Dragongate
Kobe Professional-Wrestling Competition 2024
Kobe World Memorial Corridor, Kobe, Japan
July 21, 2024
Watch: Dragongate Community
Meet Our Previewers
Mike Spears: Co-Host of Open The Voice Gate and proprietor of Spearsovations. He recorded a 3 hour preview episode of Voice Gate with Case Lowe and visitor Jae Church this week that additional preview this weekend’s greatest present!
Liam Byrne: Often discovered writing about old-fashioned wrestling, Dragongate is a uncommon foray into the trendy wrestling world for Liam. Wrote the previous two Kobe World previews and looking out ahead to what must be a superb present.
Particular Singles Match
Kota Minoura vs Madoka Kikuta
Mike Spears: As Liam mentioned, I don’t have any expectation that Kota Minoura will win this. I wouldn’t be stunned if he scrapped his approach to a Time Restrict Draw (which does really feel kinda bizarre at Kobe World), however there’s no method his hand is being raised. Madoka Kikuta is within the midst of his biking down after the Dream Gate run and calling out Minoura is the one factor of consequence he has performed since dropping that title final December. Minoura’s future will likely be tied to that August 1st Korakuen Corridor match in opposition to Minorita, what we are going to get is extra of how Minoura’s appeared since shedding his hair: the ghost on the roster making an attempt to determine who he’s and some of the prodigious members of the roster coming to phrases along with his best defeat. I hope Kikuta takes his head off and that gives extra gasoline onto what’s coming subsequent.
Liam Byrne: Minoura has been on a downward spiral that, while it has naturally not seen him profitable matches, has made him one of many extra fascinating wrestlers on the roster proper now. All the pieces factors to an eventual heel flip, although it’s his upcoming match at Korakuen in opposition to stablemate Minorita that feels an apparent level for the massive angle. I’m glad that this match exists as a lot as a result of it provides Kikuta one thing of notice to do. Largely downcycled at occasions since his Dream Gate title reign, Kikuta will not be as essential to the cardboard as he was over the previous two years, however he’s nonetheless very entertaining bell to bell. This feels prefer it is among the extra apparent outcomes on the cardboard – there is no such thing as a method that Minoura is profitable so anticipate Kikuta to go over clear. It will all add gasoline to the Minoura fireplace for the match in opposition to Minorita.
Takashi Yoshida, Downside Dragon, Ho Ho Lun & Punch Tominaga vs Shachihoko BOY, Ryoya Tanaka, Ryu Fuda & Daiki Yanagiuchi
Mike Spears: Given the load of the opener, I don’t anticipate this one to have a lot to it. It will get all of the regulars onto the present and gives the primary Kobe World foremost card expertise for the kids. Though Tanaka is essentially the most elevated out of the three, I can’t see him (or actually anybody on this aspect) getting the autumn, which implies we’ve to provide the win to the veteran aspect and sure Takashi Yoshida getting the autumn.
Liam Byrne: While this does really feel like a ‘get everybody on the cardboard’ sort of match, I believe this might be booked in a approach to give one of many youthful guys a notable win. No-one on the Yoshida workforce actually must win, nor actually is impacted by taking a loss, so I’m hoping that one in all Fuda, Yanaguichi or Tanaka picks up the pinfall. I’d desire it to go to Fuda or Daiki, however I really feel that the relative positioning on the roster of Tanaka as a member of D’Braveness makes him more likely to seize the win. To stay my neck out a bit of, I’m going to name Tanaka pinning Downside Dragon because the youth motion (and Shachi) gathers some momentum on the massive stage.
Z-Brats (KAI & ISHIN) vs Yosuke Santa Maria & La Estrella
Mike Spears: KAI and ISHIN have been a relentless pairing in latest months and one based mostly round ISHIN getting falls with distraction cookie sheet pictures. It’s good that Maria (getting back from a foul ankle damage) and Estrella (again to do paperwork for the guardian firm) get to make the present, however like match two, I believe this will likely be the place the cardboard will get again time spent on Minoura and Kikuta. 50/50 on this ending with a DQ or a fast Cookie Sheet assault roll-up.
