New Japan Pro Wrestling On AXS Recap (8/7): Two Hour Episode, 2014 G1 Climax Finals, AJ Styles, More
Welcome to Wrestling Inc's coverage of NJPW on AXS. This two hour episode features several matches from the 2014 G1 Climax Finals. Also, don't forget to check out the updated of the 2015 G1 Climax Tournament at this link.
- We see clips of Tomoaki Honma vs. Tetsuya Naito. The crowd is completely behind Honma, but he misses a diving headbutt early on, an Naito takes control. Honma still manages a suplex and a series of chops in the corner. A bulldog sets up a big headbutt from Honma, but he misses one from the top. Naito wins with a reverse DDT and a Stardust Press.
- Next up is clips of Karl Anderson vs. Tomohiro Ishii. Takahashi is ringside with Anderson, representing Bullet Club. Ishii is busted open from his face early, and it doesn't keep him from demolishing Anderson with a headbutt. Takahashi interferes, but YOSHI-HASHI makes the save for Ishii. Anderson ends up winning with a Gun Stun.
- Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hirooki Goto is up next in an awesome, hard-hitting match. Goto cleans Shibata's clock big time with a forearm, but Shibata comes back with an absolutely sick spinning backhand. Katsuyori Shibata picks up the victory following a GTS and a Penalty Kick.
AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
The two start off trading holds, then arm drags as the two get to a stalemate. Styles lands one of his beautiful dropkicks, which the crowd appreciates, and follows up with a backbreaker. Tanahashi ends up crotches on the top rope, where Styles takes advantage by giving him the rodeo low blow. Styles goes for a springboard forearm, but Tanahashi pushes him outside to the floor. Tanahashi leaps the guard rail with a body press. Both men barely make it back in the ring before the 20 count.
Tanahashi hits a Slingblade and a capture German suplex, but Styles kicks out at two. Tanahashi kicks his way out of a Styles Clash, but eats a neckbreaker for a two count right after. Styles lands on his feet after a German attempt, and Tanahashi rewards him with a huge Dragon Suplex for a two count. It doesn't seem to bother Styles that much, as moments later he totally plants Tanahashi with a big Super Frankensteiner.
Styles goes for a Styles Clash, but instead kills Tanahashi with a Ganso Bomb. Tanahashi. Styles goes up top for a High Fly Flow, but Tanahashi gets his knees up. Styles does the same on Tanahashi's attempt, and they're both down. Styles gets the Bloody Sunday, but Tanahashi rolls Styles up for the win. The crowd goes nuts.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall
Bullet Club jumpes Tanahashi after the match and Styles finishes him off with a Styles Clash. Jeff Jarrett makes the save with Scott D'Amore at his side. Jeff Jarrett reveals a Bullet Club logo on his guitar and cracks Tanahashi with it.
At his post-match press conference, Tanahashi says there's no one like AJ Styles in wrestling.
2014 G1 Climax Finals
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Okada
The two try to gain an advantage grappling, but neither man ends up any better off than the other, so Okada just hits a DDT and kicks Nakamura in the head. Nakamura sidesteps a charging Okada, and the two end up trading big strikes, which Nakamura wins. Okada is nailed with a big kick after Good Vibrations, but he kicks out at two. Nakamura decides that killing Okada with about three knees back-to-back is a good idea, and it serves him well, sending Okada outside the ring.
Nakamura controls the match for several minutes, but gets dropkicked off the top rope down to the floor. Okada whips Nakamura into the guard rail before booting him over. Back in the ring, Okada hits the flying elbow drop and signals for the Rainmaker. Nakamura reverses it into a back stabber as we go to a commercial break.
As we come back, Nakamura keeps working a triangle choke, but he can't seem to finish off Okada. These two have already gone at it seemingly for 20 minutes when Okada hits a totally insane front dropkick. Okada tries to Irish whip Nakamura, and Shinsuke just collpases. He may have been playing possum, however, as Nakamura hits two straight Boma Yes. Okada answers with another huge dropkick, which leaves both men down in the ring.
Okada gets a two off of a German suplex, but Nakamura blocks a Rainmaker with his knee. He hits three huge Rainmakers in a row for the pinfall victory. This was a fantastic match. Okada wins the 2014 G1 Climax Tourney.
Winner: Okada via pinfall (Rainmaker) to become 2014 G1 Climax Tournament winner
- We get post match interviews with Okada, Gedo and Nakamura talking about the match and how intense the G1 Climax Tournament is.