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.
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.
Deep into the tournament, there are only a few people with the mathematics in their favour to win the whole thing. Let's take a look at the situation with two nights remaining.
 |
| RRRRAAAAARRRRGGGHH! |
Deep into the tournament, there are only a few people with the mathematics in their favour to win the whole thing. Let's take a look at the situation with two nights remaining.
Block A
Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi have 12 points. Two wins each and Tanahashi goes to the final based on their head-to-head records.
Katsuyori Shibata and Bad Luck Fale have 10 points. Should Nakamura and Tanahashi lose one match and either Shibata or Fale were to win their remaining ties, Shibata or Fale would qualify owing to superior head-to-head records.
If Shibata AND Fale won both of their remaining matches (one of Fale's is against Nakamura) and Tanahashi also lost, Fale would win the group, having defeated everybody else.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. can win the block in the following scenario. By defeating Fale and Tanahashi, he will move onto 12 points. If Gallows and Fale defeat Nakamura and Shibata wins only one of his matches, there will be a five way tie at the top of the Block. Smith Jr. would have the best record of the five counting all matches against one another (Smith Jr. 3-1 Fale 3-1, Shibata 2-2, Tanahashi 1-3 Nakamura 1-3) including the head-to-head against Fale.
Block B
AJ Styles and Kazuchika Okada have 12 points. Two wins each and Okada goes to the final based on their head-to-head records.
Minoru Suzuki has 10 points and faces Kazuchika Okada on Day 11. Should Suzuki win, Suzuki would also have to better Styles' total points tally to win the Block.
Tetsuya Naito is on 8 points having beaten both Okada and Styles. He could yet claim the runners-up spot in the Block by winning both of his remaining matches and having Okada and Styles lose theirs. He cannot win the Block: if Okada defeats Suzuki, Naito cannot catch his score. If Suzuki defeats Okada, Suzuki qualifies on head-to-head.
Togi Makabe could also claim the runners-up spot by defeating Styles, winning his other match whilst Styles loses and Okada defeats Suzuki.
That's pretty exhaustive stuff and you can pretty much ignore the bottom two paragraphs under each block: it's just there as a failsafe. Fellow eliminated dudes Hirooki Goto and Shelton Benjamin have the night off to figure out why they started so well and ended in disaster.
Block A: Tomoaki Honma - Satoshi Kojima
 |
| HELLO TAKAMATSU |
Previous beef: Kojima defeated Honma ahead of a match with stablemate Togi Makabe at Dontaku 2011 on a tour show. Kojima also defeated Honma three times in 2010. Kojima also defeated Honma in AJPW in 2002 and 2004. The two were often tag team partners in All Japan.
We're all familiar with the Honmania story as it rolls into town on a hot streak of zero wins and eight defeats but some of the warmest reactions in world wrestling. Nothing changes about that dynamic here as he bumps all over the place and gets all the love in Japan and of course fails to get the win.
Kojima is working his final match of the tournament and can take a night to reflect on a series of good performances across the board. Kojima, like Tanahashi, and in spite of his seeming character as an impact player, is a good constructor of the longer match. This said, he's been really good in these shorter matches, especially given the right opponent. Honma is the perfect swansong, leaving the tournament head held high after a fine match. ***1/2
Kojima [10] d. Honma [0]
We're all familiar with the Honmania story as it rolls into town on a hot streak of zero wins and eight defeats but some of the warmest reactions in world wrestling. Nothing changes about that dynamic here as he bumps all over the place and gets all the love in Japan and of course fails to get the win.
 |
| Satoshi Kojima: now gets to put his feet up |
Kojima [10] d. Honma [0]
Block A: Bad Luck Fale - Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Previous beef: the pair have only competed against one another in multi-man matches.
It's not a slam dunk that a match containing a nerve pinch rest hold sucks but this match features one and doesn't quite get going. Fale's offence here looks particularly ill-suited to the task of NJPW enforcer figure - and I can understand the reticence of a big guy like Fale not wanting to tater his man - but some veracity would really aid his matches.
