100 Percent Fordified: Dragon Gate USA Mercury Rising

Phoenix, AZ – 3.27.2010

Commentary is provided by Lenny Leonard.

We see the World-1 and WARRIORS trios backstage stretching in preparation for tonight’s main event.

TJP vs. Brad Allen

Allen throws TJP back into his corner. Allen throws TJP down into a front facelock. TJP monkey flips Allen, but Allen transitions into a hammerlock. TJP snapmares into a chinlock. TJP slaps Allen in the head when Allen breaks the hold. TJP fails to knock Allen off his feet, and eats a slap for his troubles. TJP hits a jump-up neckbreaker. TJP kicks Allen in the chest, and Allen comes back with a springboard crossbody for two. Allen blocks a waistlock and slams TJP for two. Allen hits a neckbreaker and a slingshot senton for two. Allen plants TJP with a sit-out uringage and a twisting quebrada for two. TJP catches himself in the ropes to fake out Allen, but Allen boots TJP to the floor. TJP suplexes Allen and himself to the floor. In the ring, TJP gets a hurricanrana, and Allen rolls through for a two count. TJP hops over Allen and hits a superkick. TJP hits a jumping ace crusher. He follows up with a 450 splash for two. Allen hits TJP with The Deal for two. Allen blocks a superkick, but TJP turns into a triangle choke. Allen muscles TJP up, and TJP turns into the figure four deathlock for the submission at 9:21. This was a match straight out of a EVOLVE and a really great way to kick off the show. Both guys worked hard here and continue to have solid matches. **3/4

Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw [CHIKARA Sekigun] vs. Matt & Nick Jackson [The Young Bucks]

Quack and Nick trade wristlocks. Nick snapmares Quack into a headlock. Quack baits Nick into breaking it, and Nick forearms Quack. Quack knocks Nick to the floor with a jumping back elbow. Jigsaw and Matt tag in. Jigsaw trips Matt into a single-leg crab. Jigsaw uses the ropes to hit an armdrag, but Matt backflips into a headscissors. Jigsaw puts Matt in the Gory Fallows. Quack hops onto Matt with a senton. Quack and Jigsaw send Matt to the floor after some double teams. Quack sends Nick to the floor with a monkey flip, and wipes him out with a tope con hilo. Matt dropkicks Quack, and Jigsaw dropkicks Jigsaw to the floor. Jigsaw looks for a drive but Nick trips him and hits an enzugiri. Matt comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick for one. The Bucks keep Jigsaw in the ring, hoping to wear him down for an easy victory. Jigsaw avoids a splash from Matt and backdrops Nick to get the chance to tag in Quack. Quack takes down the Bucks, but Matt kicks him in the face and gets shoved to the floor. The Bucks hit a backbreaker/twisting neckbreaker combo on Jigsaw, going right back to work on him. Jigsaw again gets out of the grasp of the Bucks, and dives onto Matt on the floor. Quack comes in, chopping Nick into the corner. Quack gives Nick a release German suplex. Quack palm strikes Nick on the top rope and brings Nick down with a superplex for two. Quack tries the Quackendriver IV. Nick escapes and wheelbarrows into an ace crusher for two. Nick slips out and Matt throws Jigsaw into Quack. Matt drops Jigsaw with a dragon suplex, and Quack breaks the pin. Nick hits Jigsaw with the Worst Case Scenario. Quack brings Nick to the floor and breaks Matt’s pin. Matt hits Quack with a tumbleweed ace crusher for two. Matt has Quack in a wheelbarrow, and Jigsaw kicks Matt down. Quack sunset flips Matt into an enzugiri from Jigsaw. Quack hits a mule kick and Jigsaw drops him with a brainbuster. Nick breaks the pin. A series of superkicks occurs and Jigsaw and Quack hit a doublestomp/Jig N’ Tonic combination for the pin at 14:42. This was a great tag team match with some really cool stuff. The Young Bucks were on fire and Quack and Jigsaw meshed well with them. The transitions were crisp, clean, and made this a fun match to watch. ***1/2

As Quackenbush and Jigsaw are heading to the back, Matt Jackson gets on the microphone and put them over. Matt says they’re the new team to beat in DGUSA. All four guys embrace as the fans applaude the Bucks in DGUSA one last time.

