Tag: Aaron Henare

NJPW G1 Climax 33 night 15 results: Eddie Kingston’s run ends as David Finlay, EVIL advance from C Block

A fun play-in scenario almost emerged from C Block on Night 15 of G1 Climax 33, but House of Torture spoiled the fun.

Can Eddie Kingston make the quarterfinals in his first G1 Climax 33? That’s one of the questions that should fascinate North American wrestling fans most on Night 15 of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s big summer tournament.

It’s do or die time for C Block, where the first six nights of round robin competition settled nothing, leaving five men heading to Yokohama with a chance to secure a quarterfinal spot. Kingston is one of them, but he has arguably the toughest test still left as he faces the leader of Bullet Club, David Finlay.

Both men took eight points out of their first six matches, and neither of them lost to the same opponents while going 4-2. With the other “outsider” in the G1, Kaito Kiyomiya of Pro Wrestling Noah, failing to make it out of A Block, it would be an accomplishment indeed if Kingston managed to earn a berth in the quarterfinals.

But Kingston-Finlay isn’t even the night’s main event. That honor belongs to Shingo Takagi vs. Evil, both of whom are also still angling for advancement. It’s a must-win for both of the former LIJ teammates, but especially for the Dragon, who earned seven points in his first six matches.

Unlike the first rounds of the G1 Climax 33, there are tag team bouts ahead of the block matches, so let’s settle in for the long haul and see how things unfold.

G1 Climax 33 night 15 results:

United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb) def. Ryohei Oiwa and Kaito Kiyomiya by pinfall

Cobb is rocking pigtails tonight, quite the look for him. Unlike Kiyomiya, his tournament fate is still undecided, as his final D Block match will be against Shane Haste tomorrow night.

Great-O-Khan flips Kiyomiya the bird as Kevin Kelly discusses the Baltimore Orioles announcer who was suspended by the team. The fight goes to the floor with all four men participating, and Oiwa ends up suffering from double team offense when the action returns to the ring.

Kiyomiya fares better once he tags in, though Cobb’s power eventually takes its toll on him too. Oiwa enthusiastically shows his offense against Khan, then kicks out after a Hercules cutter.

The Young Lion dodges one bicycle kick but not a second, and Khan makes sure he stays down this time.

Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd and Alex Coughlin) def. Tomoaki Honma and Toru Yano by pinfall

The War Dogs don’t even let their opponents make their way into the arena before they launch a sneak attack. Coughlin has some athletic tape and uses it to choke Yano on part of the guardrail.

But Yano eventually gets free and tries his usual assault on the corner pads while otherwise befuddling Coughlin. He kicks out of a gutwrench slam as well, and the fans are definitely behind him.

With Honma legal, the veteran ends up fighting off both of the War Dogs at once, nearly pinning Kidd. But he misses his diving headbutt off the turnbuckles, making his fate inevitable. Yano gets a decent stomping from the heels after the bell too.

Strong Style (Ren Narita, El Desperado and Minoru Suzuki) def. Jado, Hikuleo and Shota Umino by submission

Kelly mentions that he was surprised Umino didn’t make the quarterfinals since all the arrows seemed to be pointing up for him. Hikuleo is in the elite eight, but who he faces in the next round is still to be determined by results later tonight.

The fans seem most excited to see Suzuki in this match, though it’s Jado who nearly wins it with a schoolboy on Narita. “Almost” is the operative word, however, as Narita quickly gets Jado to tap out.

Narita and Umino get into it a bit after the bell, slapping each other and exchanging words.

TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste and Zack Sabre Jr.) def. Oskar Leube and Chaos (Yoh and Hirooki Goto) by pinfall

Goto and ZSJ do plenty of pre-match trash talking since they will meet in D Block action tomorrow. Fujita really lets Yoh have it with some nasty chops as they open the proceedings; he’ll be headed out for his excursion soon.

Yoh gets stuck in enemy territory for quite some time, even as Goto is itching to get in. He finally does and makes it count, eventually getting to go one on one with Sabre. They give us a brief preview of tomorrow before giving way to Leube and Haste.

