Tag: njpw g1 climax 34 results

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 18 live results: Semifinals

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr., and Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay square off in today’s G1 semifinals.

Sabre vs. Shingo in today’s main event will decide the A Block representative in Sunday’s finals, with Sabre the top point scorer in the Block, and Shingo winning a playoff match to secure his place in the semis.

Finlay vs. Tsuji will decide B Block’s representative in Sunday’s finals, with Finlay the top scorer in the Block, and Tsuji winning a playoff match to earn his semifinals berth.

Today’s winners will meet Sunday for the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in January.

Today’s undercard:

  • Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Francesco Akira
  • Taichi, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku vs. Taiji Ishimori, Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Shota Umino, El Phantasmo & Jado vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman
  • Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee
  • YOSHI-HASHI & Shoma Kato vs. Robbie Eagles & Mikey Nicholls

**********

Undercard Results

Mikey Nicholls & Robbie Eagles defeated Shoma Kato & YOSHI-HASHI

Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee defeated Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma

Callum Newman, Jeff Cobb, & Konosuke Takeshita defeated El Phantasmo, Jado, & Shota Umino

EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Oleg Boltin, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask

Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori defeated DOUKI, Taichi & TAKA Michinoku

Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & HENARE defeated BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito

**********

G1 Playoff Results

B Block Final: Yota Tsuji defeated David Finlay

The B Block finally opened with a back-and-forth strike exchange that quickly worked its way into the corner. Tsuji won out by dropping Finlay with a shoulder tackle, knocking Finlay to the floor. Tsuji maintained his early lead, dropping Finlay before locking in body scissors to wear down Finlay.

Finlay dropped Tsuji against the turnbuckle to turn the match on its head. He followed up by whipping Tsuji into the corner and hitting a backbreaker to secure a strong lead. Finlay then turned to some work on the mat, until a Tsuji backbreaker sent him to the floor. When Tsuji tried to follow up with a tope, Finlay cut him off with a forearm to maintain his control.

On the floor, Finlay repeatedly drove Tsuji into the barricades. He then grabbed tables from under the ring that he attempted to drive Tsuji through with a powerbomb. Tsuji avoided the bomb and hit a tope in response to gain control for himself.

Back in the ring, Tsuji landed a rana, tackle, and lung blower to cement his control. Finlay fired back with a sliding strike to reset the match, but Tsuji landed a curb stomp to stay ahead. Tsuji then placed Finlay on the top rope, where a struggle ensued. After neither connected with a move, both worked their way to the apron, back to the tables set up by Finlay.

Tsuji attempted a curb stomp through the table but Finlay avoided the match-ender. Now, on the outside, Finlay grabbed Tsuji and threw him into the post, retaking control. Back in the ring, Finlay hit a pair of Irish Curse backbreakers, each scoring a nearfall.

Tsuji escaped the Dominator, leading to both men hitting the ropes. Tsuji then landed a devastating knee that nearly ended the match. Tsuji followed up by putting Finlay back on the top rope and hitting the Spanish fly for another nearfall. The falcon arrow and curb stomp followed Tsuji’s attempt to finish, leaving him in a strong position for his rope-assisted stomp.

Finlay avoided Malo Crash and hit Dominator to reverse the match’s momentum once again. Finlay then attempted to powerbomb Tsuji through the tables on the floor again, but Tsuji avoided disaster, leaving both men positioned on the apron. Tsuji managed to drop Finlay on the apron, sending him to the floor while keeping his G1 alive.

Tsuji hoisted Finlay up to drive him through the tables himself. After Finlay fought back, Tsuji threw him into the corner post. Finlay answered with a sudden burst of energy, which he used to powerbomb Finlay through one of the tables; the second one did not break. At this point, the referee began his count, which Tsuji beat at 19. Once Tsuji entered the ring, Finlay hit Oblivion for a two-count.

After Tsuji kicked out, a frustrated Finlay began to unload on Tusji with closed fist strikes, forcing the referee to intervene. Finlay hit a powerbomb for another nearfall. Finlay then landed a buckle bomb/powerbomb combination for another. Finlay, now more frustrated, hit two more buckle bombs but failed to hit the powerbomb on the follow-up. Instead, Tsuji reversed into a quick pin.

Once Finlay kicked out of the pin attempt, Tsuji hit him with a Gene Blaster; Finlay barely kicked out. Tsuji followed up with a curb stomp and Malo Crash for another nearfall. Tsuji then set up for another Gene Blaster but Finlay reversed into a pin. When Tsuji kicked out, Finlay reversed into Overkill. Tsuji blocked the finish, leading to back-and-forth strikes. Tsuji hit Finlay with a headbutt and a deadbolt suplex to earn enough distance from Finlay to set up his finish. He then hit the Gene Blaster and pinned Finlay to win the match.

Tsuji has won the B Block and advanced to the finals of the G1 Climax.

A Block Final: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shingo Takagi

Tonight’s main event opened with some light grappling from ZSJ. As the pace increased with a bit of striking, Shingo tried to hold his own, but ZSJ was able to establish control nonetheless.

A neck crank from Shingo opened the door for some Shingo offense. He followed up by dropping ZSJ on his neck before whipping him into the barricades on the floor. Shingo then drove ZSJ into the apron before stomping him on the floor, establishing solid control.

ZSJ landed a head screw and a dropkick to turn the match around after spending a long time on the back foot. He followed up with targeted offense on the mat, drawing in strikes from Shingo. Shingo’s strikes were powerful enough to rock ZSJ, leading to a DDT and a suplex.

Shingo maintained his lead with a powerful offense, landing suplexes and potent strikes to keep ahead of ZSJ. ZSJ fired back by pulling Shingo to the mat and driving his knee into the mat. ZSJ followed up with a targeted attack on the knee, keeping Shingo grounded.

Shingo eventually landed a lariat to end ZSJ’s brutal attack. He followed up with a superplex which rolled through into a magic screw. ZSJ tried to answer with his signature groundwork, but Shingo responded with a simple choke to maintain his lead. Shingo then powered through and landed Made in Japan.

When Shingo attempted his finish, ZSJ avoided the end. Eventually, Shingo landed a partial pumping bomber, leading into a quick trade of pins. ZSJ was able to take advantage of this exchange by hitting a Zack Driver, but he was too exhausted to follow up.

ZSJ began to kick at a grounded Shingo. After landing a PK, ZSJ scored a nearfall. Shingo tried to respond with another hold, but ZSJ returned to attacking the leg, forcing Shingo into the ropes.

Shingo tried striking down ZSJ in the middle of the ring, but ZSJ pulled him to the mat and stomped his arm in response. After Shingo escaped ZSJ’s followup submission attempt, Shingo hit a pumping bomber, but he failed to cover ZSJ.

Shingo tried for his finish, but ZSJ transitioned into a choke. Shingo broke ZSJ’s choke by dropping him on his back, but ZSJ transitioned into a triangle immediately afterward. Shingo powered out and landed Last of the Dragon but ZSJ kicked out.

Shingo, growing desperate, began to club ZSJ with clotheslines in the middle of the ring. ZSJ responded with strikes of his own. ZSJ won out by hitting a Zack Driver, but Shingo kicked out. ZSJ then locked in a knee bar in the middle of the ring, which after an extended struggle, forced Shingo to tap out.

ZSJ has won the A Block and is in the finals of G1 Climax.

The finals are set—Yota Tsuji vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 17 live results: Playoffs begin

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Two playoff matches on today’s NJPW G1 Climax 34 show will decide the semifinals set for Saturday, August 17.

In the main event, Yota Tsuji will face Konosuke Takeshita in a B Block battle. Takeshita won the previous singles meeting between the two earlier in this year’s tournament. The winner will advance to Saturday’s semifinals to face top B Block scorer David Finlay.

In the semi-main, Shingo Takagi takes on Great-O-Khan in a matchup of the second and third place finishers in A Block. The winner will face top A Block scorer Zack Sabre Jr. in the semifinals on Saturday. Shingo is 4-0 in his career against O-Khan, including a victory in this year’s tournament.

The undercard today:

  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Hartley Jackson vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • Shota Umino, El Phantasmo & Jado vs. EVIL, Ren Narita & Dick Togo
  • Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI vs. HENARE & Callum Newman
  • Jeff Cobb & Francesco Akira vs. Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomoaki Honma & Katsuya Murashima vs. SANADA, Taichi, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku

**********

Undercard Results

SANADA, Taichi, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku defeated Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomoaki Honma & Katsuya Murashima

Taiji Ishimori challenged DOUKI for the IWGP Junior Championship

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee defeated Jeff Cobb & Francesco Akira

HENARE & Callum Newman defeated Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI

EVIL, Ren Narita & Dick Togo defeated Shota Umino, El Phantasmo & Jado

Zack Sabre Jr. & Hartley Jackson defeated David Finlay & Gedo

**********

Shingo Takagi defeated Great-O-Khan

Shingo was the first man to establish control by driving O-Khan into the corner and dropping him with a tackle. A suplex from O-Khan allowed him to take control from Shingo. O-Khan then used targeted holds and strikes to begin wearing down the arm of Shingo, perhaps to prevent the pumping bomber later in the match.

A DDT from Shingo opened the door for a rally. This lasted for a while, but O-Khan fired back with more grappling and more targeting limb work.

A quick side suplex from Shingo reset the match. Shingo followed up with a superplex. He then tried for Made in Japan but couldn’t get O-Khan up. After that didn’t work, he tried for pumping bomber, and each time, his targeted arm prevented the move from properly connecting. O-Khan then grabbed the arm and carried Shingo to the mat.

A pump kick from O-Khan opened the door for an Eliminator attempt. Shingo slipped free and hit the pumping bomber, but O-Khan kicked out. O-Khan then clubbed Shingo with a lariat and tried for a lariat again, but again, failed to connect.

Shingo tried for another bomber but was stuffed, leading to back-and-forth headbutts. O-Khan caught Shingo with a punch and transitioned into an arm breaker in the middle of the ring, nearly forcing the submission.

O-Khan went for an Eliminator attempt that Shingo reversed into a DDT. Shingo hit a German suplex and a pumping bomber with his other arm for a nearfall. He then landed Last of the Dragon and pinned O-Khan to win the match.

Shingo advances to face Zack Sabre Jr. in the Semi-Finals.

Yota Tsuji defeated Konosuke Takeshita

Takeshita secured an early lead, which he used to work over Tsuji on the mat. He tried following up with a senton from the top, but his injured knee slowed him down, allowing Tsuji to reverse and take control of the match. Tsuji then launched into an all-out attack on the knee after the door was opened.

Tsuji’s deliberate offense kept Takeshita grounded. Takeshita used Tsuji’s own speed to catch Tsuji with a lariat to reverse the match’s momentum. Takeshita followed up with a superplex before covering Tsuji with chairs and landing a senton to the floor.

Tsuji caught Takeshita with a backbreaker and a tope to re-assert his control. Takeshita fired back with a German before a double lariat left both men grounded.

Tsuji landed Raging Fire for a nearfall. He tried to close with Gene Blast, but Takeshita cut him off with a knee strike. Takeshita then climbed to the top, where Tsuji met him. Takeshita won out with a lariat, scoring him a nearfall of his own.

Takeshita tried for multiple lariats, but Tsuji refused to fall. Tsuji fired back with his own lariat and knee strike, followed by a barrage of slaps, a headbutt, and a curb stomp. When Tsuji tried his top rope stomp, Takeshita reversed into the blue thunder bomb.

Takeshita tried for Raging Fire, but Tsuji slipped free and hit the Gene Blaster. Takeshita used the rope to escape the pin, keeping his G1 alive. Tsuji tried for another, but Takeshita sidestepped it and hit a German. Before Takeshita could follow up, Tsuji bounced back, hit a second Gene Blaster, and won the match.

Tsuji will face Finlay in the semi-finals.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 16 live results: Final B Block matches

Posted on by Chick Fritts

The G1 Climax 34 playoffs will be set following today’s final night of B Block action.

The top three B Block finishers will be entered into the playoff bracket, with the top B Block finisher earning a bye to the semifinals.

In the main event, Jeff Cobb (10 points) takes on Yota Tsuji (8 points). In the semi-main, Ren Narita (10 points) faces Konosuke Takeshita (8 points). David Finlay (10 points) takes on El Phantasmo (6 points), and Hirooki Goto (8 points) face HENARE (6 points) in the other tournament matches tonight.

HENARE, ELP, Oleg Boltin, and the injured Yuya Uemura are mathematically eliminated, while the other six competitors all have a shot at the playoffs as B Block enters its final night.

Today’s undercard:

  • Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Great-O-Khan, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman
  • EVIL & Dick Togo vs. Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma
  • SANADA & TAKA Michinoku vs. Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee
  • Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano vs. Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato

**********

Undercard Results

Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato

Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee defeated SANADA & TAKA Michinoku

Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma defeated EVIL & Dick Togo

Great-O-Khan, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman defeated Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI

**********

B Block Results

HENARE defeated Hirooki Goto

There were so many feed issues with this match that I wouldn’t recommend it for that reason alone. What I did see of the match wasn’t particullarly great.

After a typical opening exchange, Goto fled to the floor, where HENARE slammed him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Goto answered HENARE’s early lead with a lariat. Goto followed up with a series of power moves, ending with an ushigoroshi.

A strike battle in the middle of the ring fired up both men. Goto won out in the end by landing a lariat. When Goto tried to follow up, HENARE reversed into the Bezerker bomb for a sudden nearfall. A knee strike in the corner and punt set up the Streets of Rage, but Goto reversed into a choke.

Goto landed a punt of his own followed by GTW for a nearfall. HENARE bounced back with a sudden Rampage, scoring a nearfall of his own. At this point, the NJPW world feed cut (a problem that has been occurring all night). When the feed returned, HENARE was pinning Goto to win the match.

David Finlay defeated El Phantasmo

This match opened with back-and-forth strikes that spilled to the floor. ELP landed a plancha on the outside, gaining an early lead, which he used to whip Finlay through the barricades. ELP then carried Finlay to the crowd, only for Finlay to drive him into the seating.

Back in the ring, Finlay took his time picking apart ELP, paying special attention to the back. ELP fired back with a rana that sent Finlay to the floor and a tope that sent Finlay crashing into the barricade. The follow-up senton and moonsault scored ELP a nearfall, but a sudden backbreaker from Finlay put him right back in the driver’s seat.

Finlay hit Oblivion for a nearfall. After ELP survived, a short strike battle followed, but another backbreaker kept Finlay ahead. ELP tried to answer with a pair of quick pins and an Oblivion of his own. ELP hit Sudden Death for a two count which he followed with a CR2 attempt. Finlay powered through, landing a powerbomb.

ELP reversed the second attempt at a powerbomb into one of his own. He then hit a Thunderkiss 86, but Gedo pulled the referee to the floor before he could finish the count. This led to an altercation between the referee and Jado (yes, Jado), allowing Finlay to hit ELP with his shillelagh. Finlay then hit Overkill and pinned ELP to win the match and advance to the playoffs.

After the match, ELP assumed Jado was to blame for his loss. It seems he has lost another friend.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ren Narita

Takeshita’s performance in the match was really great, but God, it was a hard watch overall. The opening act was nothing, the HoT spots were too much, and Narita didn’t carry his weight, in my opinion.

The match began with House of Torture carrying Takeshita to the ring. They then offered Takeshita to Narita, allowing him to brutalize the leg as the opening bell sounded. He continued this attack on the floor, taking full advantage of the injury.

Takeshita tried to rally multiple times, landing suplexes and leg sweeps, but Narita brought him to the ground repeatedly with a single strike to the leg. Takeshita eventually hit a lariat from the corner to gain some footing. As he tried to follow up with a Blue Thunder Bomb, Narita reversed into a kneebar. Once the hold was dropped, Narita climbed to the top, where Takeshita cut him off and hit him with a superplex.

Takeshita landed a Bastard Driver as Narita tried to end his advance. This led to HoT hitting the ring, bumping the referee, and attacking Takeshita. After a prolonged attack, Takeshita began to fight back against HoT. He cleared the ring of Togo and EVIL just in time to eat a pair of guillotine knees from Narita. Takeshita managed to kick out of the pin attempt that followed.

Takeshita dropped Narita with a forearm to keep his G1 alive. Narita attempted to cut him off with some dirty offense, but Takeshita answered with a massive powerbomb. Narita answered with a kneebar, taking the match back to the mat. Takeshita powered through with a German and a world-class elbow strike to win the match.

With this win, Takeshita advances to the playoffs.

Yota Tsuji defeated Jeff Cobb

Cobb dropped Tsuji early with a shoulder check. This led into a strike exchange ending with a pounce from Cobb. Cobb followed up with deliberate offense to maintain his early control, slowly picking apart Tsuji.

Tsuji reversed a standing moonsault attempt, which opened the door to a quick rally. Tsuji landed a curb stomp for a two-count but Cobb answered with a hammer-and-sickle to put Tsuji back on the back foot. A quick back and forth followed, with both men trying for their finish, ending with a partial Gene Blaster spear for a Tsuji nearfall.

Cobb reversed a Tsuji curb stomp with a strike to the chest. The follow-up F5000 scored Cobb a nearfall. When Cobb tried for Tour of the Islands, Tsuji cut him off with a headbutt. Tsuji attempted Gene Blaster, but Cobb reversed into a lariat. As Cobb went for more, Tsuji tried for Gene Blaster again and landed it. Tsuji then went for Gene Blaster one more time, hit it again, and pinned Cobb to win the match.

Tsuji is set for the playoffs.

**********

G1 Playoffs

Opening Round

Shingo Takagi vs. Great-O-Khan | Yota Tsuji vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Semi-Finals

Zack Sabre Jr vs. Winner of Takagi/O-Khan | David Finlay vs. Winner of Tsuji/Takeshita

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 13 live results: Shingo vs. EVIL

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Night 13 of the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament features A Block matches in Yokohama.

In the main event, Shingo Takagi (6 points) takes on EVIL (10 points) in a battle of former LIJ stablemates. It will be the sixth career singles meeting between the two, with Shingo currently holding a 3-2 edge.

In the semi-main, Zack Sabre Jr. (10 points) faces Gabe Kidd (6 points). It’s the fifth career singles meeting for Sabre & Kidd, with Sabre up 3-1 all-time.

Shota Umino (6 points) takes on Jake Lee (6 points) in another A Block battle on today’s show.

SANADA (8 points) vs. Great-O-Khan (6 points) is the second tournament bout of the show.

Tetsuya Naito (8 points) vs. Callum Newman (4 points) kicks off the tournament matches on today’s event.

Today’s undercard:

  • Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku
  • Jeff Cobb & Francesco Akira vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. El Phantasmo & Jado
  • Konosuke Takeshita & HENARE vs. Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano vs. Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima

**********

Recommended Matches

SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan – This was a fun match built around limb work. While SANADA isn’t at his strongest selling an injury, O-Khan more than made up for that with a focused performance.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Gabe Kidd – This was a fantastic clash of styles. Kidd and ZSJ meshed well here, leading to a firey battle to determine the fate of A Block.

**********

Undercard Results

Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano defeated Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima

Konosuke Takeshita & HENARE defeated Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma defeated El Phantasmo & Jado

Jeff Cobb & Francesco Akira defeated David Finlay & Gedo

Yota Tsuji & BUSHI defeated Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku

**********

A Block Results

Tetsuya Naito defeated Callum Newman

This match was what you’d expect from a Naito opener in 2024. It wasn’t horrible, but nothing I’d seek out.

Newman rushed Naito on his way to the ring. Naito tried to hold on outside the ring but a dropkick sent Naito into the barricade, leaving Newman with an early lead over the IWGP champion.

Once the match entered the ring and officially began, Naito dumped Newman to the floor and removed his entrance vestments. He then pulled Newman back in the ring and began to focus on Newman’s neck.

Naito tried for his super hurricanrana, but Newman flipped onto his butt instead of his head. Newman followed up with a pair of kicks to gain some momentum over Naito, but a spinebuster and more neck work ended his rally.

Newman reversed Destino into a knee strike, setting up an OsCutter attempt that he missed. Naito then tried for Destino again, hit it, but only scored a nearfall. To close, Naito hit another Destino and pinned Newman to win the match.

Naito’s victory leaves him with 10 points.

Great-O-Khan defeated SANADA

This match was surprisingly great. I was focused and played to O-Khan’s strengths quite well.

O-Khan opened the match by trying to catch SANADA off guard, initially by pushing him into the ropes before transitioning a choke into a spinning backbreaker of sorts.

After missing an early attempt at Eliminator, O-Khan ate a SANADA magic screw reversing the momentum of the match. SANADA then tried for the rounding body press but landed on his feet, jamming his knee on the landing. This opened the door for a targeted O-Khan attack, forcing SANADA to the floor.

On the outside, O-Khan continued to focus the leg with attacks against the barricade and on the floor. The assault continued in the ring, with O-Khan utilizing multiple holds to establish control in the ring.

A pair of dropkicks bought SANADA some separation. He followed up with a quick plancha to establish control, but his leg stopped him from taking full advantage. SANADA tried for Skull End, only for O-Khan to reverse into a leg hold. SANADA slipped free and hit a partial shining wizard that did more damage to SANADA than O-Khan.

O-Khan delivered a couple of kicks to the back of SANADA’s knee but SANADA managed to answer with a TKO. The follow-up shining wizard was blocked by a stiff right from O-Khan, resetting the match.

O-Khan tried to get the eliminator, but SANADA slipped free. The response O’Connor roll from SANADA was reversed into a sleeper. O-Khan transitioned into a German suplex, but SANADA landed on his feet, leaving him free to hit the shining wizard to the back of O-Khan. SANADA hit a second shining to set up Deadfall, but O-Khan reversed into a facebuster. O-Khan then landed eliminator and pinned SANADA to win the match.

O-Khan keeps his G1 alive with this win, advancing to 8 points.

Jake Lee defeated Shota Umino

Umino reversed the expectations by rushing Lee as the match began. He then pursued Lee to the floor, where he tried having a War Dogs-style fight with Lee. Lee, unsurprisingly, won out here, drove Umino into the barricade, and hit Umino with a chair.

Back in the ring, Lee used basic holds to maintain his control, slowly working over Umino. After an extended period on the back foot, Umino landed a dropkick to gain a bit of momentum. The followup apron DDT and fisherman suplex scored Umino a nearfall.

Lee caught Umino with a knee strike to the midsection to force Umino back to the mat. Lee then kicked Umino while he was down, leading to a count that nearly ended the match.

Umino caught a knee from Lee and dropped him with a forearm. Umino then teased Lee with strikes, leading to an exchange in the middle of the ring. Lee won out and hit a German, only for Umino to answer with Blaze Blade. Umino followed up with ignition, scoring a nearfall.

On his second attempt, Umino hit death rider for a false finish. He picked Lee for another, but Lee reversed into a back suplex. Lee then turned back to his wear-down offense long enough to hit a chokeslam and score a nearfall.

Umino cut off the FBS with a Blaze Blade. He followed up with a second Blaze Blade, but the death rider followup was stuffed. Lee then landed Face Break Shot and pinned Umino to win the match.

Lee’s win puts him at 8 points, while this loss mathematically eliminates Umino from playoff contention.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Gabe Kidd

This match was fantastic. ZSJ was the perfect foil to Kidd’s ego.

Kidd tried chopping down ZSJ early. ZSJ responded by trying to take Kidd to the mat, but Kidd kept chopping. ZSJ fled to the floor, and Kidd continued to chop.

After dozens and dozens of chops, Kidd challenged ZSJ to sit in the ring and trade slaps. After landing a few back-and-forth palm strikes, Kidd bit ZSJ. This fired ZSJ up, leading to a rally.

After being on the receiving end of some high-impact ZSJ strikes, Kidd landed a lariat and a brainbuster. ZSJ responded with some targeted offense, focusing Kidd’s arm to maintain control. Kidd powered through with a suplex to reset the match.

After a short back and forth on the mat, Kidd hit ZSJ with Emerald Flowsion. He then attempted a moonsault, but ZSJ caught him in a triangle. Kidd fought out heavy strikes, but only after receiving heavy damage.

ZSJ tried for the Gotch piledriver, but Kidd stuffed it. When Kidd tried to answer, ZSJ caught him with the Zack Driver. A rebound lariat from Kidd led to another back-and-forth, ending with a choke from ZSJ. Kidd responded by saying he’d never tap out, flipping off the crowd, and passing out.

This win guarantees ZSJ’s spot in the playoffs with 12 points. Kidd has also been eliminated from contention.

Shingo Takagai defeated EVIL

This was horrible.

EVIL rushed Shingo as the match began, taking the match to the floor immediately. He drove Shingo into the barricade and attacked him with chairs to establish a strong lead.

After a long time on the back foot, Shingo hit a leg whip to gain some footing. Takagi’s rally was fairly uneventful, lasting until EVIL landed a lariat to retake control.

Shingo challenged EVIL with a quick strike exchange, ending with a sliding bomber that left Shingo ahead. When Shingo tried to follow up, EVIL bumped the referee and gouged EVIL’s eyes. Dick Togo then hit the ring, helping EVIL take control.

Hiromu ran to the ring to help Shingo but was overwhelmed without backup. A man dressed as BUSHI then appeared only to attack Shingo. Another BUSHI showed up, leading to the reveal that the original was Kaneamaru. From here, House of Torture destroyed Shingo with basically no pushback.

Shingo escaped Everything is Evil and landed a pumping bomber to buy some time. Shingo followed up with Made in Japan, but Dick Togo rang the bell early, breaking up the followup pin.

The referee was bumped again. Kanemaru then hit Shingo with his whiskey bottle, setting up the Magic Killer. Hiromu hit the ring again, causing enough distraction for Shingo to avoid Kanemaru’s whiskey misting. BUSHI then hit the ring and misted EVIL himself.

LIJ cleared the ring of HoT, leaving EVIL alone with Shingo. Shingo hit the pumping bomber. He then transitioned into Last of the Dragon and won the match.

Shingo now rests at 8 points, staying alive in the G1.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 12 live results: Goto vs. Finlay

Posted on by Chick Fritts

A sold-out Korakuen Hall in Tokyo hosts B Block action on night 12 of the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament.

In the main event, Hirooki Goto (6 points) faces David Finlay (8 points). It will be the first career singles meeting between the two, as Goto looks to stay alive, while Finlay aims to keep his spot atop B Block.

In the semi-main, Yuya Uemura (6 points) faces Ren Narita (6 points). Uemura and Narita were part of the same class of Young Lions and thus have met 12 times previously in singles bouts, with Narita winning all 12.

HENARE (6 points) will take on Yota Tsuji (6 points) in another B Block bout on the show.

Konosuke Takeshita (6 points) faces El Phantasmo (4 points) in more B Block action.

In the night’s opening tournament bout, Jeff Cobb (8 points) will face Boltin Oleg (4 points) with Cobb trying to keep pace atop the B Block.

Tonight’s undercard:

  • Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL & Dick Togo
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee
  • SANADA & TAKA Michinoku vs. Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman

Tonight’s show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

Recommended Matches

Jeff Cobb vs. Oleg Boltin – This was one of my favorite matches from the tournament. With every outing from Oleg, he looks better than the last.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. El Phantasmo – This was the most over-the-top match of the tournament. It was filled with intensity and passion. It’s easily one of the standout matches from this year’s G1.

Hirooki Goto vs. David Finlay – Again, if you’re looking for a traditional New Japan main event, it seems like Goto is your man this G1. He more than delivered tonight with a classic, emotional performance.

**********

Undercard Results

Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman defeated SANADA & TAKA Michinoku

Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee defeated Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma

Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi defeated EVIL & Dick Togo

**********

B Block Results

Jeff Cobb defeated Oleg Boltin

This match was fantastic. What started as a wrestling showcase escalated into a war of convincing power moves and desperation.

This match opened with grappling, showing off both guy’s amateur backgrounds. Oleg won out in the initial scramble, forcing Cobb to the floor. After returning to the ring, Cobb caught Oleg with a strike instead of grappling, changing the flow of the match. Oleg responded by throwing Cobb across the ring and laying into Cobb with strikes of his own.

Cobb answered Oleg by kicking him on the mat to establish a lead. When Cobb attempted his standing moonsault, Oleg moved out of the way to reverse the momentum once more. Both men traded dropkicks to stay on even footing as the match continued to heat up.

Oleg eventually caught Cobb with a belly-to-belly suplex. This opened the door for a substantial sequence from Oleg, ending with a splash that scored him a nearfall. Oleg then tried to follow up with his gut wrench throw, but Cobb slipped free and did the move himself to retake the lead.

Cobb tried for a lariat, but Oleg caught him with another massive suplex. Oleg then hit Cobb with his gut wrench throw and a Boltin Bomb for a nearfall. With the end in sight, Oleg tried for his finish, but Cobb slipped free. This led to a back-and-forth for control, initially favoring Cobb.

Cobb tried for the Aloha Maker, but Cobb reversed into the Kamikaze. This scored another nearfall for Oleg. When Oleg tried for another, Cobb slipped free, leading to back-and-forth lariats. Cobb’s lariat won out in the end, leaving him free to hit Tour of the Islands and win the match.

With this win, Cobb leads B Block with 10 points. It also eliminates Oleg from playoff contention.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated El Phantasmo

This match was insane. It was filled to the brim with wild action all at an absurd pace. This was, without a doubt, the best performance I’ve ever seen from ELP and a fantastic outing from Takeshita.

ELP started this match with confidence, landing a dropkick before gesturing to the crowd. Takeshita fired back with the Takeshita line and some taunting of his own. ELP then tried a strike, but Takeshita ducked, leading to an awkward headbutt in the midsection, leaving both men flustered. Takeshita followed up with a DDT and an Irish whip to establish a substantial lead.

ELP ducked a knee from Takeshita, sending Takeshita to the floor. ELP followed up with a reckless suicide dive and a stunning moonsault into the floor seats to completely reverse the momentum of the match. ELP then took a moment to celebrate in the crowd before returning to the ring with a springboard senton and moonsault for a nearfall.

ELP tried for a crossbody, but Takeshita caught him, reversing into a dazzling blue thunder bomb. Takeshita then walked to the floor, where he grabbed a table. Takeshita then posted the table outside the ring. ELP faught back on the apron, preventing Takeshita from driving him through the table. They then fought to the top rope, where ELP landed an avalanche rana and a Thunderkiss 86 for a false finish.

Takeshita escaped the CR2 once, but ELP followed up with a quick sequence that allowed him to hit it on his second attempt; Takeshita kicked out. ELP then tried for sudden death, but Takeshita fell to avoid the finish. Takeshita rolled to the outside, where ELP caught him with a pump kick that left him lying on the table from earlier. ELP then climbed to the top rope, but a moment of hesitation allowed Takeshita to meet him on the apron. Takeshita then grabbed ELP and hit him with a disgusting bastard driver through the table.

A now bloody ELP barely beat the count. Takeshita tried following up with a finish, but ELP slipped free and hit the sudden death for another false finish. ELP then struggled to engage in a strike exchange before trying for another quick pin and hitting another superkick. As ELP tried for his finish, Takeshita reversed into the bastard driver position, but ELP rolled through into a pin attempt. Takeshita powered out, hitting ELP with a wheelbarrow German. Takeshita then took ELP’s head off with a lariat, only for ELP to kick out at one. Takeshita then hit the power drive knee, but ELP kicked out again. Finally, Takeshita hit Raging Fire to win the match.

This win leaves Takeshita with 8 points and eliminates ELP from contention in B Block.

Yota Tsuji defeated HENARE

This was another entertaining match. I’d say it was the weakest so far, but it was still more than solid.

This match opened with a relatively slow feeling-out process, with both men looking to prove their strength. HENARE established an early lead that he used to strike down Tsuji methodically. Tsuji answered HENARE with a sudden curb stomp that led into a tope that turned the match on its head.

Tsuji tried for a suplex that HENARE stuffed. HENARE then hit a suplex of his own. When he tried to follow up in the corner, Tsuji caught him with another curb stomp. Tsuji then followed up with a Samoan drop from the top rope.

A strike exchange allowed HENARE to fight his way back into the match. The Bezerker Bomb left HENARE in a seemingly strong position until Tsuji dropped Henare with a lariat to reverse momentum once again. Tsuji launched into a short rally that ended with a lariat from HENARE, resulting in a match reset.

A knee strike from Tsuji turned into an intense strike exchange. HENARE ended it with a rampage, scoring him a nearfall. HENARE then hit a knee of his own but couldn’t land Streets of Rage. The pair traded headbutts before HENARE ran at Tsuji. Tsuji then sprung up, hit HENARE with the Gene Blaster, and pinned HENARE to win the match. 

Tsuji’s win leaves him in solid position with 8 points.

Ren Narita defeated Yuya Uemura

This wasn’t great, but there are defintly worse House of Torture matches. Uemura’s personality and selling carried this match to a watchable level, so that’s something.

Narita jumped Uemura as the match began. He then drove Uemura’s legs into the ringpost and the floor before throwing him into the barricade to establish a strong lead. Back in the ring, Narita continued to target Uemura’s leg.

Uemura eventually fired up, chopping at Narita in the corner. Narita answered by gauging at Uemura’s eyes. When Uemura tried fighting back, he collapsed under the weight of his own body.

A sudden arm drag and dropkick from Uemura acted as a soft reset for Uemura, but the damage to his leg prevented Uemura from taking full advantage. He still managed to land a suplex before climbing to the top rope, where Kanemaru pushed him to the mat. Narita then locked in the knee bar, re-establishing a substantial lead.

Narita tried for the guillotine knee but missed. This allowed Uemura to knock him to the floor and hit a plancha, reversing the match’s momentum. He followed up with a crossbody for a nearfall and a German suplex for another.

Uemura tried for the deadbolt suplex, prompting Narita to bump the referee. Kanemaru missed the follow-up whiskey misting, and Uemura ejected him from the ring with a dropkick. Narita tried for a pushup bar shot, but Uemura blocked him and hit a dragon suplex to maintain his control.

Uemura tried for the deadbolt again. This led to Narita hitting the referee again and a low blow. Narita then landed the double cross and pinned Uemura to win the match.

Narita advances to 8 points.


Hirooki Goto defeated David Finlay

This was another classic Goto match, and a very good one at that.

In the opening back-and-forth, Goto dumped Finlay on the floor. He followed up with a tackle in the ring, but Finlay answered with a drop on the rope and a leg sweep to reverse momentum. The match then worked its way to the floor, where Finlay slammed Goto into the barricade and bit Goto’s forehead.

Back in the ring, Finlay began to pick apart Goto with a deliberate offense that lasted until Goto landed a massive lariat to reset the match. Goto followed up with a back suplex, but a lariat from Finlay sent both men back to the floor.

Finlay removed the padding on the outside and attempted a powerbomb on the exposed floor. Goto stuffed the move and dropped Finlay on the floor himself. Finlay answered by throwing Goto into the barricade again, maintaining a lead.

In the ring, Finlay continued to bite Goto, drawing the referee’s attention. This allowed Goto to fire back with a lariat and a ushigoroshi to retake the lead. A reverse GTR and a lariat set up the normal GTR, but Goto failed to connect. Instead, he landed a rope-assisted Shoto for a nearfall.

When Goto tried for the GTR again, Finlay slipped free and landed Oblivion. After Goto kicked out, Finlay hit a turnbuckle powerbomb and a traditional powerbomb for a nearfall. Finlay then tried for his finish, but Goto stuffed it, transitioning into Shouten Kai.

With Goto reversing the momentum, Gedo tried distracting the referee long enough for Finlay to use his shillelagh. Goto cut him off with a headbutt. Goto then threw the shillelagh to the floor and dropped Finlay with a GTW for a nearfall.

Goto attempted GTR, but Finlay reversed into Oblivion. On the decent, Goto caught the knee, blocking Finlay’s finish. Goto then dropped Finlay with a headbutt and hit Finlay with GTR to win the match.

Goto joins the crowded 8-point club, keeping his G1 very much alive.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 11 live results: Shingo vs. SANADA

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Korakuen Hall will host today’s event featuring A Block action in the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament.

In the main event, 3-3 Shingo Takagi faces 3-3 SANADA in a matchup of former stablemates. It will be the first-ever singles meeting between Shingo & SANADA.

In the semi-main, 3-3 Tetsuya Naito takes on 3-3 Shota Umino. The two have met once before in singles competition, with Naito coming away with the victory that time.

5-1 EVIL faces 4-2 Zack Sabre Jr. in a matchup with the top spot in A Block on the line.

3-3 Gabe Kidd will take on 2-4 Jake Lee in another A Block battle.

Two members of United Empire will square off in the first tournament bout of the night, as 2-4 Great-O-Khan & 2-4 Callum Newman go head-to-head.

Today’s undercard:

  • Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku
  • Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, El Phantasmo & Jado vs. Jeff Cobb, HENARE, Francesco Aklira & Konosuke Takeshita
  • Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima

**********

Recommended Matches

Jake Lee vs. Gabe Kidd—This match was a total blast. Kidd brings an energy that very few people in the world can match. It was a great brawl and a fantastic change of pace from the rest of the card. I highly recommend giving this a watch.

Shingo Takagi vs. SANADA—If you’re a fan of Shingo Takagi, you’ll enjoy this match, no doubt. They kept a great pace, even as the match’s runtime climbed. This was more of a traditional G1 match, so if that’s what you’re here for, look no further.

**********

Undercard Results

BUSHI & Yota Tsuji defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato

Konosuke Takeshita, Francesco Akira, HENARE & Jeff Cobb defeated El Phantasmo, Jado, Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano

Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura

Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma defeated David Finlay & Gedo

**********

Block A Results

Great-O-Khan defeated Callum Newman

Newman launched into a quick sequence to try and gain an early advantage. O-Khan managed to hold on until Newman landed a sudden kick that dropped O-Khan, securing Newman control. Instead of taking advantage, Newman postured to the crowd, allowing O-Khan to fire back and take control for himself.

After being worked over on the mat, Newman caught O-Khan with a stomp to work his way back into the match. Newman took advantage this time, landing a standing moonsault for a nearfall. When Newman attempted a tornado kick, O-Khan reversed into an arm drag for an attempted match reset, but Newman fired back with a standing Meteora to maintain his lead.

O-Khan interrupted the OsCutter, which led to a scramble for control. To end the scramble Newman went for a tornado kick, missed by a considerable amount, and still pinned O-Khan for a false finish. Newman went for the OsCutter again, but O-Khan stuffed it once more. He then transitioned into the Eliminator and pinned Newman to win the match.

This win puts O-Khan at 6 points. It also entirely eliminates Newman from playoff contention.

