SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
RADICAN’S G1 CLIMAX 27: FINAL REPORT
AUG. 13, 2017
TOKYO, JAPANSUMO HALL
AIRED LIVE ON NJPWWORLD.COM
Note: I am attending a live event in the United States today, so this is a shorter report than usual. I will update this with my complete report in the near future. You can also read reports from PWTorch’s own Todd Martin (live in Tokyo at the event) and Rich Fann (watching and reporting in more detail from the NJPW World streaming service broadcast).
This show had a multi-camera shoot with Kevin Kelly, Rocky Romer, and Don Callis providing English commentary.
I will not be reviewing any of the non-tournament matches this year, but I will provide the daily results. If any undercard match turns out to be extremely noteworthy, I will make an exception in certain cases.
UNDERCARD RESULTS
(1) Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi & El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku beat KUSHIDA & Jushin “Thunder” Liger Y & Tiger Mask IV & Hirai Kawato.
KUSHIDA and Desperado brawled after the match.
(2) G.O.D. (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) beat Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi.
(3) CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) beat Togi Makabe & David Finlay.
(4) Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Juice Robinson beat Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens).
(5) Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet beat The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson to become the new IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Champions.
Katsuyori Shibata came out during intermission and told the fans that he’s alive.
Also, a video was shown with a mysterious figure dressed in black with gloves holding a knife.
(6) IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Champions War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson) beat Bullet Club (Cody & Hangman Page).
After the match G.O.D. came out to challenge War Machine for the tag titles, but both teams were attacked by Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer.
(7) Suzuki Gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr. & Takashi Iizuka) beat Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi & Michael Elgin.
Sabre held up the IWGP IC Championship after beating Tanahashi. Suzuki and Elgin also brawled at ringside after the match.
(8) SANADA & EVIL & BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi beat Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano & Gedoucht.
After the match, EVIL attacked Okada.
G1 CLIMAX 27 FINAL MATCH
(9) IWGP U.S. Champion Kenny Omega (B block winner) (w/The Young Bucks) vs. Tetsuya Naito (A block winner) in a G1 Climax 27 Final match. Omega made his entrance and Naito stood in his way. Omega waved him away and Naito finally moved. The fans were hot for the ring introductions. Omega pointed his gun at Naito and he smiled during the introductions. The fans fired up with HUGE Naito chants. Naito ducked a couple of lockup attempts and asked for some tranquilo from the fans. Omega then returned the favor. Omega mocked Naito’s eye gesture. Both men then walked away from a lockup before finally going at it. Naito spit at Omega a short time later. Naito teased a dive to the floor and hit his signature pose in the ring. They went at it on the floor and Omega hit Naito with a springboard moonsault off the guardrail. Omega followed up with his signature bulldog inside the ring for a 2 count. Naito tripped Omega on the apron. He then hit a neck breaker on the apron. Naito wasn’t done as he grabbed Omega and hit a neck breaker to the floor! Naito worked over Omega’s neck inside the ring before nailing him with a HUGE tope that sent Omega over the guardrail and onto the announce table. Naito favored his leg, which clipped the bottom rope when he went for the dive. Naito set up on the table for a piledriver. Naito ended missing the table and both men collapsed to the floor. Omega’s head hit the edge of the table on his way down. That looked VERY unsafe as the smaller table NJPW uses appeared to slip. Naito went for a slingshot dropkick in the corner, but Omega kicked him away while continuing to favor his head. Omega mounted a comeback and went to work on Naito.
Naito fired back and hit a jumping neckbreaker off the second rope. Romero said this is the third vicious shot on Omega’s neck in this match. Omega sent Naito to the floor and hit Rise of the Terminator. He then hit a missile dropkick to the back of Naito’s head. Naito blocked a snap dragon. They went back and forth and Omega finally hit a gut-wrench German! Naito tried to block it, but Omega nailed him with a neck breaker over his knee. Omega set up for a V Trigger as the fans chanted for Naito. Naito ducked the V TRigger and went for a GErman, but Omega landed on his feet. Naito then caught him with a spinning DDT using the ropes and both men were down! Naito set up for a frankensteiner, but Omega dropped under him and sent him head first into the turnbuckle. He then hit a snap dragon and a HUGE V Trigger for a near fall. WOW! Omega set up for the Jay-driller, but Naito blocked it. He lifted up Naito for a powerbomb, but he turned it into a DDT. Naito continued to go after Omega’s neck. He nailed him with a flying forearm and followed up with the wrist clutch driver for a 2 count! Naito went for destino, but Omega turned it into a reverse crunchy! WOW! Omega went up top, but Naito cut him off. They battled up top and Omega ended up hitting a DDT into the ringpost! Holy s–t! Omega smiled at his actions and set up Naito for a powerbomb, but Naito countered it into a HURRICANRANA! WOW! WOW! WOW! Naito set Omega up and hit a poison hurricanrana off the second turnbuckle for a near fall!
