[2017-07-26-NJPW-G1 Climax] Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Hirooki Goto

[bradhindsight]

Talk about it here.

 

From Ioan Morris, PTBN:

 

 

After some brief initial success for Tanahashi, Goto clotheslined him to the floor from the top-rope, then attacked his injured right arm outside, tying it up in the guardrail and stomping it once they were back in the ring. The short-arm scissors had Tanahashi scrambling to the ropes, then a smoothly applied ZSJ-style hammerlocked armbar punished him. Spinning heel kick from Goto, but the follow-up was blocked, and Tanahashi hit a Dragon Screw and flying forearm, with the middle-rope flipping senton earning two. The arm-trap German was blocked, and Goto went back to the arm, but Tanahashi slapped him to the mat with his left hand. German suplex from Tanahashi, backdrop from Goto, and both men were down.

Main Event Elbow Battle time, somewhat to Tanahashi’s detriment, then he countered an Ushigoroshi into a Sling Blade, but the High Fly Flow missed the mark. Goto scored with his big kick to the chest for two, then grabbed a sleeper hold, cinching it in and nailing a Penalty Kick! Ushigoroshi – two-count only. Goto used a headbutt and nailed the reverse GTR, but Tanahashi countered the GTR proper into a swinging neckbreaker. Goto blocked another, clubbing Tanahashit to the mat, but the Shouten Kai was countered to a trio of neckbreakers and a half-hatch suplex. Sling Blade – two-count only! High Fly Flow crossbody, followed by the splash – one, two, three!

The armwork from Goto was a nice idea, it’s just a shame it didn’t play into the latter portion of the match. Tanahashi’s matches so far have all had the same focus and yet have all felt different in structure, which I appreciate, although it has to be said this was neither man’s best effort. A good if not entirely inspiring main event from these two. ***1/4

 

[soup23]

A good main event but these two together have never been my favorite pairing of this generation of NJPW stars. The best aspect of this match was when Goto went after the arm of Tana. That led essentially to the ending run where Tana makes his superman comeback and wins with the High Fly Flow. I think we have entered the dog days of the G1 as nothing tonight felt like it hit the extra gear. ***1/4

[World's Worst Man]

Definitely the dog days of the G1 at this point. A lot of ***-***1/4 matches and not much better.

 

Something that's been annoying me lately is when the wrestlers throw out big moves or big sequences and don't do anything with it. Tanahashi hits two twist and shouts plus a front suplex. That's not enough to go for a fall evidently as he waits for Goto to conveniently get up and then hits the sling blade for a near fall. I noticed the same thing in the Nagata-Naito match where Nagata hits a sick release german and doesn't go for a fall, instead transitioning into a backdrop before going for the fall. Why not get a near fall from the german and save the backdrop for another near fall later? The logic of going dangerous move immediately into less dangerous move doesn't make sense either, although that was more of an issue with the Tanahashi example.