By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S NJPW G1 CLIMAX 24: NIGHT 9 REPORT
AUGUST 4, 2014
AICHI, JAPAN

(1) Tomoaki Honma vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. in a G1 Climax A Block match. Honma shrugged off a shoulder tackle and took Smith down. He went for a running headbutt, but Smith got out of the way. Smith took Honma to the outside and choked him with a cable. Smith tossed Honma back into the ring and began working him over. The fans began to chant for Honma and Smith ended up missing a running kick and crotched himself over the top rope. They battled near the ropes and Honma eventually clotheslined smith to the floor. Honma then set up on the top rope and hit a diving headbutt to Smith on the floor. Honma ended up hitting a running headbutt on Smith a short time later inside the ring. Smith countered a suplex attempt from Honma and nailed him with a suplex of his own for a 2 count. The fans fired up and chanted for Honma. Smith hit a big Saito suplex, but Honma kicked out at the last second. Honma fired back and hit a leaping headbutt and a big clothesline and the fans fired up. Honma went up top and the fans applauded louder. Honma went for a diving headbutt, but Smith managed to get out of the way. Smith caught Honma with a huge lariat a short time later, but Honma kicked out at the last second. The fans chanted for Honma and Smith went for a powerbomb, but Honma slipped through and rolled up Smith for a near fall. Smith hit a big powerslam followed by a powerbomb for the win.

Winner: Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Star rating: (***1/2) – This was another great showing for Honma. He took everything Smith dished out and mounted several comebacks. The fans were once again rabid in their support of Honma. They had some good near falls down the stretch before Smith ended up putting Honma away. Honma has to win a match before this tournament ends.

(2) Lance Archer vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Yujiro Takahashi in a G1 Climax B Block match. Takahashi went right after Archer’s leg, which Styles had worked over the previous show. Archer fired back and hit a big belly-to-belly suplex on Takahashi, but continued to sell his leg. Takahashi fired back and dove at Archer’s leg to take him down. Takahashi dragged Archer into the corner and began slamming his leg over the ringpost. Archer tried to fire back, but Takahashi got the upper hand and went back to work on his leg inside the ring. Archer countered a single leg crab and got one of his own on Takahashi, but he got the ropes. Takahashi nailed Archer with several forearms and Archer told him to bring it. Takahashi bounced off the ropes a short time later, but Archer caught him with a spine buster and followed it up with his signature shoulder tackle out of the corner. The fans fired up and Takahashi managed to block a choke slam attempt, but Archer caught him with a sit out choke slam for a 2 count. Archer went for the blackout, but Takahashi kicked out and hit a Samoan drop for a 2 count. Takahashi got Archer up on his shoulders, but Archer fought his way out and caught him with the F5 for a 2 count. Archer set up Takahashi in the corner and went for the blackout, but Takahashi slipped out and ran into the ref. Takahashi hit a low blow. He shoved Archer into the ref again. Archer pulled up short and Takahashi hit another low blow for the win.

Winner: Yujiro Takahashi – Takahashi cheated his way to a win over Archer. I thought Archer did a really good job selling his leg throughout the match, but I wasn’t a fan of the finish. Archer's work in this match deserved a better conclusion.

(3) Yuji Nagata vs. IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Champion Doc Gallows in a G1 Climax A Block match. Nagata ended up sending Gallows to the floor with a running boot against the ropes. Gallows fired back on the outside and sent Nagata into the guardrail. They ended up back inside the ring with Gallows in control. Nagata mounted a comeback and eventually hit an exploder for a 2 count. Nagata kicked Gallows’s leg. Gallows fired back, but ended up selling his leg before eventually catching Nagata with a boot against the ropes. Gallows followed up with a big spinebuster for a 2 count. Gallows went for another double arm powerbomb, but Nagata countered and grabbed his signature arm bar. Gallows quickly managed to get to the ropes. Nagata caught Gallows with a big German a short time later for a 2 count. Gallows fired back and hit a bicycle kick and a sit out powerbomb for the win.

Winner: Luke Gallows – Gallows dominated most of the action and Nagata mounted a comeback, but this was disappointing given some of the matches Nagata has had in the tournament. I’m surprised they weren’t given more time.

