NJPW G1 Climax 27 Night Thirteen Review
August 4th, 2017 | Ehime ITEM in Ehime, Japan | Attendance: 2,130
After a night off, the G1 Climax returns with A Block action. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a show in this venue, which should be interesting. Though I’ve preferred the A Block so far, this card doesn’t have me excited other than Ibushi/Nagata and Naito/Sabre. Still, with the tournament winding down and the A Block still more open than the B Block, it’ll be interesting to see where people end up.
Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi def. Katsuya Kitamura and Tomoyuki Oka in 6:23
El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki and Taichi def. Hirai Kawato, Michael Elgin and Tiger Mask IV in 5:52
TenKoji def. BUSHI and SANADA in 7:15
David Finlay and Juice Robinson def. Chase Owens and Kenny Omega in 6:19
Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano def. EVIL and Hiromu Takahashi in 5:21
A Block: Kota Ibushi [6] vs. Yuji Nagata [0]
They met almost three years ago to the date in the G1 23 in a very good match (***¾). Nagata looked to keep things slow at the start, knowing Ibushi has a huge quickness advantage. He worked the arm, cutting off Ibushi at several points. Kota fired up and delivered the Golden Triangle Moonsault, only to eat an exploder inside. It eventually broke down into a battle of strikes, which Ibushi won by nailing the Pele kick. Nagata swiftly caught him in his signature armbar. Ibushi survived, but Nagata took it to him for not giving up. Ibushi looked out of it. He also survived a Backdrop Driver, but Nagata kicked out of the Golden Star Bomb. That must be the new thing to do. Ibushi ended him with a killer knee at 15:54. Nagata is on quite the roll in terms of performances, as is Ibushi. Nagata was the veteran giving his all, despite being eliminated. Ibushi was just too much for him, winning a hard fought, hard hitting battle. [***½]
A Block: Bad Luck Fale [6] vs. Tomohiro Ishii [8]
I like this matchup. They had good matches in both the G1 24 (***) and G1 26 (***½). The size difference was clear and came right into play. Ishii couldn’t knock Fale down and got put on his ass. Fale worked the DREADED NERVE HOLD for a bit to wear him down. Ishii kept trying for suplexes and failing. When he finally got one to work, they crowd popped big. I liked the little things he did, like running the ropes a few times to gain enough momentum to knock Fale down. Fale blocked the sliding lariat by grabbing Ishii for the Grenade, but Ishii countered into a triangle and then armbar. Fale had to get the ropes to escape. Ishii slapped it on again, but this time Fale powered out with a powerbomb. Ishii won a strike exchange, but got cut off with a spear. The Bad Luck Fall finished him in 11:58. Another highly enjoyable match. I’d say it was the second best Fale match this year (in between the Shibata and Okada ones). It wasn’t the typical big man/little man outing, because Ishii isn’t a typical little guy. He brought the fight to Fale, while still selling like a boss for him. There’s a reason Ishii’s the second or third best wrestler in the world, folks. [***½]
A Block: Hirooki Goto [6] vs. YOSHI-HASHI [4]
CHAOS buddies do battle. I typically enjoy YOSHI-HASHI, but something about his matches in this tournament haven’t clicked. Same goes for Goto, to be honest. Goto held serve early, bullying HASHI, who had to cut him off. They went back and forth, with Goto surviving the Butterfly Lock and HASHI getting put in the sleeper. Goto did his best Shibata, delivering a PK, but that and USHIGOROSHI weren’t enough. HASHI fired up but Goto escaped Karma and hit two GTRs for the win in an uneventful 11:26. Again, something just didn’t connect with me. I appreciated that HASHI fought hard, but I just wasn’t feeling it as much as other stuff in the tournament. [**½]
A Block: Tetsuya Naito [8] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. [8]
This is one of the most interesting matchups in the whole tournament. It could be great or a bad matchup of styles. This started with the usual tranquilo Naito pose after he sent Sabre outside. It was clear early that Sabre had him scouted, countering his signature dropkick in the corner and wrenching him into submissions and putting focus on the neck. Sabre had counters for everything, from key stuff like Destino, to little things like rollups. He dominated, forcing Naito to get serious and not play his usual games. Sabre got a near fall on the European Clutch pin that everyone seemed to bite on. Even when Naito gained momentum, like after a desperation German, Sabre would catch him in a submission or something, right after. Naito finally managed to avoid the PK and hit Destino for the win at 14:20. I loved how this was laid out. Naito wasn’t in control like usual, so he had to change things up. Sabre continues to look great in this tournament. He dominated Tanahashi and Naito, but left one opening against Naito, and it cost him. After a string of mostly lackluster matches, Naito seems ready for a hot finish. [****]
A Block: IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi [8] vs. Togi Makabe [6]
I feel like these two meet in every G1. I was almost right as they met in 2013 (***½), 2015 (***½) and 2016 (***). They started with some basic back and forth, nothing to get too interested in. Makabe took control for a bit, but got stopped by the dragon screw. We got some of heel Tanahashi here, less than recently, with him flipping Makabe the double bird. Togi leveled him with a big lariat for stealing his shit. Makabe missed the King Kong Knee Drop, to the dismay of Honma on commentary. Tanahashi was next to miss on the High Fly Flow, evening things up. They both tried for Germans, with Tanahashi slipping and hitting one off the ropes. He followed with his usual finishing stretch, winning via High Fly Flow in 13:34. Tanahashi’s working hard, but with his busted arm, some of the results just aren’t quite there. This reminded me of his matches with Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, in that they’re not bad, they just aren’t very good either. Especially in the main event slot. Never fear though, as Tanahashi has Ishii and Naito on the final two A Block shows if I’m right. [**¾]
Overall: 6/10. About what I’ve come to expect as the G1 winds down. A lot of the guys take it easy at this point, gearing up for a big final few shows in Sumo Hall. Three out of the five matches here are high quality. Ibushi/Nagata, Fale/Ishii and Naito/Sabre are all worth checking you. You can avoid Goto/HASHI and Makabe/Tanahashi.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Tetsuya Naito | 10 (5-2) | Kazuchika Okada | 12 (6-0) |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | 10 (5-2) | Kenny Omega | 10 (5-1) |
| Hirooki Goto | 8 (4-3) | Minoru Suzuki | 8 (4-2) |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | 8 (4-3) | SANADA | 8 (4-2) |
| Bad Luck Fale | 8 (4-3) | EVIL | 8 (4-2) |
| Tomohiro Ishii | 8 (4-3) | Toru Yano | 4 (2-4) |
| Kota Ibushi | 8 (4-3) | Tama Tonga | 4 (2-4) |
| Togi Makabe | 6 (3-4) | Michael Elgin | 4 (2-4) |
| YOSHI-HASHI | 4 (2-5) | Juice Robinson | 2 (1-5) |
| Yuji Nagata | 0 (0-7) | Satoshi Kojima | 0 (0-6) |
PROGRESS Chapter 53: Fate Loves The Fearless
July 30th, 2017 | Electric Ballroom in Camden, Greater London, England
PROGRESS is back for their third show in July and the first two were bangers. They’re back home in the Electric Ballroom and have brought in one of the bigger names on the indies right now, Keith Lee. I had something from this show spoiled but I’m still excited because it’s one of the my most anticipated moments in recent memory.
Jim Smallman had his usual fun with the crowd. Particularly with a woman who was due to give birth THREE DAYS AGO!
Number One Contender’s Match: #CCK vs. Extra Talent-ed
This stemmed from Chapter 52, where #CCK won a three-way tag in odd fashion and challenged Extra Talent-ed. Solow used his relationship with Bayley for some extra heat in a pre-match promo. #CCK started hot, including a hilariously gross wet willy spot by Brookes. Kid Lykos came in and took the heat segment. We got a great chant of “Bayley’s too good for you.” Brookes got the hot tag and did his thing, capped with a sweet somersault to the outside. Things got physical late, with Brookes and Starks just firing off slaps. The final stretch saw all four men trade some of their biggest offense. Brookes picked up the win with a Praying Mantis Bomb at 12:44. This was a lot of fun. Like the triple threat tag at the last chapter, it was filled with action. Tag formula was solid early and the closing stretch was bonkers. [***¼]
Jim Smallman pointed out their new ring crew member, Spud. It’s Rockstar Spud, who is apparently playing a gimmick where he took a bump on the head and thinks he’s a ring crew rookie.
Chief Deputy Dunne vs. Chuck Mambo
These guys were part of a four-way on Chapter 52. Mambo likes to have fun, while Dunne is firmly against it. That was the theme of this match. Mambo kept popping with the crowd with entertaining stuff, like his own version of the People’s Elbow. That didn’t sit well with Dunne. Mambo picked up several near falls down the stretch, but couldn’t keep Dunne down. Dunne used a handful of tights for a good near fall and got frustrated because now he couldn’t put Mambo away. However, the rope hung Fun’s Over DDT did the job in 8:17. Both men played to their characters well and made for some good fun early in the card. Nothing special, but it accomplished what it needed to. [**¼]
James Drake and Zack Gibson vs. Never Say Die
Never Say Die are PROGRESS school grads making their debuts. Gibson announced that the Origin was dead because Nathan Cruz took his ball and went home, and he has joined up with Drake. His promo got a ton of heat, but wasn’t great. They were excited to bully the new guys and did just that. Never Say Die got in a few hope spots, but Gibson and Drake just murdered them. They won in 5:02 after a sick Ticket to Mayhem. Just what it needed to be. [**]
Number One Contender’s Match: James Davis vs. Rob Lynch
The London Riots wanted a new challenge, so PROGRESS put them against each other, with the winner getting an ATLAS Title shot. BIG BOY BATTLE! Though they’re partners, they held nothing back. They slapped each other and traded German suplexes within the opening minutes. Davis busted out some high flying stuff, including a moonsault to the outside. He tried a suicide dive, but Lynch caught him and delivered an awesome belly to belly into a bunch of chairs. That would’ve led to a countout (rightfully since it was a brutal move) but Lynch stopped the referee’s count, not wanting to win that way. That led to a war in the ring, with both racking up the near falls. Lynch missed a wild Spiral Tap and seemed to injure himself. His mom and sister were in the crowd and watched with concerned looks. James wanted to stop the match, but Lynch egged him on and brought the fight. Davis slapped on a cobra clutch style submission on the bad shoulder and got the win at 15:44. Better than I expected. They brought the fight to one another and told a great story using their friendship and the sympathy of Rob’s family at ringside. [***¾]
After the match, Rob Lynch grabbed a microphone. He talked about loving the fans, before announcing his retirement to get his health and life situated. Both men cried and got a standing ovation. As Lynch knelt to kiss the ring, Davis whacked him in the back with a cricket bat! HEEL TURN! He put the submission back on before cutting a scathing promo about Lynch being a loser. Like Lynch’s fiancée and father, Davis is also leaving him. Goodness. That was masterfully done. Davis will be a HATED villain coming out of this.
Non-Title Match: Jack Sexsmith vs. PROGRESS World Champion Pete Dunne
Again, if Dunne loses, he must give Sexsmith a title shot. Because Dunne’s a bastard, he jumped Sexsmith during his ring introduction and threw chairs at him outside. Dunne also beat up crew members until Sexsmith took them all out with a dive. They moved inside, where things officials started, and Sexsmith applied the Crippler Cockface. The fans totally bought that as a finish, but it wasn’t. That was the story here, as the fans love Sexsmith so much, they believed in every hope spot and close call. Sexsmith took a Pedigree on the floor, but beat the count back in to a pop. The fans bit on a small package near fall from a Bitter End counter. Dunne cut his rally short with a German into the buckle and the Bitter End, winning at 7:46. Awesome sprint. Sexsmith survived a lot and was a great resilient babyface. Dunne was the total asshole he should be and the crowd ate everything up. [***½]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Candice LeRae
Two Mae Young Classic competitors. This was Candice’s PROGRESS debut. They wrestled to a stalemate early, until Candice quickened the pace with a rana and tope suicida. Toni swung the momentum by using her power, from forearms to ass attacks. Candice kept using speed and submissions (including the Gargano Escape), while Toni combated it with higher impact offense. Toni hit the Strong Zero piledriver, but Candice kicked out at one! That move has been lights out for Toni’s opponents. Toni survived a few Candice close calls, including one on a second rope balllpex (though I guess it’s not called that against women). She then hit a bit suplex of her own and not one, not two, but THREE Strong Zero piledrivers to retain at 10:42. I originally said Jinny should’ve been the first PROGRESS Women’s Champion, but Toni’s been fantastic as champ so far. This was another strong match and I appreciated how it differed from the Di Matteo outing at Chapter 52. There, Toni was in control against the underdog, but this was more evenly matched, with both women playing to their strengths. [***½]
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship: British Strong Style (c) vs. Jimmy Havoc and Mark Haskins
Haskins and Havoc have had some issues recently, but are still two of top PROGRESS guys in history. Like against War Machine, the champs did the Triple H water spit at their opponents and got their asses handed to them for it. That led to a big brawl all over the Electric Ballroom. When things moved inside, the challengers nearly won with a superkick/Acid Rainmaker combo. There was a segment where everyone hit clotheslines, from the Acid Rainmaker to the Seven Star Lariat. Bate and Seven showed off some new tandem offense, which was cool. As the challengers worked dual submissions, Pete Dunne arrived, holding Mark Haskins’ wife. Mark went out to save her, allowing Seven to hit Havoc with a low blow and win it at 9:27. A lot of brawling and great action. It made for a great sprint and furthered the angles it needed to. [***]
Post-match, Jimmy Havoc got in Mark Haskins face and blamed him for the loss. They came to blows and brawled, despite Vicky’s (Mark’s wife) protests. The locker emptied to try and separate them. Flash Morgan Webster finally got them to somewhat stop, saying British Strong Style is making them fight each other instead of them.