Liam Byrne: Contemplating the variety of accidents and retirements Dragongate has seen lately, Santa Maria’s involvement at one other Kobe World is a lovely one. Nonetheless, ISHIN is among the most partaking wrestlers within the promotion in the intervening time, so it feels a little bit of a disgrace that he isn’t being concerned in one thing extra distinguished. His latest reserving has felt like the corporate wish to transfer him into the place to be extra of a gamechanger on the prime of the cardboard by the top of the 12 months and I really feel like this match will likely be no totally different. With Estrella prone to return to the US post-Kobe World, I’d anticipate him to take the autumn and put in an affordable efficiency within the course of – the perfect use of the enigmatic masked man in 2024.
GAORA presents Dragongate twenty fifth Anniversary Particular Match
Ultimo Dragon, Don Fujii, Susumu Yokosuka, Yasushi Kanda & Kagetora vs Masaaki Mochizuki, Genki Horiguchi, Tremendous Shisa & Konomama Ichikawa with Chocoflake Okay-ICHI
Mike Spears: The delight for me on this match is the return of Tremendous Shisa to Dragongate after a two 12 months absence (that we mentioned fairly in depth with Jae Church on this week’s Voice Gate). I really feel just like the Dragon System is greatest each time SAITO or his scholar Tremendous Shisa have been round so I’m delighted that this karmic incorrect was righted in time for the Anniversary. Chocoflake Okay-ICHI making an look is a pleasant added sprinkle. One aspect has the founding father of the corporate and extra full-timers, the opposite has Konomama Ichikawa.
Liam Byrne: As a Dragongate fan of comparatively few years, this match means much less to me than it’d do to the lengthy timers. Nonetheless, there’s something extremely healthful a couple of promotion who is ready to placed on a twenty fifth Anniversary Match with so many individuals who’ve been with the corporate for that lengthy and the entity that was Toyumon into Dragongate even longer. There are fairly actually tons of of years and reminiscences tied into this collection of ten staff and it is going to be an actual celebration of what Dragongate has been over the previous twenty-five years. I’m wanting ahead to it even with out the historical past that some folks could have and it doesn’t actually matter who wins. With Ultimo Dragon on one aspect and Ichikawa on the opposite, I really feel a La Majistral end is the almost definitely end result.
Open The Triangle Gate
Pure Vibes (Sturdy Machine J, Massive Boss Shimizu & U-T (c) vs Gold Class (BXB Hulk, Minorita & Mochizuki Junior)
Mike Spears: I simply can’t get past the beginning blocks with Gold Class proper now. Mochizuki Junior becoming a member of was a pleasant second, however the destiny of this unit is pinned to Kota Minoura and we’re all standing wanting on the calendar ready for Minoura vs Minorita. I really feel like Minorita and Mochizuki Jr in all probability have a terrific future collectively in a future Ben-Okay unit, however success won’t discover this Gold Class workforce. Pure Vibes appears like the obvious title protection on the present, however I don’t know if they’re essentially my favourite champions proper now within the firm. The 4 Ever chapter of Pure Vibes feels awkward with the ability change between Sturdy Machine J and Kzy. Frankly, it’s unattainable to determine the place Kzy’s Pure Vibes ended and J’s new Vibes started. So I hope two issues come from this Triangle Gate match. One, I hope that we see one thing new from Pure Vibes. If this unit goes to be led by Sturdy Machine J, then how is it going to be his unit and never Kzy’s? Two, How will new Gold Class jive in a match like this? Hulk and Rita have been usually the Second and Thirds of Gold Class groups, how is it going to be when they are going to be supporting Junior, who feels just like the spotlight of their workforce.
