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8 August 2014

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 11

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY ELEVEN
Bunka Gymnasium, Yokohama
8th August 2014

It's the last day of regular competition at this year's overwhelmingly successful G1 Climax and the names of the finalists are yet to be decided (shocking, I know!). Usually the finals take place right after the final Block matches, meaning that the final night has more people in contention than we have tonight. The downside of that is that more of these matches are 'meaningless', but the upside is that people know that the final is guaranteed to be star-studded and the last run on Seibu Dome tickets can commence.

Here are the brief permutations: in Block A, if Hiroshi Tanahashi wins, he wins the Block. If he loses, the winner of Bad Luck Fale and Shinsuke Nakamura wins. Should Tanahashi lose and Katsuyori Shibata win, Shibata would take the runners-up slot. In Block B, if Okada wins, he wins. If Styles wins and Okada loses, Styles wins. If both lose, Okada wins. Here, courtesy of the amazing @matsu_bomaYe is the potential finalist club having a break.



Both members of TenCozy, Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan, have a night off, though I guess they might get called upon for the Seibu Dome show to defend their NWA World Tag Team Championship. Now that Tenzan is fit and they're not fighting NWA jobbers, I think more people are looking forward to that prospect than they did 3 weeks ago.

Block A: Tomoaki Honma - Shelton Benjamin
Previous beef: the two have never been in the same ring together.

The world pleads for a victory as Tomoaki Honma, on a nine match losing streak, enters his final match of this year's tournament. His opponent's narrative is a suppressed story in its own right: Benjamin has lost five straight after winning his first four. Why is his losing streak not as important?

Oh yeah, it's because he doesn't show nearly half of the personality as Honma, who bumps around and misses the Kokeshi and gets the entire world at his back once again and gets a half-dozen scintillating non-spam near falls. Benjamin is pretty good at teasing the loss, knowing where to dominate and where to let Honma overrun him and it's not a total one-man match.

Honma misses the top rope Kokeshi for the tenth time and honestly if you were on Twitter at the time I could swear a good two dozen people had a full mental crumbling when Benjamin pops up to hit the Superkick and Paydirt for the win and a .500 record. Honma stays winless but leaves more loved than Benjamin ever could be. Who needs parity booking when you have charisma? Honma leaves to a big cheer as a star is born. ***1/2

Benjamin [10] d. Honma [0]

Block B: Toru Yano - Yujiro Takahashi
Previous beef: until recently the two were CHAOS stablemates. Yano defeated Takahashi in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 G1 Climax Blocks, as well as a tournament semi-final in 2011 to crown a new Intercontinental Champion.

There's nothing major at stake between these two but Takahashi did turn his back on Yano, plus there's presumably someone keeping score in the CHAOS vs Bullet Club feud. Rules are practically absent as the battle of the troll cheats rages (a much more suitable Yano feud than Minoru Suzuki, let's face it). After stomping Yano's DVD into smithereens, Takahashi registers his maiden victory having successfully ensure Yano's low blow has no impact upon revealing a box/cup/balls protecting device in the post-match. Completely entertaining: alas, very short. **1/2



Takahashi [8] d. Yano [8]

Block B: Hirooki Goto - Lance Archer 
Previous beef: Goto and Archer are 1-1 in G1 Climax bouts, with Goto claiming the win back in 2013 for a 2012 defeat.

Archer's solid run of matches throughout the backend of this tournament has had me fairly impressed, though Hirooki Goto has been his usual dependably good self throughout, even though the wind went out of his victory campaign quite some time ago. Maybe it's because the pressure is off in this dead rubber, but the two have a really solid and entertaining back and forth contest. Archer hits the Blackout for the win, catching Goto's points total. ***1/2 

Archer [8] d. Goto [8]

Block B: Karl Anderson - Tetsuya Naito 
Previous beef: Naito defeated Anderson on Finals night of the 2013 G1 Climax, preventing Anderson from reaching the final, before going on to win the tournament that night. Naito also defeated Anderson in the 2010 tournament, in the 2010 New Japan Cup, on a pre-G1 tour in the same year and a three-way dance involving Anderson and Wataru Inoue, also in 2010. The two were tag team partners before Anderson joined Bullet Club.

