New Japan Pro Wrestling 8/1/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 11

New Japan Pro Wrestling  8/1/2023 G1 Climax 33 Day 11

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Hikuleo vs Kaito Kiyomiya

Kaito hits dropkicks to the knee then is back body dropped. Hiku forearms him and chops him outside. Kaito has his throat dropped on the rail then Kaito dropkicks him in the back of the knee outside. He works the knee more and takes snake eyes. Hiku lariats him and suplexes him.

Kaito dragon screws him and figure fours him. Kaito spinning forearms him and hits a nice tiger suplex for 2. Hiku powerslams him. Kaito hurricanrana's him and hits a jumping knee. Kaito gets his hurricanrana caught then Hiku hits a powerslam. Hiku hits a high chokeslam and wins it.

I don't know why they started the show off with this. Hiku doesn't usually have good matches and this wasn't one. It was pretty slow with Kaito working the knee and then Hiku recovering and overpowering him for the win.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - Great O'Khan vs YOSHI-HASHI

Khan goes for the armbar early then Yoshi gets it on him for a ropebreak. Khan does a triangle choke with his arms then shoulder throws him. Khan mongolian chops him in the back then sits on him on the buckles. Yoshi takes a backdrop for 2.

Khan butts his head and hits a mongolian chop. Yoshi dropkicks him in the knee then hits chops. Yoshi hits the headhunter and hangs him over the top rope. He then dropkicks him as he hangs. Yoshi hits a top rope blockbuster for 2. Khan grabs him by the back of the head and torture rack neckbreakers him for 2.

Khan sheepkillers him and sheepkiller suplexes him. Khan does a TTD for 2. Khan gets ddt'd off a move attempt. Khan takes a dragon suplex but no sells it then Yoshi runs him over with a lariat. Yoshi sitout powerbombs him for 2 then Khan suplexes him for 2. Khan charges into the buckles, is lariated in the back then rolled up for 2. Yoshi superkicks him in the face and does a fisherman's suplex for 2.

Khan sheepkillers him and takes a superkick. Khan then pop-up claw slams him and wins it.

It was slow but got better by the end when they sped things up and started hitting big moves.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Ren Narita vs Chase Owens

Ren armlocks him early and has his head banged off the mat. Chase slaps him and says, "still young lion". Ren throws him out and hits forearms agains the rails. Ren sends him into the rails. Ren gets his leg stuck on the apron and Chase legsweeps his other leg. Chase hten backdrops him on the apron.

Chase neckbreakers him over the middle rope and cradles him for 2. Ren hits chest chops and Chase drops him with a running forearm. They trade forearms and Ren hits a spinning heel kick after a throat chop. Ren spinning urakes him in the corner and hits a single underhook suplex for 2. Chase backdrops him against the top buckle and hits a stiff lariat.

Chase rolls him up then takes a bridging exploder for 2. Chase gets his package piledriver reversed then Ren cobra twists him. Chase then taps out.

It was a pretty basic match with the vet working over the younger guy before the younger guy makes his comeback and wins it. It made sense and was just average.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - El Phantasmo vs Taichi

They shake hands and trade facekicks. They trade leg kicks and chops. Taichi spin kicks him in the gut then ELP hurricanrana's him. ELP plancha's him outside then asai moonsaults him outside. ELP springboards and takes a forearm and a backdrop off of it. Taichi puts him in a cobra twist and then hits a stiff sidekick.

ELP springboard twisting crossbodies him then asai moonsaults him. ELP atomic drops him and slams him. ELP 2nd rope elbows him and they trade facekicks. Taichi enzugiri's him and Taichi takes his pants off. They trade facekicks and ELP takes a buzzsaw kick.

ELP blocks a superkick and hits various kicks back. ELP does a cut-throat reverse F-U for 2. Taichi hits a stiff lariat and does a backdrop hold for 2. ELP superkicks him then Taichi superkicks him. ELP rolls him up then Taichi rolls him up back. ELP rolls him up again for 2 and they trade lariats.

Taichi high kicks him then misses a superkick, just to get superkicked. ELP then rolls him with his legs and wins it.

It was just an average match for the most part. Lots of superkicks and other various kicks here. It was pretty clear that ELP was winning this one with him needing to win to stay in contention in the tournament.

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Gabe Kidd vs SANADA

Kidd nails him with the title as he poses on the apron. Kidd then throws him into the rails and euros him on the floor. Kidd grabs a chair, shoves the ref and uses it on Sanada. Kidd release backdrops him for 2, seats him on the top rope and pushes him over to the floor. Kidd then poses with Sanada's title and bangs his head off a chair outside.

Kidd throws him into the chairs and forearms a young lion. Kidd running cannonballs him on the row of seats and they finally get back in the ring. Sanada and Kidd fight over a suplex then Kidd bites him. Sanada dropkicks him in the knee then does a normal dropkick. Sanada plancha's him outside.

Sanada throws him into the rails then piledrivers him on the floor. Sanada is thrown into and over the rails then Sanada slingshot suplexes him. Sanada TKO's him for 2. Kidd bites his ear and does a hanging guillotine. Kidd brainbusters him for 2. Sanada shining wizards him and Kidd hits another low blow after trying to push him into the ref. Kidd spinning tombstones him for 2.

Kidd misses a top rope moonsault. Sanada moonsaults and goes for skull end off of it. They reverse each other and Kidd facekicks him. Sanada dropkicks him and Kidd puts the ref in the way. Kidd forearms him then Sanada drops back and low blocks him on the fall. Sanada hits his deadfall ddt and wins it.

