July 6, 2012 – Tokyo, Japan

Open the Dream Gate Champion: CIMA
Open the Triangle Gate Champions: Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino & PAC
Open the Brave Gate Champion: Dragon Kid
Open the Twin Gate Champions: Jimmy Susumu & Jimmy Kagetora
Open the Freedom Gate Champion: Johnny Gargano
Open the United Gate Champions: Vacant

BxB Hulk {MB} & Cyber Kong {MB} vs. Kenichiro Arai {MG} & Kotoka {MG}
Hulk and Kong attack during their entrance. They dump Kotoka and work over Arai. Kong press slams Arai to the floor. Hulk hits Kotoka with a spin kick. Kong press slams him into the turnbuckle. He hits an avalanche. He and Hulk hit elbowdrops for 2. Hulk hits the axe kick for 2. He hits a senton for 2. He hits the Mouse. Kotoka hits a suplex and makes the tag. Arai hits Hulk with a big boot and mists Kong. He hits a suicide dive. Kotoka hits a double stomp on Hulk and Arai hits the Alabamaslam for 2. Kotoka misses the Skyscraper Double Stop and Kong cleans house with lariats. Hulk hits Arai with the axe kick for 2. Kong hits the flying elbowdrop for 2. Kong hits Kotoka with the Pineapple Bomber and the Cyber Bomb for the win at 6:38. That was a nice, energetic opener. I still cling to Kong when he’s not jobbing out completely.
Rating: **

Dragon Kid {Z} & Gamma {Z} vs. Jimmy Kanda {J} & Shachihoko BOY {MG}
The Kanda/BOY team has nothing linking them together, but Kanda is getting a kick out of his partner. BOY and Gamma start. Gamma hits a shoulder tackle and a big boot. He hits a facebuster. Kid hits Kanda with a head scissor takedown. Kanda helps BOY splash Gamma for 2. Gamma dropkicks BOY to the floor during his corner pose, mocking the Jon Woo. He hits a back kick. Kid tags in to keep Gamma from pull off BOY’s mask. He hits a pair of kneedrops for 2. BOY and Gamma trade dropkicks, with Gamma continuing to call out, “Jon Woo.” Gamma hits a Tombstone Piledriver. BOY hits a dropkick. Kanda hits Kid with the side slam. Kid hits the stunner. Kanda hits a flapjack. BOY hits a moonsault for 2. Kid hits the Skyscraper Frankensteiner on Kanda for 2. Gamma hits a clothesline to block the Jon Woo. Kid hits the Bermuda Triangle. Gamma hits BOY with a wheelbarrow suplex for 2. BOY gets a few roll ups but can only get 2. Gamma hits a superkick and the Gamma Special for the win at 9:01. I’m really disappointed they didn’t pay off the Jon Woo angle, but the match was entertaining regardless.
Rating: **½

”Naoki Tanisaki” {MB} vs. Jimmy Kagetora {J}
“Tanisaki” attacks before the bell. He puts on a headlock. Kagetora hits a dropkick. He hits two more in the corner. He hits a springboard dropkick. They trade chops in a throwback to the KING OF CHOP finals. Speaking of which, weren’t there supposed to be a couple more of those before the end of the year and then a super tournament to decide the ultimate champion? What happened to that? “Tanisaki” chops Kagetora around ringside with the help of his cronies. He hits a baseball slide for 2. Kagetora hits the leaping lariat. He hits an enziguiri for 2. “Tanisaki” hits the DH for 2. He hits a powerslam for 2. Kagetora avoids the Casanova and hits an enziguiri. He hits a bodyslam and the flying elbowdrop for 2. “Tanisaki” hits the knee lift and the Casanova. He hits the cross legged suplex for 2. Kagetora gets the Kagenui for 2. Kzy hits a yellow box attack. “Tanisaki” hits the Razor’s Edge for 2. He hits the Implant and the Night Ride for the win at 10:10. This was a competent back-and-forth match, but it was never all that dramatic and “Tanisaki” still hasn’t figured out how to make the Night Ride a finisher with any heat.
Rating: **

