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100 Percent Fordified: Dragon Gate USA ‘Open The Freedom Gate’

May 2, 2010 | Posted by Kevin Ford
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100 Percent Fordified: Dragon Gate USA ‘Open The Freedom Gate’  


11.28.2009 – Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA – November 28th, 2009

”Generation New” Open the Freedom Gate Semi-Final Tournament Match
Nick Jackson vs. Matt Jackson vs. Hallowicked vs. Gran Akuma vs. Lince Dorado vs. Johnny Gargano

An all out melee leads to Hallowicked taking out Akuma with a Frankensteiner and Gargano with a step-up enzugiri. They go to the floor, and Hallowicked dives on both of them. Dorado and Matt Jackson go at it in the ring. Matt superkicks Dorado. Dorado sends Matt to the floor with a headscissors. Nick hits a spinning kick to Dorado, and Gargano nails Nick with a slingshot spear. Gargano hits an ace crusher. Nick hits a sole butt, and the Young Bucks hit a double hip toss and stereo backflip dropkicks. The Bucks take out the CHIKARA guys and then face off with one another. Gargano and Akuma attack them before they can lock-up. Gargano and Akuma trade kicks. Matt trips Akuma and brings him to the floor, and Nick does the same to Gargano. Dorado and Hallowicked come in dropkicking the Bucks. Dorado hurricanarana’s Wicked into a pin. Wicked catches Dorado and gives him Go Too Sleepy Hollow and the Rydeen Bomb for two. Dorado blocks a super Fisherman’s buster and hits a shooting star press. Akuma waistlocks Dorado. Dorado breaks, but Akuma lifts him up into a gut buster. Nick breaks the pin. Akuma biels him to the apron. Nick hits Worst Case Scenario and a backflip onto Dorado on the floor. Akuma kicks away at Gargano in the ring. Gargano gives him a superkick and a release backdrop. Matt breaks the pin. He and Gargano trade forearms. Matt spears Gargano and hits a combination splash/moonsault on Gargano with Nick. Hallowicked eats stereo superkicks from the Bucks as he breaks the pin. They hit More Bang For Your Buck, and Nick breaks the pin so Matt can’t win. Nick clasps Matt’s hand and armwhips him off the ropes. Nick hits a running knee strike in the corner and a back elbow. The Bucks trade superkicks, and Matt hits the wheelbarrow face buster. Akuma breaks the pin and Dorado kicks Akuma in the face. Gargano dropkicks Dorado as he tris the Lynxsault. Hallowicked big boots Gargano. Dorado sends Wicked to the floor then backflips onto Hallowicked while breaking the guardrail. Matt dropkicks Wicked, and Nick dives over him with a twisting tope onto Wicked. Akuma hits Gargano with a half-nelson suplex. Gargano blocks the Rubik’s Cube. Gargano throws Akuma head first into the corner. Akuma gives Gargano the spider exploder suplex. He follows up with a moonsault for the pin at 9:31. An unbelievably hot opener that made all six of these guys look like absolute stars. Real pleased Akuma won, as he fits in so well with the Dragon Gate guys. Anyone would’ve been great after this performance, and I hope we get more matches like this in DGUSA. ***3/4

”Redemption” Open the Freedom Gate Semi-Final Tournament Match
BxB Hulk vs. Brian Kendrick

Both guys look for the advantage on the mat. Kendrick works on Hulk’s legt arm. Hulk turns into a shoulder stretch and Kendrick gets the ropes to escape. They lock hands and Hulk kicks Kendrick in the gut. He grabs a wrist lock which Kendrick reverses into a overhead wristlock. Hulk cartwheels into a headlock and Kendrick bails to the floor. Kendrick gets a headlock. Hulk throws him off the ropes and Kendrick knocks him down with a shoulder tackle. Hulk flips into an armdrag and dropkicks Kendrick. Kendrick retreats to a corner for a breather. Hulk knees Kendrick in the face into a headlock. Hulk gets a chinlock and kicks Kendrick in the back. Kendrick cracks Hulk in the gut with a kick and throws Hulk to the throw. Kendrick throws Hulk into the ring post. Kendrick elbows Hulk in the back of the head before rolling back in the ring. Kendrick nails Hulk with some forearms. He applies a camel clutch. Kendrick locks in a Dragon sleeper. Kendrick gets a two. Kendrick kicks away at the back of Hulk’s legs, and Hulk fires up with some kicks of his own. Kendrick kicks Hulk in the face as he tries to give him an overhand slap. Hulk applies a sleeper while sitting on Hulk’s back. Kendrick keeps Hulk into a choke. Hulk goes up top and dropkicks Kendrick after escaping. Kendrick sweeps Hulks’ leg and hits a flip senton for two. Hulk nails Kendrick with a jumping high kick. Hulk hits a fallaway moonsault slam for two. Kendrick gives Hulk a leg lariat. Kendrick tries the Sliced Bread No. 2, and Hulk pushes Kendrick to the floor. Kendrick evades a dive by going into the crowd. Hulk throws Kendrick back in the ring. Kendrick crotches Hulk on the top rope and rolls him up for two. Kendrick gives Hulk a jump-up enzugiri. Kendrick sits down on another choke. Hulk hits the Mouse and looks for the EVO. Kendrick rolls him up for two. Hulk rolls into a hurricanrana for two and Kendrick reverses. Hulk gives Kendrick a sole butt and a kick to the face. Hulk drops Kendrick with the EVO for two. Kendrick tries a roll-up, but Hulk superkicks Kendrick for the pin at 12:33. Good match between the two. Hulk brought the goods and Kendrick added next to nothing. Still decent for what it was and it got Hulk to the finals over a guy all the fans know and mostly like. **3/4

Kevin Harvey looks for an interview for Kendrick, and Kendrick demands a minute. Kendrick grabs the microphone. Kendrick says he wrestles for only himself and sees wrestling as an art form. A few officials try to get Kendrick leave, but Jon Moxley comes in. Moxley and Kendrick bound before beating up the wrestlers who tried to break up the party. They leave as buddies and will likely team in the future.

”Salute To Skayde” Open the Freedom Gate Semi-Final Tournament Match
Mike Quackenbush vs. CIMA vs. Super Crazy vs. Jorge “Skayde” Rivera

Quackenbush and CIMA jockey for position on the mat. They exchange hammerlocks and Quack turns, grapevining CIMA’s legs. CIMA puts Quack on top, but Quack comes off with an armdrag sending CIMA to the floor. Crazy comes in and retires Quack to the floor. Skayde comes in and gets mowed down with a clothesline. Skayde hops off the ropes into a headscissors takedown. Every comes in trading pin attempts, leading all four men going for dropkicks. Skayde sends Crazy to the floor with a monkey flip. CIMA and Quack double team Skayde, but to no avail. Skayde sends CIMA to the floor and after poking Quack in the eyes, sends him to the floor too. Cima drops Skayde and double stomps him for two. CIMA locks Skayde in a submission while Quack crossbodies Crazy. Quack frees Skayde with a dropkick to CIMA. Things break down with all four men. Skayde elbows Quack. CIMA sunset flips Quack and Skayde breaks the pin. Crazy dropkicks Skayde’s leg out from under him. CIMA checks on Skayde. Crazy attacks him, and dropkicks Quack off the apron. Crazy works over Skayde in the middle of the ring. CIMA again checks on Skayde. Crazy throws CIMA to the floor and springboard dropkicks Quack off the apron. Skayde comes back with a hurricanarana and an armdrag. He claps Crazy’s head with his feet. Quack arm whips Skayde. Skayde rolls Quack into a pendulum. CIMA breaks with an enzugiri to Skayde. Skayde locks CIMA’s legs in a cross crab variation. Crazy breaks it. Quack hits a tope on Crazy as Crazy slides to the floor to avoid the palm strike. CIMA superkicks Skayde, knocks Quack to the floor, and rolls up Skayde in a Skayde schoolboy for the pin at 9:19. Pretty good stuff, but I would’ve preferred a rematch from Open The German Gate with Quack and CIMA. At least the right guy won this. Crazy looked alright, as did Skayde, but they certainly weren’t necessary. **3/4

”Next Level” Open the Freedom Gate Semi-Final Tournament Match
Davey Richards vs. YAMATO

