Gate of Destiny (2018)

Promotional poster featuring the Dragon Gate roster

The **Gate of Destiny** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and GAORA TV event promoted by Dragon Gate. The event took place on November 4, 2018, in Osaka at the Edion Arena Osaka and it was the twelveth annual event under the Gate of Destiny. The event aired on GAORA and Dragon Gate Network streaming service.

The event was main event by Masato Yoshino defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Ben-K. Another high-profile match scheduled for the show was PAC against Flamita, the latter of whom returned to Dragon Gate early in September.

Three other title matches also took place on the show with Dragon Kid defending the Open The Brave Gate Championship against Bandido, Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk and YAMATO) defending the Open The Twin Gate Championship against R.E.D (Big R Shimizu and Takashi Yoshida) and Natural Vibes (Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka) defending the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against MaxiMuM (Kaito Ishida, Jason Lee and Naruki Doi) and Mochizuki Dojo (Masaaki Mochizuki, Shun Skywalker and Yuki Yoshioka).

## Production

### Background

The Gate of Destiny (2018) aired live through Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Dragon Gate Network, 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.

### Storylines

The Gate of Destiny 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 Destiny (2018) was main evented by Masato Yoshino defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Ben-K. On September 24 at Dangerous Gate, after Yoshino defended his Open The Dream Gate Championship against his MaxiMuM stablemate Naruki Doi, R.E.D came to the ring and attacked MaxiMuM and his R.E.D stablemate Big R Shimizu nominated Ben-K to challenge Yoshino for his title. The match was later set to be at Gate of Destiny. Ben-K had previously turned on Yoshino on September 6 to join ANTIAS (later known as R.E.D). On October 21, Yoshino and Ben-K faced off in a tag team match, where Yoshino teamed with his MaxiMuM stablemate Dragon Kid and Ben-K with his R.E.D stablemate Yasushi Kanda. Yoshino won the match for his team by submitting Kanda. Afterwards, Yoshino warned Ben-K, that at Gate of Destiny he wouldn't escape as he did in this match. He also wanted Ben-K to speak before their match, but he didn't talk and Yoshino also promised revenge for betraying MaxiMuM.

On October 7, it was announced that Dragon Kid would defend his Open The Brave Gate Championship against Bandido. Bandido made his debut early this year, on January 13 and he competed in multiple tag team matches for the promotion. This is the first time that Bandido will have a championship opportunity in Dragon Gate. Also announced was a match between PAC and Flamita. PAC made his return to Dragon Gate on October 2, and he and Flamita were announced to represent their stables R.E.D and Tribe Vanguard, respectively on November 6. PAC and Flamita have also held the Open The Brave Gate Championship in the past.

In the Open The Twin Gate Championship match, Tribe Vanguard (YAMATO and BxB Hulk) defended their titles against R.E.D (Big R Shimizu and Takashi Yoshida). On October 13, Shimizu and Yoshida teamed with their R.E.D stablemate PAC against YAMATO, Hulk and their Tribe Vanguard stablemate Kagetora. Shimizu scored the victory for his team by pinning Kagetora. Following the match, Shimizu questioned Hulk and YAMATO for being champions and that he and Yoshida were the only team required to be champions. Yoshida also questioned their communication in and outside of the ring, despite YAMATO revealing that they had good communication.

In the Open The Triangle Gate Championship match, Natural Vibes (Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka) defended their titles against MaxiMuM (Kaito Ishida, Jason Lee and Naruki Doi) and Mochizuki Dojo (Masaaki Mochizuki, Shun Skywalker and Yuki Yoshioka). On October 13, Ishida, Lee, and Doi defeated "brother" YASSHI, Kzy and Horiguchi, where Ishida scored the win for his team by pinning Horiguchi. After the match, Ishida asked Doi and Lee to team with and challenge for the Open The Triangle Gate Championship. Doi was impressed with him after he pinned one-third of the Open The Triangle Gate Champions and he accepted Ishida's offer. Kzy wasn't impressed but accepted the challenge anyway. On October 21, Doi, Lee, and Ishida faced Mochizuki Dojo (Masaaki Mochizuki, Shun Skywalker and Yuki Yoshioka). Skywalker scored the win for his team after pinning Ishida. Afterwards, Skywalker claimed they were the rightful challengers, after defeating the #1 contenders of the Open The Triangle Gate Championship. Mochizuki wanted Natural Vibes to come out. He also wanted his team to take MaxiMuM's spot in the match. Both teams pressed Kzy to decide who would get the opportunity, leading general manager Takayuki Yagi making the match a three-way match for the titles.

## Event

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

### Pre-show

The pay-per-view opened with a match between K-ness and Mondai Ryu against "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa and Shachihoko BOY, which was won by K-ness and Ryu after K-ness pinning BOY with  *Hikari no Wa* to end the pre-show, with commentary provided by Katsuya Ichikawa and later YAMATO. During the match, it was shown the intro for the show.

### Preliminary matches

The actual event opened with the full match card of the event an introduction to all title matches and a match between Flamita and PAC to start the show.

In the first official match for the show, Don Fujii, Gamma and Ryo Saito defeated "brother" YASSHI, Hyou Watanabe and Punch Tominaga. In the end, Gamma performed the *Skytwister Press* on Watanabe to secure the victory for his team. K-ness would replace YAMATO on commentary for the next match.

Next, it was an eight-man tag team match between R.E.D (Daga, Eita, Kazma Sakamoto and Yasushi Kanda) against Kagetora, Yosuke♡Santa Maria, U-T and Kota Minoura. Before the match started, R.E.D attacked Kagetora, Maria, U-T and Minoura. The match ended with Eita performing the *Murder Kick* on Minoura. After the match, R.E.D attacked Kagetora, Maria, U-T and Minoura, with Eita smashing a chair on Minoura's face. Don Fujii replaced K-ness on commentary for the next match.

In the next match, Natural Vibes (Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka) defended the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against MaxiMuM (Kaito Ishida, Jason Lee and Naruki Doi) and Mochizuki Dojo (Masaaki Mochizuki, Shun Skywalker and Yuki Yoshioka) in a three-way tag team elimination match. The first elimination featured Ishida pinning Yoshioka to eliminate Mochizuki Dojo. At the end of the match, Kzy performed the *Impact* on Ishida to win the match. After the match, Skywalker attacked Ishida during Natural Vibes celebration. In a backstage interview, Ryo Saito, Don Fujii, and Gamma challenged Natural Vibes to a match. After some arguing over the location, they just agreed to the match in principle. Ryo Saito would join the commentary table for the next match, replacing Don Fujii.

Next, it was a singles match where PAC was against Flamita. The match would end with PAC performing the *Black Arrow* on Flamita to end their match.

The event would take a break, and it was shown a match where Masato Yoshino and Ben-K faced off in a tag team match, where Yoshino teamed with his MaxiMuM stablemate Dragon Kid and Ben-K with his R.E.D stablemate Yasushi Kanda. Yoshino scored the win for his team, after submitting Kanda with the *Sol Naciente*. After the match, Yoshino warned Ben-K, that at Gate of Destiny he wouldn't escape as he did in this match. He also wanted Ben-K to speak before their match, but he didn't speak and Yoshino also promised revenge for betraying MaxiMuM. Susumu Yokosuka replaced Ryo Saito on commentary during the break. The event would return from the break and it was displayed the rest of the matches for the show.

The next match was the Open The Brave Gate Championship match where Dragon Kid defended the title against Bandido. Before the match started it was shown a promo of the title match and then the championship ceremony. In the last moments of the match, Kid would perform the *Ultra Hurricarrana* on Bandido for a two count and then followed up with a *Dragonrana* for the win. After the match, Bandido put the Open The Brave Gate Championship belt around Kid's waist and the two shook hands. Afterwards, Kid was attacked by Eita, and Eita would ask why he was being relegated to second on the card, while Kid as poor performances, he also accused Kid of a conspiracy, but Kid told him it was his own fault. Shortly after, Eita attacked Kid again and went for his mask until Tominaga made the save. Tominaga complained about having his head constantly shaved by Eita after some arguing Eita vowed revenge on Kid. Kid thanked Tominaga for his help and told him he didn’t look bad with a shaved head. Kzy would replace Susumu Yokosuka on the commentary

In the semi main event, Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk and YAMATO) defended Open The Twin Gate Championship against R.E.D (Big R Shimizu and Takashi Yoshida). Following the entrances, started the championship ceremony between the two teams. In the end, Yoshida would hit YAMATO with a lariat, he would go for another one, but YAMATO reversed to a *Frankensteiner of the Almighty* for the win. After the match, Shimizu attacked Hulk and YAMATO and complained with the referee, but R.E.D left the ring shortly after.

### Main event

In the main event, Masato Yoshino defended the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Ben-K. Before the match started it was showed a promo of the title match. 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. Former Open The Dream Gate Champion Masaaki Mochizuki would join the commentary for the main event. In the final moments of the match, Ben-K would perform a *Ben-K Bomb* on Yoshino for a two count, he would try another *Ben-K Bomb*, but Yoshino reversed to a hurricarrana, Ben-K would follow with a forearm laying out Yoshino. After trading chops and forearms, Yoshino would hit a lariat on Ben-K and go for another but Ben-K reversed to a German suplex, Yoshino followed up with the two *Torbellino'*s and a *Sol Naciente Kai* to win the match.

Following the match, Yoshino and PAC had a long silent face off, PAC would leave with the rest of R.E.D shortly after. Yoshino received cheers for his win, but he admitted that Ben-K also had cheered for him to win and open the door for the new generation. He has been in the company since it was Toryumon Japan and he had no plans on handing things over to the younger generation so easily.

    He was happy that he won, but he was also happy with Open The Triangle Gate Championship match and praised Lee's adaption to Dragon Gate, it felt like he was in the company for more than one year. He had many plans to give back to the fans for all their support over those 20 years, so he asked the fans to look forward to it. He thanked them for coming today and hoped they would stay with him and Dragon Gate come to the company's 20th anniversary.

## Aftermath

Following the event, on November 6, PAC, Ben-K and Big R Shimizu won a triple threat trios match and after that, he challenged Yoshino to an Open The Dream Gate Championship match, which was officially announced to take place on December 4. On December 4, Yoshino lost the Open The Dream Gate Championship to PAC on December 4. Following that, Ryo Saito, Don Fujii and Gamma challenged Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka to an Open the Triangle Gate title match, where if they won they would make their record-breaking 6th defense. They would do it on November 18. Following that Dragon Dia made his debut in a losing effort losing to Eita and Yasushi Kanda. Following that Kota Minoura would join Mochizuki Dojo, while K-ness. announced his return.

## Reception

Case Lowe in his review of the event for *Voices of Wrestling* said "Three matches at four stars or better makes Dragon Gate’s Gate of Destiny 2018 an immediate thumbs up. The worst match on the show was the very disappointing PAC vs. Flamita match, but everything else on this show worked. The last few minutes of the main event were top notch pro wrestling, the Twin Gate match was paced perfectly, Bandido had an incredible showing in the Brave Gate match, and the Triangle Gate match delivered to the fullest extent. Dragon Gate’s booking continues to be a little murky, but I can’t help but feel like they are building to a really big Final Gate. PAC vs. Yoshino is all but confirmed, YAMAHulk continue to hang on by a thread, and Natural Vibes have dominated the Triangle Gate scene almost all year. It’s not the most exciting product on earth, but Dragon Gate is slowly finding their way back to what it was before."

## Results

### Three-way tag team elimination match

 Winner: