Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Dragon Gate: UK: Dragon Gate vs. UK

October 23, 2011

Gamma [2-0] vs. Mad Man Manson [0-0]
Manson is playing a psychotic…mad man.

This has the makings of a comedy match. Yep, lots of comedy early on with Manson interacting with the crowd early and often. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Manson before. As a result, I’m not sure if he was mostly just running through his usual comedy spots. Either way, the crowd was enjoying him and so was I. Manson accidentally chopped himself twice. Manson then accidentally locked himself in his own submission. Gamma hesitated, but he then pinned Manson: 1…2…3

I enjoyed this. It was well executed comedy. I think it would have been better if it had broken up some of the more athletic based matches, as opposed to being an opener. However, that did not make me enjoy this match less.
Match Rating: **

CIMA [1-4] vs. Lion Kid [2-3]
The crowd continues to laugh at CIMA for being such a loser. CIMA left the match. CIMA came back. I have no idea what just happened. They proceeded to do a bunch of holds trading. It was not very interesting. At one point, CIMA got the referee distracted, and he then kicked Kid in the balls. CIMA was in firm control after that. CIMA hit a Venus, but Kid came back with a super headscissors and then a springboard blockbuster: 1…2…no. CIMA came back with a double stomp and a somersault senton. Kid came back. He went for a 450, but CIMA avoided it. CIMA came back with a missile seated dropkick and a perfect driver: 1…2…no. CIMA then hit the Schwein. CIMA followed that up with a brutal Meteora: 1…2…3

This was a BORING match. I’m sure some people will question why I gave the opener a higher rating. To those people, I ask, which match entertained you more? If the answer is CIMA vs. Lion Kid, we have different goals for watching professional wrestling.
Match Rating: *3/4

Dragon Kid [1-4] & Masato Yoshino [3-2] vs. Naoki Tanizaki [0-2] & BedxBreakfast Hulk [4-1] vs. Martin Kirby [0-0] & Joey Hayes [0-1]
The idea of this match was that it was Junction-3 vs. Blood Warriors vs. Team UK.

One person from each team is allowed in the ring at the same time. Lots of moves happened early on. At a certain point, Junction-3 stopped participating in the match. Kirby worked over Hulk for a minute or so. Tanizaki interfered to give Hulk the advantage. That didn’t last long though as a six-man wristlock spot happened right after that. There was also a five-man headscissors spot that Tanizaki broke up. Then there was a stereo triple suplex spot. Hayes ended up working over Tanizaki after that. Blood Warriors eventually isolated Hayes, and they worked him over for a while. Hayes was eventually able to tag out to Kirby, who made a big comeback on everyone. Tanizaki eventually killed Kirby with a running knee. Yoshino got Tanizaki in From Jungle. Kid got Hulk in Christo. Hayes saved the match. Hayes got a nearfall on Hulk with a diving crossbody. Blood Warriors made a comeback. Hulk killed Kid with an ax kick. Kid came back with a satellite DDT on Hulk. Yoshino gave Kirby the Torbellino. Yoshino held Hulk on the rope so that Kid could give him an ultra hurricanrana. Yoshino hit Kirby with a missile dropkick, as Kid gave Kirby the crucifix bomb: 1…2…3.

This show is so flat. Like, DGUSA flat. To be fair though, besides the closing stretch, nothing in this match did much to grip me. I’m not sure how much better it would have been in front of the typical DG: UK crowds.
Match Rating: **1/2

Akira Tozawa [2-0] vs. Marty Scurll [1-4]
This show should pick up in a big way right here. These are two of my favorite wrestlers in the world.

