NJPW G1 Climax 33: Night Twelve
August 2, 2023
Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
Hiroshima, Japan
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A BLOCK: (SANADA, Shota Umino, Hikuleo, Kaito Kiyomiya, Chase Owens, Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji, and Gabriel Kidd)
B BLOCK: (Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, KENTA, Taichi, El Phantasmo, The Great O-Khan, Yoshi Hashi and Tanga Loa)
C BLOCK: (Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi, David Finlay, Eddie Kingston, EVIL, Tama Tonga, Aaron Henare and Mikey Nicholls)
D BLOCK: (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Zack Sabre Jr, Jeff Cobb, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, Shane Haste and Alex Coughlin)
Transcription by Josh Lopez
First Match: (6) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. (2) Alex Coughlin In A G1 CLIMAX 33 D BLOCK Tournament Match
Collar and Elbow Tie Up. Coughlin backs Tanahashi into the ropes. The referee calls for a clean break. Tanahashi ducks a clothesline from Coughlin. Strong lockup. Tanahashi applies a side headlock. Coughlin whips Tanahashi across the ring. Coughlin drops Tanahashi with a shoulder tackle. Coughlin stomps on Tanahashi’s chest. Coughlin uppercuts Tanahashi. Coughlin sends Tanahashi to the corner. Tanahashi dropkicks the left knee of Coughlin. Tanahashi repeatedly stomps on the left knee of Coughlin. Tanahashi with a low dropkick in the corner. Tanahashi with a back heel trip. Tanahashi follows that with a step over toe hold. Tanahashi with forearm shivers. Coughlin unloads three knife edge chops. Coughlin slams Tanahashi’s head on the ring apron. Coughlin drives Tanahashi back first into the apron. Coughlin with an overhand chop. Coughlin whips Tanahashi into the steel barricade. Coughlin is choking Tanahashi with his boot. Coughlin bodyslams a young lion on top of Tanahashi.
Coughlin rolls Tanahashi back into the ring. Tanahashi dropkicks the back of Coughlin’s left knee. Coughlin rocks Tanahashi with a forearm smash. Coughlin with forearm shivers. Coughlin whips Tanahashi across the ring. Tanahashi with a flying forearm. Tanahashi delivers his combination offense. Tanahashi bodyslams Coughlin. Tanahashi with a SomerSault Senton for a two count. Tanahashi goes for The SlingBlade, but Coughlin counters with a Spinning BackBreaker. Coughlin with a Deadlift Belly to Back Suplex. Tanahashi fights out of the fireman’s carry position. Tanahashi slaps Coughlin in the face. Tanahashi blocks a boot from Coughlin. Tanahashi with a Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Tanahashi with a SlingBlade. Coughlin rises back on his feet. Tanahashi hits The Reverse SlingBlade for a two count. Tanahashi goes for The Ace’s High, but Coughlin rolls him over for a two count. Coughlin with The Death Valley Bomb for a two count. Coughlin clotheslines the back of Tanahashi’s neck for a two count. Tanahashi goes for an inside cradle, but Coughlin counters with The Jack Hammer to pickup the victory.
Winner: Alex Coughlin via Pinfall
Second Match: (8) EVIL w/Dick Togo vs. (2) Mikey Nicholls w/Kosei Fujita In A G1 CLIMAX 33 C BLOCK Tournament Match
EVIL attacks Nicholls before the bell rings. EVIL rakes the eyes of Nicholls. EVIL with two double sledges for a two count. EVIL repeatedly stomps on Nicholls back. EVIL wraps a t-shirt around Nicholls neck. EVIL goes for a Vertical Suplex, but Nicholls blocks. EVIL drives his knee into the midsection of Nicholls. Nicholls with The Delayed Vertical Suplex for a two count. Nicholls unloads two knife edge chops. Nicholls slams EVIL’s head on the red turnbuckle pad. Nicholls rams EVIL’s face across the top strand. EVIL reverses out of the irish whip from Nicholls. Togo trips Nicholls from the outside. EVIL dums Nicholls out of the ring. EVIL drives Nicholls back first into the steel barricade. The ring announcer goes down in the process. EVIL tells Nicholls to quit. Nicholls calls EVIL a piece of shit. EVIL and Nicholls start brawling in the crowd. EVIL launches Nicholls into a row of chairs. All hell is breaking loose in Hiroshima. Nicholls gets back in the ring at the count of eighteen. EVIL goes into the lateral press for a two count.
