NJPW G1 Climax 26 Day 5 Results (7/25): Okada Vs. Goto, Tanahashi Vs. Tonga, Tenzan Vs. Marufuji

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING G1 CLIMAX 26

7/25/2016- FUKUSHIMA/BIG PALETTE FUKUSHIMA,JAPAN

AIRING ON NJPWWORLD.COM

This is the fifth of 19 overall G1 events. This is the third slate of A block tournament matches.

THE UNDERCARD

YOSHI-HASHI DEFEATED DAVID FINLAY

Fairly short match. Yoshi-Hashi is a crowd favorite while the very young David Finlay is still trying to find himself as a wrestler in Japan. Yoshi-Hashi wins with his butterfly submission lock.

KATSUYORI SHIBATA, YUJI NAGATA, SATOSHI KOJIMA, JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER & MANABU NAKANISHI DEFEATED MICHAEL ELGIN, KUSHIDA, TIGER MASK, JUICE ROBINSON & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI

10 man tag comprised mostly of B block participants. Kojima got the win for his team by pinning Juice Robinson, The former CJ Parker with a lariat. Staredown between Elgin and Shibata to set up their next B block match up on wednesday.

KENNY OMEGA & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI DEFEATED TOMOAKI HONMA & CAPTAIN NEW JAPAN

The bullet club gets the win over a popular yet strange duo in Honma and The Captain. Comedy style match as to be expected involving the Captain, Omega and company. Who else would go down with the ship but The Captain after he is pinned after Yujiro hit him with a modified DDT.

TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL & BUSHI DEFEATED GEDO, KATSUHIKO NAKAJIMA & TORU YANO

Back to back heel faction victories on the undercard. Los Ingobernables is very over with the crowd and is neck and neck with The Bullet Club if not ahead as top heel faction in New Japan. A lot of heelish tactics in this one that got over with the crowd. Testsuya Naito acted liked he didn't care to even be in this match. Staying away from the ring for awhile before finally getting involved. Bushi gets the victory by hitting the MX on Gedo. Post match saw LIJ attack their fallen opponents and specific focus was put on EVIL's attack on Nakajima of whom he will be facing on 7/27 at the next set of B block matches.

G1 TOURNAMENT

A BLOCK MATCHES

TOMOHIRO ISHII DEFEATED BAD LUCK FALE

Big win for Tomohiro Ishii. He was in danger of falling to 0 and 3 and a nearly insurmountable hole in The A block. Ishii beat Fale with a vertical fall styled brainbuster. This was a slow paced methodical style match but well worked by both wrestlers.

TOGI MAKABE DEFEATED SANADA

Makabe has been booked to look very strong in this tournament thus far and that continues. Coming off a win over last year's G1 winner in Hiroshi Tanahashi. This is another big win for Togi, this time over "Cold Skull" SANADA. Makabe defeats Sanada with his finish, The king kong knee off of the top rope. Good match with two different styled wrestlers.

NAOMICHI MARUFUJI DEFEATED HIROYOSHI TENZAN

The sentimental favorite in the A block. Tenzan suffers his 1st loss thus far in the tournament. Very physical strong style match. A lot of stiff strikes throughout. Marufuji gets the win and 2 points by executing the Shiranui, a backflip inverted ddt off the ropes. Both men shake hands in the post match showing respect for one another.

TAMA TONGA DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI

Stunning result here as last year's G1 winner and the ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi suffers his 3rd straight loss to start off this tournament. He is now 0 and 3 and pointless in this block. Tonga got the win in 11 minutes with his Gun Stun finisher to get the pin fall on Tanahashi. This is Tonga's 1st G1 and the biggest win of his career but the real story is the early fall of Tanahashi in this tournament. Hiroshi can still rally but as they say, It's getting late early. Tanahashi who always has a bright outlook started showing doubt and frustration after this loss.

KAZUCHIKA OKADA DEFEATED HIROOKI GOTO

An Okada showcase match. Both men worked well but Okada stood out as he always does. Good action inside the ring and on the outside and even into the crowd at one point. The story of this match was that Okada is the leader of his faction, Chaos and Goto is a member. So there was that conflict there but they put it aside to compete. Okada won this match hitting his infamous rainmaker on Goto. Post match, Okada took the mic complimented his stable mate member in Goto and then proclaimed the he is proving that The IWGP world title is the greatest of all the championships and that he is going to win this years G1. Goto suffers his first G1 loss while Okada picks up another 2 points and has won 2 straight.

NJPW G1 Climax 26 Day 5 – 2016.07.25 – Part 01 by NewJapan

NJPW G1 Climax 26 Day 5 – 2016.07.25 – Part 02 by NewJapan

NJPW G1 Climax 26 Day 5 – 2016.07.25 – Part 03 by NewJapan

UPDATED G1 STANDINGS

A BLOCK

TOGI MAKABE- 3-0- (6 POINTS)

KAZUCHIKA OKADA- 2-1 (4 POINTS)

HIROYOSHI TENZAN-2-1 (4 POINTS)

HIROOKI GOTO-2-1 (4 POINTS)

NAOMICHI MARUFUJI- 2-1 (4 POINTS)

SANADA- 1-2 (2 POINTS)

BAD LUCK FALE- 1-2 (2 POINTS)

TOMOHIRO ISHII- 1-2 (2 POINTS)

TAMA TONGA- 1-2 (2 POINTS)

HIROSHI TANAHASHI- 0-3 (0 POINTS)

B BLOCK

YUJI NAGATA- 2 -0 (4 POINTS)

TOMOAKI HONMA- 2 -0 (4 POINTS)

YOSHI-HASHI- 1 -1 (2 POINTS)

EVIL- 1 -1 (2 POINTS)

KATSUHIKO NAKAJIMA- 1-1 (2 POINTS)

KENNY OMEGA- 1-1 (2 POINTS)

KATSUYORI SHIBATA- 1-1 (2 POINTS)

TETUSUYA NAITO- 1-1 (2 POINTS)

MICHAEL ELGIN- 0-2 (0 POINTS)

TORU YANO- 0-2 (0 POINTS)

Next up in the G1 tournament is the the third slate of B block matches and that takes place this coming wednesday. These are the scheduled tournament matches.

B BLOCK : Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. EVIL
B BLOCK : Tomoaki Honma vs. Kenny Omega
B BLOCK : Yuji Nagata vs. YOSHI-HASHI
B BLOCK : Katsuyori Shibata vs. Michael Elgin
B BLOCK : Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito