Dragon Gate USA “opened the Historic Gate” last night, holding their first show before a packed house at the Arena. The main event saw the holder of both the Brave and Dream Gate, Naruki Doi, overcome the man he defeated to win the Dream Gate, Shingo Takagi, with his signature Muscular Bomb, underlined the fact that he is the man to beat in all of Dragon Gate nowadays. Also on the card was a battle between YAMATO and BxB Hulk (with Daizee Haze acting as one of Hulk’s dancers!), a show-stealing match between the Young Bucks and CIMA/Susumu Yokosuka, and a killer singles battle between Masato Yoshino and Dragon Kid!

However, the biggest news from a CHIKARA perspective has to be the post-match events of the CHIKARA showcase match. The match itself was a grand showcase of what has brought CHIKARA to the dance, if you will, with high-flying, fast paced action all over the place, ending in Jigsaw pinning Icarus with his signature Jig ‘n’ Tonic to earn the tecnicos a big win. Once the match had finished and 7 of the 8 wrestlers had gone to the back, “Lightning” Mike Quackenbush grabbed the microphone and introduced a tribute video for the legendary Jorge “Skayde” Rivera. He also added that perhaps a Dragon Gate vs. CHIKARA match should take place in the future, which brought out KAMIKAZE member YAMATO. Despite a recent change of heart back home in Japan, the ever-devious YAMATO lured Quack into a false sense of security by implying he respected Quack before fouling Quackenbush and adding (via translation) that he had no respect for Quack, CHIKARA or Skayde. Jigsaw attempted to save Quack but also got attacked, drawing F.I.S.T. member Gran Akuma from the backstage area. Jigsaw appealed to him, saying that YAMATO had disrespected all of the CHIKARA wrestlers, but instead of helping him Akuma chose to side with YAMATO, putting a beating on Quack and Jigsaw. Cheech and Cloudy attempted to make the save but were quickly sent to the floor, and the YAMATO/Akuma alliance was finally sent packing by the trio of Fire Ant, Soldier Ant and Lince Dorado. With Jigsaw earning the win in this match that means that he will now be on the second DGUSA card in Chicago (along with Quack), so it’ll be interesting to see if those two challenge YAMATO and Akuma to a tag match.

Other CHIKARA participation saw the aforementioned Lince Dorado overcome Cheech, Cloudy and several others en route to an impressive victory in the FRAY match after using his signature Shooting Star Press.

It was also announced that on November 28, 2009 DGUSA will return to the Arena with a one-night tournament to decide the holder of the Open the Freedom Gate, the top singles title in DGUSA.

- Dragon Gate USA “Open the Historic Gate”
July 25, 2009 ~ The Arena, Philadelphia, PA
0. FRAY!: Lince Dorado (Shooting Star Press) Cheech, Cloudy, Unbreakable Andy, Louis Lyndon, Chris Jones, Johnny Gargano and Aaron Arbo
1. YAMATO (Gallaria) BxB Hulk
2. 2 Cold Scorpio (Tumbleweed) Ken Doane
3. CHIKARA Showcase Match: Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw {W}, Fire Ant & Soldier Ant (Jig ‘n’ Tonic) Gran Akuma, Icarus {L}, Amasis & Hallowicked
4. Dragon Kid (Ultra Huracanrana) Masato Yoshino
5. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson [The Young Bucks] (More Bang For Your Buck) CIMA & Susumu Yokosuka {L} [Warriors-5]
6. Naruki Doi (Muscular Bomb) Shingo Takagi

