G1 Climax 36 Was The Best G1 In Years

​The King of Sports is back and I’m not talking about that horror show of an AI Antonio Inoki. New Japan has been hovering for years and I do think this year has show some ambition towards its rebuild of the coming with this generation. I’ve had my issues with New Japan towards this I think they waited too long to move a lot of new talent into title contention and when everyone was gone you were left with a lot of people not established as next up with credentials to back it. We essentially had to have Tsuji carry the load for regular talent as more and more established guys went away. However, I do think there’s some good moments. Shock booking like Callum Newman’s Heavyweight Title win have helped and The Knockout Brothers run of title defences and that New Years Dash promo it just felt like we needed a moment in time where everyone (well nearly everyone) moved in sync and the battle to determine the strongest of the summer was it.

G1 Climax season always feels me with hope to begin with. New Japan’s biggest run of the year and after a lacklustre Best of the Super Juniors I needed this to move me well not just me but move the company forward. The G1 is a standard of excellence it literally means Grade 1 there’s matches that stand the test of time I mean my favourite match is a G1 Block match in 2013’s Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii it’s a standard of excellence to deliver and the last few years there’s been moments but largely just not hit the heights of yesteryear. A large part is a shifting roster of young guys not finding their footing and older guys slowing down. But this year I felt more confident. We had a crop of guys who I felt the last year have found themselves such as Yuto-Ice, Boltin Oleg and Callum Newman while the tournament gave a chance to Ryohei Oiwa and Drilla Moloney to also follow this. This year felt different the field of talent felt hungry to make a mark and to stamp their name at the top of New Japan’s new era.

Of course some people don’t get that development. The Great O’Khan I felt had a bit of a stinker of a tournament, when you’re often the worst match everyone had it’s a bad accolade on your work. Others like Henare and especially Ren I felt treaded water and especially for Ren that sucks as the House of Torture run ins do hurt credibility. Just a few clean wins I still think that House of Torture would benefit from a more violent approach as a group over just cheating, why can’t Ren be more viscous in matches to showcase that evil psycho side people in the group should have. I will also say I felt SANADA and Jake Lee had interesting tournaments character wise over in ring wise and I think that’s just as fine. New Japan likes to tell these long arcs for people and I found SANADA compelling in places especially with Yuto-Ice and other the conflict of winning by any means over being the wrestler he wanted to always be was super fun even if he never refused to cheat when it was happening. 

Special mention to Aaron Wolf who I felt now out of the House of Torture vortex looked superb this G1 especially considering the weight of expectation on him and how long he's been a wrestler can't wait to see what the rest of the year for him. Yuto-Ice as well an incredible run showing he is more than a  tag wrestler incredible heart and match layout. Honestly until the final I think his match against Yota Tsuji was my favourite of the tournament.

Speaking of the final. What an incredible match. I'm just gonna paste my Dropkickd review 

Simply incredible. For 35 minutes the two never backed down, took a breather on the outside or used a barricade they stood up believing in their philosophy their moves to power through right in the ring. 

A work of art surrounding a headlock and a wrist lock two moves seen as rest holds being used to showcase jeopardy and strength and heart and it worked! The crowd eating up every hold making moves matter.

This was the tournament New Japan needed but this was the match wrestling needed. Fights like this remind me why I am a fan

The match to highlight the tournament that showed New Japan has that feeling again. Now it is about follow up but this tournament showed a hungry roster that wants to put the company on their back and move forward. The true strongest of the summer this year was New Japans fighting spirit and with the most basic of holds has launched itself into a new era.