Five surprise names to see in the G1 Climax

New Japan Pro Wrestling suffered during the COVID-19 global pandemic. As the rest of the world opened, Japan continued to struggle with opening its borders to foreigners. This limited NJPW’s ability to bring in top names as it has done for years. Now, after two years things are beginning to change as New Japan has started to issue visas for foreign talent to come into the country to perform. This is perfect timing as NJPW has announced the schedule for the G1 Climax. Let’s look forward to the event and select five names outside of New Japan that fans would be excited to see in the tournament.

Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson in the G1 is a dream announcement that fans want to see and hear. There were rumors that the WWE was considering letting him compete in the tournament toward the end of his tenure with the company, but that never happened. Now, as a part of All Elite Wrestling, Danielson could easily make the jump into that arena. Imagine this being the opportunity to see Danielson take on some of the biggest names in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Every match would have the potential to become a Match of the Year candidate. Bryan Danielson in the G1 Climax must happen and this year is better than ever.

Swerve Strickland

Swerve Strickland is one of the names to watch in AEW. Everything since his introduction at AEW Revolution, everything about his presentation has worked. He comes off as a star when he’s on AEW television and fans should expect his strong booking to continue. One way that AEW could continue to build his stature on the roster would be to see him included in the G1. As with any other individual on this list, Strickland would put on some excellent matches against the top names that NJPW has to offer. All the while, his stock within AEW would rise at the same time.

JONAH

Since being released from the WWE, JONAH has been on a tear. His run in both IMPACT Wrestling and NJPW Strong makes many wonders why the company was willing to part ways with such a talented big man. He has a list of great matches that rival anything he did at his height within the WWE. His match with Josh Alexander at Hard to Kill is regarded as one of the year’s top matches. JONAH versus Jeff Cobb? JONAH versus Minoru Suzuki? Yes, please again.

Josh Alexander

Josh Alexander is another competitor that is going on an impressive run in 2022. When his contract suddenly ended, fans were wondering where he would pop up next. IMPACT made the right decision to do all that was needed to bring him back into the company, securing the organization’s biggest star. Alexander will be the focus of the company heading into the next phase of the year, but before he gets his revenge on Moose that momentum can be bolstered with Alexander having a strong run in the G1 Climax.

Jacob Fatu

Jacob Fatu may no longer be the MLW Heavyweight Champion, but he’s still a monster whenever he steps into the ring. MLW and other promotions where he shows up continue to book him very well, making sure he remains strong in his post-championship run. MLW and New Japan have worked together in the past, so it would not be a stretch to see Fatu in New Japan. But a surprise addition to the G1 Climax would immediately boost interest in the tournament.