NJPW G1 Climax 28, LIVE AT THE BUDOKAN! 7/14-8/12

[Jiji]

21 minutes ago, Beech27 said:

1) Didn’t that Elgin loss feature, in immediate succession, a powerbomb into the barricade followed by a powerbomb on the apron followed by a sitout powerbomb in the ring? And then Naito kicked out! I really try not to treat pro wrestling like it has hit points, but at a certain point dead is dead. 

2) Regarding Yoshihashi, I wonder how much him being a dojo product means he’s got a steady job for as long as he wants it. Part of New Japan’s continued success depends on the creation of in-house talent, and I suppose you attract better prospects with a higher ceiling and floor both. And since we’re already in an era where Kenny, Kota, and Okada (to say nothing of SANADA, ZSJ, etc) trained elsewhere... Anyway I don’t disagree, but I’d be surprised if he goes anywhere. Someone has to eat those tag pins.

Yes to the Elgin/Naito match. I remember being blown away by it all and I'm pretty sure he hit a Burning fucking Hammer too. It's like, yeah great match, guy, but you've got nowhere to go from here. He completely lacks the context of what made All Japan's 4 pillars so great. To butcher Ian Malcolm's great lines, he stands on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as he can and is more preoccupied with whether he could, he doesn't think if he should be doing half the shit he does. 

Now he can swallow that L. 

[Jiji]

RANDOM NOTEZ:

Man, Suzuki is looking every bit of 50 in this White match and Jay is feather light with him compared to how he was with his recent opponents. At least Minoru bumped around for Jay's offense to the best of his abilities. Jay also really put over everything MiSu did, sometimes to a comical degree. Fine match but there was some awkwardness and it was 10 minutes. I'd like to maybe see a title match down the line and I hope this is Suzuki being a beat up 50-year-old vet not killing himself in the middle of the G1 and not his level of physicality moving forward.

How much shit can a Yota Tsuji take? He seems to be the young lion that always gets picked on and he really contorts his face then sells everything to the Nth degree. It's fabulous. Zack in particular goes looking specifically for poor Yota.

Page/Tanahashi wasn't particularly good and felt very much like just a match. The main event was good but there's only so much they can do. I'm pretty well over A block outside of Jay fucking around with people, Suzuki vs. Okada (somehow I have little hope it'll come close to last year's all-time classic), and Tanahashi vs. Okada. The show on the 27th has Okada vs. YOSHI-HASHI as one of the main promoted matches. O_O Help us.

This four day break is going to leave me feeling empty. No World Cup, no G1, no NBA or Premier League and I'm still on summer break for like a month (not complaining about that part!). I'll keep catching up on  the last of the Dontaku shows/BOSJ I guess. Maybe watch/rewatch last year's final after being too heartbroken to do so (watched every single god damned match and tried to stay up for the final live. Passed out shortly after the table piledriver botch and woke up to the final Destino. Was simultaneously livid and crestfallen). Thankfully, this is the last long break even though they aren't doing much traveling now, just up to Niigata. They have a couple of 8+ hour bus rides later on down to Shikoku and Kyushu, but there are only two two-day breaks after this one. Everything else is broken up by single off days or it's back-to-back, baybee.   

Unrelated random note: the Wikipedia editors went on a rampage and deleted the "in wrestling" sections from every bio on their site only keeping championships because moves and such were difficult to cite, despite widespread negative feedback. Those sections were such an easy way to find info. What's that corkscrew suplex that Jay White uses called? Didn't Goldust use it for a while? Who else? My memory is going to shit.

[Jenalysis]

They just put a Larry Zybisco match on NJPWorld so you can watch that.

I really do feel like Suzuki's transition to dad status is beginning at this G1, especially if ZSJ does well- I don't think it really happens for another year though.  Jay seems to work light in general- almost to the point where I could see him being potentially better in WWE than in NJPW (and that's something I almost never say)

 

[Archibald]

I loved Zack/Sanada match so much that I feel insane. It is legit my "best G1 match" contender at the moment. I loved their NJ Cup match and this built further on that with Sanada getting his win back, now I'm pumped for Zack/Sanada III whenever and wherever it is going to happen. I love chemistry between them.

