Naito secures third trophy
Six years to the day after he last won the G1 Climax, and in the first summer G1 final in Ryogoku since August 13 2017, Tetsuya Naito claimed the G1 Climax 33 trophy.
The deafening Ryogoku crowd chanted firmly for Naito at the sound of the bell as both men offered a cautious start, a clean break from Naito on the ropes not reciprocated by Okada shortly after. The pace quickened and Okada found himself on the outside falling victim to Naito’s signature mind games, the LIJ man posing in the ring rather than diving through the ropes. Back in the ring Okada was able to catch Naito with a flapjack, following up with a basement dropkick to continue the assault on Naito’s already weakened face and head.
Okada escalated matters dramatically, moving to the ring apron to deliver a deadly DDT directly on the top of Naito’s head before mercilessly whipping his opponent into the steel barrier. Returning to the ring before the count of twenty, Naito suffered another DDT but fought back, successive neckbreakers and an arm-drag down onto the knee grinding Okada’s neck. Heading back to the outside Naito continued his surgical ruin of the Rainmaker’s neck with a menacing neckbreaker over the steel barrier gate, Okada barely able to break the referee’s twenty count.
Able to land his own neckbreaker, Okada was finally able to create some distance, recovering enough to land a sensational dropkick and send Naito tumbling off of the top rope to the floor. A neck-for-a-neck, Okada drove El Ingobernable down head-first yet again with a Tombstone Piledriver on the floor. The action back in the centre of the ring Okada flung Naito high with a German suplex and followed up with a spinning Rainmaker and dropkick.
Back on his feet and defiant as always, Naito spat in Okada’s face and unleashed a vicious swinging DDT; holding onto the wrist the LIJ member hammered down endless forearms to the side of the defending G1 champion’s head and neck. From the top rope Naito dazzled with a frankensteiner before locking in Pluma Blanca, Okada trapped in the centre of the ring and almost losing consciousness but ultimately able to reach the ropes. Esperanza landed true and the Valentia follow up almost earned Naito the victory.
Firmly in control, Naito looked to his past to make his future shine bright by heading to the top rope, but his Stardust Press attempt was narrowly avoided by Okada. The unforced error from Naito allowed Okada to return fire with a shotgun dropkick, however the quick-thinking Naito almost captured victory through his swinging DDT roll-up. As El Ingobernable sought Destino, he instead found himself victim to a dropkick and Landslide, Okada then unleashing a short-arm lariat. Counters on counters as both men sought to execute their best, Naito came out on top with a Destino but Okada raised his shoulder off the mat before the three count, immediately hitting back with another Landslide but Naito retaliated with yet another Destino.
A mountain of damage done to the neck, and two successive Destinos already hit, Tetsuya Naito hit a third and final Destino to defeat Kazuchika Okada and win the G1 Climax for a third time.
Backstage, Jeff Cobb would be quick to remind Naito of his victory on the opening night of the tournament, and asked to challenge ‘soon’. What will happen next? The answer, according to Naito is ‘tranquilo’.
