This was the first of three tremendous shows held in a row
to close out the G1 Climax tournament. The show chronicled here would determine
the A Block competitor to enter the finals. The next day’s show will do the same
for the B Block. Meanwhile, a plethora of talent that has passed through the
ranks of NJPW have been called upon to round out a card of super show
proportions throughout these 3 shows. As intense as this show was, the next two
are sure to follow suit with the possibility of outdoing what came before. Here
is a rundown of the undercard, which holds the goal of building up suspense for
the B Block tournament matches the next day, followed by the last round of A
Block matches.
Undercard
Satoshi Kojima (B),
Tomoaki Honma (B), and Mascara Dorada VS Karl Anderson (B), Takashi Yujiro (B),
and Tama Tonga
At one point the heels in the Bullet Club hard Honma in
peril, with all three of them stomping away on Honma in the center of the ring.
Kojima got Anderson lying across the top turnbuckle and fired away at him with
rapid fire chops.
After a lot of highflying offense from Mascara Dorada, Tama
Tonga hit the luchador with his Headshrinker finisher (Double Uunderhook DDT)
for the Biz Cliz to pick up the win.
Michael
Elgin (B) and reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) VS Cody Hall and the
Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
Before the match Hall’s towering physique is emphasized as
the Bucks jump up to give him a ‘Too Sweet.’
Nick Jackson parades around the outside on Hall’s shoulders
yelling ‘suck it.’ Fish gives Matt Jackson a ‘suck it’ taunt of his own and
evades a Baseball Slide from Matt, which crashes into Hall and Nick. Elgin hit
a huge cannonball to the outside of the ring onto the Bucks and Hall. Elgin would
deadlift Matt into a suplex position, and maintained the hold even after Nick
Jackson and Hall kicked him to break. reDRagon and Elgin coordinated, with
Elgin lifting both Bucks, and Fish and O’Reilly both lifting Hall for suplexes
to everyone on Team Biz Cliz.
The Young Bucks hit Elgin with a double Super Kick but he
shrugged it off and Clotheslined both. Elgin then hit Hall with a Powerbomb,
rolled him up and lifted him into a Sitdown Powerbomb and pinned him for his
team to win. This was a solid match with some very fun interactions between
Elgin and ROH compatriots reDRagon. It made Elgin look strong going into his B
Block fight the next day with the very well matched Ishii, and built
anticipation for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team match between the Young
Bucks and reDRagon on the 16th.
Yuji
Nagata (B), Ricochet, and Manabu Nakanishi
VS Hiroki Goto (B), KUSHIDA, and
Captain New Japan
Goto and Nagata, whose B Block tournament match is tomorrow,
started off with forearms back and forth. The old timer Nakanishi teed off on
Captain New Japan with a double chop. Captain New Japan and Goto tried to get
Nakanishi up for a Suplex but he reversed the throw on the two of them.
Ricochet attacked KUSHIDA with a jumping clothesline and hit a huge elbow on
the Junior Heavyweight champion from the top rope. KUSHIDA and Ricochet dodged
one another’s kicks til Ricochet landed kick to the head, which KUSHIDA
answered with a Pele Kick.
As his partners held off any interference, Nagata locked the
Armbar in on Captain New Japan to make him tap out and give Nagata, KUSHIDA,
and Nakanishi the victory. Afterwards, KUSHIDA and Ricochet shook hands,
showing the two have a mutual respect for each other going into their title
match on Sunday. One is left to wonder if the increasingly dangerous looking
Arm Bar of Nagata will come into play in the match between him and Goto on the
next show.
Shinsuke
Nakamura (B), Tomohiro ishii (B), Kazushi Sakuraba, and YOSHI-HASHI VS Okada
(B), The Kingdom (Bennet and Taven), and Gedo
Ishii, whose next B Block opponent Michael Elgin fought in an
earlier match, started off against the Kingdom’s Michael Bennet. After a brief
exchange Taven entered the ring for the Kingdom to double team Ishii, but Ishii
countered with a Lariat and Powerslam.
YOSHI-HASHI draped Bennet on the top rope and hit a running
Drop Kick to his back. Bennter tagged Taven and the two hit Enzugiri kicks to
YOSHI-HASHI, Taven’s off the top rope. Okada and company isolated and worked
over YOSHI-HASHI, with Gedo driving and twisting his heel into his face.
Nakamura drove his Electrified Boot into Okada’s chest in the
corner. Okada and Nakamura had a forearm exchange, and then Okada hit Nakamura
with the Neckbreaker over his knee. Sakuraba hit kicking strikes to Gedo’s
side. Gedo rolled up Sakuraba but couldn’t get the pin. Sakuraba cinched in a
Sleeper Hold but Maria got on the apron to cause a distraction. Gedo reversed
Sakuraba into a clutch but Sakuraba countered and put Gedo in an Armbar to make
him tap out for Nakamura’s team to win.
Okada and Nakamura both looked strong going into their all
important match the next day. It was an interesting premise that could have
been called a match among CHAOS and friends, as Sakuraba and The Kingdom do not
have official ties to the group but have often fought side by side with them.
Tournament
Matches
Katsuyori
Shibata vs Doc Gallows
Shibata tried to go down to the mat to take Gallows down via
his legs and narrowly avoided a stomp. Shibata applied a Figure Four Leg Lock.
In the corner, Shibata drove his foot into the face of Gallow, twisting it back
and forth over his right eye. Gallows was able to fight his way p and push
Shibata back.
Gallows hit a devastating looking Chokeslam to Shibata on the
ring apron. Shibata narrowly beat the 20 count to get back in the ring. Shibata
avoided a charge and locked in a Sleeper but Gallows escaped to the ropes.
Shibata ran into a fist and was lifted by Gallows into a huge Sitdown Powerbomb
for a two count. Gallows hit the Gallows Pole (Chokebomb) but Shibata grabbed
hold of his arm for an Anaconda Vice submission. He couldn’t keep it locked in,
though. Shibata ran into kick after kick. Finally, Gallows lifted him for
another Gallows Pole to pick up the pinfall victory.
Though the result disappointed me, it was in fact a great
match. I would love to see Shibata rocketed to the top of the card with his
great early showing, especially against Tanahashi. But it could do well to make
Gallows into more of a serious threat. This could lead into a program between
the two, with Shibata struggling to get a win along the same lines as Okada’s
program with Fale earlier this year.
Gallows: 6 points
Shibata: 8 points
Toru
Yano vs ‘Bad Luck’ Fale
As Fale entered, Yano crotched him on the ropes. He then got
a bottle rigged to shoot a stream of water in Fale’s face. An enraged Fale
swung wildly at Yano, but Yano ducked and hit Fale in the back of the head with
the DVD case he always waves around to promote CHAOS merchandise. Fale took
control, stomping on Yano on the outside of the ring. He whacked Yano on the
head with the same tape and handed it off to Tama Tonga to tear up. Yano would
join his peers and get back in the ring just in time to avoid being counted
out.
Fale tossed Yano to the floor, where Tonga chocked him. As
the count started, Fale teased a Bad Luck Fall to Yano on the commentators’
table but the CHAOS prankster escaped. As the count continued, Yano hit low
blows on both Fale and Tonga. He then climbed into the ring to escape the count
out, leaving the Bullet Club on the outside. Toru Yano won by count out. The
match was OK, moving briskly enough and showing that this kind of antic-filled
match, if used sparingly, can be a good break up in the flow of a strong card
of more serious wrestling.
Yano: 6 points
Fale: 10 points
Tetsuya
Naito vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Tenzan charged in while Naito still had his suit on. He bashed
El Ingobernable into the ring post outside. Naito rolled back in and then right
back out of the ring. He threw Tenzan into guardrails and a bank of chairs
outside. After taking off his suit, Naito blasted Tenzan off the apron and
then ran the ropes only to stop in the middle of the ring to do his lying down
pose.
Naito stepped down on Tenzan’s jaw while posing arrogantly. He
hit Tenzan with Tenzan’s own Mongolian chops, pausing to smirk and get a
reaction from the audience. Naito continued his demeaning assault, slapping Tenzan’s
head. Tenzan turned the tide with a big head butt.
Naito blocked a Suplex and hit a Drop Kick from the top
rope. When Naito was down, ‘Red Shoes,’ having suffered constant physical abuse
at the hands of Naito, got a kick in on him and urged Tenzan to get on the
attack.
Tenzan cinched in the Anaconda Vice. Naito elbowed his way out
it and hit a German Suplex for a pin attempt. Naito locked in the Pluma Blanca (head
scissors) submission but Tenzan hit Head Butts to escape. Once more Tenzan
knocked down Naito with Head Butts and locked in the Anaconda Vice to make
Naito tap out. Tenzan wins.
This was a good match of conflicting styles, with Naito’s
conniving ways not putting him on top in the end. There is always potential for
him to make a comeback, perhaps even inserting himself in an important match
down the line to upset a result and create a heated feud with one of his peers.
