411's Dragon Gate USA Freedom Gate Challenge Report 01.22.10

Posted by Chris Lansdell on 01.22.2010

BxB Hulk defies the odds to become the first ever Open the Freedom Gate Champion! Also Speed Muscle got the better of Dragon Hawk! Read the full report for all the details!

Hey yo. It's Chris Lansdell back with you for another foray into the world of Dragon Gate USA as we aim to crown the first Open the Freedom Gate champion. I'm going to let you all know right now that this report is not up to the standards of my usual PPV reports. My TV blew up and I had to watch this on a different TV in a room with no desk, plus the darn stuff is just too fast to keep up with. However, let's dive in!

We start the broadcast with ring announcer Kevin Harvey in the ring with the first match participants. Dude looks like a shorter Claudio Castagnoli.

Gran Akuma vs Johnny Gargano vs Matt Jackson vs Nick Jackson vs Lince Dorado vs Hallowicked

Akuma starts with a low blow on Hallowicked, and Gargano helps him clear the ring. Hallowicked gets a headscissors on Akuma and a Shining Wizard on Gargano, then flies to the outside and takes them both out. Dorado and Matt Jackson exchange lucha and Jackson catches Lince with a superkick. Lince comes back with a spinning headscissors sending Matt to the floor then teases a leap to the outside before Nick Jackson kicks his head off. Gargano spears Nick through the ropes! Matt is in and they get a stereo basement dropkick on Gargano, then the neck/backbreaker combo on Lince. Gargano and Akuma break up the potential Young Buck faceoff then exchange kicks and forearms. Matt and Nick drag them to the floor and then head back inside to face off again. MISSILE DROPKICKS from Lince and Hallowicked to the Bucks! Hallowicked hits a Go to Sleepy Hollow on Lince followed by the Rydeen Bomb for 2. Hallowicked tries the super Fisherman suplex but gets pushed off, SHOOTING STAR by Lince! Akuma breaks it, hits some kicks then gets a tombstone for 2. Nick breaks it up then hits an X-Factor before taking out Lince on the floor! Gargano and Akuma at it again, Gargano gets a superkick and a release belly to back for 2. Matt in and gets a spear on Gargano, springboard splash by Nick gets 2. Hallowicked tries Go 2 Sleepy Hollow again but the Bucks counter, MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK! Nick covers! 1...2...Matt breaks it up! The brothers fight it out with forearms! Lucha arm drag by Nick and a running knee in the corner! Matt counters a German with a stiff superkick and a face-first powerbomb! 1...2...Akuma breaks it with a stiff kick! Hallowicked in, he tries the running Liger bomb to the outside on Lince who counters and sends him to the floor with a headscissors! A series of dives to the outside by the faces leaves Akuma and Gargano in the ring. Half nelson suplex by Akuma on Gargano! Gargano counters Rubik's Cube then LAUNCHES him in a modified snake eyes to the bottom turnbuckle! Lawn Dart City! Gargano up top, Akuma follows and hits a spider Exploder suplex! MOONSAULT! 1...2...3! Jesus that was nuts.

Winner: Gran Akuma via pinfall (on Gargano, moonsault)
Rating: ***½ That's about as good as a spotfest gets, but a spotfest it was and they have a cap on ratings. But I'll be damned if I wasn't breathing heavy by the end of this.