All six men get into it for some fun teamwork as the announcer joke about Oskarmania running wild. The Young Lion’s energy only gets him so far, alas, as Haste plants him and pins him with a Last Ride.

Yoh and Fujita want to keep fighting after the bell, and Sabre and Goto exchange a few pleasantries as well.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi, Togi Makabe, Yota Tsuji and Tetsuya Naito) def. Master Wato, Togi Makabe and Hiroshi Tanahashi by pinfall

This is another bout that features two men who will face each other tomorrow night (funny how that happens) in Tanahashi and Naito. They also conveniently start out for their respective teams, though LIJ tries setting up a multi-man assault on the Ace.

Tsuji gets a chance for some offense on Tanahashi too, earning a near fall with a running splash off the ropes. Wato finally gets in and works over Bushi and Tsuji, trying to get the fans more involved as well.

Some great teamwork between Naito and Bushi has LIJ looking good, but only until Makabe and Tsuji end up isolated against each other. But Makabe misses a knee drop off the top, then nearly gets pinned by a Falcon Arrow. A spear finishes him off right after that, and the camera finds Naito with a submission on Tanahashi on the floor, working over the Ace’s knee.

Tomohiro Ishii def. Mikey Nicholls by pinfall in a C Block match

Neither man can advance to the quarters, but that doesn’t stop them from going right after each other when the bell rings. Ishii needs to be pulled off Nicholls by the ref in the corner, then comes firing out of the opposite corner with a shoulder tackle.

Despite bleeding a bit from his forehead, Nicholls stays right in there exchanging strikes with the Stone Pitbull, who also gets spiked with a DDT for a near fall. A stalling vertical suplex earns Nicholls another two count.

An impressive display of strength sees Nicholls hit a Death Valley Driver before both men end up on the top turnbuckle. Nicholls executes a superplex, but Ishii kicks out again.

Ishii finally no-sells a tornado DDT, then kicks out again after a diving lariat. He’s able to pull off a German suplex, and the fans try to will him back into it.

Lariats are flying now, and Nicholls ends up delivering the Master Blaster and showing real disbelief when that doesn’t win it. Ishii responds with a flurry that leads to the vertical drop brainbuster, and the fans erupt as he gets the three.

Tama Tonga def. Henare by pinfall in a C Block match

Tonga needs a victory and some help to advance, but Henare doesn’t look like he’s in an accommodating mood as he takes a page from Yano’s book and exposes the steel turnbuckles to give Tama some early pain.

Speaking of pain, Tonga is in some more thanks to a submission hold on the mat, and the announcers wonder if he’s reaching to tap before he grabs the bottom rope for a break instead.

Tama fights back with a strong corner attack, springing out with a running clothesline as the fans clap. A corner splash and overhead throw get him a near fall.

Now the two men look content to just stand and trade in the center of the ring, and when Tonga hesitates looking for the right corner to launch a Supreme Flow, Henare hustles with a knee shot to send him to the floor.

Henare’s kicks are answered by another flurry from Tonga, though the Supreme Flow isn’t enough to keep his foe down for three. Henare chops Tama down with body shots and a knee to the face, then a high knee in the corner.

Locked in a full nelson, Tonga is asked several times if he will submit, but he reaches back and hits a Gun Stun. A slow crawl for the cover lets Henare kick out at two.

Henare hits Rampage and looks for Streets of Rage, but Tama hits him with a Superman punch. Tonga follows with a Veleno to keep his G1 hopes alive.

David Finlay def. Eddie Kingston by pinfall in a C Block match

The announcers talk extensively about Kingston’s somewhat unlikely arrival in AEW as he takes things right to the outside. Finlay stops his onslaught with a snap suplex on the floor and Red Shoes makes his count, but the Bullet Club leader heads back out to smash Eddie into the guardrail and pepper him with right hands.

It’s not looking any better for Kingston back between the ropes as Finlay stays on offense. But after surviving a DDT, Kingston is able to back his foe into the corner for some machine gun chops, then hits a suplex to boot.

Another Kingston suplex leads to a cover and a near fall. Finlay responds well with a backbreaker and his own two count. Kingston has to kick out again after a stiff shot to the back of the head.

Finlay calls for Oblivion and gets chopped for his trouble, so he switches gears and sends Kingston to the outside. Eddie is hoisted up and tossed into the post, banging his head off the metal. Red Shoes counts and he barely makes it back inside.

Kingston looks to rally and has to fight hard to suplex his foe. He’s slow to cover, however, which gives Finlay a chance to get his foot on the ropes before the three.

Finlay manages to pull off Oblivion, but he’s also too beaten down to cover, and there are less than five minutes left. Both men slowly rise to exchange strikes, leading to a big Finlay spear that still isn’t enough to end it.

But Oblivion comes for Kingston again, and Finlay not only advances but seals up the No. 1 seed in C Block.

EVIL def. Shingo Takagi by pinfall in a C Block match

EVIL tries to get a quick win by attacking before the bell, and Dick Togo leaves the Japanese announce table to return to his typical spot at ringside. The stakes are high here: an EVIL win or draw sends him through to the quarterfinals, while a victory by Shingo means he’ll have to wrestle Tama Tonga in a play-in match after this.

Despite his efforts to avoid it, Shingo is sent careening into one of the ringside officials, and EVIL tries to cut his hair as well. Red Shoes foils EVIL and Togo’s attempts to cheat by conveniently looking away, and Shingo is firing himself up for a comeback that leads to a DDT.

The Dragon hits a bodyslam and a senton, then suplexes his former teammate for a near fall. He hits Noshigami as well but pauses in dismay as the other House of Torture members are now at ringside too.

Togo loosens a corner pad to ensure Takagi runs in and hits steel in the corner. EVIL hits a vertical suplex but gets only two. All of EVIL’s teammates end up stomping away on Shingo on the floor.

After applying the Scorpion Deathlock, EVIL connects on Darkness Falls but sees Shingo kick out again. With the ref distracted, Togo tries to help with a Magic Killer only to be tricked into helping with one on EVIL instead.

Shingo hits Made in Japan for another close near fall. After some back and forth, he hits a second one, but the House of Torture has taken out the ref and timekeeper.

Takagi is fighting one on four, but Tsuji and Bushi run down to try to lend a hand. It’s not enough as House of Torture has multiple weapons to use o Shingo, along with a Shock Arrow by Sho.

Less than five minutes are left, but Hiromu Takahashi pulls the ref out of the ring, and LIJ is briefly resurgent. Takagi runs over EVIL and Togo, then smashes EVIL with a running clothesline, but there’s still no ref.

Bushi finally rolls Red Shoes back in the ring as there are only three minutes left. But EVIL hits a low blow and follows with Everything is Evil, and Takagi’s heroic struggle goes for naught. At least his teammates manage to prevent him from having his head shaved after the bell.

NJPW G1 Climax 33 night 4 results: Naito, Tonga get key wins in Sendai

Tetsuya Naito is also looking to bounce back from his 0-1 start during night 4 of G1 Climax 33 action in Sendai.

One of the great things about the G1 Climax is the way it creates the same kind of urgency so prevalent in unscripted sports with some of its early matchups. Such is the case with the night 4 main event in Sendai, which pits two wrestlers against each other who stumbled out of the gate with losses in Sapporo.

Neither Tomohiro Ishii nor Tama Tonga have anything to hang their head over despite the position they’re in. Ishii dropped his C Block opener to Bullet Club leader David Finlay, who is unquestionably as hot as he’s ever been.

Tonga, meanwhile, lost a hard fought contest with EVIL, who has a history of being a tough out at the G1 — especially when he turned his back on LIJ a few years ago. Just like in, say, the NFL, it’s too early in week 2 of block competition to call tonight’s main event a must win, but it sure won’t be easy for the loser to rally from an 0-2 start to make the knockout portion of the tournament.

