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Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate logo
Acronym DG
Type Public
Founder(s) Takashi Okamura
Style Professional wrestling, Puroresu, Lucha Libre
Headquarters Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Parent Gaora
Sister Dragon Gate USA
Website Official Japanese Website

Dragon Gate (ドラゴンゲート, Doragon Gēto) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan.it stayed behind after Ultimo Dragon left Toryumun and took the name and rights with him in 2004 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.

Overview

History

In early June 2004, it was announced that Ultimo Dragon, who just returned from a one-year stint with WWE, leaving the Toryumon Japan promotion and taking the Toryumon name since he owned the rights. The last show was promoted under the Toryumon name that took take place at the fifth anniversary show "Vo Aniversario" at Kobe World Hall in Hyogo on July 4. Takashi Okamura, was serving as the Director of Toryumon Japan while Ultimo was in WWE, then he announced that the promotion would continue on independently as Dragon Gate.

Naming the promotion Dragon Gate was itself taking from the meaning of the word Toryumon itself. The word was coined after the homonym that is translated as climbing up dragon gate, which means thegateway to success.

Following the split, Dragon Gate immediately went on to work, launching the Every Day Pro Wrestling project. As part of the Fuji Television "Adventure King" as attraction in Tokyo, Dragon Gate wrestlers would wrestle two shows per day throughout July and August, often having two or three matches per show. They would hold the larger scale "Premium" shows once a week during this time. The project was a success and it brought in new fans to Dragon Gate and wrestling in general. They would hold a second in 2005, which further increased the fanbase.

The promotion reached a very intriguing predicament by the end of 2004 and going into the start of 2005 as several key wrestlers left, either by their own or by being fired. Those gone were Milano Collection AT, SUWA, TARU, and the entire Aagan Iisou unit, the latter group having been the main heels of the promotion. Also, the highly popular and revolutionary Crazy MAX unit had folded due to SUWA's departure. Following a bad period in the month of January in 2005, company ace CIMA would turn heel and start a new unit called Blood Generation that got the promotion back on track.

2005 also saw the foundations for expansion outside of Japan, a very ambitious concept for a company that was nearly a year into its independent existence. CIMA, along with first Dragon Gate trueborn's graduate Shingo Takagi, traveled to the United States to wrestle in ROH. In November, they ran a show in Kanan, China that drew 3,500 attendance, setting the creation of plans to run shows in the United States and South Korea. Also in November, Mexican gaijin Vangelis and King Shisa, who would later revealed to be Pentagon Black, appeared in Dragon Gate and were followed by American gaijin Jack Evans and Roderick Strong. This would set the tone for the promotion, previously under isolationist principles for the most part, opening their doors to outside talent from 2006 onward.

Dragon Gate sended talent to ROH and PWG in 2006 where they immediately won the heart of American fans, through which produced the legendary Blood Generation vs. Do FIXER in a six-man tag team match on March 31, 2006 in Chicago Ridge, Illinois that won acclaimed and earned Match of the Year honors of the Wrestling Observer as well as a prestigious five-star rating from its chief editor Dave Meltzer. In addition, Dragon Gate would a start series of events called WrestleJAM, bringing together wrestlers from Japan, America, and Mexico to celebrate and showcase their in-ring styles.

On January 6, 2008 CIMA announced at the end of a PWG show that Dragon Gate would be running their first US show in Los Angeles later that year. It would take place on September 5, 2008 in Bell Gardens, which they followed with a show in Waikiki, Hawaii the next day. This would lay the expansion for the launch of Dragon Gate USA the following year.

Also in 2008 since Naoki Tanizaki's return to the promotion, Dragon Gate started to allow their wrestler to compete elsewhere over Japan.

Despite an unfortunate incident that was made public in mid-2009, Dragon Gate continued to grow stronger than ever with increasing fanbases in Japan and in 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 the annual visits to Europe, in particular the United Kingdom, in October and November, later it was created a sister promotion called Dragon Gate UK that increased the fanbase in Eroupe including BxB Hulk making the first ever title defense of The Open The Freedom Gate Championship in Japan on December 12 against Susumu Yokosuka. Later 2014 Dragon Gate hold their last show in UK and since then it wasn't held any shows in UK. On August 15, 2015 Dragon Gate ended their expansion in USA in order to Gabe Sapolsky focus more in Evolve.

Roster

Since the promotion started to run independently in 2004, Dragon Gate has functioned on having a vast majority of its roster aligned to one unit or another. There are generally multiple factions active at one time.

