7/26 NEW JAPAN G1 CLIMAX RESULTS DAY 6: Wells’s report on Juice Robinson vs. David Finlay, more

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING G1 CLIMAX 32 – DAY 6 – ALL BLOCKS
JULY 26, 2022
TOKYO, JAPAN AT KORAKUEN HALL
AIRED LIVE ON NJPWWORLD.COM

NJPW G1 Announcers: Kevin Kelly, Chris Charlton

NON-SPOILER GUIDE: The main event, Juice Robinson vs. David Finlay, is must-see. Lance Archer vs. Tom Lawlor is decent.

(1) RYOHEI OIWA & YUTO NAKASHIMA vs. THE HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yujiro Takahashi & Sho)

Yujiro opened things but quickly got out of the way for non-tournament guy Sho, who finished Nakashima with the Snake Bite.

WINNERS: House of Torture at 6:28.

(2) CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) vs. TMDK (Jonah & Bad Dude Tito)

There wasn’t all that much silliness by Yano’s standards. Tito worked much of the match after a tease of Ishii-Jonah, and took the pin when Yano ran him into an exposed corner, Ishii hit him with a lariat and Yano covered.

WINNERS: Chaos at 8:17.

(3) HIROOKI GOTO & TAMA TONGA & JADO vs. UNITED EMPIRE (Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare)

Every guy got some shine before a long schmoz and predictable fall guy Jado tapped to Henare.

WINNERS: United Empire at 8:06.

(4) KAZUCHIKA OKADA & HIROSHI TANAHASHI & YOSHI-HASHI vs. SUZUKI-GUN (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi & Taka Michinoku)

Good stuff here with Yoshi-Hashi pinning Taka after a lariat.

WINNERS: Okada & Tanahashi & Yoshi-Hashi at 9:02.

(5) LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON (Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi & Sanada & Bushi) vs. BULLET CLUB (Jay White & Bad Luck Fale & El Phantasmo & Gedo)

As often with these, the non-tournament guy (Bushi) got a win for his team as he finished Gedo with MX.

WINNERS: Los Ingobernables de Japon at 10:06.

-Intermission.

(6) THE GREAT-O-KHAN vs. CHASE OWENS – B Block match

Owens threw a handful of salt(?) in O-Khan’s eyes before the bell, and quickly got a near-fall after the bell. Northern Lights suplex got two. He stepped on O-Khan for a moment, then stomped him a bit in the corner and Irish whipped him to the opposite corner. Owens hit a “neckbreaker” by using O-Khan’s long braid for the snap. He covered for two. Owens threw a forearm, then leaned on O-Khan through the ropes until he had to break. O-Khan threw some rights to the midsection, but Owens stopped the flurry dead with some more stomps. Owens wrenched O-Khan’s leg, then dropped a knee on it. Owens mockingly clapped for O-Khan, which of course got the audience clapping along.

O-Khan reached his feet and the two exchanged some strikes. O-Khan managed a suplex and held on for two. The audience tried to fire him up. O-Khan hit the Mongolian chops and took Owens to the corner for the rapid-fire version. O-Khan took Owens to the opposite corner, hit a lariat to the back, then set up Owens in the Tree of Woe and stomped him a bit. O-Khan ran the length of the ring and hit a basement dropkick to the still-draped Owens. O-Khan went for a mocking seated cover and got two. Owens managed a slingshot jawbreaker on O-Khan and both guys sold on the mat.

Owens hit a running forearm and a lariat, then covered for two. Owens dumped O-Khan, then missed a dropkick to the outside. O-Khan hammered Owens’ head into the apron several times, then brought him inside for another two count. Owens managed a rollup and put his legs on the ropes for (less) leverage, but the ref caught it this time after missing it and counting the fall for Owens a handful of weeks ago. O-Khan worked a backbreaker into a submission. Owens fought off the Eliminator and O-Khan hit the TTD for two. Owens fought off another Eliminator attempt and hung O-Khan on the top rope. C-Trigger by Owens, who managed the Package Piledriver to finish. He didn’t have a good grip on O-Khan and almost dropped him, which is my nightmare every time he lifts someone into it, but wisely he hit the move quickly so he didn’t have time to drop O-Khan in an awkward manner.

WINNER: Chase Owens at 11:59. (**3/4)

(Wells’s Analysis: Nothing particularly special here, but there’s a budding story between the two as O-Khan is seemingly above the level of Owens but is now winless in their two meetings.)

(7) KENTA vs. EVIL (w/Dick Togo) – C Block match

Pulling duty for a Bullet Club-House of Torture match was the last thing I wanted, but I got a fantastic Kenta match last time out with ZSJ, so I won’t complain. Evil suggested a handshake after the bell and then shook Dick Togo’s hand to prove it was all good. Kenta went for it, then immediately had to wriggle free of Everything is Evil. Evil put up the Too Sweet, and Kenta moved in and threw it in Evil’s eye. Evil reset with Togo, who suggested they were even now. Kenta went under the ring to get a copy of his book (“not available anywhere”) and he offered it to Evil. Evil tossed it up, and kicked Kenta as he went for it. The two spilled outside. Evil used a microphone to choke Kenta out for a bit, then rolled him inside and covered for one.

Evil smiled at himself, then shot Kenta into an exposed corner (Togo exposed it offscreen). Another cover. Evil tried an abdominal stretch and reached out for Togo’s hand for leverage. Togo looked away, and Kenta reversed the move and used Togo until Togo noticed what was up and the ref broke it. Kenta threw some kicks and Evil used Kenta to kick the ref, and Togo ran in so the pair could hit Magic Killer on Kenta. The ref recovered and counted two. Evil went for his finisher again, and the two reversed attempts at their finishers. Referee Marty Asami got bumped in the corner again and Kenta hit a DDT. Kenta went out and got a crutch from underneath the ring. He stalked Evil, but Togo took it from him. As Asami woke up, Kenta acted like he’d been hit so Asami would send him out. Kenta rolled up Evil once, twice and a third time for near-falls.

Evil whipped Kenta into the exposed corner again and tried the Darkness Scorpion, but Kenta reversed to Game Over. The lights went out. When they came up, Evil had Kenta trapped in some sort of strangle hold. Asami spotted the shirt Evil was using to choke Kenta and tossed it off. Evil and Kenta both went outside. Evil tried his double-chair spot, but Kenta thwarted it and the two went at each other with the chairs. Kenta battered Evil in the midsection with the chair out past the barricade as Asami counted. The two kept pulling each other away from the ring to try to get in first. Evil tossed Kenta to the barricade, then went in the ring. From under the ring, Dick Togo reached and held Kenta’s legs, preventing him from reentry, resulting in a countout. Sho, as always, was revealed as the guy who turned out the lights earlier. Afterward, Kenta knocked fists with Sho and Evil, but denied Togo.

WINNER: Evil by countout at 10:19. (*)

(Wells’s Analysis: The brutal trudge I thought it would be as the two never really locked up. Lots of pseudo-comedy, brawling and illegal holds with very little flow. The finish was the inevitable one given what came before)

(8) TOM LAWLOR (w/Royce Isaacs) vs. LANCE ARCHER – A Block match

Lawlor is the final man to have his first match. The audience, as they have been all tour long, were cheering Lawlor. Lawlor did his bit with taking off his denim shorts to reveal trunks made to look like denim shorts, and Archer trolled the fans by acting like he was going to remove his own gear before wagging a finger. Lawlor pointed out the cheers for him to Archer, who shrugged it off. The two missed charges. Archer fought off a dragon screw and lifted up Lawlor. Lawlor tried a drop toe-hold, but Archer wouldn’t move. He shoved Lawlor off and they reset. Archer begged for a shot. Lawlor obliged and Archer didn’t sell it much. Archer returned fire and his was much more effective. The two exchanged rights until Lawlor ran the ropes, only to be blocked across the ring by Archer. Archer slung Lawlor to the outside.

Archer followed and shot Lawlor into the barricade. Archer hit Lawlor with a back suplex on the apron, then threw rights at him. Archer headed into the ring and no-sold some palm strikes by Lawlor. Archer put Lawlor into a corner and hit a couple of running back elbows. His third charge missed and Lawlor used a drop toe-hold. Lawlor threw rights, then stomped Archer’s foot. Archer reversed and violently tossed Lawlor into a corner, and he went flying. Ground and pound by Archer. He threw vicious palm strikes to a grounded Lawlor. Big release suplex by Archer. Archer threw out his arms and said “I’m back in Japan!”, which drew cheers.

Archer missed a ripcord lariat and Lawlor hit a basement dropkick. Lawlor attempted a double wristlock and had to keep repositioning as the bigger, stronger Archer fought him off. Archer freed himself and managed a big boot to create separation. Lawlor trapped Archer in an armbar, then pounded Archer’s locked arms until they split and he was able to hold on. Lawlor transitioned to a rollup for two. The two men stood and Lawlor threw some more mostly-ineffective rights. Archer caught a lariat and tried another pounce, but Lawlor corrected and hopped into a guillotine. Archer quickly reached a rope to break.

Lawlor threw some knees while holding Archer in a cravat through the ropes. Lawlor and Isaacs did the Filthy Pose. Archer battered Lawlor, then chokeslammed him out of the ring on top of Isaacs. Action went back inside and Archer hit a Black Hole Slam for two. Archer wanted his finisher, but Lawlor fought out of it and drove down Archer for two. Lawlor set up NKOTB and Archer escaped. Rear naked choke by Lawlor. Archer temporarily broke in a corner, but Lawlor jumped back up. Archer went down into the electric chair to break. Lawlor went up into another rear naked choke and Archer tossed him off. Lawlor went up in a corner and Archer gave chase and hit a rising knee, then hoisted Lawlor for the Blackout and the win.

WINNER: Lance Archer at 11:50. (***1/4)

(Wells’s Analysis: Enjoyable underdog match as Lawlor found himself in unfamiliar territory, dominated by a much larger and more relentless opponent. A long squash for Archer, but a strong one as Lawlor kept finding ways back into the match just to have Archer resist his flurries of offense)

(9) DAVID FINLAY vs. JUICE ROBINSON – D Block match

I’m a little surprised – perhaps even disappointed – that this one wasn’t saved for near the end of the tournament. On the other hand, this was a bit of a rough card in comparison to most G1 cards, so a bone thrown to the crowd is probably in order. Juice did his new usual schtick, taking the mic to announce himself as the US Champion.

Finlay won an early shoving contest and Juice regrouped, seething. Quick mat reversals in the next sequence led to a headlock by Finlay. Juice got to a vertical base and worked his own headlock. Rope run and Finlay managed an arm drag. More quick reversals and Juice hit a headlock takeover. Finlay fought his way up. Rope run and some quick reversals again. Rollup by Finlay for one, followed by a Finlay dropkick. Juice again regrouped in a corner. Finlay got dumped and his bad shoulder ran into a barricade. Juice followed Finlay out and ran him into the corner post. Juice lifted Finlay and dropped him on the arm on the apron. Juice wrapped Finlay up in the barricade and stomped the arm and shoulder, then did it again a bit further down the barricade. Juice begged referee Red Shoes Unno to count Finlay out. Finlay got back inside and Juice slammed him for two.

Juice again slammed down on Finlay’s arm. He went for a cover but Finlay tied himself up in a rope. Juice kicked the injured area some more, then worked a stepover armbar. Juice threw some more forearms, then stood up Finlay using the top rope and threw a stiff chop. Juice wrenched Finlay’s arm over Juice’s shoulder, and finally Finlay woke up and hit a few moves leading to a neckbreaker to create separation. Juice took control again, working a Fujiwara armbar. Finlay fought to a rope to break. Juice tried to convince Red Shoes that he heard Finlay tap.

Back outside the ring, Juice ran Finlay into the barricade a couple more times. Juice took the mat around the ring apart and tried to piledrive Finlay on it, but Finlay blocked and managed a back body-drop. Finlay rolled in to break the ref’s count and re-exited to toss Juice into the barricade a couple of times. He ruthlessly stalked Juice and ran him into ever barricade. Eventually Red Shoes started counting again. Finlay slammed Juice on the apron, then followed him inside and hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for two. Finlay exploded off the ropes and hit Juice with a rear lariat and covered for two. Finlay stomped Juice’s once-broken hand, then did so a couple more times as Juice shrieked in agony. Juice yelled “I’m sorry!” and Finlay kept it up, saying “No you’re not,” eliciting some laughs from the crowd.

Finlay started biting Juice’s bad hand and Charlton said Finlay had to win the match, and not get DQed. While Finlay talked with Red Shoes, Juice undid the corner pad. Juice ran Finlay through it all the way to the open post in a painful-looking spot. Juice brought Finlay up in a corner and the two fought for position. Finlay tried a Sunset Bomb but his arm gave way. Juice missed the Left Hand of God but hit a right and followed with a gut buster. Cannonball in the corner by Juice. Juice set up Finlay in a corner again. Juice threw a hard headbutt and tried to shake the pain out of his hand. Juice hit a superplex, then rotated and tried a suplex, but Finlay escaped and hit an ushigoroshi. Juice managed a reversal and hit the Left Hand of God, then Pulp Friction for a believable near-fall, though the way the announcers were overselling it made it seem like a kickout was almost inevitable.

Juice put Finlay up in a corner and threw some rights, then spit on him. He draped Finlay up and teased Pulp Friction from the top, but Finlay wriggled free and ran up the corner and hit his bulldog and very nearly got the three, but Juice got his foot on a rope. Finlay sold quick frustration but fired himself up. He tried Trash Panda but Juice hit a knee to fight it off. Finlay threw a hard lariat that sent Juice over to the hard exposed floor. Finlay threw himself over the top and Juice saw him coming and threw a hard right. He hit Finlay with a piledriver on the floor, eliciting shock from the crowd. Back inside, Juice sold the pain again, and then threw another Left Hand of God and set up the Rock Slide. Finlay landed on his feet, and Juice charged him in a corner and bumped Red Shoes when Finlay slipped out of the way.

Juice grabbed the US Title belt from the corner as Red Shoes was out. He swung and missed. Finlay swung with the shillelagh and Juice blocked it with the belt, but dropped the belt. The second swing by Finlay hit the mark. He called over the ref, who counted to two, but Finlay pulled up Juice before three. He hit Trash Panda for the three count.

WINNER: David Finlay at 24:03. (****1/4)

(Wells’s Analysis: Excellent match that was worked extremely effectively as a personal affair. Finlay gets a massive win in a feud match where conventional wisdom would say he would lose the first match or two before getting the better of Robinson. The match was incredible for the live crowd, though, who got some underwhelming G1 matches until this one came and completely owned the show. Likely to stand as one of the tournament’s best by the time it’s over, though there are a lot of matches to go.)

-With his mic time, Finlay thanked Korakuen. He took Juice’s ill-gotten belt and told Will Ospreay he’d have to take it from him now. He ran down the D Block and said this was his time, and he was winning the G1 Climax.

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FINAL THOUGHTS: A very easily skipped show for non-completists, but the main event is well worth seeing. We’re getting into the middle third of shows where the marquee matchups aren’t in strong supply, but if they can drop one of these every couple of shows, it’ll keep the momentum of the tournament strong. Zack Heydorn will cover tomorrow’s show and I’ll return for night 11 on the 5th of August as the tournament passes the halfway point. Cheers.