The 2014 Future Endeavours Club

On Wednesday 11 June WWE hadn’t done a mass release of talent in around three years. That changed the following day when it was announced that Brodus Clay, Evan Bourne, Yoshi Tatsu, Camacho, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Aksana, Curt Hawkins, and JTG, as well as referee Marc Harris and odd job man Theodore Long, had been released from their contracts. Until 2011 it had previously been a rather unpleasant annual tradition that came in the months following WrestleMania. It originally came about through a combination of cost-cutting and clearing the roster of wrestlers who had run their course with the company. It was, in a way, spring cleaning. It had presumably fallen off in recent years because WWE were going through a phase of altruism and-or a phase of feeling the need to get everybody under contract accepted as a star.

The lack of mass releases wasn’t going to last forever. WWE employs too many people at too many levels for that. There had been hints that something big was coming with the release of four NXT names (Shaul ‘Raquel Diaz’ Guerrero, beefy Welsh lovemuffin Mason Ryan, Danny Burch, and former tag champ Oliver Grey) at the end of April, but at the time it was taken more as the beginning of a new norm: WWE making multiple releases from NXT and leaving the main roster alone. Clearly that was wrong.

Below I’ll look at ten of the eleven releases (what is there to say about a nondescript referee?), discussing what they achieved in WWE, whether it was right to release them and what they could end up doing next.

Before I start that I’ll mention that I won’t be discussing Global Force Wrestling as a prospective employer. The promotion hasn’t promoted or even announced its first show yet. All it’s done is flog T-shirts and post pictures on its website and social media accounts, a disproportionate number of which have featured non-worker Karen Jarrett. It’s entirely possible some or all of the people WWE released will end up in GFW but it’s impossible to discuss it realistically bright now because we’ve no idea what their product will be like to hypothesise on where any wrestler could fit into things.

We’ll begin with one of the bigger names on the list: Drew McIntyre. The Scotsman was introduced in a significant fashion (for 2009) and was initially positioned as singles act destined for greatness. He was infamously singled out as Vince McMahon’s on-screen ‘Chosen One’ which, while clearly a storyline, was indicative of there being a lot of faith in him as a performer. The company boss isn’t going to endorse someone on-screen if they doesn’t feel they can amount to something. Especially when that company boss is Vince McMahon.

For a while it looked as though Drew was going to meet the hype. He was shuffled into a rivalry with an authority figure (specifically SmackDown GM Teddy Long), one of WWE’s favoured methods of getting someone over, and quickly had the Intercontinental title slung his way. True, the belt didn’t mean as much as it once had but it was still a vote of confidence from the writing crew.

It’s tricky to know where Drew went wrong. He was never a bad wrestler and he seemed decent enough on the microphone. I suspect those in charge may have cooled on him when he went through a period of visa issues which prohibited him from making regular appearances on TV. Denied weekly use of him I imagine the writing team, and the notoriously fickle-with-mid-carders Vinnie Mac, lost interest.

Maybe they could form a team called 2 Out of 3MB.
Y'know, like 2 Out of 3 Count?

In the last year Drew had been killing time as a member of 3MB, alongside Heath Slater and fellow firee Jinder Mahal. It says something about how far McIntyre had fallen that when he helped found the comedy jobber trio it was seen as a step up for him. Mahal too, for that matter. He’d never been seen in quite the same light as McIntyre but he had been given a prominently booked, if confusing and dull, introductory feud opposite The Great Khali and been presented as a man of significance for a while afterwards.

3MB were never going to amount to anything. Everything you need to know about the group’s standing can be gleaned from the fact that they’d been playing second fiddle to Hornswoggle in his feud with El Torito for a month and a half before the releases occurred. An on-screen split wouldn’t have done them any favours. It would have harmed them in fact. At least in 3MB they had an identity and a chance of getting on to shows to be used in tag matches. Both McIntyre and Mahal would have struggled as singles acts because they’d been presented as losers for so long (something Heath Slater’s about to find out).

I’ll be surprised if McIntyre doesn’t hit up some British indies in the next few months, specifically Insane Championship Wrestling. It’s based in his home country of Scotland and by all accounts does very well for itself. I can’t imagine them passing up the chance to bring in a Scottish guy who has WWE priors. If they start to expand into new areas, and there are rumblings that they might, it’s possible Drew will work there frequently and take other bookings around Blighty. A move to TNA isn’t out of the question, but his ex-wife working there may make that… tricky.

Mahal’s future is a tougher call. There’s no obvious call for a man of average look and ability on the indies. He doesn’t strike me as a man who’d fit in anywhere really, so my best guess would be TNA. Because he’s a former WWE talent. Maybe he’ll surprise us and make it big in the ailing NOAH. Or All Japan. Stranger things have happened.

The release of Camacho isn’t really surprising. He had a brief run as an enforcer on the main roster but that came to an end when Hunico, the man for whom he was enforcing, got permanently morphed into Sin Cara. The most noteworthy thing that happened to him during his subsequent run on NXT was a weird rivalry with Adam Rose.

There was no obvious role for him to fill on the main roster and being a permanent fixture in NXT wasn’t an option, so his release was inevitable. He seemed like a nice enough guy but I don’t think he’s a loss. I think he’d be a good addition to EVOLVE but I that seems unlikely. I suspect the best he can hope for is a string of bookings with nondescript leagues.

Similar sentiments can be expressed for Yoshi Tatsu. If anything it’s arguable that his release seemed more likely. He first signed a WWE contract in 2007. Seven years later he was still stationed in the developmental system. He’d been promoted to the main roster during that time but he’d never progressed beyond an enhancement position. If WWE has no faith in someone who’s been in their system for that long a cut can’t be considered a shock.

Being Japanese Tatsu’s future could very well lie there. As much as I think he’d fit in in Ring of Honor I can’t imagine there’s much call for him there. They’ve got a partnership with New Japan anyway, making a guy like Tatsu less interesting than he would have been to them a year or two ago. For that matter both EVOLVE and TNA have Japanese partner promotions they can call on for foreign talent.

Aksana comes from a bodybuilding background, which makes her release a little surprising. Because Triple H is a big fan of bodybuilders. But then he’s also a fan of wrestling and Aksana was not a good wrestler. She looked good in slinky outfits. That’s about all that can be said for her as far as working in wrestling goes. And even in WWE that will only get you so far.

If TNA aren’t interested in her I think she’ll probably be leaving the wrestling world. So really the question is “Will TNA have an interest in her?” In her favour she has the already mentioned ability to look good in slinky outfits and a history with WWE. That’s probably enough to net her work there. Considering how much TNA enjoy replicating WWE storylines and characters it’s possible, perhaps even likely, that Aksana will be hired to work as their version of Lana, a sexy foreign heel who manages an unstoppable monster.

Speaking of Aksana, her on-screen-ex-boyfriend Teddy Long has gone too. More than any other person who was released I can imagine that there was a degree of amicability to this release. At sixty-six Long probably fancied retiring and putting his feet up. He’d done everything he was ever going to in WWE and was only going to continue to be the butt of jokes if he stuck around. That’s not something WWE is going to pay someone to do indefinitely.

The worst thing about Long’s departure is that it means there’ll probably never be a payoff to his strike storyline on The JBL and Cole Show.

Back to Ring of Honor? Probs.

Back on more surprising ground we have Evan Bourne. He’s been recovering from an ankle injury (suffered in a motorbike accident as opposed to the wrestling ring) since the spring of 2012. He had one match last year and realised that he needed to continue rehabbing. That match aside he’d been injured for twenty-seven months. Only the very top guys can take that sort of time off without fear of release, and Evan Bourne was not close to being a very top guy.

