Sunday’s NJPW G1 Climax finals was a night packed full of incredible action, but we also have a boat load of news coming out of one of the greatest tournaments in wrestling history.
The Wrestler Returns
After suffering a life-threatening injury in his championship match with Kazuchika Okada back in April, an ungodly resilient Katsuyori Shibata made a surprise appearance at Sunday’s sold-out show. The three-time NEVER Openweight Champion known simply as “The Wrestler” received a magical reaction from the New Japan fans at Sumo Hall, with many in the audience breaking down in tears when he came through the curtain.
During his match with Okada, Shibata delivered a brutal headbutt and was rushed to the hospital after the show. He was diagnosed with an acute subdural hematoma, a pooling of blood outside of the brain resulting from severe head trauma, an injury with a high rate of fatality. It was reported shortly after that he was experiencing paralysis on one side of his body, and some speculated that he may never walk properly on his own and that a return to the ring was out of the question. The fans in Tokyo Sunday night certainly appreciated the magnitude of Shibata marching to the ring just four months after many feared for his life. The Wrestler is known for being a man of very few words, and kept to that mantra by simply letting the world know, “I’m alive.”
New Champions Crowned
The brand new team of Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi were successful in defeating the Young Bucks to capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship during the G1 Finals. Ricochet has been a mainstay in the juniors division for several years, winning the 2014 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, but made his intentions to compete in the tag team division clear back at the G1 Specials in Long Beach.
Creepy Vignette Teases Incoming Star
Immediately after intermission on Sunday night, a creepy vignette aired for the first time. The video package featured an unknown shadowy figure wielding a knife almost like a Freddy Krueger type vibe, or perhaps a master assassin gimmick. We don’t have any information yet on just who this mysterious newcomer might be, but it’s more than likely a returning Young Lion currently away on an learning excursion.
It is common for New Japan to send their developmental stars on tours overseas, usually to Mexico, the United States or occasionally the United Kingdom. When they return they rejoin the roster as a full member sporting a brand new gimmick with their own signature moves and style. Last year a “Time Bomb” vignette aired during the G1 Finals that ended up being the return of Hiromu Takahashi, who wrestled in Mexico and Ring of Honor under the name Kamaitachi after his Young Lion training had completed. Leading speculation for this year’s mystery vignette is Jay White, who is currently wrestling for ROH.
NJPW Fall Schedule in Place
The G1 Finals is also the best place for New Japan to build up stories that will carry them into the fall. While all eyes are on Wrestle Kingdom where Tetsuya Naito will likely challenge Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, we still have a long journey to get there with many hungry challengers chomping at the bit for their chance.
Here’s the schedule for the rest of the year… There are three minor shows coming up in the next month and a half all under the “Destruction” brand, which will see title matches and major programs spread out across their cards. Destruction in Fukushima takes place on 9/10, followed by Destruction in Hiroshima on 9/16, finishing up with Destruction in Kobe on 9/24. The next major show is King of Pro Wrestling on 10/9 where we are most likely to see an IWGP Heavyweight Championship defense and/or a defense of the G1 briefcase. Finally Power Struggle on 11/5 which will be the final big event before Wrestle Kingdom and will set up most of the programs heading into the biggest show of the year.
NJPW will likely be announcing cards for the Destruction shows within the next two weeks. Based on Sunday night’s G1 Finals here are some of the matches they are building towards:
– Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) for the IWGP Intercontinental title. Sabre defeated Tanahashi by submission on the opening night of the G1, and submitted him again during a tag team match on Sunday. Suzuki-Gun attacked the ace after the bout and Sabre posed with the championship to officially issue his challenge.
– Michael Elgin vs. Minoru Suzuki (c) for the NEVER Openweight title. Big Mike defeated Suzuki in the B Block during the G1. On Sunday he was involved in a massive brawl with the champion that went all around the arena, spilling out into the post-match and had to be broken up multiple times.
– Desperado vs. KUSHIDA (c) for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title. This started way back in the 2017 Best of the Super Juniors tournament where Desperado was one of the few competitors to pin Kushida, although he was not champion at the time. Since Kushida won his title back from Hiromu Takahashi, the Suzuki-Gun high flyer has made it very clear that he wants a his shot. The two had an incredible fight in a tag team match during the G1 Finals and this looks to be the next major juniors program.
– Killer Elite Squad vs. Guerrillas of Destiny vs. War Machine (c) for the IWGP Tag Team titles. Hanson and Rowe were successful in defending their belts in the G1 Finals, but were immediately attacked by former champions Tama Tong and Tana Loa. That program has been going on for quite some time with the titles switching back and forth, but a returning Lance Archer reunited the Killer Elite Squad and laid waste to both teams on Sunday. This could be a triple threat match, or a series of regular tag team matches spread over multiple shows.
– EVIL vs. Kazuchika Okada (c) for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. If you’re talking about young stars on the rise in Japan, you can’t even begin to have that conversation without including EVIL. The Los Ingobernables heavy was the man to end Okada’s undefeated streak during the G1 tournament, and the only man other than Kenny Omega to have pinned him in a singles match since August 2016. During the G1 Finals EVIL upped the ante by destroying the champion and focussing on his injured neck, planting him with a big slam through a stack of chairs. When this match happens it will likely be at King of Pro Wrestling, giving Okada time to heal up from his legitimate injuries.
