By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 34 Night 12”
August 7, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen 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 and Chris Charlton provided commentary.
* Because of Kosei Fujita’s shoulder injury, the Fujita/Sabre tag match against the Young Lions was canceled. I would have liked to see Sabre beat them in a handicap match.
1. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Callum Newman defeated “Just 5 Guys” Sanada and Taka Michinoku at 5:44. Sanada opened and immediately tied O-Khan in a Paradise Lock. Sanada hit a plancha onto each opponent. Newman hit the OsCutter on Taka for the pin. Decent action.
2. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd defeated Tomoaki Honma and Shota Umino at 6:38. They all brawled at the bell, with Honma and Kidd fighting in the ring. Shota hit an Exploder Suplex on Lee at 4:30. Kidd and Honma got back in and traded forearm strikes. Kidd hit a rebound discus lariat for the pin.
3. “Los Ingobenables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi defeated “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo at 6:17. The HoT attacked before the bell and all four brawled. EVIL and Shingo traded chops at 3:00. Naito tied up Togo in a headlock submission hold and Togo tapped out.
* This is the seventh 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 12 points at this time. Also, a reminder that THREE competitors from each block make the playoffs, so even someone at 3-4 (6 points) is still mathematically alive. Anyone at 2-5 (4 points) is eliminated.
4. Jeff Cobb (10) defeated Boltin Oleg (4) in a B Block tournament match at 10:09. An intense lockup as they really tied up in an authentic-looking exchange. Cobb hit a jab punch at 2:00 that startled Oleg. Cobb ‘surfed’ on Boltin’s back, but he missed a standing moonsault. Oleg hit a second-rope flying shoulder tackle at 4:30. Cobb hit a dropkick, so Oleg hit one. Oleg hit a belly-to-belly suplex and a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Cobb hit a gut-wrench suplex on Oleg at 6:30! That popped the crowd. However, Oleg picked up Cobb, flipped him around in his arms, and hit his gutwrench suplex, then a Vader Bomb, for a nearfall.
Oleg set up for Kamikaze, but Cobb held onto the top rope to escape. Cobb hit a uranage and a diving forearm for a nearfall at 8:00. Oleg nailed the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) for a believable nearfall! He set up for a second Kamikaze but Cobb escaped. They hit stereo clotheslines. Cobb hit a running clothesline and was fired up. Cobb then hit the Tour of the Islands swinging powerslam for the pin. A very good big man match. I was on ‘upset alert’ here, thinking Oleg could sneak out a win.
5. Konosuke Takeshita (8) defeated El Phantasmo (w/Jado) (4) in a B Block tournament match at 17:21. Phantasmo hit a dropkick early on. They avoided each other’s signature offense and had a standoff at 2:00. They began trading forearm strikes. ELP dives through the ropes onto Takeshita at 4:30, then a springboard moonsault, launching over the guardrail and onto Takeshita in the crowd. In the ring, ELP hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Takeshita hit a swinging Blue Thunder Bomb or a nearfall at 6:30. Takeshita got a table from under the ring and set it up on the floor.
They fought on the ring apron, above the table, and Phantasmo tried to hit his CR2 but Takeshita blocked it. ELP hit a top-rope Frankensteiner, then a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall at 9:30. ELP again went for a CR2 but it was again blocked, so he hit a Poison Rana and a clothesline. He then nailed the CR2 (modified Styles Clash) for a believable nearfall at 11:00; I thought that was it. Phantasmo set up for an HBK-style Superkick but Takeshita collapsed and rolled to the floor. Takeshita hit a piledriver by leaping off the apron and through the table on the floor at 13:00. Crazy spot; ELP had minor cuts on his back that were bleeding; I see a bruise forming on his ribs, too.
Phantasmo rolled back in before the count-out. Takeshita hit a forearm strike. ELP hit a superkick for a believable nearfall at 15:00 and they were both down. This is insanely good and easily ELP’s best match of the tournament. Takeshita hit a series of clubbing forearms. ELP hit another superkick. Takeshita hit a wheelbarrow German Suplex and a clothesline but ELP popped up at one! Takeshita hit a running knee for a nearfall, then a twisting Falcon Arrow for the pin. WOW, this was perhaps the best tournament match not in the main or sub-main event of the tournament.
