G1 Climax 27 A BLOCK FINALS Recommended Viewing
By: Matt Ederer
NIGHT 1 — NIGHT 2 — NIGHT 3 — NIGHT 4 — NIGHT 5 — NIGHT 6 — NIGHT 7 — NIGHT 8 — NIGHT 9 — NIGHT 10 — NIGHT 11 — NIGHT 12 — NIGHT 13 — NIGHT 14 — NIGHT 15 -NIGHT 16
An entertaining, action-packed, extremely watchable show that unfortunately suffered from two major-ish problems:
- The result of the main event was absolutely never in question. If you’ve been following NJPW even a little bit, it was very clear who was winning this block.
- The best matches on this show are (very very slightly) worse versions of matches we’ve already seen this year.
The last one is a minor nitpick, but it’s kind of true. I don’t know if anybody is going to have tonight's Ishii/ZSJ match or tonight’s Tana/Naito match as their favorite of that particular series.
This show was a solid double into the gap, a nice 45 yard pass up the seam, a good sports play at a good sports time, etc. Not a 500 foot home run mind you, but a nice rewarding watch for both a veteran or a new NJPW fan.
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, & Taichi vs. Katsuya Kitamura, Hirai Kawato, & Tomoyuki Oka
MINORU SUZUKI vs THE YOUNG BOYS HOLY SHIT YES!
Minoru Suzuki is a grumpy old man. He’s also a real fighter, a legit bad-ass, and his (very real) gimmick is that he has no time for your shit. After his matches, Minoru Suzuki often beats up the young wrestlers that traditionally surround the ring in NJPW. He does this because Fuck You.
So the young boys finally have their chance to get back at Suzuki, in a sanctioned wrestling match. They even jump Suzuki-gun before the bell!
And then the young boys die. The end.
No hot babyface comebacks, no finisher sequence, no 5 moonsaults missed in a row (more on that later). Just a straight up display of Minoru Suzuki’s greatness.
Unique 6-man tag, unlike any you will ever see anywhere else. An epic Suzuki performance.
3*
SANADA & Bushi vs. Guerillas of Destiny
Basic tag, SANADA vs Tama Tonga is set up for tomorrow. Awful lot of handsome in that match.
2*
Satoshi Kojima & Juice Robinson vs. EVIL & Hiromu Takahashi
Average match, good for what it was. It really seems like Juice Robinson has great respect for his mentor, his Senpai, Satoshi Kojima. Juice is just a joy to watch in there. We got a taste of EVIL v Kojima, which we will be seeing tomorrow night.
2.5*
Ricochet, War Machine, Michael Elgin & Rysuke Taguchi vs. Young Bucks, Cody, Chase Owens & Hangman Page
Funny, spotty, goofy match, one that I really liked.
They worked hard, did a lot of cool stuff, and got the crowd hooked fully. But they also did a lot of really wacky, and some might say “fake” stuff. For example, five guys in a row missing increasingly shitty moonsaults was a little ridiculous.
But hey, those spots hooked the crowd completely. That’s the entire point of wrestling, and the Young Bucks are great at it. By extension, The Young Bucks are great at professional wrestling.
Your mileage may vary on this one, but you will like it if you like the Bucks. The ending was hilarious.
3.5*
Kenny Omega & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano
A slightly below average, Toru Yano-heavy tag match. Loved the little tease we got of Okada v Omega. In fact, I liked that we got a taste of it, but not too much. This particular match may have benefited from 10 minutes of Okada vs Omega, but it is of course not about this particular match. It’s about Omega/Okada III, and it’s awesome that they haven’t wrestled too much since June. IF IT WERE WWE THEY WOULD HAVE WRESTLED 9 TIMES ON RAW ALREADY he says, pumping $9.99 into the WWE for all eternity.
Just kidding lol I live in Canada, the WWE Network is illegal here like Facebook in North Korea.
They got from point A to point B.
2*
Bad Luck Fale vs. Yugi Nagata
Yugi Nagata’s last night in the G1, vs his old protege Bad Luck Fale, who has since turned on him and all of Japan and became the underboss of the Bullet Club. IE Jabba the Hut with the razor’s edge as a finisher.
Nagata brought his old boy to a 4* match with an absolutely beautiful, 5*******+++, 6.25* star ending. Yugi Nagata himself, the ring announcer, and many fans were brought to actual tears. I admit that it was getting a little dusty in the old Ederer house.
