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4 August 2014

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.

I have been informed by my sponsors that there are too few Nakamura pictures. Here is one.

HI TOKYO DOME IT'S ME
Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. - Tomoaki Honma
Previous beef: This is their first singles match.

Honma emerges to an overwhelming response from the Nagoya crowd, many of whom have signs for Honma, wishing him his first G1 victory. Smith Jr. is an able asshole foil for Mr. Kokeshi, milking moments of superiority but making Honma look capable of the upset.

Tomoaki Honma: BITWAWHD (getting battered)
Smith Jr. chokes Honma with a cable on the outside, but Smith Jr.'s lingering outside the ring backfires later when Honma drops him with a Kokeshi from the top rope as Smith Jr. regains his footing. A spectacular near-fall has everybody on the edge of their seats once again, though Honma fails to get the win. A showy Liger/Bulldog Bomb finishes the job in a match that got better and better as it progressed. ***1/2 

Smith Jr. [8] d. Honma [0]

Block B: Lance Archer - Yujiro Takahashi 
Previous beef: Archer defeated Takahashi at this stage in 2011, their only singles match to date.

Archer limps to the ring, selling the effects of Day Eight's submission defeat to AJ Styles, setting the tone for a really good and consistent sell job. Takahashi sensibly chases the injured limb, with Archer getting babyface responses as he throws Takahashi about, partly out of desperation and partly because he does have some pretty cool stuff like this:


Takahashi remains Takahashi, ponderous with fits of impressiveness. Archer comes across a much more mature worker than we in the IWC give credit for, ensuring that this retained dramatic content until the lightly-disappointing ending where, after weakening his man with the Olympic Slam, Takahashi won by roll-up to get his win back from three years ago. ***1/4

Takahashi [6] d. Archer [6]

Block A: Doc Gallows - Yuji Nagata 
Previous beef: This is their first singles match.

Much of this match consisted of Nagata dominating his larger opponent with trademark knees, clutching suplexes, kicks and submission manouevres, chasing a win that could put him back into contention. Gallows doesn't go down easy, and after taking a lot of Nagata's signatures, drags the Gallows Pole from his arsenal and levels Blue Justice with it for the surprise win. Short but entertaining, with Nagata now presumed out of the running. ***

Gallows [6] d. Nagata [8]

Block B: Togi Makabe - Hiroyoshi Tenzan 
Previous beef: Tenzan defeated Makabe during the 2004, 2006 and 2012 Block stage, as well as during tours in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Makabe defeated Tenzan at the 2008 New Japan Cup in a rematch after the initial encounter was a double count-out. They also met in the 2007 New Japan Cup semi-final, with Makabe winning via DQ. Down the years the pair have been embroiled in countless tag team bouts for championships as partners and opponents.

Very much a Fin Martin 2004 dream match and a fine example of crashing and bashing between two fine sluggers, ex-champions of both the IWGP Heavyweight and the G1 Climax. Tenzan's ground speed was never his strong suit but here he looks particularly glacial from the ropes. The battle between the Unchained Gorilla and the Raging Bull was perhaps more bluster than brutality, though in its short run-time it managed to put over the toughness and tenacity of both men. Makabe won with a King Kong Knee Drop, though both men are likely to be eliminated now. ***1/4

Makabe [8] d. Tenzan [8]

Block B: Minoru Suzuki - Tetsuya Naito 
Previous beef: Naito defeated Suzuki on his way to overall G1 victory in 2013, their only singles match to date.

From here on in, potential winners contest the matches. Suzuki is running through opponents after a shaky start and having impressive matches along the way, and though Naito's matches are also very good, his form is in reverse: starting hot and then slipping. A win here would put either man in the reckoning, though a loss would spell probable elimination.

