The G1 Climax is just getting started, but the A-Block has already had one name taken out of the mix. Tetsuya Naito has fallen with a knee injury, following his match with Zack Sabre Jr. We felt the consequences of this on this show, starting from the opening match.
Tanga Loa Gets Special Singles Match, Great O-Khan Didn;’t Forget, Yujiro Takahashi & KENTA Go To War
With Tetsuya Naito down, his eight remaining opponents will all be given 2 points as they won by forfeit. However, this doesn’t mean they get nights off, as everyone else gets a special singles match. Free points was enough of a blessing for a tournament like the G1.
Tanga Loa felt let down that he didn’t get to test himself against Naito, but got a test in the legendary Yuji Nagata instead. He was able to resist even the rare Nagata Lock 1 on his way to a momentum building victory. This redeemed a loss in his first singles match in NJPW, and showed exactly how far he’s come.
The first tournament match of the night saw a big rivalry bet re-ignited as Toru Yano faced Great O-Khan. Yano has beaten O-Khan three times, and in the New Japan Cup earlier this year, he even forced O-Khan to cut his own hair. O-Khan remembered this and brought the hair to this match as a reminder – as he would maul Yano. There was some comedy here, but O-Khan brutalized Yano in the end to move to 6 points.
When Bullet Club members clash, it’s always interesting. Tonight however it’s the first meeting of a member of House of Torture, the latest branch of the long running faction. Yujiro Takahashi is off to a hot start, having beaten Kota Ibushi on the first night of tournament action, but KENTA would be a strong match for him. They’d really lay it in – with Takahashi having a big resurgence right now, but KENTA caught him with Game Over to move to 4 points.
Stone Pitbull vs. Golden Star, The Dragon vs. The Dangerous Tekker
This show had a huge double main event, with the first being Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi. They’re at 2 points simply because Naito had to pull out, but otherwise lost their first matches. Tonight was how they redeemed this, and they’d have a downright ugly brawl. They’d have to brawl it out in a battle of some nasty strikes and suplexes, with Ibushi hitting three exposed knee strikes to earn two points.
The main event would feature Shingo Takagi taking on Zack Sabre Jr. With Takagi as the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, he’s got all the reasons in the world to take out every opponent to prove he’s the greatest – but tonight he couldn’t get that done. A decade ago, he was able to choke ZSJ out – but tonight, Zack had an answer for every single move Shingo had. He’d pick away at the arm all match before making Shingo tap out.
This not only gets him two points, but a potential IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Power Struggle later this year. It’s a good time to be a Zack Sabre Jr. fan, and this match was excellent.
The Updated A-Block Standings
When it comes to the standings in the A-Block, they are as follows.
6 Points – Great O-Khan
4 Points – Yujiro Takahashi, Toru Yano, Kota Ibushi, Shingo Takagi, Zack Sabre Jr., KENTA
2 Points – Tomohiro Ishii, Tanga Loa
0 Points – Tetsuya Naito
Who will win the G1 Climax this year? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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