Dead or Alive (2017)

The Dead or Alive (2017) is an upcoming professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and GAORA TV event promoted by Dragon Gate. The event will take place on May 5, 2017, in Aichi at the Aichi Prefectural Gym and is the nineth annual event under the Dead or Alive.

The main event will featured a Steel Cage Survival 5 Way Match for the Open The Dream Gate Championship where YAMATO will defend his Open The Dream Gate Champion against Naruki Doi, BxB Hulk, Shingo Takagi and Cyber Kong.

Production
The Dead or Alive 2017 will air in Japan through Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Niconico, with Japanese language commentaries. The Japanese commentary is going to be provided by Katsuya Ichikawa. The event will also air on tape delay on Japanese TV Gaora Sports to be lauched in Dragon Gate's ~ Infinity ~ Series.

Storylines
The Dead or Alive 2017 is the third major Dragon Gate show following the Memorial Gate in Wakayama (2017). During that YAMATO will defended his Open The Dream Gate Championship against Naruki Doi, BxB Hulk and Cyber Kong. Also YAMATO defeated Shingo Takagi to win the Open The Dream Gate Championship. Since Hulk, Takagi, Kong wanted a rematch against YAMATO. Since that Doi join in with YAMATO announcing that he would defend the Open The Dream Gate Champion at the Dead or Alive in a Steel Cage Survival 5 Way Match. During that YAMATO, Hulk and their Tribe Vanguard stablemate Flamita would defeat the Open The Triangle Gate Champions Takagi, Kong and their VerserK stablemate T-Hawk with YAMATO submitting Kong for the win. This led VerserK to be stripped of the Open The Triangle Gate Champions. Takagi, T-Hawk and "brother" YASSHI would loose to Doi, Ben-K and Big R Shimizu in a decision match for the vacanted titles. Then tensions started between Kong and Takagi with Takagi costing Kong's matches together. During that also Hulk and YAMATO started to have tensions with Hulk stealing YAMATO's Frankensteiner of The Almighty move. Then the rules for the matches were announced.

In the Open The Twin Gate Championship match, on March 26 Jimmy K-ness J.K.S. pinned one-half of the Open The Twin Gate Champions Dragon Kid during a six-man tag team match. Afterwards K-ness and his Jimmyz stablemate Jimmy Kanda challenged Kid and his CK-1 partner CIMA into a Open The Twin Gate Championship title match, which the match was announced the following day to be on April 23. On April 12 T-Hawk and his VerserK stablemate El Lindaman challenged the winners of the Open The Twin Gate Title match to face them at the Dead or Alive.

Rules for the Steel Cage Survival 5 Way Match

 * Flags will be place at the top of the cage at each corner. The Open The Dream Gate Championship belt will be placed on the center pole.
 * Naruki Doi, BxB Hulk, Shingo Takagi and Cyber Kong must first retrieve a flag. Once they have done so, they will gain Dream Gate challenger status.
 * The four challengers can be eliminated by pinfall or submission at any time during the match. This can occur before they are able to retrieve a challenger flag. An eliminated competitor must leave the cage.
 * YAMATO must compete during the entire match, but will not be able to retrieve the title belt until there is only 1 challenger remaining. He can not be eliminated via pinfall or submission at any point during the match.
 * The match will progress until YAMATO and 1 challenger remain. The match can then be won by retrieving the Open The Dream Gate Championship title belt to win.
 * The final competitor left in the cage will lose his hair or mask.