Clips of SANADA vs. Tonga, Yano vs. Sabre, and Ibushi vs. Juice are shown before the two big matches. The problem with The Firing Squad isn’t the interference – it’s that it’s Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale doing that interference. Yano vs. ZSJ meanwhile is a match I’d like to see.
JR: “great house, full crowd” – this guy doesn’t even know KORAKUEN HALL.
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii
God, he might be hit-or-miss in-ring but I love me some Tetsuya Naito. That look of contempt for these wrestling fans even being in this building watching him wrestle this stupid fake match is legendary.
This is a match about making faces. I mean they’re hitting each other very hard many times, but it is about the faces they make when they are doing it. There’s a sequence pretty early where they are trading strikes (shocker) and Naito has this look on him like, “Aw fuck, I’m really gonna have to try in this one too, aren’t I.” Ishii meanwhile has that look he always has: “I am old, I am broken down, and I accept the punishment as the rent I must pay to live in the house of the amazing profession I have chosen – but I am taking you with me motherfucker.”
Maybe I’m projecting.
Other cool stuff that happened in this match: Ishii pounds Naito with chops while Naito smirks and tries to play it cool. Naito hits a missile dropkick and Ishii just stumbles a bit but does not go down, then just runs his body like a freight train into Naito. Naito takes a big clothesline bump, as always. And the desperation and the drama and the near falls are VERY exciting. ****
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto
Did you know that Hirooki Goto vs. Togi Makabe was the G1 Finals match in 2008? I have known this at multiple times in my life and I still somehow keep forgetting.
Also, this was a G1 Finals match only two years ago. What I’m trying to say is that Hirooki Goto will just sneak up on you, man.
What do you do when there’s not much depth to you as a wrestler and you already had your Big Crazy Match in recent memory? You go in the crowd, baby.
Maybe they should have stayed there. This was fine, maybe even good, but it was one of those New Japan main events that might have ACTION! and STRIKES! and NEAR FALLS! but just doesn’t really resonate as a compelling piece of business.
I think the Korakuen faithful got a kick out of this match but Omega, while a freakish ball of athleticism, has a shtick that only works for me with someone who can make it interesting (or at least go as balls out as he wants to: sup Naito). And Goto’s curse continues – he’ll have a great match with guys you wouldn’t expect, he’ll have a disappointing match with guys you love, and he’ll just casually have himself a big crazy New Japan main event like this one but it just doesn’t connect.
This certainly wasn’t a crappy match – it ended up pretty good! I mean what a finish! But I dunno, the wrestling fan in me doesn’t think it’s good enough to say “great match, stiff strikes, huge near falls.” There has to be something MORE! Right? Right??
They should have made more faces. ***1/4
