The Gate of Origin (2018)

Promotional poster featuring the Dragon Gate roster

**The Gate of Origin (2018)** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and GAORA TV event promoted by Dragon Gate (DG). The event took place on September 9, 2018, in Sendai at the Sendai Sun Plaza. Previously held under the Memorial Gate in Sendai name, this marked the first show under The Gate of Origin name.

The event was main event by Masato Yoshino defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Takashi Yoshida. The event featured three other title matches for the Open The Triangle, Brave and Twin Gate Championships and no title changes. The event aired on GAORA and Dragon Gate Network streaming service.

## Production

The Gate of Origin (2018) aired in Japan through Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Niconico, with Japanese language commentaries. The Japanese commentary will be provided by Katsuya Ichikawa. The event also aired on tape delay on Japanese TV Gaora Sports to be launched in Dragon Gate's ~ Infinity ~ Series. This would mark Dragon Gate's first September Sendai Sun Plaza show under its new name. The previous event was held under the name Memorial Gate in Sendai name. The event aired worldwide on Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Dragon Gate Network. On August 26, it was announced the full card of the event. Additionally, Cassandra Miyagi and Meiko Satomura from Sendai Girls Pro Wrestling were announced for the event. On September 6, Ben-K turned on MaxiMuM to join ANTIAS, leading to the match card to be changed on the following day. On September 8, all tickets for the event had sold out.

### Storylines

The Gate of Origin (2018) featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The Gate of Origin was main evented by Masato Yoshino defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Takashi Yoshida. On August 7, Yoshino and Yoshida faced off in a six-man tag team match, where Yoshino teamed with his MaxiMuM stablemate Ben-K and Dragon Kid and Yoshida with his ANTIAS stablemates Eita and Shingo Takagi. Yoshida won the match for his team by scoring a direct pinfall over Yoshino. Following the match, Yoshida challenged Yoshino to a match for his Open The Dream Gate Championship. The title match was accepted under the condition of falls couldn't be earned via flash pinfall or cradle type holds. On August 19, Yoshino and Yoshida faced off in a tag team match, where Yoshino teamed with Dragon Kid and Yoshida with his ANTIAS stablemate Yasushi Kanda. This time, Yoshino won the match for his team by scoring a flash pinfall over Yoshida. Leading up to the event, Yoshino compared his flash pinfalls to Genki Horiguchi's *Backslide*, which he had been using for twenty years in his professional wrestling career. Yoshida later claimed to have an advantage over Yoshino due to working as a Yokozuna in sumo wrestling.

In the Open The Brave Gate Championship match Eita made his first title defense against Punch Tominaga. On August 4, 2018, Tominaga pinned Eita in a non-title match. Following the match, Tominaga told him that he "could take his title if he had the opportunity". Eita wouldn't accept Tominaga as a credible challenger for the title and proceeded to attack the trainees at ringside and then Tominaga himself, Susumu Yokosuka (who was ringside for Tominaga's match) and referee Takayuki Yagi. The match was set for The Gate of Origin, despite Eita contesting the decision. In December 2017, before VerserK was renamed to ANTIAS, Eita was the one who kicked out Tominaga out of the stable. On September 8, during the *Gate of Origin* press conference, Eita proposed Tominaga to bet his hair, but he refused.

In the Open The Triangle Gate Championship match Natural Vibes (Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka) made their third title defense against Tribe Vanguard (Kagetora, Yosuke♥Santa Maria and U-T). On August 5, 2018, U-T submitted one-third of reigning Open The Triangle Gate Champions Genki Horiguchi. Afterwards, U-T and his Tribe Vanguard stablemates Kagetora and Yosuke♥Santa Maria challenged Horiguchi and his Natural Vibes stablemates Kzy and Susumu Yokosuka to a title match, which Horiguchi accepted on Natural Vibes behalf. The title match was later scheduled for The Gate of Origin. Shortly after, U-T would submit Horiguchi and Yokosuka on two seperate occasions.

In the Open The Twin Gate Championship match Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk and YAMATO) made their second title defense against Don Fujii and Ryo Saito. On August 11, 2018, BxB Hulk and YAMATO issued an open challenge for the Open The Twin Gate Championship, but nobody answered. On August 19, Don Fujii and Ryo Saito during their six-man tag team match, performed Hulk and YAMATO's finishing moves the *First Flash* and *Galleria*, respectively. Later on the show, YAMATO took notice of Fujii and Saito actions and YAMATO called out Saito and demanded an explanation. Afterwards Saito challenged them to a title match, with his partner being Fujii. YAMATO questioned Saito choice for Fujii being his partner, which led to Fujii attacking him. The title match was later scheduled for The Gate of Origin.

