NJPW G1 Climax 2009

[nWoHulkster]

Takao Omori and Takashi Sugiura, the latter of whom could be IWGP Heavyweight Champion by August if he pulls off another upset, are two new names in the G1 Climax this year. 12 of the 14 participants for Japan’s biggest annual tournament were announced today. All of the others announced are home team members, including Takashi Iizuka’s first G1 participation since 2000, but two spots remain open - one of which Masato Tanaka has laid claim to. Supposing he gets it, that means one spot is free which could go to a New Japan wrestler (Chono is not listed again, despite being booked for most of the current tour) or another outsider. TAJIRI has also called Tanahashi out to go to HUSTLE, leading to rumours TAJIRI could have one of the X spots. Another rumour going around is that All Japan might get the 14th spot.

Group division has yet to be announced.

- Hiroshi Tanahashi (IWGP Heavyweight Champion / G1 Climax 2007 winner)

- Hiroyoshi Tenzan (G1 Climax 2003, 2004 & 2006 winner)

- Yuji Nagata (G1 Climax 2001 winner)

- Manabu Nakanishi (G1 Climax 1999 winner)

- Hirooki Goto (G1 Climax 2008 winner)

- Togi Makabe (G1 Climax 2008 runner-up)

- Shinsuke Nakamura

- Toru Yano

- Takashi Iizuka

- Giant Bernard

- Takashi Sugiura (Pro Wrestling NOAH)

- Takao Omori (free)

- ???

- ???

[nWoHulkster]

ZERO1 World Heavyweight Champion Masato Tanaka is officially #13 in the 2009 G1 Climax as part of a group with the man he has targetted — Tanahashi, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. This is very much a brawler’s group besides Tanahashi and Omori, while Block B has a packed cast of Tenzan, Nagata, Nakanishi, Goto, Nakamura, Iizuka, and Sugiura. Important matches will include the first Nagata vs. Nakanishi match for years, the Goto vs. Sugiura rematch, and Tanahashi vs. Tanaka. Block A remains a man short, with rumours that everyone from Naoya Ogawa to TAJIRI to Minoru Suzuki could be the mystery man.

Block A

- Hiroshi Tanahashi (IWGP Heavyweight Champion)

- Togi Makabe (GBH)

- Toru Yano (CHAOS)

- Giant Bernard (CHAOS)

- Masato Tanaka (ZERO1)

- Takao Omori

- ???

Block B

- Hiroyoshi Tenzan

- Yuji Nagata

- Manabu Nakanishi

- Hirooki Goto

- Shinsuke Nakamura (CHAOS)

- Takashi Iizuka (CHAOS)

- Takashi Sugiura (NOAH)

[G]

Tenzan цепи с постижения.. Блоковете са яки и тази година очаквам да се получи добро както обикновено.. дано Tanahashi да спечели както му е потръгнало на успехи.

Edited July 10, 2009 by G

[nWoHulkster]

After being unable to visit Japan in May due to the Swine Flu outbreak, Mexican sensation Mistico will return to New Japan during the G1 Climax tour. The luchador will compete specially on the 8/13 Aichi and 8/15 Sumo Hall shows. His matches haven’t been announced yet.

[nWoHulkster]

Hiroshi Tanahashi may still be the IWGP Heavyweight Champion but is a “one-eyed dragon” after TAJIRI’s mist attack that has temporarily messed up one of his eyes. Tanahashi spoke with the media today and praised Sugiura, saying he showed the depth of Pro Wrestling NOAH and was a worthy challenger. He warned wrestlers in Sugiura’s block in the G1 to be very wary of him, saying he is a dangerous opponent. Regarding TAJIRI, Tanahashi said he respected the former ECW and WWE superstar a lot but those feelings have been betrayed and now he is simply angry. President Sugabayashi is apparently not showing the will to put TAJIRI in the G1, and while Tanahashi would like him in it - so they can fight each other - he is leaving it to the company.

[nWoHulkster]

The cast for the 2009 G1 Climax is complete with TAJIRI being the mystery man in Block A, meaning Hiroshi Tanahashi has both ZERO1 World Heavyweight Champion, Masato Tanaka, and HUSTLE assassin TAJIRI trying to hunt him down, even after defeating NOAH's own assassin Takashi Sugiura the other day. All cards for the G1 were also announced today (match order undecided) and there is plenty of special participation throughout the tour. Most noticeably is the return of Mistico and the long awaited Japan vs. Mexico super-hero battle, as Tiger Mask makes his V5 defense of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title against the Mexican superstar on the 8/15 Sumo Hall show. Also of note, and this apparently wasn't the original plan with the idea (in the G1 summary at least) being to have no semi finals like last year, is the return of semi finals on the final day, so the top two of each block will head to the last Sumo Hall show.

