Welcome back to the WWE Fantasy G1 Climax Tournament. If you’re new to the series you catch up on the previous matches in the archives. Night 17 features the Raw Block Final! It’s been a long hard journey for all these competitors. Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe have the best chances of winning since both are tied with 12 points. However, if both men win tonight and remained tied, Strowman will be the Raw Block Winner since he defeated Samoa Joe in round 7. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins still have a shot at winning too. In order for Rollins or Reigns to win both Strowman and Joe have to lose and then have to win their matches. Here are the rankings going into the Raw Block Finals:
Braun Strowman (6-2) – 12
Samoa Joe (6-2) – 12
Seth Rollins (5-2-1) – 11
Roman Reigns (5-2-1) – 11
Finn Balor (5-3) – 10
Cesaro (4-4) – 8
Dean Ambrose (3-5) – 6
Neville (3-5) – 6
The Miz (2-6) – 4
Bray Wyatt (0-8) – 0
G1 Climax Night 17 – Raw Block Finals: August 14th Monday Night Raw
Bray Wyatt (0-8) vs. Neville (3-5)
It has been a disappointing tournament for Bray Wyatt. Every round he came up short and failed to get a victory. Tonight Bray will be attempting to get a victory and not end the tournament with 0 points. On Night 15, Neville ran into the brick wall known as Braun Strowman. He tried his best but, could not defeat the monster. Neville will be looking to end the tournament with 8 points.
Match Highlights: The bell rings and Bray charges at Neville and lays him out with a big lariat. Bray picks up Neville and tosses him shoulder first into a ring post. Bray follows up with a back suplex and goes for a cover. One…two…Neville kicks out. Bray wastes no time and immediately follows up with a running senton and goes for another cover. One…two…Neville kicks out again. Bray picks Neville up and attempts Sister Abigail. Neville counters with a School Boy. One…two…Bray kicks out. Bray pops up immediately and hits another lariat. Bray attempts a Uranagi but Neville elbows Bray to the side of the head and escapes.
Neville runs, bounces off of the ropes and hits a springboard crossbody. Neville goes to the middle rope and lands a front dropkick and goes for the cover. One..two…Bray kicks out. Neville hits a standing Shooting Star Press followed by a standing corkscrew press. One…two…Bray kicks out. Neville goes to the top rope and signals for the Red Arrow. Bray gets up and crotches Neville on the ropes. Bray attempts a superplex, but Neville fights out with headbutts that send Bray crashing to the mat. Neville then follows up with the Red Arrow. One…two…three! Neville gets the win.
Winner: Neville
Dean Ambrose (3-5) vs. Braun Strowman (6-2)
Dean Ambrose has had to deal with a lot of interference in a majority of his tournament matches leaving him with a 3-5 record. The Lunatic Fringe cannot win the Raw Block, but he has the opportunity to pull the biggest upset of the tournament and spoil Braun Strowman’s chance of winning the Raw Block. That is a lot easier said than done. Strowman has crushed a majority of his opponents in this tournament and will be looking to do the same to Ambrose.
Match Highlights: The bell rings and Ambrose keeping his distance, making Strowman lunge after him until he gets a few punches and chops in. Braun shoves him away and whips him hard in the corner. Strowman charges in for a running splash. Dean moves out of the way at the last second. Dean unloads a series of jabs and chops. Braun eventually grabs one of Dean’s punches and hits a short arm lariat. Strowman picks Dean up and whips him off the ropes. As Dean comes back towards Braun, he hoists Dean up but Dean slips behind and gets a sleeper hold on! Braun breaks it by backing him into the corner. Strowman goes for the running corner splash again and connects this time. Strowman goes for a one-foot cover. One…two…Ambrose kicks out.
Strowman picks Ambrose up hoists him up on his shoulder. Dean slips out again and hits a series of chops on Strowman. Strowman blocks a chop and hits a big headbutt that sends Dean flying out of the ring. Strowman goes outside and whips Ambrose into the barricade. Strowman picks up Ambrose and attempts to whip him again. Dean quickly thumbs Braun in the eye and pushes him into the ring post! Dean slides back in the ring. Braun makes it back inside at the count of 8. Ambrose wastes no time and attacks Braun in the corner. The referee tries to pull Dean off of Braun. Braun is frustrated and grabs Dean and tosses him backward taking out the referee in the process.
Braun picked Dean up and hits the Running Powerslam, but there’s no referee to make the count. Cesaro jumps out of the crowd and has a pair of brass knuckles on. Cesaro slides in the ring, turns Braun around and nails him with the brass knuckles. Braun falls to a knee. Cesaro strikes him again. Braun falls to both knees. Cesaro strikes Braun one more time and he falls to the mat. Cesaro places Dean on top of Braun and revives the referee. One…two…three! With the help of Cesaro, Dean Ambrose defeats Strowman!
