Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax 28 Night 16 Review

Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax 28 Night 16 Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– B Block Match: Tomohiro Ishii defeated Juice Robinson @ 12:30 via pin [****]
– B Block Match: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hirooki Goto @ 10:50 via pin [***½]
– B Block Match: Tama Tonga defeated Kota Ibushi @ 14:20 via pin [**½]
– B Block Match: Toru Yano defeated Kenny Omega @ 9:10 via pin [**½]
– B Block Match: Tetsuya Naito defeated SANADA @ 18:54 via pin [***¾]

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– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– Night One Review
– Night Two Review
– Night Three Review
– Csonka’s NJPW G1 28 Undercard Thoughts (Days 1-3)
– Night Four Review
– Night Five Review
– Night Six Review
– Night Seven Review
– Csonka: Early Title Match Implications From The NJPW G1 28
– Csonka’s NJPW G1 28 Undercard Thoughts (Days 4-7)
– Night Eight Review
– Night Nine Review
– Night Ten Review
– Csonka’s NJPW G1 28 Undercard Thoughts (Days 8-10)
– Night Eleven Review
– Night Twelve Review
– Night Thirteen Review
– Csonka’s NJPW G1 28 Undercard Thoughts (Days 11-13)
– Night Fourteen Review
– Night Fifteen Review

Juice Robinson vs. Tomohiro Ishii: Robinson attacks at the bell and tries to take the fight to Ishii, and after a long effort finally takes him down. Robinson now fires away with chops, but Ishii now turns things around and he lays in chops and strikes in the corner. The big shoulder block follows, and the suplex follows. Ishii lays in more chops, mostly to the throat, just punishing Robinson. Ishii now dares Robinson to hit him back, Robinson fires up but Ishii drops him with one shot. Ishii now lay sin some Robinson like jabs, Robinson fires back with a head butt and now hits a full nelson slam. Robinson takes off the hand wrap/cast so that he can use it without being Dq’d. They trade strikes; Robinson lays in corner clotheslines and hits the cannonball. Robinson heads up top and hits the high cross for 2. Ishii now fights off a powerbomb, but Robinson lays in chops. They trade back and forth, lighting each other up, Ishii is rocked, but manages to catch Robinson with a powerslam. They work up top and Ishii hits the big superplex. Robinson fights of the lariat, but Ishii counters juice box. Ishii misses a lariat and Robinson hits juice box and follows with a powerbomb for 2. Robinson looks to follow up, but Ishii unloads with head butts and strikes but Robinson hits him with the big KO left. The lariat follows for 2. Robinson looks for pulp friction, Ishii fights and escapes; the sliding lariat connects for 2. Ishii fires up now, misses the lariat, but hits a German. Robinson fires back up with fighting spirit and Ishii hits a clothesline. They trade head butts, Ishii counters pulp friction, hits an enziguri and brain buster and Robinson is finally done. Tomohiro Ishii defeated Juice Robinson @ 12:30 via pin [****] This was great, just an absolute banger to kick of the slate of tournament matches. This had a great pace great action, and great intensity throughout, built well through the finish and they had the crowd the whole time.

Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: ZSJ attacks at the bell, laying in uppercuts and trading strikes with Goto. Goto cuts him off with a Saito suplex and they spill to the floor. Goto whips him to the barricade, but ZSJ cuts him off and works a kimura and transitions to an arm bar. ZSJ rolls back in and we get a countout tease. Goto rolls back in and ZSJ immediately attacks that arm again and then transitions to the ground, and starts working the legs as well; ZSJ working some torture porn looking shit here, but Goto finally makes the ropes. ZSJ follows with kicks, but Goto manages to catch one and follows with a lariat. Goto follows with the corner spin kick and Saito suplex for 2. Goto fights off a submission attempt and hits a suplex for a double down. Back to the feet and Goto hits a clothesline; heads up top and the elbow drop is countered into a triangle (STOP JUMPING AT ZSJ!) and then double-armed submission. Goto barely makes the ropes. ZSJ lays in kicks now, but Goto blocks PK but ZSJ locks in the cobra twist, and transitions to the octopus hold. Goto powers out into he ushigoroshi and both men are down again. ZSJ counters out of GTR, and rolls into a Billy Robinson style cradle for 2. Goto hits a desperation head butt and reverse GTR. ZSJ counters GTR into the European clutch for the win. Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hirooki Goto @ 10:50 via pin [***½] This was a very good match, working the power of Goto vs. the technique of ZSJ. The win allows ZSJ to lay challenge to another title match down the line.

