New Japan World Pro Wrestling on AXS
July 3, 2015

SO MUCH JAPANESE WRESTLING TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND. Tonight though, we look at the final FOUR matches to close out the fourth night of the G1 Climax 24 round-robin tournament.

Your hosts are Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett.

• G1 Climax 24 Block A: Shinsuke Nakamura [4] vs. Yuji Nagata [2] (Night Four – 7/26/14)
  

This one is clipped quite a bit. They do some mat stuff to start with Nagata concentrating on the arm. We move on to Nakamura burying some knees into Nagata and doing the shaky boot choke. During an exchange in the middle of the ring, Nagata ducks the heel kicks from Nakamura and lands a spinning heel kick of his own. Nagata builds to a Backdrop Suplex and gets a nearfall. He wants the Wrist Clutch Exploder, but Nakamura will not stand for that and hits the BOMA YE for the two points. (5:03 shown) Not enough to rate here, but this felt like Nakamura just letting the old man shine a little bit at his expense.

• G1 Climax 24 Block B: AJ Styles [2] vs. Tetsuya Naito [6] (Night Four – 7/26/14)
  

Another clip job. AJ looks to be the first gaijin to win the G1 Climax while Naito is looking to be the first repeat winner since Hiroyoshi Tenzan in 2003 and 2004. Naito has a bandage on his forehead, which AJ immediately goes after with a headlock that he stays with for several minutes. Naito does the leapfrog-dropdown-dropkick bit that AJ always does. After he escapes a headlock, Styles shows him the dropkick bit is done. Springboard forearm smash busts open Naito real good. Naito comes back with the dropkick routine in the corner. He looks for a hurracanrana, but AJ blocks trying the SUPER STYLES CLASH. Naito escapes and dropkicks AJ as he comes off the middle rope. High angle German suplex gets two. Naito absorbs some blows from AJ and hits an enziguri. With AJ staggered, he lands a flying forearm. Gloria leads to the STARDUST PRESS and Naito just pinned the IWGP champ. (7:04 shown) Almost half the match given to us, but not enough to rate. Styles is just on fire in 2014 though.

• G1 Climax 24 Block B: Kazuchika Okada [6] (w/Gedo) vs. Karl Anderson [2] (Night Four – 7/26/14)
  

Rematch from the 2012 G1 Climax finals where Okada won, obvs. Anderson BUM RUSHES THE SHOW and beats Okada out to the floor for some evil guardrail action. Okada comes back with a DDT and flapjack. He dropkicks Anderson off the top turnbuckle and brings him back inside for the Flying Elbow. All VINTAGE OKADA. Anderson avoids the Reverse Neckbreaker and hits a Running Ligerbomb for two. Nice Flying Neckbreaker scores another nearfall on Okada. Anderson delivers the BERNARD DRIVER on Okada for 1-2-NO! He tries desperately for the GUN STUN, but Okada won’t have it. He delivers the Tombstone and finishers are countered until Anderson finally lands the GUN STUN for the win. (5:44 shown) Of what we got here, it’s just trading shine sequences. Almost half, but not quite.

• G1 Climax 24 Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [6] vs. Katsuyori Shibata [4] (Night Four – 7/26/14)
  

YES SHIBATA. After Dominion, I am high on Shibata right now. These two were Young Lions back in the year 2000. They didn’t like each other then and don’t like each other now. Short feeling out process to start. Shibata goes for the PK early, but Tanahashi ducks out. Tanahashi baits Shibata outside and hits him with a pescado. Looks like Shibata might have hurt his right knee, so Tanahashi looks to capitalize. Tanahashi misses a crossbody block in the corner and get kicked out to the floor. We get some ringside violence for a minute or so with Shibata in control. His knee seems fine right now. Back in, Tanahashi comes back with a flying forearm and hits a senton bomb for two. Shibata cuts off Tanahashi with a knee to the gut and starts destroying his jaw with forearm smashes down in the corner. Hesitation dropkick connects. They trade German suplexes with Shibata going for the PK, but Tanahashi catches the kick and hits a pair of Dragon Screw leg whips. Time for the Cloverleaf, but Shibata reaches the ropes. Crowd is chanting for Shibata too. He grabs a choke sleeper on Tanahashi and weakens him down for the PK, but Tanahashi ducks and hits the Sling Blade. HIGH FLY FLOW to the back! He turns him over for another HIGH FLY FLOW, but Shibata brings the knees up to block. They stand up in the middle of the ring trading elbows. Shibata knocks Tanahashi silly with a spinning back fist though. Go 2 Sleep is countered into a small package once, but not a second time. Shibata hits the PK and covers Tanahashi for the win. (16:16) Another huge win in the tournament for Shibata where he also defeated Nakamura. Good action, but not much of a story as they abandoned the knee thing or Shibata was just being a dick feigning the injury. ***¼

NEXT WEEK: We head into NIGHT FIVE of the G1 Climax 24. We’ll see the rematch from Wrestle Kingdom 8 where Kazuchika Okada takes on Tetsuya Naito! Plus, Hiroshi Tanahashi meets Bad Luck Fale of the Bullet Club while Shinsuke Nakamura takes on Tomoaki Honma.