By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax Tournament Day 3”
July 16, 2018 in Hokkaido, Japan at Prefectural Sports Center
Broadcast live on New Japan World
Kevin Kelly and Rocky Romero were the English commentary team.
1. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa beat Toa Henare and Shota Umino. Loa performed an inverted sit-out piledriver on Umino and pinned him.
2. Toru Yano and Jado over Zack Sabre Jr. and Taka Michinoku. Sabre had Michinoku locked in an abdominal stretch when Yano took Jado down and pinned him.
3. Juice Robinson and David Finlay beat Kota Ibushi and Yujiro Takahashi. Ibushi and Finlay were fighting at ringside when Robinson hit a double knee gutbuster and Pulp Friction on Takahashi and pinned him.
4. Tetsuya Naito and Sanada beat Tomohiro Ishii and Sho. Sanada put Sho in Skull End and spun him around in the air. The referee checked Sho’s arm and it was limp, so he called for the bell.
5. Hirooki Goto and Yoh beat Kenny Omega and Chase Owens. With Omega and Yoh at ringside, Goto performed the GTR on Owens and pinned him.
6. Michael Elgin defeated Hangman Page in a G1 Tournament A-Block match. Elgin performed a buckle bomb. Page set up for his Rite of Passage finisher, but Elgin stuffed it. Elgin powerbombed Page and followed up with an Elgin Bomb for the win.
7. Evil beat Yoshi-Hashi in a G1 Tournament A-Block match. Evil performed a suplex and a lariat for a near fall. Evil followed up with Everything Is Evil and got the pin.
8. Togi Makabe beat Minoru Suzuki in a G1 Tournament A-Block match. Makabe set Suzuki on the top rope and set up for a German suplex. Makabe slammed his head off the post twice and performed the new. Suzuki stood up. Makabe hit him with a flying knee off the top rope, then performed his King Kong knee drop for the win. Suzuki stumbled to the back and tore a piece of the guardrail away in the process.
9. Bad Luck Fale defeated Kazuchika Okada in a G1 Tournament A-Block match. Okada performed a Rainmaker clothesline and then dropkicked Fale. Okada set up for another Rainmaker, but Fale elbowed him. Okada dropkicked Fale into the referee in the corner. With the ref’s back turned, Tama Tonga hit the ring and performed the Gun Stun on Okada. Fale performed the Bad Luck Fall (Razor’s Edge) on Okada and pinned him.
10. Jay White defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in a G1 Tournament A-Block match. White shoved Tanahashi into the referee in the corner. With the ref’s back turned, White low-blowed Tanahashi. White had a chair and wound up to use it. The ref tried to take it away and fell down. Tanahashi returned the favor with a low blow of his own. Tanahashi scored a near fall off a sling blade clothesline. Tanahashi went up top with a high fly flow cross body block. White rolled through. They fought for position and Tanahashi performed a straight jacket suplex for a great near fall. Tanahashi went up top. White grabbed the referee and pulled him into the corner and knocked Tanahashi off the ropes. White threw a chair into the face of Tanahashi while the ref was still down. White performed a Bladerunner and made the cover. The ref recovered and made the three count.
After the match, White put his foot on Tanahashi and posed, then flipped off the fans. Kelly noted that White had already beaten Okada and Tanahashi in the tournament. White cut a promo and said look at what has become of “your Rainmaker” and “your mighty Ace.” The fans booed. White said he doesn’t care what the fans think or feel. White said it’s his year, his company, his ring, his kingdom, his Rainmaker, his ace, and his G1.
Powell’s POV: The scoring for the round robin tournament is two points for a victory, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss.
The current standing in the A-Block: Michael Elgin (4), Togi Makabe (4), Jay White (4), Evil (2), Bad Luck Fale (2), Hangman Page (2), Hiroshi Tanahashi (2), and Minoru Suzuki, Kazuchika Okada, and Yoshi-Hashi have no points.
The current standings in the B-Block: Tomohiro Ishii, Tama Tonga, Hirooki Goto, Kota Ibushi, and Kenny Omega have two points, while Toru Yano, Juice Robinson, Sanada, Zack Sabre Jr., and Tetsuya Naito have no points.
The tournament will continue on Thursday morning in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall with the following B Block matches: Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto, Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Kota Ibushi vs. Juice Robinson, Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Toru Yano, and Sanada vs. Tama Tonga.
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