New Japan ran Day 12 of the G1 CLIMAX 33 today, the penultimate day of Blocks C & D.
Today’s event was held at Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall in Hiroshima and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. This was a Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.
The announced paid attendance was 2006.
All matches were G1 CLIMAX matches, 20 minute time limit.
Match 1: Block D: Alex Coughlin beat Hiroshi Tanahashi. UPSET ALERT!!!
Match 2: Block C: Mikey Nicholls beat EVIL.
Match 3: Block D: Toru Yano beat Shane Haste.
Match 4: Block C: HENARE beat Tomohiro Ishii.
Match 5: Block D: Hirooki Goto beat Jeff Cobb.
Match 6: Block C: Eddie Kingston beat Tama Tonga.
Match 7: Block D: Tetsuya Naito beat Zack Sabre Jr.
Main Event: Block C: Shingo Takagi beat David Finlay.
With one match left, 5 still have a chance to advance in Block C (top 2 move on). Nicholls, HENARE & Ishii are out. Here’s how it will play out on their final day: The Finlay-Kingston winner advances. If EVIL beats Takagi, EVIL advances. If Takagi beats EVIL, he needs a Tonga loss or draw to advance. If Takagi and Tonga both win, they will need a tiebreaker because their head-to-head result was a draw. Tonga needs a win and Takagi-EVIL to be a Double DQ or no contest to advance (something that means no points for both). Now if Finlay-Kingston is a draw, blow everything up because it then gets too complicated. In Block D, Cobb, Sabre & Naito are tied for the lead but there is serious final day chaos potential. Let’s start with simple-Cobb advances if he beats Haste. Naito advances if he beats Tanahashi. Sabre must beat Goto AND Cobb or Naito must lose or draw (Sabre lost to both Cobb & Naito). Yano, Haste & Coughlin are out. Tanahashi & Goto need miracles and can also blow up everything.
Day 13 is Saturday at Osaka Prefectural Gym in Osaka with the final day of Blocks A & B. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET.
