Dragon Gate USA
Encyclopedia
Dragon Gate USA is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...

 founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese promotion Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...

.

Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky is a wrestling personality, the current vice president of Dragon Gate USA and owner of Evolve, and the former booker for Ring of Honor and Full Impact Pro.-Early life:...

, former head booker of Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...

, serves as the promotion's Vice President.

History

Dragon Gate USA features regular members of the Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...

 roster, along with notable American talent. All Dragon Gate titles and champions are recognized by Dragon Gate USA.

In June 2009, it was announced that Dragon Gate USA had signed an agreement to film its shows for pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...

 broadcast. In August 2009, it was announced that Dragon Gate USA had signed an agreement with The Fight Network
The Fight Network
Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel devoted to airing programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles...

 to air DGUSA content on television.

The first Open the Freedom Gate Champion
DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Championship
The first holder of the Open the Freedom Gate Championship was crowned following a 14-man tournament held at DGUSA Freedom Fight on November 28, 2009. The title is also recognized by Dragon Gate USA's parent promotion, Dragon Gate, and it has been defended at a Dragon Gate show in Japan. The title...

 was crowned following a tournament held at DGUSA Freedom Fight
DGUSA Freedom Fight
Freedom Fight / Open The Freedom Gate is a series of professional wrestling pay-per-view events produced by Dragon Gate USA.-Background:...

 on November 28, 2009. This is the main title of Dragon Gate USA.

On September 7, 2010, Dragon Gate USA announced a partnership with Go Fight Live and that their first live internet pay-per-view, Bushido: Way of the Warrior (later renamed Bushido: Code of the Warrior), would be taking place on October 29.

In the fall of 2010, DGUSA announced that it would be holding a tournament to crown the first Open the United Gate Champions, which is their tag team champions. It was announced on December 13, 2010 that the tournament would be a four team round robin tournament that would take place over three shows from January 28 through January 30.

On November 25, 2011, Dragon Gate USA and Evolve
Evolve (professional wrestling)
Evolve Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion based in the Northeast founded in 2010 by former Ring of Honor booker and current Dragon Gate USA vice president, Gabe Sapolsky, Full Impact Pro owner Sal Hamaoui, and independent wrestler Davey Richards...

 announced the unification of the two promotions. Dragon Gate USA and Evolve will still promote separate events, but the two share rosters, including stables, and Evolve recognizes Dragon Gate USA's Open the Freedom Gate Championship and Open the United Gate Championship
DGUSA Open the United Gate Championship
The DGUSA Open the United Gate Championship is a tag team championship within the Dragon Gate USA promotion. The first champions were World–1 and were crowned at United: Finale in a the tournament final, which was held in Union City, New Jersey. It aired on March 11, 2011 on pay-per-view tape...

 as its top two championships.

Partnerships

Working agreements between Dragon Gate USA and the following promotions have led to interchanges in talent. Also, matches from these promotions have appeared on Dragon Gate USA DVD releases.
  • Chikara (established April 26, 2009)
  • All American Wrestling (established June 15, 2009)
  • Hybrid Wrestling (established June 15, 2009)
  • Full Impact Pro
    Full Impact Pro
    Full Impact Pro is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Florida. Their shows are taped and then sold as DVDs. Full Impact Pro was the sister promotion of Ring of Honor until 2009...

     (established September 28, 2009)
  • Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup (established October 13, 2009)
  • Women Superstars Uncensored
    Women Superstars Uncensored
    Women Superstars Uncensored is an American, New Jersey based female independent professional wrestling promotion which held its first event in 1996. Shows combine wrestling interspersed with both serious and comedic storylines. The company tapes two DVDs worth of material during weekend shows...

     (established October 14, 2009)
  • Maximum Pro Wrestling
    Maximum Pro Wrestling
    Maximum Pro Wrestling is a Canadian independent professional wrestling organization, founded in 2010 with the merger of Scott D'Amore's Border City Wrestling out of Windsor, Ontario and BSE Pro Wrestling out of Toronto, Ontario.-History:...

