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Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 14) Review 8.05.17

August 5, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NJPW G1 Climax - Michael Elgin Image Credit: NJPW
8.5
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Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 14) Review 8.05.17  

Csonka’s G1 Climax (Night 14) Review 8.05.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Block B Match: Toru Yano defeated Tama Tonga @ 3:30 via pin [*]
Block B Match: Satoshi Kojima defeated SANADA @ 12:00 via pin [***¾]
Block B Match: Michael Elgin defeated Minoru Suzuki @ 11:15 via pin [***]
Block B Match: Juice Robinson defeated Kenny Omega @ 15:30 via pin [****]
Block B Match: EVIL defeated Kazuchika Okada @ 22:47 via pin [****½]


* 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.

– You can watch the shows with a subscription to New Japan World.

Toru Yano vs. Tama Tonga: Yano is scared of Tonga and tries to run. Tonga attacks on the floor, tapes Yano to the barricade and that gives us a count out tease. Yano does his break spot in the ropes, and Tonga mimics him. Yano rips off the buckle pad, Tonga fails. Tonga chases Yano to the floor, gets the bell hammer and they bring it into the ring. Low blow and roll up by Yano gets the win. Toru Yano defeated Tama Tonga @ 3:30 via pin [*] It was short, I chuckled, and we move on.

Satoshi Kojima vs. SANADA: SANADA can climb into contention with a win, while Kojima is still looking to get on the board. They work a nice, fast paced opening stretch with neither man able to lock in any sort of control. Just as Kojima picked up some steam, SANADA cut him off and tied him up in the paradise lock, and then dropkicked him in the ass. SANADA, I a dick move starts ripping off Kojima’s shit, hitting the rapid-fire chops and looking for the big corner charge. Kojima cuts that off, hitting the chops and corner attack. They then start to light each other up with chops, and Kojima hits the cutter. The brainbuster follows for 2. Kojima fires up, looks for the lariat but SANADA counters into skull end and follows with a suplex for 2. The TKO follows for another near fall. SANADA goes back to skull end, drops to the mat as Tenzan tries to rally Kojima. SANADA decided to release the hold, and then MISSES the moonsault. Questionable decision making there. Kojima avoids another moonsault attempt, fires up and hit a lariat. The crowd is completely behind him here. SANADA hits a dropkick, but Kojima just no sells and stands there. He escapes skull end and hits the emerald flowsion for a great near fall. Kojima comes back with the lariat, but SANADA kicks out at 1! Another lariat fucking turns SANADA inside out and Kojima is on the board! Satoshi Kojima defeated SANADA @ 12:00 via pin [***¾] Very good match here, featuring the legend being able to largely stay a step ahead and out last the youngster long enough to finally put him away and play spoiler late in the tournament. They worked really well together, had a great crowd and I just really enjoyed this.

Michael Elgin vs. Minoru Suzuki: Taichi & Desperado are out with Suzuki. Elgin looks as if he wants to kill Taichi, the response we all have to seeing him. Desperado looks to get involved, so Elgin takes him out as he and Suzuki brawl to the floor. Elgin looks to have things in hand until Suzuki works the arm bar in the ropes. They go to the floor again, Elgin no sells Desperado’s strikes, but they distracted him enough to allow Suzuki to attack from behind with a chair. Taichi & Desperado work over Elgin for a while on the floor; more chair shots by Suzuki follow as he starts to really attack the arm of Elgin with the chair attacks. Back in the ring, Elgin fires up and starts to make a comeback, hitting a rolling elbow for a near fall. He’s having to use the left arm more here after the attacks by Suzuki, but Suzuki cuts him off with an arm bar. Suzuki takes the ref, allowing Desperado and Taichi to attack Elgin’s arm with chair shots. Suzuki back to the arm bar, Elgin postures up and power mobs his way out. Suzuki then lock sin the sleeper, but Elgin backdrops out of the Gotch piledriver. He then did the deal with the falcon arrow, scoring a near fall. Elgin hits the buckle bomb, ref bump, Taichi & Desperado in and Elgin fights them off. Suzuki locks in the sleeper, but Elgin escapes and hits the Elgin bomb for the win. Michael Elgin defeated Minoru Suzuki @ 11:15 via pin [***] I am still not a fan of the Suzuki-gun bullshit, since it’s completely played out and really adds nothing to the match quality. But I will say here that it was a nice story element; Elgin is down and out of the running, but is still fighting for pride and overcame the odds here. And while the G1 is completely out of his grasp, Elgin has banked two big wins; Omega & Suzuki, which should give him title matches post G1.Those and overcoming the geek squad are solid consolation prizes (also were Omega to win the G1, I am sure Elgin would get a crack at the briefcase). As an overall package, this was good and served its purpose.

