For the first time since Summer Adventure Tag League 2016, DRAGONGATE’s Tag League returns in February. Coming at an opportune time with current Open the Twin Gate Champions Kzy and Big Boss Shimizu competing in the US next month, Rey de Parejas will be a round-robin tag league with a total of 12 teams competing, running from Feb. 3 until the finals on March 2.
Here’s a look at each team in Blocks A and B.
Block A:
- Yuki Yoshioka & Madoka Kikuta: Two-thirds of popular babyface trio D’Courage. The previous Open the Dream Gate champion Yuki Yoshioka will be looking to get back to holding championship gold after losing his title to Shun Skywalker at the start of the year. Both men held the Open the Twin Gate Championships last year with stable-mate Dragon Dia.
- BxB Hulk & Kota Minoura: DRAGONGATE stalwart BxB Hulk kicked the year off with a bang as he defected from Z-Brats to join GOLD CLASS. Now teaming with new teammate Kota Minoura, they are two-thirds of the new Open the Triangle Gate Champions and will be looking to carry on their success as a new tag team.
- Jason Lee & Jacky ‘Funky’ Kamei: The premier tag team of Natural Vibes and Kobe-exclusive stable Kung Fu Masters, Jason Lee and Jacky ‘Funky’ Kamei won the Open the Twin Gate Championships last year in a highly acclaimed match against Shun Skywalker & Diamante.
- Yoshiki Kato & Kaito Nagano: DRAGONGATE’s two newest rookies, Nagano debuted in August 2022 and Kato debuted in December 2022. Nagano is an extremely promising high flier who continues to innovate and show creativity unbeknownst to most at this stage of his career (his signature floating rana ‘Space World’ being a highlight). A former police officer, Kato is DRAGONGATE’s newest power fighter, off to a flying start as a rookie after getting his first official victory less than three weeks after his debut. While they have some of the lowest odds to win the league, do not sleep on these two!
- H.Y.O & ISHIN: Two members of the villainous stable Z-Brats. H.Y.O spent a good portion of last year as the Open the Brave Gate champion. ISHIN, a second-generation wrestler as the son of Ishinriki and Utako Hozumi, joined M3K, then defected and joined Z-Brats to win the Open the Triangle Gate championships on the same night last year.
- Masaaki Mochizuki & Mochizuki Junior.: Members of M3K. Masaaki and Junior are the father-son duo of DRAGONGATE. Overbearing stage father Masaaki has been heavily invested in helping his son win and prosper since his debut in June 2022. At only 20 years old, Mochizuki Junior is another extremely promising rookie in his first year of wrestling.
Block B:
- Shun Skywalker & KAI: The leader of Z-Brats in name and the leader of Z-Brats in all-but-name. KAI and Shun Skywalker were two-thirds of the previous Open the Triangle Gate champions and Shun Skywalker is the current Open the Dream Gate champion in his second reign.
- YAMATO & Naruki Doi: Two names who likely need no introduction, YAMATO and Doi are two of the most decorated athletes in DRAGONGATE history. Naruki Doi, now a freelancer, is the current DDT Universal Champion and has also competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) this year. YAMATO, a record-setting five-time Open the Dream Gate Champion, is allied with Doi again after his former unit HIGH-END dissolved earlier this year.
- Dragon Kid & Dragon Dia: Mentor and protégé reunite! Dragon Dia saw a great amount of success last year, being a Twin Gate champion with D’Courage stable-mates Yuki Yoshioka and Madoka Kikuta separately, as well as a Brave Gate champion, and is looking to continue this momentum in the new year. Dragon Kid, an incredibly decorated wrestler in DRAGONGATE, is currently unaffiliated after HIGH-END dissolved.
- Ben-K & Minorita: The other two members of GOLD CLASS. One-third of the current Open the Triangle Gate champions, Ben-K discovered his love of battle rap and a killer catchphrase upon joining the stable from HIGH-END. Minorita, the “mini-me” gifted to Kota Minoura by Naruki Doi, is also the current Open the Brave Gate champion.
- Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda: The other two members of scooter gang M3K, Mochizuki and Kanda are long-time Dragongate wrestlers who are decorated in trios competition and have both held the Triangle Gate championships a number of times. Despite having the same last name, Susumu is not related to Masaaki or Junior.
