Three from the A Block are moving on to the playoffs, and tomorrow, three more from the B Block will join them as their final day of NJPW G1 Climax 35 competition happens in Act City Hamamatsu at 6:30 p.m.JST/5:30 a.m. ET. Here are the current scenarios and things that need to happen to determine B Block’s top three who will march to this year’s playoffs:
B Block Standings:
G1 Climax 35 Day 16 Card:
- Main event: B Block -.Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ren Narita
- 8th match: B Block – Shota Umino vs. Great O-Khan
- 7th match: B Block – YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- 6th match: B Block – Shingo Takagi vs. Drilla Moloney
- 5th match: David Finlay & Gedo vs. EVIL & Dick Togo
- 4th match: Yuya Uemura & Shoma Kato vs. Yota Tsuji & Daiki Nagai
- 3rd match: Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano vs. Sanada & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
- 2nd match: Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson vs. Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young
- 1st match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima vs. Taichi & Masatora Yasuda
Takeshita, Narita, & Umino Battle for Last Two Playoff Spots
With reigning IWGP World Heavyweight champion and tournament winner Zack Sabre Jr. already guaranteed a spot in this year’s playoffs, three men tied at 10 points each are the closest to getting the two remaining spots. All Konosuke Takeshita, Ren Narita, and Shota Umino have to do is win their final block matches.
Takeshita and Narita are pitted against each other for the second straight year, in a similar situation. Last year, it was The Alpha who got the better of Souled Out to advance. Will it happen again, or will Narita turn the tables on Takeshita?
In the semifinal, Shota Umino goes one-on-one with Great O-Khan for the first time in their careers. In contrast to his opponent, O-Khan’s playoff chances are slim, but is still alive nonetheless.
A win by O-Khan puts him at 10 points that could eliminate Umino if Narita beats Takeshita, granting him third place. On the other hand, Umino will reach 12 points by beating O-Khan, bolstering his chances to take the top spot from ZSJ should he lose to YOSHI-HASHI, who is out of the playoff race.
Takagi and Moloney Fight For Their Playoff Lives
Speaking of slim chances, both Shingo Takagi and Drilla Moloney are in the same boat. The two are set to do battle to somehow find their way in the top three, although they don’t have much control over their destinies like the Great O-Khan.
Takagi was Moloney’s first opponent when he made the jump to the heavyweight division back in February, a match that Drilla won to make a hell of an impression in his new weight class. Takagi would then return the favor by eliminating Moloney from this year’s New Japan Cup. This brewing rivalry will rise to another level with their G1 campaigns on the line.
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