by Bryan Rose, WrestlingObserver.com

Here are results from day 4 of New Japan’s G1 Climax Tournament, held today in Takamatsu at the Takamatsu Gymnasium. This is a fixed camera show with no commentary.

Captain New Japan, Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask vs. Cody Hall, Tama Tonga and Doc Gallows

This was the usual New Japan six man. Everyone worked with one another and was fine for the most part, though it felt a little long. Captain New Japan fell again as he was mounting a comeback and even rolled up Doc Gallows for a nearfall that people reacted big to. Eventually he falls to the Gallows Pole.

Toru Yano, Gedo & Yoshi Hashi vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, David Finlay and Mascara Dorada

Yano squirted his water bottle at Tenzan before the match started, alluding to their upcoming bout. Rather mundane, textbook six man. Only real highlights were Yano’s usual antics and Dorada’s brief offense. This time it was Yoshi-Hashi who got the win, pinning Finlay after a swanton bomb. Tenzan goaded Yano to come to the ring after the match but he bailed.

Jay White and Kota Ibushi vs. Bad Luck Fale and AJ Styles

Started really dull without a ton of heat as White was being worked on. Ibushi made a hot tag that the crowd was really into. They were very much into the match whenever Ibushi and Styles were at it, they looked terrific in this match. AJ wiped out Ibushi with a crossbody to the floor and White was left with Fale. The former tried to mount a comeback but the latter wiped him out and pinned him after a grenade.

Ryusuke Taguchi, Katsuyori Shibata & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yohei Komatsu, Togi Makabe & Tetsuya Naito

This was a pretty good tag bout, though like the others were formulaic. Makabe and Shibata had some interactions, as well as Tanahashi & Tetsuya Naito. Good offense throughout, though nothing particularly special about the match. Last part of it had Komatsu kicking out of everything Taguchi was giving him, including kicking out of a dodon and avoiding his sliding hip splash. Taguchi hit the dodon one more time on Komatsu and got the win there.

Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Ishii gained control at the start but Cody Hall, seconding Yujiro, jumped him. Yujiro was in control for a good while and it was nothing special at all. He hit the Tokyo Pimps but Ishii kicked out. Ishii made a comeback and gave Yujiro a big time headbutt. He follows that with a sliding D then pins him with the brainbuster. Nothing really that special, and these two have had better matches together. 

Michael Elgin vs. Satoshi Kojima

This turned out to be easily the best match of the night so far. Very good back and forth match between the two, nothing super but a really good match. Elgin continues to thrive here as he was getting over the more he was on offense. At one point Kojima had him wiped out with a lariat, then went for another but Elgin came back with one of his own. Elgin had him in the middle rope and was looking to do something, but Kojima fell off and when Elgin jumped off the middle rope he ate another lariat and was pinned. 

Karl Anderson vs. Hirooki Goto

Good match, but not as good as last year’s G1 match they had together. Solid back and forth match for the most part. Goto hit a really cool code red off the top rope at one point for a nearfall. Goto had Anderson laid out with his knee neckbreaker and was about to go for the shouten kai, but in mid air Anderson transitioned into a second gun stun and pinned Goto. Fans were really surprised by the finish, which was really well done.

Yuji Nagata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

This match wasn’t really that interesting until the ending. I don’t know what it is about these two, but something just seems to be missing whenever they’re in the ring together. I don’t want to say that they don’t have chemistry at all, because by the end this was a pretty good match that the crowd got into, but before then I really just wasn’t feeling it. Nagata got the crowd into the match when he got the white eyes armbar on Nagata. He fought him off and went with the boma ye but he dodged. Nakamura eventually hit him with it, then another, but Nagata blocked a third. Nakamura came back with something resembling a boma ye, but pretty much just looked liked a regular kick and pinned him. Ranged into very good territory towards the end, but most of this was just there.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomoaki Honma

This was really good, but didn’t venture into great territory, like most matches tonight. They were on a even playing field as both guys gave a lot of offense to one another. A lot of kokeshis by Honma. Honma was scoring some nearfalls when he went for a top rope kokeshi but Okada moved. They botched a tombstone piledriver attempt but Honma acted quickly and rolled him up for a nearfall. Okada came back with a German and while still holding him, deadlifted him back to his feet and hit the rainmaker for the win. Crowd was really into this when it came to the nearfalls, and made this a really good, but not great match.