NJPW G1 Climax 33 rolls on with Day 6 featuring Round 3 action between C & D 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.
D BLOCK
Alex Coughlin vs Zack Sabre Jr.
Raw aggression versus tactical guile. Coughlin’s strength impressive, his defense against ZSJ seemingly just to be to power him up off the mat. The action spilling to ringside for some barricade whips, the big lad wearing down poor Zack.
ZSJ able to withstand the Bullet Club War Dog’s chops and heelish clobberings, with the game now in the ring his able to draw the man right in to his traps.
Coughin showing his ability however, hooking Sabre Jr’s arms on the mat before rolling over and standing up in the Gory Special. Impressively showing Zack he’s more than just a big dumb power bro.
The Bullet Club hoss’ problem has been the same this tournament so far, going to show off rather than play the game smartly. That proving to be his downfall yet again, for example Coughlin showing off his strength by lifting his opponent up into the Powerslam position, but his first attempt gives room for Zack to transition into a choke and ground him. The big lad then having to power up a second time to hit the move.
That said, Coughlin did impressive with his technical ability, ZSJ not able to run much influence on this match. The pace entirely in the War Dog’s hands, but in the end it was such Sabre Jr influence that successfully snatched the win.
The TMDK leader finally able to catch the lad in a trap, locking in a Triangle Choke and forcing the man to tap.
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr (6 points)
C BLOCK
Mikey Nicholls vs Tama Tonga
Respectful tie-ups to start us off, Tama’s speed showing his advantage in that area as he ducks and leapfrogs over the Aussie. The action falling into Nicholls’ favour as we spill over to ringside, the more brawling nature fitting the TMDK man swimmingly.
Back in the ring, the now somewhat worn Tama was able to get his footing back in the match. Hyping up and taking off his top to woos from the crowd, feeling the adrenaline as he leans into the momentum his now gained.
Nicholls fighting back, but the Tongan giving it to him, bouncing right back up after a Death Valley Driver. Bringing us into a straight up forearm exchange, both lads showing their fortitude.
Mikey impressive in his ability to keep up with Tonga’s agility, shoving off Gun Stun attempts and catching the man to slam him down and set up a Moonsault. A Moonsault that Tama caught with a Gun Stun! Not a full impact of the move, so Tonga set up in the corner to jump with a second Gun Stun to secure the win.
WINNER: Tama Tonga (4 points)
D BLOCK
Shane Haste vs Hirooki Goto
Haste charging at Goto out the gate, leaving the man clutching his ribs as the Aussie senses a weak point. Quickly getting a little too cocky, however, his bounce off the ropes immediately caught with a lariat turning him inside out.
Haste firing back up to go back strike at the man, only to get spun around and caught in a choke. Goto wasting no motion as he repositioning to roll through and grab a quick a pin. And wins!
That’s how you cleverly sneak a win when wounded.
WINNER: Hirooki Goto (4 points)
C BLOCK
Henare vs Eddie Kingston
Phwoar!
Henare catching Kingston by surprise with a Thrust Kick right out the gate before the bell. The United Empire man gaining the upper hand early in unsportsmanlike fashion.
Eddie falling to ringside to try and fire up some composure, the New Zealander following to ask him if he can do that whilst… getting headbutted! The answer obviously, “no.”
Back in the ring and Henare started targeting Eddie’s bandaged elbow, a real weak point of hindrance for the New Yorker as the match went on. For example, Eddie blurting expletives before going to stand up, only for his arm to give way as he tried to push himself to his feet.
Shortly after, Kingston’s fight back clobbers Henare down with a lariat, but he can’t follow up and instead has to waste time recovering. The United Empire hoss’ punches also doing their damage, a strike straight to the liver grounding Eddie.
The power of Henare proving to be just as much a problem for Eddie as the speed of his strikes, the wear and tear really showing on the American. The big lad able to keep knocking Kingston down, but hitting that killing blow not as easy.
Eddie consistently able to fight back up, just not with right arm. Improvising into slapping Henare back and forth across the face with just his left hand. The Kiwi fighting back and sending us into a back n’ forth exchange of fast strikes.
A Spinning Backfist from Eddie, met with a stiff headbutt… and a second backfist! Eddie collapsing on top of Henare and getting the win! A knockout from nowhere as Kingston snatches a victory out of pure luck.
