The annual NJPW G1 Climax tournament rolls on! The first two shows available to view for free over on NJPWWorld. “After that you’ve gotta pay, you bums!” – Kevin Kelly.
The tournament’s format and structure slightly different this year: 4 blocks, 8 wrestlers per block, 2 progress out into the Quarter Finals and it’s a knockout format from there. A lot closer to the feeling of a World Cup, a familiar format for the Brit behind the keyboard posting these results.
The shows will feature 8 matches, now 2 blocks per night. So you get your full round of action in one night, compared to last year’s… let’s not get into it. Finally, there’s a 20 minute time-limit for the matches this year, something you’ll immediately find is gotten over in well-booked fashion.
With that explained, let’s get to it. Proclaim the “Born in the ring!” slogan for this year’s tournament and get to these results.
REFRESH FOR UPDATED RESULTS AS THE SHOW ROLLS ON.
C BLOCK
Tomohiro Ishii vs David Finlay (NEVER Openweight Champion)
David Finlay bringing back a refreshing philosophy of rebellious violence to Bullet Club. Priming himself as the badass of NJPW, but here he is against the actual man with that earned accolade in Tomohiro Ishii.
Exchanging stiff strikes with the Stone Pitbull isn’t usually advised, but Finlay took straight to the man to make that statement. Also wearing NJPW’s wrestling potato down, grounding him with leg submissions and creating a weak point to chop the fella down when needed.
Although, when Ishii just POUNCES you there’s not a lot you can do. The man then entering his phase of refusing to stay down, bouncing back up after knock-down strikes and kicking out of the Dominator like the fighter he is.
The wrestling fridge then also getting his foot back the match by blocking a spear and attempting his own Powerbomb. Now it was Finlay’s turn to show his fight, caught in the unenviable situation of trying to find his way back in against the man that just won’t stop headbutting you back down.
To his credit, the new Bullet Club leader kept kicking out, no matter the power behind the Lariat, nor the force in the headbutt. No Gedo interference needed as the contest entered a flash after the 5 minute call. The two countering back n’ forth until Finlay suddenly found himself on top, quickly nailing the Oblivion for the win.
WINNER: David Finlay (2 points)
D Block
Toru Yano vs Hirooki Goto
Yano out with an Hokkaido mascot… yeeah boii, here we immediately go with the nonsense.
The last time these two faced they broke the record for the shortest match in G1 history. Teasing that out the gate with immediate near fall roll ups for both. Before getting the crowd laughing with a never ending Irish Whip reversal bit at ringside.
Genius Yano chucking Goto under the ring and using the huge headed mascot as a block, before climbing under too. A shot of an empty ring as we hear banging underneath the ring as the ref starts his count… only for Goto to emerge shortly after wearing the mascot’s head. “Oh no I can’t see!” walking into the ring post as the referee’s ring count nears 20.
Hirooki Goto finding his wits just in time to get into the ring and, well I guess there might as well be some wrestling. Yano constantly just trying to trick sneak the victory as usual, whilst Goto introduces the crazy concept of actual wrestling moves to this match.
Eventually able to capture the cheeky lad and drain him enough to wallop him down with a GTR.
WINNER: Hirooki Goto (2 points)
But oh no, there’s now a headless mascot under the ring. Think of the children!
C BLOCK
Mikey Nicholls vs Henare
The big boy block rolls on! New music with a new look for Henare: a completely shaven head with a legit face tattoo heralding his New Zealand heritage.
Well, after that strong aura of an entrance good look to yer, Mikey Nicholls.
Kevin Kelly describing the opening like two bulls colliding in the ring, hands just crashing down as the two do there best to lamp the crap out of each other. Spilling over to ringside and continuing in the exact same strike exchanging fashion.
A room owning confidence about Henare as he takes his time between strikes, able to mix things up with his impressive kicks as well as just walloping you with a stiff forehead.
Nicholls showing his fight, letting us know how well he’s going to fit in a block like this. More than able to strike back and elevate proceedings, show quite literally this match as he crashed Henare down with a Superplex before the two headbutted each other like dogs. The blood spilling from the TMKD man afterwards, opened the hard way via the sheer force of Henare’s noggin.