Displaying similar chemistry as Suzuki and Styles, though not quite to the same high watermark of quality, the two proceed to have a really entertaining closer to the first half of the show. The real danger element of Suzuki was highlighted, showing that you can't assume the guy is hurt because there's always a chance he'll get you with something like this:

Naito emerged to a chorus of cheers that made him look baffled after two nights under the cosh in Tokyo and Osaka, whilst Suzuki reverted to the assholish heel that he was born to play. Their match from 2013 was a real underrated treat and this match ranks alongside that, showing fine chemistry and a splendid effort for what effectively was a B show (lower price, not on PPV in Japan). Wrenching in that saka otoshi once more, Suzuki eventually took the win by making Naito tap out.

In the post-match, Suzuki seems buoyed, cutting an intermission promo with signature levels of fuck-you-ness.

Suzuki might not care about the points, but he is now on 10, very much putting him in the running. Naito is effectively eliminated, but the hardest battle fought of getting his responses back has been well won. ****

Suzuki [10] d. Naito [8]

Block A: Bad Luck Fale - Katsuyori Shibata 
Previous beef: first time in the same ring together.

Shibata, having beaten Nakamura and Tanahashi and avoided slipping on the banana peel of Tomoaki Honma in front of an electric Osaka crowd, is sitting pretty atop Block A. Perhaps one of the things preventing Shibata from getting on in management's mind is how he conducts his matches with the less naturally-talented and athletic opponents, having previously coasted through or gone Plan A where nuance and respect would better apply.


Here he tones down his style and wrestles from underneath the giant Tongan/New Zealander. Fale dominates with wild slugs and presses whilst Shibata tried to counter with roll-throughs. Fale powers on, dominating a short match. Hooking Shibata in for the Bad Luck Fall, Shibata wriggles out and shoots his man to the ropes before following in with a textbook lunging kick that sends Fale to the floor.

Shibata joins his man on the apron, but Fale counters with the Grenade. Just as Shibata is set to break the count, Fale lariats Shibata back to the outside and is counted out! The fans boo heavily at the first non-pinfall or submission victory of the tournament, restoring heel heat to Fale and gaining sympathy for Shibata. Job done! Not a grand success of a match, but only short. ***

Fale [10] d. Shibata [10]

Block A: Satoshi Kojima - Shinsuke Nakamura
Previous beef: Nakamura defeated Kojima on his way to victory in the 2011 G1 Climax, as well as scoring victory in the 2010 edition. Kojima defended successfully against Nakamura in his second IWGP Heavyweight reign in 2010. In 2005, the pair fought to a sixty minute draw for Kojima's championship during his first reign.

Though Kojima has seemed a little flat as of late, probably the price of being one of the four guys selected to wrestle 10 dates straight, he has ploughed on like the violent veteran midfielder of a lower mid-table team, knowing that even if he loses he'll maintain his reputation and probably hurt you along the way. Nakamura, still a favourite to make the final - even after defeat to Tanahashi - is as ever the bucket of charisma and electricity.

Tomohiro Ishii and Shinsuke Nakamura: each other's #1 fan (credit: @HijoDelHelmsley)
The two have a classic mid-length back-and-forth battle as contested by two guys of upper midcard or above who have both held major championships whilst working at approximately 85% of capacity: plenty of big signature spots, natural chemistry and drama with a 7000 strong crowd at the back of both men. 

Drama is ramped up expertly, and whilst not absolutely everything clicked into place, you couldn't really fault the final sequences of teases and finishers hit but covers unmade through fatigue and lariats with bad arms and eventual victory for Nakamura with the head-height Boma Ye variation used to dispatch Ishii three days prior. That sentence was deliberately created without pauses to try and reflect the style of the match as a breathless rush, btw. With only one match left for Kojima, he can now not catch Nakamura. ***3/4

Nakamura [12] d. Kojima [8]

Block B: AJ Styles - Karl Anderson
Previous beef: the pair are leaders in the Bullet Club stable and have never previously fought.

Anderson begins by teasing the dive, lying down mid-ring for Styles to make an easy cover before surprising his opponent with a roll-up attempt. Styles asks what the fuck that was and goes to accept his friend's apology, only to counter with a roll-up attempt of his own. Once again the two proclaim an accord and an end to the shenanigans, though the initial exchanges continue the comedy as they both go for kicks and catch the leg coming at them, agreeing to both break the hold. Fun start.


From here Karl Anderson and AJ Styles put on a great clinic of American-style main event wrestling that absolutely would not have looked out of place on a WWE PPV or even a Ring of Honor show. Allowing these kinds of contrasts is what appeals to me so much about NJPW, rather than any overt stylistic didacticism they are thought to have (and did have c. 2002).

Though Styles is way ahead in the Block, the parity of the match, with its pendulum swinging both ways multiple times, put both men over huge. Anderson appears to have it won with a Super Gun Stun, but the champion powers out. The crowd, initially unfazed by an all-heel, all-foreigner affair, are firmly roused by the match by the end, which concludes with Styles gaining the win with the Bloody Sunday and the Styles Clash. Anderson's best match of the tournament, but probably just Styles' median. ****

Styles [12] d. Anderson [6]

Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi - Shelton Benjamin 
Previous beef: Tanahashi defeated Benjamin on opening night of the 2012 G1 at Korakuen in their only singles clash to date.

There's not a great deal to say about this one. It was a decent-to-fine Tanahashi match and one of Benjamin's better NJPW efforts. In no way shape or form was Tanahashi ever going to lose this no matter how much he sold, which reduced the dramatic content down to the method by which Tanahashi would win (High Fly Flow). As coasting goes this was fine, Tanahashi doesn't work bad matches and positioned before the main event ensured some heat stayed in the building, though it was coasting all the same. 


There was an amusing spot where Tanahashi skins the cat, returns to the ring and tosses Benjamin, who also skins the cat. A fifth straight defeat crushes Benjamin's hopes of winning, whilst victory pulls Tanahashi alongside Nakamura at the head of the Block. ***1/4

Tanahashi [12] d. Benjamin [8]

Block B: Hirooki Goto - Kazuchika Okada
Previous beef: Okada defeated Goto in an IWGP Heavyweight Championship defence twice; once in 2014 and once in 2012. Okada also defeated Goto in the 2013 New Japan Cup final and in a #1 contendership match in 2012. Considered a master tournament wrestler, Goto defeated Okada during the 2012 and 2013 G1 Climax Block stages. Goto also defeated Okada four times during his Young Lion era.

The situation in terms of the G1 Climax between Goto and Okada was exactly the same as the match before: Okada/Tanahashi had fought seven times and won five. Goto/Benjamin had started well and slid, having won half of their eight matches. Wins for Goto/Benjamin would see them catch Okada/Tanahashi on ten points, but losses would see them crash out of contention altogether.


What made this match so much the better than the match before was the personal storyline history between the two and the desire to commit to a great NJPW style main event. Goto has been under the radar for much of this tournament, not having a single dull match but somehow having misfortune enough to be outshined whenever his big performances are pulled out. 

In front of a home crowd, Okada works in confident mode, bolstered by a great championship run with a variety of opponents. The two work excellently together, starting hot and getting hotter through complex reversal sequences and move teases that get returned to. The entire match is like one of those cartoons where two characters try to get the highest hand grabbed on the pole, only for the loser to realise the pole has been snatched away from them in the sight of victory.
In this instance, that loser once again is Hirooki Goto. Goto appears to have it sewn up after a beautiful reverse ushikoroshi, hooking his man into the Shouten Kai. Okada holds his nerve, wriggles free, and demolishes Goto with a picture-perfect German suplex with an arc that Euclid would have been proud of. One Rainmaker later and Okada is tied with Styles, though a meeting with Suzuki in four days suggests that even the semi-final at G1 is not a foregone conclusion for the young prince. Goto is eliminated. MOTN by a short head. ****1/4

Okada [12] d. Goto [8]

Cool show with some good matches, especially considering many of the matches were definitely within the full energy and moveset of the individual workers. Possibly as a ruse to sell tickets for the G1 Final, the final four seems to be decided and that either Shinsuke Nakamura or Hiroshi Tanahashi will take on AJ Styles or Kazuchika Okada in the G1 Climax 24 Final, with the other two likely to contest the runners-up match. There is no combination of those four that I don't like, so in a way we're all winners. Two shows to go though and no foregone conclusions yet.
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