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Okada vs. KENTA was the main event, and each match built to it with grace and efficiency. Don't miss this one if possible, I had a fun time watching it from end to end. Some of the young lion ring attendants didn't get brutalized tonight, and I count that as a win for the LA DOJO group who serves that purpose currently.
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 9 was a B-block night, opening as usual with the featured 4 short tag matches featuring the B-Block competitors.
Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs. Jeff Cobb, Ren Narita & Yota Tsuji
Cobb's two young lions were a delight in this match, but the focus of the action was the scuffles outside the ring. Taichi used an umbrella on Cobb, and Suzuki ran through the beginners, tagging Kanemaru in for some softening up of the competition.
Taichi tagged in afterward, keeping Suzuki-gun dominant in the match. Still, a drop-kick from Narita gave him an opening to tag Cobb. Both Taichi and Cobb foiled each other's finishers and tagged out to Kanemaru and Tsuji.
Narita assisted Cobb's Spear by powerslamming Kanemaru. Tsuji wasn't able to take damage forever, however, and Kanemaru used his team's combined experience to pin Tsuji.
Results: Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Jeff Cobb, Ten Narita & Yota Tsuji via pinfall
Bullet Club (Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens) vs. Juice Robinson, Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare
Tokyo Pimp Takahashi came to the ring with one of his girls, who wasn't technically wearing any pants. That note aside, the two teams allowed each other to finish their entrances before locking up.
Goto, as usual, was ready to help Bullet Club overcome from outside the ring. Honma fought his way back from Takahashi and Owens' offense, but his Kokeshi finisher didn't connect with Takahashi.
He tagged Jay White, who dragged Takahashi into place for Owens to deliver some pain to Honma. Bullet Club stayed focused, continued to take Honma apart and keep him from his teammates.
A running Kokeshi got Honma the space to tag Robinson who laid into White. He refused to give an inch to the villainous White, but a half-inch that was given put White in place to tag Owens, who was met by Henare. Their quick bout left Henare stunned enough to be pinned by Owens.
Results: Bullet Club (Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens) def. Juice Robinson, Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare via pinfall
Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano)
Yano and Goto went at each other first, and Yano was denied the chance to take the ring post cover off. Goto took enough out of Yano that he had to tag out to Ishii, a tank who met Goto elbow for elbow and charge for charge.
Goto prevailed and tagged YOSHI-HASHI into the fight. YOSHI-HASHI focused on Ishii's neck. He held the advantage afterward, trading chest chops with the resilient Ishii until his momentum was cut short by a tag to Yano.
That was the moment Goto took over and dominated. Two pinfall attempts didn't allow Goto his finisher, and Yano rolled up Goto for the victory.
Results: Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano def. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI via pinfall
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi) vs. Jon Moxley & Shota Umino
The crowd enjoyed LIJ' entrance, but Mox and "Shooter" Umino upstaged them before they even came down the ramp. The audience entrance is effective even though the audience is beginning to get used to it.
Umino began the match laying into Takagi until Takagi focused on his left arm, taped up and weaker than his right. Moxley took a bump from Naito, losing his temper and taking Naito into the audience.
Cobb and Mox left Takagi in the ring to keep Umino in a hold that ended in Takagi's bodyslam. He began gently kicking Umino in the head to bring him back into the fight. That might have been his downfall, as both men tagged in their fresh partners.
For all of Moxley's ferocity, Naito was the rude one as he spits in Moxley's face. When they locked up, it was fast and furious as they avoided each others' fluid attacks. They taunted each other with every free moment.
Mox slammed Takagi into the mat and tagged Shooter in. Shooter's spinebuster almost put Takagi away, but LIJ has been a tag team for a long time, and Takagi pinned the young lion without fanfare.
Mox went after Naito with a steel chair, previewing their night 10 match.
Results: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi) vs. Jon Moxley & Shota Umino
Kota Ibushi (4) vs. Lance Archer (4)
Archer's powerful performance has let everyone in NJPW know that everybody dies. 'The Golden Star' Ibushi was the audience's favourite if the applause was anything to go by.
