By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Soul”
July 3, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
A reminder that 18 of the 20 slots for the G1 Climax tournament have been allocated. We have two mini-tournaments to decide the final two slots. This show features the four semifinal matches for those final two slots. Chris Charlton provided commentary.
1. “Just 5 Guys” Sanada, Douki, Taka Michinoku, and Yuya Uemura defeated Tomoaki Honma, El Desperado, Yuji Nagata, and Togi Makabe at 9:04. How did Desperado wind up with the geriatric team? He showed off his juniors title to Douki, who is the No. 1 contender, before the bell, and those two opened with fast reversals and neither man really connecting with a big move. Sanada and Nagata locked up at 2:30, with Yuji applying a Figure Four. Yuji tied up Taka on the mat. Honma hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt on Uemura at 7:00. Douki hit a dive through the ropes on Desperado. Yuya hit a top-rope crossbody block to pin Honma. Basic.
2. “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Yota Tsuji, Titan, and Hiromu Takahashi defeated “House of Torture” Sho, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru via DQ at 5:48. The HoT attacked at the bell and all six brawled. Titan hit a tornado DDT on Sho. On the floor, Ren jabbed a chair into Hiromu’s stomach, and Kanemaru got a nearfall in the ring at 3:00. Yota entered and hit a splash to the mat on Ren for a nearfall. Yota hit a double shoulder tackle and was fired up, and he tied Ren in a Boston Crab and turned it into a pendulum swing. EVIL, Dick Togo and Yujiro Takahashi jumped in the ring and attacked, causing the DQ. Okay action.
* Shingo Takagi got on the mic and noted he just got back from America while the HoT stayed here. He challenged the House of Torture to make this a 12-man tag! The bell rang and we’re underway, as I re-started my stopwatch.
2b. “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Yota Tsuji, Titan, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Bushi, and Tetsuya Naito defeated “House of Torture” Sho, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo at 4:50. All 12 brawled at the bell. Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Naito’s groin at 3:00. This is quick with wrestlers in and out of the ring. LIJ took turns hitting running forearms and clotheslines in a corner on Togo. Bushi tied up Togo’s leg and Togo tapped out. Well, it was a sprint.
3. Boltin Oleg defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in a B Block tournament qualifier semifinal at 6:47. Again, these two have been teammates this year. Hiroshi hit a dropkick on the left knee and grounded Oleg early on. Oleg hit a shotgun dropkick at 3:00 but sold the pain in his knee upon landing. He hit a running splash to the mat for a nearfall, then his big gutwrench suplex, but he missed a Vader Bomb. Hiromu hit a Sling Blade clothesline for a nearfall at 5:30. He went for a top-rope crossbody block, but Oleg caught him, put Hiroshi on his shoulders, and hit a modified Death Valley Driver. Oleg hit his Kamikaze forward Finlay Roll, then a second one, for the pin! For the first time in 22 years, Tanahashi will NOT compete in the G1!
4. Callum Newman defeated Kenta in an A Block tournament qualifier semifinal at 14:42. Kenta attacked in the corner before the bell and hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest. They immediately went to the floor, where Kenta whipped him into the guardrail. Newman hit a plancha, and he whipped Kenta into the guardrail at 3:00. They brawled over the guardrail and on the floor near the fans. They got back in the ring, where Kenta hit repeated kneedrops on Newman’s forehead at 7:30. Kenta peppered him with kicks. Newman ran the ropes and nailed his Mafia Kick at 9:00. Newman hit a dropkick in the corner then a running Penalty Kick for a nearfall.
The ref got bumped! Kenta hit a DDT. He got a kendo stick and hit Newman across the back eight times and about six or seven blows to the stomach. “This is hard to watch,” Charlton said. Kenta got his Defy World Title, but Newman hit a springboard stunner for a visual pin at 12:30 but we didn’t have a ref! Newman pulled the ref into the ring and shouted profanities at him. Kenta hit a low blow uppercut for a nearfall. Kenta hit a running knee for a nearfall at 14:00. He went for Go To Sleep but Newman somehow blocked it. Newman hit a jumping knee to the forehead, then a springboard doublestomp to the back, then the springboard stunner for the pin! Really good action.
5. Taichi defeated TJP in a B Block tournament qualifier semifinal at 19:26. TJP has been competing on the Australian tour over the past week with “all-stars” like Brian Cage, Hammerstone, Nick Nemeth, Ash by Elegance, Elijah and Jack Cartwheel.A feeling-out process with standing switches to open. They brawled into the crowd at 4:30, where Taichi hit a stiff roundhouse kick that dropped TJP. “That was a helluva shot,” Charlton said. They got in the ring with Taichi in complete control, and he hit some Facewash kicks (TJP’s move!) in the corner. TJP hit a head-scissors takedown at 9:00. He snapped Taichi’s left arm backward, and Taichi immediately sold the pain and rolled to the floor to regroup.
In the ring, TJP hit a top-rope flying forearm, and he hit his Facewash kicks at 11:00. TJP hit an inverted DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall. Taichi hit an enzuigiri and they were both down at 13:00. TJP tied him in an Octopus but Taichi escaped, and Taichi hit a back suplex, and they were both down at 17:00. TJP hooked both arms and rolled Taichi up for a believable nearfall. This match has really built nicely. Taichi hit an enzuigiri, then a hard clothesline, but TJP popped up at one! Taichi immediately hit a Superkick and an Air Raid Crash for the pin. Really good match; I thought TJP was winning here.
6. Yoshi-Hashi defeated Tomohiro Ishii in an A Block tournament qualifier semifinal at 25:59. An intense lockup at the bell. Yoshi-Hashi hit some chops. Ishii hit a series of forearm strikes in the corner that dropped Yoshi-Hashi at 6:00. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and they were both down at 8:00. Yoshi-Hashi hit a top-rope Blockbuster for a nearfall. They got up and traded mid-ring chops; this chop exchange just kept going and going and going! Yoshi-Hashi switched to a clothesline at 13:00 that staggered Ishii. They traded clotheslines and both collapsed. Yoshi-Hashi hit a shotgun dropkick; Ishii hit a flying shoulder tackle.
Yoshi-Hashi hit a superkick at 15:00, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall. He hit a clothesline for another believable nearfall. Ishii fired back with a German Suplex at 18:00 and they were both down. Ishii got up and hit a decapitating clothesline. Ishii hit a standing powerbomb with a jackknife cover for a nearfall. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Lungblower to the chest; Ishii hit a sliding clothesline for a nearfall. Ishii set up for a brainbuster but Yoshi-Hashi escaped and turned it into a DDT, and they were both down at 21:00.
Yoshi-Hashi hit a clothesline to the back of the neck. Ishii hit a leaping headbutt. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Canadian Destroyer for a believable nearfall. He hit another clothesline for a nearfall. “What’s it going to take?” Charlton shouted. Ishii hit a Dragon Suplex at 24:30, then an enzuigiri and he was fired up. Ishii hit a decapitating clothesline for a believable nearfall. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Dragon Suplex and two superkicks, then a Crucifix Bomb! He hit the Karma pump-handle powerbomb for the pin. Wow, that was great. “My god, what a main event,” Charlton said.
* Yoshi-Hashi got on the mic and thanked the fans.
Final Thoughts: For the past couple of years, I’ve read comments from people who said Ishii would likely “not be in this year’s G1 Climax,” but every summer/fall, there he was. So, like Tanahashi, his tenure in the tournament has come to an end. That might be my favorite Yoshi-Hashi match EVER and I do mean EVER. I’m such a big fan of Ishii and he showed he was in beast mode again here. There wasn’t a lot to describe early on as they just kept hitting chops and forearms, but it was intense and brutal. Taichi-TJP was really good, too, and as I noted earlier, I thought TJP was going to win it. I wasn’t surprised by either Oleg or Newman’s wins; it’s time to get some fresh blood in the G1, and no one realistically expected Kenta or Tanahashi to win the tournament.
NJPW will be back in action on Friday with Boltin Oleg vs. Taichi and Yoshi-Hashi vs. Callum Newman, with the winners of those two matches taking the final slots in the tournament. Also, Ryusuke Taguchi will have his first match back after his bicycle accident that has sidelined him for a few months, plus El Desperado vs. Douki for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title.
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