But even with that said Bourne’s release comes as a surprise. He was never going to be a big singles star but he could have been a nice addition to the mid-card or the tag ranks. In fact he’d already had a taste of both thanks to a brief but fun programme with Chris Jericho in 2010 and a tag team championship reign alongside Kofi Kingston as Air Boom. Perhaps there are medical reports that indicated WWE were going to have to wait months before he was ready to step back into the ring and they weren’t prepared to do so. I can understand that but it doesn’t change my belief that Bourne had something to offer.

Bourne is the only man released who has a history with Ring of Honor, as Matt Sydal. When he’s recovered he could head back there and get a spot just below the main event. He could form a tag team with his brother, who works there under the ring name Mike Sydal. A series with Bad Influence would be a natural fit considering Bourne held the ROH tag straps with Chris Daniels. He could even join forces with the Daniels and Kazarian to form a faction.

Beyond ROH I could see Bourne getting work in any other US-based wrestling promotion. New Japan may want him too, although his style is hardly unique and it’s not like they don’t have any guys that can fly. A return to Dragon Gate, and the work in DG USA that would bring, is possible too. Basically if Matthew ‘Evan Bourne’ Korklan can work his ankle issues out he’ll find work.

I’d like to say the same for Brodus Clay but I don’t think I can as he’s not held in as high regard. I thought he had the size, the look, and the verbal ability to be a somebody in WWE. Clearly someone in Stamford disagrees with me. Considering the size of the average modern wrestler he’s clearly cut out for a heel role but he’s a very likeable babyface too. His ‘Funkasaurus’ act could be cringe-worthy at points but people reacted to it, and he showed a lot of personality during his time on NXT season two. There was something likeable about the guy.

In hindsight Brodus's demotion to NXT earlier this year was probably a sign.

Brodus seems like a natural guy for TNA to make a play for. I suspect they’d do so based solely on his status as a former WWE guy but they should be doing it because he’s got the qualities to become an immediate headliner for them and make their product feel fresh. Ultimately the reason they go for him doesn’t matter. I just hope that they do. He never felt fully utilised in WWE.

Brodus working anywhere other than TNA doesn’t seem likely. His style wouldn’t fit in EVOLVE or ROH and I can’t imagine him wrestling a great match with anyone of those rosters. Japan seems unlikely too: he’s big, which they like, but he seems concerned about hurting his foes, which they don’t. The sports entertainment-lite and WWE rerun approach offered by TNA is what’s best for ‘Monstrous’ BC.

Curt Hawkins never really recovered from having his on-screen association with Edge ended in 2008. That was the high point of his WWE tenure. After that he got split from tag partner Zack Ryder, returned to developmental, and then made it back to TV in an enhancement role. He eventually wound up on NXT Redemption and formed a team with Tyler Reks. More could have been done with that pairing but they were victims of poor timing: they got together before WWE began even half-heartedly trying to get its tag team division back on track.

It’s hard to argue against the Hawkins release. He’d shown no signs of improving since his first televised appearance in 2007, had a generic look, and possessed the aura of a jobber (partly WWE’s own fault but it’s true nonetheless). He wasn’t going to become a major star. It would be hard to imagine him even being taken seriously as a contender to the mid-card titles. If he was kept around he’d only have been a jobber. And the reason WWE likes to freshen up its job squad every so often is that keeping guys around who lose all the time makes the company look bad. They can’t present themselves as the elite wrestling promotion if guys who never win are deemed worthy of continued employment.

A move to EVOLVE wouldn’t be the stupidest thing in the world for Hawkins. He started his wrestling career in the north-eastern US working alongside Trent Baretta and Anthony Nese, making storylines with them a natural fit. He could immediately join forces with them or he could show up and tell them he’s disappointed in what they’ve become, prompting a series of singles and tag matches before a swerve turn.

Finally there was JTG. He won’t be missed.

Of course, it should be pointed out that any of these people could find their way back to WWE at some point. If they show they’re still passionate about wrestling by taking more bookings and continue to improve WWE may decide to hire them back. That’s happened before, very occasionally resulting in a more prosperous run for the performer involved. Even Teddy may get rehired at some point. A talent like that won’t go overlooked for long.

Global Boom

You’ve probably noticed that Jeff Jarrett has a new wrestling promotion under construction. It will be called Global Force Wrestling and it’s being created for a number of reasons. First and foremost it’s because Jeff no longer holds a position with TNA, the company he founded with his father (Jerry) in 2002. Despite selling control of the company to the Carter family’s Panda Energy Jeff kept a position with the group for a number of years, including the years after he stopped being a TV presence. That changed a few months ago when he announced he was leaving. It seems fair to assume, given his new venture, that Jarrett was tired of being a bit part player in a company he’d intended to be North America’s number two wrestling league. Jeff Jarrett wanted to be the boss again.

Secondly, he feels that another wrestling boom period is imminent. While promoting his new league he’s said that now is the best time to start up a wrestling company because it’s due to shift back into the mainstream. He seems tuned in enough to realise that WWE is going to be the focal point of such a boom (should it materialise) but understands that being a new group while people are just getting interested in wrestling again (or for the first time) will help him build a fan base. A new promotion will feel fresh and new and be more capable of providing jump-in, introductory points than even WWE. There will be a certain dynamism that companies that have existed for more than a few years (basically the entire crop of meaningful indy feds) won’t be able to create.

It’s actually timing that may have doomed TNA from the very start. Wrestling’s last major period of significance started in the mid-nineties and ran through to 2001. It was characterised by the innovative ECW, the Monday Night Wars between the WWF and WCW, and the WWF’s Attitude Era. It was never going to last forever and in hindsight it was always going to wind down after either WCW or the WWF folded. The natural conclusion, basically, was always going to be an invasion of the WWF by WCW talent (or, in some alternate universe somewhere, an invasion of WCW by WWF talent).

Even if that storyline had been expertly handled and booked with no expense spared it was never going to stretch much beyond the early months of 2002. That it was so badly presented only helped to drive less enthusiastic viewers away sooner than would otherwise have been the case. By March 2002, a year after the closure of WCW, the WWF was the only game in town and it was not providing storylines anywhere near as compelling as it had two years before.

Setting up a wrestling company just a year after a hot streak had finished and while the market leader (which dictates how wrestling is perceived in general) was being particularly uninspiring was not the greatest move. But it’s the one the Jarretts made. And in fairness although it was ill-fated it did make sense. They couldn’t sit around waiting for the WWF (soon to become WWE) to get hot again. If they wanted to start a promotion they needed to do it then because there were still significant names floating around from the boom period that had only just ended, plus newcomers wanting a break that McMahon Corp weren’t going to provide.

This time it appears that Jarrett’s timing is better. While I’m not as confident as he is that wrestling’s about to explode into mainstream pop culture again, it is at least a positive sign that WWE’s doing better than when he started TNA. It creates an environment in which wrestling is taken as more acceptable. There’s also the fact that the viewing habits of fans have changed over the years. The internet has made it easier to watch wrestling from all over the world, and old footage too. People’s tastes have become more sophisticated and they understand the business better (whether the people in the business want to admit that or not). It’s easier to present a product that’s less storyline driven and more about athletic ability than it would have been ten years ago because fans at large have become more accepting of the variety of styles that make up professional wrestling.

And it seems as though that’s the approach ‘Double J’ is planning to take. We’ve heard that he’s “created a database” (a pretentious way of saying he’s got a list of names and numbers) with over five hundred entries on it. Obviously you’re not going to have five hundred main event calibre performers on any list. But equally you’re going to have a list that long and have no main event calibre names. Looking beyond the specifics of who Jarrett has and hasn’t signed we can say confidently that he will have some worthwhile talent available to him.