WINNER: Eddie Kingston (4 points)
D BLOCK
Toru Yano vs Tetsuya Naito
Yano marching around the ring amped up and ready to go, as Naito just walks as slowly as he can and takes his sweet ass time to get to the ring. In frustration, Yano walking out the ring leads to our Ingobernable one to tease just walking backwards equally as far for every step closer the lad makes.
Folks, this entrance teasing IS the match. Taking so long we actually reach the end of Naito’s entrance song… and we just start it again! Naito running to the back to start his entrance all over.
Attempt #2 at Naito’s entrance, the crowd immediately in on the bit as they start clapping and chanting along as if it were the first time. Finally in the ring, we now have to wait for the man to take his time to dress out of his suit. Yano getting increasingly infuriated by the second.
The match underway, now YTR gets annoyed at Naito not even trying with the lock ups. Instead our ingobernable papi goes for quick roll up after quick roll up.
The match completely swinging as Yano on the outside tries to recompose as Naito takes the piss calling for him to be a bit more rapido. Yano in the ring, Naito straight out the ring. And we get a move! Yano in frustration whipping his opponent into the barricade.
Don’t worry, the nonsense came back immediately. Naito down on the wrong side of the barricade, Yano whipping out the tape the cheat his way to a count out victory, only to get caught and get his own hands tied together with his own tape.
Beating the count just in time, Naito’s then the one to try and loosen the corner pad straps. The instigator of his own demise as the trickster pushes his head into the other corner that Yano had ripped the pad from earlier.
Leading into a quick string of reversals and Naito spinning in with a quick wheelbarrow roll up for the win.
After the match Naito whipped Yano into the exposed turnbuckle over and over to follow up with a faux second pin.
WINNER: Tetsuya Naito (4 points)
C BLOCK
Shingo Takagi vs Tomohiro Ishii
“Let ’em loose!” – Kevin Kelly.
The polar opposite of our last match. Big and physical as they charge at each other from the start. Only to follow it up with more charging to see who can find that extra umph.
The answer was Shingo. The Dragon able to get in a few wearing knees before Ishii came charging off the ropes. Entering our first strike exchange of the match! How exciting. Both lads chopping and lamping each other in a showing of strength, stiff elbows from Ishii grounding Takagi in the corner.
5 minutes in and the chops continue to ring out, Shingo elevating the offence to try and gain the upper hand with a Suplex. The idea working to perfection as Takagi’s able to ground the wrestling potato with follow up Suplexes.
The power of Big Tom halting a Powerbomb, leading us straight into a string of both lads just getting right back up after getting slammed down. Each man back to their feet after a Scoop Slam, the same after a German, but Ishii wasn’t getting up after Shingo’s stiff lariat.
The Dragon taking the action to the corner to elevate the offence once again, this time making the Suplex super by crashing the lad down off the top rope.
The 10 minute call rings out right as Shingo goes to the Suplex well one to many times, Tomo instead lifting the man up to nail the move. The fridge of a man turning the tables as he nails his own Superplex!
A quick back n’ forth of both blocking the swings of the other, ending in an awesome Death Valley Driver from Shingo. Following up with forearm after forearm, grounding Ishii and hyping up for the Pumping Bomber lariat. Only to by met by Ishii summoning his inner Okada with a standing dropkick!
Tomo able to hit his patented sliding lariat, but any thoughts of a follow up Brainbuster were halted by a snappy DDT reversal. Momentum swinging as Shingo manages to hit a quick Made In Japan! Not enough and the match escalates again.
5 minute call can only mean one thing… it’s time for the headbutts! Neither lad backing down and quickly shifting into clobbering each other, Ishii with a succession of clotheslines to score a near fall. Bit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster was slipped out of yet again.
3 minutes left and Big Tom is standing staggered from the latest headbutt battle, getting crashed down on his neck again from an Underhook Powerbomb.
Both lads walloping with lariats, Takagi winning out nailing a second Made In Japan. This time too exhausted from the prior exchange to make the cover.
The 2 minute call announced as Shingo stumbles to his feet, trying to hype himself up to finally nail the Pumping Bomber lariat. And he does! “1, 2, 3!” and Takagi battles out the win in just over 18 minutes.
