DGUSA United NYC

January 28, 2011 – New York, New York

I was at this show live, and it was awesome! Let’s see how it holds up on tape. The venue was quite odd, as it was very much a restaurant with a ring just set up in the middle of the damn place.

Akira Tozawa {K} vs. Sami Callihan
They lock up to start. Callihan smacks Tozawa. Tozawa smacks Callihan back. The sound of those smacks isn’t picked up at all, as it was brutal to listen to live. They exchange lariats. More chops and punches are exchanged. Callihan hits a high kick. Tozawa ducks a lariat. He misses the Apron Kara Tozawa. Callihan misses a splash. Tozawa misses the Apron Kara Tozawa again but hits a senton. He misses a suicide dive. Callihan hits an exploder on the exposed hardwood floor. That gets 2 in the ring. Callihan hits a legdrop for 2. He hits chops in the corner. Tozawa bicycle kicks Callihan to the floor. He hits two suicide dives. Love it. Callihan hits a bunch of headbutts and a dropkick off the top. They slug it out until Tozawa hits a back heel kick and an enziguiri. Callihan hits a backdrop driver. Tozawa returns the favor. Callihan hits another. Tozawa pops up and hits another of his own. Callihan hits a high kick. He hits a dead lift backdrop driver. Tozawa dead lifts Callihan into a German suplex. He hits a bicycle kick. Callihan hits a big boot. Tozawa hits another bicycle kick. Callihan hits the Sliding D for 2. Tozawa hits a hurricanrana and a knee kick for 2. He hits another knee kick and the German suplex for the win at 9:51. Stiff as hell opener that got me all kinds of fired up to watch this show. The sound issues took a big away from it on PPV, but my memory of the match live in strong, and once this comes out on PPV everyone will know how good it truly was.
Rating: ***¼

After the match Jon Moxley gets on the microphone and brags about Tozawa’s win. Then he mocks Homicide for not showing up in his own hometown to fight. Reby Sky, who’d be out earlier to show off the Open the United Gate title belts, comes out to slap Moxley and speak in a very thick New York accent. Moxley says he made a new year’s resolution not to hit women anymore, but he tells Tozawa to do it for him. Tozawa doesn’t want to do it, and before Moxley can convince him otherwise Jigsaw runs out and attacks him.

Jon Moxley {K} vs. Jigsaw {CH}
Jigsaw starts in control. He hits a head scissor takedown. He hits a plancha. He hits a somersault plancha off the stage. He hits a crossbody. Moxley knocks him off the top to the floor. He hits a legsweep into the barricade. Back in the ring he hits an armbreaker. He puts on an armbar. He hits a back elbow for 2. He hits the release vertical suplex for 2. He puts on the kimura. Jigsaw gets to the ropes. He hits a double stomp to the back of the head. He hits a clothesline, a back elbow and a dropkick. Moxley gets a schoolboy for 2. Jigsaw hits an enziguiri and a brainbuster for 2. Moxley hits a lariat. Jigsaw gets a roll up for 2. He hits a superkick. He hits another double stomp for 2. Moxley hits the Ace Crusher for 2. He puts on the crossface chicken wing but Jigsaw gets to the ropes. YAMATO comes out as Jigsaw hits a thrust kick. YAMATO pulls Jigsaw to the floor and rams him into the barricade. Back in the ring Moxley reapplies the crossface chicken wing for the win at 8:56. Not much going on here, just some decent back-and-forth wrestling before a cheap finish.
Rating: **

After the match Moxley gets back on the microphone and talks trash. BxB Hulk comes out to steal the microphone and tell Moxley to shut up. YAMATO attacks Hulk from behind and their match begins.

BxB Hulk © {W1} vs. YAMATO {K} [Open the Freedom Gate Championship Match]
YAMATO starts in control. Julius Smokes runs out and attacks Jon Moxley at ringside. He actually ran by me in the crowd to get to the ring, and I thought at first it was just some drunk moron rushing the barricade. They brawl through the crowd (which is all the fans pay attention to) as Hulk regains control with a headlock. YAMATO hits a shoulder tackle. Hulk hits a dropkick. Moxley runs to the back to get away from Smokes. Hulk hits a basement dropkick for 2. He hits the BxB Star Press for 2. YAMATO puts on a leglock. He dropkicks the leg. He dropkicks the back. Smokes cuts a cookie-cutter promo on commentary, threatening to steal Moxley’s couch. YAMATO applies another leglock but Hulk gets to the ropes. YAMATO hits a dragon screw and puts on a figure 4 leglock. Hulk gets to the ropes. YAMATO hits the spear for 2. He puts on an anklelock. Hulk escapes so YAMATO puts on a half crab. Hulk gets to the ropes. His leg is too hurt to stand. YAMATO hits a Stun Gun. Hulk hits an axe kick. He hits a missile dropkick. He sweeps the leg and hits a senton. He hits a roundhouse kick for 2. YAMATO avoids the EVO and goes back to the half crab. Hulk gets to the ropes. He hits a leg lariat. He hits an avalanche powerslam. He hits a big boot. He hits another axe kick for 2. YAMATO hits a SicK Kick. He hits a superplex for 2. They trade elbows until Hulk hits the Mouse and a lariat. YAMATO hits an enziguiri. Hulk returns the favor and hits the EVO for 2. He hits the axe kick and the First Flash for 2. He screws up a phoenix splash but smartly sells it like his leg injury messed him up. Props. YAMATO counters the EVO to a sleeper hold. He hits the sleeper suplex. He hits a brainbuster for 2. He hits a weak Galleria for the win and the title at 19:16. Like always Hulk sold like crap. The finish was trash too, as the Galleria has never looked worse. Those two BIG problems aside this was pretty much on par with their match from Final Gate, which isn’t saying a ton.
Rating: ***

On the bright side the audio finally starts coming in normally at this point in the PPV. It’s just in time too, as Jimmy Jacobs comes out to cut a promo. He talks about the long road ahead of him to get to the Open the Freedom Gate Championship and the fact that YAMATO is now at the end of it. They shake hands in a weird moment. The road he mentioned starts tonight with his match against Brodie Lee.

Jimmy Jacobs vs. Brodie Lee {BW}
Lee is joined by all of the Blood Warriors. Jacobs attacks before the bell. Lee easily overpowers him. Jacobs goes to the eyes but his subsequent strikes do nothing. Lee hits a dropkick. Jacobs goes for a plancha but Lee catches him and rams him into the post. In the ring Lee hits a European uppercut. He hits a delayed vertical suplex for 2. He smacks Jacobs around the ring. Jacobs starts to fight back but Lee hits a thrust kick. Jacobs blocks the Truck Stop and puts on the End Time. Lee sets him up top to escape. Jacobs hits a missile dropkick. Lee falls to the floor so Jacobs goes for a plancha. Lee avoids it and hits a powerbomb on the stage. He hits a lariat in the ring for 2. He misses a big boot and Jacobs gets a roll up for 2. Jacobs hits the Ace Crusher. He hits the diving senton for 2. Lee hits a big boot and a sit-out powerbomb for the win at 6:17. This was basically a squash for Lee, which makes little sense given Jacobs is seemingly poised for a push to the top of the card.
Rating: **½

After the match the Blood Warriors celebrate. All seems good and dandy until RONIN BABY! Ronin comes out to Rich Swann’s fantastic a cappella stylings. Their entrance is so good that they get over immediately with the New York fans. Chuck Taylor suggests they have their tag tournament match right now.

Chuck Taylor {R} & Johnny Gargano {R} vs. Naruki Doi {BW} & Ricochet {BW} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
Doi and Gargano start. They trade holds of the mat. Doi hits a shoulder tackle. Gargano slams Doi’s face to the mat and hits a dropkick. The in-ring audio is gone again. That’s so annoying. Taylor and Ricochet do their thing. It ends with Ricochet hitting a spear in the corner. Doi gets a roll up for 2. Ricochet hits an elbowdrop for 2. He hits a dropkick for 2. Doi hits the capture dropkick for 2. Taylor rams Ricochet’s face into Gargano’s feet. Gargano hits a back heel kick. He hits a snap suplex for 2. The audio is starting to come back a bit. Gargano and Taylor stomp Ricochet. Taylor hits a butterfly suplex for 2. He hits a backbreaker and Gargano hits a dropkick for 2. Gargano hits a legsweep and ties Ricochet in a knot. He blocks a standing moonsault with a kick. Taylor hits a senton for 2. Ricochet dumps Taylor and hits Gargano with a back flip kick. Doi hits the crossbody to the back. He forces Gargano to dropkick Taylor. He and Ricohet hit a double Dai Bosou to both opponents. Ricochet hits a shooting star press off of Doi’s back for 2. Taylor walks over Gargano’s back to hit the blockbuster on Doi. Ricochet hits a head scissor takedown. Gargano hits the Ace Crusher for 2. Ricochet hits a tiger feint kick. Doi hits the Doi 555. Gargano hits a spear. Ricochet hits the Chocolate Rain for 2. He hits the Sasuke Special. Taylor and Gargano hit the Doomsday Device on the floor. Back in the ring Taylor hits a hanging DDT and Gargano hits the Hurts Donut for 2. Taylor hits Doi with the Sole Food. Ricochet hits a reverse hurricanrana. Doi hits the Doi 555 and the Bakatare Sliding Kick for 2. Ricochet blocks Gargano’s spear and holds him for Doi’s hanging senton. He hits the Lionsault for 2. Doi hits the Blue Thunder Bomb. Ricochet misses a corkscrew moonsault. Gargano hits a superkick. He hits Doi with a suicide dive. Taylor finishes Ricochet with the Awful Waffle for the win at 14:36. Just like in October, Ronin proves that they can keep up with the Dragon Gate pace while adding fresh movesets to the equation. I dig all of this.
Rating: ****

After the match Gargano gets the crowd excited. He wants Ronin to be allowed to go to Japan. Rich Swann goes into the crowd to get Ronin Baby over as a catchphrase. He calls out Austin Aries for their match.

Rich Swann {R} vs. Austin Aries
Aries hits a missile dropkick to start. He locks in the Last Chancery but Gargano pulls Swann to the ropes. Swann goes to the eyes. He smacks Aries. He hits a back kick for 1. Aries smacks Swann back. It wasn’t loud enough for the crowd so he does it again. Swann avoids a crossbody but eats an elbow. He blocks the Heat Seeking Missile with a kick. Aries rolls through a flying crotch attack and powerbombs Swann into the rest of Ronin. He hits the Heat Seeking Missile. He hits a senton for 2. He hits a back kick for 2. Aries hits a gutbuster and the Powerdrive Elbow for 2. He hits another elbow for 2. He ties Swann in a knot. Swann hits a clothesline and a Complete Shot out of the corner for 2. He hits a standing frog splash for 2. Aries hits the Finlay roll but misses a frog splash. Swann kicks his face and hits a senton for 2. He hits a back heel kick to the face. He kicks the arm and puts on a funky submission hold. Aries creatively keeps from getting superplexed, but Swann just kicks his face again for 2. He hits a standing SSP for 2. Aries goofs a couple spots and then acts all sore about it and fakes an injury. He stalls forever on the floor. Eventually he gets back in the ring and hits a Japanese armdrag. He hits a back suplex. He hits the IED for 2. He puts on the Last Chancery but his arm is too hurt to hang on. He hits a hanging neckbreaker for 2. He misses the 450 splash and Swann drops him on his head with a head scissor takedown. Swann hits a brainbuster for 2. He hits a few back kicks. Aries hits a super brainbuster and puts on the Last Chancery for the win at 16:48. The first half of the match was pretty sloppy, and Aries’ weird temper tantrum later on made the match drag. I’m not sure why he decided to sell the arm at that point, it’s not like any work had been done on that body part.
Rating: **¾

The Warriors come out and tell Ronin to talk on the microphone. Taylor says that after their win tonight and Swann’s hard fought match against Aries, they’ve proven they belong in Japan. CIMA disagrees. Taylor reminds him that tomorrow night he and Gargano are wrestling the Blood Warriors again. He says when they win CIMA won’t be able to deny they belong in Japan. CIMA calls the fans stupid, which wasn’t clear at all live (everyone thought he was calling Taylor stupid), but the commentators make it clear on PPV. World-1 comes out so the main event can start.

