Fujiwara Armbar is a professional man with a filofax and many meetings to take and right now does not have time to provide premium express content solutions on the matter of New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual heavyweight wrestling tournament. However he was good to fax me the following comments on the back of what appears to be the invoice for 365 pairs of size M black underpants with a note made out to 'John at Bearhugger'.
G1 CLIMAX 25: DAY TWO
Twin Messe, Shizuoka
23rd July 2015
The opening round of Block B fixtures are being presented by a single camera with no commentary in a venue with little atmosphere. Hmm. As much as some may say this is more of a pure experience, I return with i. fuck purity and ii. the televisual production is what replaces the atmosphere of being there. This feels more like standing near the hard camera wearing ear defenders.
TOMOHIRO ISHII vs. SATOSHI KOJIMA
They have a similar match to the one they had during last year's block (hard-hitting and growly but shaped like a modern 9-10 minute sprint) but unlike last year's Aomori crowd, this one is just not that bothered at all. They work hard and tease the reverse result before Ishii delivers a minor surprise with a Sliding D and a Brainbuster to pick up two points. ***1/4
HIROOKI GOTO vs. YUJIRO TAKAHASHI
The prurient cameraman at NJPW World finds the zoom setting for Yujiro's female accomplice. This match features minimal Yujiro arseholery but never kicks into gear. These guys also worked Day 2 last year in a match that I seem to recall was surprisingly good. Someone on Twitter said that matches with Yujiro control spots suck because he's boring. Agree ++ on that. Goto wins to rouse me from my drowsiness. **3/4
YUJI NAGATA vs. TOMOAKI HONMA
Honmania returns with aplomb to this year's G1 and this crowd register 1.4 on the Richter Scale, more than they've managed all night. Nagata kicks the plucky bugger into oblivion and wins with a bridging pin after Honma puffed himself out trying to hit the World's Stupidest (And Therefore Best) Move. ***
KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. MICHAEL ELGIN
The world has returned its opinion on Michael Elgin and because of a few slightly dunderheaded things he appeared to have said once on a blue moon and his failure to make a NJPW tour recently and perhaps him working a style in Ring of Honor that is not exactly CUTTINGEDGEMOVEZZZZ they have found the Canadian beefcake wanting and cut him down as a man working a job and also as a person trying to get on in life which let me tell you guys absolutely sucks. Do not pat yourselves on the back.
Here against the now feted IWGP Heavyweight Champion as a guy coming from a company that technically is no longer independent but essentially microscopic he does not stand a real fighting chance. But the main thing is effort and hustle and looking like you belong and let me tell you right here and now Michael Elgin is belonging in that building with that ring and with that champ and that crowd like a motherfucker.
Of course he loses: he loses to Rainmaker and bumps his ass off to that death blow and a bunch of other moves Okada hits too. But he walks out head held figuratively high with one middle finger pointed upwards pointed to smarky dickhead bullshit central. Me, I'd never really seen him and thought he was good. ***3/4
KARL ANDERSON vs. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
The first real shock of the tour has the Machine Gun "go over" the King of Strong Style and pre-tournament favourite by Gun Stun in the middle of the damn ring for a 1-2-3. What led up to it was just a match, a forgettable match that could have been a cut and paste from their innumerable sequences in tag team encounters. This said, with respect to the wrestlers, the single cam nature of the show was really grating my scrotum by this match. **3/4
Kind of an annoying show. With a slightly better crowd, commentary, motion of camera and a main event that was worked harder, it could have easily been one to remember. Onward!
G1 CLIMAX DAY THREE
City Budokan Centre, Kyoto
24th July 2015
The crowd was up for this one and though there was no commentary, there was a multi-camera set-up which allowed for something like the regular experience. Personally I like the sonic element of two guys I can't understand yelling over the wrestling but ultimately just as much was learned by me. The following are all Block A encounters.
KOTA IBUSHI vs. DOC GALLOWS
Gallows kept up with the Golden Star and they threaded together a totally competent opening style match, 8 minutes of Gallows hossing the former junior heavy about before Kota does his starmaking flippy/kick routine that let's face it is electrifying stuff. Kota wins with a slightly botched finish attempting a technical roll-up but all is forgiven. ***
BAD LUCK FALE vs. TOGI MAKABE
Not as thuddingly slow as these two might suggest but Makabe was on hand to carry this one to passable status. They brawled outside and back inside, exchanging moves with all the intensity coming from the eventual loser. Fale wins with the Bad Luck Fall. Commentary said today (thanks to STAR TWITTER USER @e_key_oide) that Fale has gained nearly 10kg since last year. Suspicions confimed! **1/2
AJ STYLES vs. TORU YANO
Last year they had a pretty entertaining bout based around the idea that there is no way on God's green earth that AJ will have worked a match with anyone like CHAOS Superproducer and Man With The Noblest Brain Toru Yano. Whilst this year might seem different, with AJ having won that encounter easily, Yano has gained two falls over Hiroshi Tanahashi in 2015 with roll-ups. Every time Yano goes for one the feeling is electric. But not only do his roll-ups fail, the final one is reversed into the Calf Killer for the tap. Fun stuff though, with AJ's earnestness combining so well with Yano's weirdness. ***1/2
KATSUYORI SHIBATA vs. TETSUYA NAITO
Had Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi not worked an elegant and exhilarating long-form main event style bout on Day 1 I would be tempted to call this the match of the tournament so far. Rather than having the feel of a night-ending glamour tie, Shibata and Naito served up a really coruscating gripper filled with enmity and intensity.
Naito does not take his suit and mask off before the bell goes. With his mouthguard in Shibata can't make the most nuanced faces, but the expression he manages screams 'YOU ARE FUCKING WITH THE WRONG DUDE HERE'. Naito turns his back and Shibata attacks, twisting the mask on Naito's head and booting him. Naito bails to the apron and continues to get undressed. Slowly. And insouciantly. His face is incredible. He doesn't care that he's just been booted to shit for being arrogant. With his arms half out of his jacket, Shibata sprints forward in an irked fashion and plants a lunge kick deep into Naito's chest. Naito bumps the railing hard with his arms behind his back.
Shibata continues after him, violently whipping Naito into the rail and chasing in with another hard kick. The intensity is comfortably above anything that has occurred in New Japan since before the New Japan Cup, with Naito still in shirt and trousers getting panel-beated by The Wrestler.
The match contained some blistering moments. Shibata draped over the rail and Naito hits his leaping double front kick, himself bumping hard onto the floor in the mechanics of performing the move. In the ring the pair pepper each other with slaps and kicks. Whilst both run through their routines, it is the things around it that make everything count; the growing anger of Shibata and the taunting looks into the night of Naito.
I have no idea where Naito has learned to perform this well so quickly and take on such a convincing line. In taking on the heel role in his two losses to Ishii in 2014, he sowed the idea that he would perform better as a heel. The fans seemed to want it because as a good-guy babyface Naito was down in the pecking order behind Tanahashi and Ibushi with no real way of overtaking; he seemed to lack the backing of the wider demographic and his flashy moves and gear always seemed to lack bite. In his current role as part of the CMLL stable Los Ingobernables he seems reborn and it is like New Japan have acquired a new guy.
The match has a great finish too, simple in execution but decisive in value: Shibata locks in a sleeper. Naito fights and fights but can not quite loosen the hold. As he drops to a seated position, Shibata releases, sprints for the ropes and returns with a brutal volley of a PK and pins Naito with his knees draped across his chest. Fantastic. ****1/2
HIROYOSHI TENZAN vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI
A sentimental main event for the hometown hero against the Ace of the company. Tenzan is made to look like the Raging Bull of Yesteryear by Tanahashi and the two have a good main event with some believable near fall moments for Tenzan. Tanahashi wins with High Fly Flow. ***3/4
A pretty good show actually. The more I think about Naito vs. Shibata, the more I like it. It is a really good match. Let's have a bonus picture.
G1 CLIMAX DAY FOUR
City Gymnasium, Takamatsu
25th July 2015
Over the water to Takamatsu with the gang from Block B. They're visiting all four of the major islands for this tour, which is nice.
TOMOHIRO ISHII vs. YUJIRO TAKAHASHI
Tuned in late to this I'm afraid and haven't had the time for a complete watch. The final five minutes seemed like a really enjoyable and dramatic battle, with Ishii going clear atop the block with a Brainbuster. A quick look online uncovered some serious hate toward Yujiro in the early section of the match which quells my desire to find it somewhat. N/R
SATOSHI KOJIMA vs. MICHAEL ELGIN
Elgin continues his fine run against Kojima, who to be fair rarely if ever has a singles match less than 'watchable'. The crowd warm to Elgin's brutishness, collectively inhaling at his Deadlift German attempt, though Koji's wriggling extinguishes the flame. Cool ending where Elgin over-commits from the turnbuckle and is met with Kojima's lariat arm flush across the jaw. ***1/2
HIROOKI GOTO vs. KARL ANDERSON
Not something I imagine that either wrestler will feature prominently on their best of compilation. Anderson won with another novel Gun Stun variation after a fun end sequence, but the early running was ponderous. Not feeling Goto's new trousers! **3/4
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA vs. YUJI NAGATA
According to notes emerging today, both men worked hurt. This sort of showed as the chemistry that marked their battle last year and also in headlining New Beginning just wasn't quite firing. They have some good standby things to do in case of emergency - kicks, knees, submission - but a rewatch shows this didn't quite 'get there'. ***1/4
KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. TOMOAKI HONMA
Of course this blog loves and supports Honma in all of his endeavours (except those with organised crime) but his Little Engine That Could act was never ever going to work against Mr. Never Loses. Where Tanahashi will take a fall to Yano and Nakamura will drop two straight matches to Goto, Okada will suffer no such indignity. The crowd ignore my cynicism and get behind the huffing and puffing but Okada, as sure as tock follows tick, ends a game bout with Rainmaker. ***1/2
On reflection this show is probably skippable but I did enjoy it. Above three stars indicates genuine pleasure.
