June 7, 2012 – Tokyo, 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

Before the show they play clips of Dead or Alive, specifically the Captain’s Fall Elimination Match between Mad Blankey and Ataksuki. Akatsuki won when Shingo Takagi pinned Akira Tozawa, despite Takagi being at a 1-on-4 disadvantage. This came after an errant salt shot from Monday Ryu on Tozawa.

Akatsuki and Mad Blankey start the show off with a series of arm wrestling matches to determine stipulations for their Yoshida Style elimination match later in the show. Shingo Takagi faces the undefeated arm wrestler Cyber Kong first to see which team will get the third match entrant and thus the advantage. Kong almost wins, but Takagi fights back to give Kong his first loss ever. “Naoki Tanisaki” baits Takagi into another match with the promise that he can rename the match a Takagi Style elimination match if he wins. Takagi accepts and loses to “Tanisaki.” “Tanisaki” wins, but tells Takagi that they can rename the match because Kong doesn’t deserve to have a namesake, but he’s taking the man advantage in the match. YAMATO still wants the advantage, so he challenges “Tanisaki.” “Tanisaki” wins instantly, and adds Mondai Ryu to the match, making it 5-on-4. He also puts himself in the match in place of Kong and giving Kong his singles match against Jimmy Kagetora.

Ryo “Jimmy” Saito {J} & Genki Horiguchi {J}H.A.Gee.Mee vs. Rich Swann {W1} & Kotoka
Swann steals Mee’s chant. Mee hits a cheap shot out of anger. Swann hits a dropkick. Kotoka tries to take Saito down with shoulder tackles. Saito shrugs them off and hits one of his own. He hits a legdrop. Mee hits a neckbreaker. He hits a piledriver. Saito hits a diving double stomp. He hits another to the back. Some teasing between Mee and Saito turns into a bit of shoving, and then a peck on the lips to make up. What the hell? Saito puts on a half crab. Kotoka gets to the ropes. MARAHA! ISA… Kotoka fights back and makes the tag to Swann. Swann dropkicks Mee. He hits Saito with a head scissor takedown. Kotoka hits a suicide dive. Swann hits an enziguiri. Mee hits the swinging DDT. Swann hits the Ace Crusher. Kotoka hits a diving double stomp for 2. Swann hits a Frog Splash for 2. He superkicks Saito. Saito hits a German suplex. Kotoka gets a roll up for 2. He gets a backslide on Mee for 2. Saito hits a dragon suplex for 2. He hits the Double Cross for the win at 7:21. They threw enough hopeful doubt in favor of the jobbers in this match to make this squash a serviceable opener.
Rating: **¾

Cyber Kong {MB} vs. Jimmy Kagetora {J}
Kagetora is sporting both the Twin Gate belt and his shiny new ZERO1 tag title belt. I love when wrestlers do that. Kong attacks before the bell. He hits a bodyslam on the floor. He hits an avalanche back in the ring. Kagetora comes back with the Ace Crusher. Kong blocks the enziguiri. Kagetora dropkicks the knee, stomps the back, and slaps the face. He hits the enziguiri for 2. Kong blocks an elbow and hits a lariat. He hits a powerbomb. He hits the flying elbowdrop for 2. Kagetora blocks the Cyber Bomb and gets a small package for 2. He gets the Kagenui for 2. Kong goes for the Cyber Combination but Kagetora gets another Kagenui for the win at 4:19. What chance did Kong have here? He’s on the slump of a lifetime and Kagetora is tearing it up both in Dragon Gate and in ZERO1. Plus, Kagetora has experience pinning the big man with the Kagenui. Fun little match here, even if it is killing my heart to see Kong in the losing streak angle. After the match Kagetora tells Kong that he feels sorry for him and suggests that they grab some brews and talk about it.
Rating: **½

The Windows come out for their big match against the Veteran Army. Kotoka runs out wearing a MadoGiwa t-shirt. He wants to be a part of the group. Kenichiro Arai says he can be in their corner with Shisa BOY during the match. CIMA then offers Kotoka a spot in the Veteran Army. Kotoka apologizes to Arai and accepts the offer. The offer turns out to be a joke, to embarrass Kotoka and show the Windows that the Veteran Army is more desirable. That’s a damn cerebral insult. Kotoka begs Arai to take him back. Arai ignores Kotoka and gets into it with the Veterans, but Kotoka ends up in the MadoGiwa corner anyway.

