-Taped from Santa Clara, CA
-Your hosts are Lenny Leonard and others
-Arik Cannon vs. Rich Swann
Match in Five Words or Less: Two In A Row!
Match Summary: They take turns working the arm to start. Headscissors applied but Cannon gets to the bottom rope. Cannon goes to the corner for a PBR. I’m curious if Cannon flew the beer out with him to California or if they sell PBR in the state. Continued token mat work. Cannon finally hits a shoulder tackle as the pace picks up. Off the leapfrog with a dropkick by Swann. Punch to the face. Poke to the eyes. Snapmare followed by a middle elbow. Boot. Cannon sent into the turnbuckle. Back elbow off the ropes. Swann leaps but gets caught. Cannon walks him over and tosses him through about three rows of chairs. Chop back in the ring. Another shot to the head. Snapmare and a perfect neck snap. Off the ropes. Swann ducks. Headscissors. To the apron. Cannon with a right hand. German suplex attempt off the apron but Swann blocked. Back elbows. Back kick. Diving leg drop across Cannon’s back. Boot to the midsection. Rolling frog splash. Strike exchange. Superkick. Cannon hits a clothesline. Total Anarchy. 1-2-NO! Right hand in the corner as Swann goes for beer. Swann reverse whip. Boot by Cannon. Enziguri by Swann. Leaping rana. Handspring moonsault. 1-2-NO! Chop. Handspring. Cannon catches him and hits a German suplex. Chop. Swann comes back with one of his own. Cannon goes to the eyes. Clothesline misses. Swann swings around and settles into a guillotine choke. Cannon hits a brainbuster. 1-2-NO! Paradise kick. Gutwrench suplex by Swann for two. Kick to the head and a standing 450 splash. Swann wins.
Match Analysis: In order to take Swann seriously, he needs to develop a more defined finisher. Not to say that this match was bad, but given the names, I would have expected a little bit better. Cannon at least took this seriously, but this seemed to be more of a mismatch of styles than anything. Not a terrible match but just an average start to the show.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Rich Swann/11:25/**1/2
-Swann continues to talk about being the best high flyer while also demeaning Cannon for not being one. Isn’t that what Fox and Ricochet are still feuding over? And isn’t this the first time in DG USA history that Swann has won two singles matches in a row? I’m not going to complain if gets inserted into the feud, but it’s a very odd angle to have going here.
-Larry Dallas and Trina Michaels were on the stage during the interview. Dallas talks some garbage. This interaction is like the seventh circle of hell. Cannon chases Dallas into the ring. Dallas hides behind Michaels. Cannon motorboats her breasts and goes to the bar for a drink. The beer pong schtick was at least mildly amusing. This was eye-rolling and a waste of time, especially given the lack of Brian Cage on this show.
-Jon Davis vs. Drake Younger
Match in Five Words or Less: Davis Angry
Match Summary: Davis attacks right away because he’s angry. Clubbering blows. Bodyslam. Series of stomps. Forearms to the side of Younger. To the outside. Hard stiff shot to the back by Davis. Kick to the chest. Younger whips the taped left arm into the post twice. Somersault dive to the floor. Chop and a forearm. Headbutt on Davis. Chair shot misses. Davis with a tilt a whirl and then a powerslam into the ramp. Younger rammed into the apron. Knee to the midsection by Davis. Clubbering strikes to the back and neck. Kicks across the chest. Younger comes back with strikes. Whip across. Davis with a boot that sends Younger down. Davis moves the stairs and brings Younger back outside. Bodyslam into the stairs. A second bodyslam. Sunset flip by Younger for two. Back elbow. Tornado DDT. 1-2-NO! Davis blocks Drake’s Landing. Elbow. Clothesline blocked. Half nelson suplex by Younger. He goes out for a chair and begins piling them on. He takes one more chair and tosses it in Davis’s face. Vertical suplex attempt to the floor blocked. Davis with a blow to the back. Into the powerbomb position. Younger counters but is sent on the apron. Forearm sends Younger crashing through the pile of chairs. Davis stands one chair up in the middle of the ring. Chokeslam right through the chair. 1-2-NO! Bucklebomb. Lariat misses. Younger hits Drake and Bake. 1-2-NO! Both men exchange forearms. Davis hits a knee strike to the head. Series of forearms and Younger is out. Davis wins by knockout. Fans did not buy that finish.
Match Analysis: The idea was to sell Davis as being angry after his loss the previous night to Gargano. Very similar quality to the last match. This felt like an extended squash and could have probably lost a couple minutes to maximize the effectiveness of the damage being done. The problem with Davis is he’s portrayed as an angry killer. I get some of it, but he honestly comes off as more apathetic than angry at times. As I’ve learned in speaking with people in theater and television acting, indifference is impossible to portray on screen or stage. Given that wrestling is all about emotion, this is another reason why I think Davis cannot get himself over as a main event heel. Of course the crowds are also a big issue too, but some wrestlers absolutely get heat from the crowd. I could totally be reading this incorrectly, but it’s a theory worth stewing over, and I’d love to hear the readers’ thoughts on this in the comments section, Twitter, or e-mail.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Jon Davis/9:27/**3/4
-Davis bucklebombs the referee. That was nasty.
-Eita vs. Chuck Taylor
Match in Five Words or Less: 3-0
Match Summary: Taylor gets a few members of the crowd behind him. Feeling out process. Taylor hits a shoulder tackle. Eita ducks. Back and forth off the ropes. Eita hits a dropkick on Taylor. Running chop misses. Boot by Taylor. Lucha armdrag into the roll-up for two. Mongolian chops in the corner. Chop in the corner. Eita responds with one of his own. Taylor shoves him down before collapsing to the mat. Boot by Taylor. Biting. Springboard armdrag. Headscissors applied. Eita sent to the outside. Taylor places him in a chair on the outside. Chop sends him out of the chair. Eita sent head first into the side of the ring. Nice to see three straight matches go to the outside. Elbow drop off the ropes. Dropkick on Eita. Figure four headscissors. Stomps. Clubbering blow to the back. Another stomp. Forearm. Eita catches himself and hits a springboard dropkick. Moonsault to the outside. Dropkick off the top rope. Soul Food by Taylor. Clothesline ducked under. Neckbreaker by Eita. 1-2-NO! Taylor with a knee strike and boot the face. 1-2-NO! Uranagi blocked. Elbows by Eita. Off the ropes and Taylor hits the uranagi. Boot to the chest. Choking along the middle rope. Eita sends him through the middle rope. Chop. Guillotine leg drop by Eita. 1-2-NO! Taylor takes him up and over. Acecrusher. Into the corner for a chop. A second one. Eita comes back with a boot out of the corner. A second immediately followed by a somersault dropkick. Moonsault off the second rope. To the top rope and he misses. Awful Waffle turned into a cradle for two. Eita countered. Awful Waffle. Taylor goes undefeated on the weekend.
Match Analysis: Slightly better than the first two matches. Would be nice to have Eita come back and actually start winning matches. Taylor looked like he was interested in putting on a good match instead of BS’ing around with shenanigans, so that’s a good sign for Taylor in WWN this year. Nothing worth running out and seeing but a very solid entry onto this show.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Chuck Taylor/12:16/***
-Taylor talks about his three victories over the weekend and the upcoming Evolve tournament. He says he’s the best wrestler in the company and feels he should be the number one seed.
-Open the Freedom Gate Championship: Johnny Gargano (champion) vs. Brian Kendrick
Match in Five Words or Less: Still The Champ
Match Summary: Kendrick goes to work right away and hooks in a waistlock. Gargano is nursing his ribs with tape ala DDP circa 1998. Exchange of arm work. Kendrick makes sure to take a shot to the ribs. Drop toe hold into a front facelock by the champion. Kendrick to the ropes. Gargano blows the challenger a little kiss. Kendrick waistlock. They continue exchanging on the mat. To the test of strength. Gargano establishes dominance. Kendrick switches around. O’Connor roll by Gargano. Kendrick roll-up and a nearfall. Kick to the side of the ribs. Into the corner and he puts his feet against that area. Whip across. Gargano ducks the charge and hits a jumping knee strike. Neckbreaker and Gargano grabs his ribs. Small package by Kendrick gets two. Bodyslam from the champion. Whip across and a forearm. To the top rope. Kendrick forearm and a death valley driver. Single boot to the face. Shot to the back and a foot placed there. He wrenches the leg. Left hands and a chop from Gargano. Leg lariat by Kendrick. Into an armbar before pulling him to the middle of the ring. Half crab. Into a figure four bodyscissors. Dropkick in the kidney area. Fairly simple story here if nothing else. Front facelock by Kendrick. Left hands to the midsection followed by a Gargano jawbreaker. Low bridge and Kendrick bumps to the floor. To the apron. Spear back inside as Kendrick charges. Charge misses. Kendrick up and over. Enziguri. Kendrick comes back with a forearm. Gargano with a step-up enziguri. Tope suicida. Shoulder block and a slingshot DDT. 1-2-NO! Sunset flip. Kendrick rolls him through. Alabama slam and knockout kick by Gargano. GargaNo Escape. Kendrick grabs the bottom rope. Forearms. Chop. Kendrick with a cradle for two. Clothesline misses. Gargano rolls him over and nails a kick to the head. Charge misses. Kendrick hits a burning hammer! Into a dragon sleeper! Boot out of the corner. Superkick by Gargano. Lawn dart countered. Sliced bread countered. Lawn dart by the champion. Superkick. 1-2-NO! Forearm exchange. Boot exchange. Back to the forearms. Discus clothesline from Gargano and both men are down. Gargano climbs to the top rope. Kendrick shoves the official. Sliced bread #2! 1-2-NO! Kendrick argues with the referee. Gargano bumps the official. Hurts Doughnut but no ref. Kendrick tries hitting Gargano with the belt. Gargano hits Kendrick with the title. GargaNo Escape. Gargano retains.
Match Analysis: Fun match as the issue was never whether they could deliver a good contest. This wasn’t as indyrific or Dragon Gate based as typically associated with these title matches, but it was good for its position on the card. I appreciate Gargano selling his ribs and Kendrick going after them for most of the match. Kendrick also used his veteran guile to hang around which was nice since you don’t usually get a lot of quality heels in this company. I question the decision to have Kendrick wrestle for the belt but not the quality. Kendrick proved me wrong and delivered in the way he needed for the match to be successful.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: STILL Open the Freedom Gate Champion-Johnny Gargano/19:59/***1/4
-Gargano says to never question his intelligence. He talks about beating everyone put in front of him but isn’t satisfied. In regards to Wrestlecon, Gargano wants to further cement his legacy in DG USA. Open contracts are being sent for both April 6 and 7. He wants the best Dragon Gate has to offer.
-Samuray Del Sol vs. Ryo Saito
Match in Five Words or Less: Saito Does Not Impress
Match Summary: Token mat sequence to start. Series of leg sweep attempts by Saito. Del Sol hits a headscissors instead. Saito hits an STO. Del Sol with another headscissors. Duck of the clothesline. Armdrag exchange. Del Sol wants a handshake. Saito kicks him in the midsection to go heel. Stomp. He steps right across Del Sol’s face. Scoop slam. Double stomp. Del Sol to the apron. Boot to the head and a rana back in the ring. Running shoulder block. Dropkick counter out of the Finlay roll. 1-2-NO! Choking. Springboard splash. Spin kick misses. Elbows from Del Sol. Counter out of a suplex. Overhead throw by Saito. Powerbomb out of the fishermen’s suplex position. Half crab. Del Sol grabs the bottom rope. Elbows by Saito. Del with a leaping sliced bread. German suplex countered with a spin kick. Forearms from both men. Bicycle kick by Del Sol. Saito catches him in a powerbomb. Del Sol placed on the top rope. Sunset bomb blocked. Saito with right hands. Del Sol with a blow and then a series of punches to the back. Sloppy rana and it’s over. Not sure who zigged when they should have zagged.
Match Analysis: I think it’s amazing that the person who’s had the worst match with Del Sol these last few months is a veteran of Dragon Gate who should know better. I’m not the biggest Saito fan, so this may have had an adverse effect on my enjoyment of the match from the start. Very sloppy and incoherent action. There wasn’t a story and nothing about this felt significant. Worst match of the weekend other than FRAY.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Samuray Del Sol/9:18/**
-Del Sol tries cutting a promo. Jon Davis attacks. Bucklebomb and sick kick. Well, I guess they’re feuding now. Three Seconds Around the World. At least Davis is a step up from Saito based on what I’ve seen.
-Sami Callihan vs. Jimmy Susumu
Match in Five Words or Less: Better Than Saito
Match Summary: Not excited for this at all based on what I just saw from Saito the previous match. Shoving match ensues as things break down quickly. Chop by Callihan in the corner. To the other side. Susumu with a chop of his own. Chop exchange. Forearm exchange leads to a chop exchange. Lariats. Bicycle kick by Callihan. Guillotine. Susumu clothesline Callihan coming off the top rope. Kick to the head. Bodyslam. Vertical suplex blocked. Susumu counters into one of his own. Elbows in the corner. Choking along the bottom rope. Susumu with an elbow and laying across the leg. Callihan goes for a choke. Leg drop. Callihan with a step over toe hold. Into the trailer hitch. Susumu grabs the bottom rope. Stomps from Callihan. Charge misses. Clothesline by Callihan. Face wash. A second one. Susumu blocks a third one with his arm. Double clothesline.Exploder blocked with elbows. Callihan comes off and gets hit with the exploder finally. Back drop driver by Callihan. Susumu back drops Callihan. Callihan counters the powerbomb next. Rinse lather repeat. Callihan with strikes as Susumu tries to meet him on the top rope. Strikes. Susumu with a headbutt. Exploder off the top. Callihan hits a death valley driver for two. Susumu goes to the ropes right away to avoid the stretch muffler. Kicks to the leg by Callihan. Baseball dropkick by Susumu. Knee dropper. Small package by Callihan gets two. Susumu with one of his own. Strike exchange. Bicycle kick and lariat from Callihan. Susumu kicks out at one. Jumbo No Kachi. One count again. Mugen. Callihan kicks out at one. Jumbo No Kachi. 1-2-NO! Callihan with a kick to the leg. Lariat. 1-2-NO! Sitdown powerbomb right into the stretch muffler. Susumu has no choice but to tap out.
Match Analysis: The big issue I’ve had and continue to have with Callihan’s character is they can’t decide whether he’s heel or babyface. Lenny Leonard is talking about his personal struggles as Callihan is viciously working over Susumu and basically acting like a heel the whole time. This was better than the previous match but was missing something to be elevated beyond just a good match. I did like the leg work playing off into the ending. This honestly should have been a way bigger deal, but on this show, it didn’t feel like something special.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Sami Callihan/15:36/***
-The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. AR Fox (Open the United Gate Champion) and Akira Tozawa
Match in Five Words or Less: Los Young Bucks?
Match Summary: The Young Bucks appear to have stolen some tights from Los Ice Creams or the Rockers. They’re just ridiculous. Fox and Tozawa take the fight to the Bucks before the bell rings, which is ironic given what usually happens. Brawl goes all over the building. Tozawa with a back suplex on Matt in the ring. Nick comes in. Fox enters. Right hands. Leapfrog. Back kick. Dropkick. Bodyslam and split-legged moonsault. Tozawa stomp on Nick. Nick brings Tozawa to his corner. Matt with double stomp on the arm. Nick springboard splash. Nick front facelock. Tozawa tags in Fox. Shoulder blocks. Jawbreaker and tag to Matt. Right hands in the corner. Suplex by Fox. Slaps from Tozawa. Forearm exchange. Knee to the back by Nick. Bicycle kick but Nick drops to the floor. Matt attacks from behind. Nick rakes Tozawa’s face with his boots. Double drop toe hold and posing. Nick suplexes Fox over in a what seems to be an effort to mock Cima since that’s one of his patented moves. Continued stomps from Nick. Chop by Matt. Exchange. Tozawa with a jab. Yakuza kick on Nick. Fox in with clotheslines for Nick. Double team by the Bucks. Clothesline on Matt. Back elbow on Nick. Skins the cat and a dropkick. Acecrusher on Nick. Fox taken up and over. Rolling thunder. Shooting star cannonball. Tozawa caught with superkicks on a dive attempt. Kick flip misses. Double superkicks from the Bucks. Heat segment on Fox. Fox back elbows and then hits an acecrusher on Matt. Nick tears Tozawa off the apron. Matt spears Fox. Back-to-back powerbombs. Fox boots Matt and low bridges Nick. Drop toe hold of Matt. Dropkick through the ropes on Nick. Missile dropkick on Matt. Tozawa in with a bicycle kick for each Buck. Tope suicida. Once and twice. Running forearm. Brainbuster on Matt. 1-2-NO! Series of counters. Back suplex on Nick. Double back elbows. Fox slammed on Nick. Senton by Tozawa. Fox dives over the ring post on Matt… and the camera misses it. Nick with an elbow on Tozawa. Superkick on Fox. Charging clotheslines back and forth. Running knee on Tozawa. Superkick by Fox. German suplex by Tozawa. Matt breaks the count. Punch exchange. Superkick by Matt on Fox. Bicycle kick by Tozawa. Superkick by Nick. Tozawa matrixes underneath and hits a kick of his own. Everyone is down. Matt with a superkick out of the corner. Fox sends Matt to the top rope. Lo Main Pain blocked. Nick kicks Fox and superkicks Tozawa. Bucklebomb into the enziguri. Matt shoved into his brother. Fox sends Matt outside. Lo Main Pain on Nick. 1-2-NO! Referee pulled out of the ring. Fox dives. Nick and Tozawa battle in the ring. Fox sends Matt out of camera sight. Nick with elbows. Knee strike misses. German suplex by Tozawa. Superkick by Nick. Tozawa with a rana. Nick roll-up. Shining wizard by Tozawa. Everest German suplex again for two. Straightjacket German suplex eventually hits. Tozawa wins.
Match Analysis: Probably my favorite match of the weekend, and this really saved the show from a thumbs down. Given what I’m going to say about the Bucks winning DDT4 next week, it’s odd that I’m bothered they didn’t win this match. I appreciate turning this into a singles match toward the end to keep the Bucks relatively strong, but if they’re going to be pushed as a regular team, this is the perfect way to set them up for a future championship match, by having them defeat one of the champs and a top level Japanese star. The action was top notch no matter the finish and delivered in a way only Dragon Gate style tag matches can. Just like PWG, the Bucks fit in perfectly with this style and can bring even more thanks to their heel schtick. Great match on what was a meh show up to this point.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: AR Fox and Akira Tozawa/20:24/****
The Verdict: My thumb was down until the main event, but seeing Fox and Tozawa tear it up with the Bucks totally makes this show worth 15 dollars. If you like action packed tag matches done in the Dragon Gate, that’s your match. This show was not without its rough patches to be certain, but there’s just enough good to justify purchasing this on demand on WWN Live.
For more information on Dragon Gate USA, please check out their website. To purchase this show and so many other shows from DG USA, Evolve, CZW, etc. on-demand, check out WWN’s website.
For supplemental information on DG USA, including reviews and the chance to watch episodes of Infinity, check out these great resources: Open the Garoon Gate, Open the Tumblr Gate, andOpen the Dragon Gate.
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