     (established March 3, 2010)
  • Rampage Pro Wrestling
  • New York Wrestling Connection
  • Insanity Pro Wrestling

List of Dragon Gate USA events

Pay-Per-View name Live event name Date filmed Date aired City Venue
Enter The Dragon Open The Historic Gate July 25, 2009 September 4, 2009 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Arena
Untouchable Open The Untouchable Gate September 6, 2009 November 6, 2009 Chicago, Illinois
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

Congress Theater
Congress Theater
The Congress Theater in Chicago, built by Fridstein and Company in 1926 for the movie theater chain of Lubliner and Trinz, is a surviving example of a movie palace. It features ornate exterior and interior design work, in a combination of the Classical Revival and Italian Renaissance styles.The...

Freedom Fight Open The Freedom Gate November 28, 2009 January 22, 2010 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Arena
Fearless Fearless January 23, 2010 March 5, 2010 Chicago, Illinois Congress Theater
Open The Ultimate Gate Open The Ultimate Gate March 26, 2010 Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

Celebrity Theatre
Celebrity Theatre
Celebrity Theatre is a theater in the round located in Phoenix, Arizona.The theater building, designed in 1963, was originally intended to be a conference center, but was redesigned as a theater-in-the-round or arena theater. It was further renovated significantly in 1995.The stage is 30 feet in...

Mercury Rising Mercury Rising March 27, 2010 May 14, 2010 Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

Celebrity Theatre
Celebrity Theatre
Celebrity Theatre is a theater in the round located in Phoenix, Arizona.The theater building, designed in 1963, was originally intended to be a conference center, but was redesigned as a theater-in-the-round or arena theater. It was further renovated significantly in 1995.The stage is 30 feet in...

Open The Northern Gate Open The Northern Gate May 7, 2010 Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

Windsor Armoury
Uprising Uprising May 8, 2010 July 9, 2010 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada International Centre
International Centre
thumb|250px|International Centre.The International Centre is a multi-purpose convention centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 6900 Airport Road, near the Toronto Pearson International Airport. The building was opened in 1972 by DeHavilland...

Enter The Dragon 2010 1st Anniversary Celebration July 24, 2010 September 10, 2010 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Arena
Untouchable 2010 Untouchable 2010 September 25, 2010 November 12, 2010 Chicago, Illinois Congress Theater
Way of the Ronin Way of the Ronin September 26, 2010 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Miramar Theater
Bushido: Code of the Warrior Bushido: Code of the Warrior October 29, 2010 October 29, 2010 Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...

PAL Hall
Freedom Fight 2011 Freedom Fight 2011 October 30, 2010 January 7, 2011 Rahway, New Jersey
Rahway, New Jersey
Rahway is a city in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, being 15 miles southwest of Manhattan and five miles west of Staten Island...

Rahway Recreation Center
United: NYC
DGUSA United: NYC
United: NYC was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Dragon Gate USA that was second live Internet pay-per-view.-External links:*...

United: NYC January 28, 2011 January 28, 2011 New York, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill
United: Philly United: Philly January 29, 2011 January 29, 2011 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Arena
United We Stand United: Finale January 30, 2011 March 11, 2011 Union City, New Jersey
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...

ACE Arena
Open The Southern Gate Open The Southern Gate April 1, 2011 Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...

Mid Atlantic Sportatorium
Mercury Rising 2011 Mercury Rising 2011 April 2, 2011 April 2, 2011 Atlanta, Georgia The Presidential Ballroom
Open the Ultimate Gate 2011 Open The Ultimate Gate 2011 April 3, 2011 May 27, 2011 Atlanta, Georgia The Presidential Ballroom
Fearless 2011 Fearless 2011 June 3, 2011 June 3, 2011 Revere, Massachusetts
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...

Wonderland Ballroom
Uprising 2011 Uprising 2011 June 4, 2011 July 29, 2011 Deer Park, New York
Deer Park, New York
Deer Park is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 27,745 at the 2010 census.-History:...

NYWC Sportatorium
Enter The Dragon 2011 2nd Anniversary Celebration June 5, 2011 June 5, 2011 New York, New York B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill
Chasing The Dragon Chasing The Dragon September 9, 2011 Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

The Community Center
Untouchable 2011 Untouchable 2011 September 10, 2011 September 10, 2011 Chicago, Illinois The Congress Theater
Way of the Ronin 2011 Way of the Ronin 2011 September 11, 2011 September 11, 2011 Milwaukee, Wisconsin The Miramar Theatre

Roster

The company's roster is split into several units, with the majority of the wrestlers aligned with one faction or another.

