By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
NJPW “G1 Climax 33 Night 11”
August 1, 2023 in Kagawa, Japan at Takamatsu City General Gymnasium
Streamed on New Japan World
The tournament is comprised of 32 wrestlers, spread out in four Blocks, each comprised of eight competitors. This is a round-robin tournament, so each competitor has seven tournament matches. New this year, 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 provided live, solo commentary. The tournament is spread out over 19 shows in a 29-day span. We are already in the stretch run of the tournament, as this is the sixth tournament match for the A and B Blocks.
1) Hikuleo (w/Jado) (6) defeated Kaito Kiyomiya (6) in an A Block tournament match at 9:45. They immediately brawled to the floor, where Hikuleo dropped Kaito chest-first across the guardrail at 1:30. Hikuleo was in charge in the ring. Kaito began stomping on the left knee. Hikuleo hit a clothesline at 5:30, then a vertical suplex for a nearfall. Kaito applied a Figure Four Leglock in the center of the ring, but Hikuleo reached the ropes. Kaito hit a Tiger Suplex for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Hikuleo hit a Bulldog Powerslam, and they were both down. Kaito avoided a chokeslam and got a rollup for a nearfall. Hikuleo hit a powerslam and a chokeslam for the clean pin! That’s a big upset in my mind. “Hikuleo just beat the cover boy; Hikuleo just beat the star of NOAH,” Kelly said.
2) Great-O-Khan (4) defeated Yoshi-Hashi (4) in a B Block tournament match at 13:48. Intense mat reversals to open and GOK had a sleeperhold applied on the mat. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops at 4:00, then a back suplex for a nearfall. Yoshi-Hashi hit his Headhunter overhead faceplant at 6:30, then a second-rope Blockbuster for a nearfall. O-Khan hit a neckbreaker for a nearfall, and they were both down. O-Khan applied the Sheepkiller submission hold, bending Yoshi-Hashi backward, but Y-H fought free. GOK hit a head-capture suplex, then a tombstone piledriver for a nearfall at 10:00, and Kelly was surprised Yoshi-Hashi kicked out. Yoshi-Hashi hit a DDT and they were both down.
Yoshi-Hashi hit a Dragon Suplex and a clothesline and he was fired up. He nailed a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 11:30. O-Khan hit a snap suplex for a nearfall. Yoshi-Hashi hit a fisherman’s buster for a believable nearfall. O-Khan applied a sleeper with a Claw over the face, but Y-H escaped. However, Great-O-Khan hit the Eliminator (claw to face, slam to mat) for the pin. Good match; they worked hard to win over the crowd. At 2-4, both men are eliminated.
3) Ren Narita (4) defeated Chase Owens (4) in an A Block tournament match at 9:08. Owens complained of a hair pull, but then he yanked Ren to the mat by his hair, and he playfully slapped Ren in the face, which ticked Narita off. “Say sorry, Chase!” Kelly said. They immediately brawled to the floor with Ren whipping Owens into the guardrail. Owens hit a neckbreaker in the ropes at 4:00 and took control. Ren fired up and they traded forearm shots, and Ren hit a spinning leg kick, then a Northern Lights Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall. Chase was able to drop Ren throat-first across the top rope at 7:00 to regain control of the action.
Ren hit an Exploder Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall, then another Northern Lights Suplex. Owens nailed the C-Trigger kneestrike, but he couldn’t hit the package piledriver. Owens hit a kneestrike to the collarbone and a spinning back elbow. However, Ren applied the Cobra Twist/mid-ring Octopus, and Owens tapped out! Both men are eliminated.
* ELP stopped at the commentary booth to boast that in his most recent match, he “beat Kenta in 19 seconds, the shortest G1 match of all time.” (If you read my review, they brawled out of the ring for more than 10 minutes before they finally got in the ring.)
4) El Phantasmo (6) defeated Taichi (6) in a B Block tournament match at 13:56. They shook hands before the bell, drawing a reaction and polite applause. They immediately traded Mafia Kicks to the face, then spin kicks to the upper thigh, and Taichi dropped him with a hard kick. They switched to trading chops. Phantasmo hit a huracarana, then a plancha to the floor at 3:00. ELP hit an Asai Moonsault. In the ring, ELP went for a springboard move, but Taichi caught him with a forearm. Taichi hit a suplex, then a stiff kick to the spine at 5:00 and he applied a mid-ring Octopus, but Phantasmo reached the ropes. Taichi hit a hook kick to the jaw that dropped ELP. Phantasmo hit a Lionsault for a nearfall, but he clutched at a sore left shoulder, as they were both down at 7:30.
