New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to Korakuen Hall for night four of the G1 Climax, featuring tournament matches from the B BLOCK. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada headlines against “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin while a battle between Kenny Omega and Tama Tonga threatens to rip the Bullet Club apart.
The show kicks off live on New Japan World at 5:30AM EST featuring English commentary from Kevin Kelly and Don Callis. We will have live coverage of both the undercard and today’s block matches. Feel free to get the discussion started early in the comments section below.
NJPW G1 Climax Results
July 22, 2017
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
UNDERCARD MATCHES
Togi Makabe, Kota Ibushi & David Finlay def. Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo. Finlay pinned Gedo with a stunner in a short match that had plenty of brawling between Goto and Makabe to put over their upcoming match. Ibushi was back to high flying here against Ishii after being completely grounded by Sabre Jr. on night three.
Zack Sabre Jr. & Desperado def. Yoshi-Hashi & Jado. Despy pinned Jado with the Guitarra de Angel while Sabre Jr. had his upcoming opponent trapped in an octopus stretch. The British technical wizard continues his streak of pure dominance, in total control of nearly every second of the action. The first few minutes of the match all you could hear was disassociated screaming from Hashi as Sabre worked him over somewhere on the outside.
Yuji Nagata & Tomoyuki Oka def. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Kitamura. With Tanahashi’s injury this turned into a big showcase for the Young Lions. Kitamura went it alone for a bulk of the match and looked outright terrifying. When Tanahashi did finally make the hot tag Nagata put him in an armbar and we almost got an immediate submission, really stressing how vulnerable that damaged arm is.
Tetsuya Naito, Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi def. Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens. The only thing you need to know is that Bad Luck Fale murdered Daryl the cat in cold blood, and is now the most hated man in all of Japan. We will not rest until there is #JusticeForDaryl.
B BLOCK TOURNAMENT MATCHES
TORU YANO (0) def. SATOSHI KOJIMA (0)
Well, it had to happen at some point. The most infamous man in CHAOS picks up his first win of the tournament after kicking his opponent in the groin twice in a row, whilst grabbing ahold of the referee. Yano tried to steal the win three times within the first 30 seconds with quick pin attempts. Lots of comedy throughout but every time he’d roll to the floor to get away Hiroyoshi Tenzan was there to scare him back into the match. Kojima looked to have it won off a Kozy Cutter and a stiff lariat to the back of the neck late into the bout, but was no match for the underhanded tactics of the Sublime Master Thief.
EVIL (0) def. JUICE ROBINSON (2)
Juice came out shining with an early cannonball in the corner, then took the big man to the outside firing off with clotheslines against the barricade. He came into the match with a minor neck injury that EVIL turned into a major problem, sending him crashing down hard on the steel railing and following up with a lariat that sent him into the first row. EVIL slowed things down with holds, exclusively working over the neck. The crowd willed Juice back into the match and he fired out of the corner with a big boot and a high crescent kick, then set in with a series of closed right fists and chops. Juice hit a sick DDT facebuster and dropped a senton for two. He made his first mistake climbing the ropes and was caught, crotching himself but also landing on his neck on the way down. Evil followed up with lariats in the corner but tried to run misdirection and got planted with a spinebuster. Juice mounted the ropes for a second time, and this time connected with the Honma Kokeshi to bring the crowd to life.
Evil stopped the momentum with a fisherman’s buster into the turnbuckle, but the young American fired up with a gigantic lariat out of the corner, then hit a picture perfect powerbomb for a very close two-count. He looked to put things away with Pulp Friction but Evil countered with a German suplex, folding him again on the back of his neck. Somehow Robinson got back up on spaghetti legs and both men collided in the center looking for lariats. EVIL launched a headbutt into his opponent’s throat. They traded positioning both looking for their finishers a half dozen times, resulting in another big suplex from the Los Ingobernables heavy. EVIL followed up with a massive lariat, signaling for the end and this time connected with the STO to pick up the win.
MINORU SUZUKI (0) def. SANADA (2)
Sanada went right after the Suzuki-Gun leader at the sound of the bell, firing off with wild rights and lefts. He ended up paying for it as Minoru took him into the crowd and destroyed him with numerous chair shots. Desperado is out for his faction and laid in with a few shots of his own. From there it was another slow, methodical assault with Minoru in complete control. After several minutes Sanada fired up with chops and kicks. Desperado hit the ring again but the Los Ingobernables star sent him packing with a dropkick, then surprisingly got in some very solid offense on the demented Minoru. He tried to put things away with the Skull End while he had a chance but got caught in a sleeper hold instead. It looked like Sanada faded out but he countered the Gotch-style Piledriver with a back body drop, then sidestepped another sleeper with a big Saito suplex. He looked for the the TKO and connected, but only got two-and-a-half. They went back and forth looking for the Skull End and sleeper holds, until Minoru hit an extremely quick Gotch-style Piledriver out of nowhere to win.
