“Never give up on what you dream of. Someday, your dream will come true!”

When discussing the Japanese wrestling scene, one aspect that never fails to come up is dojo systems. Many western fans exalt the young talents they produce, perfectly suited to the promotions they perform in. Those companies themselves often value their dojo graduates especially highly, granting them opportunities that can be hard to achieve for others. However, there is never only one road to stardom.

Many of the most interesting wrestlers in Japan come from outside of those systems. With no clear path laid out for them, some talent had to take the long way around; slowly making their names on the indies, following constantly changing schedules and styles, before finally finding their place in the wrestling scene. Those sorts of beginnings foster a kind of tenacity and adaptability that can be difficult to replicate.

There’s no better example of that then DRAGONGATE Japan Pro Wrestling’s Kung Fu Dragon, Jason Lee.

Originally considered the young ace of the very small Hong Kong Wrestling Federation (HKWF), Jason eventually made his way to Japan via popular indie promotion ZERO1 in 2012. After about four years of moderate success in their Junior Heavyweight division, he returned to the South-East-Asian scene, now with greater experience. Through that additional acclaim, Lee even managed to land a spot in the WWE’s 2016 Cruiserweight Classic, although like many of its participants, he did not stick around.

Ultimately, his new long-term home would once again be in the land of the rising sun. One of the country’s larger promotions, the lucha libre inspired DRAGONGATE, was well known for its focus on smaller wrestlers and lack of clear weight divisions – the perfect place for someone like Jason to properly shine.

Still, life wasn’t easy there either. While Lee did relatively well in the tag scene, there were few opportunities to be had as a singles wrestler and he always remained somewhat of an underdog. In addition, he had the misfortune of having future main heel Shun Skywalker as one of his first friends in the promotion, a connection that would cause him no small amount of grief later on.

However, if there is one thing that marks Jason Lee’s entire career, it is his ability to get back up no matter what happens. One by one he overcame his struggles, found a great home in beloved babyface faction Natural Vibes and started picking up more solo victories. Finally, in March 2023, he was able to claim his first singles title.

With its 82kg weight limit, the Open the Brave Gate Championship is more of a Middleweight title than a Junior Heavyweight Championship. Title matches are often very fast-paced, fitting for a belt introduced by “Speed Star” Masato Yoshino.

This suited Jason’s style and allowed him to be a dominant champion despite his smaller size. For four months he managed to hold his own as one of the faces of DRAGONGATE, purely through his own strength.

But unfortunately, all good things must end. At Kobe Pro Wrestling Festival, DG’s biggest event of the year, Lee faced ISHIN, one of the promotion’s most ruthless rising stars. Determined to put his opponent down quickly, Jason used up his arsenal too soon and was ultimately defeated.

While this loss may be a temporary blow to his dreams, it is far from the end of them. Having proven himself as a worthy singles champion, he now has more avenues open than ever before. It is only a matter of time until he fights his way back to the top.

In the middle of DRAGONGATE’s busiest season, Wrestle Inn spoke to Jason Lee to get his thoughts on his future championship prospects, his history both in and out of the promotion, and much more.

Q: You have previously stated that you hope to join the Open The Dream Gate Championship scene. What does the Open the Dream Gate Championship mean to you?
Lee: The Dream Gate Championship is the top of Dragongate, the best in Dragongate. I mean, I have been in this company for six, seven years. I got the Triangle Gate, the Twin Gate and the Brave Gate. I want to complete getting all the championships.

Q: Who would you want your first Dream Gate challenge to be against and why?
Lee: I think Shun Skywalker. After many things happened, the one I wanna face off against is him. Win something from someone I don’t like. How good is that?

Q: What are your current short-term and long-term goals outside of competing for championships?
Lee: My current short-term goal is to make my body look better. I mean, the new generation of Dragongate, they’ve all got good bodies, so that motivated me. My long term goal is to stay focused, stay healthy, wrestle as much as I can for Dragongate.

Q: What was your very first match in DRAGONGATE like for you?
Lee: I still remember my first match in Dragongate. It was a dark match. I was so nervous, actually. It was too fast! The style was just fast! Anyway, I wrestled Shun Skywalker in the dark match. Destiny, I guess?

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to young wrestlers starting out on the Asian independent scene the same way you once did, what would it be?
Lee: Just don’t give up. Believe in yourself no matter what. Dont listen to others, just be yourself. Never give up on what you dream of. Someday, your dream will come true!

Q: What ultimately made you decide to wrestle primarily in Japan?
Lee: It’s the full time contract. Before I came to Japan, I was a freelancer. Besides wrestling in Hong Kong, I was wrestling around the South-East-Asian scene a lot. But for me, that was not enough. Even in Hong Kong, I can’t wrestle as a full timer. Because I wanna wrestle as a full timer, that’s why I came to Japan .

Q: You have gone through several names over the years, from Jason B Lun, to Jason New, to Jason Lee. What prompted those changes and what significance do the various names hold to you?
Lee: It was like step up in my career. Different name, different me.

Q: You’ve named “Don’t think, feel”, as your favorite Bruce Lee quote before. What does it mean to you and what do you like about it?
Lee: Just feel it. If you think too much, care too much, the mindset of just worrying about it, if you think about it and worry about it, you can’t do the thing perfectly. Feel it while you’re doing it .

Q: In a 2021 DG Magazine interview, you were mentioned as being the first potential member reached out to in the formation of MASQUERADE. As such, how did you feel seeing the rise and fall of the faction over the course of the year?
Lee: MASQUERADE didn’t last that long, because of what Shun Skywalker did to Dragon Dia. And then it started to fall. I mean, for me, it was a good faction. It was too sad that it ended.

Q: As a Natural Vibes member, is there a song that you particularly like dancing to or that you think represents you especially well?
Lee: If it’s for dancing, I will go for “Dancing in my Room” by 347aidan. If it’s to represent me, I will go for “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. It’s always motivating me.

Q: What makes Natural Vibes special as a faction?
Lee: I mean the style? The tension? Like, we dance before our matches start! Make everyone happy and make everyone feel like they’re at a party, not just a normal wrestling match.

Q: Considering ISHIN’s criticisms of the Brave Gate scene ahead of your match at Kobe World this year, what would you consider to be the best way to bring excitement and novelty to the title? [Interview took place before Kobe World]
Lee: First of all, I don’t know if he can make it to under 82kg or not. But even if he can’t make it, it will be a normal singles match. For me, I have been in this company six or seven years, this is my first time having a singles match in Kobe World. I am excited and will be giving 100% in it.

Q: Do you have a final message you would like to share with your international fans?
Lee: Thank you so much for reading my interview, I hope that one day, I can see you all in the places you’re from! Also, if you’re reading this, please follow me on Twitter! I’m almost at 10000 followers! It would be nice if you could do that! Anyway, thank you very much! And keep supporting me!

Thank you to DRAGONGATE for arranging this interview and to Jason Lee for generously taking the time to answer these questions.

Please follow DRAGONGATE (@DragonGateEN) and Jason Lee (@lee_7122) on Twitter. If you’re interested, you can try out DRAGONGATE via their official YouTube, or sign up to DRAGONGATE NETWORK for just ¥1650 (approximately $12) every month.

[With permission from DRAGONGATE, the answers in this interview have been slightly edited for the sake of grammatical correctness and comprehension.]