[2004-08-08-NJPW-G1 Climax] Genichiro Tenryu vs Yuji Nagata

[KB8]

I don't even like Nagata and this has some real Dream Match energy (I assume this is something the youths say). If nothing else Nagata has charisma and a big personality so worst case scenario he'll be an interesting foil, and other than one useless fighting spirit bit I thought he was really enjoyable. He was as cool as you like and wasn't down for playing Tenryu's game, not at this point, not smack in the middle of his prime, not against the old man who seems to thrive on rolling into town just to stir shit up. It wasn't for Tenryu's lack of trying either. He brushed his shoulder off early and tried to goad Nagata into a Tenryu fight, but all it got him was a swift kicking and a trip to the floor. When he chucked a chair in the ring a less assured man might've risen to the bait, but instead Nagata planted it in the middle and had a seat. He even held the ropes open for Tenryu and if you never knew then that Tenryu was for dishing out some blissful receipts then you haven't watched much Tenryu. The brainbuster on the floor to take over looked super nasty and then his punt to the head afterwards was grotesque. All of his chops and punches ruled, his straight right to the cheekbone while both of them were on their knees maybe the best of the lot. Nagata's comeback was looking like a really nice slow burner, how he tried to fire back with strikes, reversing a brainbuster into a small package, chipping away without properly wresting back control. Then he took a top rope hurricanrana and no sold it completely and oh okay I guess we're back to even footing again. Didn't reverse it, didn't look like he "rolled through," he landed flush like anybody else taking it and just...stood up and now it's the finishing stretch. I know he was one of the top dogs in New Japan, and I know Tenryu was the ageing underdog, but still, that kinda sucked. Though on the other hand he DID follow it up with one of the best running knees you'll see so maybe we take the good with the bad. Tenryu taking a backdrop on his neck at over half a century years old seems like something most people wouldn't do. And who could blame them?
 

[ohtani's jacket]

It warms my heart to see that Tenryu matches are still worth watching in 2004. There wasn't a ton of substance to this match, but it was fun watching Tenryu in action. The pop trend is even more egregious in Japan than it is in the US, especially after all those years of watching guys sell the crap out of matches in All Japan. The running knee spot is badass, but it doesn't make up for the fact that Nagata was a dick for no selling the hurricanrana. This was more or less breadcrumbs when it comes to a truly great match, but it's Tenyru so there are enough worthwhile moments to make it worth your 12 minutes.