Fighting Spirit Review: New Japan “G1 Climax 2014” Day 6

Date:  July 31st, 2014
Location:  Act City Hamamatsu
Announced Attendance:  3,100 (Super No Vacancy Full House)

We are now halfway through with the G1 Climax! Here are the standings going into the event:

Today’s matches:

– Block A: Bad Luck Fale vs. Doc Gallows
– Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Yuji Nagata
– Block B: Togi Makabe vs. Yujiro Takahashi
– Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima
– Block B: Hirooki Goto vs. Karl Anderson
– Block B: Lance Archer vs. Minoru Suzuki
– Block A: Shelton Benjamin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
– Block B: AJ Styles vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
– Block B: Kazuchika Okada vs. Toru Yano
– Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Now onto the fun.

Bad Luck Fale vs. Doc Gallows
Fale and Gallows circle each other, tie-up, and they break cleanly.  Tie-up, but Gallows pushes Fale back.  Another tie-up and this time Fale pushes away Gallows.  Kick to the stomach by Gallows, side headlock, Fale pushes out of it and they collide with no result.  Fale goes off the ropes but he can’t knock Gallows down.  They both go off the ropes but still can’t knock each other down.  They face off and trade elbows, and Fale lariats Gallows out of the ring down to the floor.  Fale goes outside the ring but Gallows kicks him back.  Gallows throws Fale hard into the guardrail, stomps by Gallows, he picks up Fale and slides him back into the ring.  Fale recovers fast and stands on Gallows near the ropes, Fale clubs Gallows into the corner, Fale goes for the body avalanche by Gallows moves out of the way.  Punches by Gallows, he goes off the ropes and he lariats Fale out of the ring again.  Fale pulls Gallows to the outside and punches him around the ring.  Fale throws Gallows into the guardrail and then slides him back into the ring.  Gallows stomps on Fale as he gets into the ring and he stands on his back near the ropes.  Gallows picks up Fale and throws him into the corner, punches by Gallows, Irish whip and he elbows Fale in the corner.  Fale dodges Gallows’s next attack, body splash by Fale but it gets a two count.  Fale calls for the Grenade, but Gallows punches him back and hits a high kick.  Bearhug slam by Gallows, cover, but it gets a two count.  Gallows picks up Fale and punches him, but Fale punches him back.  They trade punches and lariat attempts, Fale finally knocks down Gallows with a lariat but it gets a two count cover.  Both wrestlers get up, Fale charges Gallows but Gallows hits a big boot.  Cover, and he gets a three count.  Your winner:  Doc Gallows

Match Thoughts:  Not a big fan of this match and I will tell you why.  The selling was just not great nor were the transitions.  Not once, but twice Gallows knocked Fale out to the floor, one wrestler controlled the action on the floor, and when it went back in the ring the other wrestler promptly went on offense.  Eight minute matches don’t need repeated spots, I wouldn’t mind it in an Iron Man match but not a short power struggle.  The ending also came up really suddenly, I guess neither wrestler can get the other one up for their finisher but I’d expect a big boot to not be enough to take down an IWGP Champion.  This could have been good if they stuck to just being a slugfest, but as it was, I can’t say I enjoyed it.  Score:  3.0

Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Yuji Nagata
They circle each other, waistlock by Nagata, reversed by Smith and he hits an armdrag but Nagata gets out of it and they return to their feet.  Waistlock by Nagata but Smith gets into the ropes and Nagata gives a clean break.  Armdrag by Smith but Nagata gets out of it and applies an armbar, but Smith hits another armdrag.  Nagata quickly gets out of it and they return to their feet.  Knee by Smith and he applies a side headlock, Nagata Irish whips out of it but Smith hits a shoulderblock.  Smith goes for a leg drop, Nagata rolls out of the way and goes for a kick, but Smith avoids it.  Back up, kick by Smith and he elbows Nagata, but Smith throws Nagata out of the ring.  Smith picks up Nagata and throws him into the guardrail.  Smith slams Nagata into the table, he picks him up and hits a scoop slam.  Nagata gets back into the ring and picks up Smith, knee by Smith and they trade slaps.  Camel clutch by Smith and he applies a sleeper, but Nagata gets to the ropes.  Smith picks up Nagata and goes for a suplex but Nagata lands on his feet.  Waistlock by Nagata but Smith elbows out of it, Smith charges Nagata but Nagata hits a big boot.  Kicks to the chest by Nagata as he knocks Smith into the corner, Irish whip, and Nagata hits a big boot.  Nagata goes for an exploder but Smith blocks it, Irish whip by Nagata, reversed, and Nagata dropkicks Smith in the knee.  Nagata goes off the ropes and hits a boot followed by an exploder.  Cover, but it gets a two count.  Nagata picks up Smith and goes for a brainbuster but Smith blocks it, knee by Smith but Nagata kicks Smith in the leg.  Nagata goes off the ropes but Smith catches him with a powerslam.  Cover, but it gets a two count.  Irish whip by Smith and he hits a jumping knee.  Smith goes for the tiger suplex but Nagata elbows out of it and they trade blows.  Boot by Nagata and he goes for a kick, but Smith catches his leg and hits a capture suplex.  Cover, but Nagata gets a shoulder up.  Smith hits a tiger suplex hold, but it also gets a two count.  Smith picks up Nagata and he goes for the Bulldog Bomb, but Nagata punches out of it.  Irish whip by Smith, but Nagata blocks it and applies the seated armbar.  Smith gets to the ropes to break it up, Nagata picks up Smith and kicks him back before he hits a jumping knee.  Nagata goes for the backdrop driver but Smith gets out of it, he charges Nagata but Nagata hits a release German suplex.  Nagata goes for the backdrop driver again, Smith elbows out of it but Nagata hits a heel kick.  Wrist-clutch exploder by Nagata, cover, and he picks up the three count.  Your winner:  Yuji Nagata

Match Thoughts:   One good thing about a veteran like Nagata is he legitimately has multiple ways to win the match.  He tried the backdrop hold a few times, it didn’t work, so he went for the wrist-clutch exploder instead.  This was a solid match, I am getting a lil weary of every match having a quick outside the ring section as it is mostly done to waste time, but beyond that they stayed really focused on what they were doing.  Smith has impressed me during the tournament, he has great suplexes and power moves, and does more than you’d think someone his size could do.  Fun match.  Score:  6.5

Togi Makabe vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Takahashi attacks Makabe before the match starts, elbows by Takahashi and he throws Makabe out of the ring.  They trade shots outside of the ring and Takahashi throws Makabe into the ring post.  Takahashi throws Makabe chest-first into the guardrail, he takes him up the ramp and hits a snapmare.  Takahashi then runs up the ramp and hits a sliding kick.  Takahashi slides back into the ring with Makabe slowly following, stomps by Takahashi, he picks up Makabe, Irish whip, and Takahashi hits a back elbow.  Elbows by Takahashi and he chokes Makabe with his boot.  Takahashi picks up Makabe but Makabe elbows him back, but Takahashi elbows Makabe in the back of the head.  Takahashi picks up Makabe and elbows him into the corner.  Takahashi gets a running start and he hits a big boot.  Irish whip by Takahashi, reversed, but Takahashi kicks him when he charges in.  Takahashi goes off the ropes but Makabe hits a big lariat.  Makabe hits a lariat in the corner, then a second one.  Makabe hits mounted punches in the corner but Takahashi pushes him back and punches Makabe in the jaw.  Takahashi picks up Makabe and he hits a Fisherman Buster.  Cover, but it gets a two count.  Stomps by Takahashi and he elbows Makabe, but Makabe absorbs the blows.  Makabe picks up Takahashi and goes for a powerbomb but he drops him, eye rake by Takahashi and an Irish whip but Makabe catches him with a powerslam.  Makabe picks up Takahashi and he hits a powerbomb.  Cover, but it only gets a two count.  Makabe goes up to the top turnbuckle but Takahashi rolls out of the way of the King Kong Kneedrop.  Both wrestlers get up and Makabe hits a big lariat.  Cover, but Takahashi kicks out.  Makabe picks up Takahashi and puts Takahashi on his shoulders, but Takahashi rakes his eyes and throws Makabe into the referee.  Low blow by Takahashi, he grabs Makabe and powerbombs him into the turnbuckles.  Takahashi picks up Makabe and he hits the Miami Shine.  Cover, and Takahashi picks up the three count.  Your winner:  Yujiro Takahashi

