January 20, 2010 – Tokyo, Japan
Championship rundown:
Open the Dream Gate Champion: Naruki Doi
Interim Open the Twin Gate Champions: CIMA & Gamma
Open the Triangle Gate Champions: Masaaki Mochizuki, Don Fujii & Akebono
Open the Brave Gate Champion: K-ness
Open the Freedom Gate Champion: BxB Hulk
Naruki Doi {W1} vs. Shingo Takagi {K} vs. Takuya Sugawara {RH} [Elimination Match]
Sugawara had pinned both Doi and Takagi, the two leaders of the Young Generation faction in Dragon Gate. Even so Doi hated him so much that he would not give him a title shot. A win here would probably seal the deal for him. Sugawara won’t knuckle up with Doi and Takagi so they attack him. They hit a double shoulder tackle. The cooperation lasts only for that moment, as Takagi hits Doi with a shoulder tackle. Doi responds with an elbow and the Dai Bosou but Takagi responds with a powerbomb for 2. Sugawara hits a dropkick. He goes after Takagi’s bandaged arm. Takagi hits Sugawara with the STO. He hits Doi with the uranage. Sugawara kicks his arm. He pokes Doi’s eyes. Doi hits a dropkick and a vertical suplex. He dropkicks Sugawara into Takagi’s back suplex. Sugawara hits a DDT, but Takagi grabs him and hits the dead lift suplex. Takagi baits Doi to the top rope and hits a super brainbuster. He hits a lariat in the corner. He knocks Sugawara down with Doi’s legs and hits Doi with the STAY DREAM for 2. Doi comes back with a long series of elbows. Takagi responds with a right hand. He hits a lariat on both opponents. He hits the MADE IN JAPAN on Doi for 2. Doi gets a roll up for 2. He hits a crucifix bomb to eliminate Takagi at 7:42 shown of 9:12. The Swallow cheers him on from the balcony. Kzy trips Doi and pulls him to the floor. Real Hazard beats on Doi on the floor while keeping World-1 at bay. Back in the ring Sugawara hits an enziguiri. He hits a brainbuster for 2. Doi hits a dropkick and the Dai Bosou. He hits the Bakatare Sliding Kick. Sugawara uses the referee to block the Muscular Bomb. He hits the referee with an enziguiri. Real Hazard works over Doi in the corner. Sugawara hits the running elbow. Doi gets the crucifix for 2. Arai hits him with a red box attack. He hits it on Sugawara by mistake. Kanda hits Doi with the blue box. Kzy powders Doi and Sugawara hits the Shiisanpuuta for the win at 12:05 shown of 13:28. Nobody was working all that hard in this one, as they all seemed fine just going through the motions. Does the Dragon Gate brass see the crappy matches Sugawara is having while they give him this monster push?
Rating: **¼
After the match Sugawara demands a shot at the Dream Gate. Doi refuses, and considering all the powder he has on his face I don’t blame him.
Next up is an extensive CIMA vs. YAMATO hype video. This match has been in the works for almost two years, pretty much since YAMATO started targeting CIMA when he was the leader of Typhoon. Back when CIMA was considering retirement he came back to try to take the Twin Gate belts with Jushin Liger from YAMATO and Cyber Kong. YAMATO choked CIMA out in that match, and he looks to do the same here in their first ever singles match against each other.
CIMA {W5} vs. YAMATO {K}
They start with a test of strength. CIMA grabs a wristlock but YAMATO mostly controls on the mat. CIMA gets a roll up for 2. He hits a shoulder tackle. He hits chest kicks. YAMATO avoids a double stomp, sweeps the leg and puts on a leglock. CIMA gets to the ropes. CIMA crotches YAMATO on the top rope and dropkicks him to the floor. YAMATO crawls under the ring to surprise CIMA by attacking him from behind with a dropkick to the leg. Well that was awesome. He puts on a half crab. CIMA gets to the ropes. YAMATO keeps pressure on the leg. CIMA sends him to the floor and hits a suicide dive. He hits a chest kick and drags YAMATO into the crowd. He hits a snap suplex and a delayed brainbuster on the floor. YAMATO has to run to the ring to beat the count at 19, and then immediately rolls back out to the floor to sell the brainbuster. That’s why YAMATO is the going to win the Dream Gate in March, because he flat out knows what he’s doing in that ring. CIMA spears YAMATO into the crowd. He gets back in the ring to tend to his leg. YAMATO gets back in the ring at 14. CIMA works the neck. He hits a dropkick. YAMATO hits a spear. He hits the corner elbow. He hits a roaring elbow and a leaping elbow for 2. He puts on the STF. CIMA gets to the ropes. CIMA hits a dropkick. YAMATO hits a shoulder tackle. CIMA hits another dropkick and the Superdrol. He hits a Tree of Woe dropkick. He misses the Tokarev. YAMATO punts his face. CIMA hits the Venus. YAMATO puts on the sleeper hold. CIMA hits a backpack stunner to escape. YAMATO dropkicks the leg and puts on the sleeper hold. CIMA climbs the ropes and falls to his back. He hits a superkick and goes for the Schwein but YAMATO blocks it with a guillotine choke. CIMA throws him off so it’s back to the sleeper hold for YAMATO. He hits a sleeper suplex. He punts CIMA’s head and hits a brainbuster for 2. CIMA blocks the Galleria and hits the move on YAMATO. He hits the Meteora, but all that leg work bites him as his knee is too hurt to go for a quick cover. As such YAMATO kicks out at 2. CIMA hits the Crossfire for 2. He throws hooks at YAMATO. He goes for the Schwein Redline but YAMATO counters to the sleeper hold. He hits the Galleria twice for 2. He puts on the sleeper and kicks out CIMA’s leg to get him on the mat (YES!). There’s nowhere for CIMA to go and he taps at 19:31 shown of 26:30. I loved the match, I loved the finish, and I love YAMATO for being the smartest man in wrestling today. CIMA isn’t exactly known for his selling, so YAMATO found another way to make the leg work pay off. They’re absolutely insane if they don’t put the belt on him in March. Insane.
Rating: ****½
After the match CIMA puts YAMATO over in a big way. YAMATO thanks him, and then calls out Doi because he wants a shot at the Dream Gate title. Before Doi can say anything Sugawara comes back out to protest. The answer is simple, a Dream Key Match in February between YAMATO and Sugawara for a shot at Doi on PPV in March. It will be a no ropes no disqualification match as well. Since the March PPV’s name changes every year Dragon Gate seems to be getting abstract, as this year it’s going to be called Compilation Gate 2010, and once again it will be held in Sumo Hall.
We see the finish of KAGETORA {RH} & Shinobu vs. Akira Tozawa {Z} & Super Shenlong, in which Shinobu pins Shenlong after the S.E.X. After the match Tozawa asks KAGETORA what he’s doing in Real Hazard. KAGETORA doesn’t seem to be completely confident in his decision.
We also see the final minutes of K-ness {RH}, Susumu Yokosuka {RH} & Genki Horiguchi {RH} vs. Masaaki Mochizuki {Z}, Don Fujii {Z} & Super Shisa {Z}, in which Shisa pins K-ness with a sunset flip. He asks for a shot at the Brave Gate title after K-ness fights PAC. Mochizuki says he’s bringing in an outsider for a tag match against Real Hazard in Korakuen in February.
Next week YAMATO will have to get passed Don Fujii before he can have his match against Sugawara for the Dream Key. The two of them feuded through 2009, with Fujii mostly getting the upper hand. The show ends with the two of them brawling backstage.
So that makes it 4 for 4 fantastic Infinities in 2010. I’m going to keep counting until there’s a stinker just to prove I’m having a better time watching wrestling on a weekly basis than anyone not going Infinity crazy.
~Ayn Sof Tamid~
YAMATO is the shit.