After Friday’s latest G1 Climax event, two men are undefeated on top of the A & B Blocks.
Friday’s card in Aore Nagaoka saw IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA, and Kazuchika Okada improve to 3-0 in their respective blocks. Kaito Kiyomiya wrestled to a draw on Friday and sits at 2-0-1 in the A Block and one point behind SANADA.
QUICK RESULTS
*B BLOCK: YOSHI-HASHI (4) over Tanga Loa (2) in 12:37
*A BLOCK: Gabe Kidd (4) over Ren Narita (2) in 10:23
*B BLOCK: Great O-Khan (2) over El Phantasmo (0) in 12:48
*A BLOCK: Chase Owens (4) over Hikuleo (0) in 11:21
*B BLOCK: Will Ospreay (4) over KENTA (2) in 14:03
*A BLOCK: Kaito Kiyomiya (5) and Shota Umino (2) ends in a 20:00 draw
*B BLOCK: Kazuchika Okada (6) over Taichi (4) in 16:21
*A BLOCK: SANADA (6) over Yota Tsuji (2) in 18:37
In the main event, SANADA pinned Yota Tsuji for the second time this year following their match at Dominion last month. They teased going the distance with Tsuji blocking the Deadfall and landing a Curb Stomp but succumbing to the champion’s finisher moments later as Tsuji remains winless in his inaugural G1.
Okada ended Taichi’s winning streak at two by defeating the 43-year-old in a terrific match, which would be in contention for the best match on the show. Taichi hit multiple Dangerous suplexes including a bridging version and was responsible for an excellent near-fall on the former champion when using the Taichi Clutch. Taichi went to lift Okada, who countered with a back body drop and hooked the legs for the three-count and moves to six points in the B Block.
Kaito Kiyomiya and Shota Umino went the full twenty minutes in their A Block meeting in another great match on the show. Kiyomiya worked on Umino’s knee throughout the contest incorporating dragon screw leg-whips, and a figure-four that showcased strong selling from Umino and the tease that the referee would halt the contest. The crowd was electric during the final minute as Umino stopped a Shining Wizard and landed the Death Rider but was too beaten up to capitalize and the delayed cover allowed Kiyomiya to kick out and time expired. This was the best performance by each, so far in the tournament.
The other contender for strongest match on the show was Will Ospreay against KENTA with the latter turning back the clock and putting forth one of his better performances in a long time. KENTA landed multiple DDTs on the floor including a Green Killer off the apron to work on Ospreay’s neck. KENTA avoided the OsCutter and applied Game Over, which Ospreay escaped. Ospreay missed the Leap of Faith and ate the Busaiku knee before returning fire with the Hidden Blade and ending the match with a Stormbreaker.
Chase Owens beat Hikuleo in a dull match that left Hikuleo winless after three matches.
Great O-Khan submitted El Phantasmo with the Sheep Killer in a fine match and a step above O-Khan’s prior two matches in the tournament.
Gabe Kidd won his second match of the G1 after escaping the Cobra Twist by hitting a low blow behind the referee’s back and winning with a piledriver with Narita falling to 0-1-2.
The opener featured YOSHI-HASHI beating Tanga Loa after countering Apeshit with a Crucifix Bomb and moving up to four points.
The G1 continues Sunday with C & D Block matches and the lineup will feature EVIL vs. David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jeff Cobb, Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito vs. Toru Yano, Eddie Kingston vs. Aaron Henare, Hirooki Goto vs. Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls vs. Tama Tonga, and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Alex Coughlin.
WH Park & Eric Marcotte will have a review of Friday’s G1 Climax card later tonight on the POST Wrestling Café and follow along with POST Wrestling’s G1 coverage at https://www.postwrestling.com/g1.
