Other PPVs RADICAN'S NJPW "G1 Climax Night 3" Blog 7/24: Results & star ratings for tournament matches, viewing guide, overall thoughts, more!
Jul 24, 2015 - 2:14:10 PM
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By Sean Radican, Torch columnist
RADICAN’S “G1 CLIMAX 25: NIGHT 3” BLOG
JULY 24, 2015
KYOTO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPWWORLD.COM
I’m not watching the tag matches on the undercard this year, but I will include the results. If anything noteworthy happens in a particular tag match, I will watch it.
Update: I couldn’t review day 2 on a one camera shot. It was just too much of a pain to watch. Day 3 apparently has cameras, but no commentary. My patience is wearing thing with the ametuer hour production on this show and the last one, but this show is watchable with multiple cameras.
UNDERCARD RESULTS
(1) Satoshi Kojima & Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask & Yohei Komatsu beat Michael Elgin & Máscara Dorada & Jay White & David Finley.
(5) IWGP Hvt. Tag Champion Doc Gallows (0) vs. Kota Ibushi (0) in a G1 Climax A Block match. Gallows lifted Ibushi up on the apron and violently tossed him to the ground during the early moments of the match. The fans tried to rally behind Ibushi as he continued to take a beating from Gallows. Gallows continued to put a beating on Ibushi for a long period of time until he fired up and hit a Pele kick. Ibushi sent Gallows to the floor and followed up with his signature moonsault to the floor. Gallows fired back and hit a twisting slam on Ibushi off his back for a 2 count. Gallows followed up with a jack hammer a short time later, but Ibushi managed to kick out. Ibushi tried to surprise Gallows with a hurricanrana out of a powerbomb attempt, but he ended up sliding around him and rolling him up for the win.
Winner: Kota Ibushi (2 pts.)
Star rating: (**3/4) – This was a solid opening match, but it seemed like Gallows was on the verge of pulling the upset until Ibushi got a victory roll in the end.
(6) Bad Luck Fale (0) vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Togi Makabe (2) in a G1 Climax 25 A Block match. Fale dominated the action during the early going and choked Makabe on the floor. Fale continued to put a beating on Makabe back in the ring for a long period of time. Makabe decided it was time to mount a comeback and he fired up and began nailing Fale with punches. Makabe then hit his signature baby punches in the corner on Fale as the fans fired up. They went back and forth and Makabe finished off Fale with a huge clothesline for a 2 count to end the sequence. Fale mounted a comeback and hit a big splash off the ropes for a 2 count. Makabe fired back and went up top. Fale caught him and went for his pop-up thumb, but Makabe blocked it. Fale then hit a spear off the ropes and the bad luck fall for the win.
Winner: Bad Luck Fale (2 pts.)
Star rating: (**) – This was fine while it lasted. They kept the match short and it featured some good back and forth action. Fale winning likely sets him up to challenge Makabe for the NEVER Openweight Title after the tournament.
(7) A.J. Styles (2) vs. Toru Yano (0) in a G1 Climax 25 A Block match. Yano ducked under the ropes and screamed for a break. He then hit Styles with a water bottle form behind and ran under the ropes and screamed for a break. Styles eventually tripped him to the floor while he was doing his pose and tossed him into the guardrail. Styles went for a springboard off the guardrail a short time later, but Yano tossed a chair at him and went on the attack on the floor. Styles fired back on the floor a short time later and told Yano he was going to kill him with the chair, but the ref stopped him. Styles argued with the ref and Yano raked his eyes after turning him around. Styles caught Yano with his signature dropkick inside the ring a short time later and the fans gasped. The fans chanted for Yano with Styles on the attack. Styles did a Jericho style cover, but the ref refused to count. Styles went to work on Yano’s leg a short time later. Styles got a figure 4, but Yano managed to reach the ropes. Yano ended up pushing the ref into the ropes when Styles went for a springboard, which caused Styles to crash and burn. Yano then undid the turnbuckle padding and nailed Styles with it. The fans fired up and Yano hit his signature pose and ducked without looking when Styles tried to attack him from behind. Yano then hit his pose again, but this time he turned around into a springboard elbow from Styles. Styles then hit a suplex into the exposed turnbuckles on Yano for a 2 count. Yano fired back and sent Styles into the exposed turnbuckles and hit a powerbomb for a near fall. Yano went for a low blow, but Styles blocked it and hit a Pele kick that left both men down. Yano hit a low blow on Styles and went for his signature dirty pin, but Styles kicked out. Styles rolled through on another rollup attempt and got the calf killer. Yano screamed in pain before tapping out.
Winner: A.J. Styles (4 pts.)
Star rating: (***1/4) – This was much better than I was expecting with Styles enhancing the typical Yano match formula with a very good performance. Yano is a lot of fun to watch on certain occasions and he was very good in this match.
(8) Katsuyori Shibata (0) vs. Tetsuya Naito (2) in a G1 Climax 25 A Block match. Shibata went after Naito before he could even take his suit off. Naito ditched his mask and slowly began taking his suit off on the apron, so Shibata nailed him with a running kick that sent him flying into the barricade. Shibata nailed Naito with a running kick on the floor that sent him over the barricade. Shibata applied a figure 4, but Naito eventually managed to get the ropes. Naito popped up a short time later and surprised Shibata with a basement dropkick and the fans booed. Naito then went to work on Shibata’s leg on the outside. He ended up placing Shibata’s leg over the guardrail and then he nailed it with a double stomp off the apron. Naito then slowly took off the rest of his suit in the ring. Naito applied a figure 4 on Shibata and the fans tried to rally behind him. Shibata eventually got to the ropes and sold his leg. Shibata began to fire up as Naito nailed him with forearms. Shibata then began returning fire and the fans fired up. Shibata tried to keep Naito down in the corner, but he kept popping up and following him into the opposite corner. Naito eventually caught Shibata with a big running dropkick in the corner and the fans booed. Naito nailed Shibata with several kicks to the head that were light and smiled. Shibata then popped up and surprised him with a running knee. Shibata tore off some of the tape around his arm and began face washing Naito in the corner over and over. He then nailed Naito with a huge running kick in the corner and the fans fired up.
