NJPW G1 Climax 31 A Block winner crowned

One half of the G1 Climax 31 finals are set following today’s A Block finale. 

Kota Ibushi defeated KENTA in the main event of today’s show at Yokohama Budokan to advance to his record fourth consecutive G1 finals. Ibushi extends the record that he set last year, as he is the only wrestler to make it to three G1 finals in a row, let alone four. 

Ibushi finished A Block with 14 points and 7-2 record. He began the tournament 1-2, but won his final six bouts to stand alone atop the Block. 

Ibushi now awaits the winner of Wednesday’s B Block finale between Jeff Cobb and Kazuchika Okada to determine who he will face in Thursday’s G1 Climax 31 finals. Okada needs a win to advance. Cobb can advance with a win, a draw, a no contest, a double countout or a double DQ.

Ibushi entered the final night of A Block tied with Shingo Takagi, Zack Sabre Jr. and KENTA with 12 points. Shingo went to a double countout with Yujiro Takahashi to finish at 13. Sabre lost to Tanga Loa to remain at 12. Those results set up a winner-take-all scenario in the main event. 

Here are the final A Block standings, the current B Block standings, plus the match lineup for the B Block finals on Wednesday. 

Standings —

A Block 

*Point totals and records include forfeit wins*

  • Kota Ibushi 14 points (7-2) *A Block winner*
  • Shingo Takagi 13 points (6-2-1) *eliminated*
  • KENTA 12 points (6-3) *eliminated*
  • Zack Sabre Jr. 12 points (6-3) *eliminated*
  • Toru Yano 10 points (5-4) *eliminated*
  • Tomohiro Ishii 10 points (5-4) *eliminated*
  • Great-O-Khan 8 points (4-5) *eliminated*
  • Tanga Loa 6 points (3-6) *eliminated*
  • Yujiro Takahashi 5 points (2-6-1) *eliminated*
  • Tetsuya Naito 0 points (0-9) *withdrew with knee injury, forfeited eight matches*

B Block 

  • Jeff Cobb 16 points (8-0)
  • Kazuchika Okada 14 points (7-1)
  • EVIL 12 points (6-2) *eliminated*
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi 8 points (4-4) *eliminated*
  • SANADA 8 points (4-4) *eliminated*
  • Tama Tonga 6 points (3-5) *eliminated*
  • YOSHI-HASHI 4 points (2-6) *eliminated*
  • Hirooki Goto 4 points (2-6) *eliminated*
  • Chase Owens 4 points (2-6) *eliminated*
  • Taichi 4 points (2-6) *eliminated*

Schedule —

G1 Climax 31 night 18, Wednesday, October 20, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
  • B Block: SANADA vs. EVIL
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Chase Owens
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga
  • B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi
  • Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita

G1 Climax 31 Finals, Thursday, October 21, 5 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • A Block winner vs. B Block winner