Six of the ten competitors in the A Block are still alive as they head to Sendai for their second-to-last night of block action.
The main event will feature IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Shingo Takagi facing off with Great-O-Khan as O-Khan tries to stop his four match losing streak in his last match of the tournament. The semi-main event will see two crafty wrestlers, Zack Sabre Jr. and Toru Yano wrestle as Yano looks to stay alive and Zack looks to put himself into a tie atop the block as they head into the last night. Further down the card, KENTA will also be looking to put himself into a tie atop the block as he does battle with Bullet Club unit-mate Tanga Loa. And the tournament action will begin with Yujiro Takahashi versus Tomohiro Ishii as Ishii looks to stay alive.
Ishii and Yano could be eliminated by night’s end if either of them lose. Kota Ibushi, Shingo Takagi, Zack Sabre Jr., and KENTA are all guaranteed to have a chance to win the block as they head into the final night, but that doesn’t lower the stakes on tonight’s matches as they jockey for positions and potential tiebreakers in Sendai.
In daily preview posts, I am dissecting each tournament matchup, including 2021 and recent singles performance, individual head-to-head histories, and miscellaneous applicable research. Round robin tournaments are great equalizers for data: each wrestler competes in the same schedule throughout the tournament by facing each other wrestler once. So, as the tournament goes on and data points become more relevant, I’ll be including some advanced metrics and probabilities for each card as well. I’ll also help to dissect the complicated tiebreakers and other tournament nuances as they come up.
Find interactive tables for NJPW’s 2021, detailed results and statistics of all Every G1 Climax match to date, and This Year’s Tournament at SportOfProWrestling.com, and you can let me know what you find when you drill down by dropping me a line on Twitter @TheChrisSamsa.
NJPW G1 Climax 31 Night Fifteen (A Block)
Date: October 13, 2021
City: Miyagi
Venue: Xebio Arena Sendai
Time: 6:30pm JST
Watch: NJPWWorld (With Live English Commentary)
Local Time Conversions:
G1 Climax 31: A Block Results To Date
G1 Climax 31: A Block Table
Key Tiebreakers
(Victories over wrestlers still in contention)
Kota Ibushi (12): Shingo Takagi (10), Tomohiro Ishii (8), Toru Yano (8)
Shingo Takagi (10): KENTA (10), Ishii (8), Toru Yano (8)
Zack Sabre Jr (10): Ibushi (12), Shingo Takagi (10),
KENTA (10): Zack Sabre Jr (10), Tomohiro Ishii (8)
Tomohiro Ishii (8): Zack Sabre Jr (10)
Toru Yano (8): KENTA (10)
Main Event
G1 Climax 31 A Block Match
Shingo Takagi [10] vs. Great-O-Khan [8]
- Shingo Takagi cannot be eliminated tonight. He has 10 points and the block leader, Kota Ibushi has 12, so even with a loss, he will still be within 2 points of the lead headed into the final night.
- Great-O-Khan is eliminated.
G1 Climax 31 – Tournament To Date
- Shingo Takagi’s average match length of 21:45 is the highest in the A Block and the second highest in the tournament.
- Shingo’s average losing match length of 25:37 is the longest in the tournament.
- No IWGP Heavyweight Champion has ended the G1 Climax with less than 12 points since 2016 when Kazuchika Okada ended with 11.
- Great-O-Khan’s 5 minute and 58 second win/loss differential is the best in the A Block. O-Khan may be on a four match losing streak, but he has been incredibly challenging to beat.
Recent History – 2021 Singles
- Shingo Takagi’s 19 singles victories are the most in NJPW this year.
Recent History – Last 365 Days Singles
- Shingo Takagi’s 21 singles victories in the last 365 days are the most in NJPW in that period. His 9 hours, 48 minutes, and 21 seconds of total match length is over 2 hours and 20 minutes longer than the second longest (SANADA – 7:26:06).
Recent History – Last 90 Days Singles
Recent History – 2021 Individual Overall
- Shingo Takagi’s +43 Fall Differential is second best in NJPW this year, only behind Jeff Cobb.
- Great-O-Khan’s 67 overall victories are the most in NJPW this year.
