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Welcome to Night 5! The A-Block set the night on fire!
The G1 Climax is a yearly 19-night tournament held by NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) to determine the most tenacious member of the roster. For the first time, all of the events will be available legally outside of Japan without a time delay via the NJPWWorld streaming service and with a delay on AXS TV.
There are two blocks with 10 fighters per block. Each fighter will have a match with every other fighter in their block, and they are awarded 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and none for a loss. The highest scoring fighter from each block will face off at the Finale. Night 5 was an A--block night, opening as usual with the featured 4 short tag matches featuring the b-Block competitors.
Click through for the results and my commentary, and as always don't forget to give me yours on Sportskeeda's Twitter!
Jon Moxley and Shota Umino vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Yuya Uemura
When I saw Mox and Umino enter the arena for this match, I enjoyed the camaraderie storyline building between the two. If you’re following that plot, don’t miss this match. Also, I predict that Yuya Uemura has a huge future ahead of him, as he was Ishii’s young lion and he elevated the match whenever he tagged in.
Moxley and Ishii traded blows, and both of the lions had to intervene once they tried to kill each other in the middle of the ring. Then it was Umino and Uemura, who quickly tagged Ishii in. Moxley looked like he was going to try and destroy Ishii again if he did wrong by Umino.
Umino did fine on his own, drop-kicking Ishii and tagging Moxley. Mox’s Death Rider finisher failed, as did both his and Ishii’s attempts at brain busters. A clothesline from Moxley meant a tag to the young lions on both sides, who kept the crowd engaged when the veterans brawled outside.
Umino’s fisherman suplex put Uemura down for the 3-count, and Team Moxley grabbed the victory. Mox and Ishii will fight during Day 6, and they kept the brawl going after the bell, with both men peacocking beautifully. Don’t miss this one, readers!
Results: Jon Moxley and Shota Umino def. Tomohiro Ishii and Yuya Uemura via pinfall
Juice Robinson, Toa Henare and Yota Tsuji vs. Jeff Cobb, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
Goto and Henare showed how well matched they were by brawling in the center of the ring until suplexes came out. Goto dominated Henare and tagged YOSHI-HASHI in for a brutal dropkick.
Goto absorbed even more damage from Cobb until he was able to tag Robinson in. Robinson’s crossbody landed him in the arms of Cobb, but his superior speed brought Cobb into more equal footing.
Still, Robinson found himself in a series of failed Tour of the Islands finishers before failing with his own. His Left Hand of God attack gave Tsuji a chance to tag in, and Tsuji suffered the effects of all three tag opponents, though he was able to break Tsuji’s Boston crab hold.
Robinson flew through the ropes to attack Cobb, but as before, Cobb caught him. This time, however, he threw Robinson into the ring apron. A pin attempt and butterfly submission took the wind out of Tsuji, who tapped out.
Results: Jeff Cobb, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI def. Juice Robinson, Toa Henare and Yota Tsuji via submission
Bullet Club (Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens) vs. CHAOS (Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma and Ren Narita)
This promised to be a fun match between the moustache-twirling villainy of Bullet Club and the humorous side of the CHAOS faction. White had no time to spare of laughing after two consecutive losses in his block, and Yano was happy to take advantage of his frustrated distractedness.
He tagged Honma in to trade holds with Takahashi, and everyone from both sides began a long barricade-centered fight outside of the ring. Takahashi brought Homna back to the ring and tagged White for an attack.
Bullet Club tagged each other in multiple times to attack Honma’s stamina. Still, Honma's Kokeshi’s attack and a tag to Yano took the wind out of White. Owens fought Narita next, whose Boston Crab hold was broken by Takahashi.
Narita’s offense was strong but Bullet Club’s tag experience defeated him. He ate the pin from Owens after a package piledriver.
Results: Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens def. Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma and Ren Narita via pinfall
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi and BUSHI) vs. Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Los Ingobernables de Japon was ready to take on Suzuki-gun, and while the crowd enjoyed the opening, once Taichi hauled Takagi out of the ring they were much more invested.
Takagi became very friendly with the ring apron and a closed steel chair before rallying against Suzuki. The effort was short-lived and Taichi was tagged in to continue the brutality.
Taichi was relentless and his serious effort meant it was time for him to take off his pants. Kanemaru was tagged in, but so was crowd favourite Naito. BUSHI got his turn at Kanemaru next, but he was stopped by a suplex.
Suzuki attempted holds and slams, failing in all of them until his piledriver destroyed BUSHI. Shingo and Taichi scuffled in the ring, Kanemaru and Naito facing each other down as well.
Results: Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi and BUSHI) via pinfall
KENTA (4) vs. Lance Archer (4)
Archer kicked one of the LA Dojo young lions in the chest, and that set the tone for Archer’s offense. KENTA didn’t peacock at all, going immediately into sizing up Archer’s moves. His barrage of kicks softened Archer up in short order.
Still, Archer threw KENTA into the ring attendants and then threw himself onto all of them. The barrier loved KENTA, and Archer united them repeatedly. He screamed at the chanting audience, and he taunted KENTA: “You’re Hideo!”
Rope holds and a standing clothesline kept KENTA on the mat. Once KENTA got up, his offense was brilliant, bodyslamming the massive Archer and following up with a dropkick. His pin attempt failed, and Archer escaped KENTA’s spinning DDT.
Archer also caught KENTA when he tried for a crossbody from the top rope, but KENTA was able to stop Archer’s EBD finisher and kick out of a pinfall attempt. KENTA attempted GTS, but Archer countered with a muscle buster.
Over and over again, KENTA kicked out until he locked in his signature hold and picked up the next 2 points as Archer tapped out.
Results: KENTA (6) def. Lance Archer (4) via submission
SANADA (2) vs. EVIL (2)
Two of the most flamboyant LIJ faction tag members faced off as singles next, grappling until SANADA’s moonsault nearly landed. SANADA fought back from a paradise lock to catch EVIL in the Scorpion Deathlock.
He put SANADA into a paradise lock and left him to hurt until a dropkick forced him out of it and out of the ring as well. EVIL’s submission holds were relentless and numerous, but SANADA found a way out of everyone.
As EVIL started grappling, SANADA found more stamina and put him in a rope-assisted Paradise lock before delivering a dropkick and heads over the ropes to take EVIL down. SANADA’s backdrop suplex didn’t gain him a pinfall, but neither did EVIL’s backbreaker.
SANADA was faster, delivering a dropkick after a series of quick misdirection steps. EVIL set SANADA’s ankles on the referee and twisted to the side, delivering a Magic Killer. The men reversed each others’ finishing moves, delivering strong strikes in the middle of the ring until SANADA’s suplex almost put EVIL away.
EVIL’s roll-up attempt was a surprise, as was his vicious Darkness Falls finisher, but SANADA refused to stay down. EVIL kept the assault going and took SANADA out with his Evil Is Everything finisher. The tag team separated with respect.
Results: EVIL (4) def. SANADA (2) via pinfall
Kazuchika Okada (4) vs. Bad Luck Fale (2)
Fale jumped Okada before the match even started, attempting to gain the advantage over the Rainmaker Okada. Red Shoes Unno called the match, and he didn’t hesitate to break Fale, Bullet Club’s Rogue General, away from Okada.
The crowd always loves Okada and tonight wasn’t any different; Bullet Club’s interference wasn’t different either, but it didn’t have to be. Brutality found Okada, who almost lost via count out.
He finally rallied with a bodyslam, flipping over the top rope to craft a pile of hurt Bullet Club members outside the ring. A DDT didn’t put the passive Fale down. Neither did an impressive neckbreaker, but Okada was fired up afterward.
