NJPW G1 2019

July 6th - August 12th

A-Block

Kazuchika Okada

Zack Sabre Jr

Hiroshi Tanahashi

Kota Ibushi

EVIL
SANADA

Bad Luck Fale

Lance Archer

Will Ospreay

KENTA

B-Block

Tetsuya Naito

Shingo

Tomohiro Ishii

Juice Robinson

Toru Yano

Hirooki Goto

Jay White

Jeff Cobb

Taichi

Jon Moxley

A Block Dates

Day 1 - Saturday, July 6th - Texas, USA

Day 3 - Sunday, July 14th - Tokyo

Day 5 - Thursday, July 18th - Tokyo

Day 7 - Saturday, July 20th - Tokyo

Day 9 - Saturday, July 27th - Aichi

Day 11 - Tuesday, July 30th - Kagawa

Day 13 - Saturday, August 3rd - Osaka

Day 15 - Wednesday, August 7th - Shizuoka

Day 17 - Saturday, August 10th - Tokyo

B Block Dates

Day 2 - Saturday, July 13th, Tokyo

Day 4 - Monday, July 15th, Hokkaido

Day 6 - Friday, July 19th, Tokyo

Day 8 - Wednesday, July 24th, Hiroshima

Day 10 - Sunday, July 28th, Aichi

Day 12 - Thursday, August 1st, Fukoaka

Day 14 - Sunday, August 4th, Osaka

Day 16 - Thursday, August 8th, Kanagawa

Day 18 - Sunday, August 11th, Tokyo

G1 Final - Monday, August 12th, Tokyo

KENTA/Okada, KENTA/Sabre Jr, KENTA/Tanahashi, KENTA/Ibushi, KENTA/Ospreay - the only way this could get better for you Emp is if KENTA meets White in the final.

Should be some amazing matches this year, who wins and challenges for the IWGP Championship match at WrestleKingdom 2020?

I'm pulling for my boy Ibushi to take it one step further.

My goodness.



Just to get the gif out of the way so that 🤯 will like this post.

Both blocks are absolutely stacked, but Block A is perhaps the most stacked block ever. The only dead weight in that group is Bad Luck Fale. Besides the obvious big matches, you have EVIL vs SANADA for I believe the first time ever (Naito vs SANADA and Naito vs EVIL were the LIJ matchups in the previous two years). Also Lance Archer is a welcome addition. I think he is very underrated. Archer vs Ospreay from this year's New Japan Cup was a pretty good match. Don't expect Archer to rack up many wins, but he has a chance to make a name for himself.

Usually in the G1 there's one great block and one dud block. Relatively speaking, B-Block is the dud, but it's still a phenomenal group in its own right. Besides the proven G1 battlers of Naito, Ishii, Goto and Yano you have newcomers Shingo, Cobb and Moxley and a couple of guys who have not been in the singles mix for so long in Jay White and Taichi. Plenty of amazing matches here, the biggest of all being White vs Naito. White has defeated Okada, Omega and Tanahashi but has never stepped in the ring with Naito. Wouldn't be surprised if that was the final match of the block. Besides that, Shingo vs everyone but especially Naito vs Shingo. Moxley vs everyone. Yano vs everyone. There's very few skippable matches here.

Now I am very glad I don't have any vacations planned for this time period :lol: My life will be work, eat, G1, sleep.

Any of you guys ever watch a full tournament? At least every RR match? Seems exhausting, but man there's some on paper I really want to see. Looks like we'll get that Mox/Naito match. Sure it may not take place in a Kennel from Hell, but I'm sure it'll be great.

Jun 16, 2019 13:32:12 GMT @ness said:

Any of you guys ever watch a full tournament? At least every RR match? Seems exhausting, but man there's some on paper I really want to see. Looks like we'll get that Mox/Naito match. Sure it may not take place in a Kennel from Hell, but I'm sure it'll be great.

I don't think I have. I watched the majority of the 2015 G-1, but I skipped a couple of the later single cam shows. These days, I usually just watch the first two days in their entirety, watch a couple of the pimped matches, then I'll watch the final two days in each block and then the final. Usually I'm way less burned out and I enjoy the matches more. For instance, I enjoyed the Naito/Omega qualifier way more than Omega/Okada at WK the next year. I also thought Goto did a better job of showcasing Omega in the final, but that's by the by.

This was me during the 2015 G-1

Jacopo (Elaine's boss) is Emperor.

Jun 16, 2019 13:32:12 GMT @ness said:

Any of you guys ever watch a full tournament? At least every RR match? Seems exhausting, but man there's some on paper I really want to see. Looks like we'll get that Mox/Naito match. Sure it may not take place in a Kennel from Hell, but I'm sure it'll be great.

Nah, I've never watched every single RR match. Not even close. But this year I imagine I'll be watching more than I ever have.

The idea of watching the entire round Robin feels exhausting. I watched most of the best of the super juniors and was fatigued by the end

I only watch the matches that really interest me. The problem here is that a lot of these matches really interest me.

Jun 16, 2019 14:52:30 GMT nazzer said:

The idea of watching the entire round Robin feels exhausting. I watched most of the best of the super juniors and was fatigued by the end

Good effort! I find the match quality in the BoSJ is much lower and I don't care for the wrestlers in the same way I care for the heavyweights, so I don't watch that many matches. Were there any standout matches for you?

A lot of great stuff in here. Pity Moxley is not in group A though. Swap him and Fale and OMG.

Un fucking real G1 this year. This might be the first time I watch every match. I cannot wait for this.

Jun 16, 2019 16:13:23 GMT Emperor said:

Jun 16, 2019 14:52:30 GMT nazzer said:

The idea of watching the entire round Robin feels exhausting. I watched most of the best of the super juniors and was fatigued by the end

Good effort! I find the match quality in the BoSJ is much lower and I don't care for the wrestlers in the same way I care for the heavyweights, so I don't watch that many matches. Were there any standout matches for you?

Truth is I came for El Phantasmo, i've seen him live a lot in ECCW and it was so awesome to get to see him getting such a big stage. ELP vs Ospray and vs Romero were great. Ended up just watching the other matches. I don't quite get Ospreay, like he's good but he doesn't feel amazing. 

I feel the same way about Ospreay. There's something about him that doesn't quite click with me. Might be that he comes across as a guy trying too hard to have a great match rather than feeling the moment. Dolph Ziggler syndrome.

I hate Will's facial expressions, and though I don't think he does it much anymore, his screams. Still think he's an incredible wrestler and I always enjoy his matches immensely.

Will does cool shit and I appreciate his efforts. The idea that he is trying to have a good match rather than going with the moment feels like a proper critique. But comments like that really are just nitpicking I suppose, even though he may not be my preference, his matches are usually enjoyable. I just don't think they are as good as some other people do.

Its really only been the last two years I've been following nope closely. NAito, ibushi, juice, moxley,okada,osprey, and kenta. Gonna be fun

Jun 17, 2019 8:54:05 GMT nazzer said:

Will does cool shit and I appreciate his efforts. The idea that he is trying to have a good match rather than going with the moment feels like a proper critique. But comments like that really are just nitpicking I suppose, even though he may not be my preference, his matches are usually enjoyable. I just don't think they are as good as some other people do.

Its really only been the last two years I've been following nope closely. NAito, ibushi, juice, moxley,okada,osprey, and kenta. Gonna be fun

If a wrestler is more concerned about showing off in the ring than winning matches then it presents a problem. Why should fans get invested in your matches when your character clearly doesn't care about winning or losing? Where is the tension or drama? Sure, you can have your clown shows in the undercard to help give the show some variety, but when you're talking premiere guys than you've got to adopt a logic > performance mentality.

That isn't to say that Will hasn't improved in this regard, I've yet to watch any of his Super Junior bouts but in general it's a legitimate gripe.

