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Gargano and Yoshino start us off with a feeling out process, Gargano whips Yoshino to the ropes but Yoshino comes back and nails him with a running dropkick. Yoshino tries for a backslide, but Gargano slips out and hits a short Ace Crusher. Taylor and PAC tag in and Taylor takes PAC down with a running shoulderblock, then they do a fast paced sequence that ends with PAC dropkicking Taylor to the floor. PAC sets for a running dive, Gargano comes in with a back elbow, but gets caught in the wrong corner and double teamed by World-1. Yoshino gets Gargano in a seated Octopus Hold, but Gargano makes the ropes so PAC springboards off Yoshino's back with a twisting senton for 2. Gargano rams PAC into the Ronin corner and they double team him, then Taylor goes to a Fujiwara armbar. Gargano whips PAC to the corner and follows in with a running clothesline and covers for 2. Taylor comes in and sets for a standing moonsault, but just drops backward into a senton for 2. Double back elbow to PAC, and this time they skip the dancing and just stomp PAC into oblivion. Gargano gets PAC in a seated abdominal stretch, PAC gets to his feet and hiptosses Gargano, but Taylor sneaks in and nails him from behind and then blatantly chokes PAC in front of the referee. PAC starts firing back at Taylor with hard kicks, a leaping enziguiri, and a second rope dropkick, and gets to his corner and makes the tag to Yoshino.
Yoshino tricks Taylor into nailing Gargano, then hits Taylor with the Slingblade. Taylor hits Sole Food and a uranage for 2, then ties Taylor up in the standing Octopus Hold. Gargano comes in and breaks the hold, then PAC wipes him out with a slingshot Ace Crusher. PAC with a second rope shooting star press for 2, Gargano tries a German suplex, PAC flips through and lands on his feet, but Gargano nails him, lawn darts him into the second turnbuckle, and superkicks him again for 2. Gargano goes to the apron and spears Yoshino through the ropes and Taylor follows that with a Lionsault for 2. Backbreaker/running boot combo gets 2 for Ronin, but PAC comes in and cleans house on both men. Yoshino springboards off PAC and nails Taylor in the corner, then hits both members of Ronin with the dropkick/senton combo, followed by a twisting senton from PAC for 2. Taylor springboards off Gargano's back to hit a tornado DDT on PAC for 2, then a lawn dart into an Ace Crusher from Gargano gets another 2 on PAC. Ronin dumps Yoshino to the floor and Gargano hits a dive through the ropes as Taylor hits PAC with the Awful Waffle, but only gets 2. Taylor can't believe that he only got 2 from the Awful Waffle, but he and Gargano hit the wheelbarrow DDT into Gargano's full nelson slam and then into the Border City Stretch on PAC. Yoshino tries to break the hold, but Taylor dumps him out to the floor. Yoshino manages to get back in and stomps away at Gargano, but can't break the hold and instead goes to the twisty leg choke thing on Taylor. One man on each team is in a submission predicament, and Gargano finally breaks the hold on PAC voluntarily to break Yoshino's hold on Taylor.
Gargano goes for the full nelson slam on Yoshino, but Yoshino counters to the Lightning Spiral for 2. PAC dumps Taylor to the floor and World-1 hits a running elbow/leaping enziguiri combo on Gargano, followed by a Phoenix Splash by PAC for 2. Gargano gets a superkick out of nowhere on PAC and gets a rolling cradle, but PAC kicks out again at 2. Gargano gets a full nelson, but just dumps PAC backward into a Dragon Suplex. PAC no sells and hits another leaping enziguiri and an INSANE snap German suplex with a bridge finally puts Gargano down for 3.
Yoshino and PAC have won the tournament, and are the new Open The United Gate Champions. I'm not sure why they needed to win here since they're both already top singles champions, but the tournament was great and Ronin looked really good by coming so close to beating them. Ronin tries to grab the belts after the match, but cooler heads prevail and the two teams shake hands and then Ronin leaves as the new champions get their belts wrapped around their waists. PAC cuts a postmatch promo putting Yoshino over as the best wrestler in Dragon Gate, and says that they will proudly carry these belts back to Japan with them. Yoshino does his usual post-show spiel where he asks the fans if they liked the show, and says they'll be back because they love New Jersey, to which one wise fan yells out "Nobody loves New Jersey!" Yoshino and PAC pose with the belts for some photos and then go outside to high five all the fans in attendance.
Great match to close the show, both teams had been through hell to get to this match and they wrestled like nothing mattered to them more than becoming the champions and they refused to quit until those belts were in their hands.
Kamikaze USA are backstage getting ready for a promo, but Akira Tozawa is nowhere to be found. Moxley makes remarks about how Tozawa has been screwing up all weekend, and gets into an argument with Tozawa when he finally does show up. Tozawa tells YAMATO that they don't need Moxley and have no use for him in Japan, but Tozawa is the one who winds up on the receiving end of a beatdown from Moxley and YAMATO, with Moxley telling Tozawa that he's out of Kamikaze USA.
* * *
This show wrapped up what was far and away the best weekend of wrestling that Dragon Gate USA has ever produced. No doubt about it, if you are trying to figure out which DGUSA DVDs to buy, get these because they had everything from the tournament, to Moxley's countdown to his match with Homicide, to Blood Warriors emerging as the dominant group, a new Open The Freedom Gate Champion being crowned, Ronin's quest to be taken seriously as competitors who would make it in Japan, and more.
Everything from the storylines and wrestling hit on all cylinders like nothing they've ever done. I loved these shows live and couldn't wait to get them on DVD, and they absolutely lived up to the live experience. They've set a really high bar to live up to in the future, but these shows kicked ass and accentuated everything that's good about the DGUSA product. Highest possible recommendation for all three events.
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