He’s also linked himself to a production company in California. That’s a good move in itself for the obvious reason that he’ll need to produce some sort of show to air and sell. Going with a company in California is a particularly good move. That’s the US’s entertainment mecca, making hobnobbing with other companies that could cross promote far easier than it would be if they were based in, oh, I don’t know, Baltimore, Maryland (cough, ROH, cough!). It also means that they’ll be promoting in an area that has all the technical equipment and venues (of all sizes) they could need. It also sets them up nicely to promote shows at next year’s WrestleMania weekend without going outside of what will I imagine will still be their comfort zone, although that’s more a happy coincidence than planning.

At first glance the idea of Global Force Wrestling has a lot of potential. That Jarrett appears to have worked out deals with talent from around the globe (presumably the name is intended as a literal reflection of his promotion’s scope as opposed to being an all too common bit of hollow wrestling wording) will allow him to present a variety of styles that will provide something for everyone watching. Theoretically it will help viewers discover new styles they enjoy too. As WWE only promotes the sports entertainment style (although in fairness it should be pointed out that this is far more flexible than many make out and does change with the times), DG USA and ROH don’t venture much outside their own comfort zones, and TNA are a complete shambles with no definitive style to speak of, that gives him something unique to offer anyone watching.

I think it’s safe to assume he’ll get some working arrangements sorted out with other promotions too. Jarrett was the man credited with getting TNA deals with AAA and Wrestle-1. As soon as whatever contracts are in place with TNA expire it’s entirely possible Jarrett will be able to swoop in and negotiate something for GFW in their place. In fact TNA itself is on shaky legs: should they go under Jarrett would have access to a wide selection of reasonably well-known names to feature on his shows.

Not everything about GFW inspires confidence. While Jarrett has been involved in wrestling for his entire adult life he’s not exactly got a string of successes to his name. I’ve already mentioned TNA, which is the closest thing we’ve got to a track record for Jarrett as an owner-operator-booker, is not in a good way. While the absence of former WWE, WCW and TNA stars will be a blessing for the most part it also means Jarrett will have to work that bit harder to get people interested. Modern fans may see quality wrestling as a reason to watch in and of itself but a significant name doesn’t hurt. And it may sound like nitpicking but the name Global Force Wrestling doesn’t roll off the tongue no matter how well it may reflect Jarrett’s international desires.

But the biggest problem I can see is that there’s not a particularly compelling advertising campaign attached to the group. Look back and see how it started: pictures of Karen Jarrett and the question of whether you missed her. She, at first glance, was the star of the group. While that no longer appears to be the case it’s still strange that they went with her in the first place. Yes, she’s an attractive woman who’d been an on-screen presence in TNA but if you’re trying to build interest in a wrestling company wouldn’t it be a good idea to start out by announcing you’ve got a significant wrestler on board? Perhaps the trouble there is that they didn’t and don’t have such a name interested and Karen Jarrett was their second best option (in such a scenario Jeff would be the top choice, although he doesn’t look as good lying around a beach) for presenting a big name from the business that could draw people in.

Social media (Twitter, basically) is likely to play an important part of GFW. If Jarrett’s going to be using a fraction of his purportedly five hundred strong roster (database, call it what you will) my assumption is that he’s going to be looking at social media response just as much, if not more than, the reactions of live crowds. So far I’ve seen nothing that makes me think he has anybody particularly ‘net savvy working for him in this department. The entire campaign has been based around posting pictures of the Jarrett and sometimes Karen posing with various wrestlers, everyone from Carlito to Jay Lethal to Gregory Helms to Bad Influence. Nobody interesting that they’ve shown pictures of (Nash and Bret Hart are about the only proven draws) is going to sign a contract, and the Lethals and Bad Influences of the world, as good as they may be, are not the stuff from which a dynamic new wrestling product can be fashioned.

DG USA Mercury Rising 2014 review

Open the Ultimate Gate saw Gabe Sapolsky bring in Low Ki and Masato Tanaka to combat the absence of Dragon Gate performers. While said absence harmed the show’s legitimacy a little both Ki and Tanaka proved shrewd investments, turning in enjoyable performances in their respective matches.

For Mercury Rising Sapolsky added an additional approach to disguising his lack of access to the parent company’s heavy hitters. Falling back on his love of six man tag team matches he booked a six team four match trios tournament for the card. This not only kept his much loved tradition alive¹ it also made the show feel different to other recent DG USA offerings. The stipulation that the winning trio would get to book themselves in the matches of their choice also ensured that the series would add something to the company’s continuing plots and provided a reason for viewers to check out future offerings from the promotion. A shrewd move from Sapolsky.

Once again no time was wasted getting to the action. Chris Hero, Roderick Strong and Masato Tanaka versus Ricochet, Rich Swann and AR Fox opened the show. Noteworthy things about this match included: Strong and Swann being co-holders of the FIP tag team titles; Swann and Ricochet having competed as a team before (The Inner City Machine Guns); Hero having defeated Fox for his EVOLVE gold in February; and that Ricochet was wrestling his first match (though not his first defence, obvs) as the Open the Freedom Gate champion.

At half an hour long it was a satisfying opening contest. 'Ochet and his boys took pastings in the early going to highlight the striking abilities and experience advantage of their three opponents. Swann and Fox each took a turn being isolated by the hard hitters, weathering the storm until Ricochet could be tagged in. He took on both Hero and Strong, wiping them out with a series of one-against-two moves and flying offence. From there the bout evened out and all six men shifted in and out of the ring hitting signature moves and finishers. The finish saw Tanaka, Strong, Ricochet and Fox wiped out, leaving Swann to score the winning pin on Hero following a rollup.

Hero taunted his opponents with his title after the loss. It could have been the beginning or a heel turn but I doubt it.

Chuck Taylor came to the ring before match two. He had been scheduled to team with Drew Gulak and Orange Cassidy but the group had been disbanded the previous night when Gulak attacked Taylor. Whatever Taylor said into the microphone couldn't be understood but it was presumably something about The Gentlemen's Club being no more. Maxwell Chicago joined him and spoke at length before a match between the two started.

The story was that Taylor's heart was not in the match. Basically he wrestled like Orange Cassidy, very slowly and lackadaisically. He was eventually drawn into the spirit of things but the match ended up going to a no contest when The Premier Athlete Brand ran in and beat up Chicago. Su Yung told Taylor that he had no friends so had to fight alone or forfeit the match. He chose to fight. Because he’s a spunky young babyface and that’s what they do.

Baretta stood around at ringside because he didn't want to take advantage of Taylor due to their friendship. It still left 'The Kentucky Gentleman' in a two on one situation against Konley and Nese. He fought them off for a while but eventually the numbers got the better of him. Luckily for Taylor Biff Busick showed up to be his partner. A few minutes later Larry Dallas introduced Teddy Hart to proceedings. He cleared the ring of The Brand and then brought his cat into the ring and teased that he'd be the third man on the team face team.

It wasn’t to be. Hart turned on Taylor and Busick then shouted about bringing wrestling to an end. The audience chanted "This is stupid!" as the Brand slunk back into the ring and scored a winning pinfall.

The third tournament match saw Lince Dorado team with Green Ant and Fire Ant against Moose and the Bravado brothers. It was the most consistently fast of all three first round matches and featured some pretty slick double team moves. Moose was used sparingly, because he's inexperienced, but he handled what he was given well. For the record that was mostly acting as a powerhouse, blocking punches, hitting big moves, and catching his opponents in mid-air. He also proved fond of spears.

After eliminating Moose and Harlem, Green Ant was left free to apply the Chikara Special on Lancelot for the submission win. Green said something crowd pleasing after the win. No idea what though (because of the mic problems DG USA seemed happy to leave unaddressed). Lenny Leonard helpfully filled in the blanks and told us The Colony had issued a challenge for the tag straps at Dragon Gate's May shows, and that the Bravados had accepted.

