It’s opening night in this year’s G1, as blocks A and B kicked off with SANADA main eventing against Hikuleo.
Quick Results
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: YOSHI-HASHI pinned El Phantasmo in 10:56 (***)
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: Chase Owens pinned Gabe Kidd in 2:55 (**¾)
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: Tanga Loa pinned KENTA in 12:46 (**½)
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: Ren Narita and Shota Umino went to a 20:00 time-limit draw (***½)
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: Kazuchika Okada pinned Great O-Khan in 15:23 (***½)
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: Kaito Kiyomiya pinned Yota Tsuji in 14:48 (***¾)
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: Taichi pinned Will Ospreay in 17:43 (****)
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: SANADA pinned Hikuleo in 10:16 (***)
It’s that time of year again – the G1 Climax is under way and much like last year, the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center Hokkai Kitayell in Hokkaido is hosting the first two nights. I’m playing catch-up and watching a lot of this year’s tournament on delay, so let’s keep the takes short, eh?
Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton are on hand for English commentary…
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: El Phantasmo vs. YOSHI-HASHI
Since I last checked in on New Japan, YOSHI-HASHI’s regained the tag team titles – but dropped his half of the Strong openweight titles to Gabe Kidd and Alex Coughlin…
They keep things slow and steady to start, trading shoulder tackles before Phantasmo began to chip away at YOSHI-HASHI. A low dropkick from YOSHI-HASHI faceplanted ELP into the mat, following up with a back body drop and a clothesline that took a shaken ELP to the outside.
YOSHI-HASHI follows that up with a flip senton to ELP in the aisle, then a Head Hunter off the top that almost put ELP away – if it weren’t for the bottom rope. Phantasmo tried to get back into it, but his neck was causing obvious problems – although not enough to stop a springboard crossbody and a Quebrada combo. In the end though, a Sudden Death from ELP dropped YOSHI-HASHI ahead of the Thunder Kiss splash for a near-fall… only for YOSHI-HASHI to survive some see-saw pins and score the win after scoring with a crucifix bomb. That’s my pick ‘ems shattered on match one – as we had some concern about ELP’s neck after the opener. ***
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: Chase Owens vs. Gabe Kidd
Kidd attacked Owens in the aisle during the entrances as we’ve got Bullet Club Civil War shenanigans. The pair fight on their way to the ring as my eyebrows rise off of my forehead with some of the phrasing at play on commentary. C’mon lads…
Kidd takes Owens into the crowd as the bell hasn’t rung, where he forces the crowd to scatter as he smashed a fan’s umbrella over Chase’s back. Kidd wipes out a bunch of the Young Lions before he headed up the ramp and sprinted into Owens with a cannonball off the walkway.
Eventually they make it into the ring, but not before Kidd tried to get himself cancelled. Owens beats Kidd to the punch at the bell, following with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and an early crack at the package piledriver. Kidd escapes, but gets thrown into the corner before he retaliated with a bull lariat off the ropes.
Owens just about kicks out of a brainbuster before he mounted a comeback, ducking a second bull lariat before taking Kidd into the ropes for a C-trigger… leading to a package piledriver for the win. A surprising loss for Kidd, whose mouth perhaps ran away with him here. **¾
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: KENTA vs. Tanga Loa
This was Tanga Loa’s first match back after over a year out with injury…
Tanga was all over KENTA early, locking up with him into the corner before things spilled outside, with KENTA eventually finding a way through with a Dragon screw to take Tanga off the apron. KENTA remained focused on the knee, which undoubtedly is going to be a feature of Tanga’s G1.
Eventually KENTA’s one-note direction’s cut off and met with a swinging sit-out side slam, before KENTA grabbed the ref to prevent Tanga from doing anything else. A DDT followed, opening the door for KENTA to get some goodies, returning with a chair which he put to use on Tanga’s knee.
After landing a clothesline, Tanga looked to push on, but KENTA drops down to avoid any more… then almost won with his feet on the ropes from a roll-up. Another ref bump ensues, but Tanga’s back with a spear and the Apeshit sit-out piledriver to mercifully put this one to bed. **½
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: Ren Narita vs. Shota Umino
New Japan have decided to label these two a part of the “Reiwa Three Musketeers” – a label that could prove to be a millstone around their necks, and not one Narita nor Umino wanted. Coming in, Narita had never beaten Umino… so there’s your big ask.
This new started off hot, but quickly settled into the pair trading blows, with Shota cutting off Narita’s set-up for a hesitation dropkick by battering him in the opposite corner with forearms. Things continued at quite a clip, leading to Narita rolling Umino into a knee bar… but that quickly ended in the ropes.
Narita’s spinning toe hold keeps him on top, as did a Figure Four, but Shota withstands it and found a way back in with a missile dropkick off the top rope, before he rolled Narita into a STF. That ended in the ropes, as Shota came in with hammer elbows, only to get met with a spinning heel kick as we passed the ten-minute mark.
