G1 Climax

[Vic Boss 612]

It's gotten to the point where if Sept rolls around and there's a news report on the people who showed up for the Area 51 raid and Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens aren't there in their wrestling gear, I'm going to be disappointed

[Garlic Junior 136]

Ishii v Mox... there was a lot of stuff I liked.

 

The big splash through the table. Mox catching the sliding lariat into a pin. Mox being unable to roll to his feet from the German the way Ishii does but MORESO the fact he did it before Ishii while most matches would be AFTER Ishii to show the difference. Subtle.

 

But was it Match Of The Tournament? No. Not even the best match I've watched this past two hours.

 

Sloppy work through the crowd. Mox having to stagger himself into position too many times. Headbutt segment was just BAD anyway but the fact it didn't look hard (btw, I'M GLAD, fuck that spot) just looked shit. Some of the pins looked shit. A good 25% of the match looked fake. Fuck... Moxley obviously punching his own arm instead of Ishii's face which was sliding behind his headlock.

 

Actually, the more I think about it, two spots aside and pacing (which was on point) aside, I actually don't think this was a "good" match. Weird.

[Vic Boss 612]

B Block Finals Prelims

 

- Fale hitting the ropes back and forth and stepping on Evil's back

- Sanada making Chase think he successfully used the Paradise Lock

- I think Chase won C Block?

- I'm hoping for a Jeff Cobb/Toa Henare tag team in the near future, both to do something with Henare for once and slide Cobb into the regular lineup

- The six-man tag making Lance Archer look like an absolute monster

- Zack locking in the Manji Gatame on Tanahashi, what a fucking prick

- I think you missed a foreign object in Yano's tights there, ref

- Yano almost rolling up Cobb after he stuffed Cobb's arms into his own tights

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 7/25/2019 at 9:28 PM, Death Rider Mox said:

Big Dave gave the 5 star treatment to Ibushi vs Ospreay on Night 5 and Ishii vs Moxley from Night 6, and 5.75 for Ospreay v Okada from Night 7. Moxley's first 5-star match

 

I was happy just reading your write up of 7. But if it's a 5.75 I feel I HAVE to watch it.

 

Is it THAT good?

[Vic Boss 612]

1 hour ago, Garlic Junior said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Sloppy work through the crowd. Mox having to stagger himself into position too many times. Headbutt segment was just BAD anyway but the fact it didn't look hard (btw, I'M GLAD, fuck that spot) just looked shit. Some of the pins looked shit. A good 25% of the match looked fake. Fuck... Moxley obviously punching his own arm instead of Ishii's face which was sliding behind his headlock.

 

 

Actually, the more I think about it, two spots aside and pacing (which was on point) aside, I actually don't think this was a "good" match. Weird.

 

Moxley is quite noticeably a WWE trained and conditioned wrestler in a New Japan ring. KENTA's got similar issues. New Japan's style is actually a little tricky when it comes to integrating guys like that, All Japan is probably a better fit for them but they're not big enough

1 minute ago, Garlic Junior said:

 

I was happy just reading your write up of 7. But if it's a 5.75 I feel I HAVE to watch it.

 

Is it THAT good?

 

You were gonna skip Ospreay vs Okada?

 

Absolutely worth watching.

[Garlic Junior 136]

I have some matches I'm coming back to but I'm really just trying to sprint through the shit I KNOW I'll love.

 

I love Osprey and Okada individually but I dunno, that night just didn't seem urgent. Will watch it.

[Garlic Junior 136]

 

Ibushi v SANADA was really really good. What's the Nakamura connection?

[Garlic Junior 136]

Okada v Osperay - Yeah, glad I watched it. REALLY glad I watched it. Over a 5? Nah. 4.5 range though.

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 7/28/2019 at 11:20 PM, Death Rider Mox said:

Night 10

 

  Hide contents

 

- Juice vs Ishii was pretty good, that fall Ishii took on his head after the Juice Box was grossssss. I think someone got their bell rung too, things got a little sloppy or slow or out of synch or something like that. I liked the story of Juice trying to take a beating and pulling through but coming up short. He's trying too much to be Moxley and isn't him

- Shingo and Jay had a match. Nothing really wrong with it but it was the first time in a while that I wasn't pumped by the end of a Shingo match.

