#G1Climax2012

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High Fly Flow hits Karl Anderson on the outside of the ring

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Tobi Makabe and Okada exchange strikes

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THE G1 HYPE TRAIN #3 :  G1 Climax 2012′s Semi-Final and Finals

Card with Guide

This will be the most modern one I’ve taken on thus far, but might not be the most modern as I might cover last year's final. I figured this would be a good one to cover for a few reasons. Like Okada being the current IWGP title holder and in this years G1 as well. It’s also the first time in 20 years a gaijin made it to the finals. The last foreigner to make it this far was Rick Rude back in 1992. 

Kazuchika Okada vs. Togi Makabe, 2012′s G1 Semifinal

Who’s who?

Okada is the young gun wearing gold and pink shorts and gold boots. He was recently champion, but lost it 2 months earlier to the Ace of NJPW Hiroshi Tanahashi ending Okada’s 1st reign and starting Tanahashi’s 6th. Okada wants to win here and get a shot at WK to beat Tanahashi for the belt. Though that’s a large task as this is Kazuchika Okada’s first ever G1 Climax. 

Another interesting fact for this match/event is that Okada just joined the ‘CHAOS’ faction earlier in this same year after winning his comeback match over Yoshi-Hashi at WK. The day after WKVI at a press conference where a title match was made between him and Tanahashi it was also revealed that Okada was the newest member of Chaos.

Togi Makabe is the older more brutish talent of the two wearing black. He too has had only one reign with the IWGP Title back in 2010. He had also won G1 before in 2009 and will be looking to become one of the few talents to ever win more than once. 

How’s the match?

Good, I’m glad it’s so hard hitting because it’s early in the night and it would have felt unfair if this match was an easy win and the winner took on whoever wins the next match in the finals right after the other talent fought in the semi-finals. Togi Makabe tosses Okada around like the pup he was at the time. Then the Rainmaker pulled an ace out of his sleeve and barely got by the gorilla of a man Tobi Makabe.

Karl Anderson vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, 2012′s G1 Semi-Finals

Who’s who?

Karl Anderson is the white bald gaijin with a beard. He is wearing blue tights and knee pads. Karl Anderson at this point was a well worn tag team member having won World Tag League in 2009, voted WoN’s best tag team of 2011 Bad Intentions(w/ Giant Bernard), Together that team had captured both the IWGP and GHC tag straps that NOAH uses. Still Karl Anderson hadn’t held any singles gold of note. This G1 was his chance to grasp the brass ring and prove his singles value.

His first challenge of the night was Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is wearing long white pants. At the time he was holding the IWGP Championship after winning it from Okada at Dominion 6.16.2012 Tanahashi being very well established as championship talent at this point, this being his 6th reign while Okada had only been champion once. Tanahashi could beat everyone and prove that he is the ace by not only being champion, but also winning G1 ontop of that. 

How’s the match?

Good, as always Hiroshi Tanahashi’s High Fly Flow crossbody seems like it’s heat seeking. Flying outside and creaming Anderson in a very epic moment in this semifinal fight. While Karl Anderson got the upperhand by being the smarter worker. Him targeting the leg of Tanahashi and countering at the right time late in the fight netted him the win. It was a huge moment and marked Anderson being the first Gaijin to get to the finals of the G1 since Rick Rude as noted earlier.  

Karl Anderson vs Kazuchika Okada, 2012′s G1 Finals

Who’s who?

Covered them both above, but to reiterate Karl Anderson is the bald white guy who is a noted tag team technician at this time but hadn’t won a G1 or singles title in NJPW.

While Okada is in gold shorts and boots and is the young Chaos stable upstart who had 2 months earlier dropped the IWGP belt to Hiroshi Tanahashi. Eager to get the win and prove himself as a past and future champion and earn another shot at the biggest belt in Japan. 

How’s the match?

Great, the two men have plenty of chemistry and mesh very well in this finals match. It might not stack up to recent Okada bouts, but with some call those the best matches ever that’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’d probably suggest this match as a standalone viewing as I think watching the 2 earlier rounds will have some people annoyed at overlap of spots. Not that they are bad spots, but Okada putting heads in the ring barrier and Karl Anderson’s headscissor---->armdrag--->headscissors---->armdrag--->headscissors----> happens in both his matches. It’s nothing major, but it does seem weird to use both those spots over. A really interesting note is that this was Kazuchika Okada’s first G1 and he won it, Kenny Omega would be the next man to do that. Will 2017 have a similar fresh faced winner?

I think this was a great breakout performance by Karl Anderson and Kazuchika Okada. This moment is crowning the youngest person to win the G1 Climax and it’s easy to tell even 5 years ago that NJPW saw a huge future in this guy. It feels very reminiscent of Randy Orton or Brock Lesnar’s youngest guy to win the big one moment. After the match we get Gedo and Okada in the ring and Okada post match presser. All three matches are really fun and 3/4th of the men involved will be in this years G1. Will Okada or Tanahashi join the 3 time club, or will Togi Makabe join them with 2 wins? Or will another first timer win like Okada did 5 years ago? Only time will tell as the G1 starts on the 17th, stay tuned here for coverage of that as it happens.