RB Report: Dragon Gate Infinity 90
Posted by R.Brooksbank on 08.27.2008
A great three-match show is capped off by a superb Open the Twin Gate title match!
Dragon Gate Infinity 90
*Beg my pardon for not knowing the current storylines in Dragon Gate, but I only watch it every so often, so I'm not really down with everything that's going on. But hopefully from this show onward, I'll be reviewing every DG Infinity show. I've always wondered to myself why I've not watched DG more regularly, because I love it when I do.
*Infinity is Dragon Gate's TV show that is shown in Japan. It features a few matches every week, usually taken from a few different shows and has video packages detailing the current goings-on. None of which make sense to me since I don't understand a word of Japanese.
*All of these matches were taped on May 31st, 2008 at Kobe Sanbo Hall, Kobe.
*The show starts with Naruki Doi and Yoshino in a cage, but then qiuckly shifts to them in a ring. We get highlights of something, and I have no idea what's going on. Oh, BxB Hulk has joined New Hazard. I wish I could keep up.
*World 1: Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino & m.c.KZ. vs. Taku Iwasa, Kenichiro Arai & Akira Tozawa
Someone needs to work on getting English subtitles on all the promos. I do manage to gather from the big banner though, that Doi, Yoshino, Hulk and KZ are now going by the name 'World 1'. Anyway, Arai and KZ start us out. KZ fakes a handshake and BODY POPS~! He eventually just gets double-teamed by Isawa and and Arai, though. Tozawa splashes him and the pin-attempt is broken up by Doi. KZ runs the ropes, but Iwasa kicks his back. He rebounds quickly forever and dishes out Ace Crushers to both men before rolling to his corner and tagging in the lightning-quick Yoshino. That went nowhere, as Arai and Doi are quickly tagged in. Arai nails a springboard dropkick, but misses a spear in the corner and takes a fall to the outside. Yoshino and Iwasa go at it and Tozawa lands a headbutt to Yoshino's groin. I'm having problems keeping up here. When they're on their own, Yoshino is way too fast for Iwasa and he's triple-teamed by all three members of World 1. KZ goes for a frog splash, but Iwasa gets the knees up. KZ is isolated by the heel team. They have some cool double-teams that revolve around the fact that Tozawa is a chubby fellow. Isawa kills him with a clothesline, but that only gets two. A knee to the face also fails to put the young rapper away. Tozawa misses a butt splash and is taken out by both Doi and Yoshino. Yoshino only gets two from a fancy pinning combo. Doi and Tozawa go at it. Tozawa is slammed and takes a facebuster, but plants Doi with a 'rana. Another facebuster is followed by a running kick to the mush and Doi grabs the victory for his team(10:01).
Rating: ***1/4. Yeah, that was awesome fun. I love the fast-paced style that's employed by the Dragon Gate guys, and this match was no exception.
*Masaaki Mochizuki, Don Fujii & Magnitude Kishiwada vs. Real Hazard: Gamma, Yasushi Kanda & YAMATO
The first team is made up of guys that aren't really aligned to any stable, but regularly team together. Shouldn't they be a stable then? I'm confused. There are some pre-match hi-jinx that I wish I understood. Someone give me Japanese lessons. Fujii and Kanda start is out and the match very, very quickly develops into a full-blown brawl. Mochizuki owns Yamato with strikes - obviously. Kishiwada and Gamma in. Kanda tries to help against him, but Kishiwada is too strong. Yamato attacks from behind, but he still manages to take all three of them out. Gamma attacks Fujii, which draws Fujii in, who is PISSED with Gamma. After he's had with way, he invites the "strongest man in Osaka" Kishiwada back in. Gamma throws him into the corner and stomps away, but Kishiwada no-sells it and pays back the favour. Masaaki gets in the ring with Gamma, but gets poked in the eye and Yamato is tagged in. Fujii quickly gets in to make up for his partner. Fujii is so much fun. He chops the shit out of Yamato and chokeslams him. Yamato comes back instantly and both Kishiwada and Kanda are tagged in. Kanda is decapitated with a clothesline. MOONSAULT from the big man! Masaaki is back in. He runs to the top rope, but Gamma is there to whip him with a stick. He runs the ropes and Genki Horiguchi hits him. Yamato locks in a triangle, but Masaaki escapes. Gamma goes for the Blitzen, but Masaaki counters and kicks him in the head. Genki accidentally throws powder in the eyes of Gamma, who them gets planted with a Kishiwada powerbomb. Or two. Kishiwada covers and that's all(9:42).
