NJPW G1 Climax 2017: 5 Best Match Pairings for the Finals

Credit: NJPW

With NJPW’s 2017 G1 Climax about to kick off, we look at what would be the best five match pairings for the tournament’s final.

The summer is a very big time for fans of New Japan Pro Wrestling as the annual G1 Climax tournament is held during this time. The tournament began in 1991 under the G1 Climax title and has become the biggest tournament that the promotion runs.

The winner of the tournament earns a main event championship match at WrestleKingdom on January 4th, 2018. Wrestlekingom is NJPW’s equivalence to WWE’s WrestleMania so winning the G1 Climax is a big deal.

It could be compared to winning the Royal Rumble in WWE, winning it sets you on the path to main event the biggest event of the year. Legends such as Masahiro Chono, The Great Muta and Shinsuke Nakamura have all won the big event in the past.

Current stars and future icons such as Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito have all won it as well. Last year history was made as Kenny Omega became the first North American to ever win the G1 Climax.

For those new to the G1 Climax, the rules are simple. 20 of NJPW’s top stars compete in the tournament. The wrestlers are broken up in half into two blocks (The A Block and The B Block). Superstars then face everyone in their respective block once in a round robin form.

Winning the match earns you 2 points, while a draw gives you 1 point and a loss gives you 0 points. Whoever ends up having the most points in the A block and the B block face off in one final match. The winner of the match becomes the winner of the G1 Climax.

The final match in the G1 Climax has given fans some of the best matches in the history of NJPW. With a star-filled roster heading into G1 2017 we look at what would be the best five match pairings for the final.