Sambus’ NJPW G1 Climax 34 Night 17 Review

Location: Chiba, Japan

Venue: Makuhari Messe 9 Hall

English Commentary: Walker Stewart & Chris Charlton

 

[A Block Playoffs] Great-O-Khan vs Shingo Takagi

The winner here will go on to face Zack Sabre Jr in the semi-finals on Saturday. O-Khan grounds Shingo with a waistlock, locks in a front chancery, but Shingo drives him into the corner. Shoulder block connects, standing senton from Shingo, he looks for a suplex but O-Khan traps the arms and hits a belly-to-back suplex. O-Khan begins to work over the arms of Shingo, hoping to weaken those Pumping Bombers. Hammerlock applied with the legs into an armbreaker, but Shingo makes the ropes.

Knee lifts to the arm, Shingo fights back with jabs, O-Khan ducks and applies the Claw. Shingo backs him into the corner to break it. Flurry of strikes in the corner, back elbow, misdirection DDT connects, and Shingo follows up with a vertical suplex for 2. Knees to the midsection, snapmare, looks for Sliding Bomber but O-Khan catches him with a head and arm vice submission and takes him over in a suplex. Judo takedowns, cover for 2, and back to the hammerlock goes O-Khan. Mongolian chops, Shingo comes back with some of his own, but O-Khan cuts him off with a throat thrust. O-Khan runs the ropes, but a Shingo lariat puts a stop to that. Corner Bomber, but that seems to have affected his arm. He lifts O-Khan to the top rope, superplex connects. Shingo positions O-Khan for the Made in Japan, can’t get it, hits a bomber but again the arm is bothering him. Shingo tries once more, O-Khan grabs the arm and locks in an armbar…and Shingo gets to the ropes.

O-Khan goes for a shoulder breaker, but Shingo counters into a sleeper. O-Khan with a standing switch and nails a sleeper suplex! Pump kick connects, Eliminator attempt but Shingo holds on. Pumping Bomber! 1, 2, NO. Shingo with a lariat to the back of the neck, O-Khan follows through with one of his own. Eliminator attempt again countered into a backslide gets 2 for Shingo. Hammer and anvil elbows administered to O-Khan, O-Khan muscles up though! Headbutt by Shingo, right hand from O-Khan! Bomber countered into another armbar! O-Khan rolls into a cross-armbreaker and Shingo is in trouble. Shoulder breaker, O-Khan goes for the Made in Japan!! But Shingo delivers a desperation DDT to counter.

Corner bomber, shoulder block, German suplex, O-Khan lands on his head! Pumping Bomber, 1, 2, NO. Shingo picks him up and delivers the Last of the Dragon! And that’s enough for the 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Shingo Takagi

Time: 20:49

Rating: **** – After those disappointing final block nights, it was refreshing to be greeted by this awesome contest today. Tremendous arm work from O-Khan, who came in with a smart gameplan, but ultimately Shingo is a force to be reckoned with and it wasn’t enough. Shingo now potentially has a weakened arm, and going into battle with a technical wizard like Zack Sabre Jr means he is at a distinct disadvantage. Will it be Takagi Time on Saturday?!

 

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[B Block Playoffs] Konosuke Takeshita vs Yota Tsuji

The winner here gets David Finlay in Saturday’s semi-final. Tsuji sweeps the legs in the early goings and grabs a side headlock. Off the ropes, Takeshita hits a flying forearm, but his leg is still in bad shape from yesterday. DDT to Tsuji on the apron as he tries to shake off the leg pain. Rear chinlock applied in the ring, body slam, Takeshita goes for a middle rope senton but his leg briefly gives way! He follows up with the senton splash but Tsuji is waiting for him and quickly takes control. Tsuji positions the leg over the bottom rope and hits an elevated stomp, and Takeshita can barely put any weight on it now.

Chops from Tsuji, and they build into a strike exchange. Kitchen sink, and a grounded leg whip as Tsuji continues the assault on the leg. Takeshita takes a second too long rearing back for a forearm strike, the leg clearly bothering him, and Tsuji again takes advantage with a shot to the gut. Tsuji whips him into the ropes but Takeshita just collapses to the mat…but fires up to hit a huge lariat. Superplex by Takeshita! Takeshita piles up the chairs on Tsuji on the floor, heads back in the ring, and hits the springboard flipping senton into the chairs like an absolute madman! He looks to take the countout victory but Tsuji slides back in at 18.

Takeshita tries for the Blue Thunder, can’t get it, and Tsuji delivers the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker instead. Tope suicida knocks Takeshita down on the outside. Back in the ring, Takeshita goes for a knee lift, Tsuji kicks the bad knee. STO/flatliner combo from Tsuji, Takeshita right back with a German suplex! Both men are thinking lariats, and they knock each other down. Three-point stance, they both charge, jockeying for position, desperately trying for a suplex, and it’s Tsuji who eventually nails the Falcon Arrow! Gene Blaster NO, Takeshita cuts it off with a knee to the face!! But it was the bad knee, so Takeshita can’t capitalize. Takeshita heads to the top rope now, Tsuji up with a kick to the knee. They stand on the top rope…LARIAT OFF THE TOP BY TAKESHITA!! 1, 2, NO.

Another huge lariat connects but Tsuji is smiling. Another, and another hard lariat but Tsuji won’t go down! Powerdrive Knee by Tsuji, lariat! 1 COUNT and Takeshita kicks out, resilient as ever. Elbow shots from Tsuji, slaps, headbutt! Tsuji follows up with the stomp, Marlowe Crash is caught right into the Blue Thunder Bomb!! 1, 2, NO. Big right hand, Takeshita follows up with a brainbuster attempt but a stunner counters for Tsuji, and he nails the Gene Blaster! 1, 2, TAKESHITA GETS A FOOT ON THE ROPES. This is so good I’m sweating.

Gene Blaster misses, GERMAN SUPLEX and Tsuji lands on the back of his head! GENE BLASTER OUT OF NOWHERE! 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Yota Tsuji

Time: 21:29

Rating: ****1/2 – Holy hell this RULED. Takeshita honestly has got to be one of the best workers in the business right now, and he furthered that claim with some SUBLIME selling of the knee throughout the entirety of this. Even in tiny moments like receiving a punch, he’d grimace and grip the knee, letting it filter into everything he did here. Tsuji was no slouch either, on top form with a fantastic performance, and perhaps it’s time for Gedo to fully invest in him. We’ll see what the future holds for him on Saturday as he goes up against Finlay.

 

Saturday’s semi-finals are set: Zack Sabre Jr vs Shingo Takagi, and David Finlay vs Yota Tsuji. We’ll be back with LIVE coverage of the semi-finals and finals this Saturday and Sunday here at 411mania – join us!

9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

All is forgiven from the lacklustre final Block nights, as this was AWESOME. Two matches with really well-executed limbwork; O-Khan targeting the arm, and Tsuji focusing on the injured leg of Takeshita. Takeshita's selling in particular was on another level, and you have to believe that there are big things in store for him going forward. I was hoping for a ZSJ/Takeshita final but alas that will have to wait. No complaints here though - Shingo and Tsuji are both fine choices to proceed to the semis, and these two matches delivered in spades - Takeshita/Tsuji is in contention for MOTT.