Tag: g1 climax 31

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night nine results: Shingo vs. Ibushi

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today in Aichi.

Shingo Takagi faced Kota Ibushi in the main event, while Tomohiro Ishii took on Zack Sabre Jr. in the semi-main. 

Tanga Loa vs. Yujiro Takahashi, and KENTA vs. Great-O-Khan were the other tournament matches today. 

Toru Yano took on BUSHI, plus Yoshinobu Kanemaru faced Kosei Fujita in the two non-tournament matches. 

Here are results and a report from the show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Report —

Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Kosei Fujita (7:34)

Fujita is not as good as Oiwa is my hot take on the new Young Lion duo. Oiwa had a really good match with Kanemaru the other night. This was just there. 

Fujita tried some forearm strikes early. Kanemaru cut him off and worked him over. Fujita made a comeback and hit a dropkick. Kanemaru cut him off again and used a Boston crab for the submission. 

Toru Yano defeated BUSHI (7:14)

This was complete haha. 

They blindfolded each other with tote bags. BUSHI tied Yano to the barricade with a towel for a countout tease. Yano exposed a buckle. Yano tied BUSHI to the barricade by the mask for another countout tease. 

BUSHI hit a missile dropkick and a suicide dive. Yano put a blindfold over the ref’s head. BUSHI rolled up Yano but there was no referee. 

Yano hit a low blow and used a schoolboy for the pin. 

A Block: KENTA defeated Great-O-Khan (19:39)

This was okay. The Great-Okay. 

They did some promo work before the match where each asked the other to bow down to the other. The loser of the match would be forced to bow down to the winner. 

KENTA stalled early and hid under the ring. He popped out from under the ring and attacked O-Khan on the floor. They traded leg holds on the mat. O-Khan took control of the match after some Mongolian chops. 

O-Khan used an iron claw and went for the Eliminator, but KENTA escaped and hit a DDT. KENTA followed up with the green killer for a near fall. KENTA hit a running boot and stalling dropkick in the corner. 

KENTA rolled through after missing a double stomp, but O-Khan cut him off with a pump kick. They traded hard slaps, with KENTA getting the better of the sequence. O-Khan escaped a GTS attempt an went for an Eliminator, but KENTA used a knee strike to block. 

O-Khan used the sheep killer. KENTA slid out and bumped O-Khan into the referee. KENTA brought a chair in and used it on O-Khan. KENTA put O-Khan’s hat on and hit a double stomp off the top onto O-Khan on the chair. 

KENTA brought a baseball bat into the ring. He threw the bat to O-Khan. The ref was revived and saw O-Khan with the bat. KENTA used the distraction to schoolboy O-Khan and pin him. 

KENTA sat on a chair and demanded that O-Khan bow down. O-Khan almost did, but popped up at the last minute and hit the Eliminator on KENTA. KENTA gets the win, O-Khan keeps his pride. 

A Block: Tanga Loa (w/Jado) defeated Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) (12:36)

They had a fine brawl, they didn’t overstay their welcome, they worked hard. No complaints about this one which looked like it could have been a struggle on paper. 

Loa gained the early advantage and busted out a standing moonsault for a two count. He continued on the offensive with a blue thunder bomb. Loa used a chinlock. 

Yujiro came back and actually hit a suicide dive. These guys weren’t messing around tonight. 

Yujiro hit an Angle slam for a two count. Loa came back with a sit-out powerbomb. Yujiro hit Miami Shine and scored a near fall. 

Yujiro went for Big Juice, but Loa blocked and hit Apesh*t to get the pin. 

A Block: Tomohiro Ishii defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (18:40)

Really good match with a simple story. Sabre went after Ishii’s right arm. Would Ishii be able to deliver enough punishment before the arm gave out?

Sabre tried to steal a quick win with a European clutch. Sabre used kicks and holds in working over the arm. Ishii went for a superplex, but Sabre escaped and hit a powerbomb off the second rope. Ishii came back with a German after blocking a PK. 

Ishii went for a sliding lariat, but Sabre caught his right arm in an armbar. Ishii forced a rope break. He adjusted the wrap on his arm and continued to sell it. 

Ishii no-sold a kick and kicked Sabre’s right leg. Ishii no-sold another kick and hit a big forearm shot. They traded strikes. Ishii hit an enzuigiri and a powerbomb with a stack cover for a near fall. 

Sabre again avoided a sliding lariat and caught Ishii in a crucifix for a two count. Ishii kicked out and then hit the sliding lariat at 15 minutes. 

Ishii hit another lariat. Sabre avoided another lariat swing and used a clutch for a two count. Sabre used a kimura, then transitioned to a cross armbreaker. He then slid to a triangle. Ishii forced a break with kicks. 

Ishii escaped a Zack Driver and hit a headbutt and a lariat. Ishii rammed his own arm into the corner pad and ripped the padding off. 

Ishii hit a lariat for a two count, then hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin.

A Block: Kota Ibushi defeated Shingo Takagi (23:57)

A classic G1 match. This was easily Ibushi’s best match since his return from pneumonia. 

They started simply, hitting shoulder blocks and trading headlocks. They turned to striking. Shingo hit some strikes, but Ibushi went into Murder Ibushi mode and no-sold. Ibushi hit a flying mid kick. 

Ibushi sent Shingo to the floor with a snap rana, then hit a gorgeous Asai moonsault. Back in, Ibushi used a standing moonsault for a two count. Shingo blocked a last ride attempt with a backdrop, then hit a neckbreaker to halt Ibushi’s momentum. 

They traded half-and-half suplexes. They traded strikes. Ibushi dumped Shingo with a suplex, but Shingo no-sold and hit a diving forearm to the back into a double down. 

Shingo hit a superplex for a two count. Ibushi blocked a Pumping Bomber, but Shingo hit a left-arm lariat. Shingo used a standing switch to set up Made in Japan for another two count. Ibushi blocked Last of the Dragon and hit a knee strike to the face. 

Shingo blocked Bomaye and tried a sliding lariat. Ibushi avoided it, then hit an enzuigiri. Ibushi then connected with the Bomaye and a last ride for a near fall. 

Ibushi went for Kamigoye at 20 minutes. Shingo blocked and hit his own Kamigoye. Ibushi sold this huge. Shingo could not immediately follow up. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber. Ibush took a flip bump. Shingo covered for a two count. 

Shingo went for Last of the Dragon. Ibushi powered out with forearm strikes. Shingo hit a combination of strikes. Ibushi hit a palm strike and a hook kick. Ibushi blocked a Pumping Bomber attempt with a high kick. 

Ibushi hit a Kamigoye, but Shingo kicked out at two. 

Ibushi pulled down the knee pad and tried another Kamigoye, but Shingo blocked and tried Last of the Dragon. Ibushi slid out and hit a poison rana. 

Ibushi hit a v-trigger and two more Kamigoyes and got the pin. 

Ibushi held up one finger after the match, as if to say let’s do it one more time. 

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night 10, Monday, October 4, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • B Block: Taichi vs. Jeff Cobb
  • B Block: EVIL vs. Tama Tonga
  • B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Chase Owens

Daily Update: Weekend preview, SmackDown, UFC notes

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

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WON NEWSLETTER: October 4, 2021 Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules review, G1 Climax updates

WWE’s Extreme Rules show on 9/26 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH was decent. Most of the matches were good, but there was nothing blow away.

The show was built around two bouts, Roman Reigns vs. Demon Finn Balor for the Universal title and Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair for the women’s title. Both had gimmicked finishes.

The Demon match ended with Demon ont the top rope when the top rope suddenly collapsed and he fell into the ring injured, and got pinned by a spear. The bout had been the most exciting on the show, but at one point the idea was that Demon had died. Then his music played and he acted as though he was resurrected, and in fact, that was the verbiage used, and he made a comeback until the rope broke.

In the Smackdown women’s title match, Belair powered out of the disarmer and set up the KOD when Sasha Banks ran into attack Belair for the DQ. Banks also laid out Lynch after the match to set up a three-way program.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

No show tonight but Garrett Gonzalez and I will be back tomorrow night covering the news of the week and Bryan and I will be up Sunday talking G-1.  

Lots in the new issue out today:

  • A review of Extreme Rules, looking at booking, poll results, star ratings and interest levels
  • A review of this week’s G-1 show, standings, star ratings, and how real life affects Japanese pro wrestling
  • UFC 266, the story behind the story, business notes, what matches are to be made next and interest levels
  • How the Stardom Five Star Grand Prix changed and why several major show main vents had to change plus a look at the finals
  • A look at the CMLL anniversary show
  • Eddie “Snowman” Crawford, a look at his two unique major runs, being manged by Muhammad Ali and how Memphis handled a shoot angle but the unhappy ending of his career
  • All the ratings details including where wrestling ranked among sports the last week, where the cable shows ranked in the cable listings for the week, youngest skewing sports show of the week, what happened for the first time this year involving Raw vs.  Dynamite and what audience AEW is winning in and losing in.  
  • Ticket sales to the upcoming major WWE and AEW shows
  • Jon Jones arrest details
  • Dana vs. Oscar
  • WWE U.K PPV updated news
  • Vince McMahon-Oliver Luck lawsuit updated news
  • How last weeks’ cable main events did in comparison
  • Canadian TV viewership in detail with a  lot of notable differences from the U.S.

The draft tonight is on Smackdown from Baltimore. We are told a lot of NXT talent is in Baltimore. Nobody gets told anything but you have to be there. Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair is advertised plus Edge is on tonight’s show.  PWInsider reported Brock Lesnar was scheduled to be on the show.

Rampage tonight:

  • Bryan Danielson vs. Nick Jackson – said to be one of the best matches in AEW history
  • Thunder Rosa vs. Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose no rules
  • Orange Cassidy vs. Jack Evans hair vs. hair

UFC tomorrow is from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+:

  • Alejandro Perez (136) vs. Johnny Eduardo (135.5)
  • Stephanie Egger (135) vs. Shanna Young (134.5)
  • Douglas Silva de Andrade (135) vs.; Gaetano Pirello (134.5)
  • Devonte Smith (155.5) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (155.5)
  • Bethe Correira (138.5) vs,. Karol Rosa (135.5) – Correira missed weight and was fined
  • Antonina Shevchenko (125.5) vs. Casey O’Neill (125)
  • Joe Solecki (155.5) vs. Jared Gordon (155)
  • Alexander Hernandez (154.5) vs. Mike Breeden (158.5) -Breeden missed weight and was fined
  • Misha Cirkunov (185.5) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (185.5)
  • Alex Oliveira (169.5) vs,. Niko Price (170.5)
  • Kevin Holland (183.5) vs. Kyle Daukaus (185.5)
  • Thiago Santos (206) vs. Johnnie Walker (204.5)

The Aspen Ladd vs. Macy Chiasson fight is off because Ladd could barely walk at weigh-ins.

G-1 on Sunday from Nagoya, actually starts midnight Saturday night Pacific time:

  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs.Kosei Fujita
  • Toru Yano vs. Bushi
  • Great O’Khan vs.Kenta
  • Tanga Loa vs  Yujiro Takahashi
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi

GCW has announced Rina Yamashita and Masashi Takeda for its 11/12 show in Detroit and 11/13 show in Chicago. The 10/9 show in Atlantic City with Jon Moxley vs. Nick Gage is now sold out.

