NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 6 (July 19) - B BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best
In which Jon Moxley goes from being a spoke on the wheel to reinventing one....
The split in blocks for this year's G1 Climax has been defined predominantly by how to approach each of the cards in advance.
A Block is full-to-bursting with some of the best talent not just in NJPW but the entire wrestling world. Kota Ibushi is dynamic, daring and dazzling. Will Ospreay goes into this year's event being considered by many to be the best wrestler in the world. Kazuchika Okada wears a title and reputation that literally labels him as such. Hiroshi Tanahashi's body is beginning to betray him, yet is the 'Ace' of the f*cking universe, mate, won the whole thing against all odds last year and knocked out a contemporary classic with Kenny Omega at the start of this year.
It's full, basically. It's also got quite the weight of expectation, and whilst that has thus far almost always delivered, the inherent pressure to perform hangs over each event until dazzling workrate beams through.
B Block's gang is slightly more rag-tag, but to the point where the great matches feel like a surprise. That's not to patronise 10 of the finest performers in pro wrestling, but reputation precedes far fewer of the crew. Particularly in the case of one (very) ex-WWE star...
5. Juice Robinson Vs. Jeff Cobb
A slightly lethargic, at-times clumsy encounter between the former Ring Of Honor rivals almost found a finish that may have helped the audience forget a flacid first five minutes, but even the super-over Juice Robinson couldn't quite whip Korakuen Hall into a frenzy as his clash with Jeff Cobb concluded.
Cobb's conditioning was called into question as his contest with Tomohiro Ishii sagged towards the end, and he didn't get long enough to show what he had left after getting polished off by Jon Moxley in a spry 8:54.
This lacked the fire of either of those matches, but Cobb's defensive position again suggested he perhaps didn't have the engine for the G1's gruelling schedule. Juice's reinvention as an all-business best self suited their chemistry when it came time for high impact comebacks and killer blows, particularly in defeat.
A star powerful enough to put others over with a loss, Robinson's momentum wasn't halted by his first tournament defeat, nor was their shame in going down to Cobb's Tour Of The Islands finisher. The impact of this particular result on the pair's points will be best analysed towards the end of the tournament.