Semi-Finals Set For NJPW G1 Climax 33
Full results from NJPW G1 Climax 33 quarter-finals
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Aug 10, 2023
The semi-finals of the NJPW G1 Climax 33 are official after the four quarter-final matches took place in Chiba, Japan on Thursday, August 10.
In what can be considered the biggest surprise of the night, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA was dumped out of the tournament by his former tag team partner EVIL. The match featured the usual House of Torture interference from Dick Togo and he once again paid dividends, with EVIL scoring the 1-2-3 after he reversed a Dead Fall attempt from SANADA into Everything Is EVIL.
Few expect EVIL to win the NJPW G1 Climax 33, but his victory over SANADA will likely earn him a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at one of New Japan's major events before Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4, 2024.
EVIL will take on Kazuchika Okada in the semi-finals following the Rainmaker's win over Zack Sabre Jr. The two rivals put together another very good match, with Okada picking up the win after he escaped a ZSJ submission and followed up with a Cobra Flowsion and Rainmaker.
While EVIL advanced, Bullet Club's David Finlay was defeated by Will Ospreay to eliminate him from the tournament. The match featured interference from Bullet Club War Dogs' Gabe Kidd and Alex Coughlin but the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions were eventually nullified by Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan while the referee was down, with Cobb ignoring his earlier ejection from ringside.
This brought the match down to Ospreay and Finlay and the IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion had to survive a shillelagh shot and a Powerbomb, kicking out at two. Finlay then went for Trash Panda but Ospreay countered into a Hidden Blade before he followed up with Stormbreaker for the win.
Ospreay will take on Tetsuya Naito in the semi-finals in a rematch from the 2022 G1 Climax. Naito was able to defeat Hikuleo in his own quarter-final match, countering a Chokeslam attempt into Destino before he connected with his finisher again to earn the victory.
Check out the full results from today's NJPW G1 Climax 33 quarter-finals:
- Tetsuya Naito def. Hikuleo
- Will Ospreay def. David Finlay
- EVIL def. SANADA
- Kazuchika Okada def. Zack Sabre Jr.
The semi-finals are as follows:
- Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay
- EVIL vs. Kazuchika Okada
