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3 Points That Led to Wrexham’s Promotion
Wrexham’s story is absolutely incredible. Wrexham won their Promotion over the weekend and I am here to break down the 3 points that led to Wrexham getting here.
Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney Buy Club for 2.5 Million
For 14 years the Red Dragons of Wales have seen their franchise diminish to the depths of the lowest tier in the English Football League & have fought through hard times. They have had bad teams, a crooked owner, and a diminishing stadium with so much history they wanted to savor it but couldn’t since no one owned it.
That all changed when American Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came in and decided to buy the team and change the culture and way of thinking for the team to give the franchise back to the people in Wales. They hired a new coach, brought in advisors, brought in star power and finally got the stadium deed back to start renovating the stadium. Fans are invested again and the whole purpose of everything was to give back to the town what it was missing which was a competitive Futbol team. All it took was 2 years for these 2 to make a difference not just for the club but the whole city.
Hiring Phil Parkinson
The first tactical move the new owners made was to appoint Phil Parkinson as the new coach of the Club. He has had experience managing teams like Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers, & Sunderland. He is great with the players, knows how to manage a Club, and has that no-nonsense mentality when dealing with different talents. To this day he is the only Manager ever to lead a fourth-tier club to the Finals of a major cup competition.
He led then Bradford City to the 2013 League Cup finals at Wembley Stadium. He has been very savvy through the years in finding ways to get ahead of the curve when it comes to tactical preparation. With Wrexham, he has done more by trusting the talent on the pitch and having them play in the moment rather than sticking to long pass or short pass style playing. Having guys like Ollie Palmer to focus on defense and Paul Mullins to focus on offense has allowed him to focus on the rest of the team figuring out who fits where and what to do in the center of the pitch. It took a half-season of frustration in year 1 for him to figure things out and since then it’s been off to the races since. Even though this man has been the head of 4-5 different clubs over his time as a manager, this may be one of his best jobs, especially considering how the team was when he took over. And the job was done in two years, winning first place and being promoted out of the National and into the English League.
Signing Paul Mullins
“Super” Paul Mullins was the signing that defined the team’s direction when new ownership took over. A guy that would come in and be a scorer and threat at the top to alleviate the pressures of the team to make life easier for others on the pitch, the manager, and the fans. In 2 years with Wrexham, he has had 64 goals which top his mark over the past 7 years combined and has become a cult hero in the community.
Fans cheer Super Paul Mullins chants through pregame and during the match & everyone wants to wear his jersey. It’s the passion and the grit he showcases that make the team step up their game and gets the fans going crazy. He is a diamond in the rough that this team can rely on to keep trekking up the leagues to get to the goal of making it to the Premier League. For example this past Saturday in the 3-1 win over Boreham Wood, it was Mullins who netted the last 2 goals of the game to put the Red Dragons up for good to guarantee the move up to the League Two Division.
This Club has defied all the odds over a two-year stretch and continues to take the journey up the ladder. What are your thoughts on this team’s future and will they ever make it to the Premier League? Make your voices heard!!!
Messi’s Impact on the MLS
It’s been only a few weeks since Lionel Messi debuted in Major League Soccer and the money and publicity on him have been well worth it for the league.
After his breathtaking winner against Cruz Azul, the 36-year-old scored three consecutive doubles to fire Miami into the last eight, including a late equalizer in Sunday’s win over Dallas.
Once again Messi struck gold from a free kick, curling the ball into the top-right corner to make it 4-4 and send the game to extra-time. In penalty kicks he put one past the goalie to help Inter Miami move on to the next round and make it to the final 8. This is a team that before Messi took over the reins as Vet they were dead last and on the way to an early offseason. They still need to showcase improvement in real league play but if the league cup shows us anything it is that Messi is the phenom we expected him to continue to be.
The only players to have scored more than Messi are Gonzalo Higuain (29), and current Inter players Leo Campana (16) and Robert Taylor (8).
Messi has breathed new life into a franchise that had been struggling earlier in the season, and his country believes the United States now has an alien in its presence.
Looking into his impact from a viewer standpoint, all you need to know is that when he was signed all teams paused their ticket sales for Inter Miami games, and In the debut match at home stars like Lebron James were out in Miami to catch Messi do his thing. He’s going to pack seats in every stadium and every team’s revenue is going to benefit from him being here. Every ticket has also risen 3-5 times as much for his games as they originally were before he was announced. More revenue means more chances at growth and more growth means the success of MLS and its partnership with Apple will continue to occur.
Last night the most googled thing in the world was Lionel Messi and MLS and we are getting the feeling now that the MLS is taking it all in. There are talks to doing promotion and relegation in the US to continue to grow the popularity of the sport here and the League has become very popular in the summer months to casuals who normally didn’t watch before but now have a reason to get into it. Sometimes you have to overpay to get what you need and even if Lionel Messi’s play doesn’t translate for the entirety of his contract, the small sample size of his play and effect on the league has been well worth the price of admission.
Now is the time to become a fan because before you know it the League is going to be booming on all cylinders. All Hail Lionel Messi!!!
Ngannou Knows His Worth: Francis Ngannou Signs with PFL
After a long 5-month free agency period Francis Ngannou, the UFC Heavyweight Champion, has found his new home. The Predator will be taking his talents to the PFL where he will set a new standard for fighter pay, which has been a talk of concern when it comes to the UFC. The Pro Fighters League signed him to what is called an Exclusive Global MMA Strategic Partnership.
On his Podcast, DCRC, Daniel Cormier made this statement on what this means for the sport:
“I want to make sure that we communicate to the world that this is not a normal situation. We’re talking about the Heavyweight Champion. You always knew that if anyone was going to set the standard for what is out there as a free agent, it was gonna be Francis. The moment he announced that he was gonna be moving on, you knew that the standard and the bar was going to be set by Francis.”
He added:
“Any athlete can’t just be like, ‘I’m going to go and do something different because Francis Ngannou did something different.’ They have to have leverage. Ultimately, that leverage that Francis had was winning that fight in Anaheim and beating Ciryl Gane, and walking away with the championship. He used it to try to accomplish something good.”
That leverage has led to wanting to give himself the opportunity to do whatever he can without the constraints of the UFC having the final say over him. He wants to be an actor, he wants to do a few boxing exhibitions in which he’s in talks with Deontay Wilder as we speak, and overall he just wants to broaden his horizons. All of that while still fighting on his terms and for the pay he feels he deserves to make. One of the perks of his signing with the PFL that made him proud was being named PFL Africa Chairman and Minority Equity Owner. This means he also gets the chance to make an impact on the recruitment level.
Just like in boxing where walls needed to be broken down to get fighters more pay and more recognition, MMA is at the start of that tug of war and Ngannou is the first huge domino that will create that movement.
Here are all the details of Francis Ngannou’s signing with the PFL:
- He will fight in the Super Fight Division as a marquee name.
- Any opponent he faces will make no less than $2 million for the fight.
- Free to expand to boxing, acting, and other ventures.
- Split of the events profits he fights on along with a guaranteed 7 figure fight purse.
- Right to use own sponsors in the cage
Time will tell how this partnership/signing will go but at least this will be a move in the right direction for MMA fighters as a whole to step out and know their worth. Let’s see what the next pieces in the puzzle do. As Bruce Buffer always says, “Itsssssss Timmeee”
Cage’s Bet Slip | Week 14 Slate
Houston Texans vs New York Jets 1pm
Texans -3.5 Spread -150
Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers 4:25pm
Chargers over TT (23.5)
Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles 8:20pm
Eagles over TT (23.5)
Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/9/23
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool 7:30am
Liverpool over 1.5 TT
Borussia Dorthmund vs RB Leipzig 12:30pm
Both Teams to Score 1st Half +240
FC Porto vs Casa Pia AC 3:30pm
FC Porto over 1.5 TT
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/8/23
Benfica vs SC Farense 10:30am
Benfica over 1.5 TT -135
Juventus vs Napoli 2:45pm
Both Teams to Score -125
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Florida Panthers 7pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/7/23
Feyenoord vs FC Volendam 3pm
Feyenoord over 3.5 TT -125
New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers 8:15pm
Over 31.5 Total Points -110
Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks 10:30pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/6/23
Bayer Leverkusen vs SC Paderborn 12pm
Bayer Leverkusen over 1.5 1st Half TT +125
Marseille vs Lyon 3pm
Marseille Over 1.5 TT -138
Edmonton Oilers vs Carolina Hurricanes 9:30pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/5/23
Luton Town vs Arsenal 3:15pm
Luton Town Over 0.5 TT -110
New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators 7pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals -155
Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers 10pm
Suns over 55.5 1st Half TT -150
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/4/23
Sporting CP vs Gil Vicente 3:15pm
Sporting CP Over 2.5 TT -138
Both Teams to Score +105
Dallas Stars vs Tampa Bay Lightning 7pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals -155
Cincinnati Bengals vs Jacksonville Jaguars 8:15pm
Jaguars over 23.5 TT -170
Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/3/23
Denver Broncos vs Houston Texans 1pm
Broncos ML
Cleveland Browns vs Los Angeles Rams 4:25pm
Rams over TT
Kansas City Chiefs vs Green Bay Packers 8:20pm
Chiefs over TT
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/2/23
Oklahoma State vs Texas 12pm
Texas over TT (35.5)
SMU vs Tulane 4pm
SMU over TT (21.5)
Louisville vs Florida State 8pm
Louisville ML (EV)
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 12/1/23
Preston North End vs Queens Park Rangers 3pm
PNE Over 1.5 TT -120
San Jose Sharks vs New Jersey Devils 7pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
Washington vs Oregon 8pm
Washington over 27 TT -120
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/29/23
Galatasaray vs Manchester United 12:45pm
Manchester United Over 1.5 TT -110
Real Madrid vs Napoli 3pm
Both Teams To Score -163
Detroit Red Wings vs New York Rangers 7:30pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/28/23
FC Shakhtar Donetsk vs Royal Antwerp 12:45pm
Shakhtar Donetsk Over 1.5 TT -120
PSG vs New Castle United 3pm
PSG Over 1.5 TT -163
Philadelphia Flyers vs Carolina Hurricanes 7:30pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals -155
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/27/23
Verona vs Lecce 12:15pm
Lecce Over 1.5 TT +225
Girona vs Athletic Bilbao 3pm
Over 2.5 Goals -163
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers 10pm
Denver Nuggets +4.5 spread -145
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/26/23
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans 1pm
Texans ML -105
Buffalo Bills vs Philadelphia Eagles 4:25pm
Eagles over TT
Baltimore Ravens vs Los Angeles Chargers 8:20pm
Chargers ML +165
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/25/23
Manchester City vs Liverpool 7:30am
Manchester City ML -140
Ohio State vs Michigan 12pm
Over 45.5 Total Pts -125
Marseille vs Strasbourg 3pm
Marseille over 1.5 TT -105
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/24/23
Memphis Tigers vs Temple Owls 12pm
Memphis over TT
FC Koln vs Bayern Munich 2:30pm
Munich over 2.5 TT -160
Oregon State vs Oregon 8:30pm
Oregon State +14.5 Spread -120
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/23/23
PSG vs Bayern Munich Women 12:45pm
Over 3 Total Goals +137
Washington Commanders vs Dallas Cowboys 4:30pm
Cowboys Over TT (31.5)
San Francisco Niners vs Seattle Seahawks 8:20
Niners Over TT (26.5)
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/22/23
Barcelona vs Eintracht Frankfurt Women 3pm
Over 4 Total Goals +175
Edmonton Oilers vs Carolina Hurricanes 7pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals -140
Las Vegas Golden Knjghts vs Dallas Stars 9:30pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/21/23
Brazil vs Argentina 7pm
Both Teams to Score +110
Eastern Michigan vs Buffalo 7:30pm
Over 36 Total Points -110
Vancouver Canucks vs Colorado Avs 10pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals -140
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/20/23
Gambia vs Ivory Coast 11am
Ivory Coast Over 1.5 TT -125
Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning 7pm
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals -155
Philadelphia Eagles vs Kansas City Chiefs 8pm
Eagles Over 9.5 1st Half Points -145
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/19/23
Los Angeles Chargers vs Green Bay Packers
Chargers over TT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs San Francisco 49ers
49ers over 1st Half TT
Minnesota Vikings vs Denver Broncos
Vikings ML +110
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/18/23
Ireland vs Netherlands
Netherlands over 2.5 TT -110
Kansas State vs Kansas
Kansas ML +250
Washington vs Oregon State
Over 60.5 Total Pts -163
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/17/23
England Vs Malta
England over 1.5 1st Half TT -138
Poland vs Czech Republic
Both Teams to Score -120
Colorado Vs Washington State
Colorado +5 (Spread) -105
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/16/23
Azerbaijan vs Sweden
Sweden over 1.5 TT -150
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawk’s
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens
Bengals ML +165
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/15/23
Hey, what’s up everybody, thanks for checking out Cage’s Bet Slip for 11/15/23. Today we’re taking a look at Soccer, NHL, and College Hoops! Let’s get into it.
Switzerland vs Israel
Switzerland over 2.5 TT +220
Texas Vs Rice Mens Basketball
Texas -20.5
New York Islanders vs Vancouver Canucks
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/14/23
Barcelona Women vs Benfica Women
Total Goals over 5 +100
New Jersey Devils vs Winnipeg Jets
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
Toledo vs Bowling Green
Over 52.5 Total Pts -110
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Cage’s Bet Slip | 11/13/23
Hey, what’s up everybody, thanks for checking out Cage’s Bet Slip for 11/13/23. Today we’re taking a look at Bills vs Broncos and a couple games around the NHL.
