NJPW G1 Climax Night 12 Results – August 2, 2023
Location: Hiroshima Japan
Venue: Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
Champion vs. Champion Block D Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) vs. Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion Alex Coughlin (2)
Alex Coughlin charges through Hiroshi Tanahashi early on but Coughlin is taken into the corner as Tanahashi began to work over the left leg. Breaking free Coughlin returns with chops before he clotheslines Tanahashi to the outside into the rails before Coughlin slams Oskar Leube onto Tanahashi for good measure.
Back inside the ring Tanahashi fought back with a leaping forearm then with a slam and a flip senton out of the corner before Coughlin caught Tanahashi and spun him into a backbreaker then a sidewalk slam next but Tanahashi is able to sneak in a Twist & Shout then a Slingblade.
A reverse Slingblade facebuster keeps Coughlin down for a two count before Tanahashi headed up top but Ace’s High is caught and turned into a bridging fallaway slam for a near fall.
Tanahashi gets caught with a Death Valley Driver & it gets a near fall before Coughlin overpowered a cradle and turns it into a Jackhammer for the win.
Winner: Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion Alex Coughlin (4) (8:50)
Rate: 6
Block C Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
Mikey Nicholls (2) vs. Evil (8)
Evil attacks Mikey Nicholls in the aisle before the bell and Evil with a t shirt choke before Nicholls hits a stalling suplex before Dick Togo trips up Nicholls in the ropes & it leads to things spilling outside as Evil wipes out the ring announcer.
They head into the crowd as Nicholls got flung through some chairs which led to a count out tease but Nicholls beats it but he gets caught in a abdominal stretch then Nicholls nails Evil with a clothesline in the corner before Dick Togo hops up on the apron and had Evil thrown into him.
Nicholls with a Death Valley Driver and a sliding lariat gets a two count before Evil tries to cause a ref bump. The ref cowers but Nicholls gets a knee up to block a low blow attempt before we finally got the ref bump then Dick Togo hit the ring as Nicholls gets double teamed ahead of a fist drop to the balls.
The referee returns to count a near fall from that then got bumped again as more double teaming laid out Nicholls so Kosei Fujita has had enough and jumps into the ring to break up Magic Killer before Nicholls rolls up Evil for the win.
Winner: Mikey Nicholls (4) (9:40)
Rate: 5
Block D Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
Toru Yano (2) vs. Shane Haste (4)
Haste must win or he’s mathematically eliminated.
Toru Yano tries to give Shane Haste the blindfold as a present as long he could try out Haste’s hat but Yano pulls the blindfold over Haste and rolls him up for a two count so Haste does the same for a 2 count.
Yano tries to slingshot Haste into the exposed corner but ends up running into the buckles himself before bopping Haste’s head then a dropkick takes Yano to the outside for respite which led to a delayed chase as Yano tried to hide some freeze spray so Haste covers up as Yano scurried under the ring with Haste & Kosei Fujita joining him.
We hear banging noises before Yano rolled out unscathed and heads back into the ring. Fujita’s out next with the blindfold on while Haste has a bucket taped over his head so Haste makes it back into the ring, and gets his bucket slap as Yano pratted around but Haste is able to find a way in with uppercuts.
Yano throws the ref at Haste & he is stop from doing anything silly by Kosei Fujita so Yano then goes for a low blow but it’s blocked as a clothesline from Haste gets a near fall. Haste hulks up and rips off the bucket only to put it over the ref’s head as a low blow and a spear allowed Yano to roll him up for the win.
Winner: Toru Yano (4) (6:09) (Since Haste lost he is mathematically eliminated)
Rate: 4
Block C Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Tomohiro Ishii (2) vs. Henare (2)
Match starts off with shoulder tackles as Tomohiro Ishii looked to be stunned early on before we reached a stand off before we get another shoulder tackle takes down Ishii but he quickly got up to trade strikes ahead of Henare’s back senton then kicks keep Ishi down to a knee only for Ishii to attack Henare’s knee.
