Side note as I go through this: Sticking away from Twitter and going in spoiler-free is how the G1 is meant to be done.
1. G1 Climax – Block A: SANADA vs. Lance Archer
Archer is still beating up young boys and doing somersault planchas and SANADA is still selling and being very popular but as we head towards the end of the G1 I can tell ya the charm might be wearing off a bit. It was a night that the brothers kind of took off, even if SANADA still did a moonsault. A few neat variations of their finisher counters at the end were nice, though Archer slowing down on the Derailer to setup a leg roll clutch from SANADA was garbage. **3/4
2. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
This is just Hiroshi Tanahashi selling his ass off and trying to fight back against a big tall fat dude and it rules. And then, suddenly, I am shaken to my very core, as Tanahashi kicks out of the Grenade, Fale goes for the Last Fall, Tana escapes and tries a backslide, and Fale counters with his own backslide and ACTUALLY WINS. ***1/2
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Will Ospreay vs. KENTA
This delivered the high-end Will Ospreay vs. KENTA match anyone could’ve wanted, or at least expected these days. They went high-speed with the rope-running and striking early on like it was Differ Ariake in 2014, all supplemented by KENTA being a dick and Will making his faces. And then KENTA slipped on a springboard, and honestly – so what? It didn’t kill the match. It’s a high risk maneuver! Two minutes later they were trading elbows like it was some battle for survival. Will also threw what might’ve been his nastiest Hidden Blade here yet. The Ospreay guy has had some epic matches with all-time greats, but this was him taking lofty (and perhaps unfair) expectations and delivering on them. These boys went hard and it didn’t all hit but most of it sure did. ****
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
This was just a whole lot of cool-ass grappling with Ibushi popping off a snap rana or something every once in a while, and after these guys having themselves a bunch of Almost Epics I kind of dug the vibe of this. ZSJ went after the ankle like a hawk, then as the match progressed kept acting like a cocky dickhead which first offended Ibushi then had Ibushi smack his ass to the mat. A kind of crap Kamigoye ends it. Good, just maybe a little lower than expected from these guys. ***3/4
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL
I loved this match – they brought a credibility, pacing, and drama to what was honestly the usual kind of Okada big match, outside of them seamlessly fitting EVIL’s shtick into the larger match which was honestly kind of impressive. EVIL threw a chair to block the guardrail crossbody, and THAT’S what setup the chair shtick this time. The last 10 minutes or so are just freakishly good too. The New Japan Main Event formula sometimes hits, sometimes misses, sometimes leaves ya confused. This one hit and it hit hard. They brought the lariats, the suplexes, the finishers and signature moves and kickouts and they still managed to throw in like six genuine surprises. EVIL might throw the best damn lariat in the business. They got a lot out of all their big stuff at the end, peaking with THIS:
EVIL counters a Rainmaker with a Dragon suplex, does a half-hatch suplex, Okada ducks a lariat and dropkicks EVIL’s back, EVIL stumbles up and runs into a dropkick, Okada tries a Rainmaker, EVIL counters with an Everything is Evil, Okada blocks that and tries a lariat but EVIL HEADBUTTS Okada and has this look on his face of absolute PREPARATION. Another lariat gets a last-second near fall before he sets up Everything is Evil, which is blocked and eventually followed with THREE Rainmaker’s right before the 30-minute draw for the win.
I know Tanahashi and Okada are God’s but at some point EVIL deserves praise for seamlessly inter-weaving so well into everybody’s shit. ****1/4
Actually now I’m more mad at SANADA and Archer because if that delivered this is the clear Show of the Tourney.
