Not even halfway. We've seen 9 days of wrestling and the tournament is not even halfway done. Tours of old were longer, yes, but the wrestling wasn't as impactful and it wasn't all deigned important enough to broadcast. It's tough to keep with though fortunately I have a window of time after work that allows for viewing the tournament matches only.
Should they maintain this format in years to come, it is difficult to see how anybody but the most ardent of fans can keep pace. Not to mention the wrestlers, many of whom are taped up, bandaged, and moving a little more wearily. That said, maintenance of kayfabe is a reason I like New Japan and I'd be surprised if there was no element of a 'work'. Not to say they're not banged up in myriad ways.
This post follows on from my last in terms of style; most matches will get a paragraph, though noteworthy bouts will get a bit of exposition and exegesis. A propos of nothing, I'd like to thank Cagematch for making this process possible. I don't take notes and can't remember bios and past matches without having my mind jogged. Take a look at this excellent site today!
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| It's that thing sticking up |
B-Con Plaza, Beppu
28th July 2015
Kyushu, the southernmost island of the major four that make up Japan, was omitted from last year's schedules. This year the island receives consecutive shows with some tasty matches on paper. Sadly, before a metaphorical bell can even sound, one of the tastiest matches of Block B disappears up the flue.
MICHAEL ELGIN vs. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
Nakamura's persistent elbow injury rules him out of the evening, awarding a walkover win to Elgin. Pontification abounds as to whether this spells the end for Nakamura's G1 with subsequent quizzing about how this affects the booking w/r/t the expectation Nakamura is set to win the whole thing. Elgin worked a tag match downcard instead. N/R
YUJIRO TAKAHASHI vs. YUJI NAGATA
There have been some defences of Yujiro emerging in some quarters of the internet, citing his great character work and impeccable heel instincts. Don't believe me?
Yujiro Takahashi is a fantastic, despicable, shameless villain. He'd be perfect in WWE.
— aubrey⚡️sitterson (@aubreysitterson) July 31, 2015
Let me nip this in the bud now: he is a generic wrestler and not even worthy of booing. He could cure the insomnia of someone in the full throes of a cocaine binge. I'm not entirely sure sentence two of the above tweet constitutes much of a defence these days (love yr. work though Aubrey!).
This match was an affront to the dignity of Nagata, who even put the weasel over. It had the right shape of a wrestling match and everything was executed just fine. It was like when someone pulls a decent-looking cake out of the oven and you take a slice of the warm cooked mixture and realise they forgot to put the sugar in. **
HIROOKI GOTO vs. TOMOAKI HONMA
Now we're talking. Both men, regardless of win-loss record, occupy that mid-card stalwart worker role who could be jetted into a believable title match (alongside Ishii, Anderson, Naito, Shibata, Makabe, others to a lesser extent) and in which any two persons in said role can be put together with the reasonable expectation of a good match given time and circumstance.
Looking down the schedule I'm struggling to see where Honma can pick up his maiden win. Certainly not here against the reigning Intercontinental champion as it proves. Perhaps on the final night against Yujiro? Anyway. These two hammer each other with escalating violence that sometimes borders on the comical, but only because of its competitive earnestness. They really care about your investment in their entertainment!
Honma hits that Mascaras headbutt off the ropes as a thing of beauty, running Goto close all the while but ultimately and inevitably and tragically loses to Goto's Shouten Kai in both men's best outing of the tournament thus far. ****
Looking down the schedule I'm struggling to see where Honma can pick up his maiden win. Certainly not here against the reigning Intercontinental champion as it proves. Perhaps on the final night against Yujiro? Anyway. These two hammer each other with escalating violence that sometimes borders on the comical, but only because of its competitive earnestness. They really care about your investment in their entertainment!
