New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Climax 7/25/2023 Day 7

New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Climax 7/25/2023 Day 7

G1 Climax 33 Block B - Will Osperay vs Great O'Khan

They clean break early and Khan lets Will chop and forearm him. Khan mongolian chops him. Will running facekicks him and takes a back body drop. Will jumps and hurricanrana's him while he sits on top, though he kind of botches it. Will handspring back kicks him then plancha's him outside. Will top rope forearms him for 2. Khan pump kicks him and Will hits Kawada kicks.

Will grabs him by the pony tail and chops him then Khan sheep killers him. Khan slams him over the top rope and Will goes chest first into the rails. Will is sent into the chairs and Khan chairs him over the back. Will hook kicks him in the face and Khan throws the ref at him. Khan mists him then rolls him up for 2.

Khan fisherman suplexes him for 2 and lariats him over the top. Khan then does a rare plancha outside. WIll flips out of a chokeslam then superkicks and hook kicks him. Will then is flipped off a lariat. Khan 2nd rope moonsaults him and Will standing spanish flies him. Will hits an os cutter for 2 then does his top rope corkscrew moonsault for the win.

They did a little too much here for the opener but it was cool to see Khan bust out some different moves than usual. It never got dull and the crowd was good all throughout.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Gabe Kidd vs Shota Umino

Shota comes out through the Korauken fan entrance then Gabe runs him over from the side. Gabe whips Shota with Shota's jacket. Shota is thrown into the post. Gabe hits a stiff lariat for 2 then suplexes him on the apron. Gabe chops him then chokes him with his jacket. He then rubs it on himself and throws it out.

Gabe exploders him. Shota drops him from the slam position then running euros him. Shota fisherman suplexes him. Shota reigns down elbows and dropkicks him. He then elevated reverse ddt's him. They fight up top and Gabe hanging guillotine chokes him. Gabe spits on him then takes an exploder. Shota running euros him then slingshot ddt's him. Shota mcgillicutters him for 2.

Gabe throws the ref at Shota and backdrops him. Shota pop up clutch ddt's him then double arm ddt's him and wins it.

The pieces were there but it went too long and it just didn't click for me like it probably should have. Not sure what it was but something was missing. Shota's nose got busted open here.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - KENTA vs Taichi

They goof around with Kanemaru before the match. I skipped through that then Kenta nails Taichi with a title belt. Taichi blocks a go to sleep then backdrops him. Kenta pulls off Taichi's pants and Taichi nails him for it. Kenta grabs the regf and makes him roll with them in a dumb spot and Taichi goes for the pin but nobody is there ot count it.

Taichi spin kicks him in the gut and tries to kick him but Kenta puts the belt in the way, making him knee it. Kenta then rolls him up and wins it.

This was your goof around match of the night and was a waste of time.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Chase Owens vs Yota Tsuji

 Chase nails him before the bell and drops him. Yota is sent into the rails outside then Chase goes into the rails. Yota 2nd turnbuckle connector moonsaults him onto the floor. Chase then neckbreakers him over the 2nd rope. Chase backdrops him and bullies him around. Yota hits forearms and double stomps him. Yota running boots him then top hurricanrana's him. Yota topes him

Chase backdrops him against the top buckle then onto the mat. He then death valley drivers him for 2. Tsuji goes for a flying spear and takes a knee. Chase hits another knee and reverses his backdrop. Chase spinning back elbows him and is blue thundered, Yota knees him and headbutts him. Yota curbstomps him for 2 and wins with a big spear.

I really don't get why they are concerned about protecting Chase Owens so much in this tournament. Yota should be taking a whooping from this guy and he was here. This was long and not good.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - Tanga Loa vs El Phantasmo

They shake hands and hug. ELP wants Loa to take his shirt off and he does. Loa pushes him off early and shoulders him. ELP dropkicks him then is shouldered over. ElP lariats him over the top and goes with him. ELP is whipped into the rails but jumps over them. ELP superkicks him over the rail then jumps off the stage over the rail. ELP springboard swantons into an asai moonsault for 2.

ELP springboard crossbodies him and takes a spear in mid-air. Loa release germans him twice then hits a swinging side slam for 2. Loa blue thunders him and jackhammers him for 2. Loa is crotched up top and is enzugiri'd up there. ELP tries to hurricanrana him but takes a super powerbomb. ELP is dropped with a slap then ends up putting him off a move reversal out of nowhere. 