BxB Hulk vs Brian Kendrick

I hope this is not clipped like the CIMA-Kendrick match was. Kendrick gets an armbar takedown which is quickly countered by Hulk. Kendrick gets another counter into a top wristlock, then Hulk gets a Fujiwara before Kendrick gets to the ropes. Apparently Kendrick was unhappy with the match being edited, kayfabe of course. They exchange more basic holds and Kendrick bails to the floor. Back inside now and Hulk gets an arm drag and a dropkick to send Kendrick scurrying again. Hulk looks like Hamada. Hulk catches Kendrick in the corner with a boot and some chops, then gets some knees to the head. Chinlock now by Hulk. Kendrick gets the ropes so Hulk just kicks him in the back instead. Kendrick with a cheap shot to regain control, and he sends Hulk to the floor where he whips him to the ring post. He rolls Hulk back in and gets some mounted punches before locking in the camel clutch. Hulk escapes the hold and Kendrick kicks away at the legs, so Hulk returns the favour. Kendrick stops that by going to the eyes. Back to the camel clutch now. Kendrick transitions to a body scissors but Hulk makes the ropes again. Hulk ducks a clothesline and runs up the ropes to hit a missile dropkick. Series of kicks by Hulk followed by a corkscrew leg drop for 2. EVO-B countered by Kendrick but he does not counter the enziguiri. Powerslam by Hulk! 1...2...no! Hulk charges into a spin kick by Kendrick, who goes for Sliced Bread...countered! Hulk pushes Kendrick off and to the floor, and Hulk wants to FLY! Kendrick wusses out by going over the rail into the crowd. Hulk retrieves him and rolls him inside but gets crotched on the top rope. Small package by Kendrick gets 2. Enziguiri gets 2 more. Cobra Stretch locked in by Kendrick! Hulk breaks it and hits a moonsault kick and a clothesline, but has the EVO countered to a schoolboy for 2. Some more counters from both men, Hulk hits 2 stiff kicks...EVO! 1...2...2.89! Kendrick gets a sunset flip for 2 but gets kicked HARD in the cranium! 1...2...3!

Winner: BxB Hulk via pinfall (Kick to head)
Rating: ***3/4 Kendrick's heel tactics worked out really well here, especially since Hulk is such an über-face. They avoided being too spotty and at least had some semblance of a story, but at some point the constant go-go-go of these matches is going to become the norm.

Kevin tries to get a word with Kendrick, who keeps asking for a minute. Kevin persists so Kendrick asks how his neck is, then talks about neck angles. Mmmm kay. Kendrick cuts a promo but the sound quality sucks and I can't pick out much other than that he's heeling it up pretty good. He talks about people saying he smoked his career away, but he chose to be himself instead of respecting anyone else's rules. That's lovely, but the real world doesn't work that way. Bryce Remsburg is out to be the live equivalent of The Oscars wrap-it-up orchestra music. The ring is surrounded by important-looking people. Some dude grabs the mic and talks at him, then they attack everyone and beat them down. That would have worked better if I could have heard it I reckon.

CIMA vs Mike Quackenbush vs Super Crazy vs Jorge "Skayde" Rivera

Wow, Crazy has hit the buffet. When Skayde looks in better shape than you, you're not doing well.

CIMA and Quack bow to Skayde. Quack and CIMA start, CIMA starts on the leg of Quack. They lock up again and CIMA gets the takedown. They exchange holds and CIMA gets knocked down and goes to the floor. Super Crazy in and he takes Quack down and to the floor. Crazy and Skayde now, holy shit I just saw a 45 year old man with a series of lucha headscissors. All 4 men are in the ring and exchanging Magistrals, which beats wife-swapping I guess. All four try a dropkick and then face off. CIMA and Quack try to double team Skayde, who takes CIMA down with a headscissors then gets a lucha armdrag on Quack. CIMA takes him down with a fireman's carry slam then hits a double stomp for 2. CIMA locks in a unique arm submission but it's broken up by Quack, his crossbody is caught and they work a series of ducks and counters ending with a butt-butt by Quack. CIMA gets a sunset flip for 2 but Skayde with a kick to break it up. Crazy with the low dropkick to the knee of Skayde, then he goes after CIMA. Crazy takes CIMA and Quack out of the ring hen goes back to the knees of Skayde. We are reminded that Skayde took Crazy's mask. Standing moonsault by Crazy. CIMA comes in and shoves Crazy out of the way to check on his mentor but Crazy throws him out. Headscissors by Skayde! Arm drag! Quack is measuring him but Skayde locks in the Riveracita II! CIMA breaks it with an enziguiri but Skayde locks in La Cruceta! Crazy breaks that up then lays in forearms, Quack takes over on Crazy who bails to the floor before getting cleaned out with a tope! CIMA Skayde in the ring, they work more counters and CIMA wraps up Skayde with the Skayde Special! 1...2...3!!!