Genki Horiguchi vs. Shingo Takagi

Shingo wrenches on a headlock. He knocks Horiguchi down with a shoulder tackle. Shingo blocks an armdrag and throws Horiguchi down. Horiguchi dropkicks Shingo’s leg out. Horiguchi twists Shingo’s leg and splashes it as well. Horiguchi dropkicks Shingo’s leg as it’s caught in the ropes. Shingo gets his knees up to block a moonsault and drops Horiguchi with a DDT. A back senton gets Shingo two. Shingo gets in a flurry of punches. Shingo catches Horiguchi as he rolls forward with an overhead slam. Shingo gives Horiguchi another slam as he attempts a comeback. Shingo transitions into the Manriki. Shingo gives Horiguchi some Mongolian chops. Horiguchi scores with a hurricanrana. Horiguchi hits a tornado DDT and Shingo pops right back up. Horiguchi hits a suplex and a reverse DDT for two. Horiguchi takes Shingo over with another hurricanarana. Shingo catches Horiguchi with a powerbomb. Shingo gives Horiguchi the Stay Dream from the second rope for two. Horiguchi blocks Made In Japan and hits some forearms with little effect. Horiguchi trides the Backslide from Heaven but only gets two. Shingo pops Horiguchi into a Death Valley Driver. Shingo hits the Pumping Bomber and Made In Japan for the pin at 10:07. This was pretty much a showcase for Shingo, which is fine considering he’s a DGUSA regular and Horiguchi comes in sparingly. Horiguchi looked good in here, and I hope he and Ryo Saito will come back to DGUSA as either a tag team or a trio with Dragon Kid. **3/4

The next match is set to be a three way dance. Jimmy Jacobs comes out, and then Teddy Hart comes out as well. He puts over Brian Kendrick and Paul London, the fans, Jimmy Jacobs, and then himself and Jack Evans. He says tonight he is injured and can not wrestle. He says he is going to pass the torch tonight to Jimmy Jacobs, a guy he respects. Brian Kendrick and Paul London come out. Kendrick says he is teaming with Paul London tonight, and asks Hart and Jacobs if they think they stand a chance. Jacobs says he’ll make things interesting, and says that whoever loses the fall tonight will leave Dragon Gate USA forever. Kendrick agrees. Hart then puts over London and Kendrick again, saying they can mend things up like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels did. Kendrick says he would never intentionally hurt anyone and hugs Teddy. London gives him a hug too, and then of course lay the boots to him. London and Kendrick beat on Jacobs outside the ring, and Jack Evans to officially start this match.

Loser of the Fall Leaves Dragon Gate USA
Jimmy Jacobs & Jack Evans vs. Brian Kendrick & Paul London

Evans flies over the entrance ramp to dive and fight both London and Kendrick. In the ring, Evans hits a standing dropkick and a shooting star press for two. Evans hops off Kendrick’s back to hit a dropkick on London. Evans kicks Kendrick in the head. Jacobs puts London in the Guillotine Choke, but Kendrick throws Evans down and frees London. Kendrick and London drill Jacobs with kicks to Jacobs’ head. London hits an elbow for two. Kendrick and London assault Jacobs in their corner. Jacobs escapes a suplex from London and tags in Evans. Evans wipes both guys out with a double back elbow and a succession of dropkicks. Evans sends Kendrick and London to the floor. Evans dives onto them with the Sasuke Special. Evans hits a 450 splash for two. London superkicks Evans, then with Kendrick hits an enzugiri/facebuster combo. Jacobs breaks the pin and spears Kendrick. Jacobs takes London over with a hurricanrana. London kicks Jacobs and doublestomps him for two. Evans helps Jacobs gives London a DDT. Evans hits a standing twisting senton and Kendrick breaks the pin. Evans takes Kendrick to the floor. London gives Jacobs a full-nelson facebuster. Evans prevents London from hitting a shooting star press. London gets his knees up to block a 630 splash from Evans. They roll to the floor leaving Kendrick and Jacobs in the ring. Jacobs lays in some punches and a clothesline. Kendrick side-steps a spear. Kendrick hits an enzugiri and the Sliced Bread #2 for two. Kendrick sledges his forearm into Jacobs’ face as he has him in a Camel Clutch. Jacobs rolls up Kendrick for two. Jacobs locks in the Guillotine Choke. Evans comes in with a springboard dropkick to London, forcing Kendrick to tap out at 10:44. The finish was pretty obvious, but the fall still came surprisingly and got Jacobs his solace against Kendrick. This was a really fun, fast-paced with plenty of stuff that was reminiscent of the Dragon Gate style. ***

London beats on Jacobs post-match. Teddy Hart comes in and low blows London. Hart then gives London a piledriver. Hart, Evans, and Jacobs celebrate as the fans chant the Goodbye song. Kendrick and London hug in the ring after their opponents have left.

