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Night 16 stood as the last night to perform a major upset and grab a chance at the G1 Climax Finals. Jon Moxley still had the lead going in, but he lost the last few matches. Naito had kept a steady pace of wins to emerge as a legitimate threat. Jay White's unsurprising methods led to a surprising number of points in the tournament so far. Would it all change tonight?
Only White, Goto, and Ishii had a chance to tie or surpass Moxley. Don't worry if the event was too hard to enjoy in your time zone. Read on, and allow me to tell you how it all went down!
The usual primer: 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 16 was and a B-Block night, opening as usual with 4 short feature tag matches featuring the A-Block competitors.
Let's get right to it!
Ren Narita and Shota Umino vs. Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji
The four dojo trainees, aka young lions, who have all had impressive showings during these tag exhibitions, started the show ready to tear each other apart. Narita grappled with Uemura first, showing a flowing style that contrasted well with his tag partner Shooter Umino.
Umino is shaping up to be a strong brawler, though he's often been a weak link for his tag matches. He and Narita ganged up on Uemura, and Narita made the first pinfall attempt. Uemura hit Narita with a dropkick and they tagged their partners in.
Tsuji, like Uemura, had a strong dropkick game, but Umino was able to land a powerbomb and suplex. The combo put Tsuji down for the count.
Results: Ren Narita and Shota Umino def. Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji via pinfall
Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI) vs. Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, and Bad Luck Fale)
These two tag teams clashed constantly during the tournament, whether in singles or tag. Watching them take this feud to the mat has been a good way to familiarize oneself with these popular factions.
Fale and SANADA opened the match, and Owens kept attacking from behind. Once Fale rolled SANADA out to put him over the blue barricade, he was ready to tag Takahashi in. Owens followed, and he asked one of the JP announcers how to do a very frightful hold. No matter how many times, Owens never got it right.
SANADA's rallying bought him space to tag in EVIL, whose pink and purple hair matches my own fashion choice! BUSHI's turn didn't put Owens down, but it did open him up to Bullet Club problems.
Owens slammed BUSHI down with a package piledriver to take the victory. Bullet Club is close to unstoppable with Owens on the team.
Results: Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, and Bad Luck Fale) def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI) via pinfall
Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, and KENTA vs Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, and Zack Sabre Jr.)
KENTA teamed with the two young lions from NJPW's Los Angeles dojo, Fredericks (the tattooed one) and Connors, to take on the unyielding Suzuki-gun faction in the third fight of the evening. They tangled in the ring before the bell, and Fredericks met Archer as they became the first legal men.
Suzuki pulled Connors into the audience and ZSJ did his part with KENTA's face. Archer tagged Suzuki in, and Fredericks brought everything he had. It wasn't enough, and ZSJ fought his way free. The young lion tagged KENTA in to take his aggression to ZSJ.
The British submission specialist and the kick prodigy met and came away as pained equals. Connors and Suzuki kept the momentum as Connors showed his sizeable moxy. KENTA's team began a super combo that led to Suzuki in Connors' full Boston crab.
A piledriver finisher from Suzuki ended Connors' beating, producing a pinfall victory.
Results: Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, and Zack Sabre Jr.) def. Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, and KENTA via pinfall
YOSHI-HASHI, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Kazuchika Okada vs. Toa Henare, Will Ospreay, and Kota Ibushi
The Ace and The Rainmaker met The Aerial Assassin and the Golden Star with their friends in the final exhibition match. The audience loved these teams equally as the opening bell rang.
Ibushi and Okada locked up first, and they will face each other tomorrow night for the space in the finals. Okada looked strong, keeping the dominance of his team by absorbing Ibushi's damage endlessly. YH and Tanahashi tagged each other in quick succession to keep Ibushi on the mat.
Ibushi's double stomp into Tanahashi gave Ibushi room to tag Ospreay in. Tanahashi's Twist and Shout took Ospreay down before he ever began his flight. The freshest fighter, Henare, took YH to the mat with a slam. Everyone rushed the ring, leaving YH to attempt a pinfall on Henare and fail.
YH's second pinfall on Henare didn't come up short, and Henare stayed down for the 3-count.
Results: YOSHI-HASHI, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Kazuchika Okada def. Toa Henare, Will Ospreay, and Kota Ibushi via pinfall.
The B-Block Night 16 matches followed.
Toru Yano (6) vs. Taichi (6)
The one and only Yano faced the Dark Emperor who was accompanied by the beautiful Miho Abe. Seeing her is always a good start to any match, and I looked forward to how Yano would handle her brand of distraction. Yano brought a red steel chair to use outside the ring, while Taichi brought his Iron Fingers, so there would be a lot of opportunity for shenanigans.
Taichi rolled out of the ring right after the opening bell, infuriating Yano. Yano left the match and Kanemaru, Taichi's faction brother, brought a whiskey bottle out to choke Yano with. Kanemaru was rolled up in the ring apron but still beat the count.
The referee helped Yano get free of the detached apron, and he got his trusty ringpost cover to grab the advantage. Yano attempted a pinfall but Taichi rallied with a Gedo clutch. Kanemaru waited for Yano to roll out of the ring, but his Suntory special was blocked.
