January 19, 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
With Compilation Gate over and Dragon Gate on a two-week break Infinity is going to be some shows in the archives.
This week it’s the Battle of Tokyo from January. The Battle of Tokyo was created the previous year so that those not in the King of Gate tournament could go for a big prize of their own. KAGETORA won, last defeating Akira Tozawa.
Super Shisa {Z} vs. Madoka {W1} [Quarterfinal Match]
The match is joined in progress. Madoka hits a head kick in the corner. He hits a DDT for 2. He hits a missile dropkick for 2. He blocks Shisa’s splash and hits a knee to the gut for 2. He hits a gutbuster. Shisa hits a hurricanrana. He dropkicks Madoka’s back. He hits a butterfly suplex for 2. Madoka blocks the Yoshi Tonic. He hits a knee kick and a high kick for 2. He hits a dragon suplex for 2. Shisa hits the Yoshi Tonic for the win at 3:00 shown of 8:16. Very little of Shisa’s offense was shown, but he’d have opportunities later in the evening.
Rating: *½
Akira Tozawa {K} vs. Shinobu [Quarterfinal Match]
Tozawa is aggressive to start. Shinobu responds with aggression of his own. He whips Tozawa into the crowd. Tozawa comes back with a butt butt. He misses the Apron Kara Tozawa twice, but regroups and hits a senton for 2. Shinobu shoves him to the floor and hits a quebrada. Back in the ring Shinobu hits a spin kick. He hits the Sex Bomber for 2. He rolls through a hurricanrana for 2. Tozawa hits the German suplex for the win at 3:22 shown of 7:58. Same story as the last match, with the loser’s offense being highlighted because this was it for him.
Rating: *½
GENTARO {F} vs. Kzy {RH} [Quarterfinal Match]
Kzy attacks during GENTARO’s entrance. He whips GENTARO into the post. In the ring he hits the B-Boy for 2. GENTARO comes back with a lariat. He hits a superplex. Kzy gets a roll up for 2. He hits a low blow and gets a small package for 2. He hits the Beat Bomb. GENTARO blocks KZ Time. He hits a lariat for 2. He hits a low blow. He hits a flying elbowdrop for the win at 3:23. GENTARO is boring.
Rating: *
Takuya Sugawara {RH} vs. KAGETORA {RH} [Quarterfinal Match]
The match is joined in progress. KAGETORA dropkicks Sugawara’s knee. Ken45 is at ringside (he was supposed to be in the tournament but got injured) in what is, to date, his only Dragon Gate appearance ever. KAGETORA stays on the leg. He hits a leg lariat. He hits an enziguiri. He hits a Death Valley Bomb for 2. Sugawara hits a lariat and a brainbuster for 2. He hits the running elbow for 2. Ken45 tries to hit Sugawara with his guitar but hits KAGETORA by mistake. Sugawara hits the Shiisanpuuta for the win at 2:41 shown of 8:56. Total trash and the Ken45 stuff was just confusing.
Rating: ¼*
Super Shisa {Z} vs. Akira Tozawa {K} [Semifinal Match]
Tozawa hits the butt butt to start. He blocks a Mexican surfboard attempt and puts on one of his own. Shisa puts on a chinlock. Tozawa gets to the ropes. Shisa puts on a head scissors hold. Tozawa gets to the ropes. Shisa puts on a headlock. Tozawa hits a back suplex. He puts on a chinlock. Shisa gets to the ropes. Tozawa puts on a cravat. He switches to a headlock but Shisa gets to the ropes. Shisa hits a hip attack. He hits European uppercuts. Tozawa gets a jackknife pin for 2. Shisa gets a sunset flip for 2. They block each other’s finishers. Shisa puts on the STF but Tozawa gets to the ropes. Shisa gets a head scissors takedown. Tozawa gets a roll up for 2. He hits the Ganki for 2. They trade roll ups until Shisa comes up with a European clutch for the win at 7:51. You never see mat-based stuff like this in Dragon Gate, and as such Tozawa isn’t very good at keeping it interesting. Once they switched from trading submission holds to trading pinning holds this got quite good.
Rating: **½
Takuya Sugawara {RH} vs. GENTARO {F} [Semifinal Match]
Sugawara attacks before the bell. KAGETORA pulls GENTARO to the floor where he and Ken45 beat up the FREEDOMS fighter. Back in the ring Sugawara hits a fistdrop. He puts on a chinlock. He hits a back elbow. GENTARO hits a chop block. He hits a dragon screw. Sugawara blocks a figure 4 leglock but GENTARO keeps pressure on the leg. He puts on a Sharpshooter. Sugawara gets to the ropes. GENTARO hits a shinbreaker. He hits a moonsault for 2. Sugawara hits a bulldog and a dropkick. He hits a low blow and a DDT for 2. GENTARO goes back to the leg. He hits a dragon screw off the top. He puts on the figure 4 leglock. Sugawara gets to the ropes. GENTARO hits a back suplex for 2. He misses the flying elbowdrop. Sugawara hits an enziguiri. GENTARO puts on an octopus stretch. He hits a back suplex for 2. Sugawara hits the ugliest hurricanrana ever for 2. He gets a roll up for the win at 10:26. GENTARO picked up his game here, and carried Sugawara to something decent. Sugawara of course ruined everything with the awkward finish (all his fault) so I refuse to give him credit for anything good here.
Rating: **
Takuya Sugawara {RH} vs. Super Shisa {Z} [Tournament Finals]
If Sugawara doesn’t sell the knee in this match he’ll make an enemy for life out of me. They lock up but neither can get the advantage. Shisa puts on a leglock. Sugawara gets to the ropes. Shisa goes back to the leg. Sugawara gets to the ropes. He hits an enziguiri and a dropkick. He works Shisa’s neck. He hits an elbowdrop. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special. Shisa gets to the ropes. Sugawara rips the mask completely off, but a ring attendant puts a towel over his face. He covers his face with his hand while he fights off Sugawara. He puts on a spare mask. He misses a dropkick but hits a leg lariat. He hits a suicide dive. Back in the ring Shisa hits European uppercuts and chops. He dropkicks the knee. He does it again off the top. Sugawara gets a small package for 2. Shisa puts on a figure 4 leglock. Sugawara gets to the ropes. Kzy trips Shisa. Ken45 distracts the referee as Real Hazard gangs up on Shisa in the corner. Sugawara hits a brainbuster for 2. Shisa gets a sunset flip for 2. He gets another for 2. Sugawara hits a side slam for 2. Shisa counters the Shiisanpuuta to the Yoshi Tonic, but only gets 2 when Real Hazard distracts the referee. Shisa grabs the red box from Kzy. Sugawara hits a low blow and a red box attack. He hits the Shiisanpuuta for the win at 12:33. This started out alright but all the gaga mucked things up. Sugawara leveraged the tournament win to get a spot in the King of Gate tournament.
Rating: **¼
I’m a little disappointed because a World-1 vs. KneSuka match was cut from this episode, but I understand why it’s not here.
Next week the trip through the archives continue as Dragon Gate brings us a digest version of DGUSA’s Open the Untouchable Gate.
