G1 Climax 34 Night 3 (July 23) Preview
Hiroshima sees the summer series continue
The G1 heads to Hiroshima’s Sun Plaza Hall on July 23. Six more league matches will see A Block take the bigger spotlight, while Konosuke Takeshita looks to make up for lost time against Jeff Cobb from B Block.
Watch ALL of G1 Climax 34 live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: A Block- Tetsuya Naito (0–2) vs Jake Lee (1–1)
Singles record: 1–0 Naito
In a rematch of All Together in Sapporo from back in June, the 0–2 Tetsuya Naito faces the 1–1 even Jake Lee. Lee’s first appearance in NJPW, answering a hit put out by the War Dogs on El Ingobernable, turned out to be an audition for the group proper, with the ‘Smart Bastard’ turning his back on Good Looking friends to unite with ill tempered allies. Momentum gained from new surroundings saw him to a sub five minute victory over SANADA, but that momentum stalled against EVIL on day two; now he wants to settle the score with Naito while moving to four points.
Four is the number of points that Tetsuya Naito has dropped over Opening Weekend, putting him at the bottom of the heap in A Block. His defeats to Shingo Takagi and Zack Sabre Jr. were hardly upsets given the quality of competition, and the Naito ‘burn from the stern’ is a very prevalent theme in G1 Climaxes for the well documented slow starting tranquilo one. Yet as physical and mental pressures pile on the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, the head that wears the G1 crown is feeling heavier by the day, and some points on the board, especially in his adopted home town of Hiroshima would do a great deal to lighten the load.
8th Match: A Block- SANADA (1–1) vs EVIL (2–0)
Singles record: 4–4
The long legacy of SANADA and EVIL from IWGP Tag Team Champions to opponents continues with the third matches of their respective campaigns. Last year, a win for EVIL over a hurt SANADA would lead to him stealing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and eventually a victory for the Just Five Guys member in a lumberjack match in Ryogoku last October.
With speculation around NJPW’s reaction to HOUSE OF TORTURE tactics, and SANADA having had time before the G1 to rest and reset, this summer could well be a seen as a referendum on both men. EVIL certainly has wrestled in H.O.T EVIL style on the way to a perfect four points, including a win over Jake Lee Sunday- the man that happened to beat SANADA in under five minutes on night one. SANADA has shown that his classical style is more than capable of dealing with a stacked deck though, and if he can put the King of Darkness in his place it would do a lot for his campaign moving forward.
7th Match: A Block- Shota Umino (1–1) vs Gabe Kidd (1–1)
Singles record: 1–0 Umino
Gabe Kidd is not shy to cast shade on his opposition, nor to stir up trouble wherever he is able. At the pre G1 press conference, he had special vitriol stored for Shota Umino, tearing into the Roughneck for the tributes he pays to his mentors and influences. Kidd has demanded Shota bring his ‘true fighting spirit’ to Hiroshima, where he carries the forward momentum of two points gained at the expense of Great-O-Khan.
Umino has his own first win under his belt, at the expense of Shingo Takagi, but he had to work very hard for it as his injured lower back and hip were severely tested. Kidd isn’t known for singularity of focus or working away at body parts, making this less of a physical test for Umino than one of mentality and character; can the man who proclaims himself the Ace of the new generation have enough composure against the rabid War Dog, or is Kidd in Shota’s head?
6th Match: A Block- Shingo Takagi (1–1) vs Great-O-Khan (0–2)
Singles record: 3–0 Takagi
It was not a great start to G1 Climax 34 for Great-O-Khan when it comes to his 0–2 scoreline, after a pair of losses to a pair of Britons in Zack Sabre Jr and Gabe Kidd. The KOPW 2024 Champion’s loyal subjects can console themselves somewhat at least though with the Dominator’s performances putting his bouts in the upper echelon of matches on both days of Opening Weekend.
That performance quality is arguably at the heart of his poor scoreline; determined to show his versatility as a master of all disciplines and KOPW2024 Champion, O-Khan has made it clear he wants to meet each opponent on their own terms and in their own styles. That hasn’t worked out well for him, but O-Khan’s own martial arts oriented style has been what dealt the most damage to both Sabre and Kidd over the weekend; bone crunching takedowns and suplexes perhaps exactly what he needs to enlist against Shingo Takagi. Yet Takagi has walked into O-Khan’s wheel house before and beaten him in an MMA match for the KOPW 2023 title; does the United Empire member have a path to victory against the 1–1 Dragon?
5th Match: A Block- Callum Newman (1–1) vs Zack Sabre Jr. (2–0)
It’s a Battle of Britain in the first A Block match of the night as Callum Newman takes on the undefeated Zack Sabre Jr. A great many will look at this match as a continuation of Sabre’s long held rivalry with Will Ospreay, given Ospreay’s heavy influences on his 21 year old protege. Newman though is determined to prove he is his own man; Sabre would certainly be happy to bring a new aspect out of Callum’s game, and with the history ZSJ has with Ospreay, a new aspect of his game is exactly what Newman will need tonight if he’s to stop the Frontman going 3–0.
4th Match: B Block- Jeff Cobb (1–0) vs Konosuke Takeshita (1–0)
Before our five A Block matches of the night, one B Block contest will see Konosuke Takeshita face Jeff Cobb after Takeshita missed day two of action Sunday. That’s not to say the Alpha was resting up; indeed he went to Tokyo Sunday to battle the legendary Masato Tanaka in DDT before heading to Hiroshima tonight.
Cobb has made very clear his hostility toward NJPW outsiders in wrestling’s most prestigious tournament, and will bring every bit of his power to Takeshita in Hiroshima. That’s exactly what the DDT and AEW phenom wants, pledging to use his in depth academic knowledge of the German suplex to take him to victory. Can he get the grip and the lift to four points, or will Cobb be the one to stay unbeaten?
3rd Match: United Empire (Francesco Akira & HENARE) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Gedo & David Finlay)
A tag team preview of Thursday’s champion versus champion clash between David Finlay and HENARE sees Francesco Akira join the mix. With HENARE at a perfect 2–0 and Finlay down 0–2, it’s a crucial match to come, and setting the pace is important for both men.
2nd Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Jado & El Phantasmo) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI & Yota Tsuji)
Before El Phantasmo takes on Yota Tsuji Thursday in Kagawa, a tag team preview in Hiroshima. Tsuji was able to defeat ELP at arguably Phantasmo’s best during the New Japan Cup, and wants the Headbanga on that form or better on Thursday. Phantasmo has been anything but though, struggling to a pair of losses as he’s shown flashes of emotional fire between distraction and malaise. Coupled with a bad knee hurt at the hands of Ren Narita Sunday and it might be a tough night for Phantasmo once again.
1st Match: Shoma Kato, Tomoaki Honma & Hirooki Goto vs Katsuya Morishima, Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg
Six man action will kick off the night, as Boltin Oleg reunites with NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Champion partner Toru Yano, together with Young Lion Katsuya Murashima to face Shoma Kato, Tomoaki Honma and Hirooki Goto, who&ll be looking to get on the board for the first time Thursday against the Big Man from Kazakhstan.
