The second night of the 28th G1 Climax promises to be just as big as the first night.
B Block matches start tonight, with new IWGP champion Kenny Omega squaring off against Tetsuya Naito in the main event. These two are no strangers to one another, as they battled in the finals of last year’s tournament. Naito picked up the win that night, so it’s only natural Omega would want another crack at the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon.
Another rematch set for tonight has Kota Ibushi looking for retribution after losing to Zack Sabre Jr. earlier this year. Sabre needs to pick up a big singles win after losing to Okada a few months go at Sakura Genesis; taking out Ibushi would give him some much needed momentum.
Other G1 matches for tonight have Hirooki Goto squaring off against SANADA, Juice Robinson taking on Tama Tonga and CHAOS stablemates Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano clashing in what will be a most unique bout.
Join us for live coverage starting at 2:00 a.m. EST. There will be English commentary.
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HANGMAN PAGE & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED SHOTA UMINO & MICHAEL ELGIN
They packed a ton of action into about eight minutes. Page was the standout, but everyone looked good here.
Umino hit a dropkick off the turnbuckles, taking out both Page and Owens. Page hit an interfering Elgin with a dropkick into a standing shooting star on Umino. The Bullet Club team worked over Umino in their corner, cutting the ring in half.
Owens tried to cheapshot Elgin on the apron, but Elgin blocked, allowing Umino to hit a dropkick and make the tag. Elgin hit a slingshot back elbow and a falcon arrow on Owens, getting a nearfall.
Elgin tagged Umino, and Page dragged Elgin to the floor. Umino hit a spinebuster into a crab. Page tried to break it up, but Umino refused to break the hold. Owens and Page hit Umino with superkicks, and Page connected with a shooting star off the apron to Elgin on the floor.
Owens hit the jewel heist on Umino, and picked up the pin.
EVIL & BUSHI DEFEATED YOSHI-HASHI & SHO
SHO is going to be a superstar if he can stay healthy. He stands out in every match he’s in.
EVIL and YOSHI-HASHI hit each other with shoulder blocks. YOSHI hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall, then lit up EVIL with chops. BUSHI tripped YOSHI from the floor, then jumped in and hit SHO with a low dropkick.
EVIL sent YOSHI up and over the barricade, then tossed him in the ring, and got a nearfall. BUSHI tagged in and choked YOSHI with his shirt. He followed up with a middle rope dropkick. YOSHI made a comeback and hit a headhunter, and made the tag to SHO.
SHO ran wild, and forced BUSHI to tag EVIL. SHO used an armbar, but the LIJ team made a quick recovery. EVIL hit YOSHI with everything is evil, and BUSHI hit the MX on SHO. EVIL applied the banshee muzzle, and forced SHO to tap out.
MINORU SUZUKI & EL DESPERADO DEFEATED TOGI MAKABE & TOA HENARE
There wasn’t much to this, and it served mostly as a preview to Makabe and Suzuki’s tournament battle tomorrow.
Suzuki jumped Makabe at the bell, and they brawled to the floor. Desperado and Henare started out in the ring. Henare hit a scoop slam on Desperado, but ran right into a rope-assisted armbar from Suzuki. The Suzuki-gun team sent their opponents into the security railings, and turned the match into a crowd brawl.
Back in the ring, Suzuki and Desperado doubled up on Henare, and Suzuki hit Makabe with a yakuza kick on the apron, sending him to the floor. Henare recovered and tagged Makabe, who ran wild on Suzuki. Suzuki cut him off, and they ended up trading stiff forearms in the middle of the ring.
Makabe and Suzuki battled to a double down, and Makabe was able to make the tag first. Henare and Makabe worked over Suzuki, and Henare nailed him with a shoulder block off the top for a nearfall.
Suzuki ducked under a lariat out of an irish whip, slapped the rear naked choke on Henare, then quickly transitioned to the Gotch piledriver, hit it, and pinned Henare.
Suzuki and Makabe had a staredown after the match, and Suzuki attacked a young lion, and teased going after the announcers, before retreating to the locker room.
BAD LUCK FALE & TONGA LOA DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA & GEDO
This served to continue to get some steam behind the Firing Squad, and to set up Okada vs. Fale tomorrow.