PAC {W1} & Rich Swann {W1} vs. K-ness {MG} & Super Shisa {MG}
Shisa and Swann start. They fight over a stranglehold. That goes badly for Swann and hits potential offspring, but ends with a Swann victory roll. PAC and K-ness flip around until K-ness hits a head scissor takedown. Shisa puts on the Romero Special. Swann hits a dropkick for 2. He hits mounted punches and a back kick on K-ness for 2. Shisa comes back and cleans house. He hits PAC with a Frankensteiner and a butterfly suplex for 2. PAC hits an enziguiri and a northern lights suplex for 2. Swann hits K-ness with the Rocker Dropper for 2. K-ness hits a swinging DDT for 2. He puts on the Aoki Hikari. PAC makes the save. Shisa hits a splash for 2. K-ness hits a high kick and helps Shisa gets the Shachihoko Special for 2. PAC blocks the Yoshi Tonic and hits a back elbow. Swann and PAC hit Ace Crushers and standing SSPs for 2. PAC hits a plancha on K-ness. Shisa rolls Swann up for 2. Swann hits a superkick. He hits a Frog Splash and PAC hits the Shooting Star Press for the win at 11:58. Fun match all around, with everyone hitting everything spot on and K-ness making it through without crumbling into dust.
Rating: ***

CIMA © {Z} vs. Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee. {J} [Open the Dream Gate Championship Match – Champion Gate in Hakata]
I’m pretty pumped they’re airing this here, even if it is clipped, since I didn’t think I’d ever see it (or, not see it for another year when it comes out on the year-end DVD). CIMA hits a high kick to start. He hits a dropkick. Horiguchi dropkicks the knee. He hits a leaping clothesline. He hits a basement dropkick. He puts on the GH Lock and pins CIMA for 2. CIMA hits the Superdrol. He hits a snap suplex for 2. He hits a double stomp. He hits the double knee kick for 2. He puts on the Sasoriza-Gatame. Horiguchi gets to the ropes. CIMA rolls through the swinging DDT but Horiguchi hits a head scissor takedown. CIMA sidesteps the topé con hilo and hits a high kick. Horiguchi avoids the Venus and hits the swinging DDT. He hits a dropkick to the back for 2. CIMA hits the Venus and Iconoclasm. Horiguchi blocks the Mad Splash and hits a brainbuster for 2. He hits a DDT. He takes off his shirt, showing a physique that really didn’t need to be covered in the first place. He absorbs the superkick and goes for the Backslide from Heaven. CIMA blocks that and goes for the Schwein but Horiguchi blocks that and gets the Backslide from Heaven for 2. He hits the Beach Break but CIMA rolls under the ropes. Horiguchi pulls him out and gets 2. CIMA counters a backslide attempt to a sick powerbomb and hits the Miniora. He hits a huge dropkick to the back and the Nakayubi. Horiguchi avoids the Meteora and gets a trio of quick backslides for 2. CIMA hits the Crossfire for 2. Horiguchi can’t get up so CIMA hits the Meteora for the win at 9:29 shown of 23:27. Horiguchi had the crowd, making him put a little extra behind all of his moves. I was ready to write this off as a CIMA squash, but Horiguchi’s hope spots down the stretch were really exciting. Maybe one day we’ll see more of the match, but this will do for now.
Rating: ***½