Richards kicks YAMATO in the shoulder after vying for the advantage. Richards picks at YAMATO’s ankle and arm. Both guys run into each other with shoulder tackles with neither guy falling. YAMATO crabs Richards arm. Richards rolls into a cross armbreaker, but YAMATO quickly gets the ropes to escape. Richards goes back to work on YAMATO’s left arm. Richards gives YAMATO a belly-to-back suplex for two. YAMATO prevents a Kimura lock, so Richards tosses YAMATO to the floor. YAMATO and Richards trade strikes. YAMATO gets whipped into the steel guardrail, and Richards follows up with a big boot. Richards throws YAMATO in the ring. YAMATO hits some punches, but Richards gives YAMATO a headbutt and a spinwheel kick to send him right back to the floor. YAMATO sneaks under the ring. He comes back in and dropkicks Richards in the back of the leg. YAMATO locks in a single leg crab. Richards gets the bottom rope. YAMATO keeps Richards on the mat and torques his leg. Richards fires up when YAMATO chops him. Richards comes back with some chops of his own, but once he kicks YAMATO in the chest he falls right back to the mat and grabs his leg. YAMATO chokes Richards. Richards pulls YAMATO off the second rope and kicks him in the chest. YAMATO and Richards endure a forearm exchange. Richards gives YAMATO a sole butt. One again they exchange forearems. Richards tosses YAMATO with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Richards clotheslines YAMATO to the floor and throws his body at YAMATO with a tope suicida into the crowd. Richards throws YAMATO back in the ring and follows in with a missile dropkick. Richards kicks away at YAMATO’s chest. Richards hits a handspring enzugiri for two. YAMATO blocks a German. Richards kicks YAMATO a couple times and tries again. Richards takes YAMATO over with a bridging Northern Lights suplex. Richards applies the Kimura Lock. Richards kicks away at YAMATO’s arm. YAMATO blocks another German and kicks out Richards leg. YAMATO applies an ankle lock. Richards gets to his feet and misses an enzugiri. YAMATO goes right back to the ankle lock. Richards grabs the bottom rope to escape. Richards fires up at YAMATO kicks at his leg. They trade right hands. Richards gets a headbutt. YAMATO hits a rolling elbow and some forearms. Richards fires back with some kicks to the chest and a pair of sole butts. Richards grazes YAMATO with an enzugiri. YAMATO hits a back suplex, and Richards pops up with a lariat. Each guy kicks one another. YAMATO nails Richards with a running forearm and goes up top. Richards cuts him off with a kick. Richards suplexes YAMATO off the top and YAMATO gets right up. Richards boots YAMATO. Richards hits the alarm clock and a clothesline. Richards hits a German suplex for two. Richards goes up top and YAMATO follows. Richards headbutts YAMATO to the mat. Richards goes for the Shooting Star Press. YAMATO gets his knees up and applies a choke sleeper. Richards and YAMATO throw strikes at one another, staggering on their feet. YAMATO kicks Richards’ arm away and reapplies the choke sleeper. YAMATO hits a sleeper suplex and kicks Richards in the face for two. YAMATO hits a brainbuster for two. YAMATO finally hits Galleria for the pin at 21:24. A crazy way to end the opening round, outshining every match. These two guys really proved why everyone said it would be one of them to win the title by putting on a stellar performance. Both these guys are truly two of the best going today. ****

Jigsaw vs. Eddie Kingston

Jigsaw was supposed to be in the Generation New match, and Kingston was supposed to be in a pre-show match with Hallowicked, but awful New York traffic made them both late. So Hallowicked and Jigsaw traded places and these two got on the main show (but left off the PPV). Kingston shoves Jigsaw in the corner. Jigsaw takes Kingston to the floor in a headscissors. Kingston escapes and slaps Jigsaw in the back of the head, calling him “stupid”. Jigsaw tries some shoulder tackles and fails to move Kingston. Jigsaw blocks a boot, trips Kingston, and double stomps him. Kingston dropkicks Jigsaw after an armdrag for two. Kingston elbows Jigsaw in the corner. Jigsaw responds with one of his own and gives him a quesadora. Jigsaw misses a forearm in the corner. Kingston catches Jigsaw with an overhead suplex. Kingston wrenches on Jigsaw’s face. Kingston lights up Jigsaw with chops. Kingston peppers Jigsaw with punches and shoulder tackles him for two. Kingston grabs a chin lock. Jigsaw chops Kingston and boots him. Jigsaw drops the rope sending Kingston the floor and follows with a tope con heilo. Jigsaw gives him a missile dropkick and a back elbow. Jigsaw hits a leg lariat for two. Kingston misses the backfist and Jigsaw gives him an enzugiri. Kingston drops Jigsaw with a high-bridge suplex for two. Jigsaw gives Kingston a series of kicks for two. Kingston blocks a hurricanrana and powerbombs Jigsaw in the corner. Kingston yakuza kicks him and knocks him down with a shotgun lariat. Jigsaw ducks another backfist and lays in some forearms. Kingston nails the Backfist to the Future for two. Jigsaw blocks the Backdrop Driver and superkicks Kingston. He follows with a double stomp for the pin at 7:49. Good stuff from these two, and I think in CHIKARA it would be even better (with more time especially). This would be Kingston’s only DGUSA match (probably ever, and certainly to date) which is a shame because I think he’d be a great CHIKARA teammate. **1/2

Before we get to the next match, we get a recap of Masato Yoshino and Dragon Kid’s feud from the first couple of DGUSA shows. Then we see a backstage confrontation that leads to this very tag team match.

Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino [World-1] vs. Shingo Takagi & Dragon Kid [KAMIKAZE]

Yoshino and Kid start on the mat with some back and forth chain wrestling. Yoshino and Kid go at one another with some quick offense and pin attempts. Once reaching a stalemate, they both tag their partners. Shingo wrenches on a side headlock. Di pushes him off. Both guys challenge one another to shoulder blocks. Shingo bowls Doi down and knocks Yoshino to the floor. Shingo chops Doi and traps Doi’s leg on the second rope to lay in some elbow shots. Kid comes in with a double ace handle. Kid hits a pair of knee drops for two. Kid throws Doi face first into Shingo’s boot. Shingo applies a cravate and snapmares Doi into a fist drop. Shingo and Doi pepper one another with forearms and punches. Shingo blasts Doi with a hard right hand. Shingo sends Kid boot first into Doi. Kid chops and dropkicks Doi to a seated position in the corner. Kid hits a delayed seated dropkick to Doi. Doi evades a suplex and slams Kid. Doi tags in Yoshino, and World-1 focus their attack on Kid’s left arm. Doi and Yoshino double team and isolate Kid for a bit, even side-stepping Shingo as he tries to make the save. Kid ducks a clothesline and hits a tilt-a-whirl armdrag and a satellite headscissors on Doi. Shingo gets the tag and beats on both Doi and Yoshino. Shingo drops Doi with an overhead side suplex. Yoshino sends Kid to the apron, and Kid hits the Bermuda Triangle on Doi. Shingo lariats Yoshino in the corner twice before hitting a DDT and a knee drop for two. Yoshino stops a suplex and sunset flips Shingo. Shingo powers Yoshino up with a brainbuster. Yoshino boots Shingo. Shingo and Yoshino duck each others clotheslines. Yoshino hits a slingblade for two. Yoshino locks in From Jungle and Kid locks in Cristo. Yoshino and Kid fight one another out of their submissions. Doi evades a 619 from Kid and knocks him down with an elbow. Doi dropkicks Kid right in the chest as Kid is trapped in the ropes. Doi gets a two count. Kid goes to the apron and comes in with a springboard flip ace crusher. Shingo and Kid whip Doi to the corner. Kid hits a spinwheel kick. Shingo clotheslines Doi and sets him up for a double stomp from Kid. Doi ducks a double clothesline. Kid hits a switch ace crusher and Shingo drops Doi with Blood Fall for two. Doi pops up Shingo with a Rydeen Bomb for two. Yoshino comes in and tries to suplex Shingo. Shingo escapes and hits the ropes. Yoshino tries again after blocking a clothesline. Yoshino hits a spin-out slam. Doi and Yoshino hit Shingo with running eblows. Yoshino missile dropkicks Kid and lands with a senton on Shingo for two. Shingo pops Yoshino on his shoulders and goes to the second turnbuckle. Kid fights off Doi on the apron and gives Yoshino a super hurricanrana off of Shingo’s shoulders. Doi breaks the pin. Kid and Doi battle on the floor, leaving Yoshino and Shingo in the ring. Yoshino looks for From Jungle. Shingo powers him up and Yoshino sunset flips him for two. Shingo pops up Yoshino with a Death Valley Driver. Kid hits a dragonrana for two. Yoshino powerbombs Kid. Shingo gives Yoshino a spin-out gut-wrench powerbomb. Doi and lays in a barrage of slaps to Shingo. Shingo gives Doi a hard right hand and a lariat. Doi stops an ultra hurricanrana from Kid with the Doi 555. Doi and Yoshino double team Kid. Doi hits a flip senton on Kid who dangles from the middle rope. Shingo stops Yoshino on the top rope. Yoshino hits a slingblade on Kid off of Doi’s shoulders. Doi kicks Shingo off the apron. Kid hits Bible for two. Yoshino hits the Lightning Spiral, and Doi follows up with the Bakatare Sliding Kick. Shingo breaks the pin. Doi drop toe holds Shingo in the corner and hits a cannonball senton. Yoshino gives Kid the Torbellino and rolls into Sol Naciente. Kid taps out, giving Speed Muscle the win at 19:55. Man oh man was that a fast, fun filled tag team match. A worthwhile 20 minutes spent watching this one. Seriously, these four guys put on a match you rarely see on the independent scene anymore and really tore it up. I’m glad they’re at the forefront of Dragon Gate. ****1/4

Shingo and Yoshino get in a shoving match. Kid and Shingo leave, as Speed Muslce pose in the ring. The Young Bucks come out to put over the match and Speed Muscle. The Bucks say DGUSA is their turf. The Bucks challenge Doi and Yoshino to a match “any time, any place”. This would turn into a three-way elimination tag match next month, with YAMATO and Shingo as the third team.

Jon Moxley then cuts a great promo explaining who he is and why he’s in Dragon Gate. He does a great job of creating intrigue and making himself seem like the real deal.

