Back on track! Here we are with another G1 Grumble covering nights 9 and 10 of the 26th installment of the New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Climax. We are officially past the halfway point with only 4 league matches remaining before the big final on August 14th. Lets see how things went down in the A and B Blocks over the past 2 days. A Block - Night 9Tanahashi Fights On! The comeback of Hiroshi Tanahashi continued with a win over Hirooki Goto. It took the Ace of NJPW 2 High Fly Flows to get the win in an even main event. Tanahashi and Goto now both have 2-3 records and have some catching up to do to reach the top of the pack. A Raging Bull Cannot Stop The Rainmaker. The fairytale story of Hiroyoshi Tenzan is dying, and the move he brought back to show he could still go is once again the cause of his downfall, as IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada stopped Tenzan from reaching the top rope to hit his moonsault with a big German suplex and the Rainmaker lariat to bring his record to 4-1, putting him joint top of the A Block. Okada seems to have taken his first night loss in his stride and is now putting together an impressive record and continues to be the favourite to be in the G1 final on August the 14th. King Kong Falls. The unbeaten run of Togi Makabe came to a sudden halt at the hands of Naomichi Marufuji, who now holds victories over the two front runners of the A Block, a point that should not be overlooked should the former GHC champion be nearing the top of the table come decision time. Marafuji held his own against the big man, going strike for strike in the early going before taking over in the end and hitting the Sliced Bread for the big win and the 2 points. Makabe still sits in joint first of A Block, but that could change on night 11 when he faces off against the other man with a 4-1 record, Okada. Bad Luck Cold Skull. Despite an impressive start to the tournament, SANADA has struggled to keep the momentum and it was more than evident here as he fell to the Underboss, Bad Luck Fale in what in hindsight was a one sided beat down. SANADA struggled to compete with the size and power of Fale, and despite dodging the Bad Luck Fall once, eventually was hit with the Grenade and the BLF, giving Fale the important 2 points. Destiny Calling. I don’t think its unfair to say that when looking at the line up, Tama Tonga was the one most saw taking the award for “better luck next time”, however in this match against Tomohiro Ishii, who I went into detail in in last nights G1 Grumble about why I think he is one of the best in New Japan, Tama Tonga showed the world he has what it takes to compete in the singles division. The match built at a solid pace built on Ishii’s power vs. Tonga’s speed and agility, ultimately coming down to his tenacity in hitting the Gun Stun on the third attempt while Ishii went for his Brainbuster, securing the win and making sure he wasn’t the only one without at least 4 points. The A Block currently looks like this… Makabe and Okada share the top spot and will face off on Night 11, while the rest of the group rests on 4 points with equal 2-3 records. The two to watch will be Marafuji, who noted earlier has victories over the two leaders, and Tanahashi who seems to be on the comeback trail, and while he does have a loss to Makabe, is yet to face Okada in what will not only be an important contest in the G1, but also a highly anticipated return of their long standing rivalry. B Block - Night 10My Destino Tetsuya Naito continued his path back to the IWGP Heavyweight title with a strong win over hardheaded Tomoaki Honma. The two brawled on the floor early while lead to the obliquity count out tease, from there Naito worked Honma’s leg with his array of submissions. Honma fought hard with a comeback, hitting the kokeshi and a sit-out piledriver, however it was all for naught as Naito hit the Destino for the win. A Bullet for the King of Darkness EVIL currently sits at the bottom of B Block, as the Cleaner, Kenny Omega, bounced back from his loss on Night 8 to defeat the King of Darkness in the second Bullet club vs. Los Ingobernables match of the two shows. The two traded moves for most of the contest, attempting steel chair attacks that missed before trading shots and suplexes until Omega blocked the STO and hit a reverse rana. From there it was only a matter of time as Kenny hit the One Winged Angel for the victory. Shenanigans > Strong Style. In a shock result, Katsuyori Shibata looked to make quick work of Toru Yano as he attacked the moment the bell sounded, but it didn’t take long for Yanos tricks to catch up with the serious competitor as he countered a sleeper into a pinning combination for the surprise win in a very short time. Shibata looked beside himself as he left the ring, and I’m sure whomever he comes up against next will feel his wrath. Blue Justice is Breakable, Elgin is not. Michael Elgin faced tough opposition from group leader and veteran Yugi Nagata. The two traded forearms early, which set the tone for a tough contest for the two, who both wore bandage and bruises from the tough tournament. Elgin would eventually get the better of the contest, hitting a buckle bomb and power bomb to get the victory. After the contest, the two shook hands in a great sign of respect. You also get the feeling that given more time and proper build, these two could have a classic. YOSHI-HASHIs time is now. YOSHI-HASHI may lack experience in singles competition, but it doesn’t show in this tournament, as he got another victory, this time over the impressive Pro-wresting NOAH competitor, Katsuhiko Nakajima. YH withstood the strong kicking game of Nakajima to hit a big lariat and Karma for a big win that puts him joint top of the B Block. The B Block table looks like this…. This block is still too close to call with 6 men sharing the top spot, so the next show or two should see some break away from the pack. EVIL needs to pick up some wins fast if he wants to be in contention. We at the Royal Grumble will be covering all the G1 action, You can also watch the whole G1 (with English commentary on the final 3 nights courtesy of Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino) on NJPWWorld.com, and the sign up instructions can be found here. Also, leave a comment on our Facebook/Twitter (links in the bar to your right). and as always, listen to the Royal Grumble every Sunday, straight to your podcast listening app via the links in the bar on the right, and on iTunes.
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