Cero Reviews NJPW G1 Climax 27, Day 9
Posted: Jul 29th, '17, 23:01
NJPW G1 Climax 27, Day 9
July 29, 2017
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & BUSHI) vs Taguchi Japan (Michael Elgin & David Finlay) - 4/10
BUSHI and SANADA were cutting Finlay off from tagging Elgin from the start, Elgin eventually got tagged in, which lasted about 2 minutes, tagged Finlay back in again, who after a few minutes got submitted by SANADA. Elgin and SANADA didn't really do much together, nor they faced off after the match. They could have a match really similar to Omega vs Elgin, but I didn't see the chemistry. Boring match.
Hirai Kawato & Katsuya Kitamura vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & Hiromu Takahashi) - 5.5/10
Kawato was trying to do the 'i'll fight him' thing at the start of the match, but Kitamura was already half way outside the ring, so it looked awkward. Kitamura and EVIL early on did the whole power tackle challenges with Kitamura dominating both LIJ members, he looked like a beast, but the numbers game got to him and so LIJ got the offense for a while until Kawato got the tag and (I don't know if I missed it before) it seems he's got permission to do huricanranas now, so good for him. Hiromu and Kawato fought inside the ring for a while (Kitamura and EVIL outside), which ended with Kawato tapping to the boston crab.
Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki & Taichi) vs Bullet Club (Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi) - 6.5/10
I always find it interesting that refs call for the starting bell even if the wrestlers haven't made it to the ring. Tonga and Yujiro jumped Suzuki-Gun at the ramp and they all started brawling, Suzuki vs Tonga felt really heated. Even after they were back in the ring and both men tagged in their partners, Tonga and Suzuki just went back to fighting, they were literally chasing each other when one of them had to go do something inside the ring.
Inside the ring Yujiro and Taichi were wrestling each other, they brought in their respective weapons, which Yujiro hit first and took out Taichi for the win. Tonga and Suzuki kept brawling all over the place throwing chairs, barriers, and young lions all over the place. I need these guys to have a huge brawl.
TenCozy vs Bullet Club (Kenny Omega & Chase Owens) - 3/10
We got goofy Kenny for this match, he sold for both Kojima and Tenzan a lot, same with Owens. The match wasn't bad, but the BC overselling makes Kojima and Tenzan seem like less of a threat, and BC themselves look like goofs for the bad offense actually taking them down. This is the kind of shit that Tonga should be complaining about, he just went to war with Suzuki and Kenny doesn't take this match seriously.
Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Tomoyuki Oka vs CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, & Gedo) - 3/10
Oka got to pose with Taguchi Japan wearing the glasses, when they finished he vowed and thanked Taguchi. During his entrance Okada stood on the announcers table and I was terrified of the idea of the table giving up and the World Champion falling like a dumbass. This match is the reason why the previous match shouldn't be goofy, because now we have Taguchi vs Yano, which means 200% comedy, and you should never do two comedy matches back to back.
Anyway, Juice and Okada did their thing in and out the ring. Inside Yano low blowed Taguchi and Oka, who he rolled for the win. Gedo did all the antagonizing after the match while Okada just walked away not even sweating. Gedo actually looked good in this match.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Togi Makabe (4) vs Yuji Nagata (0) - 8/10
Nagata has the Cupping Therapy marks all over this back, I have to believe he may actually be feeling it, but since they're visible, may as well work his back and get heat on them. I ended up liking this match a lot, my only complain was that they were a bit inconsistent with the body parts they were working, like if Shirome is a big move in Nagata's arsenal, why is everything pre and post Shirome just a bunch of kicks and suplexes, at least try to prepare the arm. Makabe himself would kinda abandon the back after a while too. Finish was kinda heated, Makabe won with the King Kong Knee after Nagata was trying really hard not to die.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Bad Luck Fale (4) vs Kota Ibushi (4) - 8.5/10
Fale killed another Daryl, this one from a lady in the audience, I hope she was a plant. He also kicked the ring announcers' feet out, dude is out of control. So, similar to their build up match, they play on Ibushi being faster than Fale, but this time Fale grabs Ibushi and immediately destroys his right leg. Ibushi would make several comebacks, kicking with his right leg, he would mostly sell it, but there were a few he didn't. One in particular was a tease of a piledriver in which Ibushi held Fale on his knee for like 5 seconds. Finish was Fale hitting the CLS and the Bad Luck Fall for the win. Great match.
Half way through the match, Fale dragged Ibushi to the back of the crowd, but Ibushi turned it around and did a moonsault from the upper balcony unto Fale, who ended up being the one with the close call countout (he's already lost due to countout before).