Match Thoughts:   Either Makabe is a great seller or he is really hurting.  Takahashi as I have mentioned isn’t really doing much for me as a heel.  He has some good moves but the low blows and the eye rakes just seem second rate in today’s age.  It works for Yano because he is a comedy wrestler but it comes off weak coming from Takahashi.  Makabe didn’t do a lot here except look like he was in pain.  Not a terrible match as the hits were hard but lacking in some areas.  Score:  4.5

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima
They circle each other to start, wristlock by Kojima but Shibata reverses it into a waistlock.  Shibata pushes Kojima into the ropes and he gives a clean break.  Kick by Kojima and he clubs Shibata in the back, side headlock by Kojima, Shibata Irish whips out of it and shoulderblocks Kojima down.  Kick by Kojima and he throws Shibata out of the ring.  Shibata throws Kojima into the guardrail and hits a big boot.  Kicks by Shibata and he gets back on the apron, but Kojima clips Shibata from behind.  Kojima picks up Shibata on the apron and he hits a DDT.  Kojima rolls back into the ring and stomps on Shibata, Kojima picks up Shibata and he hits a neckbreaker.  Cover, but it gets a two count.  Kojima applies a reverse chinlock and elbows Shibata.  Kojima throws Shibata into the corner and hits rapid fire chops, but Shibata elbows him and switches positions with him and lots of elbows.  Kojima chops down Shibata, Irish whip from the corner and Kojima hits a jumping elbow smash.  Kojima goes up to the top turnbuckle but Shibata is up and kicks Kojima off the top turnbuckle down to the floor.  Shibata goes outside of the ring and picks up Kojima, he goes an Irish whip but Kojima reverses it which sends Shibata into the guardrail.  Kojima picks up Shibata and goes for a suplex but Shibata reverses it into a vertical suplex of his own.  Both wrestlers slide back into the ring to beat the count, Shibata picks up Kojima and elbows him, but Kojima elbows Shibata back.  Elbows by Kojima and he hits the roaring elbow.  Kojima goes off the ropes but Shibata catches him with a knee to the stomach.  Shibata elbows Kojima into the corner and hits him down to a seated position, he goes for a dropkick but Kojima fires out of the corner with a lariat.  Kojima picks up Shibata and he hits a snap DDT.  Kojima picks up Shibata and goes for a suplex but Shibata lands on his feet and applies a rear naked choke.  Kojima gets out of it with a backdrop suplex but Shibata replies with a release German suplex.  Kojima ends up in the corner and Shibata delivers a running dropkick.  Shibata picks up Kojima and hits a suplex, cover, but it gets a two count.  Shibata picks up Kojima and goes for the Go 2 Sleep but Kojima gets out of it and hits a Koji Cutter.  Kojima goes off the ropes but Shibata boots his arm, he goes off the ropes but Kojima hits a lariat.  Cover, but Shibata kicks out at two.  Kojima picks up Shibata and he hits a brainbuster.  Cover, but again it gets a two count.  Kojima waits for Shibata to get up and goes off the ropes but Shibata hits a dropkick.  Shibata picks up Kojima, elbows by Kojima but Shibata hits a spinning slap.  Shibata gets Kojima on his shoulders and hits a Go 2 Sleep, PK by Shibata and he gets the three count.  Your winner:  Katsuyori Shibata

Match Thoughts:   This was a fun match, I really like the GTS  into the PK combination, it’s a convincing way to win a match.  Shibata breaking up the Bakayaro Elbow always makes me a happy panda and it was a very hard hitting encounter.  Like with Tanahashi a few days ago, this was a ‘Shibata’ match, not a ‘Kojima’ match, which helped make it a good match.  Good stuff all the way around.  Score:  7.0