We then screen-wipe to Tommy Dreamer in the ring. Dreamer puts over the fans and their support for professional wrestling and the Wrestlemania experience. He mentions how he flew from Japan to Phoenix to be there tonight, and asked to have a Hardcore Match as a throwback to what he used to do in ECW.

Hardcore Match
Tommy Dreamer vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley is accompanied by Christina Von Eerie, though she is never named. Moxley avoids of strikes from Dreamer and gets in Dreamer’s face. Moxley chops Dreamer, and Dreamer fires back with some overhand chops. Moxley hits a modified leg lariat for two. Dreamer hits a bulldog and clotheslines Moxley to the floor. Dreamer baseball slides Moxley stage-side. Dreamer dives off the stage onto Moxley with a senton. Dreamer and Moxley brawl into the crowd, with some weapon usage, and Dreamer having the advantage for most of the exchange. Back in the ring, Moxley slams a garbage can against Dreamer’s head, then brings him off the top rope with a superplex. Moxley clotheslines him for two. Moxley applies a crossface and Dreamer escapes. Dreamer catches a missile dropkick and turns it into a Texas cloverleaf. Dreamer hits a hard clothesline for two. Dreamer brings in a chair. It backfires when Moxley gives him a drop toe hold face first onto it. Moxley sets up the chair. Dreamer hits a spinebuster. Dreamer drops Moxley skull first onto the chair. Von Eerie breaks the pin, and Dreamer gets in her face. The referee stops Dreamer from hurting her, so Dreamer punches him. Von Eerie slaps Dreamer, and as expected, Dreamer gives her a piledriver. Just then, YAMATO comes in and tries to choke Dreamer. Dreamer throws him out, but Shingo drops Dreamer with a Death Valley Driver. With that, Moxley covers Dreamer for two. Dreamer ducks a chair shot and gives Moxley a piledriver for two. Moxley gives Dreamer a DDT on the chair for the pin at 12:30. This was meant to be a throwback to ECW, and served its purpose in that manner. However, it’s 2010 and this stuff was just tired and dull. At the very least Moxley went over and is now aligned with Kamikaze. This was kind of sad to watch, but at least it had a purpose in the end. **1/4

We get a cool music video about the Open The Dream Gate Championship, as tonight will be the first time the title will be defended in the United States.

Open The Dream Gate Championship
YAMATO (Champion) vs. Susumu Yokosuka

YAMATO won the championship five days prior from Naruki Doi, and this is his first defense. Yokosuka wrenches on a headlock. The guys stay even with strikes till Yokosuka sends YAMATO to the floor with a clothesline. Yokosuka stomps on YAMATO and goes back to the headlock as well. YAMATO escapes and Yokosuka hits an early Jumbo no Kachi! YAMATO plays possum and gets a triangle choke. Yokosuka breaks it using the ropes and retreats to the floor. YAMATO follows Yokosuka out and targets his attack on Yokosuka’s arm. YAMATO keeps on top of Yokosuka’s arm back in the ring. Yokosuka gets a sleeper, and YAMATO low blows him behind the ref’s back. Yokosuka does the same thing. Yokosuka hits an exploder suplex, and YAMATO hits one of his own. Yokosuka then hits a second, and YAMATO hits a second. YAMATO goes up top, and Yokosuka catches him with a top rope exploder suplex. Yokosuka stops a running YAMATO with a dropkick to the legs. Yokosuka drops YAMATO knees first on the mat before applying a figure four leg lock. YAMATO escapes and gets a bodyscissors/armbar combination. YAMATO transitions to a Fujiwara armbar. Yokosuka breaks. On the top rope, Yokosuka drops YAMATO with a Death Valley Driver. YAMATO gets up. He and Yokosuka trade lariats and forearms. YAMATO hits a rolling elbow and Yokosuka hits the Jumbo no Kachi for two. YAMATO blocks a Death Valley Driver and turns into a choke sleeper. Yokosuka drops YAMATO with a Death Valley Driver anyways. Yokosuka’s arm has been warn down to the point where his clothesline don’t phase YAMATO. YAMATO hits the ropes and Yokosuka warms up to hit two more Jumbo no Kachis. The pain is too much for Yokosuka to get an immediate pin. Yokosuka hits Mugen for two. He tries for a second and YAMATO again gets the choke sleeper. YAMATO hits a German suplex and gets the choke sleeper on again. Yokosuka slips out and YAMATO hits a brainbuster. YAMATO drops Yokosuka with the Galleria for the pin at 21:42. I actually watched this when the PPV originally aired and was a little disappointed; this was MUCH better on second viewing. The arm work done on Yokosuka was tremendous, and they did a great job showing how it affected him during the match. YAMATO again reigned supreme as the nuance king, and did a tremendous job in his first title defense. This was one of the beginning steps in the year of YAMATO and things only get better for him from here. ****

