NJPW G1 Climax 29 night 13 results: Okada vs. SANADA

The G1 Climax 29 continued today in Osaka with A Block action. 

Here are the results and match recaps. 

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JUICE ROBINSON & TOA HENARE DEFEATED REN NARITA & YOTA TSUJI

Henare worked most of the match for his team. He gave the Young Lions quite a bit of offense, but pinned Tsuji with a Toa Bottom. 

TOMOHIRO ISHII, HIROOKI GOTO & YOSHI-HASHI DEFEATED TORU YANO, JEFF COBB & TOMOAKI HONMA

Not much to this one. 

Goto and Cobb had a nice exchange after some early Yano comedy. Honma and YH paired off. After missing one kokeshi, Honma hit two in a row. 

The match broke down, leaving YH and Honma the legal men, and YH used the Butterfly Lock to submit Honma. 

TETSUYA NAITO, SHINGO TAKAGI & BUSHI DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI, TAICHI & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU

Suzuki-gun turned this into a crowd brawl at the outset. BUSHI made a comeback against Suzuki, and Naito and Taichi got tags. 

Taichi targeted Naito’s ear, which had been busted open the other night. Naito hit a flying forearm, and Kanemaru and Shingo tagged in. 

Kanemaru hit a satelite DDT. Suzuki entered for the illegal double-team. Near the finish, Suzuki, Naito, BUSHI and Taichi brawled to the outside. 

Shingo caught Kanemaru coming off the top rope, then hit a pop-up DVD, a Pumping Bomber, then used Made in Japan for the pin. The way they worked to the finish was excellent.

Naito and Shingo face off tomorrow. They shared the LIJ fist bump after the match, but then had a brief staredown. 

JAY WHITE & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED JON MOXLEY & SHOTA UMINO

This was fun and told a good story. White was afraid of Moxley and did everything he could to avoid him. 

Umino had Owens in a crab, and it looked as though Owens would tap, but White made the save. Moxley jumped in and chased White outside. Owens hit a dropkick through the ropes, taking out Moxley. 

Back inside, Owens hit a knee strike, then tagged White. White hit the Blade Runner right away, and pinned Umino. 

A BLOCK MATCH: BAD LUCK FALE DEFEATED KENTA (7:20)

Fale tried for a tree slam right off the bat, but KENTA avoided it. Fale took the referee, allowing Jado to hit a kendo stick shot on KENTA from the floor. 

Fale sent KENTA into the barricade, then worked over his lower back with stomps. KENTA tried to fire up with slaps, but Fale countered with his own slap, and KENTA fell to the mat. 

KENTA used a guillotine to clothesline Fale on the top roe, then targeted his legs with dropkicks. KENTA hit a series of boots in the corner, then hit a delayed dropkick. 

KENTA hit a double stomp off the top. He covered, but only got a two count. KENTA teased the Go To Sleep, but he couldn’t get Fale up. Fale hit a lariat, then covered for a nearfall. 

Fale went for the Grenade, but KENTA jumped up and slapped on a triangle choke. He transitioned to the Game Over submission, but Chase Owens jumped up from the commentary table to distract the ref. 

With Owens distracting the referee, Jado entered and tried to hit KENTA with the kendo stick. KENTA caught the stick, but Fale used the distraction to schoolboy him for the pin. 

KENTA worked well with Fale, which is no easy task. All of the interference was to be expected given how many bells and whistles you need to make a Fale match passable. 

A BLOCK MATCH: ZACK SABRE JR. DEFEATED LANCE ARCHER (10:44)

The contrast in styles here made for a good story, and this felt like two guys trying to win an athletic contest. It had a real sports feel. Good stuff. 

Sabre made Archer chase him at the outset, figuring that he would have an edge when it came to agility. Archer kipped up off a trip takedown, and Sabre was forced to think of another strategy. 

Archer went for a twisting body press out of the corner, but missed. Sabre tried for a guillotine, but Archer threw him off. Sabre rolled outside. Archer teased a flip dive off the apron, but Sabre jumped to the apron, then used the ropes to slow Archer. He applied a guillotine, but Archer fought it off. 

Archer tried for a pounce, but Sabre caught him in a guillotine in a nice misdirection spot. Archer reached the ropes, then tried his rope-walk. Sabre crotched Archer, then tried another guillotine. Archer pushed Sabre off, then hit a crossbody off the top for a nearfall. 

Back on the mat, Sabre was able to get a triangle choke applied, then transitioned to an omoplata. Archer reached the ropes, forcing a break. Archer hit a powerbomb for a two count. 

Archer went for the EBD Claw, but Sabre avoided it. Sabre went after Archer’s arms with kicks. Archer came back with a Boss Man Slam for a nearfall. 

