In this blackout inertia will hold our thoughts
And the exit sign offers no light to see by
Can we cast our shadows alone in the dark?
I can’t see without you
When the world is crashing down,
Part with it, start again,
When the world is crashing down,
These notes will fold themselves,
Standing at the margin’s edge
To see where the daybreak ends
You can find compassion here but the page turns too fast
We fell in this hole that opened up
Givin up on hope, living without love
And we still type black lines
When the world is crashing down
These notes will fold themselves
1. Yota Tsuji vs. Gabriel Kidd
A high energy slugfest, two guys going for broke as the G1 Climax winds down. The giant swing into a crab hold wins another one for Yota Tsuji, the budding Nakanishi kind of guy he is. **1/2
2. G1 Climax – Block A: Jeff Cobb vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Jeff and Yujiro didn’t bring much to the G1 and this was more of the same – not bad, but boring. Was nice to see Yujiro get not just a win but one that came off like a win and not a fluke. *1/2
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Shingo Takagi vs. Minoru Suzuki
A simple kind of match, one all about attitude and elbows and absorbing lariats and escaping sleeper holds. Eventually Shingo just punched Suzuki in the face and dropped him with Last of the Dragon for 3. Suzuki, like a prick, holds the NEVER Title between his teeth after the match to remind Shingo he’s still champ. ***3/4
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
It is very on brand that Ospreay will take it up a notch working with the top guy, though Okada has a weird affinity for him too and they were kind of killing it here for a while. Then, suddenly: Bea Priestley and a big scary guy I didn’t recognize.
Before that, they did that thing where they casually do amazing wrestling while Okada continued to try and pay off Money Clip Madness. Will threw some wild kicks directly to the face and the standing Spanish Fly counter of the Rainmaker might be the only good actual use of the standing Spanish Fly.
They took advantage of a lot of Okada’s G1 journey, getting some big near falls going before Bea Priestley and the man known as Great O-Kharn. O-Khan. Ok. ***3/4
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Kota Ibushi vs. Taichi
After seeing a hundred of the same match (sorry Goto!), it was nice to see these two do something completely different. They worked this around kicks, and by that I mean I’m not sure there was a move in this match that wasn’t a kick besides a couple big boots and the Kamigoye.
These pro wrestlers just wrapped me up in their world through emoting how much of a tough guy they are and want to be, first out of honor and eventually out of stupidity. The kicks were rough from the start but by the end they were just pasting each other, their pain bare for all of us to see as they got slower and slower and the welts on their thighs became so bad the camera took time to zoom in. Of course they weren’t above Taichi using the pants rip-off spot too, because god damnit the ridiculous in the midst of the seriousness is what is so great about professional wrestling sometimes.
Ibushi the angry striker is a mood and Taichi is not only elite at big main event but this leg selling shit too, like he’s Kawada’s boy or something. I don’t know if they’ll be OK after this but this was an amazing amazing match. ****1/4
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White
Tomohiro Ishii has been the G1 MVP year after year and 2020 was no different, though Shingo gave him a run for his money. I’m not sure even Shingo could’ve pulled this one off though, a satisfying ending to the A Block where Ishii delivered no less than everything needed: a main event Jay White match, dramatic leg selling (even after the last match!), a satisfying win even if he couldn’t make it to the finals. The crowd’s absolute elation when Jay actually stays down for the 3 is all you need to know about this one. ****
Happy Thoughts: This show was all over the place but a heck of a time: good wrestling, wild angles, and another Ishii Special. 8/10
