By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 34 Night 16”
August 14, 2024 in Shizuoka, Japan at Hamamatsu Arena
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.
We have reached the final night of the B Block! A reminder that three wrestlers will reach the playoffs. An injury to Yuya Uemura means he will forfeit his final match and finish at 4-5 (eight points.) It means we have six men in competition for the three playoff spots, as nobody has clinched a playoff spot.
(Boasting update: I am in a three-way tie (116 points) for SECOND PLACE out of 730 entries in Chris Samsa’s online tournament, just two points behind the only person in front of me. I correctly pegged Shota Umino at 4-5, but I underestimated Ren Narita, Great-O-Khan and Hirooki Goto.)
1. Boltin Oleg and Toru Yano defeated Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima at 4:13. Oleg was slated to face Yuya but has instead been moved into this match; the forfeit means Oleg also will finish at 4-5 (eight points.) The Young Lions attacked at the bell. He hit a double suplex on them at 3:00, then a gut-wrench suplex on Murashima, and a delayed suplex on Kato. He nailed the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) to pin Kato. I don’t think Yano was technically ever in the match, which is just fine with me.
2. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd defeated “Just 5 Guys” Sanada and Taka Michinoku at 4:54. Sanada and Kidd opened, and Sanada hit a dropkick. They brawled to the floor and into the crowd. They returned to the ring and Kidd got a nearfall at 2:00. Lee tagged in and helped beat down Sanada. Taka tagged in and hit some kicks on Lee, but he couldn’t pick him up. Lee locked in a front guillotine choke but Sanada made the save. Lee again applied the front guillotine choke, and this time Taka tapped out. Alright match.
3. Shota Umino and Tomoaki Honma defeated “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo at 7:13. The HoT worked over Honma early on. Togo hit a senton for a nearfall at 3:00. EVIL hit him with a hammer. Honma suplexed EVIL at 4:30 and he tagged in Shota. Shota hit a fisherman’s suplex on EVIL for a nearfall. Togo pushed the ref; the ref pushed Togo, causing Togo to fall head-first onto Shota’s groin. Honma hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt on Togo. Shota immediately put Togo in an STF, and Togo tapped out. (When was the last time you saw someone tap out to an STF?) What you’d expect here.
4. “United Empire” Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Francesco Akira defeated “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi, Shingo Takagi, and Tetsuya Naito at 8:31. Shingo and Great-O-Khan — who will square off in the playoffs — opened the match. Akira hit some running back elbows on Shingo. Naito hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker on Akira at 3:00. Newman tripped as he entered the ring but popped back up and still hit his fast-paced offense on Naito. He hit a standing moonsault on Naito for a nearfall. Naito hit a springboard tornado DDT on Newman and they were both down at 5:00.
O-Khan and Shingo brawled again. Shingo hit a back suplex. Bushi tagged and battled Akira. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops on Bushi. Newman and Akira hit stereo planchas to the floor. In the ring, Bushi hit a Rewind Kick on O-Khan. However, O-Khan hit a Flatliner, then the Claw-to-the-face slam on Bushi for the pin. Easily best action of the four undercard matches. O-Khan and Shingo glared at each other and stood across from each other but no further punches were thrown.
* To the tournament matches! David Finlay, Jeff Cobb and Ren Narita are all 5-3; if they all win their respective matches, they will all advance.However, that seems unlikely. (Being as I predicted Finlay, Cobb and Takeshita will make the playoffs, I will stick with those picks.)
5. Henare (8) defeated Hirooki Goto (8) in a B Block tournament match at 12:46. An intense lockup to open and Goto worked the left arm. Henare hit a senton at 2:30. They went to the floor, where Henare whipped Goto into the guardrail. In the ring, they traded forearm strikes. Henare hit a stiff kick to the spine and he got a nearfall at 4:30. Goto hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Henare hit a springboard spin kick. Goto hit a neckbreaker over his knee and they were both down at 7:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes.
Henare nailed some roundhouse kicks to the chest and a clothesline but Goto shrugged it off. Goto dropped Henare with a clothesline. Henare hit a Berzerker Bomb for a nearfall, and they were both down at 9:30. Henare nailed a jumping knee in the corner. Goto applied a sleeper, but he let go and hit a running Penalty Kick, then the GTR elbow drop to the chest for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Henare hit the Rampage football tackle for a believable nearfall. Henare then scored the pin. It eliminates Goto, as they both finish at 4-5. Solid match.
6. David Finlay (w/Gedo) (12) defeated El Phantasmo (w/Jado) (6) in a B Block tournament match at 12:32. They immediately traded forearm strikes, and ELP hit a plancha onto Finlay. They brawled into the crowd (I can see far more empty seats than I expected in the second- and third-tier) and Finlay dropped him stomach-first on empty chairs. They got back into the ring at 3:00, and Finlay hit his Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee. Walker said they are 1-1 in prior singles matches. Finlay locked in a Camel Clutch at 5:00. Phantasmo nailed a dive through the ropes. He hit a Lionsault in the ring for a nearfall at 6:30. Finlay hit another Irish Curse for a nearfall. Finlay hit the Oblivion neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall!
