To many western pro wrestling fans, DRAGONGATE is a promotion to be spoken of in the past tense. A promotion that “was so awesome”, “was so influential”, a thing to be nostalgic about. Circles of hardcore wrestling afficionados may occasionally buzz about a current match or faction conflict, but to the more casual crowd, DRAGONGATE is still synonymous with Ring Of Honor matches from the 2000s.
All the more notable, then, that the promotion is sending some of their best young wrestlers to America this April: Half of the Reiwa New Generation, also referred to as the Reiwa Generation Leaders or the Reiwa 6 by western DG fans, are set to appear in matches all over the country.
While far from the only amazing talents current-day DRAGONGATE has to offer, the Reiwa 6 are considered the best of the best, the wrestlers expected to carry the promotion through the 2020s and beyond. Most of them have already held DG’s main championship, some even twice, and few turns in the promotion’s ever-twisting tale of faction warfare do not involve at least one Reiwa Generation Leader in some way.
Still, in the eyes of many international fans the Reiwa 6 are new faces. Their personalities, their stories and their relationships with each other are complete mysteries to most of the people who will be going to see them this April.
This article hopes to change that and deliver a comprehensive overview to both the freshly curious and the vaguely familiar.
So, who are the frontrunners of DRAGONGATE’s New Generation?
Madoka Kikuta
Hip Bomber
Date of Birth: 1999.09.20
Debut Date: 2020.06.06
Hometown: Kanazawa City (Ishikawa Prefecture)
Current Faction: D’Courage
Accomplishments: 1x Open the Dream Gate Champion, 1x Open the Twin Gate Champion, 1x Rey de Parejas Winner
Finisher: Rolling Lariat
Special Appeal:
Madoka Kikuta is one of the most accomplished new stars in DRAGONGATE, currently holding the record for both the youngest and the fastest Open the Dream Gate champion in history. As one of the few heavyweights in his home promotion, he uses his larger body to his advantage in many ways, from his impactful chops to his devastating hip attacks. His impressive backside is at once a weapon, a major source of popularity, and a common target for his opponents.
Regardless of such antics, however, Kikuta is also known for having a lot of pride in and passion for DRAGONGATE, hoping to bring the promotion back to its pre-pandemic popularity. In fact, he was the one to originally name the members of the Reiwa New Generation for this purpose.
History:
While his peppy and good-natured image seems to make for a natural babyface, Kikuta spent much of his early career as a member of previous heel faction RED, having turned soon after his pandemic era debut to get to the top of DRAGONGATE as soon as possible. While he did succeed in getting his first Dream Gate challenge not long after, he suffered a severe injury only minutes into the match and lost an entire year of his career as a result.
When he finally returned, Kikuta resolved to do things the right way from now on, even if he had to work his way up from the very bottom. This decision made him a great fit for the ambitious new faction D’Courage. With their support, he was able to challenge for the championship once again, finally reaching his dream by overcoming his past.
It is not clear yet where Kikuta will go from here, but he will certainly continue to be an important figure in DRAGONGATE’s new generation.
Relationships:
Kikuta’s closest friend within the Reiwa 6 is undoubtedly his faction mate Yuki Yoshioka. Both having been members of the same heel faction and undergone their redemption journeys not too far apart, they have a good understanding of each other and work well as a team. In 2023, they even won DRAGONGATE’s Rey de Parejas tag team tournament together.
Much more antagonistic is his relationship with Shun Skywalker, the wrestler he faced in both of the Dream Gate matches that shaped his career. The memory of that horrible injury long made Skywalker a frightening and even traumatic opponent for Kikuta, but after finally overcoming him last year, that fear has turned into a more regular mix of dislike and begrudging respect.
Ben-K
Chiki Chiki Sensei
Date of Birth: 1991.10.19
Debut Date: 2016.04.22
Hometown: Sakura (Chiba Prefecture)
Current Faction: Gold Class
Accomplishments: 1x Open the Dream Gate Champion, 2x Open the Twin Gate Champion, 3x Open the Triangle Gate Champion, 1x Ryuo Champion, 1x King of Gate Winner
Finisher: Ben-K Bomb (Powerbomb)
Special Appeal:
Ben-K’s appeal as a wrestler lies in the combination of two factors: Impressive physicality and absurdist comedy.
As a strength-based wrestler in DRAGONGATE’s speed-focused landscape, he inherently stands out and despite his comparatively low height, his muscular build and high-impact moves draw a lot of attention as well.
What is most exceptional about him, however, is his personality. Ben-K is a wrestler who breaks records, who main events shows, who hopes to stand at the top of the world someday. He is also a wrestler who dresses up bananas to look like him, cannot remember the names of his own dojo classmates, and claims to hear the voice of god on a regular basis. His long and rambling speeches are typically accentuated by random beat-boxing. He accidentally spears himself into the ringpost about once per major match.
But it is that strangeness, that absurdity, that draws in audiences and makes him more than just another tough guy. Whether he ultimately wins or loses, Ben-K is a wrestler you can have fun watching.
History:
From the day of his debut, Ben-K was ahead of his peers. He joined his first faction before anyone else in his class, won the Dream Gate before anyone else, and was not even included in the 2018 Rookie Ranking tournament because he was seen as having already outgrown the title by then. He was the golden child of his generation.
The one thing he truly valued was strength. More than a member of any team or faction, Ben-K was a single wrestler striving to stand at the top. Everyone who stood in the way of that was worthless. Ben-K betrayed MaxiMuM, his first faction, to join the heel group RED, and, when he was himself betrayed and kicked out, decided to only walk his own path from then on. His gambit payed off when he won the Dream Gate championship only three years into his career.
But in the fray of DRAGONGATE’s ever-raging faction warfare, a lone fighter can only last for so long. After losing the Dream Gate, Ben-K gave up on his solitary existance and ultimately joined the martial arts-based faction HIGH END, perhaps in the hopes of once more finding his way to success with the support of legends like YAMATO and Dragon Kid.
Instead, he only faded further into the background as time went on. Compared to his more charismatic classmates, Ben-K’s simple presentation and quiet personality failed to capture the audience’s attention outside of matches and HIGH END never saw much acclaim as a group.
Ultimately, Ben-K decided that a drastic change would be needed. He turned on HIGH END, joined the flashy host club faction Gold Class and threw away his serious persona in favor of a wide variety of silly antics.
This new start finally allowed him to once again become an audience favorite, a fixture of the title scene and a part of DRAGONGATE’s future. It can only be hoped that this time, his faction membership will actually last.
Relationships:
Ben-K was a member of the same dojo class as both Yuki Yoshioka and Shun Skywalker. Presumably due to being so focused on his own success, he scarcely remembers Yoshioka, consistently misnaming him as “Yoshio”.
Skywalker is more familiar to him, due to briefly having been part of the same tag team, but Ben-K eventually left him behind for being too weak, and, due to both that history and their vastly different personalities, they have not linked up again since.
Ben-K’s current tag team partner is Kota Minoura. The two refer to themselves as “Team Muscle”, due to their shared interest in bodybuilding, and generally seem to be getting along well. However, with Minoura on the same kind of losing streak Shun was once on, the prospect of history repeating itself does hang over them.
Yuki Yoshioka
Bump Out
Date of Birth: 1994.09.14
Debut Date: 2016.10.29
Hometown: Oogaki (Gifu Prefecture)
Current Faction: D’Courage
Accomplishments: 1x Open the Dream Gate Champion, 2x Open the Twin Gate Champion, 1x King of Gate Winner, 1x Rey de Parejas Winner
Finisher: Frog Splash
Special Appeal:
Among the Reiwa 6, Yuki Yoshioka is the closest to a traditional “young ace” figure. Straightforward, handsome, well-spoken, and excellent in the ring, there is little about him that could prevent him from becoming DRAGONGATE’s biggest new star in a couple years.
