The Gate Of Sin City
Date: April 15, 2026
Location: Horseshoe Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Larry Dallas, Joe Dombrowski

It’s Dragon Gate USA time, meaning some great athleticism and very impressive in-ring work, albeit from a promotion that I only know from Wrestlemania Weekend. That’s one of the best signs about a promotion where I don’t know what’s going on, as it shows how much of a universal language wrestling can be. Let’s get to it.

Dombrowski welcomes us to the show

Kai vs. El Cucuy vs. Willie Mack

Cucuy (pronounced “coo-coo-e”) has a belt but this is non-title. Kai bails to the floor to start and shakes hands with a fan holding a Japanese flag. Back in and Kai drops to his knees to shake hands with Cucuy, who then rolls him up for two. They go to a three way standoff before Kai gets double teamed into a suplex.

With Kai down, Cucuy gets armdragged out to the floor but Kai trips Mack to the floor. Mack is sent into the barricade and then misses a clothesline, which hits the post by mistake. They all get back inside, where Cucuy and Kai have a tentative alliance to take over on Mack. That lasts all of eighteen seconds until Kai drops him with a DDT.

Mack’s frog splash gets two on Kai but Cucuy gives Mack a Shining Wizard for two of his own. Kai is back in and doesn’t seem worried about his competition so he takes Cucuy up top. Mack turns that into a Tower Of Doom and everyone is down again. Mack’s big dive to the floor take Cucuy out and a spinning Michinoku Driver plants Kai for two. Mack kicks Cucuy and Stunners Kai for the pin at 10:56.

Rating: B-. It’s not a great match but the fans like Mack and he’s able to move around out there despite not having the usual cruiserweight style look (to put it mildly). They had a really nice mixture of different styles and looks here and it made for a good start. If nothing else, having people who look so different makes me want to watch and that’s a big start.

Hoho Lun/Estrella vs. Channing Decker/Rhys Maddox

Decker and Lun start things off with Lun blocking a takedown attempt and grabbing an armbar. A slam puts Lun down though and drops a spinning legdrop before coming in to work on Lun’s arm for a change. Estrella comes in to tie Maddox up without much trouble before Maddox pops to his feet for the slugout. Maddox takes him into the corner so Decker can come in for some shots of his own.

The…I guess we’ll say villains get to start taking turns beating on Estrella, with Maddox grabbing a chinlock. That doesn’t last long (chinlocks so rarely do) and Estrella fights up for the tag off to Lun. A double dropkick sends Maddox and Decker out to the floor and Estrella adds a 619 in the corner. Decker hits a double clothesline though and a double high crossbody gets two. Maddox spears Lun and a cutter gets two more. Estrella is back up with a flipping suicide to Decker and Lun rolls Maddox up for the pin at 9:49.

Rating: C+. This was a more standard tag match with the villains getting the heat on Estrella before the comeback. That’s a formula that has worked for the better part of ever in wrestling and it worked again here. Lun is someone who has impressed me in the limited times I’ve seen him and he did well in this one too. Maddox has been around a lot this week, though I’ve only gotten so much out of him so far.

Post match Maddox shows respect but Decker isn’t pleased.

Susumu Yokosuka vs. Marcus Mathers

We get the handshake to start before Mathers takes him down by the arm. A crucifix gives Mathers two and it’s an armdrag into a dropkick to send Yokosuka to the floor. This lets commentary explain the title structure in Dragon Gate, which is a good idea when there are probably a lot of new viewers watching.

Back in and Yokosuka dropkicks the knee out to take over and starts cranking on the leg. Said leg gets kicked in the corner but the limping Mathers fights up to trade chops. Yokosuka slams him down onto the knee and the Figure Four goes on. That sends Mathers over to the rope, as you might expect, and he backdrops out of a piledriver attempt.

Yokosuka is sent outside for a PK, but Mathers hurts his own leg again. Back in and a dragon screw legwhip takes Mathers down again but Mathers uses the good leg for a question mark kick. One heck of a clothesline gives Yokosuka two and they trade rollups for two each. Mathers’ brainbuster drops Yokosuka and the 450 finishes him off at 12:43.

Rating: B. Gah they were getting close to a great match and then Mathers’ leg is fine enough to use a 450 after Yokosuka worked on it for so long. That’s a case where a rollup is a perfect finish as it lets Mathers escape rather than hit his big move. The rest of the match was rather good, but that last big pulled it down a bit.

Love And Peace vs. Bustah And The Brain vs. Jungle Brothers

That would be Ben-K/Hyo vs. Alex Price/Jordan Oliver vs. Aero Panther/Fight Panther Jr. Price somehow hurts his leg during his entrance, which can’t be a good sign. Hyo, Price and Aero start things of with Price’s leg being good enough to run the ropes. Hyo’s leg lariat puts Aero down and we get a three way staredown.

The other three come in and Oliver German suplexes Ben-K into a roll on Fight for two each (I think). Everything breaks down and the Brothers double faceplant Hyo. That’s broken up and a double stomp sends Fight crashing out to the floor. Ben-K comes back in and muscles Price out of the air for a suplex. Everything breaks down and it’s Love And Peace slugging it out with Bustah And The Brain.

Price hits a big dive over the top to the floor, with the Brothers coming in for the save. The Brothers hit stereo kicks to put Price out on the floor, followed by a dive each (one inside, one outside). Back in and Ben-K is put in a torture rack, with Aero diving in for a spinning gutbuster (that was sweet) and a near fall. Fight’s big flip dive to the floor connects but Ben-K gives Aero a spear. Hyo’s diving cutter gets the pin at 11:02.

Rating: B. Take six guys, let them go nuts at the same time with the tags being completely dropped a few minutes in. Yes it goes against the rules, but that’s kind of the point in something like this. It was certainly an entertaining match and it’s nice to not have Bustah And The Brain lose for a change. Fun stuff here, with the fast paced style this place seems to be known for featuring.

Yamato vs. Jonathan Gresham

They shake hands to start, with Gresham seemingly respectful of Yamato, who is apparently quite the legend around here. Yamato takes him down by the arm to start but Gresham is right back up to fight over a wristlock. A hammerlock is broken up as Gresham sends him outside…but Yamato gets smart by crawling underneath the ring and sneaking around to jump Gresham from behind.

Gresham tries a chop, which doesn’t do much good whatsoever. For some reason Gresham tries it again and stops to look at his hand, which is never a good sign. With that not working, Gresham chops him low, which has some more success. Gresham goes to the leg with a Figure Four and holds onto it for a good while. Yamato makes the rope and knocks him away, but the leg is slowing the comeback down.

An overhead suplex gives Yamato two and he grabs the ankle lock. That’s broken up as well so they fight over hurting the other’s leg. Gresham gets the better of things and Figure Fours him again, with Yamato getting to the ropes a second time. They get back up and slug it out, with the pace picking up to the fans’ delight. Yamato’s hurricanrana gets two but Gresham is right back on the leg. A shooting star press gets two but Yamato turns over a third Figure Four…and Gresham actually taps at 17:06.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match as you had some rather good technical stuff, as Gresham is known to do so well. At the same time you had Yamato, who came off like a legend with Gresham trying to figure him out. I got way into this and liked it as much as anything I’ve seen so far this week so nicely done indeed.

Post match respect is shown, with Yamato bowing like Gresham did before the match.