A beast versus the wholesome idol of NJPW fired the crowd up from the moment the bell rang, and Ibushi reversed Archer's offense by throwing him over the ropes. Archer pulled Ibushi out and focused on his tender ankle.
Archer smashed Ibushi and a young lion together with such ferocity that Ibushi and the lion went down hard. Once back in the ring, Archer taunted Ibushi before the Golden Star kicked out of a pinfall attempt. He also blocked Archer's EBD claw but took more damage to his leg for his troubles.
Ibushi rallied but it felt like he was always a step behind Archer until he countered the Derailer. He offered a splash to Archer, who ate and went down to the mat. Ibushi went high but Archer met him in the turnbuckle.
Ibushi fought back and powerbombed Archer. Archer's chokeslam was beautiful but he didn't get the pinfall yet. Ibushi kept ahead until Archer's knee took him down for a 2-count.
Rallying, Ibushi completed his finisher but it couldn't keep Archer down. An exposed knee to Archer's face, however, could easily keep Archer down for the 3-count.
Results: Kota Ibushi (6) def. Lance Archer (4) via pinfall
Will Ospreay (2) vs. Bad Luck Fale (2)
Bullet Club's Jedo and Owens accompanied the Rogue General Fale to the ring, Too-Sweeting and almost guarantee shenanigans. Owens interrupted Ospreay's entrance and took a beating outside of the ring.
Ospreay came back to the ring after finding a way to get Jedo's kendo stick on Owens. Jedo was thrilled to take the stick to Ospreay and give Fale a continuing advantage. Fale kept the Aerial Assassin grounded enough to allow Owens to pull off Ospreay's tape support from his tender right shoulder.
The pain wasn't quite enough to give Fale the win. He focused on that injured shoulder and neck, but Ospreay found the will to come back and give Fale a taste of his own medicine. A shooting star press took the wind out of the Rogue General, and when rallied against, he couldn't be kept down.
Ospreay attempted the Stormbreaker, but Fale was just too huge. His OsCutter finisher did connect only to result in a 2-count. Ospreay out-thought Jedo to gain his kendo stick, but Owens took it back, mercilessly taking Ospreay down with a package piledriver.
Red Shoes Unno had to run to the ring and referee the next pinfall attempt, during which he allowed Fale a 2-count only. His third hit in the mat never happened, and two birds were flipped Fale's way.
Unno disqualified Fale due to Bullet Club's flagrant cheating, giving 2 more points to Ospreay. Bullet Club, it seems, will never truly get one over on Red Shoes!
Results: Will Ospreay (4) via disqualification of Bad Luck Fale (2)
EVIL (4) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (2)
ZSJ entered in a slightly less arrogant way, leaving the crowd to go wild over EVIL, even though Miho Abe didn't escort him to the ring. I miss Miho Abe. Red Shoes Unno refereed.
The men locked up once Unno called for the starting bell. EVIL kept ZSJ from his repertoire of holds with superior strength, and they took a moment to feel each other out again. ZSJ couldn't knock EVIL down, who locked a rest hold on the submission specialist.
The tables turned for a brief moment, and EVIL found himself in a series of rest holds. Unno made certain ZSJ played fair. Though ZSJ attacked EVIL's tender neck, EVIL delivered a brutal power slam.
A suplex dropped ZSJ, though he was able to kick out of EVIL's pinfall attempt. They traded rest holds but EVIL always pulled through with his unending strength. Outside the ring he performed a hanging neckbreaker on ZSJ, leaving both men struggling.
Once back in the ring, ZSJ took out his submission holds, keeping them close and knee-focused. A modified scorpion deathlock was EVIL's response, and the rope forced a break. A beautiful lariat from EVIL led the men to trade pinfall attempts as they rolled around the ring.
ZSJ couldn't complete a Zackdriver, but he did put himself in a position to eat EVIL's Darkness Falls move. EVIL failed his finisher, but he landed a DDT that ended the match in his favour.
