True story – I actually watched this show with Captain Lou in the wee hours of a Friday evening / Saturday morning but I was so tired I have almost no recollection of it. All I remember is ignoring the Switchblade/Elgin match, a decision I stand by.
Clips of Minoru Suzuki vs. YOSHI-HASHI and Togi Makabe vs. EVIL are shown to start the show. I do kind of remember Makabe vs. EVIL being fun. I also remember WANTING to like YOSHI-HASHI as he tried to conquer his opponent, but it just never happened, just like every YOSHI-HASHI match. That Suzuki dropkick was great though.
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Jay White vs. Michael Elgin
This is just the last couple minutes and I don’t care if Korakuen freaked out for the sit-out powerbomb near fall, it was trash.
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahshi vs. Bad Luck Fale
Bad Luck Fale might be a big fella, he might be a dislikable heel, he might be a good office boy, and Tanahashi and Okada might be able to carry him to pretty good matches, but he is indicative of the regression in quality of the major Japanese gaijin wrestler. I don’t need a Stan Hansen, but can you at least give me a Jamal?
Hiroshi Tanahashi is an excellent pro wrestler and people like him, so his matches are usually good. Unless he’s wrestling Jay White in the Tokyo Dome for some reason. Either way, here he is selling, he is working a leg, he is delivering dramatic near falls – and it’s all very good, but he’s also wrestling this blob of a guy wearing a black cut-off shirt and black sweatpants. So while it tells a tale as old as time, the journey of said tale has been portrayed better many times before.
This match ends with the referee getting down to count a pin for Fale after Firing Squad interference, but stopping, flipping off the Firing Squad, and DQ’ing Fale. And that is so good. ***1/2
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hangman Page
Hangman Page should wear kneepads.
This was, like, Pretty Good, but the only real genuine visceral enjoyment I got from it was watching Okada adapt to Hangman’s style over substance shtick. A tope elbow drop, a slingshot clothesline over the guardrail, that goofy-ass Rainmaker counter – stop trying so hard.
I dunno, the guy is capable and earning incredible experience and I’m sure I’ll be flipping out for him in a few years but him right now in a big match vs. Okada didn’t click for me, even if it had all the marks of what might be considered a really good wrestling match in 2018.
Epic Rainmaker to close though. **
