Evolve 62
June 10th, 2016 | The Orpheum in Ybor City, Florida
Lenny Leonard and Rob Naylor were in the ring to open the show. They ran down some of the big matches for the Ybor City crowd.
Fred Yehi def. Anthony Nese in 16:04
I just love that Yehi is introduced as “angry, pissed off and short”. He came just shy of making the Cruiserweight Classic at Evolve 61. Since the split of the Premiere Athlete Brand, Nese has turned over a new leaf somewhat. They went back and forth early on, showing they had scouted each other well. Yehi wasn’t just content working the leg or the knee, he even worked the feet at times. That was certainly interesting. It was smart to take out the leg, since Nese uses high flying stuff to his advantage. Nese wasn’t as interested in selling the work as Yehi was in doing it though. Yehi used his trademark stomps to really put the pressure on the ankles of Nese. Nese had Yehi’s Koji Clutch scouted expertly, avoiding or countering it at every turn. However, he missed the 450 splash and Yehi locked it in to pick up his first singles win. Good stuff from both men. I was more impressed by Yehi, but Nese did pretty good too. ***¼
Anthony Nese asked for a microphone and said he had been in a rut for about a year. He claimed that he wanted the Premiere Athlete Brand to be about the best athletes, but it became a group of assholes. He said that Valifornia was dead and he wanted to revitalize his career with the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. Nese entered himself into the Cruiserweight Classic Flashpoint the next night and, after this show, it was announced that he was in the Classic.
Ethan Page def. Darby Allen in 9:20
This was a rematch from Evolve 59. Ethan Page had some new theme music. Allen was much different this time around, as getting mostly squashed in his debut seemed to have made him a little nuts. It really felt like Allen was resilient and determined to make up for Evolve 59. He started with some hot, fast paced offense, before Page press slammed him outside, where he took a rough landing. They sold it as if it could have ended things, but Allen got up and back inside. The match mostly slowed after that spot. Page hit the RK-Ego but Allen kicked out. Allen came close on a small package, but lost to a package piledriver as Page predicted. Fine little match here. Allen still has character work to do to nail it, but his ring work was mostly solid. **¾
Matt Riddle def. Cedric Alexander in 10:36
With him recently leaving ROH, Cedric Alexander made his Evolve debut here. Matt Riddle continued to be super over everywhere Evolve goes. They went to the mat, where Riddle had a clear upper hand, so Alexander went to using his speed for an advantage. Riddle came back with, as Naylor said on commentary, a German suplex that even Rick Steiner would be impressed with. Riddle locked in a Bromission only a few minutes in and I thought it could have ended there. That’s how well that move and Riddle in general, has been handled. Cedric came very close on a sick backbreaker but Riddle got his foot on the bottom rope. Alexander made a mistake on a high risk move, leading to another Bromission where he tapped out. Really good stuff. Riddle bumped and sold well for Alexander in his debut, Riddle continued to look like a star and Cedric had a good debut. All you could ask for. ***¾
Evolve Tag Team Championship: Drew Gulak and Tracy Williams (c) w/ Fred Yehi and TJP def. The Bravado Brothers in 27:27
The Bravados are fresh off of a heel turn. There was a rather long back and forth to open things. Neither team gained a real advantage for a while and though it wasn’t bad, it seemed to be taking a while to really get going. They weren’t doing anything bad, it just wasn’t anything too great either. There was an assisted back suplex spot that spawned a “better than Gable” chant. Thankfully, it didn’t catch on. They didn’t abide by typical tag formula, which was appreciated. The final few minutes were frantic, but I feel like they overdid it on the near fall barrage. The Bravados hit all of their fancy double team moves, though some didn’t come off as crisply as they probably wanted, but it was never enough. Finally, after almost a half hour, Williams used a top rope DDT to retain. There was certainly some good here, but it was rather uneven and definitely dragged at times. Cut it down and tighten it up and you’ve got a much better match. ***
Drew Gulak got on the microphone after the match and put over Catch Point. He then brought up the fact that he has the Evolve Title in the back and said that Timothy Thatcher, if he was a real champion, wouldn’t have let him physically take it. Drew wanted Thatcher to man up and give the Catch Point members the title shots they deserve. Thatcher showed up and knocked over the cardboard Evolve sign in the entrance. They seriously need to upgrade that. He said that he told them they would all get their shots eventually but tonight he faces Chris Hero and he tells them to leave his ring. Hero came out and called Catch Point the “kids” that will go to bed while the “men” fight.
Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) def. Chris Hero in 22:50
Hero has been his usual great self in 2016 so far, while Thatcher has been a massive disappointment. Right off the bat, commentary sold it well that while Thatcher is champion, Hero might just be the best in the world. They also talked about his departure from WWE and what it would mean if he won the Evolve Title while partnered with the WWE. There was a methodical pace to this and it worked. Hero went after the elbow and used his vicious strikes, while Thatcher targeted the ankle. The shots delivered throughout this were almost all vicious. Hero abused Thatcher, including shots to his previously injured ear, but Thatcher manned up and wouldn’t go down. Hero stopped a headbutt with a sick elbow before nailing his own headbutt to the back of the head for a near fall. Thatcher finally struck with a big headbutt and applied the Fujiwara armbar. He perfectly transitioned it to the other arm to prevent Hero from grabbing the ropes and then into a different armbar variation to make him submit. Not quite as good as their BOLA match last year, but easily the best Thatcher showing of 2016. Physical, smart and all around great stuff. ****
Catch Point came back out. Tracy Williams said that they aren’t thieves and he likes to take things from people face to face. He requested a title shot at Evolve 63 the next night. Thatcher agreed and promised to hurt everyone who touched and disrespected his title while he was away. That includes Stokely Hathaway, who had the referee put it on him in front of Thatcher. He heard that and quickly got rid of it. Matt Riddle, who rubbed his junk on the title a while back, called Thatcher “trash” and they should be heading towards a third match.
Non-Sanctioned Street Fight: Drew Galloway and Ethan Carter III def. Johnny Gargano and TJP w/ Stokely Hathaway in 20:38
This is pretty much the coolest story going in wrestling right now. Galloway and Carter represent the people who have a disdain for the WWE and their partnership with Evolve, while Gargano and TJP represent the other side. Seconds after the bell, EC3 knocked out the referee, really giving this an unsanctioned feel. The fight spilled through the crowd like a street fight should. EC3 was sure to take a beer and do his best Yoshitatsu, spitting it like Triple H. Then, it spilled outside where Gargano and EC3 fought on a damn pedicab. It was great to watch them battle and throw each other into lamp posts and such in front of confused pedestrians. Back inside, Gargano and TJP did the Pee Wee Herman “Tequila” dance on the bar after taking out EC3. After TJP got powerbombed through a table, Drew Gulak showed up to check on him. Chris Hero then ran out and laid him out. He also attacked Gargano and TJP, which led to TJP taking a Tombstone and losing. This felt like a non-sanctioned match, which a lot of them don’t always accomplish. It was wacky in the best possible way and the addition of Hero was cool. ***½
Galloway grabbed the microphone after the bell and announced that Chris Hero was officially with them. He also stated that Cody Rhodes, who will be making his Evolve debut on August 19th, was on their side and will face Gargano in his debut. EC3 finished things off by plugging TNA Slammiversary, causing commentary to shout for the show to be shut down. Awesome stuff all around.
Overall: 7.5/10. 2016 seems to be a year full of good, but not great shows. This was another. Nothing on the card is bad at all. Page/Allen is passable and the Tag Title match drags but everything else is really enjoyable. You get a solid opener, great debut for Alexander, excellent Evolve Title match and a really fun main event punctuated by a great angle.
Raw History
Episode #40
November 15th, 1993 | Fernwood Resort in Bushkill, Pennsylvania
The show opens with a recap of Macho Man going nuts on Crush last Monday night. Vince McMahon informs us that Shawn Michaels has been reinstated and will replace Jerry Lawler at Survivor Series due to some “legal issues.” For those unaware, Jerry was accused of raping a teenage girl.
Non-Title Match
WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon vs. The Brooklyn Brawler
For being such a famous jobber, I haven’t seen much of the Brooklyn Brawler. He attacks before the bell and puts a hurting on Razor. That obviously doesn’t last long as Razor hits a fallaway slam and gets in the driver’s seat. Surprisingly, Brawler gets in more offense but makes a crucial mistake by setting early and it leads to the Razor’s Edge.
Winner: Razor Ramon in 2:49
A surprisingly solid squash. It was fun to see the Brooklyn Brawler get in more offense than most guys and Razor still was able to win in short order while looking strong. *½
Crush cuts a promo backstage on Randy Savage, saying that he’s going to run into trouble for what he did last week.
An ad runs to promote the “Survivor Series Showdown”, which is not on the WWE Network. Bret Hart gets a rematch at Yokozuna and the WWF Title.
