The 23rd NJPW G1 Climax Review

2013's biggest tournament may very well be the all-time best.

 

 

For those of you who still haven't hopped a ride on the New Japan train just yet, there isn't much more I can say at this point about the level of greatness you are missing out on.  No other wrestling promotion in history has been able to put forth a better combination of glorious panache and superb quality and with this tournament they've managed to elevate nearly every wrestler involved to a level twice as high as the were going in.  In part one of my G1 coverage, I explained some of the rules and left you all with an idea of the current rankings at that time.  What follows next is an accessible recap of all nine events each with a final score and a few highly recommended matches.  So read on puro fans, chances are, you already know where I'm going with this.

 

Note: The number in parenthesis next to each wrestler's name is the amount of points they had in their respective brackets at that time.  Again wrestlers are rewarded 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss.

Night One [7.5/10]

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Satoshi Kojima do their best to make Night One Worthwhile.

1. Block B: Kota Ibushi def. Toru Yano [***]

2. Block A: Lance Archer def. Tomohiro Ishii [***]

3. Block B: Shelton Benjamin def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [**1/4]

4. Block A: Katsuyori Shibata def. Davey Boy Smith Jr. [***1/4]

5. Block B: Yujiro Takahashi def. Tetsuya Naito [***]

6. Block B: Yuji Nagata def. Minoru Suzuki [***1/2]

7. Block A: Togi Makabe def. Hirooki Goto [***]

8. Block B: Karl Anderson def. Shinsuke Nakamura [***3/4]

9. Block A: Satoshi Kojima def. Hiroshi Tanahashi [****]

10. Block A: Prince Devitt def. Kazuchika Okada [***1/4]

Night One wasn't up to par with some of the other New Japan events this year, but that was to be expected. You don't want to go balls to the wall right away. Still, there was a very consistent level of work throughout the card and even though no match broke four stars, there weren't any real stinkers either.  The Match Of The Night was Hiroshi Tanahashi and Satoshi Kojima's back and forth thriller that would have gotten a higher rating if it wasn't for the very sloppy finish.  It's still a pretty great match though.

Night Two [8.75/10]

Night Two was one of the best in G1 history.

1. Block B: Karl Anderson (2) def. Shelton Benjamin (2) [**1/4]

2. Block B: Yujiro Takahashi (2) def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (0) [**3/4]

3. Block B: Yuji Nagata (2) def. Toru Yano (0) [**1/4]

4. Block A: Lance Archer (2) def. Prince Devitt (2) [***1/2]

5. Block A: Satoshi Kojima (2) def. Katsuyori Shibata (2) [***1/2]

6. Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. (0) def. Togi Makabe (2) [***]

7. Block B: Kota Ibushi (2) def. Tetsuya Naito (0) [****]

8. Block B: Minoru Suzuki (0) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (0) [***1/4]

9. Block A: Hirooki Goto (0) def. Kazuchika Okada (0) [****]

10. Block A: Tomohiro Ishii (0) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (0) [****3/4]

Another terrific and highly consistent night of matches that saw a slew of upper mid card talent leave with upsets over some of New Japan's elite.  Most notably in the main event epic that saw the increasingly popular Tomohiro Ishii defeat New Japan anchor Hiroshi Tanahashi in one of the most exciting bouts of the entire tournament.  This match was also elevated by the incredible response from the crowd.  Ishii is obviously on his way to main event status and he has developed a terrific following through the surprising amount of show stealing performances he's had over the past year.  The Ibushi-Naito match is also worth seeking out if you're looking for a little extra.

Night Three [7/10] 

Night Three was a bit lacking in highlight reels.

1. Block B: Kota Ibushi (4) def. Karl Anderson (4) [***1/4]

2. Block B: Yujiro Takahashi (4) def. Shelton Benjamin (2) [**]

3. Block A: Prince Devitt (2) def. Tomohiro Ishii (2) [***1/4]

4. Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan (0) def. Minoru Suzuki (2) [*1/2]

5. Block B: Tetsuya Naito (0) def. Yuji Nagata (4) [***]

6. Block A: Kazuchika Okada (0) def. Lance Archer (4) [***]

7. Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura (0) def. Toru Yano (0) [**3/4]

8. Block A: Hirooki Goto (2) def. Satoshi Kojima (4) [***3/4]

9. Block A: Katsuyori Shibata (2) def. Togi Makabe (2) [***]

10. Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi (0) def. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (2) [****]

This wasn't a stinker of a show by any means, but it did drop the quality down.  There was nothing too spectacular from Night Three that I would highly recommend, but it's still worth a look if only for the Tanahashi-DBS Jr. match alone.  Smith has grown tremendously since arriving in New Japan and this is one of the better matches he's had in a while.  Worth seeking out if you're a fan of his.

Night Four [10/10] 

Nakamura takes Ibushi to the limit in the main event of one of the best shows of the year.

 

1. Block B: Toru Yano (0) def. Yujiro Takahashi (6) [**]

2. Block B: Karl Anderson (4) def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) [***]

3. Block B: Shelton Benjamin (2) def. Yuji Nagata (4) [***1/4]

4. Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. (2) def. Satoshi Kojima (4) [***1/4]

5. Block A: Tomohiro Ishii (2) def. Katsuyori Shibata (4) [****3/4]

6. Block A: Hirooki Goto (4) def. Lance Archer (4) [***]

7. Block B: Tetsuya Naito (2) def. Minoru Suzuki (2) [***3/4]

8. Block A: Prince Devitt (4) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) [****]

9. Block A: Togi Makabe (2) def. Kazuchika Okada (2) [****]

10. Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura (2) def. Kota Ibushi (6) [****3/4]

Night Four is where things really went into another gear.  This event rivals nearly every major PPV event in 2013 and it's now on my list for the top five shows of the year thus far in any promotion.  Only ONE match under three stars and three classics that all have something different to offer and the whole night ends up being one of the best package deals of 2013.  The main event war between Kota Ibushi and Shinsuke Nakamura was a real treat.  Along with the outstanding spectacle that was Ishii-Shibata, it's the best match of the tournament up until this point and having viewed this event with friends I can tell you that there wasn't one person still glued to their seat by the end of this one.  A spectacular show.  Seek this one out immediately.

Night Five [4/10]

Kojima & Ishii try their best to superplex a dead crowd.

 

1. Block A: Satoshi Kojima (4) def. Tomohiro Ishii (4) [***1/4]

2. Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) def. Toru Yano (2) [*]

3. Block A: Katsuyori Shibata (4) def. Lance Archer (4) [**1/2]

4. Block B: Tetsuya Naito (4) def. Shelton Benjamin (4) [**1/4]

5. Block B: Minoru Suzuki (2) def. Karl Anderson (6) [***]

6. Block B: Yuji Nagata (4) def. Kota Ibushi (6) [***1/4]

7. Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura (4) def. Yujiro Takahashi (6) [**]

8. Block A: Kazuchika Okada (2) def. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (4) [***1/4]

9. Block A: Hirooki Goto (6) def. Prince Devitt (6) [*]

10. Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) def. Togi Makabe (4) [***]

Night Five was crippled by one of the worst crowds of the entire year.  Even the always excellent Hiroshi Tanahashi couldn't get them up to par and as a result, he's left with his worst score ever given by this blog.  That alone tells you all you need to know about this event.  Nothing terrible in the work rate area, but the excitement factor is nonexistent.  I honestly would not recommend any matches from this show either.  My only recommendation is to pretend that it never happened.  My least favorite night by far.

Night Six [7.5/10]

Night Six was a night of redemption.

1. Block B: Shelton Benjamin (4) def. Kota Ibushi (6) [***1/4]

2. Block B: Toru Yano (2) def. Karl Anderson (6) [**1/4]

3. Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. (4) def. Tomohiro Ishii (4) [***3/4]

4. Block B: Minoru Suzuki (4) def. Yujiro Takahashi (6) [***]

5. Block A: Togi Makabe (4) def. Lance Archer (4) [**]

6. Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4) def. Tetsuya Naito (6) [***]

7. Block A: Prince Devitt (6) def. Satoshi Kojima (6) [***]

8. Block A: Kazuchika Okada (4) def. Katsuyori Shibata (6) [***1/4]

9. Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura (6) def. Yuji Nagata (6) [***1/4]

10. Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) def. Hirooki Goto (8) [***1/2]

Night Six was just another solid show with nothing really spectacular, but coming off of that abysmal Night Five event, it felt like Wrestlemania to me.  Surprisingly, some of the bigger matches didn't really live up to the hype.  I was also really disappointed in how short the Okada-Shibata match was.  It had all the potential to be one of the true highlights of the tournament and it was squandered in a nine minute tease that could have been saved for thirty minutes on a larger show.  The best of the night was the Davey Boy-Ishii matchup.  Both of these guys have been two of the more consistent performers in this year's G1 and they tore it up tonight.  However, other than that, I'd say keep it moving.

Night Seven [7/10]

The Rainmaker anchors an average show.

1. Block B: Yujiro Takahashi (6) def. Kota Ibushi (6) [***]

2. Block B: Karl Anderson (6) def. Yuji Nagata (6) [**]

3. Block A: Katsuyori Shibata (6) def. Prince Devitt (8) [**3/4]

4. Block A: Kazuchika Okada (6) def. Tomohiro Ishii (4) [***3/4]

5. Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) def. Lance Archer (4) [***1/4]

6. Block B: Toru Yano (4) def. Tetsuya Naito (6) [**1/2]

7. Block B: Minoru Suzuki (6) def. Shelton Benjamin (6) [**]

8. Block A: Satoshi Kojima (4) def. Togi Makabe (8)  [***1/4]

 

There wasn't very much to love here at all.  As a complete package, it wasn't the total disaster that Day 5 was, but there were just too many styles clashes to make this a great event.  I don't think I'd highly recommend anything from this show.  Okada-Ishii was easily the best of the night, but it's not either of their best showing in the G1 thus far.  Ishii is on the roll of a lifetime right now though and the crowd loved him tonight.  Still, nothing else to see here.  On to the next one.

Night Eight [10/10]

The rivalry of the decade continues in the best night of the tournament.

1. Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. (8) def. Prince Devitt (8) [***]

2. Block B: Karl Anderson (8) def. Yujiro Takahashi (8) [**1/4]

3. Block A: Lance Archer (4) def. Satoshi Kojima (6) [****1/4]

4. Block B: Shelton Benjamin (6) def. Toru Yano (6) [***]

5. Block A: Togi Makabe (8) def. Tomohiro Ishii (6) [****1/4]

6. Block B: Minoru Suzuki (8) def. Kota Ibushi (8) [****1/4]

7. Block B: Tetsuya Naito (6) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (10) [***1/2]

8. Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi (8) fought Kazuchika Okada (8) to a DRAW [****3/4]

This was just an unbelievable show top to bottom.  Tons to love here and not only is it arguably the best night of the Climax, but this is a strong contender for the show of the year!  The biggest highlight came in Part V in the Okada-Tanahashi saga.  These two can do no wrong together and if you read any of my reviews of their previous matches, you'd know that I came into this one with the highest of expectations.  Needless to say, they blew me away!  One of the most beautifully constructed matches in the history of pro wrestling with tributes to their other classics and a few brilliant new sequences thrown in.  This is the closest thing to Masterpiece Theatre pro wrestling will ever see.  A once-in-a-lifetime series now highlighted by a can't-miss main event from one of the years must-see shows. 

 

Night Nine [9.25/10]

After the biggest endurance trial of his career, Tetsuya Naito emerges as the winner of the 23rd annual G1 Climax.

1. Block B: Yuji Nagata (8) def. Yujiro Takahashi (8) [***1/4]

2. Block B: Toru Yano (6) def. Minoru Suzuki (10) [***1/2]

3. Block B: Shelton Benjamin (8) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (10) [****]

4. Block B: Tetsuya Naito (8) def. Karl Anderson (10) [****]

5. Block A: Lance Archer (6) def. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (10) [***3/4]

6. Block A: Prince Devitt (8) def. Togi Makabe (10) [***]

7. Block A: Satoshi Kojima (6) def. Kazuchika Okada (9) [****1/4]

8. Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi (9) def. Katsuyori Shibata (10) [****]

9. G1 CLIMAX FINAL: Tetsuya Naito def. Hiroshi Tanahashi [****1/4]

Night Nine is another stellar show from New Japan that was uplifted by the climactic feel to every match.  Everything was put on the line here and it all came to a head with the man viewed by many as the future of New Japan, Tetsuya Naito upsetting the current Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi in a great final.  As far as overall consistency goes, this event gives Night Eight a run for it's money, but the Okada-Tanahashi match was the tipping point for me and with no five star epics on the card, the previous night was just an impossible act to follow.  And I know many of you may think a Naito win may come off as a bit anti climatic, but the whole event was just so damn good that bigger stars were possibly made outside of the mega-hyped dream matchups.  As a result the whole tourney has just been a massive success.

 

Final Thoughts

This is one of, if not the greatest tournament in the history of pro wrestling.  It's been one of the best rollercoaster rides of my entire lifetime as a wrestling fan and a stern reminder of just why I love this sport so much.  Tomohiro Ishii is my personal pick for the tournament MVP.  The guy was on absolute fire throughout and he proved that he deserves a permanent spot at the top of the card from here on out.  Just amazing.  If you've got the time, I'd say Nights Two, Four, Eight and Nine are all shows worth seeking out with Four & Eight in particular being two of the frontrunners for the show of the year right now.  Amazing.  NJPW has done it again!  Below are the final standings for the tournament:

Block A		Block B
Hiroshi Tanahashi	11	Tetsuya Naito	10
Katsuyori Shibata	10	Minoru Suzuki	10
Davey Boy Smith Jr.	10	Karl Anderson	10
Prince Devitt	10	Shelton Benjamin	10
Togi Makabe	10	Shinsuke Nakamura	10
Kazuchika Okada	9	Yuji Nagata	10
Lance Archer	8	Kota Ibushi	8
Satoshi Kojima	8	Toru Yano	8
Tomohiro Ishii	8	Yujiro Takahashi	8
Hirooki Goto	8	Hiroyoshi Tenzan	6

 

*Goto & Shibata have a strikethrough due to being out with an injury.