DRAGONGATE
DANGEROUS GATE 2023
AUGUST 20, 2023
OTA WARD CITY GYMNASIUM – TOKYO, JAPAN
Watch: Dragon Gate Community
BIG BOSS SHIMIZU, KZY, & U-T DEF. DAIKI YANAGIUCHI, DRAGON DIA, & KAITO NAGANO
This was the primary of many issues that didn’t go proper this night.
Whereas not a foul match by any means, it was a notably tough outing for Kaito Nagano, who was celebrating his first anniversary inside the firm. There’s a model of this match that is filled with wild dives, fast-paced sequences, and pleasure, however they selected to go in one other course. After a seemingly limitless warmth section on Daiki Yanaiguchi (who has new, trendy gear), the rookie made the tag to Nagano, who fumbled across the ring and slipped on a dive directed at Large Boss Shimizu. Is it the tip of the world? Completely not. However I couldn’t assist however really feel whereas watching this match that this could’ve been higher, and sadly, that thought caught with me all through most of this present.
In the long run, Shimizu squished Yanagiuchi with the Large Boss Press for the win. **3/4
BXB HULK, HO HO LUN, NARUKI DOI, & ULTIMO DRAGON DEF. KAGETORA, PROBLEM DRAGON, PUNCH TOMINAGA, & SHUJI KONDO
Usually matches like this, which Open the Voice Gate has dubbed the “contact soccer” match of the evening, are light-hearted affairs which can be enjoyable and inoffensive. They’re skippable, however you don’t really feel such as you wasted your time watching them. Sadly, each infrequently, the contact soccer match isn’t as enjoyable as you’d prefer it to be. This wasn’t a enjoyable match. It existed. It felt like a waste of time. I couldn’t await it to be over. Ultimo Dragon pinned Punch Tominaga. **1/4
OPEN THE BRAVE GATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
ISHIN (c) DEF. MOCHIZUKI JUNIOR
This win marks the primary profitable protection of ISHIN’s Open the Courageous Gate Championship Match.
Voices of Wrestling just lately printed a listing of the 30 greatest wrestlers underneath 30. The record, which featured a panel of twenty-two voters, largely lined up with my ideas. Names like Kaito Kiyomiya and Rhea Ripley have been ranked too excessive whereas names like Jacky “Funky” Kamei and Nick Wayne didn’t do in addition to I feel they need to’ve. The crime within the last rankings, nonetheless, have been focused in the direction of Mochizuki Junior. One 12 months from now, if we glance again at this record, I feel we are going to all really feel silly for not having Junior ranked within the top-half of the record (I voted Junior #11).
He’s otherworldly. Junior, having solely wrestled for 14 months, possesses charisma, timing, and talent that some wrestlers will merely by no means have. The second-generation star has been a continuing supply of leisure since he walked into the promotion final June. This was his highest-profile singles match thus far and he was marvelous in his efficiency.
ISHIN, wrestling’s first supernova and one other second-generation star, has not been sort to Junior. They briefly teamed final 12 months in a long-term story that led to ISHIN turning heel on M3K and becoming a member of Z-Brats. Since he turned heel, the 2 have largely been saved aside, however they reignited one of the best feud of final 12 months in a matter of moments on this match.
Junior jumped ISHIN early, touchdown a giant strike early that despatched the champion to the ground. Junior, in an act that shocked everybody, launched excessive rope with a Fosbury Flop-type dive that despatched his knees crashing into the cranium of ISHIN. This was violent, reckless, and thrilling.
The one factor that prevented this match from being nice – “notebook-worthy”, if you’ll – is that the center of the match wasn’t all there. They confirmed their lack of expertise there. The match began off scorching and completed with a bang, however the journey to the vacation spot was not all the time the smoothest.
After some murkiness and a collection of huge kickouts from their respective huge strikes, ISHIN locked Junior within the Demise Penalty choke and compelled the teenager to submit.
I beloved how bodily all of this was. It was ugly, largely in the suitable manner, and the end result was satisfying whereas nonetheless leaving room on the desk for extra sooner or later. ***3/4
Mochizuki Jr busting out some new offense! #DragonGate #DangerousGate2023 ▶️https://t.co/X9vthlXBt8 pic.twitter.com/oEA4oz0BLe
— Kayden/ケイデン🌸🌺 (@KVR216) August 20, 2023
Mochizuki Jr dumps ISHIN on the apron! #DragonGate #DangerousGate2023 ▶️https://t.co/X9vthlXBt8 pic.twitter.com/QRkXLJkHNr
— Kayden/ケイデン🌸🌺 (@KVR216) August 20, 2023
BEN-Okay, STRONG MACHINE J, & YUKI YOHSIOKA DEF. DON FUJII, MASAAKI MOCHIZUKI, & TOMOHIRO ISHII
Tomohiro Ishii was again within the Dragon System for the primary time since 2001.
Just like the YAMATO vs. Hiromu Takahashi match from Kobe World 2023, this “dream match” didn’t dwell as much as its potential. Whereas not unhealthy by any means, this match fell sufferer to what I believed was a dire ambiance. Having Ishii in Dragongate going through off towards their brightest younger stars ought to’ve felt like an enormous deal, nevertheless it didn’t. The simplistic manner of viewing this match could be to position the blame on the children. In a super world, whether or not or not it’s Ben, SMJ, or Yoshioka, at the very least one in all them would possess the charisma to get the group invested on this match. I feel, nonetheless, Dragongate’s Reiwa Six has confirmed they will do this. This was a crowd that would not be received over.
Ishii and Ben-Okay did what you’d need them to do. Their primary sequence collectively, which was stuffed with arduous shoulder blocks and aggressive strikes, was simply the spotlight of this match.
I do love what Dragongate did with the end. As a substitute of giving Ishii the win, which might’ve in the end been ineffective, the end noticed Masaaki Mochizuki eat the pinfall from his former pupil, Yuki Yoshioka. Hopefully, a Mochizuki/Yoshioka program delivers greater than this match did. ***1/4
Ishii and Ben-Okay squaring off #DragonGate #DangerousGate2023 ▶️https://t.co/X9vthlXBt8 pic.twitter.com/6ZEMUtJb4j
— Kayden/ケイデン🌸🌺 (@KVR216) August 20, 2023
YAMATO DEF. FUJITA “JR” HAYATO
That is extra prefer it.
I’ve discovered this incarnation of YAMATO, in a 12 months the place he’s intentionally stepped away from Dragongate’s primary occasion scene and unit battles, to be essentially the most attention-grabbing YAMATO has been in years. Even when his look and presentation are roughly the identical as they’ve been over the past seven years, he’s placing himself in environments which can be new to him. It was a pleasure watching YAMATO work together with his former tag staff associate Naruki Doi in Rey de Parejas this 12 months. It was thrilling seeing YAMATO tangle with Hiromu Takahashi in what felt like an enormous match. Having the chance to wrestle longtime Michinoku Professional standout Fujita “Jr” Hayato is the sort of stuff that I like seeing YAMATO do.
I’ve all the time mentioned that I take pleasure in mat wrestling, I simply don’t like boring wrestlers. YAMATO and Hayato put forth a grappling clinic for 19:05. These have been two world-class wrestlers excelling at their craft. I used to be enthralled with the best way that YAMATO labored this match. He chipped away on the knees of Hayato, attempting to chop off the barrage of kicks that the present Lidet UWF Champion focuses on. Each Hayato kick regarded so highly effective, even after the leg assaults started, that it appeared to harm each rivals. This was so gritty and such an uncommon detachment from the Dragongate house-style. It made me want YAMATO was put in additional environments like this. He would’ve been a way more thrilling selection for Professional Wrestling NOAH’s N-1 than Yuki Yoshioka.
My favourite spot of the match got here when YAMATO was locked within the KID Choke. The five-time Dream Gate Champion regarded like he was about to cross out, however then whereas within the maintain, he picked Hayato’s ankles and utilized strain with a modified leg-lock, swinging the match’s momentum in his favor. He did one thing very comparable when he wrestled Fred Yehi in AAW final 12 months and it was equally as sensible.
Hayato by no means recovered from the choke counter. YAMATO plastered him with three arduous kicks to the pinnacle shortly after. He landed the Galleria, however Hayato kicked out, to the shock of everybody. He was no match, nonetheless, for the Sleeper Maintain that put the match away.
Every thing about this was nice, from the in-ring motion, to the story that was advised, to Jae and Ho Ho Lun on English commentary, who did a wonderful job of describing Hayato’s backstory. On a present that didn’t really feel rather a lot just like the lovable Dragongate, this was a chunk of artwork from starting to finish that I might simply love. ****1/4
NASTY dragonscrew from Yamato! #DragonGate #DangerousGate2023 ▶️https://t.co/X9vthlXBt8 pic.twitter.com/7X1URfoY3m
— Kayden/ケイデン🌸🌺 (@KVR216) August 20, 2023
T H U N Okay #DragonGate #DangerousGate2023 ▶️https://t.co/X9vthlXBt8 pic.twitter.com/sHPJaLfPgP
— Kayden/ケイデン🌸🌺 (@KVR216) August 20, 2023
OPEN THE TWIN GATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
SUSUMU MOCHIZUKI & YASUSHI KANDA DEF. HYO & KAI, JACKY “FUNKY” KAMEI & JASON LEE
This was the third profitable protection for the M3K pairing of Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda.