Archer hit a chokeslam. He had Sabre pinned, but he pulled him up at the count of two to do more damage. Archer went for Blackout, but Sabre slid out the back. Sabre applied a rear naked choke, then pulled Archer down into a crucifix for a pin. 

A BLOCK MATCH: EVIL DEFEATED WILL OSPREAY (17:09)

At a certain point, you run out of superlatives for Ospreay matches. This was excellent, but probably not even in the top ten best Ospreay matches this year. EVIL was great here as well. He is a master of misdirection spots. 

Ospreay came out on top in the opening sequence, sending EVIL to the outside. He teased a dive, but posed instead. EVIL tried to bait Ospreay with a chair, but Ospreay declined it, and allowed EVIL to get back inside. 

EVIL missed a senton. Ospreay tried a standing shooting star, but EVIL got his knees up. EVIL sent Ospreay to the floor with a clothesline, then used a chair shot on the ramp to take control of the bout. 

EVIL used a chinlock, then went for a vertical suplex. Ospreay twisted out of the suplex, turning it into a cutter. Ospreay hit a flying forearm, then connected with Pip Pip Cheerio for a nearfall. 

Ospreay missed with a Robinson Special. EVIL hit a mid kick, then suplexed Ospreay into the buckle. Ospreay got a brief hope spot with a trip takedown in the corner, but EVIL cut him off with a corner clothesline. 

EVIL teased a superplex, but Ospreay fought it off. EVIL tried to use the referee as the base for a Magic Killer, but Ospreay slipped out. Ospreay sent EVIL to the outside with a backflip kick, then hit a Sasuke Special. 

Ospreay hit a coast-to-coast for a two count. Ospreay hit a tiger wall flip, but EVIL cut him off with a big lariat. They exchanged strikes on the mat. They climbed to their feet, still trading. EVIL dropped Ospreay to his knees with a big forearm. 

EVIL went for Darkness Falls. After a series of reversals, he finally connected with the move for a nearfall. EVIL tried for Everything is EVIL, but Ospreay reversed it into a Liger Bomb for a great nearfall. 

Ospreay hit a hook kick. He missed with a Hidden Blade, but followed up with another hook kick. EVIL survived the exchange, then hit a headbutt. EVIL hit the ropes, but ran right into a Spanish Fly. Ospreay hit an Oscutter, but EVIL kicked out at two. 

Ospreay called for Storm Breaker. EVIL slid out. EVIL tried for a German, but Ospreay landed on his feet, then hit a Robinson Special. 

Ospreay tried for a super Oscutter, but EVIL caught him, then hit two half-and-half suplexes. EVIL hit a lariat for a two count. 

EVIL followed up with Everything is EVIL, and got the 1-2-3. 

A BLOCK MATCH: KOTA IBUSHI DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI (15:54)

This was a great match, and felt like a career-defining moment for Ibushi. 

They made the psychology of the match clear from the outset. Tana has bad knees, and wanted to keep Ibushi grounded. 

So, after an early exchange of headlocks, Ibushi hit a dropkick. Tana had enough of that, and took Ibushi down. He worked over Ibushi’s legs with kicks and stomps. 

Ibushi came back with a big mid kick, then hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Tana came back with a dropkick to the legs, then a dragon screw to the right leg. Tana hit a second dragon screw to the right leg, then applied a cloverleaf. Ibushi stayed in the hold for a long time, but finally reached the ropes. 

Ibushi rolled to the apron. Tanahashi hit a rope-assisted dragon screw to Ibushi’s left leg. Tana went up top and teased a High Fly Flow to the floor, but Ibushi cut him off, then hit a rana off the top rope, back into the ring. 

Ibushi avoided a low dropkick, and landed a double stomp. Ibushi lawn-darted Tana into the turnbuckle, and Tana rolled to the apron. Ibushi climbed the ropes, and hit a deadlift German for a two count. 

Tana avoided a Last Ride, and hit a slap to the face. Ibushi no-sold it. They traded a series of slaps to the face and neither man sold any of them. Ibushi finally ended the sequence with a lariat, into a double down. Ibushi was bleeding from the mouth. 

Ibushi hit a Last Ride, but only got a two count. Ibushi went for Kamigoye, but Tana reversed into Twist and Shout, which he hit three times. Tana hit slingblade for a nearfall. 

Tanahashi went up top, and landed a standing High Fly Flow. He went for another with Ibushi down, but Ibushi rolled out of the way, and Tanahashi sold his right knee on the landing. 

Ibushi hit a Bomaye, but Tanahashi kicked out. 

Ibushi went for Kamigoye, but Tanahashi turned it into a cradle for a nearfall. 

Ibushi hit a high kick, but Tana didn’t go down. Ibushi hit a second high kick, and Tana dropped to the mat. 

Ibushi followed with a Kamigoye for the pin. 

Ibushi was in tears after the match. Tanahashi pulled Ibushi in and shared some words with him. This was clearly very meaningful to Ibushi and a very cool moment. 

I won’t call this a passing of the torch, because I think Tanahashi will be in the top mix as long as he can walk. That said, with Ibushi signed long-term, this certainly felt like he was permanently placed in the main event picture with this win. 

A BLOCK MATCH: SANADA DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA (29:48)

This was superb. Almost as important as the wrestlers in the match, referee Red Shoes was incredible in his role. Without him selling the near-submissions towards the end, this would not have been nearly as dramatic. 

They began with some very basic stuff, trading headlocks and leg sweeps. SANADA hit a dropkick, then scored with a back elbow. Okada came back with his own back elbow for a knockdown, a back elbow in the corner, then a DDT out of the corner for a nearfall. 

SANADA avoided a top rope elbow, and Okada rolled through. SANADA went to the top rope, but Okada hit a dropkick, sending him to the floor. Okada sent SANADA into the barricade, then knocked him over the railing with a big boot. 

Still outside, Okada hit a draping DDT off the barricade. They did a countout tease, but SANADA got back in at 15. With SANADA seated, Okada hit a dropkick. Okada covered with one boot, but Red Shoes refused to count. Okada flat out playing heel. 

Okada hit an uppercut. He teased a dropkick, but SANADA hit a low dropkick to Okada’s legs. SANADA followed with his leapfrog dropkick. Okada rolled to the outside, and SANADA hit a pescado. 

Back inside, SANADA used the paradise lock. He broke the hold with a dropkick to Okada, then covered for a two count. After a series of reversals in the corner, Okada hit a flapjack, into a double down.

Okada missed a dropkick, and SANADA hit one instead. SANADA hit a back suplex for a two count. SANADA teased a springboard dropkick, but Okada cut him off with an air raid crash. Okada hit a top rope elbow. 

Okada hit his Rainmaker pose. SANADA reversed the Rainmaker into Skull End. Okada fought to the turnbuckle, stepped up, and flipped over into a tombstone. Okada went for a Rainmaker, but SANADA turned it into a draping neckbreaker, as they went to another double down. 

They exchanged strikes from their knees. They climbed back to their feet, and Okada started to trash-talk. Okada demanded that SANADA hit him in the neck. SANADA obliged, and they continued to trade shots. 

SANADA finally dropped Okada with a series of hard uppercuts. Okada came right back with two dropkicks. Okada teased a Rainmaker, but SANADA ducked under. SANADA tried for Skull End. Okada slipped to tombstone position, but SANADA pulled him back into Skull End. SANADA gave up the hold, then hit a tiger suplex for a nearfall. 

SANADA hit a TKO for a two count. SANADA went for a moonsault. Okada got out of the way, and SANADA landed on his feet. SANADA hit a moonsault into Skull End, but Okada pulled out of the hold and hit a short Rainmaker. 

Okada maintained control of SANADA’s wrist, and hit a second Rainmaker. Okada posed. He went for a spinning Rainmaker, but SANADA countered with his own Rainmaker. 

SANADA used a spinning Skull End. He dropped to the mat, and used a bodyscissors, with Skull End still applied. Okada popped his head out of the hold, as SANADA kept the bodyscissors applied. 

SANADA managed to get back to Skull End from the bodyscissors. Okada sat back into a pinning position for a nearfall. 

SANADA pulled Okada back into Skull End. SANADA finally gave up the hold. 

With two minutes left, SANADA went for a moonsault. Okada got his knees up, and we got another double down, this one with time running short. 

SANADA went for Skull End, but Okada escaped, and hit a dropkick. Okada went for a Rainmaker, but SANADA turned it into a pop-up TKO. 

SANADA hit two moonsaults, and finally got the pin. 

G1 STANDINGS

A BLOCK

⦁ Kazuchika Okada 12

⦁ Kota Ibushi 10

⦁ Hiroshi Tanahashi 8

⦁ EVIL 8

⦁ KENTA 8 (eliminated)

⦁ SANADA 6 (eliminated)

⦁ Zack Sabre Jr. 6 (eliminated)

⦁ Lance Archer 4 (eliminated)

⦁ Will Ospreay 4 (eliminated)

⦁ Bad Luck Fale 4 (eliminated)

B BLOCK

⦁ Jon Moxley 10

⦁ Tomohiro Ishii 6

⦁ Juice Robinson 6

⦁ Toru Yano 6

⦁ Tetsuya Naito 6

⦁ Hirooki Goto 6

⦁ Jay White 6

⦁ Jeff Cobb 6

⦁ Taichi 4 (eliminated)

⦁ Shingo Takagi 4 (eliminated)