G1 CLIMAX 25: FINAL

G1 CLIMAX 25: FINAL
Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo
16th August 2015
 

Let's very quickly do the negatives because the positives at the outset of this night are overwhelming and - minor spoiler alert - are set to grow. The tournament was just too long in terms of nights and the lowering of prestige of any one night contributed to not just my general fatigue but lower attendances. Perhaps some workers have hit the point in their careers where they can't quite do a long tour of intense matches. Lastly I thought it was a little cruel to have the workers whose block was not on schedule wrestle in the lower card. You wouldn't make Floyd Mayweather run laps around the arena when two potential contenders for his streak are set to duke it out later.

ACE OF THE CENTURY vs. KING OF STRONG STYLE

Now that's out of the way I think that we can mostly agree that it's been a successful 19 days in the main. There have been lots of great matches, hot crowds, and the stars of Michael Elgin, Tetsuya Naito and a few others have risen significantly whilst no one's stock has overtly diminished. That seems like a real testament to a hard-working team of wrestlers, bookers and production staff who have a feel for delivering a visceral, smart and coherent piece of entertainment that works in the immediacy of viewing as well as in long-form. Not every match was great, but it never will be, and arguably nor should it be.

NJPW New Beginning in Sendai

New Japan Pro-Wrestling
New Beginning in Sendai
14th February 2015
Sun Plaza, Sendai

The supposed new direction of NJPW in 2015 after part one of this two-part event feels a little familiar, but as Geoffrey Boycott said 'you have to see both sides bat'. I think I can just about shoehorn that one in here.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9

New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Wrestle Kingdom 9
4th January 2015
Tokyo Dome, Tokyo

Have you ever tried to explain wrestling to someone who doesn't like wrestling, or worse, have you ever tried to explain why you like wrestling to someone who has for whatever reason decided to kneejerk stance against wrestling? I'm sure you have and are familiar with that sense that, despite being an articulate and otherwise respected human being, the words are sticking in your throat/keyboard fingers and you're slipping on the edge at some recently-erected social cliff-face. 

NO TEXT

From now on here is my advice: don't explain, don't apologise, don't suggest that the so-called of wrestling 'actually hurts' or that the theatrics of wrestling and longform storytelling can ultimately appeal to a sense of our better selves. Just yell 'applesauce', shove them in the dirt and tell them to watch Wrestle Kingdom 9 from soup to nuts and if they don't like it then shrug and say eff you hombre and if they do share a cigar and recall in a bro-ish way the days they were wrong.

Matches of note vol. 2

FUJIWARA ARMBAR'S MATCHES OF NOTE VOL. 2

Continuing to cherry pick the recent in-ring highlights and noteworthy events around the Japanese scene. Not reviews, rather these are spoiler-free recommendations and overviews from events I haven't reviewed in full. These selections pick up in early October with a couple of slightly earlier picks.

NJPW Destruction in Okayama

New Japan Pro Wrestling
Destruction in Okayama
23rd September 2014, Convex, Okayama

Okayama is just an hour and a quarter west of Kobe by the train that leaves Shinkobe station every fifteen minutes, which means if you really wanted to pull a live double-header for this PPV then it would be pretty easy. New Japan haven't run a big show here in the Bushiroad era, often granting the city smaller shows on the Tag League tour, giving this show the quality of a step into the unknown (unlike say, Osaka or Korakuen Hall).

On initial announcement my reaction was one of hesitation, feeling that there was more 'angle' than 'spectacle'. Drilling down deeper I must admit that all of the title matches and the contendership bouts offer something noteworthy. Match of the night seems genuinely up for grabs rather than nailed-on. As a critical word, I don't think that I can recall a main event where the result has been so completely expected ahead of time.

NJPW Destruction in Kobe

New Japan Pro Wrestling
Destruction in Kobe
21st September 2014, World Hall, Kobe.

Hello and welcome to the first New Japan Pro Wrestling supercard in the post #G124 universe of professional wrestling, a world of raised standards and KENTA not being called that anymore. It's a strange place but I think if we navigate it together then we'll have a good old time. Tonight is the first of two Destruction events, mirroring an experiment trialled in February with the New Beginning shows from Osaka and Hiroshima. Whilst those cards did a good house, it was harsh on the wallet for we PPV purchasers and there was a lot more filler to deal with. However, Tuesday's card from Okayama is not on Ustream or Japanese provider NicoNico, so many are touting this as the last stand of NJPW on internet pay-per-view for the time being.

NJPW Road to Destruction: Day 8

New Japan Pro Wrestling
Road to Destruction: Day Eight
15th September 2014, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

Before we get into the meat of this review it would be remiss of this site to not mention this: between the televised show from the Korakuen on the 5th, NJPW have televised two events from the Destruction tour. Neither show had any particular bearing on storyline but are at least worthy of a recap.

NJPW Road to Destruction: Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling
Road to Destruction: Day One
5th September 2014, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

As a fan of the game known interchangeably as 'football' and 'soccer' I must say that I value the end of season break. Just last year my particular team of choice had something of a rollercoaster ride of a year, resulting in a glum day in North-West London in the realisation that further success had been curtailed for that season. One six hour coach ride of complete gloom later I was home and I began to wind down.

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 10

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY TEN
City Gymnasium, Takamatsu
6th August 2014 

NJPW leaves Honshu for Shikoku, the smallest of the four major islands - and in particular, the city of Takamatsu, reachable by ferry from Kobe. On the boat ride over I daresay many of the workers will look to this blog for spirit and courage and to remind them of of who they're really trying to please here.

RRRRAAAAARRRRGGGHH!

Tonight's card has one marquee match based on their Meltzer-approved tear-up from last year as Katsuyori Shibata takes on Tomohiro Ishii. Their bout in Osaka was utterly heartstopping and is probably one of my favourite matches of all time. I'm not going to pressurise this rubber match (as you'll see later) as Ishii is reportedly hurt but it should be interesting at worst and bloodcurdling at best.

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 9

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY NINE
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya
4th August 2014

After a barnstorming weekend of two shows that would knock the block off almost anything I've ever seen, the NJPW charabanc rattles into Nagoya, between Tokyo and Osaka and a little farther north of Hamamatsu (Day Six). As well as being an important port city, Nagoya calls itself home to the founder of Toyota, the 1989 World Figure Skating Champion Midori Ito and one of the greatest cruiserweight wrestlers of all: Ultimo Dragon. Dragon-san also helped train current Block B co-leader Kazuchika Okada, who hails from just down the road in Anjo.

Clear leaders at the top of each Block have emerged, though the eventual victors are far from cut and dried. Five men, all at 5-2, will comprise the second half of this show, going out to bat one after the other. The first half of the show contains few who could feasibly enter the winner's circle, but plenty who could yet spoil the party. CHAOS foot soldiers Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii have the night off, which is quite timely for the latter man, who is reported to have seriously duffed up his shoulder.

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 8

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY EIGHT
BODYMAKER Colosseum, Osaka
3rd August 2014

It's quite possible that I'm not fully ready for Day 8 after such an excellent show at the Korakuen on the 1st. Reports I've seen online suggested that after cheering themselves into a frenzy for Tenzan-Goto, Styles-Suzuki and Nagata-Shibata, the crowd was pretty much blown out for the main event. I wasn't but I can understand if someone else was: it was insane. People aren't even really talking about Naito-Makabe and it was brilliant.

I SIGNED KENTA RIGHT HERE IN OSAKA JAPAN BROTHA

The wrestlers, hopefully, will have no such problems tonight. They absolutely bloody love their wrestling in Osaka and people who consider such things consider the Osaka crowd for New Japan Pro Wrestling to be the gold standard in worldwide audiences. A little bit smarky, sure - they wrongly hate Naito - but vocal as hell and capable of pushing the in-ring work on to greater heights.

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 7

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY SEVEN
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
1st August 2014 

Everybody loves Korakuen Hall, right?

Gym-ski now an then one the coolest places on earth to Rassle Korakuen Hall Tokyo Japan @njpw1972 #G124
— Lance Hoyt/Archer (@LanceHoyt) August 1, 2014

On the site of Tokyo Dome Hall complex is arguably the spiritual home of Japanese wrestling, an approximately 2000 capacity cuboid on the fifth floor of an otherwise unremarkable-looking building. Smaller promotions build to shows at Korakuen to blow off their biggest angles and larger promotions at their most highly-scrutinised time of year still incorporate Korakuen in their schedules because, it seems, that there really isn't another place like it that just seems so perfectly constructed for ring-based sports and pseudo-sports (like boxing).

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 6

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY SIX
Act City, Hamamatsu
July 31st 2014

Approximately halfway between Tokyo and Osaka lies Hamamatsu, birthplace of the founder of Honda, they of the frequently product-recalled cars. New Japan had a great house in this very city earlier in the year for an Anniversary tour house show notable for nothing more than a singles victory for Captain New Japan. Last year's G1 also got under way in Hamamatsu, headlined by Prince Devitt cheating his way to victory against then-champion Kazuchika Okada.

Minoru Suzuki hits the saka otoshi on Yujiro Takakashi (credit: Yahoo!)