Keith Lee vs. Travis Banks
Two of the hottest stars in wrestling collide for the first time. Pete Dunne provided guest commentary for this. The crowd were quite split, despite this being Lee’s PROGRESS debut. He brought them to their feet on a rana within the opening minutes. The size difference came into play a lot. Even when Banks got Lee down with a dropkick, Lee caught his suicide dive like he was a baby and powerbombed him on the apron. Lee dominated, hitting brutal chops and throwing Banks around. Banks rallied by chopping him down to size and eventually hit the coast to coast dropkick for two. He also came close with the Kiwi Krusher and Slice of Heaven, before kicking out of a Lee moonsault at one! Banks fired up for a final rally, but Pete Dunne got up from commentary with a sledgehammer. The distraction allowed Lee to counter Slice of Heaven into a powerbomb and DVD slam for the win at 19:18. Very good main event. It told the story it had to, as Lee was a beast and Banks once again showed resiliency and fire. He may have won if not for Pete Dunne. [***¾]
Pete Dunne said he defeated Banks, not Lee. After Lee left, Seven and Bate arrived to jump Banks, prompting “CCK” chants. They ran in, but Dunne followed and they were taken out with the sledgehammer. The tag champs held Banks in place for what would’ve been a brutal sledgehammer shot from Dunne. BUT THEN IT HAPPENED! “Keep It 100” hit as TK COOPER AND DAHLIA BLACK RETURNED! THE SOUTH PACIFIC POWER COUPLE! That got one of the loudest pops I’ve ever heard. Anywhere. They came out with chairs and BSS bailed. Banks was left in the ring in between them and his other team, #CCK. #CCK left the ring, sending their buddy to reunite with Cooper and Black.
Overall: 8/10. PROGRESS delivered the goods, yet again. Granted, there were no MOTYC on this card, but the show was consistent from top to bottom. Everything was good and even the two worst matches accomplished something (fun spots in Mambo/Dunne and establishing Drake & Gibson). Lee/Banks and Lynch/Davis were the standout matches, with Dunne/Sexsmith and Storm/LeRae being high quality. The opener was fun, too. The main thing this show succeeded at were the angles. The brawl between Haskins and Havoc was a nice way to advance their story, but the London Riots split was masterfully done. Of course, the SPPT return was awesome and I’m still not over the pop they got.
NJPW G1 Climax 27 Night Twelve
August 2nd, 2017 | Fukuoka City Gymnasium in Fukuoka, Japan
Will Kazuchika Okada finally lose? Can EVIL beat Kenny Omega and prove that the B Block isn’t only about two guys? Will Satoshi Kojima get two points or continue to go the route of Liger and Nagata? Those questions would be answered on the sixth B Block G1 show this year. The G1 is in the lull stage right now and, on paper, this doesn’t look like the show to turn the tide. Let’s find out.