Liam Byrne: I’m one of many followers of the corporate who may be very happy to see Mochizuki Junior as a part of a unit exterior of his affiliation with M3K and his father. It speaks to an elevation in his place within the roster and with that comes an opportunity to earn one other run with the Triangle Gate. Gold Class is perhaps a unit in flux, however the addition of Mochizuki Junior does recommend that there’s life in it but. My listening to the Open the Voice Gate podcast with Jae did sway my final prediction – I had initially thought that it was unlikely they’d have Mochizuki Junior lose, however as Jae advised, so long as he doesn’t lose the autumn, he doesn’t lose a lot in a shedding effort to the higher established workforce. Being a giant fan of the J, Shimizu, U-T workforce, I wouldn’t thoughts in the event that they went on an extended run, particularly for a title that has bounced round a good bit in my time as a fan of the promotion.
Open The Courageous Gate
HYO (c) vs Dragon Dia
Mike Spears: Who ever had “High Three Dragongate stars going into Kobe World will embrace HYO and Dragon Dia” as a July 2023 prediction for July 2024 in all probability obtained fairly good odds on their wager. Nonetheless that’s our actuality after some of the profitable face turns in latest firm historical past (HYO) and a fill-in 1-9 Better of the Tremendous Junior efficiency boosted an adrift roster member’s inventory (Dia). I frankly don’t need this HYO Courageous Gate run to ever finish. He’s a charming presence from the doorway, and after eight years the in-ring talents of the Black Panther lastly have reached the extent of his charisma and character-work. After his victory over Flamita at June’s Korakuen, HYO introduced he was pursuing greatness. That was his sixth protection, good for a four-way tie for fourth all-time in a reign. After years of promised revitalization, or to make use of the child’s phrase, making an attempt to “restore the sensation” of the Courageous Gate, HYO has performed simply that. Dragon Dia’s quick future is related to the approaching Z-Brats vs D’Braveness feud and the return of Yuki Yoshioka and the Courageous Gate would deserve a greater destiny than being an afterthought with all of HYO’s good work.
Liam Byrne: It’s debatable whether or not this would be the greatest match on the cardboard, however it’ll definitely be a showcase of the 2 of the preferred wrestlers in DG at this time. Dia has returned from BOSJ extra over than when he left, a uncommon level within the final couple of years through which he hadn’t felt like a foremost character. I’ll additionally maintain my fingers as much as probably not anticipating HYO’s face flip to be as profitable because it has been, maybe forgetting the cardinal rule that there’s usually a skinny line between love and hate and HYO was once detested, so adulation for his aboutface maybe shouldn’t have been such a shock. I completely beloved the title protection in opposition to Flamita from Lifeless or Alive and nonetheless really feel that there’s mileage within the HYO reign, so will likely be not solely selecting this to be one of many MOTN contenders however a hard-fought HYO victory. We’re on the level the place a victory over HYO may actually elevate somebody if booked accurately, and I believe Dia can stay robust even popping out with a loss to his title, particularly with a hopefully renewed give attention to D’Braveness post-Yuki Yoshioka return within the subsequent couple of months.
Hearken to Voices of Wrestling’s Dragongate podcast: Open the Voice Gate!
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Open The Twin Gate 4 Means Tag Elimination Match
Not Hug (Naruki Doi & Dragon Child) (c) vs Massive Hug (Luis Mante & Jacky Kamei vs Pure Vibes (Kzy & Flamita) vs Z-Brats (Shun Skywalker & Jason Lee)
Mike Spears: There was no surer wager for a terrific match for Dragongate on this constructing than a Twin Gate match. All of the individuals of maybe the best match that ever occurred at Kobe World Memorial Corridor will meet in several configurations. The present Twin Gate workforce consists of two of the best tag workforce wrestlers in Dragon System historical past. Kzy and Flamita discovered prompt chemistry upon Flamita’s return, and Flamita has rolled the clock again a full decade in his Dragongate return.The expectations listed here are large and I totally anticipate all eight guys to utterly kill it as they’ve at Kobe World numerous occasions earlier than. That each one being mentioned, I need Z-Brats to win and we are able to get a branching feud and rematches for the rest of the 12 months based mostly on who eliminates who. I can not wait.