Yano returned Taichi's favour and wrapped him with Kanemaru into another segment of the ring apron. That was enough to keep Taichi from beating a 20-count. Yano ended Taichi's chance at the Finals and snagged the 2 points.
Results: Toru Yano (8) def. Taichi (6) via countout
Jeff Cobb (6) vs. Tetsuya Naito (8)
The crowd was absolutely insane for CHAOS faction member Naito, and if even Cobb won, both men could still tie Moxley, should Moxley lose his match tonight. The suplex specialist was ready to lock up with Naito before the bell, crowding him into the corner to slam into him. A note: Jushin Thunder Liger joined the JP announce team for this match.
Naito ate his first suplex in short order, gaining breathing room with a few kicks and an inverted atomic drop. Cobb writhed in pain on the mat, taking stomps before Naito dragged him up by his hair for a dropkick and a neckbreaker. Naito made a pinfall attempt and failed.
Naito fought back when Cobb attempted a suplex, faking Cobb out. Naito didn't keep the momentum once Cobb actually did land a suplex and beat Cobb into a pulp in the corner. A Gachiguchi-sault connected too, but Naito still kicked out at 2.
Naito attacked Cobb's leg but Cobb's German suplex put Naito on his head. After Naito kicked out, Cobb put him up on the top ropes even as he limped on his tender knee. A stalling suplex from that top corner couldn't keep Naito down during Cobb's next pinfall attempt.
A Spin Cycle move opened Cobb a place to almost win, but Naito made him eat a few dropkicks. On the top rope in the corner, Naito threw Cobb to the mat with a Frankensteiner. Cobb reversed Naito's Destino finisher to give Naito an elevated F5 suplex.
Once the men were standing, they traded elbows and Naito showed off his superior ability as a striker to take damage and get back up. Naito reversed Cobb's Tour of the Islands finisher and completed his Destino finisher to stay on Moxley's heels and grab the match points.
Results: Tetsuya Naito (10) def. Jeff Cobb (6) via pinfall
Hirooki Goto (8) vs. Jon Moxley (10)
Either man could feasibly win tonight and go to the finals; both had strong enough scores. Mox and Umino, aka Shooter, headed to the ring for a match that would be refereed by Shooter's father, Red Shoes Unno. Goto's performance in this year's tournament has been surprisingly strong!
Mox and Goto started as Goto offered to bump fists with Mox. Such disrespect for the former Dean Ambrose, SHIELD brother! Moxley wasn't having it, and he had Goto outside the ring and tangled in the blue barricades at his first chance.
Goto got to his feet, and the men traded elbows for a near-double countout! Moxley and Goto continued the trade inside the ring once they'd beat the 20 count. Goto brought hard strikes, but Mox had no problem absorbing the damage.
A spinning wheel kick put Moxley into the ring corner, and Goto attempted his first pinfall. Moxley's release German suplex reversed their positions and Goto ate another suplex and an urinage. Goto dodged Moxley's Regal Knee.
Goto cried out as he took another suplex and was pressed into an armbar hold. Moxley wasn't able to keep Goto from breaking the hold by contact with the bottom rope. Goto, when he stood, gave Moxley stiff elbows, but Moxley hit him with a clothesline and Regal Knee.
Moxley hollered at Unno but he didn't lose his temper at Shooter's dad. Still, Goto gave Mox a Yushi guroshi and they traded clotheslines, collapsing in the bottom of the ring. Mox was on his feet first.
Goto hot Moxley with a series of kicks, and both men hit their finishers. Goto's GTR was stronger than Moxley's Death Rider DDT, and he grabbed 2 more points, tying him with Mox and Naito.
Results: Hirooki Goto (10) def. Jon Moxley (10) via pinfall
Juice Robinson (6) vs. Jay White (8)
Due to Goto's win, it didn't matter if White won or lost; Juice could only get to 10 if he won this and Night 16's B-block match, but if White wins both of his remaining matches, he could go to sudden death and take the B-block. White entered with his Bullet Club brother Gedo. A man with no love for White's Bullet Club, Red Shoes Unno, refereed.
The crowd chanted for Robinson, and White rolled out of the ring immediately. Robinson wiped the Switchblade's shirt on his bum and threw it at Gedo to make a point! That prompted a return into the legal ring space, and White took the lead when Gedo distracted Robinson from ringside.
Strong kicks and slaps from White didn't keep Robinson from throwing White around a bit and ending a combo with a lariat. He got one more jab in before White fled the ring. Gedo continued his distractions, but White stole the advantage back for a moment.
White focused on Robinson's tender knee and left him rocking back and forth in pain outside the ring. Robinson's back got thrown into the ring apron and blue barricade to soften him up for a run through the audience. White slammed Robinson's knee into the audience chairs.
Unno gave Robinson a long time to return to the ring, and he made it back. The knee had already taken so much damage that Robinson was fighting with a limp, and he headbutted White. White couldn't get Robinson to tap before he grabbed the bottom rope with both hands to force a separation.
Using Robinson's chants and moves against him, White made the crowd hate him even more. Robinson's spinebuster gave him a moment to recover his knee and feel the crowd's energy. Robinson shoved White out of the ring and he collided with White on his way down.
White was introduced once more into the blue barricades as Unno kept the 20-count from starting. One would almost think he enjoyed White's pain a little bit! Robinson threw White's leg into the ring post three times. A fourth time instead meant Robinson's time against the ring post after another distraction from Gedo.
Juice struggled White up into a jackhammer, but he didn't have a lot of power when he slammed White due to the damage he'd taken to his knee. White grasped the bottom rope as soon as Robinson climbed up to fly at him, leaving him open for a Blade Buster move.
White ended Robinson's dreams of rallying for a short time with a backdrop suplex. He followed up by suplexing Robinson outside the ring, happy to roll him back into the ring in his own time.
White gave Robinson an urinage but ate a Full Nelson Bomb, and Robinson worked on recovering his knee while they both lay on the mat. White didn't stay down after a powerbomb but he nearly tapped out to Robinson's Boston Crab. He came back with an inverted dragon screw throw and locked in his GTO hold.
As before, Robinson used his ring awareness to break the hold. White tangled Robinson in the ropes and followed with more cruelty to Robinson's knee. The two men traded finisher attempts, but Robinson's Left Hand of God was stronger than White's face. He hauled White up for his Pulp Friction finisher, and Goto distracted Unno.
White threw Robinson into Unno, and Gedo went for a chair. Gedo handed the chair off to White, but White ate another Left Hand of God. White still mauled Robinson's leg mercilessly and locked him into a hold as Gedo rolled Unno back into the ring.
Unno shook off his stunned fog just in time to see Robinson tap out to a modified GTO hold. White was the man to retain his chances for the Final, leaving Robinson in his elimination.
Results: Jay White (10) def. Juice Robinson (6)
Tomohiro Ishii (8) vs. Shingo Takagi (4)
Ishii would fall out of the running for the Finals if Takagi found the victory tonight. This main event was seen as a dream match for many, and the audience knew how high the stakes had become with Naito and Goto's wins thus far. Red Shoes Unno refereed.
They locked up in the middle of the ring and once Ishii was against the ropes, Takagi made a clean break. They attempted strikes and sliding lariats, both of which failed to connect as the men knew each other's styles very well. They were matched in strength and momentum as well.
As Takagi rose up first, he gave Ishii leg drops and failed at a pinfall. Takagi put Ishii in a hold that Ishii easily broke by grabbing the bottom rope. Takagi still kept using his knees, but Ishii kicked Takagi's back as he used the ropes for momentum.
Takagi wasn't strong enough to stay upright when Ishii smacked Takagi and ground his face into the mat with his boot. Ishii brought Takagi back up and absorbed everything Takagi hit him with, cornering him into the turnbuckle.
Ishii shoved Takagi's head into the post before they traded strong chops. Takagi was able to overcome Ishii with a double-handed chop and a suplex. Takagi threw him from corner to corner before dropping backward onto a prone Ishii, but he wasn't able to keep Ishii down for three.
Ishii got a DDT for all of his reversal efforts as well as Takagi's backdrop suplex, and Takagi attacked Ishii's neck without end in sight. Ishii reversed Takagi's attempt at a power slam and gave Takagi the same treatment.
Back in the corner, Ishii reddened Takagi's chest with chops, but Takagi's moment to break free came quickly. Takagi stood on Ishii for a moment and Unno didn't break the hold. Ishii didn't have anything in the tank but he kept going.
No matter how often they smacked each other down, they returned to their feet to maul each other in equal measures. They draged clotheslines, backdrops, and striking combos until they were back down. Ishii's ear was bloodied by the exchange.
Ishii superplexed Takagi from the top rope as he was the first to his feet, but he couldn't finish a powerbomb before kicking Takagi in the face a few times. Shingo kicked out of Takagi's finally-connected powerbomb, and Ishii couldn't chip away at Takagi anymore.
Takagi's clothesline and Noshigami move were followed up by a sliding lariat; Ishii kicked out of the pinfall attempt. The crowd cheered Takagi even as he failed at his Made In Japan finishing move and Takagi used that positivity to beat at Ishii as he rose back to his feet.
Takagi caught Ishii's sliding lariat and gave him the Made in Japan finisher, and Ishii kicked out once again! At this point, it felt as though every single second was electric with the audience's chanting.
Takagi couldn't deliver his Last of the Dragon finisher right away, and he received an inseguri and German suplex as Ishii fought back. Another stiff lariat followed by a sliding lariat did the same to Takagi: it couldn't keep him down for the 3-count.
They were so evenly matched that they were frustrated before the 20-minute mark. Ishii would mirror one of Takagi's attacks, and vice versa. They got momentum again, and both men were able to kick out at their respective 1-counts!
Takagi dragged Ishii up on his shoulders, hit his Last of the Dragons finisher, and stayed in the running for the Finals by the barest measure.
Results: Tomohiro Ishii (10) def. Shingo Takagi (4) via pinfall.
See you tomorrow for Night 17, A-block's last night before the Finals! Find out who will advance to the last match on Night 19!