- I love that sticking a fist out is so intertwined with Naito and Mox's careers that they're basically doing one of their signature poses and mocking the other guy at the same time

- Lot of one guy zigging and the other zagging in Naito v Mox, but they got there by the end. I'm legit surprised Mox beat Naito, I would've thought that Naito and Jay White get the wins over him just in case he cuts out after AEW really gets going. Fckn Head-drop Death Rider too x_x
 

 

 

Mox v Naito was da bomb.

 

That top rope rana was nuts, Mox landing on his feet before bumping. The biting was ridic. The brawling was ridic. Everything was ridic.

 

It's funny watching G1 in such a binge. I notice this every time I do it. So many spots or general feels get repeated every show.

 

Chair play. Headbutting your way out of a punch. Mox taking to the crowd. Just little notes repeated. I guess it's tough to create so much great wrestling so uniquely in such a short period of time.

On 7/30/2019 at 4:26 PM, MT said:

Toru Yano is the best

 

 

 

Okay, I HATE English commentary. Hate it. Fucking B grade Mauro thinking he's so smart with his allusions to WWE. "Uh, he's been in a CAGE for years". Fucking Rocky "I sound exactly like Juice Robinson dewwwwwd". Fucking fuck them.

 

But "Everything's coming up Yano" was a good call. Made me lol.

[Vic Boss 612]

55 minutes ago, Garlic Junior said:

 

Ibushi v SANADA was really really good. What's the Nakamura connection?

 

Nakamura was Ibushi's primary rival when he moved to Heavyweight, the guy Ibushi was chasing. They only wrestled twice (once in the G1 when Ibushi was still a Junior I think, and the 5-star at Wrestle Kingdom, Nakamura won both times), Shinsuke would bully him a bit because they have similar kick-boxing style backgrounds, Ibushi would show no fear and give it back to him. Nakamura left, Ibushi started using the Bomaye

[Garlic Junior 136]

May need to watch those two matches soon. Seems a bit of a loose connection though.

 

Man, Night 12 was my jam. Everything I love about NJPW in Yano v Moxley and Naito v Juice. Comedy, grit, character work. Naito's ear looks NASTY.

 

God damn that nasally fucking "DESSTTIII-II-II-NNNOOOOOOO" fucking call though. Fuck English commentary. Fuck it sideways.

 

If you can be bothered working it out so I'm not spoiled, can you gimme a list of what the scores were by the end of Day 12 please? I wanna watch the rest tomorrow with full context.

[Vic Boss 612]

32 minutes ago, Garlic Junior said:

1. May need to watch those two matches soon. Seems a bit of a loose connection though.

 

2.If you can be bothered working it out so I'm not spoiled, can you gimme a list of what the scores were by the end of Day 12 please? I wanna watch the rest tomorrow with full context. ?

 

1. It was backed up in promos and stuff too, wasn't just random.

 

2. Here we go. The sidebar doesn't appear to give results away

[Vic Boss 612]

G1 Final/Match

 

Whoa, Jay White finally had a great match

[Vic Boss 612]

Also

 

OH MY FUCKING CHRIST

 

 

 

Someone joined the Bullet Club, and someone else is not happy about it
 

 

[Vic Boss 612]

G1 Final/Rest of the Card

 

 

 

- Having seen a real Goldberg Spear and a Rhyno Gore this weekend, Clark Connors has a pretty sick spear too

- Lance Archer does an old-school into a moonsault, Kevin Kelly "Sure, why not." That about sums up Archer's G1, dude's had a ridiculous tournament

 

- What the FUCK, Suzuki just did the La Mistica
 

 

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 8/4/2019 at 2:05 AM, Death Rider Mox said:

Night 13 Rest of the event

 

 

  Hide contents

 

 

- I liked Juice wrestling stiffer, as if the frustration is getting to him or that he needs to change it up

- Jay White is such a bitch and I'm really looking forward to that match with Mox

- Good GOD, EVIL murdering Ospreay with those half and half suplexes
 

 

 

 

Fale winning, EVIL winning, we're all winning on this blessed evening

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 8/3/2019 at 1:52 PM, Death Rider Mox said:

BTW, the first G1 Final between Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono is Free on NJPWWorld, shit's awesome old-school wrestling (and not unlike Tanahashi matches are today)

 

Night 13

 

Watching the double-main first before I pass out, I'll do the rest later

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

- I fucking love when Tanahashi does slow hold-exchanging wrestling

- Dat Ibushi countering the High Fly Flow into a top-rope hurricanrana had such a badass camera angle

- Please stop trying to kill Tanahashi. We only get one of him every 100 years

- That was an Inoki "where's your fucking fire, kid" slap that Tana gave Ibushi

- Ibushi using Shinsuke's Bomaye against Shinsuke's greatest rival always gets me

- Dat post-match where Tana was probably telling Ibushi to carry his torch and kill'em all but they were hiding it from everyone ;_;

- Arrogant Prick Okada coming out to play

- Oh my god this fucking finish

- Okada's not tapping or submitting, time ticking down, Sanada goes for the Moonsault

- HOLY SHIT SANADA
 

 

 

 

I did NOT appreciate that the rana was from the floor. When I read your write up I was like "how did Tana not see that coming?"

 

SANADA landing on his feet from the Snapmare was cool

 

Okada motioning for the cameraman to move as he went to the top rope seemed a bit strange. Ten seconds later, SANADA takes a tumble from the other corner. Good guy Okada.

 

SANADA wins. We are all winning on this blessed day.[/spoilers]

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 8/5/2019 at 5:10 AM, Death Rider Mox said:

Night 14

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

- Karl Fredericks got to lock up with Okada, NJPW sees it too

- I really like Clark Connors underdog babyface fire. He's got an expressiveness that's gonna take him places

- As far as preview match build-up goes, my body is ready for Ospreay vs Kenta

- Yano tries to bait Ishii to fight him outside, Ishii just waits and Yano almost gets himself counted out

- And now Ishii baited Yano into a strong style fight

- Ishii just went for a low-blow, they're getting drawn into each other's bullshit

- My head says the B Block Finalist is either Jay White (they've been really playing up that no one has ever lost their opening three matches and won the tournament, which Jay is attempting to do now) or Mox (in my mind, you can't rely on him being around once AEW starts up so you want to have a few top guys beat him so they have the rub of beating a former WWE Champion, the same way they do it with Jericho and the same way WWE has done it with Shinsuke, AJ etc). But my heart wants Juice.

- Juice landed and rotated off his neck

- FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF I think Mox has to lose his last two and Juice win his last two (including against Mox) to have a shot at the final
 

 

 

 

So if I'm reading the booking right/predictions

 

 

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On Night 16, I would say Goto beats Moxley, Jay White eliminates Juice ;_;, Ishii beats Shingo, Naito beats Cobb, Taichi loses to Yano.

 

That would set up a situation where Mox, Jay, Naito, Goto and Ishii all have 10 Points, and Yano at 8 Points has a tiebreaker over Mox, Naito and Jay White. Juice beats Mox to eliminate him (paying him back for taking the US Title from him), Taichi beats Ishii to eliminate Ishii and continue their NEVER feud, Cobb beats Yano to eliminate him, Shingo beats Goto to eliminate him, and Jay White overcomes Naito to win B Block.
 

 

 

 

Fredericks actually got a lot of offense in wtf. Who is he?

[Vic Boss 612]

Fredericks and Connors are LA Dojo Young Boys.

[Garlic Junior 136]

Ye I get that but like... connected at all?

 

 

 

 

On 8/4/2019 at 1:51 PM, Death Rider Mox said:

Night 14 Last Two Matches (I'll watch the rest later)

 

 

  Hide contents

 

 

- Gedo running away with Mox's table

- Mannnn, that release vertical suplex almost went bad for Jay

- That brass knux spot was awesome

- Jay beats Mox, booking-wise I figured they'd do that, but they really had me wondering

- I like how Shingo is a Junior but he's physically bigger in every way to Naito

- DAT COUNTER DESTINO

- Mother of God, every time Shingo hits a lariat it makes me want to run outside and wipe someone the fuck out

- CANADIAN DESTROYER DE JA PON

- SHINGO KICKS OUT A RUNNING DESTINO

- NO SHINGOOOO
 

 

 

 

Reason #6,935 why I love Japanese refs

 

Gedo slides out the ring after shaking Red Shoes. RS gives him a glance like "I know you did something ... but I can't prove it, oh, got a pin to count!"

