July 29, 2023 / By mobanmarket
Kazuchika Okada faces Will Ospreay today in G1 Climax 33 B Block action in a rematch of last year's G1 finals.
Okada holds a 7-1 career singles record against Ospreay, and a win would lock Okada into the eight-man playoffs round.
In the semi-main, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA can also guarantee a spot in the playoffs round with a win over Ren Narita.
Today's full lineup:
B Block: Kazuchika Okada (4-0, 8 points) vs. Will Ospreay (3-1, 6 points)A Block: SANADA (4-0, 8 points) vs. Ren Narita (0-2-2, 2 points)B Block: KENTA (2-2, 4 points) vs. El Phantasmo (1-3, 2 points)A Block: Yota Tsuji (1-2-1, 3 points) vs. Hikuleo (1-3, 2 points)B Block: Great-O-Khan (1-3, 2 points) vs. Tanga Loa (1-3, 2 points)A Block: Kaito Kiyomiya (2-1-1, 5 points) vs. Gabe Kidd (2-2, 4 points)B Block: Taichi (2-2, 4 points) vs. YOSHI-HASHI (2-2, 4 points)A Block: Chase Owens (2-2, 4 points) vs. Shota Umino (1-1-2, 4 points)
Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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Recommended Matches
Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Gabe Kidd – Even if the War Dog run-in is a bit repetitive, it has worked wonders in this tournament. This match played perfectly into the structure of the G1 and both men's strengths—my favorite match of the tournament.Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay – This match was exactly what you would expect from this pair in this format. In effect, this was a big-time main event with two of the most important wrestlers in New Japan condensed into the G1 package. There is no doubt in my mind that this match will have a lasting impact.
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Shota Umino defeated Chase Owens
This match featured a lot of outside scrambles and slow mat work. The highlight of the match was also the finish, when Shota escaped the package piledriver, beautifully reversing into the Death Rider to secure the win.
With this win, Shota stays competitive, moving up to 6 points.
Taichi defeated YOSHI-HASHI
This was a strike-heavy encounter, with almost all exchanges being strike based before the closing stretch. In the closing minutes, they graduated to throws, suplexes, and power moves. Taichi won out in the end, hitting Black Mephisto to secure the pin.
This win leaves Taichi with 6 points, keeping him in solid playoff contention.
Double Count Out: Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Gabe Kidd
This match was excellent. Kidd, in War Dog fashion, brutally attacked Kaito before the bout, setting Kaito up for a match full of sympathy building—something no one is better at. Kaito answered violence with violence, leading to passionate exchanges in and out of the ring. In the end, the fight wouldn't end in the ring, as neither man was willing to back down from a brawl on the outside, leading to a double count out. Even after the bell, the pair brawled for minutes, forcing an army of ring crew to break them up and carry Kaito to the back.
This draw leaves both men in the upper-middle of A block—Kaito with 6 points, Kidd with 5.
Tanga Loa defeated Great-O-Khan
O-Khan controlled a lot of this match by working over Loa's legs. Loa answered by getting on his feet, launching a comeback, and hitting a reverse piledriver to win.
Loa's win keeps him alive theoretically with 4 points. This loss eliminates O-Khan from playoff contention.
Hikuleo defeated Yota Tsuji
This match was fairly interesting on a structural level. This could've been a typical big man vs. big man match, but instead, Tsuji wrestled as much like a junior as possible while still utilizing his power. Hikuleo ultimately answered with a wicked boot, a scoop slam, and a chokeslam to win the match.
Hikuleo barely stays alive with this win, sitting in the lower end of viability with 4 points.
El Phantasmo defeated KENTA
KENTA tried icing out ELP before the match could begin, but ELP followed him to the floor, leading to extended fighting on the ground. In the bleachers, KENTA drew color from ELP. The pair used weapons, with KENTA gaining significant advantage. The match finally started once KENTA rolled ELP into the ring. KENTA tried for a GTS, but ELP reversed into a pin, stealing the win.
Although he's out of contention, this win gets ELP on the board with his first 2 points.
SANADA defeated Ren Narita
This was a fairly stale back-and-forth match. There were a few exciting moments, especially during transitions, but in the end, they were sparse. Narita got a lot of control time in the match, but in the end, SANADA won with Deadfall.
This win makes SANADA the first man to qualify for the second phase, standing tall with 10 points.
Will Ospreay defeated Kazuchika Okada
Okada was stoic in his approach, especially early, while Ospreay threw everything at the wall from the open. The mid-to-late match came quickly, with both men hurling bombs as soon as it was viable. Okada focused heavily on wear-down moves, such as the money clip, while Ospreay tried for match-enders like the OsCutter. The closing five minutes were filled with false finishes and giant transitions of momentum. Ultimately, Ospreay was able to finish the job, hitting storm breaker to win the match.
This win leaves Ospreay tied in points with Okada on top of B block. Both men sit with 8 points.
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Standings
A Block
SANADA (4-0) – 8 points)Shota Umino (2-1-2) – 6 pointsKaito Kiyomiya (2-1-2) – 6 pointsGabe Kidd (2-2-1) 5 pointsChase Owens (2-3) – 4 pointsHikuleo (2-3) – 4 pointsYota Tsuji (1-3-1) – 3 pointsRen Narita (0-2-2) – 2 points
B Block
Kazuchika Okada (4-1) – 8 pointsWill Ospreay (4-1) 8 pointsTaichi (3-2) – 6 pointsYOSHI-HASHI (2-3) – 4 pointsKENTA (2-3) 4 pointsTanga Loa (2-3) 4 pointsGreat-O-Khan (1-4) 2 pointsEl Phantasmo (1-3) 2 points
C Block
David Finlay (3-1) – 6 pointsEVIL (3-1) – 6 pointsTama Tonga (3-1) – 6 pointsEddie Kingston (2-2) – 4 points
Shingo Takagi (2-2) – 4 pointsHENARE (1-3) – 2 pointsMikey Nicholls (1-3) – 2 pointsTomohiro Ishii (1-3) – 2 points
D Block
Jeff Cobb (4-0) – 8 pointsZack Sabre Jr. (3-1) – 6 pointsHirooki Goto (2-2) – 4 pointsHiroshi Tanahashi (2-2) – 4 pointsTetsuya Naito (2-2) – 4 points
Shane Haste (2-2) – 4 pointsAlex Coughlin (1-3) – 2 pointsToru Yano (0-4) – 0 pointsClick Here: Alpine Racing Suit
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