wrestling / TV Reports
Sambus’ NJPW G1 Climax 36 Night Ten Review 08.01.26
Image Credit: NJPW
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Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Venue: Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
Commentary: Walker Stewart & OSKAR
[A Block] Boltin Oleg [6] vs SANADA [4]
SANADA with a shining wizard from the off, misses a rounding body press, goes for a headscissor but Oleg puts the brakes on and gutwrenches him down to the mat. Another shining wizard, SANADA hits the rounding body press this time. Another attempt and SANADA looks for the Skull End but Oleg catches him, Boltin Shake, and now the repeated powerbombs. Kamikaze! 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Boltin Oleg
Time: 1:28
Rating: N/R – Pleasant surprise to see this one over and done with so quickly. SANADA’s booking is odd, as it looked like we were in the midst of a redemption arc for him as he started to put on better performances and get some wins under his belt…only to lose here in under 90 seconds.
[A Block] Jake Lee [4] Yuto-Ice [4]
Walker Stewart had been on his own for commentary, but OSKAR now joins him for this one, and Jake Lee comes out of the crowd to attack Yuto-Ice while he makes his entrance. They spill out into the crowd. Entering the ring, the bell rings, but they immediately head back outside. Lee grabs a pair of handcuffs but the referee tries to grab them off him. The ref takes them, but Lee has another pair in his pockets. He slaps one on Yuto-Ice, Yuto-Ice shoves Lee and the ref goes down. Big right hand from Yuto-Ice, PK, and now he has the other end of the handcuffs, trying to get the key out which is taped to the cuffs, but he can’t get it. This is like watching Mark Henry trying to get the cage door chain off in 2006. Yuto-Ice eventually relents, delivers a few strikes to Lee, then gets someone at ringside to do it, but he struggles to. The young lion finally get the cuffs open…and Yuto-Ice handcuffs himself to Lee now. They use their free arms to trade forearms, Yuto-Ice getting the better of it, adding in some kicks to the spine once Lee is grounded.
Lee back to his feet, and he starts cackling as Yuto-Ice continues to strike him. Low blow from Lee as somehow the ref is still down. Lee takes out the key and unlocks his handcuff, then handcuffs both of Yuto-Ice’s hands together. Lee grabs a bottle of water, spits in the face of Yuto-Ice, then delivers a series of forearms. Yuto-Ice manages to drive the handcuffs into the face of Lee, ref is up but gets shoved back down, and Lee gives Yuto-Ice another low blow. Face Break Shot is avoided, Lee slaps the chest of Yuto-Ice though and then bites the chest/shoulder? Seems to be the chest which is still heavily bruised from the insane punishment Yuto-Ice took from Tsuji. Ref gets squashed once more, low blow from Yuto-Ice, and he hits the Cruella. Ref is back up, 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Yuto-Ice
Time: 10:38
Rating: * – Oh dear. Yuto-Ice learned a hard lesson there about relying on props – you HAVE to have a backup plan when things don’t go according to plan, and you have to be willing to abandon spots. That was painful watching him struggling to get the key out, and the disappointment is double for Yuto-Ice coming off that MOTYC with Tsuji on Wednesday. This was just a poorly planned match, and all the ref bumps and chicanery were a chore to get through.
[A Block] Great-O-Khan [4] vs Shingo Takagi [4]
O-Khan meets Shingo in the aisle to attack, whipping him into the guard rail. Chairshot to the ribs and back, Shingo gets shoved into the railing by the announcer’s table, cleanly knocking the ring announcer over. O-Khan opens up a chair and sits on it on the back of Shingo’s neck. They spill out into the crowd, heading to the edge of the venue, and O-Khan smashes Shingo into the wall. They head out into the hallway, and into the men’s bathroom. O-Khan forces Shingo’s head into the urinal, then into the toilet! They head back out towards the ring now, O-Khan rolls him into the ring and the bell sounds, going for an instant cover but the referee won’t count as Shingo hasn’t got to his feet yet. O-Khan waits, pump kick, cover, 2 count.
Shingo looks for a lariat, O-Khan trips him and falls about the place laughing, so Shingo charges back in for a corner lariat. Flurry of jabs, ref breaks it up, lariat in the opposite corner and a suplex takes O-Khan down for a 2 count. O-Khan with Mongolian chops…and Takagi meets him with his own. Senton connects, Shingo ducks a lariat from behind and delivers another suplex. Sliding bomber is avoided as O-Khan rolls to the outside. Back in, Shingo steps to the apron and O-Khan kicks the middle rope, and they battle around ringside once more, O-Khan delivering a snap suplex. He pulls out a couple of chairs to set up the golf swing chairshot, the ref grabs the chair though. Shingo is poised, tosses a chair right in the face of O-Khan. O-Khan pops back up, Tenzan Tombstone Driver on the floor!!
They both make it back to the ring, and O-Khan has pulled off the turnbuckle padding, whipping Shingo into it back-first. That gets a 2 count. Strikes from both men once they get to their feet, and a big lariat from Shingo knocks O-Khan to the canvas. Last of the Dragon attempt is blocked, he looks for a German but O-Khan holds onto the ref. Low blow attempt, Shingo dodges it. Pumping Bomber is ducked, Shingo shoved back into the exposed turnbuckle. O-Khan receives a drop toe hold into them. Pumping bomber! Burning Dragon! 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Shingo Takagi
Time: 9:59
Rating: **3/4 – O-Khan is another guy who has been very samey this G1, rarely bringing anything unique to his match-ups. We did get the spots in the toilet I guess? We know what we’re getting with Shingo, and while they had some nice strike exchanges and a couple of fun spots, this didn’t really keep us all guessing.
[A Block] Ryohei Oiwa [6] vs Yota Tsuji [6]
Side headlock takeover from Oiwa as he grounds the champion early. Tsuji lifts Oiwa up for a pendulum backbreaker to break it. Shot to the gut, Tsuji follows up with a double knee gutbuster as he clearly has a game plan in mind. Half Nelson backbreaker now! Body scissors applied, but Oiwa focuses on the taped-up arm of Tsuji, wrenching the shoulder. Tijeras from Tsuji is countered right back into a side headlock, nicely done.
Senton connects, Oiwa covers for a 2 count. Tsuji gets back into it with a back drop suplex. Flatliner with a leg sweep, and a huge German suplex has Oiwa reeling. Rising knee in the corner, Tsuji sits Oiwa on the top rope, climbs but Oiwa grabs the arm. Side headlock up on the ropes now! Tsuji counters and delivers a top rope hurracanrana for 2. Boston Crab locked in… Oiwa claws to the ropes but Tsuji drags him back to the center. The right arm of Tsuji gives out but he transitions to a single leg crab to keep some form of pressure. Now almost a cloverleaf, tucking both legs under his good arm. Tsuji rears back on that for added pressure…and Oiwa finally makes it to the rope.
To their feet, Tsuji is about to strike with his injured arm but thinks better of it, swapping to the southpaw stance. Oiwa wrings the bad arm, Tsuji struggles with forearms to break it. Big slap from Tsuji with the bad arm, seems to hurt him more. Twisting arm wrench, and now Oiwa looks for the Ark Clutch, but Tsuji escapes. Side headlock applied once more, transitions into a DDT. 1, 2, no. Gutwrench attempt, Tsuji tries to elbow out of it, Doctor Bomb attempt but Tsuji with a tijeras. Tsuji goes for possibly a Gene Blaster, caught! Oiwa with the Doctor Bomb! Waist lock from Oiwa, Tsuji grabs the ropes, loses the grip, German with a bridge, 1, 2, NO. He still has the waistlock, another German, 1, 2, NO! Oiwa holds on, another German attempt, countered, but Oiwa manages to hit the Chaos Theory, 1, 2, NO!