Blood Warriors

  • CIMA
    Nobuhiko Oshima
    , better known by his ring name Cima , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently wrestles for Dragon Gate and its international expansion Dragon Gate USA...

     (Leader)
  • Naruki Doi
    Naruki Doi
    is a Japanese wrestler for Dragon Gate, where he is currently one third of the Open the Triangle Gate Champions. He also wrestled for Ring of Honor, where he is a former World Tag Team Champion with Shingo Takagi, as well as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....

  • BxB Hulk
    BxB Hulk
    , better known by his ring name BxB Hulk , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate, where he is currently one half of the Open the Twin Gate Champions, and Dragon Gate USA.-Professional wrestling career:...

  • Akira Tozawa
    Akira Tozawa
    , is a Japanese professional wrestler, mainly performing for Dragon Gate, where he is currently one half of the Open the Twin Gate Champions...

  • Ricochet
    Ricochet (wrestler)
    Trevor Mann is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Ricochet. He currently performs mainly for the American promotion Dragon Gate USA and its parent promotion, Japanese Dragon Gate. In both promotions he is a member of the Blood Warriors stable...

  • Brodie Lee
    Brodie Lee
    Jon Huber is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Brodie Lee, who performs primarily in the Chikara, Dragon Gate, Dragon Gate USA, Evolve Wrestling and Jersey All Pro Wrestling professional wrestling promotions...

  • Genki Horiguchi
    Genki Horiguchi
    , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently a full time wrestler and booker for Dragon Gate, where he is currently a member of the Blood Warriors stable. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor....

  • Ryo Saito
    Ryo Saito
    , is a Japanese professional wrestler . he wrestled for Dragon Gate, where he was a member of the Blood Warriors stable. His name is sometimes abbreviated as SaiRyo, so as not to confuse him with Toryumon/DG alumni SAITO.-Toryumon:...


Junction Three

  • Masaaki Mochizuki
    Masaaki Mochizuki
    is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently performing for Dragon Gate, where he is the current Open the Dream Gate Champion in his second reign and the leader of the Junction Three stable...

     (Leader)
  • Masato Yoshino
    Masato Yoshino
    Masato Yoshino is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for the Dragon Gate wrestling promotion.-Toryumon:...

  • Dragon Kid
    Dragon Kid
    Dragon Kid is a Japanese professional wrestler who wrestles for Dragon Gate.-Professional wrestling career:...

  • Shingo Takagi
    Shingo Takagi
    Shingo Takagi is a former Japanese bodybuilder, turned professional wrestler. Shingo is currently competing for the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate and American promotion Dragon Gate USA...

  • YAMATO
    Masato Onodera
    is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, known by his ring name Yamato , who competes for Dragon Gate and its international expansion Dragon Gate USA.-Dragon Gate:...

  • PAC
  • Gamma
  • Susumu Yokosuka

Guests

  • Homicide
    Nelson Erazo
    Nelson Rodriguez Erazo is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name, Homicide...

  • Paul London
    Paul London
    Paul Michael London is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment ....

  • Tommy Dreamer
    Tommy Dreamer
    Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...

  • Sabu
    Sabu (wrestler)
    Terry Michael Brunk , better known by his ring name Sabu, is an American professional wrestler best known for his extreme wrestling style...

  • Akebono
    Akebono Taro
    is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...

  • 2 Cold Scorpio
    2 Cold Scorpio
    Charles Scaggs is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name 2 Cold Scorpio . Scaggs has competed in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment and Pro Wrestling Noah...

  • Super Crazy
    Super Crazy
    Francisco Islas Rueda is a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador, best known by his ring name Super Crazy. Islas is most known for his three year run in the original ECW...

  • Jack Evans
    Jack Evans
    Jack Edward Miller is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jack Evans. He currently performs for the Mexican-based promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, where he is the current World Cruiserweight Champion and a former World Tag Team Champion. He is the cousin...

  • Teddy Hart
    Teddy Hart
    Teddy Annis , is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He is currently working on the American independent circuit for promotions such as Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Dragon Gate USA...

  • Jorge "Skayde" Rivera
  • L.A. Park
  • Ken Doane
    Ken Doane
    Kenneth George Doane is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled on its Raw and SmackDown brands under the ring names Kenny and Kenny Dykstra....

  • Da Soul Touchaz
    Da Soul Touchaz
    Da Soul Touchaz is a professional wrestling alliance, currently consisting of American professional wrestlers Acid Jaz, Marshe Rockett and Willie Richardson...


Notable alumni

  • Bryan Danielson
    Bryan Danielson
    Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...

  • Davey Richards
    Davey Richards
    Wesley David Richards is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Davey Richards.Richards is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH World Champion, but also wrestles for several companies on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling...

  • Austin Aries
    Austin Aries
    Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...

  • Jon Moxley
    Jon Moxley
    Jonathan Good is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Jon Moxley. He is signed to WWE, wrestling in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling , under the ring name Dean Ambrose...

  • Brian Kendrick
    Brian Kendrick
    Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Before joining TNA he spent several years wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick...

  • The Young Bucks
    The Young Bucks
    The Young Bucks is an American professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real life brothers Matt and Nick Massie from Southern California...

  • Mike Quackenbush
  • Hallowicked
    Hallowicked
    Hallowicked is a professional wrestler, who performs primarily in the Chikara, Dragon Gate USA and Evolve Wrestling professional wrestling promotions. Throughout his career he has also worked for promotions such as Combat Zone Wrestling, Full Impact Pro, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling...

  • Gran Akuma
    Gran Akuma
    Gran Akuma is a professional wrestler who currently works for Chikara and Combat Zone Wrestling, where he uses the ring name AKUMA. He has also worked for the Florida based Full Impact Pro. In Chikara, he was a member of the Kings of Wrestling stable, while also being a part of Team F.I.S.T. with...

  • Jimmy Jacobs
    Jimmy Jacobs
    Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...


Other

  • Kevin Harvey - Live Event Host (September 6, 2009 – present)
  • Lenny Leonard – Commentator
  • Leonard Chikarason – Commentator (July 25, 2009 - May 18, 2011)
  • Mike Quackenbush – Commentator
  • Rob Naylor - Commentator
  • Phil Colvin – Commentator
  • Jason Harding - Referee
  • Bryce Remsburg - Referee
  • Mike Kehner - Referee
  • Bob Saget
    Bob Saget
    Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...

     - Live Event Host (March 26, 2010)
  • Dawn Marie
    Dawn Marie Psaltis
    Dawn Marie Psaltis is an American former professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet. She is perhaps best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and the SmackDown! brand of World Wrestling Entertainment under her ring name Dawn Marie, where she was a WWE...

     – Live Event Host (July 25, 2009)
  • Tommy Dreamer
    Tommy Dreamer
    Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...

     - Live Event Host (January 23, 2010)

Current champions

Championship Champion(s) Previous Date Won Location
DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Championship
DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Championship
The first holder of the Open the Freedom Gate Championship was crowned following a 14-man tournament held at DGUSA Freedom Fight on November 28, 2009. The title is also recognized by Dragon Gate USA's parent promotion, Dragon Gate, and it has been defended at a Dragon Gate show in Japan. The title...

Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano
John Anthony Nicholas "Johnny" Gargano is an American professional wrestler, who performs primarily in the Absolute Intense Wrestling, Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, Evolve Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Ohio professional wrestling promotions. He has also made appearances for World Wrestling...

YAMATO
Masato Onodera
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, known by his ring name Yamato , who competes for Dragon Gate and its international expansion Dragon Gate USA.-Dragon Gate:...

November 13, 2011 Manhattan, NY
DGUSA Open the United Gate Championship
DGUSA Open the United Gate Championship
The DGUSA Open the United Gate Championship is a tag team championship within the Dragon Gate USA promotion. The first champions were World–1 and were crowned at United: Finale in a the tournament final, which was held in Union City, New Jersey. It aired on March 11, 2011 on pay-per-view tape...

Blood Warriors
Junction Three
September 11, 2011 Milwaukee, WI

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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