September 30, 2012 – Kobe, Japan
Open the Dream Gate Champion: CIMA
Open the Triangle Gate Champions: Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk & “Naoki Tanisakiâ€
Open the Brave Gate Champion: Dragon Kid
Open the Twin Gate Champions: Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii
Open the Freedom Gate Champion: Johnny Gargano
Open the United Gate Champions: CIMA & AR Fox
Gamma {Z} & Magnitude Kishiwada {Z} vs. Akira Tozawa {MB} & Naoki Tanisaki {MB}
The Veterans’ entrance music makes me want to play MegaMan. Mad Blankey attacks before the bell. Everyone brawls around ringside. Tozawa hits Gamma with a shoulder tackle. Gamma returns the favor. He hits a dropkick. Kishiwada and Tanisaki trade chops. Kishiwada baits Tanisaki into the arm wrestling trap. They trade shoulder tackles until Tanisaki falls. Kishiwada and Gamma hit screaming kicks in the corner. Gamma gives Tanisaki the Osuikougeki. Tanisaki hits a vertical suplex. He and Tozawa hit elbowdrops for 2. Tanisaki hits a couple chops in the corner for 2. Tozawa hits a senton. He hits another with a chair for 2. Gamma hits an enziguiri. Kishiwada hits the Axe Bomber. He hits it again on both opponents. He hits Tanisaki with a vertical suplex. He hits Tozawa with a dropkick. He hits a moonsault for 2. Tozawa hits a side suplex. Tanisaki chops Gamma. He absorbs clotheslines and a superkick before hitting a reverse Michinoku Driver. Tozawa hits a brainbuster and Tanisaki hits the Razor’s Edge for 2. Gamma rolls Tozawa up for 2. Kishiwada hits a lariat and an avalanche. He hits a superbomb for 2. He hits a delayed brainbuster. He hits the Superfly Splash for 2. He hits the Last Ride for the win at 11:47. Tozawa really got squished at the end there. Come to think of it, he didn’t get much offense in here at all. This was a good amount of fun, but it’s disappointing to see Tozawa getting beaten so badly in the opener, even if it was to rebuild Kishiwada.
Rating: **¾
After the match, Gamma, Kishiwada, and HUB ask for a shot at the Triangle Gate belts, and name themselves the Shin Imamiya Festival Trio. Tanisaki grabs the microphone and enters the CIMA Royale.
Shingo Takagi {A} vs. Mondai Ryu {MB}
Ryu attacks during Takagi’s entrance. He throws Takagi into the crowd. In the ring Takagi immediately takes control with a lariat. He hits a yellow box attack. He hits a chair shot. He beats the crap out of Ryu in the corner. Kzy grabs Takagi and Ryu hits a dropkick and the Panic Attack for 2. Takagi hits a powerbomb and the Sliding Bomber for 2. Kzy hits a yellow box attack and Ryu gets a roll up for 2. Takagi clotheslines the yellow box into Ryu’s face. He hits the Pumping Bomber for the win at 5:01. Satisfying squash.
Rating: *¾
Takagi and Ryu both join the CIMA Royale after the match. Ryu does so from a horizontal position.
Naruki Doi {W1}, Masato Yoshino {W1} & Shachihoko BOY {MG} vs. YAMATO {A}, Super Shenlong {A} & Chihiro Tominaga {A}
Before the match, Yoshino says Doi is being held off of the show because of the mouth injury he sustained in his Dream Gate attempt. BOY is meant to be his replacement. Doi shows up and says he wants in the match, so Tominaga joins with Shenlong and YAMATO to make it a trios match. Tominaga and Doi start. Tominaga hits a dropkick to the back. Doi hits a back elbow. He dumps Tominaga and hits a snap suplex to the disrespectful youngster. Yoshino dropkicks Shenlong. Shenlong returns the favor. BOY hits YAMATO with an armdrag. He hits a head scissor takedown. Yoshino hits a dropkick to Tominaga’s arm. Speed! Muscle! Tominaga hits BOY with the STO. He and Shenlong hit a double dropkick. YAMATO hits a dropkick for 2. He puts on a half crab. BOY starts a head scissor takedown on Tominaga but YAMATO saves with a dropkick. BOY hits a dropkick. Yoshino hits Tominaga with the elevated facebuster. Doi hits Shenlong with the hanging senton for 2. BOY dropkicks Tominaga for 2. Tominaga puts BOY in an armbreaker. He hits a dropkick. Shenlong hits a dropkick. YAMATO hits a brainbuster for 2. Shenlong hits the reverse Rocker Dropper for 2. BOY hits a roundhouse kick. Yoshino hits the shotgun senton for 2. BOY hits a leg lariat for 2. He hits a moonsault for the win at 8:48. Looks like BOY is moving up in the world. YAMATO is unhappy and Speed Muscle is impressed. The match was pretty good and the action was very fast, but man does Tominaga just suck the heat out of his segments. When did that start happening?
