Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival



The Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival is a major professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and Gaora TV event, held by Japanese professional wrestling promotion Dragon Gate and it is an annual pay-per-view event. It occurs every July at Kobe World Kinen Hall in Kobe, Japan. The Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival is the successor to the Toryumon Japan Aniversario shows. It is the biggest, and arguably the most important, event of the year, equivalent to the WWE's WrestleMania and the NJPW's January 4 Dome Show. The attendance has grown over the years, being the higgest 9,800 persons on 2016 the most seen of the all years and often surpassing previously set record numbers for the promotion.

2005
The dark match between Kenichiro Arai and Tozawa was the last match in the Tozawa 10 Match Trial Series. Tozawa lost and complete the series with a 0-10 record. Stalker Ichikawa appeared following the second match, looking to engage one of the participants in an impromptu match. But he wasignored, however.

After intermission, the Dragon Gate President Takashi Okamura appeared along with the founder of Asistencia Asesoría y Administración Antonio Peña. And they announced a partnership between the two promotions and would be exchange talents in following the months.

Masaaki Mochizuki wore ring gear custom made by Susumu Yokosuka, which was white, the first time since Mochizuki wore such colors since he was part of Hagure Gundam. After the main event, Mochizuki challenged TAKA Michinoku for the Champion of Strongest-K, World Junior Heavyweight Championship, Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship. And he also nominated Susumu as a future challenger for the Open The Dream Gate Championship.


 * Match results

2006
On May 13, 2006 during the Aggressive tour Dragon Kid defeated Susumu Yokosuka in a six-man tag team match and Kid's partner were Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi and Yokosuka's partner's were Masaaki Mochizuki and Katsuo. On the next day Kid pinned Susumu in a predule match which was set a match at the 2006 Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival for Susumu's Open The Dream Gate Championship. Also during the Aggressive tour it was announced a special tag team Genichiro Tenryu and Magnum TOKYO against Masaaki Mochizuki and Minoru Suzuki. Also it was announced that Dos Caras would appeared at the show and the main event would be CIMA against Magnitude Kishiwada in a No Rope Singles Match.


 * Match results

2007
On May 10, 2007 Genki Horiguchi pinned Yasushi Kanda in a predule match afterwards Kanda challenge Horiguchi in a rematch for the Open The Brave Gate Championship later that night Shingo Takagi, Cyber Kong and BxB Hulk won the Open The Triangle Gate Championship it was later announced that Takagi, Kong and Hulk would defend the Open the Triangle Gate Champions against Magnitude Kishiwada, Masato Yoshino, and Naruki Doi. It was announced that Jushin Thunder Liger would defend the Open The Dream Gate Championship against CIMA and also it was announced an appearance of two NJPW's representatives Yuji Nagata and Koji Kanemoto and they also announced a special single match between Don Fujii and Tetsuhiro Kuroda and it was announced that Gedo and Jado would defend the I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Susumu Yokosuka and Ryo Saito.


 * Match results

2008
The 2008 Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival was a professional wrestling event promoted by Dragon Gate. The event took place on July 27, 2008, in Kobe, Japan, at the Kobe World Kinen Hall and was the fourth event under the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival name and the fourth in a row to take place at the Kobe World Kinen Hall.

Storylines
On June 28 Shingo Takagi, Gamma and YAMATO lost the Open The Triangle Gate Championship to Tozawa-Juku (Keni'chiro Arai, Taku Iwasa and Shinobu). The following day, Takagi fought BxB Hulk to a one-hour draw in a number one contender's match for CIMA's Open The Dream Gate Championship. They were immediately scheduled for a rematch on July 27, but this time the Open the Dream Gate Championship was on the line as CIMA had to vacate the championship due to a neck injury. On July 10, doubt was already cast over his standing in Real Hazard when he stopped them and Tokyo Gurentai members from trying to give CIMA an unwanted haircut. This caused tensions to stir between him and the others, especially with Cyber Kong and Cima was replaced by BxB Hulk. It also featured the Stalker Ichikawa Bosou 10 series matches. It was later announced that YAMATO, Yasushi Kanda, Gamma would defend the Open the Triangle Gate Champions against World-1 (Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino and Naoki Tanizaki) and Dragon Kid, Anthony W. Mori and PAC and Zetsurins (Masaaki Mochizuki, Don Fujii, Magnitude Kishiwada) and Susumu Yokosuka and Ryo Saito would defend the Open The Twin Gate Championship against Tokyo Gurentai (Mazada and Nosawa Rongai) and it was also announced that Genki Horiguchi would face m.c.KZ for the vacated Open The Brave Gate Championship.

