New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/21/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 5

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/21/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 5

G1 Climax 33 Block B - YOSHI-HASHI vs Tanga Loa

Yoshi superkicks him to start and rolls him up. Yoshi dropkicks him in the knee then rips Loa's shirt off. Yoshi hits chops and is shouldered over. They trade shots then Yoshi neckbreakers him. Yoshi running lariats him in the corner then hits a top rope blockbuster for 2. Loa does a delayed jackhammer for 2. They trade forearms, Yoshi superkicks him in the gut and hits a headhunter.

Loa slingshots sunset flips him but Loa rolls through and superkicks him. They trade more forearms and Yoshi dragon suplexes him. Yoshi lariats him then Loa spears him at 10 minutes. Loa lariats him then hits a top rope headbutt for 2. Yoshi crucifix drivers him and wins it.

It was okay but it went a little longer than it needed to and it probably was never going to be anything more than "okay". Loa's not a great worker and Yosh is a decent midcard guy.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Gabe Kidd vs Ren Narita

Gabe tries to attack Ren with a chair on the ramp. Ren stops him and calmly walks to the ring, then yells at him on the mic. They run into each other and trade forearms. Gabe does a nice release backdrop then takes a stiff one back. Gabe suplexes him over the top and goes with him to the floor. Gabe is then thrown into the rails and facekicked over them. Ren has his head banged off the exposed buckle.

They trade chops then Ren hits a chop flurry and stands on him in the corner. Ren spinning heel kicks him then hits a single underhook suplex. Ren hiptosses him into a knee bar. Ren is almost pushed into the ref and takes a hard slap after. Ren germans him then takes a hard lariat. Ren does a jumping knee press for 2.

Ren northern lights suplexes him and flips over then hits a cobra twist. Gabe grabs the ref and hits a half-package piledriver and wins it.

The finish was dirty and not that good but the two really matched up well. They hit each other hard and showed some nice aggression prior to the end. Good, hard-hitting Japanese wrestling here.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - El Phantasmo vs Great O'Khan

ELP sunset flips him then hurricanrana's him. Khan goes ou. ELP is sent into the rails but goes over it then hits a tornado ddt off the rail. ELP misses a double jump swanton then Khan pulls the tape off of his neck. Khan hits downwaard elbows then backdrops him.

Khan hits a double chop then ELP grabs him by the nipples. Khan makes faces like he enjoys it then he bites ELP's nipple. Khan sits on the top rope and is enzugiri'd down. ELP then topes him outside over the rail. ELP springboards off the ropes over the rail onto him.

ELP springboard swantons then asai moonsaults for 2. Khan hits an STO then ELP superkicks him. ELP buzzsaw kicks him then Khan hits a stiff lariat. Khan does a nice tazzmission suplex then lariats him. Khan boots him from the apron then tombstones him on the floor.

Khan hits a backbreaker and taps him out with a grounded cobra twist.

I liked this one. They matched up better than expected and kept the pace moving. 

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Hikuleo vs Chase Owens

Chase avoids him and teases punching him but backs off. Chase hits a chop that goes nowhere then is double chopped down. Chase is thrown into the buckles then takes a facekick. Chase goes under the ring. Hiku goes after him and is hit with a tire iron. Hiku is pulled into the post then has his arm yanked back in the ring. Hiku shoulders him over then spinning side slams him.

Hiku lariats him then hits a brainbuster for 2. Chase crossfaces him and Hiku hits the ropes. Hiku takes a lariat and a superkick but just slaps him at 10 minutes. Hiku hits a powerslam then Chae holds his knee. Chase hits him with is knee pad when the ref isn't looking. Chase knees him and wins it.

This wasn't good. It was slow, Chase beating Hiku was unrealistic and the finish was dirty. Having Hiku lose was dumb too.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - KENTA vs Will Osperay

Kenta jumps him as he enters. He puts on his jacket and stomps him. They trade forearms and Will is thrown over the rail outside. Will is thrown into other rails then ddt'd on the floor. Kenta kicks him around in the ring then hits chest kicks in the corner on him. Will handsprings into the ropes and hits a flipping kick on his way back. Will springboard forearms him.

Kenta hits a powerslam then ddt's him over the top rope. Kenta top rope clotheslines him then bridging ddt's him on the floor. Kenta flying facekicks him then flying dropkicks him in the corner. Kenta top rope double stomps Will for 2. Will hits forearms then takes punches/cslaps from Kenta. Will slaps him back and superkicks him. The ref is knocked down. Will takes a ddt.

