The time has finally come for NJPW’s G1 Climax 34. This is undoubtedly the most prestigious tournament in NJPW with the winner earning himself the main event at Wrestle Kingdom. All 20 men were in action today to kick things off.
The main event saw Shingo Takagi defeat the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Tetsuya Naito. Elsewhere on the card, Boltin Oleg beat Ren Narita and Jake Lee of NOAH knocked off SANADA.
However, the match that most caught my attention was Konosuke Takeshita representing AEW and DDT taking on LIJ’s up-and-comer, Yota Tsuji.
The match began with some chain wrestling until Takeshita threw the first shot, but it was ducked by Tsuji. He then hit Takeshita with a gut punch and a kick to the collarbone. Tsuji worked to maintain control with a shoulder tackle, but Takeshita then raked Tsuji’s eyes and sent him to the outside with a leaping clothesline. Takeshita now bounced off the ropes and dove onto Tsuji on the outside with a Tope con Hilo.
Now outside the ring, Takeshita threw Tsuji into the barricade and then dropped him throat-first on top of it. Takeshita drilled Tsuji with a forearm before taking the match back into the ring where he dove from the second rope with a senton onto Tsuji. He continued with another forearm, but he then ran into a boot from Tsuji and he then drove Takeshita’s face into the mat.
A disrespectful Boston Crab. Credit: NJPW
Tsuji pulled himself to the top rope and caught Takeshita with a diving hurricanrana sending him to the outside. He now ran across the ring and dove to the outside with a corkscrew tope to Takeshita. Tsuji then gave Takeshita a backbreaker and face-buster combination before hitting a gutbuster and locking in a Boston crab. Tsuji eventually transitioned the hold to grab Takeshita’s arms and drive his face into the mat again with a stomp.
He then attempted a suplex, but Takeshita blocked and lifted Tsuji into a devastating brainbuster. Takeshita now delivered a running forearm, a running knee and a German suplex before heading to the top rope. However, Tsuji met him up there with a quick and both men were now up top trading shots. Both men fell off the turnbuckle, but they both instantly got back up there. Tsuji quickly hit Takeshita with a headbutt and then an avalanche Spanish fly from the top.
Tope con Hilo. Credit: NJPW
Tsuji now went for the Gene Blaster, but Takeshita side-stepped and hit Tsuji with another German suplex. Takeshita followed that with another knee and a poisonrana, but Tsuji came right back at him with a superkick. Tsuji then dropped Takeshita with a Falcon arrow and both men were now down. When they both got up they began exchanging strikes in the middle of the ring with Takeshita begging for more before knocking Tsuji out with a forearm.
Takeshita attempted the Blue Thunder Bomb, but it was blocked and Tsuji hit him with an arm drag and a hurricanrana. He followed that with a stiff headbutt and the amazing Malo Crash, but it was not enough to keep Takeshita down. Tsuji knew he needed the Gene Blaster, but as he went for it Taleshita caught him with a flying knee. Takeshita now dropped Tsuji with a Blue Thunder Bomb and a Falcon Arrow to get the victory.
NJPW G1 Climax 34 Night 1 Results
G1 Climax 34 Block B Match: Boltin Oleg vs. Ren Narita
Oleg reversed an armbar into an F5 and he followed that with the Kamikaze to get the victory.
Winner: Boltin Oleg (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block A Match: Callum Newman vs. Shota Umino
Os-Cutter from Newman. Credit: NJPW
In a huge upset, Newman hit Umino with a springboard double stomp to the spine and an Os-Cutter to win his first match.
Winner: Callum Newman (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block B Match: HENARE vs. El Phantasmo
HENARE caught ELP with a liver shot before dropping him with Streets of Rage for the win.
Winner: HENARE (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block A Match: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan
O-Khan had Sabre deep in a submission, but he made the mistake of releasing the hold, which is when Sabre spiked him with a DDT. Sabre now hit the Zack Driver and earned the 2 points.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block B Match: Jeff Cobb vs. Hirooki Goto
Goto went for a roll-up, but Cobb blocked it and lifted Goto off the ground into the Tour of the Islands to get the victory.
Winner: Jeff Cobb (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block A Match: Jake Lee vs. SANADA
Jake Lee beats the former champ. Credit: NJPW
Lee ducked a springboard attempt from SANADA and then charged at him to hit the Face Break Shot to get the surprise win in under 5 minutes.
Winner: Jake Lee (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block B Match: Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay
Uemura steals the win. Credit: NJPW
Finlay got too cocky and went for a third powerbomb instead of the pin. Uemura reversed the powerbomb into a hurricanrana and held on to steal the victory with a roll-up.
Winner: Yuya Uemura (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block A Match: EVIL vs. Gabe Kidd
With the referee down, Dick Togo interfered in the match which allowed EVIL to catch Kidd with a low blow. EVIL and Togo then hit Kidd with a Magic Killer and EVIL followed that with Everything is Evil to get the win.
Winner: EVIL (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block B Match: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yota Tsuji
Winner: Konosuke Takeshita (2)
G1 Climax 34 Block A Match: Shingo Takagi vs. Tetsuya Naito
Takagi finally beats Naito. Credit: NJPW
Takagi drilled Naito with a sliding forearm and then dropped him with Last of the Dragon to get the upset victory.