Jimmy Logo v1
VERZERK15b
Over Generation
Tribe Vanguard2
MaxiMuM
Dragon Gate logo

Unit History

The unit history since the start of Dragon Gate until now the first six units were formed before Dragon Gate like Crazy MAX, Florida Express, Aagan Iisou, Italian Connection, Final M2K and Do FIXER. The others unit are since their formation until their disbanding.

  • ■ Founding member
  • ▲ Left the unit
  • ▼ joined the unit
  • ● rejoined the unit
Start 2004 Final M2K
(July 4, 2004- January 14, 2007)
★■ Masaaki Mochizuki
Susumu Yokosuka
K-ness
Kenichiro Arai
Second Doi/Naruki Doi
▼▲ Yamato Onedera
Crazy MAX
(July 4, 2004 - November 28, 2004)

★■ CIMA
TARU
SUWA
■ ▲● Don Fujii
Shingo Takagi
Do FIXER
(July 4, 2004 - February 2007)

Ryo Saito
Dragon Kid
★▲▼Magnum TOKYO
Genki Horiguchi▲▼ Naoki Tanizaki
Italian Connection
(July 4, 2004 - March 2005)

★■ Milano Collection AT
YOSSINO
Anthony W. Mori
Aagan Iisou
(July 4, 2004 - December 31, 2004)

★▲Masaaki Mochizuki
■★ Shuji Kondo
"brother" YASSHI
Toru Owashi
Shogo Takagi
Takuya Sugawara
Florida Express
(July 4, 2004 - July 11, 2010)

★▲ Michael Iwasa
Daniel Mishima
Johnson Florida
Kenskee Sasaki
Jackson Florida
End 2004 Iron Perms
(September 19, 2004 - November 11, 2004)
★▲ Don Fujii
Naoki Tanizaki
Second Doi
Waku Waku Fuji Land(November 2004 - January 14, 2005)
★▲ CIMA
Don Fujii
Stalker Ichikawa
Super Shisa
Shingo Takagi
Start 2005 Blood Generation
(January 14, 2005 - April 23, 2006)

★■ CIMA
Don Fujii
Shingo Takagi
Gamma
Naoki Tanizaki
Naruki Doi
Masato Yoshino
▼▲ Magnitude Kishiwada
Pos.HEARTS
(March 28, 2005 - February 23, 2007)

★■ Anthony W. Mori
BxB Hulk
Super Shisa
■ ▲ Magnum Tokyo
End 2005
Start 2006 Blood Generation(CIMA's new version)
(April 23, 2006 - January 14, 2007)

★■ CIMA
Don Fujii
Shingo Takagi
Matt Sydal
Jack Evans
Roderick Strong
Tozawa-juku
(April 12, 2006 - November 16, 2008)
★■ Akira Tozawa
Taku Iwasa
Kenichiro Arai
Kouji Shishido
Shinobu
▼▲ El Generico
Yuki Ono
▼▲Takayuki Mori
Muscle Outlaw'z
(April 23, 2006 - May 14, 2008)


★■ Gamma
Magnitude Kishiwada
Yasushi Kanda
Genki Horiguchi
Dr. Muscle
Naruki Doi
Masato Yoshino
Naoki Tanizaki
YAMATO
Cyber Kong
Kinta Tamoaka
Arik Cannon
Pentagon Black
▼▲ Kevin Steen
Muscle Gang
Jimmy Rave
Jack Evans

Renaissance
(2006 - January 7, 2007)

★■ Magnum Tokyo
Masaaki Mochizuki
Don Fujii
Yasushi Kanda
End 2006
Start 2007 Typhoon
(January 21, 2007

- December 28, 2008)
★■ CIMA
Dragon Kid
Susumu Yokosuka
Ryo Saito
Anthony W. Mori
PAC
▼▲ BxB Hulk
▼▲ Shingo Takagi

Mushozoku
(2007 - February 24, 2008)

★■ Masaaki Mochizuki
K-ness
Don Fujii
Magnitude Kishiwada
New Hazard
(April 17, 2007 - May 14, 2008)

★■ Shingo Takagi
BxB Hulk
Cyber Kong
YAMATO
▼▲ Jack Evans
▼▲ Shinobu
▼▲ El Generico
▼▲ Austin Aries
End 2007
Start 2008 Real Hazard
(May 14, 2008 - March 3, 2010)

★■ Shingo Takagi
★■YAMATO
Gamma
Yasushi Kanda
Kenichiro Arai
Takuya SugawaraKzy
Genki Horiguchi
Cyber Kong

▼▲ Susumu Yokosuka
▼▲ K-ness
▼▲Ryo Saito
▼▲KAGETORA
▼▲Cyber Kongcito

WORLD-1
(May 31, 2008 - April 14, 2011)

★■▲ Naruki Doi
★■ Masato Yoshino
BxB Hulk
Susumu Yokosuka
K-ness
PAC
m.c.KZ.
Kotoka
Naoki Tanizaki
Veteran-Gun
(2008 - April 24, 2011)

★■ Masaaki Mochizuki
Don Fujii
Magnitude Kishiwada
▼▲Akebono
Kenichiro Arai
Super Shisa
End 2008
Start 2009 WARRIORS-5
(Febuary 27, 2010

- February 27, 2010)

★■ CIMA
Gamma
Dragon Kid
Susumu Yokosuka
KAGETORA
RYOMA

KAMIKAZE
(January 11, 2009 - May 12, 2011)

★■ Shingo Takagi
Taku Iwasa
Akira Tozawa
YAMATO
Cyber Kong
KAGETORA
El Generico
Dragon Kid
▼▲Kenshin Chikano
End 2009
Start 2010 Deep Drunkers
(March 3, 2010 - October 13, 2010)

★■ Kenichiro Arai
Yasushi Kanda
Takuya Sugawara
Kzy
Naoki Tanizaki
WARRIORS
(February 27, 2010 - January 14, 2011)

★■ CIMA
Dragon Kid
Genki Horiguchi
▼▲ Ryo Saito
▼▲ Ricochet
▼▲ Brodie Lee
Gamma
End 2010 Naruki Doi Unamed Unit
(October 13, 2010 - January 14, 2011)

★■ Naruki Doi
Yasushi Kanda
Takuya Sugawara
Naoki Tanizaki
Kzy
Gamma
Start 2011 Blood Warriors
(January 14, 2011 - March 1, 2012)

★▲ CIMA
★■ Naruki Doi
★◆ Akira Tozawa
Naoki Tanizaki
Brodie Lee
BxB Hulk
Tomahawk TT
Kzy
Uhaa Nation
■ ▲ Gamma
■ ▲ Dragon Kid
■ ▲ Yasushi Kanda
■ ▲ Ryo Saito
■ ▲ Genki Horiguchi
■ ▲ Ricochet
▼▲● Cyber Kong
Masaaki Mochizuki Army
(April 24, 2011 - June 8, 2011)

★■ Masaaki Mochizuki
Masato Yoshino
Susumu Yokosuka
BxB Hulk
PAC
Dragon Kid
Super Shisa
Shingo Takagi
YAMATO
KAGETORA
Rich Swann
End 2011 Junction Three
(June 8, 2011 - February 9, 2012)

★■ Masaaki Mochizuki
Dragon Kid
Super Shisa
Masato Yoshino
Shingo Takagi
YAMATO
PAC
Rich Swann
Jimmy Kagetora
Jimmy Susumu
■▲ BxB Hulk
▼▲ Gamma
Start

2012

WindowsMG
(May 10, 2012 - July 22, 2013)

★■ Kenichiro Arai
K-ness
Super Shisa
Kotoka
Shisa BOY
World-1 International
(March 25, 2012 - September 12, 2013)

★▲ Naruki Doi
★■ Masato Yoshino
Ricochet
Rich Swann
Shachihoko BOY
Johnny Gargano
PAC
-akatsuki-
(April 19, 2012 - August 1, 2013)

★■ Shingo Takagi
Super Shelong III
Chihiro Tominaga
Cyber Kong
■▲YAMATO
Jimmyz
(March 3, 2012 -Present)

★■ Jimmy Susumu
Jimmy Kagetora
Jimmy K-ness J.K.S.
Jimmy Kanda
Ryo "Jimmy" Saito
Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!