Aftermatch
After Takagi defeated BxB Hulk to win the Open the Dream Gate Championship, Takagi apologized to Hulk and retracted his statement about him being weak. Soon after, Kong attempted to attack CIMA, who was at the announce table, but Takagi stopped him. After a brief argument, Real Hazard attacked Takagi and kicked Takagi out of the group for showing compassion towards Hulk and CIMA, but he was saved by Typhoon.


 * Match results

2009
On July 6 CIMA challenge Naruki Doi to a double title match for the Open The Brave Gate Championship and the Open The Dream Gate Championship. Real Hazard (Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi) made their first title defense of the Open The Twin Gate Championship against Shingo Takagi and Dragon Kid after the match Takagi challenge Saito and Horiguchi to a rematch but at the next time his partner would be YAMATO. It was later announced that Shingo Takagi and YAMATO would be against Real Hazard (Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi) for the Open the Twin Gate Champions and the double title match for the Open the Brave Gate Champion and the Open the Dream Gate Champion would be happening when Cima would face Naruki Doi and the winner would be the both titles and World-1 BxB Hulk, Masato Yoshino, and PAC would defend the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against Akira Tozawa, Dragon Kid, and Taku Iwasa. Also it was announced that Abdullah the Butcher would appeared for the event and the event also featured the "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa Bosou 10 Match Series.


 * Match results

2010
On May 13, 2010 Shingo Takagi and Cyber Kong lost the Open the Twin Gate Championship to K-neSuka (K-ness and Susumu Yokosuka) on May 13, 2010. Takagi then renewed his old feud with former tag partner BxB Hulk, leading to a Hair vs Hair match at the Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival 2010 on July 11. On July 4 World-1 (Masato Yoshino, BxB Hulk, Naoki Tanizaki and PAC) faced KAMIKAZE (YAMATO, Shingo Takagi, Cyber Kong and KAGETORA) in a Captains Fall Elimination Match were Yoshino pinned YAMATO and Yoshino challenge Yamato for the Open The Dream Gate Championship were it was later announced that Yamato would faced Yoshino for the Open the Dream Gate Champion. It was later announced that K-neSuka (K-ness and Susumu Yokosuka) would be against Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii for the Open the Twin Gate Champions and the WARRIORS CIMA, Gamma and Genki Horiguchi would be against the Osaka Pro Wrestling representatives Black Buffalo, Tigers Mask and The Bodyguard for the Open The Triangle Gate Championship. It was also featured a Comedy Survival Dream Handicap Match were Akebono and Abdullah the Butcher against "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa, Shachihoko Machine, Jackson Florida and Johnson Florida.


 * Match results

2011
On May 21, 2011 BxB Hulk won the 2011 King of Gate after winning the King of Gate Hulk challenge Masaaki Mochizuki for the Open The Dream Gate Championship but Mochizuki refused. On June 8 Shingo Takagi accidently attacked Hulk and Hulk attacked Takagi and joined to Blood Warriors and after that also Akira Tozawa joined Blood Warriors attacking Takagi and YAMATO and Tozawa moked his former Kamikaze stablemates and YAMATO challenge Tozawa to a match but later Takagi would be against Takagi at the Kobe Pro Wrestling Festival. On June 19 Dragon Kid and PAC won the Open The Twin Gate Championship after the match CIMA stole the belts and Kid said to CIMA to return the titles and Cima refused and Kid said if Cima return the titles he and Ricochet would get a chance for the titles and the match was set to the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival after the match Mochizuki moved on to the Triangle Gate and Naruki Doi, Yasushi Kanda and Cyber Kong nomaited themselves to be the next challengers for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship later that night Mochizuki asked who wanted to come for the Open the Dream Gate Champion and Hulk challenge Mochizuki for the Open the Dream Gate Champion. On July 3 "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa and Don Fujii lost to Kzy and Naoki Tanizaki Ichikawa informed Tanizaki and Kzy and Tomahawk TT that they would face him and Fujii and Yoshihiro Takayama at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival. It was later announced that Tozawa would instead face Takagi.

