Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival (2021)

Promotional poster for the event, featuring various Dragon Gate wrestlers

### Tagline(s)

"The last run burns in those eyes" (Japanese: ラストランをその目に燒き付ける, Hepburn: *Rasutoran wo sono me ni yakitsukeru*)

## Information

### Sponsor(s)

GAORA
GrooVer
go baan
HCK
HATANO
LEC
MARUKA

### Date

02021-07-31-0000July 31, 2021
02021-08-01-0000August 1, 2021

### Attendance

Night 1:
2,396
Night 2:
3,580
Average:
2,988
Combined:
5,976

### City

Kobe, Japan

The **Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival (2021)** or often referred to as **Kobe World**, also known in the second night as the **Speed Star Final** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by Dragon Gate (DG). The two shows took place on July 31 and August 1, 2021, at the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan. This was the first time that the Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival was held on two nights. It was the 18th Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival, which is Dragon Gate's biggest annual event and it's similar to NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom. The event was also available in their streaming service Dragon Gate Network in both English and Japanese commentaries and was broadcasted live at SKY PerfecTV! as pay-per-view (PPV).

The first night of the show was headlined by Shun Skywalker defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against the winner of the 2021 King of Gate, Kzy, while the second night was headlined by Shun Skywalker defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against YAMATO. Another high-profile match scheduled for the show featured the retirement of Dragon Gate legend Masato Yoshino, who wrestled his last match with his Speed Muscle teammate Naruki Doi against R.E.D (BxB Hulk and Eita).

The first night of the event featured three other title matches with Masquerade (Dragon Dia, Jason Lee and La Estrella) defending the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against R.E.D (Dia Inferno, Diamante and SB KENTo), Keisuke Okuda defending the Open The Brave Gate Championship against Genki Horiguchi and R.E.D (Kaito Ishida and Kazma Sakamoto) defending the Open The Twin Gate Championship against Natural Vibes (Susumu Yokosuka and King Shimizu). The second night featured three other title matches with Genki Horiguchi defending the Open The Brave Gate Championship against Kagetora, Masquerade (Dragon Dia, Jason Lee and La Estrella) defending the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against the recently reunited Aagan Iisou ("brother" YASSHI, Shuji Kondo and Toru Owashi), and Natural Vibes (Susumu Yokosuka and King Shimizu) defending the Open The Twin Gate Championship against High-End (Ben-K and Dragon Kid).

## Production

### Background

Since 2004, Dragon Gate began annually producing shows on July in the World Memorial Hall, in Kobe, Japan becoming Dragon Gate's premier annual event similar to what WrestleMania is for WWE and American professional wrestling and Wrestle Kingdom is for NJPW and Japanese professional wrestling. The event celebrates the anniversary of the company after it was formed during the last *Vo Aniversario*. The Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival 2021 was officially announced on November 15, 2020, during the 2020 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival, and instead of traditionally taking part in one night, the event would take part on two nights on July 31 and August 1, 2021, at the World Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan.

The event also featured the retirement of Dragon Gate legend Masato Yoshino. Yoshino was part of the Toryumon 2000 Project class, tied with Stevie "brother" Tsujimoto for the second-highest rank of the students, although far behind top ranked Milano Collection AT. He was noted early on for his incredible speed in the ring, earning him the nickname *Speed Star*. He patterned his look after Tarzan, which involved tights fringed in a pattern to imitate a grass skirt, and the names of several of his moves centered around a jungle theme. He was nicknamed *Sexy Tarzan* at times by female fans, due to his outfit and muscular physique. In March 2002, Milano Collection A.T. created the famous Italian Connection stable, which Yoshino, who renamed himself to YOSSINO played a pivotal role in its success. In his time as part of the stable, Yoshino was transferred to Toryumon Japan along with Italian Connection, held the NWA World Welterweight Championship and the UWA World Trios Championship on two different occasions, while also having several highly acclaimed matches with Darkness Dragon/K-ness that would increase his position within the promotion. During the early years of Dragon Gate, YOSSINO continued to team with his fellow Italian Connection members, becoming the first Dragon Gate Open The Triangle Gate Champions. However, after the stable split, YOSSINO turned heel and joined the Blood Generation stable, abandoning his Tarzan gimmick, cutting his hair short and switching from fringed tights to a singlet, and returning to using his real name. Yoshino began to gain rank within Dragon Gate fast in 2007, especially after turning face in the following year.

He would form a team with Naruki Doi, known as Speed Muscle, that would become highly touted as the greatest and most decorated tag team in Dragon Gate history. Their team split on two different occasions after Doi infamously turned on Yoshino on both times, before reuniting for a third time. During this time, Yoshino would become one of the company franchise players and public face of the promotion for the next decade, transitioning into a clean-cut "Superman-like" hero, as well as a wrestler the promotion could rely upon desperate times. Over the course of his career, Yoshino held the Open The Dream Gate Championship four times, Open The Brave Gate Championship six times, the Open The Triangle Gate Championship eleven times and the Open The Twin Gate Championship three times, being Dragon Gate's third Triple Crown Champion and the third Grand Slam Champion. He was also the only wrestler to win Dragon Gate's premier tournament, the King of Gate in two different occasions in 2015, 2018.

The event aired live through Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Dragon Gate Network, and Nico Nico Douga, with Japanese language and English language commentaries. The Japanese commentary was provided by Katsuya Ichikawa, while the English commentary was provided by Jae Church and Ho Ho Lun. The event also aired on tape delay on the Japanese TV Gaora Sports to be launched in the Dragon Gate's ~ Infinity ~ Series. The event also was broadcasted live at SKY PerfecTV! as a pay-per-view (PPV) event.

#### Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, other wrestling promotions began to cancel or postpone their shows in an attempt to prevent further spreading of the COVID-19 virus. On March 1, 2020, Dragon Gate began canceling events starting with the Glorious Gate tour between March 3 and March 8 and the March 13th show, including a show on March 5 in the Korakuen Hall. Initially, it was announced that the Glorious Gate would be resumed on March 14, however, the tour ended up being canceled, following the recommendations by the Japanese Ministry of Health regarding the coronavirus pandemic. On March 11, it was announced that the Memorial Gate in Wakayama would be postponed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 22, Dragon Gate began holding shows behind closed doors with no audience and only essential staff present.

On April 8, Dragon Gate canceled more events including 2020 Dead or Alive, following Japan's declaration State of Emergency. On May 11, Dragon Gate canceled more events from June 2 through June 10. From May 15 to June 7, Dragon Gate held the entire 2020 King of Gate behind closed doors with no audience and only essential staff present, leading all Dragon Gate programming being relocated to the Kobe Lapis Hall. On June 12, Dragon Gate announced the rules and regulations for fans who attend Dragon Gate events. On June 17, it was announced that the Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival would also be postponed. It was also announced that starting on July 4, Dragon Gate would be resuming shows with fans after the Japanese Government lifted the State of Emergency. On August 15, it was announced that the 2020 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival would be rescheduled to take place on November 15.

On April 22, 2021, Dragon Gate cancelled six events in May, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the State of Emergency in certain areas of Japan in the Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo, and Kyoto prefectures.

### Storylines

The 2021 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The first night of the 2021 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival was main evented by Shun Skywalker defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against the winner of the 2021 King of Gate Kzy, while at the second night of the event, Skywalker defended the Open The Dream Gate Championship against YAMATO. On June 3, Kzy defeated SB KENTo and then Kota Minoura, in the semifinals and finals, respectively, to win the 2021 King of Gate. Following the match, Kzy challenged Minoura's Masquerade stablemate Shun Skywalker to a title match, which he accepted. Afterwards, Dragon Gate's General Manager Takayuki Yagi announced that their match would main event the first night of Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival. On July 9, after finishing his long standing feud with KAI, YAMATO challenged Skywalker to a title match, after having beaten him during the 2021 King of Gate, leading Skywalker to accept. Afterwards, it was announced that the winner of the first night would defend the Open The Dream Gate Championship against YAMATO at the second night.

The second night of the 2021 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival was main evented by Speed Muscle (Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi) facing R.E.D (BxB Hulk and Eita) at Yoshino's retirement match. On December 26, 2019, it was announced that Yoshino would retire in 2020, due to the lingering effects of a neck injury he suffered in 2017. Over the following year, Yoshino began a year long feud with R.E.D, with Eita continuously mocking Yoshino's retirement, while also targetting his neck. On September 21, at Dangerous Gate, the members of Toryumon Generation convinced Yoshino to postpone his retirement due to circuntances created by the COVID-19, leading him to accept. On November 15, during 2020 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival, Yoshino announced that he was going to retire at second night of 2021 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival. Over the course to his retirement match, Yoshino began passing his wrestling moves to the younger generation of Dragon Gate wrestlers. As part of his feud with R.E.D, Yoshino requested Eita and Hulk to team with him and Naruki Doi in a match at Dead or Alive, as an experience of teaming with wrestlers, whose match wouldn't be possible, before his retirement. Eita and Hulk accepted under the condition that Doi and Yoshino would be wearing red ring gear, which they accepted. In the match, Eita and Hulk ended up turning on Doi and Yoshino causing them to lose their match. On July 15, it was announced that Yoshino and Doi would face Eita and Hulk at Yoshino's retirement match.

On June 12, at Genki Horiguchi's homeshow, Horiguchi and Keisuke Okuda faced each other in a six-man tag team match, which Horiguchi's team won, after Horiguchi pinned Okuda. Afterwards, Horiguchi challenged Okuda to a title match for the Open The Brave Gate Championship, with the match being set up at Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival. On July 11, Okuda teamed with his High-End stablemate Kagetora to face Horiguchi and his Natural Vibes stablemate Susumu Yokosuka in a winning effort, with Kagetora pinning Horiguchi. Afterwards, Kagetora also announced his intentions to challenge for the Open The Brave Gate Championship, leading Dragon Gate to announce that the winner of the first night would face Kagetora in the second night of Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival.

On June 26, following a three-way tag team match, between High-End, Natural Vibes and R.E.D, Natural Vibes' King Shimizu and Susumu Yokosuka challenged R.E.D's Kaito Ishida and Kazma Sakamoto to a title match for the Open The Twin Gate Championship at Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival. This was followed by High-End's Ben-K and Dragon Kid, who also challenged Ishida and Sakamoto to a title match. Afterwards, Dragon Gate's General Manager Takayuki Yagi announced that Ishida and Sakamoto would defend their titles against Shimizu and Yokosuka in the first night, with the winner of that match facing Ben-K and Kid at the second night for the Open The Twin Gate Championship.

## Reception

Case Lowe in his review of the first night of the event for *Voices of Wrestling* stated that the show "proved to be a can't-miss endeavor [...], it would be hard-pressed to find a show with better major league presentation and world-class in-ring competition than what was on display". The show was "an undeniable success from a quality standpoint, with three of the four title matches being legitimately great and Masato Yoshino turning back the clock to produce a tremendous match just a day before his retirement. Mike Spears in his review of the second night of the event for *Voices of Wrestling* stated that "on top of Masato Yoshino’s retirement, all of the title matches delivered".