NJPW, 8/7/09 (SXW)

Hiroshima Sun Plaza

1. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Karl Anderson

2. Yuji Nagata & Kazuchika Okada vs. Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano vs. Masato Tanaka

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Giant Bernard vs. TAJIRI

5. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Takashi Iizuka

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Takashi Sugiura

7. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Takao Omori

8. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

NJPW, 8/8/09 (Samurai! TV)

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

1. Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Milano Collection AT & Taichi

2. Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Karl Anderson & YAMATO

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano vs. TAJIRI

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Takao Omori

5. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Takashi Iizuka

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto

7. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Giant Bernard

8. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Takashi Sugiura

NJPW, 8/9/09 (Samurai! TV)

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

1. Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Jado & YAMATO

2. Tomoaki Honma vs. TAJIRI

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Giant Bernard

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Masato Tanaka vs. Takao Omori

5. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Hirooki Goto

6. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Toru Yano

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

8. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Takashi Sugiura

NJPW, 8/10/09 (Samurai! TV)

Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium

1. Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada vs. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii

2. Hirooki Goto, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Wataru Inoue, Milano Collection AT & Taichi

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Masato Tanaka vs. TAJIRI

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Giant Bernard vs. Takao Omori

5. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Takashi Iizuka

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Takashi Sugiura

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yuji Nagata

8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe

NJPW, 8/11/09 (Samurai! TV)

Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Karl Anderson

2. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano vs. Takao Omori

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe vs. TAJIRI

4. G1 Climax - Block B: Takashi Iizuka vs. Takashi Sugiura

5. G1 Climax - Block A: Giant Bernard vs. Masato Tanaka

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Hirooki Goto

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Manabu Nakanishi

NJPW, 8/13/09 (WPW)

Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium

1. Tiger Mask & Mistico vs. Tomohiro Ishii & OKUMURA

2. Super Strong Machine & Kazuchika Okada vs. Takashi Sugiura & Atsushi Aoki

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano vs. Giant Bernard

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Masato Tanaka

5. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Manabu Nakanishi

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

7. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TAJIRI

NJPW, 8/15/09 (SXW)

Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Wataru Inoue & Kazuchika Okada vs. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & OKUMURA

2. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Tiger Mask © vs. Mistico

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Takao Omori vs. TAJIRI

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Toru Yano

5. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Takashi Iizuka

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto vs. Takashi Sugiura

8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Masato Tanaka

NJPW, 8/16/09 (WPW/PPV)

Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Block A 1st place vs. Block B 2nd place

2. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Block B 1st place vs. Block A 2nd place

3. G1 Climax - Final:

Много доволен cast в тазгодишният G1!

Mistico junior heavy шампион але але!

[nWoHulkster]

The tournament of the strongest, the G1 Climax, began its 2009 installment earlier today with an entertaining show in Hiroshima before a healthy crowd of 3,000 fans. The show began with a non-tournament match as an injury to Tomoaki Honma forced a card change and Makabe battled former GBH cohort Karl Anderson, pinning him but hurting his knee in the process, some worrying signs before the Unchained Gorilla even begins his G1 campaign. Then the tournament itself started with a battle between former WWE stars Giant Bernard and TAJIRI, a unique match with a huge size difference, meaning TAJIRI had to use some psychological warfare and did with effect en route to a shocking victory from his deadly Buzzsaw kick after a mist attack. Takashi Iizuka's first G1 since 2000 began against Manabu Nakanishi and saw the CHAOS heel shine in his role on the big stage but he was unable to defeat the previous IWGP Heavyweight Champion, losing by DQ.

ZERO1 World Heavyweight Champion, Masato Tanaka, was accompanied to the ring by former Complete Players comrades Jado & Gedo for his match with Toru Yano and would receive their help a little in his match against Toru Yano, an entertaining brawl that Tanaka was able to win with his Sliding D. After failing to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title last month from Tanahashi, NOAH's Takashi Sugiura began his third attempt at success in New Japan but started slowly with a loss to Hiroyoshi Tenzan, who is in his first major singles event since returning from injury and is looking to make up for a poor G1 last year. The match went back and forth but Tenzan had a size and experience edge and forced Sugiura to tap out to the Anaconda Vice. With other third generation men, Nagata and Nakanishi, whose age (39) he is actually closer to than younger wrestlers Nakamura and Goto, in the same block, Sugiura still has plenty of chances to score big wins.

Former RISE leader Shinsuke Nakamura finally collided with the man he left behind when he formed CHAOS, Hirooki Goto, in a hot semi final. Little has been said about their split, which saw Nakamura suddenly collect most of GBH to form CHAOS in an attempt to end Makabe�s career but sparks flew between them today. Despite having been Nakamura�s second-in-command in RISE, Goto held two successive wins over his generation rival going into this match so Shinsuke had much to make up for. And he did, winning one of the better matches of the show with a brutal knee kick. Takao Omori struck gold on day one of his first ever G1 by pinning the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi! In what was described as one of Omori�s best matches for a long time, he fought very well with Tanahashi but towards the end seemed destined to lose as Tana piled on the offense. Somehow, to the surprise of most, Omori landed an Axe Bomber, then his Axe Guillotine Driver, then another Axe Bomber for the win! Despite his loss, Tanahashi was the one who sent the fans home with a microphone performance his his attempt at a rare IWGP+G1 achievement got off to a false start.

NJPW, 8/7/09 (SXW)

Hiroshima Sun Plaza

3,000 Fans - No Vacancy

1. Togi Makabe beat Karl Anderson (5:18) with a top rope King Kong kneedrop.

2. G1 Climax - Block A: TAJIRI [2] beat Giant Bernard [0] (10:33) with a Buzzsaw kick.

3. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi [2] beat Takashi Iizuka [0] (11:58) by DQ.

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Masato Tanaka [2] beat Toru Yano [0] (10:44) with the Sliding D.

5. Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger beat Yuji Nagata & Kazuchika Okada (10:20) when Tiger used a chickenwing facelock on Okada.