A couple of rumours have been doing the rounds, possibly a work, on the health of Hiroshi Tanahashi and Togi Makabe. It'll be interesting to see how either bears up, especially Tanahashi given his headline match this evening against the very physically-demanding (but safe!) Tomohiro Ishii. This said, Tanahashi does get the following night off.

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 5

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY FIVE
Sun Plaza Hall, Sendai
28th July 2014

Working their way south on Japan's main island in a gigantic NJPW-branded RV are 21 wrestlers all sat in a circle around Shelton X Benjamin wondering how the hell he got so kayfabe good. "What is your secret?", croaks Tomoaki Honma, flipping a casino chip between his knuckles. "Is it luck?" asks the luck anti-magnet Tetsuya Naito. "He'll never be as good as me!" scribbles Hiroshi Tanahashi into the manuscript of his new book. Benjamin gets off his orange crate, muttering something about it being no secret and sorry about your damn luck as he heads to get a Pot Noodle on the go.

Kazuchika Okada with Gedo after losing on Day 4 (credit: Yahoo!)

The last time New Japan passed through these parts was for Day 6 of the 2013 G1 Climax for a very solid night of wrestling (somewhat like Day 2 of this year's edition). Great crowds have greeted the company wherever they have roamed unlike last year's Day 5 disaster in Ishikawa. In addition, a day of rest between the excellent Day 4 and with two full days off until Day 6 offers hope of some matches stretching themselves that extra mile.

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 4

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY FOUR
Prefectural Gymnasium, Akita
26th July 2014

Akita, famed for the large breed of hairy mountain dogs whose roots were unearthed in this region, lies on the north-west coast of Honshu. The last major show to visit these parts was a show of the year contender on the 2013 Kizuna Road tour, taking place at the nearby Municipal Gymnasium, with Kazuchika Okada defeating Prince Devitt in front of a hot crowd in the main event. I miss Devitt in New Japan already.

Prince Devitt: don't be a stranger

Things are shaping up now, with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shelton Benjamin, Hirooki Goto and Kazuchika Okada all undefeated. At the foot of their blocks are Tomoaki Honma and Karl Anderson, both of whom are yet to register a win in three matches apiece. There's still a long way to go and anything can happen and indeed it would be best to suggest that is the case to sell those Seibu Dome tickets!

THE 24TH G1 CLIMAX IN TEN POINTS

Ladies and gentleman and children and dogs be calm even though the greatest multi-day wrestling spectacle is nearly upon us for another year. Soon the world shall not require that 'multi-day' appendage to distinguish itself from Wrestlemania as all shall know of the magnificence of New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual chicken-scratch to discover which of their heavyweight stars will enter the tournament a fearful boy and emerge a broken-but-victorious man.

Actually deserving of lens flare and all those plug-ins

NJPW Kizuna Road (Day 3)

NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING 
KIZUNA ROAD: DAY 3
4th July 2014, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo.

Six days ago we as one united earth family witnessed the passing of the torch in the NEVER division from the greatest wrestler of the last 12 months to one of the most annoying and ultimately insignificant. Many of us put dropping the tertiary title as a sign of a likely push for Tomohiro Ishii (which as time goes on I doubt and expect that the Stone Pitbull has risen as far up the card as can be allowed) but the pain still lingers inside.

NJPW Dominion 6.21

Dominion 6.21

21^st June 2014, BODYMAKER Colosseum, Osaka.

The midsummer spectacular of New Japan Pro Wrestling has historically been an explosive affair. Just twelve months ago, Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata continued their boiling bloodfeud in an encounter many take to be the finest of their tear-ups. A flowering boy-prince named Kazuchika Okada was still our champion, defeating To(u)gi Makabe before being challenged by Prince Devitt, who had just downed Hiroshi Tanahashi in the semi-main.

Conversely, this would be the first defeat Tanahashi would suffer at Dominion, having defeated Okada in 2012, Goto in 2011, Yano in 2010 (in a hair vs. hair match that sounds fucking LOL) and the man who shall forever be prefixed with 'veteran' Manabu Nakanishi in 2009 in a 30+ minute encounter are you INSANE?

Don't call it a manifesto, anything but that

This blog will be used to review events put on by New Japan Pro Wrestling (and possibly other Japanese companies). I will not be reviewing classic events and shall aim to record impressions on events moving forward from Dominion 6.21 in 2014 in chronological order.

I will not be using too many images or play-by-play descriptors of the moves utilised by the workers for these can be found elsewhere. Instead, these reviews will be more experiential impressions of the event. There will be no rush to post reviews, as I'd rather be one of the most readable rather than the fastest to update.

No apologies will be made for bias or editorialisation. No effort will be made to cover US promotions.