SmartMark15 Posted August 4, 2018 Report Share Posted August 4, 2018 Thought it started out fun enough with Omega taking Ishii lightly. The problem with this match is that Omega's offense just doesn't match up to Ishii's and the wide gap between them isn't really acknowledge. Instead, the match is worked the way any other Omega or Ishii match might. As such the middle portion of the match does sag. It's held up decently by Omega targeting the neck which plays into the really incredibly hot finishing stretch. Ishii headbutting the corner pad to get fired up for his comeback? That's just good pro wrestling right there. Loved the visual of both their busted lips at the end. **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nivvad Posted August 4, 2018 Report Share Posted August 4, 2018 The wars between Ishii and Omega last year were some of the best of the year, but were kind of overshadowed by the bigger main event rivalries. This time around, Omega and Ishii forcibly steal the show with the best match of the G1 tournament in my opinion. The first few minutes were a little awkward with a few noticable botches, but that became an afterthought as Omega and Ishii quickly kick it into third gear and start unleashing hell on each other. So many amazing sequences, strikes, moves, and the like. The drama was also very high as many were anticipating an Ishii win, but doubts grew as the match kept going and Omega becoming more dominant. The finish is absolutely mesmerizing as Omega desperately tries to survive Ishii even when looking like a bloody mess, but Ishii managed to finally bring Omega down to earth with an apocalyptic Brainbuster for the win, *****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordi Posted August 6, 2018 Report Share Posted August 6, 2018 That is about as good of a "scrappy underdog fights from underneath" type of match as you can put on while simultaneously satisfying a 2010s "give us more-more-more" pro wrestling crowd. Tremendous character work by both guys as well as some awesome bumping. They earned the hot Osaka crowd and the big word-of-mouth that this match is getting. Very fun stuff that had me buying into Ishii's toughness and determination. Genuinely satisfying finish. I think I have become a big Kenny Omega fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Badger Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Omega's shoulder was off of the mat at the end. I kinda shook my head in disbelief that the three count was given. It looked like Ishii was overzealous in his cover and over rotated Kenny. This kinda reminded me of an AJW match where the ref counted 2 but, clearly the woman didn't kick out in time and it was 3. It messes with the suspension of disbelief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Loved this match, probably my second favorite of the tournament (Ishii/Ibushi is probably my favorite so far). I loved how dominant Omega was through parts of this and the pacing of Ishii's comebacks/hope spots. The scene at the end with both of them bleeding from the mouth was dope. In a tournament where a lot of things can blend together, this stands out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tetsujin Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 9 hours ago, G. Badger said: Omega's shoulder was off of the mat at the end. I kinda shook my head in disbelief that the three count was given. It looked like Ishii was overzealous in his cover and over rotated Kenny. This kinda reminded me of an AJW match where the ref counted 2 but, clearly the woman didn't kick out in time and it was 3. It messes with the suspension of disbelief. I actually loved the final pin. In current NJPW, somebody with the status that Kenny Omega have would've kick out of the first finisher. But here, he was so god damned destroyed that he felt short in the process. After the 3 count, Omega was like "d-did I kick out?" and then Ishii's music plays and It was awesome. It added even more suspense to the whole thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kid dracula Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 I have this thing with big Kenny Omega matches where for the first two-thirds of the match I'm thinking that I'm sick of this guy and he's really overrated. Then, for the last ten minutes or so, I'm gasping and squirming in my seat and yelling at the screen for the near-falls. Absolutely unbelievable finishing sequence in this match. Ishii is a legend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenese Sarwieh Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 A phenomenal battle that kept me on the edge of seat. I'm not a star rating guy but if I was I'd give this *****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Bologna Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 On 8/7/2018 at 10:41 AM, kid dracula said: I have this thing with big Kenny Omega matches where for the first two-thirds of the match I'm thinking that I'm sick of this guy and he's really overrated. Then, for the last ten minutes or so, I'm gasping and squirming in my seat and yelling at the screen for the near-falls. Absolutely unbelievable finishing sequence in this match. Ishii is a legend. This was exactly my experience with this match. I don't like Kenny Omega. He embodies a strain of pro wrestling I don't enjoy, and frankly I find him odd and creepy. But damned if I wasn't completely enthralled by the end of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rah Posted August 9, 2018 Report Share Posted August 9, 2018 That's been the NJPW style for at least the last 6 years. Inconsequential or slow (re boring) first half and a crazily exquisite finishing stretch. Those last ten minutes kinda make you forget/downplay the rest of an otherwise mediocre match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wahoos Leg Posted September 18, 2018 Report Share Posted September 18, 2018 On 8/7/2018 at 10:41 AM, kid dracula said: I have this thing with big Kenny Omega matches where for the first two-thirds of the match I'm thinking that I'm sick of this guy and he's really overrated. Then, for the last ten minutes or so, I'm gasping and squirming in my seat and yelling at the screen for the near-falls. Absolutely unbelievable finishing sequence in this match. Ishii is a legend. This might be the most succinct summary of Omega, and the current NJPW main event style in general, I have ever encountered. This was, to me, a great match in spite of itself. For all the big moves (and Lord knows there were big moves aplenty), it was the little touches that made this special: the selling by Ishii putting over the wart of attrition, Omega taking his opponent lightly from time to time in the early going, and as others mentioned, the contrast of the two bleeding from the mouths at the end. Then there were some disconnects early, including the cross-up on the early leapfrog that was opening-match-between-two-greenhorns-on-a-shit-indy-show-level bad. The crowd collectively losing their shit at Ishii's comeback after taking repeated V Triggers gave me goosebumps. I thought the finishing stretch went on a little too long, but, well, that's NJPW for you. And from a storytelling perspective, it did emphasize the toughness of Ishii and set up a tantalizing challenge for the title. I've been jumping around the G1 but this is hands-down the best match of the tournament for me so far, even with its flaws, because of the drama of the comeback by Ishii and the insane crowd reactions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microstatistics Posted December 31, 2018 Report Share Posted December 31, 2018 Most disappointing match this year. On paper which sounds great: hard hitting clash of styles with a character dynamic and narrative. But godawful transitions and selling diminish any good moments it had. Not terrible but barely decent. **3/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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