After one of the best Block A shows, this might’ve been the worst Block B show yet… everybody’s tired and no one’s inspired. Great main event though!
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Toru Yano
Of course Ishii had a legit good Yano match – I think they’ve done this before too. They do the usual shtick early, with the Stone Pitbull not biting (GET IT!?), then Yano actually sort of kind of wrestles as he trade strikes and does more unique takedowns than usual. Ishii knocks him around before they manage a couple awesome near cradle falls by Yano, whether from the usual exposed buckle or a more exciting counter of Ishii’s sliding lariat. Yano also busts out what was basically an enzuigiri lariat, which I’m not sure I’ve seen before. A brainbuster puts us back in reality, but what a run. ***1/4
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Taichi vs. Juice Robinson
Taichi’s an odd duck in that all the heel stuff he does – interference, crowd brawling, hiding behind female manager – is played for comedy more than anything. So it hits like one out of every 20 times. For a match I didn’t really like, they got some hot near falls and had a few fun bits around Robinson’s “JUICE!” punches. Taichi winning was kind of a bummer to end it on though. **1/4
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb
I will always give Goto credit as a man who has chemistry with some weird folks you wouldn’t expect him too but this wasn’t it. Lots of strikes and suplexes in a wrestling world filled with too many of em. Goto selling his knee pain off the Ushigiroshi because Cobb’s such a big bastard popped me though. **
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Jay White vs. Jon Moxley
There was the odd good moment here – Gedo stealing Mox’s table, Mox unloading on White, White shoving Mox into the ref off the first Dirty Deeds attempt. Otherwise, this was… OK. It felt like a WWE Battleground match that didn’t hit second gear. Neither guy really did what they’re good at, or at least what they’re good at opposite other guys – Mox didn’t beat enough ass, White wasn’t enough of a shit. The Blade Runner into a Dirty Deeds was a pretty sweet counter, but a pretty crab Blade Runner putting down Mox in like 10 minutes was another bummer finish. **1/2
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo Takagi
A match with an ATMOSPHERE that delivered every thing you ever wanted from the thoughts that filled your brain the moment the G1 Climax 29 blocks were announced and it showed Naito and Shingo in the same block. Comrades in arms, I loved Naito trying the fist bump and Shingo just grabbing him to set something up – this is not some fun house, Tetsuya, you sonofabitch. They did a bunch of weird Lucha stuff, Naito sat in a chair and prayed, and both guys were just incredible bitches to each other the entire time.
My favorite part of this was after a while, the match became more about Shingo just ragdolling Naito and Naito not having much behind his offense because he was legitimately shook by Shingo – a sight to see. Not sure about that Frankensteiner by Naito that ended up a senton bomb by Shingo, or a Naito poison rana, or a Naito Canadian Destroyer, but also very much sure about Shingo’s sudden Pumping Bomber and Naito trying and trying and trying to nail that Destino before he finally did with just a few minutes to spare. Insane, insane, insane, a rollercoaster of an athletic contest with a ton of character and two wrestlers trying to win a god damn wrestling match. ****1/2
