G-1 Climax 1996 - Part 2
Posted by Justin Baisden on 08.06.1996
More solid heavyweight action.
G-1 CLIMAX 1996 PART 2
After this review has run its course on the main page, I’ll merge this review with the first part. We all know how lazy we are; who in their right mind wants to exert the energy needed to hit “back” on their browser and then click on the second part?
KAZUO YAMAZAKI (4 points) vs MASAHIRO CHONO (2 points)
Hey… how much would you like to bet that Chono attacks Yamazaki’s hand within say… five minutes? Bets? Anyone? They play the ground game for a while. Chono gets dirty as he stands on Yamazaki’s hand (DUH). Yamazaki rolls out and Chono gives chase only to take a roundhouse kick to the head. Come on Chono… that’s a rookie mistake. Hell, Chono pulled that same trick on Kojima in the opening match on the first tape. Yamazaki misses the Enzugiri and Chono goes to town with a Wakigatame. He redeems his previous stupidity by wrenching on Yamazaki’s hand while holding the arm bar. CHONO IS THE KING OF KINGS! Chono fires off an armbreaker but Yamazaki counters with a German suplex and slaps on grounded sleeper. How does Chono escape? FINGERS! Yamazaki might as well have a neon sign pointing to his hand. He’s forced to let go and Chono goes to work with an Octopus Hold while wrenching on the hand. HA HA! I LOVE THIS SHIT! Chono breaks it open with an Inverted Atomic Drop and looks for an STF but settles for a single leg crab. Good enough as a softener for the big move while still acting as a tease to the crowd. Yamazaki reaches the ropes but Chono is relentless as he pulls him back into the middle and this time slaps on the STF! Yamazaki inches and crawls to the ropes but Chono puts the icing on the cake as he applies a finger clamp while still in the STF! THAT’S BRILLIANT! Of course Yamazaki is forced to tap out. Another very good match out of Chono. Very simple match with great crowd heat and great psych and Chono brought all sorts of pain to the hand while still getting in all of his usual offense. ***
KENSUKE SASAKI (4 points) vs RIKI CHOSYU (4 points)
Oh now this should prove interesting. It’s student vs teacher. Chosyu has been good enough to impart the fine are of no selling onto young Sasaki. He’s also given lengthy lessons in the field of lariat. He has also… well… um… uh… that’s about all he’s imparted on Sasaki. Unfortunately, Sasaki elected to take those lessons as primary factors in his style rather than incorporating them as subsidiary factors in what used to be a hard worth ethic. Sasaki becomes the fan favourite (well… I like him more) by slapping Chosyu in the face. Much yelling by Sasaki ensues, which I’m sure sounds a lot like “FUCK YOU OLD MAN! YOU SEE THIS MULLET!? IT RULES IT OVER YOU!” Old man Chosyu comes back and stiffs Sasaki with a right cross. Hmm… I wonder if Regal and Chosyu went to the same wrestling school? Chosyu lays in the boots but he’s still selling the right cross. He’s got quite the dazed look in his eyes. Chosyu looks for a Superplex but Sasaki blocks and hits a diving elbow. Sasaki stays on the attack with his Ippon Seionage and goes back to the Strangle Hold Gamma. He’s got that thing locked in real tight. “RECOGNIZE THE MULLET! I’VE EVEN GOT STUPID SHIT SHAVED INTO THE SIDES OF MY HEAD! GOD MY MULLET RULES IT OVER YOU!” Chosyu is in all sorts of trouble as “CHO SYU! CHO SYU!” rings out through the building. I’ll never understand why people get behind this guy to this degree. Sasaki lets go and goes back on the attack with a BIG TIME lariat. Chosyu is reeling but he’s got a “YOU AIN’T SHIT!” look on his face. Sasaki brings the pain again with another lariat, netting a 2 and 9/10 count. Irish whip but Chosyu counters with a foot to the gut and charges for a lariat but Sasaki counters with the Ippon Seionage only to have Chosyu roll through into a choke sleeper. Sasaki catches a breather but Chosyu literally drags him right back in like he’s some punk ass kid who’s momma is gonna give him a whoopin, and goes back to the choke sleeper. Sasaki tries to hold on and refuses to tap out. Eventually the referee has to call for the bell. Great booking here as the student looks to have stepped up to the next level in the face of his teacher’s offense. This was a very intense match with stiff work and mega level heat. This was a lot better than I was expecting. ***1/4 Post match has Sasaki throw a monster tantrum and tearing at the ref’s shirt so Chosyu STEAMROLLS HIM with a Riki Lariat. The ref actually counts the three. HA HA HA! Now THAT’S funny!
SHIRO KOSHINAKA (2 points) vs KEIJI MUTOH (2 points)
They kill off the first five minutes with basically an extended feel out process. They break it open with Koshinaka hitting ASS POWER! Mutoh manages to take the advantage with his patented handspring elbow – face buster – springboard dropkick. You know, not to knock on Mutoh’s opponents but you would figure they’d have discovered by this point that he does the same moves in the exact same sequence every match. I mean come on, if you’re being whipped into the corner by Mutoh, you KNOW the handspring elbow is coming by virtue of the fact HE DOESN’T DO ANYTHING ELSE! WAKE UP! Anyway, back to the match as Mutoh looks for a top rope Frankensteiner but Koshinaka counters with a SUPERBOMB and hits the Dragon Suplex for 2 and 9/10. SEE? HOW HARD WAS THAT? Mutoh only uses one move from the top, so it was countered. Why oh why doesn’t this apply all the time? I know wrestling is about suspending belief and all that jazz but IT’S THE SAME MOVE EVERY MATCH! Now Koshinaka hits a powerbomb for 2 and 9/10. Now THAT is what you classify as a wake up call. They didn’t just warm up the crowd, the moves came so fast it whipped them into a frenzy. Koshinaka hits SUPER ASS POWER and another powerbomb for 2 and 9/10. AWESOME! Koshinaka looks for more ASS POWER but Mutoh counters with the ever dangerous Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Mutoh’s got a classic look on his face along the lines of “what the hell just hit me?” Koshinaka sells it like a champ (of course). Mutoh again looks for the Frankensteiner but that’s blocked so he hits a SUPER DRAGON SCREW and follows up with the Moonsault and goes for the Figure Four but Koshinaka REVERSES! INSIDE CRADLE! 1… 2… 2 AND 9/10! ANOTHER POWERBOMB! 1… 2… 2 AND 9/10! Mutoh flies out of nowhere with a Dragon Screw and it’s THE FIGURE FOUR! THE ROOF IS BLOWN OFF! Koshinaka tries to hold on but he just can’t do it, as his knees are a mess from the Dragon Screw. Terrific match with mega heat and near falls coming out of the wazoo. ***1/2
SHIRO KOSHINAKA (2 points) vs SATOSHI KOJIMA (0 points)
The first portion follows the formula of “I beat you, you no sell. Now you beat me, I no sell.” Koshinaka settles it down with ASS POWER and follows up with a nice Backdrop Suplex. Ground work kills a few minutes and Koshinaka goes back on the attack but Kojima no sells. Oy… this no selling is starting to get on my nerves. Kojima manages a lariat and goes to the flying forearm – diving elbow but the elbow misses. Koshinaka looks for ASS POWER but it’s no sold (now I’m just getting pissed off) and Kojima hits three consecutive lariats for 2 and ¾. The Diving Elbow gets 2 and ¾. Split Legged Spinebuster gets 2 and ¾. Irish whip is countered into a sunset flip for 2 and ¾. Koshinaka hits a Missile Dropkick (?) and his trademark powerbomb for 2 and 9/10. He looks for another powerbomb but Kojima reverses into a Rana, botching it so badly that he nearly self Ganso Bomb’s himself. YIKES! Now he hits a powerbomb for 2 and 9/10. He looks to end it with a Moonsault but that misses and Koshinaka looks to capitalize with an Inside Cradle only to have it reversed by Kojima for the requisite upset by a rookie over a vet. No selling bothered the hell out of me and self Ganso Bombs are never a good thing but the rest of this match was really good with more great crowd participation. **3/4
KENSUKE SASAKI (4 points) vs SHINYA HASHIMOTO (0 points)
