Between nights 2 and 3, an already depleted G1 Climax lineup took another hit when Tetsuya Naito dropped out with an injury. In place of his (forfeited) matches will be assorted Yuji Nagata, BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi matches, which — can we just put the junior heavyweights in this G(1)od damn tournament already?
That’s how it starts…
NJPW G1 CLIMAX 31 NIGHT 3 (9/23/21)
1. Tanga Loa vs. Yuji Nagata
Love a bonus Yuji Nagata match but still waiting for Tanga Loa to register. Big Bad Blue Justice outwrestled him for a little before Loa shoved him into the ring apron and the Heel Work began. It was a pretty dry match that didn’t establish Loa as credible enough to beat Nagata, even when he was standing there after having actually beaten him. **1/2
2. G1 Climax – Block A: Toru Yano vs. Great-O-Khan
The two jokers didn’t match up very well, having a match that just felt like any Yano match. O-Khan survived having his ponytail tied to the rail, coldspray to the eyes, and a couple well-timed cradles before he grabbed Yano’s face and won. *1/2
3. G1 Climax – Block A: KENTA vs. Yujiro Takahashi
The two Bullet Club guys played it straight, having a match that was all sorts of just fine. KENTA swivels his hips, throws a mean lariat, trips on a snapmare… it’s a series of ups and downs. He counters a low blow with a crossface too, which I thought was nice and creative. KENTA’s face writhed with disappointment as Yujiro revved up at the end, though the revving was only half-speed. GTS, 1-2-3, hugs and tears for this **3/4 match.
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Kota Ibushi came into this match in absolute tatters, a loss to Yujiro on opening night and now friggin Ishii on night two. He powered through though. He uses a slap-fight to take over after enduring a quick ass-beating from Ishii, then they head towards a pretty spectacular 10-minute finishing stretch. Each guy has this match down and each move flowed right into the next: strikes and suplexes, ducks and dodges, counters and… kickouts.
Ishii made sure everything resonated too, alternating between selling like a stonewall badass and selling like both his neck and nose were broken beyond repair. Ibushi keeps trying the Kamigoye and Ishii keeps saying no until he has to accept his fate and collapse into one. Not their highest peak, but a spectacular match worthy of the G1. ****1/4
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
This was a lot like Zack’s matches with Naito, where this crafty and creative asshole wrestles a guy known for a certain exciting match type and forces him to do something completely different. Zack goes right at the arm, as he is to do, and Shingo counters with sudden bursts of intensity — as he is to do. Over nearly half an hour Zack has a response for everything Shingo tries, and while Shingo kind of follows the template Zack just keeps wearing the arm down until — spoiler alert — he traps the IWGP Champion and makes him scream uncle. This isn’t some Dick Beyer classic but ZSJ continues to deliver some of the most interesting possible main events in New Japan. ****1/4
NJPW G1 CLIMAX 31 NIGHT 4 (9/24/21)
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
I’m not closing the book on there being one or two (or five) more great Tanahashi/Goto matches in the future, but here the task was open the show and they did a good job. When Tanahashi hits the first move on Goto’s leg, he nods to the crowd like, “Yep – I got this.” They built up some quality drama as Goto rallied back before an inside cradle cut everything short. ***1/4
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Tama Tonga vs. Chase Owens
Like KENTA/Yujiro, this is a pair of Bullet Club bros playing it straight and the change of pace is nice for both guys — even if they’re being lapped elsewhere in the tournament. They put in their attempt at a Good Match and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with this basic bunch of wrestling, though given the environment it feels a step behind and no amount of yelling on commentary can change that. Tonga counters a package piledriver setup with a Stun Gun to win, which I thought was just so neat. **1/4
3. G1 Climax – Block B: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jeff Cobb
For a while, YOSH couldn’t get a thing going against Cobb — until he did for a little bit, and then didn’t again. It is good old-fashioned outmatched underdog vs. big jackass wrestling, even if neither guy is as good at the role as they probably should be. Highlights included YOSHI giving his all to a lariat and the sheer absurdity of YOSHI hitting the Canadian Destroyer on Cobb. ***
4. G1 Climax – Block B: SANADA vs. Taichi
These two went the full New Japan 25 here, taking us on a journey through flexing pectorals and counters of counters. Each guy sells their exhaustion pretty brilliantly as the match goes on and they eventually get to the exciting finish they need to, but it wasn’t without some weird detours (what was with that double-down spot?) and could’ve come a little sooner. ***1/4
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL
Here is Okada selling for an opponent and making them look like a threat before a comeback where he screams and grits his teeth en route to a triumphant victory. There are too many better examples of this match for me to recommend it, though the formula remains pretty supreme even after all these years. I definitely have thoughts on recent Okada I need to flesh out, though thinking them right after a match with EVIL probably isn’t fair. A referee bump and interference from Dick Togo didn’t really add to the excitement of Okada’s comeback, though a menacing shotgun dropkick that sent Togo across the ring absolutely did. ***1/2
Happy Thoughts: Only the G1 Climax could feel like it sucks after those Ibushi/Ishii and Shingo/ZSJ matches, but here we are. It’s an off year, you know? Even with Naito’s injury, Block A still leads in quality, but both blocks appear headed towards many nights of two good matches missing something and three other matches ranging from trash to good try. 2.5 / 5.0