The Headshrinkers w/ Afa vs. Mike Bucci and Mike Maraldo
The jobbers actually get a near fall when they dogpile on top of Fatu. He puts an end to that with a big savant kick. They can win the match fairly quickly but Fatu picks up his opponent before the three. The Headshrinkers put an end to this with a double leg sweep and big splash.
Winners: The Headshrinkers in 4:16
I feel like this lasted a bit too long to be considered an enjoyable squash. They weren’t in their usual jobber killing mode, so this doesn’t score high. ½*
We now get a clip from Superstars, where the “All-Americans” announced their replacement for Tatanka. Lex Luger and the Steiner Brothers reveal that it will be the Undertaker. That is a clear upgrade. Undertaker opening his trench coat to reveal the American flag was cool. Bobby Heenan steals the show with a line of “YOU CAN’T HAVE A PARTNER THAT’S DEAD! THAT’S UNFAIR!” Classic.
Lex Luger vs. Pierre w/ Johnny Polo
Lux Luger attacks at the bell, because he’s far more comfortable as a heel. He’s in charge for a bit with some of his signature SCREAMING CLOTHESLINES! They try a Polo distraction but it backfires when Luger backdrops Pierre on the outside. After a commercial break, it is a successful Polo distraction that turns the tide. Pierre gets two on a diet Vader splash. He moves into a rest hold for a bit since they’re giving them two commercial breaks to work through. Pierre gets two on a piledriver. They’re trying to build up how resilient Lex Luger is, since he continues to kick out. Luger begins to rally, slamming Pierre from the top and tossing Polo from the apron. He hits the LOADED FOREARM and wins.
Winner: Lex Luger in 13:24
Not the worst match but I think it was a bit too long for the quality of these two guys. They did the best I would expect these two to do with this amount of time. **
Pierre is basically dead and is now going to be out of Survivor Series.
Diesel vs. Sid Garrison
Hey, a Sid vs. Diesel match would end up headlining a few Pay-Per-Views in about a year and a half. As expected, Diesel just beats the stuffing out of Garrison. He runs through the few moves that he knows, like a side slam and big boot. Sid Garrison isn’t even worth the Jackknife as he finishes him with an elbow.
Winner: Diesel in 3:23
Your basic squash match. It was absolutely all Diesel and at the very least, it wasn’t really boring. ¾*
Todd Pettengil brings us the Survivor Series Report with no real news.
To close the show, another Jeff Jarrett vignette airs, featuring a cameo from Jacqueline.
Overall: 3/10; Poor. Another lackluster effort for Raw. The squash matches were not of the more entertaining variety and the marquee matchup was decent at best. Also, I feel like the marquee match should either open or close the show. At least the build for Survivor Series was somewhat good.
Raw History
Episode #41
November 29th, 1993 | Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York
Survivor Series has come and gone with Raw being off the air for a week. Side note, I’ve always liked the look of this venue. Vince McMahon and Bobby Heenan are on commentary since Macho Man has been suspended from commentary for the attack on Crush. They run down the show, which sounds pretty good actually.
The Steiner Brothers vs. Mike Khoury and Reno Riggins
Scott Steiner takes down Khoury a few times before pulling out a dragon suplex. Reno gets tagged but wants no part of the Steiners. Scott dropkicks him and then does the damn screwdriver again. Seriously dude, you are killing these guys. He drags Riggins and makes Khoury tag in just so he can suplex him. He ends it with the Frankensteiner.
Winners: The Steiner Brothers in 3:44
I always love me a good Steiner jobber killing. Using a dragon suplex, screwdriver and Frankensteiner made this fun. *¾
Commentary discusses how Yokozuna was scared of the Undertaker during the main event of Survivor Series, building towards our next big WWF Title program.
Another Jeff Jarrett vignette is shown. He gets kicked out of a talent agency because he’s annoying.
Non-Title Match
WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon vs. Diesel
Who would have thought in 1993 that these two guys would change the course of wrestling history just two and a half years later? As far as I know, this is their first one on one meeting. Razor tries to go after the arm for some reason but Diesel overpowers him a few times. Diesel goes into his offense like snake eyes, the side slam and a bearhug to wear down Razor. I’m surprised at how one sided this has been, showing that Vince was already into the idea of pushing Diesel. Razor rallies, hitting a bulldog that looks pretty bad. As he calls for the Razor’s Edge, the returning Shawn Michaels attacks him.
