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Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax 28 Night 7 Review
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Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax 28 Night 7 Review
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– A Block Match: YOSHI-HASHI defeated Michael Elgin @ 14:20 via pin [***½]
– A Block Match: EVIL defeated Bad Luck Fale @ 12:25 via pin [*]
– A Block Match: Minoru Suzuki defeated Jay White @ 10:30 via pin [**¾]
– A Block Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Adam Page @ 12:05 via pin [***]
– A Block Match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Togi Makabe @ 15:06 via pin [***]
– 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
Michael Elgin vs. YOSHI-HASHI: The problem with HASHI is that they are trying to book him as a valiant babyface, but no one cares about him because he’s CHAOS’ bitch boy. It takes something special to make the crowds really care about him, and as I have said again, it happens once or twice a year. They open up with some back and forth, worth to the floor and HASHI scores with a suplex. Back in and HASHI takes Elgin to the ropes, follows him up, but Elgin cuts him off with a lariat. Elgin follows with a slam and elbow drops, but HASHI starts to fire up and hits a DDT. HASHI follows with chops, and then hits a RANA and follows with a tope. Back in and HASHI hits the blockbuster for 2. Elgin now fires back with an enziguri, and hits a spinebuster for 2. They work up top now, Elgin takes control and looks for splash mountain and HASHI “counters” out in what was supposed to be a RANA, but it wasn’t, Elgin sold the counter for him any way and saved his life. HASHI now follows with chops, Elgin fires back, but HASHI hits a German. Elgin cuts him off, heads up top but HASHI snatches him off the ropes with a powerbomb, hits a superkick and twister suplex. HASHI up top and the swanton connects for 2. The crowd is slowly getting into this, HASHI looks for the butterfly lock, but Elgin counters out with a slam. Elgin follows with clotheslines, they work up top and Elgin hits the superplex for 2. Elgin hits the buckle bomb, but HASHI gets a cradle for 2. Elgin shakes off HASHI’s strikes, drops the elbow pad and lights him up. HASHI hits a desperation lariat, but Elgin hits a half and half suplex. The big lariat gets 2. Splash mountain follows and that gets 2 again. Elgin looks for burning hammer and HASHI counters out and hits a superkick. The fisherman’s buster gets 2. HASHI hits the backstabber, and karma connects for the win. YOSHI-HASHI defeated Michael Elgin @ 14:20 via pin [***½] HASHI finally gets on the board in a very good overall match that had the crowd rooting for him (his best reactions of the tournament so far). He has Okada & Tanahashi next. Elgin continues to deliver.
EVIL vs. Bad Luck Fale: Loa is out with Fale. EVIL knocks Fale into Loa and attacks right away. He rakes the eyes and then gets distracted by Loa (starting that shit early). He pulls Fale to the floor and slams him to the barricade. EVIL back in and Fale gets a chair, allowing Loa to attack EVIL. Fale & EVIL brawl into the crowd with Fale tossing him into chairs and tossing barricades onto him. Fale makes it back in for a countout tease. EVIL beats the count and Fale immediately lays the boots to him. Fale now starts working the arm of EVIL, covering for 2. Fale continues to control, and hits a slam and then misses the splash. EVIL dumps him to the floor and follows for more floor brawling. EVIL tosses a chair to Loa and gets another and posts Fale. Back in and EVIL maintains control, covering for 2. Fale hits the shoulder tackle and splash for 2. EVIL fights off the grenade, hits a superkick and clothesline. He hits another and follows with a sloppy looking DDT. Fale cuts him off with a lariat for 2. The bad luck fall is countered and EVIL hits a head butt, rolling elbows and a lariat for 2. EVIL looks to finish it, everything is evil countered and we get a ref bump. Loa in to attack, rinse and repeat. Loa ends up hitting Fale, BUSHI in to mist Loa and Tonga takes him out. Naito out and takes out Tonga. Fale takes him out, and everything is evil connects and the ref is down. The ref sees all of the extra bodies and refuses to count. Gun stun on EVIL and that’s another DQ. EVIL defeated Bad Luck Fale @ 12:25 via pin [*] Ain’t nobody got time for this shit.
