Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 17) Review 8.11.17

Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 17) Review 8.11.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Block A Match: Bad Luck Fale defeated Yuji Nagata @ 11:00 via pin [***¾]
– Block A Match: Togi Makabe defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 11:25 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Zack Sabre Jr defeated Tomohiro Ishii @ 15:30 via submission [****]
– Block A Match: Hirooki Goto defeated Kota Ibushi @ 11:06 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi @ 26:45 via pin [****½]

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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.

– Non-tournament results:
* Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Taichi defeated Katsuya Kitamura, Hirai Kawato, and Tomoyuki Oka @ 6:18
* Guerillas of Destiny defeated BUSHI and SANADA @ 5:22
* Satoshi Kojima and Juice Robinson defeated EVIL and Hiromu Takahashi @ 5:14
* War Machine, Michael Elgin, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Ricochet defeated Young Bucks, Cody, Chase Owens, and Hangman Page @ 11:22
* Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano defeated Kenny Omega and Yujiro Takahashi @ 5:54

Yugi Nagata vs. Bad Luck Fale: This is Nagata’s final G1 match; I love the visual of Nagata wearing the same tattered and slowly deteriorating Blue Justice shirt all tour, it’s sort of a symbol of himself slowly coming to the end here tonight. Nagata is fired the fuck up right away, taking the fight to the big man and sending him to the floor. Fale eventually takes control, beating down Nagata on the floor for a countout tease. Fale kept control until Nagata started to fire up with leg kicks and picked up the pace, and then dropped into a knee bar. Fale powered out and then hit a running splash for 2. Nagata went back after the knee and followed with the XPLODER on Fale! More kicks to the back and chest follow, Fale cuts him off and starts to lay in the strikes but Nagata starts slapping the shit out of Fale, who then answers back with a big clothesline covering for 2. Nagata then transitions to the arm bar, and drags Fale to the mat, and transitions to a triangle and then to the ankle lock. Fale makes the ropes, so Nagata hits the justice knee and the backdrop driver for a really good near fall. Fale fights off the XPLODER, and hits the desperation spear for 2. The Samoan drop follows for 2; this crowd is doing everything they can to rally Nagata, but Fale hits the bad luck fall to finish Nagata. Bad Luck Fale defeated Yuji Nagata @ 11:00 via pin [***¾] While I would have loved a Nagata win to close out his run, the match was very good with great near falls and drams through out. Fale was working extra hard here in order to give Nagata a good send off, and Nagata put in another great performance and closing moment.

– Post match Nagata is almost in tears as Fale throws up the too sweet and Nagata gives him the Blue Justice salute. The one announcer (Nogami?) who LOVES Nagata is going nuts and crying as the crowd gives Nagata a standing ovation, hell of a fucking moment. I may need a moment, someone’s cutting onions in this dusty room…
https://twitter.com/BulletClubItal/status/895964152786812929

WE STILL LOVE YOU @nagata769 😭😭😭 #G127 #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/JYyeIloXCw

