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NJPW G1 CLIMAX 34 NIGHT 8 REPORT
JULY 31, 2024
KDDI ISHIN HALL
YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart worked solo on commentary all through the tag matches with no announced partner. After the first block match, Gabe Kidd walked out unannounced and joined him.
(1) SHOMA KATO & KATSUYA MURASHIMA vs. BULLET CLUB WAR DOGS (Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee)
Kidd absolutely brutalized Kato to open before the Young Lions got some little hope spots in. Murashima ate his share of chops, palm strikes and slams from both Dogs as well. Kato had a late flurry against Kidd before Lee came in and finished him with a chokeslam. Lee can use a pinfall at this point, as the tournament is thus far defining him pretty far down the card. None of the current Young Lions have particularly stood out to me yet, but Kato’s starting to grow on me.
WINNERS: Bullet Club War Dogs at 4:37. (*)
(2) THE UNITED EMPIRE (Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman) vs. THE HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Dick Togo)
Evil & Togo attacked before the bell, per usual. Khan got in some fun spots on Evil early, head-faking him repeatedly before coming at him with a different move. Togo removed a turnbuckle pad and Khan ate the exposed corner. Togo looked tiny hitting a senton on Khan’s much larger frame. Evil choked out Khan with a tag rope while the ref was hung up with Togo. Newman made the hot tag halfway through the match and used his speed to take over. Togo choked out Newman with the garrote until Khan made the save. Newman hit Togo with the OsCutter as Khan kept Evil at bay. There was a little HoT nonsense, but some real good stuff out of Khan and Newman.
WINNERS: United Empire at 7:06. (*1/2)
(3) SHOTA UMINO & TOMOAKI HONMA vs. JUST 5 GUYS (SANADA & TAKA Michinoku)
Even in this tag setting, Umino chewed the scenery with a long entrance. Sanada and Umino had a nice early grappling sequence and they shook hands, but Sanada uncharacteristically kicked Umino as they continue to sell Sanada’s frustration so far in the tournament. Michinoku and Honma tagged in and Taka used some dirty tactics to wear down Honma. Sanada showed disrespect to both Honma and the ref as more microaggressions came. Sanada put Honma in the Paradise Lock, and bizarrely, Honma of all people broke free of it when main eventers have been shown to have no way out until Sanada allows it. Sanada and Umino had one more sequence teasing their match at the next show before Taka got in there with Umino to do the job. A Death Rider finished.
WINNERS: Umino & Honma at 7:04. (*3/4)
(4) TMDK (Zack Sabre, Jr. & Kosei Fujita) vs. LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON (Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi)
Fujita created a ton of movement for the increasingly slow Naito early on. Fujita worked all of the early minutes, getting a showcase before he inevitably would take the fall in the end. Sabre and Takagi had a great, spirited exchange in the middle portion of the match. Fujita tagged in again as the match started to wind down and he took near-nonstop offense from both members of LIJ until Takagi finished him with his usual setup move against heavyweights, Made in Japan. Pretty good stuff here in a match that could’ve been played for yuks.
WINNERS: Los Ingobernables de Japon at 6:59. (**1/4)
(5) BOLTIN OLEG (4 points) vs. YOTA TSUJI (2 points) – B Block
Oleg struck right at the bell and took down Tsuji with a tackle. He tried a splash but Tsuji got the knees up. Tsuji tried a splash and Oleg got his knees up as well. OLeg tried a gut-wrench but Tsuji put on the breaks and hit Oleg with a gut-buster. Tsuji wanted a suplex but Oleg fought it off. Oleg ran the ropes and Tsuji put a knee in his midsection. Tsuji worked Oleg with forearms to the midsection in a corner, then leaned on a downed Oleg until referee Kenta Sato started counting him up. Tsuji tried to put Oleg over for a Boston Crab, but Oleg stonewalled that.
Oleg got to his feet and exchanged some forearms with Tsuji until a midsection shot by Tsuji put him down. After a rope run, Oleg planted Tsuji and both guys sold on the mat. Oleg recovered first and battered Tsuji with rights. Oleg charged Tsuji to a corner and hit a splash there. He downed Tsuji in the middle of the ring and hit a splash for two. Oleg did his deadlifts and tossed Tsuji, then kipped up. Both guys fought for a backslide and got nowhere. They transitioned to suplex attempts and finally, Tsuji hit one. Tsuji went for another Boston Crab, and Oleg put the boots to Tsuji from below. Oleg missed in a corner and Tsuji rolled him up for two. Tsuji booted Oleg and finally snapped on a Boston Crab. Oleg pushed up from the mat but Tsuji stomped down, then hit a curb stomp for a long two.
Tsuji put a knee to Oleg, then missed from the top. Oleg hit a shotgun dropkick and both of them sold on the mat again. Oleg tried a slam but Tsuji rolled him up for two. Superkick by Tsuji, but he ran right into an Oleg lariat. Oleg put Tsuji up for Kamikaze but Tsuji wriggled frantically. Oleg hit it anyway, and Tsuji was the first to kick out of it in the tournament. Oleg went for Kamikaze again, but Tsuji this time did free himself and hit the Gene Blaster spear to finish.
WINNER: Yota Tsuji at 10:08. (**3/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: Oleg is at a point where he can have a decent match with anyone but isn’t ready to have a great match with anyone. Tsuji continues to look like a star, and this outcome was inevitable as Tsuji may not lose again in block action.)
-Gabe Kidd walked out sans music to join Walker Stewart on commentary. This could be interesting.
(6) YUYA UEMURA (6) vs. HENARE (4) – B Block
Kidd joked that he used to beat up Uemura every day in the dojo. The two reached in slowly early on, feeling one another out. Uemura wrenched an arm but Henare shoved him to a rope to break. Uemura went for a block but Henare didn’t go down. A second and third attempt yielded the same result. A fourth ended with Henare flattening Uemura. Henare ran into an Uemura arm drag. Uemura worked an armbar but Henare got him to a corner for another break. Uemura threw some chops there and Henare absorbed them, staring into Uemura. Henare hit a hard right forearm and hit a running headbutt to ground Uemura.
Henare put the boots to Uemura’s back a few times, then lifted him for some chops, but Uemura tried to fight back with his own. Henare dominated Uemura in a corner and put him on the mat again. Henare rained down a few kicks to the chest, then slammed Uemura and nailed him with a senton for two. Uemura fought to his feet as Henare tried to wake him up and get him to fight. Uemura got some chops in and ducked a few shots and hit a forearm. Uemura ran the ropes right into a berserker bomb for two.
Henare got into Uemura’s face and yelled “I’m the future, eh” and on commentary, Kidd quietly said “No you’re not.” Uemura got in a few quick shots and then hit an arm drag and a dropkick, finally stringing some offense together. Uemura nailed a corner splash, then hit a back suplex for two. Uemura went up and hit a high cross-body, but Henare rolled through. He went for a Maori drop, but Uemura wriggled free only to run himself right into a successful Maori drop. Both guys sold on the mat.
Uemura and Henare met with their heads in the middle of the ring, showing determination. They started a forearm exchange, and Henare beat his own head in the corner to psych himself up. Henare threw a hard kick into Uemura’s chest, but he didn’t go down. Uemura laid in a big chop. Another huge kick from Henare. They continued the exchange, then went to body shots. Henare put Uemura on his knees and laid in more kicks to the chest. Uemura hit a Dragon German and Henare came right back with a lariat, then another huge one for a long two count. Uemura hit a precision dropkick and both guys sold again.
Uemura hit a high cross-body for two. He flew up a corner again and went for a frog splash, but Henare got the knees up. On commentary, Gabe Kidd was doing a really good job of keeping things in his heel context while also getting the work of both men over. The two exchanged some reversals and Uemura hit a German suplex with a bridge for two. Uemura wanted the Deadbolt but Henare drove him to a corner. Uemura pushed back but Henare trapped him again and escaped. They exchanged big kicks and Henare hit Rampage for a long two. Uemura hit a Dragon suplex and held on for another long two.
Uemura fired up and went for Deadbolt again. Henare laid in a headbutt and Uemura responded in kind. Henare laid in a big one and hit his finisher.
WINNER: Henare at 15:34. (***1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Very good stuff here as I continue to marvel at Henare’s ability to be having matches at this level on a regular basis. Uemura has maybe been my man of the tournament thus far and this match did nothing to dispel that. I still think he makes the playoffs. Henare is more likely to stall at maybe eight points, but every point past here gives him his best tournament ever, so no complaints)
(7) EL PHANTASMO (2) vs. JEFF COBB (4) – B Block
ELP, still selling his sadness at losing all his mates, just sat in one corner of the ring to open. Cobb pulled him to his feet and Phantasmo rolled him up for two. Phantasmo ran the ropes and Cobb pancaked him. Phantasmo hit a rana, sending Cobb to the outside, then nailed him with a tope suicida. He went for another but Cobb nailed him with a punch to the skull. On the outside, Phantasmo charged Cobb to the floor, then went up and hit a moonsault from the top turnbuckle. Phantasmo rolled Cobb back inside and slapped the mat to get the crowd going.