Day 1 in Dallas, Texas.
Will Ospreay vs. Lance Archer
Bad Luck Fale vs. EVIL
SANADA vs. Zack Sabre Jr
Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA
Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

What a way to kick off the tournament. Okada-Tanahashi is my favourite rivalry in modern wrestling and I'm sure they'll go all out in the first day of the tournament. I had to have a look at whether Ibushi and KENTA had met before. They wrestled a few tags in 2008/09 but have never met in singles competition. I don't think KENTA is as washed up as some people make out, I dug his match against Aleister Black and I'm sure Ibushi will start his campaign off right. SANADA/Sabre Jr could go either way. I read really mixed reports about their New Japan Cup match from fantastic to downright awful. I heard their truncated match at G1 was better, so I presume they can fill the mid-card role nicely. Fale-EVIL will be my palette cleanser that I'm sure will be better than it looks on paper while Archer/Ospreay could be Archer's best match to date.

Okada is back to god mode Okada, and Tanahashi's god mode resurgence of late 2018 has ended, so I expect Okada to win moderately comfortably. Time limit draw has potential, but unlikely.

Don't know who said SANADA vs ZSJ was awful but they are wrong. ZSJ does not have awful matches. Their New Japan Cup match was excellent.

Fale vs EVIL - skip.

Ospreay vs Archer is intriguing. I hope Archer gets back his win from the NJPW Cup, but I doubt it will happen. That was one of those match structures I rarely like - giant dominates small guy for ages, small guy kicks out of everything, somehow wins. It is logical for the giant to dominate, but Ospreay doesn't quite have the chops to pull off the fighting spirit underdog without coming across like he's just cheating by being able to kick out of anything. Pretty sure he kicked out of Archer's finish in that match, as well as a bunch of other stuff.

Jun 17, 2019 13:22:49 GMT Big Pete said:

They wrestled a few tags in 2008/09 but have never met in singles competition. I don't think KENTA is as washed up as some people make out, I dug his match against Aleister Black and I'm sure Ibushi will start his campaign off right.

I know there were a couple of tag matches in NOAH with KENTA and Ishimori (yes, that Ishimori, but he was a lot different in NOAH) vs Marufuji and Ibushi. Really intrigued to see how KENTA fares in the G1. Hopefully he will have a Moxley showing - completely rejuvenated, remotivated, and wrestling like he hasn't had the chance to wrestle in years.

Kick off in 3 days in Dallas. Any early predictions?

I went to NJPW's website and they've got a prediction page set up for each night. Only Dallas is up at the moment but the others will be soon (if they aren't already, I haven't checked this morning). One thing that jumped out at me is KENTA vs Ibushi is about 50/50. I understand why but I don't think there's any way KENTA loses his first match, especially on American soil.

I'm psyched for that match. I can't wait to see what KENTA busts out.

Who's Fale going to upset this year?
Is Archer going to get an unexpected push?
Is the SANADA push going to continue?

You need a Twitter account to participate in the NJPW predictions. Fuck that bullshit. I'll do it on reddit instead. Pretty sure they do a pick 'em game.

I picked Archer and SANADA to lose almost all their matches. As much as I like Archer, I can't see him beating many people in that stellar group. Got SANADA getting the upset over Okada because it's about him he beat the guy, and the G1 is basically the only place he can do it.

Don't remember who I had Fale going over. KENTA, I think. Maybe Ospreay.

Ibushi vs White is my final, with Ibushi winning. Ibushi vs Okada is a great sounding Tokyo Dome main event on paper.

I gave Yano four or five wins, which is probably too many, but some of them ought to be corret :lol:

I think a loss to SANADA is what keeps Okada out of the finals so you’re probably on point with that call. Sets up a title match later this year and also adds insult to injury when Okada can’t make the G1 final due to the loss.

Moxley was really hard to predict. Literally have no idea how they are going to book him. He could beat anyone or lose to anyone. Pretty sure I predicted one of Yano's upset wins to be against Moxley.

