New Japan G1 Climax Finals Results
August 11, 2013
Tokyo, Japan
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

The event is available for $30 on New Japan's UStream HERE. A full break down of the tournament thus far can be found on PuroresuSpirit.com HERE.

(1) Yuji Nagata beat Yujiro Takahashi in a G1 Climax tournament match. Nagata now has 10 points in the B Block.

(2) Toru Yano beat Minoru Suzuki in a G1 Climax tournament match. Yano now has 8 points in the B Block.

(3) Shelton Benjamin (w/TAKA Michinoku) beat Shinsuke Nakamura with Paydirt in a G1 Climax tournament match. The story early on was Shelton targeting Nakamura's left knee, which gave Nakamura his "out" for taking the loss unable to land a kick strike that led to Shelton hitting Paydirt. Fantastic match with great heat. Shelton now has 10 points in the B Block, tying him with Nakamura, Nagata, Karl Anderson, and Suzuki.

(4) Tetsuya Naito submitted "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson in a G1 Climax tournament match to win the B Block. Anderson would have punched his ticket to the Finals with a win, but Naito submitted him with a Vice-like submission. This followed Anderson delivering a top-rope TKO, which Naito kicked out of. Good placement of this match in the final show to put Naito in a strong position versus a top heel going into the Finals later on.

(5) Lance Archer/Hoyt beat Davey Boy Smith, Jr. in a G1 Climax tournament match. Archer won with a top-rope Blackout (inverted crucifix powerbomb). Very good battle between big-men, tag partners, with the story being they countered, reversed, and blocked since they know each other so well. Archer finishes with 8 points in the A Block, while Smith stays at 10 points.

(6) Prince Devitt beat Makabe in a chaotic G1 Climax tournament match with interference from Bad Luck Fale throughout, chairs, two ref bumps, and Devitt eventually winning, much to the dismay of the crowd. Devitt now has 10 points in the A Block and Makabe stays at 10.

(7) Satoshi Kojima beat IWGP World Hvt. champion Kazuchika Okada in a G1 Climax tournament match. Another fantastic singles match with counters and reversals leading to Kojima nailing his lariat for the win. Afterward, Kojima indicated he wants a World Title shot. So do a lot of folks, as Okada finishes with four losses and 9 points. Meanwhile, Kojima finishes with 8 points.

(8) Tanahashi beat Katsuyori Shibata in a G1 Climax tournament match with a roll-up countering a GTS attempt. Tanahashi wins the A Block with 11 points, while Shibata comes up short with 10 points. Not a very long match, but more great action.

[Intermission prior to the final two matches.]

The buffer match before the G1 Finals is Kota Ibushi, Akebono, and Sakuraba facing Yoshi-Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii, and Takashi Iizuka. Before the match started, they did the bit where crazy-man Iizuka went after the announcer, spray-painting him in the face.

(9) Sakuraba won the six-man tag via submission; Kota Ibushi stole the show with his high-flying attack. Afterward, Ibushi and Ishii had a scrap on the floor, extending their fight from the actual match. The face trio then welcomed the announcer into the ring to stand tall together.

(10) Naito beat Tanahashi at 26:45 to win the G1 Climax. Naito tried hitting Stardust Press (corkscrew moonsault) throughout the night, and finally hit in on Tanahashi for the three count and the win. The crowd was hot for Naito, setting him up as a strong future challenger to Okada's IWGP World Title. Overall, numerous twists and turns in this match, as either man could have won at any time. Another excellent match on this show.

Afterward, Naito demanded respect from Tanahashi, who was helped away from the ringside area selling the effects of Stardust Press. Naito was then presented with his trophy and various awards for winning G1.

Naito was then interviewed afterward. Naito got choked up to sell the magnitude of the victory. In conclusion, Naito referenced IWGP World champion Okada, putting him on notice. Streamers were then shot off and Naito stood tall in the ring celebrating to close the show, then took a victory lap as the announcers recapped the 23rd G1 Climax tournament.

We suggest these recent related articles...

SHOW RESULTS - 10/9 AAW in Berwyn, Ill.: Gargano challenges for AAW Hvt. Title, more title matches, big women's tag match, more

SHOW RESULTS - 10/3 NWA Smoky Mountain in Kingsport, Tenn.: NWA Hvt. Title match, Rob Conway, Kid Kash, Ricky Morton, more

LIVE REPORT - 10/4 TNA BFG PPV in North Carolina: Live notes on technical glitches, pre-Angle match announcement, Captain America Fan, more