Gate of Destiny (2023)

Promotional card for the event

The **Gate of Destiny (2023)** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and GAORA TV event promoted by Dragon Gate. The event took place on November 5, 2023, in Osaka at the Edion Arena Osaka and it was the seventeenth annual event under the Gate of Destiny. 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 event was main evented by Madoka Kikuta defending the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Big Boss Shimizu.

## Production

### Background

The Gate of Destiny 2023 was officially announced in September 2023. The event aired live through Dragon Gate's internet streaming site, Dragon Gate Network, with Japanese and English language commentaries. The Japanese commentary was provided by Katsuya Ichikawa, while the English commentary was provided by Jae Church. The event also aired on tape delay on Japanese TV Gaora Sports that was launched in Dragon Gate's ~ Infinity ~ Series.

### Storylines

The Gate of Destiny 2023 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 event was headlined by Madoka Kikuta making his third title defense of the Open The Dream Gate Championship against Big Boss Shimizu. On August 13, Shimizu stated that he wanted to face Reiwa's New Generation Ben-K, Yuki Yoshioka, Strong Machine J and Kota Minoura. These were the wrestlers *he* deemed the future of the company, the ones to carry it forward through the next decade. After defeating his five opponents part of the Reiwa's New Generation, on September 30, Shimizu challenged Kikuta to a title match for the Open The Dream Gate Championship. On October 15, Kikuta ended Shimizu's recent winning streak, after scoring a direct pinfall victory over him in a six-man tag team match.

On October 14, D'Courage faced M3K in a winning effort. Afterwards, D'Courage (Dragon Dia and Yuki Yoshioka) challenged M3K's (Susumu Mochizuki and Yasushi Kanda) to a title match for the Open The Twin Gate Championship at Gate of Destiny, after Yoshioka had pinned Susumu to win the match for his team, which they accepted.

After retaining the Open The Triangle Gate Championship on October 9 at Gate of Origin, Dragon Kid, Punch Tominaga and YAMATO began being attacked by masked wrestlers, who also stole the Open The Triangle Gate Championship, before returning the titles back to them, on October 15, and revealing themselves to be Don Fujii, Takashi Yoshida and Bodyger, challenging Kid, Tominaga and YAMATO to a title match at Gate of Destiny, which they accepted.

Also at October 15 event, Dragon Gate held the Royal Sambo battle royale, which was won by Genki Horiguchi by pinning rookie Ryoya Tanaka for the win. Afterwards, ISHIN came out to evaluate the field and proclaimed the winner would not necessarily be his opponent. Horiguchi offered the choice between himself or Ryoya Tanaka to be his next opponent, with ISHIN chosing the rookie Tanaka, who had only 5 months in his career to his name, setting the match for Gate of Destiny. On October 29, despite being by ISHIN in a tag team match, Tanaka claimed that he would win the Open The Brave Gate Championship and become the fastest to ever do so following their debut.