Firing Squad stuff is weird. They are kinda trying to achieve two things with them: 1. build heat and make them look dangerous 2. don't interfere with other people actually trying to win G1. This is weird mix of goals, but it is working to some extent. They got lots of heat and only couple of points. Danger here is that it we are not halfway thru and it has gotten old already. Something needs to happen I think to mix it up. Like, I wouldn't be against Tama or Fale getting DQ'ed from the tournament and everyone getting free points or something as ridiculous as that.

And well something has to happen with them next. If white guy who is literally called White ends up leading them then it does look bad. On the other hand Japan probably has different ideas of what looks and what doesn't look bad than we. But then, what are really the alternatives? Them being released? Balor not resigning with WWE sounds crazy, but maaaaybe?

Elgin/Yoshi was something else. Like, I can justify stuff like Elgin/Naito because it is Naito. You know, top tier wrestler speaking in kayfabe. So when you are against someone like that it is not enough to control 90% of the match, one mistake and you'll get killed. Not because you suck, but because Okada/Naito/Omega/Tanahashi are that good and if you want to win you have to make zero mistakes. But then you have Yoshi who is a pin eater, you throw so many bombs at him and in the end he just fucks you up like a little kid. And in kayfabe you are like two tiers above him, jesus fuck. Now I'm convinced 100% that arm work in Elgin/Evil match was Evil's idea because you don't see anything like that in other Elgin's matches. Like, if you are getting pinned by Yoshi then doing some arm/leg/whatever injury match would make sense and you'd protect yourself a bit in the process, but no, bomb away. It doesn't look like Elgin got hurt by accident or that he made some mistake, no, he threw everything and failed to beat Yoshi. And from what I have seen I'm higher on Elgin then others here, but this stuff is impossible to justify.

Okay, next thing. As far as invaders go I'm 100% happy that we have none and I'll just paraphrase Naito who said that since they can run whole thing with no outsiders it shows that NJPW is doing great. And I agree with that completely, I'd rather get smaller blocks than people who don't really matter long term. Are blocks ideal? No, Taichi is not in it, Kushida is not trying his luck, Kojima unfortunately got hurt earlier in the year and Honma hasn't fully recovered yet (will he? thats another question), we don't have anyone from CMLL despite some of their guys having strong enough connection with NJPW crowds. And sure, couple of guys could have switched their blocks to create better balance. But all in all I don't see any real reason to have invaders/outsiders at this point.

Goto/Ishii was great, I wonder if Dave will also give it 5 stars or he will, with serious face, claim that Omega/Goto was better.

[Jiji]

Going back to Takayama and Akiyama, outsiders have been a tremendous help to the G1 and in recent years benefitted the tournament with incredible matches. Marufuji was even able to get a title challenge out of his appearance and it helped everyone involved. 

Agreed that I don't think Gedo or Japanese mainstream culture will see a problem with a white guy having to show the Tongans how to cheat to win rather than cheat like dummies. I do wonder if this ends up being the case how the Tongans themselves feel about it. 

And while I felt the Zack/SANADA match was more of a teaser, I agree those two have seriously insane chemistry and can do no wrong. I loved Zack blaming brexit for his lack of focus. SANADA saying there are better ways to win than dropping guys on their heads is perfect. If he can build on this part of his character, start a cause of sorts, it could be that missing piece we've been looking for. 

[Archibald]

Trent is another guy who could have been in G1 and improved overall field. Henare should also be a contender for next year. I get why NJPW did outsiders/invaders in the past and why AJPW are doing them, but I feel like NJPW has enough guys that are good.

As for Sanada, he now got two wins with that rollup bridge. Doing sleeper into moonsault always felt weird and his sleeper doesn't look very good in the first place. For example I wouldn't mind if he dropped sleeper completely and did TKO -> Moonsault instead for normal finish and used that rollup bridge to get wins out of nowhere from time to time.