EVIL wraps another shirt around Nicholls neck. EVIL applies The Cobra Twist. EVIL uses Togo for leverage. EVIL hooks the outside leg for a two count. EVIL kicks Nicholls in the back. EVIL applies a wrist lock. EVIL sends Nicholls to the corner. Nicholls decks EVIL with a back elbow smash. EVIL ducks a clothesline from Nicholls. Nicholls drops EVIL with a DDT. Nicholls with two corner clotheslines. Nicholls goes for The Death Valley Driver, but Togo gets in the way. Nicholls shoves EVIL into Togo. Nicholls with The Death Valley Driver. Nicholls with a Sliding Lariat for a two count. Nicholls whips EVIL across the ring. EVIL holds onto the ropes. EVIL kicks Nicholls in the face. EVIL shove Nicholls towards the referee. Nicholls blocks the low blow. EVIL whips Nicholls into the referee. Togo lays out Fujita. House Of Torture gangs up on Nicholls. EVIL bodyslams Nicholls. Togo with a flying haymaker. Nicholls kicks out of multiple pinning predicaments. Togo pulls the referee out of the ring. EVIL goes for The Magic Killer, but Fujita gets in the way. Nicholls denies Everything Is EVIL. Nicholls connects with The European Clutch to pickup the victory.
Winner: Mikey Nicholls via Pinfall
Third Match: (2) Toru Yano vs. (4) Shane Haste w/Kosei Fujita In A G1 CLIMAX 33 D BLOCK Tournament Match
Haste says that Yano can try on his hat. Yano blinds Haste with the burlap sack. Rollup Exchange. Haste kicks Yano in the gut. Haste with a straight right hand. Yano with an Inverted Atomic Drop. Yano with a double leg takedown. Haste avoids colliding into the exposed steel. Haste side steps Yano into the exposed steel. Yano slaps Haste in the back of the head. Haste dropkicks Yano to the floor. Haste poses for the crowd. Yano is playing mind games with Haste. Yano grabs the sanitizer spray. Haste with a toe kick. Yano crawls under the ring.
Haste tells Fujita to look for him. There’s a melee going on under the ring. Yano taped a bucket over Haste’s head. Haste gets back in the ring at the count of eighteen. Yano with The Mongolian Chop. Yano tells Haste to bring it. Haste starts swinging in the air. Haste with three uppercuts. Haste picks up the referee. Yano blocks the low blow. Haste clotheslines Yano for a two count. Haste frees himself from the bucket. Yano shoves Haste towards the referee. Yano delivers the low blow. Yano spears the back of Haste. Yano rolls Haste over to pickup the victory.
Winner: Toru Yano via Pinfall
Fourth Match: (2) Tomohiro Ishii vs. (2) Aaron Henare In A G1 CLIMAX 33 C BLOCK Tournament Match
Shoulder Block Exchange. Ishii with a forearm smash. Ishii avoids The Roundhouse Kick. Henare blocks a forearm from Ishii. Henare kicks the left shoulder of Ishii. Ishii dodges The Step Up Enzuigiri. Ishii avoids The PK. That leads us to a quick standoff in the center of the ring. Henare kicks Ishii in the gut. Henare with clubbing blows to Ishii’s back. Henare HeadButts Ishii. Henare drops Ishii with a shoulder tackle. Henare kicks Ishii in the back. Forearm Exchange. Following a snap mare takeover, Henare kicks Ishii in the back. Henare with a Senton Splash. Henare with a Mid-Kick. Second Forearm Exchange. Henare with clubbing mid-kicks. Ishii blocks a boot from Henare. Ishii hammers down on the right knee of Henare. Ishii hyperextends the right knee of Henare. Ishii dropkicks the right knee of Henare.
Ishii with a corner clothesline. Henare reverses out of the irish whip from Ishii. Ishii with a running shoulder tackle. Ishii with a Vertical Suplex for a two count. Ishii kicks the back of Henare. Ishii with repeated headbutts. Ishii with a Running PK to Henare’s back. Henare is pissed. Ishii with forearm shivers. Henare blocks a boot from Ishii. Henare with a Spinning Heel Kick. Henare unloads a flurry of bodyshots. Henare with a corner clothesline. Henare whips Ishii across the ring. Henare with The Berzerker Bomb for a two count. Henare with The PK. Third Forearm Exchange. Henare delivers a bolo punch. Ishii blocks Ultima. Back Elbow Exchange. Henare with a SpringBoard Enzuigiri. Henare shrugs off a lariat from Ishii. Ishii ducks a clothesline from Henare. Ishii with a Release German Suplex. Ishii drops Henare with a Lariat for a two count. Henare dodges The Sliding Lariat. Ishii dodges The PK. Henare with The Pop Up Samoan Drop.
