Post by lordakiyama on Jan 21, 2013 13:07:28 GMT -5
Since I have not done this in ages, I figured now would be a good time for a brief rundown of what is going on in Japan as we head into this weekend's DGUSA shows in California.
Open The Dream Gate - CIMA
Open The Triangle Gate - Jimmyz of Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, and Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin
Open The Brave Gate - Dragon Kid
Open The Twin Gate - Team Veteran Returns of Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii
Open The Owarai Gate - Kikutaro
As one can see, Team Veteran Returns has claim on almost all of the major titles in Dragon Gate. After successfully defending Dream Gate through the CIMA Royale concept last year, CIMA is looking to take his reign another level by promising to defend the best at least once every month, which has never been done before. Owarai Gate, meanwhile, is once again in possession of Kikutaro, so let's hope he doesn't lose it in his otaku room like last time.
At the present moment, it would appear that the focal feud is between Team Veteran Returns and the Jimmyz. Over the past few months, the Veterans found the Jimmyz to be nothing more than a nuisance. And when the Jimmy Boom was seemingly on the decline for a while, CIMA challenged the group to prove their worth or disband. He added a primary incentive in that they must hold at least one championship by the end of 2012. This challenge appeared to have lit a fire in the Jimmyz and they started to boom again, managing to claim and maintain Triangle Gate by the end of the year.
With 2013 underway, the Jimmyz are now looking for payback by going after the other titles. Ryo "Jimmy" Saito was the first to challenge for Dream Gate, but failed on January 20. Yet Jimmy Kanda immediately launched himself to becoming the next challenger after connecting a John Woo to CIMA while he was in the middle of his customary speech. Kanda will get his shot at the MEMORIAL GATE 2013 in Wakayama special on February 11. He is also set to join Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! in challenging for Twin Gate on January 27. And on January 25, Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin will be challenging for Brave Gate.
However, the Jimmyz might hit a hugely problematic roadblock on January 27. Experiencing a seemingly personal boom of his own, Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin is looking to reclaim his proper name of Naoki Tanizaki from the supposed imposter. Naoki Tanisaki has agreed to put the name up again. Only in return, Dolphin must put his Dragon Gate career on the line. Meaning if Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin loses, regardless of holding a third of Triangle Gate and possibly winning Brave Gate two days prior, he's out of Dragon Gate for good. It doesn't help that Tanisaki as been emerging as the next top tier talent in the company. Plus the Jimmyz must defend Triangle Gate against Tanisaki and his MAD BLANKEY leaders Akira Tozawa and BxB Hulk on February 3 no matter what happens to Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin.
Having disposed of Cyber Kong, MAD BLANKEY looks to make a run for full dominance in 2013. With Tozawa and Hulk at the top of their game and Tanisaki becoming a dangerous force, they just might accomplish this. Kong, meanwhile, is looking for some help. Unable to cope alone, he is engaged in a series of matches in which he is auditioning for membership into one of the other units. The former powerhouse, deemed the weakest in 2012 after losing a match against Chihiro Tominaga to determine who gets the title, has not been looked upon too highly, though, and the groups are wondering how they got roped into being involved in the first place. There may have been a spark of hope when the Jimmyz appreciated his help fending off a MAD BLANKEY attack on January 17, setting up Kong teaming with the group on February 7, but H.A.Gee.Mee!! immediately put him down at the next show for boldly stating he would fill Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin's spot if the latter gets forced out of Dragon Gate.
And then there's the other three units, WORLD-1 INTERNATIONAL, -akatsuki-, and Windows. W1i appears to be having some trouble moving forward after PAC left for the WWE. The concept of being a fully international force can only go for as long as their gaijin talent are available, which isn't as often as they had envisioned prior to losing their British brethren. Masato Yoshino got the okay to enlist his long-time friend Shachihoko BOY from Windows to show that he is ready to finally breakthrough after ten years on the bottom tier. But that may not be enough.
Meanwhile, the potential youth push of -akatsuki- has stalled as Tominaga and Super Shenlong III have not exactly been moving up in rank. Furthermore, it would seem that Shingo Takagi and YAMATO are merely coasting at the moment. The Windows group, who essentially come and go as they please both in Dragon Gate and other promotions such as Diamond Ring, appear to have recognized this and immediately jumped on them. K-ness. and Keni'chiro Arai managed to claim clean sweeps in singles competition against Shingo and YAMATO to open 2013, much to the frustration of the latter duo. This has set up a tag match on February 7 where Windows could prove they still have what it takes to be top tier.
---
The Jimmyz
Jimmy Susumu, Jimmy Kagetora, Jimmy Kanda, Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin
Team Veteran Returns
CIMA, Masaaki Mochizuki, Gamma, Don Fujii, Dragon Kid, "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa, HUB*, Magnitude Kishiwada*
* = HUB and Kishiwada are part-time members subject to availability.
MAD BLANKEY
Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk, Kzy, Naoki Tanisaki, Mondai Ryu
WORLD-1 INTERNATIONAL
Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino, Ricochet, Rich Swann, Shachihoko BOY
-akatsuki-
Shingo Takagi, YAMATO, Chihiro Tominaga, Super Shenlong III
Windows
Keni'chiro Arai, K-ness., Super Shisa, Kotoka
Unaffiliated
Cyber Kong, Eita*
* = Eita is currently undergoing a learning excursion in North America, primarily in Mexico.
Though he is still listed on the roster, Taku Iwasa appears to have wrapped his in-ring career and is primarily working out of the Body Adapt store and posting blogs. He has not wrestled since before the Blood Warriors vs. Junction Three feud ended.
