G1 Climax B Block Night 4, 7/27 – Full Show with Japanese Commentary
Zack Sabre Jr. & El Desperado of Suzuki-Gun b. Shota Umino & Ren Narita when Desperado submitted Narita with the Stretch Muffler. Umino and Narita are Young Lions, and I think this is my first time seeing Narita. The Young Lions argued over who would start out. Eventually Narita got his wish and started out against Zack. Sabre grounded Narita amd tagged in Desperado. The two heels worked over Narita. Hot tag to Umino, who hit several corner elbows on ZSJ for a near fall. He tried a Boston Crab, but Zack turned it into a rollup for a two count. Desperado tagged in and landed some blows on Umino. Narita tagged back in and knocked ZSJ to the floor. The Young Lions double teamed Desperado, but Desperado responded with a Spinebuster on Narita, and locked in the Stretch Muffler. ZSJ kept Umino at bay with the Octopus Hold, so Narita had no choice but to submit.
After the match Desperado attacked Umino because he’s mean.
Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi b. Yuji Nagata & Hirai Kawato when Taguchi submitted Kawato with the Ankle Lock. Nagata and Makabe started the match. They battled into the corner where Taguchi tagged in. He and Kawato went at it, with Taguchi hitting his signature Hip Attacks. Makabe tagged back in to work over Kawato. Kawato rallied with a dropkick and got the hot tag to Nagata, who traded blows with Makabe. Double tag out, with Kawato hitting a missile dropkick on Taguchi. Kawato put Taguchi in a Boston Crab, but Makabe broke it up. Nagata and Makabe brawled on the outside wile Taguchi locked in the Oh My And Garankle Ankle Lock on Kawato for the submission victory.
After the match, Makabe and Nagata had a pull apart brawl.
The Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi, & Chase Owens) b. Kota Ibushi, Tomoyuki Oka, & Katsuya Kitamura when Owens pinned Oka with the Package Piledriver. Ibushi and Fale started out, with Ibushi decking the 340lb. Fale with kicks. Double tag out to Kitamura and Takahashi. Owens hit Kitamura from behind so he and Takahashi could double team. Outside the ring, Fale roughed up Oka and Ibushi. This allowed a triple team on Kitamura. Hot tag to Oka who ran wild on Owens and Takahashi before falling to more triple teaming. Owens went for the Package Piledriver, but Ibushi broke it up. Fale pulled Ibushi to the outside, enabling Owens to successfully hit the Package Piledriver for the win.
Fale and Ibushi had a staredown post match.
Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI of Los Ingobernables De Japon b. Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo of CHAOS when BUSHI pinned Gedo with a roll-up. Ishii and Naito traded blows to start the match. Ishii looked to be getting the better of Naito, but Naito taunted and tagged in Bushi. Gedo tagged in, and Bushi offered a handshake. Gedo instead went to shake hands with the referee, and Bushi struck. Gedo battled back, so Naito tripped him up from behind. LIJ then double teamed Gedo, working over his beard. Ishii broke up a pin attempt, which lead to a multi-man brawl. Powerslam by Ishii on Naito. Gedo mounted a comeback on Bushi, and blocked an MX attempt by crotching Bushii on the top rope. Ishii clotheslined Naito out of the ring. Gedo tried to roll up Bushi, but got reversed and pinned with a surprise roll-up.
After the match Bushi put one of his masks on the referee as he raised their hands. Naito then stomped the ref and hit a basement dropkick.
Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI of CHAOS b. IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay when Goto pinned Finlay with a GTR. Finlay and Goto began for their respective teams. Yoshi went after Tanahashi and whipped him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Hashi and Goto worked over Finlay. Half cran by Goto as Hashi contonued to heep Tanahashi at bay. Finlay dropkicked his way to freedom and finally got the hot tag to Tanahashi, who ran wild on both opponents. Finlay tagged back in and went for a running corner elbow that was reversed by Hasho. Goto went for a GTR but Tanahashi broke it up. Clothesline by Hashi left the legal men Goto and Finlay in the ring, where Goto got the pin with a GTR.
Hashi and Tanahashi had words after the match, but didn’t come to blows.
Tournament Matches
Tama Tonga p. Juice Robinson with a Gun Stun. Mat-based wrestling holds and reversals to start things out. Lock up into the corner with a cheap break by Tonga, which put him on the offense. Stinger Splash on Juice. A second splash got reversed by Juice into a Full Nelson Slam. Juice made his comeback with chops and strikes. Reverse DDT on Tonga for a two count. Juice locked in a Camel Clutch, but Tonga made it to the ropes. Clip to the back of the knee by Tonga, who followed it up by putting Juice in the Tree Of Woe and splashed the knee several times. Crossroads scored a two count for Tonga. Juice blocked a Gun Stun and landed a huge lariat. Juice blocked a second Gun Stun and went for a Pulp Friction. Tonga blocked that and went for a third Gun Stun. Juice tried again to reverse into a Pulp Friction. Tonga hit a DDT to get out of it. Finally, Juice tried again to reverse into a rollup, but Tonga kicked out and at last hit the Gun Stun to get the win.
Tonga went to the back immediately, however Juice got a moment in the sun with the crowd still showing their respect. Both guys looked great in this match.
