DVD Review: “Open the Historic Gate” A Must-Have Collection

Dragon Gate USA hit the nation with force when the promotion hosted its first pay-per-view event earlier this year from The Arena in Philadelphia.

Now available on DVD under the banner “Open the Historic Gate,” the six-match card introduced many American fans to a new style of wrestling and almost assuredly left everyone who watched it impressed and wanting more.

The first part of the two-disc set features the following matches from the pay-per-view card, totaling about two-and-a-half hours of action-packed, exhilarating match-ups and possible Match of the Year contenders:

• BxB Hulk vs. YAMATO
• Too Cold Scorpio vs. Kenn Doane
• Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Soldier Ant and Fire Ant vs. Gran Akuma, Icarus, Amasis and Hallowicked
• Dragon Kid vs. Masato Yoshino
• CIMA and Susumu Yokosuka vs. The Young Bucks
• Shingo vs. Naruki Doi

Each match adds something new to the card and the entire show continues to impress.

While Too Cold Scorpio’s match against Doane, known as Kenny Dykstra during his World Wrestling Entertainment tenure, may be the weakest match on the card, it’s still a great showcase of wrestling skills, superior to most mainstream American pay-per-view matches.

Some of the matches feature classic battles between speed and power, the tag team match featuring the fast-rising brothers of Matt and Nick Jackson plays to all the strengths of pro wrestling missing from major promotions and the eight-man showcase of CHIKARA Pro may be the most exciting match seen in a long time, including a well-structured finish that leaves fans on the edge of their seats.

And if the 150 minutes of the main show aren’t enough, the DVD set also featured a second disc containing special features and more than an hour of additional matches.

Bonus content includes:

• The first ever FRAY! match featuring Cheech, Cloudy, Johnny Gargano, Louis Lyndon, Lince Dorado, Andy Harner, Aaron Arbo and Chris Jones
• A Full Impact Pro vs. Dragon Gate matched filmed at “FIP Cage of Pain II” in September 2007 pitting BxB Hulk, Jack Evans and YAMATO against Delirious, Jigsaw and Hallowicked
• An eight-man tag team match from the “Crown Gate” event filmed in November 2006 featuring BxB Hulk, Jushin Liger, Evans and Matt Sydal (WWE’s Evan Bourne) battling Doi, Yoshino, Magnitude Kishiwada and Kevin Steen
• An “Enter the Historic Gate” highlight package
• The 12-minute “Enter the Dragon” preview and promo spot

The highlight reel and PPV preview make nice additions to the set, as they allow for a viewer to relive the high spots of the show while also receiving a short history lesson about Japan-based Dragon Gate, the parent company of DGUSA, and its history and champions.

The FRAY! match offers a great bonus match, as eight independent wrestlers primarily from the Pennsylvania area compete in the elimination match beginning with two men in the ring and seeing a new competitor enter every three minutes.

The other two bonus matches offer exciting and entertaining bouts, each about 20 minutes in length. Like the rest of the contests on this set, these matches are fast-paced, action-packed and filled with quality wrestling rarely produced by mainstream American companies.

These matches also feature talent recognizable by casual fans including the aforemention Bourne and Ring of Honor stars Delirious and Kevin Steen.

This DVD, priced at $20, is a must-have for anyone who truly considers themselves a wrestling fan. Casual fans can use this cheaply priced set to introduce themselves to something outside of the Vince McMahon and Dixie Carter areas of the fantasyland named professional wrestling, and hardcore fans will appreciate the style and ethic of these performers.