NJPW G1 CLIMAX 33 – NIGHT 19 RESULTS (8/13): Radican’s results & analysis of undercard, Naito vs. Okada

NJPW G1 CLIMAX 33 FINALS REPORT
AUG. 13, 2023
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
BY SEAN RADICAN, PWTORCH COLUMNIST

English announcers: Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton

(1) KAITO KITOMIYA & RYOHEI OIWA vs. TORU YANO & OSKAR LEUBE

Kiyomiya won after a shining wizard on Leube. Leube and Kiyomiya looked good in the match.

WINNERS: Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa in 7:45. (**1/2)

(2) MASTER WATO & SHOTA UMINO & TOMOAKI HONMA & YUJI NAGATA vs. EL DESPERADO & MINORU SUZUKI & REN NARITA & YUTO NAKASHIMA

This was a lot of fun. Umino and Narita had some hard hitting exchanges and that was the focus of the match. Umino pinned Nakashima with a Death Rider. After the match, Narita and Umino kept going at it.

WINNERS: Master Wato & Shota Umino & Tomoako Honma & Yujo Nagata in 8:45. (***1/2)

All six men ended up going at it after the match. Desperado dragged Narita to the back eventually.

(3) TOGO MAKABE & TIGER MASK & SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN vs. TOMOHIRO ISHII & HIROSHI TANAHASHI & EDDIE KINGSTON & YOH

Yoh pinned Tiger with a superkick. This was a typical veteran match for the most part.

WINNERS: Yoh & Togi Makabe & Eddie Kingston & Hiroshi Tanahashi in 9:40. (**1/4)

(4) TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita) vs. RYUSUKE TAGUCHI & YOSHI- HASHI & HIROOKI GOTO & BOLTON OLEG

Oleg looked good here. Nicholls and Haste worked together well as a team. They ended up pinning Goto after a tank buster.

WINNERS: Taguchi & Goto & Hashi & Oleg in 10:00. (**1/2)

It looks like the pin on Goto set up Nichols and Haste for a tag title shot as they appeared to challenge the champions after the match.

(5) TANGAO LOA & TAMA TONGA & HIKULEO & JADO & EL PHANTASMO vs. BULLET CLUB (David Finlay & Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd & Chase Owens & Kenta w/ Gedo)

This match pitted current BC members vs. former BC members. Loa won the match countering a roll up from Owens into a pinning combination of his own.

WINNERS: Loa & Tonga & Hikuleo & ELP & Jado in 11:40. (**1/2)

Bullet Club was dispatched from the ring after the match. Tonga picked up the NEVER belt and held it up teasing a program perhaps. ELP & Hikuleo also held up the Strong Openweight Tag Titles after the match teasing another program.

(6) LIJ (Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) vs. THE UNITED EMPIRE (Will Ospreay & Henare & Jeff Cobb & The Great-O-Khan)

United Empire jumped LIJ as they did their first bump. Both teams brawled around the ring. Ospreay and Tsuji went at it late and Tsuji hit a big spear on Ospreay. He then hit a second spear and it was good for the win. It looks like Tsuji is now in line for a shot at Ospreay’s belt.

Winners: The United Empire in 10:50. (***)

After the match, Kingston came out and attacked Henare and dragged him to the back. Tsuji ended up holding up Ospreay’s title and Ospreay yelled at him from the floor. Kelly said Takagi should have the first crack at Ospreay.

(7) HOUSE OF TORTURE (Dick Togo & Evil & Sho & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. JUST 5 GUYS (Sanada & Douki & Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

House of Torture jumped their opponents at the bell. This was what you would expect out of a match with House of Torture in it. Sho ended up hitting the shock arrow on Taichi to set up a KOPW match down the line.

WINNERS: House of Torture in 10:00. (**)

Sho picked up the KOPW Championship after the match. He said the belt has no value because Taichi is a weak champion. He said he would take the KOPW Championship. Evil then picked up the IWGP World Hvt. Championship and leveled Sanada with it. Kelly said a one-armed Sanada can’t beat Evil.

House of Torture handcuffed Sanada to the ropes. Evil tried to get Abe to read a prepared statement. Togo made Abe read it. The statement said Sanada is not a fitting champion and he has to give up the title to Evil immediately. The announcers said it was absolute b.s. Sho decided to hit Taichi with another belt shot for good measure.

Evil left with Sanada’s belt. Sho also took the KOPW Championship to the back. The announcers pointed that Sanada had an issue with his arm that was currently handcuffed to the ropes.

Masahiro Chono came out to join the Japanese commentary team prior to the main event.

The crowd seemed to heavily favor Naito. He got huge Naito chants making his entrance.

