New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Climax continued on Sunday. Since the show aired at 2am EDT, here’s a spoiler-free match listing for the non-nite-owl New Japan fans. Every match gets a Need To Watch Rating of 0.0-10.0. The show is available on NJPWWorld.com.
FIRST MATCH: Bullet Club Elite (Chase Owens & Hangman Page) vs. Shota Umino & Michael Elgin.
An opening tag match. Page and Owens have spent so much time against each other in Bullet Club’s Civil War, that seeing them team together was a refreshing change of pace. Shota continues to be the stand out Young Lion.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.5)
SECOND MATCH: Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & EVIL) vs. CHAOS (SHO & YOSHI-HASHI)
Another undercard tag match that definitely had some interesting moments but was not exactly anything essential. I’m not sure I can write a paragraph about this match. I guess this sentence makes it a paragraph.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.0)
THIRD MATCH: Toa Henare & Togi Makabe vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado)
This was a really fun match, that saw Makabe and Suzuki preview their homicidal-dad-fight tomorrow night. Henare and Makabe are always a fun team. Suzuki and Desperado continue their devilish ways. Not essential but definitely substantial.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.0)
FOURTH MATCH: CHAOS (Gedo & Kazuchika Okada) vs. Bullet Club OG (Bad Luck Fale & Tanga Loa)
Okada and Fale have amazing chemistry and will likely have a dramatic showdown tomorrow night. Tanga Loa and Gedo have decent chemistry as well. Ultimately this match could’ve been great, but being a G1 Climax tag match, didn’t have the time needed to let everyone’s moves sing.
Need To Watch Rating: (3.0)
FIFTH MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay vs. CHAOS (YOH & Jay White)
Jay White is a corrupting influence. His relationship with Yoh feels like that of a brother that wants his siblings to be as evil as he is, or else. Definitely some fun storyline advancement in regards to the less than solid ground beneath CHAOS’s feet.
Need To Watch Rating: (5.0)
SIXTH MATCH: B Block Match: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Toru Yano
Toru Yano promised to fight fair against his tag team partner. He followed through on that promise, and the match was all the better for it. Yano and Ishii know each other like the back of their hands and it makes for a thrilling bout. Yano is an extremely talented wrestler, when he wants to be, and Ishii has clearly learned some tricks from Yano as well. A great match with a Freaky Friday vibe.
Need To Watch Rating: (9.9)
SEVENTH MATCH: B Block Match: Tama Tonga (0 pts) vs. Juice Robinson (0 pts)
Tama Tonga has finally come into his own as the leader of Bullet Club OG. Juice Robinson is having his best year in wrestling to date. When the two collide, the results are pretty interesting. Look out for Tanga Loa making a cameo in the match.
Need To Watch Rating: (7.5)
EIGHTH MATCH: B Block Match: Hirooki Goto (0 pts) vs. SANADA (0 pts)
This match was as good as any NEVER Openweight Title match this year. Goto is trying to stay relevant, as a generational shift is underway in NJPW. SANADA is looking to ride that wave. When the wave crashes on the shore, the wave leaves some of itself behind, and takes plenty of the shore with it. What I’m saying is this match is like a force of nature and very good.
Need To Watch Rating: (9.8)
NINTH MATCH: B Block Match: Kota Ibushi (0 pts) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (0 pts)
Quite simply two of the best wrestlers in NJPW put on a true spectacle. Ibushi stiff strikes, against Sabre’s snake-like ability to suffocate his opponent, makes for a clash of styles that is utterly sublime. If you don’t have a NJPWWorld subscription, get one for this match. If you can’t afford one, find a way to watch this match. It feels like everything that wrestling should be. I’m ranking it with Jericho/Naito, as the story was one of a kind. Only Sabre and Ibushi can have this match, and they did so flawlessly. Seek. Out. This. Match. By. Any. Means. Necessary.
Need To Watch Rating: (11.0)
MAIN EVENT: B Block Match: Tetsuya Naito (0 pts) vs. Kenny Omega (0 pts)
A great match that was handicapped by the one that came before it. Omega and Naito had to build the house back up before they could burn it down, and burn it down they did. Once this match settled into it’s frenetic pace, some truly special things happened. Omega and Naito are very similar talents with blistering chemistry. Any other night and this would be match of the night. However it’ll have to live with being a great match, in a greater match’s shadow.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.0)
