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NJPW G1 CLIMAX 34 NIGHT 11 REPORT
AUGUST 6, 2024
KORAKUEN HALL
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart was with Chris Charlton on commentary, thank goodness. Stewart has been rough the last few shows, trying too hard to be insightful.
(1) SHOMA KATO & KATSUYA MURASHIMA vs. BUSHI & YOTA TSUJI
Bushi was in all black for this match, which probably means nothing (given my recent luck in picking up on things that might be important) but it was a tag match with two Young Lions. We knew what the outcome would be.
Murashima and Kato jumped the LIJ pairing at the bell. It did not do them much good. Bushi tapped out Kato after trying to separate his legs from his torso with a reclining Boston Crab. It looked way nastier than it sounds.
WINNERS: Bushi and Tsuji via submission in 4:00. (*)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: These two Young Lions are showing great fire. Murashima looks to have bulked out a bit, but is still firmly in the Juniors neighbourhood. It’s fair to say they would not continue to get booked if they were not progressing well, and to my semi-trained eye they have improved over the course of this tour.)
(2) BOLTIN OLEG & TORU YANO & EL PHANTASMO & JADO vs. JEFF COBB & HENARE & FRANCESCO AKIRA & KONOSUKE TAKESHITA
We got a tease of Cobb-Oleg and ELP-Takeshita, the commentators reminded us that ELP and Takeshita were both in a ladder match on Forbidden Door (when ELP went through a stack of tables courtesy of Takeshita), and then things degenerated.
There was a fun spot with Cobb trying to copy Oleg’s Boltin Shake, but not being able to manage it. He demanded Oleg put Akira down, so Oleg threw Akira at Cobb. Then it turned scary as Cobb twisted awkwardly and almost spiked Akira on his head. Fortunately everyone walked away under their own power.
Henare tapped out Jado with the Ultima full nelson.
WINNERS: United Empire and Takeshita via submission in 4:00. (**)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: About as good as a four-minute eight-man tag can get. That’s not saying a lot, but it had some fun spots, some impressive moves, the right teases, and they jammed a lot in there.)
(3) YUYA UEMURA & TAKA MICHINOKU vs. REN NARITA & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU
Much of the match was about Narita avoiding Uemura. Naturally there were distractions and weapons involved. Kanemaru pinned Taka after Uemura and Taka inadvertently collided.
WINNERS: House of Torture via pinfall in 6:00. (½*)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: This was hard to watch.)
(4) HIROOKI GOTO & TOMOAKI HONMA vs. DAVID FINLAY & GEDO
Normally for these preview tags I skip entrances. I refuse to skip Finlay’s because that theme is so good. The match…was not. It barely existed. Goto and Honma made short work of Gedo, Goto picking up the pin with the GTR.
WINNERS: Goto and Honma via pinfall in 3:00. (1/2*)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Well that was weird. Mercifully short, but weird. There is no reason to watch this unless you are a completist like the hosts of the Seven-Star podcast.)
(5) GREAT-O-KHAN (4 points) vs. CALLUM NEWMAN (4 points) – A Block match
A United Empire Civil War to kick off the tournament portion of the card. Walker Stewart pointed out that Newman has been in New Japan for less than a year, which is crazy to think about.
They started fast, each man avoiding a pump kick and then tripping the other. Newman escaped an early attempt at an Eliminator, and right away went for an Os-cutter. O-Khan caught him and tried a German suplex, Newman landed on his feet, and after a couple more escapes Newman nailed a dropkick to finally let me catch a breath.
Newman’s ascendancy was short-lived as O-Khan hit a pair of Mongolian chops. Newman went to block a third, but O-Khan just slapped him instead. Charming way to treat your stablemate! O-Khan sat on Newman’s head in the corner, pulling backwards on Newman’s arms for extra fun. A fireman’s carry got a two-count, and O-Khan rolled through the kickout to apply a head-and-arm choke. Newman struggled but made it to the ropes.
O-Khan applied a chinlock after breaking the hold. He went for Eliminator again but Newman countered with a knee strike and a standing double stomp to the back. That left both men down. Newman got up first and hit a series of kicks in the corner and a PK for a one-count. A second PK and a standing moonsault got a near fall at the five-minute mark.