R.I.P. Mitsuharu Misawa and Ted Tanabe. Truly two of the best in the world at what they did. They will be missed.

~~~

CHIKARA has played host to many great international stars in the past, most recently former Toryumon and Osaka Pro star Shadow Phoenix and DDT’s Kota Ibushi. However, outside of a brief drunken dabble with the man, the myth, the legend known as the original La Parkita, CHIKARA has never really put on a showcase for… well, lucha libre minis! That will all change on August 15th in Easton, as making their debuts will be two of CMLL’s top minis stars: Mascarita Dorada and Pierrothito! This will not be an occasion to miss, as anyone who has seen Dorada in action can testify to. While often undersized, even against other minis, Dorada is without a doubt one of the best high-flying wrestlers in the entire world right now.

Also, the official results from Big Japan are out for Saturday’s “Global Gauntlet II” event. The final match, a five-on-five bout between CHIKARA tecnicos (assisted by some BJW vets) and the Rudo Army was an overtime battle to clear the tie between CHIKARA and BJW in the gauntlet. We’re not quite sure how considering both sides contained mostly CHIKARA talent, but we’re not one to question the Japanese.

- BJW “CHIKARA Japan Showcase ~ GLOBAL GAUNTLET II”
June 13, 2009 ~ Shin-kiba 1st Ring, Tokyo, Japan
1. Daikokubo Benkai (4:35 ~ Single Leg Crab Hold) Atsushi Ohashi
2. CHIKARA vs. BJW: UltraMantis Black & Crossbones {W} [The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple (9:16 ~ Diving Cross Body) Shadow WX & Yuichi Taniguchi
3. CHIKARA vs. BJW: Daisuke Sekimoto (10:07 ~ German Suplex Hold) Chuck Taylor
4. CHIKARA vs. BJW: Yoshihito Sasaki {W} & Ryuichi Kawakami (11:20 ~ Argentine Coaster) Shane Matthews & Jagged {L} [2.0]
5. Takashi Sasaki {W} & Shinobu (16:41 ~ Right Leg) Michael Nakazawa {L} & Tigre Rojo
6. CHIKARA vs. BJW: Fire Ant {W}, Soldier Ant & Green Ant [The Colony] (16:41 ~ Ant Hill) Jaki Numazawa, Shinya Ishikawa & Yuji Okabayashi
6a. CHIKARA vs. BJW: Fire Ant {W} & Soldier Ant & Green Ant [The Colony] & Jaki Numazawa & Atsushi Ohashi (5:50 ~ Beach Break) UltraMantis Black {L} & Crossbones [The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple] & Jagged & Shane Matthews [2.0] & Chuck Taylor

While we don’t have much detail as of yet – this post will certainly be updated as we get anything – the devious UltraMantis Black has posted the results to Saturday’s “Global Gauntlet II” event in Shin-kiba 1st Ring, Tokyo, Japan. The show saw an impromptu main event where the evil Rudo Army finally joined forces together to take on The Colony, “Black Angel” Jaki Numazawa and Atsushi Ohashi. Despite four of the men on the tecnico squad having participated in the scheduled main event just prior to this match, it was the Rudo Army that fell!

A second set of results popped up on UltraMantis Black’s Twitter, detailing a previously unannounced CHIKARA show in Shin-Yokohama. The main event saw Inter Species Wrestling’s Badd Boys, Brad and Chad Badd, defeat Mantis and Crossbones with use of a chair wrapped in barbed wire. The first match featured two unnamed Big Japan students.

- BJW “CHIKARA Japan Showcase ~ GLOBAL GAUNTLET II”
June 13, 2009 ~ Shin-kiba 1st Ring, Tokyo, Japan
1. Daikokubo Benkai def. Atsushi Ohashi
2. CHIKARA vs. BJW: UltraMantis Black & Crossbones [The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple] def. Shadow WX & Yuichi Taniguchi
3. CHIKARA vs. BJW: Daisuke Sekimoto def. Chuck Taylor
4. CHIKARA vs. BJW: Yoshihito Sasaki & Ryuichi Kawakami def. Jagged & Shane Matthews [2.0]
5. Takashi Sasaki & Shinobu def. Michael Nakazawa & Rojo Tigre
6. CHIKARA vs. BJW: Fire Ant, Soldier Ant & Green Ant [The Colony] def. Jaki Numazawa, Shinya Ishikawa & Yuji Okabayashi
7. Fire Ant, Soldier Ant & Green Ant [The Colony] & Jaki Numazawa & Atsushi Ohashi def. Jagged & Shane Matthews [2.0] & UltraMantis Black & Crossbones [The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple] & Chuck Taylor

CHIKARA Pro Live
June 14, 2009 ~ Shin-Yokohama, Japan
1. ??? (Fujiwara Armbar) ???
2. Fire Ant (Beach Break) Chuck Taylor
3. Yuji Okabayashi (Western Lariat) Ryuichi Kawakami
4. Chad Badd & Brad Badd [Badd Boys] (Barbed Wire Chair Assisted Badd Move) UltraMantis Black & Crossbones [The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple]

Dragon Gate has played host to many dancing characters in the past, most notably “Mr. Egoist” Magnum TOKYO and current WORLD-1 member BxB Hulk. Come July 25th they will be featuring yet another, as “The Funky Pharaoh” Amasis has been added to the CHIKARA offer match. Amasis comes into this match as the least experienced member so far, but he also comes in as one half of the current Campeones de Parejas alongside his Osirian Portal mate Ophidian, making him quite a considerable threat in this match. He will also be across the ring from The Colony, familiar rivals of the Portal (just as they are to F.I.S.T.)

No specifics on finishes yet from the first Japan show, but UltraMantis Black has put the quick results up on his Twitter account. When BJW properly announces all of the results an updated set of results will be posted. CHIKARA has confirmed that 2.0 and The Colony both have earned a point with their victories here. Not only that, but Green Ant apparently donned his regular gear, so the clothing crisis appears to have been overcome.

UPDATE: Some detailed results have been found, with a whole load of pics, which can be viewed here.

- BJW “CHIKARA Japan Showcase”
June 12, 2009 ~ Ice Ribbon Arena, Saitama, Japan
1. Green Ant Debut Match: Green Ant (7:00 ~ Schoolboy) Tigre Rojo
2. Chuck Taylor (9:26 ~ Cross Crab) Michael Nakazawa
3. Jagged {W} & Shane Matthews [2.0] (12:39 ~ Sweet Taste of Professionalism) Mototsugu Shimizu & Atsushi Ohashi {L}
4. Fire Ant & Soldier Ant {W} [The Colony] (14:10 ~ CHIKARA Special) UltraMantis Black {L} & Crossbones [The Order of the Neo-Solar Temple]

- Dragon Gate USA Debut Show
July 25, 2009 ~ The Arena, Philadelphia, PA
0. The Fray – Featuring: Flip Kendrick, Johnny Gargano and more!
1. CHIKARA Showcase Match: Fire Ant & Soldier Ant [The Colony] & X & X [CHIKARA Tecnicos] vs. Gran Akuma & Icarus [F.I.S.T.] & Amasis & X [CHIKARA Rudos]
2. CIMA & Susumu Yokosuka [Warriors-5] vs. Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson [The Young Bucks]
3. Masato Yoshino vs. Dragon Kid

Also scheduled to appear: Naruki Doi, YAMATO, BxB Hulk, Shingo Takagi, 2 Cold Scorpio and more!

- BJW “DAINICHI DASH”
June 9, 2009 ~ Nigiwaiza, Yokohama, Japan
1. Masashi Takeda (8:09 ~ Ankle Hold) Atsushi Ohashi
2. UltraMantis Black (6:48 ~ Ref stoppage due to injury) Daisuke Masaoka
3. Fire Ant & Soldier Ant {W} [The Colony] (13:51 ~ “Dis-missile”) Shinya Ishikawa & Shinobu {L}
4. Chuck Taylor (8:24 ~ La Magistral) Yuji Okabayashi
5. Daisuke Sekimoto {W} & Yoshito Sasaki (15:14 ~ Lariat) Daisuke Sasaki & Ryuichi Kawakami

- Hama Pro “Yokohama Anniversary Special Series 150″
June 10, 2009 ~ Nigiwaiza, Yokohama, Japan
3. Jagged {W} & Shane Matthews [2.0] (11:51 ~ Sweet Taste of Professionalism) Yoshihito Sasaki & Shinya Ishikawa
4. Western Tiger, Pierre {W} & Daisuke Sekimoto (12:27 ~ Diving Senton) Buta Gunso, UltraMantis Black {L} & Crossbones