sevendaughters

feel very relaxed that Naito gets a Dome main and they do not need to do Neck Death IV: One Neck Must Disintegrate. White puts Ibushi, the best babyface they have, over clean and people dance in the aisles.

reading some heavy vitriol toward the main.

really enjoyed B Block final night. watched the tags too - check the ending of the 8 man NJPW v Suzukigun match if you can. Cobb-Yano was what you hope any Yano match is - funny, with a new novelty in the playbook. Cobb has a better sense of humour than Elgin so this worked. I popped for Yano's big suplex spot. Ishii-Taichi was great, Taichi got straight to business and they had a great little war. I predicted the result before opening night but if they're going to deliver like this then who cares? The Abe-Taichi act is down, Ishii is probably the ace of B Block, VERY GOOD. Moxley-Robbo was pretty good. The ending didn't quite do it for me. I guess they're looking for a rubber match and can only do so much with Moxley if he might be on his way. When they just went at it, it ruled, and Juice selling hard as Mox went through his repertoire really did it for me. Shingo-Goto mirror mode match was brilliant, maybe for me both guy's best (I know) this tournament. Not a lot to say here. Shingo is outrageously good. Goto was super here and of course he lost because he is a dumb bushido guy. Naito-White-oh was a perfect classic babyface v heel match. I was fine with the timekilling powdering early because the crowd were into it and the dynamic was really clear - they actually HATE White rather than Justin Credible in X Factor heat him. When White goes babyface those cut-off suplexes are going to have Dragon Screw levels of overness - they are so cruel and brilliant and often feel heartstopping and out of nowhere. This might be my favourite Jay White match, actually, and a good time to deliver it. Naito was great. Some will be upset, bu he's IC champ and probably gets a Dome headline.

I think Jay will get the final. They're not fucking around with this guy. He could have a great one against Ibushi.

I sort of agree, it will be forgotten, but think the win would do no one any harm. Personally I'd have had him win big and clean despite the interference. I'd also have Archer come out tomorrow or Monday and challenge for a title. Any of them. Would be good in the short term.

yeah while it was only a roll up (and a very good one at that) it felt needless. protecting Fale has limited utility these days, we all know he's a solid midcarder rather than worthy gatekeeper. hell, let Sanada get the cheeky win. no one needs to see him get his win back.

Super show for the A block final. Felt like a big deal.

Shingo's ass alone pushes him into heavyweight

My pal Neil, formerly of this parish, said Jay-Juice was HIS fav match (which was so weird that I just wrote him to ask if he posted as @alstein) He wrote

nothing to add to what Archibald covered there, but I thought the ending of Yano/Taichi was very clever too. Oh and the six man with Okada, Ospreay, Tanahashi, and Ibushi was probably a good li'l appetite-whetter.

just watched Shingo-Naito. in the top 3/4 of the G1 so far. great chemistry and all the early work was entertaining and told the story of their familiarity with each other, even if it wasn't focused or "logical". At first I thought a Shingo who isn't a dominant sadist bully might have his nuts cut off but he's also a super battling underdog too.

Ishii definitely giving a win back to Taichi on the last day, sadly

super crowd in Osaka for today's show. they popped when Tanahashi cinched in the Cloverleaf. very appreciative. great show. maybe the best one of the tour?

I'd stick the title on Moxley if he plans on sticking around.

Lucifer currently expanding the circles of hell for "people who enjoy Iiconics comedy bits"

Shingo is probably the new Kojima. Outsider (sort of), lariat, orange skin.

Okada v KENTA was very good. Hot take on Okada - I think he's getting better.

Juice v Ishii was top class. Marked out like I did at a Grunt'nGroan Bros show at Pontins (age 7) for the Tiger Suplex. Bit behind otherwise.

Cobb looks like 30lbs over. He could shed that, get through the matches, and still be horse-strong.

I really liked Okada-Ospreay and maybe it was the best of the tournament so far, and I'm probably enjoying this tournament in a holistic sense in a way I never have before, but I haven't thought anything was as instantly AMAZING PERFECT BEST MATCH EVER as quite a few from previous years I could name.

sometimes think if you're not going to win then it would be more productive to having a losing streak in the G1, providing you bring the fire in the matches. Ishii only got 2 pins in G1 23 (beat Goto by forfeit, I think he might have lost that), Honma in 24/25 got 1 win total, then the last go-arounds for Tenzan and Nagata (and presumably Kojima) were great stuff.

I think what surprised me most about Ishii-Moxley was after all the smoke and mirrors, the match in-ring was super too. Take for instance someone like Jericho - he comes in, great character work, big fight feel, brawl around, pose, get the heat, do some shit, big WOAH spot, but if you pick apart the work after halfway it is kind of south side of fine. I have no need to see Jericho's last three NJPW matches again. Mox worked really well with Ishii. This might sound like a no-brainer but Moxley doesn't pattern his matches like NJPW regulars do and his style makes him look a bit more like a fighter/brawler (which is what he was going for in WWE and failing) who isn't there to work your pretty wrestling match boy. And yet it all just fell into place. And I got the feeling he loved it, I don't think him putting Ishii over in the promo was a false note of flattery.

good main event between Okada and Ospreay that I feel some will rate higher than yesterday's main, breezy show and I can't majorly fault anything, that's my key word for this year, "breezy", everything feels so easy, last year got a bit laboured and intense around day 6. maybe it was the big gap between day 1 and 2.

I'm not doing star ratings per match or posting up the DAVEs (no sub) but I am finding this year extraordinarily breezy and yet good quality. The basic assessment after 6 nights is both blocks really good, the good on paper matches deliver, and the less enticing ones hit home more often too. It feels different to the last few years because of Moxley, Shingo, KENTA, Ospreay and even having Archer back in his new guise feels like a positive reboot. Plus Jay is just such a better character 1 year on.

so that was definitely Moxley's best match in years and one of Ishii's greatest moments, right?