Watched other post match interviews and I guess interesting part was that Tanahashi spoke well about Page. And how he could remove poison (Bullet Club) from him. Most likely this will go nowhere, but Page, I think, could really work as babyface. He needs to change million things about himself, but it could work and doing more some stuff with Tanahashi, well that might be good way for that to happen.

One thing that I forget about undercard match, I thought that Naito was very gracious when he rolled up Yujiro instead of just killing him. I think they haven't met in tag matches for a long time and it was a bit surreal to see them both in the ring again and see how much (or little in Yujiro's case) has changed. And Naito in post match interview saying how once he looked big to him, yet now is very small. Also kinda hints that they might meet again, which kinda hints that LiJ/The Elite is coming I guess.

[Beech27]

3 hours ago, Oyaji said:

Agreed that I don't think Gedo or Japanese mainstream culture will see a problem with a white guy having to show the Tongans how to cheat to win rather than cheat like dummies. I do wonder if this ends up being the case how the Tongans themselves feel about it. 

Yeah, I doubt it would be an issue in Japan, or that Tama et al would have a problem with it--beyond the fact that it would mean he isn't getting that push himself. GOD could just win the tag belts and spin it as a stronger mission statement--that they're better together, as family, etc.--than any singles success would. Frankly, I'd be pretty surprised if that doesn't happen, no matter how everything else plays out. My main issue with White, though--potentially sketch optics aside--is that it sorta contradicts that narrative. He has no linear ties to the Club's roots*, nor does he fit the vaguely collectivist ethos they're pushing. That is, if Omega was too selfish, how would Jay "I declared I was only using CHAOS to further my career and would turn on all of them as soon as it was advantageous in my introductory presser" White fit in?

*If I can self-contradict for a second, Devitt and Fale got White his New Japan gig in the first place, so there is that. White and Fale are fellow New Zealanders too, I guess, if they're essentially to be the Greater Pacific Heel Coalition. You could say Tama's "maybe we just had the wrong guy recruiting him" was a nod in this direction, and that White using CHAOS like he has says nothing about how he'd treat them. So I guess I'm saying I could be brought around (and am sorta doing so in the process of typing this), if the writing does a little work; but also, it'd be cool if it were just Devitt (it won't be); and finally, nobody should footnote a message board post.

Regarding outsiders in the G1: Assuming he's healthy and remotely close to his peak (and a freelancer, as it appears) I'm really hoping for Morishima, next year. Omega has lamented the lack of hosses on the roster for him to pinball off of, so there's one. (This, like Devitt, ain't happening. Though at the very least I can hope he and Nagata cross paths again, since the latter seems to wander a bit now.)

Thing that just occurred to me: If (when!) Ibushi wins this thing, he will probably have a briefcase defense against Yano, which would be incredibly, beautifully fucking bonkers.

[sevendaughters]

been wasting my time whilst washing up trying to get through the knotted thicket of DAVE's ratings, a topic that I find hilarious (second only to his brilliantly zen answers on whether certain matches were works or shoots).

on the point of Goto-Ishii I think it was as good as the best matches they have had - which DAVE always went 4.5-4.75 on. I love DAVE and think the WON is a masterpiece of futile endeavour so am not going to nitpick his views, but if he goes 5 or 5+ for that then it does kind of suggest (to me) one of the following: i. that his scale is broken. ii. he thinks wrestling is just better in the last 2 years. iii. that he is really blind to his love of Kenny.

ALSO: no idea who is going to win because I can't quite write the story of what next. Naito feels like the right choice with Ibushi beating Omega to spoil, but do they do a title defence against Ibushi so soon? Kenny-Naito feels like a main event though.

[peterien]

From what I’ve seen my favorite match is ZSJ/Ibushi or Kenny v Naito both had me gasping at a few points. 

A Block is seriously lacking, Okadas story is interesting but out of the 10 matches I’ve watched only 2 are from A block. Will try and watch ZSJ/Sanada, Goto/Ishii and Juice/Naito later. 

Hangman Page has been very impressive.

I think it’s gonna be a Naito/Okada final with Jericho somehow costing Okada the match, but they would hardly do a finish like that for a finals match would they?

