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[Complete Results]
A few weeks after the G1 Climax concluded, "G1 WORLD 2001" began in Niigata. Designed as a foreigner version of the G1 Climax, the main tour conept was a round-robin tournament featuring five of New Japan's tougest gaijin. Following contractual problems with Bam Bam Bigelow, and after Brian Johnston suffered an unfortunate stroke in August, the participants were shuffled around a little, with Scott Norton, Don Frye, Scott Hall, Super J, and Giant Silva determined as the five entrants. Furthermore, the winner of this tournament would go on to face new G1 Climax Champion, Yuji Nagata, in Osaka on 9/23. Along with that show, which was the tour finale, the 9/16 Nagoya Rainbow Hall event was also in focus, this live PPV featuring the G1 World final, title matches, All Japan involvement, and more!
Foreign participation:
Don Frye (BATT): 9/7 to 9/16
Gary Goodridge (PRIDE): 9/16 only
Giant Silva (CMLL/Team 2000): All shows
Mike Barton (All Japan/Team 2000): 9/16 only
Scott Hall (Team 2000): All shows
Scott Norton (Team 2000): All shows
Super J (Team 2000): All shows
Dr. Wagner Jr. (CMLL): All shows
Silver King (CMLL): All shows
Special participation:
Hakushi (Michinoku Pro): 9/16 only
Kazunari Murakami (UFO): 9/23 only
Keiji Muto (BATT): 9/23 only
Kokushi Muso: 9/16 only
Masahiro Chono (Team 2000): 9/16 & 9/23
Mitsuya Nagai (All Japan): 9/16 only
Toshiaki Kawada (All Japan): 9/16 only
Gedo (Team 2000): All shows
Gran Naniwa: 9/9 to 9/23
Jado (Team 2000): All shows
Kendo Kashin: 9/16 to 9/23
G1 World 2001 scoring system: Win (2 points), draw (1 point), loss (0 points)
1. Scott Norton
2. Don Frye
3. Scott Hall
4. Super J
5. Giant Silva
Points of note:
(9/7) Nakanishi, in preparation for his attempt at revenge on Goodridge on 9/16, wore open finger MMA gloves to the ring for his match with Goto. Nakanishi used several PRIDE techniques, including mounted punches, and submitted the T2000 veteran in just 61 seconds with a front sleeper!
(9/7) Amazingly, the match after Nakanishi vs. Goto was even shorter, albeit by only a second. It saw Frye meet Hall in the first G1 World match, a battle of two very different wrestlers. Hall threw a toothpick at Frye, who shot back with a punch to the face. Hall fell down, and couldn't answer the referee's count, Frye winning in exactly 60 seconds!
(9/7) The other G1 World bout saw former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Norton, face Silva, who wrestled his first match in New Japan. Norton was suppressed by a second rope Giant (body) press from Silva, who kicked off his campaign with a huge win.
(9/7) IWGP Tag Team Champions, Tenzan & Kojima, made a bright start to a tour on which they planned their record-breaking 7th defense, defeating Nagata & Nishimura, Kojima lariating Nishimura, one of TenKoji's challengers on 9/23.
(9/8) Silva had to settle for one point on the second day, being taken to a double countout by fellow Team 2000 member, Super J.
(9/8) After his opening day loss, Norton bounced back well, pinning Frye and in doing so avenging his 5/5 loss to his former T2000 ally.
(9/9) In a massive upset on the undercard, young lion, Hiroshi Tanahashi, pinned Scott Hall! Hall was overconfident, toying with the upstart, and paid for it when Tanahashi rolled him up for the unbelievable win!
(9/9) In the only G1 World match of the show, Frye moved into first place, forcing a referee stoppage after trapping J in a sleeper hold.
(9/13) Before the show in Mito began, a minute of silent prayer was held in memory of the many people who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City.
(9/13) Hall picked up a much needed win in the G1 World, pinning J after the Outsider's Edge.
(9/13) Silva again had to settle for a single point, after being held to a double countout by Frye, who remained on top of the league.
(9/14) Nakanishi continued his rampage with a 72 second win over Kenzo. Once more he used the front sleeper, putting away the young lion with ease.
(9/14) Silva suffered his first pinfall loss since joining New Japan, losing to Hall. Silva ascended the turnbuckles, but tripped and landed crotch-first on the ropes. Hall quickly capitalized, applying a jackknife hold for a big win.
(9/14) Norton also kept himself in heavy contention, picking up his fourth point by defeating T2000 friend, J, with a powerslam. The 9/14 results meant that Frye, having finished his group stage matches, would be in the final. The second finalist would be decided the following day
(9/15) Norton became the second finalist, defeating Hall by countout in the only G1 World match to exceed 10 minutes.
(9/16) Kendo Kashin made his return to New Japan, facing Minoru Tanaka. Kashin's final match before intensive training for a PRIDE fight was a loss to Tanaka at the Fukuoka Dome on 5/5. Following his amazing main event win over Ryan Gracie on 7/29, Kashin turned his attention back to New Japan, and his first act was to avenge the May loss. And that he did, using an avalanche-style cross armbreaker to submit Tanaka in just 74 seconds! Following the match, Kashin switched his focus to a shot at the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title.
(9/16) Jado & Gedo made a successful V2 defense of the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title, fending off a spirited challenge from young lions, Shibata & Inoue. Jado submitted Shibata with the Crossface of JADO, and the recent arrivals continued to dominate the junior tag division.
(9/16) Naruse faced El Samurai in his V1 defense of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. It took just over 7 1/2 minutes for the former RINGS star to put away his masked opponent, Naruse levelling Samurai with the Crazy Cyclone for the successful defense. Naruse nominated Tokimitsu Ishizawa, the man under the Kendo Kashin persona, as his next challenger, saying Kashin was weaker than Ishizawa.
(9/16) In a battle of technical wizards lasting over 20 minutes, Nagata continued his run of good form, defeating a bold Nishimura with the Nagata Lock II.
(9/16) Kensuke Sasaki made his first New Japan in-ring appearance since his crushing defeat to Hashimoto at the Osaka Dome in April. Kensuke, sporting a new skinhead and trimmer physique, had an open sparring match on the mat, and a video was shown of his King of the Cage win in America over Dan Chase. Sasaki announced that he would return to competition at the Tokyo Dome on 10/8, and challenged a member of Inoki's army.
(9/16) Muto displayed his new Kokushi Muso persona to New Japan fans, teaming with Hakushi against Chono and a member of All Japan's Team 2000 branch, Bart Gunn. The T2000 duo were confused by Kokushi & Hakushi's unorthodox ways, and Kokushi pinned his old rival Chono following a Shining Wizard.
(9/16) Tenzan & Kojima proved themselves again to be the top tag team in wrestling, defeating tough opposition from All Japan, Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuya Nagai, after 21+ minutes of thrilling action. The IWGP Tag Team Champions showed superior teamwork, despite being troubled by the hard-hitting opposition, and Tenzan pinned Nagai with a moonsault press for the New Japan victory.
(9/16) Frye and Norton continued to trade wins, when in the G1 World final, Frye defeated the powerhouse Norton with a front neck lock. Frye celebrated with Kensuke, and dedicated his win to Brian Johnston. The 9/23 G1 vs. G1 match with Nagata was postponed until (tentatively) 10/28 though, due to a right leg injury to Frye and also his need to train for PRIDE 16 on 9/24. As a result, Norton, who finished first in the group stage, would meet Nagata in Osaka.
(9/16) Nakanishi avenged his 7/20 loss to PRIDE star, Gary Goodridge, in the main event, choking him out with a front sleeper for an important victory. Nakanishi showed superior ability by combining pro wrestling and MMA techniques to defeat Goodridge. He barked into the microphone after the match, saying he would prove pro wrestling's strength from now on, and turned his attention to Murakami on 9/23.