Open the Freedom Gate Championship Elimination Match
Gran Akuma vs. BxB Hulk vs. CIMA vs. YAMATO

Akuma and YAMATO rekindle their friendship to take on CIMA and Hulk. CIMA chops Hulk in the hopes of getting on their side, but he gets denied. Akuma and YAMATO beat both guys down. Hulk is able to make a comeback, and he and CIMA hit Akuma with stereo dropkicks. CIMA gives Hulk the Superdrol and goes up top. Akuma kicks him and throws him off with the spider exploder suplex. He hits a moonsault for two. They trade waistlocks. CIMA kicks Akuma in the butt, compressing his head with the turnbuckle. Akuma sunset flips CIMA, and CIMA double stomps him for two. CIMA heads up top and YAMATO pushes him to the floor. YAMATO dumps Hulk on his head with a suplex for two. Hulk sweeps YAMATO and gives him a standing moonsault. YAMATO nails a running forearm and a spear. YAMATO looks for Galleria. CIMA kicks YAMATO a few times. Akums trips CIMA and YAMATO baseball slides him. YAMATO flapjacks Hulk. YAMATO and Akuma double team CIMA in the corner. Akuma kicks CIMA in the groin, allowing YAMATO to roll him up for the pin at 5:13. CIMA is eliminated.

YAMATO and Akuma double team Hulk for awhile. Eventually, Hulk is able to make Akuma forearm YAMATO off the apron. Hulk gives Akuma a springboard spinwheel kick. Hulk gives him another. Hulk goes up and gets cut off by YAMATO. Hulk hits them with a dropsault. Hulk sends YAMATO to the floor with a kick. Hulk and Akuma trade kicks to the thighs. Akuma picks up Hulk, and Hulk drops him with a reverse hurricanrana. Hulk goes up top and hits a Phoenix splash for two. Hulk drops Akuma with the EVO and pins him at 11:28. Akuma is eliminated.

YAMATO escapes the EVO attempt and ducks a jumping enzugiri. They go back and forth with forearms. YAMATO catches Hulk with a power slam. YAMATO goes up top and Hulk nails him with a spinwheel kick. Hulk brings him off with a scoop slam for two. The trade forearms on their knees up to their feet. YAMATO lays in a big flurry of forearms, and Hulk fires up. Hulk hits him with mouse and a lariat. Hulk drops him with the EVO for two. Hulk kicks YAMATO and then superkicks him for two. Hulk drops YAMATO with another EVO for the pin and the win at 15:54. Hulk is a good, unexpected choice for Freedom Gate champion. Real good work from everyone in this match as well. Everyone thought YAMATO would win, so there was a legitimate positive reaction when they were surprised. Hulk overcoming Akuma and YAMATO was a great story for the match as well. ***1/2

Davey Richards comes out and beats down Hulk with YAMATO. Dragon Kid comes in to make the save. He presents Hulk the belt, and these two will face each other for the title at the next DGUSA show “Fearless”.

Disc Two

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole

Both guys trade waistlocks. O’Reilly grabs a wristlock which Cole reverses. O’Reilly cartwheels out and forearms Cole in the head. Cole armdrags O’Reilly. Both guys duck each others strikes to reach a stalemate. O’Reilly wrenches on a side headlock and shoulder tackles Cole down. O’Reilly tries an O’Conner Roll. Cole blocks and hits a flying clothesline for two. O’Reilly hits an enzugiri. Cole gets a boot up and hits a leg lariat off the second turnbuckle for two. Cole puts O’Reilly on his shoulders. O’Reilly drops down and kicks away at Cole’s chest. He sweeps the leg and pins Cole for two. O’Reilly knocks Cole down with a back elbow and pins him for two. O’Reilly snapmares Cole and kicks him in the back for two. Cole knees O’Reilly in the head an small packages O’Reilly for two. A forearm exchange occurs. O’Reillynails Cole with an uppercut. Cole kicks him, and O’Reilly responds with a superkick and a suplex. Cole hits a back drop driver and lands a forearm. O’Reilly hits a rolling lariat to knock both guys down. O’Reilly tries for a Tornado DDT, but Cole takes O’Reilly over with a Northern Lights suplex for two. Cole wheelbarrows O’Reilly to his feet. O’Reilly hits a series of rolling double underhook facebusters. He hits one last big one for two. O’Reilly kicks away at Cole’s chest. Cole fires up. O’Reilly misses an enzugiri and Cole hits a deadlift German suplex for two. Cole misses a Carona kick in the corner. O’Reilly hits a running forearm and a running boot. O’Reilly lands a spinning DDT. O’Reilly follows up with a brainbuster for the pin at 6:20. Really good, action packed bonus match. O’Reilly has a bright future and it’s easy to see why he was picked for EVOLVE. Cole also showed some promise too, but his look does not match his style whatsoever. Still, a fun match. **1/2

