Dragon Gate USA Weekend: Johnny Gargano vs. Jimmy Rave

It's Monday! I'm wrapping up the Dragon Gate USA weekend today with the DGUSA champion. The belt above is a pretty damn cool looking title. I would say this belt is one of my favorites and is by far better than that WWE spinner belt. Then again I've seen indy belts made with aluminum and a bedazzler that looked better than that title.

I find it fitting that I wrap up DGUSA weekend today with an Old School Monday Night RAW tonight. Talk about two opposite ends of the spectrum. Then again I'd love to watch the late 80's/early 90's WWF stars try to do half the things the guys (and girls) from Dragon Gate USA pull off.

I don't know if Dragon Gate will ever be one of the top two promotions in the country. I don't believe they even want to be. Don't get me wrong, they would love to sell out 20,000 seat arenas. What I mean is that the promotion has never made serious attempts to secure a national television deal, and they haven't run a full slate of house shows like a TNA or WWE. I really think that their current iPPV and DVD business structure is what works best for the japanese off shoot. As long as the product in front of the camera doesn't change then I'm happy with that.

Today's match is a little older, but I couldn't do a DGUSA weekend without showing Johnny Gargano. He is probably the biggest home grown star for the promotion. He came in as part of a stable known as Ronin, and played second fiddle to Chuck Taylor (a funny funny guy). He ended up being the breakout star of the group and catapulted himself in the DGUSA title picture.

Over a year ago, like CM Punk, Gargano won his title and hasn't looked back. His biggest test is coming up at WrestleCon during WrestleMania weekend when he defends the title against japanese icon, Shingo. This will be a match that can't be missed. You can see it on iPPV for like 1/4 the price of WrestleMania. That's a helluva deal.

Now Gargano has not only become one of the best wrestlers in the promotion, but he has also become one of the best promo men on the independent wrestling circuit. Check out his latest promoting WrestleCon:

 

Johnny Gargano has become the total package. I'd go see him fast because pretty soon he'll only be seen in Tampa, Florida. If you don't believe me then check out today's match with indy main stay Jimmy Rave. It's a two parter, so sit back and enjoy!



 

 

That is a talented dude, and one of the reasons that DGUSA is successful. I hope you enjoyed this Dragon Gate USA weekend. I'll try do more weekends in the future with independent promotions and talent. Please leave any suggestions in the comment box, or click the contact link to drop me a line.

 

Also don't forget to swing by the Dragon Gate USA site and pick up some merch. It supports the cause and a small business. When you do that you help create jobs. That helps the country. Don't you want to help the country? Aren't you a Real American?

 

See that segway! Remember to check back tomorrow for my weekly Monday Night RAW review. It's Old School RAW tonight, which should be a fun show with all the stars for glory days passed. I'm also keeping my fingers crossed for our first Undertaker vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania encounter. That and more of Uncle Zeb's amazing mustache.

 

Until tomorrow remember this advice: Life's a work, duck the clothesline. 

Dragon Gate USA Weekend: Ricochet vs. Mike Cruz

The Dragon Gate USA weekend continues! How much fun was yesterday's match? Hopefully you learned more about DGUSA. The promotion is a unique idea that really stands out by being fresh and inventive.

Since becoming a fan, I will say they have had their head scratch moments. Some of the names of the stables don't exactly strike fear into me. I mean who is scared of "Mad Blankey". I have more fear for a pot smoking towel. But I guess that is something normal over in the japanese wrestling culture, which makes it kind of interesting here in the states.

Today's match features a talent everyone should know: Ricochet. He might be the most athletically gifted wrestler I have seen since Rob Van Dam. He is still young, but has become a main stay for the japanese Dragon Gate promotion along with Dragon Gate megastar CIMA. He's also a member of the group known as "World-1 International". I like to call them the international flip squad. And then I start humming the beginning to that song, "Game Over" ... flip flip flip.

Just watch this match and try to keep your jaw from hitting the floor. It's really cool stuff and he does it with ease.

That shooting star is sick and he makes it look like it is no more difficult than putting your socks on. Most people can't do that move when their opponent is so far out and he probably could go further.

Remember to visit the Dragon Gate USA site and pick up some merch. Support the little guy and maybe even try to expose your friends to this new fast paced product.

Tomorrow come back for the last day of the Dragon Gate USA weekend. I'll have a match with the current DGUSA champion. Johnny Gargano. He's an american wrestler from the Ohio area that has become one of the top stars in the country. He'll be on you're Monday night television before his career is over.

It Came From The Indies

(Click the picture to order the iPPV)

The internet has brought us lots of cool things. Mostly celebrity sex tapes and cute cat videos, but also tons of indie wrestling. Unlike less than a decade ago, promotions don't need to find a TV station with decent rates to get their product out to the masses. Every week promotions, like Prime Wrestling based in Ohio, are putting out top tier television through YouTube. Also the surge in Internet Pay Per Views has opened up regional promotions to global audiences.

One of my favorites is Prime Wrestling. A lot of my old friends work for the company, so I have a soft spot for them. They have been around in one form or another for a couple of years, and usually deliver an entertaining product. Their big events have included bloody brawls and mega stars. This weekend they return to iPPV.

The WWE maybe rolling out the elimination chamber for 50 bucks this Sunday, but the best bang for your buck is getting the iPPV from Prime Wrestling. The Main Event should be a great match with top indy star Johnny Gargana defending his title against one of my favorite bad guys going today, Krimson.

In the past Krimson has made a name for himself by being in two of the most brutal matches in Prime history against Jason Bane and Matt Mason. Johnny Gargano has spent the past year having maybe the most dominant year in independent wrestling. He is not only the Prime Wrestling champion, but is also going over a full year as the reigning Dragon Gate USA champion. A very impressive feat for any worker.

Aside from this guaranteed-to-please main event, Prime Wrestling offers a roster comprised of the best talent on the Midwest wrestling scene. This includes G.R.o.W. favorite N8 Mattson, Tough Enough star Matt Cross, and a slew of other gifted wrestlers. The Facade vs. Louis Lyndon showdown for the television title is a dark horse to steal the show. You don't want to blink watching that matchup.

There is a myriad of options for your wrestling dollar this weekend. I suggest getting out of your comfort zone and checking out what Prime Wrestling has to offer. It's probably double the action for a third of the price.

That means more money left over in your pocket. That means you can buy more celebrity sex tapes. I'm just suggesting. You could put it in a Roth IRA and save for the future. Oh who am I kidding, you're buying sex tapes. Chyna didn't make a sequal because nobody bought the first one. Hell, you probably stumbled on this blog because a porn site re-directed you here ... I read my google analytics, but I digress. Before checking out Pressure Rising watch the latest episode of Prime TV below. It has a really good matchup between Gargano and Cross. Enjoy!



Tune back in tomorrow for my preview and predictions of the WWE Elimination chamber.