Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 13) Review 8.04.17

Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 14) Review 8.04.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Block A Match: Kota Ibushi defeated Yuji Nagata @ 15:50 via pin [***½]
– Block A Match: Bad Luck Fale defeated Tomohiro Ishii @ 11:55 via pin [***¼]
– Block A Match: Hirooki Goto defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 12:02 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Tetsuya Naito defeated Zack Sabre Jr @ 14:23 via pin [***¾]
– Block A Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Togi Makabe @ 12:04 via pin [***]

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* NOTE: Like in past G1s and the BOTSJ, I will be focusing on the tournament matches only. Due to that, the final score for the show is only based on those matches.

– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– Honma is out on commentary.

Kota Ibushi vs. Yuji Nagata: Nagata tries to keep the pacing slow to begin, and he looks to grapple with Ibushi. We get some striking exchanges, and then takes Ibushi down and works the crossface. Ibushi would escape, but Nagata then took him down, and worked the arm bar. Ibushi survived, made the ropes and hit a series of strikes and a RANA to take Nagata to the floor. The moonsault press followed and Ibushi then took thinks back into the ring. Nagata hits the XPLODER, but that fired up Ibushi who laid in the strikes and beat down Nagata in the corner. They then trade heavy body kicks, strikes and then do a double down off of kicks. They work back to the feet, and fires up with slaps and big time chops. Ibushi hits the PELE and bridging German suplex for 2. But Nagata isn’t done, and drags Ibushi down and into the arm bar. Ibushi barely makes the ropes. Nagata is not pleased by this little punk not giving up, so he lays in the ground and pound, and then hits the twisting brainbuster for a really good near fall. Backdrop driver by Nagata gets another near fall. Ibushi fights off the second, counters a German and levels Nagata with a head kick. Ibushi follows with the sitout last ride, but Nagata kicks out! Ibushi then finishes him with the MDK knee strike. Kota Ibushi defeated Yuji Nagata @ 15:50 via pin [***½] This was a very good match to open the tournament bouts tonight; Nagata keeps fighting with everything he has and delivers another quality performance, while Ibushi has done a great job in working with everyone and making it feel effortless. He continues to evolve and show great maturity as a performer in this G1.
https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/893433158460461056

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale: We have the monster Fale vs. the Stone Pit Bull who doesn’t know when to quit. Early on Ishii actually used his speed advantage, a phrase I rarely use. He used multiple strikes and varied attacks, but Fale would easily cut him off with a single strike or simple power attack. This led to Fale taking the heat, which was slow and bland at times. They did some teases of Ishii suplexing Fale, but he couldn’t get it but did get a DDT to turn the tide. He followed with strikes and lariats, but Fale cut off his momentum with a Samoan drop. Fale followed with the corner splash and then a walking splash for 2. Ishii countered the corner Vader bomb, hit the head butt and then got the suplex to a big pop. The big lariat followed for 2. Fale looked to battle back, but Ishii worked a triangle into an arm bar, but Fale made the ropes. Fale then took control back, spearing Ishii to the corner and hitting the Vader splash for 2. Fale then hit the grenade, but didn’t cover as he looked to do more damage with the bad luck fall. Ishii escaped that, hit a pair of enziguris and the shining wizard. The sliding lariat followed, and he then applied the arm bar. Fale powered out but Ishii transitioned to a triangle, but Fale powerbombed him to escape. They trade strikes, Ishii hits the head butt but Fale hit the spear to cur him off. Fale hits the bad luck fall and finishes it. Bad Luck Fale defeated Tomohiro Ishii @ 11:55 via pin [***¼] This was a good big man, mean guy match. Ishii got a lot of out of Fale, allowing him to be the monster and selling it, which almost goes against type since Ishii is such a bad ass. But he sold well and saved his usual badassery for near the end; making this more fun than I thought it would be, but still Ishii’s “weakest” outing of the tournament.

Hirooki Goto vs. YOSHI-HASHI: The battle of CHAOS members saw a more methodical and evenly worked opening stretch. Goto started to bully around CHAOS little brother HASHI, but HASHI didn’t allow that to last for long mounting a comeback, hitting a running blockbuster, draping Goto over the ropes for the dropkick and then hitting the blockbuster off the top, which got him a cover for 2. Goto has had enough of this shit, making the Goto mean face and hitting a lariat. But before he can follow up, hits a big lariat and follows with the powerbomb and transitions into the butterfly lock. Goto keeps fighting, rolling and struggling and finally escapes and hits a GTR for the double down. HASHI locks in the sleeper, but Goto counters out and he works the sleeper. The PK follows, and then the ushigoroshi hits for 2. HASHI escapes the GTR, and then escapes another into a roll up for 2. He fires up with a lariat and superkick, looks for karma but Goto escapes that and finishes him with two GTRs to put little brother down. Hirooki Goto defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 12:02 via pin [***] It started off a bit slow, but they worked hard and worked themselves into a good match with a nice closing stretch. HASHI took another loss, but got a ton of fight in against Goto before finally falling, so he didn’t look like a complete scrub in loss, but lets face it, with that haircut, he’s a scrub.

Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: Desperado is out with Sabre. Naito quickly sends Sabre to the floor, but it’s not so he can dive onto him, it’s so that he can run around and then do his tranquilo pose. Priorities people. Naito looks to control early, looks for his corner dropkick combo but Sabre counters that, takes him to the mat and looks to grapplefuck him. Sabre easily works from submission to submission, Naito gets to his feet and looks to make it a striking battle, but Sabre lights him up with uppercuts and then drags him back to the mat for more stretching. Welcome to Zacky Grapplings dungeon, bitch. Naito is slowly able to mount a comeback, hits the corner dropkick combo but Sabre cuts off the attack with a hanging guillotine. They go face to face, trading big strikes, The one really positive of Sabre in Suzuki-Gun is the fact that he is really allowing his prickish side to shine in matches instead of being the polite grapple boy. They work up top and Naito wants the super RANA, but Sabre cuts him off by working the arm. Back on the mat, Sabre hist the snapdragon suplex and transitions into more submission work, forcing Naito to the ropes. Naito fires back with a desperation German suplex, but as he goes for the flying forearm, Sabre smoothly counters into the octopus hold. Naito is able to make the ropes for the break. Naito misses the enziguri and Sabre hits the European clutch for the near fall. They work into a series of great counters of trademark stuff and near falls, Naito avoids the PK and hits destino for the win. Tetsuya Naito defeated Zack Sabre Jr @ 14:23 via pin [***¾] This was a very good match and one I enjoyed quite a lot, as this saw Sabre largely dominate by taking Naito out of his comfort zone, he couldn’t play his usual tranquilo games, and Sabre was constantly one step ahead until the end when Naito avoided the big PK, allowing him to hit destino and put this to an end. This was a good rebound performance by Naito, who looked bored and unmotivated in the Goto match. I think he really needed the challenge of being taken out of his comfort zone to get some motivation back.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe: They work a pretty basic opening stretch, with Makabe having success at working his power game. They did a quick spot on the floor after Tanahashi sent out Makabe, but Makabe cut that shit off quick hitting a lariat on Tanahashi. Just as Makabe was doing well, Tanahashi hit the dragon screw leg whip and took control back, hitting the senton off the ropes for a near fall. Makabe cuts off Tanahashi’s mounted corner punches, hits some of his own and then hits a northern lights suplex for 2. Tanahashi fires up and gives Makabe some of his own medicine, shooting him the double middle fingers. He ate a big lariat for that, because Makabe says no one steals my shit. Tanahashi starts to fire up but eats lariats and a powerbomb for 2. Makabe up top and misses the king kong knee drop, Honma sounded so sad on commentary. Tanahashi fired up, ht sling blade but missed the high fly flow. Makabe hits a series of chop, looks for another lariat but Tanahashi cuts that off with a German, but Makabe fights back and hits hi own German and then sets Tanahashi up top, he tries to slam his head off of the post, but Tanahashi slips out and Germans Makabe off the ropes and follows with sling blade for 1! Tanahashi up top, he’s pissed and hits the high fly cross body and then the high fly flow for the win. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Togi Makabe @ 12:04 via pin [***] This was a good match but felt lacking in the main event spot. Tanahashi continues to work hard, likely harder than he should be, and worked a smart match here, playing to Makabe’s strengths and not trying to get overly ambitious with him. The crowd was interested; Makabe put up a good fight and then got put away.

BLOCK A STANDINGS
– Hiroshi Tanahashi: 5-2 (10pts.)
– Tetsuya Naito: 5-2 (10pts.)
– Bad Luck Fale: 4-3 (8pts.)
– Tomohiro Ishii: 4-3 (8pts.)
– Hirooki Goto: 4-3 (6pts.)
– Zack Sabre Jr: 4-3 (8pts.)
– Hirooki Goto: 4-3 (6pts.)
– Kota Ibushi: 4-3 (8pts.)
– Togi Makabe: 3-4 (6pts.)

ELIMINATED
– YOSHI-HASHI: 2-5 (4pts.)
– Yuji Nagata: 0-7 (0pts.)

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The Rest of My G1 Coverage Will Be Dedicated To The Loving Memory of Daryl Takahashi, A Sweet Young Lad Who Left Us Too Soon… FUCK YOU FALE

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

While I wouldn’t call anything must see, Night 13 was a good and consistent night of action and very easy to watch. Things are getting tighter at the top of the block, with Tanahashi and Naito as the top dogs and most expected.