Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 3) Review 7.23.16

Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 3) Review 7.23.16

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Block A Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Tama Tonga @ 10:30 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Hirooki Goto defeated Tomohiro Ishii @ 11:49 via pin [***¾]
– Block A Match: Bad Luck Fale defeated Naomichi Marufuji @ 9:36 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Kazuchika Okada defeated SANADA @ 13:20 via pin [***¾]
– Block A Match: Togi Makabe defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi @ 14:04 via pin [***]

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– NOTE: Like last year, I will be focusing on the tournament matches during my reviews.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tama Tonga: It’s really great that the crowds have become so invested in the one last run story of Tenzan. I felt that this was an overall good match, but also another lost opportunity for Tonga. He was better in this match than his first, but with the way the crowd was reacting, he had a chance to really turn up the volume and show what he could do. Again, it was a good match, but Tonga didn’t really do much to add to it. The crowd was into the story; Tenzan is playing the role perfectly and having Kojima at ringside rooting his friend on makes for such a great story. Tonga did bump really well for Tenzan, which you have to these days, but I keep waiting for more. That tag run with his brother really ruined him in several ways. Tonga survived the anaconda buster, but could not survive the moonsault as Tenzan goes 2-0.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hirooki Goto: There was nothing pretty about this match, this was just the two meanest dogs in the yard scrapping over the last bone. While not as god as their G1 effort last year, this was a good and intense brawl that was a constant back and forth battle. The best thing about this was that the crowd was into this; they were invested and reacted to the striking exchanges and all of the higher impact stuff. All too often you see guys kicking the shit out of each other and it’s nothing but hello darkness my old fried as they battle to the sound of silence. These guys know how to work their style, they get the crowd involved, they sell the effects of the damage and I really enjoyed this. Ishii was delivering some devastating offense down the stretch, including a stiff powerbomb and then a lariat that almost decapitated poor Goto. Goto had to empty the arsenal, but finally scored the win wit the GRT. This was gloriously brutal.

Naomichi Marufuji vs. Bad Luck Fale: Fale has his moments, but it also takes the right kind of guy to work with him. Nakamura, Tanahashi and Okada all had various degrees of success working with Fale, the all lost to him and sold his offense like death to get him over and try to make him a believable monster. I thought that Marufuji did well here, following the path to success that the others I mentioned laid out for him. I loved the beginning where Marufuji wasn’t about to take any shit, and stood right up to Fale and delivered chops. It just set a good tone for the match. Fale of course would dominate with his power spots; we got the countout tease after Fale pasted Marufuji on the floor. Marufuji survived, escaping the bad luck fall, worked in some really clean and crisp kicks but the grenade would be his end. This was good overall, but I was not a fan of the booking. I know that Fale gets his bullshit run every year, but Marufuji comes in and beats Okada and then you have him lose to the big goof his next match, I just hated that. To me, Fale has lost his usefulness as a singles, because of how they yo-yo him on the card. When he beats top guys, I just eye roll and more on these days.

Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA: This was another really good match, with SANADA not only being presented well but also stepping up and earning the chances given to him. His look is good and he is working with so much confidence these days that if you saw him when he was with Wrestle1/TNA and compared it to now, you would swear that it’s two different performers. When you see SANADA against Tanahashi and Okada, you are seeing a future top guy. Now this didn’t have the sizzle or intensity of the Tanahashi match, but it was very good and I felt that they worked the right match. This wasn’t the time for a 20-miunte epic or any thing like that, this was again showing that SANADA can hang with Okada, but that he’s just not quite there or ready to defeat him. Basically, he beat the old ace, but couldn’t topple the current ace. They worked some very good back and forth down the stretch, mixing in the trademark stuff and the counters to that, but Okada would hit the German suplex and the rainmaker to pick up the wins and send both men to 1-1. New Japan needs to lock this boy up, SANADA will be a main event star for them as long as they don’t fuck it up.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe: So the big story here is that Tanahashi lost his second match, and is 0-2 in the tournament so far. They are basically telling the story that he’s roughed up and rusty from his injury break, and his opponents have been able to take advantage. I am sure that this will lead to the regular Gedo booking, where Tanahashi overcomes and makes a late run, possibly to the finals. Makabe controlled a lot of the match, the back and forth segments worked well but this was one of those matches that got to good, and stayed there and never really dared to be different. There’s nothing wrong with that other than as a main event, it felt flat. Makabe hit the spider German on Tanahashi (WHY?!!?!?) and then hit the king kong knee drop to pick up the win. This was good, but under whelming at the same time.

BLOCK A STANDINGS
* Togi Makabe (2-0)
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2-0)
* Hirooki Goto (2-0)
* SANADA (1-1)
* Naomichi Marufuji (1-1)
* Kazuchika Okada (1-1)
* Bad Luck Fale (1-1)
* Tomohiro Ishii (0-2)
* Tama Tonga (0-2)
* Hiroshi Tanahashi (0-2)

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.4

The final score: review Good

The 411

Noting was bad on day three, but at the same time there was nothing must see. If short on time, watch Ishii vs. Goto and SANADA vs. Okada.