What truly makes him interesting, though, are the little cracks in that perfection – in particular the sadistic glee that shines through in him every so often to remind audiences and opponents alike that he was once one of the most terrifying heels in the promotion.
History:
Having debuted alongside the record-breaking young talents Ben-K and Shun Skywalker, Yoshioka spent much of his early career as a background figure, regularly overlooked and sorely lacking in success. Dissatisfaction began to build in him and ultimately, being surpassed by the younger and less experienced Dragon Dia drove him over the edge.
He returned from his 2020 excursion to Mexico as a shadow of his former self, the hateful and almost animalistically brutal masked wrestler Dia Inferno, intent on destroying Dragon Dia once and for all.
In December 2021, he finally succeeded in forcing his young rival to unmask in a mask vs mask tag match, humiliating him and robbing him of the core of his identity as a wrestler. But rather than reveling in Dia’s misery, Yoshioka declared his work complete, removed his own mask and vanished alongside him. When he returned, he was a different man, confident, driven, and strong enough to finally stand at the top of DRAGONGATE.
Alongside Dragon Dia, Yoshioka first conquered the tag scene and then the Dream Gate Championship. He had finally found the success he once lacked.
But to him, this was only the beginning. To truly prove himself, Yoshioka decided that he needed to defeat every single Dream Gate champion before him. While he got surprisingly far in this endeavour, Skywalker ultimately ended his streak.
Still, Yoshioka’s time at the top is far from finished. Once he recovers from his current injury, he is certain to continue making a name for himself.
Relationships:
Yoshioka is part of the same dojo class as both Ben-K and Shun Skywalker. He mostly regards both of their antics with dry, deadpan humor and does not let either of them rattle him too much.
Kikuta, meanwhile, is a little closer to him at the moment, as a fellow D’Courage member and frequent tag partner.
Kota Minoura
Golden Rose Prince
Date of Birth: 1998.12.30
Debut Date: 2018.07.05
Hometown: Hashima (Gifu Prefecture)
Current Faction: Gold Class
Accomplishments: 1x Open the Twin Gate Champion, 4x Open the Triangle Gate Champion, 1x King of Gate Winner
Finisher: Golden Rose (Modified Fire Thunder)
Special Appeal:
It is sometimes said that wrestlers with uneven skill profiles are particularly interesting and Kota Minoura is certainly one such case. His quiet, slightly awkward demeanor on the microphone stands in sharp contrast to his dazzling appearance and exceptional abilities in the ring, a difference that many fans find charming, although it often leaves him in the shadow of his more charismatic peers.
Instead of words, Minoura tries to connect with the audience through gestures, most prominently by exchanging a golden rose with a fan before every match.
He is also especially proficient at suplexes, of which he knows a very wide variety.
Much like his Gold Class faction mate BxB Hulk was in his youth, Minoura is currently at once widely lauded for his talent, and struggling to match up to his peers in terms of his tangible achievements. Still, that only makes his eventual prospects more exciting.
History:
Kota Minoura was meant to be a star from the day of his debut.
Even early into his career, fans and critics alike were buzzing about his immense talent and he was receiving the opportunities to match. After training under DRAGONGATE legend Masaaki Mochizuki and making a name for himself in the promotion’s generation war, Minoura was invited to join new the prominent new faction MASQUERADE, led by Dream Gate Champion Shun Skywalker. Minoura quickly adapted to his new place near the top, determined to use the postion well. It did not last long.
Less than a year after the faction was founded, Skywalker sacrificed Dragon Dia, his own teammate, during a mask vs mask tag match. Outraged, Minoura demanded that there be repercussions. MASQUERADE soon crumbled under their arguments.
Rather than trying to rebuild, Minoura concluded that it would be best to move on to greener pastures. Under the tutelage of shrewd veteran Naruki Doi, he became a founding member of Gold Class, a host club-inspired faction hoping to capitalize on the good looks of its members. Being treated as the faction’s “centerpiece” quickly went to Minoura’s head, and he began acting increasingly haughty and entitled, breaking the rules, intruding on matches, and demanding title shots at every corner.
This still did not grant him the success he wanted. Eventually, Minoura came to his senses and decided to rise through the ranks the right way.
With his streak of losses in recent months, though, the question hanging over him is: How long will this resolve last?
Relationships:
Minoura forms the tag team “Team Muscle” with Ben-K and the two get along quite well.
Conversely, there is still an immense amount of bad blood between him and Shun over the destruction of MASQUERADE, for which both of them blame the other. Their feud is unlikely to simmer down soon.
Strong Machine J
Ultra-High Performance Killing Machine
Date of Birth: Unknown
Debut Date: 2019.04.10
Hometown: Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture)
Current Faction: Natural Vibes
Accomplishments: 2x Open the Triangle Gate Champion
Finisher: Machine Suplex
Special Appeal:
Strong Machine J is in many respects the underdog of the Reiwa New Generation. Despite his driven and passionate nature, he has yet to find the same success as his peers, an emotional struggle that many fans connect with.
In particular, J faces great pressure to live up to the legacy of his father, the pro wrestling legend Super Strong Machine. J incorporates much of his father’s style, as well as his moves, in his arsenal, but wants to be far more than a nostalgia act. As he describes it in an interview with Five Star Network, he may be a machine, but he has a human heart, and with that the will to change and adapt his father’s style to modern times.
It is that heart, that emotionality, that truly sets him apart.
History:
Just like all of the second generation wrestlers in DRAGONGATE, Strong Machine J has been grappling with his legacy for a long time.
He originally made his debut in DRAGONGATE as part of the Machine Corps, a special group put together by his father to support him. They did quite well as a team, running roughshod over the Triangle Gate division for several months. Still, once they had to dissolve in the face of DRAGONGATE’s 2020 Generation War, J was faced with an important question:
Who was he, as a single wrestler?
While his great in-ring abilities afforded him several faction offers, he ultimately decided to join the dance-focused underdog group Natural Vibes to finally set himself apart. With his well-practiced breakdancing skills, he quickly impressed leader Kzy and became a beloved member of the team.
As a Natural Vibes member, J showed a fiery personality and connection to youth culture that was distinctly his own, firmly cementing his personal identity. But identity alone was not enough.
While his new faction was both unique and beloved by fans, one thing it often lacked was results. Both J and his new teammates kept losing and soon, resentment began to grow within him, especially regarding the group’s relaxed and good-natured attitude.
“Doing his best” is not enough for J. If he truly wants to make a name for himself beyond his father’s legacy, he needs to be the best.
With tensions mounting, J’s ultimate decision remains to be seen.
Relationships:
In addition to being the underdog of the group, Strong Machine J is also its biggest outsider.
His only notable relationship with one of the other members is his rivalry with Shun Skywalker, which culminated in a cage match at Kobe World 2023. J somewhat understands Shun, given that the two have a similar love for pro wrestling and the idea of strength, but also resents him for continously tormenting J over his perceived weakness.
Shun Skywalker
The Man Who Walks Across the Sky
Date of Birth: 1996.05.30
Debut Date: 2016.04.22
Hometown: Toki (Gifu Prefecture)
Current Faction: Z-Brats
Accomplishments: 2x Open the Dream Gate Champion, 3x Open the Triangle Gate Champion, 1x MLW World Middleweight Champion, 1x Rookie Ranking Tournament Winner
Finishers: SSW (Spinning Wrist-Clutch Blue Thunder Bomb), Skywalker Moonsault, Moonsault Knee Drop
Special Appeal:
It is rather unusual for a wrestler whose greatest passions include breaking the rules and getting into physical altercations with sponsors to be named the future of their promotion, but Shun Skywalker is an exceptional case in many regards.
Originally known for his high flying style, Shun is now a more grounded, strength-based wrestler, particularly notable for the creativity with which he physically and psychologically torments his opponents.
His twisted but charismatic speeches are often compared to a cult leader’s, and despite his questionable morals, Skywalker has drawn in a great number of fascinated fans who love dissecting his strange views and tragic relationships.
History:
Shun Skywalker was not always a frightening figure, but he has always been a little unusual.
His superhero-like costumes and flair for dramatics were drawing attention from the day of his debut, leaving many fans at once amused and unsure what to make of him.
Despite his seemingly comedic persona, however, Shun quickly became of of the most promising young wrestlers in his generation. His creative mind served him as well in the ring as it did out of it, and under the harsh tutelage of DRAGONGATE legend Masaaki Mochizuki, he racked up an immense amount of tournament experience and title challenges at a very young age.
Eventually, Shun decided that it was time to strike out on his own. He formed a tag team with dojo classmate Ben-K that was meant to help both of them become stronger and get to the top of the promotion. But the difference in strength between them soon became clear. While Ben-K had a firm grasp on the company’s top championship, Shun suffered loss after loss. Deriding his partner for this weakness, Ben-K dissolved their tag team.
Despairing, Shun fled to Mexico to train – and promptly got stuck there for an entire year in the wake of COVID-19. This was a difficult experience for him, but he did ultimately return a much stronger wrestler.
At only 24 years old, Shun seized the Open the Dream Gate championship and founded MASQUERADE, a faction that soon established itself as one of the strongest in DRAGONGATE. Skywalker and his unit were the new faces of the company, sure to dominate the title scene for years to come.
A single decision threw all of that into disarray. During a mask vs mask tag match, Shun sacrificed his own teammate to protect himself. Unable to reckon with what he had done, he began to shut out reality more and more, until he finally abandoned MASQUERADE alltogether to escape the consequences.
Instead, he joined heel faction Z-Brats, where his delusions of moral righteousness have been allowed to grow unchecked. But given the group’s increasing volatity, it seems only a matter of time until the truth catches up with him at last.
Relationships:
One of Shun Skywalker’s most notable traits as a wrestler is the fact that nearly every roster member in DRAGONGATE, and every conflict between them, relates to him in some way. This is also true for the Reiwa New Generation.
To Kikuta, Shun was the source of his biggest trauma, the monster he needed to overcome to make peace with his past. Despite this, Skywalker has gained a strange sort of respect for the young wrestler and he now considers Kikuta the strongest talent in DRAGONGATE (aside from Shun himself, of course).
To Ben-K and Yoshioka, he is a dojo classmate and a previous comrade, but not only that.
Shun’s time with Ben-K was pivotal in the development of his current strength-based worldview, and the two stand diametrically opposed to this day.
Yoshioka, meanwhile, was Skywalker’s excursion partner in Mexico, one of the few sources of familiarity he had at the time – a fact that led Shun to trust him so much that it caused a mask vs mask tag match to reveal Dia Inferno’s true identity and changed both of their paths forever.
To Minoura, he is the person who destroyed his faction – although Shun, in turn, believes Minoura to be at fault.
And to Strong Machine J, Shun is one of the greatest sources of the frustration and turmoil currently ravaging his faction.
Regardless of his unpopularity among them, one could argue that Shun Skywalker is the common thread holding the Reiwa 6 together.
Conclusion
The Reiwa Generation Leaders are far from the only young stars to watch out for in modern-day DRAGONGATE. Even now, both of the promotion’s singles championships are held by wrestlers outside of the six and many more promising talents are getting ready to enter the title scene.
Still, their importance is undeniable. As a group, they perfectly represent a little bit of everything that current-day DRAGONGATE has to offer: Interesting personalities full of conflict and charisma, stunning in-ring action, and undeniable passion for the art of wrestling. They will be bringing the promotion’s spirit to America once more this April.
Perhaps with this, DRAGONGATE can become a promotion of the present again.