superkix

NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/27/17) Tokorozawa Citizen Gymnasium 1,525 Fans 5. G1 Climax – Block A: EVIL [4] beat Michael Elgin [2] (11:28) with the EVIL. 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii [6] beat Tomoaki Honma [0] (10:50) with a brainbuster 7. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO [6] beat Kyle O'Reilly [2] (12:17) with the GO TO HELL. 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata [8] beat Satoshi Kojima [4] (16:32) with the PK. 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuhiko Nakajima [4] beat Kazuchika Okada [4] (17:22) with a high kick. Notes: - Once again, Shibata/Kojima delivered, with a spirited performance from Kojima. Tenzan cried after the match. - Nakajima heeled it up for the New Japan crowd and got the upset victory over Okada after countering a Rainmaker attempt with a vicious high kick to the head. NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/29/17) Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium 5,550 Fans - Super No Vacancy 5. G1 Climax – Block B: YOSHI-HASHI [2] beat SANADA [4] (13:19) with the butterfly lock. 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega [5] beat Togi Makabe [2] (10:21) with a school boy. 7. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk [8] beat Jay White [0] (9:26) with the GTS. 8. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito [6] beat Yuji Nagata [2] (12:35) with the Destino. 9. G1 Climax – Block B: KUSHIDA [7] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [4] (18:43) with the Hoverboard Lock. Notes: - YOSHI-HASHI was immediately jumped by BUSHI and KAMAITACHI after his "fluke" win over SANADA. - KUSHIDA continues his impressive run with a big win over Tanahashi, in a match where he destroyed the veteran's arm to set up the submission finish.

NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/24/17) Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,735 Fans - Super No Vacancy Full House 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima [4] beat Tomohiro Ishii [4] (14:50) with a lariat. 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuhiko Nakajima [2] beat Michael Elgin [2] with a brainbuster 7. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO [4] beat Tomoaki Honma [0] (11:27) with the GO TO HELL. 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada [4] beat EVIL [2] (12:19) with the Rainmaker. 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata [6] beat Kyle O’Reilly [2] (18:34) with the PK. Notes: - Kojima busted open Ishii hardway with an elbow to the nose. Really hard-hitting match. - Shibata and O'Reilly put on a really competitive match that many considered the match of the night. NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/26/17) Nagano Big Hat 1,750 Fans - No Vacancy 5. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk [6] beat Yuji Nagata [2] (14:07) with the arm triangle choke. 6. G1 Climax – Block B: SANADA [4] beat Togi Makabe [2] (8:50) with a moonsault press. 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito [4] beat YOSHI-HASHI [0] (10:23) with the Destino. 8. G1 Climax – Block B: KUSHIDA [5] beat Jay White [0] (12:39) with the Hoverboard Lock. 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi [4] beat Kenny Omega [3] (17:22) with the High Fly Flow. Notes: - Yuji Nagata gave it his all against Punk, trying to school him in the grappling department and coming at him hard with his strikes. Punk was on the defense for much of the match. - Jay White had his best match of the tournament thus far but still could not defeat KUSHIDA, who worked the arm throughout and got the submission win.

NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/22/17) Machida Municipal Gymnasium 4,632 Fans - Super No Vacancy Full House 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Kyle O’Reilly [2] beat Tomoaki Honma [0] (11:07) with the cross armbreaker. 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata [4] beat Katsuhiko Nakajima [0] (17:30) with a sleeper hold. 7. G1 Climax – Block A: Michael Elgin [2] beat Satoshi Kojima [2] (10:39) with the Elgin Bomb 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii [4] beat EVIL [2] (12:45) with a brainbuster. 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada [2] beat GOTO [2] (16:20) with the Rainmaker. Notes: - Solid show from top to bottom, with the weakest being Elgin/Kojima. Shibata/Nakajima and Ishii/EVIL were as hard-hitting as you would expect, while the Okada/GOTO match was an emotional encounter and the first singles match between the two since GOTO turned on CHAOS. NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/23/17) Fukushima Big Palette 2,500 Fans - Super No Vacancy Full House 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito [2] beat Togi Makabe [2] (10:34) with the Destino. 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata [2] beat YOSHI-HASHI [0] (8:26) with a backdrop hold. 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi [2] beat Jay White [0] (9:14) with the High Fly Flow. 8. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk [4] beat SANADA [2] (14:56) with the GTS. 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega [3] vs. KUSHIDA [3] – Time Limit Draw (30:00) Notes: - KUSHIDA/Omega tore the house down in an over-the-top spectacle, which saw KUSHIDA finally get Omega in the Hoverboard Lock just as the time limit expired.

NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/17/17) Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center 5,538 Fans - Super No Vacancy 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata [2] beat Tomoaki Honma [0] (10:22) with the PK. 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima [2] beat Kazuchika Okada [0] (15:50) with the Koji Cutter. 7. G1 Climax – Block A: EVIL [2] beat Kyle O'Reilly [0] (11:12) with the EVIL. 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii [2] beat Michael Elgin [12:37) with the brainbuster. 9. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO [2] beat Katsuhiko Nakajima [0] (16:43) with the GO TO HELL. Notes: - Kojima vs. Okada was the match of the night, as Kojima had the crowd in his corner. - GOTO's new finish, the GO TO HELL, is a modified version of the wrist-clutch Olympic Slam he once used. NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/21/17) Tokyo Korakuen Hall 1,740 Fans - Super No Vacancy Full House 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega [2] beat YOSHI-HASHI [0] (9:32) with the One-Winged Angel. 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Togi Makabe [2] beat Jay White [0] (8:46) with the King Kong Knee Drop. 7. G1 Climax – Block B: SANADA [2] beat Yuji Nagata [0] (12:29) with the Skull End. 8. G1 Climax – Block B: KUSHIDA [2] beat Tetsuya Naito [0] (16:14) with the Shelley Clutch. 9. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk [2] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [0] (18:50) with an arm triangle choke. Notes: - Both KUSHIDA/Naito and Punk/Tanahashi were very good. Punk worked an aggressive style against Tanahashi, utilizing a lot more strikes and submissions to try and overwhelm the flashier former ace.

Super fun little match. You've got a fired up Nomura with the crowd behind him, a fed up Sekimoto trying to extinguish the flame by working the back to set up the finish. Nomura's strikes looked great, his slap counters are always fun, and he really threw his weight into the elbows during the final exchange. Cool Rock Bottom-style backbreaker by Sekimoto into his shitty Sharpshooter but I liked that Nomura held out for a bit before the ref called for the bell.

