On a brand new, special episode of the Eastern Lariat, Dylan and @EmeraldFlowShow's host @GerardDiTrolio sit down and talk about the upcoming Hall of Fame. This time with a twist from prior years. We go through the famed "Gordy List", putting every one of the Japan Region's candidates to the test. Who comes out on top? Who comes out worst? What do we take from this? Find out on the new Hall of Fame special! cagematch.net/r/?id=128&nr=1… And remember the candidates: Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi The Great Sasuke (New) Hayabusa Io Shirai/Iyo Sky KENTA (New) Kyoko Inoue (Returning) Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada Masaaki Mochizuki Meiko Satomura Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan Tam Nakano (New) Tiger Jeet Singh Yoshiaki Fujiwara Yoshihiro Takayama Zack Sabre Jr.

One thing that's really grating about the AEW wrestlers coming in for these AEW runs is how uninteresting the storylines surrounding them are. MJF is doing a very similar to what Gabe is saying. "NJPW sucks and AEW is better but let me go all the way over there to pick a fight". This works in a Forbidden Door setting on their turf, but not here.

And just for the record. The Gordy List entails asking questions about the candidates that we must determine if they do or not: 1. Was he/she ever regarded as the best draw in the world? Was he/she ever regarded as the best draw in his country or his promotion? 2. Was he/she an international draw, national draw and/or regional draw? 3. How many years did he/she have as a top draw? 4. Was he/she ever regarded as the best worker in the world? Was he/she ever regarded as the best worker in his country or in his promotion? 5. Was he/she ever the best worker in his class (sex or weight)? Was he/she ever one of the top workers in his class? 6. How many years did he/she have as a top worker? 7. Was he/she a good worker before his prime? Was he/she a good worker after his prime? 8. Did he/she have a large body of excellent matches? Did he/she have a excellent matches against a variety of opponents? 9. Did he/she ever anchor his promotion(s)? 10. Was he/she effective when pushed at the top of cards? 11. Was he/she valuable to his promotion before his prime? Was he/she still valuable to his promotion after his prime? 12. Did he/she have an impact on a number of strong promotional runs? 13. Was he/she involved in a number of memorable rivalries, feuds or storylines? 14. Was he/she effective working on the mic, working storylines or working angles? 15. Did he/she play his role(s) effectively during his career? 16. What titles and tournaments did he/she win? What was the importance of the reigns? 17. Did he/she win many honors and awards? 18. Did he/she get mainstream exposure due to his wrestling fame? Did he/she get a heavily featured by the wrestling media? 19. Was he/she a top tag team wrestler? 20. Was he/she innovative? 21. Was he/she influential? 22. Did he/she make the people and workers around him better? 23. Did he/she do what was best for the promotion? Did he/she show a commitment to wrestling? 24. Is there any reason to believe that he/she was better or worse than he/she appeared?

"What validity does a wrestling hall of fame hold if it doesn't feature one of wrestling's predominant figures of the 21st century?" @_InYourCase with the definitive article on the @WONF4W case for KENTA. Must-read. @WONHOFTracker voicesofwrestling.com/2026/1…

After the dust has settled on the N1 Victory, the fraud Eevee Coin has been completely exposed proving I am a Fighting type. And much like it always ends in these tournament pick ems with my co-hosts, I have emerged victorious! After a DOMINANT run I have overcome my challenger by a score of 34-22 to 29-27 in predictions. 🥳 ...even if we both got the winner wrong.

Mai Sakurai will be leaving Marigold at Grand Destiny on the 24th of this month. A major loss for the company. Mai was a talented that has shown great improvements since coming to Marigold and would be a legit option for any Joshi company. I thought she would be someone Rossy turned to for the Red belt but it wasn't meant to be this time around.

This was a legitimate surprise but I said months ago it was time for a total reset of the company from the Kikuta era and do things they never did before. This is the kind of move you make to get to that. The next generation is now! And on top of it Kato wrestled his ass off against Kzy. If he can keep this level of work going this could be a good reign, plus the last 2 months have created a sense of chaos and unpredictability in the company that no other one quite has right now where it feels like anyone can win and upset someone. I'm like 99% positive on this narratively, even though they unquestionably bungled the Brave Gate situation last month. It feels like we're ready to go through to the next stage of DG, especially if Cielo is unmasked and we can get him on the right track again. Part of that is how they did this Kzy title reign to be fair. He was honestly a weak champion with how they booked him. His one defense had a month+ of build where he didn't even get the major go home promo against YAMATO after he trolled on a feud largely built on Twitter while Kzy was a background character in the Rey de Parejas. It seems like the company didn't really see him as that "leader" of the company even as champion. Nevertheless we still got the moment which was exceptional. The win and the loss both were in style befitting of the MC. Look forward to seeing how things go going forward with Kato, something wildly different and fresh at least.