Results: EVIL (6) def, Zack Sabre Jr. (2) via pinfall
Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) vs. SANADA (2)
SANADA has the coolest entrance mask in NJPW and you can't change my opinion. The crowd was hot for Tanahashi, and when he stripped his coat off, everyone was impressed enough to yell. Still, the audience was chanting for SANADA before the starting bell. Red Shoes Unno refereed.
They traded holds in the middle of the ring but once they separated, they gauged the audience. More cheered 'SANADA' than his name, and so Tanahashi decided to fight harder for their approval. They caught each others' legs and agreed to let go, but SANADA didn't let go.
SANADA failed at his first paradise lock attempt, but his second left Tanahashi open for a sliding knee. Tanahashi kicked out of SANADA's moonsault, but he ate a dragon screw leg whip and a dropkick.
Tanahashi returned SANADA's dragon screw leg whip and added in a dropkick. Outside of the ring, Tanahashi paid for his second wind, and once back inside, they mirrored each other's moves, trading stingers and chops.
He couldn't complete his TKO finisher and Tanahashi was able to take him to the mat with a slingblade. He went to the top rope and once he jumped, SANADA wasn't there. SANADA once more mirrored the attack, showing how well matched these two fighters are.
An inside cradle traded back and forth left SANADA dominant with a long, series of painful holds. The crowd began to turn in Tanahashi's favour as the men wore each other down. Two high splashes left SANADA on the mat for the 3-count.
Results: Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) def. SANADA (2) via pinfall
Kazuchika Okada (8) vs. KENTA (8)
These two legends felt each other out around the ring before locking up in the center of it. Red Shoes Unno refereed.
The size advantage Okada held, meant KENTA's holds were harder to lock-in. Okada, however, started a series of waist holds that were reversed multiple times. They ended up on the ropes, and once they were broken up, KENTA taunted Okada and slapped him.
Their hard elbow shots caught each other every time, and KENTA took to the sky for an attack on Okada's neck. Once KENTA dropkicked Okada out of the ring, he dominated the match.
KENTA brought Okada back to the ring for a pinfall attempt. Okada kicked out at the 2-count, but he was still vulnerable to KENTA's toolbox of holds. Okada seemed able to absorb KENTA's kicks masterfully, but more brutal holds took him down a peg, as did KENTA's attack on Okada's neck.
And still, Okada found his feet and his fighting spirit. A lateral press from the Rainmaker almost pinned KENTA but that shoulder came up after the 2-count. KENTA took Okada to his limits with a nasty clothesline from the top rope and a triangle hold.
That put Okada in place to flapjack KENTA into the mat. Unno watched over the men as the crowd screamed for Okada. Stiff elbows from Okada and KENTA's kicks kept the crowd entertained as the men wore each other down.
Okada launched KENTA out of the ring and into the arena floor. KENTA rallied and draped Okada over the blue barricade for a kick to Okada's chest and a double stomp on Okada's neck.
In the ring, KENTA kept the damage coming to Okada's neck with a dropkick, but he missed when he went high. Okada delivered a shotgun dropkick that dazed KENTA. Okada's bodyslam was effective but when Okada went high as KENTA had before, KENTA got closely involved.
They traded blows from the middle rope, and Okada landed a dropkick that put him in place to take a triangle from KENTA. The hold broke when Okada hooked his ankle over the bottom rope.
A quick succession of a jumping knee to the back and psycho knee right to Okada's neck only served to gain KENTA a near-fall. A top rope double stomp also only took Okada down for the 2-count. KENTA was unable to complete his Go To Sleep Finisher, and a pair of dropkicks from Okada signaled the match was nearly at its end.
He delivered a Tombstone and KENTA returned the favour with a lariat. As the audience chanted Okada's name, the men crawled towards each other and released their unending aggression.
Okada's dropkicks are stunning, and his spinning Tombstone led to a successful Rainmaker finisher. KENTA was down, and Okada grabbed the A-Block lead. Okada offered KENTA a hand up, which was refused, but the man shared an honourable handshake of respect.
Results: Kazuchika Okada (10) def. KENTA (8)
See you next time for B-Block action!
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