CIMA {Z}, Masaaki Mochizuki {Z} & Don Fujii {Z} vs. Kenichiro Arai {MG}, K-ness {MG} & Super Shisa {MG} [Number One Contenders Match]
If you haven’t been wrestling since the ‘90s you’re not welcome here! My expectations for this match might be a little high. Everyone brawls to start. Fujii levels K-ness with a shoulder tackle. He gets a sunset flip for 2. He blocks the Kaishaku and gets another sunset flip for 2. CIMA hits Shisa with an enziguiri. Shisa hits a monkey flip. CIMA returns the favor for 2. Shisa gets a sunset flip for 2. The Triangle Gate Champions appear at the entrance. Mochizuki shoulder tackles Arai. Arai sends him to the floor but his suicide dive is blocked by a kick. Mochizuki and Fujii hit a spike piledriver on the exposed floor for 2. CIMA works the neck and pins Arai for 2. Fujii puts on a cravat and gets 2. He exposes Arai’s chest, using the jumper against him, and chops him in the corner. Mochizuki hits a chest kick. He hits a back kick. He hits the Kakato Otoshi. Fujii hits the Sumo Sack Slap in Shisa. Arai hits CIMA with a big boot. Mochizuki hits a missile dropkick. Arai hits the Hanshin Tiger Suplex out of nowhere and finally gets to his corner. Shisa hits Fujii with a rebound dropkick. He and Arai hit stereo suicide dives. K-ness goes for a quebrada but CIMA kicks his face off to block it. K-ness hits a high kick. He hits rolling vertical suplexes for 2. CIMA blocks a swinging DDT and hits the Venus and Iconoclasm. He and Fujii hit the double butt splash for 2. Fujii sends Arai into the post. Arai counters a chokeslam to a DDT. Fujii and Mochizuki double-team Arai. Arai blocks the Ikkaugeri. K-ness hits a high kick. Arai hits a headbutt and K-ness hits the Shouryuukyaku for 2. Fujii slams Arai off the top. Mochizuki hits a big boot. He hits a buzzsaw kick for 2. He hits the Twister for 2. He and CIMA hit stereo Ikkakugeris. Fujii chokeslams Shisa and CIMA hits the Meteora. He doesn’t go for the pin, so he’s definitely losing. Shisa recovers all too quickly but eats a superkick. Mochizuki hits the Sankakugeri and CIMA goes for the Schwein but Shisa counters to the Yoshi Tonic for 2 when Fujii makes the save. Shisa hits another Yoshi Tonic for the win at 16:21. I don’t like the spike piledriver becoming just a move that turns the tide and not an all out killer, and some of the selling was suspect, but aside from that this met all of my expectations. Now let’s just hope we get a Shisa vs. CIMA marquee singles match soon.
Rating: ***¾

Gamma {Z} & Dragon Kid {Z} vs. Jimmy Susumu {J} & Jimmy Kanda {J}
Lifelong heels but present babyfaces Gamma (returning from injury) and Kanda start. Gamma hits a shoulder tackle to start. He blocks the Jon Woo. He hits a dropkick. Susumu hits Kid with a shoulder tackle. Kid hits a head scissor takedown. He and Gamma hit Kanda with a double dropkick. Gamma gives Kanda the Sweet Angel’s Kiss. Kid doesn’t want to touch Gamma’s hands for the tag. Gamma gives Kanda the Osuikougeki. He tries to give it to Susumu but ends up giving it to Kid by mistake. Susumu slams Gamma off the top. He hits a neckbreaker for 2. Kanda works the neck. He and Susumu hit a double suplex for 2. Gamma hits an enziguiri. He blocks the Jon Woo with a lariat. He hits a back suplex on Susumu. Kid hits a head scissor takedown and the 619. He hits the Bermuda Triangle. Gamma hits a suicide dive. Kid hits the Diamond Dust on Kanda for 2. He blocks the Jon Woo twice. Kanda hits a side slam. He and Susumu hit a double facebuster for 2. Gamma canes Kanda and Susumu. Kid hits the Skyscraper Frankensteiner for 2. Gamma spits in Susumu’s face. They trade lariats. Kid hits the Mysterio Rana for 2. Gamma hits the Gamma Special for 2. He spits in Susumu’s face again. Susumu comes back with the Finlay roll. Kanda hits the diving elbowdrop for 2. Gamma counters the Jumbo no Kachi to a roll up for 2. Susumu hits a lariat for 2. He hits the Mugen for the win at 12:13. Aside from the tension behind the Jon Woo, which never paid off, this was as run-of-the-mill as you’re going to get. All four of these guys are often criticized for being uninteresting, and they lived up to that (often unfair) criticism here.
Rating: **

