Andrew’s G1 Climax 31 Day 16 Results & Match Ratings: 10.14.2021

The dreaded B Block is on match 8. Can EVIL finally be eliminated? Will he ruin Cobb’s undefeated run?

So we all know I can’t stand this block. The matches have been mediocre, most of the block has been irrelevant for what seems like half of the tournament already and EVIL is garbage. Like I brought up in Day 14, we saw a similar set up when it was Jay White, Tanahashi and Okada…but they were likable. Hell even the year before that we saw EVIL, Omega and Okada in a similar spot, but this was still underdog EVIL who bounced back from a concussion in the Kenny Omega match to beat Okada.

Do we finally get a story out of this? Is there a big upset? Is there something interesting?

God, I hope so.

Ratings:

• Taichi w/Miho Abe vs Chase Owens: Chase wins via Package Piledriver @12:05 – *** ¼
• SANADA vs Hirooki Goto: SANADA wins via Japanese Leg Clutch @15:32 – *** ¼
• YOSHI-HASHI vs Hiroshi Tanahashi: Tanahashi wins via High Fly Flow @14:13 – *** ½
• Jeff Cobb vs EVIL: Cobb wins via Tour of the Islands @16:45 – ***
• Kazuchika Okada vs Tama Tonga: Tama wins via DSD @24:25 – ****

Results:

Taichi w/Miho Abe vs Chase Owens

Interesting match where Chase tried to tempt Taichi into a Sumo style start with a lot of stalling and then Taichi tosses him to the outside. They fight on the outside and Taichi maintains control until Chase runs him into the guardrail. After that bump, Taichi’s ribs are on full attack.

Taichi did a great job fighting through the pain, finding openings for hope but he’s wearing a hat he’s not used to. At one point Chase starts asking Miho for a kiss, where she very audibly says “No”. Chase then attacks Taichi every time she rejects him, and you see it getting harder for Miho to say No. Taichi finally gets mad, no sells some offense and Chase starts groveling. But as I said, Taichi isn’t used to the white hat, so even though he lands solid kicks and an Axe Bomber, Chase manages to continue exposing the ribs.

Chase lays out Taichi, looks to the ropes, hits Alabama Jam, then a Package Piledriver for another win! The Bobby Eaton flair and mention from Chase is nice, a little too much of a face move, but I’m not TOO upset with it.

SANADA vs Hirooki Goto

I completely blame the pacing of this tournament for my indifference to this match. There were a lot of solid counters, interesting ways of adjusting one another’s offense…but it was such a typical match from the two.

Goto pulled off many signatures, Ushigoroshi, GTW, and even some Corner Hunger Neckbreaker. SANADA did his usual where he wrestled well enough, had a sloppy transition into the Skull End once or twice, missed a Moonsault here or there but did actually pull off the win with the Leg Clutch.

If you’ve seen one match with these guys, you’ve seen most of them…at least this year.

YOSHI-HASHI vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Some may look at this as a match where HASHI showed he could hang with Ace…but those people are delusional. Tanahashi has been on a downward slide for the last few years, and watching HASHI get believable hope spots and near falls really makes you realize that Tanahashi’s time around the main event is coming to a quick end.

HASHI also getting the better of transitional Dragon Suplexes, a nasty neckbreaker when Tanahashi blocks Karma and just generally really good moments, is concerning. Concerning because HASHI hasn’t gotten better, he’s been the same dweeb for the last 6 years, but the bar has lowered so much during Covid its finally at a point where HASHI looks competent.

At least Tanahashi managed to win, which I suppose is supposed to prove he’s not completely washed just yet, but he is.

