G1 Climax Night 7 Recommended Viewing
By: Matt Ederer
This review is sponsored by Imagine Dragons and anybody who grew up out there Imagining Dragons, and the fact that NJPW doesn`t have a sweet video package team to overuse Imagine Dragon lyrics.
Abbreviated review today. This was a very good show with good wrestling, but wasn`t the strongest show in the history of NJPW. It’s the weakest G1 27 show so far, and the first show where I’ve rated all five matches below “Probably watch” and into the “watch if you love these guys” category.
I hate to use the word skippable, so I won`t, even though I very much just did. But maybe if you`re a casual fan, you could get away with just reading the results today… ? I think this show would absolutely be a rewarding watch for a diehard, tenured NJPW fan though. There was a Tomoaki Honma cameo, and a pretty cool little shout out to Katsuyori Shibata, along with some good and interesting wrestling.
Check this one out if you love NJPW, or if you like nostalgia and the general concept of remembering people.
Also, if you like two 4* matches.
NIGHT 1 — NIGHT 2 — NIGHT 3 — NIGHT 4 — NIGHT 5 — NIGHT 6
YOSHI-HASHI v. Tomohiro Ishii
Solid opener on a solid show. That’s gonna be a theme here, stay tuned. I really was into the idea of Mr. HASHI until the G1 began. But he’s wearing thin on me, I think? I don’t know. Of all the guys in the G1, his place is the one I wish was filled by Honma or Shibata instead. Wasn’t into HASHI trading strikes with Ishii and going toe to toe with the G`Darn M`Fing fuckingfuckingfucking Stone Pitbull. Not sure what it is but I don’t buy Hashi as a tough guy. I think it’s his stupid tights and face?
This one really picked up by the end though, as NJPW matches do. Ishii’s whole finishing stretch thing is just like, foolproof pro wrestling. If you’re halfway competent Ishii will get you to a good match. 3* ish I think, among my least favorite Ishii matches though. Wasn’t digging it for some reason until the end
3.5*
Bad Luck Fale vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Solid big man vs little man match, they told the story the wanted to tell. How to do beat the monster? Well, Naito tried to out-heel Fale by jumping him before the bell, but he couldn`t pull it off. Tanahashi tried to out-ace him, but Fale targeted the arm, so Tana outsmarted Fale with the awesome count-out win. Sabre Jr, like most, got tossed around from pillar to post by Fale. Sabre however, is skilled enough that when Fale slipped on a banana peel, ZSJ was able to strike and scored the flash pinfall over the giant before essentially running away in awe. Sorry about the spoiler there, but it was hard to talk about this match without mentioning the result. It was what it was, and I liked it for what it was, but I wouldn`t seek it out. NJPW’s version of a Great Khali match, though I doubt I’ve seen one Great Khali match better than this.
3*
Kota Ibushi vs. Togi Makabe
Solid brawler v flyer match. Tomoaki Honma is a wrestler who broke his neck in March. Without getting into too much detail, Honma is a former deathmatch wrestler who the fans love and who is Makabe`s tag partner, as the picture up there would indicate.
Honma came out to do commentary on this match, which ruled!
Togi Makabe was in this match, which did not rule :(
No, I kid. This was a very good wrestling match but not amazing match, a brawler vs a high flyer, with the flyer having to reach deep down and eat some fucking clotheslines.
Unfortunately, the most interesting aspect of this match was, at least to me, Honma`s precence on commentary. Why couldn`t we hear his intensely satanic, gravelly tones? I understand he was commentating for Samurai TV in Japan, if I am not mistaken. Spoiler Role exclusive: We Want Moar Honma. Hope he makes a full recovery and maybe no more diving headbutts to the outside from the top rope
3.5* for Makabe v Ishii, 10* for the memory of Honma, get well soon
Tetsuya Naito vs. Yugi Nagata
Dear sweet Yugi Nagata:(
Solid ace v old man match. I really liked this one, I wish it would have gone a little bit longer and that it was a little more even.
Last year, Satoshi Kojima gave his spot in the G1 to Hiroshi Tenzan. Tenzan vowed to make his partner proud, and went 2–7 and was a non-factor. This year, Jushin Liger announced that 2017 was his last BOSJ tournament, and got thoroughly shit-pantsed, going 1–6 and winning only on his last day. Kojima is currently 0-fer as well. Old. Guys. Lose. In. These. NJPW. Tourneys. It makes sense when you think about it, and if you are booking this like a sport, this is how all sports go. Father time, as they say, remains undefeated. But I think they could stand to give Nagata a little more. Miracles in fact, do happen
Good match, Tetsuya Naito might be on his way to winning this entire rigamarole.
4*
Hirooki Goto v. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Solid NJPW main event match. Told ya there was a theme. Solid match but not earth-shattering, to cap off a solid show. Tanahashi`s ace match vs Goto`s …Goto match. There was nothing wrong with this, this was a really good main event, not sure what to say about it other than please check out Goto’s awesome little tribute to his fallen partner/enemy/good pal, Katsuyori Shibata :
Good match, good professional wrestling program. Not one you need to see before you die, but not one you’ll regret seeing if you do.
4*
Courtesy of @Thauros_ , here are the updated G1 Standings:
DEFINITELY WATCH RIGHT NOW
Ibushi/Naito — Day 1–4.75*
Elgin/Okada — Day 4–4.5*
ZSJ/Ibushi — Day 3–4.5*
PROBABLY WATCH AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE
Ishii/Ibushi — Day 5–4.25*
Juice/EVIL — Day 4–4.25*
Ishii/Makabe — Day 3–4.25*
Nagata/Tanahashi — Day 5–4.25*
Omega/Suzuki — Day 2–4.25*
SANADA/Okada — Day 6–4.25*
Tanahashi/ZSJ — Day 1–4*
Ishii/Goto — Day 1–4*
Tanahashi/Fale — Day 3–4*
Kojima/Elgin — Day 6–4*
EVIL/Sanada — Day 2–4*
Omega/Yano — Day 6–4*
WATCH IT IF YOU LOVE THESE GUYS
Goto/Nagata — Day 3–4*
Goto v Tanahashi — Day 7–4*
Nagata v Naito — Day 7–4*
Naito/YOSHI-HASHI — 4*
Omega/Tama Tonga — Day 4–4*
Goto/Makabe — Day 5–3.75*
Juice/Kojima — Day 2–3.5*
YOSHI-HASHI/Nagata — Day 1–3.5*
EVIL/Tonga — Day 6–3.5*
Makabe/Ibushi — Day 7–3.5*
Ishii/YOSHI-HASHI — Day 7–3.5*
ZSJ/YOSHI-HASHI — Day 5–3.25*
Suzuki/Juice — Day 6–3*
Tama Tonga/ Michael Elgin — 3*
Fale/ZSJ — Day 7–3*
Suzuki/SANADA — Day 4–3*
Naito/Fale — Day 5–3*
Okada/Yano — Day 2–2.5*
Day 4 Undercard — The Death of Darryl Takahashi :(
SKIP IT
Makabe/Fale — Day 1–1*
Yano/Kojima — Day 4–1*