WWE

  • Ronda Rousey’s new show “Rowdy’s Places” has debuted on ESPN+.  The first season will have several pro wrestling episodes including one on ECW and one on Kurt Angle.

UFC

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukaus and Cub Swanson vs. Darren Elkins have been added to the 12/18 show.
  • Rogerio Bontorin was cleared from the rest of his drug test suspension when he provided a supplement that tested for the same substance he had tested positive for and faces Brandon Royval on 1/15. Kay Hansen vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius is also on that show.

OTHER NEWS

  • Dean Muhtadi, the former Mojo Rawley, will be the new co-host of TMZ Sports every Monday through Friday on FS1.
  • Adam Scherr, the former Braun Strowman has signed on to be an analyst for the Mr. Olympia contest as well as for arm wrestling championships on NBC Sports Network.
  • The PFL announced a multi-year deal with Athletic Sports Group and Fight Globe, to secure international distribution of PFL live events outside the U.S. and Canada starting in 2022. PFL plans to double the number of live events next year noting the deal with ESPN has led to a 39 percent increase in TV viewership in the U.S. market.
  • Dragon Gate’s Keisuke Okuda faces shoot boxer Hiroaki Suzuki in an MMA fight on tomorrow’s Rizin show.
  • AAW tonight live on FITE TV from Merrionette Park, IL:
    Allysin Kay vs. Skye Blue vs. Christi Jaynes for women’s title
    Hakim Zane vs. Ace Austin vs. Myron Reed for Heritage title
    Stallion Rogers & Jake Something vs. Larry D & Shane Mercer for tag titles
    Joeasa & Robin Steele vs Mance Warner & Manders in a double dog collar chain match
    Jigsaw vs. Davey Vega
    Gringo Loco & Arez vs. Laredo Kid & Aramis
    Plus Jake Alexander, Fred Yehi, Mat Fitchett and others
  • Kevin Eck’s weekly look at the ROH news.
  • A story on MMA fighter Blake Troop who makes his pro wrestling debut tomorrow night for the UWN Supercard PPV.
  • Innovate Wrestling on 11/6 from Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium
  • NFC on 10/22 at Tannery Row in Buford, GA.
  • Bare Knuckle Fighting announced a show on 10/23 in Wichita, KS with local star Dave “Caveman”Rickels vs. Julian Lane as the main event.
  • Revolution Wrestling Federation on 11/7 in Harrisburg, PA at the Midtown Arts Center with Lance Archer, Justin Credible, Mad Man Pondo and Colby Corino.
  • Paradigm Pro Wresting on 10/15 in Sellersburg, IN will combine UWFI rules matches, hardcore matches and Myron Reed vs,Surge D for the Paradigm championship and Shane Taylor vs. Calvin Tankman.
  • There is a UWN PPV show on FITE TV with the finals of its world title tournament at 9:30 p.m. Eastern tomorrow with Mike Bennett vs. Chris Dickinson as the title match.
  • Zoe Skye & Willow Nightingale vs Sea Stars is on the MLW show tomorrow night in Philadelphia.
  • IWF 25th anniversary celebration starts with an 11/20 show in North Arlington, NJ at the High School. Gary Capetta will be the ring announcer.
  • IWA East Coast on 10/8 in Charleston, WV at the Appalachian Power Park with Ricky & Kerry Morton (Ricky’s son) vs. Mad Man Pondo & Duke the Nuke as the main event.  Also on the show is Warhorse and Jake Crist.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi

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NJPW G1 Climax 31 night eight results: Tanahashi vs. SANADA

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 B Block continued today at Hamamatsu Arena.

Hiroshi Tanahashi faced SANADA in the main event, while Kazuchika Okada took on Hirooki Goto in the semi-main. 

YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taichi, EVIL vs. Chase Owens, plus Jeff Cobb vs. Tama Tonga were the other tournament matches today. 

Yoshinobu Kanemaru faced Ryohei Oiwa in the non-tournament opener. 

Here are results and a report from the show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA

Report —

Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Ryohei Oiwa (7:36)

Small sample size, but I think Oiwa is the better of the two Young Lions in this class. 

Oiwa attacked Kanemaru before the opening bell to get this show started off right. Oiwa used a side headlock. Kanemaru sent Oiwa to the floor and worked over his legs to set up the finish. 

Back inside, Kanemaru continued the leg work. Oiwa tried a belly-to-belly, but Kanemaru blocked with a face rake. Oiwa hit a great dropkick and tried to get Kanemaru over for a crab, but Kanemaru blocked. 

Kanemaru hit his own dropkick, then used a single-leg crab. He transitioned to a figure four for the submission. 

B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated Tama Tonga (w/Jado) (12:47)

Once they got into teasing finishers this was very good. A very good closing stretch. 

The first half of the match was all Cobb, to the point where it dragged a bit. I always talk about the Ricky Steamboat rule of fighting from underneath, where the underdog can’t let the aggressor hit more than two consecutive moves without throwing in a hope spot. I think that applied here.

Cobb quickly established the advantage with a belly-to-belly throw. Tonga rolled outside. Cobb went out after him and pounded on his lower back with strikes. Back in the ring, Cobb hit a stalling vertical suplex for an early near fall. 

Cobb used a waistlock on the mat and some combination strikes in the corner. Tonga avoided a pillar to post and hit a dropkick, then guillotine grip to drop Cobb with a DDT. Tonga hit a neckbreaker. 

Cobb blocked a splash in the corner and tried his own, but Tonga escaped and then hit his splash. Tonga hit a death valley driver for a two count. Cobb hit a backdrop out of a powerbomb attempt and followed with a dropkick. 

Cobb hit a standing moonsault. Tonga blocked Tour of the Islands and hit a Tongan Twist and a frog splash for a two count. 

Cobb blocked a Gun Stun. They traded superkicks. Cobb blocked another Gun Stun attempt and hit a release German, then followed with Tour of the Islands for the pin. 

B Block: EVIL defeated Chase Owens (12:38)

EVIL can’t have a good match with this gimmick and these patterned matches. It’s not possible. 

EVIL asked Owens to lay down for him. Owens declined and slapped EVIL across the face. So the match was on, unfortunately. 

Owens made a point of telling Togo not to get involved, but he did. They did all the Bullet Club EVIL spots. EVIL bumped the ring announcer. They exposed a turnbuckle. Togo choked Owens with his ligature while EVIL took the referee. 

Togo took the ref, EVIL hit a low blow and Everything is EVIL for the pin. 

B Block: YOSHI-HASHI defeated Taichi (w/Miho Abe) (22:26)

They tried to have an intense brawl as the sparse crowd politely sat there in silence. This was a struggle. People like YOSHI-HASHI. The NEVER Six-Man titles have become the most prestigious titles in wrestling while he has held them. Long singles matches are not his strength.

Taichi hit a forearm strike before the bell and they brawled to the floor. Taichi threw the referee aside and taunted YH with his own title belt. Both used the barricade and hit strikes on the floor. 

YH fought to the ropes out of a stretch plum from Taichi. YH ducked an axe bomber and hit a dragon suplex. YH hit a lariat and the kumagoroshi for a near fall. 

YH escaped Black Mephisto and got the butterfly lock applied. He transitioned to a sleeper as Taichi tried to fight to the ropes. Taichi hit a backdrop suplex to break the hold as the crowd finally woke up near the 20 minute call.

Taichi hit a huge gamengiri. YH blocked Black Mephisto and hit a destroyer for a two count. YH blocked a high kick and hit a lariat. YH then hit Kharma for the pin. 

B Block: Kazuchika Okada defeated Hirooki Goto (18:06)

Okada was excellent here. He worked more heelish than he normally does, using some subtle facial expressions and things of that nature. He also did a great job of selling the cumulative damage of the tournament to his arms and neck. The lack of crowd reaction hurt this match too, though.

Okada broke cleanly in the ropes after the first lockup. Goto did not break cleanly against the ropes on the second lockup. They did some chain wrestling. Goto hit a clothesline, sending Okada to the floor. Goto threw Okada right back in. 

Goto used a chinlock. Okada hit a flapjack five minutes in. Okada sent Goto into the barricade and hit a DDT on the floor for a countout tease. Back in, Okada hit a sliding dropkick. They exchanged strikes. Goto ducked a boot and hit a lariat. Goto hit his heel kick in the corner and bulldog at the 10 minute call. 

They brawled to the floor as the niceties were dispensed with. Back inside, Okada hit a dropkick. Okada used the Money Clip, but Goto forced a rope break. Goto avoided a top rope elbow attempt and a shotgun dropkick attempt. Goto hit a neckbreaker for a two count 15 minutes in. 

Goto hit a lariat, a mid kick and an ushigoroshi for a near fall. Okada blocked a GTR and hit a clothesline into a double down. Goto ducked a Rainmaker, but ran into an Okada dropkick. 

Okada hit a tombstone. Goto ducked another Rainmaker attempt and used a leg sweep for a two count. Okada escaped an ushigoroshi attempt. Goto blocked a spinning Rainmaker and hit a reverse GTR. 

Okada ducked a spinning lariat, hit a backdrop, then sat down into a cradle and got the flash pin. 

B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA (25:35)

This was a great main event. The story of the bout was that they were evenly matched. Neither held a significant advantage for any length of time. One would attack the legs, the other would counter attack the legs. 

Tanahashi had the slight edge in the opening mat wrestling sequence. Tana tried the paradise lock, but he couldn’t figure it out and SANADA but Tana in the hold instead. SANADA played some air guitar. 

SANADA used a head scissors on the mat, but Tana rolled to the ropes. Tana fired up and hit the first real strikes of the match at the 10 minute call. Tana hit a flying forearm, a scoop slam and a somersault senton for a two count. 

SANADA reversed a whip into the corner, but Tana fired out with a basement dropkick to the knee. SANADA hit a dropkick to the knee. They traded dragon screws. Both ended up going for a dragon screw at the same time. They agreed to put each other down, but SANADA didn’t keep his promise and hit another dragon screw. 

SANADA hit a backbreaker and a plancha. Tana caught SANADA coming back into the ring and hit a dropkick to the right leg and two dragon screws in the ropes. Tana fought for the Texas Clover Hold, but SANADA got to the ropes. Tana hit another dragon screw instead. 

SANADA tried to block a slingblade with a rana, but Tana blocked the rana to set up the Texas Clover Hold. This was a great spot. SANADA made the ropes for a break. Tanahashi hit a plancha. Tanahashi was really trying to get the crowd into it, putting his hand to his ear and clapping. 

Tana blocked a magic screw attempt and hit two twist and shouts, but SANADA held on and got the magic screw. SANADA used a TKO threat to set up Skull End, but Tana reversed into his own dragon sleeper. SANADA kicked out of the hold. 

SANADA hit a springboard dropkick at the 20 minute call. SANADA hit the TKO for a two count. SANADA rolled through on a moonsault attempt. They stumbled as SANADA set up a spinning Skull End. Tana hit another twist and shout. 

Tanahashi hit slingblade for a near fall. Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow. He tried a standard High Fly Flow, but SANADA got his knees up. SANADA tried a moonsault, but Tana got his knees up. 

