NJPW G1 Climax 33 rolls on with Day 5 featuring 3rd Round action between A & B Block competitors.
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.
Shows will feature 8 matches each, 2 blocks getting through a round of match-ups. Finally, there’s a 20 minute time-limit for the matches this year, something to kick up the pace of the action… for everyone except EVIL (I’ll never get that time back).
With that explained, let’s proclaim this year’s “Born in the ring!” tournament slogan and get to these results.
REFRESH FOR UPDATED RESULTS AS THE SHOW ROLLS ON.
B BLOCK
Tanga Loa vs YOSHI-HASHI (IWGP Tag Team Champion)
Starting out fast with some direct intensity behind the action, charging and chopping right from the off. Both lad taking it in turns to have momentum, the strength and power of Tanga Loa proving to be an early factor working against the Tag Team Champion.
YOSHI-HASHI’s fight backs constantly cut off by the brute force of the Tongan. The crowd enthusiastically clapping after YH kicked out of a Jackhammer, doing what they can to motivate him back up. The back n’ forth strikes afterwards finally working in his favour as he’s able to follow up with the Headhunter.
The match having now swung as Loa finds it’s YOSHI-HASHI with the answers, like being able to roll out of a roll up and clock him with a Superkick. The Tongan making a statement after YH won again, the CHAOS man reversing into a Dragon Suplex and charging lariat. In response Tanga Loa immediately getting to his feet with a scream of fire.
Loa charging with a Spear and sending us into our closing minutes, both lads worn and motivated to capitalise. After winning the latest Lariat fight, Tanga Loa takes the risk to elevate proceedings by climbing to the top rope… and actually succeeds! Crashing down with a Diving Headbutt onto YH.
Now all set to go for the finish, Jado amping his man up from ringside, but the follow up is swiftly reversed into a Crucifix Pin for the win.
WINNER: YOSHI-HASHI (4 points)
A BLOCK
Ren Narita vs Gabe Kidd
The shortest average match length so far versus the longest.
Surely folk should be expecting Gabe Kidd’s attacks now, right? Yup! Narita just turning and staring daggers at him, Kidd charging with the chair anyway, but our Strong Style Prince just wins out and demands they fight in the ring.
The Niigata crowd booing as the Notts lad just immediately goes to bite Narita, absolutely no possibility of wrestling respectfully. The Shibata student bringing some respect, but perfectly willing to match Kidd’s intensity. Narita suplexing the War Dog over the top rope and crashing both men to the outside, even winning out the following barricade brawl.
However, taking too long to get into the ring gave Kidd enough time to untie the corner pad whilst acting tired, forcing his opponent’s head into the exposed buckle soon after. The referee refusing the count to Gabe’s fury, but the whole sequence seemed to hype up his opponent too.
Narita finding his fight to enforce a strike exchange battle, both lads chopping the crap out of each other. Hitting with such force that it left both men on the mat sucking wind.
The Student Of String Style finally able to use his submission/ground game acumen, the brute force and will of Kidd his only way to fight free. Just like in the Premier League, Nottingham wins once again and is in a position to talk some trash. Maybe trashing a little too much, giving his opponent more than enough time to plan a counter.
Narita looking to have momentum, but never count out the man who has the advantage of not caring about respect. Kidd grabbing the referee’s shirt, using the distraction swiftly kick Narita in the dick. The Bullet Club chap following up with a Piledriver and Gabe secures his second win of the G1!
WINNER: Gabe Kidd (4 points)
B BLOCK
Great O’Khan vs El Phantasmo
ELP not messing about and quickly going for those pins, sending both lads into an early pin-escape-pin-escape flow.
Don’t worry, it wasn’t long until the action spilled ringside, the former Bullet Club man impressing as he springboards off the barricade with a spinning DDT.
Whatever momentum the Canadian had immediately crashing away as O’Khan rolled away from a Diving Senton. No hesitation as he ripped off the protective tape on ELP’s lower neck, slowing the pace right down to zone in and take his shots at the weak point.