Okada and Fale started off. Okada went for a slam on Fale, but had to settle for a DDT. Okada hit Fale with scooby dooby doo, but Fale was back up quickly. Fale hit a shoulder block and a splash on Okada for a nearfall, before tagging in Loa.
Loa got some offense on Okada, but ultimately succumbed to a neckbreaker. Okada made a tag to Gedo, who hit Loa with a jawbreaker and picked up a nearfall, while Okada sent Fale to the floor with a clothesline.
Gedo tried to cradle Loa, but Loa stopped him, ,and hit the Tongan driver, and got the pin.
After the match, Fale tried to hit Okada with the bad luck fall on the floor, but Okada slipped out.
HIROSHI TANAHASHI & DAVID FINLAY DEFEATED SWITCHBLADE JAY WHITE & YOH
They’re making a huge deal of White, and teasing him breaking away from CHAOS, or trying to turn the rest of the group away from Okada.
White teased walking out on the match, playing total chickensh*t heel. YOH and Finlay began as the legal men, but White jumped Finlay from behind, then went after Tana’s bad leg. White attacked Tana and Finlay on the floor, and repatedly sent Finlay into the barricade and the ring frame.
White tagged in, but Finlay cut him off with a uranage backbreaker, and made a tag to Tanahashi. Tana hit a middle rope senton on White for a nearfall. White tried to hit a blade runner, but Tana turned it into a dragon screw. White hit a snap suplex, leading to a double down.
YOH and Finlay got tags, and YOH hit a flying forearm and a massive superkick, before hitting a falcon arrow. Tana broke up the pinfall, but White jumped in and dragged him to the floor. He used a chair on Tana on the floor, then handed YOH the chair, and urged him to use it on Finlay.
YOH declined to use the chair, and turned around right into a cutter from Finlay, who got the pin after White refused to break it up.
B BLOCK MATCH: TOMOHIRO ISHII DEFEATED TORU YANO (8:50)
This was a lot of fun.
Yano hit Ishii with an armdrag, a throw, and a shoulder tackle, kcocking him off his feet. They rolled to the floor. Yano tried to send Ishii into the fence, but Ishii reversed. Yano teased using a chair, but Ishii cut him off, and sent him back inside.
Ishii went to work, hitting chops and a headbutt. He hit a suplex and got a two count, before Yano made it back to his feet and untied a corner pad. Ishii ran into the exposed buckle, and Yano sent him into the buckle again with a slingshot. Ishii ducked a charge into the corner, sending Yano into the exposed buckle.
Yano again sent Ishii into the buckle, but Ishii no-sold it. Yano used a backslide and an inside cradle for a pair of nearfalls. He sent Ishii into the exposed buckle again, and used a schoolboy for another nearfall.
They traded shots in the middle of the ring. Yano knocked Ishii off his feet with a lariat, and hit a belly-to-back. Ishii recovered and hit a pair of hard lariats for a nearfall. Ishii went for the brainbuster, but Yano used a fireman’s carry into a cradle for a nearfall.
They teased a series of low blows, before Ishii finally nailed Yano with one, then used a la magistral cradle for the pin.
B BLOCK MATCH: TAMA TONGA DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON (14:06)
The work here wasn’t bad at all, but they worked at a deliberate pace and it hurt the match.
They locked up and traded headlocks and wristlocks. Juice used a fireman’s carry to break a hammerlock, and the opening sequence ended in a stalemate. Tonga used a series of strikes, and Juice rolled to the floor. Tonga Loa served as a distraction, allowing Tama to hit Juice from behind.
Tonga went to work on Juice’s injured hand, first posting it, then trying to slam it in the gate of the security fence, but Juice escaped at the last minute. Back inside, Juice used a pair of armdrags, a hip toss, and a back body drop. Tonga fought back with a dropkick, and sent Juice to the floor, where Loa went on the attack, hitting a big lariat, while Tama took the ref.
Juice rolled back into the ring, right into a side suplex. Tonga went for an avalanche, but Juice slipped out. Juice went for an electric chair, but Tonga slipped out and hit a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Tonga followed up with an avalanche and a Tonga twist for a nearfall.