Ishii blocks The Rampage. Ishii with a forearm smash. Henare answers with a Discus Back Elbow. Ishii swats away a lariat from Henare. Ishii with a Step Up Enzuigiri. Ishii with an Inside Out Lariat for a two count. Palm Strike Exchange. Henare with a high back elbow. Ishii dodges The Spinning Heel Kick. Ishii with Two HeadButts. Henare drops Ishii with a Shotgun Knee. Henare hits The Rampage for a two count. Henare applies The Ultima. Henare with The Uranage Slam for a two count. Henare with a Rising Knee Strike. Following a snap mare takeover, Henare with The PK. Ishii blocks The Streets Of Rage. Ishii HeadButts Henare. Ishii with a Sliding Lariat for a two count. Henare denies The Vertical Drop BrainBuster. Henare with a Pump Knee Strike. Henare with a straight right hand. Henare follows that with a Spinning Heel Kick. Henare HeadButts Ishii. Henare connects with The Streets Of Rage to pickup the victory.
Winner: Aaron Henare via Pinfall
Fifth Match: (8) Jeff Cobb vs. (4) Hirooki Goto In A G1 CLIMAX 33 D BLOCK Tournament Match
Collar and Elbow Tie Up. Goto applies a side headlock. Cobb whips Goto across the ring. Goto runs into Cobb. Shoulder Block Exchange. Cobb blocks a Hip Toss from Goto. Goto ducks a clothesline from Cobb. Cobb drops Goto with a shoulder tackle. Cobb with a forearm smash. Goto reverses out of the irish whip from Cobb. Goto blocks a boot from Cobb. Goto kicks the right hamstring of Cobb. Goto rolls Cobb back into the ring. Goto kicks Cobb in the ribs. Goto repeatedly stomps on the right hamstring of Cobb. Goto wraps the right leg of Cobb around the middle rope. Goto with a toe kick. Cobb reverses out of the irish whip from Goto. Cobb with a leaping back elbow smash. Cobb with a leaping shoulder tackle.
Cobb whips Goto into the steel barricade. Cobb is putting the boots to Goto. Cobb rolls Goto back into the ring. Cobb with a cocky cover for a two count. Cobb repeatedly drives his knee into Goto’s back. Cobb uppercuts the small of Goto’s back for a two count. Goto with three overhand chops. Cobb answers with a double throat thrust. Goto reverses out of the irish whip from Cobb. Goto goes for a Spinning Wheel Kick, but Cobb counters with a Spinning Side Slam for a two count. Cobb repeatedly stomps on Goto’s chest. Cobb goes for The Standing MoonSault, but Goto ducks out of the way. Cobb chops Goto. Goto with a Misdirection Lariat. Goto with forearm shivers. Goto sends Cobb to the corner. Goto with a Spinning Wheel Kick.
Goto with The Saito Suplex for a two count. Cobb hammers down on the back of Goto’s neck. Forearm Exchange. Goto goes for a Running Bulldog, but Cobb blocks it. Goto applies The Sleeper Hold. Cobb blocks The PK. Cobb dropkicks Goto. Cobb delivers The Spin Cycle for a two count. Cobb with The Standing MoonSault for a two count. Goto avoids Tour Of The Islands. Goto kicks Cobb in the face. Goto goes for The Ushigoroshi, but Cobb lands back on his feet. Cobb SuperKicks Goto. Misfired Lariats. Goto hits The Ushigoroshi. Cobb blocks The GTR. Goto reapplies The Sleeper Hold. Cobb scores a right jab. Cobb goes for Tour Of The Islands, but Goto lands back on his feet. Goto with Two HeadButts. Goto drills Cobb with The CodeRed for a two count. Goto connects with The GTR to pickup the victory.
Winner: Hirooki Goto via Pinfall
Sixth Match: (6) Eddie Kingston vs. (7) Tama Tonga w/Jado In A G1 CLIMAX 33 C BLOCK Tournament Match
Collar and Elbow Tie Up. Tonga backs Kingston into a turnbuckle pad. The referee calls for a clean break. Strong lockup. Kingston applies a side headlock. Tonga whips Kingston across the ring. Kingston chops Tonga. Tonga removes his vest. Kingston unloads three knife edge chops. Tonga answers with a Superman Forearm. Tonga with a snap elbow drop. Tonga with clubbing crossfaces. Kingston fights from underneath. Tonga is raining down haymakers. Tonga repeatedly stomps on Kingston’s chest. Tonga with a gut punch. Kingston reverses out of the irish whip from Tonga. Kingston with a knee lift. Kingston with The Butterfly Suplex. Kingston is putting the boots to Tonga.
Following a snap mare takeover, Kingston with a Double Foot Stomp for a one count. Kingston applies a waist lock. Tonga with two sharp elbow strikes. Tonga bodyslams Kingston. Tonga with three back elbow smashes in the corner. Kingston reverses out of the irish whip from Tonga. Tonga with a running clothesline. Tonga with The Stinger Splash. Tonga tees off on Kingston in the corner. Kingston side steps Tonga into the red turnbuckle pad. Machine Gun Chops. Kingston with a flying shoulder tackle. Kingston chops Tonga. Tonga blocks The Half & Half Suplex. Kingston with three back fists.
Tonga kicks Kingston in the face. Tonga with a Flying NeckBreaker. Tonga hits The SRC. Tonga goes for The Supreme Flow, but Kingston ducks out of the way. Kingston with The Sliding Elbow for a two count. Forearm/HeadButt Exchange. Kingston is lighting up Tonga’s chest. Exploder Suplex Exchange. Kingston with The Backdrop Driver. Tonga blocks The Spinning Back Fist. Tonga drops Kingston with The Tongan Twist for a two count. Kingston blocks The Jay Driller. Kingston with The Half & Half Suplex. Kingston delivers The Spinning Back Fist for a two count. Tonga blocks The Northern Lights Bomb. Kingston with a Step Up Enzuigiri. Tonga answers with a Superman Forearm. Kingston denies The GunStun. Kingston with The Spinning Back Fist. Kingston connects with The Northern Lights Bomb to pickup the victory.
Winner: Eddie Kingston via Pinfall
Seventh Match: (6) Tetsuya Naito vs. (8) Zack Sabre Jr w/Kosei Fujita In A G1 CLIMAX 33 D BLOCK Tournament Match
Collar and Elbow Tie Up. Sabre backs Naito into the ropes. Red Shoes calls for a clean break. Sabre pats Naito on the chest. Sabre pie faces Naito. Naito spits at Sabre. Naito blocks a boot from Sabre. Naito hammers down on the right knee of Sabre. Naito dumps Sabre out of the ring. Sabre pulls Naito out of the ring. Sabre mocks Naito. Naito signals for the test of strength. Sabre kicks Naito in the gut. Naito reverses out of the irish whip from Sabre. Sabre ducks under a back elbow from Naito. Sabre goes for The Cobra Twist, but Naito rolls him over for a one count. Naito kicks Sabre in the gut. Naito with a Running Headscissors Takeover. Tranquillo Pose. Sabre regroups on the outside. Naito is playing mid games with Sabre. Naito with a toe kick. Naito whips Sabre into the steel barricade. Naito closes the ringside gate. Naito with a NeckBreaker against the barricade. Naito hammers down on the back of Sabre’s neck. Naito drops Sabre with another NeckBreaker on the floor. Sabre gets back in the ring at the count of fifteen.
Naito applies the cravate. Sabre puts his foot on the bottom rope which forces the break. Naito toys around with Sabre. Short-Arm Reversal by Sabre. Sabre hyperextends the left shoulder of Naito. Naito reverses out of the irish whip from Sabre. Naito goes for the deep arm-drag, but Sabre counters with The Cross-Arm-Breaker. Naito puts his foot on the bottom rope which forces the break. Sabre wraps the left shoulder of Naito around the barricade. Sabre viciously kicks the barricade for added damage. Sabre rolls Naito back into the ring. Sabre stomps on the left elbow of Naito. Sabre applies a hammerlock with his legs. Sabre cranks on the left shoulder of Naito. Sabre applies a wrist lock. Naito with forearm shivers. Naito dodges The Overhead Wrist Kick. Naito with an Inverted Atomic Drop. Naito with a NeckBreaker.
Naito with a forearm smash. Naito kicks Sabre in the gut. Naito punches Sabre in the back. Naito whips Sabre across the ring. Naito with a deep arm-drag. Naito scores the elbow knockdown. Naito dropkicks the back of Sabre’s neck. Combination Cabron for a two count. Naito applies a grounding full nelson lock. Sabre puts his foot on the bottom rope which forces the break. Naito refuses to let go of the hold. Naito with clubbing back elbow smashes in the corner. Naito puts Sabre on the top turnbuckle. Sabre applies The Kimura Lock. Sabre transitions into The Cross-Arm-Breaker in the ropes. Sabre brings Naito down to the mat. Sabre toys around with Naito. Forearm/Uppercut Exchange. Sabre kicks the left shoulder of Naito. Short-Arm Reversal by Naito. Sabre blocks The Swinging DDT. Naito dodges The Overhead Wrist Kick. Naito with a Pop Up SpineBuster.