Tenzan: 6 points
Naito: 10 points
Kota
Ibushi vs Togi Makabe
The two stood nose to nose in the center of the ring. Makabe
unleashed big forearms to Ibushi’s head. Ibushi answered with a flurry of kicks
and chops. Ibushi kicked away at Makabe’s thigh and knee with Makabe goading
him on. Makabe then caught Ibushi with a Lariat.
Ibushi escaped punches from the the top turnbuckle and hit a
Pele Kick to nail Makabe as he was on the second rope. Ibushi hit a standing moonsault.
Makabe ducked a kick, missed one Lariat but hit a second Lariat with his left
arm. Makabe executed a Powerbomb and pinned for a count of two.
Makabe put Ibushi on the top rope and went for the Spider German
Suplex. Ibushi flipped out of it and landed on his feet. He dragged Makabe off
the turnbuckle and landed an Asai kick. Ibushi went up to the top rope for a
Phoenix splash, nailed it, and pinned Makabe for the win.
This was a good showing for Ibushi, highlighting his agility
and durability in the face of a stronger opponent like Makabe. The way he came
out of spots like the one involving the Spider were exciting to behold.
Ibushi: 8 points
Makabe: 8 points
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs AJ Styles
There was a tie up that took the two into the corner. AJ
slapped Tanahashi's cheek condescendingly and gave him the clean break.
Tanahashi's slapped AJ’s face and hit an Arm Drag to take Styles to the mat.
With AJ in the corner, Tanahashi slid to the outside and
slammed AJ’s leg against the post repeatedly. He continued attacking the leg
with a Standing Splash directly onto it. Styles tried to toss Tanahashi
out of the ring, Tanahashi skins the cat, but Styles caught him and tossed him
all the way over and out. Styles attacked Tanahashi's leg with kicks and wrenched
it against the bottom rope.
Tanahashi hit the High Fly Flow from the top rope to AJ on
the outside of the ring. Styles struggled to make it back in the ring at a
count of 19. Styles flipped off the second rope for a Moonsault and followed
through into a Reverse DDT. Tanahashi hit a Running Splash onto AJ in the
corner. ‘Red Shoes got pulled into its path. With the ref down, AJ hit a low
blow. He signaled for the Styles Clash but Tanahashi stopped it with his own low
blow.
AJ rolled Tanahashi into the Calf Killer submission. Appearing
to be in excruciating pain, Tanahashi was able to suddenly pull himself to the
ropes for a break. Tanahashi reversed a Bloody Sunday into a Magic Screw (also
called a Dragon Screw Neck Whip). Styles hit a Styles Buster (Facebuster) for a
near fall. Tanahashi refused to go up for the Styles Clash, and hit a Sling
Blade. Tanahashi tried for the Styles Clash. AJ slipped out and
reversed it into an Ankle Lock. Tanahashi escaped by driving Styles into the
turnbuckle. Tanahashi lifted AJ away from the corner and this time,
successfully hit the Styles Clash. AJ Kicked out of a pin. Tanahashi went
for the High Fly Flow but AJ got the knees up.
Styles hit his own High Fly Flow. Tanahashi kicked out of a
pin. Styles hit the Bloody Sunday. He grabbed Tanahashi but Tanahashi
countered and hit another Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Both wrestlers slowly climbed
to their feet. AJ went for a Pele Kick but Tanahashi caught it and hit another
Dragon Screw. Tanahashi hit a High Fly Flow to a standing Styles. Then he hit
it again on Styles as he was lying on the mat. Tanahashi pinned for the win,
and his spot in the G1 finals.
This match started out good and slowly turned into something
incredible. When submission holds entered the equation there was so much
legitimate suspense over who would get the win. It is the mark of pro wrestlers
who work together so well, each time they face each other in the ring promises
to be better than the next time.
Tanahashi: 14 points
Styles: 12 points
This incredible show is even more remarkable for the fact
that two more shows in the G1 Climax remain, and have the potential to be even
better. Meanwhile, Tanahashi is now in the finals and is still poised to win,
as I predicted (hey in this business, you’ve got to put yourself over), most
likely in a match with Shinsuke Nakamura who one could make a valid case for
winning this year’s tournament finals too. AJ Styles is now in a prominent
spot, with the second biggest point total on the A Block, putting him in the
second to last match on the card. Til tomorrow’s show.
Twitter: @mondocurrymark
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