I've also seen Fale perform live with a big man and it's an act that needs constructing from the ground up. Fale's offence against smaller guys (most people) is devastating and real, but when facing fellow hoss-level types like Smith Jr, it comes up short. Fale takes the win to keep him right in contention on Day 11 with the Grenade, eliminating Smith Jr. **1/4
Fale [12] d. Smith Jr. [8]
Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan - Tetsuya Naito
Previous beef: Tenzan defeated Naito during the 2013 G1 Climax, though Naito claimed the overall win. Naito beat Tenzan during the 2012 contest.
Naito has only the slimmest chance of making the runners-up slot at the G1 Final but the way he wrestles this one you'd think he was taking a serious tilt at the main event, all high energy and top speed and dazzling smoothness. Naito probably is still at heart a great Jr. Heavyweight but you wouldn't want to place too many arbitrary restrictions on this talent level.
Tenzan completes his final match of his 19th G1 Climax, just managing to keep up with his opponent in speed but every bit his equal in terms of heart. Naito wins a close match with the Stardust Press to keep his feint hopes, whilst Tenzan wins the Fuck You Prize to those who felt that he might break down, including me on this very blog. ***3/4
Naito has only the slimmest chance of making the runners-up slot at the G1 Final but the way he wrestles this one you'd think he was taking a serious tilt at the main event, all high energy and top speed and dazzling smoothness. Naito probably is still at heart a great Jr. Heavyweight but you wouldn't want to place too many arbitrary restrictions on this talent level.
 |
| Tenzan tries to clock off early and is caught |
Block B: Karl Anderson - Minoru Suzuki
Previous beef: Suzuki defeated Anderson during the 2011 and 2013 Blocks, claiming the go ahead score in G1 Climax after Anderson's victory in 2012. Suzuki defeated Anderson on a tour show in 2011.
Should AJ Styles lose, Minoru Suzuki can stay alive in the tournament with his destiny very much left in his own hands with victory both here against Karl Anderson and on the last day against Kazuchika Okada. Anderson has successfully managed to temporarily derail Okada, so what chance does he have against the Lonely Warrior?
A pretty good one, as it transpires. It's a short match, not much more than a brawl with a few interesting counters and bits of cheating and is probably more filed alongside Suzuki's fine matches of the early tournament rather than his heartbursters of recent days. The counter/reversal sequence that closes the match is poetry, but there's not enough structure around it to give it meaning. Anderson takes the win and removes Styles' second biggest headache with a Gun Stun. **3/4
Should AJ Styles lose, Minoru Suzuki can stay alive in the tournament with his destiny very much left in his own hands with victory both here against Karl Anderson and on the last day against Kazuchika Okada. Anderson has successfully managed to temporarily derail Okada, so what chance does he have against the Lonely Warrior?
A pretty good one, as it transpires. It's a short match, not much more than a brawl with a few interesting counters and bits of cheating and is probably more filed alongside Suzuki's fine matches of the early tournament rather than his heartbursters of recent days. The counter/reversal sequence that closes the match is poetry, but there's not enough structure around it to give it meaning. Anderson takes the win and removes Styles' second biggest headache with a Gun Stun. **3/4
Anderson [8] d. Suzuki [10]
Block B: Togi Makabe - Toru Yano
Previous beef: Makabe defeated Yano in the 2009 and 2011 editions, whilst Yano got the better of their 2010 meet (as well as the 2005 edition as Makabe forfeited). Makabe defeated Yano in the 2010 New Japan Cup and in matches on tours in 2003 (three times), 2004 (twice), 2006 and 2009. Yano defeated Makabe at Dominion 2009 and on a tour show in 2006. It was Yano's deceit of Makabe that led to the formation of CHAOS at the expense of Makabe's Great Bash Heel, with their pair formerly holding the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
All that previous beef and just a sub-three minute match Yano claims another victim with his dastardly ways. Makabe is pissed off and we go laughing into the halfway mark of the show. **1/2
Yano [8] d. Makabe [8]
All that previous beef and just a sub-three minute match Yano claims another victim with his dastardly ways. Makabe is pissed off and we go laughing into the halfway mark of the show. **1/2
Yano [8] d. Makabe [8]
Block B: AJ Styles - Yujiro Takahashi
Previous beef: the pair are stablemates in Bullet Club and teamed at Dominion 2014. They were both in a Steel Cage Gauntlet in TNA in 2009.
Yujiro is starting to remind me a bit of Jeff Jarrett. Not a terribly likeable face, I sometimes can't decide whether I am booing them as a heel or as a person, a bit slow around the ring but occasionally able to pull something impressive or interesting out of the bag, somewhat silver of tongue, pushed probably a bit beyond their skillset. I don't know why this came to me now whilst wrestling approved buddy-of-Jarrett AJ Styles, it was just coincidence.
As Styles has been able to throughout the tournament, he drags a solid match out of Yujiro. There's a nice reversal of an attempted Bloody Sunday by Styles into Yujiro's lovely Fisherman Buster. All of the mid-section of the match is controlled by Styles, whether in defence or on the attack. Returning to the Bloody Sunday, Styles lands his mark, followed by the Styles Clash and the win that elimates Suzuki. Only short, so in reasonable conscience I cannot go above ***1/4.
Styles [14] d. Takahashi [6]
Block B: Kazuchika Okada - Lance Archer
Previous beef: Okada defeated Archer during the 2012 and 2013 editions and in the first round of the 2013 New Japan Cup.
Archer continues his late tournament run of fine performances here, and the story the two weaved was pretty cool too: Okada now knows he needs to win to keep pace with Styles ahead of a potential cropper with Minoru Suzuki on Friday. His tentativeness nearly costs him dear as Archer levels his man several times, including a rough/great-looking F'n Slam:
Archer was a wrecking ball in this match, choke-tossing the not-exactly-small Okada on the outside like ragdoll. As peril goes it was only moderately convincing, with Okada surely not deigned to lose this late in the day. It proves thus as Okada recovers his game sufficiently to hit the Tombstone set-up followed by a doleful Rainmaker to end Archer's chance of a big upset. ***1/2
Okada [14] d. Archer [6]
Archer continues his late tournament run of fine performances here, and the story the two weaved was pretty cool too: Okada now knows he needs to win to keep pace with Styles ahead of a potential cropper with Minoru Suzuki on Friday. His tentativeness nearly costs him dear as Archer levels his man several times, including a rough/great-looking F'n Slam:
Archer dumps Okada on his head with the F'n Slam!! #NJPW #G124 http://t.co/StXrpktKzn
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) August 6, 2014
Archer was a wrecking ball in this match, choke-tossing the not-exactly-small Okada on the outside like ragdoll. As peril goes it was only moderately convincing, with Okada surely not deigned to lose this late in the day. It proves thus as Okada recovers his game sufficiently to hit the Tombstone set-up followed by a doleful Rainmaker to end Archer's chance of a big upset. ***1/2
Okada [14] d. Archer [6]
Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi - Yuji Nagata
Previous beef: Tanahashi defeated Nagata in the 2007 G1 Final and during the 2012 Block stages, with Nagata claiming victory during the 2011 tournament. Tanahashi twice successfully defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Nagata in 2011, though Nagata wrested the same title from Tanahashi in 2007.
Tanahashi defeated Nagata in a tournament semi-final to crown a new champion after New Japan stripped Brock Lesnar of the title. He has also registered additional victories over Nagata at the Acceleration 2006 PPV. Nagata beat Tanahashi in the 2006 New Japan Cup semi-final as well as on tour events in 2002 (twice) and 2003.