Naito popped up again and surprised Shibata with a basement dropkick. He went for his signature dropkick in the corner, but Shibata avoided it and nailed him with a double stomp! Shibata then nailed Naito with a running dropkick in the corner. Naito fired back with his signature leaping forearm off the ropes. He then went up top and hit a missile dropkick to Shibata’s back. Naito hit a German with a bridge for a 2 count. He held on and went for a dragon suplex, but Shibata blocked it. Naito ducked a kick and grabbed a single-leg crab. Shibata struggled, as Naito worked over his leg at a high angle before getting to the ropes. Naito began slapping Shibata across the face. He hit an enzuguri, but Shibata didn’t go down. Naito hit several more slaps, but Shibata decked him with a slap and grabbed a sleeper. Naito tried to break the hold, but Shibata got it even deeper. Naito began to fade and Shibata released the hold and nailed him with the penalty kick. Shibata then dropped his knees over Naito and it was good for the pin.
After the match, Naito shrugged off help from the young boys and sort of smiled before heading to the back.
Winner: Katsuyori Shibata (2 pts.)
Star rating: (***3/4) – This was a fantastic match. They didn’t get a ton of time, but Naito is such a good jerk heel. He worked over Shibata’s leg throughout the match and popped up over and over when Shibata would try to pummel him. In the end Naito was being a jerk and nailing Shibata with slaps and he paid for it.
(9) NWA Hvt. Champion Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) in G1 Climax 25 A Block match. The fans were behind Tanahashi during the early going, but turned on him when he didn’t offer a clean break on Tenzan. The fans then broke into a big chant for Tenzan and Tanahashi looked upset. Kyoto is Tenzan’s hometown. Tanahashi got on top of Tenzan a short time later and slapped him across the face before backing away and the fans gasped. Tenzan wouldn’t go down when Tanahashi went for a pair of shoulder tackles and he sent Tanahashi down with a clothesline of his own. He then began nailing Tanahashi with double chops until he went down. Tanahashi eventually mounted a comeback on the floor. He set Tenzan up with his head over the apron and nailed him with several strikes to the front and back of his head and the fans booed. Tanahashi worked over Tenzan back inside the ring and the fans tried to fire up behind him. Tenzan eventually mounted a comeback. Tanahashi hit a headbutt, but Tenzan shook it off. Tanahashi sold that he had hurt himself. Then began exchanging double chops until Tenzan hit a backdrop. They went back and forth and Tanahashi grabbed a dragon sleeper, but Tenzan got the ropes and the fans fired up. Tenzan caught Tanahashi coming off the ropes with a leg lariat a short time later for a 2 count. Tenzan went up top for a headbutt, but Tanahashi got out of the way. Tanahasi climbed the ropes quickly and went for the high fly flow, but Tenzan got his knees up!
Tenzan got the anaconda vice a short time later and Tanahashi tried to fight his way out of it. Tenzan wrenched back on the hold and Tanahashi continued to struggle. Tanahashi began to rise, but Tenzan maintained the hold and slammed him down to the mat for a near fall and the fans gasped! Holy crap! Tenzan applied the hold again, but Tanahashi rolled on top of him for a good near fall. They went back and forth and Tanahashi hit a twisting neck breaker followed by a sling blade for a near fall. Tanahashi went up top quickly and hit the high fly flow for the win!
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (4 pts.)
Star rating: (****1/4) – Another fantastic performance from Tanahashi. He’s such a pro and knows how to make his opponents look good. He went slightly heel here in Tenzan’s hometown and really fired up the crowd behind Tenzan, who was great in this match as well. What a start to the tournament for Tanahashi.
After the match, Tenzan and Tanahashi bowed to each other and Tenzan left the ring to applause from the fans. The fans then got back behind Tanahashi and chanted his name. He teased leaving and the fans went nuts, so he got back into the ring and did his usual post-match air guitar routine.
Overall thoughts: The G1 matches on this card were strong overall, but the last three are worth going out of your way to check out. Styles-Yano, Shibata-Naito, and Tanahashi-Tenzan all delivered in the ring. I continue to marvel at Tanahashi’s ability to put on high-caliber matches like this on a consistent basis, especially after taking a vacation of sorts for several months feuding with Yano and participating in tag matches.
Yano vs. Styles was better than I was expecting. Yano did a good job of trying to get under Styles’s skin under Styles finally got the upper hand and put him away with the calf killer in the end. Shibata-Naito was a really strong match, albeit on the short side. Naito’s heel character is a blast to watch and he was fantastic against Shibata, although his actions only served to really make Shibata angry with a blistering finish to the match.
Tanahashi put in another amazing performance in the main event. It’s really amazing to watch him on this stage. He did everything right in this match to get the fans on Tenzan’s side before delivering another blistering performance in the ring. Tenzan is good and can still have high-level matches, but this match far surpassed my expectations. We are really in for a treat if Tanahashi can keep this up for most of the tournament, although he’ll have some heavy lifting to do against the likes of Yano, Fale, and Gallows.
Quick G1 Climax 25: Night 3 Viewing Guide
What to watch: Styles-Yano, Shibata-Naito, Tanahashi-Tenzan
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