Phantasmo hit a second-rope elbow drop and he set up for a superkick, but Taichi avoided it, and Taichi hit an enzuigiri. ELP hit his own enzuigiri, then an inverted Death Valley Driver, dropping him stomach-first to the mat, for a nearfall at 10:00. Taichi hit a hard clothesline and was fired up. He hit a back suplex for a nearfall. ELP hit a superkick for a nearfall at 11:30. Taichi hit his own superkick, and they were both down. ELP couldn’t hit CR2; Taichi got a Gedo Clutch for a believable nearfall, so ELP got a Gedo Clutch for a believable nearfall, as these two kept mirroring each other’s moves. They traded forearms. Phantasmo got another Gedo Clutch rollup for the pin out of nowhere! Good match. They shook hands afterward.
5) Sanada (12) defeated Gabe Kidd (5) in an A Block tournament match at 13:19. Sanada is the last undefeated wrestler in the tournament and has already locked down a playoff spot. Kidd attacked him from behind; they immediately went to the floor, where Kidd whipped Sanada into the guardrail. He cracked Sanada over the head with a chair at 1:00; they rolled into the ring and the bell sounded to officially begin the match. Kidd was in charge, and he shoved the ref. (Could he get disqualified? We haven’t had one yet in the tournament.) They brawled back to the floor and into the crowd. Kidd hit a running cannonball onto Sanada, who was seated in a chair, at 4:00.
In the ring, Kidd bit Sanada’s forehead and remained in charge. Sanada hit a plancha to the floor at 6:00, and it was now Sanada’s turn to whip Kidd into the guardrails. Sanada hit a piledriver onto the concrete floor! However, they both were nearly counted out. Back in the ring, Kidd hit a twisting neckbreaker, and they were both down. Sanada fired back with a TKO Stunner for a nearfall at 8:00, but he missed a moonsault, landing on his feet. Kidd applied a Dragon Sleeper in the corner and the ref had to order him to let go. Kidd hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Sanada hit a running knee, but he couldn’t hit Deadfall. Kidd hit a low blow uppercut when the ref was out of position, then a piledriver for a nearfall at 10:30.
Kidd missed a top-rope moonsault and crashed stomach-first on the mat. Sanada hit a dropkick at 12:00. Kidd pulled the ref in the way; this time, it was Sanada who hit a low blow with the ref out of position, and they were both down on the mat. Sanada hit a Shining Wizard kneestrike, then Deadfall (Blade Runner) swinging faceplant for the pin. Sanada moves to 6-0 (12 points). Again, official time is about 12:15 but I start my stopwatch at first contact.
6) Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (6) defeated Will Ospreay (8) via count out in a B Block tournament match at 15:29. An intense lockup to begin. Ospreay hit a second-rope flying forearm for a nearfall at 2:30. Loa hit a backbody drop, and Will went to the floor to regroup, clutching at his lower back. Loa slammed Ospreay onto the ring apron, and he hit a slingshot senton into the ring. Loa hit a snap suplex; he held Ospreay upside down for several seconds before hitting a Jackhammer powerslam for a nearfall at 5:30. Ospreay hit his handspring-back-spin kick. Ospreay hit a Helluva Kick and a springboard flying forearm for a nearfall. Loa went for a German Suplex, but Ospreay rotated and landed on his feet, and Will hit his heel hook kick to the face.
Loa hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 8:30. They traded forearm shots. Loa hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Ospreay nailed the Oscutter springboard stunner for a nearfall at 11:30, but he missed his top-rope Phoenix Splash. Ospreay went for a plancha to the floor, but Loa caught him with an uppercut, and they were both down on the floor. Loa tossed Ospreay into the rows of empty chairs! Loa then hit a spear into the chairs at 14:00, and they were both down. Loa got to ringside first. Ospreay stumbled back to ringside, but Loa hit another spear! Loa rolled into the ring at the 19-count and won via count-out! A good out here, as Ospreay loses but isn’t pinned, and it allows others in the B Block to mathematically stay alive.
7) Yota Tsuji (6) defeated Shota Umino (6) in an A Block tournament match at 19:20. As I write this before it begins, I am expecting yet another time-limit draw, as NJPW has built this “three musketeers” storyline of these young rising stars who really dislike each other. They charged at each other at the bell and brawled. Tsuji hit a baseball slide dropkick that sent Shota to the floor, then Tsuji dove through the ropes onto Shota at 1:30. Yota was in charge in the ring, hitting a running splash for a nearfall, and he applied a rear-naked choke to ground Shota. Umino got up and peppered Yota with some forearm shots, then a diving European Uppercut at 5:30, and he was fired up. Shota hit an Exploder Suplex, and Tsuji rolled to the floor to regroup.
Shota hit a running summersault splash off the ring apron onto Yota on the floor. In the ring, Umino hit a top-rope missile dropkick, then a sideslam for a nearfall at 7:30. Tsuji countered with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee, and they were both down. Shota hit a dropkick. Yota hit a headscissors takedown. Shota ran on the floor and hit a dropkick on Tsuji’s head as Yota was on the ring apron at 11:00. In the ring, Umino set up for Death Rider double-arm DDT, but Shota fought free, and Tsuji hit a Rollins-style Stomp on the head. Yota set up for a spear, but Shota avoided it and he applied an STF and cranked back on Yota’s head. They traded forearm shots as we hit 15:00, right on with my watch. The pace of the forearm shots picked up in speed and tenacity, getting really heated.
They traded kneestrikes, and Shota hit an enzuigiri. Yota hit a HARD headbutt, and they both collapsed. Tsuji hit a Stinger Splash in the corner at 17:00. Tsuji hit a top-rope belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Tsuji charged at Shota for a spear, but Umino leapt and hit a doublestomp on the head! Shota hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Shota hit a hard DDT for a nearfall at 19:00, and the crowd came alive for the one-minute warning. Tsuji immediately hit a spear for the pin! I’m truly surprised; they telegraphed we were having time-limit draws between these two and Narita. “That was awesome,” Kelly said.
8) Kazuchika Okada (10) defeated Kenta (4) in a B Block tournament match at 19:09. The bell rang, but Kenta rolled to the floor and stalled. For several minutes. (He knows there is a 20-minute time limit, right?) They finally touched at 3:00, but Kenta rolled right back to the floor, so Okada followed him. Kenta whipped Okada into the guardrail, then he shoved Okada shoulder-first into the ring post, and Okada clutched at his left shoulder. In the ring, Kenta hit some Danielson-style Yes Kicks and a DDT. Kenta applied a headscissorslock, but Okada reached the ropes at 6:00. Kenta hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker and he kept Okada grounded.
Okada hit a series of forearm shots. Kenta hit a stiff kick to the spine at 8:00. Okada hit a running back elbow and a DDT for a nearfall. Kenta sat on the top rope; Okada hit a dropkick that sent Kenta to the floor at 10:30, and they brawled some more on the floor. Kenta put Okada’s feet on the guardrail, and he hit a DDT onto the thin black mat, and they were both down. In the ring, Kenta hit his running hesitation dropkick in the corner to Okada’s face at 13:00, then a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall. Okada hit a neckbreaker over his knee, and he applied the Money Clip sleeperhold, but Kenta shoved Okada into the ref to escape, and the ref went down as we reach the 15:00 mark.
Kenta rolled to the floor, got a kendo stick, and hit Okada across the chest and back several times. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick, and he grabbed the kendo stick. Kenta grabbed his Defy Wrestling title, but Okada hit a dropkick before Kenta could use it. Okada hit a clothesline at 17:00, then a twisting tombstone piledriver. Kenta hit a series of open-hand slaps to the face, then a kneestrike to the shoulder for a nearfall. Kenta set up for Go To Sleep, but Okada escaped, and Okada hit a dropkick, then a swinging sideslam. Kenta ducked a Rainmaker short-arm clothesline. Okada hit a Falcon Arrow, then the Rainmaker clothesline for the pin. A bit anticlimatic. At 5-1, Okada has secured a playoff spot.
* Okada spoke on the mic to close out the show.
Final thoughts: After a sluggish night 10, this outing was much better. Umino-Tsuji was really good and I loved that they lulled me into thinking we were headed to yet another time-limit draw, and that earns best match. I liked Taichi-Phantasmo a lot and that’s second-best. Sanada-Kidd earns third best, ahead of the main event.
The C and D Blocks will be back in action on Wednesday. After days off on Thursday and Friday, the final four A Block matches will be on Saturday. The rest of Saturday’s lineup will be announced later, presumably a mix of the B, C and D Blocks and a few others not in the tournament. (The lineup lists Yoh, Yujiro Takahashi, Togi Makabe, Bushi and others.)
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