New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 27 – Night 6
July 25 2017
Big Palette Fukushima
Fukushima, Japan

Watch: NJPW World

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Here are the results from the undercard tag team matches:

• Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Kota Ibushi & Shota Umino
• Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI def. Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitamura
• Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi def. Yuji Nagata & Hirai Kawato
• Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi def. Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Taichi
• Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay def. Hirooki Goto & Jado

MICHAEL ELGIN (2) DEF. SATOSHI KOJIMA (0)

This match had a neat little story going, where Kojima would do something to Elgin, but Elgin would come back and do it so much harder. Kojima did his corner chops, and a minute later, Elgin did them right back to him. He hit a DDT on the apron, and Elgin came back by powerbombing Koji on the apron. Koji hit the lariat to the back of Elgin’s head, so Elgin responded with two really hard lariats that got a 2 count. Elgin buckle bombs Kojima, but Kojima explodes out of the corner with a big lariat. Elgin gets control back and heads to the top rope, but Kojima cuts him off. They battle on the top rope before Elgin hits a sunset flip powerbomb and rolls into an Elgin Bomb to get the win. Again, a neat little match. ***1/2

EVIL (4) DEF. TAMA TONGA (2)

They immediately go outside and start brawling. Tama brings EVIL to the back of the building and throws him into a lifting gate. There’s a big countout tease, but EVIL gets back into the ring at 19. EVIL dragged Tama to the outside and hit him with a chair. They counter finishers for a while before EVIL hits his fireman’s carry powerbomb for 2. STO attempt got stuffed, and Tonga hit his jumping DDT for 2. They have a mad scramble in the last 30 seconds until EVIL hit his EVIL STO for the win. It was a tale of two matches. The first half was pointless brawling, the second half was pretty smooth in-ring. The end result was a forgettable match with a cool finish. **3/4

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MINORU SUZUKI (4) DEF. JUICE ROBINSON (2)

When I saw Juice Robinson limp into the ring for this match, I knew he was a dead man walking. Suzuki immediately went after his knee, jumping him before the bell. He destroyed Juice’s knee with a barricade and a chair. Juice had a target on his leg, and Suzuki was taking all the shots. But Juice has Heart and Honor. He valiantly fought back, even if most of his fight was just landing chops. He kept standing, even though everyone in the building knew Suzuki was gonna rip his leg off. There is just something about Juice that makes a match like this, which was as one-sided as a G1 match will get, still feel interesting. He’s got that babyface fire. In the end though, Suzuki knocked Juice out with a punch, and pinned him after a Gotch-style piledriver. ***1/2

KENNY OMEGA (6) DEF. TORU YANO (2)

I hope you’re sitting down for this. These two men, known for being comedic at times, had a comedy match. In the middle of the GRADE ONE CLIMAX. These two men should be ashamed, they should be disappointed in themselves, and they should both apologize to their mothers for their actions.

If you didn’t know what this was going to be, you have clearly never heard of Kenny Omega or Toru Yano. In fact, I’m surprised Kenny didn’t pull out the rainbow tights for this one, as this was rainbow tights territory here. There was powder. There was a bucket. Both men’s feet got taped together, and Kenny somehow did a double stomp with a very limited vertical leap. It was harmless, and I don’t blame you if you skipped it. But, I enjoyed it, and I have no doubt it will get a stupid amount of heat on Twitter. Omega V-Triggered a taped-up Yano to the floor for the countout win. ***

KAZUCHIKA OKADA (6) DEF. SANADA (2)

SANADA took control in the first few minutes by faking a knee injury. Okada dumped SANADA into the crowd and hit his big dive over the barricade. SANADA got control back by crotching Okada on the ropes. Okada does his comeback and goes for the Rainmaker, but SANADA ducks it and hits a back suplex for 2. SANADA moonsaults into a Skull End, but Okada gets the ropes. A TKO from SANADA gets 2. SANADA hooks Okada in the Skull End on the top rope, but Okada drags him down into a Tombstone in the middle of the ring. Okada hits a couple big dropkicks before a Rainmaker attempt, but SANADA moves. They trade positions before SANADA hits his own Tombstone into a Skull End. Okada makes the ropes, so SANADA hits a moonsault and locks Okada in the Skull End again. Okada rolls out, hits a Rainmaker, and HOLDS ONTO THE WRIST. He hits a second Rainmaker, and after a scramble, hits a third one to get the win.

The start of the match was a bit tedious, but it escalated well. I expected a little more from this one. That may be unfair of me because they’re in the middle of the G1 and can’t afford to go all out every night and survive to the end. With Okada keeping the wrist like he does in big time matches, I think they wanted this to be a big deal that SANADA could hang with the champ. It just didn’t reach that next level, though. ***1/2

FINAL THOUGHTS

There wasn’t anything from this show that will be remembered by the end of this G1. Some fun matches, but nothing you have to go out of your way to check out.