(8) KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. TETSUYA NAITO – G1 Climax 33 Final

This is the first time they’ve ever met in a G1 final. After a slow start. Okada took control and hit a DDT on the apron. Okada whipped Naito into the guardrail and then rolled back into the ring and waited for Naito to recover. The announcers painted Okada as unmerciless as he went after Naito’s head once again with a big DDT right after he rolled back into the ring. They had a fast exchange off the rope and Naito hit a neck breaker over his knee on Okada. Okada blocked the combination in the corner, so Naito turned it into another neck breaker over his knee. He then hit another neck breaker over his knee Okada and the fans chanted his name.

Okada went for his corner drop kick and Naito kicked him away. He then caught Okada with a hip toss right into his knee as he did to Ospreay the previous night. He continued to work over Okada’s neck at one point hitting a draping DDT off the guardrail that neatly saw Okada get counted out. The announcers said Naito was just as merciless as Okada.

Okada fired back and caught Naito with a neck breaker over his knee. Okada fired back and hit his signature corner dropkick and Naito took a hell of a bump crashing off the apron and then to the floor. Okada then hit a landslide Tombstone on the floor. Naito ducked a rainmaker and walked right into a drop kick a short time later. The fans fired up and chanted for Naito. The ref then administered a standing 10 count, but stopped when Okada stepped in.

Naito countered Okada and hit a tornado DDT off the ropes. The fans started another loud Naito chant. Naito held onto Okada’s wrist and hit several elbows to the neck and Okada went down. Naito lifted Okada up and hit several more elbows to the neck. The fans chanted for Naito as he stood over Okada. The Naito chants drowned out the Okada chants. Naito hit a dragonrana off the top and applied a neck submission. Kelly pointed out nobody had gone after Naito’s legs during the tournament which helped him use them to apply the submission on Okada’s neck. Okada struggled for a long time before getting to the ropes.

Naito followed up and hit Esperanza. Naito countered Okada and hit a DDT. He then hit Valencia for a near fall. He went up top for a Stardust Press, but Okada rolled out of the way. Both men were down as the 30 minute mark came and went. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick. Naito got a nearfall going for a tornado DDT into a pinning combination. The same move he used to beat Tanahashi earlier in the tournament. The fans chanted for Naito as he set up for Destino, but he ate a drop kick and a landslide Tombstone.

Both men traded finish counters and Okada hit a short arm Rainmaker. He went for another, but Naito got a pinning combination for a nearfall. Okada countered one Destino attempt, but Naito nailed him with a second attempt for a near fall. Okada blocked another Destino attempt and the for a Rainmaker, but Naito countered it into a Destino. Naito then hit The Rainmaker pose and hit Destino for the win.

WINNER: Tetsuya Naito in 35:15 to win G1 Climax 33 (****3/4).

(Radican’s Analysis: An amazing finale to a great two days in Sumo Hall. Naito dialed back the clock and had some of his best performances in ages during the last few nights of the tournament. Okada is left searching for answers after not only losing in the G1 Final, but also suffering his fourth loss of 2023.)

Okada’s quest for a three-peat is over. LIJ came out to join Naito. Naito has his hand raised and Okada was still down in the ring. Okada was finally helped to the back after Naito motioned for the young lions to take him away. Naito was presented with the G1 trophy and flag. Masahiro Chono presented Naito with the G1 flag. Naito then raised his first and Chono bumped fists with Naito. What a moment! They posted for a round of photos and then bumped fists again.

The fans started a loud chant for Naito and he grabbed the mic. He asked the fans if they enjoyed the tournament. He talked about how the tournament started on July 15 and thanked the people watching online and live in person. He thanked the fans in the building for being there. Naito said he lives in the now and he says he is the focal point right now. He said he would finish G1 with the biggest roll call of the summer. The fans chanted along as Naito ran down the names in LIJ. White confetti then rained down from the room as the fans chanted for Naito.

Naito posed with the trophy and flag, but was slow to rise from his knee. LIJ then came to the middle of the ring and they bumped fists. Naito went around the ring and soaked in the moment. He stopped to salute Tanahashi, who was on Japanese commentary.

Jeff Cobb confronted Naito backstage. Cobb beat Naito in block action. Cobb told Naito he has to clear that loss. Cobb said he challenged him for a match soon, but for now it was time for Naito to celebrate.

Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on X @SR_Torch

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CATCH UP ON THE PREVIOUS REPORT: NJPW G1 CLIMAX 33 – NIGHT 18 RESULTS (8/12): Lansdell’s results & analysis of semi-final round matches

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OR CHECK OUT PROWRESTLING.NET’S REPORT FOR ANOTHER VIEWPOINT: NJPW “G1 Climax 33 Night 19” results (8/13): Vetter’s review of Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in the tournament finals