New York Islanders vs Edmonton Oilers
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos
Bills over 27.5 TT -120
Colorado Avalanche vs Seattle Kraken
Over 1.5 1st Period Goals
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UFC 284
Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski
4 Units: Fight goes the Distance (-105)
Jinh Yu Frey vs Viktoroya Dudakova
2 Units: Dudakova by Submission (+300)
Javid Basharat vs Victor Henry
3 Units: Basharat wins by Decision (-125)
Ikram Aliskerov vs Warley Alves
3 Units: Aliskerov by Submission (+175)
Islam Makhachev, Khamzat Chimaev & Ikram Aliskerov
2 Units: ML Parlay (+116)
UFC Vegas 81
Sodiq Yusuff vs Edson Barboza
4 Units: Yusuff ML (-175)
2 Units: Yusuff by Decision (+275)
Christian Rodriguez vs Cameron Saimann
2 Units: Saimann ML (+125)
2 Units: Saimann by ITD (+275)
Adrian Yanez & Emily Ducote
3 Units: ML Parlay (+139)
Andre Petroski, Vivianne Araujo & Terrence McKinney
2 Units: ML Parlay (+654)
UFC Vegas 80
Qileng Aori vs Johnny Munoz Jr
4 Units: Aori ML (-115)
2 Units: Aori by KO, TKO or DQ (TBA)
Alex Morono vs Joaquin Buckley
2 Units: Morono ML (+140)
2 Units: Morono by Decision (+325)
Ion Cutelaba vs Philipe Lins
2 Units: Cutelaba ML (-150)
2 Units: Cutelaba by Inside the Distance (+135)
Bill Algeo & Karolina Kowalkiewicz
3 Units: ML Parlay (+172)
Joseph Pyfer, Grant Dawson, & Ion Cutelaba
2 Units: ML Parlay (+165)
UFC Vegas 79
Rafael Fiziev vs Mateusz Gamrot
4 Units: Fiziev ML (-155)
2 Units: Fiziev by Decision (+300)
Jake Collier vs Mohammed Usman
2 Units: Usman ML (-150)
2 Units: Usman by KO, TKO or DQ (+325)
Bryce Mitchell & Daniel Argueta
3 Units: ML Parlay (+127)
Bryan Battle, Marina Rodriguez & Charles Jourdain
2 Units: ML Parlay (+249)
UFC Noche
Tracy Cortez vs Jasmine Jasudavicius
4 Units: Cortez ML (-120)
2 Units: Cortez by Decision (+135)
Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko
2 Units: Shevchenko ML (-165)
2 Units: Shevchenko Inside The Distance (+225)
Lupita Godinez & Roman Kopylov
3 Units: ML Parlay (-161)
Jack Della Maddalena, Raul Rosas Jr. & Daniel Zellhuber
2 Units: ML Parlay (+198)
UFC Paris
Ciryl Gane vs Serghei Spivac
4 Units: Gane ML (-175)
2 Units: Over 2.5 Rounds (+120)
Volkan Oezdemir vs Bogdan Guskov
2 Units: Oezdemir ML (-180)
2 Units: Oezdemir by KO, TKO, or DQ (+100)
Farid Basharat & Manon Fiorot
3 Units: ML Parlay (-111)
William Gomis, Thiago Moises & Nora Cornolle
2 Units: ML Parlay (+569)
UFC Singapore
Erin Blanchfield vs. Taila Santos
4 Units: Blanchfield ML (-150)
2 Units: Blanchfield by Inside the Distance (+165)
Justin Tafa vs. Parker Porter
2 Units: Tafa ML (+145)
2 Units: Tafa by KO, TKO, or DQ (TBA)
Rinya Nakamura & Anthony Smith
3 Units: ML Parlay (+140)
Seung Woo Choi, Giga Chikadze & Max Holloway
2 Units: ML Parlay (+151)
UFC 292
Karine Silva vs Maryna Moroz
4 Units: Silva ML (-150)
2 Units: Silva by Inside the Distance (+165)
Austin Hubbard vs Kurt Holobaugh
2 Units: Holobaugh ML (+146)
2 Units: Holobaugh by Decision (+400)
Ian Garry & Ian Machado Garry
3 Units: ML Parlay (-184)
Mario Bautista, Gregory Rodrigues & Weili Zhang
2 Units: ML Parlay (+141)
UFC Nashville
Jeremiah Wells vs Carlston Harris
4 Units: Wells ML (-120)
2 Units: Wells by KO, TKO, or DQ (+225)
Gavin Tucker vs Diego Lopes
2 Units: Tucker ML (+140)
2 Units: Tucker by Decision (+280)
Sean Woodson Vs Dennis Buzukja
2 Units: Woodson ML (-185)
2 Units: Woodson by KO, TKO, or DQ (+285)
Cory Sandhagen & Dustin Jacoby
3 Units: ML Parlay (+214)
Ignacio Bahamondes, Tanner Boser, Tatiana Suarez
2 Units: ML Parlay (+199)
UFC 291
Matthew Semelsberger vs Uros Medic
4 Units: Semelsberger ML (-210)
2 Units: Semelsberger by ITD (+100)
Roman Kopylov vs Claudio Ribeiro
2 Units: Ribeiro ML (+170)
2 Units: Ribeiro by KO, TKO, or DQ (+350)
CJ Vergara vs Vinicius Salvador
2 Units: Vergara ML (-165)
2 Units: Vergara by Decision (+265)
Kevin Holland vs Michael Chiesa
2 Units: Holland ML (-150)
.5 Units: Holland by Submission Round 2 (+1400)
Miranda Maverick & Gabriel Bonfim
3 Units: ML Parlay (-136)
Marcos Rogerio de Lima, Jake Matthews & Justin Gaethje
2 Units: ML Parlay (+343)
UFC London
Davey Grant vs Daniel Marco
2 Units: Marcos ML (-145)
2 Units: Marcos ITD (+240)
Chris Duncan vs Yanal Ashmouz
2 Units: Ashmouz ML (+125)
2 Units: Ashmouz by KO, TKO, or DQ (+300), Round 1 (+500)
Ketlen Vieira & Molly McCann
2 Units: ML Parlay (+143)
Tom Aspinall, Lerone Murphy, Joel Alvarez
2 Units: ML Parlay (+211)
Paul Craig & Nathaniel Wood
2 Units: ML Parlay (+318)
Gold Cup Semi-Finals
USA vs Panama
2 Units: USA ML (-170)
2 Units: Both Teams to Score (+120)
2 Units: Jesus Ferreira anytime goal scorer (+145)
2 Units: USA over 1.5 Goals Total (-115)
Mexico vs Jamaica
2 Units: Jamaica Over .5 Goals (-122)
2 Units: Mexico in extra time (+800)
2 Units: Orbelin Pineda Anytime Goal Scorer (+285)
2 Units: Leon Bailey anytime goal scorer (+500)
2 Units: Both teams to score (+122)
Gold Cup QuarterFinals
USA vs Canada
2 Units: USA ML (-145)
2 Units: Jesus Ferreira Anytime Goal Scorer (+140)
2 Units: 1H USA over 0.5 Spread (+138)
2 Units: Over 3/3.5 Goals Total (+205)
Mexico vs Costa Rica
2 Units: Both Teams to Score (+105)
2 Units: Joel Campbell Anytime Goal Scorer (+460) 2 Units: Henry Martin Anytime Goal Scorer (+110)
Guatemala vs Jamaica
2 Units: Jamaica Over 1.5 Goals (+102)
2 Units: Leon Bailey Anytime Goal Scorer (+215) 2 Units: Jamaica ML (+140)
Panama vs Qatar
2 Units: Qatar ML (+400)
2 Units: Qatar Over 0.5 Goals (+105)
UFC on 48
Sean Strickland vs Abus Magomedov
2 Units: Magomedov ML (+125)
2 Units: Magomedov by Decision (+500)
Ariane Lipski vs Melissa Gatto
2 Units: Lipski ML (+170)
2 Units: Over 2.5 Rounds (-145)
Karol Rosa vs Yana Santos
2 Units: Rosa ML (-165)
2 Units: Rosa by Decision (+115)
Nursulton Ruziboev vs Brunno Ferreira
2 Units: Ruziboev ML (+156)
2 Units: Ruziboev inside the distance (+240)
Ismael Bonfim & Alexandr Romanov — 2 Units: ML Parlay (+123)
Michael Morales & Grant Dawson — 2 Units: ML Parlay (+173)
UFC Jacksonville
Jamaal Emmers vs Jack Jenkins
2 Units: Jenkins ML (+168)
2 Units: Jenkins by Decision (+225)
Justin Tafa vs Austen Lane
2 Units: Tafa ML (-175)
2 Units: Tafa by KO, TKO or DQ (-110)
Mateusz Rebecki vs Loik Radzhabov
2 Units: Radzhabov ML (+122)
2 Units: Radzhabov by Decision (+225)
Parlay – Tatsuro Taira, Randy Brown, Brendan Allen
2 Units: ML Parlay (+209)
UFC Vegas 75
Marvin Vettori vs Jared Cannonier
2 Units: Vettori ML (-120)
2 Units: Vettori by Decision (+140)
Armen Petrosyan vs Christian Leroy Duncan
2 Units: Duncan ML (-150)
2 Units: FDGTD (-130)
Pat Sabatini vs Lucas Almeida
2 Units: Sabatini by Submission (TBA)
Arman Tsarukyan vs Joaquim Silva
2 Units: Under 1.5 Rounds (-155)
Underdog Parlay
Carlos Hernandez ML & Nicolas Dalby ML (+438)
UFC 289
Charles Oliveira vs Beneil Dariush
2 Units: Dariush ML (-150)
2 Units: Over 1.5 Rounds (-135)
Diana Belbita vs Maria Oliveira
2 Units: Oliveira ML (+100)
2 Units: Oliveira by Round 3 or Decision (+140)
Mike Malott vs Adam Fugitt
2 Units: Malott by KO, TKO or DQ (+215)
Nassourdine Imavov vs Chris Curtis
2 Units: Imavov by Decision (+165)
UFC on ESPN 46
Kai Kara-France vs Amir Albazi
2 Units: Albazi ML (-105)
2 Units: Albazi by Round 4, 5 or Unanimous Decision (+275)
Da’Mon Blackshear vs Luan Lacerda
2 Units: Blackshear ML (+123)
2 Units: Blackshear by Round 3 or Decision (+175)
Tim Elliott vs Victor Altamirano
2 Units: Elliott ML (-180)
Daniel Santos vs Johnny Munoz Jr
2 Units: Santos by KO, TKO or DQ (+125)
UFC Vegas 73
Ilir Latifi vs Rodrigo Nascimento
2 Units: Latifi ML (+154)
2 Units: JRC by Unanimous Decision (+190)
Andre Fiahlo vs Joaquin Buckley
2 Units: Buckley ML (-225)
2 Units: Buckley by KO, TKO or DQ (+105)
Carlos Diego Ferreira Vs Michael Johnson
2 Units: Johnson ML (+135)
2 Units: Johnson Inside the Distance (+285)
Takashi Sato vs Themba Gorimbo
Over 1.5 Rounds (-155)
Emily Ducote vs Lupita Godinez
2 Units: Godinez ML (-155)
UFC on ABC 4
Jessica Rose Clark vs Tainara Lisboa
2 Units: JRC ML (+100)
2 Units: JRC by Unanimous Decision (+190)
Daniel Rodriguez vs Ian Machado Garry
2 Units: D-Rod ML (+240)
2 Units: D-Rod by KO, TKO or DQ (+700)
Bryan Battle Vs Gabe Green
2 Units: Battle ML (+110)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Jailton Almeida
2 Units: Almeida by 1st Round Submission (+200)
UFC 288
Belal Muhammad vs Gilbert Burns
2 Units: Muhammad ML (+100)
2 Units: Muhammad by Unanimous Decision (+240)
Parker Porter vs Braxton Smith
2 Units: Smith ML (+140)
2 Units: Under .5 Rounds (+250)
Jessica Andrade Vs Xiaonan Yan
2 Units: Andrade ML (-186)
2 Units: Andrade by KO, TKO or DQ (+225)
Joseph Holmes vs Claudio Ribeiro
2 Units: Ribeiro & Under 1.5 Rounds (+110)
Cages Long Shot Odd
Drew Dober vs Matt Frevola
UFC Vegas 72
Yadong Song vs Ricky Simon
2 Units: Simon ML (-120)
2 Units: Simon by Decision (+230)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima
2 Units: Cortes-Acosta ML (+154)
2 Units: Over 1.5 Rounds (-150)
Cody Brundage vs Rodolfo Vieira
2 Units: Vieira ML (-240)
2 Units: Vieira by Submission (-180) Vieira by 1st Round Submission (+190)
UFC Vegas 71
Sergey Pavlovich vs Curtis Blaydes
2 Units: Pavlovich ML (+143)
2 Units: Pavlovich by TKO, KO or DQ (+170) Round 1 Finish (+325)
Jeremiah Wells vs Matthew Semelsberger
2 Units: Wells ML (-110)
2 Units: Over 1.5 Rounds (-185)
Danaa Batgerel vs Brady Hiestand
2 Units: Hiestand ML (+120)
2 Units: Hiestand by Decision (+350)
Francis Marshall vs William Gomis
2 Units: Francis Marshall Inside the Distance (+210)
UFC Fight Night Kansas City
Max Holloway vs Arnold Allen
2 Units: Max Holloway ML (-170)
2 Units: Max Holloway by Decision (+200)
Brandon Royval vs Matheus Nicolau
2 Units: Brandon Royval ML (+166)
2 Units: Brandon Royval by Submission (+400)
Dustin Jacoby vs Azamat Murzakanov
2 Units: Dustin Jacoby ML (-159)
2 Units: Dustin Jacoby by Decision (+210)
Edson Barboza vs Billy Quarantillo
2 Units: Billy Q ML (-175)
2 Units: Billy Q by Knockout, TKO, or DQ (+225)
Gillian Robertson vs Pierra Rodriguez
2 Units: Over 2.5 Rounds (-130)
Bruna Brasil vs Denise Gomes
Fight Doesn’t Go The Distance (+140)
Rafa Garcia vs Clay Guida
2 Units: Rafa Garcia Inside the Distance (+250)
UFC 287
Gerald Meerschaert vs Joseph Pyfter
2 Units: Over 1.5 Rounds (+105)
Sam Hughes vs Jaqueline Amorim
2 Units: Hughes ML (+220)
2 Units: Sam Hughes by Decision (+325)
Rob Font vs Adrian Yanez
2 Units: Adrian Yanez ML (-182)
2 Units: Adrian Yanez by Decision (+250)
Gilbert Burns vs Jorge Masvidal
2 Units: Over 2.5 Rounds
Chase Sherman vs Karl Williams
2 Units: Fight Doesn’t Go the Distance
Raul Rosas Jr vs Christian Rodriguez
2 Units: Rosas Jr by Submission (+150)
Shot in the Dark Play: Trey Ogden vs Ignacio Bahamondes
Trey Ogden by Submission (+600)
Wrestlemania 39
Seth Rollins vs Logan Paul
Seth Rollins (-190)
Asuka vs Bianca Belair
Asuka (+105)
“The Demon” Finn Balor vs Edge
Finn Balor (-140)
Dominik Mysterio vs Rey Mysterio
Dominik Mysterio (-200)
We are the Champions Parlay (+215): Sheamus (+120) & Cody Rhodes (-240)
UFC San Antonio
Preston Parsons vs Trevin Giles
2 Units: Parsons ML (-110)
2 Units: Over 2.5 Rounds (+140)
Chidi Njokuani vs Albert Duraev
2 Units: Njokuani ML (-166)
2 Units: Chidi Njokuani ITD
Alex Perez vs Manel Kape
2 Units: Manel Kape ML (-185)
1 Unit: Manel Kape by KO, TKO, or DQ in Round 2 (+650)
Victor Altamirano VS Vinicius Salvador
2 Units: Over 1.5 Rounds (-190)
Nate Landwehr vs Austin Lingo
2 Units: Fight Doesn’t Go the Distance (-155)
Marlon Chito Vera vs Cory Sandhagen
2 Units: Chito Vera ML (+145)
UFC 286
2 Units: Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev
Gaethje ML +190
2 Units: Under 1.5 Rounds
Gaethje vs Fiziev +140
2 Units: Chris Duncan vs Omar Morales
Duncan ML -110
2 Units: Casey O’Neil vs Jennifer Maia
Casey O’Neill ML -175
2 Units: Chris Duncan by KO, TKO, DQ +185
2 Units: Over 1.5 Rounds (Sam Patterson vs Yanal Ashmoz)
.5 Units: Makwan Amirkhani vs Jack Shore
Makwan Amirkhani Wins Inside Distance +525
2 Units: Parlay of the Week – Christian Leroy Duncan, Leroy Murphy, Kamaru (+221)
UFC Fight Night 221
Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili (Dvalishvili ML +215)
Merab Dvalishvili by Split Decision +950
Tyson Nam vs Bruno Silva (Silva ML -200)
Bruno Silva by KO, TKO, DQ +325
Over 1.5 Rounds (Mario Bautista vs Guido Cannetti +150)
Over 1.5 Rounds (Sedriques Dumas vs Josh Fremd -120)
Karl Williams vs Lukasz Brzeski (Karl Williams by Decision +185)
UFC 285
Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane (Jones ML – 185)
Jon Jones by Decision +175
Jalin Turner vs Mateusz Gamrot (Turner ML +185)
Jalin Turner by KO, TKO, DQ +400
Derek Brunson vs Dricus Du Plessis (Brunson ML +185)
Over 1.5 Rounds (Loik Radzhabov vs Esteban Ribovic -175)
Over 4.5 Rounds (Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso +110)
UFC Vegas 70
Nurullo Aliev vs Rafael Alves (Aliev ML -185)
Nurullo Aliev by Decision +200
Charles Johnson vs Ode Osbourne (Johnson ML -170)
Charles Johnson by KO, TKO, DQ +225
Don’Tale Mayes vs Augusto Sakai (Mayes ML +105)
Don’Tale Mayes by KO, TKO, DQ +200
Ryan Spann Nikita Krylov (Spann ML +145)
Under 1.5 Rounds -170
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Finals
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada
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 as 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 was able to muster enough energy to break the count but you could tell he wasn’t doing well. 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 center 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 center of the ring and almost lost consciousness but was ultimately able to reach the ropes. Esperanza landed true and the Valentia follow-up almost earned Naito the win and the ticket to Wrestle Kingdom. 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. Tetsuya Naito would start attacking the body and after avoiding the wrath of a second Reignmaker, the godfather hit not one, not two but 3 Destinos to finish off Okada and get the three count. Tetsuya Naito has won the G1 Climax and has his ticket punched for the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 10 years since getting screwed out of it.
