Takashi Yoshida & Mondai Ryu vs. Punch Tominaga & Ho Ho Lun
The darkest match is just before the dawn. Never forget these words. After an uplifting babyface turn and Twin Gate run with his sempai Mochizuki, Yoshida is back on the dark match circuit and my heart is broken. This man was in the 2019 Champion Carnival, okay? He deserves respect. *3/4
King Shimizu, U-T & Funky Jacky Kamei vs. BxB Hulk, KAZMA SAKAMOTO & Kaito Ishida
Fun 6-man romp that further established the Natural Vibes 2.0 lineup and doubled as an effective preview of the upcoming Twin Gate defense at Kobe World. Funky Jacky is still a work in progress, but he has such a big personality that I could see him bypass U-T in the DG Power Rankings sooner than later. He pulled off a Shimizu-assisted LIU KANG BICYCLE KICK, for fuck’s sake. The King’s beefy house cleaning and R.E.D’s well-oiled team work were the other highlights. ***
Dragon Kid, Keisuke Okuda, Ben-K, Kagetora & Brother YASSHI vs. Don Fujii, Ryo Saito, Yasushi Kanda, Kennichiro Arai & Gamma
You know Kobe World is just around the corner when the nostalgia acts start popping up. According to the Internet, YASSHI cut back on the whole wrestling thing and only works the occasional Dove Pro and 666 show these days. Nevertheless, the man’s tasteful mix of genital squishing and Jamaica worship is still as sharp as ever. Once the Old Men of Dragon Gate all got their shtick in, this turned into a surprisingly pleasant sprint. Some very cool double-teams on the High End side. **1/2
Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Kota Minoura
I knew this would get the job done as a Youngster vs. Grumpy Vet showdown, but I didn’t expect the sheer amount of large-brained creativity we got here. At 51, Mochi could easily spend the rest of his career in self-preservation mode and no one would mind. Yet, here was cutting off tope sucidas with god damned mid-air enzuigiris, DDT’ing his way out of Blizzard suplexes and using Minoura’s own crossface against him. All sorts of cool shit that made this feel different from your usual generational scrap.
Don’t get me wrong, the more traditional elements of this kind of match were right on the money too. Both guys slapped the piss out of each other and Minoura looked right at home taking the fight to a bona fide legend. Gotta hand it to whoever’s booking DG – the layout and result were exactly what was needed to keep the kid relevant after he lucked his way into the King of Gate finals. ***1/2
Shun Skywalker, Jason Lee, Dragon Dia & La Estrella vs. Eita, SB Kento, Diamante & Dia Inferno
The best kind of Masquerade/R.E.D tag: low on heel tropes and high on fast-paced goodness. Even the beatdown portion worked well thanks to Inferno Dia’s hurty offense and Eita’s usual bad temper. To the surprise of no one, Diamante and Estrella again outdid themselves with some of the wildest lucha armdrags imaginable – a true golden pairing for Dragon Gate. The entire cast looked like a million bucks and the finish did a fine job adding some heat to Kobe World’s Triangle Gate match. ***1/4
Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi & Syachihoko Boy vs. Kzy, Susumu Yokosuka & Genki Horiguchi
This was Yoshino’s final Korakuen appearance and considering how emotional it was, I’m starting to dread the actual Kobe World retirement match. The solemn entrance and teary-eyed post-match promos made this feel special – the kind of moment that deserved a vocal crowd and full-blast streamer throwing. The match itself kicked large amounts of ass too, with a light-hearted opening soon giving way to a pedal-to-the-floor multiman banger. They packed all of the Yoshino rope-running craziness and Speed Muscle signature double teams that you need, plus a bunch of memorable character moments like Doi sacrificing himself and eating the Jumbo No Kachi to save his old partner.
Ironically, in a match designed to get the most out of Yoshino, Kzy still stole the show and looked like the best wrestler in the world. He was crucial to every section: playing Yoshino’s high speed dance partner, bumping his ass off for Doi and then pulling a compelling finish out of Syachihoko Boy. The man is unstoppable right now and his post-match vow to win the Dream Gate for Yoshino made him all the more likeable. Wrestling! ***3/4
YAMATO vs. KAI – No-Rope Lumberjack Match
Super fun sports entertainment clusterfuck. They got the most out of the no-rope shtick and the lumberjacks actually added to the danger. I don’t need much more from this type of gimmick, but YAMATO and KAI have such strong chemistry that the ropeless in-ring content worked like a charm too. Lots of imaginative sequencing – from YAMATO sending his nemesis right in the cornerpost with the Go 2 Hospital II to the clever enzuigiri exchanges and big table spot. Just the right mix of car crash stupidity and well thought-out wrasslin’.
It felt like the antithesis of a big NJPW Gedo production, as the fuckery actually added to the drama instead of actively taking away from it. The run-in sequences were actually incredible, everyone charging in with the trademark Dragon Gate speed and Kagetora blowing some minds with the NO-ROPE TOPE CON HILO. An all-hands-on-deck feud blowoff that hit all the right notes. ***3/4