 

[sevendaughters]

I think Jericho will be involved somehow, wearing a JERICRUISE t-shirt and handing out codes to get 50% off a grooming system that can change your life

[Pete]

Is anyone else getting tired of Kevin Kelly yelling "OH NOOOOOO!" at big spots like he owes Mr Bill money? Asking for a friend.

[Jiji]

One of the many reasons I no longer watch main roster wwe or hardly any nxt these days is because of their announcers. The "nonononono!" trend just kills my enthusiasm every single time. Kevin Kelly is like a proto wwe announcer because, well, he was the guy they had before Cole. I've tried pretty hard not to hate on him but I just can't not. So many frustrating tendencies. As much as I love Callis hamming it up on the undercard and going all out in the main events, I have to stick with the Japanese teams for now. I get like 5% of what they're saying but the passion works for me and sometimes ignorance is bliss. 

Legit laughed way too hard at the Jericho jokes. Thank you, @sevendaughters! In a tournament where fans are critical of the constant interference, having a run in during the finals would be one last fuck you and very WWE/loathsome towards supporters of Gedo. I can actually seeing Jericho costing Kazu against Tana rather than the final. I hope the final is still regarded as too sacrosanct for that shyit. I can picture it now, during the beat down the volume of Chris' voice changes as he begins lip syncing to pre recorded comments about DDP Yoga. "Hahaha, that's great Okada (yastupidsonofabitch), but what are your thoughts on DDP Yoga?"

And the thing about Naito's comments regarding the roster being strong enough... He's wrong? There's a likelier chance FIFA scales back the number of teams eligible for the World Cup in 2026 than NJPW running fewer shows for the G1, so they'll have at least 20 spots to fill moving forward. And while it's nice to bleed in youngsters like Henare, I do wonder if it does more harm than good to their credibility and I know for a fact it hurts the entertainment factor having them in before they're even a semi legitimate threat. Whereas a strong outsider adds intrigue, gives us a dream match or two and puts over a select few of your native talents. I find that more valuable in most every way than having partial young boy fodder included. And with Japan's strict, rigid hierarchy, you can slowly move those kids up the card in tags and the odd singles match as a long term project. They should probably pump their brakes with the super pushes when guys return from excursion too else they'll wind up with more 3ks than Whites I fear. Saying that, I eagerly anticipate adorable li'l Kawato's return. And has there been any updates on Kitamura? IIRC Big Dave's been all over the place with him. First it was a concussion, then he was let go, now he doesn't really know what's going on or he's still hurt? I need that big lug back in my life. 

[Pete]

27 minutes ago, Oyaji said:

One of the many reasons I no longer watch main roster wwe or hardly any nxt these days is because of their announcers. The "nonononono!" trend just kills my enthusiasm every single time. Kevin Kelly is like a proto wwe announcer because, well, he was the guy they had before Cole. I've tried pretty hard not to hate on him but I just can't not. So many frustrating tendencies. As much as I love Callis hamming it up on the undercard and going all out in the main events, I have to stick with the Japanese teams for now. I get like 5% of what they're saying but the passion works for me and sometimes ignorance is bliss. 

To be fair, Rocky Romero has been doing a bang-up job on color. I'm also getting a kick out of their third man handling the translation on promos and whatnot.

[Jiji]

Glad to hear it. I loved him in ROH but he doesn't do much for me in the ring these days so I hope he sticks there and they can run a three man booth when Callis is available. 

Kenny said he's got a fractured heel in the latest BTE (watch it if you have time, it's great). Juice is starting to get featured as well. I like that! 

[Beech27]

I think Kelly's pretty clearly done a lot of work to immerse himself in the "lore" of New Japan and the current internet thinkpieces/talking points (seriously, he interacts really well with tons of fan accounts on twitter, always politely taking corrections/tips about obscure history, move names, etc.); and it certainly shows that he talks to wrestlers in order to help them get across the stories they want (he's mentioned doing this in a couple interviews). So when he's in table-setting mode, I think he's gotten quite good; but his spontaneous reactions are not great. He's really the anti-JR at this point: As passionate about the product and prepared regarding it as anyone in wrestling, but without much in the way of off-the-cuff cleverness of charisma. I still prefer Japanese commentary, but I've grown to enjoy him, taking everything together.

[Tromatagon]

I think Suzuki should have given him one even if he said he didn't want one.

[Archibald]

2 hours ago, Oyaji said:

And the thing about Naito's comments regarding the roster being strong enough... He's wrong? There's a likelier chance FIFA scales back the number of teams eligible for the World Cup in 2026 than NJPW running fewer shows for the G1, so they'll have at least 20 spots to fill moving forward. And while it's nice to bleed in youngsters like Henare, I do wonder if it does more harm than good to their credibility and I know for a fact it hurts the entertainment factor having them in before they're even a semi legitimate threat. Whereas a strong outsider adds intrigue, gives us a dream match or two and puts over a select few of your native talents. I find that more valuable in most every way than having partial young boy fodder included. And with Japan's strict, rigid hierarchy, you can slowly move those kids up the card in tags and the odd singles match as a long term project.

Not everyone needs to be a threat. We knew last year that Juice wasn't winning much if anything, but his run was good and even resulted in a big upset. We knew that Nagata wasn't going to do much in his last run based on how well Liger fared in his last BotSJ run, but he delivered lots of solid matches and served his purpose. Guys like Yoshi don't have anything going for them, sure, but thats more a problem with the booking than with lack of outsiders.

And sure, again, I get the point of outsiders, but if promotion can draw big and growing crowds with their own talent I don't see any reason to use outsiders. Save that for the time you actually need it.

[Pete]

Speaking of Juice, he's really come into his own as a complete worker over the last year or so... but he REALLY needs to tweak Pulp Friction so that it isn't a 10 second setup to hit. The longer he holds his opponents before landing the thing, the worse they look if/when he actually hits it.

[Beech27]

I think it works, provided he hits the big left hand first. Kenny has his rope-aided v-trigger as knockout OWA setup; Okada his spinning tombstone for the Rainmaker; and Naito his flash Destino for the full windup version; there are certainly other examples for basically everyone who matters on the roster. Finishers taking a long time to set up and being really hard to hit if your opponent isn’t basically dead already is just entrenched New Japan style, at this point—countercountercounter—for better and worse. This is a false dichotomy, but at least I prefer it to tons of finisher kickouts.

[Jiji]

I think Juice has been milking it extra long for a few reasons lately too. Broken hand + lots of losses. 

I'm getting the shakes and it's only day two(?) of four, guys.  

This helps, a real version of the GL theme!

 

[DreamBroken]

On 7/22/2018 at 6:26 PM, Oyaji said:

Unrelated random note: the Wikipedia editors went on a rampage and deleted the "in wrestling" sections from every bio on their site only keeping championships because moves and such were difficult to cite, despite widespread negative feedback. Those sections were such an easy way to find info. What's that corkscrew suplex that Jay White uses called? Didn't Goldust use it for a while? Who else? My memory is going to shit.

Agreed that was a great source, such an awful thing with people screaming about how "Cagematch is NOT a source for moves because it's only for results" which isn't even true but there was no convincing Wiki people that went on a tear with deleting it all, despite being there for years and years.

[Beech27]

About that Golden Lovers theme music: Did everyone see the pic that came with the disc? Well, now you have. 

Elsewhere, on twitter:

 

[Jiji]

And that's why he looks like a chow chow!

That insert is the best.

[quackhell]

16 hours ago, Pete said:

Is anyone else getting tired of Kevin Kelly yelling "OH NOOOOOO!" at big spots like he owes Mr Bill money? Asking for a friend.

Just another reason to listen to the Japanese commentary team. Although with Honma it feels like Regan from Exorcist is doing color. Oh also I loath Don Callis and his schtick something fierce. Rocky is fine.

[StretchMediatedHypertrophy]

10 hours ago, Beech27 said:

About that Golden Lovers theme music: Did everyone see the pic that came with the disc? Well, now you have. 

Elsewhere, on twitter:

 

 

Manly beyond my wildest expectations.