NJPW G1 Climax 29 night 14 results: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo Takagi
The G1 Climax 29 continued today in Osaka with B Block action.
Here are the results and match recaps.
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SHOTA UMINO & REN NARITA DEFEATED TOA HENARE & YUYA UEMURA
A nice little showcase for the Young Lions here. Narita held his own with Henare at first, but Henare came back with a suplex and went to work.
Henare and Uemura worked over Narita’s left leg. Narita’s selling was excellent. Narita hit a release belly-to-belly, and Umino got a hot tag. Uemura quickly cut him off, but Umino came back with an elbow, then a dropkick.
The finish saw Umino use a powerbomb for a nearfall, then followed with a fisherman suplex on Uemura for the pin.
MINORU SUZUKI, LANCE ARCHER & ZACK SABRE JR. DEFEATED SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI
This was built around SANADA battling the effects of his nearly 30 minute battle with Okada yesterday.
SANADA sold for Suzuki and Archer most of the way. EVIL and Sabre tagged in for a quick back-and-forth. BUSHI and Suzuki got tags, and Suzuki used a misdirection spot, then a rear naked choke into a Gotch-style piledriver for the pin.
After the bout, Archer went after SANADA. He applied the EBD Claw, then continued fighting SANADA to the back.
BAD LUCK FALE, YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI, KOTA IBUSHI & TOMOAKI HONMA
Bullet Club attacked Tanahashi as he posed on the ropes during his entrance. They turned this into a brawl, as Fale choked Tanahashi with a camera cable.
Tanahashi sold for a while, then hit a dragon screw to Yujiro. Ibushi tagged in for some signature offense on Yujiro, including a standing moonsault.
Honma and Owens tagged in. Honma teased a kokeshi off the second rope, but missed with it. Honma couldn’t keep up with the pace of Owens here, which was sad.
Owens hit a package piledriver for the pin, while Fale used a Grenade on Tanahashi ahead of their matchup later this week.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA, WILL OSPREAY & YOSHI-HASHI DEFEATED KENTA, CLARK CONNORS & KARL FREDERICKS
YOSHI-HASHI got the submission win over Connors with a Butterfly Lock.
Aside from a couple of brief sequences between Ospreay and KENTA, this was mostly a showcase for the selling ability of the L.A. Dojo boys, Connors and Fredericks.
Fredericks continues to show more potential than Connors, but Connors had a nice outing here.
KENTA and Ospreay’s sequences were mostly teases and counters, as KENTA avoided Ospreay’s tiger wall flip kick, while Ospreay avoided the Busaiku knee strike of KENTA. KENTA did connect with a one-legged dropkick.
Ospreay and KENTA had a quick pull-apart after the match.
B BLOCK MATCH: TOMOHIRO ISHII DEFEATED TORU YANO (9:36)
This was super entertaining.
Yano exposed two buckles before the opening bell. He sent Ishii into both, then pulled Ishii’s shirt over his head. Yano used three quick cradles for nearfalls.
Yano got a chair, and sat it on the ramp. Yano sat down. He begged Ishii to come outside with him, but Ishii declined, and the referee started to count. Yano jummped up pat 17, and made it back in at 19.
Back inside, Ishii lit Yano up with chops in the corner. Yano avoided a charge into the corner, and Ishii twice got sent into the exposed buckle.
Ishii hit a short clothesline, then a powerslam. He taunted Yano with short kicks to the head, and Yano fired up. They had an intense striking battle, and Yano actually dropped Ishii with a short forearm.
Ishii made it back to his feet, then hit a release German. Yano used two quick cradles for nearfalls. Ishii got sent into the exposed buckle again, and Yano used a schoolboy for a nearfall.
Yano hit a lariat, then used a belly-to-belly for a nearfall. Ishii came back with a headbutt, then hit his own lariat for a nearfall.
They traded low blow attempts, then traded cradles for nearfalls, as things got really chaotic.
Ishii hit a sliding lariat, then hit the vertical drop brainbuster for the pin.
B BLOCK MATCH: TAICHI DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON (12:29)
I didn’t like this match. Too many distractions and ref bumps, and too much interference in a bout that didn’t need those things to be good.
Miho Abe and Yoshinobu Kanemaru accompanied Taichi to the ring. Before the opening bell, Abe took the referee, while Kanemaru attacked Juice on the ramp.