— John「ふりーWiFi」 (@DK1105) August 11, 2017

Togi Makabe vs. YOSHI-HASHI: HASHI tries to man up to Makabe right away, throwing chops and strikes. He takes a bit of a beating for that, but manages to pick up the pace and hits the blockbuster. He then draped Makabe over the ropes, hits the dropkick and heads up top for another blockbuster. Makabe has had enough of that shit, hitting a powerslam and cornet lariats for the near fall. Makabe looked for mounted corner punches, but HASHI hit the desperation powerbomb for the double down. HASHI tries to fire up, eats a lariat and powerbomb. The king kong knee drop misses, allowing HASHI to hit a dropkick to Makabe; both struggled to their feet with HASHI hitting the lariat for a near fall. He goes for the butterfly lock, locks it in center ring but Makabe fights and escapes. HASHI works the sleeper, follows with a back stabber and tries for karma. Makabe fights that off, but gets dropped but a big slap from HASHI. They start trading lariats, colliding center ring, and Makabe finally takes HASHI down. They work up top, Makabe hits the spider German and king kong knee drop for the win. Togi Makabe defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 11:25 via pin [***] This was a good back and forth match, but with both out of contention and there being no other hook, there was nothing in regards to the work that made me emotionally invested. Also, HASHI needed the win way more that Makabe here.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr: These two had a hell of a match at the US G1 special; Desperado is out with Sabre. Sabre goes grapple boy early, but Ishii is cool with that and they open with some fun mat work. Sabre then tries to make this a striking battle, bad idea Zacky boy. Ishii is more than happy to oblige his request and pummels him with chops, forearms and head butts. Sabre thinks better of his life choices, grounding Ishii and starting to pick apart the arm. Ishii battles back, hitting the Saito suplex and going back to the strikes. He looks to take Sabre up top, but Sabre counters and rolls into an arm bar, once again grounding Ishii. Sabre kicks away at the arm, looks for a hanging guillotine but Ishii suplexes out. Ishii drags Sabre up top and this time hits the superplex. Ishii escapes the octopus, hits snake eyes and a powerbomb, but Sabre counters into a triangle. Ishii powers out and hits a lariat with the good arm. Sabre locks in a guillotine, transitions to a suplex and hits the PK before locking in the knee bar. Ishii makes the ropes. Sabre really starts attacking the wrapped up knee of Ishii, but Ishii firs up and just starts absorbing the shots and drops Sabre with a head butt. Sabre then counters a snapdragon into the European clutch and into an ankle lock. Great fight spot by Ishii and he counters out into an ankle lock. Sabre escapes Ishii hits a head butt and murders him with a lariat but Sabre kicks out! Ishii goes for the sliding lariat, but Sabre counters into a side triangle with the knee hooked and adds a half crab. Ishii is fading, Sabre lays in some kicks and cranks on the hold and Ishii passes out Zack Sabre Jr defeated Tomohiro Ishii @ 15:30 via submission [****] This was great, these two have great chemistry and I want more. Sabre transitioning to a more straightforward, no nonsense ass kicking style grappler has been a joy to watch. This was also a great way to beat Ishii since he didn’t tap. I loved this.
https://twitter.com/BulletClubItal/status/895973769432494080

Kota Ibushi vs. Hirooki Goto: It’s all Goto to begin, cutting off the moonsault attempt of Ibushi and taking him to the floor. Goto wants no part of Ibushi’s flippy boy shit and just starts kicking his ass, grounding him back in the ring. Ibushi looks to fire back, but Goto hits a corner lariat. Ibushi cuts him off with the dropkick, and follows with kicks and rapid-fire strikes. A head kick and standing moonsault follows by Ibushi for 2. They trade strikes center ring, Ibushi picks up the pace and hits a German, but Goto bounces back with a lariat. Goto now sets Ibushi up top, they battle for position but Ibushi escapes and hits a PELE. Ibushi back up and Goto fights off the superplex, hits head butts but Ibushi hits the RANA off the ropes for a near fall. They charge and both hit lariats, and then Goto hits the ushigoroshi for the near fall. Ibushi counters the GTR into a sleeper but Goto escapes and hits the PK. Ibushi sloppily counters an ushigoroshi into a cradle for 2. Ibushi looks to finish things, but Goto fights off the knee strike, hits the head butt and two GTRs and Ibushi is done. Hirooki Goto defeated Kota Ibushi @ 11:06 via pin [***] This was a good and compact match, that didn’t waste any time, and had a decisive winner. I do feel Ibushi should have won here, but overall, it was good.

Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi: Tanahashi is dealing with a torn biceps, while Naito has been working through a shoulder injury. They worked a slow start, with some stalling by Naito. Tanahashi then started to heel it up, slapping Naito a few times. Naito powdered to the floor. Naito returned to tranquilo, but Tanahashi attacked as he posed. Tanahashi looked to pick up the pace, but Naito cut off the high cross with a dropkick. He then started to attack the arm on Tanahashi, kicking at it and wrapping it up in the ropes. This is good and smart control by Naito, working the arm and just grounding Tanahashi. Tanahashi finally is able to hit a beck breaker to slow Naito’s attack. The flying forearm, elbow drop and senton all follow. Tanahashi even cut off Naito’s corner dropkick combo, hitting a dragon screw and looking to focus on the leg, which led to him regaining the IC Title. Tanahashi then went up top, hitting the high fly high cross to the floor. Back in and Naito fights off the cloverleaf, making the ropes. Naito fights off the dragon screw, attacking the arm of Tanahashi and then hitting a dropkick to the arm. Naito follows with a draping neck breaker, picks up the pace and hits Gloria for a near fall. Tanahashi avoids destino and hits a straightjacket German for a near fall. The crowd has firmly swung to Naito’s side, Tanahashi up top and Naito cuts him off, attacking the arm and then hitting the RANA but Tanahashi rolls through and into a sunset flip for 2. Tanahashi tries to fire up and they trade rights center ring. Naito spits at Tanahashi and they slap the shit out of each other, and Naito then hits a German for 2. Tanahashi fight off a dragon suplex, but Naito pummels him along the ropes and again attacks the arm; Tanahashi counters the flying forearm and hits a pair of sling blades for 2. Tanahashi up top and hits a high fly flow high cross. Back up top and MISSES the high fly flow. Tanahashi now misses a corner charge, Naito hits a draping neck breaker and heads up top and looks for destino, Tanahashi fights him off and dragon screws him off the ropes; the clover leaf follows and Naito is trapped center ring. He fights but Tanahashi sits down on the hold and Naito again musters up the energy to fight and makes the ropes. Naito looks spent, Tanahashi looks to attack again but Naito manages to kick him away. Tanahashi looks to go back to the leg, but Naito hits the tornado DDT as the crowd is really great here. Naito pulls Tanahashi up, and hits destino variation out of the corner but Tanahashi kicks out! Tanahashi counters the second try, hits rolling neck breakers, but Naito fights back, DESTINO. DESTINO and Tanahashi is done! Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi @ 26:45 via pin [****½] While not quite at the level of their previous two matches (I had both at ****¾), this was another awesome installment in their series and a fitting way to close out the A block. They have great chemistry, the crowd was locked in the entire time and played well off of their previous matches, with Naito having to dig deep this time to overcome the leg work from Tanahashi. He did that this time, picking apart the injured arm of Tanahashi and continuing his distain for “the ace” en route to winning the A block. It eels like it’s Naito’s to fully rise and main event the dome. Step one is complete, step two is on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/895987236449026048

BLOCK A STANDINGS
– Tetsuya Naito: 7-2 (14pts.) – A BLOCK WINNER IS YOU
– Hiroshi Tanahashi: 6-3 (12pts.)

ELIMINATED
– Bad Luck Fale: 6-3 (12pts.)
Hirooki Goto: 5-4 (10pts.)
– Kota Ibushi: 5-4 (10pts.)
– Zack Sabre Jr: 5-4 (10pts.)
– Tomohiro Ishii: 4-5 (8pts.)
– Togi Makabe: 4-5 (6pts.)
– YOSHI-HASHI: 2-7 (4pts.)
– Yuji Nagata: 1-8 (2pts.)

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

【¡VIVA LA VIDA!】#髙橋ダリル#TakahashiDaryl#カレハシナナイエイエンノイノチ #D pic.twitter.com/n6UHd3TiWy

— TIME BOMB 髙橋ヒロム (@TIMEBOMB1105) August 7, 2017

As proof to you that there is in fact a God, I present to you the resurrection of Daryl Takahashi; for the lord looked upon his son, after he brought him back, and his son said, “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee… AND WHEN I FIND YOU BAD LUCK FALE YOU WILL BE THUSLY FUCKED!”

7.7

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night 17 was a really strong night of action with everything being at the very least good, a great final moment for Nagata, Ishii vs. Sabre delivering and Naito and Tanahashi having a tremendous main event to set one half of Sunday’s finals.