Last day for B Block! Jeff Cobb is on an undefeated run, but it comes down to him versus Okada for access to the Finals! Who will face Kota Ibushi?

Well B Block has been a little more interesting this year, but let’s be honest, this has not been a G1 to write home about. With the understanding that even Japanese fans are cooling on their tolerance of Kota Ibushi, it’s hard to think Cobb is winning this block. Kazuchika Okada is polarizing for different reasons, but also on his Rainmaker Redemption tour.

So even though I picked Cobb at the beginning of the tournament, I can’t see Cobb vs Ibushi making any sense. Let’s get to the show and see if I’m surprised or correct.

Ratings:

• YOSHI-HASHI vs Chase Owens: HASHI wins via Karma @8:27 – ** ¼
• Tama Tonga vs Hirooki Goto: Goto wins via Goto Shiki @15:19 – *** ¼
• Taichi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi: Taichi wins via Gedo Clutch @14:58 – *** ½
• SANADA vs EVIL: EVIL wins via Everything is Evil @17:47 – *
• Kazuchika Okada vs Jeff Cobb: Okada wins via Rainmaker @23:35 – **** ½

Results:

They try to make this night seem big by bringing JAM Project out to perform the Max the Max song live before the first match. Kinda cool, and JAM Project are well known to fans of older anime (DBZ, Slayers, Mazinger, and Revolutionary Girl Utena, to name a few) or video games.

Maybe this will be continue the vibe from the last few shows by feeling like a day belongs in the history of the G1 Climax.  

YOSHI-HASHI vs Chase Owens

I love that when they scan to the crowd as HASHI is coming in, there’s one girl scrolling on her phone. That girl feels the same as me.

Chase went on the offensive quickly, but eventually gets caught going for the Slingshot Spear. This leads to HASHI’s stupid Draping Dropkick, and then he’s generally unimpressive offense. We know the rest of this story, HASHI shakes out of the Package Piledriver, hits Karma and picks up his third win. So Chase is the basement of the block at the moment!

Tama Tonga vs Hirooki Goto

Goto rocks Tama early and Tama tries to fire. It takes a little time but the Double Leapfrogs into the Haku Chop gives him some life. After a brief moment in control, Goto powers through and just imposes his will on Tama. Goto does his Kicks to the kneeling opponent spot as you hear Jado trying to motivate Tama.

Tama eventually fires again, gets one over on Goto, pulls him to the outside, but Goto turns it around. This whole match is just Tama getting a small opening but Goto fighting through. It’s not until Goto goes to the top rope that Tama gets chances to take back over. Eventually he pulls Goto down and hit a Tongan Twist for a small reprieve.

We see a great exchange between both where each goes for different misdirections, two different Gun Stun attempts from Tama, but he doesn’t hit it. A Pele Kick leads to a Bloody Sunday, and Tama gets a near fall. Tama starts hunting for the Gun Stun, but Goto blocks it and utilizes the Goto-Shiki for the cradle win!

Taichi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

They go for the lockup, but Taichi immediately hits the Dangerous Backdrop for a near fall. The pants come off mere seconds into the match. He tries Black Mephisto, but his ribs won’t allow him to get Tanahashi all the way over. Axe Bomber and Taichi tries again, but still can’t execute Black Mephisto. So Tanahashi starts working on Taichi’s ribs.

Tanahashi stomps, and strikes the ribs, even applying the Muta Lock to bend Taichi at the ribcage. Tanahashi has Taich in the Cloverleaf and you can hear Miho screaming for him to grab the rope. Tanahashi gets Taichi in the Tree of Woe, and is generally relentless. The pain Taichi is in, is palpable beyond just Miho and the doctor’s concern, but Taichi selling and screaming in the ring.

The crowd is supporting the Holy Emperor, Tanahashi is trying to put him away and get his 10^th point. Taichi has a few flashes, hits the Sumo Tackle, almost pulls off Black Mephisto again but still can’t do it. Tanahashi goes for High Fly Flow, Taichi moves, Gedo Clutch….and TAICHI WINS!

Tanahashi went from 2011-2019 scoring double digits (and when he only got 9 in 2010, it was because it was a 16 man field and he still won his block), to ending on 8 two years in a row. I know I said it a few times over this G1, but we need to be approaching the twilight of the “Ace Age”. His matches are significantly slower and very very similar. We’ll probably have to deal with a few more years because quarantine messed up storytelling, but it’s bad when Kojima looks to have more gas than Tanahashi.

SANADA vs EVIL

Oh it’s an EVIL match… *walks away to make a sandwich*, hey look I missed a few minutes but it’s the same old cheating and guardrail usage stuff. I guess they really wanted to give fans the opportunity to spend more time at the concessions.

