Dragon Gate 5/5/2023 Dead or Alive 2023
Here's what I saw:
Kagetora & Kaito Nagano vs. Natural Vibes (Jacky Funky Kamei & U-T)
They have a little girl ringing the bell here. Kahe shoulders over UT then UT headscissors him. Kaito dropkicks him then Jacky hits a great dropkick on Kaito. Kaito takes a double kick then is basement dropkicked while in the camel clutch.
Kaito dropkicks UT in the knee then Kage 2nd rope elbow drops his knee. UT gets his knee wrapped around the 2nd rope. UT tries to fight off a 2v1 but is kicked in the knee for 2. UT ddt's Kage then Jacky gets in. Jacky hits a dropkick + armdrag combo then hits a springboard la silla on Kaito. Kaito takes a springboard codebreaker after doing a cool roll-up on Jacky.
UT takes a flying corkscrew lariat from Kage then Kaito rolls into a jumping hurricanrana on UT. Kage top rope elbow drops UT then palm strikes Ut for 2. Kaito spring crossbodies Jacky outside then UT puts Kage in a rings of saturn, but is rolled up. Kage does a nice driver on UT then abdominal stretch drivers him to win it.
It was a fun one with Kaito and Jacky having some highlights. They kept the action fast paced and it was true to the Dragon Gate style.
Open The Brave Gate Title Match - Jason Lee (c) vs. Dragon Dia
Dia running ssp's him but Lee gets his knees up. Dia top rope headscissors him down then step up enzugiri's and elevated ddt's him. Dia comes off the 2nd rope and takes a cutter. Lee then hits a reverse sitout slam for 2. Dia hits a cool roll-up driver then 450's him for 2. Lee hits a nice dropkick then Dia no sells it and gets powerbombed and forearmed for 2. Lee hits a spinning fisherman's buster for 2. Lee does a cancun tornado off the top and wins it.
I thought they did too much here with a lot of moves being kicked out of, but at least they went all out and gave it their best.
Open The Triangle Gate Title Match - GOLD CLASS (Ben-K, BxB Hulk & Kota Minoura) (c) vs. Natural Vibes (BIG BOSS Shimizu, Kzy & Strong Machine J)
Kzy and Hulk start us off. Hulk armdrags him and they stare down. Hulk cartwheels out of an armlock then Kzy does the worm to get out of an armlock. He makes Hulk dance then shoulders him over. Hulk kips up then does a strike combo ending in a spinning heel kick. Gold Class then double teams J.
Yuki puts his foot on J's head then J jumping back elbows him. BBS stands on Kota then J and Kzy join in. BBS suplexes Kota for 2. J corner dropkicks Kota then Kzy slingshot swantons Kota. Kota takes a kick into a necbreaker and spinarooni elbow from J. Kota lariats BBS out of the corner and gets Hulk in. Hulk cartwheels through a double lariat, kicks both opponents and spinkicks J. He then dropkicks J into a senton on Kzy.
Ben hits punches on BBS then takes a body block. Ben suplexes him then torture racks him. Kota double underhook suplexes Kzy then Kzy takes a kick + sliding D combo. Ben shoulders over Kzy then J spinnning heel kikcs Ben and powerslams Hulk. J lariats Kota then Kota takes a sitout slam into a senton and splash. Kota takes a magic killer variation then Ben karelin's lifts J. Ben is popped up into a euro then J top rope headbutts Ben. BBS top rope splashes Ben for 2. BBS running chokeslams Ben and Ben rolls out.
Hulk hits kicks on Kzy then Hulk is euro'd. Kzy and Kota trade forearms then Kzy hits strikes before doing a 2nd rope springboard tope con hilo outside. J germans Kota for 2 then Kota sidewalk slams him. Kota botches a package powerbomb on J then submits with a cobra clutch variation that we couldn't really see.
The finish was botched twice here but it was okay otherwise.
Dragon Kid & Naomichi Marufuji vs. YAMATO & Yuki Yoshioka
Yuki shoulders over Kid then is armdragged off the casadora. Yuki hits a nice dropkick on Kid. Yamatao shoulders over Maru then Maru lariats him. They trade chops. DK gets in and handstand knee drops Yamato. Yuki and Kid trade chops and Kid is beat up for a bit. Yamato does a nice overhead suplex on Kid and rolls it into a crossface.
Kid 2nd rope headscissors Yamato then Maru gets in. Maru gets the egde on both opponents and trades chops with Yamato. Maru superkicks Yamato for 2. Kid's springboard is blocked by Yuki then Yuki backdrops him. Yuki double knee drops him then Kid hits a springboard hurricanrana with Yuki on Maru's shoulders. Maru jumps off Kid's back with a pumping knee for 2. Kid takes a galaria on his head from Yamato then Kid takes a Yuki codebreaker for 2. Yuki deadlift suplexes Kid for 2.
Maru superkicks both opponents then Kid springboard hurricanrana's Yamato for 2. Kid hedscissors Yuki into a Maru pumping knee for 2. Kid 2nd rope moonsaults Yamato outside and Maru shiranui's Yuki. Yuki lariats Maru for 2 and Maru rolls him up to win it.
This was okay but far from anyone's best. The crowd wasn't that into it either.
Kongo (Kenoh & Shuji Kondo) (c) vs. Z-Brats (ISHIN & KAI)
The Brats attack before this starts and they all go outside. Ishin face shoves Ken then is dropped with a kick. Ken hits more kicks as he is down. Ken is pulled out then Ishin tope con hilos him through the ropes. Ishin chairs Ken then Kondo has his crotch pulled into the post. Kai ddt's Kondo for 2. Ishin splashes Kondo for 2.
Kondo hits a combo bulldog + lariat on both opponents then Ken facekicks Ishin and Kai. Ken kicks both opponents and spin kicks Kai in the face. Ishin takes double boots in the corner then takes a stiff lanzarse and 2nd rope double stomp. Kai double lariats Kongo and has a busted open eye. Kai and Kondo lariat battle then Kondo overhead throws him.
Ishin takes chest kicks and lariats to the back of the head from both opponents. Kondo lariats Ishin for 2 then Kondo takes a box attack from Kai outside. Ishin slams down Kondo then gets double stompd from the top by Ken while having Kondo in the sleeper. Ishin takes a dragon suplex from Ken. Kondo lariats Kai off the apron then lariats Ishin for 2. Ken and Ishin exchange slaps then he misses a high kick on him but they sell it anyway. Ken top rope double stomps Ishin and wins it.
This just wasn't a real exciting match or worthy of a semi-main.
Open The Dream Gate Title Match - Shun Skywalker (c) vs. Madoka Kikuta
MK lariats him right as the bell hits. He running hip attacks him then
does a fireman's carry flapjack for 2. They go outside and MK is chaired
on his shoulder. Shun works the shoulder going back in and drop toe
holds him on it. MK suplexes him then shoulders him over. Shun does a
cool submission on both arms then facekicks him. Shun side tiger drivers
him for 2 then punches his injured arm. MK hits an elevated emerald
flowsion and lariats him over the top. MK then running knees him off the
apron. MK sits him aginst the bottom buckle the running hip attacks him
in the back of the head.
MK eletric chair body first drops him
for 2. MK chops him then they trade facekicks. Shun fujiwara armbars him
and MK reopbreaks. MK goes for a high hip attack but is sitout
powerbombed and swinging side slammed. Shun then moonsault double knees
him for 2. Shun top rope moonsaults him for 2. MK short piledrivers him
then hits a big lariat as Shun flies in the air. MK lariats him then
hits another mid-air lariat. MK single arm sky highs him then spinning
lariats him for 2. MK jumping hip attacks him then hits another spinning lariat for 2. MK spinning lariats him again and wins it.
It had a slow pace to it and the crowd wasn't super loud here. Shun spent most of the match working the arm/shoulder then MK finished him off with a bunch of lariats in the end that didn't seem real affected by the arm.
Overall thoughts: I thought it was supposed to be a big DG event, but it didn't feel like one and it wasn't treated as one. People were not going all out nor doing their best work here and the crowd was quiet.
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