Dragon Gate USA Wrestling

Sat., July 25, 8 p.m., $20-$30, The Arena, 7 Ritner St., 267-519-9744, dgusa.tv.

by Chelsea Calhoun

[ action ]

It's definitely strange that R5 Productions, usually known for promoting Pitchfork-approved bands, is peddling tickets for an experimental wrestling league from Japan.

But it only deserves one double-take — Dragon Gate USA Wrestling and the Philly promotions company have more in common than you'd expect. "A lot of the wrestling on this level is total DIY stuff ... the guys set up the very ring they wrestle in," says R5 owner Sean Agnew. "They do it out of love and don't bitch and complain."

With original roots in late-'90s Mexico, Dragon Gate USA features several characteristics of lucha libre, like colorful masks and high-flying ring moves. Its roster, meanwhile, includes wrestlers from Japanese parent company Dragon Gate, such as Naruki Doi, CIMA (pronounced "Shima") and the masked Dragon Kid. This Saturday, the multiculturally inspired league will make its American debut, which will feature several hours of head-banging matches, including a bout between 2 Cold Scorpio and Ken Doane. The craziest skirmish? Probably the eight-man tag-team match — that's two teams of four guys — showcasing the Philly-based, pro-wrestling group CHIKARA.

Sat., July 25, 8 p.m., $20-$30, The Arena, 7 Ritner St., 267-519-9744, dgusa.tv.