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Post by AwamoriRock on Sept 20, 2020 2:47:42 GMT -5
I will die on the persecuting “Naito is washed” guys hill
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Post by BRAINFADE on Sept 20, 2020 2:55:11 GMT -5
I will die on the persecuting “Naito is washed” guys hill I'll do the same but with Tana. Every year we think he's done, but then G1 rolls around and he delivers in the big spot yet again.
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Post by AwamoriRock on Sept 20, 2020 3:04:46 GMT -5
I will die on the persecuting “Naito is washed” guys hill I'll do the same but with Tana. Every year we think he's done, but then G1 rolls around and he delivers in the big spot yet again. His legs are damaged badly, but he’s so brilliant in match structure and technique
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Post by BRAINFADE on Sept 20, 2020 3:16:53 GMT -5
I'll do the same but with Tana. Every year we think he's done, but then G1 rolls around and he delivers in the big spot yet again. His legs are damaged badly, but he’s so brilliant in match structure and technique No doubt that his legs are shot, but like you said he's such an intelligent wrestler that, if he saves his body for a big match, he can still pull out bangers like this.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Sept 20, 2020 3:44:50 GMT -5
Milano and Liger stood up and applauded both after the match
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Sept 20, 2020 3:45:11 GMT -5
Yeah, though part of me thinks he looks better these days, even, than last year. Dunno why, maybe COVID meaning fewer shows gave him some rest or something.
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Post by ANuclearError on Sept 20, 2020 4:44:20 GMT -5
f***ing Yano'd on Night 1. I just assumed SANADA always had his number. Trying to figure out who's gonna get Yano'd is the hardest part of G1 prediction, I had Naito, KENTA and ZSJ getting Yano'd.
I hope Yano paying off the Young Lions to help him becomes thus year's shtick.
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clifford
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Post by clifford on Sept 20, 2020 6:34:43 GMT -5
That might be my favourite ever Tanahashi/Naito match, it was that good.
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Post by AwamoriRock on Sept 20, 2020 7:08:55 GMT -5
That might be my favourite ever Tanahashi/Naito match, it was that good. I think they adore each other lol. Tana has always talked about Naito as a pillar of the company, Naito has always referenced Tana as the pillar you have to knock down to get to the top. Their chemistry is ridiculously lol
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Sept 20, 2020 7:13:46 GMT -5
That might be my favourite ever Tanahashi/Naito match, it was that good. I think they adore each other lol. Tana has always talked about Naito as a pillar of the company, Naito has always referenced Tana as the pillar you have to knock down to get to the top. Their chemistry is ridiculously lol Yea, their chemistry is insane. I still like their WK encounter for the IC title a little more as that was basically close to peak Naito and even then, he showed Tana his proper respect after the match
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Sept 20, 2020 7:15:36 GMT -5
That might be my favourite ever Tanahashi/Naito match, it was that good. I think they adore each other lol. Tana has always talked about Naito as a pillar of the company, Naito has always referenced Tana as the pillar you have to knock down to get to the top. Their chemistry is ridiculously lol Tanahashi I think has a bit of an ego (who wouldn't, in his position?), though he's not toxic about it or anything, he just has a high standard for himself and others. If he thinks so highly of Naito, that's high praise, given I don't think he'd say it just to say it. Keep in mind, this is the same guy who knocked Shibata's reckless shoot style by saying there is no future in it, so he can absolutely be blunt if it's warranted.
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Post by ANuclearError on Sept 20, 2020 7:43:24 GMT -5
That might be my favourite ever Tanahashi/Naito match, it was that good. I think they adore each other lol. Tana has always talked about Naito as a pillar of the company, Naito has always referenced Tana as the pillar you have to knock down to get to the top. Their chemistry is ridiculously lol Aside from Suzuki, is there any other top guy Naito would be considered as having bad chemistry with?
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Post by AwamoriRock on Sept 20, 2020 7:48:09 GMT -5
I think they adore each other lol. Tana has always talked about Naito as a pillar of the company, Naito has always referenced Tana as the pillar you have to knock down to get to the top. Their chemistry is ridiculously lol Tanahashi I think has a bit of an ego (who wouldn't, in his position?), though he's not toxic about it or anything, he just has a high standard for himself and others. If he thinks so highly of Naito, that's high praise, given I don't think he'd say it just to say it. Keep in mind, this is the same guy who knocked Shibata's reckless shoot style by saying there is no future in it, so he can absolutely be blunt if it's warranted. Tana rarely praises people, like he doesn’t even give Okada props willingly. He always goes out of his way to praise Ibushi and Naito though. His blend of kayfabe and real is why his character work lands so much. I’m sure many have seen it but if you can watch his heel run in ajpw at the champion carnival, he’s such a cocky jerk the whole thing and finally Suwama gives him his comeuppance I mean, look at this: twitter.com/greatbashheel/status/1295673285028585472?s=21
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Post by AwamoriRock on Sept 20, 2020 7:50:28 GMT -5
I think they adore each other lol. Tana has always talked about Naito as a pillar of the company, Naito has always referenced Tana as the pillar you have to knock down to get to the top. Their chemistry is ridiculously lol Aside from Suzuki, is there any other top guy Naito would be considered as having bad chemistry with? Maaaybe White but they have only faced off a few times and will likely have a big one later
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Post by 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger on Sept 20, 2020 9:27:56 GMT -5
Naito and Tanahashi give me that lifeblood.
Love them love them love them
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Sept 20, 2020 10:26:54 GMT -5
David Finlay advanced over Rocky Romero last night on ROH to advance in the Pure Tournament
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Sept 20, 2020 11:25:07 GMT -5
That main event helped make it feel like New Japan was officially back to normal
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Sept 20, 2020 12:05:01 GMT -5
NJPW G1 Climax 30 Night Two September 20th, 2020 | EDION Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan | Attendance: 2,640
I got the wrestling equivalent of, “Shut up and dribble” on my night one review because of what I said about Will Ospreay. So, that’s going well. Anyway, the first night of the tournament was solid but unspectacular. Can night two best it?
B Block: Juice Robinson [0] vs. YOSHI-HASHI [0] YOSHI-HASHI enters the G1 with a title as a third of the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions. Juice rocked a new look that resembled a Blues Brother or something along those lines. He’s the perfect guy for these G1 openers because he always brings energy and the crowd loves him. Thankfully, HASHI seemed just as game to bring the fight and the effort. You got the sense that winning a title has him feeling confident after years of being a scrub. It went for longer than I expected but that was a good thing in this case. It felt like two guys who haven’t had great G1 runs in the past desperately giving their all to start on the right foot. Juice seemed genuinely surprised that he couldn’t put HASHI away. The reaction from the crowd when YOSHI countered Pulp Friction into a rollup for a near fall was masterful. Ultimately, Juice put him down with Pulp Friction after a wild 15:57. Maybe I’m just happy that the G1 is back so I might be going high on this but it was really good. Lots of fire, great drama late, and two guys putting on a show for two points. A welcome surprise in quality here. [***¾]
B Block: SANADA [0] vs. Toru Yano [0] It’s the annual G1 MVP, Toru Yano! These two met in the G1 27 (**¼), 2018 New Japan Cup (**½), and G1 28 (***). SANADA is 3-0 against our Sublime Master Thief. He also had new sparkly gear. Meanwhile, we got t-shirt Yano here. Apparently, SANADA isn’t worth his top effort. This featured the typical Yano antics, which are always welcome in a tournament that features so many similar matches. Yano eventually got put in the Paradise Lock in the aisle. It seemed like a clear countout. However, Young Lion Yuya Uemura undid the lock. SANADA went to tied up Uemura but the now freed Yano used a roll of tape to tie SANADA to Uemura and then rushed back inside to win via countout in 6:16. The G1 MVP strikes again. Just book him to win the whole thing, Gedo. Don’t be a coward. [**½]
B Block: Hirooki Goto [0] vs. KENTA [0] These two met at Wrestle Kingdom over the NEVER Openweight Title (***). KENTA has a briefcase with a US Title shot. Remember that title? I love midcard Money in the Bank. KENTA was at his smarmy dick heel best here. That’s the KENTA I usually really enjoy. The issue is that it’s just so incredibly hard to care about Hirooki Goto after Gedo booked him into oblivion. There’s almost no sympathy for him when he’s fighting from underneath because there’s no reason to want him to win. The action was good and there wasn’t really anything technically wrong with this, it just lacked something to really grab me. KENTA won with his Game Over submission after 17:15. A quality wrestling match from start to finish but nothing more. [***¼]
B Block: EVIL [0] vs. IWGP Tag Team Champion Zack Sabre Jr. [0] I forgot to list Taichi as a tag champ yesterday. These guys met three times in 2019. Once at New Beginning in Sapporo (***¾), once in the New Japan Cup (***¾), and then in the G1 Climax (***), with EVIL holding a 2-1 record. EVIL attacked quickly and the two traded shots outside. I always appreciate that Sabre’s hubris gets him in trouble. He tries to hang with NJPW’s toughest in strikes and always takes an ass kicking for it. The most interesting thing here was that Sabre Jr. got to play the role of a babyface of sorts. EVIL is a top heel now and he got help from Dick Togo and we even saw a ref bump. That’s becoming all too common in the G1 in recent years. Guys like Yujiro and Suzuki-Gun members have avoided it so far but now it has happened for both top Bullet Club guys, who were each in the semi-main. That’s not a good sign. While that bogged the match down, I do think it really helped the finish. Sabre Jr. trapped EVIL in his signature European Clutch pinning combination to score the 1-2-3 after 14:54. The pop for that win was pretty great. There were the bones of something really good here but it got weighed down by shenanigans. I understand that EVIL is a top heel but booking him as a bruiser against a smaller guy like Zack, who then scored the flash upset, would’ve made more sense. [***]
B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi [0] vs. IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito [0] I still say that these two had a better trilogy in 2017 than the more-hyped one between Okada and Omega. Of the matches between them that I reviewed, this is how they line up: Destruction 2011 (****), G1 23 Finals (**¾), G1 25 (****), King of Pro Wrestling 2015 (***¾), Wrestle Kingdom 11 (****½), Dominion 2017 (****), and the G1 27 (****½). This got off to a slower start as it was both a case of Naito doing Naito things and this being two guys who know each other so well. They understand not to get caught in the traps of the other. Naito got the upper hand but Tanahashi had counters ready for things like his corner dropkick. Again, the experience and history comes into play. That turned the tide and put Tanahashi in control. Considering Tanahashi’s age, things like his High Fly Flow to the outside take on extra meaning. You can tell that it kills him but he needs stuff like that against the likes of Naito. The entire match felt like a true battle with each guy having to dig deep to outwit a classic rival. In typical NJPW fashion, the closing minutes were filled with tremendous counters, close calls, and more. The difference between this and other NJPW matches is that the early stuff never felt like filler and it all mattered. The crowd exploded for that final segment before Naito won with Destino in 27:16. A spectacular main event that overdelivered. I know they’re capable of great but you sometimes expect them to play the hits for a pop. Instead, they had one of their best matches ever that I’d rank only slightly behind the G1 27 meeting. [****½]
Overall: 7.5/10. A step above night one, mostly due to the opener and main event. Juice/YOSHI was awesome and Naito/Tanahashi was incredible. The middle of the card was solid but unspectacular and the whole thing moved along nicely for an enjoyable night.
A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS | Kota Ibushi | 2 (1-0) | Tetsuya Naito | 2 (1-0) | Jay White | 2 (1-0) | Zack Sabre Jr. | 2 (1-0) | Minoru Suzuki | 2 (1-0) | KENTA | 2 (1-0) | Taichi | 2 (1-0) | Toru Yano | 2 (1-0) | Will Ospreay
| 2 (1-0) | Juice Robinson | 2 (1-0) | Kazuchika Okada | 0 (0-1) | Hiroshi Tanahashi | 0 (0-1) | Shingo Takagi | 0 (0-1) | EVIL | 0 (0-1) | Tomohiro Ishii | 0 (0-1) | Hirooki Goto | 0 (0-1) | Jeff Cobb | 0 (0-1) | SANADA | 0 (0-1) | Yujiro Takahashi | 0 (0-1) | YOSHI-HASHI | 0 (0-1) |
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clifford
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Post by clifford on Sept 20, 2020 12:49:34 GMT -5
Think I might start putting some personal thoughts on the G1 in this thread.
Night 1 Match of the Night: Ishii vs Suzuki- as good a sub-15 minute match as you will find in any promotion in the world. Awesome war, and Suzuki continues to have one of his best ever years in ring at the age of 52.
Upset of the night: No major upsets really on night one. Ibushi's win was more definitive than I thought it would be though.
Surprise of the night: Okada/Ibushi going just 21 minutes. It felt like the first 20 minutes of an excellent 30 minute match, but the ending came out of nowhere and was quite jarring. The surprise came at the expense of the match quality; this was a bit of a letdown after their classics at last year's G1 and this year's Wrestle Kingdom.
Night 2 Match of the Night: Tanahashi vs Naito. An incredible match that showcased the absolute best in two veterans that have had questions asked of their in ring performances this year. First match since the restart where the Covid limitations didn't seem to matter, it transcended the situation.
Upset of the night: was almost Yano outwitting SANADA and spoiling his new attire debut but has to go to ZSJ getting the flash pin on the 2020 juggernaut that is Bullet Club's EVIL.
Surprise of the night: YOSHI-HASHI and the returning Juice, looking straight out of a Blues Brothers routine in a Magic Mike movie, putting on a much better than anticipated match to open up the B Block action. Both guys looking great and motivated, and that can only mean good things for the B Block going forward.
Looking ahead to nights 3 and 4, I smell a huge upset in terms of Yujiro getting the win over Okada, putting the Rainmaker in a 0-2 hole and having to probably run the table to make the finals. SANADA similarly I think is headed for an 0-2 start of his own. Gedo loves the come from behind booking in a G1 and these are the two candidates I think are headed for it this year (Last year eventual finalists Ibushi and Jay White started 0-2 and 0-3 respectively).
Most anticipated match of night 3: Tempted to go Suzuki/Taichi cause of the intrigue, but it's got to be Ishii/Ospreay.
Most anticpated match of night 4: Naito vs ZSJ in the main event seems a lot more appealing after Zack's win against EVIL.
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Sept 20, 2020 16:05:54 GMT -5
Couple of times that show made me jump out of my seat in excitement.
1st was ZSJ pinning EVIL. I was certain EVIL was going to start hot in the tournament based on just losing his titles. What a nice surprise that didn't happen.
Quite a few of the close calls in the main event did as well. I was really wanting Tanahashi to win.
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