Dragon Gate: Dangerous Gate 2019 - 24/08/2019
Natural Vibes (Punch Tominaga & YASSHI), Hiroshi Yamato, Martin Kirby & Mondai Ryu vs. Tribe Vanguard (Kagetora & Yosuke Santa Maria), Dragon Dia, Jimmy & Shachihoko BOY
Your usual opening match. The younger talent got some spotlight, mainly Jimmy and Dragon Dia. Jimmy has some nice moves, like a lovely tope, but there were a few awkward moments where Kirby had to stand there and wait for Jimmy to do a rope-assisted Rana correctly after a slight misstep. Dia was much more smoother in execution. There was the usual opening match, synchronized/train or all included rowboat spots. Santa Maria kissing everyone besides Mondai Ryu was a highlight, too. Some fairly entertaining action with everyone getting involved from start to finish. Perfectly acceptable for the opening spot on the show. **
R.E.D. (KAZMA SAKAMOTO, Takashi Yoshida, Yasushi Kanda & Diamante) vs. K-ness, Kenichiro Arai, Ryo Saito & Super Shisa
My favourite trio of R.E.D (and Diamante)! I’m serious too. None are particularly great but they make it work and have nice chemistry with each other. This was a fairly short match with them not really wasting any time, R.E.D pulls off some of their signature spots with the added Diamante touch. K-Ness, Air and Shisa did the best they could along with Saito being Saito. The setup for his splash was awesome though. The DQ finish was something out of the norm on these shows (usually used for the House shows) but I think it was perfectly fine for the show. It puts over R.E.D as the scummy people they are. **3/4
Open The Triangle Gate Title Match: The Machines (Strong Machine F, Strong Machine G & Strong Machine J) (c) (w/KY Wakamatsu) vs. Mochizuki Dojo (Hyo Watanabe, Kota Minoura & Yuki Yoshioka)
I’m hot and cold of The Machines. They have perfectly fun matches but they are just there not really doing much of note. Sure they feuded with R.E.D for a bit but it felt like a stopgap. I think they need a proper engaging feud to achieve what they want for J. J is pretty good and has a good presence to him, even next to clone copies of him. They just need to do it right The Mochizuki Dojo boys are all promising acts with bright futures. Both teams work in a similar way, tons of double and triple team moves but there is a big difference in what they do in the match. The Machines have power and submission based offence, and they use it to work over Watanabe early on and cut the ring off nicely using that approach. In contrast, Mochizuki Dojo is very fast and put emphasis on strikes and aerial wrestling. So that dynamic adds something to the match. The Mochizuki Dojo really impress in the match though. Kota Minoura and his amazing diving senton especially. The finish gives the match a good ending, finally getting the crowd into it as well. J’s finisher, the Majin Fushagatame, is beautiful. It’s an underhook/hammerlock suplex with a bridge and he pulls it off so well. If the crowd was into the match more for much longer than they were, this could’ve been better. Good match albeit long. ***1/4
MaxiMuM (Kaito Ishida & Naruki Doi) vs. Mochizuki Dojo (Keisuke Okuda & Masaaki Mochizuki)
Okuda has been one of those guys that have been around for a few years but never really did much outside of a few things here and there, most of that was on DDT having such a big roster. But since he has shown up in DG, he has excelled. Right off the bat, they start off with tons of intensity with a few elbows blows by both Okuda and Doi followed up by Ishida and Mochizuki going at it. With Maximum having the experience on their side, they control the match early on but Okuda isn’t overwhelmed and stays alive. Okuda and Ishida show almost straight away that have great chemistry, even if the big focus as far as the feud goes is Okuda vs Doi. Some of the brief exchanges they have are so good, Ishida leans into Okuda’s style well and plays the smug douche well. Ishida’s smile is great. Mochizuki and Doi have some good moments as well. They come in for the big spots of the match and do it well. Mochizuki kicking the back of Ishida’s head while he is in a triangle choke by Okuda as he is getting out of it is a great example of that. Very good match. ***1/2
MaxiMuM (Dragon Kid, Jason Lee & Masato Yoshino) vs. Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk & KAI) & Ultimo Dragon
A big step down from the previous match. This felt very long, very boring and just nothing much to it outside of the initial interactions with Ultimo Dragon and Dragon Kid. Which was actually pretty good. They worked pretty fast and smooth, a few mirror spots that came across well. **3/4
Shun Skywalker vs. Susumu Yokosuka
Not really sure why this isn’t a Brave Gate title match but it’s not. This was very much the veteran vs up and comer type match. They played up Susumu’s history in the video package and he constantly outsmarted Shun Skywalker, specifically when Skywalker went to the top. Tried to ground him early on with a few headlocks and other variations. Shun has his bright sparks early on, like his big moonsault off the ropes to the outside that gets great hang time but the story is the same, Susumu plays it smart and regains control. One of the best things about Shun’s offence is that most of it looks painful. His moonsault knees land right on Susumi’s side and arm and it looked devastating. And he has great urgency afterwards too. Either quickly getting the cover or following it up with another big move to try and end the match. The finish with Susumu hitting Shun with the Mugen was decent but seemed to come a little abrupt. I think they could’ve made it a bit more of a struggle for Susumu to win at the end. Really good match and very good performance by Susumu. ***1/2
Yosuke Santa Maria challenges Susumu for a Brave Gate title match!! Match of the year incoming.
Open The Twin Gate Title No Disqualification Match: R.E.D. (Big R Shimizu & Eita) (c) vs. Natural Vibes (Genki Horiguchi & Kzy)
This was a violent, weapon filed match. Something you don’t see often but it was really well done from start to finish. R.E.D come equipped with ladders when they make their entrance and that quickly segways into brawling in the aisle way and then into the crowd. Which isn’t the norm for Dragon Gate match. They use the ladder well and the spots were they were falling over each other and down the stairs were fun. Once they got in the ring, the match got a bit more control but got better in a much different way. R.E.D go the extra mile to being total scum bags by cutting off Genki Horiguchi’s hair. If anyone knows Genki, he stands out by his extravagant hairstyles. His gimmick and popularity are based about the crowd chanting “H.A.G.E” meaning bald (at first as a dig then as endearment). So that was great. R.E.D got rid of KZY shortly before they got to the ring but they kept on attacking him every sign of him getting into the match. Leaving Genk isolated in the process. Geki does a great job of being the face in peril, his selling is great, totally sympathetic. R.E.D excel in their roles too. Using every trick in the book - outside help from the rest of the unit, weapons and chairs, eye pokes and rakes. Eita especially as he looks like a total slimeball that you want to see get beaten up. Kzy, when he begins getting into the match more, does just that. Kzy slamming Eita into the ladder was both cringe-worthy and satisfying, as was the Swanton off the ladders. The moment when Punch and the rest of Natural Vibes came in to fend off R.E.D was great. Normally those parts can drag the match down but after R.E.D being such a nuisance, it added to the match greatly. The whole finish with Big R hitting Otakebi (a splash) through the table from the ladder and then the Shot Putt slam was so great. Big emphatic way to end the match. Great performances from Eita and Genki. Great match. ****1/4
Open The Dream Gate Title Match: Ben-K (c) vs. YAMATO
After Ben-K got crowned Dream Gate champion last month and is now considered ace of Dragon Gate, it was only right to face the former Ace in YAMATO. Joint top record holder with Masaaki Mochizuki with four title reigns spanning 656 days in total. One of the most successful wrestlers of the promotion. And big-time rival, mainly as tag opponents for when Ben-K teamed with Big R. Last time they faced each other was the opening day of the King of Gate tournament with Ben-K actually winning. So YAMATO has something to prove here as well.