KENNY OMEGA (2) def. TAMA TONGA (2)
Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens came out to back Tama Tonga, as Yujiro Takahashi was in the alleged leader’s corner. Omega came out wearing a Young Bucks shirt and Tama took offense, attacking him before the bell and ripping the shirt off his body.
It was all Tonga from the start as they brawled to the floor and he connected with a stiff lariat and launched his opponent into the apron. He grabbed a microphone and asked “who the f— is The Elite?”, trashing Kenny for not supporting Bullet Club and only caring about his own brand. He said “f— the G1, all I care about is Bullet Club.” Message sent. Omega tried to mount a comeback but got caught with a running neckbreaker. Tama went to work on the injured leg with a Knee-DT and kept the pressure up for several minutes. Eventually Kenny fired up with the crowd behind him, blocking a Gun Stun and snapping off with two hurricanranas. He went for a tope con hilo to the floor and took out every Bullet Club member at ringside in the process, then rolled Tama back into the ring for the Dr. Willy Bomb. Omega signaled for the V-Trigger but the Club original had it scouted with a vicious spear. They traded stiff forearms back and forth, each one becoming more and more personal. Kenny took the advantage hitting an Aoi Shoudou, then went for the One Winged Angel but Tama reversed it into an inverted Tongan Twist (or…the Cross Rhodes)! Gun Stun attempt, but Omega shook it off and hit the V-Trigger. Another One Winged Angel attempt and this time it connects for the win.
There was a very intense scene after the match as Bullet Club hit the ring and things were very clearly not done between the two competitors. Kenny disrespectfully kicked at the back of Tama Tonga’s head, and Fale told him to stop. They all came together under Omega and threw up the Too Sweet. Tama originally walked away, but ended up coming back and throwing up the Too Sweet as well. For now the issue is settled, but this problem is far from over.
MICHAEL ELGIN (0) vs. KAZUCHIKA OKADA (2)
Big Mike fired off with stiff elbows and forearms to get things started. They brawled to the floor with Elgin looking for a splash into the barricade, but he got sent into the front row instead. The champion followed up with his big match dive over the rails but got snatched out of the air by the big man and slammed down hard on the ground. Elgin dropped him on the apron and rolled back into the ring looking for an early pin, but only got two. The crowd fired up Okada and he got the boots up in the corner, but got crushed with a snap powerslam. Eventually he built up some momentum and sent Big Mike to the floor with a baseball slide kick, then threw him hard into the barricade to give himself some breathing room. Back in the ring both men exchange strikes and look for suplexes. Okada settles for a neckbreaker but got caught looking for a corner splash, and Elgin punished the mistake with a series of three German suplexes into a bridging straight jacket suplex for a very close nearfall.
Both men have taken a lot of damage and are slow getting up. Okada hits a flapjack and connects with a simple DDT. He looks for Red Ink but gets thrown off and caught with another snap powerslam. Big Mike started throwing chops and hit a brutal forearm to send the champion staggering, but he fired back with a dropkick out of nowhere. Okada signalled for the Rainmaker and looked to put things away, going to the top for an elbow drop, but Elgin caught him out of the air with a huge powerbomb! Elgin fires off with a wicked lariat, then another to the back of the head. He throws elbows and stiff chops but gets caught with another dropkick that sends him into the ropes. Okada looks for the Rainmaker but Big Mike counters with a ridiculous lariat of his own that turns him inside out. The Elgin Bomb connects! 1…2…the champion kicked out. In desperation Elgin climbed the ropes but got dropkicked out of the air on his way down. They both start brawling up the ropes looking for positioning. Okada fires off with a headbutt that sends him crashing to the mat, but Elgin comes right back with an enzuigiri that rocks him. He climbs again and they both go crashing down with a huge superplex that shakes the entire ring. Elgin connects with the Buckle Bomb, the hits the Elgin Bomb again! 1…2…Okada kicked out at two and three-quarters! Mike can’t believe it and goes for the Burning Hammer, but Okada escaped and connected with his first Rainmaker of the match. Maintaining wrist control he hit a second Rainmaker, then screamed out at the crowed. Elgin ducked a third Rainmaker and hit a wicked spinning back fist. He went for the Buckle Bomb but the champion countered into a Tombstone Piledriver. Rainmaker three connects. 1…2…3.
Updated B BLOCK Standings:
Kazuchika Okada – 4
Kenny Omega – 4
Tama Tonga – 2
Minoru Suzuki – 2
Sanada – 2
Toru Yano – 2
EVIL – 2
Juice Robinson – 2
Satoshi Kojima – 0
Michael Elgin – 0
