Today is gonna be the day
That they’re gonna throw it back to you
By now you should’ve somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don’t believe that anybody
Feels the way I do, about you now
Backbeat, the word was on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don’t believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now
And all the roads we have to walk are winding…
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I
Would like to say to you but I don’t know how…
Because maybe…
You’re gonna be the one that saves me…
And after all
You’re my wonderwall…
1. Yota Tsuji vs. Gabriel Kidd
Gabriel Kidd threw a mean double chop, but Yota Tsuji did a STUMP PULLER! He pulled that stump! Kidd’s double-arm suplex does it again. **1/2
2. G1 Climax – Block B: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
This wasn’t the most exciting first offer from Block B after what Block A pulled last night, but YOSHI-HASHI did manage to best Zack Sabre in a technical exchange or two and threw a lariat that showed he meant business. The eventual submission ZSJ employed to tap him out was nasty too. **1/2
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. KENTA
They went weirdly long here at 10 minutes – Yano tried to Yano, but KENTA has not only played around in the WWE Performnace Center… he’s got a briefcase now too. KENTA beating Yano at his own game was an approach I dug if not a match I enjoyed. *1/2
4. G1 Climax – Block B: SANADA vs. Juice Robinson
I bought what SANADA was selling last year, able to go hard with any wrestling style on the planet and flip out fans while doing it. Since then, a lack of live crowd and direction after so many big time losses has created a guy that is just boring to watch. The dumb bro gimmick is SANADA’s thing, but that blank slate opposite struggling babyface in a wifebeater Juice Robinson just didn’t hit. There are points towards the end here where they were just effortlessly running through counter after counter and it was impressive, but my god man. *3/4
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
I’ve seen these two transform from Young Lions to New Japan Veterans and they did the thing you’d expect New Japan Veterans to do in the G1: work a limb. Tanahashi took a gentleman’s approach and instead of going after Goto’s taped-up shoulder he worked the leg to setup the Texas Cloverleaf… until Goto started giving him trouble. Tanahashi has had more trouble than usual in this G1, but when he said fuck it and just smacked Goto’s shoulder I LOST IT.
At under 15 minutes this was an abbreviated match for these two who are the rare pro wrestler that can do better with 20+, but they got the job done and put together an excellent finish: Goto hits a TOP ROPE GTR that appears to blow out his knee while also killing Tana, then Tana springs back to life with a desperate cradle after Goto lifts him up. Goto kicks out, then drops another GTR for the shocker clean win. ***1/2
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. EVIL
Naito/EVIL III was more of the same, maybe the match they worked the hardest in but another one that makes you question everything about wrestling. This pairing has all the ingredients to at least KIND OF work and it just doesn’t, or at least doesn’t reach the high expectation you might have and thus gets forgotten. It’s like Ric Flair vs. Arn Anderson with more eyeshadow. ***
Happy Thoughts: Tana and Goto can work a wrestling match but this was a weak card on paper and weak show on TV. 3/10
