Night Sixteen Recap of the 2016 NJPW G1 Climax

Night 16 of G1 Climax 26 was a very entertaining and fast-paced show from top to bottom. Most of the wrestlers on the card shined, and a lot of the guys in Block B have an unnatural amount of skill in the squared circle.

Block B Match- Kenny Omega vs Katsuhiko Nakajima

The opening match for night 16 was a bout between ‘The Cleaner’ Kenny Omega and Katsuhiko Nakajima. The match kicked off with Omega spitting in the face of his opponent and then hitting some strikes until he was caught by a superkick from Nakajima.

Nakajima followed that by dropping Omega with a belly-to-back suplex, and then a baseball slide to Omega sending him into the barricade. He then ran on the apron hitting a penalty kick to the chest of Omega.

On the outside of the ring Nakajima tried to throw Omega into the barricade, but Omega turned it around and sent Nakajima into the barricade. Omega then grabbed Nakajima and hit a dragon suplex dropping Nakajima on his neck on the outside of the ring.

Omega continued the attack on Nakajima’s neck on the inside of the ring with a neck breaker, and then he twisted at his neck. Omega then chopped at Nakajima’s chest, and he then hit a running back elbow in the corner.

Omega tried to continue his attack when he hit the rolling fireman’s carry and then went for the moonsault from the second rope, but Nakajima got his knees up. Nakajima now hit a dragon screw knee breaker, and then a big boot in the corner followed with a kick to the chest.

Nakajima now went to the top rope for a diving missile dropkick to the chest of Omega. Nakajima then tried to Irish whip Omega, but Omega bounced off the ropes hitting a dropkick to the knee followed with his float over bulldog.

Omega then went to the top rope, but Nakajima caught him and landed a superplex from the top rope. Nakajima now went for the PK, but Omega moved out of the way and hit a dragon suplex.

Omega then went for the V-trigger, but Nakajima moved and went for the German suplex, but Omega flipped out. Omega now hit a second dragon suplex, and then a vicious V-trigger.

Omega then went for the One-Winged Angel, but Nakajima managed to slip out and hit Omega with five superkicks. He then went for the brainbuster, but Omega blocked and hit another V-trigger.

Nakajima then was able to catch the running Omega with a dropkick and then a PK to the seated Omega. He now tried for the brainbuster once again, but Omega flipped out and hit Nakajima with a poisonrana.

Omega then got Nakajima up for one final move, he was able to hit the One-Winged Angel for the win. This victory gives Omega his fifth win and 10 points in the tournament.

Winner: Kenny Omega (10pts)

Rating: 7.5/10

Block B Match- Toru Yano vs EVIL

Up next on the card was the joke himself, Toru Yano, battling with EVIL in the worst match of the night. Before the bout even started Yano was already taking the turnbuckle pad off to get the upper hand.

He then threw EVIl into the exposed turnbuckle, blinded him with his coat, and tried to steal a roll-up win. EVIL kicked out and started hitting Yano with some forearms until Yano pulled at the ponytail of EVIL.

On the outside of the ring now Yano threw EVIL into the barricade, but then EVIL caught Yano with a superkick to the mid-section. EVIL then caught Yano with some chair shots into the ribs, and he then wrapped the chair around Yano’s head and threw it into the ring post.

Back in the ring now Yano hit EVIL with an atomic drop, and he then catapulted him face-first into the exposed turnbuckle. He then threw him into the turnbuckle again and went for another unsuccessful roll-up.

EVIL now hit Yano with a superman punch and then a big clothesline, EVIL now went for Everything is Evil. However, Yano blocked and went for yet another roll-up, but for the third time now EVIL kicked out.

Yano then tried to hit a low-blow on EVIL from behind, but the referee stopped him grabbing his arm. As the referee had Yano, EVIL turned him into the Everything is Evil for the victory.

Winner: EVIL (6pts)

Rating: 4/10

Block B Match- YOSHI-HASHI vs Tetsuya Naito

The middle of the card saw YOSHI-HASHI locking horns with Tetsuya Naito in a heated battle. HASHI started the match hot running at Naito with a dropkick, then hitting some strikes, a hurricanrana, and then a body slam.

Naito got some offence in by going after the taped-up shoulder of HASHI, he ran with a dropkick right to the shoulder. On the outside of the ring, he then threw HASHI into the barricade and followed that by throwing him shoulder first into the steel post.

Back in the ring, Naito continued the attack on the injured shoulder of HASHI by locking in an armbar and then hitting some shoulder blocks. HASHI got back into the match by hitting a dropkick to Naito’s knee and then a spike DDT, he followed that with a somersault neck breaker.

HASHI now hung Naito on the top rope and hit the running dropkick to the back of his opponent. Naito now knew he needed to get back on the attack, so he hit some elbows to HASHI’s shoulder and then his float over dropkick sequence in the corner.

HASHI then landed a mule kick to the face of Naito and then bounced Naito off the ropes catching him with a Codebreaker. HASHI now hit a powerbomb and then a body slam, he then went to the top rope for the rolling senton.

Unfortunately for HASHI, Naito rolled out of the way and went to the top rope himself to hit a missile dropkick. Naito now placed HASHI on the top rope to hit an avalanche hurricanrana that got him a two count.

Naito then hit his arm-trapped side slam, and then an absolutely picture-perfect spine buster to HASHI. He then went for the Destino finish, but he was caught by HASHI and dropped chest first on to the mat.

Both men now traded some very stiff forearms until HASHI was able to catch Naito with a clothesline turning him inside-out. HASHI was now able to head to the top rope to hit is rolling senton on the second try.

HASHI then locked in his innovative arm-trapped submission hold that wrenched at the shoulders of Naito. Naito was able to make it to the ropes and when HASHI went for the hold again, Naito hit him with a German suplex followed by a wheelbarrow kick.

Naito then hit an enzigiri, and then immediately hit HASHI with an inverted DDT. Naito then went for the Destino again, but HASHI hit a headbutt and then a superkick.

HASHI then Irish whipped Naito, but Naito caught him with a forearm and then hit the Destino for the win. Naito now has 12 points and leads Block B in the tournament.

Winner: Tetsuya Naito (12pts)

Rating: 7.5/10

Block B Match- Yuji Nagata vs Katsuyori Shibata

In the last match before the main event, it was Katsuyori Shibata going one on one with Yuji Nagata. The match started with both men trying to get the upper hand until Nagata knocked Shibata to the outside with a forearm to the face.

On the outside of the ring, Nagata threw Shibata into the barricade and Shibata bounced out with a big boot. Both men then traded forearms and they were almost counted out due to the shots they were giving each other.

Nagata then gained the upper-hand when he went after the already injured shoulder of Shibata with some devastating kicks to the shoulder. Nagata then locked in an armbar and began to hyper-extend the injured arm to cause Shibata a lot of pain.

Nagata now began hitting some kicks to the chest of Shibata, and as Shibata begged for more, he was able to sweep out Nagata’s leg as he went for another kick. Shibata now hit two running big boots in the corner before hitting his beautiful hesitation dropkick to the face of Nagata.

Shibata then hit a head trapped suplex, and then both men went off on each other trading forearms. This went on until both men traded big boots, then Nagata hit an exploder suplex that Shibata no sold and hit a German suplex.

Nagata no-sold the suplex as well, and then both men hit a big boot at the same time taking one another out. As both men woke up Shibata hit a kick and then went for the sleeper, but Nagata turned it into another armbar.

Shibata would make it to the ropes and then Nagata started with the strikes to his opponent. He hit a multitude of knees driving Shibata into the corner, and he then even hit a running knee to the face of Shibata.

Nagata now hit his finishing belly-to-back suplex, but to the surprise of all Shibata kicked out at two. Nagata then hit a PK and then began to hit Shibata with knees, kicks, and forearms.

Shibata was able to reverse when he caught Nagata running off the ropes with a dropkick to the face. Shibata then hit a double under hook suplex and then locked in the sleeper hold.

Nagata did escape this hold by attacking Shibata’s injured arm again, but he could not escape for long. Shibata quickly hit two strikes to the head, and then locked in the sleeper again putting Nagata to sleep for the win.

Winner: Katsuyori Shibata (10pts)

Rating: 7/10

Block B Match- Michael Elgin vs Tomoaki Honma

MATCH OF THE NIGHT

The main event of night 16 saw the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Michael Elgin, going against Tomoaki Honma. The match began with Elgin continuing to overpower Honma, and then both men engaged in a chop off.

Honma thought he won the chop off, but Elgin surprised him with a clothesline. Elgin then Irish whipped Honma into the corner, but Honma bounced out and hit Elgin with four shoulder blocks to finally take him down.

Honma then tried to body slam his much bigger opponent, but he fell back with Elgin on top of his chest. Elgin then ran at Honma in the corner, but Honma got out of the way and finally landed a body slam on Elgin.

Honma now went for the falling headbutt, but Elgin was able to roll out of the way. Elgin now got Honma up in a military press and dropped him into a power slam.

Elgin now body slammed Honma and went to the apron to springboard back into the ring with a splash on Honma. Elgin now hit some chops in the corner, and then threw Honma with such a powerful Irish whip that he fell to the ground.

Elgin then lifted Honma up and Honma began to hit him with some strong forearms, and then a spike DDT. He then went for the falling headbutt once again, but like the first time, Elgin rolled out of the way.

Elgin then got Honma up for a stalling suplex, but Honma wiggled his way down and used his strength to hit Elgin with a stalling suplex. Honma now got some offence in, hitting a back elbow, a body slam, a corner forearm, and then a bulldog.

With Elgin now down on his back, Honma was finally able to land his falling headbutt. He then bounced off the ropes to hit a somersault neck breaker to the seated Elgin.

Honma now tried to Irish whip Elgin off the ropes, but he was caught and Elgin delivered a belly-to-belly suplex. Elgin then placed Honma in the corner to hit two running clotheslines, and then a falcon’s arrow for a two count.

Elgin now hit a devastating German suplex, and then a discus clothesline taking Honma out. He then bounced off the ropes, but Honma caught him with a headbutt to the face, then one to the back of the head, and then finally one to Elgin while he was seated.

Elgin then blocked a suplex from Honma and hit him in the side of the head with an enzigiri. Elgin then lifted Honma up and hit a twisting side slam, but it was only good for a two count.

Elgin now went to the apron so he could climb to the top rope, but Honma got up and hit him with a headbutt sending him to the outside. Honma then went to the top rope and waited for Elgin to get back in the ring, and when he did, he was caught with a diving headbutt.

Honma then hit Elgin with a brainbuster and he then went to the top rope, but Elgin stopped him with an enzigiri sending him on to the apron. On the apron now Elgin hit Honma with a bicycle kick and then dropped him on the ‘hardest part of the ring’ with a Death Valley driver.

Elgin immediately followed that by lifting Honma up in a powerbomb position and buckle bombing him into the steel ring post. Elgin then got back in the ring and got on the second rope, from there he deadlifted Honma from the apron into an avalanche falcon’s arrow.

Elgin then went to the top rope to hit a diving splash and he then hit a buckle bomb, but Honma bounced off the corner hitting a headbutt to Elgin. Both men then began trading hard strikes until Honma hit a jumping headbutt to the face of Elgin.

Honma followed the headbutt with a reverse piledriver and he then went to the top rope for the diving headbutt, but Elgin rolled out of the way. Both men then traded forearms until Elgin hit a backhand slap and then a powerbomb to Honma.

Elgin rolled Honma through the impact of the powerbomb and then hit a clothesline turning Honma inside out. Elgin then finally hit a buckle bomb and then a sit-out powerbomb for the pin-fall. This was Elgin’s fifth win of the tournament.

Winner: Michael Elgin (10pts)

Rating: 8/10

This was a wrap to the 16^th night of the 2016 G1 Climax, and Naito continues to sit alone at the top of the block. I am very interested in how close a lot of the men are in points with only one more night for this block to go.