By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 34 Night Eight”
July 31, 2024 in Yamaguchi, Japan at KDDI Ishin Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
This year’s tournament is comprised of 20 competitors, split into two 10-man Blocks. This is a round-robin tournament, so each man will have nine tournament matches. This show features just the B Block in tournament action. Walker Stewart provided commentary.
1. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gabe Kidd and Jake Lee defeated Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima at 4:36. A one-sided beatdown. Lee hit a chokeslam to pin Kato.
2. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Callum Newman defeated “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo at 7:10. The HoT attacked from behind to open. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops on EVIL. EVIL got a wire and choked O-Khan with it. Newman got a hot tag at 4:30 and hit a double dropkick. He hit a standing moonsault on EVIL for a nearfall. Togo choked Callum with his wire. Newman hit a kip-up enziguri, then the OsCutter to pin Togo.
3. Shota Umino and Tomoaki Honma defeated “Just 5 Guys” Sanada and Taka Michinoku at 7:03. Sanada and Shota opened with some basic reversals. Taka and Honma entered at 2:00. Sanada tied Honma in the Paradise Lock at 4:00. Shota hit his running neckbreaker on Taka, then the Death Rider double-arm DDT to pin Taka. Okay.
4. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi defeated “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita at 7:03. Kosei hit a dropkick on LIJ to open. Shingo worked over Kosei. Sabre entered at 3:00 and traded blows with Shingo. Shingo hit a twisting neckbreaker. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber clothesline on Fujita, then the Made in Japan flipping powerbomb to pin Kosei, as Naito held Sabre to prevent him from breaking up the pin. Okay action. (Yes, I clocked two consecutive matches at the same length.)
* This is the fifth tournament match for each competitor. Each win is worth two points; a (rare) draw is worth one point each. Thus each competitor has a maximum of ten points at this time. Also, a reminder that THREE competitors from each block make the playoffs, so even someone at 1-4 (2 points) is still mathematically alive.
5. Yota Tsuji (4) defeated Boltin Oleg (4) in a B Block tournament match at 10:06. Tsuji has started a disappointing 1-3, so he really needs a win here. Oleg knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. He slammed Tsuji to the mat and they were both down at 4:00. He hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall, then his gut-wrench suplex. Tsuji applied a Boston Crab at 7:00, then a Stomp on the head for a nearfall. Oleg hit a shotgun dropkick. Tsuji got an inside cradle for a nearfall. Oleg hit a clothesline and was fired up, and he nailed the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) for a believable nearfall at 9:30. He set up for a second one but Yota held onto the top rope to escape. Yota immediately hit the Gene Blaster (spear) for the pin. Okay match.
* Gabe Kidd joined Walker Stewart on commentary. Get the swear jar ready!
6. Henare (6) defeated Yuya Uemura (6) in a B Block tournament match at 15:33. A feeling-out process and standing switches to open, and they traded shoulder tackles until Henare finally dropped Yuya. Yuya unloaded some chops that Henare no-sold, and Henare returned a stiff forearm strike. Henare hit stiff kicks to the spine at 3:00. He hit a senton for a nearfall, then a Berzerker Bomb for a nearfall at 5:30. Yuya finally hit a flying forearm and they were both down. Yuya hit a dropkick, then a back suplex for a nearfall at 7:00. Yuya hit a top-rope crossbody block. They got up and traded forearm strikes until Yuya staggered. Henare hit spin kicks to the chest. Yuya hit a snap German Suplex at 11:00.
Henare hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Yuya hit another dropkick to the face and they were both down. Uemura hit another top-rope crossbody block and got a nearfall. He went for a frogsplash but Henare got his knees up to block it. Henare hit a kneestrike to the jaw in the corner. Yuya hit another German Suplex for a nearfall at 13:00. He set up for Deadbolt but Henare blocked it. Uemura hit a Pele Kick. He charged at Henare, but Henare caught him and hit the Ramage football tackle for a nearfall. Yuya hit a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall at 15:00; the time check was spot-on. Yuya again tried to hit Deadbolt, but Henare hit a headbutt to escape. Henare then hit a Death Valley Driver for the pin. Good match.
7. Jeff Cobb (6) defeated El Phantasmo (w/Jado) (2) in a B Block tournament match at 11:12. ELP snuck up behind Cobb and got a rollup for a nearfall just seconds in, then he hit a huracanrana, then a dive through the ropes at 1:00. He set up for a second dive but Cobb cut him off. ELP shoved Cobb face-first into the ring post, then he hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor! In the ring, Cobb hit an overhead release belly-to-belly suplex at 2:30. He tossed ELP across the ring and that got a pop. Cobb hit a uranage and a diving forearm strike for a nearfall at 4:30. “Imagine if Jado was your only friend; I’d be depressed, too,” Kidd said, and that made me laugh.