Taichi used a buzzsaw kick for a nearfall immediately after the opening bell. Juice came back with a full nelson bomb. Abe and Kanemaru provided another distraction on the outside, and Abe slapped Juice.
They traded jabs and kicks, back inside. Juice blocked a thrust kick, while Taichi blocked a Juice Box. Juice connected with a leg lariat, a corner clothesline, then a cannonball.
Juice went for Pulp Friction, but Taichi blocked it. Taichi hit a kamaguri. Taichi hit an axe bomber, but Juice came back with a Juice Box.
Juice hit a powerbomb for a nearfall, then used the grip to transition to a crab. This is where things really fell apart.
Kanemaru jumped on the apron for a distraction. The referee took a bump. Taichi avoided Pulp Friction. Kanemaru tried to spit whiskey in Juice’s eyes, but Juice hit him with the Left Hand of God, then a pescado.
Back inside, Taichi spit whiskey in Juice’s eyes, then used a Gedo Clutch for a nearfall.
Taichi followed with a buzzsaw kick, then hit Black Mephisto for the pin.
B BLOCK MATCH: HIROOKI GOTO DEFEATED JEFF COBB (11:20)
This was neither man’s best match, but they showed great effort. Neither guy is built for a technical classic on their own, and this was a hard-hitting big guy match as a result.
They traded tackles and dropdowns in the opening sequence. Cobb hit a dropkick, sending Goto rolling to the floor. Cobb sent Goto into the security fence, then threw Goto back into the ring.
Goto blocked a throw, then hit a discus lariat. Goto hit a suplex for a nearfall. They traded lariats, then Cobb hit a spin cycle. They exchanged lariats again, then Cobb hit a leaping uppercut forearm. Cobb followed up with a standing moonsault for a two count.
They battled their way to the top rope, where Cobb connected with a delayed superplex for a two count. Cobb teased Tour of the Islands, but Goto countered with an ushigoroshi.
Goto hit a series of mid kicks, then hit an inverted GTR for a nearfall. Goto went for a traditional GTR, but Cobb fought it off, then hit a superkick. Goto blocked a throw, then hit a belly-to-belly for a two count.
Cobb hit a snap German, then went for Tour of the Islands. Goto reversed the attempt into another ushigoroshi, then hit a GTR for the pin.
B BLOCK MATCH: JAY WHITE DEFEATED JON MOXLEY (15:20)
Too many shenanigans leading to the finish in this one for my liking. I understand the desire to protect Moxley, and White is an important building block. At some point, though, you have to question whether it helps White to have all of his wins come as a result of interference.
Moxley went after White before the match, not allowing White to do his usual stalling routine at the opening bell.
This was all Moxley early. He used basic offense, primarily punches and chops. He set up a table, but Gedo took the table down.
White clotheslined Moxley with the top rope, then used a series of DDTs to establish his first real offense of the match. White hit a Blade Buster, then tossed Moxley outside. White sent Moxley into the barricade, then posted him. Moxley began selling his left shoulder as a result.
Moxley started a comeback. He hit a one-legged dropkick, then a suicide dive. Moxley took the fight to the floor, then dragged White into the crowd for a brawl. Back at ringside, Moxley used a figure four around the post.
They finally made their way back inside, where Moxley used a cloverleaf. He transitioned to an STF, but White reached the ropes. White cut Moxley off with a suplex into the buckle, a Saito suplex, a flatliner, then a deadlift German.
White hit a uranage for a two count. Moxley hit an X-plex for a nearfall of his own. They trades strikes. Moxley teased the Regal knee, but Gedo provided a quick distraction. Moxley hit a Death Rider, but only got a two count.
Moxley tried for another Death Rider, but White pulled referee Red Shoes to the ground. Gedo jumped in with brass knuckles. White hit a low blow, then used a rollup for a nearfall. Moxley countered with his own rollup for two.
Moxley hit the Regal knee for a two count. Moxley went for another Death Rider, but Gedo jumped on the apron for a distraction. White hit two sleeper suplexes. Moxley flipped White double middle fingers.
White hit a Bloody Sunday DDT, then hit Blade Runner. He covered, and pinned Moxley.
B BLOCK MATCH: TETSUYA NAITO DEFEATED SHINGO TAKAGI (27:15)
What a match. This was an absolute joy to watch.
They teased a couple of lockups, but Naito backed off. They finally tied up, and Naito backed Shingo into the ropes. Naito broke cleanly, but Shingo tried to hit a chop on the break. Naito avoided it.