The show's second half opener with Mercedes Martinez challenging Ivelisse Velez for the SHINE championship. Martinez controlled the pace of much of the match although the champion managed to get in a number of offensive flurries. ‘The Huntress’ retained after a crucifix and then helped the challenger walk to the back. The story was that Martinez had given the match her all and it hadn't been enough, basically. The match was perfectly adequate but not something that anyone will remember.

Low Ki's second appearance of the weekend was up after that. He was facing Johnny Gargano, who received a standing ovation when he entered. Before the match started Gargano cut a promo about being a hero and gave the impression that he still felt he was the Open the Freedom Gate champion (he’d lost it the evening before). The fans chanted "Where's your title?" Low Ki said something that must have been hilarious because the audience cracked up. Then the match started.

A slow pace was established in the early portion of the match, the two men feeling each other out and Gargano spending some time stalling at ringside. When the match got going it was okay but I wouldn't say great. The audience were into it though and reacted to everything loudly. That helped the atmosphere. Each man took a turn holding the initiative, 'The Whole Shebang' going second and keeping it longer. As was the case the night before the finish came from nowhere: Low Ki connected with the Ki Krusher for the pinfall victory.

Which left only the main event: the three-way elimination trios match. For the record this match was Ricochet, AR Fox and Rich Swann v The Premier Athlete Brand v Lince Dorado and The Colony. The Brand jumped the two face teams at the bell to get the ball rolling.

You could probably have guessed beforehand the match would be wild. The favoured triple threat spot of a three-way submission hold was modified, eight guys getting involved applying holds to one another until Nese decided to break it up. Speaking of Nese he performed an impressive Gotch lift power bomb to the outside on Swann. Fire Ant was launched to the outside by his teammates, but the mass of bodies waiting for him caught him and held him in place instead of tumbling to the ground, so Green Ant and Dorado launched themselves off the turnbuckles to send everyone crashing to the floor. Konley became the first man to get an elimination when he performed a fireman driver from the top rope on Dorado.

The pace slowed a little after that as the heels grounded Swann, included a moment where Baretta rubbed the Velcro of his boot across Swann's face. Swann came back with a hurricanrana. AR Fox cannonballed onto the heels as they stood on the outside. Back in the ring Nese got a near fall from a great looking power bomb. 'The Whole Foxin' Show' got a near fall of his own off an Ace crusher. Swann joined in with a handspring Ace crusher seconds later. Ricochet hit his northern lights into a brainbuster on Konley and then hit a Code Red on Baretta. Nese took a Benadryller and a 450 from both Swann and Fox for a near fall broken by Konley. Fox gave Konley a Lo Mein Pain for interfering but took Baretta's running knee as he stood up afterwards. And it was that knee that gave The Premier Athlete Brand the victory in a match that lasted less than twenty minutes.

The audience booed and chanted "Fire Russo!" after the decision. The sentiment was clear: Nese, Baretta and Konley going over was not a popular decision. That was to be expected, what with The Brand being the company's lead heel stable. The result seemed clear enough in advance though. The match stipulation was that the winning team would earn the right to book themselves in any matches they wanted. The Colony and Lince were clearly not going to win because Lince's not a top line performer and isn’t ready to become one, and the Ants will soon be prioritising CHIKARA again. Ricochet's team could have won but it was unlikely what with him being the company’s (double) champion. Match making stipulations are always given to heels, unless there's an underdog babyface involved who's been battling for a title shot for months (see Daniel Bryan). That wasn't the case here so it made sense to give the stip to the heels. They can now use it to drive storylines by giving themselves unfair advantages on upcoming shows.

The event as a whole did not quite meet the standard set by the previous evening. Only the opener and the main event really delivered the thrills and there was nothing capable of competing with Hero v Tanaka or Gargano's loss of the Open the Freedom Gate gold. It wasn't a bad show, it just suffered having to follow a very good one. Taken as a whole the weekend's DG USA and EVOLVE shows were worth watching. The paid off long running stories (in the case of Ricochet's title win a yearlong story) and provided developments that should ensure some good matches and cards later in the year. On the whole I'd say the weekend was more hit than miss for the sister promotions.

***

¹ Sapolsky has a history of booking six man tags at WrestleMania weekend featuring Dragon Gate dating back to his time scripting Ring of Honor.

DG USA Open the Ultimate Gate 2014 review

Dragon Gate USA, the imaginatively named spin-off of Japanese promotion Dragon Gate, has not been having an easy time securing talent over the last several months. Their shows in February saw CIMA pulled due to an injury, something which also prevented him from appearing here. On top of that there was some sort of issue with getting other names from the Japanese main roster, either a conscious decision or a visa issue depending on who you believe. Whatever the reason it’s a problem if DG USA is to be seen as an extension of the Japanese league.

This isn’t to knock the non-Japanese DG USA regulars. The company has a talented roster who are capable of putting together enjoyable matches and shows. But as talented as they are the DG USA name implies that Japanese talent, who can’t be seen live anywhere else outside of Japan, will be appearing. It’s those imports that are Dragon Gate USA’s biggest selling point.

Gabe Sapolsky has done what he can to combat the injuries and his partners’-slash-bosses’ reluctance or inability to make big names available. He rejigged the February cards to feature bigger matches (most notably Gargano versus Barreta) and made the best possible use Yosuke Santa Maria, the lone mid-card performer sent over to provide a “legitimate” presence on the cards.

For these WrestleMania weekend shows Sapolsky had a little more time to piece something together. He used it to secure the services of Low Ki, a man capable of turning out a cracking match, someone who wrestling fans will pay to see, and a man who’d been absent from the wrestling scene for nearly a year, making his appearance here particularly noteworthy. Booking him for these shows was a smart move on Sapolsky’s part. It went a fair way to making up for the absence of an Akira Tozawa or a Tomahwak TT. But long-term Dragon Gate are going to need to look at what they’re doing with their US branch or risk driving away fans they’ve worked hard to attract.

Sapolsky also signed Masato Tanaka to appear. While he fits the bill of a foreign talent he is not a man especially linked to Dragon Gate. If anything he’s still marked as an ECW guy in the minds of many. Still, it was another good get for Sapolsky, another man people would accept as a big deal. Pitting him against Chris Hero was another good move, their styles mirroring one another so closely.

The night kicked off with the Bravado brothers defending their Open the United Gate tag team titles against Anthony Nese and Caleb Konley. It was a peculiar match, what with the two teams being DG USA's two most effective heel units. It was a strange opener too. Generally it's good form to have a clear act to cheer at the start of a wrestling event.

The audience started off slightly favouring Harlem and Lance but ultimately treated the action like it was an all babyface encounter. Saying that, as soon as Harlem started playing to the crowd he heard boos. He proved he was capable of playing the good guy role moments later when he gingerly (AR Fox and The Young Bucks have nothing to worry about) cannonballed off the top rope to the floor, sending Nese and Konley sprawling.

The match was very enjoyable. The Bravados are an underrated unit, partly because they get overshadowed by the shenanigans they're booked to employ. Nese and Konley worked well in their first match together. They were never going to win, the match was more about getting something different onto the show and giving the Brand some practice time as a team ahead of the following night’s trios tournament, but they strung together some impressive double teams (the highlight was a pump handle bomb and neck breaker combo) that provided convincing near falls. Speaking of which it was a double team move that got the Bravados their win. Moose speared an interfering Mr A and intimidated Nese long enough for Harlem and Lance to perform a Gentlemen's Agreement on him.

After the match Nese laid into Mr A, telling him he wouldn't leave the ring until he got something right. Su Yung followed up with some words of her own but the microphone troubles of the previous evening's EVOLVE show were still going and I couldn't understand a word she said. AR Fox came out to have a match with Mr A, and we were told by Lenny Leonard as that started that Yung had ordered A to destroy the former EVOLVE champ.

The match that followed was all over the place. A's offence was plodding, tentative and basic, although he did make a fabulous crash mat for 'The Whole Foxin' Show's' aerial manoeuvres. Bizarrely he proved far better at performing leg lariats than he did punches and power moves. It's always handy for a big lad to be able to leave his feet in a wrestling match but throwing a convincing haymaker is far more important. That's what they'll be doing far more of, after all.

Forget Okada and Raptor, it's all about Hart and Cat from now on

Eventually Su Yung involved herself which brought out Ivalisse to even the odds. The ladies brawled backstage, freeing ringside up for the arrival of Larry Dallas. He shouted something into a microphone (again, no idea what) and then Teddy Hart sauntered out to ringside dressed in an outfit that looked like something The Honky Tonk Man would wear. Two women and a cat then joined him. The cat was placed on a turnbuckle before Teddy performed a power bomb into a back breaker on Fox, posed, dropped Mr A with a neck breaker, moonsaulted him, and left. It was a weird sequence but it worked well. Presumably Teddy Hart v AR Fox will be happening in the not too distant future. It should be good.

The match continued despite what was technically interference. Fox blasted A with a bundle of flying moves before getting apron bombed and spinebustered. A lumbered up to the top rope, ostensibly to try a splash, but got caught out with Fox's Lo Mein Pain finish. That put him down for the three. For Fox this match was nothing special, but it wasn't meant to be. For A it was a decent showing. The issues mentioned above aside he looked promising.

Match three saw Rich Swann facing Biff Busick. It was a fast, mostly even encounter that benefited from an involved, interested audience. Busick did his blend of pseudo brawling and mat wrestling while Swann dazzled with his impressive leaping ability and great aim. It wasn't surprising that Swann, the more popular and useful of the pair, won but it was surprising that he did so after a lengthy exchange of pins and counter pins.

The first half ended with a tag match putting Gentlemen's Club members Drew Gulak and Chuck Taylor against The Colony's Green Ant and Fire Ant. The Ants were the unquestionable faces of the bout with Taylor reverting to the role of loudmouth comedy heel. It worked for a match that was more about fun than long term storylines. The match built up to a frenetic series of double teams and signature moves before Gulak and Green Ant were left along to exchange pin and submission attempts. Green Ant got the submission for his team with the CHIKARA Special.

After The Colony left Gulak turned on Taylor, viciously clubbing him to the mat and giving him a kicking. The reasons he gave for his actions couldn't be deciphered but Lenny Leonard helpfully informed us that The Gentlemen's Club was no more. Seems like a good move to me. The group had been around for a while and its members can do more things of interest as singles wrestlers than as a group. Taylor's popular enough for a singles run while Gulak is more interesting as a prospective aggressive heel than in his previous undefined role.

The show's second half kicked off with the hotly anticipated return of Low Ki to mainstream wrestling. He got the "Welcome back!" treatment while his opponent Trent Barreta heard "Low Ki's gonna kill you!" It was a battle of two men Gabe Sapolsky is very keen on. Ki was his selection to be the inaugural Ring of Honor champion back in 2002 and was a key part of Gabe’s early booking career. Barreta has been treated as a special commodity since joining WWN following his WWE release in January of last year. There is clearly something about the two that attracts Gabe to presenting them as headline attractions.

The early going was a feeling out process, Barreta keeping to the ropes for fear of getting caught in a hold or hit with a strike by 'The World Warrior'. That gradually gave way to a match which revolved around the two swapping the initiative and treating the crowd to submission holds and loud chops (the latter of which came mostly from Ki). The pace quickened after Low Ki slipped out of a German suplex from Barreta, landing on his feet and then smashing him with a double stomp and half a dozen hard kicks.

The finish wasn't far behind that. Low Ki took a trip up to the top rope. Barreta attempted a hurricanrana but got stopped with a headbutt and hung up in a tree of woe. The audience, expecting to see Ki's celebrated double stomp, rose to their feet and were perplexed when Barreta managed to reach up and send Ki flying back down into the canvas. Untangling himself Barreta sped across the ring and nailed Ki with a knee strike that put him down for three.

The fans told Low Ki he still had it as he headed to the back. He was in great shape and the match was far from bad, but it was not the level of quality that Ki's been associated with in the past. I wouldn't say he doesn't have it anymore but the "You still got it" chant wasn’t merited here. The fans, as is all too common now, simply chanted it because they felt it was the right thing to do and because they wanted to say they'd done so. The meaning has been drained from the chant.

The second guest star was next. Tanaka versus Hero started out with a handshake and some slick hold-counter-hold exchanges. A strike exchange was teased a couple of minutes in when both men went for rolling elbows and held off when they caught sight of one another. It was a nice moment, carefully playing upon audience expectations and foreshadowing what was to come.

We weren't kept waiting long. Tanaka was soon encouraging Hero to kick him repeatedly in the face, coming back with a few with chops of his own and leaving Hero reeling on the mat. 'The Knockout Artist' returned fire with elbow shots but was plastered with Tanaka elbows in return. The story quickly developed into Tanaka having the upper hand but Hero being a proficient enough striker to surprise his more experienced foe if he bided his time. Despite being little more than a lengthy period of strikes and signature moves (brainbusters, Awesome bombs, Diamond bombs and big boots) interspersed with selling exhaustion on the mat the match was engaging and compelling. They expertly increased the stakes and ramped up the tension, climaxing with Hero going down to a diving lariat and a diving elbow.

Afterwards the two men bowed, shook hands and raised one another's hands. It was a classy moment. The admiration Hero has for Tanaka was clear to see.

Going on last were Ricochet and Johnny Gargano. The match was a champion versus champion encounter, Ricochet being the Open the Dream Gate champion and Gargano being the Open the Freedom Gate champion. Only the latter's gold was up for grabs. Ricochet didn't even wear his belt to the ring, which struck me as a bit odd considering it's the top prize in Dragon Gate and he’s the first non-Japanese wrestler to ever win it. Whatevs. Maybe he leaves it in Japan for simplicity’s sake.

What followed was a wonderful match. Things started off evenly but Gargano was put off his game after almost being hit with Ricochet's Benadryller, which had knocked him out for over a minute the previous night. 'Chet controlled the pace for several minutes until 'The Cat's Meow' caught him playing to the crowd once too often and speared him. From there the pace slowed and Gargano concentrated on wearing down the challenger with blows and submissions holds.

That couldn't last forever. 'The King of Flight' got a comeback going with an ace crusher and followed up with a dive over the top rope and a springboard clothesline back into the ring. Ricochet got a convincing near fall with a northern lights suplex followed by a brainbuster. Gargano came back with a power bomb for a two of his own. Ricochet slipped out of a lawn dart attempt and dropped Gargano with a Pele kick. A shooting star press attempt missed, allowing Gargano to connect with his lawn dart after all. A lengthy series of super kicks and elbows saw both men fall down to the mat, briefly slowing the pace.

A foray to the apron led to Ricochet being kicked down to ringside. An attempted suicide dive by Gargano didn't pay off: Ricochet caught him on his shoulders and performed and Death Valley Driver. Back in the ring the Freedom Gate champ desperately fought out of a top rope Benadryller and countered into a hurricanrana, following up with a Hurts Donut. That didn't get him a pinfall but it left Ricochet stunned enough to be placed in the Gargano Escape. The challenger managed to roll through into pinning attempts and power out into a Regalplex but the 'The Whole Shebang' managed to keep the hold applied. An escape was eventually managed after Ricochet got to his feet, hold still applied, and flung the champion into a turnbuckle.