Roaring lariat is countered, cradle from Tsuji for 2, and with the kickout Oiwa re-applies the side headlock. Damn, Tsuji counters by tossing Oiwa backwards over the top rope to the outside! Tope suicida to follow, and Tsuji goes up top as Oiwa gets back in the ring, double stomp! 1, 2, NOOO. Pumphandle is denied, Oiwa delivers a Tenzan suplex instead for 2. Sleeper locked in, Tsuji may be fading, up this his feet though, Oiwa with a roaring lariat attempt but a short-range Gene Blaster connects!! Silver Linings! 1, 2, NOOOO. Tsuji takes a run up, tries the Fire Blaster but Oiwa holds on with the side headlock. Roaring lariat countered into a pin attempt for 2. Side headlock! Back suplex from Tsuji, but NOPE Oiwa keeps the headlock locked in. He has it in tight, Tsuji drops to the mat. Back up to a knee, drives Oiwa into the corner to break it. Modified FIRE BLASTER to break the hold!! And he hits the Fire Blaster one more time for the 1, 2, 3!!
Winner: Yota Tsuji
Time: 19:37
Rating: ****1/2 – Tremendous work from both guys, and I must remember to give props to Tsuji here – I feel like I keep highlighting his opponents in all these bangers he’s been having this G1, but Tsuji is the key ingredient there. Still, Oiwa looked like an absolute star player here, and I really like how dangerous he has made the side headlock feel. That was such a war, and it genuinely looked like he might beat the IWGP champion with a side headlock as a legit finish. Smart counter wrestling, great selling and limbwork that told an engaging story; this was a treat for everyone.
[A Block] Hirooki Goto [4] vs Konosuke Takeshita [8]
Takeshita with the leaping forearm, snapmare, and the slingshot senton from the apron gives him an early lead. Takeshita runs in but Goto uses his momentum to toss him to the top rope, slamming him back down with a reverse Tower of London. Goto with a series of forearms in the corner, spinning wheel kick and a side suplex for a 2 count. Headbutt from Takeshita and an exploder levels the playing field.
Goto spills to the floor, Takeshita follows with a tope con hilo. Back in the ring, they trade lariats from one corner to the other, and Takeshita meets him in the middle with an Akiyama knee. Ushi-goroshi from Goto counters a Powerdrive Knee attempt. They trade forearm shots, big boot and a Blue Thunder Bomb from Takeshita gets 2. Another ushi-goroshi attempt but Takeshita lands on his feet, comes back with a Busaiku knee. Reverse GTR though, Takeshita with a lariat! 1, 2, NO. Takeshita heads up to the top rope with Goto, trading strikes…Goto with the KAITEN sunset bomb!! Huge headbutt and a chop to the back of the neck, but Takeshita with a HADOUKEN!! Haha hello Street Fighter plug. Both men hit huge right hands to knock each other silly.
Powerdrive Knee, 1, 2, NOOO. Takeshita tries for the Raging Fire, Goto holds on though and hits the Shoten Kai!! Both men down. Kick to the chest from Goto, followed by the GTW! 1, 2, NOOOO! Takeshita may be thinking backslide here, Goto reverses for the GTR, Takeshita reverses that, Takeshita with a GTR!!! 1, 2, NOOO! Takeshita drops the knee pad now. But Goto meets him with a lariat that turns him inside out. Both men collide heads with headbutt attempts, Takeshita powers through it though. RAGING FIRE! 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Konosuke Takeshita
Time: 18:04
Rating: **** – Once again we get proof that the G in G1 stands for Goto; he somehow always manages to defy the years and turn his performances up a notch. They traded bombs as you’d expect, and I enjoyed the cheeky little nod to Goto’s upcoming Street Fighter appearance with Takeshita unleashing a hadouken. They didn’t go overboard with the kickouts so I’d say this peaked at just the right time. Takeshita is now the first man in this year’s tournament to hit 10 points, but he can’t coast just yet as Oleg and Tsuji are right there behind him.
[A Block]
Konosuke Takeshita – 5-1-0 [10 points]
Boltin Oleg – 4-2-0 [8 points]
Yota Tsuji – 4-2-0 [8 points]
Ryohei Oiwa – 3-3-0 [6 points]
Yuto-Ice – 3-3-0 [6 points]
Shingo Takagi – 3-3-0 [6 points]
Hirooki Goto – 2-4-0 [4 points]
Jake Lee – 2-4-0 [4 points]
Great-O-Khan – 2-4-0 [4 points]
SANADA – 2-4-0 [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]
