A Block hits Kobe
Night four of the G1 Climax 31 campaign sees A Block in action in Kobe World Hall, with four block matches, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in a non title bout with Yuji Nagata and a special opening contest in store.
Main Event: Kota Ibushi (2-1) vs Zack Sabre Jr.(2-0)
Singles record: 5-2 Ibushi G1 record: 3-0 Ibushi 
The G1 has had its history of impressive win streaks, from the debut runs of Jon Moxley and KENTA to the dominance of Kenny Omega or Kazuchika Okada in opening phases of the tournament in years past. Yet it’s hard to recall a hotter start in the G1 than Zack Sabre Junior has experienced in his first two matches this year. After starting in Osaka with a submission that didn’t just tap out Tetsuya Naito, but put him out of the entire competition, Sabre moved to Ota ward, and vanquished 12 year old memories with a submission win over IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi.
With a statement made against the best of the best in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, ZSJ could almost justifiably rest on his laurels, but will instead be moving to dominate the entire field, and could well do so, especially if he were to submit Kota Ibushi. Since a blistering tapout victory over the Golden Star back in 2018’s New Japan Cup, Sabre has found Ibushi difficult to deal with more often than not, the two time G1 winner moving to a 5-2 record against Zack. Yet Ibushi’s own four points have come not from convincing submissions, but Naito’s forfeit and a very scrappy victory over Tomohiro Ishii that was more about survival than dominance. Should Ibushi have any issues in Kobe, they will be swiftly punished by Sabre, but this could also be where Ibushi reasserts his top flight status.
5th Match: Tomohiro Ishii (1-2) vs KENTA (2-1)
Singles record: 2-0 KENTA
Tomohiro Ishii heads into the third match of his campaign with two points, but without a victory to his name. Tetsuya Naito’s withdrawal has granted the Stone Pitball a win with a gigantic asterisk, and a man as proud as Ishii is will be doubly eager to defeat KENTA tonight.
Not that he needs any extra motivation. In August 2019, KENTA joined BULLET CLUB by turning his back on a tag team match with Ishii, leading to a NEVER Openweight Championship match at Royal Quest in London. The hard hitting bout would rattle the usually completely stoic Ishii and grant KENTA his first championship in New Japan. There followed a campaign of humiliation directed at the CHAOS member en route to a rematch that November at Power Struggle, one where Ishii once again fell short. Now Ishii is bound and determined to score his first singles win over his BULLET CLUB foe, and get his first official win of the G1 in the process.
4th Match: Toru Yano (2-1) vs Tanga Loa (1-1)
While Tanga Loa earned his own first career G1 points via forfeit, he had to work for his first win of the tour in Ota Thursday night, being pushed to the limit by Yuji Nagata who targeted the Silverback’s knees before Loa managed to find Apesh*t.
If Nagata had Loa working hard physically in the ring, Yano will be testing his mental acumen as the game of human chess will no doubt see a fair few sneaky maneuvers in Kobe. After beating KENTA in his first campaign match, can Yano make it two for two in BULLET CLUB members, or might it be Loa joining him on four points?
3rd Match: Great-O-Khan (3-0) vs Yujiro Takahashi (2-1)
The only man on six points in the tournament, Great-O-Khan sits alone on the top of the standings in A Block, and after finally getting revenge on Toru Yano for his shorn off braids from the New Japan Cup, is likely to be in high spirits tonight, post match low blow from Yano notwithstanding.
Tonight, O-Khan faces a Yujiro who has upset Kota Ibushi, and brought a surprisingly intense level of competition to KENTA in his two efforts to date. This will be no easy subjugation for O-Khan as he continues his campaign of dominance, but there exists a chance for O-Khan to move to end the first third of his campaign on eight points in a winnable environment.
2nd Match: Yuji Nagata vs Shingo Takagi
Originally scheduled for a long awaited LIJ derby against tetsuya Naito in Kobe, Shingo Takagi will be frustrated at Tetsuya Naito’s absence tonight, but will instead be looking for a fight against a man who is more than capable of bringing just that, Yuji Nagata. Nagata will have no doubt watched the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion submit to an armbreaker in Ota, and will likely target the weakened limb as he will make the Dragon work as hard as possible for the two points earned via forfeit tonight.
1st Match: Master Wato vs Kosei Fujita
The latest Young Lion test of the G1 tour will see Kosei Fujita hit the ring in the openeing match of the night against Master Wato. After being punished inside the ring and out by SHO, Wato will present a different kind of offense for Fujita to try and deal with in Kobe; can he impress the young master tonight?
