EL DANDY~! Tape Review-G-1 Climax 2003 Part 1

As always, this review is brought you by GOLDEN BOY TAPES~! Rob IS YO DADDY!!!

Day 4: 8/14

–Hirooki Gotoh vs. Naofumi Yamamoto-You might remember Yamamoto from the butt-whooping he received in the trios match the day before. Gotoh eggs Yamamoto on and hits a dropkick to start, and another one before tossing Yamamoto. Back in, Gotoh kicks away, but misses a dropkick. Yamamoto slaps away and kicks away and tosses Gotoh, following with a baseball slide and a pescado. Yamamoto with a hiptoss and a Camel Clutch. Gotoh elbows away and hits one of his great dropkicks. Back elbow in the corner, and then a big hiptoss. Gotoh follows with the half crab, but no give, and then he turns it into a kneebar, but Yamamoto gets to the ropes. Yamamoto elbows to transition and hits a dropkick into a Boston Crab, and then turns it into a Kaekoemi Crab hold for the tap out at 5:34. Not bad from the young’ns. 3/4*

–Jado, Gedo, and Koji Kanemoto vs. Tiger Mask IV, Heat, and Ryusuke Taguchi-The rudos toss TM and the gang to start with just to be a bunch of punks, and then they pose. HELL YEAH. Kanemoto is running with the rudos once more. Tiger Mask takes control on Kanemoto with a dropkick and a tope suicida. Back in, Taguchi gets his butt whooped by Kanemoto before Gedo tags in. Gedo snapmares and rakes the eyes. Tag Jado, and a double tackle. Jado chops away in the rudo corner and Koji helps him dick up Taguchi. Jado makes like Arn Anderson and scrapes Taguchi along the top rope. Tag Kanemoto, who kicks the kid at will. He gets tossed and Jado slams him on the unpadded floor, and then Jado makes with the chair to the back. Back in, Taguchi fights back, but a rake to the eyes takes him down from Gedo. Swinging neckbreaker gets 2. Tag Kanemoto, who hits the Falcon Arrow for 1??? Kanemoto is like, “HUH?” as he kicks the kid some more. Tag Jado, who hits a backdrop for 2. Jado hits a corner lariat, but eats back elbow on a charge. He then grabs the elbow and takes Taguchi down into the Crossface of JADO, but TM saves. Tag Kanemoto as Jado stops Taguchi from tagging. Taguchi reverses a whip and hits a dropkick. Kanemoto misses his twisting senton and eats a dropkick, as Taguchi gets the hot tag to Heat. Heat with the BOSS Spinkick feint into a dropkick. Heat ducks a lariat and gets the rolling kneebar. Jado breaks and Kanemoto comes back with a kneelift and the BOOT SCRAPES~! TM comes in and eats a kick to the face, as does Taguchi. Kanemoto with the twisting senton into the ankle lock, but Taguchi breaks with a dropkick. Gedo comes in and eats a roundhouse. Heat tags TM, who misses the diving headbutt. Gedo with the Complete Shot into a superkick for 2. Gedo calls for the Superfly Splash and hits it for 2 as Taguchi saves. Meanwhile, Kanemoto is beating up Heat in the stands. TM flips out of a German Suplex and hits a Tiger Driver for 2. TM backflips off the top, but is caught by Jado on the outside. Heel communication leads to a Taguchi missile dropkick, and TM finishes Gedo with a German Suplex Hold at 11:12. Fun match, but not as fun as the night’s previous. **

–Josh Barnett vs. Blue Wolf-Wolf is an up and comer from Mongolia and he’s definitely moving up the ranks in NJPW. He’s not to superstar levels, but he’s definitely doing good for himself. These fellas take it to the mat, with nobody getting an advantage, really. Wolf starts working the arm and that works, but Barnett quickly turns it into a heel hook and kicks away at the knee. He follows with a half crab, but Wolf gets to the ropes. They trade shots, with Barnett kicking away and Wolf using elbows until Wolf grabs a Northern Lights Suplex. He follows with a Boston Crab, but Barnett gets to the ropes. Exploder is blocked, and Barnett follows with a Chancery Suplex. Wolf comes back and looks for the Mongol Slam (Angle Slam), but Barnett falls out into a sleeper for the win at 5:04. This was what it was. 3/4*

–Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura (2 pts) vs. Tadao Yasuda (4 pts)-Whoever wins this has a good shot at maybe turning second place into a block breaker situation. Nak grabs a headlock and holds on, only for Yasuda to reverse into a headscissors, which Nak kips up out of. They go to the mat and Nak gets a short armscissors. Nak takes down Tasuda and mounts him, elbowing him to the delight of the crowd, so Yasuda gives the crowd something to boo about as he goes low on the Supernova. Yasuda goes to the sleeper, but Nak breaks. Nak gets a released German, and Yasuda goes low on a second attempt. Body splash and Butterfly Suplex gets 2. Nak hits a GREAT Hurracanrana out of a Tiger Driver attempt and gets a juji-gatame, but Yasuda breaks. Nak gets tripped up and Yasudagoes for the Tiger Driver, and hits it for 2. He then locks in the choke and the ref pulls him off, and Yasuda argues, so Nak gets the Shining Triangle and YASUDA IS OUT! Nak wins at 7:38, getting the pin over the former IWGP champ. This was fun for Nak overcoming the odds and beating the veteran. *

–Block A: Manabu Nakanishi (4 pts) vs. Osamu Nishimura (2 pts)-GOTCH-ISM CONTRA GOTCH-ISM!!! The former tag partners face off, and we get a clean break from both, although Nak’s was a little bit more stern. He chops and kicks Nish down to start and overpowers during the knucklelock, and then works over Nish in the corner with a shotei rush and some kicks. Nish takes a powder, and then eats some Nak headbutts on the apron. Nak then knees Nish off the apron. Back in, Nak gets a Torture Rack and hangs Nish out to dry. Outside, Nish tries the kneebreaker on the table, but Nak counters into his own! Huh, a little taste of Nish’s own medicine. Nak misses the jumping knee against the post, and we have two knees down. Nak lariats Nish’s knee on the apron, and then gets the Stretch Muffler back in. He switches to that trapped kneelock that beat Chono and Nish is in some trouble right now. He then puts Nish in a half crab variation that looks REALLY hurty because it’s Nish, who can probably touch his head with his feet if he wanted to. Nak then does the SPINNING TOEHOLD~! to piss Nish off, but Nish just small packages for 2. He dropkicks the knee, shows Nak how to REALLY do the move, and goes into the figure-four. Nak breaks and hits the spear. Nak with the facecrusher, but Nish falls out of the Torture Rack into a sleeper into the Cobra Twist, but Nak hiptosses Nish to the apron. Nak with the chops and then KICK WHAM STUNNER. I still find this offense hilarious. Nish ducks the lariat into the ground Cobra Clutch for 2, and then ducks another one and hits the dreaded backslide for the win at 13:45. Nak’s best match in the tourney so far. **

–Block B: Yoshihiro Takayama (4 pts) vs. Yutaka Yoshie (2 pts)-This is probably the best singles match of Yoshie’s career. After the opener with Nagata, you could see that Yoshie was going to make an impact, and it was in this match that Yoshie delivered a really good performance. The strength of Tak’s game since he became a big name through NOAH in 2002 was working to his opponents strengths. In this match, it’s that Yoshie is big, fat, and immovable, so he and Yoshie start stiffing the hell out of each other. Tak’s selling is REALLY great, to the point where Yoshie looks like he has a legit chance of winning simply because Yoshie has the size to match with Tak, and Tak makes the offense look DEVASTATING. Tak starts by kicking Yoshie in the ribs, which doesn’t work, so they trade elbows and tackles, which Yoshie wins. Tak takes a powder, and eventually regains the advantage, but Yoshie tosses him and we’re back to square one. They go to the knucklelock, and Tak gets the advantage, but Yoshie pushes him away. Then they do a great series of one-up spots. First it’s simple slams. Then, it’s slams with an elbow afterwards. Then Tak slams into a legdrop, and Yoshie comes back with a FAT ASS SPLASH for 2. Yoshie drops the butt down for 2 and goes to the Camel Clutch. Tak shoots out and goes to a front chancery. Yoshie pushes to the buckle and kicks him down into that slingshot Banzai Drop that he does. Yoshie eats boot, and then a backdrop for 2. Tak goes to the chinlock and kicks his way into the arrogant cover for 2. Yoshie blocks the jumping knee and hits a splash for 2. Splash to a butt splash to a Thesz Press gets 2. Tak kicks away the right hand, but eats the left hand Back Blow. He goes for the kill up top, but Tak blocks it. Yoshie headbutts Tak away and hits the Diving Thesz Press for 2, which Tak sells like a mack truck just landed on him. Yoshie German Suplex Hold gets 2. Thesz Press countered with a Tak high knee, and then he obliterates the fat man with the knee kick for 2. Tak then goes to a Cobra Twist, but Yoshie hiptosses out. Tak then starts kicking Yoshie in the face, but Yoshie catches a kick and hits a Death Valley Bomb for 2. Yoshie charges and eats the big knee lift. The Everest German is blocked, so Tak trips him up and hits another knee kick for 2. Tak then ends it with the Everest German at 12:31. Tak sold like hell for the fatboy Yoshie offense, and Yoshie brought the stiffness to keep up with Tak. Really fun match to watch. ***

–Block B: Yuji Nagata (2 pts) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (4 pts)-Shibata starts hard and fast, kicking Nagata down and throwing the gloves at him, which is a Shibata trademark, I guess. Nagata starts with the cravate that’s in REALLY tight, and then Nagata mounts and punches away as they start rolling around on the mat for a while. They take it to the mat again where Nagata gets an armbar into the cross-armbreaker. Nagata then rolls into the rear naked choke and back tot he cross-armbreaker, but Shibata breaks. And then Nagata kicks Shibata. Then he kills him with slaps, and an elbow, and some more kicks, into a keylock. Nagata then kicks Shibata in the leg pretty dang hard. Shibata comes back with a boatload of strikes, but Nagata will have none of it and bitchslaps Shibata to the mat. Ohtani he ain’t, but I still like those bitchslaps. Nagata with a kneelift rush and a high kick. Exploider, and then Nagata kicks Shibata down, but not after Shibata absorbs a few shots. And again he kicks Shibata down. Shibata comes back with a spinning heel kick and a backdrop. He hits another spinning heel kick for 2. Two STOs gets 2. Shibata locks in that inverted crossface, but Nagata gets to the ropes. Sleeper, but Nagata tosses out, only to eat a stiff right hand. Shibata eats a high kick, an armbreaker, and then a seated armbar. Shibata is in trouble, as they say, but he gets to the ropes. Yasuda pulls him outside for a powder, and pushes Yasuda away as he rolls in. Nagata with an armbreaker, but Shibata locks in a sleeper. Shibata then hits two back elbows, but eats a Nagata backdrop. Corner Shining Wizard and another backdrop, but Shibata rolls out. Shibata won’t go back in when Nagata pushes him, so Yasuda starts talking shit. Nagata gets a chair and goes after Yasuda. Shibata then comes back and they start trading elbows. Nagata hits an Exploider, but Yasuda prevents Nagata from getting back in, and it’s a double countout at 13:17. Well, that was certainly fun until the end. Stiff, good armwork from Nagata…I’ll take it. The ending was stupid though. *3/4 Shibata pushes Yasuda away after the match.

–Block A: Jun Akiyama (4 pts) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (2 pts)-Never have I seen a towel get so much heat. This thing is friggin’ NOAH-like from the get go as Akiyama gets all mirror-like with Tanahashi. Knucklelock is a standstill, so Jun tosses Tanahashi, only for Tanahashi to roll in and dropkick Jun out. Tanahashi can’t get his piledriver, so he gives Jun the DDT on the floor. Jun barely beats the count, and eats two knees for 1. They trade elbows until Jun finally knocks him down with one. Jun dicks it up by holding Tanahashi up in the piledriver and showing him to the crowd before doing it, just like Chono. It gets 2. Jun drops Tanahashi on the guardrail, goes in, and riles up the crowd. Jumping knee gets 2. Jun locks in the rear headscissors and this match is definitely in that NOAH mentality. They trade slaps until Jun gets the advantage, and he starts kicking Tanahashi in the face. Tanahashi comes back with elbows and such. Corner dropkick and a chancery suplex get 2. Akiyama blocks Tanahashi up top, but Tanahashi gets the missile dropkick for 2. German Suplex Hold gets 2. Akiyama comes back with a sleeper into the Akiyama Lock, and he releases for a 2 count. Jumping knee/Exploider, but Tanahashi hulks up and gets an enzuigiri into the Rolling Germans for 2. The crowd actually chants for Akiyama as Tanahashi tries the Dragon Suplex, and he reverses into an Exploider. HUGE kneelift gets 2. Tanahashi gets a cutback cradle off an Exploider for 2, but Akiyama comes back with a lariat and a GREAT brainbuster for 2. Akiyama then hits the Exploider ‘98 at 16:08 for the win. This match might as well have been in the Budokan. Really fun match, and the first match I’ve seen where Akiyama really went for the NOAH approach as opposed to trying to mesh with the New Japan style, and it worked for me. *** Afterwards, he offers Tanahashi a handshake and helps him to the back, inviting Tanahashi into NOAH, which Tanahashi would decline…until November, when he and Yuji Nagata would go in and win the GHC Tag Team Titles from Tamon Honda and Kenta Kobashi.

–Block A: Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2 pts) vs. Masahiro Chono (4 pts)-The teacher faces the student in a must win for Tenzan. Chono goes after Tenzan’s arm and grabs a crossface. Tenzan comes back and now they’re exchanging chops and elbows. A Mongolian Chop sends Chono down. Tenzan goes after Chono’s knee. Back to a standing base, and Tenzan takes Chono outside and works him over. On the apron, they trade headbutts until Tenzan chops away, but Chono hits a kneecap dropkick and puts the STF on Tenzan on the floor. Chono is in, but Tenzan barely beats the count at 19. Now Chono works over Tenzan’s leg and grabs an achilles hold. Chono kicks away again, but Tenzan is absorbing it all. They trade headbutts, with Chono finally putting Tenzan down with one. Tenzan comes back with a suplex and the Mongolian Chops, an then hits a lariat for 2. They trade lariats and Yakuza Kicks, but Tenzan tricks Chono into a Mountain Bomb for 2. Buffalo Sleeper locked in, and he releases for 2. Diving headbutt gets 2. Tenzan calls for the TTD, and he hits it for 2. Tenzan with a Mongolian Chop, but a second Diving Headbutt misses. Tenzan tries the Buffalo Sleeper again, but Chono kicks away. Chono comes back with a Dragon Sleeper segued into the Butterfly Lock. He goes into a piledriver, and then back to the Butterfly Lock, but Tenzan hits a Water Wheel Suplex out of it. Chono eats a spinning heel kick, but gets a Yakuza Kick into the STF. Tenzan is in a lot of trouble, as it has been hooked on for like 3 minutes, but Tenzan finally gets to the ropes. Chono kicks away, but eats a big boot. Chono gets a backdrop, but Tenzan comes back with that leg-clutch Angle Slam for 2. Tenzan misses a moonsault, and Chono nearly steals a win with a Small Package. Tenzan ducks a lariat and hits the Side Effect. He then debuts the Anaconda Vice, the ground front top wristlock sleeper, and Chono taps almost immediately at 21:21. This really wasn’t much of a match, as the drama just wasn’t there, but this put over the Vice as THE move in the tourney. **

Day 5: 8/15

-And back to Samurai tapings we go. CUT UP MATCHES GALORE~!

–Block B: Tadao Yasuda (4 pts) vs. Yutaka Yoshie (2 pts)-We’re JIP with Yasuda getting his front choke on, but Yoshie battles and gets to the ropes. Yasuda goes to a sleeper, but Yoshie throws him off and hits the FAT ASS SPLASH for 2. Yoshie with the avalanche and the powerslam for 2. Yoshie gets distracted, but comes back with the back blow. Yoshie with a suplex and a released German Suplex for 2. Yoshie goes for another, but Yasuda’s trick knee acts up, an Yoshie is DOWN. Yasuda pounds away, but Yoshie gets two back blows for 2. Yoshie gets a Death Valley Bomb and knocks Makai off the apron, and then hits the big splash for the win at about 6:00 shown of a 13:01 match, in what has been a successful tournament for the portly youngster. *

–Block A: Osamu Nishimura (2 pts) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (2 pts)-JIP with Tanahashi hitting a slam and his jumping flailing elbow for 2. He goes to the Camel Clutch, and then tosses Nish outside. Tanahashi elbows Nish off the apron. Back in, Tanahashi goes after Nish’s knee and Dragon Screws into a Figure-Four, but Nish rolls him up for 2. Tanahashi goes to the chinlock, but Nish comes back with a sleeper into the Cobra Twist. They go into an extended counter sequence that sees Tanahashi use one of Nish’s favorite moves, the Japanese rolling leg clutch pin, against him, only to see Nish reverse into his own for 2. Enzuigiri, and then rollups lead to Tanahashi being on top for 2. Tanahashi blows a dropkick and Nish goes into the Spinning Toehold RIGHT into the Figure-Four. They roll to the ropes, and actually roll outside still in the hold, and Tanahashi’s knee is messed up. Really, it is. They fight on the outside and try and keep each other from going back in, and it’s Tanahashi who beats the count, and Nish is left out to dry at about 6:00 of a 14:03 match. Man, talk about your crappy endings. *1/4

–Block B: Yuji Nagata (3 pts) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (4 pts)-JIP with Nagata kicking the fudge out of the rookie. Then he pastes him with elbows between belly-to-belly attempts, which Nak fights out of. Nak with a flurry of elbows, and then a Frakensteiner into a cross-armbreaker that isn’t as fluid as it sounds. Nak gets his own belly-to-belly for 2. German Suplex Hold gets 2. Nak misses the Shining Triangle, but sweeps Nagata’s leg on a kick attempt. He goes for another sweep, but Nak gets PASTED with a knee to the face. Nagata locks in Nagata Lock II, but Nak gets to the ropes. Exploider gets 2. Nak catches a kick and tries a German, but settles for a sleeper. He goes to a front necklock but Nagata gets to the ropes. Back to the sleeper, but Nagata tosses him off. Again with the sleeper, and again Nagata tosses him off. He tries again and eats a backdrop. Well, I definitely saw that coming. Nagata hits another one, and then one that folds Nak COMPLETELY over, and that gets the pin at about 6:00 of 11:32. This wasn’t too bad, and was a good showing for Nak. *1/4

–Block A: Manabu Nakanishi (4 pts) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4 pts)-JIP as Nak goes for the Torture Rack, but Tenzan fights out, only to fall too early on the Stunner. Nak gets the Torture Rack and literally stands there for a minute before slamming him down for 2. Tenzan comes back with that leg-clutch Angle Slam for 1. Tenzan no-sells a lariat before hitting a headbutt and a whole lotta Mongolian Chops for 2. He calls for the TTD and plants Nak for 2. Nak absorbs two lariats, ducks the 3rd, but gets caught in the Side Effect and eats the Anaconda Vice. Nak bridges out, but Tenzan takes him back down, and it knocks Nak out at about 5:00 of a 14:50 match. This wasn’t too much at all, but the finish would be key for later in the tournament. *

–Block B: Katsuyori Shibata (5 pts) vs. Yoshihiro Takyama (6 pts)-This looks to be from the beginning as they feel each other out. Shibata gets taken down, but can’t get a hold of Tak, because Tak is standing on his face. And then he kicks him for good measure and baseball slides him to the outside. Yep, Tak rules it. Shibata gets a couple punches that floor Tak and Tak is reeling. Tak blocks some kicks and gives Shibata some HUGE kneelifts, and then the knee kick for 2. Shibata answers with his own that SHOULD have been 3, but it only gets 2. Shibabta kicks Tak down and he TOSSES THE GLOVES. Basement dropkick and choking after that. He goes into that front sleeper, but Tak fights out, only for Shibata to get an STO into the sleeper again. Tak gets out, and then they trade some STIFF right hands. Tak gets a one-two, but Shibata ducks another shot and gets a sleeper, and he has it clenched on TIGHT. Tak breaks, but Shibata gets a spinning heel kick. School boy gets 1. Shibata pounds away, but Tak comes back with a belly-to-belly. Running knee to the head gets 2 as Shibata is in the ropes. Shibata eats a kneelift and Tak finishes with the Everest German Suplex at 6:38. That was fun because Tak did the requisite great selling. *3/4 Shibata gets the Makai mask dumped on him as he lies dormant.

Block A: Masahiro Chono (4 pts) vs. Jun Akiyama (6 pts)-JIP with Akiyama eating a Yakuza Kick. They trade elbow shots and then dropkicks to the knee. Jumping knee sends Chono to the outside. Akiyama is holding his ribs as Chono comes back in. He looks for a Tiger Driver (ODE TO MISAWA~!) but Chono backs him down and gets a Shining Yakuza Kick in the corner. Yakuza Kick gets 2. Chono’s suplex is blocked and Akiyama gets his brainbuster for 2. Akiyama with an Exploder, but Chono comes back with a Backdrop Driver. Yakuza Kick into the STF. Akiyama…is in trouble. Akiyama goes to the ropes, but Chono switches his arm to block it. Chono releases and covers for 2. Chono looks for a Backdrop Driver, but Akiyama reverses into a Sheer Drop Exploder for 2. He covers again for 2. Chono dropkick, Akiyama high kick, and it ends up a 30:00 draw, of which I saw about 8:00 of. This is something I wish I could see a bit more of because I think that Chono might have been able to craft a good match with Akiyama. I mean, look at the bright side, it couldn’t POSSIBLY be Chono/Misawa…*1/2

-With the blocks decided, here are the final results:

–Block A
Jun Akiyama-7 pts
Hiroyoshi Tenzan-6 pts
Masahiro Chono-5 pts
Manabu Nakanishi-4 pts
Osamu Nishimura-4 pts
Hiroshi Tanahashi-4 pts

–Block B
Yoshihiro Takayama-8 pts
Yuji Nagata-5 pts
Katsuyori Shibata-4 pts
Yutaka Yoshie-4 pts
Shinsuke Nakamura-4 pts
Tadao Yasuda-4 pts

-Akiyama, Tenzan, and Tak all get to the semi-finals the easy way, but the tie in second place in Block B means that there has to be a tie-breaker match. It’s already Tak vs. Tenzan in one semifinal, and the winner of the match between Nagata and Shibata will face Akiyama in the other semifinal.

Day 6: 8/16
–Block B Breaker: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Yuji Nagata-Shibata does come out as Makai #4 with the Makai Club. Nagata comes out with everyone in the main army. BIG pier-six to start as the seconds kick each other out of the ring. Then Shibata tosses Nise Makai #4 out and takes off the mask to wrestle as himself. He takes Nagata down, but Nagata comes back and wins an elbow war. Shibata gets a Rolling Sole Butt and a spinning heel kick. Nagata comes back with some knees, only to see Shibata return fire. Shibata SLAPS NAGATA IN THE FACE…bad move. Because now Nagata is pissed and he hauls off on Shibata with some STIFF slaps and kicks to the chest. Shibata tries, but he can’t absorb them all. Nagata catches him right under the chin with one kick, and keeps kicking the krap outta young Shibata. Shibata’s still fiery, but Nagata can still kick him down. Nagata with the Exploder, but Shibata no-sells and hits a backdrop. Nagata then comes back with the enzui roundhouse kick to the head, and knocks Shibata out at 4:11. This was Shibata being the kicking post for Nagata, nothing more. 1/2*

–G-1 Climax Semifinal #1: Yuji Nagata vs. Jun Akiyama-These two have been rivals for two years now, and have fought each other twice before, with Jun retaining his GHC Title at New Japan’s 1/4/02 Tokyo Dome Show, and then Nagata pretty much squashing Akiyama on a big NOAH show on 7/16/03. Rubber match occurs, HERE. Samurai TV, being Samurai TV, still clips the semis. Fortunately, it’s only 3 minutes in or so. JIP with Akiyama dropping Nagata’s neck across the ringpost connecter. Piledriver gets 2. Akiyama drops some knees to the back of the head and clamps on a headscissors. Nagata breaks, and Akiyama tries a DDT on the apron, but Nagata fights out and hits his own. He slams Akiyama and rolls him back in, and now starts his focus on the ribs of Akiyama that were injured in the match previous by Chono. Nagata with the Cobra Twist, and he pushes Akiyama down to the mat so that he’s sitting, and then covers for 2. One kick to the ribs sends Akiyama down. And another, and another, and they get 2. Belly-to-belly gets 2. Nagata kicks away again, but Akiyama absorbs them and an elbow war breaks out. Nagata wins and whips Akiyama to the corner. He tosses the jumping knee away, and then they trade Exploders. Nagata misses the enzui roundhouse, and Akiyama switches to a sleeper, into the Akiyama Lock, going back to the neck he was working on earlier. Nagata breaks, but eats a big running kneelift and an Exploder for 2. Back to the Akiyama Lock, but Nagata goes to the ribs to break and turns it into Nagata Lock II. Akiyama gets to the ropes. Enzuigiri into a HUGE Backdrop that turns Akiyama completely over. Nagata with the Shining Wizard in the corner and hits another Backdrop for 2. He looks for the Wrist-Clutch Exploder, but Akiyama breaks and they trade elbows again. Akiyama comes back with the jumping knee and hits the brainbuster for 2. Nagata no-sells an Exploder, but ends up eating another one for 2. Nagata fights, but Akiyama hits his Exploder ‘98 for the win at 16:11 of which about 12:00-13:00 was shown. While Nagata’s exposure of Jun’s rib problem wasn’t attacked as much as I would hope (instead of the Nagata Lock II, he could have gone to Nagata Lock III), Akiyama, like he has done throughout the entire tournament, waited for mistakes and exploited them. The work on the head and neck worked into the finish, but it wasn’t exactly the match I thought it was after the first watching of it. **3/4

–G-1 Climax Semifinal #2: Yoshihiro Takyama vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan-JIP with Tenzan getting the Buffalo Sleeper. Tak breaks as Tenzan works him over in the corner. Tenzan goes for Calf Branding, but Tak tosses him off and hits two legdrops for 2. Backdrop gets 2. Tak locks in a sleeper and gets the Arrogant Cover for 2. He kicks Tenzan in the back HARD and does it again. Tak obviously doesn’t think too highly of Tenzan. Corner whip as Tak follows with the jumping knee and Butterfly Suplex for 2. Tenzan hits the mountain bomb, but Tak comes back with a kneelift and the knee to the face for 2. Tak gets a kneelift rush and Tenzan is in some MAJOR trouble here. Tak with the big time knee to the face again. And he hits the Everest German, but Tenzan’s foot is in the ropes. He kicks away some more and gets 2. Tak slams into the knee kick for only 2. Tak kicks away, but Tenzan absorbs it for a while before finally going down, but Tak can only get 2. Tak with some more kicks to the chest and back, and another knee kick (w/ the arrogant cover, of course) gets 2. Tak kicks Tenzan in the face some more, but again he gets 2. Tak tries the running knee, but Tenzan catches the leg and hits his leg-clutch Angle Slam. Tak’s in the ropes, but Tenzan punched himself out. Tak kicks away, and then start battling it out with chops and elbows. Tak tries a lariat, but Tenzan ducks, gets the Anaconda Vice, and Tak is in some big trouble. He DOES get to the ropes, though. Tenzan with Mongolian Chops, but Tak kicks him in the face in retaliation. Tenzan with the chops again, but Tak blocks, only to get a headbutt. Tak is floored, and he eats the TTD, and Tenzan goes back to the Vice, and Tak doesn’t tap…he passes out at 21:13. You know, I remember this being good, but I don’t remember it being THIS good. Tenzan took an ass beating that must have made him remember his fights with Hash during his younger days. Tak also knew how to sell Tenzan’s comeback, as he totally made it look like a surprise. Tak didn’t think too much of Tenzan coming in, so Tenzan had to make him respect him, and after taking all the punishment, making the comeback, and beating him with the move that brought him to the dance, Tenzan earned the big man’s respect that night. ***1/2

Day 7: 8/17

–G-1 Climax Finals: Jun Akiyama vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan-JIP with…HA! Had you for a second! They trade clean breaks and tackles into a VERY heated knucklelock, playing off the first match a bit. Tenzan blocks a jumping knee and tackles Akiyama. They go to the mat and Tenzan elbows Akiyam in the face. And then they trade unprotected headbutts. Cute sequence as Tenzan hits the Mongolian Chops, but Akiyama blocks and hits his own, only to see Tenzan rake the eyes and headbutt him down. Like the first match, Tenzan is off to a fast start. Tenzan keeps on Akiyama with kicks and chops, and then he hits the vertical suplex, and Akiyama clutches his injured ribs, so Tenzan goes to the ribs. So now, not only does Tenzan have the fast start, but he’s attacking Jun’s weakness. However, just like the first match, Akiyama comes back and it’s the jumping knee that’s the focal point. Two jumping knees send him out, and then a third sends Tenzan crashing through the guardrail. Akiyama elbows the neck on the apron, and then drops a knee across the back of the neck. Akiyama soaks up the boos and then spits into the crowd. THERE YOU GO! Guillotine across the second rope, and then Jun gets the headscissors. That’s broken up, and Tenzan gets DDTed. Akiyama drops the knee across the neck a few times. Tenzan starts his comeback, but Akiyama stops it with an elbow to the neck. Another elbow, and then he even hits the FISTDROP~! Not exactly Old-south like, but it’s ok. Akiyama takes his SWEET time on a Piledriver for a close 2. Tenzan blocks the DDT again, and gets a Mountain Bomb that dumps Akiyama on the apron on his head. HELL yeah. Of course, the impact on the floor affects his ribs, so Tenzan wastes no time going back to them on the outside. Back in, Tenzan continues to work the ribs and Akiyama is selling them like he’s getting kicked in some injured ribs. It’s not exactly Steamboat, but it’s good selling. Tenzan with some big headbutts while Akiyama is prone in the corner. Crowd is loving this. Tenzan shows that he DOES have a bit of Chono still in him. Tenzan even feigns a plancha attempt after Jun gets kicked outside. They fight for a suplex from the apron, and Tenzan eventually gets it. Tenzan drops the elbow for 2. Tenzan goes to the Cobra Twist and pounds away on his ribs while in the hold. Tenzan goes to a half crab and Akiyama is in quite the predicament. He breaks, and Tenzan headbutts him in the groin. What a dick. Legdrop gets 2. Akiyama stars absorbing shots, but Tenzan subtlely goes to the ribs again. Slam into a second-rope headbutt to the ribs gets 2. Tenzan goes for the Moonsault, but Akiyama powerbombs him out of the corner. There’s the mistake, and Akiyama indeed capitalizes with that BIG kneelift for 2. Running knee/Exploder gets 2. Akiyama Lock, but Tenzan gets a released Northern Lights Suplex to break. Tenzan with a lariat for 2. Tenzan locks in the Buffalo Sleeper, and Akiyama is in trouble yet again. Akiyama finally breaks, and takes some more punishment to the ribs. Calf Branding gets 2. Tenzan gets a gutbuster, and BRINGS DOWN THE MOONSAULT…but only for 2. Tenzan looks for the Side Effect, but Akiyama reverses into an Exploder, and then gets another one. Both men are down. Running knee to the head gets 2. Akiyama Lock in the middle of the ring, and Tenzan is muy messed up. But he kicks out at 2. Again, showing this fighting spirit. Enzui Diving Elbow, and Akiyama gets the Exploder ‘98! Tenzan gets to the ropes, JUST like against Tak! This is awesome. He goes for another one, and hits an AWESOME Backdrop Driver. Tenzan headbutts Akiyama in the stomach, and then hits the leg-clutch Angle Slam. DIVING HEADBUTT! Only gets 2! They trade shots and Tenzan gets a lariat for 2. He calls for the TTD, but Akiyama tries an Exploder, which Tenzan fights out of, and Akiyama gets PLANTED…but ONLY FOR 2! ANACONDA VICE! MIDDLE OF THE RING! Akiyama stands up! But he gets sent down immediately! Shades of the match against Nak! The RIBS! AKIYAMA TAPS!!! Tenzan wins the 2003 Climax at 31:43. Tenzan’s parents are in the crowd with big ol’ smiles on their faces and this crowd is absolutely LOSING IT. He’s presented with the trophies and such. The Dragon, Tatsumi Fujinami, and Masahiro Chono, Tenzan’s mentor, stand in great appreciation for Tenzan. You really need to watch the matches in the tournament to fathom how well the final really is. They tied in so many elements of their prior matches and used them as the basis to their strategies. Akiyama waited for the mistakes. Tenzan went to the ribs. Great crowd heat. Great atmosphere. And a great story as Tenzan finally wins the big one that has eluded him for so long, and he would go on to win the other big one that would elude him no more in November. A great match, and definitely a great way to end a great tournament. ****1/4

Final Thoughts: It took me three months to do this thing from start to finish. Methinks I’m done doing play-by-play with this stuff. This really is a great tournament from start to finish. The only really stinker day is Day 5, but the rest has at least one or two good matches on it, and it’s worth going out of your way to buy. In fact, go get the Deluxe Version of this from ROB~! over at Golden Boy Tapes RIGHT NOW.