## Event

**Other on-screen personnel**
 Ring announcer
 Photographer
 Referees
 Backstage interviewers

### Preliminary matches

The pay-per-view opened with Katsuya Ichikawa and YAMATO on commentary, which was followed by Ichikawa introducing the matches of the show and then the *Dragon Storm* theme by JAM Project to start the show.

In the first official match for the show, Hyou Watanabe, Willie Mack and Shun Skywalker faced "brother" YASSHI, Gamma and Mondai Ryu. In the end, Mack performed *The Big Thump* on Mondai Ryu to secure the victory for his team. Skywalker would replace YAMATO on the commentary table.

Next it was, a mixed tag team match between Masaaki Mochizuki and Cassandra Miyagi against "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa and Meiko Satomura. The match ended six seconds after starting, with Mochizuki hit a big boot on Ichikawa for the win. Ichikawa appealed to have a rematch, but Mochizuki refused. Satomura took the microphone and asked Mochizuki for a rematch, but he ended up refusing. Satomura reminded Mochizuki that she is the current and first female to hold the KO-D Openweight Championship and provoked him saying that perhaps he was scared, which led Mochizuki returning to the ring, restarting the match. In the end, Satomura performed the *Scorpio Rising* on Mochizuki which was followed by Ichikawa performing *La Magistral* on him, Ichikawa would break the pin after the referee Takayuki Yagi was counting very slowly and he complained. Miyagi took the opportunity and pinned Ichikawa after a schoolgirl, which Yagi counted too fast. After the match, Mochizuki lamented Ichikawa losing yet another intergender match and Ichikawa invited Miyagi out for a drink, to which she accepted as long as he was paying for it and the two left. Mochizuki thanked Satomura for coming and also praised her.

The following match was a eight-man tag team match between Dragon Kid, Kaito Ishida, Jason Lee and Naruki Doi against ANTIAS (Ben-K, Big R Shimizu, Shingo Takagi and Yasushi Kanda). Gamma replace Shun Skywalker on commentary. The match ended with Shimizu and Ben-K performing a pop-up spear, which was followed by a *Ben-K Bomb* to end the match.

The fifth match of the show featured Natural Vibes (Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka) defending the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against Tribe Vanguard (Kagetora, U-T and Yosuke♡Santa Maria). Masaaki Mochizuki would join commentary, replacing Shun Skywalker. In the end of the match, U-T tried to submit Kzy with his new finisher the *Bien Llave*, but he reversed it to a pin, which U-T kicked out, Kzy would hit U-T with an Uppercut, Yokosuka followed by a *Yokosuka Cutter* and a pin*,* which Kagetora broke it. Horiguchi tossed him to the outside an hit him with a *Topé con Hilo,* Kzy and U-T would trade multiple forearms, Kzy would hit with a *Running Elbow Smash* to a nearfall, U-T would perform another sunset flip to a two count, Kzy performed a snap DDT and another uppercut to a two count, Kzy would hit U-T with another *Impact* to win the match. After the match, Kzy praised U-T for the fight he gave.

The following match was a Open The Brave Gate Championship match, between Eita and Punch Tominaga. Dragon Kid replaced Mochizuki on the commentary table. In the end, Tominaga would hit Eita with two *PT Kicks* to a nearfall, after Big R Shimizu pulled the referee from the ring. Eita would take the oppurtunity to spit water on Tominaga's face and hit him with a chair twice and then a *Murder Kick* to win the match. After the match, Eita would grab a pair of clippers and chaved part of Tominaga's hair until his Natural Vibes stablemates made the save. Kzy said have been content to stay out of their feud with MaxiMuM, but they would not stand back and let one of their own get humiliated. Shimizu berated their dancing and the two side started a brawl which ended up taking them backstage. During the break, Mochizuki returned to the commentary table.

