NJPW G1 Climax 31 night 15 results: Shingo vs. Great-O-Khan
The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today in Sendai.
Shingo Takagi took on The Great-O-Khan in the main event, while Zack Sabre Jr. faced Toru Yano in the semi-main.
KENTA vs. Tanga Loa and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yujiro Takahashi were the other tournament matches.
Kota Ibushi vs. Satoshi Kojima, plus Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kosei Fujita were the non-tournament matches today.
Here are results and a report from the show.
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Recommended matches —
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yujiro Takahashi
- Kota Ibushi vs. Satoshi Kojima
Report —
Hiromu Takahashi defeated Kosei Fujita (7:46)
Hiromu gave Fujita a little bit more than he gave Oiwa last night, but not much. They had the same basic match.
Oiwa wanted to wrestle, but Hiromu just chopped his chest raw. Oiwa hit a slam, Hiromu cut him off with more chops. Hiromu went for a crab, but Oiwa used a small package for a near fall.
Hiromu hit more chops, then used the Boston crab for the submission.
Kota Ibushi defeated Satoshi Kojima (14:56)
I’m not even sure Ibushi broke a sweat here and he still had a great match. This was very good stuff.
They began simply, trading side headlocks and shoulder tackles. Kojima went for a plancha, but Ibushi got out of the way. Ibushi sent Kojima into the barricade and hit a big boot. Ibushi hit a slingshot splash back into the ring for a near fall.
After a rest hold, Ibushi won a striking battle. Ibushi hit a springboard dropkick. Ibushi missed an elbow in the corner, allowing Kojima to hit machine gun chops and his top rope elbow for a near fall as the momentum shifted.
Kojima hit a rolling elbow. Ibushi hit a flying mid kick. Ibushi hit a combination of strikes and a standing moonsault as he regained control. Kojima fought out of a last ride and hit a DDT. They rolled to the apron. Kojima hit a DDT on the apron. Ibushi may not have been able to beat the count back in, but Kojima went out after him and threw him back in.
Ibushi blocked a cutter and hit a last ride for a two count. Ibushi hit a Bomaye for another near fall. Kojima blocked Kamigoye and hit a cutter. Kojima hit a brainbuster for a near fall.
Ibushi blocked one lariat, but Kojima hit one with his other arm for a near fall. Ibushi hit a massive lariat. They hit simultaneous lariats. Ibushi went down, but Kojima did not. Ibushi blocked another lariat and hit a v-trigger.
Ibushi followed with the Kamigoye to get the pin.
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii defeated Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) (17:00)
Ishii isn’t going to have a bad match. If he’s in there with someone who can’t work up to his level, he’s going to make sure the psychology is superb, so they laid out an intricate match with a bunch of counters and reversals of big moves.
Yujiro attacked as soon as Ishii stepped through the ropes. They brawled to the floor. Pieter took the ref while Yujiro used his walking stick on Ishii. Back in, they traded chops. Yujro used his legdrop and fisherman buster.
Ishii came back with a whip into the corner and a superplex. Ishii went for a powerbomb, Yujiro blocked by biting Ishii’s hand. Yujiro again avoided the powerbomb and hit a DDT. Ishii blocked an Angle slam. They traded strikes. Yujiro then connected with the slam for a two count. Ishii blocked Miami Shine. Yujiro blocked an enzuigiri and hit a lariat.
Yujiro hit a buckle bomb. He almost dropped Ishii right on his head as he just barely made it into the buckle. I watched this three times and I’m not entirely certain Ishii’s head didn’t just bounce right off the mat. He was okay enough to finish the match, and he’s so good at selling that it’s impossible to say, but I’m pretty sure he hurt his head, neck and shoulder on this spot.
Yujiro hit Miami Shine for a two count. Ishii blocked Pimp Juice and hit a Saito suplex.
They traded strikes. Ishii hit an enzuigiri and a sliding lariat for a two count. Ishii fired up and hit another lariat. Yujiro reversed Ishii’s finisher into a brainbuster. Yujiro hit Pimp Juice, but Ishii kicked out.
Ishii blocked Big Juice. They did a great series of counters and reversals. Ishii hit a lariat for a near fall, then hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster to get the pin.
A Block: KENTA defeated Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (22:12)
KENTA saves himself for big spots, and he did not consider this a big spot. The match wasn’t bad, but I marvel sometimes at the way he manages to do absolutely nothing.
