NJPW G1 Climax 25

July 28, 2015 (Night 6)

Beppu B-Con Plaza

Beppu, Oita, Japan

NJPWWorld.com

If Shinsuke Nakamura was indeed the favorite to win this year’s New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 tournament, he better have a hell of a stretch run and hope for the best. Saturday, Shinsuke Nakamura suffered an injury to his left elbow that kept him out of Sunday’s undercard action. An hour before today’s event, we learned that Nakamura would miss his scheduled G1 match against Michael Elgin, as well. He isn’t out of the tournament completely, but we don’t know when he’ll resume action. With his absence from Day 6, Nakamura remains at just 2 points after three days of B Block competition. Michael Elgin, by virtue of a BYE, gets his first 2 points. Effectively, Michael Elgin’s first NJPW singles win ever came via forfeit. That’s one way to get ahead, I suppose.

As for the presentation of Night 6, NJPW World had a multiple camera setup with no commentary. The lack of commentary can sometimes be appealing, but I definitely appreciate the multi-cam presentation over the single cam setup overall. Single cam situations are fine, when rare as opposed to commonplace. If you’re interested in seeing clips of the events, and results in a viewable format, check out the Voices of Wrestling YouTube page and our daily recap videos!

Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask & Captain New Japan defeat Ryusuke Taguchi & Jay White & David Finlay

The opener of Night 6 was adjusted from the initially scheduled match due to Nakamura having been taken off the show, but it worked out well. There was a lot going on in this seemingly innocuous match. Liger and Tiger Mask refusing to tag in CNJ for much of the bout had the crowd chuckling. When CNJ would finally get a tag in, from Liger’s pity, he proceeded to fail miserably, earning himself a boot to the midsection from Liger. Jay White impressed during the match, earning obvious in-match praise from Liger, as he tends to give out when he respects the person he is in there with. There were also more flying hip attacks than necessary, as White took on the move to impress his tag partner, Ryusuke Taguchi. It was a fun, albeit average, battle, lasting eight minutes, and a quality start to the event. **1/2

Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI defeat Doc Gallows & Cody Hall

Toru Yano wrestled the match with a partial shut right eye, still swollen from Sunday’s match with Tenzan. Imagine having partial vision on a big stage in a match with Cody Hall. Doc Gallows continues his forgettable run in this year’s G1 as his team picks up the loss, although Gallows came off really well in the match as he had to lead everyone through it. It could have been awful, but it wasn’t, although still it is completely skippable. *3/4

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/625969340479893504

https://twitter.com/Jocay19/status/625970167474974721

Mascara Dorada & Kota Ibushi & Togi Makabe defeat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Katsuyori Shibata & Yohei Komatsu

Like Yano previously, Tenzan was also showing battle wounds from Sunday. With their impending matchup in the G1 tournament, Kota Ibushi and Katsuyori Shibata focused on each other in the match, which the crowd liked. That’s a match, I have to think, many people are looking forward to. At least in our forums, it is highly anticipated. During the match, I couldn’t help but think about Dorada in the G1. I understand a lot of the talk prior to this tournament was about the stagnant field, and the lack of new faces. We got Elgin, and that was it, basically. This G1 would have been much different had it been possible to put a guy like Dorada in the field in place of Yujiro Takahashi, though. Much different. That one replacement, I think, would have freshened this thing up and made each show better. Dorada got the win in this one, pinning Komatsu in an easily predictable result. **1/2

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/625974064318935040

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tetsuya Naito & Michael Elgin vs AJ Styles & Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale

The best match of the undercard, this match was also adjusted from the initial bout due to the placement of Michael Elgin. With Elgin vs Nakamura off the show, Elgin needed a match and he fit in quite well here. The story for a lot of the match was, well, how valiantly Tetsuya Naito fought for his team. Well, for himself, rather, but still. After originally not wanting any part of getting into the ring, Naito was forced to tag in. As he tried to get right out, the Bullet Club engaged him and he went into Naito of old, wrestling his all and trying to win. He was admirable, as Elgin and Tanahashi were laid out at ringside, Naito went 3 on 1 against the Bullet Club and ended up gaining the victory after Sliced Bread #2 on Tonga. He was the star of this one, for sure. ***1/2

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Afterwards, of course, he went back to not caring. As Tanahashi and Elgin approached Naito for congratulations, Naito threw the referee out of the ring and bailed. “Yeah, I won, d’uh. Get lost.”

https://twitter.com/DeathToAllMarks/status/625979980263129088

G1 Climax 25!

B Block: Yujiro Takahashi defeated Yuji Nagata (2)

There’s nothing I enjoy more than 7am Yujiro Takahashi matches. Especially when those matches last longer than, say, two minutes. This one went way longer, at twelve minutes, so, you know, too excited almost. Takahashi just looks like garbage in the ring. That’s why we’re supposed to dislike him, right? By garbage, too, I mean literally with his new garbage bag shorts for gear. Nothing special to report here, although Takahashi did get his first win in the tournament by pinning Nagata after a Miami Shine. **

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/625987278230421504

B Block: Hirooki Goto (2) defeated Tomoaki Honma

He’s not getting a run this year, guys. He may not even get a single win, again. I’m holding out hope for the defeat of Yujiro, but until then, let’s just appreciate the marvel that is the always-underdog Tomoaki Honma. I really liked the pacing of this match, and Honma’s work while on the advantage. Honma kept the lack of focus, always going for the kokeshi when unwarranted, to a minimum until the end. Of course, right? The closing minutes were hot, with the crowd believing that this could finally be the time. Honmamania was running wild, until getting caught by Goto’s Shouten kai, that is. Honma had the best performance of the night to this point, outside maybe Naito from earlier. ****

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B Block: Tomohiro Ishii (4) defeated Karl Anderson (4)

Karl Anderson’s miracle beginning to the G1 has come crashing down, brother. After defeating the former Intercontinental Champion, then current Intercontinental Champion, in consecutive matches, Anderson took the loss to the former NEVER Openweight Champ, Tomohiro Ishii. With this being the semi-final match of the night, they really tried to have a classic match. They had a really good one, but classic it was not. Nothing wrong with that, at all. Going 16 minutes, Ishii’s longest match of the tournament, the two put on a solid performance that played off Karl’s great start to the tournament. Ishii kicked out of a gun stun that the crowd sort of bought as a finish, although it was tough to tell because this crowd has been mild all night. In the end, Ishii planted Anderson with a brainbuster to run his own win streak to three. Someone was going to win this match and get to 6 points, and that one was Tomohiro Ishii! ***3/4

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/625997217304866816

B Block: Kazuchika Okada (4) defeated Satoshi Kojima (2)

Okada picked up the win, and his 6th point, defeating Kojima with a rainmaker in a solid match. The finish saw Okada plant Kojima with a piledriver, then knock him out on a second Rainmaker attempt after Kojima ducked the first one. Obviously, on most nights, Tanahashi and Okada will main event nights where they’re in G1 singles action. However, the pattern that semi-final matches and earlier bouts outshine the main events continues, as their were two undercard matches I liked better than the main event tonight. ***1/2

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Okada now has six points, like Ishii, so their eventual showdown now comes with greater importance. Not to mention the notion that their match could be quite great. With Nakamura’s injury and forfeit loss tonight, I have no idea if NJPW may be changing the way they present the rest of the tournament, or if his injury doesn’t really impact the proceedings as significantly as I presume it would. Night 8, the next event with B Block matches, has a very important Ishii vs Nakamura match scheduled. That match is even more important now that Nakamura is 4 points behind the leaders of the pack, with Ishii being one of those leaders. That card doesn’t take place until Saturday, so hopefully that provides enough time for Nakamura to heal up a bit. Okada’s next G1 match main events Night 8, with Hirooki Goto looking to knock him down a peg.

Night 6 was a solid show, with undercard matches delivering and three of the G1 matches being better than average. Honma and Naito were the MVPs of the event, even though, like last year, Honma remains alone at the bottom of his Block. The next G1 event is tomorrow, and we’ll have you covered here @voiceswrestling!

Block A Block B A.J. Styles 4 Kazuchika Okada 6 Hiroshi Tanahashi 4 Tomohiro Ishii 6 Bad Luck Fale 4 Karl Anderson 4 Tetsuya Naito 4 Hirooki Goto 4 Kota Ibushi 4 Yuji Nagata 2 Katsuyori Shibata 4 Shinsuke Nakamura 2 Togi Makabe 2 Satoshi Kojima 2 Hiroyoshi Tenzan 2 Michael Elgin 2 Toru Yano 2 Yujiro Takahashi 2 Doc Gallows 0 Tomoaki Honma 0

Voices of Wrestling G1 Climax Pick’Em Standings

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