 

WWE refs would just start the pin count.

 

Shingo seems sloppy to me. A lot of botches for the big spots. Wrecked that reversePoisonrana. Just meh. But I will say, the Frankensteiner to powerbomb spot actually ending in a Frankensteiner... unsure if I've ever seen that before!

[Vic Boss 612]

Ohhhh. No connection beyond Fredericks having obvious top-guy potential (looks + athleticism). This is their first Japanese tour and they made a point to make sure he locked up with Okada, that tells me they see it in him too.

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 8/8/2019 at 7:29 AM, Death Rider Mox said:

Night 15

 

 

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- The female colour commentator has entered the rotation on the Japanese and every time she speaks, I love her even more ??

- Another really good showing by Lance Archer. If it's me, he takes Fale's spot as the generic monster title defense that every long IWGP Heavyweight Title reign has in it

- Female commentator is growling angrily whenever the heels cheat against Tanahashi and I love her ??

- Fale with the backslide victory

- Shit, didn't he beat someone else in the tournament with a roll-up or something too? Fale's gotta start relying more on his technical skill

- Ospreay's the perfect guy to have a KENTA style match with

- I just heard a Japanese man yell "ORIENTEERING WITH NAPALM DEATH"

- Those last 5 mins of EVIL/Okada were fire
 

 

 

 

Yano and Fale tag team when? Technical wrestling out the yazoo.

[Garlic Junior 136]

 

EVIL/Okada despite the finish was epic. I wish EVIL won though. Love how NJPW is such a contest it made me believe a midcard guy could beat the champ with a clothesline.

 

Also, as I alluded to before, seeing the same beats in every other match really shows when binging... but it also builds. The "headbutt a fist to block the punch" spot and the "headbutt the heart to stop your opponent" spot combined here when EVIL stopped the short Rainmaker with a headbutt to the heart. Joyous.

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 8/9/2019 at 7:14 AM, Death Rider Mox said:

Okada/Sanada from 08.03, Naito/Shingo from 08/04, and Ishii/Shingo from this show pulled 5 stars (Ishii/Shingo with the 5.5)

 

Night 16 Block Matches

 

ISHII VS SHINGO YOSHHHHHH

 

 

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- Taichi using Yano tactics, wrapping Yano up in the ring skirt to try and get a count out

- Holy shit, Yano wrapped up Taichi and Kanemaru in the ring skirt for the countout

- Cobb hoists Naito up for a delayed vertical superplex, Naito thinks he's gone up heavy so he tries to come back down a bit and boost himself off the pole again, Cobb just powers him up and you see Naito's body go "Well, okay then"

- Cobb with such a sweet variation of the F5

- You can tell Goto likes Moxley

- LARIATSSSSSS

- 4 for 5 on my booking guesses. I thiiiink Ishii's been eliminated, even though he can tie the 10-pointers he's lost to three of them so he won't get the tie-breaker
 

 

 

 

One of my favourite overall days tbh

 

Cobb v Naito was good-not-great.

 

Jay v Juice was good-bordering-on-great. For two Gaijins it was brilliant.

 

Watching Goto kill Moxley satisfied me. I don't know why. Loved it.

 

Ishii v Shingo was my favourite Shingo match. Still a few scary botches from the big man. He definitely dropped Ishii on his face/head once and it was scary, but that aside it was tight tight tight. The early Made In Japan should have been the finish, but after the Battle Of The Lariats at the end. Ugh, so good. Yeah, I can forgive botches more than fake shit, this deserved a high star rating. But he's really jumping the shark going over 5 so much.

[Vic Boss 612]

Have you heard the arguments Dave has made about "breaking" the star rating system?

[Garlic Junior 136]

No? Do share.

 

I'm super tired and burned out from binging so much aha. Luckily everyone is so fire this year. Goto, Okada, Ibushi, Naito fucking with Jay White.

 

I've made it to the block finals in the space of two days essentially I'm watching the final Final in the morning.

 

Avoided spoilers too somehow...

[Vic Boss 612]

The o/g star rating system only went to 4, Cornette (who has done a surprising amount to destroy the kayfabe he holds so dear) originally suggested to the person who was doing one of the first wrestling newsletters and all of the others started copying it. Dave first broke the 4-star system with a 5-star rating for Tiger Mask vs Dynamite Kid in 1983, then broke the 5-star system with a 6-star rating for Kawada vs Misawa in 1994 (I think there was another match, maybe a Joshi match that was listed as "5+++++" or something like that). The rating system isn't meant to be out-of-5, but has no upper limits if the things that wrestlers do and the stories they tell significantly surpass what came before.