Head To Head History
- This will be the first singles match between Shingo Takagi and Great-O-Khan.
History in Sendai
- The last time Shingo Takagi was wrestling in a singles match in Xebio Arena, he was wrestling in the New Japan Cup 2021 final against Will Ospreay. Shingo lost that match in 30 minutes and 6 seconds.
- Shingo is 5-1 in Sendai all-time. His only loss came in the finals of this year’s New Japan Cup.
- This will be Great-O-Khan’s first singles match in Sendai.
G1 Climax – All Time
Shingo Takagi
(W) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
(L) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr
(W-forfeit) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Shingo Takagi vs. Tetsuya Naito
(W) September 30, Korakuen Hall: Shingo Takagi vs. KENTA
(L) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi
(W) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Shingo Takagi vs. Toru Yano
(W) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Shingo Takagi vs. Tanga Loa
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Shingo Takagi vs. Great-O-Khan
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Shingo Takagi vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Great-O-Khan
(W) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Great-O-Khan vs. Tanga Loa
(W) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Great-O-Khan vs. Toru Yano
(W) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Great-O-Khan vs. Yujiro Takahashi
(L) September 30, Korakuen Hall: Great-O-Khan vs. Zack Sabre Jr
(L) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Great-O-Khan vs. KENTA
(L) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Great-O-Khan vs. Tomohiro Ishii
(L) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Great-O-Khan vs. Kota Ibushi
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Great-O-Khan vs. Shingo Takagi
(W-forfeit) October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Great-O-Khan vs. Tetsuya Naito
Match Five
G1 Climax 31 A Block Match
Toru Yano [8] vs. Zack Sabre Jr [10]
- If Toru Yano loses, he is eliminated. Kota Ibushi already has 12 points, with a loss, Yano’s maximum would be 10.
- Zack Sabre Jr cannot be eliminated tonight. He has 10 points and the block leader, Kota Ibushi has 12, so even with a loss, he will still be within 2 points of the lead headed into the final night.
G1 Climax 31 – Tournament To Date
- The only other wrestler to win 5 or more G1 Climax matches by submission in a single tournament was MVP in 2011 when he won six via a combination of his Irreversible Crisis and the Oyasumi (Kimura)
- Zack Sabre Jr. has labored through his victories thus far in G1 Climax 31. His Average winning match length of 20:48 is the longest in the block.
- Zack Sabre Jr. has won all five of his G1 Climax wins this year by submission.
- Shingo Takagi’s most recent submission loss prior to G1 Climax 31 occurred on July 29, 2019, against Jon Moxley
- Kota Ibushi’s most recent submission loss prior to someone other than Zack Sabre Jr. occurred on July 4, 2014, against KUSHIDA
- Tetsuya Naito’s most recent submission loss to someone other than Zack Sabre Jr. occurred on June 11, 2017, against Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Great-O-Khan’s submission to Zack Sabre Jr was his first submission loss in NJPW since returning from excursion.
Recent History – 2021 Singles
- Eight of Zack Sabre Jr’s 9 singles victories in 2021 have been by submission. 11 wrestlers are tied for second place in most singles match submission victories with two.
- Toru Yano’s most recent submission loss was during last year’s G1 Climax tournament when he submitted to Zack Sabre Jr.
Recent History – Last 365 Days Singles
Recent History – 2021 Individual Overall
- Zack Sabre Jr’s 14 overall submission victories this year are the most in NJPW this year. Kazuchika Okada is second with 10, though only one of those occurred during a singles match.
Head To Head History
History in Sendai
- Zack Sabre Jr is 3-1 in Sendai, including a 2017 G1 Climax victory over Bad Luck Fale.
- This will be Toru Yano’s first singles match in Sendai in 5 years. He is 5-3 in Sendai including a 3-1 record in G1 Climax matches.
G1 Climax – All Time
- Zack Sabre Jr’s 14 G1 Climax submission victories are fifth-most all time.
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Minoru Suzuki are the last two wrestlers to win three straight G1 Climax matches via submission, both in 2014.
- Zack Sabre Jr has averaged 10 points in his four previous G1 Climax appearances. His 10 point average is the third highest in his block, only behind Tetsuya Naito (12), and Kota Ibushi (11.6)
- This is Toru Yano’s 16th G1 Climax, tying Masahiro Chono for the fourth-most G1 Tournaments. Only Hiroyoshi Tenzan (21), Hiroshi Tanahashi (20), and Yuji Nagata (19) have participated in more G1 tournaments than Yano.
- Over the last ten G1 Climax tournaments, Toru Yano has averaged 7.8 points per year. He has not scored less than 6 and he has not scored more than 10.
- Toru Yano’s 126 G1 Climax matches are fourth most all-time.
- Toru Yano’s 71 G1 Climax losses are the most all-time.
- Toru Yano’s 54 G1 Climax victories are the eighth most all-time.
Individual G1 Climax Tournament Schedules
Toru Yano
(W) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Toru Yano vs. KENTA
(L) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Toru Yano vs. Great-O-Khan
(W) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Toru Yano vs. Tanga Loa
(L)September 30, Korakuen Hall: Toru Yano vs. Kota Ibushi
(W-forfeit) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito
(L) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Toru Yano vs. Shingo Takagi
(W) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Toru Yano vs. Zack Sabre Jr
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Toru Yano vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Zack Sabre Jr.
(W) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Tetsuya Naito
(W) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Shingo Takagi
(W) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Kota Ibushi
(W) September 30, Korakuen Hall: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Great-O-Khan
(L) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Tomohiro Ishii
(W) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Yujiro Takahashi
(L) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Zack Sabre Jr vs. KENTA
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Toru Yano
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Zack Sabre Jr vs. Tanga Loa
Match Four
G1 Climax 31 A Block Match
KENTA [10] vs. Tanga Loa [4]
- KENTA cannot be eliminated tonight. He has 10 points and the block leader, Kota Ibushi has 12, so even with a loss, he will still be within 2 points of the lead headed into the final night.
- Tanga Loa is eliminated.
G1 Climax 31 – Tournament To Date
- KENTA has already matched his G1 high of 10 points (2020).
Recent History – 2021 Singles
- KENTA is one of just six wrestlers with 10 or more singles victories in NJPW in 2021.
Recent History – Last 365 Days Singles
- KENTA’s 16 singles victories are third most in NJPW over the last 365 days.
Recent History – 2021 Individual Overall
Head To Head History
- This will be the first singles match between KENTA and Tanga Loa.
History in Sendai
- KENTA has never wrestled an NJPW singles match in Sendai. He is 2-2 here when wrestling with NOAH.
- This will be Tanga Loa’s first singles match in Sendai. In his highest stakes match here, he, along with Taiji Ishimori and Tama Tonga, lost the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships to Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe and Toru Yano in January of 2019.
G1 Climax – All Time
Individual G1 Climax Tournament Schedules
KENTA
(L) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: KENTA vs. Toru Yano
(W) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: KENTA vs. Yujiro Takahashi
(W) September 26, Kobe World Hall: KENTA vs. Tomohiro Ishii
(L) September 30, Korakuen Hall: KENTA vs. Shingo Takagi
(L) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: KENTA vs. Great-O-Khan
(W-forfeit) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: KENTA vs. Tetsuya Naito
(W) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: KENTA vs. Tanga Loa
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: KENTA vs. Kota Ibushi
Tanga Loa
(L) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Tanga Loa vs. Great-O-Khan
(W-forfeit) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Tanga Loa vs. Tetsuya Naito
(L) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Tanga Loa vs. Toru Yano
(L) September 30, Korakuen Hall: Tanga Loa vs. Tomohiro Ishii
(W) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Tanga Loa vs. Yujiro Takahashi
(L) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Tanga Loa vs. Kota Ibushi
(L) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Tanga Loa vs. Shingo Takagi
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Tanga Loa vs. KENTA
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Tanga Loa vs. Zack Sabre Jr
Match Three
G1 Climax 31 A Block Match
Tomohiro Ishii [8] vs. Yujiro Takahashi [4]
- If Tomohiro Ishii loses, he is eliminated. Kota Ibushi already has 12 points, with a loss, Ishii’s maximum would be 10.
