G1 Climax Night 12 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
The story of this show going forward is going to be EVIL’s health. Near the finish of the main event, EVIL took a knee from Kenny Omega that knocked him loopy. He was basically out cold, and the next few minutes of the match were very slow and awkward. EVIL looked to be on dream street, not leaving the ring for an extended period of time after the match was over. This is total speculation at this point (posting about an hour or two after the show ended) but EVIL has got to have at least a mild concussion and might be out for the rest of the tournament. He looked very rough there at the end.
To me, the absolute scariest part of pro wrestling is the few- minute period between an injury and the match actually ending. This is the G1 Climax. It’s New Japan. I totally get it. You finish that match, because that’s the professional wrestling business, especially in Japan. Having said that, there was no need for the final minutes of this match to be so dangerous.
Kenny could have just pinned EVIL after the injury. Instead he hit two more moves. I was literally saying out loud “please no more knees, please no more knees” and yep, lo and behold, Omega hits a (safe-ish) knee to the head (more the chest, but the head is the illusion they are going for, and clearly these knees can go wrong)…and then Omega has to hit a OWA on the guy who is on fucking Planet Neptune to win it. Kenny’s One Winged Angel was insane too. Not unsafe, it was one of the safest One Winged Angels ever. Just super impressive, in that EVIL gave him no help. It was a literal squat with a human being on his shoulders. He got a GROWN-ASS man in EVIL onto his shoulders with zero help. Pure core strength.
I’m not a trained wrestler, it’s hard to say who is at fault for what and stuff, but EVIL really got hit hard. I wish they could have gotten to the finish in a different way. EVIL should have just stayed down after the knee that hurt him.
Good watchable show, fun main event, the card featured an Eddy Guerrero spot and the best match of both Tama Tonga’s and EVIL’s career respectively. Still, hard not to leave this show with the taste of that EVIL injury in your mouth.
Juice Robinson vs. SANADA
Juicey’s heart and honor, while pure as the morning dew, was not quite enough to overcome the uncut coolness of SANADA.
I really like SANADA. He’s got a great look, he’s a good heel, he`s got some charisma, and is a pretty solid flyer/wrestler.
I like the dragon sleeper and nice moonsault finisher, a tribute to the Great Muta. It’s going to be fun watching SANADA break into the upper echelon over the next few years. Not sure if Juice is going to stay in Japan or come back over to North America at some point, but his NJPW has just been awesome for the guy. He’s a brand new man.
3.5*
Toru Yano vs. Michael Elgin
Toru Yano scores a win via Eddy Guerrero DQ!
I thought this was decently clever, and people really love the Eddy Guerrero spot, but it kind of made the match that immediately followed it look ridiculous. If a referee can DQ Big Mike Elgin for a low blow he didn’t even see, why can’t he DQ Suzuki for being pulled out of the ring by Suzuki’s lackeys while he’s couting three? I dunno.
Also, fun fact: Yano’s hijinks here officially eliminated Michael Elgin from G1 Climax competition. That feels like it could require some comeuppance from old Big bear Elgin.
Short, sweet, point A to point B match.
2*
Minoru Suzuki vs. Satoshi Kojima
Suzuki and Kojima had a really good match that got slightly bogged down by too much interference.
NJPW is awesome, but it’s not infallible. I thought putting this fairly wacky match next to the previous fairly wacky one was a little much. To me, it seemed like a logic flaw to have let so much go in this match, after calling the previous one ridiculously tightly. If they stuck Juice v SANADA between these two matches to mix up the palate a bit, I think it would have gone over better.
The match was good, would have been much better to me without the interference. The post-match stuff was awesome, as always. Suzuki stands with his foot atop of Kojima, having vanquished the old man, literally screaming at the audience. A fucking bad ass murdering killer-man.
That’s Minoru Suzuki. The matches are solid, but often times the post match is as good or better than the actual match itself. Was a touch slow and too much interference, but still very good and watchable.
3.75*
Tama Tonga vs. Kazuchika Okada
If you wanted more proof that Kazuchika Okada is amazing, this is now back to back G1 shows where Okada has (essentially) the best match of the other guy’s career.
You can debate Juice v Okada from Night 10, I actually liked Juice’s match earlier in the tournament vs. EVIL more, but if Okada v Juice wasn’t Juice’s best match ever, it was certainly Juice’s biggest. Okada pretty well undoubtedly got the biggest and best match of Tonga’s career here.
I really like Tonga’s pre and post match antics. He’s got that Suzuki thing, where the stuff before and after the match is at least as good as (and often much better than) the match itself. A rare moment of humility and self-reflection for Tonga at the end of this one. As Okada celebrates, Tonga is pictured with his head down, defeated, leaning on the guard rail. He almost had the champ, gave him his best shot, and still came up short. He also lost to Omega, and had to shake the hand of the guy who refers to himself as the “elite” of their group. Tonga is now at a crossroads. What’s next for Tama Tonga?