Umino rolls the dice on Narita, but it’s nowhere near enough for the win… Umino tries for the spin neckbreaker he’s had dubbed the Ignition, but Narita avoids it, only to get caught with a slingshot DDT moments afterwards. The tempo raises as Narita looked to grab the initiative, going for the legs as the Narita Special #3 caught Shota in the middle of the ring.
The ropes again save Umino as the pair resume by trading front kicks, then Exploders, then German suplexes… before they simultaneously slapped each other to the mat. More back-and-forth leads to an enziguiri from Narita, then an Umino dropkick, before Umino set up for the Ignition… but Narita kicks out at two as we prepared to hit the final sixty seconds.
Umino gets closer with a guillotine DDT, but it’s still not enough as Narita switched out of a Death Rider and into a Cobra Twist. A German suplex follows out of it for a near-fall, but Narita can’t get the match over the line as a Kanuki suplex was countered into a pop-up uppercut as time ran out. A breathless 20 minutes, with Ren Narita STILL not able to beat Shota. These two will be linked with each other forever, and if it’s like this, there’ll be few complaints. ***½
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: Great O-Khan vs. Kazuchika Okada
One week on from losing his Rev Pro title, O-Khan looked to get his G1 underway with an unlikely win.
O-Khan grounded Okada in the opening stretch, but Okada almost slammed the door shut with a sit-down pin… prompting O-Khan to try and throttle Okada with a head-and-arm choke. The ropes saved Okada, but O-Khan pounces with an armbar as he began to focus on Okada’s Rainmaking arm.
Okada’s trapped in the corner as O-Khan sat on him, then brought him out for a suplex that gets a near-fall. Mounting a comeback, Okada decked O-Khan with a back elbow off the ropes, leading up to a DDT and a flapjack as the former champion looked to be in the driver’s seat.
A Money Clip took O-Khan into the corner, where he’s lifted up and dropkicked to the floor, where the guard rails came into play, with O-Khan getting knocked into the crowd for a draping DDT. Uppercuts from Okada take us through the ten-minute mark as O-Khan retaliated with a neckbreaker, then with some Mongolian chops for extra effect.
Okada’s forced to kick out from a gutwrench suplex, as a Sheep Killer stretch followed for Okada to fight his way out of. It’s turned into an Eye of the Hurricane for a near-fall, but it’s not long before Okada found his way back in with a dropkick. The landslide tombstone’s next, but O-Khan ducks a Rainmaker and applied a claw to Okada in return.
The TFO – a claw-assisted German suplex – nearly puts Okada away, before an Eliminator was escaped as Okada eventually found his way in for a Rainmaker for the win. I was a little surprised a single Rainmaker ended it here, but that’s perhaps O-Khan’s level this year – coming close, but not going for the epics just yet. ***½
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: Yota Tsuji vs. Kaito Kiyomiya
A pair of G1 bows here, as Kiyomiya looked to rebuild himself after losing the GHC title in NOAH earlier in the year. Being dived onto by Yota Tsuji perhaps wasn’t the way Kiyomiya was expecting this to start…
The crowd were solidly behind Tsuji in the early going, particularly when he shrugged off a chop block to the knee and retaliated with a tiltawhirl backbreaker. Kiyomiya’s Dragon screw spins Tsuji down as Kiyomiya found himself a target to work over, leading to an elbow drop onto the knee.
Further shots to the knee follow, while a dropkick took Tsuji into the corner… where Kiyomiya worked over the leg some more. Fighting out of the corner, Tsuji’s push-down stomp stunned Kiyomiya, ahead of some nice tiltawhirl headscissors and a shoulder tackle for good measure.
Another Dragon screw from Kiyomiya leads to a Figure Four in the middle of the ring, which Tsuji tried to dismantle before he instead opted to roll into the ropes for a break. Kiyomiya headed up top to land a missile dropkick as Tsuji remained on the defensive, adding a bridging German suplex that almost won out.
Tsuji floats out of a Tiger suplex, but he jarred his knees on the landing as Kiyomiya looked to capitalise… only to get stopped with a headbutt. Another dropkick from Kiyomiya lands, but Tsuji hits back instantly with a Falcon arrow as we looked to enter the final five minutes of the time limit. Another push down stomp smashes Kiyomiya into the mat as Tsuji prepped for his Vertebreaker, but a ‘rana from Kiyomiya drew a near-fall in return.
Kiyomiya pushes on with a Tiger suplex for a near-fall from there, then a wacky half-nelson Blue Thunder Bomb, before the Transformation Shining Wizard put Tsuji away. A valiant effort, but it’s Kiyomiya who had the extra poise here – but Tsuji wasn’t that far away in what was a cracker of a match. ***¾
G1 Climax 33 – Block B: Taichi vs. Will Ospreay
Ospreay’s edging 3-2 in their prior singles matches, including their most recent back in February in this same building – but they’re even in tournament matches.
Taichi had the lion’s share of the crowd here, prompting Ospreay to get a little salty at the start, trading strikes as Taichi looked to go for the midsection that Leon Slater’d seemingly injured at Rev Pro a week earlier. Ospreay’s sent outside, but he pounced as Taichi went after him, throwing the current KOPW champion into the guard rails for good measure.
