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The G1 Climax is a yearly 19-night tournament held by NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) to determine the most tenacious member of the roster.
For the first time, all of the events will be available legally outside of Japan without a time delay via the NJPWWorld streaming service and with a delay on AXS TV. There are two blocks with 10 fighters per block.
Each fighter will have a match with every other fighter in their block, and they are awarded 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and none for a loss. The highest scoring fighter from each block will face off at the Finale. Night 1 is an A-block night, opening with 4 short tag matches.
Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, Guerillas of Destiny vs Sho and Yoh, Roppongi 3K
The IWGP Tag Champions G.o.D. didn’t hesitate to show their heelish brutality as the match opened but their dominance lasted as long as it took for Roppongi 3K to get in synch with each other.
Their rallying was inspiring until a well-timed super powerbomb from Tonga ended the match, leaving Bullet Club on top.
Result: Guerillas of Destiny def. Roppongi 3K via pinfall.
Ren Narita and John Cobb vs Shota Umino and Tomohiro Iishi
Cobb and Iishi are tanks on legs, and each was paired with a fairly young lion for this match. Narita was Flip Gordon’s Best of the Super Jr’s Tournament replacement after Gordon suffered a knee injury earlier in the year, and Umino, Red Shoes Unno’s son, lost to Jon Moxley in a high profile match on the night Moxley announced his intentions for the G1.
Umino looked very solid but also flew well, and Narita’s stock rose whenever he wrestled. Cobb suplexed both Umino and Iishi in quick succession, marking these suplexes as the cornerstone of this match.
Cobb pulled off his Tour of the Islands finisher and pinned Umino. Iishi and Cobb scuffled and the crowd chanted LET THEM FIGHT. Those two will face each other in the B-Block on day 2.
Result: Narita and Cobb def. Umino and Iishi via pinfall
Jay White and Chase Owens, Bullet Club vs Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto, CHAOS
Bullet Club had Gedo in their corner and relied on their usual shenanigans under his direction. Jay White is a great moustache-twirling villain, and he tagged well with the hard-working Chase Owens.
Goto was a machine though, and he picked up the win over Owens with the GTR. White, of course, tried to stop that before it started, and Yoshi-Hashi foiled his plot.
Result: CHAOS def. Bullet Club via pinfall
Juice Robinson, Toru Yano, and Jyushin Thunder Liger vs Bushi, Shingu Takage and Tetsuya Naito
Not sure why the turnbuckle is named Larry, but the announcers were happy to let us know this fact. Naito was on fire and everyone looked great.
After double dropkicks from Bushi and Naito, Yano still pulled off a victory by rollup on BUSHI. Did Yano low-blow him? As long as the referee didn’t see it, the world may never know…
Result: Yano, Robinson, and Liger via pinfall
Match 1: Lance Archer vs. Will Osprey
Archer’s long red faux-hawk paired with a crocodile and cow multi-finish leather jacket looked like a proud cock’s crest, and Osprey decorated his first G1 entrance ever with his beautiful IWGP Junior Heavyweight title.
The match went airborne immediately, and it was easy to see why the winner of the Best of the Super Juniors 2019 tournament was favoured to win this first bout. Archer was dominant once Osprey’s nose was bloodied, but Osprey’s unmatched aerial work brought the fight into more equal territory.
Archer’s use of his superior power and size to find new and interesting ways to throw Osprey around drove the match.
A 19-count ended with Archer absorbing loads of damage from Osprey and still kicking out of a pin at the two-count. A pair of Osprey kickouts set up for a final run of signature moves that would finish with a Blackout and the Iron Claw from Archer for the two-point win. He celebrated by getting physical with the officials.
Result: Archer def. Osprey via pinfall
Match 2: EVIL vs Bad Luck Fale
Bullet Club’s rogue general Fale was a beast right out of the gate, making EVIL look much smaller and lighter with a strong offense. EVIL somehow managed to bodyslam him before flipping him over the top rope and getting a pair of chairs involved.
In NJPW, as long as chairs don’t enter the ring, wrestlers who use them can’t be disqualified. Still, Fale began to falter once the match went beyond 10 minutes and it flowed more evenly as the chairs graduated into vicious props.
The referees, it must be said, all have personality! After Fale had engaged in classic shenanigans he landed the Bad Luck Fall finisher to win over EVIL.
Result: Fale def. EVIL via pinfall
Match 3: SANADA vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
It’s always interesting when wrestlers decide to wear youngboy trunks once they’re established but Sabre Jr.’s attire lent itself well to displaying grappling.
Counters and reversals in quick succession made their ring time shine. This was a very even-feeling match because of the balance the two struck, and each hold was believable. A short set of counters led to SANADA picking up the victory with a smooth roll-up.
Sabre Jr. threw a frustrated fit after the match and, though there are a lot of officials who need epsom salt baths, he still left with the belt.
Result: SANADA def. Sabre Jr. via pinfall
Match 4: Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA
Ibushi, the Golden Star, and KENTA, fka Hideo Itami wrestled the penultimate match of the night, and the crowd was enthused to see it. KENTA held the match low and strong from the bell, and Ibushi showed superior speed until KENTA beat it out of him.
A barrage of stiff strikes from both men made the action feel rough and relentless. Ibushi’s striking knee, Kamagoye, found KENTA after his attempted finish was countered. The two men trading forearms, a series of spin kicks, and a near-fall set the stage for KENTA’s victory via the move he invented, a fireman's carry with a front drop onto KENTA's left knee called Go 2 Sleep.
After the temper tantrums following earlier matches, KENTA’s respectful treatment of Ibushi was soul-cleansing. He offered Ibushi a hand up, and the heroic Ibushi accepted. The exhausted and joyful embrace between the men spoke volumes.
Result: KENTA def. Ibushi va pinfall
Match 5: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
These long-time rivals are known for their flamboyant entrances and they delivered in Dallas. Tanahashi, a three-time G1 winner thrilled in Texas red, white, and blue, but two-time winner, Okada, looked like royalty in an insane jacket and IWGP Heavyweight Championship gold. If past performance is an indicator of future behaviour, this match would end in a draw, as the last three times these men have battled each other in the G1 they fought until the 30-minute mark.
Because the crowd was so invested, every minute felt important. Every time Okada would effortlessly play the crowd, Tanahashi would inject more personality into his counters and character pieces. Red Shoes Unno, perhaps the most famous Japanese referee to date, was happy to mock Okada when he got cocky.
I look forward to seeing more of Red Shoes’ honourable sense of humour throughout the tournament. Tanahashi’s dragon screw leg whip was particularly painful looking. Okada used multiple DDTs to wear down Tanahashi, but the match never seemed a sure thing for either man. Tanahashi fought back dominantly, foiling Okada’s first two attempts at the Rainmaker and taking the next two directly.
At the 20-minute mark. one more Rainmaker was all it took, and Okada won the match. “This is the first time G1 is in America, and it won’t be the last. I am coming back to Dallas to make it rain money!” He exclaimed in-ring after the match.
During the post-event press conference, Okada was kind enough to let everyone in the West know that he hopes they follow the G1 Climax to the end, even though the match times mean fans outside of Japan won’t get much sleep.
Result: Okada def. Tanahashi via pinfall