Rating: **½
BxB Hulk {MB} vs. Super Shisa {MG}
Hulk attacks before the bell. He hits a shoulder tackle. Shisa comes back with armdrags. Hulk kicks his face. Shisa hits a head scissor takedown and a suicide dive. He hits a dropkick for 2. He gets a roll up for 2. Hulk hits an axe kick and a dropkick for 2. He hits another to the back and puts on a chinlock. He hits a reverse DDT for 2. He hits a capture suplex for 2. He hits a roundhouse kick for 2. He puts on a half crab. He hits an axe kick for 2. He hits an enziguiri. Shisa hits a dropkick. Hulk hits another axe kick and a senton for 2. Shisa counters the EVO to a roll up for 2. Hulk hits the Mouse. He hits the EVOP for 2. He hits another axe kick and the EVO. He hits the First Flash and the H Thunder for the win at 7:19. The finish was really strange, as Hulk seemed confused as to whether or not the First Flash was meant to end it. This could have been a strong match but the crowd didn’t care, so it fell pretty flat.
Rating: **
Jimmy Kanda {J} & Mr. Quu Quu Toyonaka Dolphin {J} vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {Z} & Don Fujii {Z}
Kanda and Fujii start. Fujii hits a cheap shot. Kanda works a wristlock. Fujii takes him to the mat. Kanda hits a questionably low blow. Mochizuki and Dolphin tag in, but the attention is on Fuji sneaking around the ring to cane Kanda. The crowd tries to get behind the Quu Quu moniker, but it’s hard to ignore Fujii beating on Kanda. Mochizuki controls with kicks. Dolphin hits an ill-advised back kick. Fujii chops Dolphin in the corner. He boots Kanda off the apron and hits a bodyslam on the floor. Mochziuki kicks out Dolphin’s leg. He puts on a leglock. Dolphin hits the FH. He dropkicks the leg. Kanda hits a leaping elbow. He hits both opponents with the Jon Woo. Mochizuki hits a big boot. He hits a few more. Kanda hits a vertical suplex. Dolphin hits the FH and DH on Fujii. He hits a kneelift. Mochizuki hits a missile dropkick and a chest kick. Fujii hits a chokeslam for 2. Kanda hits Mochizuki with a flapjack and Dolphin hits the Casanova. Kanda hits the flying elbowdrop for 2. He misses the Tornado de Acapulco and Mochizuki kicks his head off for 2. He hits the Twister for 2. He hits a big boot. Kanda blocks the Sankakgueri and Dolphin hits the FH. Fujii avoids the Jon Woo but Kanda gets la magistral for the win at 13:54. This was great, with Kanda really getting under Fujii’s skin (since he now hates and resents the Veterans) and using that frustration to fluster and beat the Vets. Dolphin and Mochizuki did their parts too, but this match wasn’t really about them.
Rating: ***¼
Kanda, holding a Twin Gate belt, demands a title shot with Jimmy Susumu. You’d think he’d want it with Dolphin, since he already beat the champions with him. Dolphin, for his part, enters the CIMA Royale.
CIMA {Z}, Dragon Kid {Z} & HUB {Z} vs. Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee. {J}, Jimmy Susumu {J} & Jimmy Kagetora {J}
Kagetora and HUB start. HUB decks Kagetora with his stinger. He whips Susumu with it. Susumu hits Kid with a shoulder tackle. Kid hits a head scissor takedown. He hits Horiguchi with a DDT. CIMA ties Horiguchi in a knot for 2. Kid dropkicks Horiguchi’s arm. He puts on an abdominal stretch. CIMA steals the elastic band and launches it into Horiguchi’s face from the hard camera for 2. Kid hits a dropkick. He misses a second dropkick and Kagetora swoops in. Susumu hits a backbreaker for 2. Horiguchi hits a swinging DDT. Kagetora hits an elbowdrop. Susumu hits a Muscle Buster for 2. Kidhits a backdrop. He hits a head scissor takedown. HUB hits Kagetora with a DDT. Kid hits the Bermuda Triangle. HUB hits a knee kick and a Jackhammer for 2. Horiguchi hits a head scissor takedown and the topé. CIMA hits the double knee kick on Kagetora. Kagetora hits an enziguiri for 2. Horiugchi hits a dropkick. Susumu hits a lariat. He hits a super exploder and Kagetora hits the flying elbowdrop for 2. Kid hits Susumu with the Skyscraper Frankensteiner. HUB hits the Shining Wizard. He blocks the Jumbo no Kachi with his stinger. Susumu hits Kid with a lariat. Kagetora hits the Genkoniteki for 2. Kid counters the Beach Break to a superkick assisted Bible for the win at 13:10. This was what you’d expect; incredibly quick offense with no flubs and the Veterans going over to justify a Triangle Gate shot for HUB. No Kanda also meant that everyone played fair and the aggressive element was absent.
Rating: ***½
Kid takes the microphone to talk about who would be the next Brave Gate challenger, when over the speakers blares a scream and “KING OF CHOP!†Eita Kobayashi, coming out to his Asian-inspired Spanish rap and holding a lucha indy title belt, enters the ring. Kid addresses him by his full name, but he says he is just Eita the luchador, there is no Kobayashi. He wants the Brave Gate belt so he can show it off to his new Mexican friends. Kid will give him the title shot at the PPV.
Ryo “Jimmy†Saito {J} vs. Cyber Kong {MB} vs. Naoki Tanisaki {MB} vs. Shingo Takagi {A} vs. Mondai Ryu {MB} vs. Masato Yoshino {W1} vs. Mr. Quu Quu Toyonaka Dolphin {J} [Dream Key Battle Royal]
Kong, Ryu and Tanisaki attack everyone at the bell. Ryu and Takagi renew their aggression, but that goes as well for Ryu as the earlier match did. Tanisaki slams Takagi. Dolphin goes after the man who stole his name. Takagi and Saito stomp on Ryu. Yoshino rolls Takagi up for 2. Dolphin tries to roll up Saito, causing an argument. Takagi and Yoshino suplex Kong. Dolphin hits Takagi with a DDT and gets a roll up for 2. Yoshino dropkicks Tanisaki’s arm. Kzy trips Takagi and Ryu dropkicks him. Kong hits a splash for 2. Takagi clotheslines Tanisaki for 2. Everyone tries to pin Tanisaki. Ten minutes elapse and the over the top rope rule goes into play. Everyone tries to throw everyone over and out. Tanisaki hits Dolphin with a kneelift. Mad Blankey gets triple suplexed. Takagi clotheslines the Jimmyz and hits Yoshino with the DVD. He suplexes Kong. Kong clotheslines him to the apron and it takes every single wrestler, including sacrificial lamb Ryu, to eliminate him from the match. Dolphin hits Tanisaki with the Casanova for 2. They trade roll ups until Tanisaki eliminates Dolphin with the help of the ropes. Saito and Yoshino suplex Kong onto Ryu. Ryu rolls up Saito for 2. Saito hits a German suplex to eliminate Ryu. Kong and Tanisaki double-team Yoshino. Yoshino rolls Kong up to eliminate him. Tanisaki hits Saito with the DH. Kzy hits a yellow box attack. Saito hits a pair of dragon suplexes for 2. Yoshino dropkicks Saito and Tanisaki hits a yellow box assisted Night Ride to eliminate him. Yoshino blocks the Night Ride. Tanisaki hits the Razor’s Edge for 2. Yoshino blocks the Implant. He hits a backdrop. Kzy trips him but Dolphin does the same to Tanisaki. Yoshino hits two Torbellinos and the Lightning Spiral for the win at 23:03. Before the eliminations started the match was a little bland, but once they got going the match was perfectly booked. In particular, the finish was brilliant, as everyone expected Tanisaki to win, but his bullying of Dolphin cost him in the end. I can dig it. Yoshino will gets his title shot at the PPV.
Rating: ***½