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan [2] beat Takashi Sugiura Pro Wrestling [0] (12:42) with the Anaconda Vice.

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [2] beat Hirooki Goto [0] (16:42) with a knee kick.

8. G1 Climax - Block A: Takao Omori [2] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [0] (18:20) with an Axe Bomber.

-

Block A:

1. Takao Omori [2]

- Masato Tanaka [2]

- TAJIRI [2]

4. Togi Makabe [0]

5. Hiroshi Tanahashi [0]

- Toru Yano [0]

- Giant Bernard [0]

Block B:

1. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [2]

- Manabu Nakanishi [2]

- Shinsuke Nakamura [2]

4. Yuji Nagata [0]

5. Hirooki Goto [0]

- Takashi Iizuka [0]

- Takashi Sugiura [0]

Още на първия ден се почна с големите изненади: победи за Omori & TAJIRI!

[nWoHulkster]

Hiroshi Tanahashi was back to his best on day two of the G1 Climax, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion beating long-time rival Giant Bernard in today's main event of the first of two Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium shows. In the same building where he recently won back the IWGP belt from Nakanishi, Tanahashi pinned Bernard but had to rely on a cradle to down the big man, who himself has started the G1 poorly with two losses. Shinsuke Nakamura, on the other hand, is off to a flying start, following up on his victory over last year's G1 winner Goto yesterday with one over Pro Wrestling NOAH assassin Takashi Sugiura. These two collided in January in the big NJ vs. NOAH tag match but despite submitting Sugiura in said tag was embarrassed at how much effort it took him to defeat a "lesser" opponent. Nakamura won another intense match today to prove the difference like he wanted, pinning Sugiura following a knee kick. Sugiura, now with losses to Tanahashi (IWGP match), Tenzan, and Nakamura in succession during his New Japan invasion, next has back to back matches against third generation stars Nagata and Nakanishi, and big wins over those two would revive a bad tournament so far for him.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan is also off to a good start and today went 2-0 with a DQ win over his hated rival Iizuka, who he recently knocked out in a Chain Death Match. Today, he wasn't able to win so decisively as Iizuka lost only by DQ, just like yesterday against Nakanishi. Another rivalry of late has been Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto, with Nagata defeating Goto at the February Sumo Hall show, then Goto earning revenge in the New Japan Cup semis. Today, Nagata was victorious again and last year's winner is yet another who hasn't started so well. Takao Omori HAS started extremely well, yesterday's huge win over Tanahashi today followed up by a victory over Makabe, who was starting his campaign. The popular Omori struck Makabe with an Axe Bomber to surprisingly take an early lead in Block A. In a psychological battle of wits, Toru Yano got the best of TAJIRI, winning a heel battle by DQ to earn his first points of the tournament.

NJPW, 8/8/09 (Samurai! TV)

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

4,500 Fans

1. Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt beat Milano Collection AT & Taichi (12:33) when Devitt used a high-angle front cradle on Taichi.

2. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano [2] beat TAJIRI [2] (11:34) by DQ.

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Takao Omori [4] beat Togi Makabe [0] (14:40) with an Axe Bomber.

4. Tomohiro Ishii, Karl Anderson & YAMATO beat Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada (10:27) when Anderson used the Gun Stun on Okada.

5. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata [2] beat Hirooki Goto [0] (17:48) with a backdrop hold.

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] beat Takashi Iizuka [0] (10:59) by DQ.

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [4] beat Takashi Sugiura [0] (13:51) with a knee kick.

8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [2] beat Giant Bernard [0] (19:57) with a front cradle.

-

Block A:

1. Takao Omori [4]

2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [2]

- Toru Yano [2]

- Masato Tanaka [2]

- TAJIRI [2]

6. Togi Makabe [0]

- Giant Bernard [0]

Block B:

1. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]

- Shinsuke Nakamura [4]

3. Yuji Nagata [2]

- Manabu Nakanishi [2]

5. Hirooki Goto [0]

- Takashi Iizuka [0]

- Takashi Sugiura [0]

[nWoHulkster]

Back to back wins in Osaka main events have pushed Tanahashi to joint first in Block A of the 2009 G1 Climax. Tanahashi pinned Toru Yano in what proved to be a very tough match for the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, meaning he has won three big main events (Nakanishi, Bernard, Yano) in the same building recently. Pro Wrestling NOAH assassin Takashi Sugiura is still without a win in his campaign but things improved a little today as he battled Nagata to a 30 minute draw. Sugiura probably has to win his last three matches against possibly easier opposition than his first three - Nakanishi, Iizuka, and Goto - to have any chance of reaching the semi final round.

Last year's winner Goto bounced back from two losses early in the tournament by pinning Nakanishi in the sixth match today. This was Goto's second win of the year over the previous IWGP Heavyweight Champion, having pinned him in a singles match at the at the smaller companion to the same building, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2, back in April. Bernard is another who finally showed signs of good form after a shakey start, handing Makabe his second loss of the tournament today. Shinsuke Nakamura is the only unbeaten wrestler in Block B now after making fairly short work of old rival Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Tenzan wasn't 100% after his match with Iizuka yesterday that saw him get roughed up by CHAOS but there are no excuses in the G1, and Nakamura decimated him with his knee kick to the face - called the Boma Ye - to go 3-0 in the tournament and continue looking dangerous.

