NJPW 2017 G1 Climax 27

[Sublime]

I agree with Ishii's matches starting to feel very same-y and that combined with YOSHI-HASHI being in there with him made it hard for me to really get into the match which was good but I had a hard time connecting with it.

I thought outside of the finish being botched ZSJ/Fale was a great technique vs power matchup and adds to the good showing both ZSJ and Fale are having in the tournament.

Ibushi/Makabe was fun with a surprising ending. Ibushi is showing great diversity in his work and I'm really enjoying it.

Naito/Nagata was a match that I was really looking forward to and they really delivered well. I thought it was the best match of the night.

Tana/Goto was very solid, they'd probably have to try to have a bad match. 

I'm intrigued by how the standings are shaping up in both groups as we are nearing the half way point. There are so many ways things can go and I'm anticipating when Kojima or Nagata pick up a win, I think Nagata has the better chance to take a couple wins though.

Also I was thinking about the future of the Bullet Club discussion and thought about a possible interesting twist (which would change the focus of BC a little) but what if to bring Omega's BC time to a close they have him and Ibushi double turn and have Ibushi as the new leader of the Bullet Club, he can go and he is very charismatic in his own way and while he's not a gaijin he is a freelancer/outsider right now. It would be an interesting road to go down but I'm not sure how it would play out. 

[sevendaughters]

sure Ishii has a standard match layout for less important occasions (which I think is terrific) but his match with Ibushi was really good. plus he's not been in with Tana or Naito, he's not had his big rematch with Sabre Jr., and he always has good matches with Nagata. I gave their 2014 G1 bout ****3/4. it was a war!

[Infinit]

I would totally take YoshiHashi more seriously if it wasn't for his hair and "LOOSE EXPLOSION" on his ass lol.

[Beech27]

That's fair, and I'm certainly looking forward to those matches. I'm just over the "I hit you, you hit me" exchanges as a staple. Ishii does them better than most, maybe better than anyone, but he also does more of them. If every match is an epic fight, well, none of them are. (This is on his opponents too, of course. I don't want to see ZSJ stand and trade with him, for instance.)

[Jiji]

Ishii vs. Tanahashi from Korakuen Hall in 2013 (the one with the Steiner Screwdriver) might be the best G1 match I've ever seen, at least among group stage matches. I thought Ishii was pretty okayish before that but he proved to me he has the ability to put on top end performances in that one. I'm not tired of his formula yet. 

I thought the G1 USA Ishii/ZSJ match was so fucking great because it strayed 100% away from Ishii's strike exchange stuff. Zack sold what little ass he had off for Ishii's strikes and learned quickly not to play that game with him.

[Sublime]

I still like Ishii's matches, I just like them better when it's not every other day. With more time to breathe between them it's all good. I hope some of the rest of his G1 matches get to stray away from the formula a bit. I'm sure ZSJ will and Naito and Tanahashi may bring something else out from him, Fale too if Ishii lets Fale be big. 

[Beech27]

23 minutes ago, Oyaji said:

I thought the G1 USA Ishii/ZSJ match was so fucking great because it strayed 100% away from Ishii's strike exchange stuff. Zack sold what little ass he had off for Ishii's strikes and learned quickly not to play that game with him.

Exactly. Perhaps I'm really asking more from his opponents, rather than him? Like, he wants to lure you into strike exchanges, because that's how he can win. We know this. So either they A) Don't do that; B) Do it, and pay for it; C) Do it and survive, if they're one of a select few.

I'm nitpicking, really, since I'm very happy with the quality of New Japan's matches right now. (Ishii included.) But I enjoy wrestling most when each guy is clearly trying to do something to win, in addition to the cool, violent and/or athletic spots. Sometimes I get the impression the fighting spirit forearm exchange is just there because it's the thing you do. But then, the crowd nearly always reacts, and there's always risk in imposing my outside sensibilities on a style that's evolved from and in a culture that isn't mine. 

