Hello friends. The first week of G1 is almost in the books and already people are saying this could be the best G1 ever and that’s certainly a good argument. I think the upgrade in talent from this year to last is really showing, and last year did have amazing talent so that really says something. The G1 matches themselves also are running longer. I remember recapping tons of 9-12 minute matches last year and they seem to be 12-15 minutes this year. At least for now, we’ll see if that keeps up.
Today’s show comes from the Machida Gym in Tokyo.
Michael Elgin and Katsuya Kitamura vs. Hiroshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima
Winners: Tenzan and Kojima at 4:41. Kojima hits Kitamura with the cutter then the Cozy lariat.
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Taichi vs. Juice Robinson, David Finlay, and Hirai Kawato
Winners: Suzuki-gun at 8:31. Desperado hits Kawato with the Pinche Loco.
Hiromu Takahashi and Evil vs. Chase Owens and Tama Tonga
Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japon at 5:10. Owens taps to Evil’s Banshee Muzzle.
Kenny Omega and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Jado and Toru Yano
Winners: Bullet Club at 6:29. Takahashi pins Jado after the Pimp Juice.
Bushi and Sanada vs. Gedo and Kazuchika Okada
Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japon at 5:43. Bushi hits the MX on Gedo.
Zack Sabre Jr. 2 with El Desperado vs. Yoshi-Hashi 2
Sabre Jr. really works the arm of Yoshi-Hashi, at one point he digs his heel into Hashi’s bicep. Yoshi tries to get some momentum back with the blockbuster but can’t hit all of it due to the bad arm. After a baseball slide to Desperado on the outside, Yoahi-Hashi goes for the Swanton bomb but Sabre gets the knees up. The finish comes when Yoshi-Hashi goes for the Karma but Sabre Jr. counters it with the Octopus Stretch for the submission victory.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. at 11:48.
Yuji Nagata 0 vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi 2
It’s matches like this that on one hand you’re disappointed Nagata has 0 wins but on the other hand you understand it because he did such a good job in putting over Tanahashi. This was a great back and forth match and the story was the old guy pulled out all the stops to try and get a win but he couldn’t do it. I had heard this match stole the show for today and thus far I’d have to agree. Tanahashi won with the High Fly Flow.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi at 14:47.
Tetsuya Naito 4 vs. Bad Luck Fale 2
The story of this match was really that Naito couldn’t get any long-term momentum. Every time he would try one of his signature moves he couldn’t capitalize and Fale would just use his power to put Naito down. Fale escaped the DEstino twice including turning one into the Grenade which Naito kicked out of. The Grenade isn’t kicked out of too often, but Fale follows up with the Bad Luck Fall for the win.
Winner: Bad Luck Fale at 11:55.
Tomohiro Ishii 2 vs. Kota Ibushi 2
Match starts off pretty fast an Ishii makes it clear it wants to exchange strikes with Ibushi. Ibushi falls for it and while normally this doesn’t end well for the person initiating the strikes to Ishii, Ibushi actually drops Ishii after a big roundhouse. Through the middle of the match it occurred to me, Ibushi is wrestling Ishii’s type of match and he’s hanging in there with the Stone Pitbull. It also occurred to me, he did the same with Zack Sabre Jr. so I’m wondering if this is the plan for Ibushi throughout the G1, to wrestle his opponents style. To further prove my point, Ibushi unloads a flurry of strikes to Ishii who kicks out at 1. Ishii then unloads a flurry of strikes then hits a big lariat and Ibushi also kicks out at 1. Ibushi comes back with a big lariat of his own, a knee strike to the head then the Last Ride powerbomb to get the win.
Winner: Kota Ibushi at 17:14.
Hirooki Goto 4 vs. Togi Makabe 0
The match started out with the two brawling on the outside with neither man having the upper hand for very long. Goto manages to hit the Ushigoroshi for only a 2. The two men exchange clotheslines and Makabe actually gets the better of Goto. Makabe then drills Goto with a big lariat for just a 2. Goto tries for a top rope Samoan Drop bu Makabe counters and hits the King Knog Knee Drop followed by a powerbomb but just a 2. Makabe then hits the top rope German suplex and a second King Kong Knee Drop for 3.
Winner: Togi Makabe at 16:55.
The people saying this might be the best G1 ever, they really might be onto something. The slew of great matches coming out of New Japan pretty much daily is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
Block A Standings
Bad Luck Fale – 4
Hirooki Goto – 4
Kota Ibushi – 4
Tetsuya Naito – 4
Zack Sabre Jr. – 4
Hiroshi Tanahashi – 4
Tomohiro Ishii – 2
Togi Makabe – 2
Yoshi-Hashi – 2
Yuji Nagata – 0
The G1 resumes on July 25th with the follow matches from Block B: Okada vs. Sanada, Omega vs. Yano, Robinson vs. Suzuki, Tonga vs. Evil, and Kojima vs. Elgin.
Until then you can follow me on twitter at Eddyc85 and or PIWShow. Rate/Review/Subscribe to, “Politically Incorrect Wrestling Show” on iTunes, Podbean, and Stitcher. I’ll be doing a solo show mostly about the G1 I hope to have up sometime this week. Thanks for reading.
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