CIMA, Gamma, & Dragon Kid [WARRIORS] vs. Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi, & BxB Hulk [World-1]

Yoshino and Kid start off, cuz I haven’t seen these two face each other enough yet. However, they do have a cool, fast-paced opening sequence that ends with Kid scoring a headscissors. Gamma tags in and knocks down Yoshino with a shoulder block. Yoshino blocks a drop down by spitting in Yoshino’s face. Hulk dropkicks Gamma to the floor, bringing in CIMA. Hulk hits an armdrag but misses a dropkick. CIMA gets snapmared down, and Hulk hits a twist senton for two. Doi tags in and puts the boots to CIMA. Kid tags in and goes to work on Doi’s arm. Doi gets a headscissors on the mat and tags in Yoshino. CIMA and Gamma come in and hit a wheelbarrow/superdrol combo. CIMA and Kid hit sentons on Yoshino for two. CIMA keeps control on Yoshino by twisting his arms. Yoshino escapes and Doi comes in with a modified abdominal stretch. CIMA hip tosses out of it and tags in Gamma. Gamma and CIMA hit a double dropkick. Yoshino and Hulk come in. Gamma and CIMA give them stereo belly-to-back suplexes. Gamma spits in Hulk’s face, then rubs spit into his face. The WARRIORS beat on Hulk while preventing him from tagging in his partners. Hulk is able to hit a urinage and tag in Doi. Gamma brings in his kendo stick, but Doi wrestles it away from him and hits Gamma with it in a comedic manner multiple times behind the referee’s back. Yoshino comes in and Kid gives him two stunners for a two count. Kid flips up and sends Yoshino onto the ropes. Yoshino blocks a 619 and powerbombs Kid down. World-1 give the WARRIORS a taste of their own medicine, cutting the ring in half and wearing down Dragon Kid for awhile. Just like Hulk, Kid escapes with a hurricarana (on Hulk in fact) and tags in CIMA. CIMA rolls through a sunset flip and doublestomps Hulk. Hulk grapevines Hulk’s leg and suplexes Doi. Gamma dropkicks Hulk in the face, and Kid hits Déjà Vu on Hulk. Kid follows Yoshino to the floor with the Bermuda Triangle. Doi lights up Gamma with forearms, and Gamma hits an enzugiri. Gamma blocks the Doi 555 and hits a basement dropkick. He hits a powerbomb for two. Yoshino stops Gamma from hitting Blitzen. Yoshino and Doi hit a flapjack/facebuster combo, and CIMA breaks the pin. Yoshino blocks Venus and locks CIMA in the ropes. Yoshino hits the slingblade for two. Yoshino applies From Jungle. Kid simultaneously puts Hulk in Cristo. Kid and Yoshino trade chops while keeping their submissions locked in. Both break. World-1 attack Kid in the corner, then WARRIORS attack Hulk in the corner. Kid hits a satellite DDT and Yoshino breaks the pin. CIMA puts Yoshino in a tree of woe and hits a baseball slide. CIMA misses the Tokarev, and Yoshino hits a top rope dropkick on Kid into a senton on CIMA. Doi brings Kid off the top rope with a release German suplex. Hulk hits a springboard boot and a Michinoku driver. CIMA breaks the pin and hits Yoshino with a 2k1 Bomb for two. The WARRIORS hit a triple dropkick on Yoshino. Yoshino avoids the Meteora and Doi nails the Bakatare Sliding Kick on CIMA for two. Hulk hits CIMA with Mouse and the EVOP for two. CIMA hits Hulk with Venus. Kid hits a super reverse hurricanrana off CIMA’s shoulders on Hulk. Gamma follows with a reverse hurricanrana, and Kid hits the dragonrana for two. Kid Déjà Vu’s into Bible for two. Yoshino hits the Lightning Spiral on Kid and Gamma breaks the pin. CIMA traps Yoshino on the top rope. Doi saves Yoshino and assists Yoshino in a super slingblade for two. Hulk hits a superkick to the side of Gamma’s head for two. World-1 hits a triple kick on Gamma in the corner. Doi hits Doi 555 and the Bakatare Sliding Kick. Yoshino hits the Lightning Spiral for two. Yoshino hits the Torbellino and locks Gamma in Sol Naciente. World-1 prevents CIMA and Kid from saving Gamma, and Gamma has no choice but to submit at 27:26. What really is there to say? It’s a Dragon Gate six man, and my goodness was it awesome. If you liked any of their other six man tags from the United States, you’ll like this just as much. This was some of the fastest, most fun action you’ll ever see. The latter half really was extraordinary. Hulk’s botched spot is barely worth mentioning as it didn’t slow down the match and the guys didn’t miss a beat. This was one of the best matches of the entire year and a must-see. ****1/2

