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WAR International Junior Heavyweight Title / MPW British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Title / UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Title / NWA World Welterweight Title J-Crown Tournament Semi Final Match: Shinjiro Otani (c) vs. Ultimo Dragon (c)
This is probably the most acclaimed match of the tournament, with the final itself getting a lot of praise too. But also Ultimo Dragon is a big prospect in this era, getting US exposure and bigger Japan spots and Otani is in the form of his career so I had expectations, naturally. I thought the technical wrestling in this was really good, especially with Otani leading the match. Ultimo is the flashy one but Otani shined with his aggression and skill. There were a few moments where Otani seemed to be truly bending Ultimo's arm in two. It was quite gruesome in parts. Even when the match escalated to the nearfalls part of the match, Otani’s charisma and incredible facials were the stand out. But there was drama in Ultimo’s big signature offence too. His rolling cradle got a massive response when he executed it. Otani hit his German suplex time and time again, with his Father watching in the crowd, but couldn’t get a job done despite his efforts. Ultimo hit a running powerbomb to win the match in what felt like the wrong winner alongside going a little past its apex but it’s a match well worth watching. ****
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title / NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title / WWF Light Heavyweight Title / WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Title J-Crown Tournament Semi Final Match: El Samurai (c) vs. The Great Sasuke (c)
This was quite a difference from the prior match. El Samurai worked stiff and had some cool things when working Sasuke’s leg but the pace wasn’t as quick, nor was there much drama. And without that, the closing stretch with the bigger spots feels more empty as a result. Sasuke advances. Yay? **1/2
G1 Climax 1996 Block B Match: Satoshi Kojima vs. Kazuo Yamazaki
A solid match for the show. I thought it was a good clash of styles with a young Kojima matching up against a more technical guy. It’s a good match for his development and he did well. Yamazaki got a relatively clean win and got to look good while giving Kojima a lot of offence. The match didn’t dwell on too much either, going only 9 minutes with a brisk pace. ***
G1 Climax 1996 Block A Match: Shinya Hashimoto vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
This was a huge upset and a big win for Tenzan. Hashimoto losing to Choshu is one thing but losing to Tenzan as well, despite the injured knee changes things entirely. The match plays out like you’d think. Hashimoto initially overpowers Teznan, wasting little time rushing Tenzan up into the corner before the injury becomes a major factor and switches the tide of the match. Hashimoto slaps and chops and kicks away, desperate to win. It’s a compelling story, for sure. And I liked the unconventional finish with Tenzan hitting relentless diving headbutts to the knee until he got the pin. It’s unpretty but practical, which is Tenzan in a nutshell. ***1/2
G1 Climax 1996 Block B Match: Shiro Koshinaka vs. Masahiro Chono
Admittedly, this is a match that really depends on how much patience you have for these two and their particular styles. Both are keen on grabbing a hold and keeping it applied for a long period of time and you have to have some level of investment to really like it. It was also enjoyable in the sense of two heels trying to out heel each other, with Chono being the main aggressor of the two and Koshinaka being the crowd favourite. This isn't everyone’s cup of tea for sure but I liked it and it was entertaining from start to finish. Koshinaka scores the win, forcing Chono on the backfoot going into the final days of the G1. ***1/2
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