第6試合『G1 CLIMAX 34』Bブロック公式戦
後藤 洋央紀 vs エル・ファンタズモ
後藤 洋央紀 vs エル・ファンタズモ
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00:00We will now begin the G1 Climax B Block official match, 30 minutes, one match.
00:31It is a difficult thing to do, but it's something that El Phantasmo has had to do before.
00:38Know that you are mathematically eliminated from G1 Climax 34, and then still live to fight another day.
00:46It's something that some of us in the G1 are facing for the very first time, but Phantasmo, multiple times out,
00:53mathematically in G1, now yet another year of that being the case.
00:57Only four points on the board for Phantasmo.
01:01But beyond the battle that Phantasmo has been having inside the ring, Calum,
01:05El Phantasmo has been having an even more intense battle with himself.
01:10The mental game for El Phantasmo has not been up to par since the beginning.
01:15Hell, there's no doubt as to why Phantasmo has eliminated this early on.
01:19Well, everyone goes through a little.
01:35Everyone goes through, like, some heartbreak, and after that you go downhill for a little while,
01:39and you find something that makes your heart full again.
01:44I think in the ELP group, it's the people.
02:19And we are getting up-to-the-date, up-to-the-minute coverage from sport and pro wrestlers,
02:48from sportandprowrestling.com, and the mathematics are worked out by our own statistician Chris Samsa.
02:54Hiroki Goto, as of this time, currently in contention for the playoff situation.
03:00Number three out of the top three in Block B.
03:03One Narita, two Jeff Cobb.
03:05Number three Hiroki Goto with tie-break victories over every single other man standing at eight points.
03:12El Phantasmo has a hell of an opportunity to play spoiler here tonight to the dreams of Hiroki Goto.
03:43It's been emotionally charged runs in G1 Climax so far for both of these men.
03:53One much more documented than the other, that being El Phantasmo,
03:56but we saw a lot of that motion come out backing Corican Hall for Hiroki Goto.
04:01A victory over David Finley in an emotional scene, celebration with his son and his daughter at ringside.
04:12And it's a bit of a split audience here tonight in Sendai for El Phantasmo and Hiroki Goto.
04:20Bell sounds, we are officially underway.
04:27There's been a heavy groundswell of support, a really out-of-nowhere movement to see Hiroki Goto win this year's G1 Climax.
04:35And a hell of a campaign we're seeing from Goto, victorious in his last...
04:42...two G1 Climax bouts, eight points overall on the board.
04:47As we get into the Colorado tie-up here, it's not the first time these two men have faced off.
04:51We want to harken back to World Tag League 2023, the longest World Tag League final in history.
04:5740 minutes plus, El Phantasmo and Hikaleo took it to Hiroki Goto and Yoshihashi.
05:03It was Bishamon that won out in the end.
05:06Is there a part, Callum, of El Phantasmo that when he looks at Hiroki Goto,
05:11all he thinks about is tag team competition?
05:13And where does that take his mind?
05:14I think it takes it to his old tag team partner, the man that has left El Phantasmo in the dust,
05:20put him in this mental state, that being Hikaleo.
05:24Pretty much just explained it all yourself there, buddy.
05:28I mean, I don't know what to say.
05:30Last time I remember seeing Phantasmo and Goto in the ring together was Tag League finals.
05:40El Phantasmo brought it to both Yoshihashi and Goto.
05:46It's definitely a one-man wrecking crew situation for El Phantasmo for the longest in that.
05:51He's spent nearly 20 minutes of the match-up battling it just himself.
05:55If there's any proof that El Phantasmo can do this all on his own,
06:00not just G1 Climax, but any singles run in New Japan Pro Wrestling,
06:04it should be that cover here for LPNS2.
06:13Goto, the only former G1 Climax winner in history that sits in bottom beam,
06:18one of two in the 20-man playing field in this tournament,
06:23being Tetsuya Naito on your side of the block.
06:26Phantasmo, cover here once again.
06:33A point of conversation that we've had a lot recently about Hiroki Goto
06:36ever since he introduced his son and daughter into the playing field
06:40and introduced the idea that, hey, now he has something deeper to fight for than just for himself.
06:45There was no son or daughter for Hiroki Goto back when he won his first G1 Climax in 2008.
06:54Yeah!
06:56Yeah!
06:57Yes, Goto, going to take El Phantasmo up over the top.
07:04Definitely got to bring more out of you having your son and daughter here.
07:07Right.
07:09Watching...
07:11Imagine being that young, watching your dad wrestle.
