Open the Voice Gate

Open The Voice Gate - Rewind and Rewatch - June 2014 in Sapporo!

·1 hr 52 min·5 clips
Mike Spears and Kate Arco unearth two lost Dragon Gate shows from 2014 that have never been available online.
The episode is a review and discussion of two Dragon Gate Infinity shows from June 2014 in Sapporo, which the hosts claim have never been available online before. Hosts Mike Spears and Kate Arco begin by discussing current wrestling streaming services, praising CMLL's YouTube model while criticizing Dragon Gate's recent reduction of YouTube uploads. They then shift to analyzing the influence of Dragon Gate's style on American wrestling, arguing it has been watered down. A personal anecdote about a non-fan's reaction to a lucha libre GIF leads into the main topic. The hosts provide historical context, explaining how in 2014, Dragon Gate shows aired on Gaora with a significant delay, unlike today's live streams. They describe the significance of the Sapporo Tyson Hall venue, which has since closed. The review covers the shows' structure, noting longer undercard match times compared to 2024. Key storylines are discussed, including BB Hulk's feud with Mad Blanky and Mr. High Tension Kotoka's hair vs. hair angle. The hosts praise the production value of the old Infinity episodes and the strength of units like Monster Express. They analyze the charisma of 2014 Yamato, arguing no one since has matched his cool factor, and speculate on which current wrestler could fill that role. The episode concludes with match-by-match takeaways, highlighting the performances of Eita and BB Hulk.

As heard by us

A patient hunt for missing 2014 Dragon Gate footage becomes a crisp look at wrestling fandom's archival habits.

The episode turns the search for missing 2014 Dragon Gate footage into a compact study of how messy wrestling discovery used to be. Gaora replay windows, spoiler avoidance, scattered uploads, and gaps in a major Dailymotion archive all become part of the story, giving the hosts…

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Press play when a 2014 Dragon Gate footage hunt sounds like an archival mystery worth solving.

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