New Japan Pro Wrestling - G1 Climax 23 Nights 5, 6 & 7 Review

A pair of injuries shakes things up in the 23rd G1 Climax.

NJPW G1 Climax 2013: Night Five
Ishikawa, Japan 8/6/13

1.) G1 Climax - Block A - Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomohiro Ishii: ***1/4

2.) G1 Climax - Block B - Tori Yano vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan: **

3.) G1 Climax - Block A - Katsuyori Shibata vs. Lance Archer: ***

4.) G1 Climax - Block B - Tetsuya Naito vs. Shelton Benjamin: **3/4

5.) G1 Climax - Block B - Karl Anderson vs. Minoru Suzuki: ***

6.) G1 Climax - Block B - Yugi Nagata vs. Kota Ibushi: ***

7.) G1 Climax - Block B - Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yujiro Takahashi: ***

8.) G1 Climax - Block A - Kazuchika Okada vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.: ***1/4

9.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hirooki Goto vs. Prince Devitt: **3/4

10.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe: ***1/4

Overall: 6.25/10

This was not a very good show, and it wasn't so much the matches. The reason for this is that the crowd just sucked. They were so terrible, it wasn't even funny. If the crowd was a little more lively that might have helped out some of the matches, but in this case their silence killed a lot of things. Not only that, but when Yujiro Takahashi doesn't bring any hot women to the ring with him, you know you're not going to have a good time. This show should be Exhibit A on how a crowd can kill a wrestling show. I think Karl Anderson put it best of all:

"Karl Anderson ‏@Machinegunka

#njpw Ishikawa fans.. You suck.. You didn't deserve a #G1 show and you proved it.. I hope to never return to this dump of a city.. ##g123"

NJPW G1 Climax 2013: Night Six

Sendai, Japan 8/7/13

1.) G1 Climax - Block B - Kota Ibushi vs. Shelton "X" Benjamin: ***1/2

2.) G1 Climax - Block B - Toru Yano vs. "The Machine Gun" Karl Anderson: **1/2

3.) G1 Climax - Block A - Tomohiro Ishii vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.: ***3/4

4.) G1 Climax - Block B - Yujiro Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki: ***

5.) G1 Climax - Block A - Togi Makabe vs. Lance Archer: ***

6.) G1 Climax - Block B - Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tetsuya Naito: **1/4

7.) G1 Climax - Block A - Satoshi Kojima vs. Prince Devitt: ***1/4

8.) G1 Climax - Block A - Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata: ****

9.) G1 Climax - Block B - Yuji Nagata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: ****

10.) G1 Climax - Block A - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto: ****

Overall: 8.0/10

Definitely one of the better shows of the G1 thus far. Not as good as Nights 2 & 4 but about in the same area as Night 1. Benjamin had his best tournament performance up to this point with a great match against Kota Ibushi. Yano & Tenzan once again disappointed. They just have not been having good performances, and some of their matches are hard to watch. Ishii continues to have great performances with a solid match against Davey Boy Smith Jr. (who's also been impressive). All of the heel tactics & interference can get a bit annoying in Prince Devitt's matches, but I'm actually ok with it (He is a heel after all). Okada, Nakamura & Tanahashi proved once again why they're the best of the promotion with three great matches to close the show.

I should also note that on Night Six, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Hirooki Goto both got injured in their matches, and because of those injuries, were pulled from the rest of the tournament. The people who they were scheduled to face in the remainder of the tournament would receive forfeited wins.

NJPW G1 Climax 2013: Night Seven

Yokohama, Japan 8/8/13

* Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan by forfeit.
* Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. beat Hirooki Goto by forfeit.

1.) Takashi Iizuka & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tomoaki Honma & Captain New Japan: *3/4

2.) Block B - Yujiro Takahashi vs. Kota Ibushi: ***

3.) Block B - Karl Anderson vs. Yuji Nagata: ***1/4

4.) Block A - Katsuyori Shibata vs. Prince Devitt: **3/4

5.) Block A - Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii: ***1/2

6.) Block A - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Lance Archer: ***1/4

7.) Block B - Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito: **1/4

8.) Block B - Minoru Suzuki vs. Shelton Benjamin: **3/4

9.) Block A - Togi Makabe vs. Satoshi Kojima: ***

Overall: 7.0/10

I'd say this show was on par with Night 3. Some good matches but nothing really stood out. Lance Archer had a very solid performance against Tanahashi. I'd say the Match of the Night was probably Okada vs. Ishii. Their was also a tag team match thrown in there, I presume to compensate for two matches not happening due to injury. It wasn't good at all, and I'd advise skipping it. Other than that, not much else to say about this one really.