They traded forearms. Tana hit a slap. SANADA used an O’Connor roll for a two count. Tana used an O’Connor roll to hit a dragon suplex into a bridge for a two count. 

Tana then went back up top and hit a High Fly Flow to get the victory. 

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night nine, Sunday, Ocotber 3, 3 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • A Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi
  • A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Tanga Loa vs. Yujiro Takahashi
  • A Block: KENTA vs. Great-O-Khan
  • BUSHI vs. Toru Yano
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Kosei Fujita

October 4, 2021 Observer Newsletter: WWE Extreme Rules review, G1 Climax updates

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

WWE’s Extreme Rules show on 9/26 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH was decent. Most of the matches were good, but nothing was a blowaway.

The show was built around two bouts, Roman Reigns vs. Demon Finn Balor for the Universal title and Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair for the women’s title. Both had gimmicked finishes.

The Demon match ended with Demon on the top rope when the top rope suddenly collapsed and he fell into the ring injured and got pinned by a spear. The bout had been the most exciting on the show, but at one point the idea was that Demon had died. Then his music played and he acted as though he was resurrected, and in fact, that was the verbiage used, and he made a comeback until the rope broke.

In the Smackdown women’s title match, Belair powered out of the disarmer and set up the KOD when Sasha Banks ran into attack Belair for the DQ. Banks also laid out Lynch after the match to set up a three-way program.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night seven results: Shingo vs. KENTA

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today at Korakuen Hall. 

Shingo Takagi faced KENTA in the main event, while Kota Ibushi took on Toru Yano in the semi-main. 

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa were the other tournament matches today. 

Here are results and a report from the show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Shingo Takagi vs. KENTA
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa

Report —

Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) defeated BUSHI (13:01)

When you look at the lineup and you see Yano in the semi-main, you can bet on everything else getting a few extra minutes. This went too long as a result. 

BUSHI hit a dropkick before the bell for the jumpstart, then threw Yujiro into the barricade. Yujiro used Pieter as a human shield to stop BUSHI from attempting a dive and used the distraction to drag BUSHI to the floor. Yujiro sent BUSHI into the security fence and took control of the bout. 

Yujiro worked BUSHI over in a dull manner. BUSHI came back with a basement dropkick and a suicide dive. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick. Yujiro bit BUSHI’s hand to halt the momentum. Yujiro went for Miami Shine, but BUSHI blocked and hit a backstabber. 

BUSHI went for an MX, but Yujiro caught him with a lariat. They exchanged forearm strikes. Yujiro hit a big boot. BUSHI hit a dropkick. Yujiro hit another lariat and an Angle slam for a two count. 

BUSHI blocked a Pimp Juice attempt and cradled Yujiro for a near fall. Yujiro blocked a codebreaker and hit Big Juice for the pin. 

A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (16:18)

Really good match. Ishii will probably end up MVP of the G1 again. His worst match so far was with Kota Ibushi of all people. The sons of Haku continue to deliver in the tournament so far as well. 

Loa rolled outside after a quick strike exchange kicked things off. He climbed back in and they got the crowd into the match with a long series of strikes exchanged. Loa got the best of the sequence. Ishii rolled outside. Loa sent him into the barricade, then posted his back. 

Back in, Loa used a chinlock and elbows to the head. Loa hit an exploder and Ishii sold his back big. Ishii answered with chops in the corner, a powerslam and a delayed vertical suplex. Loa hit a neckbreaker to cut him off. 

Loa no-sold a German suplex and hit a blue thunder bomb for a two count. Loa used the OJK, but Ishii made the ropes. Ishii blocked a powerbomb and hit a backdrop. Ishii hit a superplex for a two count. 

Ishii tried to set up a sliding lariat, but Loa popped up and hit a dropkick. Loa hit a massive lariat and a top rope diving headbutt for a near fall. Loa hit a spear and a sit-out powerbomb for a good near fall. 

Ishii escaped Apesh*t and hit an enzuigiri and a lariat for a two count. They traded lariats, but neither went down. Ishii hit a headbutt. Loa again avoided the sliding lariat. 

Ishii escaped Apesh*t a second time and hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin. 

A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan (15:26)

This was unique and excellent if you like Sabre matches. They did almost exclusively technical wrestling and it felt like a real contest. This might have been the best match of O-Khan’s career. 

They spent the first eight minutes of the match trading holds on the mat. O-Khan ended up bleeding from the nose. 

Sabre fired off a couple of forearms, but O-Khan dropped Sabre with one Mongolian chop. O-Khan used two more Mongolian chops to drop Sabre a second time. Sabre sold losing feeling in his right arm after the chops to the neck. 

Sabre used an octopus. O-Khan reversed into an ankle lock. Sabre reversed into a heel hook. O-Khan reversed. Sabre forced a rope break. Sabre blocked a gutwrench throw and took O-Khan’s back with a choke. Sabre used a crucifix for a two count. 

Sabre hit a penalty kick, but O-Khan kicked out at one. Sabre avoided the claw and went for a tornado DDT, but O-Khan blocked and used a cobra twist with the iron claw applied as well. O-Khan transitioned to the sheep killer. O-Khan slipped to a modified torture rack, then gave up the hold. 

O-Khan went for the Eliminator at the 15 minute mark, but Sabre locked on a standing triangle. O-Khan didn’t submit, but the referee called for the stoppage with O-Khan unable to improve his position. 

A Block: Kota Ibushi vs. Toru Yano (4:03)

This was total comedy. 

Yano put a bag over Ibushi’s head and rolled him up for two near falls. Yano then rolled Ibushi up in the ring skirt and tried to steal a countout, but Ibushi freed himself and made it back in. 

Ibushi hit a dropkick and a plancha. Yano tried to tape Ibushi to the apron, but Ibushi kicked him away and Yano was almost counted out. Ibushi blocked a low blow. Yano used another cradle for a near fall. 

Ibushi hit a Kamigoye to the back, a Bomaye, then hit a standard Kamigoye for the pin. 

A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated KENTA (23:56)

A very good main event. Not match of the tournament or anything, but a solid match with good storytelling.

They traded strikes and shoulder tackle attempts. Shingo hit a slam and a senton. KENTA blocked a diving forearm attempt and used Game Over on Shingo’s taped right arm, but Shingo forced a rope break.

Shingo rolled outside and KENTA posted his right arm. KENTA kicked the right arm as it was draped over the barricade. Back inside, KENTA kicked at the arm and used a Fujiwara armbar. KENTA exposed a turnbuckle and whipped Shingo’s arm into it. 

KENTA continued working on the arm. Shingo grabbed a chinlock, but got backed into the exposed buckle. Shingo hit a couple of strikes and a DDT. He continued firing off strikes with the right arm, selling it after each strike. Shingo blocked a swing DDT and hit a lariat with his left arm. 

Shingo hit a vertical suplex and a sliding lariat with the right arm. He continued to sell the arm, then covered for a near fall. KENTA fought off Made in Japan and hit a swing DDT across the top rope. KENTA hit a top rope clothesline for a two count. 

KENTA hit a DDT for another near fall. Shingo blocked a draping DDT attempt and they fought to the apron. Shingo teased Made in Japan off the apron, but KENTA slid out and dropped Shingo’s right arm across the top rope. 

They battled on the floor. KENTA hit the green killer DDT off the apron to the floor. Shingo made it back in after a countout tease. KENTA hit a running kick and a stalling dropkick in the corner. KENTA hit a double stomp off the top to the bad arm for a near fall. 

Shingo blocked a GTS attempt. KENTA hit a knee strike and tried it again. Shingo blocked and hit a pop-up DVD into a double down at the 15 minute call. 

They traded forearms. KENTA hit a series of palm strikes. Shingo hit a headbutt. KENTA hit a spinning backfist. Shingo blocked a kick and hit Made in Japan for a two count. Shingo hit a top rope superplex. 

Shingo tried a lariat in the corner, but KENTA pulled the referee in his path. The ref took a bump and rolled to the floor. KENTA hit a low blow and a divorce court. KENTA Pillman-ized Shingo’s right arm. 

KENTA dragged the ref back in at 20 minutes and locked on Game Over, but Shingo got his foot across the bottom rope to force a break. KENTA hit a running knee strike. He teased a Pumping Bomber, but Shingo cut him off with a lariat. 

Shingo escaped another GTS attempt and hit a dragon suplex and a diving forearm strike. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber with his bad arm, but KENTA kicked out. 

KENTA slipped out of one Last of the Dragon attempt and tried to send Shingo into the buckle, but Shingo sent KENTA into the buckle instead. Shingo then hit Last of the Dragon to get the pin.

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night eight, Friday, Ocotber 1, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA
  • B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hirooki Goto
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taichi
  • B Block: EVIL vs. Chase Owens
  • B Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Tama Tonga
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Ryohei Oiwa 

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night six results: Okada vs. YOSHI-HASHI

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Kazuchika Okada took on YOSHI-HASHI in the main event, while Hiroshi Tanahashi faced Tama Tonga in the semi-main. 

Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb, SANADA vs. Chase Owens, plus EVIL vs. Taichi were the other tournament matches today. 

Here are results and a report from today’s show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Kazuchika Okada vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tama Tonga
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Hirooki Goto

Report —

B Block: EVIL (w/Dick Togo) defeated Taichi (w/Miho Abe) (11:30)

They had EVIL’s patterned match. It was short and it was the opener. 

Taichi kicked Togo before the opening bell and sent EVIL outside. He tried to choke EVIL with a camera cable, but Togo distracted him. Taichi chased Togo into the ring, where EVIL hit him with a lariat to take over. EVIL whipped Taichi into an exposed turnbuckle. 

EVIL bumped Taichi into the barricade and the ring announcer took a bump. Taichi came back with a hook kick. They brawled back to the floor. Taichi bumped EVIL into the barricade and the ring announcer took his second bump of the night. 

EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. Taichi blocked the STO and sent EVIL into the exposed buckle. Taichi hit an axe bomber and tore off his pants. Taichi hit a gamengiri off a series of standing switches. 

They threw the ref aside. EVIL tried a low blow, but Taichi blocked and hit a low blow. Taichi used a clutch for a pin attempt, but Togo took the ref. Taichi sent EVIL into Togo and hit another jumping high kick and a backdrop suplex for a near fall. 

Togo grabbed Miho Abe on the outside and distracted Taichi and the ref. EVIL hit a low blow to Taichi, then hit Everything is EVIL. He then used the scorpion deathlock. Taichi was out, so the ref called for the stoppage. 

B Block: SANADA defeated Chase Owens (11:58)

This was good. Owens has been good in the tournament to this point, but he has no credibility after being treated as a comedy job guy for years. 

After a couple of quick comedy spots, SANADA sent Owens outside. SANADA teased a plancha, but Owens stepped out of the way and tripped SANADA up on the apron. Owens sent SANADA into the barricade for a countout tease, but SANADA made it back in. 

Owens stretched SANADA with a surfboard. SANADA came back with a basement dropkick and a paradise lock. He sent Owens outside with a snap rana, but Owens again avoided the plancha and sent SANADA into the barricade. Owens hit a shoulder breaker and a lariat for a two count. 

