Memorial Gate in Wakayama (2019)

Promotional poster featuring the Dragon Gate roster

### Tagline(s)

"Dragon Gate's Big Match of the Spring!!" (Japanese: ドラゴンゲット春のビッグマッチ!!, Hepburn: *Doragon Getto Haru no Biggu Matchi!!*)

## Information

### Sponsor(s)

*GAORA*
*GrooVer*
*TV Wakayama*

### City

Wakayama, Japan

The **Memorial Gate in Wakayama 2019** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and GAORA TV event promoted by Dragon Gate. The event took place on March 21, 2019, in Wakayama at the Wakayama Prefectural Gym and was the eighth event under the Memorial Gate in Wakayama. The event was notable for being the first Dragon Gate pay-per-view event to feature the Open The Brave Gate Championship as the main event.

## Production

### Background

The Memorial Gate in Wakayama 2019 was 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 would also air on tape delay on Japanese TV Gaora Sports to be launched in Dragon Gate's ~ Infinity ~ Series.

### Storylines

The Memorial Gate in Wakayama (2019) 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.

In the Open The Triangle Gate Championship match, R.E.D (Kazma Sakamoto, Takashi Yoshida and Yasushi Kanda) will make their second title defense against MaxiMuM (Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino and Kaito Ishida). On March 2, 2019 at Champion Gate in Osaka, R.E.D successfully defended the Open The Triangle Gate Championship against MaxiMuM, after Yoshida cheated for R.E.D to win the match. Afterwards, MaxiMuM wanted a rematch, but Yoshida refused it. Since Ishida and Yoshida would face each other in the second night of the Champion Gate in Osaka, Ishida added a stipulation where if won, MaxiMuM would get a rematch, but if Yoshida won MaxiMuM couldn't challenge for the Open The Triangle Gate Championship for a year leading Ishida to win the match and MaxiMuM getting a rematch.

In the Open The Brave Gate Championship match, Dragon Kid made his third title defense against Susumu Yokosuka. On March 2, 2019, at Champion Gate in Osaka, after Kid successfully defended the Open The Brave Gate Championship against K-ness, Yokosuka challenged him to a title match, aiming to win the title that he never won. Susumu and Kid had previously faced each other at the 2006 Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival for the Open The Dream Gate Championship, where Susumu defeated Kid. Susumu previously faced PAC on the second day of the 2010 Storm Gate in a tournament final to crown a new champion where PAC won. This marks Susumu's second opportunity after nine years.

The full card of the event was officially announced on March 9. Other featured matches including a tag team match between the members of Mochizuki Dojo (Shun Skywalker, Yuki Yoshioka, Hyou Watanabe and Kota Minoura to decide their representative at the Dead or Alive Steel Cage match.