Honma hits that Mascaras headbutt off the ropes as a thing of beauty, running Goto close all the while but ultimately and inevitably and tragically loses to Goto's Shouten Kai in both men's best outing of the tournament thus far. ****
TOMOHIRO ISHII vs. KARL ANDERSON
Two unlikely candidates to be in the position to end the night 3-0 go head to head in a rematch of a bout that suffered on the G1 Finals night in 2014 owing to Ishii's actual injury causing a couple of botches and the match itself being used as a way to put over YOSHI-HASHI, a dude not even here in the tournament.
This confrontation is much better. It's hard-working and physical and it gets the time that each man needs to build to a meaningful attempt to execute their moves in the later stretch. The trifecta of CHAOS buddies in this Block possibly ensures that Ishii's revenge win was apparent to keep the potential faction implosion alive (!), though Anderson's mesmeric and intelligent Gun Stun varietals always keep you guessing. ***3/4
SATOSHI KOJIMA vs. KAZUCHIKA OKADA
When Okada was last IWGP Heavyweight Champion going into the G1 Climax of 2013, Satoshi Kojima stepped up to defeat Okada in a crackerjack, creating a rematch down the line that was even better as Okada defended his title. The two have a really natural chemistry together and I wouldn't be surprised if Kojima played some part in bringing the young champion up to code in some unofficial circumstance (lariat, top rope elbow, perhaps? I don't know).
2015's edition of Okada vs. Kojima doesn't quite scale the mountain but Kojima is a livewire and Okada has to show the crowd that has learned something from his Dome Show de-pantsing, that he is digging deep to knock down the venerable ex-champion of New Japan, All Japan and the National Wrestling Alliance. It's a cool match, but not a great one. ***1/2
An enjoyable evening in Beppu then, even if we were denied of a potential classic. Nakamura's absence shows the limits of the new format; if one wrestler goes AWOL, 20% of your meaningful content is lost. Probably more considering it is Nakamura. No matter, for now.
G1 CLIMAX DAY SEVEN
International Centre, Fukuoka
29th July 2015
Crowds have been historically, or at least in my watching span, quite dead at Fukuoka. This is where AJ Styles won the IWGP Heavyweight to the sound of crickets and a man mowing his lawn despite the full house. Things seem much better this evening for an intriguing round of Block A action.
DOC GALLOWS vs. TORU YANO
If you listen to the regular Bullet Club podcast you'll know that Gallows is a pretty funny dude who, in the guise of his Sex Ferguson alter ego, petitions to get out of the more hard-hitting end of New Japan. He's been portrayed as a menacing bruiser in every major company he's been in but I think his comic instincts are greater than his serious ones.
This is as close to proof as you'll get; it's rambunctuous and entertaining all the way through. Gallows wins with a little outside assistance which, considering how much Yano cheats, is only fair. ***
TOGI MAKABE vs. HIROYOSHI TENZAN
It would be banal to point out that this match was at the slower end of things (like I just did) but what they lack in speed they replaced with a weight and intensity behind their limited motions. Tenzan, sporting a plaster over his wound sustained literally headbutting Toru Yano, had particular trouble getting going.
But once they do, and they do, the last few minutes was a real tussle. Tenzan gripped Makabe for dear life in the Anaconda Buster, but Makabe squirmed free from the attempted fall and took the points with a King Kong Drop after some sick lariat action. ***1/4
KOTA IBUSHI vs. KATSUYORI SHIBATA
A pal of mine says that these two feel like they're from two discrete worlds and yeah I completely see it: one is the DDT ace, the modern flippy adorable slightly comical but also brimming with burning spirit dude you just can't help but love. The other is a miserable traditionalist with moves mostly pulled from 1964 delivered with sizzling hate and also you can't help but love him.
But there's a Venn diagram where these two coincide that has two words written in: KICKS and AWESOME. This match is awesome. It is probably the best one of the tournament to date. I'd have to sit and think about it. There's nothing about the match that I do not like if pressed, even though if you want to nitpick you could easily say that not everything was done 'right'.
