A Battle of Britain was on the cards today for the latest round of the G1 – while Kazuchika Okada looked to remain unbeaten.
After a day off, the G1’s back on tour in Kagawa, stopping at the Takamatsu City General Gymnasium. We’ve still got the two-man booth of Kevin Kelly and Rocky Romero for the latest round of A block action…
Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Yota Tsuji vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura
Goto/Ishii is the main event on Thursday, so we open with a tag here to spotlight that. At least we’re not getting Honma and Yujiro on opposite sides for once!
Shoulder tackles and elbows were the order of the day, with Goto succeeding at first before he peed off Ishii with kicks. A quick scuffle led to tags as Uemura and Tsuji came in, trading chops and elbows, but it was Uemura who managed to stay on top as Honma came in to slow it down. A back elbow’s good for a two-count, before Uemura’s back with a leg lock to force Tsuji into the ropes. Tsuji’s kept isolated as Honma’s brought in to trade forearms again, sending Tsuji down before he connected with a Kokeshi. Kicks from Tsuji got him out of the corner before a dropkick took down Honma, as YOSHI-HASHI finally got into the match, chopping into Honma to get things going.
YOSHI-HASHI’s dropkick in the ropes keeps Honma in trouble… at least until a leaping Kokeshi hit its mark. Honma tagged out to Uemura, who comes back in with forearms, then with a dropkick, before he turned his aim on Goto… and that doesn’t go well as the ring slowly filled up. Ishii comes in, but gets taken down with a clothesline, before YOSHI-HASHI put Uemura away with a Bunker Buster and butterfly lock for the submission. This was fine – and didn’t veer too much into the usual slow-paced Honma stuff in 2019. **¾
Jon Moxley & Shota Umino vs. Toru Yano & Ren Narita
It’s Yano/Moxley on Thursday, which could go horribly for Yano.
Yano tried to make peace by giving Moxley his DVD, but he’s marking up the price… which forces Shota Umino to hassle Kimihiko Ozaki at ringside for the ¥5000… and in turn almost saw Yano lose at his own game as Moxley rolled him up. A slap to the back of the head just pisses off Moxley, forcing Yano to run for his life while Moxley grabbed a chair. Thursday is going to be wild. Yano tags in Narita… who just gets charged down as Moxley began to dismantle the Young Lion with a backbreaker. Umino picks up the slack, only to get caught with Narita’s overhead belly-to-belly out of nowhere.
Yano’s back in, but he’s back on the mat courtesy of Umino’s back elbow and a suplex that nearly ended things. Moxley gets knocked off the apron by Yano, but the US champion runs in to help with a Hart Attack that almost got Umino the fall, before a quick turnaround led to a low blow and a roll-up with Yano getting the win. I don’t think Yano will be as lucky on Thursday… **½
Bullet Club (Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens) vs. Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
I don’t want to be prejudiced here, but I don’t have high hopes for this one…
Minoru Suzuki, after having caught Kevin Kelly in the neck on Sunday, chose to just steal his chair as Rocky Romero did a runner. We start with all the plunder as all six men fought on the outside… and into the crowd, where Taichi wore down Jay White with someone’s towel. Chase Owens unwisely brawled with Minoru Suzuki around commentator’s row, and ended up getting his arm stretched in the guard rails instead. The referee starts counting, which led to all six men rolling into the ring to make sure they didn’t get counted out… as nobody was actually legal. We finally got going with Taichi and White being the legal men… and it’s not long before Taichi whipped off the trousers.
An attempted Blade Runner’s escaped as Taichi ends up landing a gamengiri instead, as tags took us to Suzuki and Yujiro. It’s as violent as you’d expect. Chase Owens came in, and got caught in a rear naked choke before Yoshinobu Kanemaru blind-tagged in to help boot Owens in the head. From there, Chase is wide open for the Deep Impact… but he falls back as Kanemaru ends up getting crotched on the impact, before falling to a Package Piledriver for the win. An inventive finish, and one that kinda enforced the caste system of “heavyweights over juniors” as really the result of this one didn’t matter in the scheme of things. **½
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) vs. Juice Robinson, Jeff Cobb & Toa Henare
It’s time to check in on BUSHI’s mask…
Shingo and Cobb get us going, but Cobb’s missed gachimuchi-sault has him in trouble as LIJ quickly swarmed him… only for Cobb to get back in gear, trading forearms with Shingo before the pair landed some sharp punches. The numbers game’s back in effect, bit Cobb effortlessly drops Naito and BUSHI with pumphandle suplexes, before Juice comes in and lands a cannonball, then a full nelson slam on Naito for a near-fall.