Newman fired some forearms into O-Khan’s back, but his attempted Tornado Kick was countered into a shoulder throw by O-Khan. O-Khan went for Eliminator again, Newman escaped but O-Khan planted a fist in the midsection. Newman came back with a standing meteora, which looked amazing. He measured O-Khan and hit a corner dropkick and a double-jump double stomp off the top to a bent-over O-Khan. He went for the Os-Cutter, O-Khan caught him again and tried a German suplex, Newman blocked and went for the Os-Cutter a third time. O-Khan ducked, so Newman adjusted to a sunset flip while in the air. A pair of spinning kicks from Newman led to a very near fall. Newman again went for the Os-Cutter, and again O-Khan was able to block it. He hit a Downward Spiral into Eliminator for the win.
WINNER: Great O-Khan (6 points) via pinfall in 8:00. (*83/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Newman is mathematically eliminated with the loss. It was a good match that showed once again how good O-Khan can be. Newman looked somewhat lost on offence, as if he was not sure what to do with the newfound freedom. He did come up with a couple of new wrinkles but he’s not the finished product yet. Hardly surprising after 11 months in the company. O-Khan won’t advance, but his in-ring performance in the tournament should be commended.)
- Both men shook hands and held the ropes for each other after the match.
(6) GABE KIDD (6) vs. JAKE LEE (4) – A Block match
An interesting match order choice to give us another civil war here. Lee came out with a drink in each hand, proffering one to his friend, who seemed more than receptive while Lee slowly came to ringside…until Lee got on the apron and was kicked off it by Kidd. A little ungrateful, no? Kidd got a chair from under the ring and broke it over Lee’s back. He hit him in the head with it for good measure, then went looking for a table. He found one and tried to throw it at Lee, who fortunately moved. He caught Kidd with a knee lift to the gut, then sought out his own chair.
Lee returned the favour with chair shots, then they brawled up into the fans. The bell had not yet rung. Kidd backed up, reminded us he was a madman, and took a long running start,…right into another Lee knee to the gut. The crowd was heavily behind Jake Lee, which is the first time I have ever typed that. They brawled back to ringside where Lee propped up the table that Kidd found earlier. He threw Kidd face-first into the table. Still no bell, by the way, after about six minutes of brawling. Lee rolled Kidd into the ring, followed him in, and got flattened with a left-arm lariat as the bell rang! 1…2…no!
The crowd was now loudly behind Kidd. Lee backdropped his way out of a piledriver, but ate a stiff slap. He came back with a big knee lift, then connected with a head kick to crumple Kidd. He set up for the Facebreak Shot, but Kidd charged out of the corner…and got kicked in the head anyway. 1…Kidd shot out of the cover at one! Lee ducked a wild haymaker and connected with a chokeslam! 1…2…not enough. Again Lee measured Kidd…lariat by Kidd! Both men went down, and both men sat up at the same time. They exchanged strikes while kneeling, then while standing. Kidd paintbrushed Lee’s face several times, sending him to one knee, but Lee blocked a kick and hit a pump kick of his own to send Kidd to the floor. As the referee started to count, Lee went to the apron. He tried to kick Kidd, but Kidd caught the kick and lifted Lee off the apron into a powerbomb position…Lee fought free but missed a pump kick. German suplex on the outside by Kidd! The referee’s count was at 14 as Kidd took a long run up…Lee sidestepped and hit a drop toehold to send Kidd into the barricade! Lee rolled into the ring at 18! Kidd couldn’t make it!
WINNER: Jake Lee (6) via countout in 5:00. (**1/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: The match was only five minutes officially but there was a lot of brawling before the bell. Lee is adapting well to the style and wrestlers in New Japan, fortunately. I’m very surprised that Kidd has lost so often, I genuinely thought he was being positioned for a ride to the top of the card. He may still get there but this string of results is not what I expected.)
- Despite being livid at the result, Kidd and Lee did not come to further blows after the bell.
(7) ZACK SABRE JR (8) vs. EVIL (10) – A Block match
ZSJ’s music hit, but he was nowhere to be seen. Eventually Evil emerged from the curtain with ZSJ in a headlock. He and Togo brought ZSJ into the ring and beat him down. The commentators mentioned Kosei Fujita’s absence as a major factor in this happening. Togo threw powder into ZSJ’s eyes, then they hit the Magic Killer. Evil covered him…1…2…no! Evil continued to try for another cover and ZSJ kept kicking out. Evil tried a rollup. Only for ZSJ to reverse it and get the three!