In awesome broken English, Masato Yoshino challenges BxB Hulk for his Open The Freedom Gate championship. Both agree, and Doi makes sure they want to do it. He wishes them a good match (which will take place at “Uprising”). Doi asks the fans if they had a good time, and gets them to chant “Dragon Gate” as the main show ends.

Bonus Disc

Brandon Cutler, Dustin Cutler, Malachi Jackson, & Chimera vs. Jake Crist, Dave Crist, Derrik Niekirk, & The Prophet

Prophet and Brandon go back and forth to start. Prophet gives Brandon a Finlay Roll and a standing moonsault for two. Brandon throws him in the air and tags in Dustin. They hit a rolling double shoulder block. Prophet hits a nice springboard dropkick and tags in Dave Crist. Dave hits a standing moonsault for two. Dustin gives him a fireman’s carry. Chimera tags in and hits a slingshot senton for two. Dave dropkicks Chimera and tags in Jake Crist, who takes a few armdrags before knocking Chimera down with a back elbow and leg lariat for two. Each guy tries a pinning combination, but doesn’t succeed. Niekirk and Malachi tag in, and Niekirk easily mows down Jackson with a shoulder block. Jackson kicks Niekirk and hits a missile dropkick before tagging in Brandon Cutler. Brandon gets sent to the floor where the Crist’s beat him down. The beat down on Brandon continues as they bring him back into the ring. Brandon is able to catch Prophet with a backbreaker/facebuster combo and tags in Dustin. Dustin takes out both Dave and Jake Crist. He gives Jake a guillotine legdrop and Dave a springboard splash for two. Jackson blind tags in and gives Dave a Jackson Cutter. Jackson hits a shooting star press and Niekirk breaks the cover. Niekirk throws Jackson with a Saito suplex, and Dustin wheelbarrows into a lungblower on Niekirk. Prophet springboards in with a flipping dropkick. Chimera and Prophet go at it, and Chimera drops Prophet with a Michinoku Driver. Jake comes in and takes an enzugiri from Chimera. Jake catches him in a slingshot. Dave kicks him and double stomps Chimera across Jake’s knees. Brandon yakuza kicks Dave in the corner, then the Cutlers give Jake a pop-up German suplex. They follow up with a tandem tombstone piledriver for the pin at 10:52. This was a cool spot-fest with a lot of the younger talent from the opening FRAY! The focus was primarily on the Cutler Bros. and the Irish Airborne, who did a great job showing off why they are two of the most underutilized tag teams out there. Niekirk did a much better job than at Ultimate Gate, but that’s not saying a lot. Everyone else did there part when needed and this made for a fun, easy watch. **3/4

Shingo Takagi vs. Homicide
FIP Heatstroke 2006, Night 1 – Inverness, FL – 7.7.2006

Homicide fails to knock Shingo down with shoulder blocks. He eventually does and follows up with a dropkick and armdrag to send Shingo to the floor. For whatever reason, Shingo’s eye now looks red and swollen. Homicide and Shingo trade chops. Homicide follows up right hands in the corner. Homicide hits a neck breaker for two. Shingo lays in a flurry of headbutts. Shingo’s manager Dave Prazak chokes Homicide on the bottom rope. Shingo throws Homicide to the floor where Prazak is able to lay in some more shots. Mr. Milo Beasley also gets in some shots. Shingo leaps into a knee drop for two. Homicide hits a chin breaker and a back elbow. Shingo drops Homicide with a gut buster and DDT. Homicide evades an attack in the corner and gives Shingo a backdrop suplex. Homicide misses a diving headbutt. Shingo turns Homicide in a half crab. Shingo keeps on Homicide’s leg. Homicide is able to give Shingo a tornado DDT out of the corner. Homicide turns a clothesline into an ace crusher for two. Homicide suplexes Shingo and heads up top. Homicide hits a diving headbutt to Shingo’s shoulder for two. Shingo pops Homicide into a powerslam. Shingo misses a back elbow and kicks Homicide away. Shingo comes off the second rope and Homicide hits him in the mid-section. Shingo comes back with a suplex. Homicide schoolboys Shingo for two. Homicide hits a piledriver and Dave Prazak gets on the apron to distract the referee. BJ Whitmer comes out and trips Homicide. Shingo hits a lariat and the Last Falconry for the pin at 11:54. If memory serves me correctly, this was Homicide’s first match back in FIP since losing the title. They made no big deal about this. However, the match itself was quite good and the story they told with Shingo keeping on Homicide’s arm and cheating to get the win was fun and simple. ***

Elimination Tag Team Match
CIMA & BxB Hulk vs. Austin Aries & Matt Sydal vs. B-Boy & Chris Bosh
WrestleJAM 2006 – Kanagawa, Japan – 6.10.2006

B-Boy, Sydal, and Hulk start things off. Hulk and Sydal team up to wear down B-Boy and send him to the floor. Sydal knocks down Hulk, but Hulk kips up and hits a sole butt. Hulk prevents a leapfrog and dropkicks Sydal. He gives him Mouse and a spinwheel kick. Aries, CIMA, and Bosh tag in. Bosh shakes Aries’ hand, and kicks CIMA in the stomach after faking a handshake. Aries takes Bosh down in a headlock as CIMA bides his time. Aries knocks Bosh down with a shoulder tackle. Aries tries to escape a headscissors from CIMA, but Bosh grabs his legs and drives his head down. Aries kicks Bosh away and dropkicks CIMA out of the headscissors. All three guys try roll-ups on one another, only getting two. Aries gives a Bosh a slingshot senton and diving elbow drop. CIMA leaps off Bosh’s back into a dropkick on Aries. Hulk tags in and hits a twisting senton on Bosh for two. Sydal tags in, and gives Bosh a tandem attack with Aries. Bosh pushes Sydal to his corner and tags in B-Boy. CIMA and Sydal put the boots to B-Boy. B-Boy gives Sydal a hard forearm and CIMA a hard chop. CIMA gives B-Boy an enzugiri and Sydal tags in Aries. We get a chain of abdominal stretches, and Sydal knocks everyone down with a dropkick. Aries and Sydal double team Bosh. Sydal hit a shooting star press on Bosh’s back and B-Boy breaks the pin. Everyone but B-Boy dropkicks Bosh. Everyone but Bosh attacks B-Boy in the corner. B-Boy blocks Hulk’s attack and nails Sydal with a Shining Wizard. Aries breaks the pin and gives B-Boy a shinbreaker/suplex combo. Aries hits the IED and Bosh breaks the pin. Aries gives Bosh a brainbuster for two. Aries slams Bosh. Sydal takes down B-Boy, and Bosh cock punses Sydal into a roll-up for the pin at 10:30. CIMA drops Bosh with a 2k1 Bomb for two. Hulk hits Bosh with a top rope spinwheel kick, and CIMA gives Bosh superdrol. Hulk hits a spin-out facebuster and B-Boy breaks the pin. B-Boy nails Hulk with a hard forearm. Bosh and B-Boy hit a couple knees, and B-Boy knocks Hulk down with a lariat for two. Bosh pops-up Hulk into a knee strike from B-Boy. B-Boy drops Hulk with the Delikado and CIMA breaks the pin. CIMA fights off B-Boy and Bosh and superkicks Bosh. Gamma accidentally throws powder into Bosh’s eyes, and Don Fujii runs in to nail Bosh with a lariat behind the referee’s back. CIMA then hits the Schwein on Bosh for the pin at 13:58. This was a fun showcase for the Gaijin here, and CIMA and Hulk ultimately getting the win was the right decision. ***

