NJPW G1 Climax 29: B-Block preview and predictions

Hirooki Goto (CHAOS) (L):

Another unsung hero, Goto is consistently solid and eminently reliable. He’s not going to set the G1 world on fire, but neither is he going to disappoint; you know what you’re getting with Goto, and that’s strong-style action with plenty of heart and spirit.

Like Ishii, he’s a brick wall of a competitor, a throwback to a style which once dominated New Japan and has since given way to newer, flashier things. But Goto’s style is an essential ingredient in a tournament like this, and the likes of Moxley and Robinson may well be surprised at the challenge he poses.

Josiah: Larua rightly points out that Goto is an unsung hero. Some folks think he’s dull and boring, but I have never seen him in a bad big match. Goto always delivers on the big stage and is criminally underrated.

Okada and Tanahashi are more charismatic and have better matches, but Goto is no slouch in the ring. He consistently has some of the most fun matches in NJPW, and I’m sure he’ll have quite a few show stealing matches this time around.

Jay White (Bullet Club) (J):

Jay White is a very different man than he was a year ago. Last year, he was in CHAOS, feuding with Okada. How things change. Jay White is now the leader of the Bullet Club, and the top foreign heel in NJPW. White defeated Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom and then defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship not long thereafter.

White lost the title to Okada at the ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard, but that doesn’t mean he’s done being at the top. White is very good in the ring and will do anything to win. Expect him to be one of the top ranked in the block this year. It’s entirely possible that he will win the whole tournament, though I personally don’t think he will.

Jeff Cobb (L):

Jeff Cobb is a big lad. He’s also freakishly athletic, pulling off the kind of moves you’d expect to see from someone much lighter. The former Olympic wrestler and indie favorite has an impressively diverse skill-set, from the requisite thunderous suplexes to his gorgeous standing moonsault.

Cobb’s versatility stands him in good stead against the wide range of styles and experience levels that make up B-block, and he’ll have an answer for nearly every plan of attack that comes his way. A possible sleeper hit? Don’t write it off.

Josiah: Cobb’s G1 Climax debut is going to be something to see. I can’t wait to see him wrestle Ishii, Goto, and everyone else. I fully expect Cobb to impress in his first G1 Climax. Hopefully this will be the first of many. Rumour has it, he may have been involved in some Subterranean Lucha fight company at some point.

Shingo Takagi (Los Ingobernables de Japon) (L):

Speaking of big lads, here’s Shingo Takagi, possibly the biggest Junior Heavyweight I’ve ever seen. Though he was undeniably superb in the Best of the Super Junior tournament – his match against SHO was a masterclass in in-ring storytelling – he’s never quite fit comfortably in that bracket as far as I’m concerned.

The interesting thing about inserting Shingo into a heavyweight tournament will be seeing how he copes with not being the biggest, buffest fish in the pond; this will not come anywhere near as easy to him as BOSJ did, and Shingo will have to dig deep against opponents like actual brick wall Ishii, or his ring-smart LIJ compadre Naito.

Shingo is a natural future heavyweight, and I will watch with interest to see how smoothly (or otherwise) he integrates with his soon-to-be peers.

Taichi (Suzuki-gun) (L):

A controversial addition to the tournament, “The Holy Emperor” is nonetheless one of my highlights of B-block. Call me mad if you will, but while Taichi will never set the bar for technical prowess, he is never less than thoroughly entertaining.

From his dramatic lip-syncing entrance to the equally dramatic mid-match removal of his trousers, Taichi is just so much fun. Best of all, we get to see him go up against Toru Yano in what promises to be one of the strangest matches of the tournament. Every good lineup needs a craven, antagonistic heel to stir the pot, and Taichi is eminently up to the task. Let’s go Taichi!

Josiah: I hate Taichi.