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[2017-07-20-NJPW-G1 Climax] Toru Yano vs Kazuchika Okada


soup23

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We get the Yano greatest hits package here. Okada being from the DG system does have a good sense of comedic timing in matches and it was on display here. Them being in a faction worked as well as we saw Okada and Gedo on the outside try to uproot some of the Yano tropes but instead, Yano just added a new layer. The throwing the turnbuckle pad to Gedo and the low blow to Jado on the outside were highlights. Yano gets a variety of rollups that have the crowd biting so that was refreshing to see. In a nice wrinkle, Okada ends up winning with the Red Ink which felt different. I had fun with this match. ***

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I thought that this was absolutely brilliant. Yano is always a blast in G1 & this was his biggest masterpiece yet - he did all of his usual dirty tactics to Okada, who just happens to be the ace of the company & is in the middle of a historic run w/ the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Okada sold all of Yano's awesome shenanigans perfectly, and every time he was on the offense, he would go and target that neck, which I loved because he ended up getting the victory w/ Red Ink. Great, focused neck work by the man. I also loved all the Gedo & Jado stuff, and then those Yano nearfalls, my goodness those were great. Loved EVERYTHING about this. ****1/2

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Ok, Boots, I am now convinced that you are trolling us with these reviews. I have already seen 3 reviews on 2 other websites(411 and VOW) that gave this match 2** and 2 1/4**. I will watch it today, but there is just no way in hell that Toru Yano had a four and a half star match, lasting less than 11 minutes....with Okada. NO WAY!!!

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Ok, Boots, I am now convinced that you are trolling us with these reviews. I have already seen 3 reviews on 2 other websites(411 and VOW) that gave this match 2** and 2 1/4**. I will watch it today, but there is just no way in hell that Toru Yano had a four and a half star match, lasting less than 11 minutes....with Okada. NO WAY!!!

It's not the kind of a match that gets universal praise from your usual New Japan reviews I'd say, and I can definitely understand why people didn't love it as much as I did, but I thought they worked it pretty much perfectly & I seriously loved the dynamic there. I am definitely not trolling even if you seriously feel like it lol.

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I will watch it today, but there is just no way in hell that Toru Yano had a four and a half star match, lasting less than 11 minutes....with Okada. NO WAY!!!

 

He didn't, but given Yano's past G-1 upset history (and the US broadcast kept this top of mind), they did have a pretty fun match with some slick Rainmaker counters and roll-ups late which had you biting. Weird Red ink finish out of nowhere, but it kind of played into Okada not being able to really get into any kind of offensive groove against Yano. **3/4

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  • GSR changed the title to [2017-07-20-NJPW-G1 Climax] Toru Yano vs Kazuchika Okada

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