NJPW G1 Climax Day 1 07/17/2017

This show marks the beginning of the long and arduous G1 Climax that will see the winner prevail after a month long tournament to earn a spot in the upcoming Wrest;e Kingdom 12 Main Event match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This tournament is very interesting as we get some debuts like Zack Sabre Jr., the returns of others like Kota Ibushi, and it also marks the last G1 Climax for longtime NJPW mainstay Yuji Nagata. The tournament is shaping up to be nothing but spectacular so let’s get into it. For your convenience and my own I will only be doing tournament matches, just easier for us all.

Yuji Nagata vs YOSHI-HASHI

First match of the tournament and it was a pretty solid outing for both guys. While Nagata is aging I think he can still put on some good matches every now and then and this was one of those times. HASHI is one of the most underrated members on the NJPW roster and he shows out in big matches and he did here. HASHI gets the win here and starts off his G1 to a good start while Nagata’s farewell tour hits a fork in the road early.

Match Rating: ***1/2

Togi Makabe vs Bad Luck Fale

I wasn’t too hyped for this going in, mostly because I think Fale sucks but I do like Makabe so whatever. They start this out quick brawling outside and throughout the arena. Nothing to write home about but it was a time waster and no surprise in the winner here as Fale takes the victory.

Match Rating: **1/2

Hirooki Goto vs Tomohiro Ishii

If it wasn’t for the main event this would be the match I was most hyped for on Night 1 and boy did they deliver. Ishii and Goto start hot just running the ropes and throwing dueling shoulder bumps. They went all out here and just threw bombs and I loved it. I’m a big fan of both guys and seeing them kill each other with strikes was awesome. Ishii is one of the best wrestlers NJPW has and he always shows out in the G1 so expect his name to be heard a lot. Goto gets the win here in an impressive showing

Match Rating: ***3/4

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Zack Sabre Jr.

This match peaked my interest because it’s a nice styles clash between the hybrid in Tanahashi and the technical wizardry of Zack Sabre Jr. It turned out to be an awesome match and definitely up there as one of my favorite Tanahashi matches this year. Everything flowed nicely hear between the veteran Tanahashi using his experience to gain an advantage and Sabre using his technical acumen to catch Tanahashi off guard. In what can seen as sort of a shocker ZSJ takes the win here over the current Intercontinental Champion.

Match Rating: ****

Tetsuya Naito vs Kota Ibushi

When the matches for the G1 were announced I had this pegged to be a possible MOTY candidate and while not quite that it was still quite amazing. These guys personalities and styles just gelled together perfectly. Naito didn’t take Ibushi seriously as he feels since he has left that he has surpassed him and Ibushi sees the G1 as a consolation prize since he lost the Cruiserweight Classic. Naito brutalized the neck early on prepping to hit his patented Destino finisher. Ibushi is able to counter some of Naito’s offense into some of his own and get going but in the end it was all for not as Naito was able to get the win and gain some momentum in the tournament.

Match Rating: ****1/2