funkdoc Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Indie wrestling is not something Dave watches or pays close attention to. Or very many hardcore fans for that matter. yeah, i recall one of the regulars on here saying "indie wrestling is so mid-2000s" and that seems to be the standard meme these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pol Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 I don't know where any of these guys that only watch WWE and NJPW get off claiming anything to be 'clearly best _____ of the year'. How can you make such statements when you don't even watch stuff from Mexico, one of the three biggest markets in the world, let alone indie stuff? Also Okada seems to only have one match in him. Same structure, same spots in the same order every time. He is very good at doing that match but it gets very old especially when you're seeing it so many times in such a short period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soup23 Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 I started the task of trying to catch up on the G-1 before the final night. I am trying to write more real time reviews with time-stamps to get over the binge - feeling of watching a wrestling tournament like this in a real condensed time-frame. I fully expect things will be over-exaggerated/under-exaggerated based on this concept. Night One Review: http://placetobenation.com/binge-watching-the-g-1-climax-night-one/ Night Two Review: http://placetobenation.com/binge-watching-the-g-1-climax-night-two/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Shibata/Honma was all kinds of fun, right until the finishing move. Number one, why is Shibata using a suplex lift into a spinebuster as a finisher? His style is about as basic as you get in modern wrestling and he's using something that overwrought as a finisher? Secondly, it looks like he spike DDTs himself in the process of doing it. Don't know whose fault that was, but it doesn't look right. Shibata/Nagata was 40% filler (at least). It may have been more, but I'm not watching it again to figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eduardo James Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Is it that goofy Matt Morgan move? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Wouldn't know to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eduardo James Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68GmAJAJBSs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Shibata/Honma was all kinds of fun, right until the finishing move. Number one, why is Shibata using a suplex lift into a spinebuster as a finisher? His style is about as basic as you get in modern wrestling and he's using something that overwrought as a finisher? Secondly, it looks like he spike DDTs himself in the process of doing it. Don't know whose fault that was, but it doesn't look right. Shibata/Nagata was 40% filler (at least). It may have been more, but I'm not watching it again to figure it out. The finish was a Go 2 Sleep followed by a penalty kick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Did I find the wrong match? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Sounds like you watched their match from last year's Power Struggle show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stomperspc Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 In the midst of the talk about the parity booking, going into the final day of round robin things are pretty clear at the top of the each block. It gets a bit more muddled in the middle of the pack but I am not sure that it s a huge deal. Definitely a step up from last year where the one block had like 6 wrestlers tied at the top entering the final day. Block A: Tanahashi (14); Nakamura (14); Bad Luke Fale (12); Shibata (12) * Tanahashi gets 1st place with a win OR losses by Fale & Nakamura. Tanahashi gets 2nd place with a loss and a loss by Shibata. * Nakamura gets 1st place with a win over Fale and a Tanahashi loss. He gets 2nd place with a win and a Tanahashi win. * Fale gets 1st place with a win over Nakamura and a Tanahashi loss. He gets 2nd place with a win over Nakamura and a Tanahashi win. * Shibata gets 2nd place with a win over Doc Gallows, a Nakamura win, and a Tanahashi loss. Block B: Okada (14); Styles (14) If Okada beats Suzuki on Friday OR Styles loses, he advances. Styles can only advance with a win and an Okada loss or draw. They have made it clear already by the way the tournament has played out that the top two Seibu Dome matches will involve some combination of Styles, Okada, Nakamura, and Tanahashi, with Shibata having an outside chance of crashing the party. That could be intentional since they have such a short turnaround time between the end of round robin on Friday and the finals on Sunday to sell tickets. At least this way they are indicating to fans that they are likely going to get two matches involving the promotion's top three stars and the IWGP Heavyweight champion. They usually like to do at least one upset on the final day. I am going to say that both Shibata and Tanahashi lose their matches, while Nakamura wins his. Nakamura advances to the finals and Tanahashi moves onto the consolation match. Suzuki upsets Okada in Block B while Styles win his match versus Makabe to reach the finals. Nakamura vs. Styles in the finals (Nakamura wins) and Tanahashi vs. Okada in the consolation match (Okada wins). Styles defends versus Naito in September before dropping the title to Okada in October. Nakamura defends the contract versus Tanahashi and Shibata (his two G-1 defeats) in the fall. FWIW (and assuming I reading the google translated Japanese correctly) they are also advertising 2-3 special Block A vs. Block B singles matches in addition to the finals and consolation match. So I am guessing guys like Naito, Shibata, Ishii, ect. will end up in singles matches regardless. Theoretically, the could start advertising some of those as early as today. I'd do Shibata vs. Suzuki and Ishii vs. Naito as two of those matches. Both could be announced right away since all four guys are eliminated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 I don't think they are dumb enough to have Fale in the finals but I am worried that he finds his way into the secondary final. Shibata/Ishii did a lot of great stuff this match but the weak crowd and truly over the top one-count spamming took me out of the match a bit. Will have to give it a rewatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stomperspc Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 I don't think they are dumb enough to have Fale in the finals but I am worried that he finds his way into the secondary final. Shibata/Ishii did a lot of great stuff this match but the weak crowd and truly over the top one-count spamming took me out of the match a bit. Will have to give it a rewatch. I felt the same away about Shibata/Ishii. I thought they had the right general idea for the match layout. The overall quiet crowd and a lack of execution on some of their ideas hurt the match, though. The one count stuff hurt their 2013 G-1 match for me and they went even deeper into that well this go around. Not a fan of the "I'll let you voluntarily kick me to prove how tough I am" spots either, certainly not when they go on as long as they did here. With Ishii's legit shoulder injury, I was hoping they would just do an all-out five minute match instead of trying to top last year's match. Weakest show of the tournament so far. I missed the parts of the second and third matches because of the U-Stream issues but I assume seeing those wouldn't drastically change my opinion. They set the match order tomorrow. Okada/Suzuki is going on last with Tanahashi/Davey Boy Smith Jr. as the semi-main. Styles is almost certain to win his match to set up Okada needing a win in the main event in order to advance. Either Fale or Nakamura winning puts Tanahashi in a must-win situation so they could go either way there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 No match with Lance Archer will ever be worth seeking out. I really hate that he's in this tournament. He's not the only sack of potatoes in it this year but he's a pretty big, glaring bucket of shit. Before the tournament started, everyone pretty much already knew what to expect from the usual suspects. Which matches would be good, etc. Personally speaking, I know that I have a really bad habit of using past work to pre-judge wrestlers & matches. I do it all the time. Sometimes I think someone sucks so I don't think they'll do anything good. I'm probably guilty of the other end of the spectrum too, and overpraise someone that was just average because they were great in the past. The G1 Climax this year, however, has not made me regret any of that. Before the tournament started, I knew the names I cared about and the names I didn't. After catching up & watching most of the days now, not a single one of the guys that I didn't give a shit about has had anything that I would call "decent." The tournament, to me, feels quite lackluster this year & I have no idea what the hell Dave Meltzer is talking about. There's been some decent stuff, but nothing has blown me away & I don't feel like I've seen any Match of the Year contenders. Nothing in this tournament is close to the Wyatts Vs. Shield from Elimination Chamber to me so far. I had a lot higher expectations. Maybe the "new car smell" of New Japan is just dying out for me now since I've been watching for a couple of years now & am more familiar with the roster. That being said, outside of AJ Styles, anything featuring the Bullet Club is the drizzling shits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pol Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Today's show was easily the weakest so far. It was on Ishii/Shibata to save the show and I guess with Ishii's separated shoulder that wasn't going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Watched the 14 G1 Honma vs. Shibata and it's a better match with a better finish. Honma is really getting a lot of support in the two matches I've seen. And yes, that finisher from the other match I watched was the Matt Morgan goofy suplex variation. Looked like Honma just forgot to let go of Shibata's head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Meltz in the WON With two shows remaining, the 2014 G-1 Climax has clearly taken its place in pro wrestling history as the greatest tournament in the history of the industry. Wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 It doesn't seem like an outrageous statement to me. Just an unexamined one. When was the last time anyone watched one of the G1s from the 90s in its entirely? A Champions Carnival? But this G1 was been consistent and had very high highs. If each of these 12 shows were a monthly big show and that was NJPW's PPV output for the year, I think we'd have a whole year of successful and rightfully well-regarded shows on our hands. But instead it's one tournament in a 2 week interval. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 I think the word clearly is what strikes out to me the most though....if you think it's the best that's okay but to go matter of fact like that basically saying there are no other arguments isn't the way I would've gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenjo Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Meltz in the WON With two shows remaining, the 2014 G-1 Climax has clearly taken its place in pro wrestling history as the greatest tournament in the history of the industry. Why wouldn't it be, it's the most recent. Next years tournament will surpass this years, and every subsequent year will keep on getting better and better. Why should wrestling be different to every other event? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Were there particularly highly regarded G1s back in the day? Which ones? I've tried to search for reviews of old G1s on google but all you get are this year's or last's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 1996 & 1998 are the gold standard IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 What about the Super J cups in 1994 and 1995? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Good call Keith....the 94 one is a classic. Most of the New Japan Jr. tourneys in 1990's were great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 The 1991 G-1 Climax was awesome too, as was 1995. The Championship Carnival in 1995 stands out. There's the annual super juniors tournament in New Japan which has happened since the 80s. There are also the Super Grade Tag Leagues and Real World Tag Leagues in NJPW and AJPW, respectively, that I think should be discussed. This year's G-1 may very well be the best, but I too don't like just stating it without even attempting to draw a comparison to previous tournaments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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