2002 G1 Climax brackets & special tag concept

[Guest Stuart]

 

Blocks were announced for this year's G1 Climax. Unlike last year, both groups will be "pro wrestling", with Yoshihiro Takayama the only outsider. Many promising matches again this year, such as a rematch of last year's Nagata vs. Nishimura bout. No juniors this year.

 

Block A: Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka, Yutaka Yoshie, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yoshihiro Takayama

Block B: Yuji Nagata, Tatsumi Fujinami, Manabu Nakanishi, Osamu Nishimura, Kenzo Suzuki, Masahiro Chono

 

Additionally, a "G1 Special Tag" concept has been added to shows. Participants in the G1 Climax will team up in tags, and several enemies, such as Chono and Koshinaka, will have to team. Also, some changes to the TV schedule. 6/21 Korakuen show will now be SXW, while 7/8 Gifu show, which was originally nothing, will now be a TV-Asahi taping. Here are those announced matches and what shows they'll be on,

 

NJPW, 6/21/02 (SXW)

Tokyo Korakuen Hall

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 1st: Katsushi Takemura vs. El Samurai

2. Super J vs. Scott Norton

3. Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Blue Wolf vs. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Osamu Nishimura & Yutaka Yoshie

4. G1 Climax Special Tag - G1 vs. Team 2000: Masahiro Chono & Shiro Koshinaka vs. Hiro Saito & Tatsutoshi Goto

5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Minoru Tanaka © vs. AKIRA

 

NJPW, 7/4/02 (TV)

Hyogo Prefectural Budokan

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 3rd: Katsushi Takemura vs. Masayuki Naruse

2. Yuji Nagata & Super J vs. Scott Norton & Hiroyoshi Tenzan

3. G1 Climax Special Tag - Block A vs. Block B: Kensuke Sasaki & Shiro Koshinaka vs. Masahiro Chono & Tatsumi Fujinami

4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Jushin Thunder Liger & Minoru Tanaka © vs. Koji Kanemoto & AKIRA

 

NJPW, 7/8/02 (TV)

Gifu Industrial Hall

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 4th: Katsushi Takemura vs. Minoru Tanaka

2. Kensuke Sasaki & Kenzo Suzuki vs. Masahiro Chono & Scott Norton

3. G1 Climax Special Tag - Block A vs. Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi

 

NJPW "SAPPORO FIGHTING SPIRIT MEMORIAL DAY 1ST", 7/19/02 (TV)

Hokkaido Sports Center

 

1. Katsushi Takemura Jr. Trial Series 7th: Katsushi Takemura vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

2. G1 Climax Special Tag - Block A vs. Block B: Kensuke Sasaki & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata & Kenzo Suzuki

3. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Winner of Tanaka/AKIRA © vs. Koji Kanemoto

4. IWGP Tag Team Title: Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan © vs. The Steiner Brothers

 

NJPW "SAPPORO FIGHTING SPIRIT MEMORIAL DAY 2ND", 7/20/02 (TV)

Hokkaido Sports Center

 

1. Kyoko Inoue , Yoshiko Tamura & Misae Genki vs. Mima Shimoda , Etsuko Mita & Chaparrita ASARI

2. Kensuke Sasaki vs. Blue Wolf

3. G1 Climax Special Tag - Block A vs. Block B: Shiro Koshinaka & Yutaka Yoshie vs. Tatsumi Fujinami & Manabu Nakanishi

4. G1 Climax Special Tag - Block A vs. Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Masahiro Chono & Osamu Nishimura

5. Kenzo Suzuki & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. The Steiner Brothers

6. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Yuji Nagata © vs. Bas Rutten

 

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- Kenta Kobashi is now saying that he'll return to NOAH shows on the 7/19 Fukuchiyama Park Gymnasium NTV taping, rather than the 7/5 Korakuen Hall show. Kobashi was born in the area, so this will be a homecoming for him.

 

- New Japan has restored (fixed up) it's IWGP Heavyweight Title belt for the first time in five years. It was last restored during Hashimoto's 1997 reign.

[Guest goodhelmet]

- "Kenta Kobashi is now saying that he'll return to NOAH shows on the 7/19 Fukuchiyama Park Gymnasium NTV taping, rather than the 7/5 Korakuen Hall show. Kobashi was born in the area, so this will be a homecoming for him."

 

I'm a huge fan of Kobashi's but he needs to hang it up. You've provided us with some great matches but the time has come for him to stay at home and ice those knees.

[Guest Vyce]

I'm a huge fan of Kobashi's but he needs to hang it up. You've provided us with some great matches but the time has come for him to stay at home and ice those knees.

 

It's hard being a fan of Kobashi.  On the one hand, you don't want to see someone so talented and so in love with this business have to leave it.  On the other, human compassion prevents you from wanting to see the guy have to exist in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

 

God, it's hard to say, but yeah, he should give it up.