Boss Rock

Looks like it was 46:41 (I didn't watch the match). This has to be it for Gargano in NXT, right?

Yikes. I mean if Shayna had to win there was at least still the history with her and Candice.

I still think they screwed up by not having Bianca beat Shayna, especially with how their match went at Phoenix. Really seemed like they were building up to something there and the crowd was behind it.

Archer-EVIL ***3/4 Really good clash of powerhouses with Archer dominating early and EVIL never quite being able to fully recover. Push Archer. Fale-SANADA ** This was a match that happened. As clever as I think it is that Fale has been winning matches by relying on his size for all these pin variations, did he REALLY need this? I know SANADA beating Okada is really all that matters, but getting 10 points I think would have helped him break out from the rest of the pack at 8. And Fale gettting more points than Archer, who has smoked him this entire tournament, is garbage. KENTA-Sabre ***1/2 Dragged a bit in the middle and was longer than it needed to be, but this was good. Sabre dominating with submissions but every once in a while would poke the bear and get the shit kicked out of him. KENTA's run in this tournament probably had the most ups-and-downs of everyone. He had some really good performances and some rather meh ones. And even in the really good performances, his presentation as a possible top guy never quite matched his actual output. I think he would fare best as a midcard heel. Ospreay-Tanahashi ****1/2 Will Ospreay could be a top star in NJPW and this match was proof. Not only were his selling and comebacks fantastic, but the crowd was hot for him pretty much the whole time. Tana also did a great job as the finally fading for good former Ace grasping at straws. This win really felt like a changing of the guard and I hope NJPW treats it as such. Okada-Ibushi ****1/2-****3/4 I've been critical of Okada's lack of urgency even if he's been pretty great this whole tournament. But with him only needing a draw to win the block, taking it easy in the beginning really worked. The neck work was also well done and smart. It was only until Ibushi started mounting his comebacks that Okada realized he was going to need a win. This match was 25 minutes but it honestly felt like 15 with how quickly they moved down the stretch. The ending was also a bit of a surprise even if the result was not. Definitely one of the best matches of the tournament.

I'm not sure if it's a testament to NJPW being able to build new stars or just by sheer luck that screwing up with Naito didn't hurt them one iota and that they're actually doing better than ever. And I'd honestly be fine with Ibushi getting the shot even if I'm still convinced it'll be someone from the B block (Jay, sigh).

As good as Okada has been in this tournament and really this year as a whole, I've been rather critical of his lack of urgency in the beginning of these big main event matches. However, with the story being that Okada only needed a draw to win the block, the slower build was logical. His repeated targeting of the neck also made sense due to Ibushi's history of neck issues. And not just with the DDT's, but with how Okada really cranked on the chin lock (which he normally isn't very good at). It was only once Ibushi started mounting his comebacks that Okada knew he had to finish him off. Really, the whole match felt like 15 minutes as opposed to 25 as they stepped on the gas rather quickly with both guys dishing out their heaviest shots and selling this as a war. The finish seemed to come a bit out of nowhere, but maybe I'm just so used to these long reversal sequences that it caught me a bit more by surprise. And it honestly worked. I'm not quite sure if this is a MOTYC, but it's still one of the best matches of the tournament. ****1/2-****3/4

Excellent match. The fading former ace out to prove he can get one last win in a tournament he's already been eliminated from against the junior heavyweight out to prove he can beat the best heavyweights. Fantastic limbwork with Ospreay selling the leg so well. For a guy long criticized for having too much of a go-go-go style and being a bad seller, Ospreay's growth over the last two years has been rather remarkable. It all fit the narrative with Tanahashi being crafty in his limb work and Ospreay just having more gas in the tank. It made Ospreay's victory that more meaningful and feel like a real changing of the guard. Hopefully NJPW can capitalize on it. ****1/2

Thank YOU Cap.

SANADA-Archer ***3/4 Really fun sprint. Archer can do very little wrong in my book and his banter and mannerisms were just as good as his big power moves. Liked SANADA attacking the leg and finding ways to counter Archer with his athleticism. Fale-Tanhashi **1/4 I mean, I guess this wasn't terrible. Usual Fale plodding and Bullet Club BS, but the finish was actually kinda clever and rather surprising (even if I disagree with the booking). Ospreay-KENTA ****1/4 As mentioned above this was definitely KENTA's best G1 match although I think he's done a fine job overall. Ospreay is just that good in bringing the best out of his opponents. Great clash of striker vs. high-flier. Ibushi-Zack ****1/4 If you've seen their other matches you know what to expect. Great stuff and even if Ibushi's leg selling still isn't great, I felt it was better here. Okada-EVIL **** Very much like Okada's last match where they took too long to step on the gas pedal but once they did, it was pretty great. I felt like Okada was selling too much in this match. Like once he hit his turnbuckle dropkick, he laid for a good 10 seconds before following-up. I guess if he wanted to drive home how grueling the tournament is then that's fine, but it came off more as a lack of urgency which is probably the biggest criticism I have for my dude. Still, standout performance from both guys in the finishing stretch. Like Cap said in the Okada-SANADA thread, it "willed itself" into being good. Yano-Taichi **1/2 Probably the worst Yano match this tournament. The pants spot was funny but you could clearly see Taichi assisting in ripping them off. Awkward spots like that hurt this match but the finish was the sort of Yano gloriousness I live for in this tournament. Naito-Cobb ***1/4 The last few minutes of this were really good but everything before it was just "fine". Not much chemistry although Cobb throwing dudes around is still entertaining even if everything else about him leaves a lot to be desired. Moxley-Goto ****1/4 Biggest surprise of the tournament. Under 10 minutes and they had an absolute banger. Not a single down moment and the finish was pretty awesome. Jay-Juice **** Started off a tad too slow but the leg work by Jay was really good and Juice sold it like a champ. The shenanigans at the end were a bit eye roll worthy but these guys have really good chemistry. It actually makes a ton of sense considering Juice is such a likable babyface. Ishii-Shingo ****1/2 I mean, you already knew this was gonna be awesome didn't you? I can't really put into words how great this was. Just go watch it right now.