Hirooki Goto (4) vs Zack Sabre Jr (6) - 9/10
Up until now, Sabre had been having good matches, but nothing that really showed him as a legit killer in my opinion, defeating an injured Tanahashi shouldn't bee that hard for a submission specialist; however, this match made it for me, he seemed on another level here bringing it to a healthy Goto and giving him a hell of a fight. This was the most Sabre match he's had, the submission work, working the arm, and being pushed into a striking match.
As I said, Sabre worked the arm, Goto just kept striking and kinda working the neck. The match was all back and forward, with Goto taking the win at the end. At the end, Goto walked out with an injured arm, maybe he'll sell it for his next matches. This match was awesome.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) vs YOSHI-HASHI (2) - 9.5/10
YOSHI-HASHI has been taking me on the weirdest rollercoaster this tournament, I either love or hate his matches, this one in particular, I loved. Tanahashi was working the leg and YOSHI-HASHI was selling like a champ, super babyface selling. YOSHI-HASHI as you imagine, worked the arm of Tanahashi, but not like Sabre, it was mostly just doing tons of strikes and big moves to the whole upper body. First half of the match was mostly Tanahashi on the offense, but YH made the comeback and the match was back and forward from there on. Tanahashi took the win after a High Fly Flow.
Watch this man as he walks back to the ring, he's a freaking rockstar and a true babyface.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Tetsuya Naito (6) vs Tomohiro Ishii (4) - 9.5/10
Holy fuck the last minutes of this match were amazing! These two guys went there to not only do better than their Long Beach match, but straight up beat the shit out of each other.
Match started with Naito doing everything possible to piss of Ishii, which he does, quite fast. Naito starts working the neck of Ishii, who makes a comeback and starts working Naito's neck. They continue back and forward and at one point Ishii does another comeback, doing his 'Hulking Up' spot where nothing affects him, after this they just starting trading strikes, finishers, and tons of near falls. Finish saw Ishii no sell a Destino and hit the brainbuster for the win. I really didn't see Naito losing.
Only observation (read as complain) is that if you're Ishii, your finisher is the brainbuster, and mid match you lift Naito for a suplex, don't drop a suplex, drop the fucking brainbuster!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Super weak undercard, but holy shit that block action was fucking awesome top to bottom, even YOSHI-HASHI was awesome. Go watch this show.
July 29, 2017
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & BUSHI) vs Taguchi Japan (Michael Elgin & David Finlay) - 4/10
BUSHI and SANADA were cutting Finlay off from tagging Elgin from the start, Elgin eventually got tagged in, which lasted about 2 minutes, tagged Finlay back in again, who after a few minutes got submitted by SANADA. Elgin and SANADA didn't really do much together, nor they faced off after the match. They could have a match really similar to Omega vs Elgin, but I didn't see the chemistry. Boring match.
Hirai Kawato & Katsuya Kitamura vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & Hiromu Takahashi) - 5.5/10
Kawato was trying to do the 'i'll fight him' thing at the start of the match, but Kitamura was already half way outside the ring, so it looked awkward. Kitamura and EVIL early on did the whole power tackle challenges with Kitamura dominating both LIJ members, he looked like a beast, but the numbers game got to him and so LIJ got the offense for a while until Kawato got the tag and (I don't know if I missed it before) it seems he's got permission to do huricanranas now, so good for him. Hiromu and Kawato fought inside the ring for a while (Kitamura and EVIL outside), which ended with Kawato tapping to the boston crab.
Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki & Taichi) vs Bullet Club (Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi) - 6.5/10
I always find it interesting that refs call for the starting bell even if the wrestlers haven't made it to the ring. Tonga and Yujiro jumped Suzuki-Gun at the ramp and they all started brawling, Suzuki vs Tonga felt really heated. Even after they were back in the ring and both men tagged in their partners, Tonga and Suzuki just went back to fighting, they were literally chasing each other when one of them had to go do something inside the ring.
Inside the ring Yujiro and Taichi were wrestling each other, they brought in their respective weapons, which Yujiro hit first and took out Taichi for the win. Tonga and Suzuki kept brawling all over the place throwing chairs, barriers, and young lions all over the place. I need these guys to have a huge brawl.
TenCozy vs Bullet Club (Kenny Omega & Chase Owens) - 3/10
We got goofy Kenny for this match, he sold for both Kojima and Tenzan a lot, same with Owens. The match wasn't bad, but the BC overselling makes Kojima and Tenzan seem like less of a threat, and BC themselves look like goofs for the bad offense actually taking them down. This is the kind of shit that Tonga should be complaining about, he just went to war with Suzuki and Kenny doesn't take this match seriously.
Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Tomoyuki Oka vs CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, & Gedo) - 3/10
Oka got to pose with Taguchi Japan wearing the glasses, when they finished he vowed and thanked Taguchi. During his entrance Okada stood on the announcers table and I was terrified of the idea of the table giving up and the World Champion falling like a dumbass. This match is the reason why the previous match shouldn't be goofy, because now we have Taguchi vs Yano, which means 200% comedy, and you should never do two comedy matches back to back.
Anyway, Juice and Okada did their thing in and out the ring. Inside Yano low blowed Taguchi and Oka, who he rolled for the win. Gedo did all the antagonizing after the match while Okada just walked away not even sweating. Gedo actually looked good in this match.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Togi Makabe (4) vs Yuji Nagata (0) - 8/10
Nagata has the Cupping Therapy marks all over this back, I have to believe he may actually be feeling it, but since they're visible, may as well work his back and get heat on them. I ended up liking this match a lot, my only complain was that they were a bit inconsistent with the body parts they were working, like if Shirome is a big move in Nagata's arsenal, why is everything pre and post Shirome just a bunch of kicks and suplexes, at least try to prepare the arm. Makabe himself would kinda abandon the back after a while too. Finish was kinda heated, Makabe won with the King Kong Knee after Nagata was trying really hard not to die.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Bad Luck Fale (4) vs Kota Ibushi (4) - 8.5/10
Fale killed another Daryl, this one from a lady in the audience, I hope she was a plant. He also kicked the ring announcers' feet out, dude is out of control. So, similar to their build up match, they play on Ibushi being faster than Fale, but this time Fale grabs Ibushi and immediately destroys his right leg. Ibushi would make several comebacks, kicking with his right leg, he would mostly sell it, but there were a few he didn't. One in particular was a tease of a piledriver in which Ibushi held Fale on his knee for like 5 seconds. Finish was Fale hitting the CLS and the Bad Luck Fall for the win. Great match.
Half way through the match, Fale dragged Ibushi to the back of the crowd, but Ibushi turned it around and did a moonsault from the upper balcony unto Fale, who ended up being the one with the close call countout (he's already lost due to countout before).
Hirooki Goto (4) vs Zack Sabre Jr (6) - 9/10
Up until now, Sabre had been having good matches, but nothing that really showed him as a legit killer in my opinion, defeating an injured Tanahashi shouldn't bee that hard for a submission specialist; however, this match made it for me, he seemed on another level here bringing it to a healthy Goto and giving him a hell of a fight. This was the most Sabre match he's had, the submission work, working the arm, and being pushed into a striking match.
As I said, Sabre worked the arm, Goto just kept striking and kinda working the neck. The match was all back and forward, with Goto taking the win at the end. At the end, Goto walked out with an injured arm, maybe he'll sell it for his next matches. This match was awesome.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) vs YOSHI-HASHI (2) - 9.5/10
YOSHI-HASHI has been taking me on the weirdest rollercoaster this tournament, I either love or hate his matches, this one in particular, I loved. Tanahashi was working the leg and YOSHI-HASHI was selling like a champ, super babyface selling. YOSHI-HASHI as you imagine, worked the arm of Tanahashi, but not like Sabre, it was mostly just doing tons of strikes and big moves to the whole upper body. First half of the match was mostly Tanahashi on the offense, but YH made the comeback and the match was back and forward from there on. Tanahashi took the win after a High Fly Flow.
Watch this man as he walks back to the ring, he's a freaking rockstar and a true babyface.
G1 Climax 27 Block A
Tetsuya Naito (6) vs Tomohiro Ishii (4) - 9.5/10
Holy fuck the last minutes of this match were amazing! These two guys went there to not only do better than their Long Beach match, but straight up beat the shit out of each other.
Match started with Naito doing everything possible to piss of Ishii, which he does, quite fast. Naito starts working the neck of Ishii, who makes a comeback and starts working Naito's neck. They continue back and forward and at one point Ishii does another comeback, doing his 'Hulking Up' spot where nothing affects him, after this they just starting trading strikes, finishers, and tons of near falls. Finish saw Ishii no sell a Destino and hit the brainbuster for the win. I really didn't see Naito losing.
Only observation (read as complain) is that if you're Ishii, your finisher is the brainbuster, and mid match you lift Naito for a suplex, don't drop a suplex, drop the fucking brainbuster!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Super weak undercard, but holy shit that block action was fucking awesome top to bottom, even YOSHI-HASHI was awesome. Go watch this show.