NJPW G1 Cimax 33 Semifinals
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Evil vs Kazuchika Okada
The first of both matches was ready to go and we already knew what direction it was going to start. Okada couldn’t get out of the box as Dick Togo assisted in the beating, but when a furious Rainmaker got a big boot in at last, the angry Okada followed with a DDT in the ring and a second on the floor. When EVIL is threatened, HOUSE OF TORTURE is not far behind, however, and even though Okada pinballed interfering forces against one another, a low blow was unavoidable. EVIL went low several times on Okada, and after one setup Everything is EVIL, it seemed all was lost. Okada kept kicking out however, and after dropkicks all around to the H.O.T forces, a Cobra Flowsion and then the Rainmaker for the big 3 count which moved Okada to the Finals of the G1 Climax.
Will Ospreay vs Tetsuya Naito
The main event was going to have a hard time following up Evil vs Okada but these two guys would be up for the task. It was an electric atmosphere in Ryogoku for the main event, one where Ospreay had the early advantage with chops and a plancha. A big backbreaker followed in the ring for Ospreay, but when Naito had an opening, he used it perfectly. A hip toss saw Naito adjust his footing to drive his knee into the upper spine, giving Naito key control of the neck. Ospreay found his footing with a handspring overhead and then attempted a sky twister to the floor, but was stopped by Naito. A dangerous situation on the apron ensued, as Ospreay looked for an apron OsCutter, but instead was hit with a neckbreaker, and then a second from the apron to the floor. Naito pressed the advantage back inside as he used Gloria to set up Pluma Blanca, sending Ospreay to the ropes. There Naito had designs on a trademark Frankensteiner, altered into a poison rana, but Ospreay landed on his feet and then called on his Junior Heavyweight days, landing a shooting star press over the ropes as the match escalated in ferocity and danger. Naito hung on time and again in the fave of Ospreay’s offense, denying an OsCutter and then a powerbomb with a massive DDT. After Valentina scored though, Naito nearly gambled and lost it all with a missed Stardust Press. Capitalizing, Ospreay hit Hidden Blade and then rocketed brutal hook kicks time and again, Naito sent down to the canvas where a standing ten count almost ended the night. Instead, Naito pushed the referee away for the match to continue, and the punishment to boot. Naito being the man that he is was able to kick out of all Ospreays big moves and then reversed the storm breaker into Destino for the 3 count. Naito gets the victory and moves on to the finals after a match of the year candidate of a match.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Quarterfinals
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Hikuleo vs Tetsuya Naito
The first Quarterfinals matchup saw the LIJ leader go up against the 7 ft tall Hikuleo. Naito would gain the early advantage with a low bridge and a pursuit of the big man’s knee, but when Hikuleo had his wheel underneath him, it was a different story. Hikuleo managed to get snake eyes and a lariat to Naito, albeit seeing his attempts at the trademark snap powerslam defused. The missed powerslam brought Hikuleo down to the mat and allowed Naito to target the neck. Yet while hammer elbows worked, his Esperanza was met with a big slam and then an even bigger boot. Naito tried to answer with a tornado DDT but got rocked with a huge Last Ride. After a power slam finally connected, Godsend seemed to be close for Hikuleo, but one attempt was met with a DDT and a second with a half Destino. Tetsuya Naito would follow up with the full version of his Destino and then got the 1-2-3 for the victory. He has advanced to the Semifinals.
Will Ospreay vs David Finlay
One of of the hardest bouts to predict was the leader of the United Empire vs the leader of the Bullet Club. Finlay was accompanied by the BULLET CLUB War Dogs crew while Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan backed up Ospreay. When Finlay got a table from ringside early, Ospreay felt the benefit of Cobb’s presence, Cobb moving the table away; when Finlay pushed Cobb’s buttons though, the Imperial Unit got physical and was ejected as a result. That led to a beat down from Gabe Kidd and Alex Coughlin that put Finlay in control. Ospreay fired back with a big right hand lariat, but an attempt at the Leap of Faith only saw his face meet the turnbuckle. Finlay stayed ahead of the OsCutter as well, meeting it midair with a side Russian leg sweep, but out on the apron, Ospreay scored with an OsCutter on the ring frame. Following up, Ospreay powerbombed Finlay through the table the Rebel had set up early on. Ospreay stayed on offense with a springboard dropkick as Finlay broke the referee’s 20 count, but his Leap of Faith follow-up only hit the referee pulled in Ospreay’s path. Mass chaos would follow for several minutes but in the end, Ospreay escaped Into Oblivion and landed the Stormbreaker for the three count. Will Ospreay makes it to the semifinals where he will meet Tetsuya Naito for a spot in the Finals.
Sanada vs Evil
In an unusual event builder for the start of this match, the King of Darkness sent his ‘manager’ to the back as he feigned being able to take care of business by himself, but Togo would very quickly be summoned again. That opened the door for a parade of scores on the EVIL bingo card, SANADA brought outside where EVIL wanted a count out, and sent careening several times into ringside steel and the ring announcer’s position. SANADA, determined for his own part to beat EVIL by himself as he had done in the past, summoned up Shining Wizards to first EVIL and then Dick Togo, the latter finally taking Togo out of the equation. But EVIL was plenty evil enough on his own. A take of the eyes stopped an attempt at Deadfall, but though an enzuigiri and another Shining Wizard set SANADA up for the move again, a well-placed counter for EVIL ended the bout. Evil moves onto the Semis and is the first to defeat Sanada but not without some controversy. Be ready for this to be revisited soon.
Kazuchika Okada vs Zack Sabre Jr.
The main event of the Quarterfinals saw the leader of TMDK duel it out with the Chaos leader. Zack Sabre Jr and Kazuchika Okada started with Sabre somewhat perplexed at the angry countenance Okada has it his match as opposed to their other outings; if there was a moment’s hesitation for Sabre it carried a steep price. Okada spiked ZSJ over the outside guardrails with an elevated DDT; Sabre had to work to create a weakness from an arm and neck snap to get back into the bout. ZSj had control of the match for a few with his submission prowess but Okada answered with a dropkick that changed the tone of the match. Sabre fired right back with a high-angle German suplex though, and the match took a very hard-hitting tone. Brutal European uppercuts took so much from Okada, but a dropkick was there in reply; though the Landslide hit, the Rainmaker did not and the match continued after a surprise Rainmaker like shot lariat from Sabre itself. It was evident Sabre was working as hard as he could to hang in there with his chances of survival growing slimmer by the second. A series of flash pins nearly surprised Okada; Zack Driver did surprise him, but there was no follow-up. As the men reset, Sabre drove forward with open hand slaps, fighting tooth and nail to stay in contention but a big right lariat was the last strong strike he had to throw. Okada set for the Rainmaker and was countered into a flying Manji, but before the pain set in too much, Okada found the Cobra Flowsion and then the final Rainmaker. Okada gets the pin and advances to face Evil in the other half of the Semis on Saturday.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 15
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block C – Tomohiro Ishii vs Mikey Nicholls
Mikey Nicholls and Tomohiro Ishii engaged in a match that was about pride rather than points but brought the Yokohama crowd to their feet. Ishii and Nicholls threw huge bombs throughout an explosive 13-minute encounter win by the Stone Pitbull with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster. And although Ishii’s G1 ended with a disappointing record, one last win coupled with gripping performances may be what seals his entry to G1 Climax 34 next summer.
Block C – Tama Tonga vs Henare
Second block match of the night saw a must-win for Tama Tonga to have any chance of advancing. HENARE’s brutal strikes had an added twist on the match as he removed the corner pad to better sandwich his foe between the ropes and bury knees. As an added bonus, that caused hesitation when Tama later went up for Supreme Flow, resulting in a knee that rocked him out to the floor. After a lot of punishment, Tama would hit the Gunstun, but was unable to follow with a cover. HENARE denied successive attempts at the move and almost got a win with both the Berzerker Bomb and the Rampage Tackle, but the DSD scored to bring Tonga to nine points.
Block C – Eddie Kingston vs David Finlay
These two did battle to determine who would finish first in the C Block and who would be left in the dust. After the internal beginning, Kingston brought the match to the outside early, Finlay took advantage, and hurled his opponent into the ringside steel, back first. Kingston would be pained for the rest of the bout, his offense mounted through gritted teeth and a grimaced visage, cut off with an Irish Curse and badly hurt when his head was sent rocketing off the ring post on the outside. The Mad King could still swing though, and with Kobashi chops and a Kawada backdrop proving the front-end assist, a Backfist would land for two. Moments later, Kingston would summon up a Northern Lights Bomb; with his back in agony though, Eddie couldn’t reposition Finlay away from the ropes, the Rebel’s boot on the bottom strand proving his savior. Finlay would hit Into Oblivion, but he was too damaged to follow up. A second would eventually catch Kingston unawares, however, and Finlay advanced out of the block.
Block C – Shingo Takagi vs Evil
The main event saw alot of implications up for grabs in the C Block with Shingo having to win to force a playoff or Evil fighting off a loss to advance with Finlay. Shingo was on a roll early trading shots with Evil. It wouldn’t take long for HOUSE OF TORTURE tactics to come into play, the timekeeper’s table being predictably bowled over as EVIL seized the upper hand. Yet Takagi valiantly fought back and defused an attempt with a downed referee to hit a Magic Killer with Dick Togo. Instead, Togo was the unwitting participant in a Magic Killer on EVIL, as Takagi continued to build up steam. Yet H.O.T quickly let the air out of the balloon, and just as Shingo told Yokohama that Takagi Time was here, SHO and Yujiro Takahashi hit the ringside area. Soon, it was a heavily stacked deck for Takagi, who had all of the HOUSE OF TORTURE members mobbing him. As Dick Togo choked away at Shingo though, BUSHI and Yota Tsuji hit the ring; still, this wasn’t enough as Shingo couldn’t fight the odds. EVIL was about to cruise to victory but Hiromu Takahashi ensured the three count wasn’t rendered by Red Shoes Umino, the crowd hitting a fever pitch when Tsuji launched a Quebrada at the interfering outsiders, ensuring a one-on-one finish. That one on one finish seemed sure to be in Shingo’s favor. Clobbering EVIL to near unconsciousness, he tried to lift the dead weight of the King of Darkness, only for EVIL to pull in the referee and strike a low blow and gain victory with the pinfall and a spot in the playoffs.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 14
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block B: Yoshi Hashi vs Kenta
The first match of the group B finale was set to occur and Kenta looked disinterested in the bout. With the DEFY World Champion in full control after shots into the guardrails and stiff kicks, it seemed like YOSHI-HASHI would have a hard time getting into the match; after the ref inevitably went down, things looked even harder for the Headhunter. KENTA set to work with a kendo stick, but when he tried to level his foe with YOSHI-HASHI’s Bo-Staff, the wrought iron instead bounced off the top rope into his skull. YOSHI-HASHI valiantly fought back as he made the most of his chance, but just as he went to score with Karma, an inside cradle gave KENTA the three.