The first tournament match today was interesting as it featured ZERO1 World Heavyweight Champion, Masato Tanaka, against a man who worked for ZERO1 before an absence from pro wrestling, Takao Omori. This was a close, evenly fought contest, but Omori's early form hit a hurdle as he fell to the Sliding D. These two sit with Tanahashi on four points at the top of Block A now.

NJPW, 8/9/09 (Samurai! TV)

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

4,700 Fans

1. TAJIRI beat Mitsuhide Hirasawa (7:37) with a Buzzsaw kick.

2. G1 Climax - Block A: Masato Tanaka [4] beat Takao Omori [4] (13:08) with the Sliding D.

3. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [6] beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] (8:41) with a Boma Ye.

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Giant Bernard [2] beat Togi Makabe [0] (12:15) with the Bernard Driver.

5. Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt beat Jado & YAMATO (13:02) when Taguchi used the Dodon on Jado.

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto [2] beat Manabu Nakanishi [2] (14:55) with the Shouten.

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata [3] vs. Takashi Sugiura [1] went to a draw (30:00) when the time limit expired.

8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [4] beat Toru Yano [2] (18:39) with the High Fly Flow.

-

Block A:

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [4]

- Takao Omori [4]

- Masato Tanaka [4]

4. Toru Yano [2]

- Giant Bernard [2]

- TAJIRI [2]

7. Togi Makabe [0]

Block B:

1. Shinsuke Nakamura [6]

2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]

3. Yuji Nagata [3]

4. Hirooki Goto [2]

5. Manabu Nakanishi [2]

6. Takashi Sugiura [1]

7. Takashi Iizuka [0]

[nWoHulkster]

We are now half way through the 2009 G1 Climax and it has turned out to be a very interesting tournament so far - not quite as close and partisan as many are, although there is still time for that. Today's main event was the same as last year's in Yokohama - Tanahashi vs. Makabe - and it was Nagata vs. Makabe the year before that, since Makabe is the local boy. Makabe defeated Tanahashi, then in a slump, last year, but today the two fought to a stalemate in the form of a time limit draw. This gave Makabe his first point but his chances of qualification to the semis appear very slim. Pro Wrestling NOAH's Takashi Sugiura scored his first win of the tournament and it was the big scalp he needed - a victory over Nakanishi following up on losses to Tenzan and Nakamura, and yesterday's draw with Nagata. Nakanishi largely manhandled Sugiura but a late comeback earned him two valuable points. This salvages some hope of a semi final spot for NOAH's dangerous assassin and with Iizuka and Goto remaining as opponents, the worst has possibly passed for him.

Shinsuke Nakamura is unstoppable in the tournament, the brooding and dangerous CHAOS leader continuing his rampage by dismantling another man with a "dangerous" reputation, CHAOS cohort Iizuka, today. Nakamura beat Iizuka quite easily, something no one else has been able to, pinning him following a knee kick. Unless of a major slip-up, Nakamura will be in the semis. Nagata also had a surprisingly easy win today over generation rival Tenzan, whose spirit and fitness again is in question after a poor follow-up to his G1 start. Nagata won what was largely a one-sided match between historically two close rivals, using his backdrop hold to edge ahead of Tenzan in Block B. In a battle of former ECW stars, Masato Tanaka defeated TAJIRI but only by DQ after the Hustle man countered Tanaka's Sliding D with a mist attack. Tanaka is now 3-0 and if this form continues he will be heading to the semi final round. Today's opening G1 match was a tale of turnarounds - as strong starter Omori fell to poor starter Bernard - locking the two on four points each.

NJPW, 8/10/09 (Samurai! TV)

Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium

3,800 Fans

1. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii beat Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada (9:59) when Yano used the Oni Koroshi on Okada.

2. G1 Climax - Block A: Giant Bernard [4] beat Takao Omori [4] (10:11) with the Bernard Driver.

3. G1 Climax - Block A: Masato Tanaka [6] beat TAJIRI [2] (11:24) by DQ.

4. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata [5] beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] (11:01) with a backdrop hold.

5. Hirooki Goto, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt beat Wataru Inoue, Milano Collection AT & Taichi (10:05) when Goto used the Sho-Ryu Kekkai on Taichi.

6. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [8] beat Takashi Iizuka [0] (5:11) with a Boma Ye.

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Takashi Sugiura [3] beat Manabu Nakanishi [2] (14:22) with an Olympic slam.

8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [5] vs. Togi Makabe [1] went to a draw (30:00) when the time limit expired.

-

Block A:

1. Masato Tanaka [6]

2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [5]

3. Giant Bernard [4]

4. Takao Omori [4]

5. Toru Yano [2]

6. TAJIRI [2]

7. Togi Makabe [1]

Block B:

1. Shinsuke Nakamura [8]

2. Yuji Nagata [5]

3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]

4. Takashi Sugiura [3]

5. Hirooki Goto [2]

6. Manabu Nakanishi [2]

7. Takashi Iizuka [0]

[nWoHulkster]

Today saw the smallest show of the G1 Climax but it wasn't without incident or a big main event. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi have been side by side throughout their entire careers but have had a major shortage of singles matches in recent years, their 60 minute draw over the IWGP Heavyweight Title in March '03 being the last time they met... until today. Six and a half years later the men generally considered top of their generation collided in an exciting main event that saw Nakanishi score a much needed win to earn his fourth point of the tournament. After the match Nagata asked fans to not belittle the third generation - the lost generation some say as already the new generation seem to be surpassing their accomplishments quickly - and the veterans, who now find themselves in the same position as the 3 Musketeers were in when they were younger, will continue to provide tough challenges for the young guns.

Togi Makabe and TAJIRI went to war in a bloodbath that saw Makabe finally achieve his first win of the tournament, albeit by DQ. TAJIRI's DQ losses seem to have followed a pattern of him being on the verge of a normal defeat only for him to spit green mist into the opponents' eyes and get himself disqualified. Today's loss makes semi final qualification impossible for the Hustle invader but he still has a match with Tanahashi, his main target in the tournament. Masato Tanaka suffered his first setback of the tournament but it wasn't a loss as his impressive tournament thus far continued. He and Giant Bernard, who has come back well from a poor start to be in contention for a spot in the semis, fought to a double countout, one of three inconclusive finishes on the day. The other saw Takashi Iizuka, on the back of being taught a lesson by his CHAOS leader Nakamura yesterday, back in vintage form - iron glove, choking, and blood. NOAH's Takashi Sugiura was no special case as he saw his head gouged by the dastardly villain en route to his second win of the tournament, this one by DQ.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan has, like last year, stumbled into a brick wall in the G1, raising new questions about his health and spirit. The G1 Climax is not a tournament of mercy and young upstart Hirooki Goto showed no mercy, beating Tenzan easily in just 7 minutes. While Nagata and Nakanishi continue to prosper fairly well, Tenzan is heading south unless he can regain his old vigor at some point. Takao Omori's lightning start to the G1 has failed to sustain as his third loss on the trot today saw him pinned by Toru Yano. With only one match left, he can pretty much wave his chances of a spot in the semis goodbye just like the man he faces next, TAJIRI.

NJPW, 8/11/09 (Samurai! TV)

Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1,900 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano [4] beat Takao Omori [4] (9:11) with the Uragasumi.

2. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto [4] beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] (6:57) with the Shouten.

3. G1 Climax - Block B: Takashi Sugiura [5] beat Takashi Iizuka [0] (9:05) by DQ.

4. Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & Karl Anderson beat Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt (12:57) when Nakamura used the Boma Ye on Devitt.

5. G1 Climax - Block A: Giant Bernard [5] vs. Masato Tanaka [7] went to a double countout (13:07).

6. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe [3] beat TAJIRI [2] (12:17) by DQ.

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi [4] beat Yuji Nagata [5] (21:58) with a German suplex.

-

Block A:

1. Masato Tanaka [7]

2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [5]

3. Giant Bernard [5]

4. Toru Yano [4]

5. Takao Omori [4]

6. Togi Makabe [3]

7. TAJIRI [2]

Block B:

1. Shinsuke Nakamura [8]

2. Yuji Nagata [5]

- Takashi Sugiura [5]

4. Hirooki Goto [4]

5. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]

- Manabu Nakanishi [4]

7. Takashi Iizuka [0]

[PyroHunter]

Малко ми е неприятно, че Tenzan няма да продължи, но не съм следил нещата от доста време и вероятно е закономерно... Фил, ако искаш да споделиш някаква прогноза за победител няма да се разсърдя или поне общо взето как стоят нещата там към момента

Иначе като гледам как се развива турнирът фаворит за мен е Tanahashi, но бих се радвал и на победа на Танака.

П.С. Продължавай да постваш резултати. Както виждаш темата е на път да стане Hot topic :)

[nWoHulkster]

Tenzan е бита карта към комента и не говоря само за G1, а по принцип. Като статут/push в момента е към края на челната десятка в New Japan. Oсвен това и като представяне на ринга не е това, което беше преди няколко години. Казано накратко: блъска се нагоре-надолу измежду midcard-a и upper-midcard-a.

Тази година не се наех да правя каквито и да е прогнози за G1 Climax и нямам намерение да го правя. Тази година нещата биха прекалено непредсказуеми. Иначе от чисто фенска гледна точка ми се иска Nakamura да грабне първия си G1.

Sorry за закъснението, но бях извън града. Последните резултати:

TAJIRI proved to be more than just a nuisance for Hiroshi Tanahashi in the end, the Hustle assassin today scoring one of the bigger upsets of the tournament by pinning the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Of course, it wasn't a clean win, as TAJIRI again used his green mist - this time getting away with it - and Buzzsaw kicked Tanahashi for the three count. With an IWGP Heavyweight Title match set for Kobe World Hall next month, shortly before a scheduled bigger show at Sumo Hall, there is the possibility of a rematch there - doubtful Tanahashi or President Sugabayashi, who got misted today again, will want to let TAJIRI walk away that easily. Shinsuke Nakamura is looking to be one of very few people to master the "perfect G1", a flawless tournament. Win number five for the CHAOS leader was a big one as he pinned Nagata in today's semi final, a physical match that Shinsuke won with his Boma Ye (knee kick). Once relying on trickery and flash wins, its safe to say that Nakamura has transformed himself into a fighting machine nowadays who few can handle.

Togi Makabe has left his comeback late but stands a chance of reaching the semi final round now after avenging his Fire Festival 2008 final loss to ZERO1 World Heavyweight Champion, Masato Tanaka. This was a stiff brawl, with Jado & Gedo often intruding to help Tanaka, but it wasn't enough as Makabe pinned him following a top rope King Kong kneedrop. Toru Yano has enjoyed a very productive tournament and an upset win over CHAOS cohort Giant Bernard took him into second spot in Block A today, Saturday's match with Makabe likely to be very important. Hiroyoshi Tenzan started the tournament very well with a decisive win over Takashi Sugiura and a DQ win over hated rival Iizuka, but since then it has been all downhill. After losing quite easily to Nakamura and Nagata, he was again beaten with unusual ease by Nakanishi today, the power fighter using his Hercules Cutter to continue a good G1 campaign for him so far - quite a rarity in recent years and the continuation of a very good year that has included his first ever IWGP Heavyweight Title reign.

The only other match was more of the same as Iizuka remained winless after being DQ'd against Goto. Iizuka debuted a new weapon today, a steel toothguard, en route to a DQ loss! Despite all of his losses, only one man has beaten Iizuka properly and that is Nakamura. The CMLL crew arrived today, Mistico and OKUMURA (former All Japan wrestler, Shigeo Okumura) in the opening match on opposite sides, ahead of Saturday's international dream match for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title between Tiger Mask and Mistico.

NJPW, 8/13/09 (WPW)

Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium

8,400 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. Tiger Mask & Mistico beat Tomohiro Ishii & OKUMURA (10:09) when Mistico used the La Mistica on OKUMURA.

2. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto [6] beat Takashi Iizuka [0] (12:24) by DQ.

3. G1 Climax - Block B: Manabu Nakanishi [6] beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] (10:30) with the Hercules Cutter.

4. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano [6] beat Giant Bernard [5] (9:50) with a horizontal cradle.

5. Takashi Sugiura & Atsushi Aoki beat Super Strong Machine & Kazuchika Okada (11:24) when Sugiura used an Olympic slam on Okada.

6. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe [5] beat Masato Tanaka [7] (12:29) with a top rope King Kong kneedrop.

7. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [10] beat Yuji Nagata [5] (17:41) with the Boma Ye.

8. G1 Climax - Block A: TAJIRI [4] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [5] (18:03) with a Buzzsaw kick.

-

To simplify it, Omori, TAJIRI, and Bernard can't qualify. Tanahashi vs. Tanaka and Makabe vs. Yano are the two matches to keep an eye on at Sumo Hall, with all four able to qualify, while TAJIRI vs. Omori will be a battle of pride, to keep one of them out of bottom place. In Block B, Nakamura has already won it thanks to his rampage, regardless of whether or not he beats Nakanishi at Sumo Hall. Iizuka and Tenzan have no chance of qualifying. Goto vs. Sugiura, Nagata vs. Iizuka, and Nakanishi vs. Nakamura are the remaining matches - all but Iizuka, as mentioned, can still qualify.

Block A:

1. Masato Tanaka [7]

2. Toru Yano [6]

3. Hiroshi Tanahashi [5]

4. Giant Bernard [5]

5. Togi Makabe [5]

6. Takao Omori [4]

- TAJIRI [4]

Block B:

1. Shinsuke Nakamura [10]

2. Hirooki Goto [6]

3. Manabu Nakanishi [6]

4. Yuji Nagata [5]

- Takashi Sugiura [5]

6. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]

7. Takashi Iizuka [0]

[nWoHulkster]

The G1 Climax group stages came to a close today at Sumo Hall, part one of the double header there that will culminate with the finals tomorrow. It started with a revived grudge as former tag partners and 2001 G1 Tag League winners, Yuji Nagata and Takashi Iizuka, going to war. These have traded wins this year in concept matches but this saw Iizuka defeat Nagata by DQ. Yes, no typo, as the previously winless villain managed to lure Nagata into getting DQ'd, preventing any chance of him reaching the semis. Shinsuke Nakamura completed the group stage with a victory over Nakanishi, ensuring his "perfect" group stage campaign - Nagata, Nakanishi, Tenzan, Iizuka, Goto, Sugiura - all fell to the Boma Ye. Takashi Sugiura may not have been able to defeat Tanahashi and Nakamura but one member of the "Four Heroes" he has beaten is Hirooki Goto - twice now. In a rematch from Osaka in June, Sugiura again came out on top against Goto in a close match, ensuring his passage into the semis, something that seemed unlikely earlier in the tournament.

Block A began with an uneventful Omori vs. TAJIRI match, which saw the much maligned TAJIRI DQ'd in just 65 seconds. The fans jeered the Hustle invader and told him to go back to Hustle. Omori's victory allowed him to finish on a respectable six points, a return to prominence of sorts for him, the upset win over Tanahashi surely what will be remembered most from his campaign. Togi Makabe's immense comeback ended when he defeated former GBH ally Toru Yano in a bloodbath, pinning the CHAOS second-in-command after a top rope King Kong kneedrop. This earned him an unlikely spot in the semis, just like Sugiura. And so it came to the big main event - IWGP Heavyweight Champion vs. ZERO1 World Heavyweight Champion: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Masato Tanaka. In what was an excellent match surpassing 20 minutes, the two threw everything at each other but the "ace of the universe" Tanahashi pulled through, dropping his High Fly Flow on Tanaka to progress to the semis with Makabe, both of them edging out the impressive Tanaka via the direct confrontation rule. This led to an unprecedented scenarion (I think) with two men tied in first place - completely.