Aftermatch
The Dragon Gate President Takashi Okamura reaffirmed is position at the company and announced the next ppv the Gate of Destiny. After Pac and Dragon Kid lost the Open the Twin Gate titles to Cima and Ricochet the both teams shook hands and Pac and Kid returned the favour, and put the belts around CIMA & Ricochets’ waist After that Blood Warriors attacked Kid and Pac and Naoki Tanizaki stole the Open the Brave Gate Championship from PAC and Tanizaki and said since PAC was heading home for August, he would be the champion in his place.


 * Match results

2012
On June 17 after CIMA defended the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! after the match Mondai Ryu wanted an opportunity for the Open the Dream Gate Champion since he was the rightfull #1 contender. CIMA basically blew him off. He asked Akira Tozawa and BxB Hulk to stay, but told them to get rid of their worthless teammates that were Mad Blankey, then he called out Shingo Takagi and YAMATO form -akatsuki- and Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino from World-1 International. After that Cima said that Tozawa, Hulk, Takagi, Yamato, Doi and Yoshino would be in the CIMA royale and the winner would face him for the Open the Dream Gate Champion at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival also Ryo "Jimmy" Saito challenge Yoshino for the Open The Triangle Gate Championship. On June 24 Ricochet affirmed his challenge to Dragon Kid for the Open the Brave Gate Championship and their match was set to be on the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival later that night Akira Tozawa won the Cima Royale to face Cima for the Open the Dream Gate Champion at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival later that night Jimmy Susumu and Jimmy Kagetora nomaited Shingo Takagi and YAMATO as their next challengers for the Open the Twin Gate Championship also Masaaki Mochizuki challenge Yoshino for the Open the Triangle Gate Champions. On July 1 Kzy turned to the GM Yagi and demanded a match for Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival and Kzy said he would team with Mondai Ryu and they would face any challenge and "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa and tell them that he and Atsushi Onita would face them at Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival later that night Mad Blankey (BxB Hulk, Cyber Kong and Naoki Tanisaki) challenged Yoshino for the Open the Triangle Gate Champions and Masaaki Mochizuki said that he challenged him first and later Yoshino said that he and Naruki Doi, and PAC would face Mad Blankey and Mochizuki, Don Fujii and Gamma at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival.


 * Match results

2013
On June 16 M2K (Masaaki Mochizuki, K-ness and Jimmy Susumu) lost the Open the Triangle Gate Championship to Jimmyz (Jimmy Kanda, Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Ryo “Jimmy” Saito) after the match Kzy challenged Jimmyz for the Open the Triangle Gate Champions saying that Mad Blankey wanted a chance for the titles and Mochizuki started to feud with YAMATO and the two agreed to a match at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival. On June 23 Naruki Doi and Ricochet challenge Mad Blankey (Akira Tozawa and BxB Hulk) for the Open the Twin Gate Championship at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival later that night Shingo Takagi won the Cima Royale to become the #1 Contender for the Open The Dream Gate Championship and Takagi's match against CIMA was going to be at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival also it was announced that "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa would face Yoshiaki Fujiwara at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival. On June 28 K-ness defeated Mr. Quu Quu Tanizaki Naoki Toyonaka Dolphin to become the #1 Contender of the Open The Brave Gate Championship and K-ness match against Masato Yoshino was announced to be at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival. On July 7 Gamma challenge Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! for the Open the Triangle Gate Champions but Mad Blankey had the first chance and Gamma asked the Dragon Gate fans to be part of the match and they accepted and it was announced that it would be a Nine Man Three Way Tag Team Elimination Match for the Open The Triangle Gate Champions.


 * Match results

2014
On May 5, 2014 at the Dead or Alive BxB Hulk turned face at the Steel Cage Survival 6 Way Match after he escape Hulk turned on YAMATO and Naruki Doi and quit Mad Blankey and continued to feud with Mad Blankey and they face for the rights to the Mad Blankey name and logo in a Handicap match which was won by Mad Blankey. On June 16 Dragon Kid challenge Flamita for the Open The Brave Gate Championship and the match was set to be on the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival. During one of the predule matches Flamita pinned Kid. On July 3 it was announced that Monster Express (Masato Yoshino and Ricochet) would be against CIMA and Matt Sydal it was also announced that Monster Express (Akira Tozawa and Shingo Takagi) would defend the Open The Twin Gate Championship against Millennials (Eita and T-Hawk). Ten days later it was announced that YAMATO would defend the Open the Dream Gate Championship against BxB Hulk. It was later announced that Mad Blankey (Cyber Kong, Kzy and Naruki Doi) would defend the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi HAGeeMee, Jimmy Susumu and Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin) and also featured an appearance for the NJPW wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger.

Aftermatch
After BxB Hulk defeated YAMATO for the Open the Dream Gate Champion, Naruki Doi offered to put the title around Hulk's waist and after Doi put the title around Hulk's waist Mad Blankey attacked Hulk and Doi put the title on himself and then Mad Blankey attacked Hulk and Masaaki Mochizuki that was on comentary made the save.


 * Match results

2015
On July 2 it was announced that BxB Hulk and Big R Shimizu would be against Shingo Takagi and the Pro Wrestling Zero1 wrestler Masato Tanaka at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival also it was announced that Dia.Hearts (Dragon Kid, Kzy and Masaaki Mochizuki) would participate in a match for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship it was also announced that T-Hawk would be against Masato Yoshino for the Open the Dream Gate Championship and Eita against Akira Tozawa for the Open the Brave Gate Championship. On July 11 it was announced that CIMA, Gamma and Don Fujii were going to defend the Open the Triangle Gate Champions against Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi HAGeeMee!!, Jimmy Susumu and Ryo Jimmy Saito) and Dia.Hearts (Dragon Kid, Kzy and Masaaki Mochizuki). It was later announced that YAMATO and Naruki Doi would be against Matt Sydal and Ricochet for the Open The Twin Gate Championship


 * Match results

2016
On May 5, 2016 at the Dead or Alive all the members of VerserK turned on YAMATO and VerserK tried to assist Kotoka to escape but Yosuke Santa Maria, Kzy and a returning BxB Hulk assisted YAMATO which lead to YAMATO escaping the cage. Before that Yamato had started problems between him and the leader of VerserK Shingo Takagi. The four ended up forming a new unit, which was named Tribe Vanguard on May 28, 2016. On June 12, YAMATO defeated Big R Shimizu to win the annual King of Gate tournament after the match YAMATO challenge Takagi for the Open the Dream Gate Championship and the GM Yagi announced that Takagi would face YAMATO for the Open the Dream Gate Champion at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival also in that night CIMA, Dragon Kid and Peter Kaasa challenge Monster Express (Masato Yoshino, Akira Tozawa and T-Hawk) for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship and Yoshino accepted. Later it was announced that Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Masaaki Mochizuki would face Masakatsu Funaki and Don Fujii at the Kobe World Hall Pro Wrestling Festival. On June 19 Jimmyz (Jimmy Susumu and Jimmy Kagetora) won the Open the Twin Gate Championship after the match Naruki Doi and Brother YASSHI challenge Susumu and Kagetora for the titles. On June 26 Eita challenge Yosuke Santa Maria for the Open the Brave Gate Championship and later that night Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk and Kzy) also challenge Monster Express (Masato Yoshino, Akira Tozawa and T-Hawk) for the Open the Triangle Gate Champions and Yoshino also accepted their challenged and announced that they were going to defend the titles in a Nine Man Three Way Six Man Tag Team match. On July 2 it was revealed that Flamita was the mystery member of Tribe Vanguard and that it was officially announced that Jimmy Susumu and Jimmy Kagetora would face Naruki Doi and Brother YASSHI for the Open the Twin Gate Champions. On July 7 it was announced the rest of the matches for the event. On July 13 it was announced that Kotoka would miss the show and the match card was changed.

Full Show
Kobe World Pro Wrestling Festival 2016:


 * Match results