The match builds up this dizzying sensation that happens when you see two people engaged in something furious where it doesn't seem like either one will give in but will have to be knocked all of the way out and ground into the dust; think Hagler vs. Hearns, Don Frye vs. Takayama. The crowd nearly explodes as they pulverise each other with hard kicks and slaps.
There's even an awesome bit where Ibushi is hitting so hard that Shibata, normally the vainglorious peacock of the one-for-one hitting contest, starts covering up and cowering under the shower of shotei. At some point (time became worryingly non-linear during this) Ibushi went for a Pele Kick and was caught by the legs by Shibata, who transformed into a lightning-fast STF. THRILLING.
Shibata took the points with a fantastic, simple ending: Ibushi had a kick blocked and ate a huge slap that temporarily paralysed him into taking the deadly rear naked choke/sleeper that grinds you down ahead of a PK. Just one of those great matches where no one loses, everyone wins, and at the end I am dancing around my tiny bedroom. ****3/4
BAD LUCK FALE vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI
Tanahashi long sealed his lifetime Hall of Fame place but if there were any doubters that he can't put together a match that makes his opponent, ostensibly nowhere near as good as he, look like the most virulent badass full of presence then here is living proof. He may have saved Fale's career after this one.
In a match of three acts: Tanahashi dominates, then starts bouncing around for Fale until he wriggles out of a Bad Luck Fall attempt. Act two is the same, only more domination, more selling, and a closer knife-edge on the BLF. So far so standard.
The final act begins familiar enough but became downed by Fale's Grenade (Samoan Spike). A collective intake of breath as Fale mounts the top turnbuckle, abandoning the Bad Luck Fall strategy, instead hitting Tanahashi's High Fly Flow and taking the three. Sort of insane, kind of brilliant. ***1/2
TETSUYA NAITO vs. AJ STYLES
Styles is not buying Naito's new thing and loudly barracks the Ingobernable One to get undressed to start the fourth match in their quietly impressive series. Previous entries have commented on the outstanding dimension Naito has discovered and tonight is no exception; he is cocky, he is aloof, he is a tease - but he communicates it so well.
The match is pretty good. Now Naito is a heel, and Styles is - well - orientation very much attempting to be babyface but held back by his alignment to a heel stable, the crowd have a little trouble nailing their colours to either man's mast. Both are physically impressive and their repertoires received cheers. But secretly everyone hopes for a way that both can lose.
Naito ultimately is the heelier heel, spitting at AJ and smirking. He also levels their series at 2-2 with the best execution of Standing Sea Fire (standing Sliced Bread #2/Shiranui, though there's an extra whip on it with AJ that makes it look harsh rather than like Dragon Gate flash finisher) to date. ***3/4
Crackerjack evening. Stick two nights of the G1 matches together and you have cards comparable to last year. Still got it. Just maybe the format needs ironing out some more.
G1 CLIMAX 25 DAY EIGHT
Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka
1st August 2015
Osaka is alway great isn't it? Dominion, less than a month ago, was a blow-away show. That might explain a little why there's a slightly shrunken crowd (numbers, not body mass) - it's not exactly a cheap night out if you're getting the merch and the decent seat. But the people who are there make plenty of noise as they are wont. Block B competition for the evening, with the King of Strong Style returning...
YUJIRO TAKAHASHI vs. SATOSHI KOJIMA
I am not boycotting Yujiro matches per se but I had a tiny window of time in which to get a haircut, get some passport photos taken, read and sign some important documentation and post them off and have a tasty berry milkshake in a local cafe and by the time I got back this match had just ended. So I didn't watch it and unless someone writes below and tells me that it is a must-see then I think I can live without seeing it. N/R
KARL ANDERSON vs. YUJI NAGATA
This was a fun, cool, competitive and sporty little number with plenty of pep that I must admit I enjoyed more than I expected. Perhaps it was due to the relief of having entirely missed Yujiro. Anderson won with an excellent reversal out of Nagata's Backdrop Hold into the Gun Stun to improve to 3-1. ***1/4
MICHAEL ELGIN vs. TOMOAKI HONMA
The right choice of opponent for Honma to come into one of his best houses with the notion that he might do the unthinkable and win a match. The commentary compares Elgin to Dr. Death Steve Williams during his entrance (beard, oversized robe, snarl) and whilst Elgin doesn't lay his shit in quite like Williams did, it's plenty enough for this crowd who seem to be quite pleasantly into him.