Liam Byrne: Expectations are sky-high for the match which appears just like the entrance runner for MOTN. It’s maybe silly to place such excessive expectations on a event as you possibly can usually solely be disenchanted, however the calibre of the entire males on this match and extra importantly their chemistry with one another all factors to an absolute barnstormer of a contest. As a lot as I’ve loved Not Hug and Naruki Doi particularly, their title victory felt like a contented by-product of Yuki Yoshioka’s damage and the necessity to get the gold again from NOAH. Due to this fact, I positively really feel the title will change fingers, it simply turns into a case of who it goes to.
I’ve by no means had the pleasure of watching Flamita earlier than and have completely loved what I’ve seen, however his seemingly imminent return to Mexico would appear to remove the workforce with Kzy as an choice. With HYO retaining the Courageous Gate, Massive Hug don’t essentially want any extra gold, while the most suitable choice for the following reign I see continues to be Case Lowe’s suggestion of an epic Shun Skywalker and Jason Lee run. It might be extra out of hope than expectation, however that will likely be my suggestion for the end. A title victory retains Skywalker related as one in all THE guys in Dragongate, but doesn’t make issues odd that he isn’t constantly within the Dream Gate image. I’m hoping that that is an elimination tag – there is no such thing as a cause it shouldn’t be – so I see Jason Lee pinning Kamei in an effort to permit their feud to proceed to simmer. The sky’s the restrict for this match and it’s positively the match I’m wanting ahead to essentially the most. All issues thought-about, it also needs to be the match that the broader wrestling neighborhood search out come Monday morning.
Open The Dream Gate
Ben-Okay (c) vs YAMATO
Mike Spears: It took 5 years, however I believe Ben-Okay has lastly figured himself out. When Ben-Okay gained the Open The Dream Gate in opposition to PAC at Kobe World 2019, expectations have been large. I used to be responsible of this simply as a lot because the Dragongate workplace. This was the man who would deliver the corporate ahead of their twentieth anniversary 12 months. We’d lastly get past The Massive Six and the OWE break up as a result of Ben-Okay can be handed the soccer from PAC, the one who saved the corporate in 2018 after Stronghearts and Shingo left. All the pieces can be nice and the corporate would confidently transfer into the long run. Ben-Okay’s coronation was excellent.
Till Ben-Okay picked up the microphone and addressed the gang in Kobe as the brand new Dream Gate champion.
That Ben-Okay wasn’t capable of rise to the problem and the expectations. His fall was nicely documented. YAMATO witnessed it as shut up as anybody as companions in first the Dragongate Era after which HIGH-END. It took unhealthy influences getting fired, and tedium on a protracted bus journey for Ben-Okay to determine methods to have enjoyable in wrestling once more. It was freestyle rap YouTube movies. Cuban hyperlink chains. A Banana. Gold Class. These introduced him again to the dance, however it was taking that pleasure and defending it and turning again to Ben-Okay’s bruising method that introduced him his second Dream Gate win in opposition to Luis Mante in June. Then YAMATO emerged from the again and from the backlines.
Typically I discover myself pissed off by YAMATO. He got here into the corporate and made his mark in 2009-10 as supernova dripping with cool, a younger man who delighted in dismantling his opponents, The Battleship himself. I really feel like in the previous couple of years, basically as Dragongate began doing extra interpromotional actions, YAMATO has returned to that MMA YAMATO custom in feuds in opposition to Hiromu Takahashi and Fujita Jr Hayato. It’s not the corporate ace that we noticed in 2016 onwards. And it’s not the Almighty Mad Blankey and VerserK YAMATO of 2013.
The one factor YAMATO obtained out of the Kota Minoura feud wasn’t Minoura’s hair, it was the power to evaluate the Reiwa Six. YAMATO finds them missing. His 12 months plus within the backlines proved to him what Dragongate wants extra is Extra YAMATO.
It’s not precisely the Dream Gate feud I’d essentially clamor to e book for my twenty fifth Anniversary Kobe World foremost occasion. Comparatively, it’s loads higher than GM Ryo Saito’s earlier Dream Gate feuds of the Kota Minoura Debacle of 2022 and Not Reserving a Feud for Yoshioka and Kikuta in 2023. I don’t know if YAMATO vs Ben-Okay is even the most important match within the promotion proper now, it’s in all probability YAMATO vs Shun Skywalker. It has a variety of ripples to it nevertheless, and does really feel like Dragongate is placing each the outdated (YAMATO) and the brand new (Ben-Okay) on the forefront for his or her twenty fifth, which must be celebrated.
I’ve been principally 50/50 on this title match because it’s been introduced and I is perhaps 52/48 Ben-Okay at this level. He’s going to get some type of personal unit with no matter’s left of Gold Class and I believe that you would be able to have defenses in opposition to KAI (in Yokohama) and Shimizu (in Osaka) to shut out the 12 months. Ben-Okay’s prepared for that microphone this time round.
Liam Byrne: As a result of my comparatively brief time as a DG fan (I’ve watched wrestling for 30+ years, however DG for less than about 4), I’ve largely solely seen late-era YAMATO, and infrequently Fundamental Occasion YAMATO, contemplating how purposely downcycled he was prior to now 12 months or two. Due to this fact, I don’t connect among the extra unfavourable components of his dominant runs of the previous to him and have largely loved what I’ve seen as he has combined it up with a wider vary of individuals. That being mentioned, I’m wanting ahead to doubtlessly seeing him with the gold as soon as extra as a ‘versus the Reiwa six’-style storyline can start to extra totally type. YAMATO has already handled Kota Minoura convincingly; take out Ben-Okay for the gold and you’ve got numerous potential matches on the desk as Madoka Kikuta, Sturdy Machine J, Shun Skywalker and Yuki Yoshioka may all have a go, possibly setting an eventual path for an avenging Minoura.
There’s a part of me that thinks it could be a disgrace to chop Ben-Okay off on the knees on this method, however his victory felt like one in all necessity as Luis Mante had – by way of no fault of his personal – struggled to be the Dream Gate champion that we wished him to be. YAMATO versus Mante at World would have been an absolute gimme over who would win; this match not less than feels prefer it may go both method, including a way of intrigue to the highest of the cardboard. Ben-Okay’s title win oddly feels prefer it has come on a little bit of a downturn for him in comparison with the recognition of his rap battle impressed character, however he has seamlessly transitioned into the position of the extra severe promotional champion with ease. You may’t knock him for making an attempt, that’s for positive.
That is the match that I believe has been damage most by the promotion’s choice to cease importing movies on Youtube. Simply on the level the place a brand new champion and challenger had been determined, there has actually been restricted interplay between the 2 males that folks can have interaction with and revel in. In the end, it signifies that this match depends on folks’s earlier expectations of what the 2 males are able to over and above any of the particular construct. This might simply really feel loads hotter than it does to me.
My prediction? YAMATO to win the gold for a sixth time in a superb, if not nice match. I really feel that there are extra fascinating developments popping out of the occasion with YAMATO because the champion, while the construct as much as Paradox and the seemingly imminent implosion of Gold Class may be additional developed with a change in Dream Gate champion. If Ben-Okay have been to retain, it wouldn’t be the top of the world, however I additionally assume he may take a loss to YAMATO with out an excessive amount of of an issue. I simply hope that post-Twin Gate match that this doesn’t simply flip into a moist squib of a foremost occasion.