A 630 splash earned Ricochet a two count. Next he tried a drop kick into the corner but Gargano pulled the referee in front of him (a ref bump for the second night a row, there was a time when Gabe had strong feelings about this sort of thing). Ricochet hit a Bendryller. With nobody to count he was left with no choice but to check on the referee. That gave Gargano time to grab his title belt. His attempt to smack Ricochet with it failed but he'd be more successful seconds later: after he was hoisted up and dropped for a Bendryller Gargano held up his title for Ricochet’s incoming kick. With the challenger knocked for six Gargano was free to wallop him with the belt shot after all.  

When Ricochet kicked out of that the crowd erupted. The champion choked the challenger with his wrist tape (an act which had signalled his heel turn one year earlier during a match with Shingo Takagi) but still found himself hoisted up for another Bendryller attempt seconds later. He countered it again, this time into a Gargano Escape. Ricochet got close to the ropes so Gargano released the hold to pull him away and reapply it. That backfired on him with Ricochet rolled him up with a cradle for a sizzling false finish.

Ricochet celebrates his Open the Freedom Gate win

And then, just like that, it was over: Gargano leapt off the second rope and got caught and dropped into a Benadryller. The crowd gave the new champion a standing ovation and a chant of "You deserve it!" as the locker room emptied. Ricochet celebrated with his fellow wrestlers and then cut a show ending promo that, sadly, couldn’t be understood.

It may not have featured any Japanese Dragon Gate talent but that didn’t harm the quality of the show. I’m sure the final two matches will end up as contenders for match of the weekend honours, and the rest of the card was always at least good. Open the Ultimate Gate 2014 was one of the best DG USA shows in quite a while and I’d strongly recommend giving it a watch. That said I hope the talent issues get sorted out by the time the promotion next promotes shows. If they continue to omit parent company names for much longer the credibility and legitimacy of the company as a spin-off may begin to erode. And that’s not something DG USA deserves.

DG USA Way of the Ronin 2014 review

When writing about REVOLT! 2014 (read that here) I said that some of the matches could have had some time trimmed and that the show as a whole would have benefited from being a little shorter. Clocking in at over three hours, without the intermission, Way of the Ronin was actually longer than REVOLT! was. But it didn't feel it. A better selection of matches, a more aesthetically pleasing (though only slightly) venue, the presence of Chris Hero and Roderick Strong, and a livelier crowd (though the gang the night before had been perfectly fine) combined to make a superior show.

Tim Donst found himself in the opener for the second evening in a row. He was opposite perennial DG USA undercarder Caleb Konley. Konley won a spirited affair with the Au Face submission hold. Although he lost Donst was the more popular of the two. The fans booed the decision and chanted for Donst as he left.

Jay Freddie v Blake Edward Belakus was match two. It was another battle of the newcomers, part of the overhyped New Talent Initiative. Why overhyped? Because while it's a nice idea it didn't produce any stunning performances either on this show or at REVOLT! and none of the competitors seemed to have any buzz behind them. This was typified during the commentary for this bout when Lenny Leonard stated he didn't know much about Belakus and went on to mention that he was wearing "black tights and all black gear." Would it really have been that hard for him to speak to each newcomer to get some basics about each of them to use on commentary? You know, how long they've been wrestling, their influences, and their preferred in-ring styles? Apparently it was.

I thought the match was better than the opener. Belakus, who reminded me of comedian Joe Wilkinson, struck me as someone worth bringing back. He won after a Burning Hammer.

After the match Larry Dallas appeared. He told the two wrestlers that they belonged in Dragon Gate USA and told them the only way they'd get to the top would be joining up with him, as he had with Tim Donst and Chris Dickinson the previous evening. Jay Freddie walked off immediately. Belakus gave it a moment's thought but then followed suit. The crowd chanted "No one likes you!" as LD left.

There was more New Talent Initiative fun in match three as Yosuke Santa Maria took on Ethan Page (no relation to Adam). YSM was given flowers as he walked around the ring and an "Equal rights!" chant broke out before the bell sounded. The match they had was a comedy affair, as you'd expect. Yosuke does a better job than most of mixing humour with actual wrestling. He won with a crucifix bomb.

After that things got serious: a grudge match between Jigsaw and Fire Ant. They started out brawling into the crowd before returning to the ring to exchange dives, kicks and double stomps. Jigsaw took control with a bicycle kick and a Gory special. A double stomp on Fire Ant across the second rope got him two. ‘The Energetic Insectoid Grappler’ came back with a running knee, a bicycle kick of his own and a Burning Down the House.

Jigsaw regained control with a suplex, another double stomp and a dive to the outside. Back in the ring Jigsaw used a super kick and a brainbuster to get a two count. Fire Ant came off the second rope with a swinging DDT and a roundhouse kick, then recklessly dropped 'saw on his head with a Beach Break to gain a two count. Jigsaw performed a torture rack into a power bomb off the top rope. When that only got a two the crowd broke out in a "This is awesome!" chant.

Fire Ant dropped Jigsaw with a Beach Break on the apron, sending the wrestling puzzle piece sprawling to the concrete. Fire Ant scooped his foe up and rolled him back into the ring but got caught with a small package, giving Jigsaw the win in a fast-paced, spirited, and enjoyable effort. Afterwards he proclaimed himself the greatest wrestler in the world. That prompted a very brief CM Punk chant. I think it stopped after a couple of repeats because the fans got self-conscious. Bless 'em.

The first half's main event saw The Premier Athlete Brand take on Shane Strickland and Rich Swann. The Brand had Su Yung and Mr A with them. Swann and Strickland had Ivelisse. Presumably she was there to counter Su Yung more than Mr A. There was a lot of dancing before the match. The audience loved it. Who can blame them though? They're slick dancers are Swann and Strickland. The four men put on one of the best bouts of the weekend, a very nicely constructed tag encounter that drew the crowd in and made everyone involved look good and built to a red hot finishing sequence packed with signature moves, double teams and near falls.

It was The Premier Athlete Brand that got the win. They wiped out Swann with a top rope German suplex, then Barreta dropped Strickland with a running knee and Nese pinned him with a 450 splash.

After the match Nese talked up his plan to turn Mr A into the best big man in Dragon Gate history and Su Yung said they would be extending their brand. Swann was told he wasn't good enough for membership. His response was to sing about spending a night with Su Yung. That made her scream and Barreta and Nese flip out. Classic heel response.

The second half opened with the Bravado Brothers and two random wrestlers walking to the ring. For the second night in a row Harlem talked about his grandmother getting The Young Bucks suspended and Lance nearly getting paralysed at EVOLVE 27. Oh, and their zero tolerance policy on rule breaking.

They then brought out Moose, 'The Offensive Lineman of the Bravado Bandwagon' and had him job out the two randoms, who were identified as Earl Cooter and Xavier Fate. The fans chanted "Goldberg!" and "Feed me more!" as Moose obliterated both men in under two minutes. Strangely no mention was made of the New Talent Initiative even though none of the three were regulars.

The Gentlemen's Club, minus Orange Cassidy, hit the ring after the match and went face to face with the champions. They got jumped by the champions but made a comeback and had an even, back and forth match. The Bravados won via shenanigans. Lance distracted the referee, allowing Moose to spear Gulak. The brothers then followed up with a Gentlemen's Agreement. The match and the finish got the champions plenty of boos. The excessive outside interference team Sapolsky always seems to like to have on the books is something the Bravados would be well suited to. Stick another couple of guys with them and see what happens.

Chris Hero entered through the crowd wearing a balaclava for his EVOLVE championship match. There was no clear reason for this. Perhaps he just thought it would look and-or be cool. There were loud cheers for him. The same couldn't be said for AR Fox. His entrance was met with indifference. His in-ring announcement got a split reaction that eventually gave way to a chant for him. He had to work for his cheers in Brooklyn.

They started out with some slow technical wrestling, slipping in and out of the ring with holds applied. The holds gave when to moves when Hero booted Fox as he jumped up for a leapfrog. Not to be outdone ‘The Whole Foxin’ Show’ hit a springboard drop kick and a moonsault. Outside the ring he tried a ring post assisted shooting star press but Hero avoided it and smacked him with a boot to the face.

Back in the ring Hero slowed the pace, dropping knees on Fox and winding him with kicks. Unwindable, Fox clotheslined and drop kicked 'The Knockout Artist' in a corner and attempted a running shooting star press, but Hero lamped him with a rolling elbow for a two count. A yakuza kick moments later only scored a one count. Hero pummelled the champion with chops and kicks but couldn't keep him down.

Fox managed to mount a comeback with an enziguri, a drop kick on the apron, a pair of suicide dives and a top rope dive. That only got him a two count and a split chant back in the ring. Hero tried a rolling elbow but Fox ducked and dropped him with a springboard Ace Crusher. A Lo Mein Pain attempt was countered with a crisp big boot, and followed up with a dragon sleeper. When his power bomb attempt was blocked Hero cracked Fox in the mouth with an elbow. That stunned the champ and allowed Hero to perform a Ricola bomb (a nice nod to Hero's former tag partner Claudio 'Cesaro' Castsgnoli).

Champ and challenger traded blows, culminating in a Hero Death Blow for a convincing false finish. Fox made a comeback and dropped Hero with Lo Mein Pain. The crowd cheered loudly when the challenger kicked out. A 450 splash was avoided and turned into a cravat suplex, followed up by a yet another big boot and a second Death Blow rolling elbow. Finally Hero slapped on a modified dragon sleeper for the tap out win and the championship. That was a surprise, and one that went down very well with the New York fans. Lenny Leonard's claim that the match would be talked about for years to come was ridiculous but it was a very strong effort.

Fox handed the new champion his title after the match and the two hugged to "Yes!" chants. Trent Barreta turned up (on a gantry) and told Hero that Claudio was main eventing for WWE while he was back on the indies. Which seemed a weird putdown because Trent got released too (and it didn’t do much for the prestige of the Hero’s newly won EVOLVE championship). Trent laid into Hero's diet and conditioning and called him a failure (again, the title’s standing wasn’t helped here).

Anthony Nese and Mr A snuck into the ring and clobbered Hero. Fox came back to make the save but Caleb Konley was seconds behind him to put a stop to that. He was, it turned out, the newest member of The Premier Athlete Brand. Mr A tried hitting a top rope splash on AR Fox but, somehow, managed to botch it and ended up falling on his face instead. Nese got things back on track with a 450 on Hero. The heel squad then posed and talked smack to end a very good segment. Hero and Fox versus The Premier Athlete Brand has a number of singles matches that could be interesting.

The evening ended with ROH regular Roderick Strong challenging Johnny Gargano for the Open the Freedom Gate championship. This was Strong's debut for DG USA after his EVOLVE debut in January had to be postponed due to injury. For the record he wore a Camp Strong T-short to the ring. Decade merch isn't going to be appearing in DG USA anytime soon.

As with the EVOLVE title match Strong and Gargano started off exchanging holds and doing some mat wrestling. And performing chops. They would recur throughout the match. Because Roddy loves a chop. Gargano gained control with a well-timed boot and a slingshot spear. Several minutes later Rich Swann went to ringside and encouraged the fans to surround the ring and pound on the mat in support of Roddy.

That was the signal for Strong and Gargano to kick things up a gear. Strong took control with a suplex onto the top rope with a suplex and a back breaker. Running knees and an Angle slam didn't get the win for him. A slingshot DDT by Gargano didn't end things either. Strong hit a back breaker on the apron and applied the Stronghold. Gargano came back with the Gargano Escape. 'The Whole Shebang' hit a super kick and a lawn dart, then reapplied the submission hold. Strong escaped to the ropes. A Hurts Donut got a two for Gargano. A slingshot spear from 'The Bees' Knees' was turned into a butterfly back breaker by Strong, and was immediately followed by a half Nelson back breaker. Gargano survived the rolling elbow, a gut buster and the sick kick and then applied the Gargano escape for the third time to earn a victory by submission.

The Freedom Gate champ took a microphone and called himself a one man elimination chamber. I don't know what that's supposed to mean either, beyond being a terribly forced reference to the WWE show that occurred the same evening. As he blustered about being a hero to children (even going so far as to say his title belt is a cure for cancer) Rich Swann got into the ring and snatched the mic from him. He was there to hype the New Orleans shows and the defence Gargano will make against Ricochet. He did that and ensured that the card ended with cheers and the fans went home happy.

Way of the Ronin ended up being better than REVOLT! by a significant margin. But that was the plan of course. It was always intended to be the bigger event, with Roderick Strong and Chris Hero competing on it. Had CIMA been there for his scheduled match with Trent Barreta it would have been even better, but that was beyond Dragon Gate’s control and, as I said in the REVOLT! write up, they did a good job making last minute changes that resulted in worthwhile cards.

As well as they coped here let’s hope they don’t have to pull the same trick during WrestleMania weekend. Those shows are ones that have had a significant amount of work put into them as well as shows that are being relied on to entice new viewers into the fold. DG USA needs them to be big. Hopefully the Japanese parent company will recognise this and send over some big names. If they do I think New Orleans will see some hot DG action.

DG USA REVOLT! 2014 review

One night after ROH celebrated their twelfth anniversary and one night before WWE presented Elimination Chamber Dragon Gate USA hit the airwaves with REVOLT! 2014. Unlike the other two companies there were significant problems with the announced line-up for Dragon Gate’s show, and the one it would present the night after. CIMA and Ryo Saito had previously been announced for matches on both events but were pulled from the weekend because of injuries. Dragon Gate Japan (rightfully, I think) decided that enduring long plane flights before wrestling in lengthy matches was not the best thing for either man’s health.

As right as the decision was it left booker Gabe Sapolsky in the awkward situation of promoting Dragon Gate USA shows with no actual Dragon Gate talent on them. His response was to make some tweaks to the announced cards, the most significant of which saw CIMA replaced by Trent Barreta in the REVOLT! headline bout. Having to present DG USA shows with no Japanese talent was avoided by Dragon Gate flying over Yosuke Sante Maria. No, he’s not the biggest name they’ve got but he is and authentic Dragon Gate roster member. At short notice I think it was a suitable move.

The venue chosen to host REVOLT! was the Elk’s Lodge. It’s not the ideal venue for a televised wrestling show because it’s difficult to disguise how small time it looks. And because white walls and strong lighting that can’t be dimmed do wrestling no favours. The picture quality was above average though.

Tim Donst v Chris Dickinson faced off in the opener. It was part of the New Talent Initiative, something we’d hear about several times across the weekend. The idea behind it was to introduce some fresh faces to the DG USA roster in a way that didn’t seem incongruous.

At just over fifteen minutes they were out there for too long. The match was good but as neither were regulars and aren't big name outsiders they should have had a shorter match. Less is more and all that. There just wasn’t enough for the audience to react to. Hat the two did was proficient but nothing more. Donst won with a neck breaker.

Manager extraordinaire Larry Dallas hit the ring after that. He told them they were better than opening matches and that if they joined him he'd take them to main events as The New Scene. Donst and Dickinson said no, then left. In kayfabe terms I thought that was a poor business decision by the two of them. They don't even have contracts, so Dallas’s offer was a pretty good one. Lazza looked dejected as he meandered backstage.

Su Yung was accompanied by Mr A and Anthony Nese when she came out for her non-title match with Ivelisse. You may remember her from her impressive performance on TNA’s Gut Check a year or so ago. Instead of signing her they went with Lei’D Tapa. She was good but she wasn’t a patch on Ivelisse. It’s all worked out well for Ivelisse: she’s now the Shine champion… and doing a gangster gimmick.

As showcases go, it was good. They wrestled well and there was an impressive spot which saw Yung cannonball off the apron onto Ivalisse propped up on a chair. It gave a good taste of what Shine is like to watch. Hopefully it will have encouraged some people to buy a Shine show. That was part of the point of promoting it on a more prominent card, and it's a company that deserves to be watched more (I say that having never written about it).

The finish saw Ivelisse survive a(n Orton style) rope hung DDT and then roll up Yung as she charged her in the corner. Nese and Mr A shouted at the referee after the finish. Then Nese gave Yung a mouthful too.

Match three saw Caleb Konley (who has some of the weirdest hair in wrestling) take on Dragon Gate Japan's Yosuke Sante Maria. If you're unfamiliar with YSM his gimmick is basically a cross between a Adrian Street, a transvestite, and Hard Gay Razor Ramon. He's a low card comedy wrestler in Japan and was used as such here. The match was basically an excuse for Yosuke to place himself in various questionable positions. He ended up submitting to a Konley hold. The predictable gags about submissive positions were present and correct.

After that Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy of The Gentlemen's Club challenged the Bravado brothers for the Open the United Gate championship. Before the match Harlem reminded everyone that his grandmother had had The Young Bucks suspended and announced that the tag titles would no longer be defended under Dragon Gate rules. People now have to hold the tag rope and there is no longer any leeway for fighting outside the ring.

The match gave us more comedy for the first several minutes but took on a serious tone after Harlem demanded Orange Cassidy take the match seriously. Not only that but the pace picked up. The end of the match was sudden. Moose ran in and speared Taylor then gave Cassidy a GTS. The challengers won by disqualification but the champions kept the belts. Lancelot said that Grandma Bravado had hired Moose as a bodyguard for the Bravados before the heel unit mugged and posed their way backstage. Meanwhile Drew Gulak turned up to help Cassidy backstage.

The first half ended with Rich Swann taking on 'Premier Athlete' Anthony Nese. They played up Nese's power against Swann's speed, throwing in some singing too. That came from both Swann (to Su Yung) and the crowd (All Night Long by Lionel Richie). Easily the most impressive, though unintentionally so, moment was Swann getting back body dropped onto the ring apron and landing directly on his head. Amazingly he was okay. Nese was reckless there.

They also threw in a dragon camel clutch from Swann (which looks like it'll become a regular thing), a tombstone from Nese, and a one arm buckle bomb and a dead lift German suplex to Swann. They ended with Nese getting hurricanranaed from the top rope and Swann pinning him with a moonsault into a 450 splash. The finish was pretty sudden. In hindsight the moves that led up to it seemed designed to ratchet up the tension and draw the crowd in but it didn’t work. This is something I’ve noticed in Swann matches before. He’s very good at performing the mvoes but, like many men who work his style, is less skilled at making it clear his match is reaching its conclusion.

On the subject of Swann seeing him face someone who has the physique of Nese really illustrated how thin he is. I appreciate that he's all about being fast and using flying moves but he could still do everything he's known for with ten pounds more muscle on his arms and shoulders. It would help him to look more like a wrestler and less like a stunt performer. This is a problem with guys like Fire Ant too, but it’s less obvious with them as they have the masks to help disguise their flaws.

After the match Nese announced he was going to put Mr A on a special training programme to become a killer in the ring. He threw in some cheap heat comments about the crowd being overweight too. It was standard heel stuff.

The first match after intermission was supposed to see Fire Ant take on Shane Strickland. The schedule was changed when Nese and Mr A returned to ringside. 'The Premier Athlete' said that A’s training would begin with entering the match and eliminating both Ant and Strickland.

The original opponents worked as a team to take the big man out of proceedings (so he could save his energy) then wrestled one another. Surprisingly Fire Ant was the first man eliminated from the match, falling to a roll up from Strickland. Mr A then pounced 'The King of Swerve' and gave him a crisp spinebuster. Had he won then and there I think the fans would have accepted it and he'd have been on his way to being a dangerous monster. They instead went on to have a competitive exchange which saw Mr A selling far too much. He absorbed a leaping DDT, a sunset flip bomb, and a top role double stomp to the face. Having him take so much from a smaller man didn't do much for him: he should be able to take this sort of punishment from a man smaller than him. That he only managed to hit his match-winning top rope splash after a distraction by Nese didn’t help either.

I like the idea of Mr A being used as a regular wrestler: he's a lot larger than the majority of the roster and that, along with the fact that he wrestles in a shirt and tie, helps to set him apart from everyone else. I also thought he wrestled well. I hadn’t expected him to. I still would have liked to see the original singles match. From the brief exchanges we got they would have had the best match of the evening until that point without Mr A's involvement.

The Style Battle winners match between AR Fox and Drew Gulak (originally set to include Ryo Saito) saw the show finally hit its stride. The only bad thing was that 'The Whole Foxin' Show's' "impromptu" decision to make it a title match gave the result away: there was no way Fox versus Hero the next evening wasn’t going to happen for the title. The spot of the match saw Gulak block a Lo Mein Pain and hit the champion with a Death Valley Driver onto the apron. Unsurprisingly Fox kicked out. He's very much of the RVD school of wrestling psychology: the bigger the dive he takes the more impressive it is when he kicks out. Eventually he did connect with Lo Mein Pain. It got him the victory.

Johnny Gargano and Trent Barreta both being heels could have made their Open the Freedom Gate championship match awkward. Barreta playing the good guy for the evening meant that didn't happen. That change was established when he started the match with a dive onto the cowardly Gargano, before Gargano had even gotten into the ring. In fact it was arguably established even earlier when Barreta was kept apart from his Premier Athlete Brand teammates.

The two fought around ringside for several minutes before Gargano rolled Barreta into the ring and scored with his leaping DDT, officially starting the match with a pinfall that got two. Gargano was on offence for the next several minutes. He used an exploder belly to back suplex and a finger-breaking attempt to wear the challenger down. Barreta eventually levelled the playing field with a double stomp from the corner, an enziguri and a clothesline. A tornado DDT and a top rope double stomp got him a two count.

Gargano blocked a concrete slam with a move that was part hurricanrana, part Canadian Destroyer, and followed up with a lawn dart for another two count. 'Trentylocks' pulled Gargano off the top rope with a run-up belly-to-belly suplex and followed up with a running knee. Gargano came back with a Hurts Donut and the Gargano Escape, but neither brought him the victory he wanted.

Barreta hit a Dudebuster from the top rope and earned himself a three count, but Gargano's foot was on the ropes so the match continued. As Barreta wandered around looking miffed 'The Whole Shebang' made a quick recovery and pulled him down into a Regal Stretch for a successful defence via submission.

The match was the best of the night but would have benefited from another five minutes or so. That’s something that could have been given to them easily considering the surplus time in other matches lower down the card. That was in many ways the story of the show: poor time management. Long matches aren't always good. Good matches aren't always long. The first two bouts on the bill were the most obvious offenders. They both could have had their times halved without losing anything. The show would have started off with a brisker pace which would have helped keep the crowd interested, and there would have been time left free for the main event to go longer. The show as a whole could have been fifteen minutes shorter without being any worse for wear too. It lagged at points.

All that said I think the Dragon Gate USA crew put on as good a show as possible. I think a commendable job was done making up for the lack of CIMA and Saito. Yosuke Santa Maria was a decent last minute replacement who turned out to be very over. Barreta challenging for the Freedom Gate championship was not as big a deal as CIMA doing so but it was making the best of a bad situation. And they turned out a very good match. Most importantly REVOLT! was always intended to be a setup event for the more important Way of the Ronin the following evening. There were no all-time classics, but there was more than enough good for a show of its type.