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KENTA VS. ZACK SABRE JR. CLASSIC & MORE: 10/9 NJPW G1 CLIMAX REPORT FROM OSAKA, JAPAN

By James Kurokawa on 2021-10-09 18:56:00

 KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr!; 10/9/21 A Block Results from New Japan's G1 Climax 31From Osaka, Japan:

Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado

Desperado forces Fujita to tap out to Numero Dos. 

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Ishii was showing his speed to keep up with the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. The match was pretty even until Hiromu hit a Death Valley Driver on ring apron.   Ishii was in pain.  Back in the ring, Ishii planted Hiromu with a back suplex.    Hiromu countered with a modified Dynamite Plunger.    They traded elbows and headbutts.   Ishii with a standing lariat and a sliding lariat.  Two count.   Hiromu with a bulldog out of a wheelbarrow position.   Ishii hits a release German suplex.  Hiromu hits three superkicks and a Victory Royale.   He runs Ishii into the turnbuckle.   Hiromu hits Time Bomb.    Ishii kicks out!!!   Wow!    Hiromu hits a super kick and a running lariat.   Two count.    Ishii hits an enzuigiri and a lariat.   Ishii goes for a brainbuster but Hiromu rolls him into a small package.  Two count.  Ishii hits another lariat and finally hits the brainbuster.

Ishii pins Hiromu Takahashi.

Great match.   Much better than I expected.   Ishii could have gotten hurt.  Especially with the DVD on the ring apron.  Luckily that was not the case.   Ishii is on a roll in the G1 and holds the tie breaker advantage over Zack Sabre Jr.   He cannot afford any mistakes.

G1 Climax 31 A Block Matches:

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. KENTA

They started brawling.  ZSJ quickly went for an ankle submission.   KENTA got to the ropes, then rolls to the floor.   ZSJ kicks KENTA in the back, mocking him as he does.   KENTA hits a wicked open hand slap.  ZSJ throws a thrust kick to retaliate but was rocked by the slap.   ZSJ gets back in the ring and tells KENTA to get back in.

Like what happened with Tomohiro Ishii, ZSJ got away from his submission game plan and he lost.   He should get into a striking match with KENTA.   

KENTA takes his time to get back into the ring.  ZSJ kicked him in the left knee and tied him up into a bow and arrow.   KENTA got out and hit ZSJ with several kicks to the chest.   KENTA took the match to the floor and hammered ZSJ against the guardrails.  KENTA gave the eyeball to El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru who were on Japanese commentary.

Back in the ring, KENTA continued to hit ZSJ with kicks.    KENTA takes off the turnbuckle pad and throws ZSJ into the metal bolt in the corner.   ZSJ fights back as he takes down KENTA and dropkicks him in the back of the head.    ZSJ gets a neck twist on KENTA.    They traded uppercuts.   KENTA with a power slam and a top rope clothesline.   KENTA goes for a Green Killer, but ZSJ ties him up in an arm submission in the ropes.   The referee makes him break the submission, but ZSJ stomps on KENTA’s left arm.   KENTA screams in pain.   KENTA’s left arm was the one he had a problem with and wears medical tape.  KENTA fights back with strikes but ZSJ kicks him in the left shoulder.   ZSJ charges at KENTA, who avoid it, and ties up ZSJ in the ropes and hits a Green Killer.  KENTA with Yakuza kick.   KENTA with a dropkick to the face.  KENTA hits a double stomp.  Two count.    KENTA goes for Go To Sleep but ZSJ reverses into a Cobra Twist.   KENTA reverses and tries for Game Over.    ZSJ continues move and traps KENTA in a triangle choke.   KENTA reverses out and locks in Game Over.   ZSJ rolls out and traps KENTA’s left arm with his legs and pulls his right arm back.   KENTA gets to the ropes.    ZSJ with a Roll up Bridge.  Two count.   ZSJ double stomps on KENTA’s knees.   KENTA hits a Psycho Knee.   KENTA goes for another Psycho Knee but ZSJ avoids and traps him in an ankle lock submission.   KENTA was close to tapping but he makes it to the ropes.   ZSJ hit a dropkick to KENTA’s left knee.   KENTA blocks a ZSJ kick.  ZSJ slaps him in the face.   KENTA smack ZSJ back and hits a spinning lariat.  KENTA goes for a kick to to the face but ZSJ pulls him down and ties up KENTA in a leg submission.   ZSJ kept moving and tying up both legs of KENTA, very similar to his submission wins in the G1.  KENTA kept moving to escape but ZSJ kept moving as well.   KENTA was able to get to the ropes.    They start throwing kicks again.   KENTA goes for Go To Sleep, ZSJ reverses out and grabs KENTA into a European Clutch.  Two count.   KENTA hit four or five open hand strikes.   KENTA with Go To Sleep.   ZSJ blocks it and gets an ankle lock submission.   KENTA pulls ZSJ into the metal bolt in the ring corner.   ZSJ is stunned.  KENTA hits Go To Sleep.

