Sambus’ NJPW G1 Climax 36 Night Nine Review 07.31.26

Location: Kagawa, Japan

Venue: Takamatsu City General Gymnasium

Commentary: Walker Stewart (flying solo)

 

 

[B Block] Drilla Moloney [8] vs OSKAR [6]

Drilla with a Gore right out the gate! He takes OSKAR to the floor with a dropkick, comes back inside for the Go To Hellbow for 2, as Moloney tries to get this one done quickly. Drilla is placed on the apron, low bridges the ropes and dives on OSKAR, only to be caught and tossed into the railings. A big boot follows up as OSKAR takes control. Back suplex gives OSKAR a 2 count, and he applies a camel clutch. Moloney muscles OSKAR up but the lower spine gives out on him. Dropkick from Drilla, catches a boot, lifts OSKAR up for a powerbomb but can’t follow up with a cover. Back body drop from OSKAR and an elbow drop, 1, 2, no. Body slam, cover, 2 count for OSKAR. OSKAR gets him on his shoulders, Drilla escapes, counters the Berlin Fall, superkick! And a leaping superkick, 1, 2, no. Another Gore from Moloney, and he is feeling it now but the pain is getting to him. Drilla tries a powerbomb, OSKAR counters, Drilla rolls through though. Moloney floats over, Drilla Killer is countered, and OSKAR drives him into the corner. Rollup from Drilla gets 2. They counter each other, trying for tombstone/powerslams, and OSKAR slips behind for the Nightmare Sleeper. Drilla rolls through for 2. Misses a gore, and OSKAR with the KO! Nightmare sleeper…Drilla is out!

Winner: OSKAR

Time: 10:43

Rating: **3/4 – It’s another outing for both men that is neither offensive nor memorable, but the counter sequences towards the end were enjoyable enough.

 

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[B Block] Zack Sabre Jr [2] vs Ren Narita [4]

Sabre Jr with wrist control, Narita tries to counter but Zack is having none of it. Dick Togo to the apron, Narita tries to use the distraction but ZSJ rolls Narita up for 2. Pinning combinations, both men get out at 2. Togo sweeps the legs of Sabre Jr, Narita pins for 2. They trade boots, then sleepers, Togo on the apron to throw powder but ZSJ boots him off. Triangle hanging submission over the top rope on Narita. Kanemaru is here to shove ZSJ. Back in the ring, Zack goes for a cross-armbreaker, Narita holds on firm though in a pinning combination, 1, 2, 3!

Winner: Ren Narita

Time: 2:47

Rating: N/R – Too short to be accurately rated, and it really is insane that within 3 minutes we had interference from two separate individuals, but hey, House of Torture gonna House of Torture. Interesting aspect coming out of this will be Sabre Jr’s quest to get back into contention, which looks a little fragile right now.

 

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[B Block] Callum Newman [6] vs Gabe Kidd [8]

Newman meets Kidd out on the floor before the match gets underway and they head out into the crowd. Kick to the chest from Newman, with Kidd seated on a chair. Newman takes the big run up, leaps for the dropkick but Kidd evades it and Newman goes crashing into the chairs. Kidd shoves the ref away and tosses a chair into the face of Newman. Armbar out on the floor as Kidd looks to do damage before the bell. Kidd tosses Newman into the ring, and Kidd dropkicks Zane Jay at ringside, climbing into the ring to sound the bell. Newman knocks him back out, dives to the outside, caught by Kidd, and Gabe delivers a straight brainbuster onto the floor.

Lariat from Kidd as Newman gets back in the ring, and he gets a 2 count. Newman is whipped hard into the corner and spills to the outside once more. Back in, Kidd capitalizes with strikes and a thumb to the eye. Chops and headbutts now, light enziguri from Newman, he gets up a head of speed, looks for Make Way but it’s denied. Kiss the Crown connects! Another enzi from Newman, ripcord lariat by Kidd denied, Newman with a Prince’s Curse for 2. Newman gives Kidd an open opportunity, putting his hands behind his back for a big strike. Huge elbows traded now, that was a sick thud. Roundhouse kick from Newman levels Kidd, but Kidd is back up. Excalibur is evaded, lariat knocks Newman down. Rebound lariat, 1, 2, Newman kicks out. Alleyoop powerbomb with some nice snap, and a piledriver from Kidd, 1, 2, NO. Another huge elbow strike from Kidd, Oscutter attempt denied, Death Rider denied, and Kidd finally gets another piledriver, 1, 2, NO. Newman with the rear naked choke, Kidd reverses into a pin for 2. Snap German, Newman back up but right into another German! Newman up again for the Excalibur and a Prince’s Curse, 1, 2, no! Both men are flat out on the canvas.

