It’s, well… a few months after that time of year again, and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)’s G1 Climax tournament is back to ruin sleep schedules all over the globe!
This year’s version, the 31st annual, will feature 20 men competing across 19 dates for a spot in the finals on October 21. Each show will be broadcast worldwide on New Japan’s streaming service, NJPW World.
Final Standings
A Block
14 Points
- Kota Ibushi (7-2) BLOCK WINNER
13 Points
12 Points
- KENTA (6-3)
- Zack Sabre, Jr. (6-3)
10 Points
- Tomohiro Ishii (5-4)
- Toru Yano (5-4)
8 Points
6 Points
5 Points
0 Points
- Tetsuya Naito (0-9 after being injured out and forfeiting his remaining matches)
B Block
16 Points
- Jeff Cobb (8-1)
- Kazuchika Okada (8-1) BLOCK WINNER
14 Points
8 Points
- Hiroshi Tanahashi (4-5)
- SANADA (4-5)
6 Points
- Hirooki Goto (3-6)
- Taichi (3-6)
- Tama Tonga (3-6)
- YOSHI-HASHI (3-6)
4 Points
Today’s action takes place in Tokyo’s legendary Nippon Budokan, kicking off at 5 am ET / 2 am PT, and it’s the finals, baby! The winner of our main event will go on to challenge Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16!
Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) over Kosei Fujita & Ryohei Oiwa by submission with a Boston Crab from Kanemaru on Fujita.
Toru Yano & Yuji Nagata over UNITED EMPIRE (Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb) by pinfall with a low blow from Yano on Khan.
Bullet Club (EVIL, SHO, & Yujiro Takahashi) over Chaos (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, & YOSHI-HASHI by pinfall with EVIL from EVIL on Tacos.
Bullet Club (Chase Owens, KENTA, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa) over Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma), Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Tiger Mask IV by pinfall with the package piledriver from Owens on Honma.
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. went to a five-minute UWF Rules time limit draw.
Post-match, Shibata got on the mic and told us the next time we see him in a ring, it’ll be a proper match! (Holy hell!)
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, & SANADA) over Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, & TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) by pinfall with Pumping Bomber from Shingo on Tenzan
Kazuchika Okada over Kota Ibushi by seemingly legitimate referee stoppage after a Ibushi injured his arm on a Phoenix Splash, winning G1 Climax 31 (Tournament Finals)
Enjoy the show!