Neither man could get a decisive advantage early on. Scurll eventually got control of the match. Scurll went for a tope suicida, but Tozawa blocked it with an enzuigiri. Tozawa got the heat after that. Scurll fought back with some forearms and called Tozawa a “bitch.” Tozawa cut off Scurll by attacking his eyes. The referee scolded Tozawa, so Tozawa just attacked his eyes. Scurll fought back again with a seated dropkick and a tope suicida. Back in the ring, Tozawa hit a Brogue Kick. Scurll got a nifty pinning combination for a nearfall. Tozawa came back with another Brogue Kick and a saito suplex: 1…2…NO! Tozawa got a nearfall after his second saito suplex. Scurll came back with a rolling forearm. They traded a bunch of forearms. Scurll hit a powerbomb, a concussion kick, and a rolling forearm to the back of the head: 1…2…NO! Tozawa avoided the Argentine backbreaker, but Scurll then schoolboyed him for a nearfall. Tozawa then hit a Brogue Kick, a release German, another Brogue kick, and a bridging German: 1…2…NO! Tozawa then hit the High Tension German: 1…2…3!

In case you don’t know, these guys rule. In front of a better crowd, this could have been one of the best matches of the weekend. Even without the great crowd though, it still ended up being one of my favorite matches of the weekend. Excellent work.
Match Rating: ***1/2

PAC [4-1] vs. Susumu Yokosuka [3-2]
PAC was mostly in control at the start until he went for a standing shooting star press (Yokosuka got his knees up). Yokosuka worked over PAC’s midsection after that. PAC was able to bait Yokosuka to the floor. PAC went for a Fosbury Flop, but Yokosuka avoided it. PAC actually managed to land on his feet, but Yokosuka then kicked out PAC’s knee and PAC landed hard on that knee. Yokosuka brought PAC back to the ring to work the injury over. After a good while, PAC managed to avoid a charge in the corner and then hit a springboard dropkick. Yokosuka came back with an exploder suplex. PAC went for a shooting star press, but Yokosuka avoided it and gave PAC an exploder into the corner. PAC came back with a buzzsaw kick. PAC went for a middle rope Phoenix Splash, but Yokosuka avoided it Yokosuka got a nearfall with a sit-out dominator. Yokosuka hit the Jumbo No Kachi: 1…2…NO! PAC avoided a Mugen and a half-nelson suplex. PAC hit another buzzsaw kick. PAC connected on a 450, but Yokosuka reversed the cover into a small package: 1…2…NO! PAC hit his rebound German and then got a bridging pinning combination: 1…2…3!

These guys put together a really nifty match here. Dragon Gate matches that start off with working on the legs tend to go off the rails due to the lack of selling, but that was not an issue here for some reason. Still, it would have been nice if the leg work paid off in some way.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Shingo Takagi [3-2] vs. Mark Haskins [4-1]
Shingo’s strength gave him control early on. Haskins came back with a slingshot hurricanrana and a dropkick. Haskins started to go after Shingo’s right arm after that. Shingo eventually fought back and hit a saito suplex. Shingo worked over Haskins after that. Shingo was just running through Haskins. Haskins was finally able to hit a slingshot cutter which sent Shingo to the floor. Haskins wiped him out with a tope suicida. Back in the ring. Haskins got a nearfall with a diving DDT. Shingo came back with a wheelbarrow backbreaker. Shingo hit a Blood Fall and then a Complete Shot. Haskins hit a weak superkick, but Shingo came right back with a lariat. Haskins came back with a wheelbarrow Ace Crusher: 1…2…NO! Haskins git a gutbuster and then a shooting star press: 1…2…NO! Haskins landed on Shingo’s face (for some reason, one of the commentators insisted Haskins landed on Shingo’s chest). Shingo came back with a pop-up DVD and a PUMPING BOMBER! Shingo then hit the Made in Japan: 1…2…NO! Weird. Pumping Bomber: 1…2…3!

If you had told me after the first DG: UK show that Mark Haskins would have a singles main event in the promotion, I would have groaned. Credit to where credit is due though, Haskins has improved a lot, and he definitely has a good enough presence to main event in DG: UK. While this wasn’t a great main event, it was very enjoyable.
Match Rating: ***

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com. Also, check out my Best of Chikara blog and an archive of all my 411 video reviews.

The 411: This was easily the weakest DG:UK DVD yet, but that statement is more reflective of how great the other five DG:UK DVDs are (as opposed to the quality of this show). This was a good show, and it had three strong matches close it out. However, if there was ever a DG:UK DVD to skip, it would definitely be this one. Still, it's a really solid DVD. Make sure you check out the DG:UK website and buy DG:UK DVDs here.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]