By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Soul”
June 15, 2024 in Hokkaido, Japan at Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Chase Owens provided commentary. This is a small arena and the crowd was maybe 2,000.
1. “United Empire” TJP, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, and Callum Newman defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Shoma Kato, Katsuya Murashima, Satoshi Kojima, and Tomoaki Honma at 7:45. All 10 brawled at the bell. TJP hit some face wash kicks on Katsuya. Kojima hit his rapid fire chops on Cobb, then on TJP, then Cobb again. Cobb hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Ishii at 2:30, then a standing moonsault on Kojima. Ishii hit a delayed vertical suplex on Cobb. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops on Honma; Honma hit a flying headbutt on O-Khan.
Akira tagged in at 6:00 and Stewart reminded us that this is his return from a knee injury that caused him to forfeit his last four matches of Best of Super Juniors. Shoma put Akira in a Boston Crab. Akira hit the Fireball running knees to the back of Shoma’s head for the pin. Decent opener with non-stop action; so often these matches fall into a rut with an extended beatdown of one guy, and that didn’t happen here. Newman and Ishii glared at each other after the bell.
2. “Just 5 Guys” Taichi and Douki defeated “House of Torture” Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 9:04. Stewart noted that Taichi just had a one-month layoff between matches. Chase Owens said he misses the attractive Abe joining Taichi to ringside. The Hot attacked Douki to open. Ren whipped Douki into the guardrail at ringside. Kanemaru hit a DDT on Douki in the ring at 2:30. Ren hit a slingshot to send Douki’s throat into the ropes. Douki hit a flying forearm and they were both down. Taichi got the hot tag at 4:00 and hit a Helluva Kick on Ren and a stiff kick to his spine.
Kanemaru hit a basement dropkick on Taichi’s left knee. Douki hit a springboard back elbow on Kanemaru. Kanemaru hit a basement dropkick on Douki’s knee, and he applied a leglock on Douki, then hit an inverted DDT for a nearfall at 7:30. Douki applied the Douki Chokey on Kanemaru. Kanemaru got his whiskey bottle but Douki hit a thrust jab to the throat, causing Kanemaru to spray the alcohol straight up. Douki then rolled up Kanemaru for the pin. Exactly what you’d expect here.
* Shota Umino is injured; we saw him compete against Rocky Romero on Rampage, so hopefully it isn’t too serious. So, the next match was turned from a six-man tag into a regular tag match, as Shota Umino and Yujiro Takahashi were removed from the match. But of course, Yujiro is still here…
3. “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi defeated “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo (w/Yujiro Takahashi) at 8:15. The HoT attacked at the bell. Yujiro hit an inverted DDT on Yoshi-Hashi on the thin mat at ringside; EVIL got a nearfall in the ring at 4:30. Yoshi-Hashi hit a basement dropkick on EVIL’s knee. The heels whipped Goto into an exposed corner at 6:30. EVIL hit a fisherman’s suplex on Yoshi-Hashi. Togo choked Yoshi-Hashi with his wire. Goto hit his neckbreaker over his knee on Togo. Bishamonn then hit Shoto team slam for the pin on Togo. Dull; this match really needed Shota Umino.
4. “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Tetsuya Naito and Titan defeated “Just 5 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Yuya Uemura at 7:52. Uemura and Titan opened. J5G did a wishbone on Titan’s legs and worked him over. Titan hit a spin kick to Taka’s face. Naito entered and tied up Taka’s arms at 2:30. Taka hit a running boot on Naito. Yuya got a hot tag and hit a dropkick on Naito. Titan tagged in at 6:00 and hit a springboard crossbody block on Yuya. Yuya hit a back suplex on Titan. Titan hit a dive through the ropes onto Taka. He then hit a springboard doublestomp to Taka”s chest for the pin. Good action.
5. Boltin Oleg, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Toru Yano defeated “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Yota Tsuji to win the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Titles at 9:55. This is an immediate rematch. Yano and Hiromu opened and did some comedy. LIJ worked over Yano. Tsuji slammed Hiromu onto Yano at 3:30. Tanahashi got a hot tag and hit a flying forearm on Tsuji. He hit a second-rope summersault senton on Yota for a nearfall. Yota hit a flying splash to the mat for a nearfall. Hiroshi hit a Twist and Shout swinging neckbreaker.
Oleg got the hot tag and shoulder tackled Yota at 6:00. Oleg flipped Yota in his arms and hit a gut-wrench suplex. Bushi tagged in for the first time at 7:30 and hit a swinging neckbreaker on Oleg. He hit a Lungblower to the back for a nearfall. Hiroshi hit a double Dragonscrew Legwhip, hitting it on two guys! Oleg went for Kamikaze, but Bushi escaped. Tanahashi hit a top-rope crossbody block on all three opponents. Oleg hit the Kamikaze/forward Finlay Roll to pin Bushi! New champions. (I feel like treating any title belt like a hot potato devalues it.)
6. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors defeated “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles (w/Zack Sabre Jr.) to retain the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Titles at 17:51. Clark and Kosei opened. Connors hit a Pounce on Kosei. Meanwhile, Drilla and Eagles brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Eagles was whipped into rows of open chairs. Connors now whipped Kosei into rows of open chairs as they too were on the floor. Connors and Kosei got back into the ring at 3:00, with Clark seizing control. Eagles got the hot tag at 7:00 and hit some Yes Kicks on Drilla. Eagles hit a running double knees in the corner on Drilla for a nearfall.
Eagles tied Drilla in the Ron Miller Special leglock at 9:00 but Connors made the save. Kosei hit a flip dive to the floor on the heels. In the ring, TMDK slammed Drilla for a nearfall. Drilla hit a doublestomp on Kosei’s chest at 11:30. Connors entered and hit a powerslam on Kosei. Kosei tied Connors in Jungle Boy’s Snare Trap, while Eagles put Drilla in the Ron Miller Special. Drilla was able to rake Kosei’s eyes, freeing Connors from the Snare Trap. Moloney nailed the Drilla Killa swinging piledriver on Eagles on the thin mat at ringside at 14:30! (That move knocked out Ninja Mack in the BoSJ.) So, it is now a two-on-one in the ring.
Connors hit a spear on Kosei. BCWD then hit high-low strikes on Kosei for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Kosei went for a Chaos Theory on Connors but Clark blocked it. Kosei hit a German Suplex with a high bridge for a believable nearfall. Moloney hit a Drilla Killa on Kosei. Connors hit his No Chaser spike piledriver. BCWD then nailed the Full Clip (Connors spear on an upside down Kosei) for the pin. That was really, really good. Sabre stood at ringside but never played any part in the match.
* It is time for the announcement of the G1 Climax 34 competitors! We know 18 will be announced today with two more slots to be decided.
The A Block competitors are: Tetsuya Naito, Shota Umino, Shingo Takagi, Sanada, Great-O-Khan, Zack Sabre Jr., Gabe Kidd, EVIL and Jake Lee. The crowd popped for Lee as the lone outsider.
The B Block competitors are: Hirooki Goto, El Phantasmo, Yota Tsuji, Jeff Cobb, Henare, David Finlay, Ren Narita, Yuya Uemura and Konosuke Takeshita. Likewise, Takeshita is the lone outsider in this bracket.
Fighting for the final A Block slot will be: Tomohiro Ishii, Yoshi-Hashi, Callum Newman, Kenta, Chase Owens, and Yujiro Takahashi.
Fighting for the final B Block slot will be: Hiroshi Tanahshi, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, Satoshi Kojima, Taichi, and TJP.
Vetter’s Quick Analysis: Last year’s tournament was 32 wrestlers in four blocks of eight. It meant just seven tournament matches for each competitor, but it also meant they had every other day off, as there were no undercard matches (A/B blocks one day, C/D blocks the next). I fully prefer the 32-man format, but I acknowledge it only works if you have 32 premier competitors that everyone wants to see. For that, you needed several AEW stars. Not just one. So, knowing these are the 30 possible men… yeah, a two-Block, 20-man format is better. No one wants to watch Yujiro Takahashi or Toru Yano have seven singles matches. However, this format means nine tournament matches for each competitor, plus some undercard matches; it’s a more grueling schedule for everyone.
At first glance, the A Block seems a lot more loaded than the B Block. I know people who had big wish lists (Moxley! Danielson! Claudio!) are undoubtedly disappointed. I would add Lance Archer to that list. I’ll also point out that Umino is in the field so clearly his injury isn’t all too serious.If Callum Newman or TJP or Boltin Oleg qualified, it would be their first G1 Climax appearance. Satoshi Kojima was not in last year’s field but has been in prior G1s.
7. Henare defeated Shingo Takagi to win the NEVER Openweight Title at 18:53. These two went to a double knockout/draw a week ago. They immediately traded forearm strikes. They brawled to the floor and Shingo dropped him face-first on the ring apron at 3:30. In the ring, Henare hit a Samoan Drop. Henare hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Shingo nailed a top-rope superplex at 9:00. Henare hit a Rampage football tackle at 10:30. They fought on their knees and traded headbutts; they stood up and traded chops and forearm strikes.
Shingo nailed Last of the Dragon/flipping powerbomb and they were both down at 13:00. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber clothesline; Henare hit a diving headbutt and they were both down again. They stood up and Henare hit some body blow punches. Shingo nailed a Pumping Bomber clothesline for a nearfall at 16:30. Henare hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Henare locked both of Shingo’s arms and hit a headbutt to the collarbone or shoulder and scored the pin! I didn’t expect that! New champion.
