Childs

I don't blame the crowd. They're popping for the big spots. But these guys have no idea how to build a match.

I know this is no shock, but this Dolph-Rollins match flat sucks. Way to get the crowd going, asshats.

If you remove the outrage machine, this was actually a fine example of adult discourse. Dave made a thoughtless comment. Peyton, the person directly hurt by it, spoke up. Dave apologized and acknowledged he needs to be more mindful going forward.

I just feel like Naito's character draws energy from being the provocateur and the guy chasing. Don't get me wrong, I would've put him over Okada in the Dome. But I didn't see a compelling reason for him to win this G1. I don't see him on a quest the way Bryan was, because he's already a top-line star who's won plenty of big matches over the years. But I admit he's not a personal favorite, so I'm not viewing the booking through that prism.

There is no semi-final. He had a good chance to win going into the last day of the block. I don't really get all the angst over Naito. He's clearly in the top mix and will remain there. But I'm not sure it does him or the company a huge amount of good if he's pushed into the clear No. 1 role. Being somewhat of an outsider is part of his character. I mean Choshu, the leading rebel of a past generation, was rarely the top guy.

I don't mind the old dog getting his run. I much prefer Tanahashi to Okada anyway. But I was bored with their match until the last few minutes. I've never liked Tana-Okada as much as some of the other top NJPW rivalries, because neither is a particularly good offensive wrestler. So the filler before the big counter-fu finish always feels like just that. I did like Tana's counters to the Rainmaker, especially that sneaky little left hand, and his defiance in going for the win rather than stalling out the clock. Not sure which finals match-up I'm rooting for. Naito-Tana feels fairly played out after last year. We've also seen Ibushi get a big win over Tana. I might actually dig Tana beating Omega to set up a rematch for the title in the Dome. But good on Gedo for keeping the booking unpredictable.

I feel like there's still a chance ZSJ spoils it for Naito. I was surprised they went with Ibushi and Omega losing, but I guess it provided the twin benefits of furthering the Tongan storyline and maximizing the intrigue for Saturday. I found it annoying that the commentators kept saying Naito would need an Ibushi-Omega draw, even after they read the point totals.

That's right. It's the only time of year when following wrestling really feels like following a sport at playoff time. I'm also rooting for an Ibushi-Okada final at this point. Seems the freshest and sets up the most interesting possibilities. I appreciate Jay White's commitment to his heel persona, but I don't think he's ready to nail a G1 final. Omega doesn't need to be in it, and it seems Naito is headed down a different path, possibly toward a Jericho rematch. Okada has been the worst performer of the top guys in the tournament, but he's the No. 1 guy, and it would make sense for him to advance.

This was a terrific match, one of the best in the tournament. They came up with all kinds of creative ways to play on the style contrast, and I actually liked the fact that not every exchange looked 100-percent smooth. It was cool, almost Fujiwaraesque, how Zack made catching Kenny's knees a part of his strategy. I bought the possibility of either man winning, and I loved the final pin coming off a scrambling roll-up instead of the One-Winged Angel. I hope this was the first of many match-ups.

Amen on that Hangman Page dive. Poor EVIL had to dance around like an idiot, looking for the right spot to catch it, and the impact still looked shitty. Page works very hard, and the crowd does seem to like him, but he has yet to click with me for a whole match. Like El-P, however, I've really enjoyed this G-1 overall, even the story lines the Meltzerati have bagged on such as the Tongans. The 7/27 A Block show was probably my least favorite to date, but even that I found an easy watch. In previous years, I tried to cherry pick the best matches after the fact. But I'm having a lot more fun going along for the whole ride.

Yano's run has been a terrific surprise and a big reason why the B block shows have been bangers. This might be my favorite match of the tournament from a pure pleasure standpoint -- just a perfect blend of exciting wrestling and nonsense with a satisfying finish.

This was not very good for the first 2/3. Sabre gave an unfocused performance, and a lot of Okada's offense looked downright shitty. They did pick it up in the stretch, with ZSJ delivering some cool counters to Okada's signature spots. And the finish felt like it was probably quite a live moment, though it wasn't miced properly. Still, this was a significant step down from their IWGP title match.

This was my favorite match of night 3, and I did not expect the Makabe win, though I like them setting up Suzuki as a dangerous, cornered animal for the rest of the tourney. Makabe normally doesn't do a ton for me, but he works in a match-up of old lunatics with no regard for the crowd, the ref or anybody else. Suzuki has been the best guy in the G1 to date, and they have me interested in the A Block in a way I did not anticipate

They basically did the right stuff, but the match nonetheless got a bit long in the tooth. White has a lot of tools. He just needs to learn to be more dynamic on top. I also thought they lost the thread a little bit when he went away from the knee that had been established as Tanahashi's weakness going into the match. I get that White's best offense is more neck-focused. But I thought his sadism would have come across better if he'd tried to cripple the old man. Still, they've done a pretty good job with the overall story.

The love for Page is lost on me. He feels completely generic, even compared to Elgin, who doesn't generally give me what I want but at least catches my attention with his offense.

He became one of my favorites as we went through all the New Japan footage from the '80s. He was kind of the Arn Anderson to Choshu's Flair -- equally believable as a bad ass and a bit of a stooge, great tag worker, game to have a low-key killer singles match with anyone from Kengo Kimura to Larry Z. Obviously he was the rare Japanese worker who also thrived in the U.S. And you absolutely believed that if you crossed him in an alley, he could break you in half as easily as wipe his nose. RIP to one of the great legit hosses.

Their 2016 match was one of the best in the current era of the promotion. This one didn't touch that level of drama. In fact, it was kind of formless between the opening bullshit and the finishing stretch. But it's hard to knock the action down the stretch. There aren't too many wrestlers in the world who could execute those sequences. The stakes just felt much lower than in the previous editions, partly because of the placement in the tournament.

This match is wrestling nerd fantasia.

That sequence where Rusev sold the leg and then blocked the calf crusher was great detail work.

The long-haired dude who always sits in the front row should not wear that color.

Well, this is convenient actually. I'll call AJ-Rusev the main and move on with my life.

I liked that match quite a bit. Thought the timing on the big counter spots was excellent, and the finish was cool/unexpected.

You still watch wrestling?

Now see, I try not to be reactionary. But having Bryan go down that casually is just dumb.

Knowing that the Iron Man match is still looming makes me sad.