Block B: Taichi vs Great O’Khan
The second match of the night pitted two wrestlers who could be fighting for the KOPW title in the future since Taichi was hoping for someone to pop up before this tournament finished. The story of the match was about Taichi trying to extract that pride from Great-O-Khan; after early aggression that targeted Taichi’s ribs outside petered out, Taichi barked that he expected more from his foe. The Holy Emperor tortured a grappling master with his own repertoire of submission holds as a result, but as O-Khan’s arms and legs were punished, a sleeping monster awoke. After roaring back in the face of Taichi, he finally found a route to victory with a head and arm choke that led to the submission.
Block B: Kazuchika Okada vs Tonga Loa
This match’s result would only come to play if Okada had lost and Ospreay won but the 2-time defending Champ saw it as his destiny to not take his opponent lightly. Okada viciously drilled Loa into the ringside mats with a DDT to start the match and then tore brutally into his foe, destroying the English announce position in the process. Loa started mounting a comeback in the ring, and after surprising Okada with a spear, took the Rainmaker to the floor. There he had designs on the same launch into the ringside seats that brought him countout victory over Will Ospreay, this time denied. Another DDT on the floor and Okada brought Loa in to walk the dog, but Loa resisted Okada’s leash; the Rainmaker didn’t come easy as the Silverback scored a big dropkick and tried for Apesh*t, but the finishing blow did land and put Okada convincingly in first place.
Block B: El Phantasmo vs Will Ospreay
The battle for second place in the B Block was the main event of Sunday. ELP surprised Ospreay out of the blocks, and had to be somewhat surprised at the crowd reaction, Osaka was 100% behind the Headbanga. Back inside, it was a boot from Ospreay that set up an aggressive plancha; a stern Aerial Assassin would remind Phantasmo of the high stakes and serious nature of the bout as he took firm control until a satellite DDT with unbelievable precision from ELP changed things. Again though, it was in sheer aggression that the Brit had the upper hand, with brutal Kawada kicks sending ELP to the apron where he was met with a punishing OsCutter on the apron that took a lot out of both men. Phantasmo struggled to get back into the ring where Ospreay was primed and waiting for a springboard, but ELP had Sudden Death in his back pocket out of mid-air. Phantasmo went for the cover to close it out but only got a 2 count. With 3 minutes left, ELP hit a swinging DDT and got closer still to three as he tried for fall after fall. A hurricanrana countered Sudden Death, and Ospreay landed his own OsCutter, and CRII to follow but it still wasn’t enough. With two minutes left, ELP kicked out of both OsCutter and the Hidden Blade, but not Storm Driver ’93, thus seeing Ospreay advance.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 13
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block A – Yota Tsuji vs Gabriel Kidd
These guys had a memorable start to the night from Gabriel Kidd attacking Tsuji from behind, to then seeing Tsuji walking out to attack Kidd and revealing he had his twin dressed up as him to trick his War Dog opponent. The small advantage only last for a bit and Kidd would equalize things with a big suplex. Back inside, Tsuji and Kidd traded brutal hard hits, Kidd punctuating his strikes with typical trash talk as Tsuji took the cool option of finding a band to tie his hair back and unleash more damage. Gabe’s headedness was his enemy as a beautiful Moonsault found nothing but canvas while Tsuji collected himself to land his own with perfection. After several minutes of volleying back and forth move for move, Tsuji finally got a knockdown, and then a hellacious headbutt. The Gene Blaster then caught Kidd on the run for the win, and what would end up being a third-place finish in A Block.
Block A – Kaito Kiyomiya vs Ren Narita
This was a tale of two halves for the tournament for NOAH superstar Kaito Kiyomiya. After a technical open saw the two men exchange holds, Kiyomiya got the first advantage with a Dragon Screw and a figure four; though Narita would find some headway with a flurry of strikes, Kaito would go back to the leg to have early control. Narita would have more success with both his opponent and the crowd with uncanny tenacity as he pushed for a rear naked choke and tried to transition into a Cobra Twist. A pinpoint dropkick from the top rope to the bullseye of the knee was followed by a Dragon Screw and then Figure Four once again had Narita howling in pain, but not submitting. The match wearing on, Kiyomiya landed a perfect German Suplex that moments later was matched by one of Narita’s own; trading signature strikes of NJPW and NOAH founders, Kiyomiya and Narita hit a rolling elbow and enzuigiri respectively. Yet Kiyomiya was hitting harder. His Tiger Suplex and modified Tiger Driver got two each, and then he setup for the Shining Wizard but was caught with perfect timing into a Front Suplex Hold for three.
Block A – Sanada vs Chase Owens
The World Champ had a very heavily bandaged right arm heading into the bout, and Owens made sure that if he was a step slower or in pain, he would pay for it. Owens celebrated locking in a Paradise Lock and doubled down with a DDT on the exposed cement floor. With Jewel Heist and multiple attempts at the package piledriver, Owens had SANADA worried, and the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion reacted accordingly. A quick Shining Wizard and then the Deadfall sealed the deal and completed a task unmatched in decades, which was a wrestler going undefeated in group play.
Block A – Shota Umino vs Hikuleo
The main event would have high stakes now, giving the winner of the match the two seed in the A Block and a spot in the playoffs. Umino certainly got the memo and was on quick offense, but had an ill-advised determination to get a slam on the big man; still, he managed to land just that after finding success with a combination of strikes upstairs and down. Hikuleo would respond with a combination of strikes of his own, but going for a powerslam would be met with a scintillating double stomp in mid-air instead. After a big boot was caught, Umino navigated into an STF that brought Hikuleo to the ropes. Umino got a German suplex for two, but couldn’t turn the key on Ignition, instead being rocked with a massive powerbomb. Hikuleo had a victory with Godsend, but it was a DDT from Umino that kept the match alive and an incredible superplex that almost ended it with Umino’s hand raised. Just as it was thought to never happen, Umino landed the Ignition for two and went for Death Rider but was denied. Hikuleo couldn’t get Godsend but did get his snap powerslam, and then on his own third time lucky, the Godsend chokeslam landed to put Hikuleo into the last eight.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 12
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block D: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Alex Coughlin
Things opened up on Night 12 with the Ace of NJPW and Bullet Club’s mysterious strongman. The powerful BULLET CLUB War Dog would apply early pressure to the Ace, who answered by going down to the knees, but Coughlin had his own stinging response in a hat trick of chops that sent Tanahashi to the floor. There even Young Lion Oskar Leube would become a weapon in the hands of Coughlin, but back inside, Tanahashi summoned up a flying forearm and started to strike in combination. A flipping senton scored, but a Slingblade follow-up would be countered with a backbreaker and painful suplex. Tanahashi was able to counter Coughlin and connect on Slingblade this time and decided to do a second bug from the back. Ace would signal for his top rope finish but up Coughlin would catch him in midair and slam him to the ground. Then Alex Coughlin would use a Death Valley Driver, and a deadlift Jackhammer to get the 3 count and push Tanahashi onto the bubble. Coughlin moves to 4 points.
Block C: Mikey Nicholls vs Evil
The first match in Block C would see Evil and his trusted sidekick kick Dick Togo get into a fast start doing what they do best, shenanigans. Both guys would attack Mikey and Kosei Fujita from behind entering the arena and then eventually get the match started in the ring to wrap things up. Nicholls would turn the King of Darkness’ momentum against him with a huge stalling suplex, but Togo was right there to interfere. From there the match spilled into the crowd, and between interference and attempts at countout wins, the HOUSE OF TORTURE bingo card was quickly filling up. Nicholls was able to gain an advantage with a DDT, and sent EVIL right into Togo on the apron, but as the H.O.T just kept popping up, the referee and Fujita were soon downed to create a double-team opportunity. Fujita would cut off an attempted Magic Killer though, and trapped EVIL with a double leg Nelson to steal the clutches of victory out from the hands of the King of Darkness. Mikey moved to 4 points.
Block D: Toru Yano vs Shane Haste
The resident clown and the rockstar of TMDK would take their shot at wrestling midway through the night. They started out by trading headgear to create laughter throughout the arena and the tactic would come to bite Shane Haste in the butt as we find out Yano had a blindfold on his head. Haste escaped disaster, avoiding the pin attempt and a slingshot into an exposed buckle before hitting a dropkick. Haste read Yano’s attempts to spray disinfectant in his eyes as well, before sending Kosei Fujita after the CHAOS member when he fled under the ring. Shane chased after Yano and came back from under the ring with a bucket firmly pressed on his head. Despite the visual impairment, Haste did well to knock his foe down, but as Haste got free, the bucket went over the head of the official, who didn’t see a low blow that led to a pinfall victory for Yano. Yano moves to 4 points.
Block C: Tomohiro Ishii vs Henare
This match was as hard-hitting and special as everyone hoped it would be on Night 12. Henare would get things started with fierce rage but then Ishii fired back with a hard suplex and stiff shots to the spine, HENARE responding with a body blow combo and Berserker Bomb for two at the five-minute mark. After a hard elbow rocked HENARE, the United Empire member kept coming; a German suplex saw him rise to his feet as well, only to be knocked down by a crunching lariat. After a few minutes of both men unwilling to break, HENARE managed to lock his fingers in on Ultima, and pulled out the TOA Bottom from his arsenal as Ishii resisted; pushing the advantage, HENARE made the crowd gasp at a Justice Knee and Rugby kick, but Ishii reversed his way out of danger from Streets of Rage. Ishii wanted a Vertical Drop Brainbuster, but HENARE escaped, the second time unleashing a brutal three-strike combo in response. Streets of Rage followed, and HENARE was victorious. Henare doubled his points total to 4.
Block D: Hiroki Goto vs Jeff Cobb
This would be a back-against-the-wall type of match for Hiroki Goto who had to win to stay alive and was up against the leader of the Block as well. Things wound start with Cobb using a human torpedo to gain an early advantage and then deciding to throw Goto into the ringside steel to attack the bruised ribs on his opponent. After getting hit with a brutal suplex, Goto barely escaped getting hit with a moonsault and was able to put his foot on the gas finally since the bell rang. Cobb would use his freakish power and athleticism to surge back with the Spin Cycle and a standing moonsault putting Goto in danger. Reeling badly, Goto lost control of his opponent on an Ushigoroshi attempt, but got the hold on a second try; fighting with all he could, Goto went to an old Junior Heavyweight favorite in the Kaiten, before landing the GTR for three.
Block C: Tama Tonga vs Eddie Kingston
This is the match that turned C Block into a mess going into the last days of group play. Kingston took an early lead with a snug headlock, but hard chops angered Tama into a Superman elbow response. Kingston would retaliate with a suplex and kept his foe in place with a bearhug, but Tama created space with a slam and turned the momentum around onto his side. Eddie landed machine gun chops and a shoulder tackle in response, but a flying neckbreaker saw Tama continue to build momentum, at least until Supreme Flow found an empty canvas. As things started to wind down Kingston looked to turn it against Tama with the Backfist, but was stopped with a Tongan Twist. A second shot at the strike connected, but only for two; a third was followed with the Northern Lights Bomb, this time for three. Kingston moved to 8 points.
Block D: Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr
Tetsuya Naito would have the advantage in this C Block main match as he and ZSJ did battle in his adopted hometown. Naito would get things started with a Tijeras followed by taunting to get the crowd going, mostly to piss off his foe. Sabre made a mistake when he tried to bring the fight to the floor; a neckbreaker over the guardrail would make a big difference for Naito, who retained control of the bout until an arm snap from the Brit. ZSJ set to work, and the result was a badly pained Naito arm, but one neckbreaker from El Ingobernable was enough to turn the tide. Still, an ascent to the corner would be cut off with a brutal armbreaker from Sabre, and Naito was forced to continue working on the break. A running Destino landed almost out of nowhere, but Esperanza was countered into a punishing submission predicament at the 15-minute mark. Naito would try for a flash jackknife as he got out of the hold but was met with a PK. Sabre hoisted Naito for Zack Driver, but was countered into a half Destino; as he went for the full version, Zack Driver landed but ZSJ couldn’t follow through with a pin. With only a few minutes left the two would trade moves and look to gain the advantage so they could finish this fight. What insinuated was Naito countering a swinging DDT into an inside cradle for three. Naito would shoot up to 8 points in a tie with Jeff Cobb and Zack Sabre Jr. for the lead.
Block C: Shingo Takagi vs David Finlay
The main event saw the matchup we have been waiting for all tournament between Shingo and Finlay. These two would start things out with a car crash that saw Shingo get the better of the toss-up. Finlay falsely appealed for a low blow to bide time, and then went on offense; though he couldn’t put Takagi through a table ringside, he did drop the Dragon with a DDT on the floor. Still shaking the cobwebs loose, Takagi drilled a lariat to Finlay and started piling on the pressure; as the Dragon declared it go time, he scored with a Ryukon DDT and sliding lariat, but when the fight spilled to the apron and then the floor, disaster struck. David Finlay would jump back into the lead with a powerbomb through the table and a Blue Thunder for a 2 count. European uppercut would see a Noshigami counter to stall the Rebel though, and a superplex followed up in huge fashion for Shingo. The desperate Finlay caught his foe perfectly near the ropes with a Stungun though, and after a Dominator and a pair of backbreakers, seemed to have the match in hand as the match passed 15 minutes. Feeling dazed, punched from Finlay seemed to wake up a sleeping dragon in Shingo and Takagi escaped Into Oblivion and blasted the BULLET CLUB leader. Pumping Bomber and then Last of the Dragon scored, and Takagi stayed alive in the league. He moved to 7 points.
NJPW Climax 33 Night 11
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block A – Hikuleo vs Kaito Kiyomiya
First match of the night saw a contrast in styles looking to make a mark on Night 11. Kiyomiya started by trying to attack the base of his large opponent, but Hikuleo responded by dropping his foe face first over the guardrail outside; the NOAH representative was on the back foot but still launched a dropkick to the knee of his opponent to bring him to the mat. With Hikuleo cut down to size, Kaito maintained control until a barrage of mighty chops led to snake eyes and a crunching clothesline. Kaito would have success with a Dragon Screw but after trying for a Tiger Suplex the two would trade reversals before Kiyomiya would counter an attempted hurricanrana, but not a second, and the big man connected on a snap powerslam to keep Hikuleo alive in the tournament with the big win over Kiyomiya.
Block B – YOSHI-HASHI vs Great O’Khan
With Great O’Khan already eliminated, all the pressure was on HASHI to find a way to beat the UE member. After a grappling exchange, O’Khan gained an advantage with a head and arm blood choke that threatened to put HASHI out and kept control of the match even after the Headhunter made the ropes. HASHI finally scored a basement dropkick to slow O’Khan, and rifled a chop into the corner; continuing to strike in combination, the CHAOS member was feeling good until a surprise Hercules Cutter like neckbreaker from O’Khan. After Khan took over and was gaining steam, the crowd would get loud and encouraged Yoshi to fight back and take the lead. A lariat would be just what the doctor ordered and they allowed Yoshi to land an impressive powerbomb for another near two; an increasingly panicked O’Khan almost found an answer with the Pancake Hold, but the Headhunter kept on offense, Kumagoroshi getting 2.9. Closing in on victory, Yoshi looked for Karma, countered into an Iron Sleeper by O’Khan; the Eliminator was blocked at first but a second try from a pop-up gave Great-O-Khan the 1-2-3 and all but eliminated the Chaos member from contention in the B Block.
Block A – Ren Narita vs Chase Owens
Chase had his mind made up on what he needed to do to avoid elimination. Sike Narita out and make him make mistakes so he could capitalize on them. Chase would slap Narita but Narita wouldn’t bite at the attempt but went for a Boot and was attacked after that. Escaping the blow, Owens took and enjoyed the advantage, Narita landing a heel kick and half hatch but not stopping the rot as Owens smartly brought his opponent crashing neck first into the top rope to counter a sleeper attempt. After flirting with reversals and holds for the next couple minutes Chase would pull out the C-Trigger and then went for the Package Piledriver, but Narita escaped; after a second try also failed, Owens went for Jewel Heist but was countered to a Cobra Twist. This would cause Owens out to finally give Ren Narita his first win and be eliminated in the process.
Block B – Taichi vs El Phantasmo
ELP continued the fight for his life against Taichi. After being down 0-3, he has ripped off 2 wins in a row and was getting his confidence back with help from the crowd. After a sign of respect, Taichi would open up with a leg kick and a headbutt. Phantasmo realized he had to get quick to have a chance, and a Tijeras and Plancha came in clutch for the Master of the Headbanger. Responding with a dangerous backdrop suplex and Cobra Clutch, Taichi was in charge despite Phantasmo’s flourish, and a head kick had ELP badly reeling. Taichi was consistently a step ahead of Phantasmo, who gutted through the pain to land a Burning Hammer at the ten-minute mark, but found Sudden Death denied and turned back with an Ax Bomber. ELP kept kicking out though, and kept scoring offense on the break. Phantasmo almost stole one with the ELP Style, Taichi Style, and th Gedo Clutch; Taichi kicked out on the first try, but after Sudden Death, a second attempt sealed the deal to keep him alive. ELP just needs to beat Will Ospreay to make his unprecedented comeback in Block B complete.
Block A – Sanada vs Gabe Kidd
Gabriel Kidd had a big chance in front of him and he wouldn’t waste any advantage he had especially attacking the champ Sanada before the bell like he has done in each Group Match this tournament. The STRONG Openweight Tag title belt and a steel chair did their damage before the bout officially started with a backdrop suplex and a chop that sent SANADA to the floor. Kidd continued to run roughshod on the Champion on the floor, but SANADA kicked out of a pinfall in the ring to keep the hopes of Takamatsu alive. Sanada would get the best of Kidd and land a perfectly placed pile driver. Kidd used sneaky tactics to fight out of the defensive and gained an advantage on the champ again but gave the Just 5 Guys leader too much time to escape a leg trap Piledriver. Sanada landed a Shining Wizard but was reversed afterward and hit with a low blow and an impactful Tombstone for another nearfall. The smug Kidd would pay for a Muto-style Moonsault attempt though, only finding empty canvas, and as the match grew ever harder and dirtily fought, an ‘accidental’ low blow from SANADA proved to be a receipt for the one landed by the Briton earlier. SANADA couldn’t get three from an O’Connor Roll but did land a second Shining Wizard and then Deadfall to stay undefeated in the G1.
Block B – Tanga Loa vs Will Ospreay
Will Ospreay might have underestimated his opponent coming into the match knowing his odds of advancing were high after what happened before he walked down to the ring. Loa got to the Aeriel Assassin with his power early and could control the pace with his efficiency and movement for the first 5 minutes. A pair of suplexes in the ring was followed by a Jackhammer for a near two, and Ospreay was in bad shape until a handspring overhead; still, an attempt at Stormbreaker was too soon, and Loa struck in combination to keep his foe on the wrong foot. Once again Ospreay would counter Loa but got too greedy and his attempts at Stormbreaker were met with a no. As both reset, Ospreay gained an advantage in the standup for the first time in the bout, but one big swing from Loa, and a big-time lariat got a near two. Ospreay countered Apesh*t into Slumdog Millionaire and hit OsCutter for two of his own, but missed the Leap of Faith. Loa bailed outside, a Plancha saw a split second mid-air counterpunch from the Guerrilla. With both men now on the floor, Ospreay had designs on an OsCutter over the guardrails but was flung into the seats by Loa, and a spear followed up. With the referee count closing in, Loa speared Ospreay once more and made it to the ring just before Ospreay and the count of 20, Ospreay would be the victim of a countdown and the shocking result of Night 11 makes the last nights of the Climax huge now.
Block A – Shota Umino vs Yota Tsuji
The main match of A block saw two of the Reiwa Musketeers go at it in a crucial matchup. Shota Umino got off to a fast start in Yota Tsuji and silenced the crowd right off the bat. The offense continued for Umino, but Tsuji landed a corner curb stomp and then a tope suicida to gain control. Umino struggled until a face-first slam and dropkick at the five-minute mark; ribs troubling the Roughneck, Shota still scored in the ring and out, landing Trident for a two count before his attempt at Ignition was met with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Every time Tsuji looked to push the pace on Umino he was met with resistance and knowing Tsuji’s offense even before Tsuji himself did, Umino was in commanding lead as he went for Death Rider. Still, Tsuji managed to build steam with a backbreaker and stomp to the mat. After fighting to the outside and clawing his way back into this match with Shota being the leader in the dance Tsuji landed a top rope Spanish Fly and Brainbuster Bomb that still didn’t get the job done when he wanted to end things. Umino had a double stomp counter to a Spear and got Ignition, but couldn’t finish Tsuji either. Umino set for Death Rider but got rocked with a Gene Blaster Spear for three.
Block B – Kazuchika Okada vs Kenta
The main event of the Night saw two men who were looking to bounce back after unlikely losses. True to form, KENTA avoided early contact, luring the Rainmaker to the floor where he sent his foe ribs first into the ring frame, taking complete control as the match passed five minutes. KENTA was relentless in his methodical approach until a big boot and reverse elbow finally scored for Okada, who landed a DDT to regain his characteristic poise. Halfway through the match, KENTA went to the eyes to battle back but soon found himself dropkicked off the top rope. The floor was KENTA’s element though, and Okada would have his bell rung with green Killer on the floor, followed by an emphatic double stomp in the ring. Okada battled back with the Money Clip, but as the match passed 15 minutes, KENTA bowled over referee Red Shoes and set to work with a Kendo Stick to the B Block favorite. Kenta would bring the Defy Title into play but was met with a huge dropkick to the face. As Okada looked set to walk to a Rainmaker victory, KENTA landed desperate overhand rights, and a Rainmaker styled Busaiku Knee for a near two, but a dropkick scored right to KENTA’s face. KENTA again escaped the Rainmaker, but not after a Landslide, that would give Okada the victory and a spot in the playoffs.
NJPW Climax 33 Night 10
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block C: Henare vs David Finlay
Power was a huge thing for Henare early on in this opening match of the night. Controlled Chaos seemed to be his vice on David Finlay until the Rebel used the ropes to get back into the match, where he made the move to slow the pace down. After minutes of Finlay using a controlling pace, body blows and a Berserker Bomb got Henare going, who then followed with a Rugby Kick before Finlay countered the Rampage Tackle with a big DDT. Afterward, Henare sent Finlay to mat after going for Oblivion and used a knee and Rampage to get a near fall. The ending of the match would see Henare attempt the Streets of Rage, and David Finlay counter it into Oblivion for the comeback victory. The Rebel would move to 8 pts.
Block D: Toru Yano vs Jeff Cobb
Toru Yano, the only man winless in the tournament would receive his first points of the G1 against the only guy not to lose yet. Having tape and beer hidden within him, Toru Yano would throw out all the stops as always to gain success. The beer would be Cobb’s doing in as he tried downing the beer causing enough distraction for Yano to get the knees up on a standing moonsault. Moments later. Disinfectant spray to the eyes set up an inside cradle and Yano’s first win. 2 points secured for the Chaos joker.
Block C: Mikey Nicholls vs Eddie Kingston
One way to get to Eddie is to stand up with him and then slap him across the face. That’s what Mikey Nicholls decided to do as he slapped Kingston and then avoided the backfist and followed with two attacks that would spill Kingston to the outside. The Aussie would bring the fight back into the squared circle where he connected on a delayed suplex before Eddie evened things up with a impactful DDT. This is where Kingston would take over as he would land a fisherman attack, take a DDT in retaliation and then counter with a fury of suplexes after being poked at a second time. Seeing the end in sight, Kingston would land his Backfist and pin Mikey Nicholls for the 1-2-3. The Strong Champion gets back in the win column and moves to 6 pts.
Block D: Tetsuya Naito vs Alex Coughlin
One way to get to a crazed Wardog is to evade contact and to make him make dumb mistakes. That was Naito’s plan as he started the match sliding to the outside to make Coughlin chase after him. Naito would land Tijeras on the outside before eating a fall-away slam that equalized everything. This allowed Coughlin time to throw Naito inside where he would connect on a gut wrench before getting countered into a neckbreaker and combinations in the corner. Every time Tetsuya Naito would get momentum on his side to close things out Alex Coughlin would use his power to neutralize things in his favor. After a few minutes of action, things looked good for Coughlin who landed a Bossman Slam and signaled for the Jackhamner to end things but Naito turned it into a short Destino for a nearfall of his own. The full version of Destino then showcased the end and Naito moved to 6 pts. Naito controls his own Destiny.
Block C: Tomohiro Ishii vs Evil
Talk about a quick start to the match. Instead of provoking his way into a slow start and using deception, Evil decided to just throw things at the Stone Pitbull early. Ishii would counter that by taking things to the mat and gaining momentum before Dick Togo felt the need to get himself involved to distract Ishii. Taking advantage, EVIL used a chair around the head of Ishii and sent him into the ringpost, doing untold damage to the neck. Ishii would refuse to give in though, and a suplex saw him work his way back into the bout. Once again Togo would interfere to thwart momentum and after downing the ref, he and Evil would hit Magic Killer but only for a two count. The change in the match would be Ishii tossing his opponent into the exposed turnbuckle and using his power attacks to down Evil and eliminate Dick Togo. Evil would muster enough to get a two count from connecting on Darkness Falls but was instantly met by Ishii to get the fans going again. The crowd was wholly behind Ishii, it seemed like a Vertical Drop Brainbuster would seal the deal, but a drawn ref, a low blow from Togo, helped EVIL land the win. Evil would continue his hot tournament and moves to 8 pts.
Block D: Zack Sabre Jr vs Shane Haste
An all TMDK battle took place in the D block as the TV champ ZSJ took on Shane Haste. Sabre Jr. went technical early on while Haste threw a hard kick that had the people shocked at how impactful it was. Shockingly Zack would oblige standing with Shane where Haste was hoping the match would go and he would capitalize on his bandmate. A rare counter dropkick would be the response for ZSJ after five minutes of punishment, and a neck twist finally saw the lead man regain control of the bout before a Falcon Arrow from Haste. These two would have several minutes of high-level trade-offs before Haste would try the finish with Bomb Valley Death before getting countered into a triangle, followed by European Clutch for the tap-out. Zack Sabre Jr. moved to 8 points and once again is tied for the lead.
Block C: Tama Tonga vs Shingo Takagi
Tama Tonga and Shingo Takagi proved to be a stalemate if anything ever were to be. These two had moves lined up one after another when it seemed like one guy would gain any momentum and that was no truer than when Shingo landed a vicious lariat before being quickly hit with a dropkick by Tama. As Takagi found himself on the apron, a modified Gunstun from Tama saw the Dragon’s neck snap on the top strand, and Shingo had to do all he could to try and slow, even if not stop, Tonga’s forward advance. Countering Villano with a powerbomb and ground Cobra, Shingo wanted Made In Japan, but Tama would find an answer, rolling into a Sharpshooter that was only barely broken at the ropes. SRC and the Supreme Flow got a near two for Tama at the 15-minute mark, and Tama set up for the Gunstun but was spiked in mid-air with an STO. Shingo landed the Takagi Driver ’98 for a near fall, but a Tongan Twist counter to the Last of the Dragon struck at 17 minutes. A firm fist to the face and Bloody Sunday landed but didn’t finish the match for Tama, who was rocked with a Takagi style Gunstun and Pumping Bomber for a very near fall. With a minute left on the clock, Shingo got one from a sliding lariat, but Last of the Dragon was countered with Gunstun. Takagi kicked out with ten seconds left, and a jackknife from Shingo was too late as the time expired. This could be a costly draw for both men at this junction but this was easily of rb best matches so far this G1 Climax.
Block D: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Hiroki Goto
In the main event of Night 10, we have Ace going one on one with one-half of Bishamon. Goto’s injured ribs would play a factor early on with Tanahashi targetting the midsection and using a Dragon Screw to retain control whenever he needed. When Goto was struggling on the mat, he was left wide open for a stomp from the Ace right to the ribs, but Goto fired back by going down to the knee and landing Muramasa in the corner before a wild lariat to the floor. A big spot in the match was Tanahashi delivering a dragon screw to Goto off the top rope after both went to the turnbuckle. High Fly Flow would miss next allowing Goto breathing room, and despite a swat from the Ace, Goto struck Tanahashi with Ushigoroshi. GTW followed for Goto but did not get three; with a knee to the hurt ribs, Tanahashi escaped a rare Shoten kai attempt, hit Slingblade, and went up again. A High Fly Attack and then High Fly Flow scored a win for team Ace to bring him to 6 pts.
NJPW Climax 33 Night 9
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block A – Shota Umino vs Chase Owens
The opening match of the night saw Chase Owens control much of the match after using his savvy mind to neutralize Shota Umino with a Death Valley Bomb. One common theme of this match was Chase playing mind games to force errors out of Umino but he would be the one to make the biggest mistake when he connected on a V Trigger but didn’t use his package pile driver right after. This would lead to a counter and a desperate Death Rider by Shota Umino who would pick up the big 2 pts.