Jake Lee defeated Gabe Kidd

God, I loved this match. It was violent, efficient, and an all-round great time.

This was my favorite Jake Lee match in at least two years. Gabe Kidd is something special.

On his way to the ring, Lee entered with two cups of beer in his hand. Before he could give one to his faction mate, Kidd cut him off with a big boot, sending him to the floor. Kidd then grabbed a chair and slammed it over Lee’s head. Kidd then grabbed a mic and welcomed Lee to the Wardogs.

Kidd attempted to throw a table at Lee, but Lee avoided the furniture. Lee then hit Kidd with a knee and a chair strike of his own, leading to a fight deep in the crowd. Lee then drove Kidd into the table himself, headfirst.

Lee rolled Kidd into the ring, starting the match officially. Kidd took advantage of this pause by hitting Lee with a lariat and scoring a quick two count, nearly taking the match. Lee reversed Kidd’s driver attempt to start another back-and-forth, escalating with bigger and bigger moves. Lee eventually scored a nearfall with a chokeslam that slowed the match somewhat.

Lee tried for FBS, but Kidd cut him off with another substantial lariat. This led to a strike exchange in the center of the ring that favored Kidd. Kidd tried to follow up with a boot but missed, sending him into the ropes. This allowed Lee to hit a boot of his own that forced Kidd back to the floor. Lee tried to follow up with a kick from the apron, but Kidd pulled him into a suplex. Kidd attempted to follow up by running into Lee, but Lee sidestepped him, sending him crashing into the barricade. At this point, the referee’s count was too high for Kidd to beat, but Lee was in a position to slide into the ring, barely beating the count. Lee wins by countout.

Lee’s win puts him at 6 points, barely keeping him alive.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated EVIL

Hey, at least it was short.

Before this match could begin, EVIL drug ZSJ to the ring with Dick Togo. They then threw powder in ZSJ’s face and hit him with the Magic Killer in the middle of the ring as the opening bell sounded. EVIL tried pinning ZSJ multiple times but failed. ZSJ then reversed into a pin of his own and won the match. In under 20 seconds, ZSJ won the match.

After the match, ZSJ celebrated in the crowd and EVIL chased him. This lasted significantly longer than the actual match.

This win puts ZSJ at the very top of the block with 10 points.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Shota Umino

This match really struggled to pick up until the very end, and even there, Naito’s weaknesses were all too clear. Umino also didn’t shine here, which is becoming a requirement for a great Naito match at this point. It wasn’t bad, but it’s not something I’d seek out.

Umino established a quick lead with a DDT to the apron, followed by a dropkick. A tornado DDT to the floor only cemented Umino’s early momentum, allowing him to hit an uncontested top rope dropkick and ignition for a quick two-count.

Naito hit an atomic drop and a neckbreaker from the top rope to slow Umino’s advance. To follow up, Naito hit a drop to the apron and the floor, buying him time to recover. Umino barely beat the referee’s count. Back in the ring, Naito maintained his lead with his signature offense.

Umino landed a dropkick to regain some footing. He followed up with a suplex for a two-count. After surviving an Umino exploder, Naito caught Umino in a leg-based Nelson, forcing Umino into the ropes. Naito then began to club on the neck of Umino, but Umino fired back with a sudden Blaze Blade to reset the match.

Umino hit a reverse twist and shout and trident for a nearfall, but Naito answered with Valencia. Naito’s Destino attempt was reversed into a fisherman’s suplex for a Umino two-count. Umino hit Blaze Blade again and a Death Rider for a finish. Umino attempted another Death Rider to close, but Naito transitioned into a Destino attempt that Umino reversed. The pair then struggled for a finish until Naito went for Destino again, but instead of driving Umino on his head, he transitioned into a trap pin. This was enough for him to win the match.

Naito advances to 8 points.

SANADA defeated Shingo Takagi

The opening moments of this match saw both men on equal footing. Shingo tried gaining the upper hand first with knee strikes to the midsection, but a well-placed dropkick from SANADA forced Shingo to the outside. SANADA’s pursuit to the floor was cut off when Shingo suplexed him onto the floor, establishing the first strong lead of the match.

On the outside, Shingo drove SANADA into the apron and barricade, furthering his control. Back inside, Shingo maintained his lead with deliberate offense, slowly picking apart SANADA.

SANADA landed a leg sweep to reset the match after an extended period on the back foot. He followed up with a dropkick and a plancha to establish control over Shingo for the first time this match.

A quick back-and-forth ended with a DDT from Shingo, leaving him back in the driver’s seat. The follow-up suplex scored Shingo at a two-count. The follow-up twist and shout and forced SANADA into the corner, but SANADA was able to fight out with a magic screw.

SANADA attempted a shining wizard but missed. Shingo was unable to follow up, however. SANADA hit the TKO to maintain his lead but missed the follow-up rounding body press. Shingo again failed to capitalize, allowing SANADA to hit the shining wizard on the second attempt.

Shingo blocked the next attempt at the shining wizard and tried for a leg whip, but SANADA slipped free. SANADA then tried for another shining wizard, which he hit. The follow-up rounding body press also connected for a SANADA nearfall.

SANADA tried to close with Deadfall, but Shingo reversed with a drop from the fireman’s carry position. Shingo kept the pressure up with a lariat in the corner, followed by a superplex. The sliding lariat scored Shingo a two-count. Shingo then hit SANADA with Made in Japan, but SANADA kicked out.

A struggle for control followed after SANADA survived Shingo’s finish attempt. SANADA blocked the pumping bomber only to eat a sliding forearm. Shingo then unloaded on SANADA with strikes and a shining wizard of his own. A pair of pumping bombers from Shingo seemingly marked the end for SANADA. As Shingo looked to close, SANADA transitioned into Deadfall, hit his finish, and pinned SANADA to win the match.

SANADA continues his advance with 8 points.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 10 live results: Tsuji vs. Narita

Posted on by Chick Fritts

G1 Climax 34 action continues today with five B Block matches, including Yota Tsuji vs. Ren Narita in the main event.

Tsuji is 2-3 in the tournament with 4 points, while Narita is 3-2 with 6 points. The duo have met seven times previously in singles bouts, with Narita holding a 5-1-1 edge.

3-2 Konosuke Takeshita will take on 2-3 Hirooki Goto in the semi-main event spot on today’s card.

3-2 Jeff Cobb vs. 3-2 HENARE, 3-2 Yuya Uemura vs. 1-4 El Phantasmo, and 2-3 Oleg Boltin/Boltin Oleg vs. 3-2 David Finlay round out today’s G1 Climax tournament bouts.

Today’s undercard features three tag team matches:

  • Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi vs. SANADA & TAKA Michinoku
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shoma Kato & Toru Yano vs. Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman & Francesco Akira

Today’s show from Dolphin’s Arena in Nagoya streams on NJPW World beginning at 3 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

Recommended Match

Hirooki Goto vs. Konosuke Takeshita – This is the only thing I would go out of my way to see. If you’re a fan of the all-out style the G1 is known for or high-octane wrestling in general, give this one a watch.

**********

Undercard Results

Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & Great-O-Khan defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, & Shoma Kato

Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee defeated Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma

Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito defeated SANADA & TAKA Michinoku

**********

David Finlay defeated Oleg Boltin

I thoroughly enjoyed this match. Oleg was allowed to be the strong-man grappler he needed to be, while Finlay was a smart heel who deserved the win. Good stuff.

Oleg opened the match by wrestling Finlay to the mat. He then turned to tackles before setting up for a gut-wrench suplex that forced Finlay to flee to the floor. When Finlay returned to the ring, he spat in Oleg’s eyes and baited him into an overextension. This allowed Finlay to drive Oleg into the barricade, taking control of the match.

Back in the ring, Finlay took his time, slowly picking apart Oleg with basic, demoralizing offense. When Finlay tried for a more substantial move, Oleg caught him with a sudden drop and a flurry of solid strikes. Oleg’s transition to more significant moves was much more successful than Finlay’s, lasting until he attempted the Boltin Bomb.

After stuffing Boltin’s signature, Finlay delivered an Irish Curse backbreaker for a nearfall. When Finlay tried to follow up, Oleg cut him off with a massive belly-to-belly suplex. Oleg then tried for the Boltin Bomb again, and this time, he hit it.

After Finlay kicked out of the Boltin Bomb, a strike exchange followed. Finlay won out with a lariat off the ropes. Finlay followed up with the Finlay Roll for a nearfall, but Oleg answered with a German suplex. Oleg then hit the Kamikaze once, but Finlay slipped free from the second. Finlay answered Oleg with a powerbomb and the Overkill. He then pinned Oleg to win the match.

This win leaves Finlay with 8 points, making him the leader of B Block.

El Phantasmo defeated Yuya Uemura

This match did basically nothing for me. Even with the high-impact moments, it felt lifeless for basically all of its runtime.

Uemura established an early lead by utilizing arm drags. When ELP tried firing back with chops, Uemura answered with more intense chops of his own. ELP ended Uemura’s advance with a nasty suplex into the ropes that slowed the match to a halt.

After some work to the neck, Uemura began to fight back with more strikes to ELP. Mixed in with his chops, Uemura targeted ELP’s arm, taking him to the mat when the opportunity was available. ELP answered with a rana and a massive tope to end Uemura’s rally. An even more impressive plancha from ELP cemented his lead.

Back in the ring, ELP hit a senton and a moonsault for a nearfall. Uemura answered by wrestling for control of the arm. Uemura then climbed to the top rope, but ELP cut him off with a DDT and a burning hammer. ELP then hit a Thunderkiss 86, but Uemura kicked out.

When ELP attempted the Canadian revolution, Uemura slipped free. ELP held on, leading to a quick exchange of suplexes. Uemura scored a nearfall with a dragon suplex. Uemura, looking to close pulled ELP in for the deadbolt. ELP reversed into a trap pin, stealing a quick win.

This win leaves ELP with 4 points.

Jeff Cobb defeated HENARE

This match was solid but not something I’d go out of my way to see. It was a relatively plotting Cobb performance, which was fine but not extraordinary, especially compared to some of his other work from this tournament.

This match opened with a respectful collar-and-elbow tie-up. A strike exchange and some back-and-forth shoulder checks followed. Cobb, the physically larger man, won out with a leaping tackle, allowing him to launch into his first stent of control.

HENARE landed multiple strikes that seemingly opened a door, but Cobb managed to stay in control for a long time following the opening bell. After delivering a massive superplex to HENARE, Cobb hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall, only furthering his lead.

After an extended period on the back foot, HENARE finally delivered a knee in the corner to gain some footing in this match. He followed up with a powerful sequence of moves, including a Bezerker bomb for a two count.

Cobb answered HENARE’s rally with a German suplex, which HENARE ignored. HENARE then hit Rampage before trying for his finish. Cobb avoided the end and hit a lariat to reset the match in his favor.

When Cobb tried for Tour of the Islands, HENARE slipped free. HENARE then ran at Cobb, but Cobb caught him, leading to the F-5000. Cobb then called HENARE to his feet and delivered Tour of the Islands to win the match.

Cobb joins Finlay at the top of the pack with 8 points.

Hirooki Goto defeated Konosuke Takeshita

This was a bombastic, over-the-top, action-packed match. When you think G1, this kind of match comes to mind.

After some light back and forth, Takeshita hit his Takeshita line to establish an early lead. In follow-up, Takeshita landed a DDT on the floor

and the apron. Back in the ring, Takeshita toyed with Goto, giving him the opportunity to fight back into the match. Goto tried to challenge Takeshita with strikes but ultimately failed, leaving Takeshita with an even more substantial lead.

Goto eventually landed a lariat to reset the match. He followed up with a spinning wheel kick and Saito suplex to gain his own lead, but Takeshita answered with a rana and a tope con hilo to re-establish control. Back in the ring, Takeshita hit his knee strike, but Goto answered with a Ushigoroshi for another proper reset.

Both men traded forearms in the center of the ring until Takeshita could land the blue thunder bomb. Takeshita then positioned Goto on the top rope, but Goto cut him off with a sunset flip from the top. When Goto tried to follow up, Takeshita reversed into a driver and wheelbarrow German. Goto immediately responded with a lariat that knocked Takeshita off his feet.

Goto dropped Takeshita with a kick to the chest and a GTW for a nearfall. When he tried for the finish, Takeshita reversed into the brainbuster. Takeshita tried for his finish, but Goto slipped free, allowing Goto to hit Shouten Kai; Takeshita kicked out. Both men then clonked heads; Takeshita fell, but Goto didn’t. This allowed Goto to hit GTR and pin Takeshita to win the match.

This win puts Goto at 6 points, leaving him positioned in the middle of the pack.

Yota Tsuji defeated Ren Narita

This was bad.

Before the match could even begin, Narita jumped Tsuji. He then threw Tsuji into the barricades and stretched him against the ring post. Narita launched Tsuji into a row of chairs before attacking him with said furniture.

When they finally made it to the ring, Narita began to attack Tsuji’s leg. Tsuji tried to answer Narita’s assault with a rana, but his leg failed him, allowing Narita to lock in a Boston crab. Once the hold was dropped, the leg based attack continued.

A lung blower followed by a suplex left Tsuji in control for the first time. It didn’t take long, though, for Narita to land a pump kick in the corner, allowing him to take the match back to the mat.

Tsuji managed to lock in his own Boston crab to return the favor. The follow-up backbreaker and curb stomp left Tsuji in a relatively strong position. He set up for the Gene Blaster, but Narita caught him, trapping him with a leg lock.

Tsuji dropped Narita with a headbutt and a powerbomb that resulted in a nearfall. Narita answered by driving Tsuji into the referee, hitting Tsuji with his guillotine knee, and grabbing his pushup bar. Tsuji ducked the pushup bar and tried to continue his attack. Narita answered by shoving Tsuji back in the direction of the recovering referee and delivering a low blow. Narita then hit another knee, this time from the second rope, resulting in a false finish.

Narita tried choking Tsuji, but Tsuji returned the favor before delivering a powerbomb. When Tsuji tried for the Gene Blast, he ran into the exposed corner, allowing Narita to target the leg once again. Narita attempted the Double Cross, but Tsuji stuffed it. Tsuji then hit a knee strike and a Gene Blast spear to win the match.

Tsuji also advances to 6 points.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night nine live results: Shingo vs. Sabre

Posted on by Chick Fritts

G1 Climax 34 action continues today with five A Block matches, including Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. in the main event.

Shingo is 2-3 with 4 points in the tournament, while Sabre is 4-1 with 8 points. It will be the fifth career singles meeting for Shingo and Sabre, with each holding two victories and two losses.

In the semi-main, 3-2 Shota Umino takes on 2-3 SANADA.

2-3 Tetsuya Naito vs. 3-2 Gabe Kidd, 1-4 Great-O-Khan vs. 5-0 EVIL, plus 2-3 Callum Newman vs. 1-4 Jake Lee round out today’s G1 Climax tournament matches.

Today’s undercard bouts:

  • Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • El Phantasmo & Jado vs. Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku
  • Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • Shoma Kato, Katsuya Murahsima, Tomoaki Honma & Hirooki Goto vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Jeff Cobb, HENARE & Francesco Akira

Today’s show streams on NJPW World beginning at 2 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

Recommended Matches

Tetsuya Naito vs. Gabe Kidd – I would consider this a very good Naito match, which is becoming rarer by the day. They played into Kidd’s strengths and covered Naito’s weaknesses quite well. This isn’t a must watch match, but if your here, it might be worth checking out if you’re a fan of either guy.

Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – This was one of the best matches of the tournament. It was filled with intense sequences, slick transitions, and fantastic work on a narrative level. Not a second of your time will be wasted here either. This match was efficient, well paced, and an all-round breezy watch. This one is definitely worth going out of your way for.

**********

Undercard Results

Konosuke Takeshita, Francesco Akira, HENARE & Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto, Katsuya Murashima, Shoma Kato & Tomoaki Honma

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated David Finlay & Gedo

TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura defeated El Phantasmo & Jado

BUSHI & Yota Tsuji defeated Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

**********

G1 Climax Results

Jake Lee defeated Callum Newman

This worked well enough. Newman tried his best tog be dazzling, Lee kept it simple in response. Would I recommend seeking this out? No. But was this a fine match. Sure.

This match opened fast, but neither man could connect with offense. After the early whiffs, they turned to more basic wrestling in an attempt to get the action started. A boot from Newman sent Lee to the floor, which he followed with an attempted dive. Lee interrupted the dive, opening the door to an assault on the floor.

Lee maintained his control from the floor inside the ring with basic offense. With a strong lead, he taunted Newman, allowing him to take free, unprotected shots. This backfired, as Newman was given time to recover, which he used to deliver a double stomp to the back to a prone Lee.

Newman filled his rally with his typical flashy offense. In response, Lee threw Newman to the floor. Newman quickly responded on the outside with a dive, maintaining his momentum before returning to the ring.

Newman’s lead lasted until he attempted the OsCutter. Lee reversed the finish and hit a choke slam for a near fall. When Lee tried to follow up, Newman launched into another short rally, only for Lee to catch him with a Face Break Shot. Lee then pinned Newman to win the match.

This win puts Lee at 4 points.

Great-O-Khan defeated EVIL

This was an impressively bad match. The constant interference is one thing, but it was followed by a totally unearned finish.

EVIL opened the match by rushing O-Khan, grabbing him by his braid, and throwing him to the floor. On the outside, EVIL dominated O-Khan, slamming him into the barricades and the seats. After a moment of interference from Togo, O-Khan barely beat the referee’s count. Once O-Khan was back in the ring, EVIL distracted the referee by threatening to choke him with a shirt, only to choke him with a wire once the official’s back was turned.

O-Khan eventually landed a quick suplex to reverse the momentum of the match. He then drove EVIL into the corner before securing a hold in the middle of the ring. EVIL freed himself by bitting O-Khan, reversing the momentum with underhanded tactics again.

When EVIL attempted Darkness Falls, O-Khan reversed into a throw. O-Khan locked in another hold, but EVIL pulled down the referee, allowing Togo to hit the ring. Togo attacked O-Khan with a chair before offering him back to EVIL. EVIL then locked in a sharpshooter, forcing O-Khan to the ropes.

When EVIL attempted Everything is Evil, O-Khan reversed, driving EVIL face-first into the mat. O-Khan then wrestled EVIL to the mat and locked in an arm hold in the center of the ring. When EVIL looked to be in trouble, Togo pulled the referee to the floor and launched into a full-fledged beatdown, ending with a Magic Killer.

O-Khan kicked out of their tandem finish, only for Togo to interfere again moments later. O-Khan responded with a plancha to Togo before returning to the ring. Back inside, EVIL whipped him into an exposed corner twice and hit a lariat for a nearfall. EVIL attempted his finish again, but O-Khan escaped and hit the eliminator. O-Khan then pinned EVIL and won the match.

O-Khan also advances to 4 points.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Gabe Kidd

This was easily the match of the night so far. They worked around Naito’s weaknesses excellently while maintaining a lot of the intensity that makes Kidd matches so great. Very good.

Kidd opened the match by clubbing Naito with heavy strikes before taking action to the floor. On the outside, Kidd kept up his pressure for a moment before taunting Naito. When Kidd attempted to bring Naito back in the ring, Naito returned the favor, rolling out of the ring, baiting Kidd, and mocking him in typical Naito fashion. This strategy allowed Naito to take control of the match.

The match spilled to the floor, where Kidd was able to retake control. He threw Naito into the sea of chairs, where he continued to mock the IWGP World Champion. Kidd then piled up chairs and barricades, which he attempted to suplex Naito into. Naito reversed the suplex and threw Kidd into the chairs himself. Kidd fired back by dropping Naito onto the apron and spitting in his face.

Back in the ring, Kidd took mount and unloaded on Naito with heavy closed fist strikes, forcing the referee to intervene. Kidd then locked in a Boston crab in an attempt to humiliate the champion. When Kidd tried to follow up, Naito reversed into an awkward partial Destino.

A leg sweep sent Kidd crashing into the corner. Naito followed up with a kick and Esperanza. As Naito looked to escalate, Kidd answered with a nasty suplex that resulted in a match reset.

Naito spat in Kidd’s face, returning the favor from earlier in the match. Naito then landed a strike, which Kidd was quick to answer. Kidd tried for the Mad Man Bomb, but Naito reversed with a rana. Naito then unloaded on Kidd’s neck and went for Destino. Instead of delivering his finish by driving Kidd on his head, Naito trapped Kidd with a schoolboy roll-up and won the match.

Naito heads towards the top of the pack with this win, leaving him with 6 points.

SANADA defeated Shota Umino

After a quick opening sequence, SANADA threw Umino to the floor. On the outside, SANADA utilized the barricades to gain and maintain control over Umino before returning to the ring. Back inside, he preserved his lead with simple offense.

A sudden dropkick from Umino allowed him to challenge SANADA’s lead. Umino upped the intensity significantly, landing much more impactful moves after securing the lead, culminating with a DDT to the apron that sent SANADA to the floor. A dropkick from the top rope and an exploder suplex scored Umino a two count.

A SANADA dropkick ended Umino’s offense, allowing SANADA to connect with some of his own. SANADA landed a plancha before throwing Umino back in the ring. SANADA then set up the Skull End. Unfortunately for SANADA, this left Umino in the perfect position for his reverse twist and shout.

SANADA attempted a shining wizard, but Umino caught him in the STF. SANADA escaped by reaching the ropes and challenged Umino’s followup with a magic screw. SANADA then hit the shining wizard, but Umino blocked the rounding body press with his knees.

Umino landed a knee strike to the back of SANADA to jumpstart his rally. He missed the follow-up blaze blade, leading to a back-and-forth. SANADA landed the shining wizard again, but Umino held on. This push and pull continued until Umino landed his DDT for a nearfall. Umino managed to follow up with a blaze blade, only for SANADA to reverse into the O’Connor roll. This pin trapped Umino, leaving SANADA with the win.

SANADA advances to 6 points as well, making it very crowded toward the upper-middle of the block.

Shingo Takagi defeated Zack Sabre Jr.

This match was great. This was the best Shingo performance in ages and a fantastic outing from ZSJ. It built perfectly to the end and was an absolute breeze. One of the best matches of the tournament.

The feeling out process of this match opened hot, with both men trying to gain the upper hand without slowing down. Once the match did slow down, ZSJ was able to grapple his way into a suplex, but Shingo answered with a tackle. Shingo followed up with a suplex of his own before taking control on the mat.

A neck crank followed by a dropkick to the head from ZSJ allowed him to take the momentum from Shingo. ZSJ then took Shingo to the mat, working him over with various chokes before Shingo fired back with a suplex.

Shingo forced ZSJ in the corner and unloaded on ZSJ with strikes. Shingo kept up the pace with high-impact offense until ZSJ reversed a sliding lariat into an arm crank. ZSJ then began to focus the arm, perhaps to prevent the threat of Shingo’s pumping bomber.

Shingo dropped ZSJ to retake the lead after receiving a lot of attention on his arm. He then lifted ZSJ to the top rope and delivered a superplex to cement a lead. Shingo landed a sliding lariat, but the follow-up from Shingo failed as his targeted arm slowed his response.

ZSJ then took advantage again and focused solely on the arm. Shingo was forced to answer with a pumping bomber, but it did as much damage to him as to ZSJ. ZSJ tried to respond by keeping up the attack, but Shingo caught him with Made in Japan, resulting in a nearfall.

Shingo tried for a pumping bomber again, but ZSJ reversed into the Zack Driver; Shingo kicked out. This was followed by a striking battle that Shingo ended with a pumping bomber. Shingo attempted to follow up on his finish, but ZSJ reversed into the sleeper. ZSJ transitioned into an arm breaker and a triangle when the sleeper failed. With Shingo fading, the referee walked away, looking like he would call the match. Shingo responded by pulling the referee down, powering up, and landing Last of the Dragon. Shingo then pinned ZSJ to win the match.

Another man joins the 6 point club with Shingo’s win.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night eight live results: Takeshita vs. Finlay

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW G1 Climax 34 B Block action continues today in Yamaguchi with five tournament matches.

In the main event, 3-1 Konosuke Takeshita faces 2-2 David Finlay. Takeshita is tied atop B Block with Yuya Uemura for the lead at 6 points, while Finlay is one of six competitors in the Block stuck at 4 points.

2-2 Hirooki Goto takes on 2-2 Ren Narita in the semi-main event spot on today’s card.

2-2 Jeff Cobb faces 1-3 E Phantasmo in another B Block bout on the show.

Uemura brings his 3-1 record into a matchup with 2-2 HENARE on today’s card.

2-2 Oleg Boltin/Boltin Oleg takes on 1-3 Yota Tsuji in the other tournament bout on the show.

Today’s undercard:

  • Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. SANADA & TAKA Michinoku
  • Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman vs. Dick Togo & EVIL
  • Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee vs. Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima

**********

  • BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee) defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
  • United Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan) defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma defeated Just 5 Guys (SANADA & TAKA Michinoku)
  • Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Yota Tsuji defeated Oleg Boltin

This match was a rock-solid outing from both guys. Nothing bombastic, but very sound, from start to finish.

Oleg opened the match by rushing Tsuji, only for Tsuji to reverse the momentum in his favor moments after the opening bell. Tsuji then took his time, slowly working over Oleg to establish a strong lead.

A sudden slam from Oleg opened the door for a rally. He then threw Tsuji across the ring before attempting a suplex. While trying to lift Tsuji, Oleg was stuffed, resulting in another turn in momentum. Tsuji was quick to follow up with the Boston crab and a curb stomp for a nearfall.

Tsuji attempted his curb stomp from the top rope but missed, leaving Oleg free to land a shotgun dropkick in response. When Tsuji tried to answer with a superkick, Oleg landed a lariat and Kamikaze for a false finish.

As Oleg attempted his finish again, Tsuji wiggled free. Once on his feet, he had enough separation to land an amazing Gene Blaster spear. Tsuji then pinned Oleg to win the match.

Tsuji hangs on to hope, advancing to 4 points.

HENARE defeated Yuya Uemura

This was definitely an ambitious match that I don’t think came together in the end.

After a basic feeling-out process, Uemura established a lead with an arm drag and some basic strikes. HENARE fired back with strikes of his own, which left him in the driver’s seat. After a while in control, HENARE dropped Uemura with a berzerker bomb, scoring a nearfall and submitting his lead.

A quick arm drag and a dropkick from Uemura turned the match around. When Uemura tried to follow up with a crossbody, HENARE caught him with a drop, resetting the match. A prolonged strike exchange in the middle of the ring followed, ending with a suplex from Uemura. Henare bounced back with a lariat, scoring another nearfall.

A quick dropkick from Uemura opened the door for multiple crossbodies from Uemura. When he attempted his third, HENARE blocked, but failed to follow up. Instead, Uemura landed another suplex, resulting in another nearfall.

HENARE drove Uemura into the corner, leading to a quick back and forth. HENARE ended the sequence with a Rampage, but Uemura kicked out of the pin attempt that followed. After holding on, Uemura hit a dragon suplex for a false finish of his own. Uemura tried following up with the deadbolt but was cut off by a leaping headbutt and Streets of Rage, leaving HENARE with the win.

HENARE ties block leaders with 6 points.

Jeff Cobb defeated El Phantasmo

Dare I say it, this was a good ELP match. It worked to his strengths without playing needlessly into the GoD depression storyline.

As soon as the match began, ELP tried to steal a win with a quick roll-up. Once that didn’t work, he kept up the pace with a tope. When he tried a second dive, Cobb cut him off. ELP managed to stay ahead by driving Cobb into the corner, which he followed with a moonsault to the floor.

Back in the ring, a suplex from Cobb reset the match in his favor. From here, Cobb dominated ELP, landing power move after power move with basically no pushback. A massive superplex scored Cobb a nearfall.

As Cobb looked to close, he lifted ELP into a powerbomb. ELP then reversed into a sudden pin, nearly eeking out a win. Cobb then tried for Tour of the Islands, and again, ELP reversed. After landing Sudden Death, a senton, and a moonsault, ELP managed to secure a lead of his own late in the match.

Just as it looked like ELP had a chance, Cobb cut him off with an F-5000. Cobb then punished ELP with ELP with strikes before taunting ELP for lacking friends. This fired ELP up, leading to a back-and-forth sequence. With a bit of momentum, ELP then attempted a springboard from the center rope, but Cobb caught him with Tour of the Islands and won the match.

Cobb joins the top of the pack with 6 points.

Ren Narita defeated Hirooki Goto

There were multiple points in this match where I was having a blast. In the end, I don’t know if I’d recommend seeking this out, but I’m close. For a House of Torture Narita match, it was rather great.

Narita tried rushing down Goto as soon as the bell rang, but Goto withstood the blitz. Narita fled to the outside to cool off anything resembling a Goto lead. On the floor, Narita caught Goto with a boot before driving him into the ring post, slamming him into the barricade, choking him with a rod, and striking him with a chair. Back in the ring, Narita continued advancing with basic heelish holds.

Goto eventually landed a lariat to reset the match. A wheel kick and a suplex left Goto with a lead, but Narita fired back with an illegal choke and a suplex of his own to stay on top. Narita then locked in a choke to secure a strong lead while slowing the match.

Goto hit a Ushigoroshi that left Narita on the backfoot, but Narita landed a guillotine knee to buy separation moments later. Narita rolled to the floor, where he grabbed the rod from earlier. This led to a back-and-forth with the referee. After a scuffle with Goto, the referee was bumped, leaving Narita free to grab his pushup bar. Goto challenged Narita with the rod from earlier, leading to a weapon-based showdown that he won.

Narita tried a low blow, but Goto blocked it. Goto followed up with a barrage of headbutts and a lariat, only for Narita to land the low blow anyway. Narita then landed the Double Cross and pinned Goto to win the match.

With this win, Narita joins the 6-point club.

David Finlay defeated Konosuke Takeshita

This match had its fantastic moments, but like the last, it feels hard to recommend (especially considering its extended runtime). When a match goes from a passionate arrangement to an overplayed Gedo sketch within seconds, I’ll never urge you to seek it out.

The match opened with a tie-up that Takeshita ended with a firm strike. Finlay tried to fire back, but Takeshita took control with a headlock, which he used to take Finlay to the mat before driving him in the corner.

Takeshita climbed to the second rope, but Finlay shoved him to the floor, where the match was flipped on its head. On the outside, Finlay drove Takeshita into the barricades and connected with forearms to establish control. Back in the ring, Finlay whipped Takeshita into the corner before picking him apart with a simple, deliberate offense.

Takeshita landed a leaping clothesline to buy a moment of separation after an extended period on the back foot. Takeshita managed to follow up with the brainbuster to establish a lead of his own, but after missing a knee, Takeshita fell back to the floor.

Back on the outside, Finlay started another assault similar to his opening attack. After driving Takeshita over the barricade, Finlay celebrated with Gabe Kidd. This hesitation gave Takeshita enough time to escape Finlay’s control. Takeshita then drove Finlay into the ring post. Takeshita followed up by piling chairs on the Global Champion and landing a dive that nearly scored a ring-out win.

Back in the ring, Takeshita landed a frog splash for a nearfall. He tried to follow up with a senton, but Finlay reversed with a brutal knee extension. The follow-up Irish Curse backbreaker from Finlay scored him a nearfall.

Finlay pulled Takeshita to the apron, where he tried for a piledriver. Takeshita avoided the driver but was thrown into the ring post instead. Finlay stayed on top of Takeshita with Dominator for another nearfall. Finlay landed a rolling forearm, but Takeshita landed his knee in response. Finlay bounced back immediately with Oblivion for a false finish.

Takeshita accidentally delivered a forearm to the back of the referee. Finlay followed up with a buckle bomb, but Takeshita answered with one of his own. Takeshita then pinned Finlay, but the referee was outside the ring, trying to recover (while being distracted by Gedo). Takeshita tried grabbing the referee, allowing Finlay to capitalize with a shillelagh shot.

When Finlay attempted Overkill, Takesthita reversed with a forearm. Takeshita’s follow-up was interrupted by Gedo, but Takeshita managed to hold on regardless. Finlay accidentally bumped Gedo off the apron, allowing Takesthita to hit the posion rana and a Blue Thunder Bomb. As Takesthita tried for Raging Fire, Finlay slipped free. This allowed him to land Overkill and win the match.

Finlay advances to 6 points. This makes him one of five men at the top of B Block.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night three results: Naito vs. Lee

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW’s G1 Climax 34 continues with six tournament matches on night three, including Tetsuya Naito vs. Jake Lee in the main event.

Naito, the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, is still looking for his first win of the tournament after being shut out on the opening weekend at 0-2. Lee enters his highest-profile NJPW match to date with a 1-1 record in the tournament.

Five A Block matches, one B Block match, and three undercard tag bouts make up today’s card.

Today’s lineup:

  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito (0-2) vs. Jake Lee (1-1)
  • A Block: SANADA (1-1) vs. EVIL (2-0)
  • A Block: Shota Umino (1-1) vs. Gabe Kidd (1-1)
  • A Block: Shingo Takagi (1-1) vs. Great-O-Khan (0-2)
  • A Block: Callum Newman (1-1) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (2-0)
  • B Block: Jeff Cobb (1-0) vs. Konosuke Takeshita (1-0)
  • HENARE & Francesco Akira vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • El Phantasmo & Jado vs. Yota Tsuji & BUSHI
  • Hirooki Goto, Tomoaki Honma & Shoma Kato vs. Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano & Katsuya Morishima

**********

Tonight was by far the weakest night of the G1 so far.

The only match worth seeking out is Konosuke Takeshita vs. Jeff Cobb, but even it would be far from the best match on the prior two nights.

**********

Katsuya Murashima, Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated Hirooki Goto, Shoma Kato & Tomoaki Honma

Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Yota Tsuji) defeated Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Jado)

United Empire (Francesco Akira & HENARE) defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs

**********

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Jeff Cobb

This match was a blast. At just over 10 minutes, it was action-packed and to the point. Great stuff.

This match opened with both men shoulder-checking each other before Cobb easily threw Takeshita across the ring. Cobb continued to show off by standing on Takeshita, resulting in him rolling to the apron.

A forearm sent Cobb to the floor, leaving Takeshita free to land a tope con hilo. He threw Cobb in the ring and climbed to the top rope in an attempt to follow up, only for Cobb to cut him off with a gut-wrench superplex. Cobb kept up the pressure with a standing moonsault for a quick two-count.

Cobb climbed to the top rope himself. This time, Takeshita landed an incredible superplex of his own. Cobb bounced back with a quick German attempt, but Takeshita landed on his feet. Takeshita then hit a knee strike and a poison-rana. Cobb responded with a lariat, leaving both men grounded.

Cobb tried for another suplex, but Takeshita blocked it and hit one of his own. Takeshita then tried for the knee, but Cobb reversed into the spin cycle and a uranage. As Cobb tried to follow up, Takeshita pulled him into the Blue Thunder Bomb for a convincing nearfall.

Cobb tried for Tour of the Islands, but Takeshita slipped free. Both men then traded knee strikes before a headbutt left Takeshita grounded. As Cobb tried to close, Takeshita cut him off with an elbow and Raging Fire, winning him the match.

Takeshita is still undefeated with 4 points.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Callum Newman

This match was entertaining enough.

Early on, ZSJ targeted Newman’s arm while grounding him to establish control. Newman tried utilizing quick offense to work his way back into the match but struggled for quite some time.

Eventually, Newman was able to connect with a suplex to reset the match, but ZSJ immediately brought him back to the mat. Moments like this would continue to play out throughout this match’s runtime. Newman continued to try for openings, but ZSJ continued to stay one step ahead for most of the match.

In the end, Newman hit ZSJ with a powerbomb. ZSJ countered into an ankle submission, forcing Newman to submit.

ZSJ remains undefeated, leading A Block with 6 points.

Shingo Takagi defeated Great-O-Khan

This was another fine match. It’s nothing special, but it’s still solid.

O-Khan threw Shingo to the mat and began beating him down moments after the opening bell. He then tried working over Shingo on the mat in an attempt to wear him down. Shingo answered with a sliding lariat and a bunch of strikes, flipping the match on its head.

O-Khan challenged Shingo’s advance by utilizing more basic throws and holds. Shingo was able to fight through the eliminator and land the pumping bomber to keep O-Khan on the back foot. A follow-up superplex cemented this lead.

O-Khan attempted a rally at the 10-minute mark but was cut off by a mean DDT. Shingo followed up with the dragon suplex and the pumping bomber, but O-Khan kicked out at one. Both men popped up and ran at each other again, and Shingo landed another pumping bomber. This time, it was enough for him to win the match.

Shingo works his way to 4 points.

Gabe Kidd defeated Shota Umino

This was another match that was fine enough but was far from great. Kidd has had much better performances, and Umino’s “hateful” routine was far from believable.

The feeling-out process featured a tense struggle for control. Umino won out first, but Kidd fired back with a bite and suplex to reset the match in his favor.

While Kidd was in control, he bullied Umino with mean kicks and the occasional expletive. After dropping Umino with a barrage of headbutts, Kidd locked Umino in the Boston crab, continuing to ridicule his opponent.

Umino eventually fought back, hitting a knee strike and tornado DDT to begin a rally. Umino’s rally was short-lived, however. Kidd was quick to land a strike, knocking Umino to the mat and leading to a back-and-forth exchange.

Umino survived a big lariat from Kidd and answered with a dragon suplex. The follow-up forearm scored Umino a two count, but both men were downed. Once both men worked their way to their feet, more striking followed.

Kidd utilized a bite to open Umino up for a piledriver, scoring a nearfall. Kidd transitioned into a lion tamer. Once Umino refused to submit, Kidd picked him up, hit him with a powerbomb, and pinned him to win the match.

Kidd now sits at 4 points.

EVIL defeated SANADA

This was far better than you would expect. I wouldn’t call it great, but for a 2024 EVIL match, it was pretty close.

Before the match could begin, EVIL tried to get SANADA to join House of Torture. SANADA put on the HoT shirt, pretending as if he had joined the faction. EVIL then commanded SANADA to lie down for the count, which he also pretended to do.

Once SANADA reversed the pin and EVIL realized he wasn’t joining HoT, the match began. EVIL tried to flee the ring, but SANADA caught him, brought him back, and tied him in the paradise lock.

Dick Togo tripped SANADA to help EVIL back into the match. EVIL then pulled SANADA to the floor, where he drove him into the barricade. Back in the ring, SANADA tried fighting back, only to be whipped into an exposed turnbuckle.

A roll through into Skull End seemingly reset the match in SANADA’s favor. This lasted until an Irish whip sent SANADA crashing into the referee, leaving Togo free to rush the ring.

