Today’s G1 Climax 33 event was headlined by a matchup between Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada, Ospreay was looking to defeat Okada for the first time in the eight years he’s been trying. Okada went into this match sitting atop B Block at 4-0 and Ospreay was in second at 3-1.
The match began with some chain wrestling before Ospreay chopped the skin off Okada’s chest and booted him onto the floor. Ospreay then springboarded with a crossbody onto Okada on the outside and followed that with another dive, but he was caught halfway with a flapjack from Okada. With Ospreay reeling, Okada brought him into the crowd to DDT him onto the gym floor away from the mats and followed that with another DDT this time on the mats.
When Ospreay got back into the ring he was met with a third DDT, Okada was now laying into Ospreay with uppercuts and forearms. Ospreay then managed to duck some shots and hit a handspring spinning kick to Okada. He now hit a big boot in the corner followed by a springboard forearm and falcon arrow.
Ospreay hit Okada with three fast-paced kicks to the skull and a chop, but Okada then reversed another blow into his signature kneeling neck breaker. Once both men recovered they began to trade forearms, but then things really picked up. Okada hit a big boot and shotgun dropkick, and Ospreay responded with a spinning forearm before Okada tried a German suplex that Ospreay flipped out of. After landing on his feet, Ospreay hit Okada with a superkick to the side of the head.
A signature Okada dropkick. Credit: NJPW
He then attempted an Oscutter, but he was caught in mid-air with a dropkick from Okada and Okada then went for a Rainmaker. Ospreay reversed the Rainmaker into a pop-up powerbomb, he then sat Okada on the top rope and super-kicked him in the skull. With Okada now out cold on the top rope, Ospreay drove him with an Oscutter into the ring apron.
As Okada crawled back into the ring, Ospreay met him with a springboard dropkick to the head and then finally connected an Oscutter in the middle of the ring. Ospreay was now looking for a Leap of Faith, but Okada rolled out of the way and locked in the Money Clip. Okada released the hold to hit a discus clothesline and then locked the Money Clip back in immediately.
Ospreay broke the hold by driving Okada into the corner and then hit a standing Spanish Fly. He followed that with a Hidden Blade to the back of Okada’s skull, but Okada bounced back with a dropkick and landslide. Okada now went for a Rainmaker, but Ospreay reversed into a ripcord Hidden Blade. He then hit a Stormbreaker and for the first time in eight years, Ospreay has beat Okada clean. Will Ospreay now sits in the first place of B Block!
G1 Climax 33 — Standings
Block A
Block B
Block C
Block D
G1 CLIMAX 33 — NIGHT NINE RESULTS
Shota Umino vs. Chase Owens — G1 Climax 33 A Block Tournament Match
This match began out on the floor with Owens dropping Umino with a Death Valley driver and throwing him into the barricades. Owens controlled the entire match, but right at the end Umino reversed the Package Piledriver into the Death Rider and stole the win.
Winner: Shota Umino
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taichi — G1 Climax 33 B Block Tournament Match
Taichi showing his respect. Credit: NJPW
This was one of the most even bouts of the G1 thus far, and it only started to steer in one direction at the end when Taichi connected a kick to the head of HASHI. Taichi then connected two Black Mephistos to get the victory and move to six points.
Winner: Taichi
Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Gabe Kidd — G1 Climax 33 A Block Tournament Match
The brawl is on. Credit: NJPW
In what has become very typical for Gabe Kidd, he attacked Kiyomiya from behind in the middle of his entrance. These men began to brawl in the crowd, Kidd sat Kiyomiya in a chair and tried to hit a running tackle. Luckily for Kiyomiya, he moved out of the way and Kidd flipped into all the chairs at ringside. Kidd responded to that by using one of those chairs to attack Kiyomiya, even hitting him unprotected right in the skull. The match did eventually make it to the ring, but it was not long before they were back on the outside. Kiyomiya snapped and began to beat the hell out of Kidd. This led to the brawl never stopping and both men being counted out.
Winner: Double Countout Draw
Tanga Loa vs. Great-O-Khan — G1 Climax 33 B Block Tournament Match
O-Khan was heavily focused on the limbs of Loa in this match, specifically the surgically repaired knee. He had him down and out the entire match with submissions and a variety of shots to the knee. However, O-Khan made the mistake of taking a run at Loa and he was caught by Apeshit, giving Loa the win.
Winner: Tanga Loa
Hikuleo vs. Yota Tsuji — G1 Climax 33 A Block Tournament Match
Powerbomb. Credit: NJPW
Tsuji was a dark horse pick to win this G1 heading into the tournament, but he has been quite unlucky this far sitting at just three points. That unluckiness carried into today when he was defeated by arguably the most overrated wrestler in NJPW, Hikuleo. He hit Tsuji with a big boot, a power slam and a Godsend to get the win.
Winner: Hikuleo
El Phantasmo vs. KENTA — G1 Climax 33 B Block Tournament Match
Kendo stick to the skull. Credit: NJPW
KENTA was forced to face his former Bullet Club teammate ELP here, but the match never really got started. KENTA was refusing to enter the ring, so ELP leaped off the top rope crushing KENTA on the outside. Both men were now brawling on the outside, ELP even leaped off the second level with a moonsault onto KENTA. The fight was getting so brutal, that ELP was busted open by a shot from a kendo stick. When the match got into the ring it only lasted eleven seconds, ELP quickly rolled KENTA up and stole the win.
Winner: El Phantasmo
SANADA vs. Ren Narita — G1 Climax 33 A Block Tournament Match
The champ can’t lose. Credit: NJPW
SANADA is the final remaining undefeated competitor in Block A and he was trying to keep that undefeated streak alive today. While Narita has had the opposite, he has yet to earn a single victory in his four matches so far. Narita used his technical abilities to control a good portion of the match, but when it came down to it he was no match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. SANADA reversed a front suplex into the Deadfall and remained undefeated moving to 5-0, this win clinches SANADA’s spot in the quarter-finals.