Hash does some jaw jacking but Sasaki shuts him up with a dropkick. Sasaki beats the living hell out of Hash with mega stiff chops and loads of kicks to Hash’s striking leg. Right on with the psych carried over from the Tenzan match. Sasaki treats Hash like his bitch for the most part with Hash only getting in some chops and kicks for small portions of the match. They keep showing Hash’s doctor at ringside. Sasaki keeps bringing the pain as he actually POWERBOMBS Hashimoto! WOW! Sasaki charges for a lariat but Hash chops him down. A DDT is segued into a Jujigatame but Sasaki makes the ropes. He comes back with more shots to the leg and his trademark powerslam for 2 and ½. Sasaki fires off three consecutive lariats (kind of like the Chosyu match from the first tape) and sends Hash reeling back, perfectly setting up the Ippon Seionage for the victory. Well then… if this wasn’t a glorified squash, I don’t know what is. **1/4
MASAHIRO CHONO (4 points) vs KEIJI MUTOH (2 points)
Mutoh’s been pretty motivated throughout this tournament and Chono has been the FUCKING KING during this tournament so this can’t suck. Chono attacks before the bell with a high kick and goes for the STF but Mutoh reaches the ropes. Mutoh flies right into the Dragon Screw and hits the figure four but Chono reaches the ropes. WHOA! Super hot opening sequence. Chono catches a breather on the outside and they kill the first ten minutes pretty easy with ground work. Mutoh breaks it open with his usual handspring – face buster and hits a Top Rope Frankensteiner (got to make up for missing it twice in the last match right?). Mutoh looks for a German suplex but Chono’s trick knee starts acting up. He should really have that looked after. HA HA! Chono reaches some new level of being my hero be slapping on a Nagata Lock, essentially giving the big “fuck you” to Mutoh by 1 upping the figure four. I LOVE IT! Chono hits the Yakuza kick but it’s no sold and Mutoh hits a dropkick. Good stuff as it plays off their G-1 1992 Semi Finals match, which was the direct precursor to Chono winning. They only pull this sequence twice more (unlike the six times in 1992) but the payoff is weak as I was expecting Chono to hit the STF with Mutoh escaping rather than tapping out like in 1992 (was it really so much to ask?). Anyway, Chono gains the advantage with a Yakuza kick but his diving shoulderblock is met with a dropkick in mid air. Mutoh looks for the Frankensteiner but that’s countered into a powerbomb and THE STF! MONSTER POP! Geez… how many times has Mutoh been in that position? They end up outside and Mutoh looks for a handspring elbow but it MISSES! GOOD! IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT MOVE MISSED! Chono slaps on the STF on the floor and holds on until the fifteen count! THAT’S BRILLIANT! Mutoh is essentially fucked over while Chono rightfully basks in his own evil genius in the middle of the ring. Mutoh makes it in at the nineteen count and he’s in all sorts of trouble. Chono throws him right back out and goes for a suplex but it’s blocked and Chono tastes concrete. Mutoh looks for his mile long clothesline (if you’ve seen a Mutoh/Muta dome match, you know exactly what I’m talking about) but Chono meets him with a kick in the stomach, AKA his crotch. Chono once again celebrates in the ring and Mutoh; selling the leg from the STF and the shot to his stomach, AKA his crotch, just makes it in the ring at the nineteen count. Irish whip is reversed by Mutoh into a Frankensteiner for 2 and ¾. Mutoh looks for the Moonsault but it MISSES! STF! THE ROOF BLOWS OFF! Chono is KILLING HIM! KIIIIILING! “MU TOH! MU TOH!” He actually makes the ropes. That’s just unbelievable. Chono looks for a Yakuza kick but that’s countered with a Dragon Screw. Mutoh hits the Moonsault and looks for the figure four but Chono blatantly kicks Mutoh in the balls and gets an Inside Cradle for the win. HA HA HA! CHONO IS THE EMPOROR OF KINGS! I LOVE THIS GUY! The ending was more “ha ha good” rather than “wrestling good,” which takes it down a notch but this was still rock solid wrestling with great heat and a lot of fun to watch. ***1/4
BLOCK A STANDINGS
Hirata = 0 points (injured in first round robin match against Sasaki)
Hashimoto = 0 points (did not face Hirata, lost to Chosyu, Tenzan and Sasaki)
Tenzan = 2 points (did not face Hirata, beat Hashimoto, lost to Chosyu and Sasaki)
Sasaki = 6 points (beat Hashimoto, Tenzan and Hirata via TKO, lost to Chosyu)
Chosyu = 6 points (did not face Hirata, beat Tenzan, Hashimoto and Sasaki)
BLOCK B STANDINGS
Kojima = 2 points (beat Koshinaka, lost to Chono, Mutoh, Yamazaki)
Yamazaki = 4 points (beat Kojima, Mutoh, lost to Chono, Koshinaka)
Koshinaka = 4 points (beat Yamazaki, Chono, lost to Mutoh and Kojima)
Mutoh = 4 points (beat Kojima, Koshinaka, lost to Yamazaki, Chono)
Chono = 6 points (beat Kojima, Yamazaki, Mutoh, lost to Koshinaka)
MASAHIRO CHONO (6 points) vs RIKI CHOSYU (6 points) (G-1 Climax 1996 Finals)
In case you were wondering, despite Chosyu and Sasaki ending up tied, Chosyu won their round robin match, thus earning a birth in the finals. Chono unloads with punches and kicks. He teases the Sasurigatame just because he can. HA! Chono’s like the heavyweight BITCHMASTER! Hmm… I’m sure I can come up with a new nickname along those lines given some serious thought. Anyway, Chono hits the Inverted Atomic drop but it’s NO SOLD! SACRILEDGE! Chosyu hits three backdrop suplexes but Chono gives that a big ‘FUCK YOU” with some no selling of his own. He wisely rolls out of the ring to calm things down. Back in the ring where Chono works the leg like only he can. The camera helps us idiot fans watching on TV and/or video by zooming in on the bandaged knee. Chono heads up but Chosyu cuts him off (totally no selling the leg, GOD DAMN IT!) and hits a Superplex. NO SOLD! FUCKING RIGHT! How the flying fuck can you just blow off a leg that’s already been established as injured, and worked over for at least five minutes, then just get up like nothing has happened? FUCK THAT! If Chosyu’s going to no sell, Chono is going to no sell something even bigger. Chono goes right back to the leg with an Anklelock. SELL IT OLD MAN! SELL FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE! Chosyu reaches the ropes and rolls outside. This crowd is rocking and rolling. Fujinami is on the floor and slaps Chosyu for a wake up call. Back in the ring and Chono hits a Piledriver followed up with a STALLING PILEDRIVER! AWESOME! You never see that move anymore. Chono keeps the pain coming with three consecutive Yakuza kicks but Chosyu rebounds and hits THE RIKI LARIATOOOOOO! Chosyu goes into the Sasurigatame and this crowd is ON FIRE! Chosyu lets it go and Chono is on dream street. Chosyu waits for the groggy Chono to get up and hits another RIKI LARIATOOOOOO and goes right back to the Sasurigatame. Chono, looking to be half dead, taps out, thus giving Chosyu the G-1 tournament. BAH! TO HELL WITH THIS MATCH! The work was solid and the heat was through the roof but there was so much to bitch about. For starters, the selling was almost non-existent as each guy just took punishment and kept coming like nothing had happened until the end of the match. Second, they spent what seemed like eighty per cent of the match working over the leg with zero payoff. Hell… the STF near the end wasn’t even treated with due respect by the crowd because they figured there was more to come. Lastly, Chono pretty much jobbed to three lariats and a submission hold. That’s just insulting to the fans that have watched him pull out one big win after another not only in this tournament but in previous big matches as well. This came off very anti-climatic after such a great tournament and what seemed like a resurgence from both of the finalists as the tournament progressed. Ah well… I guess a story book ending is too much to ask for. **1/2
Final Analysis: Despite the finals being a disappointment, you really can’t go wrong with this tape set. For all those people that bitch and moan about how bad the NJPW heavyweights are, they should get this tape set. There’s only one super standout match (Chosyu vs Hashimoto) but the rest of the matches range from solid to great. I really enjoyed this set and I give it a high recommendation.
