This week for Matt’s Classics we’re heading over to Spain to check out a match between Dragon Kid & Shingo vs. The Young Bucks from Dragon Gate’s Open The Spanish Gate.
The match starts off with Dragon Kid in the ring with Matt Jackson. We get some nice technical wrestling to open a contest which is sure to feature tons of high flying. More solid chain wrestling focusing on the wrists of each man. It’s odd to see a Buck with a size advantage in the match, but that’s what we have here. We get a stalemate in the ring and both men get back to their feet and lock up. Dragon Kid sends Matt Buck to the floor. Kid tags in Shingo, which leads to Nick Jackson coming in as well. SHINGO HAS SHORT HAIR! This is a completely new look to me…maybe it means I need to watch more Dragon Gate. Anyway, Shingo uses his power advantage to drive Nick down to the canvas. Nick tags in his brother and the two begin their trademark double team offense on Shingo. Shingo powers out of another attempted double team and manages to tag in Kid. DK speeds up the pace of the match with some nice takedowns, and Shingo comes back in and the two do some unique double teaming on Matt Jackson. Matt pushes Kid into his corner and tags in his brother who goes to work on our masked Japanese friend. Submission on Kid who refuses to give up. We get some more patented Young Buck double team moves, which still haven’t gotten old to me no matter how many times I see them. Bucks really doing a number on Kid, as they’ve had him isolated from Shingo for a good 3 or 4 minutes now. Cover on Kid, but Shingo breaks it up. Bucks continue their frequent tags and Nick nearly kicks Dragon Kid’s head into the 5th row. I almost forgot this match was taking place in Spain, until the crowd started the count for the 10 punches of doom in the corner in Spanish. Running knee strike on Kid in the corner, followed by a boot to the side of the head, but it only gets a 2 count. Dragon Kid managing to mount some offense and makes the tag! Shingo takes down both Jackson and then goes back to work on Matt. Flipping stunner by Matt onto Shingo only gets a 2 count. Shingo using the power advantage to avoid an Irish whip and hits a nice slam on Matt. Both Jackson brothers in submissions in the center of the ring, but both manage to break the hold. Flipping stunner onto Nick by Kid, who pops back up and hits a butterfly backbreaker on Kid. More trademark double teams by the Bucks who follow up with a cover that’s broken up at 2 by Shingo. Shingo has Matt Jackson up on his shoulders on the top rope and gets taken over by a hurricanrana from Dragon Kid!! Nick Jackson hits a superkick on Shingo, but it gets shrugged off and Nick eats a clothesline for his efforts. The Bucks hit More Bang For Your Buck on Dragon Kid but the count is broken up by Shingo and the crowd is going crazy. Superkick by Nick misses Shingo, but hits Matt! Made in Japan by Shingo! 2 count only! 619 by Dragon Kid on Matt followed by a moonsault to the outside again on Matt. Shingo carries Nick Jackson up to the second turnbuckle on his shoulders and hits the Stay Dream and picks up the 3 count!
Winners: Shingo & Dragon Kid (***1/2)
I really enjoyed this match. It wasn’t the best work that any of the 4 has done, but it was a fun little match that was easy to watch. An interesting story was told and it wasn’t over the top insane dives and high spots all over the place. A solid match.
That’s it for this week’s edition of Matt’s Classics. I’ll see you guys again in 2 weeks!
Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/matgalyon