New Japan Pro Wrestling continued their G1 Climax tournament on Thursday. Since the show began at 5:30am EDT, here’s a spoiler-free match listing for the non-nite-owl New Japan fans. Each match has been given a Need To Watch Rating of 0.0-10.0. The show is available at NJPWWorld.com
FIRST MATCH: Michael Elgin & Ren Narita vs. CHAOS (Jay White & YOH)
Jay White continues his Svengali-like attempts to corrupt YOH. Narita continues to be a fiery upstart, hungrier with every match. Life is short and this is pretty basic.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.0)
SECOND MATCH: Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado) vs. CHAOS (SHO & YOSHI-HASHI)
Suzuki is in murder mode. Inessential but definitely a fun watch.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.5)
THIRD MATCH: Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & EVIL) vs. Togi Makabe & Toa Henare
This was a wild brawl, a chaotic preview of EVIL and Makabe’s encounter on 7/20. Fun match but still nothing essential.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.5)
FOURTH MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay vs. Bullet Club OGs (Bad Luck Fale & Tanga Loa)
Tanahashi and Finlay are such a good pairing that it might start making Juice Robinson jealous. Fale and Tanga Loa are meaner and nastier than usual and it is a delight. Fun, inessential tag match.
Need To Watch Rating: (3.0)
FIFTH MATCH: Bullet Club Elite (Hangman Page & Chase Owens) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Gedo)
Page and Okada have great chemistry. Gedo and Owens are always fun. Nothing essential, but nothing bad.
Need To Watch Rating: (5.0)
SIXTH MATCH: B Block Match: SANADA (0 pts) vs. Tama Tonga (2 pts)
Tama Tonga tries to outsmart SANADA, but SANADA is smarter. This is a fun duel of a match. Probably the weakest block match of the night and still pretty damn good.
Need To Watch Rating: (8.0)
SEVENTH MATCH: B Block Match: Toru Yano (0 pts) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (0 pts)
This match is every bit as fun and thrilling as the pairing suggests. Yano is stuck between serious wrestler mode and Classic Yano™ and the match is all the better for it. Sabre is tailor-made for the G1 and is a slippery foil to the doofy Yano. Seek. Out. This. Match.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.0)
EIGHTH MATCH: B Block Match: Juice Robinson (0 pts) vs. Kota Ibushi (2 pts)
Robinson and Ibushi have phenomenal chemistry. Juice, like Hangman Page in Block A, will be a made man by the end of the tournament. He goes toe to toe with Ibushi in full maniac-mode and puts up a phenomenal fight. Seek. Out. This. Match.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.0)
NINTH MATCH: B Block Match: Tomohiro Ishii (2 pts) vs. Tetsuya Naito (0 pts)
Ishii and Naito have a match that could main event any pay-per-view. It is that good. Ishii is always in an extra-violent mood against Naito, and Naito is on a tear of breathtaking performances this year. This is a unique and special match and everyone should see it.
Need To Watch Rating: (11.0)
MAIN EVENT: B Block Match: Hirooki Goto (2 pts) vs. Kenny Omega (2 pts)
A rematch from the 2016 G1 Finals. Goto and Omega told a beautiful story. The moves seemed to span both men’s long careers. Like the Ishii/Naito match, this match could main event any pay-per-view. It was a breathtaking end to a magical night of wrestling. Night 4 was something special.
Need To Watch Rating: (11.0)