Winner: Dean Ambrose
**Strowman can still win the Raw Block. For that to happen, Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins must all lose their matches.
Samoa Joe (6-2) vs. The Miz (2-6) w/ The Miztoruage and Maryse
Samoa Joe has had an amazing tournament. On Night 15, he earned his sixth victory by defeating Dean Ambrose. With Braun Strowman losing earlier tonight this puts Samoa Joe in prime position to win the Raw Block. All he needs to do is defeat the former Intercontinental Champion, The Miz. The Miz has had a bumpy road leading to the Raw block finals. He lost his Intercontinental title to Seth Rollins on Night 9 and has failed to utilize the Miztourage and Maryse to secure victories. If Miz can somehow pull off a victory he will kill Samoa Joe’s chance of winning.
Match Highlights: Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas hop on the apron and distract Joe. Miz quickly takes advantage and jumps Joe from behind. Miz attempts the Skull Crushing Finale, but Joe blocks and escapes Miz’s grasps. Joe hits a big lariat that turns Miz inside out. Joe sits Miz on the top rope and looks to be going for the Muscle Buster. Maryse hops on the apron and says “please don’t hurt my husband”. The brief distraction allows Miz to kick Joe in the face. Miz follows up with a Tornado DDT. One…Joe kicks out!. Miz starts doing the “Yes!” kicks. Joe catches the last kick and hits a Dragon Screw. Joe locks in a single leg crab, transitions to a Boston crab and transitions to the STF. Miz is able to make it to the ropes. Joe releases the hold and the Axel and Dallas drag Miz out of the ring.
Joe bounces off of the ropes and hits a Suicide Dive taking out all three men. Joe rolls Miz back in the ring and hits a running senton. One…two…Miz barely kicks out. Joe picks up Miz and attempts to whip him in the corner. Miz reverses and whips Joe into the corner. Miz charges at Joe, but Joe catches him with the ST-JOE. Joe follows up with the Chimera Plex. One…two…Miz kicks out. Joe places Miz on the top rope and hits the Muscle Buster. Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch. Axel and Dallas hop back on the apron and yell at Joe. The referee is tired of the Miztourage interference and ejects them. As the referee is ejecting Axel and Dallas, Miz taps out. Joe gets up and thinks he has won the match. Maryse slides and sprays Joe in the eye with hairspray and kicks him in the crotch. Miz takes advantage and gets Joe in an inside cradle. Maryse yells at the referee to get back in the ring. The referee slides in. One…two…three! The Miz has defeated Samoa Joe!
Winner: The Miz
**Samoa Joe is now out of the running for winning the Raw Block.
Roman Reigns (5-2-1) vs. Cesaro (4-4)
Even though Roman Reigns has a winning record the tournament has not been easy for him. Roman’s right shoulder was injured early in the tournament and has been a hindrance. Despite the nagging shoulder injury Roman Reigns picked up his fifth victory of the tournament on Night 15. If Roman can fight through the pain one more night and pull off a victory he can win the Raw Block. Cesaro made his presence felt earlier tonight by getting revenge on Braun and costing him his chance at winning the Raw Block. Now Cesaro has the opportunity to derail Roman and ruin his chance of winning the Raw Block.
Match Highlights: The bell rings and they both men exchange punches. Roman hits a big uppercut that sends Cesaro stumbling out of the ring. Cesaro takes his time before he re-enters the ring. Roman throws a wild punch but Cesaro dodges and hits a big European uppercut. Cesaro whips Roman into the ropes. Roman bounces back and nails Cesaro with a big clothesline. Roman whips Cesaro into a corner. Roman connects with a series of clotheslines. Roman backs up in and charges in. Cesaro doges and Roman runs shoulder first into the post and falls out of the ring.
Ceasro goes outside and whips Roman shoulder first into the steel steps. Cesaro rolls Roman back in the ring and starts working on Roman’s right arm. Cesaro locks in an armbar on Roman. Roman fights his way to the ropes but Cesaro drags him back to the middle of the ring and cranks the armbar. Roman fights to his feet and hits a sidewalk slam to break the hold. Roman goes for a cover. One…two…Cesaro kicks out. Roman lands a big headbutt which drops Cesaro onto the bottom rope. Roman leaves the ring and runs around for a Drive By. Roman attempts the Superman Punch but Cesaro European Uppercuts him in mid-air. Cesaro goes for a quick cover. One…two…Roman kicks out. Cesaro wastes no time and quickly locks in a Crossface. Roman fights to his feet with Cesaro and drops him with a Samoan Drop. Roman goes for the pin. One…two…Cesaro kicks out.
Roman goes to the corner and attempts the Spear. Cesaro blocks the Spear with a kick to Roman’s shoulder. Ceasro drills Roman to the mat with a Ricola Bomb and covers him. One…two…Roman gets his shoulder up at the last second. Cesaro locks in the Crossface again. Reigns powers up again with Cesaro on his shoulders. Cesaro counters with a Crucifix Driver. One…two…Roman barely kicks out. Ceasro attempts the Neutralizer but Roman fights out and hits a back body drop. Roman goes to the corner to set the Spear up again. Braun’s music hits and he heads towards the ring. Sheamus jumps out of the crowd and Brogue Kicks Braun. Roman goes out of the ring and Spears Sheamus. Roman rolls back in the ring and his meet with a huge European Uppercut. Cesaro follows up with the Neutralizer. One…two…three! Cesaro gets the win!
Winner: Cesaro
**Roman Reigns is now out of the running for winning the Raw Block.
Seth Rollins (5-2-1) vs. Finn Balor (5-3)
On Night 15, Seth Rollins won a classic match against Cesaro. Seth has been struggling through a majority of the tournament with a neck injury. Seth continues to ignore Doctor’s warnings and competing night after night. If Rollins can defeat Finn Balor, he will win the Raw Block and go on to face the Smackdown Block winner at Summerslam. Finn Balor also picked up a win on Night 15 against The Miz. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson was there to fight off the Miztourage. Despite Finn continuing to tell Gallows and Anderson to not interfere they continue to help him out. There are many who believe Finn is secretly working with The Club. If Finn wins tonight he will tie with Braun and Samoa Joe. However, Strowman would be the winner since he defeated Finn and Joe in the tournament.
Match Highlights: The bell rings and both men shake hands. Both men lock up and exchange holds. Seth ends up with a headlock on Finn. Finn strikes Rollins in the midsection and escapes the headlock. Finn bounces off of the ropes and hits a running forearm smash. Finn attempts to go for Bloody Sunday. Seth fights out and goes for the Ripcord knee. Finn blocks the knee and hits a clothesline. Finn quickly goes to the top rope and attempts the Coup De Grace. Seth moves out of the way but Finn rolls through. Seth hits a hurricanrana and which sends Finn to outside. Seth looks at Finn and then looks at the Barricade. Seth attempts to hit a running powerbomb into the barricade. At the last second, Finn reverses it into a hurricanrana and sends Seth crashing into the barricade.
Finn rolls Seth back in the ring and goes for the cover. One…two…Seth kicks out. Finn snapmares Seth into a seated position. Finn hits a big jumping dropkick to the back of Seth’s head and goes for another cover. One..two…Seth kicks out. Balor whips Seth into a corner. Finn charges in and tries to dropkick Seth. Seth moves out of the way and Finn ends up dropkicking the post. Finn rolls out to the apron. Rollins goes to the apron. Both guys exchange strikes. Seth hits a jumping knee and follows up with a Slingblade on the apron. Seth rolls Finn back in the ring. Seth goes to the top and lands a big frog splash. One…two…Finn kicks out. Seth picks Finn up and tosses Finn into a corner with a buckle bomb.
Rollins attempts to follow up with the Avada Kedavra. Balor catches his foot before he can connect and pushes him down to the mat. Balor hits a Slingblade and attempts 1916. Rollins counters 1916 with a knee to the head. Rollins attempts to hit God’s Last Gift, but Balor counters with 1916. Balor goes to the top for a Coup de Grace but Rollins moves. Rollins picks up Finn and attempts the Rain Maker Knee. Balor ducks the knee goes for a clothesline. Rollins ducks the clothesline and Balor ends up taking out the referee who falls out of the ring from the impact.
Rollins quickly hits a pedigree on Finn, but can’t make the cover because the referee is out. Gallows and Anderson come out of the crowd and attack Rollins. They hit the magic killer on Rollins and pull Balor on top of him. One…two…Rollins kicks out! Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose run down the ramp and brawl with Gallows and Anderson into the crowd. Finn attempts the 1916 again, Rollins blocks and gets Finn up for the Buckle Bomb. Seth follows up with the Black Out. One…two..three!
Winner: Seth Rollins
**Seth Rollins is the Raw Block Winner!
Here are the final Raw Block Rankings:
Seth Rollins (6-2-1) – 13
Braun Strowman (6-3) – 12
Samoa Joe (6-3) – 12
Roman Reigns (5-3-1) – 11
Finn Balor (5-4) – 10
Cesaro (5-4) – 10
Dean Ambrose (4-5) – 8
Neville (4-5) – 8
The Miz (3-6) – 6
Bray Wyatt (0-9) – 0
Night 18 – SmackDown Block Finals: AJ Styles (6-2) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (6-2), Rusev (5-3) vs. Baron Corbin (1-7), Randy Orton (4-4) vs. Dolph Ziggler (0-8), John Cena (4-4) vs. Luke Harper (4-4), and Sami Zayn (5-3) vs. Kevin Owens (5-3).
Night 19 – Seth Rollins vs. SmackDown Block Winner
