Things get complicated for B Block at G1 Climax Night 16

With only one show left for them between this one and the finals, the top of B Block was still packed with contenders, though the IWGP Heavyweight champion still sat on top. As the night progressed, things would start to take shape for a math-heavy final.

Image credit: NJPW.

Tournament action started out with another Bullet Club battle as Karl Anderson battled Yujiro Takahashi. Both men entered together with MAO draped between them as the entire Bullet Club looked on. The two men started to fight though as Anderson seemed to want to steal Yujiro's girl from him.

But this match was more about dissension in the ranks than anything else. Anderson wanted to beat down Yujiro, but the rest of the Bullet Club tried to calm his fire. This led to a confrontation between Anderson and Styles, and almost a stolen win by Yujiro. As the match went on, Anderson continued to flirt with MAO between big moves, allowing Yujiro plenty of time for comebacks. Yujiro pulled out his signature low blow, but it didn't stop Anderson from hitting the Gun Stun for the win and the move to 12 points. The two men hugged it out post-match, but Anderson's over-friendliness to MAO continued, perhaps as a sign of dissension to come.

The second match of the night was a battle that could main event an ROH card as Michael Elgin challenged Hirooki Goto. Both men have complimentary styles. Elgin had wrestled some of his best matches ever in the G1, and this was no exception. Elgin beat Goto relentlessly and seemed to have the win in the bag multiple times until a twisting roll up gave Goto the flash pinfall. The win kept Goto alive in the tournament but eliminated Elgin fully.

Shinsuke Nakamura made his way to the ring for his battle with Satoshi Kojima next. The King of Strong Style went hard against a man equally adept at heavy hitting, and these two pie faced one another. But Nakamura walked out the winner, staying alive in the G1.

Image credit: NJPW.

Kazuchika Okada's two point lead was gone going into his battle with Yuji Nagata, but a victory would leave him still on top of B Block. Nagata's long been eliminated from competition but coul make Okada's life hard here (before he makes the jump to NOAH for a few already-announced shows.) Okada picked up the win with the Rainmaker. His victory alongside Nakamura's eliminates Ishii from contention.

Tomoaki Honma went one on one with the Stone Pitbull in the main event despite neither man still being in title contention. But their feud broke down into a brutal battle at one point coming with a series of dozens of back-and-forth chops to the chest over more than a minute. Ishii seemed to have the win in place more than once, but tonight was finally Honma's night. A top rope headbutt gave him his first elusive G1 points.

B Block's final night on Saturday will be interesting with the point totals close together as math will come into play if Karl Anderson gets his win over Satoshi Kojima that night. Someone with better knowledge of point based round robins can correct me, but I believe Anderson and Goto are both statistically eliminated at this point, though a victory for Anderson would end Nakamura's tournament hopes.

Action kicks off again Friday morning at 5:30 Eastern as A Block comes to an end as the final weekend of the G1 kicks off!