[2017-07-26-NJPW-G1 Climax] Togi Makabe vs Kota Ibushi

[bradhindsight]

Talk about it here.

 

From PTBN:

 

 

Makabe’s elbows were effective, but he was sent to the floor by a dropkick, then floored by Ibushi’s plancha. Whips to the guardrail followed, with Ibushi almost counted-out, and Makabe took control in the ring. Ibushi again used a dropkick, this time to enable a strike flurry, chest kick and standing moonsault for two, and the springboard dropkick got the same. Makabe fought back to score the mounted punches in the corner and a Northern Lights suplex for two, then caught Ibushi with a hard counter lariat for another near-fall. Ibushi freed himself and scored a head kick, then both men charged with clotheslines before Ibushi’s lariat downed Makabe for two. Up top, a very nice leaping super frankensteiner brought another two-count for Ibushi, then he fired off a series of kicks, only for Makabe to turn him inside-out with a lariat. They exchanged kicks and clotheslines then, with Ibushi’s strike flurry preceding a snap German followed by an attempted top-rope piledriver. Makabe fought it off (thankfully) and smashed Ibushi in the face with a diving knee strike. Nasty. Powerbomb pin from Makabe – one-count only! King Kong Knee Drop for the win.

I hope Ibushi wasn’t hurt by that knee to the face late on, because Makabe caught him flush. In any case, despite Makabe’s random no-selling, this was decent, although I felt it lack the urgency that might’ve taken it to the next level. ***

 

[William Bologna]

Makabe's been generally unmemorable so far, but this was pretty good. If nothing else, the finishing sequence was brutal enough that I'm going to remember it - that knee to the face off the top rope was really something.

 

Nice to see Honma hanging out, all looking like he skinned a hot dog and wore it on his face.

[soup23]

A good match but one where the credibility of both men's strikes hurts things. Makabe based off his accuracy and Ibushi off of his size. This was a back and forth affair but there was little meaning to what each man was doing. ***