Boltin Oleg scored a major win over a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in the main event of Tuesday’s G1 Climax show.
New Japan returned to Sendai Sun Plaza Hall for an A Block show, attracting an attendance of 1,612. They were down by about a thousand people from last year’s G1 show in the same building with Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura in that year’s main event and Hiroshi Tanahashi as a featured participant.
Results:
- A Block: Boltin Oleg (4) over Shingo Takagi (2) in 19:10
- A Block: SANADA (2) over Yota Tsuji (2) in 15:23 (Recommended)
- A Block: Konosuke Takeshita (4) over Yuto-Ice (2) in 12:05 (Recommended)
- A Block: Ryohei Oiwa (4) over Great O-Khan (2) in 13:20
- A Block: Jake Lee (4) over Hirooki Goto (4) in 9:58
- Zack Sabre Jr. & Hartley Jackson over Callum Newman & Zane Jay in 6:24
- HENARE & Jakob Austin Young over OSKAR & Gedo in 7:19
- Drilla Moloney & Daiki Nagai over Yuya Uemura & Masatora Yasuda in 6:27
- Ren Narita & Dick Togo over Toru Yano & Taisei Nakahara in 6:15
Boltin Oleg defeated Shingo Takagi in the main event in Sendai in a rematch from the New Japan Cup last year. Oleg survived Made in Japan and a Burning Dragon with kickouts. Oleg countered using a Landslide out of Shinsuke Nakamura’s arsenal, and a Verdict was countered. The ending saw Oleg kick out from the Burning Dragon and deliver his barrage of powerbombs, followed by a Kamikaze as Takagi attempted to hold onto the rope but was overpowered.
SANADA had his best performance of the G1 and became the sentimental favorite against IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji. Guest commentator HENARE didn’t sugarcoat it, stating that it’s visible how much muscle SANADA has lost. The story saw SANADA wrestle a clean match (for the most part), and when the wrestling escalated, the crowd followed suit and got engaged. SANADA hit the Deadfall, and it was a major near-fall spot. SANADA fought out of a Boston Crab as the crowd got behind the former champion. SANADA avoided the Fire Blaster and shoved Tsuji toward the referee, leading to a low kick and Deadfall to pull off the upset. The match definitely overdelivered, and the crowd’s backing of SANADA led to an entertaining second half and a big pop for the upset.
Konosuke Takeshita earned another two points with Yuto-Ice being knocked out cold for the second straight match. Yuto had his neck taped, selling the effects of the multiple powerbombs by Boltin Oleg. Takeshita attacked the neck with a head scissors and crossface. The audience rallied behind Yuto and went wild as he kicked out at one after a wheelbarrow suplex and lariat. After a slap exchange, Takeshita hit the Power Drive knee and wrenched back with a sleeper with a chicken wing to put Yuto out for the referee stoppage. They’re trying to make Yuto into this bad-ass that doesn’t give up and goes out on his shield for his losses and remains among the most popular acts in the company and the G1.
Ryohei Oiwa had to overcome a rib injury to beat Great O-Khan with the body part wrapped in tape. The audience chanted for Oiwa at various points of the match. O-Khan used his claw on the injured ribs, and Oiwa sold really well. Oiwa nearly struck the referee with The Grip when O-Khan moved out of the way. It led to Oiwa being shot ribs first into the exposed buckle and dropped onto the buckle with an Eliminator. O-Khan went for another Eliminator, but Oiwa countered with the Roy Clutch and caught O-Khan for the pin out of nowhere.
Hirooki Goto suffered his first loss of the G1 after Jake Lee pulled off the Fit Finlay special with a legitimate injury tease. They mentioned Lee suffered a broken kneecap in this building and noted he developed spinal stenosis. Goto attacked the knee and hit a GTR onto the injured body part before knocking Lee off the apron. Lee clutched the knee on the floor as the referee and trainer checked on him and teased calling it off. Lee crawled into the ring as the crowd started to rally behind him, but it was a ruse as Lee quickly landed the FBS and pinned Goto to end the last undefeated streak in the tournament.
Standings
A Block
- Hirooki Goto — 4 points (2-1)
- Boltin Oleg — 4 points (2-1)
- Jake Lee — 4 points (2-1)
- Konosuke Takeshita — 4 points (2-1)
- Ryohei Oiwa — 4 points (2-1)
- Great-O-Khan — 2 points (1-2)
- Shingo Takagi — 2 points (1-2)
- Yota Tsuji — 2 points (1-2)
- Yuto-Ice — 2 points (1-2)
- SANADA — 2 points (1-2)
B Block
- Aaron Wolf — 4 points (2-0)
- Callum Newman — 4 points (2-1)
- Drilla Moloney — 4 points (2-1)
- Gabe Kidd — 4 points (2-1)
- HENARE — 4 points (2-1)
- OSKAR — 4 points (2-1)
- Ren Narita — 4 points (2-1)
- Yuya Uemura — 4 points (2-1)
- Zack Sabre Jr. — 2 points (1-1)
- Shota Umino* — 0 points (0-9)
* Withdrawn due to a concussion; remaining matches recorded as forfeits.
Night 5 will take place Wednesday from Niigata with Zack Sabre Jr. facing Callum Newman in the main event.
Bruce Lord will be joining Kate from Montreal on Wednesday on the POST Wrestling Café to review Night 4 & 5