Shota Umino and Tomoyuki Oka def. Katsuya Kitamura and Ren Narita in 5:33
Kota Ibushi and Tiger Mask IV def. Hirai Kawato and Yuji Nagata in 7:49
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI def. Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi in 7:44
El Desperado, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. def. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito in 6:10
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jushin Thunder Liger def. David Finlay and Togi Makabe in 6:36
B Block: Juice Robinson [2] vs. SANADA [6]
Honestly, this was my easily my most anticipated match on this show. Hell, it was probably in my top five of this entire block. Their interactions during multi-man tags this years were great. Juice continued to sell his injuries. We got the standard fight inside, then brawl outside G1 stuff. SANADA wisely went after the injured leg, kicking it into the guardrail. SANADA remained in control until Juice countered Skull End. However, his run was cut short by a dropkick to the knee. Smart work. Juice beat a second countout tease and pulled SANADA into a small package for a good near fall. SANADA escaped Pulp Friction twice, Juice countered Skull End again and delivered a stiff punch. Another series of counters led to Skull End. Juice faded, so SANADA finished him with the moonsault in 13:48. I liked this. Juice showed fire once again, while SANADA was smart to work the leg. It was sold well and all made sense, rather than doing it for the sake of it. [***¼]
B Block: Michael Elgin [4] vs. Toru Yano [2]
Elgin needed to win here to have a small chance of winning. We got the usual Yano antics early, like removing the turnbuckle pad and such. Elgin beat him up a bit and blocked a low blow. Yano then pulled an Eddie Guerrero and faked getting hit with a low blow, selling it in front of the referee. The ref called for the DQ at 2:58. Absolute shit. I’m usually not too harsh on Yano’s stuff, because I get it and it gives guys a night off. But that finish was so stupid. Why not just have Yano roll him up if he had to win? The referees are lenient in the G1, allowing chairs and such, but a low blow they didn’t see gets a DQ? From a guy who they should expect shenanigans from? Bad. [DUD]
B Block: NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki [6] vs. Satoshi Kojima [0]
I still hate the booking of Kojima in this tournament. Though they’ve met nine times in their career, this was the first time I saw it. Suzuki jumped him before the bell and they brawled outside. It’s the Minoru way. One thing I did like was how Kojima is the rare guy to have someone to combat Suzuki’s cronies. Tenzan beat up the worst wrestler in NJPW, Taichi. However, the dumbass referees again pushed him back, while Suzuki-Gun jumped Kojima. Again, I understand the point of it, but it makes the refs look like complete buffoons. Back inside, Kojima continues to get in hope spots that were cut off. Kojima nailed the big lariat, but Taichi pulled the referee out before the three count. Tenzan took him and Taichi out, before Kojima got a near fall on the brainbuster. Suzuki came back with the sleeper and Gotch piledriver to win at 10:13. I wish this was better. Both guys can deliver in the right situation, but we got a dumb official, too much interference and action in the ring that wasn’t great. [**¼]
B Block: IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada [10] vs. Tama Tonga [4]
Their match in last year’s G1 (***) was solid. A loss eliminates Tonga. He attacked Okada during his entrance, took his robe and mocked him. Okada can’t have that, so he dropkicked Tonga and kicked his ass a bit. After some brawling outside, Tonga had slight control inside. Okada went into his FIVE MOVES OF DOOM sequence and called for the Rainmaker. Tonga escaped but his misdirection stuff failed. He still hit Veleno, getting two, but Okada was tired of his shit. He countered Gun Stun into a German and won with the Rainmaker in 11:22. I’m so glad he didn’t do the Rainmaker/wrist hold/counter stuff. However, the match was very average. There was no drama here, which is part of the issue of undefeated Okada. You just know a guy like Tonga isn’t going to hand him his first loss. Technically fine, but very hollow. At least they didn’t have this go 20+ minutes. [**½]
B Block: EVIL [8] vs. IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega [8]
