Views From The Hawke’s Nest: DGUSA Open the Golden Gate 2012

I had been sitting on this unedited review for too long. You can watch the show on WWNLive.com.

January 27, 2012

Los Angeles, California

 

Commentators: Lenny “Lenny Leonard” Leonard & Chuck Taylor

 

Low Ki vs. BxB Hulk
Ki had just made his WWN debut at Evolve 10 shortly before this. This was his DGUSA debut.

Ki was in control early on. Hulk was able to get some momentum after firing back with some kicks. He applied a deep single-leg crab, but Ki escaped after an enzuigiri. Ki came back with some vicious kicks. Ki eventually hit a shotgun dropkick, a Ki Krusher, and the Warrior’s Way: 1…2…3

This was entertaining here and there, but they did not really build to an exciting finish. I suppose it was an effective showcase for Low Ki though.
Match Rating: **1/2

 

Chuck Taylor & Scorpio Sky vs. The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)
This was the Bucks’ return to DGUSA after almost two years. They were supposed to be in a trios main event against Ronin, but Gargano broke his back. So, this match was turned into Chuck & Swann vs. Bucks, but Swann missed his flight. Chuck wanted a singles match, but the Bucks did not. So, that’s how this matchup came to be.

Chuck hit an early tope con HELLO on Matt. The Bucks eventually cut off Chuck and worked him over. Sky made a hot tag. The teams started going back and forth. Sky wiped out Nick with a tope con hello. Chuck almost made Matt tap with the single leg. All the superkicks! Nick saved Matt from defeat after an Awful Waffle. Sky then got finished with the More Bang for Your Buck.

They probably went a few minutes too long, but this was a really fun midcard match. The Young Bucks were a perfect fit for the original vision of DGUSA, and it’s a shame it did not work out better for all involved.
Match Rating: ***1/4

 

Masato Yoshino vs. Naruki Doi
Yoshino went after the left arm early. Doi fought back. Yoshino came back after a chop exchange. They started going back and forth. Yoshino went back after the left arm. Doi came back, but Yoshino hit the missile dropkick and applied From Jungle. They did another chop exchange. Yoshino survived the Doi Fives/Bakutari Sliding kick combo. Yoshino avoided the Muscular Bomb and hit the Lightning Spiral. Yoshino got a nearfall with a springboard Sling Blade and another Lightning Spiral. Yoshino applied Sol Naciente, but Doi escaped and hit a Tiger Suplex. Yoshino hit Torbellino and applied Sol Naciente again. He transitioned into Sol Naciente kai. Doi tapped out.

These two work well mechanically, but they just never seemed to bring out the best in each other. They put together a couple of solid sequences here at least.
Match Rating: ***

 

AR Fox vs. Sami Callihan [Tables Match]
Fox decided to make it a Tables Match because Sami had attacked Sabu at Evolve 10.

Fox hit Sami with a tope con HELLO as soon as Sami came through the curtain. He then hit a springboard 450 to the floor. He then went for a tope suicida, but he landed on the guardrail. Sami was in control after that. Fox started to fight back, but Sami avoided the apron guillotine legdrop. Sami ended up on a guardrail bridged between the apron and the guardrail. Fox gave him a kick-flip moonsault with Sami on it. Sami came back with an Awesome Bomb into the same bridged guardrailed. Sami then powerbombed Fox through a table on the floor for the victory.

These guys work really well together, and they put on a hot brawl that did not overstay its welcome. This is probably one of the better Sami matches I’ve seen where he controlled the majority of the match. Generally, I think he’s better off as a babyface, but this match worked out well for sure.
Match Rating: ***3/4

 

Caleb Konley (w/ Larry Dallas and two unnamed women) vs. Jon Davis
WWN was having Lenny refer to Dallas’ women as broads and chicks. Meh.