Speaking of EVIL, he’ll be trying to hand Eddie Kingston his first ever G1 loss in a battle of winners from the first night of C Block action. And Tetsuya Naito, who always seems to have dreams of propelling himself to Wrestle Kingdom using the G1 as a launchpad, will look to right the ship with a victory over 1-0 Hirooki Goto.

We’re anxious to take it all in from Sendai, so let’s see what’s popping in the second night of C and D Block matches.

G1 Climax 33 night 4 results:

Zack Sabre Jr. def. Toru Yano by pinfall

Kevin Kelly notes that Yano has only one victory ever over Sabre, and it was in a KOPW bout where there were no corner pads. Kosei Fujita comes to the ring instead of ZSJ and is introduced as Zack. Sabre appears on the walkway, much to Yano’s dismay, attacking from behind just as the bell rings.

Sabre has Fujita reinforce the ties on all the corner pads, but Yano turns the tables by taping Zack’s legs together. He has to hop back to the ring that way and barely beats the ref’s 20 count.

While Yano is frustrated seeing all the corner pads taped in place, Fujita slips some scissors to ZSJ, who is free but acting like he’s not. That works to lure Yano in to be pinned.

David Finlay def. Mikey Nicholls by pinfall

Both these men are 1-0 entering the night, though Finlay figures to be a heavy favorite to make it two straight wins. Nicholls is able to weather a fast start by the Bullet Club leader and fire back with some stiff offense of his own.

That’s not enough for him to hang for too long, however, as Finlay wears him down with shots to the back of the head before eventually finding the mark with Oblivion.

Jeff Cobb def. Alex Coughlin by pinfall

Just an opinion, but Coughlin’s crazy guy act comes off like he’s trying a little too hard. These two have met just once before, when Coughlin was still a young lion, and Cobb won.

Coughlin makes a tour of the ringside area and teases using his tag team title belt as a weapon, then hurls a young lion at Cobb as well before hurling his foe into the barricade. He shows off some nice strength back in the ring as well with a gutwrench suplex on the larger Cobb.

A couple of additional suplexes allow Coughlin to continue his eyebrow-raising power display, but the Tour of Islands takes him as a passenger eventually and he isn’t kicking out from that.

EVIL def. Eddie Kingston by pinfall

Eddie tries to bring an equalizer down to the ring with him as some Dick Togo insurance but still ends up getting jumped before the bell by EVIL. Togo trips Kingston at the first opportunity, so this is going right to plan by the House of Torture.

They battle into the crowd, where Kingston is hurled into some empty seats as EVIL attempts to win by countout. Eddie makes it back in time but just gets stomped for his trouble. He’s selling his butt off, for sure.

Kingston eventually gets EVIL lined up for some machine gun corner chops and works his way toward a near fall. But he’s thrown into the barricade again, much to the dismay of the poor ring announcer on the other side. EVIL locks on the Darkness Scorpion on the floor, and Togo almost makes Eddie miss the 20 count.

A ref bump allows Togo to play an even more active role, but Dick ends up taking a kendo stick show intended for Eddie, who goes to town on both of them. Kingston eventually chops down his foe and stacks up his pin, but EVIL kicks out at two.

EVIL manages to use the ref to unwittingly help deliver a Magic Killer, and now both wrestlers and the official are all down. Eddie gets EVIL in a stretch muffler but has to let go when Togo tries to lend a hand, and a low blow sets up Everything Is Evil for the win.

Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Shane Haste by pinfall

Haste does some impromptu guest English commentary while Tanahashi is being introduced. The Ace is holder of many G1 records, but as Kelly notes, is starting to give some wins back at this point in his career.

This is a much different challenge for Tanahashi than the technical showcase against ZSJ a few days ago, but the fans are able to rally him to a near fall after a somersault senton. He takes some shots to the had and back before pulling off a trademark dragon screw, but gets countered by a back suplex while looking for the Sling Blade.

Tanahashi finally hits the Sling Blade after a Twist and Shout, but Haste meets him on the middle rope. The Ace fights his way free and hits Aces High, then High Fly Flow for the dub.