 

I've also heard it said that a 5 is a Match-of-the-Year candidate, a 6 is a Match-of-the-Decade candidate, a 7 is century/greatest match ever/etc. His 5+ star matches are basically saying "this is almost match of the decade, but not quite."

 

Or it's like you say, jumped the shark and now the system has moved upwards so his 5-star matches are really 4.5-star matches and his 5+ star matches have to be differentiated somehow out of the 10-20 matches that get 5s the last few years because he fucking loves the current style of wrestling and can't help himself

[Garlic Junior 136]

Yeah, that all makes sense, but I still think a 5 should be SPECIAL, y'know?

 

And anything above that, man, did it touch Omega v Okada? Hart v Austin? Will people really, genuinely, be discussing Ospreay v Okada in a year's time? A month's?

 

I don't care, dude can do whatever he likes, I'm just a fan of posterity and think there should be a differentiation between "If you are looking for a classic match from the 2010s, watch this" and "This is a style of match I enjoy between two wrestlers I personally like".

 

Anyway, more importantly, I think the greatest character growth of this tournament has been Jay White's beard. From a scrappy late teen's patchy, with ginger highlights, attempt of a beard to full on, black, moustache, just short enough to look like a proper douchebag prick. It's been great long-term booking.

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 8/12/2019 at 3:45 PM, Death Rider Mox said:

G1 Final/Rest of the Card

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

- Having seen a real Goldberg Spear and a Rhyno Gore this weekend, Clark Connors has a pretty sick spear too

- Lance Archer does an old-school into a moonsault, Kevin Kelly "Sure, why not." That about sums up Archer's G1, dude's had a ridiculous tournament

 

- What the FUCK, Suzuki just did the La Mistica
 

 

 

Man this card lived up!

 

Seeing all of LIJ in a 10 man was aces.

 

SANADA getting the winning pin was aces.

 

Bullet Club has been too lowkey this tournament. Having Kenta join was aces.

 

The crowd giving Kenta killer heat was aces.

 

Shibata. Was. ACES.

 

Gotta give a little shout-out to Stone Pitbull Bite U 141 doing his best in a 4v1 situation. Aces.

 

Aces. Aces. Aces.

 

Speaking of aces, why was ZSJ consoling Tana while Suzuki was hitting the mic?

 

Suzuki may not have technically won Block C, he was the spiritual winner with that promo. Give him the belt. He demands it. Aces.

[Vic Boss 612]

ZSJ working Tana's guilt to submit him through kindness

[Garlic Junior 136]

On 8/12/2019 at 12:21 PM, Death Rider Mox said:

G1 Final/Match

 

 

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Whoa, Jay White finally had a great match
 

 

 

 

Loved the full BC ejection pre match.

 

When Ibushi looked to the tunnel I swear I expected Nakamura (and/or Kenny).

 

Working the legs was awesome, great to see a more grounded match imo.

 

Loved Ibushi modifying to attacks that USED his weak legs. Like the lawndart throw etc.

 

Loved that the Last Ride powerbomb pin didn't work because Ibushi didn't lift his sore legs to Jay's shoulders, thus Jay needed minimal strength to kick out.

 

Ibushi "we will tie the knot" / "new era of New Japan" / "WE will change the world" lul shots fired.

 

Ibushi "I'll see you at next G1". Not at Wrestle Kingdom? Brain fried I guess.

 

Gud gud gud.

[Vic Boss 612]

I was sitting there the whole time going "... He's forgetting that this lets him challenge at WK, isn't he."

 

People played it off like he still had to defend his spot once or twice before getting to Wrestle Kingdom, but I'm betting he just forgot to mention he was going to WK to challenge for the Title in the speech, he did mention wanting to do it in the after-match comments.

[Garlic Junior 136]

He totally doesn't care about anything but the contest in front of him. If his matches themselves weren't so intense I'd almost say he's Tranquilo. Instead, he's more like a large, excitable puppy.....

 

Imma rename my dog Kota now.