(9/19) Days before their IWGP Tag Team Title challenge, Fujinami & Nishimura suffered a disappointing loss to Nagata & Liger. The finish came as a great surprise, Liger scoring his first ever pinfall win over Fujinami by inside cradling him!
(9/20) Nagata suffered his first direct fall loss since winning the G1 Climax, falling to his 9/23 opponent, Norton, in a main event six man tag match. Nagata was sunk into the mat by Norton's powerbomb, a preliminary announcement by Norton of an even more terrible experience for Nagata in Osaka.
(9/21) Mongolian rookie, Dolgorsuren Serjbudee, scored the first win of his career just one and a half months after debuting in August. The young prospect defeated Takemura in the opening match, using a sleeper hold for the submission victory.
(9/21) During an in-ring microphone performance by Team 2000, Chono announced T2000's challenger to Muto's Triple Crown on 9/23. Chono nominated Hall as the challenger, outraging Tenzan and Kojima, who immediately protested. After some pushing and shoving, TenKoji left, angry at their mentor for shunning them.
(9/23) The young lion team of Kenzo & Tanahashi picked up one of their biggest tag wins to date, upsetting Super J & Hiro. After miscommunication by the T2000 tandem, Tanahashi pinned Hiro for the important and progressive win.
(9/23) Liger & Kashin faced Naruse & Tanaka, the match serving as a preliminary skirmish to Kashin vs. Naruse at the Dome. Kashin sent a major warning to the IWGP Jr. Champion, using a cross armbreaker to submit him in just under 3 minutes.
(9/23) Nakanishi put away another outside fighter, this time UFO's Kazunari Murakami. The match got out of control quickly, the two fighting on the outside, and the referee disappointly stopped the match. The match was restarted though, and just 41 seconds later, Nakanishi choked out Murakami with a front sleeper!
(9/23) Osamu Kido wrestled his last match in Osaka, with his retirement approaching. Kido teamed with Choshu and Yoshie to face Chono, Goto & AKIRA. Kido himself sealed the match, forcing AKIRA to tap out to a wakigatame.
(9/23) Although he didn't get to face Frye, the G1 World winner, as scheduled, Nagata managed to defeat Norton for the first time in his career, exactly two years to the day after losing an IWGP Heavyweight Title decision match to the American. Nagata used PRIDE methods to defeat the big man, showering him with knee kicks to the head, before applying the Nagata Lock II for a referee stoppage.
(9/23) What would have been a record-breaking 7th successful defense of the IWGP Tag Team Title by Tenzan & Kojima went awfully wrong, when they were upset by Team Muga, Fujinami & Nishimura. After 26 minutes of action, Nishimura surprised Kojima with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold to win his first New Japan title! The memorable reign of TenKoji came to a crashing halt with an unexpected title loss to 47-year-old Fujinami and his disciple! Chono argued with his own disciples after the match, a Team 2000 split looking more likely by the day.
(9/23) Former WWF and WCW star, Hall, made his first challenge for All Japan's Triple Crown in the main event, facing Muto. This was the first time the prestigious title had ever been defended in New Japan, and All Japan lead referee, Kyohei Wada, officiated the match. Hall gave Muto an unexpectedly tough challenge, taking him past 15 minutes. However, Muto's glorious year continued when he shot Hall down with a Shining Wizard to complete a successful V2 defense.
Miscellaneous:
The final standings of the 2001 G1 World looked as follows,
1. Scott Norton [6]
2. Don Frye [5]
3. Scott Hall [4]
4. Giant Silva [4]
5. Super J [1]
Final: Don Frye beat Scott Norton (6:11) with a front neck lock.
Back to: "G1 CLIMAX 2001" (8/4/01 to 8/12/01)
Forward to: "INDICATE OF NEXT" (10/8/01)
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