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00:00Well, ladies and gentlemen, yesterday at Treasure Island, a lot of New Japan fans had the opportunity to get up close in person with many superstars that have joined us here tonight to compete, and they look like everybody had a great time, Josh.
00:14Oh, you know, it's such a great opportunity to be here and see them compete live, but to have the chance to shake their hand, have a conversation with them, and they'll stick with a guy for a lifetime.
00:27A lot of talk the last several weeks about this event in general.
00:32I've had Kenny Omega on my podcast, the Jim Ross Report, a couple of times in the last couple of weeks.
00:40Very compelling interviews.
00:42It's a very unique organization.
00:48In the blue corner from the Black Cloud, his number six-man top champion,
00:55the villain, Morty Carl.
01:08Out of skill, this is Morty Carl.
01:10Hangman Page.
01:11But this might be the new hit guy.
01:14A lot of folks have talked to Josh about Hangman Page and his unlimited upside.
01:18And a lot of growth out of Hangman Page, as we've been sitting here watching him compete in New Japan Pro Wrestling,
01:26really starting to shine and show that he's a threat to any of the heavyweights out there.
01:33You know, folks are really covering the G1 here on AXS TV, and Hangman Page takes on Lex's G1 debut.
01:43I guess Bad Luck Paul A, they're in a B-block together.
01:48More Bullet Club on Bullet Club.
01:50Yeah, right, yeah, exactly.
01:55Well, I know we've seen Page as of recent.
01:58He's seen quite firmly in Team Cody.
02:01Same with the villain here, Marty Scurll.
02:04Yeah, you're right.
02:05You're exactly right.
02:06They're one of those sub-divisions of the Bullet Club, and we wondered at times, will the Bullet Club leadership be up for grabs to the winner of the Cody Omega match later tonight?
02:21Excellent point, JR.
02:23Something to hang your hat on and think about.
02:25Well, we know, ladies and gentlemen, that we're talking about the G1 in reverent terms because it was a huge tournament.
02:35You make or break your legacies, reputations, earn title matches, earn more money, earn more fame than the G1.
02:48One of the great junior heavyweights of all time, Kushida.
02:52And then there's the rock star of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi.
02:59Kushida!
03:00By the way, Tanahashi and Hangman Page will meet Hiroshi Tanahashi in the 8th block for the G1.
03:12Well, these two are somewhat familiar with each other.
03:15They recently faced off in a six-man tag match, but a six-man tag is not the same as a single.
03:21But nonetheless, it's always good to be able to get a little bit of a feeling out of your opponents, to be able to lock up with them.
03:29See where they feel strong, see how they're moving.
03:32See if you might be able to pick out any potential injuries or anything that's lagging behind in terms of their physicality.
03:40Can't be discounted, especially when you have such a long event like the G1 Climax.
03:44The ace and D, the once-in-a-century talent, very popular here at the Cow Palace.
03:58By the way, we just saw Minoru Suzuki a few moments ago.
04:02So, that's the opponent for Tanahashi in the first match of the G1 this year.
04:09Oh, now that's a bad draw.
04:11That's a bad draw.
04:12Moka is a bad draw this whole time, but Tanahashi will pin you.
04:17Suzuki will triple you.
04:18Kushida!
04:21Right on the money, partner.
04:22Right on the money.
04:23TANAHASHI HINOSHI!
04:30You know, I just gotta say this.
04:34Every time I hear the opening, uh, the little opening part of Kanahashi's song,
04:40it just makes me think of Dead Kennedy's holiday in Cambodia.
04:43I can't be the RFO.
04:44Oh, no, you were thinking that, JR.
04:46Yeah, I was heading that direction.
04:47I know we've talked at long length about what a big Dead Kennedy's and Jell-O-B opera fan you are.
04:55Or maybe that was...
04:57That was Red Jell-O.
04:58I know about her.
05:01Everybody likes Jell-O.
05:03They do, and I do.
05:06All right.
05:09This portion of the program is not brought to you by Jell-O, even though we all love it.
05:15But we're willing to take it.
05:17We're willing to...
05:17Yeah, if Jell-O's got the money, we will promote the hell out of you.
05:21We'll work with you.
05:23So the Villain and Hangman Page are a very formidable duo.
05:28They're literally on the same page.
05:31No pun intended.
05:34But let me tell you.
05:36You got to the best of all time in Tanahashi and Kushida.
05:40Yeah, I mean, Kushida's...
05:42He's not had the miles underneath him like Tanahashi, but I completely agree with you.
05:48He is going to be one of the best of all time.
05:50And he's said and all said and done, J.R.
05:51Marty Sparrow has that classic U.K. strategy that the men, the guys, the Johnny Saints.
06:02Roll the ball.
06:02Roll the ball, Rocko.
06:05Roll the ball, Rocko.
06:07He's got a bit of Billy Robinson.
06:09Yes, sir.
06:10Blackpool influences.
06:11My friend, Steven Riegel.
06:14William Riegel.
06:15Hey, what did he say?
06:16A Brit by any name.
06:18There you go.
06:19Look at this uniqueness.
06:22Just stamped on these hands from Britain.
06:25And there's some damn many good talents coming out of Great Britain now.
06:28It's amazing.
06:29All right, Marty.
06:32Spin.
06:32Spin around, go behind.
06:35Kushida.
06:36Got on a chest to chest just to let Marty know that he was still around,
06:40looking for a pin.
06:42Nice chain wrestling by these two men.
06:44Come on, Marty.
06:46He's got a little bit careful.
06:48With that, using the half-Nelson standing,
06:53there's a possibility to be thrown out of that.
06:58Oh.
07:00Manji got something, man.
07:01Nice encounter.
07:02Rocko-pisshole.
07:04That's a reverse, reverse the fortunes of Kushida,
07:07who's now the wrist lock, taken down, overhand wrist lock.
07:11Head scissor.
07:11Get up.
07:13Here you go, Marty.
07:19Skrull, the guys take a little bit of a breather.
07:23Very cerebral wrestler is Marty Skrull.
07:26Although, usually his thoughts, I would say,
07:28would run to a more morbid and nefarious side.
07:31Two heavyweights in the ring, Gary.
07:38Yeah, man.
07:41The established ace and the kid that wants to be the ace.
07:46And I'm not betting against either guy in that situation.
07:49Tanahashi's legacy will never be tarnished.
07:51He's a Hall of Fame guy.
07:54Guaranteed it's a lock.
07:55And what we've seen of Hangman Page,
07:59he gets better and better all the time against big league competition.
08:03Yes, he does.
08:05100% of these.
08:07Trying to put that headlock to good use against Tanahashi.
08:09Got to mention that Taguchi is ringside with Tanahashi and Kushida as part of that New Japan main unit group.
08:19Now, Tanahashi getting the headlock.
08:22See how he's using that bone to bone across the temple, putting pressure.
08:26This is not a hair match.
08:37Turnabout is fair play here.
08:40It's like a fight between Molly Crow and Twisted Sister.
08:46Irish whip is countered.
08:50Tanahashi able to counter back that elbow cross body off the second row.
08:56Not a lot of the air guitar.
09:00I played my air guitar a little bit today, as a matter of fact.
09:04Yeah, you can always go on to something simple like Every Rose Eyes of a Thorn.
09:07Yeah.
09:08Maybe a little Johnny Cash.
09:10Little Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top.
09:14Rumors spreading around.
09:17And there's a...
09:17Oh, that was the fun of Marty's expense as he drops the arm on Hangman Page.
09:26Because she is one of those great junior heavyweight shots that can be as competitive as he needs to be against bigger guys.
09:33Yeah, it's that MMA background.
09:35Not to mention that great speed that he's got as well.
09:38Oh.
09:40This could be bad.
09:42Up into the apron.
09:43One sidekick.
09:44Oh!
09:45Shooting star press for the end of the apron.
09:49Yeah.
09:50And Pace landed on his feet.
09:54Pretty impressive, let me tell you.
09:56There's no margin for error in that exchange.
09:59None.
10:00Well, it's a lot easier to accomplish when you have your partner, Marty Scurll, in tandem with you,
10:07to be able to use that kick to stun Kushida and give you that nice non-moving target.
10:14Wow.
10:14I don't know what he's going to get out of this other than an ass-whoop him.
10:18Oh!
10:19If you really think he wouldn't take a shot.
10:22And the villain and the hangman appropriately named here in this particular parry.
10:32I think he knew that was coming, Josh.
10:40Get this kid some preparation age.
10:43One, two, three, one.
10:48Well, we think that Kushida dropped a low kick.
10:53She took it off this here.
10:55Tandem put the power near fall earned by Hangman Page,
10:59who will learn in his older age to not complain about the slow count.
11:04Wink, wink.
11:05Right.
11:05Just go right back to work.
11:06Indeed.
11:07And, you know, he managed to roll the legs up,
11:09but he wasn't able to secure the upper body well enough to get that pinfall.
11:14But he did take Kushida and lead him into that high jumping boot.
11:18And Marty Scurll, that they have firmly in control of this match right now.
11:24No sign of Tana Hashi.
11:25Oh, there he was over on the corner.
11:27She's doing really good teamwork here.
11:30Kushida improvised.
11:33Used on Marty's back as a stepping stone.