Togo and EVIL tried using a chair to attack SANADA, but it backfired when SANADA delivered a dropkick, sending the chair into EVIL’s face. SANADA then hit the shining wizard. With the end in sight, SANADA tried for his finish, but EVIL responded with a low; SANADA answered with a low blow of his own.

EVIL was the first to recover from the double low blow, delivering Darkness Falls to establish control. When EVIL tried to close, SANADA responded with the magic screw. The follow-up rounding body press scored SANADA a two count.

SANADA cleared Togo from the ring before he tried to close the match again. This allowed EVIL to block the next shining wizard attempt with the referee. Another low blow from EVIL, followed by his finish, allowed him to secure the pin and the win.

EVIL stays on top at A block with 6 points.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Jake Lee

This was an awkward match. It was clunky and slow. This Naito is hard to watch.

After the opening bell, these guys went to the floor. On the outside, Naito teased Lee, getting in his head early. This allowed Naito to take control in the ring.

Lee answered Naito’s early lead by picking him up by the neck and dropping him. Lee then taunted the crowd before dragging Naito back to the floor, where he drove Naito into the barricade, a chair, and the entrance stage. Back in the ring, Lee maintained his lead with basic holds and strikes, wearing down the champion.

Naito answered Lee with back elbows, opening the door for some basic offense of his own. This was short-lived, as Lee cut off Esperanza with a chokeslam from the top rope. The follow-up knee scored Lee a nearfall.

A quick enziguri from Naito was followed by a failed Destino attempt. Naito returned to the top rope, where Lee reversed momentum again. Naito avoided FBS and landed another enziguri, but a kick from Lee kept Lee confident. As Lee tried for another choke slam, Naito reversed into Destino and pinned Lee to steal a win.

The IWGP champion is on the board with 2 points.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night two results: Tsuji vs. Finlay

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Nine tournament matches are set for night two of NJPW’s G1 Climax 34.

In the main event, Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Yota Tsuji will face Bullet Club’s David Finlay in a B Block matchup.

Tsuji and Finlay have squared off once before in singles competition in their careers, with Finlay scoring the victory.

18 of 20 competitors will be in action on tonight’s card, with B Block’s Konosuke Takeshita and Jeff Cobb the only tournament wrestlers not taking part in today’s show. As with yesterday, every bout in today’s lineup is a tournament match.

The full card for Sunday’s show:

  • B Block: Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Yuya Uemura
  • A Block: Jake Lee vs. EVIL
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Gabe Kidd
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. HENARE
  • A Block: SANADA vs. Callum Newman

**********

Recommended Matches
HENARE vs. Oleg Boltin – This was a rad hoss match. I really can’t get enough of Oleg.

Yuya Uemura vs. Hirooki Goto – This is probably the match with best executed narrative of the tournament so far. It also seems as if Uemura is also finding his footing again, so that’s exciting.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito – This is one of the better Naito matches as of late. It’s exactly the kind of match he needs to be working. It’s filled with slick sequences and felt like it could end any moment.

Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay – If you enjoy main event New Japan, this is for you. It built to a crescendo filled with reversals and potential finishes.

SANADA defeated Callum Newman

SANADA worked a somewhat meaner match here tonight than usual, building on his shocking sub-five-minute loss from last night. The match itself was a fine little thing. I would say it outperformed my expectations.

Newman and SANADA opened the match with a basic feeling-out process until a dropkick sent SANADA to the floor. Newman attempted a dive in follow-up but missed, allowing SANADA to answer with a magic screw. He then dropped Newman on the barricade before bringing the match back to the ring.

In the ring, Newman connected with a stomp to the back that opened SANADA up to a bit of offense. It only lasted a moment, though, as SANADA cut him off with a magic screw, bringing the match back into the hands of the former World’s champion.

SANADA hit a shining wizard but missed the rounding body press, leaving Newman free to answer with a sudden knee strike. Newman followed up with a quick dropkick in the corner, but the double stomp follow-up whiffed. SANADA tried to reply with a shining wizard, but that missed, too. After Newman overshot another kick, SANDA managed to lock in skull end, but Newman reversed into a cutter. Newman attempted to close with the OsCutter, but SANADA cut him off, landed Deadfall, and pinned him.

SANADA secures his first win of the tournament, putting him at 2 points.

HENARE defeats Oleg Boltin

This match was great. It was super simple, to the point, and fantastically executed.

A powerful collar-and-elbow opened this match. Once that proved insufficient, they moved to trading strikes. Once that wasn’t enough, they moved to tackles. Oleg’s tackle was enough to knock HENARE to the floor, securing the first lead of the match.

HENARE answered Oleg’s lead with high leg kicks. Once Oleg fell to his knees, HENARE took off his head with a kick to the jaw. HENARE then placed Oleg in the corner and unloaded with more strikes. Oleg answered with a powerful slam, which forced HENARE into the corner.

Oleg threw HENARE across the ring before attempting his finish, but HENARE slipped free. HENARE then landed a kick from the rope, knocking Oleg to the mat. HENARE followed up with a disgusting knee strike that rattled Oleg’s jaw.

With the finish in sight, HENARE waited in the corner, but somehow, Oleg cut him off with a dropkick. Oleg responded with a kamikaze, scoring a convincing nearfall. To my knowledge, this was the first time someone has kicked out of that move.

Having survived Oleg’s finish, HENARE slipped free of the second attempt, leading to a struggle for control. HENARE tried for a submission but couldn’t get it; instead, a back-and-forth strike battle followed. HENARE won out with a strong kick and a flying headbutt. He then landed Streets of Rage and pinned Oleg to win the match.

HENARE now leads B Block with 4 points.

Gabe Kidd defeated Great-O-Khan

I almost enjoyed this match, but it had too many issues in the end to look past. O-Khan’s performance was above average, and Kidd was decent. The structure of the match really hurt it, though. There was just far too much going on.

Kidd dared O-Khan to wrestle as the match opened but caught him with a few strikes as soon as there was an opening. O-Khan answered Kidd’s cuteness with a throw, a suplex, and a lariat that knocked Kidd to the floor. O-Khan then drove Kidd into the barricade, daring Kidd to a brawl instead of a match classic, to which Kidd accepted.

Kidd and O-Khan brawled from one side of the crowd to the other. By the time they emerged, Kidd had control. He then led O-Khan back to the ring, where he drove O-Khan into the post before calling out Hiromu Takahashi.

As soon as the match returned to the ring, O-Khan dumped Kidd to the floor. O-Khan landed a plancha, securing a lead before throwing Kidd into a barricade and a sea of chairs. O-Khan then tied up Kidd with chairs before dragging him back to the ring.

Back in the ring, a suplex attempt led to both men falling over the top rope and crashing over the top rope back to the floor. As the count began to climb, the men started trading strikes, meandering away from the ring. Once the count hit 19, they sprinted together to beat the referee.

Back inside, they traded strikes and German suplexes before O-Khan hit a GFO to establish a lead. He then tried for the eliminator but failed, leading to a scramble for control. In the end, Kidd won out with a massive lariat that won him the match.

Kidd is on the board with 2 points.

Ren Narita defeated El Phantasmo

ELP has lost all his friends, and he is sad. That is the story of his G1.

A quick boot from Narita opened this match, catching the depressed ELP off guard. He managed to rebound with a dropkick to reset the match in his favor.

After knocking Narita to the mat and landing a plancha, ELP started trying for more and more dives. Eventually, ELP missed, opening the door back up for Narita. Narita whipped ELP into the barricade and hit him with a chair after distracting the referee.

Back in the ring, Narita began to brutalize ELP’s leg. As ELP fought back through the attack, he continued to use acrobatic offense while attempting to sell the damage done to his limb (until he fired up and began jumping on it).

After stomping on Narita in the corner, ELP grabbed Narita’s pushup bar. Narita dared him to use it. After thinking about it, he decided not to. Narita tried to follow up with the Double Cross, but ELP reversed. Narita still maintained control, though with a quick guillotine.

Narita climbed to the top rope, where ELP cut him off with a rana. ELP followed up with a Thunderkiss 86 for a nearfall. Before he could follow up, the referee was shoved to the ground. Narita then hit Double Cross and won the match.

Ren Narita has slipped his first 2 points.

EVIL defeated Jake Lee

Ah, this is what I’ve come to expect from Jake Lee and EVIL. This match was slow, tedious, and filled with cheap cheating. This was horrible.

Before the action could begin, EVIL offered Lee a “Too Sweet” in traditional Bullet Club fashion. It looked like Lee would accept, but instead, he poked EVIL and Dick Togo in the eyes, Three Stooges style. He then threw EVIL to the floor and threatened to stomp Togo below the belt before letting him go.

Once the match officially began, Lee choked EVIL against the rope, leading to him fleeing almost imidatly. When Lee followed him, EVIL whipped him into the barricade and choked him with cables. Back in the ring, EVIL maintained his lead by distracting the referee and utilizing Togo.

After minutes on the back foot, Lee fought back with a Boston crab. This led to a fake bell ring, a ref bump, and Togo hitting the ring. Lee managed to fight through the interference as the referee recovered, leading to a chokeslam for a nearfall. During the scuffle, EVIL managed to rake Lee’s eyes, leading to him missing the Face Break Shot. Once he missed his finish, Togo threw powder in his eyes, EVIL landed Everything is Evil and pinned Lee to win the match.

EVIL is now the A Block leader with 4 points.

Yuya Uemura defeated Hirooki Goto

This was a rock-solid generational gap match. Goto tried his best to learn Uemura, but failed.

Goto wrestled Uemura to the ground as the match began, but Uemura held his own in the opening scramble. Goto then tried to ground Uemura with a shoulder tackle, but Uemura fired back with a dropkick. Uemura then placed Goto in the corner, where he unloaded with strikes that forced the referee to become involved. This unsportsmanlike behavior upset Goto, leading to a fiery response filled with harsh strikes.

Goto continued his act of discipline by locking in a Bostin crab in the middle of the ring. Once Uemura escaped, he landed an arm drag and a dropkick to reset the match. Uemura flew too close to the sun again when he climbed to the top rope; Goto avoided his dive and responded with a quick Ushigoroshi to regain his footing once more.

After a strike exchange, Goto hit a GTW for a nearfall. When Goto tried following up with a knee strike, Uemura caught him and answered with a headbutt. He tried for the deadbolt suplex, but Goto reversed, leading to a quick back and forth with both men slipping in and out of each other’s finish. In the end, it was Uemura who was able to hit the deadbolt suplex, which won him the match.

Uemura keeps the pace with 4 points.

Shota Umino defeated Shingo Takagi

I didn’t love this. The mid-match pacing felt sluggish, and it picked up at the end. This was the second-longest match of the tournament so far, and I felt every second.

This match was all Shingo until the final stretch. The narrative was that Umino refused to quit, but Shingo outclassed him in every way.

Umino rushed Shingo as the match began, hitting him with a dropkick and a flurry of forearms in the corner in an attempt to gain an early advantage. Shingo fired back with forearms of his own to fight out of the corner. From here, the pair fought to the apron, where Shingo dropped Umino on his back before whipping him into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Shingo utilized basic holds to wear down Umino. Umino answered with a sudden DDT to the apron. When Umino attempted to follow up, Shingo suplexed him into the corner, retaking control. He then used slightly more impactful offense to stay ahead until Umino landed an exploder suplex from the top rope.

As soon it looked like Shota had a chance, Shingo landed a lariat to retake the lead. This time, he landed a superplex, a sliding lariat, and a senton, all in quick succession. A quick DDT from Umino allowed him another moment to breathe, but again, Shingo responded by driving him into the corner moments later. The pumping bomber that followed was the icing on the cake.

Knowing that the end was in sight, Shingo landed another pumping bomber. He then hit Made in Japan, but Umino kicked out. When he tried for Last of the Dragon but, Umino wiggled free. Umino then managed to hit another DDT to buy even more time.

Shingo managed to hit another partial pumping bomber, but Umino fired back with a half-dragon suplex. Umino then landed Blaze Blade for a nearfall of his own. When Umino tried for Death Rider, Shingo blocked, leading to a quick back and forth. Shingo then ran at Umino; Umino caught him and landed the Death Rider, leaving him with the win.

Umino has earned his first 2 points.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito

This was a match that managed to cover Naito’s growing weaknesses exceptionally well. The sequences were slick and smart, and it felt like it could end at any moment. Great stuff.

ZSJ offered Naito a LIJ salute to open the match; Naito responded by spitting in ZSJ’s face. ZSJ then clobbered Naito with some elbows before Naito tried for a quick pin. This led to a sequence of rapid pin attempts from both men, any of which could’ve believably ended the match.

An exchange on the mat that initially favored Naito eventually left ZSJ in control. ZSJ then leveled Naito with uppercuts before returning to some methodical grappling. When Naito tried to challenge ZSJ’s control, ZSJ tied him up in the rope and dragged him to the floor to continue his assault.

A quick hangman’s neckbreaker to the floor put Naito in control for the first time in this match. Naito then turned to the neck, as you would expect. But just as Naito found his groove, he paused, allowing ZSJ to catch him and bring him to the mat.