The ease of which the United Empire man’s Mongolian chops send Phantasmo down showing the wear and tear he’s experiencing. O’Khan inviting the challenge for ELP to step up and… well, I guess that’s kind of what happened…
Phantasmo instead twisting the nipple, the cheeky dick’ead still has a bit of that devil in him. However… Great O’Khan liked it! His face turning to hilarious pleasure before he reverses and bites on ELP’s nipple in exchange. Yes I just typed that, no I didn’t accidentally change tabs.
That little… I guess “playful” exchange the trigger to really up the ante of this match. Absolutely firing on all cylinders after that, the pace kicking right up as the desperation from the two showed.
A massive dive as ELP flow over one barricade and crashed O’Khan into the one behind, the Great One laying out of it on the row of previously occupied chairs. This the momentum for Phantasmo to finally get a foothold back in this match, entering a proper back n’ forth flow as they swung for the big hitters.
Neither lad able to land their finishers, instead resorting to stiff AF counters and lariats. O’Khan showing an aggression and intensity we’ve not seen so far this G1, a diving dropkick off the apron shooting him into control. A follow up slam at ringside knocking the wind out of his opponent, before getting back into the ring to it one more time and lock in the submission.
ELP finally broken down enough where the damage just became too much.
WINNER: Great O’Khan (2 points)
A BLOCK
Hikuleo vs Chase Owens
Hikuleo, Mr Nuls Points over here. Come on lad, surely you can beat at least beat this fella.
A somewhat respectful start between the two Bullet Club members, exchanging chops in a battle of strength. In expected fashion, that all went out the winder the second Chase tricked the big man under the ring to wallop him with a tire iron (device used to tighten the ring ropes).
Owens slowing the pace right down, using his veteran guile to wear down the right arm of the tall man. The eventual fight back more tiring as Hikuleo has to power through it with just one properly working arm.
Chase able to use that to his advantage and swing back into the match, wearing the big lad down more to smash into him with a stiff knee. Setting himself up for a Package Piledriver attempt, but he’d pissed off Hikuleo enough to light his fire.
When the Tongan was in full momentum flow, looking to Chokeslam his fellow stablemate down, Chase went into full tricky villain mode. Pretending to have hurt his leg, removing his knee pad and all, before whacking Hikuleo over the head with it. The tall one kicking out, but he was now knocked off for the follow up.
Chase rolling him up once more soon after and scoring the three.
WINNER: Chase Owens (4 points)
B BLOCK
KENTA vs Will Ospreay (IWGP United States Champion)
Villainous KENTA attacking poor Will before the bell, stomping on the lad before he can get out of his fancy jacket. “Oh that jacket is fancy” I assume KENTA thinks as he puts it on to stomp on him some more, posing in the corner with it on like a dick. Taking the piss a bit too much, as pretending the jacket makes him nauseous gave Ospreay room to jump into the fight.
The action spilling over to ringside and KENTA enters his normal match flow as he crashes Will into the crowd. Taking a cheeky selfie with a fan’s phone before slamming Ospreay’s head directly into the gym floor.
Back in the ring KENTA keeps the United Empire leader down with that famous NOAH style of stiff kicks. Ospreay finally snapping into a flow as he handsprings back off the ropes, the Essex lad able to find his way into this thing.
KENTA showing his athleticism too, diving with a flying clothesline to set up the Green Killer (you’ll know it as Orton’s rope draped DDT in America). Ospreay fighting out, but that made things only worse as the Bullet Club dick’ead moved to the outside to crash Will onto his noggin with a apron draped Green Killer instead!
Ospreay beating the count, back in the ring exchanging strikes of fire with KENTA, both lads chopping and slapping the hell out of each other. Which of course means it’s time for the referee to go down.
Say hello to KENTA’s kendo stick, Will’s chest and back. The strikes angering the Englishman as he snatches the stick for himself, only to set up a bit too much and get caught with a low blow. The DEFY World Championship to the head is lamped only to a near fall.
Taking us into our final spree, Ospreay avoiding the GTS, but isn’t with it enough to follow up and is caught in the Crossface. Managing to fight out and fly on high, KENTA rolling through but Ospreay somehow landing on his feet after two and half rotations.
The flow now suddenly completely against KENTA as Ospreay flies and clobbers him. The Bullet Club man down on his knees, whacked from behind with the Hidden Blade and setting him up to be driven down swiftly after with the Stormbreaker.
WINNER: Will Ospreay (4 points)
A BLOCK
Shota Umino vs Kaito Kiyomiya
Both rising young lads out to impress with their fancily painted wrestling pants… also with their in ring showing too. Stepping face-to-face to a great reaction after their initial flow of exchanges.
Both wanting to prove their toughness, quickly entering into a heavy forearm battle with neither wavering. The fist 5 minutes flying by as both lads keep on displaying their strength of will. Kiyomiya able to lock in a short submission, but within that same minute Umino had him kicking out of a beautiful bridge pin.
A springboard forearm shoots the NOAH star into control, continuing the flight with an impressive top rope dropkick, following up with a high-angle German Suplex.
However, just when Kiyomiya found a flow, Umino catches him with a standing dropkick and the match swings in an instant. A missile dropkick to the back sending Kaito crashing down for a follow up pin, setting Shota up to try and swing in with the running swinging neckbreaker. To no avail, but he doesn’t give up, nailing the move a few seconds later on the second try.
A great sequence as Kiyomiya blocked a knee strike by jumping up with one of his own, only for his follow up Shining Wizard attempt to be trapped and caught into an STF.
The Shooter going his big hitters, but Kaito refuses to stay down, stopping him with the Dragon Screw Leg Whip as he shifts focus to his opponent’s right leg. A second Dragon Screw, two standing dropkicks to his downed opponent and one mighty top rope dropkick to send the message him.
Kiyomiya Dragon Whipping his way into a Figure Four Leg Lock, the 5 minute call sounding as Umino refuses to give up. Sweat pouring from the chap caught in the lock, desperately shuffling his way to the ropes, only to be pulled right back to the center.
Shota absolutely refusing to tap, trying to shuffle back one more time, but as the 3 minute call is announced Kaito pulls him right back into the center again. Kiyomiya deciding to let go and go for the Underhook Suplex pin, only for Umino to kick out. The calculated decision not paying off.
Shooter refusing to give in, desperate shots trying to fight off Kiyomiya. Kaito bombing him down, but Umino kicks out! Into our final 30 seconds, desperation kicking in, when Shota reverses impressively, catching Kiyomiya’s Shining Wizard attempt and crashing him down with an Underhook DDT.
Under 10 seconds as he slowly crawls… into a kick out!
And that’s your lot. The time-limit expires and our A Block young guns experience yet another enthralling deadlock.
DRAW: Shota Umino (2 points) Kaito Kiyomiya (5 points)
B BLOCK
(KOPW Champion) TAICHI vs Kazuchika Okada
Blistering out of the blocks from Okada. A spinning Tombstone crashing TAICHI down in the first minute, a Spinning Rainmaker already setting the man up to lose to The Rainmaker. Only for TAICHI to only just survive, catching Kazu with an Enziguri before rolling to the outside to recover.
Okada successfully staying on top, to the point where the moment TAICHI secured some momentum… OFF COME THE PANTS. The added drive as the crowd get behind him, a great and stiff Kawada Kick knocking his opponent down.
It wasn’t long until TAICHI was crashing back first into the corner from a John Woo dropkick though. Okada still having such a hold on this match, cementing that with a second dropkick, this time sending his opponent crashing off the second rope to the outside.
Even more damage as The Rainmaker mercilessly DDTs TAICHI head first onto the ramp, slamming his head into it afterwards for added measure. A determined look on the face of Okada, back into the ring to lock in the Money Clip with no wasted motion to appeal to the crowd in any manner.
TAICHI’s fight back just immediately met with a no nonsense stiff forearm, Kazu is not here to play tonight. The Just 5 Guys member really having to show his fight to find any opening, trying three times before succeeding to halt Okada on the top rope. Only to be faught off anyway, only just avoiding disaster as he caught Kazu’s top rope Dropkick into a Powerbumb.
The Buzzsaw kick finally landing for TAICHI, the flow kicking in at last. Then there’s Okada right there with that amazing standing dropkick, taking us right into our classic NJPW final flow of fury. Rainmaker ducked into the Dangerous Suplex, Okada stumbling his way onto his feet quickly only to be Suplexed over again.
Kazu catching TAICHI, only to swing a weak Rainmaker attempt that his opponent just toughs out. A lightning fast sequence follows of both men swing into a ducking, countering and reversing frenzy. Every time one of them screamed in their amping up, the other was right there to clobber them and go for the pin.
The pace of counters way too fast to keep up, both men landing shots and scoring damn close near falls. Only to them be met with the other quickly doing the same thing.
In the end a series of quick duckings and reversals has TAICHI in position to score a quick Powerbomb, only for Okada to flip him over and sit down to snatch the pin.
Seriously, that was an incredible ending, impossible to get across with mere descriptions. Blistering stuff.
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada (6 points)
MAIN EVENT
A BLOCK
(IWGP Heavyweight Champion) SANADA vs Yota Tsuji
Compared to their Dominion main event, Yota Tsuji choosing not to fly out the gates, instead opting to meet the champion at his own slowly paced exchanging game.
The level quickly elevating after though, SANADA taking the fight up the ramp to the stage. We never got to see what is plan was though, Tsuji fighting off the offense and sending the champion crashing onto his back, impressively carrying his opponent back down the ramp over his shoulder.
Back into the ring and SANADA excels, grounding Mr Gene Blast and amping up the crowd with an injection of intensity. His damn impressive standing dropkick sending his opponent crashing to the outside, to follow up with his patented sling crossbody to the outside.
Getting back into the ring completely failed though, Tsuji sending him crashing back out and blasting through the ropes with his Tope dive.
A quick pace to the action back in the ring as SANADA shows his ability to fight back, but Tsuji fully steps up to keep countering back in style. Making a statement as he blocked SANADA’s O’Conner Roll into a Skull End submission of his own. Nailing the sentiment with a follow up Moonsault, trying to beat the champion with his own moves.
A string of counters and reversals, amping up more and more with increased intensity. Arguably the most impressive being Tjusi cartwheeling out of the Deadfall attempt.
Yota Tsuji kicking out after the Moonsault, finding the drive to stay in from somewhere as SANADA quickly amps up the crowd to go for Deadfall one more time. This time nailing it on the worn down opponent and securing the win.
A second blistering finish in a row to end this show. The IWGP Heavyweight Champion winning his first three opening matches and looking impressive in the process.
WINNER: SANADA (6 points)
UPDATED BLOCK STANDINGS
A BLOCK
SANADA – 6 points
Kaito Kiyomiya – 5 points
Chase Owens – 4 points
Gabe Kidd – 4 points
Ren Narita – 2 points
Shota Umino – 2 points
Yota Tsuji – 1 point
Hikuleo – 0 points
B BLOCK
Kazuchika Okada – 6 points
YOSH-HASHI – 4 points
TAICHI- 4 points
Will Ospreay – 4 points
Great O’Khan – 2 points
KENTA – 2 points
Tanga Loa- 2 points
El Phantasmo – 0 points
PREVIOUS NJPW G1 CLIMAX 33 RESULTS
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 1 Results 7/15/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 2 Results 7/16/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 3 Results 7/18/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 4 Results 7/19/23
