Okada, Ibushi seek third G1 Thursday night
Kazuchika Okada will meet Kota Ibushi in the G1 Climax 31 final on October 21, after a Rainmaker put away Jeff Cobb and bring an unprecedented end to his streak.
Okada went hard out of the blocks on Cobb, connecting early with his reverse neck breaker that seemed to catch the Imperial Unit flush, forcing diminished returns on his early offence. Yet a diminished Jeff Cobb proved to still be a very dangerous Jeff Cobb, and the Imperial Unit would down the Rainmaker with clubbing blows before standing atop his foe with a threatening glance directed at Shingo Takagi ringside.
As Cobb shook off early damage, a vertical Suplex and chained belly to belly throws punished Okada, whose attempts to fire up were met with more manhandling and a stampede into the corners before a back suplex; Okada mustering all he had to roll out the way of a standing Moonsault. A flapjack put Cobb down for longer though, and Okada picked up pace, a DDT planting the United Empire member to the mat for two. A missed charge to the corner and a drop kick put Cobb to the floor, only for a dive to be caught and turned to a devastating release suplex on the floor.
Cobb would try and use that momentum but Okada was able to fire off a shotgun drop kick from the hip. Going big, Okada hit a rope con giro to the floor, and then another shotgun blast and a top rope elbow saw the crowd treated to the Rainmaker Pose. Yet it wasn’t treated to the Rainmaker, the Spin Cycle catching the two time G1 winner instead. Cobb would counter another Rainmaker with a German Suplex, and when Okada thought Tombstone he was spiked with a pair in succession of Cobb’s own.
Okada desperately avoided the Tour as Cobb did the Rainmaker, a thunderous and desperate headbutt saving him from disaster, and a rising version putting Okada in grave danger on top. There Cobb hit his own drop kick, Okada’s knee wrenched on the top strand and allowing Cobb to set for a Super Tour of the Islands. Yet a miraculous DDT counter would ensue instead, and Okada would escape another Tour to hit a dropkick, the Landslide Tombstone and a Rainmaker for the win.
Both Okada and Ibushi will be looking to secure their third career G1s Thursday in the Budokan main event. Full cards will be announced early Thursday morning.