Having fought to a time limit draw and now being joint on seven points, there was nothing to separate Tana and Makabe, so they did it the old fashioned way - a coin toss. Makabe won this, giving him first place in the block and setting up the semis - Makabe vs. Sugiura, who faces the other member of the "Four Heroes", and the big one - Tanahashi vs. Nakamura!

Oh, and there was one more match of note today, and not a throwaway one by any stretch of the imagination. An international dream match saw Tiger Mask defend his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title against Mexican sensation, Mistico. The dominant Tiger Mask, having looked unstoppable since January, finally met his match, falling to the La Mistica, which crowned a new champion! Mistico becomes the second luchador to hold the title, the first (and most would rather forget this) being the infamous but mercifully short "tequila bottle" reign by Juventud Guerrera. Mistico is likely to take the belt back to Mexico for now but should return for Japan soon enough and defend it.

NJPW, 8/15/09 (SXW)

Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

8,800 Fans

1. Wataru Inoue, Prince Devitt & Kazuchika Okada def. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & OKUMURA (12:41) when Inoue used a Double-Arm Facebuster on OKUMURA.

2. G1 Climax - Block B: Takashi Iizuka [2] def. Yuji Nagata [5] (7:53) via DQ.

3. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [12] def. Manabu Nakanishi [6] (7:10) with a Boma Ye.

4. G1 Climax - Block B: Takashi Sugiura [7] def. Hirooki Goto [6] (13:32) with an Avalanche-Style Olympic Slam.

5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Mistico def. Tiger Mask © (12:36) with La Mistica to become the 57th champion.

6. G1 Climax - Block A: Takao Omori def. TAJIRI (1:05) via DQ.

7. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe [7] def. Toru Yano [6] (13:18) with a Top Rope King Kong Kneedrop.

8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [7] def. Masato Tanaka [7] (22:28) with a High Fly Flow.

- G1 Climax Group Stages Final Standings

Block A:

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [7]

-. Togi Makabe [7]

3. Masato Tanaka [7]

4. Toru Yano [6]

5. Takao Omori [6]

6. Giant Bernard [5]

7. TAJIRI [4]

Block B:

1. Shinsuke Nakamura [12]

2. Takashi Sugiura [7]

3. Hirooki Goto [6]

4. Manabu Nakanishi [6]

5. Yuji Nagata [5]

6. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]

7. Takashi Iizuka [2]

[PyroHunter]

При четирима кечисти с по 7 точки на какъв принцип елиминират Танака? Просто ми се струва странно...

Полуфиналите се очертават интересни. Ако ги мерна някъде със сигурност ще ги дръпна да ги видя. Иначе така като гледам ми се струва, че финала ще е Накамура - Танахаши.

Мерси за отговора, Фил.

BTW мисля, че ти едно време беше казал, че IWGP е най-красивия пояс в момента и трябва да изразя силно съгласие.

[Remus]

^ (Според мен) Tanaka е елиминиран, защото и двамата преди него са го побеждавали.

Иначе финалите се очертават така:

NJPW, 8/16/09 (WPW/PPV)

Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Kazuchika Okada vs. TAJIRI

2. Jushin Thunder Liger, Milano Collection AT & Taichi vs. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt

3. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Togi Makabe vs. Takashi Sugiura

4. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

5. Hirooki Goto & Wataru Inoue vs. Masato Tanaka & Jado

6. Manabu Nakanishi, Takao Omori & Koji Kanemoto vs. Toru Yano, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson

7. Masahiro Chono & Yuji Nagata vs. Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii

8. G1 Climax – Final: Makabe/Sigura vs. Tanahashi/Nakamura

И аз очаквах на финала да гледаме Tanahashi/Nakamura, но явно няма да е такъв случая. Предвид инерцията на Nakamura, нищо чудно да бие Tanahashi. От другите двама, освен ако не искат да наливат още слава за NOAH, може би Makabe ще спечели, след раздялата с Yano от него гледам само добри неща. За финал... Nakamura е просто в стихията си в тоя турнир, все ми се струва, че именно той ще спечели, независимо срещу кого ще се изправи.

Честно, вече ми се повръща от Milano & Taichi vs. Taguchi & Devitt. Сигурно са се срещали в трицифрен брой мачове само за последните 8 месеца. Някой да довлече друг Jr. Tag отбор...

[PyroHunter]

Защо финала да не е Танахаши-Накамура?!?

Аз като гледам първия от едната група играе с втория от другата. По този начин полуфиналите стават Танахаши срещу Сугиура, а втория Макабе срещу Накамура.

Не следя достатъчно от близо нещата в последно време, но от чисто фенска гледна точка ще подкрепям Танахаши.

Иначе май си прав за причината, за отпадането на Танака. Има резон, а и не намирам друго обяснение. Освен това Танахаши и Макабе завършиха наравно и затова делят първото място, а не са първи и втори.

Остава да изчакаме финалите и да видим какво ще се случи.

