New Japan G1 Climax Results
August 15, 2015 - Night 18
Tokyo, Japan
Quick Results by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

(1) ReDragon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) beat Yohei Komatsu & Sho Tanaka with Chasing the Dragon on Komatsu. Fun opening tag match.

(2) IWGP Jr. Hvt. tag champions Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) beat David Finlay Jr. & Jay White in a non-title match. Young Bucks took out Finlay on the outside, then hit the IndyTaker spike piledriver on White for the win. Young Bucks continued the attack after the match, including superkicks to White. ReDragon made the save and posed with Young Bucks's title belts to set up their Tag Title match on Saturday.

(3) Toru Yano & Sakuraba & YOSHI-HASHI & The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Michael Bennett w/Maria Kanellis) beat Bullet Club (A.J. Styles & Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga & Cody Hall) in a 10-man tag match. A giant brawl broke out after the opening bell. Things eventually settled down. Interesting that when Styles tagged in, the crowd cheered loudly and chanted his name. Respect earned following his epic battle with Tanahashi on Friday. Also interesting was the battle between Styles and MMA fighter Sakuraba. They built to little-guy YOSHI pinning big-guy Cody with a top-rope splash while The Kingdom held off Bullet Club on the outside.

(4) Tanahashi & Togi Makabe & Tenzan & Shibata & IWGP Jr. Hvt. champion KUSHIDA beat Naito & Kota Ibushi & Manabu Nakanishi & Ricochet & Captain New Japan in a 10-man tag match. Lots of interesting combinations from an eclectic mix of participants, including the captain dressed like The Riddler. Everyone was getting along having a great match until I-don't-care-Naito grabbed and then kicked Shibata from the ring apron. They built to KUSHIDA and Ricochet battling to set up their Jr. Hvt. Title match on Saturday. Shibata then took out Naito and Tanahashi hit High Fly Flow on the captain for the win.

Afterward, Shibata tried to choke the life out of Naito. And he still didn't seem to care. Naito then turned down an invite to keep the fight going in the ring.

***

(5) Yujiro Takahashi beat Honma in a G1 Climax B Block match. After not winning a tournament match for nearly two years, Honma tried to finish this year's tournament with a two-match winning streak. It was not to be. Honma missed his signature Kokeshi throughout, then finally hit a diving Kokeshi after hulking up. But, Takahashi hit a low-blow behind the ref's back and nailed Miami Shine for the win.

(6) Tomohiro Ishii beat Michael Elgin in a G1 Climax B Block match. This was such a great Hvt. Linebacker battle - two big bulls locking up and not giving ground. The match turned when Elgin gave Ishii a running powerbomb into the barricade on the outside, freaking everyone out. Elgin followed with his deadlift top-rope suplex for a close nearfall. Elgin got a few more nearfalls, but he fell victim to an inside-out lariat and brainbuster suplex for the pin. And, Ishii got his redemption after losing to Honma his last time out. For Elgin, a great conclusion to a career-altering, great tournament run. The crowd showed their appreciation on the way out.

(7) Yuji Nagata beat IWGP IC champion Hirooki Goto in a G1 Climax B Block match. Goto needed to win to stay alive in the B Block hunt, but Nagata upset him with a back drop suplex for a surprising three count. Nagata sold his injured rib on the way out.

(8) Satoshi Kojima beat IWGP tag champion Karl Anderson in a G1 Climax B Block match. Anderson also needed to win to stay alive in the B Block hunt, but Kojima blocked the signature Gun Stun and nailed a big lariat for the win. So, it was down to the final two to determine the winner of the B Block. ...

9 - IWGP World Hvt. champion Kazuchika Okda (w/Gedo) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - B Block match to determine the B Block Winner

Big-time pro wrestling early on with Okada avoiding the Boma Ye knee and Nakamura avoiding the Rainmaker lariat to reach a stalemate. On the outside, Okada nailed the textbook dropkick sending Nakamura over the guardrail into the front row. He followed with a Randy Orton second-rope DDT off the guardrail for a near-count-out win. Back in the ring, Okada did Nakamura's signature vibration foot stomp in the corner, drawing boos. That woke up Nakamura, who suddenly exploded on Okada with a knee lift smash on the outside.

Back in the ring, Nakamura and Okada traded control with high-impact offense until Nakamura hit a flying Boma Ye knee from the top-rope for a close nearfall. Okada responded with a textbook flying dropkick sending Nakamura reeling to the outside. On the floor, Okada gave Nakamura a Tombstone Piledriver. Nakamura was in jeopardy of being counted out, but Okada left the ring to retrieve Nakamura, roll him back into the ring, and hit a top-rope flying elbow. Rainmaker Pose with zoom-out. Okada wanted the Rainmaker lariat, but Nakamura kicked him in the head, then punted Okada in the chest to put both men on the mat.

Big reset as the crowd shouted for their favorite wrestler. Nakamura nailed a sliding Boma Ye, but Okada kicked out of a pin. Nakamura wanted another one out of the corner, but Okaka suddenly exploded on Nakamura with a flying textbook dropkick. Magnificent. Okada nailed the Rainmaker, but he wanted a second one, which Nakamura blocked, but Okada came back with a Tombstone. Okada then picked up Nakamura for another Rainmaker, but Nakamura grabbed Okada's arm and dropped him to the mat with his signature cross armbreaker submission. Okada fought to his feet and tried to break free, but Nakamura switched to a crazy reverse armbreaker and Okada was forced to tap out.

Post-match, the crowd exploded and cheered for Nakamura. Nakamura recovered to his feet and extended his fist toward Okada, who received the fist bump out of a show of respect. Nakamura was then announced as the winner of the B Block after fighting through an elbow injury to get to the finals. Nakamura followed with a post-match promo. Now he faces Tanahashi in the Finals on Sunday.

WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura via submission at 23:33 to win the B Block and advance to Sunday's finals. Just amazing. The finishing sequence was unbelievable after strong action throughout. Right there with Tanahashi vs. A.J. Styles from the A Block Finals yesterday. (****1/2)

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