Dragon Kid/Kzy/Yuki Yoshioka vs. Ishin/Madoka Kikuta/Yoshiki Kato

Kikuta seems to be the top singles champion and his team jumps the others to start before the bell. We officially start with Ishin shouldering Kid down, which doesn’t get him very far as it’s off to Yoshioka to dropkick Kikuta. Kzy comes in to lock up with Kato, who powers him up against the ropes for a mostly clean break.

Kzy takes over and it’s back to Kid for a top rope ax handle. Kid and company start taking turns on Kato’s arm before Yoshioka grabs a chinlock. Kzy gets to work on the leg before Kid goes with a Jamie Noble Trailer Hitch (thankfully commentary knows the name too). Everything breaks down (you knew it was coming) and thankfully go split screen, showing us Kzy getting kicked low on the floor.

Back in and Kid gets double teamed by Kikuta and Kato, the latter of whom sends him into the corner. Ishin starts going for Kid’s mask, with the fans freaking out at the prospect. It works so well that Ishin takes him up top to try it again but Kid fights back. Ishin misses a splash and another hits raised knees. Kid manages a Stundog Millionaire to Kato and Yoshioka gets the tag to clean house.

Everything breaks down and Kzy goes after Kikuta’s leg, followed by a triple submission (as you do). With that broken up, Ishin superplexes Kzy for two and a double big boot drops him again. A death Valley Driver gives Ishin two and it’s off to Kid and Kato to slug it out on top. Kid gets the better of things and Kikuno piledrives Yoshioka for two.

Yoshioka is back with a quick frog splash for two and it’s time for Yoshioka and Kikuta to chop it out. A chair is brought in and forearmed into Kato’s face. That means a running forearm knocks him into Kid’s crucifix for two, with Ishin making the save. Kzy grabs a double underhook piledriver to finish Kato at 21:50.

Rating: B+. These six man tags are Dragon Gate’s signature match and there was pretty much nothing else that could headline the show. It was another crazy athletic match as you can see that they know exactly how to do this kind of thing. The fans were way into it too and it’s easy to see why. They had heat segments and then portions of total insanity, which is exactly what you want here. Heck of a match.

Post match the winner thank the fans and hope they had a good time. They hope they can come back again and the locker room comes out to celebrate.

Overall Rating: B+. It started off a bit slowly (though far from bad) but after the first two matches, it was all gravy with one awesome match after another. I have no idea how they do storylines or anything close to it, but Dragon Gate has some of the most exciting in-ring stuff you’ll find anywhere. This was one of the best shows of Wrestlemania Week last year and that was certainly the case again here. Great stuff.

Results
Willie Mack b. El Cucuy and Kai – Stunner to Kai
Hoho Lun/La Estrella b. Channing Decker/Rhys Maddox – Rollup to Maddox
Marcus Mathers b. Susumu Yokosuka – 450
Love And Peace b. Bustah And The Brain and the Jungle Brothers – Diving cutter to Aero
Yamato b. Jonathan Gresham – Reversed Figure Four
Dragon Kid/Kzy/Yuki Yoshioka b. Ishin/Yoshiki Kato/Madoka Kikuta – Double underhook piledriver to Kato

 

 

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The Gate Of Revolution
Date: April 18, 2025
Location: MEET Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Joe Dombrowski, Rich Bocchini

This is a co-promoted show between Dragon Gate USA and Pro Wrestling Revolution, giving us the incredibly clever title. Dragon Gate USA is freshly back so there is only so much built up for the card. In other words, this is going to be all about the action we get to see and that should make for a fun night. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Diablo Azteca vs. Kid Lynx vs. Rhys Maddox

A double dropkick puts Maddox down to start, leaving the other two to trade armdrags. Maddox is back in to send Azteca outside and a basement dropkick gets two on Lynx. Back up and Lynx strikes away, setting up a rolling Stunner. Lynx bodyscissors Azteca but gets triangle choked by Maddox. That’s broken up and Maddox is back with a springboard cutter for two on Azteca. Maddox crucifix bombs both of them at once and they forearm it out from their knees. Lynx is sent outside, leaving Azteca to tie Maddox up for a driver and the pin at 5:42.

Rating: C+. Let three guys have a few minutes to warm up the crowd with a fast paced match. That’s all this needed to be and they didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. It’s an idea that will always work and it was a perfectly fine way to go for a pre-show match. That’s a tricky thing to do and they did it well here.

And now, the main show.

Border Patrol vs. Rey Horus/Vary Morales

Stevens shoves Morales down to start but a dropkick gives Morales a breather. Horus comes in to dropkick Dutra down and it’s time to work on the arm. A hot show drops Morales though and a running kick to the face puts him in even more trouble. Stevens’ middle rope elbow gets two and Morales gets pounded down in the corner.

That’s broken up and Morales manages a double knockdown. Horus comes back in to pick up the pace, including the big running flip dive to the floor onto everyone else. A Fameasser into a top rope elbow gets two on Morales but Horus is up for the save. Horus’ dive to the floor misses though and the Border Wall (powerbomb/Zig Zag combination) pins Morales at 8:56.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match with the Border Patrol coming off as villains who don’t like luchadors around here. Horus and Morales fought against them but lost in the end, which might not be the best way to start a show. The match itself wasn’t bad at all, with the Patrol giving off a bit of a Basham Brothers vibe (and yes, the Bashams were good when they weren’t stuck with a ridiculous gimmick).

El Cucuy/Oni El Bendito vs. La Estrella/Viento vs. Mike Sydal/Willie Mack

Mack and Cucuy (basically the boogeyman of Mexico) start things off but instead we hit the music so Mack can dance. He even throws in a Worm and a backwards Worm for good measure, earning a cheap shot from Cucuy to take over. Back up and Mack hurricanranas him out to the floor, allowing Sydal and Estrella to come in, with a Yoga Driver giving Sydal two. Estrella walks on his hands for a headscissors and it’s off to Viento vs. Bendito.

They waste no time in running the ropes for some flips so Cucuy comes back in to help double team Viento down. Sydal comes in and fights back a bit, allowing the tag off to Mack, who isn’t scared of Bendito. Estrella is back in for a dropkick and everything breaks down, meaning it’s time for the string of dives. Back in and Cucuy plants Viento, setting up the running flip dive for the knockdown. Estrella dropkicks Bendito, who is right back with a superkick into a slingshot Jackhammer for the pin at 11:49.

Rating: B-. This was your standard lucha three way tag and it worked well enough. You had a nice mixture of power and high flying, which made for a fun formula. Cucuy is a good monster and Mack could match his power, leaving the other four to do the high flying. Entertaining match here, as it felt different enough from the previous match to stand out a bit.

Stars vs. Hyan/Karisma

Stars are Hanan/Saya Iida and their Goddess of Stardom Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Karisma and Hanan start, with the former pulling her down to work on the arm. Hanan reverses into a headlock takeover and Iida comes in for a double bulldog to put Karisma in trouble. Iida unloads with chops in the corner and gets two off a posing cover. Karisma fights up and hits some running shots in the corner, allowing Hyan to come in for two off a belly to back suplex.

An assisted splash hits Iida, who is back with a pretty hard running clothesline. Hyan and Iida chop it out and a double clothesline puts both of them down. Hanan and Karisma come in for the slugout and everything breaks down. Karisma takes WAY too long setting up a moonsault and only hits mat for the crash. Stars double team Karisma down and a tabletop suplex gives Hanan the pin at 10:45.

Rating: B-. Another fast paced, back and forth match with two teams getting to showcase themselves. Stars definitely seem like the more polished team but Karisma and Hyan held their own. This was another nice change of pace and that’s a good thing to see continuing over an hour into the card.

Dragon Kid/Ultimo Dragon vs. Ho Ho Lun/Susumu Yokosuka

Kid and Yokosuka start things off with a stomp to Kid’s feet putting him in trouble. Lun comes in as we hear about Kid’s history in wrestling, which started as a referee. Some double teaming has Kid down and we hit the chinlock. The eyes are raked over the top rope and Lun slaps on the armbar. A knee to the ribs gives Yokosuka two as we hear about Kid and Yokosuka being in the same stable but Kid wanted to team with Ultimo. Eh I’ve heard worse ideas.

Kid comes back with a middle rope hurricanrana and it’s off to Ultimo for the big reception and a string of kicks to Yokosuka. A dragon screw legwhip pulls Yokosuka down and Ultimo gets in a reverse Figure Four. Kid Octopuses Lun at the same time but both holds are broken up in a hurry. Ultimo cuts Lun off, leaving Kid to grab a West Coast Pop to pin Yokosuka at 10:45.

Rating: C+. Oh like this was ever in doubt. That’s not a bad thing either, as having Ultimo on the show and giving him a win is a perfectly good way to go. Kid did most of the work for the team despite being a seasoned veteran himself, but the whole thing worked out well, especially with the fans giving Ultimo that kind of a reception.

Post match the Dragons hug (despite a bit of animosity) and here is Matt Sydal…for a promo I can’t understand as the audio is fairly horrible. It seems to be praising Ultimo and the promotion, which gets a nice reaction.

Pro Wrestling Revolution Tag Team Titles: Arkangel Divino/Ultimo Maldito vs. Los Hermanos de la Jungla

Divino and Maldito are defending and both teams are brothers. Aero Panther dropkicks Divino to start but Maldito comes in for some alternating shots to Fight Panther Jr.’s face. A spinning kick in the face hits Fight and an assisted spear gets two. Aero gets beaten down but Fight is up with a frog splash for two on Divino. Maldito is back in with a Regal Roll into a moonsault, only for Fight to elbow him in the face for two of his own.

Back up and Maldito slugs it out with Fight until Divino comes back in for a heck of a superkick. Divino poisonranas Aero and everyone is down. Aero sends Maldito to the floor for a big springboard flip dive, followed by a slam to Divino. Maldito breaks up the dive though and Divino super hurricanranas Maldito off the top onto the champions. Back in and a Doomsday Canadian Destroyer finishes Aero to retain the titles.

Rating: B. Take four guys who can fly around rather fast and go all over the place for about ten minutes and pop the crowd as a result. That’s all this needed to be and the four people involved did well in their roles. The four of them were around on some other shows this weekend so it wouldn’t surprise me to see them doing something on the bigger stage sooner than later.

Yamato vs. Rich Swann

This is the result of a challenge at the Dragon Gate USA show earlier this week. They take their time to start with Swann teasing the test of strength and going into a dance. Yamato swings away but gets dropkicked to the floor just as fast. Back in and Swann hammers away but gets backdropped, allowing Yamato to start stomping away. The Figure Four goes on to start in on Swann’s but he’s out in a hurry. Swann takes him to the floor and hammers away, setting up a frog splash for two.

A 450 misses though and Yamato grabs a fisherman’s buster for two. Back up and Swann kicks him down, setting up the middle rope 450 for two more. They slap it out from their knees and they slug it out from their feet, with Swann going up top. A superplex brings him down but Swann rolls through with a suplex of his own. Yamato is right back with an over the shoulder piledriver, followed by a second edition for the pin at 12:14.

Rating: B. This felt like a big showdown between two talented stars and that’s a good thing to add to the card. It felt like something that was actually built up and they lived up to enough of their hype. Swann is a bigger deal around here and he was mostly serious here, albeit with enough dancing to keep things fun.

Respect is shown post match and they’re still friends.

Z-Brats vs. Ben-K/Hyo/Kzy

Shun Skywalker starts with Ben-K, who wins a slugout and runs Skywalker over with a shoulder. Kzy and Minoura slug it out and then slug it out even faster before it’s off to Hyo (with the fans swooning). Ishin comes in and mocks Hyo with a YES chant, earning himself a leg lariat. Minoura pulls Hyo down from the floor though and the fight heads out into the crowd.

Everyone winds out on the floor for an electric chair and an elaborate low blow before it’s time to go back inside. Hyo is in trouble but he manages to knock Ishin down but it’s too early for the tag. Minoura helps Ishin drop him for two but a kick to the face allows the hot tag off to Ben-K.

Everything breaks down and Skywalker can’t hit a lifting Pedigree on Kzy. Skywalker kicks him in the face and snaps off a German suplex but it’s back to Hyo. A basement dropkick hits Minoura, who gets sent into the corner for the running shots. Hyo’s double biceps senton gets two but Ben-K goes shoulder first into the post.

Back in and Kzy gets superplexed into a brainbuster, leaving Hyo to roll Ishin up for two. Kzy hits a running Canadian Destroyer on Minoura and everyone is down. Back up and Hyo and Kzy hit dives to take out Skywalker and Minoura, leaving Ben-K to spear Ishin for the pin at 21:05.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was awesome, with the last half being pretty much non-stop action. That’s what makes Dragon Gate work so well and it did so here again. It’s a bunch of people flying all over the place and popping the crowd with one big move after another and that was a blast. Great main event and something that works very well whether you’re a fan of the promotion or not.

Overall Rating: B+. Good stuff here with nothing bad or really close to it and a heck of a main event to wrap it up. Dragon Gate USA had a very strong reputation when it was around and this was a good example of the fun that it would have. There are some talented people around here and throwing in some guest stars made it even better. Rather fun show here and I had a very good time with the whole thing.

Results
Diablo Azteca b. Kid Lynx and Rhys Maddox – Arm trap driver to Maddox
Border Patrol b. Rey Horus/Vary Morales – Border Wall to Morales
El Cucuy/Oni El Bendito b. Viento/La Estrella and Mike Sydal/Willie Mack – Slingshot Jackhammer to Estrella
Stars b. Hyan/Karisma – Tabletop suplex to Karisma
Ultimo Dragon/Dragon Kid b. Susumu Yokosuka/Ho Ho Lun – West Coast Pop to Yokosuka
Arkangel Divino/Ultimo Maldito b. Los Hermanos de la Jungla – Doomsday Canadian Destroyer to Aero
Yamato b. Rich Swann – Over the shoulder piledriver
Ben-K/Hyo/Kzy b. Z-Brats – Spear to Ishin

 

 

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Dragon Gate USA: The Rebirth
Date: April 16, 2025
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Joe Dombrowski, Rich Bocchini

So this is Dragon Gate USA, which (I believe) is an official spin off from the Japanese Dragon Gate promotion. This is the first time that Dragon Gate USA has run a show in over ten years, though it isn’t clear if this is the start of an ongoing relaunch. I have no idea what to expect here but let’s get to it.

Note that I did not follow the original promotion/Dragon Gate (assuming that matters) so I apologize in advance if I miss any storylines or character points.

Kzy vs. Marcus Mathers

They stare at each other to start before locking up and trading some waistlocks. Kzy…I think dances out of a waistlock but Mathers is right back with a wristlock. A Worm gets Kzy out of a wristlock but Mathers wants to keep this serious. We get a dance tease until Mathers hits him in the ribs. That earns Mathers a running Blockbuster and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up like you might expect from a chinlock, allowing Mathers to hit a spinning high crossbody.