All of which coincides nicely and makes for a really good match with both dudes getting cheered for everything they do and making it baffling to a certain extent that this would be the shortest G1 match of the evening.
Elgin's relative unknown status comes with the frisson that he is not untouchable enough to have earned the win on reputation; but in a sense he needs the win more because losing is not his gimmick and the one win he has earned to date was over a man who didn't show up. No one wants to win like that.
You ideally want to win the way Elgin does win: decisively. A triumvirate of powerbombs - pop-up, buckle, spinning just like Zangief from Streetfighter II - and Elgin extinguishes the flame. Honma is still loved. Elgin is becoming loved. Victories all around. ***3/4
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA vs. TOMOHIRO ISHII
I was in the house in Anaheim, CA when John Cena gave a speech announcing that a hyperextension in his elbow would rule him out for a little while. It was a wise move and it allowed Daniel Bryan, a promising midcarder a chance to rise upwards.
Nakamura returns from a similar incident, a golf ball sized lump apparent underneath a bandage. Discretion feels like the better part of valour in this instance, but Nakamura's here and wrestlers are kinda stupid like that. Especially if they've been booked to win a thing.
Against friend, stablemate and Block B leader Tomohiro Ishii, Nakamura has his work cut out. Ishii's loss to Nakamura in last year's G1 Climax in a thriller also plays on the mind, wondering if even-steven booking will see Nakamura cleanly step out of the spotlight temporarily and allow someone from underneath to step up.
There is no such mirroring. After a shaky start, the two develop their rhythm well. Ishii works light, whilst Nakamura avoids using his bad arm much, sticking to knees and kicks, all of which have a bite to them. Ishii plays the stoic curmudgeon as well as ever, so even though we know that these guys are larking about online as friends, we can suspend that and buy into them wanting to WIN.
It's a fine match that trades off some of what occurred 12 months prior without really matching up. Ishii gets to kick out of a Boma Ye, Nakamura hits his awesome flying armbar and ultimately wins with another Boma Ye after a couple of scares. ***3/4
KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. HIROOKI GOTO
Champion versus champion is always a good sell for a match, not that for me this match needed it, but it gives that extra bit of spice that indicates where each title is considered in the general scheme of things. Nothing can supplant the IWGP Heavyweight of course, but since Nakamura's reigns polished the IC title up to a similar gold standard, is there an argument to say they're now equal?
Based on this match: yes. It is outstanding and it could have been a headlining title match and will doubtless have some kind of championship ramifications down the line (merger? I sort of hope so). It combines the best of Okada's athleticism, cockiness, surety and smarts with the best Goto's grumpy, earnest, battering and belligerence to create something special.
And importantly, Goto wins, clean, with Shouten Kai. A big result in a big match for one of the most faithful crowds in the world. Yes it probably means Goto loses down the line. But his joy in victory cannot be faked. It's all around the eyes, a smile even crossing his supposedly warrior-like face. ****1/2
Hey this is really good this wrestling lark isn't it!
G1 CLIMAX DAY NINE
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya
2nd August 2015
Whilst crowds are down in Osaka, they're up in Nagoya. Turning people away as 6500 take their seats for what is on paper not the greatest card you'll ever put money down for. Fortunately we know not to take things as read. Also I note that Tama Tonga is getting some juice down the card in tag matches, winning with his Headshrinker DDT finisher. Interesting.