A shoulder tackle out of the corner bounced Henare to the mat as did a suplex before headbutts wore down Henare’s shoulder before Henare rips off his KT tape then nails Ishii with a spinning heel kick to end another exchange of fire the we get some body blows follow from Henare as he took Ishii into the corner following with a Berzerker Bomb off the ropes for a near fall.
Ishii pops up after he took a PK as he nails Henare with a forearm then follows up with the rapid fire elbows until he was stop with a gut punch in return before a springboard enziguiri out of the corner drops Ishii before he came back with a German suplex then a clothesline for a 2 count.
Henare avoids a sliding lariat and returned with a Samoan Drop only to get met with an enziguiri moments later. Ishii hits the ropes and spun Henare down with another lariat for a near fall then Henare hits Ishii with an elbow to the head then a short range knee strike.
Henare hits Rampage for a near fall before he locks in Ultima before a uranage sees Henare pick up another two count following that up with the step up knee in the corner before a Streets Of Rage attempt was block.
Ishii’s right back in with a headbutt then adds a sliding lariat for a 2 count before a hook kick from Henare and a headbutt left Ishii laying before drilling him to the mat with Streets Of Rage for the win.
Winner: Henare (4) (14:21)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
Block D Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
IWGP Tag Team Champion Hirooki Goto (4) vs. Jeff Cobb (8)
Goto must win or he’s mathematically eliminated.
Hirooki Goto gets nail with an shoulder block as his attempts to overpower Jeff Cobb fails before Goto is able to reply with a kick to Cobb but Cobb’s able to return with a leaping uppercut into the corner then a leaping shoulder tackle as Goto heads outside for respite.
Cobb stays on Goto by connecting with a throat thrust before catching Goto’s spinning heel kick into the corner.
A slam for a two count before he misses a standing moonsault then a clothesline from Goto helps him chip away at Cobb while a sleeper hold brought Cobb only for a follow up PK to be caught as Cobb got back up and took Goto down with a dropkick.
Cobb keeps going with a Spin Cycle and a standing moonsault for a pair of two counts before Goto looks to go for an ushigoroshi then a 2nd attempt lands before Goto headbutted away a Tour Of The Islands as he hits Code Red gets a 2 count before GTR follows gets the win.
Winner: IWGP Tag Team Champion Hirooki Goto (6) (11:33)
Rate: 7
Non Title Block C Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston (6) vs. Tama Tonga (7)
Match starts off with a lock up before Eddie Kingston ends up in the corner as the referee eventually splits them then Kingston has more luck with a side headlock as he clinging on as Tonga tries to push away before Kingston’s chop prompted Tonga to take off his vest.
More chops follow but Tonga replies with a forearm as elbows to the nose of Kingston had him rocked then kicks keep Kingston by the ropes but he replies with a suplex before some elbows takes Kingston to the corner ahead of a Stinger splash.
A 2nd one misses though with Kingston returning with some chops and a flying shoulder tackle off the middle rope. Tonga hits back with a flying neckbreaker off the middle rope then SRC follow by Supreme Flow but he crashes and burns as Kingston rolls away.
Kingston took over with some elbows before an exploder looked to cut off Kingston offence except he replies with one of his own then a Saito suplex to remain in front. Kingston goes for Backfist To The Future but Tonga blocks it and hits Tongan Twist for a near fall.
A 2nd Saito suplex rocks Tonga then wipes out with Backfist To The Future for a 2 count as Tonga looks to hit Gun Stun but another Backfist To The Future follows then plants Tonga with Northren Lights Bomb gets the victory.
Winner: Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston (8) (11:39)
Rate: 7
Non Title Block D Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr (8) vs. Tetsuya Naito (6)
Zack Sabre Jr trips up Tetsuya Naito as he wound up for a taunt before stopping to do a roly poly in the middle of the ring. ZSJ & Naito jockey over a Cobra Twist as Naito eventually took ZSJ outside with a Tijeras before stopping to pose in the middle of the ring.
Naito heads outside but baits ZSJ with him as he sends him into the guard rails before he gets drop over the gate with a neckbreaker before a 2nd neckbreaker follows on the floor before ZSJ kicks away Naito’s arm to break up a submission attempt then drops down for a cross armbar that ends in the ropes.