[John E. Dynamite]

1 hour ago, Infinit said:

I would totally take YoshiHashi more seriously if it wasn't for his hair and "LOOSE EXPLOSION" on his ass lol.

Those Kawada kicks were completely unacceptable. I've never had that much of a problem with the guy but as of this week he's pulling Yujiro duty as the guy I cheer against in every match.

 

[sevendaughters]

42 minutes ago, John E. Dynamite said:

Those Kawada kicks were completely unacceptable. I've never had that much of a problem with the guy but as of this week he's pulling Yujiro duty as the guy I cheer against in every match.

 

they weren't great kicks but I thought it played nicely into the Tenryu/Kawada relationship what with Ishii doing Tenryu/Kawada's powerbomb pin.

EDIT: for full transparency the ONLY wrestler I have ever had a photo with is Ishii.

[EVA]

I feel like we need to pump the brakes on the Sanada hype.  Okada/Sanada was a fine TV main event, but I think it really encapsulated the fact that Sanada really hasn't figured out what exactly a Sanada match is yet.

Okada is the rare company ace who actually builds his matches around his opponet's formula, as opposed to having his  own formula and working in the opponent's stuff wherever it fits.  I think that's kinda been his big breakthrough over the past year or so and why all of his big matches have felt so varied and special lately - instead of trying to live up to the "super worker" ideal of the company ace, which he most certainly doesn't live up to (in the traditional sense), he's gotten comfortable, and quite excellent, at letting great opponents dictate what type of match its going to be and then sliding in all his lariats and dropkicks into their formula.

So, he works Kenny Omega, you get a risky, fast-paced, super athletic match.  He works Suzuki, he'll let himself be tortured for 30 mintues.  Against Shibata, you get the hardest-hitting strong style match possible.  Against Cody, you basically get a WWE-style main event.  Against Elgin, he'll ragdoll for his power spots from the opening bell.  And on and on.

Against Sanada you got....a match.  Because Sanada is couple of good jumping spots and a haircut right now.  Which caused Okada to take more of the match and, as a result, brought back a lot of the nonsense people used to hate about Okada matches.  Like, building an elaborate counter sequence around something as silly as the Paradise Lock is about the most Okada-from-a-year-or-two-ago thing I can think of.

[sevendaughters]

I liked Okada-SANADA but I think what you say is largely true. SANADA is definitely a couple of years off being a major player.

But the report card on him looks pretty much exactly the same as when Okada himself emerged: good-looking natural athlete who isn't off-the-charts charismatic but has something that keeps you hooked, while yes, needing to learn how to string it all together night on night.

But to say he's not quite Okada, someone who has nearly had a HOF career already? Well sure. Not many are. Okada has had nearly 5 years working at the top of the card in the best 'pro-wrestling' around while SANADA hasn't had that luxury yet.

Right now he's a weird mish-mash of Muta and various tropes picked up in a lesser version of AJPW, a poor W-1 and TNA. Considering what he's been through I think it's a miracle he hasn't turfed out of the business. He's now in a good spot. They'll no doubt take their time with him because he's not one of their dojo boys, but at least he hasn't been disloyal in the past like Shibata.

Once he loses the hair (it is daft) and eases into a gimmick that works I think he'll cream the domestic market.

[sevendaughters]