I'm just booking the tournament matches, not the undercards. Also, for reference here is a list of the current champions as of July 1, 2017: IWGP Heavyweight Champion: Tetsuya Naito IWGP Intercontinental Title: KUSHIDA NEVER Champion: GOTO IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Will Ospreay IWGP Tag Team Titles: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles: Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/17/17) Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomoaki Honma 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Satoshi Kojima 7. G1 Climax – Block A: Kyle O’Reilly vs. EVIL 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Michael Elgin 9. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/21/17) Tokyo Korakuen Hall 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. YOSHI-HASHI 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Togi Makabe vs. Jay White 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. SANADA 8. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. KUSHIDA 9. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/22/17) Machida Municipal Gymnasium 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Tomoaki Honma 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 7. G1 Climax – Block A: Michael Elgin vs. Satoshi Kojima 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. GOTO NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/23/17) Fukushima Big Palette 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Togi Makabe 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. YOSHI-HASHI 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White 8. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. SANADA 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. KUSHIDA NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/24/17) Tokyo Korakuen Hall 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomohiro Ishii 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Michael Elgin vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 7. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO vs. Tomoaki Honma 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kyle O’Reilly NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/26/17) Nagano Big Hat 5. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. Yuji Nagata 6. G1 Climax – Block B: SANADA vs. Togi Makabe 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI 8. G1 Climax – Block B: KUSHIDA vs. Jay White 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenny Omega NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/27/17) Tokorozawa Citizen Gymnasium 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Michael Elgin vs. EVIL 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tomoaki Honma 7. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO vs. Kyle O’Reilly 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/29/17) Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium 5. G1 Climax – Block B: SANADA vs. YOSHI-HASHI 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. Togi Makabe 7. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. Jay White 8. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KUSHIDA NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/30/17) Gifu Industrial Hall 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 6. G1 Climax – Block A: EVIL vs. Tomoaki Honma 7. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kyle O’Reilly 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Michael Elgin 9. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO vs. Tomohiro Ishii NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (7/31/17) Takamatsu City General Gymnasium 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. KUSHIDA 6. G1 Climax – Block B: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jay White 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe 8. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. SANADA 9. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. Tetsuya Naito NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/2/17) Kagoshima Arena 5. G1 Climax – Block A: EVIL vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma 7. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kyle O’Reilly 8. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO vs. Satoshi Kojima 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/3/17) Fukuoka Citizen Gymnasium 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. Yuji Nagata 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Jay White 7. G1 Climax – Block B: KUSHIDA vs. YOSHI-HASHI 8. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. Togi Makabe 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/5/17) Osaka Edion Arena 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. EVIL 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomoaki Honma 7. G1 Climax – Block A: Michael Elgin vs. Kyle O’Reilly 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 9. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO vs. Katsuyori Shibata NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/6/17) Shizuoka Act City 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Togi Makabe vs. KUSHIDA 6. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. YOSHI-HASHI 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Kenny Omega vs. Jay White 8. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. SANADA 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/7/17) Yolohama Cultural Gymnasium 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Michael Elgin vs. GOTO 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomoaki Honma vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 7. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Kyle O’Reilly 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. EVIL 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/9/17) Yamagata City General Sports Center 5. G1 Climax – Block B: KUSHIDA vs. SANADA 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Jay White 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Togi Makabe vs. YOSHI-HASHI 8. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi 9. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. Kenny Omega NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/11/17) Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 5. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomoaki Honma 6. G1 Climax – Block A: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 7. G1 Climax – Block A: GOTO vs. EVIL 8. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Michael Elgin 9. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/12/17) Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 5. G1 Climax – Block B: Togi Makabe vs. Yuji Nagata 6. G1 Climax – Block B: Jay White vs. SANADA 7. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI 8. G1 Climax – Block B: CM Punk vs. KUSHIDA 9. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kenny Omega NJPW "G1 CLIMAX 27" (8/13/17) Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta © vs. Jado & Gedo 2. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Will Ospreay © vs. KAMAITACHI 3. G1 Climax - Final: Winner of Block A vs. Winner of Block B

Structurally, this match was pretty messy. The pacing felt disjointed and I think it went a little long past its expiration date, but that only meant we got a great finishing strike-a-thon with a ridiculous Rainmaker headbutt from Ishikawa and a hard-hitting slap fight. I like Higuchi. He’s definitely got all the pieces to make a big superstar but his offensive execution leaves something to be desired. Ishikawa is a strong WOTY candidate and he was great here, in that you get the sense he can’t be bothered by Higuchi. He doesn’t hold back with his shots and I love that he’s smiling through the face slaps in the end. He looked like a true champion, never really letting Higuchi get out of control on offense. I’d like to see a rematch between the two with some of the fat trimmed.

Kengo’s relentless and focused legwork drives this match and even though I’m not the biggest fan of Kaji Tomato, he served his purpose here and sold well for Kengo’s onslaught. At times, the match felt a bit too choreographed but that may just be Tomato’s offensive style, which is hard for me to get excited for. But Kengo’s presence was really great and he’s good at bringing the focus of the match back to the leg, even when Kaji seemingly forgets about it during his silly offense runs. I like how he watches while Tomato hurts himself on the springboard dropkick attempt and like a shark smelling blood, he goes right back to attacking the leg. Kengo’s had a quietly good year and this is yet another strong performance.

