NJPW G1 Climax 31 night 16 results: Cobb vs. EVIL
The G1 Climax 31 B Block continued today in Yamagata.
Kazuchika Okada took on Tama Tonga in the main event, while EVIL faced Jeff Cobb in the semi-main.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA and Taichi vs. Chase Owens were the other tournament matches.
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita was the non-tournament opener.
Here are results and a report from the show.
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Recommended matches —
- Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI
Report —
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI defeated Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita (7:12)
It’s amazing how far ahead of Fujita that Oiwa is. Oiwa is already good. The difference really shows.
Hiromu and Oiwa began and picked up where they left off the other night with Hiromu just chopping Oiwa half to death. Fujita jumped in for a double tackle on Hiromu and some of the only Young Lion offense of the match. BUSHI and Hiromu took turns working the young boys over.
Fujita made a brief comeback on BUSHI and got a crab applied, but Hiromu broke it up with chops. Hiromu went to the floor with Oiwa and sent him into the barricade as BUSHI used a Boston crab to quickly submit Fujita.
B Block: Chase Owens defeated Taichi (w/Miho Abe) (12:05)
Taichi must be hurting, because he hasn’t done much of anything in his last two matches. Owens took the bulk of the match and tried to work enough or both of them.
They started with some comedy, as Owens acted like he wanted a sumo match. He would posture up, then beg off and drink from a water bottle. They brawled outside. Owens reversed a whip into the barricade and followed with a dropkick into the barricade.
Owens worked over Taichi’s taped ribs. Taichi got a couple of hope spots with an axe bomber and a backdrop suplex, but Owens dominated. Owens asked Miho Abe to kiss him, she declined.
Taichi went for an axe bomber, but Owens cut him off at the pass and hit two v-triggers. He followed with a legdrop off the top and a package piledriver for the pin.
B Block: SANADA defeated Hirooki Goto (15:32)
They had a good closing stretch, but the match itself was nothing special.
After trading hammerlocks and headlocks, Goto sent SANADA outside after a shoulder tackle and a clothesline over the top. Back in, Goto worked a chinlock. SANADA pulled Goto off the second rope and rolled him outside.
SANADA sent Goto into the barricade. Back inside, SANADA used a paradise lock and a chinlock. Goto came back with a lariat, a heel kick, a bulldog and a misdirection lariat. SANADA fought off an ushigoroshi and hit a plancha.
Goto avoided a springboard dropkick and hit the ushigoroshi. They traded strikes. SANADA hit Goto with an ushigoroshi. Goto tried to use Skull End as they went for each other’s big moves, but SANADA reversed and hit a neckbreaker. SANADA missed a moonsault.
SANADA got Skull End. Goto reversed into a neckbreaker for a near fall. SANADA blocked a mid kick. SANADA used a cradle and an O’Connor roll for near falls. Goto escaped Skull End and cradled SANADA for two.
Goto hit a GTR. He missed with a lariat and SANADA used an O’Connor roll into a bridge for the pin.
B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated YOSHI-HASHI (14:13)
Very good stuff.
They traded headlocks. Tana hit a crossbody off the second rope and a dropkick to the knee. Tana worked over the left leg with a leg lock and an Indian deathlock. YH tried to fire back with chops, but Tana continued to keep him grounded by kicking at the left leg.
Tana missed a charge into the corner. YH hit a headhunter, chops and a neckbreaker. They did a great sequence where YH hit a vertical suplex, but Tana held on and hit twist and shout after landing. YH hit another vertical suplex off the grip. Tana hit two more twist and shouts from the position.
They traded strikes. YH ducked a slingblade. Each teased a dragon suplex, but YH was the first to land it. YH hit a lariat for a two count. Tana used an inside cradle for a near fall. YH hit a lariat. YH hit a backbreaker and a meteora.
