These are the few remaining G1 Climax 27 matches I chose to watch that weren’t aired on AXS TV. God bless you, New Japan World. And DailyMotion when I forgot my password.
No formula on the choices, just stuff I was interested in – needed more Nagata, Kojima and Yano than I got on AXS.
G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata (Night 5 7/23/17)
I’ve always liked the darkened New Japan “house show G1” vibe. This is super basic New Japan stuff but a very good standalone match regardless. Nagata’s run in the G1 as guy working from underneath was tremendous. Tanahashi works the shit out of his legs, Tanahashi poses, Tanahashi gets booed. Nagata just sells his ass off. Their slap exchange towards the end is wild, including Nagata’s Flair Flop. Not must-watch but good stuff. ***1/4
G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi (Night 5 7/23/17)
These two just brutalized each other, crazy fun stuff. Loved the story of Kota Ibushi trying to keep up with the ultimate Dad Wrestler and actually exceeding. They sold the hell out of how hard Ibushi was working to take down Ishii and it was awesome. Some insane rapid-fire elbows and kicks here, oh MAN. ***1/2
G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. Toru Yano (Night 6 7/25/17)
Yano pulls out ALLLLL the tricks while Kenny plays along and it’s pretty great. I liked that this was a pretty pure comedy match, but at no point was Yano fooling around – he desperately wanted to win this thing. Kenny gets powder in the eyes after opening a decoy DVD, blind Kenny almost gives the ref a One-Winged Angel, Kenny gets tied up. They do a hair-pull Strong Style exchange which was definitely better in theory than execution. Charming! FUN! ***
G1 Climax – Block A: Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito (Night 7 7/26/17)
Naito works the neck, Nagata fires up, and it’s all pretty good. Naito does THE POSE plus a NAGATA SALUTE and it is wonderful. Nagata throws some HARD fucking slaps and it is wonderful, too. These two have what might be the most intense slap exchange of all-time towards the end. They manage a few major near falls before a Destino seals the deal. ***1/4
G1 Climax – Block B: Kazuchika Okada vs. Satoshi Kojima (Night 8 7/27/17)
This is Kazuchika Okada playing douchebag heel and it is AMAZING. Crowd is ALLLLL about Kojima, and rightfully so: early on he takes Okada down with a shoulder tackle and FLEXES HIS PECS. Okada meanwhile dropkicks him outside and gives a look like, “It’s too bad I’m too good.” He then DDT’s Kojima on the floor, soaks up the boos, and ATTACKS TENZAN! Then smiles because Tenzan can’t attack him!!!! His Rainmaker pose gets HUUUUGE heat and he just LAUGHS at it. This is just a revelation of an Okada performance. His selling is always a strong point, but he goes above and beyond here taking Kojima’s rapid-fire chops, reacting to them like he’s Paul Lynde or something.
Kojima meanwhile puts on the performance of a lifetime, just perfect for where he’s at in his career. He seems just a step behind but his desperation carries him through. He just shotgun blasts Okada with a forearm at one point. Does his corner pose, but pauses to rest before the elbow. Tenzan through all this is cheering his boy on from the floor.
Classic countering towards the end – Kojima takes off the elbow pad, Okada ducks a lariat, Okada sets up Rainmaker, Kojima ducks, Kojima sets up a lariat, Okada ducks, sets up Rainmaker… KOJIMA DOES HIS OWN RAINMAKER for a near fall. Kojima runs into a gorgeous dropkick, Okada manages a tombstone, and then finally hits a Rainmaker for 3. ****
G1 Climax – Block A: Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii (Night 9 7/29/17)
This is such a Main Event New Japan match – nothing you haven’t seen before, but shit is crazy. Solid, physical, INTENSE. Lots of Ishii landing on his neck, getting big near falls on Naito. Brought down a bit by Naito’s boring offense coming to roost. But still, this thing is wild. ***1/2
G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. EVIL (Night 12 8/2/17)
A beautiful trainwreck of a wrestling match. Lots of shenanigans early – EVIL does his brawl shtick, they tease and deliver some suplexes on the floor. EVIL does his chair thing on the outside and Kenny sells, and EVIL just rolls inside and rests, which I found kind of amazing. The match goes to… I’m not sure if it’s a second level, but it’s some kind of level beyond, when EVIL Rock Bottom’s Kenny through a table and it seems to completely fuck EVIL up. They go long and the selling is good – both guys are exhausted, Kenny’s rapid-fire shit is crazy, and EVIL is just a mad man. I think he legitimately get concussed here, which sucks. It’s all very fun stuff but jeez guys calm down. A few insane near falls lead to Kenny finally pulling off the W. ****
G1 Climax – Block A: Yuji Nagata vs. Kota Ibushi (Night 13 8/4/17)
This started off pretty pedestrian but by the end I was loving it. Both did what they do – Kota kicked hard, Nagata locked on holds. And then Nagata got angry and just started slapping Kota around, so Kota started bringing the PAIN and it was awesome. There’s a few crazy-ass suplexes towards the end, and the sit-out Last Ride kickout is NUTS. This one’s a keeper. ***3/4
G1 Climax – Block B: Minoru Suzuki vs. Toru Yano (Night 18 8/12/17)
I had to watch this – two of the best character guys in New Japan. Suzuki goes right after Yano before the bell and the crowd LOSES THEIR SHIT. He then precedes to just wreck Yano, but Yano goes for every little trick to try and keep up. Taichi interferes, Rocky Romero makes the save, and the finish is a blast. This is everything it needed to be. **3/4