Winner via disqualification: Razor Ramon in 5:16
Nowhere near the level they were capable of as shown by their SummerSlam 1994 match. It was a good way of showing how tough Razor was, while showing how dominant Diesel could be.*½
Shawn Michaels calls for a piledriver on the Intercontinental Title but the 1-2-3 Kid makes the save. THE KLIQ IS EVERYWHERE! Diesel and Shawn Michaels retreat. These four would have a tag team match on WWF Action Zone in 1994 that was fantastic.
Bam Bam Bigelow w/ Luna Vachon vs. John Crystal
Bigelow dominates this from start to finish. He uses the neck vice, which I never liked. There is definitely some stalling from Bigelow since he doesn’t seem to know what to do to make this last the allotted time they were given. He finally wins with a kick to the skull.
Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow in 3:14
Another relatively dull Bigelow squash. ½*
We go to footage from Wrestling Challenge, where Santa Clause has a gift for Doink. He pulls Dink out of his bag. Hooray, now I get to see the Doink/Dink pairing for the next few months. That was sarcasm if you couldn’t tell.
Vince McMahon is in the ring to announce the 1993 Superstar of the Year. He brings out the runner-up, Lex Luger. This seems like another shining example of Lex Luger being a loser. He can’t win big matches or even an award like this. He thanks the fans and brings out the actual winner, Bret Hart. Bobby Heenan tries to play it off like he thought he’d win, which was odd. His speech is kind of just there and then Luger raises Bret’s arm in victory like the bitch he is.
A clip is shown from Survivor Series where Owen Hart accidentally knocked Bret Hart into the guardrail and it led to him getting pinned. He would be the only Hart eliminated in the match. He was pissed off and then got in Bret’s face after the bell. This would begin the excellent rivalry between him and Bret. Helen Hart sells this very well.
Owen Hart vs. Chris Duffy
Owen Hart is wearing his brother’s trademark glasses, showing off his cocky attitude. While Owen gets in some offense, we are told that Shawn Michaels has challenged the 1-2-3 Kid for next week. Some “we want Bret” chants start. Owen wins with the Sharpshooter in great fashion.
Winner: Owen Hart in 2:40
A fine squash match here. Owen Hart is always entertaining, especially now that he’s turned heel. *¾
Bobby Heenan tries to interview Owen hart about Bret winning Superstar of the Year and what happened at Survivor Series but Owen just walks off.
Ludvig Borga vs. Scott Taylor
Hey, Scotty 2 Hotty is back! Ludvig Borga misses an elbow but everything that Taylor tries is no sold. Borga then turns him inside out on a clothesline and wins with the torture rack.
Winner: Ludvig Borga in 2:21
Typical stuff from Ludvig Borga. He dominated and at least he didn’t kill time. ¾*
We then get 1-2-3 Kid accepting the challenge of Shawn Michaels. It’s hilarious that he calls him Mr. Michaels.
Overall: 4/10. Weak. While this wasn’t the best of episodes from an in-ring standpoint, I appreciated some of the Survivor Series fallout. The Steiners were fun and we got all of that Kliq action. Owen Hart was a fun addition too as his new heel character was about to become my favorite thing in the company.
Raw History
Episode #42
December 6th, 1993 | Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York
We start with a recap of Shawn Michaels’ attack on Razor Ramon last week before the 1-2-3 Kid made the save, setting the stage for tonight’s match. Bobby Heenan and Vince McMahon then argue about whether or not Shawn Michaels is actually the Intercontinental Champion. Also, Heenan has bene badmouthing Gorilla Monsoon for a few weeks and Monsoon may retaliate tonight.
1-2-3 Kid vs. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels is carrying the Intercontinental Title as he never relinquished it when he was suspended. I’ll never understand why Michaels wore his tights so damn high. The action starts very fast with them only messing up on one awkward spot. Kid springboards out onto Shawn and Vince says he’s never seen that move before, even though I’ve seen Kid do it on Raw already this year. Kid slows things inside and Shawn has trouble breaking free of a headlock. He finally does and uses a head scissors to send Kid outside. Kid tries to dive off the apron but Shawn catches him with a powerslam on the outside. Shawn hits a backbreaker and Kid counters a superplex into a cross body for two. Shawn continue to play the stronger man, which is a nice change of pace for him. Kid hits a big moonsault for two, which is how he beat Razor back in May. He climbs up top and misses a big somersault as they go to another commercial. When we return, Shawn hits a superkick but I guess it still wasn’t his finisher. He signals for the end like Razor Ramon would and hits the Razor’s Edge. He could win, but Shawn instead picks him Kid up. For some reason, Vince thinks that could result in a DQ. He hits a second and out comes Razor in a ridiculous outfit. Shawn runs from Razor and both guys are outside, leading to a double countout.
Double countout in 11:02
Really good stuff here. Their chemistry probably stemmed from their close friendship and Shawn looked determined now that he’s back from suspension. A really fun match here. ***¼
Shawn Michaels runs from Razor Ramon until Diesel lays out Razor. This allows Shawn to hit a Razor’s Edge on the floor to Razor himself. Surprisingly, he even hits a second as officials try to stop him.
Non-Title Match
WWF Tag Team Champions The Quebecers vs. Bert Centano and Mike Walsh
Since Survivor Series has passed, Pierre is now ready to wrestle. I honestly don’t know how replaced him at Survivor Series. A quick look and it was Crush. Anyway I don’t know which jobber is which, but one of them actually hits a nice monkey flip on Pierre. The Quebecers obviously get right back in control and win with their cannonball finisher.
Winners: The Quebecers in 4:21
Not much to write about here. A standard squash with nothing special. It wasn’t dull, so that helped. *
Owen Hart cuts a promo about how everything is about Bret Hart, but he’s coming with a surprise that will make everything be about him.
Doink w/ Dink vs. Tony DeVito
I feel like Tony DeVito has set the jobber record for appearances this year. This is no longer Matt Borne playing Doink, instantly disappointing me. Basically, Doink is going through the motions of boring offense while Dink walks around pulling shenanigans out of his ass. Seriously, it’s dull as hell. He wins with the Whoopee Cushion.
Winner: Doink in 5:51
Who thought this should go nearly six minutes? It was an awful squash, made worse by Dink’s dumb ringside antics. DUD.
Time for yet another Jeff Jarrett vignette. That’s J-E-DOUBLE F. J-A-DOUBLE R-E-DOUBLE T.
A commercial informs us that next week, the Macho Man returns to the ring!
Crush w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Tony Roy
Bobby Heenan says that Mr. Fuji celebrates the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Damn. Macho Man calls in and it’s more interesting than anything Crush is doing. Vince says that Crush looks awesome, which is the opposite of how I’d say he looks. He seems to have fused his new heel attire with his neon face attire. The phone call connection sucks and it breaks up to the point where we can’t understand anything Savage says. Crush wins and nobody cares.
Winner: Crush in 3:53
As usual with Crush, this is not good. He was never any good. ½*
They get ready to go off the air but Gorilla Monsoon makes his way out to ringside. He gets his revenge on Heenan, dragging him by the collar and physically kicking him out of the arena. This would be the end of Heenan’s WWF run. He and Gorilla came up with this and, according to Heenan, spent an hour or so reminiscing in their hotel after.
Overall: 6/10; Average. Everything after the opener is pretty dreadful in the ring, as the three matches barely manage *½. However, it is memorable for Bobby Heenan’s exit and the marquee matchup delivers as Shawn Michaels and the 1-2-3 Kid have a really good encounter. Worth checking out for the opener and the closing segment.
G1 Climax 23 Day Four
August 4th, 2013 | Osaka, Japan
So far, we’ve had two good nights (one and three) and one damn near great one (two). I’ve seen one match from this show in the past and it is one of my all-time favorites, so I’m excited for the rest of the event.
Block B
Toru Yano (0) vs. Yujiro Takahashi (6)
The unbeaten Yujiro Takahashi attacks during Toru Yano’s entrance and follows with a suicide dive. Takahashi throws him around outside and nails him with a chair. Things move inside eventually, where Takahashi just stays in control. After a while of that, Yano avoids running into the exposed buckle and Takahashi eats it instead. Yano slams him down and does his signature taunt. Yano slingshots him into the exposed buckle as well. I don’t think it can even really be a Yano match without those corner spots. Despite allowing all of this, the referee stops Yano from doing a low blow. Takahashi shoves Yano into him and then brings out a steel chair. It backfires when Yano gets his hands on it and pulls an Eddie Guerrero. With the referee removing the chair, Yano does two low blows and pulls Yujiro into a cradle for three.
Winner: Toru Yano (2) in 7:04
Kind of an expected result given their stats entering the match. The early portions of Takahashi dominating were pretty uninteresting, though I found the match became more enjoyable after Yano got going. **
Block B
Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) vs. Karl Anderson (4)
I saw these two have a match in the G1 a year later and it wasn’t very good. Hopefully this one is better. This gets off to your basic start, including Tenzan showing that he’s too strong for Anderson to shoulder block. Anderson responds with Mongolian chops, like a dick. Anderson stays in control for a bit, with Tenzan squeezing in Mongolian chops at every opening, albeit mostly small ones. Tenzan comes off the top with a headbutt but it’s not enough to keep Anderson down. He locks in the Anaconda Vice, but Anderson wiggles to the ropes and breaks it. Anderson ends up calling for the Gun Stun but Tenzan has a lovely counter ready, dropping him with a Uranage and putting the vice back on. Anderson fights to his feet, but is taken back down. He survives it and avoids the Tenzan moonsault before trying another Gun Stun. It too gets blocked and Tenzan is feeling it. He goes for another Uranage but this time it is Anderson who counters into the Stun Gun for the 1-2-3.
Winner: Karl Anderson (6) in 9:55
Much better than the effort they’d put forth a year later. Their exchange of counters was solid and most of what they did worked well. The crowd was hot and bought into most of the close calls. I thought the finish was perfect considering the earlier reversals. ***¼
Block B
Shelton X Benjamin (2) vs. Yuji Nagata (4)
Oh look, the undercard is filled with “B” Block matches again. Shelton doesn’t just attack before the bell, he leaps to the top and suplexes him off. He tries to steal it with an early pin but Nagata gets a shoulder up. Shelton is pretty damn good in this heel role. He is just in firm control, looks to be enjoying and has no problem allowing Taka Michinoku to get in cheap shots outside. He tries to win via countout as well, but Nagata rolls in and removes his shirt, firing up. He just starts kicking Shelton’s ass. A particular kick to the back of the head seems to knock Shelton silly. Nagata follows with a backdrop driver for two though. Shelton catches a kick and locks in the ankle lock. Nagata fights to stay alive, but when Shelton pulls an Angle and grapevines his legs to fully sink it in, he has to give up.
Winner: Shelton X Benjamin (4) in 8:17
This turned out to be a really good match. Shelton came off as desperate for some points with his strategy, while Nagata again played the badass old dude perfectly. Shelton’s early attacks, Nagata’s comebacks and the finishing stretch were all really well done. ***½
Block A
Davey Boy Smith Jr. (2) vs. Satoshi Kojima (4)
These two would have a pretty solid match the following year. This one begins with the expected back and forth. Kojima takes the first real advantage by clotheslining Smith over and outside. It’s that classic G1 ringside brawl. Kojima nails his trademark apron DDT but gets bitten in the ankle by Taka Michinoku, freeing up Smith to get on the offensive. Smith badmouths the fans and wears down Kojima. Kojima comes back, lighting up Smith with chops that the fans go nuts for. A strike exchange follows, which Kojima wins. He looks to be on the verge of a win until that damn Taka Michinoku distracts him. Smith hits a goddamn tiger suplex for two. The fans bite on a near fall following a lariat from Kojima as well. Smith survives some more attacks and wins with a sitout powerbomb.
Winner: Davey Boy Smith Jr. (4) in 11:43
That was, like the last match, a pretty damn good back and forth battle. Kojima continued to show that he is one tough bastard, while Smith had to be cunning and use his power to hang out. This was a fun hard hitting bout. ***½
Block A
Katsuyori Shibata (4) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (2)
Right at the bell, these two just charge at each other and proceed to beat the fuck out of one another. I mean, they literally just destroy each other with forearms, lariats and running kicks. They don’t have your typical forearm exchange, instead seemingly challenging their opponent to hit them harder. Both men literally leave themselves open so the other one can strike. Ishii cracks first, unable to kick because he holds his chest in pain. Shibata pounces, relentlessly delivering forearms in the corner. Ishii screams through the pain, but too many cause him to fall. Shibata follows with a great basement dropkick. After gathering his wits, Ishii now goes on the offensive, just murdering Shibata with vicious shots. Shibata catches a kick from Ishii and hits a big lariat. He applies a Boston crab, but Ishii reaches the ropes, so he pulls him back and works the STF. Ishii survives and then lays out Shibata with a lariat, though he is also down. When they get up, it’s just more abuse from each guy. Shibata takes down Ishii but only gets a count of one! Ishii hits a lariat and also only gets one! They headbutt each other and both just fall out again. The fact that they’re still even able to do anything is nuts. They beat the count and Shibata locks in the sleeper. Ishii looks like he’s about to die in it. He survives that though and we get another series of kick outs at one before Ishii puts Shibata down with a Brainbuster.
