8/5 NJPW G1 CLIMAX: NIGHT 12 REPORT: JONAH vs. Jeff Cobb, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Evil, More.

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING G1 CLIMAX 32 – DAY 12 – ALL BLOCKS
AUGUST 5, 2022
EHIME, JAPAN AT ITEM EHIME
AIRED LIVE ON NJPWWORLD.COM

NJPW G1 Announcers: Kevin Kelly

(1) DAVID FINLAY & KOSEI FUJITA vs. JADO & TAMA TANGA

WINNER: Jado & Tama Tanga in 8:00

(2) WILL OSPREAY & GREAT O’KHAN vs. ROYCE ISSACS & TOM LAWLOR

WINNER: Will Ospreay & Great O’Khan in 7:00

(3) ZACK SABRE JR. & TAKA MICHINOKU LANCE ARCHER vs. SHINGO TAKAGI & SANADA & BUSHI 

WINNER: Shingo Takagi & Sanada & Bushi in 8:00

(4) KAZUCHIKA OKADA & TOMOHIRO ISHII & TORO TANO & YOSHI-HASHI & HIROOKI GOTO vs. JAY WHITE & KENTA & BAD LUCK FALE & EL PHANTASMO & GEDO

WINNER: CHAOS in 7:30

(5) JUICE ROBINSON vs. YUJIRO TAKAHASHI – G1 MATCH

Yujiro Takahashi offered up a “Too Sweet,” hand, but was attacked by Juice Robinson. Yujiro quickly was in the mount position and then worked Juice in the corner, until Juice countered in an opposite corner and then threw Yujiro into the adjacent turnbuckle. Juice sent Takahashi to the outside and then took out Sho and Yujiro on the outside. Juice then slammed Sho into the barricade and told him to stay out of his way. Juice then did the same to Yujiro.

Juice then moved the pad on the floor and set up a piledriver. Sho ran in to save his friend Yujiro, who then slammed Juice half on a pad and half on the exposed concrete. The match reentered the ring with Yujiro still in control, ending a series of moves with a fisherman buster and a two count. Juice was in a fireman carry and used the referees shoulder to get out and then hit a backdrop on Yujiro to get command of the match once more.

Juice hit the Juice Box for a near fall on Takahashi, he then berated and physically intimidated the ref. Juice then tried a standing senton, but Yujiro put his knees up and then removed the turnbuckle as Juice charged him. Juice ran into the exposed metal and then hit a DDT, then Pimp Juice for a near fall. Juice tried to set up Pulp Friction, but Yujiro countered. But, Juice bit the hand of the countering Takahashi.

Juice had a wrench but the ref had seen it, Juice then tackled the referee as Yujiro dodged. Takahashi then grabbed a metal pole and hit a low blow and then Pimp Juice to get the pinfall win.

WINNER: YUJIRO TAKAHASHI in 14:00

(Sage’s Analysis: Not a very good match by G1 standards, this match was very much booked like an Evil match. The fact that there is a real Evil match later in the card does not bode well for me personally.)

(6) CHASE OWENS vs. TAICHI – G1 MATCH 

Taichi offered a sumo style start to the match, Chase Owens looked like he would oblige twice, and on the third time he ran toward and attacked Taichi. The match quickly went to the outside, where Owens threw Taichi into the barricade and worked heel offense while out of the ring. Owens capped that by choking Taichi with the camera wires. Back in the ring, Owens choked Taichi against the mat. Taichi then hit some kicks to get some space between the two men.

After a series of start and stop offense for both, the two men traded strikes and Owens again was on the winning end. He then did a rib breaker knee and then wanted a kiss from Abe. Chase demanded three kisses and then said that the beatdown was her fault. Chase hit a running knee and went for the pin but pulled up Taichi at two, for what would have been an easy win. Taichi then dodged the next knee and sent himself and Owens to the mat.

Taichi was now in control of the action, hitting a boot kick at the end of a series. Taichi and Owens then traded lariats, until Taichi hit a suplex for a two count. Taichi took his pants off to reveal wrestling shorts, Owens then hit a pump kick to send Taichi to the mat. Owens hit a running knee on a seated Taichi for a near fall. Owens then went to the top rope, Taichi rolled away and hit a head kick.

When both men stood up, Owens hit palm strikes and then the running knee, he then tried a package piledriver. But, that was countered, Taichi then hit a suplex and a big lariat. Taichi then hit his finisher on Owens.

WINNER: Taichi in 13:30

(Sage’s Analysis: An ok worked match with a fun story told in the ring. The strength of the G1 is the long 5 star matches, but also matches like this that give lower card guys chances to tell good stories in meaningful matches.)

(7) TETSUYA NAITO vs. AARON HENARE  – G1 MATCH

Naito smiled a dodged the first few attempts at attack by Henare. Naito hit an arm drag and then a head scissor and sent Henare to the outside and did his side pose. Henare ran back in and Naito rolled to the outside where the match moved, Henare slammed Naito into the barricade and then choked him with the barricade.

Back in the ring Henare remained in control as he hit MMA style kicks, strikes and some ground and pound. Naito hit a last effort knee strike to get him some space. Naito then took control with kicks and then a dropkick in the corner. Naito hit a neck breaker for a two count on his opponent. Henare then took control and hit a running knee in the corner than a kick to the back of a seated Naito. After this series Henare earned himself a two count, as the fans clapped to energize Naito.

Naito hit a counter DDT that left both men on the mat. Naito was up first and he had wrist control on his opponent and seated Henare on the top rope, and hit the Rana from that top rope position. Naito wanted Destino, but Henare hit a spinning power bomb to counter. Naito caught Henare with a strike off a rebound, Henare was upset and hit a roundhouse kick than a leg drop off the middle rope for a near fall.

Naito hit a rolling kick, but Henare locked in a Full Nelson hold. Naito jumped and tried to countered, Henare had the Nelson locked in on the mat, Naito was trying to get too the ropes and he finally did. Henare attacked with down strikes after the hold was broken, Henare the tried for streets of rage, but Naito dodged. Naito countered the next with a Destino and got a near fall on Henare. Naito then hit a proper Destino for the pinfall win.

WINNER: Naito in 18:00

(Sage’s Analysis: A good strong style match with a solid two act structure in the story of the match. Henare showed well and has a lot of upside in the future as a “shooter,” in New Japan.)

(8) JEFF COBB vs. JONAH – G1 MATCH

Strikes and tests of strength started the contest as each man seemed even in every aspect, even in the color scheme of their ring gear. Jonah was whipped into Cobb and tried a tackle, but it was even. Cobb did the same with the same result. The two men then rammed each other and they were both sent to the outside simultaneously.

They then charged like rams on the outside, and then traded forearm strikes. Jonah then hit a flying shoulder tackle, which sent Cobb to the floor. Jonah then put Cobb in the gate area and slammed the gate on the body of Cobb. Jonah remained in control and eventually threw Cobb back in the ring and stood on him while pressing on the top rope.

Eventually Cobb was able to properly fight back as the two men traded body splashes, Cobb hit a lariat that sent Cobb himself flying out of the ring. But, it had left Jonah laying on the mat. Back in the ring, Cobb hit numerous chops and forearms in the corner. Cobb then shoulder tackled Jonah to the mat numerous times. Cobb then dead lifted and back tossed Jonah, in what looked to not be helped at all by his opponent. Cobb then hit a drop kick to set up the Tour, but Jonah hit a snap spear to get a to count on Cobb.

Jonah dived off the middle rope and was caught by Cobb who then body slammed him. On the pin attempt, Jonah rolled through and got a near fall on Cobb. Jonah then hit a lariat and got another near fall. Jonah then put Cobb on the top rope, and hit the superplex and then Jonah hit the splash off the top for the pinfall win.

WINNER: Jonah in 18:00

(Sage’s Analysis: A tremendous big man match and easily the best match of the show that lived up to the hype.)

(9) HIROSHI TANAHASHI vs. EVIL – G1 MATCH

The match started with Evil getting a headlock on Tanahashi, but Tana fought out and turned that into a headlock on Evil. The match quickly went to the outside and he slammed Tanahashi into the timekeeper table and Dick Togo moved the turnbuckle pad at the same time. The match went back inside and Evil whipped Tana into the exposed metal, but red shoes the referee did not make the count because fo the cheating.

Evil was thrown to the outside and Dick Togo attacked him while Evil distracted the ref. Evil then tried many pins to no avail on Tana as he entered the ring again. Tanahashi then hit the baseball slide on Dick Togo and then the flying forearm on Evil. Tana then body slammed Evil and hit a summersault senton on Evil for a two count.

Evil was able to get a kick to the gut of Tanahashi, he then pulled his opponent’s legs between a ring post and slammed his knees on the post. Dick Togo then slammed a chair on the knees of Tanahashi. Evil pulled Tanahashi back to the middle and hit elbow drops on the worked knee and then a crab hold on said knee. He was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold.

Tana countered with a dragon screw leg whip, Tana was able to hit another leg whip and then he locked in the sharpshooter hold as Evil appeared to submit. But, Dick Togo had rang the bell, causing Tanahashi to break the hold. But the match was not over. The referee did throw out Dick Togo as a result.

Evil threw a chair in the face of Tanahashi, while the ref was overseeing the ejection of Togo. Evil did a series of running lariats, that Tanahashi stood in place of until the third one that lead to a near fall for Evil. Tana hit a Twist and Shout to even the odds as the crowd clapped for him. He then hit three sling blades for a two count on Evil. Tana hit the High Fly Flow and would have won, but Sho ran down and pulled the ref out of the ring.

Sho then entered and started to hit moves on Tana, he rolled out of the ring and Dick Togo threw a second ref into the ring. Evil covered and the second ref counted, but Tanahashi was able to kick out. Two more refs came down, the first stopped teh magic killer on Tana, the second helped to allow Tana to hit a magic killer on Evil.

Sho and Togo then attacked Tanahashi with objects, Evil ran in and covered but all four refs in the company were down. Red Shoes, the main ref, was back in. Evil hit Darkness Falls for a near fall. Tana countered Everything is Evil with a Cobra hold and Tanahashi won via submission.

WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi in 19:30

(Sage’s Analysis: This is the type of Evil match I can get behind. The chicanery didn’t bring the match to a screeching halt, and Tana getting one over on Evil and co. is always satisfying. I can’t believe I am saying this but that was a good Evil main event.)

Final Thoughts: A fun night of G1 action, the Jonah and Cobb match is a can’t miss watch. The main event was fun and I am unsure the direction of Juice Robison in this tournament after tonight.