New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/31/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 8

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/31/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 8

Day 7 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/07/new-japan-pro-wrestling-7292024-g1.html

Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee)

Kato dropkicks Gabe then hits a forearm flurry. Gabe slaps him then Kato flying shoulders him. Gabe takes corner forearms from both opponents then a double dropkick. Jake lariats both opponents over.

Kato is thrown into the rails by Gabe outside. Gabe chops KM down inside then Jake slams KM. KM tries forearms on Gabe then is slapped. Kato hits running forearms on Gabe then flying forearms him down.

Gabe eye rakes him. Kato hits dropkicks on Jake then Jake takes a double dropkick. Gabe slaps Kato then Jake chokeslams Kato. Jake pins Kato.

Thoughts: It was your usual young lions vs vets match here. The young lions showed some fire and did forearms and dropkicks until they were put down. It was fine and the young lions looked good.

United Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan) vs. House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)

The heels attack before it starts. Togo sends CN into the rails outside and Evil stomps on Khan. Khan hits mongolian chops on Evil then uppercuts him. Khan sits on Evil's neck in the corner. Khan is sent into the exposed buckle. Togo stomps on Khan then sentons him.

Evil chokes Khan with a rope. Evil stands on Khan's head. Evil eye rakes Khan then Khan shoulder throws him. CN gets in, sweeps both opponents and hits a double basement dropkick. CN PK's Evil then standing moonsaults him for 2. CN takes corner attacks and Eivl fisherman suplexes him.

Togo chokes CN with a weapon and Khan breaks it up. Khan goes for the claw on Evil then punches him in the gut. CN enzugiri's Togo from the mat then pins him with an os cutter.

Thoughts: It was your usual HoT match with them cheating. It wasn't anything of note and was a shorter match.

Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Just 5 Guys (SANADA & TAKA Michinoku)

Shota wristlocks Sanada then Sanada reverses it. Sanada side headlock takeovers him and thye stare down. Sanada goes for the paradise lock but is shouldered over. Honma misses a falling headbutt on Sanada.

Taka gets in and stomps on Honma. Honma hits forearms then is eye poked. Taka eye rakes him with his feet then headbutts him. Taka chinlocks him then Sanada stomps on Honma. Sanada paradise locks Honma. Honma flying headbutts Sanada. Shota running forearms Sanada then basement dropkicks Taka.

Shota fisherman suplexes Sanada. Sanada hits a dropkick to the knee and head on Shota. Taka step up knees Shota in the corner then Sanada russian legsweeps Shota. Taka superkicks Shota. Shota dropkicks him then Honma falling headbutts Taka. Shota hits ignition on Taka then double underhook ddt's him to win.

Thoughts: It was a quick one here. Shota took a lot more than he got in on this but he did end up picking up the win. It was just filler.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Kosei nails Shingo when he does his handshake to Naito. He flying headscissors Naito then PK's him from the apron. Naito atomic drops Kosei and holds him for a running shoulder from Shingo. Shingo suplexes Kosei.

Naito hits forearms on Kosei then clubs on him. Zack and Shingo go at it. They shoulder each other and both block and evade each others moves. Zack twists Shingo's neck with his feet. Shingo spinning neckbreakers him. Kosei gets in and springboard dropkicks Shingo.

Shingo lariats him on the ropes and Naito baseball slides him. Kosei takes an atomic drop into an enzugiri. Shingo punches and lariats Kosei down. Naito neckbreakers Zack then pumping bombers Kosei. Shingo hits made in Japan on Kosei and wins.

Thoughts: It was another short midcard match. It didn't have enough time to really develop into anything and it's a shame as it probably would have been decent if they let it go longer.

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - Yota Tsuji vs. Oleg Boltin

Oleg shoulders him over to start. Yota shoulders him then Oleg gets another hsoulder in. Yota goes for a splash and Oleg gets his knees up. Yota gutbusters him. Yota hits a knee to the gut.

Yota hits forearms to the gut and stands on him in the corner. Oleg hits forearms and takes a shot to the gut. Oleg slams him then hits forearms. oleg shoulders him over and splashes him. Oleg karelin's lifts him then Yota suplexes him.

Oleg misses a splash and Yota rolls him up for 2. Yota crabs him then curbstomps him for 2. Yota knees him in the face. Oleg dropkicks him then Yota cradles him. Oleg hits a big lariat then finlay rolls him for 2. Yota hits a big spear and wins.

Thoughts: It was a shorter heavyweight style match. It should have gone longer and I would have liked to have seen these guys get to do a bit more here. I think they got what they were supposed to do here and did as good as they could have with it.  

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - HENARE vs. Yuya Uemura

Gabe Kidd is on commentary for this one. Yuya waistlocks him then side headlocks him. They shoulderblock battle. Henare shoulders him over. Yuya armdrags him and shoulders him over. Yuya armdrags him and armlocks him.

Henare backs him up in the corner then Yuya chops him. Henare hits a big forearm back. Henare flying shoulders him and kicks him in the back. Henare hits a strike flurry in the corner. Henare hits kicks while he's down then sentons him.

Yuya hits chops. Henare headbutts him in the gut then Yuya forearms him. Henare hits a berzerker bomb for 2. Yuya flying forearms him. Yuya goes up an over him, armdrags him then dropkicks him. Yuya splashes him. Yuya backdrops him. Yuya hits a top rope crossbody and Henare backrolls out of it. Henare pop-up samoan drops him.

They trade forearms. Henare bangs his own head off the buckles and they trade more forearms. They trade chops for chest kicks. Henare hits a hard shot to the gut then hits chest kicks. Yuya dragon suplexes him and Henare lariats him. Henare running lariats him for 2.

Yuya hits a big dropkick then top rope crossbodies him for 2. Henare gets his knees up on Yuya's top rope frogsplash. Henare step up knees him in the corner. Yuya germans him for 2. Henare hits another shot to the gut and a spinning high kick. Yuya pele kicks him. Henare PK's him and hits a rampage slam for 2. Yuya dragon suplexes him. They trade headbutts and Henare flying headbutts him. Henare hits something like a burning hammer and wins.

Thoughts: As usual, I didn't think Henare protected himself enough here. He shouldn't be taking big bumps and going 50/50 with non-hosses yet that's what he's doing. It was a good match but Henare throwing him around and Yuya making comebacks would have make for a better one. Yuya had a good showing here and the strike exchanges were entertaining.

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - El Phantasmo vs. Jeff Cobb

Cobb offers a handshake and ELP rolls him up from behind. Cobb shoulders him over. ELP flying headscissors him out and topes him into the rails. ELP goes for another dive and is hit on the attempt. Cobb is sent into the post. ELP walks up his back, to the apron and buckles then moonsaults him outside.

Cobb belly to belly suplexes him and headbutts him. Cobb misses a corner attack and pounces him. Cobb surfs on ELP's back. ELP hits forearms then is uranage'd for 2. ELP is hit on the buckles then Cobb 2nd rope superplexes him.

Cobb standing moonsaults him. Cobb blocks a flying headscissors. ELP hits kicks on him then 2nd rope tornado ddt's him. ELP superkicks him. ELP does a top rope swanton into an asai moonsault for 2. Cobb F-5's him then forearms him down.

They trade forearms. ELP facekicks him the Cobb bodyblocks him. ELP dropkicks him. ELP springboards and is caught with a tour of the islands slam. Cobb wins.

Thoughts: I didn't think they had enough time for this one. It was okay with ELP doing his flying and Cobb working as the bigger man, but it ended before it could be great.

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - Hirooki Goto vs. Ren Narita

Ren knees him then hits stomps. Ren eye rakes him then is shouldered over. Goto hits forearms and Ren slides out. Ren stalls outside and Goto sits down in the ring. Ren gets in, Goto gets out and Ren boots him. Goto is sent into the post and rails.

Ren chokes Goto with his own stick. Ren grabs the ring bell but the ref takes it from him. Ren then chairs Goto. Goto's neck is catapulted into the bottom rope. Ren flying lariats him then chinlocks him.

Goto hits chops and Ren chokes him. Goto lariats him off the ropes. Goto spinning heel kicks him in the corner then backdrops him. Ren chinlocks him then Goto bulldogs him for 2.

Ren exploder ssplexes him. Ren double underhook suplexes him then does a king crab hold. Goto ushigoroshi's Ren then forearms him over for 2. Ren flying kneepresses him. Ren goes for Goto's stick and Goto gets it off of him. Goto is pushed into the ref and Ren rakes Goto's eyes.

Goto and Ren square off with weapons. Goto hits him with his. Goto blocks a low blow and hits a headbutt flurry. Goto running lariats Ren and Ren grabs the ref. Ren low blows him and facebusters him to win.

Thoughts: It was your usual HoT match with weapons, ref bumps and a dirty finish. It was okay until the shenanigans started and brought down what little good will this had garnered.

G1 Climax 2024 Block B Match - David Finlay vs. Konosuke Takeshita

They lock up and grab each other by the hair. KT hits a big forearm then side headlocks him. KT shoulders him over then dropkicks him. KT chinlocks him then side headlocks him. DF spits at him then KT is pushed off the buckles to the floor. KT is sent into and over the rails outside.

KT is sent into the buckles then DF pulls on his face. DF suplexes KT then cobra clutches him. KT facekicks him then flying lariats him. KT brainbusters DF. KT misses a flying knee in the corner then goes over the top to the floor. DF shoves him through the rail doors outside then poses on the commentary table.

DF is pushed into the post. KT piles chairs on DF then slingshot swantons him from the ring to the floor. KT top rope frogsplashes him inside for 2. KT goes for a top rope senton and DF gets his knees up. DF uranage backbreakers him for 2.

They trade forearms on the apron and KT is pushed into the post. DF dominators him for 2. KT back body drops DF then flying knees him. DF hits oblivion for 2. They try pin attempts on each other.

KT hits the ref in the conrer on accident. DF buckle bombs him then KT hits a powerbomb. Gedo distracts the ref outside. DF grabs the shillelagh and hits KT with it for 2. KT hits a big forearm then Gedo trips KT. KT grabs Gedo. DF runs into Gedo. KT hits blue thunder on DF. DF hits overkill and wins.

Thoughts: It was an okay match brought down by various shenanigans as usual. It would have been fine if they just let them do their thing, but we had to get a ref bump and interference. I thought they had an easy storyline with DF working KT's arm, but they opted not to go with it.

DF says "f*ck you" to the crowd after and asks who's better than him. He says he got rid of Ospreay, Jay White and Takeshita. He said he sent them to AEW. He says nobody is better than him and says he's just getting started. Gedo then talks on the mic after.

Overall thoughts: We could have had a bunch of decent matches here but we had a lot of interference and shenanigans which brought it down. Yota/Oleg didn't get the time it needed. Henare/Yuya was easily the best match on here, but Henare should have protected his size better. I wouldn't recommend this one and though it was just a so-so show.