G1 Climax B Block Night 5, 7/30 – Full Show with Japanese Commentary
The Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi, & Chase Owens) b. David Finlay, Katsuya Kitamura, & Hirai Kawato when Owens pinned Kawato with a Package Piledriver. At least the ring announcer was smart enough to clear the ring when introducing Fale. Yujiro and Kitamura started the match with poses, which quickly turned into a double team attempt with Owens involved. However, Kitamura took them both down with shoulderblocks. It took Fale getting involved to finally put the heels on the offensive, triple teaming the Young Lion. Finlay tagged in and went back and forth with Yujiro before tagging in Kawato, who hit a sweet dropkick on Owens for a two count. Multi-Man brawl broke out shortly after that, with Owens hitting a superkick and a Package Piledriver on Kawato to score the win.
Zack Sabre Jr. & El Desperado of Suzuki-Gun b. Togi Makabe & Shota Umino when Desperado submitted Umino with the Stretch Muffler. A brawl broke out early with ZSJ and Makabe on the outside, and Desperado and Umino in the ring. Sabre tagged in and locked in a STF on Kawato, but Kawato got to the ropes. Makabe got the hot tag, and I keep saying Makabe has one of the best hot tags in all of wrestling. He and Sabre went back and forth before Sabre and Desperado tried (and failed) to double team him. Makabe decked both heels with a double clothesline, and tagged in Umino. Umino got a few links in, but soon fell to the Stretch Muffler. ZSJ held Makabe in an Octopus Hold to keep him at bay.
Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI of CHAOS b. Yuji Nagata & Tomoyuki Oka when Hashi submitted Oka with The Butterfly Lock. Ishii and Nagata aggressively started out the match, with neither man gaining a clear advantage. Double tag out to Oka and Hashi. Hashi and Ishii took turns working over Oka, whi eventually tagged Nagata back in. Exploder Suplex on Ishii for a near fall. Nagata landed several kicks before Hashi tagged in. Shortly after, Oka tagged in and hit a few suplexes. Ishii and Nagata brawled at ringside, leaving Hashi alone with Oka. It wasn’t long after that Oka submitted to the Butterfly Lock.
IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi of Taguchi Japan b. Kota Ibushi & Tetsuhiro Yagi when Taguchi submitted Yagi with an Anklelock. Ibushi started out with several quick exchanges with Tanahashi. Their match on the next show is one that I am looking forward to the most. Double tag out to Taguchi and Yagi. Taguchi and Tanahashi worked over Yagi. Yagi hit a dropkick on Taguchi and tagged in Ibushi, who went to town on Taguchi. Tanahashi tagged in and knocked around Ibushi. A German Suplex by Tanahashi followed by a kick by Ibushi left both men down. Double tag out to Taguchi and Yagi respectively. Yagi put Taguchi in a Boston Crab,but Tanahashi broke it up. Tagi reversed an Ankle Lock into a rollup, but Taguchi turned that into another Anklelock. Very simple, but cool exchange of holds for a finish.
Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi of Los Ingobernables De Japon b. Hirooki Goto & Gedo of CHAOS when Tkahashi submitted Gedo with a Triangle Choke. Gedo offered a handshake to Hiromu, which was accepted. Hiromu then offered a handshake in return. Gedo took the handshake, but then blocked the kick attepmpt by Takahashi. Gedo and Goto quickly resorted to double teaming Takahashi. Naito and Goto brawled on the outside while Takahashi and Gedo were in the ring. Naito threw Goto into the barricade, then tagged in to help Takahashi work over Gedo. Goto eventually got the tag and hit an Ushigaroushi. Gedo and Hiromu tagged back in and a four way brawl broke out. In a new finish, Takahashi put Gedo in a Triangle Choke like move to get a submission victory.
Tournament Matches
EVIL p. Toru Yano with a STO. I know I may be in the minority but I was looking forward to this match. A guy who calls himself “Evil” vs. a guy who’s entire schtick is Heel Goofball Comedy. Anyway Evil attacked before the bell and pulled Yano’s robe over his own head. Yano was able to remove the turnbuckle pad and Toss Evil into it. Evil tried to go after Yano, but Yano pulled the ref in front of him. Yano low blowed Evil and tried for a roll-up, but Evil turned it into his STO Finisher to get a quick win. That’s it folks. The match was maybe about a minute or two. But that’s kinda what I was expecting.
NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki p. Tama Tonga with a Gotch Piledriver. I don’t know if I could call this a hossfight, but it is a battle of two evil mean dudes, which still has me at hello. Desperado accompanied Suzuki to the ring. Tonga snuck up from behind and disposed of Desperado quietly. He then attacked Suzuki before either could get into the ring. The two heels brawled through the crowd like savages. Tonga used the ring bell hammer on Suzuki (apparently Taichi has the night off). Why there was no count-out after several minutes outside the ring, I don’t know. But the carnage was fun. Suzuki had Tonga in a leglock outside the ring. The countout finally began when both men were brawling at ringside. They fought until 19 and dashed into the ring. Dropkick by Tonga staggered Suzuki. Tonga went for a corner splash, only for Suzuki to dodge and pull the referee in the way. The ref got majorly squished. Suzuki and Tonga battled with chairs, swordfighting style. Suzuki went for the Sleeper, to which Tonga reversed and hit a Gun Stun. The ref was of coursed still out from being squished. Tonga tried to revive the ref, and went for another Gun Stun, but Suzuki refersed it into the Sleeper, followed by the Gotch Piledriver. Not a match of the year candidate by any means, but entertaining for what it was.
Even though he won, Suzuki still attacked one of the Young Lions at ringside with a chair. I think it was Kawato. Strangely enough, the crowd still sang along with his theme music. What jerks.
SANADA p. Michael Elgin with a moonsault. A natural matchup of agility vs. power, only in this case the babyface had the power. Elgin had control early on, until Sanada knocked him to the outside. Sanada opened the ropes, offering Elgin to re-enter. However Elgin instead entered from another corner. Soon after, Sanada got knocked to the outside, and Elgin offered the ropes, returning the favor to Sanada. In a show of sportsmanship, Sanada got a clean entry into the ring, which the crowd applauded. That was short lived, as Sanada knocked Elgin back to the outsied and whipped him into the barricade. This got Sanada control of the match. Elgin tried to rally with a powerslam. German Suplex on Sanada for a near fall. Elgin went for a superplex, but Sanada countered into a powerbomb. Sanada landed a back suplex and went for a moonsault, but missed. Sanada hit a pair of dropkicks went for the Cold Skull. Elgin tried to reverse it with a suplex. Sanada got out of that and tried his signature leapfrog dropkick. Elgin turned that into a powerbomb for a two count. A battle on the apron saw Elgin hit a German Suplex on the apron, and follow it up with the Top Rope Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Sanada locked in the Cold Skull. Elgin appeared to pass out rather than submit. Sanada then scored the win with a moonsault.
Kenny Omega p. Satoshi Kojima with The One Winged Angel. Part of the story here is Kenny thought tonight would be like a night off, but his offense was pretty useless early on. It wasn’t until Kojjima missed a plancha to the outside that Omega got control. Fireman’s carry roll/Moonsault landed a near fall for Kenny. Satoshi mounted a comeback with forearms, and landed a Koji Cutter. Dueling Machine Gun Chops between Kojima and Kenny. Kojima used Mongolian Chops to get Omega into the corner, then ripped of Kenny’s shirt and laid in the chops. Omega hit a superplex for a near fall. Kojima slid out of a One Winged Angel attempt and landed a DDT. Dueling forewarm shots, followed by another One Winged Angel attempt by Omega, which got reversed into a brainbuster. Kojima hit a lariat, and a Michinoku Driver like move, but only scored a two. Kenny came back with a few V-Triggers and finally hit the One Winged Angel to get the win.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada p. Juice Robinson with a Rainmaker. The story going into this match is that Minoru Suzuki hurt Juice’s leg, so he’s basically wrestling with only one good leg. Armlocks and wringers to start the match as the men tried to guage each other. Juice landed some armdrags. Okada quickly to the match to the outside, where he dropped Juice onto a chair, and booted him over the barricade. Okada controlled the match for the next several minutes. Juice dodged a senton and started his comeback, hitting a splash for a two count. Okada went for Juice’s bad leg, and locked in a modified Figure Four, but Juice made it to the ropes. Juice tried to suplex Okada to the outside, but they both wound up on the apron. Juice went for a piledriver on the apron, only for Okada to backdrop out of it. Juice barely made the countout. Okada hit a slam and the top rope elbow, then signaled for the Rainmaker. Juice dodged the Rainmaker and hit a Full Nelson Slam. Juice hit a great dropkick, but was soon hit with Okada’s Too Awesome Dropkick. Juice dodged the Rainmaker again and leveled Okada with his own clothesline. Okada reversed a Pulp Friction into a Tombstone Piledriver. Okada started blatantly taunting Juice, which fired Juice up. Powerbomb by Juice for a near fall. Juice went again for the Pulp Friction, but Okada blocked and hit two straight Rainmakers. Okada went for a third Rainmaker, to which Juice sprang to life and dodged. Juice once again went for a desparation Pulp Friction, only for Okada to reverse it into a German Suplex, followed by a third Rainmaker to finally put Juice down. Not a surprising finish by any means, but it made Juice look good because Okada had to hit his finisher three times to win the match. Okada remains undefeated in the tournament.
After the match Okada gave his “I have three things to say” promo, one thing looked to be putting over Juice.
STANDINGS
10 Kazuchika Okada
8 EVIL
8 Kenny Omega
6 Minoru Suzuki
6 Sanada
4 Michael Elgin
4 Tama Tonga
2 Juice Robinson
2 Toru Yano
0 Satoshi Kojima
