NJPW G1 Climax 27 night two results: Minoru Suzuki vs. Kenny Omega

After a few days of recovery, we’re back for the second night of the G1 Climax as the next few days will feature action live from Korakuen Hall, complete with English commentary. Here are this morning’s results, featuring tournament matches from the B Block.

Prelim results —

– Zack Sabre Jr. & El Desperado defeated Kota Ibushi & Hirai Kawato when Desperado pinned Kawato with La Guitarra del Muerte.

– Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask IV defeated Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo when Tiger Mask pinned Gedo with a crucifix.

– Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay when Fale pinned Finlay with the Grenade.

– Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI defeated YOSHI-HASHI & Jado when BUSHI rolled up Jado after countering a crossface attempt.

B Block matches —

Juice Robinson defeated Satoshi Kojima

This was a really good match. The opening parts were solid, with the crowd picking up big time for a bunch of great near falls towards the end. This felt like a big moment for Robinson, who’s been racking up big wins this year.

Robinson went for the Pulp Friction early, but Kojima escaped. Kojima borrowed the Mongolian chops from his tag team partner Hiroyoshi Tenzan, sending Robinson out of the ring. Kojima followed with a DDT on the apron.

Robinson rallied back, hitting a big crossbody, but Kojima soon struck back with a Koji cutter. He put Robinson on the top rope, but Robinson fought back, sending him off. Robinson looked to go for something on the top rope, but Kojima countered with a lariat to the knee and followed with a big cutter off the top.

Kojima went for the lariat, but Robinson repeatedly blocked it until Kojima landed one on the back of Robinson’s head. Kojima hit a brainbuster, but Robinson kicked out. Kojima landed another one, same result. Robinson struck with a big punch and followed through with the Pulp Friction for the surprise win.

Tama Tonga defeated Michael Elgin

Elgin was dominating the match early until Tonga tripped him on the apron. Tonga took it back into the ring, but Elgin struck back and started unleashing German suplexes. Tonga escaped but ate an enzuigiri.

Elgin hit the clubbing lariats, but Tonga countered back with a reverse DDT. Elgin blocked the first waistlock DDT but fell to the second. He went for the Gun Stun, but Elgin blocked it, only for Tonga to strike back with a dropkick. Elgin went for a springboard, but Tonga met him there with the Gun Stun.

Going to the top rope, Elgin had Tonga latched on as he went for what looked like the Falcon Arrow, but Tonga transitioned into the Gun Stun in mid-air and landed it for the win. This was a pretty good match with a great finish. 

SANADA defeated EVIL

They had a great match. SANADA is so immensely talented as a worker, and he’s improved dramatically in the last year. You have to give credit to EVIL as well, who brought his A game here, leading to a very heated match with some cool, clever spots.

SANADA sent EVIL out of the ring early, causing EVIL to take out a few chairs in response. EVIL took one of the chairs, put it on SANADA’s throat, and smacked it with another chair that flew into a bunch of photographers at ringside. That didn’t seem particularly safe.

They went to the outside, where EVIL choked SANADA with his own Skull End submission. SANADA fell to the floor, but he immediately popped up and hit a cutter off the top rope onto the outside. 

EVIL went for a German until SANADA escaped. He floated over EVIL and went for the Skull End, but EVIL countered with a fisherman’s buster into the post. EVIL hit the Darkness Falls, but SANADA escaped, avoided EVIL’s new finish, and hit a dropkick off the top rope.  

SANADA missed a moonsault, allowing EVIL to hit the Banshee Muzzle, EVIL’s new modified hammerlock submission. SANADA made it to the ropes. EVIL went for the STO, but SANADA countered and hit a German suplex bridge for a near fall. 

EVIL kept going for the STO until SANADA floated over again and locked in the Skull End. EVIL popped out, but SANADA locked it in again until EVIL made it to the ropes. SANADA went for his second moonsault attempt, this time landing it for the win.

The two bumped fists after the match.

Kazuchika Okada defeated Toru Yano

There was some comedy early. Yano escaped from the ring and undid the turnbuckle until Okada chased him away. Okada then tied the turnbuckle pad back on. I think that’s a first. Yano eventually did get it undone after a ref bump and whipped Okada into it, following with a low package for a near fall.

They made it out of the ring, where Okada threw Yano over the barricade and looked to do a big splash. He started running until Jado stopped him, pleading with him not to do it. Yano took the opportunity to shove Jado into Okada and lay them both out with low blows. When Gedo saw this, he low blowed Yano in retaliation.

They made it back in the ring at 19, then traded some back and forth. Okada took Yano down and applied the Red Ink. Yano fought it for a bit but eventually tapped out. This was a lot better than you’d think. It was a pretty fun match.

Kenny Omega defeated Minoru Suzuki

This was also great; a fantastic, wild main event with both men playing up to their strengths. There were a few moments in the match where Suzuki couldn’t take some of Omega’s bumps, but the announcers covered it up well, selling Omega’s injured knee, which did play a part in the match.

Omega seemed reluctant to even look at Suzuki at the start, but he started firing back as they both exchanged strikes. Suzuki took out Omega with a PK on the apron as Omega fell on the floor. Omega went to land something off the barricade, but Suzuki cut him off and wrapped Omega’s legs on the barricade instead.

They brawled into the crowd, with Suzuki pelting Omega with a chair shot, but Omega fired back with some of his own. He took Suzuki back in the ring, where he hit a one-legged moonsault. He then went for the V-Trigger but hit the referee instead.

Of course, with there being no referee, that immediately meant El Desperado, Taichi, and Taka Michinoku came out to lay out Omega. Chase Owens tried to make the save but was quickly taken care of.

Fale followed, taking care of all three Suzuki-gun members pretty easily. Omega hit a giant springboard crossbody over the barricade to lay them out, then Owens and Fale took them to the back as Suzuki and Red Shoes recovered in the ring.

Omega went for a V-Trigger off the top rope, but Suzuki latched onto the injured leg and applied a knee lock. Suzuki continued to wear him down, going for the sleeper until Omega started to fight back.

Suzuki swept the injured leg. Omega spat at him, leading to a fierce striking exchange that culminated with the V-Trigger. Omega hit the snap dragon suplex and then tried for a One Winged Angel, but Suzuki fell and countered with an ankle lock. Omega managed to transition out of it and escape by slamming Suzuki on the mat.

Suzuki reared back up, seemingly from the dead, to apply the sleeper. Omega powered out of it to hit the V-Trigger, then tried for another but got derailed. Omega hit a reverse rana that didn’t completely connect, but he followed up with two V-Triggers and finished Suzuki with the One Winged Angel.

Omega said after the match that he survived, and the Bullet Club survived. His work is far from over. He had to bid adieu, but he gave props to Suzuki before saying goodbye and goodnight.

Current standings —

A Block:

  • Tetsuya Naito — 2
  • Zack Sabre Jr. — 2
  • Hirooki Goto — 2
  • YOSHI-HASHI — 2
  • Bad Luck Fale — 2
  • Togi Makabe — 0
  • Tomohiro Ishii — 0
  • Yuji Nagata — 0
  • Kota Ibushi — 0
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi — 0

B Block:

  • Kenny Omega — 2
  • Tama Tonga — 2
  • Kazuchika Okada — 2
  • SANADA — 2
  • Juice Robinson — 2
  • Satoshi Kojima — 0
  • EVIL — 0
  • Toru Yano — 0
  • Michael Elgin — 0
  • Minoru Suzuki — 0