More G1!

Giant Bernard/Karl Anderson vs Satoshi Kojima/Dan Maff, NJ In USA 5/15

This was pretty fun thanks to Maff and Bernard. Bernard is a big time player in New Japan, and Maff never broke out outside JAPW, so Bernard was not afraid to talk shit to Maff and treat him like a bitch. This got Maff all fired up and he brought the goods. He was super fired up and took the fight to the big man, highlighted by a great out-of-nowhere dive and some sick fatboy sentons. Kojima and Anderson just ran through their shit, and Anderson being the one to pin Maff felt wrong, but Maff made this stand out.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan, NJ 8/5

Well this was a pleasant surprise. Tenzan may be a broken down bag of crap these days, but for one match here he managed to rewind the clock back several years and stole the show. Nakamura was also fired up and dished out his usual great knee-based offence. Tenzan's fired up comeback with the Dick Murdoch turnbuckle face stomp was well done and the crowd were eating him up. Nakamura sold his stuff really well and got foled in half off one lariat, and the big finishing nearfalls section was pretty damn great. Loved the struggle in the Anaconda Vice, and Nakamura's counter was great, and then Tenzan countering again with a big old headbutt was even better! Nakamura's desperation shoot-punch is such a great spot, and the diving knee strike was epic. Hell, all of the final third was epic. Best G1 match in a few years!

Yoshihiro Takayama vs Tetsuya Naito, NJ 8/10
Yuji Nagata vs Yoshihiro Takayama, NJ 8/11
Togi Makabe vs Yoshihiro Takayama, NJ 8/13

Nothing to see here. The Naito match is a mediocre beating from Takayama on a mediocre underdog. The Makabe match is completely forgettable and plodding. The Nagata mach was pretty solid but still not anything memorable, though it had it's moments.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Toru Yano, NJ 8/13

This was a shocker. Toru Yano, probably the worst guy on the roster, has the best Tanahashi match in over a year? Shit. Yano is a scumbag, but this crowd loves an underdog and it didn't matter how much he cheated or how much of an asshole he was, they wanted to see him pull out the upset. The crowd pretty much carried this and made it memorable, but even as a guy who doesn't like Yano or Tanahashi, it's impossible not to get sucked into the "Yano as underdog" story. Tanahashi is the company ace, Yano is a mid-card heel, and all of the transitions in the match were pretty smart in refelecting that, as Yano resorted to hair-pulling, chair shots, exposing a turnbuckle, etc in order to get the advantage. Early on Tanahashi goes to hit a dive off the apron and Yano blasts him mid-air with a chair. Awesome. The crowd were hot for Yano and every nearfall he got, and even boo'd Tanahashi. Some of the nearfalls were great, Tanahashi bled AND there was a ref bump spot that worked. Tanahashi coming back easily every time was pretty annoying, but it atleast played into the story, so eh. If there was one match that I did not expect to like but did this year, this is it.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Minoru Suzuki, NJ 8/14

Looking at the G1 cards, this was the match I was most looking forward to, and it delivered. Crowd were super into it and behind Nakamura. The interference from Suzuki's boy added to the match, and they built the heat on Nakamua well. Nakamura's offence looked as good as it has ever has and both guys hit hard. Loved the finishing run with Suzuki being all over Nakamura and Nakamura just trying to hang on and find and an opening. Good shit.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Tetsuya Naito, NJ 8/14

Was not into this as much as the other two Nakamura G1 matches I watched. Most of it felt like a really by-the-number big match. Naito works Nakamura's leg, but it's just filler, and the match was entirely carried by the hot crowd. I dug that they played off finishes from previous matches, but that was it.