Official G1 Climax 26 Thread

[DXvsNWO1994]

I did a review of Night 8 over on Voices of Wrestling. Go check it out!

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/0 ... ts-review/

Non-Tournament Matches To Watch:

- Night 8 (7/30/16) - Ten-Man Tag - Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, & Tiger Mask vs. CHAOS (IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & Gedo), & GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji: ***1/4

- Night 8 (7/30/16) - Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & BUSHI) vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA & Juice Robinson: ***

[DXvsNWO1994]

Here are my quick reviews of Nights 9 & 10 (relatively weaker shows IMO):

Night 9 (7/31/16)

1.) G1 Climax - Block A - Tama Tonga vs. Tomohiro Ishii: ***1/2

2.) G1 Climax - Block A - Bad Luck Fale vs. SANADA: ***

3.) G1 Climax - Block A - GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs. Togi Makabe: ***1/2

4.) G1 Climax - Block A - IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (with Satoshi Kojima): ****

5.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto: ***3/4

Overall: 7.75/10

Night 10 (8/1/16)

1.) G1 Climax - Block B - Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. YOSHI-HASHI: ***1/2

2.) G1 Climax - Block B - IWGP Intercontinental Champion "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin vs. Yuji Nagata: ***1/2

3.) G1 Climax - Block B - NEVER Openweight Champion Katsuyori Shibata vs. GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Toru Yano: N/R (lasted less than 90 seconds)

4.) G1 Climax - Block B - EVIL vs. Kenny Omega: ***3/4

5.) G1 Climax - Block B - Tomoaki Honma vs. Tetsuya Naito: ***1/2

Overall: 7.25/10

Non-Tournament Matches To Watch:

- Night 10 (8/1/16) - Six-Man Tag - Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, & IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA vs. CHAOS (IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, & Gedo): ***1/4

- Night 10 (8/1/16) - GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji & Hirooki Goto vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & BUSHI): ***1/4

- Night 9 (7/31/16) - Eight-Man Tag - NEVER Openweight Champion Katsuyori Shibata, Satoshi Kojima, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, & Manabu Nakanishi vs. CHAOS (GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI, & Gedo) & Katsuhiko Nakajima: ***

[DXvsNWO1994]

Reviews of Nights 11 & 12 (I reviewed Night 12 for Voices of Wrestling):

Night 11 (8/3/16)

1.) G1 Climax - Block A - Bad Luck Fale vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (with Satoshi Kojima): **1/2

2.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga: ***1/2

3.) G1 Climax - Block A - GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs. SANADA: ****

4.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii: ****3/4

5.) G1 Climax - Block A - IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada vs. Togi Makabe: ****

Overall: 8.75/10

Night 12 (8/4/16)

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/0 ... ts-review/

Non-Tournament Matches To Watch:

- Night 12 (8/4/16) - CHAOS (IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & BUSHI): ***1/2

- Night 12 (8/4/16) - Six-Man Tag - CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Gedo) & GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, & IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA: ***1/4

- Night 11 (8/3/16) - Six-Man Tag - Los Ingobernables de Japan (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, & BUSHI) vs. Tomoaki Honma, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA, & Juice Robinson: ***1/4

- Night 11 (8/3/16) - Eight-Man Tag - CHAOS (GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI, & Gedo) & Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. IWGP Intercontinental Champion "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin, Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima, & Manabu Nakanish: ***

[DXvsNWO1994]

Quick reviews for Nights 13 & 14 (I reviewed Night 14 for Voices of Wrestling):

Night 13 (8/6/16)

1.) G1 Climax - Block A - SANADA vs. Tama Tonga: ***3/4

2.) G1 Climax - Block A - Bad Luck Fale vs. Togi Makabe: ***1/4

3.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hirooki Goto vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (with Satoshi Kojima): ****

4.) G1 Climax - Block A - IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii: *****

5.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji: ****1/2

Overall: 9.25/10

Night 14 (8/7/16)

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/0 ... ts-review/

Non-Tournament Matches To Watch:

- Night 13 (8/6/16) - Six-Man Tag - Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, & BUSHI) vs. Satoshi Kojima, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA, & Juice Robinson: ***1/4

- Night 14 (8/7/16) - CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & BUSHI): ***1/4

- Night 13 (8/6/16) - Eight-Man Tag - CHAOS (GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI, Gedo), & Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. IWGP Intercontinental Champion "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin, NEVER Openweight Champion Katsuyori Shibata, Tomoaki Honma, & David Finlay: ***

- Night 14 (8/7/16) - Six-Man Tag - The Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. CHAOS (IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada & Gedo), & GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji: ***

[Wilson]

Just to get it out there on this board, Tanahashi vs. Okada already one of NJPW's great matches. It must be one of the best matches of the past fifteen years.

Block B Final Omega vs. Naito also overachieved. It seems unlikely that the tournament finals will be as good as either match.

[DXvsNWO1994]

Just to get it out there on this board, Tanahashi vs. Okada already one of NJPW's great matches. It must be one of the best matches of the past fifteen years.

Block B Final Omega vs. Naito also overachieved. It seems unlikely that the tournament finals will be as good as either match.

I'd have to watch it again, but honestly, Naito/Omega is my MOTY. Better than both Okada/Tanahashi matches, Ishii/Okada in Osaka, AND Nakamura/Zayn. Fucking LOVED it.

[DXvsNWO1994]

Quick reviews for Nights 15 & 16 (reviewed the latter for Voices of Wrestling):

Night 15 (8/8/16)

1.) G1 Climax - Block A - GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs. Tama Tonga: ***

2.) G1 Climax - Block A - SANADA vs. Tomohiro Ishii: ****1/4

3.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (with Satoshi Kojima): ***1/4

4.) G1 Climax - Block A - IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada vs. Bad Luck Fale: ***1/2

5.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hirooki Goto vs. Togi Makabe: ***1/2

Overall: 7.5-7.75/10

Night 16 (8/10/16)

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/0 ... ts-review/

Non-Tournament Matches To Watch:

- Night 16 (8/10/16) - Ten-Man Tag - CHAOS (IWGP Heavyweight Champion "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & Gedo) & GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Naomichi Marufuji vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, & Tiger Mask: ***1/2

- Night 15 (8/8/16) - Ten-Man Tag - IWGP Intercontinental Champion "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin, NEVER Openweight Champion Katsuyori Shibata, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Juice Robinson vs. Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Tiger Mask, & Manabu Nakanishi: ***

- Night 15 (8/8/16) - Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. David Finlay: ***

[Wilson]

Just to get it out there on this board, Tanahashi vs. Okada already one of NJPW's great matches. It must be one of the best matches of the past fifteen years.

Block B Final Omega vs. Naito also overachieved. It seems unlikely that the tournament finals will be as good as either match.

I'd have to watch it again, but honestly, Naito/Omega is my MOTY. Better than both Okada/Tanahashi matches, Ishii/Okada in Osaka, AND Nakamura/Zayn. Fucking LOVED it.

Interesting. I thought Naito vs. Omega was about as good as a match they could do together and was very much tournament-final-quality. If they had as much history between each other--which, if involving great wrestlers, lends more depth to counters, callbacks, and character psychology--and if they were both cheered babyfaces, maybe I would have preferred the B Block Final.

But, man alive, Tanahashi vs. Okada might already be one of my favorite matches. The match won't leave my head.