NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 5

NJPW G1 Climax 25: Day 5

July 26th, 18:00 from Green Arena, Hiroshima

Multi-camera and commentary – what a treat! I felt yesterday’s B Block show was the best so far, but today’s card has serious potential (SPOILER: It’s a hell of a show).

A Block – Current Standings

• A.J. Styles – 4
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 4
• Bad Luck Fale – 2
• Kota Ibushi – 2
• Togi Makabe – 2
• Tetsuya Naito – 2
• Katsuyori Shibata – 2
• Hiroyoshi Tenzan – 2
• Doc Gallows – 0
• Toru Yano – 0

Here we go…

A Block – Round Three

Bad Luck Fale vs. Doc Gallows

Our first Bullet Club vs. Bullet Club match, and probably the worst on paper. They do the ‘Too Sweet’ hand gesture before getting started with a test of strength. Some brawling, and they head outside. Gallows grabs a section of the barrier and drops it on Fale’s back a few times. That’s not a very nice thing to do to your stablemate. Fale doesn’t think so either, and once in control, he takes the opportunity to do the same thing. Back in, Gallows blocks the Choke Lariat Slam and boots Fale down, dropping the elbow half a dozen times. Gallows heads up top, Fale stops him and tries the Bad Luck Fall, but Gallows fights out. Samoan spike gets the three-count for Fale moments later. They ‘Too Sweet’ again and hug. Aww. Certainly not as bad as it could’ve been. *1/2

Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Toru Yano

Yano starts the match by spraying Tenzan in the face water and rolling him up for two. He tries the ‘Break!’ thing again, but Tenzan just clubs him anyway. Yano tapes Tenzan’s arm to the barrier to try and get him counted out and it nearly works. Back in, the turnbuckle pad has been removed and Tenzan gets a face full of steel. Yano chokes out Tenzan for a two-count. Mongolian chops from Yano! Not a good idea. Tenzan comes back with his own, then gets a suplex for two. Diving headbutt and both guys are busted hardway! Yano distracts the ref, hits the low blow and rolls Tenzan up for three. Oh man, both guys’ heads are just pissing blood. Nasty. Match was fun before the blood, which clearly hampered the ending. **1/2

Togi Makabe vs. Katsuyoshi Shibata

Shibata takes control early, kicking Makabe off the apron and locking in a figure four. Makabe makes the ropes and comes back with a big corner lariat and about twenty mounted punches. Northern lights suplex gets two. Shibata with knee to the gut, followed up by lots of nasty elbows, stomps and a facewash. Lariat from Makabe and a Death Valley Driver gets two. Elbow Battle now, and the pace has been relentless. Back and forth kicks and lariats until Makabe knocks Shibata to the mat. One count! Kneeling powerbomb from Makabe only gets two! Shibata knees out of a Death Valley Driver attempt and grabs the sleeper. Makabe fades and Shibata nails the Penalty Kick for the win in a little under 10 minutes. Intense, hard-hitting and a whole lot of fun. ****

Kota Ibushi vs. A.J. Styles

I’ll be honest, I stopped taking notes early in the match because it was obvious this would be something special. Late on, Styles spiked Ibushi with a jumping kneeling piledriver (crazy), but Ibushi pulled off the win with a Phoenix Splash at 19 minutes. The work throughout was innovative, crisp, and thankfully unimpeded by Bullet Club shenanigans. Tremendous from beginning to end. ****3/4

Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Naito stalls by taking ages to take off his suit. The veneer of polite competition is quickly discarded when both competitors start elbowing each other’s faces off. Naito takes a powder, rolling in-and-out of the ring to avoid being counted out, before hurricanrana-ing Tanahashi to the outside. He follows up by delivering a neckbreaker on a table! While Tanahashi recovers, Naito relaxes in the ring. Tanahashi makes it in at 19. Naito stays on top, heeling it up all the while. Tanahashi tries to make the comeback, but Naito is absolute in his confidence and calmly sidesteps the danger. Eventually, Tanahashi gets some offense in, a rolling senton getting two. Naito spits in Tanahashi’s face and gets dumped to the outside for the offence. A High Fly Flow crossbody to the floor is followed by a dragon screw with Naito’s leg tangled in the barrier! Back in, and a Koppu kick gets Naito back into things, followed by a rope hung neckbreaker. STO and a Pluma Blanca (Koji Clutch) have Tanahashi in trouble. He just makes the ropes. Naito takes five to release the hold, just to be a dick. Slingshot corner dropkick is blocked with a dragon screw, then Tanahashi locks in the high angle cloverleaf. Naito makes the ropes. A High Fly Flow attempt is blocked and Naito gets a top rope frankensteiner followed by a diving dropkick! Bridging german suplex for a close two-count. Tanahashi hits a Slingblade out of nowhere! High Fly Flow crossbody hits! High Fly Flow attempted, but Naito gets the knees up. Elbow battle and now Tanahashi spits in Naito’s face! Naito gets dumped on his head with a german suplex. Tanahashi goes for another Slingblade but it’s avoided and Naito hits his new finisher (unnamed) for a slightly anticlimactic three-count at 25 minutes. I’m not quite onboard with Naito’s aloof heel act in the ring yet, as I find it makes for an odd dynamic in matches, nevertheless this was a well-structured main event with Naito’s confidence overcoming Tanahashi’s veteran smarts. ****1/4

Naito kicks the referee out of the ring and cuts a promo putting over Los Ingobernables.

A Block standings after Round Three

• Bad Luck Fale – 4
• Kota Ibushi – 4
• Tetsuya Naito – 4
• Katsuyori Shibata – 4
• A.J. Styles – 4
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 4
• Togi Makabe – 2
• Hiroyoshi Tenzan – 2
• Toru Yano – 2
• Doc Gallows – 0

Final thoughts: I was concerned I might not be able to fully enjoy this show, since I’m hungover from a barbecue last night where I drank a lot of gin. However, as you can tell from my match ratings, I enjoyed the show just fine. Needless to say, I highly recommend you watch this – all of it, even Fale vs. Gallows because I think it’ll give you a greater appreciation of what comes later. The blood in the Tenzan/Yano match was a shocker, since you seldom see it these days, and those last three matches, well, you should see them for yourself. I try not to sprinkle the snowflakes like they’re salt, but these matches deserved every one of theirs.

Five down, fourteen to go. I get to have a break tomorrow, I’m pleased to say, then we’re on Tuesday and Wednesday.