New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/21/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 2

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/21/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 2

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - SANADA vs. Callum Newman

CN wristlock takedowns him. Sanada reverses it then side headlock takeovers him. CN does a fast running facekick. CN dropkicks Sanada off the apron then misses a 2nd rope moonsault outside. Sanada bridging, twisting neckbreakers him from the rails.

CN is dropped throat first on the rails. Sanada russian legsweeps him. CN legsweeps him and double stomps him. CN PK's him for 2. Sanada armdrags him then does another bridging, twisting neckbreaker on the ropes. Sanada shining wizards him then CN flying knees him.

CN corner dropkicks him and hits a cutter. CN corkscrew kicks him then Sanada hits a ddt. Sanada then wins it.

Thoughts: It was a fun match here as expected. The two matched up well and we got some good reversals and people ducking each others moves. This could have gone longer. 

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - HENARE vs. Oleg Boltin

This could be really good if they let them go. They trade forearms and shoulder battle. Oleg shoulders him over. Oleg corner splashes him then shoulders him over. Oleg splashes him. Henare hits leg kicks and a nasty kick to the chin.

Henare flurries him and hits a senton. Henare jumps at him and is powerslammed. Oleg slams him and hits a vader bomb for 2. Oleg karelin's lifts him. Henare spinning back elbows him then springboard kicks him.

Henare pumping knees him. Oleg dropkicks him.  Henare jumps at him and is caught with a finlay roll for 2. Henare spinning high kicks him then flying headbutts him. Henare fisherman suplexes him and wins it.

Thoughts: It was shorter than you would want but it was pretty much perfect for what it was. This was all hoss wrestling here and people landing big shots. It was action packed and I really liked this. 

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - Gabe Kidd vs. Great-O-Khan

Gabe beats up a young lion as he enters. Khan hits a big uranage early then belly to belly suplexes him. Gabe is lariated over the top. Gabe is thrown into the rails. Gabe knocks him over through a rail and they fight in the crowd. Khan drops him in the seats. Gabe bites him and bands Khan's head off a chair. Khan is sent into the post.

Gabe kicks the rail at Hiromu Takahashi on commentary and throws his water bottle. Gabe hits shots on the ropes and shoulders Khan over. Khan throws him over the top to the floor. Khan plancha's him outside.

Gabe is sent through the rails into seats. Gabe's arm is put in the open area of a seat and Khan stands on the chairs. Gabe suplexes Khan over the top and goes with him. They fight on the floor and in the aisle. Khan germans him in the ring then Gabe germans him back. Khan sheep killer suplexes him. Gabe bites Khan's hand and lariats him.

Khan olympic slams Gabe. Gabe headbutts him then takes a straight punch. Gabe rebound lariats him and wins.

Thoughts: It was a total brawl here and I really liked it. They went through railings here and really made it seem like a wild fight. It ended at about the right time too.  I thought it had a chance to be good and it exceeded my expectations.

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita

Ren running facekicks him and ELP hits a nice dropkick. ELP chops him then walks up the buckles and diving headscissors him. Ren is lariated over the top and ELP plancha's him. ELP topes Ren outside and misses a top rope moonsault.

ELP is thrown into the rails and has his leg kicked on the rails. Ren grabs the push up bar and Jado takes it from Ren. Ren then chairs ELP's leg. ELP's leg is banged off the floor. Ren knee breakers ELP.

They trade shots and Ren eye rakes him. ELP suplexes him and hits punches. ELP springboard crossbodies then misses an asai moonsault. ELP then jumps off the apron and tornado ddt's him. ELP does a springboard swanton into an asai moonsault.

Ren northern lights suplexes him then leg locks him. Ren single leg crabs him and ELP ropebreaks. Ren boots him in the leg. Ren mocks him and ELP corner stomps him. ELP grabs the push up bar. ELP gives it to Jado and takes a backslide. ELP gets out of a facebuster and Ren jumping knee presses him. 

They go up top and ELP top rope hurricanrana's him. ELP top rope splashes him for 2. ELP hits a facebuster and wins.

Thoughts: It went a little longer than it needed to here and I would have liked the finish to have had something to do with all the knee work on ELP.

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - EVIL vs. Jake Lee

Evil offers a too sweet. Jake just pokes Evil and Dick Togo in the eyes. Jake back elbows Evil. They go outside and Jake is sent into the rails. Evil then chokes Jake with a cord and shoves the mic in his mouth.

Jake hits shots on Evil then Togo trips Jake. Evil fisherman suplexes him for 2. Evil scorpion deathlocks him. Jake knees him on the ropes. Jake crabs him and Togo rings the bell to confuse Jake. Evil is thrown into the ref on accident then Togo chokes Jake with a weapon. Jake chokes Evil with the same weapon. Evil gets the weapon and the ref catches him with it.

Jake backdrops him. Jake hits a knee to the gut and chokeslams him for 2. Jake misses a facekick and Togo throws powder in his eyes. Evil hits everything is evil and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't good as expected here. There was tons of shenanigans with weapons and interference and Jake was almost working as a face here despite being a heel. 

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - Hirooki Goto vs. Yuya Uemura

They do some mat wrestling and get back up. Yuya keylocks him. Goto side headlocks him and shoulders him over. Yuya dropicks him. Yuya hits chops in the corner. Goto throws him back then kicks him in the spine. Goto foot chokes him in the corner and hits forearms.

