By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW presents “Dragongate USA: The Gate of Sin City”
April 15, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Horseshoe
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
This was the second show of The Collective and the second show on Wednesday (I reviewed PoderMania earlier).
* Again, this is a large room, and the lighting is tinted red. The crowd was maybe 300-400. Larry Dallas and Joe Dombrowski provided commentary. Joe came to the ring to kick off the show. (On several occasions, Dallas pointed out the quality of the production values, including live mid-match replays. It’s so common on GCW shows that I tend to forget how good their production team is. Give them credit!)
1. Willie Mack vs. El Cucuy vs. Kai in a three-way. Cucuy is a scary-looking, hefty luchador. I think his name means “boogeyman” or something like that. He’s been on West Coast shows before. I admittedly haven’t seen any Dragon Gate shows from Japan, so this is my first time seeing Kai, who is a bit of Hiromu Takahashi with some reddish streaks in his hair, and a bit of Shingo Takagi. He’s rather thin compared to his two opponents. They all shook hands and finally locked up at 1:30, and they all immediately traded rollups.
Cucuy and Willie hit a team suplex, and Kai rolled to the floor. Willie hit an armdrag and a jumping side kick. They all fought on the floor. In the ring, Cucuy hit a running buttbump in the corner on Mack at 5:30. Kai hit a dropkick on Cucuy for a nearfall. Cucuy hit a flying headbutt, then a massive senton for a nearfall. Kai hit some spin kicks on Cucuy for a nearfall. They did a Tower of Doom spot out of the corner, and everyone was down at 9:00.
Mack nailed a flip dive to the floor on the other two, and that popped the crowd. (His agility for his size really is amazing.) In the ring, Mack hit a Michinoku Driver on Kai for a nearfall. He hit a top-rope frog splash for a nearfall, but Cucuy hit a senton on Mack’s back to break it up. Mack hit a stunner on Kai for the pin! Good action. I need to see more of Kai.
Willie Mack defeated El Cucuy and Kai at 10:52 in a three-way.
2. Ho Ho Lun and La Estrella vs. Channing Decker and Rhys Maddox. You may recall that Chinese star Ho Ho Lun competed in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. Estrella is a short, masked wrestler, and he’s toured the U.S. before. I’ve noted this before that Rhys is still a teen, but his receding hairline makes him look older; he’s a regular at ROW in Texas. Channing has competed on the Greektown Wrestling shows from Toronto, and I’ve compared him to Joey Ryan. He has a pretty good physique.
Decker and Lun opened. Dombrowski listed off some of Decker’s recent matches on those Greektown shows (Joe calls those events.) Estrella entered and tied up Maddox on the mat. Decker and Rhys worked over Estrella in their corner. Decker hit a suplex for a nearfall at 4:30. Estrella hit a handspring-back-elbow on Rhys at 6:00. Lun tagged in and battled both opponents, hitting a double dropkick. Lun hit a second-rope missile dropkick on Maddox for a nearfall. Larry Dallas just referenced the Cruiserweight Classic appearance for Lun.
Estrella missed a frog splash. Decker immediately hit a superkick on Estrella, then a spin kick in the corner. Decker hit a double clothesline, then a top-rope double crossbody block, and he slammed LUn for a nearfall at 8:30. Maddox hit a spear. He hit a kip-up stunner on Lun for a nearfall. Estrella hit a flipping dive through the ropes on Decker. In the ring, Lun got a forward roll into a pin on Maddox. Good action; this show is off to a good start.
Ho Ho Lun and La Estrella defeated Channing Decker and Rhys Maddox at 9:49.
3. Susumu Yokosuka vs. Marcus Mathers. I don’t recall seeing Yokosuka before; he has short hair. Mathers wore his classic Phillies-colored gear. This should be really good. (Keep in mind, Marcus spent six weeks earlier this year in Japan, where he had about 20 matches for Dragon Gate. It’s the reason he hasn’t been on Evolve, because he was overseas during the tapings.) Standing switches to open. Dombrowski talked about Mathers’ tour of Dragon Gate. They traded rollups and had a standoff at 1:30.
