BUSHI & 高橋 ヒロム & 内藤 哲也 vs フランシスコ・アキラ & グレート-O-カーン & HENARE：NJPW G1 CLIMAX 34（2024年8月17日）
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00:00The 6th 6-man tag match, 30 minutes, will now commence.
00:30The 6th 6-man tag match, 30 minutes, will now commence.
01:00The 6th 6-man tag match, 30 minutes, will now commence.
01:30And now his run in G1 Climax 34.
01:33Switching up his style left and right until he found what works best for him.
01:38At his core, at his center, has been working that technical ground game all throughout this tournament, Chris.
01:44And of course, you have to highlight Francesco Akira and the Never Openweight Champion.
01:49Francesco Akira!
02:01Fate Grand Order Sponsor, along with G-Store Ambassador,
02:07along with KOPW 2124 Position Dominator,
02:13Grand Order!
02:17Near-perfect game plan executed against Shingo Tsukagi Thursday.
02:21Never Openweight Champion, Fate of Fury,
02:24Ten-Nate!
02:29And Ari knows full well how difficult a man Shingo Tsukagi is to beat.
02:35And still, Shingo might be the white whale for Great Okan later on in his career.
02:42But one thing that Okan can console himself with, Walker,
02:46is before he made that quarterfinal round against Shingo Tsukagi,
02:50who did he beat to get there?
02:52The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
02:59The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
03:07And the winner is...
03:10Shingo Tsukagi!
03:28Look at that. Masked Walker.
03:39Looks like some sort of imposing soldier of bone or something.
03:59The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
04:12It's taken a little bit of time, but
04:15Hiromu Takahashi has found his way back
04:19into action in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
04:21The Cerulean Blue took the time off during G1 Climax,
04:24saw him a couple of times at the Japanese broadcast booth,
04:27but has continued to make his statement known.
04:30Well, Hiromu wants a shot at a certain championship,
04:34at a certain champion involved in this match.
04:37I'd forgotten about that.
04:39Still, Tetsuya Naito has grand dreams
04:46of wrestling in front of his spiritual home stadium
04:50in Hiroshima and Mazda Stadium.
04:54I'm sure Hiromu Takahashi thinks the best way
04:57to sell that building out would be to have
05:00a champion versus champion match
05:02between he and Tetsuya Naito.
05:06And that's why Hiromu wants
05:08an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
05:12A lot of big ifs in that equation.
05:14The one certainty is that Tetsuya Naito,
05:17for now at least, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion,
05:20has had a difficult, difficult G1.
05:24But when his back's against the wall,
05:26that's when he's at his most dangerous.
05:28And when the path leads us to the Tokyo Dome,
05:32and Wrestle Kingdom January 4th,
05:34Wrestle Dynasty January the 5th,
05:36that's when Naito is at his most effective.
05:39Mushi!
05:46And his opponent is Hiromu Takahashi!
05:52Hiromu Takahashi!
06:04IWGP World Heavyweight Champion,
06:08180 kg, 120 kg,
06:11Tetsuya Naito!
06:15Hiromu Takahashi!
06:46But it was part of Tetsuya Naito,
06:50flying too close to the sun,
06:52trying to get that adrenaline hit,
06:54roll call after roll call after roll call,
06:56that led him to take the challenge
06:58of Jon Moxley the very next week.
07:00Loses that championship in Chicago,
07:03went on to win it back at Forbidden Door,
07:06but it has been a rough ride
07:09in this latest reign as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
07:16A less than stellar record in G1 Climax,
07:20especially by the standings of a top champion
07:23in New Japan Pro Wrestling shows that just the same.
07:26Yeah, I mean, in the competitive field that we have had,
07:295 and 4 is by no means a bad score,
07:32but Tetsuya Naito openly admitting,
07:34well, I should have been in the top 3,
07:36as a champion I should have been in the top 3,
07:38I should be in the main event here tonight,
07:40should be in the main event tomorrow night.
07:43Admitted it was not a good record,
07:45but not something to be embarrassed by,
07:47just the situation he's in right now.
07:50Here's where he has to turn it around.
07:53Now you mentioned Great-O-Khan getting a victory
07:55over Tetsuya Naito back in G1 Climax,
07:58actually we were there live,
08:00you saw it just as well as I did.
08:04But a lot of people,
08:06and by a lot, 4 being that number,
08:09managed to score singles victories over Tetsuya Naito
08:12in this year's tournament.
08:16Question is going to be remaining,
08:18what's going to set Great-O-Khan apart
08:20from those other 3 men that managed to do so?
08:23My answer to that question is a follow-up,
08:26a follow-through.
08:27If Great-O-Khan can score a victory over Naito here tonight,
08:30that's huge.
08:31Yeah, right, I mean it's always recency bias,
08:33and if you can single out the champion,
08:37then that's going to put you in good stead,
08:39so it's a fortunate card placement,
08:41I think, by the matchmakers here tonight.
08:43Right.
