By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
NJPW “G1 Climax 33 Night One”
July 15, 2023 in Hokkaido, Japan at Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center
Streamed on New Japan World
The tournament is comprised of 32 wrestlers, spread out in four Blocks comprised of eight competitors. This is a round-round tournament, so each competitor has seven tournament matches. The top TWO finishers in each Block advance to a single-elimination, eight-man tournament. The winner gets a title shot at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4. Time limits are 20 minutes this year, NOT 30 minutes, so we’ll see how that impacts the tournament. Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton provided live commentary. The tournament is spread out over 19 shows in a 29-day span.
This is a large arena, and the crowd is perhaps 2,000.
1. Yoshi-Hashi (2) defeated El Phantasmo (0) in a B Block tournament match at 10:57. Yoshi-Hashi is 16-35 all-time in this tournament. He hit his Headhunter flipping faceplant. ELP hit a brainbuster. YH hit a basement dropkick on the knee at 4:00, and ELP’s head hit the mat hard upon landing. Yoshi-Hashi hit a flip dive to the floor, then a top-rope Blockbuster for a nearfall, but ELP reached the ropes at 6:30. Phantasmo hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall, then a LIonsault for a nearfall. ELP put Yoshi-Hashi on his shoulders and he hit a swinging neckbreaker, then a frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 9:30. They traded rollups for nearfalls. Phantasmo hit an enzuigiri; Yoshi-Hashi hit a clothesline and was fired up. He hit a Crucifix Takedown driver for the pin. Good opener.
2. Chase Owens (2) defeated Gabe Kidd (0) in an A Block tournament match at 9:13. These two are both in Bullet Club, so it is a heel-heel matchup. Owens came out first, but Kidd struck him from behind with a chair at the top of the ramp! (I start my stopwatch at first contact or the bell, whichever is first.) They brawled down the ramp and into the crowd. Charlton said Gabe is going to get himself fired for this type of assault near the fans. Gabe turned toward the Young Lions security guards and slapped each of them. Kidd ran and leapt off the ramp and onto Owens and the security guards at 4:00. (They still haven’t been in the ring so this hasn’t officially started.) They have made it to ringside. Gabe leaned over by Kevin Kelly and jawed on commentary. The bell sounds at 5:30 to officially begin the match.
Owens hit a Saito Suplex, but he couldn’t get the package piledriver. Kidd hit a clothesline and a brainbuster for a nearfall. He spit on Chase; Kelly talked about how in past years, there were shenanigans in the Bullet Club matches; he even referenced the Fingerpoke of Doom. Chase hit a half-nelson suplex and a C-Trigger running knee, then the Package Piledriver for the pin! That was a bit unexpected and it came out of nowhere. Again, the official ring time is closer to 3:45. Owens stopped at the commentary table and said “I didn’t survive three separate eras of Bullet Club for nothing.” Gabe again assaulted a security guard as he stumbled to the back.
3. Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (2) defeated Kenta (0) in a B Block tournament match at 12:45. Kenta has his Defy Wrestling title belt, but of course, he just lost the NJ Strong title to Eddie Kingston on July 5. This is Loa’s first action in more than a year after suffering a knee injury. Charlton said Kenta hasn’t won a singles match in this building since 2012. An intense lockup to open and Kenta stalled on the floor, so Loa followed him and they brawled on the floor. Kenta hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on the floor at 4:00, and Loa immediately collapsed to the floor and clutched at the knee. Kenta immediately began stomping on it and targeting it.
In the ring, Kenta placed the leg on the ropes and hit a dropkick on the knee at 7:00, and Loa was writhing in pain on the mat. Loa hit a swinging sideslam out of nowhere, and they were both down. Loa hit a German Suplex, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 9:00. The ref got bumped. Kenta hit a DDT and they were both down. Kenta got a chair and hit Loa in the gut, then two shots over the back, and he was loudly booed. He hit a chairshot across the right knee. Loa hit a clothesline to the back of the head at 11:30. The ref was back up. Kenta got a rollup with his feet on the ropes for a nearfall. Kenta hit a low blow uppercut with the ref out of position, then a spinning back fist; Loa hit a spear, then the Rikishi Driver piledriver for the pin. Kelly said he’s 0-3 in predicting matches so far.