Shingo Takagi {A}, YAMATO {A}, Chihiro Tominaga {A} & Super Shenlong {A} vs. Akira Tozawa {MB}, BxB Hulk {MB}, Kzy {MB}, “Naoki Tanisaki” {MB} & Mondai Ryu {MB} [Elimination Match]
“Tanisaki” and YAMATO start. They have a test of strength. “Tanisaki” is stronger, but he has trouble staying in control. They trade shoulder tackles until Tozawa comes in to help “Tanisaki” win the exchange. They hit elbowdrops. Tominaga is out next. Tozawa avoids a dropkick and hits the running knee. “Tanisaki” keeps Tominaga at bay with chops. Hulk comes in and kills YAMATO with kicks. He hits a senton for 2. Shenlong comes out next and dropkicks Hulk. Ryu comes out next with Kzy. I guess they get to come in together, which makes this a particularly bad situation for Akatsuki. They double-team Shenlong. Takagi is out last. He cleans house. He and YAMATO double-team Ryu. Tominaga misses his moonsault and Mad Blankey takes over. Ryu attacks Takagi with his stick. Kzy and Takagi go into the crowd where Takagi hits a DDT. Ryu puts cold spray in Tominaga’s face. Hulk hits a roundhouse kick. Tozawa hits a senton. He hits another with a couple of chairs for 2. Kzy hits the B-Boy and “Tainsaki” hits a basement dropkick for 2. “Tanisaki” hits a chop. Hulk hits the Complete Shot and the axe kick for 2. He hits a chest kick. He hits the Mouse. Tominaga hits a dropkick. YAMATO kills Hulk with a dropkick. He hits a dragon screw on Kzy and one on Ryu. Tozawa gets one too. Takagi hits the Alabamaslam on Kzy. YAMATO hits a brainbuster for 2. Kzy blocks the Galleria and hits a low blow. YAMATO returns the favor. He hits an enziguiri. Kzy gets the Skayde Schoolboy to eliminate YAMATO. Shenlong hits Hulk with a dropkick and an elevated legdrop for 2. He hits a shotgun dropkick. Hulk hits a leg lariat. He hits an axe kick but Shenlong counters the EVO to a roll up for 2. Hulk hits a suplex and the axe kick for 2. Shenlong gets a funky roll up to eliminate Hulk. He hits the inverted Rocker Dropper on “Tanisaki.” He hits a crucifix bomb for 2. “Tanisaki” hits a double chop. He hits Splash Mountain to eliminate Shenlong. Takagi hits the Pumping Bomber but “Tanisaki” absorbs it. They trade chops. Takagi hits a double chop to the face!. “Tanisaki” returns the favor. Takagi hits the Pumping Bomber to send “Tanisaki” over the top. Kzy loses his shirt to take chest kicks from Tominaga. He hits the Beat Bomb for 2. Takagi saves Tominaga from the Impact and hits the Pumping Bomber. Tominaga hits the triple jump moonsault. Takagi hits MADE IN JAPAN to eliminate Kzy. He casually lariats Ryu. Ryu blocks a powerbomb but falls onto his back. He salts Takagi and rolls him up to eliminate him. Tominaga is alone with Ryu and Tozawa. Tozawa hits a bicycle kick and the side suplex for 2. Everyone ends up over the top rope and on the apron. Tominaga gets the crap kicked out of him until Ryu accidentally salts Tozawa and Tominaga sends Mr. High Tension to the floor. The crowd gets loud for Tominaga. Ryu hits the Panic Attack. The referee goes down and Mad Blankey attacks Tominaga. Akatsuki does the same to Ryu. Kzy hits a yellow box attack. Tominaga shrugs it off and locks Ryu in the cross armbreaker for the win at 23:59. Big pop for that. This wasn’t the most exciting elimination match, but it was very satisfying to see Tominaga get over on all the pricks in Mad Blankey. The First Generation guys really put over the rookies in this too.
Rating: ***½

