Cobb, Naito, Sabre atop D Block before last league matches
Before the last league matches of G1 Climax 33 in Shizuoka next Wednesday, D Block did battle with their sixth league bouts in Hiroshima’s Sun Plaza on August 2.
The top billed D Block match of the evening pit Tetsuya Naito in a crucial match with rival Zack Sabre Jr. in Naito’s adopted home town of Hiroshima. After a good deal of grandstanding before and after the bell, Naito had the upper hand, and a signature pose for the fans, after a tijeras landed flush. Frustrated, Sabre made a critical error 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 Briton.
As ZSJ set to work, 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. Harried, 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.
Time was ticking out as Sabre landed a tornado DDT and went to Naito again, only to be dropped with Valentia from Naito. With two minutes left, both looked for the end, but it was Naito countering a swinging DDT into an inside cradle for three.
Hirooki Goto was in a must win scenario against difficult competition in Jeff Cobb on the night. Things certainly were tough after the opening moments, when a human torpedo in the shape of Cobb tackled through Goto, and hurled the CHAOS member into the ringside steel, hurt ribs first. Goto was unable to get moving thanks to the injury, and Muramasa in the corner was met with a brutal suplex. A standing moonsault would have meant certain disaster for Goto, but a narrow escape put Cobb on the back foot for the first time in the match.
Cobb’s power and athleticism would see him surge back with the Spin Cycle and a standing moonsault putting Goto in danger. Hurting 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 favourite in the Kaiten, before landing the GTR for three.
Shane Haste and Toru Yano were fighting for pride and sportsmanship in their match, which started with a proposed trade of headwear, one which rapidly backfired. Yano’s headgear was a blindfold which nearly led to roll-up disaster, but Haste escaped both the pin 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.
Haste would join the under ring