07/08/2019
REVIEW OF NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING G1 EVENT IN DALLAS TEXAS.
Dallas Texas
July 5-6, 2019
This is my review for NJPW G1 that was held in Dallas Texas my home area.
To start have to go back to the 5th for the press conference which was outstanding the crowd was amazing and it felt like the wrestlers and company were shocked to see the love and support NJPW has here in the DFW area. I did not get a press pass do to being so new at this I wanted to watch and see what the press did as a fan. Which was very educational for me. I had the honor of meeting and getting to talk to Jyushin Thunder Liger, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Now on to the show.
This was the largest show I have reviewed to date and have to say it really felt like I was back in Texas Stadium when Kerry VonErich beat Ric Flair for the NWA World Title. Though the event did not sell out the crowd was just amazing in their response and love for NJPW. From me personally to NJPW thank you so much for putting on this show and I really hope to see NJPW back here in the DFW area soon.
Match 1.
Sho & Yoh vs IWGP World Tag Team Champs Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga
This was a great opening match to get everyone jacked and prepped for what was to come. Personally, I love both these Tag Teams and they showed why NJPW has the best Tag Team Division in all the world. Several times it really looked like Sho & Yoh were going to get the win and it went back and forth in and out of the ring. But in the end, the Big Men Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga came out with the win.
Winner: Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga
3 stars
Match 2.
S***a Umino &Tomohiro Ishii vs Jeff Cobb and Ren Narita
Ishii came out to a massive pop from the crowd to start this match off which I was smiling to see how much the fans loved him. Now as this match started I was figuring it was going to be the typical highlight young lion with star match to show off the young linos like we see others do. Oh hell no that's not what happened here. Ishii and Cobb went after each other with a vengeance and I was surprised by it. These two men really went at it for the first five minutes. I also was shocked when Cobb who is a massive man hit a dropkick out of nowhere. As the match went on we did get to see what Umino and Rarita could do and they looked solid. I do believe soon these two will be out of the dojo and off to CMLL or maybe ROH for the year away from the company and come back and be new superstars. In the end Jeff Cobb and Ren Narita got the win but it did not end there as Ishii and Cobb would go at it again till every young lion in the building was in the ring to break it up. I do think this is going to lead to the two men in a match for the Never Open Weight Title.
Winner: Jeff Cobb & Ren Narita
2.5 Stars
Match 3
Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto vs Chase Owens & Jay White
The start of this match Goto got a massive babyface pop and it was loud. Then Jay came out and got a massive Heel pop and it was loud. Jay would do what great heels would do with the crowd and it worked he was amazing at it. The match was a great solid tag match with the fans getting emotional and going back and forth with Owens and White breaking the rules time and time again on Yoshi-Hashi until he was able to give Goto the hot tag and the fight was on. This was an outstanding classic Babyface vs Heels tag team match which I have missed in another company for years. But this was just fun to enjoy. In the end, the team of Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto would get the win.
Winner: Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto
3 stars
Match 4
Jyushin Thunder Liger, Juice Robinson, & Toru Yano vs. BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito
Okay on this match the opening has to be talked about. When Liger came out the place exploded he got an amazing pop probably the loudest of the night Texas was saying thank you for all the years and how much everyone loved him and you could tell Liger was not expecting it and he really responded to the fans. It was an amazing moment. Juice came out to a great welcome as well but nothing like Ligers. Then came Yano and he got a big pop shoot, Yano, BUSHI and Shingo all three got amazing pops from the crowd and then came Naito and almost just like Ligers pop the place exploded for him. Even during the match you have Liger and Naito's chants going and they were loud and you could see the wrestlers responding to the fans. This like the match before was a classic babyface vs heels match up till Yano got into the ring and then the playbook went out the door. With his usual Chaos taking place and in the end Yano would do a low blow on Bushi and roll him up for the win. In the end, Liger would get a roaring send-off from the crowd thanking him for the 30 plus years he has been wrestling knowing this might have been his last match in DFW.
Winner: Jyushin Thunder Liger, Juice Robinson, and Toru Yano
3 stars
Match 5.
Will Ospreay vs Lance Archer
This was the first match of the G1 and it did not disapoint, Archer came out to a mixed crowd of boo's and cheer's, but he was still in his home town. Ospreay came out with the Jr Heavyweight title on and once again he crowd exploded in cheers for him. This match was outstanding with Ospreay pulling out all the stops in his move set even shocking everyone when the got Archer up for his finisher. But in the end, Archer was just way too big and powerful for Ospreay to overcome and Archer using the Iron Claw made famous by the VonErich's to get the win.
Winner: Lance Archer
4 stars
Match 6
EVIL vs Bad Luck Fale
This match was a classic Big Man's match with Fale coming out to massive boo's and EVIL coming out to cheer's it was clear who the crowd was behind. This match was just a ground and pound match between to powerhouses of men. In the end, EVIL would bring in two chairs, but it would backfire when the ref was outside the ring Fale would hit a low blow on EVIL and then use the chairs to lead up to him getting the win. All in all a good solid match from both men.
Winner: Bad Luck Fale
Match 7
SANADA vs Zack Sabre Jr.
This Match was in my view the best match of the night hands down. First, both SANADA and Zack Sabre Jr. came out to massive pops from the fans which was wild by the reaction even before they started. This match was a classic hold and counter hold match and it really had some high drama in it as Sabre would get upset from time to time with the ref. In the end, you knew that someone would make just a minor mistake and it would cost them and right around the twenty-minute mark it happened. Saber went for a bridge pin and it backfired when SANADA would switch it and get the pin and win. Saber would be furious as SANADA exited the ring quick. Saber would then attack the ref and put him in a submission hold. It would take several of the young lions to get the ref out of it. A very classic heel ending which Sabre pulled off perfectly.
Winner: SANADA
4.5 stars
Match 8
Kota Ibushi vs KENTA
At the start of this match, something I had never seen before took place. The Ref Red Shoes Hiroyuki Unno came out and the Crowd went nuts this moment was one of the biggest pops for anyone in the event. I have never seen a ref get this kind of reaction in all my life and Hiroyuki Unno would respond to the crowd with a respectful bow in the ring. Both Ibushi and KENTA would get massive pops from the crowd as they came out and KENTA would respond to the crowd with thanks. You could see KENTA was very glad to see all the fans and how much he was loved. This match was outstanding from the start going back and forth with high flying moves and strikes from both men. The match would fall out into the arena a could of times but it really was something to see. I personally was surprised by the way it ended in a good way do to you really did not know who was going to pull off the win. In the end, KENTA would hit Go to Sleep on Ibuishi and take the win.
Winner: KENTA
4 Stars
Match 9 Main Event
Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
What can I say about this match? A match that has two of my Favorite Wrestlers going up against each other. Two Wrestlers who in my viewpoint are the Greatest Wrestlers today no matter what a certain person in another company says. These two men are in my viewpoint the best in the world today. First to come out was Hiroshi Tanahashi and the building exploded for him the crowd went totally nuts it was amazing and the building did not sell out which from how loud the crowd was me included you could not tell it. Second out in all his glory was the IWGP World Champion Kauchika Okada. Once again the crowd responded just like they did with Tanahashi showing how much they loved Okada. Once both men were in the ring, before they even started they got a standing ovation from the crowd. From one who has seen these two men several times go to war including their classic at Wrestle Kingdom 9, I was expecting a lot from them. They did not disappoint and gave us a classic match once again. Like the SANADA vs Saber match, it would come down to one person making a small mistake and that would be when Tanahashi went for his High Fly Flow for the second time and Okada would bring his knees up catching Tanahashi in the stomach after that Okada took charge and in the end would hit the Rainmaker and pick up the win. This match was just amazing to watch and the crowd response was shown.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada
4.5 Stars
Aftermath.
When all was done Kazuchika Okada would give a great thank you speech to the crowd in English which he did a great job. In it, he thanked everyone for coming. Talked about how the G1 was just starting and how special it was to have it in Dallas. Okada also promised that NJPW would return someday to Dallas which again the crowd responded with massive cheers. In the end, the show was one of the best I have ever seen live. NJPW did an amazing job. Just wish it would have sold out. But you can bet next time it will. To NJPW and to all in the company who made this event take place. Thank you so much.
To everyone who came out and enjoyed the event Thank you for showing up its an amazing feeling when you see this company come all the way from Japan to my backyard basicly and put on this type of an amazing show.
