By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Powell’s Non-Spoiler Recommendations: The last two matches are once again the must see matches of the show. Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii match was the match of the night, but the main event between Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi is also very good. Plus, they are key matches involving the three major players in the B-Block. That’s it for the non-spoilers. Read ahead at your own risk.
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax Tournament Day 14”
August 4, 2018 in Osaka, Japan at Prefectural Gym
Broadcast live on New Japan World
The broadcast team was Kevin Kelly and Rocky Romero…
1. Bad Luck Fale and Tanga Loa defeated Yoshi-Hashi and Sho. Kelly said Yoshi has to face the reality that he’s not on the level of most of the roster. He said Yoshi’s skeptics have been proven right. Kelly added that Jay White believes that if the Chaos wrestlers such as Yoshi and Sho and Yoh would be more successful if they followed his lead. Loa hit his finisher on Sho for the win.
2. Minoru Suzuki and El Desperado beat Hangman Page and Chase Owens. Suzuki performed the Gotch piledriver on Owens and pinned him.
3. Jay White and Yoh beat Togi Makabe and Toa Henare. White tripped up Henare on the ropes, pulled him down, and hit a Blade Runner for the win. Afterward, White attacked Makabe with a chair to soften him up heading into their tournament match on Sunday.
4. Michael Elgin and David Finlay beat Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shota Umino. While Elgin and Tanahashi were fighting at ringside, Finlay performed a uranage backbreaker on Umino for a near fall. Finlay followed up with a Stunner on Umino and pinned him.
5. Evil and Bushi over Kazuchika Okada and Gedo. Evil caught Okada with a late Rainmaker. Bushi caught Gedo with a Codebreaker from the middle rope and pinned him. Kelly said Evil has Okada’s number in the tournament. Okada sold the Rainmaker in a big way. Kelly said he had 24 hours to figure out Evil because if Evil beats him on Sunday then he could be out of the tournament if Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jay White win their matches.
6. Sanada defeated Toru Yano by count-out in a G1 Tournament B-Block match. Sanada broke off a piece of the barricade and then tied up Yano in a Paradise Lock on the barricade. Sanada taped the barricade to the ring post. Rocky Romero got up to help. Sanada put him in a Paradise Lock, then rolled back inside the ring and took the count-out win. Romero yelled, “Help me, help me, my forehead.” Romero also yelled for Milano Collection AT to unlock him.
7. Hirooki Goto beat Tama Tonga (w/Tanga Loa) by DQ in a G1 Tournament B-Block match. Tama shoved Goto into the referee. REF BUMP! Loa attacked Goto from behind and performed a running powerslam. Romero said it’s not about points, prestige, or honor. He said it’s about making a statement. Loa cleared out and Goto performed a neckbreaker onto his knee, then hit the GTR. Bad Luck Fale showed up and pulled the referee out of the ring for the DQ. Scratch that. The bell rang, but the match continued. Tonga had Goto down after a lot of interference. Referee Red Shoes returned to the ring and teased making the count only to give Fale the double birds and then call for the DQ.
8. Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Juice Robinson in a G1 Tournament B-Block match. Sabre worked an arm submission and eventually tied up Robinson’s legs at the same time. Robinson called out no, but the referee called for the bell. Kelly said the referee had no choice. In other words, Robinson would not have been able to escape. Sabre picked up the IWGP U.S. Championship afterward. He eventually gave it back to Robinson. Kelly noted that Sabre previously said he wants the U.S. Championship and he wants to beat Robinson on American soil when he takes it. A good setup for what I assume will be a match on the September 30 show in Long Beach, California.
9. Tomohiro Ishii defeated Kenny Omega in a G1 Tournament B-Block match. The broadcast team played up Omega’s injured heel. He sold it after performing a flip dive. Kelly said Omega fractured his heel doing the same move in the match against Cody, but it hadn’t been a factor in the tournament until now.
Later, Omega connected with three straight V-Trigger knees. Ishii no-sold the last one and got back to his feet. Omega hit him with a couple more and then performed a snap dragon suplex and a lariat for a great near fall. Omega went for a One Winged Angel, but Ishii avoided it and performed a snap dragon suplex. Ishii caught Omega going for a move and powerbombed him. Omega landed awkwardly, but he seemed to be okay.
Late in the match, Omega double stomped Ishii, whose head and torso were hanging over the apron. Back inside the ring, Omega dropkicked the back of Ishii’s head from the top rope. Omega got a near fall and showed frustration. Omega went for his finisher, but Ishii blocked it. Omega went for a V-Trigger, but Ishii blocked it. Ishii performed a German suplex, but Omega landed on his feet and hit a V-Trigger for another two count. Omega performed a J-Driller for another near fall. Omega performed another V-Trigger for another two count. Omega set up for a One Winged Angel. Ishii rolled him into a crucifix for an awesome near fall.
Ishii delivered a couple of headbutts and then turned Omega inside out with a lariat for another good near fall. Omega came right back with a brainbuster, but Ishii kicked out at one. Omega, who’d been bleeding from the mouth for several minutes, ran into a lariat. Ishii hit a vertical drop brainbuster a short time later and scored the pin.
10. Kota Ibushi defeated Tetsuya Naito in a G1 Tournament B-Block match. Naito targeted the knee of Ibushi. When the fans booed him, he spat into the air while looking out to the crowd, which led to more boos. Naito ducked a dropkick only to have Ibushi switch to a double stomp instead. Ibushi performed a standing moonsault for a two count.
Later, Naito applied an inverted figure four to continue the attack on the knee. The wrestlers exchanged slaps to the face while Naito had the hold applied. Naito spat in the face of Ibushi, who reached the ropes to break the hold. Romero said he wasn’t sure whether rolling over the inverted figure four would reverse the pressure because he’d never been in the hold. Ibushi came back with a wicked suplex.
Naito performed a high angle version of Gloria and flashed a sadistic smile after performing the move. Naito followed up with a draping neckbreaker for a two count. Naito signaled for Destino. Referee Red Shoes called off Naito to check on Ibushi. Naito picked up Ibushi, who blasted him with a kick to the head. Naito regained offensive control for a moment, then Ibushi caught him with kick to the head as Naito was on the ropes at the 20-minute mark.
Ibushi wanted to piledrive Naito from the ropes, but Naito held onto the ropes. Ibushi and Naito ended up fighting on the ropes. Naito performed a reverse huracanrana from the ropes, but Ibushi landed on his feet. Ibushi, who was bleeding from the mouth, turned Naito inside out with a clothesline. Ibushi performed a crazy suplex from the ropes and got a two count. Ibushi performed the Last Ride for a good near fall.
Naito went for Destino, but Ibushi stuffed it. Ibushi set up for a knee to the face, but Naito avoided it and hit the Destino for a good near fall. Naito went for the move again, but Ibushi powered him up and dropped him on his head. Ibushi performed a running knee to the face for a great near fall. Ibushi hit another Kamigoye knee to the face and scored the pin. Ibushi cut a brief promo and said he would win the tournament and come back to Osaka.
Powell’s POV: The main event was very good and Ibushi’s win genuinely surprised me. Naito has losses to Omega and Ibushi so he would lose tiebreakers to either man. Thus, I believe the only way he can win the tournament is to win both of his remaining matches, have Omega lose his next match to Toru Yano, and then have Omega and Ibushi go to a draw. That remains my prediction, but they’re definitely doing a great job of making interesting.
Omega vs. Ishii was an awesome match that included logical booking in that it kept the B-Block open while also setting up Ishii for a future title shot. Omega’s mouth injury didn’t seem like a big deal initially, but he was a bloody mess by the end of his match.
The scoring for the round robin tournament is two points for a victory, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss.
A-Block Standings: Hiroshi Tanahashi (12), Kazuchika Okada (10), Jay White (10), Minoru Suzuki (8), Evil (8), Bad Luck Fale (6), Michael Elgin (6), Togi Makabe (4), Hangman Page (4), Yoshi-Hashi (2).
B-Block Standings: Kenny Omega (12), Tetsuya Naito (10), Kota Ibushi (10), Sanada (8), Zack Sabre Jr. (8), Tomohiro Ishii (6), Hirooki Goto (6), Tama Tonga (4), Juice Robinson (4), Toru Yano (2).
Sunday’s show in Osaka features the following A-Block matches: Kazuchika Okada vs. Evil, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Michael Elgin, Togi Makabe vs. Jay White, Hangman Page vs. Minoru Suzuki, and Yoshi-Hashi vs. Bad Luck Fale.
Wednesday’s show in Kanagawa features the following B-Block matches: Tetsuya Naito vs. Sanada, Kenny Omega vs. Toru Yano, Kota Ibushi vs. Tama Tonga, Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Juice Robinson vs. Tomohiro Ishii.
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