KENTA pins ZSJ.

KENTA earns 2 points and has 10 points total.   This puts him in a tie with Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Jr.

After the match, KENTA has words with El Desperado at ringside, but Desperado shows respect and applaud him.

Wow!   Great match!   I hope my report does this match justice.   If you are able, go to New Japan World and watch this match.   Two great wrestlers showing what they do best.  

Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi, with Pieter 

Takahashi kicks Yano in the face as he enters the ring.   Yano falls to the floor.  Takahashi hits a tope suicida on Yano.   Takahashi ties up Yano with athletic tape.   Yano almost gets counted out.   Takahashi takes off the turnbuckle pads.   He throws Yano into the metal bolts.    Takahashi throws Yano to the floor.   Yano gets hit with the Pimp Stick.    Yano fights back with some of his shenanigans.   Both men hit low blows on each other and the referee takes a bump.  Both men go to the floor, Takahashi tries to handcuff Yano.    Yano tries to escape under the ring and Takahashi follow.   The referee begins the count out.  Yano appears and slides into the ring.   Takahashi crawls from under the ring but his hands are cuffed behind his back.   Takahashi cannot make it back into the ring.

Yano wins by count out.

Toru Yano earns 2 points for the count out win, and now stands at 8 points.

Shingo Takagi vs. Tanga Loa, with Jado

Both men start by throwing punches.   Tanga got the advantage by dropping Takagi with a back suplex on the ring apron.   Tanga with a flipping senton and a standing moonsault.   Two count.   Tanga with a running powerslam then locking in Operation Jado Killer.   Takagi gets to the ropes.   They trade strikes.  Takagi with a DDT and a suplex.  Two count.   Tanga with a high kick and a Blue Thunder Bomb.  Two count.   Takagi with a back suplex.   Tanga with an Exploder suplex.  Tanga with a lariat and a sit down power bomb.  Two count.   Tanga goes for Apeshit, for Takagi escapes onto the top rope.  Tanga hits a powerslam from the second rope.   Two count.   Tanga again goes for Apeshit but Takagi slides off and hits a sliding lariat.   Takagi with a superplex.   Takagi with a Pumping Bomber.   They exchange punches and headbutts.   Takagi hits a GTR, then picks up Tanga for Last of the Dragon.

Takagi pins Tanga Loa.

Shingo Takagi earns 2 points and gets to a total score of 10 points.  Now a 4 way tie for the lead in A Block.

 Kota Ibushi vs. Great O-Khan

Slow start by both men.   They grappled and attempted to hit strikes.   There was a respect between them as they both did not want to make a mistake.   O-Khan gets the first big offensive move with an ankle lock submission.  But Ibushi is able to reverse out. O-Khan applies a head and arm choke but Ibushi gets to the ropes.   O-Khan tried for an arm lock which Ibushi reversed out.    Ibushi was getting frustrated.   Ibushi trapped O-Khan in a figure four leg lock.   O-Khan gets to the ropes.  He throws Ibushi across the ring with a judo throw. He hits Ibushi with a STIFF right punch to the jaw.  Brutal!   Both men drop to the mat.  O-Khan is still selling his leg.   O-Khan tries for another leg submission but Ibushi starts throwing strikes.   Ibushi hits a flurry of punches and hits a Bomaye.  Two count. O-Khan’s nose is bloodied.   O-Khan gets an ankle lock.  Ibushi fights out of the hold and connects with a vicious knee to the face.  Damn!  O-Khan may be out on his feet.    Ibushi goes for Kamigoye.  O-Khan ducks and attempts an Eliminator.   Ibushi hits a high kick.  Two count.   Ibushi goes for Kamigoye again.  O-Khan blocks it with the Claw.   He tries to lift Ibushi by the knee.   Ibushi hits O-Khan with his other knee.  Ibushi hits Kamigoye.

Ibushi pins O-Khan.

Kota Ibushi takes the lead in A Block as he earns 2 points and gets to 12 points.

Ibushi takes the mic and thanks O-Khan for the great match.   

This was a hard hitting fight.   Brutal match for both men.  I hope O-Khan is not injured.   At the next event, Ibushi would have faced Tetsuya Naito but he will have a non-G1 match.   The final event in A Block Ibushi will be facing KENTA.   Ibushi will have to win this match to win the A Block.

A Block Standings as of 10/9/21:

Kota Ibushi - 12

Yujiro Takahashi - 4

Great O-Khan - 8

Tanga Loa - 4

Toru Yano - 8

KENTA - 10

Zack Sabre Jr. - 10

Tomohiro Ishii - 8

Shingo Takagi - 10

Tetsuya Naito - Forfeit

Thank you for reading.

 

 

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