Hirooki Goto vs. Karl Anderson
They tie-up to start, Goto pushes Anderson into the ropes and he gives a clean break.  Tie-up again, Goto gets Anderson into the ropes again but Anderson switches positions with him and also gives a clean break.  Tie-up, side headlock by Goto, Anderson tries to Irish whip out of it, side headlock takedown by Goto but Anderson gets out of it.  They trade holds but neither can get an advantage and they end up back on their feet.  Punches by Anderson and he hits an uppercut, side headlock by Anderson, Goto Irish whips out of it and hits a shoulderblock.  Anderson rolls out of the ring, Goto goes out after him and elbows Anderson in the back of the head.  Elbow by Goto and he chokes Anderson in the guardrail, he goes for an Irish whips but Anderson blocks it which sends Goto into the rail.  Big boot by Anderson, he picks up Goto and takes him up the aisle, then throws a part of the barricade at him.  Anderson returns to the ring but Goto makes it back before the count.  Anderson stomps on Goto and drops a knee followed by a second one, cover, but it gets a two count.  Anderson applies a chinlock on the mat, Goto elbows out of it and goes off the ropes but Anderson connects with a jumping heel kick for a two count cover.  Stomp by Anderson, Irish whip into the corner and Goto collapses upon impact.  Anderson rakes Goto’s face with his forearm, kicks to the head by Anderson and he slaps at Goto as Goto gets back to his feet.  Goto hits him back but Anderson punches him back to his knees.  Anderson picks up Goto and goes off the ropes but both wrestlers lariat each other.  They do it again, they both go off the ropes and Goto hits a lariat.  Goto picks up Anderson and punches him into the corner, Irish whip, and Goto hits a heel kick followed by a backdrop suplex.  Cover, but it gets a two count.  Goto picks up Anderson and puts him on his shoulders, but Anderson elbows out of it.  Goto charges Anderson but Anderson hits a big boot.  Irish whip by Anderson, reversed, Anderson moves when Goto charges in and he hits a big boot.  Running powerbomb by Anderson, cover, but Goto gets a shoulder up.  Back up, elbow by Anderson but Goto elbows him back and they trade shots.  Uppercut by Anderson but Goto hits a headbutt.  Goto goes off the ropes but Anderson catches him with a boot.  Anderson puts Goto on the top turnbuckle, he joins him and goes for a superplex, but Goto blocks it.  They trade elbows while still on the top turnbuckle and Goto gets the better of it.  Kaiten by Goto, cover, but Anderson gets a shoulder up.  Goto picks up Anderson and goes for the Shouten but Anderson slides down his back.  Irish whip by Anderson, reversed, Goto goes for a lariat but it is blocked, he gets Anderson on his shoulders and hits a fireman’s carry onto his knee.  Cover, but it gets a two count.  Goto picks up Anderson and goes for the Shouten again but Anderson knees out of it.  Goto pushes Anderson away when he goes for the Gun Stun, they run off the ropes and trade move attempts but Anderson ends up nailing the Gun Stun.  Cover, and he picks up the three count.  Your winner:  Karl Anderson

Match Thoughts: This wasn’t perfect but it was a pretty entertaining match. Anderson flips at will from being ‘spunky undersized underdog’ to ‘giant gaijin monster’ which is hilarious, in this match he was the latter. Some of the moves had really obvious setups but I am willing to let that slide a bit more in a tournament setting, they can’t possibly have much time to plan these things. It started slow but the end stretch was good, and Anderson should use the Gun Stun as a sudden finisher more often as it is the perfect move for it. Not a bad match by any means, but nothing special nor memorable either. Score: 6.0

Lance Archer vs. Minoru Suzuki
Kick to the leg by Suzuki to start as he tries to stay out of Archer’s range, Archer grabs Suzuki and throws him into the corner but Suzuki boots him when he charges in.  Archer grabs Suzuki and throws him over his head, he then hits a shoulderblock.  Suzuki goes out to the apron, Archer charges him but Suzuki applies an armbar over the top rope.  Suzuki pulls Archer out of the ring but Archer hits him and throws Suzuki into the guardrail. Archer goes for a big boot but Suzuki moves out of the way, he puts Archer’s leg in the railing and kicks it.  Suzuki takes Archer’s leg and twists it around the rail until the referee is able to get him off.  Suzuki keeps pulling on Archer’s leg until the referee gets him off again, and Suzuki kicks Archer in the face.  Suzuki punches Archer repeatedly in the ribs before returning to the ring, and TAKA hits a chop block on Archer out on the floor.  Archer finally makes it back in, and Suzuki hits a few headbutts.  Cross kneelock by Suzuki but Archer eventually makes it to the ropes.  Suzuki stomps Archer in the leg, he picks him up and knees Archer in the chest.  Suzuki goes off the ropes but Archer catches him with a powerslam.  Archer throws Suzuki into the corner and hits a body avalanche followed by a vertical suplex.  Body press by Archer, cover, but it gets a two count.  Suzuki punches Archer in the stomach, Archer goes off the ropes but Suzuki does as well and goes for a sleeper.  Archer blocks it and hits a sidewalk slam, cover, but it gets a two count.  Archer picks up Suzuki, Suzuki slaps Archer but Archer slaps him back.  Archer slams Suzuki back into the corner, he puts him on the top turnbuckle and goes for the Blackout, but Suzuki gets out of it and applies a sleeper hold.  Suzuki goes for the Gotch-style piledriver but Archer reverses it with a back bodydrop.  Suzuki goes off the ropes, Archer goes for a chokeslam but Suzuki gets out of it.  Running boot by Suzuki and he applies a sleeper.  Archer tries to get out of it but eventually goes to sleep and the referee calls for the bell.  Your winner: Minoru Suzuki

Match Thoughts: As I have mentioned, to me Suzuki is the type of wrestler that needs to be in the right match with the right opponent, otherwise I tend to not really enjoy his matches. I still can’t help but think that Archer needs a new finisher, his current one takes too long to setup and is way too easy to counter. I liked Suzuki winning with a quick submission hold as that should be the way to defeat a power wrestler like Archer, I just wish the rest of the match was a bit more entertaining as it lulled me to sleep in a few parts. Just not an overly exciting match. Score: 4.0

Shelton Benjamin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Benjamin attacks Nakamura before the match starts and punches him down to the mat. Benjamin takes Nakamura’s jacket and chokes Nakamura with it before mocking his pose. They trade elbows, Nakamura goes for a kick but Benjamin catches it and kicks Nakamura out of the ring. Benjamin goes out after Nakamura and Benjamin drops Nakamura knee-first onto the apron. Benjamin puts Nakamura’s leg in the guardrail and twists it before hitting Nakamura around ringside. Benjamin slides Nakamura into the ring, he grabs his leg and wraps it around the ring post. Back in the ring, and Benjamin applies a leglock. Nakamura gets into the ropes, Benjamin picks up Nakamura and kicks him in the back of the leg. Benjamin snaps back on Nakamura’s leg and applies a single leg crab hold. Nakamura gets into the ropes again and Benjamin punches Nakamura against the ropes. Elbow by Nakamura but Benjamin elbows him back and they trade elbows. Benjamin goes off the ropes but Nakamura knees him in the midsection and hits an enzigieri. Nakamura stomps down Benjamin in the corner and chokes him with his boot. Nakamura puts Benjamin up in the corner and he hits a running knee to the ribs. Cover, but it gets a two count. Nakamura goes for an inverted powerslam but Benjamin gets out of it and applies an ankle hold. Nakamura manages to get into the ropes, Benjamin picks up Nakamura, Irish whip but Nakamura blocks it and hits a heel kick. Knee by Nakamura and he hits the inverted powerslam. Superkick by Benjamin and he hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Benjamin goes for the Paydirt but Nakamura blocks it and goes for the cross armbreaker. Benjamin gets out of it and applies an ankle hold, but Nakamura kicks out of it. Benjamin charges Nakamura but Nakamura kicks him back and hits a knee out of the corner. Boma Ye by Nakamura, cover, but it gets a two count. Nakamura waits for Benjamin to get up and hits another Boma Ye, cover, and this time he gets the three count. Your winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Match Thoughts: The Boma Ye is losing its luster. I wish Nakamura had won with the cross armbreaker or some other quick submission hold, it would fit in better with his ankle being jacked up. Then after the match Nakamura is dancing around the ring like nothing happened, even though Benjamin actually did a great job of working on the leg during the entire match. So I give Benjamin high marks for the match for staying focused and sticking to a plan, while Nakamura blew off everything and won the match in the way he wins all his matches instead of adapting. So overall a mixed bag, I am just surprised that Nakamura was the one that I thought brought the match down. Score: 5.5