Blood spilling into the eyes as he tried his best to put away the United Empire Kiwi, still clubbing the lad down but the fatigue clearly kicking in as he struggled to maintain the force behind his strikes. In the end going high risk and losing it all with a rare Moonsault, now caught in a straight up strike exchange and seemingly destined for for failure.
An awesome back n’ forth flow of exchanges and stiff strikes, but ending with a nasty looking closing move. The Master Blaster landing Henare square on his head, you know it’s bad when the calm and collected Kevin Kelly swears in reaction.
WINNER: Mikey Nichols (2 points)
After the match Henare was on his feet, seemingly not right, but that really did look nasty.
D BLOCK
Shane Haste vs Alex Coughlin
Coughlin the last of Finlay’s established War Dogs of the Bullet Club to make his mark on the G1, following the man himself and Gabe Kidd.
Haste a great opponent to help establish the sheer untamed force of Coughlin for the tournament. A damn impressive Gutwrench lifting the Aussie up off the apron whilst perched on the second rope, the Bullet Club brute really making his mark.
The athleticism of the TMDK man keeping him in the flow, but he found himself fighting back up from early on. Trying his best to counter and wear Coughlin down, but the lad’s counters always landed with such force. He doesn’t just power out of a choke, he’ll lift you up and Powerbomb the crap out of you for even daring to attempt it in the first place.
The wild nature of Coughlin costing him in the end though. Having the match seemingly in the bag and just throwing it all away. Grabbing chairs from under the ring, only for Haste to reverse and Back Body Drop his opponent onto them for a snatch victory.
WINNER: Shane Haste (2 points)
C BLOCK
Shingo Takagi vs Eddie Kingston (New Japan Strong Openweight Champion)
HERE WE GO!
Eddie Kingston in the G1, you did it.
Bumping chests from the off to let us know the kind of exchange we’re in for. A chest chop challenge to start us out as both lads show off their fortitude, really setting the tone for the rest of the bout.
Shingo elevating our entertaining game of strikes into the realm of the Suplerplex, but his kicks and strikes after seemingly only angered the New Yorker. Shingo ducking the Backfist, however, and sending us into a run of quick exchanges. Both lads bouncing right back up after Lariats and Suplexes, running on their fumes until they crash down together.
The fight of Kingston in the spotlight soon after. A Northern Lights Bomb dropping Eddie right on his head only gets a one, the Pumping Bomber Lariat only scoring a two, the Last Of The Dragon fought out of and countered with a Lariat of his own. Only for Takagi to also kick out at one. Yup, this is what I came for!
Both lads openly striking each other in the ending sequence, Eddie seemingly out on his feet before fighting back in and in the throws finally landing the Backfist. Crashing The Dragon down with a Northern Lights Bomb of his own for the win.
WINNER: Eddie Kingston (2 points)
D BLOCK
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Zack Sabre Jr (NJPW World Television Champion)
ZSJ full of confidence as he tangles up the increasingly worn and torn body of Tanahashi. Focusing on wearing down the man’s famously damaged knees, acting like he’s toying with him at times. That said, it’s those overconfident moments that gave Tana his openings to get back into the match, the vet snapping in via those moments of over-striding ego.
The Somersault Senton winding Sabre Jr, but not enough to stop the lad from quickly popping back up after the near fall to tangle up the Ace Of The Universe once again. Working on that knee once again, Tana’s attempts to escape only getting him caught in a Clover Texas like trap.
Tanahashi finally finding a way in by zoning in on ZSJ’s arm, some awesome looking Dragon Whips creating a weak spot to help fight out of the next attempted tangle.
Slingblade hit from that momentum, but the follow up High Fly Flow took too long and the TMDK punk caught him with a roll through.
In the end Tanahashi going back to that arm, locking it in a bar and going for the attempted submission instead. Yeah, that’s not a game you want to enter with Sabre Jr, who constantly found ways to counter out. Tana to his credit also reversed back into the arm bar, but his opponent just used that to his advantage to trap him in a package pin for the win.
That’s vegan tekkers for you!