HIROYOSHI TENZAN vs. KOTA IBUSHI
Ibushi pulls a good, simple match out of his senior opponent based around Tenzan's experience and strength vs. Ibushi's creativity and audacity. Ibushi wins with the Phoenix Splash. This would have been unthinkable ten years ago in many respects, an outsider and former junior beating a respected veteran. But it feels right and natural. It does not suddenly tarnishes Tenzan's achievements; if anything, it humanises them and puts peak performance in context of a career cycle. ***1/4
KATSUYORI SHIBATA vs. BAD LUCK FALE
A good match that traded on last year's count-out finish to build steam for its clean close. The opening was interesting, with Shibata going off-book to attempt to level his much larger opponent - firstly crabwalking and trying to trick Fale into making a ground attempt a la Royce Gracie in that epic against Kazushi Sakuraba, then later executing a forward roll to evade Fale's pawing grasp and cleanly grab his leg ahead of a Figure 4 attempt.
Shibata's win and subsequent improvement to 4-1 only makes his eventual loss to Tanahashi and possibly Yano seem more likely. I do hope this isn't the case as he really feels fresh and ready to be embraced by the larger faithful. His win, reversing a Bad Luck Fall into a rear naked choke to set-up the PK, cancels the score against him from last year. ***1/2
AJ STYLES vs. DOC GALLOWS
Styles had a good match last year against fellow foreign big man Lance Archer (currently over in NOAH) and here he goes for the double against stablemate Gallows. There were a couple of light botches but nothing unforgivable and in the end it was a pretty good bout though of course Gallows could not win in a month of Sundays. I do like his kicks and throat thrusts though. Styles wins with Bloody Sunday (I honestly wish that move was not called that). ***
TOGI MAKABE vs. TETSUYA NAITO
It occurred that the hard work for Naito is probably done. Not in-ring, but in the bigger picture. He is now a completed image. He has a thing, a definable essence that is his. Winning doesn't matter now. He already won. His forward momentum will continue when his stablemates arrive.
Makabe's face when Naito, who enters first, still won't take his mask and suit off, is a picture. As Shibata did, Makabe attacks with ire and the two have a pretty cool slugefest of a match. Normally this would be somewhat inadvisable given that Makabe slugged Ishii to doom three times this calendar year but Naito is giddy for drawing energy from his opposite number and seemingly thrives on it.
It's a strategy that Naito can't keep with in a good match positioned better than their also-good match from last year's Day 7, being bust open on the ring post as Makabe attempts to unseat him atop the turnbuckle ahead of a Spider German into King Kong Knee. Naito loses, but smirks through the dizziness all the way to the back, covered in blood. ****
TORU YANO vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI
I can't comment on this match without posting this.
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) August 2, 2015
The feud that comes around now and again between Tanahashi and Yano may never produce the sort of great matches that Tanahashi may have with Okada or Nakamura, but the way it evolves from a slightly prickled ego (Tanahashi) reacting with pomposity at someone (Yano) who only lives to mock has a really satisfying feeling to me, especially in the internet age, where this kind of thing happens all of the time.It's a fun main event where Yano talks a lot, does some actual moves (a fucking suplex!), cheats, admonishes the referee, crawls under the ring to avoid a beating, poses, runs, yelps, admires his own creativity and acts the clown whilst Tanahashi attempts to decisively get Yano between the ropes long enough to actually pin the squirming jester down to mete a hero-style beating. In the end it comes and you're glad but both men play their parts so well. ***1/2
There's a lengthy post-match where Tanahashi plays air guitar. It is so so so so cheesy and yet also brilliant.
Latest scores are as follows.
BLOCK A
Shibata 4-1
Tanahashi, Styles, Fale, Naito, Makabe, Ibushi 3-2
Yano, Gallows, Tenzan 1-4
BLOCK B
Goto, Okada, Ishii, Anderson 3-1
Nakamura, Elgin, Takahashi 2-2
Kojima, Nagata 1-3
Honma 0-4
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