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii (4) in 12:17
Holy shit. I said that more times than I could count while watching this. This is just a straight up fight in the best possible way. These are two of the very best at what they do and they work so well together. This had pretty much everything I could want in a match. It was stiff, there was a hot crowd, there was drama and it all just worked. I honestly don’t even have enough words to describe it. Watch it now. It is the best sub-fifteen minute match I have ever seen. *****
Block A
Hirooki Goto (4) vs. Lance Archer (4)
As usual with a Lance Archer match, the size advantage is played into. Goto fires away to start though it doesn’t have much impact. Things move outside, again as usual, where Archer just pounds away on Goto. Goto barely beats the count, entering the ring at nineteen. Archer stays in control for a bit until Goto ducks a shot and hits a big lariat, finally taking the big man down. Goto starts to do better and hits a backdrop suplex for two. Archer ends up hitting a sweeping reverse DDT for a near fall. They end up nailing each other with lariats with neither guy falling. Arches ducks one and hits a full nelson slam for two, growing frustrated that he can’t keep Goto down. Goto goes up top only for Archer to grab him for his finish. Goto slips free, hits a headbutt and spinning lariat before pulling him into a very odd pinning combination, earning the win.
Winner: Hirooki Goto (6) in 8:35
A come down after the previous match but that was to be expected. They did pretty well here, working the size game again. I’ve seen it from Archer often in the G1, but it works rather well so I get sticking to it. ***
Block B
Minoru Suzuki (2) vs. Tetsuya Naito (2)
Minoru Suzuki almost always works a smart match and it’s no different here. He immediately takes Naito to the mat, focusing on the arm, while also negating Naito’s high flying style. He slaps on the rope hung armbar, continuing the focused attack. Of course, there is some outside action where Suzuki kicks Naito’s leg into the guardrail. Minoru is a smart man. He’s simultaneously setting up for his armbar, while also making sure Naito can’t do his best work. He uses a figure four to further the damage. Naito starts a comeback and even puts Minoru in a submission of his own. Unlike his match on night three with Yuji Nagata, Naito is doing a pretty good job of selling the leg. Minoru continues to hone in on the knee, twisting and bending it in awkward ways. When he doesn’t have it in a hold, he’s kicking at it at every opening. Naito survives a sleeper and starts to rally. He does hit a missile dropkick but at least has the mind to limp after hitting it. He finally scores with the Stardust Press.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito (4) in 16:19
Probably the best performance from Naito so far in the tournament. Suzuki was his usual great self. The selling from Naito this time around helped add to it, making his desperate run at the end better. I do wish he found a different way to win instead of doing something that he needed his leg for. Still, a really good match. ***¾
Block A
Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) vs. Prince Devitt (4)
Prince Devitt comes out with a guitar, infringing on Jeff Jarrett’s gimmick. He nails Tanahashi with it during his entrance and then walks around posing with his jacket. Devitt and Fale work him over on the outside, giving us the classic G1 countout tease. Inside, Devitt hits a dropkick that rivals Okada’s. Most of Devitt’s other stuff isn’t too fascinating though. Tanahashi begins mounting his offense. They do the stupid spot where the heels stand there and patiently wait for the face to leap onto them. I literally see Fale and Devitt just calmly wait while Tanahashi does High Fly Flow onto them. Since it’s a Devitt match, we get a ref bump. Fale comes in and whacks Tanahashi with a chair. Captain New Japan runs in to try and make the save but fails. Fale not only levels Tanahashi but Devitt beats him up with a chair. He then hits a diving double stomp onto the chair onto Tanahashi, who just kicks out. Tanahashi gets up and goes into his stuff, coming incredibly close on a straightjacket German. He hits High Fly Flow but Fale is up and choking him before he can do a second. Captain New Japan is up and wails on him to no avail. However, it is distracting enough for Tanahashi to leap, but Devitt gets the knees up. Karl Anderson shows up while Fale has the official and nails Tanahashi with a Stun Gun. Devitt follows up with Bloody Sunday and that’s a wrap.
Winner: Prince Devitt (6) in 11:07
I’ll give the match props for having a ton of heat. The fans were totally into this and everything these guys did. However, like most Devitt and Bullet Club things, it was riddled with far too much overbooking and interference to make it great. ***½
Block A
Kazuchika Okada (2) vs. Togi Makabe (2)
Considering Devitt/Tanahashi and now this matchup, I feel like I’m watching Dominion 2013 all over again. Judging by their styles, you wouldn’t think these two would have great chemistry but they do. A feeling out process opens things with neither man gaining the upper hand. When the match moves outside, Okada takes control by ramming Makabe into the rail. Once back inside, Okada is confident because he’s in firm control. You can just see how smug he is by his face. Makabe slams him from the top rope and then snaps off a powerslam to stop Okada. Okada will not be denied though, withstanding a lariat and going back on the offensive. He hits the elbow and calls for the RAINMAKER! Makabe avoids it before hitting a lariat of his own. He scores a close call with a bridging German. Togi is rolling and hits a powerbomb for another near fall. He ends up hitting the Spider German but misses the King Kong Knee Drop. Once up, Okada strikes with that gorgeous dropkick to the back of the head. Makabe avoids a tombstone but runs into another dropkick. He still manages to block the Rainmaker and hits a DVD for two. In what had to be the closest near fall of the night and maybe even the whole tournament, Makabe ducks a Rainmaker and hits a dragon suplex for two. A lariat and King Kong Knee drop is enough to move Okada to 1-3.
