[2013-08-02-NJPW-G1 Climax] Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Tomohiro Ishii

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Hiroshii Tanahashi vs Tomohiro Ishii - G1 Climax 8/2/13

 

Tanahashi was born to play cocky heel douche role. It is when he is at his best. He knew the crowd would love the underdog in Ishii and he just hammed it up to great effect. I think the Tanahashi naysayers would be way bigger Tanahashi fans if this was how he always wrestled. Just a pitch perfect beginning. I am a mark for really well-done beginnings to matches. There is so much emphasis on the finish, but without a good beginning to set the table then it is all meaningless. This was a great beginning. Tanahashi crowding on the ropes to get a cravat. Then showboating. Trying to go toe to toe with the hard-hitting Ishii only to get his ass kicked was great. There is a great moment where Ishii is beating the piss out of Tanahashi's chest so he tries to fire back. The crowd is having none of it and is booing and Ishii is no selling like that all you got chump and then rifling back. It sets up the story perfectly. Ishii has come to fight and is going to kick ass. Tanahashi is going to have step up his game. Then we see Tanahashi just start hurling his body at Ishii full speed in an attempt to make up what he lacks in striking ability. Eventually he catches Ishii with patented death combo the dropkick to the knee/dragon screw leg whip. This is where Tanahashi really turns it up, baseball slide and just because he can, he skins the cat and then crossbodies him to the floor. It is that really touch of hot dogging that makes it! He goes for his somersault off the middle rope, but first takes time to taunt the crowd. Ishii makes him pay by moving. Perfect! Just an absolutely great beginning to the match. It makes you want to see the Ishii Cinderella story really come true.

 

Everything comes to head in a strike exchange again where Tanahashi stupidly thinks he can go toe to toe with Ishii and gets the taste slapped out of his mouth and then powerbombed to hell. This is exactly what every Tanahashi hater wants to see. That's what Tanahashi so great is that he can change it up and has different variations of his match to fit his opponent. What they don't want to see the Sling Blade! As a Tanahashi fanboy, I am ready for Tanahashi to crush some dreams as he cycles through his finish sequence. Ishii backs into the ropes on the High Fly Flow. No biggie, you knew he never just straight runs through this. Monster superplex by Ishii! He goes for his finish, the Brainbuster, but Tanahashi reverses into Dragon Sleeper (I forgot he had that in his arsenal!). Ishii hits a NASTY headbutt & big time lariat! Ishii cant put him away needs that Brainbuster and again Tanahashi reverses into Dragon Sleeper and then drops an elbow. Ishii got a stinger! He is flexing his arm! He is writhing in pain! I forgot Ishii's bread and butter is selling the neck. Tanahashi drops him on that bad neck with a Sling Blade and TWO Dragon Suplexes and kick out?!?! I am actually kinda annoyed at this point. I am like why are they going for the bloated finish run. Ishii is selling the neck great it is perfect for the finish with the Dragon Suplex. Ishii put up a great fight, but a bad break caught him. Oh well here is the High Fly Flow to end the match WAIT Tanahashi missed it?!?!? La Magistral Cradle gives Ishii one more nearfall. Ishii cant even stand. He stumbles and collapses. Strike exchange, fer fucks sake. Ishii blitzes him with elbow combos, SICK NASTY TANAHASHI HEADBUTT! Dragon Suplex->Ishii hits back headbutt. Tanahashi SLAPS him. Ishii enziguiri. NO WAY! This is not happening. Brainbuster -> kick out. Oh cmon! No! NO! NO! STEINER SCREWDRIVER! ISHII WINS!

Fuck it this is excess done right. They totally had me fooled. Totally. Ishii selling the neck, I was all in on the Tanahashi win. I was like Ishii put in a nice little blue chipper performance. If he had hit the Brainbuster he might have won, but Tanahashi countered and a bad landing fucked him. That would have been great. But Ishii would not be denied. They went in a different direction and I think they covered for it well. Tanahashi missing High Fly Flow gives Ishii the opening. He hits the desperation headbutt to stop the Dragon Suplex that would have killed him and then hits the enziguiri on the rocked Tanahashi to set up his two big bombs. You really cant do a better job of transitioning from he is fucking dead to winning a match. The beginning of this is excellent. There is some stuff in the middle with people no selling shit and my general distaste for strike exchanges that keep this from *****, but off the top of my head this is the third best New Japan match I have seen from this era (2012-2015), only behind Tanahashi/Nakamura Invasion Attack & AJ/Minoru Suzuki. Really incredible. ****3/4

[Jimmy Redman]

I'm so pumped that you rate this so highly. This G-1 was when I first gave in to the hype and started watching the big NJPW matches, and this stood out to me as the best one of that period, over all the more pimped matches like Nak/Ibushi, Ishii/Shibata or any of the Tana/Okadas.

 

Like you say, this is total, unbridled excess done completely right, and the upset puts it over the edge.