6. Yota Tsuji (8) defeated Henare (6) at 15:37. They stood nose to nose at the bell; Henare glared and Yota just smiled. They began trading forearm strikes and shoulder tackles. Henare hit a second-rope spin kick at 2:30 to drop Tsuji. He hit a senton for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes and Henare hit some headbutts. Tsuji stomped on Henare’s head at 5:00, then he hit a huracanrana. He hit some stiff kicks to Henare’s spine at 7:00. Henare hit a suplex and they were both down. Tsuji nailed a second-rope Samoan Drop at 9:30.
They traded more forearm strikes, and Henare hit his Berzerker Bomb for a nearfall. Henare hit some stiff Yes Kicks to the chest at 11:30. Tsuji hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall, but he missed his top-rope stomp to the head. They hit more shoulder tackles, and Tsuji nailed a knee lift to the jaw but it just fired up Henare! Henare unloaded a series of punches and chops, then the Rampage football tackle for a believable nearfall at 14:30. Henare hit a jumping knee in the corner. More headbutts. Yota nailed the Gene Blaster (spear!) for the pin! Another match well worth checking out.
7. Ren Narita (w/Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (8) defeated Yuya Uemura (6) at 11:47. Ren attacked from behind as Yuya hadn’t even removed his robe. Narita slammed Yuya’s knee onto the thin mat at ringside, then whipped him into the guardrail. Walker said they had 12 singles matches, with Narita winning each one, but when they were Young Lions. Yuya was down on the floor and selling the pain in his knee. He got back into the ring, but Ren began stomping on the damaged leg. Yuya hit a deep armdrag at 5:30 and a dropkick, but he sold the pain in his knee, and they were both down.
Yuya hit a back suplex for a nearfall. He went to the top rope but Kanemaru jumped on the apron and shoved him to the mat. Ren grapevined the leg on the mat, but Yuya reached the ropes at 8:30. Yuya clotheslined Ren to the floor, then he hit a plancha to the floor on him. Yuya hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 10:00. Kanemaru tried to spray whiskey on Yuya but missed. Yuya hit a Dragon Suplex for a believable nearfall at 11:30. Ren shoved the ref, hit a low blow uppercut, and he nailed a Double Cross (X-Factor faceplant) for the cheap pin! Charlton and Stewart were disgusted. A good enough match but two matches today were far superior.
8. Hirooki Goto (8) defeated David Finlay (w/Gedo) (8) at 17:47. For those of you who don’t follow NJPW closely, these two were supposed to meet in the New Japan Cup this spring, but Finlay developed some health issues and had to forfeit. Goto reached the finals, where I presume Finlay was supposed to wind up. A feeling-out process to start, and Goto hip-tossed Finlay to the floor at 2:00. In the ring, Goto hit a shoulder tackle. Finlay hit a Russian Legs Sweep. They went to the floor, where Finlay shoved Goto into the guardrail.
Back in the ring, he kept Goto grounded. Goto hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 6:30. Finlay clotheslined them both to the floor. The thin mat was peeled back, but Goto hit a back body drop, sending Finlay onto the hardwood floor at 9:00. Back in the ring, Goto hit a running clothesline into the corner, then his neckbreaker over his knee at 11:00. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Goto hit another clothesline and was fired up. Goto hit a GTR elbow drop to the sternum for a nearfall at 13:00.
Finlay nailed a Buckle Bomb and a standing release powerbomb for a nearfall. Goto nailed a pendulum side slam and they were both down. Finlay got his shillelagh and swung and missed. Goto grabbed it but tossed it to the floor. Goto hit another GTR elbow drop for a believable nearfall at 17:00. Finlay went for the Overkill knee strike but Goto caught the leg, and Goto hit a headbutt. Goto hit another GTR elbow drop across his knee for the clean pin! The only match I picked wrong today, and definitely a big upset.
* Goto got on the mic and noted the sellout crowd. He pointed out his children in the crowd and that got a pop.
Final Thoughts: A stellar El Phantasmo-Takeshita match stole the show; it is well worth checking out. I really liked that Tsuji-Henare match for second, with a main event that topped my expectations, including a surprise outcome. There is something about being back in Korakuen Hall that just really brings out the energy and the best-of-the-best action from everyone.
The tournament continues on Thursday with the A Block in action, featuring EVIL vs. Shingo Takagi and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Gabe Kidd.
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