Wednesday, August 2, 2023

New Japan Pro Wrestling 8/2/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 12

New Japan Pro Wrestling 8/2/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 12

G1 Climax 33 Block D - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Alex Coughlin


Alex goes for a cheap shot on the break but Tana escapes it. Alex shoulders him over then Tana dropkicks him in the knee. Tana dropkicks him in the knee as its tied up in the ropes. Alex chops him and sends him over the top.  Alex bangs his head on the apron then rams his back into it. Tana is thrown into the rails. Alex then slams a young lion onto Tana in full view of the ref.

Tana dropkicks him in the back of the knee then hits some shots. Tana flipping sentons him from the 2nd rope for 2. Alex spinning backbreakers him then backdrops him. Tana hits a twist and shout then sling blades him. Alex powers up then takes a front sling blade for 2. Tana top rope crossbodies him but Alex turns it into a fallaway slam with a bridge. Alex then deadlifts him into a death valley driver for 2.

Alex lariats him in the back of the head for 2. Alex jackhammers him for the win in an upset.

It was on the shorter end of things and to be honest, almost everything Tana is involved in from 2023 is a disappointment because he used to be so much better. But, this wasn't bad at all. Alex did his power stuff and Tana mobility issues weren't a factor here. 

G1 Climax 33 Block C - Mikey Nicholls vs EVIL

EVIL jumps Mikey as he walks down the entrance way in typical fashion. Evil double axe handles him then chokes him. Mikey delay suplexes him for 2. Togo trips Mikey as Evil distracts the ref then Mikey is slammed into the rails, knocking the ring announcer's table over. Evil chokes Mikey with the mic and puts the mic in his face, asking if he wants to give up.

They go into the crowd and Mikey is thrown into chairs. Evil chokes him with a chair and Mikey struggles to beat the count in. Evil chokes Mikey with a shirt then Mikey ddt's him. Mikey corner lariats him and Togo gets on the apron. Evil is pushed into Togo then Evil takes a death valley driver. Mikey sliding lariats him for 2.

Evil tries to low blow Mikey but he blocks it with his foot. Mikey is thrown into the ref then Togo hits Mikey. Mikey is beat up 2v1 and Togo punches him in the nuts off the 2nd rope. Togo throws the ref in and Evil gets a 2 count. Togo pulls the ref out again and Mikey is beat up 2v1 again. Kosei Fujita helps out Mikey some then Mikey bridge pins Evil.

This was complete garbage just as every Evil match is. 

G1 Climax 33 Block D - Toru Yano vs Shane Haste

Yano is wearing a chef's floppy hat. Yano tries to give it to him as a present. Shane says he can try his hat on, but don't throw it. Shane put the chef's hat on, Yano throws Shane's hat. The hat is revealed to be a good and Shane has it put on him. Yano takes off a buckle and Shane rolls up Yano and puts the hood on him. Shane takes an atomic drop and Yano charges into the exposed buckle.

Shane dropkicks Yano out. They goof around with each stalling outside. Yano tries to spray him with spray then Yano goes under the ring to get away from the spray. Shane sends Kosei Fujita to go find Yano then Shane goes under there too. Yano gets out from under the ring first and Shane gets a bucket taped to his head while Fujita has a hood on his head.

Yano hits the bucket and Shane hits euros with the bucket on his head. Shane nearly nails the ref but stops then Shane stops Yano's low blow. Shane is supposed to put the bucket on the ref's head but misses (and the ref puts it on himself) then Yano low blows him and rolls him up to win it.

This was garbage as expected and was just completely stupid and silly.

G1 Climax 33 Block C - Henare vs Tomohiro Ishii





They shoulder battle to start and avoid kicks before standing off. Henare hits headbutts and shulder him over. Ishii hits forearms then Henare sentons him. Henare drops him with a chest kick and they trade forearms. Ishii dropkicks Henare's knee and bangs his knee over his shoulder. Ishii hits a stiff corner lariat then running shoulders him over.

Ishii suplexes him and kicks him in the back. Ishii hits forearms then Henare spinning heel kicks him. Henare hits a punch combo to the gut then does the berzerker bomb for 2. Henare PK's him and Ishii isn't affected. Henare hits forearms then Ishii drops him with a forearm.

Ishii hits forearm combos then is punched haard in the gut. Henare 2nd rope kicks him in the chest then is german suplexed. Ishii lariats him when he powers up for 2. Henare hits a stiff samoan drop then spinning back elbows him. Ishii enzugiri's him then flips him with a lariat for 2.  They trade slaps and Henare elbows him. Ishii headbutts him then runs into a knee.

Henare hits a big spear for 2 and Henare full nelsons him. Henare rock bottoms him for 2. Henare hits a step up knee in the corner then PK's him. Ishii hits a headbutt to the chest then sliding lariats him. Henare pumping knees him, spinning high kicks him then headbutts him. Henare then hits a fisherman's suplex and wins it.