Shingo Takagi & YAMATO vs. Masato Yoshino & BxB Hulk
Summer Tag Adventure League III – Kyoto, Japan – 8.2.2009

YAMATO and Hulk feel each other out to start. Hulk is unphased by a shoulder block. YAMATO tries for the CBV immediately, but Hulk escapes instantly. Yoshino and Shingo tag in. Shingo catches Yoshino with a Manhattan drop and a chop. Shingo lays in some punches. Yoshino evades the Mongolian chop and applies From Jungle. Hulk tags in and wrenches on Shingo’s arm that Yoshino had stretched out in From Jungle. Yoshino and Hulk make some frequent tags, coming off the top rope onto Shingo’s arm. Hulk takes down Hulk when Hulk is the legal man. He traps Hulk’s leg in the ropes and dragonscrews it. YAMATO and Shingo target their attack on Hulk’s left leg, keeping Yoshino at bay. Hulk looks in trouble with a sharpshooter/CBV tandem submission, but Yoshino does manage to break that. Hulk hits a springboard dropkick on YAMATO and tags in Yoshino. Shingo catches Yoshino, but Yoshino counters a suplex with one of his own. Yoshino takes YAMATO down with the slingblade for two. YAMATO hits a rolling elbow and a flying forearm for two. YAMATO transitions into the CBV. Shingo plants Hulk with a DDT. Shingo flips Hulk into a powerbomb facebuster and a knee drop for two. Hulk gives YAMATO a urinage for two. Hulk and Yoshino hit stereo kicks on YAMATO in the corner. Hulk hits a springboard spinwheel kick on YAMATO. Hulk gives YAMATO a superkick, and Shingo breaks the pin. YAMATO wipes out Hulk on the apron. YAMATO hits a brainbuster on Yoshino for two. Shingo pops up Yoshino into a Death Valley Driver. YAMATO and Shingo hit a tandem ace crusher. Hulk breaks the pin, but gets sent back to the floor. Shingo puts Yoshino on his shoulders and YAMATO goes up top. Yoshino gives Shingo a victory roll for two and Hulk sends YAMATO to the floor with a spinwheel kick off the top. Hulk sweeps Shingo’s legs and hits a standing moonsault. Yoshino comes off the top, dropkicking YAMATO and landing on Shingo with a senton. Yoshino looks for From Jungle. Shingo tries a powerbomb, but Yoshino counters into a sunset flip for two. Hulk gives Shingo a Mouse and Yoshino gives him the Torbellino. Yoshino applies Sol Naciente. YAMATO makes the save. Hulk gives Shingo a barrage of offense. Shingo and YAMATO gives Hulk a spear/forearm combination. YAMATO drops Hulk with the Galleria and Yoshino breaks the pin. Shingo nails a clothesline in the corner, and then hits the Stay Dream on Hulk off the second rope. Yoshino breaks the pin. Shingo hits Hulk with the Pumping Bomber, and Hulk pops up. Shingo hits the Made in Japan and Hulk kicks out. Hulk tries a crucifix pin and the time expires at 20:00 for a draw. This was such an awesome mach, with both teams going balls to the wall. The last five minutes were so fast and the fans were going nuts for everything. I loved how Hulk looked like he was going to finally get the upset on Shingo once and for all, and just then the time limit expires. It built their feud nicely, and Yoshino and YAMATO were just as awesome as usual. ****

The bonus disc also features a preview video of the Mercury Rising PPV, and a highlight reel from the PPV.

The 411: The main event is a sure-fire Match of the Year candidate and the Dream Gate title matches up with everything YAMATO has done this year. The World-1 vs Kamikaze tag match from last years Summer Tag League is one of the best hidden gems put on a DVD as well. This review essentially speaks for itself; buy the DVD.
Final Score:  8.8   [ Very Good ]