G1 Climax 26

[GooberBM]

The 2016 edition of the G1 Climax is almost here, and we finally have the block announcements and featured matches for the tournament:

http://puroresuspirit.net/2016/06/njpw- ... gust-2016/

A Block

● “Once in a Century Ace” Hiroshi Tanahashi (15th appearance)
● “Boso King Kong” Togi Makabe (13th appearance)
● “Gowan” Satoshi Kojima (15th appearance)
● “Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada (5th appearance)
● “CHAOS no Tokko-Yaro” Tomohiro Ishii (4th appearance)
● “Konton no Aramusha” Hirooki Goto (9th appearance)
● “The Under Boss” Bad Luck Fale (3rd appearance)
● “Bad Boy” Tama Tonga (Debut)
● “Cold Skull” SANADA (Debut)
● “Genius of Ark” Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH) (2nd appearance)

B Block

● “The Wrestler” Katsuyori Shibata (6th appearance)
● “Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata (18th appearance)
● “Min’na no Kokeshi” Tomoaki Honma (3rd appearance)
● “Big Mike” Michael Elgin (2nd appearance)
● “Sukonaru Dai Dorobo” Toru Yano (11th appearance)
● “HEAD HUNTER” YOSHI-HASHI (debut)
● “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega (Debut)
● “Los Ingobernables” Tetsuya Naito (7th appearance)
● “King of Darkness” EVIL (Debut)
● “The Agression” Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH) (Debut)

So...well yeah, this is going to be big. Real big. Who ya got?

[endless]

I'm thinking that Kenny Omega wins it because he just lost the IC title. Maybe an Okada Vs Omega final to setup an Okada Vs Omega feud for the IWGP Heavyweight title.

[Red_And_Yellow]

Feels like the winner will come from B block. Whether it is Naito or not remains to be seen. Are they doing a 3rd place match this time?

A Block is going to be super weird. They are doing Tana/Okada on the last night of A Block matches. I am looking at potential title challengers for the fall and am coming stuck. The only ones I can think of are Tomohiro Ishii and Bad Luck Fale.

Think there's a good chance Tana will be in position to win the block but loses to Okada.

[GooberBM]

No third place match. That was just a one-off thing for the Seibu Dome experiment

[Jama7301]

Hm... Okada isn't winning the block, so I wonder...

I feel like Fale has been somewhat of a thorn in Okada's side, so I'mm giving Fale a fall title match, therefore a win over the champ, and... I can't decide between Makabe or Kojima to get the other.

A Block winner (I'm a hedger): Ishii or Goto

B Block Winner: Naito, other finalist: BIG MIKE, Michael Elgin

[GooberBM]

I'm...pretty sure that's not how this kind of thing works. But I like the cut of your gib! That's good hustle!

[Jama7301]

Runner up would have been a better word choice.

[Jama7301]

I blocked out my picks for each match, and ended up with the following. I won't post all the match selections, but here are the final results.


A BLOCK

• Hirooki Goto - 14 Points
  Kazuchika Okada - 12 Points
  Tomohiro Ishii - 12 Points
  Hiroshi Tanahashi - 10 Points
  Bad Luck Fale - 10 Points
  Toma Tonga - 8 Points
  Hiroyoshi Tenzan - 8 Points
  Naomichi Marufuji - 6 Points
  Togi Makabe - 6 Points
  SANADA - 4 Points

B BLOCK

• Tetsuya Naito - 14 Points
  Katsuyori Shibata - 14 Points
  Kenny Omega - 12 Points
  Michael Elgin - 10 Points
  Yuji Nagata - 10 Points
  Toru Yano - 8 Points
  EVIL - 8 Points
  Tomoaki Honma - 6 Points
  Katsuhiko Nakajima - 6 Points
  YOSHI-HASHI - 2 Points

Going into my last day, Goto and Okada were tied at 12 Points, and Okada held the tiebreaker. Tanahashi played spoiler, and Hirooki Goto took care of business in the last day.

Shibata and Naito tied, but Naito owned the head-to-head, so he carries the block by the skin of his teeth.

Matches set up for the fall:

Okada - Fale, Tenzan.
Naito - Nagata (Tanahashi is the other rights challenger in my mind)
Elgin - Omega
Shibata - Yano

[Red_And_Yellow]

I'd be pretty surprised if SANADA does that poorly. I'd probably pick Tama Tonga to end bottom of that block.

[Red_And_Yellow]

SANADA beats the Ace and Marufuji beats Okada, what a start.

[GooberBM]

So we are down to the final block days with the following standings

A BLOCK

~ Tanahashi [5 wins, 3 losses=10 points]
~ Marufuji [5 wins, 3 losses= 10 points]
~ Fale [5 wins, 3 losses= 10 points]
~ Okada [5 wins, 3 losses = 10 points]
~ Goto [5 wins, 3 losses= 10 points]
~ Makabe [4 wins, 4 losses = 8 points]
~ Tonga [3 wins, 4 losses = 6 points]
~ SANADA [3 wins, 5 losses= 6 points]
~ Ishii [3 wins, 5 losses = 6 points]
~ Tenzan [2 wins, 6 losses = 4 points]

B BLOCK

~ Naito [6 wins, 2 losses= 12 points]
~ Elgin [5 wins, 3 losses= 10 points]
~ Shibata [5 wins, 3 losses= 10 points]
~ Omega [5 wins, 3 losses= 10 points]
~ Yano [4 wins, 3 losses= 8 points]
~ Nakajima [4 wins, 4 losses= 8 points]
~ YOSHI-HASHI [3 wins, 5 losses= 6 points]
~ Nagata [3 wins, 5 losses = 6 points]
~ EVIL [3 wins, 5 losses= 6 points]
~ Honma [2 wins, 6 losses= 4 points]

In A Block, Tanahashi, Okada, Marufuji, Goto and Fale are in the running to win the block. Ignoring the many scenarios that involve one of the final day matches ending in a draw, these are the current scenarios for winning the block.

A Block Scenarios

Tanahashi: Win vs. Okada
Okada: Win vs. Tanahashi + Fale loss + Goto win
Fale: Win vs. Tonga + Marufuji win + Okada win
Goto: Win vs. Marufuji + Okada/Tanahashi draw
Marufuji: Win vs. Goto + Fale loss + Okada win

In B Block, Naito, Shibata, and Omega can win the block. Elgin can tie for the block lead but cannot win the block outright

B Block scenarios

Naito: Win vs. Omega
Omega: Win vs. Naito + Shibata loss + Elgin loss
Shibata: Win vs. EVIL + Omega win + Elgin loss

And for posterity sake, Elgin's path to staying alive to win B Block is:
Elgin deadlocks block: Win vs. Nakajima + Omega win

[jsnnmk]

GOTO WINS A BLOCK with his win over Marufuji and YET ANOTHER Tanahashi-Okada time limit draw in the main event. UNBELIEVABLE!

[GooberBM]

That match was filthy!

[Red_And_Yellow]

Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto final, as we all predicted.

[Greg_McNeish]

Yeah, why can't they ever take a chance, and do something that isn't obvious?

[Red_And_Yellow]

My gut tells me Omega is going to win but you never know I guess. Though, this story with Goto has to have a logical endpoint with him winning the IWGP at some point. Winning G1 and beating Okada would be pretty swank.

[endless]

Welp, called it. One thing that I've noticed about New Japan since 2011 is that Gedo loves having a Gaijin at or near the top.

[GooberBM]

Holy fucking shit...this is wow. WOW!

[Greg_McNeish]

CANADA WINS~!