NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 1 (July 6): Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

5. EVIL Vs. Bad Luck Fale

Bad Luck Fale's mere presence is a G1 Climax gift for Gedo more than the wrestling audiences his matches are intended to entertain. As a giant, he can believably defeat everybody in the field, which in turn massages the complex mathematics of a series so crucially determined by logical, cohesive booking.

It's thus understandable, if not all that enjoyable, that some of his matches are more about tying the tournament together than satisfying the crowd. A meaty scrap with EVIL was marginally better than low expectations, but couldn't compete with everything else on an at-times spectacular card.

The LIJ member worked hard to find drama in a contest bereft of it, but teases leading up to steel chair spots as the referee hit the deck brought back memories from the horrific misfire that was last year's BC OGs angle with Fale and The Guerrillas Of Destiny. Rather than building to any climax, the echoes of 2018 were a touch too pronounced, even if a Bad Luck Fall conclusion was cleaner than the multitude of disqualification losses suffered last year.

Against different A Block opponents, these two will both benefit from elevated significance. Paired with each other, they were devoid of purpose.