I gave their G1 match last year ***. This time though, both are in striking distance of first place. They’re both heels, so they brawled outside. A lot of that tonight. In every match but the short Elgin/Yano one actually. They did a “pull up the floor mats” spot, which is something I love. Omega took control, before EVIL brought chairs into play. They had some solid back and forth with that for a while. After Omega hit the Terminator tope, he placed a table on EVIL and delivered a big double stomp. EVIL one upped his table use, delivering a jumping uranage off the apron through it. EVIL had a cut eye but it was Omega who barely beat the count back in. They went at it some more inside, with Omega hitting V Triggers (not nearly as many he usually does) and EVIL applying his submission. Omega looked out of it, but made the ropes. They went into a series of counters, with Omega hitting another V Trigger that seemed to legitimately knock EVIL out. Either that or he sold the hell out of it. EVIL was done after a One Winged Angel in 23:37. This was good, but felt like it went on forever. I don’t think it needed to be 23 minutes. It would’ve worked better as a slightly shorter brawl. I got the sense they were trying for an epic, but it never reached that level. Plus, as expected, nobody bought EVIL as a legitimate threat in this block. It’s all Okada and Omega, so everything else feels lesser. [***¼]
Overall: 5/10. The general feeling, from what I’ve seen, is that this was the worst G1 show thus far. I think I have to agree. SANADA/Juice and Omega/EVIL were both good matches that never truly sniffed great territory. Everything in the middle was painfully average. Okada/Tonga was just there, while Kojima/Suzuki was overbooked. Elgin/Yano was completely stupid. I continue to be let down by the B Block.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Tomohiro Ishii | 8 (4-2) | Kazuchika Okada | 12 (6-0) |
| Tetsuya Naito | 8 (4-2) | Kenny Omega | 10 (5-1) |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | 8 (4-2) | Minoru Suzuki | 8 (4-2) |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | 8 (4-2) | SANADA | 8 (4-2) |
| Bad Luck Fale | 6 (3-3) | EVIL | 8 (4-2) |
| Togi Makabe | 6 (3-3) | Toru Yano | 4 (2-4) |
| Kota Ibushi | 6 (3-3) | Tama Tonga | 4 (2-4) |
| Hirooki Goto | 6 (3-3) | Michael Elgin | 4 (2-4) |
| YOSHI-HASHI | 4 (2-4) | Juice Robinson | 2 (1-5) |
| Yuji Nagata | 0 (0-6) | Satoshi Kojima | 0 (0-6) |
NJPW G1 Climax 27 Night Eleven
August 1st, 2017 | Kagoshima Arena in Kagoshima, Japan | Attendance: 3,418
With ten shows in the books, the end of the G1 Climax is rapidly approaching. Some things have gone as expected (the B Block being the Omega/Okada show, the A Block being the more consistent and versatile block), some stuff has surprised (Sabre’s gotten over in a big way, Juice being a top performer) and some stuff is flat out disappointing (having Nagata and Kojima lose every match so far). August 1st tends to be a good day for the tournament, with the classic AJ Styles/Minoru Suzuki match happening in 2014 (on one of the best G1 shows ever), an awesome Tanahashi/Ishii match from 2013 and more. This card looks like one of the better ones on paper, so I’m hoping this continues that trend.
Jushin Thunder Liger and Michael Elgin def. Katsuya Kitamura and Shota Umino in 7:08
El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki and Taichi def. Hirai Kawato and TenKoji in 6:53
BUSHI and SANADA def. David Finlay and Juice Robinson in 4:35
EVIL and Hiromu Takahashi def. Chase Owens and Kenny Omega in 5:20
Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano def. Tama Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi in 6:47
A Block: Bad Luck Fale [6] vs. YOSHI-HASHI [2]
Tacos is mathematically eliminated, but came in looking to play spoiler. It was clear early on, that Fale was more aggressive and seemed to have more energy tonight than in some recent matches. He threw HASHI into chairs in the audience like he tends to. HASHI beat the countout, but continued taking a beating inside. HASHI fought back, showing more fire than you’d expect from a guy who has no chance of winning the tournament. He countered the Bad Luck Fall into a sleeper hold, sending Fale to the mat. He turned it into the Butterfly Lock, but Fale began to rise. HASHI pulled him into a small package, scoring the upset in 10:21. This was solid and told the story it had to. Fale was a monster, but got too overconfident at times. That allowed the resilient YOSHI-HASHI to surprise him. [**¾]
A Block: Togi Makabe [6] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. [6]
I was worried about the G1 27 due to injuries to guys like Shibata and Honma. However, Ibushi has filled the Shibata role nicely, while Sabre’s been a vast improvement over Honma, who didn’t have a strong G1 26. Makabe’s a hard hitter, but Sabre was not intimidated. He took it right to Togi from the opening bell. Makabe took out Zack’s best friend, El Desperado, but it opened the door for Sabre to take control with a dropkick to the knee. That set some Sabre leg work in motion. Makabe would find an opening, but Sabre would cut it off by trying to wear him back down. When he finally did make his comeback, there was a little extra “oomph” that he sometimes lacks. He missed the King Kong Knee Drop, which excellently put him in position for Sabre to tap him out with a modified figure four at 9:30. More of this, please. Makabe worked a different style, which I appreciate. Sabre always comes in with a size disadvantage, but wrestles with such great confidence. The knee work made sense and came into play in a smart finish. [***]