Marcus hit some armdrags and a dropkick, and Yokosuka rolled to the floor and called for a timeout. Back in the ring, Mathers was in charge. Yokosuka hit a basement dropkick on the knee at 3:30, and he tied up Mathers’ legs. Dombrowski said these two were only in multi-man tags against each other during Marcus’ two-month stint. They got up and traded chops. Susumu hit a fisherman’s suplex, and he applied a Figure Four at 6:30, but Mathers reached the ropes to break it.
Susumu set up for a piledriver, but Mathers blocked it and hit a back-body drop and a bodyslam, and they were both down. Yokosuka again rolled to the floor, so Marcus hit a running Penalty Kick on the apron. In the ring, Mathers hit a mule kick for a nearfall at 9:00. They fought in the corner. Yokosuka hit a vicious Dragonscrew Legwhip, and he dropped Mathers’ knee-first to the mat. Mathers hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw at 11:00. Yokosuka hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. They traded rollups. Mathers hit his fisherman’s buster for a believable nearfall at 12:30. He nailed a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. That was awesome.
Marcus Mathers defeated Susumu Yokosuka at 12:46.
4. “Love and Peace” Ben K and Hyo vs. Aero Panther and Fight Panther Jr. vs. “Bustah and The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver in a three-way tag. Hyo wore, um, “stripper suspenders,” and fans shoved bills into his pants. The Panthers wore similar gear and masks. The stairs on the stage collapsed as Price came out! He was limping! Hopefully, he’s okay. Alec immediately had a welt on the back of his right thigh. Ugh. How did the stairs collapse like that? We have ONE guy from EACH team in the ring. Aero Panther’s mask is white and gold, and he doesn’t wear a shirt. He traded quick reversals with Hyo.
Price got a rollup. Dombrowski pointed out the cuts on the back of Price’s legs from the stairs collapsing. Jordan, Ben K, and Fight Panther all got in at 2:00. FP wore a black mask and black singlet — it’s the easiest way to tell them apart. Price hit some dropkicks. The Panther brothers worked over Hyo. Hyo hit a huracanrana on Aero Panther. Ben K tagged back in at 5:00 and hit a double clothesline. He looks a lot like Akira Tozawa. Ben K hit a suplex on Price. Hyo hit a second-rope senton for a nearfall.
Price and Oliver traded punches with Hyo and Ben K, with Alec and Jordan hitting stereo clotheslines. Oliver hit a dropkick. Larry Dallas thanked Tony Khan for allowing AEW talent to still work these shows. Yikes, that welt on the back of Alec’s leg is awful. Oliver hit some chops. Fight Panther hit a huracanrana on Oliver at 8:30. Aero Panther hit a moonsault to the floor. Fight Panther hit a bodyslam on Oliver for a nearfall, but Ben K made the save. Aero Panther hit a cool gutbuster move for a nearfall.
Oliver and Price hit stereo superkicks. Fight Panther hit a flip dive to the floor on Oliver and Price at 10:30. Hyo hit a stunner on Aero Panther, and Ben K hit a spear on Aero Panther. Hyo hit a second-rope flying stunner to pin Aero Panther. That was a blast. Hopefully, Price isn’t impacted too much by that injury to his leg, and he can wrestle the rest of the weekend without too many issues.
“Love and Peace” Ben K and Hyo defeated Aero Panther and Fight Panther Jr., and “Bustah and The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver in a three-way tag at 11:02.
5. Yamato vs. Jonathan Gresham. Yamato is simply ageless — he’s been wrestling for at least two decades now. Dallas just referred to him as “the ace of the company.” Standing switches to open, and they tied up each other’s arms. Yamato vanished under the ring, got back in, and dropkicked Gresham from behind at 4:00. Gresham hit some chops, then went to the floor to stall. Gresham got back in and hit a slap to the groin at 6:30 and got booed. Gresham hit a basement dropkick and stomped on Yamato. Gresham applied a Figure Four. He hit some stomps and kept Yamato grounded.
Yamato missed an enzuigiri, but he hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 12:00. Gresham hit his own Dragonscrew Legwhip, and Yamato collapsed. Gresham again applied a Figure Four leg lock. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Yamato snapped off a huracanrana for a nearfall at 16:00. Gresham hit a basement dropkick on the knee. He hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall, and he went back to a Figure Four leg lock. However, Yamato reversed it, and Gresham tapped out! I don’t think I’ve seen anyone actually tap to the reversal of a Figure Four.
Yamato defeated Jonathan Gresham at 17:04.
6. Madoka Kikuta, Ishin, and Yoshiki Kato vs. Dragon Kid, KZY, and Yuki Yoshioka. I’ve seen KZY (pronounced ‘Kay-zee”) and Dragon Kid, and I think Ishin was on last year’s Dragon Gate show from Vegas, but I don’t know if I’ve seen Kikuta or Kato. Yuki did at least one tour with NJPW last year. Ishin is short and really thick with blondish hair. All six brawled, and we’re underway! Ishin and DK started off, with Ishin knocking him down with a shoulder tackle. Yuki entered and hit a dropkick.
KZY entered at 2:00. He hit a basement dropkick and a running Blockbuster on Kato, who wore silver pants. Dallas and Dombrowski talked about the Dragon Gate match in Chicago Ridge 20 years ago (I was there!) over Mania weekend. KZY’s team kept Kato grounded and in their corner. Dragon Kid put Kato in a Trailer Hitch leg lock. The massive Kikuta brawled on the floor with Yuki. Dragon Gate and Kato also brawled to the floor, so we had a split-screen of the action. Dragon Kid got back into the ring at 8:30, but Kato and Kikuta worked him over.
Ishin re-entered and cranked on DK’s neck and ripped at the mask, and that earned some loud boos. Dragon Kid hit some forearm strikes, but Ishin dropped him with a hard forearm. Ishin missed a splash at 12:00. Kato jumped in to keep Dragon Kid from tagging out. Ishin again missed a splash! Good humor. Kikuta held Dragon Kid down, so Ishin again went for the splash, but DK got his knees up to block it! Funny. Yuki got in, and he hit a flip dive to the floor on all three opponents at 13:30.
KZY hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Kikuta and put him in a Figure Four leg lock. We had three simultaneous submission spots. KZY hit a spear into the corner on Kato. He went to the top rope, but Ishin cut him off. Ishin hit a top-rope superplex on KZY for a nearfall at 16:30. Kato hit a DVD on Yuki for a nearfall. Dragon Kid hit a Frankensteiner on Ishin for a nearfall at 18:00. Kato hit a Bulldog Powerslam on DK. Kikuta hit a hard clothesline, then a piledriver on KZY, but KZY popped up and hit a diving forearm! Yuki hit a top-rope frog splash on Ishin for a believable nearfall, and everyone was down.
Kikuta peeled off his T-shirt, and he traded LOUD chops with Yuki. Kikuta hit another hard clothesline, but Yuki hit a brainbuster. Ishin sprayed liquid in Yuki’s eyes! Ishin hit a back suplex on Dragon Kid, but DK got a Crucifix Driver for a visual pin, but the ref was blocked from making the three-count! KZY hit a diving European Uppercut, then a Jay Driller on Ishin for the pin! Exactly what the fans hoped to see here. That was fun.
Dragon Kid, KZY, and Yuki Yoshioka defeated Madoka Kikuta, Ishin, and Yoshiki Kato at 21:28.
* KZY got on the mic and proclaimed that his team won. He noted this was Yuki’s first U.S. match! He pointed out that Dragon Kid is 50 years old (which you wouldn’t guess by looking at his physique!)
Final Thoughts: Unfortunately, the big takeaway of the show is the stairs collapsing and injuring Price. (I was not aware of the injury until I saw it as I watched this show Thursday morning. I have just learned that Price didn’t wrestle his evening match on Wednesday night.) It’s too bad the injury soured me for a bit. He then invited the wrestlers from the earlier matches to come to the rig.
The main event was a fun sprint, with all six guys getting their moves in. I’ll narrowly go with the three-team tag match for second and Mathers’ match for third. That’s a pretty good trio of matches to top any show. A lot of wrestling fans will have liked that Gresham-Yamato match more than I did. It was good, but as is often the case, Gresham’s matches start really slowly and have a nice build — it requires some patience.
Overall, a really strong show, and unlike the PoderMania show in this room hours earlier, they didn’t have too many matches, so each match was given plenty of time to play out. Definitely one to check out.
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