NJPW G1 Climax 31 night seven results: Shingo vs. KENTA
The G1 Climax 31 A Block continued today at Korakuen Hall.
Shingo Takagi faced KENTA in the main event, while Kota Ibushi took on Toru Yano in the semi-main.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa were the other tournament matches today.
Here are results and a report from the show.
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Recommended matches —
- Shingo Takagi vs. KENTA
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa
Report —
Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) defeated BUSHI (13:01)
When you look at the lineup and you see Yano in the semi-main, you can bet on everything else getting a few extra minutes. This went too long as a result.
BUSHI hit a dropkick before the bell for the jumpstart, then threw Yujiro into the barricade. Yujiro used Pieter as a human shield to stop BUSHI from attempting a dive and used the distraction to drag BUSHI to the floor. Yujiro sent BUSHI into the security fence and took control of the bout.
Yujiro worked BUSHI over in a dull manner. BUSHI came back with a basement dropkick and a suicide dive. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick. Yujiro bit BUSHI’s hand to halt the momentum. Yujiro went for Miami Shine, but BUSHI blocked and hit a backstabber.
BUSHI went for an MX, but Yujiro caught him with a lariat. They exchanged forearm strikes. Yujiro hit a big boot. BUSHI hit a dropkick. Yujiro hit another lariat and an Angle slam for a two count.
BUSHI blocked a Pimp Juice attempt and cradled Yujiro for a near fall. Yujiro blocked a codebreaker and hit Big Juice for the pin.
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (16:18)
Really good match. Ishii will probably end up MVP of the G1 again. His worst match so far was with Kota Ibushi of all people. The sons of Haku continue to deliver in the tournament so far as well.
Loa rolled outside after a quick strike exchange kicked things off. He climbed back in and they got the crowd into the match with a long series of strikes exchanged. Loa got the best of the sequence. Ishii rolled outside. Loa sent him into the barricade, then posted his back.
Back in, Loa used a chinlock and elbows to the head. Loa hit an exploder and Ishii sold his back big. Ishii answered with chops in the corner, a powerslam and a delayed vertical suplex. Loa hit a neckbreaker to cut him off.
Loa no-sold a German suplex and hit a blue thunder bomb for a two count. Loa used the OJK, but Ishii made the ropes. Ishii blocked a powerbomb and hit a backdrop. Ishii hit a superplex for a two count.
Ishii tried to set up a sliding lariat, but Loa popped up and hit a dropkick. Loa hit a massive lariat and a top rope diving headbutt for a near fall. Loa hit a spear and a sit-out powerbomb for a good near fall.
Ishii escaped Apesh*t and hit an enzuigiri and a lariat for a two count. They traded lariats, but neither went down. Ishii hit a headbutt. Loa again avoided the sliding lariat.
Ishii escaped Apesh*t a second time and hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin.
A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan (15:26)
This was unique and excellent if you like Sabre matches. They did almost exclusively technical wrestling and it felt like a real contest. This might have been the best match of O-Khan’s career.
They spent the first eight minutes of the match trading holds on the mat. O-Khan ended up bleeding from the nose.
Sabre fired off a couple of forearms, but O-Khan dropped Sabre with one Mongolian chop. O-Khan used two more Mongolian chops to drop Sabre a second time. Sabre sold losing feeling in his right arm after the chops to the neck.
Sabre used an octopus. O-Khan reversed into an ankle lock. Sabre reversed into a heel hook. O-Khan reversed. Sabre forced a rope break. Sabre blocked a gutwrench throw and took O-Khan’s back with a choke. Sabre used a crucifix for a two count.
Sabre hit a penalty kick, but O-Khan kicked out at one. Sabre avoided the claw and went for a tornado DDT, but O-Khan blocked and used a cobra twist with the iron claw applied as well. O-Khan transitioned to the sheep killer. O-Khan slipped to a modified torture rack, then gave up the hold.
O-Khan went for the Eliminator at the 15 minute mark, but Sabre locked on a standing triangle. O-Khan didn’t submit, but the referee called for the stoppage with O-Khan unable to improve his position.
A Block: Kota Ibushi vs. Toru Yano (4:03)
This was total comedy.
Yano put a bag over Ibushi’s head and rolled him up for two near falls. Yano then rolled Ibushi up in the ring skirt and tried to steal a countout, but Ibushi freed himself and made it back in.
Ibushi hit a dropkick and a plancha. Yano tried to tape Ibushi to the apron, but Ibushi kicked him away and Yano was almost counted out. Ibushi blocked a low blow. Yano used another cradle for a near fall.
Ibushi hit a Kamigoye to the back, a Bomaye, then hit a standard Kamigoye for the pin.
A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated KENTA (23:56)
A very good main event. Not match of the tournament or anything, but a solid match with good storytelling.
They traded strikes and shoulder tackle attempts. Shingo hit a slam and a senton. KENTA blocked a diving forearm attempt and used Game Over on Shingo’s taped right arm, but Shingo forced a rope break.
Shingo rolled outside and KENTA posted his right arm. KENTA kicked the right arm as it was draped over the barricade. Back inside, KENTA kicked at the arm and used a Fujiwara armbar. KENTA exposed a turnbuckle and whipped Shingo’s arm into it.
KENTA continued working on the arm. Shingo grabbed a chinlock, but got backed into the exposed buckle. Shingo hit a couple of strikes and a DDT. He continued firing off strikes with the right arm, selling it after each strike. Shingo blocked a swing DDT and hit a lariat with his left arm.
Shingo hit a vertical suplex and a sliding lariat with the right arm. He continued to sell the arm, then covered for a near fall. KENTA fought off Made in Japan and hit a swing DDT across the top rope. KENTA hit a top rope clothesline for a two count.
KENTA hit a DDT for another near fall. Shingo blocked a draping DDT attempt and they fought to the apron. Shingo teased Made in Japan off the apron, but KENTA slid out and dropped Shingo’s right arm across the top rope.
They battled on the floor. KENTA hit the green killer DDT off the apron to the floor. Shingo made it back in after a countout tease. KENTA hit a running kick and a stalling dropkick in the corner. KENTA hit a double stomp off the top to the bad arm for a near fall.
Shingo blocked a GTS attempt. KENTA hit a knee strike and tried it again. Shingo blocked and hit a pop-up DVD into a double down at the 15 minute call.
They traded forearms. KENTA hit a series of palm strikes. Shingo hit a headbutt. KENTA hit a spinning backfist. Shingo blocked a kick and hit Made in Japan for a two count. Shingo hit a top rope superplex.
Shingo tried a lariat in the corner, but KENTA pulled the referee in his path. The ref took a bump and rolled to the floor. KENTA hit a low blow and a divorce court. KENTA Pillman-ized Shingo’s right arm.
KENTA dragged the ref back in at 20 minutes and locked on Game Over, but Shingo got his foot across the bottom rope to force a break. KENTA hit a running knee strike. He teased a Pumping Bomber, but Shingo cut him off with a lariat.
Shingo escaped another GTS attempt and hit a dragon suplex and a diving forearm strike. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber with his bad arm, but KENTA kicked out.
KENTA slipped out of one Last of the Dragon attempt and tried to send Shingo into the buckle, but Shingo sent KENTA into the buckle instead. Shingo then hit Last of the Dragon to get the pin.
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Here is the lineup for the next show:
G1 Climax 31 night eight, Friday, Ocotber 1, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
- B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA
- B Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hirooki Goto
- B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taichi
- B Block: EVIL vs. Chase Owens
- B Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Tama Tonga
- Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Ryohei Oiwa