NJPW G1 Climax 31: Results for night eight of the tournament

Block B action for night eight as we see SANADA and Hiroshi Tanahashi battle it out in the main event. Both men are trying to chase down Jeff Cobb and Kazuchika Okada at the top of the table, who are both on six points going into this leg of the G1 Climax 31.

We are in the Hamamatsu Arena in Shizuoka Prefecture which has been a regular stop the last few iterations of the G1 Climax.

Results for Night 8 of the 31st G1 Climax:

*Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeats Ryohei Oiwa by submission

*Jeff Cobb defeats Tama Tonga by pinfall (Block B)

*EVIL defeats Chase Owens by pinfall (Block B)

*YOSHI-HASHI defeats Taichi by pinfall (Block B)

*Kazuchika Okada defeats Hirooki Goto by pinfall (Block B)

*Hiroshi Tanahashi defeats SANADA by pinfall (Block B)

Ryuhei Oiwa v Yoshinobu Kanemaru

In a massive mismatch to open proceedings, we see one of the newest Young Lions, Ryohei Oiwa, take on the vastly more experienced Yoshinobu Kanemaru. “The Heel Master” is one half of the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions with El Desperado.

As well as been a major player in that division since Suzuki-gun’s return to NJPW, he was a legend in Pro Wrestling NOAH’s GHC Junior Heavyweight division, having won their Junior Heavyweight title a record seven times. Oiwa, on the other hand, has had less than ten professional matches.

Needless to say, this was a straightforward win for Kanemaru. Oiwa gets off to a quick start, but once Kanemaru gets him on the outside, Oiwa finds out why Kanemaru is called “The Heel Master”.

Kanemaru uses everything outside the ring to his advantage and begins to work on the right leg of the Young Lion before getting him in the ring and finishing him off with the Figure 4 Leglock. A perfect warm-up for Kanemaru ahead of Best of the Super Juniors and a great, if painful, learning experience for Oiwa.

Tama Tonga v Jeff Cobb (Block B)

“The Imperial Unit” continues his impressive run during this year’s G1 Climax and moves to 4-0. Tama Tonga is coming off a massive downer after being in a position where he should have beaten Tanahashi last time around but his own ego let him down.

A Stinger Splash attempt saw Tama Tonga suplexed out of his boots almost by Jeff Cobb. He continued to work on Tonga’s back, but couldn’t fully cancel out the agility of “The Good Bad Guy”. Three attempts at Gun Stun failed, though, and Cobb hit Tour of the Islands to head to eight points.

Chase Owens v EVIL (Block B)

Another all-Bullet Club affair, but the first one to really show some cracks manifesting between the House of Torture and the rest of Bullet Club.

A three-way “2 Sweet” with EVIL, Chase Owens, and Dick Togo before the opening bell was tempered by Owens warning Dick Togo not to get involved. EVIL, though, would tell Owens to lay down and give him the win. “The Crown Jewel” not only refused but answered with a stiff slap, setting the tone for the match.

Togo would get an early trip on Owens, who also found himself rammed into ring announcer, Ozaki-san’s desk as per every EVIL match. EVIL also used the exposed turnbuckle to his advantage and Togo struck at Owens whenever the opportunity arose.

The “King of Darkness” grabbed Owens’ Texas Heavyweight Championship which distracted the referee. Togo attempted to use the garrotte on Owens, but Owens escaped it.

A Package Piledriver attempt was thwarted yet again by Dick Togo, which allowed EVIL to use the low blow and Everything is Evil for the victory. After the match, Chase Owens reluctantly joined in another “2 Sweet” but if this is any evidence, then there are problems between the House of Torture and the rest of Bullet Club.

YOSHI-HASHI v Taichi (Block B)

Furthering their rivalry over the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship over the Summer, we see Taichi rubbing his title belt in the face of CHAOS’ “Head Hunter” before knocking him down with a stiff forearm to start the match.

As the match spilt to the outside we would see “Dangerous T” goad a fallen YOSHI-HASHI by standing on his NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship belt. This infuriated YOSHI-HASHI, who fought back and beat the hell out of Taichi on the outside.

When the opening occurred, Taichi targeted YOSHI-HASHI’s injured left shoulder and used the Stretch Plum. YOSHI-HASHI eventually broke by making the ropes. YOSHI-HASHI had some tricks up his sleeve, though, when he countered Black Mephisto into the Butterfly Lock before Taichi escaped.

YOSHI-HASHI yet again countered Black Mephisto with a beautiful Canadian Destroyer before eventually hitting Karma to win his first points of the G1 Climax 31 in a big upset.

Hirooki Goto v Kazuchika Okada (Block B)

These two men are no strangers to each other as stablemates in CHAOS and from multiple battles in the past, including IWGP Heavyweight Championship matches.

Okada took the match to the outside and showed no mercy to his stablemate by dropping him with a DDT on the floor after several whips into the barriers at ringside. After that, it was a back and forth match, with Goto showing his warrior spirit against “The Rainmaker”.

When Goto appeared to be going for a backdrop, though, Okada would sit out on it to get the pinfall and the two points despite Goto’s protestations and disappointment.

SANADA v Hiroshi Tanahashi (Block B)

Unsurprisingly, these two put on a classic catch-a-catch-can wrestling match to start the encounter. “The Ace of the Universe” attempted to put SANADA in the Paradise Lock. SANADA would put Tanahashi in it instead and air guitar to the crowd much to the delight of his biggest fan on commentary: Milano Collection AT.

They exchanged Dragon Screw’s, but Tana would come out on top of this battle and eventually put “Cold Skull” in the Texas Cloverleaf in an attempt to target SANADA’s right leg.

The two exchanged Skull Ends before Tanahashi went for High Fly Flow, which SANADA got his knees up for. Tana also got his knees up when SANADA went for the moonsault.

SANADA came an inch away from victory with an O’Connor Roll, as did Tana with a bridge out of a German Suplex. “The Ace” scored the win, however, with his signature High Fly Flow to keep up with Cobb and Okada at the top of the Block B standings.

Block B Standings after night eight:

8 points: Jeff Cobb and Kazuchika Okada

6 points: EVIL and Hiroshi Tanahashi

4 points: Taichi and SANADA

2 points: Tama Tonga and YOSHI-HASHI

0 points: Chase Owens and Hirooki Goto