PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

7/16 NJPW G1 CLIMAX 32 TOURNAMENT OPENER REPORT FROM HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

7/16/22 Results from New Japan’s G1 Climax 32 From Sapporo, Hokkaido:

Kosei Fujita vs. Tom Lawlor

Royce Isaacs comes to the ring with Lawlor.  

Lawlor hits Fujita with the NKOTB.

Lawlor pins Fujita

After the match, Lawlor tells Kevin Kelly he may be in the “Monster Block”, but he is the little monster who will win this Block.

Jonah and Bad Dude Tito vs. Toru Yano and Ryohei Oiwa

Jonah will face Yano in their first A Block match tomorrow.   Yano was scared of locking up with Jonah.   

Jonah hits a big powerbomb on Oiwa.

Jonah pins Oiwa.

SHO, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL, with Dick Togo vs. Jado, Tama Tonga, David Finlay

SHO hits Jado with wrench.  Yujiro hits Pimp Juice on Jado.

Yujiro pins Jado

Finlay and Yujiro have words with each other.  They face each other in their first Block match on Wednesday.   

KENTA, Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale and Juice Robinson vs. Lance Archer, TAKA Michinoku, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.

Wild match between Suzuki-Gun and Bullet Club.  

Juice hits a Left Hand of God on TAKA.   TAKA may have been legitimately knocked out.   

Juice pins TAKA.

KENTA and ZSJ were ready to start their Block match already and had to be separated.

BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI and Tomohiro Ishii

Ishii hits a brainbuster on BUSHI.

Ishi pins BUSHI.

G1 Climax 32 Matches:

C Block:  Aaron Henare vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi 

They exchange chops and elbows.  Henare punches Tanahashi and locks him in a leg submission.  Tanahashi fights out and hits a senton from the ropes.  Henare fights back with a Berzerker Bomb.  Henare is favoring his ribs.   Henare hits a high knee and follows with a Samoan drop.   Henare hits a senton from the ropes and goes for Ulitma (Full Nelson submission).  Tanahashi powers out and hits a Twist and Shout, followed by a Slingblade.   Tanahashi climbs to the top rope and hits Ace’s High.  Tanahashi comes off the top rope again with a High Fly Flow, but Henare gets his knees up.

Tanahashi blocks a Rampage by Henare and connects with open hand shots.   Henare with a spinebuster.  Two count. Henare locks Ultima on Tanahashi.   Henare tries for Streets of Rage but Tanahashi punches his way out.   Henare with a roundhouse kick to the face.   Henare picks up Tanahashi and hits Streets of Rage.

Henare pins Tanahashi!!!!

Aaron Henare earns 2 points.

Wow!   Big win for Henare!   Henare and Tanahashi were once tag team partners a few years ago before Henare joined United Empire.   I would not call this a “passing of the torch”, but this is a big rub for Henare, from his former tag partner.  Even if he does not win the G1, Henare can say he has an opening night win over The Ace.   

D Block:  El Phantasmo vs. Will Ospreay 

Ospreay hits a shotgun drop kick at the bell.   ELP goes to the floor.  Ospreay with a splash over the top rope.   Back in the ring, Ospreay comes off the top rope with an elbow.  Ospreay drops ELP on the ropes with a hot shot and connects with a boot to the face.   ELP with a tope suicida to Ospreay on the floor.  ELP hits a top rope Asai Moonsault on Ospreay.   Wow!   

ELP puts Ospreay in the Tree of Woe.  ELP hits two drop kicks to the face.  Ospreay hits a spin kick to the face.   ELP with a super kick to gut.  Ospreay counters with tornado backbreaker.  They start exchanging elbows and strikes.   They exchange kicks.  ELP goes for a suplex but Ospreay turns it into a Stunner.  Ospreay goes for an Oscutter but ELP follows him and hits a reverse Spanish Fly off the ropes.   ELP covers for a pin but only a two count.  Ospreay elbows ELP in the jaw and hits a Chelsea Grin.   Ospreay sets up for the Hidden Blade.  ELP tried to hit a Frankensteiner but Ospreay hits a powerbomb pin.  Two count.   Ospreay hits another powerbomb.  Two count.   ELP crotches Ospreay on the top rope.   ELP hits a Superana from the top rope.   ELP misses Thunderkiss 87.  Ospreay hits a Robinson Special to the head.   Ospreay goes for and misses an Oscutter.  ELP hits Sudden Death to the face.  Two count.   

ELP goes for CR2.  But Ospreay reverses out and they exchange near falls.  Ospreay goes for another Oscutter but ELP turns it into a backslide.  Two count.   Ospreay blasts ELP with a Hidden Blade to the throat.

Ospreay pins ELP

Will Ospreay earns 2 points.

Good match.  Both men knew each other well and told a good story in the ring.

8 - B Block: SANADA vs. Jay White, with Gedo

White stalls a bit and plays to the crowd.  SANADA does not play his games.  Gedo tries to interfere but he backs away when SANADA sees him.   White throws SANADA into the guardrails.  White punches SANADA in the ribs and grabs him in a bear hug.   SANADA fights back with an atomic drop and a Paradise Lock.   SANADA goes for a TKO but White hits a DDT.  White hits a Bladebuster.   Two count.  White with a Complete Shot, a deadlift German suplex, and a Uranagi.  Two count.  White goes for a Sleeper suplex, but SANADA blocks it and elbows his way out.   SANADA goes for a a springboard attack and White knocks him to the floor.   A cocky White tosses SANADA into the ring and SANADA hits a TKO.  SANADA traps White in a Dragon Sleeper and transitions to Skull End.    Gedo jumps on the apron and distracts the referee. SANADA let’s go and goes after Gedo.  White hits a low blow on SANADA.  They exchange strikes.  White throws a big European Upper cut and SANADA falls  to the mat.   As SANADA falls, his leg flies upward and kicks White in the crotch.   Gedo screams for a disqualification as White is hurt on the mat.   SANADA goes to the top rope for a Muta Moonsault but White moves out of the way and SANADA crashes to the mat.    White argues with the referee to disqualify SANADA and declare him the winner.   The referee refuses.   SANADA rolls up White into a pin.  Two count.  SANADA with a Rolling Elbow and picks up White on his shoulders and drops him with a reverse TKO.  Two count.  They reverse out of each other’s finishing moves.  SANADA gets White into an O’Conner Roll with a bridge.   White kicks out.  The exchange more reversals.   SANADA tries for Skull End again.  White reverses out and hits a Bladerunner.

White pins SANADA.

Jay White earns 2 points.

 A Block:  Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb

Cobb demonstrated his power by shoving Okada to the mat and out of the ring.   Okada tried to use his speed, but Cobb smashed him with a shoulder tackle.   Okada tried to leapfrog over Cobb but Cobb caught him with one arm.  Jeez!   Cobb launched Okada over his head and across the ring.  Okada rolled to the floor.   Cobb whipped Okada hard into the guardrail.   Cobb steps on the chest of a fallen Okada.   Cobb continues his attack on Okada’s back with a running vertical suplex and a bear hug.   Okada fights back with a DDT.  Okada hits a running elbow.   Okada with a flapjack.    

A board in the ring got loose.   The referee tried to fix it.  

Okada takes the match to the floor.   Okada hits a DDT on the floor.   Back in the ring, Okada hits a neck breaker.   Cobb counters with a drop kick.   Cobb hits a running uppercut into the corner.  Cobb pulls Okada off the mat and throws him with a Spin Cycle.   Cobb goes for a deadlift vertical superplex, but Okada punches his way out.  While Okada is sitting on the top rope, Cobb drop kicks in the face.  Crazy!  Cobb then climbs to the second rope and deadlifts Okada into a gutwrench suplex off the top rope.   Two count.  Cobb with a standing moonsault.  Two count.  Okada hits a shotgun drop kick.  He goes for a tombstone.   Cobb reverses and drops Okada on his head.  Cobb stands up and goes to drop Okada on his head again.  Okada reverses and hits a tombstone of his own.   Both men are exhausted.  Okada applies the Money Clip.  Cobb pushes him into the corner.  Okada applies the Money Clip again but Cobb gets the ropes.   Okada slams Cobb and hits a top rope elbow.    Rainmaker pose.

Okada hits a drop kick and goes for the Rainmaker.  Cobb ducks and hits his own Rainmaker lariat.  But he cannot make the pin.  They exchange elbows.   Cobb goes for a Tour of the Islands but Okada fights out.  He applies the Money Clip then hits a spinning lariat.  Okada goes for a Rainmaker but Cobb knocks him silly with a headbutt to the jaw.  Cobb goes for another Tour, but Okada wiggles out.  Okada hits an enzugiri, then an Emerald Flosion.   Okada hits with a Rainmaker.

Okada pins Cobb.

Kazuchika Okada earns 2 points.

Okada addresses the Sapporo crowd to send them home happy.

This will be pattern of matches as we go forward in the tournament.  Each Block will have one match per event.    Towards the end of the tournament, full cards will  have multiple Block matches.   With only 7 men in each Block they have only six matches to try and earn as many points as they can.  This means all the matches are important and losing a match could put you behind.

Thanks for reading.

 

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet