New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/27/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 5

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/27/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 5

I skipped one match:

HENARE & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato

Kato hits forearms on KT. KT shoulders him over. KM and Kato do stereo dropkicks then KT forearms Kato down. Henare does the same to KM and Henare/KT argue. KM and Kato hit forearms then take a slam and wasteland. Henare forearms Kato down and kicks him in the back. Henare sentons him for 2.

Kato tries forearms on Henare then Henare forearms him over. Henare hits another big forearm then Kato hits dropkicks. KM hits forearms on KT. KM crabs KT. KM takes shots then KT suplexes KM for 2. KT hits a big forearm on KM and wins.

Thoughts: It was your usual vets vs young lions match. They spiced things up a bit with KT and Henare fighting and there were lots of good stiff shots traded here. I liked this.

United Empire (Francesco Akira & Jeff Cobb) vs. Just 5 Guys (TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)

Cobb shoves Yuya back. Cobb throws Yuya off the waistlock. Cobb blocks Yuya's armdrag. Yuya chops him then Cobb flying shoulders him.

Akira gets in and corner lariats Yuya. Akira top rope crossbodies Yuya. Yuya chops Akira. Akira superkicks him then Yuya goes up and over with an armdrag. Yuya dropkicks him.

Akira forearms Taka then Taka pump kicks him. Taka step up knees him in the corner then running knees him for 2. Akira flying headscissors Taka then Taka facelocks Akira. Yuya hits chops on Cobb. Yuya dropkicks him then pulls Cobb over the top. Yuya plancha's Cobb.

Akira high kicks Taka in the ring. Akira gordbusters him then buzzsaw kicks him for 2. Akira meteora's him from behind and wins.

Thoughts: It was a short undercard match here. It didn't really get enough time and was over just when it maybe started getting good. 

House Of Torture (Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)

DF's team get hit before they are done wit htheir entrance. DF hits headbutts on Ren outside then DF is thrown into the rails. Ren is sent into the post. DF throws Ren into the rails. DF is thrown into chairs. Gedo hits YK with the bell hammer.

Ren back elbows DF. DF hits forearms on Ren then Ren eye rakes him. DF uranage backbreakers him. DF release suplexes Ren. Ren flying knee presses DF. They tag out. YK hits boots on Gedo. Gedo bangs YK's knee off the mat several times.

Fedo figure fours YK and Ren breaks it up. Ren is thrown out by DF. Gedo gets a cradle on YK then YK cradles him to win.

Thoughts: It was a short one that really didn't go into the idea of heel vs heel fighting much at all. This was just a waste of time.

Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Yota Tsuji)

Goto side headlocks Yota and they shoulder battle. They shoulder each other over. Honma and Bushi get in. Honma boots him and shoulders him over. Honma misses the falling headbutt. Honma hits chops on Yota then Yota bangs his head off the buckles. Bushi chops Honma and Honma chops back.

Honma flying shoulders Bushi. Goto shoulders over Yota then spinning heel kicks him in the corner. Goto backdrops him. Goto lariats Yota over. Honma falling headbutts Yota.

Honma headbutts Yota then running lariats him for 2. Honma comes off the buckles and Yota mostly misses a knee for 2. Yota superkicks Honma and Bushi backcrackers Honma. Yota hits a big spear on Honma and gets the win.

Thoughts: It was another short waste of time. Honma wasn't moving well here.

Goto and Yota stare down after.

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - Shingo Takagi vs. Callum Newman

They trade some basic holds. CN side headlocks him and Shingo shoulders him over. CN kips back up. They shove each other. CN facekicks him and they shoulder battle. CN high kicks him. Shingo hits a back elbow and lariat. Shingo is lariated over the top.

CN is thrown into the rails outside. Shingo bangs CN's head off the apron then ddt's him on the floor. Shingo chops and elbow drops him. Shingo hits a senton then suplexes him.

CN hits forearms then is knocked over with one. CN hits forearms on Shingo then Shingo punches back. CN goes down, kips up and enzugiri's him. CN legsweeps him into a double stomp on the back. CN dropkicks Shingo off the apron then 2nd rope moonsaults him outside.

CN top rope flying forearms Shingo for 2. CN hits kicks and a lariat on Shingo. CN PK's Shingo for 2. CN goes for an os cutter then Shingo catches him and gori specials him. Shingo kneedrops him for 2. Shingo hits elbows on CN then blocks CN's buzzsaw kick. Shingo drops him with a headbutt and sliding lariats him for 1.

CN high kicks him then Shingo lariats him for 2. Shingo hits a forearm combo on CN. CN flying knees Shingo. Shingo runs at him and takes a standing spanish fly. CN corkscrew kicks him. CN back springboards and is lariated down.

Shingo lariats him for 2. Shingo poisonrana's CN. CN takes a ddt but headflips out of it. CN then os cutters Shingo and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like CN beating Shingo here. CN loses too much and with NJPW having a weak roster right now, Shingo shouldn't be doing these kind of jobs. It was fast paced as you would expect and maybe too fast for its own good as things needed more time to settle. The match also ended a little soon when it needed more time. They made the most of their time and it was entertaining but it ended before they could do something great. 

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - SANADA vs. Gabe Kidd

Sanada tries to avoid a waistlock. Sanada front facelocks him and they end up getting back up and resetting. Gabe bites him then kimura's him. Sanada is thrown into the rails. Gabe grabs a chair and hits Sanada with it. He throws it at Sanada's arm right in front of the ref, who doesn't care.