SANADA hit a springboard dropkick and a TKO for a two count. He rolled through on a moonsault, then got a standing Skull End applied. Owens slipped out and hit a top rope cutter and a shining wizard. 

Owens grabbed the ref as SANADA executed an O’Connor roll and threw him down. SANADA covered, but no ref to count the pin. 

Owens hit a pump kick. He went for the package driver, but SANADA rolled through. Owens blocked another O’Connor roll and used two cradles for near falls. 

SANADA used Skull End, then hit a moonsault for the pin. 

B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto (15:09)

This was an excellent brawl. 

Goto sent Cobb outside and posted his left arm. Goto continued working on the arm. He tried a wheel kick after a whip into the corner, but Cobb caught him coming in and launched him with a throw. 

Cobb continued tossing Goto around the ring with throws. Cobb hit his chop and clothesline combinations in the corner. He teased a standing moonsault, but Goto got up and fired a few strikes. Cobb dropped Goto and tried the moonsault, but Goto rolled out of the way. 

Goto made his comeback and hit a spinning kick and a bulldog for a two count. Cobb blocked an ushigoroshi attempt and hit a dropkick. Cobb hit a back suplex and a standing moonsault for a two count. 

They traded strikes. Cobb hit the ropes and ran right into an ushigoroshi. Goto dodged a kick and hit a lariat. Cobb blocked a GTR, but Goto hit a belly-to-belly. Goto used a cross armbreaker, but Cobb forced a rope break. 

Cobb fought out of a hammerlock and hit a thrust kick. Cobb ducked a lariat. Goto escaped a powerslam attempt. Cobb reversed a bulldog attempt into a spin cycle. Cobb hit a German. Goto escaped a Tour of the Islands and used a leg sweep for a two count. 

Goto used a GTR and a lariat for a two count. He went for another GTR, but Cobb blocked. Goto hit a headbutt, but Cobb popped up and hit his own headbutt. 

Cobb then hit Tour of the Islands for the pin. 

B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Tama Tonga (w/Jado) (14:17)

These guys got every ounce out of everything that they did, which was not a lot. The story of the match was Tonga continually trying for the Gun Stun. When he finally hit it, he didn’t cover right away and it cost him the match. 

They started with trading side headlocks. Tana blocked two Gun Stun attempts. Tana hit a senton for a two count, but Tonga reversed into a crucifix for his own near fall. Tonga snapped Tana’s neck across the top rope to get the heat. 

Tonga worked a sleeper hold, then a Tongan death grip. Tanahashi caught a kick and teased a dragon screw, but then used the death grip himself. Tana then hit a dragon screw. Tanahashi fought for a Texas Clover Hold, but Tonga escaped and used the death grip again. 

Tonga missed a splash in the corner. Tanahashi missed with slingblade, allowing Tonga to hit a Tongan Twist for a two count. Tonga hit slingblade, then hit his own version of the High Fly Flow for a sweet near fall. 

Tanahashi blocked a Gun Stun. They fought for position as Tonga tried a Tongan Twist and Tanahashi went for twist and shout. Tana won out and hit twist and shout and a slingblade. 

Tanahashi hit a standing High Fly Flow. He went for a second, but Tonga rolled out of the way. Tonga popped up and hit a Gun Stun, but he could not cover right away. 

Tonga eventually made the cover, but Tanahashi kicked out at two, then slid to a crucifix for the flash pin. 

B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. YOSHI-HASHI (26:53)

Chris Charlton gave a great history lesson on commentary about the history between these two before the match to set the stage. 

They know each other super well, and that was the story of the match. They had to fight for every bit of offense. The pacing was slow for that reason, but everything made sense. 

They locked up. Okada teased hitting YH on the break, but YH struck first. They brawled to the floor. YH sent Okada into the barricade. Okada came back with two DDTs on the floor and another in the ring. 

YH came back with a headhunter, a neckbreaker and a blockbuster. YH got a butterfly lock applied, but Okada forced a break. Okada used the Money Clip. YH tried to fight to the ropes, but Okada pulled him back to the center and re-applied. They did a long ref stoppage tease, but YH snapped to life and reached the ropes for a break. They were past 15 minutes at this point. 

Okada hit a top rope elbow and the Rainmaker pose. YH ducked the Rainmaker and hit a chop. Okada blocked a thrust kick, then rolled through on a whip attempt and hit two Rainmakers. 

Okada went for a third Rainmaker, but YH hit his own Rainmaker into a double down. 

YH avoided a tombstone and hit a dragon suplex. Okada missed a dropkick. YH hit a meteora for a two count just past the 20 minute call. Okada ducked one lariat, but YH hit a clothesline on the rebound. YH hit a kumagoroshi for a two count. 

YH went back to the butterfly lock. As Okada tried to scoot to the ropes, YH transitioned to a sleeper, then hit a backstabber. YH again used the butterfly lock, then again slipped to a sleeper hold. YH tried to hit Kharma out of the sleeper, but Okada hit a spinning tombstone. 

YH avoided a shotgun dropkick. YH hit a clothesline in the corner at 25 minutes. YH missed a senton bomb off the top. Okada hit a dropkick to the back, then another to the front. 

YH ducked a Rainmaker and cradled Okada for two. YH blocked another Rainmaker attempt and hit a thrust kick. Okada blocked a dragon suplex. 

Okada hit landslide, then used another Rainmaker for the pin. 

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night seven, Thursday, September 30, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • A Block: Shingo Takagi vs. KENTA
  • A Block: Kota Ibushi vs. Toru Yano
  • A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan
  • A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa
  • BUSHI vs. Yujiro Takahashi

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night five results: Ibushi vs. Sabre

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today at Kobe World Hall. 

Kota Ibushi took on Zack Sabre Jr. in the main event, while Tomohiro Ishii faced KENTA in the semi-main. 

Great-O-Khan vs. Yujiro Takahashi and Tanga Loa vs. Toru Yano were the other tournament matches today. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi faced Yuji Nagata in a special singles match, while Master Wato took on Kosei Fujita in the opener. 

Here are results and a report from today’s show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Shingo Takagi vs. Yuji Nagata
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. KENTA
  • Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Report —

Master Wato defeated Kosei Fujita (6:21)

I’m not an anti-Wato guy, I think some of his stuff is good, but these Young Lion openers probably benefit him as much as Fujita and Oiwa. Wato could use the ring time and practice on fundamentals. 

Wato got the best of a brief chain wrestling sequence, then took control with kicks. Fujita hit a great desperation dropkick to create separation and locked on a crab, but Wato fought to the ropes. 

Wato hit a backdrop and used a Boston crab for the submission. 

Shingo Takagi defeated Yuji Nagata (16:51)

This was terrific. 

Shingo had his right arm taped up, selling the damage from his match with Sabre last week. 

They began by trading holds, then traded strikes. Shingo hit a knee lift and backed Nagata into the ropes. They slipped to the apron. Each teased a move on the apron, but Nagata jumped to the floor. Shingo tried a diving chop off the apron, but Nagata caught him and hit an exploder on the floor to take control of the match. 

Back inside, Nagata began targeting the arms. He wrenched on the left arm, then the taped right arm. Nagata hit kicks to the arms, then barred the left arm. Shingo forced  a break, then hit a vertical suplex.

Shingo caught a kick attempt and hit a DVD. Nagata hit a knee strike and caught Shingo in a Nagata Lock. Nagata transitioned to pin attempt, but Shingo kicked out. Shingo hit a dragon screw. 

Nagata fought off a figure four attempt, then caught a sliding lariat attempt and slapped on another variation of the Nagata Lock. Shingo escaped and hit a diving forearm strike. Nagata hit the Justice knee in the corner. Shingo tried to fight off a superplex, but Nagata hit a top rope exploder for a near fall. 

Shingo blocked a back suplex and dumped Nagata on his neck with a back suplex. Shingo hit a lariat. Nagata countered with a back suplex. They traded forearm blows. Nagata hit an enzuigiri, but Shingo answered with an immediate sliding lariat. 

Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber for a near fall, then used Last of the Dragon to score the pin. 

Shingo cut a promo after the match and promised to deliver Shingo vs. Naito as soon as possible. That was the originally scheduled main event for tonight before Naito’s knee forced him to withdraw from G1.

A Block: Great-O-Khan defeated Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) (14:15)

This lacked intensity and the pacing was slow, but it was better than I expected. 

O-Khan wanted to amateur wrestle on the mat, but Yujiro didn’t want any part of that. They brawled to the floor. Yujiro used his walking stick on O-Khan on the ramp to take over. O-Khan made it back in after a countout tease. 

Yujiro used a legdrop, a slam and another legdrop for a pair of near falls. O-Khan came back with a back suplex, then tied Yujiro to the tree of woe and hit a sliding dropkick. They traded chops. O-Khan hit a belly-to-belly to set up a head and arm choke, but Yujiro forced a break. 

Yujiro hit a fisherman buster and an Angle slam for a two count. Yujiro hit Miami Shine for another near fall. O-Khan blocked Pimp Juice. Yujiro escaped the Eliminator and hit a lariat for a two count. 

O-Khan escaped Big Juice and used a sheep killer to set up the Eliminator for the pin.  

A Block: Toru Yano defeated Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (10:46)

They didn’t go full comedy or full serious match with this one and the result was a bad mix of both. 

Yano produced a bag before the opening bell. The referee emptied the bag and it was full of handcuffs and rolls of tape. 

Loa got the better of a striking battle. Loa pulled Yano’s shirt over his head and tried to win by countout, but Yano beat the count back in. 

They traded suplexes for near falls. They had a plodding brawl. Yano exposed a buckle. Loa used the OJK, but Yano rolled to the ropes. Yano cradled Loa for two. Loa used a cradle for a near fall.

Yano hit a slingshot into the exposed buckle. The ref blocked Yano as he went for a low blow. Loa bumped Yano into the ref. Jado climbed in with a kendo stick. Yano got the kendo stick and threw Loa into the buckle, then threw the stick to Jado. 

Yano used the distraction to low blow Loa and schoolboy him for the pin.  

A Block: KENTA defeated Tomohiro Ishii (21:08)

This was very good and KENTA’s best match in quite some time.

KENTA tried to roll outside to stall, but Ishii dragged him back in and hit a tackle. KENTA again rolled outside. Ishii went after him and sent him into the barricade. KENTA hit Ishii with the bell to turn the tide in his favor. 

KENTA posted Ishii’s right arm and sent him into the barricade arm-first. Back in, KENTA continued to work over the right arm. KENTA exposed a buckle, but Ishii sent KENTA into the exposed steel. Ishii hammered away with chops and forearms in the corner. KENTA answered with a diving clothesline off the top.

KENTA caught Ishii coming in and tried for Game Over, but Ishii rolled to the ropes. Ishii got to the apron and teased a suplex to the floor, but KENTA hit a draping DDT. KENTA hit a running boot and a stalling dropkick. 

Ishii avoided a double stomp off the top and hit a German suplex into the buckle. They exchanged strikes. KENTA hit a clothesline, then connected with a double stomp off the top for a near fall. 

KENTA used Game Over. Ishii fought his way to the ropes after a long submission tease. Ishii blocked a penalty kick and dropped KENTA with a German suplex. Ishii hit a superplex for a two count. 

