5 Dragon Gate USA Shows You Must Watch
WWE purchased the assets and tape library along with EVOLVE Wrestling.
In 2020, WWE purchased the assets and tape library of EVOLVE Wrestling. Upon hearing this news, I wrote an article celebrating EVOLVE’s legacy and listing five shows fans should watch once the full library is available on the WWE Network. What I didn’t know was that WWE had also bought the assets and tape library of EVOLVE’s older sister promotion Dragon Gate USA.
Much like EVOLVE, Dragon Gate USA was a promotion I followed from beginning to end. Gabe Sapolsky’s post Ring of Honor wrestling project, DGUSA was formed in the Summer of 2009, and brought together the Japanese talents of Dragon Gate against the up-and-coming stars of the American independent wrestling scene. And much like EVOLVE, Dragon Gate USA has a very turbulent history. After beginning with outstanding critical acclaim (the debut show “Enter the Dragon: Open the Historic Gate” won the WON Best Show of the Year Award in 2009, which is a feat yet to be duplicated by any other debuting promotion), DGUSA gradually slowed down and became very much a shell of its former self.
Streaming issues, video production problems and international talent availability turned a lot of fans off the product, which although understandable, is a shame. In the end, Dragon Gate USA became inactive, and in 2015 merged into EVOLVE Wrestling.
Dragon Gate USA never put on a show I would consider “bad,” and because of this, many fans missed out on a lot of good wrestling. So much like my EVOLVE Wrestling list, for my Dragon Gate USA list I have selected five shows you should see once they become accessible on the WWE Network. My only rule this time is that I haven’t chosen the first two DGUSA shows “Enter the Dragon” and “Untouchable 2009” because they received so much coverage already, it would be unfair to speak about these over others shows in the DGUSA back catalogue.
Lastly, I want to dedicate this article to the life and legacy of Jonathan Huber AKA Brodie Lee. I first saw Brodie Lee wrestling as part of the DGUSA roster and remained one of his strongest supporters. He truly was the most athletic and versatile big man of his generation, and I’m very lucky to have seen his journey from the indies to the main stages of WWE and AEW. Rest in peace, Jonathan.
Open the Freedom Gate 2009 (aka Freedom Fight 2009)
After producing two of the best independent wrestling shows of the year, and arguably the decade, Dragon Gate USA kept the momentum going with its third show “Freedom Fight 2009.” Taking place at the world famous ECW Arena, the pay-per-view featured a one-night tournament to crown the first Dragon Gate USA: Open the Freedom Gate Champion, the highlight of which was an incredible opening round clash between YAMATO and Davey Richards. But that wasn’t all.
After facing each other in singles contests on the first two shows, Masato Yoshino and Dragon Kid were forming quite the rivalry. To settle things once and for all, Masato Yoshino enlisted his Speedstar partner Naruki Doi to join him in a dream tag match. But who did Dragon Kid pick as his partner…SHINGO! What followed was one of the top five greatest tag team matches I’ve ever seen. This match is reason enough to watch this show, and a reminder that Dragon Gate USA was at the forefront of a new wrestling revolution.
Untouchable 2010
In the summer of 2010, Bryan Danielson was fired from WWE and returned to the indies for a final tour of his old stomping grounds. Danielson made the journey into the Dragon’s Lair, and at Untouchable 2010 took part in a dream main event match against YAMATO. One of my favorite matches from the Dragon Gate USA archives, this is a beautiful technical war which goes against the assumed Dragon Gate style of match.
Additionally, the show features a wonderful power vs. speed battle with Dragon Kid and former friend SHINGO, a crazy hardcore fight between Jimmy Jacobs and Jon Moxley and another spectacular tag team match, which was the coming out party of a little-known wrestler by the name of Ricochet!
Fearless 2011
On paper, Fearless appears to be a standard indie show with very little to attract you. But you are mistaken. Fearless 2011 features one of the hardest hitting matches you are ever likely to see: Sami Callihan vs. Masaaki Mochizuki brought the crowd to its feet with brutal chops, intense slaps and some of the hardest kicks I’ve ever seen in my life!
Fearless also has a brilliant main event tag match between PAC and Yoshino vs. Tozawa and YAMATO, a great opener between CIMA and Rich Swann and a crazy six-way fray featuring Brodie Lee.
Open the Golden Gate 2012
DGUSA’s debut in California in January 2012 was a supercard for the ages. Featuring the best from the past, present and future of the company, Open the Golden Gate settled old scores and created new rivalries all at once.
Sami Callihan and AR Fox faced off in the best tables match I’ve ever seen, BxB Hulk took on the debuting Low Ki in a violent affair and PAC vs. Akira Tozawa picked right back up where they left off nearly a year earlier at Mercury Rising 2011.
REVOLT! 2013
REVOLT! 2013 is an interesting show. The main thing you notice is the strange venue which looks to be a large industrial garage, complete with a large truck, that still baffles me. REVOLT! 2013 is probably the most overlooked show in the Dragon Gate USA catalogue.
We have a high-speed tag encounter between the Young Bucks and the Jimmyz, along with a slobber knocker as Akira Tozawa and Sami Callihan go to war. And the main event is one of the most unique and scary matches you are ever likely to see. A no-rope, no DQ, Open the Freedom Gate Title match between reigning champion Johnny Gargano and challenger Jon Davis.
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