New Japan Pro Wrestling continued their G1 Climax tournament on Monday. Since the show began at 6am EDT, here’s a spoiler-free match listing for the non-nite-owl New Japan fans. Each match has been given a Need To Watch Rating of 0.0-10.0. The show is available at NJPWWorld.com
FIRST MATCH: Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Shota Umino & Toa Henare
Standard tag match. Finlay and Henare lost a bit of luster now that C-Block is canceled
Need To Watch Rating: (1.0)
SECOND MATCH: Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) vs. CHAOS (SHO & Tomohiro Ishii)
G.O.D remain the biggest heels in the company. SHO continues to look great in undercard action.
Need To Watch Rating: (2.3)
THIRD MATCH: Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & Tetsuya Naito) vs. CHAOS (Toru Yano & Gedo)
Gedo continues to be a delight. The drama between SANADA and Naito has added a bit of heat to these matches. Gedo counters Paradise Lock in an inventive way, pushing up the rating.
Need To Watch Rating: (6.0)
FOURTH MATCH: Bullet Club Elite (Chase Owens & Kenny Omega) vs. Suzuki-gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & TAKA Michinoku)
Sabre and Omega have great chemistry. Owens and TAKA are a dynamic pairing. Far more fun than it probably had any right to be.
Need To Watch Rating: (2.5)
FIFTH MATCH: Yujiro Takahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOH)
I honestly can’t remember anything from this match. Skip it.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.0)
SIXTH MATCH: A Block Match: Togi Makabe (4 pts) vs. Bad Luck Fale (4 pts)
This is…fine. It’s more Tongan Shenanigans. It’s fine.
Need To Watch Rating: (6.0)
SEVENTH MATCH: A Block Match: Jay White (6 pts) vs. Hangman Page (2 pts)
A rematch from Strong Style: Evolved. Definitely on par with their last match. Hangman Page continues to kill himself for our enjoyment. Seek. Out. This. Match.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.5)
EIGHTH MATCH: A Block Match: EVIL (8 pts) vs. Minoru Suzuki (6 pts)
A solid block match. Neither man’s best match, but the closing stretch is breathtaking. Definitely not going to regret watching.
Need To Watch Rating: (9.0)
NINTH MATCH: A Block Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi (8 pts) vs. YOSHI-HASHI (2 pts)
An amazing match. Tanahashi underestimates YOSHI-HASHI and YOSHI-HASHI makes him pay for it at every turn. The wear of this G1 is starting to show on Tanahashi and this match is an essential chapter in the Ace’s G1 story.
Need To Watch Rating: (9.9)
MAIN EVENT: A Block Match: Kazuchika Okada (6 pts) vs. Michael Elgin (4 pts)
A great match. Okada’s winning streak comes up against a giant challenge. Elgin is a solid main eventer, but Okada is the star.
Need To Watch Rating: (9.4)