Gabe throws Sanada into the wall and Sanada barely gets into the ring in time. Gabe uppercuts Sanada. Gabe arm throws Sanada down. Sanada eye pokes him then Gabe bites him. Sanada dropkicks Gabe in the knee then hits a normal dropkick.

Sanada plancha's him outside. Sanada russian legsweeps Gabe for 2. Gabe kimura suplexes him into the buckles. Gabe backdrops him for 2. Gabe does a border city stretch. They trade shots and Sanada enzugiri's him. Sanada hits magic screw.

Sanada misses a shining wizard and is lariated. Sanada back body drops him then Sanada hits the shining wizard. Gabe piledrivers him. Sanada hurricanrana's Gabe. They trade facekicks. Sanada goes for skull end then hits his deadfall ddt to win.

Thoughts: This didn't get enough time. They were on the cusp of the last section of this then it ended. Gabe worked the arm some here but was put down way too easy.

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - Great-O-Khan vs. Shota Umino

They trade forearms. Shota uppercuts him and Khan dumps him over the top rope. Shota is thrown into the rails. Khan slams him in the ring then stomps on him in the corner. Shota boots him out of the corner then Khan does a head and arm choke. Khan headscissors him then hipthrows him for 2.

They trade forearms. Khan monogolian chops him then Shota hits a nice dropkick. Shota fisherman suplexes him for 2. Khan is tripped into the ropes and Shota slingshot ddt's him on the apron. Shota top rope dropkicks him while he's on the mat then Shota overhead suplexes him.

Khan germans him. They trade forearms on their knees then get up and trade. Khan shoulder throws him then is suplexed. Khan knees him in the back. They trade shots. Shota spinning forearms him and enzugiri's him. Shota then hits ignition. Khan hits a straight punch and both go down.

Khan trips him down then gutwrench suplexes him. Khan head and arm chokes him. Khan puts him over his back and sheep killers him. Khan then does a spinning drop out of it. Khan suplexes him then Shota picks him up and ddt's him. Shota running euros him in the back of the head and hits a double underhook ddt for the win.

Thoughts: It was a good match. They got the time here and didn't do a bad job with it. Khan is noticeably wrestling more serious and dropping a lot of the original stuff he did with the character. Shota won as expected. 

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jake Lee

They do some mat wrestling. Jake boots him, clubs him then poses on him. Zack pele kicks the arm then does a triangle on the ropes. Zack stomps Jake's hand. Zack is on the ropes on the outside and Jake knees him down to the floor.

Zack is thrown into the rails. Jake running knees him outside. Jake tries to pin him down in the ring and chokes him. Jake bodyscissors him. Zack hits forearms and Jake stomps on him. Zack suplexes him then stomps the arm. Zack twists Jake's arm with his legs. Zack cobra twists him and Jake hitposses him out.

Zack PK's him and they trade forearms. Zack hits euros then Jake hits a big knee to the gut. Jake hits more knees to the gut and goes for a sleeper. Jake hits another knee to the gut and guillotine chokes him.

Zack hits a strike flurry on him and facekicks him in the corner. Jake backdrops him and Zack hits kicks. Jake spinning back elbows him and Zack goes for a triangle. Jake goes for the sleeper, Zack rolls out and does various arm holds. Zack does a rings of saturn varation and picks up the submission win.

Thoughts: It was boring. Jake did a bunch of the knees to the gut and basic shots and Zack did a variety of submissions as usual. It didn't look good on paper and there was nothing to suggest a rematch would be any better.

G1 Climax 2024 Block A Match - Tetsuya Naito vs. EVIL

This could be rough. Evil double axe handles him and Naito throws him out. Naito teases a dive then does his tranquillo pose. They do a bunch of stalling. Naito takes a shot from behind outside then Naito is thrown into the rails and the ring announcer. Evil gets on the mic while he rakes his back. Naito is then thrown into seats and choked with a chair.

They get back in and Naito is thrown into the exposed buckles. Naito is thrown back out and Dick Togo bangs Naito's head off a chair. Evil goes for the pin and the ref refuses to count. Evil eye rakes him then Naito baseball slides him in the back of the head.

Naito baseball slides him again then reverse bridging ddt's him on his knee. Naito neckbreakers him. They grab each other by the hair and Evil footpresses Naito down. Evil suplexes him for 2.

Dick Togo distracts the ref. Evil goes for a turnbuckle pad shot but Naito hits him with it. iato tries a pin on Evil then Evil rakes him in the eyes for 2. Evil is thrown off Naito on the pin attempt and lands on the ref. House of Torture interfere.

Togo 2nd rope chops Naito in the crotch for 2. Naito is double teamed with a magic killer in the ring. Evil is popped up and Naito kicks him in the crotch.

Naito step up enzugiri's Evil then tornado ddt's him. Naito is thrown into the ref and Togo tries to throw salt at him but nails Evil. Bushi sprays YK in the eyes and topes him to get him out. Naito hits destino on Evil for 2. Evil hits everything is evil and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't any good as expected with the usual HoT shenanigans. At-least Naito didn't embarrass himself this time though. I'm still not sure where they are going with having Naito lose all of these matches. That's just such weird booking.

Evil sharpshooters Naito after.

Overall thoughts: I liked two of the matches here but neither the main or the semi main were any good. Gabe Kidd vs Sanada ended before it should have. Takagi/Newman and Shota/Khan were good. I wouldn't recommend this one and just thought it was an average night at best.