Tonga stomped on Juice’s bad hand, and used a series of closed fist strikes. Juice hit a series of jabs, but Tonga jumped up and slapped on a guillotine. Juice powered out and hit a jackhammer, and followed up with two clotheslines in the corner and a cannonball.
Juice went for the electric chair again, but had to settle for a gutbuster. Juice finally hit the electric chair on his third attempt, and picked up a nearfall. Juice went for pulp friction, but Loa jumped on the apron and provided a distraction.
Juice pulled Loa into the ring and nailed him with the cast on his left hand. He went for pulp friction again, but Tonga slipped out and hit a gun stun, and got the immediate pinfall.
B BLOCK MATCH: HIROOKI GOTO DEFEATED SANADA (13:38)
The last few minutes of this were excellent.
Goto used a shoulder block and a hip toss. He sent SANADA to the floor with a clothesline, but SANADA jumped up, went to the top, and hit a dropkick, before taking his attack to the floor. They brawled in the aisle, and SANADA used the barricade, before sending Goto back inside.
Goto escaped a standing shooting star, but SANADA hit a dropkick to the back after his landing. SANADA used a chinlock, but Goto powered out and hit a lariat. Goto followed with a kick to the chest, a spinning heel kick in the corner, and picked up a nearfall.
Goto went for an ushigoroshi, but SANADA escaped, and hit his leapfrog dropkick spot. He sent Goto to the floor and hit a plancha. Back in the ring, they traded forearms, and neither man had the clear advantage. SANADA hit the ropes, right into an ushigoroshi from Goto.
Goto went for the GTR, but SANADA turned it into a standing skull end. SANADA followed with an ushigoroshi of his own, before slapping on skull end again. SANADA gave up the hold and went to the top for a moonsault, but missed, leading to a double down.
SANADA charged into a lariat, and took a flip bump. They did a series of reversals while running the ropes. SANADA applied skull end again, but Goto slipped out and hit a headbutt. Goto hit a reverse GTR, and went for another, but SANADA turned it into a cradle and a nearfall.
SANADA hit a moonsault into skull end, but Goto slid out and hit a reverse GTR, and then hit a GTR, an picked up the victory.
B BLOCK MATCH: KOTA IBUSHI DEFEATED ZACK SABRE JR. (22:58)
I don’t think this was at the level of their New Japan Cup match, but it was very, very close, and an excellent match.
Sabre put on a chain wrestling clinic in the opening sequence, before confidently stepping away. They traded knuckle locks, before Sabre transitioned to an armbar. Ibushi reached the bottom rope, but Sabre went right back to the knuckle lock and hit a bridging suplex. Ibushi used a monkey flip, but they continued to keep their hands locked.
With their hands still locked, they traded kicks, with Ibushi of course getting the better of the strikes. Ibushi started to hit forearms, so Sabre let go of the hands and hit some uppercuts, before Ibushi sent him to the mat with a roundhouse kick.
Ibushi hit a series of kicks and a standing moonsault, forcing Sabre to roll to the apron. Sabre briefly tied up Ibushi with a wristlock, but Ibushi sent Sabre to the floor with a kick. HE went for the golden star, but Sabre grabbed him and put on a heel hook on the apron, before pulling him to the floor, maintaining the heel hook. Ibushi beat the count inside.
Sabre tried to target Ibushi’s legs with strikes. Ibushi hit a hard punch to the abdomen, but Sabre continued his assault with strikes, before he tied up Ibushi’s legs. Sabre used a modified surfboard, and a modified STF, but Ibushi reached the ropes.
Sabre continued to target the legs. Ibushi countered with a hard kick to the chest, and a standing double foot stomp. Ibushi hit a dropkick, and sent Sabre to the floor. He followed up with a plancha, before sending Sabre back inside. Ibushi went for a springboard attack, but Sabre turned it into a single leg crab, then transitioned to another submission, before Ibushi reached the ropes.
Ibushi went for a Pele kick, but Sabre ducked it, and hit a lariat. Ibushi went for a last ride, but Sabre turned it into an omoplata, before switching to a single-leg crab. Ibushi reached the ropes, forcing a break. Sabre hit an uppercut. Ibushi missed a middle rope moonsault, and Sabre hit a pair of penalty kicks for a nearfall.