They did an intricate series of counters and reversals, ending with Shingo pulling out of a side headlock on the mat. Naito offered a fist bump, but Shingo refused. Shingo hit a chop, but got sent outside after a dropkick. Naito teased a dive, but hit his Tranquilo pose instead.
Shingo tossed a chair into the ring. Naito set up the chair, and hit a drop toehold on Shingo into the chair.
Naito used his legs to tie Shingo up in a crucifix hold, but Shingo reached the ropes. Naito tried for the combinacion cabron, but Shingo caught him coming in. They exchanged strikes in the center of the ring, before Naito raked Shingo’s eyes.
Shingo used a hair pull, while Naito spit in Shingo’s face. Shingo connected with a jab-chop combination, then clotheslined Naito over the top rope.
On the outside, Shingo sent Naito into the railing. He then whipped him over the barricade. Shingo posted Naito. He dropped Naito face-first on the apron, then hit a DDT on the floor.
Shingo hit a slingshot knee to the chest, back inside. He followed with a lariat, then a shoulder tackle. On the mat, Shingo used a headlock. He followed with a kneedrop to the chest. Naito came back with palm strikes, an inverted atomic drop, then a hurricanrana.
Naito hit a back elbow, a dropkick to the back, then a combinacion cabron. Naito used a neckbreaker, but only got a one count. Naito missed on a swinging DDT attempt, and Shingo connected with a pop-up DVD.
Shingo hit a top rope back elbow for a two count. He missed with a sliding lariat, and Naito countered with an enziguri. Naito hit a draping neckbreaker over his knee, then teased a top rope reverse rana. Shingo slipped out, then hit noshigami.
Shingo tried for a short lariat, but Naito blocked it, then hit a swinging DDT. Naito went for Gloria, but Shingo blocked it. Naito hit a wheel kick, then a flying forearm. Naito then hit Gloria for a nearfall.
Naito teased Destino, but Shingo blocked it. Naito tried for a poison rana, but Shingo blocked that, then hit a powerbomb. Shingo hit a wheelbarrow German, suplexing Naito into the turnbuckle.
Shingo hit a pair of corner clotheslines. Naito dropped to the mat, selling exhaustion. Shingo climbed the ropes, with Naito draped over his shoulders. Naito fought off whatever Shingo had in mind. Naito tried a frankensteiner off the top. Shingo blocked it at first, but Naito ultimately connected with the move.
Naito hit a poison rana. He teased Destino, but Shingo cut him off with a huge lariat, and Naito took a flip bump at the 20 minute mark.
Shingo went for Made in Japan, but Naito blocked it. Shingo hit a couple of brutal lariats. He went for a third, but Naito blocked it. Shingo hit a third lariat in the ropes, then a Saito suplex. Naito countered with a sick dragon suplex.
Naito hit a dropkick. He went for Destino, but Shingo countered into Made in Japan. He covered, but Naito kicked out.
Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber, and Naito took another flip bump. He covered, but Naito again kicked out.
Shingo went for Last of the Dragon, but Naito reversed it into a Destino. Naito could not follow up, and they did a double down.
They exchanged punches on the mat, then traded headbutts. Back on their feet, Naito spit at Shingo, then hit a series of strikes. Shingo fired back, and they continued trading at the 25 minute call.
Shingo hit a headbutt. Naito blocked a suplex, and reversed it into a brainbuster for a nearfall.
Shingo escaped a Destino, then hit a Pumping Bomber. Shingo tried for Last of the Dragon, but Naito hit a Canadian Destroyer. Naito then hit Destino — but only got a two count.
Naito hit another Destino, and this time it was enough. 1-2-3.
G1 STANDINGS
A BLOCK
⦁ Kazuchika Okada 12 (holds tiebreaker over KENTA, yet to face EVIL, Ibushi)
⦁ Kota Ibushi 10 (holds tiebreaker over KENTA, yet to face Okada)
⦁ EVIL 8 (holds tiebreaker over Ibushi, yet to face Okada)
⦁ KENTA 8 (holds tiebreaker over EVIL)
⦁ Hiroshi Tanahashi 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
⦁ Jay White 8
⦁ Tomohiro Ishii 8
⦁ Hirooki Goto 8
⦁ Tetsuya Naito 8
⦁ Juice Robinson 6
⦁ Toru Yano 6
⦁ Jeff Cobb 6
⦁ Taichi 6 (eliminated)
⦁ Shingo Takagi 4 (eliminated)