NJPW G1 Climax Night 11: Okada rains out the competition

a Will Ospreay (4) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (2)

G1 CLIMAX 29 高松大会！第6試合Aブロック公式戦、 @WillOspreay VS @zacksabrejr！序盤から両者一歩も譲らない激しい攻防を展開！果たして、このイギリス人対決を制するのはどちらだ!?登録＆視聴▷https://t.co/FOQmv6wlPy#njpw #njpwworld #G1Climax #G129 pic.twitter.com/topfCYuAtB

— njpwworld (@njpwworld) July 30, 2019

Submission specialist ZSJ looked to take the Aerial Assassin Osprey out of the air tonight to remain a threat in the G1. The crowd went wild for Ospreay's little wink before the match.

The match started slowly as Ospreay and ZSJ rounded each other, and it sped up as their skill sets matched up well. They're both strong grapplers, and their floor work was textbook excellence.

ZSJ targeted Ospreay's tender shoulder for a moment, but it was the left leg that ZSJ truly wanted: space to attempt more brutal holds. Ospreay denied ZSJ with creative short dropkicks until ZSJ found his way out of the ring and started to throw a fit.

The 20-count began but didn't get very far as ZSJ got back to the ring. He ate a sliding kick for his effort, and when ZSJ and Ospreay locked hands again, they were stuck in a series of reversals.

ZSJ turned up his momentum by fighting Ospreay into the corner and folding him like a pretzel around the ropes to their right. He refused to let up on Ospreay's neck, but every hold was broken by Ospreay's ring awareness and nimble reversals.

Ospreay's hands-free enziguri gave him the space he needed to somersault over the top rope and onto ZSJ, who had rolled to the outside. Ospreay dragged ZSJ's body back to the ring for a pinfall attempt after a Pip Pip Cheerio from the top rope, but it didn't put ZSJ away.

ZSJ got his bearings and surprised Ospreay with a lightning-fast spinning DDT from the corner. He tore the protective tape from Ospreay's injured shoulder and gave him the boots.

Ospreay took the hardest kicks ZSJ delivered and asked for more, leading into another fast series of reversals that ended with a back hook kick from Ospreay. ZSJ caught Ospreay by the neck as he attempted the OsCutter.

Ospreay's second OsCutter connected, taking ZSJ down for the 2-count. Once both men were back to their feet, ZSJ got into the perfect position and tied Ospreay up in a complex hold that Ospreay broke by finding the ropes.

ZSJ's next hold attempt was powered through by Ospreay who put ZSJ into the mat with a brainbuster. ZSJ regained his dominance to foil Ospreay's Stormbreaker finisher attempt and put Ospreay in a European Clutch that could have felled the Aerial Assassin.

Ospreay nearly put ZSJ down with his Cheeky Nandos move and a reverse Blood Sunday, but ZSJ kicked out at the 2-count. Ospreay followed up with a shooting star attempt but ZSJ caught him in mid-air for a neck- focused hold.

Ospreay went back into his bag of flying tricks for another shooting star press but once more it wasn't enough. ZSJ wound Ospreay up in a vicious black widow hold and submitted him for the victory.

Results: Zack Sabre Jr. (4) def. Will Ospreay (4) via submission