Block B – Taichi vs Yoshi Hashi
A classic back-and-forth match that had a lot of counters and the occasion battle of will. Yoshi Hashi seemed to always gain the advantage in the lock-ups but Taichi wouldn’t give an inch and kept fighting. The big moment in this match was Taichi countering Yoshi Hashi with the Black Mephisto, then hitting a super kick before using a full Black Mephisto to get the 1-2-3.
Block A – Kaito Kiyomiya vs Gabriel Kidd
We have gotten accustomed to how Gabriel Kidd matches have started in this G1 Climax. Kidd would jump Kiyomiya in the crowd and the two brawled around the crowd. Looking to hit a cannonball with Kiyomiya sitting in the chairs though, the newby escaped and Kidd crashed and burned instead. Still, the fight didn’t get to the ring until a brutal chair shot to the head of Kaito had Kidd in charge. Just as it looked like Kaito would compromise Kidd and get the fight back to the ring to take over, Gabe would resort to a head bite and a low blow that would piss off the Noah star. Instead of motivating Kaito to get into the ring he would flip out and oblige Kidd in fighting further into the crowd and even though the officials would warn them several times they refused to listen and the bell was called. This match would be ruled a double count-out draw since the count made it to 20 and both men would receive 1 point.
Block B – Great O’ Khan vs Tonga Loa
Another essential elimination matchup saw the voice of the United Empire battle with the Samoan Brute who seems to be finding his foot after having trouble with his knee early on this G1. Great O’ Khan wound spend time in the matchup attacking the knee of Tonga Loa and even with Loa fighting back O’Khan with a chair shot to the body part would have him aching. Nonetheless, Tanga Loa wouldn’t give up and threw strikes back at O’Khan and gained the edge. Great O-Khan tried to slow Loa’s momentum by going back to the knee after Loa started to get back into the match, but Apesh*t caught him off guard for three, and Tonga Loa goes into the stretch run with a slither of a chance to make an impact in B Block.
Block A – Hikuleo vs Yota Tsuji
The two big men of the A Block battled to see who would stay alive in the tournament on Night 9. Tsuji and Hikuleo would spend the first part of the match going high-paced and looking to chop each other down to gain the first advantage. Tsuji would strike first with a huge lariat and a Tijeras off the apron that had Hikuleo crash neck first into the guardrail. While the Samoan was shaking off the attack Tsuji would pile on the offense with a suplex, power slam, and his iconic boot before looking to finish things off. As Tsuji looked to hit the speed after escaping a choke slam attempt, Hikuleo would time the move with a knee to the face that would set up the Godsend and the quick 1-2-3. Hikuleo had snuck out of the bar fight and stayed alive for second place.
Block B – El Phantasmo vs Kenta
This was one of those personal matches that even though officially it lasted only 19 seconds, a lot of the work was done before the bell. With ELP waiting for his former friend turned betrayer to get into the ring, Kenta decided not to oblige and chose to mock him from the outside which caused Phantasmo to jump out onto Kenta where the brawl wound start. The fight would break into the bleachers where Kenta would catch ELP with a DDT and then after some back and forth, Kenta would introduce a kendo stick that he would use to slow Phantasmo and hurt him. In one of the shocking moments of the match Kenta with all the momentum decided to roll ELP into the ring where the match would officially start. He would go for the Go2Sleep next and he would be caught by El Phantasmo with a big cradle for the 1-2-3.
Block – Sanada vs Ren Narita
Ren Narita had a tall task at hand to stay alive in the A Block. Both he and Sanada would use the first few minutes to exchange moves and get a feel of the match. Sanada would take over with a knee bar and groin stretch before showcasing his dropkick to the masses. After enduring that attack Narita would fight an opening to lock in the Boston Crab and for the first time in the tournament, we saw Sanada in pain. And it would affect him when he tried to do a moonsault. On his first attempt, Narita moved so he landed on his feet and almost collapsed. However, after a few minutes, the Champ would connect with a Shining Wizard but even then would have to spend several moves countering and reversing Narita only to attempt his moonsault once more, only for it to fail with Narita getting his knees up. The Son of Strong Style would then string together strikes and suplexes, but a second Deadfall struck gold for the Champ and the 1-2-3 but not without caution as Sanada looked hobbled.
Block B – Kazuchika Okada vs Will Ospreay
The main event of Night 9 was the marquee matchup of the tournament that everyone had been waiting for, the Aerial Assasin and the Prodigal Son of New Japan. The time limit was something people thought might affect this battle but it only made the matchup better. These two would match each other pace for pace and move to move for the first part of the match before Okada decided to bring the action to the outside of the ring where he would hit 2 DDTs before going back inside the squared circle to hit a 3rd impactful one. Okada instantly looked for the finish but was met with a powerbomb as Ospreay decided to change his attack. Ospreay would follow on the apron with an OsCutter on the ring frame, and a second landed in the ring for two. The Ospreay Leap of Faith follow up would be denied, however, and Okada would catch his foe in the Money Clip. Fading but not out, Ospreay got a Spanish Fly and the Hidden Blade, but Stormbreaker was denied by Okada, who landed a short dropkick and the Landslide. Okada wanted the Rainmaker to follow but was met with a ripcord Hidden Blade instead, and then the Stormbreaker for a stunning victory. Both men now sit at 8 pts.
NJPW Climax 33 Night 8
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block C: Henare vs Evil
The cheap wins keep on coming for The House of Torture. Henare had to start out on the defensive after being attacked entering from the back. Not one to back down Henare fought back and leveled all of the group with clotheslines before taking the fight back to the ring. Unfortunately, Evil’s men just kept popping up and after he missed a Rampage Tackle, a distraction by Dick Togo allowed Evil to hit a low blow and connect on a finish to get the 3 count on the United Empire muscle.
Block D: Hiroki Goto vs Alex Coughlin
The plan from the get-go in this early matchup on Night 8 was evident from the start. Coughlin’s knee to attack the ribs with Goto being taped up from his bout with Shane Haste. A chair to the ribs on the outside was the start of the attack, where Coughlin would do more damage before both would get into the ring and Goto would fight back. After Goto would attempt his GTR, Coughlin would take advantage of the weakness and counter the move into his Jackhammer for the pinfall and the victory.
Block C: Shingo Takagi vs Mikey Nicholls
What a hard-hitting match these two would have. Both wanted it to be fast yet powerful and both wanted to enforce their will asap. Both would trade effective attacks with the Ryukon Lariat and a delayed suplex. But with the past battles coming to haunt him, Shingo’s body was feeling the exchanges more. After minutes of back and forth, Mikey Nicholls would bust his own head open with a monster headbutt on Takagi that would see his blood covered on Shingo’s stomach. An ugly fight would see neither man stay down until Takagi threw himself at Mikey and just had enough body on body for a three count. He moves to 4 pts now.
Block D: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Toru Yano
In this match of friends, Yano still wanted to bend the rules to beat Tanahashi on the outside; the Ace foiled those plans and wanted no part of Yano’s trademark tape. Still, he would fall prey to another Yano favorite, as Tanahashi ricocheted headfirst into the exposed turnbuckle, and almost fell to the Onigiroshi powerbomb. After avoiding the finish and a low blow, Hiroshi Tanahashi would land a few signature moves before finishing the match with the High Attack and the pinfall. Tanahashi seems to be a dark horse right now in the D Block.
Block C: Eddie Kingston vs Tomohiro Ishii
The crowd at Korakuen Hall was popping for this big man matchup. The two would engage in strikes for a few before Ishii decided to attack with a huge tackle on Kingston. Eddie’s back which has been showcased in this tournament was hampering him throughout and it took more for him to unleash his attack compared to a rather healthy Stone Pitbull who wouldn’t back an inch. Two big suplexes and a stretch plum had Tomohiro hurt but the dawg in Ishii took over. After trading lariats with each other Ishii took over and hit the Vertical BrainBuster on Kingston to get the 1-2-3.
Block D: Tetsuya Naito vs Shane Haste
The big surprise of the night had to be the performance and the outcome of the Haste/Naito match. This match would start out with both men trading hats but once the jokes would run dry, Naito would be the first to go on the attack with blows to Haste’s neck. Naito continued to attack the upper body of Haste but to flip the script the Aussie just needed to connect on a few kicks to the Godfather. Both men would then go back and forth before Haste would get hit with a standing Destino and then a running version before kicking out shockingly. Haste would then counter a 3rd into the Bomb Valley Death for the huge 3 count. The party can start for Shane as he upsets one of the favorites.
Block C: David Finlay vs Tama Tonga
This was going to be a tough task for Tama Tonga coming into battle 0-3 against the BC Leader. Tama would come for Finlay up the ramp early to attack Finlay and wasted no time bringing his offense to the building. With bad intentions to hurt Finlay, the aggressive style would be detrimental as Finlay would use it to counter Tonga and push him off the ramp himself. This caused the knee of Tama to tweak. For the next part of the match, Finlay would be a step quicker over the GoD member and after a failed Supreme Flow, Finlay would counter with a sharpshooter that did more damage to the knee and almost made Tama tap before he barely reached safety. When all looked bleak and Finlay looked to finish Tama the same way he did months ago, Tama would reach deep to gain adrenaline and to counter an attack with the roll up for the shocking 1-2-3. Finlay in rage would hit Tama after the match before walking off in defeat.
Block D: Zack Sabre Jr. vs Jeff Cobb
The main event saw two undefeated wrestlers looking to battle it out for the lead in the D Block. The crowd seemed to fathom this opportunity and everyone wanted to get their money’s worth but Zack Sabre Jr. was looking to slow the pace down and didn’t appreciate getting hit and then thrown outside into the guardrail. After getting up, ZSJ had to try and come from underneath against the imposing Cobb. Cobbs’s signature power and athleticism paid off in spades, but his Tour of the Islands was countered in an eerily similar fashion to what happened in Osaka Jo Hall at Dominion; this time Cobb kicked out of the pin but was tortured in a brutal stretch instead. After there being several attempts to keep neutralizing Jeff Cobb, ZSJ would slip up just enough for Cobb to land the Tour of the Islands and gain the huge pinfall victory. He is now atop the leaderboard with 8 pts and the tiebreaker over Zack Sabre Jr.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 7
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block B – Will Ospreay vs Great O’Khan
First match of the night we get stablemates doing battle. Ospreay wanted the two to go hard and test each other but O’Khan decided to go a different route to try to gain confidence in himself. He would use dirty tactics and even bring weapons into the match to beat Ospreay before surprising him with a moonsault press. Still, though, the Dominator couldn’t put Ospreay away. Hook kicks scored big for the US Champion, as did the OsCutter, and ultimately the Leap of Faith for three. Ospreay sits pretty at 3-1 with his battle against Okada looming.
Block A – Shota Umino vs Gabriel Kidd
Just like with every Gabe Kidd match, he would use the element of surprise to attack Shota Umino from the entrance ramp as he was walking out. They would brawl into the crowd with Kidd mocking the fans and even the President and had his punishing style showcasing without any hiccup. Shota would get back into this match with two beautiful attacks Trident and Ignition but Kidd would use dirty tactics to stop the offensive run of Umino. A hangman’s choke by Kidd would seem to do a lot to Shota but he taught back and was able to escape the match with the 2 pts with the Death Rider to receive his very first G1 Climax victory.
Block B – Taichi vs Kenta
This was one of those shockers that catches you off guard in the tournament. Kenta coming in seemingly disinterested in the G1, caught Taichi napping on Night 7. After luring his opponent into a false sense of security as both men showed off their title belts, Taichi wanted a quick O’Connor Roll to win, Kenta rolling with the referee to ensure he was out of place. A shot with the DEFY Championship to the knee, a low blow, and a roll-up later, and the match was done. Kenta weaseled himself to 4 points as Taichi stayed in place and shock.
Block A – Yota Tsuji vs Chase Owens
The crown jewel would use his savvy skills to stay ahead of this match early and even slowed down the high-octane Tsuji at times throughout the match. To fight back Tsuji would throw a boot and strikes back at Owens and that forced Owens to get dirty poking him in the eye with his thumb and throwing him into the guardrail. It seemed like the match would be too much for Tsuji but the crowd seemed to revive energy back into him with them chanting for him to fight back. In the end, a curb stomp and a spear finally granted Tsuji his first singles win and he moves to 3 pts.
Block B – El Phantasmo vs Tonga Loa
This was make-it or break-it for ELP in the G1. Looking more focused in this match Phantasmo went big early and landed some big high-flying attacks but Tonga Loa having more ring time under him seemed for ring ready to withstand it with his knee looking better now. Loa would take over with a few German suplexes and a vertical jackhammer and had a plan to attack the neck of ELP. Not one to give in, Phantasmo fought back and landed a top rope frankensteiner that had the former tag team champ stymied. Knowing he needed to recover or he would risk losing Tonga Loa would pull a superpower bomb out of his bag of tricks before ELP mustered enough to counter the Apesh’t and get him down in the crucifix pin for the 1-2-3. ELP finally gets on the board.
Block A – Ren Narita vs Hikuleo
This seemed to be the odd pairing of the day that threw intrigue into everyone’s eyes. Ren Narita would try to attack with his regular style but had alot of trouble getting Hikuleo to the mat. This allowed Hikuleo to get comfy and do high-level attacks in and outside of the ring. After taking some heavy damage, Narita would try to find a hold on the legs of the big man, and then the arm in response to a Godsend attempt. Even though it seemed Narita would be in control with a few submission attempts that had the opposition hurt, Hikuleo would get to the ropes and they caused Narita to freak and try a desperate top rope attack that was countered into Godsend for the 1-2-3. Hikuleo gets on the board finally.
Block B – Kazuchika Okada vs Yoshi Hashi
The last match of the B Block was a big-time battle between two Chaos members. You knew what would come from this match after early chops by Yoshi Hashi would hurt Okada and the former champ would retaliate with a clothesline and DDT. Okada looked to land a superplex but Yoshi Hashi would counter with a sunset flip and use a beautiful power bomb to gain advantage. The next few minutes would see Yoshi taking the reigns with some powerful attacks and beautiful recoveries dodging the first attempt of Rainmaker by Okada. All it took though to make things right was for Okada to capitalize on an error Yoshi Hashi made by countering his new crucifix bomb and connecting on the Landslide which would be the precursor to the Rainmaker. Okada would get the three count and move to 8 pts at the top of the Block.
