Csonka’s NJPW G1 29 (Night Fifteen) Review

Csonka’s NJPW G1 29 (Night Fifteen/Block A) Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– SANADA defeated Lance Archer @ 10:30 via pin [***½]
– Bad Luck Fale defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi @ 10:05 via pin [**]
– Will Ospreay defeated KENTA @ 16:30 via pin [****]
– Kota Ibushi defeated Zack Sabre Jr @ 15:50 via pin [****]
– Kazuchika Okada defeated EVIL @ 27:08 via pin [****]

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Lance Archer vs. SANADA: Archer attacks SANADA during his entrance, and rolls him back in. SANADA quickly hits a dragon screw, follows with a RANA, and to he floor Archer cuts him off with an apron cannonball. He then shoots SANADA to the barricade, posts him and rolls him back in. SANADA fires back but Archer drops him with one huge strike. SANADA keeps firing back, attacks the knee but runs into a black hole slam for 2. The twisting splash follows for 2. Archer follows with chops, and then chops out SANADA in the ropes, promising that SANADA “will fucking die.” SANADA manages to fire back and dropkick the knee, and then follows with a dropkick and plancha. Back in and Archer fires back, but SANADA counters the chokeslam and Archer counters skull end with an inverted DDT for 2. The chokeslam follows for 2. Archer heads up top, and the moonsault misses. SANADA looks for a moonsault but eats knees as Archer cradles him for 2. SANADA gets skull end, but Archer counters into the claw. SANADA fights and makes the ropes. They work up top, Archer looks for blackout but SANADA counters into skull end. Archer now powers out and v counters the pounce and cradles him for the win. SANADA defeated Lance Archer @ 10:30 via pin [***½] SANADA avoids the post Okada win let down, picking up his third win in a row, toppling Archer in a very good opening match in A block action.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale: Jado & Owens are at ringside. Fale attacks, but Tanahashi quickly attacks the knee with dropkicks. Kendo shot by Jado, and Fale takes him to the floor so that Owens can attack. He slams Tanahashi to the barricade, and attacks the knee of Tanahashi. He posts the knee, and back in, Fale lays the boots to him. Owens attacks the knee as Fale takes the ref, and then covers for 2. Tanahashi fires back, but Fale cuts him off with body shots. Tanahashi hits a jawbreaker, but collapses as he tries a slam as Fale covers for 2. Fale goes back to the knee, follows with strikes, and clotheslines in the corner. Tanahashi dropkicks the knee, and follows with a dragon screw. The cloverleaf is fought off, so he hits an inverted dragon screw. The figure four follows, Fale rolls it and makes the ropes. Tanahashi lays the boots to him, but Fale hits a shoulder tackle. The grenade is countered with strikes and Fale rushes him to the corner. Fale sits down on the sunset flip for 2. The big splash follows for 2. The grenade is countered into twist and shout, sling blade follows and Tanahashi covers for 2. The high fly flow to the back follows and Tanahashi heads back up and Jado hits him with the kendo. Fale hits the grenade and covers for 2. The bad luck fall is countered but Fale gets the backslide for the win. Bad Luck Fale defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi @ 10:05 via pin [**] This was ok at best thanks to Tanahashi, but completely depressing seeing Fale wining here after the usual bullshit. There’s just nothing to enjoy with Fale matches unless you count the ending bell.

