NJPW G1 Climax 31 night four results: Okada vs. EVIL

By Ethan Renner
Published: 24 Sep 2021, 04:58

The G1 Climax 31 B Block continued today in Tokyo at the Ota City General Gymnasium.

Here are results and a report from today’s show.

**********

Recommended matches —

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
Jeff Cob vs. YOSHI-HASHI
Tama Tonga vs. Chase Owens

Report —

B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Hirooki Goto (14:10)

This was two veterans working a very good opener. They didn’t kick out of a bunch of finishers or do countout teases, they kept the match in the ring and left you wanting more.

Tanahashi took virtually all of the offense in the first ten minutes.

Tana dominated a chain wrestling sequence at the outset. Goto got one brief hope spot with his wheel kick and bulldog out of the corner, but Tana used a deathlock, a senton and strikes to maintain control.

Tanahashi hit a somersault senton for a two count. They did a great series of misdirection spots as Goto hit a lariat, then Tana hit a dropkick to the legs. Goto started to come back with a top rope neckbreaker.

Tana avoided a top rope superplex and tried to turn it into a sunset bomb, but Goto slid out. Tanahashi blocked Shouten Kai and hit slingblade. Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow. Goto rolled out of the way of a second High Fly Flow, allowing him to hit a lariat to the back of Tanahashi’s head.

Tanahashi hit a palm strike to the face, but Goto countered with a headbutt and an inverted GTR for a near fall.

Tana reversed a GTR attempt into an inside cradle for the flash pin.

B Block: Tama Tonga defeated Chase Owens (12:59)

This was much better than you might expect.

They began with a solid back and forth technical wrestling battle. Each avoided the other’s finisher.

After exchanging holds, they turned to a more traditional brawling style. Owens used a hip toss into a neckbreaker, a flurry of strikes and a Jewel Heist for a near fall. Tama came back and hit a Tongan Twist.

Owens used a tiger driver for another near fall. Tama blocked a jumping knee. Owens connected on another v-trigger.

Owens went for the package driver, but Tama hit a great reversal into the Gun Stun and got the pin.

B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated YOSHI-HASHI (13:21)

YH low-bridged Cobb to the floor and sent him into the barricade. Cobb cut YH off with a huge shoulder tackle as they got back in. Cobb hit a dropkick and a delayed vertical throw. YH answered with a dragon screw as he looked to take out Cobb’s base.

YH tried a sunset flip, but Cobb blocked. YH teased a powerbomb, but Cobb launched him into orbit on a backdrop. Cobb hit a series of strikes in the corner, then used a belly-to-belly and a spin cycle for a two count.

Cobb hit a standing moonsault for a two count. YH came back and hit a snap dragon suplex, then hit a lariat for a two count. Cobb blocked another powerbomb. YH hit a thrust kick, then a Canadian destroyer for another near fall. YH hit a meteora for a two count.

YH used the butterfly lock to set up a Kharma attempt, but Cobb blocked. Cobb hit a snap German suplex. They traded thrust kicks. YH blocked two Tour of the Islands attempts, then rolled Cobb up for a two count.

Cobb hit a spear, then ended things with Tour of the Islands and a pin.

B Block: Taichi (w/Miho Abe) defeated SANADA (25:15)

The small crowd and their inability to be vocal due to the pandemic restrictions really hurt this match. They didn’t help themselves by starting really slowly, but they were working hard once they got into the near falls and it was as though they were wrestling in an empty building.

They opened with a quick chain wrestling sequence, then they tried to work the crowd with some pec popping. The referee didn’t sell the pec pop battle and they just dropped the idea.

Taichi used a kitchen sink, then used a variety of rest holds. SANADA came back with a dropkick to the left knee and a plancha. Taichi hit a high kick. SANADA went back to the legs with a dropkick, then hit a magic screw.

Taichi avoided a TKO and tried for a stretch plum, but SANADA blocked. Taichi no-sold a tiger driver and hit a backdrop suplex. Both stumbled out of the ring, selling. Kind of a goofy spot. They did a double countout tease, then a double down once they beat the count back in.

They traded strikes. Taichi blocked Skull End. SANADA blocked a chokeslam. Taichi blocked an O’Connor roll. SANADA kicked out of a Gedo clutch. SANADA missed a moonsault into another double down.

SANADA used a moonsault to try to set up Skull End, but Taichi blocked. SANADA blocked Balck Mephisto, but Taichi hit a gamengiri and a backdrop suplex for a near fall. Taichi kicked out of an O’Connor roll.

Taichi avoided another moonsault, then hit a forearm and Black Mephisto for the pin.

B Block: Kazuchika Okada defeated EVIL (w/Dick Togo) (21:46)

NJPW has doubled down on EVIL and this version of the character is killing every show he’s on. The Bullet Club House of Torture is just that. Okada is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever live, but even he can’t make a match with 2021 EVIL work.

EVIL rolled outside and immediately stalled. Togo exposed a buckle. They brawled to the floor, where EVIL sent Okada into the barricade. The ring announcer took his first bump. Okada made a quick comeback with a back elbow and a DDT after EVIL missed a charge into the exposed buckle.

EVIL rolled back to the floor and again sent Okada into the barricade and the ring announcer. While the ref checked on the announcer, EVIL hit Okada with a chair. EVIL tried a running kick with Okada seated on the chair, but Okada hit a drop toe hold on the chair.

Back in, Okada avoided a misdirection lariat and hit a dropkick. Okada used the Money Clip, but EVIL reached the ropes. Okada hit the Rainmaker pose, but EVIL used interference from Togo to cut him off. Togo used a chair on Okada while EVIL took the ref. EVIL hit a tackle for a near fall.

EVIL hit a superplex and tried a pin while grabbing the trunks, but Okada kicked out. Okada fought off Everything is EVIL and used a cradle for a two count.

Okada hit a short Rainmaker. EVIL ducked under a second Rainmaker, but Okada nailed him with a dropkick and a spinning tombstone. Okada went for another Rainmaker, but EVIL pulled the referee in his path. The ref took a bump. EVIL hit a low blow.

EVIL revived the ref. EVIL tried Everything is EVIL, but Okada reversed into a Money Clip attempt. Before he got the hold applied, EVIL bumped the ref again as Red Shoes rolled to the floor.

Togo jumped in and hit Okada with a series of right hands. Okada fought off a Magic Killer and sent EVIL into the exposed buckle. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick to Togo.

Red Shoes was revived. EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. Okada blocked a lariat and hit EVIL with Everything is EVIL.

Okada hit a sit-out tombstone and another Rainmaker for the pin.

**********

Here is the lineup for the next show:

G1 Climax 31 night five, Sunday, September 26, 3 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

A Block: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. KENTA
A Block: Toru Yano vs. Tanga Loa
A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Shingo Takagi vs. Yuji Nagata
Master Wato vs. Kosei Fujita