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Every single B-Block fighter came into Night 18 exhausted and willing to push themselves to the very brink of their abilities to craft a G1 Final of their own. You and I, readers, have almost seen this tournament through to its blazing end, and as our time nears its end, we pull out our calculators and chase the energy of this penultimate event! Four men stood ready to take the B-Block: The Death Rider Jon Moxley (fka Dean Ambrose), Destino Tetsuya Naito, Hirooki Goto, and the Switchblade Jay White were tied for first with 10 points each.
The final quick 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 18 was the final 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
"Shooter" Umino and Narita have a standing grudge, but tonight they fought together to take on the other two young lions preparing for an excursion. Umino's quick thinking kept Tsuji away from Uemuram and Narita locked Uemura into a Boston crab hold that tortured him into submission. These four trainees have bright futures, but I stand by my assertions that Narita and Umino came out of the G1 looking like unpolished gems.
Results: Ren Narita and Shota Umino def. Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji via submission
Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI) vs. Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Yujiro Tanahashi, and Bad Luck Fale)
Takahashi and PIETER, the Tokyo Pimps, came to the ring with Owens. As tight as Bullet Club are, Los Ingobernables de Japon were a trio ready to destroy even in the face of their exhaustion.
None of these men will be advancing to the G1 Climax Finals tomorrow night, but these last three exhibition matches weren't just fun plot advancement. Their performances tonight might end up having a tie-breaking effect on the 4 tied semi-finalists in B-block.
Owens, Takahashi, and Fale traded placed beating up BUSHI and SANADA both inside and outside of the ring. The majority of the match involved Owens, a great wrestler who does most of the hard work for Bullet Club, and EVIL, whose offense has been strong this tournament, ruining each other, but once SANADA had control, Owens got cocky. SANADA pushed him into a paradise lock beside Takahashi to absorb a dropkick.
EVIL and BUSHI went for the Tokyo Pimp, but BUSHI's tenacity didn't bring him victory. He took the pin from Takahashi.
Results: Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Yujiro Tanahashi, and Bad Luck Fale) def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI) via pinfall
Toa Henare, Tomoaki Honma, and Kota Ibushi vs Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, and KENTA
While Moxley's WWE time fired up the former Deam Ambrose into an international sensation, KENTA's return from his time as Hideo Itami in the WWE didn't materialize in the same kind of face time. However, he's done a wonderful job showing the LA Dojo's young lion trainees what holding on no matter what the odds look like. Ibushi will go on to face tonight's Block winner tomorrow night at the G1 Climax Finals.
Hey look! It's Honma! It's odd to find out about Honma now and see the style he uses; he used to fight in classic hardcore style. I'm enjoying the learning curve! Henare and Connors took the first turns and grappled a little before tagging Honma and Fredericks in to slap each other. KENTA went for Honma as well, who couldn't make his Kokeshi finisher connect no matter what he did.
He had to change to a diving Kokeshi on KENTA to give him space to bring the "Golden Star" Ibushi into the match. Their simultaneous high kicks broke up their quick tangle and set the tone.
Henare plays consistently well against any opponent as far as I've seen, and he made the young lions look like seasoned pros. Fredericks looked like a hero even as he was pinned; Henare hit his Toa slam finisher.
Results: Toa Henare, Tomoaki Honma, and Kota Ibushi def. Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, and KENTA via pinfall
YOSHI-HASHI, Will Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Kazuchika Okada vs. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, and Zack Sabre Jr.)
YOSHI-HASHI, called YH here, Tanahashi, the Ace, Ospreay, the Aerial Assassin, and Okada, the Rainmaker, were flashy in comparison to the classically villainous Suzuki-gun faction. Ospreay and Kanemaru clashed, and Ospreay's death-defying speed brought all of his teammates to follow YH in ganging up on Kanemaru.
Suzuki and Kanemaru are habitual cheaters, while Archer, the submission specialist, and Sabre Jr. called ZSJ here, are just brutal and slithering respectively. When facing four winning heroes, their success wasn't assured in the slightest. A note: I really want to see Archer vs. Moxley, and once you've seen Archer's growth, I think you would too!