Minoru Suzuki vs. Jay White: Desperado is out with Suzuki. Suzuki attacks with leg kicks right away, and White runs to the ropes. Suzuki is not amused. White powders to the floor and Suzuki follows and starts kicking White’s ass. White fires back with chops and slams Suzuki to the barricade and the apron repeatedly. Back in and Suzuki gets the hanging arm bar in the ropes. He follows with chops and body kicks. White dares him to keep hitting him until he takes out the knee and attacks. White drags him to the apron and works him over. White now chokes him out with the ring skirt, and back in, grounds the action. The neck breaker follows for 1. The Muta lock follows by White, but Suzuki rips at the fingers and escapes. The PK follows and then another. Suzuki follows with a third and covers for 2. Suzuki now starts to work the arm; White fights and makes the ropes. White follows with chops and suplexes Suzuki to the buckles. The twister suplex connects for 2. White lays in chops, but this just annoys Suzuki and he fires up, daring White to attack. Suzuki starts fucking his day up with rapid-fire strikes, but White cuts him off and hits a German. Suzuki counters blade runner, gets the sleeper, and White pulls at the ref. Suzuki blocks the low blow and hits a forearm and Gotch piledriver for the win. Minoru Suzuki defeated Jay White @ 10:30 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good overall match, with Suzuki having enough of White’s shit, and being smart enough to overcome and pick up a much-needed win.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Adam Page: Page has been doing well on the tour, but this is another big test for him against Tanahashi. These two faced off at ROH Honor United: Doncaster, which Tanahashi won in a good match that showed good potential chemistry between the two. They work into some really nice counter exchanges to start things off. Tanahashi gives page an air guitar as a sign of friendship, but Page breaks it and attacks. Page starts working the power game, hitting the bridging pump handle slam for 2. Page starts to target the knee of Tanahashi, and locks on a stretch muffler. Tanahashi fights and makes the ropes. Tanahashi tries to fire up, but Page goes right back to the knee. Tanahashi now hits the dragon screw and looks to put some offense together. The senton off the ropes connects for 2. Page tries to dump Tanahashi, and does. Page follows with the apron shooting star press and has control back. Back in and Page hits a corner dropkick and the neck breaker off the ropes gets 2. Page now locks on a figure four. Tanahashi turns the hold, but Page rolls and makes the ropes. Page looks to fire up, but Tanahashi dropkicks the knee and hits the dragoon screw in the ropes. Page fights back and scores with a buckshot lariat. The rite of passage is countered as Tanahashi hits another dragon screw. They trade strikes, and Tanahashi hits sling blade, covering for 2. Tanahashi up top and hits high fly high cross and heads back up top and the high fly flow connects for the win. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Adam Page @ 12:05 via pin [***] This was good, Page worked hard, but there was absolutely no drama in regards to page winning here, which hurt the match for me. This needed a few more minutes, some of the time that EVIL vs. Bad Luck Fale got and didn’t need.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Togi Makabe: Okada attacks at the bell, but Makabe quickly cuts him off. They brawl to the floor, Makabe teases using his chain, and Okada cuts him off with a DDT. Okada then whips him to the barricade, and rolls back in. The senton atomico follows from Okada, and then covers with one foot, and the ref won’t count. Makabe calls Okada on, daring him to hit him, so he does. Makabe fires up as they trade strikes, but Okada cuts him off with a neck breaker. Okada grounds the action, maintaining control. Makabe fights to his feet, and hits a powerslam. Makabe follows with rights and takes Okada down. The corner clothesline and mounted strikes follow. Okada fights off the northern lights, but runs into a lariat and Makabe covers for 2. Okada cuts him off with a DDT, as he focuses on the neck of Makabe. The slam and high cross follows for 2. These guys look tired here on day four of four in a row. Okada goes John Wooo and hits the over the knee neck breaker for 2. They trade strikes, slooooooooowly, like they’re 30-minutes in. Makabe hits a lariat and another and Okada is down to a knee. Okada now hits a tombstone but the rainmaker is countered into a DVD for the double down. Makabe lays in big rights, and a rough looking powerbomb connects for 2. Makabe hits a lariat, takes Okada up top and Okada fights off the spider German for a moment, but Makabe hits an overhead toss. Makabe up top and jumps off into a dropkick. The dropkick follows and the rainmaker is blocked by chops, Lariat by Makabe, but Okada hits a lariat of his own. The rainmaker finishes it. Kazuchika Okada defeated Togi Makabe @ 15:06 via pin [***] This was a good , but disappointing main event. Both guys looked exhausted half way through and they never got out of second gear or really developed any drama.
NOTE: 13 of the 35 tournament matches have had some version of a run in, interference, ref bump, and or low blow. We’re getting into diminishing returns, and it has ruined several matches (for me) that were working towards being great or had potential to be so much more. It’s not just heels being heels; it feels lazy to me at this point. I’m not saying not to use it, but it’s clearly overdone here, and is adding nothing to the product. It’s become a complete crutch at this point.
G1 BLOCK A
* Jay White: 3-1 (6pts.)
* Hiroshi Tanahashi: 3-1 (6pts.)
* EVIL: 3-1 (6pts.)
* Michael Elgin: 2-2 (4pts.)
* Togi Makabe: 2-2 (4pts.)
* Minoru Suzuki: 2-2 (4pts.)
* Kazuchika Okada: 2-2 (4pts.)
* Adam Page: 1-3 (2pts.)
* Bad Luck Fale: 1-3 (2pts.)
* YOSHI-HASHI: 1-3 (2pts.)
G1 BLOCK B
* Kenny Omega: 3-0 (6pts.)
* Kota Ibushi: 2-1 (4pts.)
* SANADA: 2-1 (4pts.)
* Tetsuya Naito: 2-1 (4pts.)
* Tomohiro Ishii: 2-1 (4pts.)
* Hirooki Goto: 1-2 (2pts.)
* Tama Tonga: 1-2 (2pts.)
* Zack Sabre Jr: 1-2 (2pts.)
* Toru Yano: 1-2 (2pts.)
* Juice Robinson: 0-3 (0pts.)
– End Scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
