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9/18 NJPW G1 Climax Day One from Osaka, Japan:
They showed a video package of all G1 participants to start the show.
Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton are at ringside doing live English commentary. Kelly plans on being in Japan for the entire G1 Climax.
1. Ryohei Oiwa vs. SHO
This will be our first look at SHO under the Bullet Club's House of Torture. SHO was introduced with the nickname “Murder Machine”.
Oiwa started with fire, hitting multiple elbows. SHO took the match to the floor and brutalized Oiwa on the floor. SHO threw Oiwa into the guardrails and damaged the plexiglas that protected the announcers, which New Japan official repaired immediately.
Back in the ring, SHO locked Oiwa in the Snake Bite, which is his version of an Omoplata submission. This is the same move SHO used on YOH at Wrestle Grand Slam.
Oiwa taps out.
Fine match. It gave Oiwa more in-ring experience and allowed SHO to get into his new character. SHO looked OK in his new persona. The “Murder Machine” gimmick seems extreme to me.
A Block Tournament Matches:
2. Kota Ibushi vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Pieter is back! She accompanies Yujiro Takahashi to ringside. Chris Charlton said she would be with Takahashi throughout the G1.
It was an even match until Takahashi pushed Ibushi off the top rope. Ibushi’s head hit the apron. Pieter distracted the referee while Takahashi used his pimp stick to hit Ibushi in the gut and the choke him out. Takahashi beats down Ibushi in the ring. Ibushi fought back with kicks and strikes. Ibushi went for a moonsault but Takahashi again pulled him down and sent him head first into the apron. Takahashi hits a Yakuza kick and an Olympic Slam. Two count. Ibushi hits a high kick and a sit down Last Ride. Two count. Takahashi avoids a Kamagoye and low blows Ibushi. He hits Pimp Juice on Ibushi. Ibushi kicks out! Takahashi hits an Implant DDT.
Takahashi pins Ibushi!
Wow! Shocking win! Takahashi beats the two time winner of the G1. Takahashi avoided Ibushi’s big moves and wrestled a smart match.
My opinion on this win is that it enhances the Bullet Club’s House of Torture. Takahashi has not had a good singles record recently and he has been used as mostly a tag team partner for EVIL. If the House of Torture is to be strong faction, then all members need to look strong in their wins. For Takahashi, this was a strong win, which helps him and the House of Torture, as a whole.
3. Great O-Khan vs. Tanga Loa
Jado comes to ringside with Tanga Loa.
Both men begin with power moves. Tanga Loa distracts the referee while Jado attacks O-Khan with his kendo stick. Tanga hits a snap suplex on the ring floor. Ouch! Back in the ring, Tanga Loa attacked the right arm of O-Khan. O-Khan fought back with power moves. Jado hits O-Khan with the kendo stick. Tanga locks O-Khan in Operation Jado Killer. O-Khan gets to the ropes for a break. Tanga Loa with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Two count. O-Khan applies the Sheep Killer submission. Jado climbs in the ring. O-Khan picks up Tanga and hits Jado, who rolls out of the ring. Backbreaker on Tanga. He goes for an Eliminator, but Tanga hits a high kick. Tanga with a big power bomb. O-Khan kicks out at two.
O-Khan gets a burst of energy and hits an Eliminator on Tanga.
O-Khan pins Tanga Loa.
Really good match. They both hit their power moves and took a beating. Tanga Loa is a much better singles wrestler than he gets credit for. I expect him to have good matches with everyone in A Block.
4. Toru Yano vs. KENTA
Yano came to the ring with his “face” persona.
KENTA came to the ring and stopped the ring announcer. KENTA gave the ring announcer a script of what he wanted his ring introduction to be. As the announcer introduced KENTA and read from the script, Chris Charlton said they were all lies. The crowd chuckled at all of this.
A bunch of comedy to start the match. Both avoided to lock up. KENTA taped Yano to the entryway and Yano was almost counted out. KENTA is thrown into the guardrails. Yano pulls out more tape. The referee stops Yano and they argue. KENTA pushes Yano into the referee who takes a bump.
KENTA pulls out more tape and binds Yano’s arms together. KENTA throws Yano under the ring. KENTA gets the referee up to count out Yano. At 16, Yano pops out and low blows KENTA in the ring. Yano rolls up KENTA for a two count. Yano low blows KENTA again. With his arms tied, he pulls KENTA into an inside cradle.
Yano pins KENTA.
Fine for what it was. Yano usually brings the comedy and the trickery.
5. Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Both men put a wrestling clinic in the early minutes. ZSJ began attacking the neck of Naito, wrapping him up in different neck submissions. Naito fought back with his Lucha moves. Both men were selling their necks. Naito hit an Esperanza on ZSJ. ZSJ took out his knee with a drop kick. ZSJ quickly trapped Naito in a body scissors and an ankle submission. Naito screamed in pain and gets to the ropes. Naito looks hurt and is selling the right leg. ZSJ tries for a knee breaker but Naito turns it into a DDT. Naito goes to the top rope, but ZSJ traps him in a Cobra Twist, and hits a sunset bomb off the ropes. Naito kicks out, ZSJ reverses into another ankle submission. Naito rolls to the ropes. ZSJ continued to stomp on the knees of Naito. Naito hits a desperation Destino out of no where, but could not make the pin. ZSJ hits a springboard DDT and goes for a Zack Driver. Naito reverses into Valentia. Naito goes for Destino. ZSJ reverses into a European Clutch. Two count. ZSJ hits a double stomp on the knee of Naito. Naito hits a modified Destino on ZSJ, but he could not follow up. ZSJ traps Naito’s legs in an Indian Deathlock, a leg on his neck and twisted his arms back behind his body.
Naito taps out.
That was a wicked submission move, both hurting his knees and applying pressure to the neck of Naito. This was a great match between two men who knew each other well in the ring.
Trainers came out to check on Naito. The announcers were concerned. Naito refused all help but he needed assistance back to the locker room.
6. Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi
They start the match with shoulder tackles and elbow strikes. They end up on the floor. Ishii hurts the back of Shingo with a power slam on the floor. Back in the ring, they beat the hell out of each other. Too much to recap here. Shingo’s chest was bruised up. They traded six Saito suplexes in a row. Brutal. Ishii tried for a superplex but he almost dropped Shingo. Ishii was having issues with his arm or neck. Ishii went for the superplex spot again and hit it properly. That seemed dangerous and unnecessary. Ishii looked angry that he could not do it the first time and wanted to show he could finish the spot.
Both men continued to battle. Shingo hit Made in Japan. Two count. Shingo hit two lariats. Two count. Shingo went for Last of the Dragon, but Ishii reverses into a Crucifix Bomb. Two count. Both men started throwing their biggest moves. Too much to recap. They traded headbutts. Shingo finally hits Last of the Dragon.
Shingo pins Ishii.
This was a great match, but a brutal one. The missed superplex spot should not have been done again, because it could have lead to a major injury. Thankfully, it did not.
Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii looked to be at the top of their games. A Block will return to New Japan World on 9/23. Any injuries sustained will have 5 days to recover.
A Block Standings as of 9/18:
Kota Ibushi - 0
Yujiro Takahashi - 2
Great O-Khan - 2
Tanga Loa - 0
Toru Yano - 2
KENTA - 0
Tetsuya Naito - 0
Zack Sabre Jr. - 2
Tomohiro Ishii - 0
Shingo Takagi - 2
Thank you for reading.
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