Coming off the hype I had last Sunday after the NJPW/ Rev Pro Strong Style Evolved Show, we had the G1 Special on Saturday (or Sunday for me). The card was announced before the show and it was stacked from the first to last match, from the title to non-title match - I mean they spoil us every single time! I mean it was probably one of the best wrestling shows I've ever watched from the start to the beginning, I mean there were some AMAZING matches but none of them disappointed me - the standard was just so high.
From the get go, even the matches that didn't have a title on the line were amazing and I didn't have one match that I wasn't on the edge of my seat for. Starting with a 10 man tag between Chaos and Bullet Club was amazing because, even though the match was short, it did everything it needed to and showed off the guys to the best of their ability. We saw the athleticism of Roppongi 3k, the talent of the Tongans (still bitter and those of you who watched it know why) and how underrated Chase Owens and Yujiro was. We also had Chaos's Ishii/ Yano v Suzuki/ Zack Sabre Jr which had the hard hitting style of the guys plus the humour of Yano (who actually got the pinfall). Kushida/ Tanahashi v Marty Scurll and Hangman was like pure class, it had funny moments but like was a proper match that made me wonder who was going to win. Biggest of all is that how agile Page is even though he's a heavyweight which basically meant the match was high energy and fast pace! The last non-title match was Ospreay/ Okada v Bushi/ Naito and it really helped carry on this Okada saga where I think he's gone nuts. I mean obviously Naito was tranquilo throughout but Okada had no chill, his hair was weird, he's been on a losing streak and he came out with balloons that had faces on them. I mean it was a great match because I now can't wait for the G1 Climax and how Okada and Naito are going to do in it.
Having the Young Bucks against Evil/ Sanada being the first title defence of the night was perfect and, apart from the one I'll write about later, it was probably my favourite of the night. It was everything I love seeing in a Young Bucks match and Evil and Sanada were the perfect partners for this because, even though there's a big weight difference, they kept the pace fast and the action high flying. I was pretty surprised at how good the chemistry was between Nick Jackson and Sanada - I mean it was electric! We then had the amazing match between Takahashi and Dragon Lee which was the perfect performance for these Jr Heavyweights and I was genuinely worried for their safety, especially after rumours that Takahashi had broken his neck - it shows the lengths the wrestlers go for the business that they love. Even though it wasn't my favourite match of the night, I can't deny how good the Hevayweight match between Kenny and Cody was in terms of wrestling and especially story-telling! It was more hard hitting and brutal than a lot of Kenny's other matches but this just helped the story and rivalry between the two. Having the Young Bucks at ringside was also majorly smart because, at one point, I thought Matt was going to bollock Cody. I mean this along with spots through the table and that superplex from the ladder meant it was another great match from the American Nightmare and Best Bout Machine. Is this the end of this feud or is it going a new way?
Even though all of these matches were great, without being bias, my favourite match had to be Jay White defending the US championship against Juice Robinson. Even though I'm bitter that he lost (I mean I threw a comb across the room and it accidentally hit my mum), it was a masterpiece. I mean even though it wasn't a masterpiece of technical wrestling, they did what we knew they would, they battered each other. They both came out in awesome new ring gear and, from the go, we knew who was the babyface going into it and Jay played perfectly to the crowd and was the perfect heel for Juice's babyface. We got chairs, illegal low blow and even Juice using that injured hand of God to help lead to a roll up for the win. Even though I'm gutted White won, Juice deserved it and it was a pure classic match!
How can I review the G1 last night and not talk about THAT ending... I mean we knew that Tama Tonga was going to do something but I didn't think it would be so soon with King Haku and Tanga Loa. I mean I wasn't surprised when they beat up The Elite, even when they battered Hangman Page and Marty Scurll. What I wasn't ready for was the beating poor Yujiro and my boy Chase Owens got, I mean they've been nothing but loyal to GOD with Owens being called an honourary Tongan. It was great to see the others all teaming together and Cody's reaction - it really makes the G1 so much more exciting. However, I'm wondering what Fale is going to do because he's a pure Tongan but he's loyal and I know he actually is great with Chase Owens.
So, what another night for NJPW and more evidence on why they are my favourite company! What did everyone else think and which was your favourite match
Until Next Time
Bye!
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