{"id":12940,"date":"2019-07-07T19:25:37","date_gmt":"2019-07-07T18:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/?p=12940"},"modified":"2019-07-07T19:25:48","modified_gmt":"2019-07-07T18:25:48","slug":"g1-climax-29-night-1-results-and-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/07\/g1-climax-29-night-1-results-and-review\/","title":{"rendered":"G1 Climax 29 – Night 1 results and review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Title:\nG1 Climax 29 Night 1 Results & Review<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By:\nSuper Mastodon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first ever G1 Climax\nin American soil is now on the history books. \nIt’s Night 1 of the most prestigious tournament in pro wrestling right\nnow and see how it all played out. Without further ado, let’s get straight into\nthe action!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date: July 6, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From: American Airlines\nCenter in Dallas, Texas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

English Commentary: Kevin\nKelly & Rocky Romero<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #1 – Tag-Team\nMatch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guerillas\nof Destiny def. Roppongi 3K<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this match was scheduled, RP3K were\nstill the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag-Team Champions, but during the Kizuna Road\ntour they would lose the belts to other Bullet Club members: El Phantasmo and\nTaiji Ishimori. So a rare battle of tag champions of their respective divisions\nwas sadly a missed opportunity here, but nevertheless the match itself was\nstill good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It served its purpose. Match went under 10\nminutes as a nice opening bout to get the crowd riled up and boy I tell you,\ndespite not selling out the entire arena, the crowd were great for the entire\nshow! SHO played the Ricky Morton role of the team with YOH as the hot tag but\nin the end, the superior heavyweight tag-team champions; GoD still got the win,\neven without Jado in tow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #2 – Tag-Team Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff\nCobb & Ren Narita def. Tomohiro Ishii & Shota Umino<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of the many tag-team matches\npreviews for the G1 Participants at B Block. Jeff Cobb and Tomohiro Ishii will\nface each other at Day 2 and boy what a hard hitting match that would be, and\nwe already got some of that in this match where the two just beat the piss out\nof one another! Their respective young lion partners got their times to shine\ntoo. While Cobb’s athletic strength is always a sight to see, I’m also amazed\nby Narita’s too when he hit an almost picture perfect belly to back suplex to\nUmino! Kinda reminds me of Taz in his prime at ECW. Cobb hits the tour of the\nislands to Red Shoes’ son to take the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #3 – Tag-Team Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hirooki\nGoto & YOSHI-HASHI def. Jay White & Chase Owens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a classic CHAOS vs. Bullet Club match\nup. Jay White, the current leader of Bullet Club will take on Hirooki Goto in\ntheir first G1 match of the year at Day 2. YOSHI-HASHI loss his opportunity in\nentering the G1 because he got defeated by ZSJ during the Kizuna Road Tour with\nthe RevPro Heavyweight title on the line as well so he is relegated to teaming\nup with his faction mates. Pretty much what you’ll expect in a match between\nthese two teams, an old school face vs. cheating heels scenario, with Gedo on\nthe outside doing some interferences for good measure. Just wanna point out\nGoto is wearing an LA Dojo shirt as well in support of his friend\/coach Shibata\nwhich is pretty cool. An Ushi Goroshi + GTR combo to Chase, Goto seals the\ndeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #4: Six Man Tag-Team Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jushin\nLiger, Juice Robinson, & Toru Yano def. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, &\nBUSHI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last match of the undercard before the G1\nmatches, some more previews for B Block we got Juice vs. Shingo and Yano vs.\nNaito. But what’s more important is Jushin “Thunder” Liger’s\nappearance. It could have very well been his final match in the state of Dallas\nor in the American Airlines Center at least because as we all know he is\ncurrently going on a worldwide retirement tour and will call it a career comes\nthe next year’s Wrestle Kingdom. Just a fun match and with all participants\noozing with charisma, the crowd ate up everything they did! YTR sneaked in a\nvictory with a low blow to BUSHI. Probably the only wrestler who will get\ncheered winning by means of a low blow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #5 – Block A Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lance\nArcher def. Will Ospreay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Lance Archer the new Show Stealer?\nBecause he has done it again with Will Ospreay! Shawn Michaels eat your heart\nout! (sarcasm… obviously.) Going in to this match I expected them to\noutperform their match at the New Japan Cup and that they did and then some!\nRight from the get go, the match picked up in a fast pace and it barely slowed\ndown through the rest of the 18 minute run time and it did not even felt that\ndue to how exciting the whole match was! Ospreay and Archer had many great\nback-and-forth sequences, you know a match is good that every pin fall\nmattered. The Oz Cutter to Archer especially is what got me!  False finishes seem overdone at this point,\nbut if done right, they are still magical! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But since they are in Dallas after all and\nArcher’s hometown, he locked Ospreay in to The Claw shades of the Von Erichs to\ntake the win! If you haven’t seen it yet, I can’t recommend it enough. They\nplayed the “David vs. Goliath” story and twisted it to feel modern,\nworked pretty damn well. I’m all in for a Lance Archer singles push! Big men\nand pro wrestling, it’s a pairing that will never die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #6 – Block A Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad\nLuck Fale def. EVIL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another big man makes his way to the\ncompetition is Bad Luck Fale taking on EVIL. It was your typical Fale match,\nfilled with outside shenanigans and a slow pace overall. Crowd was behind EVIL\nthe whole time and the rest of LIJ are really over with the Dallas audience so\nthat’s nice to see. Did not really enjoy this but at least we didn’t have any\nmore of the disqualification B.S. we got in last year’s G1. Fale took the\ndominant win, pinning EVIL with the Bad Luck Fall at the 11 minute and 33\nsecond mark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fale will \ntake on Archer on Night 3. I chose EVIL to win this match but I should\nhave known that of course the two big crazy monsters have to look dominant\ngoing into their match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #7 – Block A Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SANADA\ndef. Zack Sabre Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We got another match of the night\ncontender between Zack Sabre Jr. and SANADA! If you’re a fan of the old school\n“World of Sport” style matches, then you’re in for a treat! That is\nexactly what ZSJ and SANADA delivered, mixed in with some modern style of\nwrestling. The two barely delivered strikes against one another and they still\nmanaged to put on a highly competitive and entertaining bout. Multiple\nsubmission holds and escapes with endless taunting in between. SANADA worked as\nthe face while ZSJ is of course the heel, the fans always went mental for these\ntwo and rightfully so! The two have faced already before but this time, since\nit is the first night and they’re still fresh, they really outdid themselves in\nwhat was a fantastic showcase of technical wrestling. I’m sure Johnny Saint\nwould adore this match!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn’t some devastating submission hold\nthat got SANADA the win though but another O’Connor Roll that ZSJ wasn’t able\nto get out of in the nick of time. Impressive victory and ZSJ pulled a tantrum\nafterwards, what a heel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #8 – Block A Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KENTA\ndef. Kota Ibushi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s one of the most anticipated stories\ngoing in to the G1 is KENTA’s debut match in New Japan! Going up against a\nfamiliar foe in Kota Ibushi, did it deliver to expectations? For me personally,\nyes. I did not expect a match in the similar quality of KENTA and Ibushi as if\nthey were in their 2000’s selves, no. The young KENTA back then is gone now,\nthis is a more mature fighter who is still just as vicious especially after\nescaping the shackles of the WWE. This match gave me a strong vibe of NOAH\/AJPW\nwith the constant hard strikes delivered to one another, a drastic contrast on\nthe previous match. It wasn’t a fast pace match but we have to remember, this\nis KENTA’s first match in 6 months, since his departure from the WWE, there\nwill obviously be some ring rust to shake off, no matter how good of a wrestler\nyou are, that just happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could have been better for sure, the\ndelivery of the Go To Sleep was underwhelming too, but still overall a solid 20\nminute match. We’ll have to wait and see the rest of KENTA’s run before\nprematurely judging this as a flop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Match #9 – Block A Match:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazuchika\nOkada def. Hiroshi Tanahashi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final match of the night and what\nbetter way to close it off than the historical matchup between the reigning\nIWGP Heavyweight Champion; Kazuchika Okada and his greatest rival; Hiroshi\nTanahashi. Through the years we’ve seen draws between these two because they’re\nalways on equal footing. Okada is the young upstart and Tana is the Ace he aims\nto dethrone. But that’s all business of the past now and it just got solidified\nduring this match. Okada cemented the fact that HE is the Ace of New Japan now\nand superior over the aging and broken down Tanahashi. Bringing back the High\nFly Flow seemed like it was out of desperation in terms of the story, Tana\ncouldn’t keep up with him anymore, but with that being said, he still performed\nand moved pretty good despite the lingering injuries he is suffering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point in their careers, you will\nnever see a disappointing Okada vs. Tanahashi match, they are the Ric Flair vs.\nRicky Steamboat of this generation. It’s a match you may have seen many times,\nbut it still works and they always perform at their best! Omega nor Naito is\nOkada’s greatest opponent in the ring, it still is Tanahashi. Three Rainmakers\nand that’s all she wrote. From winning the New Japan Cup to starting the G1\nwith a victory, Okada is truly back now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s the show right there folks. G1 in\nAmerica can be deemed as a success match wise. It sucks that we didn’t see more\nwrestlers like Jon Moxley, Taichi, and Minoru Suzuki just to name a few but\nwe’ll see them eventually in a week. It’s also painfully obvious that it wasn’t\na sellout crowd but with the 4,800+ in that arena during that night, they sure\nmade up for it with being active (in the right way) all throughout the event,\nso good on you Dallas folks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Couldn’t think of a better way to kick\nthings off in the G1. For first time viewers, hopefully you stick around as\nmore exciting matches are still on their way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also announced during the event, NJPW\nreturns to the US in September for the Fighting Spirit Unleashed tour,\nspecifically in the East Coast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 27 – Boston, MA (Lowell Memorial\nAuditorium)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 28 – New York, NY (Hammerstein\nBallroom) – Referee Tiger Hattori’s retirement<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 29 – Philadelphia, PA (2300\nArena fka ECW Arena)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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