Block A is slightly more open, though a Tanahashi victory here will at least put Smith Jr. to the sword. Nagata is in no trifling mood this evening, dominating the company ace with brutal middle kicks and suplex variations. Tanahashi once again digs into the archives to hit the Twelve Six driver as well as levelling his strike-happy opponent with the Dragon Screw.
 |
| Nagata and Tanahashi: former GHC Tag Team Champions |
The peril is piled high for Tanahashi as Nagata controls a great deal of the second half of the match, hitting the Nakanishi-style rolling German Suplex, the Eye Roll Armbreaker and the Justice High Knee. However, just as he managed against Nakamura in Osaka, there is always a way: Tanahashi rolls his man up for the victory out of nowhere. ***1/4
Tanahashi [14] d. Nagata [6]
Block A: Tomohiro Ishii - Katsuyori Shibata
Previous beef: Ishii won the sole G1 battle between the pair in 2013, though Shibata defeated Ishii at the Kings of Pro-Wrestling event the following October. Those were the only times the two had met in singles competition.
Their match one year ago was one for the ages. Two men in their prime absolutely walloping the bejeezus out of one another. Actually ASKING their opponent to hit them full across the face and chest. Kicking out of big moves at one like it was no damn thing. Roaring in each other's face and smashing each other into the dirt. It was sufficiently 'work' enough to retain shape as a wrestling match, but gosh if they didn't half kill each other that night.
Hopes of repeating the conflict are scotched when Ishii emerges with a giant bandage on his left shoulder, compounded by the way he effectively works the match using only his right arm and his head. This isn't to say that either man took it easy or attempted to work around the issue: it was a heated and sometimes grim spectacle, with Ishii absolutely refusing to give less than 100% of whatever he had left.
Huge slap from Shibata floors Ishii! #NJPW #G124 http://t.co/nj1KtOFvWS
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) August 6, 2014
Shibata dogs the injured Ishii's every movement, chasing the shoulder with a submission. Ishii just refuses to lie down as the match enters its violent peak, kicking out of echoing boots to the chest, fighting on knowing that he can't even lift his good arm anymore. It is ugly and it is thrillingly real. Eventually, after a ton of punishment, Shibata does win by G2PK to keep alive his chances of winning. Not a match for the faint of heart but a reminder of the thin line the workers walk every day. ****
Shibata [12] d. Ishii [8]
Block A: Doc Gallows - Shinsuke Nakamura
Previous beef: Though antagonists in the Bullet Club - CHAOS feud, the two have never met in a singles match.
Gallows hasn't been super-impressive this tournament but if I'm going to be honest I haven't thought him unworthy of being there. He's also, for me, improved a great deal since his US major federation days and I think he's a much more interesting potential talent and a completely dependable tag team wrestler. He's also pretty charismatic when given the chance, as his podcast with Karl Anderson shows.
Gallows hasn't been super-impressive this tournament but if I'm going to be honest I haven't thought him unworthy of being there. He's also, for me, improved a great deal since his US major federation days and I think he's a much more interesting potential talent and a completely dependable tag team wrestler. He's also pretty charismatic when given the chance, as his podcast with Karl Anderson shows.
He's had one main event chance against Hiroshi Tanahashi and here he is, closing out what is essentially a tour show that cuts out some of the runners and riders to the potential final. Nakamura is a solid favourite in these parts and every aspect of his regular routine gets a rousing cheer.
Nakamura needs to win to keep his chance alive. A loss would mean elimination, knowing that he could not overhaul Tanahashi even should they end up on the same points score. A win, however, would kick his vanquisher Katsuyori Shibata to the kerb. Perhaps it is this extra spur that sees Nakamura come roaring back a period of Gallows domination to hit the Boma Ye. Gallows kicks out of one, so Nakamura destroys his giant opponent with two more just for effect.
For good measure, Nakamura cuts an adrenalin-fuelled promo post-match. I'm no expert but I presume he didn't say how he might not win and that fans should manage their expectations accordingly. ***1/2
Nakamura [14] d. Gallows [6]
Probably my least favourite show all told but I still enjoyed it. I do hope Ishii takes the last day off though, he looked in a bad way, the daft brilliant bastard.
No comments:
Post a Comment