(4) Togi Makabe vs. NWA Tag Team Champion Hiroyoshi Tenzan in a G1 Climax Block B match. Both men came out of the blocks going for lariats. Makabe took down Tenzan with a running lariat, but he fired back with a series of double chops to ground Tenzan a short time later. The action spilled to the floor and Makabe ended up clotheslining Tenzan over the guardrail. Tenzan barely beat the ref’s 20 count. That was one of the closest calls I’ve seen in the entire tournament. Makabe began working over Tenzan in the ring. They went to a forearm exchange, but Makabe grounded Tenzan with a knee to the gut. Tenzan ended up catching Makabe coming off the ropes with a backdrop a short time later. Tenzan hit a series of double chops and went to work on Makabe in the corner. Makabe fired back a short time later and caught Tenzan with a power slam off the ropes. Makabe went on the attack and hit a series of clotheslines in the corner. Tenzan managed to catch Makabe with a spin kick to the head as he came off the ropes a short time later. He followed up with a Saito suplex variation and went up top and connected with a diving headbutt for a 2 count. Tenzan applied the anaconda vice. Makabe struggled to his feet and elbowed out of it. Makabe got a wild look in his eyes and began exchanging blows with Tenzan in the middle of the ring. Tenzan hit a trio of double chops. Makabe went for a pair of clotheslines, but Tenzan ducked both of them and hit a headbutt. He went off the ropes, but Makabe hit a double axe handle and a big powerbomb. He then went up top and a big knee drop for the win.

Winner: Togi Makabe

Star rating: (**3/4) – The action was good while it lasted, but they kept things fairly basic and didn’t do much to build up the match when Makabe mounted a short comeback and hit the knee drop off the top for the win.

(5) Tetsuya Naito vs. Minoru Suzuki in a G1 Climax B Block match. Suzuki teased a clean break early, but ended up slapping Naito across the face. Naito fired back and caught him with a dropkick and Suzuki rolled to the floor. Michinoku grabbed Naito’s leg when he tried to go outside. Suzuki nailed him with a running kick to the chest from the apron a short time later. Suzuki worked a kimura on the floor, but the ref broke the hold. Suzuki whipped Naito into the guardrail and nailed him with a clothesline. He then tied up Naito’s leg in the guardrail and began twisting it. They ended up back inside the ring and Naito hit a big slap and followed up with a big flurry of offense capped by a missile dropkick. Michinoku got on the apron and Naito sent him to the floor. Naito went for his signature dropkick in the corner, but Suzuki caught his leg and applied a submission while on the turnbuckles for leverage. He caught Naito in another leg submission a short time later. Naito struggled, but Suzuki kept dragging him away from the ropes. Naito sat up and began nailing Suzuki with slaps, but he sat back on the hold. Naito finally rolled over, but Suzuki held on to his leg. Suzuki applied the hold tighter and turned it into a figure 4, but Naito got the ropes.

Suzuki continued to work over Naito’s leg. Naito finally caught Suzuki with an enzuguri. Naito fired up and hit his signature dropkick in the corner. They battled up top a short time later. Suzuki caught Naito charging at him in the corner by the arm. Naito went for a powerbomb, but Suzuki held on for an arm bar. Naito managed to get the ropes. Suzuki kept going for the sleeper, but Naito rolled around him into a bridging pin. Suzuki kicked out and immediately grabbed a sleeper. Naito tried to stand up and Suzuki went for a powerbomb, but Naito rolled out and nailed him with a rolling kick. He followed up with a leaping forearm and hit a scorpion death drop. Naito went for the star dust press, but Suzuki rolled out the way. Suzuki caught Naito coming off the ropes and nailed him with a headbutt to the back of the head. Suzuki then hit a big running kick on Naito. He applied the sleeper and then twisted Naito down to the mat with his signature sleeper. Naito eventually had to tap out.

Winner: Minoru Suzuki

Star rating: (***) – Naito’s selling bothered me in this match. Suzuki did extensive work on his arm and leg and Naito didn’t sell a thing. There were some good exchanges during the match, but this would have been a whole lot better if Naito had sold Suzuki’s submission work.

(6) Katsuyori Shibata vs. IWGP IC Champion Bad Luck Fale in a G1 Climax A Block match. Fale immediately got the upper hand and began working over Shibata. Shibata fired back and they began trading strikes in the middle of the ring. Shibata ran into three big boots form Fale, but didn’t go down. He caught Fale with a knee to the gut as he came off the ropes and went for a German, but Fale elbowed him down to the mat. Shibata got an ankle lock with a grapevine a short time later, but Fale got the ropes. Shibata grabbed a sleeper, but Fale ended up hitting a sidewalk slam to get out of it. Fale fired back and hit a big running splash in the corner and another splash off the ropes. He set up for the border toss, but Shibata slid out of it and began nailing Fale with a series of forearm strikes in the corner. He followed up with a running dropkick in the corner. Fale followed back and went for the border toss a short time later, but Shibata slipped behind him and grabbed a sleeper. Fale got the ropes to break the hold. Shibata went for a running kick, but Fale caught it and hit a Samoan drop. He teased the border toss to the floor, but Shibata slipped out and nailed him with a running kick that sent him over the top rope to the floor. Holy crap. Fale grabbed Shibata by the throat on the apron and lifted him up into the thumb spike and both men spilled to the floor. Fale got back into the ring first and Shibata was about to get back into the ring, but Fale charged at him and sent him crashing into the guardrail for the count out win.

Winner: Bad Luck Fale

Star rating: (**1/2) – The action was good here with Fale using his power to work over Shibata. Shibata mounted a nice comeback and they had some good exchanges before he lost via count out. At least we finally got a count out in the tournament after all of the teases.

(7) NWA Tag Team Champion Satoshi Kojima vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a G1 Climax A Block match. The action spilled to the floor during the early going and Nakamura set up Kojima on the ring apron and nailed him with a running knee to the head. Kojima surprised Nakamura by sweeping his legs out from under him on the apron as he tried to get back in the ring a short time later. Kojima tossed Nakamura back into the ring and then dove into the ring to barely beat the 20 count. He sent Nakamura into the corner a short time later and hit his signature Kobashi chops and followed up with an elbow off the top a short time later for a 2 count. Nakamura fired back and they began exchanging blows until Nakamura sent Kojima to the mat with a big forearm. They went at it again and Nakamura caught Kojima with a running kick a short time later. He nailed Kojima with several knees to the mid-section before doing his signature boot choke. He then set up Kojima over the top turnbuckle and nailed him with a running knee. Kojima fired back and hit a DDT. He caught Nakamura with an ace crusher a short time later. Kojima set up to toss off his elbow pad, but Nakamura popped up and hit a back stabber. Nakamura grabbed a sleeper hold and eventually transitioned it into a suplex. Nakamura set up for the Boma Ye, but Kojima got out of the way.

Kojima set up Nakamura on the top rope and hit a super ace crusher, but Nakamura kicked out at the last second. Nakamura fired back and went up top the second turnbuckle and connected with a leaping knee strike to the head for a near fall. He set up for the Boma Ye, but Kojima got out of the way and nailed him with a clothesline that left both men down on the mat. Kojima got up and hit a brainbuster, but Nakamura kicked out at the last second. He took off his elbow pad, but Nakamura blocked his first lariat attempt. Nakamura bounced off the ropes and ran into a huge lariat for a near fall. The fans fired up and chanted for Kojima. Kojima hit a series of forearms and a rolling elbow, but Nakamura caught him off the ropes with the Boma Ye for the win.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Star rating: (***1/2) – This was a very good match. Kojima was constantly able to avoid the Boma Ye and got several near falls on Nakamura before he put him away in the end.

(8) IWGP Hvt. Champion A.J. Styles vs. IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Champion Karl Anderson in a G1 Climax B Block match. They too sweet’d before the opening bell. Anderson got on his back and told Styles to cover him and then rolled Styles up for a near fall. Anderson begged off and held up the too sweet symbol after Styles kicked out. Anderson offered a handshake and Styles rolled him up with a handful of tights for a near fall. Styles begged off and Anderson told him to cut it out. They went to a big exchange and both guys went for kicks at the same time. They then both gave a clean break. Anderson offered to too sweet Styles, but then raked him across the eyes. The action spilled to the floor and Styles went for a springboard off the guardrail, but Anderson caught him and powerbombed him onto the apron. Anderson went for a hangman DDT off the guardrail a short time later, but Styles slipped away and suplexed Anderson into the guardrail. Anderson held his leg, but managed to beat the 20 count. Styles hit his signature dropkick a short time later and the fans applauded. Styles applied the last chancery, but Anderson managed to fight free. Anderson caught Styles with a spinebuster a short time later to get the upper hand.

