NJPW G1 Climax 31 night 18 results: B Block finals
The G1 Climax 31 B Block concluded today at the Nippon Budokan.
The main event between Kazuchika Okada and Jeff Cobb decided the B Block winner and Kota Ibushi’s opponent in tomorrow’s G1 Climax 31 finals.
Here are results and a report from the show.
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Recommended matches —
- Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
- Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi
Report —
Pre-show match: Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI defeated Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita (8:07)
Hiromu and BUSHI gave the lads a little bit more offense than they have been. Oiwa remains miles ahead of Fujita, so they built the match around Fujita selling and Oiwa getting a hot tag.
Fujita and BUSHI began. Fujita was quickly cut off and worked over with very basic offense by Hiromu and BUSHI.
Fujita finally hit a dropkick to Hiromu and Oiwa got the hot tag. Oiwa hit a dropkick to BUSHI and knocked him off the apron. He used a dropkick and a gutwrench throw on Hiromu. He applied a crab. BUSHI saved, but got hit with a double tackle. Oiwa and Fujita hit a double dropkick to Hiromu.
Oiwa got another crab applied on Hiromu, but Hiromu forced a break. Hiromu got a crab applied to Oiwa and got the submission.
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G1 theme song performers JAM Project opened the show with a live rendition of the song in the ring.
B Block: YOSHI-HASHI defeated Chase Owens (8:27)
Solid undercard match here, but nothing to write home about.
YH worked the left arm. Owens responded in kind, snapping the left arm of YH in the ropes. YH rolled outside, Owens whipped him into the barricade. Back in, Owens hit a double axe handle off the top.
YH blocked another axe handle off the top with a thrust kick. YH hit a dropkick to the left leg. YH ducked a clothesline and hit a headhunter. YH blocked a slingshot spear and hit a dropkick to the face for a near fall.
Owens came back with a neckbreaker and a short clothesline. Owens avoided a rewind kick and hit a shining wizard. He went for a package driver, but YH fought out. YH hit a sloppy neckbreaker over his knee for a two count.
Owens blocked Kharma and used an inside cradle for a near fall. Owens hit a v-trigger. YH blocked a gun stun and hit Kharma to get the pin.
B Block: Hirooki Goto defeated Tama Tonga (w/Jado) (15:19)
These guys had a great match with some cool reversals and misdirection spots. Tama Tonga should get some tournament MVP votes, he brought it every night.
They traded tackles and dropdowns. Goto hit a shoulder block and a misdirection lariat for some early shine. Tonga turned it into a brawl around ringside to get the heat.
Goto went up top, but Tonga cut him off an hit a Tongan Twist. Tonga hit a complete shot, an SRC and a supreme flow frog splash for a near fall.
Goto reversed a Jay driller into an ushigoroshi for a near fall. Goto hit a neckbreaker for a near fall. Tonga blocked a GTR. Goto hit a reverse GTR and a lariat into a double down. Tonga pancaked to avoid a mid kick attempt.
Tonga blocked a kick. Goto blocked a Gun Stun. A series of misdirection spots set up a headbutt from Goto, a head kick from Tonga and a Tonga bloody Sunday DDT for a near fall.
Tonga went for Gun Stun again. Goto blocked and used a leg sweep to set up a Goto-Sanshiki cradle for the flash pin.
B Block: Taichi (w/Miho Abe) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (14:58)
This was much different than a typical Tanahashi match, but it was excellent.
Whether work or shoot, the story of Taichi’s last three matches have been that he’s hurt. They played into that here.
Taichi went for a quick win with a gamengiri, an axe bomber and a Black Mephisto attempt. Tana blocked the Black Mephisto by striking at Taichi’s taped ribs. Tana used a Muta lock. Taichi forced a break.
Tana continued to dominate. Taichi ended up tied to the tree of woe, where Tana hit a dropkick. Taichi came back with kicks and a gamengiri. Tana used his Texas Clover Hold, but Taichi forced a break.
Taichi fired up and hit a forearm strike. Tana reversed Black Mephisto into a twist and shout, then hit a slingblade.
Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow. He went for a standard High Fly Flow, but Taichi rolled out of the way, then used a Gedo clutch while holding the tights to steal the win.
B Block: EVIL (w/Dick Togo) defeated SANADA (17:47)
This was a complete mess and featured all of everyone’s pet peeves about EVIL matches, plus the added bonus of the logic flaw in every SANADA match where he has the thing won with Skull End, then gives up the hold and misses a moonsault.
EVIL tried to walk out on the match before it started. SANADA threw him back in the ring.
After what felt like an hour of ref bumps, chair shots, Togo interference, exposed turnbuckles, and low blows, EVIL hit a chair shot and Everything is EVIL to get the pin.
B Block: Kazuchika Okada defeated Jeff Cobb (23:35)
A great match. Okada worked Cobb’s neck, Cobb worked Okada’s back, then the last ten minutes they just traded finisher attempts and it was awesome.
Cobb came out firing. Okada ducked a lariat and escaped a Tour of the Islands attempt to hit a neckbreaker. Okada hit a sliding dropkick and used another neckbreaker for a one count. Okada used a chinlock as he continued to work the neck.
Cobb reversed a whip, ducked a back elbow and hit one of his own. Cobb stood on Okada’s back. Okada rolled outside, Cobb went out after him and hammered him with forearms to the lower back. Okada beat the count back in.
Cobb hit a gordbuster and a pair of belly-to-belly suplexes for a near fall. Cobb missed a standing moonsault. Okada pounced and hit a flapjack, a back elbow, then used a dropkick to send Cobb to the floor.
Okada tried a plancha. Cobb caught it. Okada blocked a vertical suplex on the floor. Cobb blocked a DDT on the floor and hit a northern lights suplex on the floor. Back in, Okada sent Cobb back outside and hit a tope con giro.
Okada hit a missile dropkick. Okada hit his Rainmaker pose, but Cobb cut him off with a spin cycle and a standing moonsault, then an Oklahoma stampede.
They began teasing finishers. Cobb ducked a Rainmaker and hit two tombstones. Okada hit a Rainmaker, but could not follow up. Cobb ducked a lariat, but Okada hit a dropkick.
Okada used the Money Clip to set up a spinning tombstone. He went back to the Money Clip. Cobb got back to his feet. They traded backslide attempts. Cobb hit a headbutt.
Okada blocked a Tour of the Islands. Cobb ducked a Rainmaker. Okada used a cradle for a near fall just past 20 minutes.
Cobb blocked an air raid crash and hit a dropkick with Okada seated on the top buckle. Okada blocked a superplex. Okada blocked a second superplex attempt with a DDT off the top rope.
Okada missed a Rainmaker. Okada slid out of a Tour of the Islands and hit a dropkick.
Okada hit a landslide and a Rainmaker to get the pin.
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G1 Climax 31 Finals, Thursday, October 21, 5 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
- Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi
- Full lineup TBA