By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Soul”
July 5, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan at Tokyo Budokan
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is a small arena with the lower and upper decks filled; attendance is maybe 1,000-1,300. The lights are on so this is well lit today. 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 qualifying matches for those final two slots. Chris Charlton provided commentary; he said TJP will join him later in the show.
1. Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita defeated “Bullet Club War Dogs” Kenta and Gedo at 6:36. The BCWD attacked from behind. Gedo and Fujita opened. Kenta entered and hit a standing neckbreaker at 2:00. Kenta and Sabre traded Mafia Kicks, then forearm strikes. Sabre hit a Pele Kick to the shoulder. They traded roundhouse kicks to the head and they both went down at 4:30. Gedo and Fujita re-entered, with Kosei hitting a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. He hit a running Penalty Kick for a nearfall, then his pop-up RKO-style stunner for the pin on Gedo. Solid opener.
2. “United Empire” TJP, Francesco Akira, and Great-O-Khan defeated “Just 5 Guys” Yuya Uemura, Sanada, and Taka Michinoku at 9:16. Yuya and O-Khan opened with standing switches, and Uemura hit a deep armdrag. O-Khan hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and tied up Yuya’s leg on the mat. TJP tagged in and hit a slingshot senton on Yuya at 4:00, then his Facewash kicks in the corner. Sanada tagged in at 5:30 and hit some dropkiks, then a plancha to the floor on O-Khan. In the ring, Sanada tied TJP in the Paradise Lock, and he dropped Akira onto TJP to break it.
Sanada hit a swinging neckbreaker on Sanada. Akia and Taka tagged in, and Akira hit a flying head-scissors takedown and a running back elbow into the corner and a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 8:00. Taka hit a pump kick and a running Penalty Kick for a nearfall. Akira hit a Fireball running double knees to the back of Taka’s head for the pin. Good action. TJP and Sanada jawed a bit more after the bell; I’d like to see that as a singles match.
3. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Ren Narita, and Yujiro Takahashi (w/Dick Togo) defeated Ryusuke Tagucihi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma, and Yuji Nagata at 11:32. This is Taguchi’s first match in months, after recovering from a bicycle accident. What is the average age of the babyface team? 48? Sho got on the mic and belittled Taguchi, and they opened against each other. Tiger Mask entered at 1:00 and hit some quick kicks on Sho. Hiroshi entered and hit a second-rope crossbody block. Everyone brawled to the floor.
Back in the ring, the heels worked over Tanahashi. Yujiro hit a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall at 4:00. EVIL and Sho ‘wishboned’ Hiroshi’s legs. The bell rang and the heels celebrated, but of course it was just Dick Togo ringing it. Ren tied Tanahashi in a Cobra Stretch at 6:00. Nagata tagged in for the first time and hit a belly-to-belly suplex, then some roundhouse kicks on Ren. Nagata hit an Exploder Suplex. Honma and EVIL entered at 8:00, and Honma hit a bulldog, but he missed the Kokeshi.
Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Honma’s groin. Taguchi entered and hit multiple punches to EVIL’s groin and a flying buttbump. Nagata applied a Fujiwara Armbar on EVIL and mimicked Nagata with his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Honma hit the Kokeshi on EVIL for a nearfall at 11:00. Togo distracted the ref, Ren hit Honma with his push-up bar, and EVIL hit the Everything is Evil uranage on Honma for the pin. That went exactly how you’d imagine the match would play out.
* TJP joined commentary, and he cheered on teammate Callum Newman.
4. Callum Newman defeated Yoshi-Hashi to qualify for the G1 Climax A Block at 11:58. Newman ran the ropes and hit a Mafia Kick. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, Yoshi-Hashi hit some chops as Newman was tied in the ropes. Newman hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 6:00. Yoshi-Hashi hit a top-rope Blockbuster for a nearfall. Callum hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Dragon Suplex and they traded more chops. He hit a superkick to Callum’s jaw, then a brainbuster move for a nearfall at 10:00. Yoshi-Hashi hit a running double knees for a nearfall. Newman hit a Stundog Millionaire, rolled up Yoshi-Hashi, and scored the flash pin! TJP jumped up from commentary and hugged Newman.
5. Boltin Oleg defeated Taichi to qualify for the G1 Climax B Block at 16:04. Oleg has a massive size and strength advantage. A feeling-out process early on, and Taichi caught him with a spin kick to the jaw at 2:30. They brawled to the floor, and Taichi whipped Boltin into rows of empty chairs. They got back in the ring, where Taichi hit some Yes Kicks to the chest at 5:00 and he kept Oleg grounded. Oleg hit a Stinger Splash at 7:30 and a running shoulder tackle, then a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Oleg tossed Taichi around in his arms before hitting his gut-wrench suplex. Taichi applied a Stretch Plum submission hold at 9:30 and cranked on Boltin’s head.
