Last night of league action in Shizuoka
August 9 sees the last night of D Block action in Shizuoka, bringing block matches to a close before Funabashi sees quarterfinals on August 10.
Watch all of G1 Climax 33 live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-3) vs Tetsuya Naito (4-2)
Singles record: 8-8-1
A win advances Naito
A win for himself, Goto and Cobb advances Tanahashi
An incredible 17 singles matches have played out between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito over the last fifteen years, from tournaments to titles, Cup first rounds to G1 finals on the line. The two have done battle at various key points in one another’s careers, and tonight each will prove to be the other’s obstacle to the quarter finals, and to one more, perhaps final career G1 Climax victory. Last year’s tournament saw Tanahashi victorious over Naito with a shock inside cradle that pushed Naito to the bubble at the time. Now he Ace wants to put El Ingobernable out entirely to take his place in the knockout phase.
Before tournament start, Naito asserted that the Tanahashi of just weeks ago would already be out of the running by the time the tour his Shizuoka. That has proved not to be the case, as a 3-3 record has kept Tanahashi in the hunt by the skin of his teeth. But will he remain alive by the time the curtain falls on Shizuoka?
8th Match: Hirooki Goto (3-3) vs Zack Sabre Jr. (4-2)
Singles record: 4-2 Sabre
Goto advances with a win and losses for Tanahashi and Cobb
Sabre must outscore either Naito or Cobb
Another match with a lot of history, Zack Sabre Jr. and Hirooki Goto have been tied to one another since the spring of 2017 when Sabre was making his start in NJPW. A challenge to then NEVER Champion Goto at Sakura Genesis 2017 resulted in defeat, and Goto was victorious in a rematch during the G1 that year, but that was the final time Hirooki Goto was able to beat Zack Sabre Jr. Should he break a four match losing streak against ZSJ tonight, Goto would force the Briton out of the Elite Eight, and potentially stake a claim to the NJPW World TV Championship; Can Sabre advance out of the group stage for the first time here tonight?
7th Match: Jeff Cobb (4-2) vs Shane Haste (2-4)
A win advances Cobb
Haste is mathematically eliminated
When Zack Sabre Jr. got off to a hot start in his G1 campaign, it was Jeff Cobb who put the brakes on said momentum. Now Cobb ends his campaign against ZSJ’s teammate in Shane Haste, and with Cobb on the doorstep of advancement, nothing would be better for TMDK than for Haste to earn revenge on behalf of the Frontman and play spoiler to the Imperial Unit.
6th Match: Toru Yano (2-4) vs Alex Coughlin (2-4)
Both men are mathematically eliminated
With