Sabre kicks Naito in the face. Naito answers with repeated back elbow smashes. Naito connects with The Destino for a two count. Naito goes for The Esperanza, but Sabre counters with The Double Arm-Bar. Sabre transitions into a grounding full nelson lock. Naito puts his foot on the bottom rope which forces the break. Naito denies The Zack Sabre. Naito with an arm-drag takeover. Naito with an Inverted Atomic Drop. Rollup Exchange. Sabre uppercuts Naito. Naito with a Step Up Enzuigiri. Sabre blasts Naito with The PK. Sabre goes for The Zack Driver, but Naito counters with a Reverse DDT. Sabre hits The Zack Driver. Sabre scores the elbow knockdown. Sabre uppercuts Naito. Sabre drops Naito with The Tornado DDT. Naito drills Sabre with The BrainBuster. Sabre with a Rolling Crucifix for a two count. Naito ducks a clothesline from Sabre. Sabre yanks on the left shoulder of Naito. Naito kicks Sabre in the gut. Naito turns The Swinging DDT into an inside cradle to pickup the victory.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito via Pinfall
Eight Match: (5) Shingo Takagi vs. (8) David Finlay w/Gedo In A G1 CLIMAX 33 C BLOCK Tournament Match
Collar and Elbow Tie Up. Finlay backs Takagi into the ropes. Finlay pats Takagi on the chest. Takagi ducks a clothesline from Finlay. Finlay rakes the eyes of Takagi. Finlay applies a side headlock. Takagi whips Finlay across the ring. Finlay runs into Takagi. Shoulder Block Exchange. Finlay tugs on Takagi’s hair. Finlay grabs a side headlock. Takagi whips Finlay across the ring. Finlay with a running shoulder block. Takagi drops Finlay with a shoulder tackle. Takagi stomps on Finlay’s back. Takagi repeatedly drives his knee into the midsection of Finlay. Gedo accuses Takagi of giving Finlay a low blow. Red Shoes tells Gedo to get off the ring apron. Finlay delivers a chop block. Finlay repeatedly kicks the left knee of Takagi. Finlay HeadButts Takagi. Finlay drives Takagi back first through the gate door. Finlay sets up a table on the floor. Finlay kicks Takagi in the face. Finlay slams Takagi’s head on the table. Finlay with heavy bodyshots. Finlay with a Snap Vertical Suplex on the floor. Finlay slams Takagi’s head on the ring apron. Finlay rolls Takagi back into the ring.
Finlay starts bending Takagi’s fingers. Red Shoes admonishes Finlay. Finlay uppercuts Takagi. Takagi with repeated toe kicks. Finlay answers with repeated headbutts in the corner. Finlay is choking Takagi with his knee. Finlay with another Snap Vertical Suplex for a two count. Finlay applies a rear chin lock. Finlay pulls Takagi down to the mat. Finlay toys around with Takagi. Takagi with forearm shivers. Takagi unloads a flurry of right jabs. Finlay ducks a clothesline from Takagi. Finlay grabs Takagi’s hair. Takagi backs Finlay into the blue turnbuckle pad. Takagi decks Finlay with a back elbow smash. Takagi scores a right jab. Takagi with The Ryukon Lariat. Takagi blocks a boot from Finlay. Takagi with a corner clothesline. Takagi with forearm shivers. Takagi follows that with repeated headbutts in the corner. Hair Pull Exchange. Takagi with a Hair Biel Throw. Takagi with another corner clothesline. Takagi with a Vertical Suplex for a two count. Takagi plays to the crowd.
Finlay ducks a clothesline from Takagi. Takagi with a back elbow smash. Takagi scores another right jab. Takagi drops Finlay with The Fake Out DDT. Takagi with a Sliding Lariat. Takagi punches Finlay in the back. Finlay fights out of the fireman’s carry position. Finlay slams Takagi’s head on the top rope. Finlay goes for a Spear, but Takagi blocks it. Finlay yanks Takagi off the apron. Finlay PowerBombs Takagi through the table on the floor. Takagi gets back in the ring at the count of eighteen. Takagi hammers down on the back of Finlay’s neck. Finlay with The Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Finlay with a Sliding Lariat across the back of Takagi’s neck for a two count. Finlay goes for Into Oblivion, but Takagi counters with a Twisting Vertical Suplex. Finlay with two uppercuts. Takagi responds with The Noshigami. Takagi puts Finlay on the top turnbuckle. Takagi with more repeated headbutts. Takagi with The SuperPlex. Finlay blocks Made In Japan. Finlay with a GutBuster against the top rope.
Finlay drops Takagi with The Dominator for a two count. Finlay with a Running Lariat. Finlay pulls down his left knee pad. Finlay goes for Into Oblivion, but Takagi lands back on his feet. Takagi with The Grounding Cobra for a two count. Finlay with Two Irish Curse BackBreakers for a two count. Finlay goes for a PowrBomb, but Takagi lands back on his feet. Finlay with forearm shivers. Finlay with two short-arm lariats. Takagi rocks Finlay with a right jab. Takagi HeadButts Finlay. Takagi denies Into Oblivion. Takagi hits Made In Japan for a two count. HeadButt Exchange. Forearm Exchange. Palm Strike Exchange. Second Forearm Exchange. Finlay ducks a clothesline from Takagi. Finlay Spears Takagi. Finlay with Two PowerBombs. Takagi negates Into Oblivion. Takagi with a Sliding Elbow. Double Lariat. Takagi with an Inside Out Lariat. Takagi connects with Last Of The Dragon to pickup the victory.
Winner: Shingo Takagi via Pinfall
THE UPDATED C & D BLOCK STANDINGS
THE C BLOCK
1.) David Finlay (4-2) – 8 Points
2.) EVIL (4-2) – 8 Points
3.) Eddie Kingston (4-2) – 8 Points
4.) Shingo Takagi (3-2-1) – 7 Points
5.) Tama Tonga (3-2-1) – 7 Points
6.) Mikey Nicholls (2-4) – 4 Points
7.) Aaron Henare (2-4) – 4 Points
8.) Tomohiro Ishii (1-5) – 2 Points
THE D BLOCK
1.) Jeff Cobb (4-2) – 8 Points
2.) Tetsuya Naito (4-2) – 8 Points
3.) Zack Sabre Jr (4-2) – 8 Points
4.) Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-3) – 6 Points
5.) Hirooki Goto (3-3) – 6 Points
6.) Shane Haste (2-4) – 4 Points
7.) Alex Coughlin (2-4) – 4 Points
8.) Toru Yano (2-4) – 4 Points
POST MATCH COMMENTS
Hiroshi Tanahashi: I had today figured for two points. I thought, if I can then beat Naito in Shizuoka. I saw a path, but now New Japan Pro Wrestling, the new talent is here. You can see the future with your own eyes. But if you say that to yourself, your life as a wrestler is done. Whatever hardship you face, no matter what obstacle stand in your way, let’s all aim to be the best we can. This year’s G1 Climax, I can’t end it on a losing record. I got this. Three losses are tough. But you know I’m giving you every damn thing I have every single match. That’s me. That Coughlin guy is jacked, man.
Alex Coughlin: I think that counts as a pretty big damn statement. Not much of a talker, I’m more of a doer. So I did what I had to do. I brought the gold and tonight I brought the most valuable body in professional wrestling, bounty on his head. The man who takes him becomes the future, but you knew that, I knew that. I’ve been telling you that ever since we came back here. The old guard is as good as dead. As good as gone. Out to the past, you shine the head like old yeller. Now is the time for The War Dogs. If you ain’t gonna get out of our way, we’ll make you. Do something about it, because they my dogs, for real.
EVIL: Damn it. Fujita, you punk. You’re always getting in my way, you bastard. If I don’t make the finals, I’m gonna shave your damn head. Remember that.
Mikey Nicholls: Like I’ve already got two kids, you know what I mean. Shit. You know what? I guess it turns out you can teach an old dog some new tricks. So, Zack, my boy, he put me to the side. He showed me some of his fancy stuff. Who knew it would work, right? And I guess that’s me out of the G1. Well, my first G1, I can’t be too upset. If there’s no more G1 for me, if I can’t make it to the final, that means there’s no tomorrow for me and that makes me a very dangerous person. Anyone that gets in my way, I’m going to disrupt this whole damn tournament. See you later.
Shane Haste: I can’t believe it’s over like that. I didn’t have it. There’s my G1. That’s what I get when I came off beating Naito or just getting beaten by Zack. And then you’d think Yano would be a walk in a park, but that’s a dangerous park. That ain’t one of them nice friendly parks in Japan. No, no, no, that’s one of them dangerous spots you shouldn’t be walking in. And I made the mistake of trying out goose a goose. But there’s not out-goosing the king of geese. Yano, I give it to you, man. You are the king of the geese. You’re the king of the ganger. You scrambled my junk and you won. And I’m pretty damn sure you took me out of the G1.
Damn it. I should have left the bucket on. I was doing way better with the bucket. I was born in a bucket. I’ll live in a bucket. I’ll die in a bucket. Ah, one more to go. One more to go and that’s Jeff Cobb. He ain’t no goose and I ain’t gonna try to goose that geese. I’m gonna rest these nods up. I’m gonna rest these number one and two, left and right. And then, Jeff Cobb, I might still not be in this G1, but I can sure as hell ruin it for you. So you might as well call me Mr. Ruin Your Day, ruin your tournament, ruin your G1 because I’m done with it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more Mr. G1 Fun. No more G1 for you, Jeff Cobb, because you’re going to be G done.
Aaron Henare: Five years. Five years, Ishii. I’ve been grinding in this company, hustling for five years to try to beat you. Let’s take it all the way back to 2018. Poor Mr. No Face Paint, Mr. Young Boy with his finger up his ass. Not knowing what the fuck he’s doing here. But there’s one person that kept it real. Ishii, you don’t care. You don’t care that I wasn’t Japanese. You didn’t care if I was moldy. You didn’t care if I was American. You came in there, you slapped the shit out of me. Kicked the shit out of me. Dropped me on my neck eight times. And with that, you taught me the taste of what it means to be a real Japanese Strong Style Wrestler. And nobody in the goddamn world knows what it feels like to be a real Japanese Strong Style Wrestler, only Japanese people.
Only the Japanese wrestlers. Today, I told this G1 I am the foreigner who’s earn, who’s won the right to represent Japanese Strong Style overseas to the fans. If any of you nerds overseas think you have what it takes, come bang with me, come fight with me, come earned it. Get dropped on your head by Ishii. I’m not gonna clap about beating Ishii. There’s something wrong. He’s injured or something’s wrong. This isn’t Ishii. This isn’t the G1 Ishii. No, no, no, Ishii’s a fucking killer. He’s got some injury that he is not telling everyone about because if he wasn’t injured, he’ll be killing all of you. Today’s victory, five years. Who’s last? Tama Tonga? Bring it on.
Jeff Cobb: Today, I’ll let you know a little bit about me. Today, about four hours ago, I got a call from my sister saying, hey, call your cousin Tony, call your cousin Timmy, call your auntie in Hawaii. I say, why? Your Uncle Mike just passed away. You were there with me outside. I was on the phone. I called, talked to my auntie for a little bit, found out he passed away. Now, I’m not doing this for sympathy. I’m giving my uncle a shoutout. And the same with ELP, he kept fighting, he kept fighting through everything. Why, because we are New Japan Pro Wrestlers, the fighting spirit lives in our blood. Now, my uncle, I believe he was born here in Japan in Kumamoto where my grandmother’s from. That’s my family in Kumamoto. And I can bet you, I’m not a betting man, I can bet you I will put all the money I have to think that my uncle would want me to compete today, regardless of what happened.
So for that, Uncle Mike, say hi to my dad up there for me. Now, did I let my loss affect me out there in the ring tonight? For my loss against Goto? No, no, no, I’m not blaming that on my uncle. No, I’m blaming that on Goto. You see, I was talking about fighting spirit in the hearts of every Japanese pro wrestler and the hearts of every Japanese individual. And that man, right there, with busted ribs, busted back, busted everything, I punched him squared in the face. I kicked him in the face. I slammed him to the ground and he kept coming back. That, that’s fighting spirit. Now, I started off 4-0, right? 4-0, now the moments here. One more to go. I need to win this next match against you Shane.
Now, I may have said I didn’t know you in the press conference at the beginning of the show or the beginning of the tour in Sapporo, but I know who you are. Yeah, I know who you are and I’m definitely not looking past you because you are the last roadblock in my story of redemption. This G1, I need to go to the next round, I need to go to the elite eight. Why? Not for the family, not for the friends, not for The United Empire, for me, first and foremost. And then The United Empire comes along, because it will be an all United Empire Final. Now, Shane Haste, Slapjack, Mace, whatever your fucking name was up north, it doesn’t matter because when we wrestle, don’t come as those little weird people. Come as TMDK’s Shane Haste. Come as Shane Haste and I’ll come as Jeff Cobb.
Hirooki Goto: What happened, Jeff Cobb? I’m sure you thought it would be an easy win. In this game, there’s no such thing. This is what happens when you tie up with someone with a 20 year career. Twenty damn years. I’ll be damned if I give up now.
Tama Tonga: Great job, Eddie. Great job. You know, when I heard you were coming in to the G1, I was beyond happy. Because, Eddie, you are a guy I have a lot of respect for, because you paved your own road, you beat to your own drum and that requires a lot of courage, Eddie. I respect you for what you’ve done in this business. And, you know, I expected that fight to be a good one today and it was. What I didn’t expect was, you beating me because, Eddie, shit, I beat to my own drum, too. I paid my own personal voyage, my own trail and I know you know that. Right now, you’re the better man tonight, Eddie. Congratulations. But let me tell you something, Eddie, I want to do this again. I want to do this again with you. Shit, we could do this in your house next time. Come on, Eddie. Hey, Tony, come on, let’s do it in New York, huh, Eddie? Let’s do it in your hometown.
Eddie Kingston: That one felt real good, because of the respect level I have for T. This felt really good. If it was anybody else, I don’t know, well, winning is always feeling good. But because it was Tama, and the legacy his family holds, and the legacy he has done here in New Japan Pro Wrestling, it means a lot. But I can’t be too happy because I got you next, David. You said you’re going to take me to deep water. That’s fine, dog, take me to deep water. I’ve been there before.
