By Joseph Gargiulo
Pro wrestling promotion Dragon Gate USA said “konichiwa” to Queens Saturday night by holding its first card here, kicking off a weekend of shows in celebration of turning four.
The company, the American branch of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate, produced the live online pay-per-view event Bushido: Code of the Warrior from the Brooklyn-Queensborough Elks Lodge, at 82-20 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst.
Airing on wwnlive.com, the main event was a six-man tag team match that culminated with both teams using tables, ladders and chairs as weapons in an attempt to win.
Billed as the “Gate to Heaven Match,” the nearly half-hour bout was best two-out-of-three falls in which all three falls were contested. This was because in the event that one team won all three falls, then each individual member of that team would receive any future title match of their choosing.
The stipulation for the first fall was that two referees would preside over the contest and tags would be strictly enforced. DG Open the Twin Gate Champion Ricochet and DGUSA Open the United Gate Champions The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) won via pinfall.
They lost the second fall, however, via submission to AR Fox, CIMA, and Tomahawk TT. This fall was contested under Dragon Gate Rules, meaning that no tags were needed.
With the first two falls split evenly between the two teams, the deciding fall allowed for the legal use of tables, ladders and chairs. By scoring the pinfall, Ricochet and The Young Bucks won the match.
The undercard was highlighted by three matches, which included a six-way freestyle contest. Scott Reed won the bout by fending off his five other opponents, though his associate Larry Dallas, who was not a match participant, helped.
In the other two matches, DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion Johnny Gargano knocked out Rich Swann for the win when he illegally used a strap to choke Swann. Chuck Taylor defeated Jon Davis in a bunkhouse match, a hardcore-style bout. Weapons in this contest included a bottle of water, a plunger and the referee.
In other action, Uhaa Nation, ex-World Wrestling Entertainment performer Trent Baretta and Anthony Nese won their respective matches, and the event’s pre-show consisted of a singles contest and a tag team bout.
On Sunday, DGUSA’s festivities ended with its Enter the Dragon: Fourth Anniversary Celebration pay-per-view at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan.
The full results of the card are as follows:
1. Psycho Mike Rollins (d) Johnny Wave in a One-fall, Pre-show Match by pinfall in 4:44.
2. Anthony Silva and JA West (d) Michael Blade and Sir William Black in a One-fall, 4-man Tag Team, Pre-show Match by pinfall in 8:26.
3. Uhaa Nation (d) Jigsaw in a One-fall Match by pinfall in 6:53.
4. Scott Reed (d) Caleb Konley, Derek Ryze, Drew Gulak, Orange Cassidy, and Shane Strickland in a One-fall, 6-way Freestyle Match by pinfall, after interference by Larry Dallas, in 11:02.
5. Chuck Taylor (d) Jon Davis in a One-fall, Bunkhouse Match by submission in 18:19.
6. DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion Johnny Gargano (d) Rich Swann in a One-fall Match by knock-out, after illegally using a strap to choke Swann, in 16:28.
7. Trent Baretta (d) EITA in a One-fall Match by pinfall in 10:53.
8. Anthony Nese (d) Akira Tozawa in a One-fall Match by pinfall in 15:25.
9. DG Open the Twin Gate Champion Ricochet and DGUSA Open the United Gate Champions The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (d) AR Fox, CIMA, and Tomahawk TT in a 2-out-of-3 Falls, 6-man Tag Team, Gate to Heaven Match by pinfall in 28:54.