Okada went for his finisher, the Rainmaker, but Fale pulled Unno into the fray, giving Owens time to soften Okada. He fought out of the Bad Luck Fall and pinned Fale via roll-up.
Okada mocked the Rogue General with a salute and a winner’s grin.
Results: Kazuchika Okada (6) def. Bad Luck Fale (2) via pinfall
Hiroshi Tanahashi (0) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (0)
A note: ‘Sabre Jr.’ will be written as ZSJ for the remainder of the G1. ZSJ is just easier to type when the man moves so fast, so I’m taking the liberty!
Within moments, ZSJ had Tanahashi fighting out of half-finished holds and grappling for dominance. Tanahashi won the G1 Tournament last year, and he was able to wriggle out of ZSJ’s holds, applying a few of his own.
Tanahashi’s left arm became a target, as ZSJ injured it so badly it needed surgery in the past, but the continued grappling left Tanahashi on top. That left arm of Tanahashi was damaged in a prior fight with ZSJ, so he was motivated to stay dominant over the submission specialist.
Tanahashi applied a brutal ankle lock to take some of the fight out of ZSJ and took a headlock in return. Cobra twists were reversed by both men, as well as multiple pinfall attempts. Tanahashi’s twisted choke didn’t ruin ZSJ’s chances, and he put Tanahashi into a black widow hold that seemed to last forever, and it ended with a dragon screw leg left from Tanahashi.
The men traded hard uppercuts and standing holds, jockeying for position. Tanahashi broke the stalemate and took ZSJ to the mat with a slingblade. More grappling and a relentless armbar put ZSJ back in the fight. Another slingblade and dragon screw were followed by an Aces High, but ZSJ was able to get his knees up.
It wasn’t enough, and Tanahashi pinned ZSJ with a surprising rollup. ZSJ continued to throw his loser’s fit.
Results: Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) def. Zack Sabre Jr. (0) via pinfall
Kota Ibushi (0) vs. Will Ospreay (4)
Ibushi and Ospreay locked up and went to the ropes, getting a feel for each other and taunting each other. They’re both heroic figures with dedicated fanbases, so their taunting felt more friendly than cruel.
Ospreay was coming from a small neck injury during Night 3, after which he took a night off. And even though Ibushi’s rest holds were rough, Ospreay came back strong, breaking out and attempting roll-ups to gain the upper hand.
It didn’t come easily, but by slamming Ibushi’s body into the barricade he gained it. Once Ibushi got back into the ring, he attacked Ospreay’s neck but took a boot to the face instead of prevailing. A top rope 619 took put Ibushi in the perfect position for pain, which Osprey delivered with aerial force.
A backflip over the top ropes and into Ibushi continued the momentum, but a suplex and pin attempt didn’t end Ibushi’s fight. He gave Osprey a German Suplex using Ospreay’s flip momentum.
They traded neck and chest strikes and Ibushi’s step German and Stormbreaker reversal drop looked like it murdered Ospreay. Unno determined Ospreay was fit to keep fighting, and Ibushi’s Last Ride finisher didn’t end Ospreay either.
Ospreay was able to deliver Cheeky Nando’s before attempting to put Ibushi down a Stormbreaker and a twisting powerbomb. He wasn’t successful, and Ibushi hung onto Ospreay’s leg to keep him from going high and attack in his element.
Ibushi foiled Ospreay’s OsCutter and hung him upside down in the turnbuckle to apply damage. Unno intervened. Ibushi attempted a Super German from the middle rope, but Ospreay landed on his feet.
Osprey climbed over his body and Ibushi grabbed the bottom rope to break up the pinfall. The Robinson Special landed but Ibushi blocked the OsCutter once but not the second time. He still kicked out at the 2-count.
A Kamagoye knee and Michinoku Driver took Ospreay’s momentum for a moment, taking him down with a lariat and exposing his knee for his finisher. It took one more Kamagoya knee to land Ibushi the win.
Result: Kota Ibushi (2) def. Will Osprey (4) via pinfall
