New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/23/2022 G1 Climax 32 Day 4

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/23/2022 G1 Climax 32 Day 4

I'm just covering the G1 matches today:

G1 Climax 32 C Block Match - Zack Sabre Jr. vs Aaron Henare

They counter each other early and Henare suplexes him. Zack headscissors crucifixes him around the ropes and works his leg before he ropebreaks. Zack euros him and he isn't affected then Henare hits a spinning elbow and a 2nd rope twisting enzugiri. Henare hits some punches and leg kicks and they fake each other before Henare punches him. Zack then ankle locks him against the bottom rope and Henare comes back with stomps and clubs.

Henare does something like a standing stf then curbstomps him. Henare hits some kicks as Zack is down then Zack euro uppercuts him and is dropped with a forearm. Zack then twists his neck. Zack puts him in a cobra twist then Henare hiptosses him out of it. Zack hits some forearms then Henare hits a punch and headbutt combo. Zack catches his kick and ankle locks him before Henare ropebreaks him.

Henare hits a hard knee ot the gut then throws him in the rails. Zack wraps his legs around Henare's body outside and is suplexed on the floor. Henare then hits his side slam bomb which is apparently called the berzerker bomb. Zack slaps him a bunch of times and takes a hard elbow to the head. Henare gets his corkscrew kick blocked then Zack jumps on the back of his knees.  Zack hits some kicks to Henare's chest as he is down then PK's him. Henare no sells it and spinebusters him for 2. Henare 2nd rope sentons him then Zack does a nice roll-up into a pin attempt. Henare full nelsons him then gut punches him. Zack then sits on his back with a heel hook and wins it.

It was a styles clash and it probably could have been better, though I did like it to some degree. I don't feel like Henare is fully comfortable in his knee heel character yet and I think he might have done better in the hoss block here. I feel like Zack did work the leg some up to the finish but they keep interrupting their own momentum here. 

G1 Climax 32 D Block Match - Shingo Takagi vs YOSHI-HASHI

Shingo was IWGP champ last year and has done little since. Shingo does a dirty break against the ropes early and they shoulder battle. They trade forearms and Yoshi dropkicks him through the ropes. Yoshi bangs Shingo's arm over his shoulder then Yoshi ends up outside on a missed charge. Shingo runs his back into the apron then smacks his arm off the apron.

Shingo works the arm inside then Yoshi dropkicks him in the knee. Yoshi running blockbusters him then hits a neckbreaker for 2. Shingo back elbows him then lariats him. They trade double chops then Shingo saito suplexes him. Yoshi powers up and they lariat each other down. Yoshi dragon suplexes him but Shingo no sells it and sliding lariats him.

Shingo top rope superplexes him and hits a made in Japan for 2. Yoshi backcrackers him and Shingo combos him with forearms. Shingo punches him then hits a big lariat. Shingo has him on his shoulders then Yoshi rolls him into a tornado ddt. They hold each other by the wrist and trade lariats then Shingo headbutts him in the chest. Yoshi then hits Shingo with his own made in japan half-nelson driver. Yoshi hits a forearm combo then hits a spinning lariat and superkick. Yoshi hits a nice brainbuster for 2 for a close nearfall.

Yoshi lariats him and goes for another made in japan but is rolled up and Shingo wins it.

This was a fun match with them teasing that Yoshi could win it. I liked Yoshi doing some of Shingo's moves and it was one of the better matches I've seen Yoshi involved in for some time. They did a good job of putting Yoshi over here.

G1 Climax 32 Block A - Toru Yano vs Kazuchika Okada

Toru charges him and attacks with a towel. He chokes him with it then Yano is thrown out. Yano reverses an irish whip and sends him into the rails. Yano then chairs him and throws him into the rails again. Yano is sat on a chair and drop toe holds Okada into it.

Okada barely beats the count in then is whipped into the exposed buckle. Yano then chokes him with the wrist tape. Yano misses a charge and goes into the exposed buckle then Okada neckbreakers him. Okada hits a ddt then is catapulted into the expoed buckle. Okada neckbreakers him over the back onto his knee. Okada top rope elbows him and Yano powerbombs him for 2.

Yano grabs a chair then Okada ddt's him again. Okada spinning clotheslines him. Okada goes for a rainmaker and Yano runs into the ref and sprays him in the eyes. Yano rolls him up for 2. Okada back body drops him anbd takes a sunset flip. Okada blocks his low blow attempt but is eye raked. He immedately recovers and dropkicks him. Okadap uts him in the money clip and wins it.

It was fine with Yano trying to cheat to win and almost pulling it off before Okada won as expected.

G1 Climax 32 Block B - Jay White vs Tomohiro Ishii

I lost my review of this due to a power outage. Jay got the win with a bladerunner. I wasn't a big fan of this. Jay did his usual screwing around for a long time, we had the usual shenanigans with Gedo and it took too long for it to get going. 

Overall thoughts: I liked the Shingo and Okada matches here, but didn't care much for the main event. The Henare/Zack match was 50/50 with me as it had some okay stuff to it, but it also had issues.