Heated start to the match. Some good mat exchanges to open with Ben-K shooting in, YAMATO, with his MMA background, being able to block it and transitioning from his back to a keylock. YAMATO had a great grin when he bested Ben-K afterwards. Ben-K did some damage to the ribs, setting it up for the spear later in the match, once given the chance and works on it nicely with a shoulder breaker and a tight waist lock. There are some great transitions of control really early in the match, like YAMATO catching Ben-K with a guillotine choke when Ben-K tried to hit a spear on the apron which was followed up by a brutal suplex on the apron (with Ben-K landing on the corner). Which also lead to YAMATO working on the neck for some time of the match. Ben-K was much more expressive in this match than he has been before. He was pretty much a “grunt” before but he added tons more facial expressions to his game and played to the crowd more. After Ben-K hit an awesome looking spear through the ropes with YAMATO on the apron and regained control for a while, he played to the crowd to get them on his side more. I thought the match as a whole was built really well. The start of the match wasn’t slow but it tease a few big moments that’ll come later in the match (like the spear on the apron), set up the work on the ribs (by Ben-K) and the neck (By YAMATO) then as the match grew into itself, the heavy offence started to come out with awesome counters like YAMATO catching Ben-K in motion with a frankensteiner into a triangle choke and some really great strikes which you don’t really expect from Dragon Gate matches. And a simple yet really good closing stretch with a KO tease followed up by Ben-K killing YAMATO with each thing he has until he got the win. A heck of a match. It was able to make both guys looked great, YAMATO in defeat especially. Ben-K got the big win and looked great doing it. The struggles for control were well done, they didn’t go over the top with much and had a few nice wrinkles like good striking and mat work opposed to the bomb-heavy style that big-time DG matches can have. ****1/2
The show was a relatively easy watch. The undercard is filled with fun matches, some better than others. I would say the Trios/Ultimo Dragon match and the opening matches was the only matches I’d deem worth skipping. The last two matches are both excellent and completely different from each other. I would recommend the show if you’re into this stuff. If not, just the last two matches.
Natural Vibes (Punch Tominaga & YASSHI), Hiroshi Yamato, Martin Kirby & Mondai Ryu vs. Tribe Vanguard (Kagetora & Yosuke Santa Maria), Dragon Dia, Jimmy & Shachihoko BOY
Your usual opening match. The younger talent got some spotlight, mainly Jimmy and Dragon Dia. Jimmy has some nice moves, like a lovely tope, but there were a few awkward moments where Kirby had to stand there and wait for Jimmy to do a rope-assisted Rana correctly after a slight misstep. Dia was much more smoother in execution. There was the usual opening match, synchronized/train or all included rowboat spots. Santa Maria kissing everyone besides Mondai Ryu was a highlight, too. Some fairly entertaining action with everyone getting involved from start to finish. Perfectly acceptable for the opening spot on the show. **
R.E.D. (KAZMA SAKAMOTO, Takashi Yoshida, Yasushi Kanda & Diamante) vs. K-ness, Kenichiro Arai, Ryo Saito & Super Shisa
My favourite trio of R.E.D (and Diamante)! I’m serious too. None are particularly great but they make it work and have nice chemistry with each other. This was a fairly short match with them not really wasting any time, R.E.D pulls off some of their signature spots with the added Diamante touch. K-Ness, Air and Shisa did the best they could along with Saito being Saito. The setup for his splash was awesome though. The DQ finish was something out of the norm on these shows (usually used for the House shows) but I think it was perfectly fine for the show. It puts over R.E.D as the scummy people they are. **3/4
Open The Triangle Gate Title Match: The Machines (Strong Machine F, Strong Machine G & Strong Machine J) (c) (w/KY Wakamatsu) vs. Mochizuki Dojo (Hyo Watanabe, Kota Minoura & Yuki Yoshioka)
I’m hot and cold of The Machines. They have perfectly fun matches but they are just there not really doing much of note. Sure they feuded with R.E.D for a bit but it felt like a stopgap. I think they need a proper engaging feud to achieve what they want for J. J is pretty good and has a good presence to him, even next to clone copies of him. They just need to do it right The Mochizuki Dojo boys are all promising acts with bright futures. Both teams work in a similar way, tons of double and triple team moves but there is a big difference in what they do in the match. The Machines have power and submission based offence, and they use it to work over Watanabe early on and cut the ring off nicely using that approach. In contrast, Mochizuki Dojo is very fast and put emphasis on strikes and aerial wrestling. So that dynamic adds something to the match. The Mochizuki Dojo really impress in the match though. Kota Minoura and his amazing diving senton especially. The finish gives the match a good ending, finally getting the crowd into it as well. J’s finisher, the Majin Fushagatame, is beautiful. It’s an underhook/hammerlock suplex with a bridge and he pulls it off so well. If the crowd was into the match more for much longer than they were, this could’ve been better. Good match albeit long. ***1/4
MaxiMuM (Kaito Ishida & Naruki Doi) vs. Mochizuki Dojo (Keisuke Okuda & Masaaki Mochizuki)
Okuda has been one of those guys that have been around for a few years but never really did much outside of a few things here and there, most of that was on DDT having such a big roster. But since he has shown up in DG, he has excelled. Right off the bat, they start off with tons of intensity with a few elbows blows by both Okuda and Doi followed up by Ishida and Mochizuki going at it. With Maximum having the experience on their side, they control the match early on but Okuda isn’t overwhelmed and stays alive. Okuda and Ishida show almost straight away that have great chemistry, even if the big focus as far as the feud goes is Okuda vs Doi. Some of the brief exchanges they have are so good, Ishida leans into Okuda’s style well and plays the smug douche well. Ishida’s smile is great. Mochizuki and Doi have some good moments as well. They come in for the big spots of the match and do it well. Mochizuki kicking the back of Ishida’s head while he is in a triangle choke by Okuda as he is getting out of it is a great example of that. Very good match. ***1/2
MaxiMuM (Dragon Kid, Jason Lee & Masato Yoshino) vs. Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk & KAI) & Ultimo Dragon
A big step down from the previous match. This felt very long, very boring and just nothing much to it outside of the initial interactions with Ultimo Dragon and Dragon Kid. Which was actually pretty good. They worked pretty fast and smooth, a few mirror spots that came across well. **3/4
Shun Skywalker vs. Susumu Yokosuka
Not really sure why this isn’t a Brave Gate title match but it’s not. This was very much the veteran vs up and comer type match. They played up Susumu’s history in the video package and he constantly outsmarted Shun Skywalker, specifically when Skywalker went to the top. Tried to ground him early on with a few headlocks and other variations. Shun has his bright sparks early on, like his big moonsault off the ropes to the outside that gets great hang time but the story is the same, Susumu plays it smart and regains control. One of the best things about Shun’s offence is that most of it looks painful. His moonsault knees land right on Susumi’s side and arm and it looked devastating. And he has great urgency afterwards too. Either quickly getting the cover or following it up with another big move to try and end the match. The finish with Susumu hitting Shun with the Mugen was decent but seemed to come a little abrupt. I think they could’ve made it a bit more of a struggle for Susumu to win at the end. Really good match and very good performance by Susumu. ***1/2
Yosuke Santa Maria challenges Susumu for a Brave Gate title match!! Match of the year incoming.
Open The Twin Gate Title No Disqualification Match: R.E.D. (Big R Shimizu & Eita) (c) vs. Natural Vibes (Genki Horiguchi & Kzy)
This was a violent, weapon filed match. Something you don’t see often but it was really well done from start to finish. R.E.D come equipped with ladders when they make their entrance and that quickly segways into brawling in the aisle way and then into the crowd. Which isn’t the norm for Dragon Gate match. They use the ladder well and the spots were they were falling over each other and down the stairs were fun. Once they got in the ring, the match got a bit more control but got better in a much different way. R.E.D go the extra mile to being total scum bags by cutting off Genki Horiguchi’s hair. If anyone knows Genki, he stands out by his extravagant hairstyles. His gimmick and popularity are based about the crowd chanting “H.A.G.E” meaning bald (at first as a dig then as endearment). So that was great. R.E.D got rid of KZY shortly before they got to the ring but they kept on attacking him every sign of him getting into the match. Leaving Genk isolated in the process. Geki does a great job of being the face in peril, his selling is great, totally sympathetic. R.E.D excel in their roles too. Using every trick in the book - outside help from the rest of the unit, weapons and chairs, eye pokes and rakes. Eita especially as he looks like a total slimeball that you want to see get beaten up. Kzy, when he begins getting into the match more, does just that. Kzy slamming Eita into the ladder was both cringe-worthy and satisfying, as was the Swanton off the ladders. The moment when Punch and the rest of Natural Vibes came in to fend off R.E.D was great. Normally those parts can drag the match down but after R.E.D being such a nuisance, it added to the match greatly. The whole finish with Big R hitting Otakebi (a splash) through the table from the ladder and then the Shot Putt slam was so great. Big emphatic way to end the match. Great performances from Eita and Genki. Great match. ****1/4
Open The Dream Gate Title Match: Ben-K (c) vs. YAMATO
After Ben-K got crowned Dream Gate champion last month and is now considered ace of Dragon Gate, it was only right to face the former Ace in YAMATO. Joint top record holder with Masaaki Mochizuki with four title reigns spanning 656 days in total. One of the most successful wrestlers of the promotion. And big-time rival, mainly as tag opponents for when Ben-K teamed with Big R. Last time they faced each other was the opening day of the King of Gate tournament with Ben-K actually winning. So YAMATO has something to prove here as well.
Heated start to the match. Some good mat exchanges to open with Ben-K shooting in, YAMATO, with his MMA background, being able to block it and transitioning from his back to a keylock. YAMATO had a great grin when he bested Ben-K afterwards. Ben-K did some damage to the ribs, setting it up for the spear later in the match, once given the chance and works on it nicely with a shoulder breaker and a tight waist lock. There are some great transitions of control really early in the match, like YAMATO catching Ben-K with a guillotine choke when Ben-K tried to hit a spear on the apron which was followed up by a brutal suplex on the apron (with Ben-K landing on the corner). Which also lead to YAMATO working on the neck for some time of the match. Ben-K was much more expressive in this match than he has been before. He was pretty much a “grunt” before but he added tons more facial expressions to his game and played to the crowd more. After Ben-K hit an awesome looking spear through the ropes with YAMATO on the apron and regained control for a while, he played to the crowd to get them on his side more. I thought the match as a whole was built really well. The start of the match wasn’t slow but it tease a few big moments that’ll come later in the match (like the spear on the apron), set up the work on the ribs (by Ben-K) and the neck (By YAMATO) then as the match grew into itself, the heavy offence started to come out with awesome counters like YAMATO catching Ben-K in motion with a frankensteiner into a triangle choke and some really great strikes which you don’t really expect from Dragon Gate matches. And a simple yet really good closing stretch with a KO tease followed up by Ben-K killing YAMATO with each thing he has until he got the win. A heck of a match. It was able to make both guys looked great, YAMATO in defeat especially. Ben-K got the big win and looked great doing it. The struggles for control were well done, they didn’t go over the top with much and had a few nice wrinkles like good striking and mat work opposed to the bomb-heavy style that big-time DG matches can have. ****1/2
The show was a relatively easy watch. The undercard is filled with fun matches, some better than others. I would say the Trios/Ultimo Dragon match and the opening matches was the only matches I’d deem worth skipping. The last two matches are both excellent and completely different from each other. I would recommend the show if you’re into this stuff. If not, just the last two matches.
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