wrestling / TV Reports
Sambus’ NJPW G1 Climax Night 11 Review 08.02.26
Image Credit: NJPW
Loading...Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Venue: Fukuoka International Center
Commentary: Walker Stewart (flying solo)
[B Block] Aaron Wolf [4] vs Drilla Moloney [8]
Feeling out process as we get underway, devolving into a chop battle. Elbow drop from Wolf, covers for a 2 count. Wolf comes out of the corner but walks right into a spinebuster. Snapmare and a kick to the spine keeps Moloney in control. Side headlock applied but Wolf gets a foot on the ropes. Wolf muscles up Moloney but Drilla slips down behind, dives off the middle rope but is caught and Wolf sends him down with a release belly to belly suplex.
Strikes exchanged once they get to their feet, and Drilla drops to a knee, only to come back with a big chop. Drilla catches Wolf with a dropkick, sending him to the outside, and he follows up with a wrecking ball dropkick. Moloney with a piledriver on Wolf on the outside!! He throws him back in the ring, goes up top, Go To Hellbow, 1, 2, NO. Angle Slam is reversed, goooore from Drilla, 1, 2, NO. Knee trembler, Drilla looks for Drilla Killa but Wolf with a few judo tosses to gain the advantage. He maintains wrist control…pulls him onto his shoulders, LANDSLIDE! 1, 2, NO! Triangle submission, Moloney tries to fight it. Moloney tries to powerbomb him, can’t get him up, covers instead for 2. Pop-up spinebuster from Moloney! Drilla charges in, gets scoop slammed by Wolf for another 2 count. Rollup from Drilla, 1, 2, no. Rolling lariat from Wolf, ANGLE SLAM! 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Aaron Wolf
Time: 13:13
Rating: ***1/4 – A fine contest that built to a pretty heated closing stretch, with the crowd biting nicely.
[B Block] Zack Sabre Jr [2] vs OSKAR [8]
This is a must-win situation for ZSJ. Zack has a tight headscissors locked in, OSKAR escapes by flipping to his feet. Tilt-a-whirl into an octopus stretch from ZSJ, OSKAR misses an elbow drop, and Zack stomps that outstretched arm. ZSJ continues to focus on the right arm, shoulder tackle takes him down though. Hard whip into the corner, Sabre Jr comes back with an uppercut, OSKAR delivers a chop. They trade these strikes before OSKAR locks in a camel clutch. Zack makes it to the ropes, and OSKAR nips out to the outside to deliver some elbows to the back of the neck. Leg drop on the apron, but ZSJ dodges, and delivers a PK. Kicks to the back of the leg now, knee drop to the inside of the leg, and he ties him up with a reverse Figure Four. OSKAR again sends him hard into the buckles to create space. Sabre Jr with a dropkick to the leg, target set. Surfboard stomps to the knees and now OSKAR can barely stand. Back suplex from OSKAR, and he goes for the camel clutch again but ZSJ slips through the legs and counters with an ankle lock. Zack sweeps the leg, PK, but OSKAR is back up. He lifts ZSJ up, Zack with a sleeper, OSKAR shrugs him off. Runs right into a Zack Driver! 1, 2, no.
More penalty kicks from Zack, OSKAR catches one and scoops him up for a slam. Double chokebomb but ZSJ counters into a triangle submission. OSKAR grabs his hands together and hoists Sabre Jr up for a powerbomb! 1, 2, no. Big boot attempt, Zack sweeps the legs, goes for the European clutch but OSKAR catches him with a Nightmare sleeper. Zack twists the knee the break it, and OSKAR shoves him away. Big boot from OSKAR connects. Tombstone is rolled through, kneebar from Sabre Jr, with the ankle lock applied too. OSKAR somehow reverses the pressure, stands to his feet, goes for a strike but Zack grabs the hands too and ties him up like a pretzel. Zack twists every limb, and the referee has to call for the bell.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr
Time: 16:01
Rating: *** – There’s some good work here, but it was hindered in my eyes by OSKAR’s refusal to sell the leg. He sold it like death early on, barely being able to stand, and then completely shrugged it off later on, despite Sabre Jr still going back to it as the weak point. That’s shoddy work and was a real shame, as the action itself was good, and they had a fun finish with OSKAR finding himself in checkmate, being completely helpless and at the mercy of Zack Sabre Jr’s submission prowess.
[B Block] Ren Narita [6] vs Yuya Uemura [6]
Both men are cautious as this one gets underway. Uemura gets to work on the arm, hammerlock in tight. Narita manages to use momentum to fling Uemura to the outside, and he follows him out there, whipping Uemura into the railings. From the apron, Narita grabs the leg and yoinks Uemura to the floor, driving the knee into the ground. Narita brings him back into the ring, slamming the leg into the mat once more. Shin breaker gets Uemura on the mat, and then the ref is distracted by Narita, allowing Dick Togo to pull Uemura into the corner and whack the leg against the ringpost. A Narita chairshot around the ringpost follows, and a back elbow, Narita covering for a 2 count.
Uemura looks for the arm drag, Narita sidesteps at first but walks into another. Dropkick sends Ren down, and they both take a minute to recover. Chops in the corner, Uemura with a hammerlock scoop slam, cover, 1, 2, no. Uemura sends Narita shoulder first into the buckles, looks for a suplex but Ren rakes the eyes. Togo trips Uemura along the ropes, but it’s still not enough as Uemura manages to get a cross-armbreaker. Narita rolls, Uemura goes back to the hammerlock. Dick Togo on the apron with a white towel, we get a ref bump and now Togo and Kanemaru enter the ring. But Uemura fights back and takes them out, plancha to the outside. And again on the other side to take out Narita! Back suplex from Uemura, 1, 2, no. Underhook is reversed, Narita tries a sleeper, both men jostle to get a hold in, and it’s Narita that applies the sleeper again. Rear naked choke, they roll to the outside, hold still locked in. Narita holds it through the count, relinquishes when it looks like Uemura is out…and Yuya is back in the ring at 19. Exploder with the bridge from Narita, 1, 2, no. Pele from Uemura, German suplex with a bridge, 1, 2, NO. Uemura holds on at the waist…Dragon suplex attempt is denied with a kick, Double Cross connects! Narita covers, 1, 2, NO!
Narita climbs the buckles, misses a dive, hurracanrana from Uemura gets 2. Dragon suplex! 1, 2, NOOO. Deadbolt is countered….but he gets it on a second attempt. Uemura goes up top now…but the knee is giving him trouble. Narita dodges the Lion Shiner and applies the kneebar. Yuya won’t tap though. Ref is distracted by Kanemaru, Dick Togo comes in for a senton on Uemura. Kneebar re-applied, and this time Uemura has to tap.
Winner: Ren Narita
Time: 19:55
Rating: *** – Yes, there’s still the usual House of Torture shite but it was semi-restrained compared to usual, and Narita actually had his wrestling boots on for once, with some nice counters. Uemura sold the leg well and was out of options in the lead up to the finish. Decent…but it’s still 20 minutes of House of Torture, which no one needs.
[B Block] Gabe Kidd [8] vs HENARE [8]
Kidd rushes the ring and they immediately start trading forearms and chops. Lariats against the ropes, HENARE taking control now. Kidd with slaps to the chest, and they butt heads. More big forearms from both men. Shoulder tackle knocks Kidd down. To the outside, they both go for repeated lariats, neither man going down. Kidd bites the forehead of HENARE and whips him into the railings. Pump kick sends Kidd over the railings and HENARE heads out to meet him, looking for a suplex on the concrete…but Kidd rakes the eyes. Kidd takes a run up but HENARE meets him with a lariat. A big lariat from Kidd sends HENARE flying back into the chairs. Kidd runs HENARE’s skull into the ringpost, and takes the mic to run down the people of Fukuoka. Both men re-enter the ring now, brainbuster from Kidd gets a 2 count.
Headbutts from Kidd in the corner, he takes a run up, HENARE cuts him off…Maori Drop! Berserker Bomb! 1, 2, NO. Up on the buckles now, HENARE delivers a headbutt, gets knocked down though. More lariats as both men have the same idea. Flurry of slaps from Kidd, kick from HENARE, rebound lariat, Kidd covers, 1, 2, NO. Backdrop driver! O-Knee connects, 1, 2, HENARE kicks out. A couple knockout elbows have HENARE reeling until he fires up, eats a lariat and delivers one of his own. Another takes Kidd off his feet and turns him inside out. HENARE looks for the Rampage on the outside, Kidd counters and throws him overhead with a suplex. Kidd pulls out a table now and tosses it at HENARE but HENARE moves. Chair to the gut, smacks him in the head with it, but HENARE no-sells it and smacks the chair out of his hand. HENARE sets the table up against the railing and smashes Kidd’s head into the table. He uses Kidd’s head like a battering ram, then brings him back inside the ring. Rampage is countered once more, but HENARE finally hits it for a 2 count. Another lariat, 1, 2, Kidd kicks out. HENARE Bomb is countered, strikes exchanged again, Ultima submission applied. Rugby punt, HENARE walks into a couple of forearms and another O-Knee. Piledriver connects! And another, drill-a-hole piledriver this time! 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Gabe Kidd
Time: 20:35
Rating: ***1/2 – Every strike was stiff as these guys were laying into each other, making it an engaging watch from the start. The pacing dropped off once or twice, but it certainly felt like a fight.
[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]
Gabe Kidd – 5-2-0 [10 points]
HENARE – 4-2-0 [8 points]
Drilla Moloney – 4-3-0 [8 points]
Callum Newman – 4-2-0 [8 points]
OSKAR – 4-3-0 [8 points]
Ren Narita – 4-2-0 [8 points]
Yuya Uemura – 3-3-0 [6 points]
Aaron Wolf – 3-3-0 [6 points]
Zack Sabre Jr – 2-4-0 [4 points]
Shota Umino – 0-1-0 [0 points]
