RADICAN’S 7/20 G1 Climax 29: Night 7 blog: KENTA vs. EVIL, Okada vs. Ospreay MOTYC main event

RADICAN’S G1 CLIMAX 29 NIGHT 7 BLOG
JULY 20, 2019
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD

RADICAN’S G1 CLIMAX 29: NIGHT 7 A BLOCK ACTION BLOG

(5) Bad Luck Fale Fale (2) vs Zack Sabre Jr. (0) in a G1 Climax 29 B Block match. Sabre won via countout after getting an arm bar in the stands. This was tremendous character stuff from Zack. He gets first two points in the tournament.

Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. (2 pts). (**)

Lance Archer took out all the Young Lions at ringside before his match.

(6) Lance Archer (4) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) in a G1 Climax 29 B Block match. Tanahashi surprised Archer with a dropkick to the knee. Archer fired back and the fans chanted back and forth for both men. Archer said I’m from Texas and applied Tanahashi’s signature cloverleaf hold. Tanahashi fired back and hit a Slingblade. Crowd heat was great. Tanahashi went for HFF, but Archer caught him with a chokeslam. Archer had the EBD Claw, but he pushed Tanahashi into the ropes. Archer was going for Blackout out of the corner, but Tanahashi turned it into a victory roll for the win.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (4 pts). (****)

(7) KENTA (6) vs. EVIL (4) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. Kenta wiped Evil’s eye paint off and rubbed it on his face. That made Evil mad and he hit his signature chair spot on Kenta on the floor. They brewed out of the arena and then back in. They brawled Into the crowd. Both men went back and forth for a suplex into a stack of chairs until Kenta finally connected. The fans booed Kenta. After not being able to land the Shibata dropkick earlier in the match, Kenta hit is and followed up with a double stomp for a near fall. They went to a big strike exchange that Evil ended with a headbutt. He then hit Darkness Falls for a 2 count. Kenta countered EIE Into a backslide for a 2 count. Kenta hit a pair of Busaiko Knees for a near fall. He went for the PK kick, but Evil blocked it. Kenta blocked a headbutt and hit the PK. He hit the GTS and it was good for the win. Kenta goes to 4-0 in the tournament with the win and showed he belongs. This was really good. Kenta is first man in the whole tournament to go 8 points. I love how the crowd boos Kenta because he’s an outsider.(***3/4)

(8) Kota Ibushi (2) vs Sanada (2) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. They had a fast exchange early and came to a stalemate. Both men went to post on the turnbuckles with the fans going nuts chanting for both men. The fans really fired up chanting back and forth as Sanada and Ibushi played for applause. Sanada went a little too far playing to the crowd after he flipped himself over the ropes and back into the Erin and Ibushi nailed him with a springboard missile dropkick. Sanada went for a basement dropkick, but Ibushi countered it into a double stomp on his chest. Ibushi hit a kick to the chest and Sanada responded with an uppercut. They continued to slowly trade and the pace picked up. Ibushi finally turned Sanada inside out with a clothesline and then hit the Last Ride for a near fall. Sanada avoided the Kamigoye twice. They went back and forth and Sanada held onto Ibushi’s wrists and hit a Kamigoye of his own for a near fall. Ibushi hit a boma ye, but hurt his own ankle in the process. They went back and forth for a lawn dart and Sanada almost got the Skull End, but Ibushi eventually connected with a lawn dart in the corner.

Sanada got the skull end but couldn’t get the hooks in. They traded counter after counter with Ibushi tying for the Kamigoye again. Ibushi finally connected with a big kick to Sanada’s head. Ibushi hit Nakamura’s post in the corner and hit a big Boma Ye for a near fall. Ibushi took his knee pad down and hit the Kamigoye for the win. Wow!

This was a really good match full of crazy counters. Ibushi moves to 4 points with the win and Sanada stays at 2 with the loss. Both guys needed the win here and either guy could have won.

Winner: Kota Ibushi (4 pts). (****1/4)

Ibushi showed Sanada respect after the match, but Sanada didn’t shake Ibushi’s hand.

(9) IWGP Hvt. Champion Kazuchika Okada (6) vs. Will Ospreay (2) in a G1 Climax 29 A Block match. This is Jr. Hvt champ vs Hvt. champ. Chaos vs Chaos. Lots of elements in play here. Ospreay is 0-3 against Okada. Ospreay comes into the match with an injured neck. Ospreay went up top but Okada dropkicked him to the floor. Okada held the ropes open for Ospreay to come back in. Okada went right after Ospreay’s weakened neck. Ospreay hit some chops, but Okada decked him with one big forearm. Ospreay fired up and hit a suplex out of nowhere. They had a crazy exchange off the ropes and Ospreay eventually connected with a handspring kick. Ospreay chopped Okada so hard it hurt me and Okada went down on his knees. Okada blocked the 619 and turned it into a neckbreaker over his knee. Okada dropped the snow and signaled for the rainmaker, but Okada drove him into the corner. They had a crazy counter exchange off the ropes that ended with a big dropkick from Okada. Wow! Okada followed up with a tombstone. Ospreay reversed the Rainmaker into a pinning combination for a new fall. He went for the Os-Cutter, but Okada dropkicked him to the floor.

They went to the apron and traded blows. Ospreay sent Okada to the floor with a sick kick to the head. He went up the turnbuckles, but Okada dragged him down. They went back and forth on the floor and Ospreay hit a hook kick and an Os-Cutter on the floor! Okada barley beat the 20 count and took a coast to coast dropkick. He hit another Os-Cutter for a near fall. OMG!!! He went for a super Os-cutter but Okada turned it into a German. Okada held on and went for a Rainmaker. Ospreay sucked but ate a dropkick off the ropes. Ospreay then turned the Rainmaker into a. Spanish fly for a near fall. He came off the top with a SSP and Okada kicked out at the very last second!!! Ospreay went for the Strombreaker. They countered each other going for tombstones. Ospreay knees Okada in the head as he struggled and hit a tombstone! Ospreay hit a hook kick and went for Storm Breaker, but Okada turned it into a Rainmaker!!!! Okada maintained wrist control and for up first. He dragged Ospreay up and hit another Rainmaker. Ospreay never countered the Rainmaker into a Stormbreaker. They went back and forth and Okada hit a spinning Rainmaker. He then planted Ospreay with a traditional Rainmaker for the win. My god what a match. This was a career making performance for Okada.

The counter sequences down the stretch were insane and Ospreay blew my mind here, as did Okada. Two of the best in the world going at it in front of the best crowds in the world. Okada moves to 4-0 in the tournament.

Winner: Kazuchika Okada (8 pts). (*****)

After Okada said he had gotten win number 4 but G1 isn’t even halfway over. He said he’s still full of life. He said the next time he comes back to Tokyo will be at Budokan. He said he looks forward to closing out the tournament with a victory. He said let’s keep it rolling to the crowd. He said when NJPW comes back to Tokyo, he’s going to make it rain.

Backstage he talked about facing Kenta next. He said it’s time to give Kenta a rare of his power. Okada and Kenta are tied up top with 8 points.

Email Sean at radicansean@pwtorch.com. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/sr_torch.