In this hypothetical world, Bullet Club has dissolved, Adam Cole is in NXT/WWE, Kenny Omega is back to being an uber-babyface, Hirooki Goto has turned on CHAOS and joined Los Ingobernables, Kojima wants one more G1 Climax appearance, and Nakajima is the GHC Heavyweight Champion representing NOAH. New Japan have announced the blocks for this year's G1 Climax tournament. The prestigious annual event will be taking place from July 17th to August 13th. Block A Kazuchika Okada GOTO Katsuyori Shibata Tomohiro Ishii Michael Elgin EVIL Satoshi Kojima Kyle O’Reilly Tomoaki Honma Katsuhiko Nakajima Block B CM Punk Kenny Omega Hiroshi Tanahashi Tetsuya Naito Yuji Nagata SANADA KUSHIDA Jay White Togi Makabe YOSHI-HASHI

Assuming CM Punk takes his MMA experience(s) and runs off to Japan for one last pro wrestling hurrah/NJPW dream fulfillment. Phil “CM Punk” Brooks has been trolling internet fans for weeks with subliminal tweets regarding a potential return to professional wrestling. For the past year, Brooks has been involved in the amateur MMA circuit, having lost his second fight in UFC. His record now stands at 2-4. With many taking Punk’s tweets with a grain of salt, no one quite knew what to expect when he revealed he would be making a major announcement concerning his future. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, New Japan Pro-Wrestling held a live press conference before their annual G1 Climax tournament. NJPW President Katsuhiko Harada laid out the basic logistics of the tournament, which will include twenty participants in two separate blocks -- Block A and Block B. Assuming the usual suspects would be involved, Harada confirmed the return of Jay White to the promotion to partake in the tournament, as well as confirming former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, KUSHIDA. In closing, Harada made a shocking revelation by inviting CM Punk to take the podium and address the press. Those in attendance weren’t quite sure how to react. Punk said that he is a firm believer that dreams can become reality. He had a dream of competing in the UFC and he realized that dream, even if it meant getting his ass kicked twice. Stepping away from the spotlight of “sports entertainment” was an easy decision but inside his chest beats the heart of a professional wrestler. Throughout his career, he had another dream: to compete in New Japan’s G1 Climax. To wrestle for one of the most prestigious companies in the world, where he can be respected not for his “pipe bombs” but for his in-ring abilities. Punk announced that he would be returning to professional wrestling to take part in the 27th annual G1 Climax. He said he will meld the experience gained from his years of MMA training with his pro wrestling background in order to compete at the highest level possible. He thanked President Harada for giving him the opportunity to fulfill another dream and asked the Japanese fans for their support heading into the tournament. He concluded by saying that his experiences in MMA have humbled him and opened his eyes to what it truly means to having a “burning spirit”.

Here's what I wrote over at my blog. Similar sentiments.

Hot damn, this was Nomura bringing the fire and not backing down a bit, even when he's getting bullied by Strong BJ. His mentor/trainer Suzuki takes a backseat in this, although he and Sekimoto have a fun little exchange and throw some suplexes. Loved Nomura lighting up Yuji with kicks, elbows, headbutts, and taking the boss hoss by surprise. He gets control of the situation and tags out as if he's had enough of Nomura's spunk. For a kid that's been wrestling less than six months, he does a lot of little things right. Like when he's trying to get the armbar locked in on Sekimoto and he's slapping at his hands to release. He's defintely the best/most interesting Big Japan young'un by miles.

I thought about this the other night, if WWE ran two back-to-back shows in Japan for the RAW and Smackdown brands. This would be the current brands with injuries, etc. The angle would start with an "invasion" of Los Ingobernables de Japon into NXT, which would build to a big "Takeover" show. NXT 1. Hideo Itami vs. BUSHI. Hideo Itami wins with the GTS. 2. EVIL vs. Samoa Joe. Hard-hitting as you would expect. Joe wins with the rear naked choke. 3. Tetsuya Naito & X (Andrade Almas) vs. Bobby Roode & Austin Aries. Naito's been teasing a LIDJ mole in NXT from the get go. Roode and Aries reform the Dirty Heels for one night only to take on Japan's dirtiest heels. X turns out to be former member La Sombra aka Almas. Naito pins Aries after hitting the Destino. 4. NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. SANADA. This is an easy win for Nakamura via the Boma Ye but features a match-up that never took place in New Japan. After the event, HHH announces that WWE taking the fight to New Japan's doorstep. Back-to-back RAW and Smackdown! super shows. RAW 1. Hangman Page, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs. Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Old Bullet Club meets shitty new Bullet Club. The New Japan dads get to make an appearance and win after Nagata pins Page with the backdrop hold. 2. Rusev vs. Tomohiro Ishii. An opportunity for Rusev to let lose and the perfect guy to test it out on. Rusev doesn't hold back with the kick but Ishii stiffs the fuck out of Rusev and pins him after hitting the brainbuster. 3. Cesaro vs. Katsuyori Shibata. A match everyone can get behind. Cesaro takes the fall from Shibata after a dramatic sleeper hold > PK combo. 4. Kevin Owens & Jushin Liger vs. Sami Zayn & KUSHIDA. The thought of an Owens/Liger team made me smile. Japanese fans get Owens vs. Zayn in some cpaacity. Lots of bullying and lots of great selling from Zayn and KUSHIDA. The underdogs win when KUSHIDA cradles Liger for the win. 5. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Michael Elgin © vs. Sheamus. Sheamus gets to hit really hard and Elgin answers. Lots of impressive power spots. Elgin retains with the Elgin Bomb. 6. Seth Rollins vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi. This outshines the main event due to Tanahashi's strong performance. Rollins has something to prove and beats the former ace with the God's Last Gift. 7. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada © vs. Roman Reigns. You have New Japan's current ace vs. the "ace" that nobody wanted. Bitter, bearded aggressive Reigns shows up and the two put on a very pro-Okada, E style match. Big main event feel. Okada wins via the back-to-back Rainmakers. Smackdown. Wow. What a sad roster to choose from. Didn't see Lesnar as being a part of this. 1. The Usos vs. The Guerillas of Destiny. The shittiest match. 2. Dolph Ziggler vs. SANADA. Spotty as hell but mindless fun. SANADA wins via the Cold Skull. Ziggler definitely doesn't need the win here. 3. GBH Open Challenge: Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. X & X (John Cena & Randy Orton). Great Bash Heel made an open challenge to WWE and WWE fed them to John Cena and Randy Orton. Cena and Orton get to hit their signature moves for the fans. Orton pins Honma with an RKO counter to the top rope Kokeshi. Surprisingly decent. 4. Bray Wyatt vs. Hirooki Goto. Not great but okay. Wyatt is way over with the Japanese fans and beats Goto with the Sister Abigail. 5. IWGP Tag Team Titles: The Briscoes © vs. American Alpha. In a crazy move, American Alpha beat the Briscoes and announce they'll remain in New Japan as representatives of WWE. 6. Dean Ambrose vs. Tetsuya Naito. The unhinged Ambrose seemed like a good match for the tranquilo Naito. Some comedy at the outset but when things get serious, it picks up. Naito wins via the Destino. 7. WWE Title: AJ Styles © vs. Kenny Omega. Styles outclasses and outshines the uber-hyper Omega but they still put on a MOTYC. The face that runs Smackdown beats the face that runs Bullet Club via the Calf Killer.

Fun little teacher vs. student match-up. Hashimoto doesn't hold back with anything and Nomura is quick to answer him with hard shots of his own. You can see where he gets some of that spunky energy from. Nomura's getting more comfortable on the mat and his control is improving, adding a few new touches here and there. That shotgun-style PK from Hash was pretty great.

This was a lot of fun. Nomura looks a lot more confident against Suzuki than their 6/29 match. I like how he hard slaps his way out of a leglock and slickly gets to the front neck chancery. His counter and matwork continues to improve, and that backslide counter to the European uppercut was great. Can't wait to see these two tag together for the upcoming tournament.

The Strong BJ division is way better now that they have guys like Hideki Suzuki and Shuji Ishikawa to complement Chopmasters, as well as a group of very promising young guys. Definitely agree. Now that Kazuki Hashimoto is returning soon, they have the best Strong BJ roster they've had.

Really fun underpitbull tale with a hot crowd and a super hot Liger on commentary. Ishii's such a maestro in the ring, making the ace champ's offense look like a million bucks. There's something satisfying about watching him bully Okada with chops, boot scrapes, and headbutts. Okada quickly realizes he can't hang with Ishii in the striking department and taps into his resource pool of spots to try and cool him down. Okada was good here but Ishii really elevated this to another level. The little things like the chop during the Rainmaker pose and stomping on Okada's foot to get out of the tombstone attempt. That finishing stretch was something else, too, with Ishii ducking and dodging the Rainmaker attempts before landing the big headbutt. Highly entertaining.

