RADICAN’S 8/5 G1 Climax 27: Night 14 report – Omega-Robinson, Elgin-Suzuki, Okada-EVIL

RADICAN’S G1 CLIMAX 27: NIGHT 14 REPORT
AUG. 5, 2017
OSAKA, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPWWORLD.COM

This show had a multi-camera shoot and Japanese commentary.

I will not be reviewing any of the non-tournament matches this year, but I will provide the daily results. If any undercard match turns out to be extremely noteworthy, I will make an exception in certain cases.

UNDERCARD RESULTS

1) Chase Owens beat Katsuya Kitamura.

(2) Suzuki Gun (IZack Sabre Jr. & Taichi & El Desperado) beat uji Nagata & Shota Umino & Tetsuhiro Yagi.

(3) Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi) beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Tomoyuki Oka

(4) L.I.J. (Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi) beat Togi Makabe & Tiger Mask IV & Hirai Kawato.

(5) CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI) beat Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi & David Finlay.

B BLOCK RESULTS & ANALYSIS

(6) Tama Tonga (4) vs. Toru Yano (4) in a G1 Climax 27 B Block match. Tonga snuck behind Yano while he was making his entrance. He then chased Yano around the ring like something out of a cartoon. He snuck under the ring and popped out the other side and attacked Yano. He tried to tape Yano’s hand to the guardrail to get a count out win, but Yano had scissors in his tights. Both men tried to use dirty tactics, but Yano finally got the ref distraction he needed and hit a low blow and rolled up Tonga for the win.

Winner: Toru Yano ( pts) – this was fun while it lasted.

(7) SANADA (8) vs. Satoshi Kojima (0) in a G1 Climax 27 B Block match. This was amazing. SANADA dominated for the most part. He had the skull end and it looked like it was over for Kojima, who hadn’t won yet in the tournament. SANADA let go and went for the moonsault finish, but Kojima got out of the way. SANADA went for the moonsault again a short later, but Kojima rolled out of the way. Kojima got some good near falls and then he hit a western lariat to the back of SANADA’s head before finishing him off with the kozy lariat! The fans went nuts for the finish. Wow!!

Winner: Satoshi Kojima (2 pts)

Star rating: (****)

(8) Michael Elgin (4) vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki (w/El Desperado & Taichi) (8) in a G1 Climax 27 B Block match. Taichi got in Elgin’s face before the match and Elgin glared at him. Elgin wiped out Desperado with a kick through the ropes. The numbers game finally caught up to Elgin on the outside, as Suzuki worked him over with a chair with a the ref distracted. Taichi and Desperado eventually put the boots to Elgin after Suzuki had worked over his arm with the chair while Suzuki distracted the ref. Suzuki nailed Elgin with several chair shots to the back with the ref still distracted. He then put a chair around Elgin’s arm and slammed it into the ringpost. Elgin finally cut off his attack with a powerslam back inside the ring as Suzuki came off the ropes. Elgin hit a slingshot splash and sold his arm. Elgin slipped out of a choke attempt and hit two rolling elbows for a 2 count. The fans fired up and chanted for Elgin. Suzuki blocked a lariat attempt and grabbed an arm submission, but Elgin managed to get to the ropes. Suzuki grabbed the ref and hit him before shoving him over. Tachi and Desperado wrapped a chair around Elgin’s arm and Taichi hit a conchairto on it. The ref recovered and Suzuki went for a cross-arm breaker and Elgin blocked it. Suzuki got the arm breaker, but Elgin rolled on top of him. He then lifted Suzuki and threw him off and both men were down. Suzuki grabbed a sleeper and went for the Gotch, but Elgin hit a backdrop. Suzuki blocked a pair of clotheslines and grabbed a front chancery, but Elgin countered it into a falcon arrow for a near fall!

Elgin hit the buckle bomb and Suzuki collapsed into the ref. Taichi and Desperado ran into the ring. Elgin grabbed them both and hit a huge double overhead suplex. He went after Suzuki, but he grabbed a choke. Suzuki let it go and Elgin hit a HUGE spinning backfirst. He then hit the Elgin bomb for the win!

Winner: Michael Elgin (6 pts)

Star rating: (***½) – This was a good match. There was so much interference from Desperado and Taichi that it felt ridiculous at times that Elgin didn’t win the match by DQ. Suzuki tried to go after Elgin after the match and collapsed. He then attacked a Young Lion and took down several sections of the guardrail on his way to the back.