Newman lifts Kidd to his feet, Kiss the Crown is avoided, lariats from Kidd, slaps now, roundhouse from Newman. Knee strike by Kidd catches Newman off guard, can’t get a piledriver though. Pinning combos traded, O-Knee delivered by Kidd. Newman tosses the ref towards Kidd as he goes for another O-Knee, low blow behind the ref’s back by Newman and a tight cover gets the 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Callum Newman

Time: 12:17

Rating: ***1/2 – Great strike exchanges and a LOT less of Kidd’s usual anti-NJPW shtick, which was surprisingly (and thankfully) absent here. That allowed the match to breathe, getting the crowd fighting out of the way before the bell so they could focus on hard-hitting and stiff strikes. Some of the delayed selling didn’t come across all that well as Newman was shrugging off those piledrivers and they blew through each other’s offense without much pause, so that held it back somewhat.

 

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[B Block] Yuya Uemura [4] vs Aaron Wolf [4]

Both men jockey to get arm control, and it’s Wolf who gets a hammerlock applied early. Arm drag attempt from Uemura, Wolf holds on and delivers a judo throw and an STO instead. Another judo arm throw, but Uemura comes back and wrenches the arm of Wolf. Over the top rope, Uemura holds onto the arm and steps back inside the ring to create pressure. Chops in the corner, another arm drag attempt is denied and Wolf delivers an overhead uranage as a counter. Snap suplex, elbow drop, Wolf covers for 2.

Arm flatliner from Uemura, and he kicks the arm before delivering an arm DDT, keeping his sights solely focused on that arm of Wolf. Chop to the chest in the corner, single hook suplex from Uemura, 1, 2, kickout but Uemura keeps hold of the arm for the submission attempt. Wolf rolls through, Uemura right there with him, but Wolf finally shakes him off. Judo takedown! Anaconda vice from Wolf, Uemura fights it, Wolf transitions and locks it in tight. Uemura edges his way to the ropes and makes it, forcing Wolf to break. Wolf wakes himself up, lifts Uemura up but Yuya counters with a DDT! Both men to their feet, trading forearms. Lariat from Wolf but Uemura doesn’t go down…doesn’t go down on the second attempt! Dropkick by Uemura, Wolf is back with one more lariat and that takes Yuya down. Landslide! 1, 2, no. Wolf keeps up the pressure with the triangle submission. Yuya almost makes it to the ropes but Wolf drags him back into the center. Lariat in the corner now, Angle Slam is avoided, dropkick catches Wolf. Uemura up top, misses the crossbody, scoop slam from Wolf, 1, 2, no. Angle Slam avoided once more, enziguri from Uemura! Deadbolt suplex attempt but Wolf battles it….no, Uemura gets the Deadbolt release! Up top, Lion Shiner! 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Yuya Uemura

Time: 19:19

Rating: ***1/4 – Perfectly fine, but not as a main event. It’s a decent match where Wolf played the underdog, combating Uemura’s attempts at softening up the arm, with mixed results (like Wolf locking in a perfect Anaconda Vice without any ill effect despite all the attention on the arm). Uemura makes it to 6 points, which still gives him a chance at winning the block if he has a successful run over the next few nights.

 

[A Block]

Konosuke Takeshita – 4-1-0 [8 points]

Boltin Oleg – 3-2-0 [6 points]

Yota Tsuji – 3-2-0 [6 points]

Ryohei Oiwa – 3-2-0 [6 points]

Hirooki Goto – 2-3-0 [4 points]

Jake Lee – 2-3-0 [4 points]

Yuto-Ice  – 2-3-0 [4 points]

Great-O-Khan – 2-3-0 [4 points]

SANADA – 2-3-0 [4 points]

Shingo Takagi – 2-3-0 [4 points]

 

[B Block]

HENARE – 4-1-0 [8 points]

Drilla Moloney – 4-2-0 [8 points]

Gabe Kidd – 4-2-0 [8 points]

Callum Newman – 4-2-0 [8 points]

OSKAR – 4-2-0 [8 points]

Ren Narita – 3-2-0 [6 points]

Yuya Uemura – 3-2-0 [6 points]

Aaron Wolf – 2-3-0 [4 points]

Zack Sabre Jr – 1-4-0 [2 points]

Shota Umino – 0-1-0 [0 points]

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

B Block continues to be the significantly weaker offering. There’s nothing outright bad here (ZSJ/Narita was kinda lame but done and dusted within 3 minutes so I definitely can’t complain) – the issue is that it was once again simply underwhelming. Check out Newman/Kidd, but Night 9 was largely skippable.