Funabashi experiences a rollercoaster ride as Ospreay, Okada and Naito are joined by a despicable EVIL
The final four is set in G1 Climax 33, as EVIL will face Kazuchika Okada, and Will Ospreay is set to take on Tetsuya Naito on semifinal Saturday, August 12.
Naito was first to book his place in the semifinals, surviving a game and extremely powerful 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. The full version followed and Naito advanced.
Will Ospreay had a similarly difficult time getting past David Finlay to make the semis. 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 Cobbs 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 offence with a springboard drop kick as Finlay broke the referee’s 20 count, but his Leap of Faith follow up only hit the referee pulled in Ospreay’s path.
With nobody in charge, pandemonium reigned. Kidd and Coughlin hit the ring, but Cobb would return, and after a double suplex and tope-Khan-giro, things were back to one on one- almost. In the chaos, Gedo slipped Finlay his shillelagh, which rang off Ospreay’s head as he went for Hidden Blade. A powerbomb scored, but only for two, and though Finlay denied the Hidden Blade, Ospreay escaped Into Oblivion and landed the Stormbreaker for three.
The Ospreay win saw the Funabashi crowd erupt in delight, but they were brought back down when EVIL faced SANADA. Accom