Childs

Seriously, constable gets the goofy demon? A pointless match gets 50 percent dumber.

Y'all are nuts. Miz wrestled a perfect match for his character, all ego and opportunism.

That was sensational. Both guys.

Dolph Ziggler should watch Miz tapes to learn how to work heel.

I hope we see a bit more of Bryan the dickish master wrestler. I miss that guy.

I don't know if they have time but the perfect thing would be for Joe to win the title from an overheated AJ and then face a reckoning in the cell. Feels like they need that middle chapter.

Well, that was a perfect first match in a feud.

I love the kid rejecting daddy's hug.

Ok, they're stuck in second gear here.

Really like the heavier hitter vs. quicker hitter dynamic so far.

Ok, well that made it better. I'm glad the crowd went nuts for Becky going badass.

Booo.

They certainly want us to believe Braun will cash tonight.

What the fuck was the point of that?

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.