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RADICAN’S NJPW G1 CLIMAX 29: NIGHT 13 BLOG
AUGUST 3, 2019
EDION ARENA OSAKA
OSAKA, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
(5) Bad Luck Fale (w/Jado) (2) vs. Kenta (8) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. Chase Owens distracted the ref late in the match when Kenta had Fale in Game Over. Jado came in and tried to hit Kenta with his kendo stick and the distraction allowed Fale to roll him up from behind for the win.
Winner: Bad Luck Fale (4 pts). (**)
(Radican’s Analysis: If Okada wins Kenta is eliminated. Tough loss for Kenta here, as he is in danger out of falling out of contention.)
(6) Lance Archer (4) vs. British Undisputed Champion Zack Sabre Jr. (4) in a G1 Climax A Block match. Both men are eliminated and the announcers played it as this could be Archer wrestling for a shot at Sabre’s Title. This starter at a slower pace than I expected. Archer controlled the action early and Sabre couldn’t work his submission game. Archer went high risk and missed and Sabre worked over his knee on the mat. Sabre countered the Derailer into a guillotine at one point. Saber countered a chokeslam into a triangle. He transitioned the hold and Archer was in big trouble on the mat, but Archer got the ropes. Sabre blocked the EBD Claw and turned it into an arm bar. Sabre was rolling, but Archer hit a black hole slam for a near fall. Archer finally hit a big chokeslam for a near fall because He pulled Sabre’s head up. Sabre countered Blackout into a choke and then turned it into a rollup for the win.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. (6 pts). (***)
(Radican’s Analysis: This got off to a slow start, but was good late. Archer’s steak of close losses in the tournament continues.)
After the match, Archer put the EBD Claw on the ref.
(7) Evil (6) vs. IWGP Jr. Hvt. Champion Will Ospreay (4) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. The fans in Osaka were hot for Ospreay. Evil got his knees up on a standing SSP attempt and wiped Ospreay out with a shoulder tackle. He then sent Evil to the floor with a shoulder tackle. Evil swung for the fences and connected with Ospreay’s injured neck on the floor. He continued to go after his neck back inside the ring. Ospreay mounted a comeback after hitting a stunner. Evil fired back with a suplex into the turnbuckles for a two count. Ospreay got on track and hit the Sasuke Special. Ospreay went up top and Evil tried to get out of the way, but Ospreay got down and hit him with a coast to coast dropkick. Evil blocked a Stormbreaker attempt and hit a misdirection lariat and both men were down. They traded holds until Evil hit Darkness Falls for a near fall. He went for EIE, but Ospreay flipped out of it and hit a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. They had some spectacular exchanges and Ospreay got on track and hit the Os-Cutter for a nearfall. They traded counters of their respective finishers and Ospreay got the upper and and hit the Robinson Special. Evil blocked the super Os-Cutter and took Ospreay to suplex City. He finished the sequence with a huge lariat for a near fall. Evil then hit EIE for the win.
Winner: Evil (8 pts). (****1/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: Great action here. Evil as a powerhouse was a great foil for Ospreay’s high flying. The counter exchanges were great and Evil stays alive with the win.)
(8) Kota Ibushi (8) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (8) in a G1 Climax 29 B Block match. This is a rematch of the G1 finals last year. Tanahashi went after Ibushi’s injured ankle. Ibushi mounted a comeback and hit a standing moonsault. Tanahashi cut him off right away with a dragon screw. Tanahashi got the Cloverleaf and really sat down on it. Ibushi struggled, but got got to the ropes. Ibushi was on the floor and Tanahashi went up top only got Ibushi to spring up to the apron and hit a super rana. Tanahashi went for a basement dropkick, but Ibushi turned it into a double stomp. The intensity picked up and they began slapping each other across the face. Tanahashi hit three big slaps, but Ibushi fired back with a lariat and both men were down. Ibushi went for Kamigoye, but Tanahashi turner it into a series of rolling Twists and Shouts. He then hit a big Slingblade. He hit a standing HFF. He went for a traditional HFF, but Ibushi moved and he clutched his knee.
Ibushi hit the Nakamura pose in the corner and hit a Boma Ye for a nearfall. Tanahashi countered the Kamigoye into a rollup for a nearfall. Ibushi fired back and hit the Kamigoye for the win. Ibushi did what he could not do in the finals last year and beat Tanahashi.
Winner: Kota Ibushi (10 pts). (****1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a war. I had a feeling after Tanahashi beat Evil in the main event of night 11 and really soaked in the post match stage that he was going to take a step back this year. Ibushi came through big time in this match with some spectacular exchanges.)
(9) IWGP Hvt. Champion Kazuchika Okada (12) vs. Sanada (4) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. The bell rang and the fans went nuts chanting for both men. A Okada win can eliminate Kenta and Tanahashi. Okada got on a roll and sent Sanada to the floor with dropkick up top. The announcers mentioned that Sanada has had issues with his neck. The fans chanted for Sanada as Okada worked him over. Okada hit a dropkick to Okada’s knee to stop his momentum. Sanada got the Paradise Lock and the fans fired up and Sanada pumped them up a bit before hitting a dropkick. Okada fired back and cut Sanada off with a flapjack.
Sanada got the upper hand and hit a high angle backdrop right before the 15 minute mark. Kelly mentioned they went 38 minutes when they met for the title in May. Okada hit his signature neck breaker a short time later. Okada dropped the elbow off the top and signaled for the Rainmaker. Sanada sucked the Rainmaker and got Skull End. Okada flipped over Sanada using the turnbuckles and hit a tombstone. Sanada ducked a Rainmaker and hit Total Anarchy and both men were down. Wow! A big chant for Sanada came from the fans in Osaka.
They had a big strike exchange in the middle of the ring. Okada caught Sanada with a dropkick and went for the Rainmaker. Sanada tried to float over him and eventually did. Sanada got Skull End. He let it go and hit a tiger suplex with a bridge for a near fall. Sanada hit a TKO for a two count. He missed a Muta Moonsault, but landed on his feet. He favorited his knee. He sprung over Okada and got Skull End, but Okada countered it into a short Rainmaker. Okada held onto Sanada’s arm. He held another Rainmaker as the fans went crazy. He went for the full Rainmaker, but Sanada countered it into one of his own. Wow! Sanada got the Skull End and spun Okada around. He dropped him to the mat and got the hooks in. Okada got his head out of it and tried to get to the ropes, but Sanada hooked his arm. Sanada tried to get Skull End again. He got it standing. He then dropped down with Okada again. Wow! Sanada cranked on the hold. The ref kept checking and Sanada leaned backwards onto Sanada for a near fall. Sanada kicked out and applied Skull End again with three minutes left in the match. Sanada let go and went up top for the Muta Moonsault, but Okada got his knees up!
Sanada went for Skull End, but Okada hit a dropkick. He went for a Rainmaker, but Sanada got a pop up TKO. He hit a Muta Moonsault with under 30 seconds left to Okada’s back and then another one to his front with under 20 left and won the match! WOW!
Winner: Sanada (6 pts). (****3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: The announcers mentions this building hasn’t been kind to IWGP Hvt. champion and they were right. They told an amazing story with Sanada finally figuring out how to beat Okada after failing twice each time previously including twice this year.)
After the match, Sanada said finally I’ve beat my rival. The lights went down for Sanada’s promo and the fans waved their cell phone lights. He said last year in this building he lost to Okada in this building, but for just this moment, Oskada is awesome. The fans fired up big time for the close of his promo.
Email Sean at radicansean@pwtorch.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/sr_torch.
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