▼▲ Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin
Team Veteran Returns
(February 26, 2012 - July 2013)

★■ CIMA
Gamma
Masaaki Mochizuki
Don Fujii
Dragon Kid
"Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa"
Magnitude Kishiwada
HUB
End

2012

Mad Blankey
(March 1, 2012 - August 16, 2015)

Naruki Doi
★▼ YAMATO
★■▲ Akira Tozawa
Mondai Ryu
Punch Tominaga
BxB Hulk
■▲● Cyber Kong
■▲ Kzy
■▲ Mr. Pii Pii Tomakomai Penguin/Naoki Tanisaki
▼ Scott Read
CIMA
Gamma
Don Fujii
K-ness
▼Larry Dallas
Uhaa Nation
Start 2013 M2K
(June 5, 2013 - June 16, 2013)

Masaaki Mochizuki
K-ness
Jimmy Susumu
Jimmy Kanda
End 2013 Millennials
(July 21, 2013 - August 6, 2015)

Eita
★■ T-Hawk
U-T
Flamita
Kotoka
El Lindaman
Yosuke♥Santa Maria
Rocky Lobo
Monster Express
(August 30, 2013

- October 12, 2016)

★■ Masato Yoshino
Akira Tozawa
■▲ Shingo Takagi
■▲ Ricochet
Shachihoko BOY
Big R Shimizu
Peter Kaasa
■▲Uhaa Nation
▼▲ T-Hawk
▼▲Anthony Nese

We Are Team Veteran
(July 2013 - November 6, 2014)

★■ CIMA
Gamma
Don Fujii
K-ness
Super Shisa
Kenichiro Arai
Masaaki Mochizuki
Dragon Kid
"Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa
Start 2014
End 2014 Dia.HEARTS
(September 9, 2014 - February 4, 2016)

★■ BxB Hulk
Masaaki Mochizuki
Dragon Kid
Kzy
Big R Shimizu
Flamita
Start 2015
End 2015 VerserK
(August 30, 2015 - Present)

★■ Shingo Takagi
Cyber Kong/Takashi Yoshida
Mondai Ryu
T-Hawk
"brother" YASSHI
Naoki Tanizaki
El Lindaman
■▲ Naruki Doi
■▲● Punch Tominaga
■▲ YAMATO
■▲ Eita
■▲ Kotoka
Over Generation
(October 8, 2015-Present)

★■ CIMA
Gamma
Eita
■▲ Punch Tominaga
Kaito Ishida
Takehiro Yamamura
Dragon Kid
■▲ El Lindaman

Mondai Ryu
SUMØWZ
(October 8, 2015 - March 5, 2016)
★■ SUMO Fujii
SUMO Susumu
SUMO Hagetora
SUMO Kanda
Genki Horiguchi S.U.M.O/Genki Horiguchi S.U.M.Ooo
Ryo "SUMO" Saito
SUMO K-ness S.K.S.
Start 2016
End 2016 Tribe Vanguard
(May 5, 2016-Present)

BxB Hulk
★■ YAMATO
Kzy
Yosuke♥Santa Maria
Flamita
Start 2017 MaxiMuM
(April 7, 2017 -Present)
★■ Naruki Doi
★■ Masato Yoshino
Kotoka
Big R Shimizu
Ben-K

Championships

Active Championships

Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won Days held
Open The Dream Gate Championship YAMATO4dream YAMATO 4 July 24, 2016 2804+
Open The Triangle Gate Championship DoiBen-KShimizutriangle MaxiMuM
(Naruki Doi, Big R Shimizu and Ben-K)
1
(12, 2, 1)
March 20, 2017 2565+
Open The Brave Gate Championship Kagetorabrave Jimmy Kagetora 1 March 20, 2017 2565+
Open The Twin Gate Championship Ck-1twin Over Generation
(CIMA and Dragon Kid)
1 November 3, 2016 2702+
Open The Owarai Gate Championship Stalkerowarai "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa 9 July 16, 2016 2812+

Inactive Championships

Championship Last Champion(s) Date Won Notes
I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi October 12, 2007 Unified with Open The Twin Gate Championship on October 12, 2007
Open The Owarai Twin Gate Championship Don Fujii and Kikutaro April 12, 2009 Has seemingly been forgotten about after its first appearance
International Junior Heavyweight Championship Masaaki Mochizuki November 23, 2006 Mochizuki beat Gedo in a decision match on January 26, 2007 to determine the then final champion and then retired the title.

Tournaments

Tournament Last winner Last held
King of Gate YAMATO May 12, 2016
Summer Adventure Tag League Tournament Over Generation
(Dragon Kid and Eita)
September 10, 2016
New Years Unit War 6 Man Tag Team Tournament VerserK (Shingo Takagi, T-Hawk and El Lindaman) January 18, 2017

Affiliates

Promotion name Location Partnered on Notes
Dragon Gate NEX Japan 2006 Active
Dragon Gate USA United States 2009 Inactive
Dragon Gate UK United Kingdom 2009 Inactive

Events

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