Kenny Omega vs. Juice Robinson: Juice is still limping around badly, because everyone has tried to rip his leg off during this tournament. Juice is filled with 1980s babyface fire here, running wild with arm drags and frustrating Omega. Omega keeps laying in these dickish little slaps to insult Juice, but that just fires Juice up and he lariats Omega to the floor. Juice works over Omega on the floor, back in now and Juice continues to control but Omega suplexes him from in the ring to the floor; Juice is selling the leg after the landing. Omega then attacks the knee; posting the leg and working the ring post figure four. Omega then slams him off of the table knee first. Juice beats the count, but Omega quickly attacks the leg. Thy work into some back and forth, Juice escapes the snapdragon suplex and follows with a full nelson slam. Omega avoids the powerbomb, hits the Finlay roll but Juice blocks the moonsault and hits the cannonball. Omega keeps avoiding the powerbomb, drops the kneepad for V trigger, but Juice destroys him with a lariat and finally hits the powerbomb and covers for 2. Omega counters out of pulp friction, and follows with the neck breaker across the knee. Omega looks for V trigger, but Juice cuts that off only to run into V trigger. They work into a good counter sequence, Juice blocks a V trigger and hits the big right. Omega counters out of pulp friction, looks for the one winged angel, but Juice escapes only for Omega to hit a reverse RANA for a near fall. V trigger follows, but Juice counters the one winged angel and cradles Omega for the win and HUGE ovation from the fans. JUICE FUCKING ROBINSON JUST PINNED KENNY OMEGA BABY! Juice Robinson defeated Kenny Omega @ 15:30 via pin [****] Fuck and yes to this, while a bit similar to Elgin’s booking, Juice is clearly being rewarded for his G1 run and hard work in 2017. This was a great match, he more that kept up with Omega and DAT POST MATCH POP was what I was talking about when he hit his losing skid The fans have embraced him as a star, they want him to win and he’s the best babyface on the roster. The win should get him an upcoming US Title shot at Omega, and if Omega was to win the G1, he’d certainly get a shot at the briefcase. Great match with some great booking to set up more potential post G1 matches for the fall.

Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL: EVIL is coming off of a loss to Omega where he was almost certainly concussed. We’ll see how he’s recovered here. He takes the fight to Okada right away, but Okada is game and quickly fights back. EVIL rakes the eyes, but Okada quickly cuts him off with a basement dropkick. EVIL quickly battles back, sending Okada to the floor and follows him out for the floor brawl. EVIL wraps a chair around his head, and hits the baseball swing with the other chair to knock it off of his head. Okada beats the count back in, but EVIL attacks right away. Okada avoids the senton, hits the corner attack and follows with the DDT. The running uppercut gets 2. The neck breaker across the knee follows and then the top rope elbow drop connects. EVIL uses the hair pull to escape the rainmaker, after a struggle, Okada sets EVIL up top and dropkicks him to the floor. Okada then sends EVIL over the barricade, looks for the running high cross but EVIL THROWS A FUCKING CHAIR IN HIS FACE! No high spots for you bitch. They brawl deep into the crowd, and EVIL piles up a bunch of chairs and then hits darkness falls onto the chairs on the floor. Well that had to suck worse than falling on your keys, but not as bad as stepping on a LEGO. EVIL makes it back to the ring and we get the Okada countout tease. EVIL says fuck that and drags Okada back to the ring, not the smartest play. EVIL then hits darkness falls in the ring for a near fall. EVIL calls for the end, but Okada fights off the STO but EVIL cuts him off and sets him up top. EVIL looks for the super fisherman’s buster, but Okada fights him off and follows with a missile dropkick. Okada maintains control, looks for a tombstone, but EVIL counters out. Okada hits the dropkick, follows with another but EVIL fights off the rainmaker. Okada drops him with uppercuts, really laying into EVIL, but EVIL fires up and hits a sick lariat. TIGER suplex by EVIL and ANOTHER lariat follows for a fucking awesome near fall that the crowd bit on BIG TIME! Okada avoids the STO countering into the rainmaker for the double down. Okada drags him back up and hits another rainmaker! EVIL counters the third, hits a head butt and drags Okada up but Okada hit the German, turns it into a rainmaker attempt but EVIL then counters the rainmaker BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS EVIL, HITTTING THE STO AND PINNING THE IWGP CHAMPION! EVIL defeated Kazuchika Okada @ 22:47 via pin [****½] Watching the evolution of EVIL has really been a fun thing to watch, as he has consistently been growing as a performer. You could really see it last fall in his matches with Shibata, and that has continued through 2017, He’s had a really strong G1 so far but this signature win was something he really needed to put him over the top. He’s matured so much as a performer, and I feel a lot have slept on him, due to Naito being “the guy” in LIJ, Takahashi having an amazing year and also because SANADA has that “next big thing” hype behind him. As for the match, it was absolutely excellent with the crowd completely engaged and adding to the great near falls, EVIL stepping up his game and taking Okada out of his comfort zone. Also, as I have repeatedly talked about, Okada’s vanity/ego in always having to prove he is the best and driving that point home in a repetitious way in how he ends matches completely bit him in the ass here, as EVIL avoided the kill shot and picked up the win to an amazing reaction. The win should secure EVIL a title match in the fall.

BLOCK B STANDINGS
Kazuchika Okada: 6-1 (12pts.)
Kenny Omega: 5-2 (10pts.)
EVIL: 5-2 (10pts.)
SANADA: 4-3 (8pts.)
Minoru Suzuki: 4-3 (8pts.)

ELIMINATED
Toru Yano: 3-4 (4pts.)
Michael Elgin: 3-4 (4pts.)
Tama Tonga: 2-5 (4pts.)
Juice Robinson: 2-5 (2pts.)
Satoshi Kojima: 1-6 (0pts.)

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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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

8.5
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
Night 14 of the NJPW G1 Climax was a great show, with Kojima getting his first win in a very good match, Juice Robinson scoring the big upset over Omega in a great match, and an excellent main event with EVIL getting the biggest win of his career. I also particularly loved the attention to setting u major matches for after the G1, which only added to the show. This was a show that made me happy.
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