Kota Ibushi vs. Tama Tonga: Tonga is out by himself. We’ll see how long that lasts. Tonga sneak attacks Ibushi during his entrance and we’re underway. Tonga drags him back to ringside and posts Ibushi. Tonga talks a lot of shit as he beats on Ibushi. In the ring we go and Tonga maintains control. Ibushi fires back, but Tonga cuts him off with a power slam. He grounds things, working a chinlock. Tonga now lays in head butts, but Ibushi finally cuts him off with a dropkick. They trade strikes and Ibushi lights him up with kicks and hits a standing moonsault for 2. Tonga fires back with the misdirection dropkick and hits the corner splash. Ibushi counters the Tongan twist, and dumps Tonga on his head with a half and half suplex and Tonga rolls to the floor. Tonga avoids and cuts off the golden triangle, and the action goes back to the floor. They brawl into the crowd, and Ibushi climbs up into the next level and connects with the moonsault out of the second floor balcony. They work back to the ring and Ibushi heads up top and Loa arrives and attacks. That allows Tonga to attack. Tonga follows him up and Ibushi fights him off but back on the mat, Tonga hits the neck breaker and velleno for 2. Ibushi fights off gun stun, hits a knee strike and looks for kamigoye, but Loa grabs his foot, and that leads to a fucking ref bump. Ibushi hits the head kick, Fale arrives and lariats Ibushi. Omega runs out and takes out Fale, but Loa spears him. Ibushi takes out Loa, and lariats Tonga. Kamigoye is countered and Tonga hits a pop up gun stun for the win. Tama Tonga defeated Kota Ibushi @ 14:20 via pin [**½] I was really liking that until the usual bullshit. Again, it’s the fact that it’s just the same shit all the fucking time. From the point of the story they are looking to tell I see where it’s going, but it didn’t help the match in my opinion. It ended up solid.

– Post match, Omega is laid out until Page & Owens make the save. Commentary questions if Omega will compete, and Yano rushes out to take advantage of Omega’s condition. Owens and Page remain at ringside.

Toru Yano vs. Kenny Omega: Yano immediately covers a down Omega and gets 2. He removes buckle pads, three of them. He starts whipping Omega to the exposed buckles and is in control as he removes the 4th. Owens blocks an exposed buckle and then slides in the pad to save Omega, and then Yano hits the exposed buckle. Omega blocks a low blow and stomps on Yano’s hand. Yano stacks up the buckle pads and suplexes Omega onto them. Omega sits up and laughs. They both grab buckle pads and attack each other. Yano gets a cradle for 2. He dumps Omega to the floor and whips him to the barricade. Yano tries to tape him to the barricade but ends up taping him to Narita. This leads to a count out tease. Omega picks up Narita and drags him into he ring and breaks the count. Yano lays the boots to both, but they double clothesline Yano and Omega frees himself. Yano runs them together, and hits a toss into a cradle for 2. Omega hits V trigger for 2. The snapdragon follows, and hits V trigger. Yano uses the ref to fight off one winged angel and Yano low blows Omega & the ref. Firing Squad arrives and attacks both. Tonga hits gun stuns and lays Yano on for the win. Toru Yano defeated Kenny Omega @ 9:10 via pin [**½] Again, I see why they are doing this, and Yano & Omega were having a fun outing, but I am just so over this Firing Squad bullshit, which now took over two matches tonight. For me, it’s just become diminishing returns and feels lazy. Some people may absolutely love it, but it does nothing for my personal enjoyment no matter what company does it.