Rating: ***. Again, I had an absolute blast here, but for some reason, I'm having difficulty rating these matches. I feel like I can't go any higher because the matches feel like they mean nothing and just feel like exhibitions, but at the same time everything these guys do is really impressive and fluid.
*Open the Twin Gate Title Match
Ryo Saito & Susumu Yokosuka (c) vs. Dragon Kid & PAC
I could be wrong - I am pretty often - but I do believe that Dragon Kid, along with Saito and Yokosuka are all a part of the Typhoon stable with CIMA. I'm dreading trying to re-cap this one. It's gonna be great, but so fast-paced I can't keep up. Dragon Kid and Saito start us out and, surprisingly, they start slow. They trade chops and Saito wastes no time taking Dragon Kid into his corner so that he and Yokosuka can isolate Kid. Pac gets in to break up a pin attempt, but he gets cut off when Yokosuka clips his legs. Pac gets all flippy and hits an enziguri on both men. Anthony W. Mori is there to cheer Dragon Kid and Pac on. That, along with Saito and Yokosuka's very heel-ish tactics lead me to believe that they're no longer in Typhoon. Pac hits a flippy-do out to both men. Back in, Yokosuka and Kid go at it, but Yokosuka's strength and size gives him and advantage over Kid. Kid hits the CHRISTO on him, but it's broken up. Pac and Saito go at it for a while and I'm pretty sure the match gets clipped. Dragon Kid is double-teamed. Saito goes to the top rope, but Pac being the whacky gentleman that he is, puts Yokosuka on Saito's shoulders and 'ranas Saito off. He goes for an SSP, but Saito moves and Pac lands on his feet. Pac channels Mark Briscoe. Dragon Kid tries a Dragon 'Rana against Yokosuka, but he catches him, goes to the top rope and drills Kid with a DVD! SPIKE FACEBUSTER to Pac only gets two when Dragon Kid breaks it up. Springboard 'rana by Kid only gets two. Corkscrew splash by Pac to Yokosuka only gets two. Kid goes up top, but is crotched. He and Saito do battle on the top rope and Saito lands a SUPERPLEX, but Dragon Kid has FIGHTING SPIRIT~! A crucifix gets two for Kid, but he gets his head taken off with a clothesline. Saito rolls through a 'rana into a sunset flip, but only gets two when Pac breaks it up. Victory Roll by Pac! ONE-TWO-NO! DRAGON SUPLEX TO PAC! IT'S OVER! (12:48)
Post-match, Nosawa and a bunch of dudes I don't recognise jump everyone and the guys who just though stand united, which then makes me think that Saito and Susumu ARE aligned with Dragon Kid after all. Sigh. Someone clue me in, eh.
Rating: ***1/2. Now, THAT, was great. It really felt like they wanted to win it and even though what was shown was so short, I really got into it.
Current MOTY list (as of June 26th, 2008):
1) BJ Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs (IWA:MS 500th Show) (****1/2)
2) BJ Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs (IWA:MS April Bloodshowers) (****1/2)
3) Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Wrestlemania 24) (****1/4)
4) Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino vs. BxB Hulk and Shingo (DG Infinity 77) (****)
5) Eddie Kingston vs. Shane Storm (CHIKARA Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One) (****)
6) Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle (TNA Lockdown) (***3/4)
7) Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (WWE Judgement Day) (***3/4)
8) Mike Quackenbush, Tim Donst and Amasis vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Lince Dorado and Ophidian (CHIKARA Two Eyebrows are Better Than One) (***3/4)
9) Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. John Cena (WWE Wrestlemania 24) (***1/2)
10) Susumu Yokosuka and Ryo Saito vs. Dragon Kid and PAC (Dragon Gate Infinity 90) (***1/2)
*I'd just like to add a note that I'm writing this in June and you won't be reading this until late August, so this list may seem a wee bit outdated by then, and you won't get my final list until about February-April, depending on my WURKRAIT!
The 411: For a one hour show, you really can't get much better. All of the matches were an absolute blast and I recommend checking it out, but the same goes for pretty much all Dragon Gate. You just can't go wrong.