08:44Obviously, Yoda Tsuji is busy even though he beat
08:52Zack Sabre Jr. rather, busy as well.
08:55And Great-O-Khan busy as well,
08:58working on Tetsuya Naito in the center of the ring.
09:00Hinari immediately takes it to Hiromu and Bushi
09:03with those right strikes.
09:08As this tournament has rolled on,
09:10and yes, we're out of block play now at this point,
09:12but we've seen the confidence grow so much more
09:15out of Great-O-Khan.
09:16I didn't think that was possible,
09:17but the confidence Great-O-Khan was showing
09:19walking into this tournament.
09:20He's always been someone that's been very confident
09:23and motivated outside of the ring
09:25and not so much in it.
09:26Look out.
09:27Cover here for Akira, and it's 2.
09:29I think this has been a tournament
09:30where he's finally put those pieces together
09:33and carried that out of the ring charisma and confidence
09:36inside of it as well.
09:38And being able to walk the walk
09:40as well as talk the talk, so to speak.
09:42Zack made Hinari the legal man.
09:55That primal instinct of Hinari.
09:58Into the cover here, and it is 2.
10:04He's carrying the pride of the Maori people with him.
10:09Look in the haka.
10:20It's always been a common link between the United Empires,
10:24culturally diverse as they are.
10:26They're always someone that,
10:28a collection of individuals that have a lot of pride
10:31in their respective backgrounds.
10:34Of course, Hinari for the Maori.
10:38Akira for Italy.
10:40And Great-O-Khan for the fiefdoms.
10:42And for sitting.
10:44And everybody.
10:49We all love a good sit.
10:54Now, everyone's enjoying the sit here tonight
10:56except the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
10:58Well, when you're the chair,
11:00nobody talks about the chairs.
11:02You've been the chair.
11:03You're lucky Don Callis isn't here anymore.
11:08Great-O-Khan, fireman's carry, takedown.
11:11Effective on the World Champion.
11:13Cover here for O-Khan, and it's 2.
11:15Has made many a statement in the past,
11:17believing that, hey, well, the King of Pro Wrestling Champion
11:20managed to beat the World Heavyweight Champion.
11:22The KOPW title now should be over the World Heavyweight title.
11:26Well, I mean...
11:29QED, you could say, arguably.
11:32I know Great-O-Khan is very much looking forward
11:35to us heading up north in the month of September in Hokkaido,
11:39going to see a lot of towns that don't normally see pro wrestling.
11:42I think Great-O-Khan will be campaigning
11:44to defend his KOPW title in some of those non-televised events.
11:48Tornado DDT, spikes down Great-O-Khan.
11:51Almost took him all the way out of the ring on the other side.
11:54Great-O-Khan is going to be looking to rurally revitalize
11:57a lot of towns all across the Hokkaido region.
12:01And here's a man who wants his own opportunity at championship gold,
12:05Honobu Takahashi,
12:07and immediately goes after the Never Openweight Champion.
12:10Meanwhile, Akira feeling hard done by,
12:12don't look past me, a lot of previous between these two men.
12:15Yep, a lot of great high-speed action.
12:18Hurricanrana takes down,
12:19and Akira feels that in his spine, runs right in.
12:23It's that corner bomb.
12:25Comes in, comes down, right through, dropped it.
12:29From Honobu Takahashi.
12:36Not a bad night in the office for Honobu,
12:38if he's able to pick up a victory over a current junior heavyweight as well,
12:41and Francesco Akira, well ahead of his battle against Mustafa Ali.
12:45Yeah, anybody on the other side, United Empire,
12:48would be a big win for Hiromi.
12:53And thrust kick.
12:55Honobu.
12:59Honobu.
13:00Honobu Takahashi.
13:02Honobu Takahashi.
13:05Well, Hiromi making it very clear who he wants, Walker.
13:11Not interested in getting a junior heavyweight win.
13:16Rather about that openweight competition,
13:18has never held the Never Openweight Championship in his entire career.
13:22Hinare doesn't plan on losing it.
13:24Very rarely have we seen genuine openweight contests
13:28for that Never Openweight Championship.
13:31The junior heavyweights can and have challenged before.
13:36And that's how speed is going to win out.
13:38Oh, no, maybe not.
13:39Well, we'll see about it.
13:40Hiromu has him up.
13:43Playing it out.
13:45Strength of Takahashi.
13:46Cover here for Hiromu, and it's two.
13:49Well, as we have seen, Hiromi Takahashi wrestles with a lot of power.
13:53Hiromu Takahashi wrestled and beat heavyweights before.
13:56Great run in the New Japan Cup in 2020 during the pandemic.
14:02Ever since then, people have been calling for a heavyweight run
14:05for Hiromu Takahashi, but let's start openweight.
14:09And Huracan.
14:10Oh, no.
14:11Oh, no.
14:12This is what you have to deal with, Hiromu.
14:16Size disparity underneath.
14:18And once again, it's a berserker bomb.
14:22And bombs dropped by Hinari tonight.
14:24Cover.
14:25Two.
14:37Now he's slicing up for that native knee, perhaps.
14:40No, that knee goes right into the middle of the turnbuckle,
14:43and Hiromu's going to hit that superkick.
14:46And Hiromu Chan-Bomber.
14:52One.
14:53Two.
14:54Three.
14:55Four.
14:56Five.
14:57Six.
14:58Seven.
14:59Eight.
15:00Nine.
15:0110.
15:0211.
15:0312.
15:0413.
15:0514.
15:0615.
15:0716.
15:0817.
15:0918.
15:1019.
15:1120.
15:1221.
15:1322.
15:1423.
15:1524.
15:1625.
15:1726.
15:1827.
15:1928.
15:20And that dropkick right to the knee of Great Okan.
15:23Once again, takes out the never champion.
15:25And watch out for the airwaves.
15:27It's time.
15:28BUSHI ROCKET!
15:39BUSHI almost lifted off into the rafters of Ryogoku Sumo Hall tonight.
15:43And it's Bushi.
15:45Back elbow follows in.
15:47It's combination offense.
15:49You can typically find the former junior tag team champion.
15:52As Akira feeds Naito into Okan.
15:55Usually this is LIJ's strongest suit.
15:58Non-verbal communication working great for United Empire.
16:03These islands are getting hot.
16:05It's time.
16:06BUSHI ROCKET!
16:08BUSHI ROCKET!
16:11These islands are uniting tonight.
16:13It's like Pangea in there.
16:14Rewind kick.
16:17And here we go.
16:19Oh, man.
16:25Native knee.
16:27Let's knock Bushi's block off.
16:30Into the cover here for Hanare.
16:32Broken up by Tenzi and Naito.
16:35Great Okan, keep in mind, right on that attack.
16:37Okan right on the hallway after.
16:39Look at this.
16:40And the story of that match, Walker, wasn't it?
16:42That knee.
16:43That knee.
16:44Oh, and it's Okan.
16:45Submission attempt.
16:46Ultima here from Hanare.
16:50United Empire all holding down.
16:52And also coming up is Deja Pau.
16:54And Bushi might have to give this one up.
16:56Now, Bushi, well, and he does.
17:00Well, and he does.
17:01But great Okan is not giving up on that knee bar.
17:04He's got the IWGP one every championship.
17:07Tenzi and Naito is screaming and pain walking.
17:09Yeah, Abesan needs to ring this bell.
17:11Keep it going.
17:12Someone's got to separate this.
17:23Well, it was not the exact thing that great Okan might have set out for
17:27specifically in this match.
17:29A victory over LIJ, sure.
17:32Would have loved that specific victory over Naito.
17:35But that's going to do just enough for great Okan.
17:37Sent a very physical message.
17:40As great Okan.
17:42Meanwhile, Hanare on a chair.
17:44Look what great Okan's got in his hand, Walker.
17:46The cameras haven't seen it yet.
17:48But they will in just a second.
17:50Great Okan.
17:53The IWGP World Heavyweight title.
18:02Yeah, you see it.
18:04No, that's not yours.
18:06That is Tenzi and Naito's.
18:08But maybe for how long, says great Okan.
18:16I mean, it would not be the first time that great Okan has shot his shots high.
18:19But I mean, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
18:24Or maybe he wants Tenzi and Naito to challenge him for the KOPW.
18:34KOPW, KOPW.
18:39KOPW, KOPW.
18:44Meanwhile, while great Okan may have aspirations of title action against Tenzi and Naito.
18:49Hiromu Takahashi will have to continue to hope for an opportunity at that never-open-weight title.
18:57Hanare getting right up in Hiromu's grill and saying you're a long way from this sunshine.
19:04We'll see how LIJ can regroup going into tomorrow.
19:10We've talked a lot about omens here tonight.
19:12This is a bad one for Los Ingobernables de Japon.
19:20But it's one way that we are going to see realized one way or another.
19:24Because we are not too far off.
19:27The next match on our card takes you in to the semifinals of G1 Climax 34.
19:36And we are kicking off with Block B action for the final time in G1 34 overall.
19:45Take a little bit of time to preview this with me, Chris.
19:48David Finlay, Yota Tsuji, not their first singles matchup.
19:51They've had one-in-one singles record between those two men.
19:55Indeed, it was back at Fukuoka when David Finlay came back very much aggrieved that Yota Tsuji won the New Japan Cup.
20:04Of course, David Finlay was taken out of that competition due to a health concern.
20:09And Finlay got revenge in his mind against Tsuji.
20:13Immediately went back and won the Global Heavyweight Championship the very next day.
20:18There was a statement of intent in the spring.
20:21Remember, as we turned into the summer, right at the start of this tour, Yota Tsuji picking up the big win over David Finlay.
20:29So we are one-on-one and the rubber match is coming up, well, in a few seconds time.
20:51Thank you very much.