4. Shota Umino (1) vs. Ren Narita (1) ended in a time-limit draw in an A Block tournament match at 20:00. Charlton talked about the history and rivalry between these two, who came up together as Young Lions. Shota came in through the crowd. They immediately traded forearm shots. Kelly said Shota “fights like Moxley, looks like Tanahashi, talks like Naito.” Good description. Ren hit a Helluva Kick. Shota hit a basement dropkick at 3:30. Ren applied a leglock on the mat, switching to a Figure Four Leglock at 6:00. Ren began targeting the left knee. Shota hit a diving European Uppercut, then a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 8:00, then a top-rope missile dropkick, and he applied an STF, but Ren reached the ropes.
Umino hit the Moxley-style elbow strikes to the side of the head. Narita hit a leg lariat, and they were both down at 10:00. Ren hit a Northern Lights Suplex with a high bridge for a nearfall. Shota hit a swinging faceplant, then another, then a sideslam for a nearfall. Shota hit a flying forearm and a slingshot DDT. Ren hit a head-capture suplex and they were both down at 13:00. Ren hit another Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall, and he applied an anklelock on the mat, and he turned it into a Sharpshooter! Shota eventually reached the ropes. Ren hit a Mafia Kick at 15:30. Shota hit an Exploder Suplex, then a German Suplex. Ren hit a German Suplex.
Both men stumbled to their feet. They hit simultaneous slaps to the face and collapsed, and we are approaching a time-limit draw, and the crowd was hot. (A three-minute time call is right on with my stopwatch.) They got up and traded forearm shots. Ren hit an enzuigiri. Shota hit a dropkick, then a tornado DDT, then the Ignition running neckbreaker for a believable nearfall at 18:30. Shota hit a spike DDT for a nearfall. Ren avoided the Death Rider, and he applied an Octopus stretch submission hold. (30 seconds remaining call is right on!) Ren hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Shota hit a pop-up punch but the bell sounded before he could go for a cover. We have our first draw, so each man gets one point. “I’m already a fan,” Kelly said.
5. Kazuchika Okada (2) defeated Great-O-Khan (0) in a B Block tournament match at 15:23. Mat reversals to open, with O-Khan working the right arm. He hit his Mongolian Chops at 4:00. They got up and traded forearm shots, and Okada hit a flying back elbow, then a DDT and a flapjack for a nearfall at 7:00. As GOK sat on the top turnbuckle, Okada hit a dropkick, sending O-Khan tumbling to the floor. Okada whipped him into the guardrail. Okada nailed a DDT onto the thin mat on the floor at 8:30. In the ring, O-Khan hit a Sling Blade clothesline, and they were both down. O-Khan hit a series of Mongolian Chops to the shoulders, then a gut-wrench suplex for a nearfall at 11:00.
O-Khan applied the Sheepkiller submission hold, bending Okada backward over his knee, and he got a nearfall. Okada fired back with a German Suplex, then his dropkick to the face, then a Falcon Arrow. O-Khan avoided the Rainmaker, and he applied a Claw to the face, and he turned it into a suplex for a nearfall at 14:30. Okada nailed the Rainmaker clothesline out of nowhere for the pin. Good match.
6. Kaito Kiyomiya (2) defeated Yota Tsuji (0) in an A Block tournament match at 14:56. Tsuji came out first, and he dove onto Kaito on the floor to start the match. In the ring, Yota hit a backbreaker over his knee and he stomped on Kaito, and was in charge early. Kaito began targeting the left knee and he wrapped the leg around the ring post at 4:30. In the ring, he hit a second-rope flying forearm for a nearfall, then a dropkick. Tsuji hit a stinger Splash, then a huracanrana at 7:30, then a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Kaito hit a basement dropkick on the knee, then a Dragonscrew Legwhip, and he applied a Figure Four Leglock; Shota eventually reached the ropes at 9:30.
Kaito hit a top-rope missile dropkick, then a German Suplex for a nearfall. Kaito hit a roaring forearm; Yota hit a headbutt, and they were both down at 11:30. Yota hit a Superkick and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Kaito hit a mid-ring huracanrana for a nearfall, then a jumping knee to the shoulder. Kaito nailed a Tiger Suplex for a believable nearfall at 14:30. Kaito flipped Yota and hit a powerbomb, then a Shining Wizard for the win. That was really good.
7. Taichi (2) defeated Will Ospreay (0) in a B Block tournament match at 17:42. They immediately traded forearms and chops. Taichi hit a Mafia Kick that sent Ospreay to the floor. Ospreay whipped Taichi into the guardrail; they went over the guardrail and brawled among some empty rows of chairs. Back in the ring, Ospreay hit a springboard forearm for a nearfall at 6:00. Kelly wondered if there is any ‘hangover effect’ for Ospreay after his win at Forbidden Door. Ospreay was in charge now, stomping on Taichi and loudly swearing, then he hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. Taichi hit some chops, but he was exhausted and they didn’t have much impact.
Ospreay hit a hard kick to the spine, then a brainbuster for a nearfall at 9:30, and the crowd rallied for Taichi. Taichi hit a kick to the ear and Ospreay was wobbly and selling it hurt his equilibrium; he stumbled trying to climb the ropes at 11:30. Ospreay hit a forearm to the back of the neck but he was still struggling with his balance. Ospreay hit a series of Kawada Kicks; Taichi fired back with a roundhouse kick that dropped Ospray, and Taichi removed his breakaway pants. Ospreay hit the Oscutter springboard stunner for a nearfall at 14:30, but he missed a Hidden Blade. Taichi immediately hit another kick to the ear. Ospreay nailed the Hidden Blade for a believable nearfall, but Taichi grabbed the ropes. Ospreay set up for Stormbreaker, but Taichi escaped and got a Gedo Clutch for a believable nearfall.
Ospreay nailed another roaring elbow. They fought on the top rope in the corner, and Taichi hit a top-rope back suplex at 17:00, then a clothesline and he was fired up. He hit another back suplex for a nearfall. This crowd is HOT now. Ospreay hit a back suplex. Ospreay set up for a Hidden Blade again, but as he charged, Taichi hit a superkick, then an Air Raid Crash for the pin! A huge upset. I really enjoyed this, and I’ve never seen anyone sell a loss of equilibrium like this.
8. Sanada (2) defeated Hikuleo (w/Jado) (0) in an A Block tournament match at 10:15. I like that NJPW champion Sanada is headlining the show, as he should. Sanada got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall just seconds in. They brawled to the floor, where Sanada shoved Hikuleo back-first into the barricade at 2:00. In the ring, Hikuleo hit a massive backbody drop for a nearfall. Sanada hit a dropkick to the knee, then a dropkick that sent Hikuleo to the floor, and Sanada hit a plancha. Kelly said Sanada actually has a losing record lifetime in the G1. In the ring, Hikuleo hit a Snake Eyes face-drop on the top turnbuckle, a hard clothesline, and a brainbuster for a nearfall at 6:30.
Sanada hit a suplex, but he missed a moonsault. Hikuleo hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Hikuleo hit a swinging powerslam; he set up for a chokeslam but Sanada escaped, and Sanada hit a Shining Wizard kneestrike for a nearfall at 9:00. Sanada went for a huracanrana, but Hikuleo caught him and nailed a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Sanada hit the Deadfall (Jay White’s Blade Runner) swinging faceplant out of nowhere for the pin. A good match, but not one of the best of the night, either.
* Sanada got on the mic and noted that both he and “Just 5 Guys” teammate Taichi won their matches. Taichi joined Sanada in the ring, carrying his KOPW title belt. Taichi spoke on the mic and said it had been a while since he won in his hometown, getting a nice applause.
Final Thoughts: A good way to kick off the show. Shota-Ren was easily match of the night, even with it ending in a draw. They worked a frenetic pace and it felt like these two really dislike each other. Ospreay-Taichi earns second place, ahead of Kaito-Tsuji. We know Ospreay will finish 5-2 or so, and with two men reaching the playoffs, he’ll be fine. But it also sets up Taichi for a future U.S. Title shot.
The C and D Blocks are in action on Sunday before the first off-day on Monday. I am a BIG fan of the changes made to this year’s tournament. Last year had seven wrestlers in each Block, which meant staggered days off between tournament matches, and some guys had several matches bunched together in a short period of time. I also like that we aren’t wasting time with wrestlers competing in non-tournament matches. So, wrestlers will have fewer overall matches than in the past, with more days off between competing.
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