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From Sapporo, Japan:
Shota Umino was injured in training. The card had to be adjusted this evening. We shall see how this affects plans for the G1 Climax.
1 - Katsuya Murashima, Shoma Kato, Tomoaki Honma, Tomohiro Ishii and Satoshi Kojima vs. Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP, Great O-Khan and Jeff Cobb
Akira pins Kato after a Fireball.
2 - DOUKI and Taichi vs. Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
DOUKI pins Kanemaru with a modified crucifix.
3 - YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. Dick Togo and EVIL, with Yujiro Takahashi
Shota Umino was supposed to team with Bishomon, but he got injured while training. This will be just a regular tag match.
Goto pins Togo after a Violent Flash and a Shoto.
4 - Titan and Tetsuya Naito vs. TAKA Michinoku and Yuya Uemura
Titan pins TAKA after a springboard double stomp.
5 - NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Team Championship: Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Yota Tsuji
Tanahashi hits a Body Press off the top rope on all three LIJ members. Oleg picked up BUSHI and hits a Kamikaze.
Oleg pins BUSHI.
Toru Yano, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Boltin Oleg win the NEVER Openweight 6-man Championship.
This win helps Boltin Oleg and his status in the company. He is seen as a star and getting treated like one, as he stands beside Tanahashi. This was Yota Tsuji’s first tag championship, which he lost in his first defense. He needs to do well in the G1 Climax.
6 - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles vs. Clark Conners and Drilla Moloney
Fujita traps Conners in an Indian Deathlock submission. Eagles applied the Ron Miller Special on Moloney. Moloney rakes the eyes of Fujita to break the hold. War Dogs escape to the floor. Eagles goes for a tope suicida on the War Dogs. They catch Eagles and hit an assisted Drilla Killa on the floor. DAMN!!!
Both Conners and Moloney are selling their injuries from the submissions. Fujita fights them both. Conners hits a spear then a double spear with a leg sweep. Fujita kicks out. Fujita avoids Full Clip. Fujita exchanges reversals with Conners. Conners kicks out of a German suplex pin. Conners blocks Abandon Hope and Moloney plants Fujita with a Drilla Killa. Conners hits a No Chaser. War Dogs hit Full Clip.
Conners pins Fujita.
War Dogs retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
They play a video announcing the G1 Climax 34 participants.
A Block
Tetsuya Naito
Shota Umino
Shingo Takagi
SANADA
Great O-Khan
Zack Sabre Jr.
Gabe Kidd
EVIL
Jake Lee (Pro Wrestling NOAH)
B Block
Hirooki Goto
El Phantasmo
Yota Tsuji
Jeff Cobb
HENARE
David Finlay
Ren Narita
Yuya Uemura
Konosuke Takeshita (DDT and AEW)
These are the 18 wrestlers announced.
There will be a tournament for the last spot in both Blocks.
In A Block, the wrestlers competing for the last spot are Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, Callum Newman, KENTA, Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi.
In B Block, the wrestlers competing for the last spot are Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yano Toru, Boltin Oleg, Satoshi Kojima, Taichi and TJP.
During the New Japan Soul tour, the tournament will take place during June and July. The G1 Climax begins July 20.
Interesting line up. There are much less wrestlers than in prior years. All are established competitors in New Japan. Jake Lee and Konosuke Takeshita are from Japan. This illustrates how difficult the G1 is for foreign wrestlers. This should be a fun tournament.
7 - NEVER Openweight Championship: HENARE vs. Shingo Takagi
United Empire comes to the ring with HENARE.
Good stiff match. They trade strikes. HENARE hits a Rampage but is unable to make the cover. They exchange chops and kicks. Takagi blocks a punch and hits Last of the Dragon. Takagi cannot make the cover. Takagi hammers him with elbows. Takagi with a sliding lariat. HENARE hits a knee strike.
They trade headbutts and lariats. Both are down. Similar to their match in Dominion. The referee begins a count. Both men get to their feet. More strikes. Takagi with a Pumping Bomber. Two count.
HENARE hits Streets of Rage. Two count. More near falls. Takagi throws two strikes. HENARE traps his arms and grabs his wrists. He hits Takagi with a vicious headbutt (aka Killshot).
HENARE pins Takagi.
HENARE is the new NEVER Openweight Champion. This is his first singles title in New Japan.
After the match, Takagi acknowledges the new champion. HENARE does a Haka Dance to celebrate his Māori culture.
This is how you build a champion over time. HENARE was a young lion 5 years ago and worked very hard. He challenged for titles in the past and lost. But learned from each loss. Lots of praise for Takagi as well since he has been a NEVER Champion 4 times. HENARE had two great matches against Takagi and the torch was passed. Very happy for HENARE.
8 - IWGP Global Championship: SANADA vs. David Finlay
The announcers spoke of SANADA getting a concussion during Road to Dontaku.
SANADA fought from behind while Finlay talked trash non-stop. Finlay goes after SANADA’s head and neck. They battle to the floor and SANADA hits a Piledriver on the concrete. Back in the ring, SANADA attacks Finlay with punches to the head. Finlay hits a Dominator. Two count. Finlay continues his attack on SANADA’s head and neck. Finlay tries for an O’Conner Roll but SANADA reverses into Skull End. Finlay does not tap but SANADA lets go for a moonsault. Finlay gets the knees up. Both men down and then trade punches.
SANADA hits a Magic Screw. SANADA hits a moonsault for a two count. SANADA goes for Deadfall but Finlay escapes. Gedo tries to come in the ring but SANADA kicks him in the balls. SANADA hits a Shining Wizard on Finlay. Finlay hits Into Oblivion. Two count. SANADA blocks Overkill. SANADA with an O’Conner Roll. Two count. Finlay hits a power bomb and Overkill.
Finlay pins SANADA.
David Finlay retains the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in his first defense.
9 - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship - Cage Match: El Desperado vs. SHO
SHO comes to ring and the referees pull all kinds of weapons from SHO’s wrestling gear. EVIL comes to ringside and sits at Japanese commentary.
They begin with some good wrestling. SHO escapes the ring to look for a weapon. SHO rips at Desperado’s mask and drags his face against the cage. Desperado is bleeding from the forehead. SHO attacks the body and bloody head. Desperado takes SHO to the floor. Desperado hits a big tope suicida then batters SHO against the cage. SHO gets the turnbuckle pad off and whips Desperado into the exposed bolts. SHO hits a Spear then takes down Desperado with a cross arm breaker. SHO quickly transitions to a Snake Bite. Desperado gets the rope break.
SHO’s body is bruised from hitting the cage. SHO hits a Tokyo Pimp (an inverted sit down powerslam). Two count. Desperado with an Olympic Slam. Desperado hits Pinche Loco. Desperado goes for another but SHO pushes Desperado into the referee. Referee bumps. House of Torture come to the ring with chairs. SHO puts Desperado against the cage and Narita hits him with a chair. Oleg, Tanahashi and other members of Hontai come to the ring to fight off House of Torture.
House of Torture throws chairs over the cage and into the ring. (I am having flash backs to the ECW arena). SHO drags a dazed Desperado into the ring. SHO spends so much time taunting the crowd and the camera. Desperado breaks a chair over SHO’s head. Desperado puts SHO on a chair and smashes him in the head. House of Torture tries to climb the cage. Desperado whips chairs at them.
Kojima, Yano, Oleg and Tanahashi try to toss House of Torture from ringside. SHO hits a low blow on Desperado. SHO goes for a cross arm Piledriver but Desperado reverses into his own piledriver. Desperado hits a Super Piche Loco, he holds on and delivers another Pinche Loco.
Desperado pins SHO.
El Desperado wins the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship and the BOSJ 31 Trophy.
Good match. Typical shenanigans but the crowd goes home happy. SHO is a great heel and good seller. His tricks and behavior add to the match.
Desperado thanks the crowd. He calls out DOUKI. He offers DOUKI a chance at the Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
The crowd applauds the new champion as the confetti flies.
Thank you for reading.
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