AJ Styles vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Tie-up, Styles pushes Tenzan into the corner and he gives a mostly clean break. Tie-up, waistlock by Tenzan but Styles reverses it. Wristlock by Tenzan, Styles rolls out of it and Tenzan trips Styles. Kneelock by Tenzan but Styles gets a hand on the ropes to force a break. Styles goes out to the apron but returns after a moment, tie-up, side headlock by Styles, Tenzan Irish whips out of it but Styles rolls under Tenzan’s lariat and hits a Mongolian chop. Tenzan absorbs them and hits a few Mongolian chops of his own, which are far more effective. Tenzan punches Styles into the corner, side headlock, Styles Irish whips out of it but Tenzan shoulderblocks him down. Tenzan chops Styles in the back, Irish whip by Tenzan and he hits a back bodydrop. Tenzan goes outside of the ring and stomps Styles, he picks him up and throws Styles into the guardrail but Styles jumps over it and kicks Tenzan when he charges in. Styles rolls back into the ring with Tenzan slowly following, and Styles stomps on Tenzan as he rolls in the ring. Styles picks up Tenzan and he hits a scoop slam. Knee drop by Styles, he picks up Tenzan and kicks Tenzan in the back. Styles picks up Tenzan but Tenzan headbutts him back, Styles goes off the ropes but Tenzan hits the Mountain Bomb. Tenzan stomps on Styles but Styles drives him back into the corner. Shoulderblocks by Styles, he picks up Tenzan and hits a backbreaker. Cover, but it gets a two count. Styles picks up Tenzan, snapmare, and Styles applies a reverse chinlock. Tenzan inches to the ropes and forces a break, Styles picks up Tenzan, Irish whip, and Styles hits a dropkick. Styles applies a reverse chinlock, he releases the hold and they trade chops back on their feet. Enzigieri by Styles, he picks up Tenzan and goes for the Styles Clash but Tenzan blocks it and back bodydrops Styles over the top rope down to the floor. Styles gets back in the ring and Tenzan hits a lariat in the corner. Another lariat by Tenzan, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and he hits a calf branding. Cover, but it gets a two count. Tenzan picks up Styles and he hits a vertical suplex. Cover, but it only gets a two. Stomps by Tenzan, he picks up Styles but Styles elbows him back. Lariat by Styles and he hits a quebrada, cover, but it gets a two count. Styles picks up Tenzan and goes for the Styles Clash but Tenzan blocks it again, Styles chops Tenzan into the corner but Tenzan knocks Styles back when he charges in. Tenzan goes off the ropes and hits the headbutt, cover, but it gets two. Tenzan applies the Anaconda Vice but Styles quickly breaks it up. Styles picks up Tenzan, Irish whip, reversed, and Tenzan connects with the heel kick. Tenzan goes up to the top turnbuckle and nails the diving headbutt, cover, but it only gets a two count. Tenzan applies the Anaconda Vice but Styles gets to his feet. Anaconda Buster by Tenzan and he keeps the hold applied, but Styles gets a foot on the ropes. Scoop slam by Tenzan in front of the corner, he goes up to the top turnbuckle but Styles rolls out of the way of the moonsault. Styles hits the Superman Punch from the apron, cover, but it only gets a two count. Styles picks up Tenzan and goes for the Bloody Sunday, but Tenzan blocks it. Pele Kick by Styles, he picks up Tenzan and nails the Styles Clash. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: AJ Styles

Match Thoughts: This was a lot of fun, Styles is really showing that he is a great wrestler without the Bullet Club (which we knew of course, but nice to see it in the ring) and Tenzan is still bringing it. If Tenzan ever hits the moonsault the crowd is going to love it, but that isn’t the first time he has missed it and then lost because of it. Everything looked crisp and on point and there wasn’t really any downtime, aside from Styles brief obsession with the reverse chinlock. A really enjoyable match between these two, recommended for a watch. Score: 7.5

Kazuchika Okada vs. Toru Yano
Okada and Yano circle each other to start, waistlock by Yano, reversed by Okada and he gets into the ropes. Wristlock by Okada but Yano grabs the ropes to force a break. Okada clubs Yano in the arm before breaking and posing in the ring. Yano does his pose also, Okada kicks Yano and elbows him in the head. Snapmare by Okada, he goes off the ropes and delivers a sliding kick, sending Yano out of the ring. Okada goes outside of the ring but Yano grabs him and throws Okada into the ring post. Yano tries to get a chair but Gedo stops him, but Yano avoids Okada’s big boot and throws Okada into the guardrail. Yano gets the chair and hits Okada in the chest with it before taking him up the aisle. Yano returns to the ring and unties the corner turnbuckle pad while Okada makes it back to the ring before the count expires. Stomps by Yano, he picks up Okada and throws him into the exposed corner. Stomps by Yano and Yano hits a scoop slam. Cover, but it gets a two count. Yano chokes Okada in the ropes and again throws him into the corner. Hiptoss by Yano, cover, but it gets a two count. Yano stomps Okada in the back and throws him into the exposed corner, but Okada moves when Yano charges in and hits a neckbreaker. Back elbow by Okada and he hits a DDT. Okada picks up Yano and slams him in front of the ropes, Okada goes out to the apron and hits a slingshot senton. Cover, but again it gets two. Okada charges Yano but Yano drop toeholds him into the exposed corner. Yano picks up Okada and he hits a Schwein onto his knee. Okada picks up Yano and slams him in the middle of the ring, Okada goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits the diving elbow drop. Okada picks up Yano and goes for the Rainmaker but Yano ducks it and monkey flips him into the exposed corner. Yano goes for the powerbomb but Okada blocks it, Irish whip by Okada and he delivers a dropkick. Okada goes for a Rainmaker but Yano grabs the referee, and Yano hits the low blow. Akakiri by Yano, but Okada barely gets a shoulder up. Yano picks up Okada and goes for the powerbomb but again Okada gets out of it, Okada uses the referee as a shield and then grabs Yano to hit the Rainmaker. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Kazuchika Okada

Match Thoughts: I wonder if the past matches were done just to set up Okada kicking out to the Akakiri, which had been the kiss of death up to this point in the tournament. The crowd enjoyed this as it was basically ‘comedy wrestler vs. best wrestler’, but in the G1 you really never know who is going to win these things. The nearfalls were oddly realistic due to the tournament setting. The action itself wasn’t anything special as this match was all about the ending and could have feasibly been a three minute match but still get the point across. I wouldn’t say it was really good, because it wasn’t, but it wasn’t bad either and the fans enjoyed it. Score: 5.5

