By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Expect The Unexpected Wrestling vs. Dragon Gate “Unlock the Unexpected”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
April 6, 2024 in Williamstown, New Jersey at H2O Wrestling Center
Williamstown is roughy 30 miles southeast of Philadelphia, so close enough for the Mania-week travelers to attend (you would have to leave early to make it to WrestleMania, realistically.) Every match features a top Northeast wrestler against a Dragon Gate wrestler, and I’m familiar with everyone on this show. I have read good things about this event so I had to check this one out. Jack Solomon and Jay Church provided commentary. Church is the English commentator for Dragon Gate’s shows.
* This is their training center and the crowd is maybe 150 but the building is packed.
1. Ho Ho Lun defeated Brayden Toon, Yoya, La Estrella in a four-way at 7:40. Estrella wears a mask and is similar to Laredo Kid; he has competed in the U.S. before. Yoya and Estrella opened; the other two are on the apron. Toon sent Estrella flying on a shoulder tackle, then a standing powerbomb for a nearfall at 5:00. Toon hit a running Shooting Star Press on Lun for a nearfall. Yoya hit a brainbuster on Estrella at 7:00. Lun hit a missile dropkick on Yoya. Estrella hit a tornado DDT on Toon. Lun pinned Estrella with a rollup. Good action. Dragon Gate 1, EtU 0.
2. Brandon Kirk defeated KZY in a No. 1 contender’s match at 8:51. Kirk is already No. 1 contender, so he’s ‘defending’ that key. Standing switches early and KZY likes to dance and throw his opponents off their game. KZY hit a diving neckbreaker at 2:00, then a legdrop on the neck on the ring apron. Jay Church said every one of the Dragon Gate guys has had 6-7 matches this week. Kirk kept him grounded with a bearhug. KZY hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 5:00. Kirk hit a short-arm clothesline and a sudden piledriver for a nearfall. KZY hit a DDT, then a modified Death Valley Driver. KZY hit a second rope modified Blockbuster, then a top-rope frogsplash, but Kirk rolled him over, got a rollup for a nearfall. Kirk hit a Death Valley Driver and a Pyscho Driver/piledriver for the pin. Good match. Dragon Gate 1, EtU 1.
3. Shun Skywalker defeated Alec Price at 11:01. They worked each other’s left arms early and a feeling-out process. They fought to the floor at 2:00, where Shun hit a Mafia Kick; he celebrated and was booed. In the ring, Price hit a European Uppercut. Price hit a second-rope flying leg lariat for a nearfall at 5:30. Shun applied a Boston Crab, but Price reached the ropes. Shun hit a German Supex at 8:30; Price popped up and hit a Rebound Lariat and they were both down. Price hit a pop-up dropkick, then he hit his dive over the top rope to the floor. In the ring, Price hit his springboard Blockbuster for a nearfall at 10:00. Price hit his kneestrikes in the corner. He came off the top rope, but Shun caught him with a dropkick. Shun immediately hit a standing moonsault kneedrop for the pin. That was really good stuff. Dragon Gate 2, EtU 1.
4. “Miracle Generation” Dustin Waller and Kylon King defeated “Gold Class” Ben-K and Kota Minoura to retain the IWTV Tag Team Titles at 11:15. Ben-K is clearly older and has a mustache. This is MG’s 38th title defense. Kylon and Ben-K opened with mat-based reversals. Waller and Kota entered and tied up at 2:00. Kota hit a running kick to the side of Waller’s head. Kylon grounded Ben-K, and he hit a rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 6:00. Ben-K hit a running shoulder tackle and made the hot tag to Kota. Kota hit an Exploder Suplex on Waller. Kota hit a double-underhook suplex at 8:00.
Waller hit a tornado DDT on Kota. Ben-K hit a gut-wrench suplex on Waller. Kylon and Ben-K traded stiff forearm strikes. Waller hit a Lethal Injection, and Kylon hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Kota hit a jumping knee to the sternum, then a spear on Waller. Kylon caught Ben-K with his own running knee, and everyone was down at 10:00. Ben-K went for a spear but he crashed shoulder-first in the corner. MG hit a team powerbomb move on Kota for the pin. Another really good match. Dragon Gate 2, EtU 2.
5. Marcus Mathers defeated Dragon Kid to retain the EtU Key to the East Title at 16:20. This crowd was HOT and split before they locked up. Quick reversals and a standoff. Jay Church said 48-year-od Dragon Kid has “inspired a generation of pro wrestlers” who are short in stature. Dragon Kid hit a head-scissors takedown, and he kept Mathers grounded early on. Mathers hit a dropkick at 6:00, and he worked over Dragon Kid for several minutes. DK hit a second-rope huracanrana at 9:30. He hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. They fought on the ropes and traded chops, and DK hit a top-rope Frankensteiner for a nearfall at 12:30.
They traded punches and forearm strikes, and Dragon Kid tied him in a mid-ring Octopus, and Mathers teased tapping out, but he reached the ropes at 14:30. DK hit a Crucifix Driver for a nearfall, then a huracanrana for a nearfall. Mathers hit a kip-up stunner and a clothesline for a nearfall and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Mathers hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 16:00. He nailed a top-rope 450 Splash for the clean pin. That was really good action and one of the better indy matches I saw from this weekend. Dragon Gate 2, EtU 3.
6. Ultimo Dragon defeated Danny Demanto at 8:01. Danny has medical tape/gauze pad on his righ pectoral; just a bit unusual placement for that; he has the significant height and overall size advantage. They traded shoulder tackles with neither man going down. They brawled to the floor at 4:00. Back in the ring, Demanto twsited UD’s head and kept him grounded, but he missed a moonsault. Dragon fired up and hit his series of right-and-left kicks at 6:00. They traded rollups,, and Ultimo Dragon got a magistral cradle out of nowhere for the pin. This admittedly didn’t meet my expectations. Dragon Gate 3, EtU 3.
* Demanto got on the mic and said Ultimo Dragon made his dreams come true, and he remembers playing an Ultimo Dragon character on a video game when he was 12.
7. Mike Santana defeated Yamato at 18:06. Yamato, like both Ultimo Dragon and Dragon Kid before him, is a 20+ year pro, and his whole look and demeanor reminds me of Shinsuke Nakamura; I saw him wrestle in Chicago at an ROH show nearly 20 years ago. They opened with a knuckle lock and an extended feeling-out process. Santana snapped the left arm across his shoulder at 1:30. They traded shoulder tackles, and Santana hit a huracanrana at 4:00, then a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. They traded chops on the floor. Back in the ring, Yamato kept him grounded. They traded some more loud chops. Santana hit a stunner and they were both down at 11:00.
Santana hit an enzuigiri, then a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. They got up and traded more chops; this has been a hard-hitting chopfest. Yamato hit a T-Bone Suplex for a nearfall at 14:00 and the crowd was now behind Yamato. Yamato hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Santana hit a Mafia Kick and they threw more forearm strikes. Yamato hit an enzuigir at 16:00. Santana hit a Lionsault Press and they were both down, with the fans chanting “both these guys!” They traded blows while on their knees, then while standing, as these two just continued to trade vicious chops, and Yamato hit a hurancanrana. Santana nailed a discus clothesline, then a release powerbomb for the pin. That was excellent. Dragon Gate 3, EtU 4.
* Santanta got on the mic and said, “what the f— was that?” Fans chanted back, “That was wrestling!” He helped Yamato to his feet and they shook hands. Santana put over the Dragon Gate roster and what they have meant to pro wrestling. He said he “left a place” because he wanted to bet on himself.
Final Thoughts: Ok, this is a must-see show from the WrestleMania weekend. The nine Dragon Gate guys are all amazing, and some of the best-of-the-best northwest scene guys stepped up their game. Mathers-Dragon Kid is tops, Santana-Yamato is second, and Price-Shun is third, but I wouldn’t blame anyone if they had those three matches in a different order. I get that Danny Demanto wanted to face Ultimo Dragon, but realistically there were a lot of better options to get that spot. Still, there is a LOT to like here.
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