New Japan On AXS TV 3/10 Two Back To Back Episodes From The G1 Climax! Kazuchika Okada VS Naomichi Marufuji & More!
Episode 1 G1 Climax 2016 Part 1
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs SANADA Block A Match
They exchange holds and hammerlocks early as JR talks about how both SANADA and Tana were trained by Keiji Mutoh i.e.. The Great Muta. Tana puts SANADA in a side headlock that he has trouble getting out of, Tana dropping him with a shoulder block when he does. Tana hits a hip toss, then a headlock take over, SANADA getting a quick one count when he turns him over, but Tana rolls back up and reapplies it until they back into a corner for a break. SANADA kicks Tana in the arm and sends him out of the ring before Tana whips SANADA into the railing, SANADA countering with a drop toe hold that sends Tana face first into the railing. SANADA then wraps Tana's arm up in the railing and stomps on it as we go to commercial.
Tana gets back in the ring at the count of eighteen, SANADA stomping on his arm once he does get back in, putting Tana in a shoulder lock, but Tana fights out of it. SANADA shows off his athleticism, jumping over Tana repeatedly, then dropkicking him for a quick two count, following up with a leg drop into a bicep slicer as Josh calls it. Tana gets his foot on the bottom rope, then kicks at the injured left arm of Tana when he gets back up. Tana drops SANADA with a flying forearm, then hits a scoop slam into a senton for a quick two count. We skip forward in the match and both men miss moves, Tana a low dropkick and SANADA a standing moonsault,
Tana landing the dropkick to the knee the second time, following it up with a dragon screw leg whip, JR mentioning that the first dragon screw he ever saw was by Keiji Mutoh as SANADA rolls out of the ring. Tana hits a High Fly Flow off the top rope and to the outside, SANADA getting back in at the count of sixteen, but Tana catches him in the ropes, hitting a series of dragon screws. Tana locks in a Texas cloverleaf, but SANADA gets to the ropes right before tapping, then Tana whips SANADA into the opposite corner, but he flips over it and hits a springboard dropkick as we go to commercial.
They exchange forearm strikes as we come back, then SANADA goes right back to the arm of Tana before they exchange more forearms, then European uppercuts before SANADA hits a TKO out of no where for a near fall. SANADA goes for the Skull End, but Tana counters, SANADA countering right back and locking it in, but Tana manages to get to the ropes. We skip forward in the match where SANADA misses a moonsault, but lands on his feet, then goes for another Skull End, but Tana hits a spinning neckbreaker into a sling blade for a near fall. Tana goes for a dragon suplex, then turns it into a straight jacket German suplex with a bridge for another near fall, following up with a High Fly Flow, but SANADA counters with a cutter in mid-air. SANADA lands the moonsault for a near fall, then immediately hits another one before locking in the Skull End for the tap and the win.
Winner: SANADA via submission
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Tomohiro Ishii
They lock up for a clean break, then try to knock each other down, Tenzan knocking Ishii down in the end of the exchange. Next they exchange forearm strikes and Mongolian chops, the chops winning the exchange, Tenzan dropping Ishii again as Josh reminisces having taken chops by Tenzan as JR says he'd rather have the kind you eat. Ishii comes back and drops Tenzan with a shoulder block and hits him with chops across the chest and the throat that drop Tenzan. Ishii hits a suplex for a quick two count, then kicks him in the back of the head before grazing his boot over his face and pressing his face into the mat by stepping on the back of his head. Tenzan gets to his feet, the two exchanging more chops and forearms before Tenzan drops Ishii with a spinning heel kick.
They get back up again and Tenzan mixes in headbutts with his chops, relentless until he sends Ishii into the corner, following up with a running clothesline. Tenzan whips Ishii into the opposite corner and hits another clothesline before hitting a suplex for a quick two count. Ishii hits a powerslam, but Tenzan is right back up and hits a mountain bomb before Ishii gets right back up and drops him with a chop across the throat. Ishii hits Tenzan with a series of chops and elbows in the corner, then hits a series of running forearms in the corner for a near fall as we go to commercial.
We come back to Ishii setting Tenzan on the top rope, but he fights him off and hits what Josh calls a calf branding made famous by the Funks. Tenzan hits a diving headbutt to the shoulder for a near fall, then locks in an Anaconda Vise, but Ishii gets to his feet, Tenzan hitting a Anaconda Buster for another near fall. Tenzan goes for a moonsault, but Ishii catches him and hits a running powerbomb, then they exchange strikes before Ishii drops Tenzan with a running headbutt. Ishii drops Tenzan with a clothesline for a near fall, then a sliding lariat for another near fall, Ishii going for a brainbuster, but Tenzan counters, the two exchanging headbutts until Tenzan drops Ishii with one. Tenzan hits a tombstone for a near fall, then drops Ishii with a lariat and finishes up with a scoop slam into a moonsault for the pin and the win.
Winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan via pinfall
Episode 2 G1 Climax 2016 Part 2
Hirooki Goto vs Bad Luck Fale Block A Match
Goto tries to drop Fale repeatedly, but he doesn't budge, Fale dropping him, then Fale takes Goto down before Goto reverses into a hammerlock, getting his foot on the bottom rope for the break. Goto wrenches the arm of Fale and puts in a Fujiwara armbar, but Fale gets his foot on the rope again almost immediately. Goto keeps focusing on the left arm of Fale, wrenching it and beating on it before he goes to the top rope and Fale clotheslines him off of it and to the floor as we go to commercial.
Fale whips Goto into the railing repeatedly, then gets back into the ring, totally fine with a count out victory it seems; Goto getting back in at the count of eighteen. Fale stomps on Goto and stands on him as soon as he rolls back in the ring, then hits a scoop slam and puts his foot on the chest of Goto for a quick two count. Goto comes back with strikes, but one knee to the mid-section drops Goto, Goto coming back again and hitting Fale with five clotheslines before dropping the Bullet Club enforcer. Goto hits a running, spinning heel kick in the corner and an elbow drop for a quick two count, following up with an attempted GTR, but Fale counters and splashes Goto in the corner before splashing him when he's on the mat for a near fall. Fale hits Goto with the Grenade for another near fall, then Goto slides out of the back of an attempted Bad Luck Fall. Goto drops Fale with a headbutt, then a stiff kick to the chest, following up with another GTR attempt, but Fale counters it, Goto countering right back with a sleeper hold. Goto then hits Fale with the GTR on the third try for the pin and the win.
Winner: Hirooki Goto via pinfall
Kazuchika Okada vs Naomichi Marufuji Block A Match
They exchange wristlocks and hammerlocks to start the match, Maru showing off his agility by flipping several times, but Okada transitions into a side headlock, Maru getting out of, but Okada drops him immediately. They hop over each other, then Okada teases a RAINMAKER, but Maru counters and teases a Ko-oh, Okada ducking, then they square off as the crowd comes alive. They lock up for a clean break, then Okada beats on Maru when he comes at him, following up with his signature snapmare into a sliding dropkick, following up with a neckbreaker for a quick two count. Okada sets Maru on the top rope and goes to dropkick him out of the ring, but Maru kicks him and hits a diving knee drop off of the top rope and onto the arm of Okada when he grabs the ropes. Maru sends Okada shoulder first into the ring post, then wraps his arm around the railing before getting back in the ring, seemingly content with a count out victory. Okada gets back in at the count of seventeen, but Maru stomps on his arm as soon as he does, putting him in a bar arm as Josh calls it, then Okada gets to the ropes for the breaks as we go to commercial.
They exchange strikes as we come back, Okada using forearms and Maru using knife-edge chops, sending Okada into a heap in the corner, picking him back up and chopping him more before wrapping his arm around the rope until the referee breaks it up. Maru hits a running, jumping back elbow, then Okada hits a high angle back body drop when Maru runs at him again as Gedo screams at ringside. Okada comes back and drops Maru repeatedly before hitting Maru with his own running , jumping back elbow and a DDT into a sliding European uppercut for a quick two count. Okada hits a scoop slam, then Maru drops him with a lariat, both men falling to the mat in exhaustion, Okada rolling to the outside. Maru hops over the top rope and comes right down on the arm of Okada who's holding onto the apron while he's on his knees at ringside, slamming it into the apron and wrapping it around the ring post.
Maru rolls Okada back into the ring and bends his arm backwards down to the mat with his wrist to the mat and stomps on it like Marty Scurll does, then locks in a Fujiwara armbar, but Okada gets his foot on the bottom rope for the break. Maru hits Okada's elbow, then chops him repeatedly before Okada hits a flapjack, then they exchange strikes yet again, Maru using his chops and Okada forearms until Maru hits a cartwheel dropkick that sends Okada out of the ring. Maru runs and dives over the top rope, hitting Okada with a cross body as we go to commercial.
Maru goes to whip Okada into the railing, but Okada counters and whips Maru into them, Maru catching himself before he hits them and Okada rolling back into the ring, but Maru is right there, hitting a coast to coast across the ring to the side of the head of Okada for a near fall. Maru goes for a Shiranui, but Okada counters with a reverse neckbreaker into an elbow drop, then does the RAINMAKER pose before going for the RAINMAKER, but Maru counters with a high knee and an enzuigiri into a superkick. Maru goes for another Shiranui, but Okada gets Maru stuck in the ropes and goes for a tombstone. Maru counters and hits Okada with a series of strikes and roundhouse kick before Okada dropkicks him. Okada hits a high angle German suplex, then goes for the RAINMAKER again, but Maru counters with a roundhouse kick and Ko-oh, then an Fisherman's Emerald Flowsion for the pin and the win.
Winner: Naomichi Marufuji via pinfall