RADICAN’S NJPW G1 Climax 29 Night 11 blog: KENTA vs. SANADA, Tanahashi vs. EVIL main event

RADICAN’S 7/30 G1 CLIMAX 29 NIGHT 11 BLOG
JULY 30, 2019
KAGAWA, JAPAN
TAKAMATSU CITY GENERAL GYMNASIUM ARENA 1
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD

(5) Bad Luck Fale (w/Jado & Chase Owens) (2) vs. Kota Ibushi (6) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. Fale jumped Ibushi at the bell. Ibushi went to the floor and Gedo and Owens worked him over. Fale then worked over Ibushi in the entrance ramp. Jado tried to hit him with a kendo stick but he ducked it and slid into the ring at 18, but Fale nailed him with a splash for a 2 count. Ibushi eventually hit a flying mid kick and both men were down. He hit a standing moonsault a short time later for a two count. Owens distracted Ibushi on the apron and Fale hit a big splash in the corner. He hit another splash on the mat for a two count. Fale countered a Kamigoye and then distracted the ref so Jado could hit him with a kendo stick. Fale then hit the grenade for a near fall. Ibushi shook out of the Bad Luck Fall. He took down his knee pad a short time later and hit Nakamura’s pose and hit Boma Ye. He pulled down the other knee sleeve and hit Kamigoye for the wood.

Winner: Kota Ibushi (8 pts). (**)

(Radican’s Analysis: This was fine, but nothing memorable.)

(6) British Undisputed Champion Zack Sabre Jr. (2) vs. IWGP Jr. Hvt. Champion Will Ospreay (4) in a G1 Climax 29 A block match. They had some quick exchanges, but neither man could get a sustained advantage early. The counter sequences were very well done. Sabre eventually used his feet to crank on Ospreay’s injured neck. Sabre continued to use his submission game to target Ospreay’s neck. Ospreay flipped out of a submission attempt right into a handspring enzugrui at one point that was simply incredible. Ospreay hit the Sasuke Special to the floor a short time later. Ospreay hit the Robinson Special a short time later, but Sabre cut him off going for an Os-Cutter and hit a snapping swinging DDT out of nowhere. Ospreay invited Sabre to kick him so he did as hard as he could. They went to a crazy exchange and Ospreay nailed Sabre with a hook kick. These two are wrestling like two men that are very familiar with each other. Sabre went for a sleeper to counter the Os-Cutter. Ospreay flipped over Sabre and got out of it and hit the Os-Cutter, but he couldn’t make a fast cover and Sabre kicked out at two. They went back and forth and Ospreay escaped a guillotine and hit a brainbuster. He went for Stormbreaker, but Sabre got out of it and hit a PK.

Ospreay went for a SSP, but Sabre caught him in a triangle. Ospreay lifted Sabre into a one-arm powerbomb for a near fall. He went up too and hit a SSP for a near fall! Sabre escaped a Stormbreaker and got an Octopus hold. He sat down on it and got a quick tapout from Ospreay.

Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. (4 pts). (****1/4)

(Radican’s Analysis: This was a really good technical wrestler vs. high flyer match. These two know each other so well and they wrestled like it with some incredible counter exchanges. Sabre’s finishing submission was great.)

(7) IWGP Hvt. Champion Kazuchika Okada (10) vs Lance Archer (4) in a G1 Climax A Block match. Archer jumped Okada when he got into the ring. Archer yelled at a child and the child cried because of what he was threatening to do to Okada on the floor. Archer punched the red and went after the time keeper on the floor. He hit a short arm clothesline on Okada and not the Rainmaker pose. Archer walked the ropes Taker style and hit a moonsault on Okada for a near fall.

Okada mounted a comeback and hit a slingshot splash. Okada hit a very long elbow drop and went for the Rainmaker lose I’m Archer’s face, but he grabbed the EBD Claw. Okada managed to get to the ropes to break the hold, but Archer hit the Derailer. Okada hit a short Rainmaker and then another, but Archer only went down to a knee. Okada went for another Rainmaker, but Archer turned him inside out with a counter lariat. He then hit a chokeslam on Okada for a near fall.

Archer went for Blackout and connected, but Okada got his foot on the rope at the very last second. Okada ducked the EBD Claw and hit a dropkick. They battled up top and Okada pushed Archer off and hit a missile dropkick. He went for a tombstone, but Archer got out it. He went for Blackout, but Okada countered it and hit a spinning Rainmaker. Archer didn’t go down and Okada sold shock. Archer went for the EBD Claw, but Okada blocked it and hit a full Rainmaker for the win. What a performance once again by Archer.

