New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 32, Day 11
Aug. 5, 2022
Item Ehime; Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
The undercard
Jado, Tama TongaW sub. Kosei FujitaL, David Finlay (Scorpion Deathlock).
Great-O-KhanW, Will Ospreay sub. Royce IsaacsL, Tom Lawlor (Sheep Killer): Ospreay starched Lawlor with a kick and then knocked the lights out (literally) when he threw Royce Isaacs into the ringside barricade.
BUSHI, SANADAW, Shingo Takagi sub. TAKA MichinokuL, Zack Sabre Jr., Lance Archer (Skull End).
YOSHI-HASHI, Toru YanoW, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada p. GedoL, El Phantasmo, Bad Luck Fale, KENTA, Jay White (school boy). Yano’s emotional connection to the turnbuckle pads is moving. Also, ELP with prime commentary: “Gedo’s got it covered — oh shit.”
The report card
Juice Robinson vs. Yujiro Takahashi (D Block)
Result: Yujiro p. Robinson (Big Juice).
In short: Boy, this gimmick change has done wonders for Robinson. Yujiro used a ref bump and low blow to set up Big Juice. Wow, Juice beat by Big Juice. HOW ABOUT THAT?! Anyway, this was fine.
Highlights
+ For some reason the people of Ehime were really into the biting spots.
Grade: C-
Taichi vs. Chase Owens (B Block)
Result: Taichi p. Owens (Black Mephisto).
In short: An entertaining if not overly complex bout.
Highlights
+ Chase tried to coax Miho Abe into giving him a kiss. She stood her ground.
+ Owens took the recently de-pants Taichi’s head off with a superkick.
+ Owens tried to goad Taichi into a sumo attack before smashing him with a C-trigger. That was the start of a nice final sequence.
Grade: B
Tetsuya Naito vs. Aaron Henare (C Block)
Result: Naito p. Henare (Destino).
In short: I don’t think anyone believed Henare could win this match. It wasn’t a thriller, but it was solid.
Highlights
+ Henare faked a low kick before punching Naito in the face.
+ Naito sent an echo through the arena with a big slap. Henare responded by blasting him with a roundhouse kick.
+ Naito cleanly reversed a Streets of Rage attempt with a Destino.
Lowlights
– Naito botched the Combinación Cabron.
Grade: B
JONAH vs. Jeff Cobb (A Block)
Result: JONAH p. Cobb (Torpedo).
In short: Which wet-haired powerhouse would prevail? These guys dazzled with their strength, but they didn’t rush it. They built a foundation and then wowed with an earthshaking finish.
Highlights
+ Cobb hit a lariat and his followthrough took him to the outside.
+ A double crossbody of doom — as Lawlor called it on commentary, “two jumbo jets” colliding.
+ Cobb tossed JONAH across the ring comfortably.
+ JONAH jumped off the second rope and Cobb caught him. He didn’t even make it look difficult.
+ The ending drew gasps from the crowd and screams from Jushin Thunder Liger at ringside. JONAH planted Cobb with a top-rope superplex and then hit the Torpedo.
Grade: A-
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL (C Block)
Result: Tanahashi p. EVIL (Ground Cobra).
In short: Overbooked? Um, yeah. Always fun to see Tanahashi overcome the odds, though. Dick Togo got ejected after ringing the bell to break up Tanahashi’s Texas Cloverleaf. SHO then ran down to pull Red Shoes Unno out of the ring after a High Fly Flow. Ultimately, three more referees got involved, low blows were hit left and right, and Tanahashi rolled up EVIL.
Highlights
+ Amid the turmoil, refs Kenta Sato and Marty Asami got involved in some Magic Killers — for better or worse.
+ Tanahashi had a great, explosive kickout after being hit with Darkness Falls.
+ Tanahashi called all the officials into the ring to have his hand raised at the end.
Lowlights
– EVIL smashed Tanahashi’s face while taking a dragon screw.
– Why the hell would the second ref, who was dragged to the ring by Togo, actually try to count EVIL’s pin attempt?
Grade: B+
In conclusion
These events with five consecutive G1 bouts on one card don’t make life easy for the wrestlers in the main event slot. However! Ospreay and Takagi are headlining the next show. Get your popcorn ready.
Block standings
A Block
Kazuchika Okada 3-0-0 (6)
JONAH 2-1-0 (4)
Jeff Cobb 2-2-0 (4)
Bad Luck Fale 2-2-0 (4)
Lance Archer 1-2-0 (2)
Tom Lawlor 1-2-0 (2)
Toru Yano 1-3-0 (2)
B Block
Jay White 3-0-0 (6)
Taichi 2-1-0 (4)
Tama Tonga 2-1-0 (4)
SANADA 2-2-0 (4)
Great-O-Khan 1-2-0 (2)
Chase Owens 1-3-0 (2)
Tomohiro Ishii 1-3-0 (2)
C Block
Hiroshi Tanahashi 3-1-0 (6)
Hirooki Goto 2-1-0 (4)
Zack Sabre Jr. 2-1-0 (4)
Tetsuya Naito 2-2-0 (4)
EVIL 1-2-0 (2)
KENTA 1-2-0 (2)
Aaron Henare 1-3-0 (2)
D Block
David Finlay 3-1-0 (6)
Will Ospreay 2-1-0 (4)
Yujiro Takahashi 2-2-0 (4)
El Phantasmo 1-1-0 (2)
YOSHI-HASHI 1-1-0 (2)
Juice Robinson 1-3-0 (2)
Shingo Takagi 1-2-0 (2)
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