(9) Juice Robinson (2) vs. IWGP U.S. Champion Kenny Omega (10) in a G1 Climax 27 B Block match. Robinson hasn’t won since the first night of B block action. He’s been dealing with a leg injury, but has had some tremendous matches in the tournament. Omega offered a clean break, but not before slapping Robinson lightly across the chest and hitting him with a slap to the face. He did the same thing in the opposite corner and Robinson measured him with some big left hands, but Omega raked his eyes. Robinson fired back and clotheslined Omega over the top to the floor. Robinson hit a big splash back inside the ring after slamming Omega into the corner. Omega sold it by flipping out of the corner and rolling to the ropes on the opposite side of the ring, which was pretty funny. Omega fired back and suplexed himself and Robinson over the top all the way to the floor as a tribute to the retiring Davey Richards. Omega began to target Robinson’s leg, as he slammed it over the ringpost several times. Omega then set up for a figure 4 on the ringpost and he got it. The ref admonished him and made him break the hold. Omega lifted Robinson up and slammed him knee first into a table over the guardrail, but the table didn’t break all the way.Robinson struggled, but managed to get back into the ring at the ref’s count of 16. Omega went right after Robinson’s leg when he got back into the ring. Robinson mounted a comeback and hit a full nelson into a uranagi. Omega went for the Finlay roll/moonsault combination, but Robinson got his knees up. Onega took his knee pad down and went for a V Trigger, but Robinson got out of the way. Robinson wiped him out with a huge lariat and a powerbomb for a 2 count.

Robinson set up for pulp friction. Omega tried to fight out of it and eventually hit a snap dragon suplex. Omega hit a cross-legged neck breaker over his knee. He then set up for a V Trigger, but Robinson wiped him out with a big kick ot the head. Robinson sold his leg and went for pulp friction, but Omega fired back and hit a V Trigger. Robinson ducked another V Trigger and went for a German, but Omega landed on his feet. Robinson blocked another V Trigger attempt and hit his signature KO punch. He set up for pulp friction, but Omega blocked it. They went back and forth and Omega went for the one winged angel. Robinson escaped and went for pulp friction again, but Omega slipped out and hit a poison hurricanrana. Omega hit a huge V Trigger against the ropes and went for the one winged angel, but Robinson rolled through at the very last second and it was good for the pin! WOW.

The crowd exploded as Robinson sold shock inside the ring. The announcers sold shock on commentary as well. WOW! Robinson acted like he couldn’t believe he won the match. Robinson sold his leg as he headed to the back. The fans continued to clap. One fan had a Juice jersey and Robinson went into the crowd to bump fists with him.

Winner: Juice Robinson (4 pts)

Star rating: (****) – What a finish to this match. The fans didn’t see it coming and I don’t think anyone watching at home saw it coming either. Omega picked apart Robinson throughout the match and went after his injured leg. Robinson had some great comebacks, but things never looked great for him. He was nearly down for the one-winged angel when he rolled through at the last second into a small package for the win. It looks like Robinson is in line for a shot at the IWGP U.S. Title in the fall.

(10) IWGP Hvt. Champion Kazuchika Okada (w/Gedo) (12) vs. EVIL (8). The fans chanted for both men before they went at it. Okada was in control early and went for a slingshot, but EVIL popped up and shoved him off the apron and into the guardrail. EVIL took control on the outside and hit the conchairto variation on Okada. EVIL continued to dominate Okada once they got back into the ring. Okada finally avoided a senton after a big exchange and both men were down. Okada took control once the got back to their feet. He eventually hit a diving uppercut for a 2 count. EVIL countered Okada and hit a swinging neck breaker and both men were down once again. Okada got the upper hand and hit a neck breaker over his knee. Okada hit his signature diving elbow and signaled for the rainmaker. EVIL grabbed Okada by the hair when he went for the rainmaker. They went back and forth and Okada hit a dropkick that sent EVIL flying to the floor. Okada booted EVIL over the guardrail a short time later. He went for a splash, but EVIL tossed a chair right into him. WOW! EVIL set up a stack of chairs in the crowd and hit darkness falls on Okada into the pile of chairs! Okada sold death on the floor. EVIL went and got Okada and tossed him back in the ring so he wouldn’t be counted out.

EVIL hit darkness falls back inside the ring for a near fall. Okada looked to be out of it. EVIL did the throat slash gesture across Okada’s throat and went for the STO, but Okada blocked it. EVIL placed Okada on the top turnbuckle. He went for a fisherman buster off the top, but Okada fought out of it. Okada punched him down to the mat. He then hit a missile dropkick on a kneeling EVIL and both men were down! WOW! They went back and forth and Okada got the upper hand. He hit the too awesome dropkick and the fans fired up. Okada set up for a rainmaker, but EVIL elbowed out of it. Okada got a running start to go off the ropes, but EVIL obliterated him with a clothesline. He followed up with a half and half suplex and then another HUGE clothesline for a near fall. WOW! Okada countered another STO into a rainmaker and both men were down! WOW! Okada dragged EVIL back up and hit a second rainmaker! He set up for another rainmaker, but EVIL countered it and then hit a HUGE headbutt to Okada’s chest. He then lifted Okada up for the STO, but Okada countered it into a German. He held on and went for another rainmaker, but EVIL countered it into the STO for the win. HOLY S–T! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?

After the match, EVIL put his foot on Okada chest and posed over him. EVIL cut a promo after the match and said, “Welcome to the darkness world” in English to Okada. The fans chanted for EVIL as Okada was helped to the back. The fans chanted along as EVIL said, “This is evil. Everything is EVIL!” The fans then cheered after EVIL ended his pormo and did a throat slash gesture.

Winner: EVIL (10 pts)

Star rating: (****½) – The night of upsets continues! WOW! This was an amazing match. EVIL took Okada into the crowd and hit darkness falls. Then he survived two rainmakers and finally hit the STO to counter a third rainmaker attempt from Okada to win. This was amazing. A star making moment for EVIL.

Overall thoughts: This was one of the most memorable nights of the tournament to date. There’s usually a night of upsets and tonight was the night. Kojima set the tone right away for the B block getting his first win of the night in an awesome match against SANADA. Listening to the crowd react to his comeback was amazing.

Elsewhere on the card, Juice Robinson, who hadn’t won since night 1 while selling a leg injury for most of the tournament, got a huge upset win over Omega. Once again, the real pleasure in watching this match was the crowd responding to Robinson’s shocking victory. Robinson mounted a spirited comeback late and the set the stage for the end of the match. Omega brutalized his leg and in the end it just wasn’t enough. Robinson couldn’t hit pulp friction down the stretch, but just when he looked to be put down by the one-winged angel, he rolled through and got the three count for the win.

The main event was a star making performance EVIL. He brutalized Okada with darkness falls into a pile of chairs in the crowd. Okada really got on track late and countered EVIL’s STO finish multiple times. He hit two rainmakers and looked to be on the verge of hitting a third after hitting a huge German, but EVIL countered the rainmaker into the STO for the win.

I highly suggest watching Kojima-SANADA, Omega-Robinson, and especially Okada-EVIL. This was a star making night for EVIL and he will likely headline a PPV in the fall against Okada with the IWGP Hvt. Championship on the line. Omega and Okada losing on the same night is interesting, as things were kept on pace for them to meet with a trip to the finals on the line on the final night of B block action. EVIL is also in the mix with 10 points.

STANDINGS AFTER NIGHT 14

A BLOCK

Hiroshi Tanahashi (5-2, 10 pts)
Tetsuya Naito (5-2, 10 pts)
Kota Ibushi (4-3, 8 pts)
Zack Sabre Jr. (4-3, 8 pts)
Tomohiro Ishii (4-3, 8 pts)
Bad Luck Fale (4-3, 8 pts)
Hirooki Goto (4-3, 8 pts)
Togi Makabe (3-4, 6 pts)
YOSHI-HASHI (2-5, 4 pts)
Yuji Nagata (0-7, 0 pts)

B BLOCK

Kazuchika Okada (6-1, 12 pts)
Kenny Omega (5-2, 10 pts)
EVIL (5-2, 10 pts)
Minoru Suzuki (4-3, 8 pts)
EVIL (5-2, 10 pts)
SANADA (4-3, 8 pts)
Toru Yano (3-4, 6 pts)
Michael Elgin (3-4, 6 pts)
Tama Tonga (2-5, 4 pts)
Juice Robinson (2-5, 4 pts)
Satoshi Kojima (1-6, 2 pts)

I will provide a list of matches ranked at **** or higher for people just looking to watch the best matches from the tournament. This guide is also handy for those of you that are short on time and looking to sample the best of each night of G1 Climax 27.

Match recommendations for G1 Climax 27: Night 14

(7) Satoshi Kojima vs. SANADA (****)

(9) IWGP U.S. Champion Kenny Omega vs. Juice Robinson (****)

(10) IWGP Hvt. Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL (****½)

ATTENTION: Read Radican’s G1 Climax 27: Night 13 report by clicking HERE

Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow Sean on twitter HERE. Follow and like Radican’s Wrestling Community Facebook.com HERE