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G1 Climax 25


Chaos

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Yeah IWTV was not very good. I think I tried recording that shit to VHS back in the day, lol.

 

I wish their archive was more expansive. It seems like they took footage from one of their NJPW Classics series and uploaded a bunch of singles matches. They have a good number of full shows going back to 2012, and about 15 partial shows per year for the period before that. It seems like most of the Tokyo Dome shows are complete. '95 seems to have quite a few matches, including the UWFi stuff. 

 

Back to the G1: I do not like Yujiro one bit. He's boring, his matches suck, and he's pretty dangerous at times. 

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It looks like Block B is going to be maybe Okada as the top guy and everyone else but Elgin and Yujiro in the middle.   Really surprised that Karl Anderson has wins over Nakamura and Goto back to back but I figure he will be in the middle of the pack by end of the week.    I think Elgin has been fine in his two matches against Okada and Kojima.   

 

For something that looked awful before, block A has produced the MVP's of the tournament so far in Shibata, Naito, and Styles.  Hell even Tanahashi has been pretty good .  

 

If we can survive a world with Bad Luck Fale and Makabe then Gallows vs Fale should be fine although it is going to be ugly.  I do wonder if they are going to goof around like the NWO would or take it seriously

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Day 4 was a very good show. Anderson/Goto was way, way better than expected and a solid, fun match. They countered a lot of each other's offense and that can go back to the constant tag matches they've had over the past half a year plus. Kojima/Elgin was good. Eglin's simplified his offense into power moves to exhibit his strength and it's working really well. No overkill or unnecessary no selling, leaving behind the makings of a pretty darn good wrestler. Nakamura laid it in on Nagata's gut and that was the third really good match in a row. The crowd really started to get engaged in the finishing stretch leaving them nice and warm for Okada/Honma. There were a few sloppy moments but overall this was borderline great. I'm a Honma mark and while I think it was never too much in doubt who was going to win, it was still highly enjoyable. I hope Honma gets some victories, as this doesn't seem like one of those instances where the crowd will stop cheering a wrestler when he graduates from the lovable loser role. I think if they gave him a nice winning streak and a serious shot at the IWGP title it would do very well and it would be a breath of fresh air. He's had better matches with Ibushi, Ishii, Shibata, and Tanahashi though.

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お詫びとお知らせ】中邑真輔選手が左ヒジ負傷により、大会欠場 中邑真輔選手が、左ヒジの負傷により、7.26広島大会を欠場となります。なお今後は、回復次第、シリーズに復帰となる予定です

 

 

Notice and apology: Shinsuke Nakamura Shinsuke players more injured left elbow meeting Miss Toyoo Nakamura Shinsuke players by a left elbow injury, 7.26 in Hiroshima will be missed. Is going still further as soon as recovery becomes a return series.

 

Obviously Google Translate isn't the best, but it would seem Nakamura has an elbow injury?

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His elbow's hurt and he's missing Hiroshima, but will return to the series if and when he recovers? Should have never quit studying Japanese after a year :)

 

Day 4 was fun but I'm also a little saturated now and nothing really jumped out. Obviously things are toned down/simplified a bit for these smaller shows (or is it me) and things felt a bit paint-by-numbers in comparison to standout matches from before.

 

Loved Ishii continuing to visibly lean into everything.. except the fans' desperate hands (http://oi61.tinypic.com/2w3rotx.jpg) and maybe my favorite Rainmaker counter,courtesy of Honma.

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Looks like last night wasn't a good night for the NJ World stream because only the G1 matches are currently up.  But man these are some awesome matches last night.  AJ vs Ibushi in my opinion is the best of the tournament this far.  I thought there April title match was pretty good but this was like the ending of the title match the entire match.  Just great chemistry

 

But after last night the clear MVP is Naito.   He took his character to next level against Tananashi with just a complete fuck you attitude.  The neckbreaker on the table was great spot and him either spitting or no selling Tanahashi slaps to the face was awesome.  Then getting the win and beating up Red Shoes and Jay White sealed it.   He isn't going to win Block A but maybe he should given his early performances.   I can't wait for Naito vs AJ

 

Who would have thought that one of the bloodier matches in the last couple years would feature Toru Yano.  That diving headbut by Tenzan busted him a little but just crushed Yano as he was bleeding really bad.

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Just finished Day 3.  Yano/Styles is, no lie, my favorite match of the whole thing so far.  I don't know what it is about Yano, but I love the guy.  If he were anything resembling an average worker, I'd hate him.  But he has this loveable charm due to being terrible, and it's played up perfectly in his matches.  He and AJ had some really clever spots that I really dug. 

 

Also really liked Tanahashi/Tenzan, and just reaffirmed to me that Tanahashi is amazing.  Tenzan is already my favorite story of the tournament every year, but the way that match was worked was great.  It was totally different than the type of match Tana would have with say, Ibushi, but it was far more compelling.

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Oh, Yano would've been a superstar in the US 40 years ago. Not the greatest wrestler, but makes up for it with BOATLOADS of shtick and charisma. I could totally see him and Professor Tanaka defending the WWWF tag titles around the circuit..

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Yano seems like a character I would enjoy, hope to see more of his matches soon.  Liked the quickie match with Tanahashi that I saw a few months back.  I have SO many New Japan match videos backlogged on my computer...may need to take a work vacation to get through them all.

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I gotta say, I'm digging Naito and Tanahashi both making their case for MVP of the tournament thus far.  Shibata and Ibushi have been hitting home runs too, but Naito and Tanahashi have been on a totally different level from everyone else.

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This is that moment where I look at the matchups that are left and the guaranteed wins, and realize that Naito actually as a soild shot at winning Block A.

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Day 5 vs Tanahashi finally got me on board with whatever the hell Naito is doing.  More than anything, it just solidified to me that Tanahashi is just amazing.  Watch the match with Tenzan, and he's just a cocky little ass the whole time, beating up an old man.  Then flash forward to the Naito match, and he's perfectly playing noble company ace. 

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Yeah, I'm going to admit, I'm usually harsh on Tanahashi, since it seems to me like he mails it in unless its the last couple days of a tour, but man, he has been absolutly on fire this tourny so far.

 

Granted, I'm not watching the tag matches, so I don't know what's going on there.

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Nothing much of anything. Naito's heel schtick has been okay in those but other than that, they're completely skippable (I've seen every match from the tour except today's show and the tag matches from that one incomplete upload on World).

 

Why do they keep pushing Goto and not Shibata? Is Shibata going to pay the price for leaving (how long ago? about ten years?) for the rest of his career? Goto makes Bob Dole look charismatic. 

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loved the bloody sunday vs. destino finish and the little throwback to the 1.4 finish earlier on (AJ went for the 2nd rope styles clash again but Naito got deja vu and scrambled his way out)

 

shibata/kota was solid but mostly kind of paint-by-numbers (besides a fun-ish finisher), and I'm getting pretty tired of Kota's corner quebrada where he barely grazes the other guy with his arm

 

ishii/elgin/honma <3

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Maybe it's just me, but nothing has felt really special in the tournament so far.  There have been some really good matches like AJ/Ibushi and Tanahashi/Naito, but nothing that touches the previous two years.  Hopefully next year they trim things back down, as I think the glut of workers in the tournament is dragging it down.

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