Winner: CIMA via pinfall (on Skayde, rollup)
Rating: *** This was mostly a showcase for Skayde still being awesome, and that's fine. However it was a little stilted as a result. Nice to see Super Crazy has not slowed down despite having ingested 11 fatted calfs.

CIMA and Quack celebrate with Skayde before getting into a shoving match.

Davey Richards vs YAMATO

Both men exchange arm holds to start. Davey traps the legs but YAMATO rolls out of it only to get caught in a headlock. They run into each other a few times but Davey tires of that and kicks YAMATO before rolling into a cross armbreaker, YAMATO makes the ropes. Armbar now by Davey followed by a hammerlock back suplex. Davey tries the kimmura but YAMATO fights it off so Davey locks in an inverted crossface. YAMATO escapes, they go to the floor and exchange shots. Davey whips YAMATO to the railing and then follows up with a stiff kick! YAMATO goes wandering into the crowd and Davey bathes in adulation before rolling YAMATO back in. Davey gets a leg lariat and YAMATO is on the floor again, but Davey can't find him! He's gone to Little People's Court! YAMATO comes from behind and dropkicks the knee, then locks in a single-leg crab. Heel tactics by YAMATO before he applies foot lock(er). He kicks at the hamstring, then hits a kick to the face WITH AUTHORITY! Ankle lock applied! Davey makes the ropes so YAMATO drives his knee into the mat. Chops by YAMATO, Davey shrugs them off and hits some of his own but he tries a kick and hurts himself. Davey tries to comeback with a charge into the corner, YAMATO gets a foot up and goes to the second rope. Davey drags him off, ALARM CLOCK! Nice. Kick to the gut by Davey and an overhead belly to belly, followed by a clothesline sending YAMATO to the floor. Davey FLIES and nails YAMATO sending both men over the rails into the crowd! All semblance of selling by Davey has gone out the window. Back inside, Davey hits a missile dropkick. Series of kicks to the chest and a handspring head kick get 2. How's that leg Davey? Davey tries a German but YAMATO blocks, some more counters lead to a Northern Lights by Davey for 2. KIMMURA! YAMATO fights and makes the ropes. Davey again tries the German but YAMATO stamps on his foot and gets the ankle lock, mid ring! Davey makes the ropes but YAMATO drags him back to the centre of the ring and applies it again! AGAIN Davey makes the ropes. YAMATO kicks away at the knee but Davey comes back with forearms. Roaring elbow by YAMATO and a series of forearms, Davey then hits a series of kicks and an enziguiri! NO SOLD! Backdrop Driver by YAMATO! NO SOLD! Lariatooooooo! Both men are down, they both get up and hit a pair of Yakuza kicks. They exchange high-speed running forearms in the corner, YAMATO goes last and then goes up top. Davey catches him with a kick, then goes up top with him...superplex! NO SOLD! YAMATO runs into a boot, Davey gets the Alarm Clock, a lariat and a SICK German! Bridge! 1...2...2.9997!!! Davey remonstrates with the ref then goes up top, YAMATO is up with him but gets pushed of. Shooting Sta-KNEES! YAMATO blocked it! Sleeper by YAMATO now and Davey fades fast, then gets back up and breaks the hold. Another forearm exchange mid-ring, Richards gets the upper hand with a flurry of rights and lefts before running into a boot. Sleeper! SLEEPERPLEX! Head kick! 1...2...no! Brainbuster!! 1...2...NO! YAMATO gets him up...GALERIA SPECIAL! 1...2...3!!!!!

Winner: YAMATO via pinfall (Galeria)
Rating: *** I know what fighting spirit is. I can handle fighting spirit. The parts where these two got up after every head bump and went back at it was fighting spirit. However, ignoring all the leg and arm work mere seconds after it happened is bad psychology and took a full star off the rating of the match. It would have told such a great story if they could have just sold a little.

Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino vs Shingo and Dragon Kid

Oh God help me. Kid and Yoshino start, Kid with an arm drag into a headlock. They exchange counters and Yoshino has a facelock. Each man gets a headscissors and a nip up, and we have a stalemate. They exchange leg trips and quick covers and face off again. Doi and Shingo tag in, and this might slow down a touch now. They exchange shoulder blocks, a battle which Shingo wins rather predictably. Shingo knocks Yoshino to the floor then pounds away at Doi. Tag to Kid who comes off the top with a forearm and hits a pair of kneedrops for 2. Shingo back in with a cravate, a mare and a fist drop. LOUD chops by both men, then they switch to forearms before Shingo tees off with a right hand. DOWN GOES TYSON! Tag to Kid and they get a double-team on Doi for 2. Dropkick by Kid and a basement dropkick in the corner. Suplex blocked by Doi, he slams Kid and tags to Yoshino who comes off the top and goes to the arm. They do it again, this time with a double stomp to the arm off the top. Jumping backbreaker to Kid by Yoshino. Tag to Doi and they hit the drop toehold/baseball slide combo with perfect timing. Octopus hold applied by Yoshino, Shingo tries to intervene but Doi cuts him off. Kid makes the ropes and Doi tags in now. Kid avoids the double team and tries to fight back but gets nailed with a flapjack/bulldog combo. 2 count only. Doi locks in the abdominal stretch, he tries a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but Kid counters into an armdrag and head scissors. Tag to Shingo! He beats down Yoshino and gets whipped to the corner by Doi, but catches him mid-elbow with an exploder!!! Kid FLIES to the outside onto Doi as Shingo drops a knee for 2. Yoshino slips out of a suplex and tries to get a sunset flip, Shingo HAULS him up from the mat and drops him with a brainbuster! Both men miss clotheslines but Yoshino hits the clothesline takedown and locks in the Octopus. Kid and Doi in, and Kid kocks one in on Doi! Kid and Yoshino exchange rights while maintaining the holds! Yoshino and Shingo to the floor, Kid hits an Osaka Cutter and Shingo is in now. They double team Doi and Kid hits the double stomp. Shingo tries for Blood Fall but it is blocked. Doi lifts Kid but Kid reverses it! BLOOD FALL by Shingo! 1...2...2.9! Shingo goes for Made in Japan but Doi elbows free...Rydeen! 1...2...no! Yoshino grabs Shingo from behind but Shingo escapes, Yoshino ducks the lariat and connects with the back suplex! A pair or running elbows by Speed Muscle, Yoshino goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Kid then drops onto Shingo in a senton! All four men on the apron, Yoshino is on Shingo's shoulders on the top...FRANKENSTEINER!!! Kid gets a 2 but Doi breaks it. Yoshino gets the octopus again, Shingo escapes but gets KILLED with a DVD!!! Kid gets a frankensteiner but the pin is broken. Doi with some quick rights to Shingo but he runs into a lariat! Yoshino takes Shingo out, ultra rana by Kid BLOCKED by Doi! DOI FIVES!!! Doi and Yoshino hit a double team on Kid but Shingo stops them capitalising. Doi in and they get a Doomsday Device on Kid! 1...2...no! Deja Vu Crucifix Bomb by Kid! Yoshino kicks out at 2, LIGHTNING SPIRAL! BAKATARI! 1...2...NO! Shingo breaks the hold! Dai Bosu by Doi to Shingo! Tormelino by Yoshino on Kid...SOL NACIENTE! Kid taps!

Holy hell. Too quick.

Winners: Speed Muscle via submission (Yoshino on Kid, Sol Naciente)
Rating: **** Better. Much better. Probably the best match on the card. My recap does not do it justice, but there was just no way to follow everything. There were some minor missteps in this which prevented it from attaining near perfection, but that's about all the fault I can find. Well, that and the fact that it was too damn quick.