Open The Dream Gate - CIMA
Open The Triangle Gate - Jimmyz of Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, and Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin
Open The Brave Gate - Dragon Kid
Open The Twin Gate - Team Veteran Returns of Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii
Open The Owarai Gate - Kikutaro
As one can see, Team Veteran Returns has claim on almost all of the major titles in Dragon Gate. After successfully defending Dream Gate through the CIMA Royale concept last year, CIMA is looking to take his reign another level by promising to defend the best at least once every month, which has never been done before. Owarai Gate, meanwhile, is once again in possession of Kikutaro, so let's hope he doesn't lose it in his otaku room like last time.
At the present moment, it would appear that the focal feud is between Team Veteran Returns and the Jimmyz. Over the past few months, the Veterans found the Jimmyz to be nothing more than a nuisance. And when the Jimmy Boom was seemingly on the decline for a while, CIMA challenged the group to prove their worth or disband. He added a primary incentive in that they must hold at least one championship by the end of 2012. This challenge appeared to have lit a fire in the Jimmyz and they started to boom again, managing to claim and maintain Triangle Gate by the end of the year.
With 2013 underway, the Jimmyz are now looking for payback by going after the other titles. Ryo "Jimmy" Saito was the first to challenge for Dream Gate, but failed on January 20. Yet Jimmy Kanda immediately launched himself to becoming the next challenger after connecting a John Woo to CIMA while he was in the middle of his customary speech. Kanda will get his shot at the MEMORIAL GATE 2013 in Wakayama special on February 11. He is also set to join Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! in challenging for Twin Gate on January 27. And on January 25, Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin will be challenging for Brave Gate.
However, the Jimmyz might hit a hugely problematic roadblock on January 27. Experiencing a seemingly personal boom of his own, Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin is looking to reclaim his proper name of Naoki Tanizaki from the supposed imposter. Naoki Tanisaki has agreed to put the name up again. Only in return, Dolphin must put his Dragon Gate career on the line. Meaning if Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin loses, regardless of holding a third of Triangle Gate and possibly winning Brave Gate two days prior, he's out of Dragon Gate for good. It doesn't help that Tanisaki as been emerging as the next top tier talent in the company. Plus the Jimmyz must defend Triangle Gate against Tanisaki and his MAD BLANKEY leaders Akira Tozawa and BxB Hulk on February 3 no matter what happens to Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin.
Having disposed of Cyber Kong, MAD BLANKEY looks to make a run for full dominance in 2013. With Tozawa and Hulk at the top of their game and Tanisaki becoming a dangerous force, they just might accomplish this. Kong, meanwhile, is looking for some help. Unable to cope alone, he is engaged in a series of matches in which he is auditioning for membership into one of the other units. The former powerhouse, deemed the weakest in 2012 after losing a match against Chihiro Tominaga to determine who gets the title, has not been looked upon too highly, though, and the groups are wondering how they got roped into being involved in the first place. There may have been a spark of hope when the Jimmyz appreciated his help fending off a MAD BLANKEY attack on January 17, setting up Kong teaming with the group on February 7, but H.A.Gee.Mee!! immediately put him down at the next show for boldly stating he would fill Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin's spot if the latter gets forced out of Dragon Gate.
And then there's the other three units, WORLD-1 INTERNATIONAL, -akatsuki-, and Windows. W1i appears to be having some trouble moving forward after PAC left for the WWE. The concept of being a fully international force can only go for as long as their gaijin talent are available, which isn't as often as they had envisioned prior to losing their British brethren. Masato Yoshino got the okay to enlist his long-time friend Shachihoko BOY from Windows to show that he is ready to finally breakthrough after ten years on the bottom tier. But that may not be enough.
Meanwhile, the potential youth push of -akatsuki- has stalled as Tominaga and Super Shenlong III have not exactly been moving up in rank. Furthermore, it would seem that Shingo Takagi and YAMATO are merely coasting at the moment. The Windows group, who essentially come and go as they please both in Dragon Gate and other promotions such as Diamond Ring, appear to have recognized this and immediately jumped on them. K-ness. and Keni'chiro Arai managed to claim clean sweeps in singles competition against Shingo and YAMATO to open 2013, much to the frustration of the latter duo. This has set up a tag match on February 7 where Windows could prove they still have what it takes to be top tier.
---
The Jimmyz
Jimmy Susumu, Jimmy Kagetora, Jimmy Kanda, Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Ryo "Jimmy" Saito, Mr. Kyukyu Toyonaka Dolphin
Team Veteran Returns
CIMA, Masaaki Mochizuki, Gamma, Don Fujii, Dragon Kid, "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa, HUB*, Magnitude Kishiwada*
* = HUB and Kishiwada are part-time members subject to availability.
MAD BLANKEY
Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk, Kzy, Naoki Tanisaki, Mondai Ryu
WORLD-1 INTERNATIONAL
Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino, Ricochet, Rich Swann, Shachihoko BOY
-akatsuki-
Shingo Takagi, YAMATO, Chihiro Tominaga, Super Shenlong III
Windows
Keni'chiro Arai, K-ness., Super Shisa, Kotoka
Unaffiliated
Cyber Kong, Eita*
* = Eita is currently undergoing a learning excursion in North America, primarily in Mexico.
Though he is still listed on the roster, Taku Iwasa appears to have wrapped his in-ring career and is primarily working out of the Body Adapt store and posting blogs. He has not wrestled since before the Blood Warriors vs. Junction Three feud ended.