The pair matched up well but the usual stupid shenanigans with the ref, low blows and weapons shots brought it down like it does every day here at the G1. 

G1 Climax 33 Block B - Will Osperay vs Tonga Loa

Will asks to be let in after the match has started and Loa follows him around, blocking his way. Loa throws him in and Will running facekicks him. Loa rolls him up for 2 then Will 2nd rope forearms him. Loa back body drops him then back drops him on the apron. Loa slingshot swantons him.

Will hits forearms then Loa hits two suplexes and a jackhammer. Will is whipped into the ropes and he handspring back enzugiri's him. Will springboard forearms him. Loa hits a punch combo and hits a big chop. Will high kicks him then hook kicks him in the face. Will hits another hook kick then Loa hits an interesting blue thunder.

They trade forearms and Will forearm flurries him in the corner. Loa running forearms him and Will flip sells for it. Will cutters him out of the powerslam position then hits an os cutter for 2. Will goes for a plancha outside and takes an uppercut. Loa stomps on him outside. Will superkicks him, gets on the rail then is thrown into the seats.

Despite being out there for several minutes, neither one is counted out. Loa then spears him into the seats. Loa makes it back to the ring before being counted out and spears Will when Will tries to get in. Will goes down and Loa wins via countout.

Loa's a limited worker and they gave him the spotlight here to show off some. It was okay minus the finish, which was lame. These guys were out there for several minutes before the ref started to count them out.  

G1 Climax 33 Block A - Yota Tsuji vs Shota Umino

Shota shotgun dropkicks him to start then armdrags him. Shota basement dropkicks him and hits shots on him. Yota drives his face into the mat with his feet and baseball slides him. Yota then topes him into the rails. Yota hits corner spears and slams him. Yota then splashes him for 2.

Yota chinlocks him then Shota hits forearms. Yota hits him in the gut. Yota knees him in the stomach then Shota slams him on his body and running euros him. Shota fisherman's suplexes him for 2. Shota does a high exploder and cannonballs him off the apron. Shota hits a top rope dropkick and does an elevated reverse ddt for 2.

Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. He backslides him into a knee but Shota blocks it and hits a nice dropkick. Yota hits a nice running headscissors near 10 minutes in and has his tope blocked. Shota dropkicks him as he hangs over the middle rope then Shota sliding dropkicks him there.

Shota slingshot ddt's him then Yota back body drops him. Yota curb stomps him into the mat then does a jumping curb stomp. Shota slides under a spear to put him into an stf and Yota ropebreaks. Shota forearms him while he's on his knees and they trade forearms.

Shota rapid fire clubs his back then Yota fires up and they trade forearms. Shota pop up knees him then takes a knee and superkick. Shota enzugiri's him and takes a hard headbutt after firing up. Both go down and Yota corner splashes him. They go up top and Yota hits a top rope uranage. Yota hits an orange crush for 2. Shota counters a spear with a double stomp then he hits a mcgillicutter for 2. Shota does a package ddt for 2. One minute left to go here. Yota pops him up and spears him and wins it.

It was a fun little match. It was extremely slow during the middle of this and things got good once Yota got his comeback in and hit the headbutt. I was shocked they didn't have this go to a draw like they did with the other matches with the New 3 Musketeers.

G1 Climax 33 Block B - KENTA vs Kazuchika Okada

Kenta starts us off hot by stalling outside. Okada goes after him and he goes back in and then out. Kenta finally gets caught and takes shots. Kenta goes to stall again then runs his back into the apron and whips him into the rails. Okada is sent into the post and then takes kicks to the body. Okada tells him to do it more. Kenta ddt's him and headscissors him on the mat. Kenta neckbreakers him for 2 then chinlocks him. Okada tries to get out but has his head banged off the mat. Kenta then hits light kicks and is forearmed.

They trade forearms and Kenta foot chokes him in the corner. Kenta kicks him in the back then jumps over him just to kick him with his heel. Kenta runs the ropes into Okada's boot and takes forearms. Okada running back elbows him then hits a ddt for 2 at 10 minutes. Kenta is put on the top rope and he is then dropkicked to the floor.

Kenta is whipped into the rails then facekicked over them. Okada's back is put into the post then Kenta bridging ddt's him from the rail to the floor. Kenta busaiku knee kicks him then corner dropkicks him. Kenta then hits a top rope double stomp for 2. They trade forearms and Kenta spin kicks him in the gut. Okada neckbreakers him over the knee. Okada puts him in the money clip and Kenta eventually backs him into the ref. He ddt's him at 15 minutes and then pushes the ref out with his feet.

Kenta hits Okada with a kendo stick. Okada shotgun dropkicks him while Kenta is flipping off the fans. Okada dropkicks him  then Okada hits short arm lariats. Okada is rolled up for 2 then he spinning tombstones him. Kenta hits overhead palm strikes and does a ripcode pumping knee. Kenta busaiku knees him for 2 at 18 minutes.

Kenta uraken's him then Okada hits a nice dropkick. Okada landslides him and Kenta ducks a rainmaker. Okada hits another landslide and a weak rainmaker for the win.

This was not good at all. They were so slow here like you could not believe and most of this match was just people walking or laying around. The ref got pushed to no DQ as usual. They had just about the laziest match they could have had and I never would have imagined a decade ago that this was what an Okada/Kenta match looked like. Embarassing.

Overall thoughts:  A bad show with awful reffing and a totally lazy main event. Yota/Shota was the only thing that really delivered her, though Kidd/Sanada would have been decent without the shenanigans.