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G1 Climax Day 4, September 24th:
B Block
Hirooki Goto defeated SANADA. This was a very technical match for the most part. Goto had his shoulder heavily taped after the job KENTA did on it a few days ago, and it was a target for SANADA. They both used complicated pinning combos and counters in and out of the Skull End and a Goto sleeper. Goto put together a string of moves, a reverse GTR, the GTW and a regular GTR to get a decisive win and pick up his first points of the tournament. There isn’t really much to say about it. It was a match that happened.
Toru Yano defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi. This was your usual Yano match. Nothing much of interest happened until Tanahashi taped over Yano’s eyes and tried to get him counted out. Yano made it back into the ring and managed to low blow and roll up Tanahashi for a three count. Yes. Hiroshi Tanahashi was pinned by a blind Toru Yano.
Juice Robinson defeated KENTA. This match never really felt like it left third gear, and really dragged in parts. KENTA controlled most of it, and the pace was very slow. The first time where anything really notable or exciting happened was when KENTA hit a couple of hard back fists and Juice responded with a hard lariat. Things picked up a bit from here as they both tried for their finishes. KENTA almost KO’d Juice with a series of slaps, but Juice escaped a GTS and hit two straight left hands followed by Pulp Friction to pick up a really big win.
EVIL defeated YOSHI-HASHI. This was the match of the show so far, and YOSHI has been the standout wrestler on it. I really don’t know what that says about the rest of it. EVIL did all his usual heel stuff, using the chair on the outside as YOSHI played the underdog. He did it brilliantly, showing incredible fire and explosiveness with his comebacks. He hit some big lariats and locked on a Butterfly Lock, almost making EVIL pass out. The move looks like he’s applying hardly any pressure when he does it, but let’s ignore that, he’s trying his best. Dick Togo got involved and YOSHI fought out of an attempt to choke him out with piano wire and got an amazing near fall after a senton bomb and another after a lariat. YOSHI hit a snap Dragon suplex and a running meteora, again for a great near fall. A Dick Togo chair shot and a low blow allowed EVIL to hit the STO and get the win. This was unexpectedly great.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Zack Sabre Jr. This was a really great main event, and this show badly needed it. This was ZSJ at his best, targeting the neck of the IWGP double champ. Naito also went after the neck, which caused ZSJ issues with his arm, and his selling of this was as good as you’d expect from a talent like ZSJ. This match forced Naito to wrestle and we got some fantastic hold for hold stuff, with ZSJ going in and out of holds like only he can, but Naito showed he can match him, using a Koji Clutch at one point, a move he rarely uses anymore. ZSJ hit a beautiful diving tornado DDT. He hit a vision of Destino and ZSJ hit the Zack Driver, but he couldn’t capitalise on it. There were two insanely close near falls when ZSJ caught Naito in two pinning combos, one of which he beat EVIL with. Naito countered another Zack driver into a reverse DDT and followed up with Destino to get the win. Naito has had a great start to this tournament, and he has needed it, because for quite a while now, he has felt like he might be past it.
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