NJPW G1 Climax 23.

[The Natural]

Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, Hirooki Goto, Satoshi Kojima, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Prince Devitt and Katsuyori Shibata.

 

Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yuji Nagata, Tetsuya Naito, Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano, Yujiro Takahashi, Minoru Suzuki, Shelton Benjamin, Karl Anderson and Kota Ibushi

 

Schedule:

 

Full cards for the 2013 G1 Climax have been announced.

 

NJPW, 8/1/13 (Samurai! TV)
Act City Hamamatsu

1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Toru Yano
2. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Lance Archer
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shelton Benjamin
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Yujiro Takahashi
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki
7. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto
8. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karl Anderson
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Prince Devitt

 

NJPW, 8/2/13 (TV Asahi ch1 & ch2)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. G1 Climax – Block B: Karl Anderson vs. Shelton Benjamin
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yujiro Takahashi
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Toru Yano
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Prince Devitt vs. Lance Archer
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi
8. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Minoru Suzuki
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

 

NJPW, 8/3/13 (Samurai! TV)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium

1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Karl Anderson
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Shelton Benjamin
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Prince Devitt
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Minoru Suzuki
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Lance Archer
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Toru Yano
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Satoshi Kojima
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Katsuyori Shibata
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

 

NJPW, 8/4/13 (WPW)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

1. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Karl Anderson
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Shelton Benjamin
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Lance Archer
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Minoru Suzuki
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Prince Devitt
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Kazuchika Okada
10. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi

 

NJPW, 8/6/13 (Samurai! TV)
Ishikawa Industrial Exhibition Hall #3

1. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomohiro Ishii
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Toru Yano
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Lance Archer
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shelton Benjamin
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Karl Anderson vs. Minoru Suzuki
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Kota Ibushi
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yujiro Takahashi
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Prince Devitt
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe

 

NJPW, 8/7/13 (Samurai! TV)
Sendai Sun Plaza Hall

1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Shelton Benjamin
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Karl Anderson
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Lance Archer
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tetsuya Naito
7. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Prince Devitt
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata
9. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto

 

NJPW, 8/8/13 (Samurai! TV)
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium

1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Yujiro Takahashi
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Karl Anderson
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Prince Devitt
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Lance Archer
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Toru Yano
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
9. G1 Climax – Block B: Minoru Suzuki vs. Shelton Benjamin
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Satoshi Kojima

 

NJPW, 8/10/13 (TV Asahi ch1 & ch2)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. G1 Climax – Block A: Prince Devitt vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Karl Anderson vs. Yujiro Takahashi
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Lance Archer
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yuji Nagata
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Shelton Benjamin
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata
9. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada

 

NJPW, 8/11/13 (WPW)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Special Tag Match: Kazushi Sakuraba & Akebono vs. Takashi Iizuka & YOSHI-HASHI
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Minoru Suzuki
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Shelton Benjamin
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Karl Anderson
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Yujiro Takahashi
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Kota Ibushi
7. G1 Climax – Block A: Lance Archer vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Kazuchika Okada
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Prince Devitt
11. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata
12. G1 Climax – Final: Block A 1st place vs. Block B 1st place

 

Credit: puroresufan.com

 

Block A is loaded. I'm thinking a Tetsuya Naito or Shinsuke Nakamura win.

[bucky]

MiSu vs. Ibushi is fascinating to me. Also, Ishii and Shibata!! I'm stoked for this one.

 

EDIT: Look how stacked night 2 in Korakuen is looking. 

 

5. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi 
8. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Minoru Suzuki
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

 

Ishii/Tana in the main? Fuuuuuck

[Gonzalez]

I'm sad to see that it looks like Manabu just isn't ready to return to the G-1 yet. 

[Alan4L]

yeah this tournament is utterly ridiculous on paper. Too many great looking matches to list.

[bucky]

Can I just say this one more time;

 

ISHII

[Big Rob]

Shibata vs Davey Jr sounds lovely. I forget what the deal is with the G1, do all the matches end up surfacing in full?

[bucky]

A lot of years they do but last year was strange with a lot of stuff missing or not seen until months later. Last summer was a strange time for puro online in general though. It seems to have gotten better since then though so I imagine most of these will show up in the usual places. I wasn't paying much attention but it seemed like most of the BOSJ shows ended up online this time around.

[Big Rob]

Cheers, I knew there was one tournament that tended to have every match aired. Hopefully the bulk, or indeed all, of this sees the light of day, as there really is a ton of tasty looking matches. I echo the curiosity for Minoru Suzuki vs Kota Ibushi - that could be so much fun.

[bucky]

My favorite Ibushi match was against Hikaru Sato in DDT in late 2011, I think it was. He's really fun against shooters. If MiSu will play ball, it could be a really interesting bout. And even if he won't, it'll be fun to watch him slap that little sweetheart around.

[Ace]

I'm sad to see that it looks like Manabu just isn't ready to return to the G-1 yet. 

 

I don't think he's likely to ever return. 

[Gonzalez]

If broken down Tenzan can return every year, then Manabu will return to the G-1 eventually.

[Ace]

Nakanishi is more fragile and immobile than Tenzan is, these days. 

[Gonzalez]

He looked pretty good Vs. Conway. Tenzan on the other hand can only do the Scoop Slam Piledriver on very, very rare occasions.

[Gonzalez]

On second thought, now watching a little more of recent Manabu. He can't take a real bump at all. So yeah, he's pretty much done.

[Salads]

New Japan's been so youth-focused in the last few years someone like Nakanishi may as well be Hiro Saito at this point. I imagine Tenzan gets a bit of preferential treatment due to having won three times as many G1s as anyone else on the roster.

[J.H.]

Tanahashi hasn't won a G-1 yet right?

I mean he doesn't need it but I can see him winning it to set-up the October defense

 

James

[Alan4L]

Tanahashi hasn't one a G-1 yet right?

I mean he doesn't need it but I can see him winning it to set-up the October defense

 

James

 

he won in 2007

[J.H.]

Man, how did I forgetthat... oh well then I got nothing. Still, it will be a fun tourney.

 

James

[ultimoDANK]

Good lord. THIS is prowres. So many fantastic, interesting matchups. Some that really tickle my taint are...

Naito vs Ibushi

Shibata vs Ishii

Naito vs MinSu

Okada vs Shibata!!

Tanahashi vs Shibata

My dream final, which has a 5% chance of happening, is Nakamura vs Shibata. Awesome rivalry.

[SovietShooter]

Wouldn't one of Devitt & Anderson be liekly to finish pretty strong in this thing?  Devitt's turn and push in the Heavyweight division was for more than headlining one PPV.  I don't think he is winning, but I can see him being a final four, or perhaps just miss the semi's due to a tie or something.  As for Anderson... he was the runner-up last year, and if he is gonna be Devitt's "Enforcer", then he would be kinda logical to lose in the final again, and then set-up Devitt for a match with the G1 winner as head of Bullet. 

 

Just throwing it out there. 

[Gordi the BJW fan]

NJPW, 8/4/13 (WPW)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

1. G1 Climax - Block B: Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Karl Anderson
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Shelton Benjamin
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Lance Archer
7. G1 Climax - Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Minoru Suzuki
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Prince Devitt
9. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Kazuchika Okada
10. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi 

If you were me, how much effort would you put into seeing this card? 

 

I've been to two G-1s and two CCs in Osaka, and my sense is that getting two very good-to-excellent matches on one card is enough to make me feel like it was money well spent. This has the potential  for three, maybe even four genuinely good matches... and also the potential for a from-my-perspective MOTYC if they give Shibata and Ishii some time and they use it well. But... at least six of those matches have the potential to be really bad, as well. I'll most likely go... ut I'd like to get some more opinions on that card. 

[bucky]

Come on Gordi. Shibata/Ishii is must-see alone. Add to that Naito/MiSu, Tana/Devitt and Ibushi/Nakamura (has this match ever happened before?) and it's looking like one of the strongest nights of a very strong tournament. You should go and you should take lots of pics and you should post a review of the experience the next day in this thread. 

 

How is this even a question

[Gordi the BJW fan]

I'm pretty much just trying to get myself more worked up for it. Your post helped. Thanks!

[The Z]

Man, I wish those were the kind of decisions I would have to make,

Do I go to the show with the four potentially great matches or not?

[Alan4L]

gordi if you don't go I will come to Japan and yell at you from a safe distance

 

Seriously the show is gonna be incredible. It's iPPV so they'll be going all out.