Kzy gets kicked down for two and Mathers grabs a chinlock of his own. A pair of belly to back suplexes put Kzy down but he blocks a regular suplex attempt. Kzy’s running forearm and uppercut drop Mathers, who is right back with a sunset flip out of the corner. A middle rope Stunner into a Blue Thunder Bomb gives Mathers two and an RKO drops Kzy again. The fisherman’s buster gives Mathers two but he misses a 450 and gets caught with a running uppercut. Kzy hits a headscissors driver and Impact (Jay Driller) sets up a frog splash to give Kzy the pin at 10:38.

Rating: B. Good, back and forth opener here as Mathers continues to shine when he is given the chance. I’ve seen both of these guys in the ring before and they have both done well before. Kzy felt like a big enough deal, with commentary recapping his title history from Dragon Gate. It’s a nice way to get things going for the relaunched promotion and it went well for both guys.

Post match respect is shown. Mathers leaves and Kzy gets the mic to talk about how Dragon Gate USA is back.

AZM/Starlight Kid vs. Konami/Natsuko Tora

These are women from Stardom and Konami/Tora are part of the HATE faction so I’m going to assume they’re the villains. Hate jumps the other two to start fast and the brawl is on fast. Thankfully we go split screen with Konami striking away at Kid before we settle down to Konami throwing AZM down by the hair. The double arm crank is on until the Kid makes the save, only for Tora to come in with a choke.

With those broken up, Konami kicks AZM in the back, leaving Tora to mist her down. The referee almost gets decked but he’s up to count two off a suplex to AZM. Back up and AZM manages a suplex of her own and it’s back to Kid for a high crossbody. Kid takes both villains down for a double dropkick against the ropes. A standing moonsault gives Kid two but the much bigger Tora is back up for a slugout. Tora knocks her down for a standing backsplash and a near fall. Konami comes back in for a Disarm-Her but Kid headscissors her way to freedom.

It’s back to AZM, who is quickly kicked down and Tora hits a running crossbody to take both of them down. The two of them nip up though and stereo armdrags bring the villains off the top. AZM’s Fujiwara armbar has Konami in trouble but Tora is back in to run her down with a shoulder. The Cannonball crushes AZM and Konami’s running kick to the chest gets two, with Kid making the save. AZM sweeps Konami’s leg though and a rollup gets the pin at 11:35.

Rating: B-. I was getting into this one near the end as they were telling a nice story, with the heroines vs. the villains and it made for a good story. AZM and Kid were fighting from underneath throughout and eventually overcame hate with better wrestling technique. Good match here, with Stardom getting to showcase their star power as usual.

Ho Ho Lun vs. Rhys Maddox

Maddox is 17 and a newcomer, as you might have guessed due to being 17. They fight over wrist control to start and Maddox breaks out of a full nelson. Maddox knocks him into the corner and hits a basement dropkick for two. Lun kicks the knee out to take over though and it’s time to twist the leg around.

A leglock goes on to keep Maddox down as commentary tries to compare him to Shawn Michaels or Terry Gordy. Back up and Maddox hits a bottom rope springboard cutter and they’re both down for a bit. The leg is fine enough to hit a springboard forearm for two but Lun is back with a missile dropkick. Maddox hits a DDT for two but Lun grabs two rollups for two each. The third rollup, with the legs tied up, finishes Maddox at 8:41.

Rating: C+. This was just ok with Lun being the veteran who was trying to carry things and only being able to get it so far. The leg stuff in the middle went nowhere as Maddox was right back with springboards and that’s never a good thing to see. It was a decent enough match, but neither of them really stood out.

El Cucuy/La Estrella/Ultimo Dragon vs. Sovereign

Sovereign is Evan Rivers/Judas Icarus/Travis Williams (the latter two are known as the Northern Armory in TNA). Dragon is the star of WCW fame and had a big hand in starting Dragon Gate. Cucuy (who looks a bit evil and is described as the Mexican Boogeyman) starts with Williams and runs him down with a shoulder. Estrella comes in and is taken into the wrong corner and it’s off to Icarus.

A whip into the ropes is cut off as Estrella walks on his hands but gets sent outside. The cameraman gets taken down and Rivers’ clothesline to the back of Estrella’s head gets two. A bodyscissors lets Rivers fish hook Estrella’s mouth before it’s back to Williams for a shot to the face of his own. A stomp to the arm gets two and Icarus chokes away on the mat. Rivers accidentally sends Icarus into Williams in the corner though and the tag brings in Dragon.

The rapid fire kicks (well as rapid as he can get) have Rivers in trouble and Dragon spins Williams into a leglock. Everything breaks down Cucuy hits a double hip attack in the corner. Estrella adds a running dive to the floor and the rather large Cucuy hits a flip dive over the top. Back in and Dragon grabs la majistral for the pin on Rivers at 9:17.

Rating: C+. This was about getting Estrella in the ring on this show and that is not a bad idea. He’s a legend in wrestling and in Dragon Gate in particular so this makes a lot of sense. Sovereign didn’t feel like the best team, though having the Boogeyman go after the villains was a bit odd to see. The fans seemed happy to see Dragon though so we’ll call this a success.

Rich Swann/Willie Mack vs. Alec Price/Jimmy Lloyd vs. Ben-K/Hyo

Swann has gotten a haircut and…yeah I don’t know about that. Hold on though as Swann and Mack get the referee to dance during the entrances for the fun moment. Hyo seems to be a male stripper, or at least something else that gets women to put money in his pants. Hyo and Price start things off with Price bouncing on the mat to escape a wristlock. Swann and Lloyd come in for an exchange of leapfrogs before Swann shoulders him down.

Hip swiveling ensues but Lloyd is right back up with a running neckbreaker. Price comes in to help drop Swann and Lloyd (who is not a small guy) hits a dive, which sends Swann out to the floor. That means Mack can come in for a slugout with Ben-K, who manages to knock him down. Everything breaks down and Swann gets caught in a gutbuster/running dropkick combination. Price and Lloyd hit stereo dives to the floor as everything breaks down. Back in and Ben-K and Hyo go up, only to get caught by Lloyd and Mack.

That means a double Doomsday Blockbuster from Price, followed by a dropkick to send Mack outside. Swann gets planted with a double flipping DDT and Price hits a dive onto the floor. Back in and Ben-K spears Price down, only to get leg lariated by Mack. Swann is in with a Lethal Injection to Hyo and Mack hits a big running flip dive onto Price and Lloyd. That leaves Swann to hit the 450 to pin Hyo at 9:33.

Rating: B. Yeah this was fun, with everyone just going nuts until someone got the pin. That’s what this kind of match should be and it was as entertaining as you would have expected. Swann and Mack have worked well together for a long time and they still have that chemistry. Ben-K and Hyo got to showcase themselves well enough, while Price and Lloyd were just kind of there to make it more of a brawl, which was only so much of an addition.

If nothing else, it’s nice to hear Swann’s music again.

Here is Matt Sydal, who praises the previous match and talks about how awesome it was to be in the first group of wrestlers who went over to Dragon Gate. Now Dragon Gate is back here in America and these fans are here on a Wednesday so they want this stuff put into their veins. Sydal asks us to come out for their other show on Friday night and thanks the fans for coming out. Perfectly fine speech here for a special moment.

Paradox vs. Z-Brats

That would be Dragon Kid/Susumu Yokosuka/Yamato vs. Ishin/Kota Minoura/Shun Skywalker. Yokosuka and Minoura slowly circle each other before fighting over wrist control. Minoura kicks him down and flips off the fans before handing it off to Skywalker and Kid. Skywalker goes to the eyes to take over but gets armdragged down. Yamato and Ishin come in, with Ishin holding up the referee’s hand.

They trade shoulders with Yamato taking him down and stopping to gaze at the fans. Everything breaks down and the Brats jump Paradox on the floor. We go split screen as the beating continues outside, including some of them going to either the stage or into the crowd. Ishin chokes Yamato on the stage before going back to ringside to trade opponents. We settle down to Skywalker taking Kid into the corner, where some double boot choking ensues. Minoura kicks him back into the corner before Ishin’s DDT gets two.

Minoura lets Kid chop away and Kid is fine with doing this rather than trying a tag, only to snap off a headscissors. Yokosuka and Ishin come in, with the former getting to clean house in a hurry. Yamato and Ishin fight over a suplex until Ishin finally gets him over as everything breaks down again. Skywalker soaks in some booing before helping Ishin double team Kid with right hands. A pump kick drops Kid again and Ishin’s splash gets two. Yokosuka saves Kid on top though and it’s a super hurricanrana to bring Skywalker down.

Minoura gets caught in the wrong corner for some running clotheslines but gets out of Yamato’s Galleria. A Stundog Millionaire drops Skywalker and we hit a parade of knockdowns. Yamato plants Ishin, who pops back up with a German suplex. A lariat drops Ishin right back and everyone is down for a needed breather. Ishin and Yamato chop it out until Kid is back in with a tornado DDT. An assisted reverse implant DDT gives Yamato the pin on Ishin at 20:18.

Rating: B. It was an entertaining, fast paced match but I’m not sure this is going to be some kind of game changer like some of their previous matches have been. All six looked good and did their things well, but it never got to that high level that had me desperate to see what was happening next. Still though, rather good main event and worth a look.

Post match Yamato says the promotion made new history tonight. Rich Swann comes in to praise the winners and says without them, he would not be the wrestler he is today. Swann respects Yamato but challenges him for this Friday. Yamato seems to accept.

Overall Rating: B. This might not have been a classic show but it was more than good enough. It was a bunch of talented wrestlers getting to work a style which works well for them. You didn’t need to have a deep understanding or knowledge of what happened coming into the show and it still worked well. Good stuff here, making it a solid return for the promotion.

Results
Kzy b. Marcus Mathers – Frog splash
AZM/Starlight Kid b. Konami/Natsuko Tora – Rollup to Konami
Ho Ho Lun b. Rhys Maddox – Rollup
El Cucuy/La Estrella/Ultimo Dragon b. Sovereign – La Majistral to Rivers
Rich Swann/Willie Mack b. Ben-K/Hyo and Jimmy Lloyd/Alec Price – 450 to Hyo
Paradox b. Z-Brats – Assisted reverse implant DDT to Ishin

 

 

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Born To Die
Date: April 5, 2024
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentator: Joe Dombrowski

It’s back to the ECW Arena for Battleground Championship Wrestling, a local promotion which doesn’t seem to be the most well received. We’ll actually be looking at a pair of shows from them on the same day, with one of them being a bit different. This is their regular show and I have no idea what to expect here so let’s get to it.

Keep in mind I do not follow this promotion at all so I apologize in advance for anything I miss involving storylines or character information.

Juicy Finau vs. Wrecking Ball Legursky

We’re starting with the hoss fight as the rather large Legursky can’t move the far bigger Finau. Legursky yells at him and they collide a few times to no avail. A crossbody finally sends Legursky out to the floor and they brawl outside, with Legursky being sent into the barricade. Back in and Legursky hits a crossbody for a knockdown of his own, with Finau rolling outside this time.

A chair to the back has Finau in more trouble but he knocks the chair into Legursky’s face for a change. Back in and Legursky splashes him into the corner, setting up a hip attack. Finau isn’t having that and hits one of his own for two, with frustration setting in. Back up and Legursky manages a World’s Strongest Slam for two more but Finau plants him with a Samoan drop. A middle rope moonsault finishes Legursky at 10:34.

Rating: C+. This one is going to depend on how you feel about hoss fights so it was only going to be so strong in the first place. Finau is a huge guy and some of the things he can do are impressive but I’ve never gotten the big appeal out of him. I’ve liked the things I’ve seen from Legursky over the years, though a lot of that might be due to having an awesome name.

Lance Anoa’i vs. Rich Swann

For a shot at the Battleground Championship Wrestling Title. Anoa’i is billed as representing the Bloodline (son of Samu, cousin of just about everyone else) and has a nice look. The fans however seem to prefer Swann, as dancing often gets positive reactions. Anoa’i shoves him down without much trouble to start but the alternating hands on a test of strength attempt sets off the dancing.

That just earns Swann a rather hard Samoan drop and they head outside, with Swann whipping him into the barricade for a needed breather. A whole lap around the ring sets up a running boot to Anoa’i face but a second takes too long, meaning Swann gets dropped. Back in and Swann fights out of a nerve hold but gets dropped hard on his back for his efforts. Swann is fine enough to hit a clothesline into a frog splash for two but Anoa’i superkicks his head off. The Superfly Splash finishes Swann off at 7:35.

Rating: C+. I don’t remember seeing Anoa’i before but beating a fairly big name like Swann is a good sign for his future. Granted being part of the Anoa’i Family helps and he had a solid look and some size. I could see him going somewhere someday, as he’s only 32 years old and looked fine enough in there. Swann still feels like someone who was on the verge of being a bigger start and then just stopped moving up the ladder for some reason. Maybe it’s being such a long time TNA star, but he should be better than what he is at the moment.

Sex With Your Next Ex Express vs. Nu Backseat Boys

That would be Alvin/Kristian Ross/Philadelphia Playboy vs. Johnny Kashmere/JP Grayson/Tommy Grayson. Joel Gertner is with the former team, and if they win, they all get one year contracts. If they lose though, they’re completely out of the promotion. Gertner, looking rather old and depressed, actually doesn’t say anything before the match. The Express jumps them to start but get knocked away with the Boys firing off the kicks to the rather large Alvin. Kashmere tries to slam Ross but gets clipped and pinned 1:56.

Gertner announces the winners and says it didn’t have to be this way. He didn’t need to come here for the low money he’s receiving….but he paid off the referee to win here. Gertner talks about how people he cares about are going into various Halls of Fame and now HE is going into the Intergalactic Hall Of Fame Of Life!

Crowbar vs. Facade

Crowbar (yes the WCW guy) has a large bodyguard named Percival and a masked woman named Vanessa who come to the ring for him. Facade on the other hand is in rather bright colors and is billed as the Neon Ninja. Crowbar hides in the corner to start before getting caught in an early headlock. That’s broken up and we have a standoff as commentary talks about the various shows that have taken place in this venue.

Back up and Crowbar chops away in the corner, only for Facade to show him a better version. Some springboards into a dropkick put Crowbar on the floor but he’s right back in, where Facade drops him with a suplex. Crowbar heads outside again but this time Percival press slams Facade onto the barricade. Facade gets dropped onto a chair to make it worse and they head back inside for some near falls.

A running crotch attack against the ropes rocks Facade again and a legdrop gives Crowbar two more. Ye olde chinlock doesn’t last long but Crowbar pulls him out of the corner for another near fall. A Swanton misses for Crowbar though and Facade hits a running kick to the chest for a breather. The kick works so well that Facade can hit a springboard spinning version to the face for two more.

With that kind of exhausted, Facade whips out a door and bridges it on the timekeeper’s table at ringside. A springboard off the barricade doesn’t work as Facade slips, allowing Crowbar to hit a chokebomb for two back inside. There’s a super hurricanrana into a northern lights suplex onto a chair for two on Facade. Back up and Facade puts him down, setting up a triple jump twisting moonsault for two.

Percival tries to interrupt but gets kicked in the head, which is enough for Crowbar to leave. That doesn’t work for Facade, who hits a big springboard flip dive and then sends Crowbar through the door. Back in and Crowbar grabs a chair, which is kicked into his face for two with Vanessa pulling the referee at two. Percival gets involved again, this time catching Facade on top, allowing Crowbar to grab a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 19:05.

Rating: C+. Well that was….long. I’m not sure if they needed to go on for nearly twenty minutes but I was kind of stunned that it ran as long as it did. Facade is quite good at the high flying stuff and I’m not sure I would have recognized Crowbar if commentary hadn’t pointed it out. The fact that he’s still going is impressive enough and the match wasn’t bad, but they probably could have cut about five minutes out to make it a good bit better.

Post match Facade goes after Vanessa but Crowbar says he shouldn’t do that because he’s a babyface. Crowbar wants to sit down and talk with Facade in the back and tries to get a NEON NINJA chant started. Facade isn’t sure and leaves on his own.

VSK vs. La Estrella

They fight over wrist control to start until VSK grabs a headscissors into a dropkick. Estrella is right back up with a hand walk into a headscissors of his own, with VSK being sent outside. Back in and VSK sends him outside, with a dropkick through the ropes sending Estrella flying up the aisle in a nice visual. They get back inside again and VSK catapults him to the floor as you might be noticing a pattern emerging here.

Back in again and Estrella sends him to the floor this time (ok we get it), setting up a springboard dive to drop VSK again. Estrella grabs a spinning DDT for two back inside but gets crotched on top. VSK’s Cradle Shock gets two but Estrella is back with a springboard headbutt for two. Not that it matters as VSK is grabs a sunset driver for the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C. They were doing well enough, though the constant trips to the floor hurt it a good bit. I shouldn’t be rolling my eyes and saying “again?” about five minutes into a match. VSK is someone who has popped up in a few different promotions now and has done well enough, though I’m not sure how far he could realistically expect to go. Not a bad match, but it felt like they weren’t sure what they were doing to start.

Tim Embler, the owner of the company, is here for a chat. First up, he brings up the Joel Gertner situation, which he will address at the next show. That will be on July 6, when there will be three events in one day. The day will include an all women’s show called Who Runs The World, a meet and greet with Jim Ross, and then a show called United We Stand. As for Gertner and company, they will be facing three ECW Originals, as managed by Tod Gordon and Bill Alfonso.

Also on that show, James Storm and Fuego del Sol, but more importantly, we have the debut of the Battleground Street Fight Championship. That title will be available to anyone who has spilled blood in this building for any promotion. There will be a tournament held, with Necro Butcher as the first name announced, but cue Drake Younger (as in the former WWE referee who had some….interesting thoughts on various issues) to interrupt. He talks about what he has done in this building and wants in on the title. Works for Embler.

Intermission, which is thankfully edited out of the streaming version.

Fallah Bahh/Beastman vs. Brian Myers/Swoggle

Beastman is from deepest, darkest West Virginia and Myers has his TNA Tag Team Title. Myers and Bahh (who weighs about 400lbs) start things off but Swoggle wants in instead. A bite to the back of the tights doesn’t do much to Bahh, who knocks Swoggle down and then rolls over him to make it worse. Myers, thinking Swoggle is a bit destroyed, comes in to drag him over to the corner for a tag.

Beastman comes in as well and it’s a double elbow to put Myers down, leaving Beastman (probably pushing 400lb himself) to do something of a Worm. A trip to the floor goes well for Myers, as he grabs an implant DDT for two on Beastman back inside. Swoggle comes in and rakes Beastman’s eyes for two before telling Myers to give him a boot. A bite to the back drives Beastman into said boot, with Myers telling Swoggle to give him a boot this time well.

That earns Myers a toss into the corner, meaning Bahh can come back in to clean house. A big legdrop gets two on Myers, who charges into a swinging Boss Man Slam from Beastman. Everything breaks down and Beastman misses a charge out to the corner. A low blow staggers Bahh and it’s a Roster Cut (running clothesline) into a Shining Wizard from Swoggle to pin Bahh at 8:05.

Rating: C. I’m thinking we can write this one off as “goofy fun” and that isn’t a bad thing. It was the freak show aspect with the small Hornswoggle, the two giant opponents, and Myers as the one in the middle. That worked out well enough, with Swoggle being incredibly talented and far better than what he is often expected to be given his size.

PCO vs. Matt Riddle

This is billed as a three way dance before the ring announcer corrects himself (as Jacob Fatu was originally advertised but apparently signed with WWE around this time). Riddle tries some grappling to start and gets nowhere so he strikes away instead. An overhead suplex sets up the Broton for two but PCO catches him with a superplex for two.

Riddle hits his own suplex, setting up the Floating Bro for two more. PCO isn’t having that and knocks him outside for the big suicide dive. Back in and a guillotine legdrop gets two on Riddle, followed by a chokeslam. The PCOsault misses but PCO is right back with a Codebreaker out of the corner for two. Riddle pops back up and strikes away, setting up an RKO for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C. This was fun while it lasted but the match barely going five minutes is rather disappointing. These are the two biggest names on the show and they were barely out there for very long. I was interested in seeing these two have a match I hadn’t seen before and while they did, I was hoping for a lot more.

Women’s Title: Dani Mo vs. Miranda Gordy

Mo is defending and they fight over wrist control to start. With that going nowhere, Mo grabs a headlock takeover and then armdrags her out to the floor. A dropkick through the ropes staggers Gordy, who sends her into the barricade a few times. Gordy clotheslines her over the barricade and rams her into various things, only to be sent into some chairs.

They head back inside where Gordy hits a running corner splash for two, leaving her with a smile for some reason. Mo strikes away and hits a running dropkick for two, followed by a basement Downward Spiral. Gordy suplexes her way out of trouble but the powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana. Back up and….two women run in for the no contest at 9:04.

Rating: C+. They were starting to roll near the end but then the ending brought it right back down. Gordy is someone who has the kind of power that you do not often see in women’s wrestling and she was wrestling enough like her dad to make that work. Mo was more of a plucky star who fought against the bigger challenger, which was starting to work before everything was cut off.

Post match the beating is on and the women…..are not identified by commentary, who says he doesn’t know who they are (even though they have their own title). How do you screw that up? Or how do you think that’s a good idea?

Battleground Title: Brian Kendrick vs. Lince Dorado

Kendrick is defending. They trade takedowns to start and Kendrick makes it over to the ropes. The threat of an early bulldog choke has Dorado escaping as well and he strikes away to take over. A middle rope anklescissors sends Kendrick to the apron and a dropkick puts him on the floor. There’s another anklescissors, this time from the apron, to drop Kendrick again as the champ is in trouble early.

Dorado chops away against the barricade but gets launched face first into a metal post. Hold on though as Kendrick doesn’t want to win via countout and throws him back inside. Dorado is back up with a chair for a step up leg lariat in the corner. A high crossbody connects but Kendrick rolls through into the bulldog choke. That’s broken up as well so Dorado superkicks him into a sitout powerbomb for two. The shooting star press misses for Dorado so Kendrick grabs Sliced Bread #2 for…well two more actually. They trade rollups until Kendrick gets a sunset flip (and lays backwards for some reason) to retain at 7:43.

Rating: B-. Just like the Riddle vs. PCO match, I was expecting a good bit more here, especially for a title match. How much can you really get out of a main event title match when you only have that much time? Both of them are more than good enough in the ring to have a better match, but they didn’t have the time to make it work as well as possible.

Post match Juicy Finau and Afa Jr. come in to say the title is coming back to the Samoan Dynasty on July 6. Kendrick leaves and Afa hypes up the crowd, but does stop to yell at one fan like a villain should.

Overall Rating: C+. This was just about the pure definition of “eh, it was ok”. The wrestling was mostly adequate and it felt like they were setting things up for later in a lot of ways, but there is absolutely nothing worth going out of your way to see here. They didn’t try to tie this into ECW very much, but the few times they did made it stand out at least a bit better.

On the more positive side, the production values were quite good and better than most of what you’ll see in independent promotions. There was nothing bad on the show and even the worst match was completely watchable. Throw in a rather laid back attitude and I had a good enough time, though the bigger matches need to feel more important. You’ll be fine if you watch this, but it’s VERY low on the list of shows you’ll want to see.

 

 

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ETU vs. Dragon Gate: Unlock The Unexpected
Date: April 6, 2024
Location: H20 Wrestling Center, Williamstown, New Jersey
Commentators: Jack Solomon, Jay Church

This is Expect The Unexpected vs. Dragon Gate as we’re rounding the home stretch for Wrestlemania Weekend. I don’t know anything about ETU but I don’t think I’m supposed to as that would make them expected. This show could be just about anything, though Dragon Gate has been all over the place this weekend so they’re almost familiar at this point. Let’s get to it.

Note that I do not follow either promotion so I apologize in advance for missing any character or storyline points.

Opening sequence, featuring various stars who would go on to WWE (including Michin and Bronson Reed).

The ring announcer welcomes us to the show and says it is a great day to be alive. Well that’s positive.

Ho Ho Lun (Dragon Gate) vs. Brayden Toon (ETU) vs. La Estrella (Dragon Gate) vs. Yoya (ETU)

One fall to a finish and the fans certainly seem to like Toon. Estrella and Yoya (who looks like someone shrunk Wheeler Yuta) start things off with an exchange of rollups for two each. The fans approve but the other two come in to throw Estrella and Yoya outside instead. Toon (by far the biggest of the four) takes Lun down but misses a moonsault, allowing Lun to dropkick him outside.

Estrella comes back in and walks on his hands before not quite connecting with an anklescissors to Lun. Back up and Lun kicks him in the head as the fans are rather approving. A dropkick to a grounded Estrella gets two but Toon is back in to break up a chinlock. Toon elbows Estrella down for two and grabs his own chinlock with a knee to the back. Yoya makes the save this time but gets sent to the apron for a dropkick from Estrella.

Lun and Toon team up on Estrella, who springboard clotheslines both of them down with ease. Toon isn’t having that and runs Estrella over with a shoulder, setting up a rather hard powerbomb. A running leg lariat to the back of the head gives Toon two, with Lun and Yoya making stereo saves. With Estrella on the apron, Toon hits a running shooting star press for Loon, with Yoya standing guard for the sake of his promotion. Yoya suplexes Estrella but Lun is back in with a middle rope dropkick. Toon brainbusters Yoya but gets taken down by Estrella. Back up and Lun grabs a rollup to pin Estrella at 7:44.

Rating: C+. Nice opener here with all our moving around at a nice pace until Lun stole the pin. That’s rarely the best way to build someone up but in a case like this, it’s about as good of a way to go as you have. They managed to get four people in the ring, though Yoya caring more about the promotion than winning the match is a bit weird. It’s the theme of the show and all, but that’s an odd thing to see.

Dragon Gate – 1
ETU – 0

Kzy (Dragon Gate) vs. Brandon Kirk (ETU)

The winner gets a future shot at the Key To The East Title. Kzy grabs a headlock to start and then cranks on the arm but Kirk is out without much trouble. Back up and they run the ropes until Kzy snaps off a running Blockbuster. Kirk bails to the floor and trips him down, setting up the apron legdrop to the back of the head. They get back in so Kirk can chop away and grab a chinlock. Make that a waistlock, as they’re staying in first gear to start.

Kzy fights up and sends him into the corner for a running shoulder to the ribs, setting up a northern lights suplex for two. Kirk plants him down for a change but a pumphandle is countered into a Downward Spiral for a nice escape. A sitout Widowmaker gives Kzy two so he goes up, only to get crotched on top. Kzy shove shim down and hits a frog splash, but Kirk small packages him for the same. A jumping cutter….just fires Kzy up so Kirk gives him a Death Valley Driver into a Psycho Driver for the pin at 8:55.

Rating: C+. I’ve seen a good bit of Kzy and I’m not sure I get the appeal. He’s perfectly fine but nothing that overly stands out among the other Dragon Gate wrestlers. Kirk isn’t much better, making this a match that was just slightly better than ok, with little that stood out for the most part. The Psycho Driver did look good, as it tends to do.

Dragon Gate – 1
ETU – 1

Shun Skywalker (Dragon Gate) vs. Alec Price (ETU)

The fans are WAY behind Price here and he offers a handshake to start but the rather evil Skywalker grabs a wristlock instead. Price reverses into an armbar, followed by a springboard clothesline to send Skywalker outside. A running boot to the face staggers Price on the floor though as commentary talks about Skywalker going from hero to villain over the years. The reverse chinlock keeps Price in trouble but he fights up and drops Skywalker again.

A middle rope Rough Ryder gives Price two but Skywalker is back up with some shots to the face. Skywalker grabs a Boston crab, with Price making the ropes without much trouble. Back up and Skywalker invites him to hammer away, with Price’s forearms being shrugged off. Price also shrugs off a German suplex and hits a rather hard rebound lariat for a double knockdown.

A nice dropkick sends Skywalker outside and Price takes him down with a big dive. Back in and a twisting Blockbuster (that looked good) gets two on Skywalker, leaving Price stunned. Some running strikes in the corner rock Skywalker again but he dropkicks Price out of the air, setting up a standing moonsault double knees for the pin at 11:05.

Rating: B-. Price is someone who has shown some promise over the weekend and if he can gain some size, he might have a future elsewhere. He’s a high flier but he does it well enough that it gets your attention. Skywalker is someone who got quite a bit of attention and I’m not sure I get it. He’s good enough but the “I’m evil” stuff doesn’t really stand out.

Dragon Gate – 2
ETU – 1

Post match, Skywalker beats him up even more because he’s evil.

The ring announcer shills some merch.

The Miracle Generation is ready to put their Tag Team Titles on the line.

