Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi produces final for the ages: G1 Climax 2013 Finals | WON Flashback
August 11 2013 was the final of the G1 Climax tournament that year, and Tetsuya Naito would claim a massive win over Hiroshi Tanahashi in a tournament final for the ages.
Our own Dave Meltzer would give Naito vs Tanahashi a ****½ in that week’s WON, noting that it “ranks with some of the best finals they’ve ever had” up to that point.
You can find Dave’s review of the matches from G1 Climax 2013 Finals in the August 19, 2013 Wrestling Observer Newsletter (which you can read in full with a subscription).
Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi at the G1 Climax 2013 Finals
Here is what Dave had to say about the Naito vs Tanahashi final in 2013 for the G1 Climax:
“Tetsuya Naito pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi in 26:44 to win this year’s G-1 Climax tournament. Crowd was hot from the start. Naito was selling the knee damage early and couldn’t run the ropes. Tanahashi kept working on his surgically repaired right knee. He got a submission and wouldn’t break quickly on the ropes. He stomped the hell out of the knee. Naito came back once until Tanahashi dropkicked the bad knee. Tanahashi did his plancha to the floor and then a dragon screw over the ropes as Naito tried to get back in. Tanahashi went for the Texas cloverleaf but Naito made the ropes.
“They had a long trade of elbows and the people went crazy for that. Tanahashi was kicking the knee and Naito came back with slaps. Tanahashi used a captured German suplex for a near fall, the sling blade and then missed the high fly flow. Naito used a missile dropkick to the back and a German suplex for a near fall. Tanahashi blocked Naito’s dragon suplex. Naito used a high kick, a flying forearm, slammed him down but then missed the stardust press. Naito was selling his knee big and Tanahashi came back with two more dragon screws, and another Texas cloverleaf. Tanahashi was bending him at weird angles but Naito made the ropes.
“Naito came back with a headlock takeover and the pluma blanca submission that he used on Anderson earlier. Tanahashi made the ropes. Naito went for a Frankensteiner off the top but Tanahashi rolled with it into a sunset flip, and then into a Styles clash. Tanahashi with the high fly flow to the back, and then turned Naito over. He went for the regular high fly flow but Naito got his knees up. Naito charged but Tanahashi dropkicked his knee. Naito then came back using Tanahashi’s trademark sling blade, and a dragon suplex for a great near fall, before a pump handle like slam and the stardust press for the clean win. This ranks with some of the best finals they’ve ever had. ****½”
Jake is the Head of Audience Development at F4WOnline, having previously worked as a Combat Sports, Gaming and Pro Wrestling writer, successful Editor in Chief and Sports Coordinator. He has more than ten years of experience covering mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, football and gaming across a number of publications, starting at SEScoops in 2012.
He previously also worked for PROGRESS Wrestling as Head of Media as well as working on the social channels of the company.