Cobb nailed a second-rope superplex for a nearfall, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall. ELP hit some kicks, including an enzuigiri at 7:00. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands, but ELP escaped and he hit a tornado DDT, then a superkick for a nearfall. He hit a springboard senton and a Lionsault for a nearfall. Cobb hit a release F5 faceplant. He hit a forearm strike that leveled Phantasmo at 9:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. ELP hit a grazing dropkick and they were both down. ELP leapt at Cobb, but Jeff caught him and hit the Tour of the Islands swinging powerslam for the pin. Kidd said ELP is eliminated and he belittled Phantasmo.
8. Ren Narita (6) defeated Hirooki Goto (4) in a B Block tournament match at 12:19. Ren attacked seconds before the bell. Narita stalled on the floor. Goto followed to the floor, so Ren slammed Goto head-first into the ring post and he took control, and he choked Goto on the floor. Narita snapped Goto’s throat across the bottom rope at 4:00 and remained in charge. Goto hit a running bulldog for a nearfall at 6:00. Ren hit a running boot in the corner, a suplex, and locked in a front guillotine choke. Goto hit his neckbreaker over the knee at 8:30.
Narita nailed the Guillotine (flying knee to the throat) at 10:00. He got Goto’s walking staff but the ref confiscated it. Ren shoved Goto into the ref, and the ref was down. Ren got his push-up bar but Goto picked up his staff! They clanged their weapons together, and Goto hit Narita over the back with it. Goto blocked a low blow attempt, and Goto hit a headbutt. Ren hit a low blow mule kick, then the Double Cross (X-Factor face plant) for the cheap pin. A flat, uninspired match and maybe my least favorite of the entire tournament so far.
9. David Finlay (w/Gedo) (6) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (6) in a B Block tournament match at 18:22. An intense lockup to open. Takeshita knocked him down with a shoulder tackle, then a dropkick. Takeshita sat on the top turnbuckle but Finlay shoved him off to the floor at 2:30. Finlay followed and he shoved Takeshita back-first into the guardrails. Back in the ring, Finlay kept Takeshita grounded and pushed his knee into Konosuke’s lower back. He applied a Cobra Clutch-style sleeper on the mat. Takeshita hit his leaping clothesline, and they were both down at 6:00. Takeshita hit a brainbuster. They went back to the floor, where Finlay shoved Takeshita through the guardrail gate door at 8:00 and he celebrated.
Takeshita shoved Finlay head-first into the ring post, and he buried David under a pile of chairs. In a cool spot, Takeshita hit a slingshot, flipping senton from in the ring onto the pile of chairs on Finlay on the floor at 10:00! Ouch! Finlay got back in before being counted out, but Takeshita immediately hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. Takeshita went for a top-rope senton in the ring, but Finlay got his knees up. Finlay hit a backbreaker over his knee, and they were both down. They fought on the apron, where Finlay pushed Takeshita into the ring post. In the ring, Finlay nailed the Dominator swinging face plant at 13:00. Finlay hit a discus elbow; Takeshita hit a flying knee.
Finlay nailed Oblivion (neckbreaker over his knee) for a believable nearfall. Finlay went for Overkill (pop-up kneestrike to the chest) but Takeshita blocked it. Takeshita accidentally struck the ref. Finlay hit a Buckle Bomb. Takeshita hit a standing powerbomb and covered Finlay, but the ref was on the floor and Gedo was talking to him and stalling. Finlay got his shillelagh and struck Takeshita across the head with it, but he only got a nearfall at 17:00! Kidd was irate over the (honestly!) slow count. Gedo tripped Takeshita. Takeshita teased he was going to hit Gedo, but Finlay crashed into Gedo. Takeshita hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Finlay for a nearfall. Finlay nailed the Overkill pop-up kneestrike for the pin. A really good match.
* Finlay got on the mic and swore at the crowd. He asked “who is better than me right now? My fingerprints are all over.” He said he beat guys like Jay White and Will Ospreay and sent them off to AEW.
Final Thoughts: A very good match to close out a mediocre night of action. I was surprised when Takeshita kicked out of that shillelagh blow to the head. It’s the only must-see match of the night for those who only watch a match here or there. I’ll go with Henare-Yuya for second with Cobb-ELP a distant third. The good news is we have a lot of competitors out front at 3-2, and everyone at 2-3 is definitely still in the running. The tournament actually takes a few days off before returning on Saturday, featuring Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Shota Umino vs. Sanada.
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