KENTA hit a short knee. Ishii escaped a GTS attempt and hit a lariat, but KENTA hit two Busaiku knees for a near fall. KENTA hit a series of palm strikes to the face. Ishii escaped a GTS and hit a headbutt to the chest. Ishii hit a sliding lariat for a two count at the 20 minute mark. 

Ishii went for the Vertical Drop. KENTA reversed into a GTS attempt. Ishii slid out and hit an enzuigiri. Ishii hit a lariat for another near fall. 

KENTA escaped a Vertical Drop attempt and rammed Ishii into the exposed turnbuckle, then used a schoolboy with the trunks for the flash pin. 

A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Kota Ibushi (19:55)

This was Ibushi’s best match since his return. The G1 is turning into the Zack Sabre Jr. Invitational. 

Sabre broke cleanly after the opening lockup. Sabre escaped a head scissors on the mat and again broke cleanly. Ibushi tried to break cleanly after another lockup, but Sabre piefaced him. Ibushi swung and missed on a high kick as Sabre rolled to the floor to reset. 

Sabre reversed a whip, then tried a backslide, but Ibushi blocked. Ibushi missed on another high kick attempt as Sabre rolled out of the way. Ibushi went after Sabre’s left leg with a series of kicks. Sabre used a submission in the ropes to go after Ibushi’s left arm, then kicked the left arm on the break. 

Sabre continued to go after Ibushi’s left arm on the floor, hitting a stomp. Sabre kept up the arm work as Ibushi got back in. Ibushi came back with a striking combo, then hit a standing moonsault for a two count. 

Sabre hit another kick to the left arm, but Ibushi answered with a snap rana and a plancha. Ibushi escaped a submission attempt on the left arm by rolling to the ropes. Sabre hit a series of short kicks to the arm. Ibushi dropped Sabre with a mid kick. 

They traded kicks. Ibushi got the better of the strikes. Ibushi used a backslide to set up a lariat. Sabre hit a flying mid kick and a last ride. Sabre trapped the left arm, but Ibushi made the ropes for a break. 

Ibushi hit a German and a powerslam. Ibushi tried to go for a moonsault, but Sabre hit a kick to the legs to halt the attempt and Ibushi crashed to the mat. Sabre hit a PK and used a stack cover for a near fall. 

Sabre used an ankle lock. Ibushi broke the hold with a palm strike to the chest. Ibushi hit a Bomaye. 

Ibushi teased Kamigoye, but Sabre blocked and used Clarky Cat for the submission. 

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night six, Wednesday, September 29, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tama Tonga
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb
  • B Block: SANADA vs. Chase Owens
  • B Block: Taichi vs. EVIL

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night four results: Okada vs. EVIL

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 B Block continued today in Tokyo at the Ota City General Gymnasium. 

Here are results and a report from today’s show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
  • Jeff Cob vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • Tama Tonga vs. Chase Owens

Report —

B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Hirooki Goto (14:10)

This was two veterans working a very good opener. They didn’t kick out of a bunch of finishers or do countout teases, they kept the match in the ring and left you wanting more.  

Tanahashi took virtually all of the offense in the first ten minutes. 

Tana dominated a chain wrestling sequence at the outset. Goto got one brief hope spot with his wheel kick and bulldog out of the corner, but Tana used a deathlock, a senton and strikes to maintain control. 

Tanahashi hit a somersault senton for a two count. They did a great series of misdirection spots as Goto hit a lariat, then Tana hit a dropkick to the legs. Goto started to come back with a top rope neckbreaker. 

Tana avoided a top rope superplex and tried to turn it into a sunset bomb, but Goto slid out. Tanahashi blocked Shouten Kai and hit slingblade. Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow. Goto rolled out of the way of a second High Fly Flow, allowing him to hit a lariat to the back of Tanahashi’s head. 

Tanahashi hit a palm strike to the face, but Goto countered with a headbutt and an inverted GTR for a near fall. 

Tana reversed a GTR attempt into an inside cradle for the flash pin. 

B Block: Tama Tonga defeated Chase Owens (12:59)

This was much better than you might expect. 

They began with a solid back and forth technical wrestling battle. Each avoided the other’s finisher. 

After exchanging holds, they turned to a more traditional brawling style. Owens used a hip toss into a neckbreaker, a flurry of strikes and a Jewel Heist for a near fall. Tama came back and hit a Tongan Twist. 

Owens used a tiger driver for another near fall. Tama blocked a jumping knee. Owens connected on another v-trigger. 

Owens went for the package driver, but Tama hit a great reversal into the Gun Stun and got the pin. 

B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated YOSHI-HASHI (13:21)

YH low-bridged Cobb to the floor and sent him into the barricade. Cobb cut YH off with a huge shoulder tackle as they got back in. Cobb hit a dropkick and a delayed vertical throw. YH answered with a dragon screw as he looked to take out Cobb’s base. 

YH tried a sunset flip, but Cobb blocked. YH teased a powerbomb, but Cobb launched him into orbit on a backdrop. Cobb hit a series of strikes in the corner, then used a belly-to-belly and a spin cycle for a two count. 

Cobb hit a standing moonsault for a two count. YH came back and hit a snap dragon suplex, then hit a lariat for a two count. Cobb blocked another powerbomb. YH hit a thrust kick, then a Canadian destroyer for another near fall. YH hit a meteora for a two count. 

YH used the butterfly lock to set up a Kharma attempt, but Cobb blocked. Cobb hit a snap German suplex. They traded thrust kicks. YH blocked two Tour of the Islands attempts, then rolled Cobb up for a two count. 

Cobb hit a spear, then ended things with Tour of the Islands and a pin. 

B Block: Taichi (w/Miho Abe) defeated SANADA (25:15)

The small crowd and their inability to be vocal due to the pandemic restrictions really hurt this match. They didn’t help themselves by starting really slowly, but they were working hard once they got into the near falls and it was as though they were wrestling in an empty building. 

They opened with a quick chain wrestling sequence, then they tried to work the crowd with some pec popping. The referee didn’t sell the pec pop battle and they just dropped the idea. 

Taichi used a kitchen sink, then used a variety of rest holds. SANADA came back with a dropkick to the left knee and a plancha. Taichi hit a high kick. SANADA went back to the legs with a dropkick, then hit a magic screw. 

Taichi avoided a TKO and tried for a stretch plum, but SANADA blocked. Taichi no-sold a tiger driver and hit a backdrop suplex. Both stumbled out of the ring, selling. Kind of a goofy spot. They did a double countout tease, then a double down once they beat the count back in. 

They traded strikes. Taichi blocked Skull End. SANADA blocked a chokeslam. Taichi blocked an O’Connor roll. SANADA kicked out of a Gedo clutch. SANADA missed a moonsault into another double down. 

SANADA used a moonsault to try to set up Skull End, but Taichi blocked. SANADA blocked Balck Mephisto, but Taichi hit a gamengiri and a backdrop suplex for a near fall. Taichi kicked out of an O’Connor roll. 

Taichi avoided another moonsault, then hit a forearm and Black Mephisto for the pin.

B Block: Kazuchika Okada defeated EVIL (w/Dick Togo) (21:46)

NJPW has doubled down on EVIL and this version of the character is killing every show he’s on. The Bullet Club House of Torture is just that. Okada is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever live, but even he can’t make a match with 2021 EVIL work. 

EVIL rolled outside and immediately stalled. Togo exposed a buckle. They brawled to the floor, where EVIL sent Okada into the barricade. The ring announcer took his first bump. Okada made a quick comeback with a back elbow and a DDT after EVIL missed a charge into the exposed buckle. 

EVIL rolled back to the floor and again sent Okada into the barricade and the ring announcer. While the ref checked on the announcer, EVIL hit Okada with a chair. EVIL tried a running kick with Okada seated on the chair, but Okada hit a drop toe hold on the chair. 

Back in, Okada avoided a misdirection lariat and hit a dropkick. Okada used the Money Clip, but EVIL reached the ropes. Okada hit the Rainmaker pose, but EVIL used interference from Togo to cut him off. Togo used a chair on Okada while EVIL took the ref. EVIL hit a tackle for a near fall. 

EVIL hit a superplex and tried a pin while grabbing the trunks, but Okada kicked out. Okada fought off Everything is EVIL and used a cradle for a two count. 

Okada hit a short Rainmaker. EVIL ducked under a second Rainmaker, but Okada nailed him with a dropkick and a spinning tombstone. Okada went for another Rainmaker, but EVIL pulled the referee in his path. The ref took a bump. EVIL hit a low blow. 

EVIL revived the ref. EVIL tried Everything is EVIL, but Okada reversed into a Money Clip attempt. Before he got the hold applied, EVIL bumped the ref again as Red Shoes rolled to the floor. 

Togo jumped in and hit Okada with a series of right hands. Okada fought off a Magic Killer and sent EVIL into the exposed buckle. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick to Togo. 

Red Shoes was revived. EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. Okada blocked a lariat and hit EVIL with Everything is EVIL. 

Okada hit a sit-out tombstone and another Rainmaker for the pin. 

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night five, Sunday, September 26, 3 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • A Block: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. KENTA
  • A Block: Toru Yano vs. Tanga Loa
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Yujiro Takahashi
  • Shingo Takagi vs. Yuji Nagata
  • Master Wato vs. Kosei Fujita

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night three results: Shingo vs. Sabre

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today in Tokyo at the Ota City General Gymnasium. 

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and Zack Sabre Jr. face off in the main event, while Kota Ibushi took on Tomohiro Ishii in the semi-main. 

Tanga Loa earned two points by way of Tetsuya Naito forfeiting their G1 match due to injury. Instead of a tournament bout, Loa faced Yuji Nagata in a special singles match in the opener.

Here are results and a report from today’s show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sare Jr.
  • Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Report —

Tanga Loa (w/Jado) defeated Yuji Nagata (15:35)

This was a good opener. Nagata was moving well today and everything they did made sense. 

After some chain wrestling, Loa used a right hand to the throat to take over. He hit an axe handle off the apron to the floor and sent Nagata into the barricade. 

Loa maintained the advantage with brawling offense in the ring. Loa used a blue thunder bomb for a two count, then used a chinlock. Nagata fought back with punches and a kitchen sink. 

Nagata began working on Loa’s legs with kicks and a dropkick to the knee, then used a butterfly suplex for a two count. Nagata used a heel hook, but Loa forced a rope break. 

Loa hit a flatliner and slapped on the OJK. Nagata escaped the hold and used an ankle lock. Nagata grapevined the legs, but Loa crawled to the ropes. Nagata hit some more kicks to the leg and an exploder suplex. 

Loa hit a hotshot across the top rope, then used a spear and a powerslam for a two count. Nagata escaped Apesh*t and hit a German. Loa rolled through on landing, but Nagata hit another kick for a near fall. 

Nagata hit an enzuigiri, but Loa answered with an immediate lariat and hit Apesh*t for the pin. 

A Block: Great-O-Khan defeated Toru Yano (11:30)

These two had a blood feud earlier this year where Yano tied O-Khan’s hair to the barricade and O-Khan was forced to cut one of his braids off to escape. O-Khan also tried to stab Yano with scissors at some point. O-Khan saved the braid that was cut off six months ago and brandished it as Yano made his entrance. 

I appreciate the continuity here, but the match was hot garbage.

O-Khan attacked Yano as he entered and choked him with the braid. O-Khan pounded on Yano and used an Anaconda Vice. Yano forced a rope break. 

Yano sprayed hand sanitizer in O-Khan’s eyes. O-Khan produced a pair of handcuffs. Yano exposed a buckle. They fought over the corner pad. O-Khan bumped the ref with the corner pad. Yano hit a dragon screw and wrestled the corner pad away. 

Yano tried to cuff O-Khan to the barricade, but O-Khan reversed and cuffed Yano to the barricade. Yano freed himself by prying the barricade apart and beat the count back in. 

O-Khan fought off two cradle attempts and hit the Eliminator for the pin. 

Yano hit a low blow after the match and ran to the back. O-Khan chased after him with a chair, so this feud must continue. 

A Block: KENTA defeated Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) (15:48)

KENTA is smart and picks his spots for when to work hard. Tonight was not one of those spots.  

I will always pop for Kevin Kelly explaining Pieter’s interpretive dance.

Yujiro and Pieter both refused Too Sweet hand gestures from KENTA. 

They brawled in slow-motion. Yujiro gained the upper hand as they fought to the floor. Yujiro danced in front of Pieter. KENTA hit a DDT on the floor and could have won by countout, but threw Yujiro back in. 

KENTA hit some stomps and mocked Yujiro’s dancing. KENTA hit some kicks and used a front facelock. Yujiro fought back with strikes and a sliding dropkick. KENTA answered with a DDT and a diving clothesline off the top for a two count. 

KENTA used an STF. Yujiro forced a break. Yujiro avoided one double stomp off the top, but KENTA hit it on his second try and earned a near fall. 

Yujiro reversed a GTS into a DDT. Yujiro hit an Angle slam and Miami Shine for a pair of two counts. KENTA used a jackknife and a rollup for two near falls of his own. 

KENTA hit a Busaiku knee. Yujiro blocked GTS and tried a low blow, but KENTA caught the arm and used it to set up Game Over for the submission.  

They made amends and hugged and did the Too Sweet after the match. 

***** 

A PSA for saving lions aired with Togi Makabe and a player from the Seibu Lions. This was the best thing on the show to this point. 

*****

A Block: Kota Ibushi defeated Tomohiro Ishii (17:42)

If these guys wrestled ten times, they would probably have a better match than this one nine of those times. I’m giving this a mild recommendation because of who these guys are, but this was not the classic you would expect. 

Ibushi tried to break cleanly against the ropes of the opening collar and elbow, but Ishii slapped him across the face. Ibushi kipped up after a shoulder tackle, but Ishii took him down with another tackle. 

Ibushi got dropped with a forearm strike. Ishii hammered away with chops, dropping Ibushi against the ropes. They had a slap fight, then Ibushi scored his first significant offense of the match with a mid kick at the five minute mark. 

Ibushi sent Ishii outside with a snap rana. He followed with a plancha, then a powerslam and a moonsault as the fight returned to the ring. Ishii answered with a backdrop suplex. Ishii no-sold a dropkick and hit a diving shoulder tackle. 

Ishii hit a delayed superplex for a two count. Ishii missed with an enzuigiri. Ibushi missed on a standing moonsault and almost landed on the top of his head. Ishii missed a sliding lariat. Ibushi hit a mid kick into a double down. 

They traded strikes. Ibushi ducked under a lariat and hit a German suplex. Ishii sprawled to avoid a last ride attempt. They traded strikes. Ibushi hit a lariat into another double down. 

Ibushi hit a powerbomb for a two count. Ibushi called for the Kamigoye, but Ishii fought it off. Ibushi hit a head kick, but Ishii immediately countered with a headbutt into another double down. 

Ibushi kicked away a lariat, but Ishii hit a clubbing forearm and a German. Ibushi landed on his feet out of the suplex, but then was dropped with a clothesline. Ishii hit another lariat and Ibushi took a flip bump. Ishii got a two count. 

Ibushi slid out of a Vertical Drop Brainbuster attempt and hit a high kick. Ishii blocked Kamigoye and hit a clothesline. Ibushi missed a v-trigger. Ishii tried a lariat, but Ibushi blocked with a v-trigger. 

Ibushi hit two Kamigoyes and scored the pin. 

A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shingo Takagi (27:17)

Great psychology in this match. Shingo worked on Sabre’s right leg, while Sabre worked on Shingo’s right arm the entire match. Sabre won out. 

Sabre avoided an early lariat attempt. They traded arm drags and each escaped from holds on the mat. Shingo missed a sliding lariat, but hit a shoulder tackle and Sabre rolled outside. Shingo teased a dive, but did Naito’s Tranquilo pose instead. 

Shingo missed on a senton and Sabre used a neck twist. Shingo rolled outside to collect himself, but Sabre went right after him and threw him back in to keep the pressure on. 

Sabre blocked a hip toss and used a cobra twist. Shingo fought out and hit a DDT. Shingo hit a clothesline in the corner, then turned to chops. Sabre blocked a chop, avoided a DVD, then used an octopus hold in the ropes. 

Sabre began to attack the right arm. Shingo caught a PK and hit a dragon screw. Sabre blocked a sliding lariat and twisted on the right arm with his legs. Sabre stomped on the right arm. Shingo hit noshigami and a diving forearm strike to Sabre’s right leg. 

Sabre used a triangle choke. Shingo hit a powerbomb out of the hold, then used an inverted STF. Sabre forced a break. Sabre blocked Made in Japan and hit a German, but Shingo rolled through and answered with his own. 

Sabre blocked multiple lariat attempts with the right arm with kicks. Shingo kicked at Sabre’s right leg and hit a sliding lariat. Sabre used a cradle and a Euro clutch for two near falls. Sabre hit a PK, but Shingo popped right up and hit a lariat. 

Sabre cut Shingo off as he went for a superplex and used a wristlock. Sabre hit a swing DDT, then hit a La Mistica. Sabre transitioned to the Clarky Cat submission hold just past the 20 minute mark. Shingo rolled to the ropes to force the break. 

Sabre wrenched on the right arm. He blocked a pop-up DVD attempt and tried a guillotine, but Shingo escaped and hit a diving forearm strike. Sabre blocked a Pumping Bomber and hit the Zack Driver for a near fall. 

Sabre hit a series of elbows to the neck. Shingo ate all of them and powered through to finally hit the DVD he had been trying to land all match. Sabre escaped a choke. Shingo blocked a PK and turned it into Made in Japan for a near fall at the 25 minute call. 

Shingo hit the Pumping Bomber, but sold the work to his right arm and could not follow with a cover. Sabre blocked Last of the Dragon. Shingo hit a right hand, then tried Last of the Dragon again. Sabre blocked with a choke. 

Sabre switched to a crucifix hold, then slipped to a triangle choke. Shingo tried to power out, but Sabre kept the hold applied and Shingo tapped out. 

Sabre taunted Shingo with the IWGP World title after the match. 

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night four, Friday, September 24, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL
  • B Block: SANADA vs. Taichi
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jeff Cobb
  • B Block: Tama Tonga vs. Chase Owens
  • B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto

Tetsuya Naito out of NJPW G1 Climax due to knee injury

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Image: NJPW

One of NJPW’s top stars is out of this year’s G1 Climax.

NJPW has announced that Tetsuya Naito will miss the remainder of G1 Climax 31 due to suffering an injury to his left knee. The injury happened in Naito’s match against Zack Sabre Jr. during the opening night of the G1 on September 18. Naito suffered damage to his left meniscus and MCL.

With Naito unable to compete, he’ll forfeit his remaining tournament matches. The opponents that he was supposed to face will automatically gain two points.

NJPW noted that Naito currently doesn’t have a timetable to return.

Naito’s scheduled opponents will instead wrestle in special singles matches on the nights that they were supposed to face him. The matches will be against wrestlers who aren’t in the tournament. Here’s the schedule of those matches:

  • September 23 (G1 Climax 31 night three): Tanga Loa vs. Yuji Nagata
  • September 26: G1 Climax 31 night five): Shingo Takagi vs. Yuji Nagata
  • September 30: G1 Climax 31 night seven): Yujiro Takahashi vs. BUSHI
  • October 3: G1 Climax 31 night nine): Toru Yano vs. BUSHI
  • October 7: G1 Climax 31 night 11): KENTA vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • October 9: G1 Climax 31 night 13): Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • October 13: G1 Climax 31 night 15): Kota Ibushi vs. Satoshi Kojima
  • October 18: G1 Climax 31 night 17): The Great-O-Khan vs. Satoshi Kojima

Naito was part of the A Block in the G1. He lost to Sabre in their tournament match.

Night three of the G1 will take place at Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo this Thursday. The tournament runs through October 21, when the finals will be held at Budokan Hall.

Daily Update: MVP, G1 Climax 31, WWE in the UK

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

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WON NEWSLETTER: September 20, 2021 Observer Newsletter: Big E wins WWE Championship, WWE at MSG

Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on the 9/13 Raw to win the WWE championship from Bobby Lashley, signifying his switching brands and reuniting The New Day.

Born Ettore Ewen, the 35-year-old Tampa product was a state heavyweight champion wrestler at Wharton High School and football player, who went to the University of Iowa, and after college, became a powerlifter.

A mutual friend contacted Jim Ross, and he was given a WWE tryout in 2009 and WWE signed him to a deal at that time. He started as Big E Langston in Florida Championship Wrestling, which was shortened to Big E. He was popular due to his personality and those in developmental thought he could be a groundbreaking performer with his leaping ability and agility and power combination.

In 2012, he was brought up to the main roster, and on November 18, 2013, won the IC title from Curtis Axel. But his career took off in 2014 as part of the New Day tag team. The idea started out silly but ended up being tweaked by the three guys in it and the group held the Raw tag team titles twice and Smackdown version of the titles six times.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Our weekend show is up on the site right now. We did two shows this weekend, one with Garrett Gonzalez on Dark Side of the Ring and the AEW & WWE trends and what they say about the future and last night we talked about the weekend shows and the first two nights of G-1.

I’d say go out of your way to see Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii from night one of G-1. It’s easily one of the best matches of this year.

For this past week, the only thing that trended on Google in combat sports was UFC yesterday being No. 9 with 100,000 searches yesterday. Notable that nothing from Dark Side on Thursday cracked the list on Friday.

G1 returns for more A block matches on Thursday at Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo and the next B block show is Friday in the same gym. We are looking for your thoughts on the first two nights of the tournament, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to [email protected]. We’re also looking for reports on Friday’s Game Changer show, last night’s WWE in North Charleston, SC, tonight’s WWE in Augusta, GA and tomorrow’s WWE show in London at the O2 Arena.

To attend the WWE show in London tomorrow you need proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.

The Stardom Five Star Grand Prix ends tomorrow at Korakuen Hall.

Raw tomorrow has announced Natalya & Tamina defending the tag titles against Rhea Ripley & Nikki ASH, Nia Jax vs. Shayna Baszler, Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy and if Hardy wins the U.S. title match at Extreme Rules becomes a three-way, Alexa Bliss welcomes Charlotte Flair t the playground, the hotshot match of Roman Reigns & Usos vs. New Day and the celebration of Big E’s title win.

Results from WWE in Newcastle, UK today:

  • Street Profits b Chad Gable & Otis
  • Kevin Owens b Happy Corbin
  • Rey & Dominik Mysterio NC Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler
  • Finn Balor & Mysterios b Roode & Ziggler & Seth Rollins
  • Shinsuke Nakamura b Apollo Crews to keep the IC title
  • Drew McIntyre b Jinder Mahal in a street fight
  • Becky Lynch b Bianca Belair to keep the women’s title. Lynch was cheered more than Belair. Both were cheered. McIntyre gave a great speech about his journey and talked about independent shows in newcastle. (thanks to Rob Coll)

Former Florida & Carolinas referee Stu Schwartz passed away this weekend.

If you’ve seen the news about the death of Roger Brown, who was one of the best NFL defensive linemen of the 1960s and part of two different versions of the Fearsome Foursome, Brown did wrestle during the off season for The Sheik and for Mike LeBell in the Michigan-Ohio territory and Southern California territory during the off-season from football in 1967-70.

Julius Anglickas was named the newest person in the Bellator light heavyweight Grand Prix tournament replacing Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Johnson pulled out of the 10/16 title fight with champion Vadim Nemkov due to an undisclosed illness and Anglickas will be getting the title shot and a spot in the tournament’s final four.

RevPro from today in London. Aussie Open vs. Destination Everywhere where Aussie Open won the tag titles got a standing ovation and tore the house down. Will Ospreay retained the British title over RKJ in 35 minutes. Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs b Doug Williams & Brendan White, Kenneth Halfpenny & Shaun Jackson ad Chuck Mambo &* TK Cooper in four-way, Shota Umino b Dan Moloney, Michael Oku won three-way to keep the cruiserweight title over Chris Ridgeway & Robbie X,  Yota Tsuji b Mark Haskins, Gisele Shaw b Hyan to keep the British women’s title in a 2/3 fall match, Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher won the tag titles over Michael Oku & Connor Mills, Will Ospreay b RKJ to keep the British title.  After the match, Ospreay was beating down RKJ when Umino made the save. Oku & Mills helped Ospreay and then Aussie Open came out to apparently save, and attacked Umino first but then helped Ospreay and were announced as the newest member of the United Empire group in New Japan. (thanks to David Hayter, Spencer Bentley, Gary Sweetapple and @HashtagWrest)

WWE

  • Raw is locally advertising for 9/27 in Cincinnati a main event of Big E & Randy Orton & Riddle vs. Bobby Lashley & AJ Styles & Omos.
  • MVP had knee surgery this week so he’ll be out of action for a while.
  • An update on the UBS Arena ticket sales. The Raw show on 11/19 is now at 2,365 tickets out (sales plus comps) while the 12/9 AEW Dynamite in the same arena was at about 6,200.

UFC

  • On last night’s show they did a very nice tribute to Suzy Friton, the make-up woman who passed away from cancer this past week. They also announced that the make-up room at UFC events will be called the Suzy Friton Room.
  • Also on the show they noted that Raquel Pennington was hospitalized for more than 30 days with COVID-19 and was in really bad shape.   
  • Ryan Hall vs. Derrick Minner has been added to the 12/11 show.
  • Adrian Yanez vs. Davey Grant has been added to the 11/20 show.

OTHER NEWS  

  • Ron Fuller, Les Thatcher and Jimmy Golden will be doing a live Q&A podcast on 10/13 in Knoxville at Calhoun’s on the river. Tickets are $30 and come with two free autographs and door prizes and a buffet dinner is included in the price.  Fuller is also putting up on YouTube his USA Wrestling shows from 1988, weekly, in order, every Sunday at 3 p.m. on the Southeastern Rewind Channel. The shows are then reviewed by Fuller and Thatcher later in the week. They will also put up old Southeastern clips every two weeks. The first clip was of a Michael Hayes vs. Terry Gordy cage match from 1978.
  • Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling from last night in East Carondelet, IL:  Waco b Richard Shaw, Shawn Santel & Mauler McDarby b Billy McNeil & Sean Vincent, Big Texan DCOR Kowalski, Bobby D b Rick Ruby, Derek Stone b Ax Allwardt, Christopher Hargas & Ken Kasa b Gary Jackson to win tag titles (Jackson & Gil Rogers were the champions and Rogers wasn’t there), Attila Khan b Flash Flanagan in a no DQ match (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • Tri City Wrestling from last night in Quincy, MI:  Solo b Kyler Coleman, Adam Wick b Alex Taylor, Hornswoggle & El Ridiculoso b Christopher Saint & Nick Xero, Chuck Wagon & Maynard R Nek b Brutus Dylan & Let Er Rip to win tag titles, Jack Price b Aaron Orion to win the TCW title, Zach Gowen b Tommy Vendetta to win the lightweight title.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Randy Orton wins WWE Championship

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NJPW G1 Climax 31 night two results: Okada vs. Tanahashi

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 B Block kicked off today in Osaka.

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night two results: Okada vs. Tanahashi

The G1 Climax 31 B Block kicked off today in Osaka. 

Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi squared off in the main event, while Taichi took on Hirooki Goto in the semi-main. 

Here are results and a report from today’s show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi
  • SANADA vs. Tama Tonga

Report —

SHO defeated Kosei Fujita (8:09)

SHO hasn’t found his rhythm yet as a heel. He looks like a guy cosplaying as a heel, plus he’s incorporating an element that makes Bullet Club matches insufferable when he rolls outside to stall at the opening bell. 

SHO rolled outside to stall, then beat Fujita up with strikes. Fujita made a quick comeback with forearm shots and a nice dropkick. 

SHO cut Fujita off with a lariat, then used the Snake Bite for the submission win. 

B Block: EVIL (w/Dick Togo) defeated YOSHI-HASHI (17:15)

YOSHI-HASHI was good in this match. He sold well. The EVIL shtick is beyond played out, though. 

They kicked things off by trading side headlocks. 

If you have been watching NJPW for the last 15 months, you know what happened next –Togo got involved and allowed EVIL to take control on the floor. EVIL and Togo exposed a buckle. EVIL bumped the ring announcer. YH made a comeback, EVIL bumped the ring announcer again. 

YH used the butterfly lock, but EVIL forced a break. EVIL tried to bump the ref twice, but the ref fought back and slapped him. YH hit a brainbuster for a two count. 

EVIL blocked Kharma. Togo jumped in the ring. YH had a rolling cradle applied, but Togo took the ref and EVIL escaped.  

EVIL hit a low blow and the STO for the pin.

B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated Chase Owens (12:11)

I presume that Cobb is going to win a lot in this tournament, maybe even winning the whole thing. He gave Owens enough to not totally make him look like a job guy, but not so much that it hurt Cobb. 

Owens is in better shape than maybe at any point in his career. 

Cobb hit one shoulder block, then Owens began stalling. This was different than the stalling in the previous two matches in that they were telling a David and Goliath story, Owens wasn’t just stalling for heat. 

Cobb clobbered Owens around the ring with his power moves. Owens got some hope spots with v-triggers and a Jewel Heist. Cobb hit his running powerslam, his standing moonsault, thrust kicks, lots of his signature spots. 

Owens made one last attempt to put Cobb away with v-triggers. Cobb blocked, then hit the Tour of the Islands for the pin. 

B Block: SANADA defeated Tama Tonga (w/Jado) (19:04)

This over-delivered. A very good match. 

They opened with a nice series of quick counters and teases out of a side headlock from Tama and some arm drags from SANADA. 

Tama baited SANADA into posing on the turnbuckles for applause to take control, attacking him from behind and sending him outside. Tama sent SANADA into the barricade for a countout tease. 

Back in, Tama used a chinlock. SANADA came back with a basement dropkick to the knee out of a whip into the buckle. SANADA hit another nice arm drag and a backbreaker, then hit planchas to both Tama and Jado. 

SANADA used a sunset flip to set up a paradise lock. A dropkick broke the hold. Tama blocked Skull End and hit a Tongan Twist. Tama hit a powerslam for a two count. SANADA blocked a Skull End attempt with another arm drag. 

SANADA used Skull End. Tama reversed into his own Skull End. SANADA escaped and hit a magic screw. SANADA hit a TKO for a near fall after a strike exchange. Tama reversed Skull End into an inside cradle for a near fall. 

Tama hit an underhook piledriver for a near fall. SANADA blocked a Gun Stun and used Skull End. He gave up the hold and tried a moonsault, but Tama got his knees up and cradled SANADA for a near fall. 

SANADA blocked two more Gun Stun attempts and used an O’Connor roll for the pin. 

B Block: Taichi (w/Miho Abe) defeated Hirooki Goto (18:30)

They worked this as an intense fight and had a very good brawl. 

Taichi was taunting Goto with his IWGP Tag title belt before the opening bell. Goto snapped and the fight was on. 

Taichi choked Goto with a camera cable to take control early. Taichi repeatedly choked Goto. Goto finally fought back and began choking Taichi. They exchanged hard kicks. Goto hit his wheel kick in the corner and a bulldog for a near fall. 

Taichi regained control with chokes. Taichi hit a chokeslam for a near fall. Goto hit a Shouten Kai out of nowhere, but could not follow up with a cover. Taichi came back with a buzzsaw kick and a gamengiri. 

Goto blocked Black Mephisto and hit a headbutt into a double down. Taichi blocked a GTR attempt with a choke, then hit a chokeslam for a two count. Goto blocked a thrust kick. 

Taichi hit a forearm out of a three-point stance, then hit Black Mephisto for the pin. 

B Block: Kazuchika Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (29:36)

This was a real treat. Two of the best to ever do it, if not the two very best to ever do it. Tanahashi deserves consideration for wrestler of the year. His in-ring this year has been outstanding.

They began slowly with some basic chain wrestling. Tana ducked an early Rainmaker attempt, then began to attack Okada’s legs with dragon screws. 

They rolled outside, where Okada hit a DDT on the floor to capture the momentum. Back inside, Okada hit a flapjack and an air raid crash neckbreaker. Okada placed Tana on the top rope and dropkicked him to the apron. Tana crashed to the floor. 

Tana blocked an Okada boot and hit a dragon screw on the floor. Tana teased a High Fly Flow to the floor, but Okada cut him off and tried for a tombstone on the apron. Tana slid out and hit another dragon screw in the ropes. Tana hit an Ace’s High Fly Flow to the floor. Okada barely beat the count back in at 20 minutes.

Tana blocked another air raid crash attempt and hit three twist and shouts and a slingblade for a two count. Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow, but Okada rolled through on the landing and locked on the Money Clip. Tana fired up and reached the ropes. 

Each tried to hit a tombstone. Okada was eventually successful. Tana ducked a Rainmaker. Okada sat down into a cradle for a two count. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick at 25 minutes. 

Okada hit a top rope elbow drop and the Rainmaker pose. Tana ducked a Rainmaker, ducked a spinning Rainmaker, then hit two slingblades. 

Tana went to the top for High Fly Flow. Okada got his knees up. They did a double down with three minutes left. 