11:36Nice reverse elbow.
11:39That's that speed and agility coming into play.
11:41Handspring back elbow.
11:43Changing direction on him.
11:45He's bringing in the ace.
11:46The great veteran Tiger Torrey is your official in this matchup.
11:52Don't want to leave out Tiger.
11:54He's a big part of the history of this game.
11:57Yeah, very much so.
11:59And a highly decorated amateur wrestler back in his day as well.
12:06Dragonscrew.
12:08There's a few guys in this organization who utilize the Dragonscrew,
12:13but none are clearly better than Tana Hashi.
12:15I really feel like when it comes to Tana Hashi, the Dragonscrew, he feels like a successor from its originator, Tatsunei Fujinami.
12:23Oh, nasty.
12:27Senton.
12:28Boopton got a near fall.
12:30Nice senton.
12:32Close quarters.
12:33Look at this.
12:33Boom.
12:34That's 225-230 careening into your body.
12:40It's like getting hit with a car crash.
12:44Tana Hashi trying to build some momentum countered there by Marty Searle.
12:49Skrull's almost got his fingers locked on that cross-faced chicken wing.
12:55Still putting pressure on him, getting his fingers together.
12:57If he can get his fingers together, J.R., it could be how she wrote.
13:00The lock, the grip is a difference maker.
13:04The villain trying to get there.
13:07But he is a challenging task because of the strength, the wide base, the balance of Hiroshi Tana Hashi.
13:21Palm strike.
13:22These guys are too smart to use their fists that much.
13:26They don't want to break their hands.
13:28That was the difference between a heavyweight hitting you and a junior heavyweight hitting you.
13:31Right across the knee.
13:33Hip tossing.
13:35Give that cynicism by Kushida.
13:40As good as there is, he avoids a contact from Hangman Page.
13:46Comes back with a discus elbow.
13:48Sending Tana Hashi off the ropes, getting reversed, sling blade counter.
13:54And Hangman Page shows how smart he's getting because he immediately left the ring
13:59after suspending the punishment from the sling blade.
14:04Match is plain, outright nasty, but it is very successful.
14:13European uppercut from the British native.
14:16There's the elbows and lucid teeth.
14:22There we go.
14:23Hoverboard lock.
14:25The double wrist lock locked in.
14:27Yes, yes, yes.
14:30The Togartore right there in perfect position.
14:34And now Texas Cloverly by Tana Hashi.
14:39The hammer lock, the double wrist lock, I should say, applied by Kushida.
14:48Looked like Skrull was going to, oh, he's locked his hands together.
14:51That's the deal.
14:53Yeah.
14:53Going home for Tana Hashi.
14:55Tana Hashi hit nothing.
14:56Buckshot Lariat.
14:57Man, what a knockout shot by Hangman Page.
15:02So explosive, man.
15:04He took all double off right to the face, did Kushida.
15:08I say go for the pinfall, JR.
15:10Get right on it.
15:11Roll him up.
15:12Burning daylight, kid.
15:13The roll up.
15:15Smaller man Kushida is being controlled here by the larger man Hangman Page.
15:20The roll up by Kushida.
15:22Got a near fall.
15:25Discus elbow bicycle kick.
15:27Right to the top of the head, JR.
15:29Yeah.
15:29The face quickens.
15:31It certainly favors the game planning of Kushida.
15:35Up and over.
15:36Kushida bouncing up on top of Page.
15:39Look at the power there.
15:42Oh, my God.
15:44Right on his head.
15:45Oh, my head.
15:47Bam.
15:47And Hangman Page stepped up to the floor.
15:50Here are your winners.
15:52Marty in his tail.
15:54And Hangman Page.
15:56Good victory here.
15:58Great pile driver from Page.
16:01Wow.
16:02What's the deal?
16:03Wasn't it amazing?
16:05I don't care who you are.
16:07You're not going to survive that.
16:08And certainly Kushida could not.
16:12We saw that Tana Hashi's leg give up, buckle under him when he went outside earlier.
16:16Leaving Kushida in a very tough spot that the villain and the hangman utilized to their full advantage.
16:26Hangman Page calls that the rite of passage.
16:29I call it a trip to the chiropractor for the rest of his life.
16:32Very successful tonight is the Bullet Club combination of the villain, Marty Skrull and Hangman Page.
16:44Well, ladies and gentlemen, the physicality will escalate.
16:57We truly believe in our next matchup, Jeff Cobb goes her first New Japan title, challenging Godo for the never openweight title next.
17:08Kushida, Kushida, baby, Kushida.
17:29Hold on.
17:30Hold on.
17:32Hold on.
17:47Hold on.
17:52Hold on.
17:52Hold on.
17:57Hold it.