New Japan Pro Wrestling 8/17/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 18

New Japan Pro Wrestling 8/17/2024 G1 Climax 34 Day 18

Day 17 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/08/new-japan-pro-wrestling-8152024-g1.html

I skipped the House of Torture match.

TMDK (Robbie Eagles & Mikey Nichols) vs Shoma Kato and YOSHI-HASHI

Rob wristlocks Kato. Kato wristlocks him and gets an upkick. Rob side headlocks him. Kato side headlocks him then shoulders him over. Kato forearms Mikey on the apron. Shota flying forearms him and dropkicks him out.

Kato shoulders over Rob. Mikey trips Kato from the outside and bangs his head off the apron. Kato hits forearms on Mikey. Mikey forearms him down. Rob forearms Kato down.

Kato takes a Mikey diving lariat for 2. Kato hits chops and forearms on Rob and Rob kicks him down. Rob hits chest kicks. Kato dropkicks Rob.

Yoshi dropkicks Mikey in the knee then neckbreakers him. Yoshi dropkicks Rob while he hangs on the top rope. Yoshi corner lariats Mikey then ddt's him for 2. Mikey ddt's Yoshi.

Yoshi headhutts Rob. Kato hits forearms on Rob then hiptosses him. Kato crabs Rob. Mikey slaps Kato around and Yoshi comes to his rescue. Kato rolls up Rob. Rob backpacks him and throws him down forward to win.

Thoughts: It didn't get enough time and wasn't much of anything here. There was just a lot of basic stuff in this one and it wasn't real exciting. 

Gabe Kid and Jake Lee vs Tomoaki Honma and Hirooki Goto

The heles attack before the bell. Honma and Jake goes out and someone goes into the rails. Goto and Gabe trade forearms. Gabe slaps him then Goto shoulders him over.

Gabe takes a double shoulder but Honma misses the kokeshi headbutt. Everyone goes out to fight. Goto is sent into the rails. Jake hits kicks on Honma. Jake hits chest kicks. Gabe and Honma trade then Gabe bites Honma. Gabe mocks Honma and misses his own headbutt. Goto gets in. He spinning heel kicks Gabe in the corner then backdrops him. Gabe suplexes him.

Jake slams Goto then legdrops him for 2. Goto lariats Jake. Jake and Honma trade shots. Honma shoulders him over.and misses a falling headbutt. Jake backdrops Honma for 2. Goto ushigoroshi's Gabe. Honma flying headbutts Jake. Jake high kicks Honma and running facekicks him. Jake then gets the win.

Thoughts: It was another short tag of no real interest. Honma lost as expected. Gabe did entertain some with his antics.

El Phantasmo, Jado and Shota Umino vs Callum Newman, Jeff Cobb and KONOSUKE TAKESHITA

Shota and Cobb go at it. Shota side headlocks him and they shoulder battle. Shota shoulders him over after Cobb picks him up. Cobb takes a double dropkick to the knee. ELP asai moonsaults Cobb.

Cobb suplexes ELP then standing moonsaults him. KT 2nd rope sentons ELP. ELP and KT trade forearms. KT lariats ELP. ELP hits shots on CN. CN facekicks him then ELP dropkicks him. Shota running forearms CN. Shota slams Cobb when Cobb gets in. Shota fisherman suplexes CN.

CN legsweeps him and double stomps Shota's back. KT flying lariats Shota. KT suplexes Shota. KT facekicks Shota then Shota dropkicks him. KT takes a double shoulder from ELP and Jado.

ELP and Jado argue when ELP goes into him. KT pushes Jado into him then forearms Jado down. KT pins Jado.

Thoughts: It was another short one as expected here. They pushed issues between ELP and Jado but it was a waste of time.

Taka Michinoku, Taichi and DOUKI vs Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors and Taiji Ishimori

TI hammerlocks Douki. Douki flying snapmares him then armdrags him. Douki springboard back elbows him. TI evades Douki then top rope la silla's him. TI chokes Douki with a shirt. TI fist drops Douki. Clark suplexes Douki then elbow drops him for 2.

Douki hits forearms on Clark then Clark powerslams him. Douki is thrown into the corner. Drilla chops Douki down. Douki hits forearms and avoids a dominator. Douki basement dropkicks Drilla then ddt's him.

Taichi hits Kawada kicks and a side kick on Drilla. Taichi facekicks Clark then TI does sumo with Taichi. Taichi throws him then spin kicks him in the gut. Drilla suplexes him then Taichi STO's him.

Taka trips TI into a facelock then does it to Clark. Taka then does it back to TI. TI border city stretches Clark and Douki breaks it up. Douki lariats TI over. Taka superkicks TI then TI hits la mistica into a border city stretch. TI submits Taka.

Thoughts: It was a short and pointless waste of time. Everyone got their segment in, came in for the finish and that was it.

BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito vs Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan and HENARE

Akira's team attacks before the bell and is beaten up on. 4 of the 6 go outside and Khan is sent into the rails. Bushi boots Akira then flying headscissors him. Naito atomic drops Akira. Akira dropkicks Naito into Khan then Khan belly to belly suplexes Naito.

Akira corner lariats Naito. Henare hits kicks to Naito's back then sentons him. Khan sits on Naito's neck in the corner then pulls on his arms. Khan chinlocks Naito. Naito tornado ddt's Khan.

Hiromu and Akira fight. Hiromu flying headscissors him, corner lariats him and hits a basement dropkick. Hiromu superkicks and dropkicks Akira. Hiromu and Henare shoulder battle. Hiromu rebound germans Henare then falcon arrows him for 2. Henare blocks Hiromu's flying headscissors then hits a berzerker bomb for 2.

Hiromu superkicks and running lariats Henare. Bushi dropkicks Khan in the knee then topes Henare into the rails. Bushi running back elbows Henare and ELP plancha's Hiromu outside. Bushi rewind kicks Henare. Henare spinning kicks him in the face and step up knees him in the corner.

Khan leglocks Naito then Henare full-nelsons Bushi to win.

Thoughts: It was another short one here. I didn't like Hiromu throwing around Henare as Henare's size needs to be protected. They tried a little but there was nothing special about this.

Khan holds onto the leglock on Naito after then grabs the IWGP Title.

G1 Climax 34 Semifinal - Yota Tsuji vs David Finlay

They stare down. DF hits forearms then they each hit shots in the corner. Yota shoulders him over. Yota knees DF in the gut. Yota bodyscissors him. Yota hits corner spears. DF russian legsweeps him for 2.

DF backbreakers Yota for 2 then half-camel clutches him. DF poses and stands on Yota's back. They trade forearms and Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Yota goes for a tope and gets hit. DF pushes Yota into the rails and post.

DF grabs tables from under the ring. Yota topes DF over the rail. They get back in. Yota flying headscissors him then gutbusters him for 2. DF low diving euros him. Yota does his backbreaker + curb stomp combo.

DF's head is banged off the apron with Yota's feet. DF then jumps on him off the apron. DF rams Yota into the post. DF uranage backbreakers him inside. DF blocks a knee and hits a backbreaker for 2.

Yota pumping knees him while he's in midair. They go up top and Yota spanish flies him for 2. Yota falcon arrows him for 2 then curbstomps him. Yota is alley ooped into the buckles and DF dominators him.

Yota sunset flips him for 2. DF hits spinning  forearms him. Yota headscissors him over the ropes. Yota rams DF's back into the post and superkicks him. DF powerbombs Yota on the 2 tables set up outside. Yota is nearly counted out but get in. DF hits oblivion for 2. 

DF hits mounted punches and the ref pulls DF off. DF powerbombs Yota for 2. DF buckle bombs Yota then powerbombs him for 2. DF buckle bombs him again. Yota hurricanrana's him for 2. Yota hits a spear for 2. Yota curbstomps him. Yota hits a marlow crash for 2.

Yota goes for the spear and is cradled. Yota blocks overkill and headbutts him. Yota hits a deadbolt belly to belly suplex and spears DF to win.

Thoughts: It went longer than it needed to at 28 minutes and was just average. They did a top rope spanish fly and a powerbomb through a table that didn't mean anything. DF did his usual power moves and Yota won as expected. There was no great story here and DF was the heel while Yota was the face. Yota using Yuya's finisher was interesting. I didn't expect much out of this and it didn't really surprise me.

G1 Climax 34 Semifinal - Shingo Takagi vs Zack Sabre Jr.

Zack rolls out of a wristlock. Zack cravates him and Shingo rolls him off. Zack cobra twists him. Shingo misses a senton. Shingo upkicks him and Zack misses a kick. They then stand off.

They fight over a double knuckle lock. Zack suplexes him off of it and stomps the arm. Zack stomps Shingo's arm into the mat. Zack hits euros and armbreakers him. Shingo backslides him and twists his neck with his legs like Zack does. Shingo hits a twist and shout.

Zack is thrown into the rails. Zack's head is banged off the apron. Zack hits euros outside then is dropped face first on the apron. Shingo facelocks him then side headlocks him. Shingo corner lariats Zack.

Shingo hits elbow drops and knee drops Zack in the back of the neck. Zack rolls Shingo and twists his neck with his feet. Zack flying euros Shingo. Zack underhook suplexes him. Shingo back elbows him and hits a ddt. Shingo suplexes Zack for 2. 

Shingo germans Zack and knees him on the ropes. Zack rolls him up and drives Shingo's knee into the mat. Zack hits kicks to the leg then knee drops the leg. Zack drives Shingo's knee into the mat. Zack heel hooks Shingo and Shingo ropebreaks.

Zack hits leg kicks then pele kicks the arm. Zack PK's him then is lariated. Shingo superplexes Zack then magic screws him. Zack trips him and goes for a bridge but is caught with a grounded sleeper. Shingo grounded cobra twists him.

Shinog hits a made in Japan and sells his knee. Zack euros Shingo. Shingo lariats him on the ropes then hits a lariat. They trade pin attempts and Zack michinoku drivers him. Zack hits kicks on Shingo then twists his neck with his feet. Zack PK's him. Shingo goes for a submission on the mat then Zack heel hooks him.

Zack stomps Shingo's arm into the mat. Zack puts an octopus on him then Shingo death valley drivers him out of it. Shingo running lariats him. Zack triangles Shingo. Shingo deadlifts him into a last of the dragon for 2.

Shingo hits lariats then a forearm combo. Zack slap combos him and hits kicks to the leg. Zack lariats him then hits a michinoku driver for 2. Zack then ankle locks him and Shingo taps out.

Thoughts: The match was just so-so and went 27 minutes. It had the usual Zack match issues with him not really targeting a specific body part and then winning with a submisssion. Yeah sure, he kind of worked the leg but he also worked the arm and traded lariats and stuff. Shingo did his usual thing. I don't have a problem with Zack winning. He's in the main event mix anyway at times and Shingo doesn't really lose anything.

Yota Tsuji comes in the ring after and they shake hands. Zack walks into the seats and says something in Japanese.

Overall thoughts: NJPW doesn't have a great undercard on G1 shows like this. I don't know why, but it sucks. The undercard was just filler and a waste of time. The two G1 matches weren't that good. I wouldn't recommend this.