G1 CLIMAX DAY FIVE
Green Arena, Hiroshima
July 26th 2015
The last show of the week before a couple of days rest has the full TV Asahi works; commentary team of Jushin Liger and Shinpei Nogami, multi-cam and the general feel that this show is a big deal. Shinsuke Nakamura, due to work a tag match, takes the night off. Worrying or a work? You decide.
BAD LUCK FALE vs. DOC GALLOWS
The two big guys of Bullet Club square off and generally show no mercy, dumping railings and big hits in an arena-wide brawl. It's not quite Hansen-Gordy but for its place on the card, in the scheme of things and against the moans of the international wrestling clique, it does alright. Fale wins with a Grenade to the chest of Gallows. **1/2
HIROYOSHI TENZAN vs. TORU YANO
What starts as a fun comedy match turns a little ugly as both men bust after Tenzan's top rope headbutt slightly overshoots the mark. Ever the professional, Yano gets them out of there with safety in mind with a quick roll-up for the win. **1/4
KATSUYORI SHIBATA vs. TOGI MAKABE
The pace picks up as The Wrestler takes on The Unchained Gorilla in a NEVER style match featuring lots of lariats, kicks and pained cries. It ends inside ten minutes as Shibata PKs his opponent to hell. Considering Shibata's relative pariah status and Makabe's senior status in the dressing room, this feels significant. Good short stiff-fest. ***3/4
AJ STYLES vs. KOTA IBUSHI
Many feel their dream-bout status match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Invasion Attack fell short of what it could achieve. For me it was a pretty good attempt with some impressive moments somewhat tempered by IWGP AJ being a different beast to G1 AJ. IWGP AJ is told he is a wrestling genius and made to support a story that is not that compelling. G1 AJ is told to go out and entertain and look good.
This match knocks that match from May into a cocked hat. It's a full-blooded thriller between two of the best. Whilst the backstory isn't quite there (both guys are not exactly nuanced in the order of things) the wrestling story absolutely is. The timing and sense of occasion is impeccable and many gasp-inducing things occur.
Part of the WWE philosophy vis-a-vis making new stars seems to revolve around putting guys in with John Cena and hoping that the reflected glory will make them stars even as they comprehensively lose the series of matches; Rusev, Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt springing to mind. What Ibushi needs after his many close-but-no-cigar losses to Okada, Nakamura, Tanahashi and Styles is that win that puts him in their company. Here, with a Phoenix Splash, it arrives. ****1/2
HIROSHI TANAHASHI vs. TETSUYA NAITO
Tanahashi worked the first two nights of competition essentially as a heel; once to put over Ibushi as a mark of respect and once to let Tenzan shine on home turf. Against Naito he is the consummate babyface, with booing greeting Naito as he grows everlong into his status as the guy-you-tried-to-love-but-can't turning his back on you.
Attempting to outphysical the match before would be a stupid task, though in the dramatic growth of this outing they do come close. Instead they let the story and character do a bulk of the work. Tanahashi is here to beat some respect into Naito in an attempt to return him to the straight and narrow.
After a rugged neckbreaker on a commentary table returns action to the ring, Naito eats a slap in the corner and spits back in Tanahashi's expensively-oiled face. Tanahashi nods, as if to say 'have it your way' and slaps Naito again. Naito spits back. Tanahashi slaps again. Naito slaps Tanahashi. The place goes crazy.
Naito is really making this work for him and it's such a joy to watch. The constant jockeying of not just their fluid, frenetic wrestling but the accentuating matter of their rival emotions spilling out next to the pool of dried Tenzan blood makes this into a first-rate affair.
In the longest match of the tour, that threatened the draw without me ever once considering it or realising it, Tetsuya Naito does as he did in the 2013 G1 Climax Final and defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi in the centre of the ring (this time with a new move (?) called Standing Sea Fire). What happened then was respectful applause eventually mutating into the disdain that would see him evicted from the Wrestle Kingdom 8 headline slot and ultimately booed up and down the land.
Instead of letting the fans dictate to him, Naito sticks it to Tanahashi some more after the bell, cementing his status as a fully-grown bad guy and fairly legitimate player in the scheme of New Japan which I imagine no one who watches saw coming or expected to pan out so promisingly. ****1/2
Day 5 was easily the best show so far. Here are the scores on the doors.
Block A
Tanahashi, Naito, Fale, Shibata, AJ and Ibushi all tied on 4 points (2-1).
Tenzan, Yano and Makabe have 2 points (1-2).
Doc Gallows has 0 points (0-3).
Block B
Ishii, Okada and Anderson have 4 points (2-0).
Kojima, Nagata, Nakamura and Goto have 2 points (1-1).
Elgin, Honma and Yujiro have 0 points. (0-2)
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