Naito tops B Block after Okayama action.

Okayama’s ZIP Arena saw B Block take to the ring for the sixth time on October 8, the middle stretch of the G1 coming to an end and a corner turned into the final third of the campaign. At night’s end, Tetsuya Naito sat on the top of the B Block rankings with ten points, while YOSHI-HASHI remained at two at the bottom. 

Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI was the first block match of the evening, YOSHI-HASHI needing to improve on his two points to have any hope of contention in the final week. The two men battled for control with headlocks exchanged early, before Goto got the upper hand with a shoulder tackle and strikes in the corner. There was no love lost for YOSHI-HASHI to his friend and NEVER 6-Man championship partner though, targeting the injured left shoulder of Goto. 

Gutting through a short arm scissors and some harsh strikes, Goto hit a backdrop suplex to get space and somewhat of an upper hand. With the injury still affecting him though, YOSHI-HASHI was easily able to stall Goto’s subsequent momentum, hitting a Headhunter before following with wild chops, only to charge into a desperation Ushigoroshi. 

Goto tried to misdirect YOSHI-HASHI as both men ran the ropes, but when the Headhunter read Goto’s lariat, the recoil stunned Goto and YOSHI-HASHI closed on victory with a Dragon suplex and double knees. The Butterfly Lock followed, with a lung blower and Kumagoroshi finding their mark when Goto refused to submit. 

Goto rolled through on a Karma attempt from YOSHI-HASHI though, and delivered GTW to his partner. Battling to their feet, the two combatants traded forearms with YOSHI-HASHI having the clear edge in strength in his right arm, and a lariat put Goto down. There Goto did not stay, as slaps and a brutal kick preceded a GTR for the win. 

Toru Yano and Zack Sabre Jr. were next to the ring, Yano promising a ‘clean fight’ as he rid himself of the sticky accoutrements in his ring gear. Indeed, Yano and ZSJ engaged in an impressive grappling display at the start of the match, before Yano adopted an amateur all fours position to challenge Sabre. 

When ZSJ responded in kind, Yano went for the corner pad instead and the pace quickened, the two men battling for an abdominal stretch before a ground Octopus by Sabre almost got three. Both men battled outside where ZSJ tasted the guardrail, and the clean fight promise went out the window for Yano; the producer procured a chair and some tape at ringside, using the two to bind the tag champion to the guardrail. 

Still attached to the chair, Sabre barely broke the referee’s 20 count, before being freed by the official. Yano’s apology rang hollow as he tried to sabotage ZSJ, hitting a belly to belly suplex and again sending his opponent outside. This time it was Sabre with the tactical edge, catching Yano with an ankle lock and dragging him to the back before sprinting to the ring to produce another near-20 count.  

The hobbled Yano took the corner pad off and used it for leverage to nearly score flash pinfall victory, countering Sabre when he tried to respond in kind with a three quarter Nelson for two. Running out of tricks, Yano tried to kick Sabre low, again getting caught with a heel hook and figure four for the ZSJ victory. 

KENTA set the pace in his match with SANADA early, tossing his busted US Championship briefcase in the air to distract Cold Skull long enough to go on the offensive. Choosing to target SANADA’s neck, KENTA delivered elbows and knees to the back of the neck and head to frequently slow the LIJ member when he tried to free himself from headscissors and headlocks until a backdrop finally found SANADA some time to recover. 

Gaining in momentum, SANADA put KENTA in the Paradise Lock as the Okayama crowd came alive at the five minute mark, but an eye rake and powerslam prevented a TKO follow up. Again taking firm control of the match pace, KENTA cut SANADA off as he attempted a dive, and landed Green Killer for two, a closer near fall coming from a double stomp to SANADA. 

KENTA went for the kill, attempting Go2Sleep and then transitioning into a Game Over  attempt when SANADA got free. Not able to secure the hold, KENTA went on the run but was caught by a SANADA TKO. When SANADA went for the Skull End however, KENTA pushed free, sending his opponent into the referee, and making opportunity knock on the red US briefcase; a wild swing though, and SANADA dropkicked the case into KENTA’s face. 

SANADA wanted the Moonsault to follow, but only found KENTA’s knees. When KENTA tried to follow with Go2Sleep once more, SANADA had the presence to counter, and after a series of roll-ups, the O’Connor Bridge led to three. 

Juice Robinson was next up, hoping that his losses to Tanahashi and EVIL wouldn’t turn into a slump against Tetsuya Naito. After some showmanship from both men in conducting the crowd’s applause, the two finally locked up, Robinson breaking a deadlock with a Russian legsweep and senton sending Naito to the floor, where guardrails presented a cold welcome.

Naito caught a break back inside, throwing Robinson off with a Tijeras. This time it was Juice bouncing off the outside steel. Finding his familiar target in his opponent’s neck, Naito mocked Juice as the applied his leg full Nelson, and remained in full control with a cravate and back elbows.

Robinson prevented a Naito neckbreaker however, and landed a spinebuster to put Naito down at the ten minute mark. Feeling the match swing his way, Juice connected with a DDT, but a top rope follow-up was misjudged, Naito connecting with a basement dropkick. Again pursuing the neck, Naito rolled himself into Pluma Blanca and tried to land Gloria, but Robinson again dug deep for a counter, a Full Nelson Slam and Cannonball finding their mark.

Robinson took Naito upstairs as the match passed 15 minutes, looking for a superplex, which connected, and led to a Jackhammer for two. Robinson couldn’t get Pulp Friction though, and a Juice Box attempt was countered with a devastating poison rana by Naito. A top rope Frankensteiner followed for Naito, who tried to finish Robinson with Destino, but got caught with a powerbomb instead. 

Naito and Robinson mocked one another as they fought to their feet, and Juice once again closed in on victory. Pulp Friction still didn’t connect though, and a Destino counter was followed by the full version to set Naito clear at the top of the table with ten points. 

Hiroshi Tanahashi took control of EVIL early as the main event got underway, wrenching in a tight side headlock and keeping the King of Darkness grounded. A clear advantage in the early stages was always going to incur the interference of Dick Togo ringside however, and an assault to take Tanahashi to the floor was quickly capitalized on. EVIL swung for the fences with a chair around Tanahashi’s neck, and then droped Yota Tsuji on the pile to add insult to the Ace’s injury. 

  EVIL used all the tricks in the book to keep control of Tanahashi, with an exposed steel turnbuckle doing further damage, but Tanahashi was able to find a Dragon Screw and somersault senton for two. EVIL’s own wrestling ability is as effective as ever though, and a huge German suplex and Fisherman’s Buster killed Tanahashi’s momentum and got two counts for the BULLET CLUB member. 

EVIL tried to follow with a Darkness Scorpion, instead settling on a painful yank of the Ace’s ear when Tanahashi attempted to counter with a Cloverleaf. Shooting Tanahashi into the ropes only succeeded in a baseball slide to Togo though, and Tanahashi landed a Dragon Screw through the ropes before locking in an agonising Texas Cloverleaf. 

EVIL showed power and guts in reaching the ropes to break the hold, and cowardice in attempting a low blow afterward; Tanahashi blocked the blow but had no way of avoiding a shot into the exposed buckle. EVIL pushed the advantage, misdirection in the ropes resulting in a ring shaking lariat.

Digging deep, Tanahashi prevented EVIL, and countered Darkness Falls with a Slingblade at the 15 minute mark. As Tsuji at ringside held Dick Togo back, a High Fly Attack connected to the King of Darkness, and Tanahashi looked to finish his second BULLET CLUB member off in a row with the Texas Cloverleaf, sitting back into the hold, only to find EVIL pulling the ref away as Togo got free and hit the ring with his steel wire. 

Tanahashi worked free and landed two more Slingblades for a nearfall; a High Fly Flow was set to finish the match before Togo tossed a chair at the Ace, and then crotched Tanahashi on the top rope. Making good on the recovery time, EVIL came up to meet Tanahashi and land a huge superplex, and then Darkness Falls. Tanahashi still refused to stay down for three as the crowd rallied behind the Ace, but they were suddenly silenced when EVIL landed for the pinfall win.