New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/15/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/15/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 1

G1 Climax 2023 Block B - YOSHI-HASHI vs El Phantasmo

ELP takes him down and they do a stand off. ELP shoulders him over then Yoshi running blockbusters him. ELP dropkicks him then suplexes him. ELP slams him and 2nd rope elbow drops him. Yoshi dropkicks him in the knee and corner lariats him. Yoshi neckbreakers and back body drops him then lariats him over the top. Yoshi tope con hilos him then top rope blockbusters him.

ELP northern lights suplexes him then springboard twisting crossbodies him. He then asai moonsaults him for 2. ELP hits a ufo neckbreaker and does a spinning chop. He superkicks him then springboard splashes him. They each try pin attempts then ELP step up enzugiri's him. Yoshi superkicks him and flips him with a lariat. Yoshi then wins it with a crucifix bomb.

They went a little overboard for the opener here with some big kick outs but it was alright. I don't really agree with or get Yoshi grabbing the win over ELP here.

G1 Climax 2023 Block A - Gabe Kidd vs Chase Owens

Kidd nails him with a chair during his entrance. They fight on the stage and Chase is rolled down the ramp. They trade shots on the floor then Gabe destroys a rail and throws chairs. Chase has his head banged off chairs then is hit and choked with an umbrella. Gabe hits some of the young lions then runs down the ramp and tope con hilos Chase.

Gabe talks to the commentators and tells Kevin Kelly to shut up. The match then officially starts and Chase knocks him over. Chase hits an interesting backdrop combo called the "marvel special". Gabe is sent into the buckles then takes a hard lariat. Gabe hits a stiff lariat off the ropes and brainbusters him for 2.

Gabe bites him then takes a facekick. Chase superkicks him then half-nelson suplexes him. Chase pumping knees him against the ropes then package piledrivers him for the win.

Chase winning here was odd since Gabe is getting a revitalized push and was just crowned a tag champ. Chase also is a notorious jobber, so him needing to be put over doesn't make much sense. It's a shame because it wasn't a bad effort at all up to the finish. I thought Kidd should have been DQ'd for attacking Chase before the bell.

Chase says they are off to a good start and says he and Gabe have things to talk about as Bullet Club members.

G1 Climax 2023 Block B - Tonga Loa vs KENTA

Tonga won this with a fire thunder. It was slow and had shenanigans with the ref and weapons usage. It was far from either man's best effort.

G1 Climax 2023 Block A - Shota Umino vs Ren Narita

Ren running facekicks him and gets forearmed. They butt heads and trade forearms. Shota hits a forearm and euro combo in the corner then Ren flying facekicks him. Ren footchokes him in the corner then Shota armdrags him and hits a basement dropkick. Ren takes him over and does a knee bar. Shota slaps him while in a leg lock.

Ren hits boots and Shota comes back with forearms. Shota running euros him while he's on the mat then fisherman suplexes him. Shota top rope dropkicks him then STF's him. Shota hits a downward elbow flurry then Ren spinning heel kicks him. Ren underhook suplexes him then knees him in the gut. Shota hits a blade runner and holds on for more then lefts his leg and drops him. Shota running forearms him and does a slingshot into a ddt.

Ren does a nice exploder then does an exploder with a bridge for 2. Ren sharpshooters him then facekicks him. Ren misses a facekick but it is sold anyway. They exploder each other and no sell it then they german suplex each other. They slap each other and go down at the same time. They trade forearms on their knees then trade while they stand. Ren jumping enzugiri's him then Shota hits a nice dropkick. Shota tornado ddt's him then hits a mcgillicutter for 2. Shota capture ddt's him for 2 then Ren cobra twists him. Ren germans him for 2 then Shota pop-up euros him. The time then expires.

I think they tried for a big memorable match, but it just wasn't there. It was okay, but it could have been better. It didn't have the heat and was just missing something.

G1 Climax 2023 Block B - Kazuchika Okada vs Great O'Khan

Khan does a nice hipthrow then does a head and arm choke. Okada gets whipped into the buckles then takes a double chop to the neck. Khan sits on his neck on the buckle then Okada hits a running back elbow. Okada ddt's him then flapjacks him for 2. Okada sits him on the top and dropkicks him down to the floor. Khan is thrown into the rails and has trouble getting over it on the facekick.

Okada pulls his hair then ddt's him on the floor. Khan flying lariats him. Okada hits a face kick then takes a mongolian chop flurry. Khan hits a Karelin's lift. Khan atomic drops him and put the sheep killer on him. Okada germans him then hits a big dropkick. Okada hits a landslide then Khan hit a nice shoulder throw. Khan hits a sheep killer suplex for 2. Okada then rainmakers him for the win.

I didn't like the finishing stretch at all. It just felt random with people hitting big moves for no real reason. It was the usual Okada match otherwise with the usual Okada spots. 

G1 Climax 2023 Block A - Yota Tsuji vs Kaito Kiyomiya

Yota topes him into the rail while he's walking around outside. Well, that should be a DQ. Yota kind of curbstomps his head inot the mat and stomps him. They trade chest shots and Kaito chop blocks him. Yota tilt-a-whirl armdrags him then Kaito dragon screws him. Kaito elbow drops him and bangs his knee off the post.

Kaito stomps the knee then springboard twisting forearms him. Kaito slaps him and hits a dropkick. Yota foot presses him down into the mat then headscissors him. Yota shoulders him over and powerslams him for 2. Kaito knee dropkicks him, dragon screws him and figure fours him.

Kaito top rope dropkicks Yota then germans him for 2. Kaito his euros and a spinning forearm. Yota hits a hard one back then headbutts him. Kaito hits a nice dropkick then takes a pump kick and a superkick. Yota falcon arrows him for 2 and kind of misses a curb stomp.

Kaito hurricanrana's him for 2 then jumping knees him. Kaito hits a tiger suplex for 2 then does a half nelson driver. Kaito shining wizards him and wins it.

I wasn't a fan of this one. Yota's not a good seller and was not one here. Kaito worked his knee for a while and he could have cared less after. The crowd also wasn't that into it which hurt it.

G1 Climax 2023 Block B - Taichi vs Will Osperay

They trade chops for forearms then trade facekicks. Taichi spin kicks him and facekicks him out. Taichi then facekicks him off the apron. Taichi is thrown into the rails then thrown over them. Taichi is run down the aisle into the rail door and thrown into seats.

Taichi is ddt'd on the floor. Will does a coast to coast dropkick as he gets in the ring then bridging ddt's him on the floor. Will springboard forearms him for 2 then backbreakers him. Will spinning backbreakers him then kicks his back. Will sit out brainbusters him for 2.

Will chops him then is kicked in the ear on accident. He starts holding it and has trouble going up top. Will falls off the top then kind of stumbles around. Will lets Taichi hit Kawada kicks then does some of his own. Taichi side kicks him and pulls off his pants. Will hits a stiff lariat then an os cutter. Taichi enzugiri's him in the ear and is swatted down on his next attempt. Will hits a hidden blade but Taichi grabs the ropes.

Taichi rolls him up then Will superkicks him. Will spinning forearms him and drops him. Taichi hits a release top rope backdrop then a running lariat. Taichi backdrops him for 2. Will backdrops him and goes for the hidden blade but takes a superkick. Taichi hits a schwein on him and wins it.

I wasn't a fan of this one. The top rope release backdrop was super nasty yet wasn't enough for the invincible Osperay and I have no idea what was going on with the ear issues. It went longer than it needed to be as well.

G1 Climax 2023 Block A - SANADA vs Hikuleo

Hiku running facekicks him to start then is rolled up. Sanada has his shoulder thrown into the buckle then his back is rammed into the apron. Hiku is put into the post and the rail outside. Sanada is thrown over the rail. In the ring, Sanada takes a hard chop and a high back body drop.

Sanada hits dropkicks and then dropkicks him off the apron. Sanada plancha's him. He tries to moonsault him from the 2nd buckle inside but takes snake eyes and then a lariat. Hiku hits a suplex for 2. Sanada suplexes him then takes a running powerslam for 2. Hiku powerslams him then shining wizards him. Hiku blocks his hurricanrana then hits a big powerbomb for 2. Sanada hits a bladerunner style ddt off a chokeslam attempt and wins it.

It wasn't anything too special as expected and Sanada won to the surprise of nobody.

Overall thoughts: The crowd was not good here and brought down the matches. They just didn't get that excited. The matches weren't that great either and all of them had a slower pace most of the night. The show was booked weird as Sanada/Hiku was the main when nobody would want that as the main while Umino/Ren and Okada/Khan were in the middle of the card. It was also quite a long show with 1 hour and 45 minutes or so of just wrestling.