Taichi let go of the hold and hit a Buzzsaw Kick and ripped off his tear-away pants. Oleg jumped to his feet, hit a dropkick, then the Kamikaze/forward Finlay Roll for a believable nearfall at 11:30; Charlton speculated that Taichi broke a rib on that move. Oleg went for a second Kamikaze but Taichi escaped and immediately re-applied the Stretch Plum, but Oleg escaped. Taichi got a rollup for a believable nearfall, then a back suplex for a nearfall. Taichi hit a clothesline. Oleg scooped him up and dropped Taichi face-first to the mat. Oleg appeared to be setting up for another Kamikaze, but he hit an F5! He then nailed a second Kamikaze for the pin! Really good match. They hugged afterward.
* Up next we have a six-man tag featuring the six members of Los Ingobernobles de Japon! Is this designed to create friction heading into G1?
6. Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, and Shingo Takagi vs. Hiromu Takahashi, Titan, and Yota Tsuji ended in a time-limit draw at 30:00. Regular teammates Titan and Bushi opened; TJP noted he hasn’t fought Francesco Akira in a match yet. Clean reversals early on. Yota and Shingo entered at 2:00 and they traded shoulder tackles, and they began trading stiff forearm strikes. TJP said “if it isn’t personal yet, they can see personal from where they’re standing.” Hiromu entered at 4:30 and he motioned that he wanted Naito, so Tetsuya tagged in. Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick on Naito, and they immediately brawled to the floor, with Naito whipping him into the guardrails.
In the ring, Naito’s team did some quick moves on Hiromu. Shingo and Bushi ‘wishboned’ Hiromu’s legs at 7:30. Tsuji hit a Stinger Splash on Naito at 9:30. Hiromu applied a leglock around Naito’s neck, and Yota’s team began working over Naito. Titan hit a top-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall on Naito at 12:00. Hiromu tied up Naito’s leg on the mat. Yota applied a half-crab, but Naito reached the ropes at 14:30. Yota hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Shingo got a hot tag and suplexed Yota at 17:30.
Shingo and Yota traded forearm strikes and stiff blows and they were both down at 19:00. Bushi hit a springboard frogsplash on Shingo for a nearfall, then a variety of kicks. Shingo hit a DDT but Titan popped to his feet. Shingo hit a Bulldog Powerslam. Titan hit a dropkick on Bushi, then a flip dive to the floor on him at 21:00. We suddenly had three simultaneous submission spots on the mat. Titan hit a top-rope doublestomp to Bushi’s chest at 23:00. Hiromu and Naito re-entered with Hiromu hitting a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall.
Naito tied Hiromu’s feet on the ropes and hit a neckbreaker at 25:00. Hiromu hit a Victory Royal faceplant on Naito for a nearfall. He hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. Naito hit a spinebuster on Hiromu. Shingo hopped in and hit a Pumping Bomber. Naito hit a Destino on Hiromu and all six were down at 28:00. Naito hit a piledriver move on Hiromu, but Hiromu hit a Time Bomb sideslam, and they were both down. Naito went for an inside cradle but the bell rang, and we had a draw. Merely an okay match; this felt like it was headed toward a draw from the very start.
7. Douki defeated El Desperado to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title at 21:13. They immediately went to mat reversals. Desperado hit a dropkick on the knee and he focused on the damaged knee and kept Douki grounded. They traded chops at 7:30 and Desperado stomped on the knee. Douki hit a flying elbow at 10:30 and they were both down. Desperado hit a back suplex and a brainbuster for a nearfall at 12:00. He switched to a Stretch Muffler leg lock and cranked on the leg, but Douki reached the ropes. Douki hit a DDT but sold the knee pain. He dove through the ropes and turned it into a tornado DDT on the floor.
Douki nailed the Daybreak slingshot DDT, and he applied the Douki Chokey modified Triangle Choke, but Desperado finally got a foot on the ropes at 16:30. In a nice spot, Douki again tried for the Douki Chokey but Desperado turned it into a Texas Cloverleaf! He switched back to the Stretch Muffler but Douki reached the ropes at 18:30. They got up and trade forearm strikes. Desperado hit a German Suplex but sold the pain in his neck. Douki hit a clothesline and was fired up. Douki hit a Dragon Suplex with a high bridge for a nearfall at 21:00. Douki hit another Dragon Suplex with a bridge for the pin! New champion!
* Douki got on the mic and said he doesn’t believe he’s better than Desperado, but having this belt means that “today, I am.” He basically made an open challenge for anyone to try and come and take the belt off of him, and he was covered in confetti as the show came to a close.
Final Thoughts: A good main event — not stellar, but good. There was not much action in the first half but it really picked up nicely in the second half of the match. I wrote many times in the lead-up to Best of the Super Juniors that Douki was a dark horse candidate to win the tournament, and it’s not a big surprise he won the belt here. That said, Desperado had such a great BoSJ, I really did expect him to hold onto the title for a while. Oleg-Taichi was really good, and it makes me wonder how far NJPW will push Oleg. I think back three years ago when Jonah (Bronson Reed) was actually never pinned in the tournament but didn’t win the Block because of count-out losses.
I’m sure there are many people who will say they loved the LIJ match. I did not. It felt like three separate singles matches, and it really stayed in first gear throughout. It stayed ‘friendly’ which is fine if you don’t want to see LIJ in-fighting (and I don’t!) but it meant the match never really got heated or felt intense. At the 18-minute mark I was hoping it had a 20-minute time limit and I groaned when Charlton reminded us we had 30 minutes on the clock.
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