They were doing a deal where Davis kept out-wrestling Konley early on. Davis looked really good doing it. Dammit, I miss Jon Davis in the WWN. Dallas tried to attack Davis, but he failed. Caleb managed to get control after that though. Davis fought back with some chops and a buckle bomb. Davis blocked a Lionsault and hit a massive lariat. POUNCE~! Three Seconds Around the World: 1…2…3

Davis not working out in WWN is one of the biggest disappointments I’ve had with the company. He had really strong matches with Gargano, Finlay, Low Ki, Tozawa, and del Sol, but the storylines really prevented him from getting over. This match was a more fun match than the opener, but it was largely dismissed at the time. Konley proved to be good cannon fodder for Davis here.
Match Rating: **3/4

 

Akira Tozawa vs. PAC
PAC got the first advantage. Tozawa got the advantage after getting his knees up on a springboard frog splash. Tozawa dominated for a bit. Tozawa went for a tope, but PAC caught him and gave him a release Northern Lights on the floor. That was great. PAC then hit an Asai Moonsault where his legs crashed hard on the guardrail. They started going back and forth in the ring. They traded a bunch of big movez. Tozawa is just better at this kind of match than most people these days. It was awesome. Tozawa blocked British Airways, but PAC hit a deadlift, bridging German for a nearfall. Tozawa hit two Germans for a nearfall. Strait Jacket German: 1…2…3!

In some ways, this was a cliche indie match, but these two executed the style really well and the crowd loved it. They had great chemistry and pulled off some very excited sequences that came together nicely.
Match Rating: ****

 

The Spiked Mohicans (Ricochet & Cima)(c) vs. Masaaki Mochizuki & Jimmy Susumu [Open the United Gate Championships]
Mocchy and Susumu had one match together in DGUSA in the past. They lost the match. Title shot!

The teams traded control a lot early on. Things eventually settled down, as the champs worked over Susumu. Susumu eventually hit a couple of exploders, and Mocchy then made a hot tag. Mocchy and Ricochet did a cool sequence. Cima and Susumu then did a nice sequence. Mocchy ate a tremendous sequence from Cima and Ricochet. Sequences~! Ricochet then took some great offense from Mocchy and Susumu. Difference between offense and sequences? Not entirely sure! I got tired of writing ‘sequence’ though. Real fun match so far. Cima and Ricochet fought back. Ricochet hit both of them with a 630. Cima ate three Jumbo no Kachis and a Sankakugeri to the Face: 1…2…NO! Okay, now we are going too long. Susumu kicked out of a Schwein. Meteora: 1…2…3!

I enjoyed a lot of this match, but it definitely went on too long. I lost interest about halfway through the back and forth sequence at the end. It was just too many movez and too many nearfalls for my taste. I can see other people digging this a lot more than i did.
Match Rating: ***1/4

BxB Hulk and Akira Tozawa came out to attack Cima after the match. Low Ki made the save and then gave a speech. He laid out challenges to Mochizuki, Ricochet, and Cima. Literally, none of those matches ever happened. I guess it can be claimed that Low Ki was laying out a challenge for the trios match that happened, but that is not how the trios match was built up. (In fact, I just looked up how that trios match came together: “We can confirm that CIMA and Akira Tozawa will lead each team. Now CIMA and Tozawa will each select their teammates for this annual huge match.”)

 

Check out some of your favorite Dragon Gate wrestlers in free matches!
PAC & Masato Yoshino vs. Naruki Doi & Ricochet
Akira Tozawa vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
YAMATO vs. Cesaro
Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii vs. Jado & Gedo
YAMATO vs. Jushin Liger
Akira Tozawa vs. Johnny Gargano
Masato Yoshino vs. Ricochet
Masato Yoshino vs. AR Fox
Masato Yoshino vs. Sami Callihan
YAMATO vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
BxB Hulk vs. Gedo
Akira Tozawa vs. El Ligero
Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Cage
Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Chuck Taylor vs. Arik Cannon
Akira Tozawa & Christian Rose vs. The Kentucky Buffet (Matt Cage & Alex Castle)
Akira Tozawa vs. Davey Vega vs. Gary Jay vs. Dingo vs. JT LaMotta vs. Super-Electro
Akira Tozawa vs. Mat Fitchett

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com. Check out a full/organized list of all the wrestling show reviews I’ve done at 411mania.

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

This is one of the most consistently fun and easy-to-watch DGUSA shows since they started doing iPPVs. There was not a bad match on the show, and every match had a purpose or was entertaining enough to justify its existence. The show also reinforced how much more enjoyable the product is in front of a good crowd and with their polished post-production. WWN's failures (getting out DVDs, consistently attract good crowds, the spotty booking, etc.) have held the company back for years now. I recommend this show to anyone who has been a fan of DGUSA so that they know what the company is capable of.