8. David Finlay (w/Gedo) defeated Sanada (w/Just 5 Guys) to retain the IWGP Global Title at 25:25. Sanada has taken a couple months off while in concussion protocol, so this is his return as well. Noteworthy that Sanada’s entire faction came to the ring with him, but Finlay only has Gedo. A feeling-out process early on and Finlay hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 4:00. He hit a release suplex for a nearfall and was in control early on. He hit a series of European Uppercuts as Sanada was tied in the ropes at 7:00. Sanada hit a plancha to the floor, then another. In the ring, Sanada hit a Russian Leg Sweep for a nearfall at 9:30; the commentators compared it to what Brad Armstrong once hit. Finlay hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and Sanada grabbed his head.
Finlay clotheslined him to the floor. He repeatedly slammed Sanada back-first into the guardrail. They went into the crowd, where Sanada hit a piledriver on the cement floor at 12:30! They got in the ring and Sanada hit a series of punches; he shoved the ref to keep up his assault and Chase on commentary shouted for a DQ. Sanada went for the Skull End dragon sleeper but Finlay escaped. Sanada finally locked in Skull End at 18:00. Sanada went for a moonsault, but Finlay got his knees up and they were both down. They got up and traded European Uppercuts. Sanada hit the Magic Screw/twisting neckbreaker out of the ropes at 22:00.
Sanada nailed the top-rope moonsault for a believable nearfall. Gedo tried to interfere; it allowed Finlay to get a rollup for a nearfall. Sanada hit a running knee to the back of the head and they were both down. Finlay hit Oblivion/neckbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall. Sanada got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall, then a Shining Wizard. Finlay hit a standing powerbomb, then he hit his pop-up knee strike to the sternum for the clean pin. That was really good action and despite its length, it never dragged.
* A short break to set up the steel cage! Again, this cage is set up on the floor, not on the ring apron, and there is maybe 10-12 feet of room at ringside, so it looks like a “Hell in a Cell” but without a roof. The walls appear to be about 8-9 feet tall. Sho got locked in and immediately acted terrified to be in there.
9. El Desperado defeated Sho in a cage match to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title at 28:56. Desperado worked the left arm at the bell as Stewart listed details of their recent matchups. Desperado hit some shoulder tackles at 4:00. They went to the floor, where Desperado hit a back-body drop onto the thin mat. Sho flipped Desperado onto the cage, and Desperado sold pain in his lower back. Sho worked him over as they fought on the floor. They got in the ring and Sho kept Desperado grounded. Sho hit a hard clothesline on the ring apron at 12:30, and Desperado collapsed to the floor. Sho repeatedly whipped Desperado into the cage walls; Desperado finally reversed it and sent Sho into the wall.
Desperado hit a flip dive to the floor and he was now in charge, whipping Sho into the walls repeatedly. Desperado hit a top-rope frogsplash and they were both down at 15:30. Sho hit an Irish Whip into an exposed corner, then he nailed a spear for a nearfall. Sho applied a crossarm breaker and turned it into a Triangle chokehold, but Desperado reached the ropes at 19:00 and the ref broke the hold. Sho put Desperado on his shoulders and hit a swinging face plant for a believable nearfall at 21:30. Desperado hit an Angle Slam and they were both down. Desperado hit an Angel’s Wings. Sho hit a shotgun dropkick, sending Desperado flying into the referee at 23:30, and the ref rolled to the floor in pain.
The House of Torture walked to ringside. Ren swung a chair at the wall as Desperado’s face was against it. They tossed chairs over the cage walls. However, Desperado clocked Sho over the head with a chair at 26:00. He swung a chair onto another chair where Sho’s head was resting. Several babyfaces showed up at ringside to fight off the House of Torture! Sho hit a low blow. He set up for the Shock Arrow piledriver, but Desperado escaped and hit a Trash Compactor piledriver along his back! Desperado hit a Jay Driller, then an Angel’s Wings, for the clean pin. New champion!
* Desperado spoke on the mic in Japanese; he called out Douki to ringside. Even without English translation, it is clear he has handpicked Douki to be his first title defense. Douki got in the ring and listened to him. Douki got on the mic and spoke, said a few sentences, turned and left.
Final Thoughts: A very good main event and I like how this cage looks, as it allows the cameras to stay at ringside and easy to see the action. I wrote a week ago that Desperado’s Best of Super Junior trophy win was long overdue, and likewise this title change was overdue. He’s definitely worthy to be the face of the junior division. I will take Finlay-Sanada for best match, just ahead of the cage match, but both were really good. Shingo-Henare takes third. The undercard had some dull matches but the end of the show more than made up for it.
So, we have 18 competitors in G1 and 12 others trying to secure the final two slots. Here’s the list of 10 guys who were in last year’s field that aren’t among these 30: Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, Hikuleo, Kaito Kiyomiya, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, Eddie Kingston, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste, and Alex Coughlin.
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