The following match featured Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk and YAMATO) defending the Open The Twin Gate Championship against Don Fujii and Ryo Saito. In the final moments of the match, Saito tried to perform the *Premium Bridge* on YAMATO, but he reversed it to a *Doujime Sleeper* and then a *Gallaria*, only to Fujii break the count, YAMATO stomped Fujii out of the ring, and Hulk hit Saito with multiple kicks and a *First Flash* for a two count, Hulk and YAMATO performed the *First Gallaria* on Saito to win the match. After the match, YAMATO said he had been waiting 12 years to bring Dragon Gate to Sendai Sun Plaza. Despite not being in the main event, he stated he would deliver and he hoped the fans enjoy it.

### Main Event

In the main event, Masato Yoshino defended the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Takashi Yoshida. Following the entrances, started the championship ceremony between the two wrestlers. Then it was displayed the national anthem of Japan, which is the origin of both wrestlers, which led to the introduction of both wrestlers. Yoshino MaxiMuM stablemate Naruki Doi would join the commentary table for the main event replacing Dragon Kid who was commentating in the previous match. In the final moments of the match, Yoshida to perfom a Powerbomb on Yoshino but he counter it to a sunset flip, but the referee refused to count the pin due to the stipulation of the match, where falls couldn't be earned via flash pinfall or cradle type holds. Shingo Takagi who was managing Yoshida started complaining, Yoshida would hit Yoshida with the poison mist and then a *Fire Thunder*, which was followed by a lariat to a two count, he would hit a *Cyber Bomb* to a another nearfall, he would try to perform another *Cyber Bomb*, only Yoshino to counter to a hurricarrana, which Yoshida reversed to a lariat, Yoshida tried to hit Yoshino with another lariat, but he blocked it, but Yoshida delivered another lariat's, Yoshino would perform two *Torbellino's* and the *Sol Naciente Kai* to win the match, making his match offical against Naruki Doi at Dangerous Gate.

After the match, Yoshino thanked the fans for their support and he was feeling the effects of the match. He was also having problems of holding it up due to weighing 10 Kg and he was still the champion. Naruki Doi would leave the commentary table and got into the ring. Doi said aside his allegiances to MaxiMuM he was a wrestler first and foremost and was only natural for him to want to be champion and stated that he would stay in Dragon Gate until the end, despite some quitting. Yoshino asked for no betrayals. either he would win, or Doi would win and Doi had betrayed him twice. Yoshino went for a handshake and Doi teased turning on Yoshino for the third time by almost hitting him with the *Doi 555,* but Yoshino escaped. Doi assured him that was just how he says hello. Dragon Kid got in the ring and asked Doi to be in one of their corners, which he gave permission because he could be using his help in big matches, but that didn't mean he’s changed his mind about MaxiMuM. After some talk, the segment ended with Dragon Kid and Kaito Ishida still on the outside.

## Aftermath

Following that on September 6, 2018, ANTIAS leader Eita announced the third incarnation of the stable, it would be joined by a new member and change its name. On September 24 at Dangerous Gate, Eita announced that the stable would be renamed to R.E.D meaning Real Extreme Diffusion and the new member was revealed to be Kazma Sakamoto. Afterwards, R.E.D defeated Natural Vibes in an All Out War ten-man tag team elimination match, in which the two stables attacked each other following the match after Shimizu tried to shave Punch Tominaga's hair, continuing their feud. Later in the event, Eita lost the Open The Brave Gate Championship to Dragon Kid.

During that, on August 7, Mochizuki and Skywalker formed Mochizuki Dojo with Hyou Watanabe and Yuki Yoshioka. Later that month, Mochizuki and Skywalker took part of AJPW's, Jr. Tag Battle of Glory, finishing the tournament with a record of three wins and three losses, failing to win the tournament. Despite failing to win the tournament, on September 6, Mochizuki and Skywalker announced their intentions of challenging for the Open The Twin Gate Championship at Dangerous Gate against the winner of the Open The Twin Gate Championship at Gate of Origin. Following that, YAMATO and BxB Hulk defeated Mochizuki and Skywalker to retain the Open the Twin Gate Champions.

Following Doi and Yoshino's match, Ben-K challenged Masato Yoshino to a title match. Yoshino would retain the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Ben-K but lost the title to the returning PAC who became R.E.D's newest member.

## Reception

Case Lowe in his review of the event for Voices of Wrestling said the "opening four matches exceeded expectations". He didn't like the Open The Brave and Dream Gate Championship which "sucked the energy out of the building". He compared the event, to "an average Korakuen Hall show with a fancier setup".