Winner: Togi Makabe (4) in 13:55
Once again, the chemistry between these two just clicks in a way that it doesn’t for other guys. It took a bit to really get going but once it did, this ruled. Great drama, lots of close calls and very crisp work from both men. A great match added to an already great show. ****¼
Block B
Kota Ibushi (6) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (2)
This is a pretty big spot for Kota Ibushi. During the early feeling out process here, Nakamura is kind of toying with Ibushi. Like, he’s testing the waters but also showing him who’s in charge. He has Ibushi scouted, getting in the ring to avoid his trademark moonsault outside and kicking him off the top. Nakamura beats him up outside, complete with a running knee to the back of the head. Once back inside, Nakamura continues to mess with Ibushi, slapping him up. Ibushi isn’t scared though, firing back until Nakamura just destroys him with knee strikes. Ibushi comes back with a backflip kick. A standing shooting star press, followed by a second rope moonsault isn’t enough. With Nakamura outside, Ibushi decides to wow the fans with a corkscrew moonsault that is pretty breathtaking. Now they just move to the stiff stuff with a forearm exchange. Nakamura wins out so Ibushi goes to a combination of slaps and kicks, only for Nakamura to hit a knee and backstabber. This is turning into a war. Ibushi gets two after a dragon suplex and standing corkscrew moonsault. He scores on a vicious kick to the skull that seems to knock Nakamura out. A sitout Last Ride also isn’t enough. Nakamura gets his knees up on the Phoenix Splash and hits Boma Ye to the back to the head. He’s too hurt to pin but ends up stomping the fuck out of Ibushi in the corner. Like a man, Ibushi gets up and strikes the shit out of Shinsuke. After another near fall, Ibushi kicks away at Shinsuke’s head with some serious attitude. Nakamura kicks him away and hits a second rope knee. He nails another and then Boma Ye only for Ibushi to kick out at one! Another Boma Ye is the nail in the coffin, ending things.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (4) in 19:18
This was insane. Nakamura was a dick early on, putting Ibushi in his place. He hit some vicious shots that I thought would end Ibushi, but Ibushi fought back with a vengeance. He came out of this looking like a million bucks. The timing of Ibushi kicking out at one was masterful, bringing the electric crowd to their feet. I can’t say enough about this match. They would top it in the Tokyo Dome in 2015, but this was spectacular and easily the second best match of the tournament so far. ****¾
Overall: 9.5/10. A tremendous event from top to bottom. There is honestly nothing bad on the entire show. Even the opener, which is the worst part of the show, is decently fun. There are some truly incredible matches on this show. Makabe/Okada is great, while Nakamura/Ibushi and Ishii/Shibata are all-time classics. The crowd is molten throughout the evening and this is a must see event. One of, if not the best G1 Climax show I’ve ever watched.
| A Block | Points | B Block | Points |
| Hirooki Goto | 6 (3-1) | Kota Ibushi | 6 (3-1) |
| Prince Devitt | 6 (3-1) | Yujiro Takakashi | 6 (3-1) |
| Togi Makabe | 4 (2-2) | Karl Anderson | 6 (3-1) |
| Davey Boy Smith Jr. | 4 (2-2) | Tetsuya Naito | 4 (2-2) |
| Satoshi Kojima | 4 (2-2) | Shelton X Benjamin | 4 (2-2) |
| Lance Archer | 4 (2-2) | Yuji Nagata | 4 (2-2) |
| Tomohiro Ishii | 4 (2-2) | Shinsuke Nakamura | 4 (2-2) |
| Katsuyori Shibata | 4 (2-2) | Minoru Suzuki | 2 (1-3) |
| Kazuchika Okada | 2 (1-3) | Hiroyoshi Tenzan | 2 (1-3) |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | 2 (1-3) | Toru Yano | 2 (1-3) |
