The penultimate set of B Block matches before
the finals on August 16 held 4 very good to excellent matches between wrestlers
from different generations that epitomized New Japan’s self proclaimed ‘Strong
Style’ of pro wrestling plus one attempt at comedy in a match between allies
that missed the mark. First came the undercard matches with previews of the
confrontations that will go down in the last A Block show.
Undercard
Ryusuke Taguchi,
Ryohei Komatsu, and Sho Tanaka VS Jushin Thunder Liger, Jay White, and David
Finley
There were a Lot of ass-based assaults in this
match. Jay White and David Finley used their own funky weapons on Taguchi in
synchronized thrusts. Taguchi would get the upper hand though, blasting both of
them back with his own jumping thrust. Taguchi later parodied Shinsuke
Nakamura's flamboyant ring entrance sequence. Taguchi, Komatsu, and Tanaka won
the match after Taguchi hit his Dodon finisher, a double arm hook face plant,
on Jay white to pick up the pin.
Toru Yano (A) and
YOSHI-HASHI VS 'Bad Luck' Fale (A) and Tama Tonga
Yano threw water at the Biz Cliz corner,
laughing fiendishly at the offense. Meanwhile YOSH-HASI played perfect straight
man, acting concerned and cautioning Yano to take it easy with the hijinx.
While there are CHAOS products featuring the entire crew, I could instantly see
these two doing out of the ring comedy segments. Send them on a road trip! The
Trip To Osaka (an image no doubt brought to mind by Chris Charlton of the Japan
Audio Wrestling podcast’s references to him as an Alan Partridge-like figure.
During the match, Yano danced around locking
up with Fale, then blasted him in the back and acted cowardly by running to tag
in YOSH-HASHI.
The match drew to a close when Yano evaded a
charge by Fale and gave him a low blow. He then shoved him into Tonga causing
Tonga to fall forward toward him. Yano cradled him up for the pin. Yano ands
YOSHI-Hashi got the win.
Togi Makabe (A),
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (A), and KUSHIDA VS Tetsuya Naito (A), Kota Ibushi (A), and
Mascara Dorada
Naito kept the other participants of the match
waiting plenty to make his way down to the ring. At the outset he rolled in and
out of the ring, drawing a lot of boos from the audience. When the match
proceeded, he refused to face the his opponent in the next and last batch of A
Block tournament matches, Tenzan. Finally he agreed to the showdown, with
Tenzan running toward him and hitting him with a flurry of forearms and head
butts. Naito just absorbed the attack and then spit at Tenzan, causing the
veteran to blow a fuse and swing wildly at Naito. With the bait taken, Naito
ducked and got the upper hand on Tenzan. This deliberate instigation-based
method of fighting oponents is becoming a bigger and bigger part of Naito’s
strategy.
Naito, Ibushi, and KUSHIDA won after a lengthy
exchange between KUSHIDA and Dorada, which ended with KUSHIDA rolling through a
pin attempt by Dorada and reversing it into a pin of his own for the pin.
After the match Tenzan and Naito continued
their fight into the stands. After a bit of time, a brawl started between
Ibushi and Makabe, who also face each other one on one on the next A Block
show. Makabe was very aggressive, landing a lot of heavy shots, making me think
Ibushi will get a chance to take one last hard fought victory to end his G1 run.
Hiroshi Tanahashi,
Katsuyori Shibata, and Captain New Japan VS AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, and Cody
Hall
There was a lot of fast-paced action in this
match. Toward the end Captain New Japan cast a Time Stop on AJ, then on
Galllows. As it was put on Gallows, AJ blasted the Captain with a jumping forearm
to the side of his head. Gallows hit a Gallows Pole (Choke Bomb) on Captain New
Japan and got the pin so the Bullet Club members could score the win.
Tournament Matches
Takashi Yujiro VS Karl
Anderson
The two Bullet Club members that would face off
came to the ring together, swaying chummily with Mao in tow. Mao, wearing a
particularly revealing costume did a particularly provocative dance in the ring
as Yujiro and Anderson enjoyed the show while leaning back against the corner,
looking particularly pervy. Some dancing ensued and Anderson started enjoying
Mao’s presence a bit too much, causing Yujiro to take offense and get in
Anderson’s face. Because afterall, Mao is Yujiro’s…uhm,…?
The match started and Yujro bit down on
Anderson’s hand, leading to exaggerated yowls of pain. Anderson returned the
favor, biting Yujiro’s fingers as a too sweet was attempted. Anderson snapped
Yujiro’s neck on the ropes as all the while, Bullet Club members on the outside
shouted for Anderson to take it easy, loudest of all AJ Styles. At one point
Styles and Anderson hollered back and forth at one another on the ring apron.
Later, As the ref backed Anderson away, Yujiro hit a low blow and rolled
Anderson up for a near fall. Anderson would land the Gun Stun for the pin and
victory. Afterwards everyone got in the ring and chilled out, Mao was smiling
away, and it was party time til the next match was ready to go.
I did not like the presentation of this match
at all. I acknowledge this was not meant to be an important part of the show.
Still, a similar story was told in the A Block between AJ and Fale, which
gelled quite well. This went to comedic extremes that went to uncomfortable
extreme and wrestling way buried underneath, and the basic story could’ve been
told way better without all the extra trimming.
One of the most annoying aspects was Styles’
contributions, which is strange because he usually knocks everything out of the
park. His jaw-jacking in the ring rounds out his excellent heel performances.
Here, however, it felt as though he were hijacking the show. Instead of
Anderson and Yujiro being allowed to fight and work out their differences, the
constant interjections from outside were distracting, and came out sounding
very goofy. AJ yelled for Anderson to not be a jerk, and at one point said,
‘this is getting weird.’ It definitely wasn’t getting good.
Worse though is the feeling this left me with
that as far as a possible divide in the Bullet Club’s future, there are no
plans. No ideas even. During the Styles/Fale match, there was not a sense that
a real rift was forming within the group anytime soon, but a plausible seed of
something that could germinate later down the line was there. This display of
overacting and silliness shows these routines will go on again every time there
is a Bullet Club VS Bullet Club match, but it will not go anywhere at all, as
the aging group just ends up looking hokier and like less of a legitimate
threat.
Anderson: 12
Yujiro: 4
Hiroki Goto VD Michael
Elgin
There was a lock up between the two, and then
Elgin tossed Goto back. Elgin attempted a German Suplex on the ring apron; it
is blocked and turned into a forearm exchange. Elgin hit a Death Valley Driver
(FU) on the apron, dropping Goto onto the floor. It took him til the long count
of 16 before he could reenter the ring.
Elgin dominated throughout much of the match. After another forearm exchange, Goto tried a
running Clothesline that couldn’t get Elgin down. He finally hit a Spinning
Lariat to take Elgin off his feet.
Elgin deadlifted Goto from the turnbuckle and
hit a huge spinning Driver move. He tried a Bucklebomb but Goto reverses it
into pin attempt.
While still on the receiving end of most of
the punishment, Goto used his legs to catch Elgin in the Goto Shiki (Cross
Legged Cradle) and get the three count. Goto wins.
The audience was way into this match. Elgin
received many chants in favor of him. After the match, Elgin called for Goto to
come back and raised his arm in a show of respect. There is apparent mutual
respect for each other, and this will do well to promote a match between the
two already slated for the Field of Honor show put on by Ring of Honor in
Brooklyn on August 22. The finish suggested Goto was really on the ropes and
escaped with a clever maneuver, yet strength-wise the two are extremely well
matched.
Goto: 12
Elgin: 8
Shinsuke Nakamura VS
Shinsuke Nakamura
There was a lockup right away followed by the
rope break and Shinsuke’s signature head draped on the opponent’s chest. He
then went right after Kojima with a knee strike. Kojima put chops on Nakamura
in the corner.
Nakamura got Kojima down on the ring apron and
landed a Jumping Knee to the back of his head. Nakamura drove the Shaking Boot into Kojima’s chest in the corner.
Kojima hit his Top Rope Elbow Drop. He nailed
a Coji Cutter. Shinsuke would recover and hit the Runnjing Knee to Kojima as he
was laid across the turnbuckle.
Nakamura landed a Bomaye off the second rope, followed by a
Running Knee butcould not pin Kojima for three. Kojima blocked another assault
with a Lariat and then hit two more big Clotheslines to Nakamura.
Nakamura stumbled to the mat before Kojima
could hit another Lariat. Kojima picked Nakamura up for a Brainbuster.
As Kojima went for another Lariat, Nakamura
locked in an Armbar counter. Kojima reversed this into a pin attempt, then hit
one more huge Lariat. Nakamura was sent into the ropes but came charging back
with a bomaye to drop Kojima and get the pin.
This was a good match. It felt a bit rushed,
straightforward to say the least with few twists and turns. But the two hit
each other hard as they head toward the end of this very grueling tournament.
Nakamura: 12
Kojima: 4
Kazuchika Okada VS
Yuji Nagata
There was a tie up between the two. Nagata
gained control. The two headed to the ropes, where Okada gave his
signature clean break pats, but then quickly followed with a chop to the chest.
Fans began cheering for Nagata. There were
forearms exchanged with fighting words shouted in between each shot.
Nagata was thrown over the guardrail on the
outside. Okada hit a Draping DDT onto the floor. Officials at ringside rushed over to check Nagata, as he just beat the 20 count
to get back in the ring.
