Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 9) Review 7.29.17

Csonka’s NJPW G1 Climax (Night 9) Review 7.29.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Block A Match: Togi Makabe defeated Yuji Nagata @ 10:55 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Bad Luck Fale defeated Ibushi @ 11:39 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Hirooki Goto defeated Zack Sabre Jr.@ 10:12 via pin [***¼]
– Block A Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 13:52 via pin [**¾]
– Block A Match: Tomohiro Ishii defeated Tetsuya Naito @ 21:09 via pin [****]

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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.

Yuji Nagata vs. Togi Makabe: Nagata has the cupping marks all over his back like last year, but at least he’s not taped up like a mummy. Tenzan is out on commentary. They worked some basic back and forth to begin, Nagata looked to take control but Makabe cut him off and sent him to the floor. Makabe doesn’t follow, allowing Nagata to work his way back into the ring so that he can punish him. Makabe is working the neck and shoulders as he tries to keep Nagata grounded. That didn’t work to well as Blue Justice fired up and hit the running corner boot and XPLODER. That only fired up Makabe, who fought back with a series of lariats. Nagata’s facial expressions are so great here, showing the pain and desire of the old warrior fighting with everything he has left. They work into a big striking exchange; Makabe finally connects with a lariat that drops Nagata to the mat. But he’s not done yet, as Nagata locks in the arm bar and follows with kicks. He just starts lighting up Makabe with kicks and then ground and pound. The brainbuster followed for a good near fall. The Saito suplex then got another near fall. Makabe fights back, clubbing away at the neck once again. The crowd tries to rally Nagata, but Makabe heads up top but eats a running boot. Nagata follows him up top and they trade strikes, with Nagata finally being sent to the mat. Makabe hits a knee strike to a standing Nagata and then kill shim with a lariat for a great near fall. Makabe slams him down and follows with the king kong knee drop and that finally finishes Nagata. Togi Makabe defeated Yuji Nagata @ 10:55 via pin [***] Good back and forth match with a great crowd, Nagata put in another valiant effort, but comes up short once again, He’s been so great so far in the tournament and the crowds will explode if he picks up a win. Unfortunately this mathematically eliminates Nagata from possibly winning.

https://twitter.com/BulletClubItal/status/891244556263534592

Kota Ibushi vs. Bad Luck Fale: That piece of shit Fale ripped apart one of Daryl’s relatives on the way to the ring. Ibushi goes hit and run early, working kicks until Fale cuts him off and attack the knee. Fale then posts Ibushi’s leg, and works him over in the ropes before shoving the ref down. Fale smartly keeps working on the leg of Ibushi, looking to ground him and also slow him down. Ibushi fires up with rapid-fire strikes and kicks, but Fale puts an end to that with a big shoulder block. Ibushi counters the grenade, looks for a German but Fale is just too big and slams him to the corner. Fale misses the charge and that’s enough to allow Ibushi to finally hit the German and Fale rolls to the floor. Fale sidesteps the plancha, and then drags Ibushi into the crowd and flings him into a bunch of chairs. They brawl deep into the crowd and Ibushi heads to the second level and moonsaults onto Fale. Ibushi heads back to the ring as Fale struggles to his feet. He manages to beat the count, but walks right into an Ibushi missile dropkick. Ibushi fires up but gets turned inside out with a lariat. He escapes the bad luck fall and gets a sunset flip for 2. The head kick follows for another 2. Ibushi then hits the big knee strike, but foolishly looks for a powerbomb, which Fale counters with a Samoan drop. The running splash gets 2 for Fale. He then hits the grenade and bad luck fall and Ibushi is done. Bad Luck Fale defeated Ibushi @ 11:39 via pin [***] while I am not a big fan of the result, I thought that this was good with a smart layout and Ibushi getting in a ton before losing. The short crowd brawl, moonsault spot and near countout worked particularly well, especially now that we’ve had some countouts and the fan are buying into them, especially since Fale was one of the men that lost via countout.

Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: Goto controls easily to begin, working his power advantage. Desperado trips him up, allowing Sabre to ground Goto and take control. They trade strikes and then Goto hit a big lariat and spin kick; the Saito suplex followed for 2. Sabre quickly went back to his grappling, working the octopus hold, and then transitioning to the sleeper and then attacking the arm. Goto countered out, hitting the ushigoroshi. Sabre then countered the GTR, hitting a northern lights and immediately transitioning to an arm bar. Sabre keeps working the arm, hits the PK but Goto cuts him off with a lariat. Sabre mounts another comeback, working a hanging guillotine and then hitting the European clutch for a good near fall. Goto blocks a PK, and now it’s clobbering time as they throw bombs, trading huge strikes center ring. Sabre hits a series of kicks, but Goto again goes to the lariat and follows with a running kick and PK, and Sabre is done. Hirooki Goto defeated Zack Sabre Jr.@ 10:12 via pin [***¼] This was another good match, just a little better than the previous two. This didn’t have the intensity and drama of their match from earlier in the year, but was certainly enjoyable enough, but it was lacking something to make it great.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI: After some friendly back and forth, HASHI fires up and works over Tanahashi with strikes and chops. Tanahashi fires back, sends HASHI to the floor and follows with a plancha before skinning the cat back into the ring. HASHI rolls back in, but Tanahashi is done fucking around and starts to work over the knee. HASHI survives the early attack on his knee, and then hits the blockbuster and follows with chops and a neck breaker. Tanahashi blocks a superkick and goes right back to the knee, locking in the cloverleaf. He then follows with dragon screw leg whips, heads up top but HASHI manages to cut him off. Tanahashi makes it back to his feet and they trade strikes with HASHI getting the better of the exchange. HASHI then hits the shoulder breaker and running knee strike for 2. Tanahashi looks to fire up, but HASHI counters sling blade, hit a lariat and powerbomb, covering for 2. HASHI follows with the slam and swanton for 2. Tanahashi counters out of karma, but HASHI gets a sloppy roll up for 2. HASHI hits the backstabber, but Tanahashi again escapes karma, but HASHI escapes sling blade, but Tanahashi rebounds and hits it, and then follows with the high fly flow for the win. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 13:52 via pin [**¾] This was a technically sound match, but it felt largely flat and had no real drama to it. I never go invested in the work, and I honestly came away disappointed. It was far from bad, but it just didn’t connect with me.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito: We have a very pro-Naito crowd here in Aichi. They work o the ropes, clean break by Naito, but he then spits at Ishii. Naito takes a tranquilo to the floor. After some stalling, Ishii knocks Naito of the apron, and we get some floor brawling. Back in the ring and Naito grounds Ishii for a bit. Ishii fires up, they work to the corner and trade strikes, Naito cuts him off, hitting a draping neck breaker and then a DDT. After grounding Ishii with a head scissors for a bit, Naito then connects with strikes to the head and neck. Naito starts to pick up the pace as he maintains control, but Ishii cut that off with a snap powerslam. Ishii has finally had enough of this shit and beats down Naito in the corner with strikes and head butts. Ishii follows with a suplex, covering for 2. Naito again goes back to the neck, cutting Ishii off with a neck breaker. The corner dropkick combo connects for Naito, and again that’s focused on the neck. Ishii hits a desperation German to stop the attack of Naito. Naito spits as Ishii again and then follows with strikes; Ishii is not amused, beats on Naito and takes him up top. Naito then counters and slips into a hanging neck breaker, and follows with a German for 2. Naito hits the running forearm and dragon suplex for a good near fall. Ishii keeps fighting, hitting a German and both men are down. Naito slaps Ishii so he head butts him in the face! The powerbomb follows for a good near fall. Naito hits the tornado DDT, but Ishii does the Road Warrior Hawk no sell and attacks, and they end up in a double down. Naito then hits destino, countering a reverse suplex. They trade lariats and kicks, Naito hits destino but Ishii pops up and decapitates him with a lariat. He then absolutely kills Naito, turning Naito inside out with another lariat. BRAINBUSTER by Ishii and he picks up the huge win. Tomohiro Ishii defeated Tetsuya Naito @ 21:09 via pin [****] It started a bit slow, but I loved Naito trying o break down Ishii by working the head and neck, in theory softening him up for destino. But being that Ishii pretty much has no neck, it ended up failing as Ishii put in another resilient performance; you almost have to kill the guy in order to beat him. They had some excellent exchanges and counters, and a consistent build o the climax, where Ishii came out on top. This ended up being great, they kept the crowd and worked with a sense of urgency and aggression a lot of the other matches were missing today. Ishii finally gets one over on Naito after coming up short so many times against him.

https://twitter.com/BulletClubItal/status/891264384223371264

NJPW G1 Climax BLOCK A STANDINGS
– Hiroshi Tanahashi: 4-1 (8pts.)
– Tomohiro Ishii: 3-2 (6pts.)
– Tetsuya Naito: 3-2 (6pts.)
– Zack Sabre Jr: 3-2 (6pts.)
– Hirooki Goto: 3-2 (6pts.)
– Togi Makabe: 3-2 (6pts.)
– Bad Luck Fale: 3-2 (6pts.)
– Kota Ibushi: 2-3 (4pts.)
– YOSHI-HASHI: 1-4 (2pts.)
– Yuji Nagata: 0-5 (0pts.)

NJPW G1 Climax BLOCK B STANDINGS
– Kazuchika Okada: 4-0 (8pts.)
– Kenny Omega: 3-1 (6pts.)
– EVIL: 3-1 (6pts.)
– Tama Tonga: 2-2 (4pts.)
– Minoru Suzuki: 2-2 (4pts.)
– SANADA: 2-2 (4pts.)
– Michael Elgin: 2-2 (4pts.)
– Toru Yano: 1-3 (2pts.)
– Juice Robinson: 1-3 (2pts.)
– Satoshi Kojima: 0-4 (0pts.)

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The Rest of My G1 Coverage Will Be Dedicated To The Loving Memory of Daryl Takahashi

7.1

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night 9 of the NJPW G1 Climax was a good and consistent night of action, with a great main event. If your short on time and are just cherry picking matches, just check out the main event.