We get a vignette for Jon Moxley, the guy who came to the ring to talk to Kendrick. He says he doesn't sing or dance, nobody pulls him by puppet strings. He says he's worthless Indy trash, right? Because he likes to think? Because he's not a famous guy's kid? When you're that good, you don't have to listen to anybody. He knows who and where he is. Wrestlers like him are extinct, he's a living ghost, but you don't have to be afraid. He just wants what's his. That was awesome. Dude has a nice little quasi-Joker character going there.

Gran Akuma vs CIMA vs BxB Hulk vs YAMATO

The 4 men circle. I'm going to try and follow this, but I will fail. CIMA tries to work a three on one on Hulk, but YAMATO and Akuma would rather beat him up. Double spinebuster on CIMA, double back elbow to Hulk. Hulk ducks the next double elbow and kicks both men then gets a uranage on YAMATO. CIMA is up and they get a double dropkick on Akuma. Super Troll on Hulk by CIMA! Akuma catches CIMA on the top and hits the spider Exploder followed by the moonsault! 1...2..no! CIMA gains control and hits a dropkick to the back of the head. Double stomp by CIMA gets 2. Up top he goes but YAMATO shovs him to the floor. Hulk and YAMATO in the ring now and YAMATO gets a suplex for 2. Series of kicks by Hulk, he tries the standing moonsault but gets knees. SPEAR by YAMATO! He goes for Galeria but CIMA interrupts with kicks and chops. Akuma trips CIMa on the outside and YAMATO Yamatogets a flapjack on Hulk. Akuma with a BIG low blow to CIMA! YAMATO gets the cover! 1...2...3!

YAMATO eliminates CIMA via pinfall (nut kick)

Akuma and YAMATO go to work on Hulk. Heel tactics abound. Hulk tries to fight back but the numbers game gets to him. More heel tactics. Stiff back elbow by YAMATO leads to a half crab, Akuma then locks in a chinlock at the same time. Akuma tires of that and drops a leg on the neck instead, then YAMATO transitions to the CBV. Hulk tries to make the ropes but Akuma stops him and grapevines the legs. They release the hold for some reason and go back to stomping. Hulk avoids a charging forearm from Akuma and it connects with YAMATO! Springboard spin kick! 1...2...no! Another kick, a scoop slam and Hulk goes up top but YAMATO cuts him off. Hulk kicks YAMATO to the floor and exchanges leg kicks with Hulk, Akuma blocks a kick and goes for the Rubik's Cube...PEACH RANA! Phoenix Firebird!!!! 1...2...YAMATO breaks it! Again Hulk sends YAMATO to the floor, EVO on Akuma! 1...2...3!

Hulk eliminates Akuma via pinfall (EVO)

YAMATO counters the EVO, he tries a German and ducks an enziguiri. They exchange a series of shots but Hulk runs into a powerslam. YAMATO goes to the top but Hulk is up! Spin kick to the head of YAMATO! That was STIFF. Hulk joins YAMATO on the top...FLIP POWERSLAM! 1...2...no!!!! They exchange forearms again, from their knees to the standing position, Hulk with rapid-fire shots to get the upper hand but YAMATO comes back with raw forerams to the face! Hulk will not go down!!! Moonsault kick by Hulk! Clothesline, EVO! 1...2...NO!!! Superkick by Hulk gets 2 more! EMERALD FROSION!!!!!!! 1...2...3!!!!!

Winner, and FIRST EVER Open the Freedom Gate champion: BxB Hulk via pinfall (Emerald Frosion)
Rating: ***½ This was really good fun, but after CIMA's elimination it kind of dragged until Hulk regained control. When that happened he kept control for too long before getting a pin, which was just too unrealistic given the heel-heel-face dynamic. Still, the last fall recovered somewhat and the fans get to go home happy.

I don't know if my tastes are changing or if this just wasn't as good as the first two, but PPV after PPV of storyless, character-less matches just aren't what I want to see. It was better than almost anything you'll see from the Big Two in terms of sheer wrestling quality, but things like psychology and storytelling are cast aside in favour of that breath-grasping moment. Still, a great way to increase your heart rate and good, harmless fun.