NJPW G1 Climax 24: Day 11
NJPW G1 Climax 24: Day 11 (8/8/2014)- Yokohama, Japan
BLOCK A MATCH: Tomoaki Honma vs. Shelton X Benjamin (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 5.5/10
The story of the match was Shelton working over Honma’s back. They started off with some good roll-ups, teasing a in for Honma, but the fact that Honma didn’t win (and thus wound up with no victories all tournament) felt like a big letdown. If Honma had won, I probably would have given this a 6/10. I really don’t see what the purpose is of not giving the fans the Honma victory they have been clamoring for is. Shelton getting these two points doesn’t affect the finals in any way, so why not give Honma (and the fans) the win? Maybe they’ll do something where he wins the whole tournament next year, but if he doesn’t at least make it to the finals next year, it will be very disappointing.
BLOCK B MATCH: Yujiro Takahashi vs Toru Yano- No rating. GREAT segment!
Yano does his standard low blow followed by a cradle, but Yujiro kicked out at one, then managed to set up a low blow of his own and got the pin. Then he revealed he was wearing a cup! Fun heel vs. heel stuff, with the heel who is the better wrestler (and better heel) outsmarting the other heel.
BLOCK B MATCH: Hirooki Goto vs. Lance Archer (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 6/10
BLOCK B MATCH: Karl Anderson vs. Tetsuya Naito- 8/10
Anderson is always great, and Naito has really grown on me as a babyface over the course of this tournament.
BLOCK A MATCH: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata- 7.75/10
Great stuff from both guys. I wasn’t fond of the slap-fighting (forearms would have worked better), but they told a great story.
BLOCK A MATCH: Doc Gallows vs. Katsuyori Shibata- 6.75/10
Well… didn’t see that coming.
BLOCK A MATCH: Bad Luck Fale vs. Shinsuke Nakamura- 7.5/10
This match was make or break for both guys’ chance of making the finals. Both of them NEEDED a win here. Both men needed a win here, along with a Tanahashi loss (or, in Nakamura’s case, a in and a Tanahashi draw, or a draw here and a Tanahashi loss) to make it to the finals of the G1. Nakamura worked over Fale’s head. The match was great, but there was one spot that seemed like it was supposed to be a major spot that looked kind of wonky.
BLOCK B MATCH: AJ Styles vs. Togi Makabe- 7.5/10
Another great match. AJ’s win keeps his hope of making it to the finals alive. All he needs now is for Okada to lose or draw.
BLOCK A MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 8/10
The win-and-in stipulation for Tanahashi really added to the atmosphere of the match, which every nearfall feeling like a HUGE deal.
BLOCK B MATCH: Minoru Suzuki (w/TAKA Michinoku) vs. Kazuchika Okada (w/Gedo)- 8.75/10
GREAT storytelling. Suzuki worked over Okada’s arm, so he had trouble getting Suzuki up for his signature stuff like the Kneeling Tombstone Piledriver, had trouble holding him in the Red Ink, and it make going for the Rainmaker almost as dangerous for Okada was it was for Suzuki. Okada, for his part, worked over Suzuki’s head and neck to set up his big moves, and was willing to take the big risk to hit them, despite the danger of damaging his own arm or letting Suzuki reverse something into an arm submission, because he needed to win in order to advance to the finals of the tournament.
An awesome final day of the round-robin part of the G1, though I thought that Honma not winning tonight was a bad idea.
BLOCK A MATCH: Tomoaki Honma vs. Shelton X Benjamin (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 5.5/10
The story of the match was Shelton working over Honma’s back. They started off with some good roll-ups, teasing a in for Honma, but the fact that Honma didn’t win (and thus wound up with no victories all tournament) felt like a big letdown. If Honma had won, I probably would have given this a 6/10. I really don’t see what the purpose is of not giving the fans the Honma victory they have been clamoring for is. Shelton getting these two points doesn’t affect the finals in any way, so why not give Honma (and the fans) the win? Maybe they’ll do something where he wins the whole tournament next year, but if he doesn’t at least make it to the finals next year, it will be very disappointing.
BLOCK B MATCH: Yujiro Takahashi vs Toru Yano- No rating. GREAT segment!
Yano does his standard low blow followed by a cradle, but Yujiro kicked out at one, then managed to set up a low blow of his own and got the pin. Then he revealed he was wearing a cup! Fun heel vs. heel stuff, with the heel who is the better wrestler (and better heel) outsmarting the other heel.
BLOCK B MATCH: Hirooki Goto vs. Lance Archer (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 6/10
BLOCK B MATCH: Karl Anderson vs. Tetsuya Naito- 8/10
Anderson is always great, and Naito has really grown on me as a babyface over the course of this tournament.
BLOCK A MATCH: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata- 7.75/10
Great stuff from both guys. I wasn’t fond of the slap-fighting (forearms would have worked better), but they told a great story.
BLOCK A MATCH: Doc Gallows vs. Katsuyori Shibata- 6.75/10
Well… didn’t see that coming.
BLOCK A MATCH: Bad Luck Fale vs. Shinsuke Nakamura- 7.5/10
This match was make or break for both guys’ chance of making the finals. Both of them NEEDED a win here. Both men needed a win here, along with a Tanahashi loss (or, in Nakamura’s case, a in and a Tanahashi draw, or a draw here and a Tanahashi loss) to make it to the finals of the G1. Nakamura worked over Fale’s head. The match was great, but there was one spot that seemed like it was supposed to be a major spot that looked kind of wonky.
BLOCK B MATCH: AJ Styles vs. Togi Makabe- 7.5/10
Another great match. AJ’s win keeps his hope of making it to the finals alive. All he needs now is for Okada to lose or draw.
BLOCK A MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (w/TAKA Michinoku)- 8/10
The win-and-in stipulation for Tanahashi really added to the atmosphere of the match, which every nearfall feeling like a HUGE deal.
BLOCK B MATCH: Minoru Suzuki (w/TAKA Michinoku) vs. Kazuchika Okada (w/Gedo)- 8.75/10
GREAT storytelling. Suzuki worked over Okada’s arm, so he had trouble getting Suzuki up for his signature stuff like the Kneeling Tombstone Piledriver, had trouble holding him in the Red Ink, and it make going for the Rainmaker almost as dangerous for Okada was it was for Suzuki. Okada, for his part, worked over Suzuki’s head and neck to set up his big moves, and was willing to take the big risk to hit them, despite the danger of damaging his own arm or letting Suzuki reverse something into an arm submission, because he needed to win in order to advance to the finals of the tournament.
An awesome final day of the round-robin part of the G1, though I thought that Honma not winning tonight was a bad idea.