B-Boy vs. Jon Moxley

Both guys shove one another at the bell. B-Boy tries a shoulder tackle. Moxley slaps B-Boy when it fails. B-Boy rocks Moxley with a forearm. Moxley armdrags B-Boy down and gets in B-Boy’s face. The guys slug one another with forearms, chops, and headbutts. B-Boy hits a big forearm as Moxley hits the ropes. B-Boy kicks Moxley in the face on the mat for a one count. Moxley retreats to the corner. B-Boy charges and Moxley hits the floor. Moxley drops B-Boy neck first on the top rope as he comes back in. Moxley works over B-Boy’s left arm. B-Boy dropkicks Moxley’s leg out and stomps on his back. He plants Moxley face first in the mat for two. Moxley looks for a crossface chicken wing. B-Boy backs Moxley in the corner and hits some knife-edge chops. Moxley retaliates with some chops, but B-Boy turns it around and lays them in even harder. Moxley floats over B-Boy and takes him down with a lariat. Moxley goes back to B-Boy’s arm. B-Boy gives Moxley some open hand slaps and a boot underneath his chin. Moxley tries to go up and over, but B-Boy catches him with an ace crusher for two. B-Boy and Moxley slap one another. Moxley blocks a tornado DDT and charges B-Boy in the corner with a forearm. Moxley goes up top and misses a missile dropkick. B-Boy hits the Shining Wizard for two. B-Boy chops Moxley. Moxley elbows B-Boy and goes up top. Moxley trips and comes crashing down, rolling into B-Boy. Moxley lands a DDT for two. B-Boy gives Moxley an ace crusher on the ring apron. B-Boy drops Moxley on his head a couple times with belly-to-back suplexes. B-Boy looks for a dropkick. Moxley moves and B-Boy slams Moxley face first in the second turnbuckle. B-Boy lands a seated dropkick. Moxley turns a rear naked choke into a crossface chicken wing. B-Boy punches Moxley in the face. He spears the ring post by accident. Moxley hits a code breaker on B-Boy’s arm. He then slaps on the Fujiwara armbar, and B-Boy immediately taps at 8:44. Another good match in the pre-show. It’s funny, because this came at a time when B-Boy’s career was slowing down and Moxley’s career was heating up. As it stands now, it turned out to be pretty darn true. **1/2

BxB Hulk & YAMATO [New Hazard] vs. Roderick Strong & Jay Briscoe
FIP Third Anniversary Show – 9.27.2007

Strong and Hulk exchange wristlocks. Hulk cartwheels into a side headlock. Hulk knocks Strong down with a shoulder tackle. He cartwheels over Strong and armdrags him to the mat. Hulk dropkicks Strong to the floor. YAMATO and Briscoe tag in. They trade waistlocks and wristlocks. Briscoe doesn’t budge off a shoulder tackle from YAMATO. Briscoee boots YAMATO in the face. YAMATO takes Briscoe over with an exploder suplex. Hulk and YAMATO hit a double back elbow. YAMATO holds up Briscoe, and Hulk gives him a spinwheel kick for two. YAMATO sledges on Briscoe’s back with forearms. Hulk and Briscoe trade forearms. Briscoe lays in a flurry of chops. Briscoe lariats Hulk in the corner and tags in Strong. Strong chops Hulk, slams him, and drops an elbow for two. Hulk and Strong trade chops. Hulk gives Strong a spinning kick to the gut. YAMATO and Hulk work on Strong in their corner. Strong kicks Hulk away and tags in Briscoe. Hulk knees Briscoe in the gut and knocks him down with a back elbow. Hulk hits a flip senton for two. YAMATO gives Briscoe a double axe handle, and Briscoe responds with a beautiful dropkick. YAMATO evades a splash, but Briscoe drops YAMATO face first on the second turnbuckle. Briscoe hits a flipping neck breaker for two. Briscoe suplexes YAMATO before laying a chop to the chest. Strong and Briscoe isolate YAMATO from Hulk, and beat him down in their corner. YAMATO blocks a slingshot suplex and spears Strong to finally free himself and tag in Hulk. Briscoe also tags in. Hulk knocks down both guys with forearms. Hulk slams Briscoe. He hits a dropsault on Strong, landing on Briscoe. Hulk avoids Briscoe in the corner and comes in with a springboard spinwheel kick. Hulk dives moonsaults off the second turnbuckle onto Strong and YAMATO on the floor. Hulk throws Strong back in to the awaiting YAMATO. YAMATO and Strong lay in shots to one another. YAMATO drops Strong with a suplex and Briscoe breaks the pin. Briscoe kicks both guys and takes YAMATO over with an exploder suplex. Briscoe boots Hulk off of Strong’s shoulders. Briscoe hits a superkick, and Strong knocks Hulk down with a clothesline. YAMATO breaks the pin. Strong gives Hulk a gut buster, and Jay military presses Hulk into a Death Valley Driver for two. Hulk hits Briscoe with mouse and a spinwheel kick, sending Briscoe to the floor. Strong and Hulk drop Strong chest first with a double back suplex for two. YAMATO and Hulk send Brsicoe to the corner. YAMATO gives Briscoe a fallaway slam. Hulk looks for a moonsault and lands on his feet. Hulk hits a standing shooting star press for two. Briscoe blocks the EVO and drives Hulk face first with a sit-out facebuster. Briscoe goes up top. Hulk crotches him after hitting a jump-up spinwheel kick. Hulk goes up top and hits a dropkick to Briscoe for two. Hulk hits the EVO for two. Hulk drops him with the FTX for the pin at 15:57. This was a fun little tag match to include on the DVD. I like how they’re including many of the Dragon Gate FIP matches on these DVDs, as I haven’t seen too many of them. It’s cool to see these guys when they’re a little younger for a point of reference as to how far they have come. ***1/2

FRAY!
Marion Fontaine vs. Chris Jones vs. Dave Cole vs. Brad Attitude vs. Flip Kendrick vs. Arik Cannon vs. Scotty Vortekz vs. Drake Younger

Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup – 11.21.2009

Cannon attacks Attitude (who is now Brad Allen) at the bell. Cannon chokes Attitude with his shirt. Cannon and Attitude trade shoulder tackles with little effect. Attitude hits a leaping shoulder tackle and a pair of armdrags on Cannon. Attitude gives Cannon a hard chop in the corner before laying in some shoulders and knees in the corner. Attitude hops off the top with a crossbody for two. Attitude wrenches on Cannon’s arm. He escapes as Cole enters the match. Cole trips Cannon and throws him into the guardrail. Attitude brings in Cole from the apron. Cole tries an O’Conner Roll for two. Cole boots Attitude down. Cole boots Cannon off the apron. Attitude sunset flips Cole, and Cole drops an elbow after a snot rocket. Cole sends Attitude to the floor, and Cannon attacks him from behind. Cannon suplexes Cole. Cannon elbows Cole in the face. Cole boots Cannon out of the corner. Cannon hits a twisting neck breaker as Fontaine enters. He comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick. He sole butts Cannon and kicks him in the face. Cannon sends Fontaine to the apron and nails him with a right hand. Fontaine drapes Cannon the ropes and gives a whopper cushion to the back of his neck. Fontaine tries a pinning bridge on Cannon for two. Cannon gives Fontaine a bridging German, and for whatever reason Attitude breaks it with a slingshot senton. Cole spears Fontaine into the guardrail. Attitude knees Cannon in the gut for two. Kendrick enters as Cannon gives Attitude a brainbuster. Kendrick breaks that pin with a cancun tornado press; these morons! Kendrick does however pin Cannon after that. Kendrick takes out Fontaine and Cole. Attitude cuts off Kendrick, but Kendrick comes off the corner with a moonsault press into a DDT. Kendrick misses a splash on Fontaine and Cole drops Kendrick with a Choas Theory for two. Fontaine hits a quebrada for two. Cole locks Fontaine in a submission as Younger enters. Younger mows down Cole and Fontaine with clotheslines. Younger hits a flying burrito on Attitude. Younger gives Kendrick a Flacon Arrow. Cole lights up Younger with chops. Cole wheelbarrows into a Dragon suplex from Younger for the pin and elimination. Younger drops down, sending Fontaine to the floor. Younger follows with a somersault senton off the apron. Younger beats up Fontaine on the floor as Jones enters. Jones hits a tope con hilo onto Fontaine and Younger. Attitude goes up top and moonsaults onto the pile. Kendrick lives up to his name hitting a tope con hilo onto all four guys. In the ring, Attitude gives Fontaine a spin-out facebuster for the pin and elimination. Kendrick attacks Attitude. Attitude gives Kendrick a spin-out facebuster for the pin and elimination. Jones comes in with a springboard dropkick. Scotty Vortekz comes in as the last entrant. Jones gets placed on Younger’s shouldrs. Vortekz dropkicks Jones, and Jones hits a sloppy reverse rana on Younger. Vortekz pins Jones to eliminate him. Vortekz pushes Attitude to Younger. Younger gives Attitude a Death Valley Driver to the pin. Vortekz sends Younger to the floor with a kick. Younger catches Vortekz, and Vortekz armdrags Younger into the guardrail. Vortekz pins Younger in the ring for two. Vortekz hits double knees, and Younger takes him over with a half-nelson suplex. He tries a second but Vortekz gives him a Swisher’s Sweep and a roll-up for two. Younger headbutts Vortekz while they’re on the second rope. Vortekz slaps Younger and goes back up top. Younger hits a super Death Valley Driver for two. Younger goes up top and Vortekz follows. Vortekz hits a flipping urinage off the top for two. Vortekz and Younger exchange hard strikes. Younger gives Vortekz a running Drake’s Landing for the pin at 19:03. I remember reading a review where someone absolutely gushed over this match. I don’t know what match they referred to, but this was simply pretty good. It’s very forgettable and a little too long like most FRAY’s, but it happens. **1/2

Open The Triangle Gate Championship
Masato Yoshino, BxB Hulk, & PAC (Champions) [World-1] vs. Masaaki Mochizuki, Don Fujii, & Akebono [Zetsurins]

Summer Adventure Tag League, Night III – 8.16.2009

Yoshino slaps the much larger Akebono (yes, THAT Akebono). Yoshino fails to knock Akebono off his feet. PAC and Hulk jump in, and Akebono swipes them away. Mochizuki and Fujii come in and send all of World-1 in one corner. Akebono splashes all of them. Akebono gives Yoshino a baseball slide. The Zetsurins go to the floor to fight World-1. Akebono misses a splash on Yoshino on the ring post. Mochizuki then misses a kick, hitting his leg on the ring post. Hulk dives over the turnbuckle with a tope con hilo. Back in the ring, Hulk looks to take Mochizuki’s leg out of commission. PAC comes in and continues the attack. Yoshino does the same. Hulk tries to knock Akebono off the apron. Mad, Akebono comes in and breaks Yoshino’s submission. Hulk and Mochizuki exchange strikes. Mochizuki kicks Hulk in the chest and tags in Fujii. Fujii slams Hulk and drops an elbow. Fujii chops Hulk before hitting a side Russian leg sweep for two. Akebono gives Hulk an overhand chop. Hulk tries to fight back with no effect. Akebono turns Hulk inside out with a shoulder tackle. Akebono press slams Hulk and then stands on his chest. Fujii gets on Akebono to add more weight. Akebono bear hugs Hulk into his corner, where the Zetsurins continue their onslaught on Hulk. Hulk hits a jump-up springboard dropkick to Mochizuki’s leg to escape, and tags in PAC and Yoshino. Mochizuki kicks them both down and grabs Hulk. Hulk kicks both Fujii and Mochizuki in the chest. He gives Fujii a spinwheel kick and Mochizuki a urinage. Yoshino tags in and gives Fujii the slingblade. PAC runs up the ropes and moonsaults onto Mochizuki and Fujii on the floor. Akebono and Yoshino stand face to face. Yoshino’s overhand chops do nothing, so Hulk joins him. Still no effect, so PAC comes in. They all dropkick Akebono to barely back him up. Akebono delivers a triple clothesline to the entire World-1 team. Akebono grabs a side headlock, as Fujii locks PAC in a submission and Mochizuki locks Hulk in one. Hulk frees himself and his partners. Fujii kicks Hulk, but Hulk catches Mochizuki as he comes off the top rope with a kick to the chest. Mochizuki boots and takes Hulk over with a fisherman’s buster. Mochizuki kicks Hulk in the head for two. Akebono misses an elbow. PAC flies in with a missile dropkick to Akebono, as does Hulk. Yoshino gives him one allowing PAC and Hulk to give Akebono a double belly-to-back suplex for two. Yoshino gains momentum by running the ropes and dropkicks Akebono in the chest. PAC heads up top and lands a shooting star press for two. World-1 triple team Mochizuki in the corner. Hulk slams Mochizuki. PAC comes off the top into Akebono’s arm. He catches him and places Pac in the corner. Mochizuki runs in with a hard knee. Fujii chokeslams PAC for two. Akebono gives him a release chokeslam and a falling splash. Yoshino breaks the pin. Fujii mows down PAC with a clothesline and hits a German suplex for two. Mochizuki accidentally kicks Fujii twice. Hulk sends Mochizuki to the floor. Yoshino drops Fujii with the Torbellino and locks on Sol Naciente. Akebono slaps Yoshino in the chest to break it. Fujii hits a clothesline and Hulk kicks his arm. Fujii headbutts him, and Hulk hits a jumping high kick. Hulk gives Fujii the EVO. Akebono looks to break it up, and Hulk moves so Akebono splashes Fujii. Yoshino hits Torbellino again and re-applies Sol Naciente. Fujii passes out at 16:54 to give World-1 the retention. Five of the six guys looked great, with the exception being Akebono who is slow and plodding and adds nothing. Sadly, he becomes the Triangle Gate Champion with Fujii and Mochizuki in a rematch (though he’ll likely lose it in a few days!) Still, it was a nice inclusion on this DVD. ***1/4

The bonus section also includes a preview video, and a highlight video of the Pay Per View.

The 411: Another fantastic Pay Per View and DVD from Dragon Gate USA. On the main show, most of the show was rated three and a half stars or higher, with two matches being over four. The bonus section also included some fun stuff as well. For the Pay Per View alone this is worth your $20, but the additional material makes it a great deal. Pick this up along with the first two Pay Per Views; they’re all worth your time and money.
411 Elite Award
Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]  legend

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Kevin Ford

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