Block A – (IWGP Chanpion) Sanada vs Kaito Kiyomiya
The IWGP champion seems to be getting comfortable closing out the show in the G1 Clinax this year. He wound face off against the Noah star. The first quarter of the match would see Kaito attack the dominant arm of the champ and keep a high pace so he didn’t allow Sanada much time to recover. The two would trade shining wizard attempts on each other. Which both wrestlers would avoid and that led to a huge high spot off the top rope for Kiyomiya which he successfully connected. One move that seemed to help out Sanada in this match to gain control was the dropkick which allowed him to kill momentum spurts from Kaito and allowed him to gain his own action. After a failed Magic Screw by Sanada due to Kiyomiya surprising him with a mid-level dropkick, a series of blasts would be followed up with the Figure Four. The champ was barely able to get his hands to the rope with five minutes left in the time limit. Seeing time was running out Kaito would decide to speed things up with a few attacks that led to a beauty of back and fourth between the two. With one minute left the difference in the match was the will of the Champion to connect on a Shining Wizard of all moves to get Kaito down and get the 1-2-3 just in time before the time limit ended. Sanada would move to 8 pts but had to work for it in this battle.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 6
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block D: Zack Sabre Jr vs Alex Coughlin
The opening of Night 6 saw the uncontrolled power of Coughlin vs the savvy technical prowess of ZSJ. Coughlin had no care for consequences in this match and went for throwing the kitchen sink at Zacks’s face early. Knowing he would have openings Sabre Jr. would counter with attacks to Coughlin’s arm and land a neck twist to the unhinged War Dog but even that wouldn’t slow the young man down. The match would move forward and ZSJ would have trouble with being thrown around and suplexed here and lariatted there. Coughlin would signal for a fallaway slam and as he picked Sabre Jr. up he was countered into an armbar which forced the brute to tap out to the British lad. Sabre would move to 6 points needing luck to get past this foe.
Block C: Tama Tonga vs Mikey Nicholls
Tama Tonga would go from main eventing one night to being at the front of the show the next. He and Mikey would open with a fury of punches & exchanges before a delayed suplex by Nicholls would direct them to the outside of the ring. Mikey would gain an advantage for just a few with an Irish whip to the guardrails before Tama Tonga was able to recover and come rushing back with a lariat to the opposition. Taking the fight back to the inside, Tonga would put together a few combinations that would set up his usual match-changing Supreme Flow, but Nicholls escaped and scored a spinebuster and basement lariat for a near two. After keeping control for several more minutes, the highlight commenced as Nicholls would go for a Blue Vengence Moonsault and was hit with a Gunstun by Tama Tonga in the air for the wild finish. 1-2-3 Tama Tonga moves to 4 pts.
Block D: Hiroki Goto vs Shane Haste
Shane Haste had no desire to go 20 minutes against Hiroki Goto and went for a bribe from the start with a few attacks and a Cannonball into the corner for a two-count. Goto would retaliate with a lariat to finally take Haste down, and with damage dealt to Goto’s ribs and Haste’s jaw, both were feeling it fast. Goto surprised Haste with the Goto Shiki, and picked up the win in the fastest match of the tournament thus far, under the three-minute mark. Goto moves to 4 pts.
Block C: Eddie Kingston vs Henare
This would be the match to watch on Night 6 in the C Block. Henare wasted no time getting this started with an elbow to Kingston and getting on top of Eddie. Henare would control the pace and action for the next few but it was a few Exploders that saw Kingston level things up in this match. Kingston being the stubborn man himself wanted to stand up and trade with Henare instead of coming up with an alternate attack and being the UE brawler made him pay with Rampage. The Justice Knee and a Rugby Kick followed, and the Rampage Tackle was used again on the second attempt for two, but HENARE couldn’t land the Streets of Rage. Kingston got a half-nelson suplex, and with his right arm compromised he landed a combination of left-hand strikes, before a backfist caught his opponent on the button and led to the big 3 count. Eddie Kingston moved to 4 pts.
Block D: Toru Yano vs Tetsuya Naito
Tetsuya Naito allowed his tactics to get to Yano before the match even started by letting his music play twice before the godfather would decide to make his trek to the ring. With the match finally starting an eternity later, Yano would get things started with two quick roll-ups and a flyer to the outside to bait Naito into following. This would work against him as Naito would get inside his head again and this time Naito would take Toru Yano’s hands to the post for the near 20 count. Barely getting back in the ring, Yano would rush to attack Naito and was met with a nicely timed roll-up for a surprising 1-2-3. Naito would move to 4 pts.
Block C: Shingo Takagi vs Tomohiro Ishii
Shingo would be forced to have another stand-up war, this time against the Stone Pitbull. The pace would hit a quick pace no later than right as the bell started. Takagi took over in the corner 5 minutes in and followed with the Ryukon DDT; Ishii tried to get back in with wild backdrop suplexes, but a wild lariat drove the Stone Pitbull down. These two would then slow the pace down and continue to challenge wit for wit in the ring not giving up an inch on each other. Shingo would connect on an early Made in Japan but Ishii would kick out at 2. Ishii would then gain advantage with a lariat and attempt to pull off his vertical drop but Shingo would fight out and Ishii would throw chops to the throat instead and then get hit with a Takagi Driver. With the match a couple of minutes away from a draw, and learning from the last day’s battle with Henare, Takagi decided to pick the intensity up and connected on a Last of the Dragon. He then followed with a simpler Pumping Driver right afterward to get the pin and gain his first points of the G1.
Block D: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Jeff Cobb
This match would test Jeff Cobb as Tanahashi would come in with a plan and for the most part, had a good showing with it and that was to attack the core of Jeff Cobb. Early on Tanahashi would take the fight to the outside but was thrown into the ring post for the idea of it. Hiroshi would gain advantage again with a Dragon Screw but a dropkick and moonsault would see the Samoan neutralize things before Jeff’s cockiness would show and leave openings for ACE to make s comeback. The two would trade high-level moves both countering each other before Tanahashi connected with an emphatic sling blade. It seemed like Hiroshi Tanahashi would give Jeff Cobb loss number 1 but Cobb would find an opening and would ironically use a sling blade himself to take control of the match and then pick up the victory with Tour of the Islands to move to a perfect 3-0 and 6 pts in the Block.
Block C: David Finlay vs Evil
The Main Event of Night 6 saw the leader of The House of Torture take on the leader of The Bullet Club. It felt like a lumberjack rules match with members of each side standing at ringside. Dick Togo would strike quickly taking the corner post padding off while the distraction of everyone arguing caught the ref’s attention. Finlay would fight back with a wild lariat that took him and EVIL to the outside. With multiple referees holding the distracting factors back, Finlay sent EVIL into the guardrails and doled out an exposed corner receipt back inside. There, the War Dogs and HOUSE OF TORTURE broke out in the ring. With the match passing the ten-minute mark, Gedo and Dick Togo would be the only remaining support left at ringside as everyone else brawled to the back. Evil using the ref was able to low-blow Finlay and connect on a Magic Killer to gain an advantage. The match hit the 15-minute mark and as it looked like Evil would gain the shocking victory he made the mistake of going for one too many weapons and in the process, David Finlay grabbed his title, hit Evil in the face, and then landed Oblivion for the win and 2 pts.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 5
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block B: Yoshi Hashi vs Tonga Loa
B Block would start out tonight with both guys looking for a fast victory. The first big move after a fury of back and forth was Yoshi Hashi using the Headhunter. He would land a few combinations to follow then went for Karma early but was met with resistance. Tanga Loa then connected on heavy shots before Yoshi pulled a lariat on Loa to even things back up. That seemed to fire Tanga Loa, who kicked things into another gear with strikes and then a headbutt off the top rope. Jado signaled for Apesh*t so Loa went for the finish but was countered into Easy Pickings for the victory. Yoshi Hashi moved to 2-1.
Block A: Ren Narita vs Gabriel Kidd
Guys are starting to catch onto Kidd’s tactics from the start. Narita would thwart Kidd’s sneak attack from the start and force each into the ring to start a fast-paced exchange. Kidd’s attempts to bring outside violence would backfire, but an exposed buckle had Kidd take violent control of the match, despite the crowd urging Narita on. A fire would burn inside Narita who would connect on a series of big moves before locking in a Boston Crab. Kidd then would power out and use a fury of chops and then sneak in the pile driver for the 1-2-3. Gabriel Kidd escapes this high-paced action with the win.
Block B: El Phantasmo vs Great O’Khan
ELP was still hurting from his last match so he looked to finish Khan early with quick pins to no prevail. This match would head to the outside after Phantasmo would use a tornado DDT to the outside. But things easily switched when ELP got too confident and gave Great O’Khan too much time to counter and lock the headbanger into a stretch. This would transition into a plancha to the outside, and then more attacks. But like before Phantasmo would allow himself to get caught and was locked this time in a cobra clutch. The match’s finish saw both men trade moves and then O’Khan caught Phantasmo with the Eliminator before making him tap to the Sheep Killer for his first victory.
Block A: Hikuleo vs Chase Owens
Chase Owens would try to avoid contact for as long as possible, but couldn’t stop the chop of the big man; as Hikuleo took control, Owens tried to escape under the ring, where he found a metal turnbuckle took to clobber his foe. The main target in the match was the hand of Hikuleo so he couldn’t use Godsend. After Hikuleo was able to introduce himself with a few heavy attacks these two would trade moves before a cross face by Owens would slow things down. After Hikuleo went for another Godsend, Owens hopped out of the hold but seemed to roll his ankle. In the confusion, Owens clocked Hikuleo with his knee supporter and then hit a C-Trigger to get a surprise three. Chase Owens has surprised people with his 2-1 start.
Block B: Will Ospreay vs Kenta
Bullet Club doing what they do best. Attacking their opponent at the entryway. These two would brawl on the floor and around the hardwood where Kenta would land a DDT but was neutralized with a kick and a Oz Cutter. The longer this match would go the more physical these guys got. Ospreay went for a surprise Storm Breaker but the melee would knock the ref out and a kendo stick was introduced into the match. After a low blow and shot to the head with the Defy Championship, Ospreay seemed done but he fought back to lend a Hidden Blade then finished up Kenta with a Stormbreaker for the victory. Ospreay moves to 2-1.
Block A: Shota Umino vs Kaito Kiyomiya
Kaito would show his displeasure when seeing everyone in attendance was on Umino’s side. The match started with a headlock to Kaito followed by a fury of forearms between the two before Kaito landed a big dropkick. Shota would take control for a few but with a missile dropkick and German suplex, Kiyomiya stopped Umino’s earlier momentum. A shotgun blast to the back from the top rope followed for ‘Shooter’, who found space at the ten-minute mark to bury a pop-up uppercut and Ignition for two; in a split-second series of counters, Kiyomiya thought he could land his Shining Wizard, but was caught perfectly into an STF, just barely making the bottom rope. After minutes and minutes of action between the two Kiyomiya had the door open for a Shining Wizard, but was dropped with a Guillotine DDT; with no time left, Umino couldn’t follow up and the time limit expired. This match ends with 1 point awarded to both.
Block B: Kazuchika Okada vs Taichi
This match was all pressure and no quit. A battle of two guys with 2-0 records. Okada went for the kill early with a tombstone and rainmaker but Taichi was able to survive. Okada remained in control, but it would be another head kick and a big boot in the corner that put Taichi in a better position, and a brutal step kick had him solidly in charge. These two behemoths would go at it for several more minutes before Taichi would land an Ax Bomber and get 2.9 right after using a backdrop and signaling for the finish. It was time for Black Mephisto but it wasn’t to be. Then Taichi went for the Gedo clutch which barely was kicked out of and then retried the Black Mephisto which Okada reversed into a pin for the 3 count. Okada moves to 3-0.
Block A: (IWGP Chanpion) Sanada vs Yota Tsuji
In the main event of night 5 we saw the rematch from Dominion but this time Yota Tsuji would attack Sanada with a slower pace, while Sanada decided to rev things up. These two seemed to outdo each other’s counters for the first half of the match. A face-first slam on the apron and a big boot on the floor had Tsuji in full and relaxed charge. Moments later Tsuji would use a suplex and dropkick but was met with a plancha to slow things down. It was high-risk moves that saw Tsuji go for broke with Sanada recovering and taking the reigns of the match. After a Brainbuster Bomb by Tsuji, Sanada would maneuver into a Deadfall attempt which Tsuji would get out of and then curb stomp the champion. The nail in the coffin for this match was an errand spear that was switched into Deadfall for the 1-2-3. The Champ moves to 3-0 and seems unbeatable at the moment.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 4
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block D: Zack Sabre Jr vs Toru Yano
Knowing the situation he was about to get himself into ZSJ would send Fujita to the ring dressed as him to confuse everyone knowing Yano wanted to get the best of him off the bat. Yano would play into the laugh choosing to have Nakashima get into the ring in his spot unless Zack appeared. With confusion filling up the arena Zach would pop out of nowhere and put Yano to sleep on the ramp and ordered Fujita to tape the corner pads up to keep Yano from being able to rip them off. After being taped to the outside Yano was shocked at the fact his tricks weren’t going to be a factor. In the end, ZSJ would get back into the ring and roll up Yano to get the easy victory and escape the match unscathed.
Block C: David Finlay vs Mikey Nicholls
A battle of 1-0 guys would start out the C block. Nicholls would have a good start to the match but whenever the fight spilled to the outside, Finlay would seem to gain an edge and take over. These two would trade spinebusters then suplexes and then trade two counts. After Finlay would attempt Oblivion for the first time, Nicholls would hit a Death Valley Driver. The turn of the match saw Nicholls attempting the Master Blaster and having it reversed into the second attempt of the Oblivion for the 1-2-3. Finlay would escape this fight to move to 2-0.
Block D: Jeff Cobb vs Alex Coughlin
A true battle of brutes that saw Coughlin rush to the ring ready to battle the Imperial Unit to showcase he can be the big man in the ring. Early on the frustration set in for the War Dog as wrestling would keep him neutralized. Wanting to gain the advantage Coughlin wound use a Young Lion to throw into Cobb to give him enough time to grab his tag title and use it as a weapon to damage Cobb. Coughlin would bring the action back into the ring where he showcased his power with a press slam and a manhandle before Cobb would fight back. The most impressive spot of the match was the ending of the match as Cobb would use his athleticism to combat the power of Coughlin. Coughlin constantly would get up move after move but Cobb was ready for him at the end and landed a Tour of the Islands to finally get the pin and keep Coughlin on the mat. A very underrated match of the night.
Block C: Eddie Kingston vs Evil
In typical House of Torture fashion this match would see deception, trickery & weapons involved. Kingston would show up prepared with a Kendo stick in his hand walking out to the ring. Evil would gain an early advantage by pushing Kingston to the outside and using the crowd area to damage Eddie and keep him grounded. It would take chops to the chest for Kingston to neutralize Evil but a rush into Evil would see Evil gain control again by pulling a bridge out of nowhere into the announcer’s table to damage the back of Eddie. After a ref bump and a comeback by Kingston that saw him come inches to victory, Dick Togo would help Evil take control again and Evil would sneak a low blow one last time and pull a win out of nowhere with Evil to move to 2-0.