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr (2 points)
C BLOCK
EVIL vs Tama Tonga
Shenanigans from the off as expected from our do-no-good villain. Tama’s fight back quickly faltering into EVIL’s ringside brawl parlor, the G. O. D. lad dragged and thrown around the crowd area. Lobbed over a row of seats and just left to make his own way back to beat the count.
After only just beating the count Tonga arrived back with some fire, but the nonsense of EVIL’s style constantly cut the legs out from under him. The referee down only took us further into that realm, boos for Dick Togo as he took down Jado and entered the fray.
Hokkaido chanting at the man to go home, he and EVIL responding by double teaming Tama with the Magic Killer. Tonga more than familiar with the move kicked out at one to once again show that fire. Only to yet again have to fight back from being trapped within the Sharpshooter.
This match all to EVIL’s pace, Tama finding the odd burst to swing back in, quite literally doing so in the final 10 minutes with a Tongan Twist. The second half of this match finally seeing him find some kind of footing, nailing an Enziguri and able to fly high with the Supreme Flow.
The pounding on the mat asking for the Stun Gun only leads to more Dick Togo, working distraction for EVIL to attempt to snatch the win, but Tama wise to the guise and put a stop to that.
Under 5 minutes left as EVIL nails Darkness Falls to an achingly close near fall. The man going for the big hitters also opens up the room for Tama to snatch momentum, the man finally able to avoid the shenanigans. A Gun Stun to Dick Togo finally took him out and the Bloody Sunday to EVIL scoring a darn close near fall.
The crowd right behind Tama as the momentum swung his way, only for EVIL to use the referee in a last ditch attempt to steal the win. Shoving Red Shoes to the corner, Tama avoid the man, but that meant the ref was out of position to miss the low blow.
A swift swing at the dick and an Everything Is Evil STO follow up finally secures the win.
WINNER: EVIL (2 points)
MAIN EVENT
D BLOCK
Tetsuya Naito vs Jeff Cobb
The one man the 20 minute time limit has the biggest effect on is main event Naito. Normally easing his way into things, taking his own sweet time as he taunts his opponents. Here he doesn’t have that luxury though, forced to get into the swing just that little bit quicker.
The early going having Cobb to actually be the one in control, posturing and taunting his opponent. A rare sight for Naito as it’s his opponent actively taking the piss. Big Jeff making it look easy as he slams Naito around and teases with lax covers. Purposefully showing off by flowing in the corner with Naito’s combinación.
The first 5 minutes easily in Cobb’s hands, but with all the cheeky posturing and showing off it was only going to be a matter of time till the ungovernable one found his footing. The Olympian still powering out, but Naito smartly found a way to use the man’s mass against him. Or so we thought, as Cobb was hoisted up in the corner, only for Naito to be Powerbombed from the heights of Bret’s rope.
In the aftermath Cobb going for the killer blow leads us into a burst flash of reversals. Naito finding his Destino in and going for the running variation, managing to nail it but is unable to capitalise. Going for for the full version soon after, but the United Empire hoss countered awesomely into a Tour Of The Islands. However, he’s also unable to capitalise as he slowly stutters about trying to find his way back to his feet.
A fantastic final flow as both lads do what they can to land that killer blow, Naito going for the Destino and Cobb a Tour he can actually follow up on. The LIJ leader impressively popping right back up after a German Suplex, but he may have soon regretted it as Cobb clobbered him and finally span him down with the Tour Of The Islands win.
WINNER: Jeff Cobb (2 points)
After the match Cobb put on Naito’s hat and cut a promo taking the piss out of Naito’s Los Ingobernables de Japon role call promo with a United Empire variation.
UPDATED BLOCK STANDINGS
C BLOCK
David Finlay – 2 points
Eddie Kingston – 2 points
EVIL – 2 points
Mikey Nichols – 2 points
Henare – 0 points
Shingo Takagi – 0 points
Tama Tonga – 0Â points
Tomohiro Ishii – 0 points
D BLOCK
Hirooki Goto – 2 points
Jeff Cobb – 2 points
Shane Haste – 2 points
Zack Sabre Jr – 2 points
Alex Coughlin – 0 points
Hiroshi Tanahashi – 0 points
Tetsuya Naito – 0 points
Toru Yano – 0 points