HENARE def. Shingo Takagi by pinfall

These two know each other well, and start out at a deliberate pace before they inevitably start trading bombs. Shingo is able to outsmart his foe a little, however, and takes control on the outside.

A popup Samoan Drop finally puts HENARE on the front foot, and his Berserker Bomb gets a near fall, as does a senton. Shingo rallies behind a powerbomb for two, then tries choking out his foe on the mat.

Takagi calls for the finish but is outstruck by HENARE and hit with the Rampage, which nearly wins it. Shingo also has to get his boot to the ropes to break a submission hold.

HENARE wins a battle of headbutts but gets countered trying for Streets of Rage. He hits it on his second attempt but is too beaten up to cover right away, and Shingo rolls under the bottom rope.

Less than five minutes remain when Takagi connects on Made in Japan, but now it’s his turn to be slow to follow up. His running lariat gets only two as time ticks under three minutes to go.

After more heavy shots each way, the men lean on each other in the center of the ring. HENARE pulls off a second Streets of Rage and covers with less than 30 seconds left, and he just beats the bell with a pin.

Tetsuya Naito def. Hirooki Goto by pinfall

Naito’s early posing doesn’t sit well with Goto, who kicks him in the spine and sends him to the floor. Naito fights back with a neckbreaker on the outside, which takes a bit out of him too — but it’s Goto who is slow to beat the 20-count.

Both men have their moments over the next few minutes, including a springboard DDT by Naito. There’s a top rope hurricanrana as well, but it’s not enough to put Goto away.

An attack on Naito’s knees leaves both men on the canvas. Kelly notes that the last two matches between these two went past 20 minutes, which can’t happen under this year’s rules.

Goto hits the GTW but Naito makes him chase for the cover, and there are now less than five minutes left. A Ushikoroshi gets Goto a two count, but Naito counters his attempt at a GTR.

Naito hits a DDT out of the corner for a two count, and follows with a Destino to seal a win with just a few minutes remaining.

Tama Tonga def. Tomohiro Ishii by pinfall

Kelly passes along a statistical note on how tough Ishii is to beat in Sendai, though it’s Tama who gets out to a strong start. Ishii slugs his way back, as he is wont to do.

Tonga’s forearm shot sends Ishii to the mat and allows him to lead the fans in some clapping, and a powerslam earns him a near fall. Ishii counters a Tongan Twist with a vertical suplex, which works well.

Ishii pounds Tama down to the mat in the corner as Red Shoes checks on Tonga. They go back and forth a bit until Tama tries for Supreme Flow and finds no one home.

A big vertical superplex scores for Ishii and is good for a two count. He stalks Tonga but runs right into a dropkick, which looks to be a momentum changer. The Tongan Twist finds the target right at the 10-minute mark, and now Tama is calling for the finish and the fans are clapping again.

Ishii strikes before the Gun Stun can arrive, then headbutts his foe to the mat. A powerbomb leads to a stacked cover, but Tonga kicks out at two. He has to dig down and kick out again after a diving lariat.

Tama fires off several straight moves and off comes the shirt. He drops Supreme Flow and gets a very close two count of his own.

After shrugging off a dropkick, Tama hits the Veleno for a near fall. But Ishii has an answer in the form of his take on the Gun Stun, then runs the ropes with a big lariat that comes close to winning it.

Tama connects on a Gun Stun out of midair, follows with the Jay Driller, and that’s enough to take it.

Once Ishii clears out of the ring, Tama gets some mic time to say this G1 will be his best ever.

NJPW G1 Climax 33 night 2 results: Kingston wins debut, Cobb knocks off Naito

EVIL and Zack Sabre Jr. also picked up big wins on night 2 of G1 Climax 33.

G1 Climax 33 got off to an intriguing start on night 1 in Sapporo, with Will Osprey taking an ‘L’ in his first match. Night 2 promises to have its share of talking points as well, as it’s the first time we’ll see the competitors from the C and D blocks in action.

There are some tasty matchups in store toward the end of the card, including Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr., and the main event that pits Tetsuya Naito against the power of Jeff Cobb. Still, the big draw for American wrestling fans is almost sure to be the G1 Climax debut of Eddie Kingston, who will have his hands full right out the gate with Shingo Takagi.

Without the multi-man matches that usually kicked off G1 Climax shows in some past years, it means we’ll be getting right to the tournament bouts on night 2. Let’s jump into it!

G1 Climax 33 night 2 results from Sapporo:

David Finlay def. Tomohiro Ishii by pinfall – C Block match

Nothing surprising in the opening minutes as Ishii and Finlay appear content to go right at each other. A chop block by the Bullet Club leader seems like a good idea, as it allows him to slow the pace.

The fans attempt to rally Ishii, but Finlay appears to have an answer each time. A big backbreaker coming out of the corner finds the mark, but Ishii kicks out at two.

Ishii’s big superplex gets a strong crowd reaction but isn’t enough to win the bout. After several near falls both ways, Ishii nails a headbutt and a powerbomb and still sees Finlay kick out in time.

A running clothesline also looks like it might win it for Ishii, but a series of counters allows Finlay to hit Into Oblivion and get the dub. Bullet Club teases some abuse for the Stone Pitbull after the bell but decides against it.

Hirooki Goto def. Toru Yano by pinfall – D Block match

These two wrestled a very quick match a few years ago, and the pace of the first few minutes makes it look like it might be over in a blink again. There’s almost always something wacky in any Yano match, and the two men tiring each other out on the floor by continually reversing Irish whips certainly qualifies.

So does Goto ending up wearing a mascot head against his will, nearly getting counted out. Goto manages to survive all the hijinks and pick up the win, however.

Mikey Nicholls def. Aaron Henare by pinfall – C Block match

Both of these gents are candidates to be the “guy who does surprisingly well” in C Block, but it’ll need to start with a win here. Nicholls suffers for his craft, getting busted open and bleeding pretty nicely from the face, probably during an exchange of headbutts.

A nasty running corner knee by Henare isn’t going to make his face feel any better, but to his credit, Nicholls prevails and picks up the victory.

Shane Haste def. Alex Coughlin by pinfall – D Block match

Coughlin is stronger than he looks. That’s the biggest takeaway from the first few minutes of this contest. He also tries to use some chairs and his title belt, but those efforts backfire, and Haste is able to put him away.

Eddie Kingston def. Shingo Takagi by pinfall – C Block match

Kingston just seems like he’s a perfect fit for Strong Style contests like this one. He certainly welcomes a chopping contest with the Dragon, which not everyone would.

Their battle goes to the floor as well, where Kingston simply runs over his foe before the ref begins to count. Into the corner they go, trading strikes until Eddie can execute a suplex for a near fall.

A lariat earns Shingo a breather as he fans begin to clap. He treats Eddie to a generous helping of the suplex game, though eventually both men end up down on the mat. Kingston shrugs off a flurry of offense to kick out at one, then kicks out at two following a running clothesline.

Kingston hits his own clothesline after a series of reversals, but now it’s Shingo kicking out at one. He isn’t as fortunate next time, however, and Kingston wins a hard fought G1 Climax debut.

Zack Sabre Jr. def. Hiroshi Tanahashi by pinfall – D Block match

This seems like a cruel first pairing for the Ace, who hasn’t been in the best of physical condition the last few months. Tanahashi holds up fine in the opening mat exchanges, but we’ll see if he can keep that up.

He’s certainly game for an exchange of uppercuts, and Tanahashi works his own submission game to boot. But ZSJ starts targeting his left leg, forcing him to endure both pain and taunting.

The Ace swings things back in his favor and even scores a near fall, and he hip tosses his way out of potential octopus hold danger. Tanahashi ends up on his back and threatening Sabre with a leg triangle, but the TMDK frontman escapes and goes after the left leg again.

Not even sure what ZSJ’s hold is called, but Tanahashi reaches the ropes to force a break. It’s his turn to dish out targeted damage, working repeatedly on Sabre’s left arm. Both men hit low dropkicks and the Ace nails a Sling Blade for a quick two count.

