May 18, 2012 – Kobe, Japan

Open the Dream Gate Champion: CIMA
Open the Triangle Gate Champions: Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi & PAC
Open the Brave Gate Champion: Dragon Kid
Open the Twin Gate Champions: Jimmy Susumu & Jimmy Kagetora
Open the Freedom Gate Champion: Johnny Gargano
Open the United Gate Champions: Masato Yoshino & Ricochet

The show starts with a couple of clips of Dragon Kid’s Brave Gate title win over Ricochet at Dead or Alive, which is nice because we’ve seen none of that show at all! Get on it, Japan!

Super Shenlong {A} vs. “Naoki Tanisaki” {MB}
Dark match action! Though there really aren’t dark matches on Infinity anymore. “Tanisaki” controls with chops to start. Shenlong hits a dropkick. “Tanisaki” levels him with a chop. He hits a vertical suplex. He hits a nasty chop in the corner. Shenlong hits a sick inverted Rocker Dropper. He hits a shotgun dropkick for 1. “Tanisaki” hits a kneelift. Shenlong avoids the Casanova but “Tanisaki” hits a chop. “Tanisaki” hits the cross-legged suplex for 2. He hits the Implant for the win at 2:59. This was squash city, but these guys actually have some chemistry against each other. I hope this Shenlong gets a more fair shake than the last one, because he’s barely had a handful of matches and he’s already busting out really cool stuff. After the match “Tanisaki” says he’s entering the CIMA Royale tomorrow night.
Rating: *½

BxB Hulk {MB} & Mondai Ryu {MB} vs. Don Fujii {Z} & Shachihoko BOY
I guess they’ve dropped the pretense surrounding Shisa BOY and Shachihoko Machine completely. BOY has the Shisa pants and Shachihoko Mask. Hulk and Ryu attack ebfore the bell. Fujii fights them off. BOY hits Hulk with an armdrag. He hits a head scissor takedown. Hulk drops him on the apron. Ryu hits a chair shot. He and Hulk hit a double hiptoss They slap and kick the crap out of BOY. Hulk hits a spin kick and a senton for 2. BOY tries to fight back but Ryu and Hulk clobber him for 2. Hulk sweeps the leg and kicks BOY in the face. BOY hits a head scissor takedown. Fujii cleans house. BOY gets fishy up top, so Hulk hits a big boot. Hulk hits the Complete Shot for 2. BOY hits Ryu with a spin kick. Fujii hits a lariat. He hits the chokeslam and BOY hits a moonsault for 2. Fujii hits another chokeslam. Larry Dallas distracts BOY long enough for Hulk to take control. Ryu hits a dropkick. Hulk hits the EVO for 2. He hits the Mouse and the EVOP for the win at 8:40. This never really got off the ground and was pretty much just Mad Blankey squashing BOY. Keeping Fujii out of the match so much was a crime. I’m still not sure how Dallas rationalizes his paycheck in a country where as a manager he can’t speak the language. After the match Fujii says he’s entering the CIMA Royale to keep Ryu from winning.
Rating: *¼

Cyber Kong {MB} vs. Kotoka
Kotoka attacks at the bell. Kong shrugs him off. He hits a shoulder tackle. He hits a press slam. He hits a shinbreaker and a lariat to the leg. He puts on the Stretch Muffler. Kotoka gets to the ropes. They trade elbows in an exchange that goes how you’d expect. Kotoka hits a bulldog. He hits a miracle DDT. He hits a double stomp. He hits a diving double stomp for 2. Kong shoves him off the top rope. He hits a back suplex. He hits an avalanche. He hits the flying elbowdrop for 2. He hits a powerbomb. He hits the Pineapple Bomber but Kotoka shocks him with a roll up for the win at 5:00. This had great energy, even if it had no heat because the crowd figured it was just a squash. They popped nicely for the finish, though. After the match Kotoka hugs the referee and says he’s entering the CIMA Royale. Ryu insists that he’ll be winning himself.
Rating: **

Masato Yoshino {W1} & PAC {W1} vs. CIMA {Z} & Eita Kobayashi
Kobayashi is pretty damn over with this crowd. He and Yoshino start. Kobayashi hits an armdrag and a dropkick. CIMA dropkicks PAC. PAC hits a head scissor takedown and a plancha for 2. Kobayashi and CIMA hit a double dropkick on Yoshino. Yoshino hits a double stomp to Kobayashi’s arm. He and PAC hit a double back elbow for 2. Kobayashi catches PAC with the overhand chop. PAC hits a bodyslam. Yoshino hits a backbreaker. He hits a vertical suplex for 2. PAC chops Kobayashi in the corner. He hits a European uppercut. He bullies Kobayashi around before hitting a gutwrench suplex for 2. Yoshino hits a back suplex for 2. CIMA has broken up every pin on Kobayashi and then blamed it on falling debris from the ceiling, which the crowd loves. Yoshino hits Kobayashi with a basement dropkick. Kobayashi charges back with an elbow. CIMA dropkicks PAC. He hits a bulldog. He and Kobayashi hit stereo dropkicks and planchas. CIMA hits Yoshino with a back kick and chest kick for 2. Yoshino hits the Sling Blade for 2. He puts on From Jungle. Kobayashi makes the save with an overhand chop. PAC hits a back elbow. He hits a suplex and a standing SSP for 2. Kobayashi hits another chop. He hits another in the corner. CIMA hits the double knee kick. He hits the Perfect Driver for 2. Kobayashi hits the moonsault for 2. PAC hits an Ace Crusher and a standing corkscrew moonsault for 2. Yoshino hits the shotgun senton for 2. PAC hits the springboard 450 Splash for the win at 12:01. This was a lot of fun. I’m so impressed with how Dragon Gate has gotten Kobayashi and his overhand chop over with the crowd. PAC looked like a beast here.
Rating: ***¼

PAC reminds CIMA that he won CIMA Royale II. He requests to be in CIMA Royale III. I’d love to see that rematch, and so would CIMA so he says yes. CIMA turns his attention to Kobayashi. The two of them will go to Mexico soon. CIMA will only go for a week, then leave Kobayashi to explore Mexico on his own for a while if he wants. Kobayashi prove that he’s ready by counting to 100 in Spanish. It’s perversely hilarious watching him get through it. The way he says “seis” is particularly Japanesey. He almost screws up on 66, but CIMA lets it slide when he quickly corrects himself. He screws up on 76 also and has to go back a little bit. I can’t believe I’m giving play-by-play to a guy counting to 100. He takes too long thinking recalling “noventa” but CIMA doesn’t penalize him for it, just teases him. CIEN! EITA KOBAYASHI, YOU’RE GOING TO MEXICO!

Ryo “Jimmy” Saito {J}, Jimmy Kanda {J} & Jimmy Kagetora {J} vs. YAMATO {A}, Shingo Takagi {A} & Chihiro Tominaga {A}
Kagetora and Tominaga start. Tominaga has the crowd. He works the arm. Kanda and YAMATO trade shoulder tackles for a lifetime until Kanda finally puts YAMATO down. Takagi hits Saito with a shoulder tackle. He and Tominaga hit some tandem offense for 2. Kagetora hits a basement dropkick on Tominaga. Saito hits a diving double stomp. He hits another double stomp. He hits an elbowdrop to the back. Tominaga hits Kanda with a bodyslam but Saito keeps him from making the tag. Saito and Kagetora hit a double dropkick to the face for 2. Tominaga suplexes Kanda. Takagi cleans house to almost no reaction. This crowd is the pits. Takagi hits the Complete DDT. Saito ducks an enziguiri and goes for the Cycling Yahoo but YAMATO quickly blocks it. Saito hits the pop-up German suplex. YAMATO counters the Cycling Yahoo to an anklelock but Kagetora makes the save. Takagi blocks the leaping lariat but gets slugged. Kagetora hits the Ace Crusher for 2. Tominaga hits an armbreaker and a back suplex. Kagetora blocks the Pumping Bomber but falls victim to the Alabamaslam. Kanda hits Tominaga with the Flapjack. Saito hits the Superfly Splash for 2. Kanda misses the flying elbowdrop. YAMATO hits him with a dropkick. Takagi hits a lariat. Tominaga blocks the Jon Woo and puts on the cross armbreaker. Kagetora makes the save with a flying elbowdrop. He hits a brainbuster for 2. He hits the Genkonitekki for the win at 12:16. The first half of this match was dull as hell, with no heat to speak of and nothing of interest occurring because of it. They gutted it out in silence to bring some fun down the stretch, but it never had a chance to be anything special. After the match everyone on the winning team says they’re going to be in the CIMA Royale.
Rating: **¾

Akira Tozawa {MB} vs. Dragon Kid {Z} [Semifinal Match]
Ryu distracts Kid, giving Tozawa the early advantage. Kid comes back with an armdrag. He hits a head scissor takedown. Tozawa hits a suicide dive. He hits a chair shot. Kid hits a pair of kneedrops for 2. There is just no energy in this room. Kid hits a pair of dropkicks. Tozawa hits the bicycle kick. He hits a bodyslam on the floor. He hits a senton, and then another with a chair for 2. He works the arm and then the leg. CIMA uses the belt from his bathrobe to help Kid get to the ropes. Tozawa hits an elbow and a side suplex for 2. Kid hits the 619 and the Bermuda Triangle. He hits the stunner. He hits the Diamond Dust for 2. Tozawa hits the running knee for 2. He hits a brainbuster for 2. Kid hits the Messiah for 2. Tozawa hits a German suplex. He hits another bicycle kick. Kid blocks a superplex and hits an avalanche Ace Crusher. Dallas distracts Kid and Tozawa avoids the Ultra Hurricanrana. Kid hits the Bible for 2 when Hulk distracts the referee. Hulk hits a yellow box attack and Ryu hits a salt attack, giving Tozawa the win at 13:23. This whole match was a load of crap, with no heat, uninspired work, and an incredibly weak finish. CIMA’s terrycloth belt spot was the only interesting part of the match.
Rating: *

Masaaki Mochizuki {Z} vs. Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee {J} [Semifinal Match]
Mee attacks Mochizuki during his entrance. He hits the topé con hilo. He hits a springboard dropkick. Mochizuki comes back with a chest kick. He blocks the swinging DDT and hits another chest kick. He hits the Topé Masaaki. He hits a Tombstone Piledriver. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special. Mee gets to the ropes. Mochizuki hits a bodyslam and works the neck. He can’t hit a suplex so be puts on a crossface. Mee gets to the ropes. He hits a head scissor takedown. He hits the swinging DDT for 2. He cuts back on a sunset flip for 2. Mochizuki kicks the crap out of him for 2. Horiguchi hits the Beach Break but his neck is too hurt to cover. Mochizuki hits the Black Magic and a chest kick for 2. Mee can’t get the Backslide from Heaven and Mochizuki hits the SicK Kick for 2. Mee hits a brainbuster. Mochizuki hits a big boot but Horiguchi quickly catches him with the Backslide from Heaven for 2. Mochizuki gets a backslide for 2. He hits the Shin Saikyou High Kick and the Twister for 2. Mee dodges a charge and gets the Backslide from Heaven for the win out of nowhere at 11:02. This actually needed some more time to build a little drama. It had the right ingredients, but didn’t get to cook enough. Raw cookies taste good, but as dessert, not the main course (I’m saying this was fun but too short and abruptly-ended to be the main event).
Rating: ***

After the match Mee calls Tozawa out on cheating so hard to win his semifinal match. He goads Tozawa into agreeing to fight a fair fight in the finals.