- Strong Machine J & Strong Machine F: Strong Machine J is a member of Natural Vibes, a second-generation wrestler, the son of Super Strong Machine, and, surprisingly, a skilled breakdancer. Coming back for a Strong Machines reunion is Strong Machine F, who bears a lot of resemblance to a certain old rookie-hating veteran with a love of stealing things, but that’s probably just a coincidence!
This tag league will be set to dominate DRAGONGATE’s programming over the next month and there will be several interesting story directions to keep an eye out for as the tournament progresses.
Who will be Shun Skywalker’s First Challenger?
While this month is primarily focused on the tag league, new Open the Dream Gate champion Shun Skywalker will also undoubtedly be on the lookout for his first challenger during the tournament and there are quite a few options available for him within Block B. YAMATO, Doi, Ben-K and Susumu, then known as Susumu Yokosuka, are all former Open the Dream Gate champions, with all but Doi having challenged for the top title at some point last year. Dragon Kid, while never holding the belt himself, is a long-time veteran of DRAGONGATE who could feasibly challenge too, as last seen against former champion PAC in 2019.
Additionally, Skywalker has a wealth of history with Dragon Dia, having been former stable-mates whose mask he sacrificed to protect his own in a match that really changed the course of DRAGONGATE to what it is today. They’ve clashed several times in tag feuds since then but have not had a singles match against each other since 2019, even before the days of MASQUERADE. While Dia has never challenged for the Open the Dream Gate title before, perhaps a match against Shun could be his first attempt.
Also in the conversation is Strong Machine J, a man who was very vocal against Skywalker in Natural Vibes’ longstanding feud with Z-Brats and who was ultimately the main person in his stable pushing for them to stand up to Dragongate’s top villainous group. Should he and partner Strong Machine F pull off the upset against Skywalker and KAI, J may just lay his claim to challenge for the Dream Gate championship.
Dragon Kid to D’Courage?
The breakup of HIGH-END earlier this month has left YAMATO, Dragon Kid, and Kagetora without a unit and while YAMATO has expressed that he intends to test the waters of being unaffiliated for a while, Dragon Kid will likely be on the hunt for a new unit himself. His partner in Rey de Parejas, Dragon Dia, is one-third of the popular babyface trio D’Courage, and, unlike the other units in DRAGONGATE, they don’t have a veteran on their team. D’Courage could certainly be subject to some unit shuffling and Dragon Kid would definitely fit into their unit well, so should the Dragons do well in the tag league, an offer may be extended to him to join.
However, Kid has had incredibly bad luck where stables are concerned. As pointed out in the HIGH-END disbandment ceremony, most, if not all, of the stables Kid has been in have been forced to disband in matches. D’Courage has not really faced any obstacles yet as a unit, and Kid may fit in as seamlessly as Kikuta did, but the trio may want to take caution if they decide to invite him into their ranks unless his poor luck rubs off on them too.
The Next Chapter for Mochizuki Junior
Since his debut in June last year, Mochizuki Junior has been coddled by his father, who has done everything he possibly can to ensure his son’s success, whether that involves breaking up pinfalls or tagging his son out when he’s in trouble to setting up opportunities for Junior to get the win for their group. This has led to animosity between Junior and fellow DRAGONGATE second-generation wrestlers ISHIN and Strong Machine J, who believe Junior has had his successes, which includes a reign with the Open the Triangle Gate Championship, handed to him before he was ready for it because of his father. This ill will was what led ISHIN to betray his short-lived partnership with Junior, join Z-Brats and take the Triangle Gate championships with him.
However, around half a year after his debut, Mochizuki Junior has finally begun to change his attitude. In a recent tag match against Strong Machine J and Kzy, Junior clapped back at his father after he kept breaking up pinfalls on him in the match, insisting he could kick out of them himself. After they lost the match, the elder Mochizuki walked off on his own, instead of comforting his son as he usually would have done. This discord between the father-son duo will be very interesting to see develop during the course of the tag league. Will Mochizuki Junior finally be able to win on his own or will this tag league be the last stint for these two as a team?
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