📺GAORA SPORTS 生中継！ #DragonGateNetwork 生配信 THE GATE OF VICTORY 2026開幕戦 10月2日 後楽園ホール大会ご来場並びに DRAGONGATENETWORK ご視聴誠にありがとうございました！ dragongate.live 公式結果速報は DRAGONGATEmobile にて sp.dg-pro.jp 次回後楽園大会は11月5日(木) #DRAGONGATE #TheGateOfVictory2026

vivazero.substack.com/p/digg… I have finally been able to release part 3, the final chapter of my look digging deeper on the career of Yoshihiro Takayama, with this effort being focused on his return from his stroke in 2006 to the end of his career in a year by year format. My ultimate motivation for me doing it being to analyze his case for the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame which judges drawing power, in-ring, and historical significance. I have covered his entire career now separated by Pre-Peak/Peak/Post-Peak (Peak being 2002-2004). Please check out my article and particularly if you are voting in the Hall of Fame Japan region or know someone who is.

In addition to part 3 don't forget to check out the first two parts to get the entire career retrospective of a true wrestling great, Takayama. Pre-Peak (92-02): vivazero.substack.com/p/digg… Peak Years (02-04): vivazero.substack.com/p/digg… Post-Peak (06-17): vivazero.substack.com/p/digg…

A venue has closed down and it will be missed by many companies in Japan, particularly the smaller ones who had a home thanks to it it. It's one of those things you never see coming until it does. So many memories that will live on for us all. #ManyThanksFACE @shinjuku_face

You should watch this match. One of PAC's best.

PACがお母さんを日本に招いた時、一緒にUSJに行ったんだけど、 PACはジェットコースターが大好きで、「もう一回、もう一回」って言いながら、5、6回連続で一緒に乗らされたんだ。 ジェットコースターは無茶苦茶怖かったけど、PACの嬉しそうな顔を見たら、何回でも乗るよね。 3回目くらいからはさすがに慣れて、気がつけば僕も楽しんでた(笑) 海遊館では、イルカが大好きだから「イルカになりたい」って。 本当に子供みたいな笑顔だったな。 そんなPACとの思い出が、次から次へと蘇ってくる。

I know some aren't happy with this decision, and there are reasons how we got here sucks. First and foremost the EXV feud/subsequent breakup was bad and then pointless. It has been and now they're literally in the same group together. That whole thing was such a massive miss. Secondly I think many people were excited about the chance for more Queen's Quest nostalgia after Utami grabbed the flag. But honestly I think whatever faction Utami was gonna be in it is gonna continue anyway. If anything I'm surprised with how cool the Utami/Saya issue has been since June, but forgivable considering the 5★ was going on. But I actually like the end result of them joining STARS. The group has lost so so much over the past 2+ years and that lineup was dire. The literal home army can't be so down and low. They've reloaded which should have been done long ago. This solidifies the group and the former EXV group and lets them do this in a lesser pressure role. Utami and Iida as a potential tag team could be great. Hanan being the leader is a problem but they can't keep that push up forever and just this as a group is much better than it was before and it gives the others a home. And the other option of them forming their own group is LITERALLY just redoing EXV so this at least gives them a cushion via it being an established unit. TL;DR: I'm giving this a chance. Utami/Iida team could be great business.

Xを開けはPACのことばかり、それだけ彼が偉大なレスラーだったということの証 今使ってるiPhoneの中にPACとの画像はこの一枚しかないけど、彼との思い出は僕の記憶にしっかりと刻まれてます🤝 PACがWWEを辞めてDGマットに帰還した時、僕の凱旋大会で対戦したことも鮮明に残ってます！ 自分的には、2010年8月に博多スターレーンで行われたブレイブゲート王座決定トーナメント決勝で戦ったのが一番かな？ 一日で3試合、最後にPACですよ！？ その試合もまたしっかりと見たいです。 ていうか、まだ信じられないなぁ…。

信じられません。 実家にも遊びに来てくれて よくご飯もご一緒させてもらいました。 自分がレスラーになってまた再会したかったです。 ご冥福をお祈りします。

未だ信じられないけど。。 PAC、俺ドリームゲート獲ったんだぜ。 お前とのドリームゲート戦は俺にとってかけがえの無い財産だよ。 同い年、ありがとう。 心よりご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。 Thank you PAC. I love you PAC. RIP PAC.

PACの入場曲を、当時ブレイク寸前だったFear, and Loathing in Las Vegasに担当してもらえたのは、本当にベストなタイミングでした。 その曲は、DG時代のPACの代名詞となりました。 超個人的な思い出ですが、自分でイギリスのGEORGE COXのショップに発注したラバーソールを受け取ってもらい、来日時にわざわざ運んできてくれたり、通販サイトでサイズ指定などの交渉をする際には、英語でのメールのやり取りを手伝ってくれたり。 そんなことにも気さくに付き合ってくれる、本当にナイスガイでした。 心よりご冥福をお祈りいたします。