Tetsuya Naito vs. SANADA: Naito looks for the LIJ fist bump, an then attacks. SANADA pulls him to the floor, back in and waits on Naito. Naito back in, grounds the action and takes control of things, slowing the pace. SANADA picks up the pace with some slick counters and hits a basement dropkick as Naito tranquilos. They trade strikes, SANADA rakes the eyes, but Naito cuts him off with the draping neck breaker. To the floor they go, and Naito whips him to the barricade and they battle up the ramp. Naito follows with a neck breaker and basement dropkick. Naito rolls back into the ring as SANADA slowly makes his way back in. Naito continues the attack back in the ring they spit at each other, and SANADA hits a belly to back suplex. He follows with strikes, and connects with a dropkick and plancha to the floor. Naito cuts him off with anatomic drop and the corner dropkick combo. SANADA fires back, hits the missile dropkick, and looks for TKO, but Naito escapes. SANADA counters out of the German but Naito spikes him with a DDT. Naito takes SANADA up top and follows with the RANA. Gloria follows for 2. SANADA counters destino but Naito hits the enziguri. Destino is countered and SANADA hits a draping neck breaker. SANADA follows with another missile dropkick and tiger suplex for 2. SANADA now counters destino, looks for a TKO, but Naito counters back into destino. SANADA now fires back and HE hits destino for a near fall. Skull end follows, he drops down and locks on the body scissors. Naito fights, slips out but SANADA gets the hold back. SANADA cranks back on the hold, Naito fades, SANADA releases and the moonsault misses. They fight to their feet, and trade strikes. Naito hits the flying forearm and SANADA counters destino and now gets skull end. Naito counters out but SANADA gets the O’Connor roll for 2. SANADA lays in strikes but Naito tosses him into the buckles (bad landing) and follows with a German. SANADA fires back up but walks into destino and Naito win. Tetsuya Naito defeated SANADA @ 18:54 via pin [***¾] This was a very good match, with SANADA giving Naito all he had before finally falling to the LIJ leader. Naito needed the win to play into the mix in the final night. While very good, I felt it was missing something to make it special/great.

– EVIL arrives and has Hiromu’s jacket with him. Naito cuts the post match promo and says Hiromu is likely watching, but will return when he can.

– According to commentary, if Naito wins his final match and Ibushi & Omega draw, he wins the block.

G1 BLOCK A

* Hiroshi Tanahashi: 7-1 (14pts.)
* Jay White: 6-2 (12pts.)
* Kazuchika Okada: 6-2 (12pts.)
* Minoru Suzuki: 4-4 (8pts.)
* EVIL: 4-4 (8pts.)
* Michael Elgin: 3-5 (6pts.)
* Adam Page: 3-5 (6pts.)
* Bad Luck Fale: 3-5 (6pts.)
* Togi Makabe: 2-6 (4pts.)
* YOSHI-HASHI: 2-6 (4pts.)

G1 BLOCK B

* Kenny Omega: 6-2 (12pts.)
* Tetsuya Naito: 6-2 (12pts.)
* Kota Ibushi: 5-3 (10pts.)
* Zack Sabre Jr: 5-3 (10pts.)
* SANADA: 4-4 (8pts.)
* Tomohiro Ishii: 4-4 (8pts.)
* Hirooki Goto: 3-5 (6pts.)
* Tama Tonga: 3-5 (6pts.)
* Juice Robinson: 2-6 (4pts.)
* Toru Yano: 2-6 (4pts.)

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.2

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night 16 of the NJPW G1 Climax 28 was an overall good show, with a great opener, and a very good main event. The Firing Squad bullshit was on full display again, and while I am not a fan, at least it played into the set up for the final night of B block.