Jul 4, 2019 22:46:14 GMT Emperor said:

Moxley was really hard to predict. Literally have no idea how they are going to book him. He could beat anyone or lose to anyone. Pretty sure I predicted one of Yano's upset wins to be against Moxley.

I could actually see that. I’m also thinking there’s some shenanigans around Moxley that costs him a match or two. I think they’re going to do the “this guy is too good too fast and has made too many enemies,” angle.

Maybe Jay White sees him as a threat and Bullet Club starts showing up at his matches? I dunno. This year is way too hard to predict and that’s not even considering Gedo is booking this whole thing.

The only constant in Gedo's G1 booking is that the main event of the final block matches always decides the block winner, and there's potentially someone in the semi-main event who could make the final if he wins his match and the main event goes the right way.

Besides that, anything goes.

I'm really glad Tama Tonga isn't in this year's G1. I actually even prefer Fale over him, although not by much. At least Fale offers something different though. Not many wrestlers with his size and girth, and he's always booked like a threat in the G1.

Jul 5, 2019 17:46:54 GMT Emperor said:

I'm really glad Tama Tonga isn't in this year's G1. I actually even prefer Fale over him, although not by much. At least Fale offers something different though. Not many wrestlers with his size and girth, and he's always booked like a threat in the G1.

I’ve been a Fale defender since Bullet Club was formed. He was the perfect goon and him and Devitt had instant chemistry. Devitt riding his shoulders during entrances was awesome for some reason.

I’m really surprised he hasn’t held a singles title since his mini feud with Nakamura. I thought he’d get a NEVER Openweight title run or something. Probably for the best though, as much as I like him he’s very “meh.” I always like that he “turns it up” for the G1 though. I could totally see Gedo sending him to the finals one year before he retires just to fuck with everyone. :lol:

Jun 16, 2019 13:32:12 GMT @ness said:

Any of you guys ever watch a full tournament? At least every RR match? Seems exhausting, but man there's some on paper I really want to see. Looks like we'll get that Mox/Naito match. Sure it may not take place in a Kennel from Hell, but I'm sure it'll be great.

The only tournament I've watched all of is BOSJ 2010 and I loved almost every single match. Only a couple weren't worth watching. I feel that it adds a lot to the feeling and getting into the tournament if you are watching the entirety of it and I don't think fatigue needs to come into play because you can pace yourself on the matches as much as you want.

With the awesome roster on this year's G1, I am planning to watch every match on it as well.

Jun 17, 2019 6:15:20 GMT Emperor said:

I feel the same way about Ospreay. There's something about him that doesn't quite click with me. Might be that he comes across as a guy trying too hard to have a great match rather than feeling the moment. Dolph Ziggler syndrome.

I still feel like this is a made-up complaint that doesn't really make any sense. Working TOO hard to make a good match? Not feeling the moment? Taking every opportunity to make a match as good as it can be is feeling the moment in my book. Screw those lazy folks who half-ass their matches. You probably just had to invent some reason in your mind to resolve your internal paradox of Ziggler == GoodWrestler && Ziggler != Like. You probably just don't like how his face looks or something.

Jul 5, 2019 22:40:10 GMT Lionheart said:

Jun 17, 2019 6:15:20 GMT Emperor said:

I feel the same way about Ospreay. There's something about him that doesn't quite click with me. Might be that he comes across as a guy trying too hard to have a great match rather than feeling the moment. Dolph Ziggler syndrome.

I still feel like this is a made-up complaint that doesn't really make any sense. Working TOO hard to make a good match? Not feeling the moment? Taking every opportunity to make a match as good as it can be is feeling the moment in my book. Screw those lazy folks who half-ass their matches. You probably just had to invent some reason in your mind to resolve your internal paradox of Ziggler == GoodWrestler && Ziggler != Like. You probably just don't like how his face looks or something.

That's some pseudo-intellectual bullshit.