Sabre attacked the legs again, hitting a series of kicks. Ibushi countered with leg kicks of his own. Sabre tuned it into an ankle lock, and tried to turn that into a german, but Ibushi landed on his feet and countered with a palm strike. From their knees, they traded slaps to the face, then got to their feet and traded palm strikes.
Sabre hit a series of uppercuts. Ibushi went for a backslide, but Sabre blocked, and Ibushi hit a bridging german for a nearfall. Sabre blocked three kamigoye attempts, and tried for a triangle, but Ibushi turned it into a powerbomb for a nearfall.
Ibushi went for a high kick, but Sabre turned it into an octopus. Ibushi went for a slam, but stumbled, and they collapsed into the ropes. Sabre went for the Zack driver, but Ibushi hit a dragon suplex and a high kick. Sabre ducked the kamigoye, rolled through, and applied a kneebar. Ibushi slid out, but Sabre maintained wrist control.
Ibushi used the wrists to hit a bridging suplex, then hit the kamigoye and picked up the pinfall victory.
B BLOCK MATCH KENNY OMEGA DEFEATED TETSUYA NAITO (23:19)
This was insane. An incredible match with incredible heat.
They began by stealing each other’s taunts, before Naito sent Omega to the floor and hit his tranquilo pose. Omega hit a knee lift and a suplex, picking up a two count. Omega hit some kicks to the back, and choked Naito with his boot in the corner. He whipped Naito into the corner, then continued his attack on Naito’s lower back, hitting kicks and a backbreaker for another two count.
Omega continued to target the lower back, hitting a series of forearm shots. Naito came back with a pair of forearm strikes, and hit some palm strikes to the chest. Omega cut him off and teased a powerbomb, but Naito blocked, and hit a hip toss and a dropkick to the back.
Naito escaped you can’t escape, and hit a draping neckbreaker, and a traditional neckbreaker. He went for the slingshot dropkick, but Omega caught him and hit you can’t escape for a two count. Naito rolled to the outside, and Omega lifted him onto the apron with a suplex. Omega ripped up the floor mat, but Naito came off the apron with a dropkick, and followed up in the ring with the slingshot dropkick.
Omega hit a snap rana and sent Naito to the floor. He teased the terminator dive, but Naito dove back inside and hit a swinging DDT for a nearfall. Omega sent Naito to the floor again, and dropkicked him from the apron over the railing. Omega followed up with an insane springboard crossbody over the railing, into the crowd.
They beat the twenty count back inside. Omega went to the top rope, but Naito crotched him. He teased a top rope reverse frankensteiner, but Omega dropped Naito on the turnbuckle and followed with a snap dragon suplex and a gutwrench powerbomb for a nearfall.
Naito stepped away from one v-trigger, but ate another to the back. Omega went for the one-winged angel, but Naito turned into a reverse rana on the mat, and hit another off the top. Naito hit gloria for a two count, as the momentum shifted in his favor.
Naito missed a flying forearm, and Omega hit a v-trigger. Omega went for the one-winged angel, but Naito turned it into a destino. Naito went for a second destino, but Omega turned it into an inverted piledriver for a nearfall.
Omega used a full nelson, and a wheel kick to the back. With Naito facing the corner, Omega hit a v-trigger, sending Naito into the turnbuckle. Omega placed Naito on the top rope and teased a dragon suplex off the top, but Naito kicked him off. Omega went for a one-winged angel off the top, but Naito countered with a powerbomb, sending Omega to the mat.
Naito hit destino, but only got a two count. Naito grabbed the wrist and went for destino again, then hit a uranage as Omega countered. Omega turned another destino attempt into a spike piledriver for a two count, then hit a double underhook piledriver for another nearfall.
Omega hit a v-trigger, and the one-winged angel, and got the pin.
B BLOCK STANDINGS
Kenny Omega 2
Kota Ibushi 2
Hirooki Goto 2
Tama Tonga 2
Tomohiro Ishii 2
Tetsuya Naito 0
Zack Sabre Jr. 0
SANADA 0
Juice Robinson 0
Toru Yano 0