NJPW G1 Climax 33 rolls on with Day 18 as the Semi Final action between the 4 remaining competitors.
The tournament’s format and structure has been 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.
No time-limit for the knockout matches as there must be a winner.
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.
SEMI FINAL #1
Kazuchika Okada vs EVIL
“EVIL winning in Osaka-Jo Hall, to silence, was the embodiment of everything that sucked during the pandemic.” – Chris Charlton.
Kazuchika Okada aiming for yet another final, the winner of both G1 Climax 31 and 32 looking to make it three in a row. The Rainmaker has utterly dominant, but can EVIL’s clouding shenanigans cast a shadow of crowd silence once again?
The gothic villain attacking Okada before the bell and getting those shenanigans underway right off the bat. Plenty of ringside cheekiness: choking with a cable, Togo interference, lampings with a chair.
EVIL going against the spirit of the G1 as he almost doesn’t even try to wrestle, going pure darkside and continuously throwing his opponent to the outside until the man fought back.
The wriggly bastard sneaking his way out to ringside, but Uncle Kazu has become wise to the guise! Reversing a barricade whip with force before rolling the bugger back into the ring, sending a message by dropkicking the lad off the top rope to the outside.
Dick Togo to no avail, Okada rolling on full steam as a desperate EVIL dragged the referee in the path of danger. With the official down, the goons arrive in the form of SHO and Takahashi, setting up the most audacious pin attempt of the tournament: holding Okada upside down vertically, his legs apart so Dick Togo can jump off Bret’s Rope with a CHOP to the dick.
The crowd did not like EVIL going for the pin after that.
Darkness Falls followed into a kick out, the survival igniting Okada’s fight back as the pace of shenanigans just increased with him. Every single time Kazu went to Money Clip EVIL, the House Of Torture goons were there to distract and interfere.
Kazu’s fire not extinguished however, successfully taking out all three of Dick Togo, SHO and Takahashi in impressive fashion. Burning hot until the EVIL extinguisher was there to shove the ref into the Rainmaker’s path and swing in low. A charging lariat with force crashing Okada down into yet another kick out.
Everything Is Evil reversed into a German as Okada swuing back into the action, the crowd so desperate for EVIL to lose as their gasps and cheers during the closing flow just get louder and louder.
A stretch of Rainmaker Lariat and Everything Is Evil STO reversals as the match swung back and forth on a knife edge, EVIL successfully ducking and nailing his heavy hitter! 1, 2 and Okada kicks out at the death.
Mr Torture Man going for a second Everything Is Evil gives Okada the split second to duck and send us right back into the Lariat/STO counter/reversal flow. An incredible pace building until The Rainmaker crashed the man down with a Landslide, securing the hits with an Emerald Flowsion and finishing with the Rainmaker Lariat for the win.
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada
MAIN EVENT
SEMI FINAL #2
Tetsuya Naito vs Will Ospreay
The crowd split between both men, but a surprise favour for Ospreay from the fervent Tokyo crowd. The Naito chants nowhere near as loud as the two lads circled each other.
A building NJPW main event style as they felt each other out, suddenly escalating into a rapido flash as Naito’s headscissor takeover sit up a quick and cheeky Destino attempt. The Brit avoiding the early cheeky attempt, replying with a Hidden Blade swing, Naito ducked and rolled to lay with his raised fist in tranquilo style.
The United Empire leader taking the action to the outside, fans on the front row gasping as a Naito whip reversal to the barricade was avoided by an impressive jump over by Ospreay. The man landing right at the fans’ feet before springing boarding back at his opponent.
The Englishman using that momentum to inflict some control over the LIJ leader, heavy chops before sitting the man down in the middle of the ring. Veteran Naito switching a hip toss to drive a knee into Ospreay and send a shock through the Brit’s right arm.
Keeping the pace up with a quick corner combinación, before repeating that hip toss into the knee a second time. The tranquilo one focusing his damage and tear on that arm, knowing how much of Ospreay’s offence relies up on it. That point shown immediately as the Handspring Corkscrew kick lands, but delivers a tad of wear and tear in the process.
Ospreay refusing to be slowed down, keeping the energy up as he springboarded back in with a forearm and sending Naito rolling to the outside. His follow up dive from the corner cut off into a battle on the apron, dangerous territory when it comes to these two men.
The OsCutter cut off and draped for a neckbreaker onto the apron, no time to recover as Naito quickly followed up with a second crashing him down head first onto the floor. Ospreay struggling as he clutched his shoulder and neck, O’Khan and Jeff Cobb doing what they could to help motivate their faction leader into beating the count.
Naito immediately head trapping the worn lad, locking his legs around the neck and forcing Will to expend even more energy in getting to the ropes. Out int he corner following a stiff AF elbow to the back of the neck, Naito going the kill with a Reverse Frankensteiner off the top. Ospreay lands on his feet!
Esperanza DDT countered, the Ingobernable man draped over the top rope and met with an inverted 360 splash with force. Liger Bomb following up into the kick out as the train leaves the station to start going down those tracks at such speed.
Ospreay firing and hyping up the crowd, OsCutter reversed and rolled over into a kick out, the Brit’s follow up forearm lamping Naito for another kick out. A second Liger Bomb amped up, but it’s reversed into a damn incredible DDT that absolutely spiked the United Empire man right on his head.
The two men staggering to their feet as the crowd shouted their support, a quick strike exchange quickly snapped into a Spinning DDT off the ropes. No pin as Naito instead crashed the man down a Brainbuster. Still no pin, because Naito winds back the clock and climbs to the top to Stardust Press like a genius. Eating nothing but mat and a Hidden Blade for good measure.
The Tokyo crowd so loud as the two men stumbled to their feet in an exchange of forearm strikes, Ospreay starting to exert his will, but that damage to the right arm came back into play. Naito grabbing the right wrist and using it to deliver stiff elbows to the Englishman’s neck, forcing him to amp right up to fight out.
Stiff strikes and Hook Kicks focusing on Naito’s eye, commentary reminding us about that zone Ospreay can enter like he did to break SANADA’s orbital bone. OsCutter with umph into a kick out and Will climbs up high for a Stardust Press of his own! 1, 2 and Naito survives at the death.
The crowd in a fervor as Naito reversed a Liger Bomb into a roll up, but with Naito rocked a stiff kick to the face sent him staggering yet again. Another Hidden Blade crashing the man down as Ospreay started taunting, so much damage to the head setting up to perfectly set up for the Stormbreaker.
Will lifting the man up, only to be reversed with a snap Destino. Naito flipping over and forcing the man down. The follow up seemingly reversed and powered up by Ospreay, instead crashing down with snap Destino reversal yet again. Up in a flash as Naito sprang back to his feet, rotating round and flipping on over with the Destino crashing his opponent right onto his head.
1, 2, 3 and Naito makes the final. Ryogoku Kokugikan cheering so loudly in reaction, in applause of what they just saw before realising Okada vs Naito is now set for tomorrow.
Los Ingobernables de Japon roll call, a gassed and exhausted Naito getting it wrong on the first try. Poor lad.
“Assen na yo” and that’s your lot, we’ll see you tomorrow for the final. The generational rivalry getting yet another offering.
G1 Climax 33 Final
Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito
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
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 6 Results 7/23/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 7 Results 7/25/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 8 Results 7/26/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 9 Results 7/27/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 10 Results 7/30/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 11 Results 8/1/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 12 Results 8/2/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 13 Results 8/5/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 14 Results 8/6/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 15 Results 8/8/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Day 16 Results 8/9/23
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Quarter Final Results