Have you ever walked through fire with somebody like me? Have you ever walked through fire with a man that doubts himself? A man who doesn’t think he’s good enough for life? Have you ever done that? Have you ever gone down that road, into that fire, David? I don’t think you have. Well, I’ll tell you now, David. You’re going to learn a real hard lesson and I can’t wait to teach it to you, you little bitch. Tama, New Japan Pro Wrestling, wrestling fans all around the world, thank you very much.
Zack Sabre Jr: There’s nothing more I hate in this world than having to wrestle Naito. After that match, no funny business. Not today, you bastards, you’re not getting it. No, no, no. I’m not wasting energy, throwing furniture to the wall, screaming my head off about Tetsuya Naito. Not this time. I’m still getting through this fucking G1. Naito, I hate you.
Tetsuya Naito: Four wins, two losses makes for 8 points in the D Block. Our destination is inching closer, right? The real tournament kicks off in Chiba, August 10. I’m glad I could show off exactly what I can do here in my second home of Hiroshima. Couldn’t hit The Destino? Well my opponent was Zack Sabre Jr, not an easy opponent for me to beat. But I did it today, so I’m feeling confident. For me, I thought this would be the biggest challenge of the D Block. I’ve already passed the biggest obstacle. And now? There’s nothing but victory in my sights. So, it’s root, root, root for the home team. And when I win, I’ll come back here to my second home of Hiroshima. You’re damn right I will. I promise. See you guys at Edion Arena in Osaka. Adios.
David Finlay: I’m sure everyone wants me to sit here and talk about how tough Shingo was and give him his flowers and what have you. But all I have to say to Shingo is, fuck you. I don’t accept that loss. That was not a loss in my book, because I’m still in the lead of C Block. Eddie Kingston is next. The man that everybody on the planet wants to see. My ass. But I’m at my best when my back is against the wall. I’m at my best when the world is against me. Eddie, your fairy tale run in Japan ends when you meet me, you understand me? You may have beat the previous Bullet Club Leader, but I’m still the greatest Bullet Club Leader of all-time. And you, my friend, will never, ever beat me.
Shingo Takagi: This chair’s mine. That was close. Just escaped danger. David Finlay, I’ve been on the lookout for you. You’ve grown more than anyone on the roster this last year. It’s not just the gimmick. The skill, the strength, the whole nine. I still have a chance, right? I looked at the results earlier. EVIL and Tama-Chan had lost tonight. Am I still alive? Well, just because I won today, that doesn’t guarantee anything for me. Like I said in the ring, when I beat Ibushi here a couple years ago, there wasn’t any cheering. Same thing with KOPW last year. Title match against Taichi. Just clapping. Hearing the Hiroshima fans calling my name, that helped me a lot.
I was so anxious about today’s match, I stopped by the shrine and prayed for victory. I was looking for hope where I could get it. In the end, for us Japanese, it’s all about those Japanese guts. Perhaps you’re thinking I’m getting ahead of myself. Naito had the crowd behind him in the semi-main, too. I’ve also got my eyes on Sanada. More work to do. But first, EVIL on the 8th in Yokohama. Lots of emotion going into that one. I’ll just ride this wave. Today I promised the people of Hiroshima a big victory. I mentioned Naito, the Dome, Sanada, and his belt. I better come through or else I’d have to crawl into a hole if that happens. Sanada, when he won, I was happy for him, but seeing him in this G1, got me fired up. This kind of jealous ignites a wrestler. Don’t doubt it. He beat Naito in the cup, beat Tsuji and Hiromu, but he ain’t beaten me. Would our first confrontation be an all-out affair?
I can’t speak to that yet. Well, after winning today’s main event, I’ll say this. Okada got to call his shots before. If I win the G1, I don’t want any contract. If I win, I want to call my shot. A title match when I want it. Yeah, there’s the Tokyo Dome, but also big shows in October and November, right? I’m not a patient man. If I win, I want my title match as soon as possible. Yeah, I mentioned Naito because we’re in Hiroshima, but you’re not the only one with the Dome in mind. Of course, I’m coming for it, too. Since we’re backstage, I feel like I can say this. I want to beat Sanada for the title before the end of the year. I want that Tokyo Dome main event again. I’ve already done with Tanahashi and Okada. There’s another guy I’d like to experience that with, you know, who do you think? That’s right, Naito. If you get to the Tokyo Dome main event, Naito, you can stand across from me as champion. Well, I better back up this big talk. If I lose in Yokohama, this is all a pipe dream. But I won’t let that happen. With Shingo Takagi, it’s always now or never.
Checkout Episode 371 of The Hoots Podcast
Pro Wrestling Transcriptions 