The Open the Owarai Gate Championship(オープン・ザ・お笑いゲート王座, Ōpun Za Owarai Gēto Ōza) is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. The word owarai in the title's name is the Japanese word for comedy.

The championship was first conceived during Stalker Ichikawa's first United States tour, joining fellow Dragon Gate wrestlers Cima, Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino and Don Fujii during the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla two-night event Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament on May 19 and May 20, 2007, in Burbank, California. In addition to changing his name to "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa, he also gave birth to the Open the Owarai Gate Championship which he wore during the second night of the event against Top Gun Talwar. The name change and the introduction of the belt was made official on May 25. The championship was deactivated at Dead or Alive 2018, when Shingo Takagi, per stipulation, was the last person to escape the cage in the Hair vs. Hair Steel Cage Survival seven-way match.

The championship is both unique and very unusual. The title is not necessarily defended by traditional methods of simply beating the champion by pinfalls or submission. While such a situation can still happen, the title also has a stipulation regarding audience approval during the match. This means that while the champion could still technically lose the match, he could retain the belt simply by having earning more applause and/or laughter from the audience.

The championship was defended for the first time on June 10 at Hakata Star Lanes in Fukuoka, Fukuoka. In addition, Ichikawa also began by having ten "Free Defense" tickets that would ensure he would always retain the title regardless. However, before his defense against Kikutaro on September 22 at the Ota-ku Gymnasium in Tokyo, the tickets were destroyed and he was forced to defend the belt on his own merit. He was able to successfully retain due to unusual circumstances since, such as his mother appealing to the crowd and later his opponent feeling sorry.

On June 3, 2023, at their Korakuen Hall show, the company announced the belt would be returning. They made Konomama Ichikawa the interim champion, and announced the new official champion would be decided at the Buyuden Zero vol.2 event on July 8, 2023. At the event, Kikutaro defeated Ichikawa to become the lineal champion.

Title history

Key
No.Overall reign number
ReignReign number for the specific champion
DaysNumber of days held
DefensesNumber of successful defenses
<1Reign lasted less than a day
No.ChampionChampionship changeReign statisticsNotesRef.
DateEventLocationReignDaysDefenses
Dragon Gate
1Stalker IchikawaMay 25, 2007The Gate of MaximumBurbank, California11367Conceived during a visit to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla; officially defended on June 10 in Fukuoka.
2CimaOctober 8, 2007The Gate of VictoryShizuoka, Japan1<10Defeated Ichikawa and K-Ness in a three-way match. Ichikawa failed to gain approval from the crowd, so CIMA, as the match winner, won the title.
3Jackson FloridaOctober 17, 2007The Gate of VictoryHyogo, Japan1941Cima fails his first defense for various purposes against Stalker Ichikawa. Jackson Florida becomes champion since he was sitting at ring
4Masaaki MochizukiJanuary 19, 2008Wrestle Jam 3rd SeasonNagoya, Japan1140Mochizuki won the title by disqualification and fan support.
5Jackson FloridaFebruary 2, 2008Truth GateHakata, Japan21605
6Johnson FloridaJuly 11, 2008Nex 2nd Anniversary ShowTokyo, Japan1100
7IchikawaJuly 21, 2008Rainbow GateKumamoto, Japan2260Ichikawa stole title belt from Johnson after beating him in three way match with K-Ness. Repeated attempts to contact the title belt commissioner were met with only his voicemail, so ICHIKAWA was just named the 7th champion.
8Jackson FloridaAugust 16, 2008Summer Adventure Tag LeagueToyama, Japan32124
9"Hollywood" Stalker IchikawaMarch 16, 2009Glorious GateKumamoto, Japan340
10Kinta TamaokaMarch 20, 2009Glorious GateKobe, Japan1<10The title match was between Stalker and Masaaki Mochizuki, but Kinta - the referee - received more fan support than either of them, so he became champion.
—VacatedMarch 20, 2009Glorious GateKobe, Japan———Vacated immediately after winning it.
11"Hollywood" Stalker IchikawaMarch 29, 2009Glorious GateFukui, Japan460
12Anthony W. MoriApril 4, 2009Yokozuna Impact!Nagoya, Japan1411
13KikutaroMay 15, 2009Aggressive GateTokyo, Japan16953Kikutaro becomes 13th Champion via fan support
14Don FujiiApril 10, 2011Don Fujii Triumphant Hometown ReturnTsu, Japan11330Don Fujii becomes 14th Champion via fan support
15"Hollywood" Stalker IchikawaAugust 21, 2011Storm Gate 2011Hakata, Japan5764"Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa becomes 15th Champion via fan support. CIMA refuses the title on September 24, 2011, despite getting fan support.
16Rich SwannNovember 5, 2011Crown Gate 2011Gifu, Japan1500Swann became the 16th Champion via fan support.
—VacatedDecember 25, 2011N/AFukuoka, Japan———Vacated after Naoki Tanizaki stole the title belt from Swann.
17Kenichiro AraiAugust 2, 2012Summer Adventure Tag League 2012Tokyo, Japan11401Arai defeated "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa via fan support to become the 17th Champion.
18KikutaroDecember 20, 2012Fantastic Gate 2012Tokyo, Japan2772Kikutaro became the 18th Champion via fan support.
19Ryo "Jimmy" SaitoMarch 7, 2013Glorious Gate 2013Tokyo, Japan16267Saito became the 19th Champion via fan support.
20Jimmy KandaNovember 23, 2014Crown Gate 2014Saga, Japan1731Kanda became the 20th Champion via fan support.
21Yosuke Santa MariaFebruary 4, 2015Truth Gate 2015Kasukabe, Japan1532Santa Maria became the 21st Champion via fan support.
22Akira TozawaMarch 29, 2015Glorious Gate 2015Saga, Japan12301Tozawa became the 22nd Champion via fan support.
23Mr. NakagawaNovember 14, 2015Crown Gate 2015Fukuoka, Japan192The title match was between "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa and Akira Tozawa, the reigning champion, but Nakagawa - the referee - received more fan support than either of them, so he became champion.
24Masato YoshinoNovember 23, 2015Crown Gate 2015Okayama, Japan11320Yoshino became the 23rd champion via fan support.
—VacatedApril 3, 2016N/AKobe, Japan———Yoshino was stripped of the title after failing to defend it within the previous three months.
25CimaApril 10, 2016The Gate of Passion 2016Tsu, Japan2<10Defeated "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa for the vacated title.
26"Hollywood" Stalker IchikawaApril 10, 2016The Gate of Passion 2016Tsu, Japan6972Since CIMA did not want the title, his opponent Ichikawa was awarded the championship.
27Masaaki MochizukiJuly 16, 2016Rainbow Gate 2016Tsu, Japan2<10
28"Hollywood" Stalker IchikawaJuly 16, 2016Rainbow Gate 2016Tsu, Japan74911Mochizuki returned the title immediately after.
29CimaNovember 19, 2017The Gate of Evolution 2017 – Day 10Nobeoka, Japan370
—VacatedNovember 26, 2017Memorial Gate in Sendai 2017Sendai, Japan———
30Ryo SaitoNovember 26, 2017Memorial Gate in Sendai 2017Sendai, Japan21000Defeated "Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa for the vacant title.
31Shingo TakagiMarch 6, 2018Kotoka Road To Final - The EndingTokyo, Japan1611
—DeactivatedMay 6, 2018—————
32KikutaroJuly 8, 2023DG/Masaaki Mochizuki Produce Buyuden Rei ~ Zero ~ Vol. 2Tokyo, Japan3890Defeated Kono Mama Ichikawa to win the reactivated title.
33Lingerie MutoOctober 5, 2023DG/Masaaki Mochizuki Produce Buyuden Rei ~ Zero ~ Vol. 3Tokyo, Japan14691Match ended in a double knockout but was ruled as a win for Muto.
34Takashi YoshidaJanuary 16, 2025Open The New Year Gate 2025Tokyo, Japan1441As "Takako Yoshida", a drag persona.
35Kuishinbo KamenMarch 1, 2025Truth Gate 2025Osaka, Japan12461
36Jiro ShimbashiNovember 2, 2025Gate Of Destiny 2025Osaka, Japan1441
37Último DragónDecember 16, 2025Fantastic Gate 2025Tokyo, Japan1<10Dragon won the championship through the viewers' vote.
—VacatedDecember 16, 2025Fantastic Gate 2025Tokyo, Japan———Vacated immediately after winning it.
37Otoko SakariFebruary 20, 2026Truth Gate 2026Nagasaki, Japan1<10Defeated Jiro Shinbashi to win the vacant title.
—VacatedFebruary 20, 2026Fantastic Gate 2025Tokyo, Japan———Vacated immediately after winning it.
38Yosuke Santa MariaFebruary 28, 2026Glorious Gate 2026Osaka, Japan249+0Defeated Jiro Shinbashi to win the vacant title.

Combined reigns

As of April 18, 2026.

†Indicates the current champion
RankWrestlerNo. of ReignsCombined defensesCombined days
1Kikutaro35861
2"Hollywood" Stalker Ichikawa/Ichikawa714836
3Ryo Saito/Ryo "Jimmy" Saito27726
4Lingerie Muto11469
5Jackson Florida310466
6Kuishinbo Kamen11246
7Akira Tozawa11230
8Kenichiro Arai11140
9Don Fujii10133
10Masato Yoshino10132
11Yosuke Santa Maria †22102+
12Jimmy Kanda1173
13Shingo Takagi1061
14Rich Swann1050
15Jiro Shimbashi1144
Takashi Yoshida1144
17Anthony W. Mori1141
18Cima3016
19Masaaki Mochizuki2014
20Johnson Florida1010
21Mr. Nakagawa129
22Kinta Tamaoka10<1
Otoko Sakari10<1
Último Dragón10<1

See also

Exterminal link