Dragon Gate Pro Wrestling will be holding their annual Dead or Alive 2021 event live in Nagoya. Due to the event being in Nagoya, they will be allowed fans unlike many events going on this week. It’s a major show filled with title matches and a cage match main event.
The Dead or Alive 2021 Card:
- Ben-K, Bokutimo Dragon, and Ho Ho Lun vs. Diamanté, Dia Inferno, and H•Y•O
- Ultimo Dragon and Don Fuji vs. Konomama Ichikawa and Problem Dragon
- Open The Brave Gate Championship: Keisuke Okuda (c) vs. U-T
- Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi, BxB Hulk, and Eita vs. Yasushi Kanda, Ryo Saito, KAGETORA, and Kota Minoura
- Open The Twin Gate Championship: Masaaki Mochizuki and Takashi Yoshida (c) vs. Kaito Ishida and KAZMA Sakamoto
- Open The Triangle Gate Championship: KZY, Susumu Yokosuka, and Genki Horiguchi (c) vs. La Estrella, Dragon Dia, and Jason Lee
- Open The Dream Gate Championship: Shun Skywalker (c) vs. HipHop Kikuta
- Dead or Alive Cage Match Match: YAMATO and KAI vs. SBKENTo and Dragon Kid
Open The Brave Gate Championship: Keisuke Okuda (c) vs. U-T
Keisuke Okuda has been on quite the tear as the Open The Brave Gate Champion. He most recently having yet another successful defense against Punch Tominaga. After the match is when he was challenged by U-T. U-T hasn’t challenged for the Brave Gate Championship in nearly two years so he is looking to achieve his dream in his hometown, while Okuda looks to dash those dreams. Will Okuda retain, or will U-T win his first singles Championship?
Open The Twin Gate Championship: Masaaki Mochizuki and Takashi Yoshida (c) vs. Kaito Ishida and KAZMA Sakamoto
Lot of history in this match as Takashi Yoshida is a former member of R.E.D. He was kicked out back in January. Kaito Ishida and KAZMA Sakamoto are fresh off of back to back failed attempts at the Open The Dream Gate Championship. They then set their sights on the Open The Twin Gate Championship, aiming for Takashi Yoshida and Masaaki Mochizuki. However, this hasn’t been a standard championship build.
The big story leading up to this has been is Mochizuki really 100 percent. He has had his lower back taped up recently. Then, of course, KAZMA and Ishida have seen that as a target and have proceeded to attack it at every possible opportunity. Will Mochizuki and Yoshida be able to prove their strength and retain their belts? Or will KAZMA and Kaito be crowned as new champions?
Open The Triangle Gate Championship: KZY, Susumu Yokosuka, and Genki Horiguchi (c) vs. La Estrella, Dragon Dia, and Jason Lee
Jason Lee earned himself a shot at the Open The Triangle Gate Championship slowly but surely. First getting a pinfall victory over Susumu Yokosuka and then another over Genki Horiguchi. He then made his challenge, naming himself, La Estrella, and the returning Dragon Dia as the challenger team. Will this high speed Masquerade trio take the gold? Or will Natural Vibes dance their way to another successful defense?
Open The Dream Gate Championship: Shun Skywalker (c) vs. HipHop Kikuta
R.E.D. has no doubt been the biggest threat to Shun Skywalker’s reign as Open The Dream Gate Champion. As mentioned he turned back the challenge of Kaito Ishida, and then KAZMA Sakamoto. After beating KAZMA he was ambushed by HipHop Kikuta. Kikuta then announced his intention to challenge for the Dream Gate Championship.
Kikuta’s misson is clear — he wants to take Shun’s record as the youngest and fastest Dream Gate Champion. With the 20 year old being a little under a year into his career, can he take Shun’s record and become champion? Or will Shun continue a impressive reign thus far?
Mascara Contra Cabellera Steel Cage Survival Tag Team Match: YAMATO and KAI vs. Dragon Kid and SBKENTo
YAMATO and KAI have been at each other’s throats for well over a year when KAI turned on YAMATO to join R.E.D. SBKENTo and Dragon Kid have became embroiled in a big rivalry since Final Gate 2020, as SBKENTo ripped off Dragon Kid’s mask and made him tap in the losing unit must disband match. After multiple failed attempts to put these two feuds to rest, Matchmaker Yagi felt this was the only way. Pairing enemies with each other, the ultimate question is which makeshift team can coexist? Which competitor will ultimately leave bald or without their mask at Dead or Alive 2021?
Match Rules:
Dragon Gate announced the following rules: Three flags will be placed atop the cage. The first team to pull two flags will win the match. The losing team will then immediately face each other in a singles match, with the loser having to share their head or remove their mask.
Due to the overwhelming numbers advantage that R.E.D. has over HIGH-END, on April 29 in Kanazawa, Dragon Kid sought to enlist the help of Natural Vibes and Masquerade. Both units agreed, so a lottery was held to determine which team each unit will provide support for, ending with Natural Vibes helping YAMATO and KAI. Meanwhile, Masquerade helps Dragon Kid and SBKENTo.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Looking to watch Dragon Gate? All their live shows will be on their steaming service Dragon Gate Network.
Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the LWOS Boards to engage in conversation with fellow fans!