Back inside, Cobb hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Cobb laid in a headbutt and charged Phantasmo to a corner. Cobb beat ELP back with a back elbow, then casually bealed him into the air and to the mat to a big reaction. Referee Marty Asami checked on Phantasmo, and Cobb surfed on Phantasmo’s back. ELP got to his feet and laid in some forearms until Cobb shut that down with a uranage. He covered for two. Cobb stayed on ELP and set him up in the corner. Cobb went for a superplex from the second rope and ELP headbutted Cobb to send him back down. Cobb threw up a hard right, went back up, and hit a long-delayed superplex. He hit a standing moonsault for two.
The two went through some reversals and ELP rolled up Cobb for two. ELP hit an enzuigiri and then went for some ill-advised power move. Cobb nearly hit Tour of the Islands but Phantasmo fought it off and hit a superkick for a long two. Senton and a springboard moonsault by Phantasmo got two. He again pounded the mat to hear the crowd. He tried something and Cobb reversed and hit an F-5.
The two were slow to their feet and they exchanged forearms. Cobb leveled Phantasmo with an elbow. Phantasmo got up and tried again, and again Cobb put him on the mat. Cobb begged Phantasmo to get up and yelled “Who are your friends?” The two again exchanged rights and this time Phantasmo stayed up. They ran the ropes and ELP hit a pretty ugly dropkick that showed a lot of light considering the talent of both guys. ELP ran the ropes and got snatched right into Tour of the Islands.
WINNER: Jeff Cobb at 11:12. (**3/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: Kidd laid it on thick on commentary that ELP was “out” and now he has to keep wrestling anyway. Phantasmo isn’t out of it mathematically, but he definitely has to win out to avoid missing the playoffs. I thought Phantasmo might get a win here to set up a challenge for Cobb’s TV title, but no go there. Cobb remains a threat at the top year after year although he’s never advanced out of block action)
(8) HIROOKI GOTO (4) vs. REN NARITA (4) – B Block
Narita attacked Goto before the bell, but Goto powered Narita down to the mat shortly after. Goto charged Narita into the ropes and Narita snuck out underneath and took a powder. Narita teased getting back in and again snuck out. Goto sat cross-legged in the middle of the ring and asked Narita to enter. Goto went out and Narita went in and ran the ropes to boot Goto. They kept it outside and Narita charged Goto into a post, then a barricade. I guess we were due a barricade spot on a night that hasn’t had any yet. Narita choked out Goto to boos and then went for the ring bell. Referee Marty Asami tried to keep it from him and got shoved down for the trouble. Narita choked out Goto once more and reentered the ring as Goto sold on the floor.
Asami started the count and Goto made it in at 15. Narita monkey flipped Goto into the bottom rope. Narita ran the ropes and hit a sling blade for two. Narita snapped on a chin lock, adding a knee to the spine. Goto reached a rope and Narita held on until Asami had to yank him off. Goto laid in some chops and kept things going with a lariat in the center of the ring. He hit a spinning heel kick in the corner and covered for two. Goto backed Narita to a corner, hit a couple of back elbows, and exploded out of the corner with a bulldog for two. Narita went right to the neck, and then hit an exploder suplex after Asami separated the two.
Narita snapped on a front chancery and added a body scissors on the mat. Goto fought to a rope to break. Narita went up and missed, but he rolled through. He ran the ropes and Goto caught him and hit an ushigoroshi. Both guys sold and the crowd chanted for Goto. The two got to their knees and Goto threw a forearm. On their feet, Goto threw another that laid Narita out. Goto covered for two. Narita ducked a lariat and put on a sleeper, but Goto threw him off. Narita leaped in and hit a guillotine, and then he slipped from the ring and got Goto’s sword to boos. He brought it into the ring and Asami tried to get it away from him. Narita charged Goto into Asami for a ref bump, and he grabbed his push-up bar. Goto grabbed his sword. They sparred, and Goto was better with the sword, and he put Narita down with it. Narita went low but Goto put a stop to it and he rained down headbutts on a kneeling Narita. Hard lariat by Goto. Narita did get in a low blow during one more distraction and he hit the Double Cross to finish.
WINNER: Ren Narita at 12:17. (**1/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: These two are capable of much more, but in a House of Torture role, Narita’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. He really is made for this cruel role, as much as I wish I could have gotten more of the Shibata clone version of Narita)
(9) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6) vs. DAVID FINLAY (w/Gedo) (6) – B Block
Gabe Kidd finally showed some love to someone as he’s a running mate of David Finlay; the War Dog faction of the Bullet Club typically speaks poorly of House of Torture, which raises the question of why they’re considered part of Bullet Club at all.
“Takeshita” chant right out of the gate. The two locked up and then rolled against some ropes. Both grabbed the hair and they were at a stalemate. They made a clean break and surprisingly, Takeshita was the one to lay in a quick hard right that got an “oooohhh” from the crowd. They ran the ropes and Takeshita laid in a hard boot. Takeshita trapped Finlay in a sleeper and Finlay tried a snap mare to escape but Takeshita rolled through and held on. Takeshita charged Finlay hard into a corner. They jockeyed a little and Finlay booted Takeshita to the floor.
Finlay went out after Takeshita and booted him, then charged him against the barricade in front of announcer Abe, who spilled to the floor as usual. The camera got a great closeup of Abe wincing in pain. Finlay laid in some more shots and then took Takeshita inside and made a cover but got no count as main event referee Red Shoes Unno never counts after illegal shots or extracurriculars on the outside.
Finlay hit a suplex for a quick count. Finlay worked a sleeper and Takeshita started to power to his feet, but Finlay got in a throat shot. Takeshita ran the ropes and hit a leaping forearm. Takeshita threw some rights and went for a Blue Thunder Bomb but Finlay worked himself free. Takeshita was able to hit a brainbuster instead. Takeshita went for a leaping knee in the corner, and Finlay moved. Takeshita’s momentum took him clear over and out in a big spill. Finlay did a victory lap and charged Takeshita hard in one of the louder barricade shots I’ve ever heard. Finlay spit on the crowd. Kidd loved it and they hit their modified too sweet hand symbol. Finlay charged Takeshita again, but this time he reversed and Finlay ate the barricade. Takeshita put Finlay down with a snap mare on the outside and then laid a bunch of chairs on Finlay, then did a springboard senton over and out on top of the pile to a big reaction. There’s a man-sized bump.
Takeshita reentered the ring and Finlay tripped and postured outside, making it back in at 19. Takeshita hit him from the top and got two. Kidd said Unno shouldn’t have made the count, which is actually accurate. Takeshita missed a senton and Finlay hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for two. Both guys sold for quite a while.
Action went to the apron and Finlay went for a piledriver. Takeshita fought that off but Finlay charged him hard into the post. Takeshita went spilling to the floor. Back inside, Finlay hit a Dominator for two. Takeshita hit a back body-drop and a power drive knee. He went for his finisher but Finlay reversed to Oblivion for two. Takeshita hit Overkill for two. He rolled up Finlay a couple of different ways for more near-falls. They’re at a breakneck pace here.
Takeshita missed a lariat and Finlay charged in the corner. They did two teases of ref bumps, and on the third spot, Unno got bumped. Finlay hit Takeshita with a buckle-bomb but Takeshita put down Finlay with a big powerbomb. Gedo kept Unno hung up outside so he couldn’t make the count. Takeshita finally went over to them and tried to get Red Shoes back inside. Finlay struck Takeshita with the shillelagh and Unno recovered and made a long two count. Kidd complained of a slow count.
Finlay put up Takeshita for a suplex, but Takeshita fought it off and laid in a big forearm. Gedo tripped Takeshita on a rope run and Takeshita went to strike him. Finlay charged and ended up hitting Gedo when Takeshita moved. Takeshita hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for two but after some reversals, Finlay hit Overkill for the win.
WINNER: David Finlay at 18:21. (***1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: This spent too much time outside and got into a little much ref bumping for my liking, but when it cooked, it really cooked. I liked Takeshita just fine before this tournament, but he’s really getting a chance to show what he’s capable of in the confines of this tournament. Given how much of a focal point he is, what’s in it for him to go back to AEW after this? A strong match when it was supposed to be, but again with the Bullet Club, Finlay’s gotta do what he’s gotta do)
-Finlay said “Yamaguchi…..f—–ck you!” He dropped a couple more f-bombs and said he was just getting started. Gedo gassed him up on the mic right afterward, dropping an f-bomb of his own.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Block B is intriguing because it’s thinner on obvious star power than Block A, but it’s going to require some elevation so the booking is of interest. It’s true, though, that sort of forgettable nights (comparatively) like this one are going to be inevitable. While I always enjoy the G-1, I can’t give huge unqualified praise to any single match here, though Takeshita and Uemura are on such a high level right now that I’d probably suggest watching any matches of theirs that you can. The main event here will catch the interest of some, depending on their ability to withstand heavy doses of Bullet Club nonsense. This is the first of three straight Wednesday recaps for me, and all of them are coincidentally the B Block, so here’s hoping some strong matchups are on my horizon. Rich Fann is up next, covering both weekend shows after two days off in a row for the tournament. Catch you next week.
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