G1 Climax 34 Final (August 18) Full card, preview
Grand final in Ryogoku
The month long quest to find the Strongest of the Summer is at a close, as Ryogoku Sumo Hall will see the G1 Climax 34 winner crowned. After the hottest tournament of the summer, the hottest match of the summer will cap off the G1, but who will be the victor?
Main event: G1 Climax 34 Final- Yota Tsuji vs Zack Sabre Jr.
Singles record: 1–0 Sabre
There couldn’t be a further separation from Zack Sabre Jr. and Yota Tsuji’s first NJPW singles match to this. On June 22, 2021, Kizuna Road saw the two in the opening match in Korakuen Hall before a pandemic restricted, non cheering crowd while Tsuji was a Young Lion. Over three years on, and they will be in the main event of a packed Ryogoku Sumo Hall G1 Climax final card.
Sabre was in the ascendancy while Tsuji’s ascendancy was slowed by the pandemic, and through the toughest times for New Japan, both stuck through with the determined faith that the best professional wrestling in the world takes place on the cerulean blue. For ZSJ in A Block and Tsuji in B, both have proven that point, and less than 24 hours before this final, the point was again proven in a pair of punishing semifinal bouts.
Yet whether distant or recent, that is past history. Now both want to craft their futures, the future of NJPW, and make history of their own. For Sabre, the challenge is to do what Will Ospreay could not in 2022 and become the first ever British winner of the G1, and only the second non Japanese in history to earn that mantle. For Tsuji, the chance to become the first man ever to win NJPW’s spring and summer tournaments, New Japan Cup and G1 Climax in the same year. For both the act of winning the most prestigious tournament in professional wrestling- being the 19th member of the elitist class to do so- cements them as the standard bearer of NJPW in months and years to come.
7th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs United Empire (HENARE, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman)
Tag team action on the undercard last night in Ryogoku saw United Empire victorious over LIJ, and words accompanied actions in the post match. As Great-O-Khan trapped Tetsuya Naito in the same knee bar that helped him to victory over the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in the G1, O-Khan stated backstage that he wanted a shot at Naito’s gold. Meanwhile, Hiromu Takahashi, driven by the prospect of finally having a singles match with Naito down the line, and convinced he can make it happen in a champion vs champion environment, has challenged HENARE for the NEVER gold. Both of those bold claims must be backed up tonight, and this heated eight man is definitely one to keep a close eye on.
6th Match: El Phantasmo, Shota Umino, Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Ten man action pits Hontai against HOUSE OF TORTURE tonight. At the end of a mentally demanding G1 Climax, Shota Umino’s encouragement seemed to help El Phantasmo turn things around, but recent miscommunications with Jado has added to ELP’s stress. HOUSE OF TORTURE has long had a sinister cult like ability to prey on those at their most vulnerable, and EVIL’s haunting taunt to Phantasmo last night of ‘are you sure you can trust (Hontai)’? Has set an omenous stage to our sixth match of the night.
5th Match: Tomoaki Honma, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee)
The now officially named combination of the Mad Bastards, Gabe Kidd and Jake Lee, want to get their hands on IWGP Tag Team gold as quickly as possible. That means taking on the current champions Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls, but with Haste in absentia in LA, the best way to prove a point today will be to get a win over one of the most dominant forces in NJPW tag team wrestling of late, that of Bishamon. A victory voer YOSHI-HASHI or Hirooki Goto will be the goal today, but Finlay has his own statement to make after being bounced from the G1 semifinals last night.
4th Match: Just Five Guys (DOUKI, SANADA & TAKA Michinoku) vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori, Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors)
Taiji Ishimori has called his shot on the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI for a title match somewhere and sometime in the near future. For DOUKI, accepting was never a question; a win over the only member of the so called ‘big three’ of the junior heavyweight division he has yet to beat will automatically legitimize his title reign, and we can see a preview of that match tonight. For Connors and Moloney though, in Japan for this final weekend, what do they have in store to make a mark?
3rd Match: TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Robbie Eagles) vs Francesco Akira & Konosuke Takeshita
There is no doubt that Konosuke Takeshita is in high demand from NJPW factions and fans after a stunning debut G1 Climax tour; the Alpha is well aware of the voices, and has asked for ‘time to think’ on when or if he comes back to the cerulean blue, and if so, who with. In the meantime though, Mikey Nicholls and Robbie Eagles want this final day to be about them, and about TMDK.
2nd Match: Taichi vs Katsuya Murashima
It’s a tough test for Katsuya Murashima in the second match of the afternoon as he faces Taichi. With a summer off the Holy Emperor never wanted, Taichi wants to hit the ground running and hit hard against the Young Lion tonight. Can Murashima survive?
1st Match: Ryusuke Taguchi, Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Shoma Kato, Tiger Mask & Yuji Nagata
A special attraction six man tag to start the afternoon will see Shoma Kato in elite company. A parade of former G1 Climax and Best of the Super Jr. winners will welcome the fans to Ryogoku on G1 final day.
