So no Dragon Gate wrestlers on the DGUSA WM weekend shows

[mcmahonfan85]

from Gabe Sapolsky's facebook:

We apologize, but it looks like there will not be Dragon Gate talent on the shows next weekend. This has been an ongoing situation for a while. It is not between us and Dragoon Gate. Our relationship remains strong and DGUSA will continue and will feature Dragon Gate talent in the future. This has been a daily thing where every day we think something was about to break. Now the clock has run out. We owe you a complete explanation and will have that on Monday.

In the meantime, we know you only care about two things- what the lineups are going to be and how we will make this up to you. We took the first step as a precaution by booking Masato Tanaka to face Chris Hero on the Friday night DGUSA show. We need to thank Highspots for making this possible. We are now finalizing the rest. We will have word to you on Monday.

I personally apologize and am very embarrassed by this entire situation. As an organization, we deeply apologize. The bottom line is that we will rebound and we will have amazing shows in New Orleans with a talented, exciting and dynamic roster. We will give you a great experience and present events that you will always remember fondly.

We appreciate and value your patience. We would have said more earlier, but this is something where we literally thought there would be a resolution and announcement on a daily basis. I realize this is not a suitable explanation for some of you and will accept the criticism and try to make it right. It is the best we can do right at this moment.

We'll give you the entire story on Monday when we have everything situated. I will be around for all your questions and comments on Twitter and here on Facebook after we release the lineups and explain what happened. Thank you for all your support and we will make this right on the biggest weekend of the year.

[Mozenrath]

Wonder what the situation is/was. I guess we'll find out Monday.

[slappy]

Visa issues?

[Deleted]

DGUSA, Evolve, and FIP have been nearly inseparable recently. And honestly it's this reason I barley follow DGUSA anymore. I just follow the other two as they acctully put on shows and they all affect each other.

The WWN has really been losing my interest with ROH, PWG, CZW, and Beyond Wrestling simply being better options. Hopefully they can figure all this travel stuff out and start regaining my interest.

[JTG Fan]

Gargano wins lol

[Digital Witness]

DGUSA was a great idea to begin with. However if Dragon Gate can't deliver on their end, then Gabe might be better off just focusing on Evolve and stack his roster with the best homegrown independent talent he can get and maybe bring in some Dragon Gate talent every once in a blue moon.

[froggyfrog]

Why not just run the shows under evolve then? Because Gabe wants to mislead ticket buyers and is full of shit

[Brood Lone Wolf Funker]

Trying not to laugh at the typo in the press release, but it does make me wonder what Dragoon Gate is and if there is a Legend of it

[mcmahonfan85]

so the replacement for the Dragon Gate wrestlers are Low Ki, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian. Low Ki will be on the Friday (against Trent Baretta) and Saturday (against Johnny Gargano) shows, while Bad Influence will only be on the Saturday show. also, since they are TNA contracted wrestlers, their match will not be aired or recorded and is strictly for the people in attendance.

there may be one more wrestler announced

[Viking Snad]

Suitable replacements.

[Facetious]

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help" - Low Ki

I really don't wish ill will on DGUSA/Evolve, but man this is full of LOLGabe. The experiment has failed, Gabe. Just fold DGUSA into Evolve, make the Evolve title the main attraction, FIP the secondary, and turn the DGUSA tag belts into Evovle belts. We get to see, what, 3-5 Dragon Gate guys every 4 months?

[mcmahonfan85]

actually you're lucky if now just get three. lets take a quick look back at DGUSA from last year's WrestleMania weekend until this years:

Open the Ultimate Gate 2013/Mercury Rising 2013 (April)
1. Akira Tozawa
2. CIMA
3. Eita
4. Tomahawk TT
5. Shingo

Bushido: Code of the Warrior 2013/Enter the Dragon 2013 (July)
1. Akira Tozawa
2. CIMA
3. Eita
4. Tomahawk TT

Fearless 2013/Freedom Fight 2013 (November)
1. Jimmy Susumu
2. Masaaki Mochizuki

Revolt 2014/Way of the Ronin 2014 (February)
1. Yosuke Santa Maria

Open the Ultimate Gate 2014/Mercury Rising 2014 (April)
No Dragon Gate wrestlers

[Deleted]

Didn't Low Ki retire?

and from the look of that chart ya, I would just combine DGUSA and Evolve. As if they are not already

[froggyfrog]

Decent replacements but the fact they bill themselves as Dragon Gate USA and then have 0 Dragon Gate wrestlers on the show is inexcusable and embarrassing. Just call yourselves Evolve 100% of the time and spare yourself the embarrassment.

[01010010 01101001 01100011]

I thought Gabe's plan from the start of DGUSA was to run the company without having to have the Japanese talents? I know Evolve, FIP and all that but I mean DGUSA without the Japanese talent or them only making occasional shows. Granted these are the Mania shows where they made their name so I understand that, just talking in general.

[Facetious]

Jeeez, I knew it was getting bad, just not that bad. I remember a few years ago Evolve was the one getting shit on.

[Kash Flagg]

So did he give his explanation on what happened?

[mcmahonfan85]

Mar 31, 2014 21:08:28 GMT -5 01010010 01101001 01100011 said:

I thought Gabe's plan from the start of DGUSA was to run the company without having to have the Japanese talents? I know Evolve, FIP and all that but I mean DGUSA without the Japanese talent or them only making occasional shows. Granted these are the Mania shows where they made their name so I understand that, just talking in general.

DGUSA was created first and foremost as a promotion to showcase the Dragon Gate wrestlers in the US. other goals included find some American wrestlers to use in Japan and overtaking Ring of Honor as the top indy (and for Gabe hopefully running them out of business), but from the start the plan was to showcase the Japanese wrestlers in America.

at this point, it is a failed experiment. they should seriously just call it a day and start running everything under the EVOLVE name, and i'm going to include FIP in that. they've really done nothing with it since digging it up from the wrestling graveyard. going by Gabe's analogy, if DGUSA is "Raw" and EVOLVE is "Smackdown", then FIP is "Superstars" and they don't need to be trying to get people shill out money for what is clearly the "C" show

Mar 31, 2014 21:10:39 GMT -5 Kash Flagg said:

So did he give his explanation on what happened?

nope, just announcing "make goods" (his words)

[Chuckie Finster]

Man this is sad. End DGUSA, tell the home office if they want to bring their talent to Evolve or FIP then they can and move on.

I'd rather see the Indy talent cause the DG guys do the same match all the time.

[Steveweiser]

He's not offering any refunds, which is ludicrous, given the appeal of DGUSA is meant to be that you get to see Dragon Gate's wrestlers. So you're paying $100 ringside to see Low Ki and Bad Influence.