Will Ospreay vs. KENTA: They brawl at the bell, trading strikes and work into counters as KENTA teases the GTS, and they work into a double down with head kicks. KENTA is up and follows with body kicks, Ospreay fires back and KENTA stuns him off the ropes and the flying clothesline follows. KENTA hits the running boot, and they spill to the floor. KENTA whips him to the barricades several times, follows with the running boot and follows with a slam on the floor. KENTA lays in kicks, and back in, covers for 2. They trade strikes and chops, KENTA follows with kicks and a knee strike for 2. KENTA grounds the action, but Ospreay fights to his feet but eats kicks. KENTA follows with more kicks, Ospreay fires up and then runs into a knee strike. He counters the suplex into a stunner, follows with strikes and kicks, and then hits a clothesline. KENTA then cuts him off with a draping DDT for 2. He drapes Ospreay over the ropes and the flying knee drop misses and Ospreay hits the flying forearm for 2. Storm breaker is fought off, but Ospreay hits the back handspring kick. The Sasuke special is cut off as KENTA drags him to the apron and does the deal with a falcon arrow onto the apron. Ospreay barely beats the count back in, but KENTA slips on the springboard and then hits a running kick and strikes. The Shibata dropkick connects and he heads up top. The double stomp connects and the cover gets 2. Go to sleep is fought off, Ospreay hits the enziguri but KENTA follows with a busaiku knee. They trade strikes, Ospreay fires up and they continue to trade as it gets intense. KENTA counters the powerbomb and KENTA gets the guillotine, countered, and KENTA locks on the sleeper. Ospreay then counters the PK into a powerbomb for 2. He heads up top and the shooting star press eats knees, game over locked on by KENTA and Ospreay fights but KENTA cranks back on the hold until Ospreay makes the ropes. The busaiku knee follows for 2. Kneepad down for KENTA, and go to sleep is countered into a cradle for 2. The head kick and oscutter follows for 2. Storm breaker is countered, hook kick by Ospreay and hidden blade connects. Storm breaker finishes it. Will Ospreay defeated KENTA @ 16:30 via pin [****] This was really great stuff, they worked their styles and mixed well together, delivering a really good homestretch, with Ospreay picking up a much-needed win even though he’s out of the running.

Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: They lock up and work to the ropes, with Ibushi breaking clean. Sabre now grounds the action, ties him up and works into a bow and arrow, but Ibushi escapes. Sabre looks to ground things again, does and Ibushi makes the ropes. They work to the ropes, and trade leg kicks. They work into counters, body kick by Ibushi and he follows with elbow strikes. Sabre grounds things attacking the ankle, but Ibushi makes the ropes. Sabre follows with leg kicks, but Ibushi hits the snap RANA and follows with a running body kick. He follows with strikes, Sabre fires back but Ibushi levels him. Sabre hits the up kick to the arm, takes out the leg and then runs into a powerslam. He cuts of the moonsault an ties up Ibushi in the ropes, focusing on the previously injured ankle. He stomps away at Ibushi, follows with uppercuts and the delivers leg kicks. Ibushi fires back with a flurry, and the standing double knee moonsault follows for 2. Sabre counters last ride into a heel hook, and starts cranking back on the ankle as he transitions into an STF. Back to a knee bar, but Ibushi counters out and hits a huge lariat. Sabre counters the last ride, but Ibushi hits the German for 2. The last ride follows for 2. Ibushi now looks for kamigoye, but Sabre counters and locks on orienting with napalm death. He transitions to a calf killer, back to napalm death and Ibushi just makes it to the ropes, but is clutching at his ankle. Sabre follows with kicks, stomps on the ankle, and Ibushi fires up and follows with chops. Kneepad down and BOM A YE is countered into a cradle for 2. Sabre keeps going for cradles, but Ibushi kicks out each time. They trade, head kick by Ibushi and bom a ye connects for 2. Kamigoye takes Sabre’s soul and Ibushi wins. Kota Ibushi defeated Zack Sabre Jr @ 15:50 via pin [****] This was a great match as these two always work well together. Ibushi winning was a given, but thanks to his injured ankle storyline and Sabre’s great submission work, they created some good doubt don the stretch until Ibushi overcame and finally picked up the win.

Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL: EVIL has to win here to stay in play. They lock up and EVIL follows with a shoulder tackle. Okada looks to keep things slow, working a side headlock. EVIL looks to counter out and then runs into a hip toss. The neck breaker follows and Okada covers for 1. Okada follows with elbow strikes, and then dropkick him to the floor. Okada follows him out and whips him to the barricade, but EVIL fires back and clotheslines him over the barricade. EVIL rolls back in and Okada follows as EVIL hits a neck breaker for 1. He grounds the action, but Okada fires up and counters the senton. He follows with strikes, hits the running back elbow and follows with a plancha. Back in and Okada hits the corner elbow and DDT for 2. The slam follows, Okada up top but EVIL is up and cuts him off. He fires up and hits the broncobuster, covering for 2. He lays in rights, but Okada counters back with the flapjack. Okada kips up and EVIL fights off the neck breaker, and cuts him off with the superkick. Okada finally hits the air raid neck breaker, the slam and top rope elbow drop connects. Rainmaker pose. The rainmaker is countered, EVIL follows with elbow strikes, but Okada then dropkicks him to the floor. He follows, whips EVIL to he barricade, follows with the running boot and looks for the running cross body… but EVIL cuts that off by throwing a chair into his face. The baseball swing spot follows, and back in, EVIL follows with corner clotheslines. He takes him up top and the superplex connects as EVIL covers for 2. Everything is EVIL is countered, EVIL follows with chops, but Okada then misses the dropkick. Okada then counters the lariat with a dropkick, and they trade strikes center ring. Uppercuts by Okada follow, and EVIL is down. He digs deep, fires back and Okada is rocked. Darkness falls is countered, and EVIL counters the tombstone, but Okada fights and gets it the second time. The rainmaker is countered, and EVIL hits a huge lariat for 2. EVIL now hits darkness falls for a great near fall. Everything is EVIL is countered and Okada hits the short rainmaker, keeps wrist control and hits another. EVIL then counters the third into a half and half, hits another and Okada counters the lariat with a dropkick. EVIL fires up and runs into another dropkick. The rainmaker is countered, head butt buy EVIL and the big lariat follows for a great near fall. Everything is EVIL is countered, Okada hits John Wooooooooo and the rolling rainmaker and rainmaker proper finally finishes EVIL. Kazuchika Okada defeated EVIL @ 27:08 via pin [****] These two had a great main event, and while Okada winning was the obvious play, they allowed EVIL to go into deep waters with the champion and created some great drama down the stretch and had the crowd buying into EVIL. The A block finals is a winner take all now between Ibushi and Okada.

G1 29 Block A
* Kazuchika Okada: (7-1), 14pts
* Kota Ibushi: (6-2), 12pts.
* EVIL: (4-4), 8pts.
* KENTA: (4-4), 8pts.
* Hiroshi Tanahashi: (4-4), 8pts
* SANADA: (4-4), 8pts.
* Zack Sabre Jr: (3-5), 6pts.
* Will Ospreay: (3-5), 6pts.
* Bad Luck Fale: (3-5), 6pts.
* Lance Archer: (2-6), 4pts.

G1 29 Block B
* Jon Moxley: (5-2), 10pts.
* Big Tom Ishii: (4-3), 8pts.
* Tetsuya Naito: (4-3), 8pts.
* Hirooki Goto: (4-3), 8pts.
* Jay White: (4-3), 8pts.
* Toru Yano: (3-4), 6pts.
* Juice Robinson: (3-4), 6pts.
* Adorable Hawaiian Buddha Jeff Cobb: (3-4), 6pts.
* Taichi: (3-4), 4pts.
* Shingo: (2-5), 4pts.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 41. On the show, the good brother, Jeremy Lambert, joins 411’s Larry Csonka and the guys will preview the big weekend shows. ROH Summer Supercard, NXT Takeover: Toronto II, and WWE Summerslam 2019. Finally, the guys catch up on NJPW G1 29 reviews. The show is approximately 135-minutes long.

* Intro
* NJPW G1 29 Night 12 Review: 2:25
* NJPW G1 29 Night 13 Review: 14:25
* NJPW G1 29 Night 14 Review: 24:45
* ROH Summer Supercard Preview: 43:45
* NXT Takeover: Toronto II Preview: 1:07:45
* WWE Summerslam 2019 Preview: 1:30:45

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Outside of the Fale match, night fifteen of the NJPW G1 29 was really good night of action with everything else being very good to great and the A block set to be decided on Saturday with Okada vs. Ibushi.