NJPW G1 Climax 27 night seven results: Tanahashi vs. Goto
We’re nearing the halfway point of the G1 Climax as the seventh of 19 shows aired earlier this morning, featuring A Block action. Who came out of the main event on top, Hiroshi Tanahashi or Hirooki Goto? Did Zack Sabre Jr. outwrestle Bad Luck Fale? Will anyone avenge Daryl’s demise? All your answers are below.
Tomoaki Honma, who has been out most of the year due to a severe neck injury, appeared at ringside for most of the show.
Prelim matches —
– Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Juice Robinson & David Finlay when Takahashi hit Finlay with the Pimp Juice DDT and pinned him.
– Toru Yano & Jado defeated SANADA & BUSHI when Yanorolled up BUSHI after a low blow and pulled his shirt over his head. This only lasted minutes.
– EVIL & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Minoru Suzuki & Taichi when Takahashi pinned Taichi with the Gedo clutch.
– Michael Elgin & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Kenny Omega & Chase Owens after Elgin hit Owens with the Elgin bomb.
– Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Kazuchika Okada & Gedo when Kojima pinned Gedo with the lariat.
A Block matches —
Tomohiro Ishii defeated YOSHI-HASHI
This was a good back-and-forth match. YOSHI-HASHI is good, even great, but Ishii is a master at making matches like these feel intense and this was no different.
They chopped each other silly early. YH gained control, kicking Ishii repeatedly in the head over and over, but it had no effect. Ishii mounted a comeback with a big superplex, but only got a two count.
YOSHI-HASHI worked his way out of a powerbomb, then walked right into a German suplex. He fought his way back and hit a swanton bomb. He tried to sink in the butterfly lock, then eventually got it. Ishii escaped, but YH got right back at it, hitting a running dropkick.
A Karma attempt went awry as Ishii countered with a DDT. He followed with a press powerbomb. YOSHI-HASHI kicked out of a sliding D, but eventually did fall to a brainbuster, giving the win to Ishii.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Bad Luck Fale
Sabre immediately latched onto Fale and tried for various submissions, but was unable to secure anything. Fale instead stomped him and took him to the outside, throwing Sabre into the barricades. Desperado tried to get involved, but was quickly taken out.
Fale went for a splash, but Sabre dodged and attacked him with a penalty kick. He locked in the octopus hold, but Fale escaped and went for the Bad Luck Fall. Sabre avoided it and started working over Fale’s legs. Eventually, he secured a triangle choke. Fale tried to escape, but Sabre had other plans as he released the hold, rubbed his elbow across Fale’s eyes, and pinned him with a victory roll.
That was a fun, different match. Sabre, a staunch supporter of animal rights, dedicated his victory to Daryl (Hiromu Takahashi’s stuffed cat that Fale previously ripped to shreds) as he was heading to the back.
Togi Makabe defeated Kota Ibushi
This was good while it lasted. It seemed shorter than your usual fare but was pretty solid for what it was.
They started the match by smashing one another with elbows. They went back and forth, hitting each other with strong moves. Ibushi unleashed a flurry of offense and hit a German suplex. He took Makabe to the top rope. Makabe fought him off, but ate a big reverse moonsault.
Makabe launched off the top rope with a knee to Ibushi’s face. He followed that with the kneeling powerbomb, and when that didn’t get the job done, pinned Ibushi with the King Kong knee drop.
Tetsuya Naito defeated Yuji Nagata
Another good match here. Nagata is still one of the best wrestlers around, and since he never gets big opportunities to face someone like Naito in a singles match, he always makes the best of it.
They started off slow. Naito took his time, then got the heat after getting some of his fingers into Nagata’s eyes.
Nagata took him out with a knee lift and pelted him with kicks. Naito grabbed a leg and started attacking back, only for Nagata to take him down. Naito responded with the satellite DDT, but Nagata fired back with stiff kicks. They engaged in a slap battle, where Nagata dominated Naito, sending him to the floor and mounting him with punches.
Nagata threw Naito around with suplexes and went for the backdrop driver, but Naito fought out of it. After sinking in the armbar, Nagata looked for the backdrop driver again but Naito escaped. He tried the satellite DDT, but Nagata blocked it, only for Naito to counter with the Destino. Naito followed with another one for the win.
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Hirooki Goto
This was really good, one of the better matches on the show. They worked a good back-and-forth match, and Tanahashi’s selling of the arm and Goto working on it were pretty good as well.
They did the usual lock-up in the ropes spot, but this time Tanahashi went for a leg, which didn’t succeed. He wound up on the top rope, but Goto took him out with a clothesline that sent him tumbling all the way to the floor.
Goto wrapped Tanahashi’s arm on the barricade and worked on it as they got back into the ring. Tanahashi tried a comeback, hitting the senton off the top rope, but Goto immediately went back to the bicep.
More back and forth ensued. Goto kicked Tanahashi hard in the good arm and then went for the sleeper. He hit a penalty kick and the ushigiroshi, then looked to finish with the GTR but Tanahashi escaped. Goto went for it once more, but Tanahashi countered with a swinging neckbreaker.
Goto tried for the shouten kai, but Tanahashi hit two neckbreakers, a butterfly suplex, and a slingblade in response. Tanahashi hit one High Fly Flow before following through with another to score the win.
Current standings —
A Block:
- Tetsuya Naito — 6
- Zack Sabre Jr. — 6
- Hiroshi Tanahashi — 6
- Kota Ibushi — 4
- Hirooki Goto — 4
- Bad Luck Fale — 4
- Tomohiro Ishii — 4
- Togi Makabe — 4
- YOSHI-HASHI — 2
- Yuji Nagata — 0
B Block:
- Kenny Omega — 6
- Kazuchika Okada — 6
- Minoru Suzuki — 4
- EVIL — 4
- Toru Yano — 2
- Tama Tonga — 2
- SANADA — 2
- Juice Robinson — 2
- Michael Elgin — 2
- Satoshi Kojima — 0