Both lads staggering exhausted after the match.
WINNER: Shingo Takagi (2 points)
D BLOCK
Jeff Cobb vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
A G1 story of a completely worn Tanahashi trying to overcome the odds at this late stage of his career. Here tonight coming across a suplexing hoss in full stride, 2 victories so far positioning Cobb as an early block favourite.
Tana showing his fight early on, but Cobb showing his might with a Suplex onto the apron in response. The big lad taking the piss by dropping The Ace onto his big Olympian knee and playing air guitar on him. Really showing the control he was holding in this early portion of the match.
Jeff positioning for a standing Moonsault, switching the air guitar for an air ukulele and soon regretting the wasted time to do so. Tanahashi fighting back, striking and slamming his opponent down to follow up with the Senton.
Slingblade blocked by a dropkick, this time no time wasting as Cobb immediately flips over with that impressive standing Moonsault. Following up with his own Senton… fail! Tana rolling out the way and swinging into momentum with a Twist N’ Shout neckbreaker.
The Ace Of The Universe cementing the momentum swing by finally nailing the Slingblade, but no Aces High as he’s caught by the big man. Only to spin out with a Slingblade counter, back up top and High Fly NO!
Cobb lifting up for a Tour Of Th- roll up! Tana only just failing to sneak out the win, taking us into a strike exchange and a damn impressive finish from Big Jeff.
The United Empire man bouncing off the ropes and nailing a picture perfect Slingblade of his own, arguably hitting the move better than Tanahashi himself can. Following up with a swift Tour Of The Islands and Jeff Cobb leaves Nagato at full points.
WINNER: Jeff Cobb (6 points)
MAIN EVENT
C BLOCK
EVIL vs David Finlay
A Bullet Club main event of shenanigans. House Of Torture versus the War Dogs, both lads entering with their respective sub-faction friends. 7 different lads in the ring as they jabber back and forth after the entrances, red shoes having to get additional officials to help him usher all the different players to ringside.
As soon as the action spills to ringside they swarm like it’s a lumberjack match. EVIL using that to his advantage to remove the corner pad and whip Finlay into the exposed buckles.
All the officials unable to stop EVIL and his tricks, the man gaining an early upper hand over the Irishman. Our villain of the piece wearing his faction leader down, but a few minutes later the match completely swung. Finlay now the one whipping his opponent into the exposed corner, before stomping on the man and chatting crap.
The back n’ forth having some sort of working within the rules… until every referee goes down! Comedically one after the other, all three referees bumped down and allowing all 5 extra man to jump into the ring. A brawl initiating and leading into the bonus bodies beating each other out of the arena. Only Dick Togo and Gedo remaining after getting downed.
EVIL and Finlay exchanging in a game of strikes, the 10 minute call passed and a more direct swing of action kicking in. The War Dog captain striking hard, but it was Mr Darkness that swung the hardest with a lariat turning his opponent inside out. Following up with Darkness Falls slamming the Irish lad down for a near fall.
Just as Finlay fought back in, down Umino went again. Dick Togo sliding in to garot and aid in assisting driving poor David down. The second of our three referees dragged out to stop any Finlay comeback.
EVIL ramping up to wallop with a baseball bat, but Finlay was there to block with a title. Gedo helping Red Shoes back into the ring as his man called for a referee, quickly after lifting EVIL up and dropping onto his stiff Irish knee with the Oblivion.
1, 2, 3 and David Finlay makes his statement as leader with the win. The Rebel now a real favourite for the block as the only man in C Block on full points.
WINNER: David Finlay (6 points)
UPDATED BLOCK STANDINGS
C BLOCK
David Finlay – 6 points
Eddie Kingston – 4 points
EVIL – 4 points
Tama Tonga – 4 points
Henare – 2 points
Mikey Nicholls – 2 points
Shingo Takagi – 2 points
Tomohiro Ishii – 0 points
D BLOCK
Jeff Cobb – 6 points
Zack Sabre Jr – 6 points
Hirooki Goto – 4 points
Tetsuya Naito – 4 points
Hiroshi Tanahashi – 2 points
Shane Haste – 2 points
Alex Coughlin – 0 points
Toru Yano – 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
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 5 Results 7/21/23