Suzuki and YH were very stiff in their strikes, but they were able to tag Okada and Archer in for a good time dotted with near-falls. Rather, Okada attempted pinfalls and Archer attempted brutality, chokeslamming Ospreay and Okada at the same time.
ZSJ and Tanahashi, the Ace of New Japan who suffered a torn bicep at ZSJ's hands, wrapped themselves around each other. The Ace was ganged up-on by nearly every combination of the Suzuki-gun members, but it didn't stop him from quickly rolling ZSJ up as he struggled to lock Tanahashi into a submission hold.
Tanahashi now has a future shot at ZSJ's title, as this is his second time defeating him.
Results: YOSHI-HASHI, Will Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Kazuchika Okada def. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, and Zack Sabre Jr.) via pinfall
The A-Block Night 17 matches followed.
Toru Yano (8) vs. Jeff Cobb (6)
Neither of these men could advance to the finals, and their fight would be for pride and ranking alone. Yano has constantly entertained during the tournament, and it's been a great introduction to the silliness that even the most serious promotion is capable of.
Yano attempted to smuggle five rolls of tape into the ring, wrapped Cobb in his own singlet, and attempted two pinfalls before the first minute of the match had exhausted itself. Yano exposed two turnbuckles and Cobb slammed his back into one of them before dragging him up. Yano let Cobb get very close, and Yano threw Cobb down with a belly-to-belly suplex.
Cobb tool the wind out of Yano with a Kashigushi move and his finisher, the Tour of the Islands, to pin him. Cobb ends his G1 tied with Yano at 8 points. Congratulations to both men for their accomplishment!
Results: Jeff Cobb (8) def. Toru Yano (8)
Tomohiro Ishii (10) vs. Taichi (6)
The pouty beauty Miho Abe stood (and knelt) as Taichi, the Dark Emperor's, valet. If Taichi used his entire repertoire of cheating techniques, he would end Ishii's road to the G1 Finals against Ibushi. CHAOS faction's Stone Pitbull, Ishii, has had such a strong showing that his odds were good to advance.
Taichi's axe bomber took Ishii by surprise, and it became clear that Taichi truly would fight like he had nothing left to lose. Every kick connected with Ishii's neck and face and Taichi was in a hurry to win. Both men were aching and very tired: the tournament has taken so much out of them that the fight was desperate and merciless. Ishii somehow put Taichi up for a slam and down into the mat, but Taichi returned his energy with an inseguri in the corner.
Ishii's German suplex is textbook, and he used his bulky strength to chip at Taichi. Taichi's kicks and Ishii's stiff elbows were traded until Ishii cornered Taichi. He dragged Taichi up for a top rope superplex, and when the men hit the mat the sound was thunderous. Taichi ate a short arm suplex, clothesline, and sliding lariat, but Ishii didn't get his triumph.
Taichi fought back when he regained his feet, kicking and chopping Ishii into the corner. Their rope work missed until Taichi's kick and axe bomber landed. The pin didn't belong to Taichi then nor did it go to him after a huge powerbomb. This frustrated Taichi, whose Black Mephisto was reversed by Ishii! He followed up with two clothelines and a foiled pinfall attempt on Taichi.
Taichi fought out of Ishii's vertical brainbusters by kicking his way free, only to see Ishii get his shoulder up at the 2-count. Taichi didn't give up, landing his Black Mephisto finisher. He didn't even have to cheat to finish Ishii's advancement. Taichi ends the G1 Climax with 8 points, and Ishii's 10 points weren't enough to give him the Finals.
Results: Taichi (8) def. Tomohiro Ishii (10) via pinfall
Juice Robinson (6) vs. Jon Moxley (10
When you go to work with a great new haircut and your opponent, the new guy, tries to bite your face off, the scar drives everything you do against that man again. Robinson, who no longer sported white-boy dreadlocks, bled due to Mox on the man's first day. Robinson's scar was one of Moxley's legacies, and tonight would be their bloody rematch.