Goto spinning heel kicks him in the corner then back body drops him. Goto crabs him. Yuya goes up and over him, armdrags him and dropkicks him. Yuya running chops him then backdrops him.

Goto ushigoroshis him. They trade chops and Goto running lariats him. Goto fireman's carry slams him and drops the elbow down on him during it. Goto hits a hard kick flurry to the chest. Yuya hits a big headbutt then enzugiri's him. Yuya hits his deadbolt belly to belly suplex with the bridge and wins.

Thoughts: They were on path to maybe do a classic but then it ended. It felt like they needed a good 5-10+ more minutes to this and then we really could have gotten something special out of it. What we did get was good with Goto bullying around Yuya and Yuya coming back. I didn't like Yuya beating Goto here as they were on the verge of something special and I don't think it would work as well in the rematch.

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - Shingo Takagi vs. Shota Umino

Shota shotgun dropkicks him to start then hits a forearm flurry. Shingo forearm and headbutt flurries him. Shingo knees him on the ropes then Shota dropkicks him. Shota takes a backdrop on the apron. Shota is thrown into the rails.

Shingo works on him in the ring and hits chops and punches. Shingo suplexes him and sentons him. Yuya neckbreakers him. Shota hits euros then fisherman suplexes him. Shingo atomic drops him. Shing os itripped into the ropes and takes a slingshot ddt onto the apron.

Shota exploders him. Shota goes for a tornado ddt but is suplexed into the buckles. Shingo teases a punch then ddt's him. Shota 2nd rope exploders him then Shingo corner lariats him.

Shingo top rope superplexes him. Shingo sliding lariats him and sentons him. Shingo torture racks him then Shota tornado ddt's him. Shota lifting reverse ddt's him then hits ignition.

Shota runs into a lariat. Shingo gori special drops him then does a running lariat. Shingo hits made in Japan for 2. Shingo hits some shots with 2 lariats then Shota lifts him up for a ddt. Shingo hits a forearm combo. Shota strikes back and is lariated. Yuya hits an exploder, gerts lariated then hits a half-dragon suplex. Shota euros him in the back of the neck for 2. Shota underhook ddt's him and wins.

Thoughts: This probably would have worked better had the last match not been so similar. Shota wasn't as good here as Yuya was. They definitely tried to put Shota over here but I didn't think it was the right time. He hadn't been around due to injuries and was just not put in a position prior to this where it could work. It was also a little soon. I mean I get it - NJPW is short on stars, so they are trying to make some, but I don't know if this was the best way.

It was a good match here with Shota going for the upset and eventually getting it. I thought they could have done it a little better though. Some blood might have helped this and if Shota had better offense, that also would have helped it.

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Zack does Naito's fist pose. Naito teases doing it back and spits at him. Naito cradles him and Zack goes out. They go for pin attempts then naito baseball slides him.

Naito cravates him then is snapmared and has his neck twisted. Zack hits euros. Zack stranglehold chokes him with his knees in Naito's back. Zack cravates him and Naito bridging 2nd rope reverse ddt's him on his knee.

Naito armdrags, hiptosses and baseball slides him. Naito neckbreakers him. Zack does an armbar on the ropes. Zack is thrown into the rails outside. Naito bridges him on the apron and neckbreakers him. Naito diamond dusts him.

Zack grounds him and ties up with his arms while doing a dragon sleeper. Zack PK's Naito and goes for a driver but Naito reverse ddt's him. Zakc hits a driver on him. Naito hits back elbows and Zack gets a bridge pin for 2. Naito misses a step up enzugiri and Zack bridge pins him again and wins.

Zack grabs the IWGP Title after. Naito is now 0-2 in the G-1 and refuses the title when it's handed to him.

Thoughts: I figured something was up here with where this was placed on the card. It was your usual Zack match where there were submissions but not exactly a clear focus. It was okay but I think it could have been better if Zack had gone for more pins and finally upset him with one. 

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - David Finlay vs. Yota Tsuji

They grab each other by the hair. Yota flying headscissors him then topes him outside. DF is sent into the rails. Yota shoulders him over then crabs him. They trade chops and DF spits at him.

Yota corner splashes him and hits forearms. Yota is then dropped on the buckles. DF hits mounted punches. Yota is thrown hard into the corner. DF suplex throws him. Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Yota slams and splashes him for 2. Yota gutbusters DF. They trade forearms and Yota drives DF's head into the mat. Yota is dropkicked off the apron. Yota is thrown into the rails then the post. DF spits at Hiromu outside.

DF dominators him inside for 2. Yota suplexes him. Yota curbstomps him twice. Yota misses the marlow crash. DF goes for the spear and runs into Yota's knee. Yota falcon arrows him.

Yota runs at him and takes oblivion for 2. DF powerobmbs him then Yota is buckle bombed. DF powerbombs him. DF spinning lariats him. They trade forearms. Yota headbutts him then hits a big spear. Yota hits a marlow crash and wins.

Thoughts: It was a Finlay match and it was only going to be so good. I felt it was okay overall with the strikes and Yota's explosive offense. I have no idea why this was in the main event over some of the other matches when it had no chance of being as good.

Overall thoughts: It was a great night at the G1 and it was all you could ask for. We had a couple of strong matches and some upsets. This is what the G1 is all about and NJPW got it right here. Finlay should not have been in the main though.