2020 has been a crazy year for the whole world but it seems like Dragon Gate is starting to get back on track, and Memorial Gate looks to be a promising return to the norm for Dragon Gate, with exciting title matches and others that could lead to big storyline implications. It’s time for Dragon Gate to open the Memorial Gates!
Pre-Show: Punch Tominaga and Jimmy vs Ho-Ho Lun and Shachihoko Boy
As a Pre-Show match, this doesn’t have any real big Faction Warfare implications as it pits two of the lower carders with two foreign talent, as perineal loser Punch Tominaga teams with the exciting, young luchador Jimmy to take on the lovable veteran Shachihoko Boy and former NXT Star Ho-Ho Lun. Expect the spotlight to be firmly planted on Lun and Jimmy as Dragon Gate looks to expand their international reach.
Team Dragon Gate (Ben-K, Strong Machine J, and Dragon Dia) vs Team Toryumon (Masato Yoshino, Susumu Yokosuka and Ryo Saito
This was probably not the year the legendary Masato Yoshino expected his retirement year to be, but he has a chance to lead a seasoned team to victory over the current Triangle Gate champions in nontitle action. Though that’s easier said than done as the current champs are a seemingly unbeatable combination. In one team you have the son of the legend Super Strong Machine, the newest man to take the Dragon mantle (Dragon Dia), and the man who dethroned PAC as the Dream Gate champion (Ben-K), but never count out the veteran wile of this Toryumon Trio, a win for them and they could find themselves with a future Triangle Gate title match.
KAI and Taketo Kamei VS. KAGETORA and Kento Kobune
Now this match might be the most interesting match on the card and not for the reason you think. See Kobune and Kamei are two members of the newest class of trainees and they have been attached at the hip since they debuted. It will be interesting to see how these young boys develop in the future, but the present is that KAGETORA and KAI outclass them in leaps and bounds. Expect their more experienced partners to be the deciding factor.
Kzy vs Yasushi Kanda
While on paper this match looks like a surefire thing for Kzy as he’s been in the main event scene for the past few years and it could be anytime when he breaks that ceiling and grabs the big one. You should never count out Yasushi Kanda, who in his 22-year long career has made his name as one of the most devious heels in the Dragon System, and despite not being a heel you know he’ll still be willing to bend to rules to his advantage.
Team Toryumon (Ultimo Dragon and Don Fujii) vs Gamma and Masaaki Mochizuki
It’s safe to say Dragon Gate hasn’t been the same since Ultimo Dragon’s return and he’ll be leading the Toryumon First Class graduate, Don Fujii in this tag match and it’s gonna be a hard-hitting affair. Fujii and Mochizuki are no strangers to each other, former long time tag team partners and two of the hardest hitters Dragon Gate has ever seen. Add the grimey veteran trickster Gamma to the mix along with Ultimo and you have a recipe for a brutal brawl of a match.
3 STABLE WAR WAKAYAMA RULES TORNADO WINNING MATCH – Team Dragon Gate (Yosuke Santa Maria, Keisuke Okuda, and YAMATO) VS. Team Toryumon (Dragon Kid, Shuji Kondo, and Genki Horiguchi) VS R.E.D (Big R Shimizu, Kaito Ishida, and Diamante)
Match Rules: The three teams will participate in a Wakayama themed lottery before the match to determine the order of entry (1st, 2nd, 3rd). The match will begin as a 3-way singles match. The next member of each team will enter at 1-minute intervals based on the order determined by the lottery. The match will proceed under tornado tag rules until all participants have entered. The match is single elimination. A team is eliminated when one member is defeated. It is possible for a team to be eliminated before all members have entered the match.
Alright and with that out of the way, let’s talk about this match. Dragon Gate looks to waste no time in doing what they do best, telling compelling stories with faction warfare interwoven into complicated but endlessly entertaining multi-man matches, and this looks like a formula for success. On one team you have beloved Ace, YAMATO, the lovable exoctico and underdog Yosuke Santa Maria and the intense MMA based fighter Keisuke Okuda, they’ll be mixing it up with the awe-inspiring high flying Dragon Kid, the astonishing powerhouse Shuji Kondo, and the eccentric master of the backslide Genki Horiguchi. Finally, we have the big bad boys from R.E.D, the current Brave Gate champion, the cocky striker Kaito Ishida, the Lucha powerhouse Diamanté, and the loudmouthed bruiser Big R Shimizu. This match has a lot of storyline potential, and will be seemingly impossible to predict especially with it’s unique set of rules. This will be one match to check out.
Open the Twin Gate Championship Match: R.E.D (BxB Hulk and KAZMA Sakamoto)(c) vs Team Dragon Gate (Jason Lee and Kota Minoura)
Nobody has made such drastic jump in card placement like Kota Minoura, in the span of one week he certified himself as one of the future key players of Dragon Gate, and he teams up with fellow young star Jason Lee, they have the youth and the fire on their side but to gain the titles they have to dethrone the killer champions. The unorthodox brawler KAZMA Sakamoto and the precise striker BxB Hulk have been a killer combination for R.E.D, and they look to take down the youthful challengers in a brutal fashion. This match is anyone’s game, and with gold on the line you know it’s gonna be intense.
Open the Dream Gate Championship Match: Naruki Doi(c) vs Eita
The current champion Naruki Doi is one of Dragon Gates most charismatic wrestlers, be it as a captivating face or an obnoxious heel, and he’s defending the ultimate prize against someone who is as equally talented and charismatic as he is. The young leader of the rough and gritty faction of R.E.D, Eita looks to finally claim the top prize and he has a lot of momentum behind him. Eita ran roughshod over the Triangle Gate Champions in King of Gate, he pinned YAMATO, the Ace, and in the finals he made Naruki Doi tap out! His only problem is that now Doi knows what to expect, the champion will be looking for that Numero Uno submission hold and he’s not gonna let history repeat itself. With a huge six-man cage match looming in the background it’s gonna be real interesting to see who walks out with the Dream Gate championship.
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