Hopefully, WWE.
4*
EVIL vs. Kenny Omega
Really good match. Best of EVIL’s career safely. EVIL is a fucking bad guy, and he does bad things, so Omega responds by taking the evil right to him. The table spot was really impressive, but may have significantly added to EVIL’s problems at the end of this thing. EVIL almost took his own eye out with that one.
This match was flirting with 4.5 * I think, until the finish which was understandably broken and really hard to watch. Really hope that EVIL is OK and can keep wrestling in this tournament.
4.25*
Courtesy of @Thauros_ , here are the updated G1 Standings:
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 Big Mike 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. ZSJ/Ibushi — Day 3–4.5* — The CWC final we needed, but not the one we deserved.
5. Elgin/Omega — Day 8–4.5* — They have had superior matches this summer. Still, awesome work between two good Canadian boys here in the G1 Climax eh?
6. 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 TOUGHER” back and forth match.
7. 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.
8. Nagata/Tanahashi — Day 5–4.25* — The best Nagata matches are those where it feels like Nagata is a threat. We got a nice taste of Heel Tana!~ here as well. Awesome bout.
9. Omega/Suzuki — Day 2–4.25* — Style clash, but one that really worked for me. Trying a reverse rana on Suzuki was maybe not the best idea.
10. Omega/EVIL — Day 12–4.25* — PLZ DONT BE DEAD EVIL :(
PROBABLY WATCH AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE
Ishii/Makabe — Day 3–4.25* — Surprisingly great, nuanced brawl. Makabe is a brawler and only a brawler, but he can have a good match with the right opponent. Usually, another 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 the definition of a G1 match that comes out of nowhere to surprise you.
Ibushi/Tanashi — Day 11–4.25* — I expected match of the year, got a really decent match that was a little disappointing. Tanahashi’s selling and heeling is always a treat though. Worth watching.
SANADA/Okada — Day 6–4.25* — SANADA is not quite there. He has all the tools, but hasn’t quite built the shed yet. Okada has built a beautiful mansion atop Ace Mountain. Or something.
Naito/Ishii — Day 9–4.25* —
Omega/Kojima — Day 10–4.25*
Tanahashi/ZSJ — Day 1–4* — Awesome technical chess match, classic example of “working the arm”.
Tanahashi/Fale — Day 3–4* — Best count-out in the history of pro-wrestling?
Omega/Yano — Day 6–4* — Best comedy match in the history of pro-wrestling?
WATCH IT IF YOU LOVE THESE GUYS
Kojima/Elgin — Day 6–4*
EVIL/Sanada — Day 2–4*
Ishii/Goto — Day 1–4*
Goto/Nagata — Day 3–4*
Okada/Juice — Day 10–4*
Okada/Tonga — Day 12–4*
EVIL/Suzuki — Day 8–4*
Goto/Tanahashi — Day 7–4*
Nagata /Naito — Day 7–4*
Naito/YOSHI-HASHI — Day 3–4*
Omega/Tama Tonga — Day 4–4*
Suzuki/Kojima — Day 12–3.75*
Goto/Naito — Day 11–3.75*
Goto/Makabe — Day 5–3.75*
Nagata/Makabe — Day 9–3.5*
Juice/Kojima — Day 2–3.5*
ZSJ/Goto — Day 9–3.5*
YOSHI-HASHI/Nagata — Day 1–3.5*
Juice/SANADA — Day 12–3.5*
EVIL/Tonga — Day 6–3.5*
Makabe/ZSJ — Day 11–3.5*
Makabe/Ibushi — Day 7–3.5*
Ishii/YOSHI-HASHI — Day 7–3.5*
Fale/Ibushi — Day 9–3.5*
Day 4 Undercard — The Death of Darryl Takahashi :(
WATCH IT IF YOU’RE MAKING A YOUTUBE COMPILATION OF THESE GUYS
ZSJ/YOSHI-HASHI — Day 5–3.25*
Suzuki/Tonga — Day 10–3*
Tanahashi/YOSHI-HASHI — Day 9–3*
SANADA/Yano — Day 8–3*
Fale/YOSHI-HASHI — Day 11–3*
Tonga/Juice — Day 8–3*
Suzuki/Juice — Day 6–3*
SANADA/Elgin — Day 10–3*
Tama Tonga/ Michael Elgin — Day 1–3*
Fale/ZSJ — Day 7–3*
Suzuki/SANADA — Day 4–3*
Naito/Fale — Day 5–3*
Okada/Yano — Day 2–2.5*
SKIP IT
EVIL/Yano — Day 10–2*
Elgin/Yano — Day 12–2*
Makabe/Fale — Day 1–1*
Yano/Kojima — Day 4–1*
