NJPW's G1 Climax 33 tournament continues today in Yamagata with A Block & B Block action.
In the main event, Kazuchika Okada faces El Phantasmo in B Block. Both enter the match 1-0 in the tournament.
In the semi-main, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA takes on Shota Umino. Umino & Ren Narita went to a time limit draw in their first tournament bout, while SANADA scored a win over Hikuleo.
The full lineup:
B Block: Kazuchika Okada (1-0, 2 points) vs. El Phantasmo (1-0, 2 points)A Block: SANADA (1-0, 2 points) vs. Shota Umino (0-0-1, 1 point)B Block: Will Ospreay (0-1, 0 points) vs. YOSHI-HASHI (1-0, 2 points)A Block: Ren Narita (0-0-1, 1 point) vs. Yota Tsuji (0-1, 0 points)B Block: Taichi (1-0, 2 points) vs. Tanga Loa (1-0, 2 points)A Block: Hikuleo (0-1, 0 points) vs. Gabe Kidd (0-1, 0 points)B Block: KENTA (0-1, 0 points) vs. Great-O-Khan (0-1, 0 points)A Block: Kaito Kiyomiya (1-0, 2 points) vs. Chase Owens (1-0, 2 points)
Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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There was nothing "must-see" from tonight's show. There were some strong individual performances (Okada, Kaito, and Kidd come to mind), but no matches that stand out as particularly great.
Kaito Kiyomiya defeated Chase Owens
This was a simple match structurally. Chase got and maintained the heat for most of the bout. Kaito eventually launched a comeback before winning with the shining wizard.
Kaito now leads A Block with 4 points.
KENTA defeated Great-O-Khan
This was a strange one. The match featured a lot of outside brawling, with both men utilizing chair shots and environmental offense. Back in the ring, the match was built around failed ref bumps, which didn't even play into the finish. KENTA used the ropes after a rollup to win the bout.
KENTA scores his first 2 points of the tournament.
Gabe Kidd defeated Hikuleo
Ruthless Kidd is such a fantastic addition to this roster. His matches always feel urgent. Kidd rushed Hikuleo before the match could begin, setting up another brawl-heavy bout. Hikuleo won the advantage on the floor, which he maintained in the ring. Kidd eventually landed a low blow and a pile driver to eke out a win.
This was Kidd's first win, leaving him with 2 points.
Taichi defeated Tanga Loa
This wasn't great. The match opened as a sluggish strike-heavy affair. The ending sequence was moves-heavy, with Taichi coming out on top with his Gedo Clutch variation.
Taichi remains undefeated with 4 points.
Time Limit Draw: Ren Narita vs. Yota Tsuji
This match played out as you would imagine, with Tsuji using his power to gain and maintain a lead, with Narita's fire acting as a constant check. As time wound down, both men grew desperate and climbed to the top rope where the match would find its end.
Will Ospreay defeated YOSHI-HASHI
This match was a fairly standard Ospreay affair with a fair bit of back-and-forth. YH survived an awful lot of Ospreay offense, but in the end, a corkscrew senton marked the end.
Ospreay is on the board with 2 points.
SANADA defeated Shota Umino
This was a match with no real urgency, even as the clock ticked on. Just before the time limit, SANADA hit the shining wizard and deadfall to win the match.
SANADA maintains his position on top of A block with 4 points.
Okada defeated El Phantasmo
Okada was indifferent for most of the match, which allowed ELP to gain advantage. After avoiding a Rainmaker, ELP hit CR2, a moonsault to the floor, and a tombstone but failed to finish. In the end, it was an Okada Rainmaker that marked the end for ELP.
Okada finishes the night with 4 points.
Current standings
A Block
SANADA (2-0) – 4 points)
Kaito Kiyomiya (2-0) – 4 points
Chase Owens (1-1) – 2 points
Gabe Kidd (1-1) 2 points
Ren Narita (0-0-2) – 2 points
Shota Umino (0-1-1) – 1 point
Yota Tsuji (0-1-1) – 1 point
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Hikuleo (0-2) – 0 points
B Block
Kazuchika Okada (2-0) – 4 points
Taichi (2-0) – 4 points
YOSHI-HASHI (1-1) – 2 points
Tanga Loa (1-1) 2 points
Will Ospreay (1-1) 2 points
KENTA (1-1) 2 points
Great-O-Khan (0-2) 0 points
El Phantasmo (0-2) 0 points
C Block
EVIL (1-0) – 2 points
Eddie Kingston (1-0) – 2 points
David Finlay (1-0) – 2 points
Mikey Nicholls (1-0) – 2 points
Tama Tonga (0-1) – 0 points
Tomohiro Ishii (0-1) – 0 points
Shingo Takagi (0-1) – 0 points
HENARE (0-1) – 0 points
D Block
Zack Sabre Jr. (1-0) – 2 points
Jeff Cobb (1-0) – 2 points
Shane Haste (1-0) – 2 points
Hirooki Goto (1-0) – 2 points
Tetsuya Naito (0-1) – 0 points
Hiroshi Tanahashi (0-1) – 0 points
Alex Coughlin (0-1) – 0 points
Toru Yano (0-1) – 0 points