KENTA spent the first five minutes of the match running away from Loa. KENTA would roll outside, Loa would go out after him, KENTA would roll back in the ring.
Jado finally put a stop to this and blocked KENTA as he went to roll out of the ring. Loa then took control of the match. He used a chinlock and an OJK. Loa busted out a standing moonsault for a near fall. Loa used a blue thunder bomb.
KENTA got a brief comeback with a powerslam and a clothesline off the top, but Loa regained control after tossing KENTA outside and into the barricade. KENTA cut Loa off as he went to get back in and hit a green killer for a near fall. KENTA hit a double stomp off the top for a two count.
They traded strikes. Loa hit an exploder. KENTA bumped the referee and hit a low blow. Jado got on the apron. KENTA kicked the middle rope into Jado’s groin.
KENTA grabbed Jado’s kendo stick and did the Eddie Guerrero spot as the referee was revived. As the ref went to get Jado out of the ring, Loa hit a low blow on KENTA.
Loa went for a powerbomb. KENTA blocked. Loa went for Apesh*t, but KENTA backed him into the buckle and schoolboyed him with his feet on the ropes for the pin.
A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Toru Yano (6:42)
This was short. A typical Yano comedy match.
Sabre tried to steal a win by attacking Yano as he stepped through the ropes. Sabre used a cradle for a near fall. Yano got a cradle for two. Sabre got another near fall.
Yano rolled out to the floor. Sabre went after him. Yano got back in the ring. Yano hit a belly-to-belly. Sabre rolled outside. Yano carried Sabre backstage. Yano ran back to the ring. Sabre entered with a blindfold on. Sabre beat the count.
Yano used a cross armbreaker. Sabre reversed into his own cross armbreaker, but Yano got his foot on the ropes. They fought on the floor. Yano crawled under the ring. Sabre pulled him back out with an ankle lock.
Yano brought out a pair of handcuffs. Sabre cuffed himself to Yano. They beat the count back in. Yano used a fireman’s carry into a cradle. They traded cradles. Sabre got a cross armbreaker. Yano got the handcuff key out, but Sabre kept him from freeing himself and Yano tapped.
A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated Great-O-Khan (25:50)
This was missing something. Shingo had his ribs taped up, but O-Khan didn’t really go after them until past the 15 minute mark. They just kind of went back and forth, your turn, my turn on offense until that point.
After trading shoulder blocks, Shingo rolled outside in an attempt to control the pace. O-Khan knocked him off the apron with a pump kick, then sent him into the barricade. O-Khan again sent Shingo into the fence.
O-Khan used a nerve hold and a chinlock. They traded chops. They traded Mongolian chops. Shingo hit a DDT, a knee lift and got a knockdown off a tackle. Shingo hit a corner clothesline and a vertical suplex.
O-Khan blocked a sliding lariat and hit a judo throw. O-Khan tied Shingo to the tree of woe and hit a running kick. O-Khan used the iron claw on the back of Shingo’s head. Shingo fired up and hit a combination of strikes in the corner.
They traded strikes. Shingo hit a lariat and a Saito suplex. O-Khan answered with a pump kick. Each no-sold a suplex. Shingo hit a sliding lariat. O-Khan blocked Made in Japan and noshigami.
O-Khan used a bearhug and slammed Shingo into the corner pad. O-Khan used the sheep killer. He gave up the hold and hit a slam for a two count.
Shingo blocked the Eliminator and got a cross armbreaker applied. Shingo snapped back on the arm. O-Khan absorbed two lariats. Shingo blocked a pump kick and used it to set up Made in Japan for a near fall.
O-Khan reversed a Last of the Dragon attempt into a gordbuster. They traded strikes. Shingo blocked an iron claw with a short forearm strike.
O-Khan blocked Last of the Dragon. O-Khan blocked a Pumping Bomber with a lariat for a near fall.
Shingo blocked the Eliminator and hit a dragon suplex and a sliding forearm. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber for a near fall.
Shingo hit Last of the Dragon and got the pin.
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Here is the lineup for the next show:
G1 Climax 31 night 16, Thursday, October 14, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
- B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
- B Block: Jeff Cobb vs. EVIL
- B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI
- B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA
- B Block: Taichi vs. Chase Owens
- Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita