NJPW G1 Climax 24: Day 5
NJPW G1 Climax 24: Day 5 (7/28/2014)- Sendai, Japan
BLOCK A MATCH: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Doc Gallows- 6.25/10
They started off with Gallows totally no-selling kicks to the gut (and no, that wasn’t a mistake. Gallows was the one no-selling; not Ishii). It got better after that, wasn’t really too exciting until the last minute or two. Ishii did sell well throughout the match, so it looks like he’s finally getting it. If the story they were trying to tell was Ishii going for the brainbuster (which was the finish), it would have worked a lot better if he didn’t hit it on just his second attempt, only a few minutes into the match, and have it get kicked out of.
BLOCK B MATCH: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Lance Archer (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 6/10
BLOCK A MATCH: Satoshi Kojima vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 6.5/10
Davey Boy Smith Jr.’s worked over Kojima’s back, Kojima worked over Davey Boy Smith Jr.’s head.
BLOCK B MATCH: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 4/10
Yujiro jumps Suzuki before he was ready (but, interestingly, not from behind). After that, Yujiro became the babyface… so why have him jump Suzuki at all? Suzuki worked over Yujiro’s leg, but then get the win with that nasty-looking sleeper hold takeover into a rear mounted sleeper.
BLOCK B MATCH: Karl Anderson vs. Toru Yano- 0.5/10
Anderson spit water in Yano’s face and jumped him before the bell. I could be wrong, but I don’t remember much (if any) cheating from the Bullet Club so far in this tournament (I mean aside from the last match). Aren’t they supposed to be the top heel group? Yano, on the other hand, who is supposed to be a babyface, has cheated in every match. At least they got off on the right foot here. They quickly got off track, though, as Yano kept trying to cheat, and eventually got the win by nefarious means. I don’t care if Anderson was mocking his mannerisms. That’s not cheating. What Yano does actually IS cheating. Then again, he should have gotten the win before said nefarious means because Anderson grabbed the ref and used him as a human shield… but somehow this was not a DQ.
BLOCK A MATCH: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shelton X Benjamin (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 7.5/10
This will sound crazy to anyone who hasn’t been watching this tournament, but I went into this match thinking that there was a distinct possibility that Shelton would win. They had a great match.
BLOCK B MATCH: Hirooki Goto vs. AJ Styles- 8.25/10
Great wrestling and great action. Awesome match.
BLOCK A MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale- 7/10
Great selling by Tanahashi.
BLOCK A MATCH: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomoaki Honma- 7.25/10
BLOCK B MATCH: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada (w/Gedo)- 7.5/10
Both guys worked over the head. I was expecting more out of this, both in terms of getting time and in terms of action.
Another good G1 show, with another terrible Toru Yano match.
BLOCK A MATCH: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Doc Gallows- 6.25/10
They started off with Gallows totally no-selling kicks to the gut (and no, that wasn’t a mistake. Gallows was the one no-selling; not Ishii). It got better after that, wasn’t really too exciting until the last minute or two. Ishii did sell well throughout the match, so it looks like he’s finally getting it. If the story they were trying to tell was Ishii going for the brainbuster (which was the finish), it would have worked a lot better if he didn’t hit it on just his second attempt, only a few minutes into the match, and have it get kicked out of.
BLOCK B MATCH: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Lance Archer (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 6/10
BLOCK A MATCH: Satoshi Kojima vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 6.5/10
Davey Boy Smith Jr.’s worked over Kojima’s back, Kojima worked over Davey Boy Smith Jr.’s head.
BLOCK B MATCH: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 4/10
Yujiro jumps Suzuki before he was ready (but, interestingly, not from behind). After that, Yujiro became the babyface… so why have him jump Suzuki at all? Suzuki worked over Yujiro’s leg, but then get the win with that nasty-looking sleeper hold takeover into a rear mounted sleeper.
BLOCK B MATCH: Karl Anderson vs. Toru Yano- 0.5/10
Anderson spit water in Yano’s face and jumped him before the bell. I could be wrong, but I don’t remember much (if any) cheating from the Bullet Club so far in this tournament (I mean aside from the last match). Aren’t they supposed to be the top heel group? Yano, on the other hand, who is supposed to be a babyface, has cheated in every match. At least they got off on the right foot here. They quickly got off track, though, as Yano kept trying to cheat, and eventually got the win by nefarious means. I don’t care if Anderson was mocking his mannerisms. That’s not cheating. What Yano does actually IS cheating. Then again, he should have gotten the win before said nefarious means because Anderson grabbed the ref and used him as a human shield… but somehow this was not a DQ.
BLOCK A MATCH: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shelton X Benjamin (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 7.5/10
This will sound crazy to anyone who hasn’t been watching this tournament, but I went into this match thinking that there was a distinct possibility that Shelton would win. They had a great match.
BLOCK B MATCH: Hirooki Goto vs. AJ Styles- 8.25/10
Great wrestling and great action. Awesome match.
BLOCK A MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale- 7/10
Great selling by Tanahashi.
BLOCK A MATCH: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomoaki Honma- 7.25/10
BLOCK B MATCH: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada (w/Gedo)- 7.5/10
Both guys worked over the head. I was expecting more out of this, both in terms of getting time and in terms of action.
Another good G1 show, with another terrible Toru Yano match.