Winner: Kazuchika Okada (12 pts). (****)

Okada shook the hand of the child Archer scared after the match.

(Radican’s Analysis: Archer was dominant for much of the match and put a beating on Okada. I loved the spots where he wouldn’t go down to Okada’s Rainmaker variations and lost clean only when Okada hit a full Rainmaker.)

(8) KENTA (8) vs. SANADA (2) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. The announcers pointed out half the field is now eliminated with Okada moving to 12-0. Sanada posed for the fans and got cheers. Kenta tried it and drew some boos. Sanada went to pose on the ropes and Kenta attacked him from behind. Kenta put a beating on Sanada on the outside before tossing him back into the ring. Sanada mounted a comeback and hit two dropkicks to Kenta’s knee. Sanada played to the crowd and drew cheers as opposed to the boos Kenta got a short time earlier when he played to the crowd. Kenta fired back and hit a powerslam a short time later. He set up and hit a springboard missile dropkick. He hit the stalling Shibata style dropkick in the corner a short time later. He went up too and hit a double stomp off the top for a two count.

Kenta got Game Over. Sanada struggled for a long time but got to the ropes. Sanada blocked the Basaiku knee and hit a TKO. Sanada went up top for a Muta Moonsault, but Kenta got his knees up. They went back and forth trading bombs. Sanada slipped over Kenta and got Skull End, but Kenta got a sleeper. He went for a PK, but Sanada blocked it. Kenta plastered him with some vicious palm strikes and hit the Basaiku knee for a near fall. Sanada got out of the GTS and got a Skull End. Kenta countered and lifted Sanada up for GTS, but Sanada slipped out and got Skull End. He spun Kenta around and got the hooks in on the mat. Sanada went up too and hit the Muta Moonsault for the win.

Winner: Sanada (4 pts). (***1/4)

(Radican’s Analysis. This was really slow in spots until the end. Sanada winning is a surprise, as Sanada has a four point advantage on Kenta right now. Sanada played the roll of spoiler well here given that he’s already eliminated mathematically.)

(9) EVIL (6) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. Kelly gave some great stats about how Tanahashi has been more successful when his matches go shorter. Evil hit his home run chairshot spot on the floor after getting the upper hand. Evil began working over Tanahashi’s leg. Tanahashi finally fired back and hit a dragon screw. Tanahashi tried to skin the cat and struggled. He did it on the second try and walked right into a German from Evil. They had an exchange off the ropes a short time later and Tanahashi caught Evil with a Slingblade. He hit a standing High Fly Flow to the floor, but came up selling his knee.

Evil surprised Tanahashi and used a Young Lion to hit a Magic Killer on Tanahashi. Tanahashi took a page out of Evil’s book by blocking a kick, tossing his leg to the ref, and then nailing his leg with a dropkick. Tanahashi hit a snap dragon screw on the mat and went for the Cloverleaf, but Evil got to the ropes. Tanahashi went to bounce off the ropes, but Evil wiped him out with a clothesline. He hit a superplex a short time later for a two count.

Evil hit Darkness Falls for a near fall. Tanahashi mounted a comeback and hit Slingblade for a two count. He went for High Fly Flow, but Evil got his knees up and rolled him up for a near fall. The crowd was on fire as they exchanged strikes and Evil finally ended the exchange with a big clothesline. Evil wiped out Tanahashi with a clothesline, but he kicked out at the last second. Tanahashi blocked EIE and hit a dragon suplex for a near fall. He hit a standing HFF inside the ring. He then hit a traditional HFF for the win.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (8 pts). (****1/4)

(Radican’s Analysis: Evil looked to be in control most of the match. The action was a little slow in sports, but they had the crowd going crazy by the time it was over. Tanahashi continues to take a beating on his legs during the tournament and Evil did a lot of damage to them on this night.)

Tanahashi was going to leave, but the loud crowd chants brought him back into the ring. He then went played some air guitar with the crowd. He stopped and favored his knees. He then played some more guitar and threw it out of the ring and crashing sound could be heard. He got another air guitar from a fan and started playing again. Tanahashi really soaked in the applause after the match and stayed in the ring for a long time after telling the fans it was great to be back in the main event. Tanahashi went into the crowd and wiped his sweat on a ton of towels.

Email Sean at radicansean@pwtorch.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/sr_torch.