Juice looked for the powerbomb, but Naito ‘ranas out and followed up with a hanging reverse DDT out of the ropes. A tornado DDT’s next as Juice is firmly on the defensive, but things turned around against Shingo as a spinebuster allowed Juice to tag in Henare. So far this one’s felt strangely lethargic… A leaping shoulder tackle from Henare takes Shingo down, as does a stalling suplex, before Shingo hit back with a Pumping Bomber for a near-fall. Juice comes in to prevent a noshigami as a Parade of Moves bust out, culminating in a tope from BUSHI to Cobb on the outside as Henare resisted another Pumping Bomber… only to get caught with noshigami as LIJ almost took the win. One more Pumping Bomber does it, as Henare’s flipped to the mat for the three-count. I’m not sure BUSHI ever tagged in here, but this was fine – a little disappointing in terms of the energy, but this is what we get this deep into the tour. **½
After the match, Naito went after Juice’s hand, then mocked the “Juice” chants. That was funny, especially because the crowd went along with it, not recognising the irony… as Juice did the eye pose.
G1 Climax, Block A: Bad Luck Fale vs. Kota Ibushi
I’m not sure if I preferred 2018’s “always getting DQ’d Fale” to this year’s model. He needs a win to stay alive…
Fale attacks Ibushi from behind before the bell, throwing him out of the ring as Jado and Owens attacks Ibushi for him. In the aisle, Fale punches Ibushi in the gut, as he seemingly looked for the count-out win… burying Ibushi under guard rails… but it’s a bodge job and Kota’s able to make it back into the ring. Oh, and into the path of a splash to the back as Fale got a near-fall.
A camel clutch keeps up the pressure as Fale was keeping the tempo slow, catching Ibushi with a bear hug as he tried to snap Kota in half. Ibushi got free, and managed to start a comeback with some kicks, before a standing moonsault led to a near-fall. Chase Owens provides a distraction as Fale’s able to catch Kota in the corner with a splash, before Kota launched into a flurry of kicks to avoid a Grenade… only for his Kamigoye to get countered.
Jado’s Kendo stick stopped Ibushi’s offence, as a Bad Luck Fall came next… before Ibushi tried to counter with a crucifix. Jado gets involved, but the referee kicks it away as Marty Asami went to count the resulting two count from that crucifix, before Ibushi set up for a Bomaye knee… then a Kamigoye as the pair of knee strikes put Fale out of the G1. This was better than I expected, but maybe I’m used to the smoke and mirrors around Fale these days. **½
G1 Climax, Block A: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay
How is this this far down the card?! ZSJ got himself motivated for this by visualising Will as Boris Johnson, even though I’m pretty sure Ospreay wouldn’t be as disastrous a Prime Minister as the man who happens to be my local MP.
Ospreay starts by trying to outwrestle Sabre, but those opening exchanges didn’t make too much of a dent as they reached a stand-off. Sabre began to make some headway, going after Ospreay’s arm, wringing it as he worked up to the wrist… but Ospreay got free and eventually managed to land a dropkick to send Sabre outside. That one move seemed to upset Sabre, who began to lash out at the guard railings, before he was forced to evade a pescado as Ospreay seemed to be a step ahead. Back-and-forth snapmare rolls led to Sabre trapping Ospreay’s neck between his legs, as the door finally began to open for the Rev Pro champion, who used his feet to trap Ospreay in the ropes.
A cravat keeps Ospreay at bay, before he found himself getting tied up after a desperation standing shooting star press came up way short. Zack stays on the neck, using a stranglehold after ripping off the tape, but Ospreay eventually reverses it, then sent himself into the ropes for a handspring enziguiri! That bought Ospreay some time, as he was able to follow up with the over-the-top 619 and some headscissors, taking Zack back outside for a Sasuke special. Back in the ring, a springboard forearm lands for a near-fall, before a Robinson special looked to tee up for the OsCutter… but Sabre blocked him before catching him out of the corner with a spiking tornado DDT.
Ospreay invites kicks from Sabre, which cracked around the arena as Ospreay proceeded to get cracked with a slap before he looked to make a comeback with a hook kick. It’s caught… but not at the second try as the quick flurry took both men down. A Storm Breaker’s blocked by Sabre as he looked to snatch some pinning attempts, before he caught an OsCutter, turning it into a rear naked choke.