- Yujiro Takahashi is eliminated.
G1 Climax 31 – Tournament To Date
- Tomohiro Ishii has finished with at least 8 points every year since 2014. He has finished with 10 just three times in his 8 tournaments.
- Coming into his match with Yujiro Takahashi, Tomohiro Ishii has won three consecutive matches. This is the fourth time Ishii has won three straight matches in one G1 Climax tournament (2015, 2017, 2020). He has never won four G1 matches in a row in the same tournament.
- Tomohiro Ishii’s 21:22 average match length is the second highest in the A Block and it is over 5 ½ minutes higher than his all-time G1 Climax average.
- Yujiro Takahashi’s 13:08 average match length is the second shortest in the A Block.
Recent History – 2021 Singles
- Among wrestlers with more than 10 singles matches, Tomohiro Ishii’s 6 minute and 30 second Win/Loss Differential is the third best in NJPW this year. Only Shingo Takagi and Kazuchika Okada are better.
Recent History – Last 365 Days Singles
Recent History – 2021 Individual Overall
Head To Head History
- In seven matches, Tomohiro Ishii leads the all-time series with Yujiro Takahashi 6-1 including a 2-0 record in G1 Climax matches.
- The first time Tomohiro Ishii and Yujiro Takahashi wrestled a singles match was in Sendai in 2006.
History in Sendai
- Tomohiro Ishii is 5-2 in singles matches in Sendai, including a 3-1 record in G1 Climax matches. He is on a four match winning streak here in Sendai.
- Yujiro Takahashi is 3-8 in singles matches in Sendai, including an 0-5 record in G1 Climax matches. He is on a six match losing streak here in Sendai.
G1 Climax – All Time
- This is Tomohiro Ishii’s 9th consecutive G1 Climax Tournament
- Yujiro Takahashi is one of two A Block opponents that Tomohiro Ishii historically has a winning record against.
- Tomohiro Ishii’s 20 hours, 34 minutes, and 57 seconds of Total G1 match length is the highest in the A Block.
Individual G1 Climax Tournament Schedules
Yujiro Takahashi
(W) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Kota Ibushi
(L) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Yujiro Takahashi vs. KENTA
(L) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Great-O-Khan
(W-forfeit) September 30, Korakuen Hall: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito
(L) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tanga Loa
(L) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr
(L) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Toru Yano
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Shingo Takagi
Tomohiro Ishii
(L) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi
(L) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi
(L) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Tomohiro Ishii vs. KENTA
(W) September 30, Korakuen Hall: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa
(W) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr
(W) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Great-O-Khan
(W-forfeit) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito
October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yujiro Takahashi
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Toru Yano
Match Two
Special Singles Match
Kota Ibushi vs. Satoshi Kojima
Recent History – 2021 Singles
Recent History – Last 365 Days Singles
Recent History – Last 180 Days Singles
Recent History – Last 90 Days Singles
Recent History – 2021 Individual Overall
Head To Head History
- This will be the first singles match between Kota Ibushi and Satoshi Kojima
History in Sendai
- Kota Ibushi is 2-2 in singles matches in Sendai. His last singles match here was during G1 Climax 27 when he lost to Togi Makabe in 13:20.
- Satoshi Kojima has been wrestling in singles matches in Sendai since 1993. His first singles match here was a loss to Jake Roberts. He is 4-6 all time in Sendai.
Individual G1 Climax Tournament Schedules
Kota Ibushi
(L) September 18, EDION Arena Osaka: Kota Ibushi vs. Yujiro Takahashi
(W) September 23, Ota City General Gymnasium: Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
(L) September 26, Kobe World Hall: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr
(W) September 30, Korakuen Hall: Kota Ibushi vs. Toru Yano
(W) October 3, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Kota Ibushi vs. Shingo Takagi
(W) October 7, Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall: Kota Ibushi vs. Tanga Loa
(W) October 9, EDION Arena Osaka: Kota Ibushi vs. Great-O-Khan
(W-forfeit) October 13, Xebio Arena Sendai: Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito
October 18, Yokohama Budokan: Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA