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr (10) via pinfall at 00:19. (No rating.)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: I had to give it no rating, but really this was a thirteen-star match that saved me from watching more HoT shenanigans. I fully expected the result, but not the manner of it. I was just thinking this morning that we had not had a flash pin yet, and here we go. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. This left ZSJ and Evil tied at the top of the block on 10 points.)
After the match, Evil and Togo chased ZSJ around the arena.
(8) SHOTA UMINO (6) vs. TETSUYA NAITO (6) – A Block match
It’s a really interesting choice to put this as the semi-main below Shingo and Sanada. The reigning champ against the hottest young star in the promotion should be the main event, you would think. Especially when the alternative is a Sanada match.
It took six minutes 45 seconds for both men to make their entrances. It was another minute and a half before the bell rang, a bell that was met by an Umino dropkick. He beat on Naito, then hit his slingshot apron DDT. With Naito hanging in the ropes on the apron, Shota hit a drive-by dropkick and followed up with a tornado DDT on the floor. OK, he came to game. He draped Naito over the middle rope on the inside and came off the top with a missile dropkick. Ignition connected for a near fall. He went for Death Rider but Naito pushed him off, and hit a back elbow and an inverted atomic drop to get some space. A hangman’s neckbreaker left both men down.
Umino rolled to the apron, and slowly Naito followed and hit another neckbreaker, this time on the Hardest Part of the Ring (™). He followed up with an inverted DDT neckbreaker and another hangman’s neckbreaker on the floor. The referee counted, but Umino made it back in at 19. Probably worth pointing out that the referee is Umino’s father. Naito clamped on a cravate, then hit a back elbow and a basement dropkick to the back of the head. Yet another delayed neckbreaker followed. Naito covered sloppily for a two-count at the five-minute mark.
Naito reapplied the cravate, taking Umino over with a snap mare while maintaining the hold. Shota elbowed his way free and connected with a sweet dropkick to leave both men down. Umino hit a charging elbow in the corner and a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count. Naito blocked an exploder attempt, so Umino plastered him with a few forearms and hit the exploder anyway. Naito reversed a move into an inverted DDT neckbreaker and locked on a leg full nelson. Umino wriggled towards the ropes while Naito seemed to be chilling. He was just missing a pipe, a newspaper, a snifter of brandy and a smoking jacket. Umino eventually made it to the ropes, and Naito was characteristically slow to break as we went past ten minutes.
Naito went for Gloria, but Umino fought it off. Naito clutched Umino’s wrist and laid in a series of elbows to the side of the head, making Umino collapse to the mat. Naito put a boot on Umino’s head, then pulled him up and hit a couple more elbows. Umino ducked one, hit a pair of forearms, absorbed an enzuigiri and connected with a Blaze Blade to once again leave both men down. Umino connected with an inverted Twist and Shout, then landed Trident for a near fall. He tried for a cradle Death Rider but Naito countered into Valentia. Naito rang up the arm…Dest…no! Cradle Death Rider! 1…2…no! That near fall fooled even me.
Umino waited for Naito to get up, measuring him…Blaze Blade connected! Death Rider! 1…2…2.99! Umino showed frustration and went for another Death Rider, Naito countered, Destino…reversed! Death Rider…no! Destino…no, small package by Naito! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Tetsuya Naito (8) via pinfall in 15:00. (***1/4)
(Lansdell’s analysis: This match was slow, unbearably so in places. I have no idea what’s going on with Naito, but he just seems to be floating through his matches. Umino put in all the effort, and at times Naito seemed to be almost complacent. Normally that’s a sign that the wrestler is going to lose, which makes the result even more confusing. Naito has lost matches I expected him to win, and vice versa. Meanwhile, Umino seems to once again be stalling out with the finish line in sight. I hope he still makes the elimination portion, because otherwise it will be harder to get him to the top of the card. Whatever Naito is suffering with, I hope it goes away soon.)