Mox, the Death Rider formerly known as Dean Ambrose in the WWE, has had a surprising ascension through the B-block as his developed his storyline with young lion Shooter Umino. Umino is top referee Red Shoes Unno's son, and he's spent this tournament as Mox's valet. Starting tonight, Umino wears Mox's Death Riders jacket, and it fired up the crowd. Unno refereed.
Robinson stayed just outside of Moxley's reach until Mox offered Robinson the first strike. They traded chest strikes and absorbed each other's headbutts like they were made of petrified wood and steel! Robinson's knee, however, was made of jelly and kept him from suplexing Mox.
Moxley gave Robinson's tender knee some special attention with a series of knee-focused holds and strong kicks to the leg. Moxley had Robinson crying out but couldn't keep him down for a 2-count, let alone. They locked each other into a figure four hold, and Robinson's reversal put Moxley in pain as well as in reach of the bottom rope to force a break.
Moxley followed up with a fight cloverleaf hold on Robinson's left knee, dragging him away from the rope. Robinson used the proximity well. And by well, I mean he bit Moxley's earring out. If you've never lost a piercing by force, I hope you never will! It took all of Moxley's momentum and he stayed cornered until he took Robinson's splash.
Moxley rolled out of the ring the moment he could and began the furniture sale. He took a table from under the ring, but Robinson followed Unno's orders the way Moxley would have, and he put the table back under the table. Moxley wouldn't have done that. They're two very different kinds of good guys.
Moxley's type of good guy meant more furniture, specifically a black steel chair. He didn't connect with Robinson's knee, and Robinson's turn with the chair meant the turn didn't come. Another top rope crossbody slam was huge and rough but Mox still kicked out at the 2-count. His forearms met Robinson's jabs and the crowd aggressively chanted for each man as their hits landed.
The men reversed each other's Death Rider and Pulp Friction finishers, and Moxley's submission and chokehold took Robinson to his limits And then? Robinson's limits rose: he showed Unno he was still conscious by grabbing his pants leg. Moxley, furious, landed a Regal Knee and got so upset with Unno that he offered Unno a very rude gesture. That showed the depth of Moxley's frustration.
A hard right got Robinson close enough for Moxley to bite, but Robinson hit his Pulp Friction finisher. After a grueling 8 matches, the 9th ended Moxley's chances to finish his G1 as the B-block champion.
Results: Juice Robinson (8) def. Jon Moxley (10) via pinfall
Hirooki Goto (10) vs. Shingo Takagi (4)
Takagi's showing has been lackluster this tournament, and his low points didn't do his prospects any favors. Red Shoes Unno refereed.
Takagi and Goto tied up in the middle of the ring until they were forced to make a clean break against the ropes. They didn't hesitate to smack their bodies into each other in a show of endurance. But when it came to strength, Goto went down first. Takagi followed with a press, strong knees, and a vertical suplex, but Goto wasn't nearly done. He kicked out of Takagi's pinfall attempt at 1.
Takagi took time to recover ringside as Goto got to his feet. He invited Takagi back into the ring to a flurry of kicks; Goto had an arsenal of kicks and holds to match him. A long head scissors hold from Goto didn't take much out of Takagi, who broke the hold by the bottom rope.
Stiff elbows and chest chops were next for the men to trade, and Goto's bulk didn't stop Takagi from throwing him. He couldn't pick Goto up and received a backdrop. He couldn't keep Goto's shoulder down either. They reversed each other's attacks into they were struggling to their knees.
Goto couldn't complete his Yushi guroshi finisher, but he locked Takagi in a rear neck choke to set him up for a sliding lariat. Takagi's Noshigami move was his rallying point and he slammed his arm into Goto's chest. They met in the middle of the ropes, clotheslining each other. Goto kept Takagi on the mat with multiple quick pinfall attempts, but it was Takagi's Made in Japan finisher that almost put Goto away and doused his dreams for advancement.