Anderson's vociferous claims of an all-Bullet Club final cannot include himself, alas, as his charge ended more-or-less after losing his first three matches. Nor can the Stardust Genius feature in any of the meaningful bouts, though his wins over Styles and Okada must surely have gone some way to mending his reputation over a long and weird 2014.

Tetsuya Naito and his official licence to wear bad hair in public

Machine Gun goes for Naito from the bell, levelling him outside with a powerbomb onto the apron, looking for the quick finish. Naito recovers his steel and the two go at it in another pressure-free situation; Naito leaping this way and that, hitting Hurricanranas and Franksteiners, but with Anderson always containing a cool counter or six to bring parity to a tie dominated by Naito in previous editions.

It's a pretty interesting and well-executed match, with Anderson taking the victory with another satisfying and complex counter from Naito's flying forearm into the Gun Stun, leaving both men dead even in the Blocks in the middle of Nowheresville, Japan. ***3/4

Anderson [10] d. Naito [10]

Block A: Tomohiro Ishii - Yuji Nagata
Previous beef: Nagata defeated Ishii at Power Struggle 2011, the first round of the 2006 New Japan Cup as well as a tour shows in 2006 and 2009. The two also collided on a Fighting World of Japan aka Riki Pro show in 2010, also won by Nagata.

After landing awkwardly on his shoulder on day nine and fighting against Katsuyori Shibata in a complete brute of a match on day ten, there is absolutely nobody on earth who would tell Tomohiro Ishii that he is a jerk for wanting to miss this match. He cannot qualify for the final nor the runners-up slot. Neither can Yuji Nagata, who has also had a solid tournament off the back of an excellent run as GHC Heavyweight Champion, spending a year in long and strenuous matches.

With no greater glory than personal pride at stake, Nagata and Ishii completely brutalise each other for 12 minutes. They exchange gutwrenching kicks and slaps so hard that I grit my teeth and screw up my own eyes from my seat at home. Nagata goes for Ishii's bad shoulder and for the first time I am utterly convinced that Ishii, who is pretty much the best seller in wrestling, is actually getting plastered out there. Instead of rolling around and clutching the damage, for the first time you hear him yelling in agony.

But the Pitbull carries on, larruping Nagata with crunching headbutts and forearms. Nagata has Ishii at his mercy on the top turnbuckle, but Ishii evades Nagata's attack and scoops Nagata for a powerbomb pin and a nearfall. Ishii goes for a lariat but Nagata beautifully rolls him through for the Eye Roll Armbreaker. This move hasn't got the win before, but right now, as it wrenches back on Ishii's arm, I plead for Ishii just to tap the fuck out. He doesn't.

credit to SportsNavi
Every ounce of heart and soul left is going back into this match and the crowd are losing their minds: Nagata slaps Ishii to the canvas and goes for the Brainbuster, but Ishii stays alive and comes back with a lariat, a sliding lariat and a Brainbuster of his own concoction to take an absolutely storming win in the greatest dead rubber of all time. ****3/4

Ishii [10] d. Nagata [10]

Block A: Doc Gallows - Katsuyori Shibata 
Previous beef: Gallows & Anderson defeated Shibata & Goto for the tag team championships earlier in 2014, but the two have never clashed in singles competition.  

So Shibata stays in the runners-up running with a win and some results going his way down the card, but big guys have proven a real sore spot for 'The Wrestler' with both Fale and Smith Jr. tanking him in less-than-brilliant encounters. Gallows dogs Shibata's every step and looks to have the match won with a huge slam after a minute or so of oppression.

better luck next time, champ*
There is no big fightback from Shibata either; in just under seven minutes, Gallows seals the win that ends any chance of glory for Shibata with a big Gallows Pole and the three count. A strange and deeply unedifying decision, given the world-class performances Shibata has put in through the tournament. **3/4

Gallows [8] d. Shibata [12]

Block A: Bad Luck Fale - Shinsuke Nakamura 
Previous beef: Fale deprived Nakamura of his IWGP Intercontinental Championship in 2014, evening the lifetime score after Nakamura downed Fale in the New Japan Cup final of this year. Nakamura defeated Fale in 2010 under his previous character.

With Shibata beaten, the winner of this match would be guaranteed at least the semi-final at the Seibu Dome on Sunday. The previous encounters between the two have been Fale's best and most important work in the ring to date, having moved Bad Luck Fale from the status of 'guy who used to carry Prince Devitt around' to 'upper-midcarder of note'. Given his carrying of the company's second belt, it would be silly to have knocked him out of contention earlier. He poses a serious threat on the last day, making him look big and important.

Whether his wrestling is of sufficient quality for that place on the card is not a debate we'll have now though. Nakamura swags his way to the ring with an extra dab of cocksurity, dancing around Fale's silent impassiveness. Fale goes to town early on Nakamura, whipping with his belt and shooting the CHAOS leader into the railings hard.



In a fine match that I'd probably rate the worst of their three encounters by not much at all (the first one wins because of the blood and the camerawork), Fale hooks his man up for the Bad Luck Fall and a serious tilt at a main event before seeing his opponent escape his grasp and apply a sleeper hold. In desperation, Fale backs Nakamura into the corner but Nakamura springs into action with a booming knee shot to the head and a nearfall. Two Boma Yes later, it is Nakamura who guarantees at least a G1 semi-final match. ***1/2

Nakamura [16] d. Fale [12]

Block B: AJ Styles - Togi Makabe
Previous beef: they've never wrestled one another, but Togi Makabe memorably told AJ Styles to 'fuck off' at the G1 Climax press conference.

Early on, Styles hits his flying forearm off the guardrail and poses to the fans in a heelish fashion. Two women in their 40s on the front-row, who are presumably expected to boo this nasty foreign invader who wins all the time, absolutely melt with love and flash Styles' signature P1 pose back at him. As failures to get a character orientation over, Styles' is probably the best in the world.

It's a cool match with a lot of give and take: Styles attempts to leap Makabe, but Makabe plucks him out of mid-air and dashes him to hell with a powerbomb. The evident chemistry of matches gone by isn't quite there, though the thought processes are clearly still working just fine.

The best evidence of this theory is the slightly awkward finishing stretch. Styles attempts to fully backflip out of Makabe's devastating Spider German, under-rotating slightly and hurting his head. Though not as significant as Ibushi's concussion at Kizuna Road, Styles looks groggy through the finishing sprint, though in sufficiently fine form to win with a Styles Clash applied from a Tree of Woe position. The win signals to Okada that he must do the same to reach the final. ***1/2

Styles [16] d. Makabe [8]

Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi - Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Previous beef: Tanahashi defeated Smith Jr. at this stage in 2013. Tanahashi also defeated Smith Jr. in the Openweight U-30 League in 2005. 

Though Tanahashi managed to one-up his arch-rival Shinsuke Nakamura in Osaka on day eight, a loss here would see Nakamura take the finals berth and relegate Tanahashi to a match against either Okada or Styles: against both men there is significant history. Smith Jr.'s chances of joining the party departed on defeat to Fale on day 10, but with a historical disparity between the two, there's more than pride at stake.

from 2013

Worked in the most part like a plucky high-flyer taking on a big galoot, the two perform their roles with signature extravagance, with Tanahashi riling the crowd after every Sling Blade and pose, and with Smith Jr. annoyingly pondering over his powerbomb set-up to mimic pouring a beer or two over his stricken opponent.