before I get into DAY 8 I notice that DAVE has weighed in on days 2-6

7.20 Korakuen Juice vs Kojima: 3.5 / Tama Tonga vs Elgin: 3.25 / SANADA vs Evil: 4.0 / Okada vs Yano: 3.25 / Suzuki vs Omega: 4.75
7.21 Korakuen Goto vs Nagata: 4.5 / Ishii vs Makabe: 4.5 / Ibushi vs Sabre Jr: 4.5 / Fale vs Tanahashi: 3.5 /Naito vs YOSHI-HASHI: 4.25
7.22 Korakuen Yano vs Kojima: 1.5 / EVIL vs Juice: 4.0 / Suzuki vs SANADA: 3.75 / Omega vs Tama Tonga: 3.5 / Okada vs Elgin: 4.75
7.23 Machida City Gymnasium Sabre vs YOSHI-HASHI: 3.5 / Nagata vs Tanahashi: 4.5 / Fale vs Naito: 2.5 / Ishii vs Ibushi: 4.5 / Goto vs Makabe: 4.0
7.25 Big Palette Fukushima Elgin vs Kojima: 3.75 / EVIL vs Tama Tonga: 2.75 / Suzuki vs Juice: 3.25 / Omega vs Yano: 1.0 / Okada vs SANADA: 4.25

few discrepancies for me, not that I'd harass him on Twitter or write a letter. can't see how Suzuki-Omega was that good.

anyway great hot crowd in Nagaoka and a lovely building with a nice set-up with tiered seating that they don't often have in these big gyms.

Tonga-Juice good little match here, Tama put together a really credible match working around Juice's continued leg issues. Juice sold great from entrance to exit. some nice details in this one and they kept it all in-ring. ***1/2

SANADA-Yano this flowed great, bits of misdirection with the water and the tape, great roll-ups and outsmarting from both, probably my favourite Yano outing of the G1 so far. ***1/2

Suzuki-EVIL think EVIL is gonna be great one day and working here basically as a babyface he looked at home. did the slightly lazy Suzukigun match layout with the arena floor brawl and the interference but everything else was good. ***1/4

Okada-Kojima Rainmaker worked as dominant dick heel to give Kojima some babyface shine, the crowd were hot for it too. Super solid with some good exchanges but maybe missing something. ***3/4

Kenny-Elgin they sure went straight for your MOTY list and I'd have to see this again. it was really good and dramatic, a clear best of the tournament for me, but perhaps - and I may be overcritical - they got greedy and overtold the story, like the modern action film that is unsure of itself so it keeps doing explosions and chases where dramaturgy would actually help. shades of AJPW in the 90s toward the very end. say no more. ****3/4

[Ryan]

Well, it is an Elgin main event, that's going to happen. Also, they let Chase Owens win a match. That must mean he's going to be the new Bullet Club B Team Leader when they kick out the Elite and merge with Suzuki-Gun.

[Beech27]

Yeah, Elgin's got a lot of bombs, and he's gonna throw them. (Every time.) Omega's not the type to pull anyone back, of course. It's a spectacle for sure, but they're awfully good at it. And while it's not my absolute favorite thing, I don't mind overkill so much when it... y'know... actually kills. Plus, as Omega further encroaches on/is solidified as an absolute main event ace type talent--one half anime villain, one half actual terminator--it's going to take a ton to keep him down. That's as it should be. So, when you need to kill a nearly unkillable main eventer who won't stop spamming you with his signature strike... well, there's a bomb for just that. 

[The Man Known as Dan]

So yeah, Im still not overly fond of New Japan and I hate the average New Japan main event style match, but this tournament is making Juice must watch to me. Wrestling desperately needs more guys like him.

[Ace]

Juice has been growing more progessively fun to watch since the Dome this year. Where he frankly outshined Cody.

 

[John from Cincinnati]

4 hours ago, sevendaughters said:

Omega vs Yano: 1.0

 

[EVA]

It's really not a good sign for Tonga's development as a top guy that he was completely outshined by a guy who almost literally did nothing but sell his knee the whole match.

I hope Juice maintains this level of commitment to the sell once he starts moving up the card.

[EVA]

Okada the Chameleon strikes again, transforming for a night into a magnificent bastard and letting Kojima shine all over him with his valiant veteran act.  I think this was stealth his best match of the tournament so far.

