NJPW G1 Climax 31 night 11 results: Ishii vs. Great-O-Khan
The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today in Hiroshima.
Tomohiro Ishii took on The Great-O-Khan in the main event, while Shingo Takagi faced Toru Yano in the semi-main.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Yujiro Takahashi and Kota Ibushi vs. Tanga Loa were the other tournament matches today.
Hiromu Takahashi vs. KENTA and El Desperado vs. Ryohei Oiwa were the non-G1 matches.
Here are results and a report from the show.
**********
Recommended matches —
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Great-O-Khan
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. KENTA
- Kota Ibushi vs. Tanga Loa
Report —
El Desperado defeated Ryohei Oiwa (6:38)
This was a fun little battle.
They traded holds. Desperado fish hooked Oiwa to get the better of the grappling exchange. They then traded strikes. Desperado took the match back to the mat and went to work on Oiwa’s legs.
Oiwa hit a cool suplex out of a waistlock, then hit a dropkick. He tried for a crab, but Desperado fought him off and used an Indian deathlock. Oiwa tried to fight out with strikes, but eventually tapped out.
KENTA defeated Hiromu Takahashi (19:01)
Very good stuff. They worked Hiromu’s pace and KENTA more than held his own.
Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick right off the bat. They brawled to the outside. Hiromu threw KENTA into the fence, but KENTA posted Hiromu to take control of the bout. KENTA mocked Tetsuya Naito’s signature taunt.
Hiromu made a comeback with a hurricanrana and a falcon arrow. KENTA escaped a dynamite plunger and hit a powerslam. KENTA hit a DDT for a near fall. KENTA hit a swing DDT across the top rope, then another DDT.
KENTA locked on Game Over. Hiromu fought out as KENTA tried to re-position the hold. KENTA low-bridged Hiromu to the floor. He teased a DDT off the apron, but Hiromu shoved KENTA into the security fence. KENTA hit a powerslam on the floor.
KENTA hit a stalling dropkick in the corner as Hiromu climbed back into the ring. KENTA missed with a double stomp off the top. Hiromu launched KENTA into the corner pad with a release German.
They traded strikes. KENTA bumped Hiromu into the referee and hit a DDT. With the ref out, KENTA brought a chair in. Hiromu dared KENTA to use the chair, so KENTA hit a series of strikes instead. They traded strikes. Hiromu hit the ropes, but KENTA tossed the chair at him. KENTA then hit two more chair shots and a Green Killer on the chair. The ref was revived, but Hiromu kicked out at two.
Hiromu escaped two GTS attempts, but KENTA hit him with a series of palm strikes to the face and neck. Hiromu tried to block a Busaiku knee with a lariat, but couldn’t get any power on it. They stumbled as Hiromu went for a victory royal, but Hiromu got it on his second attempt for a double down.
KENTA slid out of a Time Bomb attempt. Hiromu hit two thrust kicks and a lariat for a near fall. Hiromu hit a DVD into the corner pad. KENTA escaped another Time Bomb attempt, sent Hiromu into an exposed turnbuckle and used a schoolboy for the pin.
A Block: Kota Ibushi defeated Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (13:46)
This was not the most crisp effort in the sense that their timing wasn’t perfect, but they worked hard and had a great match.
Ibushi hit a dropkick and sent Loa rolling to the floor. Ibushi teased a running kick against the barricade, but Loa hit a spear on the floor. Back inside, Loa used a chinlock and an exploder.
Ibushi came back with a flying mid kick, a powerslam, then hit a second rope moonsault for a near fall. Loa hit a combination of strikes and a blue thunder bomb for a two count. Ibushi answered with a last ride for a two count.
Ibushi went for a Kamigoye to the back, but Loa reversed and hit his own Kamigoye to the back. Loa hit a powerbomb for a two count. They traded Germans, then traded poison ranas.
Ibushi hit a Bomaye. He tried to set up Kamigoye, but Loa hit a spear instead. Ibushi escaped Apesh*t and hit a tombstone.
Ibushi then hit Kamigoye to get the win.
A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) (14:15)
Our run of good matches tonight ended here. This was a style clash to say the least.
Sabre was outclassing Yujiro on the mat early. Yujiro used the threat of a ref bump to set up a low blow, but Sabre blocked. Sabre continued to dominate on the mat.
Yujiro bit Sabre’s foot and hit a basement dropkick. Sabre rolled to the floor. Yujiro sent him into the barricade, then used his pimp cane as a weapon. Sabre beat the count back inside.
Yujiro worked Sabre over in a dull manner. Just slow-motion offense after slow-motion offense. Sabre blocked a fisherman buster and kicked at Yujiro’s left arm. Sabre continued to attack the arm. Yujiro answered with a reverse DDT.
Sabre reversed an Angle slam into a crucifix for a two count. Yujiro missed a sliding dropkick. Yujiro then hit the Angle slam. They traded strikes. Sabre got an octopus applied, but Yujiro hit Miami Shine out of it for a two count.
Yujiro hit Pimp Juice for a near fall. He went for Big Juice, but Sabre pretzeled him with a head scissors and a hammerlock. Yujiro tapped out.
A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated Toru Yano (8:17)
As Yano comedy matches go, this was certainly not a classic.
Yano produced two blindfolds. He threw one to Shingo and tried to get him to put it on. Shingo relented when the crowd cheered for it. As soon as he put his on, Yano took his own blindfold off and used a schoolboy for a two count.
They did some more comedy with the blindfolds, then dueled with the corner pads. Shingo hit chops and a senton for a near fall. They traded strikes, then pulled each other’s hair.
Yano hit a drop toe hold into an exposed buckle for a near fall, then hit a low blow for another. Shingo hit a lariat. He pulled Yano’s shirt over his head and hit a sliding lariat for a two count.
With Yano’s shirt still pulled over his head, Shingo hit Last of the Dragon for the pin.
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii defeated Great-O-Khan (26:26)
Ishii used every trick he knows to get a great match out of O-Khan.
Neither would go down as they traded shoulder tackles. O-Khan used a misdirection shoulder tackle to finally send Ishii to the mat. They traded strikes. Ishii scored a knockdown off a forearm strike, but sold his right arm after.
They fought to the outside. O-Khan sent Ishii into the barricade. Ishii sold his arm and his lower back. Back inside, Ishii avoided O-Khan sitting on his neck in the corner, but O-Khan hit a Mongolian chop off the middle rope.
Ishii hit a tackle, then a series of chops. Ishii hit a vertical suplex. O-Khan caught Ishii charging in and hit a throw. O-Khan tied Ishii to the tree of woe and hit a sliding dropkick. The referee freed Ishii from the corner.
They traded chops as the match reset. O-Khan hit two Mongolian chops. Ishii stepped out of the way of a third and hit a backdrop suplex. Each no-sold forearm shots from the other. O-Khan finally dropped Ishii with a heavy forearm in the corner at 15 minutes.
Ishii blocked a superplex and hit a powerbomb out of the corner for a two count. O-Khan blocked a sliding lariat and used a head and arm choke. Ishii escaped and hit a divorce court, then used a kimura. He slipped to a cross armbreaker, but O-Khan forced a break.
Ishii blocked an iron claw. They traded some working headbutts, then Ishii hit a headbutt to the chest. Ishii hit a sliding lariat for a two count.
O-Khan escaped a brainbuster. Ishii blocked a pump kick. O-Khan hit a gordbuster into a double down at 20 minutes.
O-Khan hit a back suplex for a two count. Ishii hit forearm strikes. O-Khan hit a pounce. O-Khan blocked a lariat and locked on the sheep killer. O-Khan hit a tombstone driver, but Ishii kicked out at two.
Ishii escaped the Eliminator. Ishii hit a German. O-Khan rolled through on the suplex and hit a pump kick. O-Khan hit the ropes, but ran into a lariat. O-Khan kicked out at one.
O-Khan ducked a lariat and hit his own clothesline just past 25 minutes. They teased finishers. Ishii hit an enzuigiri. Ishii hit a lariat. O-Khan kicked out at two.
Ishii hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster and got the pin.
**********
Here is the lineup for the next show:
G1 Climax 31 night 12, Friday, October 8, 6 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
- B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi
- B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
- B Block: SANADA vs. Jeff Cobb
- B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Chase Owens
- B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tama Tonga
- El Desperado vs. Kosei Fujita