Block D: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shane Haste
The early going saw Ace going back to the old school to land hit after hit on the Aussie tag specialist. A neck breaker would stop the momentum and give the edge to Shane Haste. With the crowd easily on Tanahashi’s side and Haste controlling the next few minutes, Ace would battle with a combo of strikes before a dropkick would once again slow him down. These two would trade momentum for a bit but after Haste landed Brainbuster Bomb, he would attempt the Bomb Bailey Death be stopped, and then Ace would land a few desperate sling blades to attempt the finish with a High Fly Flow. With the attempt finally complete after restraint from Haste, Tanahashi would pin the Aussie and then gain his first tournament win.
Block C: Shingo Takagi vs Henare
A matchup built with grappling and high-impact power moves. These two men were desperate to look good to avoid 0-2 starts. After injuring his neck on Night 2, Shingo would target the neck of Henare to gain the true first advantage in this battle and would dominate the early going. But Henare knowing he needed to get back into this would use grit to switch things up. A striking combo from Henare put Shingo in the unlikely position for the Rampage and then Ultima to drastically change the offensive arrow. However, being close to the ropes saved Shingo in the luckiest of ways. As both men would trade huge move after huge move, the next half of the match, neither gave way from brutal strikes. Henare would have just enough to gain the final edge and landed Streets of Rage again with under thirty seconds left to steal the match and move to 1-1. Things look bleak for Shingo in the standings now.
Block D: Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroki Goto
Things were in a frenzy when these two closed the night out for the D block. Knowing Naito wanted to start slow and get the crowd involved Goto chose to attack Naito instead of giving in to his tactics. After several high-impact sequences saw Goto go in the right direction, all it took was a tornado DDT for the Godfather of LIJ to gain control. Each would attack the face of the other in a rare transition of power but a headbutt would clinch the edge for Goto. Being close to the ropes would be big for the tag champ who landed Shoto and attempted GTR but narrowly was blocked at the attempt. With 5 minutes left Naito would pull a mid-air Destino out of nowhere and instead of going right into the finishing version as expected by Goto, Naito would shock everyone by using a reverse swinging DDT and then follow up with the Destino for the victory. It seems Naito is finding ways to set up his move now to prepare himself for the long run.
Block C: Tama Tonga vs Tomohiro Ishii
The main event saw the powerful Ishii vs the charismatic and technique-based wrestler in Tama. Ishii’s plan was evident early on, hit hard and slow and did not allow Tama Tonga to use his speed to get going. But after a while the former tag team specialist adapted to striking in combination, following one move with another to keep the Stone Pitbull at bay. Every time Ishii seemed to take over and signal to finish Tama, the Samoan would wake up and reverse rolls and jumpstart his comeback. Several attempts at Gun Stun amounted to heartache and the clock coming close to 0 Tama would get desperate and used aggression to land high-impact counters and turned the tides with a final Gun Stun landed. Instead of going for a quick pin he would pick up Ishii and use the Jay Drilla to make sure his opponent would stay down and then secured the pin to move to 1-1.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 3
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block A- Kaito Kiyomiya defeats Chase Owens
The opening of Night 3 would see Kaito battle Owens. Owens showed the benefit of his experience, controlling the Noah wrestler with his sneaky attacks, but Kaito was able to fire back, striking in combination before being cut off by the wily veteran. A slingshot into a DVD would see a nearfall for Owens, but Kaito would counter a Package Piledriver into a Frankensteiner for two. Then after a few beck-and-forth attacks, Kaito would finish off this match early with the Shining Wizard for the 3 count that would send him to 2-0.
Block B – Kenta defeats Great O’Khan
A big emphasis on this match was the usage of the Defy Championship by Kenta. He would nail Khan with it early and go on the offensive with attacks followed by taking the fight to the outside. O’Khan turned the tables and started to dole out receipts outside the ring himself. In trouble, Kenta tried to take out the referee to no luck and after several counters by both guys, the referee did get compromised and Great O’Khan was able to gain the advantage. It looked like Great O’Khan would finish off Kenta with the Eliminator but Kenta reversed it into a hurricanrana and held the ropes to get a 3 count on O’Khan for the heel victory.
Block A – Gabe Kidd defeats Hikuleo
Gabe Kidd would go back to the cheap attack to gain an edge on Hikuleo after attacking him from behind when he walked out for his entrance. Kidd would spill this near the crowd where he would land chair shots and blows but Hikuleo finally countered Kidd with a body drop onto chairs and was able to get this into the ring to officially start the match. Kidd’s toughness was showcased with a nasty lariat to his opponent and then kicking out after being caught with 2 big attacks. After Hikuleo would gain control and went to set up Godsend, Gabriel Kidd would use his IQ to sit on his knees to prevent the finish and then attacked Jado to distract the ref after hitting two counters on Hikuleo. With the ref busy, Kidd would use the low blow on Hikuleo and then finish off the big man with the Piledriver for the 1-2-3. Bullet Club will do anything to gain an edge and this was no different.
Block B – Taichi defeats Tonga Loa
One of the few matches to be held between two 1-0 starters. Both men early would stand tall and not give up an inch. Things spilled to the outside where Tonga Loa would get reversed and Taichi wound redirect his foot into the ring post. It was the counter attack that would see Loa get back on the offensive with the blue thunder bomb beginning a big comeback. But once Tonga went for the Apesh*t too early Taichi reversed and mustered up some strong attacks and stymied Loa with a second Gedo clutch attempt. With that attempt he was able to escape with a 3 count for the unusual finish. Taichi ends night 3 with a 2-0 record.
Block A – Ren Narita vs Yota Tsuji fight to Draw
A second straight Three Musketeers matchup for Ren Narita that ends the same way as the first. The first half of the match would be technique vs power which saw Tsuji often bait Narita into attacks and Narita use his aggression to overcome Tsuji with pinpoint moves. After spilling to the outside and getting the crowd invested, both men would relive their Young Lion days with attacks that brought them back to the basics. With only a few minutes to spare things looked bleak for Tsuji but he would land a few combos on Narita. The last minute of the fight saw Narita lock in a submission and the clock land on 20 minutes. This fight would land in a draw and both wrestlers stared at each other like they wanted more time, but with the new rules, they would have to wait until next time.
Block B – Will Ospreay defeats Yoshi Hashi
Will Ospreay needed all he could to get back to form after being damaged by Taichi. Yoshi Hashi was able to jump out early on the Billy Goat taking advantage of his slow start with chops and a clothesline. But Will would counter with chops of his own. After finding his rhythm, Ospreay would neutralize Yoshi Hashi with ground attacks. We then saw Ospreay miss the Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker but reverse a Karma attempt and in the ending moments, Ospreay would audible and go to the top rope to finish off this ominous match with a Leap of Fate.
Block A – (IWGP Champion) Sanada defeats Shota Umino
Eager not to have this result end in a draw, Umino would bring a fast early pace, but Sanada would have composure, taking his time outside and baiting his foe into a basement dropkick to the face. Frustrated at being caught in a veteran trap, Umino would turn up the heat on the Champion, but his aggression outside the ring would be met with a Sanada side suplex back in it. After going back and forth for a few minutes Shota smelled blood in the water exposing a hurt body part on the champ and used that to gain the advantage in the match. After an explosive 10 minutes that saw each man dish out impressive move after move, Sanada would become crazed knowing this was close to becoming a draw. And after his attacks would be blocked several times Sanada wound edge out Shota with a trio of attacks and would finish the competitive matchup with Deadfall to move to 2-0.
Block B – Kazuchika Okada defeats El Phantasmo
What a nail-biting start to the main event. Okada flipped the switch on this night by starting aggressive and angry. Phantasmo needing to muster offense after being handled in the first quarter of the match went to his high-flying attacks to slow Okada down and was able to get the crowd involved. These two would go on to trade offense before it seemed ELP would pull off an upset but Okada righted the ship and reversed a CR3 chance and connected with the Rainmaker to close out Night 3 with his 2nd win.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 2
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax is here and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into the Finals!
Block C: David Finlay defeats Tomohiro Ishii
First match of the night saw a matchup riddled between two guys trading power bombs and countering each other’s moves on a timely basis. Finlay like the opportunist he is found a way to withstand the power of Ishii and after a few well-placed moves finished Ishii off with Oblivion and started the tournament off with a W.
Block D: Hiroki Goto defeats Toru Yano
Classic Yano matches are always two things. Entertaining and to the point. Yano would shove Goto under the ring and block his exit with a mascot head, only for Goto to put the head on and ultimately walk into a ring post and barely make the 20-count with a second to spare. From there Goto would utilize wrestling, a new add-in to his game, to slow down and limit Yano and eventually lead him to defeat after connecting with a GTR and getting the 1-2-3. Both wrestlers used their time wisely.
Block C: Mikey Nicholls defeats Aaron Henare
Henare would stun the crowd with a brand-new look. These two had a war with their headbutts and they put on a show. Henare like last year made his opponent reach deep to match the level he was on but a missed opportunity at connecting the Streets of Rage was all it took for Mikey to gain an edge and use his new Master Blaster finish to shock Henare on Night 2. The finish was scary so keep an eye out for the status of Henare moving forward.
Block D: Shane Haste defeats Alex Coughlin
The potential is there for Coughlin to be a force for the future in NJPW but his aggression was his downfall in this match. He dominated Shane early with a gut wrench and timely force to match Haste’s speed and high-flying style. Shane did enough to just hang in there and it was the uncontrollable aggression that allowed Haste to use an opening to reverse Coughlin and land a back body drop onto chairs that were introduced seconds before. Haste picked up the win and got out of this match a lucky man.
Block C: Eddie Kingston defeats Shingo Takagi
A true battle of lariats and backfists between two brutes. Shingo would gain the edge early and would make Kingston dig deep into the gas tank to stay afloat in this high-octane match. The match would reach its turning point when Shingo couldn’t execute the Made in Japan after doing the Pumping Bomber and Kingston would use that to gain advantage. Kingston would land several backfists stunning Shingo on multiple occasions, then would steal a pinfall after landing a Northern Lights Bomb giving him a win in his debut.
Block D: Zack Sabre Jr defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi
These two know how to put on a good match and ZSJ has become the go-to guy to make a match last longer. Sabre would focus on the knee of Tanahashi multiple times in the match and these two surprisingly would trade submissions back-and-forth and that’s what led to ZSJ reversing an armbar and rolling up Tanahashi for the victory. Zack did a great job minimizing the mini hot points in this match that Hiroshi would muster up after escaping the slow-paced technical style of Jr. TMDK went undefeated on Night 2.
Block C: Evil defeats Tama Tonga
Very physical match that saw House of Torture use the numbers games as always to gain an advantage. Evil would use the outside to pawn Tama to float with getting DQed but to no luck. Though Tama was able to handle Evil & Dick Togo the constant interference and an exposed turnbuckle did him in and he was low blowed and hit with Evil to give Evil the win and 2 points.
Block D: Jeff Cobb defeats Tetsuya Naito
The main event of Night 2nd was a site to see. With the new time limit it gives Naito less time to work with and he can’t be as laid back as he wants. That being said Jeff Cobb controlled the first portion of this match with showboating and power before Naito would counter and do what he does best and that is slowing the pace down to kill momentum. The endgame of this match saw each wrestler attempt their finish and not capitalize on the attempt until finally, the power of Cobb allowed him to land another Tour of the Islands and get the upset victory over LIJ leader Tetsuya Naito and stake his claim over the Block. After the match he would mock Naito, wearing his hat and repping United Empire.
NJPW G1 Climax 33 Night 1
The 33rd rendition of the NJPW G1 Climax started last night and your boy Cage is here to break down all the action. Let’s get into it.
Block B – Yoshi Hashi defeats El Phantasmo
Fun opening matchup of the G1 that showed ELP being flashy and Yoshi Hashi being pinpoint and sharp. ELP hurt his neck in the match and Yoshi Hashi capitalized on the hesitancy of ELP and used a crucifix bomb to pin him for the first victory of the night.
Block A – Chase Owens defeats Gabriel Kidd
3-minute action-packed match that started with Kidd attacking Owens during his entrance. The fight would break out in the crowd before finally getting into the ring to start the match. Kidd’s rage would be the end of him as Owens used his momentum against him to connect with the C trigger & then finished him with the Package Piledriver.
Block B – Tonga Loa defeats Kenta
Tonga Loa made his return after over a year away from the ring. Kenta controlled the match and attacked the repaired knee for the majority of the fight until Tonga Loa capitalized on blocking a double stomp and caught Kenta with his Apesh*t finisher to gain the victory.
Block A – Shota Umino vs Ren Narita ends in Draw
You could feel the tension in the ring for arguably the best match of the night. A back-and-forth match that saw each man connect with their finishers followed by attempts by each to steal victory from the other in the final minutes. This match would go the distance and the two would leave the ring staring at each other knowing this wouldn’t be the last time they meet.
Block B – Okada defeats Great O’Khan
Controlling much of the match with his power and his witt, Great O’Khan looked poised to pick up the victory. However, he made a fatal error and went from a straight fist that was countered and Okada used that momentum to hit the Rainmaker & escape night 1 with 2 points.
Block A – Kaito Kiyomiya defeats Yota Tsuji
One of the intriguing matchups of opening night. Tsuji’s powerful attacks dominate early until Kaito started to be methodical and attack the knees of Tsuji to neutralize the brute prodigy. After both would recover from each other’s brief offense, Tsuji would land a curb stomp & go for the finish with the spear but Kaito avoided it and sent the match to the end of its road with a Tiger suplex followed by his Shining Wizard for the win & 2 points.
Block B – Taichi defeats Will Ospreay
High-intensity match that saw both men trade much throughout the match. Ospreay would land Chelsea Grin and Hidden Blade but was forced to use Stormbreaker after Taichi got to the ropes. Taichi reversed Stormbreaker into Black Mephisto and escaped the match with a shocking victory over the US champion.
Block A – (IWGP Champion) Sanada defeats Hikulkeo
Hikuleo carried his own in the main event of the night against the current World Champion. He would dictate the pace and used alot of big attacks to come close to victory on several occasions. But it was an attempt at the Godsend Chokeslam that teetered the bout in favor of the Champ. Sanada would reverse the move and hit Hikuleo with the Deadfall to escape night 1 with an important 2 points.
