NJPW G1 Climax 31 night nine results: Shingo vs. Ibushi
The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today in Aichi.
Shingo Takagi faced Kota Ibushi in the main event, while Tomohiro Ishii took on Zack Sabre Jr. in the semi-main.
Tanga Loa vs. Yujiro Takahashi, and KENTA vs. Great-O-Khan were the other tournament matches today.
Toru Yano took on BUSHI, plus Yoshinobu Kanemaru faced Kosei Fujita in the two non-tournament matches.
Here are results and a report from the show.
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Recommended matches —
- Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Report —
Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Kosei Fujita (7:34)
Fujita is not as good as Oiwa is my hot take on the new Young Lion duo. Oiwa had a really good match with Kanemaru the other night. This was just there.
Fujita tried some forearm strikes early. Kanemaru cut him off and worked him over. Fujita made a comeback and hit a dropkick. Kanemaru cut him off again and used a Boston crab for the submission.
Toru Yano defeated BUSHI (7:14)
This was complete haha.
They blindfolded each other with tote bags. BUSHI tied Yano to the barricade with a towel for a countout tease. Yano exposed a buckle. Yano tied BUSHI to the barricade by the mask for another countout tease.
BUSHI hit a missile dropkick and a suicide dive. Yano put a blindfold over the ref’s head. BUSHI rolled up Yano but there was no referee.
Yano hit a low blow and used a schoolboy for the pin.
A Block: KENTA defeated Great-O-Khan (19:39)
This was okay. The Great-Okay.
They did some promo work before the match where each asked the other to bow down to the other. The loser of the match would be forced to bow down to the winner.
KENTA stalled early and hid under the ring. He popped out from under the ring and attacked O-Khan on the floor. They traded leg holds on the mat. O-Khan took control of the match after some Mongolian chops.
O-Khan used an iron claw and went for the Eliminator, but KENTA escaped and hit a DDT. KENTA followed up with the green killer for a near fall. KENTA hit a running boot and stalling dropkick in the corner.
KENTA rolled through after missing a double stomp, but O-Khan cut him off with a pump kick. They traded hard slaps, with KENTA getting the better of the sequence. O-Khan escaped a GTS attempt an went for an Eliminator, but KENTA used a knee strike to block.
O-Khan used the sheep killer. KENTA slid out and bumped O-Khan into the referee. KENTA brought a chair in and used it on O-Khan. KENTA put O-Khan’s hat on and hit a double stomp off the top onto O-Khan on the chair.
KENTA brought a baseball bat into the ring. He threw the bat to O-Khan. The ref was revived and saw O-Khan with the bat. KENTA used the distraction to schoolboy O-Khan and pin him.
KENTA sat on a chair and demanded that O-Khan bow down. O-Khan almost did, but popped up at the last minute and hit the Eliminator on KENTA. KENTA gets the win, O-Khan keeps his pride.
A Block: Tanga Loa (w/Jado) defeated Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) (12:36)
They had a fine brawl, they didn’t overstay their welcome, they worked hard. No complaints about this one which looked like it could have been a struggle on paper.
Loa gained the early advantage and busted out a standing moonsault for a two count. He continued on the offensive with a blue thunder bomb. Loa used a chinlock.
Yujiro came back and actually hit a suicide dive. These guys weren’t messing around tonight.
Yujiro hit an Angle slam for a two count. Loa came back with a sit-out powerbomb. Yujiro hit Miami Shine and scored a near fall.
Yujiro went for Big Juice, but Loa blocked and hit Apesh*t to get the pin.
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (18:40)
Really good match with a simple story. Sabre went after Ishii’s right arm. Would Ishii be able to deliver enough punishment before the arm gave out?
Sabre tried to steal a quick win with a European clutch. Sabre used kicks and holds in working over the arm. Ishii went for a superplex, but Sabre escaped and hit a powerbomb off the second rope. Ishii came back with a German after blocking a PK.
Ishii went for a sliding lariat, but Sabre caught his right arm in an armbar. Ishii forced a rope break. He adjusted the wrap on his arm and continued to sell it.
Ishii no-sold a kick and kicked Sabre’s right leg. Ishii no-sold another kick and hit a big forearm shot. They traded strikes. Ishii hit an enzuigiri and a powerbomb with a stack cover for a near fall.
Sabre again avoided a sliding lariat and caught Ishii in a crucifix for a two count. Ishii kicked out and then hit the sliding lariat at 15 minutes.
Ishii hit another lariat. Sabre avoided another lariat swing and used a clutch for a two count. Sabre used a kimura, then transitioned to a cross armbreaker. He then slid to a triangle. Ishii forced a break with kicks.
Ishii escaped a Zack Driver and hit a headbutt and a lariat. Ishii rammed his own arm into the corner pad and ripped the padding off.
Ishii hit a lariat for a two count, then hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin.
A Block: Kota Ibushi defeated Shingo Takagi (23:57)
A classic G1 match. This was easily Ibushi’s best match since his return from pneumonia.
They started simply, hitting shoulder blocks and trading headlocks. They turned to striking. Shingo hit some strikes, but Ibushi went into Murder Ibushi mode and no-sold. Ibushi hit a flying mid kick.
Ibushi sent Shingo to the floor with a snap rana, then hit a gorgeous Asai moonsault. Back in, Ibushi used a standing moonsault for a two count. Shingo blocked a last ride attempt with a backdrop, then hit a neckbreaker to halt Ibushi’s momentum.
They traded half-and-half suplexes. They traded strikes. Ibushi dumped Shingo with a suplex, but Shingo no-sold and hit a diving forearm to the back into a double down.
Shingo hit a superplex for a two count. Ibushi blocked a Pumping Bomber, but Shingo hit a left-arm lariat. Shingo used a standing switch to set up Made in Japan for another two count. Ibushi blocked Last of the Dragon and hit a knee strike to the face.
Shingo blocked Bomaye and tried a sliding lariat. Ibushi avoided it, then hit an enzuigiri. Ibushi then connected with the Bomaye and a last ride for a near fall.
Ibushi went for Kamigoye at 20 minutes. Shingo blocked and hit his own Kamigoye. Ibushi sold this huge. Shingo could not immediately follow up. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber. Ibush took a flip bump. Shingo covered for a two count.
Shingo went for Last of the Dragon. Ibushi powered out with forearm strikes. Shingo hit a combination of strikes. Ibushi hit a palm strike and a hook kick. Ibushi blocked a Pumping Bomber attempt with a high kick.
Ibushi hit a Kamigoye, but Shingo kicked out at two.
Ibushi pulled down the knee pad and tried another Kamigoye, but Shingo blocked and tried Last of the Dragon. Ibushi slid out and hit a poison rana.
Ibushi hit a v-trigger and two more Kamigoyes and got the pin.
Ibushi held up one finger after the match, as if to say let’s do it one more time.
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Here is the lineup for the next show:
G1 Climax 31 night 10, Monday, October 4, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
- B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA
- B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. YOSHI-HASHI
- B Block: Taichi vs. Jeff Cobb
- B Block: EVIL vs. Tama Tonga
- B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Chase Owens