[2017-07-25-NJPW-G1 Climax] Michael Elgin vs Satoshi Kojima

[soup23]

This was a good opening slugfest. Elgin’s forearms in particular looked really explosive and he pounded down Kojima throughout the match. He felt like a bruiser and allowed Kojima to be resilient. This is the type of match that certainly won’t be one I can easily recollect when the tournament is over due to having 80 matches overall but as a beginning of a night to settle the viewer in, it accomplished what it set out to do. ***

[William Bologna]

Five powerbombs in this match. Elgin is such a hack.

[bradhindsight]

 

Kojima scored a shoulder block early and hit a neckbreaker after flexing his pecs, but Elgin caught him with a lariat and took control with a slingshot splash and elbow strikes. Kojima ducked a charge to set off the machine gun chops, with the follow-up diving elbow earning a two-count, before Elgin retaliated with a German suplex and mimicked Kojima’s corner routine. A DDT from Kojima put both men on the apron, and a second DDT sent Elgin to the floor, but he avoided Kojima’s plancha and recovered to land an apron powerbomb! Kojima just broke the count, but walked straight into a Falcon Arrow for two. He blocked the lariat, however, hitting one of his own and a suplex for two. Elgin then ducked the running lariat to hit one of his own for a near-fall, but the attempted second was countered to a Koji Cutter. Kojima clotheslined Big Mike as his tried to leap from the second-rope, but the lariat was again countered, this time to a pop-up powerbomb. Buckle bomb from Elgin, lariat from Kojima! After a struggle on the top-rope, Elgin connected with a sunset flip powerbomb and quickly followed with the Elgin Bomb for the three-count. Another hard-fought loss for Kojima, while Elgin gets his first points on the board. Good match. ***1/2

 

PTBN review - think I may be skipping this one as I catch up.