CIMA {BW} & Dragon Kid {BW} vs. Masato Yoshino {W1} & PAC {W1} [Round Robin Tournament Match]
Kid and PAC start. They trade holds on the mat. PAC avoids a head scissor takedown and hits a backbreaker. He hits a standing SSP. CIMA hits Yoshino with a chest kick. Yoshino hits a head scissor takedown. PAC hits a corkscrew moonsault off of Yoshino’s back. Yoshino puts on the Mark Nulty Special. CIMA comes back with a wristlock. Kid hits a pair of kneedrops. At this point in the night I remember being totally exhausted and also frustrated that Kid’s moveset was so predictable. Yoshino hits a double stomp to his arm. Kid hits PAC with a back heel kick. CIMA hits a senton. He puts on an abdominal stretch. He hits a legdrop. He and Kid hit a double dropkick. Kid hits a dropkick. He hits another in the corner. CIMA puts PAC in a leglock and ties Yoshino in an upside down knot at the same time. Kid dropkicks PAC. He and CIMA hit sentons for 2. CIMA catapults PAC into the ropes and a chair. Ricochet hits PAC with a cheap shot. The camera didn’t catch it but Ricochet had been doing this throughout the whole match. It was pretty cool to see the natural rivalry get started here in DGUSA. PAC hits an enziguiri on CIMA. Yoshino tags in and cleans house. PAC dropkicks CIMA to the floor. Kid dropkicks Yoshino’s knee and hits the Diamond Dust. He hits a stunner for 2. CIMA hits PAC with a double stomp and a senton. He hits the Venus and Iconoclasm. PAC hits an Ace Crusher. He hits a springboard dropkick. Yoshino accidentally hits PAC with the shotgun dropkick. CIMA stacks his opponents and hits them with a bulldog. He and Kid hit stereo Tokarevs. PAC blocks the Ultra Hurricanrana and Yoshino hits a dropkick. Kid hits Yoshino with the stack hurricanrana. CIMA hits the Perfect Driver for 2. Yoshino avoids the Schwein. CIMA blocks the Torbellino. Kid hits the Bible after a CIMA superkick but it only gets 2. CIMA hits PAC with a superkick. Kid hits the Messiah for 2. He misses the Dragon Rana. Yoshino hits the Lightning Spiral. He hits CIMA with the Torbellino. He hits Kid with a powerbomb. PAC hits a springboard 450 splash and a German suplex for the win at 19:53. This got nice and insane down the stretch, but what did you expect from four of the best in Dragon Gate? Ronin comes out to end the show with all four teams in the tournament staring one another down.
Rating: ***¾

Gabe Sapolsky booked this very similarly to the way he booked the first ever ROH PPV, in that everything led right into the next segment. I thought it worked very well here, only feeling forced on maybe one occasion.

Bonus Match – Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival 2009

BxB Hulk © {W1}, Masato Yoshino © {W1} & PAC © {W1} vs. Dragon Kid {K}, Akira Tozawa {K} & Taku Iwasa {K} [Open the Triangle Gate Championship Match]
Iwasa returned from injury and helped Kamikaze escape obscurity and get a shot at the belts here. Yoshino’s gone bleach blonde! Hulk and Tozawa start. Tozawa hits a butt butt. They both miss dropkicks and throw Kamehamehas at each other. Kid and Yoshino tag in and the crowd erupts. At this point they were already slated to fight each other in Philadelphia for Dragon Gate USA’s debut show. Kid hits a hurricanrana. PAC takes out Kamikaze on the floor with a shooting star press. In the ring Iwasa and Tozawa double-team PAC for 2. Iwasa and Kid tie PAC and Yoshino up in a complicated submission. Tozawa tries to grab Hulk but Hulk gets the better of him. Hulk hits Tozawa with a dropkick for 2. Yoshino picks up crazy speed before dropkicking Tozawa. Tozawa sells it like a champion. Tozawa starts to get fired up as Hulk kicks him around. PAC blocks a butt butt with a dropkick. Tozawa hits a dropkick and tags Iwasa. Iwasa cleans house. He suplexes Hulk while falling back on PAC. Kid hits Yoshino with the Déjà Vu. He hurricanranas Yoshino from the apron to the floor. Iwasa hits Hulk with Kegon. Kid and Iwasa do the old AraIwa double stomp for 2. PAC hits a backbreaker on Kid. Iwasa hits PAC with the Noshigami on the apron. That was crazy. Yoshino hits Tozawa with the Sling Blade for 2. Kid hits Yoshino with a stunner and Tozawa hits the Apron Kara Tozawa for 2. Kid hits Hulk with a DDT. World-1 hits a triple kick on Kid. They all hit missile dropkicks for 2. Iwasa punts Hulk’s head and holds him for Kid’s super hurricanrana. Iwasa hits the Gouwan for 2. He hits it on PAC. PAC comes back with a sunset flip for 2. Iwasa puts his head and hits the Noshigami. Kid hits the Ultra Hurricanrana for 2. PAC blocks Tozawa’s German suplex. Hulk hits the Mouse and Yoshino hits the Torbellino. Tozawa comes back with the German suplex for 2. Iwasa hits the Gouwan on Tozawa by mistake. PAC hits the shooting star knee and Yoshino hits the Speed Star for 2. Tozawa hits Hulk with a hurricanrana for 2. Hulk hits an enziguiri and the EVO. PAC hits the corkscrew shooting star press for the win at 17:13. World-1 is just on fire as the champs. This was excellent, as the action moved insanely fast and nothing was botched. I’d love to see a rematch.
Rating: ***¾