NJPW G1 Climax 2024.

[Evil Otto]

Coming out of Forbidden Door, who honestly looks like the best New Japan wrestler?  It's certainly not Naito.  It's Zack.  

[Teflon Turtle]

So there has been some "Shota Umino in the G1" speculation over on the New Japan subreddit that is both piping hot and baffling in equal measure:

Earlier today, the NJPW Global X account posted a video of Shota announcing he will be returning in time for the G1. Teflon's thoughts, not Reddit's: in the video, Shota looks like the people on the other side of the camera might be terrorists and his lines are being fed to him to convince everyone he's OK.

But, I seemingly am not the only one to draw such a conclusion, because folks online are wondering whether he is really cleared to return and/or whether he has been pressured into coming back so soon.

There are also plenty who are asking whether his injuries are legitimate in the first place. Apparently the stories out there don't really line up, and also a podcast aired a rumor that the real reason for Shota being out was that he was on the losing end of a (legit) backstage scrap with Gabe Kidd; injury stories were just a cover, as internet doctors maintain that it will not be possible to wrestle with a fractured hip + back injury a month after sustaining such injuries. I guess the logic there is that if he is participating at all, then he wasn't really injured in the first place. I didn't listen to the podcast, so for all I know it's amateur sleuths running with something that was intended to be taken as a joke.

I don't know what to think: possibly a situation like what happened in BOSJ where Francesco Akira developed a knee issue, and he worked a limited match that "exacerbated" the injury - Umino will wrestle at least one match, but perhaps they run an injury angle.

So Shota will be in the G1...or will he?

 

Edited July 16 by Teflon Turtle

[The Natural]

On 7/16/2024 at 11:24 PM, Teflon Turtle said:

So there has been some "Shota Umino in the G1" speculation over on the New Japan subreddit that is both piping hot and baffling in equal measure:

Earlier today, the NJPW Global X account posted a video of Shota announcing he will be returning in time for the G1. Teflon's thoughts, not Reddit's: in the video, Shota looks like the people on the other side of the camera might be terrorists and his lines are being fed to him to convince everyone he's OK.

But, I seemingly am not the only one to draw such a conclusion, because folks online are wondering whether he is really cleared to return and/or whether he has been pressured into coming back so soon.

There are also plenty who are asking whether his injuries are legitimate in the first place. Apparently the stories out there don't really line up, and also a podcast aired a rumor that the real reason for Shota being out was that he was on the losing end of a (legit) backstage scrap with Gabe Kidd; injury stories were just a cover, as internet doctors maintain that it will not be possible to wrestle with a fractured hip + back injury a month after sustaining such injuries. I guess the logic there is that if he is participating at all, then he wasn't really injured in the first place. I didn't listen to the podcast, so for all I know it's amateur sleuths running with something that was intended to be taken as a joke.

I don't know what to think: possibly a situation like what happened in BOSJ where Francesco Akira developed a knee issue, and he worked a limited match that "exacerbated" the injury - Umino will wrestle at least one match, but perhaps they run an injury angle.

So Shota will be in the G1...or will he?

 

I think Shota Umino will be in but I raised an eyebrow with the injuries as you'd think it would rule him out of competing.

[Salads]

I don't know, being fed lines by terrorists behind the camera can be a decent description of many inexperienced promos. Umino and Kidd had a face off at the press conference so they're likely leaning into it either way.

Other press conference notes: EVIL stating 'I will have the worst match every night' and Tsuji giving everyone pudding.

[Salads]

Oh yeah and Jake Lee's nickname is Smart Bastard.

[Evil Otto]

Really great first night!  Given the fact of having 10 matches, nothing dragged at all, an intriguing watch all the way through.  

ZSJ vs. O-Khan, Cobb vs. Goto, and Takeshita vs. Tsuji are all well worth your time.  Sleeper match for me was Finlay vs. Uemura, and I'll be damned, Gabe vs. Evil was the best Evil match in a very long time! 

A few additional thoughts:

Spoiler

-Lots of surprises and bracket-busting, if that's your thing.  

-I love how Great O-Khan consistently goes above and beyond in his matches with Zack.  I thoroughly enjoy them every time.  

-Honestly, I couldn't tell if Shota was legit hurting or not, but his match was curiously short and the ending abrupt, so who knows. 

-Jake Lee had clear Bullet Club references in his entrance video, so I'm guessing he's full-time for NJPW from here on out.  I've gotta say, he doesn't do much at all for me, but hey, this tournament would obviously be the perfect way to change my mind.  (Update: I haven't changed my mind after night one.) 

