NJPW G1 Climax 28 Night 13: Review, Results, Standings, Grades

CREDIT: njpw1972.com

With the standings close at the top and the finals quickly approaching, A Block looked to pick up the intensity on Night 13 with two pivotal matches- EVIL vs Tanahashi and Okada vs Suzuki…

Michael Elgin vs Bad Luck Fale

Apparently Elgin is finishing the tournament with a torn bicep. Oof. Also Fale is working it in this match, which is scary. I know these guys have to be somewhat safe but geez. Why do we have to work legitimate injuries so soon after they happen?

Fale is one step ahead most of the match, but Elgin won’t give up for some reason (This match doesn’t matter at all. Sigh.) He mounts a big comeback at the end, then the ref goes down. Loa hits the ring, but Big Mike fights him off. Slam to Fale. Tama shows up with a chair. DQ. Blah blah.

I’m not upset or anything. Go Firing Squad. I’m just uninterested in either of these guys at this point in the G1. This had some okay moments. Just yeah… inconsequential.

Rating: **1/2

Hangman Page vs Togi Makabe

They start out with some clean back and forth. Makabe quickly gets ahead, but Page explodes back with a suicide dive and a flurry of other moves. Makabe wants more though, and begins taunting his opponent. Hangman looks rattled by this, and starts to lose some of his momentum. However, the younger man is hungrier for the win at this point in the tournament. Buckshot lariat out of nowhere, and the Rite of Passage gets Page his first non-DQ G1 win.

This was a decent little match. The classic grizzled veteran vs fiery young gun story made the match standout, and it was great to see Page pick up the win.

Rating: ***1/4