G1 Climax 1994 Block A Match: Riki Choshu vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu
Almost 9 years since these two last wrestled each other in an AJPW/JPW promotion show. Both are famous for their partnership in Ishin Gundan where Yatsu was Choshu’s #2 and main tag partner. So years later, this match-up still has some appeal despite some falls from grace since that period. The match is wrestled like a simple 80s match. Yatsu and Choshu grind each other with hard strikes (headbutts and clubbing blows) and the occasional submission. I dug the Masa Saito tribute spots in the match as well; Choshu doing the Saito suplex and Yatsu doing the Prison Lock. It was a decent touch to a un match. Yatsu eventually submitted to the Scorpion Hold but he gave a real good go. ***1/4
G1 Climax 1994 Block A Match: Keiji Muto vs. Masahiro Chono
Ah, the famous pairing of Chono and Keiji Muto. Great, great match. Much better than their last match in 1993 which was a disappointment. This returns to their G1 form some ways as it starts off with grappling designed to wear the other down before escalating into faster paced highspots and a rather dramatic closing stretch. Muto doing his usual ramp run in the crowd of Ryogoku was so cool. And the finish was just as cool, Chono capitalising on Muto posing in a pinning predicament right after a hurricanrana to pin Muto. Don’t let your guard down or a second. ***3/4
G1 Climax 1994 Block B Match: Shinya Hashimoto vs. Takayuki Iizuka
Brilliant match. A feather in the cap for Hashimoto’s claim to being the greatest of all time. Iizuka is a wrestler that has had great matches but they were usually in tags with other great wrestlers or insane amounts of crowd heat to elevate it. And to have a quality match as good as this can only be based on Hashimoto’s greatness. And his selling. His selling is a big part in making Iizuka look like a decent threat which in turn makes the crowd get behind Iizuka. Iizuka attacks Hashimoto’s leg and it's sold like death and any strike gets sold more and more and the submissions are sold with conviction. Awesome match. ***3/4
G1 Climax 1994 Block B Match: Power Warrior vs. Hiroshi Hase
Badass main event. You could argument about the selling and the grappling section at the start of the match but you’d be missing the point of the match. To me, this felt like Power Warrior aka Kensuke Sasaki, Hase’s former tag partner, overcoming that role o being Hase’s junior, taking the fight directly to him and eating him despite what Hase brings to the table. When Sasaki palms and slaps Hase in the face after being trapped in a sleeper, it’s on and Hase’s face shows that he knows it. Heated, hot main event that gives Sasaki so much momentum or his push into next year’s Dome main event (or something in the near future. *wink*). ****
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