-Gabe Kidd really comes across like a star these days.  The reception he got from the Osaka fans was noteworthy.

-Takeshita and Tsuji was the one match where it really felt like I was watching something special, although other matches came close.  Doubtful it will happen, but Takeshita could win the G1 and the IWGP title on 1/4 and I honestly wouldn't mind it at all.  

 

[Horangi]

I thought both nights in Osaka were really good - to add to Evil Otto's recommendations from night 1, did enjoy Finlay vs Uemura probably more than I should have. Night 2 didn't have anything as good as Tsuji vs Takeshita, but Tsuji vs Finlay, Umino vs Takagi, ZSJ vs Naito & Gabe vs O-Khan are well worth a look. Hell I even enjoyed both HOT matches. Shota looked a lot better on night 2, but still looks like he is in obvious pain. Either they are gonna write him off early or he is a finalist, I can't see it going any other way because why bother if he's hurt? 

Jake Lee's nickname "Smart Bastard" might be my favourite nickname in pro wrestling at the moment. I think this G1 might be decisive for the overall opinion on Jake. I stand by that I thought he was great in All Japan, but how much of that was guys like Miyahara, Yuma and Suwama carrying the load? I wont say he was dreadful in NOAH, but it wasn't good...kind of like he was just in autopilot the whole time, but was NOAH just a bad fit for him? Jury is out, so I am intrigued to see how he goes here. 

Naito is not looking good, better than he did against Moxley and night 2 was certainly a step up from the first night. He should not be in 20 minute main events, yet his next 3 (Jake, EVIL and SANADA) are all main events at this stage. I don't think this is his last G1, but I think its close - maybe 1 more? 

EDIT: Forgot to add, we look at how broken guys like Tanahashi and Naito are, on the other hand, Goto is taking the Kojima route and is looking in great shape. Certainly could be re-positioned as a proper gatekeeper for the younger generation (he and Takagi could both function here as NJPW is very much lacking in strong gatekeepers). 

Edited July 22 by Horangi

[lostinube]

Jake probably needs a win but will they really pull the trigger and have Naito lose three in a row?

If people were frustrated with too much HOT interference before, imagine how they are going to feel when EVIL (and Narita) still keeps winning matches with only a (relative) bit of cheating? At least in EVIL's case, he earned his tough guy credentials during the time when the NEVER belt was all about guys hitting each other really hard. That was always the most interesting thing about those more DragonGate than DragonGate HOT matches. Yeah, you could counter the cheating but EVIL will always be a bastard to put down.

[Evil Otto]

On 7/22/2024 at 8:25 AM, Horangi said:

Shota looked a lot better on night 2, but still looks like he is in obvious pain. Either they are gonna write him off early or he is a finalist, I can't see it going any other way because why bother if he's hurt? 

On that note, tonight's card, Night 3 in Hiroshima, has Shota vs. Gabe Kidd.  Even before the tournament got underway, that struck me as major angle alert potential, and even more so now.  

On 7/22/2024 at 8:25 AM, Horangi said:

 I think this G1 might be decisive for the overall opinion on Jake. I stand by that I thought he was great in All Japan, but how much of that was guys like Miyahara, Yuma and Suwama carrying the load? I wont say he was dreadful in NOAH, but it wasn't good...kind of like he was just in autopilot the whole time, but was NOAH just a bad fit for him? Jury is out, so I am intrigued to see how he goes here. 

I was more of an avid watcher of All Japan before Covid hit, and Jake Lee was a key player back then.  I saw plenty of good to great matches with him in them from that period, and I've always wanted him to truly reach that next level.  In some ways, he already has, but in my eyes, something still appears to be lacking.  Again, I hope he proves me wrong.  

[lostinube]

Bought my ticket for the 7/31 show in Yamaguchi today. It's a B Block show with a Takeshita/Finlay main. It's still early on so who knows who wins where.

One thing of note is that young lions Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima are going to get murdered by Jake and Gabe if they aren't already dead after facing Takeshita and Henare this coming Saturday.

[Horangi]

Hiroshima was...interesting - Takeshita vs Cobb was very good, thought Zack/Newman and Takagi/O-Khan were fun and actually did really like Umino/Gabe despite

Spoiler

it not being the angry blood feud match I expected. Expected Shota to come out for blood but he didn't really fire up until half way through, but could be related to the injury. Gabe looked great as usual, ending did feel like it sort of came out of nowhere. No writing off of Shota though, but they did play off the injury at the end so I fully expect the story to be Shota fighting from underneath

Jake vs Naito on the other hand...