Double Paradise Lock of course, SANADA tries the Plancha, the whole miss into the next spot is sloppy and it’s into the poor timekeeper as per usual. I’m waiting for the time EVIL tries that and Abe pulls out a gun or something.

OH-speaking of guns and more fun things to talk about. Squid Game is not a bad miniseries. I’d say it’s a little overhyped, but still a relatively solid watch. Why did it come to mind? Well the gun comment and the idea of EVIL playing these childish games all the time. Plus I’d rather write about that than anything involving 2021 EVIL.

As soon as I look at the match, there’s a stupid Dick Togo spot where he hands SANADA a chair and tries to point it out to the referee. SANADA drops the chair and decides to Dropkick Togo, but it barely connects and took too damn long. This match is booked like an AEW match, stupid spots that don’t transition well or sound better in theory than execution. This is actually terrible.

Stupid match, stupid finish, insert Randy Orton saying “Stupid, Stupid, Stupid”. EVIL throws a chair, hits an Everything is-you know how this goes. Ugh.

Kazuchika Okada vs Jeff Cobb

Cobb charges, Okada dodges and they fight around a little as Okada turns things into his Three Quarters Neck Breaker, and Cobb is dinged up by it. He comes up favoring his left side, shaking his head, and seems really off. Okada being the meticulous Rainmaker he is, takes time to assess the situation instead of charging in.

When Cobb starts getting some offense in, there’s a noticeable tick or beat that Cobb needs between spots. But you can see as Cobb puts moves together, he starts favoring his injuries less and less. Okada starts to get thrown around, back to back Belly to Belly Suplexes. Cobb’s first misstep was going for the Gachimuchi Standing Moonsault, and he misses. Okada takes advantage of the miss, goes for the Money Clip, but Cobb moves to the corner. Okada perches him, hits the Corner Dropkick and then goes for a Plancha. Cobb catches the Rainmaker, tries to Brainbuster him on the outside, Okada slips out, tries to hit the DDT, but gets dropped over Cobb’s back as both guys lay out for a while.

Cobb charges and misses, but catches himself on the apron. Okada hits the Shotgun Dropkick, sends Cobb off the apron and Okada pulls off a Tope con Hilo. Okada sends Cobb back in, perches and unleashes the Stalling Missile Dropkick that he makes look so nice but we haven’t seen much of lately. Macho Man Elbow, Rainmaker pose with the Zoom Out. Rainmaker attempt turned into Spin Cycle from Cobb!

That gets followed up by the Stampede and Gachimuchi from Cobb for a near fall. Snap German from Cobb, into a Tour of the Islands attempt, Okada gets out, gets Cobb up for the Tombstone but Cobb holds, reverses and pulls off his own Tombstone. He also holds it, stands back up, and does the Jumping Tombstone for a big round of applause.

Aloha-Maker attempt from Cobb, but Okada counters it and lays out Cobb. Money Clip, into the Jumping Tombstone, back into the Money Clip from Okada. Cobb keeps fighting, the crowd is trying to will Cobb out of it, and Cobb stands up. A series of counters, backslides, and it ends with a big Headbutt from Cobb. Tour, no, Rainmaker, no, Double Legged Cradle…and Cobb kicks out.

Cobb Powerbomb perches Okada in the corner, a big Corner Dropkick of his own and Okada falls over but his leg is caught in the ropes! Okada pulls himself back up barely, they fight on the top, Cobb looks for an Avalanche Tour of the Islands, and Okada turns it into an Avalanche DDT. Cobb counters the Rainmaker, tries a Tour, Okada rolls back and catches a charging Cobb with the Dropkick. Cobb fires, but gets caught in the Landslide which then gets turned in the Rainmaker and OKADA WINS!

Overall Score: 7/10

Well as much negativity as I have over Tanahashi’s matches, him and Taichi put on a compelling match. So it saved this show from being a one match event. That main event though, is easily on par with anything anyone already thought was the best match of this year’s G1. Cobb did great, Okada looks like the old Rainmaker and it’s really the only thing that makes sense with Ibushi winning A Block.

Now because Wrestle Kingdom is 3 days, you never really know what could happen. But out of Kota Ibushi vs Kazuchika Okada, I’m saying Okada makes more sense winning. Ibushi has proven he’s not the man, and assuming Shingo doesn’t drop the title between now and Wrestle Kingdom; Shingo vs Okada is a big money match. Especially a Returning Rainmaker.

So let’s check out the final standings for B Block and look forward to what NJPW does leading to Wrestle Kingdom.

B Block:

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