Smith Jr. opens up the home stretch with a beautiful Exploder and a Tiger Suplex, both for near-miss falls. Tanahashi battles back into the match with a roll-up and then mounts the turnbuckle for a spot that directly (and absolutely brilliantly) references the finish of Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart from Wrestlemania X as he rolls the Hart nephew through for a pin attempt from being seated on his shoulders. 



Still pained in the back from a strenuous year (backstage reports at the NJPW/ROH crossovers indicated that Tanahashi could barely sit straight) and a difficult tournament (getting lamped by Shibata and tossed to high heaven by Fale), Tanahashi lets his guard down for one fatal moment. Smith Jr. lifts his man into the Bulldog Bomb without hesitation and drops his shoulders and back crashing to the mat for an onerous one-two-three. Nakamura wins Block A, Tanahashi must settle for runner-up. ***3/4

Smith Jr. [10] d. Tanahashi [14]

Block B: Kazuchika Okada - Minoru Suzuki
Previous beef: Okada successfully defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Suzuki at Wrestling Dontaku 2013, gaining revenge for a Suzuki victory at the New Beginning event earlier in the same year.

The scenario couldn't be simpler for Okada: win or die (be runner-up). The problem is Minoru Suzuki, having a mini-renaissance, in his home town. Okada attempts to show no fear by offering Suzuki a clean break on the ropes and a cheeky smile. Suzuki, the king of mental games (except when worn down by Yano), has no truck with Okada's bullshit and sets about his opponent like a dog eviscerating a juicy bone.



A pair of previous matches between the two never really delivered on their promise, with this encounter comfortably re-setting the bar for their potential chemistry. Suzuki chases Okada's lariat arm, both brutally and completely wisely. The name of this very blog is invoked in pursuit of measures that will render Okada's heaviest weapon impotent.

Okada hits his Red Ink submission, which does look a little convoluted next to Suzuki's no-nonsense stretching, but the spot is effective: his arm sufficiently weakened, he cannot prevent Suzuki from a relatively easy escape. The transitional stage into the ending begins to show a really well-sculpted feel, with a great dropkick spot ending not in Okada's award-winning version, but Suzuki's higher impact, lower altitude version.

Though the match has a crafted edge to it, the combination of Okada - essentially a very athletic nerd - and Suzuki - essentially a lovable thug - ends up creating something more than a series of spots: for instance, Okada goes for the Rainmaker, is blocked, and Suzuki fully punches his man square in the face. The crowd boo intensely, ramping up Okada's finishing dart as he finally hits his dropkick and pulverises Suzuki with a Rainmaker that sees the victim turn fully 180 degrees and land on top of his head. A great match. Okada takes the Block. ****1/2

Okada [16] d. Suzuki [10]

As an event outside of the last day drama, it really stood up, closing each half of the show with mesmeric and pulsating matches. You couldn't separate the drama in the fullness of the moment, and that's what gave it that extra spiciness. The G1 Final is set, with CHAOS leader Shinsuke Nakamura taking on his friend, the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada. Current champion AJ Styles and Hiroshi Tanahashi will contest the semi-final in a non-title match.

G1 Climax Final Standings (thanks to purolove.com - visit the site for the full G1 Final card)

Block A:
1. Shinsuke Nakamura [16]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [14]
3. Bad Luck Fale [12]
4. Katsuyori Shibata [12]
5. Davey Boy Smith Jr. [10]
-. Satoshi Kojima [10]
-. Shelton Benjamin [10]
-. Tomohiro Ishii [10]
9. Doc Gallows [8]
10. Yuji Nagata [8]
11. Tomoaki Honma [0]


Block B:
1. Kazuchika Okada [16]
2. AJ Styles [16]
3. Minoru Suzuki [10]
4. Karl Anderson [10]
5. Tetsuya Naito [10]
6. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [8]
-. Toru Yano [8]
-. Hirooki Goto [8]
-. Togi Makabe [8]
. Lance Archer [8]
-. Yujiro Takahashi [8]




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