Tanahashi flies for a high cross body, but Sabre rolls through and kicks his foe in the chest for a near fall. As both men try to pull off armbars on each other, ZSJ is able to roll through and keep Tanahashi’s shoulders pinned just long enough for the ref to count to three.

EVIL def. Tama Tonga by pinfall – C Block match

EVIL wastes no time showing his true colors, attacking Tama before the bell. He fares less well in the opening minutes of the actual match, but he eventually takes his foe partway up the ramp for a suplex and then fights further out into the crowd. EVIL rings the bell to imply he’s going to win by countout, but Tama hustles to return by the time the count gets to 19.

Jado urges on Tama along with the fans, and he responds with a corner splash for a two count. Red Shoes tries his best not to get caught up in the action, but he finally takes a bump.

That brings Dick Togo into the fray, helping to stomp Tama after smacking Jado off the apron. A Magic Killer gives EVIL a chance to cover just as the ref is coming to, but Tonga kicks out.

A Scorpion Deathlock puts Tama through some agony before he can work his way free. A flurry of offense includes a Tongan Twist, and he flies from the top rope with a splash for two.

Togo gets involved again and almost sets Tama up for Everything is Evil, but EVIL has to settle for a lariat instead after some counters. Darkness Falls is on target too, but Tama manages to kick out.

Though wobbly, Tonga is able to survive some lariats, coming back with an even stronger one of his own. Togo runs in and gets a Gun Stun, and Tama signals for the finish. Alas, after Red Shoes is shoved into the corner, EVIL uses a low blow to set up Everything is Evil and get the three count.

Jeff Cobb def. Tetsuya Naito by pinfall – D Block match

Naito matches always take a while to get going, but he probably wishes this one took longer as he’s thrown right into a battle on the outside. Cobb is able to match him dropkick for dropkick back in the ring, cracking a smile afterward.

Cobb teases a dive to the floor and does his version of Naito’s trademark pose. Naito is slow to rise and takes until the count of 16 to return to the ring, where more punishment awaits him.

That changes as he connects on several consecutive moves, including the Cabron Combinacion. He tries for an armbreaker but is hoisted to his feet, and they battle to the top turnbuckle where Cobb delivers a hellacious falling powerbomb. Jeff crawls for a cover but sees his foe kick out not once but twice.

Naito’s next flurry leads to a Destino attempt that is countered with a Tour of the Islands, and now both men are down as the ref counts. They beat the 10 count, leaning on opposite ropes.

Several near falls are scored by Naito before he is dumped on his head with a suplex. Another Tour of the Islands follows, and Cobb picks up a huge win.

Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results: Sanada holds off intriguing challenger, Bullet Club grows

Check out all of the action for NJPW’s start of the summer card with full Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results.

Is there change in the air? It’s always possible when eight championships are on the line on one pro wrestling card, which is the case for NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall.

Except for one eight-man tag and one match to determine a No. 1 contender for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship — and even that bout is intriguing considering the man holding that particular title is Kenny Omega — every bout on this year’s card is a championship match.

With that much gold on the line, it’s tricky to pick the showdowns that stand out from the rest, but three figure to be measuring sticks for whether things will be shaken up across New Japan this summer. The first sees David Finlay, leader of the Bullet Club, take on former teammate El Phantasmo for Finlay’s NEVER Openweight Championship. Will this be a measure of revenge for ELP after he was unceremoniously booted from the group, or further validation of Finlay’s new direction for one of pro wrestling’s most famous stables?

Hiromu Takahashi defends his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Master Wato, who made quite the impression by winning the 2023 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. A victory over Hiromu would give him the right to claim he’s the best junior heavyweight in the company.

And in the main event, Sanada will attempt to fend off a challenge to his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Yota Tsuji. While Sanada had to break free from Los Ingobernables de Japon  to take his game to the next level, Tsuji is attempting to do just the opposite, saying he wants to join LIJ while trying to bring home the top prize in NJPW.

It should be an exciting night with a title change or two and perhaps a couple of surprises before it’s all said and done, not to mention the reveal of the G1 Climax 33 lineups.

Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall results:

(click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Will Ospreay def. Lance Archer by pinfall to become No. 1 contender for Kenny Omega’s IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
  • Ospreay gets on the microphone and says he’s out for revenge on Omega, and will walk into Canada to bring the title back … likely meaning at Forbidden Door in Toronto
  • Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Bushi and Titán) def. Just 5 Guys (Taichi, Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taka Michinoku) by submission
  • Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP) def. Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kushida and Kevin Knight) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions …
  • … but the new champs are attacked right after the match by Dan Moloney, who cornered them during the bout, and Clark Connors
  • Zack Sabre Jr. def. Jeff Cobb by pinfall to retain the NJPW World Television Championship
  • Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) def. House of Torture (Evil and Yujiro Takahashi) and United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare) by pinfall to become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions and Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions …
  • … but after their victory, they are laid out by the new Bullet Club War Dogs, Alex Coughlin and Gabriel Kidd
  • The G1 Climax 33 field will include Kazuchika Okada, Naito, Sanada, Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, David Finlay, Shota Umino, Takagi, Tomohiro Ishii, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Hikuleo, Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Toru Yano, Kenta, ZSJ, Taichi, Eddie Kingston, El Phantasmo, Ren Narita, Evil, Chase Owens, Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Henare, Kidd, Coughlin, Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, Yota Tsuji, and Kaito Kiyomiya
  • David Finlay def. El Phantasmo by pinfall to retain the NEVER Openweight Championship
  • Hiromu Takahashi def. Master Wato by pinfall to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
  • Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) and Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli) and Shota Umino by pinfall, with Okada accepting a recorded challenge from Bryan Danielson after the match and suggesting “the Forbidden Door will be opened”
  • Sanada def. Yota Tsuji by pinfall to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

G1 Climax 32 Night 15 results: Goto in must-win meeting with Tanahashi

Get complete NJPW G1 Climax results from Night 15 in Hiroshima, featuring a main event between Hirooki Goto and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

With each passing night of G1 Climax 32, the stakes get higher for the stars of NJPW, and even wrestlers who got off to good starts are finding it’s do or die.

That’s the situation in Night 15, the second of two cards from Hiroshima, with Hirooki Goto, sitting at 2-2 in C Block, facing an elimination bout. His tournament is over unless he finds a way to get past the Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi, who enters the night with a 3-1 record.

Filthy Tom Lawlor has been a fan favorite and has handled himself admirably in the monster-filled A Block, but he too must win on this Wednesday evening, and his task is unenviable: He has to beat the Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada, who comes in off his loss to Jonah and will be doing everything possible to avoid a second straight defeat.

Somewhat surprisingly, Evil is in the same boat thanks to a slow start in the tourney. He’ll go up against Zack Sabre Jr., and you can bet he’ll have the full assistance of the House of Torture to ensure he is still alive at night’s end.

Can’t watch live as these important matches play out? Just bookmark this page and we’ll update it with the latest G1 Climax 32 results from Night 15 as they happen.

G1 Climax 32 Night 15 quick results:

  • Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare def. Yoshi-Hashi, Yuto Nakashima and Ryohei Oawa by submission
  • Jonah and Bad Dude Tito vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano

Scroll down for more detailed results for every match.

Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare def. Yoshi-Hashi, Yuto Nakashima and Ryohei Oawa by submission

This seems somewhat unfair for Yoshi-Hashi, getting teamed with two Young Lions against the United Empire trio. Kevin Kelly notes that Jeff Cobb has two winnable matches left in his block, though also needs some help if he were to win it.

Every member of United Empire look in full control as they show off their new t-shirts, but Yoshi-Hashi tags in to unleash dropkicks all around and nail Ospreay with a Head Hunter for a near fall. Ospreay’s handspring kick is the response, forcing tags for both teams.

The typically fired up Nakashima wants to suplex Henare, who nearly pins the Young Lion before turning to the Ultima, his full nelson finisher. Nakashima taps fairly quickly.

Jonah and Bad Dude Tito vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano