NJPW G1 Climax 33 Quarter-Finals Set

After weeks of matches, the quarter-finals of the NJPW G1 Climax 33 are official. 

The G1 Climax was comprised of four eight-man blocks for the 2023 tournament and the promotion made the somewhat controversial decision to reduce the time limit of matches from 30 minutes to 20 minutes which, as expected, led to a lot more draws. 

Following seven rounds of matches, though, and the quarter-finals are official. Advancing from the A Block is IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA and Hikuleo, and they will take on EVIL and Tetsuya Naito respectively. EVIL finished second in Block C while Naito topped Block D. Kazuchika Okada finished first in Block B and he will take on Zack Sabre Jr, who placed second in Block D. Will Ospreay, meanwhile, was second in Block B and he will go one-on-one with David Finlay in the quarter-finals. Finlay took the top spot in Block C. The matches are scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 10. 

The quarter-finals are as follows:

• Tetsuya Naito vs. Hikuleo 
• Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Kazuchika Okada
• SANADA vs. EVIL 
• Will Ospreay vs. David Finlay

The final standings of the blocks are as follows:

A Block:

1. SANADA - 14 pts (7-0)
2. Hikuleo - 8 pts (4-3)
3. Yota Tsuji 7 pts (3-3-1)
4. Ren Narita 6 pts (2-3-2)
5. Kaito Kiyomiya 6 pts (2-3-2)
6. Shota Umino 6 pts (2-3-2)
7. Gabe Kidd 5 pts (2-4-1)
8. Chase Owens 4 pts (2-5)

B Block:

1. Kazuchika Okada 12 pts (6-1)
2. Will Ospreay 10 pts (5-2)
3. Taichi 6 pts (3-4)
4. Tanga Loa 6 pts (3-4)
5. El Phantasmo 6 pts (3-4)
6. KENTA 6 pts (3-4)
7. Great-O-Khan 6 pts (3-4)
8. YOSHI-HASHI 4 pts (2-5)

C Block:

1. David Finlay 10 pts (5-2)
2. EVIL 10 pts (5-2)
3. Tama Tonga 9 pts (4-2-1)
4. Eddie Kingston 8 pts (4-3)
5. Shingo Takagi 7 pts (3-3-1)
6. Mikey Nicholls 4 pts (2-5)
7. HENARE 4 pts (2-5)
8. Tomohiro Ishii 4 pts (2-5)

D Block:

1. Tetsuya Naito 10 pts (5-2)
2. Zack Sabre Jr. 10 pts (5-2)
3. Jeff Cobb 9 pts (4-2-1)
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi 6 pts (3-4)
5. Hirooki Goto 6 pts (3-4)
6. Alex Coughlin 6 pts (3-4)
7. Shane Haste 5 pts (2-4-1)
8. Toru Yano 4 pts (2-5)