It was okay. ELP could have used more offense before getting the win because he didn't get a lot during the 2nd half here.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Hikuleo vs Ren Narita

Ren hits forearms and flying forearms him. Hiku then hits a big boot. Ren hits forearms and pulls him over the top. Ren is thrown into the rails then slammed onto the apron. Hiku throws him across the ring and Ren tries to climb his back and sleeper him. Hiku hits a big powerslam  and a spinning side slam.

Hiku corner splashes him then hits snake eyes. Hiku then hits a big lariat and suplexes him for 2. Ren facekicks him then spinning heel kicks him. Ren then does a flying clothesline and russian leg sweeps him. Ren gets on his back for a sleeper again then Hiku powerslams him. Ren rolling armbars him then knee presses him for 2.

They trade slaps then Hiku chokeslams him and wins it.

I wasn't into this. It went on too long, Ren wasn't presented as having a chance at winning this and Hiku didn't do a whole lot as usual.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - YOSHI-HASHI vs Kazuchika Okada

Okada dirty breaks him wit ha forearm on the ropes then lets him hit a forearm. They trade forearms and shoulder battle. Yoshi shoulders him over and pulls him out. Okada running facekicks him on the floor and ddt's him there. Yoshi is throw hard into the post then baseball slides him inside.

Okada neckbreakers him and hits weak knees to the face. Yoshi hits forearms then is dropped with one. Yoshi knee dropkicks him and hits a headhunter. Yoshi neckbreakers him and knee dropkicks him on the apron. Okada is put over the rail and basement dropkicked. Yoshi sunset bombs him then takes a neckbreaker over the knee.

Okada hits facekicks then they trade forearms. Yoshi avoids a dropkick and facekicks him. They lariat each other at the same time then slap each other. Yoshi lariats him then takes a shotgun dropkick. Okada goes for the rainmaker but is lariated. Yoshi suplexes him for 2. Yoshi lariats him against the ropes and Okada money clips him soon after.

Yoshi blocks his rainmaker with a headbutt and kicks him in the knee. Okada dropkicks him and landslides him.  Yoshi ducks the rainmaker and rolls him up for 2. Yoshi superkicks him then takes an emerald flowsion. Okada rainmakers him and gets the win.

It was a good one with Yoshi being the underdog and trying to score the upset. They showed some aggression and brought up the pace a little for it. They made you think Yoshi had a chance even though he really didn't.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - SANADA vs Kaito Kiyomiya

I could make the case for either guy winning here so this should be fun.

Sanada armlocks him then Kaito cartwheels and armlocks him. Sanada grabs a leg and Kaito works his arm. Kaito shoulders him over and blocks Sanada's shining wizard. They then stand off. Kaito armdrags him then hits a quick dropkick. Kaito hits another armdrag and Sanada tries to reverse his armdrag but can't. Sanada tries to armdrag him using the buckles but Kaito reverses it.

Kaito 2nd rope twisting forearms him then tope con hilos near the post to the outside. Kaito delay germans him for 2. Sanada armdrags him then dropkicks him. Sanada plancha's him then bridging neckbreakers him on the floor. Sanada backdrops him and moonsaults into skull end. Kaito rolls out though and dropkicks him in the knee.

Kaito knee dropkicks him then top rope dropkicks him in the knee. Kaito dragon screws him and figure fours him. Sanada flips out of a tiger suplex and hurts his knee then tiger drivers him. Sanada kips up then TKO's him. Sanada spinning skull ends him and takes a shining wizard. Kaito spinning elbows him, is dropkicked then hits a jumping knee and a tiger suplex.

Sanada TKO's him then shining wizards him. Sanada goes for a bridging pin and is is reversed. Kaito hurricanrana's him for 2 and takes a shining wizard. Sanada then gets the win at 19:58 (2 seconds to go)

The knee work didn't go anywhere and was a waste of time, but the match was interesting otherwise with some fast paced action. Kaito losing instead of just going to the draw hurt him and I don't really know why NOAH agreed to it.

Overall thoughts: The top two matches delivered and two others were decent. I'm not getting why Chase is being protected so much and Kenta is really stinking up this tournament so far.