Dead or Alive (2018)

Promotional poster featuring the Dragon Gate roster

The **Dead or Alive (2018)** was professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and GAORA TV event promoted by Dragon Gate. The event took place on May 6, 2018, in Aichi at the Aichi Prefectural Gym and was the tenth annual event under the Dead or Alive. This was the first PPV, to be broadcast live on Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Dragon Gate Network. The event also featured the debut match of the new stable Natural Vibes.

The event featured a Hair vs. Hair Seven-man steel cage match including Open The Dream Gate Champion Masaaki Mochizuki, YAMATO, Punch Tominaga, Open The Owarai Gate Champion Shingo Takagi, Ryo Saito, El Lindaman and Yasushi Kanda.

## Production

### Background

The Dead or Alive 2018 aired in Japan through Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Niconico, with Japanese language commentaries. The Japanese commentary was 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. The event aired worldwide on Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Dragon Gate Network.

### Storylines

The Dead or Alive (2018) featured professional wrestling matches that involved wrestlers from pre-existing feuds and storylines that played out on the Dragon Gate's television program. Wrestlers portrayed heroes or villains as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The Dead or Alive (2018) was the third major Dragon Gate show following the Memorial Gate in Wakayama (2018). In the match featured the Open The Dream Gate Champion Masaaki Mochizuki, YAMATO, Punch Tominaga, Open The Owarai Gate Champion Shingo Takagi, Ryo Saito, El Lindaman and Yasushi Kanda. On March 18, ANTIAS' (El Lindaman, Shingo Takagi and Yasushi Kanda) defeated Masaaki Mochizuki, YAMATO and Ryo Saito, after Mochizuki accidentally hit YAMATO with a kick. Saito was then caught in the middle and acted as a peacekeeper. This led an argument with Takagi who said that he was going to destroy the value of the Open The Owarai Gate Championship and called Mochizuki a paper champion. This led Takagi also causing an argument with Kanda, mocking him for losing the Open The Brave Gate Championship to Punch Tominaga, leading Kanda blaming Takagi for losing the championship and accused him of costing the title on purpose. This led to a brawl between all man, leading to the general manager Takayuki Yagi announcing that the seven would take part of the annual steel cage match. This led Takagi refusing to participate in the match, leading Yagi to make an ultimatum to him that he would defend the Open The Owarai Gate Championship or he would participate in the match. Takagi ended up accepting with the condition that he would retire the championship but Yagi didn't accept due to the fans enjoying the Owarai Gate Championship matches and instead if Takagi escaped the cage he would abandon the title. This is the first time in seventeen years that Mochizuki takes part of this kind of match. In route to the match, On March 21 at Memorial Gate in Wakayama YAMATO teamed with Saito in a winning effort against Takagi and Lindaman. Takagi and Lindaman then proceeded to cut off some of YAMATO's hair. Later that night, Tominaga faced Kanda in a rematch for the Open The Brave Gate Championship, which ended in a no contest. Tominaga was then stripped of the title due to the result of the match, and the two were announced to take part in a tournament to crown the new champion. Tominaga lost to Kanda in the first round, after Takagi helped Kanda win the match. Kanda ended up losing in the semifinals to Kagetora. Later in that night, Takagi and Kanda made peace with each other and the two started arguing with Lindaman. The two ended up blaming Lindaman for recent losses such as failing to help Kanda defeating Kagetora in the semifinals of the Open The Brave Gate Championship and also for being pinned in tag team matches in two different occasions, while teaming with Takagi, the first on March 21 at Memorial Gate in Wakayama and the second on April 1.

