Super Shisa, Shachihoko BOY & AR FOX vs Jimmy Kagetora, Kota, & Super Shinlong
Apparently not all of the match was shown as cagematch.net lists the match as running 7:04 and the file I watched was only 4:23 with at least a minute and a half to two minutes being non match related content. That being said everybody got some offense in and AR FOX gets the win with a half Spanish Fly. Not much can really be said for what was here. It is the quick opener to get the crowd pumped.
Kenichiro Arai (c) vs Hollywood Stalker Ichikawa - Open the Owarawi Gate Championship
Match is clipped but what is shown are comedy spots that don't really hit home with me. I guess I am more blood and guts wrestling. The title is an entertainment title only which is fine, but this match did not entertain me. Arai wins via pinfall and fan approval in 7:49
Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, Genki Horiguchi & Mr Kyu Kyu Toyonaka Dolphin vs KZY, Mondai Ryu & Cyber Kong
For those that may not know Dragon Gate is made up of several units (or groups or gangs) and they are constantly fighting against each other every show. In this Trios match we have Jimmyz vs Mad Blankey. These Trios matches are fun when they get a little room to breathe as this one did. Dragon Gate is known for Fast action and fierce competition and this had both in spades. I really like the heel antics of Mad Blankey as they are both comical yet conniving. They are trying to destroy their opponents and have fun doing so. Sadly like much of the DG undercard it feels more like an exhibition than any real story being told. Please do not take that to mean I didn't enjoy the match, because I did, but wrestling excels in the stories they tell and storytelling will push a match into another stratosphere compared to exhibition matches you see on the Indys or on Japanese undercards. The match ended on a fantastic head droppingly brutal move by Dolphin on Cyber Kong.
Dragon Kid (c) vs Eita - Open the Brave Gate
The Brave Gate title is the light heavyweight title and considered the secondary singles title. Dragon Kid represents Team Veteran Returns while Eita is unaffiliated. Eita throws an awesome moonsault which wins me over. I was still cheering for the Dragon Kid and he ultimately pulls out a victory. Match was fun but there was a lot of stalling and crowd pandering which, as fast as these wrestlers are, slows down the pace of the match. I hope to see more of Eita as I think he has some great matches ready to be released into this world.
Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk, & Naoki Tanisaki (c) vs Gamma, HUB & Magnitude Kishiwada - Open the Triangle Gate
MAD BLANKEY vs Team Veteran Returns. I will be honest I completely lost track of who was who in this match and the one nine resource I am using (Wikipedia) to distinguish face with wrestlers completely failed me. At least MAD BLANKEY dresses evil. Dragon Gate is interesting as this did not have any semblance of a story but the action is so fast and exciting. MB is not afraid to use chairs, Singapore Canes, salt and numbers to win the match. Heels are so interesting to me in pro wrestling as they can really shine very easily. I think it takes a lot more effort to get over as a face, though it may be easier to stay over as a face. Team Veteran Returns won the titles with some awesome headdropping moves. Very enjoyable match even if it is just move after move without any rest hold to clean your pallet with.
YAMATO & Shingo Takagi vs Naruki Doi & Johnny Gargano
-akatsuki- vs WORLD-1 International. Great match that had everyone working their styles perfectly. Johnny Gargano is the big discovery for me. He is an American and is technically proficient in every way and has a great look too. This match was full of the fast pacing and headdroppery you come to expect from DG matches, but the heel antics of Doi and Gargano added a little more to this. Takagi is the power man of the match and got the win on the lighter Doi with an awesome Suplex that dropped Doi on his head. Awesome!
Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii (c) vs Jimmy Susumu & Jimmy Kanda - Open the Twin Gate
Team Veteran Returns vs Jimmyz. What I saw of the match was good and action packed. They even did a little bit of brawling in the stands but got distracted by my wife which ruined the enjoyment of the match and has led me to not have much to saw. Team Veteran Returns wins!
CIMA (c) vs Masato Yoshino - Open the Dream Gate
Team Veteran Returns vs World-1 International. These two put together a slower paced match with bursts of speed and it turns out really well. Even though I was cheering for CIMA, I have a lot of respect for Yoshino. He is a speedster that gets huge air on his aerial maneuvers. His moonsault is right up there with Eita's from earlier in the night and his top rope dropkick is second to none. CIMA takes the match with what I believe is crossfire, which is a jumping kneedrop off the top rope. Great match to finish out a fun card.
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