New Japan Pro Wrestling continued the 31st G1 Climax on Friday and Sunday. The two nights could not have been more different, in terms of competition. On Friday, the leaders of B Block essentially remained the leaders of B Block, while Sunday’s show saw shocking upsets that could turn the tide on the momentum of a couple wrestlers.
Zack Sabre Jr. & Great-O-Khan have both been on substantial winning streaks over the first half of the tournament. Sabre’s winning streak specifically has been legendary. Injuring Tetsuya Naito, submitting a two time G1 Climax winner, and submitting the IWGP World Champion, Sabre has been on a roll, but no longer.
Longtime rival Tomohiro Ishii battered Sabre in an absolute war of a semi-main event. Ishii has been struggling for a win all tournament, and getting such a big win over one of the block leaders is sure to turn his momentum. The other wrestler on a streak, Great-O-Khan, was outsmarted and rolled-up by the wily veteran KENTA.
SEE ALSO: G1 Climax Results (NIGHT 1) (NIGHT 2) (NIGHT 3) (NIGHT 4) (NIGHT 5) (NIGHTS 6 & 7)
In both A Block and B Block, stragglers are finally picking up wins. In A Block, YOSHI-HASHI was finally able to get a victory over Taichi, while B Block’s Tanga Loa got his first G1 Climax win ever over Yujiro Takahashi on Sunday. Loa had two points from the injured-Naito’s forfeit.
The big news out of the two nights was Kota Ibushi getting the win over IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi on Sunday. The two men have been on a collision course since March, with a Tokyo Dome main event cancelled after Ibushi developed aspirational pneumonia. Ibushi got the win over the champion, ensuring that the two men will face for the title somewhere down the line.
.@ibushi_kota "Bomaye"
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Kota Ibushi, KENTA, Great-O-Khan & Zack Sabre Jr. are all fighting for the top spot in A Block. Kazuchika Okada & Jeff Cobb sit comfortably on top of B Block, with EVIL nipping at their heels. Here are the full results:
10/1
NJPW G1 Climax 31
Night 8
Available on NJPWWorld.com
- Non-Tournament Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru def. Ryohei Oiwa by submission via Figure Four Leglock. (7:36)
- B Block: Jeff Cobb (8) def. Tama Tonga (2) by pinfall via Tour of the Islands. (12:47)
- B Block: EVIL (6) def. Chase Owens (0) by pinfall via EVIL. (12:38)
- B Block: YOSHI-HASHI (2) def. Taichi (4) by pinfall via Karma. (22:26)
- B Block: Kazuchika Okada (8) def. Hirooki Goto (0) by pinfall via Clutch Pin. (18:06)
- B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) def. SANADA (4) by pinfall via High Fly Flow. (25: 36)
10/3
NJPW G1 Climax 31
Night 9
Available on NJPWWorld.com
- Non-Tournament Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru def. Kosei Fujita by submission via Boston Crab. (7:34)
- Non-Tournament Match: Toru Yano def. BUSHI by pinfall via Rollup. (7:14)
- A Block: KENTA (8) def. Great-O-Khan (8) by pinfall via Rollup. (19:39)
- A Block: Tanga Loa (4) def. Yujiro Takahashi (4) by pinfall via Ape Shit. (12:36)
- A Block: Tomohiro Ishii (6) def. Zack Sabre Jr. (8) by pinfall via Vertical Drop Brainbuster. (18:40)
- A Block: Kota Ibushi (8) def. Shingo Takagi (6) by pinfall via Kamigoye. (23:57)
The 31st G1 Climax will continue on Oct. 4th at 5:30am ET on NJPWWorld.com.