(9) SHINGO TAKAGI (6) vs. SANADA (6) – A Block match
Apparently this was a first-time matchup, and it’s between two former world champions. Still think the previous match should have been the main event.
The first exchange of holds ended in a stalemate. The exchange of shoulder tackles did not, as Shingo flattened Sanada. They ran the ropes, Sanada tried to leapfrog but Shingo caught him in a fireman’s carry and hit a gutbuster. Shingo buried a series of knees to the midsection but ran into a basement dropkick to the knees and a more traditional dropkick. Shingo went to the outside, Sanada went for a dive but he got tripped up and dropped. Shingo followed up with DDT on the outside and a heavy whip to the barricade.
Back inside, Shingo dropped an elbow, then hit a standing senton at the five-minute mark. He went to work on the back of Sanada, then stood on his ribcage. Shingo peppered Sanada with jabs then leveled him with a chop. Shingo tried a suplex, but Sanada slid out the back and hit a Russian leg sweep. He leapfrogged Shingo a couple of times before flattening him with a dropkick. Shingo rolled to the floor and Sanada followed with a slingshot plancha. Back inside the ring, a back suplex got a two-count. The crowd chanted for Sanada as he went for a TKO, but a series of counters led to a Shingo DDT.
At the ten-minute call, Shingo hit a vertical suplex for a two-count. It’s Shingo time! He tried for Made in Japan, Sanada escaped but fell victim to a Twist and Shout. Shingo hit a lariat in the corner but Sanada came back with a magic screw to leave both men down. Sanada was first to his feet, but Shingo ducked the Shining Wizard attempt. Sanada was able to connect with a TKO instead. To the top Sanada…went for a moonsault but landed awkwardly as Shingo moved. Shingo went for a German suplex, Sanada landed on his feet…Shining Wizard! He went for another one, but Shingo got his arms up to block it.
Shingo went for a dragon screw, but Sanada spun out of it and hit another standing Shining Wizard. From the top…moonsault connected! 1…2…no! Sanada sold some damage to his knee, then went for Deadfall. Shingo pushed him off into the ropes, then hit a pop-up Death Valley driver at the 15-minute mark. He called to the crowd for support, and they got behind him. He hit a corner lariat and a superplex, then a sliding lariat for a near fall. The crowd chanted “Takagi!” as he pulled Sanada up and tried for Made in Japan. Sanada escaped…Deadfall! No! Made in Japan by Shingo! 1…2…not enough.
Shingo pulled Sanada up again and went for Last of the Dragon. Sanada resisted, so Shingo battered him with left and right hands then tried again. Sanada escaped the move and after a series of counters got an O’Connor roll and bridge for a very near fall. Shingo set up for a lariat…Sanada countered with a frankensteiner! No! Shingo held on to block, then hit a stiff forearm to drop Sanada. A flurry of strikes from Shingo rocked Sanada, he came back with an enzuigiri but ate a shining wizard! Sanada popped right up…and into a lariat. 1…no! Sanada ate another pumping bomber…Last of the…NO! Deadfall! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Sanada (8) via pinfall in 20:00. (****1/4)
(Lansdell’s analysis: Wow. Sanada had been so poorly treated since it became clear his title run was failing. This run through the G1 has gone some way to repair that, and this match might be the capstone (so far) to his redemption arc. Everything from here is beyond redemption and into ascension. Shingo played his part masterfully in this match, and believably looked on the verge of winning multiple times. I highly doubt Sanada will win the G1 but he needed a salvage mission, and that is going well. We now have a logjam of people needing to qualify from the block, and they are all at six points with two matches to go. I still hold out hope for Kidd to qualify, but it’s looking less likely.)
Final thoughts: This was a strange night of action. Naito-Umino did not deliver for me, which might well be why it was not the main event. I need to see more of Sanada and Shingo, though. They have some great chemistry and their styles are just alike enough to make for an intriguing match. Kidd and Umino losing is hopefully just the low point before the last-minute save, but I fear one of them will miss out. The preview tags on this show were all mercifully short, making this a much easier card to digest in one sitting. Overall a good night, even with the puzzling bits.
You can contact me at lansdellicious@gmail.com or on Twitter @lansdellicious. Kelly Wells will be here tomorrow for the next night of action, and I’ll be back on Monday to wrap up A block. Thanks for joining us!
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