The fans fired up after the near fall. Naito slammed Omega and went for the stardust express, but he Omega got out of the way! The fans chanted for Naito as Omega tried to drag him to his feet. Omega set up for a Jay-driller and hit it! He made the cover, but Naito kicked out! The fans chanted for Naito with Omega in control. Omega set up and hit a walking V Trigger. He lifted Naito up and hit another big V Trigger. Naito slumped to the mat and Omega dragged him to his knees once again. He set up for a V Trigger, but Naito collapsed before he could hit it! Omega lifted Naito again, but he blocked the V Trigger. Omega then hit a huge V Trigger and a doctor bomb for a near fall. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Omega hit another V Trigger and set up for the one winged angel, but Naito turned it into a ]reverse hurricanrana that didn’t come off too smoothly. Both men crashed into the ropes. Naito then hit Destino, but OMEGA KICKED OUT! OH MY GOD! The fans fired up, but Omega blocked a second Destino and hit Croyt’s wrath for a near fall. Holy s–t! Omega hit a rainmaker V Trigger. He set up for another V Trigger and hit it. He lifted Naito up for the one winged angel, but Naito countered it into destino and both men were down. WOW! WOW! WOW! The ref began the standing 10 count with both men down. They got up and began exchanging blows. They then began exchanging slaps to the face. Omega suddenly hit a V Trigger and then he hit against the ropes, but Naito wouldn’t go down. Naito fired back with a rolling kick and went for destino, but Omega blocked it. Naito then hit a spinning destino, but Omega kicked out at the LAST SECOND. THIS IS CRAZY! Naito went for another destino and it was good for the win! WOW!
WINNER: Tetsuya Naito – G1 Climax 27 winner.
Star rating: (****¾) – Amazing conclusion to the tournament. Naito’s work on Omega’s head to set up destino was brilliant. There were some rough spots in the match, especially the piledriver though the table, which was very concerning as the table appeared to slip and Omega looked to have hit his head on the edge of the table as they went to the floor. The back and forth counter wrestling down the stretch was electric and the fans were incredible for this match. It took four or five destinos to get the job done, but Naito did it.
FINAL STANDINGS OF G1 CLIMAX 27
A BLOCK
Tetsuya Naito (7-2, 14 pts) (A BLOCK WINNER)
Hiroshi Tanahashi (6-3, 12 pts)
Bad Luck Fale (6-3, 12 pts)
Kota Ibushi (5-4, 10 pts)
Zack Sabre Jr. (5-4, 10 pts)
Hirooki Goto (5-4, 10 pts)
Tomohiro Ishii (4-5, 8 pts)
Togi Makabe (4-5, 8 pts)
YOSHI-HASHI (2-6, 4 pts)
Yuji Nagata (1-8, 2 pts)
B BLOCK
Kazuchika Okada (6-1-1, 13 pts)
Kenny Omega (6-2, 12 pts)
EVIL (5-3, 10 pts)
Minoru Suzuki (4-3-1, 9pts)
SANADA (4-4, 8 pts)
Toru Yano (3-5, 6 pts)
Juice Robinson (3-5, 6 pts)
Michael Elgin (4-4, 6 pts)
Tama Tonga (3-5, 4 pts)
Satoshi Kojima (1-7, 2 pts)
I will provide a list of matches ranked at **** or higher for people just looking to watch the best matches from the tournament. This guide is also handy for those of you that are short on time and looking to sample the best of each night of G1 Climax 27.
Match recommendations for G1 Climax 27 Final
(9) IWGP U.S. Champion Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito (****3/4)
ATTENTION: Read Radican’s G1 Climax 27: Night 18 report by clicking HERE
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow Sean on twitter HERE. Follow and like Radican’s Wrestling Community Facebook.com HERE
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