I don’t know the right way to write about this match. Hardly ever, in all my years of writing about Dragongate, does that occur, however this one stumped me. There was an excellent match in right here, however at 22:48, this was far too bloated to have any actual affect on me.
The bloat got here from Z-Brats, all the way down to solely three members with Shun Skywalker in America, and two of whom have been on this match. ISHIN ran interference on the surface for almost all the match. There was a desk, protein powder assaults, duct tape, chairs, and field assaults. It was all an excessive amount of as a result of none of it actually landed. I didn’t suppose Z-Brats have been evil as a lot as they have been annoying, and neither the Pure Vibes duo, nor the M3K staff, confirmed sufficient hearth to make me care about them overcoming the percentages.
Kamei and Lee have been bounced from the match after HYO rolled up Kamei whereas Lee was duct taped to the ropes. That spot labored as soon as within the construct to this match; I’m now very uninterested in it. That left M3K and Z-Brats to duke it out in a plunder-filled atmosphere. The height of the match, to me, was when Junior and Masaaki Mochizuki ran in to thwart Z-Brats. The unique heels, M3K, gave Z-Brats a style of their very own medication and received after a blue field assault and powder throw on HYO.
There was an excellent match in right here someplace, however this was not nice. ***1/4
Jesus christ H.Y.O #DragonGate #DangerousGate2023 ▶️https://t.co/X9vthlXBt8 pic.twitter.com/L753TA4cX0
— Kayden/ケイデン🌸🌺 (@KVR216) August 20, 2023
OPEN THE DREAM GATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
MADOKA KIKUTA (c) DEF. KOTA MINOURA
This win marks the second profitable protection of Madoka Kikuta’s Open the Dream Gate Championship.
For Madoka Kikuta, it was all in regards to the chase.
Kikuta might do no unsuitable for ten months. From August 2022-Might 2023, Kikuta was the right wrestler. He rehabbed a profession that was going nowhere and turned himself into the highest canine. Nobody – and I imply nobody – might’ve predicted that this was the place Kikuta was going to be at the moment final 12 months. He made each proper transfer alongside the best way and it earned him a Dream Gate run. The issue for Kikuta is that his story, his second, and his momentum, all peaked when he received the Dream Gate Championship.
This has not been a foul run for Kikuta, nevertheless it’s a far cry from the work he was doing main as much as his eventual title win. This match with Minoura, very like his Kobe World protection towards Yuki Yoshioka, was good, nevertheless it wanted to be nice. When Kikuta was constructing himself up, he was usually essentially the most talked about entity after the present. He was stealing the highlight and stealing headlines. Now, he’s having that achieved to him. He’s not delivering in these primary occasions in the best way that he must, and I’m now totally of the assumption that he both must bear a dramatic character change, or the belt must be taken off of him.
I don’t suppose Kikuta is doing lively hurt as champion, however he’s now in a spot the place he’s not making the corporate higher. I don’t consider him as a failure, and I feel he’ll ultimately get one other shot with the belt and I’m all for that, however he’s now previous his peak on this incarnation of his profession.
These guys tried so arduous, nevertheless it simply didn’t work. Minoura, who had been leaping off the display screen within the construct to this match, fell flat. Kikuta didn’t appear like a captain who could lead on troopers into conflict. This got here throughout like two B+ guys drowning in an A+ spot.
Minoura put up a superb combat, however ultimately fell to Kikuta’s Focus on Lariat. ***1/2
#DragonGate #DangerousGate2023 ▶️https://t.co/X9vthlXBt8 pic.twitter.com/K0YeNmKvD0
— Kayden/ケイデン🌸🌺 (@KVR216) August 20, 2023
Ultimate Ideas
Harmful Gate 2023 didn’t really feel like a Dragongate present. It got here throughout as a flat, uninspired present with a crowd that wouldn’t react to the return of Jesus Christ. After a robust outing at Lifeless or Alive and a terrific Kobe World earlier this 12 months, Dragongate has now chalked up a massively disappointing huge present as they head into their hottest season of the 12 months.
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