Sanada b. Toru Yano via Count Out. Both men are heels, and it was made clear early on with Sanada aattacking Yano before the bell. Yano wrapped up Sanada’s head in his robe and went for a rollup. When Sanada kicked out, Yano immediately removed the turnbuckle pad. However, Sanada disposed of the turnbuckle pad before Yano could do anything with it. Sanada poured water in Yano’s face to try to embarass him. Yano responded by spitting the watter in Sanada’s face and going for another roll up. Sanada kicked out and tried to whip Yano into the barricade. Yano reversed and went for the tape again, like what he used again Omega in the previous A Block night. Sanada threew the tape into the crowd and took to action. He dropkicked Yano, but missed a moonsault. Yano went for the Skull End, but Yano made it to the ropes. Yano rolled out of the ring and produced another roll of tape, which Sanada avoided. Sanada dragged Yano up the ramp, and taped his arms and legs together, wrapping him up like a ball, and leving him on the ramp for a countout victory.
EVIL p. NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki with a STO. Desperado accompanied Suzuki to the ring for another heel vs. heel matchup, which erupted before the bell and spilled to the outside. Suzuki went to work with chairs. Evil beat the countout, so Suzuki continued to go on the offense. Evil rallied by tossing Suzuki to the outside and did his double chair spot. Back in the ring, Evil wend for a headlock, but Suzuki reverse it by gripping Evil’s thumb in a very painful fashion. Evil rallied again, but Suzuki threw referee Red Shoes into him. This brought Desperado into the ring to interfere, which lead to Bushi coming to the ring and taking care of Deperado. Taichi then ran out with a chair, but he was fended off by Hiromu Takahashi. With the competitors back to being alone in the ring, Suzuki put Evil in a sleeper. However, when Suzuki went for the Gotch Piledriver, Evil reversed it into the STO to get a surprising victory. This will likely lead to a title match for Evil down the road.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada p. Satoshi Kojima with a Rainmaker. Okada got the crowd to chant “Kojima” before cheapshotting Kojima. Kojima responded with a shoulderblock and went on the offensive, blocking an early Rainmaker. Okada mounted Kojima on the top rope and dropkicked him to the outside. Okada followed that up with a DDT on the floor and also tossed Tenzan into the ring. However, Tenzan did not fight, and left the ring to check on Kojima. Okada applauded Kojima for beating the countout, then hit him with a basement dropkick for a two count. Okada contonued to work over Kojima with a headlock. Kojima rallied and hit his rapidfore chops. DDT by Kojima. Okada hit his neckbreaker, then followed it with his top rope elbow. Kojima ducked the Rainmaker and clotheslined Okada out of the ring. For the first time I can recall, Kojima hit his rapid chops a second time. However, Okada met Kojima at the top when Kojima went for the top rope elbow. Kojima countered with a top rope Koji Cutter to gain a near fall. Okada went for a Rainmaker, but Kojima hit his own Rainmaker. Okada countered a Western Lariat with a Dropkick. Tombstone by Okada, which was followed by a Rainmaker to give Okada the victory.
Michael Elgin p. IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega with a Burning Hammer. Lock up into the corner. Omega tried the cheap shot break, but Elgin shrugged it off and powered through Omega’s strikes and moves. The shine on Elgin continued as Omega tried to attack on the outside, only to continue to get thwarted. Omega finally got the upper hand by flipping out of a powerbomb attempt and nailed a superkick. Elgin powered out of a chinlock. Back and forth action with both men landing, dodging, and missing big moves. Omega attempted a high cross body, but Elgin caught him and turned it into a side slam. A hurricanrana sent Elgin to the outside. Elgin kicked out of a Missile Dropkick. Omega hit a neckbreaker. Dueling chops and strikes between the two. Elgin hit a buckle bomb, but Omega flipped out of a powerbomb and went right for the One Winged Angel. Elgin hit a reverse hurricanrana to get out of it. Yes, you read that right. Michael Legin hit a reverse hurricanrana. Omega kicked out of a powerbomb. Omega, showing obvious frustration, began removing the mats at ringside. They teased several big spots over teh bare floor, including a powerbomb off the apron and a hurricanrana. The payoff was a powerbomb by Elgin onto the apron. Elgin went for another powerbomb off the top rope, but Omega hurrucanrana’d out of it. Elgin kicked out of a pair of V-Triggers, and out of a Piledriver. Omega ducked a running lariat and hit another V-Trigger, followed by a reverse hurricanrana for another two count. Elgin hit a Buckle Bomb and his regular powerbomb, only for Kenny to kick out (that may be a first). Elgin hit a pair of German Suplexes, but Kenny still kicked out. Finally, Elgin hit the Burning Hammer to finish Omega off. Pretty dang amazing match. I think it’s a pretty safe bet Elgin is getting some US Title shots in ROH or other shows on American soil.
After the match, Elgin cut a promo putting over how big of a deal the G1 is, and at 2-2, he’s still capable of winning it.
STANDINGS
8 Kazuchika Okada
6 EVIL
6 Kenny Omega
4 Michael Elgin
4 Minoru Suzuki
4 Sanada
4 Tama Tonga
2 Juice Robinson
2 Toru Yano
0 Satoshi Kojima