Jeff Cobb vs EVIL

So early on we get a lot of Cobb trying to put something together and Togo distracts Cobb to give EVIL an opening. Cobb’s power was on heavy display at the right times through the cheating. Togo and EVIL did the “chain wrestling” but Cobb powered through it and flipped both men. Then Cobb babyfaced himself to all of Japan. Early on EVIL tormented poor Abe the time keeper, but Cobb decided he’d flip the script. So he beats on EVIL, Abe moves, he puts EVIL in the chair with the bell hammer and walks over to Dick Togo, manhandles him and then drives him into the guardrail sending EVIL flying. The crowd is very receptive to Cobb beating the hell out of EVIL.

EVIL takes advantage of an exposed buckle and manages to drive Cobb into it, Cobb tried the corner stampede, but Togo jumped up. Cobb tried to ram EVIL into Togo, but got the referee instead. So double team stuff goes on for about a minute. Magic Killer on Cobb, Togo rolls in Asami, and only a near fall. Darkness (near) Falls is next up before EVIL tries to use the exposed buckle again, but Cobb absorbs it and charges through EVIL.

Cobb catches EVIL with a Spin Cycle, but EVIL grabs the referee. More double team stuff but Cobb fights through most of the cheating. EVIL tries to use a chair, Cobb ducks, short arm Tour of the Islands, and Cobb has ended EVIL’s hopes of winning the G1!

Kazuchika Okada vs Tama Tonga

Early on this looked like Okada didn’t totally take the match seriously. But as Okada was playing too much, Tama interrupts Okada’s fake out clean break spot, does a few Leap Frogs and then pulls off the Haku style Chop. Tama starts to take over, they go to the outside, Okada jumps the guardrail after getting Irish Whipped, but Tama Stuns him over the rail. Tama bodies Okada for a while until Okada can stall the offense with the Flapjack.

Okada starts to apply his corner offense and Tama doesn’t have a direct answer as Okada stays a step ahead. Tama stays on the receiving end for a while, even after they go back outside. Once back in the ring, Okada applies the Money Clip and tries to see where this takes him. After two breaks, Okada slams him and goes for the Macho Elbow followed by the classic Rainmaker pose and zoom out.

Things look to be over, goes for the Rolling Rainmaker, but Tama stops him and hits Veleno, and a Tongan Twist. Okada hits a desperation Rolling Rainmaker, but Tama fights off the pickup with a Pele Kick. Okada goes for the Fire/Thunder Driver, but Tama reverses into a Death Valley Driver, then Supreme Flow, but only a two! Back and forth fights and counters, Tama gets Gun Stun blocked at least four times, but he fights through on the last one and pulls off the delayed Gun Stun.

Okada barely gets his arm up by 2.9, then Tama hits DSD and that’s all she wrote! Okada got his first loss!

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Alrighty, so this was finally a tolerable pay off day. It started off slow but Taichi is a soft spot for me, so I tend to always care about his matches. From the New Japan perspective, this was probably a solid night for YOSHI-HASHI’s credibility. EVIL is officially eliminated so everyone loved that. Tama beating Okada is a big feather in his cap, coupled with the fact that he’s been wrestling like a Babyface, so a shift in the Bullet Club seems inevitable. Plus Okada finally losing puts all the pressure on him for the last night.

In a perfect way to ruin the fact that Cobb became Mayor of Japan after eliminating the one we all hate, would be if Ospreay returned to Japan PURELY to get involved and screw Okada. Cobb has done it himself, been an upstanding wrestler, but one big heel thing after what he accomplished today would be a good way to build tension.

Let’s get to the standings!

B Block:

1. Jeff Cobb / 8-0 / 16 Points
2. Kazuchika Okada / 7-1 / 14 Points
3. EVIL / 6-2 / 12 Points – Eliminated
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi / 4-4/ 8 Points – Eliminated
5. SANADA / 4-4 / 8 Points – Eliminated
6. Tama Tonga / 3-5/ 6 Points – Eliminated
7. Taichi / 2-6 / 4 Points – Eliminated
8. Hirooki Goto / 2-6/ 4 Points – Eliminated
9. YOSHI-HASHI / 2-6/ 4 Points – Eliminated
10. Chase Owens / 2-6/ 4 Points – Eliminated