Naruki Doi © {W1}, Masato Yoshino © {W1} & PAC © {W1} vs. Kenichiro Arai {MG}, K-ness {MG} & Super Shisa {MG} [Open the Triangle Gate Championship Match]
Arai is done screwing around, wearing his old-style pants here instead of the jumpsuit. The Windows attack before the bell. Arai and Shisa hit stereo suicide dives. K-ness hits Yoshino with a basement dropkick. He hits a sit-out powerbomb for 2. Yoshino hits Arai with the Sling Blade. Doi hits an elbowdrop and a senton for 2. PAC hits an elbow for 2. Yoshino and Doi do their thing. Doi hits a vertical suplex for 2. PAC hits a few kneedrops for 2. Yoshino hits the elevated facebuster for 2. Arai fights through Yoshino’s chops and hits a big boot. He hits PAC with a DDT. K-ness cleans house. He knocks PAC off the top rope. He hits Doi with the Kaishaku. PAC hits Shisa with a back elbow. Shisa hits a piledriver for 2. PAC blocks the splash and hits a northern lights suplex for 2. Doi and Yoshino hit a double dropkick. Shisa hits a head scissor takedown and Arai hits a diving headbutt for 2. K-ness hits the Kaishaku for 2. Yoshino botches the shotgun senton. Doi hits the elevated senton for 2. K-ness puts on the Judah. Doi makes the save. Arai hits the Skyscraper Double Stomp for 2. Yoshino blocks the Hanshin Tiger Suplex. K-ness hits the ssss. Arai hits the Hanshin Tiger Suplex for 2. K-ness hits the Darkness Buster for 2. Yoshino blocks the Yoshi Tonic when PAC hits the Ace Crusher. Doi hits the Rydeen Bomb. PAC hits a standing SSP for 2. He hits the Doi 555 and the Bakatare Sliding Kick for 2. PAC hits a plancha. Shisa blocks the Muscular Bomb and hits the Yoshi Tonic for 2 when Yoshino makes the save. Shisa hits Yoshino with the Yoshi Tonic for 2 when PAC makes the save. Arai hits Yoshino with Tombstone Piledriver. He calls for the Firebird Splash but Yoshino avoids it and PAC hits a springboard 450 Splash for 2. Doi hits the Bakatare Sliding Kick in the corner. Arai blocks the Shooting Star Press with his knees and gets a roll up for 2. PAC hits an enziguiri. Yoshino hits the Torbellino. He hits the Lightning Spiral for 2. Doi hits a suicide dive on Shisa. PAC finishes Arai with the 360 Shooting Star Press for the win at 15:52. This match did more for the Yoshi Tonic than Shisa’s entire career preceding it. The home stretch was a perfect mix of drama and athleticism. It took a while to get there, but they made the end of this main event feel like a very big deal.
Rating: ***½

After the match, all of the factions come out to argue. The Veterans want a shot at the Triangle Gate. Horiguchi wants to talk about his King of Gate win and upcoming Dream Gate title match (should he defeat Mondai Ryu). The argument turns into a four-team triangle match for Korakuen hall featuring the Veterans, Jimmyz, World-1 International and Akatsuki. That should be amazing. H.A.Gee.Mee confronts Tominaga about the rookie stealing his baldness gimmick, which leads to both of them being in the big match. Mochizuki and Fujii try to figure out who should accompany them in the match. They suggest Stalker Ichikawa, but quickly decide not to use him. They end up picking Magnitude Kishiwada instead.

Mad Blankey comes out to scream at everyone. Mochizuki calls out everyone in the group except for Hulk and Tozawa for being crappy, embarrassing Kong the worst. Then the Veterans leave. Kagetora calls out “Tanisaki” for ducking out of their match tonight and demands a match with him for next month. Then the Jimmyz leave. Ryu then taunts CIMA, who is in the balcony on commentary. He calls it crap that CIMA wants to face Mee instead of him even though he rightfully earned a shot at the Dream Gate title through the CIMA Royale. They end up making a Mask vs. Passport match. Ryu insists that it be a handicap match. Mad Blankey goes to leave but they’re confronted by the Windows. A triangle match between the two teams is made.

The show ends with a World-1 International promo, centered around everyone kissing each other. Danshoku Dino started this trend at the DDG show a few days before this, but why it has lingered so significantly is way beyond me. I don’t find this stuff particularly funny, but I will say that the light way that Dragon Gate deals with gay humor is a lot more comfortable to me than the gay panic and misogyny that typical American indies bait their audiences into. Yes, even the prominent indies that you enjoy are guilty of this.