All these kinds of places
Make it seem like it’s been ages
Tomorrow’s sun with buildings scrape the sky
I love this country dearly
I can feel the lighter clearly
But never thought I’d be alone to try
Once I was outside Penn Station
Selling red and white carnations
You were still alone
My wife and I
Before we marry, save my money
Brought my dear wife over
Now I want to bring my family state side
But off the boat they stayed a while
Then scatter cross the course
Once a year I’ll see them for a week or so at most
I took a walk
Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk
Take a walk, oh-oh-oh
Take a walk, oh-oh-oh
I take a walk
Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk
Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk
1. Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
This is actually an amazing payoff for their matches over the whole tour, like 7 minutes of callbacks. The finish is beautiful: Yuya wrenches an arm and tries the Kannuki Suplex Hold that he finally won with yesterday, but Tsuji rolls through into his trusty crab hold. Yuya fights his way to the ropes, but Tsuji pulls him back and does the giant swing he’s been using recently before putting Yuya back in the crab hold for the tapout. ***
2. G1 Climax – Block B: YOSHI-HASHI vs. KENTA
Me enduring KENTA offense is a personal choice, but this was good. Besides the Suzuki-gun guys, KENTA might be the best heel in New Japan based on just his shtick timing and not having a manager around (for now). He used to be a dick because he’d be mean and hit you in the face, now he’s just a dick cause he’s a famous wrestler. They brought together a quality finish too, a fine match I enjoyed more than many other fine matches because of how much it over-delivered. ***1/2
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Juice Robinson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
We could have easily been seeing either of these guys doing chinlocks and comebacks every week on SmackDown or RAW but here they are with a PLATFORM where they use 15 minutes to take time and work a match around holds and punches and though all of it didn’t work most of it did. Respect. ***1/4
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito
The usual, from both guys actually, but the bit with Naito teasing Tsuji with the LIJ fist bump for helping him got me. **
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL
Hirooki Goto is the only wrestler who can do a bulldog and make it seem real, so of course he is the guy who quietly reminds EVIL what it’s like to have a good traditional heavyweight wrestling match and not some boring interference-ridden bullshit match. ***1/4
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA
Tanahashi gave the 1970s NWA tribute match to SANADA this year and it was tremendous, both guys’ best outing in the tournament by far. This is not a tape study tribute, this is a tribute tribute. Tana takes 25 minutes and just enjoys being a main event superstar professional wrestler who milks every moment as they go hold-for-hold and counter-for-counter before they bring it home with a finish that pays off the limb damage done during the early work.
Tanahashi targets SANADA’s leg and even busts out the bridging Indian Deathlock as he tries to win with a Texas Cloverleaf. In 2020 New Japan. As SANADA rallies and they keep doing callbacks to the leg work it elicits a more genuine response than the more traditional strike exchange classic, with SANADA eventually triumphing and Tanahashi again putting over a guy in a fun, intelligent, and… grade one way. ****1/2
Happy Thoughts: Tanahashi/SANADA is one of the best matches of the tournament and the entire year in general. There isn’t much else that is must-see, but the whole card is as consistent as the B Block has been. 7/10
