NJPW G1 Climax Night 14: Moxley's Streak Dies, Naito Moves Forward

Tetsuya Naito (6) vs. Shingo Takagi (4)

The match was worth the wait and then some! @s_d_naito and @Takagi__Shingo deliver a classic in Osaka! #g129➡️ https://t.co/nA6zFRMmxQ pic.twitter.com/QwuBg7uu2Q

— TDE Wrestling (@tde_wrestling) August 4, 2019

Faction brothers in Los Ingobernables de Japon, Naito and Takagi knew each others' talents in and out. Their union has been built around a rivalry spanning their entire careers, so the chance to see their clash here in the G1 was a real thrill! Red Shoes Unno refereed.

Naito's tranquilo style was excellent at frustrating Takagi, and he scrambled for a side headlock the moment he could. A pair of body blows separated them, and Naito's sunset flip led to a fast and brutal series of reversals that moved all over the ring.

Once they were to their feet, Naito threw Takagi out of the ring and taunted him with the Tranquilo pose. Takagi happily took the time to get a chair from under the ring. Naito kept it from being used in the ring before fighting Takagi down to the floor in a hold Takagi struggled fro the rope to break up.

They were on their feet again and trading elbows in short order until Naito went for the eyes and Takagi, the hair. A well-earned separation gave Takagi the space to deliver a combination of strikes and take Naito outside of the ring for some blue barricade time.

Takagi slammed Naito's head into the arena floor with a DDT before rolling him back into the ring. He was explosively strong, treating Naito like a doll with a vertical suplex so loud the crowd gasped. A knee drop kept Naito in the middle of the ring, rolling in pain.

Naito's rallying led to absorbing more strong strikes, but he was able to drop Takagi into his knee and get into a better position. A combination punctuated by a neckbreaker saw Takagi rolling on the mat, a stark contrast to his position not much earlier. Takagi wasn't having it and managed a pop-up Death Valley driver.

A Dragon Spirit elbow put Naito down for only 2 smacks on the mat. Naito dodged a sliding lariat but ran into Takagi's feet before delivering yet another neckbreaker. Takagi escaped Naito's ringpost offense and put him down with a noshigami.

Naito surprised Takagi with a swing DDT when they came to their feet, following with a strong forearm. He completed his Gloria move and didn't gain the pinfall, so he prepared for his finisher, Destino.

Naito was caught in his attempt, and Takagi slammed him flat. He completed a wheelbarrow German suplex that rang Naito's bell. Naito soaked up pain like a sponge, but he fought back from the top rope with forearms to Takagi's face. Naito got them both down violently, delivered a poison rana, and leveled their playing field significantly.

Takagi was up first, dragging Naito up for his Made in Japan finisher, and Naito fought his way free into a nasty clothesline. Takagi's Psycho suplex was met with a suplex of Naito's own.

The Made in Japan finisher did connect with Naito eventually, but Naito kept kicking out! It was time for Takagi to play his Last of the Dragon card, and Naito trumped him with a reverse DDT.

They grappled until they could get to their feet, trading elbow strikes. Naito's palm strike and headbutt opened Takagi up for a brainbuster. He didn't get his pinfall, and Takagi reversed Naito's Destino finisher to once more grab for dominance of the match.

Naito hit a destroyer and the Destino twice to pin Takagi, thwarting his rival's reach for victory with only 2 minutes remaining.

Results: Tetsuya Naito (8) def. Shingo Takagi (4) via pinfall.