What a night in Takamatsu! This was a crucial night for A Block. There was a chance to see the group spread out a bit, see several guys fall by the wayside. Instead, we saw the opposite happen. Night 9 saw 9 guys end within 2 wins of each other. A Block is shaping up nicely.
Gabriel Kidd v Yuya Uemura
After Kidd and Tsuji delivered an absolute belter last time out it’s hard not to be a little disappointed tonight. Kidd and Uemura had a perfectly fine match but it didn’t have the same level of intensity as some of the Young Lion encounters. The unofficial C Block is now down to 2 points between all three guys as we enter the second half of the competition.
Unofficial C Block standings:
7pts: Yota Tsuji
6pts: Yuya Uemura
5pts: Gabriel Kidd
Yujiro Takahashi v Shingo Takagi
Unsurprisingly, Yujiro is out of the running for the G1 after defeat to Shingo tonight. For the Rampage Dragon however, he moves back into contention after a disappointing start to the competition. Yujiro tried to use every dirty tactic he could use including trying to use his cane, including blocking a Pumping Bomber with it. However, he didn’t block the next Pumping Bomber or the Last of the Dragon. Despite the defeat, this was Yujiro’s best performance in the G1 so far.
Jay White v Jeff Cobb
Big upset time! White has been on a roll so far and very few will have called a Jeff Cobb win here but a Tour of the Islands later and it’s Cobb with 2 points and White looking gobsmacked. Despite Gedo’s constant interference we saw Cobb step up to the crease and damage White’s A Block hopes. Great match and exactly what Cobb needed as a full time New Japan guy.
Minoru Suzuki v Kazuchika Okada
The latest of many encounters between these two long time rivals. Truth be told, this wasn’t one of their better matches. It seems Okada isn’t performing at 100%. The Money Clip isn’t working as a replacement for the Rainmaker. There are rumours of injuries. Who knows really but this isn’t the Rainmaker of pre-lockdown at the moment. Still, it was a well needed two points here as Okada sat down on a Suzuki Sunset Flip attempt. Okada joins the 6 point club.
Taichi v Tomohiro Ishii
If you couldn’t tell from the preview article this was the match I was most excited for. I wasn’t disappointed. Yes, Taichi cheated like the no good swine he is using the ring bell hammer and low blows to his advantage. But he also stood up to the best brawler in the business and even got the better of some exchanges. When the Stone Pitbull and Holy Emperor go at it you can bet Ishii brings out the warrior in Taichi. However, Ishii also got the 2 points out of Taichi too with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster. Much like Jeff Cobb earlier, this was a crucial win to keep Ishii in the competition.
Will Ospreay v Kota Ibushi
The Assassin and The Golden Star have had some wars in the past and this was no exception. The winner of this match knew they would head out to front of the pack on 8 points and it was the reigning G1 champ, Ibushi, who took that lead. What preceded his win was a striking and aerial clinic. These two cannot have a bad match together and they compliment each other perfectly. It was a knee to Ospreay’s head while attempting an Os Cutter that gave Ibushi the opportunity to hit the Kamigoye for the win. Of note again is the arrogance of Ospreay. It’s worth keeping an eye because there’s a shift to heel in the works here and could have big implications for Wrestle Kingdom.
A Block standings after Night 9:
8pts: Kota Ibushi
6pts: Jay White, Minoru Suzuki, Kazuchika Okada, Taichi, Will Ospreay
4pts: Shingo Takagi, Jeff Cobb, Tomohiro Ishii
0pts: Yujiro Takahashi
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