Hello r/njpw

We're on the penultimate B Block show of G1 Climax 34, and things remain to be messy in the Bastard Block. A Block managed to sort itself out somewhat in their 2nd last show. Will B Block be able to do the same?

Before we begin, as usual, I'm gonna plug my G1 Climax results summary Google doc, which you can access here, that I'm manually updating as we go along the tournament. It contains the schedule of the matches, results, and a spoiler-free summary of the top 20 best matches of the block phase of the tournament (based on CageMatch Ratings), as well as the play-offs tree, which will be filled up once the qualified wrestlers are set.

With all that being said, let's have a look at the state of B Block.

B Block Standings

B Block continues to be a fustercluck. It seems to be incapable of separating the field from each other, as we've had 5-way score draws for the past several shows. However, what has changed is that we at least have a distinct block leader, and that person is …

1) Jeff Cobb

• 10 pts; 5 wins, 2 losses
• 83.1% to go to the playoffs
  • 48.0% as #1
    • 44.4% as sole #1
    • 0.6% in a 2-Way Tie for #1
    • 3.0% in a 3-Way Tie for #1
  • 21.2% as #2
    • 19.3% as sole #2
    • 1.5% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 0.3% in other Ties for #2
  • 13.9% as #3
    • 8.1% as sole #3
    • 5.8% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: Goto [8], Uemura [6], HENARE [6]
• Worst losses: TAKESHITA [8], Narita [8]

Still at the top of the block, and this time all by his lonesome, is the Imperial Unit, Jeff Cobb.

As the sole block leader of B Block with only days of competition left, Cobb is in an excellent position to advance to the playoffs. He's in a position where winning just one more match will guarantee him a playoffs spot, whether as #1, #2, or #3. Now, in a case where Cobb has two huge matches left and two major losses on his record, There may be a chance where he doesn't advance. However, because Narita and Takeshita still have a match against each other, only one of them can make 12 points. That means that if Cobb makes 12, only 2 people at most can beat him in tie-breaks, and so he can't be knocked out of the top 3.

However, that backfires on Cobb if he loses both matches. Over in A Block, guys like Evil and ZSJ at this point in time still had a decent chance at advancing even on 10 points. However, with Cobb's current losses plus the addition of the two guys he'll be facing next, who happen to be David Finlay and Yota Tsuji, both of whom are strong contenders for the playoffs, Cobb has a poor chance of advancing if he doesn't get past 10. He needs to make sure he wins at least one of his remaining matches to secure his playoffs spot.

2) Yota Tsuji

• 8 pts; 4 wins, 3 losses
• 48.2% to go to the playoffs
  • 17.2% as #1
    • 13.8% as sole #1
    • 1.0% in a 2-Way Tie for #1
    • 2.2% in a 3-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.3% in other Ties for #1
  • 13.8% as #2
    • 9.0% as sole #2
    • 2.5% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 2.4% in other Ties for #2
  • 17.2% as #3
    • 8.9% as sole #3
    • 8.3% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: Finlay [8], Narita [8], HENARE [6]
• Worst losses: Goto [8], TAKESHITA [8], ELP [4]

Continuing to climb up the ranks of B Block is Yota Tsuji, who now finds himself the best-off among the 8-pointers. However, even in this position, his chances for the playoffs are still a bit delicate. His win-loss record against current 8-pointers is 50/50, and his match with Cobb is still to come, so it all depends on how he does over the next few days.

His first test will come against one of his bigger rivals at the moment, Yuya Uemura. Uemura has been on a bad losing streak, and he is gonna be desperate to snap it. Beating someone who forced him to shave his head is gonna be strong motivation in their next match, so Tsuji must prepare for a hungry opponent. Lastly, he'll close the tournament against Jeff Cobb, which is gonna be similarly critical for Tsuji.

Things are still very up in the air, and will depend heavily on how other matches turn out, so it remains to be seen what Tsuji's chances will be heading into the final show.

3) Hirooki Goto

• 8 pts; 4 wins, 3 losses
• 48.1% to go to the playoffs
  • 9.9% as #1
    • 5.2% as sole #1
    • 0.9% in a 2-Way Tie for #1
    • 3.6% in a 3-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.2% in other Ties for #1
  • 16.9% as #2
    • 13.5% as sole #2
    • 1.9% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 1.5% in other Ties for #2
  • 21.4% as #3
    • 13.2% as sole #3
    • 8.1% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: Tsuji [8], Finlay [8], TAKESHITA [8]
• Worst losses: Cobb [10], Narita [8], Uemura [6]

Continuing his ascent is Goto, who, with just two wins, has gone from #9 to #3. Beating Takeshita and Finlay will do that to your tournament.

Goto suddenly has the best collection of wins among anyone at 8 points, with 3 huge wins in his pocket now among the top contenders. Yes, the loss to Cobb might come back to bite him, and yes, the loss to Narita might creep up on him, but wins over Tsuji, Finlay, and Takeshita would be huge in breaking ties. As such, Goto's biggest obstacle now is making points so he can utilize those wins and minimize the chance that some of his losses screw him out of the playoffs.

So who does he have to beat to make 12? Well, on paper, they seem like very winnable matches. First up is ELP, who is pretty much out the door already, with a losing record, so Goto doing what most of the block has been able to do should be within his capabilities. Finally, he takes on the current NEVER Openweight champion HENARE, who ranks the lowest among those who are still in contention. Goto has a lot of experience with NEVER Openweight champions, seeing as he's a former champion himself, so he's well-equipped to win that match. It's just a matter of realizing his potential and putting it all together, and he may get back to the top of the mountain.

4) David Finlay

• 8 pts; 4 wins, 2 losses
• 48.0% to go to the playoffs
  • 16.9% as #1
    • 13.4% as sole #1
    • 1.1% in a 2-Way Tie for #1
    • 2.1% in a 3-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.3% in other Ties for #1
  • 14.0% as #2
    • 9.4% as sole #2
    • 2.4% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 2.1% in other Ties for #2
  • 17.0% as #3
    • 9.4 as sole #3
    • 7.6% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: TAKESHITA [8], Narita [8], HENARE [6]
• Worst losses: Tsuji [8], Goto [8], Uemura [6]

Losing to Goto has halted quite a bit of David Finlay's momentum, but it's not all gone just yet. He may be out of the top 4, but he's not out of the running.

Finlay's got similar chances to Tsuji, because he too has a 50/50 record with current 8-pointers and an open match with Jeff Cobb. Tsuji's ahead, though, because Finlay's balance is less favorable. Losses to Goto & Tsuji are a problem for Finlay, especially if they are able to keep pace with him. However, He's still in a position where if he wins twice, he's a lock for the playoffs. This is thanks to that open match with Cobb, which gives Finlay a chance to guarantee that Cobb doesn't outscore him, and to overtake him if they end up on equal points.

That match is next for Finlay, and should he survive that, he closes out his tournament against ELP. Again, on paper, ELP should be a very winnable match, but this late in the game, matches for guys on top of the block against people who have been eliminated from contention can be dangerous, as the opportunity to spoil can be extra motivation. Not to mention the bad blood between Finlay and ELP, so ELP may be seeking some retribution for how he was unceremoniously ejected from Bullet Club. We'll see how things turn out for the top dog of the War Dogs there.

5) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA

• 8 pts; 4 wins, 3 losses
• 44.8% to go to the playoffs
  • 10.9% as #1
    • 8.5% as sole #1
    • 0.5% in a 2-Way Tie for #1
    • 1.6% in a 3-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.2% in other Ties for #1
  • 17.1% as #2
    • 12.9% as sole #2
    • 1.9% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 2.3% in other Ties for #2
  • 16.7% as #3
    • 9.1% as sole #3
    • 7.6% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: Cobb [10], Tsuji [8], HENARE [6]
• Worst losses: Goto [8], Finlay [8], Uemura [6]

Takeshita recovered some momentum after beating ELP, but he's still got quite a few obstacles on the path to the playoffs. Cobb and Tsuji are excellent back-pocket wins, but losses to Goto and Finlay might become his roadblocks. He'll need to get lucky with the scores and tie-breaks, and thus he'll need to ensure he's there for them. Two wins will be enough to ensure that Takeshita at least factors into the playoffs decision.

First off, Takeshita will need to beat Boltin Oleg. Takeshita has some experience with power players, as a lot of his wins have come from the heavy hitters of the block, so he's got some favor for that match. However, he faces the corrupted Son of Strong Style, Ren Narita. That's a highly unpredictable match, so it'll be tough to say who prevails there. It's also a match where the winner is guaranteed at least 10 points, which at this point might still be enough to qualify, and so that will be a very critical match for both men. That is Takeshita's biggest match remaining, so watch out for that one.

6) Ren Narita

• 8 pts; 4 wins, 3 losses
• 44.3% to go to the playoffs
  • 8.8% as #1
    • 7.3% as sole #1
    • 0.8% in a 2-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.6% in a 3-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.1% in other Ties for #1
  • 19.3% as #2
    • 15.3% as sole #2
    • 2.1% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 1.9% in other Ties for #2
  • 16.2% as #3
    • 7.4% as sole #3
    • 8.9% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: Cobb [10], Goto [8], Uemura [6]
• Worst losses: Tsuji [8], Finlay [8], Oleg [4]

Lastly for the 8-pointers, we have Ren Narita, whose performance continues to fluctuate. Losing to Tsuji has been quite damaging to his tournament hopes, but he's still got some good wins to hold on to. He'll have one last chance to make another major win with the aforementioned match with Takeshita, but first, he'll have to overcome Henare on Saturday's show. Narita is still very much in control of his own destiny, as, like the other 8-pointers, his playoffs spot is guaranteed with two wins, but consistency has been a problem for Narita here in this tournament. We'll see if he can string at least two more victories together to close things out.

7) Yuya Uemura

• 6 pts; 3 wins, 4 losses
• 12.3% to go to the playoffs
  • 0.4% as #1
    • 0.2% as sole #1
    • 0.04% in a 2-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.1% in a 3-Way Tie for #1
    • 0.1% in other Ties for #1
  • 3.7% as #2
    • 1.7% as sole #2
    • 1.1% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 0.9% in other Ties for #2
  • 8.2% as #3
    • 4.5% as sole #3
    • 3.8% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: Finlay [8], Goto [8], TAKESHITA [8]
• Worst losses: Cobb [10], Narita [8], HENARE [6]

We move down to the 6-pointers now, beginning with Uemura, who has fallen a long way down. After starting off so strong in this tournament, he has since gone on a 4-match losing streak. He needs to turn things around, as he cannot afford another loss here. It's unfortunate, as Uemura has such a good roster of wins, having beaten Finlay, Goto, and Takeshita in those early days of the tournament. If only he had the points to utilize them.

It might be fated then, that such a critical moment comes with a fateful opponent in Yota Tsuji. The two have had a storied history this year, with The two facing off in a match at Wrestle Kingdom, which Uemura won, before going at it in a hair vs hair match, which Uemura lost. It's a split record now, but with Uemura holding the most recent and more humiliating defeat, he'll want to correct his mistakes and get some vengeance.

However, the tournament doesn't end there, as Uemura will need to keep winning if he hopes to make the playoffs. His last match will be against Boltin Oleg, which is comparatively less heated, but still critical for Uemura to win. It should also be noted that, unlike the 8-pointers, Uemura doesn't guarantee his playoffs spot with two wins. He still might just be pushed out by Cobb or Narita, or simply outscored by anyone else at 8-points or above. It's a tough road for Uemura, but it's not out of reach for him just yet.

8) HENARE

• 6 pts; 3 wins, 4 losses
• 9.2% to go to the playoffs
  • 2.5% as #2
    • 0.7% as sole #2
    • 0.9% in a 2-Way Tie for #2
    • 0.9% in other Ties for #2
  • 6.7% as #3
    • 2.4% as sole #3
    • 4.4% in a Tie for #3
• Best wins: Uemura [6], ELP [4], Oleg [4]
• Worst losses: Cobb [10], Tsuji [8], Finlay [8]

The last person among those still in (realistic) contention is HENARE, who is not in a good way. He's lost to everyone he's faced that's currently at 8-points and above, and so he does not have a lot of power in tie-breaks, which is not what you want when you're behind on points. He needs to get some points and some good wins.

Well, if good wins is what Henare needs, then he'll have a bit of opportunity there. The first will be against Ren Narita, who might be the weakest 8-pointer at the moment, but is still an 8-pointer and therefore could be an asset to Henare should he prevail there. Secondly, his last match will be against Hirooki Goto, who does sit near the top of the block. Wins over those two won't be incredibly powerful, but they're Henare's only hope of making the playoffs at this point in the tournament.

9) El Phantasmo

• 4 pts; 2 wins, 5 losses
• 0.03% to go to the playoffs in a tie for #3
• Best wins: Tsuji [8], Uemura [6]
• Worst losses: Cobb [10], TAKESHITA [8], Narita [8]

We move into the eliminations now with the 4-pointers, where … wait, what? ELP's not technically eliminated yet?

Yes, ELP does technically have a chance with a schmoz-y 8-way tie for 3rd, with Cobb taking #1 at 14 points, Narita taking #2 at 12 points, and the rest of the block finishing with 8. It's a tough tie to break, but ELP does have good favor there, as he'll have beaten Tsuji, Finlay, Goto, and Uemura in that situation. It's incredibly unlikely to happen, as it relies on specific results from every single match going forward (though it doesn't rely on any ties, which is the most realistic thing about it), but for the sake of completeness, it must be said.

Otherwise, ELP does have opportunities to spoil some people. He has Goto next, who is riding a wave of momentum, and could come crashing down with an ELP loss, and his final match is the highly emotional one I mentioned earlier against Finlay. We'll also have both Gedo and Jado at ringside for that one, so we might get some other shenanigans as well. If ELP can spoil David Finlay, it might just turn the sadboi into a happy one.

10) Boltin Oleg

• 4 pts; 2 wins, 5 losses
• Mathematically eliminated from playoffs contention
• Best wins: Narita [8], ELP [4]
• Worst losses: Cobb [10], Finlay [8], Tsuji [8]

Lastly, we have Boltin Oleg, who really doesn't have a leg in this B Block race anymore. He's lost far too many matches (highly critical ones at that) and can't factor into the playoffs anymore. His last matches should be fun though, as he's taking on Konosuke Takeshita and Yuya Uemura. Takeshita is still a solid contender in the block, and Uemura might be on the last day as well, so spoiler opportunities remain for the Bars Boltin.

Ties

As far as ties go, with how close everything is, there are many 3-way ties in play. I count 11 different 3-way ties that could end up as the entire playoffs picture:

• Goto-Tsuji-Cobb
• Goto-Cobb-Finlay
• Goto-Cobb-Takeshita
• Tsuji-Finlay-Takeshita
• Goto-Finlay-Narita
• Goto-Tsuji-Narita
• Tsuji-Uemura-Narita
• Tsuji-Uemura-Cobb
• Goto-Tsuji-Finlay
• Tsuji-Uemura-Finlay
• Tsuji-Finlay-Narita

There are a few 5-way ties as well, but that's the biggest exact tie we have, and none of them are for #1.

What's Next?

This Saturday's show will have a lot on the line, though with very little guaranteed. The biggest result will come from Jeff Cobb vs David Finlay, which will be the semi-main event, as that will determine if we either guarantee Cobb's playoff spot if he moves up to 12, or if we'll have at least two guys at the top of the block with 10 points going into the final show, putting pressure on anyone who ends the day at 8. We aren't guaranteed any other 10-pointers either, as all of the other 8-pointers will be in separate matches.

The first 3 matches are a bit less climactic, but it'll be critical nonetheless for the men involved. First will be KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs Oleg, a big boy match for the big boy B Block. After that will be HENARE vs Ren Narita. When it comes to Narita, nothing is guaranteed, so we'll see what that match has to offer. The third sees Hirooki Goto take on El Phantasmo. Both men are crowd favorites, but which one will prevail?

However, that's all building up to the main event of the night, a very heated match between Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura. Both have been gathering favor from the fans who want to see them in the playoffs, but with Uemura behind on points, he's got a bit more to fight for. Can he get revenge for his embarrassment all those months ago?

That'll do for this post. The next post will be my final one for this year's G1 Climax, where we'll dive into the state of both blocks going into the last days of the block phase. I'll be outlining the specific possible outcomes with every result, as well as the potential playoffs pictures with whoever comes in 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

Until next time, thanks for reading! See you next post.