There is a four-way tie for first place in the A Block of the G1 tournament. Kota Ibushi, Kenta, Zack Sabre Jr. and the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Shingo Takagi, all have 12 points. The winner will be decided next Monday.
Kenta pushed past his Bullet Club ally Tanga Loa. Zack Sabre Jr. outsmarted rule breaker Toru Yano while the champ defeated The Great-O-Khan in a very close contest that could have gone either way on night 16 of the tournament.
Zack has Yano trapped. Courtesy: NJPW.
The tournament itself has just four more dates left and the following wrestlers are out of the running:
- Great-O-Khan
- Toru Yano
- Tanga Loa
- Yujiro Takahashi
- Chase Owens
- Tama Tonga
- Hirooki Goto
- Yoshi-Hashi
- Taichi
- Sanada
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
The winner of the G1 Climax Tournament is awarded with a championship match at Wrestle Kingdom.
A Block Standings
| Name | Points |
|---|---|
| Kota Ibushi | 12 |
| Kenta | 12 |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | 12 |
| Shingo Takagi | 12 |
| Tomohiro Ishii | 10 |
| Great-O-Khan | 8 |
| Toru Yano | 8 |
| Tanga Loa | 4 |
| Yujiro Takahashi | 4 |
| Tetsuya Naito (Withdrawn due to injury) | 0 |
NJPW G1 CLIMAX 31 2021 – Night 16 Results
Hiromu Takahashi versus Kosei Fujita
Hiromu makes Fujita submit to his Boston crab.
Winner: Hiromu Takahashi
Kota Ibushi versus Satoshi Kojima
Kojima proves that he can still go and deserves to have a bigger role in NJPW. Ibushi beats him with a Kamigoya. Ibushi shakes Kojima’s hand after the match showing respect.
Winner: Kota Ibushi
Tomohiro Ishii versus Yujiro Takahashi – G1 Climax 31 Match
Yujiro has no chance of winning the tournament. He puts up a spirited battle but falls to the Brainbuster.
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii
Tanga Loa versus Kenta – G1 Climax 31 Match
Two Bullet Club members square off. Kenta once again shoves his foe into a turnbuckle, rolls him up for the win. The only difference this time is he used the ropes for leverage.
Winner: Kenta
Zack Sabre Jr. versus Toru Yano – G1 Climax 31 Match
Yano escapes an ankle lock by rolling Zack into the ring apron. Yano then handcuffs himself to Zack. Back in the ring, Zack makes Yano tap out and unlocks the cuffs freeing himself.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Shingo Takagi versus The Great-O-Khan – G1 Climax 31 Match
A brutal battle of attrition that sees Shingo put Khan down with the Last of the Dragon.
Winner: Shingo Takagi
