Ranking Each Wrestler’s Performance in NJPW G1 Climax 28

CREDIT: njpw1972.com

NJPW G1 Climax 28 was a fantastic blend of stellar character work, solid story telling/progression, and top notch in-ring action. Although certain wrestlers played a more important role than others, each participant brought unique value to the tournament and should be recognized and appreciated…

20. Togi Makabe

Makabe’s G1 was completely inoffensive. He turned in solid performances throughout, with his best outings coming early against Yoshi-Hashi and Suzuki. The reason I have him at the bottom of this list is just because there was nothing story-progressing or particularly memorable about his tournament. Still, he played his role well, putting over younger talent and picking up a handful of feel-good wins along the way to keep things mildly interesting.

19. Bad Luck Fale

Considering my ratings for each tournament match, The Underboss had by far the lowest average match quality. Frankly, aside from his night 5 meeting with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Fale’s matches were repetitive and boring. With that being said, the dude’s got major heat right now, and that shouldn’t be ignored. The way he and his fellow Firing Squad goons utterly defiled the prestige and tradition of the G1 had audiences raining down a copious amount of boos each and every night.

18. Michael Elgin

Elgin was one of the standout guys in last year’s G1. He consistently delivered good matches, and had a pair of instant classics against Okada and Omega. Comparatively, Big Mike’s G1 28 was pretty dull. He was a part of some entertaining matches, it just never felt like he was much of a threat to pick up big wins or deliver incredible performances. With that said, he wrestled the second half of the tournament with a torn bicep and remained solid, which is pretty nuts. Credit where credit is due.

17. Toru Yano

One must appreciate the ambition and creativity behind Yano’s showing in this year’s G1. Watching his repeated attempts to wrestle more of a clean style unravel into classic “Master Thief” shenanigans was fun and made each bout feel fresh. His matches against Ishii, ZSJ, and SANADA were particularly great. Also, he pinned the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. So that’s certainly something.

16. Tama Tonga

I love the Firing Squad. I think they served as a nice change of pace throughout the G1, and all the drama with twitter and cursing and attacking innocent fans… I’m into it. I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I’ve always felt like Tama Tonga is capable of so much more than random, mostly irrelevant Bullet Club member, so it’s been great to see him given more of a spotlight in this new role. Admittedly, the first half of The Bad Boy’s tournament felt pretty uninspired, but he picked it up down the stretch with great matches against Naito, Ishii, and Ibushi.

15. Minoru Suzuki

Suzuki’s finally starting to slow down. He’s still incredible. He’s one of the best storytellers in all of wrestling, his character work is legendary, and he still pulls off an occasional feat of athleticism that makes it hard to believe he’s halfway to 100. However, his age has never been more apparent than it was in this year’s G1. Many of his matches went short and, as a result, felt somewhat incomplete and stale. Nevertheless, he’s still Suzuki. He’s the King and he’s awesomely terrifying and we all adore him. His mere presence alone is completely invaluable.

14. EVIL

On the surface, it would be easy to dismiss EVIL’s G1 performance as a bit of a disappointment. He was outshone by his stablemates who were thriving in the stacked B block, and it lacked a big signature moment like his decimation of Okada from last year’s tournament. Still, The King of Darkness delivered a solid tournament. He had excellent matches with Elgin, Page, Okada, and Tanahashi, and solid matches with the rest of his block.

13. Hangman Page

Page made the most of his first G1, delivering a true breakout performance. He completely blew expectations out of the water in every way. His in-ring work was solid throughout as he seamlessly took on the role of fiery underdog babyface. By the end of his encounter with Okada on night 5, he had captured the heart and minds of the Japanese fanbase. For the rest of the tournament, crowds chanted his name as he desperately tried to pick up a pinfall victory. Towards the end of the tournament he was able to pick up two of the biggest wins of his career over veterans Makabe and Suzuki.

12. Zack Sabre Jr

ZSJ had the near impossible task of following up his career defining performance in the New Japan Cup earlier this year. He didn’t quite reach the heights achieved in March, but it was still a solid G1 for the Technical Wizard. Although I wouldn’t call any of his outings exceedingly great, he was easily one of the tournament’s most consistent competitors. He occupied the co-main spot on three of B block’s biggest nights and delivered ****+ matches on each occasion. Additionally, Zack picked up big wins over Goto and Juice, securing two future Championship opportunities.

11. Hirooki Goto

Goto started off this G1 blazing hot with three fantastic matches against SANADA, Omega, and Ishii. From there, his run slowed quite a bit. It never got bad. He just wasn’t able to produce the same level of greatness he showed in nights 2, 4, and 6. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his year plays out with the wealth of NEVER Championship challengers gained throughout the tournament.

10. Yoshi-Hashi

The Loose Explosion (I’ll never stop calling him that) entered his third G1 with his back firmly against the wall. Talk from both within and outside the company seemed to suggest The Hash was in the hot-seat. He desperately needed a great G1 performance to prove he still belongs… and what do ya know, he came through! Hashi’s matches against Elgin, Okada, and Page were among the best of his career. Night in and night out he showed great fire, capturing the essence of sympathetic babyface in a way he never has before.

9. Juice Robinson

The Juice has reached the point in his career where it’s no longer surprising when he delivers a standout performance. It’s become the norm. He’s awesome and everyone knows it. With this comes a significant amount of added pressure. Thankfully, The Flamboyant One has shown time and time again that he thrives under pressure. Although Juice spent much of this G1 at the back of his block’s standings, he still managed to perform in a way that made each outing feel memorable and important. His matches against Ishii and Naito were among the tournament’s very best.

8. Kazuchika Okada

Balloon loving Okada is best Okada. His transition into this new character has been an absolute joy to watch. It’s a complete 180 from his usual Rainmaker persona, making his recent character work that much more impressive. It’s hard to tell if he’s just having a good time or if he’s absolutely lost it, but that’s what makes it so great.

On top of his endlessly entertaining character progression, Okada delivered in the ring as well (DUH). He had epic encounters with rivals EVIL and Tanahashi, and great matches against Switchblade and Hangman that helped get them over in a huge way.

7. SANADA

SANADA’s had all the hype in the world for a while now. Fans have been patiently awaiting his inevitable breakout and rise to the top of the card for years… Well, after G1 Climax 28, it’s safe to say SANADA has officially arrived. He brought his A++ game each time he stepped inside the squared circle. It’s hard to recommend only a handful of his matches, cause they were all so dang good. Just watch his whole tournament. You won’t regret it. Sometime in the next few years, when SANADA main events the Tokyo Dome, 2018’s G1 will be looked back on as the true beginning of his ascent.

6. Jay White

Switchblade’s G1 is completely defined by nights 1 and 3 in which he completely defiled and disposed of Okada and Tanahashi in back to back main events. Ref bumps and low blows and chairs to the face. SO. MUCH. HEAT. It was perfect- exactly what he needed after a fairly lukewarm run since returning from excursion. It’s hard to tell what’s next for the up and coming heel, but one thing is certain: everyone is talking about the Switchblade.

5. Kenny Omega

Blah blah blah. Kenny Omega is the best. Blah blah. Five star matches. Blah blah blah. The end.

But no really. Kenny is absolutely the best. He never has a bad match, he’s the perfect blend of quirky dork and ultra charismatic macho man, and he’s constantly going above and beyond to keep fans on their toes. There’s really not much I can say about him that hasn’t already been said. Just… if you haven’t already, go watch his matches against Naito, Ishii, and Ibushi. Seriously unbelievable stuff. What a legend.

4. Tetsuya Naito

The first half of Naito’s 2018 wasn’t bad, it was just a bit off, losing to Okada at Wrestle Kingdom in a match many thought would be his big coronation, taking the IC Title off of Suzuki is an extremely underwhelming match, and losing said title to Chris Jericho in a wild brawl at Dominion. G1 28 was a return to form of sorts for El Ingobernable. He reminded everyone why he’s considered one of the best characters and ring technicians in all of pro wrestling. Other than a a fairly bland routine trouncing of Yano, every single one of his matches were absolutely spectacular.

3. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Tanahashi was having a solid G1 in block action. I was thoroughly enjoying the story of him scratching and clawing each night to remind everyone that he’s still The Ace, and he had a handful of awesome matches against other top guys in his block, but it wasn’t an especially remarkable run. Then the final happened. OH BOY. Let me tell you. WHAT A MATCH. Definitely Ibushi’s greatest bout in NJPW, and one of Tana’s best ever as well. Both guys emptied their bags of tricks and brought an absurd amount of fire. It’s a match people will be talking about for years to come. Go Ace.

2. Kota Ibushi

Speaking of the final, Kota Ibushi is amazing. He may not have been able to triumph in the end, but this G1 should still be considered a massive success for The Golden Star. He let loose more than ever before in his tenure with New Japan, delivering high quality action each night and finally showing more of his wonderful, quirky charisma. It’s just impossible not to love him. If he’s willing to fully commit to the company, he should consistently be involved at the top of the card for years to come.

1. Tomohiro Ishii

Tomohiro Ishii is the greatest professional wrestler on Earth right now. It may seem like a reach, and of course this type of thing is entirely subjective, but if you really take a step back and look at the INCREDIBLE body of work he put together in the G1, it’s hard to not at least include him in the conversation. Most, if not all, of his b block competitors had their best matches against him. It was just absolutely certifiably insane to witness.

By the middle of the tournament, each show I was expecting him to finally slow down and have a simple, straightforward match, but nope. Not at all. He left everything in the ring every single night, regardless of the stakes or lack thereof.

Heck, he just about stole the show with a mostly meaningless match against SANADA on a night that featured bleeping KOTA IBUSHI VS KENNY OMEGA. Just otherworldly stuff. Stone Pitbull forever. PUT THAT BELT ON HIM, GEDO. IMMEDIATELY.