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Tie-up, Ishii pushes Tanahashi into the ropes but Tanahashi switches positions with him, Ishii chops Tanahashi once until Tanahashi gets away. Side headlock by Tanahashi, Ishii Irish whips out of it and they collide with no result. Shoulderblock by Ishii and he headbutts Tanahashi. Irish whip by Ishii from the corner but Tanahashi elbows him when he charges in. Waistlock by Ishii, Tanahashi elbows out of it but Ishii delivers a powerslam. Ishii picks up Tanahashi and he clubs Tanahashi in the back. Headbutts by Ishii and Ishii chops Tanahashi. Tanahashi chops him back and they trade blows. Ishii gets the better of it but Tanahashi punches him in the stomach. Headbutt by Ishii and he chops Tanahashi in the corner. Tanahashi punches Ishii back but Ishii puts Tanahashi back in the corner and hits more chops and elbows. Irish whip by Ishii from the corner but Tanahashi moves when Ishii charges in and he hits a crossbody. Tanahashi knocks Ishii down in the corner and hits a few elbows, but Ishii gets up and starts absorbing the blows. They trade elbows, uppercuts by Tanahashi and he knocks Ishii to the mat. Tanahashi picks up Ishii, Irish whip, reversed, Tanahashi dropkicks Ishii in the knee and he hits a dragon screw leg whip. Tanahashi applies the Texas Cloverleaf, but Ishii gets to the ropes. Tanahashi stomps Ishii and grabs his leg, but Ishii hits an enzigieri. Dragon screw leg whip by Ishii and he applies a Scorpion Deathlock. Tanahashi makes it to the ropes to force a break, Ishii picks up Tanahashi and throws him into the corner before hitting a lariat. Ishii picks up Tanahashi and puts him onto the top turnbuckle, Ishii joins him and he hits a delayed superplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Ishii picks up Tanahashi and goes for a powerbomb but Tanahashi gets out of it. Ishii hits Tanahashi in the leg and covers him, but it gets a two count. Ishii goes off the ropes, Tanahashi goes for a Sling Blade, it is initially blocked by Ishii but Tanahashi goes off the ropes and then is able to hit the Sling Blade. Tanahashi and Ishii trade elbows on their feet, Tanahashi goes off the ropes and hits a release dragon suplex. Sling Blade by Tanahashi, cover, but it gets a two count. Tanahashi goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, he then goes back up to the top turnbuckle but Ishii rolls out of the way of the High Fly Flow. Ishii gets up first, he goes off the ropes and lariats Tanahashi in the back of the head. Ishii goes off the ropes, Tanahashi blocks the suplex but Ishii headbutts Tanahashi instead. Ishii goes off the ropes and hits a lariat, cover, but it gets a two count. Ishii goes off the ropes and hits another lariat, cover, but again Tanahashi gets a shoulder up. Ishii picks up Tanahashi and goes for the brainbuster, but Tanahashi lands on his feet. Headbutt by Ishii, he goes off the ropes but Tanahashi hits a Sling Blade. Tanahashi picks up Ishii but Ishii elbows him back, slaps by Tanahashi and he hits a lariat. Tanahashi picks up Ishii and hits a Fisherman Falcon Arrow, cover, but Ishii kicks out. Tanahashi quickly goes up to the top turnbuckle and he hits the High Fly Flow, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi

Match Thoughts: This is probably the worst Ishii singles match of the year, at least that I have seen. Something was really off here, there are rumors that Tanahashi is hurt which may explain it but it was just really simplistic in design. Some of the transitions were off, repeated spots (three Sling Blades for example), and just a general lack of focus. Some of the chop/lariat exchanges almost looked non-choreographed or something, so I have no issue believing Tanahashi really was hurting as there is little other explanation. I didn’t really buy any of the Ishii nearfalls as Tanahashi was generally back on offense pretty quickly. A disappointing main event between these two. Score: 4.0

Current Standings:

Final Thoughts:

Best Match: AJ Styles vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan. You would think that this would be a styles clash (no pun intended), but they worked together really well. The match was fluid and had the feeling of an important match as they both did moves they don’t always do. When Tenzan couldn’t win with the Anaconda Vice he got desperate which led to his downfall, but there was no lack of effort by either men. A very entertaining match.

MVP:  Katsuyori Shibata. Shibata has really been great in this tournament, and his match with Kojima was a lot of fun. The cool thing about Shibata is he makes his opponents wrestle his type of match, not the other way around. Since Shibata matches are better than Kojima matches (normally), this is a good thing. He always has good strikes and is just entertaining to watch.

Overall: I think that I am starting to get G1 Climax fatigue. There were some really good matches on this card for sure, but none were better than other matches we have seen in the past days and some of the wrestlers have gotten into a rut of doing the same type of matches and spots over and over. Every match has a guardrail spot, every Archer match has an odd setup for the Blackout, every Benjamin match has a setup for the swinging kick, etc. I have started subconsciously calling spots before they happen. So what I am really looking for now is matches that do something different to set themselves apart. Some matches on this card did that, as I really liked Styles/Tenzan and Shibata/Kojima, but others didn’t do anything to elevate themselves. So overall I would call this an average card, there was definitely good stuff here but it wasn’t overly exciting. The middle of the G1 Climax tends to be the worst as it is after the initial excitement and before the end when wrestlers have to step up to reach the finals, we I am sure things will get better.

Grade: C