07:15And if anything, seeing your dad lose, it's got to...
07:18Mentally, for him, have knowing that his kids watched him lose,
07:22it's got to do damage to you in one way or another.
07:26Absolutely have to agree with you on that.
07:28And that is another driving force for Hiroki Goto.
07:32Many emotional forces behind Goto.
07:34Not just this groundswell from the people,
07:37as the cover once again off the back elbow, just two for Goto so far.
07:42It was Goto who attempted to dedicate a finals victory in New Japan Cup 2024
07:47to his father who had passed away back in February of this year.
07:51And coming up short in that battle against Yota Tsuji,
07:54that has to weigh on the mind as well of Goto,
07:56knowing, hey, this is another tournament.
07:58I'm not just doing this for me anymore, it's for my family.
08:07Brother's going to be unstoppable.
08:11Could either be unstoppable or AOP could make another big upset tonight.
08:16Straight on that back with that plaster.
08:18Yeah, and you can see the bandages slowly coming off that spine of El Phantasmo.
08:24Had a conversation with LP earlier on in the evening,
08:27told me still bleeding onto his bed sheets every single night,
08:30following that table that he crashed through,
08:32thanks to Kunosuke Takeshita.
08:41And it's Goto taking this one off the ropes.
08:45Nope, big boot up for Phantasmo.
08:48Goten Goto, hey, that's great strategy there from LP.
08:52Up over the top, clawed shot, taking things high risk,
08:55and it pays off in the end.
09:00The victories that we have seen El Phantasmo earn in this tournament
09:03have all been thanks to high risk offense.
09:06It's offense that Jado at ringside on the opposite end
09:09has been trying to keep El Phantasmo from going.
09:13Usually would come off a shot like this with Jado,
09:15but Phantasmo more than determined to pull it off here.
09:18Moonsault from the top.
09:23Gallivan, you know yourself how difficult it is to balance from a position like that.
09:27That is otherworldly style.
09:31I go up the middle. The middle's so much easier.
09:35You've got your thighs against the top ropes,
09:37there's that little bit of balance you can get,
09:39but the top's just a completely different world.
09:46Count of six, bringing it back in.
09:48Japanese count of 20 would end this matchup.
09:51Phantasmo high angle senton.
09:53Combination offense with the Moonsault.
09:55Got it here on Goto.
10:00So many, so many times these two have met,
10:03but never before in singles action, not till tonight.
10:11And it's this point in the match that in tag action,
10:14Phantasmo would turn to a taller Tangen
10:18for a choke slam, but there is no Tangen tonight.
10:21It's just LP.
10:28Goto, don't turn your back on Onomoshi.
10:36Let's not pretend there isn't a grudge that Goto holds against El Phantasmo.
10:40The reason that Goto and Yoshihashi Bishamon lost
10:43the IWGP Tag Team Titles and Strong Openweight Tag Team Titles
10:47in the biggest stage New Japan has at Wrestle Kingdom 18 this year.
10:56Rocks the skull of Phantasmo.
10:59Back suplex.
11:00Takes down hook of the legs here,
11:02and it's two once again.
11:04No time to recover whatsoever.
11:07It's the danger of wrestling a guy like Hirooki Goto
11:10with the veteran experience he has, right?
11:12Not one that's going to exactly let up on his opponent.
11:14So many tricks up his sleeve.
11:17And he's looking for one of those tricks now.
11:19This is a maneuver that Hirooki Goto invented,
11:23that Ushigoroshi.
11:28It's going to be a lot longer until he can land that on LP.
11:33And here we go.
11:35Inverted GTR.
11:37And Larry turns El Phantasmo inside out.
11:42No time to recover here on LP.
11:44No.
12:00We've seen it before.
12:02Phantasmo doesn't want to feel it again.
12:07You know what he's going for here.
12:08Calum wants CR2.
12:10It's how they won the tag titles.
12:12No.
12:41Come on!
12:45Come on! Come on!
12:49Come on! Come on!
12:55And that enziguri, he's got him rocked for just the time being.
12:58And don't turn your back.
13:00We've said it before.
13:01Underneath.
13:02But he puts down Goto.
13:10Come on! Come on! Come on!
13:16Fresh off the hard-hitting match that he had against
13:18Kanosuke Takeshita.
13:19Five-star classic in Korakuen Hall.
13:23El Phantasmo has to pull what he has left together
13:27for his eighth out of nine G1 Climax bouts.
13:35El Phantasmo.
13:37Oh, Goto follows right in from behind, Calum.
13:50Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
13:52No, no, no, no.
13:54It's a one-man.
13:55Hold on. Hold on.
13:56Phantasmo right out over the top.
14:02No, no, no, no.
14:03Could he?
14:04He's done it.
14:06A one-man showtop from Phantasmo.
14:09It slides out for Goto.
14:11Can that do it?
14:12Phantasmo tonight.
14:14No.
14:15No, no, no.
14:19Eight, ten minutes have passed in this matchup.
14:21We have 20 left on the clock.
14:23Are we even going to need it tonight?
14:26Brain Buster into the cover here.
14:28No.
14:31Pinning attempt after pinning attempt.
14:37Oh, El Phantasmo going to send Goto for the ride.
14:44On the slam.
14:45So close.
14:46He's knocking him on his noodle.
14:50Once it from the top here.
14:52That's how he scored his points on the clock.
14:54Thunder kiss.
14:5586.
14:58Phantasmo to kill Goto's dreams tonight.
15:02No.
15:07That Thunder kiss.
15:0886.
15:09One of the IWGP Tag Titles at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
15:13But it will not win him the two points in G134.
15:16Not yet.
15:37Goto has to walk away with the win here.
15:40Keep up pace with Ren Narita and Jeff Cobb.
15:50Phantasmo wanted sudden death.
15:51That super kick.
15:52Goto's fading here.
15:54Has to remind him, hey, this is the G1 Climax, brother.
16:02Up on the shoulders.
16:03Here it is.
16:04Ushi Goroji.
16:08Hey, awesome.
16:15Veteran instincts there out of Hiroki Goto.
16:18One of those many tricks he's got hidden.
16:20Here he goes.
16:21And we might see one more here.
16:27Legs are going to pierce you like a samurai sword.
16:31On the shoulders.
16:33GTW.
16:44It's taken more in the past to put El Phantasmo down.
16:48Took 40 minutes back in World Tag League.
16:51You don't have 40 minutes here tonight.
16:55GTR misses out.
16:56Backslide.
16:57Backslide.
16:58No.
17:02Sudden death.
17:05Phantasmo got him.
17:08Oh, sweeps the legs.
17:09This is Goto.
17:10Jackknife hit.
17:11Got him down.
17:12Got him down.
17:13Pulled through.
17:14Phantasmo.
17:15Shoulders.
17:16Back and forth.
17:17Goto once again.
17:18Crucifix down.
17:19Crucifix down.
17:20Crucifix steady.
17:21Crucifix steady.
17:2313 minutes and 6 seconds.
17:25El Phantasmo wins.
17:53It's going to be a long, close battle for Goto going forward.
18:01El Phantasmo now gone from the bottom of the playing field.
18:06Now second to last.
18:08But it's better than nothing.
18:10It's 6 points on the damn board for El Phantasmo tonight.
18:15Hirooki Goto is absolutely crushed here now.
18:23Now.
18:26Game.
18:32Game.
18:34Now.
18:37Game.
18:39There is a respect that these two men have found for one another.
18:45From their battles in World Tag League.
18:47From their battles in Wrestle Kingdom 18 to now.
18:50When the two men stand alone.
18:54Game.
18:57Now.
19:00Game.
19:03Now.
19:05Game.
19:07Goto might not have wanted that handshake but he damn well respects it.
19:11Game.
19:13And he definitely very well respects El Phantasmo.
19:17El Phantasmo for the punishment that that man just placed his own body through.
19:21For the sanctity of the sport.
19:236 points on the board for El Phantasmo.
19:27And she won 34.
19:32That fucking Hirooki Goto.
19:35The G stands for Goto won.
19:39Game.
19:42Now.
19:45Game.
19:48Now.
19:50It's looking more and more likely that the barrier for entry to the playoffs will sit at 10 points.
19:56But for the time being.
19:58And it could change just one match from now.
20:00Hirooki Goto still involved in that third place position.
20:03Coming up next for El Phantasmo.
20:05We'll face off against the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay.
20:09On our final night of block competition.
20:11When New Japan hits Hamamatsu.
20:13David Finlay.
20:15Do not think.
20:16For a second.
20:18That I haven't forgot.
20:20You.
20:21Are the reason.
20:23For this.
20:30Speaking of David Finlay folks.
20:31And it's time for our semi-main event of the evening.
20:33The New Japan World Television Champion Jeff Cobb.
20:37Takes on IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay.
20:41One on one.
20:42Champion versus champion.
20:44Jeff Cobb's top spot in G1 on the line.