Okada hit two Rainmakers. Tana reversed a spinning Rainmaker into an inside cradle for a great near fall. Tana hit a German, then hit a dragon suplex. Okada kicked out at one at 28 minutes in.

They traded strikes. Okada hit a dropkick with under a minute left. 

Okada hit a tombstone and a Rainmaker for the pin. 

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show: 

G1 Climax 31 night three, Thursday, September 23, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • A Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Tanga Loa
  • A Block: KENTA vs. Yujiro Takahashi
  • A Block: Toru Yano vs. Great-O-Khan

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night one results: Shingo vs. Ishii

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 tournament kicked off today in Osaka with A Block action. 

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii squared off in the main event, while Tetsuya Naito took on Zack Sabre Jr. in the semi-main. 

Here are results and a report from today’s show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Report —

SHO defeated Ryohei Oiwa (6:08)

Great intensity from both guys in this quick opener. 

Oiwa fired off a series of strikes right away. SHO quickly cut him off and dropped him with a forearm. SHO took the fight to the floor and whipped Oiwa into the barricade. 

SHO stayed on offense as the fight returned to the ring. Oiwa made a fiery comeback and ht a series of strikes and a slam. SHO avoided a crab, then hit a lariat to halt Oiwa’s momentum.

SHO used the Snake Bite and Oiwa tapped out. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) defeated Kota Ibushi (11:31)

So the story they’re telling is that Ibushi has yet to fully recover from pneumonia and is vulnerable. Still, this was a pretty shocking result. 

Ibushi hit one dropkick early, but this was pretty much all Yujiro. Yujiro hit stomps. Yujiro kicked Ibushi off the top rope to the floor as he tried a springboard attack. Yujiro used his walking stick to hit Ibushi. Yujiro hit some stomps. 

Ibushi made a comeback with a mid kick, a striking combination and a standing moonsault. Ibushi hit a snap rana and sent Yujiro to the floor. Yujiro blocked the Golden Triangle moonsault off the post and sent Ibushi crashing to the floor. Yujiro hit a reverse DDT on the floor. 

Back in, Yujiro used a boot and a fisherman buster for a near fall. Yujiro ducked a high kick and hit an Angle slam for another two count. Ibushi fought off two Miami Shine attempts and hit a high kick and a last ride for a near fall. 

Yujiro blocked Kamigoye. Ibushi blocked Pimp Juice and hit a v-trigger. Yujiro used the threat of a ref bump to hit a low blow and Pimp Juice for a two count. 

Yujiro hit a Big Juice implant DDT and got the pin. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Great-O-Khan defeated Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (17:45)

Booking these guys to go more than ten minutes with each other is promotional malpractice, but this is also the same company that booked Chase Owens and Toru Yano to go nearly half an hour two weeks ago. 

They began with a long collar and elbow, ending in a stalemate. O-Khan rolled outside and Jado threatened to get involved, but stayed away from O-Khan at this point. 

Loa took over after a spear. Loa took the ref and threw O-Khan outside. Jado chopped O-Khan and hit him with a kendo stick. Loa hit a suplex on the floor for a countout tease. 

O-Khan made a comeback with an inverted suplex and some of his unconventional offense. They traded strikes. Loa got a two count off a lariat. Jado took the ref for some reason as Loa locked on the OJK. The interference didn’t lead to anything. O-Khan forced a rope break.

Loa got a two count after a blue thunder bomb. They traded strikes, then O-Khan used a standing choke. Jado hobbled into the ring and O-Khan bumped him. Loa avoided an Eliminator and hit a powerbomb for a two count. 

O-Khan avoided a Michinoku Driver and hit the Eliminator to end this. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Toru Yano defeated KENTA (11:07)

Yano G1 matches are a wrestling comedy artform. You have to learn to love them, or else you’ll just be miserable all month. 

KENTA gave the ring announcer a sheet of accomplishments to read off to match the length of Yano’s introduction. 

The referee confiscated a roll of athletic tape from each man before the bell. 

KENTA stalled for the first minute. Yano then followed suit and rolled outside. They did some comedy. KENTA sprayed Yano in the eyes with hand sanitizer. They fought on the ramp and the stage. 

KENTA stashed two rolls of tape on the entrance stage. Yano threw one away, but KENTA used the other to tape Yano to the entrance truss. Yano freed himself and beat the count back in. 

Yano exposed a turnbuckle and hit a slingshot on KENTA into it. Yano used a schoolboy for two. KENTA sent Yano into the exposed steel and hit a Shibata dropkick. KENTA hit a double stomp off the top for two. 

Yano avoided a GTS. They pulled each other’s hair. They fought to the outside. KENTA bumped Yano into the ref. KENTA taped Yano’s wrists together and threw him under the ring, then revived the ref. Yano beat the count back in and hit a low blow and a schoolboy for a near fall. 

Yano used another low blow and cradled KENTA for the pin. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito (27:05)

This was excellent. These two don’t always have the best matches with each other for some reason, but the psychology here was perfect. Naito always goes after the neck, Sabre went after Naito’s knees, Naito gave out first. 

They opened with some chain wrestling. Each won one of the two opening exchanges. Sabre used a neck crank to send Naito outside. Back in, Sabre used Naito’s own arms to choke him. Naito would try to reverse, but Sabre kept working back to the same position. 

Naito made a comeback ten minutes in with a dropkick and his combinacion cabron in the corner. Sabre cut Naito off again with an ankle pick and a PK. Sabre laid in some uppercut forearms. 

Sabre blocked a swing DDT and a flying forearm, then used Naito’s momentum to hit a dragon suplex for a two count. Naito then connected with a DDT and began to target Sabre’s neck to soften it up for Destino. 

Naito hit Esperanza. Sabre caught Naito coming in and used a heel hook with a body scissors, but Naito fought to the ropes to force a break. Sabre tried a knee breaker, but Naito blocked and hit a spike DDT. 

Naito went for a top rope frankensteiner, but Sabre blocked and used an octopus on the top rope. Sabre hit a sunset bomb off the top for a two count. Sabre used another heel hook, Naito forced another break. 

Sabre kicked at Naito’s legs. Naito hit Destino, but could not follow with a cover. They traded strikes. Naito blocked a Zack Driver and hit Valentia. Sabre blocked Destino and used a clutch for a two count. 

Sabre hit a dropkick to the legs and a leg sweep. Sabre hit a double stomp to the knees. Sabre tried a Zack Driver, but Naito countered into a clunky Destino. 

Sabre used a double wristlock with a body scissors on the mat, almost a modified octopus hold from a seated position, he calls it YES! I AM A LONG WAY FROM HOME. After a ref stoppage tease, Naito tapped out. 

Naito continued to sell his knees as he was helped to the back after the match.

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated Tomohiro Ishii (27:56)

This was everything you would expect from these two. Hard-hitting and a great match with insane pacing that flew by. Big, meaty men slapping meat. 

They began at a crazy pace, firing off shoulder tackle attempts and trading forearms. Shingo scored the first knockdown. They fought to the floor, where Ishii hit a powerslam on the floor to establish the early advantage. 

Back in, Shingo hammered away with forearms. Shingo dodged a headbutt and hit a DDT to win back control of the match. Shingo hit a series of strikes and a senton. Shingo hit some taunting kicks, so Ishii fired up and began to no-sell Shingo’s strikes. Ishii dropped Shingo with a forearm. 

Ishii continued to fire off chops and forearms in the corner. Shingo fired back and dropped Ishii with a forearm. Shingo then began hammering away with strikes in the corner. Shingo hit a diving back elbow off the top for a two count. 

Ishii avoided a sliding lariat, but Shingo hit a vertical suplex. Ishii answered with his own vertical suplex. Each no-sold two suplexes from the other. Shingo hit a sliding lariat on his second attempt. 

Shingo hit a top rope superplex for a two count. Shingo hit a lariat. Ishii stumbled. Ishii fired off a lariat and dropped Shingo. Ishii ducked a lariat and hit another lariat. Ishii dropped Shingo as he tried a superplex. They realized what was happening as Ishii was losing his grip and Shingo was able to land safely. 

Ishii hit the superplex on a second attempt. Shingo answered with a clothesline. They traded short forearm strikes. Shingo hit Made in Japan for a two count. Shingo hit a short clothesline to the back of the neck. Ishii hit a German. Shingo popped up and hit another lariat for a two count. 

Ishii reversed Last of the Dragon into a crucifix bomb for a two count. They hit simultaneous lariats. Ishii hit an enzuigiri and bumped Shingo into the referee., but Red Shoes popped right back up. Ishii hit a powerbomb with a stack cover for a two count. Ishii hit a sliding lariat for another near fall. 

Ishii blocked the Vertical Drop Brainbuster and hit a death valley driver. Ishii hit a half-and-half suplex and another lariat for another two count. Shingo blocked another brainbuster attempt and hit a dragon suplex. 

Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber, Ishii kicked out at two. Ishii hit a series of chops. They traded headbutts. 

Shingo blocked a forearm shot and lifted Ishii for Last of the Dragon and pinned him. 

**********

Here is the lineup for tomorrow: 

G1 Climax 31 night two, Sunday, September 19, 1 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi
  • B Block: SANADA vs. Tama Tonga
  • B Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Chase Owens
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL
  • SHO vs. Kosei Fujita

NJPW announces dates for G1 Climax 31 tournament

Posted on by Bryan Rose

NJPW have announced the dates for this year’s G1 Climax tournament.

The company’s Japanese website announced that the tournament will start on September 18 in Osaka, with the finals taking place on October 21 at Budokan Hall. Most years, the tournament takes place in August. However, the tournament has been moved to the fall in the last two years due to the Olympics taking place in Tokyo.

The schedule, which will feature 19 dates, is as follows:

  • September 18th at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
  • September 19th at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
  • September 23rd at Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo
  • September 24th at Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo
  • September 26th at Kobe World Memorial Hall in Hyogo
  • September 29th at Korakuen Hall
  • September 30th at Korakuen Hall
  • October 1st at Hamamatsu Arena in Shizuoka
  • October 3rd at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
  • October 4th at Korakuen Hall
  • October 7th at Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
  • October 8th at Kochi Prefectural Gymnasium
  • October 9th at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
  • October 12th at Xebio Arena Sendai in Miyagi
  • October 13th at Xebio Arena Sendai in Miyagi
  • October 14th at Yamagata City Sports Center
  • October 18th at Yokohama Budokan
  • October 20th at Sumo Hall
  • October 21st at Sumo Hall

Last year’s tournament was also held between the months of September and October. Kota Ibushi defeated SANADA in the finals.

NJPW finalize plans for upcoming G1 Climax tournament

Posted on by Bryan Rose

New Japan Pro Wrestling has finalized plans for this year’s G1 Climax 31 tournament.

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the tournament will be held in September and October. He reported that he did not know the names involved, and mentioned the big questions are whether or not unhappy talent are staying, if Will Ospreay will return, and what the quarantine situation in Japan will be like.

Last year’s tournament took place in September and October, a departure from their usual July and August schedule due to the 2020 Olympics taking place in Tokyo. However, with the Olympics being delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament will once again be held in the fall.

The 2020 G1 Climax tournament ran from September 19 through October 18. Kota Ibushi defeated SANADA in the finals of the tournament to win for the second year in a row.