– NJPW G1 Climax 28 is an annual tournament that this year takes place from July 14 to August 12. Wrestlers are split into 2 Blocks of 10 and fight each person in their allocated Block. 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 for a loss. The two wrestlers at the top of Block A and Block B will face each other in the NJPW G1 Climax 28 Final, August 12 in Tokyo at the Budokan.
Below are the results from the seventh day of the tournament and updated Block A standings:
Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa defeated Shota Umino & Toa Henare
Yoh & Hirooki Goto defeated Gedo & Toru Yano
Sho & Tomohiro Ishii defeated TAKA Michinoku & Zack Sabre Jr
David Finlay & Juice Robinson defeated Chase Owens & Kenny Omega
Tetsuya Naito & SANADA defeated Yujiro Takahashi & Kota Ibushi
NJPW G1 Climax 28
Block A
Round 4
Michael Elgin vs YOSHI-HASHI
YOSHI-HASHI took it to Elgin from the start, quickly going outside and conjuring up the strength to suplex Elgin. But becoming desperate for a win, he took too big of a risk, too early and paid for it with one hell of a clothesline from Elgin after he attempting a ‘thing’ off the top rope. Which was the story of the match. YOSHI-HASHI continuously took risks, some paid off but ultimately he wasn’t thinking logically and Elgin kept punishing him for it.
YOSHI-HASHI showed his desire, kicking out and reversing a fair bit of his opponent’s offence. He even came close to winning after a nice string of offence ended with a close fall from a Swanton Bomb, but his decision making kept putting him right back in trouble.
Yet YOSHI-HASHI just kept kicking out of everything Michael Elgin threw at him, eventually the big man became desperate himself. Frustrated, the muscly Canadian lifted YH up for a Burning Hammer, which was countered and met with a Super Kick. YOSHI-HASHI then rocked Elgin with a Fisherman’s Buster and finished with a Karma for the three.
Winner: YOSHI-HASHI (2 points)
EVIL vs Bad Luck Fale
The two big lads very quickly brawled to the outside, with Fale getting the better of things and launching his opponent into crowd. Which wasn’t enough for Bad Luck, he soon followed that up by slamming two barricades on top of EVIL and going for the count out victory. This gave the King of Darkness time to recover and after a minute of being back inside the ring, he took the action back outside the ring and played the Firing Squad at their own game, distracting the ref to strike Fale with a chair.
Everything. Is. Even. With both guys relatively battered, they resorted to attempting to hit big moves to put the other away. Constant counters resulted in both guys getting taking it turns hitting their big moves. Right until Fale reversed EVIL’s attempt at an Everything is Evil STO and ‘accidentally’ knocking the referee over. Things very quickly descended into mayhem.
Tonga Loa interfered to no avail as a mix up resulted in him colliding with Fale, after which BUSHI ran down to aid his LIJ stablemate and delivered a Poison Mist to the face the former GoD tag team champion. As soon as things were level, in slithered Tama Tonga with a Gun Stun to BUSHI. Then Naito ran down to level things once again!
By then Bad Luck Fale had recovered from the mix up with, clobbered Naito and went to finish off EV- countered into Everything Is Evil! But the groggy ref refused to count the pin as the ring was full of downed bodies. Everyone slowly rolled out, except for Tama Tonga who snuck up on EVIL and nailed him with a Gun Stun! Right in front of the referee, yet another DQ for the Firing Squad.
Winner: EVIL via DQ (6 points)
Jay White vs Minoru Suzuki
Battle of the blokes who consider themselves the ‘Baddest Bastards on the Block’. White tried to prove he’s the smartest trickster in the G1, but he was up against the master himself. Taunting Suzuki so much was probably not the wisest move on his part. The veteran retaliated by trying to teach Switchblade a lesson, hitting three PKs with no remorse and locking in a damn painful looking wrist lock on the New Zealander.
Jay White had moments where he looked like he might get back into things, however he’d pissed off the wrong man and Suzuki had answers for all the tricks. The Suzuki-Gun leader stopped White’s attempt at a low blow, KO’d him with one stiff forearm shot and rounded it all off with a Gotch Style Piledriver for the win. Grabbing hold of Switchblades face and shouting at him whilst in the cover.
Winner: Minoru Suzuki (4 points)
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Hangman Page
Page took the match to Tanahashi, he didn’t give the Ace a moment’s rest. Which gave Hangman some success, but he became increasingly frustrated at Tana’s desire to never give up. He tried to prove he was equal to the Ace, however Tanahashi is very difficult to outsmart.
Eventually Page succumbed to his frustration and Tanahashi wisely capitalised with the Swingblade followed by a High Fly Flow combination for the win.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (6 points)
Togi Makabe vs Kazuchika Okada
As Rocky Romero said, “He seemed alright earlier and ready to go, then I saw him playing with a couple of balloons.” Is everything now right in the mind of Kazuchika Okada? Yes and No. One moment he wisely goaded the big man into using his steel chain and capitalised with a DDT, the next he stupidly went for a pin by putting a single foot on top of Makabe. Moments of smart confidence, followed by silly lapses.
He may not be the Rainmaker, but he’s still Okada. Like with his match against Hangman Page, once the match gets into full flow he’s at times able to string together offence as if there’s nothing wrong. Forcing his opponent to step up their game like they would have had to back when he was IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Okada hit a Tombstone Piledriver and without hesitation picked Makabe up for a Rainmaker, only to be reversed last second into a Death Valley Driver. Okada has returned to that stage where he brings out the best of his opponents, the difference now is he’s able to step up just that little bit more once again. Reversing Makabe’s attempt at a Flying King Kong Knee drop with a well-timed dropkick akin to the Okada of old.
The finish came in the same manner of Okada’s first victory, he rocked Makabe with a rolling Clothesline and followed up with a Rainmaker for the win.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada (4 points)
Block A Standings
EVIL (6 Points)
Hiroshi Tanahashi (6 Points)
Jay White (6 Points)
Kazuchika Okada (4 Points)
Michael Elgin (4 points)
Minoru Suzuki (4 Points)
Togi Makabe (4 points)
Bad Luck Fale (2 Points)
Hangman Page (2 Points)
YOSHI-HASHI (2 Points)
NJPW G1 Climax 28 is back Saturday July 26 for the Block B round 4 match ups: Hirooki Goto vs Totu Yano, Tetsuya Naito vs Tama Tonga, Tomohiro Ishii vs Zack Sabre Jr, Juice Robinson vs Kenny Omega and SANADA vs Kota Ibushi.
Full results of the show will be posted here on LOP shortly after.
NJPW G1 Climax 28 Day 1 (July 14 2018) – Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada
NJPW G1 Climax 28 Day 2 (July 15 2018) – Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito
NJPW G1 Climax 28 Day 3 (July 16 2018) – Jay White vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
NJPW G1 Climax 28 Day 4 (July 19 2018) – Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto
NJPW G1 Climax 28 Day 5 (July 20 2018) – Kazuchika Okada vs Hangman Page
NJPW G1 Climax 28 Day 6 (July 21 2018) – Hirooki Goto vs Tomohiro Ishii
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