I usually think Kevin Kelly does a fine job, but him screwing up the point standings and never knowing who's eliminated or who's in contention has been awful.

It's tough because both are my all-time favorites and they both encapsulate so much of what I love in wrestling: action, drama, escalation, and ambition. Their series is probably my favorite in-ring feud ever. I just give Kobashi the slightest of edges in offense, not necessarily because his looked better than Misawa's, but his ability to utilize so many moves and know when to use them is pretty outstanding. And when doing the GME project, Kobashi had the most matches of anyone that made my list (Misawa was second). But I can absolutely see the argument for Misawa.

This. Not to say I think Ohno has been bad, he's been very good at times. But he's come nowhere near to the run he had in 2016. Bryan already has a case for best in-ring worker in WWE history.

I think if push really came to shove, I'd go with Kobashi over Misawa.

Flair>Bret: Bret was great but so many of his highly-pimped matches just come off as "really good". The Austin Mania match is the only one I really consider a classic. Kawada>Okada: Okada is my current favorite wrestler and I think some sell him short, but Kawada is a GOAT contender whereas Okada would make my top 100 but not sure my top 50. Misawa=Kobashi: Really too hard to judge. Both were tremendous for similar reasons yet both had their own unique approach. Danielson>Tsuruta: Have never been a fan of Jumbo pre-86 whereas Bryan looked like the best in the world for most of his career. Taue>Tanahashi: Tanahashi is another one I think some folks sell short and he'd probably make my top 20, but Taue is top 10.

I mentioned in the G1 thread that this was sort of like Okada and Tana's G1 match in that they played the hits from their previous match. But while that match felt more like a showcase, this felt more like a proper chapter in the Tana-Ibushi series. Ibushi's leg selling has always been spotty and he doesn't get nearly as much flak for it as Okada, Kenny, or Kento have gotten, but thankfully that was not a major point of this match. Instead, this felt like an intense struggle between a man and his idol. Ibushi considers Tana to be a god, but he was not going to take being slapped in the face lying down. The fact that they packed this much action and drama in a nearly 16 minute match is astounding and evidence that NJPW should run these matches more often. Best match of the tournament and MOTYC ****3/4

He's an excellent historian on wrestling but has always had his stylistic preferences. And being the only major wrestling journalist in the world, that inevitably shaped a lot of folks' and wrestlers' opinions on what good wrestling is.

I love Yano every year but this definitely feels like his best in a while, especially since he's been made an actual player in the tournament and hasn't been eliminated already like he was in the last two. My pick for MVP would probably be Shingo, Ishii, or Moxley. Ishii is a given as he's great every year, but Shingo has yet to have a lackluster match and even if Mox's matches haven't always been the best, they've all managed to stand out in some way.

Really wish they had picked up the pace instead of going slow the first 15-20 minutes, but it was still solid stuff and both guys sold the damage and struggle well. The last 10 minutes are a dang near masterpiece though. Very few times my heart has skipped a beat during a match this year, but it did when Okada countered the first moonsault. Tremendous final act for a match that could have been the best this year, but still very much worth watching. ****1/4

Can't remember the last time I've seen Naito use a Dragon Suplex and probably the first time I've ever seen him hit a destroyer.

Absolute bloodbath and is probably the most violent match this year. Almost like they saw Cody-Dustin and said "Hold our beers". The hammer stuff was sick and Demon going for the Fujiwara after nailing Wagner in the arm was great stuff. Wagner sold it beautifully as well although I wouldn't be surprised if his arm was seriously injured. Wasn't crazy about the finish basically being "distraction, cinder block to the head" and Wagner looking like he tapped earlier on in the match, but it was still pretty thrilling stuff. ****1/2 and I still might be underselling it.

Ishii-Yano ***3/4 They recaptured the magic of their match last year with Yano having more of a traditional match with Ishii interspersed with his usual cheating. Thought it was a bit strange for Yano to get the better of Ishii in some of the exchanges, but it's always great to see Yano prove he's more than just a comedy wrestler. Juice-Taichi *** This was fine and some the shenanigans worked better here than they did in the Jay match because Juice is a likable babyface. Juice also having the kicks scouted was a nice touch. Still, this never rose above "fine". Cobb-Goto *** These two have had much better matches together, but this was still solid. I still don't really see the "Goto is underrated and underutilized" argument as he's been quite inconsistent this tournament. Moxley-Jay ***3/4 As good as I think Jay has gotten, his tournament has been a tad disappointing. This was still a really good match though, although not on the level of a lot of Mox's other matches. Mox baiting Gedo to use the brass knucks was awesome as was his attacking Jay before the bell. Naito-Shingo ****1/2 Started off strong but then took off to a completely different level down the finishing stretch. Excellent bombfest with Naito busting out some new moves. Just a shame Shingo is the only one still at 4 right now although I expect that to change (possibly with a win over Ishii).

They look at the tiebreaker wins for each tie. They had something similar last year with Kenny, Ibushi, Naito, and Sabre all being tied at 12 but since Ibushi beat the other three, he went to the finals.

How has Demon still not received medical attention yet?

Absolutely insane match but not crazy about the finish.

It looked like Wagner tapped but I guess not?