January 22, 201114 yr Author comment_5462709 This match shows me how well-booked this tournament was. Chono knows his role well and continues to heel it up. Great past vs present dynamic with Chono dominating and Choshu selling most of the way. I love Fujinami at ringside slapping Choshu around to try to get him back into it, with the crowd loudly chanting his name. Choshu locks on the scorpion, which no one buys as the finish, probably because Choshu had taken so much punishment and Chono had taken so little. The second time he does, he gets a little more heat than before, as he gives him a great lariat first, but the finish still seems anti-climatic because it was unexpected. Still, great ending to a good tournament.
July 3, 201411 yr comment_5610758 Earlier in the card Chono had gone through a 25m war whereas Choshu was coming in fresh. Because of Chono's exceptional G-1 record and better conditioning it was well set up for the final though. He beat on the veteran for a while which got the crowd going. When the counter attack came it was decisive, as Riki Lariato wins his only Climax. A highly popular decision it was too in a very well booked tournament. There were heated rivalries built up for the coming months, classic rivalries revisited, injuries being perfectly utilised for storyline purposes, as well as plenty of upsets and surprises. It was a huge commercial success too. These days not even Sumo can pack the Ryogoku Kokugikan 5 days in a row.
March 16, 201510 yr comment_5658948 Definitely the best G1 since '91, and the most wide-open tournament since then. Great old vs. new vibe here with Fujinami in Choshu's corner, and the old dog managing to pull out the win really feels earned, as opposed to a booker jacking off.
September 9, 201510 yr comment_5697896 Pretty beautiful pro wrestling match showing the old guard rising up one more time against the king of the G-1. Chono was dominant on top and really put Choshu against the odds. Fujinami slapping him around was a great moment and the eruption at the submission on the scorpion was highly rewarding. The last two matches really made the G-1 feel great overall. ***3/4
November 29, 20177 yr comment_5822412 It's been one hell of a G1 and at this point I'm actually sucked into the gravitas of this being the final. As far as the work goes, I don't really think this was that good -- but it doesn't really matter, the atmosphere and crowd heat carry it. Fujinami firing Choshu up was one hell of a high spot and Choshu's comeback worked really well. Nice feel-good post-match celebration.
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