[nWoHulkster]

Пак бях извън града и тъкмо се връщам, но ме чакат други работи за правене, така че нямам време да коментирам някои от предишните мнения. Преминавам направо към резултатите от финала:

11,000 fans headed to Sumo Hall today to witness the end of a very entertaining G1 Climax. Most of the attention was on the tournament matches, although there were some other highlights, such as NOAH's Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Genba Hirayanagi attacking Jado & Gedo after the fifth match, leading into the upcoming Korakuen show where the teams meet. The first semi final was between two men who were briefly allies earlier this decade as friends of Yoshihiro Takayama, back when Makabe was a mischievious but underachieving upstart and Sugiura was still a junior heavyweight, appearing in NJ's Best of the Super Jr. in 2003. Makabe was the last of New Japan's "Four Heroes" that Sugiura hadn't faced, following defeats to Tanahashi and Nakamura, and victories over Goto. Sugiura was hungry and aggressive, badly wanting that place in the final and went for Makabe viciously, driving him into bloodshed quickly - as Makabe was bandaged up from yesterday. This put Makabe on the back foor for a while as Sugiura's brute aggression troubled him but he fought back well, and after a series of German suplexes and finally the top rope King Kong kneedrop, put Sugiura down for the three count.

New Japan's biggest match followed as the leaders of the young generation, Tanahashi and Nakamura met, in what was a main event itself. Tanahashi, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, hadn't had an easy road to the semis, while Nakamura further transformed himself in the tournament by becoming an almost unstoppable fighting machine. This led to an intense fight and even the 100% Ace couldn't stop Nakamura's onslaught, succumbing to an avalanche-style Landslide and a couple of deadly Boma Ye knee kicks.

And so it came down to one of New Japan's biggest rivalries of the year in the G1 Climax. The man who orchestrated the coup d'tat of Makabe's GBH, Nakamura, taking most of his allies and forming CHAOS, leaving Makabe out in the cold. And, not to be forgotten, the man who beat Makabe in two singles matches over the space of a month in March and April, then dominated him in tags later on. All the odds were against Makabe, the anti-hero fan favourite, and the fans were with him, a strange atmosphere in the air that often only comes with pro wrestling's greatest tournament. Nakamura ordered his seconds to go backstage, wanting to finish off Makabe alone once and for all. And things went largely as expected - the undefeated Nakamura, with seven back to back wins behind him, showing no mercy and obliterating Makabe. And yet, no matter what he tried, he couldn't keep the bloody Makabe down, the underdog's fighting spirit reaching new levels. Makabe mounted an heroic comeback, culminating with him blocking the Boma Ye, hitting a Spider German suplex, and landing his top rope King Kong kneedrop for the win!

Togi Makabe, the every day "salaryman" pro wrestler who lingered in the midcard for years, who clawed his way up and yet still found himself finishing second place in so many tournaments and big matches - finally did it! 11,000 fans screamed in joy and chanted Makabe's name, and were so happy that even chanted "Honma! Honma! Honma!" when Makabe's tag partner entered the ring. Makabe officially declared war on Tanahashi after the match, because despite no longer being a maligned heel, he's not exactly the typical babyface either. The "Unchained Gorilla" finally took a major step forward today, although it must be said that Nakamura possibly came out of the tournament looking even stronger and could be more dangerous than ever from now on.

ZERO1 Fire Festival winner, Ryouji Sai, appeared after the man event and demanded a singles match with Makabe to decide the strongest man of summer. A singles collision between the two looks all but set for the 9/27 Kobe World Hall show, an event that could also host a Tanahashi vs. TAJIRI rematch. Throwing another spanner into the mix was legend Masahiro Chono challenging Tanahashi to an IWGP Heavyweight Title match at the 10/12 Sumo Hall show that will be his 25th anniversary performance. Just what will happen in the coming months in New Japan?

NJPW, 8/16/09 (WPW/PPV)

Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

11,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. TAJIRI beat Kazuchika Okada (6:15) with a Buzzsaw kick.

2. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt beat Jushin Thunder Liger, Milano Collection AT & Taichi (14:46) when Devitt used the Blackhole Vacation on Taichi.

3. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Togi Makabe beat Takashi Sugiura (11:57) with a top rope King Kong kneedrop.

4. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Shinsuke Nakamura beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (13:31) with the Boma Ye.

5. Masato Tanaka & Jado beat Hirooki Goto & Wataru Inoue (12:40) when Tanaka used the Sliding D on Inoue.

6. Toru Yano, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson beat Manabu Nakanishi, Takao Omori & Koji Kanemoto (12:04) when Yano used the Oni Koroshi on Kanemoto.

7. Masahiro Chono & Yuji Nagata beat Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii (12:52) when Nagata used a backdrop hold on Ishii.

8. G1 Climax - Final: Togi Makabe beat Shinsuke Nakamura (18:29) with a top rope King Kong kneedrop.

Определено съм доволен от победителя. Makabe е един от любимите ми кечисти през последните години (харизма на макс!), а и от storyline гледна точка в победата му има много логика - преди няколко месеца направи babyface turn и спечелването на G1 доста подсилва новия му статус. Фактът, че опонентът му на финала беше Nakamura (човекът, който отмъкна stable-a на Makabe) също е голям плюс.

[PyroHunter]

1. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Block A 1st place vs. Block B 2nd place

2. G1 Climax - Semi Final: Block B 1st place vs. Block A 2nd place

Дали английския ми изневерява? Дали очите?

Както и да е. Явно се е получило силно шоу. Ще се гледа задължително. Не знаех, че Макабе го пушват толкова силно, но от мачовете, които съм гледал с него е безспорно талантлив кечист. Ще ми е интересно да чуя и вие какво мислите, защото сте по-запознати с това как стоят нещата в момента.