Using the turnbuckles, Ospreay rolls back out of it before he landed the OsCutter… but could only score a heavily-delayed two-count out of it. Another hook kick from Ospreay grazes Sabre, but Zack ducks a Hidden Blade and comes in with more submissions, again ending in the ropes as the rolling around worked against him. Undeterred, Sabre goes back in with a guillotine, only for Ospreay to suplex free, before a Storm Breaker ended up getting countered into a Euro clutch for a near-fall. Ospreay’s right back with a Cheeky Nandos, before a reversed Bloody Sunday out of the corner kept the pressure going. From there, Ospreay goes for a shooting star press, but it’s turned into a triangle armbar, with Sabre rolling him into the middle of the ring, only for Will to powerbomb his way free.
A hook kick led to another Storm Breaker attempt, but Sabre slips free and traps Ospreay in an Octopus hold, dragging him to the mat as Ospreay was forced to tap rapidly. Excellent mat-based wrestling as Ospreay was forced to try and play Sabre at his own game due to injuries… but in the end he was just outclassed at the end. Superb. ****½
G1 Climax, Block A: Lance Archer vs. Kazuchika Okada
Lance Archer’s got the biggest test of his current resurgence… and he started by jumping Okada into the corner with a series of charging back elbows.
Okada’s taken outside, where he’s quickly met with a cannonball off the apron, before Archer took him down the aisle. Then into the guard rails, via a cameraman, as Okada was already having to fight back out of defiance. Back in the ring, a short-arm clothesline dropped Okada with ease, as Archer proceeded to mock the Rainmaker pose… without any of the zoom-out. Ropewalking followed from Archer, who topped it off with a bloody insane moonsault for a near-fall, before Okada tried to dropkick himself free of a chokeslam. It’s swatted away, as Archer again went for the elbows in the corner, eventually missing as Okada tried his luck with a schoolboy before a diving uppercut finally put Archer down.
More back elbows from Okada, then a low dropkick take Archer outside for a pescado, as the champion finally was getting into gear. A DDT followed for barely a one-count, before tombstone attempts ended in a slam as Okada decided to head up for his Rainmaker elbow. That lands… but Archer grabbed an EBD Claw as Okada went for the pose, before he let go and threw Okada into the ropes for a Derailer. An attempt at Blackout looked to follow, but Okada got free and rolled in for a Rainmaker… only for a clothesline to counter a second one as Archer almost took the win. From there, a chokeslam brought Okada down with snow on him for a near-fall, before a Blackout landed… for another near-fall as Okada got a foot to the ropes.
Okada makes another comeback, dropkicking Archer into the corner, before he headed up for a missile dropkick to put Archer back on the mat. A tombstone followed… but Archer reverses it, only for Okada to slip free and land a discus Rainmaker. It has no effect, as Okada then had to block the EBD Claw, eventually countering with a Rainmaker for the win. This was decent, but save for flashes, didn’t quite have the intensity I was hoping for. That Okada win takes him to 12 points, and eliminates Archer, Ospreay, SANADA and ZSJ with one fell swoop, as half the field’s gone in one night. ***½
G1 Climax, Block A: SANADA vs. KENTA
That last result means that SANADA’s now playing spoiler as KENTA looked to get back in the winning column following his loss to Okada at the weekend.
KENTA started the match attacking SANADA as they were playing to the crowd, and it’s all aggression from KENTA in the early going, taking SANADA into the guard railings before the favour was returned. Kicks from KENTA take SANADA towards the aisle, where a DDT planted the LIJ man in the floor, before they went back to the ring as a simple side headlock was used to wear down SANADA. More kicks follow, as KENTA kept up the aggression, using knee drops before he faked out for the backheel… and that just seemed to rile up SANADA. Not that he could do much about it though, as a low dropkick keeps SANADA on the mat, before KENTA caught him with a tornado hotshot across the top rope.
A flying clothesline drew a near-fall out of SANADA, before KENTA started to take too much time playing to the crowd. The springboard missile dropkick followed, as did a big boot and a hesitation dropkick, before a double stomp off the top drew a near-fall. KENTA keeps up the pressure with the Game Over crossface, but SANADA gets a foot to the rope before he blocked a Busaiku knee and countered back with a TKO. SANADA crashes and burns with a moonsault as KENTA’d gotten the knees up… but that’s not capitalised on as instead both men proceeded to exchange forearms. Those get upgraded to kicks before SANADA floated back into a Skull End… which KENTA rolled out of as he applied a sleeperhold instead.
