Hello friends and welcome to the 2017 G1 Climax. This was the first show I wrote results for on this site a year ago so it’s kind of like my unofficial anniversary here.
Last year we saw Kenny Omega crowned the G1 Climax winner and while I believe he’s got a good shot to win it this year, my pick is Okada. I think Okada wins all his matches except Omega so he picks him to challenge at Wrestle Kingdom, but hey, just a prediction. Well enough of the talking, in the words of Michael Hayes, “Here we go.”
Our first episode comes to us from Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center in Sapporo and we’re starting off with Block A.
David Finlay, Juice Robinson, and Michael Elgin vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Satoshi Kojima
Winners: Jushin Thunder Liger, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Satoshi Kojima at 7:48. Kojima pins Finlay after the Cozy Lariat.
Kenny Omega, Tama Tonga, and Chase Owens vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Taichi
Winners: Suzuki-gun at 7:04. Suzuki pins Owens after the Gotch-style Piledriver. Suzuki and Omega had a brawl in the crowd as the match started. If you’re wondering, the leaders of their respective factions will square off on July 20th.
Evil and Hiromu Takahashi with his stuffed cat Daryl vs. Bushi and Sanada
Winners: Evil and Takahashi at 6:52. Evil wins when Bushi taps to Banshee Muzzle which is his new submission finisher. It’s a modified crossface chicken wing. After the match they all united with their fists in the air.
Toru Yano and Jado vs. Kazuchika Okada and Gedo
Winners: Yano and Jado at 7:49. Yano rolls up Gedo after a low blow.
There’s an intermission now onto the 5 G1 matches.
Yuji Nagata vs. Yoshi-Hashi
Winner: Yoshi-Hashi at 16:29. Yoshi-Hashi pins Nagata after the Karma. Nagata looked good in the match but took the loss. If you didn’t know it’s his final G1 and if Tenzan competing in his final G1 last year and Liger in his final Best of the Super Juniors taught us anything, it’s that you shouldn’t expect Nagata to win too many matches. In fact, I’d expect his whole G1 to go like this match did, he’ll go all out and put on good matches but end up losing all but 1 or 2.
Bad Luck Fale vs. Togi Makabe
Winner: Bad Luck Fale at 9:25. Makabe goes for the King Kong Knee Drop but Fale reached up and grabbed Makabe’s throat, got up and hits him with the grenade. Good big guy match.
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hirooki Goto
These guys beat the hell out of each other as you’d expect. At one point they just exchange clotheslines but neither man will go down. Finally they both collide together and each nail a clothesline and Goto gets the better of it. Goto goes for the GTR but Ishii escapes.
Ishii hits a powerbomb for a 2 then hits the sliding lariat for 2. Ishii goes for the brainbuster but Goto escapes. Both men exchange a few cloheslines and end up collapsing.
Both men get to their feet and exchange forearm shots. Ishii comes at Goto with a head-butt to the head, Goto fires back with a lariat but only a 1. Ishii unloads forearms and Goto comes back with a head-butt to the chest. Goto’s mouth his busted open. Goto nails a roundhouse kick then the GTR for 3.
Winner: Hirooki Goto at 9:25. I know people will be talking about the last 2 matches but this was great. If you got 10 minutes check it out.
Zack Sabre Jr. with El Desperado vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Early on Sabre actually doesn’t target the bad right arm of Tanahashi but rather goes after his legs. But it’s not long until he goes after that arm with an arm bar which Tanahashi escapes with a rope break.
Sabre moves onto trying to go for the Octopus Stretch. Tanahashi gets a little bit of momentum but it’s quickly halted as Sabre continues to attack the arm.
Tanahashi hits off the ropes but Sabre catches him with a front headlock and transitions into an arm lock. Tanahashi powers out with a spinning neckbreaker. Tanahashi starts to mount some momentum with a Slingblade and the High Fly Flow cross body.
Desperado hops on the apron but Tanahashi quickly knocks him off. Tanahashi goes for another High Fly Flow but Sabre gets the knees up and then locks in arm lock. Sabre rips off the arm pad and tape and torques the wrist back and Tanahashi is forced to submit.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. at 17:18. After the match Sabre picks up the Intercontinental Championship belt and taunts Tanahashi with it. Possible future title shot right there, should be anyway by the rules of the G1.
Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito
Naito takes over early with a draping neckbreaker followed by a dropkick to the back to the upper back. Naito then hits a neckbreaker right on the apron.
Naito keeps going to work on the kneck of Ibushi but Ibushi halts the momentum with a gorgeous dropkick right to the chest of Naito. Ibushi hits a hurricanrana sending Naito to the outside. Ibushi then follows up with the Golden Triangle Moonsault to the outside.
Back in the ring, Naito goes for that corner leg sweep move but Ibushi counters it with an elbow to the face of Naito. Naito fires back from the apron and tosses Ibushi into the second rope and stil manages to hit the slingshot dropkick. Naito follows up with a draping neckbreaker followed by a high angled German suplex for 2.
Ibushi takes over and starts to lay in some roundhouse kicks to the chest of Naito. Naito falls back into the ropes and Ibushi keeps nailing Naito despite warnings from the ref. Ibushi then levels Naito with a gigantic lariat but only a 2.
Naito ducks another lariat and hits another German suplex followed by a side slam for 2. Naito then hits a reverserana from the top rope, insane spot but only a 2 count. Naito goes for Destino but Ibushi stops him and torpedoes him into the corner pad. Naito rolls to the apron and Ibushi gets on the second rope and hits a dead lift German suplex sending Naito back into the ring. Still only managed a 2.
Ibushi goes for the Last Ride powerbomb but Naito counters it with a tornado DDT and both men are down.
Naito ends up crotched on the top rope after a backflip kick from Ibushi. Ibushi then hits a top rope piledriver and yet only 2. Ibushi misses with a roundhouse and Naito charges and hits a picture perfect Destino but only 2. Naito hits a second Destino and gets the win.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito at 24:41.
Wow, that’s how you kick off a G1. Just an incredible main event with a lot of crazy moves I’ve never seen before. Definitely one to check out. Let’s take a look at the standings.
Bad Luck Fale – 2
Hirooki Goto – 2
Tetsuya Naito – 2
Zack Sabre Jr. – 2
Yoshi-Hashi – 2
Kota Ibushi – 0
Tomohiro Ishii – 0
Togi Makabe – 0
Yuji Nagata – 0
Hiroshi Tanahashi – 0
Well I’ll be back on Thursday for the much anticipated start of Block B with Omega/Suzuki as the main event. In the mean time please follow me on twitter at Eddyc85 and or PIWShow and check out my podcast on iTunes, Podbean, or Stitcher. It’s called the, “Politically Incorrect Wrestling Show.” Until then, in the words of last year’s G1 winner, goodbye and goodnight.