On November 8, 2017, Ryo Saito faced Yasushi Kanda, but Saito won disqualification by after VerserK attacked Saito. Takagi began mocking Saito calling him a "comedy wrestler" and Saito ended up smashing him with a box. Later that night, after Saito lost an eight-man tag team match, he challenged Takagi to a singles match. Takagi eventually accepted, but with the condition that if Saito lost, he would have to join VerserK as the lower ranked member. During this time, Saito won the Open The Owarai Gate Championship. Then on December 5, Saito faced Takagi, during the match Takagi destroyed the Open The Owarai Gate Championship. Saito ended up winning the match. Afterwards, Takagi started to make excuses saying that he kicked out, but he ended up stating that their feud wasn't over. On December 23 at Final Gate, Tominaga was kicked out of VerserK. Afterwards, he aligns himself with Ryo Saito and started a feud with former VerserK stablemates Shingo Takagi and Kanda, mostly Takagi for the way he treated him. Tominaga then pinned Kanda on February 7 and challenged him for the Open The Brave Gate Championship. Kanda accepted, stating that he would expect a "quick and easy first title defense". However, on March 3 at Champion Gate in Osaka Tominaga defeated Kanda to become the new champion after Takagi tried to attack Tominaga with a box, but he would hit Kanda instead. This also led to begin tensions between ANTIAS stablemates Kanda and Takagi leading El Lindaman to peacekeeper, on March 6 Takagi defeated Saito to win the Open The Owarai Gate Championship, Saito was also feuding with Takagi before. During this time, Masaaki Mochizuki also had a grudge against Lindaman, who also tried to receive a match for the Open The Dream Gate Championship, but Mochizuki refused. Also on September 18 at Dangerous Gate, Mochizuki defeated YAMATO to win the Open The Dream Gate Championship for the third time, ending YAMATO's 421 days reign as champion.

In the Open The Twin Gate Championship Eita and T-Hawk would make their third third title defense against Big Ben (Ben-K and Big R Shimizu). On April 1, Ben-K and Shimizu and their MaxiMuM stablemate Naruki Doi defeated ANTIAS (Eita, T-Hawk and Takashi Yoshida), after Shimizu pinned Eita. Afterwards, Shimizu and Ben-K challenged Eita and T-Hawk to a title match for the Open The Twin Gate Championship. T-Hawk didn't want to give them a title shot, but the general manager Takayuki Yagi ended up making the match official at the Dead or Alive.

In the Open The Triangle Gate Championship MaxiMuM (Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino and Jason Lee) would make their third title defense against Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka. On April 6 after Kzy announced the formation of his new unit alongside Horiguchi, Yokosuka, Punch Tominaga and "brother" YASSHI. Kzy, Horiguchi and Yokosuka proceeded to challenge MaxiMuM (Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino and Jason Lee) into a title match for their Open The Triangle Gate Championship, which they accepted, making the match official at the Dead or Alive. Yoshino warned Kzy of his choosing YASSHI as his stablemate, remembering him that he was the one who brought YASSHI back to Dragon Gate, after eleven years. In the following weeks, Kzy revealed that his new unit would be named Natural Vibes.

In the Open The Brave Gate Championship Dragon Kid would make his first title defense against Yosuke♡Santa Maria. From April 1 to April 6 Dragon Kid took part in a tournament to crown the new Open The Brave Gate Champion. Kid defeated K-ness in the first round and Jason Lee in the semifinals to advance to the finals on April 6. On April 6 Kid defeated Kagetora to win the Open The Brave Gate Championship for the fourth time. During this time, Maria was angry for being left out of the tournament. Afterwards, after Kid won the title, Maria challenged Kid into a title match, Kid initially hesitated on giving a title match, but eventually, he ended up accepting.

The full card of the event was officially announced on April 15. Other featured matches included a tag team match between K-ness. and Don Fujii against "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa and Shachihoko BOY, and another singles match Kagetora against Takashi Yoshida.

## Seven-way steel cage match Rules

* Five of the seven wrestlers will have to get a flag, if they get a flag they're safe;
* The wrestlers can only escape after 10 minutes of the begun and until is a signal of "escape release";
* The two wrestlers left in the cage match will fight each other in a singles match within 5 minutes if those wrestlers remain in the cage match after 5 minutes, they will both lose their hairs;
* Each unit will have a five minute period to assist and Impede during the Seven-way steel cage match. When the 5 minutes is up, they will have to leave and the next unit enters.

## Results

### Order of Escape

 2
 3
 4
 5
 Loser: