The Amazing True Story Behind AEW's Next Big Breakout Stars
CIMA's involvement with Shanghai, China's young Oriental Wrestling Entertainment promotion commenced in summer 2017, when Dragon Gate announced an agreement with the company. The rest of the year saw him lead several training excursions to work with the kung fu-influenced roster, the idea being that OWE's development style would benefit from meshing with the adjacent lucharesu. All fine and well, until CIMA's Dragon Gate appearances grew fewer and further between in early 2018, hinting at what was next.
The departed DG ace dove headfirst into OWE upon leaving his old home. China gave him the opportunity to build - to create - and after 21 years in the game (CIMA's been at this for so long he actually wrestled for WCW in 1998), the promise of crafting a generation of new, exciting stars in a potentially huge but untapped market was too much to resist. Thus, he was named OWE's head coach and President upon trading Japan for China.
CIMA didn't leave Dragon Gate alone, though. Accompanying him were the two men he wrestled with at Double Or Nothing, T-Hawk and El Lindaman, and, disappointingly, Takehiro Yamamura. Though severely injured at the time, the dynamic then 22-year-old had long been pinpointed as a future DG megastar. Now, he'd be fulfilling his potential outwith the Dragon system.
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