YH hit kumagoroshi for a two count. Tana blocked Kharma and hit another twist and shout. They charged each other like rams. Tana hit slingblade. YH popped up and hit a lariat. Tana hit another slingblade for a near fall.
Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow. He followed with a second High Fly Flow to get the pin.
B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated EVIL (w/Dick Togo) (16:45)
This was the overbooked mess that you would expect.
EVIL rolled to the floor immediately. Togo jumped on the apron for a distraction. EVIL jumped Cobb from behind, but Cobb overcame the attack to hit a leapfrog dropkick. EVIL used another distraction from Togo to take Cobb to the floor.
EVIL sent Cobb into the barricade. EVIL hit his baseball swing chair shot. Togo exposed a buckle. EVIL hit chops in the corner, then raked Cobb’s face. EVIL bumped Cobb into the barricade and the ring announcer.
Cobb made his comeback on the floor. He sat EVIL at the timekeeper’s table and bumped Togo into him. Back inside, Cobb hit uppercut forearms and a standing moonsault for a near fall. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands, but EVIL blocked with an eye gouge and slammed Cobb into the exposed buckle.
Cobb blocked Everything is EVIL. Togo jumped on the apron. Cobb tried to bump EVIL into Togo, but knocked the ref out instead. Cobb hit a powerslam. Togo hit Cobb with a chair. EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. EVIL sent Cobb into the exposed buckle, but Cobb fired out with a lariat into a double down.
Togo interfered to prevent a Tour of the Islands. Cobb hit a spin cycle, but bumped the ref again. Togo choked Cobb with his ligature. Cobb hit a thrust kick to Togo. EVIL hit a low blow to Cobb.
Cobb ducked a chair shot and hit a thrust kick, sending the chair into EVIL. Cobb then hit Tour of the Islands for the pin.
B Block: Tama Tonga (w/Jado) defeated Kazuchika Okada (24:44)
Very good match with a great series of avoiding each other’s finishers in the closing stretch.
They began with some chain wrestling. Okada had the slight edge, then hit a slingshot senton to establish the advantage. Tonga rolled outside. Okada tried a whip into the barricade. Tonga reversed, but Okada jumped over the barricade to avoid impact. Tonga then hit a Gun Stun over the barricade to take over.
Okada beat the count back in. Tonga used a snap suplex and a chinlock. Okada came back with a flapjack. Okada sent Tonga outside and into the barricade. Okada blocked another Gun Stun on the barricade and hit a draping DDT off the barricade.
Back in, Okada went for the Money Clip. Tonga fought off the first attempt. Okada got it on a second time, but Tonga forced a break. Okada hit a DDT, a top rope elbow and a dropkick. Tonga ducked a Rainmaker and hit veleno.
Okada blocked a Tongan Twist. Tonga blocked landslide and hit a complete shot, then hit the Tongan Twist for a near fall. Okada avoided a Gun Stun and hit a spinning Rainmaker, but could not follow up.
Okada ducked a superman punch, but Tonga connected on an enzuigiri. Tonga avoided a shotgun dropkick attempt. Okada blocked a splash in the corner. Tonga blocked an air raid crash and hit a death valley bomb and supreme flow for a near fall.
Okada hit a backdrop and a dropkick. Okada hit a spinning tombstone. Tonga ducked the Rainmaker. Okada blocked a Gun Stun. Tonga avoided a dropkick. Tonga ducked another Rainmaker and hit a bloody Sunday DDT.
Okada blocked another Gun Stun and tried to reverse into landslide, but Tonga reversed that into a Gun Stun, then hit a double underhook piledriver to secure the upset.
Okada vs. Cobb on Wednesday will be for a spot in the finals. Okada needs a win, Cobb can advance with a win or a draw.
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Here is the lineup for the next show:
G1 Climax 31 night 17, Monday, October 18, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
- A Block: Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA
- A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Toru Yano
- A Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Yujiro Takahashi
- A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tanga Loa
- Satoshi Kojima vs. Great-O-Khan