BRM Reviews NJPW G1 Climax 26: Day 11 (disappointing)

[Big Red Machine]

NJPW G1 Climax 26: Day 11 (8/3/2016)- Kagoshima, Japan

JUSHIN “THUNDER” LIGER & TIGER MASK IV vs. DAVID FINLAY JR. & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI- 6/10

KATSUHIKO NAKAJIMA & CHAOS (Gedo, Toru Yano, & YOSHI-HASHI) vs. MICHAEL ELGIN, YUJI NAGATA, MANABU NAKANISHI, & SATOSHI KOJIMA- 6.25/10

CAPTAIN NEW JAPAN & KATSUYORI SHIBATA vs. BULLET CLUB (Kenny Omega & Yujiro Takahashi)- 6/10

KUSHIDA, TOMOAKI HONMA, & JUICE ROBINSON vs. LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, & EVIL)- 7.25/10
Great match, and a good little post-match angle as well. It was a nice little change-up to what they’ve been doing with Naito throughout the tournament.

BLOCK A MATCH: Bad Luck Fale vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (w/Satoshi Kojima)- 4.5/10
This was pretty sloppy, and aside from Tenzans’ false finishes, it wasn’t very exciting, either. This loss seems to put Tenzan out of the running unless a few people (particularly Okada and Makabe) lost quite a few more matches than you would expect them to from here on out.

BLOCK A MATCH: Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga- 7.5/10
Great match, and a beautifully-executed finish. Goto is always great, and Tonga just has something different about the way he moves around that makes him stand out.

BLOCK A MATCH: Sanada vs. Naomichi Marufuji- 7.5/10
Beating and choking someone with a baseball bat isn’t a DQ? Great response from the crowd for a match that is essentially two outsiders (I think Sanada is still freelancing). Lots of great reversals in this one. Very exciting match.

BLOCK A MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii- 6.75/10
Ishii is being a dick and pulling Tanahashi’s hair, and not in a strategic way to help get himself an unfair advantage. He was literally just doing it to annoy the hell out of Tanahashi. Those who like Ishii no-selling forearms will go bonkers for this match. I am not one of them.

BLOCK A MATCH: Togi Makabe vs. Kazuchika Okada (w/Gedo)- 7/10
Disappointing. Having Makabe play the babyface role was an interesting change of pace, but I think the match would have been much better served by having Makabe be the one doing the clobbering and Okada be the one doing the selling and making the comeback.

A pretty disappointing show from New Japan.

[cero2k]

Meltzer's ratings for G1:
Tanahashi/Ishii **** 3/4
Elgin/Omega **** 1/4
Shibata/Naito **** 1/4
Nakajima/Nagata ****
Naito/Honma ****

[Big Red Machine]

Meltzer's ratings for G1:
Tanahashi/Ishii **** 3/4
Elgin/Omega **** 1/4
Shibata/Naito **** 1/4
Nakajima/Nagata ****
Naito/Honma ****

Well... we all know how much Dave loves no-selling when it happens in Japan.