Current favorite wrestler to watch: Tomohiro Ishii Last fun match you saw: Suwama vs. Naoya Nomura (AJPW, 7/30) - A good old-fashioned beat down. Wrestler you want to see more of: Konosuke Takeshita. The young dude gets better and better each time I see him wrestle. Last live show attended (if applicable/different from last time you answered): NXT (5/14, Portland, OR) Match you're most looking forward to watching: Shuji Ishikawa vs. Konosuke Takeshita (DDT, 8/28) Last fun interview/promo you saw: Can't recall. Last interesting thing you read about wrestling: Interesting? Not a whole lot. Last worthwhile podcast you listened to: Nothing wrestling related. Most fun you've had watching wrestling lately: G1 Climax has been fun for the most part. Favorite recent post on this board: I'm enjoying the G1 talk. Favorite thing about the wrestling landscape in the past three months (if you live in the past, then go with your past three months of time-traveling): It's pretty nuts we live in a wrestling world where Kota Ibushi, Akira Tozawa, and Shinsuke Nakamura are wrestling on WWE TV.

Maybe Chad Gable?

90% of spears in wrestling look bad.

Naito was in top “smug weasel” form, taking advantage of Shibata’s injuries and generating a lot of drama around the leg locks, especially toward the end after Naito avoids the PK. Hot opening, Shibata’s got no time for Naito’s shenanigans and takes him on a guardrail tour around the ring. Naito bumps hard off that big boot apron spot before snapping on Shibata and attacking the injured shoulder and knee. Loved Naito’s aggressive back-and-forth limb work and the way he uses his shoulder to crank the reverse armbar. Even when he badgers Shibata to a breaking point, he’s still able to worm his way out and go back to an injured body part. Shibata wins out on the elbow battle and rocks Naito’s world with a sleeper suplex! The final “shhhhh, just sleep” finish after Shibata kills Naito with a well-placed PK was the icing on the cake.

Nominating: Kento Miyahara vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW, 7/23)

This was easily Miyahara's best title defense, and probably his best match of the year so far. It's still a Kento Miyahara match though. Still the same "ace" tropes, the convenient selling, the no-sold superplex rush, but the dynamic between he and Akiyama made this feel special. The grizzled ace that never was, love tapping Miyahara on the face like "let's do this, kid." And the new cocky ace returning the favor like, "here we go, old man." The danger of the front necklock was built well into the match as Akiyama does a number on Kento's neck in preperation. I love his elbow strikes to the neck. Miyahara's selling was okay at best, but he sold in other ways that helped flesh this thing out. The aftermath of the apron spot and Miyahara just barely making it back into the ring only to be met with a running knee and deep front necklock. Great stuff. Akiyama brings the best out of Miyahara's performance, and he was near perfect in this. The risky headbutt during the elbow exchange, his disbelief in Miyahara surviving the EXPLODER '98! and his sad final stand (not literal), crawling through the knee strikes until Kento finally puts him down like a lame horse with one last shot. Miyahara's hardest fought defense and a damn fine performance from Akiyama.

Nominating: Yuji Okabayashi vs. Hideyoshi Kamitani (BJW, 7/24)

There was nothing pretty or flash about this. It was raw and brutal at times, and told a compelling narrative of the baby-faced Kamitani scratching and clawing his way to the title. Big boss Okabayashi was perfect in his role as he tries to break Kamitani’s spirit (and body), derailing any momentum Kamitani starts to build. The early lariat spot was sold like death and even when Kamitani recovers from it, there’s still a long uphill battle ahead. Plenty of stiff shots, like Yuji going ape shit on Kamitani with chops in the corner, and Kamitani’s nasty face slaps. The final stretch was a lot of fun, despite a minor hiccup or two, with Kamitani switching on survival mode, baby-booting his way out of a powerbomb, and finally dethroning Okabayashi after two big backdrops. Really strong performances from both men.