Spoiler

I don't know if its because these two just don't gel, Naito's knees being completely shot or Jake just still not living up to the expectations but this was not good. Not as bad as the Cagematch rating/social media discourse is making it out to be but a 17 minute match that felt like it just went on and on. The Destino botch took the crowd out of the match, and Naito's kicky offense looked rough due to his injuries and Jake's height didn't help. Naito could still be a top guy if he just tweaked his moveset a bit, he's not Tanahashi-gone but its getting close. Jake did his weird laughing thing he used to do in AJPW,  but I think we still see what Jake is capable of against guys like Zack & Shingo rather than broken Naito. Felt like a worse version of Hiromu/Robbie Eagles from Super Juniors where the loser was dominant but lost out of nowhere. 

 

[Teflon Turtle]

Some thoughts on the first few nights:

Spoiler

- I loved ZSJ grabbing the IWGP heavyweight championship belt and walking it to the hard cam after his win over Naito. I can't recall anyone doing that before. If it has happened, it has been a while. I'm sure it was scripted out, but it felt like ZSJ had some real feelings in making that statement. Dude has been killing it in New Japan for a long time now. He has earned an opportunity to be at the top of the card on a consistent basis, I feel. There was also an interesting character moment after he put the belt back down. A young lion tried to give the belt back to Naito, and Naito refused it.

- Both Takeshita matches have been entertaining. I saw one or two little mishaps, but I guess that's to be expected in first time matchups. This also isn't a gymnastics competition. The match with Tsuji had me praying for an upswing to the Japanese economy so it would make sense for Takeshita to sign with NJPW once his AEW deal is up. I don't know exactly how to describe why this is, but Takeshita looks and is wrestling like he has been in NJPW all along. He just fits. Hiroshima was chanting for him during the Cobb match, and loudly at that.  I feel like his G1 involvement is to set him up for something at the Wrestle Dynasty card, but there would be worse decisions than having him win the G1 (probably a crazy take, I don't care).

- Gabe Kidd rules. Only thing I wish he'd change is the overreliance on the "I'm a madman you know!" catchphrase. He's good enough now that he doesn't need it. 

- Naito. I am, and always will be, a fan of his. But it looks more and more like whenever he does something that requires him to land on his feet from any height, his legs/knees can't support his weight any longer. Another thing that troubles me: each time he has taken a break due to injury/eye surgery in the last few years, I feel like he has come back looking worse and not better. I don't know if the eye issues persist, but it almost looks like he feels as if he needs to rush the rehab process to get back on the road ASAP. His moveset has also gotten shaved down quite a bit over the years. In the Jake Lee match, it looked like he was down to almost nothing. If it is being played up for a storyline, I don't know how it makes anybody look good. I might have more to say about this as the tournament goes on.

 

[lostinube]

Naito left the belt on the apron on the first night after losing to Shingo. ZSJ immediately went for the belt after he won so it was probably at least discussed.

Technically, though, since Naito lost on the first night to Shingo and Shingo lost to Umino the next night, your lineal IWGP champion is Gabe Kidd.

[lostinube]

Whoa. Could they really be going all in on Uemura? (Probably not)

[Lawful Metal]

The two Takeshita matches I watched were OUTSTANDING.  Particularly the Cobb match, just two super athletes doing super athlete stuff.  For a sub 10 min match it was awesome.  I saw a handful of Shingo / Shota and wow does Umino seem to be in bad bad shape.  Seemed like he was trying to bump on the opposite hip, but ends up selling the other side anyway.  Like holy shit, he probably shouldn't even be walking let alone taking bumps.

Same with Naito.

[barrybonanza]

1 hour ago, Lawful Metal said:

The two Takeshita matches I watched were OUTSTANDING.  Particularly the Cobb match, just two super athletes doing super athlete stuff.  For a sub 10 min match it was awesome.  I saw a handful of Shingo / Shota and wow does Umino seem to be in bad bad shape.  Seemed like he was trying to bump on the opposite hip, but ends up selling the other side anyway.  Like holy shit, he probably shouldn't even be walking let alone taking bumps.

Same with Naito.

What was the second Takeshita match you enjoyed?

[Lawful Metal]

3 hours ago, barrybonanza said:

What was the second Takeshita match you enjoyed?

versus Yota Tsuji

[Salads]

The whole of the G1 fitting into one calendar month for £8.07 is a steal.

Scattered thoughts from what I've seen (which is very much a minority - thank you for recs from places like this to help me prioritise).