ZSJ worked over Naito until he was able to land PK. ZSJ tried to follow up with the Zack Driver, but Naito reversed into Destino. This took so much out of both men that it effectively reset the match.

From a standing position, both men began trading strikes. This lasted until Naito dropped ZSJ with elbows to the neck. Two quick pin attempts followed. Once that didn’t work, another short strike exchange happened. Then ZSJ trapped Naito in a pin and won the match.

After the match, ZSJ posed Naito’s belt before he walked to the back.

ZSJ is still undefeated, having defeated the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and earning his 4th point in A Block.

Yota Tsuji defeated David Finlay

Tonight’s main event opened Tsuji, landing a rana that sent Finlay to the floor and a follow-up rana. Tsuji then whipped Finlay into the barricade to establish a strong lead, which he maintained by locking in a Boston crab.

Finlay spat in Tsuji’s face to buy some separation, which he used to drive Tsuji to the top of the ring post. He then tossed Tsuji across the ring before landing some knee strikes to Tsuji’s midsection. A stomp from Tsuji in the corner seemingly stopped Finlay’s offense, but he quickly responded by shoving Tsuji to the ground. On the outside, Finlay shoved Tsuji into the barricades and threw him into the ring post. Back in the ring, Finlay landed a Dominator for a two-count.

When Finlay tried for Oblivion, Tsuji reversed into a suplex. He then delivered a second stomp. When two stomps proved insufficient, Tsuji tried a third. A brutal knee and a power drive from Tsuji seemingly furthered this lead by setting up the Gene Blast.

When Tsuji attempted tried for his Gene Blast spear, Finlay rolled through and hit Oblivion; Tsuji kicked out. Finlay followed up with three powerbombs, setting up Overkill. When he tried for the Overkill, Tsuji rolled him up, nearly stealing a win. Finlay answered with a lariat.

After five forearms from Finlay, Tsuji threw a headbutt that rocked Finlay. This opened the door for a sudden Gene Blast, but Finlay rolled onto his stomach. Tsuji didn’t waste time, though; he followed his spear with his rope-assisted stomp Malo Crash and pinned Finlay, winning the match.

Tsuji ends the night by getting points on the board. He sits at 2 points.

A Block Standings

EVIL – 4 Points
Zack Sabre Jr. – 4 Points
SANADA – 2 Points
Callum Newman – 2 Points
Gabe Kidd – 2 Points
Jake Lee – 2 Points
Shota Umino – 2 Points
Shingo Takagi – 2 Points
Great-O-Khan – 0 Points
Tetsuya Naito – 0 Points

B Block Standings

HENARE – 4 Points
Yuya Uemura – 4 Points
Oleg Boltin – 2 Points
Ren Narita – 2 Points
Yota Tsuji – 2 Points
Jeff Cobb – 2 Points
Konosuke Takeshita – 2 Points
David Finlay – 0 Points
Hirooki Goto – 0 Points
El Phantasmo – 0 Points

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night one live results: Naito vs. Shingo

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW’s G1 Climax 34 tournament kicks off today with 10 tournament matches in Osaka.

Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi will square off in the main event in an A Block battle.

The meeting is just the second career singles bout between Naito, the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and Shingo, a former IWGP World title holder. Naito won their first and only meeting in the G1 back in 2019.

Every match in Saturday’s lineup is a G1 tournament bout.

Saturday’s full card:

  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Yota Tsuji vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • A Block: Gabe Kidd vs. EVIL
  • B Block: Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: SANADA vs. Jake Lee
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. HENARE
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Callum Newman
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. Ren Narita

***********

Oleg Boltin defeated Ren Narita

This match was a blast. The shenanigans from Narita made Oleg look super sympathetic. The structure worked very well. Good stuff.

Oleg came to the ring wearing new gear, showing off Kazak colors. It’s no longer a question; Oleg is no young lion.

The match began with Narita jumping Oleg. Oleg tried his best to fight off Narita but was cut off with a chair attack. From there, Narita started to work the arm, targeting it with objects and general offense.

Oleg eventually fired back with a dropkick. This slowed Narita’s somewhat, but an armbar put Oleg back on the defensive. Oleg powered through the armbar and landed a verdict. He followed up with the kamikaze to win the match.

Oleg is on the board with two points.

Callum Newman defeated Shota Umino

This was a fairly breezy call-and-response match.

This match opened with a striking battle. From there, both men ran at each other before Umino dropped Newman with a kick. Newman fired back with a Boston crab. Once Umino slipped free, he landed another dropkick before locking in a dropkick to slow down this fast start.

After Umino landed another dropkick, Newman responded with a quick kick. From here, both men traded quick strikes until Umino managed to land a cutter. Newman answered with a couple of quick pin attempts before landing a Spanish fly for a nearfall.

A dropkick to the back of Umino left him prone to a stomp to the back. Newman followed up with an OsCutter and pinned Umino to win the match.

In a bit of a surprise, Newman earns his first two points in the opening round.

HENARE defeated El Phantasmo

HENARE forced ELP into the corner after the opening bell. ELP fired back by sending HENARE to the floor, where he landed a tope. Back in the ring, the pair traded strikes, allowing HENARE to establish control for the first time.

HENARE attempted to land a lariat, but ELP reversed into one of his own. When ELP tried to follow up, he was cut off with a knee and a bezerker. The pair then traded strikes again, leading to an intense back and forth.

A sudden Sudden Death from ELP scored him a nearfall. He followed up with a burning hammer and a splash for another.

HENARE fired back a drop and a tackle for a nearfall of his own and a reset in his favor. He then landed Streets of Rage and pinned ELP, winning the match.

HENARE starts off strong with two points.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan

This was one of the best O-Khan performances in ages. The opening of this match was off the wall, and the rest of it held up quite well. Another solid watch.

A quick scramble opened the match before O-Khan dumped ZSJ to the floor. On the outside, O-Khan challenged ZSJ, which led to some exciting grappling. O-Khan escaped ZSJ’s hold by slamming him into the barricade, leading to a brawl in the crowd as the referee’s count climbed. O-Khan dropped ZSJ with a body shot, nearly forcing the cutout.

Back in the ring, ZSJ managed to reverse momentum with some of his signature offense. O-Khan fired back with a bit of wrestling of his own, utilizing throws to ground ZSJ. A hook to the throat of ZSJ floored him, and the follow-up German only cemented O-Khan’s lead.

ZSJ tried catching O-Khan in a hold, only for O-Khan to reverse into a powerbomb. O-Khan managed to lock in his claw to set up the eliminator. When he attempted the move, ZSJ reversed into the DDT. He then landed the Zack Driver, winning the match in mere moments.

ZSJ’s G1 begins with a win and two points.

Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto

This was a good big-man sprint.

Both men traded strikes to open the match. A short clothesline from Cobb left him ahead of Goto, which he used to land more substantive offense. Goto fired back by clubbing Cobb with more strikes, eventually dropping Cobb with a clothesline of his own.

Goto landed an ushigoroshi for a two-count. Cobb then blocked the GTR attempt but failed to follow up, leading to a scramble for control filled with quick pins and failed moves. From the chaos, Cobb managed to land Tour of the Islands, winning him the match.

Cobb earns his two points.

Jake Lee defeated SANADA

As an outspoken SANADA skeptic and Jake Lee naysayer, I can’t say I hated this. In fact, I’d say I really liked it. It was bold and left me wanting more.

This match opened up with basic wrestling that Lee ended with a choke slam. SANADA fired back with a magic screw and a rounding body press, effectively taking control of the match.

Lee cut off SANADA’s Shining Wizard attempt and barely escaped the follow-up pin attempt. Lee then hit Face Break Shot, his kick in the corner, and pinned SANADA.

In under five minutes, Jake Lee pinned SANADA to earn two points.

Yuya Uemura defeated David Finlay

Compared to everything else on the card so far, this match felt the most like a classic New Japan match.

Uemura opened the match by taking Finlay to the mat. When he tried standing up, Finlay fired back, throwing Uemura to the floor and slamming him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Finlay maintained his lead, picking apart Uemura with focused offense.

Uemura eventually landed a dropkick to reset the match. He then hit a bulldog before dragging Finlay to the top rope only for Finlay to reverse into a superplex. Finlay then hit a backbreaker running at Uemura, opening the door for a reversal.

Uemura landed a dive to the floor once Finlay attempted to retreat. A chop from the top rope and a follow-up backdrop scored Uemura a two-count. Uemura kept up the pressure with a crossbody and a range before attempting another pin.

Finlay landed a sudden powerbomb for a nearfall. He followed up with a Dominator, which resulted in a convincing nearfall. Uemura responded with a pair of suplex, each scoring a nearfall of his own.

With the end in sight, both men began trading blows. Finlay then hoisted Uemura up and hit him with two turnbuckle powerbombs. When Finlay attempted a third, Uemura reversed into a hurricanrana pin, from which Finlay couldn’t escape.

In another slight surprise, Uemurea wins his first-round match, earning two points.

EVIL defeated Gabe Kidd

This was one of the best EVIL matches in years. It was probably the best match he’d had since joining BULLET CLUB. Fantastic. Even the interference felt intentional and earned. Color me impressed.

Before the match could even begin, Kidd landed a tope con hilo to the floor, taking out Togo and EVIL. He then focused on EVIL, landing andother dive before throwing him into the barricade and grabbing chairs.

EVIL managed to take advantage of Kidd’s chairs, slamming one into Kidd’s face before taking his head off with the other. He then entered the ring, marking the official start of the match.

In the ring, EVIL whipped Kidd into an exposed corner, but Kidd fired back with a head butt and an intense flurry. EVIL answered with a fisherman suplex, keeping Kid on the backfoot.

EVIL landed a massive lariat, only for Kidd to kick out at one. He followed up with a backdrop for a two-count. EVIL tried for a referee assist, but Kidd resisted, landing another lariat for another two-count. A frustrated Kidd threw the referee to the floor, opening the door for HoT interference.

With Kidd in the lead, Togo hit the ring and began to choke him with a wire. EVIL then landed a magic killer with aid from Togo. Once the referee re-entered the ring, EVIL hit Everything is Evil and won the match.

EVIL is on the board with two points.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yota Tsuji

No doubt the world will be raving about this one. It was exactly what you expect from these two: an action-packed sprint.

The match opened with some basic grappling and strikes before Takeshita landed a tope to the floor to establish a lead for the first time. He then slammed Tsuji into the barricade before returning to the ring, where he kept up the pressure with more intense offense.

Tsuji cut off Takesthia’s lead with a rana, which led to a dive of his own. Back in the ring, Tsuji returned the favor, hitting Takeshita with a variety of high-impact offenses.

Once Takesthia had a moment to respond, he caught Tsuji with a brainbuster. The follow-up knee and suplex scored Takeshita, which scored him a convincing nearfall.

The pair eventually worked their way to the top rope. On the top, Takeshita fell to the mat twice. Tsuji then hit Takesthia with a Spanish Fly from the top for a nearfall. Tsuji tried to follow up with the Gene Blast, but Takeshita reversed it into another suplex and a poison-rana. Tsuji answered with a pump kick and a sit-out powerbomb for a match reset.

A striking battle at the fifteen-minute mark ended with a sudden roll-up attempt from Tsuji. Once Takesthia kicked out, he landed a headbutt and a stomp for another nearfall. Tsuji tried to get Gene to blast again but was cut off by a Takesthia knee. Takesthia then hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and Raging Fire before pinning Tsuji to win the match.

Takeshita starts his G1 career off strong with two points.

Shingo Takagi defeated Tetsuya Naito

The opening feeling out process began before the opening bell sounded as Shingo rejected Naito’s LIJ salute. Once the match actually began, the two treaded lightly until Shingo sent Naito to the floor where he whipped him into the barricades, establishing a strong control over the IWGP champion. Back in the ring, Shingo maintained his lead with basic holds and deliberate strikes.

Naito dropped Shingo over his knee for a quick switch in momentum. From here, Naito began to focus on the neck, utilizing all of his typical moves.

After a substantial amount of time on the back foot, Shingo landed a DDT, which he followed with a sliding lariat and a powerbomb. This left Shingo ahead for a moment, but Naito fired back with more neck-based attacks as soon as there was an opening.

Shingo landed a massive STAY DREAM from the top rope after cutting off an overly ambitious Naito. Naito managed to survive, leading to a back-and-forth strike exchange. Shingo won out by dropping Naito with a Pumping Bomber. He followed this with Made and Japan, but Naito managed to kick out.

Shingo hoisted Naito onto his shoulders, only for Naito to slip into a Destino variation. Naito then placed Shingo on the top rope and tried for the Frankensteiner. After hitting it, Naito landed a follow-up tornado DDT before trying another Destino. An awkward back-and-forth followed as both men tried to close the match, ending with a Kawada Driver from Shingo. Naito kicked out. Shingo then hit Last of the Dragon to win the match.

Shingo not only earned two points with this win, but he also pinned the leader of his own faction and the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.