Quote: Shinpei Nogami, NJPW announcer, via u/TheDamnNumbersGame on reddit.
Bad Luck Fale…no, King Fale has pinned Nagata. He’s no longer Seigigun, he’s his own man…Nagata answers with a salute! FALE HAS BOWED TO NAGATA! MY HEART CAN’T TAKE IT!!! Nagata’s final G1 match, but his dream continues [Gets up to leave] Excuse me…
Watch this match. This is true emotion, this is true appreciation, this is love, this is real, this is the kind of stuff you absolutely do not see anymore in professional wrestling.
4*
Togi Makabe vs YOSHI-HASHI
Togi Makabe has gone from somebody who I do not look forward to, to someone who I have something of a small soft spot for. I think with the right opponent, the guy can be a real asset. Of all the people in this tournament, Togi Makabe has surprised me the most. He’s worked really hard and put on some hard-hitting and memorable performances with a variety of opponents.
YOSHI-HASHI’s face angers me.
3*
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
They had a better match this summer in the NJPW US Title tournament, but this was a really great match. Sabre Jr. has really harnessed his talent in a big way. He is putting it all together. The guy was always very technically sound, but he’s become a no-nonsense ass kicker and a dangerous threat to beat any opponent on any night. The G1 Climax has been huge for a lot of guys, and ZSJ is right at the top of that list.
4*
Hirooki Goto vs. Kota Ibushi
No complaints here, it was a solid match. It lacked the certain something that Goto matches tend to lack. Really good, above average, but I forget 80% of it already. Which is a function of the amount of wrestling I’ve seen this month more than a commentary on the match itself, but you feel me. I remember every single one of the top 20 matches off the top of my head. This wasn’t that. Still good.
Shouten > GTR
3.5*
Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Same problem as Ishii/ZSJ, except way less so because this match was *great*. The only thing is, Naito and Tanahashi already have had two classics this year. Solid match, the right guy wins and punches his ticket to the G1 Climax Final this Sunday.
4.5*
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THE TOP TEN
- Ibushi/Naito — Day 1–4.75* — BOMB FEST~!
2. Kojima/Okada — Day 8–4.75* — Great story-driven match. Okada is on record saying that the old men shouldn’t be in the G1 Climax anymore. Kojima is already eliminated, but a win v. the champ would guarantee a title shot and basically be a tournament win of its own. No extended finisher sequence either, it was awesome without being over the top. Probably the last great match of Satoshi Kojima’s career.
3. Elgin/Okada — Day 4–4.5* — Big Mike’s matches sometimes feel like too much. Between the apron moves, the powerbomb fests, and the insane backfists, stuff always tends to get lost in the shuffle. This was an amazing Elgin match though, perhaps my favourite performance of his career. Every move meant something, everything felt like it was sold and it advanced the plot of the match, and Big Mike’s power came into play for some unique and spectacular counters. I may have underrated this.
4. Okada/Suzuki — Day 16–4.5* — The rematch to their awesome human chess match from earlier in the year. Where that match was slow and scientific, this was an all-out war. Minoru Suzuki has a history with this building, which added some pretty interesting stakes to the main event.
5. ZSJ/Ibushi — Day 3–4.5* — The CWC final we needed, but not the one we deserved.
6. Tanahashi/Naito — Day 17 — A Block Final — 4.5*
7. Elgin/Omega — Day 8–4.5* — They have had superior matches to this one. Recently. This summer, in fact. Still, awesome stuff here between two good Canadian boys here in the G1 there, eh?
8. Ibushi/Nagata — Day 13–4.25 * — Nagata is not willing to go down easy, but father time is unbeatable. Awesome little match, loved the display of sportsmanship after the fact, and the look on Nagata’s face post-match. Just really good stuff here. This is what the G1 is all about.
9. Nagata/Tanahashi — Day 5–4.25* — The best Nagata matches are those where it feels like old man Nagata is a threat. We got a nice taste of Heel Tana!~ here as well. Awesome match. Still want to rewatch this one.
10. Omega/Suzuki — Day 2–4.25* — Style clash, but one that really worked for me. This was a really nice mix of the typical Omega match and the typical Suzuki match, maybe heavier on the Suzuki side. Trying a reverse rana on ol’ Minoru was maybe not the best idea.
