NJPW G1 Climax 23.

[Pete]

The parity is interesting. Last I checked, everyone is sitting at 4-2/3-3/2-4... no one's broken away from the pack and no one's getting jobbed into obliviacry (tm Shane Douglas) either.

[rzombie1988]

I reviewed Day 5 of the G1 Climax here:
http://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/njpw-g1-climax-2013-day-5-results-and.html

Overall thoughts: This was a G1 house show, no doubt about it. Some people were incredibly lazy tonight including the fans, the cameramen and all who were involved in the Devitt match. This show just wasn't fun to watch and had no real chance of being great due to the crowd. Some people tried harder than others and there were 2 good matches, but that was it.

Some shots from the show:

[Jiji]

Agreed. Big let off after three solid and one fantastic show to start the tournament. 

[Salads]

The parity is interesting. Last I checked, everyone is sitting at 4-2/3-3/2-4... no one's broken away from the pack and no one's getting jobbed into obliviacry (tm Shane Douglas) either.

 

Last year's eighteen-man tournament ended up with twelve on eight points and three each on six and ten.

 

If Karl Anderson can make a G-1 Final, Ishii can.

 

Anderson may have been an unlikely finalist but he was still on his third G1 and had won tournaments/belts including the longest IWGP tag reign in history, though perhaps most importantly unlike Ishii he wasn't thirty seven years old. Perhaps worth noting at this point that Yano had a similar Korakuen main event win over Tanahashi in the 2011 tournament.

[supremebve]

I'm currently in the middle of Day 4 and the biggest realization I've had is how good Davey Boy Smith Jr. is and how Shelton Benjamin is just plain bad.  When WWE released Benjamin, I thought they were crazy.  I thought he was going to end up going to Ring of Honor or New Japan and light the world on fire, but he may legitimately be the worst worker in this tournament.  Every single match, he just seems to go from spot to spot with no real rhyme or reason, and it just feels like if you've watched one of his matches you've watched all of his matches.  I couldn't have cared any less when they released Davey Boy Jr. on the other hand, but he has been outstanding.  He has turned into a really good worker who can have a good match with just about anybody.  His tiger suplex and Ligerbomb are fucking awesome.

[KidKash202]

Ibushi still does some really stupid stuff, and if he toned it down with the contrived spots, he'd be fine. Couple things in the Nak match showed he could hang with the heavyweights. Even threw a good lariat.

Give a few examples please?

[DylanWaco]

Hell even I liked day three a lot.  Nakamura v. Ibushi is my match of the tourney so far, though I don't have it much higher than Shibata v. Ishii.

[Hagan]

catching up on early matches I skipped. I've tended to skip over DBS's matches when watching New Japan but am also impressed with how he's been looking.  And yeah, Shelton Benjamin has now managed to bore the life out of me from multiple continents.

[OGpistolpete]

Just watched Ibushi/Nakamura, man what a great match! The match was certainly carried by how nasty it got, which made it a riveting display. Ibushi continues to solidify itself and I think if they kept it going for another pin with an Ibushi victory, it would have made him one of the real favorites. Nakamura is looking solid and Ibushi has been looking great all tournnament. I love the progression of his moonsault to the outside spot, because I really took notice of how fluid and well executed they were the first few matches, but how opponents are catching on. Nakamura was very precious in preventing it by immediately taking to the ring to knee Ibushi, and I think they set up his usual running knee lift spot too (a testament to the fluidity of this match). The ending was spot on, and the entire affair should surely lead to an anticipated rematch months or years down the road.

Also liked Naito/Suzuki, but thought it could have gone on a bit longer. I think Naito has to take some stiffen hits like Ibushi has, especially against a guy like Minoru. I know he's coming back from injury though, which had me wanting to ask, what was he out for again?

Might skip up Makabe/Okada but apparently Devitt/Tanahashi is a must watch as well.

[BalancingAct]

Now that I've seen it, I might rank Nak/Ibushi as my favorite so far too.  Lots of heat, lots of great stuff going on, lots of call backs, plus they had great chemistry, great charisma.  Of course I skipped a bunch to see it, but still.  Fantastic stuff.

[The Natural]

 Nice to see Nakamura/Ibushi getting some more mentions. I really got into that match.

[Hagan]

Goto and Tenzan out of the rest of the tourney due to injuries.

 

Re-watched Tanahashi and Ishii. Just a fantastic match.

 

I may be in the minority here but, while I'm digging the Bullet Club and Devitt's character, I'm finding the matches to be a little over-done with the interference and general chicanery.

[Burning Hamburger]

Hasn't every match he's so far had interference? I really ain't digging it either, but I guess they have to resort to it considering he's a junior.

 

Sucks about Goto, he was doing really well this tournament.

[Ryan]

It's not going to stop any time soon until they decide to turn Devitt back face or something and kick him out of the group.

[ultimoDANK]

I gotta imagine Goto and Tenzan being out makes them have to shuffle some other things. Goto prob had another win in him.

Still pulling for the Shibata vs Nakamura final.

[Ultimo The Great]

Finally watched the first 4 days (have i really sat through 14 hours of wrestling in 6 days!!) and i'm amazed how good it's been.

 

FUCK ME Tanahashi/Ishii was awesome. My new MOTY but Shibata/Ishii is now running it damn close, two absolute stunners.

 

Day 4 as a whole was pretty immense apart from Yujiro/Yano and Nagata/Benjamin everything was at least good. The only way this tournament could be better is Devitt/Anderson as faces, sorry but bullet club can fuck off. Neither have been bad but Devitt especially hasn't been as good as he was as a face.Real shame to hear about the injuries (really i'm thinking why can't it have been Yujiro) but putting Tenzan in an 11 day tournament where he'd have to have 9 matches is just moronic. No way his body is holding up. I was looking forward to Ishii/Goto on the final day too 

 

I was thinking Naito over Goto in the final after seeing day 4 but now i'll go Naito over Tanahashi, which i think i predicted on another board about a month ago.I'd like an Ishii/Nakamura final but doubt it ;)Still spoiler free, Now where's my day 5!!

 

 

[Jiji]

Here, but be warned... it's shite.

 

http://youtu.be/z1SXZcFaVWM

 

I agree with everything you say outside of the Naito love. He's better than Ibushi and the other run-of-the-mill modern Japanese dudes but he's still pretty weak psychology-wise. Yet, his match with Ibushi was surprisingly pretty decent and you could really tell he was carrying the load on that one. I don't think it's just his Robert Gibson eyes, but I can't really get behind him. Hoping either Shibata or Ishii make it out of Block A.

 

What are some highly touted Naito matches from outside the G1 worth checking out?

[The Natural]

Here, but be warned... it's shite.

 

http://youtu.be/z1SXZcFaVWM

 

Heh.

 

What are some highly touted Naito matches from outside the G1 worth checking out?

 

I've watched little of Tetsuya Naito but from what I have, Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito on the 4th of March 2012 from NJPW's 40th Anniversary Show was brilliant. It was my Japanese Match of the Year and my runner-up for overall 2012 Match of the Year.

[Jiji]

Thanks, will check it out.

[The Natural]

Thanks, will check it out.

 

You're welcome. Hope you like it.

[wakigatame]

I'm hoping for Shibata/Nakamura in the final.

[Jiji]

 

Thanks, will check it out.

 

You're welcome. Hope you like it.

 

That was really good. Okada was a bit awkward at times during his controlling the first 10 or so minutes but Naito sold well and the leg work was interesting. Nice finishing stretch too. I was impressed by Naito.

Thanks again for the recommendation.

[Ryan Clingman]

I have seen the first four nights, and I can honestly say that this is probably the best G1 that I have ever seen at least at this stage - just stellar stuff across the board. Ishii has been fantastic. I expect that they are going to have Nakamura and Shibata in the finals, and then have Nakamura win the whole thing to set up partner versus partner, Okada/Nakamura for the Dome. 

[Salads]

Goto sporting a new costume, announcing the imminent debut of a new finisher and topping his group = I think plans may have gone tits up. Though it seems a lot more likely now I never bought the inevitability of Shibata walking in and topping a group with the cream of NJ's biggest stars, and Goto beating him tomorrow to win their never-ending feud would've completed the trilogy of New Japan G1 push tropes along with 'group of death won by unfancied homegrown' and 'group winner pins champion'. Goto's win over Okada makes a lot more sense for a future title clash than Makabe/Tanahashi/Kojima's would, though seeing as Okada's 100% in singles tournaments so far and generally hyper dominant maybe they'll go down the champion-as-finalist route which hasn't been done since 2007... when Nakamura mucked plans up by separating his shoulder.

 

What are some highly touted Naito matches from outside the G1 worth checking out?

 

Depending on what precisely you meant by outside the G1, I'd recommend the 2011 tournament final between Naito and Nakamura. Not his best match, but I consider it a coming of age moment not only for Naito but also for the 'new' Nakamura you commented on earlier.

[OGpistolpete]

Anything from before his injury is prime. He was really hot in the summer of last year before he was injured.