POSSIBILITIES:
NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING AFTER G1 CLIMAX 29
By Jasmine Olan
With G1 season officially underway, the possibilities for the final outcome are practically limitless. Twenty of the wrestling world’s best are fighting for their chance to main event WRESTLE KINGDOM 14 and challenge for the international wrestling scene’s highest honor, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. So many great stories are being told in this year’s G1 which will make it very interesting to see what will happen for the promotion and its roster of incredibly talented performers once the notoriously grueling and prestigious tournament is over. One of the great things about the G1 i# that in the end anything can happen. Whatever the final outcome is, G1 CLIMAX 29 will be an amazing set up for the rest of the year for NJPW as well as WRESTLE KINGDOM 14.
Given how things have been set up over the past year the Golden Star, Kota could be the one to unseat the Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada in the Tokyo Dome this coming January. Ibushi has been a quite a roll this year with a series of fabulous matches and a great run as IWGP Intercontinental Champion. His performance in last year’s G1 helps set up that very real possibility. Winning this year’s tournament would make him NJPW’s first triple crown tournament champion. Things truly seem to be falling into place for this to happen. The Golden Star is determined to make history and is ready. With his talent and passion, Ibushi is destined to become a living legend before even reaching the age of forty.
No one is facing higher stakes in G1 CLIMAX 29 than the members of Los Ingobernables de Japon. The majority of the hugely successful faction are competing this year which has many wondering about the future of LIJ. Depending on how things play out, we could see a split between Evil and Sanada. The seeds for this have already been planted with Evil distancing himself from the group. There could also end being tension between LIJ leader, Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi after they must face each other in block competition. The group has survived similar situations before, but can they do it again?
The seeds also appear to be planted for a possible redemption arc for the Fierce Warrior, Hirooki Goto. His recent attack on Switchblade Jay White and his performance in the tag team preview match on opening night could very easily lead to this. Goto looked incredible at the G1 opener in Dallas and is looking get revenge on Jay White and prove any nay sayers wrong. Can the Ara Musha finally make it to the top of the mountain after years of trying? The possibility is most definitely there.
After a challenging 2019, the Ace Of The Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi could also find himself back on the road to redemption after this year’s G1. Last year saw him win the tournament and later defeat then IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kenny Omega at WRESTLE KINGDOM 13. The Ace has always been resilient and passionate. At forty-two years old, Tanahashi is already a living legend. He’s done it before, and he can do it again even with the odds against him.
These are just some of the different ways things can play out for New Japan Pro Wrestling after G1 CLIMAX 29. If opening night was any indicator, NJPW fans are in for such an exciting second half of 2019. The promotion will no doubt continue its successful track record with a lot of fun stuff and great matches to come. Excitement will remain at fever pitch as we all wait to see what NJPW’s future will be like once the biggest battle of the summer is all said and done.
