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JUL.25.2019

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G1 Climax 29 night 9 at a glance 【G129】

Night 9 of the G1 sees A block pass the midway point in Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium. With four matches in the books now for both blocks, every two points is of critical importance. 

Kazuchika Okada (4-0) vs KENTA (4-0)

First singles meeting.

Something has to give. Kazuchika Okada is cresting a phenomenal wave of momentum. Incorporating last year’s G1 results, he is undefeated in 11 straight G1 matches, with a 10-0-1 record, matching that of Masahiro Chono from 1991-1993. 

KENTA is cresting a phenomenal wave of momentum. 4-0 in his first four G1 matches, he is tied for the record of most impressive debut run since Kazuyuki Fujita in 2005 (his position is shared, incidentally, with Jon Moxley over in B block). Whether or not the NJPW faithful fans are welcoming of the outsider, his record, nor his aggression can be argued with. 

Serious conversations can be started about whether KENTA can be the first man to win the G1 on his first try since Kenny Omega in 2016, and the second since Okada himself in 2012. The IWGP Heavyweight Champion will look to stifle such talk, but doesn’t have a perfect record against G1 debutants. While he can claim victories over the likes of AJ Styles and Juice Robinson in their debut years, he has suffered three high profile debut G1 losses; to Prince Devitt in 2013, Jay White in 2018, and perhaps most significantly, Naomichi Marufuji in 2016.

Then as now, Marufuji was a marked outsider with much to prove. Okada has come as long way in the three years since falling to Marufuji’s Pole Shift Emerald Flowsion, and would indeed redeem that loss in the autumn of 2016, but it’s not inconceivable that Marufuji has passed a thorough scouting report to his friend and former tag partner KENTA.

Hiroshi Tanahashi (2-2) vs SANADA (1-3)

Overall singles record: 2-1 SANADA

Of which G1: 1-0 SANADA (2016: watch on NJPW World!)

If Kazuchika Okada has a mixed record against G1 debutants, Tanahashi’s recent form in that area is frankly poor. For the last four years, he’s seen major losses against men making their first tournament appearance: KENTA in 2019, Jay White in 2018, Zack Sabre Junior in 2017 and in 2016, SANADA. 

 With a win for SANADA over Tanahashi in this year’s New Japan Cup to boot, it seems as if Cold Skull has the upper hand against the Ace. The man who Kazuchika Okada labelled his newest rival in Fukuoka this May could be positioned above Okada’s greatest rival in terms of raw ability at the present stage. 

Yet after emerging slowly from the starting blocks, Tanahashi has strung together two consecutive wins in the face of SANADA’s three match losing streak. Tanahashi has been wrestling smart, adapting himself masterfully to Zack Sabre Junior and Lance Archer to come away with flash pin victories. Not unlike the canny ability of Tanahashi and SANADA’s shared mentor, Keiji Muto. Some wrestling ingenuity will be essential for either man in picking up the victory here.

 

EVIL (2-2) vs Zack Sabre Junior (1-3)

Overall singles record: 1-1

First G1 meeting.

This evenly matched pairing has a history in the record books that goes as far as this February, but in actuality stretched further, to the autumn of 2018. ZSJ would humiliate EVIL with flash pins in tag matches during the Road to Destruction tour, which led to the King of Darkness challenging ZSJ to a one on one battle at King of Pro Wrestling. Before the match could start however, Chris Jericho would viciously assault EVIL and the match would be thrown out. 

EVIL and ZSJ would finally meet in Sapporo four months later, and the LIJ member got his measure of revenge, countering a European Clutch into EVIL for the victory. In the New Japan Cup however, it was the Briton on top as he took EVIL Orienteering With Napalm Death. Sabre was growing increasingly desperate as he fell to 0-3 in the G1, but after defeating Bad Luck Fale at Korakuen last week, he is now finally on the board, and no doubt much more confident and composed. A composed ZSJ is a dangerous ZSJ, and someone EVIL knows to be extremely wary of.

 

Will Ospreay (1-3) vs Bad Luck Fale (1-3)

Overall singles record: 1-0 Ospreay

First G1 meeting.

Ospreay has to be coming into this match with Bad Luck Fale on the back foot. A lot was at stake for Ospreay personally in his matches with two men he felt he had to beat in Ibushi and Okada. Ospreay’s performances were tremendous, but the results didn’t match. Now the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion is 1-2 heading into Aichi, and is facing a furious Bad Luck Fale. 

Fale started strong against EVIL in Dallas, but hasn’t picked up a win since. The Rogue General left Korakuen Hall incensed after Zack Sabre Junior forced a count out loss, and already seeks revenge against Ospreay from the New Japan Cup. Ospreay’s sudden roll-up in March sent Fale home from the tournament without an IWGP Heavyweight Championship opportunity; the idea of delivering a Grenade or Bad Luck Fall to Ospreay’s already painful neck must be tempting indeed. Either way, this could be a must win scenario for both men; should Kazuchika Okada beat KENTA in the main event, he would move to ten points, and have a potential tie breaker over both ZSJ and Fale, effectively eliminating the loser of this bout.

Kota Ibushi (2-2) vs Lance Archer (2-2)

First singles meeting.

Ibushi and Archer kick off the evening’s tournament action as interesting mirror images. Both sit at four points, but Ibushi has the mental advantage of winning his last two matches after a difficult start while Archer exploded out of the blocks against Ospreay and Fale and has since begun to falter. 

Already Archer may have thrown in the towel when it comes to playing for points, admitting after his defeat to Hiroshi Tanahashi last week that ‘I don’t care if I win this thing anymore, I’m just out to hurt people’. That could mean some severe damage for Ibushi, though to the Golden Star’s advantage is the fact his ankle, questionable after the Dallas opener and a punishing bout with EVIL has largely become a non-factor, or at least something Ibushi can work around. He’ll need to use his feet, mind and will to chop down the big tree that is Lance Archer.

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