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii [6] vs. Yuji Nagata [0]
These two had great matches in the G1 24 (****¼) and G1 25 (****), so I had high expectations. This was about what I’ve come to expect from them. They traded blows instantly and fought like two MEN. After the strikes, Ishii took control and started hitting suplexes, including the stalling one off the middle rope. Nagata fought back and applied the armbar to a pop. Ishii survived, but it was Nagata’s turn to pull out his best suplex. He busted out a super exploder for one of the better near falls of the night. We got another fun exchange between them, with Nagata once again refusing to die. His counter of a brainbuster with one of his own brought the crowd to their feet. That was his last real shot though, as Ishii hit a sliding lariat and brainbuster to win in 13:59. While not quite on par with their previous G1 matches, this was still a banger and the match of the night so far. Two manly men having a manly fight. I still have issues with the booking of Nagata (doing the same story with Liger and Kojima devalues it), but again, he put in a quality performance. [***¾]
A Block: Hirooki Goto [6] vs. Tetsuya Naito [6]
We almost always get really good stuff when they meet, but never quite great. Whether the G1 24 (***¾), the New Japan Cup Finals (***¾) or Wrestle Kingdom 10 (***¼), something seems to be missing. Goto holds a 2-1 advantage in those matches. Naito jumped him early and worked Goto over. The crowd was rather dead for this, only mustering a few “Naito” chants. Goto’s comebacks felt uninspired. Naito cut him off, as expected, to remain in control. Goto had Destino well scouted, countering it twice, and scoring with USHIGOROSHI (shout out to Mauro). Naito sold some lariats well, before escaping GTR. He hit Destino and got two, which is greatly annoying. Why are only three moves protected in NJPW? If it’s not the Rainmaker, Bad Luck Fall or One Winged Angel, it takes two to put your down. Why even call it a finisher? It keeps happening in Naito matches, which is lame. A second one kept Goto down after 13:30. Nothing technically wrong with this, but it felt flat. Not the best effort from either man, but at least Naito tried. Goto seemed to sleepwalk through this. [**¾]
A Block: IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi [8] vs. Kota Ibushi [4]
Their G1 25 match (****¼) ruled. Kagoshima is Ibushi’s hometown, so they LOVED him. Tanahashi called to the crowd at the bell, but they just chanted Ibushi’s name. That response opened the door for the heel Tanahashi that I love. He delivered cheap shots instead of clean breaks, setting the tone. Tanahashi attacked the leg and neck, stopping to trash talk the fans or play some air guitar. It made for a great reaction each time Ibushi got something going. He hit the Golden Triangle Moonsault, but Tanahashi cut off the apron German with a dragon screw. Ibushi eventually did nail the deadlift German, which nearly killed Tanahashi. The desperation in Ibushi’s scramble to cover Tanahashi showed how badly he wanted to stay alive in this tournament. Tanahashi went for High Fly Flow, but Kota got his knees up. However, he couldn’t take advantage due to the knee work. After a brutal kick, he nailed the Golden Star Bomb for an insane near fall. Not wasting too much time on disbelief, he delivered a brutal knee to pick up the win at 20:40. One of the better recent main events. It was a compelling match that told a great story, made better by heel Tanahashi. I would’ve liked a bit more selling of the leg from Ibushi to put this over the top though. [****¼]
Overall: 7/10. A two match show, though nothing is bad. HASHI/Fale told a good story, but the action lacked. Sabre/Makabe was a better matchup than I expected, with a smart layout. Goto/Naito was one of the bigger disappointments of the tournament, as neither man brought their best. I enjoyed a lot of Ishii vs. Nagata and the main event ruled. The A Block again provided a versatile, superiorly booked show, even with some guys not being at their best.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Tomohiro Ishii | 8 (4-2) | Kazuchika Okada | 10 (5-0) |
| Tetsuya Naito | 8 (4-2) | Kenny Omega | 8 (4-1) |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | 8 (4-2) | EVIL | 8 (4-1) |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | 8 (4-2) | Minoru Suzuki | 6 (3-2) |
| Bad Luck Fale | 6 (3-3) | SANADA | 6 (3-2) |
| Togi Makabe | 6 (3-3) | Tama Tonga | 4 (2-3) |
| Kota Ibushi | 6 (3-3) | Michael Elgin | 4 (2-3) |
| Hirooki Goto | 6 (3-3) | Juice Robinson | 2 (1-4) |
| YOSHI-HASHI | 4 (2-4) | Toru Yano | 2 (1-4) |
| Yuji Nagata | 0 (0-6) | Satoshi Kojima | 0 (0-5) |