Goto's stamina was incredible, and he fought his way out of Takagi's Last of the Dragons finisher. Takagi threw right elbows until Goto headbutted him. Goto's GTR finisher was followed up by a body slam. A Halloween bomber changed the momentum, and Takagi completed the Last of the Dragons. Goto's dreams dissolved and Tagaki finished the G1 with 6 points after a 3-count in the middle of the ring.
The next match would be Winner-Take-All.
Results: Shingo Takagi (6) def. Hirooki Goto (10) via pinfall
Jay White (12) vs Tetsuya Naito (10)
Naito aka Destino, and Bullet Club's leader White, the Switchblade, were the main event, and the match between them would determine the winner of the B-Block. White was accompanied by Gedo to the ring, and Gedo always stays at ringside with brass knuckles to change the tide of any fight.
Approaching the ring dressed in a full, beautiful white and purple suit draped with an astonishing cape to a wildly cheering crowd. Would the snake make Naito breathe with the Switchblade, or would Naito show White his true Destino and advance to face Ibushi at the Final? Red Shoes refereed.
To no one's surprise, White rolled out of the ring after the bell rang twice. It didn't phase Naito, who threatened White and completed his beautiful Tranquilo taunt. Naito gave White a taste of his own poison, staying outside of the ring when White finally entered.
Naito refused to keep the fight inside the ring, tossing White into the blue barricades and fighting off Gedo. His options outside of the ring didn't please him any longer, and he pulled White into the ring to choke him on the ropes. Naito ended up cornered once they broke up, and two loud chest slaps from White ate at Naito's strength. He taunted Naito mercilessly inside and outside of the ring, finally relenting and bringing Naito into the ring once it became clear that Unno would refuse to begin a count-out.
The blue barricades took more damage as White threw Naito into them repeatedly, and once more, Unno refused to count to 20. A resting choke hold from White led to Naito eating a forward slam and dragging himself to his feet. How White makes every move he does look effortless, I have no idea!
Naito put White through a poison rana and Combinatione move set. It was still early in the match, so he didn't attempt his finisher yet. Instead, he chose a pair of neckbreakers to soften up White's tender vertebrae. Naito's snap mare and shoulder-focused Full Nelson made White fight hard to break the hold via bottom rope, and he gasped for air after the break.
White fought out of Naito's suplex attempts with a stalling German suplex of his own. They grappled in the middle of the ring and attempted their signature moves until Naito's inseguri landed and White's urinage did as well. Naito reversed White's Kiwi Crusher into a brutal DDT after impressive aerial wiggling. White fought out of Naito's Gloria move and threw Unno into Naito. The distraction didn't work. Gedo wasn't able to take the brass knuckles to Naito after Naito hit a low blow on the man.
A stepping DDT from the top rope got White down, but Naito's Destino finisher was very difficult to complete with White so close to the mat for so long. That threw Naito off his game and White landed a step suplex and Kiwi Crisher. White's finisher didn't keep him down: a poison rana and a Destino finisher took the match into Naito's favor.
The men reversed their finishers so quickly it was hard to decide who was dominant. Naito used a sidestep suplex to reach for the victory, but White hit a sidestep suplex and his Blade Runner finisher. Unno's hand hit the mat: 1, 2, 3. Naito was taught to breath with the Switchblade, and White will face Ibushi tomorrow night in the G1 Climax Finals.
White remained in the ring to call out his Finals opponent, Ibushi, who came to the ring for a spirited discussion. The Switchblade swore to the Golden Star that Gedo wouldn't be in his corner, and they shook hands. That set up Ibushi to take damage from Gedo tonight instead, and White destroyed Ibushi in the ring with a steel chair around Ibushi's knee. White smacked that chair, the trapped tender knee of Ibushi, three times before announcing he would win tomorrow night without a doubt.
Results: Jay White (12) def. Tetsuya Naito (10)
See you tomorrow night as we finish this extraordinary journey together through the first worldwide broadcast of the G1 Climax Tournament!