IWTV Tag Team Titles: Miracle Generation (ETU) vs. Gold Class (Dragon Gate)

Miracle Generation (Dustin Walker/Kylon King) is defending against Ben-K/Kota Minoura. This is also under lucha rules with twenty counts on the floor. Ben-K takes King down to start and works on his leg, which is reversed into a headlock as we hit the grappling on the mat. They flip up to a standoff so it’s off to Walker vs. Minoura. Walker knocks him into the ropes and tries what looks to be a 619 but can’t quite get it right, allowing Minoura to kick him down.

Ben-K comes back in for an assist on a running boot to the head. That isn’t going to work for the champs so King comes in and sens Ben-K outside for a dive. Back in and King grabs a chinlock on Minoura, who powers out in something you don’t see very often. King’s DDT gets two and an impressive looking Cannonball connects, only to have a powerbomb blocked. Ben-K get sin a clothesline and hands it back to Minoura to pick up the pace with some suplexes.

A hard suplex gets two on Walker and it’s back to Ben-K for a forearm exchange with King. Ben-K gets dropped with a superkick and a bridging German suplex gets two with Minoura needing to make a save. One heck of a knee drops Minoura and everyone is down. Back up and King pulls Walker out of the way, with Ben-K going hard into the post. That leaves Minoura to get caught in a powerslam/sitout powerbomb combination to retain the titles at 11:15.

Rating: B-. Good enough here, with the champs looking good in their title defense. It felt like Gold Class was a regular team so this wasn’t just a thrown together title match with no reason to believe the titles were changing. It wasn’t a great match, but I got into it well enough for two teams I haven’t seen much from before.

Dragon Gate – 2
ETU – 2

Respect is shown post match.

The ring announcer thanks various sponsors.

ETU Key To The East Title: Marcus Mathers (ETU) vs. Dragon Kid (Dragon Gate)

Mathers is defending. Feeling out process to start with a battle over arm control until Kid armdrags him down. Kid pulls him down into a chinlock as commentary debates sizes of wrestlers. That’s reversed into a headlock takeover but Kid is back up with a headscissors to send Mathers flying.

Some knee drops have Mathers in more trouble and Kid makes it worse with something like Jamie Noble’s old Trailer Hitch (for the three people who remember that). Mathers manages to get the rope so Kid stomps on the leg to keep him down. That’s broken up and Mathers starts cranking on the arms, with a boot in the back to make it worse. Kid fights up and escapes a suplex, setting up a rather smooth looking middle rope hurricanrana.

A spinning DDT gives Kid two but Mathers is back up with a jumping kick to the face. They both go up top, with a super hurricanrana taking Mathers down for two. Back up and they slug it out until Kid grabs an octopus hold. Mathers slips out again but gets caught with a crucifix driver for two. Another hurricanrana gets two on Mathers but he’s right back with a jumping cutter. A hard lariat hits Kid for two and a sitout powerbomb gets the same. With nothing else working, Mathers hits a 450 for the pin to retain at 16:21.

Rating: B. This was a battle of the generations as Mathers is 21 and Kid is 48 but they both looked rather good in there. Mathers is someone who needs some more experience but is doing well for his still very young age. On the other hand you have Kid, who I never would have expected to be that old. Good match here, with Mathers getting what looked like a showcase win.

Dragon Gate – 2
ETU – 3

Respect is shown post match.

The ring announcer brags about a chicken parm he had earlier today.

Danny Demanto (ETU) vs. Ultimo Dragon (Dragon Gate)

Yes that Ultimo Dragon and Demanto is the founder of ETU. Before the match, Demanto promises to hurt Dragon and doesn’t care what the fans think of him. Feeling out process to start with Dragon backing him into the corner and Demanto demanding a clean break. Demanto backs him into the corner as well and then decks Dragon in the face like a good villain should.

We pause for a debate over whether or not Dragon should shake his hand before Dragon kicks him in the ribs instead. Demanto tells him to try a running shoulder and it doesn’t go well for the much smaller Dragon. Another running shoulder manages to send Demanto outside, where he gets in a posting to slow Dragon down.

Back in and Dragon fights out of a not exactly great looking neck crank but gets elbowed in the face for his efforts. Demanto misses a rather wobbly looking moonsault, allowing Dragon to strike him down. They head outside again with Demanto striking away, followed by a sunset flip of all things for two back inside. Dragon drop toeholds him down and, after playing to the crowd for a good bit, puts on la majistral for the pin at 8:02 (with Demanto looking dead during the count).

Rating: C. You could see the smoke and mirrors here with a lot of stalling, even in an eight minute match. Dragon was getting in some of his signature stuff but there is only so much you can expect from someone who is in his mid 50s. Demanto getting to be a villain is a good thing that helped out a bit here, but it wasn’t exactly a thrilling showdown.

Dragon Gate – 3
ETU – 3

Post match Demanto praises Dragon for being in inspiration to him, to the point where Demanto played as him in WCW vs. NWO World Tour. Dragon apologizes for his band English and thanks the fans for coming and talks about how important this was.

Mike Santana (ETU) vs. Yamato (Dragon Gate)

Santana offers a handshake, Yamato offers a left hand, Santana flips him off and they lock up. The grappling goes to Santana, who gets an armbar before taking him down with a headlock takeover. Yamato reverses a headscissors into a headlock and grinds away for a bit. Back up and they trade armdrags until Santana grabs a running hurricanrana to send him outside.

There’s a dropkick through the ropes and the fans rather approve. Some rather hard chops rock Yamato and he has to lean on the merchandise table. Yamato manages to reverse a whip into the post and they go back inside. Santana invites him to fire off some chops and then immediately regrets the offer. A chinlock and pulling at the face keeps Santana in trouble, with the fans trying to get behind him. They chop it out with Yamato getting the better of things and knocking Santana into the corner.

The slow beating continues, including more chops and a hair toss out of the corner for two. Santana manages a quick cutter though and they’re both down for a breather. They trade running shots to the face until Santana pulls him out of the air for a Death Valley Driver. Back up and they chop it out again with Yamato again getting the better of things. Santana blocks a brainbuster but can’t hit one of his own, allowing Yamato to hit the brainbuster for a delayed one.

Santana fires off some blistering chops before winning an exchange of boots to the face. A springboard moonsault puts Yamato down again and they slug it out from their knees. They get up and headbutt it out until Yamato’s running hurricanrana gets two. One heck of a discus lariat gives Santana two and it’s the torture rack spun into a sitout powerbomb to finish Yamato at 18:39.

Rating: B. Get rid of a few of the slower spots and this is an even better match, but I can more than settle for what we got here. Santana has been on a roll in the last few months and you can see the confidence growing in him ever time he’s out there. Yamato was bringing it as well, with those chops sounding great. Heck of a main event here and they were right to make this the main event.

Dragon Gate – 3
ETU – 4

Post match Santana shows respect and thanks the fans before having the locker room come out to the ring. Santana thanks the Dragon Gate wrestlers for coming here and being such an inspiration. He talks about leaving a place (AEW) for the sake of his happiness and he promises that there is nothing like betting on yourself and having it go this well. The Dragon Gate wrestlers being here is a big deal and Yamato is the man. They bow to each other to wrap it up. You might want to praise the ETU locker room a bit more, but it was a nice speech.

Overall Rating: B. This show took some time to get going and thankfully they didn’t try to have Dragon Gate be treated as invaders or the enemy. Instead it was more about having a bunch of competitive matches, which got better as the show went on. The main event and the Mathers vs. Kid matches both worked well and there was nothing close to bad. Good show here, and I could go for a bit more of both of them.

 

 

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