They traded more forearms. Finlay hit a third Irish Curse for a nearfall at 9:00. ELP got a small package for a nearfall. Finlay nailed a rolling elbow, but ELP hit a brainbuster and they were both down. Phantasmo nailed a superkick for a believable nearfall at 10:30. Finlay nailed a Buckle Bomb. ELP hit a standing powerbomb and the CR2 (modified Styles Clash). ELP then nailed the springboard frogsplash for a believable nearfall, but Gedo pulled the ref to the floor! Finlay nailed ELP with the shillelagh! Finlay then nailed the Overkill (pop-up kneestrike to the sternum) for the tainted pin. Finlay advances to the playoffs and depending on the outcome of other matches, could be the No. 1 seed. Good match.
7. Konosuke Takesita (10) defeated Ren Narita (10) in a B Block tournament match at 17:36. Narita came out first. EVIL and Dick Togo dragged a beat-up Takeshita out of the back and I started my stopwatch as they emerged through the curtain. They threw Takeshita into the ring and they left. The bell rang at 00:48 to officially begin, and Narita grapevined the leg on the mat; Takeshita still had his jacket on. They brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Takeshita got back into the ring at 3:30 but Narita stomped on him, and he wrapped Konosuke’s knee around the ring post. Narita hit an Exploder Suplex at 7:00, but Takeshita immediately hit a back suplex.
Takeshita set up to dive to the floor but he collapsed and sold the pain in his knee. However, Takeshita hit a hard clothesline and they were both down. Narita went back to twisting the damaged leg in the ropes, and he again grapevined the leg on the mat. Takeshita hit a second-rope superplex at 11:00. Ren applied a front guillotine choke. Konosuke hit a piledriver move and they were both down. Dick Togo hopped on the ring apron. EVIL jumped in the ring and shoved Takeshita into the ref. Togo and EVIL then beat up Takeshita, hitting a Magic Killer team slam. The ref got back in the ring and we had a nearfall at 13:30. Ren got the push-up bar but Takeshita blocked him from using it.
Togo and EVIL again attacked Takeshita. Konosuke punched the chair that EVIL was holding and he sent EVIL to the floor. Ren hit the Guillotine flying knee strike to the throat, then a top-rope flying Guillotine for a believable nearfall at 15:00. Takeshita dropped him with a stiff forearm strike. Ren chop-blocked the knee. He set up for Double Cross (X-Factor), but Takeshita hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Ren again applied the leg lock. Takeshita hit a release German Suplex, tossing Ren across the ring! He hit another stiff forearm strike and scored the pin. Once again, Takeshita got the best tournament match out of an opponent. Official time is closer to 16:48. By winning, Takeshita advances to the playoffs.
8. Yota Tsuji (10) defeated Jeff Cobb (10) in a B Block tournament match at 11:36. The winner will face Takeshita in the playoffs, as Finlay has secured the No. 1 seed and a bye. They traded forearm strikes early on, and Tsuji dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 2:00. Cobb hit a Pounce that sent Tsuji flying. Cobb hit some knee strikes and a diving uppercut to the small of the back. Cobb hit a spear into the corner and was in charge early on. Cobb hit an impressive standing dropkick for a nearfall at 4:00. Tsuji tried to hit a stomp but Cobb powered out of it, and Cobb slammed him. He went for a standing moonsault but Tsuji got his knees up. Cobb hit a uranage and a diving forearm strike or a nearfall at 7:00, then he hit the standing moonsault for a nearfall.
Yota hit the Gene Blaster (spear) for a nearfall and they were both down at 8:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Tsuji hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Tsuji hit a knee strike. He went for a top-rope stomp but Cobb avoided it, and Cobb hit an F5 swinging faceplant off his shoulders for a nearfall at 10:30. Yota hit more knee strikes and he charged at Cobb, but Jeff hit a clothesline. Yota hit another Gene Blaster! He hit a third Gene Blaster for the pin! A very good match but surprisingly short for a main event, especially one where the winner is in the playoffs and the loser is out.
Final Thoughts: A very good main event earns best match, ahead of the Finlay-ELP match for second, with Takeshita-Narita for third. So, with the win, Tsuji will face Takeshita in the playoffs, with that winner facing David Finlay. A good job here by Walker Stewart, who called the entire show solo.
(Boasting update: I am in two-person tie for fourth place with 136 points. The leader has 141 points in Chris Samsa’s online tournament. Fourth place isn’t too shabby out of 730 brackets!)
The tournament resumes on Thursday with the two playoff matches of Takeshita vs. Tsuji and Great-O-Khan vs. Shingo Takagi. As of Wednesday afternoon, no other matches have been announced.
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