NJPW G1 Climax 27 night six results: Okada vs. SANADA

A day’s rest brought us to the sixth morning of G1 Climax 27 action as Fukushima was home to this morning’s B Block show.

Prelim matches —

– Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Kota Ibushi & Shota Umino when Taguchi submitted Uminowith the ankle lock.

– Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitamura when YOSHI-HASHI submitted Kitamura with the butterfly lock.

– Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Yuji Nagata & Hirai Kawato when Takahashi submitted Kawato with a Boston crab.

– Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & El Desperado after Takahashi hit Taichi with the Pimp Juice DDT.

– Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay defeated Hirooki Goto & Jado when Finlay pinned Jado with the stunner. Jado looked to injure his knee during the final minutes of the match.

B Block matches —

Michael Elgin defeated Satoshi Kojima

They started off fast, with both wrestlers hitting their signature moves, such as Kojima’s clothesline in the corner. They brawled to the apron, where Kojima tried to go for something, but Elgin overpowered him. Kojima shot back, laying out Elgin with a DDT on the apron. 

Elgin avoided a plancha and responded by powerbombing Kojima on the apron. Tenzan, who was seconding, tried to revive Kojima and eventually did, with him beating the 20 count. Elgin followed with the Falcon Arrow but blocked a lariat attempt, with Kojima hitting one of his own instead. Elgin came back and blasted Kojima with a lariat, but only got two.

Kojima escaped the buckle bomb, but couldn’t get the Koji cutter. Elgin went for a top rope lariat, but Kojima responded with a shot to the face. Elgin went for the buckle bomb, but somehow Kojima managed to lay him out with a shot.

They met at the top rope, where Elgin laid out Kojima with a sunset flip bomb, then followed with the Elgin bomb for the win. This was a fantastic, heated match with great hard-hitting offense.

EVIL defeated Tama Tonga 

This was great. Tonga is developing a penchant in this tournament for high-speed, frenetic matches, especially towards the end of matches, and this was no different. There was a great brawl to start, along with a strong last few minutes of the match.

They began out in the crowd as Tonga got the early advantage. He threw EVIL into the wall and beat him with various equipment laying around them, all while shoving the ref and abusing him. He dragged the referee back in the ring, but EVIL beat the count. Tonga completely abusing the referee somehow didn’t equate to a DQ.

EVIL got the advantage and returned the favor, brawling around the outside and going for his infamous neck chair spot. He looked to go for the STO, but Tonga countered with the waistlock DDT for a near fall. A bunch of crazy transitions followed, each trying to go for their finish but neither getting anywhere until finally EVIL laid out Tonga with the STO for the win.

Minoru Suzuki defeated Juice Robinson

This was also great. They worked a nice story with Robinson trying to get the win with the bad leg from their tag match a couple of days ago. Robinson looked so good in losing with his selling, offense, and comebacks.

Suzuki jumped Robinson before the bell even rang. He took Robinson to the outside and whipped him into the barricade, then took him into the crowd and threw him into some more barricades, now working on one of Robinson’s legs. Suzuki grabbed a chair and rammed it into Robinson’s leg as he looked to beat the count.

Suzuki continued the assault, wrapping Robinson’s leg against the barricade and slamming a chair into it. They got back to the ring, where Robinson showed signs of momentum. He hit the cannonball into the corner and followed with a blue thunder bomb.

Suzuki honed his focus back on the leg, working on submissions. Robinson managed to escape after a long struggle. He tried for the Pulp Friction, but Suzuki fought it and laid him out. He got the sleeper in, and after pausing for some time, landed the Gotch piledriver for the win.

Kenny Omega defeated Toru Yano by countout

This was so much fun. It was one of those matches where wrestling purists are going to hate it because of the comedy and unbelievability of some aspects of the match, but you know what? It was fun.

All the spots worked and made sense. It also helps that people buy into Yano’s pinfalls because in previous years he has pinned people in record fashion. Add all of this together and it equates to a match that was way better than it had any right to be. 

Yano had his DVD, and politely asked Omega to open it. He obliged, revealing it to be salt. Yano threw it in Omega’s eyes and rolled him up for a near fall, then tried a low blow while Omega had Red Shoes in the One Winged Angel position (he was blind), also for a two count.

They took turns teasing exposed turnbuckles and ripping out each other’s hair. Omega went for a V-Trigger, but Yano escaped onto the floor. He came out from under the ring, revealed that he had a bucket, and hit Omega with it. He also had wrist tape, and ended up taping Omega’s legs together. Omega got to his feet and attacked Yano, doing the same.

They got up and hopped around, doing spots involving the tape. Omega laid out Yano with the snap dragon suplex as Chase Owens came out with scissors. Yano momentarily stole the scissors, but Omega took the opportunity to lay him out with another V-Trigger, sending him out of the ring. With no way of getting up, the referee counted to twenty, giving the win to Omega. 

Kazuchika Okada defeated SANADA

They started off hot, avoiding each other’s moves. SANADA jumped off the top rope, apparently injuring his leg. Of course, it was all a ploy as the minute Okada turned his back SANADA threw him to the outside and hit a plancha.

SANADA missed a standing moonsault, allowing Okada to counter with a neckbreaker. SANADA went for a springboard, but Okada grabbed him and laid him out with a neckbreaker on the knee. He hit the elbow and did his pose, but SANADA started fighting back. He flipped over a resurgent Okada and went for the Skull End, but Okada quickly made it to the ropes.

SANADA hit a TKO as Okada tried to counter. SANADA went to the ropes and latched on with the Skull End, but Okada took it to the middle and hit a tombstone. After a few reversals, SANADA hit the tombstone and applied the Skull End. Okada struggled, but still managed to make it to the ropes.

SANADA landed a moonsault and locked on the Skull End again, but Okada popped out, floated over, and in desperation hit a Rainmaker, then another. He went for a third, but SANADA reversed and tried to get one of his own. Okada ducked, but walked into what looked like a Destino attempt. Finally, Okada pinned SANADA with the third Rainmaker for the win.

Okada cut a promo to finish the show. This was one of the better cards of the tournament as every match on the show was fun in its own way and worth going out of your way to watch.

Current standings —

A Block:

  • Tetsuya Naito — 4
  • Hirooki Goto — 4
  • Zack Sabre Jr. — 4
  • Kota Ibushi — 4
  • Bad Luck Fale — 4
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi — 4
  • Togi Makabe — 2
  • YOSHI-HASHI — 2
  • Tomohiro Ishii — 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