Kenta hits Will with a kendo stick. Will blocks a stick shot then is low blowed. Kenta hits Will with a belt. Will hook kicks him then misses a springboard. Kenta crossfaces him and Will bites his way out. Will hits a ligerbomb and takes a busaiku knee for 2. will superkicks him and hits a hidden blade. Will then hits the stormbreaker and wins it.

It wasn't that great. The stuff with Will being thrown into the rails didn't do much and the ref and weapon shots further brought this down.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Shota Umino vs Kaito Kiyomiya

Shota hits some forearms early then shoulders him over. Shota hurricanrana's him then gets headscissored. They then do a stand off. They trade more forearms. Shota armdrags him and is dropkicked in the knee. Shota gets his knee yanked and they trade forearms for chest chops. Shota running euros him then hits a fisherman's suplex. Kaito hits a stiff lariat off the ropes and both go down.

Kaito 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him then top rope dropkicks him. Kaito hits a delayed german for 2 then takes a dropkick. Shota top rope dropkicks him in the back of the neck then does a leg lifting elevated reverse ddt. Shota armdrags and pop-up euros him then Shota hits a mcgillicutter for 2. Kaito is pulled and knees him off of it.

Shota avoids a shining wizard and puts him in an stf over it. Shota slingshot ddt's him then Kaito hits a dragon screw. Kaito hits another dragon screw and dropkicks him in the knee. Kaito hits more dropkicks in the knee then top rope dropkicks him in the knee. Kaito dragon screws and figure fours him. Shota gets put in the figure four for a long time and Kaito just lets go of it. Kaito tiger suplexes him for 2.

Kaito jumping knees him then does a full nelson bomb for 2. Shota his a package ddt. The time limit then expires.

Some people really pimped this one but I just didn't see it. They started selling way too hard early. The leg work didn't really go anywhere. The crowd was good but this wasn't that special

G1 Climax 33 Block B - Kazuchika Okada vs Taichi

Okada spinning tombstones and spinning lariats him to start. Taichi comes back with a facekick and enzugiri and drops him. Taichi is ddt'd on the floor. Taichi goes for a sapin kick and is pushed down. Taichi running facekicks him. Taichi takes off his pants and hits a stiff Kawada kick to the head. Okada back body drops him then hits an over the knee neckbreaker.

Okada john woo's him in the corner then dropkicks him as he sits on the top. Okada ddt's him on the floor then bangs his head off the ramp. Okada drops him with a forearm then goes up top and is enzugiri'd. Okada tries to dropkick him off the top and is powerbombed. Taichi buzzsaw kicks him then Okada dropkicks him. Taichi backdrops him. Okada goes for a spinning lariat but is STO'd. Taichi backdrops him for 2.

Okada misses a dropkick and is rolled up. Taichi high kicks him. Okada enzugiri's him then takes a gamengiri. Taichi is back body dropped and Okada pins him off of it to win.

It was a fun match with Taichi trying to get the upset win and getting real close to it.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - SANADA vs Yota Tsuji

They trade basic holds early and Yota flying headscissors him. They fight on the ramp and Sanada takes a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. They get back in the ring and Yota slams and splashes him. Sanada backdrops him off Yota's missed corner splash. Sanada dropkicks him out of the ring then topes him. Yota hurricanrna's him on the inside then topes him against the rails.

Sanada hits a bridging twisting neckbreaker off the ropes. Sanada tko's him then Yota does an sto> flatliner > curb stomp sequence. Yota blocks his roll up and hits skull end. Yota the ntop rope moonsaults him. Sanada 2nd rope moonsaults into skull end then Yota hits an orange crush.

Sanada poisonrana's and shining wizards him. Yota cartwheels out of his ddt and hits strikes. Yota curb stomps him then dives at him and takes a cutter. Sanada top rope moonsaults him for 2. Sanada hits a blade runner style ddt and wins it.

The two matched up better than expected and it somewhat felt like a G1 match. The time limit hurt it as they could have maybe done something better with more time, but had to keep it shorter. The beginning of this wasn't good and Yota has major issues with no selling that need resolved soon. 

Overall thoughts: I liked 5 of the matches here and the top two matches delivered. This was a decent night at the G1.