New Japan G1 Climax Results
August 14, 2015 - Night 17
Tokyo, Japan
Quick Results by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

(1) Bullet Club (Karl Anderson & Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga) beat Satoshi Kojima & Honma & Mascara Dorada in a six-man tag match. Tonga pinned Dorada after Honma comically accidentally hit the Kokeshi on Doarada.

(2) Michael Elgin & ReDragon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) beat Bullet Club (Young Bucks & Cody Hall) when Elgin pinned Hall following a sit-out powerbomb. Lots of fun spots in this match playing off ROH/Bullet Club themes and Elgin being super-popular right now having a great G1 tournament run. Very nice six-man tag.

(3) IWGP Jr. Hvt. champion KUSHIDA & Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi beat IWGP IC champion Hirooki Goto & Ricochet & Captain New Japan via submission when Nagata submitted the poor captain. This set up Ricochet challenging KUSHIDA for the Jr. Hvt. Title at the G1 Finale on Sunday. This also set up Nagata vs. Goto in the G1 tournament on Saturday.

(4) Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Sakuraba & YOSHI-HASHI beat IWGP World Hvt. champion Kazuchika Okada & Gedo & The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Michael Bennett) via submission in an eight-man tag match. Sakuraba had Gedo in trouble with a sleeper, but Maria got on the apron to distract Sakuraba. Sakuraba momentarily lost focus, but re-applied an armbar submission on Gedo for the win.

After the match, Nakamura and Okada had a mid-ring stare down to set up their B Block showdown Saturday night.




***

(5) Doc Gallows beat Shibata in a G1 Climax A Block match. Gallows hit four consecutive kicks to a standing Shibata before nailing his sit-out chokebomb finisher for the win.

(6) Toru Yano beat Bad Luck Fale (w/Tama Tonga) in a G1 Climax A Block match. Fale got heat for interrupting Yano's signature mannerisms and bashing Yano with his prized DVD. Fale then tried to powerbomb Yano on the floor, but Yano slipped out, shoved Fale into Tonga, low-blowed both of them, and beat a 20-count back into the ring. Yano being Yano to close G1 with a win.

(7) Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Naito via submission in a G1 Climax A Block match. Tenzan submitted Naito with his Anaconda Max hold combining the Anaconda Vice and Cobra Clutch to get a tap-out. Naito finished G1 on a losing streak, but he didn't seem to care. A lost soul.

(8) Kota Ibushi beat NEVER Openweight champion Togi Makabe in a G1 Climax A Block match. They built to Ibushi nailing a top-rope Phoenix Splash for the three count. Big credibility win for Ibushi beating a Heavyweight like Makabe. Future title match?

(9) Hiroshi Tanahashi beat A.J. Styles at 27:58 in a G1 Climax A Block match to win the A Block and advance to Sunday's finale. Super stalemate in the first four minutes establishing this as two aces engaged in a high-stakes battle. They built to a big spot on the outside with Tanahashi hitting High Fly Flow from the ring to the floor. Back in the ring, Styles hit a double springboard back flip reverse DDT. Both big moves drew a rare replay on New Japan's broadcast. The ref was bumped, so Styles landed a low-blow. He wanted the Styles Clash, freaking out the crowd, but Tanahashi low-blowed Styles, returning fire.

After a reset, Styles applied the Calfkiller mid-ring, causing the crowd to freak out again. Tanahashi fought the hold for a while, then finally found a burst of energy to reach the bottom rope for a break. Styles followed with a combination of big moves for nearfalls, then Tanahashi suddenly tried the Clash, but Styles knew the counter to his own finisher, applying another Calfkiller. But, Tanahashi broke free. Tanahashi then caught Styles in the corner with the Clash, this time hitting it. But, Styles kicked out. So, Tanahashi tried High Fly Flow, but Styles got his knees up to block. What a sequence. Suddenly, Styles climbed to the top and hit his own High Fly Flow, going for more of a frog splash variation for a close two count.

Styles then scooped up Tanahashi and hit Bloody Sunday. Styles wanted to end it with the Calfkiller, but Tanahashi blocked with a headbutt to the knee. Everyone took a breath, then Tanahashi countered the Pele Kick with a Dragon screw leg whip. Tanahashi then came off the top with High Fly Flow to a standing Styles. Tanahashi followed with a second High Fly Flow. And it was good for the win. Wow. Wow. Wow. That was a perfectly-executed, big-time main event. (*****)

After the match, both men recovered on the mat before Tanahashi was officially declared the winner of the A Block. The two warriors eventually crawled toward each other and met face-to-face in the middle of the ring. Tanahashi gave Styles the finger, which was almost a show of respect. Styles took his medicine, then was helped out of the ring to the back. (UPDATE: Styles said on Twitter that Tanahashi was actually holding up three fingers. From the camera angle on the broadcast, it looked like a middle finger.)

Did Tanahashi have anything left in the tank for an air guitar conclusion? Of course he did. First, a promo celebrating his victory. Then, a classic Tanahashi air guitar routine to close out the A Block. And an epic victory lap going around the entire floor section.

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