Re: Omega/Elgin.  I liked this better than their match in Long Beach.  But it's funny, above it was mentioned that Omega isn't one to slow someone down, but...I feel like he actually kinda did here?  He really made Elgin work to get into his big stuff.  The ending was, of course, all the overkill you expect in an Elgin match, but at least when he wins, you aren't left with that empty feeling that all the bombs were meaningless.  Omega is totally nuts for taking all those headdrops in the middle of such a grueling tournament.

[Infinit]

The building they ran today has a great look to it. Really cool looking entrance.

[Beech27]

1 hour ago, EVA said:

Re: Omega/Elgin.  I liked this better than their match in Long Beach.  But it's funny, above it was mentioned that Omega isn't one to slow someone down, but...I feel like he actually kinda did here?  He really made Elgin work to get into his big stuff.  The ending was, of course, all the overkill you expect in an Elgin match, but at least when he wins, you aren't left with that empty feeling that all the bombs were meaningless.  Omega is totally nuts for taking all those headdrops in the middle of such a grueling tournament.

I didn't articulate it that clearly, but yeah, my meaning was that Omega will take any bomb you feel like throwing, not necessarily that it will all be rushed. From a Watsonian perspective, it does work best when you have to work for them, which Elgin did in this match.

I'm actually a little more excited for Omega's next match, though, against Kojima. And it might explain why he was willing to bump like he did for Elgin, since his previous match was against Yano, and while Kojima might chop him purple, it probably won't be as spot-heavy.

[quackhell]

Quite the variety tonight.

Juice and Tama had a solid midcard guys on the rise match and continued the story of Juice's knee.

Sanada out Yanos Yano with the tape assist Paradise Lock countout which gets big props from Milano Collection AT. I love Yano's near falls on shenanigans because they are all totally believable with his history of cheap wins.

EVIL and Suzuki in a brawling battle of the bastards. Liked LIJ making the save running off Taichi and Desperado paving the way for the upset by EVIL.

Okada was great heeling it up on Kojima and Tenzan. Crowd was super hot for Kojima and he gave it all he had to show he can still go with the champ and feel just short in the end.

Omega/Elgin was an indy epic spotfest that veered into overkill territory by the end for me, but was still fun.

The G1 just continues to be an embarassment of riches and an absolute blast to watch.

[John E. Dynamite]

REALLY liked Okada/Kojima. Awesome heel work from the champ. The Cozy Crash Dynamite tease brought be back to all the way back to Kojima's 2005 Triple Crown reign, which I was really into at the time.

I still don't get why a dude as big and burly as Mike needs to throw a bajillion fancy moves out when he looking scary performing a basic suplex. It's like he short changes his entire moveset by having way too many late-match moves which look like finishers but conceivably can't be on account of when he uses them. With that said, Mike/Kenny did a good job with the "he's already dead" formula with Kenny being completely out of the match after the sitout crucifix powerbomb and being too dumb to give up. 

 

[Sublime]

Omega/Elgin was fun but it was overkill, those backdrop drivers were sick as was the first powerbomb of the bomb/bucklebomb/bomb trio. Fun match but they went a bit overboard.

Okada/Kojima was really good and Kojima has been having a great run and is wrestling like he was 15 years younger.

Suzuki/EVIL was a nice heel/heel matchup with EVIL being the defacto face because Suzuki is actually pure evil. Liked the LIJ runin saves but was still expecting Taka to show up after Desperado and Tachi were run off. Liked EVIL getting the win here (and now being tied with Omega in second place).

SANADA/Yano was probably my least fav Yano match so far this G1 but it was fun and I liked the tape assisted paradise lock to finish things.

Tonga/Juice was another good performance by Juice and Tonga looked better too. He might be starting to find his footing as a singles a little bit if he wants to lead the BC he better step it up more though will be interesting to see how his matches with Okada and Suzuki go.

[Spritenaut 32]

I wanna say that Tama Tonga as leader of the BC is so underwhelming that it should be the final nail in the Bullet Club coffin - butttt..... I said the same thing when they teased Cody turning on Omega.