Ospreay takes Taichi deep into the crowd, bowling him into the seating decks ahead of a DDT onto the floor. Both men make it back to the ring, but a Coast to Coast dropkick from Ospreay takes Taichi back outside, where a draping cutter off the apron left Taichi in a heap on the floor.
Again Taichi beats the count, and again Ospreay looked to heap trouble on him from above, this time with a flying forearm for a near-fall. Ospreay heads outside to get a time check… but realising it’s 6:31 of a 20:00 limit, he did what anyone paid by the word does… he went to pad!
A backbreaker bounces Taichi to the mat for a two-count, as did a spinning one, before Taichi was sent staggering into the ropes from a single elbow. Taichi thought he’d hit back with a back suplex as he’d countered an Oscutter, but Ospreay flips out and hit back with a Screwdriver for a near-fall. New stuff, eh?
Ospreay teased a Storm Driver ‘91, but Taichi blocks and gets chopped into the corner. A gamengiri rings Ospreay’s bell, knocking him a little dizzy as Ospreay went from dominant to almost on the verge of defeat in the space of one move. He’s a little shaky climbing the ropes, slipping down off the top as the referee threatened to call a stoppage.
A Chelsea Grin forearm from Ospreay finds its way through, but the dizziness continued to be problematic as Ospreay prepared for a Hidden Blade… then opted for some Kawada-ish kicks. Taichi got a little annoyed with those, even more so as Ospreay offered himself up for some kicks in return as the pair went back-and-forth, ending with an enziguiri from Taichi.
Off come the trousers as Taichi tried to pull ahead, only to get met with an OsCutter that almost ended things. Taichi ducks a Hidden Blade, but couldn’t add much more as Ospreay dove in with the obvious blade to the face… but Taichi grabbed the rope in the nick of time to save the match.
Ospreay amps things up with a Storm Breaker, but Taichi rolled out into a Gedo Clutch for a near-fall, before he got folded in half with a rolling elbow. Another OsCutter’s called for, but Taichi caught him in the corner and brought him down with an avalanche Dangerous backdrop driver. Christ…
From there, Taichi hits an Axe Bomber, before a backdrop hold almost got the win… leading to a superkick to swat away a Hidden Blade, then a Black Mephisto for the win. Ospreay had this won a good ten minutes before the end, but his own instincts cost him big time as Taichi snuck victory deep from the throat of defeat. ****
G1 Climax 33 – Block A: Hikuleo vs. SANADA
On paper, this should be a walk for SANADA, but stranger things have happened…
Hikuleo picked his shot, booting SANADA at the bell before he got caught with an O’Connor roll for an early two-count. Kicking out, Hikuleo followed up by throwing SANADA into the corner pad as things spilled outside with SANADA getting thrown into the guard rails. Chops follow on the outside, but Hikuleo’s charged into the guard rails as SANADA looked to wear down the big man.
Back inside, Hikuleo’s able to regain control with some chops, then with a back body drop that saw him collect a two-count. SANADA fought back, dropkicking him to the outside for a plancha before he took things back inside.
A moonsault out of the corner is caught as SANADA’s dumped back into the corner, then wiped out with a clothesline ahead of a suplex for a two-count. Hikuleo tries to add to it, but SANADA finagled his way briefly into a Skull End before he countered a counter into a suplex.
Hikuleo powerslams his way out of a mounted Skull End attempt for a near-fall, before Hikuleo slammed his way ahead after he’d escaped SANADA’s Dead Fall. A chokeslam looks to follow, but SANADA pushed out and hit a Shining Wizard, before a ‘rana was caught and turned into a huge Last Ride for a near-fall.
Hikuleo goes for another chokeslam as we hit the ten minute mark, but SANADA countered out and hit the Dead Fall swinging reverse STO… and that’s the one hit kill that gets the win. This was fine for what it was, but no way I’d have slotted this as my first night’s main event. ***
After one round, here’s the standings that of course I’ll screw up before the end of the tournament!
Block A
Kaito Kiyomiya, Chase Owens, SANADA (1-0 / 2pts)
Ren Narita, Shota Umino (0-0-1 / 1pt)
Hikuleo, Gabe Kidd, Yota Tsuji (0-1 / 0pts)
Block B
Tanga Loa, Kazuchika Okada, Taichi, YOSHI-HASHI (1-0 / 2pts)
KENTA, Great O-Khan, Will Ospreay, El Phantasmo (0-1 / 0pts)
We’re staying in Hokkaido for night two of the tournament, with blocks C and D in action as Jeff Cobb headlines against Tetsuya Naito.
A mixed bag of an opening night – with Ospreay/Taichi, Umino/Narita and Tsuji/Kiyomiya being the pick of the bunch, although the short Owens/Kidd match and several other underwhelming matches perhaps point to a G1 line-up that even at this opening stage looks to be not quite grade-one.