You know the score by now, we are back to Block A action and hopefully we can get out of this lull. I will also be starting to post the standings, starting with this show.
Block A Match - Bad Luck Fale vs YOSHI-HASHI
I wasn't really looking forward to this but I was pleasantly surprised. They worked a deliberate, well structured match that favoured both men and the finish was very well done. YOSHI picks up the surprise victory which puts a massive dent in Fale's plans. It was by no means excellent but it exceeded my expectations. ***
Block A Match - Togi Makabe vs Zack Sabre Jr
I was a bit worried that the styles of these two wrestlers wouldn't gel well but it turned out to be good. I like how they have built up Sabre as someone who can beat anyone regardless of size or style due to his ability to apply submissions from anywhere. This was further established here as he submitted Makabe to keep himself fully in contention for Block A. Good match with the right winner. ***1/2
Block A Match - Yuji Nagata vs Tomohiro Ishii
Could Nagata pick up his first win? No, but it was a damn good time getting there. Both men add another excellent match to their G1 resumes. The brilliant near falls and crowd engagement add so much to this. Every time he loses, Nagata gets a little bit closer to winning and the crowd gets a little bit more ready to lose their mind. This was the exact kind of match you would expect from these two, big hits and brainbusters. A match you should go out of your way to see. ****1/2
Block A Match - Hirooki Goto vs Tetsuya Naito
This should have been great but on this night it was just good. Both men attacked the other's neck to weaken it for their finisher but the crowd wasn't fully invested and the pace felt a touch sluggish. In the end Naito picked up the win with two Destinos to cement himself as a front runner in Block A. As I said, this isn't a bad match at all, just one that really should have been better. ***
Block A Match - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kota Ibushi
Great main event once again. As most of the major matches in this year's G1 have been, this has a great structure building to a well executed finish. Tanahashi has been working this tournament with a torn bicep and has hardly missed a step but I really want him to take some time off after this to recover. Ibushi has been superb in this tournament and I hope that he sticks around long enough to have a main event level run. The match ends with an incredible near fall from a Last Ride followed by Ibushi destroying Tanahashi with a big knee strike. Ibushi's win keeps his own hopes alive and tightens up the overall standings. Great match. ****1/4
Standings
Hiroshi Tanahashi: 4-2 - 8 points
Tomohiro Ishii: 4-2 - 8 points
Tetsuya Naito: 4-2 - 8 points
Zack Sabre Jr: 4-2 - 8 points
Hirooki Goto: 3-3 - 6 points
Togi Makabe: 3-3 - 6 points
Bad Luck Fale: 3-3 - 6 points
Kota Ibushi: 3-3 - 6 points
YOSHI-HASHI: 2-4 - 4 points (Unable to top Block)
Yuji Nagata: 0-6 - 0 points (Unable to top Block)
Overall Grade - B
This was a better show than the last two nights, headlined by the fantastic Nagata/Ishii match and the excellent main event. It's a shame that the Goto/Naito match underwhelmed but you can't have it all so don't let that put you off.
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