and Takagi hit stereo vertical suplexes. YAMATO hits a brainbuster for 2. Takagi goes for the Last Falconry but Mochizuki blocks it. Takagi hits a lariat for 2. Mochizuki blocks the Blood Fall and unloads with kicks. YAMATO falls to kicks from both opponents. Nakajima hits a suplex and another big kick for 2. He hits a Tree of Woe kick to the head for 2. Mochizuki hits the Ikkakugeri. Nakajima hits a backdrop driver. Mochizuki hits a dragon suplex for 2. YAMATO comes back with a German suplex. He puts on the sleeper hold. Nakajima makes the save. Takagi hits the Pumping Bomber. Nakajima comes back with a huge double stomp off the top. Nakajima hits a pair of superkicks. He hits a brainbuster for 2. Takagi hits MADE IN JAPAN for 2. Takagi hits tired Pumping Bombers, trading them with Nakajima’s kicks until the time limit expires at 20:00. They keep fighting and have to be separated by Kamikaze. This just built and built until the time limit expired, and the scrape after the bell was a perfect touch. What an awesome match. I wonder what these four could do with a longer time limit… I wonder.
Rating: ****

So at the end of the day the scoreboard looks like this:
Doi & Tanisaki – 6 points
Yoshino & Hulk – 3 points
CIMA & Gamma – 0 points (out of contention)
Yokosuka & KAGETORA – 2 points
Takagi & YAMATO – 2 points
Kid & Tozawa – 2 points
Kanda & Arai – 8 points
Kong & Kzy – 0 points
Mochizuki & Nakajima – 3 points

The show ends with clips of Doi and Yoshino in Philadelphia, when they were in town for the DGUSA debut show. Yoshino has some trouble communicating with the rental car guy. Also, CIMA and Gamma have stolen the old, crappier Twin Gate title belts and declare themselves the champions of… something. That wacky Gamma and his nonsense title belts.

The tournament continues next week!