ZSJ stays on the arm by hammerlocking it then twisting it between his legs before an overhead kick to the arm’s missed as Naito went back to the neckbreaker then took ZSJ into the corner for a Combinacion Cabron then a grounded leg nelson has ZSJ in trouble but he makes it to the ropes.
A trip up top sees ZSJ take control of Naito’s arm once again this time with a hanging armbar in the corner before Naito fought back with a spinebuster then elbows to the neck drops ZSJ ahead of a running Destino but ZSJ is not staying down after one of those prompting Naito to take him back into the corner only for ZSJ to counter Esperanza into a trapped arm armbar.
ZSJ switches between holds which allowed Naito to head into the ropes for a break as Naito fights back but the jackknife cover see saws as ZSJ nearly snatched the win before a Zack Driver is countered into a Destino then a 2nd Destino follows but this time ZSJ counters it into Zack Driver.
Both men remain down as they looked to regain their composure & that leads to ZSJ lands some uppercuts and a swinging DDT out of the corner before a Valentia from Naito stops ZSJ in his tracks as both men looked for the finish but Naito fakes out a tornado DDT turning it into an inside cradle for the win.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito (8) (18:30)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
Non Title Block C Match Of The 2023 G1 Climax
NEVER Openweight Champion David Finlay (8) vs. Shingo Takagi (5)
Takagi must win or he’s mathematically eliminated.
Match starts off with a lock up into the ropes then David Finlay swings for Shingo Takagi but he ducks away. Finlay pulls the hair as Takagi went for a shoulder tackle but ends up on the mat before they end up on the outside as Finlay grabs a table from under the ring.
Takagi gets thrown into the table then had to grab the guard rails to prevent a suplex only for Finlay to suplex him onto the floor instead after a switcheroo. Back inside the ring headbutts and boots leave Takagi laying in the corner before Finlay cut off Takagi’s jabs by going for the hair.
Elbows and a clothesline take Finlay down though while a handful of hair helps Takagi toss Finlay across the ring then Finlay gets taken down with a suplex for a two count afterwards before a Takagi combination ends with a DDT and a sliding lariat.
Heading to the outside Takagi teases a Death Valley Driver onto the apron but Finlay stops it, but ends up getting drag onto the apron as the table was again teased only for Finlay to powerbomb Takagi through it.
Finlay with middle fingers to the crowd as he waited to take a count out win but Takagi beats the count but couldn’t avoid a Blue Thunder Bomb as Finlay picks up a near fall before a sliding lariat to the back of the head gets a near fall as well before Takagi struck back with the Noshigami.
Takagi with a superplex before Made In Japan was block as Finlay counter by hanging up Takagi into the ropes then Finlay with a sit out Dominator but gets a 2 count then he adds a clothesline off the ropes before Into Oblivion was countered into a Ground Cobra.
Finlay kicks out then hits a uranage backbreaker before a swinging backbreaker gets a another two count. Finlay going for another powerbomb but Takagi withstands it and found a way back in with Made In Japan for a near fall.
Elbows from Takagi before Finlay hits a spear follow by a powerbomb before he adds another powerbomb before a sliding elbow counters Into Oblivion then Takagi nails Finlay with Last Of The Dragon scores the win.
Winner: Shingo Takagi (7) (18:45)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
Block C & D Standings After Night 12
Block C
1st Place- NEVER Openweight Champion David Finlay, Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston & Evil (8 Points) (4-2)
2nd Place- Tama Tonga & Shingo Takagi (7 Points) (3-2-1)
3rd Place- Aaron Henare & Mikey Nicholls (4 Points) (2-4) (Eliminated)
Last Place- NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Tomohiro Ishii (2 Points) (1-5) (Eliminated)
Block D
1st Place- Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr, Jeff Cobb & Tetsuya Naito (8 Points) (4-2)
2nd Place- NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi & IWGP Tag Team Champion Hirooki Goto (6 Points) (3-3)
Last Place- Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion Alex Coughlin, Shane Haste & Toru Yano (4 Points) (2-4) (Eliminated)
