NJPW G1 Climax 28 night eight live results: Kota Ibushi vs. SANADA

After a few days of rest, the G1 returns tonight with more B Block action.

Two premiere athletes headline tonight’s show as Kota Ibushi battles LIJ member SANADA. Ibushi’s story in the tournament thus far is that he’s been dishing out every kind of amazing maneuver he can muster against his opponents. SANADA will be looking to ground Ibushi and score two more points to make it to the next round.

Other matches set for tonight include a big Kenny Omega/Juice Robinson confrontation. Robinson has been on a tear as of late, but so has new IWGP champion Omega, making this match a battle of momentum. A big bout between Tomohiro Ishii and Zack Sabre Jr. is also set, while Tetsuya Naito vs. Tama Tonga and Hirooki Goto vs. Toru Yano in a battle of CHAOS members rounds out tonight’s action.

Join us tonight at 5:30 a.m. EST for live coverage. There will be English commentary, with Kevin Kelly and Rocky Romero calling the action.

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Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado defeated Michael Elgin and Ren Narita

Suzuki and Elgin brought it to one another with stiff shots. Typical opener. Suzuki distracted Elgin on the outside by wrapping his hand around the barricade. Narita got some nice nearfalls before planting him with a modified angel’s wings for the win.

EVIL and BUSHI defeated Hangman Page and Chase Owens

This was designed to get Page and EVIL over for tomorrow. Owens unleashed some offense then went for his Jewel Heist finish but instead walked right into EVIL’s Everything is Evil STO for the win.

Bad Luck Fale and Tanga Loa defeated Jay White and YOH

White did not want to get in the ring with Fale. He eventually did get his hands on White and brawled with him into the crowd. White was running away from Fale again as Loa pinned YOH with the sitout piledriver. That’ll probably tbe the story of tomorrow’s match.

YOSHI-HASHI and SHO defeated Kazuchika Okada and Gedo

Yep, you know the story. Interesting battle here between four CHAOS stablemates. YOSHI-HASHI showed some great fire against Okada, as well as SHO against Gedo. SHO got the win for his team, pinning Gedo with the shock arrow.

B Block:

Hirooki Goto defeated Toru Yano

Yano scored big nearfalls early by taking out the turnbuckle pad before the bell and threw Goto into the exposed turnbuckle. Goto was eventually able to cut him off, hit the ushigoroshi and pinned him with the GTR. Yes, that’s pretty much the match!

Tetsuya Naito defeated Tama Tonga

Like with most of Tonga’s matches so far, Tanga Loa got involved early.Tonga suplexed Naito on the floor. Tanga Loa freely interfered while Tonga distracted the referee.Things eventually do pick up in the ring after some back and forth as Naito connected with the satellite DDT. 

Tonga connected with a gun stun on the apron. Loa grabbed him while he was stunned, powerbombed him on the ramp and threw him back into the ring where he kicked out. Naito fired back and went for the Destino, but shock of shocks there’s a ref bump. EVIL comes back to take out Loa, but Fale comes out. BUSHI follows and mists Fale. 

Naito went for the Destino but Tonga low blowed him. He tried to follow with the gun stun, but Naito cut him off, low blowed him and connected with the Destino for the win. Fine for what it was.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tomohiro Ishii

Sabre starts off tentatively, then struck him with a big uppercut. Sabre kept piefacing Ishii until he retaliated with huge chops. Sabre countered by taking him down and working on his wrist.

Sabre continued the assault, torking and wrenching Ishii’s injured arm. Ishii grabbed one of Sabre’s leg, cracked it with his head, and sent him to the ground and countered Sabre’s attempts at offense with a Boston crab. Sabre connected with a penalty kick, but injured his bad leg in the process.

The two fought in the middle of the ring as Sabre took down Ishii with his injured arm. He grabs the fingers and hyperextends the arm and grabs one of his legs as well. Ishii came back, blasting Sabre with a suplex and hit the sliding D. Sabre came back with the octopus hold then transitioned into a pinning combination for 2. 

Sabre went for an inside crable but Sabre escaped. Ishii connected with a pop-up headbutt but Sabre comes back and traps Ishii in a triangle. Ishii went for a deadlift but Sabre grabbed the injured arm, countered with an armbar and Ishii immediately submitted. Great match with an excellent finish. Ishii doesn’t submit like that too often, and the way the finish was applied made you feel like it hurt like hell.

Kenny Omega defeated Juice Robinson

They start out slow, with some good back and forth. Omega sent Juice to the outside and went for the rise of the Terminator but Juice came back with a spear through the middle rope. On the outside, they teased barricade shots before Juice suplexed Omega on the floor. 

Juice followed with a rolling senton as he tried to build momentum in the ring. Omega avoided a rolling cannonball, but Omega dodged. Juice cut him off and hit the cannonball. Omega started to gain momentum by working on Juice’s hurt wrist.

Juice went for the Pulp Friction but Omega threw him to the ground and hit a v-trigger, then another. Robinson connected with a roll-up, but Omega kicked out, hit a v-trigger, then pinned Robinson. This was pretty good, but didn’t feel like it reached the level I thought it would reach, if that makes any sense.

SANADA defeated Kota Ibushi

Things start out even. Ibushi went for the golden triangle moonsault, but SANADA blocked it, grabbed him and teased like he was going to go for something on the ramp, but didn’t. He takes him back to the ring instead and finds and opening by targeting his left leg.

SANADA went to the top rope but Ibushi cut him off with a kick and hit a giant hurricanrana off the top rope. They make it to the outside, where Ibushi wipes out SANADA with an Asai moonsault off the middle rope. Ibushi went for the Last Ride powerbomb but SANADA escaped and connected with a missile dropkick.

They both countered German suplex attempts as SANADA tried for the Skull End, but Ibushi escaped and connected with a kick to the temple. SANADA avoids the kamigoye and looks to lock in the skull end but Ibushi counters and lifts him up. SANADA gets to his feet, lifts Ibushi and lawn darts him into the turnbuckle.

SANADA goes up top, makes it to his feet after Ibushi dodges but doesn’t see Ibushi coming down with a double foot stomp. The two strike one another before Ibushi unloads with a lariat. Last Ride powerbomb doesn’t get the job done. SANADA comes back with an ego trip neckbreaker for a near fall and connects with the skull end. 

SANADA lets him escape and connects with the moonsault, pinning him to with the match. This told a great story about two guys who wanted to go out and have a great match while mirroring each other move for move, and they did just that. A fantastic match with great heat and lots of cool spots.

SANADA grabs the microphone after the match, which got a huge pop since he doesn’t talk much. He put over Nagaoka. “Nagaoka, see you next time” he said in English as he made his exit.