There were two playoff matches today as NJPW determines its G1 Climax finalists. In A Block, Zack Sabre Jr. has already laid claim to the top spot. It was up to two of NJPW’s hardest hitting competitors in Shingo Takagi and The Great-O-Khan to decide who would faceoff against Zach.
Both men began their battle trying to feel each other out. Neither wanting to a make a mistake right out of the gate. A shoulder tackle off the ropes knocked Khan down to the canvass. Shingo continued the onslaught with an elbow drop to the chest and a senton. Khan hit back with a belly-to-belly suplex. Khan wrapped Shingo’s arm in the ropes cranking down on it in an attempt to halt a future Pumping Bomber. Khan continued to work over the arm with elbow drops and once again wrapping Shingo’s arm in the ropes for some Mongolian Chops, Strikes.
As Shingo sat on his knees Khan taunted him by kicking him in the face. Shingo finally opened up with some clotheslines and haymakers in a corner as well as a DDT. It was apparent though that Shingo’s arm was giving him some trouble. Shingo blocked Khan’s Mongolian Chops giving him some of his own. Shingo held his arm in agony after delivering another running clothesline in a corner. Shingo dropped Khan with a Superplex from the second rope.
Khan took Shingo down to the mat with a Kimura Lock. Shingo had to drape his leg over the ropes to break the hold. Khan kicked out of a Pumping Bomber. Shingo delivered a clothesline to the back of Khan’s head. Khan just shrugged it off clotheslining Shingo to the canvass. In an impressive move, Shingo stood up while in a Kimura Lock dropping Khan with a DDT. Khan kicked out of yet another Pumping Bomber. Shingo finally pinned Khan with a Last of the Dragon.
Shingo will now take on Zach Sabre Jr. in the finals of A Block.
In B Block, Yota Tsuji took on Konosuke Takeshita to determine who would battle David Finlay to claim the top spot. It took Tsuji two Gene Blasters to put away AEW’s Takeshita.
A-Block Semi-Finals: Zack Sabre Jr. versus Shingo Takagi.
B-Block Semi-Finals: Yota Tsuji versus David Finlay.
Current Standings
Block A
Block B