It was fun with the two beating the crap out of each other as expected. They didn't get to go all out here though so it wasn't as good as it could have been. A nice hard hitting, heavyweight match.

G1 Climax 33 Block D - Jeff Cobb vs Hirooki Goto

Goto headbutts him and they shoulder battle. Cobb shoulders him over and hits flying shoulders. Goto is thrown into the rails. Goto goes for a spinning heel kick in the corner but is powerbombed out of it. Cobb stomps on him and misses a standing moonsault. Goto lariats Cobb then hits a spinning heel kick in the corner. Goto backdrops him for 2.

Goto and Cobb trade forearms. Goto puts him in a choke then Cobb blocks a PK. Cobb hits a nice dropkick then hits a tour of the islands backdrop for 2. Cobb standing moonsaults him for 2. Cobb superkicks him then Goto neckbreakers him over the knee. Goto hits a code red then slices him over the knee to win it.

I thought this could have been really good but it was a slower match and just didn't live up to its potential. Maybe if it was a main event on a show where they had 20 minutes or so it would, but this was not it.

G1 Climax 33 Block C - Eddie Kingston vs Tama Tonga

They lock up and Eddie side headlocks him. Eddie hits chops and Tama forearms him. Tama stomps him then Eddie underhook suplexes him. Eddie double stomps him off the snapmare and Tama bodyslams him. Tama splashes him in the corner then misses a corner splash. Eddie hits chops then 2nd rope shoulders him.

Tama comes off the 2nd rope and neckbreakers him then does a rolling death valley driver. Tama misses a top rope splash and takes a sliding D. They trade shots while on their knees and Tama exploders him. Eddie no sells it and exploders him. Eddie saito suplexes him.

Tama hits a twisting neckbreaker then Eddie half-nelson suplexes him and uraken's him. Eddie hits an enzugiri then uraken's and suplexes him. Eddie then picks up the win.

This was too short and ended before it really got going.

G1 Climax 33 Block D - Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr.


Zack piefaces him off the break then does a bad version of Naito's taunt. Naito headscissors him out then does his pose.  Zack is sent into the rails outside the neckbreakered over the rail. Naito neckbreakers him on the floor at 5 minutes then cravates him. Zack attacks the arm and armbars him. Naito hits the ropes then Zack grabs the other arm too. Zack wraps his arm around the rail and kicks the rail. Zack then bangs the arm over his shoulder.

Naito forearms him then hits an atomic drop and neckbreaker. Naito armdrags him then baseball slides his back. Naito hits combinacion cabron and spits in his face. Zack kimurashim on the buckles then armbars him over the top rope.

They trade forearms for euros then Zack takes a spinebuster. naito hits back elbows and hits destino for 2. Zack turns a diamond dust into a double arm lock then Anito armdrags and atomic drops him. Naito rolls into a pin attempt and they trade pin attempts. Naito step up enzugiri's him and Zack PK's him. Zack goes for a suplex and takes a reverse ddt out of it. Zack then michinoku drivers him.

Zack does a nice tornado ddt then Naito suplexes him. Zack grabs the arm and rolls him up then Naito cradles him when he tries the tornado ddt and wins it.

I liked it. Zack stuck to the armwork here and the tornado ddt into the cradle looked good. There were some good counters and reversals here and it was probably Naito's best effort of the tournament so far. Naito still seems to be injured or just shot after years wrestling though.

G1 Climax 2023 Block C - David Finlay vs. Shingo Takagi







Shingo gets the edge early. Gedo distracts the ref and DF clips Shingo. Shingo is pushed through the rail door then DF suplexes him on the floor. DF hits headbutts on Shingo then suplexes him. DF footslaps him then Shingo hits punches. DF grabs him by the hair then Shingo lariats him. Shingo hits corner forearms then throws DF by the hair. Shingo suplexes DF for 2 then hits a ddt.

They fight on the apron and DF powerbombs him through a table right in front of the ref. DF blue thunders him for 2. DF hits forearms then takes a noshigami. Shingo top rope superplexes him then is gut dropped on the top rope. DF hits a dominator for 2 then lariats him.

DF uranages him over the knee then swinging backbreakers him over the knee. Shingo hits a made in Japan for 2. They slap each other then Shingo forearm combos him. DF forearm combos him andhits a spinning forearm. DF then spears and powerbombs him. DF hits another powerbomb then Shingo sliding d's him.

They lariat each other at the same time and Shingo lariats him again. Shingo hits a last of the dragon and wins it.

It was mostly a Shingo match with Finlay along for the ride. It was okay and Finlay held up his end but it wasn't anything that memorable. 

Overall thoughts: It was mostly a good night at the G1 with only two real bad matches with 4 decent to good ones.

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