 

Uemura v Takeshita is getting the attention but Uemura's had a good tournament in general, helped by his opponents giving him a lot. His stable, haircut and promos all seemed to make him duller as the year rolled by, which has made him effective at surprising people. English commentator keeps on mentioning 'fundamentals' during his matches but I think he's just a bit of a throwback in general. This is based entirely on me thinking his appearance, moveset and nickname would fit perfectly in one of the classic Fire Pro games. Having good fire but not much personality outside of that also fits him into that mold.

I'm expecting the playoff matches between 2nd and 3rd in each group may be there this year so that Takeshita can get a win back over someone before progressing to the finals so he can technically only put one person over without just predictably streaking through everyone else. Not that I necessarily think the politics demand that, but I can't really see the reason for them otherwise.

ZSJ is reliable as ever. Finlay is getting it together (sleazier and more aggressive). Umino as always seems best when he's ignoring all of the influences he is accused of having too many of. Not liking Lee but I'm not going to judge him on the match ups he's had so far. If he doesn't work out in New Japan at least his 'I betray everyone' character will help save face. Seconded on Goto still being able to go. I was super high on him when he was starting out so it was cool seeing him win the G1 on his debut. While I have no objection to Oleg and Newman being in this tournament these kind of younger debuts weaken the chance of anyone making that kind of impact in future from the homegrown side.

Naito and Tanahashi are two names where it always seemed obvious they would undergo a moveset change in their later years and keep on ruling like Liger did. Don't really understand why they didn't.

I keep on seeing Great O'Khan's name come up in match recommendations which is intriguing.

[lostinube]

Had a good time at tonight's show in Yamaguchi.

Uemura had another good match with Henare.

I still laugh at HOT guys getting wins with relatively minimal cheating.

Takeshita/Finlay was exciting live and I think it's fine that Finlay won.

[Salads]

Crowd came across well from what I saw of today's show, even though it sounded like the mics were cut when the pin was counted.

I'm all in on Yuya being the babyface (was never completely sure what made a white meat babyface white meat) of the company going forward at this point. Umino's cuts a wholesome promo but in the ring is something else. Trying to decide if Umino's matches are good but being let down by a moveset that doesn't entirely suit him or if I just don't like his pants.

Shingo/Gabe is a great match worth checking out if you have some no-selling tolerance. Works well as a combo with the backstage comments after, which features a firey promo from Gabe and a good line from Shingo if you're the type to stick subs on. If Lee betrays War Dogs at the end of this G1 then that stable is in even better form than before.

I've just finished work and had to stop myself from ending this with 'Kind regards'

[barrybonanza]

Any matches post night 4 that people would recommend?

[Horangi]

14 hours ago, barrybonanza said:

Any matches post night 4 that people would recommend?

Sure!

Nagasaki night 5 was mostly average, but thought Umino/O-Khan was fun and ZSJ vs Jake Lee was Jake's best match so far.

Night 6 in Fukuoka - thought Cobb/Uemura, Takeshita/Henare and Tsuji/Goto were good and worth seeking out. The hot crowd helped

Night 7 in Fukuoka had a really good Zack/Umino match, and possible match of the tournament contender so far in Shingo vs Gabe Kidd. Thought Naito vs SANADA was fun, but crowd seemed exhausted after the semi main

Night 8 in Yamaguchi - Uemura/ Henare and Takeshita/Finlay were quite good. Gabe Kidd on English commentary was unexpected 

Night 9 Osaka - Shingo vs Zack is in my top 3 for sure, rest of the show if skipped you wouldn't be missing much.

[Salads]

You can add Goto v Takeshita from today's show to that list. Great crowd.

[Evil Otto]

Yeah, Nagoya was on fire the whole way through.  The main event was the only match that didn't really do it for me.  

That being said, the four B Block matches leading up to the main ranged from really good to amazing, with Goto vs. Takeshita being the amazing portion of the evening.  Holy smokes.  

A Block brings the drama and intrigue, but hot damn, B Block is consistently delivering the goods match after match.  B Block nights have all been a blast, even Narita's schtick can't drag them down too much.

You know, I'd really like to see Shingo vs. Zack one more time, but with the IWGP title on the line, if you know what I mean.  They certainly made a convincing case for it becoming a reality someday. 

[Horangi]

Thought tonight's Korakuen show was a blast! The main event is right up there with the best matches this tournament.

They seem to be putting Naito's body falling apart but he keeps on fighting into his story now, the Umino match was probably his best all tournament

Gabe Kidd vs Jake Lee was everything I hoped it would be

Spoiler

And I never get tired of Zack beating EVIL in seconds