Palm strikes from KENTA put SANADA on the back foot ahead of a Busaiku knee for a near-fall. SANADA manages to get back in as he traps KENTA in a Skull End… letting go only to head up for a moonsault that actually landed for the win. This was fine – nowhere near the disaster I’d half-expected given SANADA’s earlier patchy performances – as he put a virtual bullet in KENTA’s G1 chances… ***½
G1 Climax, Block A: EVIL vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Commentary’s making a point of questioning how good Tanahashi’s knees are, thanks to him extremely limiting the use of the High Fly Flow in this G1.
They start things off slowly, with EVIL grabbing a side headlock – with a handful of hair too – before Tanahashi got free with some headscissors and a springboard crossbody out of the corner. EVIL hooked himself to the ropes to stem the tide, before he clotheslined Tanahasho over the top and to the floor. Some chairs come into play on the outside as he dragged a hobbling Tanahashi around so he could play some head baseball, before he went to work over the knee, using a Figure Four to try and force a submission… only for the hold to be reversed as Tanahashi rolled over. EVIL rolls it back, only for Tanahashi to get to the ropes…
EVIL hammers an elbow to the knee, but misses a back senton as he was looking to build up a head of steam, as instead it was Tanahashi who was looking to create momentum. A forearm, a slam, a flip senton, all combined for a near-fall before an attempt at a Slingblade led to him being sent over the top rope… forcing Tanahashi to skin the cat… landing in the clutches of EVIL as a German suplex put him down. Finally, Tanahashi lands a Slingblade, sending EVIL outside as he went for… Ace’s High to the floor. God, that was NOT a good landing. EVIL’s able to come straight back, using Yota Tsuji as an unwilling partner for a Magic Killer on the outside… made all the more ironic because Tsuji was wearing a Tanahashi t-shirt.
Both men narrowly beat the count-out, as Tanahashi began to go to work with Dragon screw leg whips. Tanahashi looked to force a Cloverleaf, but EVIL just dragged himself to the ropes for the break, before he looked to find a way back in… shutting the door on a Slingblade with a clothesline as we crossed the 15 minute mark. A superplex from EVIL followed, before he looked to set up for Darkness Falls… but there’s counters on top of counters as Tanahashi landed some rolling Twist and Shout neckbreakers. The Slingblade’s next for a two-count, before he crashed and burned on a High Fly Flow as EVIL got the knees up then rolled up Tanahashi for a two-count.
Back-and-forth elbows ensue as both men were back to a stable base, but it’s EVIL who landed the next big blow as a swivelling clothesline dropped Tanahashi for a near-fall. A second clothesline has similar results, before another series of counters ended with a thunderous headbutt. Tanahashi thought he’d nicked it with a Dragon suplex, before he went back up top for Ace’s High… then a High Fly Flow… and that’s enough to get the win! Yet again, Tanahashi had to connect with his big move to get the win… and keep his dreams of back-to-back G1 wins alive. ****
Another solid round of action keeps the G1 ticking along, as we’re really starting to thin the proverbial herd. Okada having a four point cushion – and tie-breakers over KENTA and Tanahashi – mean he’s well and truly in the driver’s seat, as he’d need to lose all three of his final matches to even avoid a tie-breaker situation.
Block A:
Kazuchika Okada (6-0; 12pts)
Kota Ibushi, KENTA, Hiroshi Tanahashi (4-2; 8pts)
EVIL (3-3; 6pts)
Lance Archer, Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr., SANADA (2-4; 4pts)
Bad Luck Fale (1-5; 2pts)
Eliminated: Fale, Archer, Ospreay, Sabre, SANADA
Block B:
Jon Moxley (5-0; 10pts)
Tomohiro Ishii, Juice Robinson (3-2; 6pts)
Jeff Cobb, Hirooki Goto, Tetsuya Naito, Taichi, Shingo Takagi, Jay White, Toru Yano (2-3; 4pts)
The G1 returns on Thursday as the B block have their sixth tournament match – and a night that could wipe out a LOT of contenders unless Toru Yano pulls off the mother of all shocks in Fukuoka, as he takes on Jon Moxley.