In a previous post, Laura and Josiah previewed the A-Block of the NJPW G1 Climax. Parts written by Josiah will be marked with (J) and parts written by Laura will be marked with (L). We hope you enjoy this introduction to the G1 Climax and jump on board with NJPW!
This year’s B-Block, on paper, is not as strong as the A-Block. The all star NJPW line-up found in the A-Block is not matched in the B-block, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be underestimated.
The B-Block features some of the best as well, but bears the risk of flying under the radar until after the matches happen.
I am saying right here: Don’t let that happen. Don’t think that because all the top stars (except for one or two) are in the A-Block that we won’t be seeing some incredible matches in this block as well. The B-Block will surely feature some of the best action in the G1 Climax, and will also feature some of the more interesting debuts in the tournament.
Featuring Tetsuya Naito, one of NJPW’s top stars, Tomohiro Ishii, and Hirooki Goto, Jon Moxley, and Shingo, this block will be full of absolutely fantastic matches as well.
On paper, they seem like the weaker block initially, but when you look at each person in it, you suddenly realize that every single one of the top guys in the block are capable of delivering a fantastic match every single time they go out to perform.
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Jon Moxley (J) – IWGP United States Champion:
Jon Moxley has made a major impact on the wrestling world since leaving WWE. After destroying Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega at AEW Double or Nothing, Moxley announced that he was making his NJPW debut at the Best of the Super Juniors Finals to challenge for the IWGP United States Championship.
Moxley defeated Juice Robinson, and saw himself crowned a champion in NJPW on his first night in the company. Let me make this clear: this isn’t Dean Ambrose. Moxley has returned to a more fast paced brawling style, seeing him unafraid of going to ringside and finding weapons.
Instead of taking it the easy way, Moxley has shown how hard he is willing to work to prove himself outside of WWE, and there is no tournament harder than the G1 Climax. Now, with the risk of DQ being higher in the G1 Climax, will Moxley be able to restrain himself and avoid the DQ?
I fully expect Moxley to have some major wins here in his first G1 Climax.
Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) (J) – IWGP Intercontinental Champion:
Tetsuya Naito is one of the best wrestlers in the world. If Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi are #1 and #2 respectively, then Naito is easily #3.
It’s hard to pick one top star in NJPW, and there are various times that I think it’s one of those 3, so it’s hard to pick just one as a top star. However, there is one thing that is undisputed: Naito is the leader of the most popular stable in NJPW, and it isn’t even close in that regard.
The leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon is charismatic, talented, and is more tranquilo than you. Naito has consistently been one of the top stars in NJPW for years now since debuting his LIJ character in 2015.
I (Josiah) first started watching NJPW in 2015 just when Naito first debuted this character, and it has been an absolute delight to see him become one of the top stars in NJPW. He can hit his Destino at any moment, and he is my personal pick to be one of the top in the block. Naito has won the G1 Climax twice before, so a third time isn’t out of the question.
Laura: That Naito has held NJPW’s top title for all of five minutes is doing him a terrible disservice in my view; as Josiah points out, the LIJ leader is one of NJPW’s most popular stars, and one who can be consistently relied upon to deliver. Of everyone in B-block, he is the most deserving of a push to the top.
Tomohiro Ishii (CHAOS) (L) – NEVER Openweight Champion:
Ishii is routinely the unsung hero of every tournament he’s involved in. The standout of this year’s New Japan cup, and one of the most consistently excellent performers in last year’s G1 Climax, “The Stone Pitbull” rarely gets the credit he deserves for his hard work. And while I don’t expect glory for Ishii – much as I feel he deserves it – it’s a safe bet that he will once again pull some of the best matches of the G1 Climax out of his metaphorical hat.
Without Suzuki to run roughshod against the competition, it’s down to the implacable Ishii to provide the kind of brutal, brick-wall opposition that could potentially break his fellow competitors.
Josiah: Ishii might be one of the best wrestlers alive today, and it’s so frustrating to see him outside of a top spot. Ishii has incredible matches every single time he’s out there, and I promise you, if you don’t love him now, you will be the end of the tournament.
Juice Robinson (J):
Juice Robinson has quietly become one of the best younger wrestlers in NJPW since becoming a Young Lion a few years back. Robinson earned the biggest win of his career when he defeated Kenny Omega for the IWGP United States Championship, and has seen various successes since then.
While he hasn’t been a top star in NJPW, he has been solidly positioned in the upper mid-card and stands out as someone that always seems to have good matches with everyone he’s in the ring with.
Toru Yano (CHAOS) (J) – NEVER Openweight 6-Man Champion:
Toru Yano is the living embodiment of an internet troll. Yano is one of the best comedy wrestlers out there, constantly cheating, constantly screaming in fear of his opponents (especially Tama Tonga, who always sneaks up on him), and constantly stealing his opponents titles (quite literally, as he just grabs them and runs away sometimes).
Yano always cheats, often to hilarious results and upsets. When he decides to wrestle a straight match, Yano is shockingly good in the ring. Yano has a legit wrestling background and was quite successful at that level before becoming a professional wrestler.
Yano will likely play spoiler and steal a bunch of wins here, so expect of fun and shenanigans when he enters the ring and advertises his merchandise. Yano’s G1 Climax matches are always fun.
Laura: It’s never a dull tournament with Toru Yano around. If you’re new to NJPW, trust me: you can’t go wrong with his matches.
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.
TOP 3 MUST-SEE CLASHES:
Laura: My top three B-block clashes are Toru Yano vs Taichi (8th August – on my birthday, no less!) purely for the sheer spectacle; whatever it’ll be, it certainly won’t be boring.
Tetsuya Naito vs Jay White (11th August) will be a very interesting match indeed – a completely fresh match-up between two wrestlers who most assuredly don’t give a damn.
And Tomohiro Ishii vs Shingo Takagi (8th August) is going to be the wrestling equivalent of two monster trucks crashing repeatedly into one another – not much in the way of finesse or technical skill, but my god is it going to be fun.
Josiah: As much as I hate Taichi, I think the match with him and Yano is going to be hilariously fun. I will be greatly disappointed if it isn’t.
As for other top matches: Ishii vs. Shingo and Ishii vs. Naito will stand out. Really, any match involving Ishii is just going to be him destroying his opponent and going to war. Ishii will have some of the best matches of the tournament, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him rack up a ton of wins.
B-BLOCK WINNER PREDICTION:
Laura: Another difficult one to predict. Both Jon Moxley and Jay White are in with a shout, but my heart says Naito. Surely his redemption arc is long overdue… and another Naito/Ibushi bout in the finals would be very welcome.
Josiah: I agree in that this block is going to be a close one. Ishii will be the MVP, if you ask me, but I can easily see White and Moxley being near the top. My prediction is Naito winning the block and going onto the finals to face off against Ibushi.
OVERALL WINNER PREDICTION:
Laura: Kota Ibushi. It’s time for the Golden Star to shine.
Josiah: My prediction for this year is Naito. I think one of the people that Naito loses to in the tournament will win the IC title from him before Wrestle Kingdom, and we can see him go on to face Okada in the main event again.
However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ibushi win either. This is going to be a hard one to predict, but I expect this tournament to be full of surprises. We are in for a wild ride, as the G1 Climax is just like Christmas in July.