Dragongate Suggests Dragon Dia Handled His Departure From the Promotion Poorly, Dragon Dia Responds To Dragongate’s Claim

By: Lewis Carlan

On March 31st, long time Dragongate star Dragon Dia announced on X that he will be departing the promotion effective April 1st. Dia indicated that he and Dragongate had repeated discussions and the decision was made that it would be best for both parties to go separate ways.

Shortly after Dragon Dia made his announcement, Dragongate issued a statement on their official website regarding the situation. Dragongate hinted that Dia handled negotiations that ultimately led to his departure poorly.

From Dragongate:

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support of DRAGONGATE. We would like to inform you that Dragon Dia, a member of our company, has announced his departure via social media. We would like to provide an explanation regarding this matter. First and foremost, we sincerely apologize for causing you concern and for the delay in providing this explanation. Some time ago, Dragon Dia submitted a request to leave the company. However, as this occurred during the term of his exclusive contract with us, and given the need for various arrangements and adjustments, we had planned to proceed by holding proper discussions. We did not insist on strict fulfillment of all contractual obligations; rather, we believed that meeting face-to-face to discuss the matter would be the best course of action, and we had communicated this to Dragon Dia. However, Dragon Dia notified us through his agent that he would be leaving the company effective the end of February 2026. Since the discussions took place through his agent, we were unable to engage in constructive and smooth dialogue, and we had no choice but to proceed in accordance with the terms of the contract. As a company, we simply could not accept a departure that leaves our fans and stakeholders behind. Furthermore, because the discussions were conducted through an agent, we had refrained from making an official announcement on our own behalf. We made every effort to ensure that the March 15th Nagano event could be held as Dragon Dia’s homecoming event, but unfortunately, we were unable to do so. We deeply apologize to the fans who were looking forward to it. In light of this announcement regarding Dragon Dia, we determined that an explanation from our company was necessary, which is why we are making this announcement. We believe that further discussions through his agent will be necessary, so we ask for your understanding that we are unable to provide detailed information at this time.

Earlier today Dragon Dia responded to Dragongate’s explanation of how the negotiations occurred between the two. Dia indicated he was providing additional clarification to the matter to avoid any misunderstandings.

From Dragon Dia:

“To Everyone: As the agency has already issued a statement regarding this matter, I would like to provide some additional clarification to avoid any misunderstandings. First, regarding the discussions about my departure from the group, we have held several direct meetings since last fall. During these discussions, conditions related to my departure—such as penalty clauses and restrictions on my activities—were raised. Since these matters were difficult for me to judge based on my own knowledge alone, I consulted with experts and have since proceeded with negotiations through my agent. Furthermore, regarding my intention to leave the group, as well as the timing and content of the announcement, I communicated these details to the other party’s representative in advance through my own agent. These actions were taken to ensure that discussions could proceed in a more appropriate and level-headed manner, and were decisions made with the aim of reaching a smooth resolution. As negotiations are still ongoing, I am limited in what details I can share at this time, but I will continue to address this matter with sincerity. I intended to announce my departure without mentioning the negotiations with the organization at all. However, since the organization’s announcement includes details of the circumstances, I feel compelled to provide this additional explanation. I would appreciate your continued support and understanding.”

The split between Dragongate and Dragon Dia appears to be less than amicable which is a shame as Dia has been with the promotion since 2018.

While Dia has stated he will be taking some time off away from in-ring competition, the rumours of him ending up in NJPW are the making the rounds on social media. Dia has participated in the NJPW Best of Super Jr & Super Junior Tag League tournaments in 2024 and 2025 in which he had an impressive showing each time.

Upon his departure from Dragongate, Dragon Dia has since changed his name to simply DIA.