The pace seemed to slow down as Nagata
clutched at his rib injury. Okada aimed kicks at Nagata's injured ribs to
a chorus of boos from the audience
Okada hit a big jumping Elbow in the corner.
He then hit a Rolling Upper Cut to a seated Nagata and pinned for a count of
two.
Okada climed the turnbuckle and hit a
tremendous Flying Elbow from across ring onto Nagata. Nagata ducked a Rainmaker and reversed Okada into an
Exploder Suplex. Nagata got an Armbar
locked in, and although he did not get the full eyes rolling backward on
camera, he dragged Okada back to the center of the ring with the hold applied
twice before Okada reached the ropes for the break.
Nagata continued attacking Okada’s arm with
kicks. He executed an Armbreaker over his shoulder. Okada tried to come back
with a Lariat but Nagata blocked it with a boot. Nagata hit a Back Drop and
pinned for a very near fall.
Okada landed a kick and then the Neckbreaker
over his knee.
Okada went for the Tombstone, but Nagata
blocked and reversed it into a throw. Okada came right back with a Drop
Kick. Then the Tombstone. Then the Rainmaker Lariat and pin. Okada wins. This
was a great match with some very close calls. Nagata was the clear underdog,
not expected to win, and this notion was supported by the dominance of Okada
early in the match. But Nagata’s uphill comeback was moving, and when he got
the Armbar in on the part of Okada’s body that is critical to his finishing
maneuver, the notion of a tap out victory for Nagata felt more and more
possible.
Okada: 14
Nagata: 4
Tomohiro Ishii VS
Tomoaki Honma
Right from the jump There were chants for
Honma, the underdog in the match who lost in his previos match with Ishii
earlier in the year, and entered the match with zero wins thus far. Ishii
knocked Honma down with a running shoulder block. Honma got Ishii down a
running shoulder block of his own. Ishii chopped Honma
down. Ishii landed kicks to a fallen
Honma's head.
The two jockeyed for a Suplex position; Honma
was able to get Ishii up for a Brainbuster. Honma followed it up
with a kokeshi head butt to ishii' shoulder. The two traded Lariats to
knock each other down. Both hit Lariats at same time, which drop one another to
the mat. The two traded chops. Honma was finally knocked down after an extremely long
back and forth.
Honma ducked a Sliding D (Ishii’s baseball
slide into a Lariat to a seated opponent), but misses a kokeshi. Honma wound up and took Ishii down with a
Lariat. Honma hit a diving kokeshi head butt to the back of Ishii' head.
He then executed a Piledriver for a two count. Honma went to the top but missed
a kokeshi from the top turnbuckle.
Honma went for a Diving kokeshi but missed and was sent into the
turnbuckle. Another diving head butt attempt was blocked by Ishii. Ishii attacked with forearm combinations and
a Lariat. He went for the pin but Honma kicked out at a count of 1.
Honma hit a huge Brainbuster. The two traded head butts, forearms, and slaps. Honma struck with a
head butt out of nowhere. TWO diving kokeshi head butts connected with the target.
Honma tried to pin and got a two count. Honma went to the top and hit the kokeshi from the turnbuckle on a standing Ishii. He connected
with another kokeshi from the top rope to pin Ishii with
the upset victory!
After the match Honma addressed the audience
in his intensely gravelly voice. He mentioned next year’s G1 and I believe he
said that he was going to do even better next time. It was a legitimately emotional
moment.
This match told the kind of dramatic story
that WWE and TNA fail to, because of the real time invested in building
realistic feuds between pro wrestlers who take the competitive pretense of what
they do very seriously. Even without knowing the history between these two, the
underdog coming from behind to try to triumph over an opponent regarded as much
stronger was clear. Even if neither one of these wrestlers figure into the
finals of the G1, this was an incredible story in and of itself.
Honma: 2
Ishii: 8
The tournament matches on this show are all
highly worth watching, well except for the first one, which was more of a promo
for the Bullet Club’s less serious side. Going into the final round of B Block
matches, things still look to run very similarly to the A Block. The main event
between Nakamura and Okada will likely determine the B Block finalist. Only a
loss at the hands of Nakamura would keep the top point scoring Okada from
moving forward. It makes this a story of a relative underdog (Nakamura)
desperately needing the win. While this is a closer race than the A Block,
which includes others in the group like Anderson and Goto, there is a strong
likelihood of their elimination by taking losses. It would make for some very
upbeat moments for the audience if their respective opponents Kojima and Nagata
beat them. And it would make sense that the wily veterans could pull it off,
with the fact that everyone is tired from 8 previous matches factored in.
Let me know what you think.
Twitter: @mondocurrymark
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