Dragon Gate

This article is about Japanese wrestling promotion. For the defunct American branch, see Dragon Gate USA. For the computer game, see Dragon's Gate. For the gate that Asian carp jump over to become dragons in Asian mythology, see Asian carp.
Dragon Gate
Acronym DG
Founded July 5, 2004
Style Professional wrestling
Puroresu
Lucha Libre
Headquarters Kobe, Japan
Founder(s) Takashi Okumura
Owner(s) Takashi Okumura
Parent Gaora TV
Sister Dragon Gate USA (2009-2015)
Dragon Gate UK (2009-present)
Formerly Toryumon Japan

Dragon Gate (ドラゴンゲート Doragon Gēto) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling, and submissions.

History

Dragon Gate's event poster in Hakata, Fukuoka on June 21, 2009.

On July 4, 2004 Último Dragón left the Toryumon Gym in Mexico and took the name and trademarks with him. The promotion subsequently changed its name to Dragon Gate and declared Cima (the last one to hold the Último Dragón Gym Championship) its first Open the Dream Gate Champion.

Wrestlers from the promotion have also made appearances on the United States independent wrestling scene, including Ring of Honor which held a Dragon Gate Invasion show on August 27, 2005, in Buffalo, New York, Dragon Gate Challenge on March 30, 2006, in Detroit, Michigan and Supercard of Honor and Better Than Our Best in Chicago, Illinois on March 31 and April 1, 2006, respectively. A six-man match pitting Cima, Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino against Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi at Supercard of Honor is one of only a handful of North American matches that wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has given a five-star rating. Both Ring of Honor's All Star Extravaganza III on March 30 and Supercard of Honor II on March 31, 2007, in Detroit, Michigan featured Dragon Gate in the main events.

In 2008, Dragon Gate promoted their first set of shows in the United States. The first show took place in Los Angeles on September 5 and featured El Generico, Necro Butcher, and Kendo. Their second show was in Hawaii on September 8. In 2009, Dragon Gate debuted in the United Kingdom. Their first show was held on November 1, 2009, in Oxford, England.

Despite a very unfortunate incident that was made public in mid-2009, Dragon Gate continued to grow stronger than ever with increasing fanbases in Japan and now the United States following the first Dragon Gate USA show on July 25 in the former ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Furthermore, they ran the first of what would become annual visits to Europe, in particular the United Kingdom, in October and November.

Japan's Dragon Gate promotion announced its expansion into the United States with Dragon Gate USA on April 14, 2009, at the Korakuen Hall event in Tokyo.

Also in 2009 it was announced that they created another branch promotion Dragon Gate UK.

Dragon Gate Nex

Dragon Gate Nex is a project of Dragon Gate, which gives the young wrestlers of the promotion more experience.

History

In mid-2006, the NEX project was announced. It would be a series of shows and events that would focus primarily on the recent graduates of the Dragon Gate Dojo, allowing for them to further gain experience in ability while also being seen as the main attraction of a show. Virtually all of the shows take place in the Dragon Gate Arena, the main training ring at the Dragon Gate offices in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.

In addition to the recent graduates, comedy characters, gaijin talent, and any freelance wrestler currently on tour in Japan will also compete on these shows. The occasional main card member of the roster will compete as well. This is done to further enhance the experience to be gained for the trainees and teach the outsiders how to compete in the Dragon System of wrestling.

The vast majority of NEX shows are called "Sancutary" and are held twice a month. They generally draw an attendance of around 90 fans due to the limited size and space of the venue. There are also special event shows called "Premium," which are the equivalent in atmosphere to a pay-per-view. These shows involve the main card members of the roster and will draw up to 100 in attendance. Early in NEX, they ran two anniversary shows at Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan, although this has since been discontinued.

Dragon Gate Trueborn (Dragon Gate Dojo)

The following is a list of Japanese wrestlers who have graduated from the Dragon Gate Dojo in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, along with the USA Dojo in Houston, Texas. Graduates are regarded as Dragon Gate Trueborn, having been trained in the Dragon System exclusively through Dragon Gate as opposed to the Ultimo Dragon Gym. They are listed in alphabetical order.

List of wrestlers graduated

Shingo Takagi
Yamato
Akira Tozawa
BxB Hulk in March 2012
Ring name Real name Notes
Akira Tozawa Akira Tozawa WWE
Big R Shimizu Yuki Shimizu
BxB Hulk Terumasa Ishihara
Cyber Kong Takashi Yoshida
Eita Eita Kobayashi
Katsuo Yūki Ōno
Kenshin Chikano Kenshin Chikano
Kotoka Kotoka Shiiba
Jackson Florida Kouji Shishido Retired
Kzy Unknown
Lupin Matsutani Kei Matsutani Retired
Mondai Ryu Daisuke Kimata
Punch Tominaga Chihiro Tominaga
Shingo Takagi Shingo Takagi
T-Hawk Takuya Onodera
U-T Yūta Tanaka
Yamato Masato Onodera
Yosuke♥Santa Maria Yosuke Watanabe
YO-HEY Youhei Fujita

Roster

Naruki Doi
Masato Yoshino

Wrestlers

Ring name Real name Notes/Affiliation
Big R Shimizu Yuki Shimizu
"brother" YASSHI Yasushi Tsujimoto Sporadic appearances/VERSERK
BxB Hulk Terumasa Ishihara Tribe Vanguard
Cima Nobuhiko Oshima Open the Twin Gate Champion/Over Generation
Cyber Kong Takashi Yoshida VERSERK
Don Fujii Tatsuki Fuji
Dragon Kid Nobuyoshi Nakamura Open the Twin Gate ChampionOver Generation
Eita Eita Kobayashi Open the Brave Gate Champion/Over Generation
Flamita Unknown Tribe Vanguard
Futa Nakamura Futa Nakamura
Gamma Yoshito Sugamoto Over Generation
Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! Hiromasa Horiguchi Open the Triangle Gate Champion/Jimmyz
"Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa Kanji Ichikawa Sporadic appearances
Hyou Watanabe Hyou Watanabe
Jimmy Kagetora Fumiyuki Hashimoto Jimmyz
Jimmy Kanda Yasushi Kanda Open the Triangle Gate Champion/Jimmyz
Jimmy K-ness J.K.S. Makoto Saitō Jimmyz
Jimmy Susumu Susumu Mochizuki Jimmyz
Johnson Florida Takayuki Yagi Sporadic appearances
Kaito Ishida Kaito Ishida Over Generation
Keni'chiro Arai Keni'chiro Arai Sporadic appearances
Kotoka Kotoka Shiiba
Kzy Unknown Tribe Vanguard
El Lindaman Yūga Hayashi VERSERK
Masaaki Mochizuki Masaaki Mochizuki
Masato Yoshino Masato Yoshino
Mondai Ryu Daisuke Kimata VERSERK
Naoki Tanizaki Naoki Tanizaki VERSERK
Naruki Doi Naruki Doi
Punch Tominaga Chihiro Tominaga Over Generation
Ryo "Jimmy" Saito Ryo Saito Open the Triangle Gate Champion/Jimmyz
Shachihoko Boy Unknown
Shingo Takagi Shingo Takagi VERSERK
Shun Watanabe Shun Watanabe
Super Shisa Yoshiyuki Saito Sporadic appearances
Takehiro Yamamura Takehiro Yamamura Over Generation
T-Hawk Takuya Onodera VERSERK
U-T Yūta Tanaka
Yamato Masato Onodera Open the Dream Gate Champion/Tribe Vanguard
Yosuke Santa Maria Yosuke Watanabe Tribe Vanguard

Staff

Name Role
Eiichi Fujimoto Photographer
Katsuya Ichikawa Play-by-play commentary and backstage interviewer
Mr. Nakagawa Referee
Naoto Kikuchi Ring announcer
Takashi Okamura President
Takayuki Yagi Referee and general manager
Toru Kido Senior managing director and commissioner
Yatsuka Nakazawa Dragon Gate Records

Championships

Championship Current champion(s) Date won Days
Open the Dream Gate Championship Yamato July 24, 2016 133
Open the Triangle Gate Championship Jimmyz
(Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Ryo "Jimmy" Saito and Jimmy Kanda)		 September 4, 2016 91
Open the Brave Gate Championship Eita July 24, 2016 133
Open the Twin Gate Championship Over Generation
(Cima and Dragon Kid)		 November 3, 2016 31
Open the Owarai Gate Championship "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa April 10, 2016 238

Defunct Championships

Championship Last champion(s) Date won
I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Muscle Outlawz
(Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino)		 October 12, 2007
Open the Owarai Twin Gate Championship Don Fujii and Kikutaro April 12, 2009

(I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship unified with Open the Twin Gate Championship on October 12, 2007)

Annual tournaments

Tournament Last winner Last held
King of Gate Yamato June 12, 2016
Summer Adventure Tag League Over Generation
(Eita and Dragon Kid)		 September 10, 2016

Affiliates

Promotion name Location Partnered on Ref. Notes
Dragon Gate USA United States 2009 Closed in 2015
Dragon Gate UK United Kingdom 2009 Still active

See also

References

    External links

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