That match wasn’t good
I liked the match. Glad Kenta didn’t take the German suplex from the outside. I wish they didn’t slo-mo the finish, with the knee connecting to Ibushi’s armpit.
. Sanada/ZSJ is MOTN so far.
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I didn’t like it. It was boring in the middle and the GTS missed badly. Sloppy. Expected more
Btw, next weekend, I just realized that there are two G1 shows, the AEW show, the Evolve show, and Extreme Rules. I’m stoked that the shows can be seen on-demand.
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So I did an average job. 3-2 as I picked a draw. I successfully predicted Archer, Fale and KENTA, but also predicted ZSJ and a draw.
Ended up 3-2 on picks (picked Sanada, Kenta, and Okada). Great first night of matches with Okada-Tanahashi and Ospreay-Archer my favorite matches of the night.
3-2 here as well. Ospreay/Archer stole the show for me.
Kenta stunk up the show for the time he was on.
Like many I ended up 3-2 in picks, but when I picked ZSJ over SANADA I realized it really could go either way.
Loved the work in the ZSJ match.
Kenta was a bit of a disappointment. The match was sloppy in parts.
Overall liked the show, the undercard did its job and went by quickly.
AXS feed wasn’t incredible in Canada. NJPW world always looks like cheap resolution and this was crisp and great. Loved it
The AXS feed looked and sounded fantastic. It was also nice to watch a live NJPW show on my big screen HD TV, as opposed to watching live on my laptop on World. I saw WH Park tweet the mic on the crowd and ring sounded like shit, but on my feed it all sounded excellent. Great job by the AXS production team.
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Wow, following all these threads is getting unwieldy. I guess that’s message board life, but would be cool if a bit of a consensus was reached how most will proceed…keep this G1 thread going? react to a new day specific thread?
After Day 1, I am riding high, 4 for 5. Bracing myself to take a beating once the B-block kicks off. Maybe my target should be to come out on top of the currently 5/5 Randobot5000!
Only match i called wrong was ZSJ vs Sanada. And while watching, yeah i could see how both of them could benefit from having a strong start. I see both ending with high totals.
That was also my favorite match of the night though not most anticipated. I felt it was the most innovative by far and went at a fast pace.
Next favorite, somewhat surprisingly ended up being Archer VS Ospreay. Though while watching it, I felt it was going too long, production seemed to have too many extreme close-ups. But Ospreay as a performer is just fantastic. I think he will continue to bring it every match, though i don’t expect him to win many. (A surprise upset over Fale is the only victory i have him down for). Also, while i like people changing up their looks…I didn’t dig Archer’s new look so much.
I was excited to see Ibushi VS Kenta but ending fell kinda flat for me. Maybe Kenta is limited in what he can do. All speculation aside, i think i was also taken out of it a bit seeing him wrestle with same heel repertoire as his recent 205 run. Was hoping for something a bit more fresh, a la the Moxley busting out of the mold. After he put Ibushi over, maybe we’ll see him change things up a bit more and play it down the line instead of purely heel-ish.
Tanahashi VS Okada was very good, it just didn’t seem to achieve any of the heights of their previous matches, I liked how they put it right at the start of the tournament for a change but it also may have cost it some of the drama their matches always have. I’m sure that might be a completely different story for people that were there watching live.
On that note, I have to admit that as good as Kelly and Rocky, and when he is around, Charlton are on commentary… I ultimately prefer to watch with Japanese commentary. Not to sound like a purist snob, I am just a huge sucker for the intensity of the Japanese team’s calls, and expect to watch the rest on World w/ J commentary.
Fale VS EVIL…just ok, not like i expected much going in. I feel like they could be telling story of EVIl spurning his LIJ mates’ support, thus things not going so well for him, lost mojo etc. If that’s case, not so clear a story here though as with the ref bump leading to him going to cheat - not much of a change in character. So then when Fale cheated in return, where’s the heat? And while I am grateful that Fale didn’t get any outside help, that also didn’t serve to add to an EVIL/LIJ story…
I would take AXS over NJPW world any day. Not sure how it was in the States but in Canada AXS was king
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1-4. Utterly pathetic. Strong booking for Archer and Kenta when for a year it seemed Ibushi and Osprey were to be featured. The Okada/Tana match was…good, not great.
Weird show. But happy the crowd sounded lively.
I hear ya. I think if Ibushi is on the path to victory that seems to be a nearly if not totally unanimous expectation, this is like the wake up call disappointment before begets his string of victories leading him to the top. I also think they needed to reintroduce Kenta strong. Though i was wondering if they would have him break out a new finisher or something. Ending with the GTS was fine, i don’t mind if it hit the chest instead of the face even, but the way it was carried out was kinda anticlimactic.
I don’t think Archer will get too strong a run, tho they must give him something as a renewed character no longer part of the KES package. I’ll maintain my stance, which has been seeming like some pretty unsuccessful debate bait, that Ospreay will not get many wins but still look great on account of him being a ‘junior heavy.’
This crowd’s energy plus the amazing buzz at MSG has me sold on belief that a 100% New Japan crowd is the best kinda crowd…sights set on Hammerstein in September!
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I do as well.
Anyone else notice that Shingo and Juice are about the same size? That man is a beast!
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Yeah, Juice is looking a little “juiced”.
(Also, 1-4 for me, with Okada getting me the only win).
I went almost all in on Ospreay in my bracket… Even though it’s entirely possible that he’s not going to do great and just be successful because he is a junior in the heavyweight tourney, every indication I see is that he is their pick for the Kenny Omega slot of being the non-Japanese face of the promotion, so I’m expecting him to have a strong run and be in it all the way to the last two shows or so. The layout of the match last night I think is setting up the story that Will is a killer but still has difficulty against the monsters, setting up a big victory over Fale.
I think he’ll make a big run and be stopped by Tanahashi on the last night of Block B, establishing him as top tier knocking on the door of the tippy top level.
Well my A Block picks were woeful, at least I had Lance over Will for my 1-4 standings. Really counting on B Block for me this year!
Psyched for the G1 to get back under way. Was fascinating listening to the G1 primer show (after night 1 already happened - had quite some catching up to do) and i love how John and Wai and WH all had different plausible predictions for finalist scenarios…If only the WWE currently had 10% of that level of intrigue.
Looking at Saturday’s show, seems like i made a very safe set of predictions. i don’t see anything resembling an upset in the lot…
Naito over Yano
White over Goto
Ishii over Cobb
Moxley over Taichi
Robinson over Shingo
Anyone go out on any limbs?
Dont see this happening.