They ended up going at it up top. Anderson punched Styles to the mat and nailed him with a jumping neck breaker off the top for a 2 count. Styles slipped out of an F5 and hit a springboard elbow a short time later. Styles set up for a Styles clash, but Anderson hit a backdrop. Styles flipped over Anderson out of the corner and caught him with a scorpion death drop for a 2 count. Anderson nailed Styles with a kick as he climbed the turnbuckles. They battled up top and Anderson got Styles on his shoulders and hit the F5 off the second turnbuckle for a near fall. Styles blocked the stun gun and nailed Anderson with a pair of jumping kicks to the head and both men were down. Both men got up and began exchanging blows in the middle of the ring. Styles lit up Anderson with a series of strikes, but Anderson fired right back with a big forearm. Styles hit a Pele kick, but Anderson followed Styles as he ran towards the rope and tried to surprise him with the stun gun. Styles push him off and they both hit clotheslines at the same time and went down to the mat. That was a great sequence. Both men got up and began exchanging blows. Anderson missed a big boot in the corner and Styles kicked away at his leg. Anderson ducked a splash in the corner and nailed Styles with a bicycle kick. He then went for a powerbomb, but Styles rolled over him. Styles went for the Styles clash, but Anderson kicked out of it. Anderson charged at Styles, but Styles rolled him up into a Texas cloverleaf variation. I’m amazed at how smoothly they pulled that spot off. Anderson struggled in the cloverleaf, but eventually got the ropes. Styles set up for the Styles clash, but Anderson dropped down. Styles then bounced off the ropes, but Anderson caught him and hit a big DDT for a near fall. Anderson went for the stun gun, but Styles pushed him off and hit a brainbuster. Styles then hit the Styles clash for the win.

Styles helped Anderson to his feet and they too sweet’d after the match.

Winner: A.J. Styles

Star rating: (****) – This was excellent. They had a really good start to the match with both guys trying to double cross each other. The action was so smooth during the match and they had an incredible sequence late in the match where Styles tried to bounce off the ropes and Anderson followed him for the stun gun, but Styles shrugged him off. Styles is really good.

(9) Shelton Benjamin vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in a G1 Climax Block A match. Tanahashi hit a springboard splash out of the corner during the early stages of the match. He tried to hit a slingshot splash to the floor, but Benjamin nailed him with an uppercut. Benjamin then lifted Tanahashi over his head and dumped him over the guardrail. Benjamin tossed Tanahashi back into the ring and began working him over. Benjamin grabbed an abdominal stretch and mocked Tanahashi by playing air guitar on his mid-section before sending him to the mat with a big elbow to his side. Benjamin then grabbed a bear hug. Tanahashi fought free, but Benjamin quickly caught him with a knee to the mid-section. Tanahashi ducked a charge in the corner and hit Benjamin with a flying forearm off the ropes. He then hit a flip senton off the second turnbuckle for a 2 count. Benjamin managed to skin the cat a short time later and he caught Tanahashi with his signature spin kick for a 2 count. He then applied an ankle lock on Tanahashi. Tanahashi tried to fight free, but Benjamin rolled through and held on to the ankle lock. Tanahashi eventually used his legs to send Benjamin into the turnbuckles.

The fans began clapping in support of Tanahashi, but Benjamin managed to counter a spiral tap attempt into a suplex. Benjamin then went for pay dirt, but Tanahashi ducked and hit a straitjacket German for a 2 count. Benjamin mounted a comeback and placed Tanahashi on the top turnbuckle. Tanahashi sent Benjamin to the mat and went for the high fly flow, but Benjamin got out of the way. They went to a big exchange and Tanahashi hit the spiral tap. He went up top again and hit the high fly flow on a standing Benjamin. Tanahashi went up top again and hit the high fly flow for the win.

Tanahashi eventually made his way out of the ring holding his mid-section as he greeted several fans on his way to the back.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi

Star rating: (***1/2) – This was a good match. I was bothered a bit by Tanahashi’s lack of selling his leg and mid-section late in the match after Benjamin had worked them both over extensively. The match was a little slow to start, but overall this was good.

(10) Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada in a G1 Climax B Block match. The fans were hot before both men went at it. The fans began chanting for Okada, although the heat was nothing at the level of some of the other pre-match chants for Okada during the tournament. Goto clotheslined Okada over the top to the floor during the early stages of the match. Okada whipped Goto into the guardrail and then hit a running boot that sent Goto into the crowd. Okada followed with a hangman DDT and Goto was down on the outside. Goto barely beat the 20 count getting back into the ring. Okada shrugged off a series of chops and nailed Goto with a sliding dropkick. Goto followed Okada as he went off the ropes and surprised him with a huge lariat. Goto began working over Okada. Okada limped when Goto whipped him into the corner and Goto nailed him with a huge leg lariat in the corner. Okada tried to fire back, but Goto shrugged off a boot to the head and nailed him with a big lariat for a 2 count. Okada fired back and caught Goto with the emerald frozien neck breaker variation. Okada went up top and hit a big elbow. He then signaled for the rainmaker, but Goto ducked it and got Okada up on his shoulders. Okada and Goto went to a big exchange and Goto ducked another rainmaker and nailed Okada with a neck breaker over his knee and both men were down. That was one heck of an exchange!

The fans chanted for Okada with both men down. Okada nailed Goto with a huge running dropkick that sent him flying into the corner. He then hit a suplex for a 2 count. Both men jockeyed for position. Okada hit a series of uppercuts and they went to an exchange off the ropes. Okada went for a dropkick, but Goto held onto the ropes and then nailed him with a huge clothesline for a near fall. Goto then lifted Okada above his head and dropped him face-first over his knee for a near fall. The fans really fired up as Goto lifted Okada. Okada kneed his way out of a brainbuster. Goto went off the ropes and Okada caught him with a dropkick and both men were down again. The fans chanted for Okada as both men struggled to get to their feet. Goto fired back out of the corner a short time later and they eventually went at it up top. Goto hit a big headbutt. Okada ended up firing back and hit a backdrop off the top. He followed up with a gorgeous dropkick to the back of Goto’s head and hit a tombstone. Okada signaled for the rainmaker, but Goto ducked it and hit a zip line headbutt on Okada. Okada countered a suplex and hit a German with a bridge for a near fall. He then hit a huge rainmaker for the win.

The fans applauded after the match and Okada got on the mic. The fans applauded as Okada cut his promo. He then handed the mic to Gedo and the fans applauded and chanted for Gedo. The fans applauded as Gedo cut his promo. He said Okada would win G1.

The fans chanted for Okada as he posed to close the show.

Winner: Kazuchika Okada

Star rating: (****1/4) – This was an excellent match. The crowd got really hot for Okada during the match. Okada and Goto worked in some really good sequences late in the match with some nice pacing bringing the crowd up and down. Goto’s counter of the rainmaker late and hitting a headbutt out of the rainmaker setup was a great moment late in the match.

Overall score: (7.5) – The undercard for night 9 of the G1 Climax 24 was extremely flat with the exception of the Honma-Smith opener. The crowd was a lot flatter compared to most of the previous nights. The highlights of the show were the excellent Styles-Anderson and Okada-Goto main event.

The show started off with a hot match between Honma and Smith. They set the crowd on fire and it’s amazing that for nine shows the crowd has been teased with the possibility of a Honma win. Honma’s comebacks against Smith were fantastic and he has to be considered for MVP of the tournament, despite not winning a single match. He’s been really good each and every night.

Styles continues to be a major story in the tournament. He is putting on the best matches of his career right now and night in and night out it’s almost a guarantee that he’s going to have an excellent match no matter who his opponent is. The counters late between Styles and Anderson were fantastic, especially a stretch late where Styles countered the stun gun numerous times before picking up the win.

The Okada-Goto main event was a fantastic end to the show. The crowd fired up in support of Tanahashi. They did a really good job of pacing the match and bringing the crowd up and down. Goto countered a lot of Okada’s signature offense and seemed to be poised to hand Okada another loss. His counter out of the rainmaker late in the match after taking the tombstone was fantastic.

The big picture stories of the tournament continued to play out. Tanahashi and Okada both once against mirrored each other on opposite blocks and picked up wins. This time it was Okada’s turn to have the show closing promo. This was one of the weaker shows on the tournament, but it was still pretty darn good, especially the second half of the show.

You can purchase NJPW “G1 Climax 24: Night 9” on VOD by clicking HERE or by visiting Ustream.tv/njpw.

***

Please click HERE and click “like” to join the Radican’s Wrestling Community Facebook fan page.

Follow Sean on Twitter at Twitter.com/SeanRadican

We suggest these recent related articles...

CALDWELL'S ROH ASE PPV REPORT 9/18: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of All-Star Extravaganza - Jay Lethal defends two titles, ANX, more

RADICAN'S "EVOLVE 47" iPPV REPORT 8/15 - Tremendous all-around show, Bailey vs. Chris Hero, Thatcher-Sabre for EVOLVE Title, more

RADICAN'S NJPW "G1 Climax Finals" PPV Report 8/16: ReDRagon-Young Bucks, KUSHIDA-Ricochet, Tanahashi-Nakamura match for the ages in final