PROBABLY WATCH AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE
Ishii/Tanahashi — Day 15–4.25* — The standard NJPW main event, which is a compliment when it’s that high a standard. Ishii and Tanahashi aren’t going to have a bad match. love Hiroshi Tanahashi, Dillusional Ace. Okada is the clear #1 man in the company, and one of Naito or Omega are probably the safe #2/3. Tanahashi is only the “Ace” in his mind (and in his theme song).
EVIL/Okada — Day 14–4.25* — EVERYTHING IS EVILOO
Ishii/Ibushi — Day 5–4.25* — They have had superior matches, but I could watch Ishii v Ibushi on every show ever and not tire of it.
Ishii/Nagata — Day 11–4.25* — Nagata is awesome. Just still a mighty fine worker at 49 years of age. A really good “I am tougher than you//I DISAGREE SIR, IN FACT I AM THE TOUGHER” back and forth match.
Omega/EVIL — Day 12–4.25* — PLZ DONT BE DEAD EVIL :( If I were booking NJPW, I would send EVIL home for the tournament and maybe the summer. After that blow to the head, with the losses of Shibata and Honma this year, I think it paints a pretty bad picture about NJPW to have him wrestle. He was on the next show in an undercard tag! Why? But I’m not a doctor, what do I know? With how EVIL’s next show turned out, I guess I understand why he had to stick around.
ZSJ/Nagata — Day 15–4.25 * — Yugi Nagata is one of those guys who can write a novel with his face. Some wrestlers, you look at and go “he looks mean”. Nagata, you look at and go “he’s mentally preparing himself for a match against a technical chess master, he’s confident that he can beat him but not taking him lightly”. It’s art, not science. Nagata is an artist.
Ishii/Makabe — Day 3–4.25* — Surprisingly great brawl. Makabe is a brawler, and only a brawler, but he can have a good match with the right opponent. Usually, a brawler.
Juice/EVIL — Day 4–4.25* — Best match of either guy’s career up to this point. They may have both topped it later in the tourney, depending on how you feel about Juicey v Okada. But this was that G1 match that comes out of nowhere to surprise you.
SANADA/Okada — Day 6–4.25* — The Ace vs a true up-and-comer. SANADA is not quite there yet, but he’s close. He has all the tools, but hasn’t quite built the shed. The champ Okada also has all the tools, and has built a beautiful mansion atop Ace Mountain. Or something.
Ibushi/Tanashi — Day 11–4.25* — Victim of my own expectations here. I expected match of the tournament and maybe year, got a really decent match that was a little disappointing. Tanahashi’s selling and heeling is always a treat though. Worth watching.
Naito/Ishii — Day 9–4.25* — If you like this one, you’ll love their match from Feb 2016.
Omega/Kojima — Day 10–4.25* — Really solid match, just wish that it wasn’t so one-sided. The “old ass man” story that NJPW likes to tell is much more effective when the old ass man in question is a threat.
Tanahashi/Makabe — Day 13–4* — Hot hot take: Hiroshi Tanahashi is a good pro wrestler. Makabe as a pure worker, in terms of timing, presence, execution, etc etc, kicks the pants off of the Big Cass-types of the world. So even though most of Makabe’s stuff isn’t exactly exciting, he hits it with such impact, and it is sold so well and presented at such times of the match, that Makabe looks like a real threat. Also, the guy throws a hell of a powerbomb, and the Spider Suplex is one of the coolest moves in the history of wrestling. I digress.
Tanahashi/ZSJ — Day 1–4* — Awesome technical chess match, classic example of “working the arm”.
Ishii/Fale — Day 13–4* — Perfect length, great closing stretch, awesome display of what makes Tomohiro Ishii one of the most underrated wrestlers in the history of the business. Best Fale match I have ever seen, but that is an extremely low hurdle to clear. I have yet to see Fale v Okada from earlier this year, and missed pretty much every Fale v Nakamura match.
Tanahashi/Fale — Day 3–4* — Not as good a match as Ishii v Fale, but maybe the best count-out in the history of pro-wrestling?
Omega/Yano — Day 6–4* — While we are hyper-bowling, maybe the best comedy match in the history of pro-wrestling?
For full rankings of every match, check out parts 1–16, and/or stay tuned for the final.