Mondai Ryu {MB} & Akira Tozawa {MB} vs. CIMA {Z} [Mascara contra Pasaporte]
Ryu is nowhere to be found as the match begins, and Tozawa seems more than happy to go it alone without the weak link. Ryu sneaks in but Gamma tags him with his cane. CIMA hits Tozawa with a chest kick. He hits a missile dropkick. Ryu pulls CIMA to the floor and beats on him there. He and Tozawa hit a double suplex on a chair pile. Ryu puts his leash on CIMA and drags him into the barricade. Tozawa hits a huge bicycle kick on Ryu by mistake. CIMA punches Tozawa with the chain. He crotches Tozawa on the barricade. He smacks Ryu with a plastic thing for 2. He salts the mat, canes Ryu’s crotch and then sweeps the salt into Ryu’s face. Tozawa berates his partner. He knocks down CIMA in the corner for Ryu to hit the Panic Attack. Tozawa hits the side suplex for 2. He hits the chair-assisted senton for 2. Tozawa calls for a senton from the balcony, but CIMA uses his absence to retake control of Ryu. Tozawa bugs out when he sees what has happened. The crowd chants “tobe” (jump) but that would be ridiculous. In the ring CIMA hits Ryu with an enziguiri. He ties Ryu in a chair and hits the superkick. Tozawa gets back to the ring and hits a bicycle kick. He hits the running knee for 2. CIMA hits the Nakayubi. He blocks the High Tension Suplex and hits a superkick. He hits the Schwein. He hits the Meteora on both opponents. Then he hits it on Ryu again for the win at 12:23. Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, John CIMA. That finish made Tozawa look awful. Why on earth would we believe he could beat CIMA in a singles match after that? It’s not like at any point he had a real chance to beat CIMA and Ryu screwed it up. Terrible booking in a pointless match that did no favors for the challenger for the title on the biggest show of the year.
Rating: *½

After the match CIMA takes Ryu’s mask and immediately shaves off some of his hair. Ryu calls this a violation of the stipulation and says he will continue to wear his mask. CIMA and Tozawa then argue over who will win in Kobe. It seems like a no-brainer to me at this point.

Masaaki Mochizuki {Z}, Don Fujii {Z} & Magnitude Kishiwada {Z} vs. Shingo Takagi {A}, YAMATO {A} & Chihiro Tominaga {A} vs. Naruki Doi {W1}, Masato Yoshino {W1} & Ricochet {W1} vs. Jimmy Susumu {J}, Ryo “Jimmy” Saito {J} & Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee. {J} [Elimination Match]
This is going to be the Fujii Show I can just feel it. Horiguchi, Tominaga, Doi, and Fujii start. Horiguchi breaks the tension with a chant, so Fujii decks him. A headlock chain breaks out. Fujii shoulder tackles everyone. He double stomps Tominaga. Everyone trips everyone and then pins Fujii for 2. They go out and Saito, Takagi, Kishiwada, and Ricochet come in. The big guys put down Saito and Ricochet in a knuckle lock. The smaller dudes fight back with hurricanranas. Ricochet takes control and wows the crowd. Next in are Mochizuki, Susumu, YAMATO, and Yoshino. Mochizuki cleans house with kicks. Yoshino dropkicks him. I have to say this match has rocked and rolled so far. YAMATO gets caught with a lot of errant offense. Susumu hits Yoshino with a backbreaker. He sets YAMATO up for Mochizuki’s apron kick. Everyone fights to the floor, which means that YAMATO and Fujii renew their rivalry there. In the ring Mochizuki kills Tominaga with a chest kick. He breaks up Horiguchi’s pin, which is just stupid. Horiguchi throws Tominaga by the hair, renewing the HAGE issue. Mochizuki throws them both by their hair. Yoshino kicks Horiguchi’s hair. He hits a double stomp on it for 2. Horiguchi comes back with a suplex. YAMATO and Takagi obliterate Horiguchi and keep the Jimmyz at bay. Tominaga grabs Susumu, but Fujii smacks him across the face. Fujii then slugs a prone YAMATO. They trade chops. Everyone else gets in on the chop battle, but Fujii reigns supreme as always. Fujii tells his partners to attack him as well, but takes it. The eleven-man dropkick puts him on the floor, however. I almost can’t believe that the crowd still pops for that nearly decade-old spot. MARAHA! ISA… Speed Muscle won’t be put down by the Jimmyz. The elastic band makes an appearance, but ends up in Horiguchi’s face as usual. Twice. Horiguchi thinks he’s FINALLY going to hit someone else (Tominaga) with the band, but he gets it in the face on the floor. The typical giant suplex sees Ricochet climb over everyone to dive onto Horiguchi, and the Veterans and Akatsuke get the worst of things. Susumu pins Tominaga for 2. Saito hits a double stomp. The Jimmyz stand on Tominaga’s gut while Horiguchi sprays cold in his face. The balding men face off. Tominaga hits a dropkick. He hits one on Saito. Takagi and Kishiwada trade shoulder tackles. Takagi hits a shoulder tackle. He throws Ricochet into the air. Doi hits a dropkick. He and Yoshino hit stereo suicide dives. Fujii and Susumu hit dives. Mochizuki hits a quebrada. Doi and YAMATO trade chops. YAMATO hits a big boot and the spear for 2. Takagi hits Yoshino with a gutbuster and a senton. Yoshino hits Another Space. Ricochet hits a back flip kick and the Superdrol. He hits a running SSP for 2. Everyone gangs up on Tominaga. Akatsuke does the same to Horiguchi. Takagi hits the Alabamaslam for 2. He hits the Pumping Bomber. Tominaga puts on the cross armbreaker but Saito makes the save. Tominaga misses the moonsault and Saito hits a German suplex. Doi hits the Dai Bosou. He hits the Doi 555 and the Bakatare Sliding Kick to eliminate Tominaga and Akatsuke at 27:00.

Mochizuki dominates Saito with kicks. Saito hits an overhead suplex. Susumu hits Fujii with a chokeslam. Horiguchi hits the topé con hilo. Susumu hits Yoshino with the Jumbo no Kachi on the apron. Yoshino puts on From Jungle. Saito puts Doi in the Cycling Yahoo. Fujii slowly does the same to Horiguchi, looking at Saito for instruction. Saito lets go of Doi to show him he’s doing it wrong. Fujii attacks Saito from behind. Yoshino hits the shotgun dropkick on Doi by mistake. Saito hits a German suplex on Yoshino. He and Susumu hit Yoshino with the Mugen. Doi hits the Dai Bosou on Saito. Fujii hits Doi with a crossbody. Ricochet hits an enziguiri. Kishiwada hits a lariat. Horiguchi dropkicks the knee. Mochizuki hits the SicK Kick. Susumu hits the Jumbo no Kachi for 2. Mochizuki blocks the Double Cross but Horiguchi catches him with the Backslide from Heaven for 2. Mochizuki hits Saito with the Shin Saikyou High Kick and the Twister for 2 when Susumu makes the save. Fujii and Kishiwada hit Saito with a chokeslam bomb for 2. Kishiwada hits the Last Ride to eliminate Saito and the Jimmyz at 33:36. World-1 and the Veterans trade chops. World-1 hits back suplexes. Ricochet misses a Phoenix Splash on Kishiwada and Fujii gets the Gedo Clutch for 2. Mochizuki and Fujii double-team Ricochet. Fujii hits the Nice German for 2. Yoshino and Doi hit a Sling Blade Bomb on Mochizuki. Yoshino hits the Ude Yoshino and the Torbellino. Doi hits the Bakatare Sliding Kick. Ricochet hits the 630 Senton for 2 when Kishiwada makes the save. Yoshino hits a quebrada. Mochizuki blocks the Muscular Bomb and hits a dragon suplex. He hits a big boot. He hits the Illusion and the Shin Saikyou High Kick for 2. He hits the Sankakugeri for the win at 38:36. I equate matches like this to the Royal Rumble: you see a lot of the same things from year to year, but the great ones have cute, memorable spots that set it apart. This had those spots. The match was long and felt long, but it was never boring. It was a great match overall, but would have been even better if it were a streamlined thirty minutes.
Rating: ****

After the match the Veterans and World-1 argue until the Summer Adventure Tag League is changed to a trios league. Speed Muscle then challenges for the Twin Gate titles for after World. The Jimmyz agree, as do the World challengers BattleHawk.