New Japan Pro Wrestling continued their G1 Climax tournament on Saturday. Since the show began at 5am 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: Bullet Club OGs (Tanga Loa & Bad Luck Fale) vs. Toa Henare & Togi Makabe
Tanga Loa continues to prove he should’ve been in this year’s tournament. The Fale and Makabe sections of this match tease an amazing showdown that will surely be ruined by interference.
Need To Watch Rating: (2.4)
SECOND MATCH: Bullet Club Elite (Hangman Page & Chase Owens) vs. CHAOS (Jay White & YOH)
Page and Owens continue to be a stellar tandem. Jay White cannot be trusted by even his own teammates. Gripping, if inessential stuff.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.1)
THIRD MATCH: Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & BUSHI)
EVIL & BUSHI are a great team. Desperado and Suzuki are a great team. This match is fun.
Need To Watch Rating: (3.6)
FOURTH MATCH: CHAOS (YOSHI-HASHI & SHO) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shota Umino
This match is worth the price of Tanahashi and Umino tagging, alone. The rest is pretty standard.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.9)
FIFTH MATCH: Michael Elgin & David Finlay vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Gedo)
Simple, effective tag match. Broken Okada continues to be a delight. Finlay is the star of the undercard. Gedo is also there.
Need To Watch Rating: (2.5)
SIXTH MATCH: B Block Match: Tama Tonga (2 pts) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (4 pts)
Look, more Tongan Shenganigans™.
Need To Watch Rating: (6.5)
SEVENTH MATCH: B Block Match: Juice Robinson (0 pts) vs. Toru Yano (2 pts)
Really solid match, built around Juice’s hand. Yano continues to be a delight.
Need To Watch Rating: (7.9)
EIGHTH MATCH: B Block Match: Tomohiro Ishii (4 pts) vs. Kota Ibushi (4 pts)
Easily one of the best matches of the tournament so far. From headbutts to throat punches, this match has everything. There is only so much one can say about a thrilling tale like the one Ishii and Ibushi told. Watch. This. Match. Now.
Need To Watch Rating: (11.5)
NINTH MATCH: B Block Match: Hirooki Goto (4 pts) vs. Tetsuya Naito (6 pts)
A very good match between two of NJPW’s most solid hands. Unfortunately, following Ibushi/Ishii gave this match a lot to live up to.
Need To Watch Rating: (8.5)
MAIN EVENT: B Block Match: Kenny Omega (8 pts) vs. SANADA (6 pts)
Omega and SANADA have wild, evenly matched bout. Omega continues to deliver brilliant performances with a broken heel and SANADA continues to show that he’s a future IWGP Champion in the making. A really stellar main event that got upstaged by Ibushi/Ishii.
Need To Watch Rating: (9.1)
